2011 IN REVIEW

2011 IN REVIEW

*Cooking at SMBI

*Standing at Grandma's bedside as she entered Heaven

*Connecting with Miller cousins

*High heals, 6 girls, night out at Olive Garden

*New York City missions trip

*Visit to Waterloo Ontario in February 

*Blowing bubbles in a parking lot with Lizzie and Annie

*Many many wonderful moments with friends at SMBI

*Heading out on my own to start a new life in Ontario. God's very real presence, sleeping in a Walmart parking lot. Driving through lots of snow and rain 

*Job searching

*HARD decision about teaching school 

*Beach, sunshine, flowers, blue skies, walks along rivers 

*Bakery at Tim Horton's

*Bible in 88 days. God's very real presence, peace, and joy

*Trips to PA

*God providing with many pieces of free furniture

*Moving to another apartment. Setting up house

*Camping with various friends at various beaches

*Weeks of carpel tunnel and INTENSE pain!

*Visit from Twila, Graham, Dri, and surprise... ANNIE!!!

*MI reunion 

*Many lists of daily blessings

*11 AMAZING third graders who make me smile

*PA reconnecting with sibling weekend

*Strangers and friends who drove 2 hours out of their way pick us up when are car quit 

*Struggling with dividing

*Heart's cry for hurting, homeless, abused, rejected, children 

*Practicing and singing at a wedding... It takes 5 

*Christmas lights, decorations, programs, songs 

*45 hours on the road.. 12 days. Food, Family, Friends, Funness 

*Good times at home in MN!

*New Years Eve: After traveling for most of the day, and suffering from sore throat, I went to bed at 11:00

The last 12 months have seen a lot of changes. But God has been so good, and so real!!  I KNOW I am where He wants me to be. That is such a secure, reassuring feeling, and no man is gonna take that from me. I have had many MANY specific answers to prayer in the last year. God has guided, and lead, and tested, and loved. Yes I have made mistakes, and yes there have been many times where I didn't trust Him completely, and started taking things into my own hands. But through it all God hasn't given up on me. His faithfulness and love make me want to worship, love, and serve Him even more in 2012. I don't know what the next year holds, but I know God will continue to faithfully lead me. I am in His hands. 

That's Our God

Today God showed me that He has the power and the strength that I need and He will give it to me if I just ask Him, and claim His promises! This morning was definitely a God moment.


 I have not been sleeping well lately, and this morning I woke up extra tired, low on energy, and not feeling well at all. Being a 3rd grade teacher, with those combinations just doesn't work too well. By 8:00 I realized that something would have to change before my students started arriving. I enjoy listening to an online Christian radio station, so I turned it on. Almost right away a favorite song started playing. I started praying and claiming the words and promises in the song. I then wrote them down in my day planner to be reminded of them throughout the day. 

"Our God is greater, our God is stronger, 

God You are higher than any other. 

Our God is healer, AWESOME IN POWER!!!

Our God! Our God! 

And if our God is for us, then who can ever stop us?

And if our God is with us, then what can stand against?

I went on with school prep and by 8:30 I was feeling 70% better, and by 9:00 when it was time for school to begin, I felt like a NEW person!!! I had energy, and felt physically above normal.  My whole day was AMAZING!!!!! I haven't had such a good day in a long time. At the end of the day I looked back at it in awe! It was sooo God!!! He healed me, and gave the power and the strength that I needed. All I had to do was ask and claim His promises. It's so simple. And God is always ready and waiting to show off His amazing love and power. WOW! I am so thankful that God is so personal and that He cares about each of us in a special way. That's our God!!!

I wish...

*fall would not mean the end of summer

*every child would have a family who truly loves them

*deciding what to wear wouldn't be such a hard decision

*the depressed teenager would see he is a priceless treasure, and a child of the King of Kings

 *no child would suffer from hunger

*life wouldn't cost so much

*for a starbucks mocha

*love would come easier

*one could survive on less sleep

*cute, adorable toddlers wouldn't have to be so noisy during church

*you could enjoy winter activities without it getting so cold outside

*gnats would become extinct

*I could rescue the homeless children off the streets

*Verizon was not long distance in Canada

*I could be more like Jesus

Week 1: wite-out, and warm fuzzy feelings

Yes, that's right, 9 boys and 2 girls. Aren't they just so cute!? 

The first week is history. It went a lot better then I expected due to the fact that God's presence was very real!  But just like any other school it all takes time to get back into the swing of things. The students have forgotten how to follow directions, and the teacher struggles with finding the right balance of review and lesson coverage. 


On the first day of school, one of my students, totally out of the blue, asked me if I had any wite-out. The question had nothing to do with the topic at hand, and I knew the student didn't need any at the time, so I was puzzled at the question. No, I did not have any wite-out, I had not gotten any from the supply room yet. The very next day, Nick's mother came in to school to meet me, and see the classroom. Then she tells me... yesterday Nick felt really bad that I didn't have any wite-out. He wanted to use HIS money to buy some for his teacher. She knew I had access to some, but saw through the heart of her son. This was a sweet gesture he wanted to do for his teacher, so without saying anything about it, she allowed him to buy some. She just wanted me to know so I could understand the story behind his gift. A few minutes later, Nick comes up to his Mom and whispers. "Should I give it to her now?" He did, and I received the wite-out with a huge smile, and warm fuzzy feelings in my heart, knowing he had spent his own money on something he saw as a need for his teacher. I was honored. 

No Fear

“…For God Himself has said, I will not in any way fail you, nor give you up, nor leave you without support. I will not, I will not, I will not in any degree leave you helpless nor forsake, nor let you down, or relax My hold on you! Assuredly not! So we take comfort and are encouraged and confidently and boldly say, the Lord is my helper; I will not be seized with alarm, I will not fear or dread or be terrified. What can man do to me?”  Hebrews 13:5-6

….seriously, what am I afraid of???

Puzzle Pieces

Sometimes life feels like a puzzle.

We have this piece that just does NOT go with the rest of the puzzle.
It's the wrong color.
Or maybe even the wrong shape.
It looks totally out of place with the other pieces.
Where did it come from?
This is not my piece, it has to belong to another puzzle.
It's black, it's ugly.
It's awkward, maybe even painful.
It has no meaning.

But it's there.

Time goes on.
The piece does not move.
We learn to accept the "odd" piece.
But what is it's purpose?
Why would the Master puzzle maker put this piece in my puzzle?
It ruins the whole picture.
Does the Maker know what He's doing?
Could He have made a mistake?

Time goes on, maybe even years.

Then suddenly one day it all makes sense!
More missing pieces are put in place, making a beautiful picture.
Who would have guessed?
The piece that looked so out of place, now is one of the most important pieces of the whole puzzle.
It no longer looks ugly.
It no longer sticks out.
That one piece brings purpose, security, and meaning to the whole picture.
Instead of being angry at the ugly piece, we are now thankful.
Instead of rejection, we embrace.
Instead of hate, we love.
The Maker knew what He was doing when He designed the puzzle.
But the puzzle is far from being finished.
More out of place, ugly, pieces are bound to show up before the puzzle is completed.
But we aren't afraid of them, because we know we can trust the Maker.

Knowing God

Part I: Sleepless nights

In the last month or so I have been experiencing intense pain in my arms and wrists. Some say it's carpal tunnel or tendinitis but whatever it is, it keeps me up at night. Sometimes it's so intense I feel like I'm loosing my mind. Being in pain for long periods of time does something to your mind. And then when you add loosing sleep and a bad day of work to the mix...  lets just say the last few weeks have been rather discouraging. I've taken pills, and I've prayed for healing. But God didn't seem to care. Why wasn't He here? Why wasn't He listening?

We pray for wisdom, Your voice to hear

 We cry in anger when we cannot feel You near

We doubt Your goodness, we doubt Your love

As if every promise from Your Word is not enough

And all the while You hear each desperate plea

And long that we'd have faith to believe

'Cause what if Your blessings come through raindrops

What if Your healing comes through tears?

And what if a thousand sleepless nights

Are what it takes to know You're near?

- Blessings by Laura Story

Last week one day the words to this song really grabbed my heart. It described me to a T. (Where does that expression come from anyway?) It seemed like God was trying to say something to me. Yep, it came down to the word TRUST. Can I trust Him even when He doesn't take the pain away? Am I willing to spend sleepless nights in pain if it means I will be closer to Him? I do want to trust Him. I know He is in control, and I know He is the ultimate Healer. My greatest desire in life is to be closer to the heart of God. If that means painful, sleepless nights.... then I pray that God would give me emotional, physical, and spiritual strength to go through that. My prayers have had a wrong focus, instead of begging God for healing, I need to trust Him and allow Him to work in my life through the painful situations. 


*note: I've been seeing a massage therapist for my arms, and it's been helping some. The pain comes from my job which I will be quitting in 5 days. :) (VERY HAPPY) So within a few weeks time I'm fairly confident it will disappear almost 100% 

Part II: God reaches for me


I've been reading through the Bible in 90 days, and I just finished the Old Testament. It's been amazing so far, but I think it's changed my view of God especially after just finishing the minor prophets and all God's judgments on the wicked people. He talks to His people through a prophet or a priest.  God doesn't seem as personable and loving like I used to view Him. More like someone who rules a country, makes laws, and condemns people. Is He really MY Heavenly Father, MY Friend, MY Comfort, MY Strength, MY High Tower? Does He really see ME and love ME for who I am? Do I really matter to Him? These have been some of the thoughts (doubts) after reading the O.T. I look forward to what God will show me about Himself in the New Testament. Another song that has really spoken to my heart is called Reach. "So many people in this world, still I hear Him calling out MY name." God knows me, and He reaches out to me with a love that quiets all my fears.

You hold the weight of the world

Still I don’t slip through Your hands
Your love is bigger than just an ocean built by man
I fall again and again but You whisper, “You’re still mine”
You feel the pain of the world but You never push mine aside

And You reach for me with a love that quiets all my fears
And You reach for me like a Father wipes away the tears
So many people in this world, but I hear You calling out my name
You reach for me, now I’m never gonna be the same

You know all of my fears, there’s nothing Your eyes can’t see
When I tried to give up, Lord, You never gave up on me
I give You all of my hopes and dreams, I lay them down
Of all the places I’ve looked Your the one truth I have found

You reach for me
You hold the weight of the world
Still I don’t slip through Your hands
You put the stars in the sky You know every grain of sand
-Reach by Peter Furler