But long story is better. =)
Intro: The only reason I wanted to go to Blacksburg on Saturday was because there was going to be "Going-Away" party for Jason and Caysie, posted by Michelle on June 24th. I really wanted to be there for them, but I thought it would be a difficult, almost impossible task. But it happened. I was able to be there on June 30th. I asked around some people in NoVa to see if they wanted to come with me. I eventually found out about the Megabus and it would cost at least $54 (including the return trip) and I was prepared to spend that. Earlier that week, Stephen knew something was bothering me and kept texting me. I tried to hide from him because I did not really want to talk. Remember, I was morphing back into an introvert (not that it's bad, it's just a different side of me). Though, I did ask him if he was going to Blacksburg this weekend. And he responded, "That's a strange request." I kept to myself for a few days, but I knew deep inside that we needed to skype and I need to spill out my thoughts. While doing that, I found out he was going down there for his friend's bachelor party. I asked if I could join and he said yes.
Storm? The drive was great, his friend Matt came along also. I met him earlier in the semester. Weather was fine for about 3/4 of the way down. Then we got gas. On our way back to the highway, we saw a bunch of flying dirt and dust and we found ourselves in a storm. Matt mentioned about a tree falling down on the highway. A few minutes later, there was traffic. Luckily, we were close to the beginning of the traffic so we got out fast. A tree ended up taking up the right lane. We saw that the weather was getting pretty rough. I actually couldn't tell if Stephen was being serious or joking about being worried. Though, Stephen initiated to pray for safety, guidance and protection from the Lord. The weather was weird. All my phone said was a Severe Thunderstorm Watch. Before the trip, I did not see any concern for strong weather on Friday night. This caught us off guard. I never realized how strong wind could be in person. Stephen continued to drive and we saw a orange construction cone bouncing left to right in front of us. It was close to a cylinder. Either it dodge us, or we dodged it. But somehow, it bounced back to us and hit the car. Stephen said that it was a good thing that it did not hit the windshield. We were driving about 70mph and he was sure that the cone would have destroyed the windshield. #PTL. When we got to Blacksburg, it was a bit messy. Tree branches covered parts of the road. I did feel a sense of peace and quietness as we passed by Lane Stadium. However, when Stephen got to Washington Street, where the Chi Alpha house is located, I did not noticed this, but it was dark. During the week, I was thinking about how the Chi Alpha house would be when I arrived. The image included all the lights turned on, I'd open the door and I would see a bunch of people there. They would say Hi!!! or Romico?!!?! What are you doing here?? Maybe there could be a random social event that night. But what actually happened was almost the opposite. When I saw the house, it was pitch black. No lights on. That caught me off guard. I thought that either everyone was away from the house or everyone was sleeping. Thankfully, there was a car parked and there was someone actually in it! It happened to be Zach and he told me that the electricity was out. I didn't realize the severity of the storm until then. I thought about going to Torg Hall with Xikai but I was afraid that the electricity might go back on as soon as I leave. Unfortunately, it took 3 hours for it to come back and it was about past midnight. I read one of Isaac's posts on facebook and he mentioned "Tornado..." I was really fortunate to be in a safe place during this storm. Christiansburg is about 15-20(?) minutes away. That's how Blacksburg greeted me that night. I say, "Nice to see you again".
June 30th. I woke up pretty early, read the Bible, spent some time with the Lord, and ran an errand. Apparently, the storm was so strong that the the Saladino's house did not have electricity or water(location of barbecue). They texted Sara and she told us the location changed to the Chi Alpha house. The living room was somewhat messy, but I promised her that we'll be prepared. I started reading Isaiah, starting at Chapter 1. He talked about the wickedness of sinful people and unfaithfulness. I then realized that I fulfilled that description as well. I wasn't truly living for the Lord for these past few weeks consistently. That's one thing the Lord revealed to me.
Preparation. One of my goals was to play with the kids so they would be comfortable with me. I thought I'd try Ethan, but I was with Micah the most. He helped us clean up the sticks in the yard. Micah was all over the place, picking up small sticks and big sticks. I saw him carry sticks that were twice his size with ease. He said that he was stronger than me... We threw around a lot walnuts (he called them apples!) afterwards. Endless energy. I kept my eye on him while Anthony and Michelle were preparing the food and presentation. Hanging out with Micah was absolutely one of my many highlights of the weekend. Ethan was cute too hah!
Barbecue. Food was unbelievable. Enough said. People said I looked different. Well, I had new glasses, a new shirt, and maybe my hair was different. Good stuff. Had a good time catching up with some people. When Jason and Caysie arrived, I was just really happy. Words of Life was great. Looking forward to Anthony's manual to Words of Life. I will truly miss them and what they provided to VTXA during their tenure here. Now, I have to pray for support so I can see them again at the World Mission's Summit! Afterwards, the group prayed for Jason and Caysie. This is where the Lord revealed to me my inconsistent faith. I had a difficult time praying because I had not done group prayers in a long, long time, I didnt know what to really do. It's hard to describe but I think I lost my "rhythm", if that makes sense. Then Katie found out that I've not been going to Summer XA at NoVa. I got a mouthful from her, and I promised her that I would go.
Afternoon. After the Barbecue, I practically begged for something to do for the rest of the day. I didn't know if I wanted to leave at 9pm with Stephen or tomorrow on a Megabus. If I was leaving at 9pm, I didnt want to waste my time at Blacksburg. Katie said she would text me later in the day. So, I stayed at the Chi Alpha and rested. The heat made me tired and I took somewhat of a mini-nap.
Competition Night. Food was incredible. Only complaint is that Irene didn't eat enough rice. But she did bring awesome grapes. Enough said. Before food, we talked about me. Basically I think I'll stop looking for a summer job. Bret told me to write down some goals. 1. Get my driver's license. No more looking for a job means I have to get something accomplished.... 2. Summer Nova XA. I think that's it. Then, Bret thought that Jonah was more than 4 chapters and two pages, which is what I said. Katie opened up my Bible to Jonah and I was right. Then, Irene said that my handwriting was good and better than hers. Irene, you will always have better handwriting than me. Later that night, we played Catchphrase. Weaver has a competitive side..did you know that? We played without the luxury of pressing "Next". Bret/Elena/Katie/Isaac vs Irene/Me/Ryan/Audra. Bret was confident in his team so Ryan said, "If we win, it would be like David vs Goliath." I'm pretty sure we won 2x in a row. I thought Audra was the MVP! Family was the next game. How did Irene guess I was Cinderella? That was the 2nd time she guessed me in one try..! =) Unfortunately I accidently said her name (the one she put on the paper) and she somewhat screamed. Basically Elena took us next. It was my fault since I didn't really feel like walking to the kitchen to "strategize" so early in the game. I regret that! We played catchphrase again without Isaac and Audra. Our team was almost unstoppable. And then it was time for pick-up.
RealityCheck. Before pick-up, Ryan stopped a limping man. We stopped the game and Ryan got up and attempted to talk to him. Ryan came back and he said that he wouldn't let him pray he did all he could. Then Ryan said, "We're back to reality." At first, I thought he meant "back to catchphrase" but then I realized that he meant that Jesus saves and spiritual warfare still lurks around. It got a bit too competitive for all of us, if not, me.
PickUp. I dreaded this time. It marked the time for departure. Stephen and Matt had arrived.
Back To NoVa. I let everything sink in for about an hour or so. I didn't really say much for that time. I was just filled with joy as I smiled for that hour. I just reflected on what happened that day. I almost fell asleep in the beginning but Matt and Stephen talked about great topics and debated.
Reflection/Car Ride: This had to be a special God moment. Similar to how God placed Stephen in my life as my RA, who lived about 5 minutes away from my home, I felt like God knew I needed to be at Blacksburg. Friday night - June 30th was a blast. The third thing that God revealed to me is the importance of community. The amount of love I received was phenomenal. He reminded me of the excitement and joy I experienced with people that I love. I am very thankful for this opportunity. I recall that the reason I wanted to go to Blacksburg was for Jason and Caysie. I was determined to show them how much grateful I am for them to be part of my life. I wasn't looking for a reward, but God rewarded me. Even though he hasn't been consistently the center of my life all summer long, He rewards me with a day of learning, revelations and joy. I kept on turning back from his outstretched arm, but he continued to extend it for me! That is true Love. My goals for the day: Hang out with the kids, Ethan and Micah, catch up with the Blacksburg community, talk to Jason and Caysie, talk to Irene and Rachel, and see good ol' John Rob. I'd say that I achieved them. Later, I desired to go to NoVa Summer XA.
Home. I got back home at around 1:30-ish AM. I wasn't really tired and I went on Facebook and thanked someone, I asked Rachel (a different Rachel from before) if she could pick me up for NoVa Summer XA on Thursday nights, and I probably posted something on my wall too.
To Irene, Elena, Katie, Bret, Ryan: Yes, I heard Stephen preach Sunday morning, with about 5 hours of sleep. Though, the audience was mainly the youth (Elementary to High school), I still related to it. He talked about the return of Jesus (1 Thes 4:16-18). He mentioned middle school crushes and how we're filled with excitement and jubilation when we see them. Then he took that excitement and jubilation and said that this is what we should feel when we talk and think about Jesus, and eventually, see Jesus! He also mentioned marriage and our desire for that in the future. Sometimes, we obsess about that more than Jesus. He ties that in to Revelation 22:17 and that marriage is what we should long for. We should long for Christ because our hope is for his return, eternity with Christ is forever. Yup.
To my UVA fans, sorry to disappoint, but VT came back as my favored community now!
PickUp. I dreaded this time. It marked the time for departure. Stephen and Matt had arrived.
Back To NoVa. I let everything sink in for about an hour or so. I didn't really say much for that time. I was just filled with joy as I smiled for that hour. I just reflected on what happened that day. I almost fell asleep in the beginning but Matt and Stephen talked about great topics and debated.
Reflection/Car Ride: This had to be a special God moment. Similar to how God placed Stephen in my life as my RA, who lived about 5 minutes away from my home, I felt like God knew I needed to be at Blacksburg. Friday night - June 30th was a blast. The third thing that God revealed to me is the importance of community. The amount of love I received was phenomenal. He reminded me of the excitement and joy I experienced with people that I love. I am very thankful for this opportunity. I recall that the reason I wanted to go to Blacksburg was for Jason and Caysie. I was determined to show them how much grateful I am for them to be part of my life. I wasn't looking for a reward, but God rewarded me. Even though he hasn't been consistently the center of my life all summer long, He rewards me with a day of learning, revelations and joy. I kept on turning back from his outstretched arm, but he continued to extend it for me! That is true Love. My goals for the day: Hang out with the kids, Ethan and Micah, catch up with the Blacksburg community, talk to Jason and Caysie, talk to Irene and Rachel, and see good ol' John Rob. I'd say that I achieved them. Later, I desired to go to NoVa Summer XA.
Home. I got back home at around 1:30-ish AM. I wasn't really tired and I went on Facebook and thanked someone, I asked Rachel (a different Rachel from before) if she could pick me up for NoVa Summer XA on Thursday nights, and I probably posted something on my wall too.
To Irene, Elena, Katie, Bret, Ryan: Yes, I heard Stephen preach Sunday morning, with about 5 hours of sleep. Though, the audience was mainly the youth (Elementary to High school), I still related to it. He talked about the return of Jesus (1 Thes 4:16-18). He mentioned middle school crushes and how we're filled with excitement and jubilation when we see them. Then he took that excitement and jubilation and said that this is what we should feel when we talk and think about Jesus, and eventually, see Jesus! He also mentioned marriage and our desire for that in the future. Sometimes, we obsess about that more than Jesus. He ties that in to Revelation 22:17 and that marriage is what we should long for. We should long for Christ because our hope is for his return, eternity with Christ is forever. Yup.
To my UVA fans, sorry to disappoint, but VT came back as my favored community now!
Irene, a great friend of mine, recommended this song to me a week ago. Unfortunately, I purposely ignored her and did not respond to her message and I apologize. "Your love has ravished my heart; all I want is to be, with you forever.." I loved that part in the beginning. When she started singing, the atmosphere in my room was completely changed. I felt a presence that I haven't felt this strong in a long time, possibly comparable to the worship during VTXA's Fall Retreat. <-- And that was special. Sensations covered my mind and body... Bethel Live provides its outstanding lyrics in the video which makes it easier to get lost in the lyrics! Bethel has also been my recent "go-to" artist these past few days, specifically the album "Be Lifted High".
"So pull me a little closer, take me a little deeper, I want to know Your heart, I want to know Your heart."
Jon Thurlow's songs are amazing. I'm obviously a fan. "For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord." (Romans 8:38-39)
Song: Strong Love
Artist: Jon Thurlow
Last note: The title of this post is from the song "Oh, Great God of Love" by David Crowder Band.
James 1:2-4 has always been one of my favorite verses. I love the NIV version:
- Being Spontaneous, with Purpose
"So pull me a little closer, take me a little deeper, I want to know Your heart, I want to know Your heart."
Song: Closer
Artist: Steffany FrizzellJon Thurlow's songs are amazing. I'm obviously a fan. "For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord." (Romans 8:38-39)
Song: Strong Love
Artist: Jon Thurlow
Last note: The title of this post is from the song "Oh, Great God of Love" by David Crowder Band.
James 1:2-4 has always been one of my favorite verses. I love the NIV version:
"Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything." (James 1:2-4)
- Being Spontaneous, with Purpose
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