Morning Star Musings

New Things in the Okie Household

2012-01-18T22:41:00.000-05:00

We had a very nice Christmas, going up to Kokomo, the Friday before, to spend Christmas with my parents. We went to Beech Grove during the weekend of Christmas, then the next Friday we went back to Kokomo to celebrate my Grandma's birthday and Christmas with them and my aunt and uncle. It was nice. Jabin enjoyed trying to eat the paper and his new toys. He's getting into everything he can now. He goes into the bathroom and tries to eat Win's soap. Today, he went in and figured out how to get the diaper pail open and started unloaded the trash :( -not good. Hopefully, he won't remember how to do that. I've started feeding him some table foods. He likes cereal and toast. He hasn't tried a lot of things, but he's interested in them.

We are hoping to find out the details of our next big adventure on Friday. We are planning to move to a new house!!! YAY! It will be much bigger, with a room for Jabin to stay. I'm very excited about it. We only have about 13 days left til the end of the month, when we are hoping to move out. It will be nice to be in a bigger place.

We've been working a lot at the church lately. Monday, a bunch of guys layed down carpet in the sanctuary. It looks really nice. There are lots of improvements going on there. We had a work day this month and will have another one next month. I'm sure we'll be busy working on our new house too, so we're going to have a busy next couple of months. It will be interesting trying to get everything settled before Jabin's birthday. It will be good to have the extra space of the party though. That's enough new stuff for now, I'm so tired. Good night.

Applesauce and Candles

2011-12-14T11:30:00.000-05:00

Monday, Mom came down and we made some applesauce. We didn't actually have that many apples, so we only got 8 pints, but it was good for the first time. Maybe I'll be able to get some more apples and make some more. We made it with the peel still on, so its a rosy color. Jabin really likes it, especially cold. I think it soothes his sore gums. He's got 4 teeth coming in on the top all at once, poor little guy. After we made applesauce we made some candles. Mom made some holly and ivy candles then I made some red apple peel. I'm hoping to be able to start selling them soon. I made some for gifts, but also a few that I am going to try to sell at Victory Village Shoppe. I am hoping to start a little business selling soap, candles, and other homemade gifts. Lestie is helping me. She's made a tie-blanket, and she's cross-stitching something that she may sell. I hope everything works out. I'm still trying to decide on a name for the business. I have some ideas but I haven't found the perfect one yet.

Monday night, La Christa came down and spent the night. It was nice seeing her again.
Today I am hoping to maybe make some candles in baby food jars. I am thinking some people would like the smallness of them. I guess I will find out when they start selling. I'm going to have to get more glue dots and warning stickers though, because I'm going to be out real soon.

Remember the reason for the season this year. Jesus Christ came down as a small babe, born in a humble manger, so that he could save every man, woman, boy and girl, whether rich or poor, from their sin so that one day we could live forever with Him in heaven. Praise the Lord for that gift!

20 Days to Christmas!!!! :)

2011-12-05T13:28:00.001-05:00

Yesterday, Sunday, Win shared at church on the signs of the coming of Christ. He looked up lots of news articles and shared just what is going on in our day. The things that Christ predicted are happening. The largest earthquake, so far, was this year. He shared how the fig tree represents the nation of Israel and how Jesus said that when the fig tree would blossom, the end would be in that generation. The nation of Israel came together in independence in 1948, and if that representation is true, the end is very near at hand. We must be ready.

Friday, Dec. 2nd, I officially learned how to make candles. I had tried before, but didn't know how to do it easily. I made several with Rachelle Himelick's help. I am hoping to start selling them sometime soon. I am also hoping to make some bar soaps, as soon as I can get some money to start that up.

Jabin is growing so fast. He goes everywhere and gets into everything. We have to keep the bathroom door shut and keep the bar soaps up or he'll go in and try to take a bite! He goes around in his walker and if you don't watch out he'll run over you in his hurry... :) It's funny, because sometimes he's looking one way and going another. Right now he's got a cold, which he gave to me, so he's a little less active.It's hard to believe that in another week, he'll be 9 months.

I'm hoping to be able to get a Christmas tree this year, but I'm wondering how that's going to be with an explorer in the house...We might have to make some adjustments... :)

Where have I been this year?

2011-11-30T23:05:00.000-05:00

Wow. I just realized that I haven't been on my blog for almost a whole year... I actually kind of forgot it, obviously. Let's see, where to start??? My pregnancy was great, and to some exceptional. I didn't have much of any sickness or anything. I gave birth at IU North Hospital on March 13th, 5:25 PM to Jabin Koroka Oki. He was 21.5 inches long and 8 lbs. 15 oz. with lots of hair. :) My Mom helped out and Win stayed with me the whole time. When Jabin was first born he had some fluid in his lungs, but after just a short while he was ok. As I type this he's crawling around my chair... (time flies...). He gets into everything; especially the computer area because of all the interesting cords. He likes to play the piano. Win started letting him play when he was about 4 months old and now he goes over by himself and plays it. He likes the "Pat-A-Cake" song. I've just recently started feeding him solids, at approximately 7 1/2 months. His favorites so far are sweet potatoes with apples and applesauce. Well, I'll try to do better at posting. Jabin needs my attention now... :)

2010-10-18T12:12:00.003-04:00

Just an update on myself: I am currently 19 weeks pregnant, but haven't felt anything yet. I haven't had any major, distracting symptoms. I have a "new" wardrobe, mostly borrowed, so I am enjoying a new variety of clothes to wear. Last week I went over to Alicia's house to help her out a little. I am hoping to go over again this week. Church has been going pretty good with our new building and schedule. We are changing our church meeting time to 10:45 next week, because no one was really getting there on time. Hopefully it will be better next week. I've been playing the piano for church now, as Sister Gibson is still playing for the Methodist church. I've enjoyed that. We are going to see a lawyer this Thursday to see about Win's paperwork. Hopefully that works out and it's not going to be too expensive. We also need to call the midwife to see if she is taking new clients. We called the Dr.'s office, and without having insurance, they require a $1,000 downpayment for one visit. Thankfully, I'm not having any problems. Well, that's enough for now.

Hotdog Stand on the Circle

2010-10-05T09:55:00.002-04:00

Yesterday Mom and Dad came down and took me out for lunch. Dad had been wanting to have a hotdog from a stand on the circle for awhile, so we decided to try to get one there. I didn't even know that guy sold hotdogs. They were pretty good. Anyways, we ate them on the steps of the monument, and then went to the library so I could show them around. We were going to go look at baby stuff, but it got too late. Anyways, it was a nice change of pace for me and nice to see my parents again.

Fresh- Grown Salsa!

2010-10-05T09:15:00.016-04:00

Saturday I made homemade salsa. I think it came out pretty good. I used the tomatoes and hot peppers from our garden. I just kind of guessed at how much to make and what to add, seasoning wise. Mom gave me a recipe, but it was hard to know how much to add, because I didn't really know how much I was making. I got 11 jars; 6 hot and 5 medium, hopefully. It was kind of hard for me to know how much hot peppers to put in so I just put a few spoonfuls and hope that we'll be able to taste the spice. I added onions and green bell peppers (had to buy those, but maybe not next year). I used the canner and just gave the jars a hot water bath. The lids all sealed so I'm really happy about that. I hope that I'll get enough tomatoes again that I'll be able to make some spaghetti sauce. Here's some pictures from the experience.

Pumpkin Cookies

2010-10-01T10:28:00.007-04:00

Here's a recipe that I'm trying out today.

Pumpkin Cookies

1 cup sugar

1 cup pumpkin

1/2 cup margarine

1 egg

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 cups flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon vanilla

Cream the first 3 ingredients together until well mixed. Add the rest of the ingredients and mix well. Using a small or medium cookie scoop (spoon), drop the dough onto greased cookie sheets. Bake at 425 degrees for 8-10 minutes.

Makes approximately 3 dozen cookies.

My First Garden

2010-09-29T20:25:00.008-04:00

Yesterday I started harvesting some of the herbs I planted. I got basil, peppermint, and thyme. Some of the others I'm still not sure what to do with. I tied them up and hung them in the laundry room to dry. I am hoping to get some medicinal benefits from them. I tried to make some peppermint tea, but while it was boiling I started playing the piano, so it got burnt, and was very nasty.

I am going to try to make some salsa and maybe spaghetti sauce this weekend or next week. We've got lots of tomatoes and hot peppers. I wish I had planted a little more variety, but this was just my first time, so I am glad that they came out as well as they did. I let some of the plants go to waste, unfortunately. The lettuce bolted and then died; the kale was ready, but I didn't really know what to do with it, so it died too. My organic carrots never came up, except for 2 teeny ones. The cucumbers were similar to styrofoam, so most of them were wasted. I did get a couple though. I guess I am going to be having lots of tomatoes and hot peppers!! I have some purple peppers that are getting ready to be picked, so I am anxious to try them.

Hello Fall... :)

2010-09-21T11:00:00.005-04:00

Today is the first day of fall, and our A/C is still running. It was cool, and now it's warm again. I was really hot last night so after taking the A/C out of the window, Win brought it back in. I love him so much. He is so good to me. This past weekend we went to West Virginia for the independence celebration and to say good-bye to Kerai and Pelda. It was fun. I didn't do much, but it was nice to see everyone.

My poison ivy is finally gone; except for some dry skin. Yay! That was really terrible. Now I'm scared to go into the woods and pick up any type of plant. Don't want to get that again!!!

I went to a clinic last week and got an official pregnancy confirmation. I'm almost 16 weeks now. At the clinic they said that I was due in February, which is a month earlier than I expected. We'll see what the baby does. :) I haven't been sick, by God's grace, for awhile. I stopped taking the pills I was taking and am taking the prescription prenatal vitamins instead. They seem easier to take for some reason.

This Saturday I'm going to a garage sale and hope to make some money. Lynette, Becca, and maybe Jenn are going to be selling stuff. There's also a women's conference here in Indy with Nancy Leigh DeMoss, so I may be going to that, if I can get a free ticket. I've never been to a conference like that, for myself, so I think it will be neat. It's at the convention center downtown. That's one advantage to living in Indy; right where all the action is.

Our church bought a building and will be moving in next week, I think. Exciting. I'm going to be teaching a new age group, which I am very excited about. The 6 and unders, which translates to first grade and under. Yay!!! Crafts and stories will be fun again... Lynette and Aleks are going to teach the older class (9-11), and Becca will teach the middle age (7-8). I think it will work out much better. I am really excited about it. :) :) I need to start getting ready for my first class. I want it to be really good. Maybe bring in some treats or something.

Well, that's about the update of my life right now. The picture is from a few years ago in the fall. Me and Win need to go out and get some new pictures taken, desperately!!! :)

September is here???? already?

2010-09-01T10:05:00.005-04:00

It seems like the summer went by fast, yet it also seems to have been long. Today I am writing with severe poison ivy. My fingers are really swollen and bubbly. I just took a shower with dish soap and apple cider vinegar. Then I rubbed everything down with alcohol. I don't feel itchy, but I just hope everything starts drying up. I am approximately 12 weeks pregnant. I haven't had much trouble over all. Last week I had a few days that I had really bad migraines, but then I was fine. One thing that has become a pattern is getting sick after eating supper. It's kind of weird, because I'll be fine, and then I gotta get in the bathroom quick. At least I can tell when it's coming a little in advance. Roger has bee living with us a little over a month now. I feel bad for him that he has to be here when I'm sick and tired. Oh well, I guess he could go somewhere else if he wanted to. This next week our church is making the major schedule change. We are going to have a worship service at 10 AM for those who have parents and a ride. Then at 6 we will have Sunday School and an "outreach" type service. I think it will be good, especially in the morning. We won't be there this first week, as we will be going down to Corydon to celebrate Labor Day with John Brown's in-laws, the Wisemans. We're going to have a mumu and camp out. Hopefully I won't be sick, and this poison ivy will be better. John and Carla had their baby. Her name is Liberty Dawn. She looks like Carla, a lot. Anyways, that's what has happened in this last month. My garden is still not producing. I don't know if it will get done before the cold comes. I guess we'll see. Becky Smith is now Becky Bailey. She had a beautiful wedding in WV. We went with my parents and Nate. It was nice. We stayed in a cabin and went to look at the New River Gorge. We told my parents about our baby while we were there. They were happy and worried that they weren't old enough to be grandparents... :) Nate wanted to get counseling... :) Grandma was really excited and let out a little shout when we told her. Well, that's probably enough for today.

This week

2010-07-13T22:02:00.002-04:00

Last Saturday I went to my parents' house and helped Mom freeze corn. I shucked almost 266 ears myself. There were a few that my mom did, but I did most of them. By the time we were done my hand had a cramp. :) Today I came back to my parents because Win went to KY to work. He sometimes goes there to work for several days at a time. I have a garden and it is coming up really good right now. The tomatoes, especially, are getting big. I have cucumbers and kale coming up from seed. My carrots, parsley, and lavender don't seem to be doing anything though. I'd like to get pictures up, but right now I don't have the technology to do it. Win and I are teaching Sunday school at Victory Chapel with the 8-11 year-olds. It is quite interesting at times. We just recently had a VBS and had quite a turnout- 85-95 kids almost every night. Now our pastor is thinking about having a completely different schedule for church and trying more to reach out to the teens and children, rather than adults. It will be interesting to see it actually play out. I don't know how it will go over with everyone that already comes to the church. I think it will be a major- upheaval. Roger Kuk is somewhere on his way to our house. He left PNG on Thursday and should be here soon. We actually aren't sure when he is coming, but he should be contacting Win pretty soon. I'm not sure how long he will stay; probably a month or two. Freda is going home this month, so we are having a going-away party for her this week on Saturday. Anyways, that's what's going on at our house lately.

Extremely Overdue News... :)

2010-06-23T15:15:00.003-04:00

Just to update anyone actually reading my postings- I have been married now for 11 months! I am going to try to put pictures and updates on my blog more frequently now... who knows if I will actually do it though. Right now we don't have the internet, so it's a bit challenging sometimes. Hope everyone is having a wonderful summer!!

2009-06-01T15:31:00.004-04:00

Well, it's June 1st and I've been "on my own" for 6 months now. It's been really nice. I have one more month at the apartment that I'm at now and then I will have to find somewhere else to live. Lynette got married on Friday so now I have the apartment all to myself. The pool just opened last week or so and so I am hoping to take advantage of that opportunity. I went one day last week and used a tanner accelerator and got an accelerated burn. It still hurts really bad, but it's better than it was. It's been getting quite warm lately, which is great for those of us who love summer. I was working at Liberty Tax Service during tax season this year as a waver, but now that that's over I don't have a job yet. I am hoping to get a job at a home health care type thing. Aleks does it and recommended it to me. I am trying to get a car because for them to hire me I have to have a car so I can take them places. Anyways, enough about that. Here's a poem that I found that welcomes the new weather: "Summer is coming!" the soft breezes whisper;"Summer is coming!" the glad birdies sing.Summer is coming - I hear her quick footsteps;Take your last look at the beautiful Spring. Lightly she steps from her throne in the woodlands: "Summer is coming, and I cannot stay;Two of my children have crept from my bosom:April has left me but lingering May. "What tho' bright Summer is crownèd with roses.Deep in the forest Arbutus doth hide;I am the herald of all the rejoicing;Why must June always disown me?" she cried. Down in the meadow she stoops to the daisies,Plucks the first bloom from the appletree's bough:"Autumn will rob me of all the sweet apples;I will take one from her store of them now." Summer is coming! I hear the glad echo;Clearly it rings o'er the mountain and plain.Sorrowful Spring leaves the beautiful woodlands,Bright, happy Summer begins her sweet reign.

Valentine's Day!!

2009-02-17T16:44:00.004-05:00

This year was the first year that Valentine's Day had a special meaning to me personally. I was so excited. I decided to make something for Win's mirror in his car and a picture frame. We had gone on a trail the week before and taken some pictures so I went and printed them off and put a picture frame together, using the Papua New Guinean flag colors (his favorite colors). Anyways, Win had told me that he was going to come and pick me up at 9-10 in the morning. I thought I knew what he was going to do, but was I wrong! I woke up earlier than I planned and was going out to talk to Lynette about something before she left (I thought) and when I came out of my room there was a box, a bouquet of roses, and a bear with a heart in it's hands. I saw Lynette motion and then there was Win! Win was cooking breakfast in the kitchen (at like 7:30). I was so surprised... I didn't know what to do or say, so I went back into my room and layed on my bed for a couple minutes and then went out. It was so sweet. I was speechless. He made bacon and eggs and toast. :) I was so excited and happy, I couldn't really talk much. Anyways, then I got ready and we left. When we were eating, he said something about not knowing what we were going to do the rest of the day, but when we got to the car he had a plan all written out. We went to the Art Museum and took a tour stopping at certain pieces that had to do with a love story. It was interesting. Then we looked at the Asian art and the things from the Pacific Islands. We'd been there before so we didn't stay too long. We went to Sheridan to feed animals and then went to Broad Ripple and ate at a Mediterranean Restaurant. We had gyros. He had never had one before. I had been there before, but hadn't eaten inside. It was beautifully decorated with European designs. Big, luxurious curtains, gold lamps, chandeliers, marble floors, etc. It was much better than I thought it was going to be. Anyways, then we went to get ready to go to the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra. I had been waiting for him to take me there for 2 years. He used to go with his friend and sometimes they would take some girls, but I hadn't gone with him. Anyways, so it was a great day!!!! One that I will remember for a long time. :)

6 months is a long time...

2009-02-17T16:31:00.003-05:00

So, I forgot that I had this and haven't updated in a very long time. A lot of things have changed since I last wrote. I will try to give you the basic changes and then go into more details of my life later. For starters, I am not going to Union Bible College anymore. It's kind of a long story of how and why, but I am living with a girl from school, Lynette. We have a 2 bedroom apartment and like it so far. It seems like we have been here a long time, but it's really only been about 2- 1/2 months. It's been nice to be on my own, but it's definitely different. We live outside of Indianapolis in a little town. I'm not sure how big it is, but it's not real big. I am currently working as the Statue of Liberty, waving as cars drive by. It's really boring, but it's a job. I am trying to find another job, because this job will be over as soon as tax season is over. It isn't a good time or place or something for finding a job though, so it's kind of not going too good. I am still going to Victory Chapel. I started a new class for the 8-11 year-olds. We usually have between 15-25 in the class. It's been going pretty good lately, but sometimes can get stressful. Win helps teach and keep order. We don't have a curriculum, so we try to brainstorm ideas each week for the class. Anyways, that's about all I do on a regular basis...

The Starting of Another Beginning...

2008-08-25T15:40:00.002-04:00

The 3rd semester of my "career" at UBC has officially started. I am rooming with my friend, La Christa. At first I was scared about it, but so far it's going pretty good. Anyways, my schedule seems to be better than past semesters. I'm taking Acts, Great Christian Literature, Church History 1, Theology of Holiness, Prison and Pastoral Epistles, and a block class, Wisdom Literature. I'm supposed to work 12 hours on the work program and hopefully will be able to be the Christian Service Coordinator. I'm excited about this semester, and hopefully it goes ok. I just have to be really disciplined and not waste my time and energy on too much. I'm still going down to the mission in Indy and may be starting an intermediate children's class. Lately I've been helping in the teen class which has been interesting and challenging. Anyways, that's about all that's been going on recently.

Sunday, July 20th

2008-07-20T22:06:00.003-04:00

Well, I know it's kind of soon for another report, but something unusual has happened to which I think deserves to be recorded. Friday night me and Mom were a home alone, with no car to go anywhere, so we called up my aunt and cousin to see if they wanted to do something. They came over and we went to Petco to get some sand for my hermit crab, because it had microscopic bugs crawling around in it. I don't know where the bugs came from, but one day I spilled water in the sand, and then moldy stuff started growing and then I saw the little bugs. So anyway, we got some bright green sand. We went out to eat and then we went back home, after a series of other events. I cleaned out the crabitat and put the new sand in. It looked really good. Anyways, so we played some games and then went to bed after a really long night. Dad and Nate were gone to canoe and fish with a friend from UBC, Win Okie. They had a good time, but had to take our truck because our van is dying. Anyways, so I went to bed and woke up Saturday morning, thinking that I was going to be helping with the garage sale that we were unsuccessfully trying to have. I looked over at the crab's house and the lid was ajar. Great.... Diggory was not anywhere to be found. I looked all over the place. Under the bed, under the dresser, on the mosquito netting, under the desk, behind the computer, in the closet, etc., etc. By this time, Mom was involved too. We looked all over the house, because my door had been opened all night. We didn't find him anywhere. I was thinking that we probably wouldn't find him until we found him dead or something. Anyways, as I walked through the house, I tried to walk slowly and carefully. Then we went to prayer meeting and at the end, Dad asked everyone to pray that we find Diggory. It seemed kind of funny to do, but I was sure after hearing Jody pray that we were going to find him when we got home. We went to the store, and then we went home. We looked in the rooms and didn't see him. Disappointment... Where was he? We went on about our business, and I finally was about to go to bed. I was on my bed messing around on the computer, and Dad yells that he's found him. He was by his bed near the closet. Praise the Lord for answering prayer! Anyways, so now Diggory is in his crabitat and has some stuff on top of the lid so that he can't escape again. So that's the exciting tale of the weekend.

Sun Sensations

2008-07-18T11:41:00.005-04:00

Summer is definitely making its presence known this year. Heat, rainstorms, grass, sweat, etc.... everything that reminds you of summer- it's all here. Right now I am sitting at our garage sale, which doesn't have any customers (at the moment), thanks to wireless. Let's see. School got out in May and then in June my parents went on their 25th wedding anniversary and left us at our grandparents, then we went off to Shadrach camp in KY. There I met a couple people from Papua New Guinea. I spent a lot of time with Hannah Auri, who is going to be a sophmore at Kentucky Mountain Bible College. I asked her lots of questions about her country and learned a lot. On Friday when we had the banquet she let me wear a dress/shirt that was from her country. She also gave me a bilum (bag, in pidgin). It's very nice. Over there they wear bags with the handle on their foreheads. It's an interesting thing to do over here, because people wonder what you're doing. Anways, God really helped at the camp, in a different way than in the past years that I have been in it. This year it was more laid back than other years. After camp I got a job working for Elsie Griffey. She is a 95 year-old lady at our church who needs just a little reminder about some things, and company. She likes to tell stories about her family and likes to recite poetry. Every night I go over and stay with her, which is an answer to prayer for me to have a job. During the day I try to find other work. For instance, cleaning, baby-sitting, mowing, and waxing an airplane. We've had a few really bad storms so far. Usually our street gets flooded because the drains get clogged up with leaves and sticks. My Dad and brother went to TN for a little retreat/challenge, and so me and mom had to "save" the neighborhood from flooding. The first time water was really backed up and was above my knees. We took our rakes and tried to clear the drains. Some other people came later to help, and finally we got'er done. We thought about taking our canoe out, but didn't. Anyways, that's about the update for now.

Another Timely Devotional Thought from Fenelon

2008-06-20T22:02:00.003-04:00

I know that God will keep you. Although you do not enjoy spiritual discipline, be faithful to seeking God as much as your health will permit. I realize that eating, both physically and spiritually, does not appeal to you now. Still, you must eat to survive. It would be good for you if you could have a few minutes of fellowship with those members of your family that you can confide in. As to whom you should talk with- be guided by your inner sense of what is right in each moment. God does not lead you with extreme emotion, and for this I am glad. Remain faithful to the still, small voice. Strong emotions and deep feelings, or seeking after signs, can be more dangerous than helpful. Your imagination is sure to run away with you. God will lead you, almost without your knowing it, if you will be faithful to come before Him quietly. Eat of Him and His word. Love Him and I will tell you to do no more. For if you love Him, everything else will work out. I am not asking you for a tender and emotional love, but simply that you lean toward love. Put God before yourself and the world and even your evil desires will begin to be transformed. ~Taken from The Seeking Heart

Life

2008-06-19T23:47:00.004-04:00

Life at times can be so much fun and then so scary too. Right now I am in a scary time. I am really having to put my faith into practice to believe that God is still in control, and that things are not going to go flying in all different directions. It's so good to know that God already knows what is going to happen in the future. What a relief! Here's a devotional that I read today, which really helped me: Live Moment By Moment It is a great gift to be able to be peaceful when you are facing situations that do not seem to change. Bear all the uncomfortable and inconvient things about your current situation. Look at them as exercises that God has designed for your growth. He is teaching you to bear difficult situations without being depressed. Your emotions may be low, but your inner man is being upheld.This peace is all the more precious when there is no earthly reason to have it. It is wonderful to be willing to accept all situations, no matter how difficult. It is good to never say, "This is all too much for me., I cannot bear it." Depend on the Almighty. God's hand holds you. Do not try to look too far ahead, but merely live moment by moment before GOd. Yield to God with a heart full of trust. The more God loves you, the less He spares you. Accept what comfort He gives you. Live to do His will alone. - Fenelon

A Multitude of Happenings.... all at once, it seems....

2008-05-03T19:34:00.010-04:00

Ok, so I haven't written on here for a looonnnngggg time.... So much has happened in just the last two weeks, that I don't think I will be able to update you all on everything. But I have lots of pictures for you to look at so that you can see what I have been up to... and refresh your mind. God is really helping me in my personal spiritual life. I have just 2 more weeks of school and then my first year of college will be done. Yay! It has gone by so fast, but it's been great. I am looking forward to what's ahead, though I am still enjoying my life here.

So to explain some of the pictures.....

1. Some of the girls decided to actually wear some of the clothes that people bring into the lounge. Sometimes there are some good things, but a lot of times they are huge or extremely outdated, or for older people. I found this dress awhile back, and kept it just in case I could talk some people into wearing some crazy outfits/ just not the "average" school day wear. Wednesday we did it... It was great fun!

2. One of my friends has some horses, so sometimes I go with her to take care of them. Sometimes I get to ride, which is very fun, especially running. It was kind of scary at first, but it's a good kind of scary- that makes you want to keep doing it. I've done it a couple times now, so I am getting better at it.

3. Last night I and La Christa decided that we were going to go out and do something fun. She has been really stressed about a lot of things, and I've just been really busy, so we just wanted to go have a good time. We had a blast, for real. It was so much fun. We dressed up- and then went out to eat.... and took lots of funny pictures.

We went and visited our friend, Lestie, at Steak 'n Shake while she was working.

4. We went to Cool Creek Park and took some pictures today. I was able to use someone's digital camera, so now I want one, so that I can get pictures.... it's so much fun. I think I should go into photography now....

Life here at UBC...

2008-03-03T20:57:00.009-05:00

Things are going by so fast it's hard to keep up with everything. Midterms are this week and spring break is in less than 2 weeks. It's speeding by so fast. Things are going pretty well so far academically. I have been having some "crazy" spells lately. My computer has a Webcam and so I have been taking some pictures and I've gotten some pictures from some other people that I want to share with you to give you a little peek into what I have been doing lately. I went to a Banquet with my friend, Heather. I have a friend, Beth, who's getting married this summer, who just got her wedding dress, so we were messing around with a veil that she's not going to use... we had some crazy times, and then later that night I was with another friend, Lynette, who I work with at the mission. We were going to do a code memory verse, so we dressed up as detectives. We had to borrow some guys' trechcoats, and hats. It was pretty funny. The whole night was just crazy. This was Saturday, 3/1/08. Friday night I went to the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra with a group of friends. It was really nice, especially the John Williams piece. I was really stressed last week, so it felt really good to be able to relax. Then when we got back to the school, they opened the gym until 2. It felt so good to be able to think about other things, and get some built-up stress out. Last week was a terrible week for a couple reasons, but thankfully God is helping and things are going better for me. I lost my best friend here at the school, but things may be changing in the future, so anyways, I can't go into details about the situation, but it was very upsetting and I was really depressed about it. Things are going better now though.

Things that go on that remind me that I am human and live in a fallible world.....

2008-01-02T20:44:00.001-05:00

Well, the diagnosis of my aunt was bipolar/manic depressive. We were able to take her home from the hospital a couple days ago, and are praying that she can stay out of the hospital, especially for the residents at Howard Haven's sake. Meanwhile, now my Grandpa is having some problems with his mind, and so now we might have to put him somewhere where someone can take care of him. Life is getting very interesting all at once it seems. While all this is going on, I am in the middle of a personal battle. Some things come at the wrong time, while others come just in time. This past Christmas break has been less than desirable to say the least. I am relieved to have made it back to school. I am looking forward to starting my classes. I had a change in schedule, because the winter session that I was going to take got canceled because the professor got sick. So now I have to take an afternoon class. I am taking Manual Skills for Ministry (2nd semester), English 2, Intro to Missions, Historic Books, New Testament, and Christian Beliefs. Hopefully I will also be taking piano lessons. I am hoping to get someone who can really teach me how to improvise and add fancy stuff to common music. Anyways, that's the update for now.

Trust in the Lord

2007-12-24T21:06:00.000-05:00

I just want to encourage anyone reading this blog to trust in the Lord, because He knows the plans that He has for you. He holds your future, and knows what He wants you to do. And where you will find the most satisfaction may be something completely different from where you think you want to go in life. I have recently had to make a decision to trust the people in my life about a very serious issue. I had to make a decision that was kind of hard for me to make, even though I sort of thought it was going to have to be made, I didn't want to have to do it. Now there are some doubts in my mind, but it's good to know that I have surrendered the issue to God to do what He wants to do. It's good to know that God can take care of everything. He's been in control all along anyway, but it's good to remind myself, I guess. Anyways, my life is going in a direction now, and now I just have to prepare for the ride. Praise the Lord, that I don't have to wonder anymore! I am excited to see God work everything out in His timing. Have a wonderful Christmas time, remembering the real reason for CHRISTmas. Blessings!

CHRISTmas Eve Events

2007-12-24T20:38:00.000-05:00

Christmas Eve is here, and yet again things are very interesting.... It's 8:39 PM and I am sitting in the Emergency Room at the local hospital. All plans are forgotten. Thoughts of Christmas music, party foods, games, time with family, etc are all just thoughts. I guess this is a blessing (in disguise), that we often take for granted. Just think, 2,000 some years ago Mary had Jesus in a cave. There wasn't anything sanitary about the birth of the Savior. Yet, here I am in a very sterile hospital, with someone being treated for something that in the old days, people would just ignore or cast out of the towns. Thankfully I'm not the one going into the hospital and double thanks that I just got a laptop.... So I am updating all my profiles while I am sitting here. My aunt who has had problems in the past with random things is here being put in the psychiatric ward, I think (hope). In the past she has had seizures and because she is partly mentally retarded she is not quite normal. Recently she was tested and the doctor decided to take her off some of the medicine because she hadn't had any seizures. That was in the summer. Well, all of the sudden something very strange has started happening and she is thinking about everything that has ever happened in her life and random distorted things/people/and strange thoughts are all coming out in rambling sentences that go on and on. It is very strange. I've never heard anything like it in real life. I've studied Psychology this past semester and did research about Schizophrenia and so I think it is very interesting, but sad. My mom is really taking it hard. I don't know what's going on right now, but the last thing I heard was that the nurse that they were talking to listed a bunch of disorders that she's having.... My aunt was at one hospital, but they didn't have the facilities for the kind of problems she's having, so they told her to go home... Needless to say, that didn't work. Hopefully, we will be able to get her into the mental hospital here and get her back to normal. My Dad, who used to work here, said that usually it takes weeks to get someone in her condition back to normal, not one week (which is how long she was in the other hospital). Anyway, I am having a very interesting Christmas Eve to say the least!

Finals, finally...

2007-12-15T20:49:00.001-05:00

Well, it's down to the wire. Everything is about to be over concerning the first semester. In my two days of classes I have 6 tests/finals/quiz things/collateral due. Right now I am taking a break, and getting a craft ready for down at the mission. We have started a Sunday school type thing and then service together. It's going ok, but there are still some problems that we are working out. Now we going to start to do some sort of activity right after we eat, or even before some of us eat, so the kids don't run all over the place while we are trying to eat. It is a huge day, and usually everyone is exhausted by the end of the afternoon. Lately I have been going to Brother Frausto's church for Sunday night and Thursdays. A couple weeks ago I played the piano for the services. Next semester I am taking 17.5 credit hours. I am taking a winter session, which should make it easier during the actual time of regular classes (less work). I have had something on my mind for about a month and I was finally able to talk to someone about it. I feel relieved, but not certain of the results of the whole situation. I know that God already knows my future and has a plan for it. I just need to be patient and be willing to wait for Him to direct me to that place. Things are sometimes hard to understand, but God is faithful and He is helping me.

God is at work...

2007-12-07T21:07:00.000-05:00

God is really helping here at UBC. This week many things have been going on, but God has been meeting with us in special ways. Chapel services and prayer times have been just what I needed, and many others were helped. Yesterday we didn't get to have Psychology class because we were in prevailing prayer for about the whole class period. God is really helping us here. We are praying for deeper workings and a school revival. God is working in people's families and helping people. It's been very encouraging. God is helping me to trust Him and is helping me not to be as stressed out. Praise the Lord!

You Raise Me Up

2007-12-01T20:33:00.000-05:00

When I am down and, oh my soul, so weary;

When troubles come and my heart burdened be;

Then, I am still and wait here in the silence,

Until you come and sit awhile with me.

You raise me up, so I can stand on mountains;

You raise me up, to walk on stormy seas;

I am strong, when I am on your shoulders;

You raise me up: To more than I can be.

You raise me up, so I can stand on mountains;

You raise me up, to walk on stormy seas;

I am strong, when I am on your shoulders;

You raise me up: To more than I can be.

There is no life - no life without its hunger;

Each restless heart beats so imperfectly;

But when you come and I am filled with wonder,

Sometimes, I think I glimpse eternity.

You raise me up, so I can stand on mountains;

You raise me up, to walk on stormy seas;

I am strong, when I am on your shoulders;

You raise me up: To more than I can be.

You raise me up, so I can stand on mountains;

You raise me up, to walk on stormy seas;

I am strong, when I am on your shoulders;

You raise me up: To more than I can be.

Thanksgiving

2007-11-22T14:11:00.000-05:00

Here it is already Thanksgiving. Time has really flown by this school year. It's snowing outside, and almost all the leaves are off the trees. It seems like school just started, but the semester is just about over. I am looking forward to getting new classes. My brother and Dad went to Winimac to shoot at the shooting range and I'm just hanging out at my Grandparents. Nate is going deer hunting tomorrow with a guy from our church. He's really excited about it. I don't know what I am going to do tomorrow. It seems like everytime I come home there is so much going on. Tomorrow night there is youth meeting- we are going to rake leaves somewhere for someone. Hopefully I can sleep in. I am not a die-hard shopper, like some people who are going to be getting up at 3 in the morning.

Life update

2007-11-07T20:04:00.000-05:00

Life is very interesting at times and sometimes very difficult. It is a good thing that we have a God that knows all about it and knows what our future is going to hold. Things are getting pretty interesting lately. Stress is coming as the semester is closing in. Finals, term papers, and collateral are all due really soon. This weekend I am going to the ICHA rally in Anderson where the choir is going to start their Fall tour. This year they aren't going very far away (just to Michigan and Ohio). I am going to be reading practically the whole weekend and writing my term paper. I am supposed to have my picture taken with my family this weekend too. I am not sure how I am going to get everything done... Here at the college we have mentors. My mentor is Sister Nicholas. I have met with her a few times. She is very nice and we are getting to know each other. She is my General Psychology professor, so it is a bit intimidating at first, but then it gets better the longer I stay. Anyways, that's pretty much the surface of what's going on here. There's a lot more, but it would take too long to write about.

God is Still Moving Today

2007-10-27T19:30:00.000-04:00

This past week has been amazing. On Tuesday night- Thursday we have had the Missions Convention. It was really neat to hear the stories and challenges from the missionaries. The main speaker was Marc Sankey and he really gave stirring challenges about really serving God for the right reasons. Thursday night especially helped me. He spoke about how we need to do everything for the glory of God, and that hard times may come, but we've got to be willing to face it, because it will cause God to get more glory. It is still working in my heart, and I am not sure what all God is doing, but it's great. I was able to interview one of the missionaries for my Christian Service class. He works in Haiti and is an energetic fireball! He was so encouraging. He told me about how he felt God had called him into missions and how God had helped him throughout his life. I sat with him for about 20 minutes probably. It was really neat. I asked him what he thought was the greatest danger of being a missionary was, and he said spiritual bankruptcy. He was telling me how the reason we don't have revival in our churches is because the pastors aren't in their prayer closets, and they aren't feasting on the Word of God. It was so great to be able to talk with someone who was so on fire for God. During services he'd be saying, "Yes, yes,yes,yes" and give out shouts every once in awhile. I hope to maybe go down to Haiti sometime in one of their conferences. He gave me a few quotes, one that I can remember without my paper: stay close to God in the closet and He will be with you in the fire. It was very encouraging to be with him. Then after the Missions Convention, (last night and this morning) I went to my home church, where they were having Shadrach Youth Discipleship Ministry weekend retreat. It was another very wonderful time, and God really answered prayer. I wasn't able to stay for all of it, but what I was there for was really great. Tomorrow (Sunday), Eric Himelick is going to be sharing at my church, which is strange, because I won't even be there. But it's amazing how God is working out all these strange connections all of the sudden. Anyways, that's about it for now. I can use prayer for teaching my "nursery" class down at Victory Chapel.

Pictures....

2007-10-27T19:14:00.000-04:00

Here's finally some pictures of my roommate, Bao, and one of my other friends that I hang out with, Kim.

Bao Kim

Me and Bao

Random Musings

2007-10-17T19:56:00.000-04:00

Early Monday morning I went to God's Bible School for a training in open air evangelism. It was amazing. Next year I am hoping to be able to stay for the whole week. We learned a lot of new things and were able to go to one of the meetings. We went to Fountain Square in Cincinnati. I passed out million dollar bills which had a message that was worth more than a million. It was really great. It was with the organization Open Air Campaigners. On the way home we had a blow out on the van that we were in. It was only by God's grace that we weren't going 70 miles down the highway when it happened. There are lots of things going on right now. Next week we are having a Missions Convention. Then next weekend there is a Shadrach retreat and Youth Challenge. I am not sure which I am going to go to yet. Two of my friends are coming this weekend and so I am hoping to be better by then. I have a sore throat and poison ivy. I am not sure what we are going to do though, because almost everyone is going home. It's going to be very boring. Hopefully, they won't care too much.

~Old-Fashioned Day~

2007-10-05T16:29:00.000-04:00

Things are moving along really fast.... midterms are in two weeks. This week has been really busy with lots of tests and projects. Tomorrow we are having Old-Fashioned Day here at the school. All the grades and the departments are making floats for the parade. The Missions Dept. is having everyone dress up like a someone from a different country and then we'll walk around carrying the country flag. I am going to be wearing my sari. Hopefully I will be able to get some pictures on here of it. I am really looking forward to it. We are selling things from different countries in our booth, and we're having a pie judging and then selling pies and we're also having a pie throw. All the other departments are setting up food booths and other things. Anyways, life is just about to get back to normal-hopefully. I am looking forward to sleeping. God has really helped me the last week. One of the girls here, Amanda, has started a morning prayer time, and it's been really good. It's just a time of individual prayer about whatever comes to you, whether it's about the school or personal things. It's really encouraged me. It's really neat to be able to talk about the things of God all the time, and not be so bored when people are talking about people of the world and what so and so did, that we don't even agree with. Anyways, it's sort of like being at a camp all the time (plus assignments).... Anyways, that's about it for now.... P.S. This Sunday I am going to be teaching the big group of kids at the mission, because Sam and Becca (the two people that usaully do it) are going to be gone. I could use prayer...

Victory Chapel

2007-09-24T10:17:00.000-04:00

Well, yesterday was my second week of teaching 5 year olds and under.... It went really well. My friend, Bao, helped me by trying to get all the kids to stay in their seats. The kids that were in my group mostly come from homes where they don't get much attention, so they try to get it by getting in trouble. It's really neat when after class when they are about to go home they come up to you and give you a hug and don't want to leave. It makes you want to take them home with you. I can use all the prayers that you can send this way for creativity and wisdom on how to occupy their time for 1 1/2 -2 hours. Victory Inner-City Ministries is making a DVD and they took some shots of us, and we were supposed to sing for them. Well, these children can barely talk, so it was me and Bao and one or two of the children singing... oh well...

Butler

2007-09-10T14:41:00.000-04:00

Saturday (9/8) I went on a second outreach. We went to Butler University. This outreach was more for a different class, but the Christian Service class could go along. This time we went up to people and asked if we could ask them a few questions, and then we asked them what they thought about God, Jesus, the Bible and some other questions. Then we asked them what they thought the basic message of the Bible was. Then we asked them if they wanted to see what we believed the basic message of the bible was. Then we would show them a diagram as we told them the basic message. It was a lot harder than in downtown Indy. I didn't get to share with anyone, but my partner got into a long conversation with a guy that was sort of New Age/ Christian/Catholic/??? It was very interesting.

Inner-City Outreach

2007-09-10T14:26:00.000-04:00

For Christian service class we are supposed to go on an outreach trip. Friday night was the first one for the year, and I was ready and excited. God has given me an inner excitement about reaching out to these people down in Indy. It's hard to describe, but it's great. So we set out and Brother Gibson(the pastor of Victory Chapel) started talking about some of the issues of working in the inner-city. Poverty, drugs, homelessness, etc. are all everyday life for some of these people (probably most of them). Ministry takes a different form for these people. For the first outreach we just passed out flyers, inviting them to come to Victory Chapel and if they were interested we could share the Basic Message of the Bible with them. I went with Heather, Ethan, and Win for the first street. We didn't have a lot of contact with people because a lot of the houses were empty, for rent or for sale, but we did get to talk with a few people. Then we went to a new location. I went with two other guys, Tommy and Nolan. This time we were just talking to the people who were out. We got to talk to a lot of groups. Some of them were interested and some weren't. I was able to talk to a couple of young girls that were out and some older men, who sounded interested in coming. I am really excited about being a part of something like this. On the way back we reviewed some of our experiences, which were all different and sang some choruses. One song sums it all up: "Heartaches, broken pieces, ruined lives is why He died on Calvary..." May God give us a greater burden for the lost.

The Interesting Life I Lead in College

2007-09-07T10:56:00.000-04:00

College life is very interesting. It's a lot better than I thought it would ever be. I am taking 18 credit hours this semester. It's a pretty good load, plus I am working 12 hours on campus, to assist in taking care of any spare time that I might have. My classes are Pentateuch, Old Testament Literature, Christian Service, General Psychology, Intro to Computers, Manual Skills for Ministry, and Orientation/Practice of Prayer. I am really enjoying the Christian Service class. It's about evangelism and ministering in the local church that you are in. I am going to Victory Chapel on Sundays, and God's Holiness Church on Thursdays. Victory Chapel is in downtown Indy, and is sort of a mission church. We go out in buses and vans and pick people up and take them to the church, and then after service we have a meal together. It's been really good. I am excited about helping out there. I will be helping with the children there. God's Holiness Church is just getting started, so most of the members are from the school. We are going to go out calling and try to get some kids together and minister to them- sort of like a little Bible club. Tonight I am going to downtown Indy to do some street outreach. I am really excited about it. We have learned the basic message of the Bible, and so I am looking forward to sharing that method with someone. That's the update on school and church news!

Exciting New Happenings

2007-08-18T20:32:00.000-04:00

Well, I am officially at Union Bible College now. This past week I have just been working around the campus, and getting to know people and learning who people are and where stuff is. It's a really nice college. There is a little town area a little ways down the road, trees in front with lots of cicadas, and very nice and friendly people who want you to do God's will. It's great. I am excited for classes to start and for everything to get going. Here it is very "schedulized" compared to other colleges. Once school starts everyone (whether you have a class or not) must be up, with their bed made by 7:00 AM. Then at night you have study hours from 7-9:30 PM that are mandatory. Lights out is at 11:00, unless you get special permission- then you can extend to 12:00. I still am not sure what classes I am taking but some of them include the following: Orientation/Practice of Prayer, Pentateuch, Old Testament Literature, and that's all I know of so far. I took an English placement test and a Bible Knowledge test, but haven't heard how I did yet. I am looking forward to getting started (which I already said once, but wanted to reiterate). Anyways, everything is going much better than I thought was possible. I am rooming with a girl named Bao. She's from Thailand, and she is really nice and extremely funny. She is also majoring in missions, so she has been a big help in knowing what to expect in my classes. I attended Pilgrim Nazarene Church on Wednesday and it was very nice. The people there have a sincere love for God and during the prayer time you could tell that they really meant business. That is one thing that I like about the college. During prayer times, everyone joins in and prays together in praise and petitions. It is a rare thing, even in churches, let alone college students. I am planning on going to a mission in downtown Indianpolis this Sunday. I am going to help with a special event they are doing at a park. I am excited about all the different things that are available for me to get involved with more outreach. I am looking forward to the year ahead. Thank you all for your prayers for me.

* 2 Peter 1:3-11 *

2007-08-11T08:11:00.000-04:00

"His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature and escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desires. For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness, love. For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. But if anyone does not have them, he is nearsighted and blind, and has forgotten that he has been cleansed from his past sins. Therefore, my brothers, be all the more eager to make your calling and election sure. For if you do these things, you will never fall, and you will receive a rich welcome into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ."

Last Minute Rush

2007-08-10T15:48:00.000-04:00

Well, it is officially official that I am going to Union Bible College. I had been praying that I would get a work scholarship. I sent in my application (and was accepted) but they still needed a couple other things, so I decided to just go down there and talk to them and give them the paperwork. I gave them the paperwork, went looking around for the handbook several places and at the inside of a room, and then came back and the head of the financial stuff was going to the President to talk to him about the scholarship. Well, then eventually he came back and told me I got it!!!!! I could have cried, I was so excited.... sort of in disbelief, because I thought it would be too late, or I wouldn't qualify. Yay!!! God still answers prayer today. Anyways, they want me to come as soon as I can, so I am moving in on Monday. It's all happening so fast.... I was expecting to move down in 2-3 weeks, but no.... in 3 days!!!! I am really excited about it (if you can't tell already)!!!

Please visit : http://www.ubca.org/

Prayer Chapel

Girls' Dorm Auditorium/classrooms

"Old" main building-offices/academy/chapel

City Sidewalks, Wild Ponies, and Surprise Banquets!

2007-07-30T16:34:00.000-04:00

Well, I just got back from a 10 day vacation... It was really fun. Our first stop was Washington, D.C. We rode the Metro all over the place to get closer to the area, so we wouldn't have to walk so far. That was fun. We went to lots of museums, and monuments. We went to the south lawn of the White House, and with binoculars could see some people getting ready to have lunch on the balcony (in front), at least that's what it looked like. We also went to the National Zoo, which has 3 pandas....really cute. We went to the Lincoln Monument, Thomas Jefferson Monument, Ford's Theatre (where President Lincoln was shot) and the house across the street where he died, National Portrait Gallery, Smithsonian Air and Space Museum, National Postal (Museum?), and food courts.... (Union Station is the best). We walked all over the place.... let's just say, my feet hurt. We probably went some other places, but right now, I can't think of any other place. Our next stop was Williamsburg. This stop was really neat. For those of you that don't really know about Williamsburg, it's sort of like a giant Conner Prairie, but different. It was historical homes and shops (like a carpenter, silversmith, blacksmith, bakery, millery, wigmaker, apothecary, etc.). There are people there that are dressed in 18th century attire, and talk about the issues of the day. One nice thing about Williamsburg, was you could talk about the issues of today too and how they would have been viewed back then. We heard Patrick Henry give a loooonnnngg speech, which was interesting. Our next stop was Norfolk, on our way to our 2nd to last stop. Norfolk is a huge Navy base, where they have gigantic aircraft carriers and other ships. We went on a tour thing and then continued on our journey to Exmore, VA. We stayed in this little heard of town, because it was as close as we could get to Chincoteague Island. We went to Chincoteague and Assateague during the day and went on a few hikes (one to a lighthouse) and then went swimming in the Atlantic. Chincoteague is famous from the book "Misty of Chincoteague." We happened to come the week of the pony swim. (That's why we had to stay an hour away, because "everyone" was there.) We saw the pony swim, which was kind of a let down, because there were way too many people, but the up side of it was that people started leaving, and we thought they were done, but when we looked in the binoculars, the ponies were still out swimming, so we got a better view. To let you know how much people get into this.... I overheard someone say that they had been there since 5:30 AM, and the swim was around 12. Our last stop was Fayetteville, West Virginia. We went there to visit our dear friends, the Moreys (Pastor Robert, Esther, and Heidi). We got there real late on Friday night, then went to an old, abandoned house on Saturday with them. Meanwhile (while we were supposed to occupy them) the people at their church decorated and set up for a surprise banquet for their 25th anniversary. It was very tricky not to let the cat out of the bag. We were part of the surprise, however, since we had been planning on coming anyway, we got to help with the surprise. Sunday we made a special effort to get with them for breakfast, so that they wouldn't notice anything unusual at the church... like people running around with special papers (given to the wedding party) and food, and wonderful smells, etc. Meanwhile the church had planned that they would recommit to their vows, and have the family and wedding party come in. (My mom was part of the wedding party.) So after the service had been going on for a little while, in comes Esther's family, and Robert's sister.... it was great to see the excitement and all the tears of joy. They were totally shocked... which was a hard task, because they are usually the ones plotting and planning on how to bless someone. After the service the church had prepared a wonderful banquet and wedding cake.... and it was just great. Then we came home.... we met up with our friends from Fort Wayne, who had come to the service (part of the family/wedding party) and so we got to spend some time with them carpooling, which was really nice. We got home after midnight, and so now we are getting everything back to normal again. I still have 2 more weeks of clubs and then I think one week, and then off to college hopefully. I hope you all are having a wonderful summer! (I'll add pictures, once they get developed.)

Back for a Trio of Days...

2007-07-14T10:57:00.000-04:00

I am home from Camp Good News...it was a crazy week and a lot different than last year. I was the senior counselor, but I had two great junior counselors, who kept the girls in line.... when that was possible. I learned a lot about life and problems that are going on all the time, but somehow I have been sheltered in some way, yet not completely disconnected. I hate prejudice. I don't understand why it has to be an issue with people. It's dumb, and can be a never ending cycle on both sides. I'm so glad that God doesn't look at our skin color and judge us. There was a lot of drama this week, but the girls learned a lot by the end of the week. Besides some major problems the camp went well. I am going to put up a schedule later, so you all can see what we did. I'm home for 3 days and then I'm off to Washington, D.C. for 2 weeks (and a weekend visit to West Virginia). We are going to Williamsburg, and other historical places.

Random Summer Update

2007-07-04T23:56:00.000-04:00

Well, I've just about completed 2 weeks of 5-Day Clubs. So far it's gone pretty good. About 5 children have accepted Christ as their Savior. I am excited about next week though, because I will be going to Camp Good News. Hopefully it will be as good, or better, than last year. This year, my friends in Fort Wayne are going to be there. I don't know if they know what they are getting into, but hopefully they will enjoy it as much as I did last year. Tonight we celebrated my birthday and then went to Tipton to watch fireworks. They were really good! I got some books and some other interesting stuff.... 2 birds to hang off my bed, bath and body, and a big stack of cds to burn, and a dvd, and pajamas, and some other stuff that I can't think of at this hour. That's about it for now... Praise the Lord for the continued work that He is doing in me.

Shadrach 2007

2007-06-30T10:00:00.000-04:00

Wow, where to begin... God really answered my prayers for Shadrach this year. I had been praying for about 9 or 10 months that God would help the youth that are in Shadrach to keep the victory and we were given the tools to do that this past week. Praise the Lord for that! We started out with an extra day, which was very nice. The schedule was not structured in the way that it had been in past years, so there was more free time and talk time. We had very good services. The ones that helped me the most right now were from Pastor Robert. He spoke about the authority of the believer, spirits, and keeping the victory. I really needed to hear these messages, and am ready to hear them again. He shared how we don't have to pray about things that God has already spoken about, but that we just need to believe God.

God helped the leaders to know what to do. For instance, one day, we spent about the whole day on an excursion, which might not seem very "spiritual," however, God was working through that time together to help us to be united in Christ without barriers between anyone. We went in two groups- guys in one, and the girls in another. The girls went on about a 15-20 minute hike, I think, to this little creek that we were hoping to swim in. When we got there, the water level was not very high, so we weren't really able to swim the way some of us had thought. So we ate lunch there, and then started exploring a bit. God helped some of the girls to overcome fears that they had. I went with Karin and someone else to go see this little waterfall that everyone else had already seen. When we got there, I decided to go stick my head under the waterfall. As I was trying to get down without falling, I slid down and had a great ride! I went down 2 more times, and then went to get everyone else.... needless to say we went down the waterfall for about an hour.... it was fabulous!!!

God also really helped in the evenings when the girls had dorm devotions. We sang and then sometimes we had discussions about things, or reviewed about what had helped us that day. There were 15 or 16 girls there. Thursday night, we got back to the dorm late, so we weren't sure if we were going to have dorm devotions, but while we were waiting for the verdict, one of the girls came up and said that God had helped her to forsake all. That brought with it praise, but also burdens. We ended all ended up in my dorm room, and prayed together for different ones that wanted prayer to be able to break through. It was warfare. Different people, including myself, felt tied back in some ways, from getting the joy of the Lord, or from having complete victory, or some other request along those lines. I believe God really helped us to pray that night, and I am believing God to answer those prayers for each person. I want to be thankful that I can be a part of a group where God's will is sought, and where I don't have to be afraid to obey God. God is still helping me and I am thankful.

Another thing we did was a witnessing trip. This year instead of going as a huge group, door-to-door or to shops, we went in small groups and had a Prayer Station at Walmart. I went on the last day, with 8 other people. We went up to people and asked them if there was anything that we could pray with them about. It was really easy and most people responded positively. Our group, because it was so big, split up into two, and one group stayed at Walmart and the other group walked around the other shops and the parking lot, praying prayers of blessings on people. It was great.

Praise the Lord for the victories that He gave me and for a renewed vision in walking with God, without the haze of the world, and other "good" things in the way. I'm looking forward to what God is going to do this year!

"Jesus is on the Throne!"

Sliding Down a Waterfall!!!

2007-06-27T21:45:00.000-04:00

Here's just a little foretaste of a future report about my week at Shadrach Youth Discipleship Ministry.... One day the girls went on an excursion down to a stream... It was beautiful!! I felt like I was in the jungle in some faroff country. There were flowers and little ferns and one person on the trail (age 9 or 10) said "This must be Paradise!" It was really nice. Anyways, I was with Karin, the administrator/one of my greatest spiritual mentors, and we were going to go see this little waterfall that everyone else had already seen. So we went around this little bend in the stream and there was the waterfall.... it was beside this little cave like thing- a huge rock that you could walk under. Anyways, it was a bit warm and the water in the stream wasn't very deep, so I decided that I wanted to go stick my head under the waterfall. So I climbed up this black rock, that was kinda slippery because of the water that was coming down, but I got up and stuck my head under.... boy, did it feel good! As I tried to ease my way back down the slippery slope I lost control and went sliding down.... it was great!!!! I looked at Karin and was laughing, so she said I could go back up and do it again.... I did it a third time, and then went running back around the bend to go get everyone else to come slide down the waterfall. We went down for about an hour!!! Because the stream was so low, I had been kind of disappointed about not being able to swim, but God knew and had me, of all people, slide down a waterfall, which brought a lot of other girls enjoyment too. I ended up going down feet first, head first, backwards, and double. It was a blast. I went away with a huge black bruise on the back of my leg, from a pointy rock, or something, but it was well worth it. I hope I can go back again someday!

Psalm 42

2007-06-26T15:30:00.000-04:00

As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, O God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When can I go and meet with God? My tears have been my food day and night, while men say to me all day long, "Where is your God?" These things I remember as I pour out my soul: how I used to go with the multitude, leading the procession to the house of God, with shouts of joy and thanksgiving among the festive throng. Why are you downcast, O my soul? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God. My soul is downcast within me; therefore I will remember you from the land of Jordan, the heights of Hermon- from Mount Mizar. Deep calls to deep in the roar of your waterfalls; all your waves and breakers have swept over me. By day the Lord directs his love, at night his song is with me- a prayer to the God of my life. I say to God my Rock, "Why have you forgotten me? Why must I go about mourning, oppressed by the enemy?" My bones suffer mortal agony as my foes taunt me, saying to me all day long, "Where is your God?" Why are you downcast, O my soul? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God.

A Busy Summer...

2007-06-26T11:38:00.000-04:00

This summer I am working with Child Evangelism Fellowship teaching 5-Day Clubs and working one week at Camp Good News. I am planning on working 6 or 7 weeks. This week I have 3 clubs and am working with Tida Ihms. It's gone pretty good so far, but the kids have been really quiet, which is good, except when you want them to answer a question, or sing, or say a verse with you or something. At these 5-Day Clubs we teach a Bible lesson, a missionary story, a memory verse, songs, and a review game. I am looking forward to being a cabin counselor at Camp Good News. Morgan and Mikah Litchfield are also going to be counselors which is exciting. Hopefully it will go as well as it went last year. It will be different though, because the main activities director got married, so I'm guessing she won't be there. Please pray for me this summer as you think of me, teaching children the gospel and reaching out to them in different ways. Thank you and may you all have a great summer!!!!

The True Source of Peace is in the Surrender of the Will

2007-06-09T16:17:00.000-04:00

Live in continued peace. But understand that peace does not depend upon the fervor of your devotion. The only thing you need to be concerned about is the direction of your will. Give that up to God without reservation. The important question is not how religious you are, or how devoted, but rather is your will in harmony with God's? Humbly confess your faults. Learn to be detached from the world and completely abandoned to God. Love him more than yourself and His glory more than your life. The least you can do is to desire and ask for such a love. God will then pour out upon you that special love which only His children know and He will give you His peace.

from "Let Go" by Fenelon