Twilight!!!

I admit, I have an obsession with one of the greatest book series ever written.

There are a few exciting reasons I have to write about Twilight. First of all, my youngest sister is the sweetest ever. She had her annual book fair at school the other day, and she came across the section of Twilight merchandise. She saw something for both my other sister and I that she knew we would love. She then had me come home and she surprised Jessica and I each with this poster:

….we were both speechless. If you haven’t read any of the books, it’s hard to understand the excitement level. Secondly, just last night I finished the 4th and final book in the series. It was incredible, and tears were rolling down my face as I completed the last page of this heart-wrenching series. My goal is to go back through the books and pull out my favorite passages and share some of them with you. Hopefully that will help give a bit of insight into why I am so involved in this amazing story.

And last but not least, just one week from right now I will be sitting in the movie theatre at the midnight showing of the Twilight movie!!!! It’s going to be amazing, and I will probably go see it multiple times….

If anyone else has experienced the amazing world of Twilight, I’d love to hear your thoughts! All I know is that the moment I finished the last book I wanted to pick it back up and start over again. Now that indicates good writing.

Georgia :)

My trip to Georgia with Kyle was a breath of fresh air… literally.

Sorry it’s taken so long to give my thoughts on the trip, but since we got back I’ve either been in class, at work, or sleeping. Let me just tell you, coming back to Indiana was not easy. Not only did I have a cold, stressful reality check here waiting for me, but I did not want that trip to end. It was awesome weather, but even better company…. :]

Ok, here’s a few key elements of the trip, (more detail will follow):

• Seconhand Serenade
• HORSE aka Ho and Hor
• Guitar Hero
• Sonic
• Driving up and down a mountain
• Football
• Video games
• Taxis
• LOTS of coffee
• Rocking out in the car
• Amazing cousins
• And plenty of Mexican food

Ok, we left Wednesday evening after saying goodbyes to friends and family and headed to Greenfield, OH to visit my cousins. They are so amazing, and even a 4-hour visit with them is refreshing. We left there at midnight to start our 8-hour trip to Gainesville, GA. Bad idea. Staying up all night is not as ‘fun’ and ‘rebellious’ as it used to be. We just wanted to be there and be asleep. But, thanks to Kyle’s fabulous driving, (and my naviagtion skills, though he will tell you differently…. haha) we made it there safely and exhausted. We were joyfully greeted by his Aunt and Uncle. After a short nap, I met the cousins. These kids were freakin’ awesome. They let me jump into all the chaos right away and included me in everything. We played basketball and football, went video game shopping, took pictures in a taxi, and ate a TON of amazing Mexican food. It was a great meeting/visit with them.

Speaking of great visits…….. THE NAHRSTADT FAMILY!!!! What an amazing, unexpected blessing out of this trip. God set up a great situation for us, and I’m so glad Jenn took a chance and acted on it! We met an amazing family, shared dinner and brownies and played Guitar Hero… all the while building some fantastic new friendships. We just jumped right into conversation about each others’ lives, and it was neat to hear different stories and testimonies. Not to mention Kyle and I were given rooms and beds and bathrooms to enjoy without kicking someone else out! We had such a good visit with them, hopefully we can see them at Christmas!

……………. we crammed a lot of fun into 4 days let me tell ya…………..

Then it was blog party time!! I don’t think I have ever met so many people and had conversations and made friends and took pictures and laughed and ate and so much more in only a few short hours! It was definitely not enough time, but wow we met some cool people. The Faboulous 4 who came from Florence, SC, Ruth Robin and Kayla, the lovely ladies from California, Robert & Rene, Adam & Kristy, Stephanie, and of course Carlos and Heather!! Thank you guys so much for organizing such an awesome event!!

Last but certainly not least Kyle and I visited Buckhead Church Sunday morning. ……wow. It was such a great service, and we got a little insight on the behind-the-scenes from our tour! It was so cool to see how a church on such a large scale functions from week to week. However, that was not the main thing on my heart Sunday morning. All I could think about was Dialogue. I missed them, I missed the service, but mostly I was thinking about how amazing Dialogue is. Going to Buckhead showed me that sure, they are doing amazing things in Georgia, but we are doing just as amazing things in Indiana. Giving people unconditional love does not have a point system, it’s all love in God’s eyes. It made me excited to go back home and bless the people in our surrounding community and apply everything that Buckhead was doing in our own, personal, Dialogue way. Plus I just missed my church family a ton. What an inspiration!

The drive home was nice and somewhat bittersweet for me. That breath of fresh, Georgia air was exactly what I needed. Not to mention I had an amazing time with Kyle. I never would have thought a year ago that spending a total of 20+ hours in the car with him would be one of the greatest parts of our relationship so far ;] But really, he was an awesome driver, and the best company I could have ever imagined. Thanks for taking me along, babe.

As you can tell from my excitement and the way everything fell into place, God made this trip happen for a lot of reasons. Some I can see right at this moment, and some I think will surface a little further down the road.

Regardless, I wouldn’t have traded those 4 days for anything.

Finally….

…leaving for Georgia today!

Pray for safe travel, and just a good, relaxing weekend away. I am so thankful that God made it possible for us to make this trip to come see everyone!

I’m excited.

Come What May…

Do you ever have those days where you wake up in the morning and you absolutely cannot wait to see someone?

 

It’s like your day doesn’t even start until you see their smile. The anticipation is enough to get your heart racing, until the time finally arrives and ends up being worth every moment. All it takes is one hug, and you know the rest of the day is going to be wonderful no matter what happens.

 

Today was definitely one of those days.

The Power in Your Thoughts

I’ve been doing a lot of thinking lately.

I’ve thought about my plans for school, my job, finances and budgeting, friendships, and definitely love and a relationship now and its future.

I am constantly thinking and processing and analyzing things in my mind 24/7. A lot of times I have trouble falling asleep at night because my mind is running a mile a minute. Most of it doesn’t bring on any type of stress or worry (except everything involving school and money…. haha.) but yet my thoughts are consumed by the above list all day and every day. It’s very important to think about all these things, because in order to be happy and successful you must plan and use your best judgement to make good decisons. That’s how we feel in control, right? Except we’re not really in control. The One who created the Universe and knows the number of stars in the sky is the one in control. So why do we spend so much time and effort thinking and worrying about things when God already knows everything that is going to happen? All we have to do is love and trust in Him.

Matthew 22:37-38 says, “…Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commmandment.”

…with all your mind.

That to me is a difficult concept to grasp. Loving the Lord through every thought in your mind is a radical concept and a welcome challenge. Can you imagine loving God with every thought that passes through your mind?

–Loving God when you think about work.

–Loving God when you think about money.

–Loving God when you think about your friends and family. 

My days would be so much happier sometimes, and my love for God would grow even deeper every day. But here’s the best part…

“Delight yourself in the Lord, and He will give you the desires of your heart.” Psalm 37:4

Trust in God, love God, think about God, and He will give you all those things you were worried about before. He will provide jobs, money, friends, and relationships. I know the desires of my heart, and if God is my foundation and my joy, He will honor those desires.

Now that is a powerful thought.

Lots to be thankful for…

Since when did my life become so wonderful?

I’ve never really had any complaints, but recently I have had about a million things to smile about.

• Work is going incredibly well. It’s nice to be so depended upon and to continue working your way up the ladder….
• Classes are demanding but going well.
• My friends are hilarious, I love living with them.
• Church for me is the greatest it has ever been. EVER.
• The weather is beautiful, I’m enjoying the change of cold weather.
• I have a very fun trip coming up that I can’t wait for.
• AC/DC just came out with a fabulous new CD, i’ll blog in more detail about that later.
• I have a wonderful new-ish car that has been such an incredible blessing.
• Last but certainly not least, Kyle. I really can’t even describe this one, but most of the time he is the reason behind my smile, for all the little things he does, and lots he doesn’t even realize he does…. All I know is that I thank God for him every day, and take advantage of every moment. :]

Oh! And today I worked in the nursery at church and we had blue jello for a snack. I took a few good pictures to illustrate the joy it brought :]

 

 

Kids bring so much natural joy to your life. I was told by someone today that I looked good with one…. lol. Definitely something I am looking forward to someday :]

So much to be thankful for and it’s not even November yet……

The Eagle and the Cheerleader

My sisters have a multitude of talents.

Jess is a hilarious junior that makes everyone laugh and definitely marches to the beat of her own drum.

Gracie is a compassionate 8th grader who will love you no matter what and also give you the scoop on the latest middle school drama.

Jessica is her school’s mascot and Grace is a football cheerleader. Every time I go to a game, I get so many compliments on my sisters’ talents. Jessica is one of the most entertaining mascots her school has ever had. Being a former cheerleader herself, she has a lot of insight into the cheers and the sidelines of a football game. Grace always sports the biggest smile on her face, and has twice the energy of the other girls on the squad.

I am so proud of my sisters. Even though we still live in the same city, I really wish I could be there for more of their events. Between class and work I miss a lot, so I try to keep up as much as I can.

Tonight my mom took my sisters out in the backyard and took pictures of them in thier team-spirit garb. They are quite entertaining, and I wanted to share them with all of you

My beautiful sisters!

 

Switching it up!

HAHA

They are too much fun.

What a blessing to have such wonderful sisters!!

Little Blessings in the Rain

Rain is an amazing thing.

It’s what enables the earth to grow, and it washes away all the mess before it. I absolutely love the rain. It’s funny to me how people complain about it, wish it away, and run through it to get to their dry, warm cars but I think we should appreciate it and enjoy it. You know why? Because rain is the purest and most wonderful reminder of God. How can you see and feel the rain and not be consumed with God’s amazing grace and power?

A lot of Christian artists compare God to the rain.

The Newsboys

Let it rain
Lord, we’re waiting for Your rain to fall
Let it rain
Bringing back the wonder of it all
And I can see Your face again
When You let it rain

Delirious

Rain down, all around the world we’re singing
Rain down, can you hear the Earth is singing
Rain down, my heart is dry but still i’m singing
Rain down, rain it down
Do not shut, do not shut, do not shut, the heavens
But open up, open up, open up, our hearts
Rain down, all around the world we’re singing
Rain down

David Crowder Band

Rain down your greatness
and cover me
rain down your love on us,
rain down your love
rain down your peace

And there are so many more. The point is, God’s love is just like the rain. It is such a perfect comparision, because whenever we are dry, His love rains down and washes us clean.

Today it poured, and I had to walk 20 minutes to and from class. I was soaking wet and stepped in multiple puddles, but I still had a million things to smile about. The rain almost enhanced the good day I was having. On the way to class it was an enjoyable walk, but on the way home it was more of a spiritual one. I cranked up my favorite Afters song in my ipod, and after awhile, I just said screw my umbrella, I put down my hood, and I let God’s love and grace wash over me.

So be thankful for the rain, and look at it as a beautiful reminder from God as to how much He loves us, and that He is always near to pour down and wash away all the mess in our lives.

God’s Surprises

Life is full of surprises.

Everything from the people you meet to the choices you make. No matter how much you think you have your life in control and going one way, God’s plan will always take charge and change the path completely. I never would have guessed that I would be where I am today. My position in school, church, and the people who have priority in my life are all completely different than I ever would have imagined.

I could not be happier about that.

I am so glad that God knows what He’s doing, because I sure don’t have a clue. My walk with God has definitely had its ups and downs, but never in my life have I felt so at peace about Him being in control and knowing exactly what is to come. I have no idea where I will be 2 years from now. I have a few thoughts about where I would like to be, but I know that ultimately God’s plan for my life is really starting to unravel, and I think its really going to be a test of my strength and my faith. God has challenged me a lot recently, and He has put people in my life to challenge me and get me to branch out from the stand-still that I feel took hold of me the last 2 years. God is amazing, and I am ready for whatever ways He wants to use me.

I love the way The Message translates one of my favorite verses:

1 Corinthians 10:13 (The Message)

 13No test or temptation that comes your way is beyond the course of what others have had to face. All you need to remember is that God will never let you down; he’ll never let you be pushed past your limit; he’ll always be there to help you come through it.

 

 

Everyday brings on new challenges and also new blessings. My Dialogue Church family is absolutely amazing. They really helped restore my trust in the Church and have been the exact support that I need. Their role in my life was something that I definitely did not plan, but that God planned for me. What a wonderful and rewarding surprise.

Inspiration To Begin

Starting a blog.

I’m excited about it.

You should be too. Here’s a look into my life….

 

My beginning inspiration came from a few places. First, I am so excited about my life right now and how God is using me and unveiling His plan for me. Because I’m excited, I want to share it with you. Second, the name/title is from a song by The Afters that has incredible lyrics. And third, I had a little encouragement to blog from unnamed sources.  

 

Beautiful Love

Far away, I feel your beating heart
All alone, beneath the crystal stars
Staring into space, what a lonely face
I’ll try to find my place with you

What a beautiful smile
Can I stay for awhile?
On this beautiful night
We’ll make everything right
My beautiful love, my beautiful love

Larger than the moon, my love for you
Worlds collide as heaven pulls us through
The secret of the world is written in the stars
I’m carrying your heart in mine

What a beautiful smile
Can I stay for awhile?
On this beautiful night
We’ll make everything right
My beautiful love

Maybe a greater thing will happen
Maybe all will see
Maybe our love will catch like fire
As it burns through me

What a beautiful smile
Can I stay for awhile?
On this beautiful night
We’ll make everything right

My beautiful love

 

This is my start. More to come….