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!