Setting Sail: Focus on the Important North Park Univserity

People are always outside yelling and laughing, like they don't ever have homework, responsibilities or have to wake up in the morning.

I don't get it.

I have become.. so focused on God, school and the girls.
I have lost sight of what I feel like has been my biggest ailment these past six years: socializing.
Correction: socializing with the the less focused on God.

It is hard to believe that I had myself convinced I wasn't going to attend college this year.
But I think God gave me those thoughts so I could see how bad of an idea it was.
Sort of playing reverse psychology on me.
And then I prayed about it one night in February and the next day I got home from school and North Park had sent me a whole packet to fill out to apply.
In all reality I thought everyone was going to be mad at me for the change of plans.
Little did I know, the only person who was mad was someone who was a mere phase in my life.
But those solid figures were joyous with me.

And look, I am sitting at North Park University and becoming educated like Jonathan, Matthew and Elizabeth.
It is the trend for siblings to not want to follow their older siblings paths.
Or often feel like they are pushed into that sort of situation.
I want to follow the paths Jonathan, Matthew and Elizabeth have taken.

I want Jonathan's intellect to all aspects of life/studies/music, and his sense of humor.
Matthew's ability to be his own person and care for the nature studies he did in Costa Rica.
Elizabeth's strong faithfulness to God, and un-materialistic attitude towards life.

I wish for those for myself.
The traits of the ultimate person.
And being the youngest, I have a lot to be inspired by.

Today was the ultimate way to spend a Saturday...
Woke up at eight fifteen, ate breakfast.
Came back to my room and grabbed my bag that I packed the night.
Road to Swedish Covenant Hospital to use the ATM, that does not accept checks.
Even though the guy told me they did... ANYWAY!

Then headed down Foster, to Western, to Brewyn, all the way down the Montrose beach.
[That is for you dad, to look-up how I got to Lake Michigan.]
Locked my bike up then watched Erin run her race!
Just after it started and I had watched Erin a bit, the guy from the Communications meeting [Eric] saw me and approached me..
And he gave me a camera to shoot pictures!
So I shot pictures the rest of the race, then the boys race.
I got to see Erin after her race, and met her grandmother, and saw her mom and sister again.
Erin did great, the race was measured wrong so she isn't really sure if it was a good time or not.

So Eric and I rode back together and had a great conversation and he said that he wants to me to take over his position.
And that I can start getting paid too for shooting sporting events. GREAT!
We talked about what kind of photography we like, boring stuff like that.

Got back to campus by 12:30, so I had lunch.
Then Kate [she is the girl on our floor whose roommate moved out on her] and I walked to Payless to return my shoes.
And Erin and I headed to Jewel-Osco around two thirty.
I got Nature Valley granola bars, three boxes for $7! Bananas, finger nail clippers, socks for rowing.
A total of sixteen dollars, a lot more than I wanted to spend.
I need to stop making money an object of such importance.

At four thirty I went over to Eric's house for a planned meeting to brain storm ideas on a fun photo shoot.
And we carried out in an alley on campus.
It was Eric, Beth [his wife], a guy named Robert, Jonathan, and Luke.
If I get pictures I will put it on here, it is just Luke coming out of sewer, then me glaring at the camera in a dark alley...
It was pretty painful to brainstorm ideas because we were all new to each other and unsure of what to do.
Next adventure will be better.
I think the idea is to start a Photography club, so we can get an account and get funding.
Especially for equipment, and we can start entering contests.
Exciting!

Then I got back and I missed dinner, so Brooke made me Ramen Noodles. :)
I read about fifteen chapters of Genesis, then at nine we went downstairs for a whole floor game night!

And now... I am back in my room.

Getting up at 6:30 to go to the cross country photo shoot on the beach with Eric and Luke.
And of course Erin!

Brooke just came in and talked to me about the New Community Covenant Church.
Which I think we are going to try to go to tomorrow.
It is downtown-ish so we will have to take the el.
Website:
http://thenewcom.com/

Gute Nacht!

Hannah Joy.

P.S.

Pictures from Brooke's camera from the roof!