yup- the boys won. good times. 

hott stuff! the girls team for turbo cranium. yeah, we lost, but made a pretty good come back. watch out next time boys! 

H E Double hocky sticks

so today i was just sitting around thinking. my roomie went tanning the other day and got absolutly scorched. i feel so bad for her. being a red head i know how it feels to get burnt- it's so painful. every move hurts. and even little burns from like touching a stove or oven hurt incrediblty bad.

don't know why, but that got me thinking about hell. if a sunburn or minor cooking burn hurts that much, how horrible would it be to be engulfed in the flames of hell. there is no escape. not aloe. no burn ointment. no water. no lotion....just heat and flames and burn! i can't imagine. your whole body would be in agony. wow.....i don't think i realize how real and how horendous hell would be like. i just can't get my mind around it. i think that if i did realize how atrocious it was going to be, i would be out telling everyone about Jesus and witnessing left and right. in general as Christian, i just don't think we get it. Hell is real. people will be going there. and yet i sit in my comfortable Christian bubble, not paying any attention to that. and hell is more than just fire and burning... it so much worse. i complain about having a sun burn, and yet there are people all around me who are on there way to somewhere so much worse, unless i take a stand and tell them about Jesus.

sorry- this is kind of heavy. it's just been on my mind. i don't want people to get saved as "fire insurance" but at the same time, hell is not made up. sure we don't like to think about it, or talk about it and it's not a fun topic, but that doesn't make it any less real. i think it's time as Christians, or at least for me, to stop beating around the bush. to stop making excuses and realize that there are some people who i care about that i don't know for sure where they would go when they die. i don't want them to die w/o me knowing,and them knowing, for sure that they're going to heaven. the guilt of knowing i could have done something to change their destiny, but didn't, would be unbearable.

weekend wackiness

so this past weekend was a lot of fun. it really was. it started off friday night with an amazing italian dinner made by kim. yummy! then bethany and i met up with brian, dave, bj and andrea and we went and saw "7 brides for 7 brothers." can i just say that it was amazing! wow!! i extremelly enjoyed myself. bethany, dave and i met up with becca, who was in the pit orchestra. she plays the flute and did a great job. anyway we headed over to the student center where we ran into phil and one of dave's friends, joel. so we all got in line and got drinks at mcconn. then we played the most awesome game ever- turbo cranium! wow- i haven't laughed that much in a long time. all's i have to say is "t" and "honeymoon" and "stipper jumping on a table." sorry- inside jokes. anyway the musical had a "kidnapping" scene and that got bethany into the mood to kidnapp someone. so we decided to kidnap our good friend tony. it took some planning and organization, but we finally found out where he was and acquired a get away vehical (a pimpin' van). by this time emily had joined us, and phil had left, so we still had 6 ppl to pull off the job. and boy did we pull it off. the boys went in and covered tony with a blanket and hauled him out to the van. we covered his eyes and becca, almost single handidly, kept him from escaping. tony is a very squirmy captive. :) anyway we proceeded to dumb him off in a field decked on in a paracel, a huge hat, a blown up shark and a candy cane. he didn't really cooperate though and mangaged to get in the van before we could get away. what adventures! lots of laughs for sure.

then on saturday my family came out to see me! it was so good to spend the day with them. we had a good time getting caught up, eating at baldwin (which never ceases to amaze my dad- he is in awe of how much variety there is!), a wal mart trip (gotta love it when the parents pay), the marion mall, which as always was an adventure. after we got back we took some time to walk around campus and i played tour guide. jeremy (my 16yr old bro) was impressed with our weight room facility. he decided he wanted to be cool and try to max out on bench press. he about managed to heave up 210lb, but couldn't quite do it. anway, we swung by my dorm and picked up emily and kim and all crammed into the car and went to mi pueblos. oh my goodness! they have amazing food! the combination of my family and my friends made for a very fun and laughter filled meal. and then my dad told our waiter that it was my bday was on tuesday. so before i knew it like 5 hispanic guys came out with a dessert and put a sombrero on my head. as they were singing one of them wiped whip cream all over my face. lol. it was a good time. eventually we went to leave and my dad pulled out of the parking lot. we were talking away and then em was like "um...i think this is a one way street...." we looked up to see multiple head lights coming towards us. yup- we were definetly going the wrong way. we all had a good laugh.
back at the dorm, my family came up and hung out in my room. we had a mini bday celebration with cake and singing and of course presents. i got a Friends DVD, a cross necklace and of course money!! more talking and laughter and they left around 7:30, then one of my good guy friends from home who i haven't talked to in forever called. it was really good to talk with him. the evening ended with kim, emily, mackenzie and i playing a hilarioius game called Imagine Iff.

so anyway, today was boring- studying, eating, studying, bible study, group meeting. nothing too exciting... oh yeah! back at home we got a yellow lab puppy today! i was so bummed that i couldn't be there when we got him though :( his name is Charger and my sis says he's super cute. i can't wait to see him. i'll have to wait until easter break though b/c next week is spring break and i'll be in Vermont! yeah buddy!

speaking of cute things- this is my 2nd cousin Simon. he's 2 weeks old now. what a cutie pie! 

more puppy pics. aren't they adorable! 

awww- these are our neighbor's dog's puppies. and we're going to get one!! 

Orange Moments

I used the expression "orange moments" in my last post. i thought that maybe i should explain myself. i am a red/orange head, not a blonde. so the expression "you're such a blonde" or that was a "blonde moment" doesn't work for me. therefore when i do something dumb, i call it an Orange Moment. this term was coined many years ago at a cross country meet. matt, a fellow runner, was wearing a sweatband around his head and written on it was "phil 4:13." i was staring and staring at it, so confused. finally i asked "hey matt, who's phil?"well come to find out it was short for philippians 4:13, one of my favorite verses. hahaha. anyway, when the uncontrollable laughter died done, Matt pronounced that it was ok- i had just had an "orange moment" so from then on when i do something ditzy/dumb, which is quite often, i say i had an orange moment. it works quite well.

just to clarify, if you don't have orange hair you can't have an "orange moment." you can have a "brunette moment, a blonde moment" or whatever colored hair you have, but "orange moments" are purely restricted to red/orange heads.

"When you're the best of friends..."

i just love that fox and the hound song. it warms my heart :) God has blessed me with such a great group of friends. I was so worried coming into college that i wouldn't have anyone. i had a couple of rough high school experiences and my confidence was pretty low because of that. but i shouldn't have worried because i have some of the best friends ever. i feel so comfortable around them and while we have our tense moments, we really do have a great time together. i know that i can go to them for anything and i hope they feel the same way. i have grown so much spiritually and emotionally because of them. i have been freed up to by myself and the person God made me to be. looking back i can see that i have so much more confidence and self esteem than what i did last year. plus i have the bestest roomie a girl could have. i love you emily!! God is so good!

not only has he blessed me with an amazing core group of girl-friends, but also an awesome bible study full of Godly women who want to grow. it is so great to meet once a week and discuss the Bible and pray with each other. we have such a good time together, but also get into a lot of good talks about what we're studying and about life in general. what a blessing they are to me!

and last but not least... not only do i have girls for friends, but for the first time in my life i'm developing some good guy friendships and that is so exciting! i'm kind of uncomfortable around guys due to my lack of experience in dealing with them, but it's slowly getting better and i'm discovering that i just need to be myself. easier said than done, but to all my guy buddies out there, thanks for being there and for taking the time to get to know this crazy red head. :) hanging out with a good group of girls and guys has proven to be a blast and i can't wait to make more memories.

plus i'm beginning to get to know people in the social work program better. that's been a blast. let me just say that you bond really quick marching around the Indy courthouse chanting "2,4,6,8, social workers advicate!!" :) i can't wait until our weekend in chicago to get to know my fellow classmates better.

and then there's Realife, and work, drama 108, and so many other people that i might not be super close to, but i know if i ever needed anything that they would be there.

I'm not trying to brag about how many friends i have or don't have etc. that's not the point. the point is that God is so great and has blessed me so much by putting each of these people in my life. here i thought that i would be a nerd in my room with no friends, but that's not the case. i have "old" friends which i love, but i also love meeting new people and starting new friendships. I love you all and thanks for being there for me and for loving me despite my many "orange" moments.

Yawn

it's saturday morning and i'm here at the library working. there are a whole 4 people here at the moment, which makes me wonder why i really have to be here..... anyway i have a lot of reading to do, but it's so daggone quiet in here i keep falling asleep. seriously- i read like a paragraph and then snooze for a couple of minutes. if you ever walk by the circulation desk and see me dozing off, feel free to wake me up. :) anyway, the library implimented a new policy for its workers this week.due to some vandalizim in the bathrooms, we now have to check the bathrooms every hour. we even have cool signs that we hang on the door that say "bathroom check in progress, temporarily closed" it just makes me laugh. i have to check the guy's bathroom too. i get to pound on the door and then say "security check", which makes me feel really cool, then do some more pounding just to make sure no one's in there before i proceed. i know that one of these times i'm going to come out from checking the guys's bathroom and there's going to be a guy outside waiting to come in and i'm going to feel like a complete idiot. so if you're in the library and see me coming out of the men's bathroom, know that i'm just doing my job and not having promlems reading or gender identity issues.:) well i think that's it for the library gossip. i get off in 5 minutes- yeah!!

LOVE- More Than a Four Letter Word

first of all i'd like to apologize for the previous post. i was tired, frustrated, stressed and needed to vent, but that's no excuse and that was not the Godly or mature way to go about it. so i'm genuinally sorry if it offended anyone. i was not acting in a loving manner, which ironically is what this blog is about.

LOVE- so many definitions, meanings, feelings, conotations. sure i joke around and say "love shmuv" or that it's a "four letter word" but i really don't mean it. it is so much more than that. with valentine's day coming up, love is in the air, and at IWU i mean that literally! but love is so much more than chocolate, flowers, dinner, stuffed animals, and all the other material stuff we do to show love. it's more than your heart beating faster, or the feelings. eventually the flowers will die and the feeling won't be as strong. it is then, that i think you realize if your really love a person. don't get me wrong, those things are all great, and i can't wait until i fall in love, but the concept of love is so hard to grasp. sure i've loved people- my friends, family, pets (moment of silence for floyd.........), but i have never "been in love" with a special someone. but i think that's a good thing.

i don't think i'm ready for that. see, there's a prosses that i believe occurs in order to really love someone with a Godly, unconditional love. first i have to accept God's love for me. i'm not going to lie, that can be hard for me sometimes. i screw up and find it hard to believe that God still loves me and that he forgives me. HIs love is unconditinal and His grace is overflowing, and all too often i don't tap into that love or grace, but instead get down on myself. which leads to my next point:

after i accept God's love, i need to learn to love myself. this by far has been a struggle for me my whole life. it was only this past summer that i really began to work on it and try, as lame as it sounds, to love myself for who God made me. i have so much insecurity and such low self esteem sometimes. satan knows that's one of my weaknesses and boy does he ever try to get me down. some days are better than others, but i definetly have my share of "brown paper bag days"

before i can truely love and care for someone, i need to be able to accept God's love for me, and love myself in return. then, and only then, will i be able to genuinally love and care for others. not the superficial- "how ya doing?" but really have an agape love for everyone, no matter who it is, what they look like or what they've done to me or for me. and i am by no means there. like i said it's a process and with God's help i hope to reach a new level of love for people.

so this Valentine's weekend, i'm sure there will be moments of saddness, but i'm not going to let myself dwell in that or get depressed. God has blessed me with so many things including great friends, and i want to celebrate our friendship and make some awesome memories with them. and each day i want to learn to love God, myself, and others more.

Studying- The Story of My Life

no i have not fallen off the face of the earth, though at times like this it doesn't sound like that bad of an idea.....................................................................................................................................................
..................................... don't worry- i won't really do anything drastic, plus you can't fall off the face of the earth anyway (just a random question- why is it the "face of the earth?" just wondering) anyway, this week has been and will continue to be crazy which is driving me crazy because i don't have time to blog, and there's been so much stuff to write about! so bear with me. i just need to get through friday and then i'll make up for lost time and go on a blog rampage. until then, my tired body and brain are not going to get the rest they need, as i'm off to a group meeting and then back to my lovely room to study until the wee hours of the morning.

dani rupp is my name
studying hard is my game
i have no life and that's a shame

i'm out like a trout, no doubt

Runners: yah-we're different continued

if you want a more clear image of what i'm refering to in this section, read the previous blog. it's kind of long, and pry to most of you quite boring, but it might offer some insight.

life is a marathon, not a sprint. unlike a sprint where you go all out for a short time. yourself for, life is a long race that you have to pace. there are so many parrallels to our life race and running a marathon it's amazing. here are a few i saw:
crazy runners- yup, that'd be me. i want people to say that about me spiritually to though. well maybe not that i'm crazy, but that i'm passionate and willing to do "crazy" things to follow Jesus and to be in His will.
Clothes rubbing- sometimes in the race of life people are going to rub you the wrong way and you're going to have to smooth things out
GU- those inspiring verses or sayings that give you the extra boost to keep going even when it's hard
Crowds cheering- fellow believers encouraging you along the way, letting you know that you're not in the race alone
Water Stations- Jesus and the never ending living water he provides
Wind Blockers- Christians who will go before you in prayer and intercession to block the "wind" of life for you when you're too tired or weak to do it yourself. also symbolizes teammwork and lifting and helping eachother in times of need
Race Position- there are ppl from all walks of life at diff parts of the "race". each one is going through something different. like in the marathon there were times that i was feeling great, but the person right behind me might have been feeling horrible
Course- the course is unknown and sometimes hilly and difficult. you have to trust God to guide you and get you through those tough times. you might not understand why you are at a certain point in the course, but God has it all worked out
Milage- there will be easy miles thata will be effortless. and also hard miles throughout life, but that's when you need to think of the finish and the great reward there.
Feet pounding- sometimes life just gets you down and you get tired of doing the same thing over and over. it's repitious, boring and difficult, but you just have to keep putting one foot in front of the other
Coach- this was my dad. he gave me so much good advice. every Chrisitan should have someone in there life to go to for life's problems
Carbo Loading- memorizing Bible verses so you will always be ready to fight off the enemy or to share your faith
Sacrifices(bathroom stops,time, energy,nasty drinks...)- there will be times when the race is not fun and you have to do some unpleasant things that you don't want to do, but you need to keep persevering b/c it will be worth it in the end
Finish Line- heaven! and boy will there ever be a chorus of cheering when you come running in those gates! it will be a feeling beyond belief. you ran the race. you ran it well and God will be there saying "well done my good and faithful servant" and the rejoicing and singing and fellowship that goes on in heaven will make everything you went through on earth so worth it and the feeling will be indescribable
Sharing post race stories- in heaven we will be able to share our own life "race" stories with eachother and that will be such an amazing time!
Eating at Hard Rock Cafe- instead we will be feasting at God's table and praising Him day and night!

i'm sure that there's more symbolizm, but i'm also sure that you're already bored out of your mind, so i'll let it drop. i think you get the idea though. it doesn't matter the time you finish in or the place or the condition. what matter is that you do finish and give it your all here on earth. life is a marathon- pace yourself, and remember that just like there are bad "miles" there are equally as many good "miles." keep pushing until the end!