Tuesday, July 6, 2010

More Random Updates

It's time for pictures! :)

Delicious peanut butter bars! I stole the recipe from Miss America and have made them many times to the delight of my co-workers. They are a hit!


D and I at their last band concert!

We went to B-Bay for a Memorial Day picnic with the family. We tried our hand at grilling clams.


It was a beautiful day! We prayed for sun and got it! :)


D & I at high school graduation!!!!


My baby bro....(Sob)
Freedom!!!!

Two of my cousins on a picnic. Aren't they precious?


Church grad 2010! YES!!!!!!


D & I showing off their skills. :)


My crazy uncle. :D


:) I love this pic.


I love this one too. :)



Last day of Sunday School!!! They wanted to do a play of Jesus' death on the cross and His resurrection. Quite adorable. I enjoyed these kids a lot!


Puzzles! Mine is the one with all the doors. It was relatively easy.


This was M's. It took us about 5 hours....Including lots of breaks. It was a toughie! 350 pieces that all looked a lot alike!

What a night! :)



How did you like the photo update? I'd love the feedback.

Monday, June 28, 2010

Random Updates

Life has sure been busy this year! I don't think I've had a dull day go by yet. It's summer but I'm still in school. I started last week. I am finishing up my last quarter at WWU (the Lord willing of course). I will be done July 30 and graduation is August 21st. I'm not sure if I'll do the graduation. It's a little bit of money and I'm thinking I should do it but I don't know anyone else graduating in Summer quarter. I don't know a lot of people at WWU and the ones I do know are either graduated or aren't graduating until Fall or Winter quarter of 2010/2011. Unfortunately, summer quarter is way more expensive than I thought it would be. Because of 1 extra credit I need to graduate, it's nearly double the price of 5 credits. I don't exactly know where the money is going to come from. I am praying about it and am trusting God to provide. I still don't know about grad school. If I go, I'd have to move about 2.5 hours south of where I am, around Seattle area for over 2 years. I can see a lot of good that could come out of it and I can also see that maybe God wants me to do something else. I am praying a LOT! :) I have no answers right now but God's really been dealing with me on trusting Him. I've had a lot of victories lately! Its been awesome. :) God is totally awesome. God is good, ALL the time!

So, school is about over, my life is about to change big time, I think, maybe. :) Camp is coming up soon! I'm quite excited about that! Bro. Ron Spencer is the special speaker. I'm expecting amazing things. Our services lately have been amazing as well. God's been proving over and over how much He cares about us and how much He provides for us.

I've been going to the Rec center at school in the morning before my afternoon class and even though I'm tired and don't exactly enjoy getting up so early, I always feel a lot better the rest of the day. I've been listening to Messages during that time and I love it. If only I could have afternoon classes every quarter! I'm starting volunteering at the hospital again for 1 credit and will be a bit busier at least 1 or 2 days a week. I am in need of more $$. I applied for a part-time position at my current work, another position, but didn't get it. It probably would have been more than I could have handled though. I have another one I'm looking into so we'll see how it goes. I'm not really sure what I'd do if I don't go to school in the fall. I could possibly take some classes at the community college and reapply to go next year but I don't know if I should. I've prayed that God would give me a very obvious sign whether or not I should go to grad school and finish up with OT or do something else. So far, there are too many loopholes in everything for me to tell for sure. I love helping people, especially children, and I love health care, but not necessarily nursing. Teaching is not for me, although I've considered it. So, I'm at a loss. Very dependent on God right now. It's nice but scary for me because I like being in control. I like to know exactly what's going to happen and I like to plan everything out. My summer class I'm taking is Intro to Abnormal Psychology. It's interesting. We took a test today in class to see how anal we are. I scored pretty high; 85% of the population of people my age scored much lower than I did. But, this is how God teaches us patience and trust.

That was long. Not a lot of info but it was time for an update. I have a test Thursday and need to read and study. Also, I need sleep! I was up at camp from Thursday-Sunday helping out with a camp and I'm quite tired. So much for the long, lazy days of summer...

Tuesday, June 8, 2010

Call Me Gone

I really enjoy Southern Gospel music and I've been listening to a lot of old groups singing old songs. I love those the best. One song I've had stuck in my head a lot lately is this one, Call Me Gone. I've linked to the song on youtube. Ignore the awful hair and clothes, it is quite dated. :) Hope you enjoy as much as I have been!



Call Me Gone

Call me a dreamer
Call I call it mine
Heaven, but I don't care
And call me crazy
Cause I'm homesick for it
Yet I have never been there
Call me a stranger
Cause that's all I am, I know I don't belong
Call me anything but when He calls me
Call me gone

(chorus)
Call me gone, I'll be leavin'
Call me gone, you'll be grievin'
If you're left here without Jesus to call on
Call me gone, no more heartache
Call me gone, and all that it takes
As for me to hear Him call me then call me gone

(This verse is to be spoken)
You know I've been called an awful lot of things in my lifetime
And to be honest smart wasn't always one of them
But thank God I was smart enough one day to call Jesus Christ the Lord of my life
And it was then I called it quits to a whole lot of sinnin'
But it's because of that commitment that a lot of people laugh at me and call me foolish
Aw.. but let em go ahead and laugh...
That don't bother me at all, cause any fool can see,
but the shape she's in that this ole worlds gonna fall,
But just as long as I know Jesus, I've got nothing to fear
And when the role is called up yonder,
Don't you call on me cause I ain't gonna be here!

(repeat chorus)


Sunday, June 6, 2010

Wounded Soldier

I don't know if you've ever heard this song before but it's been a huge blessing to me.

Wounded Soldier

You went out to the front lines

Committed to the cause

You fought the fight of faith

You truly gave your all

But now you lie there wounded

With a bleeding heart

You cry for help but help just seems so far

And you wonder where the other soldiers are

I am coming for you, Wounded Soldier,

And I will gently carry you upon my shoulder

I will give you time to mend,

Until you can fight again

There’s no need to fear

I am right here, Wounded Soldier

Sometimes our greatest battles

Are fought within our soul

No one sees your struggles

‘Cause you wont let it show

But you’re the walking wounded

Pretending to be strong

When deep inside you’re barely hanging on

And it’s hard to find the courage to go on



I've always really liked it and always thought of so many other people it applied to until this week, I realized it applied to me.

Somewhere along the road, a few months ago, I got wounded and have been laying on the battlefield, so to speak, dazed and confused.


I've been looking around, wondering where everyone is, struggling to get up and every time, get knocked back down. I felt like giving up. I know I'm Christian, but it's so hard and I'm so busy...

I was confused, scared, but I don't think it ever showed. I do a great job of hiding it. I didn't even really realize I was wounded, or at least, I didn't admit it.

But this week, especially during Wed. night service, it hit me and I realized what was wrong this whole time. This song came to my mind and I've been thinking about it ever since.

It's not easy being a Christian. What makes it even harder is realizing you can't and should not rely on other people for your experience, it has to be a personal walk with God. No friend or family or church member can make you a Christian, it has to be personal to you.

Being confused is not of God. He is not the author of confusion. I am believing that and keeping that in my thoughts.

This last quote I love so much: "It's ok folks, we're Christians!"

May you be blessed and wrapped in His love.

Thursday, May 27, 2010

In Which I Rediscover I Am So Not Ready for Kids


I had the opportunity to babysit for a family at church today. They are great kids and I enjoyed it. I had just been thinking last week about how long it has been since I've babysat. Being in college full time and working 2 jobs does not usually leave time, but it worked out today. I went and picked up the kids from the church school and dropped off another on our way home. This kid forgot where he lived but luckily I asked the principle before leaving, if he could tell me. He only knew the general area. Without too much difficulty, although thinking we were slightly lost, we found it. Then on to the border, back into the US. All fine and dandy, except they have these barriers around the exit, and normally when I go through, it's late and it's closed off, but this time it was a zig-zag. I went the wrong way and had to turn around to exit. Slightly embarrassing, but oh well. Then off to piano...

The directions I was given was fine except for one road, which was a crucial one. Thanks to my keen sense of direction and knowledge of county roads, I realized we were going the wrong way and had to turn around. We were about 15 min late for their lesson, but the teacher was late too so it worked out fine. Then I had to figure out where to take the oldest child to her cousin's house to go to her volleyball game. I had no idea where this cousin lived, but due to my handy dandy phone book, I found a county map and figured it out.

We got her there in time and headed on our way home. I was using my trusty map, and drove towards the road that was supposed to connect to the road the kids lived on. Unfortunatley, I have a mini phone book, so the map is shrunk, making the roads look like they connect, when there is about a mile where they do not connect. Lo and behold, it was that mile I was trying to find. So, we had to go way out of our way to get home, but we did make it.

As many of you know, I am not a cook, and decided on mac and cheese with chicken nuggets for dinner. They of course, were thrilled. After some recreation, I convinced them to brush their teeth and we read some books. They were supposed to be in bed by 8, but when their dad came home at 8:45, they were still up. They begged me to stay longer and read more stories, so I did.

All in all, it was fun, and I remember how much fun babysitting can be, but what I loved the most was leaving them with their capable parents and coming home to mine. And I realized, once again, why I am so not ready to be a mom. It's tough!

**What's the photo of, you ask? Why some kind of interesting creature we found lurking in the grass during the piano lessons. The youngest built a home for it in a mole hill, but the ungrateful little creature did not appreciate it.

Wednesday, May 12, 2010

Some Encouragement

I realized tonight that I've become pretty negative in my thinking lately. Not so much concerning God, but just in everyday life. I'd love to be a lot more positive. Bro. Tom preached an awesome service about encouragement and I remember on my old blog I used to post quotes that I found that were encouraging. So, I thought I'd do that tonight. In case one person reads this and finds some encouragement from it, this is for you!


Monday, May 10, 2010

Catch Up




I have lots of little posts I've been meaning to post the past little bit but most are forgotten. A little recap:

I did go to the Tulip Festival again this year and it was beautiful! I got lots of pretty pictures.

I've been busy working, doing school, homework, and volunteering. I am graduating in Summer!!!! Only 6 credits away from graduating! I can't believe it. I am still debating on whether or not I should walk. It's $40! I think they should be paying me!
Hm...not much else is new, except my bro is graduating from high school in about a month. Totally weird. He's going to be attending my school in the fall. Kinda neat. :)
Oh, I've been enjoying my two Anthro classes. One is boring and so pointless, but we've been having some hilarious (to me) discussions about evolution and creationism and these people who are supposed to be open-minded all gasp when someone mentions that kids at Whatcom actually believe in creationism. It was quite the entertaining day today. :P

Work is as crazy as ever. It must be a full moon soon or something...
That's about it for now. Enjoy some of my tulip photos!