WOW Gabe...that is soo exciting! I always thought it'd be cool to have twins!
Any word yet Gabe on your job prospect? Make sure and keep your cyber-friends informed!

Wanna know something cool? I've been given the privilege to co-lead our college ministry this summer at my church. The guy doing it is taking a break for part of the summer and I'm so excited! Now I'll get some good middle school and college time. AND, I found my first accountability partner out here in our new worship leader for the group. That is a big answer to prayer and am so excited to get into some deeper relationships!
Well...peace!

Anyone reading anything cool/interesting/stupid/provocative/deep/life-changing/boring/powerful? Um...I hope most people can say yes to that question but it would be cool to hear about it since our lives don't seem to be making this blog page very frequently!

Hey evrybody,
I wanted to write and make an announcement. You may all know that My wife and I are expecting a baby. However, that is not the full story. We went to get our first ultra-sound and were pleasantly surprised to find there were two babies in the oven. Unbelieveable!!!

What's up my doggs...
I'm glad to see that the 'musings from crown alumni' has been getting some much deserved love. I'm returning to ramble...isn't that kind of what you do on these things? I'm back in Salem, Oregon. Life is nice out here...God has made it comfortingly evident that this is home for the time being. He has really seemed to have gone before me and ordained experiences and encounters and stuff. It is a new/weird feeling and that doesn't mean things are always sweet...BUT...I just have this feeling of, WOW, God just totally orchestrated that, or, wow...I could never have arranged that. So that is a cool feeling.

I spoke this morning for my first time to our middle-schoolers. It was the end of our first guys retreat/youth church and the subject was on purity. Personally, as I'm sure many of you know, I'd really rather talk about any other subject in the world than purity. It was hard...but I believe God used me as I revisited some painful/stupid memories where I have dropped the ball. It was encouraging to see how Christ can use our weak areas and poor history to accomplish the exact opposite in the lives who listen.

I got to go to lunch with Nick and Michelle Stumbo today. Do any of ya'll remember them? My senior pastor is Nick's uncle and that was the connection...it was nice to see a Crown College Alumni sticker in a car this many miles west of where it all began for this group of friends.
Thinking of ya'll...and you should write more!

alright, well i'm just tryin this blog-thing out, seems like a good idea. so the reality of the real world set in as i got into my car this morning and realized that my cd player was gone and everything was emptied out of the glove compartment...this apartment complex doesn't seem quite as nice but at least they left my checkbook and everything else...not much else new here...peace out

Graduation has yet to hit me, and I will most likely not fully feel the effects of being removed from what has been my normal life for the past four years until this fall when we all do not return. But enough about graduation...I am out here in Illinois proudly representing Crown on LifeVoice tour and having a marvelous time doing so. It is interesting that it is not until now (that I have graduated and in a sense taken a step back from the Crown scene) that I can genuinely and whole-heartedly recommend Crown to the prospective students I meet. Why would I refuse to do so while I was still a student? Perhaps I was too close to everything to be able to really see what I was in the midst of. It is like looking at a painting too close up to appreciate the beauty of it as a whole when you step back and see the whole picture. I definitely do not feel as though I can see the whole picture quite yet, but at least I have been able to step back enough to appreciate a small portion of it thus far.

This is a great idea Lynnea! I am still stuck on Crown time, and can't seem to sleep- oh well. I hope that everyone has a great first week off of the covenant :). I am so excited that we all have a way to keep in contact. Like Kurbis said, don't forget to post the big stuff-especially any prayer requests! We can still be a community away from Crown that can support our brothers and sisters in prayer. This isn't Crown, but maybe it will help me hold on to it for a little while longer. God Bless everyone!

So, being at home is interesting already. Im bored tonite because everyone is busy or works. I took a tour around crown before i left today...it was kind of hard. harder than i thought. I like this board idea. we should just post whatever but we should be sure to share the big things that happen. regardless of how long it lasts it is a very noble attempt.

kurbis

I'm in. I have nothing to say right now though.

Thank you Lynnea. Way to go on getting this up and running so quickly. I'm very excited about our experimental attempt at continued community. I've never been a part of a blog and I'm excited to lose my bloginity. Um...yeah...I'm sorry about that last comment... So...moving on from here...Miller put it well...can't hold on tight- to what was, good as it was--but must open the hand to receive what God has for us in the days to come. Well said Miller...thanks for representing us! I look forward to hearing ya'lls musings...do participate!

Hello Crown Grads!

During a discussion with Josh Mann at graduation today, we tossed around the idea of starting a website at which we and our fellow Crown friends could post to regularly in order to keep each other updated on our lives. Well, here it is! This website is dedicated solely to those who would like to participate in an experimental way to keep in touch. Forget mass e-mails, from now on you can just go to this website and see what people are doing with their lives! Those participating can type a few lines whenever they have news or just a funny story to share. It will be a great way to continue the community we have developed over the last four years. You should have received an e-mail explaining how you can register to post on the site (it is easy, please just take the few minutes to do it), and if you did not receive the e-mail, please let me know at banayaf[at]juno[dot]com, and I will send it to you. You can also e-mail me with questions or to have your personal blogger listed in the links section. Please give this a try!

Current Ex-Crownie Addresses:

(please e-mail me with 1. Your current address 2. Estimated time that you will be at that address. Thank you! ericksol@crown.edu)

J. Braband
P.O Box 689
Goodhue Mn 55027
(until she is aware of where she will live in CO)

M. Donelson
Hunan Normal University
Foreign Language College of Hunan Normal University
Hunan Jiaoyu
Changsha, Hunan Province
410081
(until September)

A. Ebling
42 Roosevelt Dr.
Trumbull, CT 06611
(until further notice)

L. Erickson
2950 West County Road E
St. Anthony, MN 55421
(until Aug. 14th 2004)

L. Erickson
15481 Michele Lane
Eden Prairie, MN
(until further notice after Aug. 14th 2004)

S. Hubka
4859 Alex Lane #5
Missoula, MT 59803
(until July 2005)

B. Kurbis
2801 E 120th Ave Apt F312
Thornton CO 80233

T. Malone
7614 Briggs ST. Apt 4
Omaha NE 68124
(until furhter notice)

J. Mann
2184 Juneau Ct. S
Salem, OR 97302
(until further notice)

G. Norton
14484 Glazier Way
Apple Valley, MN 55124

B. Rettler
2801 E 120th Ave Apt F312
Thornton CO 80233
(until further notice)

A. Wakefield
3416 E. Kimberly Rd. Apt. 87
Davenport, IA 52807
(through the summer)