march.

it seems a lot longer than a week ago that i wrote in here. it's been a crazy busy month, and it's only going to get busier. i am so ready for easter break! and it's really a break for me as i don't have class Thursday, Tuesday and we get Friday/Monday off. i wish i had something 'deeper' to write about in here, but i got nothing. thought i should at least post something, tho. and, april fool's day is coming up, so that's always exciting. i presently don't think any one is planning anything, but then again you never know. i could put someone's stapler in jello...that would be so great!!! maybe i will prank the farm house girlies....yes, i think so. :]

yard stick.

well it's been a crazy few weeks so far as project is concerned. i have met almost half the team going, which is pretty exciting. finances are crazy ... support raising is always interesting, but i finding that once again God is proving more faithful than i give him credit for, and has been using some interesting & surprising people to help me out. officially i am 13% there...over half way to the $1,000 mark which I should have by...oh, yeah, THIS Saturday...haha. probably not going to make it, but that's fine. i haven't gotten my passport yet, but i'm not really worried because i'm pretty positive i won't be getting it before the kickoff weekend in april. and even tho i started a new job i am finding that i can't work much. rent's due, and i have some debts that need to be paid back...so this whole money thing should be interesting. time to drop a notch lower on the 'living below my means' yard stick. it's been a very hard lesson for me to learn, and one which God is still teaching me, and probably forever will be.

random, very trivial thoughts.

just want to warn you that i am venting to my blog because i want to go to bed so i need to. i hate when i hear things i'm not supposed to. ugh. ouch. especially when it's not very nice, and it's sarcastic, and it points out my faults. what a boost to my confidence. and i never say anything because i don't have the guts, but i'll mull it over in my mind, coming up with all sorts of awesome (albiet mean) come-backs. and saying something might may it worse, but sometimes you have to. even if it makes it worse for awhile, it makes it better because you can get it out in the open and off your mind. ugh.

i have been noticing more and more in my daily life that grace plays a huge part in things. i am hope that i act with grace towards others, altho i know there are many a time when i don't. a lot of times i don't. and i don't pull my weight. that can be do to the fact that i have different standards than some, or i know i don't pull it and i'm trying my best. and sometimes it's due to the fact that i honestly don't realize i'm not pulling my weight.

so glad there is grace in this world. and forgiveness.

spring break!

it's early saturday morning and i'm watching the office, ignoring my pile of homework & laundry. i just got home tonight from a sweet spring break. i didn't really have any plans until sunday afternoon when i decided to go home for a few days. home was good, normal, etc. took a bunch of photos of the snow outside...yeah. won't be home until easter, so that's fine. THEN alyssa picked me up in worthington and we headed to rochester to hang out with nick, and then stayed with some of alyssa's high school friends. then it was off to eau claire to hang out with jen from lys' project. i met a ton of awesome people -- a handful of them will be on project w/ me this summer in brazil. i really like their campus (i made it up the big hill just fine...but once was enough). it was interesting to go to their Cru meeting (and NOT have to do anything to set up or help!) and see how they run things. got some good ideas for the rest of the semester for our meetings.

All in all, it has been an awesome break. i could have gone to panama city beach with crusade ... but this was a lot of fun, and i'm not really a 'beach' type of girl. I had an open road in a beautiful part of the country, no agenda, a full tank of gas & a hundred cds between the two of us, along with some of my mom's cookies and a very good friend. on the way home i had this feeling that my life was real again, that all the stress of school and trips and conflicts and work is not what life is about. that drive through the wooded hills of wisconsin was all i needed to clear my head and remind me of a very important part of life-- sit back and enjoy the ride; it's a journey, not a destination.

skype!

Yep, I downloaded skype today. it looks like a pretty sweet program. I am excited to learn how to use it so i can chat with pple while in Brazil - how fun to talk with people back home while I'm there, or those in Australia on project this summer, or Gerber over in Asia! fun stuff. gotta love technology. :]

works for our good.

Lately I have been thinking a lot about God's sovereignty, and how that relates to me where I am at now and where I will be in the future [the future - go figure]. Romans 8:28 says "And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to his purposes." This verse has been very encouraging to me lately and I really enjoy breaking it down to understand the full meaning. "in all things" - God isn't just present when we ask Him to be, or when we desperately need him to be, but even when we don't think about Him being around us. "God works for the good" - Not everything that happens to us is good. tough to deal with sometimes. God is able to turn everything that happens into good in the long run. "of those who love Him, who have been called according to his purposes." - His promise can't be claimed by everyone, but by those who are called to fulfill his purposes -- and God works for His purposes, not for our pleasure or happiness. And I'm so thankful that, when I am in His will, seeking His heart, whatever happens- even when it doesn't make me happy- God will work it out for the good.