La primavera linda

Happy Spring! I am currently sitting by my pool, enjoying the lovely Redding sunshine. I’m always amazed at how easy it is to transition from I-want-to-die-it’s-finals-week mode to I-don’t-have-a-care-in-the-world-because-I’m-at-home mode. In the back of my mind I keep on thinking that I MUST be neglecting some sort of homework assignment or studying… But I’m not. Ha ha!

So I went to Panera for the first time this last week and it was delicious (as was expected). While studying outside in the amazing LA sunshine, my friend Sarah and I noticed two elderly women chatting. These ladies hadn’t seen each other in FIFTY years. And they were so cute, just looking over scrapbooks, taking pictures on their disposable cameras, and gabbing about their grandchildren. It was such a sweet reminder of the beautiful relationships I have in my own life and how the Lord reveals Himself through those friendships.

My birthday weekend has been sooo nice-- seeing my best friend, lounging around the house, getting to drive my zippy little Jetta again (!), and spending time with the fam. I have a growing suspicion that spring break is going to fly by. Isn’t that how it always works?

I’ll leave you with a verse that has really spoken to me these last few days:
“For I know the plans that I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans for welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope. Then you will call upon Me and come and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. You will seek Me and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart.
Isaiah 29:11-13

Thank the Lord it's all about Him!

-Pam

I've got a pretty smart niece :)

Spring fever!

Hey friends!
Well, today is officially the first day of spring. Oh how I've been waiting for this day! This past week in LA was B-E-A-utiful; 80 degrees, clear skies, friendly little squirrels...perfect for studying for finals! ;) Now that finals week is over I feel like I can breathe again, phew! I finally have a chance to read for pleasure, layout and soak up the rays, maybe go on a run around Batiquitos Lagoon. Ohhhh how I love spring break! (if only I was with my other half, Pam Pam!) Something I'm really looking forward to at the end of this week (Saturday, March 27th) is the FLOURISH conference that my good friends Rachel Closs and Megan Fate are putting on. I'm so excited that I have the opportunity to help with it. The conference is for high school girls and will be focusing on finding our identities in Christ, figuring out what our purpose is, and learning how to live our lives in a way that enables us to flourish. Here is a link to the website if you want to check it out!
Flourish Conference Website!

The other morning I decided to whip out my mom's nice camera and take some pictures outside. We have this really neat plant in our front yard that attracts tons of bees! I was able to take some neat shots...it really makes me appreciate God's creation. Ah! He is so awesome! Here are some of my favorite pictures and a verse that I love about God's majesty.

"O Lord, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth! You have set your glory above the heavens...When I look at your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, what is man that you are mindful of him, and the son of man that you care for him?" Psalm 8: 1-4

Have a great week!
Suzanne

I'll make him an offer he can't refuse

In celebration of winter quarter almost being over....

Pam's Summer 2010 To Do List:
- Learn how to longboard
- Take a beginner’s floral design class
- Be able to play a stinkin’ bar chord (particularly an F major)
- Read War and Peace (For real this time)
- Run 3 times a week (no matter how early I have to wake up!)

Lately in my devotions I’ve been going through the book of Acts; I just love how Peter and John have a holy disregard for authority (because let’s face it, those high priests and religious officials were WACK):

“We must obey God rather than men. The God of our fathers raised Jesus, whom you killed by hanging him on a tree. God exalted him at his right hand as Leader and Savior, to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins. And we are witnesses to these things, and so is the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to those who obey him.” Acts 5:30-32 ESV
I also love passages like this because they refer to every part of the Trinity—the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. I would like to see how a Jehovah’s Witness could argue with this verse.

This week in my film class I got to see Coppola’s The Godfather for the first time. Oh my goodness. The Godfather is crazy good. Mind you, I don’t think I’ve ever sat through such a violent movie (I’m pretty sheltered in terms of gory films haha), but it was a phenomenal film. Of course this is old news to pretty much the rest of the world, but for little ‘ole me, it was something new and exciting! Needless to say, I will definitely be watching The Godfather Part II in the near future.
“Leave the gun, take the cannoli.”

-Pam
Currently listening to: Tiger Mountain Peasant Song- Fleet Foxes

I've been feeling very pensive lately. I'm trying to figure out what God might want me to do in the future. Will I become a nurse, a dentist, a teacher, a doctor, a missionary...? I honestly have no idea. It's funny because when I first arrived at UCLA, my life plan was set in stone. I was going to be a bioengineer, get my MBA, be successful and secure...But God has totally rocked my world. He doesn't call for security; He wants me to give Him my all. I really love this quote from C.S. Lewis:

"We are all hoping that when all the demands of morality and society have been met, the poor natural self will still have some chance, some time, to get on with its own life and do what it likes…The Christian way is different—both harder and easier. Christ says, “Give me ALL. I don’t want just this much of your time and this much of your money and this much of your work—so that your natural self can have the rest. I want you. Not your things. I have come not to torture your natural self…I will give you a new self instead. Hand over the whole natural self—ALL the desires, not just the ones you think wicked but the ones you think innocent—the whole outfit. I will give you a new self instead.”

Being a Christian doesn't mean giving up your desires...it means replacing your old desires with new ones...really sweet ones that promise eternal compensation! I am so encouraged and excited by this promise! Read Jeremiah 29: 11-13. SO GOOD!

-Suzanne

Stay away from Taylor polynomials.....

After a two week hiatus, Suz and I are excited to say we're back to blogging! College makes you.... Busy. Crazy, right?

This last weekend, we got the chance to get off campus (second weekend in a row, baby!) and spend time with our amazing community of women through Campus Crusade for Christ (which we usually refer to as "Cru," fyi). The weekend's theme was "beholding His glory," where we spent time studying how God glorifies Himself and how He allows us to take part in His master plan for our lives. I could go on and on about how God showed up over retreat, but one thing I wanted to stress was how God spoke to me through the community I found in these girls. It was such a blessing to hear the wisdom of upperclassmen and bond with our freshmen class (haha ohh the inside jokes). I had no idea that the Lord would grow me so much, at UCLA of all places! Go figure.

Have you ever developed a speech habit to the point where you spew out a phrase, no matter how awkward or irrelevant it is to the conversation? No? Oh, me neither..... Haha but really. For instance, whenever I'm at the movies and the theater worker says "Enjoy the show," I consistently reply "You too!" Clearly that makes no sense, and yet, it tricks me every time.

Something similar happened to me at work today. I was trying to answer some girl's random question (I swear, people think the front desk workers ought to possess a superior knowledge on everything) and when I told her I couldn't help her out, she just glared at me. I, anticipating a polite and thankful response, quickly responded with a "You're welcome!" She never even said thank you. Instead she just left and walked out the front lobby doors. Go me.

So I guess the moral of the story is... Always tell customer service workers "thank you," so that they don't feel like morons when they say "you're welcome" out of habit. Or, just learn how to control word vomit. (There's a shout-out to all you Mean Girls fans out there.)

-Pam

This past week has been filled with lots of lessons for Suzanne. I’ve learned that college and poopy math teachers can turn a person’s love for calculus into great disdain, signing up for classes doesn’t bring out the best in me, and ultimately God is in control…not little ol’ me! My dislike of calculus has made me appreciate poetry a lot more, so here is a little poem for your entertainment:

Calculus
By Suzanne Marie Johnson

You used to be my love, my friend, my strength,
But not anymore my friend,
This relationship has come to an end.
People once said I would be “the most likely to find the end of pi,”
My aspirations reached towards the sky,
But then I came to UCLA,
My love for you has gone astray,
Classes are harder, and you’ve become mean,
Our life together has just ripped at the seams,
Midterms have started to tear us apart,
Goodbye my love; you have broken my heart.

I was in a very dramatic mood so bear with me. Anyways, in the midst of studying for my math midterm last night, I had the joy of signing up for classes. I had multiple backup plans, the “perfect schedule,” I would get out early so I could play at the beach later in the day…Suzanne was totally “in control.” But of course all the classes I wanted filled up, so my schedule is very awkwardly spread out, and definitely not ideal. A little stressful, yes….but after a good night’s sleep, God gave me a little wake up call. (no pun intended). God is in control, not me. Signing up for classes may be a lame example, but I was totally convicted. I love this verse in Jeremiah that has really spoken to me:

“I know, O Lord, that the way of man is not in himself, that it is not in man who walks to direct his steps.” –Jeremiah 10:23

If things aren’t going your way, just remember that we are not in control. Our Father is! He has everything taken care of ☺

-Suzanne

A picture from our visit to UCSD to see Pam's friend from back home, Spencer!


P.S. Did anyone know that calculus also refers to a horrifying dental disease that develops from hardened plaque? Coincidence? I think not. (Pam)

Cats

Heyooooo. I would like to make a shout out to all the people that have been excited about our blog so far (or have at least acted excited). I know you all have been anxiously awaiting our next post, so here goes!

Pam and I are cuddling on my bed right now in Carlsbad, and let me tell you... This is the life. I had the hardest time concentrating in class yesterday. Don't get me wrong, Johnny Pang is a phenomenal chem lab teacher; but the entire time he was rambling on about who knows what, all I could think about was going home. It's nice being able to drive to Target in 10 minutes, while it would probably take an hour and a half to travel that same distance on a bus. Plus I missed my gifted cat, Smudge, who rides piggy back on my shoulders. He's special.

Monday night we had our weekly floor Bible study, where we studied Jesus' healing of the lame man in John 5:1-9. I love Jesus' simple command: "Get up! Pick up your mat and walk." Even though our group was a little smaller than usual, God still used that time to bring up some good spiritual discussions, which always challenges our faith!


On Tuesday I had the opportunity to go down to 3rd street in Santa Monica and serve the homeless. It was neat having some sweet conversations and seeing how appreciative everyone was for their meals. It was also interesting hearing some of their stories. Interesting being a huge understatement. One woman told me I needed to find a large sea turtle so I could escape to another planet in my egg casing. Another man told me that everything is explained by physics and with a high enough vibrational energy, we can get to heaven. Trying to relate, I told him my fears about not always being energized and that Jesus came to save us from our frequent lack of vibration. I'm not sure if my metaphor worked, but I like knowing that God is sovereign. He doesn't need me! Yet he delights in using us as his servants. Mmmmmm....God is good.

-Suzanne

College is a death trap when it comes to obesity. Seriously. The healthiest items available in the dining halls come from the salad bar. (Actually, UCLA has legit salad bars. Nothing like those nasty stands you find in Pizza Huts across America.) And outside of that, sure, there’s the unbelievable tandoori chicken dish from Covel or sushi bowls from Hedrick, but these are rarities. I couldn’t help but think that buffet-style dining would be the end of me.

Thus began our 5k training journey.

Starting this week and continuing for the next eight, Suzanne and I will be running every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, increasing the time spent running, while decreasing the length and frequency of walking periods in between. Why do it, you ask? First off, I should be able to run a few miles. Right now, well… I can’t. Secondly, our bodies are temples for God. We want to glorify Him by not only strengthening ourselves spiritually, but also physically!
“So I do not run aimlessly; I do not box as one beating air. But I discipline my body and keep it under control, lest after preaching to others I myself should be disqualified.” 1 Corinthians 9:26-27
Lastly, exercising helps me release stress and start my day off productively. And I guess it doesn’t hurt that I get to start off the day hanging out with my roomie :)

For those of you who don’t know, I recently got a job at our dorm building’s 24-hour front desk. This last Tuesday, I had the privilege of working the midnight-3am shift. (P.S. I am NOT a night person.) All Wednesday I was afraid that the combination of 4 ½ hours of sleep and an invigorating run with Suzanne that morning would kill me. Did I mention Wednesdays are the days I have to sit through my 4 hour film class? All day I was praying, “please God, give me a supernatural ability to stay awake—I just need to survive today!” And you know what? My film professor only lectured for 30 minutes (which has NEVER happened before) and the film was so good(Best Years of Our Lives (1947)) I didn’t feel sleepy once! God is so good. He answers even my smallest requests!

-Pam

Here's a picture of us at the beach! Gotta love California in February :)

Just the usual.... Acrobatics, coffee, & Jesus

This morning, Suzanne and I learned an invaluable lesson: when you need to reach that ringing cellphone plugged in on the desk located six feet beneath your bunk bed, don't lunge for it headfirst. I was awakened by Suzanne shouting and flailing as she struggled to remain in a handstand-- hands planted on the desk and feet steadily slipping off the edge of the bed.

"Suzanne! Suzanne! Wait, wait, I'm coming!" I shouted. Pushing my teddy bear and covers aside, I leaped off my lofted bunk bed, sprinted over to her desk (actually our room is so small it was more like one giant step) and..... Wait. How am I supposed to push my roommate back up on a bed that is several feet above us, with her head about to careen into a wooden desk? All while laughing ourselves to tears, mind you. And the clueless caller still on the other line.

Our teetering victim ended up putting her hands on my back, performing a pseudo-push-up that would make any P.E. teacher proud, as I remained on the ground, trying to maintain strength as I nearly passed out from laughing.

Good morning, world!

-Pam

Anywhoooo...despite my near-death experience this morning (thanks for putting up with me, Rachel and Megan), today has been the perfect time to reflect on this past week. Pam and I have discovered the beauty of getting work done at the Peet's coffee shop in Westwood. UCLA has the uncanny ability of making your life feel unnecessarily stressful, so getting away for the day is often much-needed. Here is a picture of Pam and I enjoying our delicious Peet's coffee...nom nom nom.

I came planning on studying an excessive amount of psychology, but no such luck. Blogging is way more exciting! Speaking of exciting... (I'm the queen of smooth transitions)... Pam and I had our second Hedrick Hall 6 North bible study this past Monday. It was neat having over twelve people there (who hopefully didn't come just for the Diddy Riese cookies or our convenient location in front of the elevator). We decided it would be cool to start a series on the miracles of Jesus... So this week we studied John 4: 46-54, where Jesus heals the nobleman's son. We talked about the importance of faith demonstrated through this miracle and how applicable it can be in our daily lives. How often we try to fit God's power in a box, forgetting the Creator of the universe has the power to do things we can't even begin to fathom! Although everyone in our bible study is at a different spot in their spiritual journey, it has been SO encouraging just being able to converse and learn where everyone is at in their walk. We would love for you to pray for us in this new adventure :)

Last night was also super sweet, as nine of our fellow "campus-crusaders" were baptized. Their vulnerability in sharing their testimonies and public proclamation of their desire to follow Christ was really special. It made me realize I haven't been baptized since I was a wee tot. Maybe something to pray about for next year...? We shall see. We would love to hear how God is working in your lives, or if you have had any recent near-death experiences like mine. ;) Have an amazing week!

-Suzanne