Blue skies and organic lollipops

Yet another overdue post from me! Recently i have been doing lots and lots of homework. I have finished 3 classes; Theology, Macroeconomics, and Philosophy. I am still taking English, but i'm halfway through! Yippee! This week i am doing a juice fast or in other word a detox. Other than craving sugar, it is going well so far.

I am so thankful for the beautiful weather we have been having lately! The blue sky, green grass, warm sunshine. If only i had somewhere to lay down and let the sun kiss my face while i read a book, ahh that would be very nice indeed. But not here in apartments. Nope, i have a little wood deck, that bee's love, and everyone can see me. I am planning on a little patio garden though. I am going to plant tomatoes, lettuce, basil, parsley, and dandelion. Yup, im going to plant dandelions on purpose. Why? Only cause they are the most nutritious greens, and flowers that are free! Plus in the fall i can take the roots, dry them, and make a tea with them for a great detox tea (or alternative to coffee!). Amazing huh? I love how God gives us the "medicine" we need right in our backyards! About 90% of "weeds" and grass in a typical backyard are edible. I love how God provides for us.

Well i will leave you all with a smoothie recipe i just had this morning. It was awesome!

Strawberry banana Oatmeal smoothie
5 Strawberries
1 Banana
1/2 Cup Raw Organic Oatmeal
1/4 teaspoon organic vanilla extract
1 Tablespoon Chia Seeds
1/4 Cup Almonds
1/2 Cup Rice milk or Almond milk
1/2 Teaspoon cinnamon
3 Ice cubes
Grind oatmeal, Chia seeds and almonds till ground in a fine meal. Add fruit, spices, and milk and ice. Blend till smooth. Enjoy this Yummy breakfast smoothie!

Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of healthiness

Wow! Things have changed a lot since i blogged last. Lets see... well i was married on July 2nd, the wedding was...successful ;) . I know live outside of Lynchburg, in Forest, Virginia . Shortly after we moved here there was a earthquake. Very exciting stuff. No one was hurt and no damage except for crooked pictures. I have a job at a health food store called Health Nut Nutrition. I love my job. I learn everyday new things, how herbs, fresh raw food, and whole grains can help cure diseases and sickness! We live in a small 1 bedroom (basically 2 bedroom cause we have a den/office) apartment. It's different for me because i have never lived in town, let alone in an apartment where i can hear our neighbors. I have learned to cook and bake lots of new things like beef, bagels, and bread. My husband and i attend a lot of local political meetings such as Ron Paul meetups, Tea Part meetings (i only went once) , and we watch debates on tv together. I have learned so much in the past 6 1/2 months! I am now in school doing classes online with Liberty University. I changed my major to business and am currently working on Macroeconomics and Philosophy , both of which are very difficult. They will go for 8 weeks then i start 2 different courses for another 8 weeks. We have been to Pennsylvania twice, North Carolina several times, and Tennessee. Well im off to go to the Library, make some bagels , and work on homework, for today is my day off of work. Until next time!

oh my!

wow! 25 days until i get married! this is crazy! Every morning i wake up and think "wow im getting married to Josiah!" The days are going by so fast. I've been packing up my stuff and going to ship them out soon. It's very exciting, but kinda weird at the same time. Sometimes it's stressful with all the planning and work and packing, but i have been enjoying myself too. I've lost 10+ pounds, im eating well, and ive started swimming/jogging . More because i'd like to hike a mountain without dying after 10 minutes :-P God has blessed me immensely. I can't stop thanking Him enough for what He has done in my life, what He is going to do, and what He IS doing. And the best thing yet? I get to serve God the rest of my life! That's the exciting part!  

along came a flower

Spring has come! Flowers are blooming, birds are singing , and i am working. Oh life ... yeah that thing. It has been splendid. Seeing Virginia and my future husband was great :) . We found an apartment for after we get married and we laughed a lot. I like laughing with Josiah. He can be a little goofy, but that's one of many many things i love about him. ha i know i'm being "mushy" as they would say. I'm not sure who "they" are though...hmmm.

Wedding plans... Oh yes that. Well , my mom and i got a photographer , our last BIG thing to book for the BIG day. SO happy to get stuff done. Invites are done just have to tie 300 ribbons on them. And now i'm working full time at the office on 10 million different things. Basically i'm a office assistant , and i manage the Hero's at work ( they are an amazing little ramp for small steps for homes) I really like my job. NEVER bored.

Tomorrow i have 2 bridal showers. Yes 2! Then one more next weekend. It's going to be fun seeing friends and family and visiting. One thing as of late that i have noticed is how happy i am. Amazing what being STRESS free does!! And i have an AWESOME God to thank for that. I have learned that i need to cast ALL my cares and worries and stress on Him. Not just a few things, but all. It has made a big difference in my life. Not only in my happiness/joy but also with my relationship with others, like family, friends, and fiancé . So i challenge you this week, What are some things that you are holding back? Some worries, like financial or work worries? Stress from school or job ? Give it to God, let Him carry them and depend upon Him. He is there for you, standing there next to you the whole way. Never leaving your side. I know it's weird but when im in the car by myself , i look at the passenger seat next to me, and i feel like God is sitting there. That's when i have the best conversations with Him about my worries , in the car. And when i finally give it all to Him, i feel like He puts His arm around me and says "my child, you don't have to do this alone. I am here, trust Me, I will help you. I love you. " . I know i don't actually hear those words, but yet i do, deep inside me. It's something i can't really explain. So again i challenge you this week, give it to God, whatever is making you worry or stress or fret. Talk with Him about it. He cares deeply, and loves you. He wants to help you. He is always there for you no matter what. 

just keep planning....

So the wedding plans are coming along! Just need to find a photographer, and a whole bunch of other little things. It's been kinda crazy trying to plan a wedding, work, and decide on apartments from long distance. Let me just say this: long distance relationships are very hard. God has blessed Josiah and i so much though. He has taught me so much about who I am in Him, and He is working on me still! So if anyone looks at Josiah and I's relationship and says "wow how did you do it?" I can say "It was ALL God". I love giving God the glory in my life.

Life

Life has been happening. This past weekend i went to Michigan and visited with my aunt and uncle, and their 4 awesome kids, and my grandparents. I also got to see some old friends, who ive known since 3rd grade! It was nice to get away and relax and have fun. And the snow was amazing, i felt like a little kid on Christmas with all the snow!! It reminded me of how God wipes our sins away as white as snow. Well off to bed now.. ZzZzZz

Coffee Filter flowers

I made these flowers out of coffee filters i dyed myself. All you need is :

Coffee Filters
3 cups
Acrylic paint or any water based paint
green tape, or masking tape
wire or straws
scissors

The instructions are at this site Click here for insturctions . This blog has so many great ideas and how-to's .

 Things you need to make the flowers.

I dyed them Pink!!

Below are "peony" coffee filter flowers

"Rose" Coffee filter flowers

I love how these turned out. They look so real, and are cheap to make, and fun also!! A great way to have fancy decorations, for the budget minded.           

Theme Music

Sometimes i wish that i had theme music for everyday , boring tasks. It would make life much more interesting don't you think? Just think, you are at work, cleaning toilets, shoveling dirt, or whatever you do, and all of a sudden there is music playing JUST for you and everyone applauds you for the great work. Yes i think it would be pretty neat to have theme music, like have a live band follow you everywhere making music for everything you do. But then again things would seem dull , so it would have to be random. That's my thought for the day :)

Wedding Plans

Well i've been planning my wedding. Things have been going ok. Finally getting things done. So far... i've changed my colors to Light pink, and a soft green like that below.

That's all i have right now. it's been an interesting few weeks with wedding planning, and working, and such. 

The Start of a new year, yet again

It never ends... new years always come, old ones go away. And yet with each new number for a new year we have goals, plans, and the next year looks so exciting. It's been a year since i started writing my blog, and boy has life brought me some adventure, sadness, and joy. I've lost friends to death, gained new ones, lived in arkansas, and Virginia. Traveled well over 5 states. And, Got engaged. I am now living in Jackson tn to plan my July 2nd wedding. Plans are coming along, the dress picked out and a general idea of what i want. But i pray that i won't "stress" out like i usually do in situations of decision making. While at home it's also a time to spend with my family and friends, and gain my health back (from working in a day care you get sick a lot and your immune system goes poop) . I'm excited about what this year will bring, How God will work in my life to minister to others, and about getting married to my best friend Josiah!

God has blessed me with so much , i could thank him for the rest of my life and it still not be enough. I am so undeserving of His love, His mercy. Why would He , the God of the Universe LOVE me? I mean He calls me His child. He guides me, and when i mess up His mercy is never ending. Thank you God for loving ME. I have a new outlook for this year, my goal is to know Him better, to have a better everyday relationship with my Creator. I'm very excited about this. I pray that His love may shine through me onto others.

I would like to thank all of you who read my blog. THANKS for your support! And keep reading my blog!

Winter Wonderland

Yes, i am in Tennessee , freezing to death in this snowy cold land. This thursday i'll be flying back "home" to lynchburg to pack up, head to North Carolina to spend Christmas with the Tillett's , then drive to Tn. Going to be a very busy few weeks. And it's almost the end of the year! I can't believe it's been almost a year since i started blogging. My there have been so many adventures in my life since last year. So i hope you all have a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. I'll be back most likely after the new year, 2011.

I'm moving again!

Well i'm packing up my bags and going to head to this place called Jackson Tn. Yes, i am moving back. Why? well first off i need to get in school or save money for school and i can't do that when i'm living off part time and paying rent. Being under my parents roof again will allow me to save more money , and plan a wedding for October without being long distance. Friday will be my last day at the day care. I will be back in jackson for 2 weeks before Christmas working with American Access ( where my dad works). Then i will fly back before Christmas, pack up and move after Christmas. Josiah will be driving with me down there , then flying back a few days after. So that is why i will be so busy during December.

2 years traveling and serving God

This post is dedicated to the places where my family and i dedicated our time and labor in the 2 years we were missionaries in the U.S.A. Some of the places have changed, some are the same. It brings back good memories, bad memories, and the times where God grew my family close together, and closer to Him.

We started at Jenness Park ( http://www.jennesspark.com/ )
We spent 2 summers here. The longest we ever stayed at one place during the 2 years.

El Nathan Christian Camp, (http://elnathanaz.org/ ) We spent 2 weeks here. It is located on the side of mt. Elden. We had to look out for mountain lions a lot, and when it rained you could find broken pottery from where the indians 100's of years ago would go to the top to break pots as a religious practice. The camp ministered to the Navajo Indians, and i got to see first hand what the reservation looked like.

El Nathen

Navajo reservation









Next on the list is Camp Cordova located in Memphis Tn (Cordova Tn.) It is now called "The Grove at Red Lake" (http://www.mygrove.org/#galleryimages/10.jpg) .

Then there is Glorieta conference center in New Mexico. A beautiful place, where it snowed at odd times of the year. (http://glorietaconferencecenter.org/)

Next is Camp Redcloud in Colorado (http://www.campredcloud.org/ ). Here is where my brother , a friend of ours, and i hiked up a mountain, got lost, ran out of water, and finally found our way back after 6 hours, all to see a bat cave we couldn't reach. I also got to ride horses up to the continental divide.

And finally, Wycliffe Translators and campus crusade for Christ.  (http://www.wycliffe.org/ ) . We spent our final months on the road in Orlando florida, where i met 2 of my best friends, Hallie Martin, and Josiah Tillett ( who i'm going to Marry!) 

Autumn

It is now starting to feel like fall. The leaves are changing, the weather is cooler, and there are less bugs! On October 1st 2011 (Lord willing!) i will be getting married! I still cannot believe that i am engaged! The fun part now, is planning a wedding.

Living in Lynchburg has been interesting. Kind of a mix between nice, and not so nice. Like not having my close friends near me, or any family. But i have Josiah , and i am starting to get to know some people here, it just takes time. One really bad thing, is my job. Everyday i wish i could walk out and quit. Everyday i wish that i didn't have to go to work. It's not that i HATE what i do, but rather i cannot stand to work with racist people. And then they are unusually "nice" to you after they find out how you feel. I feel as if i'm just being used and that the time will come when i'm no longer needed and i'll be tossed out. Well anyways that's how i feel.

Well i'm going to keep praying for a full time job. And enjoy the autumn breeze.

He asked a question...and i said "YES!"

Friday October 1st :
Josiah and i went to a switchfoot concert with some friends. I was so excited to be there. They played "stars" right after the first song. I was so excited. During an instrumental of the song, Josiah looked at me and said " i have something for you" . I was thinking like a Cd or something. He pulls out a ring. I was honestly so surprised! He said "will you marry me?" and i said very excitedly "yes!!" . As he slipped the ring on my finger switchfoot was sining "when i look at the stars..." . pretty much the best day ever in my life. Now i am engaged... a new adventure in my life.

So friday i got engaged at a switchfoot concert! more details to come.

So i went to visit my family for a few days. It was so good to spend time with my parents and sister. I kinda didn't want it to end. Funny how i couldn't wait to get out of the house and now i don't want to leave. I guess that is how life is. I got a sewing machine and hope to start up some sewing projects and some cross stitching as well for Christmas presents. Yes it's September and im thinking about Christmas already. I'm so excited about what God is going to be doing in the future. I pray i grow ever closer to Him and that i can be an example to others. Today is my dad's birthday. i wish i could be there for it but i was there this weekend and i had a great time. Well i better start searching for some jobs.

August already?

Well It seems to me like i get so busy and forget things like blogging. Well here i am blogging. I have been sick (again), and have been working, working working. Sometimes i just want to go back in time when i was younger to the carefree life. Not worrying how much food i have left, how im going to pay bills, having strength to get to work ect. I feel as if my life right now is a ferris wheel. Going around and around but not really getting anywhere. I feel like i'm stuck near the bottom, not being able to see very far. Not knowing what's going to happen next. But despite these things i have found Joy in my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. He has given me strength and a joy that i really cannot explain. So even though i feel as if everything is going around and not going anywhere , i still look to my Lord.
This week a dear friend from YWAM Ozarks passed away. He was the director there and left behind a wife and kids. I know he is with Jesus now , pain free, and dancing. He taught me so much about Gods Word. In his passing i realized how short our lives are. How God can bring us to Him so quickly. Please be in prayer for his family, and for YWAM Ozarks. I guess i have learned to live each day as if it were your last. Yes it's hard, but with God all things are possible.

Well today Josiah comes back from camp! I can't wait to see him! This week has been emotionally and physically straining. But when i started to feel down i would just pray and God would fill me with His joy and i would keep going. My working with kids has become more of a ministry than a job to me. These kids are basically raised by other people like me. What great influence i have on these children at the age where they are learning so much ! I pray i can make a difference in these kids lives, or that God would use me to change them. This is what keeps me from going insane from hearing kids crying all day. haha.

So today i worked for 12 hours. 6am-6pm of screaming kids. I really need a new job. And it's been a long week especially with Josiah gone. Well that's all for now.