Whirlwinds

Well, another crazy weekend is about to begin. This weekend will contain many events: two trips to GR with the youth group, one with my sister, and the hookup of cable/internet at our house. We're ready for non-stop crazy weekend!

We're taking the youth group to a place called the 3 Mile Project. It's basically a giant facility used as a hangout place on weekends where students can go to be safe and foster relationships, and, of course, be kids :) Check out the website, 3mileproject.com. Middle and High School are different nights, so that's why we're going two separate days. We'll also be traveling with another nearby church that we do other activities with. It sounds like it's going to be a very fun two nights, and I'm anxious to see the facility and how it impacts our students.

Saturday morning our cable/internet is getting hooked up, finally! It's so weird to not have internet or any working television channels. We have a tv, but we're limited to movies and dvds. We've watched more Walker Texas Ranger, A Team, and NCIS in the past two months than I have combined for the last five years. It will be nice to have options, and even nice to be able to see the news.. haha.

My last trip for the weekend to GR is with my sister. We're going to a big concert called Winter Jam to see Skillet. We saw them back in June and they were awesome in concert, so we're hoping to get in on Sunday. Tickets are only sold at the door, so we'll be heading down after church on Sunday to wait in line for a few hours. I just hope the weather is good enough to stand and wait. I went to Winter Jam in high school once, and it was a neat experience, so I really hope we can get in so my sister can have that experience also. Below is a picture of the band Skillet. They're really good. Search them on YouTube and take a listen. (Note: their music is a bit heavier)

More updates next week! Have a good weekend! 

Getting Adjusted

Our new senior pastor has been here for close to a month now, and we are enjoying getting to know him and his family very much. They moved here from Canada, but are native to the states, so they are glad to be back at "home."

The first day I met him I remember thinking how refreshing his personality would be to our church. Don't get me wrong, we have a great church family, but the atmosphere was slightly slow and and a little bit behind. That isn't anyones fault in particular, but I was curious to see if our new pastor's personality would change this, and I'm seeing that it has. He is so upbeat and energetic, and he radiates a vibrant energy that seems to put a smile on everyone's face - young and old. He can also be characterized as a man of prayer. I've never had the opportunity to work with someone in ministry until last fall, but I have never observed anyone who so actively, purposefully, and often prays, except for my great-grandma (who is a great prayer warrior).

His wife is a very sweet woman with a wonderful laugh and smile, and a very warm personality. She actually reminds me a lot of my youth pastor's wife in the church where I grew up. Their two children are just as vibrant as they are. The older of the two, their daughter, is quieter, and I hear she is a great piano player. She is witty, and always has something funny to say with a facial expression that matches. She also has a very warm personality and seems to have the ability to jump in with any group of people and be at ease. Their son has endless energy and loves to be on a skateboard. He is friendly, outgoing, and has a very fun personality.

It has been wonderful getting to know this family and I can't wait to see how God uses them in our church and their relationships. Please keep them in your prayers as they are still adjusting to life in a different town.

While speaking of pastors, the search for our new youth pastor is fully underway. Please keep this process in your prayers, as God is preparing a man to serve in our church, and preparing our church to welcome a new pastor into our family. From what I hear, the search is going well and they have a few candidates in mind. It shouldn't be too long before we know something more concrete.

Another adjustment is that I will soon no longer have two jobs. As soon as the semester is done, I'm done working at the college, and as soon as a youth pastor is hired, I'm done working at the church. These closed doors are slightly scary, even though I know God is in charge. I am currently looking for a job, preferably something full time and hoping for benefits. As many know, jobs like that are few and far between right now, so I'm not being picky. Caleb's job is seasonal and doesn't have benefits, so we really need an additional income. Please keep that in your prayers, and let me know if there's a job you're aware of, I would really aprreciate it. His timing is perfect, and I'm trusting in that. As we know, thats easier said than done, but I have faith my God has a plan for me that is unfolding and will be just what I need, and will provide for my needs.

Matthew 6:25-34 (NIV)

25 “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? 26 Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? 27 Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?

28 “And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. 29 Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. 30 If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith? 31 So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32 For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. 33 But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. 34 Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

Working on casting my burdens on Him, and not worrying <3

Melodies

I sit here with Pandora playing to keep me company, and smile as each new song plays. There has been great music on the Chris August station, and I'm totally loving it. Below are just a few pieces from some songs that hit home today. Google the rest of the lyrics if you want, they're all great songs. Have a good day!

How can I come to the end of me,
And somehow still have all I need?
God, I want to know You more,
Maybe this is where it starts;
I find you when I fall apart

So let the waters rise, if You want them to;
I will follow You, I will follow You

You lift me up, holy One, holy One
When I but come, You're enough, You're enough
You fill me up with Your love, With Your love
To You I run, holy One, holy One


Sparks will fly as grace collides
With the dark inside of us
So please don't fight this coming light, 
Let this blood come cover us, 
His blood can cover us.. 
This is where the healing begins, 
This is where the healing starts, 
When we come to where we're broken within, 
The light meets the dark


Every blessing You pour out, I'll turn back to praise
When the darkness closes in, Lord, still I will say: 
Blessed be the name of the Lord, Blessed be Your name
Blessed be the name of the Lord, Blessed be Your glorious name


Covered by Your love divine, child of the risen Lord, 
To hear You say; "this one's mine", My heart is spoken for..

B-e-a-u-tiful Blessings!

Hellooooo out there! It feels like forever since I've written :) We have been slightly preoccupied though.. sorry.

Tuesday before I posted about that movie, I had begun to feel symptoms of whatever Caleb had. And, well, I guess you could say I was out of commission from then on until Saturday. It was a miserable few days, and the doctors said it was something similar to bronchitis. I'm just glad to be over it.

The weather here this past week has been absolutely b-e-a-u-tiful! We've went for a few walks around the neighborhood and out to the state park, and I even rode my bike to work yesterday (which was a little bit chilly so early in the morning.. but riding weather nonetheless). We've watched the sun set a few times on the lake, also. Last night's sunset was especially beautiful as it splashed the sky in oranges and yellows while we contently sat on the breakwall and watched the water shimmer and reflect the sun's colors.

As we sat there it hit me how truly blessed I am. I have a great family, God brought another amazing man into my life whom I married, He provided a home for us, and even provides means for us to visit family that lives a few hours away on occasion. We have food to eat, friends, and a great church. He has not only given us life here, but we have eternal life as well. And we have soo many other things that I can't even mention because my post would be too long. God has blessed us, and we feel a tremendous humbleness because of it. He is good. Amen?

So, tonight as I'm getting home and fixing some supper, stopping by the spelling bee to see Caleb, and then hopefully watching another gorgeous sunset, I'll be remembering the blessings. I hope you do the same :)

Last night's sunset

Have a great, and blessed week :) We love you

Dear Mr. God

Tonight we watched the movie "Letters to God." It was great. Sad, but great. This song is played at the end and it caught my attention. We've all felt this way at times, and I don't know about you, but I know I have written letters to God. And do you know what? He always gets our letters <3


Take a listen.. its good. 

You Are The Salt And Light

Wow, what a weekend. Friday I got out of work early, and we headed to the conference. We did the first nights main session and workshop, went to the hotel to swim and have pizza with some friends, and hit the sack. We got up (one of us woke up sick..), ate, headed to the conference for the day, did some shopping, and headed home. Sunday came early with praise team practice, more sickness, some srambling, and a slow afternoon. Sunday night went ok, and ended late. Monday dawned with both of us sick, and was a lazy day. So all that said, my Tuesday once again feels like a Monday, and has started with me already exhausted. But I don't plan on letting all that get the best of me. Why? Because this is the day that the Lord has made, I will rejoice and be glad in it!

So here we go! This is the part where I tell you more details. Ready? =)

The ministry conference was fantastic, I'm so glad that Caleb and I got to go together this year. Friday night we were introduced to the keynote speaker, Dr. Charles Ware of Crossroads Bible College. He is a great speaker, and each message he gave us was not only challenging, but also very encouraging. His challenges were about truly being the salt and the light of the world. This year's theme was serving on main street, and he stated that what a better way to serve than to just be the salt and light, and love people. I can't even begin to go into all the things he shared with us, but I will share my favorite quote. I forget the whole context, but he was speaking on being bought or traded by mere humans. He was getting louder and louder, and his pitch higher and higher until he exclaimed; "You can't buy me fool', I 'been bought with the blood of Christ!" What an awesome reminder! (http://churchministriesconference.com/)

Then I had the privilege of going to two sessions led by Carrie Gaul, a woman from the organization called Revive Our Hearts (http://www.reviveourhearts.com/). One session was about how we truly live on Monday mornings when we're not at church, we don't want to be at work, we're annoyed by that co-worker, etc., and how we live out the gospel. The other was about how God sees us, as His daughters and dearly beloved children. Both were great sessions, and were very encouraging. It was refreshing to go to a few sessions that focused on my relationship with Christ. I was hesitant at first, knowing I was going to the conference to be equipped further for our student ministries, but I soon made the realization that I can't effectively minister to others if I'm run-down, weary, etc., so I gave in and was in turn truly blessed by the sessions I went to.

So, refreshed and renewed from the conference, we decided to spend the rest of the day down in the big city (well, big to me at least.. ) and look for some clothes. Well, that proved frustrating and exhausting. I couldn't find anything that I liked, that was modest, or affordable. So I was bummed, my feet hurt, and I was starting to not feel so great. We decided to give up and head home, so we headed that way, stopped for a bite to eat, and got home around 11pm. We crashed, then woke up for church. Caleb felt so terrible that he opened the building and went back home, and I had to be at church bright and early for praise team practice. Church went well, and I headed home for the afternoon. We ended up in the ER soon after, and got home around 4pm. Youth group was youth group, and I grabbed food, and retreated to the house with a migrane to see how Caleb was feeling.  Well, bed was late again and Caleb woke up feeling somewhat better, and my head was throbbing. I ate and then went back to bed until mid afternoon because I had a chiropractor appointment. After that, Caleb went to a seminar because he was feeling pretty good, and got home all chipper and energetic. Two hours later he was back on the couch feeling more lousy than before =( I hope he feels better soon!

That was our weekend, but here's something for the future. While at the conference, I learned of another conference by Revive Our Hearts that is this September. I follow a blog whose user if familiar with Revive Our Hearts and went to the conference, so I had started to get more and more familiar with it as well. I was thinking of attending a conference, but didn't think there would be one close enough. Welllll, the lady who led the two sessions told us that the one in September is in Idianapolis, which isn't super far away for me =) So maybe, just maybe, I'll be grabbing a good friend of mine and heading that way for the conference. Who knows.. I would love to go if I'm able =)

It's a Monday.. err.. Tuesday

Well, as I sit here in the office, I face the reality that our weekend has come to a close. What a weekend, though.. we definitely managed to stay busy. My best friend from high school and her boyfriend came to visit and we were all excited.

Friday started out with me at work, and ended with a late night drive out to the state park and a movie. Saturday we took our friends to a taxidermy shop and to the state park so they could see it in the daylight. Sunday was church and we didn't really do a whole lot. Monday we went out to my parents' house, drove out to a peninsula southwest of town, explored some more, and then retreated back to the house. I was sad to leave for work this morning knowing they'd be gone when I got home, but it was a great weekend. Hopefully they can come up again this summer (when there's a lot more to do in this town!)

So now as I face the reality that its Tuesday (even though it feels like a Monday), my mind is once again set on school and work, and of course, the weekend! Haha.. yes, we have plans yet again for this weekend; a ministry conference! Last year it was awesome, and I can't wait to see how it will go this year.We're not quite sure what we're doing about staying overnight yet, but we have a few options. We'll figure it out :)

On that note, I'm off for a while. I might stop back later, if not, I'll probably be back Friday.

Have a good week! :)

See Grace, Not Just Weakness

I know, I know, I'm not a mom yet, nor will I be within the next nine months (just in case anyone was worried, I had to clarify). But this post I found goes much deeper than just dealing with "our children." We can use it as an example for everyone we encounter; we can see their weaknesses, but where do we see God's grace in their lives? Instead of just focusing on the weaknesses or things people do wrong, we need to look God's grace at work, and look for their strengths as well. Yes, we all screw up, but we do good things also. And God is gracious, forgiving, and loves our strong points. We need to be the same way with others. This post was especially hard for me to read this morning... but definitely something I needed to be reminded of.

I posted the link instead of copying and pasting because I don't want anyone to mistake what they're about to read as my work. Instead, someone else quoted part of a book in their blog, and I stumbled upon it. The writer of this blog is wonderful, even though I have never met her. Her posts continually encourage and challenge me. If you're on here frequently, her blog is one that I would suggest you follow.

Anyway, here's the link, take a minute and read it:
http://preciousadornment.wordpress.com/2012/03/01/are-you-your-childs-cheerleader/