come on get higher.

today began our ropes training experience c/o challenge quest. it's always fun to look at gear and tie knots, etc. we did a lot of that kind of stuff this morning. this afternoon we headed up to the high ropes course. it was good, but, well, a challenge. i'm not a fantastic climber (a shock, i know, considering i have the perfect climbing physique.) but i do feel comfortable up there once i'm not climbing up or down a pole. the worst part was slicing up my hand on a steel cable on the first run up, so i had to climb down with a bleeding hand. it still hurts, but i'll live.

i'll be doing training for the next week or so and i think it's going to be pretty intense. tomorrow we start at 8:30am and we're supposed to run till dark.
luckily, i finally have all of my homework done and turned in so i'm going to head back ot my room soon, read for awhile, then sleep for as long as possible so i can have the energy i need to learn rescue procedures!

in other news: i was very opposed to ever liking rosie thomas music because a lot of girls seem to like her and it just seemed too girly for me. well, luckily i've changed my mind. because her music is FANTASTIC and i bought 2 of her cds which came while i was in illinois! they are wonderful.

"And I, I have much farther to go. And I, I'm so confused I know. I should just click my heels together and go home, but I lost my way back home when I lost you."- Rosie Thomas- Much Farther to Go

chicago. and such.

i've got tons to do
which of COURSE means it's a perfectly good idea for me to blog right now...

this is my reward for diligently working on papers for the past hour or so. well, as diligent i can be amidst the chaos that is the computer lab with the undergrads here this week. *sigh* it's hard to write a paper on philosophy of ministry when there are 8 people talking loudly.

this past week has been a whirlwind. we did camp tours last week and that was pretty awesome.




this is my "i'm so angry at you snow!" pose.















we ended up in wheaton by the end and got to have our personalities tested by some grad psych students. they pretty much confirmed much of what i already knew about myself. it was good to go through the process though.
while i was down there tim vdb picked me up and we went to part of a youth ministry conference at willow creek on thursday night. it was awesome and just so encouraging. ALSO (weird) some of my kids from youth group were there!! i was so excited to see them! among them was none other than geoff tittyung. i like to keep suprising that kid apparently.

friday we had a camp tour in madison, then most of the team headed back to honeyrock and 5 of us went back down to the wheaton area. me, jess, and katrina stayed at jess' house.



saturday tim vdb picked me up again and we hung out in chicago all afternoon!





it was super fun. we went to the sears tower and rode a boat to see the city skyline.















we tried to stifle our laughs as our tour guide talked about the great chicago fire and i kept saying "boom boom boom boom" and "fire fire fire"...
we also played tag. ok, i played tag.























thennnn we went to see jason as the tin man in the wizard of oz in a stellar community theater production. ok- jason was stellar.

and it was good times for all who gathered there.








oh jeeze.


so... long story short. incredible weekend with awesome friends.



and i choose this song because i was in chicago... and because it's in my top 10 favorites...

"i fell in love again, all things go, all things go, drove to Chicago.... you came to take us, all things go, all things go to recreate us, all things grow, all things grow..." sufjan stevens - chicago

snow. gah.

uh yes.
it is still snowing.

it's really beautiful.
but it's trapping us here instead of going on camp tours.... SAD DAY!!!!!!

and i think it's putting us all in crazy moods.
and we just sang music from free willy...

oh my.

snow day.

once upon a time we were supposed to do camp tours this week...

well, we got up extra early to make it to our first stop... well... we woke up extra early to 6 inches of snow.
remember when it was 70 degrees this weekend?

ah ha.
i walked outside and saw this:

yep.
the wet, slushy kind of snow.
yick.




we ate our 630 am breakfast and headed out despite the inclement weather.
and made it about 10 minutes down highway x
before we saw this
why yes, that IS a tree in the middle of the road.
good eye.

so

needless to say


we turned the 15 passenger van around (which was an event of its own)
and headed back to honeyrock for a snow day

dang.
and i was really excited for a field trip.

oh well. maybe tomorrow...

gpa musical.

this week went by SO fast.
all i have done is work on homework and be in class. it's been pretty fantastic though.
monday morning our official class time started and went all day every day monday-friday and this morning too. we had great discussions and i took in so much information i think my head might explode. i've questioned everything, from my motives to my heart to my 'calling' in life and it's been quite a journey, and the fantastic part is that it's only just begun. there's still so much more for me to learn and grow from.

it's been so warm this week. we had class outside a few times this week and also 2 picnic lunches. yay! the lake's pretty much all liquid (which is fantastic) and we've spent some time canoeing. awesome. and last night we had a fire at rob's house- the first outdoor one of the 'warm' season.

today i went to see the hannah montana movie with haley and heather. it was stellar, thanks for asking. :-) oooh lick-a-dee splitz opened today and we all got ice cream. also very good. jess, lindsey, katie, katrina and i just went canoeing down to the dam(!) for the past hour or so. that was enjoyable... chilly, but enjoyable. i rode in the middle since there were an odd number of us, and katrina laughed so hard at my hair blowing in the wind as i enjoyed the ride and sang songs.

i'm soooo excited for this upcoming week! we're going on camp tours all week and spending time at wheaton at the end of the week. and this saturday is jason's play! i'm excited to hang out with friends and enjoy some good times down in illinois/indiana.

so much more i could tell you, but i'm getting ready to hang out with the girls for a bit!

blessings,
krista

"it's not about how fast i get there, it's not about what's waiting on the other side, it's the climb." miley cyrus - the climb

do not judge me.

some people i know have done this on facebook.
it amused me because it has to do with music.
and most things are amusing when your brain is fried from doing homework all day...



Using only song names from ONE ARTIST, cleverly answer these questions. Try not to repeat a song title.

Pick Your Artist: copeland

Are you male or female: she changes your mind

Describe yourself: control freak

How do you feel about yourself: not so tough found out

Describe where you currently live: testing the strong ones

If you could go anywhere, where would you go: california

Your best friend is: by my side

Your favorite color is: the grey man

You know that: what do i know?

What's the weather like: brightest

What is life to you: hold nothing back

What is the best advice you have to give: love is a fast song

If you could change your name, what would it be?: kite

Your favorite food is: coffee


"you have my attention, like you've had all the while. since that first day when you made my heart smile with loving eyes and tired sighs that flow... " copeland- you have my attention

homework week. lots of writing. expect big words.

it's somewhat unfortunate that this happens to be our "homework week" as i'm too distracted by finishing everything for class to spend ample time contemplating Jesus' death and resurrection. i mean, it is the cornerstone of my faith and most definitely worthy of my entire attention, but the papers and readings that i'm scholastically responsible for are taking precedence at the moment.

yesterday wasn't helpful- don't get me wrong, it was a fabulous day, i just didnt get very much accomplished. i spent the morning completing 2/3 of my 'outdoors' paper (which i just finished this morning, hence this break to blog) and spending some time in prayer with other honeyrock staff for our summer. right after lunch i worked on music for bible study, then we had bible study, then dinner, then our surprise party for angela, which lasted the rest of the night. i did a little reading before bed, but not as much as i probably could have.

sometimes i write really good papers.
and i amuse myself while doing so.
for your reading enjoyment, an excerpt from my 'outdoors' paper, encouraging our society put a bigger emphasis on the necessity for us all to spend more time outdoors and less in front of a computer or television screen.

"I have no doubt that exposing the current generation to the wonders of the natural world and instilling values of conservation and appreciation for the outdoors is absolutely critical to their ability to develop into citizens tho respect and protect the world around us. If not, the current trendiness of the 'green' movement is at risk of going by the wayside as quickly as the mullet, maintained only by society's cultural outliers"


yep.

"If you let your feelings go, dear, it's scary what you'll find. i find i'm on your street, dear, and you're always on my mind. and no one needs to know, that you let me in tonight. that you let me see the world... behind your eyes." jon foreman- behind your eyes

seasonally speaking.

i journaled this yesterday while taking a break from working on homework (yep, i'm back at honeyrock) and i thought i'd share it with you:

i needed a break from sitting and writing... because i was falling asleep. :-) so i went for a "run" since the sun's out today, even though it's a little bit chilly. 1/2 the ground is muddy, 1/4 is icy, and 1/4 is reasonably runnable. that and i'm not used to running again, especially on trails. it was still good though. i hung out at ski hill mostly because it was pretty dry there. i rand the little loop several times and went up and down the hill twice- laying at the top and soaking up the sun for a few minutes each time. it was a glorious time with God. as i made my way back to loberg i thought about the seasons, as spring is c learly fighting a battle against winter right now. i just think that sometimes we simply endure winter while secretly hoping and waiting for spring. sure we find ways to entertain ourselves in the snow and cold, we may even enjoy being out in the cold, but somewhere deep inside we long to be warm. isn't this also true of the "seasons of life"? we go through the "winter" of life with varying perspectives- hatered, excitement, apathy- just waiting for a break in the weather. and when it comes you'd be hard pressed to find anyone who would say, "i just wish it was really cold again and the days were darker..." at the end of a long, hard winter. we're told, commanded, expected to "patiently endure" our winters in life- these trials and hard times. these are easier to endure with others who are experiencing the same thing. someone living through a southern state winter cannot completely understand the brutality of a northwoods wisconsin winter. one who is going through trials and temptations, frustrations and doubt cannot be comforted in the same way by someone whose life is in the full bloom of spring. this is why we band together. two are better than one. where two lie down together they will be warm. warm enough, perhaps, to keep holding on to that distant hope for spring. if they are lucky, their springs will coincide and they will be blessed in rejoicing together the way they lamented before.
thre's something to be said for experiencing life together. i fully believe it's what God intended.



"i cannot hold it in or remain composed, love's taken over me..." - david crowder band, you are my joy

materialism.

i thought about starting a list of all the things i would like to purchase if it wouldnt cause me to need my own personal financial bailout....

... then i thought about how depressed that might make me.

*sigh*

overall i dont think i'm incredibly materialistic. but i do have my moments. especially when it comes to music.

oh well. i did snag some new stuff from itunes today before heading back into my northwoods bubble tomorrow. so that's exciting.

"if i traded it all, if i gave it all away for one thing, wouldn't that be something?" - finger eleven, one thing

i heart ypsilanti. and ann arbor...

today was great.
i got my tires rotated (... yeah real exciting) then bought my dress for the buckheirester wedding. :-)
i ate lunch at whole foods then headed to the allman house. i chatted with with deanna until she had to leave for work and played their piano until the kids got home from school. it was super fun to play with jenna & emmy all afternoon. i love those kids!!

after that i met up with frances and we went to the corner brewery to see tim & some of his coworkers who were hanging out there. when we walked in the door you will NEVER guess who i saw sitting there... it was KIWI! i was so stoked! i hadn't seen her in at least 3 years. it was so awesome to see her and catch up a bit. i love that girl. (for those of you who don't know, kiwi and i were CITs together at camp linden when we were 14-16 and on staff when we were 17. we were pretty much inseperable and people got us confused all the time. i had random milford adventures on weekends in high school and we ended up living together freshman year at EMU.)
i had some espresso love (beer + coffee = yum.) and then tim, fran, and i headed over to my favorite restaraunt- sidetracks! we enjoyed some tasty sidetracks treats (oh sweet potato fries... so good) and then i drove frances back home and we had one of our infamous car driveway talking marathons. it was sad to think that was the last one we'd ever have... cuz the next time i'm home she'll be getting married! those car talks got us through some huge stuff over the past 6 years.

tomorrow's my last day of break.
*sigh*
i knew it would be over quickly...

"now here's the sun, come to dry the rain, warm my shoulders and relieve my pain. you're the one thing that i'm missing here, with you beside me I no longer fear...i'd rather be with you... say you want the same thing too." josh radin- i'd rather be with you

childish/childlike... or what does it mean to be an adult...

when i was younger i used to think that once you graduated college your life would be smooth sailing. a spouse would suddenly appear. you'd have a perfect job and love where you live...

i have also tend to have an unrealistic and very romanticized expectation of what life should be.
i was exposed to a lot of media as a child.

i'm not disappointed by where i am in life right now. it's all been quite an adventure, and i wouldn't trade a minute of it, even the really tough stuff. i just sometimes get overwhelmed by the pressure of making good choices in terms of career/relationships/finances/etc. i am not a very good adult.
i like to play. i like to stare at the sky. i like to laugh. i like to listen to music. i like to have adventures. i like to be with people. i like to find ways to love and encourage people.

i don't like: trying to figure out what job to apply for next or where to move, worrying about never getting married (and the fact that i still have no idea how to interact with the opposite sex except for on a brother/sister level), focusing on finding the money to pay for things like my car, cell phone, etc.

the list goes on.


i heard someone talk once about the difference between being "childish" and "childlike"
i always hope that i'm leaning towards "childlike", but i'm sure i have my moments of childishness too. those are frustrating times. i hate watching myself be ridiculous.

and how do you maintain friends as an adult? elisabeth and i were talking about this today. it's definitely something that's been on my mind as more of my friends get married and as most of my friends live all over the place. do you choose your "best" friends by those located closest to you at any given point in time or by those who understand you best (and vice versa) no matter where they live and how often you speak? in this adult life i'm finding it harder to have "best" friends... but i also think they're something i need more than ever right now. and if i need that, i can't help but think other people need it too. it just takes a lot of work, and that's not something a lot of people seem willing to do anymore.

this all probably sounds pretty dismal, but that's not my intent at all. it's just another step in my verbal processing to try to figure out myself and how i fit into this world.


"i shall never grow up, make-believe is much too fun...this place is so lovely, it kind of makes me very happy" - eisley, brightly wound

real exciting... right??

okay. so i needed some time to set this up a little more before i really posted.
i think i already like the format better than my good old xanga.

you can catch up on the past 5ish years of my life on www.xanga.com/higher_than_I
but i think i'll be posting here from now on.


i have just a few more days in michigan before heading back to honeyrock on sunday. i'm not at all looking forward to all of that car time. i just get bored. and lonely. and impatient. if i didnt have music/sermons to listen to and amazing friends to talk to on the phone, i wouldnt make it on those drives.

spring break has been really good. it has felt like an eternity, but in a good way. i really needed the break. it was fanatastic to spend time with friends in evart for a week, and i absolutely LOVE volunteering at springhill, so that was super fun too.
my time at my mom's house was pretty good too. it was good to just be here and get some stuff taken care of, though i've still got a lot to do.
i had SO much fun in nashville over the past week. it was great to hang out with rachel, and such a bonus to also get to spend time with murphy, cassie, and joy.
rachel and i drove back to michigan today and i leave again this sunday... so it's going to be a busy next few days of finishing up things here and there.

and that's all of the excitement for now.
my favorite josh radin song just came on pandora.com
oh bliss
"...the best thing i can give to you is for me to go, leave you alone, you've got growin up to do. looks like the rain's falling down on me, it's drowning me now, and all i want is to come back home..." - josh radin, you got growin' up to do

hello blogspot.

i'm not sure how i feel about you yet mr.blogspot.
my loyalty to xanga.com runs deep... over 5 years deep.

but the time may have finally come for an upgrade.