"His way is perfect"-Psalm 18:30

Texas

2008-05-29T01:27:00.010-05:00

I just accepted a position teaching music at a Christian school down in Texas! I'll be teaching elementary 3 days a week (2 days of choir, 1 day of general music) and Junior and Senior High 5 days a week (3 days of choir, 2 days of general music) as well as possibly doing some private lessons. I visited the school a couple of weeks ago and took some pictures while I was there.

Elementary chapel in the auditorium

The front of the school building

The radio tower on the west side of the school building

The front of the church building

The school building from the road

Turn right just a little, and you'll see the sign advertising the radio station

The sign for the church

The sunrise from the principal's house...notice the palm trees!

I finally graduated!!!

2008-05-14T01:02:00.007-05:00

Yes, believe it or not, I've finally graduated from college! May 2, 2008, I walked across the front of the gymnatorium (yes, that's really what it's called: it's the gym; it's the auditorium; it's the gymnatorium), collected my diploma (or the folder thingy that the diploma was to eventually end up in), shook hands with Dr. Phelps (the president of the college) and Dr. Ledgerwood (the music department head), who turned my beautiful pink tassel. You want to see pictures? Here are a few:

Senior Recital

2008-05-01T01:53:00.015-05:00

So, I had my Senior recital on Friday! It was the last thing that I had to finish to qualify for graduation, and now I'M DONE!!! Here are some pictures...hope you enjoy!

Burckart Hall, Maranatha

"Dank Sei Dir" trio

"De Gospel Train"

Mrs. Ruffin (my teacher) and me

Ruth (my accompanist) and me

My Dad, me, and my Mom

Dr. Budahl (my presider), me, and Ruth (my accompanist)

Rebekah and I sang "Evening Hymn" from "Hansel and Gretel"

Two of my ushers serving cake and punch (non-alcoholic, of course)

My program with one of the flowers from my parents

The inside of the program: translations of my Italian, French, and German songs

Next installment coming soon: GRADUATION!!!! May 2, 2008

Teen Time

2008-03-27T02:37:00.002-05:00

I'm so thankful for the last few weeks of Teen Time! I had been having some trouble getting ahold of the kids from the trailer park when I tried to call them, so I did not know if they were wanting to come to church or not. A couple of times, they had said that they wanted to come, but there ended up being snow storms (it's been a crazy winter), and we weren't able to make it out to Stoughton for church. Well, I was finally able to talk to them about a month ago, and they've been coming EVERY week since then! Yay!!! We've had about 6 kids (teens and elementary-aged) coming on the van from the trailer park for the last few weeks! God is good!

Leap Year Marriage Proposals

2008-02-29T19:43:00.004-06:00

"There is a tradition, said to go back to Saint Patrick and Brigid of Kildare in 5th century Ireland, but apparently not attested before the 19th century, whereby women may make marriage proposals only in leap years.

"Supposedly (but disputed), in a 1288 law by Queen Margaret of Scotland (then age five and living in Norway), fines were levied if the proposal was refused by the man; compensation ranged from a kiss to £1 to a silk gown, in order to soften the blow. Because men felt that put them at too great a risk, the tradition was in some places tightened to restricting female proposals to 29 February." [http://www.answers.com/topic/leap-year?cat=technology]

If only I had known sooner...If I'm still not married in four years, I might just take advantage of this...

Ok, you can kill me if you want...

2008-02-12T17:07:00.001-06:00

I know it's been a long time since I've posted...let me give you a little update....

I have an apartment in town with my sister. Working at Comfort Suites. Did my Junior voice recital at the end of November:

and am preparing for my Senior voice recital in the end of April. Planning on graduating in May. Looking for a job for after this summer, when the apartment lease ends. Have one option, but it's not definite. I haven't even sent in the application, yet. Plan to do that this week...hopefully...Still playing organ at church...and helping with Teen Time.

I'm going to try to keep up with this a little better....we'll see how that goes...

Family pictures!

2007-10-08T19:28:00.001-05:00

We finally got family pictures for the first time in....I
don't remember how long. Anyways, hope you enjoy them!

Detroit Tiger's game 8/10/07

2007-10-02T16:16:00.001-05:00

Part of the Comerica Stadium, where the Tigers play

A church that you can see from the stadium: "Pray here for the tigers & lions!"

Hockeytown (go Red Wings!!!) Cafe, where we had a yummy supper

The scoreboard

Can you see the ball between the pitcher and the catcher? It's kindof small, but it's there.

Detroit Tigers' home plate

Detroit skyline

The fountain spewed every time the tigers scored

The scoreboard at night

The tiger's head at night

More Ranch pics

2007-09-17T18:22:00.001-05:00

One little, two little, three little Indians

The Famous, the Amazing Mr. B, the "Illusionist"

Cowboy Armor

Random horse statues at the Opryland Hotel

Enjoying the beautiful Opryland Hotel

Ashlyn and Loren kissing "Ole' Roy"

The cowboys getting ready to present the flags for the Rodeo

Junior-land Rodeo Clowns

FROGGY RACE!!!

Oasis time-Stephen and Kevin are fighting over the
gun while Kyle eats his pop-sickle and watches the drama

My cowgirls, week 1

lately...

2007-09-15T18:33:00.000-05:00

I know I haven't been as up-to-date as I have been in months past. My life is very busy at this point! Let me tell you what's up:

Well, to start off, I was at the Bill Rice Ranch this summer (see the pictures from my last post). I was VERY busy with that, so I didn't have time to post over the summer. I'm hoping to be able to post more pics and stories, but that may take some time.

After camp, I went home for a few weeks. I found a new apartment where my sister and I are now living. It's a nice little place, not fancy or anything, but it's a place to live!

I also started a new job a couple of weeks ago. I am no longer at Microtel *sniff, sniff*, but I am still in the hotel business. I'm the low person on the totem pole, now. Oh well. It's a LOT closer than Microtel, so it's saving me time, gas money, AND miles on my car! What a blessing! And there are a lot more girls working her than at Microtel, which is kindof nice.

God continues to be good. He is always showing me more and more that He is faithful to those who trust in Him.

My Summer at the Bill Rice Ranch-Part I

2007-08-22T14:23:00.000-05:00

2007-05-25T13:31:00.000-05:00

What God Has Promised

God hath not promised
Skies always blue,
Flower-strewn pathways
All our lives through;

God hath not promised
Sun without rain,
Joy without sorrow,
Peace without pain.

But God hath promised
Strength for the day,
Rest for the labour
Light for the way,

Grace for the trials,
Help from above,
Unfailing sympathy,
Undying love.

By Miss Annie Johnson Flint

Wow...it's been a long time...

2007-05-05T19:12:00.000-05:00

Sorry for the long pause since the last post. I don't even have much of an excuse, other than that I've been busy trying to finish up school for the semester, which ended well! Thanks for asking! I took Choral Arranging and voice lessons this semester. For my project for Choral Arranging, we had to write an arrangement for a choir (hence the name "Choral arranging"). Well, last summer sometime, I heard a verse from Psalm 31 in a message. I liked the verse, so I wrote down the reference for the future. I went back later and read the whole psalm, and as I read it, I thought that it would make a really good song. Since then, I've been working on setting some of the verses to music, which was mostly done before I started the class. The class helped me actually finish what I had started, and I'm pretty happy with the results! I might even try to get it published someday! Hmmm...

I also had my Sophomore platform this week, which went well, also. I passed! So, that means I get to give the school more money next year!

Last week, we had a game night. We've had gym nights at a local rec. center, but this time, we had the activity at church. Since we don't have a gym, and the weather is nice, we decided to call it a "game night." We played games outside, then had some skits and a salvation message. I'll post some pictures at the end. But it was definitely a blessing for me to be able to take Shawna back and show her how to get saved, and she was gloriously saved that night!

We also had a meeting on Sunday. We ordered KFC and went to Riverside Park for a picnic, then had a meeting to decide who is going to do what next year at church. It was definitely a good time, and I'm excited to see what might happen next year, though sad to see Amy and Titus leave. I'll definitely miss them a lot.

Anyways, here are some pictures!

Game night:

Picnic at the Park:

girl's day out

2007-04-14T18:25:00.000-05:00

Ok, so yesterday was a really fun day. Beckah, Jen, and I skipped classes and got off of work for a "girl's day out." I enjoyed it a LOT!

We had certificates for some free services at a salon in Madison. We got our hair cut and styled:

(My first salon haircut in a while)

We got our nails done:

My first EVER maincure! Very enjoyable!
We went out for lunch...here are Beckah and I

Adam gave us the certificates for the salon, so we met him for lunch...here are Jen and Adam

We went to the school play, "H.M.S. Pinafore." It was a cute play, though not completely logical...but it's a musical; what can you expect?!?
Jen, me, and Beckah with some of the sailors:

Ok, we didn't notice this until someone pointed it out...on the front of the "ship" was Dr. Oats! We had to get a picture with him!

Then, we went to the Late Night Skate! It was so much fun!

gym night!

2007-04-02T20:42:00.000-05:00

Here are some pictures of our gym night on Saturday.

Titus driving the van to the gym

"Brownie," our special speaker for the night, riding to the gym

Amy and Allie, my seatmates for the ride to the gym

Shawna and Nikki

Sammi and Dominique

Crazy Titus!

Nikki Shawna, Sammi, and Allie

God was good! He brought out 4 guys who had never come to our church, and 2 of them raised their hands, recognizing that they weren't saved. Time will tell what will happen there. Between 3 cell phones going off and the tornado siren going off...twice, all of that in the middle of the message, it was an interesting night, but God was good and brought just the right people together so that it was exactly what God wanted it to be!

"Friday Funnies"

2007-03-30T17:44:00.000-05:00

I've been keeping up with a blog called "Girl Talk." It's 4 Christian women who write this blog. Anyways, they like to post funny things on Fridays, and they call it "Friday Funnies." I thought today's was pretty funny! Check it out at "How does this thing work?"

Psalm 102

2007-03-23T19:42:00.000-05:00

4. "My heart is smitten, and withered like grass..."
17. "He will regard the prayer of the destitute, and not despise their prayer."

Several different difficult situations have come up in the last few weeks in the youth group at church. I'm not going to go into details about it, but verse 4 describes me a bit since these situations. My heart is heavy. Teenagers make so many decisions. Many of them can be very life-changing, sometimes for the good, sometimes not. A fork in the path can change the direction in a person's life, but it seems to be even more prominent in teens' lives. The teenage years are often when people figure out who they are and what they plan to do with the rest of their lives. I've seen a few decisions lately that seem to be the wrong path to take. Maybe it's actually God trying to get a hold of these teens and bring them closer to Him. I don't know. But I know verse 17...God loves to hear our prayers. I wish that I could make the decisions for these teens, but I can't. In a sense, I am destitute because I cannot change their actions. But God will hear my prayers! He knows what is best for them! He knows that I can only pray for them at this point! He knows them, and loves them! He hears my prayers for them and sees my heart! What a comfort it is to know, even when I can't do anything else for them, that He hears my prayers for them!

St. Patrick's Day

2007-03-17T17:54:00.000-05:00

Today is the famous St. Patrick's Day. I hope you all remembered to wear green today! I've already seen 2 people who didn't wear green....but I've been nice enough NOT to pinch them!

Did you know that there is a similar day in Wales? It's St. David's Day. All the girls dress up in the traditional Welsh garb, and everyone eats leeks and wears leeks or daffodils on their lapels. The Welsh are known for their singing, so of course, they have a lot of singing festivals on the day. Sadly, though, this day was 16 days ago...March 1. I'll have to warn you all next year so you can prepare ahead of time. Too bad they don't have any traditions such as pinching anyone who isn't wearing a daffodil or a leek...

Here's me in my own version of the traditional Welsh woman's costume.

Not exactly what they wore, but as close as I could come up with!

Spring!!!

2007-03-09T17:33:00.000-06:00

I think spring is coming! Today the weather was SOOOOOOOO nice! I walked outside today, wearing my nice warm down coat, and I realized that I didn't need it at all! I had a long-sleeved shirt on, so I kept warm enough, even though it was (I am told) only 44 degrees. It felt really warm, compared to the blistery coldness that we've had the last few months! Of course, it doesn't look like the picture above. Not yet. There is still a good amount of snow that hasn't melted yet, and it's raining. But I definitely think that spring is coming soon! I'm definitely ready!

2007-03-05T17:44:00.000-06:00

HowManyOfMe.com

There are:
6,746
people with my name
in the U.S.A.

How many have your name?

I knew my name was boring, but I didn't know it was THIS boring! Thanks for the link, Nikki!

Psalm 97:10

2007-03-01T07:47:00.000-06:00

"Ye that love the LORD, hate evil..."

This phrase stood out to me when I read it yesterday. Yes, we know that we are supposed to love God. We know that we are to abstain from evil. But how much do we HATE evil?

We are to love the Lord. The more we get to know Him, the more we see His perfection, His hatred of evil, His love for righteousness. As we get to know Him, we should want to KNOW more about Him, which naturally means that we would want to know more of His righteousness. As a relationship with Him develops, we begin to BECOME more like Him. It is like the illustration of married couples...when they get older, they start looking more and more like each other. I wonder, sometimes, if this happens because they are each trying to please each other, and they know what the other person likes, so the adjust the things they do to themselves (they way they do their hair, their facial expressions, etc.) so that they look more like what the other person wants them to look. This is what God wants for us to do: for us to find out what God likes and then adjust our thinking and habits to reflect what He wants in our lives. Included in that is loving what He loves (perfection, peace, righteousness) and hating what He hates (evil).

Most of the time, I think we Christians have a distorted view of evil. We know that we are supposed to stay away from it, but we don't think of it as being as bad as it really is...we don't HATE it. We put up with it, maybe even a little in our own lives. We justify it by saying that we aren't "as bad as..." someone else, that our sin is not as evil as someone else's sin. But how does God see sin? Well, the verse says here that we are supposed to HATE evil, to despise it. When He forgives us, "As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us." Psalm 103:12. And since we are supposed to be like Him, should not we also remove sin as far from our hearts? God hates evil, and it is His desire for us that we should hate evil just as much.

just some pictures

2007-02-16T21:25:00.000-06:00

So, I had my camera with me on Sunday, so I decided to take some pictures...Here they are!

Amanda laughing at James, who is hiding under the blanket.

Here's me and Amanda, with James in the background.

James being....James....

the enemy

2007-02-13T08:39:00.000-06:00

Don't we do this with our sin nature, sometimes?! "The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak." (Matthew 26: 41). We give in to our sin nature, to temptation, which is then "fed" by our submission to it. The more we submit to it, the more it dominates in our lives. But if we submit to God and the "spiritual" nature, then God will dominate in our lives. We just have to make sure that we yield to the right nature.

"Yield Not to Temptation"
Horatio R. Palmer

Yield not to temptation, for yielding is sin;
Each victory will help you some other to win;
Fight manfully onward, dark passions subdue,
Look ever to Jesus, He’ll carry you through.

Shun evil companions, bad language disdain,
God’s Name hold in reverence, nor take it in vain;
Be thoughtful and earnest, kindhearted and true,
Look ever to Jesus, He’ll carry you through.

To him that o’ercometh, God giveth a crown;
Through faith we shall conquer, though often cast down;
He Who is our Savior our strength will renew;
Look ever to Jesus, He’ll carry you through.

Ask the Savior to help you,
Comfort, strengthen and keep you;
He is willing to aid you,
He will carry you through.

2007-02-08T12:02:00.000-06:00

Psalm 81:13-16

"Oh that my people had hearkened unto me, and Israel had walked in my ways!
I should soon have subdued their enemies, and turned my hand against their adversaries.
The haters of the LORD should have submitted themselves unto him: but their time should have endured for ever.
He should have fed them also with the finest of the wheat: and with honey out of the rock should I have satisfied thee."

If Israel had followed God, what blessings He would have given them! I wonder how often that happens in our lives...God would do so much for us if we follow Him and do what He wants us to do. We miss so many blessings and triumphs when we try to do things our own way. This is something that stuck out to me the other day as I was reading. It made me think.

Garfield

2007-01-29T20:37:00.000-06:00

Ok, Garfield is the absolute best picture of laziness! He never gives up a chance to be lazy!

some verses that have been important to me

2007-01-20T18:29:00.000-06:00

Acts 17:6 ...These that have turned the world upside down are come hither also."

I was just reminded of this verse a week and a half ago. (Thanks, Nate!) It makes me get my focus right: What am I doing (with God's help) to make a difference in this world? Anything that might "turn the world upside down"? If not, I need to re-evaluate my life and see if I'm missing anything, and not doing all that I can and should for God.

II Cor. 5:7 "(For we walk by faith, and not by sight:)"

Thanks Dr. Bu! We sang a song in Madrigal that is based off of this verse...beautiful song, even MORE beautiful message! We do not know what God has for us in the future, even just a few days, hours, minutes from now. We cannot "see" God's path for us, but we can still walk on that path "by faith," trusting that God's way is best for us.

Acts 13:22 "I have found David the son of Jesse, a man after mine own heart."

God is speaking here, and what a statement it is! David's heart was going the same direction as God's heart! Wow! What a rebuke. My heart seems to go so many directions, but David's heart is described as being like God's heart. Even though David sinned, he confessed his sin and tried to do what was right.

Psalm 18:30 "As for God, His way is perfect..."

Of course, this is the verse on the top of my blog page, and one of my all-time favorites! It has helped me during SO MANY hard times when I don't know what is going on, and I hate the situation that I'm in. It reminds me that I can learn through these situations and that God has a purpose for these situations, even if for no other reason than for me to turn my eyes to Him and trust COMPLETELY in what He is doing in my life, because He knows what is best for me SO MUCH better than I could ever know.

coffee...revisited

2007-01-20T17:46:00.000-06:00

Ok, so coffee is bad enough WITHOUT adding pickle juice to it. But, I think that the pickle juice would just IMPROVE the taste! That's just my opinion...for what it's worth :D

Wait

2007-01-16T07:43:00.000-06:00

WAIT

Desperately, helplessly, longingly, I cried.

Quietly, patiently, lovingly, God replied.

I pled and I wept for a clue to my fate,

And the Master so gently said, "Child, you must wait".

"Wait? You say, wait! my indignant reply.

"Lord, I need answers, I need to know why!

Is your hand shortened? Or have you not heard?

By Faith, I have asked and am claiming your Word.

My future and all to which I can relate

Hangs in the balance and YOU tell me to WAIT?

I'm needing a 'yes', a go-ahead sign,

Or even a 'no' to which I can resign.

And, Lord, You promised that if we believe

We need but to ask and we shall receive.

And, Lord, I've been asking and this is my cry:

I'm weary of asking! I need a reply!

Then, quietly, softly, I learned of my fate

As my Master replied once again, "You must wait."

So, I slumped in my chair, defeated and taut

And grumbled to God, "So I'm waiting.....for what?"

He seemed, then, to kneel and His eyes wept with mine

And he tenderly said, "I could give you a sign.

I could shake the heavens, and darken the sun.

I could raise the dead and cause the mountains to run.

All you seek, I could give and pleased you would be.

You would have what you want....But you wouldn't know Me.

You'd not know the depth of My love for each saint;

You'd not know the power that I give to the faint;

You'd not learn to see through the clouds of despair;

You'd not learn to trust just by knowing I'm there;

You'd not know the joy of resting in Me

When darkness and silence were all you could see.

You'd never experience that fullness of love

As the peace of My Spirit descends like a dove;

You'd know that I give and I save....(for a start),

But, you'd not know the depth of the beat of My heart.

The glow of My comfort late into the night,

The faith that I give when you walk without sight,

The depth that's beyond getting just what you asked

Of an infinite God who makes what you have last.

You'd never know, should your pain quickly flee,

What it means that "My grace is sufficient for Thee"

Yes, your dreams for your loved one overnight would come true,

But, Oh, the loss, if I lost what I'm doing in you!

So, be silent, My child, and in time you will see,

That the greatest of all gifts is to get to know Me.
And though oft' may My answers seem terribly late,

My most precious answer of all is still, "Wait."

Reading

2007-01-11T10:01:00.000-06:00

In my reading last night, I was in Psalm 139. Wow...let me tell you, there's so much in there! Let me give you just a little taste:

1 "O lord, thou hast searched me, and known me."

He knows me, even better than I know myself. He knows my thoughts, my desires, my likes, my dislikes, my loves, my hates, my past, my present, my future. He knows even the little things that we try to hide, the deep, dark secrets that we hardly admit to ourselves. He knows. Yet, He still loves us.

7 "Whither shall I go from thy spirit? or whither shall I flee from thy presence? 8 If I ascend up into heaven, thou art there: if I make my bed in hell, behold, thou art there. 9 If I take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea; 10 Even there shall thy hand lead me, and thy right hand shall hold me."

God is with me wherever I am. Not only does He know what situations, trials, and troubles I am going through; He knows all the sins that I've committed or ever will commit. But that's not necessarily a bad thing. Think of it...if God didn't know of all of our sins, how could He forgive all of them? If He didn't forgive one of our sins because He didn't know about it, we wouldn't be able to get into heaven, because breaking His law in one point is as breaking every single law. He knows all of our sins, so He is able to forgive ALL OF THEM! That is a comfort!

17 "How precious also are thy thoughts unto me, O God! how great is the sum of them! 18 If I should count them, they are more in number than the sand: when I awake, I am still with thee."

Wow! To think that God thinks of me that often. And how much do I think of Him?

23 "Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts: 24 And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting."

What a request! "God, look into the deep dark closest of my heart, and find all the wickedness that I have stored up in there." How many of us would actually request such a thing? Yet, that's what David did, and it was a good thing. God WANTS to cleanse our hearts of all the "wicked way(s)" that we have hidden in our hearts and thoughts, but we are afraid to admit that we have any sin that needs to be taken care of. But GOD ALREADY KNOWS THAT SIN! We don't have anything to hide, because He already knows about it all. He has already searched us; now, He wants us to search ourselves so we can confess our sin and be right with Him.

2007-01-05T19:15:00.000-06:00

Death be not Proud

Death be not proud, though some have called thee
Mighty and dreadful, for thou art not so,
For those whom thou think'st thou dost overthrow,
Die not, poor Death, nor yet canst thou kill me.
From rest and sleep, which but thy pictures be,
Much pleasure: then from thee much more must flow,
And soonest our best men with thee do go,
Rest of their bones, and soul's delivery.
Thou art slave to fate, chance, kings, and desperate men,
And dost with poison, war, and sickness dwell;
And poppy or charms can make us sleep as well
And better than thy stroke; why swell'st thou then?
One short sleep past, we wake eternally,
And death shall be no more; Death, thou shalt die.

-John Donne

holidays

2007-01-01T19:42:00.000-06:00

Well, things have gone very quickly since school got out. I've definitely been keeping busy! That's a good, thing, mostly! I was able to go to Michigan for Christmas last weekend, which was a lot of fun! And I got my sewing machine! Well, kindof. I was originally going to get one that my mom had in the basement. She was going to get it cleaned and fixed and give that to me. But the guy that was going to do that for her said that it would cost almost just as much to clean it as it would to buy a new machine, and that's if there were no repairs that needed to be done. So, I got a new sewing machine! Or one that wasn't used much. Something like that! But I had a good time with my family, too!

After working a few more days (including Christmas evening, which was really boring and stupid :D), I got to go to my grandma's house in Illinois! That was fun, too! Now, it's only a week until registration for next semester, and all I have left for this week is: 32 hours of work (after today), moving into and settling into my new apartment (which is going to be a chore, but exciting), church on Wednesday and Sunday, settling into my apartment, helping my roommates move back in from going home for Christmas, settling into the aparment...yeah, it's going to be a busy week! But, that's ok...it'll help the week go quickly so I can see my friends once school starts again. I can't wait!!!

Christmas thoughts

2006-12-21T08:20:00.000-06:00

Just some things to think about. When it comes to Christmas, so many things point away from Christ, but I hope that this will help to be a reminder of the real reason for the season.

* A wreath is a circle, which has no beginning and no end, just as Christ's love for us has no beginning and no end. Because of this love, Christ left Heaven to be born and live in this sinful world, eventually to die a terrible death and to raise Himself from the dead, all so that He could save us.

* Christmas trees are unlike other trees. They grow so that they point up to heaven, reminding us that the real reason for Christmas is Christ, not the presents under the tree. They are also green all year long, which can be a reminder of how believers will live forever with Christ in Heaven.

* Christmas colors: Red, white, and green. RED stands for Christ's blood, which was shed for us. Without His birth, he could not die. When we accept it as the only payment for our sins, that blood washes us WHITE as snow. GREEN stands for how we can grow in Christ as we follow the example of His life.

* Lights on the Christmas tree remind us of several things.
1) The Star that the wise men followed to find baby Jesus.
2) Jesus is the Light of the world.
3) We are to be a light to the people around us.

* The gifts that we give to each other should remind us of the precious gifts that the wise men gave to the baby Jesus. Just as they gave their best to Him, we should also give our best to Christ.

If anyone can think of anything else, go ahead and leave a comment!

Christmas program pictures

2006-12-18T17:20:00.002-06:00

Just thought I'd post some pictures that Pastor Mikkelson took during the Christmas program! Hope you enjoy them!

"Thanks for inviting me over to help decorate!"

"Could we wait to tell the Christmas story this year?"
"This could be a good opportunity to tell Mike about Jesus."

"And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn."

"Away in a manger, no crib for a bed,
The little Lord Jesus lay down His sweet head..."

"The stars in the bright sky
Looked down where he lay..."

"The little Lord Jesus, a sleep on the hay."

Our three wise men...wake up, Nate!

Joseph and Mary

"Tell me the story of Jesus..."

cell phone

2006-12-15T19:12:00.000-06:00

So, I've had my new cell phone for 2 weeks. (yes, that is a picture of what my phone looks like! Isn't it cute?!) Tuesday was a busy day. After working from 7 am until 3:15 pm, I ran home to change into a skirt to go over to school to practice with Hannah, my accompanist, because we haven't been able to practice together very much. Then, I had my voice platform. Don't worry...this has a point!

So, I remembered turning my cell phone to "silent" so that it wouldn't be making noise as I was doing my platform. After I had finished my platform, I went to the library to return some things before Christmas break and pick up Beckah's keys so I could make copies of them so I could move into the apartment over break. Then, I went to Walmart to get the keys copied, stopped at Culver's to eat something (and talked to Noah briefly while I was there), went back to the library to return the keys, and back to my car to leave. As I was driving back, I remembered that I had turned my phone to silent and was going to turn the ringer back on, but, alas, my phone was no longer in my purse!

I checked all of my pockets (the only other pockets I had were in my coat) and could not find my phone there. So, I decided to check everywhere I had been. I first stopped at Culver's (since I was driving by there, anyways). Noone had seen a cell phone. I drove back to school and stopped by Burkart Hall....it wasn't there. I checked the Welcome Center....they didn't know anything (surprise ;D). I checked the library...noone had turned in a cell phone there. Jen (my other future roommate) was working at the library, so she let me call Walmart...my phone wasn't there. I checked my backpack; it wasn't there. I decided to try to find "the dorm sup on duty," since they could get into the dean's office, where cell phones are normally turned in when found without an owner. Libby was substituting for the dorm sups, who were, to my dismay, in the faculty/staff Christmas party and wouldn't be out for hours, and Libby didn't have a key to get into the dean's office to check. I decided to look in my car. Keep in mind that it was about 8:30 pm by this time. The sun had gone down several hours before, and the parking lots have only a few dim lights. I checked to see if my phone had fallen out of my purse and next to the seat. Since it was very dark, I got my flashlight out and turned it on. Well, I tried, at least. It would turn on for a few seconds after I shaked it for a few seconds, but it would only stay on for a few seconds, and the light was dim, at best. Well, I was getting very tired, and I didn't think that my phone would be in my car, so I gave up.

Fast forward to Wednesday night. James and Nikki both tried to call my cell phone; James on the way to church, and Nikki while we were at church. James got a busy signal...only because he called my OLD cell phone number, which was cancelled a couple of weeks ago. Then, once he tried to call the RIGHT number, he got just my voice mail. Then, Nikki tried, and she said that it sounded like someone answered then hung up. She tried again and just got my voicemail. But, that had me worried...what if someone got my phone and was raking up a huge bill? I decided to suspend my phone service until I found my phone again. So, I called Alltel, but noone was in the office at that time: "Please call back tomorrow." Nice. So, at work on Thursday, I called them and suspended my phone service. I called my dad to let him know. After work, I decided to check my car a little more thoroughly, since there is more light at 3 pm than there is at 8:30 pm. What do you think I found between the center armrest and the passenger seat? You guessed it! My cell phone! It was pretty far down there, so it was a little difficult for me to find, even in daylight, but it was there! I'm guessing that it fell out of my purse when I went to go to Walmart; my purse doesn't close at the top other than a strap that is about 2 inches across that snaps onto the other side. It could have very easily fallen out. I called my dad back to let him know (he is the only one who can re-activate the phone since we're on a family plan under his name). About an hour later, I heard my phone ring! My dad had been able to re-activate my phone!

So, until this time, I didn't realize how important my cell phone is. No, my phone isn't attatched to my ear, like some people and their phones. And no, I don't HAVE to have my phone with me all the time. But, it is a good tool to have, and it can get very expensive if it gets into the wrong hands. This time, I was safe. But I think I'll be getting a new purse!

Tell Me the Story of Jesus

2006-12-11T16:47:00.000-06:00

Yesterday was the performance of our Christmas program at Stoughton Baptist Church. As part of my music internship, I directed the program. With everyone's schedules, it was difficult to get in very many practices. We were able to have one practice with most of the people during Sunday School the week previously, and on practice with a few of the people on Saturday, the day before the performance. Then, yesterday morning, we had a practice at 8:00 am with most people there.

I was getting pretty nervous, with people missing lines and things not running very smoothly, but, Praise the Lord!, things went really smoothly yesterday! Only a couple of lines were messed up, but it wasn't too obvious! We had been able to work out most of the kinks yesterday morning when we had our practice, so that was very good! With only a couple of last-minute changes, the whole program went really well!!! A great BIG thanks to everyone who was involved in the program! Praise the Lord for several people who heard the gospel yesterday and raised their hands in recognition that they are not saved! Noone came forward, but the seed was planted!

2006-12-08T22:40:00.000-06:00

My mom sent this to me. Though I don't agree with everything, it has some good thoughts.

Saved & Single
~ Author Unknown~

What makes you think that just because I am an
Attractive woman of Godly intelligence
That I'm incomplete without a mate?
Who told you that
Without a man
Something's missing
From my life?
And if so,
What would that be?

Love?
I love myself
And more importantly
I

love the Lord
He told me that when I delight in Him,
He will give me the desires of my heart
Security?
I have everything I need according to His riches in glory.

Intimacy?
Now, how's a man going to get to know me
When he doesn't even know who he is in the Lord
See my Father told me I'm above a ruby's worth
And a gem does not seek
It is sought

I'm single and that's all right with me

See,
it's not that I oppose relationships
It's that I detest co-dependency
As a woman
I know it is not my role
To chase after any man

Esther

2:14 reads
That I am to wait on my king and when he's delighted in me. He will call me by my name.

My Lord does not intend for me to be needy or desperate.
I am to be Cherished, Relished, Valued, and Honored,
It's not my job to convince him
Or Convict him of that,
My mate will already know it
And consistently show it
And he will stay on his knees daily
Not just to adore me
But to praise the Lord for
The virtuous woman he has found
So, when you see me by myself
I'm not

alone
I know what I have coming to me

I'm single and saved, and right now that's all I need to be!

Christmas music

2006-11-30T08:58:00.000-06:00

I love Chrismas music! I wish I could listen to it all year long, but it would be difficult, considering I have only a few Christmas cd's, and I would get tired of those very quickly if I listened to them all year. I like being able to find radio stations that are playing Christmas music! I have several stations that I can go between (you know....to try to find the most "checkable" music). I can usually find something to listen to. I like that a lot of the traditional Christmas carols are in different tonalities. Major and minor get so old so quickly!

Some of my favorite Christmas songs/carols/cd's: O Come, O Come, Emmanuel; What Child is This; Sleigh Ride; I Want a Hippopotomus for Christmas; Santa Baby (that one's hillarious!); Walking in a Winter Wonderland (which is actually more of a winter song than it is a Christmas song); the Chipmunk Christmas cd's; John Rutter's Christmas cd's.

A song that I heard the other day went something like this: "All I want for Christmas is you." So, this is all about a person missing their "special someone," but it made me think...who would you put in for "you"? All I want for Christmas is....? Who is the real reason for Christmas? Jesus, of course. Isn't He the first One that we should think of? "All I want for Christmas is...You, Jesus!" It rebuked me to think that He isn't what I think of first. That should be my new goal...to want Jesus and Him only for Christmas. To be completely satisfied and fulfilled in Him and His leading in my life. And I CAN be completely satisfied with Him!

Moving....

2006-11-27T18:25:00.000-06:00

It looks like I am going to be moving to Watertown! I think it's time for me to be more "on my own," if you know what I mean: make my own food, have my "own" apartment (well, I'll be with 2 other girls, and they've been in the apartment for a while, already), start getting my own furnerature, and basically being more responsible. I am looking forward to this next step in "growing up." I know...maybe it's taking me longer than it should. I love being "young"! I don't want to leave college and be grown up, but I have to, eventually.

There were rumors about me going around work last week when I was gone. Our maintenance guy loves to talk, and I mentioned that I am moving to Watertown. I guess he talked to the assistant manager and said something about how I'm going to be giving my two-weeks notice for quitting. I got back, and the assistant manager asked me about this. I never said anything about quitting; I don't have any plans to quit. The maintenance guy must have read into things and thought that I was quitting! What is this world coming to?!?!

One thing that I will be thankful for is being a little closer to school. I love being able to fellowship with other Christians my age who are going through similar circumstances as what I am going through. I am TOTALLY going to miss that when I finally finish college and move on. But, God has a plan for me, and He will provide all the comfort that I need to be content in Him!

The difference....

2006-11-24T16:31:00.000-06:00

There is a definite difference between "being called" and "surrendering." Being called means that God wants you to do a certain thing (most cases being full-time Christian service, missions, being a pastor, and other such things) with your life. Surrendering means that you are willing to do something, that you will do that IF God wants you to do it, but not necessarily that you believe that God wants you to do that thing. Surrendering is saying that you will do whatever God wants you do to, that you are opening your heart to be "called" to that thing, if God wants to call you.

About 8 years ago, I felt God calling me to be involved in Christian ministry. I know that's kindof vague, which is kindof why I have no idea what I'm supposed to do with my life (see a few posts ago entitled "What do I want to do with the rest of my life?" and the same, "Part 2."). I have since been planning on trying to do something that would be mainly influencing people's lives positively for Christ: maybe teaching at a Christian school, being a housewife and mother, or whatever God wants me to do.

Summer '01, I surrendered to go to the mission field, if that would be what God wanted me to do. I saw that I wasn't completely willing to do ANYTHING or go ANYWHERE. That did not mean that I knew (or know now) that God would want me in the mission field. It just meant that I am willing to go, if that's what God wants me to do.

Then, about 4 years ago, I started being interested in Wales. I didn't (and still don't) know if that may be what God wants for me in the future. I've taken several trips over to that area of the world, which have been good opportunities for me. The trip that I took this summer was a good trip; I really enjoyed myself, and I was able to see God work in wonderful ways. Yes, I enjoyed the trip. Yes, I think I could enjoy myself if I spent the rest of my life ministering in Wales. But I don't know that God wants me to be in Wales. In fact, I feel that God may be leading me AWAY from Wales. I am still willing to go, but I saw some things while I was there. Most of the things that I would do in Wales would be the same kinds of things that I could possibly be doing here in the United States. Plus, I keep seeing that the United States is becoming more of a mission field. I'm not so sure that I'm supposed to leave a country that has so many needs.

I still don't know what God wants me to do, but I'm more sure now than ever that God doesn't want me in Wales for the rest of my life. Maybe God just wanted me to be willing to leave everything that is familiar so I can pursure His will. God has a way of taking us out of our comfort zone! He likes to do that, but it's good for us...it makes us lean on Him and trust Him more. When we are comfortable, we tend to trust in ourselves and our "rut." It's a good place to be when you don't know what to do and you have to completely trust in God! Wherever you are in the world and in life, whatever job you have, the best situation to be in is one in which you have to completely trust in God!

O give thanks...

2006-11-21T08:28:00.000-06:00

I Chronicles 16:8, 34 says, "Give thanks unto the LORD, call upon his name, make known his deeds among the people...O give thanks unto the LORD; for he is good; for his mercy endureth for ever."

I know it's Thanksgiving in a couple of days, but I was just thinking...how often do we actually stop and thank God for all that He's done for us? Not enough, I can say that much, at least for myself. How many times do we just stop and think of all the wonderful things that God has done for us? How many times do we thank God for all those wonderful things? How often do we thank God for the everyday things that He provides for us-life, breath, a place to sleep, food to eat, our jobs, the ability to think and reason, His Word to read and study and memorize, His love for us, His sovereignty, etc.? We often get so busy with life that we don't see all the blessings that He sends our way.

Every once in a while, Pastor will ask for testimonies. A couple of people will say that they are thankful for their salvation. Another person or two may say something else that they are thankful for, but what is this compared to all that God has done for us? He keeps the world from exploding or imploding, from getting too close to or too far away from the sun, from losing all the "natural" laws (which are actually completely from God, anyways). He takes care of our needs and loves us with a love beyond comprehension. In His sovereignty, He does what is best for us. Psalm 34:1 "I will bless the LORD at all times: his praise shall continually be in my mouth." If we stop and think about it, we could have something to praise God for ALL the time. Even if it is a "bad day," God has done so much for us, so much that we don't deserve, that we should always be able to think of something to thank him for.

How thankful are you? What do you have to be thankful for? Please leave a comment saying something that you are thankful for! I would love to hear what you are thankful for!

What do I want to do with the rest of my life? Part 2

2006-11-18T19:34:00.000-06:00

I've been thinking a lot about this question. What am I supposed to do after college? No matter how much I think about it and pray for God to show me, I still don't know. I can search, make plans, and try to figure it all out, but what does that accomplish? Nothing, other than wasting my time.

God knows what I am supposed to do; He has a plan for my future. What I need to do is seek Him (Jeremiah 29:13 "And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart."). When we seek Him with all of our heart, we will draw closer to Him. The closer we draw to Him, the more we become like Him. The more we become like Him, the more we will do what He wants us to do. It is a day-by-day commitment, challenge, and the one thing that we should pursue: a closer walk with God.

YLCF has a poem on their blog: www.ylcf.org/2006/11/waiting. I read this, and it was so helpful to me! Every once in a while, I need to be reminded that I don't need to know what is in my future. God knows all, and He is the One that I need to know. I must wait for Him to show me where to go. I must "walk by faith, not by sight" (2 Corinthians 5:7). No matter how much I DON'T know about my future, I need to follow Christ. I may not see the next step I will take, but I can know that I am safe, no matter how "dangerous" a place it may be that God is leading me (Psalm 23:4 "Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me...."). God knows the next step that I need to take. He has already planned it and ensured that I am able to handle it with His help. I just need to trust in the help that He gives me.

What do I want to do with the rest of my life?

2006-11-17T21:07:00.000-06:00

This is a question that I've been asking myself. I've put a lot of thought into it. I don't have any definite answers or leadings. Some things would depend on other things, but here are some of my thoughts concerning the issue:

1. I would love to be a "stay-at-home mom," of course if God provides a husband and children.

2. I love music: maybe I could write and arrange music and get some published, play in church, maybe teach lessons.

3. I love to sew, so it would be fun to incorporate that into my life.

4. I love people, so anything that would involve people would be great!

5. I want to be involved in church ministries.

So, what does this all mean? I have no idea. It doesn't mean that I'm planning to do all of these things, or even ANY of these things. These are only the things that I want. I have no idea what God wants, which is the main thing that I need to be concerned about. Right now, I'm open to whatever God wants me to do, wherever He wants me to do it. It's a little disconcerting to be in this position: I'm not in control! But it puts me in a place where I have to trust God completely-to do what He knows is best for my life-rather than me making a plan for my life and completely messing it up.

Was I ever in control, in the first place?

Celebration in Heaven....again!

2006-11-16T07:51:00.001-06:00

Once again, there has been a celebration in Heaven because of what God is doing at Stoughton Baptist Church! Josh came to our bonfire a couple of weeks ago with Warren and Andre, who used to come to Stoughton but are now going to church with their mom. Josh seemed to enjoy himself! Then, he came to Teen Time last night! It was exciting! Tyler taught a lesson based on the story of Noah and the flood, saying how sometimes what God asks us to do doesn't make any sense, but we have to trust God and obey Him, no matter how illogical His commands seem. It didn't really have much of a salvation message. Titus had all of us make a list of people that we know aren't saved, and he said he's going to make a list to pass out to all of us so we can start praying for people to get saved. That's about as much as salvation was talked about. But, in the invitation, Tyler asked if anyone was not "100% sure" that they are going to heaven. I didn't peak, so I don't know if he raised his hand, or not, but I found out later that he had talked to someone and accepted Christ! Praise the Lord!

Winter has arrived

2006-11-11T16:20:00.000-06:00

Last night was a big snow storm...well, more than just snow. It started out as rain in the afternoon, turned to sleet mid-afternoon, then turned to snow by early evening. Here at the hotel, we had a couple of people cancel reservations because of the weather, but we had quite a few more that came in because of the weather.

In my opinion, what is the point of winter if we can't have snow? What is the point of the cold if we can't have the beauty of the snow to go along with it? I mean, I love dirt, and everything, but it's just not as pretty as the snow! And the snow we have now is the perfect snow for snowball fights....nice and wet and sticky!

Snow normally brings forth a connotation of being clean, pure. "Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean: wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow." (Psalm 51:7) "...though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow..." (Isaiah 1:18) Maybe that's why I like snow so much...it reminds me that God loves me and has forgiven me of ALL of my sins, and He sees me as pure, just like the snow, because of Christ dying to pay the penalty for our sins! It reminds me of how I don't deserve God's love, yet He still loves me unconditionally! Before we accept Christ, we are cold, barren, and ugly, like winter without snow. When we accept Christ, we become white as snow, beautiful and pure in God's eyes, because all He sees is Jesus and His blood! How Christ's blood and my sin mix to make something pure and white and beautiful, I don't know. I DO know that there are a lot of things about God and His will that I don't understand, but I don't need to understand because He is in complete control: He is sovereign. And add His love into the equasion, and it's a perfect combination: He loves us, and He will do what is best for us because He is in control of what happens in our lives!

Guess who I just met!!!

2006-11-07T13:46:00.000-06:00

Ok, maybe it wasn't anyone famous, but that's ok. It's interesting to see what different kinds of people stay here in the hotel. I was sitting here, doing...well, not very much. A man walked in to the hotel and asked if we had a directory of all the Microtels. I pointed them out to him, and as he walked over to pick one up, he mentioned that he is going to be a missionary, and that he is raising his suppport. I asked him if he was with a mission board...he said, "Yes, I'm with Baptist International Missions, Inc." Wow! I mentioned that I was there for Camp BIMI this summer! He asked me how that was. He asked me what church I go to, so I mentioned that I go to Stoughton, and that I go to Maranatha. He said that he's on deputation to be a missionary to the military in Germany! How cool is that! Well, he hadn't planned on giving out any prayer cards, so he didn't have any with him, but he said that he would have his wife come in and give me one. It was a blessing to see the Kisslings, and I now have their prayer card. It's always good to see other Christians here in the hotel, especially since there aren't very many Christians here. It's a little bit of a bright spot in my day!

Sammi's Birthday and the Bonfire

2006-11-06T18:40:00.000-06:00

This weekend was a fun weekend. Sammi Garland had her birthday party (about a month late, but that's ok cuz it was still fun!), and we had the annual bonfire at church.

For Sammi's birthday party, we watched movies and played Guesstures. We watched about 8 movies: a few that I had seen before and a few that I hadn't seen before. I can't remember the names of most of the movies, but it was fun!

Friday, between a couple of the movies, we played Guesstures! It was fun, too! My team didn't win, though. Oh well. We slept in a little on Saturday morning, watched more movies, and relaxed a little.

Then Saturday night was the bonfire at church. There were 19 of us altogether: 8 college students, 11 teenagers! It was good to see a few that we haven't seen in a while! And it was good to see God working in people's lives during the preaching.

Along with eating hot dogs and s'mores, we played "capture the glowsticks," which is a variation on capture the flag, only we hid glowsticks around the property. It was fun!

What more can I say...

2006-10-30T20:46:00.000-06:00

God is good!

2006-10-30T18:37:00.000-06:00

God is doing so much in our church! Rashad was saved on Wednesday night. And, as if that wasn't enough, God showed Himself even more powerful yesterday at church! Christian, Rodney, and Javana were all saved yesterday! Christian is about 6, Rodney is about 9, and Javana is about 10. What a wonderful thought, that these kids have the rest of their lives to be able to live for God!

Christian was saved in Sunday School, then Rodney and Javana were saved after the afternoon service. We had a missionary from Hungary (He's a Hungarian man who is a missionary in Hungary) who preached yesterday. He preached a sermon focused more on witnessing to others, so it wasn't what we would call a "salvation message" encouraging others to be saved. But it turned out that way! Praise the Lord! Pastor came to me after the service was done, and he said that Javana wasn't sure that she had been saved! I took her down to the nursery and spent about 20 minutes (?) talking to her and showing her the "Roman's Road" and answering her many questions, like "How do we know God can hear us?" and "Do I have to pray out loud?" She has been coming to church for a while...since last spring, I think. She has heard a lot of Bible stories between Sundays and Wednesday nights, so she had the foundation. What a blessing for "one begger to tell another begger where to find food!" God is definitely doing some wonderful things at Stoughton Baptist Church!

Wednesday nights

2006-10-26T08:26:00.000-05:00

I'm helping with Teen Time, our youth program for teens, at Stoughton Baptist Church on Wednesdays. Titus has been teaching the teens how to witness to others. So, last night, Titus asked for a volunteer. We've been praying that Rashad would get saved, and he volunteered. So, he went up to the front with Titus, who then showed the other teens how to witness to their friends by presenting the gospel to Rashad, which accomplished two things at once: showing the saved teens how they can witness to others and also presenting the gospel to Rashad! Well, they came to the end, the "decision," and Titus asked Rashad if he wanted to be saved, all part of the roll-play. Rashad asked, "For real?" Titus answered that he could be saved, for real, if he wanted to! And Rashad answered that he did! He prayed and asked God to save him, right there in front of all the other teens! Praise the Lord!!! God worked out the little details! Titus needed a volunteer to present the gospel to for the lesson, Rashad volunteered, and Titus was able to present the gospel to Rashad, who was ready to be saved! God is so good! Let the angels in heaven rejoice over one more sinner who has come to repentence! And let us pray that he will grow in the knowledge and love of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ!

I did a search

2006-10-24T13:33:00.000-05:00

Here are the results:

I Corinthians 14:33 "God is not the author of confusion, but of peace..."

Philippians 4:7 "The peace of God...shall keep your hearts."

Colossians 3:15 "Let the peace of God rule in your hearts."

Psalm 71:1 "In Thee, O Lord, do I put my trust; let me never be put to confusion."

I must admit that I've allowed confusion to rule my heart, not the peace of God. God's peace will not necessarily make the confusion go away, but it will at least be able to give you the joy of the Lord, if you "let the peace of God rule in your heart." I've been wasting my time lately by not allowing God's peace to prevail in my life, and I've done some stupid things because of it.

What is peace? I've been asking myself that recently. I was looking through some old sermon notes last night, and I found a quote from one of the preachers saying that peace is a knowledge coming from God that lets you know that something is right. Ouch. I knew that, but I didn't want to think about it. Maybe I wanted something so much that I convinced myself that I had peace about it. Maybe the peace I had is for the future, that it will happen someday, but now is not the right time. I cannot see the future. I can hope, and pray. But God will do what is best; I just have to trust Him for today and have peace in what He has given me for today.

off-campus

2006-10-23T19:36:00.000-05:00

So, I've been living off-campus for a while, now, and I love it! I've been living with the Garlands since January. I love them very much (please don't misunderstand me), but I kindof just want a place of my own. I mean, I'm 24 years old. I'm financially able to pay for an apartment (or, at least, I will be by the time I get around to moving). I want to be able to do my own grocery shopping, live a little closer to campus so I can go visit more often, and just have a place of my own. So, I have a few options, and I'm thinking about them and praying about them. Decisions, decisions. I hate making decisions...

Summer '07

2006-10-19T09:06:00.000-05:00

Ok, so I got the email: I didn't make a summer ensemble. Of course, I'm a little disappointed, but I had wanted to do a camp more, anyways. So, now comes the great decision: at which of the many camps should I spend my summer? Where does God want me this summer? They all kindof start sounding alike after a while. A couple of them stick out a little more than others. CoBeAc is only a few hours from my house, so my parents could visit me, or I could visit my parents. Others have opportunities for me to use and broaden some of the various interests that I have. But, are they where God wants me? I don't know. God will show me. I want to get the applications filled out and sent in, then we'll see what I get back. I want to have time to pray over them. Of course, there are always things that would make me want to go some places over others (like Camp Eden, up in the mountains of Colorado, doesn't normally get above 75 degrees; Camp CoBeAc was where I went when I was growing up, and I've heard that it's improved since then; etc.). I hate being decisive!!!

It's a mystery

2006-10-16T21:00:00.000-05:00

Actually, men are the mysteries, and they don't even smell as good as we do! ;)

Thoughts

2006-10-14T18:52:00.000-05:00

I'm sorry for the meloncholy posts lately. That's just kindof how my life has been lately. I'm getting over it (VERY slowly, but surely), so I hope this doesn't last for too much longer.

So, the second round of summer ensemble tryouts is this Tuesday. It's mixed groups this time, but it's still split into the 4:00 and 9:00 tryouts. I'll be going to the 9:00 one since I work until 3 and probably won't be able to make it in time for the 4:00 tryouts. Plus, I would have nothing to do all evening if I went at 4:00. And I would have to find something for supper, which would mean I would have to pay extra money for that. And I wouldn't be able to spend the evening with the Garlands, and I hardly ever get to see them, anyways! No thanks! I'll just go at 9:00!

2006-10-12T10:31:00.000-05:00

Ok, so I've had a rough week, and I needed a little "pick-me-up." This one helped me a little, at least for a little bit. You'd have to follow the comic strip to really realize what's going on. Pig has been reading a book on levitation, and he learned how to levitate in the second chapter. I thought we were done hearing about the levitation, but....So, zebra is trying to sell his house because the crocodiles that live next door are always trying to eat him. He has consulted a real estate agent to put his house on the market. Now, on to the comic strip:

So, we are also having Spirit Week here at Maranatha Baptist Bible College. Here are some pictures of me, Nikki, and Ashley on Monday, which was superhero day.

In case you can't tell, we're the powerpuff girls!

life's curveballs

2006-10-09T19:32:00.000-05:00

Sometimes God allows "curveballs" in our lives; you know, when you think you know what's going on with your life, then everything completely changes? Yeah. For me right now, I don't know what God has planned for my life. A year ago, I probably would have said that I was planning to go to Wales, at least "for now." But now, God seems to be leading me a different direction. "Which direction?" you may ask. Yeah, that's the question of the day. I don't really know. There are so many different directions that I could go. That's always been my problem: I want to do everything. Well, almost everything. I never wanted to be a surgeon or a nurse or anything like that. Too much blood and guts and needles. I never wanted to be a sumo wrestler, either; I'm not big enough, plus, who in their right mind would want to wear nasty stuff that? I never wanted to be a pastor: the Bible says that only men are to be pastors. But there are so many different things that I might be able to do. How am I supposed to know what to do? Even the professionals don't know what I would want to do. My mom told me the other day that, when I took the ACT's and I did the test where they tell you what kind of job you might be good at or be interested in, my test came back saying something like: "your results are inconclusive. Your answers are so varried that we cannot give you an answer." How's that for help. And there are so many different things that I would like to do: maybe teach, maybe work full-time in a church, maybe just be at home and be a mom (assuming I get married and have children), maybe have a "secular" job and be involved in the ministries of the church, maybe write and arrange music (that would be really fun!). Maybe a combination of some or all of the things above. I'm willing to do whatever it is that God wants me to do, but I don't know what that is. And I know that God will show me what it is that He wants me to do, when I need to know. I just hate this "in-between" time.

Irony

2006-10-06T16:11:00.000-05:00

If you will notice, the top of my blog (I guess it's my blog name) is "'His way is perfect'-Psalm 18:30." Ironic how I needed that verse last night and was not expecting it. It was a rough night, and I really needed some encouragement. And I appreciate the encouragement that I get from my friends, but nothing is as encouraging as words from God. So, I was reading in II Samuel 22. Who would have guess that it had exactly what I needed?!? In the middle of all these stories about David conquering cities and other nations, David and his family problems, and all these things about David, the Bible includes a prayer song (psalm) that is also known as Psalm 18. It is almost word-for-word what Psalm 18 says. But I was reading along, just about ready to cry in the first place, then I came across my favorite verse, only in a different chapter and book than what I normally see it in. "As for God, His way is perfect; the word of the Lord is tried; He is a buckler to all those that trust in Him." It was exactly what I needed. I pretty much started balling. That verse has helped me get through many other times when I don't know why God is allowing things in my life, and I don't understand what He is doing. That's kindof how I feel right now, but the verse reminded me that "His way is perfect." I have to keep remembering that I don't need to understand God's ways; in fact, I most likely CAN'T understand His ways. But it's ok, because God didn't make us so that we can understand His ways. He just wants us to trust Him for EVERYTHING. No matter how hard it may seem, it's always "perfect."

And something I need to keep reminding myself right now, one of my favorite quotes: "Keep breathing; it's good for your health!" Hope you all keep that in mind, too!

tryouts

2006-10-05T11:29:00.000-05:00

So, I made the first cuts for tryouts. The next tryout is next week, so I'll keep you all posted!

I've been hearing a lot about relationships recently. So many people are confused by this guy or that girl, whether they're dating, "just friends," or not even sure what the other person is thinking. Why do we have to make these things so complicated? Yes, starting to date is a big step in our Christian college culture. We take it very seriously because we've been taught that you're supposed to "date someone who would be a good mate," as the saying goes. People are scared to say what they really think because they do not want to lose the friendship that they have, but they still want to know if there is a possibility of more than "just friends." Then, sometimes people assume the worst. I suppose it's hard NOT to assume the worst when you really don't know what the other person is thinking. That's why communication is so important. "Communication is the key to having a healthy relationship." That means ANY kind of relationship. Now, obviously, there are some things that the other peson just doesn't need to know. But, there are things that the person DOES need to know, or wants to know. COMMUNICATION!!!!! That's my soapbox.

tryouts

2006-10-03T08:11:00.000-05:00

So, today starts the beginning of my search: the search for what I am supposed to do this summer. Ok, I've already started the search...I was checking out Amazing Grace Baptist Camp. But this is the official beginning of my quest. Tonight, at 9:00 pm, summer ensemble tryouts begin. Yes, I've tried out 4 other times and have never made a team, but I figure that I might as well try out again, just to keep it as an option, if that's what God wants. I made it to the last round of tryouts the last time I tried out, so that's always a good sign! We'll see how it goes! I just hope that I don't have to keep trying out if I don't make it because it will cost me extra since I'm not on-campus. "As for God, His way is perfect."

Bus Drivers

2006-09-26T14:27:00.000-05:00

Ok, one more hotel story. These guys with a bus tour are staying in the hotel for a few days. One's about 35, the other's about 45. They seem very friendly...a little too friendly. One guy was DEFINITELY "hitting" on me. Yesterday morning, he said something like: "Today you look like sunshine." I had worked the night before, too. He quickly added, "...and last night, you looked like the moonlight." Woah. Let me tell you, it's kindof scary. I'm often glad that I have a counter and a door between me and the customers.

summer '07

2006-09-26T08:59:00.000-05:00

So, at this point, I'm thinking I'm going to try to travel for Maranatha this summer, or work at a camp. My first hurdle: summer ensemble tryouts. I guess, if I make an ensemble, I'll just stick with that. But, considering I've tried out 4 times already and haven't made a team, I don't have much hope for making an ensemble (at least, I'm not planning on making one). So, I have a "plan B," which is really more of a "plan A," but the summer ensemble tryouts happen first. I really want to work at a camp this summer. Does anyone have any suggestions for camps? Some that I know of now: Amazing Grace Baptist Camp, Bill Rice Ranch, Northland, the Wilds, Chetek, Ironwood, CoBeAc. Any other suggestions?

Oh, I almost forgot

2006-09-25T21:58:00.000-05:00

I have a new favorite quote. It goes something like this:

"Every day I get to spend with you is one more than I deserve."

Just something to think about...let it sink in. What do we really deserve? I can say one thing...we don't deserve everything we get. We should love and appreciate every good thing that comes our way because we don't deserve it.

More on comic strips

2006-09-25T20:00:00.000-05:00

Ok, so this whole thing with Garfield. Yes, it seems kindof wrong for Jon Arbuckle, the Nerd of Nerds, to have a girlfriend. But, if you follow the comic strip, they actually go really well together. She's definitely a bit of a nerd, herself. It's funny to watch things progress...wow...listen to me, it's almost like they're real people and I'm watching their "love blossom." But really, as much of a nerd as he is, Jon Arbuckle is a nice man with some idiosyncracies (don't we ALL have them?!). Here's another comic strip that I enjoy:

As for Get Fuzzy, I think it's just a modernised version of Garfield. A bit more...weird and crazy, but definitely a knock-off of Garfield: a nerdy single guy with a crazy cat and dog. It's funny, too!

I'm glad we have comic strips...they always help me feel better! I love a good laugh every once in a while!

My favorite comic strip

2006-09-23T21:17:00.000-05:00

Pearls Before Swine....so funny, and ironic sometimes. Here's a recent one that is a similar one to the last strip that I posted. These crocodiles are so funny...kindof sad how it depicts a blood-thirsty carnivore as the religious one...It's interesting how Mr. Pastis twists common prayers and Bible verses to fit the lifestyles of the crocodiles.

Oh, and has anyone been watching Garfield? Jon now has a girlfriend! Whoever would have guessed!?!

2006-09-22T17:34:00.000-05:00

Ok, I'm tired of the hotel stories. I'm not sure if anyone else is enjoying them, but I don't think I'm going to do that any more. Just so you're not disappointed, that was the warning.

What can I say?!? God is so good! I don't know what He's doing in my life, exactly, but I can definitely see Him working and showing Himself powerful! But that is one thing that I would like to ask you all to pray about: What God wants for me. I have peace about the direction I'm going, so far. What direction it is, exaclty, I'm not sure, but God is definitely leading me somewhere! Pray for wisdom in the decisions I make. I definitely need that. Especially for this summer. I'm not sure where God wants me. Right now, I'm thinking probably either a camp or traveling with a Maranatha group. I still have a few months before I would know anything for sure, I guess. Tryouts for Maranatha groups start in a couple of week, and that will probably go on for about a month. I made it to the last round of tryouts last time I tried out, so that's encouraging!

So, we're finally getting into the good stuff in choral arranging. We've finished writing the 4-part harmony, which was a lot of fun. Dr. Ledge says I have a "knack" for it! That's encouraging! It's the piano parts that I'm scared about. I never liked trying to do piano parts for my arrangements. We just started that, and the first one was due today. It seemed to go alright. Hopefully I'll be able to improve as time goes on!

Thought for the day: "I sat down and wept, and mourned certain days, and fasted, and prayed before the God of heaven..." Nehemiah 1:4. Pastor Loggans preached on this today in chapel. Something he brought out: when was the last time you really cried for someone just for them, for completely unselfish reasons, just because you see their pain and you feel it as they do? Wow. He didn't say it exactly like that, but that's how I saw it. Completely unselfish...what a rebuke. I mean, I cry sometimes. Not very often, but usually there is at least a speck of selfishness in there somewhere. But to be in pain completely because someone else is in pain....what a thought.

Nickels

2006-09-19T07:48:00.000-05:00

Ok, I've learned to dispise nickels since I've been here at the hotel. Why in the world would anyone want two whole dollars worth of nickels in a roll of nickels? I don't like counting all of them. We never use them, so they stay in there forever. I don't like opening a new roll because it's so much to count, but there's hardly any money there. I guess it's not as big of a deal as it may seem, but it's annoying. For instance, the manager got $10 worth of nickels in April, and we just finished using up the last roll (of course, they got another $8 worth since then). As for the other coins, we normally have to get 3-5 rolls of each kind each week. Oh well!

The infamous room 102

2006-09-16T16:44:00.000-05:00

So there's this guy (we'll call him "Bob") who's staying in room 102. He's been here for about 2 weeks. He's about the most annoying customer I've ever had. Bob is very dependent, and he loves to talk, especially when I have other things to be doing. He will come to the front desk and just talk to me about....well, sometimes nothing, sometimes too much. Too much, for instance, when he told me that he had been on the toilet the day before (TMI). He has probably spent a couple hours up here talking to me each shift since he started staying here.

So, that's not the story I was going to tell. That was just background. Last weekend, there was a blind man (we'll call him "Fred") who was staying in the hotel. Very nice gentleman, but he needed some help with things. Well, "Fred" was up here talking to me about some things when "Bob" walked by and saw me talking to "Fred." Well, being the dependent talker that he is, he got this look on his face that seemed to say something like, "How dare you talk to the front desk associate! That's my job! I'm so jealous!" It was really pretty funny!

While "Fred" may be gone, "Bob" is still here. He says he is looking for an appartment or some place to stay. If anyone knows of a place here in Madison, please let me know....all of us here at Microtel would appreciate it very much!

bubba

2006-09-14T12:10:00.000-05:00

Who would have ever guessed that I would see a professional stuntsman here at the hotel?! Ok, no, he didn't do any stunts for us, but he stayed here. After I had checked him out of the hotel, I looked out the window and saw his name, "Bubba Blackwell," plastered on the side of a big trailer being pulled by a pickup truck. "That must be your trailer," I said to him. "It sure is!" he smiled back. I was curious what this red, white, and blue trailer was all about. So, I checked out his name on the internet and found his website...yes, it's the same guy! You should check it out sometime: www.bubbablackwell.com. Yes, my lovely hotel, Microtel Inn & Suites, has been graced with the presence of Bubba, whoever he may be.

Whoever would have thought to name a cute little baby "Bubba"...

hippy dude

2006-09-14T08:14:00.000-05:00

Ok, back to the hotel stories! There was this guy who was probably in his mid-20's that was staying in the hotel for like a week, and he had waist-long, curly hair, wore outfits that completely looked like they were from a thrift store (like the people on What Not to Wear, when they wear all kinds of things that look completely ridiculous), and was just kindof scary. Anyways, I have to be friendly to the customers. This guy came up and started talking to me. He was asking me what nearby restaurants I suggest. I gave him a couple of suggestions. Then he proceded to go on with this conversation: Him: "You probably have a lot of guys hitting on you here at this job."

Me: "No, not really. We mostly have businessmen during the week, and guys who come on the weekend normally are with their girlfriends or wives."

Him: "Really?!? I would have thought that more guys would hit on you. Well, I need to go take a nap."

A couple of hours later, he had a confession: "I guess I was asking if guys ever hit on you because I was kindof hitting on you." Scary. How can people do stuff like that? What are they thinking? Why would you want to flirt with someone you don't even know? Yes, this world is messed up.

So, today, I have my second voice lesson. Crazy, really, because I really don't want to spend the time or the gas to drive all the way back home after my lesson tonight, so I get to stay in the dorm. I'm kindof scared. It's been about 2 1/2 years since I lived in the dorms. I'm not sure if I'm going to be able to handle it. Oh well! We'll see. Maybe noone will be sick, and I'll be able to stay in the health center with Nikki...hmmm....

Oh, and one more thing: I love Pearls Before Swine. Here's one of my favorites:

coffee

2006-09-12T07:30:00.000-05:00

I'm just going to stray from my hotel stories for one post because I got this comic today. Pearls before Swine...very funny, most of the time! I saw this one, and I was thinking about decaf coffee. Really, what's the point of decaf? Coffee is disgusting. If you don't drink it for the caffeine, what's the point? Yuck!!! As for the comic, that's about the ratio of coffee and creamer that I would use if I were to drink coffee, and the only reason I would drink it would be to stay awake when I'm here at the hotel. I've only done it a couple of times when I was pretty much not able to stay awake. Normally, I drink hot tea, though. Actually, James, Jason and I had a little discussion about tea: James and I like it, and Jason does not. Oh well! He's missing out on a good thing! At least he agrees with the coffee thing: he hates it! He loves Mountain Dew, though, which is understandable considering his crazy schedule: Sundays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays he works security from 1 am to 6 am. Poor guy, I kindof feel sorry for him, but he requested those times, so I don't feel THAT bad!

working at the hotel

2006-09-09T17:27:00.000-05:00

I must admit that I run into some very interesting people and circumstances here in the hotel. I think maybe I should start publishing some of these stories, just for fun and laughs. I'll have to dig back into my memory to see how many I remember, but...I'll try it, and you all can leave some feedback and let me know how it is.

So, I didn't have anything to do with this, but one of our night audit people (they work from 11 pm-7 am) let a homeless guy sleep in the lobby. Don't get me wrong, I know the homeless guy needs a place to sleep. But seriously...we can't let just anyone sleep in our lobby. Seriously...they have shelters for homeless people, and that's where this guy belongs. Some people would be very offended to see a homeless guy sleeping on the couch in the lobby. That may convince some people to never come back.

Next story coming in a few days.

Church

2006-09-07T08:09:00.000-05:00

Ok, all I have to say is that it's going to be a fun year at Stoughton Baptist Church! Just the fact that Jason and I are dating is going to be fun. But, there are going to be some additions to the group that will make it completely crazy...which isn't necessarily a bad thing....really! On top of the crazy, sarcastic group that we had last year (other than a couple who are no longer with us because they no longer go to Maranatha), we're adding AT LEAST James, who is going to fit in very well, other than the fact that he appologizes too much. We'll work on that! As for other additions, well, I don't know of anyone for sure, though we've had several other people visit. God is good, and He'll give us just the right people that He needs for us to serve Him the best that we can.

My new blog

2006-09-05T09:03:00.000-05:00

Ok, I know I've been doing Xanga for a while, but I wanted to start something that the Maranatha students could view, since most of my friends are at Maranatha. So, I hope I get a few more people who check up on this one!

Lemme think...I can't say that much new is happening. I'll post again soon.