Journals in Israel

So, here I am, more than halfway through my second semester of college, and already I have worked my way through most of a large pile of paperwork. I have been preparing for two things in the next year. One, I will be starting nursing clinicals next spring. Two, I will be studying abroad in the fall.

Both are really exciting to me. Of course, now that I am more than halfway finished with the paperwork involved, I have more room to be excited. But I am especially excited for studying abroad, courtesy of the orientation meetings required.

Tonight's orientation session was focused around growing in our faith while studying abroad. They wanted us to think about what the dominant religious group was in our country, some lifestyle differences, new ideas or social issues, preparing for a support network and being salt and light in our country. I'm going to be studying in Jerusalem, Israel (apparently the college is on Mount Zion!). That gives me three religions, three cultures, three groups of people to identify with. Nevertheless, I am excited.

Then we had to think about practical ideas to "engage and grow our faith". Stuff like getting plugged in, not focusing on the community back home, getting involved in small groups, finding a mentor, continuing daily devotionals, and engaging the religions in the community. And journaling. O, I love journaling. Having a journal and writing in it faithfully is one of my loves. I brought most of my journals with me to college because I love going back through to look at them. Recently I finished a journal and began a new one that my sister gave to me for my birthday. :) I have also come to love writing in cursive in them. It's so pleasant and enjoyable. I love it.

Besides the point. I am recording in writing that I am going to 1) get a camera over the summer 2) start a blog specifically for my experience in Israel. I like having a place to record stuff like that (I write a lot in a personal journal, which means I don't need to write here as much to think about stuff, but for Israel I would want you all to hear about it all), and I want there to be a place for other students preparing to study abroad in Israel. I want there to be a place where people can go to step into my shoes for a few months, and see the Holy Land through my eyes. I plan on taking lots of beautiful pictures, especially of flowers (I love flowers. I took tons of pictures last year on Dad's and my trip to the Grand Canyon. (I suppose I should supply a post with details and pictures? Haha, one year later...)). I love taking pictures. It's just that I don't have a good camera... (I have my cell phone, but I hardly think that counts. I've gotten a few good pictures from my old-new phone, but others were just pixalated and terrible)

So right now the next step is getting the last piece of my application together, and sending it off. It must seem presumptuous for me to be making plans about what I'm going to do while there, before I've been accepted, but I'm pretty certain of my acceptance. It's just a matter of getting the materials in, and letting them know when my passport arrives.

The next step of the joyful adventure

It has now been three days since I arrived on the grounds of Messiah College as a brand-new first year student. I was so happy to be here when I arrived, and I'm still pretty happy. My roommates are great, the campus is beautiful, the food is good. The schedule has, however, been crammed with necessary but annoying orientation sessions on all kinds of things. The things I'm most fuzzy on have not been covered in the sessions or schedule. Oye vey.

Classes don't start until Tuesday, and I'm both glad and anxious for them to come. Glad because some of my textbooks have not arrived yet... but overall, I'm excited for them to start. I'm taking some really cool classes (courtesy of being in the nursing program and the honors program), like the writing class on the amish, anatomy and physiology, and foundations of marriage and family. I'm so excited about anatomy and physiology, and also for chemistry. I am such a scientist because I LOVE to learn about God's creation and explore it. I love all the labs in chemistry, and I love learning about the body. Each system is so complex, so that when you put them all together, they completely blow your mind. How can anyone say that we came from a mass of exploding gases?

On another note, my dorm building's theme is "Choose Joy." This seems to be a recurring theme in my life. In middle school, back when I was that awkward little kid with the weird obsessions and such, my mom told me that I needed to choose joy in life, because if I looked at all the pain and sorrow and strife, life wouldn't be so hard. The first week at the Springs, Pastor St Cyr spoke about joy - real joy. So often people use "happy" and "joyful" synonymously, when they really aren't. Happiness is based on circumstance - "I'm happy to see you" or "You make me so happy" or even, as my friend's dad puts it, something can have "happy-making qualities." Joy, however, is rooted in contentment and in God. It is deeper than happiness. It is more than happiness. It is something that burrows deep into your soul and thrives in contentment.

Joy is beautiful. Happiness is fleeting, joy is eternal. It is only when we take our Lord as our companion that He shows us the priceless value in joyfulness.

So, it is fitting for my first-year theme to be "Choose Joy." It hasn't just been a first-year theme; it is a life theme. The picture here is a graphic my friend Aaron designed. His website is www.worksofhishands.com if you want to look at the other artwork he's designed. In any case, the scripture he's chosen for joy fits perfectly. Our souls are joyful because the LORD, the Lord Almighty, has compassion on his children. We are redeemed because he loves us so, and we rejoice because of that. Because of that, we find so much more joy in knowing God.

Shalom, and may you find simcha (joy) this week!