Philadelphia Biblical University

I tried to write a post the other night. I fell asleep as I was writing it. And I thought things like that only happened during the school year! Guess again...but this was more out of relaxation than weariness. Big grin.

Well, being home has been interesting. I love the lifestyle of summer...the fact that my brain is given freedom to roam wherever it chooses, the ability to spend lots of time in God's beautiful creation, the time to spend with friends without too much stress, the extra time to sleep. It has been a different transition this year, weird to come home since a bigger part of my heart was left with the people of PBU, but at the same time, we as humans are remarkably good at making adjustments. And I find myself content and relieved to be home with my high school friends, church, and family.

I have spent a few days back at school working with Admissions, preparing for next year. It has been nice because I have been able to spend time with PBU friends that are working as well or taking summer classes. Last night I stayed with my friend Meghan and sat in on a World Civilizations class which was a blessing...I miss learning already.

Last week, I journeyed to visit Betsy, my roommate, at her home. She lives on a farm, and we spent quite a bit of time walking around and enjoying the scenery.

There is a singer named Eliot Morris says the following: "My world was caving in, so I thought I'd take things out...side." The song is entitled "This Colorful World." And while the song may seem a little cheeky, I can completely identify with the the desire to revel in nature. So I will post a few pictures that I have taken since school ended of some of the stunning things God has done.

Enjoy!

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Posted by Kristin at 11:31 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

It was over chorale tour last year that I decided I absolutely had to stick with it. There is something incredible about the experience of spending a week together with people you usually do not spend time with, carting around to places you haven’t been before, staying with people you do not know, and laughing, living, and singing together.

This year we went up to New England. We started in New Jersey, then hit Connecticut. We also spent a few hours in Boston before heading up to Maine. While in Maine, we were able to spend and evening at a place called Shiloh as a group and we spent the night playing games (including Ultimate Frisbee and Balderdash). From there, we went to New Hampshire, Vermont, and New York. We concluded our tour at my own home church, which was such a wonderful experience. The entire chorale came to my home for dinner and to relax for a little while.

We sang 13 concerts all in all. We sang at four Christian schools and several churches, many of which were home churches of our own chorale members.

What made this trip spectacular were all the people. Some people may think it is strange to spend an evening with complete strangers. It does seem odd, to be sure, but chorale tour is incredible because it gives faces and families and homes to our fellow Christians around the country. What wonderful hospitality we were shown, what wonderful conversations we shared with our brothers and sisters. At the one home I stayed at in Vermont, our host was college aged and he invited a few of his friends over. We laughed about the concert, then discussed the church and what our role as Christians are in it. We sang together and became quick friends…we may never see each other again, but I know now that I have friends in Vermont.

It was also a great opportunity to get to know other chorale members better. I love sitting on the bus, talking with friends and learning more about what makes them who they are; what they are struggling with or what they are joyous about. We laughed a lot, whether it was playing games, teasing each other, or reminiscing.

Here were some distinct highlights of the trip for me:

The beautiful New England scenery.
Sharing my heart with my friends and allowing them to share with me.
Meeting the host families and chatting with them.
Singing at the church in Maine and having the music literally resonate in the building.
Walking around Boston and watching Italian men playing Bocce ball for a bottle of wine.
Playing Frisbee in the dark at Shiloh Chapel with the stars hanging overhead.
Our “Love Feast” before our final concert (we shared words of encouragement with each other).

What a blessing. Truly. And I only hope that we blessed our listeners as much as they blessed us.

"Bowling" in the bus with an orange and juice.