Change is Great

So, this year marks the last year of school before I head into the real world! It was scary to think about when someone asked me how I felt.  I just gave a response that was simple, saying "if I talk about it, the year will go by fast and I do not want that to happen yet."  However, I am pumped that it is my last year because I have accomplished so much and learned even more than I thought I would ever learn!!!  This year has started off great! I have a set schedule as to what I do everyday and it repeats itself most of the time.  One of my favorite parts of my day is the time I get to spend with the Lord in his word and prayer each morning!  I have been reading in 2 Timothy and have been encouraged and challenged by what I have been reading.
      2 Timothy 2: 3-7: Share in suffering as a good soldier of Christ Jesus.  No soldier gets entangled in civilian pursuits; since his aim is to please the one who enlisted him.  An athlete is not crowned unless he competes according to the rules.  It is the hard-working farmer who ought to have the first share of the crops.  Think over what I say, for the Lord will give you understanding in everything.
   I was challenged by these verses when I read them because it made me think about so many things.  I thought about how much the Lord has been using my life in the last 4.5 years that I have been in Des Moines.  I was pumped to think about how much of my life has changed these last few years.  I have seen so many changes happen in other people and even in school.  The Lord has made changes for the good and some have really tried my walk but made me stronger and who I am now.


 This weekend is my family reunion and I am pumped to see some people that I haven't seen in almost a year.  This side of my family brings entertainment and hilarity to photos and the reunion.  The people at the left grew up together minus the one in the middle because he is the youngest.  My family is quite unique and always brings something to the whole shebang.  I am pumped because I get to hear stories and learn so much about them and the past year.  These are from last year and I plan on taking more this year.

Catch Up

So it has been awhile since I posted something! Life has been crazy and usually I do not have a lot to write. There is a lot to talk about. So I am going to make a list:

1) My parents have moved since my last post. It has been a huge blessing for all of us because of the scene change. I went from not being able to stay at my parent's house to being able to spend a weekend there. I have many allergies and when they lived on a farm it made staying there difficult. It is a smaller space but super close to everything that you need, including the store and track!!! I am working on cardio work when school starts and it is an added bonus that they live three blocks from the high school and the track. Makes for ample opportunities to run when I visit them.

2) My sister moved home. She was living in Waverly and something happened and she decided to move back home. It is awesome that she is back because we can work on our relationship. The Lord also provided her a job when she moved back.

3) I am in my last year of school at Grand View. I am super excited but nervous at the same time. I am excited to be done with my college career but nervous to enter the "real" world. Over the last couple months, I have had to make decisions involving ministry and other things. One being that if I am not finished in December, I plan on getting a second concentration in Spanish.

4) Mission 2011 and Mission to the City have happened. I participated in both and learned so much from the Lord. During Mission 2011, I went to the Dominican Republic to share the Gospel with the people down there. I have kept in touch with many of the students that I met while I was there. It was a life changing experience and I would do it again in a heartbeat!!! During Mission to the City, I was gone for the first few days for my internship. I was bummed to miss most of the Mission trip to Des Moines, but was super excited to hear many of the stories.

5) My cousins are in the military. One is in the ARMY and one is in the NAVY. My cousin in the ARMY just left for basic on Monday. We tried to talk and catch up as much as possible before he left for 14 months. I am super scared for him, but I know the Lord will protect him. My cousin in the NAVY went out to sea a few months ago. I keep praying for the Lord to protect them because we are so close in age. It is scary to think about, but I know the Lord is watching over them.

6) I visited the east coast and the Atlantic ocean. This was my second trip to the coast and I enjoyed myself. I spent 10 days in December over Christmas break with my brother and his family. My brother was the one who picked me up from the airport and it was one of the best days I have ever had. My brother is in the NAVY and this was the first time he was there when I visited. Every other trip I have taken, he has been out to sea and it was hard not seeing him. It was so hard to leave them because we do not see each other very often. It was a difficult trip because my brother is not a Christian, but I had a body of believers back home praying for me and my time there. I worked on my walk with the Lord during this trip because it was hard being gone for so long.

7) After my trip to the coast, I made my way back to Iowa in time to leave for the annual Faithwalkers conference. I was sure that I was not going to make it back because of weather, but the Lord was watching out for me. This was my fourth year at the conference and the Lord really challenged me this year. One of the speakers talked about commitments and sticking to them. I was very challenged and during a break, I went and spent time with the Lord in prayer over a commitment that I was having a hard time making. Let's just say that the Lord won out and I have stuck to that commitment since I made it.

8) One last thing, I have been super blessed this year by the way the Lord provides. Almost every time I get to a point where I don't think He is going to provide, he shows me a way and provides. One of these things is working on getting a license and I am very blessed to have friends who are willing to teach me and help me out. The Lord is a great God and he has shown up in so many ways.

That is all for now! Enjoy the great weather.