Facing the Future

Have you ever cliff jumped? Or bridge jumped? I have recently become a bridge jumper. What that entails is a group of students go to this bridge on the Greenbelt here in Boise and we jump into the water from about 20-25 feet in the air. For someone who has a really difficult time with heights this is thrilling, terrifying, and humbling all at the same time. When you make that jump, you know you have no control over what happens from that point on, I mean sure you can cannonball (not recommended) or jump straight in. But either way, you are going to hit the water. It all depends on how you hit the water. I feel that way about life right now.

I have just come back from an incredible adventure, which was thrilling, terrifying, and humbling, and now I am on the brink of another adventure. This May, I plan on finishing my degree at Boise Bible College and moving on in my life towards the mission field. Right now there are plenty of options, whether that is a Master's degree or working off my loans, but I know that jump is coming. I am standing on the side of the bridge trying to brace myself for the inevitable. The thing is though, once I jump, I know I am going to love it. I know that it is going to be the ride of a lifetime and God is going to do even more incredible things in my own heart than during my time at BBC. I guess its just time to take that plunge.

If you don't know this about me, I am a Doctor Who Fan. No, I don't think I have the right to call myself a Whovian (I am not obsessed with the show) but I think I can call myself a fan. The 10th Doctor, David Tenant has a famous line. This line occurs when you know serious stuff is about to go down and the whole story is about to change. 

Allonsy, to go, to run, to do something incredible. That's my interpretation of the word. Its also my interpretation of the world. I am coming to terms with the fact that the most courageous men and women this world has ever known never knew what was going to happen next...but they still jumped from the bridge. 

Allonsy, 

Jacob Bush

Pushing the Boundaries

It's never really the same. This idea that one place is home, that never really applies. There are places where we are more comfortable with than others but home is where you make it. I remember talking with a friend of mine on the Neckar river in Tübingen. We were discussing this concept of home and what it means to be truly home is to be content with where you are at. It doesn't mean you have to always love your home or even that continent, but it does mean that we should be content (Paul kind of hits on this in Philippians). It is a concept that I struggle to grasp more while in the states than when I was in Germany.

Home for me is being surrounded and loved by people the way God intended. That is just the way I am wired, I love people and I love being loved by people. So when I am surrounded by people like that, that place becomes home. For example, if Boise is a nice city and very beautiful and well kept. But if I was not loved by my friends here, I do not think I could consider it home. Right now there are several places I call home.

I have Boise, Idaho and my friends there. The people here have helped me grow and this city has helped me learn in ways that I never thought possible. God really has shown his goodness through the relationships that I have built and it is something that I will never forget. It is home to me.

Then I have Newberg, Oregon. Working in that city has some of my best memories, whether it is from working the fireworks tent during the hottest day of the year or going to a barbecue with wonderful people. The people there are some of my best friends and I don't think I could ever forget them. It is home to me.

Finally, there is Tübingen, Germany. I never thought I could call that city home. But as I grew to know the city and the people there I realized something...I love that city and I love the people there even more. Even though I only had the chance to spend 8 weeks there, I think this city will always hold a little piece of my heart. It is home to me.

Home to me is a place where I am loved and I love others (no matter how messed up we all are) and let God work through that. This idea of being content in whatever situation comes our way is really resonating with me and I think that by letting ourselves redefine what home means, we grow through that.