cherry blossoms

just shortly after easter the cherry blossoms bloomed white and beaming all around my town and seoul. greenery was all around. spring is here.

and it is fitting that it began after easter. new life. new days. new chances.

but the interesting thing about cherry blossoms is that they are transient. about a week after they bloom, they whither. and its pretty as the petals fall all around, but then its gone.

“surely, we are grass and just as surely we will fade. but the word of the LORD stands forever.”

its amazing how creation emits life. spring blossoms, reminding us that new life is always hopeful. Jesus wins. new life wins. but our mortal lives are transient, like the cherry blossoms. and like the cherry blossoms we will fade too. our lives are but a mist. but the word of the LORD, that is what lasts.

and like the blossoms, there are times of bloom and times of withering. times when joy is overflowing and rich with wisdom. and times when shadow and sorrow toss and separate the petals.

as I read through the prophets these days, I cringe at the utter anguish some of them feel and even bring it before God in question. but there is always at least one sign or glimmer of hope- found in the character and covenant of YHWH. "Jesus you remain, Jesus you will stay."

again, there it is. knowing who He is, and therefore who we are compels action, even when the petals fall. even the when the shadows toss.

if you are interested in some new and refreshing worship, listen to Mike Crawford and the Secret Siblings. there is no way you’ll regret it.

Verse of ponder: “When Jesus saw her [Mary] weeping, and the Jews who had come with her also weeping he was deeply moved in his spirit and greatly troubled…he cried out with a loud voice ‘Lazarus, come out.’” john 11:33 and 43

Music: “Isaiah 40” and “Center my Heart” by Mike Crawford and the Secret Siblings

Weekly Ventures: we had our last week at the school for our mid day walk to prepare for Jeju. the cherry blossoms were in bloom and the students were loving it...so were the teachers.

so while that fun was going on i also wrote a paper for my old testament class on Habakkuk. not my best work but good enough.

on thursday i got coffee...well we both got hot chocolate and it was sooo good....with seth martin, a rather unique friend from back home who happens to live in the same area outside of seoul as i do. providence. it is good.

the weekend was dreadful weather wise. but i'm glad because i got to spend time with my dear friend shauna and the lovely dye family, who i cozily relaxed with while the cold windy rain took over our city. during that time we watched star wars, the sound of music, and i finished my third journal since being in korea.

i love all my students. but some of them are just...special. take my 9th and 10th grade boys. the 9th grade all posed, like they're all that and the 10th grade, today, lounge outside reading their essays for writing class. what can i say? i'm not the best teacher, but we do have a good time.

today was one of the first days in a while i felt rejuvenated and becoming more at peace. its been a rocky month, almost robotic like in a sense, and extremely low at others. but i like going near water...where i can tangibly see the signs of life and healing. and remember who i am. creation tells our story well. creation, fall, redemption, the hope of restoration...its everywhere. and i'm glad it sings with us, groans with us, and waits with us, and i'm hopeful that just as spring always comes and the blossoms bloom, so the petals in my soul will birth new once again too, but even when they fall, and even in the shadows now, He still remains, His word doesn't change and I am still His.

A New Land

I realize how terrible i am with this whole blog thing. I know most people have stopped checking because I've stopped writing. i get that. well, i'm going to try starting it up again.

since i've been back several things have changed. i still teach bible to the middle schoolers, but we've changed it up a bit. now we're coteaching where the korean english teachers sit in on my classes and i sit in on theirs. its actually been really really awesome. my days are busier...a lot busier but it is good. i also picked up an advanced composition class for the high schoolers. its not what i expected, but i think its going to be good.

these days classes have been cut 5 minutes because we spend an hour a day walking to prepare for our trip to Jeju at the end of April. we're going to hike the mountain there for four days...all of us. all the teachers and 250 students.

i will climb this mountain.

jeju. be jealous.

outside of school, well, there's more school. i'm enrolled in two online classes at Covenant. one "apologetics and outreach" and "old testament history and theology." both have been fascinating and have taught me a lot. it feels good to be back in school and learning the things i love to learn and flourishing the gifts God has given me. but its definitely busy.

when i'm not working my 50 hour weeks and doing homework, i've been enjoying the pleasant company of my korean and fellow foreigner friends. the time with them can range from having coffee to visiting trick eye museums and coffee shops with sheep. its a good time. i also just started meeting with some people and a korean pastor for a bi weekly informal bible study.

when that all isnt going on, well, i love to spend my alone time hiking the mountain behind my house, reading, and skyping with people as best i can.

of course, intertwined in all of this God is growing david and i's long distance relationship. its been almost 8 months since we'd decided to do this thing. i don't regret a single minute. it hasn't come without hardships and trials. the distance sucks. but its been a beautiful thing to watch both of us growing independently and with each other even though separate. its a part of my life i constantly still cannot believe is mine and real. its too good to be true...except it is true.

those of you reading this who have a relationship with jesus, please keep me in your prayers with all of this. on the surface it may appear that i have the greatest life...i'm not gonna lie...i kinda believe i do. but its not without hard times and it gets very lonely without my dear ones beside me.

being the only foreigner a majority of the time can be exhausting on so many levels. these days, i've found myself experiencing 'culture shock' again. my heart is critical towards these people i am called to love and i'm constantly fighting becoming easily frustrated and irritable on and off the job. i know its a common thing to experience, but i feel really guilty about it and want to get over it fast.

spiritually, God has been teaching me a lot about trust and belief. it is humbling to see yourself asking those you teach to do what you can't. i want to trust and believe what i do not see and what i can't logically control and fit in my analytical box. i'm also struggling with my life long need for perfection. its a terrible sin, i have not yet confessed and repented of. so here i am now, in public, to everyone and obviously before the Lord. i no longer want the burden of perfection on my shoulders. i want to be set free. i'm sorry because in many ways i've burdened so many in my life because of this sin and have kept my guard and distance because of it or worse, i've expected it from others. i want to be free from it and rid of this for good. i know it won't happen completely 100% instantaneously, but i know from this moment it can and will change because the Holy Spirit is that powerful. if perfection is what i aim for jesus didn't die, and that is a terrible offense to what i claim to believe.

ok, well there's my update on the last couple of months overall. here's my last weeks adventures. enjoy.

on one of our mid day walks at school. that's a lot of students.

easter sunday with the dyes. cuddle time with shauna.

the treasures of the easter egg hunt.

a day off of school that involves a cafe with hand drip coffee and sheep.

and the 'trick eye' museum.

and today. a beautiful day to walk around banpo park.

the pictures i didn't take were of gloria and i grading quizzes on a friday night, and our wonderful brunch for bible study at jacob's house. also, my neighbor cecilie went out last night for fries at a 'baby guiness' pub right by our house. unfortunately, i've felt sick all day so i'm not sure they set well....

cheers and enjoy,
lauren

song of the week: "sorrow" by flyleaf
verse: "john 8:31-32 "if you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will se you free."
abide: continuing obedience and trust shows true discipleship. by this you will know truth: by continuing to believe and obey his words which frees from sin.