Lynda asked, “Which family member made the greatest impact on your life and why?”
Hard question. I debated about whether to choose my mom or my dad. I love my dad, he and I share many of the same interests (math, science, weather, sports, dry humor). My greatest memory of him was when I was about 10 and my dad, brother, and I were in our garage looking out on a storm. He pointed to a spot in the storm and said, “That’s where a funnel is going to start coming down.” Sure enough, it did, and that’s when he finally answered my mom’s cries for us to get back in the house! I get teary eyed when I talk about my dad. Maybe it’s the father/daughter connection, or maybe it’s his strong, yet quiet character.

But my mom has also had a great impact on my life. She stayed home with us when we were little and then and every summer thereafter (she was a teacher, so she had the summers off with us) she would constantly be teaching us and disciplining us to study hard. I would sometimes hate the flashcards, workbooks, required music practice, and chores at the time, but I know that because of them I have the discipline for my studies that I have today. I’m quick at math, because I did those flashcards and mad minutes. I’m quick at typing because of the hours spent on the typing program on the computer. I’m full of lots of fun facts because of all the fun fieldtrips we went on together and the books (and books and books!) we read together. I guess I have to attribute my love of reading to her too, as she read to us every night and took us to the library every week in the summer so we could grab another stack of books. I’m organized and neat, because I was raised that way (though I might be anyway, it is definitely a trait I share with my mom, along with our strong sense of leadership and stubbornness, which lead to a lot of butting heads through the years!).

So, as you can see, I’m not choosing one or the other. I’ll just choose both. =)

Amanda asked, “Where do you see yourself twenty years from now?”
At first I thought this was a harder question than the standard 5-year version. Then I realized it’s easier to see where I want to be that far down the road without having to worry about all the steps that I’ll have to take to get there.

In twenty years, I hope to be long-settled with a husband and a houseful of kids (though my standard provoking answer is 8, I think 5 is a good number). Hopefully some of them will be adopted, too. Whether we’re living somewhere here in the states or somewhere overseas, I have no idea. I would be okay with either. I hope I’m still involved with the children’s ministry with whatever church I’m at then (though I’d love it to be my church now, teaching the children of the children I have now!).

Erin asked, “What’s your take on Matthew 28 and the Great Commission? Who does this apply to? To what degree should it dictate the way we live our lives?”
Well, they are last recorded words of our Savior before He ascended to heaven, so they do seem pretty important. They apply to all followers of Christ, from those that were gathered around him to those of us today. I don’t necessarily think that this is THE command that we should use as a ruler to determine the activity of our lives (that would be the two greatest commands: Love the Lord Your God with all your heart, soul, and mind, and to love your neighbor as yourself) but it’s a big part of our calling as Christians. Wherever we go, we are to be making disciples and teaching them about Jesus Christ. And I don’t think that we should limit that to those we simply come in contact with (though those people are important!) but we should be involved with making disciples of all the nations (by going, sending, praying, and/or supporting).

And as a late edition to this post (and not so serious or hard), the newly engaged Miss Wisabus asked, “What was your first impression upon arriving at OU?”
I was super, super excited. I just knew that college was going to be great (and it was). Somehow, I thought that greatness was going to start on the first day. Boy, was I wrong. When my dad and brother rolled away early in the afternoon of that first day, I didn’t know a single soul in at least a 100 miles. L.O.N.E.L.Y. Then my roommate came in. Finally someone I could talk to! A friend! She had rushed and was from a Tulsa high school, so she already had a ton of friends. Though she clearly didn’t need another friend she was super friendly towards me and invited me to the frat party that was that night. I was too much of a chicken to admit that I didn’t want to drink and party, so I made something up about being sick or tired. Turns out, I was to meet my first real friends the next day (Kari and Kara) when they invited me to the BSU for pizza. Pizza and bowling…that’s the kind of partying I like! I know I met your soon-to-be-hubby in that first week, too.

She also asked, “What class did you learn the most in during college (or seminary)?”
My intro to biblical counseling class. Blew me away. For a crash course in what we learn, read Paul Tripp’s Instruments in a Redeemer’s Hands. This class totally changed how I viewed sin and sanctification. I’m sure I learned a lot in my college classes too, but nothing that had this kind of impact on how I live my life.

And then she tests me, “Do you remember the first time we met? You don’t have to answer this one because I’m just going to say. I remember that Heather had started meeting with you bright and early (one morning a week, I believe) and how she’d always wake me up whenever she was leaving (light sleeper). One morning I went down there and got some breakfast and we met!”
I remember that, but I thought I had already met you before. I remember going by your room with Dana to visit Heather and meeting you. I remember thinking you were incredibly shy and difficult to crack! Later I realized that’s probably not the case, you just were a little overwhelmed by the stunning upperclassmen that deigned to visit you. Okay, so maybe that’s not it, either.