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!

I don't even know where to begin...

How about with a shout out of a Happy birthday to my nephew Caleb, he is 10 today...It's kinda unbelievable, kinda like he is. Such a smart, gifted, young guy he is. So Happy Birthday Caleb, wish I was there to give you a BIG hug and kiss on your BIG day to celebrate! But I'm not so Bridge, its your job to relay these actions to your son...

How about now we go to the topic in class last Thursday, that would be another great place to start (there is that phrase again Marketia). The topic was creating a vision statement for your life... WHOA! Already, I have to create a vision statement, I've only been here two weeks and have one skimmed the surface of beginning to learn everything we are to learn this year....and I have to create a vision statement? Yup, sure do Andrea and it's due next Thursday...it must have 3 parts to it...a what, a how, and a why...oh ya and by the way each one of those sections can only be 2 sentences long... where oh where do I begin... one thing is obvious to me, I want to build relationships with girls through our interest in cheerleading, to give me a plateform to teach the disciplines of life, through the discipline of the sport of cheerleading. With that, my mind automatically start thinking but that's not going to bring in money...so what do I do? (let me insert that at this time I'm listening to Pandora music, and Shane and Shane just happen to be playing....the song is Psalm 13, the chorus is I will wait for you, Lord I will wait for you) Which is exactly what I was about to type, the what do I do is build relationships with girls through cheerleading and let the Lord us me to teach them about life and a relationship with Him through the disciplines of cheerleading. Who knows if that will be my job, but for now its my vision and purpose in life. I am at the same time praying about nursing school, the Lord has definately given me a heart for people, to love on them, and help them in their time of need. Being a nurse would definately give me that opporutnity. More on that later...

I had the most wonderful opporutnity to eat breakfast with a wonderful family this morning. It's always such a blessing to see how different families interact. I also got a chance to have some good conversation with a women and to hear her heart about raising children (which goes hand in hand with the paper I'm writing right now). Come to find out she's actually written a book, with a calender like set up to help mother's find their schedule and to help teach the importance of teaching the Lord from a very young age. I was blown away and asked...why do I feel like no one knows this about you...this spurred into a conversation that really spoke to my heart. I relate to this precious women in a really deep way, for some reason I feel like I keep alot of myself to myself, and honestly it is screaming to get out...I have always felt like I'm on a completely different page than most people, but maybe it was more so that I never gave them the opportunity to listen. This summer I had the rare occasion to have a friend who expected nothing out of me, other than to just be a friend...such a blessing it was to my life because for 1 of the 1st times ever I felt as if they just enjoyed my company and enjoyed being around me. For so long I've felt like my relationships were based on a need me basis; people would be my friend when they needed me. Kinda a rough place to be, which is probably why I don't talk much about what is going through my mind. But the way my friend and my's conversation ended today was that the Lord has given up desires, wisdom, knowledge, and a passion for a reason and we shouldn't hide it.... How often I fall short of this....Lord, help me today to be ever so present in the many life situations that I would know when to speak and when to listen, when to open up, when to keep the heart closed. We need to people, but people won't ever know what's going on if you don't tell them.... Open up, share, and let people help guide you, with the word, with their experience, so you to can experience the Lord in every aspect of your life.

Day 7...

So today we inductively studied Jonah... It was so stinking fun to really get in and dig deep. Yesterday when studying 2 Peter we walked through it all together as a class, today we got to go through it on our own. It was really fun to see the discussion that occured when we all came back together and shared our thoughts. One thing that stood out to me was that Jonah after being told to go to Nineveh said he wanted to flee God's presence. It makes reference to "fleeing God's presence" 3 times in the first 2 chapters- this became quite the topic for a bit b/c it was made known that in Psalm 139 it speaks of how the Lord is EVERYWHERE we go, so technically you can't "flee from God's presence" because He is everywhere. After discussing for a bit the teacher enlightened us with the fact that in literal translation Jonah is saying he wants to flee God's face, not actually His presence. We then connected in chapter 2 that he speaks of how he actually fled from the Lord's face and didn't like where he was.

When the Lord says go or do, we really shouldn't second guess what He has in store, THANKFULLY, our God is a God of second chances and that is seen strongly in the story of Jonah in both Jonah's life and the life of the people of Nineveh. Don't wait for the second chance to follow, listen and obey today!

Seriously?!?

Well I survived writing the papers that were due on Sunday and actually though time consuming I enjoyed every part of writing them. Sunday we all went to Church together, they introduced us to the congregation and prayed over us and the year ahead. After Church and while finishing up my papers, Abbie and I moved back into our old room (the one that flooded) and I finally feel settled! My life seems so much less stressful when the room I live in is a little organized.

Today and tomorrow a guy named David Lawson is doing the lectures for class. The topic is How to Study your Bible. We learned and practiced the inductive study method which we will be using to study the book Isaiah this fall. Today we did an overview of 2 Peter. We were in class from 8-12:30 and 2:30 to 4 studying the Bible! Seriously?!? That's what I do for school....how stinkin cool is that? I am WAY beyond blessed to have this experience.

On December 14th I have been asked to run a 1/2 marathon with one of my friends...this will be a HUGE challenge but I feel that the situation I am in right now is one that will definately help me succeed in this process...I've wanted to run a 1/2 marathon for awhile, and I am finally going to make that happen...

enough from me for tonight...back to the reading I go!

All in one week...

Hello world! I am currently sitting in the dining hall thinking back upon the week that I just experienced. Exactly one week ago to I was driving up to Missouri to make my home for the next couple months. It was an absolutely unbelieveable week and I would totally LOVE to walk you through what has been going on.

Saturday we arrived and moved into the Cabanas...My roommate is an absolutely wonderful girl named Abbie from Missouri. We bonded relatively quickly us both being very layed back people. That night we had dinner and games in the Hale Olina (house of joy...aka the dining hall) then we were free to continue getting settled in. Well by the time the settling occured it was about 1am for Abbie and I. We were SO excited b/c we were organized...life is good when organization is in place. So we went to sleep...did I mention that a Hurricane had hit Texas a couple days before and we'd been told it was going to rain? Or that I live on the bottom floor at the end of a little slope in the road? So Let me rephrase that with sandbags in place at the bottom of the slope and 1 am Abbie and I went to bed....We were awaken at 3:30 am by our sweet mate Kristin by a pounding at the door (I'm laughing as I replay this memory in my head) Abbie crawls out of bed and announces our floor is wet! She goes to the door cracks it a little and I hear water rushing in...she slams the door! We then start trying to decide what we do now that our room is flooded, we try to call some people, we laugh, we call some more people, and laugh some more...the only people to answer their phones were some K one staff who are living on the Kauai properties while they re-do their house. They were nice enough to allow us to come to their house and sleep for the rest of the night. The next day we changed rooms and are currently still waiting for our room to dry out so we can move back....memoriable experience, for sure!

Since then we have had an intermix of class, and lots of get to know you activities...we've been out on a house boat, played blue gnu and snipper at the landing, we just returned from a camping trip in Arkansas which included hiking and bluff jumping, the sharing of testimonies, and good amount of time with the Lord to prepare for this next year. Its so fun to be at a place of life and learning where nothing goes without being prayed over before something is done...God is to be glorified in all.

We were in class really 2 days this week. Karen did a Biblical overview of the whole Bible as we learned the map out of the Old and New Testament... so cool it was to see how it all interconnected...the old testament has been something I've read but hadn't really tried to understand how it fit together because it has a lot of lineage lists and I got real confused real fast. But now I see how it all fits together, well its a good basis anyways...I'm excited to go deeper! We also got new study Bibles this week, I looked at Abbie when they passed them out and said, "How cool is this....this is our text book! We are studying the Bible for school!" We were really excited.

For me today and tomorrow will be completely ingrossed in writing papers about peoples opinions on spirituality and religion, interesting words, and definately interesting readins I've had to do that I don't honestly know how I feel about...but I heard this class is actually good even though it is the hardest....So here goes nothing, I'm diving in to get these papers done....until the next time...see ya!

So its been awhile...

Hey ya'll from the Ozarks! Things are going wonderfully here...Lots of families have walked through these gates with the opportunity to relax and be recharged in the Lord as well as grow together as a family! Its been so stinkin fun to see the Lord work in all these families and individuals young and old. We have approximately 4 more terms of families coming, I seriously cannot believe that we are already that far into the summer. It will be here and gone before I know it and I'll be back at home for a bit before returning to school in the fall. Speaking of school...I'm planning on getting a Masters in youth and family ministry over the course of the next year. When I decided this was the route I stated I didn't want to take out anymore student loans to pay for the schooling....well, I decided that I would go ahead and apply for student loans to help cover the cost...it seems the Lord wants to teach me a big lesson in trust, it looks as if I won't be recieving much money from FASFA. I'm pretty confident that I want to do the Masters program so that means...I kinda need to come up with about 10,000 dollars...yay...a friend once said...if its God's will its Gods bill. Lord I'm handing this one over to you...I will do my part and fit together the pieces, just lead me in the direction to find those pieces!

One little text...

Today the boys and I were out for a walk and I just randomly text one of my friends to see how their day was going. Well when he replied he informed me things were not real great. Alot of things in his life were just not going the way he really planned for them to go. Complications with his roommate, financial difficulties, girl problems, ect. He said he had worked himself up so much last night he had had a panic attack. I was really amazed at how open and honest he was about his situation at hand. But oh am I ever so thankful, it was a great open door. I explained to him that times such as these are such great times to remember that nothing in life is consistent, that the Lord and His word are the other constant things in life. I said in these tough times if we cling to the Lord and His promises in the word, even the toughest times can be looked back on as good, because our faith was strengthened so much. I got to ask my friend if he had a Bible (he wasn't sure where it was, I encouraged him to find it and to dig it. I offered to buy him one if his could not be located. He said he would get one, but it would be helpful if I could give him a list of verses to look up. I was SO excited, I had never gotten a chance to talk to my friend about his relationship with the Lord, and the Lord completely opened the door. I am sorry he is hurting but I know someone who can calm all fears, and pain and that is who I am going to point him to. And I got this opportunity all because I sent one little text...

My little sister and I had conversation this week about an area of live we were going to begin keeping each other accountable in. And that area was speaking the truth into peoples lives even when we were afraid of the outcome. I have had one to many friends go through tough times and turn away from the Lord. I cannot control my friends decisions but I can speak the truth into their life and try to help remind them on the foundation that they used to stand on...

Let my eyes, ears, mind, and heart be ever mindful of the people around me. We don't know what is going on in peoples lives until we meet them where they are and simply ask...will you make time to meet someone today?

Sunday, Monday, Tuesday...

Sunday morning me and my mom went walking at the track, there were 3 little guys out there (by little I mean between ages 7-9) and EVERY time we walked by they threw plastic bottles at us! I think we were both wearing Oklahoma State stuff, who knows if that was the reason why, but they got lots of kicks out of hiding and trying to ping us with the bottles. Thankfully the wind was blowin so they never actually made it to us...Sunday afternoon was spent with the fam celebrating my little cousins 3rd birthday. It was so stinkin fun b/c my sister and her children came down, and by down I mean up to visit us as well. It's always a treat to have them around :) Mondy was a Monday, hanging out at the house with the 2 little guys, then I watched the CMA's. Today was Tuesday and it was a great day, got a workout in, and just relax. I also got to watch the finale show for the Biggest Loser, what an incredible show. Its so fun to see the changes that happen in those peoples lives as their learn how to live healthier lives. The show took place over six months and I now have a new goal of working on consistency in my life as far as working out. I've been doing fairly well, and want to continue this through the summer as I change environments...So I'm staring now thinking of how that will happen. I want working out to be something I cannot go without doing...maybe I can get to where I replace the diet coke with the working out...now theres a goal...and also another topic for another day...good night!

Frustration yet Perserverance...

Forgive me if I spelt (you didn't know it, but I'm English :) )that wrong...today has been a frustrating day. Long story short I'm getting very tired of doing something for someone and never getting anything in return. I've been battling with this all day long, I am exhausted with continually trying to befriend someone, yet they dont seem to want to be friends with me...so you say move on, right? Well let me give you a little history, it is a relationship that has a crazy beginning honestly the most random meeting ever, we were introduced by a man who knew me at age 5. We met 5 years ago, and since I met this person I have grown SO much in the Lord as I learned to listen to the Holy Spirit and follow His prodding (sp?) This friend is a decent friend when I approach them, hardly ever am I approached by them. Well this friend is now in a discipleship program for 6 months (starting in January) and I have been sending notes of encouragement off and on since the beginning. This program allows the students to write mail in return and I have not recieved anything back, which is frustrating (I just wanted to know what they are learning..). So I've been thinking...do I continue to send letters? (b/c satan is wispering in my ear, andrea don't do it, stop writing they don't care, so on so forth). However, this afternoon after battling this yesterday evening through this morning the Lord and I had some good one on one time. Basically this is what I was reminded of: Just like this friendship has taught me from day 1, it is what it is because of the Lord and His instructions of what I am to do. I have been blessed in so many ways by seeing how the Lord has worked when I simply did what I was called to do. I made a committment to this friend in December telling them not only would I be praying for them, I would write them letters while they were away. I do what I do because its what the Lord has told me to do period...why in the world would I second guess anything else that goes along with that...as well as I was reminded of the verse that says "Never tire of doing good, for at the right time you will reap a harvest if we do not give up." (Gal 6:9) Because really, glorifying the Lord is what it is about, if a friend is gained wonderful. But how horrible it would be the miss out of seeing the Lord work b/c I was selfish and wanted something more out of it, isn't the Lords blessing enough? ...A frustrating day, yet a day where frustration turned to perserverance as I chase after the things the Lord has called me to take part in...

What a weekend...

This past weekend I got to roadtrip to Branson for leadership weekend. I was able to hang out with lots of friends and really get fed spiritually. Hearing lots of things about unity of the body (using Phil 1), salvation (Phil 3), and then about the not underestimating the power of the Lord in our lives. We are teaching Philippians to the staff this summer, so we got lots of good views on the book, as well as views on the life of Paul. It got me really excited to realize next year I'll be getting to study the word for class, and then getting to take what I've learned and use it in the internship I will be having as well..I have such a passion to be in the word and to know the word and cant wait to be taught the connections through the Bible. Alright...to bed I go, I hope I will continually get better at writing as I continue to do this...
but think on this...
the Lord loves you just as you are, HOWEVER, He loves you SO much that He doesn't want to leave you that way. Salvation is a great experience with the Holy Spirit as you become connected with the Lord, after that experience let the Lord begin to santify you as you grow and learn about Him...Let Him mold you into the person you are called to be, when you are moldable and usable is when His power can never be underestimated in us.

3rd times a charm...hopefully for me it will only take 2...

Well here I go again trying to join the world of the blog...lets see how try 2 goes at this...by the time I move to Branson next fall I should be real good at it. That is in fact when I want to start really using this blog..okay enough for now I'm going to try to figure out how to post of AlandJanes web page so EVERYone will know I have started a blog myself...until later...