Bethany G. Davis

I have been blessed. Received my diploma this morning.

Fri, 25 May 2012 13:05:29 -0400

I have been blessed. Received my diploma this morning.

"And the Lord answered me: “Write the vision; make it plain on tablets, so he may run who reads..."

Thu, 24 May 2012 23:17:00 -0400

“And the Lord answered me: “Write the vision; make it plain on tablets, so he may run who reads it. For still the vision awaits its appointed time; it hastens to the end—it will not lie. If it seems slow, wait for it; it will surely come; it will not delay. Behold, his soul is puffed up; it is not upright within him, but the righteous shall live by his faith.””

- Habakkuk 2:2–4 (ESV)

"Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but..."

Mon, 21 May 2012 13:38:00 -0400

“Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words. And he who searches hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.”

- Romans 8:26–27 (ESV)

Pachel

Mon, 21 May 2012 00:35:35 -0400

(My dear sister, Rachel Mercy Davis, asked me to write her a letter for a project for her yearbook class. I decided to make it public.)

At some point in life, everyone gets annoyed by their siblings, I think. As one of six children, I should know. Apparently, my parents are quite talented in the area of procreation — adhering strictly to a boy-girl-boy-girl-boy-girl pattern.

Growing up, Rachel bothered me significantly more than any of my other siblings did. I’m No. 2, and she’s No. 4. Perhaps I can assign some of the blame for our disagreements to the age gap. When I was 10, she was a crazy six-year-old. When I was a freshman in high school, she was an obnoxious fifth-grader. Somehow, she managed to push each and every one of my buttons on a regular basis. She left messes and, worse yet, took my belongings. I believed she was truly the most annoying person on the face of the planet.

Unfortunately, the transition years are a bit of a blur. At one point, we decided to make a truce and officially declared that we would get along. And for the most part, we have gotten along since that point. Likewise, I don’t remember how exactly it happened, but I renamed her Pachel. When asked why, I respond, “Because Rachel is common, and she’s not.” Only my friends and I are allowed to call her Pachel, and I rarely refer to her by any other name.

Pachel’s unique characteristics — the same ones that used to drive me nuts — force me to applaud the Lord’s creativity. (For the record, they still drive me nuts on occasion. Like when she steals my socks. Or leaves a stack of dishes for me to wash.) As each of us has become more self-aware, we’ve gotten to the point where we laugh about our similarities and differences.

I like organization. She likes chaos.
I like plans. She likes spontaneity.
I like consistency. She likes variety.
I like eating entire meals. She likes grazing and snacking.
I like being clothed. She likes wearing just a blanket.

In just a few short months, Pachel will attend my alma mater (that makes me feel old), the majestic Michigan State University, and I couldn’t be more excited for her. While I’m a traditionalist, she’s a dreamer, an idealist. Pachel is a change-the-world type. And I’m sure she’ll do just that.

While cleaning my room, I found my biblical theology notes....

Sun, 20 May 2012 22:55:00 -0400

While cleaning my room, I found my biblical theology notes. Highlight of @KDSummerProject 2011. Thanks, Rieske. (Taken with instagram)

(“What Do I Know of Holy” by Addison Road) “I...

Sat, 19 May 2012 22:40:49 -0400

(“What Do I Know of Holy” by Addison Road)

“I made You promises a thousand times. I tried to from heaven, but I talked the whole time. I think I made You too small. I never feared You at all.”

(Photo credit: Aunt Peggy) Realizing the importance of spending...

Sat, 19 May 2012 10:16:00 -0400

(Photo credit: Aunt Peggy)

Realizing the importance of spending time with family even in the midst of the chaos of MPD. Happy 14th birthday (yesterday) to Audrey May!

We created an actual iPad app!

Fri, 18 May 2012 10:52:37 -0400

We created an actual iPad app!:

"But this I call to mind, and therefore I have hope: The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his..."

Thu, 17 May 2012 23:05:00 -0400

“But this I call to mind, and therefore I have hope: The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. “The Lord is my portion,” says my soul, “therefore I will hope in him.” The Lord is good to those who wait for him, to the soul who seeks him. It is good that one should wait quietly for the salvation of the Lord.”

- Lamentations 3:21–26 (ESV)

I am far from fearless.

Thu, 17 May 2012 00:26:53 -0400

Brevity is vital.

Thu, 17 May 2012 00:26:26 -0400

Learning to be a child

Wed, 16 May 2012 10:44:00 -0400

For the most part, I tend to be a pretty blunt, honest person. I don’t always use this blog to let people in on the rawness of my heart and head, though. Today will be different. This is where I find myself RIGHT NOW.

Between the pages of my Bible are notecards, pictures, and other various flat objects that remind me of certain people. Each object is placed intentionally.

This picture of the Irvings (Brady, Aaron, Lindsey, and Taryn) is located in the middle of Matthew 18. As I was flipping through my Bible this morning, it directed me to that chapter.

At that time the disciples came to Jesus, saying, “Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” And calling to him a child, he put him in the midst of them and said, “Truly, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.

Matthew 18:1–4 (ESV)

I’ve never experienced anything quite like the process of MPD (Ministry Partner Development, a.k.a. finding a support team). Sure, I’ve raised lump sums in order to serve at King’s Domain — which is where I have spent time with the Irvings — but asking for monthly support feels entirely different.

By relying on the Lord to provide through the generosity of His people, I feel like a child. Kids depends entirely on their parents, and I certainly don’t feel independent. I don’t feel like a college graduate. Instead of “getting a real job,” I am asking people to invest in the kingdom of God by supporting me. And that’s humbling!

So this whole process is stretching me, growing me, making me more like Christ. Even though I often convince myself that I should strive for independence, I know the opposite to be true. Dependence on the Lord is the ultimate goal. And in this case, depending on the Lord means trusting that He will provide through His people.

(“Your Hands” by JJ Heller) Thanks, Ashley. I keep...

Wed, 16 May 2012 10:13:00 -0400

(“Your Hands” by JJ Heller)

Thanks, Ashley. I keep listening to it.

FACA 2012

Tue, 15 May 2012 22:18:00 -0400

Today, I had the privilege of addressing my entire high school, along with 100–200 parents, at an academic assembly. Such a humbling opportunity.

Honestly, I work best on deadline. I started playing with a few ideas a little after midnight and scrapped nearly all of them when I got out of bed this morning. So I wrote the speech this morning, slightly inspired by my late-night thoughts. (I had known about the event for a few weeks.)

But yeah, it’s sort of awkward to read something that was written as a speech. If you want to read it, though, go for it.

(Intro by the lovely, talented emcees, Mona Hinamanu and Becca Brunner)

Welcome to FACA 2012, which I’m told stands for “fun, awesome, cool academics.” This assembly didn’t exist when I was in high school, but I think it’s really great. Today is an opportunity to recognize those who have stood out in the classroom — or apparently even in the gym.

I realize I have a rather diverse audience today. Only some of you are glad to be here, and I’m sure you have different reasons. The award recipients are probably excited to be here because there’s not usually a student section cheering for them as they circle their final answer on a test as the class period comes to an end. Not quite as exciting as a typical buzzer beater. And I’m guessing some of you in the bleachers are excited about this assembly as well. Maybe you really do think academics are fun, awesome, and cool. Or maybe you’re just stoked about missing your fourth hour class. I can’t blame you. And then there are those of you who are annoyed that you have to be here. And let me say one thing before you check out completely. You’re allowed to be annoyed by this assembly. Go ahead. Be annoyed. But please, have a good reason. It’s amazing how much respect you can earn by simply having well-supported opinions, regardless of what they are.

Anyway. I’m a nerd. If you couldn’t figure that out from my bio, you should probably ask Mrs. Walsh or one of the other English teachers for some comprehension tips. I spent all four years of college working at the Computer Store on campus, and I loved it. My last day of work was a few weeks ago, and when my manager heard I was going to graduate with a 4.0, he informed me that he was acting as the academic advisor for his son, who will be attending college in the fall. So he got out a pen and paper and began interrogating me. How many hours did I spend on homework each night? How many hours of sleep did I average? What other advice could I offer? I tried my best to answer his rapid-fire questions, though I’m not entirely sure I was helpful.

Regardless, I gave my boss two tips for his son. And now you’re going to be subjected to hearing me talk about them. Lucky you!

No. 1: Go to class. And No. 2: take notes with a pen or pencil.

Now those pieces of advice might not seem applicable to high school, and I would agree that on the surface, they’re not. But I think there’s something important to be learned from each of them.

So let’s talk about going to class. The underlying issue there is motivation. In college, I promise going to class will be much more difficult since your parents don’t receive an automated voice message for each of your absences. Every day, you will make a decision to either go to class or not. And it’s YOUR decision. That’s the reality of life, even now in high school. Think about it. Your parents might be able to physically drag you to school, so maybe they can force you to go to class. But they can’t take tests in your place. They can’t dissect a frog in biology class for you. They can’t swim laps in Hursey’s Intro to PE class. And they certainly can’t force you to learn.

Let me interject with point No. 2 because this is where they begin to overlap. Quick refresher for those of you with short attention spans. The second piece of advice I gave my boss is to take notes with a pen or pencil. On actual paper. Because while computers and iPads are great, the potential for distraction is so much higher!

Students, if you don’t mind, please raise your hand if you have a cell phone. And keep your hand up if you have your cell phone with you right now. Teachers, if you would, please close your eyes. Last question. How many of you have used your phone in the past three minutes while I’ve been talking?

Thank you. You can put your hands down.

I’m a tweeting machine. When I checked this morning, I had 6,191 tweets. Higgs even tweeted at me to ask if I would speak at this assembly. Believe me, I understand the desire to be connected to the rest of the world via technology. Let me remind you that I’m only a few years older than you.

Here’s the issue: As great as technology can be, it often distracts us from our physical reality. So often, we’ll sit silently with our friends while texting and playing games with people miles away. I’m not saying that’s necessarily a bad thing. Bejeweled Blitz and Scramble with Friends are my current favorites. But be careful. If you’re more concerned about increasing your kill-to-death ratio in Modern Warfare 3 or catching up on the latest witty remarks by Condescending Wonka than about the people in the same room as you, your relationships will quickly become shallow.

So here’s what I really want to say to you: Sit still for two seconds and think. Self-awareness is SO important. Ask yourself who you are and what you love to do. And try talking to your friends about things that truly matter. Strive to be fully present during every conversation. The world won’t end if someone else has to wait for a reply to a text.

I’m a pretty reflective person. I like to think about my life. For me, school was a priority, and I love to learn, so pushing myself in school came naturally. That’s not true for everyone here. But whatever you want to do — whether starting a band or owning a business — there’s an incredibly high chance that it requires the same work ethic necessary for succeeding in high school. And it’s pretty likely you’ll need a diploma, too.

So sure, attending high school is not optional, but each of you has the opportunity to make of it what you want.

Weddings are fun! Really great to reunite with Cru friends at...

Sat, 12 May 2012 18:54:58 -0400

Weddings are fun! Really great to reunite with Cru friends at the Schultz wedding.

Senior in college, senior in elementary school.

Fri, 11 May 2012 20:41:57 -0400

Senior in college, senior in elementary school.

What an end to my college career. Yeah, I graduated on Friday,...

Thu, 10 May 2012 23:26:39 -0400

Meagan, Cheryl, Alanna, and me

Cheryl looks like a criminal.

Heading to the CAS roof

Why would the J-School approve this?

The anticlimactic, yet glorious, ending

What an end to my college career. Yeah, I graduated on Friday, but today was the real finale. My independent study group spent 11 hours at Communication Arts and Sciences to finish and submit the iPad app we’ve worked on all semester. Such a burden lifted.

Lots of food, Scramble with Friends, this, and Instagram-ing took place.

Oh, and we climbed out a window onto the roof.

Very grateful to have finished college with these wonderful people.

She might kill me, but I don’t care. She’s super...

Tue, 08 May 2012 00:05:00 -0400

She might kill me, but I don’t care. She’s super talented, and I want to share this!

This is my amazing friend singing “Amazing Grace (My Chains Are Gone).”

Ladies and gentlemen, Christa Lachell.

Transitioning

Mon, 07 May 2012 09:57:13 -0400

It’s Monday morning, and I don’t have to go to class. Not the weirdest thing in the world, but knowing that I don’t have class next Monday or the next or the next is bizarre.

You would think I would be used to summer by now. And it’s not that. I have spent nearly the entirety of the past three summers at King’s Domain. I have not had a “normal” summer in years. And now I’m home, yet not actually free to do whatever I want because I need to raise support.

Not complaining at all. Simply curious as to how all of this will play out.

Today, my dad and I joined team iPhone. Hoping the Lord can...

Sun, 06 May 2012 15:31:00 -0400

Today, my dad and I joined team iPhone. Hoping the Lord can redeem this technology!