Thankful Thirty.

     As November comes to a close, I am overwhelmed with the amount of things I have to be thankful for. God has blessed me with far more than I deserve. I'm tired of complaining and consistently wanting more. I want to develop a heart filled with gratitude and the desire to GIVE, let alone be content. In honor of Thanksgiving, I am going to list thirty things I am thankful for in correspondence with the thirty days of November. In an ideal blogging world, I would have thought of this wonderful, totally not already over-done idea on the first of month, and would have had the time each day to write a deep, thought-provoking, inspiring post. But, here I am on day twenty-five. I certainly do not live in a perfect blogging world, let alone perfect world at all, but I am thankful regardless.

My Top 5

1. God. Every single thing on this list is a blessing stemmed from Him. His grace. His belief in me. His love. His peace. His forgiveness. I could go on and on.
2. My mom. She is the strongest woman, if not person, I know. She is so selfless, hard-working and forgiving. I love her dearly. She also is the silliest lady ever.
3. My dad. He has always been the funny guy. He is so witty. I have so many memories with him that the mere thought of can make me laugh, even cry. My dad will always hold a special place in my heart. I love him very much.
4. B&K. Good, 'ol Brian and Kevin. My twin younger brothers. My mischievous childhood partners in crime. Two of the funniest people in the world... and at times the most irritating. Though, I know I am guilty as well. I love that we all have the same sense of humor. I would give my life for either of them in a heartbeat.
5. Mr. Daniel Juul. I would not be the woman of God I am today without my best friend and sweet love. He is a dear treasure of mine. I thank God for him every day.
6. Friends who love and support me. Genuine friends who encourage me to be the best woman I can be.
7. My doggie, Toby. He brings the silliest, yet weirdest sides out of me and I love it. We frequently dance, snuggle, chase each other, kiss each other, communicate (I make high pitched voices and he barks - quite intelligent, I know), and love each other unconditionally. I am a crazy dog lover and proud.
8. The wise leaders and mentors in my life. Gina Guntlisbergen, Micah and Stephanie MacDonald, among so many others, I would not be the woman I am today without these people and their belief in me!
9. My warm, safe house.
10. My heavenly comfortable bed.
11. My working car.
12. An exceptional education.
13. North Central University.
14. Professors who care for and believe in me.
15. A plethora of food and clean, hot water.
16. A healthy, fully-functioning body.
17. A well-paying, flexible job.
18. Cedar Valley Church.
19. Opportunities to utilize and develop further leadership skills.
20. That I live in America and am able to legally exercise my faith freely.
21. The on-going difficulties my family has endured this past year. They are teaching me patience and to truly trust God, as well as His timing with everything and every relationship in my life. They are causing many Godly characteristics to develop within me. 
22. My mistakes. They have all helped me learn valuable, needed life lessons and shape me into who I am today.
23. My iPhone. This sounds silly, but I am thankful I have such a nifty device that helps keep me connected with others so easily.
24. An awesome laptop + Internet. I don't know how I would have made it this far through college without one! It has helped me so much with more than just writing papers and doing research, but with taking notes, looking up crafts and recipes, writing for pleasure, keeping a calendar, watching movies, storing music/pictures, ordering things, learning how to do new things, finding jobs, and much more.
25. All of the places I have been blessed with the opportunity to travel to, especially outside of the United States - England (June 2008) and Costa Rica (June 2012)!
26. More clothing and shoes than any single human could ever need.
27. Coffee. I daily depend on the Lord's strength, but a little caffeine kick never hurts. ;)
28. Books - especially ones full of wisdom!
29. Music - especially that indie/folk/total hipster stuff. Love it.
30. Candles. The past three things are all so comforting to me. I thank God I am able to afford each of these things and take pleasure in involving them within my leisure time.

"Every good and perfect gift is from above,
coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights,
who does not change like shifting."
- James 1:17 NIV

Two Years.

     Last month, on October 30th, Daniel and I celebrated two years of dating! This seems so cliche to say, but I truly am a blessed woman. This relationship has challenged me and caused me to grow in countless ways. I truly believe that I am dating the silliest, most handsome, wisest, strongest, selfless, caring man in the world. He inspires and motivates me daily. I sure love that monkey of mine. :)

*All of these pictures were taken by our dear friend, Miss Madison Groves!

Here we go, sophomore year!

Thank God for godly friends.

     

     Today is the day! Well, yesterday was technically, but I found some free time to blog today. This week I began my my sophomore year at North Central University and I could not be more excited. I love schedule and structure, so I'm thankful to be back in school. This year I am commuting instead of living the dorm life, which is so great for me. I love North Central, but it's so nice to be able to go home to some "me time" (not to mention a full kitchen). I've found I'm much more efficient with my free time, school work, and time with the Lord this way. I've also been blessed with an awesome after-school nanny job for the entire school year! Check out the cool God story here! Going into this school year I made goals. I hope by sharing them over the world wide web I am kept more accountable. If anything, may they encourage and challenge you to make some goals for yourself!

1. Be frugal and save the money I make!
   
   "Who am I and what can I do without? Rather than who am I because of what I can acquire."
2. In the words of a wise youth leader and friend, Josiah Kennealy, "be early to bed and early to rise." My time with God in the mornings must be and continue to be a major priority above all else.
3. Be organzied, so that I can be successful in school. I want to honor God with my schoolwork and the motivation/dedication I have towards it. 
4. I've been reading a lot lately about loving the Gifter more than His gifts. I want to love and desire God far more than the blessings He has given me. He deserves all the honor and praise!

Here's to a great year!

Always.

Filled 150 water balloons with my nanny kids this summer and put
them all on the trampoline! So fun - this photo does not do it justice!

     "Don't worry about it. You will be just fine. I've got it." These were the words I felt God press upon my heart a few Saturday's ago as I spent time in prayer, unsure of what my job situation was going to look like this coming school year. Last year I regularly over-worked myself. I missed out on a lot of opportunities to bond with my floor and others at NCU, as well as free time on weekends (gotta love retail jobs) to plan events for my youth group girls, let alone just have "me time." Meanwhile, I had been nannying all summer and was so sad to see my wonderful summer job come to an end. I wished there was someway I could still nanny over the school year, but figured it wasn't possible with my 18 credit schedule. So, I applied at a couple places around where I live, but to no avail. No one ever called me.
     Which brings me back to... "Don't worry about it. You will be just fine. I've got it." As difficult as it was, I told God that I trusted Him and knew He'd provide in the ways that I need. Sure enough, only hours later, that evening I received a message from a woman looking for after school childcare four days a week! I responded to her message almost instantly, had an interview the next day after church, and the following evening I had the job. Man, is God faithful or what? Always has been and always will be. Always.

8 Things I Wish I Knew as a Freshman...

Funky Night at NCU - Freshmen year!

     Crazy to think that only a year ago I was packing up my things and getting ready to move downtown into a little dorm room with my good friend, Sarah. Oh boy, were my feelings ever a roller coaster! One day I was thrilled beyond belief to move out, live on a college campus, and feel like an adult! The next I was balling my eyes out not wanting to leave my family, best friends, dog, etc. My freshmen year of college was probably the biggest year of growth I've experienced thus far. During my first few weeks at North Central University last fall, I received a little card in my mailbox titled, "7 things I wish I knew when I was a freshman..." written by the Delta Kappa girls. As cheesy as it sounds, I kept it on the wall above my desk all year. Much of the points were full of wisdom and comforted me in difficult moments that first, semi-intimidating year of "real life" as my dad calls it.
     Whether you're getting ready to head out on your first college adventure these next couple weeks, or second, third, or fourth, I hope you are able to learn from me, as well as glean one or two nuggets of wisdom from my:

8 Things I Wish I Knew as a Freshman...

1. You REALLY don't need to bring every article of clothing you own, or a game/appliance/etc. that you "might" use. You don't need to bring so much stuff to college. Trust me, your roommates will thank you.
2. If you want to make new friendships, pursue and work for them! Don't be nervous - everyone is in the same boat. 
• Also, I know this is elementary knowledge, but seriously, be YOURSELF. Be conscious of the people and influences you hang around. You will become like the people you spend the most time with.
3. Save and spend money wisely.
• On a similar note, don't overwork yourself in order to "make money to pay for everything." I did that and missed out on many opportunities and events to build relationships with others. Just be frugal.
4. Just because your roommates stay up late every night, doesn't mean you should. You thought you were sleep-deprived in high school? Oh no, my friend. Take naps and go to bed at a decent time.
5. Make spending time with God everyday an absolute PRIORITY - above all else! Plan to wake up 20-30 minutes early and read the Bible, pray, listen to a worship song. You are going to face stepping stones and challenges during this season of my life. May God be your solid foundation and who you find your identity in.
6. As sad as this sounds, yes, some of your high school friendships will fade, but THAT IS OKAY. Don't worry/stress so much over the transition of high school friendships into college. Keep in touch with ones you truly care about, but know that you will make new friends in college if you choose to make an effort.
7. You don't have to read everything! You will drown in reading if you read every single reading assignment given. Get together with a couple classmates, split up the reading, then come back together and fill each other in on each section.
8. Have an older leader or mentor that you keep in touch with regularly (perhaps weekly). Allow them to keep you accountable, encourage you, lift you up in times of difficulty, pray for you, and give you advice.

...Actually...posting...a blog?

     Yes, indeed! This is my first blog post in almost TWO MONTHS! This summer has been crazy busy with mission trips, camp counseling, family vacations, nannying, and more, but so great. I have been learning so much. As stated in my last blog post, in June I traveled to Costa Rica for 10 days, along with a team of 31 leaders and high school students from my youth group. We worked alongside an amazing missionary family, the Dahlager's. We had the privilege of ministering to over 6,000 students through personal interaction, school assemblies, church services, and an outreach concert.
     I, personally, had never been on a mission trip before this trip. It changed my life forever! Here is just a snippet of cool stories and things I learned:

• Missionaries are selfless, sacrificial, and deserve much more honor than they receive. Many take their families and give up a regular American lifestyle in order to share with others around the world the hope and freedom they have in Jesus.
• PRAYER IS POWERFUL. One night we did a presentation in an alternative school. This was the only school we were told we couldn’t talk about God. We were also given a shorter time slot than we had in the other schools. While part of our team was setting up the band equipment, the rest of us began to pray around the building. Just before the presentation, something miraculous happened – the director of the school extended our time slot and gave us permission to talk about God! The band rocked out, two other team members and I shared our testimonies, and one of our youth pastors, Micah, shared a powerful message. Micah made sure the students knew that regardless of what had happened in their lives, they still have value. People were crying, God was moving, and lives were changed. At the end of the night, a student told the director that a month ago her father shot her mother. Her mother had survived, but the girl was so devastated that she had been planning to commit suicide that very night, but she had found hope again! Only God could have orchestrated all this. Only God could have changed the mind of the director at the last minute, allowing us to talk about God.
•    I feel very called to work in women’s ministry – writing and speaking. This was confirmed to me throughout the trip, as I was given the opportunity to share my testimony, a righteous victory over an eating disorder, with other 6,000 students! It was so cool and rewarding to be able to talk with, pray over, and encourage students struggling with their self-image. I am currently working on a book for women regarding self-worth.
•    Want less; give more. We should make the most of the time and resources that we have been blessed with. What better way than to love on and bless other people? I am so passionate about missions!

Hanging out with some girls before our big outreach concert!

We went zip-lining on one of our last days!

Sharing my testimony in one of the high schools!

Our team at the airport right before we left!

It's the big day!

My team and I, who will be working with high schoolers in Costa Rica.
There is another team from our church who will be working with children in Costa Rica.

     

     Today is the big day! After months of preparation and prayer, a team of students, fellow leaders, and I are traveling to Costa Rica for 10 days! Please keep us, as well as the people we will be serving/ministering to in your prayers! May God's will be done on this trip!

"Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people."

- Ephesians 6:10-18

Hello Summer!

     ... and it is finished. Freshmen year = accomplished. Crazy summer classes = accomplished. With all that's happened with my family over the past year, things have been crazy, but I'm finally taking a deep breath and writing again. The challenges I've been through this year have pushed me to the edge, to major points of really having to decide which path to take. Although, they have and continue to make me stronger, truly forcing me to depend on the Lord in all aspects. Now that the pressure of school has been lifted for the next three and a half months or so, I'm feeling a wave of relief. I'm pretty pumped about this summer! Here are some goals of mine:

- Travel places. See God's creation and meet more of the interesting people He loves. (P.S. 19 days until Costa Rica!)
- Go camping
- Write, write, write (a ton of my book!)
- Save money
- Get plugged into a young adult group/ministry
- Be a kick-butt, awesome nanny
- Basically more firmly plant my identity in Christ and become more of the woman He's called me to be
- Start a girls bible study with my youth group students (This is something God put on my heart to begin last fall.)
- Just love, love, love every single day.

Summer '12 Snapshots: 5/27 Great night with my handsome wedding date, :)
ended by running the city blocks of Chaska, MN in the pouring rain!
Oh, summer memories.

In Loving Memory of Freshmen Year ('11-'12)

     HALLELUJAH!! I survived my freshmen year of college. Holy cow. I don't believe I've ever experienced a more growth and change-filled period of my life! I thank God for His unending patience. Almost nine months ago, I remember crying - just wanting to go home and have things the way they used to be. Now, nine months later, I could not be more thankful for the growth that has taken place in my life. In honor of finishing, I'm dedicating this blog to preserving memories, times of growth, and various things God spoke to me over this past school year through pictures.