Seasons.

HELLO AGAIN BLOGGING WORLD!!!

    

 Season : a time characterized by a particular circumstance or feature.

                                                                                                                                    - Merriam Webster

     We've all heard in life there are different seasons. These seasons can be characterized by all sorts of factors, such as: age, weather, marital status, commitments, current career, etc. As you probably know, I have not written on this blog in a long. stinkin'. time. Since last fall, in fact. There were days when I really wanted to, but didn't seem to have the time. There were days when I had the time, but just didn't feel like it. There were days when I really wanted to and had the time, but not the slightest idea what to write about (believe it or not) or how to put anything into words. Sometimes I worried I'd lost my "writer's touch." Sometimes I felt guilty, as though I was lazy and not doing what God wanted me to. Oh, how wrong I was.

     After all this time, I've learned a lot about different seasons in life. Above all, THEY EXIST! They really do! I'm in a really awesome season of life right now with so many opportunities for ministry, but  with a plethora of accepted opportunities, comes a very full calendar. For many months, I wore myself thin, trying to equally dispense my time, energy, and talents into the various activities that make up my life: school, work, family, friends, youth leading, small groups, writing, mentorships, personal health (exercise, sleep) and more, let alone time with Jesus each day. As a result, each of these areas of my life received an extremely exhausted snippet of my time, energy, and talents.

     As I read the book, "The Resolution for Women," by Priscilla Shirer, I had a major revelation.

I learned that balance is not attempting to equally dispense my efforts into the zillions of demands in life. Rather, balance is prayerfully considering and asking God what our priorities should be in this present season of life. 

When we focus on the current "primary" activities, we are able to give the best of ourselves to them. Meanwhile, this doesn't mean we totally drop/forget about the other activities. It simply means we temporarily place them aside from our present focus, until God instructs us to do otherwise. That said, writing, though one of my biggest passions, was put on hold for awhile as I focused on other ministries, my family, and some key friendships, as well as allowed God to mold my heart into more like His. I have learned A LOT and I am so thankful. About a week ago and confirmed again this weekend, God gave me the green light for writing again and I have such peace about it. No longer a stressor. Hallelujah. What's up, blogging world. I'm back.

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

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.

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.

Roller Coaster Life

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     Life... what a roller coaster it can be; a wild ride that often takes twists and turns without any warning to its passengers. Recently i've been overwhelmed with a heavy family situation, a mountainous amount of schoolwork as my freshmen year comes to a close, and far more hours scheduled at work than my body can physically handle, resulting in sickness. As you can probably tell, unfortunately time to blog has been far in few in-between lately.
     Although, I'm holding on to my lap bar. My "life roller coaster" has taken an unexpected, undesired turn, but there's no way I'm jumping off. I am thankful for all of my fellow passengers that have comforted me along the way - friends, professors, and leaders who have encouraged, prayed with, and just been there for me. I recently read a quote from John Piper, pastor of Bethlehem Baptist Church in Minneapolis, MN, "I have never known a season of joy unmixed with sorrow or sorrow unmixed with joy. The former comes. The latter passes away." As times of sorrow end, times of joy begin. At the end of this life twist, there will come a time when the track straightens out once again. Though I will not be the same as I was before, no, my hair may be out of place, but as I sit back, now able to see more of the entire ride instead of a single twist, I have a greater appreciation and understanding for the twist and the current time of peace. From my experience, I will have greater trust in the ride operator (the Lord), as another twist approaches. It too will come to an end and I will become a wiser, stronger rider (tool for the Lord to use) because of it.

R e l a x . . .

     Today started out as just one of those days; one of those days where you wake up tempted to be irritable for no apparent reason. Feeling sorry for my poor roommates, I fought all morning to try and stay positive and patient. Thankfully, I only had two classes this morning and wasn't scheduled to work, therefore, I had the whole afternoon to myself to take a breather and just relax. After some good, old me time, I felt so much better! When irritable, under pressure, stressed, or something of the sort, here are some of my favorite ways to relax:

• Journal/Pray
• Listen to music (Can't get enough of this song right now!)
• Workout/Go for a good, long run
• Call/talk to an encouraging friend
• Be productive! - I like to make lists, (partly just because I love the proud, accomplished feeling of crossing things off as I finish them) so today I made a big to-do list, which was so helpful in truly focusing on what my priorities for the day were.
• Get homework done
• Clean room and get rid of the stuff I don't wear or use anymore
• Do laundry, dishes, etc.
• Take a nap
• Drink some tea
• Take a long, hot shower
• Take my dog for a walk
• Read a good book or some Psalms
• Paint my nails

If you're feeling burned out or extra sassy today, take some time to just breathe and de-stress. You and those around you will be happy you did. :) If you know of any other great ways to relax that aren't listed, feel free to comment and share. Be blessed today.

My little Toby relaxing on a beautiful, Spring day :)

The Little Things

"Joy comes from the little 
pleasures God gives us every day."

     Today is Monday. I woke up early this morning to the less than charming sound of my alarm clock, went to my three Monday classes, went to chapel, made myself a quick lunch, finished up some homework, and will be departing from my 'dorm, sweet dorm,' for a six and a half hour shift at work soon. Initially, today seems to be a very typical Monday in the life of a North Central student. As I sat in my bible study methods class during second hour today, I realized something... today is a fantastic day. Now, before you assume I've been going a little crazy cooped up on this snowy day, hear me out. No, nothing exceptionally stand-out-wonderful happened, such as finding money on the ground, being miraculously healed/recover from a serious sickness or disease, or making a varsity sports team (or something of that caliber), but I just stopped, and really appreciated all of the little things.

     Receiving a good morning text from my boyfriend, getting ready with ten minutes to spare this morning - perfect for some prayer, getting a delicious, free cup of coffee from the library, being able to chat and catch up with friends in classes about their weekends, admiring the beautiful snowfall outside the classroom window, understanding what's going on in systematic theology and being able to participate in discussion, despite lowering the brightness so much that I could barely see the screen, my dying laptop survived all the way up until the end of my last class. 

     Too often, we allow ourselves to be so consumed in our circumstances, issues, stress, and where we're off to next. Many of the things I listed above happen often; though I don't always give them a second thought. It's important and so refreshing to once in a while just take a step back, thank God, choose to be happy, and appreciate all of the little blessings along the way of this big journey we call life.

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It's all about Him.

     Today marks the second day of my second semester at North Central. I feel as though God is going to do tremendous things in my heart and life this semester. I know its not always going to easy or comfortable, but I know He is working for my good.

     In chapel yesterday, I was absolutely overwhelmed in the best way possible by God's presence, something that I don't stop and appreciate enough. Amongst our personal schedules and the busy-ness of our lives, it is so important to just stop and acknowledge God's presence. In every single moment, high or low, He is there. We forget that way too often. During both the blessed and challenging times, it's a matter of choosing to acknowledge His presence and give Him praise through it all. In the darkest hours, we are to lean in, turning to truth (the Word), instead of worldly advice. In the brightest of days, we are to dance for joy, full of thanksgiving to Him! He's not a "there just when you need Him" type of God, so let's not treat Him like one. Through all situations and circumstances, He's able and there to bless you, comfort you, strengthen you, give you hope, and fill your heart with joy. Not to mention, when you're lonely! There's no need to ever feel alone because God, the actual definition of perfect love, is there with you, in every moment. In every moment of your life, acknowledge Him, and allow Him to guide your steps.

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     "You should want to know and delight in God more than anything else... which will take dying." This will take dying to yourself [ your personal, desires, dreams, and wants ] and the world [ materialistic things ]. This semester I'm putting to the way side all of my personal desires and chasing after His heart. As hard as this is, I know His way is the best way. I wrote this in my journal, "May this semester just be about YOU, just YOU, God. Your plans, your ways, your time. I will not worry about my friends, family, boyfriend, job, and ultimately life, I'm walking in align with you and your heart, so I'm confident that it will be the greatest, most for the Kingdom life possible." Taking God's way is far from the path of least resistance, but the most rewarding, hands down. Apart of me is tempted to be fearful to let go of my control, but fear... is not of God (did you know the bible actually says something along the lines of, "do not fear, afraid/be fear not, etc." close to 365 times? - yeah, I think he meant it), so I have peace knowing He works for the best of those who love Him. So, here's to freshmen semester round two. God, I'm yours.

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Blessed, not stressed.

Study. Study. Eat. Facebook. Study. iTunes. Youtube. Stud-.. Facebook. Pinterest. Stu-? Nope, eat. Study. Facebook. Study. 

The end of my first college semester is coming to a close and going out with quite an academic overloaded bang, might I add. I have four big finals to take tomorrow. EEEK! As I sit here in my little Amanda cave (workspace under my lofted bed in my dorm), I am tempted to worry and stress to no end. In fact, with all of the busy-ness that came with the numerous lifestyle changes that I have undergone this semester (new school, new "home," new job, new responsibilities, new friends, etc.), to be stressed has been a large temptation of mine. Although, amidst all of the late nights studying, never-ending research papers, hours at DSW (my part-time job), sleep deprivation, and early morning classes, I am reminded that God has good plans for me, to give me a future and hope (Jeremiah 29:11). God has blessed me with a wonderful school, church, home, family, friends, leaders, boyfriend, car, job, leadership opportunities, and so much more. Th challenges that I undergo are shaping me into the wise, disciplined woman God intends for me to become. God is giving me opportunities to discover what my priorities are and what they should be. He is giving me opportunities to properly manage my time and money in ways that bring me closer to fulfilling his call upon my life. If I don't have time for God in my schedule, then my schedule is too busy. Simple as that. He comes before work, before money, before relationships, before school, before everything, because He IS everything. I have found that when I set aside time to seek Him on a daily basis, what needs to be highly prioritized in my life becomes crystal clear. There is no need to worry about worldly possessions that will only fade away one day. To all of the stressed-out, gone crazy individuals out there, take a deep breath. Find confidence in who Christ has created you to be and what He has called you to do. Take a look at your bank account, where has your money been going lately? Take a look at your planner, where has your free time been going lately? Take a look at your relationships, what have your conversations and actions reflected lately? We have authority and power over our lives, so find peace in trusting the Lord and his ways, take charge, and seek God and his eternal plans for you on a daily basis.