Yay for sitting!!

Hey there! I finally get to sit down today, so I'm happy =) Lol!
I just have to share a quick blessing. I have been stressing out alot about how I'm going to pay for college. Like-- ALOT! I will be paying for it on my own, so that has been a very scary thought for me. I was losing sleep over it, & freaking out whenever I thought about how much money I'm going to have to come up with, but God has given me such a peace in the past couple of days!
First of all, He has already provided the first payment in an awesome way! So that was a great encouragement.
But I was still a bit worried about how I would be able to earn the rest of the money that I will need this semester. But as He always does, God has given me assurance in a way that only He can. A peace that passes all understanding.
He has used many different things over the past few days to remind me that He is, & always will be in control, & that if He wants me to be at Northland, He will provide-in His time! But if He chooses not to, then He must have something better in store for me.
He has also reminded me that no matter how huge a monetary debt might be, He has already paid for my biggest debt with something infinately more precious than money. He sent His only son to die on the cross, to pay for the debt of my sins. How can I know that & still doubt that he can provide me with a little bit of money for college? Isn't God good? =)

Gotta love kids =)

So today I worked at 5:30am & then I headed over to our church. I practice piano there a couple of times a week, & today there was also a ladies fellowship. The Zimmers, who are missionaries to Yap Micronesia, are home on furlough, so the church had a brunch for the ladies so they could snack & chat with the Zimmer ladies. It was called 'Yap-py time'. Lol! I'm pretty sure a guy came up with that name, but anyways.
I helped with child-care, which was so much fun! I was playing with two little girls; Kate, who is 6, & her little sister Ella, who is 3. I have to share a bit of our conversation, it was quite imaginative &...random. Haha! So here's the scene: Ella & Kate were eating their lunch that they had brought in a cute little lunch bag, we were sitting in the gym of our church & just chatting, when Kate started playing make believe:

Kate: Isn't our lunch bag pretty?
Me: Yes. It is a very cute lunch bag! Did you pick it out?
Kate: We won't throw that away.
Ella: No we won't we can use it again, & again, &...
Kate: What if it gets stolen?
Me: I don't think anyone will steal it in church
Kate: But...a cow might
Ella: Yeah! There are some cows that...
Kate: A cow might come in here & say "I want that pretty lunch bag so I can carry my lunch too!" It might... he might say that.
Me: Well, maybe you can hide the lunch bag under the table, then he won't be able to see it.
Ella: Yes, that is what we should do.
(Kate promptly put the bag under the table, she & Ella both seemed satisfied & continued eating. But then Kate thought of something else)
Kate: What if it is a baby cow? Then it can see under the table!! It might still steal our lunch bag!
Ella: Yeah, the cow, the baby cow it wants EVERYTHING in the church!
Kate: It is going to come in here & take everything. But we may get it back after he takes a nap.
Ella: Do you know? The cow is going to come in here & take everything in the church, even the bathroom doors!
Kate: That is a naughty cow...

Hahaha! It continued on like this for quite a while. Probably the most entertaining conversation I've had lately. Lol! They are such adorable little girls & it was a very fun day =)

Indescribable

So lately I've been going out on our roof at night to stargaze. There's a window that opens right out onto the roof, so it's pretty easy to just climb out there.
It's a great way for me to just relax & think.

Lately I've been facing some very hard situations, but God is faithful, & it seems like every day He gives me encouragement in some way or another.
Sometimes it's through a verse I've read in my devotions, or a friend will send me a text & just to let me know they are praying for me. Little things that make a big difference.
But as big as a problem might seem sometimes, laying outside at night & staring at the stars is an awesome way to realize how small I am in the big picture, and how absolutely God is. I always find it so incredible that God chose me, & that he has a plan for me, even in this HUGE universe!

So now each time I go outside to stargaze, a song by Chris Tomlin comes to mind. It's Indescribable, & it talks about how God has created everything, He knows the stars by name, and yet he still cares for you & me. Not only does He care, but He loves us more than we can possibly imagine! If that's not encourage, I don't know what is! Lol.
Anyways, it is a great song. Here are the lyrics;

From the highest of heights to the depths of the sea
Creation's revealing Your majesty
From the colors of fall to the fragrance of spring
Every creature unique in the song that it sings
All exclaiming

Indescribable, uncontainable,
You placed the stars in the sky and You know them by name.
You are amazing God
All powerful, untameable,
Awestruck we fall to our knees as we humbly proclaim
You are amazing God

Who has told every lightning bolt where it should go
Or seen heavenly storehouses laden with snow
Who imagined the sun and gives source to its light
Yet conceals it to bring us the coolness of night
None can fathom

Indescribable, uncontainable,
You placed the stars in the sky and You know them by name
You are amazing God
All powerful, untameable,
Awestruck we fall to our knees as we humbly proclaim
You are amazing God

Incomparable, unchangeable
You see the depths of my heart and You love me the same
You are amazing God
You are amazing God

Busy, busy, busy!!!

Well, the past few days have been a very busy, with work, planning for my graduation open house (which is already this Saturday...ahhhh!!!) and the ever present, never ending piano practice, Lol! But it's all good, I go a bit crazy if I'm not consistantly doing something. =)

So getting prepared for the grad party has been pretty good so far, just have to finish up some cleaning around the house, & I also just put together a slideshow. So hopefully that will turn out ok. Then Sunday night I had my senior pics taken (better late than never, right? Lol!) A friend of the family took them for us. She used to work as a freelance photographer at a magazine in Denver, so she was alot of fun to work with (even though I really, really do NOT like cameras, haha!). Another huge blessing; She took the pics for free, as a grad gift to me. So sweet!

Then at work, one of my friends just got a job as a lifeguard, so he has been working the same shift as me so I can help train him in, which has been alot of fun. Work isn't quite so boring. He worked Saturday with me, & also tonight. We pretty much just joked around & talked about random things...good times =)
There is also a swim team that comes in on Mondays & Wednesdays that we got to help with. I don't know what it is, but lately I absolutely LOVE working with, or teaching little kids. So much, that I am thinking about minoring in Childrens Ministries when I go off to college. Please be in prayer that God would give me many opportunities to take part in different ministries over the course of the next few years, so I can be better prepared for whatever God has for me in my future.

Alright, that is all I have for tonight. Thanks for stopping in! =)

Taste of the Dells!

So this past weekend down in the Wisconsin Dells they had a festival called 'Taste of the Dells' (creative name, no? ;) Where they basically had a bunch of tents & stuff set up downtown that were selling, shirts, crafts, & food. Lots, & lots of food! My oldest sister Amber, & her husband own a Subway & a Culver's down in the Dells & they had a booth that they would be selling Culver's frozen custard. So my sister Rebecca & I went down there for a couple of days just to help out. It's always great when the three of us can get together. With Amber being 6 months pregnant & also running the Subway, we don't get to hang out as much as we would like to. So we definitely had a blast being able to work together during the day & then have girl's nights! Rebecca & I both felt the baby kick too. So exciting! I can't wait to be an auntie!!!

We had a great time, selling custard, going shopping, dressing up in the Scoopy costume & dancing around...you know, the usual. Haha! Here's a few pictures from the weekend =)

Goodbye highschool!

First official blog post! Yay! Haha, anyways-
This past weekend was the Chetek High graduation ceremony. Although I technically graduated back in December, the fact that high school was over hadn't really set in since everyone else was still in school. So now that graduation is over, & I've made the rounds to all of my friend's graduation parties, it is definitely sinking in. Looking at all of my friend's picture collages at their grad parties was a huge reminder of how lucky I've been to have such great friends! Through our awkward pre-teen years all the way up until now, we've been through alot together & I'll always be grateful for all the memories we have. So to all of my amazing friends: Congratulations on surviving high school =) And thank you for always being there me! I'm going to miss you all so much!! This blog is just going to be a way to keep my friends & family updated as I prepare for college & begin that part of my life. My hope is to keep in touch with all of my loved ones, so please feel free to leave comments/feedback, or email me! Whatever works for you. Alright, well I guess that'll do it. Lol! Hopefully, with practice, I'll get this whole blogging thing down =) Thanks for stopping in!