Summer is over.... School is here

1. I fail at summer blogging..

2.

"When I want to do good, evil is right there with me. My inner being delights in God's law but my members wage war against the law-making me a prisoner. Praise God! I have victory in Jesus Christ."- Romans 7:21-25

I want what God wants. Deep deep deep down I truly with my whole heart want that. I pray that my life would be honoring to God, and that I would be solely His, but do I truly believe this? Even though my heart wants to do great things, satan is there to try to bring me down. He is there to tell me I can't do it and that God doesn't have a perfect plan for my life. What a lie that is. Christ has died and risen from the grave for me! and I have victory in Jesus. My prayer for me and you today is that Christ would be our inner delights. That our sin would be far out of our minds, and that our hearts would be made like His. Why do we doubt our God? It's silly. He's there to love... where are you?

Sniffle sniffle sniffle...COUGH

Examine picture above..

This is me, trying to take a picture of all my items to which are my new best friends, but instead I sneezed while the picture was being taken great timing.

I swear whoever I marry better have a good immune system because if not they will be infected and sick all the time like me. It is 81 degrees sunny and all I want to do is sit here in my bed and hide from the sun, although the sun may bake this illness out of me. only a month and a half till I go back to school, which is pretty crazy it's been really fast and really slow all at the same time, if that makes sense. I took the time to watch "Confessions of a Shopaholic" today while being bed rest, and I have to say for the dumb title I thought it was going to be as bad as "27 Dresses" Horrible movie, but this movie if taken with a grain of salt taught very good things, sorta. The thing that we all need reminded of, things do not define us, in the end they are just things and they cannot make you happy, helping people, loving people, having a relationship with Jesus Christ, these things are the only things that completely satisfy. Learning that lesson will radically change your life, and things won't be as important because they don't have much value.

So go on out there enjoy the weather, enjoy your fathers (on this lovely fathers day weekend.) and place your worth in the only thing that saves.

Days of summer..... I don't know and I am to lazy to count
Cups of Orange Juice- 5
Number of Kleenex's- 100's
Toe nail polish color- Pretty Red!
Song to listen to: Death and all his friends- Coldplay (it's one of my favorites)

One of those days..

This describes my day.

Maybe I should move to Australia



ALEXANDER AND THE TERRIBLE, HORRIBLE, NO GOOD, VERY BAD DAY
by Judith Viorst

"I went to sleep with gum in my mouth and now there's gum in my hair and when I got out of bed this morning I tripped on the skateboard and by mistake I dropped my sweater in the sink while the water was running and I could tell it was going to be a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day.

At breakfast Anthony found a Corvette Sting Ray car kit in his cereal box and Nick found a Junior Undercover Agent code ring in his cereal box but in my breakfast cereal box all I found was breakfast cereal. I think I'll move to Australia.

In the car pool Mrs. Gibson let Becky have a seat by the window. Audrey and Elliott got seats by the window too. I said I was being scrunched. I said I was being smushed. I said, if I don't get a seat by the window I am going to be carsick. No one even answered. I could tell it was going to be a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day.

As school Mrs. Dickens liked Paul's picture of the sailboat better than my picture of the invisible castle. At singing time she said I sang too loud. At counting time she said I left out sixteen. Who needs sixteen? I could tell it was going to be a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day.

I could tell because Paul said I wasn't his best friend anymore. He said that Philip Parker was his best friend and that Albert Moyo was his next best friend and that I was only his third best friend. I hope you sit on a tack, I said to Paul. I hope the next time you get a double-decker strawberry ice-cream cone the ice cream part falls off the cone part and lands in Australia.

There were two cupcakes in Philip Parker's lunch bag and Albert got a Hershey bar with almonds and Paul's mother gave him a piece of jelly roll that had little coconut sprinkles on the top. Guess whose mother forgot to put in dessert? It was a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day.

That's what it was, because after school my mom took us all to the dentist and Dr. Fields found a cavity just in me. Come back next week and I'll fix it, said Dr. Fields. Next week, I said, I'm going to Australia.

On the way downstairs the elevator door closed on my foot and while we were waiting for my mom to go get the car Anthony made me fall where it was muddy and then when I started crying because of the mud Nick said I was a crybaby and while I was punching Nick for saying crybaby my mom came back with the car and scolded me for being muddy and fighting. I am having a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day, I told everybody. No one even answered.

So then we went to the shoestore to buy some sneakers. Anthony chose white ones with blue stripes. Nick chose red ones with white stripes. I chose blue ones with red stripes but then the shoe man said, We're all sold out. They made me buy plain old white ones, but they can't make me wear them.

When we picked up my dad at his office he said I couldn't play with his copying machine, but I forgot. He also said to watch out for the books on his desk, and I was careful as could be except for my elbow. He also said don't fool around with his phone, but I think I called Australia. My dad said please don't pick him up anymore. It was a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day.

There were lima beans for dinner and I hate limas. There was kissing on TV and I hate kissing. My bath was too hot, I got soap in my eyes, my marble went down the drain, and I had to wear my railroad-train pajamas. I hate my railroad-train pajamas. When I went to bed Nick took back the pillow he said I could keep and the Mickey Mouse night light burned out and I bit my tongue. The cat wants to sleep with Anthony, not with me. It has been a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day. My mom says some days are like that.

Even in Australia."

Day's of summer: I've lost track.. at this point it could be eternity

"Two Loves Be One"

O weddings. It is such a weird age when your friends start getting married off. This weekend, I had a bachelorette party, and bridal shower which I put a good amount of time into. I am a personal attendant for my friends wedding in July, for all of you who do not know what the roles of personal attending is let me list some for you:

Situation one: Groomsman spills ketchup on his white shirt 2 minutes before the wedding; Abby scrubs his shirt while he stands in embarrassment

Situation two: Two bridesmaids are fighting about who gets to wear their hair what way; Abby tells both of them they are beautiful and helps pick out two distinct hair styles for both

Situation three: Groom forgets ring at his house; Abby frantically runs over and gets it saving the day just in time...

Now you know. ha! Summer is flying by.. with summer classes work and just trying to catch up summer will be over before I know it.. and back to Judson I miss it so much it's sad.

Day's of summer: 6 WEEKS! = 42
Number of crunches accomplished this weekend: 700!
Allergy pills: 5

My Summer Getaway..

My Summer Bed. The Hammock, yes this is where I spend most of my summer. In this hammock I have met some of my best friends, gone on some of my most exciting adventures and explored the world from this little hammock by the lake. Books are amazing that way. The way they take us in and capture us. I love reading especially in this special chair. I could sit there for hours and get lost.. (only for my mom to find me 6 hours later, and tell me it's time for dinner). You know it's amazing how stories effect us but more amazing that the greatest story of all saved me from a life with no point. I was reading in my Bible today, about God's glory and how it exudes to the ends of the universe. It's so hard to imagine.. but then again I am amazed at the little I do understand, I don't think I could take much more. It's so easy to get caught up about how things aren't going our way, or how it would be better if we where in another stage in life... but those are main indications that we need to enjoy the stage we're in right now. So if you're like me who are in this stage and are enjoying it, good for you.. but for you who aren't I encourage you to find the glory and joy that Christ has given me and continues to give me daily. Think about it.. take it for what it's worth.

Speeches given for speech class: 4
Map's collected for 3rd floor: hundreds
Hands of Cards: To many to count.. Except I beat my mom and her best friend this week! How exciting. : )
Summer day: 36

Thomas Newman Makes Me Cry

It's been 4 weeks almost 5.. Time slips away so fast. Today I woke up with the soundtrack of my life playing in my head, and decided to write about it. I find it awe inspiring how a song without words only the dynamics and simpleness of notes strung on a page can move in big ways. Although I do understand how these dynamics work, and the specific ways into achieving this goal I never loose my awe of this great wonder. It's amazing how a song can move you in such ways, can feel what you are feeling. I truly think specifically that movie scores are greatly underrated and are not given enough credit by the least. Some of our best musicians are playing in the Boston Pop's, and CSO yes, but if we don't take the time to listen for those songs that connect us as Humans, and show us another side of Heaven, then we are wasting away this great gift God has given us.
Thomas Newman, my favorite composer of this time, captures this passion very well. It may be because I am a sucker for piano ballads and oboe solos, but every time I listen to him my story of my life fits perfectly note by note. I encourage anyone who is reading this, to find this song, find this musician who touches your life, who plays your life song, and never let go of it. Maybe I am just a music dork, who has had to many lessons, and to much music theory, but take my word for it. Isn't God amazing? He truly is.

(Listening to Nemo Egg: Main Title Thomas Newman)

Summer Day: 29
Hands of cards: Too many to count .... Although Meghann Burt and I beat Stacy Heggen in Spades on Tuesday Night.

Graduations.. Endless Parties.. Life

Summer day- 19

Hand of cards- too many

Graduation parties- 8
+
Graduation parties to go- 12
+
Graduation ceremony
=
Am I still in high school? Didn't I go away to college.. I swear this is more than I went to last year. Graduation parties are pretty awkward I have come to find this year. You go and eat.. sometimes really good food, sometimes just the fruit ( because that's all you trust). Then you sit around and wait for someone to talk to you, and sometimes no one does, so you don't really know what to do, so you sit and eat slow.. and then leave, quietly. ha! It's sorta annoying. But I guess it's one of those things you never get out . Graduation parties will follow you to the grave.

You know the funny thing about summer, after high school, you never have a summer. It's work, and school all summer. I wish I would have taken the time to enjoy my summers as a kid more. I was always the child who was excited to go get new school supplies and go back to school.. I guess that's why I am going to be a teacher. Come to think about it.. I am excited to go back to school.. thats sad.

Missing you.. whoever you are.

"1234 Tell me that you love me more. . "

The rain has been a faithful friend this spring.. Like all springs at home, it's sunny one day and raining the next. Most people dread the rain, but for me it's cozy, relaxing, and on a Sunday afternoon a great excuse to lay in bed. I had forgotten how fast spring moves. I have been home for two weeks which feels almost like a month or two, but at the same time, graduation parties, graduations and end of the year grades feel like they come like clock work.

So with time going so fast and slow, I find myself wondering how I am making a difference. Am I living everyday for the next, or living today as it's my last day? It's easy to forget that life is just a blink, but it is. So for this rainy day I will read and enjoy my life here where I am on this rainy May day, you should too.

Summer day 14.. missing you.

"Life doesn't always work out the way you plan, sometimes it's better."

In the last 5 days:

Hole in my radiator
Broken internet
Job's lost/on the brink
Birthday's Celebrated/ without all the people I love
Sleep lost
Head confused
Heart twisted....


But God is still God.

"If you read history you will find that the Christians who did most for the present world were precisely those who thought most of the next. It is since Christians have largely ceased to think of the other world that they have become so ineffective in this." C. S. Lewis

Peace in time of storm, seems almost impossible. Until we give everything up to God how is God suppose to fully take over our life. This idea of peace, takes more than Yoga everyday, or reading your Bible, or even praying it takes full surrender, which when you think about this it is a terrifying thought. Christ did not call us to be "lukewarm Christians" rather in His words He wants us to "Take up your cross and follow him". Like Francis Chan says in his book Crazy Love, and loves to reiterate every time I hear him speak, "Jesus asks for everything. But we try to give Him less." Lukewarm faith is completely useless in the Bible it says it can't even benefit manure. Wow maybe it's about time to live in faith, and walk in peace. Even when we don't understand, even when I don't understand, am I willing to take my cross and meet Jesus there?

Summer day 10

Tulip Time

Pella, Iowa: Population 10219 people, most of which are dutch.

Tulip time: fair food, dutchy's (the babies are the cutest), Jr. High love fest in Smokey Row ( don't ask) (it concluded with me telling management that they where loud ha!), dutch dancers, and of course tulips. For the first time, I did not have to march in the Tulip Time Parade, this did not sadden me ha! Instead I got to spend the time catching up with good friends, and enjoying a lovely Iowa thunderstorm. (It wouldn't be tulip time without rain- Erin McCool)

It hasn't even been a week, and I miss all my Judson family. So to all of you my Judson Family who is reading this right now, Happy Tulip Time to you. I miss you. Summer day 5

Cards

Cards:

Anyone who knows me or my family well knows that we are card players. Cards are a tool to bring my family members and I together. Many people joked before leaving school about how much I would play when I got home; for the record it's day 3 of summer and I have played 8 hands.
The cool thing about cards is it brings my grandparents together. My mom's parents have been divorced all my life, although they still enjoy playing cards together. Ironically my grandparents at college (adoptive) love to play cards too, hence why they adopted me. I think that the way God works in something so silly as cards is amazing, and shows once again the small joys in life.
Summer day 3.

Not wasting my summer

I decided after much contemplation, that blogging is inevitable. Therefore here is my summer blog, if anyone takes the time to read this I will be very shocked. Day 2 of summer has already come and gone, and all I have done is :

packed, unpacked, packed, put stuff in storage, and unpacked.
It is a never ending process of a college student I swear. No-one warns you of this during orientation, (warning you will pack and unpack and carry tons of boxes in the next 4 years). I am determined not to waste my summer though. Although I do live in one of the most boring states in the U.S I am going to make a difference somehow. . . Even though my thoughts and heart is somewhere else. I guess I will keep trucking along.