Just 3 things...

1. I got a haircut, pictures soon to follow.
2. I attempted to put up a video from the olden golden days :) but failed, I will get one up soon.
3. Read the Old Testament, it is pretty stinkin awesome.
a. Especially the story of Joseph
b. Or the story of Moses


-man how I don't ever feel qualified, however neither did Moses, or Joshua but the same thing that the Lord said to them is true for us... Be strong and courages, DO NOT fear, for the Lord God is with you where ever you go! (Joshua 1:9) Or all through their it talks about the Lord going before us...The New Testament assures us in Hebrews that the Lord is indeed the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow. So follow boldly where the Lord is taking you, for He's already there.

I am so stinking blessed to have a year to study the world, it is pretty much incredible how alive the word of God is becoming for me. Dive in, ya'll the water is deep!

McDonalds Parking Lot...

Yes, I'm sitting in the McDonalds parking lot :) I am about to go hang out with Nana, and make some Thanksgiving goodies for the kiddos. We are making 12 ish turkeys (sugar cookies that is) On Sunday night I went over to hang out with her for the evening and brought over this little turkey idea (it was in my head, I wasn't really sure how we'd pull it off), she loved it so much she thought we needed to make more...so that's the goal of today.

I am also working on my BIG BIBLE OVERVIEW PROJECT! I then get to do a presentation on the Exile era in about 2 weeks in front of the staff. The presentation needs to be ten minutes, and then after the ten minutes they get 5 minutes to ask me questions..ah! haha, but it should be fun, what a great opportunity to learn and learn to teach, right?

Last week in class we studied Matthew. I am continually amazed at how well the Bible fits together...have I said that yet? Cause I walk out of class EVERYDAY just amazed once that nothing is left unturned. Just a small example, in Chapters 8-9 of Matthew there is 10 miracles done, they occur in a pattern of a miracle done to a Jew, a Gentile, then a Jew once again showing how the Lord came for the Jews, He was rejected, offered life to us (the gentiles), and will eventually reveal Himself to the Jews once again! Everything is interwoven...its incredible!

With JBU I've finished 3 classes now-yay! But I just picked up another class, and for this class I just read the book A Woman's Forbidden Emotion. It's quite the book, it really puts some things in perspective. The "forbidden emotion" is anger, but it talks about anger being a secondary emotion. I would recommend it to anyone! Not just because people have supposed anger issues :) but because it kinda helps you open you ideas to the ideas of emotions and how we don't really teach them in the Church. Emotions aren't the problem, how we handle them is...and if we don't ever talk about them, will we ever really know how to handle them??? just something to think about.

On a lighter note, I wrote a paper of this book and my dad read some of it. He said he was amazed at how much my writing has improved! He's really good with words, and at the beginning of the year would read my papers to help me not be so wordy. :) He read this paper and said he would not change a thing... yay! (I write on the blog as I talk... so sorry if this is not as proper as I might be able to write).

I got to go visit some of my little friends last night (these cute little guys ages 7,5,3,1ish. It was sooooo stinking fun, precious little wild guys. Haha. Seeing my friend M was awesome as well.

I think that is all for now...I'm picking up my sister and her cute little kiddos today! Yay for holidays and time with family...I'll post some picks later of Nana Bana and the turkeys.... Love!

I gave a talk today...

I WAS SOOOO STINKING NERVOUS! but God is good, and it ended up being a lot of fun. I should probably be good to go to do another one come next semester :). The way class goes we get to speak on something that has been talked about in the two weeks prior to when we have our speaking time. I chose accountability. The Lord helped me connect in some pretty cool visuals, letting me use a video and such to help get to point across. I used lots of different scripture reference, but built off the Eph 6 passage that my talk was supposed to follow. (My talk was set up as if I had just finished a series of the Armor of God). I went off the verse in Eph 6:18 telling up to PRAY and ALWAYS BE ALERT! Being alert reminded me of my dad teaching me to drive, he always taught me (seriously starting at age 10) that you have to drive always checking in EVERY direction so that if something happened I'd know where to go safely. So I asked what being alert looked like in a spiritual since (sense?) In thinking about wearing the armor and being on alert I started thinking about how in the world I was supposed to see what was coming up behind me...(I don't have eyes back there, and no matter how fast I turn my back is always still open). I suggusted getting a friend, someone who daily puts on the armor as well to stand back to back with you. WHOSE GOT YOUR BACK? was the actual title...when you have someone who knows your struggles and can help you "look" out for the things that come your way you are less likely to fall into so traps... (scripture references used Prov 11:14, Prov 27:17, Hebrews 3:13, James 5:16, and Ecc 4:9-10) We need people to help us (encourage us, sharpen us, lead us - you can enter any of these here) so we can more effectively live out the life the Lord has called us to live. We have to put on the armor, and be ready to fight! Are you ready for battle? Do you have the armor on, and the sword out? and if you do...WHOSE GOT YOUR BACK?

A long time coming...

It's been awhile, I know! So sorry...things have been sooo crazy lately. I went to JBU for an intensive school week about 2 weeks ago. That was an awesome week of putting together everything we'd done for the masters up until that point. I was challenged to think about the box and approach issues of why Jesus is the example we should follow and imitate, to what it really means to find your image in Christ. We were made in His image, yes, but how would you explain what it means to live through that.

A week after that I got to go to Stillwater for the weekend to visit my sister, and to watch the homecoming Oklahoma State football game. Yea!! They won, it was an awesome weekend just to be back there again and to get to cheer on the Cowboys to victory once again! Go Pokes...

This past weekend my parents came to visit me! They came up on Thursday night and stayed through til today, we got to see a couple of shows and just got to hang out and watch football. It was a wonderful relaxing weekend to get to spend with them, they are absolutely amazing- I am SO blessed.

So what happens next? Well- its time to charge on to the finish...3 weeks til Thanksgiving break, a week off, then back for 2 weeks! Crazy how fast this has and is going...I can't believe Thanksgiving is sooo stinking close, but no worries I have quite a bit to do in the midst of those 5 ish weeks of class. 4 assignments left in the classes I am enrolled in right now, a Bible over project due for the Institute, and I start another class come November. Yay for getting a Masters in a year! :) It definately keeps ya busy...

Well I must head out, it is time to go to my internship for the evening...have a blessed week! I am going to start to try to update weekly. Prayfully that will happen...much love!

A verse for the post before...

18 There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves punishment, and the one who fears is not perfected in love.19 We love, because He first loved us.20 If someone says, "I love God," and hates his brother, he is a liar; for the one who does not love his brother whom he has seen, cannot love God whom he has not seen.21 And this commandment we have from Him, that the one who loves God should love his brother also.
1 John 4:18-21 (NASB)

Who needs a title...

Yay for getting to hang with a really good friend. One of my kamp friends came through town Monday night, and it was really fun just to get to fellowship with them for a little bit. This person is one that truly impacted my life this summer, in the sence that watching him live and interact with people made me really think about how I was interacting with people. Not the people right around me, but the people that I don't even know. For instance, he and I and another friend were at the landing one 2-4 (our days off from kamp) and he sees some guys laying brick in the hot boiling sun. Now if you've been to the landing you know that there are LOTS of information centers and they all have free drinks. My friend says, I'll be right back ( I say okay and head on the atm to get some cash) I turn around to see him giving cups of water to these guys who are laying the brick. What a testament to the person he is inside, he is so consistent in serving everyone who comes in his life whether that is for 15 seconds or for a life time. His life has really opened my eyes to the opportunities we have to serve people and to show them the love of the Lord everyday... such a blessing! Open your eyes for these opportunities as you live today!

Life at the Institute is well, I started my internship last Sunday night. It will be so fun to serve this Church the next couple months as I get to hang out with kiddos and dive into their lives. I'm continuing to pray about my vision statement, and really just direction for how the Lord desires my gifts, talents, and passions to be used for His glory. If you'd like you can join in on those prayers as well.... until next time...later!