Week Thirteen and Counting!

Greetings, all you lovely ladies of Flex 45. Can you believe that Graduation is just around the corner? I am writing to you all from my balcony. I kicked off my shoes and I'm watching the sun sink down over the water, casting all those brilliant pinks and reds over the ocean. Don't we live in a beautiful place? I am so grateful for our apartment this year- for my roommates, our fabulous ocean view, and for each and every one of you. I am feeling a little sentimental as I think about leaving PLNU behind and moving into the next phase of life.

I wanted to share something with you this week that I've kept in my Bible since last summer. Our Summer Ministry Team came up with a "contract" that we all signed before we left for our tour. It included biblical guidelines that we committed to living by for the summer. George Williamson printed out copies for each of us, but he added this to the back of each one:

DYING TO SELF

When you are forgotten, or neglected, or purposely set at naught, and you don't sting and hurt with the insult or the oversight, but your heart is happy, being counted worthy to suffer for Christ.

THAT IS DYING TO SELF

When your good is evil spoken of, when your wishes are crossed, your advice disregarded, your opinions ridiculed, and you refuse to let anger rise in your heart, or even defend yourself, but take in all in patient, loving silence.

THAT IS DYING TO SELF

When you lovingly and patiently bear any disorder, any irregularity, any impunctuality, or any annoyance; when you stand face-to- face with waste, folly, extravagance, spiritual insensibility-and endure it as Jesus endured.

THAT IS DYING TO SELF

When you are content with any food, any offering, any climate, any society, any raiment, any interruption by the will of God.

THAT IS DYING TO SELF

When you never care to refer to yourself in conversation, or to record your own good works, or itch after commendations, when you can truly love to be unknown.

THAT IS DYING TO SELF

When you can see your brother prosper and have his needs met and can honestly rejoice with him in spirit and feel no envy, nor question God, while your own needs are far greater and in desperate circumstances.

THAT IS DYING TO SELF

When you can receive correction and reproof from one of less stature than yourself and can humbly submit inwardly as well as outwardly, finding no rebellion or resentment rising up within your heart.

THAT IS DYING TO SELF

I have never been more challenged than I was by those words. Throughout the summer, I reflected on that passage, and I still strive to enfold those standards into my life. Let me encourage you to do the same. Know that I love you all, I pray for you by name each week, and I am always here for you. Have a wonderful week! love, Crystal

"That I may know Him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death." Phil.3:10

"The Best Advice I Could Give You"

Those of you who have been joining me for our Women's Forum already know what a wonderful time we have had learning from the faculty and staff each week. This last week's theme was "Life After Loma." We heard from several faculty members, including Dr. Lindsey Lupo, a Poli Sci professor. When asked, "What is the best advice you could give the young women sitting in this room about life after graduation?" she pulled out a sheet of paper. She had asked this question to her five closest friends. Here is what they said:

Kenna - go get the most intensive, hardest, gnarliest (as said in the surf industry) experience you can with your first job. For instance, starting out at an agency (for marketing) is the best training there is. You work hard and get paid hardly anything. But when it came time for me to interview at an outside company, they knew that I had the right training and I stood out above the rest. Luckily I fell into this path, but had I not, I might be marketing consumer electronics right now.

Ninia - I wish someone had told me to get roommates after college to spread out your money. I wish someone had told me to look at the industry as carefully as I was looking at the job. I wish someone had told me that it would be the hardest year of my life.

Shealan - I wish that someone would have told me not to be afraid to take the leap into the larger world (whatever that meant). I wish I would have gone farther away from home, I wish I would have taken more risk and I wish I knew that home was always a great safety net but I would never have known that unless I had gone further away.

Jeannie - Use every resource available... People in your network and out. Using connections is imperative and definitely not a sign of weakness(which I thought at the time I graduated). Your network is what gets you in the door, after that you create your successes/failures on you own... I figured this out eventually- after graduating, I knew that I wanted to get into pharmaceutical sales. After exhausting every recruiter & website, I gave in and contacted the dad of a friend of mine from high school. He told me to check back with him after I had gotten some sales experience... He turned out to be the key reason why was hired with Pfizer, helped me lateral back to Portland from San Jose and eventually hired me into my
first promotion.

Monica - The truth is, a college grad knows so very little. Wisdom is attained over time and experience...get some! After college, the world becomes one great big opportunity...and it should be treated as such. Remember that there is time to travel before locking into the next phase of academia of adulthood...possibly work abroad. Consider grad school, but realize how much more an applicant will have to offer after giving the real world a run. All experiences build character...it's a fact!

This Thursday is our 2nd All-Flex Spa Night!

Come to the Flex Lounge starting at 7:30 for some healthy (and some not-so-healthy) snacks, sign up for a five-minute massage from Brita, soak your tired feet in a foot bath, and read about how to live a healthy lifestyle.
Marte, RA for building 48, will be setting up a prayer and meditation room.
We would LOVE to see you. Take a study break and come visit us!

Recipe of the Week!

Shortcut Pumpkin Muffins
My brilliant roommate, Katie Schostag, is the contributor of this fabulous recipe!

Ingredients:

• 1 box spice cake mix
• 1 small (8 oz) can pumpkin

Procedure:
Heat oven to 350. Stir together cake mix and pumpkin in a large bowl. In a muffin tin, put baking papers (those crinkly cup things) in each cup and spoon in mix until each is about half full. Bake for 12-15 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into one comes out clean. Serve and impress your roomies!!!!