Child, Rest In Me

Something that I've always had trouble with is resting in and depending on God. I'm a very stubborn and independent person, which I will be the first to admit are two of my greatest weaknesses. Through my (almost) two years here at college, I've had to let go of a lot of my independence due to struggling with my asthma and other physical problems, and I've had to let go of my stubbornness enough to admit that I need help. I was thinking about all this today when I wrote this poem:

“Child, rest in Me,”
My Father gently says.
“Child, rest in Me.”

Stubborn though am I,
I pull away
“I can do it!” I cry.

“Child, rest in Me,”
He says once again.
“Child, rest in Me.”

Still I resist
I want my way
“I can do it!” I insist

“Child, rest in Me,”
Is all that he says.
“Child, rest in Me.”

Suddenly, I stumble and fall!
“Lord, help me!
I need you!” I call.

“Child, rest in Me.”
No chiding, simply,
“Child, rest in Me.”

“Father, I need you,
I need Your help
With all that I do.”

“Child, rest in Me.
I will help you,
Only rest in Me.”

Update Once Again

Yes, it really is me, and I really am updating once again!! I'm on a roll here!! lol :D

It's been very busy here ever since Spring Break. Right after Spring Break was Spring Bible Conference. It was super busy, but it was totally worth it! All the messages were fabulous. There were way too many good messages to pick a favorite.

This past Saturday was Medieval Mayhem at college. This is a competition between all four leagues (Patriots, which is my league, Conquerors, Knights & Maidens, and Watchmen). We play various games such as Jump the Creek, American Eagle, relays, etc. It was a lot of fun, although by the end of the day I was completely and totally exhausted. Thankfully, my asthma pretty much stayed under control and I was able to participate in most of the games.

After Medieval Mayhem, Christy and Nate asked me to take pictures for them, so we went over to the caboose in Lattimore and I had a blast taking pictures for them. They are so cute together!!! I love photography, and it's always fun to take pictures of couples.

Sunday kicked off the Spring Revival at Emmanuel Baptist Church, my local church when I'm down here at school in NC. Evangelist Paul Crow is preaching, and all the messages have been wonderful!! I think each message has spoken to my heart. Although it's going to be super busy, it's going to be a great week. I'm helping in the Welcome Center every night except Thursday, and I'm in the nursery that night. Add to that schoolwork, and classes, as well as trying to recover from Saturday still, and it equals exhaustion, but I don't mind.

As of right now it is 23 days until graduation!! I cannot wait!! Although in some ways (okay, okay, a lot of ways) I'm going to miss being down here, at the same time I am very ready to be done with school.

Coming up right on the heels of graduation is Holly & Andrew's wedding. I'm so excited!! It's going to be a crazy week at our house, though. Nicole gets in on Sunday (She's riding back from NC with Holly). Andrew's family, as well as Christy & Caleb are getting in on Wednesday afternoon, and Jenn is coming in sometime that day as well. On Thursday, we decorate the church, and that evening Mandy will get in. Friday the Risingers get in, and, of course, the rehearsal and rehearsal dinner are that night. Saturday is the wedding, of course, so that will be a crazy day. after the wedding we're having a bunch of people over to our house for a cookout. The next morning everyone who has not yet left is leaving, and Holly and Andrew will be flying out for their honeymoon. That night, the mixed quartet from Ambassador will be at my home church (New Lexington Bible Church) and Laura and Christina who are traveling with the quartet, are staying at our house that night. John and Esther Uit de Flesch, who are also traveling with the quartet may also be staying at our house, depending on if anyone else in our church volunteers to keep them. Then, Laura and Christina will be back at our house on Wednesday and Thursday nights while they're at other churches in the area.

On top of that, one of our dogs is going to have puppies any day now, so we will have our hands full keeping track and taking care of the puppies.

It's going to be a busy few weeks, but hopefully after all that is over I'll have a chance to rest and catch up on my sleep.

As far as a job, I'm leaving that in the Lord's hands. I have submitted my resume to my dad's work, and it will be submitted to another place sometime next week by a friend who knows of a job opening. Once I graduate and the wedding is done with, I will start sending it out to more places, but right now I'm just too busy to start looking for jobs.

When I go home, I will be teaching the children's Sunday School class at my church for the summer, as well as teaching a teen girl's class one Wednesday a month. I will also be doing some secretarial work for the church to help my pastor out. He has needed a secretary for awhile, but because we're such a small church, we do not have the money to pay one. This is the thing that I' looking forward to the most, as I would love to work as a church secretary.

Well, that's about all for now. I will try to update again before the wedding sometime, but don't get your hopes up! I have a lot of projects to finish up before finals, and after finals is graduation, then the wedding, so I don't know if i will have time to update at all.

Sisters

A much-needed update-part 2

Well, here's part two of my update...and yes, i have gotten more sleep since I wrote my last post, so don't worry, I'm not going to go crazy and start talking to my blog again!! :)

I already told you about my classes and the main events that have gone on this semester, but, of course, there's more to college life than just classes and events. There are struggles & trials, as well as blessings and answers to prayer. And sometimes, as I've realized this semester, the trials and blessings are the exact same thing.

This semester has been a rough semester in many ways. Emotionally, physically, and academically, there has seemed to be one trial after another. This semester has been my worst semester yet, but through everything, I've learned to depend on God for everything, even things that seem to be small and insignificant.

I can honestly say that God has become my very Best Friend this semester. When I was going through things that seemed as if they would never end, and when I was exhausted physically, mentally, or emotionally I knew that I could go to God and He would get me through. There were times this semester where I honestly felt like giving up. At the beginning of the semester, when I was going through a particularly difficult trial, I would cry myself to sleep every night because of everything that was going on. It was during that time when I realized that I needed to give it all over to God. Once I finally gave everything over to Him, everything got easier to bear because I wasn't bearing it alone. I had God beside me to carry me when I felt as if I couldn't go on.

Well, I guess this post really isn't an update on my life exactly, at least not liek I meant it to be, but this is something I've been thinking about for awhile, and just thought I'd share it on here.

A much-needed update-part 1

My poor little blog!! You've been so neglected recently!! I'm going to blame it all on Baptist History, which isn't a valid excuse considering I didn't update all that frequently when I didn't have Baptist History, but hey, it's an excuse! :)

(Tip: When you start talking to your blog, you know it's time for you to go to bed!!!)

Well, this post is titled update, so I should probably write an update!! Brilliant, aren't I?! lol

Hmm...let's see here, where shall I start? Well, I guess I'll start at the beginning of the semester, seeing as I haven't really done a major update since Christmas Break. I'll try to skip over the things that I've updated on in the small little updates I've done here and there this semester.

When I first got back to college we had opening Revival, like we always do at the beginning of each semester. This semester Dr. Comfort and Dr. Bill Hall preached. The messages were all really, really good, and I enjoyed all of them, but there wasn't any that really stuck out to me.

This semester, I have a pretty light load, but it's still difficult and stressful, mainly because of one class, Baptist History, which I told you about in Update. It's going a little better now, but I'm still struggling with it some.

Besides that class, I have Spreadsheets, Systematic Theology 2, Pauline Epistles, Office Practices, Procedures, & Equipment, and Database. I'm also taking piano lessons again this semester. Tuesdays are definitely my easiest days as I only have two classes, and I don't have a seven o'clock class, so I get to sleep in!!! Yay!!!

After Opening Revival, there wasn't really anything major until Valentine's Banquet. In case you're wondering, no, I did not go with anyone, unless you count sitting with Andrew and hanging out with him as going with someone, which I do not!!! I had fun, anyways. :)

After Valentine's Banquet, the next major thing was Family Fun Night. It took us till about 1am to finish setting up most of the big stuff, and then we were back at it again the next day after brunch. We finally finished setting everything up right before dinner, which is a good thing, considering it opened up right after dinner!!

Family Fun Night was really our last major event before break, well, besides midterms, that is. Thankfully, I only had two midterms this semester, so that was a nice break from past semesters where I'd had one in every class.

After break, there will only be about 6 more weeks left until I graduate!!!! I am super excited, although at the same time I'm a little sacred, because I have absolutely no idea what I'll be doing after I graduate. As of right now, the plan is for me to come home and look for a job, that is, after all the hustle and bustle of Holly's wedding is over!!

Ok, I'm going to close for now and finish updating later because it is way past my bedtime!!! I'll try to write part 2 tomorrow.

Spring Break

I've been on Spring Break this week (I think I mentioned that in my last post, but I can't remember!!! lol) and it has been SO nice to be able to relax and not have to worry about classes. It's also allowed me to get some much needed rest, which I know I'll be even more grateful for next week during Bible conference, where we have two speakers in the morning chapel and two speakers in the evening service.

I think this is the first break where I am not ready to go back. In the past, I have always been anxious to go back, but this time I wish break were longer. Don't get me wrong, I do love it down there at Ambassador, but it has been so nice to be able to be home. Even just the simple things, like either making or helping to make dinner every night this week, and doing housework, and other tasks that we usually consider menial and mundane are what I've enjoyed the most over break.

I've also enjoyed being able to spend time with my family. This is the last time for awhile we'll have a chance to spend time together as a family, because exactly one week and one day after graduation, Holly & Andrew are getting married. As of right now, we will have people here from the Wednesday before the wedding until the Sunday after the wedding, and I'm sure that whole week will be packed full of last minute details and preparations for the wedding, which will leave very little family time.

This week has been busy, but also not busy. I know, that's totally contradictory, but it makes sense to me!! Let me explain my reasoning: Compared to what my weeks are like when I'm down at college, this week has been a very SLOW week. My typical week down at college is: Monday-classes, homework, piano practice; Tuesday-classes, homework, piano practice; Wednesday-classes, visitation, helping with Master's Clubs, and fitting homework in where i can; Thursday-classes, piano lessons, homework; Friday-classes, homework, piano practice, volleyball games (or whatever sport the leagues happen to be playing, depending when in the school year it is); Saturday-homework, piano practice, & frequently, especially towards the end of the spring semester, a special event or something to do; Sunday-church in the morning, stay at church and do homework in the afternoon, church at night, get back to school just in time for dinner. With that schedule, and the occasional (although this year it's been frequent) special event thrown in here and there, it keeps me busy!!

So, as I was saying, compared to that schedule, this week has been really slow, but compared to a normal week at home (like in the summer, or before i went to college), it's been busy.
On Friday, I didn't get home till almost 12:30 (well, I guess that would technically be Saturday...lol).
Saturday, I slept in till about 11am, got up and kinda puttered (I know, that's a strange word to use, but i don't know what else to put!) around the house for awhile, and then we had something going on that night, though for the life of me I cannot remember what!!
Sunday was church, of course, and since we attend a church that's 45 minutes away from our house, that takes up quite a bit of the day when you include the travel time there and back for both the morning and evening services.
Monday was wonderful; I had absolutely nothing going on except having to make dinner, so i just kind of lazed around all day.
Tuesday, I had an appointment with my asthma & allergy specialist (more about that in a later post), and afterwords, shopping with Mom. We got home around 3:30pm or so, and by that time, I had time to do a few things, and then I helped Mom with dinner.
Wednesday was another slow day, making dinner, and then church that evening. Thursday (today), I had to go to the Verizon store in the morning to get my phone looked at (people were complaining that they couldn't hear me) which was kinda a wasted trip because they couldn't find anything wrong with it, then I stopped at the library on my way home. When I got home, i spent the rest of the day (from about 10am to 5:30pm) making meals to freeze. (I did this to make it easier on Mom & Holly; they both work, so this way they don't have to come home and worry about making something for dinner.) I managed to make 6 or 7 meals worth of food today, and I'm planning on making a few more things tomorrow. At 6pm, the lovebirds (my name for Holly & Andrew) and I went out to eat with my Pastor and his family at Tom's Ice Cream Bowl (the absolute best place in Ohio to get ice cream). By the time we got home, it was about 8 or 8:30pm.
Friday (tomorrow) is going to be another busy day. In the morning I have a dentist appointment (I HATE the dentist!!! I always have and always will!), then doing a little quick shopping. (I have to be home by 10 because the lovebirds have a premarital counseling sessions with Pastor and right now we're down to just 3 cars. (we usually have 4, but one just died.)) When I get home, I plan on doing a little more freezer cooking, as well as finding something to make for dinner...that is if we have anything left after I get done with all the freezer cooking!
As far as I know, there is nothing planned for Saturday, which is my last full day home before I go back to college, so I'll probably be packing and doing last minute stuff to get ready to head back.
Sunday, I'll be going to my church in the morning, and then meeting up with a friend at her church right after the morning service to leave for NC. It's an 8 hour drive, so that means it's going to be a LONG day even though I won't really be doing anything.

Well, that's what my busy/not busy week has been like/is going to be like. I've really enjoyed, and am not looking forward to it ending, but, alas, all good things must come to an end, or so goes the English Proverb. I'm trying to be content knowing that I had a wonderful week (10 days) home, and that in about 7 weeks, after graduation, I'll be home to stay.

Free Music

So, I was browsing the free music selection on Amazon.com today and discovered an album of someone who is now possibly my new favorite singer. her name is Faryl Smith,a 14 year old mezzo Soprano with a beautiful voice!! You would never be able to guess from the sound of her voice that she's not even old enough to drive a car yet. She was a finalist on Britain's Got Talent in 2008. If you go to Amazon.com's mp3 special deals section, click on "free albums: or something like that. Faryl's album is called "River of Light." Unfortunately, the free version only includes one song, The Blue Danube, but it is very good.
Also, if you like classical music, there's a free album download called "X5 Free Classical Sampler: Chopin 200 years: that you'll enjoy.
Well, that's all for now, but I run across more later, I'll probably edit thsi post to include those, too.