Free to Be Me

Well, I am now celebrating my last few hours of being 20. The song "Free to Be Me" by Francesca Battistelli kind of became my theme song for the last year of my life. I felt like I could relate to it in so many ways, aside from the fact that the first line says, "At 20 years of age, I'm still lookin' for a dream..." My year being 20 really was a year of searching. But now that this year has come to a close, I am looking back at it realizing how much seeking and finding I actually did. I found myself. I found my lost relationship with God. I found my husband. I found my best friend. I found my lost relationship with my parents. I found God's calling for my life. I found my dream.

I know everything isn't solved. And I know it never will be, but I do know that this coming year will bring new adventures, new challenges, new unknowns, and new people. But you know what? I'm still me. I'm just being molded, shaped, and formed like clay so that I can better serve my Creator. And that's okay with me.

So.. 21? Bring it.

"But now, O LORD, you are our Father;

we are the clay, and you are our potter;

we are all the work of your hand."

Isaiah 64:8

Engaged!

Well, it's official! I am engaged. To be married. To the wonderful Mr. Jeremy Ohs! What a crazy week it has been. Our engagement is only 5 days old, and we haven't set a date yet, but hopefully that will be able to be accomplished this weekend. One step at a time. I am as in love with my ring as I am with the man who gave it to me. Also similar to the man I'm going to marry, my ring is so perfect for me and better than anything I ever dreamed of. I'm the luckiest woman alive. :)

Here's the story:

Last Sunday, 2 October 2011, Jeremy took me out for dinner to Tupelo's Grille in Whitefish, MT. It was seriously one of the best meals I've had in a long time. We had the famous bread pudding for dessert. After that we got in the car and he told me we had a long drive ahead of us... And he drove up to Glacier National Park (No, He didn't blind fold me..) This is the place where we both have worked in previous years, the place where we always went during the summer for lake days, hiking/biking days, etc. Usually we go in the day time of course, but tonight we went late at night. It was so dark, kinda scary, but really amazing. So we parked at Apgar and went out on the dock on McDonald Lake. He brought blankets and extra sweatshirts to keep me warm. :) He was telling me about how when we met at Creation Music Festival at the Gorge in Washington, (This is an outdoor Christian music festival held every year in the summer) we went to a Newsboys concert one night, and we were laying in the grass on the hill next to each other watching the stars as we listened to the Newsboys sing. That was the night we knew we liked each other. So then we were up at Apgar on Sunday night and we were stargazing and remembering the way we felt about each other that night at Creation. We were standing up because we were so cold and trying to stay warm, and then he got down on one knee and asked me to marry him. I, of course, said yes. So then he put the ring on my finger and we just laid on the dock giggling, snuggling close, and watching the stars. It was so perfect, and in that moment, I knew that in his arms is where I was meant to be.


Also, a side story... The ring is two sizes too big, so.. when we got up to leave the dock, it slipped off my hand. We heard it fall off my hand, then it stopped, and we were silent. We didn't hear a splash, and luckily, it didn't fall off the dock. Jeremy was able to use the flashlight on his phone to find it on the dock in the dark, and we were VERY thankful it didn't fall into the water.

It's crazy how two people meet, become friends, fall in love, get married, have kids, and grow old together. I'm so fortunate that I get to have Jeremy as my partner, my friend, and my husband.

It is my prayer that we will honor Him in our marriage and that we will do our very best to love each other as Christ loves his children.

"If I give everything I own to the poor and even go to the stake to be burned as a martyr, but I don't love, I've gotten nowhere. So, no matter what I say, what I believe, and what I do, I'm bankrupt without love.

Love never gives up.

Love cares more for others than for self.

Love doesn't want what it doesn't have.

Love doesn't strut,

Doesn't have a swelled head,

Doesn't force itself on others,

Isn't always "me first,"

Doesn't fly off the handle,

Doesn't keep score of the sins of others,

Doesn't revel when others grovel,

Takes pleasure in the flowering of truth,

Puts up with anything,

Trusts God always,

Always looks for the best,

Never looks back,

But keeps going to the end.

Love never dies."

I'm With You

I love this song so much. It's titled I’m With You and its by Nichole Nordeman & Amy Grant
Here's the lyrics!

Love is a hurricane in a blue sky
I didn’t see it coming, never knew why
All the laughter and the dreams
All the memories in between
Washed away in a steady stream

Love is a hunger; a famine in your soul
I thought I planted beauty, but it would never grow.
Now I’m on my hands and knees
trying to gather up my dreams
trying to hold on to anything

And we could shake a fist in times like this
When we don’t understand
Or we could just hold hands

You and me, me and you
Where you go I’ll go too
I’m with you, I’m with you
Until your heart, finds a home
I won’t let you feel alone
I’m with you, I’m with you, with you

You do your best to build a higher wall
To keep love safe from any wrecking ball
When the dust has cleared, we will
See the house that love rebuilds
Guarding beauty that lives here still

It’s you and me, me and you
Where you go I’ll go too
I’m with you, I’m with you
Until your heart, finds a home
I won’t let you feel alone
I’m with you, I’m with you

Who can say I’m left with nothing
When I have all of you, all of you, yeah
In the way you’ve always loved me
I remember. He does too

You and me, me and you
Where you go I’ll go too
I’m with you, I’m with you
Until your heart, finds a home
I won’t let you feel alone
I’m with you, I’m with you
(We’re gonna make it through)

You and me, me and you
Where you go I’ll go too
I’m with you, I’m with you
Until your heart, finds a home
I won’t let you feel alone
I’m with you, I’m with you

With you

back to school

I have successfully survived my first day of my 3rd year of college! I am so pumped for this semester. I feel like I will be challenged, stretched, and exhausted. It is very exciting! I'm taking mostly Gen. Ed. classes including American Government, MT History, American Literature, Human Geography, and Methods for K-8 Art. I am very excited to be taking these classes now that I am actually serious about college. I really want to be organized, involved, and excited about my classes. That's kinda the whole point! I want to become an elementary ed teacher, so I need to devote all my energies to gleaning the most out of every class, every teacher, every assignment, and every textbook.

In other news... I have been so full of joy lately! It is so awesome to be filled completely by the Holy Spirit with joy and peace. It's unbelievable how obsessed I can be with one thing, but all of a sudden have a complete change of heart about it, and hardly think about that one thing that I was overcome by for so many weeks. I can't even explain it. Thank you, God, for lifting a burden off of me!

Please continue your prayers for perseverance, encouragement, and diligence! Also, PLEASE let me know if there is anything that I can pray for for you!

Psalm 16

Keep me safe, O God, I've run for dear life to you.
I say to God, "Be my Lord!"
Without you, nothing makes sense.

And these God-chosen lives all around—
what splendid friends they make!

Don't just go shopping for a god.
gods are not for sale.
I swear I'll never treat god-names
like brand-names.

My choice is you, God, first and only.
And now I find I'm your choice!
You set me up with a house and yard.
And then you made me your heir!

The wise counsel God gives when I'm awake
is confirmed by my sleeping heart.
Day and night I'll stick with God;
I've got a good thing going and I'm not letting go.

I'm happy from the inside out,
and from the outside in, I'm firmly formed.
You canceled my ticket to hell—
that's not my destination!

Now you've got my feet on the life path,
all radiant from the shining of your face.
Ever since you took my hand,
I'm on the right way.

don't worry God, i'm strong enough.

Now that summer is well underway, I've decided to post another blog. ;) This summer has started so great. I'm working multiple jobs, and staying very busy. I'm loving spending time with my family, but also realizing how excited I am to be on my own and discovering life beyond my imagination. I had the opportunity to go camping last weekend with my family and some family friends. It was so fun to just get away from the busyness for a while and play card games, kayak, boat, eat s'mores, and just share incredibly valuable time with the people that I love, and the people that love me unconditionally.

I've been realizing the absolute, unconditional love God has for me. It's amazing to see how even when I'm falling away from Him, or when I'm not giving Him as much attention as He is absolutely worth of, He still works in my life. He sends reminders in the smallest ways, and it makes me feel so small and helpless. He reminds me that I am weak. I can't do it alone, and I should've stopped trying to do it alone a really long time ago. I'm not strong enough to do it by myself. I need his Hands of Mercy to cover me. I don't need to be strong enough. I can't be strong enough.

"I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do all this through him who gives me strength." Philippians 4:12-13

"...being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus." Philippians 1:6

Christianity ≠ Religion

I've been thinking a lot about Christianity and what it really means to be a Christian versus being a Christ-follower. Being a Christ-follower does not mean you are better than any other person. It does not mean you are above other people or that it is your job to judge people or tell people how they are to be living their lives. Being a Christ-follower isn't a religion. Being religious is performing liturgy, attending formal services, listening to sermons, adhering to a hierarchal leadership system, making sure you don't look bad, living according to a set of man-made rules you're not supposed to break, avoiding speaking words you're not supposed to say, steering clear of lines you're not supposed to cross, attempting (hopelessly) to check off all of the tasks on your "To Be Saved" list, and all the while, trying to make sure everyone else is doing the same things. Christians today have forgotten what it means to be a Christ-follower. Christianity has evolved from humility, truth, and love to legalism, righteousness, and religion. I don't want to be called a Christian if that's what being a Christian looks like. I don't want to be called a Christian if that is the witness we give to the world. Christians need to start practicing what we preach. We expect people to listen to us, respect us, and respond to us, but we don't live it. We don't listen to, respect, or respond to the world, so why would the world even think about doing the same to us? In order to make a difference in the world, we have to listen to our God, respect our God, and respond to the Call of our God instead of expecting the world to listen, respect, and respond to our witness. If we do what Christ wants us to do- which is our role in this world- the rest is in His Hands. There is nothing we can do to save ourselves, let alone anyone else.

Following Christ is a relationship. It is not, will never be, and never was a religion. It's more than a name, more than a faith, more than a creed, more than something to believe in, more than giving your allegiance. It has to be more like falling in love, more like losing your heart. It has to be less like a theory and more like a love affair.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mA9IfB7coKg

http://jasongraymusic.wordpress.com/2010/01/30/the-story-behind-more-like-falling-in-love-or-what-vibrant-faith-and-housecleaning-have-in-common/

Day Seventeen

I forgot to mention in my last blog that on Thursday, April 7th, my car broke down. My choir trip also started on Thursday, April 7th. So I had to get my car towed, then ride with the scary tow truck driver back to my school. It was such a crazy day. I was on my way back from the bank when it happened, and as I was broke down on the side of the road, I looked into my passenger seat to see the container from the drive-through at the bank. You know, those tube things that banks use to transport things through those long mysterious tubes? Yup. Unfortunately, I had accidentally stolen it, but I couldn't do anything about it because I was stuck on the side of the road! It was quite the ordeal, but luckily for me I made it back to the school on time to grab my bags and jump on the bus. So now I am car-less for the next 3 1/2 weeks, and will be depending on other people to get to work.

It has also been amazing to see how God has been providing for me. I will be working this summer for the same people I worked for last summer. First, for the Gibbs family, and then cleaning in Glacier Park at a cabin. Also I will be doing other occassional cleaning jobs and babysitting jobs. I'm really excited! I was also offered a full-time job at a Christian preschool/daycare in Whitefish that I could start anytime between June and August. I haven't decided on this one yet because it will probably be a more long term job, and if I continue with my plan to go to Missoula, might not work out. Its very hard for me to be 100% happy with my job situation because Jeremy is struggling so much with finding a job in Kalispell for the summer, let alone in Missoula. Prayers for that would be much appreciated, as well as prayers for following God's will in both of our lives, as well as our future together. :)

Well, this is the final stretch of school. Here's to attempting to find a lost motivation, handing in last minute assignments, excessive amounts of coffee, and odd sleeping hours!

Day Sixteen: Living, Learning, and Moving On

As I'm working my way back into the routine here in rainy Minneapolis, I'm realizing how valuable time is. Time can be short or can seem like an eternity. My trip to the southwest and back seemed so quick, like it barely even happened, but at the same time it seems like Nebraska, Oklahoma, Arizona, California, and Colorado (and everywhere in between) seems like it was an eternity ago. Many of the places we had concerts were followed by home stays for 2-10 members of the choir at each house. I ended up staying with several elderly ladies who had either been divorced or widowed. It was amazing to hear their stories and realize the fragility of life and the importance of the decisions you make. Not necessarily where you go to college or where you live or even your friends. But the big decisions. Who you marry, what you choose to do with where you went to school, where you live, and how you serve the Lord where He has placed you. With God, you can do great things. You can live an amazing life. Without Him, you easily get lost, confused, weak, and lose all the truly wonderful things in life.

So many of the testimonies of my peers were so amazing. It was unreal to hear some of these young adults' stories and realize how their life could have been unbelievably different if the Lord hadn't saved them. It also made me appreciate and realize what a blessing it has been for me to be raised by the parents God gave me. I was never abused in any way, put into foster care, put up for adoption, or told I wasn't good enough. I was given everything I needed and pretty much everything I ever wanted. I was encouraged, loved, cared for, and strengthened by my parents. I have taken this blessing for granted.

It was so amazing to see so many works of God's Hand. The Grand Canyon, the California coast, mountains in Utah, cactuses (cacti?), palm trees... just to name a few! Touring was fun, but it was a lot of long hours in the bus and in the choir robes. But after lots of fast food, countless pot lucks, not enough coffee, never enough sleep, lots of sore muscles, and being taught by so many people in so many ways, all I can really do is cherish those moments, don't give up, trust in God, and just keep Simply Living.

Day Fifteen

Well, it's Wednesday! Tomorrow I'm leaving Minneapolis for 18 days for choir tour. We're going to be all over the United States, including South Dakota, North Dakota, Kansas, Nebraska,Arizona, California, and Colorado. It's going to be a blast! I'm excited to see what the Lord is going to do in the lives of those our choir reaches out to as well as the members of the choir.

Our new phones just got activated today, and it's been fun getting used to my new touch screen.

I'm excited for this summer and next year, but I'm really enjoying where I am now, also. It will be fun to go the the UM Griz football/basketball games next year too. :)

I'll try to keep everyone posted while on choir tour, but the chances of seeing a blog post during that time are pretty slim. :)

"Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen. And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you."
Ephesians 4:29-32

Inadequate

Who are we to expect someone to die for us to pay the ransom for our souls? On this earth, someone would probably not die for someone who is "righteous." Someone may lay their life down for someone else if they were a good person tho. Our Lord and Savior died for us, unholy, wretched, sinners. He laid his life down for ours, and we are bad people! We are inadequate candidates of his love and affection. We are undeserving! We do nothing, and He loves us. He picks us up, carries us, comforts us, and always allows us to come back to Him. I remember my parents telling me when I was younger that there was nothing I could do that would make them love me less, and that was true. The same goes for our heavenly Father. He loves us, and there's nothing we can do to make Him love us less. Isn't that amazing?

Romans 5:6-8
"You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous person, though for a good person someone might possibly dare to die. But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us."

Day Fourteen

The snow is melting, and its nice enough outside to play with my nanny boys! Here at work, we have exchanged the snowpants, boots, and gloves for helmets, scooters, and bikes! 


I am delighted to share that I(/We) have made the decision to go home this summer and attend the University of Montana in the fall. I am really excited about this decision. Jeremy is planning on doing the same. It will be SO great to be closer to my parents and brothers! I absolutely love Minnesota (mostly the shopping and the people), but home is where the heart is... ;) 


My mom is going to be here the day after tomorrow, which will be a blast. I am excited to show her my life here in Minnesota and to introduce her to all my friends here. Then in about 10 days I'm going on choir tour! We're going all the way to California. Long bus rides, reading books, card games, beach, ocean, sun, sand, sandals, shorts, singing beautiful songs to the Lord (14 days in a row....), sharing amazing fellowship with the people in my choir, and so much more. It's going to be awesome! 


I have been comforted this week by how unfailing God's love, forgiveness, and faithfulness is to us. It amazes me how we can be so sinful and overtaken by this world but God still loves us, forgives us, and is right there for us to come back to- No matter what we do or do not do. The wages of sin is death, but the gift of God (love, forgiveness, faithfulness: Grace) is eternal life. What an amazing God we serve. 


My gluten-free diet is... dwindling? diminishing? not really happening anymore? I have been slowly reintroducing gluten-containing foods and seeing how I react, and so far, only the Chewy brand granola bars have made me sick. The breadstick at Olive Garden, the bites of apple fritter at Sbux and Caribou, organic granola bars, and other bites of foods, have not made me sick. Praise the Lord! Maybe I can begin eating gluten again! (within reason...) I am going to keep taking one small step at a time, and continue being extra cautious and aware of what my body is doing. 


Every day I continue loving Jeremy more and more. He encourages me in ways I struggle, understands me better than even I do sometimes, and never fails to love me unconditionally. I love that we can hang out when I haven't taken a shower, he lets me take naps while he watches basketball on Sunday afternoons, and he tells me I'm beautiful everyday (usually more than once a day). (Sorry, again, for ranting about him so much!) 

Romans 8:31-39 (MSG)

"So, what do you think? With God on our side like this, how can we lose? If God didn't hesitate to put everything on the line for us, embracing our condition and exposing himself to the worst by sending his own Son, is there anything else he wouldn't gladly and freely do for us? And who would dare tangle with God by messing with one of God's chosen? Who would dare even to point a finger? The One who died for us—who was raised to life for us!—is in the presence of God at this very moment sticking up for us. Do you think anyone is going to be able to drive a wedge between us and Christ's love for us? There is no way! Not trouble, not hard times, not hatred, not hunger, not homelessness, not bullying threats, not backstabbing, not even the worst sins listed in Scripture:

They kill us in cold blood because they hate you. 

   We're sitting ducks; they pick us off one by one.

None of this fazes us because Jesus loves us. I'm absolutely convinced that nothing—nothing living or dead, angelic or demonic, today or tomorrow, high or low, thinkable or unthinkable—absolutely nothing can get between us and God's love because of the way that Jesus our Master has embraced us."

A Few of My Favorite Things

Listening to Jeremy play guitar on a rainy Sunday afternoon...

Eating soup on a rainy Sunday afternoon...

Going to church on a rainy Sunday morning...

Starbucks Soy Peppermint White Mocha (no whip)...

Taking naps...

Talking to people I love...

Dairy Queen french fries and snickers blizzard

Watching the snow melt outside...

People watching...

Road trips...

Getting packages in the mail...

Watching young Christians mature in their faith...

Holding newborn babies...

Cooking for my friends and family...

Learning new recipes and succeeding...

Matthew 6...

Going to the library...

Having great friends to share memories with...

Day Thirteen

They say thirteen is an unlucky number... Well. I don't agree. But today was kind of a blah day. You know those days when you just feel off, you are tired, not hungry, and just plain blah? That was today. I just felt like everything was wrong. Even my center of gravity seemed to be off. I was running into walls and tripping over things. As a true Minnesotan would say, "Uff Da." As my roommate, ReAnne, would say, "What a day!" Nothing of significance happened. I don't have to work tomorrow, which is nice.. I'm going to try to get a lot of homework done so I don't have to worry about it any more! Who knows, maybe the rest of this semester will be filled with other stuff soon...

I went tanning yesterday b/c I have 3 free tans at a local tanning salon. It was really nice! It was like a 15 minute vacation. It's so relaxing just to lay there and not think about anything. I got a little pink, but I think with lots of lotion it'll be tan by tomorrow. I have to use the 3 free tans within one week, so I might go again tomorrow or Thursday, then again on Saturday or Sunday. It's kind of fun!

My little brother e-mailed me last night, too! I was so happy. I miss that kid so much. He is such an amazing guy and I'm so excited to see where God leads him in his life. It'll be nice when I'm closer to my family (hopefully next year) so I can see the occasional soccer/basketball game or band concert, as well as to see this little boy, that I used to tromp around the house with when He was trying to learn how to walk, grow up and mature into his own person.

I'm starting to wonder if it actually is gluten that I'm allergic to, or if it's something else. I still get sick sometimes, and I have not had an (intentional) bite of wheat-infested foods since January 5th. I do feel better, but not completely. It's very confusing...

As of now, I'm just going to keep living every day simply. Because that's all I can do in my own power and strength. :)

"In their hearts humans plan their course,

but the LORD establishes their steps. "

Proverbs 16:9

Day Twelve

Spring has [unofficially] sprung in Minneapolis. This week it's supposed to get as warm as in the upper 50's! I am so pumped. I might even break out the sandals. It's quite exciting. I think this city needs some sun!

This weekend I spent a lot of time at Caribou trying to study for my tests today, which didn't go so well. My motivation for trying to do the homework and study is quickly wearing off because I am getting just as good of a grade on the tests/quizzes after doing the homework and studying as I am without doing the homework and studying. I've never been a good test taker. That's why I think art is calling my name. :)

Recently I have been learning patience and trust. I need to be able to trust that even if I don't know the plan or the "next step," someone else does. I need to be able to be patient to see how God will lay that plan out in my life and what he will do in my life to prepare me for the next thing.

My mom is coming to visit March 30-April 3. I am so excited to show her my job, my school, my dorm room, for her to meet my roommate, see where I shop, everything! It's going to be a blast.

I'm still trying to catch up with the losing an hour of sleep thing... I didn't get much sleep this weekend, really... Maybe a good nap one of these days will do me good... :)

Eating Gluten and Dairy free has been challenging lately. I am finding that all that sounds appetizing is bagels, muffins, yogurt, cheese, etc... I did make myself a pizza on Friday, and that was delicious, but I discovered that more than 1 lactose pill in a weekend doesn't do the body good. I am never doing that again! I'm hoping that one day I'll be able to eat wheat and dairy again, because those are my favorite foods!

"Taste and see that the LORD is good; blessed is the one who takes refuge in him." Psalm 34:8

Day Eleven

Today:

Japan was hit with an earthquake.
Japan was hit with a tsunami.
Tsunami warnings were in effect for most of the Pacific Ocean.
I made a pizza (with gluten-free crust and a lactose pill).
I watched 27 Dresses.
I took a nap.
I went to DQ with ReAnne (best roomie ever)(and another lactose pill).
I did my laundry.
My mom and I talked about her upcoming visit to Minneapolis!
Jeremy made me happy.
You read my blog.
I google mapped my home in Montana.
I thought to myself, "I have nothing to say in my blog today."
I prayed.
I read some encouraging devotions.
I went grocery shopping.
I debated about whether or not to publish this post.
...



"Be still before the LORD and wait patiently for him; do not fret when people succeed in their ways,when they carry out their wicked schemes." Psalm 37:7

That's What The Promise Is For

I was nineteen, you were twenty-one
The year we got engaged
Everyone said we were much too young
But we did it anyway

We bought our rings for forty each
From a pawn shop down the road
We made our vows and took the leap
Now fifteen years ago

We went dancing in the minefields
We went sailing in the storm
And it was harder than we dreamed
But I believe that's what the promise is for

"I do" are the two most famous last words
The beginning of the end
But to lose your life for another I've heard
Is a good place to begin
'Cause the only way to find your life
Is to lay your own life down
And I believe it's an easy price
For the life that we have found

And we're dancing in the minefields
We're sailing in the storm
This is harder than we dreamed
But I believe that's what the promise is for

So when I lose my way, find me
When I loose love's chains, bind me
At the end of all my faith, till the end of all my days
When I forget my name, remind me

'Cause we bear the light of the Son of Man
So there's nothing left to fear
So I'll walk with you in the shadowlands
Till the shadows disappear

'Cause he promised not to leave us
And his promises are true
So in the face of all this chaos, baby,
I can dance with you

Day Nine/Day Ten

I'm afraid to say that I think I'm getting sick. The nasty cough that's been going around campus has finally found me. Today is just day one, so I'm hoping that I can get a good night's rest tonight and it will be gone by the morning. At the moment, I'm trying the Christian Scientist's method and convincing myself that I'm not sick. We'll see how that works out... ;)


I'm starting to feel obligated to post every day, since I have up to this point. But I am not sure how that will hold up. So for all you readers, bear with me. :)


[I started this blog yesterday, so obviously I didn't finish it and post it! Now that it's Wednesday (Day Ten), let me continue!]


I'm feeling better today. Nyquil, Dayquil, Tussin medicine, and water have been a huge part of my diet the past 24 hours. :) I took my nanny boys, Leif and Bjorn, to the library and the mall today. It was fun! But kinda crazy. They love the computers at the library, and the play area at the mall. It's fun to see them interact with other kids. I'm continually learning a lot from Leif and Bjorn. Its fun to have a job that is shaping me to be a better person that I can look forward to each day. 


I'm looking forward to the weekend... Laundry, homework, quality time with people I love, and sleep. :) 

“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 

Blessed are those who mourn, or they will be comforted. 

Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth. 

Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, or they will be filled. 

Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy. 

Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God. 

Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God. 

Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. 

Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you."

Matthew 5:3-12

Day Eight

It snowed yesterday... Not sure how I feel about that but it will melt soon I guess... I am so excited for spring and summer!!

I don't have a lot to say today... But I could use prayer for summer plans, next year plans, wisdom in next steps with my car, and persistence/encouragement with my gluten/dairy free diet, and to continued getting enough sleep and staying healthy. Do any of you have anything I can pray for you guys?


"Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting." Psalm 139:23-24 (NIV)

Day Seven: Unique

This past week I've been feeling like everyone is the same. Everyone goes to the grocery store. Everyone goes to Starbucks/Caribou/other coffee shops to talk. Everyone wants to save money for college. It's like humans are corralled like cattle! I want to break out of the cookie cutter world we live in and do something different. I don't want to be typical. I want to be a smart, ethical, Christian woman, marry a smart, ethical, Christian man, and raise a smart, ethical, Christian family that does not grow up on pizza, ice cream, tv, iPods, cell phones, and instant gratification! I don't want to fall into the pattern of this world. 


I see several pairs of women sitting in this coffee shop I'm in now talking, and they all look the same. Cute hair, fancy diamond rings, talking with their hands, nodding their heads, laughing, holding their babies, etc. They're all the same. I've done it before, trust me, and I'm sure I do it still, but every person's uniqueness and individuality seems to be disappearing and meshing with everyone else's. 


Know what else is the same about everyone? Everyone lives in an instant gratification world now. If we see something we want, we take it. We put it on our credit cards so we can worry about it later. We see apple's latest technological advancement and we want it! We "need" so much more than we need. It's never ending! What is going to happen to the world in another ten years when everyone is so dependent on technology. Where has simplicity gone? Do people not realize the value of simplicity?


As Christians, we need to stand up and make it clear to the world that we have all we need in Christ alone.


"So here's what I want you to do, God helping you: Take your everyday, ordinary life—your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life—and place it before God as an offering. Embracing what God does for you is the best thing you can do for him. Don't become so well-adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking. Instead, fix your attention on God. You'll be changed from the inside out. Readily recognize what he wants from you, and quickly respond to it. Unlike the culture around you, always dragging you down to its level of immaturity, God brings the best out of you, develops well-formed maturity in you." Romans 12:1-2, MSG

Day Six: Speechless

This blog was never meant for me or my personal benefit, but here I am, being blessed. In my efforts of living simply, I have received so many blessings in my relationships, my finances, and my walk with the Lord. I am blown away! I feel so at peace with everything in my life. My stress levels have gone down, I'm sleeping better, I feel better. It's amazing!

If any of you know my mom, you know that she is absolutely wonderful. She is the most caring, understanding, reliable woman in the world. I don't ever remember a time when she was late picking me up, forgot about me, or anything. (Although when you went to the same school your mom worked at all through grade school and high school....) And now, I can call her any time and she'll answer the phone, drop everything she's doing, and talk to me. I can call her at the most random times and she'll talk or listen. She never gets mad if I don't have anything specific to talk about. She listens to me. She respects me. She loves me. And I love that! 

So today I was walking through Target, and I picked up some Starburst Jelly Beans, and continued to pick up the other few things I needed. I was walking and thinking and then I stopped. I thought to myself: "Why am I buying candy? I do not need candy! That is such a waste of money! Its not living simply! It's unhealthy!" So I put it back on the shelf. This is the kind of stuff that is hard for me. I have such a sweet tooth, but its so bad for me. I really need to try to not buy the candy/food that the first or second ingredient starts with the words "high fructose." 

So I'm sitting at Avant Garden Coffee shop in Anoka, which is where Jeremy works. I love being here when he's working :) Its the only time I want to flirt with the guy behind the counter. He probably hates it.. I love listening to him have conversations with random customers and just listening to his voice. I kind of like secretly knowing that no one else in the coffee shop knows that we're dating. It's kind of fun. :)

The reason for this long post is because I'm procrastinating reading 2 Samuel 10-24 for a quiz on Tuesday... 

"But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus." Philippians 3:13-14

;)

Day Five: Reminder

"Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you."

Philippians 4:4-9

Day Four: BF/Car/Music

Good afternoon!

I just have to say... I love my boyfriend. I promised myself when I started this blog I wouldn't talk about how wonderful he is in every single blog, but I just can't help it! He is so supportive, caring, encouraging, patient, and loving. I could go get a tattoo, an obscure piercing, gain 50 pounds, etc. (the list of things I would never think about doing could go on and on...) and he would still love me the same.

Anyways... ;)
Today was a good day. I picked up  my car, paid the $400, and drove away with a reluctant smile on my face. I am excited to get rid of it, but glad to have a car to drive while in the process of selling it. (Anyone looking? ;) ) I also got 8 hours of sleep last night, plus a 45 minute nap during my free hour of classes this morning! It was wonderful.

I added a playlist to the blog today... I'm not sure if I like this particular one, and its hard to find the songs I want on it, so we'll see how this music/playlist idea progresses.. Check it out!

"The LORD your God is with you,

the Mighty Warrior who saves. 

He will take great delight in you; 

in his love he will no longer rebuke you, 

but will rejoice over you with singing.”

Zephaniah 3:17 (NIV)

Day Three: Food, etc...

Well, it's day three, and I want to mention a few of the things I have discovered that I love eating on my gluten-free diet.

• Muddy Buddies (a.k.a. Puppy Chow)
• 9 cups Rice Chex Cereal (or Corn Chex)
• 1 cup chocolate chips
• 1/2 cup of peanut butter
• 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 1/4 cup butter
• Melt together butter, peanut butter, and chocolate chips in a 1 quart microwave safe bowl
• Pour chocolate mixture over cereal
• Place into 2 quart ziploc bag
• Shake powdered sugar and chocolate covered-cereal together until equally distributed.
• Fruit: Apples, Bananas, Peaches, etc...
• Meat: Sausage, Bacon, Chicken, Beef
• Eggs (Omelets [still perfecting the art of omelets...], scrambled eggs)
• Peanut Butter
• Betty Crocker gF brownie mix, undercooked, with a spoonful of peanut butter on the top :D

The list could go on, but these are a few of my recent favorites. :)

Yesterday, I decided to pay $400 to get my brakes fixed on my $1200 car. It was extremely hard to make that decision, but it'll be worth it having a car I can drive instead of sharing with Jeremy. I'm going to trust God to bring me the money I need for the upcoming choir tour, school payments, and other living expenses. Right now, I could use prayer for:

• Summer plans
• Next school year plans
• Being patient for the next step in my relationship with Jeremy
• Getting enough sleep and staying healthy

"Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer" Romans 12:11-12

Simplicity.

In this world, it is so hard to live simply. So far, I have discovered that there are a few things to keep in mind while attempting to live simply through Christ.

• Be content in Christ, be content with what you own, and do not look at what other people have or what you might want. Look at what you do have and how you can best utilize it and use it to the glory of our Creator!
• Be patient.
• Communicate with others. You will never know how powerful the fellowship of the believers can be until you tell people your needs.
• Be resourceful with your own things. See what you can do with what you have before giving up and placing the burden on someone else.
• Do not seek convenience, seek practicality. Unfortunately, the easiest thing may not be the right thing.
• Trust the Lord. [Trust God from the bottom of your heart; don't try to figure out everything on your own. Listen for God's voice in everything you do, everywhere you go; he's the one who will keep you on track. Don't assume that you know it all." Proverbs 3:4-6, MSG]
• Pray. Continue talking to the One who takes care of you.

Day Two: Worth It

My boyfriend Jeremy walked to a coffee shop this morning and it took him about 45 minutes. He did this because I had his car. Because my car is in the shop waiting for me to decide if I can afford fixing the brakes or not. My boyfriend is ridiculously amazing. We have been sharing his car for the past few weeks because my car has been so unreliable. Until now through his actions, he hasn't said a peep. That is Love. Francesca Batistelli's new album is called Hundred More Years. [http://www.francescamusic.com] On that album she has a song called Worth It. These are the lyrics:


Love's not a feeling
Love's not convenient
But I know love will change your life
Love takes sacrifice
Love cuts like a knife
Sometimes love will make you cry
Love's not easy
But it's worth it
Love is a hunger
But love won't leave you empty
See it's the language of the heart
Love can steal your pride
But love won't let you hide
It takes everything you've got
Love's not easy
But it's worth it
What you gonna do when the bottom falls out
And you're left with nothing but your fear and your doubt to hold to
Who will hold you?
Where you gonna run when it's all on the line
And you're looking for someone to save your life
To save your life
Love can hear you
Love can heal you
If you let it inside
Oh, remember now
Love's not easy
But it's worth it
What you gonna do when the bottom falls out
And you're left with nothing but your fear and doubt to hold to
Who's gonna hold you?
Oh, where you gonna run when it's all on the line
And you're looking for somone to save your life
To save your life
Love can hear you
I know love will heal you
If you let it inside
Oh, remember now
Love's not easy
But it's worth it

The lyrics to this song are so true.
Talk about living simply.
<3



"Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails." 1 Corinthians 13:4-8 (NIV)

Day One

I have been wanting to start a blog for a while now, so today I decided to just do it. I decided to stop over-analyzing what to call it and what kind of theme to have. The purpose of this blog is to talk about my life: how God is working in my life, my gluten/dairy-free diet, my friends, my family, and my life goal of living simply, without excess, knowing that I have all I need in Christ alone.

I am currently attending Association Free Lutheran Bible School in Plymouth, MN. It's about 10 minutes West of the heart of downtown Minneapolis. I love everything about Minneapolis, other than the fact that my precious baby brother, Jorgen (who is actually 10 years old now),  and my loving, amazing parents are still in Montana. (I miss the mountains too...) My friends that I've made here have been such a blessing from God, and learning about His Word has been seriously life-changing. I'm excited to see where He takes me next.

Early this year, I decided to try going without gluten and dairy because something was making me sick, but I didn't know what. So I've been gluten-free for about 2 months now, and feel really great. Its hard to avoid both the gluten and the dairy, but I have truly been trying. I've found some delicious meals and snacks that I can have, and it has definitely paid off.


I think that's all for now! 


"If you decide for God, living a life of God-worship, it follows that you don't fuss about what's on the table at mealtimes or whether the clothes in your closet are in fashion. There is far more to your life than the food you put in your stomach, more to your outer appearance than the clothes you hang on your body. Look at the birds, free and unfettered, not tied down to a job description, careless in the care of God. And you count far more to him than birds." Matthew 6:25-26 [The Message]