Holiday Happenings

Head RA Amy and boyfriend Eric

President's Day Weekend was a great time to just relax and have some fun. I was asked to chaperon my head RA and her boyfriend to Stillwater, Oklahoma to an OSU vs. OU basketball game, a visit to the OSU campus, and out to eat at Eskimo Joe's Saturday. I had a BLAST! The basketball game was amazing and lasted for 3 hrs due to it going into overtime. The OSU campus was beautiful with old (whatever styled) buildings that date back to the early 1900's and a little pond with duckies and water fountains.

Eskimo Joe's was delicious with its cheesy, bacon fries and big burgers. It was great to just be off campus and out of the city for a change!
Sunday I was invited to one of my friend's adoptive parents house to eat some good old HOME cooked food, a nap, and a movie before going to church that evening.




After Sunday evening services, a couple hundred students packed out the ice skating rink. The ice skating was a blast and almost everyone was out skating till midnight. There were several guys were out in the middle of the rink playing  red-rover (not with skates, just on there shoes); that was fun to watch.

President's Day me and some friends went to the OKC Zoo; admission was FREE! It was fun walking around and looking at the animals, but nothing will compare to the Henry Doorly Zoo in Omaha! One of the funniest things I saw was a "Caution! No Swimming" sign in the alligator crocodile exhibit. I mean, come on really?! I would hope that someone would have enough sense to not swim where this beasts are!

Southwest just finished their annual Missions Conference. 10 missionarys and their families attended, all focusing on the theme "By Faith." The message that spoke to my heart the most was on faith promise giving. Every year the challenge to increase my promise to God comes up...but each year that decision on how much to increase always causes me to pause. As a college student on limited funds, thoughts about increasing are always kind of scary. Thoughts like it would be more convenient if I gave this amount, or I can't afford to increase or increase very much! It was no coincidence that the first message was about giving to missions by faith, and it hit me square on the nose! We live in an abundant country, giving out of our abundance to missions. What about giving above and beyond? Giving that requires faith? Giving only what is convenient is not faith promise missions, but convenience promise missions. Giving only what I can afford in my budget, is budget promise missions. Bottom line? If I can give to missions, then it's not God, and if it's not God, then it's not faith...pretty good stuff, huh?

This week is dorm week, and everyone is busy cleaning and organizing the dorm for the dreaded annual Dorm Day, which is this saturday. And if that wasn't enough to keep us busy, this week is also midterms for most of the students. AND...sigh....we are all preparing for the campus to double in size as hundreds of prospecitve students flood in for College Days next week. Though it will be busy, it is such an exciting time. I am really looking forward to seeing some of Amanda's family, Pastor and Mrs. Goodrick, Mrs. Beem, and Kate; it is always a highlight for me :D.

This semester has been good, hard, tireing, challenging, and fruitful. I am loving being here, but looking forward towards summer break and coming home. I love you all and are thankful for all the prayer and financial support; they are priceless!
Love, Amber