Estoy en Costa Rica

I arrived in Costa Rica at about noon today. Yes, they played "The Last Mimsy" on the plane ride here (you will only think that is funny if you went on the mission trip to Mexico). It was amazing to see Carlos and Gladys rushing towards me to kiss me on the cheek and welcome me to their home. We drove for about 45 minutes to get to their house. This is the coolest place I have ever been. It really reminds me a lot of Europe, not at all what I expected. The city is filled with art and architecture. We went downtown for dinner tonight, here are some pictures from my time in Costa Rica so far.








Tomorrow I will get up and drive the the pacific coast to a town called Jaco (where there is currently a tsunami warning). I will go to the language school there for a month. Check out the school's website if you want to : www.schooloftheworld.org

Tegan & Sara

Justin, Devon, Mike and I went to see Tegan & Sara on Monday night at the Gem Theater in Detroit. Titled, "An Evening with Tegan & Sara", It was one of the most personal shows I've ever been to. They were really down to earth and told stories in between songs. The audience sat at bar tables and we were in the second row thanks to Mike's ticket buying skills. Seriously, listen to them. They are incredibly talented girls with a really unique sound.

During school, I could write blog posts instead of studying. Now that it's really nice out and there is no studying to be done, I suck at blogging. Don't worry though, I am leaving in 16 days to attend a language institution in Costa Rica so I will be using this blog to let everyone know how my life is going.

About 11 weeks...

Siete Cosas From The past Couple of Days...

1) I Had an allergic reaction to something I ate.
2) My face swelled up like a balloon (I got put on steroids and I'm fine).
3) I Decided that I love summer, being outside for BOB tonight was awesome.
4) I had an extremely awkward conversation with a senator in the elevator at work.
5) I learned a lesson.
6) I have realized how much of a blessing Kelli Hillard is.
7) God is such a mystery, too amazing to ever begin to figure out.


Estoy contenta!

The professor

Katy and I went to see Damien Rice play last week at the State Theater. It was an amazing show, he is one awesome Irish dude. He sang one song unplugged, which was sweet because the State is so huge, and he sang some French. Reminds me of..


"La fille danse
Quand elle joue avec moi
Et je pense que je l'aime des fois
Le silence, n'ose pas dis-donc
Quand on est ensemble
Mettre les mots
Sur la petite dodo"

Pura Vida

If everyone could please continue to pray for my trip to Costa Rica I would really appreciate it! It has been pretty stressful on my family and I to deal with my visa complications, money, and general planning for this trip. Thanks dudes... and thanks especially to everyone who has given me such helpful advice and connections (Randi-kay, your brother has been awesome.. and Aaron Kite- you rock dude)

I can't wait to be a Tica instead of a Dutchie

Last Sunday was Liz's birthday so Katy and I surprised her by driving her to see Copeland play in Toledo. She had no idea where we were going and she started to think that we were kidnapping her when we passed Williamston. By the way, don't go to Toledo, all that's there is a creepy gas station, and a run down venue with poop on the walls, seriously. But the show was great, we were 2nd row and they were amazing.

On the two hour drive back home, I got to thinking about Costa Rica. I'm so freakin excited. I'm going to be learning spanish, living in a 100% Latino (Tico) community, and becoming a part of a latino family. I leave August 15th, and I'm coming home in late December.

Tonight at Bible study we had a pretty cool discussion on what we like about Jesus, how we see him, and how we have trouble seeing him. I said I have a hard time trusting and relying on him as my father. I like to take hold of some issues and try to fix things myself, which only ends up in a mess. It is pretty cool to trust in God through a time of trial and have it all make perfect sense later.

Justin said one time "God is going to go there no matter what and if I don't let him it's just going to be harder and take longer."

Four Eyes!

I went to the eye doctor today, turns out I need glasses, and I look like a total nerd in them.... cool!

Listen to her...

Hah, who knew?

Your Inner European is Dutch!

Open minded and tolerant. You're up for just about anything.

Who's Your Inner European?

That is a really good picture to portray Dutch people, because we all look exactly like that. Koninklijke Nederlandse Voetbalbond... go orange.

Moving On

We have mastered the art of moving on. It is the means for protecting ourselves in this world. If you do not posses the ability to move on from someone who has hurt you, you are almost certainly preparing yourself to face a lot of heartache. We are not fond of heartache. Someone hurts you, you start looking for someone else to love that you see as clean and blameless. This is because if you were to stay with the previous person who hurt you, all you would see in them would be the pain they caused you. It would consume you, and the sting would be too great to withstand. If you hurt someone, you move away from the relationship, you forget the guilt, you find someone who you can start fresh with. Someone you can love all over again. You try not to hurt them, at least as bad as the last one you loved and hurt previously. We are always looking for something better, something that will more satisfy ourselves, because we think mainly about ourselves. Our idea of love is for ourselves, but imagine loving for the better of the other person. Imagine Jesus. Imagine someone who would wait faithfully and patiently, welcoming us back to love them each time we go astray. Someone who loves us more passionately than any other romance this Earth has ever seen. Someone who would welcome us into their arms, after every single time we break their heart, again... and again. Imagine someone who, no matter what we do to them, no matter how many times we betray them or act as if they never existed, they see us as clean and blameless, white as snow. I can't picture that, none of us can, we only know how to move on...

In this family picture when my dad was 6, he couldn't hold the pose because he saw a squirrel in the corner of the yard and decided that it was his duty to shoot it.

You have got to be kidding me.

My frickin street is going to look like this again because Thursday-Friday are predicted to have highs in the 30s and snow showers. Curse you, Michigan.

I think I've figured it out...?

It's been a season of life for me where I have done a lot of thinking. Recent events have made me see that I need to do some more planning on what I really want my life to look like, and what dreams and goals I have that are really realistic. I feel like I have finally come to a point where I've figured some stuff out, and that feels good. Italy is a no go. I think that my previous desire to go there was a combination of me freaking out/being selfish/having unrealistic and useless goals. I'm now planning on going away for a couple of months this fall to learn Spanish and do some missionary work in Latin or South America. I am excited that God has put this desire in my heart. I live with my parents and go to LCC, I have some growing up to do. I feel like this type of thing, pushing myself far outside of my comfort zone, spreading the gospel to people who have never heard it, is exactly what I need to grow as a person, and to also draw closer to God. So keep in mind that I just decided all of this over the past 48 hours and really had a change of heart after hearing Noel's message tonight. Please pray for what is in store for me, whatever that might be.

I love my little sister, Liz.

Sacré-Coeur

When I was in France, We went to the Sacré-Coeur. It is a giant church that sits on top of the highest point of the city, and you can look down on the whole city of Paris. When we got there it was like 10:30 so it was really dark. You could see the Eiffel tower in the distance and the lights from the city were beautiful. It's name means "the sacred heart" and it was seriously the most beautiful man-made place I've ever been. When we went inside to pray, there were candles lit everywhere and no one was allowed to speak at all. There is a massive painting of Jesus with his arms open across the ceiling of one of the domes. I was sitting in the pew with probably 50 other people around me, but I felt like I was by myself. I'm sure the other people felt like that too. It was so freakin beautiful, and I couldn't think about anything else but the beauty of what Jesus did for us. It is so beautiful. Forgivness is so beautiful. And when you see something that just takes your breath away, something about the beauty of it makes me remember how beautiful the cross is. I want to go back to that place, but oh yeah.... I live in Holt, MI.

Here I go again posting lyrics

I want so badly to believe that "there is truth, that love is real"
And I want life in every word to the extent that it's absurd
I know you're wise beyond your years, but do you ever get the fear
That your perfect verse is just a lie you tell yourself to help you get by?

-The Postal Service

Decisions

So tonight at the Riv High school meeting we talked about decisions. I have a pretty big decision in front of me right now, I feel like I need some wisdom. I don't feel at all capable to make this choice. If you get the chance please pray for me.

Happiness in Ignorance

I have a lot of friends who are not Christians. I have been asking myself the question lately: Why did I ever become a Christian? I had found some sort of happiness in my ignorance before I ever came to know Jesus, why was I seeking anything more?

I remember talking to Renee Mosely, wondering why she cared so much that I come to realize what Jesus did for me. I saw this thing that the Riverview community shared, and I wanted to be a part of it. I saw people trying to please God, instead of the world, and it made me wonder if there was more to life than my social ranking at Holt High School or how many goals I could score at my soccer games. I remember when I finally realized that I wasn't in control of my own life, that my life wasn't even my own. The main thing that lead me to realize that I needed to put my faith in Jesus Christ was one person really caring about my salvation.

But I am still struggling with this like crazy every single day.

The Four Loves

"To love at all is to be vulnerable. Love anything, and your heart will certainly be wrung and possibly be broken. If you want to make sure of keeping it intact, you must give your heart to no one, not even to an animal. Wrap it carefully round with hobbies and little luxuries; avoid all entanglements; lock it up safe in the casket or coffin of your selfishness. But in that casket — safe, dark, motionless, airless — it will change. It will not be broken; it will become unbreakable, impenetrable, irredeemable. The alternative to tragedy, or at least to the risk of tragedy, is damnation. The only place outside of Heaven where you can be perfectly safe from all the dangers and perturbations of love is Hell."
-C.S. Lewis

Old Pictures

I just came across a bunch of old pictures on my old computer.. they made me happy/sad:

Blah.

I just got back to work today after being gone for over two weeks. It’s strange how I get so sick of something, and after taking a break from it, I realize how much I take it for granted. There are girls here that I love SO much and really pray will come to know Jesus someday. I was walking through the halls of the capitol today just absorbing the beauty of the painted walls like I did when I first started working here. I hate how much I take things for granted. When I came to work today I had sort of forgotten that Charlie died, and I was expecting to see him. When I got here I remembered, and it sucked. I think that I maybe block it out of my head sometimes because I miss him too much if I think about it. I just got some crappy news; I’m in a strange mood.

I just told Brett this:
“I know I like to take control of things myself sometimes but I think I need to ask questions and get it all out before I can really step back and realize that God is God, and I am just an idiot.”

I think I need to realize that more. I miss Paris, I miss Anna C and our late night conversations about how to save the world, I hope her week is going well.

<3

No, this is how it works
You peer inside yourself
You take the things you like
And try to love the things you took
And then you take that love you made
And stick it into some
Someone else's heart
Pumping someone else's blood
And walking arm in arm
You hope it don't get harmed
But even if it does
You'll just do it all again

-Regina Spektor

A few pictures from Paris

:)

Farewell my friends, see you in a week! I will try and post pictures while I'm there, if possible. Adios!

This Moved Me

When you have realized that our position is nearly desperate you will begin to understand what the Christians are talking about. They offer explanation of how we got into our present state of both hating goodness and loving it. they offer an explanation of how God can be this impersonal mind at the back of the Moral Law and yet also a Person. They tell you how the demands of this law, which you and I cannot meet, have been met on our behalf, how God himself becomes a man to save man from the disapproval of God. It is an old story and if you want to go into it you will no doubt consult people who have more authority to talk about it than I have. All I am doing is to ask people to face the facts--to understand the questions which Christianity claims to answer. And they are very terrifying facts. I wish it was possible to say something more agreeable. But I must say what I think true. Of course, I quite agree that the Christian religion is, in the long run, a thing of unspeakable comfort. But it does not begin in comfort; it begins in the dismay I have been describing, and it is no use at all trying to go on that comfort without first going through that dismay. In religion, as in war and everything else, comfort is the one thing you cannot get by looking for it. If you look for truth, you may find comfort in the end: if you look for comfort you will not get either comfort or truth--only soft soap and wishful thinking to begin with and, in the end, despair. Most of us have got over the pre-war wishful thinking about international politics. It is time we did the same about religion.

Mere Christianity--C.S. Lewis

Destination: Paris

So, I am going to visit a family friend who lives in Paris in 4 days. I have so much stuff to do before then because I'm going to be missing a week of school. I have set a goal to get all of that stuff done before Thursday night. I can't wait until Thursday comes and I will be stress free and France bound. I have never been to Europe. A good friend of mine, Katy, is coming with me. We plan to go jogging around Paris in the morning, take millions of pictures, play soccer in the park in front of the Eiffel tower, go wine tasting, say a prayer in the Notre Dame Cathedral (God will hear it better in there), and discuss theology while watching the sunset on the Seine River. It is going to be awesome to just get away from the routine life I have here for a week and clear my mind. Also, I just checked the weather and it is supposed to be in the mid-upper 50s while I’m there! Yes! I have an 8 hour plane ride on the way there, and about a 10 hour one on the way back, including a 5 hour stop in Amsterdam (hopefully we will find a way to leave the airport and accidentally get stranded there and never leave). I have so many books I want to read; hopefully I will make a dent on them there as none of my school text books will be in sight, I refuse to read anything about argumentative essays or abnormal psychology while I’m there. I’m praying for good health as I am just getting over a cold and my sister and dad both have the flu! I’m staying away from them the best I can. Pray for my travels and feel free to be jealous because you will be in Michigan and I will be sipping fine wine on the banks of the Seine. Mwahahaha.

Oi, lienda,
Bella che fa?
Bonita,
Bonita, Qué tal?
But, Belle,
Je ne comprends pas français
-Jack Johnson

I'm not sure what that means... something about being beautiful and not understanding French.

With love,
Franny

I want to go back to Kentucky

jhgbmnbhgj

So I learned a lesson tonight... One that I don't feel very good about still. One that I actually feel like crap about. I have some growing up to do. I can't wait to go to the retreat this weekend and spend some serious God time.

-Fran

The date on my blog is in Dutch, how cool am I?

Girls, come on now.

Sorry this post is kind of self explanatory but I still feel like writing it.

One thing that God has put on my heart lately is the way that I dress. Seeing some of the girls I know, especially the younger ones, show off their "goods" with the way that they dress honestly hurts my heart. WATCH WHAT YOU WEAR. Lets have respect for ourselves and for each other by keeping our bodies sacred. The world's attitude says to leave as little to imagination as possible and our minds are being flooded with images that tell us to flaunt what we've got, but God said:

Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is--his good, pleasing and perfect will. -Romans 12:2

I know that when I first became a Christian I never really thought much about this, I just wore what I thought was cute, but if you have that attitude, you should change it, NOW. We have to remember who sees us when we dress like that, and we need to help our guy friends out by not putting temptation in their faces.

I suggest wear something like this all of the time:




or this would work too:



Not really, but GIRLS, COME ON NOW, we can do better than this Hollister, Abercromie, what the world wants you to look like kind of crap.

The Late Mitch Hedberg

"You know, there's a fishing show on TV. They catch the fish, but they let it go. They don't want to eat the fish, but they do want to make it late for something."
-Mitch Hedberg


Dev and I saw "Catch and Release" last night. Not your typical chick flick. It was a pretty good movie, but it was depressing. It took place in one of my favorite cities in the world, Boulder CO. The scenery was beautiful.

Consequence of Sounds by Regina Spektor

Very same morning right next to her coffee
She noticed some bleeding and heard hollow coughing and
National Geographic was being too graphic,
When all she had wanted to know was the traffic
"The worlds got a nosebleed" it said
"And we're flooding but we keep on cutting
The trees and the forests!"
And we keep on paying those freaks on the TV,
Who claim they will save us but want to enslave us.
And sweating like demons they scream through our speakers
But we leave the sound on 'cause silence is harder.
And no one's the killer and no one's the martyr
The world that has made us can no longer contain us
And profits are silent then rotting away 'cause

The consonants and vowels
The consequence of sounds.

Very cool song, I'm going to go to bed now.

Escucha a este cantaron

Listen to this song: "Star Mile" by Joshua Radin.

You might like it.

Yes!

My passport came in the mail! I was worried that it would come late. I'm going to Paris in 2 1/2 weeks! Despite the fact that my picture is extrememly unattractive and I will have to keep it for 10 years... I AM GOING TO PARIS.

Romance at its best

I was reading through Ecclesiastes today while the little guy I babysit was taking a nap and I kept reading into Song of Songs. Wow.

Want to read something romantic?

3 Like an apple tree among the trees of the forest
is my lover among the young men.
I delight to sit in his shade,
and his fruit is sweet to my taste.

4 He has taken me to the banquet hall,
and his banner over me is love.

5 Strengthen me with raisins,
refresh me with apples,
for I am faint with love.

6 His left arm is under my head,
and his right arm embraces me.

7 Daughters of Jerusalem, I charge you
by the gazelles and by the does of the field:
Do not arouse or awaken love
until it so desires.

I found this carved into a rock near our cabin



My parents in Kentucky


I hate when I sit down to pray and I pray for everything I want. I often catch myself praying a wish list and I feel like a brat. The truth is though, God has answered so many of my prayers it's seriously ridiculous. I am so selfish, I am so undeserving. Whenever I truly hand something over to God and quit trying to make something happen myself, everything works out. Three of my friends and I have been reading this book called "When God Writes Your Love Story." It is really cheesy, but so encouraging. I think about it a lot. There is a part that talks about how even if you are dating a guy for 4 years, see desirable qualities in a guy, whatever, you still never know if he is going to be your husband until he IS your husband. Therefore, you should treat him like any other brother in Christ. You should think of him just like any other brother in Christ. That is one of the coolest mind sets about dating I have every heard... They are just like any other guy until they are your husband.

"Have you ever thought about that? Just ponder it for a moment. If God's plan and purpose for you is marriage, then that person you will one day marry is alive and wandering the earth. If that's true, if they are really out there somewhere, don't you wonder what they are doing?"

Yeah, and I sure as hell don't want to be with some other guy when my future husband is thinking this thought. It is hard to love someone you might not even know yet, but I would hope that they would do the same. Hmmm... My tangent is over. And I REALLY should be doing homework right now. Arg.

-Franny

Hmmm....

So God does answer prayers... :)

Bible Study

This fall, God lead me to a bible study that is friggin sweet. I love it, and I can't imagine my life without this group of people in it.

Tom Petty- Roll Another Joint

This song makes me think about how excepted a certain way of life is for so many people. I wonder why some of my friends never think twice to follow Christ, and I am reminded by the culture we are in. It is so hard, and it frustrates me.

Let me run with you tonight
and i'll take you on a moonlight ride
There's someone i used to see
but she don't give a damn for me
But let me get to the point
Let's roll another joint
And turn the radio loud
I'm too alone to be proud
You don't know how it feels
You don't know how it feels
to be me...
People come People go
Some grow young Some grow cold
I woke up in between
A memory and a dream
So let's get to the point
Let's roll another joint
Let's head on down the road
There's somewhere I gotta go
And you don't know how it feels
You don't know how it feels
to be me...
My old man was born to rock
He's still tryin to beat the clock
Think of me what you will
I got a little space to fill
So let's get to the point
Let's roll another joint
Let's head on down the road
There's somewhere i gotta go
And you don't know how it feels
You don't know how it feels
No you don't know how it feels
to be me...
And you don't know how it feels
You don't know how it feels
No you don't know how it feels
to be me...

Amazing Song.

All of us dancing with a little boy at a free concert in Minneapolis

Worst Blogger EVER (and ok with it)

I have not updated since October of 2005. Wow. I have Concluded that I am a horrible blogger. Oh well, I like to blog and I will keep this blog even if its just collecting dust. I don't know who will read this because I'm assuming that no one regularly checks a blog that hasn't been updated in over a year, and if you do that that's kind of creepy, but oh well we'll see.

I am now helping out with Riverview's High shcool ministry, formally know as BOB. I'm so excited that J.R. and the other leaders have given me the opportunity to work with these high schoolers. I know what its like to be a Christian in high school, and its not very fun. I look back on the way I behaved during my early years of high school (I became a Christian late junior year) and I can see that I totally lived my life for the world. I see my little sister who is now a sophomore and she is starting to make the same mistakes that I once made. It is hard, I just want to grab her face and scream "Learn from my mistakes! Don't make them yourself!" Not to say that I don't make mistakes anymore...

Some small thoughts on BIG lessons God has taught me:

*God has a plan.
About a year ago a series of events lead to the loss of a relationship and some very cherished friendships for me. At the time, I refused to trust that God had a reason for what happened to me. Now that everything is said and done, I can look back and see how much that relationship was bringing me down, and the people God has placed in my life as a result are absolutely amazing. I have grown so much through this whole experience and have learned to trust in God. I was an idiot for not trusting him in the first place.


*We are on this earth to spread God's word, NOT to party.

"I urge you, as ALIENS and STRANGERS in the world, to abstain from sinful desires, which war against your soul." -1 Peter 2:11

There is so much more in store for us than this world. If I can't drink alcohol until I'm 21 (or when I'm in Paris for spring break muwahaha) or have sex until I'm married... THEN THAT'S OK! Although these things are gifts in their Godly context, there is so much more to our existence than this worldly stuff... We have HEAVEN ahead of us! What can beat that?

*Honesty wins.
I have friends that tell me "It doesn't matter how bad you mess up, you can ALWAYS come to me with anything." I have learned so much, especially this summer, that if you are honest about your sins, they are so much easier to get a hold of. Be transparent.

Ok cool. Here are some pics:

I miss Minneapolis



I love Devon and my little sister Liz (Who is bigger than me)



And my dog is cute.



Bye Bye.

Wow I have not updated in months. I have been very busy with school and babysitting and now volleyball is starting. Life is pretty much the same though. I recently tried geting involved with a ministry at Riverview called stephen's ministry, but then I found out you have to be 18... :/ bummer, but oh well because i will be 18 in July. My career goal is to be a counseler and I think it is so amazing to listen to how people feel and have compassion for them and try and help them feel better. So I am pretty sure I am going to apply for that this summer. Exciting. Stuff has been happening lately at holt High School, cool stuff. It seems like BOB has really taken off and so many people are hearing about it and talking about it, which leads to---> going to it. Even if they are just there because there friends are there.... THEY ARE THERE and God is working in their lives. Ahhh it makes me so happy. I have also heard a lot of criticism at the lunch table and such. That has also been a blessing though because it is a chance to stand for Jesus.

The other day I was driving home from volleyball and a litte weener dog in a multi-colored sweater ran out in front of me. He stopped just on the other side of the road to like tease his owner. Then when the owner got like 3 feet close to him he started running in circles all over. The funny part was his sweater... dogs are so cute.