"Mama Stone"

 My lovely tall mother came to visit this last week. I went to the end of our long gravel driveway to meet her  in the dark of the night. As a car pulled onto the road I couldnt make out the person's face for the darkness. I said "mom, is that you?"... no reply. "MOM?" still no reply, only a glare from an unknown person. I ran to get back into my car with much fright asking my summit friends to lock the door. "Who is it? Isn't that your mom?" They asked. I don't know but Im scared. The car started to drive away. But then it stopped and started to back up to us! All of a sudden a figure moved from out of the car towards us. "Mom, is that you?" I asked in apprehension. And so it was my mother. After much confusion, a big hug and laughter I came to find out that her window was broken and would not roll down.
  Mom and I have enjoyed our time together. She has fit in quite snugly here at semester, becoming the students adopted mom. She went skiing with 6 other students and Mary, my mentor. She had her first lesson in skiing with the end being one of screaming and a close greeting with some trees. I filmed it.
  She made cinnamon rolls with me and another student. She has brought home to me and I am happy. She is leaving tomorrow morning and will be missed by more than just me.
  I praise my Heavenly Father for my earthly mother, or as some here call her "Mama Stone".

Tonight we will be having the highschoolers out to the lodge to do small groups with them as well as lead praise songs with them. It shall be a challenging and fun time.


MISS.YOU

Dr. Moreland and a Surprise from my Brother

Dr. Moreland has come and gone. We learned much about philosophy and how to do it well. We talked about the evidence of Yaweh,the work of the holy spirit, angels, demons, and more. The last night he was here he encouraged us in the christian life. WOW! So good to hear. He pretty much talked about the triangle kingdom: The life of the Mind, Spritiual formation-discipline of character formation, and spiritual life in the Kingdom and Holy Spirit. He gave his testimony of his commitment of being Jesus' disciple more than anything in life, even above being married! This struck me straight to the heart:) Why am I here? What is the purpose of the christian life? How can I have happiness or human flourishing? To be fully pregnant with passion, honesty, and truth? It happens by becoming like Christ and being his disciple. I want my #1 priority to be that. To learn to give myself away to other people for Jesus' sake and not to live as though I am the main character in this story.
 The three things emphasized in the Kingdom Triangle: Life of the Mind. To be couragious in thinking. To know why I belive what I believe. Dont be intimidated by those who dont believe like me.Study the Word. Be around those you will stimulate and challenge my thinking. Danger in this- Knowledge puffs up. Solution to this: Humility; not forgetting from where I came, my stuggles and pains. Spritiual Disciplines- To presend my body as an intrument of righteosness. To make habbit that form my character of one that glorifies God. To make disciplines of gratitude. Seeing the glass half full. Giving thanks through out the day. Supernatural Life:Pray specifically and expect more, knowing there is a supernatural world, I must not live as though there is not one. Dr. Moreland told us many stories that can't be explained but by the fact that it is something supernatural. (ex. Muslim lady having dream of Jesus coming to her saying I am the way the truth and the life- seek me. And the next day she found the Jesus film in the street with the same face of Jesus she saw in her dream and then she watched it and she and her whole family were converted to chritianity. He told of amazing testements of a lady seeing 3 specific angles around him when he was sick in the hospital and 7 years later when he was going though depression he asked God to help me believe He was real and to send angels and didnt tell anyone else of this prayer. The next day in class a student saw the same 3 angels standing around him and drew a picture of them. He told Dr. moreland the next day and he described them just as the lady 7 years before did with a tall angel in the middle. I was so encouraged by his faith and story. A couple of days ago I was sitting with Dr. moreland talking to him about philosophy and prayer when all of a sudden I saw 3 people some into the side door to the dining room. I then looked and saw... Wait, could it be?!! Yes it is!! my brother Barton!! HE came! To surpise me. And he did just that! I ran to engage in a huge bear hug. We washed dishes last night and talked about video games and how to talk to kids who are addicted to them. I love having him around. He leaves tomorrow. We will be going to the grocery store soon and then maybe take a walk later. Praise God for family.
  Im going to work on my sonnet now. This assigment intimidates me. But I must follow through.

Today is sunny, breezy and beautiful. Fortunate=me:)

Miss you....
 

"A Cinnamon Test"

WEEK 5

 Last night a few girls and I came together in the kitchen to make some apple pies along with some Pumpkin pies in preparation for Canadian Thanksgiving today. In this process of rolling out dough, mixing scruptious ingredients together and getting our aprons dirty, Daniel asked "Anyone want to do a cinnamon test?" This sounded like a fun and exciting idea. "Yes, I will do it!" I said with enthusiasm thinking this must be an experience I mustn't give up. "NO! Sarah. I cant let you." I guess this isn't such an enjoyable experience, I thought, but "Ill do it anyway!" And so, after he finished filling the spoon with overflowing amounts of this spice he handed the spoon over hesitantly. With 6 or so  fellow class mates watching with eagarness, I opened my mouth not knowing what my senses were about to feel. After I put the heaping amount of cinnamon on my tongue I couln't help but to inhale this stong scent. The next thing I new I was coughing, choking, eyes tearing, gasping for air and ran to the sink to quench my hunger for water. The next 15 minutes were filled with wetting my mouth and struggling to make a clear sentence. The background sounds were full of laughter and "Sarah, are you ok?" 

   

   I thought I would write on a lighter note. Not such a light experience for me during the moment, but lighter in reading.

 Dr. B has left us for the next 2 weeks. I will miss him greatly and his thoughts on life as well as the way he causes me to think through the statements and questions that fill my mind. I talked with him along with a few other students the day he left on the front poarch of the great lodge. It was a warm, clear and breezy day. I had with me my favorite notepad of questions with the heading on every page: "LOOK AT THE FISH". This concept of looking at a question for a long time to understand the answer is something I will never want to forsake; a valueble lesson for which I'm greatful. I asked him what has made him doubt and how he has handled that doubt. He said he has never doubted God but the character of God as well as the spriritual life. I asked Him what has made him confident in knowing there is a God. He said the biggest evidence is the resurrection. "What is the abundant life" I asked. "Look at the gospels, Look at Jesus." "So, having the mind of Christ is the abundant life?" "Yes" Dr. B said. This revelation has been so rewarding and freeing. The answer seems to always go back to Christ. 

  

   This morning as I was sitting at the table for breakfast, a tall man with a white beard approached us and sat down. I thought to myself "Is that Dr. Williams?" "What's your name?"I asked. "I am Gandolf." he replied. "OH MY!! I've always wanted to meet you Gandolf!! My name is Sarah." I said while standing up and offering my hand to meet him with a hardy shake. We both laughed followed with discussion on 'The Lord of the Rings'. I told him his mission this week will be to change my mind about this book and movie. I've never been interested in fictional books. At times I feel like an outcast when Im surrounded by hard core 'Lord of the Rings' fans.I'd rather read books for education and spiritual growth. When I told him this, he responded with..."Ooohh. You mean you are like Edmund who only reads books on education and doesn't understand anything when entering into the land of Narnia." I asked him the differences between being a wizard and a witch, from where do they received their powers and I also asked him what he thought of 'Harry Potter'. I trust he will wet my appetite for these books by the end of this week of having him for our proffesor. Im looking foward to learning about poetry and humanity from him.

  Asking questions has become my new favorite hobby. 

Knowing God...

 The other day in class Dr. B was talking about Mysticism. He gave the class their view on how to get to God/ know Him. He talked about the three stairways getting to God. The first being the outside world( creation etc.), then the second stairway is the inside(looking at our inner life) and then the third being complete revelation of God(Monogism). As I was taking notes of this and was contemplating these views I became distressed and frustrated with this way of knowing God. I took this class especially seriously becuase I have been asking this question for the past couple of years. Afterwards I went to talk to Dr. B as I usually do to ask him a few questions that are exploding in my mind. I asked him if he agrees with this view of knowing God. He said the only way we can come to know the Father is through Jesus."He that sees Me sees the Father..." "He that knows Me knows the Father..."-Jesus. I told him, "But how do we do that since we don't have Jesus here with us physically like the disciples did." Dr. B said that we have the gospels and we have the opportunity to have the mind of Christ. To desire to think and live as He does. In this way I can know the Father. This has been right in front of me all the time but sometimes the obvious isn't clear until that day of REVELATION! Im so happy about this truth. If I didn't get anything else from this semster(which I am!:) it would be worth it.

FIRST BLOG. OH BOY.

Hi Everybody. This is my first go at a blog! :) So I will try to start posting thoughts and acitivities once a week here.
  I just finished walking downtown with four friends. Im now in RiverGrounds Coffee shop in Pagosa Springs sitting on a brown couch listening to celtic music surounded by other fellow classmates studying books or the computer. Im about to start on the former; a book called The Intellectual Life by Sertillanges. Im on chapter 3 learning about the organized life. In this chapter he says "...before giving out truth, aquire it for yourself; and do not waste the seed for your sowing.."
 Im going to continue reading followed with a celebration of Kevin's and Matt's birthday. I will also be taking a class on alternative and traditional medicine taught by a student's mother tonight.

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