New Things

I love trying new things! Getting out of the same old, same old and trying something new helps me to get a new perspective on life, find talents I never knew God gave me, and is just plain fun! Thinking back on 2011 reveals a LOT of new things for me! Some of the new things I remember are:

• Moving out of my family's house for the first time


• Starting nursing school (specifically doing new things like giving shots and IVs...Eeek!)


• Making new friends


• Re-learning to ride a bike :)


• Making my own Halloween costume and going to a costume party


• Joining a new church


• Trying coffee (not a fan!)


• volunteering at Ronald McDonald House


• becoming the Disater Relief Director for Iowa Association of Nurses


• trying lots of new recipes! (most recently was cinnamon glazed almonds--yummy!)

Since I love trying new things so much, I thought I'd make a list of the things I want to try in 2012. (By the way, I have noticed that most of my blog posts consist of lists...I will try to better at posting more than just lists in 2012 :) )

• Be able to do 15 real push-ups and see the muscles in my arms!


• Learn to cook one new, healthy recipe a week


• Go to another country...I'm getting restless from not travelling!


• Sew a quilt


• and many more exciting things!

2011

Thought it was about time I wrote on this thing again :) It's only been...ehh about 5 months give or take! In church today the pastor was talking about a passage in Psalms (I can't remember the verse, aghh!) when Moses is praying to God that His people would a new perspective on the challenges to come and a new passion for God because of all the things He had already done for them. The pastor encouraged us to make a list of all the things that God did in our lives in the past year, in order to gain new perspective and passion. So, here goes! (in no particular order)
1. I was accepted into the school of my dreams- U of I College of Nursing.
2. My nursing class is full of amazing, kind, fun students who quickly became some of my close friends and who helped me (mostly) retain my sanity during tough weeks.
3. He placed me in an amazing community of believers who are just as passionate about reaching the nations for Jesus as me.
4. He taught me how to pray.
5. He gave me people to minister to and to be ministered by.
6. My housing situation worked out beautifully in His timing and I have 5 new friends because of it.
7. I have been blessed in numerous ways by each of His beautiful daughters I am blessed to live with.
8. He blessed me with a close relationship with my family, even after moving to Iowa City.
9. He continues to work in my relationship with Bryant as we learn how to be a Godly couple on mission together.
10. All of my physical and financial needs are bountifully met.
11. We found an awesome home church where God is moving.
12. Great house church that is a huge blessing

And for some of the lessons He taught me...

13. I will not always be the best, but that is okay as long as I do MY best
14. Sometimes God is the only thing we can rely on and He does not fail us
15. The Holy Spirit moves when you allow Him to
16. God has big plans for our lives and does NOT let little things like tests or classes get in the way of that

That's all I have for now, but I'm sure there are more! Hopefully to be continued... what are some of your blessings/lessons of 2011?

I'm backkkk!

Hi-ya bloggy folks! I'm back! Long time, no...type? There's been a lot of changes and craziness going on in the last 6 weeks. I don't even know where to begin...how about letting you in on the 10 Best things here in IC? (My mom always taught me if you can't say anything nice, don't say anything at all, so we'll stick with just the best things! ;) )


Here goes...TOP 10 Best Things! (In no particular order....drum roll please....)
1. Amazing opportunities to meet Christians with a heart for the world, like me! I feel like everyone here speaks my "language"
2. Ghurtie's Frozen Yogurt!
3. Awesome restaurants to try out (there's Indian on every block!)
4. Interesting classes
5. Meeting new people
6. Being able to get something to eat/go to WalMart/etc. at any time of the day or night (and it's not a 30 minute drive!)
7. Cute little shops
8. Tons of thrift stores!
9. Lots of fun parks, bike trails, etc.
10. Finding a great church, getting plugged in right away,and finding God's purpose for me here!

I hope your school year is starting off well. When you're having one of "those" days, when everything seems dreary, try making a list of the top reasons why the place God has you right now is great! It really does change your view and makes you a little more thankful for the ways He's blessing you. So, what are some of the great things going on right now for you?! Let me know!

On learning lessons...

I feel like I deserted my blog. I was doing so well with blogging...and then I disappeared. The last few weeks have been crazyyy. It's like I have so many things I could talk about, that I don't even know where to start. I am tired (and lazy!) so I think I will just fill you in on a few of the things I've learned this summer.
*God is good ALL the time.
*Putting on sunblock after being in the sun for a few hours...is counter-productive.
*Amish people can have Mastercards and wear New Balance shoes (what is this?! haha)
*It is OKAY to be honest with God and bold in prayer.
*I learned every muscle, bone, and organ system in the human body...
*Dissecting a cat is a lot easier if you don't look at it's face when you cut it open.
*(Borrowed from church service) Silence can be deadly in relationships with God and others.
*I learned how to really pray.
*The best way to make a table you are painting shiny is to roll of the paint and brush over with a regular paint brush.
*Sometimes you don't realize how important a person is to you (or you are to them) until you are leaving.
*Missing opportunities from God really stinks.
*But He forgives us.
*When people leave messages on your home phone- they can't hear you talking, even if you're in the same room! Crazy! ;)

Freebies?!?

Hey blog peeps! ;)
I am currently cleaning out my room and getting rid of lotssss of stuff. So in the spirit of reusing and thriftiness, I was thinking about giving away some freebies from the back of my closet! But, I need to know...are you up for that?! No comments...no freebies :) Let me know what you think! Details to come soon...

Inspiration

Hello friends! :)
I believe when I reinvented this blog I promised to post more about the DIY projects I have been attempting lately. I love, love being creative and I think that comes from my mom and dad ( ). They are both creative and love redoing old things and old homes! I have loved growing up watching them re-create spaces, bringing in a feeling of home and style at the same time! After all these years, they have finally motivated me to try some of my own projects. What have I been working on, you ask? Well...
* jewelry organization "centers"--made from an old frame and some drawer pulls, and an antique rake
*pillows--lots and lots of throw pillows!
*shelves for pictures on my walls
*re-invented a vintage table and chairs
*redecorated my room
I have lots more projects up my sleeve! Pictures soon to come of all my work so far! (And of course I'll give you tips on how I did these projects for so CHEAP! and how to do it yourself...) For now, happy Wednesday and happy decorating!

Things I Love

I saw this post idea on www.littlelucylu.com (great blog by the way!) and thought I'd give it a try. We all need some fun and some of the things we love on Mondays, don't we?! So... in no particular order, here are some of the things I love (besides the obvious things of my God, my amazing family, and Bryant)
-New car smell
-Really good, dark chocolate
-Travelling
-Playing with kids
-Reading a great book
-Smell of tanning lotion/coconut
-Frozen hot chocolate
-New cultures
-Being creative
-New school supplies
-Getting a great deal
-Bright colors
-Worship music
-Indian food
-Summer dresses
-Flowers, especially tulips and daisies!
-Making lists and checking things off
-The feeling when you wake up before the alarm and get extra time to sleep
-Thrift, vintage, and consignment stores
-Learning new things
Now, I've done my part...so I want to hear what some of YOUR favorite things are! I looked at my statistics, and I have 30-40 people consistently reading this blog, from every continent in the world. Know what that means? I should hear what 30-40 people's favorite things are! :)