Christmas break....life is...good

Sooo...Christmas break has come...and has almost gone. I'll be going back to school on Wednesday. Ah, it's been good to be home! I've slept so much it's ridiculous! There was one night I went to bed at 7:30...and probably at least 5 nights I went to bed by 9:00. I never would have dreamed that in my life I would actually choose to go to bed that early...but I guess I'm officially a college student now. :grins:



When you move away from your family you forget that the reason you do the things you do has a lot to do with the fact that your family does them. I'm always saying or doing things at school that make people laugh, and here, I find that my family says or does the same things. So I guess I AM normal, after all.

I have a funny story to tell. My 6-year-old sister is learning to read, and she has decided she is going to read Deuteronomy. (No one told her that that's the book that most people get stuck on when they're trying to read through the Bible in a year.) So the other day she was working on a few verses. This is what she read:
36For the LORD shall judge his people, and repent himself for his servants, when he seeth that their power is gone, and there is none shut up, or left.

37 And he shall say, Where are their gods, their rock in whom they trusted,

38 Which did eat the fat...

It was at this point where she burst out laughing hysterically...uncontrollably...giggling contagiously. She would repeat that phrase, then burst out giggling again.

So...this proves two things. #1. KJV must not be too hard to understand if a 6-y/o can read it, and #2. Maybe it is a little outdated if it makes a 6 y/o start laughing uncontrollably.



Hope you have all had a wonderful Christmas break! Happy New Year!

There's no place like home :)

Ah, I'm home again! I now know how Dorothy felt. :) I'm into the full swing of cooking, dish-washing, movie-watching, snowman-making, and enjoying relaxing, reading, praying, and SLEEPING. I had almost forgotten that there was such a thing as sleep, but 8-9 hours a night is reminding me how nice it is. :) I never thought I'd actually voluntarily go to bed at nine o'clock.

It's interesting to be home after four months away. Home will always be home, but Emmaus is really my life now...so it is different to be back. I didn't think I would miss school. The Lord is showing me how I tend to depend on the people in my life no matter where I go, and how I need to abide in Him alone. He is the only one truly worthy of all my devotion!

"Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me. I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing." John 15:4-5

Two more lovely weeks of being with my family! There are a lot of little things I never appreciated about them until now. :) It's good to be with them again.

Study day?

This is what we do at Emmaus on snow - I mean study - days. :D

We had all day to study today before finals start tomorrow. I got lots done, but had fun, too. And the day's not over yet. :D Emmaus is the place. :)

Rita, Esther and I







Singin' carols :) Silly Esther without a coat...

Here we come a'caroling!

Tonight I went caroling door-to-door for the first time in my life, and it was marvelous! :D See, a number of us from school go out every Friday afternoon evangelizing, and some of us have taken to going back consistently to the same neighborhoods. For instance, Victor and Naomi(some of my friends) go to one neighborhood near school, and have established some contact with several couples there. Caleb (a brother from school) and I go to another street not far from here, too. Well, we started by asking if there was anything we could pray about for people, and we raked leaves for some people, and we have spent a good deal of time talking to people, and we gave out some Thanksgiving cards. We're establishing good friendships and praying for opportunities to share the gospel and maybe do some Bible studies with people. It's really so exciting! The Lord has opened many doors and answered some very specific prayers.

So today, all of us who go evangelizing decided to go caroling at these two neighborhoods. There were 6 in each group, and both groups had wonderful responses in the neighborhoods! Ours consisted of Caleb, Tom, Anna, Ben, Amanda, and I. We had the best time! Often people aren't home or don't answer their doors when Caleb and I go around, but at almost every single house someone came to the door! A couple of years ago the Lord gave me a Christmas poem, and it has the Gospel in it, and we tied copies of it to candy canes and handed them out to everyone. It was so cool. :) People remembered Caleb and I, too! We were able to ask a couple of them about their prayer requests, and chat to some, too. Praise the Lord!!! Please pray for the Wood St. neighborhood! :) Victor's group was able to share the gospel really thouroughly with one of the couples that Victor and Naomi have gotten to know over the weeks. Praise the Lord! Pray for Melvan and Jean. :)

One more week of school - finals week! I'm done with all of my projects!!!! Hooray!!!!! Can't wait to be home! :)

Exciting happenings of the week

I turned 22 on Monday!

We had REAL chicken for supper tonight - real as in, NOT PROCESSED!! It even had bones. I had three pieces. :D

I'm getting an early start on homework this evening, I have two friends who are going to keep me accountable and make sure I don't go out socializing. :D Then at about 9 I'm going to go down to the Coffee Bean and buy a coffee with some of the money my little siblings sent me for my birthday. :)

My friend and I set up an accountability system today to remind ourselves about something about the Lord Jesus every day...to help each other keep our thoughts pure. :)

I got a really nice note from one of my friends in my box today!

All my Christmas decorations are up!

The Lord is teaching me what it means to press on...and it's good. :)

ONLY 18 more days until I go home!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Pictures with Emmaus Friends

Getting to know the girls in August who have become my best friends here...Emily and Esther

Roller skating with Heidi and Hannah and Alehandra at Sadie Hawkins

Christina and I together at Sadies

Laughs with Esther A at Sadies

Eating apples with Esther at Oktoberfest

Dressed up for Sadies with Emily

Making Japanese food with Caleb on Thanksgiving break

Breakfast and homework with Victor on Thanksgiving break

At a birthday party with Rachel

At Perkins with Esther, Amanda, and Amy, along with others for a going away party for a friend

Tasting Amy's muffin at Perkins

Saying goodbye to Amanda

Enjoying the first snowfall with Caleb and Victor

Walking in the snow with Joy over Thanksgiving break

In everything

In every little thing
Give thanks.
For unexpected blessings,
For reminders
Of God’s love,
For answers
To hurried, whispered prayers –
Give thanks.

In every greater thing
Give thanks.
For help in big decisions made,
For open doors
Made clear,
For help
In times of bitter trials –
Give thanks.

In every harder thing,
Give thanks.
For loneliness or grief,
For the chance
To suffer for His sake,
For pain, or loss,
Or bitter nights of tears –
Give thanks.

In every good thing from above,
Give thanks.
For promises He gives,
For fellowship
So rich and sweet,
For joy,
And laughter, love, and songs –
Give thanks.

Because His way is perfect,
Because He cares for you,
Because He reaches, teaches, shares,
Give thanks to God,
For He is good.

- Elizabeth Skiles
“Oh give thanks unto the Lord, for He is good.” (Psalm 136:1)