So very thankful!

Finally the long awaited thanksgiving holiday and brief break from school arrived. Ah, it is just what I needed. I was exhausted, burnt out, overwhelmed, and simply not doing too well—I just needed to be home with my family! I needed my house, my large and deliciously feathery bed, my precious dogs, my pure mountain water, my warm, glowing fireplace. I just need some time to relax, spend time with the fam and with old friends, and gather my “bearings and headings.” What a blessing!

For all Shipley’s alike, Granma’s legendary butter-horn roles are the staple of every holiday feast. Without them, such a family gathering would not be the same. My uncle said that if the Shipleys were to have a family crest, there at the center of it would a butter-horn roll. They are the best thing that has ever happened to the Shipleys and to me. They are the most delicious, yummiest, most divine creations in all the earth. And I ate like a dozen at thanksgiving dinner .

I must tell you though that there is a lot of laborious work that goes into the aforementioned rolls. I documented the process from the rolling out of the dough, to they final product. It is an important thing to have on record. Course if you want the recipe you will have to beat it out of me! Or marry into the family! Or become my best friend and then I might, might share…To bad for most of you, eh? Haha! But you can just look upon them and wish that you could have one….muwahaha!

Invisible Children

Well, as many of you know, I have been leading a ministry at Westmont that seeks to to use our God-given time, talent, connections and resources to raise awareness about and bring an end to the atrocities taking place toward CHILDREN in Northern Uganda. We wish to gain a conviction of the things unseen and speak for those who don't have a voice.

I wanted to share with you the vision of our minsitry and why I am doing what I am doing!

We don’t get it. This isn’t what we set out to do—but it is what we choose. Thousands of children walk dusty streets every night, unknown to the rest of the world, refugees from even their families. The unlucky ones, the one ones who get caught, they live and die by a gun they never consented to.

We live 9,389 miles from this. So why bother? Well, we never want to be the kind of people who get around to believing that we can’t change the world. We are not the heroes. We are kids, limited by our primitive abilities; it is only by Him working through us. We are tired, too—but not like them. We have hope, a hope that is dead if it isn’t shared. A hope that is complete only as it is made known. We act out of the very strength and grace and mercy of Christ Jesus drawing on his promise to do a good work in us—and in this world.

So we claim this corner of the world, this remote Ugandan nightmare, as our Lord’s. We seek redemption, looking to today and to a century from today, and beyond…as we work for those who cannot speak for themselves.

[For more info about what is going on in Uganda, click Click Here]

Hope for a Higher Calling

Hope. Seems like such a simple word, eh? Yet, in the four letters lies an immensity of meaning and significance. It seems as if most everything in my life at this juncture centers around that word. God uses single words to teach me a lesson or to grow me in him. I guess they are my God-words or my life’s theme-words! Some other words? Belong. Beloved. Blessed. Grace. Peace. Joy. Humility. It is amazing how God speaks to me. My finite mind can only process one word at a time. Haha! And even then, I don’t seem to get it fully, and I never will. But I think that is the beauty of life. To see each day, each moment, each word as a way to be bless, be educated and be changed. And then so use each day, each moment, and each word to bless, to educate, and to change others. Oh, what a beautiful and empowering thing!

I find this word hope being woven into every aspect of my life, and it seemingly shows its face in each day. It means being able to find a glimmer of hope in someone, something, and most importantly myself, that I am worthy and am His beloved. It is finding validation and approval in the only being with a pure and perfect love: Jesus Christ. It is fully believing that He who began a good work in us will be faithful to complete it. What a powerful promise we have from our Lord. That no matter how discouraged, unworthy, and insignificant we feel, He will finish the work that He has started in us. It so easy to let the world and others stifle that hope! But the wonderful thing is that it can and will be restored! We can have hope in Christ. And not only that, but we have the power to empower and encourage one another. As my one of my communications professor said, “To commit to pursue the highest in each of us.” Simply, we are Christ’s beloved children and creation. We are the children of the Almighty God! We have a higher calling in him and in him we have our true identity. Let’s do that for each other and remind each other that we are His beloved; we are his creation; we are His. That is so simple, yet so hard for me to get my mind around. But when I do in even the slightest degree, I am in awe.

So I heard this song today as I was writing this:

Avalon - In A Different Light
Don't cry for me
No, I've never been one to shoulder the weight of the world
'Cause I believe
This is here and it's now, but it's not my home
There's a hope beyond what my eyes can see
And there's a place that He's preparing for me

CHORUS
Nothing's gonna keep us here
We'll go a different way
It'll be all right
From the other side we'll see it clear
On a different day
In a different light

Don't be afraid
Of the twists and the turns of the road that we're on, just
believe
There'll come a day
When our faith turns to sight, and we'll see His face
While we're here the heartache's hard to ignore
So for now, we'll keep our eyes on the Lord

Though for now, we see things dimly
There's a voice that speaks within me
Leading me to a different light
In a different way (in a different way)
In a different light

That is my prayer for me and for you...

Calm Seas Ahead...

You all may be in a deep state of perplexity and wonder about the latter part of the title of my blog: "Bearings and Headings." Alas, I shall remove any confusion from your minds and explain to you why I choose such an enigmatic title.

I was trying to be clever and pun-esque with my title and decided to play off of my last name: Shipley! So I chose nautical terms that have to do with the direction, whereabouts, and such of a sea-faring vessel. Hence, “bearings and headings”…

But, as I thought about it, such a title has more meaning than meets the superficial eye. To me, it signifies my on-going voyage through life. It is beyond my control and is in the hands of the Almighty. Some seasons and days are faced with rain, winds, and tumultuous seas while others are simply blessed with sun, blue sky and glassy seas. Each of which bring me to the realization of my deep need for and dependence on Christ. He is my compass, my charts, my map—he is the one giving me my bearings and headings. Without him I would be lost at sea, awaiting the day when my ship would be enveloped by the waters and come to rest on the ocean floor. Ah, it is such a comfort to know that I am not it this thing we call life alone.

For the last couple of months, I have been trying to figure out my bearings and headings…it is not really working! I am so lost…God has been teaching me to rely on him and allow him to direct my path. Every time that I have let him have control of the wheel, I have been blown away by his providence. He totally hooks me up! Why can’t I just give it all to him? Why do I still want partial control of the ship? It is so hard to just place my cares, my worries, my life at his feet. I want to know what I am doing and when I am doing it. I am such a planner and spontenaity is not exactly in my nature. But I need to trust that God will provide and everything will be okay! I shall endure. I shall make it to the other side of the storm. There are calm seas ahead. Alas, there are calm seas ahead…

Fall Break

After six weeks of a seemingly never-ending torrent of reading assignments, tests, meetings, and lectures, my fall four-day weekend finally came. And, despite opportunities to embark on unknown adventures around california with friends, staying in beautiful Santa Barbara seemed to be a more pleasing and viable option. The thought of a quiet campus, a full night's rest, free time, fall weather, the beach, and time to digest what has happened in the last two months of my life, proved to be enough to quinch my thirst for a break.

Friday night turned out to be a longer night than i had expected...i was in a meeting for about four hours going over each and every detail of "A Community Affiar", an awareness and fundraiser event for children in Uganda that I am helping put on [www.exchangeforlife.org]. Although the meeting was long, we got a lot done and I was amazed by how much the Lord has provided. I got home and hit the sack hard, only to get to wake up at 8am for a prayer walk around the Courthouse Grounds and a volunteer meeting (I am the volunteers co-coordinator. yikes!)

Walking around the courthouse and praying for the event coming up next weekend was quite a powerful experience--to know of God's blessing that he will rain down over the event. I came home just in time for my afternoon nap which lasted to dinner! hehe...and then, played some pong with te Velde and watched a movie with Beth. Ah, what a delight it was to catch up with friends.

Sunday, I went to church in the morning, took my nappy, read a bit and ponged it up some more with te Velde. (Much to my chagrin, I lost again).

Monday consisted of sleeping-in, taking some pics around campus, and doing some homework...

Home for the Weekend!

So last weekend I got to go home for my dear friends Matt and Abby's wedding! It was such a pleasure to be home and a blessing to be able to see them get married. Well, it turns out that I was not going to be able to make it home for the wedding originally, but in a last minute decision to get home, I re-scheduled my test, tied up loose ends with my ministry, booked a train ticket south, found a ride up north, and made it home early Friday morning at 2:30am. Whew! what a trip! I spent friday at home with my mom. We just hung out around the house, I took some pics of my dogs, and then the whole fam went to the big football game at my alma mater, Mammoth High School. It was great to see all my buddies from high school who were home for weekend as well despite the fact that our team was terrible (ouch!).

Saturday was the big day! The wedding was absolutely beautiful. So here's the thing, Abby thought that I was not coming and was super bummed about it...but much to her surprise I showed up. The story: she did not see me at the ceremony (whew), so when she arrived at the reception, Sister sneaked into the house where she and her hubby were waiting to come out, had her close her eyes and wait, and then came and got me. I grabbed Abby's hands and said "Hey Abby!" She opened her eyes and her face just lit up! She gave me a big hug as tears were streaming down her face. She was so blessed that I had made the effort to come to her wedding. That moment is a moment that I will never forget!

I learned something that weekend at home...that no matter what is going on in my life and how little time I have, I need make the effort to be there for my friends when they need me. Just by showing up, you can make someone's day. Bless and be blessed!



On Sunday, I took some pics of my Sis, and then I was able to go to my home church service before driving back down to Santa Barbara in time for volleyball practice and a ministry leader meeting.