Bits: HONEY ROCK, Randomnipity, and another Matt's Birthday!

*I'm at Honey Rock, Wheaton's campus in the Northwoods of Wisconsin, for two weeks taking classes! I'm taking Christian Thought and Canoeing/Kayaking, my 1-credit gym class. Christian Thought is awesome- the prof, Dr. Bacote, is great and the material's really interesting. Canoeing is also great... however, it really is amazing to me that I can be SO BAD at SO MANY sports. I mean really, what do kickball and canoeing have in common? Virtually nothing, yet my experience with them is uncannily similar (ie, problematic). Still, I love being on water and the prof is very patient (slash quite perplexed that I can't just do what he says when he goes, "Great, now quickly do a 180 degree turn with just a rotation of your wrist!" Uh...)

*IT IS SO BEAUTIFUL HERE. I don't have my camera but here's some from when I came up with friends in the fall.

*I think it's also a really good transition for HNGR. Some time to be with God in nature, and slightly out of my comfort zone/not with 1000 of my closest friends (although everyone here is so nice... and they speak the same language as I do, which I'm trying to particularly enjoy).

*Before I came to Honey Rock I got to stay with Sarah! I love her so much. Seeing as she's the indirect reason I'm even doing HNGR, it seemed fitting that she'd be one of the last people I quality-timed it with before I head off... slash it was just really important for my heart and life. And we had breakfast with Nate and Elise which turned into an all day event, which are of course really the best kind of breakfasts. Yay for friends. It was a really good weekend.

*I really liked this quote about theology Dr. Bacote read us:

"The goal of applied theology is that grace may intervene to turn information into wisdom. Its goal is nourishment and transformation of the soul... that God's grace may reshape the seeker."
-Ellen Charry

It was especially timely because part of the breakfast with Sarah, Nate and Elise involved a discussion of theology that had me moaning about "BUT WHAT IF WE JUST WANT TO LIKE JESUS!". Which is you know... not the most critically thinking mindset necessarily... its good to remember that theology helps to know God which helps to love Him; I'm glad Wheaton emphasizes that.

*Email from my cute mother:
"Hi honey,
I know HNGR focuses on aTtitude issues (i.e. positive, enthusiastic, spiritual etc.)... but have you given thought to the aLtitude issues in Bolivia?..."

*And... Matthew Hiltibran turned 21 today!
I posted a tribute last year so this time I'll post a favorite story I've been meaning to write...

Matt and I had been studying together for several hours. Whenever we study together, if one of us is more focused than the other (try and guess which is which!), the less distracted studier tends to get just a little bit snippy. So if I (whoops, I gave it away) ask seemingly unrelated-to-the-huge-test-we-have-tomorrow questions, I occasionally get snippy answers.

So we're listening to music as we study and a Jack Johnson song comes on. I half-listen to the lyrics and notice that it is touting the benefits of sharing. Hmm.
Me: "Wait, is this Jack Johnson?"
Matt: "Yes..."
Me: "Is he singing about SHARING? Wait, did he do a CD for kids or something??"
Matt: (HUGE sigh) "It's not a CD FOR KIDS, Emily. It's from the CURIOUS GEORGE SOUNDTRACK."
(pause)
"And besides, we ALL need to learn about sharing, OK??!"

Mm. So true. So, Matt, thank you for sharing your Econ book, lots of tea, wisdom, and ridiculous amounts of patience and encouragement with me over the last two years. I love you! Happy Birthday!!

*10 days til take-off... c.r.a.z.y