7 Months Ago

Seven months ago today, I wrote the post "Tales of a Noble Friend" about our dearest friend Lester who died and went to heaven. I often struggle dealing with the reality of the situation at the time, and I couldn't even mention his name in the post before as I was still so saddened by the whole event. I looked at my blog and I couldn't believe that I haven't even written since he last passed away. Usually, I only feel inspired to publicly write about something when something major and significant has happened in my life. Lester was a goodly man, and at the age of 96, a couple days from his 97 birthday he passed away. Most people think 96 is a large age, but to someone that you dearly love, it never seems like enough time. That is why heaven is a reality and such a blessing to those who believe in it and the truth of Jesus. I do believe that, so I do have hope beyond this earth. Another friend of ours, Ruth, also passed away just a couple weeks ago from cancer. As shocking as it always is to hear that someone died, I'm glad that she's out of her pain here on this earth. She had cancer in her throat and lungs and it was making it hard for her to breathe. I know why we eventually are all ready to die, usually it's the pain of this earth that weighs so heavily on us, that we are ready. Well, God has each of our days properly planned out and despite the pain we may be going through in our moments, he has a higher purpose for each of our lives. :) 

Honestly, I have goals in my life several goals, not goals but I would say passions and callings. I haven't seen them yet, come to fruition but I believe that God in his perfect timing will see me through. I wish I could see the future, and see the happily ever after, but sometimes we aren't allowed to see that until it happens. :)

Tales of a Noble Friend

A man of integrity
A man of courage
A man for justice
A man of noble character

He went to meet the Lord today-

How I miss him, dearly dearly.

:)

Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, 2 looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God. Hebrews 12:1-2

Today, I got my second baby tooth extracted. Whenever there is an experience that seems "painful" or trying to go through, there is something about the relief and joy you receive when it's over. The strength and courage that you receive and the joy of something new fills inside your soul. When I think of my dentist experience, I think of Jesus who had gone through such a terrible death for us but how excited he must have been when he defeated death and rose again. How excited he must have been to appear to the disciples again! How excited he must have been to be with those that he loved and show them the path of life. :) Thank you Jesus for loving us so much!

Just a Gallon

One gallon.

Have you ever thought about how much that is?

Maybe you think of a gallon of milk.
Maybe you think of a gallon of gas.
Maybe you think of a gallon of coffee (I WISH!).

Whatever you think of- a gallon is a gallon.

When I think of a gallon-
I think of a toilet. 

-waiting for the odd looks and blank stares-

You see, when I think of a gallon, I think of pouring a gallon of water down the toilet everytime I flush. 

-so she's one of those people an "environmentalist type"

No, not really.

You see, when I think of a gallon- and a toilet- I literally have to pour the water down the toilet- 1 gallon of water- everytime I use the bathroom.

-what's wrong with her?- 

Well- our bathroom is under reconstruction you see and our toilet- in the basement- isn't hooked up to a waterline.

-weirdo-

Yeah- so when I think of a gallon- I think of hard work- I think of the amount of waste going into the toilet- not just the "waste" but the water waste- and most of all- I think of filling up a gallon of water and pouring it down every single time I have to use the bathroom.

So, you see, it's a natural conservatory effort- I conserve the water and the difficulty of getting water- conserves me.

A gallon.

What do you think of when you think of a gallon? 

-1/24/17

A note on guilt

Like a looming cloud ov'r my head
You loom over me
Like a quiet whisper in my ear
Leading me astray

What is this voice and calling
That replays mistakes
The demon inside
Guilt

Like an angry man
On a cold winter's day
With his gruff hat
and his fake toupee

Calloused and rigid
The words you speak
Ring into my head
guilt
guilt
guilt

Nothing I Hold On To

Nothing New Under The Sun

     Today has been one of those thoughtful days to remember what Ecclesiastes teaches us about "There is nothing new under the sun". As I was checking in at the urgent care office to receive an appointment with a doctor for my sinus infection- a woman came in with a towel over one eye. She had put in the ClearCare contact solution in her eye and it burned. I was able to console her about the time I had done that and could relate with her pain that it felt so terrible. It made me realize that though it may be the first time for us, many before have gone through the same emotion, pain, etc;. It's a good reminder to use our experiences and our words for the good- thanks to God he gives us the beautiful gift of words. Let's all remember to use them wisely- for the good.

Can I Not Dream?

Can I just have a moment to stop and dream? 
------Is it too much to ask?

Can I not dream of the streets of gold that I'll walk on- 
or the pearly gates whispering "welcome home"?

Can I not stop and dream about the city of protection- with walls 2.7 times as thick as the walls of the ancient Babylon?

Can I not close my eyes as I look upon the thousands of gemstones covering my city? 

Can I not stop and dip my foot into the river of life as I sit underneath the covering of a delectable fruit tree?

Can I not dream now--
that which will one day be my home? 

Looking back on my blog posts, I see my constant battle with "change" and the unknowing that seems to be an area of struggle in my life. In a way, it is a good thing- but often times I have to just trust God and battle through the storm together with Him. I'm starting to think I just need to see life from God's perspective since He is never changing and always the same. If I start to see my life as a written script held from eternity, maybe I would be able to feel more peace.

I'm Ready

I'm ready for you God to work your will here on earth as it is in heaven. 

Lord, I admit, I'm not perfect. I have weaknesses. Work in my weaknesses. 

Help me to become an overcomer through your name. 

Is it mandatory to feel the pain that we must experience here? 

Please fill my life with your presence and your blessing. 

Help me to do your will.

Help me to have the right mind. 

I trust you.

I honor you God.

Who else can I go to?

God, lead me; guide me; strengthen me.

Life is What you Search For

As I was about to go back to the daily grind of searching for jobs, this phrase came into my mind "Life is what you search for". I really thought about that and my mind has become a continuous stand of string cheese thinking about this idea. You see, when you think about searching on the internet, the things that you search for are things that are a part of your thought process. If I am searching for middle eastern chicken recipes, I'm thinking about making middle eastern food- I'm also thinking about do I have the ability to make this dish? Depending on the result of my confidence and supplies on hand, I make a decision. This is the same with pretty much everything in life. Most of the time, we are stuck searching for the same thing over and over again because that's what we know- we are comfortable with it and confident that is what we want to do. All of the other options out there seem questionable or unrelated to our interest or our long term goals- but is that 100% true? Do we have to stick with that one thing that has been predestined in our brain to become? Do we have to become that? 

---I'd venture to say not necessarily--- 

but then again, it takes many circumstances to change your thinking and who you are. It depends on the people you surround yourself with and the things you allow into your mind to shape who you are. 

So the next time you type something into the search bar, stop and reflect how this search is shaping you, your life, and those around you. 

Take a Moment To Listen and Reflect

What do you want?

This was a great inspiring message from our Young Adults Pastor at church. This quote that is shown above really hit home for me. The majority of people spend their lives following the written path of life that is before them. They think that because this is what their friends are doing, their family is doing, or society as a whole is doing- that this must be the way for them; however as shown by many great examples of history in our global world- it is true that the people who do the unexpected, the extraordinary, life-changing history makers- don't stick in the same spawn stream they were born into- they make their own path- they go a different way. 

Now there is a way- that looks good- but the end thereof is death. 

As stated by this verse from the Bible: 

There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way to death. (Proverbs 14:12)

That is why- it is extremely important that we ground our ways and our steps in the word of God. If we walk completely alone- with no guidance at all- of course we will fail. 

However; this post isn't about failing or succeeding- it's about living our life in a way that God has called us to-

We all have a different part and role to play in the body of Christ- God's will for each of us is to love Him and serve Him and do the same to others- but the way we do that is going to be found differently in each one of our lives. God has created us each unique and individual. 

For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother's womb. I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well. (Psalm 139:13-14)

The way we live out our calling is to use our gifts and personality that God has given us as a uniquely special gift and share the love of Christ through ourselves and through what He has called us to do. 

I believe that deep inside - everyone has a great dream- and a great potential- 

yet- somehow we lose sight of our dreams because of our following and our "don't want to rock the boat" syndrome. I pray that with God's help- we as uniquely special creatures made by the Lord our God- will help us reach each dream and desire for His kingdom.

Crash & Live

Blogs are great! 
Why?
Well, sometimes your heart just fills up with great joy- and you want to talk about how wonderful and grateful you are for life! I'm so thankful for the great love of Jesus that fills my heart up with joy and love and expectation. 

Today, I want to tell you about an experience I experienced in August of this past year (August 2015). 

In August of 2015, I went to Brookfield to take an exam for my teaching certification. The exam was called Praxis II. I was fairly confident that I would pass the exam. After all, I've never had a problem passing tests or doing well in school. After the end of the two hour test, I walked out and my eyes looked down onto the white and black printed paper. I stared at the score on the paper. 

-I failed-

In disappointment, I began to travel home. That evening was a women's event that my cousin, my mom and I were attending in Milwaukee. The conference was called Living Proof Live (lproof.org) by Beth Moore. I had to make sure I got home on time for the conference. In the summer heat, I began to feel thirsty and tired and considered getting off the road for a drink, however, because of the time frame- I decided to skip it and keep on driving. A choice now, I look back on and wish I would have followed through with. I strongly believe God has a reason for everything and so I trust God through my experiences in life. As I approached the interstate exit, I was thankful to be almost home. My car swirled around the ramp and stopped at the stop sign. I got off the interstate and continued to drive straight- finally- almost home. That's when it all happened- 

I look to my right and I see a car fastly approaching where my car would be in just a few split seconds. Mentally I stream through the possibilities of what I could do- should I speed up? Should I slow down? ...But then I reached a conclusion- whatever I do- isn't going to work- She's going to hit me. When I came to this quick conclusion- there was only time for one thing. I said to God, "God, please help us be okay." 

And just like that- our cars crashed- 

I'll never forget the feeling after that moment when I remembered my prayer to God. I said, "I'm okay""- Thank you so much God" - and then I ran over to the other car to make sure she was okay. She was okay- so I felt relieved in some kind of way. 

The next moments were stressful- waiting for the police officer to come- there was a random person trying to tell me to move my car (which I refused because of insurance/accident issues)- and some random guys whistling/"cat-calling" at me which made me feel so helpless and uncomfortable. 

Sometimes we have to go through some things alone- 

but with God

We are never alone.

Through the whole experience, I know that God's hand was over my life. Even though this experience happened I felt so blessed to be alive- and I felt so thankful more than ever for my great Lord and Savior. 

--So I got home--

And I didn't want to go anywhere- I didn't want to get back into the car- I didn't want to get back on to the interstate- I didn't want to go to the city- I didn't want to go to the conference-

But thanks and "non-thanks" to my mother and cousin- I did go. And it was something that I now look back on and am really grateful that I did. I needed the refreshment from the Lord. I'll never forget walking into the big auditorium for the conference and they were playing this song:


:The message spoken was about Peter seeing Jesus walk on water- and at first Peter noticed it was Jesus and he went out to him walking on the water- but then Peter feared because the wind and waves were all around him. Peter let the fear of what was around Him make him begin to sink- but then of course Jesus reached out and caught him. Hearing this message, made me think back on my situation that had literally just occured and it encouraged me to believe in the truth. Honestly, I wasn't afraid at the time because I felt covered by the love of God- but it was the events and the surroundings that occured afterwards that made me afraid. It encouraged me to have faith in the knowledge of what God had revealed to me about the situation. For some reason, though the circumstances seemed bad around, I had peace on the inside- and I needed to keep that. Jesus is always faithful to us- we need to keep our faith in His promises. He will open our eyes so we can see the situation from His eyes instead of our own. 

Worship While You Work

Close Your Eyes- Pick a Random Picture and Write About It Post *haha*

Sammi with a Chicken at the fair

Sammi was the lucky winner of this random picture clicking contest! Congratulations Sammi! 

This is my cousin Sammi- she's very fun and awesome! She really loves animals and going on adventures. She likes to go thrift shopping and collect cool items. She likes to make cool memory books and collages from things she obtains over the years! She loves to laugh and have fun. She has recently started small stream fishing with some great success. She is currently building up her fishing collection! 

Sammi is a very helpful person. She will help anyone with their projects. This makes sense why she chose to become a nurse. Sammi is currently a CNA- she's so good at it! She has so many funny stories to tell from all her residents. She does a great job and always works so hard! Soon, she will have her Nursing degree! She's an all-star!

Sammi's best friend is Arizona! I've met her once- she's very nice also! 

Thanks for being our star today Sammi!

Life is GREAT!

When I think back on life, there are many things that inspire me.

A day when a few of us got together to play Disc Golf

God

Nature

Coffee

Culture

Love

Friendship

Cows

Tea

Books about Calendars

Books about Diary Entries

Beaches

Events

Dancing

Concentration

There once was a kid's game that went like this:

Concentration, now in session, keep the rhythm- I'll start- colors- red-blue-green etc; 

and the game would continue until someone breaks the rhythm. 

Well, I'm here to tell you today that Concentration game is not relative to real life. I've been sitting here in front of the computer screen for more than two hours trying to watch tutorial after tutorial for a new school system- I've been trying to use my concentration powers- but they just fade away as I'm listening to a boring robotic voice tell me the commands I need to follow- without of course, participating in the system- and then followed by the mundane lecture- comes a beautiful quiz that has nothing to do of course with the main things they focused on in the lecture- you know the practical application. 

Sounds like life- right? People making things more complicated than they have to, and me trying to make things how they should be. 

Doesn't match up- 

Well, thanks to the brother for buying me a Starbucks coffee to get me going again- 

He also said it wouldn't keep me up at night- 

Well I hope he is right! ^_^

Peace Out 

Clouds Within 30 Minutes Due to a Nearby Thunderstorm

It's so amazing how clouds can quickly change color and shape due to the weather patterns. I decided to snap some pictures with my phone because the view was just so beautiful. 

I hope you enjoy the many wonders of clouds that occured on July 13, 2016.

Time Lapse