Big Impact

The Bathroom and the Human Nature

This is a story of something I witnessed going on in the apartment I share with 3 other roommates. I think it applies to everyday life of almost every person...

When we moved in, we cleaned everything in our apartment, including the bathroom and our shower. Everything was squeaky clean and so all of us felt free not to use any shower shoes in our shower. Why should we, if it was so clean?

Now, some of my roommates had shampoos and soaps on the floor of our shower. As days went by, a mold began to form underneath these containers .

Suddenly, a couple days ago, I noticed that someone had removed all of their shampoo and soap containers from the showers floor. This is when I actually saw the mold and it didn't look very good. A pair of flip flops was chilling next to the shower meaning that one of the girls began using them to wear in the shower now. Things went without change for a couple more days... moldy shower floor, flip flops next to it, all shampoo and soap containers removed...

Did you notice anything? Any questions?

My question was this: Why didn't the person who removed the containers from the shower clean their 'mess' (i.e. the shower floor)? Why couldn't someone take those 2 minutes to put things into their original state?

What will happen if no one ever cleans the floor? The mold will grow, we will all star wearing shoes to shower, the shower will develop this moldy smell to it... Is this really where we want to end up?

And this is not where things end... numerous other examples pop up in my head when people try to protect themselves from the mess they made rather than try to clean it up...

...like ...

...living as far as we can from the city dumpster instead of recycling our waste

... giving a professor bad ratings because his exams were too hard instead of admitting that we should have studied more

...the relationships we have with others

...denying our sins instead of asking for forgiveness

And you know where this will end? Things will get moldy, they will be disgusting to us, and we will have to find even more protection from them and move further away. Unless we clean up our mess, it won't go away. It is one thing to pray for the world, or to pray for the shower to be clean (and don't take me wrong - I love prayer and believe in its importance), but things won't change unless we actually get out of our comfort zone and make an effort.

Polamalu's Testimony

Our world has created so many stars, idols, and celebrities. People believe in them, dress like them, talk like them, party like them, and do all the things they can to be like their favorite celebrity (Hannah Montana is a great example of how far things can go these days....).

This is why I am always very happy when I see someone, who is portrayed by the media as an 'idol', yet in reality the person is very humble and a believer who is not afraid to admit to their faith. I love when Troy Polamalu talks about serving God through football. Amen! It is so clear that he puts his heart into the game, but it is not for the money, or the fame, it is for God, for his team, and his coach :). There are so many ways to serve our Lord!

GO POLAMALU!

Wonder what would happen if we treated our Bible like a cell phone?

What if we carried it around in our purses or pockets?
What if we turned back to get it if we forgot it?
What if we flipped through it several times a day?
What if we spent and hour or more using it each day?
What if we used it to receive messages from its text?
What if we treated it like we couldn't live without it?
What if we gave it as gifts?
What if we used it as we traveled?
What if we used it in case of an emergency?
This is something to make you go
Hmmm... where is my Bible?

Oh, and a few other things;
Unlike our cell phones;
One plan fits all.
Unlimited usage.
No roaming charges.
You always have reception.
You don't have to buy batteries.
No weak signals
AND you never have to worry about being disconnected.

Our SAVIOR already paid the bill

Relay for Life in Less than 24 Hours

Relay for Life - What's in it for you?

I would like to keep all of you up to date with the progress of me and my team for the upcoming Relay for Life 24 hour walk for the American Cancer Society (July 24 - 25 in Fairview, PA). Thank you in advance for taking the time to read my post and for choosing to make a difference. I would like to thank you for your support, either through prayers, Facebook, or donations... All of these let me know that I am truly surrounded by some wonderful caring people.

I set my personal fundraising goal to $ 200 and so far, I am at 75% of the goal. I am hoping to reach my goal by this Friday. For more information about my progress or to make a donation to ACS go here: http://main.acsevents.org/goto/ellierepkova

As of now, our team membership increased to 8 members, and we are at 60% of our $ 1,000 goal.

The story of our team

This summer, three of my friends and I, decided to participate in RELAY FOR LIFE, a 24 hour walk to raise money for the American Cancer Society. We have less than two weeks to put our group together and raise money for the ACS ($1000 for our group is our goal).

Therefore, I have decided to write a note every day about cancer and our group, so that all of my friends would be informed about cancer and also about our group and why we are doing this. After reading these, I would like to ask you to consider doing one of the following (or all three):

1. Pray for our team (The Cancer Avengers) that we would find more people to join us and that we would be able to raise money for the American Cancer Society.

2. Make a donation to the American Cancer Society here ( even if you can give only $5, you will make a difference): http://main.acsevents.org/goto/ellierepkova

3. Join our team and walk with us on July 24th and 25th at Fairview High School!!! (feel free to e-mail me with any questions). Our team page is here: http://main.acsevents.org/site/TR/RelayForLife/RFLFY09PA?pg=team&fr_id=16852&team_id=529131

4. Post a this link on your Facebook profile: http://main.acsevents.org/goto/ellierepkova

What is Relay for Life?

Relay For Life is the American Cancer Society’s signature activity. It offers everyone in a community an opportunity to participate in the fight against cancer. Teams of people camp out at a local high school, park, or fairground and take turns walking or running around a track or path. Each team is asked to have a representative on the track at all times during the event. Relays are an overnight event, up to 24 hours in length.

Teams of people from all walks of life have fun while raising much-needed funds to fight cancer and raise awareness of cancer prevention and treatment.

No matter who you are, there’s a place for you at Relay.

Relay For Life is a life-changing event that brings together more than 3.5 million people to:

• Celebrate the lives of those who have battled cancer. The strength of survivors inspires others to continue to fight.
• Remember loved ones lost to the disease. At Relay, people who have walked alongside people battling cancer can grieve and find healing.
• Fight Back. We Relay because we have been touched by cancer and desperately want to put an end to the disease.

There is not a required amount of money to raise in order to participate in Relay For Life. The American Cancer Society's recommendation is for each participant to set a personal goal to raise $100. If you raise more, that's even better. If you do not raise $100, you are still welcome to participate. We're glad to have you. The only requirement to participate in Relay For Life is the $10 registration/commitment fee (per person) that is due upon registration. Please verify the registration fee with your local office, as some Relays may differ. After that, anything you can raise through individual, team, or online fundraising is graciously accepted.


Philosophy – Why We Relay

The American Cancer Society Relay For Life represents the hope that those lost to cancer will never be forgotten, that those who face cancer will be supported, and that one day cancer will be eliminated.

Why Relay?

Relay For Life is more than just a fundraiser. It’s a life-changing experience. At Relay, every person in the community has a chance to celebrate, remember, and fight back. And every person who participates joins others around the globe as part of this worldwide movement to end cancer.

Everyone's reason to Relay is as unique as their own personal story. At Relay, you can find healing, comfort, and support from others who have faced cancer or who have lost a loved one to the disease. You have a chance to meet people in the community who are equally as passionate about finding an end to cancer in our lifetime. You can thank all the people who have done so much to support you through your personal cancer experience. And you can gather together with friends, family, and colleagues to laugh, cry, and create lasting memories.

No matter why you take part in Relay, however, one thing is clear: with every step you take, you are helping the American Cancer Society save lives. With your help, we aren’t just fighting one type of cancer – we’re fighting for every birthday threatened by every cancer in every community. Each person who shares the Relay experience can take pride in knowing that they are working to create a world where this disease will no longer threaten the lives of our loved ones or claim another year of anyone’s life.

The American Cancer Society

For every $10 you give to ACS:

$1.40 goes to cancer research

$2.00 will help teach people about a healthy lifestyle and cancer prevention

$2.00 will go to support a cancer patient and help him/her pay for medical bills

$1.60 will help diagnose people earlier and help fund treatment of cancer patients

$3.00 will help ACS with administration costs and also with running events such as the RELAY FOR LIFE


This summer, Molly, Danielle, Joe, Jason, and I, decided to participate in RELAY FOR LIFE, a 24 hour walk to raise money for the American Cancer Society. We have less than two weeks to put our group together and raise money for the ACS ($1000 as a group is our goal).

Therefore, I have decided to write a note every day about cancer and our group, so that all of my friends would be informed about cancer and also about our group and why we are doing this.

After reading these, I would like to ask you to consider doing one of the following (or all three):

1. Pray for our team (The Cancer Avengers) that we would find more people to join us and that we would be able to raise money for the American Cancer Society.

2. Make a donation to the American Cancer Society here ( even if you can give only $5, you will make a difference):

http://main.acsevents.org/goto/ellierepkova

3. Join our team and walk with us on July 24th and 25th at Fairview High School!!! (feel free to e-mail me with any questions). Our team page is here: http://main.acsevents.org/site/TR/RelayForLife/RFLFY09PA?pg=team&fr_id=16852&team_id=529131

4. Post a this link on your Facebook profile:
http://main.acsevents.org/goto/ellierepkova


Today, I would like you to get to know the American Cancer Society better so that you know what you are supporting (or missing on).

The American Cancer Society was founded in 1913!!! That is almost 100 years ago!

The American Cancer Society (ACS) is the "nationwide community-based voluntary health organization dedicated to eliminating cancer as a major health problem by preventing cancer, saving lives, and diminishing suffering from cancer, through research, education, advocacy and service."

The ACS is organized into thirtee geographical divisions of both medical and lay volunteers operating in more than 3,400 offices throughout the United States and Puerto Rico.[4] The National Home Office is located in the American Cancer Society Center in Atlanta, Georgia.

The Society was originally founded in 1913 by 15 physicians and businessmen in New York City under the name American Society for the Control of Cancer (ASCC).

The sword symbol, adopted by the American Cancer Society in 1928, was designed by George E. Durant of Brooklyn, New York.

ACS's activities:

providing grants to researchers
running public health advertising campaigns
organizing projects such as the Relay For Life, Great American Smokeout, Making Strides Against Breast Cancer, and Daffodil Days
operating a series of thrift stores to raise money for its operations

A 1994 study showed that the American Cancer Society was ranked as the 10th "most popular charity/non-profit in America" of over 100 charities researched with 38% of Americans over the age of 12 choosing Love and Like A lot for the American Cancer Society.

Relay for Life day 4

Today, I thought I would go in depth and tell you all about our group 'The Cancer Avengers'. We do need your support :)

Monday, July 13

Go to: http://main.acsevents.org/goto/ellierepkova

Molly, Theresa, Jason, and I officially decided to make a team and walk for 24 hours at Relay for Life in Fairview, PA. We actually wanted to sigh up about 4 weeks ago, but we always postponed everything... So we have less than 2 weeks to reach our group's fundraising goal of $1,000.
Jason is the team capitain and also the one responsible for our team name.

We all have friends and family members whose lives were affected by cancer in some way. Some of our family members and friends are battling cancer now, some of them lost their lives to it, some won over it. At any means, it is the feeling of not being able to help our loved ones that made us want to join and help at least this way.

Tuesday, July 14

Go to: http://main.acsevents.org/goto/ellierepkova

Theresa seems like she will not join us :(. So as of now, we have 3 members, which is not a lot. I think I sent e-mails to more than 100 people and received a donation from one. Still, it is a progress. Jason is e-mailing all of his friends on Facebook to post a link to his page on their profile... not a big success either. Molly has been e-mailing too.

Wednesday, July 15

Go to: http://main.acsevents.org/goto/ellierepkova

I have decided to e-mail via Angel all of my former classmates and all the members of the 5 student organizations I am in, asking them to either post a link to my personal page, to donate some money, or to join our group. All this was over 300 people getting my e-mails.

As of 7 pm it still seems like we will have only 3 members and Molly is telling me that our team should rather quit and join an existing team already... I don't like the diea, but I guess it is better than having a team of three.

Danielle comes for a visit in the evening and agrees to join our team, plus she also thinks another 4 of her friends will join us. Joe joins in shortly after Danielle.

As of now, our team has 5 members and we are at 14% of our fundraising goal :)

What is Cancer?

This summer, Molly, Theresa, Jason, and I, decided to participate in RELAY FOR LIFE, a 24 hour walk to raise money for the American Cancer Society. We have less than two weeks to put our group together and raise money for the ACS ($100 per person is our goal).

Therefore, I have decided to write a note every day about cancer, so that all of my friends would be informed about cancer and also about our group and why we are doing this.

After reading these, I would like to ask you to consider doing one of the following (or all three):

1. Pray for our team (The Cancer Avengers) that we would find more people to join us and that we would be able to raise money for the American Cancer Society.

2. Make a donation to the American Cancer Society here: http://main.acsevents.org/site/TR/RelayForLife/RFLFY09National?px=12445555&pg=personal&fr_id=16852

3. Join our team and walk with us on July 24th and 25th at Fairview High School!!! (feel free to e-mail me with any questions). Our team page is here: http://main.acsevents.org/site/TR/RelayForLife/RFLFY09PA?pg=team&fr_id=16852&team_id=529131



WHAT IS CANCER?

Cancer begins when cells in a part of the body start to grow out of control. There are many kinds of cancer, but they all start because of out-of-control growth of abnormal cells.

How a normal cell becomes cancer:

Normal body cells grow, divide, and die in an orderly fashion. During the early years of a person's life, normal cells divide faster to allow the person to grow. After the person becomes an adult, most cells divide only to replace worn-out or dying cells or to repair injuries.

Because cancer cells continue to grow and divide, they are different from normal cells. Instead of dying, cancer cells outlive normal cells and keep forming new abnormal cells. Another difference between cancer cells and normal cells is that cancer cells can invade (grow into) other tissues. Being able to grow out of control and to invade other tissues makes a cell a cancer cell.

Cells become cancer cells because of damage to DNA. DNA is in every cell and directs all its actions. Most of the time, when DNA gets damaged the cell can fix it. If the cell can’t repair the damage, the cell dies. In cancer cells the damaged DNA is not repaired, but the cell doesn’t die like it should. Instead, this cell goes on making new cells even though the body does not need them. These new cells will all have the same DNA damage as the first cell does.

People can inherit damaged DNA, but most of the time DNA damage is caused by something we are exposed to in our environment. Sometimes the cause of the DNA damage is something obvious, like cigarette smoking. But many times no clear cause is found.

A cancer cell has many mistakes in its DNA -- having damage in just one spot does not cause cancer. Even when someone inherits damaged DNA, more mistakes in their DNA are needed before a cancer will develop. Staying away from things that are known to damage DNA (like smoking) as a part of a healthy life style lowers the chance that more DNA damage will take place. This can reduce the risk of cancer -- even in people who have an inherited tendency to get cancer.

How cancers grow and spread:

In most cases the cancer cells form a tumor. Some cancers, like leukemia, do not form tumors. Instead, these cancer cells involve the blood and blood-forming organs and circulate through other tissues where they grow. But sometimes the extra cells in these blood cancers may also form a mass of tissue called a tumor.

Cancer cells often travel to other parts of the body, where they begin to grow and replace normal tissue. This process is called metastasis. It happens when the cancer cells get into the bloodstream or lymph vessels of our body.

But no matter where a cancer may spread, it is always named for the place where it started. For example, breast cancer that has spread to the liver is still called breast cancer, not liver cancer. Prostate cancer that has spread to the bone is metastatic prostate cancer, not bone cancer.

Not all tumors are cancerous. Tumors that aren't cancer are called benign. Benign tumors can cause problems -- they can grow very large and press on healthy organs and tissues. But they cannot grow into (invade) other tissues. Because they can't invade, they also can't spread to other parts of the body (metastasize). These tumors are almost never life threatening.

How cancers differ:

Different types of cancer can behave very differently. For example, lung cancer and breast cancer are very different diseases. They grow at different rates and respond to different treatments. That is why people with cancer need treatment that is aimed at their particular kind of cancer.

How common is cancer:

Cancer is the second leading cause of death in the United States. Nearly half of all men and a little over one third of all women in the United States will develop cancer during their lifetimes.

Today, millions of people are living with cancer or have had cancer. The risk of developing most types of cancer can be reduced by changes in a person's lifestyle, for example, by quitting smoking and eating a better diet. Often, the sooner a cancer is found and treatment begins, the better are the chances for living for many years.

Drowning in Debt - This Is Real

My attempts to exercise

This summer, before I came back to Erie, I made up this amazing schedule of things to do every day. Basically, I would get up every morning, do research, go to class, do research, eat dinner, study for GREs and then.... EXERCISE - meaning go running or go to the gym.

I have to laugh at these plans now, because, honestly, the only thing that is on schedule is me going to class... and then eating dinner. The rest is just sort of being thrown around as the days go by.

The first time I went to take a run, I met my friend Barb, who was walking her two dogs, and I basically spent the next thirty minutes walking with her (understand 'no running').

My amazing and funny roommate/apartment mate Molly and I decided that maybe it would be more motivating for the two of us if we exercised together. The first time we went to the gym, it all seemed to work out perfect. We got there, and got on those cool machines.... and then this guy came to announce to us that the gym was closing (understand 'no exercise').

Last night, Molly and I decided to take a walk instead of watching a movie. What an idea... Our walking went well as we got about half mile from our apartment. Then, all the sudden, it began raining and so we decided to return back, only to find ourselves sprinting the last couple yards to our apartment (understand 'no exercise again').

Now, the only thought I have is what will happen the next time we attempt to go for a run or for a walk? Maybe by the end of the summer, we will run out of all the possible 'disasters' that could happen and get some exercise :).

God of This City

Obama Cliffs notes

I found this quite amusing article at the end of the school year and I loved it. I am not a big fan of President Obama's economic policies, but I think that a bit of dark humor doesn't hurt anyone :)

Here is the Obama Dictionary:

"We are not going to get relief by turning back to the very same policies that for the last eight years doubled the national debt and threw our economy into a tailspin."

Translation: Blame Republicans, and tax cuts

It's time to "make hard choices to bring our deficit down."

Translation: Hello, higher taxes!

"The only way to fully restore America's economic strength is to make the long-term investments that will lead to new jobs, new industries, and a renewed ability to compete with the rest of the world."

Translation: Big government.

"We need to make clean, renewable energy the profitable kind of energy."

Translation: Your utility bills are going up.

"If your family earns less than $250,000 a year, you will not see your taxes increased a single dime."

Translation: For now

"I will not sign a plan that adds one dime to our deficits -- either now or in the future.(Applause.) I will not sign it if it adds one dime to the deficit, now or in the future, period. And to prove that I'm serious, there will be a provision in this plan that requires us to come forward with more spending cuts if the savings we promised don't materialize."

Translation: "I promise to fix the problem. And if I do not fix the problem now, I will fix it later, or some future president will, after I am long gone. I promise he will. Absolutely, positively, I am committed to that future president fixing the problem. You can count on it. Would I lie to you?"

Yes, these things definitely do sound funny, until we realize that the Obama administration is digging a hole out of which it will be very hard to get.

You can find the full article here:

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123569711858288917.html

http://gregmankiw.blogspot.com/2009/09/wheres-beef.html

In Better Hands...

Friends, Ethnicity, Body of Christ

Today, Paul Hassle talked at IVCF about Ethnicity - esp. people who come from different culture. I was actually quite happy to hear him say what I have been saying all along - that what is different is not necessarily wrong. 

Words like NORMAL, ACCEPTABLE, and NATURAL, just sort of infiltrated our language that we use them even without thinking. Anything that is 'normal' is good and friendly, makes us comftable, anything that is not is wrong... from my experience, many people (including me on occasion) think like this. 

However, as Christians, Jesus calls us not to judge other people for their differences, He wants us to love others, pray for our enemies, and understand those who come from different cultures. Jesus or the apostles served those who were of different cultures and were reffered to as 'dogs' by the Jews. They knew that the kingdom of God is not just for some selected group of believers. After all, we are all one body of Christ. We can learn from each other how to serve God better and worship him in our friendships. 

Yes, I have to admit that being an international student somewhat made me have many friends who do not come from the same culture as I do... in fact, none of those who do come from the same culture are at Behrend. I agree with Paul, I have learned a lot from all of you, friends, crazy Americans, Asians, or African Americans (all meant in the best sense). Haha, you do indeed surprise me time to time with things, but that makes life more exciting and interesting!

I am thankful that God blessed me with so many friends here at school. Now that I think about it, I could say that all my friends are foreigners to me since none of them are from the Czech Republic, but I don't. They are my family :)

Rom 12:3-21  For by the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think with sober judgment, each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned.  (4)  For as in one body we have many members, and the members do not all have the same function,  (5)  so we, though many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another.  (6)  Having gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let us use them...  

What do you think about this? Have you ever learned anything from your international friends?

Prayer for a Friend

Whom will you follow, where will he take you?

http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=mark%204-8;&version=47

Tonight at IVCF we had a speaker come and talk to us about Jesus. First of all, let me say that I do not appreciate young pastors that much because it seems that they try to appeal too much to young people rather than concentrate on their message. Second, thinking back, you don’t really see that many messages/speeches/sermons talking just about Jesus.

Well, this young pastor from Grace church came to talk to us about Jesus and his journey to the other side.

Basically, the situation was that Israel lived on one side of the Sea of Galilee, whereas these 7 nations of Canaan lived on the other side. These 7 nations were the exact opposite of the Israelites – they worshipped pigs, engaged in sex, violence, and other bad stuff in their pagan temples, they worshipped money, and were all but godly people. Also, the Roman legions were placed here. Now, one day, imagine, Jesus decides to go and take a trip to the other side… His disciples must have been afraid quite a lot. Actually the pastor made a point that in the big storm which Jesus stopped, these disciples probably thought it was a sign from God not to go to the other side.

Once there, the only person they meet is this crazy man who lives in tombs (probably didn’t smell or look that well) who had a demon in him whose name was Legion (connection to Romans here). Here Jesus makes the demons go into a herd of pigs that eventually all end up drowning. How cool is that? Amazing! The story goes on…

This man wanted to follow Jesus, but Jesus told him to go and tell others about the miracle that happened to him. Now, in all other circumstances, Jesus usually tells people not to tell anyone and to follow Him, here He does the exact opposite (apparently Jesus knew what would work the best here J

Next, Jesus goes back to the east bank (Israel) where He feeds 5 thousand. This is important later.

Then in Mark 7, Jesus decides to go back to the other side (as if once was not enough). This time, He is welcomed by a big crowd of people. Why? Because the one demon-possessed man told them! Imagine how God used this one man to spread the word! Amazing, and he used to be such an outcast… The story goes on up to the point where Jesus feeds the 4 thousand.

Now, the pastor stopped here to compare these feedings:

Feeding 5 thousand

                They were all from the ‘good’ side

Disciples were the ones to remind Jesus of people’s hunger after 1 day

Jesus fed them and 12 baskets were left over (as in 12 tribes of Israel)

Feeding 4 thousand

                They were all from the ‘other side’

                Jesus had to point out to people’s hunger after 3 days!!! Of them following Him

                Jesus fed them and 7 baskets were left over (as in 7 nations of Canaan)

The common theme here is that God cares for all people, no matter which side they came from, Jesus had compassion for them and brings them the good news of salvation.

Now, a lesson learned:

It is great to admire and love Jesus, but… we should follow Him too.

Yes, Jesus is my hero. He was a great leader, knew when to say things, what to do and what not to do. He did not sin. He had compassion and cared for those who did not know Him.  Jesus is my example and teacher. If I could be at least 10% or even 1% as good as Him that would be super amazing (again I’m not really sure about how you calculate that…). Here is the main point though, it is not enough just to admire Him like we admire Sidney Crosby (I doubt that the majority of his fans know how to play hockey), we as Christians should strive to be like Him, even if it means going to the other side and feeling uncomfortable.

What does it mean for us to go to the other side? One example given to us by the pastor was just to talk to people about Jesus. Yeah, scary right? But honestly, what is the worst that can happen?

Would you rather be fruitless, feel admired, but not able to look God in the eyes because of not having enough courage to speak up?

Or would you rather feel a little awkward at times but able to come to God and say ‘I tried’ and go to sleep with peace of mind?

Here is a last thought that sounded sort of important to me, that is how do we start a conversation about God? – it may be quite challenging. One advice that was given to us: Don’t start with

‘Where would you want to go if you died tonight?’ rather ask

‘When you wake up tomorrow, what will your life be? Whom will you follow? Where will he take you?

ASB Video :) Enjoy it!

More ASB Random Pictures

New Orleans from the plane

Real Gumbo!

Church on our campgrounds

So... who came from where?

Campfire - how I miss those

Sunset - it was way more pretty in reality

More ASB People Pictures

Connor, Jena, and Yan on our way to local K-Mart

Getting some rest

Keith - my 'boss' up here at college

My friend Yan - she can cook really well!

Alternative Spring Break 2009

I thought it may be good to reflect on my ASB experience since many people have been asking me. We went down to Gulfport - Orange Grove, MS for about 6 days. I have always enjoyed camping and this was an amazing opportunity to spend some time in plastic 'tents' and do some good in the community. After the first half of the semester, I was feeling quite drained of energy and good attitude and I was hoping that couple days of good old manual work would help me.

Here is what I learned that week:

1. Friends of your friends will most likely be wonderful people - Diana Tinlin, who is my friend Molly's roommate, is such a wonderful person. I was blessed to work with her in a group.

2. Angry man does more bad than good - When pouring a self leveling substance onto our floor, this man came to our house (he was the site mgr) to tell us how all we did was done wrong. His attitude made one of our team members cry, two of us were trying to comfort her, and the result? All the leveling stuff in our bucket hardened. This man was still determined to use it all and after his attempt to pour this now quite thick stuff on the floor, it became even more uneven than before. Way to go. Here is what happened to the rest of the substance - it became rock hard :)

3. Don't try to wash an oil based primer from a brush or bucket with bare hands - mine became very white for several days after this attempt.

4. Razor works surprisingly well for removing oil based paint from your hands - this I found out after #4 happened.

5. Southern accent rocks!

6. It is possible to miss someone other than my family while being on a trip.

7. When God is in people's hearts, they are beautiful - the man whose house we worked on was so wonderful. You would expect him to be bitter after having everything damaged by the storm, but he was so grateful and happy man!

8. Envy is quite unappealing - we had this small dispute over some groups going to New Orleans and others not going. I so wanted to go, and now I feel bad after seeing how some people can react to having less than others.

9. I can kick soccer ball with either foot and get the same result :)

10. God was there with me - when I watched the sun set and rise, spent time alone or with friends, He was there.

11. I want to go back and also do more service here on campus.

So, how about some more pictures now?

My group's leader Kris

My group - Diana, Shami, and Mike

All of us at Sonics

Here is my 'podmate' and friend Jena

Doug’s story – Pathway to Love

Today at IVCF, a man called Doug (some people had a terrible time trying to remember it ;) came to speak to us about love. Doug actually works in the mailroom at Behrend and so I was quite surprised to see him. Listening to him was definitely worthwhile.

First he started by telling us about himself, his life, but mostly, I was struck by the loving way he talked about his wife. It seems almost unbelievably nice that after 34! Years of marriage, people still can love each other so much. Doug began with a question asking, what is the most important thing I found out about life so far. It really was a great question. If I was to list one thing, it would most probably be ‘Don’t trust anyone but God.’ It may sound strange, but God has taught me this lesson many times over and over again.

I was curious about what Doug learned – his thing was love. And to tell the truth, the answer matched his personality. Then he went on to talk about the purpose of our life to learn how to love God, others, and ourselves. I never thought about things this way before! It was amazing.

Life is like a maze with lots of turns, dead ends, but also a pathway that one has to follow to get to the end. When we keep Christ as our focus, Doug said, we should see our ‘maze’ from his perspective and find the path easier. He will give us the sight and light (guidance) we need. God will help us find balance in life – another wonderful thing – by getting us through the trials and tests that we go through. God will get us through them and guide us because – guess why! – He loves us, very much.  The closer we are to Christ & to God, the closer we are to being a loving person. I have to agree with that. I would not want to be my friend when I didn’t know God… I just wasn’t very loving at all (not that I would be now, but still I can see minor improvements).

Here are Doug’s pathways to love:

1. Daily Prayer – whether you just sit silent & listen to God, meditate on a Bible verse, pray with others, or alone, prayer is the 1^st base in communication with God.

2. Daily Bible Reading – I’m trying and honestly, this step has shown to be a great one. Reading about God and his works & about Jesus is so encouraging.

3. Finding a balance in life – balance between the spiritual, emotional, and physical part of us.

4. Practicing what we have learned in the Word – Sometimes very challenging, but overall rewarding. Forgiveness is probably the biggest part of it. Forgiving others is hard, but not forgiving is just as pretending that I am not a sinner. There is also forgiveness to self, which reminded me of what Buddy once said during dinner down in Gulfport. He was talking about forgiveness and how even though God forgives us, we still have hard time forgiving ourselves which later on becomes a burden on our hearts. I see here an area I can definitely work on. J Of course, there are many other things we can and should practice.

5. Test ourselves on what is learned – God tests us and we should be as good students and let ourselves be tested. Patience was one example Doug gave us.

6. Be in a community of believers – Churches (btw. I love my church family) offer the community and the body we are to belong to. We are to support each other, help each other, pray together, etc… you can’t really do that without having a family of wonderful Christians around.

7. Serve others – self explanatory.

8. Recognize that we have been saved – I think this comes back to the forgiveness and self-forgiveness. Also accepting the fact that I did not do anything that would make me be saved (on the contrary) and that without Jesus, I would literally go to hell.

9. Believe that we are loved by God – Yes, what a wonderful thought. God is the only one who actually loves me even though he knows everything about me. Amazing. J

10. Strive to do God’s will in daily life and die to self-interest – the more selfless we are, the more we can serve and love others. Being selfless makes the world much better place.

In the end, I think that Doug’s message was very good – he should be a pastorJ. Wow, what a wonderful person that works at Behrend! I am very thankful for what I heard tonight. Maybe, one day I will also be this wonderful loving person, who is amazing, selfless, and godly…

Here is a song that Doug mentioned, it has very pretty lyrics (this is an excerpt):

Life’s a Dance by John Michael Montgomery
Life's a dance you learn as you go
Sometimes you lead, sometimes you follow
Don't worry about what you don't know
Life's a dance you learn as you go

The longer I live the more I believe
You do have to give if you wanna receive
There's a time to listen, a time to talk
And you might have to crawl even after you walk
Had sure things blow up in my face
Seen the longshot, win the race
Been knocked down by the slamming door
Picked myself up and came back for more

Life's a dance you learn as you go
Sometimes you lead, sometimes you follow
Don't worry about what you don't know
Life's a dance you learn as you go

I do not deserve this

I realized that I haven't written anything in my blog for like a year or so. Well I should do something with this, therefore, I would like to share what has been going on in my life. 

For once, last semester was a pretty bad one - what a change from all the bad ones before... Family issues, my parents almost divorcing, work issues, being turned down on at least 4 internships without a reason, relationships not getting better despite many prayers, and the list could go on... plus throw a huge pile of work, 10 group projects, and 2 clubs on the top. Praise God I survived this. But that is not what I wanted to talk about.

I have always believed that spring semesters were much worse than fall ones. The lack of sunshine contributes to this a lot. Until this semester came along. First of all, I did not want to return back to school from home. I was so blessed with friends back home, who did not forget about me, and love me even though we see each other only twice a year. I got to meet my friends over cupd of tea, christmas cookies, hot chocolates, and of course Sunday services and Friday youth groups. I also made new friends, which is kind of a miracle considering the length of my stay. 

Next, I decided to change my major. After praying and praying, I felt that finance just wasn't for me and I for finance. I can tell you that the day God called me to economics was probably the happiest one so far this year or even in 2008. I have always admired those people who would talk about their God-callings, Holy Spirit revelations, and wondered what was wrong with me because I just never experienced any - until that day. God completely changed my mind and it was amazing. Kind of risky too - but definitely worth it. 

Now, the adventure continues... God solved my internship trouble too and gave me this amazing book "Three Cups of Tea" as an inspiration for research. However, I had less than 2 weeks to put together an entire research proposal. In addition to this, it can seem nice to do research on the education of women in econ, but what on earth was I to do the research on? Two days before the proposal due date, God blessed me with a research topic. 

After a semester of challenges, came some good things. Yet, I do know that I do not deserve anything of this. It is his grace and mercy. God's love, kindness, his knowing what my needs are. I am pretty sure that I did grow closer to Him in those challenges and learned to trust Him more than anyone else on this planet or in the universe.