End of Summer

For those of you that are still following this blog, I'm sorry I have not written much. Camp was a great experience, but it included very long hours and blogging was not possible. I did have to write field notes every day for at least 30 minutes so I have a well recorded time at camp which I will be reviewing for my thesis this semester. I have moved back into my apartment, painted the kitchen blue over the old yellow, and refreshed the white in the living room, kitchen, and bathroom. With some changed furniture, wall hangings, and the paint job it looks like a young adult apartment now instead of a college student one. I'm really excited to start my final semester of grad school with a clean apartment and I love the changes. Also, I have been preparing to start the fund development and support raising part of my new job with InterVarsity Christian Fellowship. I will be working at SUNY Fredonia as a staff worker, and hope to get more involved on campus in January (if 50% of my funds are raised). I need to raise support of the entire ministry before I can become too involved on campus. If you are interested in learning more about how to join my financial or prayer support team please contact me in a comment below or through another means. I will be sending letters to the regular readers to ask for your support. With that being said, I am unsure if I will be continuing this blog and I am seriously considering starting one with stories from campus for my support team. Thanks for reading and I hope you enjoyed the random thoughts that went on in my head. P.S. If you wondered, I did not keep kosher this summer as the camp was not as kosher as I anticipated.

Out of Time

I was going to do a more detailed update of things as I'm off to camp and won't continue being able to blog daily. If you want my address at camp let me know and I'll try to post one more time from camp.

Packing

Yesterday and this morning I packed to head home for 36 hours before going to camp. I spent all of today labeling my clothes and I will continue the job tomorrow. By 9pm tomorrow I'll be at camp and be there for the summer. You don't realize how many pieces of clothing you have until you have to pack every one of them. Such a pain. Unpacked today just to repack it all tomorrow. O well, that's all I have for right now. I'll give a good update for the summer tomorrow.

Last minutes

A wonderful dinner tonight was shared with a few friends, including two new ones from Korea. I was glad to be able to host them and chat. Then afterward I got some help cleaning and got most of my car packed. I'm heading off tomorrow morning bright and early to get my car fixed before cleaning. Please pray that my car can quickly get fixed. Having no power steering fluid is not a good thing. Anyway camp is coming soon which is awesome!

Last days

This was my last Sunday at church... so I decided to make it last as long as posible. I stayed for Sunday school (which was just chatting time), dropped a few of the boys off, had an hour to change closes before helping with wiffleball and kickball. These sports ended at 4:30 which gave me just enough time to head to Walmart before going off going to another church. I left there about 7pm in order to cook dinner and have a friend over at 8pm. So lots of good fellowship time that I'm really going to miss when I leave here.
Tomorrow will be filled with packing and cleaning!

Struggles

I have been prompted by a friend to reflect on what I struggle with. The Christian walk is hard sometimes with many hard paths, sometimes like a safari. The bumps just add to the road and while we know our starting place and our ending place (heaven), the path changes on the way. (This was stolen from a friend earlier today).
In my life I have not been making the time I should be for God. If He really is the most important thing in my life then I need to put Him first. Daily time with Him in prayer and bible study is crucial and if we don't have it we can go spiritually dry. I know that this summer will be a harder time as I will be removed from the fellowship of my friends and the Christians I know now. I pray that I will be able to find a few Christians at camp this summer and also to make it to church (no weekends exist at camp). But I will also be using my free time for personal bible study, prayer, and vegging out with God. This way my mind stays focused on Him and I can get through my job and get closer to Him. I need a break from the way life is currently going and I'm very glad for the upcoming transition and time to restart my habits. Plus I'm going kosher and attending Jewish services which could (possibly) help me connect more with Him as I experience the Jewish way of life, without going wholeheartedly into it. I know and am thankful that Jesus came to save me from my sins and to abolish the law.

The Point

I spent a few hours down at the Point today which reminded me of how much I love the lake. I can't wait to be living on a beach this summer and to be able to hear the sound of the waves. I know this summer the lake will be much smaller, but maybe I'll be able to learn how to waterski. If not, there are kayaks and canoes that I should be allowed to take out sometimes. The short trip down to the Point reminded me of God's awesome creation and how we were meant to enjoy it.

Sharing is Caring

It can make the world go round. Speaking of round: I decided to share my bicycle for the summer with one of the Korean students who is still around. I figured that instead of it sitting tied up to my front porch while I'm not using it and not even in the state that she could get much better use out of it. Now she can bike to Walmart and around town instead of walking. It also reminds me of when I was in Australia and I got lent a pushbike from one of my Girl Guide leaders. I had been borrowing a bike that was too big for me and trying to share it with the owner in order to get to my field placement every morning. It wasn't working too well nor was it the safest. But once I got that bike I felt like I could go wherever I wanted to! I could more safely bike to my placement, plus go to class, church, and on random bike rides with friends. It was such a great experience. So I'm very excited to be able to pass along that benefit to another student so they can enjoy the ability to travel short distances without walking or relying on others. Yeah for sharing the gifts that God has given us!

Un-kosher

Yesterday I had the ultimate un-kosher meal: ham with broccoli, quinoa, and couscous (could have added cheese but it wasn't needed) with a lard fried potato chips. Yum. For those of you who don't know I'm going to be kosher this summer so I'm getting in all of the things I'm not allowed to eat ahead of time. Like today I had a bologna sandwich for breakfast, leftover ham for lunch, and hotdog pigs in a blanket for dinner. So kosher: no. However, Jesus came to take away all of the Law so I don't actually have to follow it. It's just a choice. This summer the camp that I'm working at only serves kosher food so I figure it'll be a great time to try being kosher. And after just two months I can easily switch back to enjoying my pork products. Note: I'm not going to follow all of the rules about when to eat dairy, like six hours after meat or whatever those rules are.

References

I've been sitting in this same chair for at least the last two hours, probably more like three just working on my references for my thesis. I still have one subsection with complicated references I'll have to find and probably a few that aren't quite right. But, except that one subsection, they are all done. Thank goodness for EBSCO Host and the folder functions as well as the citing option. Made my life so much easier today. Well, I promised myself that I would go to bed before midnight and take a shower tonight... since it's 11:59 and I haven't showered that's not going to happen. Goodnight!

Malts

I have all of these wonderful desserts that I'm trying to finish up in my challenge to empty my apartment of everything that will expire by August. Today I made a malt milkshake of the last few scoops of leftover ice-cream. Yummy!

Citing your source

Have you ever had to cite a really long paper? Where you use about five pages of single spaced references? As I'm getting closer to done with my thesis I'm working on the reference page now (mostly cause I don't feel like writing my final sub section at the moment). Any time you use information from someone else's work you have to give them credit both in the paper and at the end.
What would happen if we had to do it in real life? If we heard a story from someone we would have to share it and add at the end from a friend in 2012. But if we heard it from someone else who heard it from a friend we would have to include both of those people in it. Very quickly we could tell if we were involved in gossiping as it became: This person, as told to A as told to B as told to C as told to D said that we should go to bed now. We are told instead to go seek out the original article instead of just using the other person's interpretation of it. The Bible warns us against gossiping (and cheating/stealing which is why we need to cite). Think about what you are saying and how reliable that source is and how close to the original person it is. Are you just listening to interpretations of people's work or are you going to the actual author of it? Also are you giving God credit for what He's done or claiming that credit for yourself as your own creation? Don't steal from God or others and watch out for gossiping.

Greek Sushi

While eating leftover greek chicken with freshly made fried rice for lunch, I received a text from a friend asking if I wanted to go to the Greek festival about 45 min away. I responded that I would if we could go another 45 min to get sushi in Canada. She agreed. So we set off on a 1.5 hour trip with the goal to make it before sushi lunch ended (4pm).
We arrived in Canada at the restaurant about 3:50 which thankfully allowed us to save the $8 a person on our meal. We enjoyed the all you can eat sushi eating way too much. Then, because we could, we stopped at Niagara Falls to admire God's creation. Here I realized that I had told the Canadian border patrol the wrong license plate number. Thankfully it was close enough that they did not say anything and the US side did not ask that question.
We returned to the US after a nice chat with the border patrol and set off for the Greek festival. After stopping to buy a wedding present and staples at Target (where they were out of staples), we continued on to the Greek festival. The food there smelled wonderful, but despite being 4 hours after we left the sushi restaurant, we just got sweets to go. We couldn't even find the thing that had originally inspired us to go to the festival. So we returned home after an 8.5 hour trip to Canada for sushi and a quick trip to a Greek festival. Yummy food :)

A Cold June

June 1:
Today is very cold... well not very cold, but too cold for June. It's about 53ºF (12ºC) tonight which is quite chilly for the summer months. I sure hope the weather improves. I took home most of my blankets and warm sheets because I assumed that the weather would be warmer. Now it's time to dig through my closet to get the smaller blankets I still have and find warmer pj pants. Monday was 90º... Friday is 60º that's just not right.

Mulch

My parents had a dump truck load of mulch delivered the day before I stopped in on my weekend travels; my landlord had some delivered about the same time. Both used the mulch to cover up all of the ugliness hiding under plants and to prevent weeds from growing there. But first, it took hours to pull the weeds and prepare for the mulch. Then they spent hours placing that mulch where it needed to go to get it out of the way. However, the hours spent are worth it when you see the beautiful yard and take in that fresh mulch smell.
Sometimes are lives are the same way. We have all of these hard times that we have to go through before something amazing comes. Once it comes, we then realize we have hours of work to be able to know how to use that new thing best in our life. But, in the end, it is worth all of the hard work when we know that our new gift is being used effectively. What new gift did you just receive, or are you still preparing for it?

Two Weeks Notice

Not the movie... two weeks notice that I will not be helping with the Kidz ministry at church as I will be at camp. It's hard to think that in just two weeks my life will switch gears for two months. Instead of being a substitute teacher and trying to keep track of all of the kids names at all the different schools, I'll be trying to learn all of the Varsity campers before they arrive. From running off of a teacher's plans to planning the activities for others to run both this year and in the future. Moving from my single apartment to sharing a small room with 1+ staffers. From being inside all of the time to being on a beach front with many hours spent outside a day. And from hopping in my car to drive around to using the golf cart or walking around camp. Ahhh, I can't wait for the change and to see how God works at this camp during the summer. It's so much bigger than anywhere I've worked or gone to camp before and I've never been with the same campers all summer. It'll be a great experience! Sadly I will miss my kids up here.

Banking Pains

I just finished running around from one bank to another, closing my account at the first and transferring that money to the new bank. The pain was I was 57 cents from having the money round to a clean hundred dollars. Instead I had to get $19.43 in cash. O well, the money is safely deposited in the new bank and I think pretty much all of my information has changed to the correct bank. Yeah! Finished with that process. Finally.

Memorial Day

The parade today was my first in a long time. The last time I think I saw part of one in person was in Australia for ANZAC Day. Since I went to that dawn service and have the ANZAC values on my kitchen cabinets I think I need to get more into supporting American Veterans. While the values of Endurance, Sacrifice, Courage, and Mateship are very similar to those in our Armed Forces, I should support ours a little more.
I enjoyed the service this morning as wreaths were placed on the memorials for all of the veteran's who died fighting wars. The parade was quite slow often with a few minutes in between floats/walkers. But as I look forward to being able to celebrate the 4th of July for the first time in a few years, my patriotism is increasing. Maybe I'll even buy a flag shirt.

Church

Today I walked into church super tired and not incredibly thrilled to be there as I really wanted a nap. But, I know the importance of attending church and fellowshipping with other believers. I also made a promise to myself freshman year that I could not skip church due to being tired if I stayed up of my own accord regardless of what time I went to bed. I could only miss if I was really sick or had to work really late (the year I was an RA, which was also the year my church had a Thursday night service). So this morning I trekked to church since I had chatted with friends and watched Netflix too late into the night.
I’m going through the process to be a church member (well transferring my membership up). This requires meeting with a deacon, then reading the articles of faith and remeeting with the deacon, then meeting with a few deacons, then getting voted on by all the deacons, and finally having a letter of transfer sent from my previous church to the new church. I had completed step one a few weeks ago and had not received the articles of faith to read. However, as I entered the sanctuary I was given them to read, which I managed to do as people moved around in the sanctuary. Afterwards we met individually, then gathered a few deacons together. So I’m all the way up to needing the vote (to happen Wednesday) and then hopefully becoming a member of the church on Sunday. I think some of the youth are part of the service then as well which will be wonderful. I love having a supportive church family and it was well worth getting out of bed for although I did take a nap after returning home.

Cleaning the House

From all of my lovely college friends I accumulated many things as they cleaned out and packed up. Some things I'm storing for someone else until next school year while others I'm keeping or passing on to whoever I feel like. A few things are handy to have over the summer like the extra chairs I've been using while writing my thesis.
However, they were taking up about half of my living room which was way too much. Now the entire section under my bed is filled with the boxes, but my living room is fully functioning just with an extra duffel bag in it. As I slowly work through cleaning all of my apartment to prepare to leave for the summer I decided to turn off my heat. This is easier said than done as the knob is really hard to turn. I tried and was unsuccessful. But as I was back there I noticed that a bird had gotten into the back part of my heater and fried. There are now bird skeleton pieces and feathers in the back of it. Gross... for those of you who don't know my heater is in the corner of my living room and takes up alot of space, but is not attached to the wall. I have no idea how this bird got in and find it very disgusting. I guess this is why we clean our apartments.
In the same manner sometimes it's important to do a thorough cleaning of our lives. We should check to make sure that something unclean hasn't snuck in and may start to spoil our witness. Just as it takes time and work to clean an apartment both regularly and on a larger scale a few times a year, we should do the same with our lives. Is your place clean?

Rocky Times

As I'm writing this week I've been working to be able to accomplish alot of my thesis before I go to camp in 19 days. I have so many sections to do and the time is running out. I don't doubt that I can do it with God's strength though. With Him all things are possible. The changes in my own life, pushing through things I did not want to do and making it to the other side is important.
When I was at camp this weekend I worked in the kitchen. It felt really weird as I stood there with my nametag and staff shirt just waiting to replenish the buffet bar. I felt like I was above the job. The problem I realized though was I am called to be a servant no matter where I am. Nothing is too low for me. Yes there are many things I dislike doing and I do have jobs where I am hired as an upper level staff member. Regardless of my job though, I need to be humble enough to do any job. Christ washed his disciples feet which was the job of the lowest servant. If he could willingly do that then I should be willing to do anything, even dishwashing. I think part of my summer job is setting up chairs when it rains which could be interesting but it'll be like work crew at Basileia. Doing all of the jobs to the best of our ability and serving God through our attitude while doing it.

Parades

I talked to a second grader at Kidz Klub yesterday who alerted me that his baseball team was walking in the parade on Monday. I then realized that I have not been to a parade in a very long time. I know I saw a little bit of an ANZAC day one in 2009, but I can't remember the last time I saw one in this country. In High School I was part of a St. Patrick's Day one with my mom's preschool.
I decided that it's unacceptable to miss this many parades. So I will be at the one on Monday, just after I finish gathering all of the details. It's time to support the area and remember the past.

Five Days off = 5 days of work to do

The schools I substitute in are closed until after Memorial Day on Monday. Therefore, I have nothing to do except my thesis, cleaning, and preparing for camp. I go to camp in 3 weeks and have a large list of things to do before then. It will all get done though (at least everything that 100% needs to get done). I have alot of writing to do for my thesis totally about 10 pages. That's top priority. Also on my list is using up all of the food I have that will go bad by next semester. I should probably get off here and do something that's needed.

Home Sick

I had to cancel my subbing day today cause I'm sick. Not really sick, just sick enough to be annoying. The kind of day when you want to sleep alot. Unfortunately, the neighborhood I live in has been very active outside today and I'm pretty sure my one neighbor has been outside for the last 6 hours. He talks loudly and the weird part is I have no idea what he could be doing since we have almost no yard. O well, it's about time for me to take another nap. I wish I could get alot more of the work I need to do done, but there's always tomorrow (and about 20 more days before I go to camp).

1000 miles completed!

I have finished my road trip and am safely back in my apartment. Only one large animal died and the many bugs which currently cover my windshield. I realized that while I was in the Pocono Mountains the only elevation sign I saw was 1940 ft. Ok... that's a fine mountain, BUT about 5 miles from my parents is a sign stating 2080 ft as the height of the road at that location. So my parents is higher than the mountains? Maybe that's why it just looked like I was driving the same thing all 1000 miles. Rolling hills vs. Mountains I couldn't see the difference.

Driving

I'm almost done with my 1000 mile road trip. From college/home to my parents to camp to a wedding to camp to my parents to college/home. One leg left. Last night I left at 10:30pm to start the 3.5 hour journey through the mountains. Sadly, the mountains look very similar to the rolling hills I live in here. O well.
As I drove back to camp, I saw three animals. Two deer stood on the side of the road in two different locations. They were smart and decided to walk away from the road. A possum stood in the middle of my lane and turned around as my lights shone on it. Since I was going full speed on an interstate with just my low beams on, it did not have a good fate as shown by the thud as I drove by. One more piece of road kill. But I made it safely to camp and back :)

Yesterday

I missed my blog yesterday, but I have a good reason. I spent 8 hours in the car driving between camp and a wedding. Camp has no internet (yet) and by the time I left the wedding it was about 10pm. Regardless, camp was quite interesting and I loved being in that atmosphere. The wedding was amazing as it was the first of my high school friends to get married. A great weekend so far.

1000 miles to go

I'm off to camp for the weekend... well minus 12 hours on Saturday that I have to drive to a wedding. I'm really excited to be able to see the camp for the first time, meet the other senior staff members, and learn more about the camp. I think it will be a great time.
Camp is in the Poconos which I've heard is a beautiful drive... I sure hope so since I'll be driving through them four times by Sunday. Prayers appreciated for this road trip and the start of camp! (Real camp starts mid June, this is upper level training day/ 1st time parents visiting day Sunday.)

Mother's-Father's Day

If you are still looking for a Mother's Day card because you forgot that it was four days ago or because you (like me) wanted to deliver it in person the following week, just give up. Both Walmart and Walgrens have completely replaced the entire section that was previously devoted to Mother's Day by Father's Day cards. No discounted cards to be found. Luckily for me, my Mom's birthday is on Saturday so I just got her a birthday card saying Happy Birthday on the front. Above I'll write Mother's Day and below, I'll be a little ahead of time with Anniversary. That'll cover all of this month's special days for my mom... not just to find the right present (which isn't sold at Walmart).

Clipped Wings

Ever hear of clipping bird's wings to prevent them from flying? One of the students today mentioned it after we watched a magic show with a dove in it. A.N.T. Farm also includes the phrase "Don't let anyone clip your wings" during their theme song. It made me think want to remember to never let anyone clip my wings. God has given us wings to fly with and by having our wings clipped, we are prevented from achieving his destiny. We can avoid this problem by staying away from things that could lead to addictions and burdens, including unhealthy relationships with others. We need to be able to work hard to achieve the goals that God has given us and His goals require flying in most cases. So hold your head high and be ready to fly.

29 pages later

It's sent... my application is done. I just need my references and transcripts to come in and it's all set. Prayers please! I'll keep you updated on here and if you want to know more about the job just ask. I'll post it if/when I get the job.

Application

My application is almost done and is only 29 pages long, plus another 5 pages in other documents! I'll finish it up today and email it in!

Trash and Food Challenge update

If you drive up the streets of this town you see many piles of garbage. As people moved out of their apartments, the garbage that had laid around in the apartment for the ear people decided to clean out. Other things were deemed unworthy to be transported and got trashed.
If you look around my apartment though you will see many new things. I have a Christmas tree, two chairs, two boxes, a duffel bag and some 'new' food. I got all of this from friends, with other friends claiming a significant amount of it, to store in my apartment for the summer. Or in terms of the food, for me to eat. I believe that trashing something that is still working and good is just a waste. We have enough garbage in this country to add more to it, so reduce, reuse, recycle.
I'm going to enjoy eating my friends food which will help me keep my food challenge of not buying any groceries except milk, fresh fruit, and fresh veggies until I leave in June. This started in March and I'm proud to say that I only bought one half gallon of milk since then (and some veggies for a group dinner). One month to go!

Baptism

Tomorrow I believe we are having more baptisms in church. It would be very cool to be baptized on Mother's Day, especially if your mom was watching. Last week we had four middle schoolers publicly show that they had become followers of Christ by immersing themselves in water. This act showed everyone in the church that they trusted God and were seeking Him. It reminded me of my baptism on my 11th birthday as I was about the same age as these students. While baptism is not required to go to heaven, it is an important public statement of our faith in Christ. In my church growing up it was commonly paired with becoming a member of the church. Tomorrow I will meet with the Deacons to work on transferring my membership from that church to the one that I now attend. I'm excited to become a member of this church, especially since I have been much more involved in the youth ministry this semester.

Goodbyes

As students leave tonight and tomorrow campus gets slowly emptier and emptier. It's the graduates, now with their family members around as well, who are still on campus and a limited number of other people. But, on the bright side I will get to see most of my friends again through visiting and even if not for a while... most of them (hopefully all) will be in Heaven when we die. It'll be party time then!

Mother's Day

As Sunday approaches we begin to reflect on the impact that our mom had on us growing up and still today. I've been blessed with a wonderful mom who has helped me grow to become the person I am today. She's supported me and continues to support me as I go through more life changes. I'm thankful that I can call her my mom and sad that I will not be home for Mother's Day. At least I'll briefly be home on her birthday which is next Saturday.
Also Mother's Day bring to mind the many times I've had people call me Mom. Today, my 'kids' had a mini temper tantrum in the car as I was driving due to the fact that my apartment has no hot sauce for the mac and cheese... or hotdog. Nothing like driving along with your kids who are either taller than you (I reach one guy's shoulder) or shorter (she's at my shoulder). [To clear the air if you haven't been following my blog in the past comments on kids... they're all college students and these particular ones were within 2-4 years of my age... I have no legal kids.] As my children complained in the car, I made them dinner, then they wrestled by gender, I realize what a wonderful family I belong to. The family of God is awesome. I am blessed to be the mom for a number of these students, but they are my brothers and sisters in Christ. They are there for me and each other when we need someone to listen to us. They're around if we need extra food or someone to ask a difficult question to. Whatever is happening, I know that I have members of God's family to depend on and they know that they can depend on me. God never leaves us nor forsakes us. While we are all departing for the summer and longer for some, we are still in each others' hearts and still part of the same family. God's family is larger than this campus, it's larger than this country, it's all around the world! If I was Catholic, I would say Happy Mother's Day to Mary, but since I'm not... Happy Mother's Day Mom and to all of the women who are moms to someone even if not in a physical sense. Your efforts are appreciated by your children.

End of Work

I am officially done with work for the semester/year. My office is clean, my timesheets are turned in, and I get to keep my keys. Plus I still get a few more paychecks :) It's a nice feeling especially since I got all but one thing done. Time to focus on subbing, relaxing, and writing my thesis.

The end is in sight

I just finished my presentation for my one class and turned in the paper for my other class on Sunday. Yesterday was crazy at work as I tried to finish everything up. And on Friday it did not look like everything was going to be done in time. But I had a super productive Sunday, enjoyed time with friends yesterday and today, and got work done. Now all I have to do is finish my thesis proposal (technically by the end of the summer), go to work tomorrow, do dishes, and finish my job application. The end truly is in sight and achievable. Good luck to all of my friends who are graduating or moving on from college at the end of the week. You'll do great in the future!

Black Holes

Do you have any friends that you spend hours talking to? Someone who you know that a short conversation is almost completely impossible to do and you might just be better skipping hanging out if you don't have enough time. If it's late at night, just give up on getting a good night's sleep. So anytime you enter their place or start a phone conversation with them you get a wonderful conversation as one topic flows seamlessly into the next. However, this makes leaving the place difficult as you always have more things to say. If you tried to write down what you talked about and the order it wouldn't make sense as you go back to topics cause you took tangents earlier. One time this even happened through chatting online as we had two conversations going to keep it up. We used [] for one set and would be typing the answers to the one thread while the other person typed the answer to the other. These types of conversations and the people you can have them with are limited, but wonderful. Take advantage of them when you can and just don't plan to be productive or sleep. And remember to avoid it if you really can't risk getting sucked into the conversation.

Productive!

I completed my thesis proposal powerpoint and my Focus on Behavior today! All that's left for me to do this week is to present my powerpoint, complete the work for my job, clean everything, and hang out with friends. Today was very productive although with just 4 hours of sleep last night I should go home and go to bed. (I'll do my thesis proposal itself another day.)

A Beach Life

Today consisted of a picnic at the beach from 1-6ish then a campfire at the beach from 9-11:30. I'm so blessed to have been able to spend such fun time fellowshipping with my friends in the warm weather with the lake behind us. I never touched the water today (it was cold outside), but I loved seeing it behind me. Especially having a campfire where we could share the best parts of our semester on a night that is possibly the last time I will see many of those people before they leave for the summer. Something about the water and campfires showcases God's love for us and reminds us to love each other as well. He created so many things that are so beautiful, just for us to enjoy. We also have to take care of them just like we have to take care of each other. If you get the chance, go take in the view at a beach and thank God for all He's done for you this semester/year/life.

Measuring Up

This is 100% copied from a bright pink reminder I received while a camper at Penn York camp during high school (at snow camp or regular camp). I think it's worth sharing as it has lived in my Bible since then and helped me make decisions. "How Does it Measure up?" Is it expressly forbidden or commanded? (that settles it immediately.) 1. Is it beneficial or is it harmful? 1 Cor. 6:12 Is it helpful? 2. Will it master or control me? 1 Cor. 6:12 Is it habit forming? Will I become addicted? Will it control me, rather than me controlling it? Does it rob my self-control? Does it take all of my energy? 3. Will it cause others to stumble? 1 Cor. 8:9 Will it make my testimony more or less effective? Will it lead others astray? Will it destroy my witness? 4. Does it glorify God? 1 Cor. 10:31 Does it make God look good? 5. Could I picture Jesus doing it? 1 Peter 2:21 Ask yourself these questions when making a decision (even a simple one) and see how it measures up.

Multitasking to the Max

At 5pm I dropped off my car at the garage to get a long overdue oil change. A minute later a coworker picked me up to take me to the restaurant where my class met. We had class from 5-6:30, ate dinner during this time, then he dropped me back off at my car. In 1.5 hours I managed to eat dinner, attend the last of class meeting for this class, and get my oil changed. I call that productive multitasking. Next goal... figure out a way to clean my house while doing something more fun and enjoyable or while getting paid.

New versions

Sorry about yesterday's post... it did not publish correctly due to the new version of Blogger. Lately it seems that everything is getting a new and improved version: Google mail, Facebook timelines, AESOP, and something else. Sometimes the changes are good, other times I just wish I could stick with the old version. It takes work to learn how to work with a new version of a computer program, but in the same sense it takes work to learn to work with a new person. Sometimes people will change who they are... hopefully for a good reason and in a good way. When people make lifestyle changes or adapt who they are in some way the relationships need to change as well. It becomes a new version of the same relationship... with some improved things and others that aren't really bad just take some adjusting. If someone in your life has changed recently, put in the time needed to see who they really are now. And as is always important, pray for them because change is hard.

Household running

I've realized lately that I really stink at running a household. My apartment is currently a mess with dishes piled up (cause I dislike doing dishes), clothes around because I haven't had time to hang them up or wash all of them, and no food in the fridge. That being said, I haven't cooked anything here since Thursday (I think) and I've been eating lunch and dinner out. So by using the meals in my freezer, eating cereal for breakfast, and going out to eat at a restaurant once more this week I'll see if I can go through without cooking anything. It also helps that I don't get home until late at night and really helps that alot of my friends are trying to use up their meal plans and hence willing to share with me. So if you're thinking about needing some company on campus... I'm free for dinner Wed and Fri and lunch on Sun. The rest of the meals I'm either in class (at the restaurant), at a picnic, or at work. It'll be a fun week... maybe ending with me actually cleaning my apartment like needs done.

PreInterview

My preinterview went well today and I now just have to finish filling out my application. That process is easier said than done. I have so much work to do by the end of the semester and my house is a mess (although I have some clean clothes now). That's all... I need sleep.

My Drinking Philosophy

During the weekend alot of people asked me about my drinking philosophy. So here it is:
I choose not to drink any alcohol at all. That does not mean that I look down on people who do, I just don't see the point in it. I understand those who want to drink for social reasons and if it is legal (i.e. you are overage and aren't driving) and not to the point of drunkenness (as drunkenness leads to debauchery according to the Bible) then I don't see a problem with it. Personally, I don't want to spend money on it (as it's expensive), see what the affects on my body are in conflict to my medicine, or as a camp blog post stated I don't want to have the temptation to like it and then have it lead to any consequences (addictions, lack of judgement, etc.). I've had to take care of too many drunk people/friends and seen the effects of the alcohol on those who don't know when to stop and those around them.
I instead chose to not drink any and typically stay away from the party atmosphere... mostly related to the fact that my body can't handle tons of bass, I'm not big into dancing, alcohol smells bad (it's an acquired taste apparently), and often people tend to not wear enough clothes in those places.
That being said, I do not put my personal philosophy on anyone else and just encourage you to follow the drinking laws and the Biblical guidelines to not drink to the point of sinning or being in danger.

Not alone

The song left on my pandora station was Not Alone. As the semester draws to a close, I'm reminded of the fact that I'm never alone. I won't leave my friends alone and I know that they won't leave me alone either. Best part is that God will never leave me, even when I'm in my single apartment.
The other reason that this hit me so much lately was that due to the weekend being completely filled with drinking, it reminded me of the importance of friends. Now I don't drink and will probably explain that in a later post, but I still see the affects of alcohol. Yesterday I was eating late in the dining hall when I saw a guy sitting at a table alone puking on himself. He was out of it enough to not be moving in response to puking and couldn't leave when someone encouraged him to get out. I called University Police so that he could get help. He was taken by the rescue squad to the hospital, in addition to many other students who went there this weekend and more who will go most likely. Now if he had a friend to tell him to stop drinking before he got to the point of alcohol poisoning or to make sure that he got home safely instead of leaving him in the dining hall that would have made a big difference.
Friends are so important in our life and knowing that you can call someone and trust them to help you is crucial. I'm very thankful that I have people I can call if needed and also so blessed that my God is always with me! If you feel alone call me or even better, call on God. He's always there to listen to your call as he never sleeps. Thank your friends for being there for you and treasure the time you have them... never leave them alone.

Food and conversations

Have you every thought about the role of food and conversation? If you want to ask someone out on a date often it's to coffee or dinner. Both are ways to get a chance to know the other person with fewer stresses. If you get bored, just stick some food in your mouth and think about something else as you chew. You can also use eating as a way to just listen to the conversations around you in a staff room or at a restaurant. It's a great way to spark conversations too as it can become the topic if you really need something. Either way, I'm thankful to the number of people who have bought me food lately (mostly due to the fact that they had to spend their meal plan anyway), but it's still appreciated especially when partnered with conversations.

Long Day

I was a substitute teacher today responsible for giving part of the NYS Math test again... which I'm still not a fan of. But despite the horrible start to my day (hitting a dog on the way to work who thankfully is ok), God turned it into a wonderful day. I was gone from before 8am until after midnight, but I know that despite my lack of sleep He will be glorified tomorrow.
I was able to leave subbing early today (while still getting paid) which allowed me to go to my other job and help monitor the research expo. While there I met with a few friends and saw lots of research that my friends had participated in. I also learned that people who can't tan (like me and other redheads) have more symmetrical faces. Since symmetry is usually more attractive, I'm just waiting now for my door to be knocked over by all the guys wanting me. Just kidding.
Anyway, I left there to go to my office, kinda deal with a few problems, then off to meet with a friend. After a great convo, I went to class, got dinner with another friend and hung out for a while before meeting a third friend. This last friend and I were able to have about 3 hours worth of conversation which was such a blessing to me. I learned alot about myself and her as well. So while my alarm is going to be set for about 5 hours after I go to bed and I'll have to wake up with less than 6 hours of sleep... today was worth it. God honoring conversations are the best!

State Testing

For those of you not in NYS right now we are on day 4 of a 6 day series of tests (ELA for 3 days, math for 3) and that's not all of the tests. These tests are each 90 minutes long (per day) and impact the schedules of 3rd to 8th graders all across the states. I'm not a fan of such long tests as I feel that students tend to finish them and don't care much about the results. Regardless, I'm administering one for the rest of this week and I have worked my observation/work schedule around them for next week as well. It's helpful for substitutes to have the tests as teachers get removed from the classroom to grade the tests, but still teachers belong in the classroom as I'm sure they would agree with. We'll see what the rest of this week brings (other than nice weather :) )

Snow Day

Today I was supposed to go supervise the college students who are completing their field placements in local schools. However, the school decided to have a snow day. Yes there is snow on the ground there and more snow in the forecast, but I feel that they called a snow day mostly because in April when you have leftover snow days, you should just use them. I support their decision to use up the leftover days as those days get used sometime. Why not today?

Wintry Mix

The weather forecast for today is a "wintry mix." For those of you who don't live in western New York, that means it's an all inclusive term that means something is falling out of the sky that is cold and wet. Right now (as in 10 minutes ago not necessarily this minute) it appeared to be snowing a wet snow but hitting the ground as rain. This constantly changes and is supposed to turn into actual snow later today. This nice snowstorm in April, once all of the flowers have blossomed and people have put away their winter gear, has cause many snow days today. The snow days might also have been called because school districts had leftover snow days from the mild winter and could spend them easier than in December. Ahhh the join of winter. I'm going to stay inside next to my heater while writing my thesis... well after a short nap. No outside writing today and probably no soccer game later either.

Camp

As I have been researching the benefits and history of camp I have come to realize just how blessed I am to have been able to go to camp. I went to day camps, weeklong resident camps, and winter snowcamps then volunteered at day camps and snowcamp. I have also worked (for pay) at weeklong resident camps, three week academic camps, and now a full season camp. All of these different experiences have helped prepare me for life at college, studying abroad, and also teaching. I have been able to connect with people who live all around the world through camps and have learned so much about myself. If you have not had the privilege to attend camp or work at one, I recommend it as it is an experience I feel every child and adult should be able to have. It's helped make me who I am today and I can't wait to help influence the lives of more campers this summer!

Moving

My next door neighbors are moving today...as in the ones in an actual house. I'm not sure where to, but it is a reminder that all of us are moving on. As the semester draws to a close many of my friends will be graduating and moving on to work, home, or in most cases graduate school. They will be sprinkled all across the United States just as many of my high school friends are now. In these final weeks it is a tough time to combine school work with the goal of spending final time with some of your friends that you have spent hours with over their time at college. You know that some will return while others may never make it back to visit, or at least not while you are there. So as I go off to work on my homework, the thoughts of the importance of friends echos around as the Girl Scouts song goes. "Make new friends, but keep the old. One is silver and the other's gold."

Thesis

This week and next I will be working hardcore to get my thesis proposal as close to done as possible (before Tuesday). This involves writing all of a 15 page literature review and then my 5 page methodology. Thankfully I have my introduction almost completed and all of the articles read and about 1/3 read. As I go through the weekend, don't be surprised if I pull out some article about camp to highlight. At least it's a good topic :)

Food Challenge update

A few weeks ago I started a challenge to not buy any groceries except milk, fresh fruit, and fresh vegetables. To date I have only bought half a gallon of milk :) My cabinets are getting emptier, but my freezer is still about as full as before. Only 55 days to go! (and I won't be here for all of that time either.

Priorities

I need to switch up my priorities some as they aren't too in line with my job right now (being a student). Somehow writing things like my thesis have gotten pushed much farther to the bottom then they should have and I need to refocus on getting it written. That being said, it's hard to focus more on a paper which has some temporary importance then relationships or God which I feel have more eternal benefits. So after helping a friend out tonight, I'm going to study my bible for a little while then make sure I'm in bed by 2 am so I can get about 8 hours of sleep and to be ready for the Kindergardeners tomorrow. More thesis work tomorrow for sure (between dinner and the soccer game and after the soccer game). Hmmm... this is going to be harder than I thought.

Baby

Today I got to hold a five day old baby. The baby boy was beautiful, but as I held him I was reminded of how glad I am to not have my own baby right now. I don't want to have the responsibility of feeding it, changing it, and stopping it from crying in the middle of the night. While I do want kids, I am willing to wait for that joy :)

Good person

Have you ever given blood and thought about how you are helping to save up to three lives? No matter what the pain/annoyance you know that it's worth it. Same thing with being an organ donor. I think it's the most disgusting thing to think of my organs being taken out of my dead body and put into someone else's so they can live. But, what good are the organs when I'm dead? Why should I keep things that I don't need when they can save another person.
So despite the fact that both giving blood and being an organ donor are disgusting, these life saving ways are my small part of helping carry on Christ's work. He gave His life for us, not just a few hours or our organs once we had finished them. No He gave us His perfect life when he was still young and could have continued. He died for us so that we can live. With that immense showing of love, how can we not serve our fellow humans by giving of things that we don't need?

Quality Conversations

This week I was bless to have tons of quality conversations with many of my friends. I count it as an honor anytime I can be there for someone when they need to talk and I love the fact that I can actually hold conversations for over an hour with so many people. Whether the convo was on the phone, in my apartment, your dorm, at a restaurant, on campus, or in your apartment it was a wonderful time and I left it ruined and privileged. I am so thankful that I had the time this week to spend so many hours talking (I don't think I watched a single movie with others either). I hope this trend continues and know that I am always here to talk. Any time of night or day if you need it, and during reasonable hours if it's just for fun :) Love you all!

Goals of Today

Maybe if I write them down I will actually accomplish my goals for today.
1. Do dishes
2. Clean apartment
3. Start writing my thesis
4. Answer a few more questions of my job application
5. Study my Bible... I'm thinking Ephesians for some reason
6. Get some human interaction maybe by watching a concert

Penpals

I got a letter from my amazing pen pal in Australia today. We met in person when I studied there and we had the same field placement (prac). In the last 3 years we've continued to send long letters, via mail but often typed to make them shorter (hence cheaper to mail). But, we've adjusted to times by alerting via facebook when we send a letter and when it is received. So despite us keeping the old traditions we still incorporate the new technology and keep in touch between letters. Sadly, I'm not the best penpal as I have sometimes taken long periods of time to write a letter back. Regardless, penpals are great things and ways to stay in touch with another friend in a different country or part of the world. And seeing the letter in the mail is a great feeling as you pick it up to read it!

Cracking

You never notice the little things in life until someone points them out to you or you can't do it. I usually crack my toes very regularly, to the annoyance of some of my friends. Today however, I couldn't crack my toes cause I hurt my foot. Kinda my ankle, but really just the tendon that goes into my foot. Either way it hurts to crack my toes. That's really all I have to say. I hurt my foot and I like to crack my toes/neck/back.

Take 3

Today I was doing science activities with a student and we were mixing paints like Di Vinci. We completed our second practice run before we attempt the final project, a "Mona Goose.' As we practiced with the plaster of paris mixing it, we made some mistakes. We spilled it, colored the table and our fingers, and had colors turn out incorrectly. Regardless, each time we learned something new.
As I keep doing more science experiments, I'm reminded of how often they fail. In lab the experiments did not turn out correctly most of the time, and those were tested experiments. When we try something new the likelihood of it not working correctly is even higher.
So what's our attitude when it fails? Do we complain and stop trying? or Do we learn from our mistakes and try again hoping it will change the next time.
As teachers we are taught to reflect on our lessons each time and to adapt for the future. This reflection is so important both in teaching and in our regular life. Chances are if something did not work the first time, it probably won't work exactly the same way a second time. Try something new and see what happens. Don't be afraid to make mistakes, just learn from them.

Light

"I will lead the blind by ways they have not known, along unfamiliar paths I will guide them; I will turn the darkness into light before them and make the rough places smooth. These are the things I will do; I will not forsake them." Isaiah 4:16

God is slowly revealing to me what He wants me to do. He is guiding me along very unfamiliar paths and slowly telling me what is coming in the darkness ahead. My summer job was filled with alot of darkness as I had very little idea of what I would in fact be programming, let alone the amount of it. But today I was able to see the entire summer laid out on monthly sheets. It just tells me the title of what is happening for each age group at night not how to plan it (that's my job) or what's happening during many of the days. This is something that if I had looked at while interviewing for the job I would have been more hesitant to take it. However, I am confident in my ability to take this job and rock it. It won't be easy, but it will be fun and achievable.
God tells us what we need to know at the right time for us to hear it. If He told us everything at once we would be overwhelmed and He knows that. Instead, He slowly shows it to us so that we can comprehend it and are ready to listen. Be patient!

"Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path." Psalms 119:105

Radical

I spent some time today catching up on my friends blogs... including one that talked about being radical. That really influenced me as I have had my life massively altered in recent days, but have not told too many people about it.
As many of you know, my plan after graduation was to go one of the Dakotas to teach. I had researched it online, knew a significant amount about it, and have been telling people that that's where I planned to get a full-time teaching job for years. It was a 'safe' choice, even though teaching there isn't easy.
I'm a very safe person: I set up my retirement funds at 18 and slowly add to it with each paycheck now. I live below my means and am ready to pay my school loans when they are due. (In high school, Coach mentioned that one of her gifts to her husband was no student loan debt and I've desired to follow that plan as well.) I live in a cheap apartment that's affordable and am blessed to have it filled with things that I need and might need in the future.
So my plans are set... graduate with my masters and get a full-time teaching job. Teaching is a safe job as long as you are willing to move.

God steps in to alter these plans massively:
1. He slowly reduces my desire to have a classroom of my own and shows me the joys of subbing.
2. He gives me a position as a Graduate Assistant where I can interact with people around campus in many different offices and students of all ages. I help perspective students through alumni... focusing mostly on students at the campus.
3. He allows me freedom to finish my grad program with flexibility to be determined in the Fall.
4. He enabled my required classes to not be on Wednesdays so I could begin to help with the ministry of my church and pour into those students.
5. He brought back the thoughts of being a full-time missionary that I had pushed onto the far back burner for years.
6. He gave me the strength to make that first call saying that I was interested and wanted more information about it.
7. He has given me supportive parents and many people praying about it.

I'm confident that if I am supposed to have this job then I will get it. The application and references are partially filled out on my computer and my excitement is building to think about the job.
Now full-time missionary is not what I ever anticipated doing with my life. I've loved teaching and working with kids for about 10 years and this job isn't with kids. But, as I look back and see what else God has been doing to prepare me for this it's amazing.

During the 2nd service trip, I was a co-coordinator but also an RA in training on campus. This meant that after the first day I could only be at the trip starting between 8 and 11 pm and then had to return to campus for 8am breakfast. I spent those hours at night fellowshipping with others while also doing the paperwork, making sure food was set for the next day, and organizing other things. After two days of this I got frustrated because I felt like I wasn't doing any service. One of the guys on the trip told me "I don't want to ever hear you say that again. Your service is to do this work so that everyone else can go out and serve." That comment, probably made about 1am, has dramatically changed my way of thinking.
It's not my calling to go out and change the world dramatically. Instead God has given me the gifts of shepherding, administration, and giving so that I could instead help enable others to go out and serve. We can all be world-changers, but first we have to be changed to be willing to follow God's path, wherever it may lead.
For me, I believe that the job I'm preparing mentally and physically for now is one that God has called me to for five or more years. It's not a 'safe' job as I would have to raise my own salary and depend on God for all providence. Regardless of my initial hesitations, I believe that having this job (if it's God's will for me to do it now), would benefit God, others, and myself.
Changing my dream of teaching kids to being a full-time missionary hasn't been easy, but I know that God is providing for it to happen. Only time will tell what the end result will be on me getting the job and raising the funds. May God have all the glory in whatever I do in my life.

P.S. If you want to know what the job is message me and I'll post it on here once it's more settled. In the meantime, prayer is powerful!

Canoeing with Wind

As we were canoeing earlier today, the wind decided to pick up. The lake usually has no wind and is very easy for us to canoe on. As I taught my friends how to paddle and was in charge of the steering, it showed me how much control God has in my life. I had the power, strength, and wisdom to guide the boat where I wanted it to go no matter what the person in the bow did. She could paddle on left or the right, fast or slow, and I could still decide to turn the boat around in a minute. Even when the wind came and blew us to the side, I could overpower it to go the correct direction.
God is the same way. He's in the stern of my canoe in control of where the boat is going. I can try to paddle to help go in the same direction which speeds up the process. If I'm not listening to Him then I'll paddle against what He wants me to do. This makes it harder, but ultimately the choice in desination in still the same.
I hope that I am seeking to work with Him on the path for my life. Putting in the needed work to go farther and faster. Working towards God's plan is easier than working against it although both do require work.

New perspective

This weekend so far I've had a new perspective on where I grew up. Today I got to enjoy a campfire (one of my all time favorite activities to do) while looking up at the stars. As I talked with two of my friends who roasted their first marshmallows and made s'mores I reflected on the many times I've made the s'mores around similar campfires. From attending camp to sleepovers with friends, prom night to visits home from college, and finally to working at camp and enjoying marshmallows at college (even in Australia), campfires are a great way to communicate and share in God's glory.
The stars tonight, which I can recognize many more of thanks to last night's open house at the observatory, reminded me that I am just a speak of light in the universe. I might be really far away from someone or something, but my light can shine anyway. It also flashed me back to my freshman small group as we read "It's Not About Me." That book reminded us that we aren't really shining ourselves, but instead reflecting the light of the Son, just as the planets reflect the light of the Sun.
Particularly since tomorrow is Easter, and secondarily since I'm working to improve my witnessing, I'm praying that I will get the chance to show that Jesus is the Answer and that He died for me and for those around me. I hope you share that prayer and understand that Christ is Lord over all the Earth and Heavens. Happy Easter!

Stars

This is the first of three nights and 4 days of break at my parents with two of my Chinese friends. After arriving home we enjoyed a nice meal of Mexican food before embarking on a quick walk around downtown, cause downtown is small. Then off to the Observatory we went. There we were able to see galaxies, Mars, Venus, Saturn, and the moon after finding the six main constellations. It was a beautiful night. I'll post the picture of the Moon on here soon.
I wish I had been able to take a picture of Saturn as it looked just like in the pictures with the rings and we even got to see one of its moons. To think that God designed all of these things with us in mind is amazing. We can never hope to see all of His creation, but each little glimpse reminds me of how much I love my creator. I can't wait to see what else this weekend holds as I'm getting to experience Easter weekend in the country through the eyes of the Chinese students. I'm seeing my town in a whole new light, and realizing how much I loved growing up here.

Endurance

Not one of my strong suits. In fact, one of my weakest areas when it comes to sports, followed not too far back by not great hand-eye coordination and ball skills. Regardless of the sport, endurance is important though (swimming doesn't care about ball skills).
As I finished up playing an intramural soccer game today in the cold weather (36ºF now, maybe 40º when we played), I realized just how poor my endurance is. I'm still breathing kinda heavy from a game that ended almost 1.5 hours ago. Practice helps us to build up our endurance, but it takes time. So while sports is not something I will ever get a job doing, the goal of my team(s) is to glorify God through playing. For us that involves giving Him the glory for the win or loss, trying our hardest, praying before games, and having good sportmanship (both before, during, and after the game). One of the teams we played this week (that I actually played on against Strive), stated before the game "We could never beat them. They're the holy team." Despite the fact that they/we did win, I think being noticed that our actions are different is a good thing.
Paul told Timothy in his first letter, chapter 4, verse 8 that "For physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come." We are put here to be godly. That has value now and forever while the scores of the game will fade quickly into the past. Glorifying God is something beneficial for everyone and does not require physical endurance but godly endurance to keep seeking God no matter the cost.

The unachievable goal...

Sometimes we reach a point in our life where something seems unachievable. Maybe it's something small like the 4.0 GPA or a fast time in the race. Other times it's more important like getting the right job or dating the right person. Regardless of what seems unattainable by our own strength, know that as a Christian we don't have to operate under just our own power. We have the power of Christ working for us to do His Will. He works all things together for good for those who love God and are called according to His purpose. We just have to trust Him and turn over the wheel to Him. As one guy said this weekend, that's not just giving God the driver's seat, it's taking our hand off the wheel as well. Try it and see where you go.

All the right pieces

I decided to make a smoothie tonight for dinner. I added the frozen blueberries, frozen peaches, milk, and icecream into the blender and hit go. It moved a little bit, then I realized that it wasn't working like normal. I picked it up to check and finally after dumping everything out realized one piece was out of order. I had not sealed the rim of the container to prevent links and therefore the juice was coming out. After fixing the problem, I tried again, but it was too late. Now I'm stuck drinking a milk/ice-cream milkshake with chunks of blueberries and peaches.
Sometimes we put all of the right pieces of our life together. We add education, a good job, friends, and family members into our life. We try to get it to balance out and become homogenous, but something is wrong. God, working through us, is in charge. But when we remove Him from being close to us, it's not effective. He doesn't work when we don't stay connected to Him. Is it time to take apart the pieces of your life and make sure that God is located close to the action so He can be effective? A chunky smoothie is good, but not the same as one that was perfectly blended.

Children

This weekend some of my many loved children became calling me Mamma... a different heard for many years. Now none of these children are legally mine, and some aren't even younger than I am. Regardless, my love for them is constant and my family keeps growing. I would do anything for them and I pray that they all know that. They ask me questions, ask for favors, and show me their love in a variety of forms. Whatever they need (not want), I'm willing to help support them to get them there.
If I love these "children" so much when I did not meet them before they were 17ish, how much more would I love my own child who I knew from the day they were conceived? Camps recognize that they are intrusted with the parents most precious belonging. Children are a wonderful gift and I know that while I am not a biological one now (nor do I desire to be at this time in my life), I can love the body of Christ like a mother loves her children.
God, our Heavenly Father, who know all things and does all things for His children, loved us enough to send his only biological son to the earth to save us. And who are we? The sinners of this world. For us, God allowed His own Son to die so that He was able to adopt anyone who wanted to into His family. I am blessed to know that God loves me enough to send His son to die for me... and would have sent Jesus to die even if I was the only person on this earth. There is nothing He would have held back from saving us.
Are we willing to share that Love with others? Those who do not have loving earthly parents and need a loving Heavenly Father. Those who sin and still need to know that God came to them while they were still sinners. Those who are good people, but still need a Savior because none are righteous, no not one. We should be encouraged by Our Father's love for us and know that He is there to catch us when we fall so we can try anything. Are you sharing and enjoying the Love of God or are you rejecting it?

April!

Today is April 1st! I'm so excited to be finished with April and to be that much closer to the summer. Mostly, I'm just glad that my work is slowing down and that I have two weeks "off" but with the students still around. It'll be a great chance to sleep in tomorrow and to work on my thesis. Also, if you want to meet up these two weeks would be a good time :) Enjoy April and hopefully spring weather (or fall if that's the season for you).

Job well done

Today I successfully ran a large event on campus that has taken the planning committee and I since November to plan. Since January the other head coordinator and I have taken about 4-5 hours a week getting ready for it. It ran smoothly and we got to hear our bosses say good job.
Encouraging words are very powerful which is a lesson I hope some of my friends also learned today. The ultimate of encouragement is God saying to us when we die "well done, good and faithful servant." I long to hear that from Him and strive to live a life worthy of those words.
Encourage someone today!

One more day

Just one more day until the event I've been planning is done. I pray that the event goes smoothly with lots of people attending. Regardless of what happens, my goal is to stay upbeat and encouraging to all who helped. It's so much work and while I can't control attendance, I can control my attitude during it and afterward.
Plus after it's done, my life gets easier so I can focus on my thesis much more.

Attention to Detail

I spent a large part of today focusing on the exact wording on some parts of the college webpage. Were the semi colons used consistently throughout? Did each page have the same layout? I worked on this off and on for about 6 hours.
Then as I pulled into my parking lot, all ready to go home for a while I realized I left my coat in the car. My mind was so lost that I forgot to bend down enough and smacked my head on the car. Ouch! So much for paying attention to important details like how far to duck.

Refreshment

When the day is hard what do we do? Do we stuff our face with food to calm our fears? Do we run to our friend and cry on their shoulder? Do we avoid all suffering by lying to ourselves and others about the truth? Or do we turn to God, bring our cares before Him and let Him calm us down?
God's always there, no matter what the circumstances are or our location. He's ready to support us when we need it. Turn to Him, rely on His presence, and a peace will come. God did not say all of our troubles would go away or that we would never have any. Instead He said we would, but that there would always be a way out and that He would be with us. That's comfort enough in the troubled times. Joy comes with the morning.

Cleaning

Today I spent a while, with a friend, cleaning my apartment. I did my dishes while she helped with other things. It's amazing what a clean apartment feels like... even though I still have some messes around. Regardless, at the end of it I even felt motivated enough to take my magic eraser around to the door and cabinets.
It's weird how we are willing to clean when we should be doing other things, like sleeping. But, in the end, having a clean place to live is good as it shows we take pride in the place God has given us to live. It also helps keep us healthy. Spring cleaning is important, and a few other times a year too.

Coucous

If you have never tried coucous you are missing out. It is a wonderful starch that you can mix into things, cook by itself in just five minutes, flavor to whatever liquid you put it in, and enjoy. Plus it's cheap and as I said... it cooks in just five minutes. Buy some and eat it. You can even buy a box of it if you don't know how to cook it.

Face Down

God's been sending me some tough messages lately. Things I don't fully want to hear, but need to. Today I spent some time face down on my couch just talking to my Heavenly Father. It reminded me to be fully humble before Him and that His Will is greater than ours.
When was the last time you humbled yourself before God and were face down in His presence? Do it and see what He reveals to you as you listen to Him.

P.S. If you need a song to help you get in the right mindset, listen to Audio Adrenaline's "Underdog". http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_TNxLBDrhkA

Home

As I returned home tonight, I was reminded of the joys of having your own place to live. You have a place to store your things, to lay your head at night, and to cook your food. More importantly, you have a place to invite people over and to grow on your own. I love having people over and wish I had hosted more. The joy of being able to share an apartment (or house) with someone is powerful.
I spent most of the day today at someone else's house, enjoying the carpet, the pets, the sewing machine, and the comfy furniture. Most of all, I enjoyed the company of a bunch of people chatting about things concerning God.
While my apartment is no where near perfect, it is my home... and will be for about 3 or more years of my life. I get the downsides of paying bills and cleaning, but the benefits of having a warm place to call mine. I'm thankful for this apartment and look forward to living here for the unknown future.

Weddings

Tonight I get to watch my first Australian wedding as one of my friends gets married. I'm very excited to see him get married and also to see what weddings are like there. The only time I've watched weddings is on tv shows and those aren't very realistic for what my friends would do.
This morning, in the hour between waking up at 8am and not allowing myself to get up that early on my day off, I drifted into the land of weird dreams. I slowly walked myself through the wedding, although this is a very different kind of wedding.
To start, everyone had the choice of walking the preferred route: a 2 mile walk/run or you could take the stairs up for a shortcut. There were dancers through the entire thing in big square circusstyle costumes of bright colors. The bride and groom walked in together, one right behind each other, supporting each other. And the ceremony itself took place mostly behind a curtain with the married couple coming out at the end to their guests still enjoying the reception like wedding. It was a very odd dream and I doubt the wedding tonight will be like that... nor should any in my mind.
I'm just super excited to see what the wedding is really like instead of what my semi-asleep dreams make it.

Peace

Do you ever get the feeling that you have something to do? I hate knowing that I have things I need to do, whether it's homework, work for my job, cleaning my apartment, or seeing someone that it has been too long since I last talked to them. That being said, this week has been super stressful. I've had a 5 page part of my thesis due since Tuesday: that's still a paragraph long. My apartment is a mess, even to the point that it's annoying me with the clean and dirty dishes and clothes that haven't been dealt with since I got back from the weekend. My job's craziest week is next week which I have been preparing for since November. And my social life... my need for sleep has made it so that many of my friends I haven't seen since Spring Break (which was last week if I remember correctly).
That being said, I know now that all things will work together for good. I have tomorrow off and I'm not accepting any subbing jobs. I'll work on cleaning my apartment after sleeping in a little bit. I'll wait for another update on my paper, which my adviser thankfully gave me an extension on until I know for sure what my topic is. That saves me from writing a 5 page paper on a topic that's not going to be my final one, then rewriting the entire thing. And my job... I know that next week will be crazy with advising and the symposium, but everything that can be planned for has been and it will work out. As for friends, tomorrow is Friday which means I get to watch a friend in Australia get married then join InterVarsity for the night.
Surprisingly I have a peace about everything that's going on. Nothing is staying the same and I'm behind on some things, but everything is going to work out eventually. Maybe I won't see it right now, but God's in control of everything. The big things like work, school, life, and the small things like homework, what I should eat for dinner at 9pm, and everything else. Is He is charge of everything in your life?

Not moving... right now

Hey,
For those of you who keep track of where I live at all times, I'm not moving out of my apartment for the third year in a row. So any mail is still going to make it to me :) even though I will be working in PA for the summer again. But, I will be still at college for all for all of next year although prayers are really desired for how/what I'm supposed to be doing between now and graduation. Thanks!

Beautiful Weather

The weather outside actually looks and feels like spring on this first day of Spring! I had the pleasure of sitting outside on my front balcony for a while while doing my homework. I strongly encourage you to get outside and enjoy the weather since it's so rare for it to be this nice so early. Go outside!

Student Teaching

One of the best semesters of your life... in hindsight. It is so much work and very stressful as you go through being a real teacher in two different placements. But afterward it's almost as if you know you can conquer the world cause you made it through. That's an overstatement of course, but you can learn so much through student teaching. And the joys of seeing the kids even a year and a half later remind you that the hours you put in are worth it. For all those of my friends in their student teaching placement or their final prac, good luck and enjoy this time. You get to learn, make mistakes, and try new things. Don't be afraid to ask if you can do something never before done... it could work out wonderfully. After this time you can get your own classroom! It's worth it in the end, I promise.

Challenge

My personal challenge for the rest of the semester and my time in Fredonia before I leave for the summer is to see if I can go without buying groceries. The only exceptions are fresh fruit, vegetables, and milk. I think this 3 month challenge will force me to survive on the things I have and also to determine what my needs are versus what my wants are. The remainder of the food money will be donated to a charity for those who don't have enough food, hopefully a local one. Let's see how this works and hope that it clears out the food I have in my apartment before I head out for the summer.

Finances

The tv at home was tuned to the financial channel today as I watched, with my parents, As Debt Due Us Part, Princess, and The Suze Osburn show. Needless to say, while this was not the most thrilling three hours, it allowed me some time to reflect on my own finances. The importance of saving (recommended 8 months of emergency funds) kept coming up in addition to not spending on wants, just on needs unless you can actually afford it. The Bible teaches us many of these important principles as well.
However, something that was never touched on in those shows was the importance of tithing. Giving the 10% or more to God first refocuses us onto Him and allows us to trust that He is in charge of our finances. Plus with that money we can fund the vital work that His body is doing around the world whether at college campuses in the US, Australia, or Japan, at camps over the summer, or in churches all around the world. God is moving and working in our lives. Be responsible with His money and return some of it back to Him.

Home?

I'm in that awkward transition stage where I have my own temporary apartment, but still visit my parents at home. Yet recently as I have been referring to my parents place, I'm realizing that it's no longer my home for now. It's where I grew up and where I spend holidays, but other than a few weekends here and there I live in my own apartment. Plus as time moves on, since I've kept the same apartment for almost 2 years, soon start a third year, who can say that I don't live there. Home is where the heart is and where you are called to be. It's not the prettiest place you can live in or the biggest, or even the one where more of your stuff is. It's the one where you feel like you are supposed to be: where you are involved in the community and church, go to school, and work.
Over the past five years as I've lived in many different places, I've always called them home in one sense. Often just as an I'm going home (to my dorm room/apartment), not as the place where I truly live. Since my apartment is now my home, and my parents a spot where I can visit for short periods of time, I realize what God is talking about when He tells us He is going to prepare a house for us. We have temporary places here that we live, but whatever time we spend on earth is just fleeting in view of eternity. I know that Jesus is preparing a wonderful place for me to live for all eternity in heaven that will be far better than anything I could ever buy here. That is where my heart should really be, seeking after God until I can join Him in heaven in my eternal home. Where we live now is fleeting, but where we spend eternity is steadfast. I'm going to heaven when I die... Are you?

Storms

About 11am today, there was an amazing thunderstorm with lots of lightening and rain. The students in my class decided that due to the extreme weather they should be released from school 4 hours early. Obviously thunderstorms are too dangerous to be in school during.
What they chose to not think about was the fact that the majority of the students walk to and from school... plus the fact that normally lightening means get inside wherever is closest. They saw the end result (getting home earlier) without thinking about the actual costs.

How often do we do the same in our regular lives? We have hard times and our first response might be "I want to get out of this." We decide to take the route we know, even if it's not the safest or the best for us. Sometimes God calls us to weather the storms of life for a given time. Eventually He'll bring us out of them, but in His timing.

All of the kids got home today, at 3pm as usual, in beautiful weather. Waiting for the storm to pass can be a good choice even if it looks better to take the shortcut.

Church Visitors

When we are see new visitors, young or old, at church do we welcome them or do we automatically judge them? It's so important to talk to them, make sure they feel welcome instead of ignoring them or worse talking about them. No matter what they look like, they are either members of God's family and therefore our siblings or they are someone who is looking to know God and this visit might be their only chance. Regardless, God calls us to love our neighbor as ourselves, not judging them. He loved even the worse sinners and we are called to do the same.
This week, try to reach out to the visitors at church and even better is bring more visitors!

Closeness

Recently, I experienced what it felt like to be needed by someone. To have them know that you are physically close to them so that they can hold your hand as you walk down the hall or watch a movie together. To have them touch your face and then get closer as they get scared. To be able to 'save' them from a 'horrible' situation that they can't figure their own way out.
This is what our Heavenly Father wants us to do to Him. To draw close to Him so that He knows we need Him and so He can guide us. He'll help us through the obstacles of life and be by our side at all times. We just have to reach up and accept His extended hand.
Do we seek God and truly desire to have Him near us at all times? Do we run to Him when we are scared or do we run to our friends?



Note: Please do not interpret these situations in the wrong manner... young children have an innocent love and trust of all adults and like to know that you are near them. God calls us to love like little children.

Campfires

A renewing time to reflect on life and to catch up with friends. Also a great camp tradition and way to connect with everyone else at camp. When partnered with s'mores and songs it's even better. My computer desktop reminds me every day of the importance of connecting with friends over a campfire (even though it was the most pitiful campfire ever). FYI: Australia has no graham crackers (bbq chicken flavored rice crackers substituted), lacks the correct kind of marshmallow (too sugary) and Hershey chocolate, and we did not have a fire pit, just a soda can with gas on fire in it. Not the traditional campfire, but still my favorite picture from Australia, partially because of all of the extra elements. All it's missing is one of my closest friends and it would be great.
So anyway, back to campfires: they are a place of renewal. Yet they are also extremely dangerous. My mind flashes back to the story of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. The story is posted below, but reminds us to honor God even when we will get hurt doing it. (And yes, I realize that lesson has nothing to do with campfires at summer camp... but that's what's going around in my head.)


Daniel 14-30
and Nebuchadnezzar said to them, “Is it true, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, that you do not serve my gods or worship the image of gold I have set up? 15 Now when you hear the sound of the horn, flute, zither, lyre, harp, pipe and all kinds of music, if you are ready to fall down and worship the image I made, very good. But if you do not worship it, you will be thrown immediately into a blazing furnace. Then what god will be able to rescue you from my hand?”

16 Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego replied to him, “King Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend ourselves before you in this matter. 17 If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to deliver us from it, and he will deliver us[c] from Your Majesty’s hand. 18 But even if he does not, we want you to know, Your Majesty, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up.”

19 Then Nebuchadnezzar was furious with Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, and his attitude toward them changed. He ordered the furnace heated seven times hotter than usual 20 and commanded some of the strongest soldiers in his army to tie up Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego and throw them into the blazing furnace. 21 So these men, wearing their robes, trousers, turbans and other clothes, were bound and thrown into the blazing furnace. 22 The king’s command was so urgent and the furnace so hot that the flames of the fire killed the soldiers who took up Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, 23 and these three men, firmly tied, fell into the blazing furnace.

24 Then King Nebuchadnezzar leaped to his feet in amazement and asked his advisers, “Weren’t there three men that we tied up and threw into the fire?”

They replied, “Certainly, Your Majesty.”

25 He said, “Look! I see four men walking around in the fire, unbound and unharmed, and the fourth looks like a son of the gods.”

26 Nebuchadnezzar then approached the opening of the blazing furnace and shouted, “Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, servants of the Most High God, come out! Come here!”

So Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego came out of the fire, 27 and the satraps, prefects, governors and royal advisers crowded around them. They saw that the fire had not harmed their bodies, nor was a hair of their heads singed; their robes were not scorched, and there was no smell of fire on them.

28 Then Nebuchadnezzar said, “Praise be to the God of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, who has sent his angel and rescued his servants! They trusted in him and defied the king’s command and were willing to give up their lives rather than serve or worship any god except their own God. 29 Therefore I decree that the people of any nation or language who say anything against the God of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego be cut into pieces and their houses be turned into piles of rubble, for no other god can save in this way.”

30 Then the king promoted Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego in the province of Babylon.

Freedoms and how we use it

We have so many freedoms in this country, but are we thankful for them? We have, with few limitations, the freedom to say what we want, to go where we want to, practice whatever religion freely, and more. If we can speak the name of Christ with limited fear of persecution why don't we? We aren't imprisoned for our faith, yet we still have a quiet mouth in regards to our faith. After learning about jail at church, Paul's time there and also what life is like there now for prisoners, I realized that we need to speak about the love of Christ and how he can change us. As the radio stated: we talk about things that are important to us, yet somehow we censor God ourselves. Yes there are rules we should follow... but the most important rules are God's. Be His ambassador in your workplace or school and be thankful for all of the freedoms we have. Also, remember our brothers and sisters in Christ who do not have the same freedoms and could be seriously harmed or killed for speaking about Christ. Pray for them as you pray for the courage to stand up yourself.

Babies!

Babies have come up alot in conversation and around me. From 1st graders discussing how babies were made on Friday, to seeing a baby at a neighboring table (and the college students reactions to it) at dinner Fri night, to playing with a 1-2 year old at church this morning, and finally to returning home to see that a 9 year old has given birth to a baby. Four times in two days is so many.
I can't lie and say that having kids never crosses my mind. I am excited to have children of my own, but I know that my time to be a mom is not now. For now, borrowing children is the best way I can think of to still have interactions with them. You don't have all of the responsibility for them (like paying for food/clothes/housing/toys or dealing with crying/diaper changing), but you get to enjoy them for the good parts.
Even with older kids as I substitute, help with kids at church, and today went to a middle school outreach basketball game, seeing the kids in multiple contexts helps build the relationship. You can see how they behave in different areas and also show that you care about them (still without feeding/driving/etc them).
So my personal philosophy is to work with kids in other settings such as school, church, babysitting, or camp, until the time when I am ready to be fully responsible for having a child of my own (and my husband's). Babies don't disappear, they grow up and you are always responsible for them. And for all of the children and teens who sadly are having babies... I hope that we as society will do something to help reduce your number. You should be responsible for yourself before having another life to take care of.

Sleep

So you think that after yesterday I would have learned my lesson about extremely long days... nope. I believe that even though it's 3am, it still counts as yesterday's post as I have not been home since before 8am. Probably working for 14 hours followed by 9 hours of socializing/dinner was not the best idea especially since I had a headache for the last 9 hours of it. O well... break starts today. Whatever that means. I think it means I get to have many fewer on campus hours and don't have to go to my 5 hours of class. But I still have on campus work to do and hopefully subbing. And it also means that not as many friends are around so I might (possibly) get some of my work done for the rest of the semester. Maybe sleep will fit in there too? Who knows??
Enjoy Spring Break!

Today

Today I learned about exhaustion.
Physical exhaustion from having a late broomball game after playing basketball with elementary kids. Then getting about 5 hours of sleep before going to work at 8am and leaving at 9:30 pm. I worked the entire time, with the exception of a 45 minute field placement and a 2.5 hour class that I ate dinner during. Anyway, sadly I did not get nearly enough work done so I'll go in to my office tomorrow after subbing and I'll probably have to work some during break.
Isn't break about actually getting a break? So far mine will be filled with lots of homework, the leftovers of my actual work, and probably 35ish hours of subbing/tutoring. I might need to rethink break and actually relax some. O well, there's always next year (I think). Really break just means I don't have the five hours of class a week and I get to spend my days substituting instead of being in the office and subbing.
Anyway, I'm looking forward to April.
Goodnight!

Acknowledgement

Yesterday as I left a high school after subbing for a day, one of the students I had called across about 25 feet to day goodbye to me, by name. This really surprised me, because while I knew his name (by chance cause remembering names is not my strength), I had him for just one period. However, this lifted my mood for the rest of the day and even causes me to smile a bit writing it today.
If simply saying "Bye Miss ..." can mean so much, why don't we acknowledge others as often as we could? One of the reasons I chose to go to a medium sized school was so I could see people I know when I walk from one part of campus to the other. It's not as small as high school where I knew everyone, but seeing someone you know and actually acknowledging each other is a mood lifter. That two second exchange, which doesn't always require words, reminds people that we are thinking of them and that they are important. It shows that we know them and care about them.
As I walked into the library last night for class, someone commented "I don't see you much around campus anymore." Sadly, that's true. Even though I spend 26 hours on campus between work and class, plus friends/clubs outside of it, 23 of the hours at least are spent in one building...mostly in my office. I kinda hide in my office, but whenever I see someone walk by my office that I know it's exciting to be able to acknowledge people.
When it is so quick and easy to smile at someone, to say hello, or to even just nod, why do we sometimes quickly pass them by without even acknowledging them? For your good and mine, let's take that 2 seconds to transmit the fact that we know someone and care about them.

Five Love Languages

The Five love languages are ways that people speak and understand emotional love. There are also different dialects and we should learn the language of our spouse.
1. Words of Affirmation-verbal compliments, encouraging words, kind works, and humble words.
2. Quality Time: Togetherness, quality conversation, quality activities (i.e. movie watching)
3. Receiving Gifts: visible symbols of love: It's the thought that counts
4. Acts of Service: Doing requests, helping with housework, etc.
5. Physical Touch: Holding hands, kissing, embracing etc. implicit or explicit

If you think about it, in general one love language kinda sticks out more as the way you want to be loved. The trick is to then know your spouse's love language and share it.

Before you go thinking that this is something super cool that I thought of... it's totally not. It's from the book "The Five Love Languages"... or in my case "The Heart of the Five Love Languages" (the short version) by Gary Chapman.

I just read the book (which is really short) and I can pass it off to anyone else who wants to borrow it. Or you can check out the website at http://www.5lovelanguages.com/learn-the-languages/the-five-love-languages/ You can even take an assessment to determine what your love language is. I recommend checking it out.

Thankful for the little things

Today I realized how thankful I am for the little things in life. Like a clean load of laundry, mostly clean dishes but plenty to eat off of, food in the fridge and the cabinet, and a bed or couch to sleep on. That's just the tangible things. Other things like friends who encourage me and entertain me, family to provide support when asked, and a hope that tomorrow will be a great day! God provides all we need, even when we don't really understand what we need. He knows and gives us more than we can ever ask for or desire. Thank Him!
I heard earlier this year a challenge...I challenge you to ponder it: What if we only had the things today that we had thanked God for yesterday?

Break

Today is a great day to take a break from reading my blogs and to instead spend some time listening to what God is trying to teach you. So get off the computer and go do it.

Waiting : Part 2

Last night I played Life: Twists and Turns with friends. It's the same basic game, except each person gets a credit card instead of real money and you collect life points. You make the choice to start at Love (marriage/kids/friends), Live (experiences/travel), Learn (college), or (something that involves working). Each has it's benefits and you can move quickly or slowly through each section of life to see who gets the most life points in the end. We learned at the very end that getting married early (and having 7 kids) is the best way to get life points, although you are very poor.
We each made choices about how to go through life, when to buy a car, get married, or buy a house.
It helps us remember that we can't do everything at the same time and some things we have to wait for.
In my actual life (not last night's game), I chose to go to college, graduate, keep going to school while working. Now this looks just like I am focusing on my education which is a great understatement. Each summer, I work at a camp somewhere to get more life experiences. I also work during the school year, as an RA, substitute teacher, or now a Graduate Assistant to prepare for my future career and have fun. Plus, I had the amazing ability to spend a semester in Australia studying... hidden under the 4.0 was hours of building friendships and learning more about God and myself. So while I've waited on the "love" track, I have built so many friendships and done what God has called me to do (for the most part).
As I mentioned yesterday, we tend to want everything to fall perfectly in place in our own scheduling. I wrote my plan from my junior year of high school. For any guys reading, I would alert you that most girls regularly update their 5 and 10 year plan... but they have one. Mine for most of college was: graduate while being in a long term relationship, go to grad school, and get married after grad school with Teach for America still in the view. I think late in my junior year of college I realized this wasn't going to happen. So I made another change... I no longer have a structured timeline for when I want things to happen. I know that God loves me and will provide good things to His children who ask. My focus now is just to serve God in the place(s) gives me. I'll finish my Masters in the next year (Dec, Jan, or May), work (full-time locally next year or part-time next year and full-time out of state the following year), get a relationship whenever the time is right, and keep serving in the ways that I keep finding. I'm not moving until I've been given directions on where to go and been given permission to leave. Right now: I've been called to help as the 'old' person on campus and to help led the kids on Wednesdays. This is my mission right now and how God is preparing me for my future.
With that being said, it's a constant battle for me to remind myself that I don't have to worry about finding the right guy for me. The desire to get married, and have kids, is regularly present especially as more friends get married. But I know that my call right now is to wait and to serve God in other ways while preparing myself to be the wife my husband deserves. Proverbs 31 provides directions on how to be the right kind of wife while 1 Timothy 4:12 provides support for me in my current mission. It states, "don’t let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith and in purity." This is the verse I try to live by and I'll probably do an series of blogs specifically on it as it constantly is rolling around in my head. (It helps that I have a poster of it on my bedroom wall.)

Since I seem to be getting wordy, I'm going to close with Isaiah 40:31.

"But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint." (KJV)