I apologize for being missing in action forever. This apology is for the 6 of you that read this. Hi mom :). Quick update. I'm still in Fayetteville, having a grand time! I'm in my 2nd year of teaching, and loving every minute of it. I am growing accustomed to Fayetteville, and realizing more and more how out of place I feel in a military town. It is such a different culture that I have never been a part of...it has its own language, own way of doing things, etc and I am quite honestly fascinated. I have always said I love being a part of/learning about different cultures, but I never considered the military to be a culture until living here. But I am enjoying being here. Learning a lot.
Anywho, I don't have much time to type. I am posting grades and then heading up the mountain for the weekend. Boooooone. My parents and sister are coming up tomorrow and we are doing all things Homecoming! Parade, tailgating and seeing old friends and making new ones...and I'm pretty excited that it's going to be cold. I love football games in the cold. Maybe I'm weird. Some of my favorite games were when it was snowing. I feel lucky to have lived in Boone during the best years of ASU football so far...good memories for sure. I'm also looking forward to worshipping at FBC-Blowing Rock. The Lord used that church and the people there to teach me and grow me during my college-ish and after years. So thankful for the 9 years (whoa) I had in the mountains of North Carolina.
Well I hope that you are staying encouraged and will get some rest this weekend. Take some time amidst football games or fall festivals or family/friend activities to spend some time just you and Jesus. That is the most important thing in the world. I am speaking to myself. I get my priorities mixed up often. May the Lord bless you and keep you, and may you know how LOOOOOOOOOOved and treasured and beautiful you are in God's sight. Will be back soon!
Oct 21, 2011
Feb 10, 2011
Ephesians 3:20-21
"Now to Him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to His power which is at work within us, to Him be glory in the Church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever amen."
Jan 11, 2011
Dependent on the Lord?
"The modern-day gospel says, 'God loves you and has a wonderful plan for your life. Therefore, follow these steps, and you can be saved.' Meanwhile, the biblical gospel says, 'You are an enemy of God, dead in your sin, & in your present state of rebellion, you are not even able to see that you need life, much less to cause yourself to come to life. Therefore, you are radically dependent on God to do something in your life that you could never do."
— David Platt
Jan 5, 2011
A New year, a New Creation!
Welp, it's been a while. Since I last blogged, I have spent 2 weeks at my parents for Christmas, gotten thru the worst stomach bug ever and started back to school (happy joy). Christmas break was wonderful. It was slightly sad because we were missing Matt and Liz, and Michael and Tembre. But I, along with mom, dad and Kati had a blast. It was restful and relaxing...and did I mention we got snow?? :) On Christmas?? First White Christmas in all my years.
Now it's back to the grind. I am coming to realize that this is the long stretch of the school year...from now to Spring Break, we really don't have many breaks. We are starting to buckle down and begin more strategies for those good ole EOGs. I am not as overwhelmed with this job as I was at the beginning of the year. Praise the Lord :) for His strength to survive some days haha. I am certainly continuing to learn each day and reflect on what is working and (more than not) what is NOT working :)...There are a few people here who are definitely a God-send for sure. One first year teacher from New York has become my bosom buddy...we are 7 days a part and think we are sisters in another world...friendship with her is a blessing!! We think a lot alike and view situations similarly, so she is good person to vent and share with about our job. My mentor that I was assigned to is also an unforeseen blessing...I am learning a TON from her :). She also loves Jesus, which is encouraging...we spend 20 minutes at lunch together every day...those 20 minutes help my sanity. Isn't it funny how God surprises us sometimes in the way he orchestrates certain things? And to think that I dont trust Him so often to work things out or to provide...
Well, short and sweet life is good. I am beginning to enjoy Fayetteville...Barnes and Noble is where you will find me most. :) I am hoping to get involved in a particular church very soon...excited about that. In this new year, I am excited to see what is in store. I just feel at a really good place, learning about myself, learning about the teaching professional world, and seeing that I can survive in a random place HA. The Lord is teaching me in this season about simplicity. Moving into the small place I live in, I have been purging lots of my "stuff" that I own. I am trying to do better about things like buying groceries and eating them ALL before buying more. I find I get so tired of "stuff"...even inboxes filled with 300 emails, and phones with 300 texts...that stuff bogs me down. Even in my relationship with the Lord, I am learning about simplicity. I am an imperfect child, bringing all that I have to Him. The end. Throw off the rules and legalistic views...throw off the "I have to do a 20 minutes devotion every day or sing an emotional worship song"...the simplicity of the cross is that Jesus died for me, and I am obedient to Him because of my love for and adoration of Him. I was created for Him and by Him...each day I strive to bring glory to Him, as I love Him and share Him. I am still a work in progress, and realize more and more as I get older JUST how much I need Him every moment. I am thankful that I am not 20 years old anymore, when I knew the Lord but didnt feel I had a complete dependence on Him. I could do life myself. Wrong. :) I am so thankful for grace. For that fact that Jesus loves me this I know, no matter who I am, what I do. What a love. Okay now I am beginning to ramble.
May you start this New Year knowing that Jesus makes all things new!
"This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!" 2 Corinthians 5:17 (New Living Translation)
Now it's back to the grind. I am coming to realize that this is the long stretch of the school year...from now to Spring Break, we really don't have many breaks. We are starting to buckle down and begin more strategies for those good ole EOGs. I am not as overwhelmed with this job as I was at the beginning of the year. Praise the Lord :) for His strength to survive some days haha. I am certainly continuing to learn each day and reflect on what is working and (more than not) what is NOT working :)...There are a few people here who are definitely a God-send for sure. One first year teacher from New York has become my bosom buddy...we are 7 days a part and think we are sisters in another world...friendship with her is a blessing!! We think a lot alike and view situations similarly, so she is good person to vent and share with about our job. My mentor that I was assigned to is also an unforeseen blessing...I am learning a TON from her :). She also loves Jesus, which is encouraging...we spend 20 minutes at lunch together every day...those 20 minutes help my sanity. Isn't it funny how God surprises us sometimes in the way he orchestrates certain things? And to think that I dont trust Him so often to work things out or to provide...
Well, short and sweet life is good. I am beginning to enjoy Fayetteville...Barnes and Noble is where you will find me most. :) I am hoping to get involved in a particular church very soon...excited about that. In this new year, I am excited to see what is in store. I just feel at a really good place, learning about myself, learning about the teaching professional world, and seeing that I can survive in a random place HA. The Lord is teaching me in this season about simplicity. Moving into the small place I live in, I have been purging lots of my "stuff" that I own. I am trying to do better about things like buying groceries and eating them ALL before buying more. I find I get so tired of "stuff"...even inboxes filled with 300 emails, and phones with 300 texts...that stuff bogs me down. Even in my relationship with the Lord, I am learning about simplicity. I am an imperfect child, bringing all that I have to Him. The end. Throw off the rules and legalistic views...throw off the "I have to do a 20 minutes devotion every day or sing an emotional worship song"...the simplicity of the cross is that Jesus died for me, and I am obedient to Him because of my love for and adoration of Him. I was created for Him and by Him...each day I strive to bring glory to Him, as I love Him and share Him. I am still a work in progress, and realize more and more as I get older JUST how much I need Him every moment. I am thankful that I am not 20 years old anymore, when I knew the Lord but didnt feel I had a complete dependence on Him. I could do life myself. Wrong. :) I am so thankful for grace. For that fact that Jesus loves me this I know, no matter who I am, what I do. What a love. Okay now I am beginning to ramble.
May you start this New Year knowing that Jesus makes all things new!
"This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!" 2 Corinthians 5:17 (New Living Translation)
Jan 2, 2011
You Make Beautiful Things
If you know me, you know I love music. Obsessed. I am always listening, researching or reading about new music. A few months ago a friend of mine from Nashville suggested I check out Michael Gungor. Okay, I am suggesting you check him out as well!! He is in a 4 person band, with his wife Lisa and friends Brad (guitar) and Josh (bass). Familiar with the song "Friend of God"? He helped co-write it. Just youtube him...Gungor...check out his acoustic of "Praise God from Who All Blessings Flow".
I have enjoyed reading his thoughts on worship:
“If leading worship is just about bringing a group of people into a room so we can get goose bumps and sing songs together, there’s not much value in that," explains Michael Gungor. "But if leading worship is a means to an end, that we leave this place as a different kind of people, as part of a new humanity that God wants to create--the people that are caring for the widows and orphans, that aren’t bound by the systems of this world but becoming free, becoming fully engaged in our world--then that matters.”
http://www.newreleasetuesday.com/article.php?article_id=384
Also check out the following song, Beautiful Things (also the title of their newest album). The following is from an interview with Michael about this particular song:
"The story of God has gotten bigger to us. We had become ‘professional’ Christians. We got to the point where we needed to figure out how to be the church in a more honest way. There is something to me about worship where we can have a more proper perspective about things. It is easy to get caught up in our daily circumstances, and we need to know that one day all of the angst and suffering we have now will be 'made new.' God is present even in our difficulties. If we lift our eyes up to God, we can have the hope that He has promised in His Word. He is the source of our strength and hope." http://www.newreleasetuesday.com/article.php?article_id=384
Beautiful Things by Michael Gungor
All this pain
I wonder if I’ll even find my way
I wonder if my life could really change at all
All this earth
Could all that is lost ever be found
Could a garden come up from this ground at all
You make beautiful things
You make beautiful things out of the dust
You make beautiful things
You make beautiful things out of us
All around
Hope is springing up from this old ground
Out of chaos life is being found in You
You make beautiful things
You make beautiful things out of the dust
You make beautiful things
You make beautiful things out of us
You make beautiful things
You make beautiful things out of the dust
You make beautiful things
You make beautiful things out of us
You make me new, You are making me new
You make me new, You are making me new
You make beautiful things
You make beautiful things out of the dust
You make beautiful things
You make beautiful things out of us
I have enjoyed reading his thoughts on worship:
“If leading worship is just about bringing a group of people into a room so we can get goose bumps and sing songs together, there’s not much value in that," explains Michael Gungor. "But if leading worship is a means to an end, that we leave this place as a different kind of people, as part of a new humanity that God wants to create--the people that are caring for the widows and orphans, that aren’t bound by the systems of this world but becoming free, becoming fully engaged in our world--then that matters.”
http://www.newreleasetuesday.com/article.php?article_id=384
Also check out the following song, Beautiful Things (also the title of their newest album). The following is from an interview with Michael about this particular song:
"The story of God has gotten bigger to us. We had become ‘professional’ Christians. We got to the point where we needed to figure out how to be the church in a more honest way. There is something to me about worship where we can have a more proper perspective about things. It is easy to get caught up in our daily circumstances, and we need to know that one day all of the angst and suffering we have now will be 'made new.' God is present even in our difficulties. If we lift our eyes up to God, we can have the hope that He has promised in His Word. He is the source of our strength and hope." http://www.newreleasetuesday.com/article.php?article_id=384
Beautiful Things by Michael Gungor
All this pain
I wonder if I’ll even find my way
I wonder if my life could really change at all
All this earth
Could all that is lost ever be found
Could a garden come up from this ground at all
You make beautiful things
You make beautiful things out of the dust
You make beautiful things
You make beautiful things out of us
All around
Hope is springing up from this old ground
Out of chaos life is being found in You
You make beautiful things
You make beautiful things out of the dust
You make beautiful things
You make beautiful things out of us
You make beautiful things
You make beautiful things out of the dust
You make beautiful things
You make beautiful things out of us
You make me new, You are making me new
You make me new, You are making me new
You make beautiful things
You make beautiful things out of the dust
You make beautiful things
You make beautiful things out of us
Dec 31, 2010
Holiday Boredom :)
Playing around with my Mac over the holidays. Yes, maybe a little narcissistic, but this is what one does at home over break when getting over boredom and stomach flu. :)
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