I never realized just how much I enjoyed laying in my room. It has been a little over 2 weeks since I first (well to give credit where it is due, when Brandy first) started painting my room. And I guess I need to clarify what painting means... bear with me. I'm not just painting, but redoing the room so that it is more welcoming. Which includes new curtains :) As well as moving around a lot of furniture and just making it a more "sophisticated" room. After all, who would want to sleep in a teenage girls room (other than the obvious teenage girl) with memorabalia from Jr and Sr. high band and dance and everything else I had going for me... To be honest, I never really thought I'd reach this point where it was okay to put that stuff away, in memory boxes where they belong. That way my future children have ammunition to make fun of their mother. . . haha!
Anyway, the room has finally reached the point where I can scrub the carpet (with the help of a rug scrubber, mind you). It's so exciting! But, during my self-imposed break, I am currently laying on my back, on the floor of my room, just enjoying being in here. It's sad that I have to leave in just a few short days. But trust me, I will be back way more often than in the past years. (A definite perk of not continuing to be an RA for the third year)
The past few days have been enjoyable. Besides painting (in which there will be an entire post dedicated to the long process of my room), I have just enjoyed being at home, not working. I miss work, but do enjoy getting everything in order for school. I've also enjoyed driving back roads, stopping to enjoy the view (and take a few pictures.
On Monday, I actually stopped because I saw a deer grazing just off the road. Naturally, I slowed down in case it decided to dart. Upon taking out the camera, it decided to run back into the clearing, where I turned just to find myself within 25 feet of 3 other deer (1 doe, 3 fawns, still with fading spots). Absolutely gorgeous. I'm sure you can believe that I put the car in park and just watched while at the same time snapping pictures.
Then I saw a car approaching in the rear view mirror (and she did not seem to be slowing down), thus I had to leave this moment of serenity. I felt a tad bit annoyed at the driver of the car, who zoomed by the clearing without so much as a glance as to why I had been stopped. How sad for that driver to miss out on such a wonderful sight.
This thought led me to think of how many times I just zoom by God's beauty and all that He tries to show me because I am in a hurry, or have my own agenda without a thought as to what else might be going on. How sad... and convicting.
Well, I leave you with that nugget to ponder on. I am going to go enjoy a fresh tomato sandwich, and then begin scrubbing. Enjoy the day!!
Thursday, August 18, 2011
Sunday, August 14, 2011
Hmm... Part 2
Seeing as my last post started to become rather lengthy, I decided to keep you in suspense until now. I left off with my Saturday afternoon at Marmon, a week ago.
Sunday, Brandy and I got to go to the church we attended last summer and enjoy being in their midst again. Last summer, a wonderful couple (Terri and Wes) became our mentors within the group, and it was such a thrill getting to see them again. I hope to make it there again this fall to continue to catch up.
After church, though, we got to ride horses again! But this time, we went bareback (so much more comfortable than a saddle). And, oh we also went to the river! Once there, the horses had a blast splashing around, laying down, rolling around, oh and one of the horses had some fun rearing! It was so much fun! I rode Scotch pony, and I definitely got wet (which was definitely due to Scotch as well as Lizzie drenching me with splashes...). Brandy was on our biggest horse (coincidentally named Tinkerbell). Her hooves are definitely the size of dinner plates! She didn't lay down or anything, but she had fun splashing around with her hooves, creating tidal waves in the small river.
All in all, it was awesome being back at Marmon, catching up with old friends, and being highly encouraged in Christ. God is so unbelievably good.
Onto this past week, not too much happened. I left my camera at Marmon on accident. Brandy took it upon herself to personally deliver it in yet another trip to my house (I think there were ulterior motives to that trip.. haha), so I got to spend another evening with her, painting, listening to sermons, and then watching Corey's baseball game!
Prior to that, I got to spend a wonderful evening with the Hoover family. I will definitely be missing those evenings. I hope to visit when I can.
Now to elaborate on my wonderful ladies and our study of Ruth. Man, what a blessing it is to spend time with these amazing girls. This summer, after the Chicago trip, a Bible study was started for the high school girls. Over the past four weeks, we've been getting together on Thursday nights to enjoy one another's company and spend some time in the Word.
This originally started out with just high school girls, but over the past month, has transformed to include mostly junior high, with a few exceptions. God is good and I'm ready to do what He calls me to do.
Ruth is such an amazing book of the Bible. And it is made so much better if you understand the cultural practices and the history of the time period. I've been listening to various sermons on the book of Ruth, with one in particular by a guy name Richard Cimino. [This church is kind of cool. They literally started their church, chapter by chapter, starting with Genesis 1:1 and Matthew 1:1 and have continued to do so since then. I highly recommend listening to his sermons. Pretty awesome. Check the church out here -> Metro Calvary Under current sermons, you can subscribe through iTunes).
Back to our Bible study, I've enjoyed getting to learn about the book of Ruth. There is so much that can come out of that small, but mighty book. A lot about relationships, about family, about guys (pivotal point for the girls), about God, and even about Jesus and the church.
We are about to end our journey through Ruth this week with Chapter 4. I'm not sure the theme for this chapter (The ladies have enjoyed my themes, which are definitely in their lingo. Chapter 1: Life sucks, but God provides. Chapter 2: Life has to go on (the question of the week is Where did you glean today?) Chapter 3: LOB your life to God (Listen. Obey. Believe) ) It's been a wonderful experience, and I've loved getting to build relationships with all of these amazing girls. I hope to continue to do so. Your prayers are much appreciated. Jr High and High school can be brutal, and if I can help in any way, then I pray that God uses me. I love them and am very sad to leave them. [I'm very thankful for the technology we do have].
This about wraps up my recap. Oh!!! I forgot. Painting is almost done (I understand if there are groans from you, as this has been an ongoing process). But really, I just have trim to do, and that should be done today, if I can help it :)
As always, thank you for your prayers and for continuing to read. Have a blessed week!
Sunday, Brandy and I got to go to the church we attended last summer and enjoy being in their midst again. Last summer, a wonderful couple (Terri and Wes) became our mentors within the group, and it was such a thrill getting to see them again. I hope to make it there again this fall to continue to catch up.
After church, though, we got to ride horses again! But this time, we went bareback (so much more comfortable than a saddle). And, oh we also went to the river! Once there, the horses had a blast splashing around, laying down, rolling around, oh and one of the horses had some fun rearing! It was so much fun! I rode Scotch pony, and I definitely got wet (which was definitely due to Scotch as well as Lizzie drenching me with splashes...). Brandy was on our biggest horse (coincidentally named Tinkerbell). Her hooves are definitely the size of dinner plates! She didn't lay down or anything, but she had fun splashing around with her hooves, creating tidal waves in the small river.
All in all, it was awesome being back at Marmon, catching up with old friends, and being highly encouraged in Christ. God is so unbelievably good.
Onto this past week, not too much happened. I left my camera at Marmon on accident. Brandy took it upon herself to personally deliver it in yet another trip to my house (I think there were ulterior motives to that trip.. haha), so I got to spend another evening with her, painting, listening to sermons, and then watching Corey's baseball game!
Prior to that, I got to spend a wonderful evening with the Hoover family. I will definitely be missing those evenings. I hope to visit when I can.
Now to elaborate on my wonderful ladies and our study of Ruth. Man, what a blessing it is to spend time with these amazing girls. This summer, after the Chicago trip, a Bible study was started for the high school girls. Over the past four weeks, we've been getting together on Thursday nights to enjoy one another's company and spend some time in the Word.
This originally started out with just high school girls, but over the past month, has transformed to include mostly junior high, with a few exceptions. God is good and I'm ready to do what He calls me to do.
Ruth is such an amazing book of the Bible. And it is made so much better if you understand the cultural practices and the history of the time period. I've been listening to various sermons on the book of Ruth, with one in particular by a guy name Richard Cimino. [This church is kind of cool. They literally started their church, chapter by chapter, starting with Genesis 1:1 and Matthew 1:1 and have continued to do so since then. I highly recommend listening to his sermons. Pretty awesome. Check the church out here -> Metro Calvary Under current sermons, you can subscribe through iTunes).
Back to our Bible study, I've enjoyed getting to learn about the book of Ruth. There is so much that can come out of that small, but mighty book. A lot about relationships, about family, about guys (pivotal point for the girls), about God, and even about Jesus and the church.
We are about to end our journey through Ruth this week with Chapter 4. I'm not sure the theme for this chapter (The ladies have enjoyed my themes, which are definitely in their lingo. Chapter 1: Life sucks, but God provides. Chapter 2: Life has to go on (the question of the week is Where did you glean today?) Chapter 3: LOB your life to God (Listen. Obey. Believe) ) It's been a wonderful experience, and I've loved getting to build relationships with all of these amazing girls. I hope to continue to do so. Your prayers are much appreciated. Jr High and High school can be brutal, and if I can help in any way, then I pray that God uses me. I love them and am very sad to leave them. [I'm very thankful for the technology we do have].
This about wraps up my recap. Oh!!! I forgot. Painting is almost done (I understand if there are groans from you, as this has been an ongoing process). But really, I just have trim to do, and that should be done today, if I can help it :)
As always, thank you for your prayers and for continuing to read. Have a blessed week!
Thursday, August 11, 2011
Hmm... Part 1
Pastor Dale always says that confession is good for the soul, and I must confess that I am just awful at updating this blog. I know at least a few of you check here and enjoy hearing my updates, so I apologize for not getting this updated much earlier. I am now two weeks behind, and I hope to catch you up on these past few weeks:
And as promised, I will be updating you on my wonderful ladies and our study of Ruth.
I guess the best place to start is the beginning - which is really just where I left off: The end of July. In our household, the end of July holds place to my parents anniversary (their 28th to be exact). This year we went out for dinner and then putt-putting at Sluggers and Putters. It was a lot of fun. I haven't been to that place for quite a while and it looks really nice. If you haven't been there, the course is themed after the Wizard of Oz and then later in the back nine, after nursery rhymes. Of course, Dad won, but we all had pretty good games. Only had to dive into water once to retrieve a ball that Corey had hit.
The next day, I had a wonderful friend show up, Miss Brandy to stay for a few days. Even better was the news that she was staying an extra day. Always nice to have her around. She is an amazing blessing in my life. She actually arrived in the middle of church, which was definitely entertaining. After church, we went hiking, which I think I told you about in my last update. Brandy and I spent quite a while at the Falls (known as Dundee Falls, Beach City Falls, or as I call them, The Falls). This place is amazing, but unfortunately hard to find, and not on any map. It literally looks like you are walking into somebody's field. But do not be deceived, for it is not a cornfield, but a gorgeous water way, with waterfalls at both ends.
Well 3 weeks ago, I took the high road with a good friend of mine and we stayed dry and enjoyed the view. This time, Brandy and I stayed in the water way, climbing through the water, rocks, and other various obstacles. It started out really great and was very enjoyable (and dry believe it or not). Then, it came to the point where we had to be in the water to get through. It was fine though. We climbed over some trees, hopped down some ledges, all fun. Then however, it started to get swampy and have tall grass. It got a lot more disgusting and hard to trek through. Eventually, we had to abandon the water way for higher ground. However, at this point, leaving the water way meant we had no sense of direction because the water way was no longer visible. Luckily we set out on the right path and found some gorgeous boulders (for Brandy to climb!). We eventually made it to our destination, the small falls. We took some time to wash out our shoes and then hike back (using the road). What a fun day.
Monday rolled around and Brandy, Reata, and I piled in the car and headed to Jeff's to do some riding. After helping out and getting the animals all taken care of, we saddled Mel up with an english saddle and Brandy went to town. We eventually got Reata to get up and ride, and I think she did really well. She seemed to be having fun (until the horse flies got so bad that we had to get one of the horses out of the round pen. Wes was kind of going nuts). We repeated the same thing on Tuesday, just w/o Reata. Riding was fun. We also listened to a sermon on Ruth Ch. 2 in preparation for Bible Study (so cool!)
Brandy left on Wednesday and things went on. Bible study was fun and then on Friday, I headed out towards Marmon Valley to spend the evening. I got a text that morning saying "oh and ps we are watching a cabin in the hay loft tonight! Their counselor is allergic." So yes, we enjoyed the evening with 2.5 cabins of girls (11-13 mostly) Two of my campers from last summer were there, and it was amazing seeing them again. Not to mention that I stayed there the rest of the morning, went on a trail ride, watched a staff rodeo, and then proceeded to jump in the lake. So cool, and so needed.
With the decision to stay at Marmon with the friends from my previous summer, I did miss out on some mission trip fun. The mission team got together to watch our Chicago movie. I'm sad I missed it, but it was really nice to be around people my age who are just so in love with Christ. Awe inspiring!
I'm going to stop there and catch up with you later. This has been plenty to read. Thank you!!
And as promised, I will be updating you on my wonderful ladies and our study of Ruth.
I guess the best place to start is the beginning - which is really just where I left off: The end of July. In our household, the end of July holds place to my parents anniversary (their 28th to be exact). This year we went out for dinner and then putt-putting at Sluggers and Putters. It was a lot of fun. I haven't been to that place for quite a while and it looks really nice. If you haven't been there, the course is themed after the Wizard of Oz and then later in the back nine, after nursery rhymes. Of course, Dad won, but we all had pretty good games. Only had to dive into water once to retrieve a ball that Corey had hit.
The next day, I had a wonderful friend show up, Miss Brandy to stay for a few days. Even better was the news that she was staying an extra day. Always nice to have her around. She is an amazing blessing in my life. She actually arrived in the middle of church, which was definitely entertaining. After church, we went hiking, which I think I told you about in my last update. Brandy and I spent quite a while at the Falls (known as Dundee Falls, Beach City Falls, or as I call them, The Falls). This place is amazing, but unfortunately hard to find, and not on any map. It literally looks like you are walking into somebody's field. But do not be deceived, for it is not a cornfield, but a gorgeous water way, with waterfalls at both ends.
Well 3 weeks ago, I took the high road with a good friend of mine and we stayed dry and enjoyed the view. This time, Brandy and I stayed in the water way, climbing through the water, rocks, and other various obstacles. It started out really great and was very enjoyable (and dry believe it or not). Then, it came to the point where we had to be in the water to get through. It was fine though. We climbed over some trees, hopped down some ledges, all fun. Then however, it started to get swampy and have tall grass. It got a lot more disgusting and hard to trek through. Eventually, we had to abandon the water way for higher ground. However, at this point, leaving the water way meant we had no sense of direction because the water way was no longer visible. Luckily we set out on the right path and found some gorgeous boulders (for Brandy to climb!). We eventually made it to our destination, the small falls. We took some time to wash out our shoes and then hike back (using the road). What a fun day.
Monday rolled around and Brandy, Reata, and I piled in the car and headed to Jeff's to do some riding. After helping out and getting the animals all taken care of, we saddled Mel up with an english saddle and Brandy went to town. We eventually got Reata to get up and ride, and I think she did really well. She seemed to be having fun (until the horse flies got so bad that we had to get one of the horses out of the round pen. Wes was kind of going nuts). We repeated the same thing on Tuesday, just w/o Reata. Riding was fun. We also listened to a sermon on Ruth Ch. 2 in preparation for Bible Study (so cool!)
Brandy left on Wednesday and things went on. Bible study was fun and then on Friday, I headed out towards Marmon Valley to spend the evening. I got a text that morning saying "oh and ps we are watching a cabin in the hay loft tonight! Their counselor is allergic." So yes, we enjoyed the evening with 2.5 cabins of girls (11-13 mostly) Two of my campers from last summer were there, and it was amazing seeing them again. Not to mention that I stayed there the rest of the morning, went on a trail ride, watched a staff rodeo, and then proceeded to jump in the lake. So cool, and so needed.
With the decision to stay at Marmon with the friends from my previous summer, I did miss out on some mission trip fun. The mission team got together to watch our Chicago movie. I'm sad I missed it, but it was really nice to be around people my age who are just so in love with Christ. Awe inspiring!
I'm going to stop there and catch up with you later. This has been plenty to read. Thank you!!
Thursday, July 28, 2011
Sorry for the delay
It's been quite a while since I last posted, and I apologize for those of you who check this often. It's been quite a busy two weeks. So many awesome things happened, and I know that I'm going to forget a lot of them, which is sad. But I will try my best.
**Also, pictures are still not working on here, so I am also sorry for that. Hopefully that will pick up soon.
Funny quick side note... just opened my planner to remind me of what I actually all did. Nice, right?
So last week, I got to play bassoon again. What an awesome feeling. I forgot how much I love playing. However, it doesn't quite work the same anymore. I mean, I was definitely happily surprised to find that technique (finger wise) I still had it. However, my chops only worked for about 45 minutes before my mouth was just dead. Embouchure, well let's just say it has left the building. But overall it was fun. And I got to work with Lisa and her new bassoon student on beginning the bassoon. Oh how I miss teaching.
I was supposed to head down to Marmon to work for their Summer Fun Days, but they actually had plenty of staff and didn't need any more help. I have had that weekend blocked off since the beginning of December, so I got a free weekend. How cool!!
I ended up going down to Dayton to see my grandma and spend some time with them. I also got to go to Kings Island!
Story time:
I got to Kings Island on Saturday, totally forgetting to buy my tickets beforehand for 33 dollars. I was really upset and frustrated for forgetting to do such a simple task. It ruined my morning when I got there. So I went to the gate to get my ticket, all upset thinking of the 56 dollars I was going to spend (on top of gas money to get back home) and right before I go to buy my ticket, someone hands me a coupon for a ticket. I hand it to the cashier and ask if it's legit (a word that I don't think I like in my vocab; it bothers me for some reason) and he says, yeah sure. I only paid 25 dollars for that ticket!!! God is good. And likes to remind me that I exaggerate things and should just rely on Him to take care of me. He always does.
So the best part of Kings Island.... Waiting on the other side of the gate was none other than miss Brandy!!! Awesome! I got to spend the day with her and two of her friends. We had a blast at the park. I even got to see one of my friends, Brian Carlucci on stage (I was in Wizard of Oz w/ him, he was the Tin Man). He's in one of the shows down there. I love when he sings. So awesome.
I ended up spending most of the evening with them, watching How to Train your Dragon and talking. Cool stuff. It's really encouraging to know there are kids my age that are just on fire for God. I love it!
Before I left Grandma's, we went and saw Harry Potter (again for me). It was kinda cool, seeing as she bought my first HP book when it was first out, and we read them together until they finished, and then we got to see the last movie together. Awesome memories. So thankful.
Wow, what a long post, thanks for hanging in there. This week, I've gotten to do some cool stuff too. Tuesday was Katie and Kenny's birthday. Weird not seeing or hearing from either of them. I mean I called, but to no answer. It's really odd growing up and seeing your friends lives change and bloom (and get married and kids, and whoa, I kind of feel out of the loop sometimes). It's neat, but definitely odd. Anywho, back to Katie and Kenny. I can't believe it's been 17 years since I first became friends (back to that fateful ballet class and knocked out teeth). Kenny is over in Afghanistan serving. I hope he's okay. Say a prayer for him and the troops if you can.
Tuesday, I got to spend the evening at the Falls, which was gorgeous. Four mile hike that was great spending it with a good friend Ben. So cool. Can't wait for Sunday when Brandy (yep, that's right, I get to see her for a fourth time... God is so good) and I get to go to the falls.
I also got to see Corey's baseball game and help out with band camp a bit. I did the majorette routines for the fight song and the horse (it has been 7 years since I was a majorette... I'm pretty impressed that my body just slipped right back into it.) Being there, helping and teaching was a blessing. I miss doing that.
My next post will be an update on this Bible study I am doing with the youth group girls from Stanwood. It's going really well, and your prayers are much appreciated.
Until then... goodnight!
**Also, pictures are still not working on here, so I am also sorry for that. Hopefully that will pick up soon.
Funny quick side note... just opened my planner to remind me of what I actually all did. Nice, right?
So last week, I got to play bassoon again. What an awesome feeling. I forgot how much I love playing. However, it doesn't quite work the same anymore. I mean, I was definitely happily surprised to find that technique (finger wise) I still had it. However, my chops only worked for about 45 minutes before my mouth was just dead. Embouchure, well let's just say it has left the building. But overall it was fun. And I got to work with Lisa and her new bassoon student on beginning the bassoon. Oh how I miss teaching.
I was supposed to head down to Marmon to work for their Summer Fun Days, but they actually had plenty of staff and didn't need any more help. I have had that weekend blocked off since the beginning of December, so I got a free weekend. How cool!!
I ended up going down to Dayton to see my grandma and spend some time with them. I also got to go to Kings Island!
Story time:
I got to Kings Island on Saturday, totally forgetting to buy my tickets beforehand for 33 dollars. I was really upset and frustrated for forgetting to do such a simple task. It ruined my morning when I got there. So I went to the gate to get my ticket, all upset thinking of the 56 dollars I was going to spend (on top of gas money to get back home) and right before I go to buy my ticket, someone hands me a coupon for a ticket. I hand it to the cashier and ask if it's legit (a word that I don't think I like in my vocab; it bothers me for some reason) and he says, yeah sure. I only paid 25 dollars for that ticket!!! God is good. And likes to remind me that I exaggerate things and should just rely on Him to take care of me. He always does.
So the best part of Kings Island.... Waiting on the other side of the gate was none other than miss Brandy!!! Awesome! I got to spend the day with her and two of her friends. We had a blast at the park. I even got to see one of my friends, Brian Carlucci on stage (I was in Wizard of Oz w/ him, he was the Tin Man). He's in one of the shows down there. I love when he sings. So awesome.
I ended up spending most of the evening with them, watching How to Train your Dragon and talking. Cool stuff. It's really encouraging to know there are kids my age that are just on fire for God. I love it!
Before I left Grandma's, we went and saw Harry Potter (again for me). It was kinda cool, seeing as she bought my first HP book when it was first out, and we read them together until they finished, and then we got to see the last movie together. Awesome memories. So thankful.
Wow, what a long post, thanks for hanging in there. This week, I've gotten to do some cool stuff too. Tuesday was Katie and Kenny's birthday. Weird not seeing or hearing from either of them. I mean I called, but to no answer. It's really odd growing up and seeing your friends lives change and bloom (and get married and kids, and whoa, I kind of feel out of the loop sometimes). It's neat, but definitely odd. Anywho, back to Katie and Kenny. I can't believe it's been 17 years since I first became friends (back to that fateful ballet class and knocked out teeth). Kenny is over in Afghanistan serving. I hope he's okay. Say a prayer for him and the troops if you can.
Tuesday, I got to spend the evening at the Falls, which was gorgeous. Four mile hike that was great spending it with a good friend Ben. So cool. Can't wait for Sunday when Brandy (yep, that's right, I get to see her for a fourth time... God is so good) and I get to go to the falls.
I also got to see Corey's baseball game and help out with band camp a bit. I did the majorette routines for the fight song and the horse (it has been 7 years since I was a majorette... I'm pretty impressed that my body just slipped right back into it.) Being there, helping and teaching was a blessing. I miss doing that.
My next post will be an update on this Bible study I am doing with the youth group girls from Stanwood. It's going really well, and your prayers are much appreciated.
Until then... goodnight!
Monday, July 18, 2011
As promised
I'm hoping to get some pictures up here, but I think that the computer might not let it.
So what has happened since last Thursday, you ask? I have to admit, I don't remember a lot of it, minus a lot of sleeping. I thought I had caught up on sleep, and then my body told me otherwise.
I do know that Thursday night, Kellie and I went out to Massillon to watch the ending of an era... haha. We went and saw the last movie of Harry Potter. It was kind of sad. I mean, I started reading the books probably once they had been out for at least a year (so before the second book came out). Kellie and I went to a premiere for the last book, so it only made sense to go to the last movie at midnight too! We saw the first half right before the second half. That was definitely the best move to make.
My reaction: I can't wait to see it again!!! What an awesome movie. I highly recommend it. It's just a good movie! I even enjoyed the epilogue part (which I hated in the book!) And for those who know Kellie - even she liked the movie! Which says a lot!
If you are a Harry Potter person, for a bit of comic relief, and some thought provoking statements - listen to this (skip to 1:21 if you really want to see it )
Pictures from the crazy evening:
The start of our evening: 8:45 pm
This picture doesn't do justice to the crowds that were there
before the movie.
Kellie's true love
My true love
The mad dash to leave!
Still going strong at 2:30 am!
What a perfect sky to end the Harry Potter era
Sunday, (because I kind of can't remember what happened on Friday evening or Saturday, other than playing xbox with my family a lot and sleeping) - Oh wait! I did go and hang out with Chelsea, Ashley, Joe, John, and Andi for a bit. Back to Sunday - the mission team spoke at church and then we went to Applebees afterwards. I had a lot of fun with those guys. Oh and I went fishing last night, and I totally caught a fish!
Heads up from a prayer standpoint. Starting this Thursday, I'm leading a high school girls Bible study. I've decided to go through Ruth with them and see where God leads us as we study how He led Ruth to Boaz. If any of you have tried to get 9 high school girls and yourself to find one day that works for all, you feel my pain of trying to pick a night. For this week, it's Thursday. If you could be praying for this time, I would greatly appreciate it. God is doing amazing things in these ladies lives, and I can't wait to see how they grow.
As promised, a few pictures! . . . . . . . . .
On second thought, the computer is slowly failing and they aren't going to come. I am going to figure out a faster way to get pictures to you though. I think I am going to open a picture share site through Shutterfly and see where I can go from there. I'll keep you posted!
So what has happened since last Thursday, you ask? I have to admit, I don't remember a lot of it, minus a lot of sleeping. I thought I had caught up on sleep, and then my body told me otherwise.
I do know that Thursday night, Kellie and I went out to Massillon to watch the ending of an era... haha. We went and saw the last movie of Harry Potter. It was kind of sad. I mean, I started reading the books probably once they had been out for at least a year (so before the second book came out). Kellie and I went to a premiere for the last book, so it only made sense to go to the last movie at midnight too! We saw the first half right before the second half. That was definitely the best move to make.
My reaction: I can't wait to see it again!!! What an awesome movie. I highly recommend it. It's just a good movie! I even enjoyed the epilogue part (which I hated in the book!) And for those who know Kellie - even she liked the movie! Which says a lot!
If you are a Harry Potter person, for a bit of comic relief, and some thought provoking statements - listen to this (skip to 1:21 if you really want to see it )
Pictures from the crazy evening:
The start of our evening: 8:45 pm
This picture doesn't do justice to the crowds that were therebefore the movie.
Kellie's true love
My true love
The mad dash to leave!
Still going strong at 2:30 am!
What a perfect sky to end the Harry Potter era
Sunday, (because I kind of can't remember what happened on Friday evening or Saturday, other than playing xbox with my family a lot and sleeping) - Oh wait! I did go and hang out with Chelsea, Ashley, Joe, John, and Andi for a bit. Back to Sunday - the mission team spoke at church and then we went to Applebees afterwards. I had a lot of fun with those guys. Oh and I went fishing last night, and I totally caught a fish!
Heads up from a prayer standpoint. Starting this Thursday, I'm leading a high school girls Bible study. I've decided to go through Ruth with them and see where God leads us as we study how He led Ruth to Boaz. If any of you have tried to get 9 high school girls and yourself to find one day that works for all, you feel my pain of trying to pick a night. For this week, it's Thursday. If you could be praying for this time, I would greatly appreciate it. God is doing amazing things in these ladies lives, and I can't wait to see how they grow.
As promised, a few pictures! . . . . . . . . .
On second thought, the computer is slowly failing and they aren't going to come. I am going to figure out a faster way to get pictures to you though. I think I am going to open a picture share site through Shutterfly and see where I can go from there. I'll keep you posted!
Thursday, July 14, 2011
After resting for a bit.
It's been a bit since I last updated, but I feel as if I'm finally rested
enough to function correctly. For those who might not know, I spent the
past week serving with our Sr. High Mission team in Chicago. What an
amazing experience. But I'll get into that in a second.
This week of recuperation has been rough. I thought it wouldn't be so bad,
after all camp is what I did for 10 weeks last summer! Yesterday was the
first day I felt normal again :) It was awesome to come home to family, and
Corey came home from camp too, which is a story for another day. This
week, we have been blessed with a visit from Steph, Nate, and Jayden (our
family from NC). So much fun catching up with them and seeing little 5
month old Jayden!
And before I talk about Chicago, God has blessed be with so many wonderful
people, one of them being the Hoover family. I like to spend the evenings
with them every once in a while and enjoy good conversations and good food.
I went there yesterday, only to leave something behind at their house.
Returning there to pick it up near lunch time today, I was welcomed in with
open arms and taken care of. So thankful!
Onto Chicago...
We (as in the 5 adults) took 23 high school students to Chicago to serve
with Inner City Impact - known as ICI (check out their website here). We
got the opportunity to run their day camp program from noon-5 all week, as
well as Jr. High, k-2 and 3-5 club Tuesday - Thursday night. The youth
that went with us either led an age/gender specific group or they ran game
time, crafts, tutoring, snack time, Bible story time, and a time they
called group gifts. They had some help from the adults, but they
definitely deserve the credit there. Somehow between what we had planned,
and our groups wonderful ability to fly by the seat of our pants, we had an
extremely successful week. We got to build some wonderful relationships
with the kids, the staff, and definitely each other.
The culture of where we stayed is definitely different than the one we are
used to here out in Northeast Ohio, but it was one that I fell in love with
(something I honestly thought wouldn't happen). The Lord calms all fears
when you choose to give it to Him. Going to Chicago I know definitly made
me fearful (and I'm sure the parents of the youth were thinking the same
thing), but once we left the church, it was gone. God is good. The only
time it may have come back is when we were trying to get 26 of us to
downtown.... but that was more anxiety than fear :) [to be clear, we all
made it and had a blast downtown!!!]
The group got to have a lot of fun during our 'downtime,' which to be
honest, wasn't very plentiful, but we made use of every minute. We got to
play some fun games (Screaming Viking, carpet ball, Saul, David and
Goliath, and many more), get a little bit of rest, have great
conversations, wonderful worship time, and just some awesome fellowship.
I'm so proud of all the youth that went on this trip. I don't think there
was a single person this trip that didn't get stretched in some way shape
or form. It was long days, with little to no breaks. The group meshed
well, and even when we offered them a chance to get home earlier and sleep
in their own bed faster, the guys and gals protested because they wanted to
serve even more and stay longer on Saturday. God's got some great things
planned for all of them, and I can't wait to see where that is.
If you think of it, prayers for ICI are needed. There is so much need and
they are going where God leads them, but the life there is not easy. Which
Christ told us it wasn't going to be easy to follow Him. The kids we
served said that being a Christian in Ohio is easy, and after spending the
week with k-5th graders where gang activity was just normal, plus
everything else there, I will definitely agree with them. It's definitely a
challenge to my faith, making me question how much am I really living for
God, would I really be willing to put my life on the line like some of them
have been called to do in Chicago (and in other parts of the world)? Makes
the fire want to burn brighter, I'll tell you that. So inspired by the
kids, and by the Sr. High group. Amazing.
I'd love to tell you more about it, like the little things that added up,
the Walgreens store that was a lifesaver, and then kind of a let down
Friday night, the amazing couple that started ICI, the staff at ICI, Thad,
the amazing-ness that surrounds the Ellington and Lau clans, what God did
throughout the week, the changes of heart that were so great and visible
and amazing. The gals and guys that I can't wait to see continue to grow in
Christ. If you want to hear more, I'm always up for a phone call, a trip
for coffee (though I'll drink tea), or any type of food is also a great
option , just let me know!
Note to self: Pictures to come!
enough to function correctly. For those who might not know, I spent the
past week serving with our Sr. High Mission team in Chicago. What an
amazing experience. But I'll get into that in a second.
This week of recuperation has been rough. I thought it wouldn't be so bad,
after all camp is what I did for 10 weeks last summer! Yesterday was the
first day I felt normal again :) It was awesome to come home to family, and
Corey came home from camp too, which is a story for another day. This
week, we have been blessed with a visit from Steph, Nate, and Jayden (our
family from NC). So much fun catching up with them and seeing little 5
month old Jayden!
And before I talk about Chicago, God has blessed be with so many wonderful
people, one of them being the Hoover family. I like to spend the evenings
with them every once in a while and enjoy good conversations and good food.
I went there yesterday, only to leave something behind at their house.
Returning there to pick it up near lunch time today, I was welcomed in with
open arms and taken care of. So thankful!
Onto Chicago...
We (as in the 5 adults) took 23 high school students to Chicago to serve
with Inner City Impact - known as ICI (check out their website here). We
got the opportunity to run their day camp program from noon-5 all week, as
well as Jr. High, k-2 and 3-5 club Tuesday - Thursday night. The youth
that went with us either led an age/gender specific group or they ran game
time, crafts, tutoring, snack time, Bible story time, and a time they
called group gifts. They had some help from the adults, but they
definitely deserve the credit there. Somehow between what we had planned,
and our groups wonderful ability to fly by the seat of our pants, we had an
extremely successful week. We got to build some wonderful relationships
with the kids, the staff, and definitely each other.
The culture of where we stayed is definitely different than the one we are
used to here out in Northeast Ohio, but it was one that I fell in love with
(something I honestly thought wouldn't happen). The Lord calms all fears
when you choose to give it to Him. Going to Chicago I know definitly made
me fearful (and I'm sure the parents of the youth were thinking the same
thing), but once we left the church, it was gone. God is good. The only
time it may have come back is when we were trying to get 26 of us to
downtown.... but that was more anxiety than fear :) [to be clear, we all
made it and had a blast downtown!!!]
The group got to have a lot of fun during our 'downtime,' which to be
honest, wasn't very plentiful, but we made use of every minute. We got to
play some fun games (Screaming Viking, carpet ball, Saul, David and
Goliath, and many more), get a little bit of rest, have great
conversations, wonderful worship time, and just some awesome fellowship.
I'm so proud of all the youth that went on this trip. I don't think there
was a single person this trip that didn't get stretched in some way shape
or form. It was long days, with little to no breaks. The group meshed
well, and even when we offered them a chance to get home earlier and sleep
in their own bed faster, the guys and gals protested because they wanted to
serve even more and stay longer on Saturday. God's got some great things
planned for all of them, and I can't wait to see where that is.
If you think of it, prayers for ICI are needed. There is so much need and
they are going where God leads them, but the life there is not easy. Which
Christ told us it wasn't going to be easy to follow Him. The kids we
served said that being a Christian in Ohio is easy, and after spending the
week with k-5th graders where gang activity was just normal, plus
everything else there, I will definitely agree with them. It's definitely a
challenge to my faith, making me question how much am I really living for
God, would I really be willing to put my life on the line like some of them
have been called to do in Chicago (and in other parts of the world)? Makes
the fire want to burn brighter, I'll tell you that. So inspired by the
kids, and by the Sr. High group. Amazing.
I'd love to tell you more about it, like the little things that added up,
the Walgreens store that was a lifesaver, and then kind of a let down
Friday night, the amazing couple that started ICI, the staff at ICI, Thad,
the amazing-ness that surrounds the Ellington and Lau clans, what God did
throughout the week, the changes of heart that were so great and visible
and amazing. The gals and guys that I can't wait to see continue to grow in
Christ. If you want to hear more, I'm always up for a phone call, a trip
for coffee (though I'll drink tea), or any type of food is also a great
option , just let me know!
Note to self: Pictures to come!
Thursday, June 30, 2011
2 days to go!
I can't believe that in 2 days, (not even) I am getting in a van with 14 other people (well maybe 12...) and driving to Chicago. Well I'm not driving, someone else is :) Oh and in case you didn't get this yet, most of the passengers are still in high school [not that far behind me, but it's still going to be an adventure!]
Matt, Kristan, and Jaxson had lunch with me today at Senor Panchos and finalized some last minute details. I am so unbelievably excited!! Prayers are much appreciated. For safety, for guidance, for being stretched, for having open minds and hearts, and to just be the hands and feet of Christ. The kids are ready to head out, the adults are ready to just say there is absolutely no more planning we could possibly do, and the countdown really has begun.... And packing should probably begin too.... About that..
Anywho, so like I said, I want to show you my new shoes [Check out their website here]. Here's what they look like:
My shoes enjoying the observation deck at
the wilderness center
Kind of weird, yes. But oh so comfortable. I'm not a runner. Ask anyone and they will tell you that Cross Country was a bad mistake I made in Jr. High... One season of it. I will repeat, I'm not a runner. These shoes were originally made for barefoot runners. Now they have expanded quite a bit, and I am using mine for hiking, hopefully some bouldering, and just 'traveling.'
I wore them to VBS last week and can't tell you the strange looks/remarks I got. They look like gorilla feet. I love them. I walk barefoot as much as possible anyways, and now I can go on rougher trails and still feel like I'm barefoot.
Brandy and I went to the Wilderness Center this past weekend and had a lot of fun going everywhere in them. (She's had a pair for about 10 months now) Let me tell you, these shoes rock. My feet are still getting used to them, as it forces your foot to use way different muscles than we are used to, but they rock.
I'm looking forward to sporting them in Chicago, and you can bet there will be pictures!!
Because this was a little more of a boring post, I leave you with a funny Corey-dote (like an anecdote, only Corey-er) [my friend Ashley, the linguistics specialist, who is actually going to be an English teacher will probably cringe from that, but I think she'll laugh too]
First, a bit of background. Corey has opened a repair shop in our house. If you call our home, you will most likely hear him answer: Hello, this is Corey's repair shop. Can I help you? It is really amusing. It is open 10-10 M-F and closed on the weekends. So if you need something fixed, give us a ring :)
Tuesday Morning: 5am. Corey wakes up singing what sounds like the Barney song, minus the words. Who knows. 5:30am. I'm leaving to have breakfast at Mrs. J's when I look over and Corey is at his repair shop. I say, Corey, your shop doesn't open until ten.
His response: I have paperwork to fill out.
Oh, rest assured that life in the Bennethum household is never dull.
[for those who don't know Corey, he's 18 and is also mentally and physically handicapped, and for him to even know what paperwork is, much less that a business has it is highly astounding, hence the Corey-dote]
Matt, Kristan, and Jaxson had lunch with me today at Senor Panchos and finalized some last minute details. I am so unbelievably excited!! Prayers are much appreciated. For safety, for guidance, for being stretched, for having open minds and hearts, and to just be the hands and feet of Christ. The kids are ready to head out, the adults are ready to just say there is absolutely no more planning we could possibly do, and the countdown really has begun.... And packing should probably begin too.... About that..
Anywho, so like I said, I want to show you my new shoes [Check out their website here]. Here's what they look like:
My shoes enjoying the observation deck at
the wilderness center
I wore them to VBS last week and can't tell you the strange looks/remarks I got. They look like gorilla feet. I love them. I walk barefoot as much as possible anyways, and now I can go on rougher trails and still feel like I'm barefoot.
Brandy and I went to the Wilderness Center this past weekend and had a lot of fun going everywhere in them. (She's had a pair for about 10 months now) Let me tell you, these shoes rock. My feet are still getting used to them, as it forces your foot to use way different muscles than we are used to, but they rock.
I'm looking forward to sporting them in Chicago, and you can bet there will be pictures!!
Because this was a little more of a boring post, I leave you with a funny Corey-dote (like an anecdote, only Corey-er) [my friend Ashley, the linguistics specialist, who is actually going to be an English teacher will probably cringe from that, but I think she'll laugh too]
First, a bit of background. Corey has opened a repair shop in our house. If you call our home, you will most likely hear him answer: Hello, this is Corey's repair shop. Can I help you? It is really amusing. It is open 10-10 M-F and closed on the weekends. So if you need something fixed, give us a ring :)
Tuesday Morning: 5am. Corey wakes up singing what sounds like the Barney song, minus the words. Who knows. 5:30am. I'm leaving to have breakfast at Mrs. J's when I look over and Corey is at his repair shop. I say, Corey, your shop doesn't open until ten.
His response: I have paperwork to fill out.
Oh, rest assured that life in the Bennethum household is never dull.
[for those who don't know Corey, he's 18 and is also mentally and physically handicapped, and for him to even know what paperwork is, much less that a business has it is highly astounding, hence the Corey-dote]
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
