Reflecting on the past year...

Though this year started off rough, God has proven that there will be hard times and there will be times that are so wonderful you never want them to end. There are times I wanted to do everything my way, but it wasn't what God had planned. There were times I did not feel the Lord, but then He taught me that my faith in Him can not be based upon my emotions and feelings, but on my trust in Him no matter what.

At the beginning of the year nothing went as I had planned. I felt like rejection wouldn't end. The semester was not all hard, but it did seem to be one of the most difficult semesters. There were events such as dance marathon and restoration that brought me joy and encouraged me through the hard times.

Dance Marathon was so much fun. Finally being on Morale changed my outlook on the marathon and I was full of even more spunk and energy FTK (for the kids!). Purple team had the honor of being the Color group that had Lucie and Bronte as our wonderful miracle kids. I got to know so many awesome people and it was such a incredible event, as it is each year seeing kids that have been healed by the amazing Lord. Pink Pajamas with Penguins on the bottom: pretty much sums up the FTK party 2010! :)

Nearing the time of Restoration there was one night at Wesley when the Lord captured my heart and filled me with so much of His joy. I was refreshed in the spirit, and was able to praise him fully in dance. By dancing to Awakening we were able to claim awakening over Athens! It was a dance of truth and promises, sharing the story of Ezekiel 37.

I also danced to Candlelight, which was a dance of humility. It was a dance to claim that the glory should always be given to the Lord, we are nothing without Him.

I finally decided that I was going to end up stuck without a job for the summer. I finally remember giving up all of my trying and humbling myself before the Lord. I raised my arms up to him and told Him that he could use me as he wanted and I would be content with whatever happened. The next day I was offered a job at Strong Rock Camp.

That camp experience encouraged me more than I ever even thought it was in the moment. Looking back at the summer showed me how it was so intricately part of God's plan.

I blog a lot about camp so that is all I will say, but I can't wait to see how camp next summer will shape my 2011.

Fall semester 2010 was a challenge. I had to do school work a lot more often than I was used to but I was doing what I enjoyed. I also got to be a part of an amazing 4th grade classroom at Winterville Elementary School on the outskirts of Athens. It was more than I could have asked for for my first placement. Mrs. Gaulden was an incredible mentor teacher and her class was a joy to work with. I'm not saying that they were perfect all of the time, but they are incredible students that changed my life. There are endless stories I could tell about my experience. All in all this semester in the field confirmed what I want to do. Children mean so much to me and I can't wait to influence their lives. I want to be more than a teacher for the kids in my class, I want to influence their future for the better, and I want each of my students to be confident in who they are. This semester confirmed my desire to teach kids, I can't wait to have my own classroom! It was eye opening and I learned so much.

I will continue to reflect about 2010 tomorrow...and will talk about things I look forward to in 2011.

Enjoy the end of 2010!

Places, people and passions

This past weekend I have gotten to experience moments with people from so many different facets of my life. It makes me reflect upon how much the Lord has blessed me. It makes me think of all that I dont deserve, but all He has given me out of his amazing love for me.

 I could ramble on and on about camp, but as I just wrote on my facebook status- when you go somewhere you love and it's just for a brief moment I think it makes you miss that place even more. After getting to spend time with my amazing camp friends for less than 24 hours, it's so weird to think that won't happen for another approximately 6 months with some of those people. I have gained so many lifelong friends from the amazing place of Strong Rock Camp. I can't put into words the welcoming spirit and the encouragement in the Lord that I have found though those people. I also think now about how next summer is going to be so different- but it's ok. I know that the friends I have made there will always be there for me, no matter if we are working together again or not- and I will do the same for them. I hope each fo them know that if they need me they can call me, no matter where they are, no matter how far.... lol.

I love the BCM family. It has been so amazing to see so many of my friends fall in love through  the connections and relationships that this ministry has brought about. It is encouraging to see people walking humbly in the Lord, loving Him and falling in love with each other. I look up to those who have been fostering relationships with each other as they have been seeking after the Father. It's beautiful to see two friends get married that will be glorifying the Lord as they join together to spread his love to the world.



A few amazing QUOTES!

"Yesterday is history. Tomorrow is a mystery. Today is a gift. That's why we call it 'The Present'."
— Eleanor Roosevelt

 

"The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams."
— Eleanor Roosevelt

 

"Many people will walk in and out of your life, but only true friends will leave footprints in your heart"
— Eleanor Roosevelt

 

"When we work for Christ out of obligation, it feels like work. But when we truly love Christ, our work is a manifestation of that love, and it feels like love." -Francis Chan, Crazy Love

 

"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, Radical

 

"Give me all of you!!! I don’t want so much of your time, so much of your talents and money, and so much of your work. I want YOU!!! ALL OF YOU!! I have not come to torment or frustrate the natural man or woman, but to KILL IT! No half measures will do. I don’t want to only prune a branch here and a branch there; rather I want the whole tree out! Hand it over to me, the whole outfit, all of your desires, all of your wants and wishes and dreams. Turn them ALL over to me, give yourself to me and I will make of you a new self---in my image. Give me yourself and in exchange I will give you Myself. My will, shall become your will. My heart, shall become your heart."
— C.S. Lewis (Mere Christianity)

 

"...when we love God, we naturally run to Him-frequently and zealously. Jesus didn't command that we have a regular time with Him each day. Rather, He tells us to 'love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.' He called this the 'first and greatest commandment' (Matt. 22:37-38). The results are intimate prayer and study of His Word. Our motivation changes from guilt to love."
— Francis Chan (Crazy Love: Overwhelmed by a Relentless God)

 

I'm lovin' this PEACE

And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:7

Living in the moment, being in peace about the future, resting in the Lord's peace always- that's how I want to live.

Sometimes life can get so busy and it is easy to rush around and only stop to go to sleep (occasionally). God doesn't want up to get busy to the point where we don't take time to rest. He longs for us to spend time with him and rest in that peace he continually wants to pour out on us. He doesn't want us to live lives full of stress and tension, but wants us to give our worries up to Him. He wants us to rest in his indescribable peace.

Living at peace with others can be tricky sometimes. God does call us to live at peace, and sometimes this seems to be the hardest thing to do. There are some times I just don't feel like being at peace because I am upset with someone, but once that anger has subsided I know that the Lord wants me to confront the issue, pray for wisdom, and live at peace- things will get better.

"Strive for peace with everyone, and for the holiness without which no one will see the Lord." Hebrews 12:14
It can be hard to be at peace when things aren't turning out as planned. God tends to change our plans much more than we desire, but the result usually ends up being more than we can even understand in the moment. We must be at peace with His promises, he works everything out for the good of those who love Him.

God's peace transcends all understanding.

"Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God" Matthew 5:9

"Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!" Luke 2:14



October and Olive Garden

To me the month of October and Olive Garden go hand in hand, why you might ask?

Well, I absolutely love October, its such a great fall month, there's football, pretty leaves, pumpkin spice...and my birthday :) Things aren't getting too hectic yet with all of the holidays, and you're already into the groove of the school year. It's a nice peaceful month for the most part. The weather is not too hot and it's just starting to get a little cool outside, well during most normal years that is. Thank you God for such a spectacular month.


And yummy Olive Garden- I love Italian food, though I enjoy most types of  food, Italian food is my birthday food. I can't pass by a birthday without celebrating with some Italian food. Recently I have celebrated at Mirko's Pasta, but Olive Garden will always be close to my heart. Nothing can compare to getting a delicious York peppermint patty at the end of your scrumptious meal :)

I really wanted to add some pictures to this post, but for some reason it won't let me! Darn!

November

November is awesome! Thank you God for this time of the year filled with friends, family and fall weather!



The whole family :)





Crazy!





Pilgrims and Indians dinner









My favorite fall tree

Music is a universal language...

I absolutely love music- Everything about it. It has been a passion I've held since I was little.

I started taking piano lessons when I was in 2d grade I believe, and played piano until the end of middle school. I also started playing the flute in middle school. I decided when I was younger that my dream was to be on broadway, so I also started taking voice lessons in middle school. I was immersed in music all of the time.

Music is one of the greatest expressions, and I love to worship God through singing. I feel like I am so close to the Lord when I sing praises to Him.

Music speaks to so many people in so many ways. It is a true blessing, such an amazing art.

Thank you Lord for all that music is! I can't imagine a world without it!

Livin a Life of LOVE

So I am extremely behind on my blogs, but I am trying to get back on track. Things this time of year are getting so crazy with projects, papers and just everything in life. Every day I find myself doing fun things instead of the piles upon piles of work that I must conquer- but it's ok! I know God will get me through it all. 

Sorry for the random side note, now onto my blog...

 Living Love, what exactly does that mean? Well, if God is love, and Christians are called to live as Christ, we are to live out love each day. That saying sound simplistic, until you dig deep. What does it really mean to fully love those around us? God has been teaching me constantly about what that means, but I know I don't even understand a fraction of what that really is. His love is so great, so extravagant, I will never be able to comprehend it's extremities.  I do know that the only way I can grow deeper i that knowledge is by drawing closer to the One who is Love. Knowing how to truly love others is only possible by pursuing the Lord's love and all of it's many facets. It is only by investigating the Word of the Lord that we can grow in love. Love is extreme, love doesn't make sense. Someone who constantly lives out love is able to, by the Lord's grace, love those who seem to be unlovable.

" People who are obsessed with Jesus give freely and openly, without censure. Obsessed people love those who hate them and who can never love them back"- Francis Chan, Crazy Love

I was challenged to love this summer. Part of the mission statement at Strong Rock Camp is to love each child at camp, to really show them that we love them. That was difficult at times with some campers, but as I pursued the Lord and His word, and was humbled knowing that I could not love in my own strength, I began to see a glimpse of love.

I feel like God guides me through so many hardships and time when I don't think I can love others, only to hear him whispering in my ear to continue to love. I often argue with this. I want to give up, but then he reminds me of how much he loves me. Then I remember how much I don't deserve his love, but how I will never fully understand how great and wonderful his love is. His love makes me realize that the situations he puts me through are nothing compared to what he did to show his love for me.

His love is so complex, so wonderful.

I want to be challenged in my love more and more. How can my love become extreme. I know I am currently far from that. 

"Oh how he loves us so" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X-rW528qiYw

I don't want to live a life where I am lukewarm and am never challenged in my love. Love isn't easy. Love is crazy. I want to pursue crazy love. 

God loves us no matter what. His love never lessens. Wow, how amazing. His love should compel us. 

God’s Love and Ours:  1 John 4

 ⁷ Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. ⁸ Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. ⁹ This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. ¹⁰ This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. ¹¹ Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. ¹² No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us.  ¹³ This is how we know that we live in him and he in us: He has given us of his Spirit. ¹⁴ And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent his Son to be the Savior of the world. ¹⁵ If anyone acknowledges that Jesus is the Son of God, God lives in them and they in God. ¹⁶ And so we know and rely on the love God has for us.
   God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in them. ¹⁷ This is how love is made complete among us so that we will have confidence on the day of judgment: In this world we are like Jesus. ¹⁸ There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love.
 ¹⁹ We love because he first loved us. ²⁰ Whoever claims to love God yet hates a brother or sister is a liar. For whoever does not love their brother and sister, whom they have seen, cannot love God, whom they have not seen. ²¹ And he has given us this command: Anyone who loves God must also love their brother and sister.

For the Kingdom!

I long for everyone that I know to live in the light. To experience the amazing things God has for them. I am so thankful that the Lord has captuerd my heart and that I am part of his kingdom. I am a daughter of the King, and he has filled me with such great authority in Him. I hope that each day through the Holy Spirirt, that I carry His light well, and plant seeds for the Kingdom. I pray that I'll continue to surrender to the Lord more and more each day so I can make even more of a difference for the Kingdom.

"Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom,and your dominion endures throughout all generations"
Psalm 145:13

JOY! joy! JOY!

God "you are my joy, you are my joy, you are my joy" !! 

Thank you for constantly filling me up with more of you. I am so blessed to have the joy you have poured upon me. I hope and pray that it is contagious when I am around others.

I want to encourage others joyfully. I want to live a life serving joyfully. I want to live a life where I constantly dance in joy in the presence of my King!

My prayer for everyone who reads this it " May the God of hope fill you with much joy and peace as you trust in Him!" Romans 15:13  There are times we don't feel joyful, but I pray that the times of joy will triumph over the times of sorrow. Walking through life in the Lord's joy is a pleasant, encouraging path to take.

More scripture about joy in the Lord....

"You love righteousness and hate wickedness; therefore God, your God, has set you above your companions
 by anointing you with the oil of joy."  Psalm 45:7

"Splendor and majesty are before him; strength and joy are in his dwelling place."

1 Chronicles 16:27

"The precepts of the LORD are right, giving joy to the heart. The commands of the LORD are radiant, giving light to the eyes."

Psalm 19:8

"Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me." Psalm 51:12

"You will go out in joy and be led forth in peace; the mountains and hills will burst into song before you, and all the trees of the field will clap their hands" Isaiah 55:12

Go out in JOY each day!

The Wonderful Book of Isaiah

This book of the Bible is so powerful,encouraging and empowering. It holds so much strong truth God speaks over his children throughout the generations. It speaks so boldly. Isaiah was a prophet and his gift of prophecy speaks strongly through this challenging book.

Thank you Lord for your amazing truth spoken trough the prophet Isaiah. It can be so applicable for our lives each day as we live for Him and are motivated by Him to live radical lives.

Finding HOPE in a Helping Hand

There are so many people in life that bring me hope and encouragement at the perfect times. I don't thank God enough for those moments or those people.If you are reading this you have most likely been one of those helping hands, one of those people who has helped to bring hope when things have been stressful or hard. I can't imagine what I would do without those people who help me through so much. I constantly feel the love of the Lord through the amazing friends and family that help me through.

The Lord is my ultimate Helper and he has so graciously sent so many sisters and brothers into my life to remind me of that great truth!

Thank you so much incredible friends who have been helping hands to pull me a long, pick me up and dance with me through life!

If GRACE is an ocean, we're all sinking..

Grace= Unmerited favor, undeserved gift


The grace of the Lord is extravagant.
It is something so amazing that I feel I will never grasp in its entirety.

When we walk in grace and authority, we are empowered to pursue righteousness and radiate that to those around us. We are thus divinely enabled to do his will.

"In the moment of my weakness, you give me grace to do your will"

Thank you Lord for your amazing grace, it perfectly exhibits your indescribable love that you always have for your children. Whenever I think about your grace I am overwhelmed. I can't put it in words. When you experience grace it's such an affirmation of the Lord and his work in our lives. We are his vessels, being His grace to the world.

" My grace is enough for you, when you are weak my power is made perfect in you" 2 Corinthians 12:9

Faith, Family & Friends

Faith...
" Now faith is being sure of what you hope for and certain of what you do not see" Hebrews 11:1


Living a life of faith can be so hard when everything seems to be going wrong. I found out earlier this year that I had been living thinking that nothing was going to get better. I spent my time knowing in my head that God works everything together for the good of those who love Him, but I did not know that in my heart. This summer taught me so much about what faith really means. It's a word I feel is thrown around so much, but it means so much more. Have faith and submit to the Lord and so much can happen. The burdens you were once worried about change and are lifted. When life is surrendered to Him, and we live our lives with faith, there is so much freedom.

Abraham exhibited great faith.

Faith is a shield.

Faith like a child is what God yearns for us to have.

We are justified "made right" through faith.

Faith means we don't have to worry about tomorrow.

In faith we know that with God we can move mountains.

Family...

 

"Wives, submit to your husbands, as is fitting in the Lord. Husbands, love your wives, and do not be harsh with them. Children, obey your parents in everything, for this pleases the Lord. Fathers, do not provoke your children, lest they become discouraged" Colossians 3:18-21

I love that my family and I get so spend so much time together. I enjoy each and every member of my family! I know that I don't the Lord for them enough. I'm blessed beyond belief and know that they care so much about me. We are all pretty crazy but I love them!

Friends...
"I thank my God every time I remember you" Philippians 1:3


 I have no idea what I would do without my amazing friends. I could talk about them on and on, but I wouldn't have enough time.  They have been an incredible encouragement to me so many times, and I don't deserve it! What amazing impacts they have made in my life. I couldn't ask God for better friends, they are the best.

"Oil and perfume make the heart glad,and the sweetness of a friend comes from his earnest counsel"
Proverbs 27:9

Everything E!

I have found out that something that starts with E is very hard to think of...and prior to today I was going to resort to writing about elephants, LOL....

So here's a quote from Tarzan : "Are you sure this water's sanitary? It looks questionable to me" (spoken by Tantor the elephant)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4VFQ8Ghepp4

To start my random list of E thankfulness...

 

 

Energy- I mean what would happen without it? Life would be pretty dull. I love living my life energetically and enthusiastically. That's probably why I enjoy drama so much, and want to teach little kids for the rest of my life...you have to have energy for that! 

 Eggs- Who doesn't like an extra cheesy omelet?? 

Eggnog- one of my favorite holiday drinks; eggnog+eggnog icecream+whip cream+nutmeg= yum yum yum

Eagles- " This is Eagle land, Eagle Land, you Wayas don't know where you stand, bow down or get knocked down, this is Awahili ground"

Enchanted- "That's How you Know" Such a cute movie! It brings back memories of fitting about 15 people in my friend Kimberly and Stephanie's dorm room to watch it freshman year!

Elf- " I'm just a cotton-headed-ninny-muggins" 

Elmo- Oh childhood memories, Elmo is so cute!

Exercise-How I love the elliptical at Ramsey! And how I love going on walks! I also especially love climbing up stone mountain :)

2 of my favorite books of the Bible happen to be..

Esther- God puts us where we need to be and sometimes it's perfectly "for such a time as this". When we live our lives dedicated to Him, following after his heart, the Lord blesses that. The Lord always keeps us safe and works things out for his good as Esther finds out.

Ephesians 1:15-23

 Thanksgiving and Prayer

 ¹⁵ For this reason, ever since I heard about your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all God’s people, ¹⁶ I have not stopped giving thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers. ¹⁷ I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit^[f] of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better. ¹⁸ I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in his holy people, ¹⁹ and his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is the same as the mighty strength ²⁰ he exerted when he raised Christ from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms, ²¹ far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every name that is invoked, not only in the present age but also in the one to come. ²² And God placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church, ²³ which is his body, the fullness of him who fills everything in every way.

I've thought of 2 more E things that I'm really thankful for, so they will be included in my post tomorrow.

D=Dance

I can express who I really am when I dance, but it has not always been that way. 

It used to be something I did because I enjoyed it, but now it's so much more.

Dance is memories...
I started dancing as a toddler, taking ballet and tap.
Oh how I remember some funny moments. I know that I was not the most coordinated little girl, because I remember wearing a Tu-Tu and landing on my "derriere" (as we called it at dance)during a performance.Later I remember being so excited I got to stay at the Civic Center all day because I was in 2 different casts of a dance show. From dippity do to dancing to space cowboy and rock around the clock...from the jungle book to snow white....Lawrenceville School of Ballet was my dance life until 8th grade.

Dancing is cheering a team on....

In high school I was part of colorguard and winterguard. I couldn't leave dance behind, and this was a perfect way to still spend time dancing. Though at times it was a discouraging experience and I felt rejection at times, it was overall an awesome experience. Performing in winterguard competitions was incredible, just getting to put your all into dancing and spinning, to a song that you were also acting to- you knew it inside and out. Colorguard- the environment was so much fun, and performing was exciting and exhilarating. So many memories that I cherish, so many people that have changed my life.

Now dance is freedom, worship,expression,expresses passion,
dance is spinning, turning,
stretching, joyful, sorrowful, graceful...

God has brought me to a place of freedom, where I can worship him through dance. I have gotten to do this in Restoration (a dance performance that Wesley puts on each year). It has opened my eyes and transformed me.

Dance is an expression of passion for my King.

Dance is also an expression of my passion FTK!(For the KIDS!)- ugaMiracle!

Dancing sometimes means to get a little crazy- Phi Slam parties perfectly exhibit this.

Dance means a lot to me, I can't imagine living without the freedom to dance!

http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1115610029#!/video/video.php?v=515544283886 (How He Loves)

C=Camp

I could talk about camp for days and days- because it has made more of an impact in my life then I will probably be able to do justice via my blog. It has taught me more than I have even been able to recognize so far.

It's true,  feel home sick for camp sometimes.

Strong Rock camp is indescribable... It's probably the most encouraging environment that I have ever been a part of. Everyone on staff proved to be such an affirmation to me many times throughout the summer. I could tell that they loved me for me. When you are able to act crazy, wear costumes that make no sense, and nobody thinks twice- that's somewhere I want to be. I never had to hide myself.

All of the staff members hold special places in my heart and have really helped me become more confident in who God has made me to be. Throughout the summer (and after the summer too) they have brought so much joy to my life. I had such a hard semester right before camp, but camp was exactly what I needed.

I have made lifelong friends.

I have also made lasting memories. Those would be too hard to write out here (they would go on forever, and might be mentioned in later blog posts)

There are campers that I will never forget because of their impact in my life. So many of them were always so excited to see me and would love me even if I was continually yelling at them. It was beautiful to see that. I was challenged to love some of my campers, but in the end it was worth it. It allowed me to become more selfless and really love with the Lord's love. This summer was huge affirmation about teaching in the future.

It was an opportunity that I've always wanted to have, and finally God placed the perfect camp in my life.

Since I'm talking about things that start with the letter C and am writing an entry on camp I could never forget to mention my 2 awesome co-co's that I had this summer:

CARROT- My co-co fof the first half of the summer. She was such a helpful hand as I got used to camp, and became confident as a counselor.She has an amaing dedication to the Lord, and is an amazing teacher. I love her constant use of "oh geez" and her obsession with Swedish fish. I can't  forget her amazing teddy bear named theodore that made me laugh on countless ocassions. I cherish her friendship!

CUPCAKE- My co-co for the 2nd half of the summer. Oh goodness, we have so much in common and have made a long list of many of these things. Both of us, according to Rambo, are the sweetest girls. I could probably give you a glimpse of our friendship by sharing our rap (but thats a secret)...just the fact that we have one hints to how crazy we can be when we are together. My dear sister in christ, and an amazing encoruagement.

B=Broad Acres

Eye opening, life changing, impactful.
Just a few words to describe my experience at Broad Acres, the housing community that has transformed my future....
Nothing that I expected at first came true through this experience, but everything that I've needed to see to determine what I want to do in the future I have seen. Not to say everything has been perfect, my heart has hurt so much for these chidlren. I could never imagine growing up as some of them do, with no one really caring about there whereabouts. That is exactly what motivates me to show Christs love to the kids. It's what has created my passion to teach inner city children in the future. It has opened my heart to many thing that seemed foreign at first. My heart now burns for these little boys and girls, some who just need a hug or someone to simply show they care. I want to bring them hope and truth in the Lord.

Christ is my strength. May His light shine through me to all of those children. They are such a blessing to my life, I long to bless them. I love their excitement to see me, their desire for me to stay there. They always want to go home with me and want me to be their mentor-which is the cutest thing ever.
Their hugs are an encouragement.
I love how I get awesome braids in my hair every week.
Tag is a game that can have so many people that are "it".

My experience there each week, spending time playing with children has blessed me beyond belief. I have loved getting to see some of those kids grow up over the past 3 years...
I'm so thankful.

A= Aderhold

To start off my alphabet of thankfulness:

Though the building it quite jail-like and gloomy from the outside...
There are so many people that I have met that make it much more sunny. We stick together, and help each other through the hectic lives we live. School can be tough, and stressful, but with friends by your side it makes it all better. I know there are days that I would not have been able to get through if I didn't have such a great group of people to encourage me. Don't get me wrong, classes can be so stressful, and teaching is a whole new world of challanges.. but getting through it with my friends makes all the difference. There are days when I can't wait to leave Aderhold, but in the end, I cherish so much about it. I have grown as a person, and have begun to learn about my profession. My eyes have been opened to so much. My opinions have been challanged. I have learned so much about who I am and why I want to make an impact in the lives of children for the rest of my life.
So though the building looks rather like a prison...the people inside have impacted me in ways I'll always remember.

Here's the link to a video that sums up the semester LOL : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=enpFde5rgmw

" All of my life, in every season..."

Recently I have been thinking a lot about how thankful I am for my friends, about how incredibly blessed I am, and about how I don't deserve all of the overwhelming love I have felt. God is so good and gracious, beyond measure. He pours out His love and grace on us out of His compassion for his beloved children.

Blessings. What are the blessings I overlook and don't seem to appreciate?How can I live more in a manner of thankfulness? God calls us to live lives of thanks to him, and I know I don't thank him nearly enough.

So therefore I am going to write something I'm thankful for each day of November leading to Thanksgiving.  This will be a way for me to take time to not look over the many ways I have been blessed. Hopefully this time of year will challange you to think about that too. God loves his children, he blesses us in some ways we hardly ever notice until we are standing still for a moment.

This leads me to think about what a thankful heart looks like. I think it is different for each person, but for every person it requires moments of us being still. How do you best express your thanks to God? Do you spend time resting in His presence and reflecting on all he is doing in your life? Thanks should flow from our speechand actions, and it should radiate outwardly as we live in a state of thankfulness and humility.

Rest, reflect, let the God who spreads his love all around you restore you in His truth more and more each day!

Be thankful as you rejoice, be thankful as you grieve.

Sinking in Grace...

Each day we have the choice to rest in grace, knowing we will make mistakes- or strive to do things on our own, blaming ourselves if things don't turn out ok . We sometimes find ourselves fighting for the thing we think is best. Sometimes the only thing we can do is rest in grace and be overwhelmed by the extensive ocean of grace that never runs dry.

"Each day presents another opportunity to experience God's grace"

Look for it, rest in it, and be saturated by it.