Blog catch-up!

So a lot has happened since my last post, which was over a week ago...sorry!! But last week was the beginning of April, and it seems the true beginning of spring, which always is a great time of year. I think of flowers poking their colorful heads through snow showing off all their petals. Yes, this is just an image I have in my head because I have never really seen this in person seeing as how I live in Southern California...but I like to think that image anyways :)

The first weekend in April was an eventful one, and only a sign of the weekends to come, because from April 3-4 through May 14-15 there are at least TWO things going on every weekend, either with Christian Challenge and/or my church - yay for April! It's always the craziest month of the semester, with end of year things to plan and trying to finish up the school year on a good note.

April 3rd we had a bonfire for some students, actually, I should re-phrase that. The students planned it all!! It was their idea and we let them run with it, and it turned out pretty well! We all went to Dockweiler Beach and ate hot dogs and roasted smores, and some of the students there had never made them before! They were international students, and they loved it :)


This was Karlene, Shannon, Elizabeth and myself at the bonfire!!


The fire was HUGE - embers flying everywhere, as this pic shows!!


This is Kaylynn and I! She is an exchange student from Singapore and she is also my surfing buddy :) I'm super sad she has to leave at the end of the semester though :(

Then on Sunday was EASTER!! I love Easter because it just gives so much hope and it's not about the peeps, the bunnies or the chocolate eggs (although those are nice) but it's about the hope we have through the free gift of salvation! How amazing is that?!?! What a great God we serve, who wanted to reconcile us to Himself so much that He decided to sacrifice His perfect Son, Jesus Christ, so that we could have the *option* of receiving true life! I think that's the most amazing part - not that once Jesus died and rose again everyone was saved, but that everyone has the *potential* to be saved! It's still our choice!! He just wanted to give us an even easier way to Him, so now we don't need to go through any rituals, any specific people, no, all we have to do is admit we're sinners (Rom. 3:23), believe that Jesus came down and died for our sins (Rom. 6:23) and commit ourselves to Him to receive true life (Rom. 10:9-10)!! Man oh man, I love Easter :) And of course, I love hanging with my extended family because they are amazing!! I thank God every day that He gave me not only a great immediate family, but also a wonderful extended family that actually loves and cares about each other!


This is me with my partner-in-crime, I mean, my cousin Emily. She is one of the most fun people I know who can make me laugh no matter what. Basically I love her and think she's a stud :)


This is Emily and I with two of our younger cousins, Kylee and Taylor. They're basically the new "Emily and Courtney" for the younger generation :) the torch has been passed...

And then this past weekend we had our annual Bike/Blade/Walk-a-thon to help raise money for summer missions and projects and we all raised almost $10,000!! The most we've ever raised that I know of!! YAY!! God is so good :D But I shall save that one for the next post, because I fear this one is too long....but fear not, the next post will have pictures of Neil and Melinda (my boss and his wife) in the amazing "clothing" we made them wear because we raised a certain amount :) So stay tuned...




and here is the funny of the day: