Let the Good Times Roll...

What: Trollerskating
When: October 29
Dress: 80s


I went to Trollerskating with Lette, Lisa, Anna and Megan.  Jenna went home for the weekend; I missed her a lot. Thank goodness she came back tonight! Things are back to normal again! 

"God is a comedian, playing to an audience too afraid to laugh."

I am not skilled to understand
What God has willed, what God has planned
I only know at His right hand
Stands one who is my Savior 


I take Him at His word and deed
Christ died to save me; this I read
And in my heart I find a need
Of Him to be my savior
~My Savior My God, Aaron Shust


God promises to supply our every need; God promises that we will never be overtaken with temptation; God promises that all things will work together for good for those who love and serve him faithfully; God promises eternal life....


It may be difficult at times for us to see and understand how God's promises are  carried out in our life, but God fulfills his promises 100% of the time.


Because "we are not skilled to understand what God has willed, what God has planned" all we can do is trust him and just enjoy the ride.

So just laugh.......

.....it's all we can do!

You BETTER Believe It!

Yesterday night we avoided our homework by DYING OUR HAIR! Danielle and Jenna had come up with the idea to dye their hair a few days earlier. When they told me about their grand idea of course I was in! I had joked around with my guy friends this summer, before we left for college saying, "When I get to college I'm going to dye my hair purple!" We all laughed because it sounded like a crazy idea. But I didn't even have to think twice to know that I wanted purple hair! 


We went to Meijer's at 10pm and bought cookie dough and semi-permanent purple hair dye. Before you freak out (like Tori did last night when I told her), keep in mind that this dye will wash out in 6-10 weeks and we only dyed a tiny section of hair! No problem. We brought the dye back to our room and Jenna had decided that she would go first. None of us had ever dyed hair before, so we read the directions a few times and went for it. I dyed Jenna's hair for her.

Jenna, "I think we are at this point in our friendship where I trust you!"

I was very excited to go next! Needless to say, I trusted Jenna with my hair. 

Jenna had a purple finger when she finished because the glove broke...oops.

Danielle invited a whole bunch of people to come and dye their hair with us....so the word spread and more people showed up!  This is me dying Megan's hair.  I had never met Megan before last night- good thing we all trusted each other :-)

Tyler, Danielle, Megan, Me, and Jenna

Danielle

Holly

We had so much fun; it's amazing how hair dye can bring people together!  

 The end result!

MARCEL THE SHELL

I thought I would share my favorite youtube video with you today! If you have a dry sense of humor you will probably laugh....and the more people you watch this video with the funnier it is. Enjoy!

Two Are Better Than One

Yesterday night I ate a fortune cookie, which was decent. However, when I read the fortune I wasn't sure what to think...so I just laughed:


"Enjoy your own company. If you don't, who will?"


Well, seeing as how I love being around people and I can't stand being alone, I decided that this fortune doesn't really apply to me.  I also have lots of wonderful friends who are always there for me- I don't have to worry about being my own company!  




The Bible also mentions (quite a few times) how important good friends are.


Ecclesiastes 9-10
"Two are better than one,
       because they have a good return for their work:
If one falls down,
       his friend can help him up.
       But pity the man who falls
       and has no one to help him up!"


Thought for the day: "If we are not willing to wake up in the morning and die to ourselves, perhaps we should ask ourselves whether or not we are really following Jesus." ~Don Miller, Blue Like Jazz

Weekend!

A lot has happened since I last updated the blog, so I'll try to fill you in with everything I remember. 


Thursday night I got my Theology test back; I got ONE question (out of 50) wrong:


The seventh day of creation featured
a. no creative activity      c. no light.
b. no sun or moon          d. no rest.         e. none of the above.


For some reason I chose e. instead of the correct answer a.  Hmmm...not sure what I was thinking on that one!


Friday my family came for family weekend and my brothers spent the night here.  Friday night I attended the scholarship dinner with my parents.  The college has a dinner every year where the scholarship donors come and meet the students who received their scholarships.  The scholarship I received was in honor of a kid who had died after graduating from our school and he went to my high school, too.  We ate dinner with his parents and got to know a little bit about them and their son.  


Saturday morning I played Powder Puff Football!  It was very cold and rainy and miserable- but the games went on.  The freshman girls were on a team together, playing two games against upper class-man.  We lost the first game because we were still getting used to how things worked.  We also lost the second game, but we put up a good fight and looked much better!  Maybe next year we will win. 


Saturday night I attended our school's talent show with my friends.  There was an interesting mix of singers, dancers, and musicians.  The performers did an excellent job!  I was kind of in awe of their performances, seeing as how I cannot dance or sing. :-) 

Caroline, Melissa, Jenna, and I

Currently I am watching the Bears game on TV.  I can't believe all the turnovers.  Come on Bears!  It's been a long time since I've watched a show on television- I had forgotten how funny some commercials are and how stupid others are.

With ALL of Your Heart

Whenever I'm working on homework I'm often tempted to do a half job.  Homework is very boring and repetitive and sometimes I don't see the point (well, most of the time).  Lately I've been reminded of the verse from Colossians 3:23, "Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men."  God is the boss and he gave me the talents that I have; I am to use them to the best of my ability for HIS glory.


This next piece is taken from "Taming a Liger: Unexpected Spiritual Lessons From Napoleon Dynamite"


"King David was Israel's greatest king, but he was on his deathbed. For the longest time, he had wanted to build a temple, a permanent home for God, but because of war and unrest in the kingdom, he was never able to achieve this goal. Instead, the task fell to David's son, Solomon. 


Once Solomon's throne was established, he set about making his father's dream come true; he started to build a temple. Here's a sampling of what he did:

• He contacted a neighboring king to ask for the best in materials and labor that the king had to offer.
• He conscripted tens of thousands of people from Israel, the best craftsmen in the land.
• He covered the interior of the temple with cedar and overlaid it with gold.
• He commissioned intricate carvings to decorate the temple inside and out.

Are you starting to get the picture? He was dedicated to making this temple the be-all/end-all of houses for God (1 Kings 5:1-6:38).

Oh, by the way, he spent seven year on it.

Seven years. 

And in that entire time, Solomon never wavered (that we know of) from the goal of building the temple. He was focused, and nothing was going to stand in his way. He and his people just went about doing the task, and when things got rough (and you know they did), they just kept on doing their task.

Dedication.

What do you do when you're, say, painting a room? Do you tape everything off to make sure the paint doesn't get everywhere? Do you properly prepare the surface? Do you apply the paint with nice, even strokes to make sure you get even coverage? Do you allow the paint time to cure?

What about when you talk to a person about something important? Do you really make a point to listen to what they're saying? Do you think about the problems they're telling you? Do you put your own life on hold so you can offer some assistance to this person in need?

God wants you to give life your best, and if that mean taking the time that something- or someone- needs, then take it."

Update on "the man"...apparently he has scared quite a few people since I moved him to the fridge!

Hanging out with the milk ;-)

Happy Halloween!

Late last night I went out into the hallway to fill up my water bottle....

 ...and was greeted by this!  In a matter of seconds two thoughts went through my head: I was a) scared and then b) wondered why in the world there was a guy on our floor (seeing as how guys aren't allowed on the the floor on Mondays).  This sign was attached to him!

The girls on our floor have been setting this guy in the hallway, lounge, and other girl's rooms to scare each other.  I moved him into the fridge, in the lounge, after taking out all the shelves and rearranging the food!

Fall Familyness

I came home Friday at noon and ate lunch at work with all my summer co-workers turned friends.  It was great to catch up with everyone again!  Then I went to our high school football game Friday night!

Saturday I went to my little cousins soccer game, the Grand Rapids Art Museum, to see the winning Art Prize piece, and then out for dinner with my family.  After dinner Codi, Collin, and I attempted to carve pumpkins.  The pumpkins were so thick that we could not get through them with a knife.  So, my dad got out his electric SAW and cut through the pumpkins!  Yes, a saw!

Dad keeps things interesting at our house!

Because we could not physically carve the pumpkins, I decided to paint mine.

The end result!

Sunday afternoon we ate lunch with 40+ relatives on my mom's side of the family.  After lunch we played spoons and whiffle-ball with our cousins/second cousins.  It was nice to see everyone again that I hadn't seen in a few years.

BOYS vs...

...GIRLS.  And the girls clearly won!

By Your Side

Do you ever feel far away from God?  
 
I have a span of a fews days or weeks when I feel really close to God, but then I usually get distracted by the things in my life.  God takes the back row when I become busy with my homework and friends.  Thankfully, God is always patiently waiting for me to return to him.  And then God forgives me for forgetting him!  

James 4:8a states, "Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you."  The ONE and only true God loves you soo much and wants to be in constance communication with you.  Draw near to our great God, the creator of the universe, and he will draw near to you over and over again. 

Why are you striving these days

Why are you trying to earn grace

Why are you crying

Let me lift up your face

Just don't turn away

Why are you looking for love

Why are you still searching as if I'm not enough

To where will you go child

Tell me where will you run

To where will you run

And I'll be by your side

Wherever you fall

In the dead of night

Whenever you call

And please don't fight

These hands that are holding you

My hands are holding you

Look at these hands and my side

They swallowed the grave on that night

When I drank the world's sin

So I could carry you in

And give you life

I want to give you life

Cause I, I love you

I want you to know

That I, I love you

I'll never let you go

~Tenth Avenue North

By Your Side

Flowers and Forts

Last night I made a duct tape flower for my friend!  (I just learned how to make them)

Caroline and I made a fort tonight in the lounge because Caroline came up with the brilliant idea!  I used my architecture skills to design the fort and Caroline used her talents to hang the blankets up.  It turned out pretty sweet and so now we are going to have a sleepover in it!

Caroline building the fort

Inside the fort

The ceiling

The garbage bin (hidden by the red blanket) with a chair on top of it 

The whole fort with Melissa and Jenna inside

Be You

Tonight I heard Ryan and Sarah Hall speak!  (If you don't know who Ryan and Sarah Hall are I would advise you to google them :-)  I went with three other ladies from school to an inner city school about 40 minutes away.  Ryan and Sarah talked about their organization, The Hall Steps Foundation. 
"The Hall Steps Foundation aims to empower the running community to use the energy and resources that fuel runners’ athletic achievements for social justice efforts. Currently in its first year of operation, the Steps Foundation funds initiatives that tackle structural causes of poverty such as chronic lack of access to basic entitlements including clean water, shelter and physical security. Specifically, Steps partners with leading international and local nonprofits in Sub-Saharan Africa and Southeast Asia to fund projects that invest in sustainable methods of enhancing access to basic essentials. In the U.S., the Hall Steps Foundation is funding youth mentor and running programs across the country that aim to position athletic activity, goal-setting and training camaraderie at the center of the national movement to improve youth health, fitness and opportunity."


In addition to talking about their organization, the Halls shared their stories of how they started running.  Ryan shared that he found his passion for running at a young age and pursued that passion.  Ryan and Sarah encouraged us to be the best person we can be with our talents.  God gave us certain talents that are very different from others; we need to focus our attention on the talent God gave us and develop that talent.  Ryan stated that he believes greatness is achieved when we are who we are meant to be to the fullest.

Me, Sarah, Ryan, Hannah, and Katie

Demotivational Posters

Best part of my day...reading these!  I found them on www.zazzle.com!  Enjoy

AUTUMN & ART PRIZE

It was nice to be home this weekend.  The first thing I noticed was that the leaves on the trees were changing colors...the leaves here have not changed yet!

This afternoon I went to Art Prize.  The artwork was so cool and I loved being downtown!  I wish I could have been there longer, because we only got to see a fraction of the pieces.  Each piece was made of a different medium and each was very different from the next.  The artists are so creative!

These two colored pieces caught my eye because they show movement.  We are creating pieces in 2-D design this week that display movement.  The picture on the bottom left corner shows "THE WORLDS LARGEST COLORING BOOK."  This artwork piece made my day!  I wish I would have thought of that...people apparently just love to color!

Keeps Me Turning Home

I miss a lot of things from home:
~DRIVING my car around and listening to the radio
~my CHURCH and church family
~my mom's HOME COOKED MEALS
~listening to my dad's funny STORIES when he gets home from work
~hearing my little brothers talk about and analyze SPORTS
~having my OWN room/bathroom
~PLACES in my hometown, such as Meijer and Little Caesars
~reading the NEWSPAPER on Sunday afternoons 
~watching the NEWS on tv in the morning


Thankfully I am home for the weekend! Hopefully I'll have the chance to enjoy some of these things!


"Usually take one last pass through town
Stop the car and touch the ground
Watch those streetlights swayin’ in the breeze
Decorated store fronts
Rusty old gas pumps
Try to fill my mind up
With somethin’ before I go
Picture postcard memories
You know they always make for good company

I don’t know no town
Like the old town
Even when the miles are many
I feel like I’m still around
Deep inside me
Like rings through an oak tree
Yeah, there something ‘bout a Sunday when I’m gone
That keeps me turning home"
David Nail, Turning Home

HaPpiNeSS ;-)

Lately I have been thinking a lot about happiness.  A few weeks ago our professor asked us to raise our hand if we were truly happy.  I was the only one who raised my hand.  He asked me why I was so happy and I said, "Just because I am!"  No one else in the class raised their hand; they said that they were sometimes happy and went on to list a lot of little things that made them unhappy.  I was shocked that no was else was as happy as I was.  I realized later on that the reason I am truly happy, all the time, is because Jesus is living in me and I have nothing to worry about!  NOTHING to worry about!  The professor gave us the assignment last Thursday to write a paper on any topic.  I chose HAPPINESS for my topic.  While researching this topic I found an article by Nuala O'Faolain called "Chasing the Evanescent Glow."  She writes,

"When I think about happiness, it is not an image I see, though I know the ads that show perfectly matched children hugging their toys or an impeccable couple strolling on the beach at an exclusive resort or a silver-haired pair holding hands beside a golf cart. My happiness moves. Where I live in the west of Ireland, often in the evening a bar of golden light blazes along the horizon of the ocean. Then small clouds, ragged and wistful, drift across the radiance and obscure it and thicken, and that's how the dusk comes. There's nothing I can do to make the gold arrive, and of its nature it dissolves. After dusk departs, the dark is not just dark. It contains the memory of what it was. And that's what I think happiness is like--radiant like the last of the sun, but always in the process of disappearing.
Because nobody can summon it up, nobody can say that it will never come again. But nobody can stop it from disappearing either."


Our happiness does not have to disappear.  In fact we are CALLED by God to be happy!  No matter if you are going through trials in your life or if everything is going fine, be happy.  If you are struggling with finding God's will for your life or if you know the path he has called you to take, be happy.  


Psalm 68:3 "But may the righteous be glad and rejoice before God; may they be happy and joyful."

Proverbs 15:13 "A cheerful heart brings a smile to your face; a sad heart makes it hard to get through the day."


This one is my favorite:


Ecclesiastes 3: 12 "But in the end, does it really make a difference what anyone does? I've had a good look at what God has given us to do—busywork, mostly. True, God made everything beautiful in itself and in its time—but he's left us in the dark, so we can never know what God is up to, whether he's coming or going. I've decided that there's nothing better to do than go ahead and have a good time and get the most we can out of life. That's it—eat, drink, and make the most of your job. It's God's gift."


Did you catch that- life is a gift. So make the most out of your circumstances and be happy!


~I laughed a lot with Jenna tonight.  We were both acting super crazy, as always!  We decided to make a sign for our friend Melissa.  We found this sweet quote to use and then when I wrote it on the sign I forgot to add a word.  We laughed so hard because Jenna colored in half of the sign before she realized that it was missing a word.  I laughed even harder though when I saw this mistake because it dawned on me that plan A failed.  I implemented a plan B and I think the sign ended up turning out pretty cute!  Melissa loved it!

Hanging the sign in her room for her!