Attributes of God

Almost two months ago a friend suggested that we do a little Bible study together. What we do is daily as part of our time with God we look for an attribute of God and text the verse and any thoughts we have on it to each other. It has been a wonderful time of learning about who God really is. I though I knew Him, but I have found that there is so much more to Him than I could ever imagine. The following are some of my favorites.
(All Scriptures are taken from the English Standard Version unless otherwise noted)

• God is Our Sustainer. Psalm 3:5, "I lay down and slept; I awoke again, for the Lord sustained me."
• God is a Stronghold. Psalm 9:9, "The Lord is a stronghold for the oppressed, a stronghold in times of trouble."
• God is My Portion. Psalm 119:57, "The Lord is my portion; I promise to keep your words."
• He is the God of the Living. Matthew 22:32b, "...He is not a God of the dead, but of the living."
• God has Steadfast Love. Psalm 52:2, "...the steadfast love of God endures all day."
• Jesus is the Same. Hebrews 13:8, "Jesus Christ the same yesterday, today, and forever."
• He is My God. Deuteronomy 10:21, "He is your praise. He is your God, who has done for you these great and terrifying things that your eyes have seen." (This is my personal favorite)
• God Calls Us. Romans 11:29 (NKJV), "For the gifts and calling of God are irrevocable."
• God Rescues Us. Psalm 18:16-17 (NIV), "He reached down from on high and took hold of me; he drew me out of deep waters. He rescued me from my powerful enemy, from my foes, who were too strong for me."
• God is Patient. II Peter 3:9, "The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance."
• The Lord knows the Way I Take. Job 23:10 (NKJV), "But He knows the way that I take; when He has tested me, I shall come forth as gold."
• God is Unique. Job 23:13 (NKJV), "But He is unique, and who can make Him change? And whatever His soul desires, that He does."
• God will be Our Rear Guard. Isaiah 52:12, "For you shall not go out in haste, and you shall not go in flight, for the Lord will go before you, and the God of Israel will be your rear guard."
• The Lord Loves Justice. Psalm 37:28, "For the Lord loves justice; he will not forsake his saints."
• The Lord is Slow to Anger. Psalm 103:8, "The Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love."
• God Hears the Brokenhearted. Psalm 147:3, "He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds."
• The Lord Called Me from the Womb. Isaiah 49:1, "Listen to me, O coast lands, and give attention, you peoples from afar. The Lord called me from the womb, from the body of my mother he named my name."
• My Redeemer Lives. Job 19:25, "For I know that my Redeemer lives, and at the last he will stand upon the earth."
• God's Greatness is More than can be Told. Psalm 40:5, "You have multiplied, O Lord my God, your wondrous deeds and your thoughts toward us; none can compare with You! I will proclaim and tell of them, yet they are more than can be told."
• God is Beautiful. Psalm 27:4, "One thing have I asked of the Lord, that will I seek after: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord and to inquire in His temple."
• The Lord Heals Backsliding. Hosea 14:4 (NKJV), "I will heal their backsliding, I will love them freely."
• God Supplies. Philippians 4:19, "And my God will supply every need of yours according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus."

God Answers Prayers

For the past several years I have been very burdened for my friend Ray who is in the Army. He was unsaved and quite content that way. He's had some very close calls during his three deployments (he is still in his third). In June he was home on leave and we spent quite a bit of time together. During that time I was able to talk to him a little bit about God and my dad also talked to him some this year and a year ago when he was home.

Last night I chatted with him for the first time in well over a month. He was recently moved to another base and was without access to a computer for a long while. During our chat he told me that he had become very close friends with the assistant chaplain and they had a lot of really good talks. We then proceeded to have a discussion about having a religion versus having a personal, intimate relationship with Jesus Christ. In the course of this conversation he told me that he had admitted that he was a sinner in need of a Savior and had accepted Christ as his personal Savior! I was floored. A rush of about a thousand emotions ran through me, at first a little bit of apprehension and disbelief, then the realization that this was actually happening, he had really become a believer. Years of praying and begging God to save him had payed off and Ray is now a fellow Christian.

As I considered all of this, my thoughts kept going to a phrase I use quite often, "Oh me of little faith!" How I had despaired of this day ever coming. I thought that God had probably just written him off, but how wrong I was! I am so thankful for a prayer hearing and answering God. A God who loves the whole world and is not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance. A God who loves each one of us individually, and cares about us and our burdens. Praise the Lord!

I John 5:14-15

Now this is the confidence that we have in Him,

that if we ask anything according to His will,

He hears us.

And if we know that He hears us,

whatever we ask,

we know that we have the petitions that we have asked of Him.

Blessing -- Laura Story

My Aunt Sue (Greg's mom) shared these lyrics with me at my cousin's funeral this past week, I thought I would pass them on to all of you as well.

We pray for blessings

We pray for peace

Comfort for family, protection while we sleep

We pray for healing, for prosperity

We pray for Your mighty hand to ease our suffering

All the while, You hear each spoken need

Yet love us way too much to give us

lesser things

Cause what if Your blessings co

me through raindrops

What if Your healing comes through tears

What if a thousand sleepless nights

Are what it takes to know You’re near

What if trials of this life are Your mercies in disguise,

We pray for wisdom

Your voice to hear

And we cry in anger when we cannot feel You near

We doubt Your goodness, we doubt Your love

As if every promise from Your W

ord is not enough

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

What if a thousand sleepless nights

Are what it takes to know You’re near

And what if trials of this life are Your merc

ies in disguise

When friends betray us

When darkness seems to win

We know the pain reminds this heart

That this is not, this is not our home

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 t

o know You’re near

What if my greatest disappointments

Or the aching of this life

Is the revealing of a greater thirst this world can’t satisfy

And what if trials of this life

The rain, the storms, the hardest nights

Are Your mercies in disguise.

~~~~~~~~~Greg~~~~~~~~~

Day 8: A Thank You Letter to Someone Who Changed My Life

Left to Right

Standing: LeAnne, Hannah

Sitting: Mr. C and Mrs. C

Dear Mrs. Campbell,

I wanted to write you a note to thank you for all that you have done in my life and in the life of my family. You have been more of a blessing than you will ever know and I love you very dearly.

Over the years you have watched me grow up and have always been a kind friend, a confidante, and a great encourager. No matter what the circumstance, I can always rely on the fact that you will listen to what I say and give good, Goldy wisdom when I need direction. You have never been afraid to tell me when I was doing something wrong, and yet, when I do something right you are always encouraging and praising me.

I have always been able to rely on your prayer support as I grow and make decisions on my own. Looking back, I see how much those prayers have really helped me along, even at times when I may not have wanted them.

Spending time at your house has always been a treat. From learning proper table etiquette (remember that crazy demerit system we set up for bad etiquette?!), to eating ice cream on the porch while watching the squirrels run though the gardens, memories of you and Mr. Campbell are all warm and fun and I could come up with a long list of memories. Watching chic flicks, taking pictures of your flowers, going shopping, eating all sorts of yummy food, talking late at night with you and LeAnne, trying to help remodel your house (or at least watching Mr. Campbell do it), and going to church, are just a few marvelous memories.

One thing about you that has always stuck out in my mind is your positive attitude -- even when you are in pain. You do your best to not let on that you don't feel well, but even when it becomes obvious and you can no longer hide it, your sweet spirit and constant trusting in the Lord has been an excellent example to me.

I don't think you will even know how much of an example of a Godly Christian lady you have been to me. I have learned much from you, and I love you very much!

Love,

~Hannah~

Some Good News

Today has turned out a bit of good news! These were some things I was expecting, but the plans are now in full swing, which is incredibly good. This news actually ease my boredom.

The first bit was an email I got from the Dean of Academics at Shawnee. I have been working to get things lined up so that I would be able to take some online classes and therefore hopefully keep up with my studies. Shawnee does not offer classes online, but earlier in the week during a phone conversation with him, Bro. Nicholson told me of a few colleges with online programs that would possibly let me enroll to take a few classes. I did the research and discovered a college that would let me take a few classes without actually pursuing a degree from them. I had to email Bro. N again to figure out which classes I needed and today I heard back from him officially! I will be taking between 8 and 11 credits this semester! I am so pumped! Not so much boredom!

Another bit of good news, I am officially back on the schedule at Wendy's! I start back on Monday! Woo hoo! So far I don't have many hours, but chances are they will start calling me in and will probably give me more hours as time goes on. Still, it's work, and money, two very good things!

Oh, yet another exciting occurrence, I have been asked to teach a literacy class in the county jail. I am supposed to give a definite answer tomorrow. I am sure that more will follow on this subject later on.

PROGRESS

This afternoon my parents and I went to mom's doctor for her one week check up. The doctor was very happy with how the wound has been healing -- in fact it is about two-thirds of the way healed! Praise the Lord! I have been the primary "wound packer" (for lack of a better term) and Dr. Simon jokingly told me that once all of this ordeal is over I should take my state boards (the test that nurses take after completing nursing school). I laughed, but uh, yeah, the answer is NO! God called me to work with teens, NOT to be a nurse! :) The point remains, Mom is doing much better!

The other exciting news of the day is that dad took his level two testing for his job. And once again he passed the first time! (He has now passed both levels the first time and was told before the first one that a very low percentage pass the first time on either one of them.) The Lord has blessed him for all the hard work and studying he has been doing.

God truly protects those He loves. Dad's test was in Ft. Wayne, which is about a 45 minute drive from home. He had to at the testing center at 7:30 this morning. About 7:50 I was reading my Bible when my cell phone beeped telling me I had a text message. I grabbed my phone and saw it was an alert from a radio station, it said that a part of US 30 (the road dad would have taken) was closed due to an accident! I jumped out of bed, and ran to ask Mom if dad was ok. It turns out that he had driven through there only a few minutes before the accident -- in fact he was less than 20 miles down the road when the radio station began to cover the accident. Wow. God is good!

In other news of the day, since mom's doctor was in Goshen, of course we had to stop at the Dunkin Donuts there! Mmm....I love that place! :) And even more exciting, DAD GOT A FACEBOOK ACCOUNT! Wow...shocking, huh? :)

But Give Me Jesus

Today I while I was running errands I had the radio on. I was not paying much attention to it, instead I was thinking about what I needed to get at each store and the fastest way to get everything done. (I hate shopping, so I try to map out my plan ahead of time to create minimal time inside the stores.) All of a sudden a lady started singing a hymn I had not heard in a very long time. The words spoke to my heart so very much that I thought I would share them.

Take the Word but Give Me Jesus

Take the world, but give me Jesus

All its joys are but a name;

But His love abideth ever,

Through eternal years the same.

refrain:

Oh, the heights and depth of mercy!

Oh, the length and breadth of love!

Oh, the fullness of redemption!

Pledge of endless life above!

Take the world, but give me Jesus,

Sweetest comfort of my soul;

With my Savior watching o're me,

I can sing though billows roll.

refrain:

Oh, the heights and depth of mercy!

Oh, the length and breadth of love!

Oh, the fullness of redemption!

Pledge of endless life above!

Take the world, but give me Jesus,

Let me view His constant smile;

Then throughout my pilgrim journey

Light will cheer me all the while.

refrain:

Oh, the heights and depth of mercy!

Oh, the length and breadth of love!

Oh, the fullness of redemption!

Pledge of endless life above!

Take the world but give me Jesus,

In His cross my trust shall be,

Till, with clearer, brighter vision

Face to face my Lord I'll see.

refrain:

Oh, the heights and depth of mercy!

Oh, the length and breadth of love!

Oh, the fullness of redemption!

Pledge of endless life above!

Not Exactly the Merriest

As I write this I am sitting in the hospital with mom, she was supposed to come home today, but that did not happen. I am not going to lie, it has been a pretty bleak Christmas - after all, who in their right mind wants to be at the hospital on Christmas? We are supposed to be home, opening presents, eating food, laughing, and spending time with family.

It is really easy to have a pity party and moan and complain - in fact I keep catching myself doing that. However, I try to remind myself that really, things could be a lot worse, so I made a list of things I am thankful for throughout this time.

• We are together as a family.
• We are warm and dry.
• Mom will eventually be fine.
• There are a lot of good nurses who are taking good care of mom.
• Mom's doctor, Dr. Simon, is really good, and a Christian.
• We have lots of friends who keep checking up on us.
• God has a reason for this - even though we do not see it at the moment.
• We have a white Christmas.
• I made it home safely, even though I drove through the wee hours of the night.
• No matter what happens, God is still on the Throne.

That was not a long or exhaustive list, but it is a start. Life happens and you have the choice of either becoming depressed and bitter about it or choosing to find the positive somewhere. Honestly, it is somewhat difficult at times to look on the bright side, but when I choose to see the good life looks brighter. I hope and pray that all of you had a very merry and blessed Christmas with friends and loved ones gathered around.

Bountiful Blessings

When taking a step back and viewing my life over the past year I've seen I have so much for which to be thankful. I'm overwhelmed by the blessings, both small and great, that have been given to my by my loving Heavenly Father.

First and foremost I'm thankful for a God in Heaven Who I know loves me unconditionally. He sent His only begotten Son down to this earth long ago to die on a cruel cross for me.Every time I stop to think about that I'm overwhelmed that a holy and just God cared so much for the human race that He gave up His most precious possession so that we too can be heirs of the Kingdom of God.

Next, I'm thankful for my family. This year I've experienced them in a way that I've never known before and seriously, they are the best. I don't know what I would do without their constant source of prayers, encouragement, laughter, and so much more. Over the summer we were able to spend a lot of quality time together. So many memories were made...I wouldn't trade anything for them. I love them so much.

Another amazing aspect in my life are my friends. I honestly have the best friends for which anyone could ask. They have proven to me over and over again that they will be there for me no matter what. From doing crazy things together at all hours of the day and night to holding me when I cry, from standing up for me when someone is being a jerk to telling me to my face when I need to straighten up I have been blessed with a lineup of friends who are some of the craziest, serious, God-loving people in the world...I couldn't do it with out them.

Finally, other than Salvation, the thing I am most grateful for is the fact that my roses have thorns! This past year has been pretty rough with relationships, medical problems, school, work, and on the list could go. But through it all I've learned that even in the worst times of my life there is always someone who has it worse than I do, and even more importantly, I've learned that there is always a bright spot, even in the darkest hours.

"Some people complain because the roses have thorns, others give thanks because the thorns have roses." ~Unknown

Just Peace

"And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus."

~Philippians 4:7~

"The Lord shall fight for you, and ye shall hold your peace."

~Exodus 14:14~

"Then Eli said [to Hannah], Go in peace: and the God of Israel shall grant thee thy petition that thou hast asked of him."

~I Samuel 1:17~

"The Lord lift up his countenance upon thee and give thee peace."

~Numbers 6:26~

"Great peace have they which love thy law: and nothing shall offend them."

~Psalm 119:165~

"Unto Timothy, my own son in the faith: Grace, mercy, and peace, from God our Father and Jesus Christ our Lord."

~I Timothy 1:2~

"Acquaint now thyself with him, and be at peace: thereby good shall come unto thee."

~Job 22:21~

"Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ."

~Romans 5:1~

"And [Jesus] said unto her, Daughter, be of good comfort: thy faith hath made thee whole; go in peace."

~Luke 8:48~

"Then Jesus said to them again, Peace be unto you: as my Father hath sent me, even so send I you."

~John 20:21~

"And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace of them that make peace."

~James 3:18~

"Now the Lord of peace himself give you peace always by all means. The Lord be with you all."

~II Thessalonians 3:16~

"Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid."

~John 14:27~

New Position!

Recently a managing position came up at my job at LEE's Famous Recipe Chicken. I had thoughts of the possibility of being chosen for the job, but I wasn't going to really pursue the matter. The other day I was working with the assistant manager and out of the blue she said, "Hey Hannah! Have you ever thought of being a manager?!" I said, "Well, I had, but I didn't know what the plans were, or who was in the running for the job." Her response was that they really didn't know who to have fill the spot because most people weren't eligible for various reasons. She talked to the GM who spoke to me about it today. I was offered the job and I start training on Saturday! I'm sooo excited! The only bad things are that other than being home for a couple of days over Christmas, most of my break will be spent down here; also, tomorrow is my last day at the ammunition factory - I can't swing a second job along with managing. But it's ok, because this is an excellent opportunity to not only make some good money, but it also looks great on my resume. Please pray that I'll be able to learn my new responsibilities quickly.

He DOES!!!!!

"Delight thyself also in the Lord; and He shall give thee the desires

of thine heart." ~Psalm 37:4

I posted not too long ago about how trusting God to take care of my future is hard. It' just a matter of letting go and letting God. Well, I decided to put that into practice. I decided that I was just going to let go and give everything to Him. Since then I've been a lot happier and content with my life. Life has been really good for some of my friends and family, and I've been so thrilled for them that I can hardly contain myself. I quickly discovered that in order to be happy life doesn't have to be going perfect...it's what you make of what God has given you. Joy is a choice that you have to make day in and day out, and often several times a day.

While I was busy just taking everything day by day and not worrying too much about what's next (although I must admit I've had my moments), God was (and still is) busy working on my future...and fulfilling one of my dreams...one I hadn't given much thought to lately simply because I didn't think it was possible anymore. This morning I paid my registration for next school year. Tonight after I got off work I had a text message from the Dean of Women asking me to pray about being a prayer leader (same thing as a room leader)!! After I read that I was debating whether or not I should laugh or cry...this is a dream come true for me, and one that I no longer was demanding from God! Isn't He wonderful! He has so many blessing in store for each one of us if only we'll give Him everything we have!

I'll be honest, I was kinda dreading going back to college. I wasn't sure yet if I could handle more. However, in the past couple of days God has put a few subtle things in my life as if He was nudging me saying, "Hey, it's all right to go back...you started, now finish what I planned for you!" This last little, or rather huge, nudge was just the push I needed! I'm now officially excited about the school year! It can't come soon enough!

So Good!

The past week in-a-half have been pretty amazing! Not only has everything with Kyle been pretty awesome but God has also been blessing in other ways as well.

I was offered 40 hours a week at the ammunition factory for the summer. That will be a HUGE help. Between that and working several hours a week at LEE's I'll be pretty busy and making pretty decent money, which will make my financial situation fairly easy for the following semester. ;) I was able to quit my job at McAlister's because of that which will make my stress level go down somewhat!

Also in the past week or so several people have given me money to help with my school bill! As of tomorrow morning I will not owe the college anything, and I'll actually be a little bit ahead!! God is SOOOO GOOD! He's taught me a lot about trusting in Him, and it's not been an easy thing to do, but it was a well taught lesson and I'm glad He was willing to take the time to teach it to me.


Trust and Obey

When we walk with the Lord in the light of His Word,
What a glory He sheds on our way!
While we do His good will, He abides with us still,
And with all who will trust and obey.

Refrain

Trust and obey, for there’s no other way
To be happy in Jesus, but to trust and obey.

Not a shadow can rise, not a cloud in the skies,
But His smile quickly drives it away;
Not a doubt or a fear, not a sigh or a tear,
Can abide while we trust and obey.

Refrain

Not a burden we bear, not a sorrow we share,
But our toil He doth richly repay;
Not a grief or a loss, not a frown or a cross,
But is blessed if we trust and obey.

Refrain

But we never can prove the delights of His love
Until all on the altar we lay;
For the favor He shows, for the joy He bestows,
Are for them who will trust and obey.

Refrain

Then in fellowship sweet we will sit at His feet.
Or we’ll walk by His side in the way.
What He says we will do, where He sends we will go;
Never fear, only trust and obey.

Refrain

~John H. Sammis

Well....

This weekend my entire life took a turn for the better. It was quite an unexpected turn, but I'm not complaining! ;)

As I said in my previous blog post, Kyle was coming to my house over the weekend. Well, he came, and things went a lot better than either one of us expected. We had a really good time Friday evening, going to the jail Bible study and then my entire family stayed up until after midnight just talking and having a good time. Saturday morning we went to the jail ministry planning meeting which was at a coffee shop, and Kyle had his first latte! He liked it!! :) That afternoon we went target practicing. Yet another first for Kyle. He did really well, I think it's just beginners luck! :P That afternoon we did some shopping, and another stop at the coffee shop! ;) Saturday night we had some friends over for a birthday party for dad. We had a nice meal, and good cake, and then played Apples to Apples.

Sunday we went to church and then had people over for lunch. One of the guys that came over, Kevin Bronson, is a world champion in karate. He has told my parents in the past, and told me that if anyone ever tries to hurt me, he'll take care of them. So he decided to show Kyle how he could die in a second. It was pretty exciting!! We kinda relaxed for the afternoon and then went to church that evening.

Awhile back I had had the crazy idea of going to Steak 'n Shake at 2 am for their "happy hour". So Samuel, Kyle, and I stayed up until then. Samuel was busy playing on his computer, and Kyle and I got to just sit and talk without any interruptions for almost 4 solid hours. It was amazing. Steak 'n Shake was awesome! We were the only people in the restaurant! It was crazy! :)

Monday dad and I both had a doctors appointment at an orthopedic doctor. So we were all up and around fairly early. The night before Kyle and I had both come to the realization that there was more than just friendship between the 2 of us. (I KNOW it took me longer to realize it than it took him). So Monday morning he talked to dad, and asked for his permission to date me. :) Dad said, "Yes!" And then Kyle asked me, and I also said, "Yes!" So it's official! We're both really happy, as are both of our families. It's pretty amazing!

*****Monday we baked...and licked the beaters!*****

*****Kyle and Hannah*****

I GOT A JOB!!!

As you can tell by the title this post, I GOT A JOB! Praise the Lord! :)
I had an interview and was hired at McAlister's. It's a deli chain that is in this area. It's a homey type of restaurant. I'm really excited cuz I love working in the restaurant business. As of right now I will still be keeping my LEE's job, and I've heard rumblings of the US Census bureau also doing some hiring so I'm going to look into that as well!
I start at McAlister's on Monday. It's looking more and more like I will be staying down here for the summer. It's not exactly what I wanted to do, but it will probably be my only choice.

Thankful Reflections

Looking back over this past year I was honestly shocked at all that has gone on this year. This has been the craziest year of my life. I've had the most horrible hurts and pains, physically, mentally, and spiritually. But yet, at the same time I've been blessed beyond my wildest dreams.

As Thanksgiving draws closer, I have really begun to look at my blessings, if I were to "Count them one by one" I'd be writing all day long. So, I'm going to try to focus on big things, and hopefully I won't overwhelm you, although I'm slightly overwhelmed myself!

One huge blessing was my family coming to visit me in NY for Thanksgiving last year. That was a HUGE and amazing blessing, and an amazing surprise. Only God knows just how much I needed my family at that time.

By Christmas break, I was REALLY, REALLY sick, which resulted in a not so fun Christmas break. However I learned so much through that sickness. God taught me some VERY important lessons. As funny as it might sound, I am thankful for the pain and hurt, because through it all, God drew me closer to Him.

To add to that blessing, I'm so thankful that the doctors were able to figure out what was wrong with me, just in time, and I was able to have surgery before my break was over, so I didn't have to miss any school.

My second semester of school brought some very important friends into my life. The McMahons, and Phillips' became like my second family and without them I don't think that I could have survived through my last semester in New York.

Oh, a crazy blessing about New York, and a thing I'm very thankful for, COFFEE! Before college I thought coffee was of the devil, NOW HOWEVER…mmm….it's great stuff! :) I love Dunkin Donuts and Starbucks is pretty good as well.

Coming back from NY I was once again sick, actually, I had been sick since Spring break. I was trying to see a blessing in that, and it was kinda hard. So I thought, and thought, and the blessing I could find was that through all the doctor visits, I got a good dose of Dunkin Donuts, cuz there is a DD about 3 miles from the doctors office! I know…that was crazy!

In June my family went to Antigo, WI for my best friends mom's memorial service. It was really hard and sad, but at the same time it was wonderful to see how Mrs. Pieri's quiet, loving personality was able to bless so many people. It was also nice to see Bro. Pieri, and Faith, and Joseph and spend quite a bit of time with them.

On June 16 my parents celebrated their 20th anniversary! I have to say that I'm VERY thankful for that because without them getting married, well, needless to say I wouldn't be here right now. I was able to throw a surprise party for my parents! Well, dad knew about it (that's because I clued him in on the whole thing), but somehow I managed to pull it off on mom, which was my main goal! It was AWESOME! :)

Also, not intentionally, on June 16 God brought the biggest blessing into my life. Many of you already know this, but I'll put it in here anyways. I sent an email to a Navy sailor who is stationed in Japan, who a friend of mine had been telling me about for quite awhile…actually, bugging me about! ;) Finally because I was tired of her bugging me, I gave in and sent Jason Hunsicker an email…hoping that I would never hear anything back, and also hoping that it would get Amanda off my back. Welllll….neither one of those things happened. Jason did send me an email back and I responded and the rest is history. Now after thousands of emails back and forth, and countless hours spent on the phone we have developed a relationship that goes beyond my wildest imaginations. Wow! I could go on and on…but lest I bore you with the wonderful details of my life, I will move on! :)

Other blessings this summer included seeing my friend LeAnne, whom I hadn't seen since 8th grade, the Pieri's coming to IN for a weekend, Samuel getting to go to flight camp, and then going on a missions trip to Canada.

Then in August I began college at Shawnee Baptist College in New Albany, IN. This is my first year here, but I'm still a Sophomore, which reminds me of another blessing…all my credits from International transferred without any problems. So far this semester has been jammed packed with school and work and trying to cram a few extra things in every once in a while.

The Saturday before Labor Day my former roommate got married in TN and I was able to go to her wedding and also was able to see some friends that I hadn't seen in a long time.

In September my Grandma Drazich visited my family for a few weeks, and one weekend they came down here to visit. It was nice to see my family, and I hadn't seen my grandma since my high school graduation!

October brought some bitter sweet news, Jason isn't going to be able to take me to the Christmas banquet in December, but he is still coming home, just a week later than originally planned. It did work out though that we will end up getting to spend more time together than if he had been able to come home the week earlier.

November also brought a WONDERFUL blessing, my brother got saved! That was the best news that I had heard in a long time!

I guess to sum it all up, this year has been the most amazing year of my life, and I'm sooo thankful to God for all that He has done for me!

For Those that Love Him

But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him. ~II Cor. 2: 9

Recently I read this verse in my devotions and I began to really think about it. Sometimes when I start looking at my circumstances I wonder what in the world God is doing. I want to say, "Uh hello God, ummm…I'm down here, and life's kinda hard, and I don't know what You are doing! Would You mind letting me in on the secret?" But then I have to realize that God can see everything that is going on and not only that HE is orchestrating everything in my life and in the end I will be able to look back and see that everything that I went through worked out for my good and God's plans are so much better than mine. "For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end." ~Jeremiah 29:11

I hope this thought encouraged you as much as it did me. Life is rough, but God has plans for each of us that go beyond our wildest dreams if we stay focused on Him and love Him. Keep your chin up, and continue to trust the Lord.

Answers

At long last the answer has come:

JASON'S LEAVE WAS APPROVED!!!! :)

He is going to be getting home on December 8th and leaving on the 27th. We will get to spend 11 or 12 days together and that is EXCITING! :)

I can't even begin to describe how happy I am…WWWWWWWWOOOOOOOOOOOO HHHHHHHOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!

Prayer

Psalm 55:17
Evening, and morning, and at noon will I pray and cry aloud: and he shall hear my voice.

One of the main things that God has really been working on my heart about lately is the matter of Prayer. In the past few months I've had a lot of unexpected things come into my life. Not necessarily bad changes, actually the main change has been Jason, which is a VERY good change. However, these few months have shown me just how badly I need to rely more and more on God. I've had a lot of struggles with various things in our relationship and at times I wish there was someone to whom I could talk to that would understand, but really, I don't know anyone that knows what it's like for me. I was getting pretty down down about it, and I even sent mom several emails about it. She tried her best to help me, but even she doesn't totally understand.

Earlier this week I was on the verge of despair, needing to get everything off my chest, but I had no one to turn to. Finally, I realized that I could tell Jesus, and so I did. For almost an hour one day I spent time just telling Him everything that was on my heart and mind. All the things that I could tell no one I knew I could tell Him. I shed many tears, but when I was done it was like a burden had been lifted off my chest - I felt so much more free. It didn't take long before the devil crept back in and doubts and fears once again began to consume me, but I had learned my lesson, and "Just a little talk with Jesus made it all right" again.

Someone once said, "The distance between an problem and a solution is the distance between your knees and the floor." That's some of the best advice I've ever heard.

Just Pray

I was discouraged when no answer cameSee, I’d prayed for years, and I still saw no change I was ready to give up on my wish coming true But when I prayed that last time, His power broke through.

And prayer is just as big as God isPrayer is just as strong as God is strong Prayer can reach as far as God can reach Don’t ever give up, just pray, just pray Don’t ever give up, just pray.

We have been given a means to the throne Of the One whose potential is yet to be known There is no limit as to what God can do So just keep on praying, He’s listening to you.

~Rodney Griffin