Waiting at the End of the Aisle
Tears came down the eyes of many in the church as the radiant bride walked down the isle. Her pure beauty and evident anticipation to meet her groom flooded out any darkness that lingered on the cold and bitter January night in Wisconsin. The bridegroom waited at the end of the isle, eager and beaming with a childish smile as he anticipated the arrival of his bride. The magnetic love was felt throughout the church as the bride was pulled toward her groom, each step taken with growing excitement. Her final steps toward her groom meant her final steps of life as a single woman. She was seconds away from dying to herself. Both the bride and the groom were prepared to put the wishes of each other above their own as they were about to become one under God. Her veil was lifted as the two joined hands preparing to say their vows, committing to one another until “death do us part.”
The beauty of marriage is not limited to finding “true love” or finding a partner for life, but the beauty is found in its reflection of Christ’s love for the church. Many women look forward to the day that that they walk down the isle to meet their life partners, and many men look forward to the day that they will wait at the end of the isle. What many forget to realize is that there is a bridegroom already waiting for them at the end of the isle. He is the only one that will never leave nor forsake them. He will never abandon them, nor will he let them down. He is jealous for us, he pursues us, and he waits patiently for us to give our hearts for Him.
This bridegroom is patient and kind. He does not envy, he does not boast, and he is not proud. He is not self-seeking, nor is he easily angered. He gives us grace time after time and keeps no record of our mistakes or offenses. He rejoices in nothing but the truth. He is the only person who we can count on to always protect us, and is the only perfect steward of our trust. He will never give up on us and always perseveres in pursuing our hearts. His true and pure love gives us hope that we may be reunited with Him and one day live life to the fullest, free of pain and death, free of longing and heartbreak, and free of disappointment and hurt. We are beings created to long for life beyond what we have for a reason. This longing can only be fulfilled when we choose to meet our perfect bridegroom at the end of the isle and make a commitment to live by the grace of Jesus Christ.
Life is exhausting when we chase about things, being tossed and turn by the twists that life throws at us. We reach and long to find love and fulfillment in anyway that we can…through sex, food, money, and approval. But in the end, it is nothing. In the end, that falsely painted picture of love and material fulfillment is a lie, leaving us with nothing. Even the sacrificial love that we experience in relationships is only a mere reflection of the love that Christ has to offer us. We are not guaranteed a comfortable life. We are not promised life tomorrow. Our loved ones are not promised life tomorrow. But we are promised eternity in heaven if we choose to accept the only pure and stable love available to us, and that is Christ’s overwhelming, mysterious, and most pure love that He showed us on the cross.
The Daniel Plan: A Faith-Based Approach to Fitness
First Week as a FOX Chicago Intern
Initially I thought it would be difficult to arrive at work at the crack of dawn, but the energy at FOX during Good Morning Chicago makes it impossible to be tired! Reporters and anchors hustle and bustle about the station with their scripts in one hand and coffee cup in another, while editors and producers crank out any final details of their work. On busy mornings, especially those during which controversial topics are aired, the phone seems to constantly ring off the hook while viewers call to voice their feedback. Every time I have been in the station, I feel like a sponge absorbing information. It’s all new and exciting! I’ve been immersed into a new culture and have been given the opportunity to learn a whole new language…because let me tell you; the TV industry speaks a language of their own!
My biggest challenge as an intern upon entry to the station is deciding which opportunity to seize! Many times my supervisor assigns me a task, whether it’s helping the investigative producer find guests for the morning show, observing an editorial meeting, or going on an assignment with a reporter and camera crew. Some days, however, my tasks are up to me to decide! I have spent a couple hours watching the editors work, learning to master the language of the run-downs for the morning show, and digging up old scripts from news anchors to rehearse. I have made an effort to seek out an individual from each and every position type, from a cameraman to an anchor, and pick their mind about what they do!
The learning is not limited to the nuts and bolts of the news industry, but my internship also forces me to be up to date on all the latest current events. Not only do I read about and see everything that’s going on in the news, but I am also given the opportunity to be apart of the news. In just one week at FOX, I have been able to go out on two assignments and meet incredibly unique people.
The past two Mondays, I have shadowed a reporter on an assignment for the 9 pm show and watched how they put their packages together to create both compelling and informative stories.
Last Monday, we covered a story on coyote prevalence during 
mating season, interviewing both an ecological professional and a family whose dog became victim to a coyote attack. The package, created by Lisa Chavarria, teaches families how to protect their pets from the increasing coyote prevalence in the Chicago area.
Just yesterday, I shadowed reporter Craig Wall as he interviewed an
elderly couple returning from the Philippines after experiencing Typhoon Haiyan. Not only was this their first reunion with family after the difficult experience, but also their first time meeting two new members of the family.
USA Ambassador Pageant Recruiting
My Year in Review: The Twists and Turns of 2013
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! I hope everyone reading this had a sweet and blessed Christmas with family and friends. As the New Year of 2014 is almost here, now is a great opportunity to reflect on the last year, and look ahead the new one!
What were some highlights of 2013? I have to say it has been one of the best years of my life! Last year at the turn of the New Year, I was enjoying my time as Miss USA Ambassador, and life as a 20 year-old college student! The USA Ambassador Pageant allowed me to volunteer and speak on my platform wherever and whenever I wanted to, making it the experience of a lifetime. During the spring of 2013, I partnered with close to a dozen charities, flew to a different state almost every three weeks, and had a speaking engagement almost once each week. Not to mention, I had a blast on the Wheaton College Cheerleading 
squad and enjoyed time with friends and my very sweet boyfriend!
Just when it seemed like things could not get more exciting, I embarked on a journey that was thrilling, challenging, and exciting altogether! As one of only four girls who signed up for the trip, I spent a month with nothing but the clothes on my back and a single backpack traveling through Germany and Switzerland! With the self-declared foodie Dr. Schuchardt as the course leader, we could count on tasting pretty much every exotic food in the area, from a raw meat sandwich in Germany to cooked horse in Switzerland!
The trip had it’s ups and downs. We faced some of the most horrible incidences caused by humankind. We spent over a week studying the devastation and lasting impact of the horrific Holocaust by visiting concentration camps and Nazi parade grounds. On the flip side, we were able to spend several days in awe of God’s magnificent creation by basking in the sweet summertime beauty of the Swiss Alps!
After returning from Europe and spending some time at home, I passed on my title of Miss USA Ambassador to my successor, the articulate and talented Jessica Markovich! Spending a week getting to know all the wonderful contestants, learning their hearts, and making friends was an absolutely wonderful experience!
Passing on my title was very bittersweet: the experience had been incredible, but I was also ready to enter my senior year at Wheaton College and discover the exciting things God had in store for the next season of my life!
While this semester was one of rest and sweet time enjoying relationships, it also had its twists and turns as well.
My family lost our grandmother, Margaret Paulsen, to her long-fought battle against Scleroderma in November. The loss was painful, but we are confident that she is with her Lord and Savior in heaven, dancing on the streets of gold, and finally reunited with my grandfather!
What lies ahead for 2014? Right before coming home for break, I was offered an incredible opportunity to intern with Fox Chicago News! I am beyond thrilled to begin working hard at the station and pursuing a career in Health Broadcasting!
I am so excited for the next season of life that lies ahead, and I will be posting about the journey on my blog :).
“Commit to the Lord whatever you do and your plans will succeed.” Proverbs 16:3
Typhoon Haiyan: Make Sure You’re not Wasting Your Money
Check out my new article on Millennial Influx! Where is all the money that you’re donating to Typhoon Haiyan exactly going?
Breast Cancer Awareness Comes to the Wheaton College Campus
The Wheaton College Debate Team completed yet another successful event to educate the campus on a pertinent health issue. On October 30th, Wheaton students showed their support of Breast Cancer Awareness by listening to an educated debate about equalizing treatment for women of all races and ethnicities in the United States. The debate was followed by a personal testimony from a Breast Cancer Survivor. Thank you to the American Cancer Society of Oakbrook for supplying students with awareness materials and sending survivor Dana Sample to speak about her powerful experience!
Say “Bai-Bai” to Obesity
American families are beginning to search for healthy and satisfying alternatives such as Bai 5 to replace the traditional sugary soft-drink as obesity-related risk of early morbidity increasingly threatens the population. Obesity is overwhelming the lives of one in every three Americans according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
The National Institutes of Health warn that obesity often leads to conditions including hypertension, type 2 diabetes, coronary heart disease, stroke, gallbladder disease, arthritis, sleep apnea, respiratory conditions, cancer, and finally premature morbidity.
America’s waistline began rising in 1960, and spiking in 1980. Below are trend lines showing the rise of obesity rates in both adults and children:
Harvard University concluded that sugary drinks are in fact a primary contributor to the obesity epidemic. A 20 oz bottle of soda contains 15 to 18 teaspoons of sugar and over 240 calories. A study performed in 2001 found that obesity risk increases by 60% for every 12 oz can of soda consumed each day. Finding a healthy alternative to satisfy your sweet tooth makes saying no to the bad-for-you, yet delicious sugar significantly easier.
Sweet, pure, and satisfying Bai 5, containing only five calories per serving, is a delicious alternative to the average 97 calorie-per-serving soft drink. Now you might be thinking, “Why don’t I just use diet soda as an alternative?” The artificial sweeteners in diet soda, specifically aspartame and sucralose, not only pose numerous health risks of their own, but they also stimulate cravings that will cause you to eat more later in the day. Bai 5 is instead enhanced with stevia, nature’s only zero-calorie sweetener.
By choosing Bai 5, are not only avoiding disease-causing substances, but you are also consuming free radical-fighting antioxidants. Pick one of Bai 5’s nine delicious flavors instead of a sugary soft drink and you won’t regret it!
A Legacy of Love and Commitment: In Loving Memory of My Grandparents
Rudy was nearly limp from fatigue after a long day of work at the lumberyard, aching from the heavy lifting and sunburned from the scorching July sun. Having been raised in a German American immigrant family of boys, his father always pushed him hard at work; the only excuse for a day off was near death or hospitalization. “Paulsens never miss a day of work,” Karl, his father, would always assert, “The Paulsen Lumber Sick Day Policy is as follows: a day that you go to work and feel sick.” Rudy was hesitant to another late night out with his buddies, but the idea of a few laughs and a couple beers sounded like just the thing he needed after a long day.
The good-looking 18 year-old wandered into a game room where many of the other young people from his town would often let down after a long day. He took a seat near the corner while his buddies tried to pick up girls; he was too tired to make the effort and decided just to sit back and enjoy the atmosphere.
The smooth jazz background music lulled him to sleep as he sipped the last of his drink. Just as his eyes were about to close, his heart began racing and his breath slowly slipped away from him. Across the room stood a woman with long brown hair, a beautiful-figure, and a stunning smile. Suddenly his exhaustion wore off and he impulsively set off across the room to talk to her. When he was finally in front of her and looked her in the eyes, he found his words to be lodged in his throat; he had never seen eyes as blue as hers, and was immediately captured by her attractiveness.
All he could manage to muster was, “What’s your name?”
The 15 year-old beauty chuckled and rolled her eyes. “Margaret,” She hesitantly replied. His eagerness was a slight turn-off, but also mildly endearing. “And you?”
“R-r-rudy,” he studdered. This was the first time he ever remembered having difficulty talking to a girl; he was usually the smoothest one out of all his buddies when it came to women. He finally managed to ask her, “Will you go out with me?”
She laughed in his face, and almost said no to the incredibly handsome, but red-faced man in front of her. However, there was something about him that she just couldn’t turn down.
Life is an abstract concept that is not usually planned, rarely understood, and almost never predicted. Little did Rudy know while deliriously lifting lumber in the scorching heat of July that he would meet his sweetheart of 58 years before going to sleep that night. Little did Margaret know on that evening that she would give four children to the nervous man staring at her from across the room.
Rudy Jr., Joann, Rich, and Laurie are blessed to bear the legacy of commitment and love that Margaret and Rudy left behind. True love begins when romance fails. Life did not always come easy for Marge and Rudy; they worked for everything they had, faced trials of hardship, and often had to fight for their marriage daily. There were days that Marge would accuse Rudy of being “Jake the Snake” or Rudy would want to put earplugs in to avoid Marge’s complaining, but anyone who knew them could see an intense commitment and love behind their bickers and quarrels. The Bible says that true love is not self-seeking; Rudy always did what was best for Marge, and Marge for Rudy.
The passion that burned between the couple was overwhelmingly evident in the final days before Rudy passed on to reunite with his Creator. Rudy’s most used phrase in his final hours of earthly life was, “Where’s Marge?” Over the final year and a half the two were apart, Margaret’s heart ached; she had not known life without her high school sweetheart since she was 15 years old. Her love for her children and seven grandchildren was her only motivation to hold on.
Finally, on Tuesday, October 29th, Margaret could not stand the thought of being without Rudy on their 58th wedding anniversary. A stroke attacked her body, and two days later she was able to reunite in heaven with the love of her life, under the true and most pure love of their Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
They not only leave behind a legacy of hard work, commitment, and true love, but also the hope to their family of reuniting because of Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross. The same ache that existed in Margaret’s heart without Rudy, the same force that caused her to reach her hand to the sky in her final hours of life, and the same glue that existed between their almost six-decade marriage during the hardest of times shows a small portion of the love that Christ offers his children. Humans are not near capable of Christ’s love, and that is hard to believe in sight of the love between Margaret and Rudy.
Margaret accepted Jesus Christ as her Lord and Savior in August of 2013, and Rudy accepted Christ in June of 2012. Their family can rest in the knowledge that they are in an even better place than they were on Earth.
In loving memory of the life of Margaret Paulsen, who went home to be with her beloved Rudy Paulsen and Lord and Savior on October 31, 2013. To God be the glory.
A Beautiful Breakthrough 