New Attitude 2008

Well I just got back (Tuesday night) from my very 1st New Attitude (Na) conference. It was awesome! We learned some great new songs in worship, the teachings were amazing and hanging out with friends all day long was so much fun! So much was packed into each day of our stay there!

Saturday

On Saturday I had a 9:30 AM flight, a layover in Charlotte, and then I arrrived in Louisville about 3 PM. There were lots of Na people there to direct us to the Na shuttle! They were very nice people. I arrived at the hotel before any of my roomates and stood in the looong line to get checked in. Soon after two of my roomates arrived we went with some other people to get checked in at the hotel. Then we pretty much just relaxed until it was time for the 1st main session.

Josh Harris spoke on Jerimiah 15: 16 ("Your words were found, and I ate them, and your words became to me a joy and the delight of my heart, for I am called by your name, O LORD God of hosts") Josh Harris spoke on our response to God's word and he read about 3 different men and their responses to God's word (Josiah, Jehoiokim (sp?), and Jeremiah). One of his final points was that the Bible is not about what we must do for God(although that is included), but about what God has done for us through Jesus Christ.

After the main session we had our first community groups. We stayed up very late talking in our hotel.

Sunday

Sunday started with 9 AM community groups and then a main session. Mark Dever spoke on the authority of scripture. During the first part of the message he established that the Bible is reliable and then in the second part he discussed why the Bible should have authority in our lives. Something he said toward the end was that we do not know how long we will have the freedom to read the Bible openly as we do now...things could change very quickly.

Several of us decided to go to Subway for lunch (we wanted to go to the one outside of the foodcourt thinking it would be less crowded). We walked all the way down there only to find it closed :( Then some Na Ninjas (married couples who volunteered to walk around handing out candy, and willing to help you if you need it) offered to go back with us to the Subway in the food court and buy us lunch! anyway we walked back only to find long lines....soooo they offered to buy pizza so we walked all the way to a Papa Johns where the Ninjas left us with some money for the pizza and went off to buy some more people lunch. Despite walking all over the place it was a lot of fun (and we got free lunch :)

For the afternoon session Al Mohler did a Bible Q & A session. People asked questions of all types. During the evening session, C.J. Mahaney spoke on God's Word and Our Feelings. He said that we nee to start talking to ourselves more and listening to ourselves less. We need to remind ourselves to trust in God. We also need to talk to God, C.J. said that God loves for us to remind Him, humbly and boldly, of His promises.

Monday

We had community groups again and the in the first main session, Eric Simmons spoke on why we need to study the Bible. His 3 main reasons were 1. Scriptures reveal Jesus Christ. 2. Scriptures give life (he made the point that God's word is living and active and it affects us even if we don't realize it). 3. Sciptures equip us for God's mission. His main passage of scripture was 2nd Timothy 3:14-17

I went to lunch with some freinds to a Chinese place, it was pretty good. Then we went back for the afternoon session where John Piper spoke about William Tyndale. A man who suffered very much trying to get an English translation of the Bible so more people could read it-he was killed for it.

During the evening session John Piper spoke on using God's word to fight for faith. He emphesized the importance of studying and memorizing scripture and using it in our fight. Piper said that the fight for faith is a fight for joy,a fight to the death, and a fight to see Christ (with the eyes of our hearts).

Tuesday

I ended up missing community groups because of sleeping and then having to get everything packed up. In the main session, C.J. gave a great message on the doctrine of adoption and ho much God loves us.

My trip home went well and I arrived home almost on time.

Kaitlin R. jumped in front of my camera :)

Walking to the convention center
There were lots of horse carriages in Louisville

Me, Shannon, Lyndsey, Courtney, Micah, Caitlin H., and Liz

A group of us during one of the sessions

Lyndsey and I
Jessi and Jenni taking a break in between sessions
Two Na Ninjas towards the left side of the pic

There were around 3500 people at the conference! This is just a small section

Walking (again)

One night several of us went to walk by some water (a river I think)

Uhhh....

We found a plunger in the middle of a parking lot and Caitlin H. posed by it

Courtney and Shannon looked up at a plane just as I snapped this pic. (notice Caitlin H. in the background!)
Walking by the water

Rach, Kaitlin, Me and Jap

Katy L. and I
Caitlin H. and I

Off to find some lunch
The choir that sang during the worship before one of the sessions

The Na worship band

This movie's title is Uh...wrong button

New Attitude was such a wonderful time. I hope that I can attend New Attitude 2009 in Baltimore Md! That's all for now.

P.S. If you want to listen to any of the Na messages you can get them and more info on the Na website.

Alexandra started a blog!

http://www.xandrasspot.blogspot.com/

My Sister Has a Blog

Moriah just started a blog. Check it out here.

Tomorrow! Tomorrow! Tomorrow!

I leave for New Attitude tomorrow morning! I am soooo excited!!

Shopping for New Attitude

On Sunday Kaitlin R., Liz D., Courtney C., and Rachael M., and I went out to lunch after church to Five Guys for lunch. It was so yummy! After we spent time eating and talking all of us except for Rachael (she had already made plans to do her shopping with Jessi and Jenni) headed over to Wall-Mart to get stuff for New Attitude (which is less than a week away!!!!) It was such a blast. We decided, however that it may not have been a good idea to go shopping with friends. this is because if one of us finished on an isle they would keep looking around while waiting for the others to finish and end up finding more stuff we"had" to buy! :) :) :) Our cart was so full by the end of our shopping and we even ended up not getting some of the stuff we originally put in the cart :) By the time we finished shopping it was about 5:30! I had so much fun...I can't wait until New Attitude! Only FOUR DAYS LEFT!!!!!

And now to figure out how to pack all the snacks I bought :)

Seven Days and Counting

After today there is only one week until I will be going to New Attitude! I am so excited! We made a last minute decision that I will be taking a plane to Na instead of carpooling and that makes everything even more exciting because I like to fly. From all that I have heard from those who have been before the conference will be filled with great worship and teaching as well as lots of fun and talking and very late nights! I cannot wait, and I will definately be posting pictures and telling you all about my trip!

Happy Mother's Day

Happy Mother's Day to the world's best Mom-Mine! I love you Mom. You do such a great job taking care of all of us and loving us. thanks!

Summer is Here!

I have just walked out of my Biology exam and I am done for the semester! I am so glad that now I can relax and not worry about classes, homework, and tests (until August that is :) Today is pretty busy as I had my exam this morning and then I am working from 1-4. Tomorrow will be so nice as I will not have classes and I will not have to do any studying as I do not have any more exams!

Here is an update on my weekend

Last Saturday I went and watched my sibling's baseball games. Then came Sunday. Sunday was very fun and very busy! I went to my church and the pastor spoke on the passage in Matthew about not worrying about what we will wear, eat, or where we will live and to seek the kingdom of God 1st. The pastor said that this does not mean seek God's kingdom 1st and then we can go seek everything else. but we need to always be seeking God's kingdom. After church I went to my friend Kaitlin's house because she invited all the singles over for a yummy Mexican lunch. I had a great time eating, playing bocce ball, and talking with friends. Liz and I ended up staying a lot later than everyone else and I ended up staying until it was time to leave for community groups (thanks Kaitlin!). Kaitlin and I both went to the same community group that night. At community group everyone went around saying a verse that was their favorite or that God was using to speak to them. Then we had a time of prayer and then a time of food and fellowship. I had a great time last Sunday. I am thankful that God has given me a great church and great friends!

New Blog Item

Hey everyone. I have added a list on my blog where I will put some of the books that I read this year. If you are intrested keep checking it as I will be adding to it!

Eggs and Exams

Two exams down...only two more to go and then SUMMER BREAK! I had my philosophy and Computer exams today and I think that they both went really well. I have a Spanish exam on Wednesday and then a Biology exam on Thursday. I will probably take the rest of today as well as Sunday off and do studying (at least some) on the rest of the days in between now and my last two finals. I need to study most for my Biology exam.

Guess what is in this hanging basket?

Bird's eggs! I discovered the nest when I took the basket down and was watering the flowers. At first I didn't recognize what I saw but then realized it was a nest with one egg in it! Then I came back and checked it a few days later and there were five eggs! I hope that the babies hatch at that I can get some good pictures (if I do I will post them). One disapointment is that we can't see the nest unless we climb up on the porch railing and look in which we don't want to do often and upset the mama bird :)

Care Group Game Night!

Since last Wednesday was a 5th Wednesday (no regular care group meetings) my care group decided to do a game night! It was a lot of fun. We all talked and ate yummy ice cream sundaes, then the games began! We played four on a couch, and this other game that I do not know the name of. I really enjoyed the evening.