Words and spring

I feel this spring weather isn't very "spring-like" and it's turning into summer weather too quickly! I would like to enjoy some more breezy 60 degree days before all of this 80-90 degree nonsense. :)

Tonight was pretty lovely though. I borrowed my roommates bike (again) and rode around the block a little bit. I just love it! It's always right around the time when the sun is going down (because that's the only time I'm home in the light) and the sky and grass and flowers looked just gorgeous. There was a really nice breeze going too! I think it's going to storm tonight. I hope it does. I like thunderstorms. Especially if it means it will cool down a little bit.



For some reason I'm feeling kind of lonely tonight. I don't know why really... I think I'm homesick from being home for Easter =/ I also feel a little anxious... (but not in the panic attack, all around BAD kind) just in the anticipatory kind. It's coming to an end SO fast and I can't stop it. I'm excited of COURSE (for graduation), but I'm also nervous and scared. =/

On another note, I've been playing "words with friends" lately like it's no one's business! It keeps me so entertained! If you play let me know and we'll have to start a game..:)


Well I think I'm off to spend some quiet time with God.

I really feel that He is calling me to an attitude of "servant hood" in some different ways and I'm working on listening and responding. :)

Bloggiversary :D

TODAY I HAVE BEEN BLOGGING FOR A WHOLE YEAR! Woohoo!

Since this day last year, I have faithfully blogged at least once a week (I think) and sometimes MORE than that.

I'm so proud of myself and amazed at all that God has done in and through me last summer and this senior year.
Can't wait to see what He has in store for me next! :D

Book review?

Okay, I already blogged today. But I'm reading this book right now that I really like. :)
It reminds me of reading a blog.

It's called "Bittersweet". I would recommend it. She talks mostly about her life and gives her own little insights into things. She doesn't talk THAT much about God but she makes me think about the things in life that are really important.

He are a few quotes from it that I really like:

"When you do what you love with people who love the same thing, something is born into your midst, and (it) begins to connect you"

"When you walk with someone, listen to their story, carry their burden, play with their kids, that's community. Wherever you find it, it's always a gift"

"We were made to live connected and close. So walk across the street, or drive across town, or fly across the country, but don't let really intimate loving friendships become the last item on a to-do list. Because there is really nothing like good friends, like the sounds of their laughter and the tones of their voices and the things they teach us in the quietest, smallest moments."

So if you're lookin' for a good read, check it out. :)

PS: Tomorrow I've been blogging for a WHOLE year! Whoopee!!

On Christ the solid Rock I stand

HAPPY EASTER!! He is risen! Hallelujah :))))

It may seem kind of weird that I am in fact blogging on Easter, but today in my mind will be a day to relax, soak in Jesus and "veg".

Lately, I haven't been spending as much devotion time with God as I would like to be. I haven't been getting up on time to read in the morning, and I've been pretty busy. I'm starting to get the feeling that God is mad or disappointed but this morning I was thinking about a sermon that I heard and wrote about one time. God isn't mad when we feel like WE are doing "bad"...and He isn't happy when we feel like we are doing "good". He loves us no matter what and He sees our hearts. I'm so thankful today for God's grace and His relationship that He freely offers to His children. Every one.

Last night a really scary thing happened.

A couple of friends and I went to Rita's water ice at around 9:20 ish. We were standing in line there while one of us was ordering and this man walked really fast up to the counter and he was wearing a mask. He shouted at us to "get the **** out of here!" and we ran to the car. He was trying to rob the Rita's! It was the scariest thing ever. The Rita's employees huddled together in the back of the store and they called the police. The guy ran away and the police came pretty quickly. We had to talk to them because we were the main witnesses who saw the man. We described to the police what he was wearing and they thought they might have had him at a local train station. One of the police officers took us in his car to see if it was him...but we didn't think so because he had different clothes on than we saw. So, they let that man go I guess.

The scariest part was thinking about what COULD have happened. He could have had a gun. He could have touched us. He could have.. stolen OUR things. But PRAISE GOD we are safe! So many things could have happened, but nothing did!! God was so totally keeping us from harm.

That experience just reminded me how messed up this world is. I was thinking about that man last night. He isn't just a "bad guy". He was once a child. He had/has some sort of family and he has a personality. What would make him do that? What happened in this guys life that he turned out that way? He needs God. Our world is an evil place because of "the fall" and that's reality. I'm NOT exempt from the harm of this world and bad things can happen. I'm so grateful we're okay.


In other news.. I'm graduating in 12 DAYS!!!! SO excited :))

I think I have (sort of) decided that I am going to live in the area near school about 25 minutes west of where I go to school now. A friend of mine has offered a room in her home to me and it's right near schools that I want to work in, and a couple of best friends that I would get to be near. For now...I'm thinking I'll live there, but hey...it could change. ;)

Yesterday I went to a birthday party (before the Rita's incident) for an 18 year old and it made me feel really old. They are all graduating high school and moving on to college and I'm graduating from college. Soon to start real life. It's a weird feeling...

Hope everyone enjoys their Easter and family time! Jesus is RISEN. :)

I'm dangling...but He's holding me

My "official" full teaching week in 6th grade is complete! It was a very good week and I've been learning so much about teaching and about myself in the process.

This brain of mine has a lot of thoughts swimming around up there. (What else is new?)

Last night Amanda and Kathi and I met for dinner to have a heart to heart time. We used to be in prayer group together last year but this year we don't all get to talk and pray together like we used to. Last time we got together was in November (?) I think... So it had been a while!

I was telling Kathi about where I'm at right now, and how I'm in this "major transition" season in my life, and I just don't know for now where I will end up.

She told me this AWESOME analogy that I'm still meditating on. (She has SO much Godly wisdom, and I admire her SOO so very much!)

She told me that really, for the past four years or so, I've been in this "bubble"... called college. Now though, that's all about to change. I'm moving into a completely new season and it's like I'm a plant needing to be "planted" somewhere else.
God has pulled me up out of this soil (or pot) that I've been in for the past four years and right now it's like I'm just dangling. He is holding me but I don't know where my "roots" will be planted next. She told me about how there is a lot of growing that happens and faith and trust that develops in this period of "dangling".

Boy, is she right! I've felt exactly like that. I know it's time to "move on" to another bigger pot so that I can grow even more, I just don't know where that will be yet or what it will look like. It takes a lot of faith and trust to believe that God will plant me in the perfect place and wherever that is, He will help me to grow even more.

She said something else that I really loved. Something to the effect of "..and if it doesn't feel like the perfect fit, it's a time of preparing you for that time and place that will be the perfect fit." I just loved that.

So here I am, just dangling, and trying to be patient as God leads me where He wants me. :)


I've been thinking lately about how short of time is truly left until I graduate! I realized I don't even have anymore five-day weeks left. Next week, and the following week we have a day off for Easter, and then my last week is over on Thursday. Eeeek! So excitingggg and very crazy to think about.

It feels like such an accomplishment and I just haven't been able to help looking back at my whole college life and thinking how much things have changed. The people in my life have changed, come and gone, relationships have formed and gotten deeper, and I'VE grown so much I can't even believe it. I feel like a different person than I was when I came here as a freshman. God had blown me away time and time again. I have been stretched way beyond my comfort zone and been challenged in ways I couldn't begin to imagine. Even so, I know those times are nothing to the life I still have ahead.

I was planning on doing a "fill in the blank Friday" on this post, but I don't want it to get TOO long so I'll stop there..!

If anyone who reads this is interested in buying a Japan relief coin purse that I've made or has questions EMAIL me! I'm still selling them. :)

I'll end with the thought that I had today of blogging. I just LOVE it. I love reading so many encouraging blogs and stories of other women in Christ. (That's means YOU!) It really fills me up in a way and puts a smile on my face. It's also been an amazing outlet for me and my own awesome record of my "ups and downs"..if you will. :)

Be blessed!!

Thankful Thursday

I haven't done one of these "Thankful Thursday" posts in awhile but I was reminded again tonight how truly we who live in this nation are very blessed!
So here we go..

*I'm very thankful for sisters in Christ and women who love God that encourage me, hear my heart, and speak words of wisdom into my life.. I'm so very blessed in this way and it's one of the things that makes moving on hard to do.

*I'm thankful for sunny, 60 degree weather. :) Today I was driving home from dinner with some lovely women and the breeze was amazing, the sunset was beautiful, and the smells of spring are my very favorite. I love driving with the windows down in spring.

*I'm thankful that no kids actually got into a physical fight today even though they were very close. Possibly more on that later..

*I'm thankful that God has once again proven himself faithful and carried me through this week. It went SO fast! He's not just faithful in that, but everything. He's reminding me lately how to trust.

*I woke up at 7 am today. The time I am supposed to LEAVE for school, but I never set my alarm the night before (WHOOPS) BUT I'm so thankful I DID wake up on time, and got to school only a few minutes later than I would normally.

*I'm thankful for the calling that God has on my life. I really feel that THIS, being a teacher is what I am supposed to be doing, and it's the greatest feeling. God brought me to this place and He has been providing over and over.

What are you thankful for today? :)

Have a lovely Friday!!

Seasons

Today at church I played on worship team (which I LOVE) and one of the songs we played was "desert song". Ever since I practiced yesterday, I've been meditating and thinking on this verse in the song:

All of my life
In every season
You are still God
I have a reason to sing
I have a reason to worship

Just think about that for a minute.

I don't know about you, but it brings me SO much comfort.

No matter what I'm going through right now, in this season in my life...not just this one but EVERY season... God is STILL GOD and I still can go on praising Him like always. Because HE is God and He deserves every honor and glory. Put aside all of my circumstances, God is a God that is so constant, and perfect, and full of grace and peace. He is a God to be glorified because this life is all about Him! Amen!! :)

Going along with this theme about seasons...

Today was a beautiful day. It was one of those nice 60 degree days that feel so good after the cold days of winter. It was just gorgeous and felt so nice, and I caught myself wishing it could "be like this allll the time". That's when I remembered that it's good it's not like this all the time because then I wouldn't appreciate this beautiful weather nearly as much when it comes. If we never had the cold dreary days we wouldn't appreciate these beautiful days nearly as much.
That's basically how life is! We need the days that are hard and tough to get through sometimes because it allows us to appreciate so much more, our easier circumstances. Otherwise, we would take so much more for granted I think.

Just thinking...:)

I'm teaching my full week in 6th grade this week! I'm feeling ready, we'll see. :)

I can have peace

I've felt weird this week.

I think something has been sort of off with my medication. (I take something for anxiety) It's the scariest thing when it's off. I just hate it.
One day at lunch this week I just felt so weird and not right all of sudden (at school) and started getting weird tingly feelings..I got so scared I didn't even finish my lunch. The rest of the day I felt fine because I was distracted. Then one early morning I woke up feeling so strange again, like my muscles were really tense and I couldn't relax them, and just scared and worried for no reason.
It's the worst because it happens so out of nowhere. I was worried because I'm teaching my full week in 6th grade next week and I don't want to feel sick or anything then. I was thinking it might be because I haven't been taking it at exactly the same time everyday...that could be throwing it off so I'm going to try to be more on top of that.

Anyway- sorry for my rambling about that. It's just really been on my mind. It's amazing what God does with it though!

Things are getting a lot busier and I've been finding it harder to spend a lot of quiet time with God, which is frustrating. It's not that I'm TOO busy necessarily either, because I know I waste a lot of time too. I just need to straighten up my priorities.


Last night's Bible study was SO good. We finished with Romans last week, so this week we started looking at some proverbs about wisdom. The leader tried to gear it towards the mindset of teachers because almost all of the people that go are in that profession. At one point, everyone was talking about how the students just don't LISTEN... and "if the students would only listen and RESPOND it would get them so much further" ..and how "the students just don't do what you tell them, they want to try things their own way". I was thinking about it, and I put all of those things into the aspect of who God is. It blew my mind!

I have never thought about God in that way. It's especially neat because I can so relate to being a teacher and struggling with students at times. It's AWESOME when you put it into an analogy of GOD being the teacher. If only we would listen to Him and respond.. If only we would do things His way instead of our own way... If only we would always be content in what it is He is trying to teach us.

Think about it this way.. In a math class the students might say "this is too hard" or "I will never need this in life" BUT the teacher knows it's actually beneficial and IF the students listen, the teacher can help and it will make more sense. Put that all into the aspect of God as our teacher. We may not understand what God is teaching us in any given moment, or WHY we might be going through a certain situation in our lives, but GOD knows it's for an important lesson. To grow us. To draw us closer to Him. Whatever the reason, if we just stick with our "Teacher" and listen to His instruction and guidance, we will be OKAY. He knows where He is leading and He can see the big picture.
I just love that.

I've made a LOT of progress on my Japan relief purses. I don't know how they have been able to get done so quickly, or how I've found the time, but that's just more evidence at how God's hands are all of this project.
There are about 10 friends from church that want one, and one of those wants TWO! So far I have 8 made :) I get better and quicker with each one.

I've been feeling kind of worried and a little scared about all of the things that are STILL unknown. It's not even those things directly that are scaring me, but the fact that I'm in such a power struggle with God about it. I want to let go, but I feel like I'm still holding on. bahh it's really frustrating.

I think I saw this on someone else's blog the other day but I liked it...

"When the world tells me to worry, I can have peace."

That's important to remember right now with public education seemingly going down the tubes here in PA. It's crazy, I tell ya.

Oh and PS: you might have noticed my *new* tab at the top. I'm starting an ongoing list of 1000 things I'm thankful for, so I will never forget how richly I am blessed. Feel free to check it out!

Mary Poppins and letting go..

Thanks for the encouragement on my other post. :)
I don't feel quite as bad as I did then, but I still am really, working on letting things go to God.

I've been realizing from friends, and God's gentle whisper on my heart that I really need to let go.

I know exactly what I want for my life right now, in a perfect world. I want a JOB. I want roommates and an apartment. I want to feel secure in those things, but right now none of those are set in stone. They are wavering frequently ALL the time, and it drives me crazy.

It's so hard for me to let go! I keep hearing God whispering to me that I need to release these ideals that I have in my head about next year, but it's really realllly hard for me. =/ Why can't it be easy?

It's especially hard because I need to be active in the job search, living search, and roommate search but how will I know if I'm doing the wrong thing? If I go for what I want does that automatically make it wrong..? I feel like it does but I don't know.

I just feel so lost when I think about those things. I sort of feel like God is mad at me because I'm so selfish and I just want to live where III want to live. I want to work where III want to work. I want to please Him, but can't those go hand in hand..?

It's confusing.

Those things aside, I had a really fantastic weekend. I went home for the weekend and hung out in Philly on Saturday. My best friend's family and I went to see Mary Poppins. It was SUCH a fun weekend, the show was awesome!
I feel so blessed to feel so close to her family. I honestly feel like they are my second family and it's a huge blessing. Here's a picture of my bff, her sis and me (it was hard to get one with all 3 of us in the car..ha)


We also walked around before the show and went to this DELICIOUS chocolate cafe. We shared lots of sweet treats.



We also went to LOVE park and got lots of pictures with those big game pieces. :) It was so much fun.



The weekend flew by. I'm not sure I'm ready for Monday yet.

My Japan relief idea is going in a really awesome direction! I sent a message to a lot of friends on facebook to get a general idea of interest and 9 or so people want one! So I've been a busy little bee on my sewing machine. :)

Well, I really need to stop procrastinating and think through my lessons for tomorrow!

Hope everyone has a lovely week!