Let It Snow

I never thought I'd hear myself say this, but I'm sick of snow. I wouldn't be if I had a four wheel drive really high off the ground vehicle. :D Like that would ever happen...hey, I can dream, can't I? It's STILL snowing here...very hard. And it has been for about 3 days now. Crazy crazy. I just hope we make it back to school on time...or do I wish that? ;) As the song goes...let it snow, let i snow, let it snow!

Christmas was nice and quiet. Rather uneventful, but a good time spent with family. The grandparents couldn't up as they usually do because of the snow, so we are postponing the traditional turkey dinner until the weather lets up a bit. and they are able to join us. For Christmas day (I laugh still), we had a true Janke dinner...fondue. How drole it is to me...maybe you have to be a Janke to understand. Well, I got sharpies (which I LOVE), a note pad and book of inspirational quotes, some yum yum and then some body wash, and a wee spot of money. There were only two things that I really wanted...a camera and to travel...but those were a little out of reach this Christmas what with school bills and all. What more could I ask for, though, than to be home with family...safe and loved. God is good.

God is still good. Very good. He's teaching me patience, thankfulness (lets just say I detest my job, but I'm working on being thankful for the money that I know I need and the job that God has so graciously given me.) I'm learning more about me and how I tick and a lot about how I communicate with God. This is good because I can tap into the positive aspects of my communication with Him and make them even better and stronger.

I NEED that relationship with God more than I need to breathe. I look around the world at people who have tragedy in their lives, and they cry out with the feeling of hopelessness. Well, here I am knowing full well that I don't have to worry about what life will bring because I have a God who is bigger than any problem that could come my way. Those who don't know this perfect peace (Isaiah 26:3+4) are lost in confusion and doubt, faithlessness and self-pity. I admit that I don't always fully trust what I know if fully there and ever-strong, but God forgives me when I doubt and makes me trust Him even more. Now, my job is to share with the rest of the dying world the hope that I possess inside. The hope that gets me through every hour and every day even when I feel like the world is falling in on me. Why would I not want to share that? Why would anyone not want to? How can I keep silent? My God, how can I keep from singing Your praise?

The Whole World

I'm more inspired every day, more changed. I'm more moved, more pulled by the force of love. Love. What do I know of love? How do I show love? The questions are too deep for me to answer. I feel a love, but it's more hidden than I'd like. It's more trapped by selfishness that I don't claim, but rather that I strongly deny. But, it's there. More care for myself than for others. More love for the things of me than the things of the world around me. A world lost and alone, without the greatest gift of all that I already posses. Should I still hold it up inside of me and not release it? No. I should fight to spread it around. To share love to its fullest degree. To break free of me and share in what I have. Oh, I know a great deal about love. Oh, I show love. I know more than I share. It's pulling me out of myself and into God. I vow to work on letting it out so that it can be the wind of truth over the world. The heat that warms the cold hearts. To give of me until I am given...completely emptied. To show, to know, love.

Home

I'm going home! I'm so excited to see the parents and puppy and church friends! :D :D :D :D :D We're sitting at the airport right now just waiting for our flight to board (soon!) and then it'll be a long treck to Cincinati and then Seattle...there's a snow storm back home so who knows if we'll be delayed or what might happen. It seems we always run into problems on the way home for Christmas.

Well, the Lord will keep us safe if He chooses to. He's got us in His hand so there's really nothing to worry about. He gives good gifts to His children. Makes me wish for Heaven, my real home. I can't WAIT to go there!! :) I can only imagine what it will be like....aaahhh!

So here I go home! Very tired but ready to escape the usual for a while. I managed to fit everything in a very small duffle bag, and I didn't even NEED to bring it all. I think I'm well on my way to easy travel. Peace!

Tears are passing

Well, today was the last day of student teaching. We had a party, I hugged all of my students goodbye, and gave them cards. They had all made cards for me yesterday, and they presented them to me today. I started to read one and had to stop because I had already started crying. I have yet to read them because I know I'm going to bawl! They also gave me gifts in sweet gestures of kindness. I'm surely going to miss them! I'm also going to miss my cooperating teacher. She taught me soooo much...more than a class could ever teach me. In actions and words. I learned so much this semester, and I'm grateful that God put her in my life and specially picked her to see me through my student teaching. I got an A! I was very happy because I knew I had done my very best, and I guess they thought it was A material.

All the praise, however, has to go to God. He's the heart and soul of what I do. Without Him, I would be lost in nervousness and stress, confused and frustrated. He keeps me calm, gives me joy (even when times aren't happy) and leaves me with no regrets. I love Him so much, and I'm so thankful for the strength that He gave me this semester and all the other semesters. I have one more road ahead of me before I'm done school, and I know He's going to get me down that one too. Holding me up, leading me, and loving me. Only through Him...so all the glory, praise, and thanks goes straight to Him.

I've been becoming more and more aware of how much more I need to SHOW GOd in what I do. I love Him, I talk to Him, I read His word, but most of it is in private. I don't join in with things I don't agree with, but I don't really speak up for my faith all that much unless prompted to. I need to show God on the outside more. That is one of the things I'm going to start really working on very hard. With God's help, I can.

Have a great day! God bless! Peace.

To Do Before I Die!

In no particular order...1. Ride a camel
2. See the blue footed booby bird
3. Swim with dolphins (and not in a stupid pool)
4. Climb a volcano (Vesuvius preferrably)
5. Sleep under the stars while backpacking
6. Go on a gondola ride
7. Cliff jump in another country (Greece?)
8. Catch a fish in the deep sea
9. Participate in a festival
10. Create an ethnic craft
11. Watch the sunrise over the ocean
12. Pet a snake
13. Send a message in a bottle
14. Crack a wild coconut and drink the milk
15. Shower in a waterfall
16. See a lion in real life (and not at the zoo)
17. Spend the night in a castle
18. Go in a hot air balloon
19. Do a festive dance with the natives
20. Start a food fight (If I leave, they'll never know it was me :)
21. Ride on top of a double decker bus
22. Drink tea and eat pastries at a café
23. Climb a pyramid and do the Egyptian dance
24. Pet an elephant's trunk
25. Sail on a tall ship in the Mediterranean (oh blue water!)
26. Pet a penguin (Antartica works)
27. Help fly a plane without crashing
28. Dance in the rain29. Fly first class
30. Ride an elephant
31. Play bag pipes
32. Ride a moped
33. Toss a coin into the Trevi Fountain facing forwards and still come back to Italy :)
34. Perform something on a random stage
35. Make a total stranger laugh
36. Sleep in a hammock overnight
37. Get lost in a city and ask directions through gestures
38. Dance under the stars while live music plays in the background
39. Yodel in Switzerland
40. Take a picture of the Mona Lisa (hope you're allowed to cause I'm doin it!)
41. Hold a monkey
42. Go to all 7 continents
43. Sit on a beach all day long and do nothing
44. Go whale watching (no harpoons, please!)
45. Play in the mud and get someone else muddy
46. See the Nile river
47. Volunteer
48. Plant something somewhere
49. See Stonehenge
50. Pray in a great church
51. Pet a sheep dog (maybe help herd sheep too)
52. Twirl in the rain while laughing and stepping in puddles
53. Take a picture with a famous statue (David?)
54. Help a person in need (maybe a begger or a child with one leg)
55. Be spontaneous...enough said
56. Prank call someone and attempt to speak their language...hang up on them
57. Tour a vineyard and eat grapes from it (if possible, help foot press the grapes)
58. Climb a cool tree
59. Have a sing along with people you don't know
60. Make a bunch a strangers raise a toast to destiny
61. Ride a bike for a day
62. Sing at the top of my lungs on a mountain
63. Help a vendor sell something (make someone actually buy it)
64. Haggle till I get it for free ;)
65. Hold or pet a panda
66. Participate in a contest (I never win)
67. Go to the top floor of a really tall building and spit off the top
68. Play an unusual instrument (I mean, really unusual)
69. Rock climb
70. Hug a child in need...orphans?
71. Buy an original drawing or painting (if someone is painting outside, ask for it)
72. Find someone with the same name as me who speaks a different language than me
73. Ride in a police car (without being in trouble)
74. See an outdoor movie
75. See a movie in a diff. language
76. Go to/build a bonfire
77. See the 7 wonders of the world
78. Get a full body massage
79. Sleep ALL day and stay up ALL night
80. Strike up a conversation with a random stranger about the color pink
81. Feed ducks in another country...maybe with an old lady in a great sweater
82. Get your nails painted by an authentic asian
83 Buy a CD in a foreign language and listen to the whole thing...sing along
84. Ask for an autograph from a stranger in each country you visit
85. Get a souvenier from each country you visit
86. Go nightfishing (Japan or South America)
87. See the Great Barrier Reef
88. Make a London guard smile or laugh
89. Sleep in a mud hut
90. Help make a traditional food
91. Get in a local newspaper
92. Be on television in another country
93. Meet a foreign celebrity that you have no idea who they are
94. See the place where the Pacific and Atlantic oceans meet
95. Go cave exploring
96. Coin a new phrase (that you say...other people might say it if you're lucky)
97. Get a REAL flower lei
98. Surf
99. Sail the Amazon River
100. Complete this list

Easy Homemade Caramel Apples

Ok, so I drew up this recipe for caramel apples. They taste awful yummy, but the caramel was a bit too hard when I cooked it to 250 degrees (basically, the apple will never see the light of day), so change that and they'd be perfect. Here's what to do:

This recipe make about 5 good sized apples.

1. Put jumbo popsicle sticks (if they're too small, they might snap) into the apples after removing the stem. Take each apple and roll it in boiling water for about 5 seconds to remove some of the wax. Set apples aside on a piece of foil or parchment paper.

2. In a large sauce pan (the big ole ones...if its not big enough, the stuff will boil over...use the biggest you have) mix these ingredients:

2 cups of light brown sugar
1 1/4 cup light corn syrup
1/2 cup cream (whipping works well)
4 tablespoons butter

3. Stir ingredients on medium heat (not too high or it'll burn) until they reach a boil. Once they reach a boil, do not stir them anymore. Insert a candy thermometer and allow mixture to keep boiling on medium heat unti it reaches 230 to 240 degrees (not past the soft ball stage.) Remove from heat.

When I first made this recipe, I let it boil until it reached 250...big mistake. The candy was almost as hard as a Werther's Original candy. The poor apple had no chance. Make sure it doesn't boil for too long.

4. The mixture might still seem kind of liquidy, but it will harden fast. Take the apples and roll them in the caramel. Continue to roll the apple in your hands so that the caramel has time to solidfy and doesn't pool at the bottom of the apple. Place apples on foil. Some people like to spoon the caramel onto the apple, but do whatever you like best. Do this quickly so that it doesnt harden.

5. Enjoy the apples please.


Hope y'all like the recipe. It's a tasty one, and it really doesn't take that long. Peace.

Where You Lead Me

I will follow.

I have...3 days of student teaching left! Then I'm DONE. I still have one more semester of acdemics, but I'm done student teaching forever! (hopefully) I have no idea what my grade will be, but I'm ok with whatever it is. I've given my best, and that is all that God or anyone asks of me. The grade He choose to let me have is just fine with me.

Sooo...one more semester and then the time is here. The time to *continue* following (because I have been doing so already) my Lord to wherever he might lead me. It's soooo exciting to think about. ANYWHERE in the whole world where people need to hear him, He take me there. Wherever it is, whatever I face, no matter how hard, I refuse to give up and be selfish, because God is coming back and the world needs to hear. Only a little more time on this earth, and then I'll be home. But during this time, I need to use it wisely. I need to use it ALL for God. Go into all the world. I will follow.

What about those times when it seems like the road is too hard or long and I feel very alone? Walk by faith. Faith is sometimes a hard thing to grasp and accept, but my faith is getting a whole lot stronger in my God, so I can follow Him even when I can't see or understand and trust in Him. It's a great thing to be able to do.

I'm applying for Korea this Christmas...we'll see if that's where God will lead. If not, I'm not worried! I'll get where He's going.

Have a great weekend, people! Peace.

Giving Thanks

Goodmorning! Thanksgiving has been going SMASHINGLY well! Exciting. We've been hanging out, eating tons of junk food, and of course, yesterday, we ate Thanksgiving dinner! Yum. 10 people, 1 new apartment, and lots of fun. I really honestly don't have much to say. This morning we had HUGE German pancakes...wow, I've never had them before, and they were MASSIVE! No Joke. But yum. We're going shopping for Black Friday today to see what we can get for cheap...probably nothing, but that's that.

Student teaching is almost over, and I found out that everyone thinks I'm doing really well! I was happy to hear that. I can't wait to be done it because that means I'm one step closer to being done school and then I can go see what God has planned for the rest of my life. THAT is something I'm excited about. I can't wait to see where He'll take me and what He'll have me to do.

So, I'm thankful for student teaching being almost over and going really well, all my awesome friends here for THanksgiving, Nathaniel Fox cause he's been such a great friend and an awesome testimony and strength to me, my amazing parents for all they've done for me, and obviously, my awesome God who I couldn't do anything or live without!
Well, that's all for now. Really, nothing exciting. Peace.

To Know Him

To know Him. Just to know Him in all His beauty. The heart of the Father, the flawless depths of His spirit. The unmistakable greatness of the highest King over all of creation.

Just to know Him.

Just to know the heights and power of the unchanging, perfect love. Free love. The strength of his arms, the hold it has on our hearts. Just to know the greatness of his might.

Just to know Him! The forgiveness that He freely pours on all. The compassion that leads to never changing mercy and grace, even in all of our filth. He loves. To know the lengths of sacrifice that we can never comprehend in our viles minds nor match with our worthelss lives. Worthless, only, until He fills us and we are used of Him.

Just to know the King of the Ages! The awesome God, wonderful Savior. Great King Eternal. Our Hope secure, our portion, our faith. To know this and more would be truly.

Beautiful.

Happy Sunday!

Happy Sunday all! I didn't go to church this morning :( because I wanted to stay home and rest all weekend to try and shake this nasty ear infection. I think it's working! I woke up this morning and felt MUCH better and my ear only hurts a little now. So, hopefully the antibiotics keep working and I can get better soon!! I hope so at least...

This is something I wrote yesterday...just randomness from my head:

I go here and there. I do this and that. I do it not for God. My time, then, is wasted. The purpose is pointless. The hours are gone. Carried away on some whim of worldliness, never to return for my use. Never to be used again for God's glory and purpose. Wasted.The words I speak, the steps I take, the thoughts I think, the places I go. All of these for Him. For the one who matters most. For the sake of the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. My will must be demolished, gone forever. Never to tug at my heart again. Never to lead me down the road of selfishness and foolish choices.I must be for Christ, and Christ alone. I must be for heaven. I must be for power over sin and death. I must be for reaching those who have yet to share in my wonderful joy. I must be for Jesus.

All for Jesus.

I'm Back!

Here I am, back again after a long blurp of not writing. God's been doing sooooo much in my life, and I'm just bursting with wonder! First off, I'm ALMOST done student teaching! Yeah, back to those older posts in which I'm worrying about starting it...that's how long it's been since I've written. But seriously, I'm doing really well. I've gotten awesome and encouraging feedback from my teacher and supervisor, and I'm excited to see the final product. I've learned so much about my abilities, my weaknesses, working with others, my teaching skills, organization, commuincation, and most of all...about how wonderful, caring, helpful, and strong my God is. Oh, there were times when I honestly didn't think I would ge through, but God saved the day, as always. And He showed me that I can't do it in my strength. He's just amazing and so wonderful and He's the only reason I've gotten to where I am today. It's nothing I've done, it's all Him!

So, I have one semester after this one and then I'm done. What then? Well, over Christmas I'm going to apply for a teaching position in Korea. I really hope it works out! If not, you know what? God will bring along the place that He wants me the most. Right now, it seems like that place is Korea. But, I'm open to change, because I can't see the whole picture. Only pieces of the puzzle. If God showed us the whole puzzle, compelted and done, we would probably have a nervous breakdown. But instead, He gives us one small piece at a time, no more than we can handle. Then, we are able to start putting it all together. A happy time here, a harship there, a weakness, a strength. They all work together for good. God, of course, has the box and He can see the whole picture printed on the front. But, until we get to Heaven (I can't wait!) we will only have little bits at a time. God still knows what He's doing.

Speaking of God knowing what He's doing...I got this great awful ear infection on Thursday night. I mean this thing is PAINFUL. I was thinking...God, what's going on? I'm teaching my full weeks and I can barely get through the day I'm in so much pain! Can't you give this after I finish student teaching or something? I'd be happy to take a trial and learn from it then. Hmmm...What a great response, huh? Well, I've been realizing, through the pain, that He's still in control (imagine that) and that I can still get strength from Him. Even if it doesn't SEEM like I'll make it, I will. Even if it SEEMS too much to bear, it's not. Nothing is too hard for my God! So, throw that trial in on top of my trial of student teaching and watch God take care of it all!

Time for lesson planning and portfolio time! Happy happy joy joy! Peace.

Show Me Something Great

Well, Saturday night I slept on a 2 seater couch because someone else slept in my bed. We had company over. That couch made for a very eventful sleep, as you can imagine. Or rather, a lack of sleep. I didn't actually fall asleep until about 3:30 or 4. So, what do I do when I can't sleep? I pray. So, I did. I prayed for everything I could think of. Then I prayed for me. I knew it was church the next day, and I wanted to get a special message from God just for me. I wanted to learn something new or be reminded of something that applies to my life specifically. Well, the pastor spoke about inviting God to take your problems and that we have to ask God and not just expect Him to do it (that was sort of the idea.) Well, the pastor said something along the lines of:

Some of you might have financial troubles, or physical difficulties, or academic problems. You might have a class that you say, "I just can't do this!" Well, you're right. You can't. But God can. You have to allow Him to take that class and be your strength.

Well, here I am stressing big time over student teaching, and I'm not listening to my own advice. Well, God did it. He spoke to me specifically. I'm sure there were other people there who needed it too, but I was thrilled.

In the evening service at a different church, the pastor was giving background about one of Daniel's visions (about the ram and goat.) He was talking (brief overview) about all the kingdoms that fell. But God's doesn't. God is always in control of everything, and He rules fully. That was a comfort to me too.

All in all, God is in control. He knows what's happening, and He has everything in His hand. That's something great.

Here I Am After All

Well, here I sit in the dining room of my new apartment. It's really very nice, in fact. Of course, I've spent disgusting amounts of money furnishing it, but that's ok because I'm done now. I only have to wait for school to begin so that I have something to do with my time. Not that I'm not grateful for this quiet vacation time! :)

I've still found myself being nervous about student teaching. Although, every time I doubt, I pray a quick prayer and hand it back to God. I know I can't carry my own burdens, but sometimes I think I can help (even though I can't!) It's really a great comfort that I can give it back to God. I need to stop treating God like He is so small. He's mighty when I am weak. :)

It's church tomorrow! YAY! I'm very excited to go worship with fellow believers. God knew we would need that gathering once a week. Sometimes I wish I could do it more often.

I'm steadily praying for a friend who might not be able to return to school due to financial difficulties. I know that in the end God will have her right where He wants her, but I still pray that she can complete her senior year. Let God's will be done, and praise Him when He gives AND when He takes.

I don't have much else to say today. I'm just getting ready for school and not doing much of anything, really. I'm spending quality time with family.

Peace out, people.

I Made It!

Well, I survived the plane rides and shuttle bus. I'm here at my new apartment. Ahhh, I stink, but God was good, and we had a very smooth trip. Prayer really does work, people. God listens. And I'm very grateful that He does.

How great is our God? Can anyone ever know? Nope. We can only see tiny pieces of His greatness. I believe that if we saw it all at once, it would be way too much for us to handle. But it's always there, and He's always showing Himself strong.

Pray for me as I begin this new adventure of my senior year. God WILL get me to where He wants me, and I'm so happy to know that I can completely rest in Him.

He's more on my mind at this stage of my life than He's ever been. I'm growing up, standing on my own two feet, and embracing Him because I want to and not because other people tell me to. I go to church to worship Him because I want to do. I pray and read my Bible because I crave it daily. What a wonderful feeling to want Him for me and not because my parents or teachers say I need to. He's mine and I am His.

He's All of Our Best Friends

I just got to thinking as I sit here waiting to board the 3 hour shuttle ride to my 6 hour plane ride, that God is our best friend. Obviously we know that, but I mean, think about it. He's never late and His phone would never be off (if He had one), He's never sleeping so we can talk to Him whenever, He never gets tired of our questions, He never says, "I've had enough" when we mess up, He doesn't laugh at our "stupid questions," even if we have no one else then He's there, He never gets mad and gives us the silent treatment, He never forgets (whether it be something we've asked or something else like that), He always listens, He always has the best adivce, there's no job that's too hard for Him, He can help us out of any situation, He's always watching out for us, He DIED for us, and the list goes on.

If we really think about all the things God does for us, we'd have to love Him more. But what is love, exactly? A feeling? Nope. In the Bible, love is clearly actions. Be partient, kind, don't envy or boast, don't be proud, etc. Those are all things we DO not FEEL. So, how do we show love back to God for all the things He's done for us? We keep His commandments (yup, the 10 and all the others throughout scripture,) we build our relationship with Him through Bible reading and prayer. Basically, we do back to Him all the things we does to us. We can never pay back all the love He's given to us, but we can keep on showing it through everything we do.

So, next time you tell Him or someone else that you love God, think about what you're saying. Do you really love Him (aka showing it) or is it just something convenient to say to make people believe that you do? I know that I often say those 3 special words, but I'm not living my life like I really do love my Jesus. I do love Him, and I want to do all that I can to show it. Just like I would show it to my boyfriend or my parents and siblings. That's the challenge for you. Show your love to God, dont' just say it.

I Gave It Up

No question about it, I'm ready to student teach. Last night I wasn't...no siree! I had been giving advice to a friend about accepting God's peace while making important life decisions and praying that God will take care of everything and that God's will shall be done. Well, here I am giving this advice, but I'm stressing big time about my senior year student teaching. Last night I was having a hard time falling asleep, so I started to pray. I prayed for friends and family, safe travels back to school for me and a lot of other people, health of grandparents, etc. I usually save praying for myself until last, and so I did the same this time. Somehow I got praying about student teaching. Tears came to my eyes as I realized how small I was making God. I was letting my anxiety get in the way of His strength in my situation. The hymn popped into my head, "All your anxiety, all your care. Bring to the mercy seat, leave it there. Never a burden He cannot bear, never a friend like Jesus." I asked forgiveness for doubting God's power, and then I asked Him to fully take my burden of worry and feelings in inadequacy, and I asked Him to let me fall back into His arms and rest while letting Him steer through life. I realize I'll have to work, that's life, but I won't have to worry while I work.

Psalm 55:22
"Cast your burden upon the Lord, and He will sustain you: He will never suffer the righteous to be moved."

Psalm 28:7
"The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusted in Him and I am helped: therefore my heart greatly rejoiceth; and with my song I will praise Him."

God took away all my fear and replaced it with all His peace. He took away all my weakness and replaced it with all His strength. I am grateful to Him.

So, I head back to school tonight. I get to see my grandparents one last time before I have to leave, which is nice because I don't know how long they'll be around for. Then, it's off to school (3000 miles away) and the store so I can furnish my new apartment. I'm pretty excited about that.

Yes, I am student teaching. Like I said, I was afraid, but not anymore. There will be a lot of work to do, but God's gotten me to my senior year, so pretty sure He can get me past that. I'll try to stay updated as I go through life. Typing just seems to take so long... :) Ta ta for now.

Whatever You're Doing

"Whatever You're doing inside of me

It feels like chaos but somehow there's peace

It's hard to surrender to what I can't see

But I'm giving in to something Heavenly"

This is what I feel like often. I want to surrender, but it's easier to hold onto the world that I can see. My life feels like everything is wrong. But then I remember that God had my every breath planned out before He even created the world. That's an amazing thought. No matter what I or any one else does, we can't change what God's going to do. We're not strong enough to fight against His perfect plan. Besides our strength, His way is perfect and He does good things for His children, so why would we want anything else but to fully surrender?

So, where am I in my life right now? On a path that is narrow. On a road that leads to Heaven. A born again Christian who wants to get to know the God that saved me on a much more personal level. My life takes crazy turns like on a roller coaster, but God is down at the control station pushing the buttons, and He has total control of what goes on in my life. So, for now, my life might be turning upsidedown, but what do I have to worry? He's in control. He's changing me to be more like Him. He's the one who gives me the peace during the choas. I'm giving in to Him.

My God is Amazing. Indescribable. Awesome. All powerful. Untameable. All knowing. Loving. Perfect. Holy. Wonderful. Mighty. Reigning. Creator. Father. Beginning and End. Giver of Good. Unchanging. Ruler. Beautiful. Gentle. Shepherd. Pure. Most High. Everywhere. Drier of Tears. Leader. Unlike any other. Calmer. Peace. Given to All. Mine.