Challenges and Thankful Moments

Well this past week has presented me with some challenges but also time to realize things could be way worse and I am so thankful for every little thing God puts me through.

Challenge 1: To look back over the stupidest assignment I have had to do for school, teacher friends know what I am talking about…the TPA. Yes, I failed to pass…my view the evaluator did not like me or what I wrote and wanted me to work on it more! Well to say the least I was not happy. I eventually got pass it and started working on it, with the help of my dear and reliable mom.

Thankful moment #1: My mom has been such a help in the smallest and biggest ways. She is always there for me, having dinner for me when I work late, encouraging me to stick with things, and being a wonderful editor. Just some of the things she does…I am extremely grateful for her!!

Challenge 2: The horrendous wind starts and our power goes out for a whole day. Did you know we use a lot of electricity. Almost everything I do uses some sort of electricity. So I was planning to work on the stupid assignment but having no electricity made that a little difficult, since it is on the computer through the internet. Thank goodness for Starbucks and the nice lady that let me take her spot in the busiest little Starbucks I’ve seen. Let me clarify the situation because it is kinda funny now. So we have two Starbucks near us, a small drive threw and a normal size one. The normal size one is closed due to power outage and everyone the neighborhood is at the small one because no one else has power…crazy huh!

Thankful moment #2: Starbucks is wonderful and now that they have free internet they are even more wonderful!

Challenge #3: No phone because the battery was dead…bad time for it to run out of battery because I have no electricity to charge it. Thanks to Starbucks and the nice lady that let me have her seat, I was able to use two electric plugs.

Thankful moment #3: Because I was using both plugs a guy comes to work and needs a plug. We start talking, I’m hesitant to give up a plug but I do because it is the nice thing to do. My nice act turns good for me too, he has a adapter with many plugs, super nice! This guy was really nice, friendly and talkative. Older guy has children of his own, from Germany with accent, which I love, accents.  So we talk for a bit about life and school and he just shares his view, I share mine and he is kinda befuddled by mine. He left an impact on me and I’m sure God had that in his plan. I pray that I had an impact on him too! God only knows and will use it to His glory!

Lesson learned: Life without electricity would be a lot different and may be challenging. God has a plan and I must trust and rely on Him every second and remember to take things day by day.

A friend shared with me Matthew 6:34 “Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

So thankful for all the people God has placed in my life!!

So much to be thankful for

God’s grace and forgiveness

God’s abounding love

God’s desire to continue molding me into the women he wants.

The beautiful creation all around

Loving family and friends I have in my life

My parents who support and love me unconditionally.

The loving and supportive man (now Fiancé) in my life.

My brother who acts like a brother.

A  church body that is like a second family

A house, food and clothing.

All the amenities we have living in the US.

The list can go on but I will stop and include a song of praise.

Thank You for Your kindness
Thank You for Your mercy
Thank You for the cross
Thank You for the price You paid
Thank You for salvation
Thank You for unending grace
Thank You for Your hope
Thank You for this life You gave
There is no one like You
There is no one like You, God
All my hope is in You
Jesus, Jesus
Thank You for Your promise
Thank You for Your favor
And thank You for Your love
And everything You've done for me
There is no one like You
There is no one like You, God
All my hope is in You
Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, Jesus
To Your name
We give all the glory
To Your name
We give all the praise
You're alive
Our God everlasting
So let Your face shine on us
There is no one like You
There is no one like You, God
And all my hope is in You
Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, Jesus
To Your name
We give all the glory

To Your name
We give all the praise
You're alive
Our God everlasting
So let Your face shine on us
To Your name
We give all the glory
To Your name
We give all the praise
You're alive
Our God everlasting
So let Your face shine on us
So let Your face shine on us
So let Your face shine on us

Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving is a time to ponder what we are thankful for. What a great idea it was to declare a National holiday just for praying and being thankful. I have so much to be thankful for!

Meeting up and talking to old friends is fun!

This past week I got to spend time with a special old friend. This friend is not someone I can just call up and say lets get lunch because she lives in London. We met in High School, she was with the foreign exchange student program, originally from Germany. Any way her name is Meike and I had a wonderful time getting Starbucks with her, shopping a little and bringing her to church. I am so thankful God brought her into my life. She is one of the sweetest people I know. She has a beautiful accent and a loving heart. It was so niece to have meaningful and deep conversations and share the same view.

I also spent time with another old friend, one I have know since second grade. No matter how long it's been since we hung out it never feels awkward. It was nice to talk about life with her. This girl is passionate about serving God and growing in understanding of Him. She is also busy with her church; consequently we had commonality to discuss. I look forward to spending more time with this girl!!

God is good, I ask that he would guide and direct my future. There are a lot of things on my mind but my prayer is that things would happen in his timing and that he would supply me with the patience.

I have been reading this book "Having a Mary heart in a Martha world" by Joanna Weaver. It is a great book about finding intimacy with God in the busyness of life. Reading it has opened my eyes to how important spending time with God is, way more important than an act of service. Through quiet times with God he teaches us but we must have a teachable heart.

Back Home

Recently got back from a mission trip to Peru. We stayed for three weeks and it was wonderful. God is good, without his strength and joy we would not have made it through all our commitments. I now appreciate the little things we have here in the U.S.

The first week was spent with an organized group mostly doing construction. The second week we stayed in a small beach city, Huanchaco. We did a short VBS with kids in a poorer community. Then did a week long VBS with kids at a church in Trujillo. This was a fun week, we hung out in the beach city then headed into Trujillo for the VBS.

The children of Peru are different from kids in the U.S. Children from Peru are extremely friendly and cuddly. They will sit on your lap and hang on you all day. Despite speaking a different language, bonds were formed and by the end of the week or time working with the kids it was sad to say good bye.

We saw the many cultures of Peru, the rich, middle class, poor, Chinese, and Peruvians. Every aspect of the trip was enjoyable. I could not say any one part was my favorite because I enjoyed every aspect and God taught me many lessons.

I hope to work on my Spanish and return to Peru one day.

This song is one that is a theme of the trip.

Beautiful Things by Gungor

All this pain...

I wonder if I'll ever find my way.

I wonder if my life could really change, at all.

All this earth...

Could all that is lost ever be found?

Could a garden come up from this ground, at all.

You make beautiful things,

You make beautiful things out of dust.

You make beautiful things,

You make beautiful things out of us.

All around,

Hope is springing up from this old ground.

Out of chaos, life is being found in You.

You make me new,

You are making me new.

You make me new,

You are making me new.

Oh so much has been going on! School is overwhelming, so glad I only have one more quarter. Hope I can get through it!

So I started working at the preschool at my church, I just love it. The kids are so stinking cute, the things they say will make you laugh. One little girl as she was praying was saying "Stank you Lord." She is way too cute. Oh it is such a joy to hear them pray.

A new doggy has joined my family, Wilson. He is a black lab and boy is he cute, with a personality to go with it. The silly things he does makes me laugh.

Summer is almost hear which means surf camp and fourth of July. Also I will be going to Peru with my church this summer. So much to look foreword too but first I must finish this quarter of school.

I am truly blessed and loved by an amazing God!

Went to Winter camp this weekend with a few girls and guys from Youth Group. We all had a wonderful time. A great band played all weekend; morning, noon and night the Logan Martin Band. Their singer had a good voice, great guy who loved God and simply wants to worship him. Part of the time he sang acoustic with the crowd of youth kids from all over. What an amazing experience being surrounded by youth from all over singing worship songs loudly. The music was fantastic and so was the speaker, James Grout. He told funny stories and also explained the Word of God in an understanding way. A message all could relate to in one way. Some if the topics we touched on: God should be feared but God takes fear and worry away from our lives. God wants us to put Him first and foremost in our lives. God loves us so, so, so much it is simply unbelievable. He created the ocean in a day, yet he took nine months to form us in our mothers womb. He loves us! He will lead the way, we simply need to burn for him.

Some of the songs we sang that really touched my heart:

Cannons

It's falling from the clouds
A strange and lovely sound
I hear it in the thunder and rain
It's ringing in the skies
Like cannons in the night
The music of the universe plays

You are holy great and mighty
The moon and the stars declare who You are
I'm so unworthy, but still You love me
Forever my heart will sing of how great You are

Beautiful and free
Song of Galaxies
It's reaching far beyond the milky way
Lets join in with the sound
C'mon let's sing it loud
As the music of the universe plays

All glory, honor, power is Yours amen
All glory, honor, power is Yours amen
All glory, honor, power is Yours forever amen

I see Your face in every sunrise
The colors of the morning are inside Your eyes
The world awakens in the light of the day
I look up to the sky and say

You're beautiful

I see Your power in the moonlit night
Where planets are in motion and galaxies are bright
We are amazed in the light of the stars
It's all proclaiming who you are
You're beautiful

I see you there hanging on a tree
You bled and then you died and then you rose again for me
Now you are sitting on Your heavenly throne
Soon we will be coming home
You're beautiful

When we arrive at eternity's shore
Where death is just a memory and tears are no more
We'll enter in as the wedding bells ring
Your bride will come together and we'll sing
You're beautiful

I see Your face, I see Your face, I see Your face
You're beautiful, You're beautiful, You're beautiful

You make beautiful things

All this pain
I wonder if I’ll ever find my way
I wonder if my life could really change at all
All this earth
Could all that is lost ever be found
Could a garden come up from this ground at all

You make beautiful things
You make beautiful things out of the dust
You make beautiful things
You make beautiful things out of us

All around
Hope is springing up from this old ground
Out of chaos life is being found in You

You make beautiful things
You make beautiful things out of the dust
You make beautiful things
You make beautiful things out of us

You make beautiful things
You make beautiful things out of the dust
You make beautiful things
You make beautiful things out of us

You make me new, You are making me new
You make me new, You are making me new

How He loves

Like a Lion

God is good and he loves each and everyone one of us. I am thankful for his presence in my life.

With the start of a new year, many things come to mind...I'm am getting older, time is flying and I should strive to be a better person who glorifies the amazing, loving God of the Universe.

Well my year started off with annual watching of the Rose Parade (the first showing without commercials, yes I woke up early enough). Then me and Cam met Marion and Robby to play tennis (it was cold). Then we met with other people to play softball (something new to me, since the last time I played was in Elementary school and I hated playing then). Softball turned out to be fun after I got over being a little nervous. I was not the best fielder but I could hit! We went for pizza then headed home. Well we didn't go straight home; we decided to stop by Correy and Tiffany's house. They have some of the cutest kids! We hung out and watched 310 to Yuma which turned out to be good (even though it is not a movie I would usually pick to watch).

Sunday came and of course we headed off to church, we were the greeters. Greeting is fun because you see and talk to everyone who comes. As I sat and listened to Pastor speak towards the end I thought about how grateful I am for my Pastor. His sermon on virtue and vice was a great topic to begin the new year discussing. Seek virtue first then all else will come. Because when we set our minds on things above we look at the beauty of life. We also sang this song by Michael Boggs In You that emphasizes the point Pastor Richard was making.

In you every
heart can find its healing

In you every
life is given meaning

A hope is
found, a love abounds In You

A goal of mine this year is to focus on seeking virtue and the beauty of life and not to focus on the negative. To set my focus on God and his attributes and follow his plans. Another song we sang I enjoyed and would like to focus on this year is

Forever Reign by Hillsong

You are good, You are good
When there's nothing good in me
You are love, You are love
On display for all to see
You are light, You are light
When the darkness closes in
You are hope, You are hope
You have covered all my sin

You are peace, You are peace
When my fear is crippling
You are true, You are true
Even in my wandering
You are joy, You are joy
You're the reason that I sing
You are life, You are life,
In You death has lost its sting

Oh, I’m running to Your arms,
I’m running to Your arms
The riches of Your love
Will always be enough
Nothing compares to Your embrace
Light of the world forever reign

You are more, You are more
Than my words will ever say
You are Lord, You are Lord
All creation will proclaim
You are here, You are here
In Your presence I'm made whole
You are God, You are God
Of all else I'm letting go

As school starts and another crazy quarter is about to begin I must not forget who I am eternally greatful for and I must strive to honor God in all I do. I look foreword to a new year and what excitement and challenges it may bring.