Megobuddy

3 down, 2 to go

2009-08-20T18:37:00.000-07:00

I am finally back to school after a very short summer. Most of my things are unpacked, but I find that I am running out places to put my things. Almost every square inch of my room is already being utilized and I still have a few more boxes and bags to make disappear. Ugh!

My air conditioner is in - that's a plus. My feet are still swollen - that's a minus. But I get to wear open-toed sandals - another plus. We went to Riverfront this evening to play some volleyball and boy are my feet ever sore. It was worth it though!

Last night was our first prayer meeting and it was a very special time of worship, testimonies and basking in the glory of God. I'm really not the best speaker and honestly dread giving testimonies, but I sure do love to listen to them. They are such simple reminders that God is still on the throne, working miracles, providing needs, opening and closing doors in His perfect time. Serving God is such an awesome privilege, one that I never want to take for granted.

I am excited with anticipation of what this year brings. Last year was a very trying year for me, the year before that was one I try to erase from memory and my very first year was one of transition from childhood to adulthood. My prayer for this year is that the Lord shape me and mold me into what He would have me be. I'm nearing the end of my time here at GBS and I want to be fully prepared to face the world with the confidence of Christ. I can't wait to see where God will lead me. I have given Him all of me and He is free to do with me as He pleases. May I never forget my purpose here on earth as a child of God.

SCAM!

2009-08-05T20:46:00.000-07:00

Are people still blogging? Am I wasting my time? Please tell me if I am! I could be doing other things like...sleeping, or something. Oh well, I like to write - even if no one in the world is reading this.

**********************************************************************************
Anyways, on to my story...

I am humbled and embarrassed to say...I fell for a scam.

Yes, I understand you can't trust anyone or anything when it comes to the internet. I am fully aware of how scams work, or so I thought.

I've been wanting a teeth whitener, like everyone else, cheaper than the $200.00 a dentist would charge. I'm sure you've all seen those ads plastered on every site for "Teeth Whitening Secret Discovered By A Mom." I was curious and decided to click on the ad. The link took me to a website that looked like a reliable source.

The story goes, a woman named Cathy didn't have much money for an expensive teeth whitener and decided to try these free trials she came across. She used them together and discovered that they worked better than anything she's ever seen or heard of. The trials are free, except for the s&h. Together they both came to under $3.00.

I thought, "$3.00 isn't much to lose. I'll try it." Before I even took time to really think about it, read the terms and conditions, or even look for a COPYRIGHT on the web page, I gave them my information for the FREE trials.

This all happened earlier this afternoon. Tonight I saw another ad for the same thing and something told me to click on it again. Somehow this time I noticed the terms and conditions. I decided to research this "wonder story" and found it to be a big scam.

"Great!" I thought. "I've already given them my information!" In the terms and conditions it says that by subscribing to the free trial you give them permission to bill your credit card for your full size order that they send every three months. I saw numbers like 75, and 120 and several smaller numbers, all with dollar signs in front of them!

At the bottom they gave a number you could call to cancel your membership. While researching I even found that the cancellation is a scam.

So now I have to call my bank tomorrow to have them cancel my card. *sigh*

Let this be a lesson to all!
1) Check for copyrights at the bottom of the web page. (This usually indicates authenticiy...I think.)
2) Always research the products, stories, etc before giving out any personal information.
3) Always read the terms and conditions before agreeing to anything!
4) Beware of "free" trials. There's usually a catch. (NOTHING is free!)

P.S.
For those of you who've read Sam's blog - curiosity doesn't just lead to physical death, but can lead to financial "death" also.

P.P.S. (or is it P.S.S.?)
Check out my other recent post below.

Change

2009-08-04T12:09:00.000-07:00

As I said on my Facebook status, "I am happy and sad at the same time about change."

And as a friend commented on my status, "There is nothing wrong with change, if it is in the right direction. - Winston Churchill"

So many potential changes loom in my near future; changes that I am very excited about. My cognate change to missions, the internship I have to complete, my future in counseling. Then there are those far off changes that still remain in the dark, like the man I will marry, the children I will raise, the lives I will touch through my ministry - whatever it may be.

Then I was just thinking about changes that are happening for some of my friends. They will be moving away, far away. And when I thought about that I wanted to cry (I almost did). But God reminded me that just as I am happy about the changes He is working for me in my life, so also are my friends happy about God working in the changes for them in their lives.

I am trusting God and faithfully following Him wherever He leads me. As long as I hold on to His hand change will always be good no matter the circumstances...always.

"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."
- Jeremiah 29:11 (NIV)

Tea Time!

2009-07-30T21:33:00.000-07:00

About a week ago I decided to make some traditional Irish brown bread and vegetable soup. I've been missing Ireland, so what better way to reminisce about the experience than by sitting down to the same food I was served while in the beautiful Emerald Isle! I also wanted to give my family the experience of an Irish tea.

I found a couple recipes online and went to the store to retrieve the ingredients. Brown bread is a dense, grainy bread that uses baking soda as its rising ingredient; fairly simple to bake for a beginner in the bread department...from what I read on the internet. Friday night I baked two loaves of brown bread to eat with the soup for Saturday. They looked very nice...except that they both cracked around the middle!

(Sorry, blogger is dumb and wouldn't post the pic correctly. Grrr!)

Saturday evening I went to work on the soup. Ireland's vegetable soup is quite different from our own. Our vegetable soup is generally tomato based. Irish vegetable soup is carrot and potato based. The recipe also called for parsnips, turnips and leeks.

I have never before seen a leek, let alone know what one was. And parsnips and turnips aren't a regular part of my diet either. Let's just say that Meijer wasn't quite prepared for a big demand in these few vegetables.

I got up early Saturday morning and started peeling and chopping all of the vegetables. Later that evening I made the soup. This particular recipe called for sage, parsley and thyme - with a little bit of salt and pepper to taste - for the seasoning. I had fun making it!

My most favorite part about the soup is that it is pureed. I understand that some people wouldn't be satisfied with just pureed soup for dinner. My dad was a little concerned because 1) he doesn't really care for soup, and 2) especially when it's pureed. I must say, however, that typically the pureed soup is eaten at tea time - which isn't supposed to be a whole meal anyways, simply a "snack." In America we don't have "tea time," we have supper...consisting of something hearty like a slab of steak, a heap of potatoes and a good portion of veggies. But for my sake, we were going to have "tea time." Yep, I even made tea (Irish Breakfast) and served it with the soup and bread. ;)

We set the table and prepared to dig in to what looked so delicious! I even arranged the place setting like it would be in Ireland...I think.

I took my first bite of the brown bread and it literally made my stomach churn. It was SO salty! It must have been that salted butter I used because we didn't have any unsalted butter like the recipe called for. It was also too doughy in the center. (I blame it on the recipe.) "Hopefully the soup will be better," I thought to myself. Yuck! The soup wasn't salty enough! Then I remembered that I never did do a taste test before serving it. I also found out that I do NOT like parnips, or was it the turnips - perhaps both.

I was so disappointed in how the bread AND the soup turned out. Well, my family must have liked it because they ate it up! They, however, never had the good stuff to compare my cooking to. They'd be turning their noses up too if they had tasted what I had been served in Ireland.

Oh well, there's always a first time to everything. I'll just have to get better recipes for the next time!

Closer to God

2009-07-25T12:57:00.001-07:00

I finished reading another book! Recommended to me by my aunt, I read The Shack, by William P. Young.

I don't normally read modern fiction - and by modern I mean written recently. I prefer the classics. But my aunt told me that it was an extremely good book and worth the read. So I decided to try it.

Before delving into the book I glanced over the reviews. They gave me goosebumps of anticipation. One review reads, "When you close the back cover you will be changed." I couldn't wait to start reading!

To summarize, it's a book about the goodness and love of God revealed through the life of one hurt and disappointed man. We all have ideas and presumptions of what God is like. Most people in the world have the wrong idea of who God is. This book reveals God's love and attributes in a very real, tangible way.

"The Shack is like standing by the ocean, closing your eyes and breathing deeply, filling your lungs with purity after choking for so long on the stifling smog of religiosity," as one reviewer stated. Young certainly knew how to break down the walls of the box that we all put God in.

As the review predicted, I was changed. I laughed, I cried, I was convicted, I prayed. God used that book to draw me closer to Him, to remind me of who He is and to teach me knew things about Him.

The biggest lesson I learned was that God does not orchestrate tragedies to teach us lessons. But He does USE those painful situations to teach us things - about Him, about ourselves, about others and life. He lets the world turn and allows nature to take it's course. But this doesn't mean that He is someTHING that keeps His distance from His creation. Psalm 46:1 says, "God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble."

For all those wishing to draw closer to God I would highly recommend reading this book.

A Blast from the Past

2009-07-17T21:05:00.001-07:00

I was going through some stuff of mine and found my great grandpa's senior yearbook from 1931!.

He sure was a handsome guy! It's neat to be able to see a little bit of myself in this picture of my Great Grandpa Gray.

Looking through the yearbook I noticed that everyone had a nickname and a quote. My grandpa's nickname was "Rony" (probably pronounced Ronnie). His quote reads, "My tongue within my lips I rein: for who talks much must talk in vain." I like his quote because it describes him perfectly. Grandpa always was a quiet and reserved man. I only found one other picture of him in the yearbook. He was on the Apple Judging Team.

There are so many "strange" things all throughout the book. First, I noticed that none of the men smiled for their pictures. About half of the women did, but not a single man smiled for his picture.

I also noticed that popularity was an issue even in the 30s. Two of their mock elections say "Most Popular Girl (among girls)/(among boys)" and "Most Popular Boy (among girls)/(among boys)." (Because it's just SO important to make that distinction. *she says in a sarcastic tone*) Some of the funny ones included: Class Shark, Class Sheik, Class Gum Chewer, Class Roughneck, Best Girl/Boy Dancer.

Just a few other oddities:

They dedicated the yearbook to their PARENTS! Wow! You'd never see that happen these days.

The valedictorian and salutatorian's speeches are typed up in the yearbook.

They had an agriculture teacher!

It seems every female in the 30s was born with extremely wavy hair.

They put the custodian's picture on the first page.

The drama club was called The Dramatic Club.

They included a calendar of events recording the highlights from each day from September 1 - December 19. Quite interesting the things they put on the calendar.
A few excerpts worth reading:
Sept. 8 - First fire drill. Two frosh hurt in rush for the door.
Sept. 10 - We all rented a locker today. All those that had a $1.00.
Sept. 22 - The fair is over and our money is gone.
Sept. 23 - The seniors are makig a wonderful attempt to become dignified.
Sept. 30 - Someone borrowed 100 pads of theme paper.
Oct. 1 - Investigation concerning lost paper.
Oct. 7 - Wayne Burdick takes a nap the seventh period every day.
Oct. 15 - Noret Flood got excused to go hunting.
Oct. 28 - Ogden Amstutz left school.
Oct. 29 - They're still talking about that lost paper.
Dec. 10 - Mr. Snow quieted assembly with a whistle. This is an original idea.

It really is a neat piece of history; and to think that it is my Great Grandfather's history!

Blue Moon

2009-07-14T22:31:00.000-07:00

Today I was able to enjoy one of summer's best experiences: Blue Moon Ice-Cream. Many of you have never tasted, let alone heard of, Blue Moon. This is because it comes from the great state of Michigan!

The flavor is indescribable. All I can say is that it is SO delicious...and BLUE! Eating this ice-cream brings back childhood memories of when I was just 4 or 5 years old going to the ice-cream store my dad worked at as a teenager to get Blue Moon ice-cream, eaten in a homemade waffle cone. Or sitting in the Meijer Purple Cow Cafe with Grandpa Byers, while mom and grandma shopped, eating Blue Moon ice-cream. Or stopping by the ice-cream stand in Silver Lake after a day at the beach to get Blue Moon ice-cream.

Who knew that so many memories could be stored in one flavor of ice-cream!

Last Night's Dreams

2009-07-09T11:17:00.000-07:00

Dreams are so interesting and random. I had so many of them last night. I thought it would be amusing to retell the dreams I dreamt.

The first one started out as a huge choir event. Several choirs were going to sing together. It was night time so all of us girls ran to the dormitory to claim our beds. Charity and I were overnight partners and we found a bedroom that hadn't been claimed yet. The 60 or so other girls had to share one large open room. I remember that this bedroom had a bathroom attached to it, but somehow the girls were getting into our room. At the back of the linen closet was a small door that led into the large open room. They kept coming in and bothering us. How annoying!

The next scene was of all us girls being herded out of the dormitory (don't remember why). I remember climbing stairs similar to those in the Music Hall trying to find Charity in the crowd. It was a massive move that transitioned into us riding bare back on a horse. Charity and I had climbed onto a horse with someone else in order to get away from something. We were going so fast I thought I was going to fall off. But it was the most exhilerating feeling because the ride wasn't choppy at all. It was like we were flying.

From there we turned into little rubber toy animals running for all we were worth. I don't know what we were running from but we had to get somewhere to hide. There were toy rats, horses, elephants, and more. We were running through a town - under crates, over walls, through pipes. Sadly, we lost one - a chubby blue elephant. That dream ended there with no conclusion.

The next dream opens up just after a huge storm swept through town. My mom, step-dad and I were driving around when we came upon a house where a huge tree landed on it. We stopped and went in to see if everyone was okay. This was a huge house of a very wealthy couple. We went in to find the couple in the kitchen, which hadn't been touched by the tree. My mom automatically started cleaning the kitchen. I think I made some tea for the lady. As helpful as we were trying to be this wealthy couple didn't even acknowledge that we were there. So we just left.

From there the dream transitioned into a flooded campground. I was out riding my bike when it started storming again. I found out that if I peddled the bike fast enough I could ride on top of the water. I was having a blast riding in the flooded campground when all of a sudden a whirlpool started to form. Apparantly, the dream decided to turn the flooded field into a lake. It was downpouring so hard and the whirlpool started to suck me in. Suddenly, someone reached out and saved me. We just stood on the porch taking in the scene. Now there were two whirlpools!

Another transition takes place here. Now I'm in a scene that reminds me very much of Indiana Jones. I'm in a cave but I'm not me. My perspective comes from a man who looks very much like Tarzan (very well could've been). Something, some kind of monster, is after him and his family. His wife and children are caught in tree vines. Tarzan (I'll say) has a vine in his hand and uses it like Indy uses his whip. His children are already up on a ledge but his wife is still stranded. Just as Tarzan gets to his wife, the branch that he was holding on to started to crack and break. As this is happening the monster is much closer, almost to them. As each second passes death comes even closer. From the back of the cave loomes the monster (he reminded me of that big red hairy monster from Bugs Bunny). Somehow Tarzan find another vine to use and he swings his wife up on the ledge. From the ledge he and his family run out of the cave. Lo and behold it comes out at the back of the campground. The dream ends here and I don't know what happened to the monster.

The next dream is a completely different one altogether. I went into a gas station to pay for gas and to buy a slushy. For some reason it seemed to take forever. After paying for those things the girl at the counter gave me 40 something dollars back - but it was all in play money! I didn't really understand why I was getting that much money back but I didn't think about it that much. I just wanted to know how she could've mistaken play money for real money. It's so much smaller! I brought it to her attention and she apologized and gave me real money. Then she also said that I had a check from a church across the street. What? Why would I get money from a church I'm not even affiliated with? I asked the manager guy about it and he seemed a little suspicious of me. He thought I was trying to get more money out of them. Something on the check indicated that I had been getting scholarship money from them for the past 5 years. I was so confused. I didn't know who the people were and this was the first time I ever received a check (don't know why from the gas station). The manager said he was going to call the police but I was trying to explain to him that I didn't want the money. I didn't know why I was getting the money. I concluded that my identity must have been stolen and that the thief was who was getting the checks. After that the dream ended.

Wow, it is so hard to write about dreams! I can't believe I remembered all of that from last night. Anyways, sorry to have bored you, but I did warn you.

On the road to recovery

2009-07-08T20:18:00.001-07:00

I went back to the doctor today. They took out the stitches and also took X-rays. The doc says my feet look really good. I think they look horrible! He said that I can start walking on them more and that I need to excercise my toes. I'm scared...cuz it hurts to wiggle them!

I went to Wal-Mart right after the doctor's appointment and was so tempted to drive the little electric buggy...but I chickened out. At home I've been using a walker to get around because it's much easier than the crutches. But I even chickened out from using that to go to the doctor's office because of the stigma that they are for old people (no offense to any old people reading this). So I used the crutches instead. I wish I had a little bit more of the "I-don't-care-what-people-think" attitude. Oh well, I survived my first public outing.

I thought about it and...I guess I'll post a picture of my feet. I'm sure you are just dying to see what they look like.

2009-07-03T21:01:00.000-07:00

No, I'm not going to update on the past few days. I'm kind of sick of writing about the nothing that I do.

You ever get the feeling that nobody really loves you or accepts you? That no matter what you do it's not good enough for anybody? Your personality stinks and will never get better, you make too many mistakes, and the love you get is earned. Yeah, I'm feeling it. The walls have finally come down...again. You build them on unstable ground and they are bound to come down eventually. *sigh* Oh well. The feelings come and go. Let's just hope they go by tomorrow.

On a lighter note, tomorrow is the Fourth of July. Happy birthday to America!

Days 4, 5 & 6

2009-06-30T07:18:00.000-07:00

Well, several days have passed now so I thought I would update on them.

Saturday, I was able to wash my hair! Instead of sitting on a stool in the shower I just sat in the wheel chair and my grandmother washed my hair in the wash tub instead. It was much easier that way.

After getting ready for the day my aunt took me to my sister's boyfriend's graduation open house. We went and had some good food. We didn't stay too long because my feet started to get sore. It sure was nice getting back in bed and being able to elevate my feet again!

By Sunday I spoke too soon. I woke up (if I even slept at all) distressed and irritable. My feet were very sore, my stomach felt upset and my back was getting achy from lying in bed. I wanted out of bed! The whole day I felt as if I had a fever, but every time I checked my temperature the thermometer said it was normal. Sunday just seemed to drag on.

That night I couldn't get any sleep. I tossed and turned in bed until 5:00 AM! I especially felt like I was going insane when Nacho Libre songs and quotes were uncontrollably playing in my mind. It was torture! I'm sure I really did look like a lunatic. Tossing, turning, moaning, groaning, groping at my head - it was awful. Finally I paged my grandmother around 5:00 to bring down a glass of water so I could take some pain meds. I took two Tylenol 3 and shortly after drifted into a deep sleep until 1:30 PM.

"Why," you ask, "didn't she take pain meds in the beginning?" You see, they cause some unpleasant side effects that I was trying to avoid...any further. And besides, by this time my feet weren't hurting too much during the day and I thought I could get away with not taking the medication at night. Anyways, it was the first decent sleep I got since the surgery.

Since waking up so late on Monday the day seemed incredibly short. After waking up I washed my hair and...had a sponge bath. After feeling quite refreshed and much better I decided to finally start my scrapbook. I completed one whole spread. I just can't wait until it's finished. Tentatively, there are 40 pages! It seemed by the time I completed the spread it was already evening. By the time I got ready for bed you think I would have learned my lesson from the previous night that meds are essential for sleep at this point in recovery. Well...I didn't. Again, I went to bed without taking anything and tossed and turned, resulting in little to no sleep.

Now it is Tuesday, exactly one week from the surgery. The pain has gone down significantly and I can move my feet much more freely. When walking, I can apply more pressure now to both feet without too much pain. For awhile I could only put pressure on my left foot. Now I can apply pressure to my right foot with less pain. I still can't wiggle my toes though. I will have to work on that and give another update in a weeks time.

It is now 10:51 AM and I think I will watch Pride and Prejudice until I feel sleepy. I do hope I can get some sleep today.

Until next time...

Days 2 & 3

2009-06-26T23:22:00.000-07:00

It is late, but I will still blog.

Days two and three have now passed since my surgery and things are going well - 'well' as in things are not critical or life-threatening. Some mishaps come along but overall I'm doing just fine.

Yesterday, my foot was still in quite a bit of pain. I was in bed the whole day with a nauseous stomach. One of the medicines I took made me feel a little sick and I didn't eat much. My sustenance for the day consisted of a few bites of toast for breakfast, half of a tuna sandwich for lunch and a few bites of dry Oatmeal Squares for dinner. I ran a fever of 100 part of the day as well.

I dozed in and out of sleep (since I didn't get any the night before). Toward the end of the day I watched Nacho Libre for the first time. Now I can follow everyone who quotes that movie. "GET THAT CORN OUT OF MY FACE!"

Around 7:00 PM I was able to take a shower!!! That made me happy. I found that I was able to put pressure on my feet without losing my hearing or seeing black spots. That was good. It worked out quite nicely. I sat on a stool in the stall shower with my feet (wrapped in plastic bags) hanging outside of the curtain. The hose shower head made it even easier for me. I felt so refreshed! Afterward, however, my feet were screaming. By the time I got back in bed I noticed my right ankle was swollen and sore.

I was able to sleep a little better than the night before, but still didn't get more than 5 hours.

This morning, the third day, my grandmother and I went down to Muskegon to visit the doctor for my post-op. He redressed my feet with yellow, smiley-faced gauze and said everything looked just fine. I took a few pictures of my feet without the bandages and *gulp* they look disgusting! They are chubby, orange (from the iodine) and somewhat misshaped right now (because of the swelling). I said, "Grandma, my toes look like sausages!" I could, but WON'T, post them anywhere! I go back in two weeks to get the stitches taken out.

I got back home and it was such a beautiful day that I decided to sit outside on the porch. I got all situated in my wheel chair and of course with something major like foot surgery Murphey's Law has to kick in. The first accident to happen to my right foot (the one that has been in the most pain mind you) was having a bag of fireworks poppers spilled all over my "moon boot." Not a major deal. I was just afraid of the sawdust getting into my boot.

(Sorry dad, I gotta tell on you for these.) Next, my dad is trying to adjust the foot rest of the wheel chair to fit the length of my leg. My foot gets in the way and he absent-mindedly swats it away. (It really didn't hurt, but I teased him about it. Hehe!) Only minutes after that I was trying to get the foot rest in the most comfortable position and asked my dad to hold the bottom of it while I pulled the lever to let it go down. I thought he had grip on the bottom so I released the lever. He apparently wasn't ready yet and down dropped my foot. As it dropped my dad, trying to save my foot, pushed up on the bottom of the foot rest actually twisting my foot in a direction that was most UNcomfortable. It felt like my stitches split wide open. It only hurt for a few seconds, and I'm sure the stitches didn't bust, but I sure did tease my dad about that, too. Lol! That all happened to my poor right foot. =(

After that I just couldn't find a comfortable position, there were little kids everywhere and I was certain Murphey's Law would have its way, so I decided to head back down to my room...in the basement...where the sun doesn't shine.

Later, my aunt came over and we watched a few more episodes from the Christy series that we started a couple weeks ago, my sister and I looked up some old friends on MySpace and now I am sitting here typing this.

Now it's REALLY late and I need to get some rest. I look down at my feet and ponder the irony displayed on my bandages - yellow smiley-faces. My feet are not smiling right now. If anything they are grimacing in pain.

*As a public disclaimer, I do not really believe in Murphey's Law.*

Day 1 After Surgery

2009-06-24T10:02:00.000-07:00

Today is the first day after my surgery. For those of you who don't know I had surgery on both of my feet to have bunions removed. They are gone and now I have skinny feet...well, currently they are puffy and swollen, but after awhile the swelling will go down. The surgery went well and I was able to go home shortly after I woke up.

There are many awkwardnesses to having surgery for the first time. First, there's finding out that you have to wear a hospital gown...and ONLY the hospital gown. (That was a nice surprize.) Then there is being wheeled down the hall on a bed to the operating room passing people who just look and stare at you. After entering the operating room I had to scooch onto the operating table. While situating myself the nurse was pulling my gown out from underneath me making things even more awkward. After waking up in the recovery room all of my visitor's were in there while I was still somewhat doped up, my hair a mess and feeling very much like a bobble head. Luckily I wasn't given the general anesthetic (the gas) but had the IV stuff. The gas is what makes you loopy and nauseous. When I woke up I was still in my right mind but very dizzy. It felt as if everything in the room was moving and I couldn't focus on anything.

The doctor prescribed me Tylenol 3. I soon found out after the numbness wore off that the Tylenol did nothing for the pain. All evening and through the night I had very sore feet!

A few times I had to get up to use the bathroom. That was an adventure! I had to carefully swing my legs out of bed, walk a foot to the wheel chair, ride about 10 feet to the bathroom, stand up and use the walker to get to the toilet, turn myself around and sit. I am staying at my grandparents house, so my grandmother has been helping me get around. I said, "Grandma, do you lose your hearing right before you pass out?" I started to get very dizzy and heard ringing in my hears. I got back to the wheel chair just in time, coming so close to passing out.

Today my dad made me a makeshift toilet using a 5 gallon bucket and a toilet seat cover. It saves me an entire trip to the bathroom. It sits right next to my bed so I don't have to go so far. It works.

This morning I called my doctor and asked him to prescribe me some Vicodin. The Tylenol just wasn't cutting it. It works better but still doesn't keep the pain away for very long. I have an hour before I can take more.

That has pretty much been my day. I go back to the doctor on Friday and was told that by then the pain shouldn't be too bad. I just hope and pray! And now I am going to try and nap since I didn't get much sleep last night.

2009-06-19T21:26:00.000-07:00

I just realized that I haven't cried since school got out. That was over a month ago! I usually cry to relieve stress. It seems all I've ever done this past year was cry. It's so nice to be stress-free for awhile!

That was completely random...

Anyways, the past couple of days I've been working on stripping paint off an antique cabinet we've had for years. I found it sitting under the deck, getting rained on and warped. So I decided to start a project that would keep me busy for a few days. Yesterday I got all of the paint off and started sanding it. Today I finished sanding and staining it. I restained it red mahogany. The cabinet is kind of like a nightstand. But it seems too tall to be a nightstand. It has one drawer and 3 shelves in it. It looks really nice! I forgot to take a before picture. But I'll post an after picture.

I picture bed!

2009-06-17T00:16:00.000-07:00

There are so many pictures to sort through!!!

I've been sorting Ireland pictures for about 8-9 hours; a few hours earlier today and some tonight. I am preparing to do my scrapbook, but first I have to pick out the pictures I am going to use. I received discs of everyone's pictures, which is nice to have because whatever I didn't get pictures of somebody else most likely did. There are approximately 15G of pictures! I drew up the basic layout of my scrapbook page-by-page and started picking out pictures for each page. I have 40 pages to my scrapbook! Can't wait to get started!

Anyways, it's 3:15 AM. I think I'll finish this job up tomor-,I mean, later today.

...I'm going to bed.

Update

2009-06-06T22:05:00.000-07:00

I have so much to say I don't know where to begin. I'll begin by saying: Ireland was fabulous! The people were friendly, the food was good, the places were beautiful, the services were Spirit filled, traveling was fun...as everyone else has been saying, "It was a life-changing trip."

Not only did we get to see beautiful countryside and amazing places but we met some amazing people. My most favorite part of the whole trip was establishing relationships with the people. Most of the friendships are with people from Mark and Deanna Mander's church. But I also met many wonderful people in the churches we sang in.

One person in particular to mention would be Andy. Andy was our bus driver every day of the tour. He's originally from Scotland but moved back to Ireland, his wife's home country, about a year ago. Andy quickly became someone I would call family. Having his kind and loving spirit around made our trip all the more wonderful. It was such a pleasure to meet him and get to know him. The night we sang at his church he wore his kilt. It was the neatest thing to see him in his traditional attire. He told me that he usually only wears it for special occasions. It was humbling to think that the GBS choir singing at his church was a "special occasion."

Andy's son was another special person we all got to know and love. His name is Philip, he's 22 and he has down syndrome. He and his mother, Eileen, were fortunate to make it to more than one choir service. Philip loved us just as much as we loved him. Every service they went to he took the same choir program with him. We gave him some CDs and Eileen said that night Philip slept with them under his arms. Sunday evening we gave him a progrom that we all signed. He absolutely loves that program. Eileen told me that since then he carries that thing with him everywhere and shows it off to everyone. Andy has laminated it so that it won't become worn. What an honor it is to be used by God to make an impact in the life of even one person.

Here are the McLellans: Eileen, Andy and Philip

Another precious family we met are the Stewart's. Wesley Stewart was our sound man. He came to every service, set up his sound equipment and managed it for us. He was a joy to have around! He was always so cheerful and encouraging. His wife's name is Lorna, and they have two daughters named Rebekah and Hannah. They were also able to come to more than one service. It was so nice to see them sitting in the audience, smiling and enjoying the presence of God.

The Stewarts (clockwise from left): Lorna, Wesley, Rebekah and Hannah

A dear couple who helped us out a few days of the tour was Rev. Eric and Yvonne Stewart. They are actually Wesley's parents. Rev. Stewart is the former senior pastor of Coleraine Independent Methodist Church, the church where Mark Mander is now the senior pastor. Their love for Jesus shines from their faces. Simply glancing at them during our services would give me an extra boost of energy to continue singing.

The Stewarts: Rev. Eric and Yvonne

Overall, the people were wonderful. These are just a few of whom I was able to establish relationships with. As we passed through each church I was able to meet many more wonderful people. It was so encouraging to sing to people who were hungry for the Lord's presence. Everywhere we went we were greeted with anticipation; almost as if we carried the presence of God with us. It makes me sad to think that many we sang to have never experienced His presence like they did during the services. Our expression of worship was very new to them.

I must say that there is nothing special about the GBS choir. Everything we do, we do for the glory and honor of God. We are simply instruments used by Him. I hope that we were able to effectively carry out the message of the Gospel through our singing. And I also hope that the people know that we aren't the only ones who carry God's presence with us, but that they can too.

I'm Back!!!

2009-05-30T04:52:00.000-07:00

Well, I'm back from Ireland. Feeling a little sad about it. In the short time I was over there I grew to love it so much! I will definitely miss all of the friends I made: Wesley, Lorna and the girls, Andy, Eileen and Philip, Eric and Yvonne, Peter, Keith and Naomi. They will all have a special place in my heart.

The services were amazing! Very different from singing over here in the states. You could tell that the people never before experienced God's presence like they did during the services. It was very humbling to be used by God in such a powerful way. Many people came up to me saying that they felt like they got a taste of heaven. I trust that the Lord will give the increase to the seeds that we planted.

I don't have much time to update on everything. I'll post some pictures...just as soon as I sort through them.

Interesting morning

2009-04-29T18:22:00.000-07:00

My morning started off pretty normal:
First alarm clock goes off at 7:45 - hit the snooze.
Second alarm clock goes off at 8:00 - hit the snooze.
Both alarms go off again.....hit the snooze.
Have to go to the bathroom - finally get up out of bed.

So I'm up doing my thing, take a shower, do hair, etc. I look at the clock and it's 9:40 - time for chapel.

I get down there and the chapel is completely empty.

"Did I miss something!?!"

I run up to my room and look at the clock. Yep, it says 9:45 AM. I check my phone...it says 8:45.

How in the world did I do that?

Don't know but I had an extra hour this morning.

Can you say, "AAAAAHHHHHHHHH!!!!!"

2009-04-18T19:18:00.000-07:00

It was a beautiful, sunny, warm Saturday. Perfect day to go play volleyball!

We round up about 25 or so people and head to Riverfront for some rousing games of v-ball. To make a long story short, we took a wrong turn at Riverfront and ended up at the Sphinx and Pyramids of Giza (a bunch of kids overtook the courts and decided to build a 3-D replica of Egypt).

So on the road again we were, a caravan of 4 cars, to Highland Heights, KY to play volleyball at some place Chris new of.

Tiffany, Isaac and I rode with Leanna - third car of the motorcade. We were having a great time enjoying the thrill of having the sun roof open, the wind blowing through our hair, Isaac acting like a dog with his head hanging out the window. Life was good. Here's Tiffany and Isaac evidencing a pleasant and enjoyable car ride.

Then it happened (*DUN, dun, dun...*)!

"Leanna, that's our exit! Ryan just got off! Quick, quick!!!"

In a matter of approximately 10.5 seconds Leanna veers across the right lane from the left lane, cuts off an old granny in a Cadillac, and just barely makes the exit.

At one point I look back and see the Caddy just inches away from Leanna's bumper. I think I was holding my breath and screaming at the same time.

Tiffany had an, "I'm-gonna-die-and-I-don't-think-I-really-need-to-use-the-bathroom-anymore!" look:

Isaac was rather calm. I think his reaction was more in reference to Tiffany:

Apparantly, the old lady in the Cadillac looked something like this:

And Leanna, well...she was enjoying the high of adrenaline:

Thank the Lord we made it safely! And I will also add that Leanna did very well despite the circumstances. I have video evidence to prove that Isaac, Tiffany and I all vouch for her as a good driver.

Just for kicks::

Friday evening adventure

2009-04-11T19:04:00.000-07:00

Seth, this is for you...(lol)

What does a group of friends do on a rainy, dreary Friday evening?

Well, here were the options:
- Jungle Jim's (interesting, but too far)
- Coffee and a bookstore (typical)
- Bowling (cost money)
- Easter egg hunt (adventurous!)

Can you guess which one we decided to do? Yep, an Easter egg hunt in the rain at Ault Park.

Mel bought the eggs (and chocolate!) and off we were to the park. She and Seth were designated to hide the eggs up near the pavilion.

Meanwhile Sam, Isaac and I played Frisbee. (FYI: If you ever play Frisbee in the rain and don't want to get too wet, it IS possible to play with an umbrella in one hand. It's been tested and proven by moi.)

Finally, Seth and Mel informed us to take our places as the hunt was about to begin.

24 eggs. Three ambitious hunters. Weapon of choice: sharp keen eyes. Transport of victims: Hoodie pockets.

After about an hour of meticulous searching, through bushes, under benches, behind walls, we finished with five eggs still unfound.

Isaac, in third place, successfully caught 4 eggs.
Sam, in close second, caught 7.
And I, in first, caught 8.

After many more minutes of Seth and Mel trying to remember where they hid the other five eggs, we left with two still remaining in the shadows of the Ault Pavilion. May they consider themselves lucky. As for the poor unfortunate yolks of the captured nineteen, may they rest in peace wherever Mel put them.

Lil' Sibs

2009-04-04T10:06:00.000-07:00

I'm back from Spring Break and it's all downhill from here. Lots of papers to write, songs to learn (for IHC), homework to complete, books to read and the list goes on. Every year I get nervous thinking I won't get it all done, but the Lord always gives me enough grace to do it.

I got to spend some quality time with my parents and little sibs. I have tons of pictures of the kids, but unfortunately forgot to some pictures of my parents.

Here are some pictures from break along with a video of Ronnie and Kimmie being cute. If you have a Facebook account you can see more on there.

All for the cause...

2009-03-23T19:26:00.000-07:00

Well, I did it....I donated blood.

And I have to be honest and say that I didn't do it just to save lives. I did it to overcome a fear.

I must quote Dr. Brown and say that "I'm not into pain!" Not to say that people love pain, but I am very intolerant of it. And when you mix 'overdramatic' with 'zero tolerance for pain' well, I'm sure you get the picture.

I got all situated in the seat and started to psych myself up for the "poke." You know, pinching and poking myself where the needle was going to be inserted. (I do think I made the nurse laugh at my patheticness.)

I was sitting there, feeling pretty good about my adventerous self, when I saw it. Just across the way the nurse pulled out this 2" needle covered with blood from a donor's arm. I lost it. I thought, "they're sticking 2 inches of needle in my arm!"

Luckily for me, Sarah Williams was near and I asked her if I could squeeze her hand while the needle was inserted. I think my dramatization concerned the nurse because after the needle was in she reclined my chair just in case I passed out. Oh I did not like that. Immediately I asked for my seat to be propped back up. She just said, "Oh just relax. You'll be fine."

I was not fine. I could no longer relax my arm on the table. I had to hold my arm up on the table. After ten minutes of holding my already-asleep-arm my whole body was shaking from trying to keep my arm from moving. I couldn't even put my head back all the way because a hair pin was jabbing me in the head. Besides this, I had a fan blowing right on me which made me very cold. After it was all said and done my whole body was shivering and shaking furiously.

Let's just say that my first time giving blood was certainly not one of the best experiences of my life.

On a more serious note, an interesting thought just popped into my mind. I shed blood, a whole pint, to save three lives. And all I had to do was sit in a chair, feel a "little" prick and squeeze a ball.

Christ shed His blood to save mankind. But look what He had to endure to give us that blood; an agonizing death on a cross with wounds much larger than my "little poke."

Someday three individuals will be thankful for the blood I freely gave. But my blood will only be able to save their physical bodies. If only they knew that there is One whose blood can save their souls.

As much as I hated this experience, I think I will donate my blood again next year. Helping three people live a little bit longer, to have the chance to accept Christ, might just be their saving grace to eternity.

Romance in the Rain

2009-03-18T20:40:00.000-07:00

It's 11:40 PM and, with an unfinished assignemnt sitting next to me, I blog.

Yet, as I sit here procrastinating, my window is open and I listen to the romantic patter of soft rainfall. The soothing sound sends me into a deep state of reflection.

So many things are running through my mind; it is so hard to put it all into a paragraph of words that makes sense. Here are just a few of the things on my mind:

Heartache. Sadness. Storms. Future. Dreams. Crushed. Hope. Faith. Blind. Trust. Peace. Contentment. Joy. Future. Love. Happiness. Fullfillment.

I look at my list of thoughts and know that Christ is in the midst of it ALL. Even though I can't see Him, He was, is and always will be, there. In the midst of my heartache, He comforted. Through my storms, He navigated. With my future, He holds it in His hands. The hope I have is in Him. My trust is in Him. The peace in my heart, only He can give. My joy is from Him. The love I feel, He bestows. My fullfillment, is in Him.

"Jesus is all the world to me, my life, my joy, my all; He is my strength from day to day, without Him I would fall. When I am sad, to Him I go, no other one can cheer me so; when I am sad, He makes me glad, He's my Friend."

Banquet

2009-03-12T21:20:00.000-07:00

Well, the banquet came and gone. The place was nice. The food was good. The entertainment...entertaining. Let's just say I'm glad I only paid $14.00 for my dress, that my ticket was free and that there is an end to everything.

Mom, Dad, here are a couple pics for you. There's not much to see since I forgot my camera.
Here I am with Charity and Heather.

Back to the grindstone

2009-03-02T09:22:00.000-08:00

Well, I'm back from Choir Tour. I don't have too much to say about it. The ministry is awesome and God used us in a powerful way. This past Sunday in our morning service Cassie Wilson's brother was there and, praise the Lord, he accepted Christ as his personal Savior. I feel so unworthy to be used by God for His service. It is such an amazing privilege!

But for me personally this tour was extremely hard. I put a lot into ministering to those we sang to, and I thank God that through the services He ministerd to me. But in other areas I must say it was difficult.

I prayed before going into this tour that the Lord would help me draw closer to Him. I went into it with so many overwhelming things on my mind; I just needed to feel Him close to me in a very real way. Before break I was praying about a situation and I wasn't quite sure where to go with it. One day on the bus I was reading my devotions and I read this verse:
Mark 11:24
"Therefore I say to you, all things for which you pray and ask, believe that you have received them, and they will be granted you." -NASB

The still small voice of God spoke to me through this verse promising me that my prayers will be answered. I read this verse with so much joy in my heart knowing that God hears and answers prayer.

The next day on the bus Mr. Wolf was giving his devotional about prayer and again the Lord spoke to me. If I remember correctly Mr. Wolf read Matthew 7:7-11:
"7 Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. 8 For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened. 9 Or what man is there among you who, when his son asks for a loaf, will give him a stone? 10 Or if he asks for a fish, he will not give him a snake, will he? 11 If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give what is good to those who ask Him!" -NASB

Right there God again reaffirmed His promise to me. All doubt about whether I should pray about this situation or not completely disappeared. God has given me a sweet peace about it. I will continue to pray until God answers.

Something New

2009-02-05T20:31:00.000-08:00

I must show you all the coat I found for my trip to Ireland! It makes me happy!

The coat matches my rain boots!

Here are some random pictures I took to test out what my camera can do.

Here are some pictures of snowflakes I took a few days ago. Seeing how intricate each snowflake is just reminds me how awesome God is. Each snowflake has its own unique design. But not only is each snowflake different, each point of one snowflake is exactly the same (relatively).
(I just want to know, what happens to the Whos in Whoville when the snowflake melts?)

These books and the clock are from Mr. Profitt's office. I was bored.

This turned out really cool. The picture was taken in the reflection of my phone. The camera focused in on itself.

Moving on by God's grace

2009-01-31T16:52:00.000-08:00

I was reading back through my posts from the previous semester and wow was I ever depressed! I wouldn't say it was anything too serious, but nonetheless I was depressed.

I'm so thankful for the grace of God, because without it I could've been in a much worse state. I'm glad that I had enough sense to look to God for His strength and guidance.

I still hurt over the issues that bothered me, but praise the Lord that through Him I was able to overcome that ever-present burden.

Enchanting View

2009-01-31T11:14:00.001-08:00

This is what I woke up to Friday morning. I love the view from my window!

This is the Art Museum in the morning.

Here are some other pictures I took from Wednesday.

Patterns Revealed

2009-01-30T08:15:00.001-08:00

Okay, ready for the answers to my pattern game?

Here they are:

Striped Scarf

Camo Hat

Striped Bedspread

Floral PJs (These are my favorite!)

Groovy Bag

Collage I made from magazine clippings and a poster of Paris.

Striped Shower Curtain (I like stripes.)

Antique Tin

Picture Board

Sip. Taste. Chug.

2009-01-24T22:05:00.000-08:00

(See other new post below.)

Patterns!

2009-01-24T21:23:00.000-08:00

These are different patterns from around my room. Can you guess what they are?
(If you already know what they are then please don't guess. It takes the fun out of it for everyone else.)

A wonderful stress reliever

2009-01-22T21:38:00.000-08:00

Tonight was filled with laughter. After a very busy week, it was just what I needed.

I love to laugh. It gives such a feeling of happiness and contentment - emotions that certainly help us to enjoy life to its fullest.

I miss my sister a lot for this reason. Because we often think alike, and have the same sense of humor, we can get to laughing so hard. Nobody else can make me laugh so hard but her.

Yes, laughter is good for the body, mind and soul. A very nice stress reliever. I'm so glad God created laughter.

My Soul Is At Peace

2009-01-15T20:38:00.000-08:00

Well, we have one more service left of revival and I'm kind of sad. I've really been enjoying it. God has ministered to my heart for which I am grateful.

I used to hate revivals. I would always go into them with a heavy heart. Sometimes I knew that things weren't right in my life and I dreaded the conviction of the Holy Spirit. At other times I would be so nervous to think that God would find something wrong just to make me go to the altar. My perception of revival (and God) was so misconstrued.

Since then I have grown to know who God really is. I have grown in my understanding of Him. I have grown in my personal relationship with Him. My love for Him is overflowing!

This has been a very special revival for me. It is probably the first revival I ever remember going into with a deep sense of peace and happiness in my heart. I love having the peace of God rest in my soul. There is no greater feeling than this. It's interesting to think that I have learned more about who God is in the past several months than I have in my entire lifetime. God is truly faithful and satisfying to those who seek Him.

Recently God has revealed to me a concept that I haven't ever thought of before. I've been asking God to show me His will for my life; where He wants me to go, what He wants me to do. Well, God doesn't always just lay it all out for us on a map. The whole point of "living by faith" is so that we can learn to trust Him more. After understanding this I asked God to at least help me to know if where I'm at is where I need to be.
God asked me, "Is your number one desire to serve Me?"
I answered, "Yes."
He asked me a second question, "Are you walking in all the light that you know?"
Again I answered, "Yes."
He asked me a third question, "Have you committed your entire life into My hands?"
And a third time I answered, "Yes, Lord."
After asking these three questions God finally said, "Then you are exactly where you need to be. Confusion and uncertainty may fog your mind, but know that I am walking with you and leading you step-by-step."

Now of course God didn't speak all of this audibly to me, but through praying and reading His Word it couldn't have been more clear. I am so glad that the peace of God reigns in my heart! As Dr. Brown would say, "I'm happy in the Lord!"

Ronnie, Kimmie and Mr. Cheeks

2009-01-11T19:08:00.000-08:00

This is Mr. Cheeks, A.K.A. Landon. Yep, he's that same baby from my November post right before we left for break. He is HUGE! (And you wonder why his nickname is Mr. Cheeks?)
7 weeks old

Newborn

Isn't he just so cute!

And here's one of me and Ronnie, my favorite oldest brother.

This is me with my favorite youngest sister Kimberly.

My entire family, all 7 of us.

I'm In Love!

2009-01-09T21:15:00.000-08:00

I have found my true love - Bath & Body Works Aromatherapy.

(With the strum of a harp in the background and misty clouds rolling by:)
It all began when...

Sometime in the Spring of 2008 I was in the library doing homework when the call of nature began to nag me. As I walked up to the sink to wash my hands after using the restroom I noticed a bottle of handsoap as a second option to the common "GBS Bathroom Soap". As a person who likes to try new things (sometimes) I used it. It was the most DIVINE scent my olfactories have ever encountered. It was called Black Current Vanilla. It was such a wonderful, comforting scent. I probably washed my hands two or three times before I left the bathroom.

Then again, last semester, I was in the bathroom of the library when I saw a different aromatherapy scent sitting by the sink waiting to be used. This time it was Eucalyptus Spearmint; such a relaxing scent.

About a week before this past Christmas break I was over to the Profitt's for a Game Night and, naturally, had to use the restroom. From the corner of my eye I could see a Bath & Body Works Aromatherapy bottle sitting on the counter. I couldn't wait to indulge my scenses. Mandarine Lime, an energizing scent, was the highlight of my evening. (Okay not really. But for the story's sake I'll say it was.)

I have since then bought a few of these products for my own enjoyment; Black Current Vanilla and Lavender Chamomile Body Washes, Eucalyptus Spearmint Soothing Sugar Scrub, and Warm Milk & Honey Sleep Pillow Mist.

Yes, my Super Sniffer has fallen in love.

This'n That and Stuff

2009-01-06T20:13:00.000-08:00

"I WILL stay encouraged! I WILL get my work done! I WILL survive another semester!"

Self-talk therapy - not sure if it works for me.

Anyways, today was the first official day of classes since being back. (Hence, the reason for the self-talk.) I'm thinking about finding a witch who can turn me into a bee so that being "busy" won't be such a burden...it'll just be life!

On another note, I got 5 more books to add to my Marriage/Relationships collection! Yay! Over the past two years I've accumulated approximately 60 books. Can you imagine how many more I'll have by the time I graduate in two years?!?

I also got a pair of roller-blades which I am very excited about. I can't wait until Spring!

Oh, oh!!!! One of my most favorite things I got for Christmas was a pillow mist spray from Bath and Body Works. It's an aromatherapy scent, Warm Milk & Honey. You just spray it on your pillow before you go to bed and it's supposed to help you fall into a peaceful sleep. I don't know if it has helped me sleep peacefully, but it sure smells good!

Okay, I'll stop bragging now. I need to get to bed anyways. I'm going to desperately try to get back on an exercise-in-the-morning, get-homework-done-ahead-of-time, get-to-bed-at-a-decent-hour schedule that I set for myself last semester.

G'night all!

"Life is but a walking shadow..."

2008-12-31T23:33:00.000-08:00

Looking back on 2008 I remember...

I remember life being good with so many wonderful memories tucked into each corner of every day. Memories of laughter, love, happiness, contentment, peace, excitement. I remember looking ahead to my future and seeing my dreams fulfilled. Life was something I faced with anticipation.

I also remember pain, anguish, hurt, confusion, hope, insecurity, the feeling of being lost and forgotten...and a perpetually wet pillow. My dreams seemed to fade with each passing day. Life was nothing but a distant memory.

As I reflect on the events of 2008 I smile, I cry and I thank the Lord I'm still alive to enjoy His many blessings. Through all of my past circumstances one thing is as clear as a cloudless day, and that is the fact that my God has always been there for me with open arms of comfort, the still small voice of peace, and love beyond my comprehension. As the only one to turn to He taught me many lessons; lessons that are worth every bit of the happiness and pain, laughter and sorrow, contentment and discomfort.

My understanding of Him has increased substantially, my faithfulness to Him has grown stronger, and my love for Him has become more passionate. Not to mention that He has blessed me with the gifts of friendship, healing, and the strength to endure.

I enter this New Year, 2009, refreshed and renewed with a bounce in my step and expectation of what the Lord has in store for me. I commit myself to serving Him with every fiber in my being. I praise Him for His goodness and mercies to me. I love Him because He first loved me.

My Childhood in Pictures

2008-12-28T23:54:00.000-08:00

***I'd like to dedicate the title of this post to my good friend Sam McConkey.***

While browsing my photos to find the troll picture I came across a few others of me from my childhood. I thought I'd put them up too. Why not?

Me as a baby.

Two years old and practically bald!

Yes, after I started getting hair I was a blonde.

My SWEET Barbie Corvette car. I got this for my 3rd birthday. After watching me drive this thing my dad knew I'd be a good driver. :)

First day of second grade.

My 12th birthday.

This is one of my senior pics.

Just to be random, here's a picture of me a few days after I had my wisdom teeth taken out. I looked like a chipmunk for about a week!

I used to be a Troll!!!

2008-12-28T23:45:00.001-08:00

Okay, not really.

I was probably 4 in this picture. I remember my dad holding me upside down by my ankles while my uncle combed out my hair and put TONS of mousse and hairspray in my hair. I wonder how long I hung upside down while my hair dried?

(I couldn't think of anything to blog about. Can't you tell?)

Facebook F.Y.I.

2008-12-25T22:08:00.000-08:00

For all you Facebook users, newbies and prospectives let me fill you in on a little tip that may help you with your Facebooking skills.

Using the Inbox:
Did you know that you can send the same message to multiple people! It's great if you want to say "Merry Christmas!" "Have a nice break!" "See ya'll when school resumes," etc.

Let's say you want to reply to the person who sent you and ten other people a nice little message. Well...just know that it goes to ALL those other people. So make sure you don't say anything personal.

(....lesson learned the hard way)

The Countdown Begins

2008-12-23T17:40:00.000-08:00

How many more days! How many more days!!! HOW MANY MORE DAYS TIL SCHOOL CONVENES?!?!?!

*gasp* Dustin would know! :)

An evening out

2008-12-16T20:41:00.000-08:00

I'm back again with not a whole lot to say. (Now you see what I do when I don't have homework. I blog, and blog.....and blog.)

Melissa and I went out tonight around 8:30. She was restless so she came down to my room saying, "Let's go somewhere! *clap, clap*"

We ended up at Barnes and Noble for a bit and then Steak'n Shake.

It's almost 12:00 AM and I STILL have not started packing.

***Warning***
For those of you whose cars are in the parking lot - BEWARE!
Why pay $5.00 to go to a rink when you can skate for free in the GBS parking lot!
Yes, it is EXTREMELY icy in the spots where they haven't salted (....wow, now isn't that profound...)

Snowman Soup

2008-12-16T17:10:00.000-08:00

Right now I am enjoying a cup of Snowman Soup (a.k.a. hot chocolate). My cool R.A. and awesome friend Leanna left some holiday cheer at my door the other day with the following ingredients and directions enclosed:

*Make your hot chocolate and throw in the Hershey Kiss and marshmallows and give it a stir with the candy cane.*

It is especially good to drink when you have some of Mrs. Profitt's homemade ginger snaps to dip into the cocoa. Yummm!

Waiting on my last load of laundry so I can start packing.

(I haven't gotten that far since last I blogged, but I HAVE finished cleaning.)

Fini!!!

2008-12-16T11:44:00.001-08:00

Well, all my tests are taken and I am officially finished with another semester.

Right now I am working on cleaning my room and bathroom. You wouldn't think it to be too much work to clean a little room and a bathroom, but trust me it is. I thoroughly scrubbed the tub, dusted, cleaned the toilet and sink, and swept/mopped the floor.

Then I have to vacuum my room, dust, and tidy up any clutter. Oh, and then I must pack to go home!

I will be leaving tomorrow around 2:00 PM with Gumby. He is the only person I could think of who lives somewhat close to my mom (she lives north of Chicago).

Anyways, I must finish cleaning and start my packing.

Mmm, burgers!

2008-12-14T00:10:00.000-08:00

Tonight I got to enjoy a little twist to my Sunday evening. I went over to Zach and Kristen's (Steinbrook) apartment for dinner! We had a lovely time with a few other friends just visiting and eating.

Zach, being the master chef of the household, made these delicious turkey burgers. They looked like something out of a gourmet cook book. They smelled heavenly and had such a mouth watering, savory flavor.

He first sauteed onions, cherry tomatos and minced garlic and packed it into the ground turkey. Then he took cubes of cheese and stuffed them into the center of the patty. After grilling the patties he topped the burger with more sauteed onions and tomatos and served it on a bun.

I can't emphasize enough how wonderful they were! Here are some pictures just to make you even more jealous. Hehehe!

Untitled Emotions

2008-12-10T21:17:00.000-08:00

Can you guess which one is me?

The funny thing is, on my list of stressors classes, homework and tests are at the bottom.

...I need a break from reality - just long enough to make sure I still know how to smile. I feel like I'm living an emotional nightmare that I don't know how to wake up from. Go figure the things that would comfort me most right about now are things I don't or can't have.

But I still have my Jesus and His Word:

"God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble." - Psalm 46:1

"He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will abide in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say to the LORD, "My refuge and my fortress, My God, in whom I trust!" -Psalm 91:1-2

Home Sweet Home!

2008-12-01T00:09:00.000-08:00

Well, I'm back!! It was a long car ride - 7 1/2 hours on the road through snowstorms galore. But, arrivinging around 10:30 PM (well, 10:50 after waiting 20 minutes in the Taco Bell drive-thru, psh!) Joe, Maria and myself are all safe and sound.

The break was nice. The food was delicious, I had some of my grandmother's apple pie (Yum!), I have 7 new books to add to my collection, and I FINALLY got to see The Incredibles.

I got to see my adorable baby brother, Landon. (By the way, I spelled his name wrong in my last post.) And I got to see my other brother and sister who are growing up so fast. Since the last time I saw them in August their vocabulary has increased immensely! So after seeing them I'm all caught up on my hugs and kisses for awhile....and Veggietales.

I'll have to post more pictures later. I have to get to bed.

Landen is HERE!!!

2008-11-25T19:41:00.000-08:00

I have a new baby brother!!!

I was hoping and praying that my Aimee (my step-mom) would have her baby either before I came home or while I was home, and he was born today at 2:01 PM.

His name is Landen Edward Walsworth. I was SO wanting my parents to name him Landen, and to my surprise they did!

Well, here is a picture of the cute lil' guy.

And here he is with his mommy and daddy.

(Wow! My dad, uh, looks really scruffy in this pictures.)

And here he is with his 2nd oldest big sister, Rachel.

I am so excited to see him! I'll post more pictures when I get back from break.

2008-11-22T02:48:00.000-08:00

"17 The Lord hears his people when they call to him for help. He rescues them from all their troubles. 18 The Lord is close to the brokenhearted; he rescues those whose spirits are crushed."

Psalm 34:17, 18 NLT

My Treasures

2008-11-21T18:47:00.000-08:00

My most treasured possesions are my books. I love books! You can learn from books, be entertained by books, get help from books, find information in books. Books are just wonderful things.

My most favorite books, however, would have to be my marriage/relationship books. I'm studying to be a marriage counselor, and for the last year I've been collecting books for my personal library. So far I have about 50.

I decided to do a photo shoot and take some pictures of my books. The lighting in my room is horrible so they didn't turn out quite like I wanted them to.

Here is my entire collection except for a few.

Here are a few of the books that I've either read already or am in the middle of reading.

I have A LOT of reading to do!

Praise God from Whom ALL blessings flow

2008-11-10T00:00:00.000-08:00

To tell you the honest truth it has been really hard for me to find positive things to write about lately. Everything seems so dismal and dreery in my life at the present moment. It feels like the only thing that is keeping my head above water is the merciful hand of God. But what better way to fight pessimism than by praising Him?

I praise God for allowing me to wake up each morning, for allowing me to be here at GBS, for a bed to sleep in, clothes on my back and food in my stomach.

I praise God for the spiritual mentors I am surrounded by, for the freedom to serve Him, for the opportunity to minister to others who do not know Him.

I praise God for the many wonderful, encouraging books available to me, for the ability to sing songs of praise unto Him, for the ability to learn more about Him each day through my classes.

I praise God for His Word, for the promises therein, for the Holy Spirit who helps me to know and understand these promises.

I praise God for His correction, for without it I would be lost.
I praise God for His grace, for without it I would be damned.
I praise God for His mercy, for without it I would get no second chances.

I praise God for His redeeming, sacrificial love, for it gave us the cross.
I praise God for the cross, for by it I know I'm saved.

I praise God for His Son Jesus Christ, for with Him I have life, with Him I have security, with Him I have acceptance, with Him I have joy, with Him I have a Friend, with Him I have...all I ever need.

2008-11-02T12:59:00.001-08:00

I will never cease to be amazed at how much God loves us. Each day I find that I need Him more and more. When people all around me fail to give the comfort and love I need I know that I can turn to God and find peace and security in Him.

I was surfing the internet the other night and found this interesting, well, I don't know what it would be called. Anyways, here it is:

It is my desire to lavish my love on you. (1 John 3:1)
Simply because you are my child and I am your Father. (1 John 3:1)
I offer you more than your earthly father ever could. (Mat. 7:11)
For I am the perfect father. (Mat. 5:48)
Every good gift that you receive comes from my hand. (Jam. 1:17)
For I am your provider and I meet all your needs. (Mat. 6:31-33)
My plan for your future has always been filled with hope, (Jer. 29:11)
Because I love you with an everlasting love. (Jer. 31:3)
My thoughts toward you are countless as the sand on the seashore. (Psa. 139:17-18)
And I rejoice over you with singing. (Zeph. 3:17)
I will never stop doing good to you. (Jer. 32:40)
For you are my treasured possession. (Ex. 19:5)
I desire to establish you with all my heart and all my soul. (Jer. 32:41)
And I want to show you great and marvelous things. (Jer. 33:3)
If you seek me with all your heart, you will find me. (Deut. 4:29)
Delight in me and I will give you the desires of your heart, (Psa. 37:4)
For it is I who gave you those desires. (Phil. 2:13)
I am able to do more for you than you could possibly imagine, (Eph. 3:20)
For I am your greatest encourager. (2 Thes. 2:16-17)
I am also the Father who comforts you in all your troubles. (2 Cor. 1:3-4)
When you are brokenhearted, I am close to you. (Psa. 34:18)
As a shepherd carries a lamb, I have carried you close to my heart. (Isa. 40:11)
One day I wll wipe away ever tear from your eyes. (Rev. 21:3-4)
And I'll take away all the pain you have suffered on this earth. (Rev. 21:3-4)
I am your Father, and I love you even as I love my Son, Jesus. (John 17:23)
For in Jesus, my love for you is revealed. (John 17:26)
He is the exact representation of my being. (Heb. 1:3)
He came to demonstrate that I am for you, not against you. (Rom. 8:31)
And to tell you that I am not counting your sins. (2 Cor. 5:18-19)

This paraphrastic compilation of Scripture spoke to me so deeply in a time when I really needed it. I love how it sounds like a letter written by God specifically to me. Maybe it will encourage you as it did me!

Starbucks, Friends and Homework

2008-10-27T23:05:00.000-07:00

After coming through a wonderful weekend, I had a very pleasant evening with friends. Dwayne, Shane, Jaleesa, Melissa, Sam and I all went to the Secret Starbucks to study. That's it, that's all we did, just study. But it was a nice change to my rather dull schedule.

If ever you want a fun, interesting experience just hang out with these people. You'll spend hours quoting movies, acting out hypothetical scenarios, drinking coffee, and making awesome memories.

What a wonderful way to start out my week.

Oh how I long for morning!

2008-10-23T21:58:00.000-07:00

So today was one of those days......I kind of felt like a comic strip character with the little scribbly cloud over my head; just a little disgruntled

(Disgruntled: "displeased and discontented; sulky; peevish." There couldn't have been a more perfect word to describe my mood.)

"It is of the Lord's mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness. The Lord is my portion, saith my soul; therefore will I hope in him." - Lam. 3:22-24

Morning, come quickly!

I can't contain myself any longer....

2008-10-18T10:36:00.000-07:00

I NEED A CAR!!!!!

Do you have any idea how hard it is to "plan" anything when you don't have a car of your own?

You can't even really say you have plans, because "plans" implies something that you are going to do. And really, you aren't guaranteed of doing anything if you aren't guaranteed of a way to get where you want to go.

Hence, a person without a car can never really have "plans."

I am at the mercy of all those dear friends who have cars.

So here I sit on my bed, feeling very much like a caged animal, longing to be outside to enjoy the warm sun and the beautiful weather.

Maybe someday I can make plans. As of right now I will just let my mind aimlessly wander so as not to disappoint myself with failed plans.

My Family Tree

2008-10-15T08:20:00.000-07:00

In my "About Me" section I mentioned how many siblings I have and how "that is a story in itself."

Today, I am going to tell that story because I know how confusing it must sound when I talk about my step-mom, step-dad, 3 year old brother, sister, and the list goes on.

So here is how it is:

I was the first child of my parents Ron and Doreen Walsworth. 3 1/2 years later they had my sister Rachel.

When I was 7 my parents divorced.
My dad remarried when I was 9 to my step-mother, Aimee.
My mom remarried when I was 13 to my step-father, Kevin. He has a son, Johnathan, who is the same age as my sister Rachel. They are both 16 now.

My dad and step-mom have two, soon to be three, children together. There's my 3 year old brother Ronnie, my 1 1/2 year old sister Kimberly, and they will be having their third child on December 2.

This is my dad and step-mom's wedding.

My mom and step-dad's wedding.

Rachel and I

Ronnie, me, Rachel and Kimmie

Rachel, Johnathan and me

This is my family!

More Homecoming Pics

2008-10-13T19:08:00.000-07:00

Here are a couple more pictures from Homecoming that Lucy Garcia took. Seth is in these ones. (Jeremiah Parker took the three pictures from my previous post.)

Homecoming

2008-10-12T19:36:00.000-07:00

This year I helped the college Sophomore class with their booth at Homefest to advertise the costumes for the Christmas program. Several students dressed up in the outfits to spread the word that we are in need of more suits and dresses.

Bethany, the class president, found four guys to dress up in the suits and top hats: Kin Hurst, Dustin Muir, Isaac and Seth Owens. Last year I helped her create beards for the male characters in the Christmas program, and this year we are going to put sideburns and mustaches on the guys. So to help authenticate the look we created sideburns for these four guys.

It really is a lot of fun and they look SO cool!

Bethany made Dustin and Kin's sideburns. Dustin kept cracking me up. I think he had WAY too much fun in this get up.

I made Isaac and Seth's. They both looked VERY cool! Unfortunately I do not have a picture of Seth.

Here Isaac was acting like a mannequin. He does it so well that it is kind of creepy. (I don't understand why I kept opening my mouth like that but it looks stupid. Just ignore it.)

The Future

2008-10-10T13:21:00.000-07:00

It just hit me the other day that the future is so unclear to us. I mean, I realize that this is kind of a duh statement. But it really hit me like a ton of bricks in a way that it never had before.

One day you think you have everything planned out...and them WHAM!!! God throws something into the equation that doesn't seem to equal out with what you had in mind.

I was listening to the Mark Schultz song "Walking Her Home" yesterday and it brought back some painful memories. It reminded me of the dreams I had for my future. Boy have those dreams REALLY changed!

God simply reminded me though that "in all things [He] works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose." (Rom. 8:28) Whatever God has in store for me is going to be SO GOOD! And I know that I can trust Him with my life.

"When my plans have fallen through, and I don't know what to do...When the dreams I dreamed have died and I need a place to hide, I just look unto the hills whence cometh my help."

Hmmm....

2008-10-04T20:31:00.000-07:00

I think I think too much...

I read into things.

I overanalyze things.

In my mind I start to play out the worst case scenario.

Negative thoughts rush in.

I begin to lose self-confidence and slowly slip into the pit of despair.

Ah! But wait. Then Jesus reaches down, pulls me out of that pit and reminds me that I am His child, and that none of His children are insignificant.

HE LOVES ME!

What a wonderful thing it is to be loved by the Creator of this world.
What a wonderful thing it is to know that He never has, and never will forget about me.
What a wonderful thing it is to have Jesus as your best friend.

Hmmm, what interesting things come to mind when you allow yourself to think.

I'm Changing My Status

2008-10-02T20:03:00.000-07:00

So I've decided to become a Catholic mother.

"Mother Megan" - doesn't that have such a pleasant ring to it?

The Good Things in Life Sometimes Come In Small Packages

2008-09-30T19:55:00.001-07:00

Right, now...AHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!! There's a spider on my wall!!!

Must....kill it......!!!

*Sits back down and gains composure* Okay, I'm back.

Anyways, I was about to say that right now I am enjoying some chips and guacamole dip from a friend down the hall, Katie Diganno. Gotta appreciate those kind friends who share their food.

Awww man, I'm on my last chip. Well, they were good while they lasted.

I guess I will get ready for bed now.

(I hate the "getting ready for bed" process, always have. I like doing things at night. I feel I get more accomplished. And having to settle down, put things away, brush teeth, iron, etc. is just annoying. But then once I'm in bed I don't ever want to get up...)

Good night everyone. Have a Happy Getting Ready For Bed.

The Ultimate Source of Beauty

2008-09-29T20:00:00.000-07:00

As I sat outside this evening working on some homework, I couldn't help but take in the breathtaking beauty of my surroundings. You may be thinking, "GBS campus, Mt. Auburn, Cincinnati....beautiful!?!" However, this is not at all what I was thinking about, for it goes much deeper than that.

Today in the 21st century we must reach far into our immediate perception of the world to grasp its true beauty, the beauty of God's creation: the emerging colors of yellow and orange, the faint rustle of wind through the trees, the soft rainfall of leaves, the hazy light of dusk slowly descending as the sound of crickets begin to chirp.

THIS is true beauty in all its fullness.

The Joy of Friendship

2008-09-22T20:20:00.001-07:00

This post is dedicated to my dear friends that I have made since being at GBS.

Heather is one of my most wonderful friends! I've learned that she is a great friend to talk to about the difficult things I'm facing in life.

Charity is Heather's younger sister. This is her first year at GBS and ever since she got here we've hit it off great!

I love going out with Brandon and Heather. They are such supportive friends.

I've known Tiffany since Freshman year. She's a great friend to talk to.

Melissa and I just started becoming friends this year and it has been so much fun hanging with her and talking with her!

Leanna and Cheryl are sisters, and I've known them since my freshman year. They are really fun friends to have around!

Brittany is another friend that I'm getting to know better this year. If you ever need a good laugh she's definitely the friend to be with. (I don't mean that in a bad way Brittany! :)

Seth, Isaac and Sam are more friends that I've gotten to know better since school started this year. They are such jolly chaps to have around and make life much more fun and interesting.

"Two are better than one; because they have a good reward for their labor. For if they fall, the one will lift up his fellow: but woe to him that is alone when he falleth; for he hath not another to help him up."
~ Ecclesiastes 4:9-10

I must thank all of you for taking me in as one of your friends. I count each and every one of you a blessing from the Lord.

(Well, this is everybody I can think of. I'm sorry if I've missed anybody!!! Please forgive me!)

The Battle Lines Are Drawn....Drawn Straight to Jesus

2008-09-22T15:34:00.000-07:00

It's easy to trust God with our complacent, easy going, satisfactory lives. But how about in the hard times, when things couldn't possibly get any worse; when all of a sudden our circumstances become even more strange, painful and confusing?!?

It seems that I'm there. I would have called it a testing time, but Mr. Profitt pointed out to me that he likes to call them trusting times. God isn't testing me, He's trusting me...trusting me to trust Him.

Pictures

2008-09-20T19:01:00.000-07:00

Okay, because I don't know how to put the link to my Picasa Web Album anywhere noticeable, it is under Favorite Links at the top.

Check it out to view the pictures from this past week at Tiffany's house.

No Power = No School

2008-09-20T18:15:00.000-07:00

Wow, a lot has happened since I last blogged. Where to start, where to start?!?

I'll start with last Sunday...

Sunday started out as a fairly nice day, sunny and slightly breezy. By the early afternoon the wind blew SO immodestly strong. (Immodestly strong means too strong for girls to be outside...if you know what I mean.) (Is immodestly even a word?) Due to this strong wind the power ended up going out...at GBS, all over Cincinnati and farther out into Ohio as well. After a series of many interesting and unfortunate events, we were told Monday that we probably wouldn't have power for the next 3-5 days. At 1:30 PM Monday afternoon President Avery called a town meeting and told us that we might as well all go home. And for those of us who live too far from home, to find a place to stay with a friend. So my good friend Tiffany invited me to stay with her, along with Melissa, Leanna, Cheryl, Sam, Isaac and Seth.

So Monday afternoon all eight of us headed to Tiffany's for a stay that turned into a very fun week.

I'll try to figure out a way to post the many pictures that were taken thoughout the week.

Random

2008-09-09T19:41:00.000-07:00

* My muscles are sore (from exercising in the mornings now).
* I need some quarters.
* We had a fire drill tonight.
* Someone over by UC thought Heather and I were twins, or at least sisters.
* I had some yummy nachos from the snack bar.
* I need a new key ring.
* One bad thing about my room at the end of the hall is that the aroma from the kitchen wafts up through my windows...and it's not always pleasant.
* I have some awesome friends!
* This one is funny, a Freshman emailed me today at work and addressed the email as so: "Dear Mrs. Walsworth," I laughed so hard!
* Then another Freshman came into my office to take care of the trash and asked if I wanted to be called Miss Walsworth. Talk about respect! That's what I'm talkin' about.
* Liz always has very good smelling soaps in the ladies restroom in the library. Right now she has Aromatherapy Eucalyptus Spearmint. It's supposed to be energizing.
* I am craving my grandma's apple pie. She makes the most delicious apple pie in the entire world!
* Fall is nearing. (That's a duh!)
* I love Jesus!!!!!!!!!!!
* My bed is very comfy, and I think I will get in it now to sleep.

Note: These were just very random thoughts and experiences I've had throughout my day. There is no real point to this blog, so please do not hurt yourself trying to figure it out.

Schedules! Goals! Success?

2008-09-05T21:48:00.000-07:00

Because I hated the way I was always tired and rushing around with never having any free time last semester, I decided that I was going to create a schedule and set some goals for myself this semester.

Things I Have to Fit Into My Schedule:
* 30 min. of devotions
* Hours of homework
* 30 min. of exercise
* 30 min. prayer meeting on Monday nights in the girls dorm
* Possibly volleyball intramurals on Tuesday nights (30 min. a game I think)
* 1 hr. 15 min. D-Groups on Wednesday nights
* 8 hrs. of sleep

I hope to have the schedule well established within the next couple weeks. I have to experiment for awhile to see what works for me.

Here are my goals in a schedule:
* I hope to be able to get most of my weeks worth of homework done on Fridays and Saturdays. (I am going to leave either a Friday night or a Saturday night open for recreation with friends.)
* During the week wake up at 6:00 AM for 30 min. of exercise
* Be back in room by 5:30-6:00 PM to work on any homework that wasn't finished over the weekend.
* Stop at 9:00 PM to do 30 min. of devotions
* Get to bed by 10:00 PM!!!! (Mondays and Tuesdays will be later depending on when the prayer meeting ends and what time slot the volleyball games are scheduled for.

I know that to some people this schedule sounds impossible, but I'm pretty confident that as long as I remain diligent it can happen. And I know that the Lord will help me. We'll see how things are going in a couple weeks from now!

My Faith Is In Him

2008-09-05T21:03:00.000-07:00

I just read an amazing verse while having my devotions tonight, "And Abram believed the Lord, and the Lord counted him as righteous because of his faith." Genesis 15:6

The story of Abraham has been so inspiring to me recently. It is such a wonderful display of faith. Abraham trusted God when He told him to leave his native country, even though he didn't know where he was going. Abraham believed God when He said that his descendants would be as many as the stars. Abraham trusted and obeyed God when he was told to sacrifice his son Isaac, whom he loved with all his heart. In these circumstances Abraham didn't know what the outcome would be. And I'm sure he most certainly did not understand why the Lord would have him sacrifice his son through whom his promised descendants would come. But through all of the uncertainty and confusion Abraham put his faith in God, and for that God considered him righteous.

I pray that every day my faith would grow stronger and stronger, and that I would become more righteous and Christ-like. Ironically, I am slowly beginning to see how God is building my faith as He blindly leads me by the hand. I love this relationship that I'm in with my precious Savior. The peace in my heart is something that I will never compromise for anything in the world.

Recent Update

2008-08-28T19:30:00.000-07:00

With the little time I have remaining of this night I suppose I will give a brief update of how the week has been going.

I've been to all of my classes but one so far......SCARY!!! I have 5 classes, 6 including choir, and they are all very involved classes. I won't say too much more other than the only way I will survive with a decent grade is by God's grace. I prayed for His help, have taken action by asking Mr. Profitt to help me in getting a schedule set up, and purposed in my heart that I will do my best. That's about all I can do, the Lord will do the rest.

On top of all that I am deeply involved in the General Studies Division as the President, helping in organizing a prayer meeting each week in the girl's dorm, working at the Vine St. Mission on Sundays, and hoping to exercise for a half hour each day. Oh, and making sure that I spend significant time in prayer and devotions. *pant, pant*

So that is what I've been faced with, and will have to learn how to deal with it.

On the flip side God has been working wonders in our revival services! I've been praying all week that the Holy Spirit would move among the students and cause an outbreak of surrender in their lives. Well He HAS moved and people HAVE responded. Praise God!!!

I thank Him also for how He has been helping me and working in my life. I couldn't imagine living without Him. Each day I still struggle with the pain I mentioned earlier, but I KNOW that God is with me. My prayer has been that every time I feel the empty void, that God would fill it with His presence. And He has!

Lord, I'm letting the world know that I love You, am committed to You and will do whatever you ask of me.

Thank God!

2008-08-21T13:36:00.000-07:00

I just thank God for the counsel I can find in the people around me, specifically the staff and faculty here at GBS. I have been able to talk to so many people about a situation that I am going through and find the wisest most comforting advice. Talking to them has encouraged me a TON! It just goes to show that God cares for us so much that He would place these kinds of people in our lives.

The prayer meeting last night also helped me tremendously. I haven't been able to go to church for the past 3 weeks or so and I was thirsting and hungering for a service where I could express my love and praise to my Jesus. He certainly met my needs last night. Also, hearing countless testimonies, one after the other, how the Lord supplied and met needs just reminded me of the God I serve. I love Him so much, and I know without a shadow of a doubt that I am in the center of His will. He certainly is a wonderful, merciful Savior!

Home Sweet Home

2008-08-19T17:47:00.000-07:00

I'm back! Oh does it ever feel good to be back. After 8 hours on the road my grandparents and I arrived to GBS at 7:15 on August 18.

Oh! Oh! Guess what!?! Ms. V called me Monday while I was on the road and asked me if I wanted the room with the bathroom...so I took it! How exciting! AND it is on the same floor as my friend Heather and her sister.

I have so much stuff! Most of it is unpacked already, now the tedious part is getting it all organized where I want it.

It has been really nice to see all of my friends again, the ones who are still here that is. Many of them have graduated or transferred. How sad :(

My grandparents left today around 11:00. It was nice of them to bring me down. I don't know how I would've gotten here if it weren't for them. I went out to lunch with Heather and her family and got back just in time to go to work. This year I am working for Mr. Profitt. I think it will be a lot of fun!

I went down to dinner around 5:00 and it was one of the hardest things for me to do since I got back to school. Trying to eat, and not having that certain someone sitting with me, was....well, depressing. Seeing that person on the other side of the cafeteria made it even worse. By the time I was done eating I could barely stand being there. I left and came straight to my room. Let's just say that the rest of the evening has been one of loneliness. I've never felt more alone... Oh how I wish I had someone to talk to right now.

Lord, please help me overcome these feelings of pain and find my comfort in You!

Streams in the Desert

2008-08-14T21:53:00.000-07:00

Over the course of the summer I have been reading the Streams in the Desert devotional by L.B. Cowman. This book has meant so much to me! About a month ago a painful situation happened to me and I didn't have anywhere to turn but to God. Each day as I read this devotional it is amazing how God speaks so clearly to me through it. Here are some of my favorite excerpts and quotes:

Where would our faith be if not for the trials that test it; or patience, without anything to endure or experience and without tribulations to develop it? ~ selected

There are many blessings we will never receive until we are ready to pay the price of pain, for the path of suffering is the only way to reach them. ~ J. R. Miller

After waiting patiently, Abraham received what was promised. ~ Hebrews 6:15

By faith Abraham...obeyed and went, even though he did not know where he was going. ~ Hebrews 11:8

When a person who suffers reaches a point where he can be calm and carefree, inwardly smiling at his own suffering, and no longer asking God to be delivered from it, then the suffering has accomplished its blessed ministry, perseverence has " finish[ed] its work " (James 1:4), and the pain of the Crucifixion has begun to weave itself into a crown. He can now let the circumstances be what they may, and continue to seek only God and His will, with the calm assurance that He is causing everything in the universe , whether good or bad, past or present, to work "for the good of those who love Him" (Rom. 8:28). ~ from Soul Food

When God tests you, it is a good time to test Him by putting His promises to the test and then claiming from Him exactly what your trials have made necessary. ~ a simple old man

God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. ~ Psalm 46:1

Our faith is always at its greatest point when we are in the middle of the trial, and confidence in the flesh will never endure testing. Fair-weather faith is not faith at all. ~ Charles Spurgeon

There are TONS more that I could write but I think you get the picture. The Lord has been so faithful to me. I thank Him for providing me with the comfort that I desperately need right now.

The rainbow comes only after the storm...

It's been a whole year and I am still here!

2008-08-12T20:37:00.000-07:00

Hello everyone out there in blogger land! Yes, I am still here (for anyone who even cares). It has been well over a year since my last entry but I am still here.

A lot can happen in one year...(lol) a whole lot!!! Some I will tell you and some I will not. (Weird! That kind of sounded Dr. Seuss-ish.)

Anyways, what has happened in my life since March of 2007? Oh yes, I left off with telling you that my sister Kimberly was born. She has grown a lot since then and is now 17 months old. Ah! My parents are going to have their third child in December...a baby boy! That will be...exciting? My almost 3 year old brother has grown a lot since then as well. He can say a ton of words and makes the silliest faces I have ever seen a boy of that age do.

I successfully made it through my second year of college. What a relief! Throughout the course of this year I have also learned of what the Lord wants me to do as far as a career in life, at least generally. I have felt led to become a counselor, specifically a marriage counselor. As the months go by I develop a deeper passion for the occupation and a larger library of marriage/relationship books. I probably have over thirty of them and try to recommend them to all of my dating friends. Lol!

This summer has sort of drolled by. Without a job, money or a car...well, I'm sure you can imagine. I am so glad it is near the end. Only one more week until school starts back up again for yet another adventurous year of college. Oh how I do love the college life despite all of the classes and homework. And how I do miss all of my dear friends!

(These last two sentences sound so British. I just finished watching a 5 hour long BBC production of Pride and Prejudice. It's kind of taken affect... I absolutely LOVE that book! And for those of you who are wondering, no I did not watch it all in one sitting. It was split into two DVDs that I watched at separate times.)

Now, if my computer will load them I will post some pictures for you. Mostly of my two youngest siblings and then some recent pics of my mom's family. Dial-up, I beg of you, PLEASE load these pictures!!!

Here is a picture of me with my mom, step-dad, sister Rachel and step-brother Johnathan.

Rachel, Johnathan and me.

Rachel, my mom and me.

Me and my adorable brother Ronnie.

And here is my adorable sister Kimmie.

I wish I could post more pictures but unfortunately it takes WAY TOO LONG to load just one picture. Maybe after I get to school where there is high speed internet will I post more. Until then...

2007-03-26T12:50:00.000-07:00

Well, well, I can't believe I'm actually blogging. For some reason blogging has lost its appeal to me. Or maybe it's the fact that I don't have much time, and when I do have spare time on my hands I don't even think of my blog.

So anyways, last week my step-mom had her baby.

Hooray!!!

It is a very beautiful (from what everyone back home says)little girl. She was 7 lbs 2 oz, and 20 inches long. Her name is Kimberly Roujeanne Walsworth.

Unfortunately I don't have any pictures yet.

I'm going home Friday and I'll be able to see her then. My dad was telling me that my 15 month old brother, Ronnie, would not stop kissing her. Actually, I do have a picture of him kissing her. (I'm currently at work right now so I can't get the picture. I'll have to put it on later.) He is so sweet.

Wow. I really don't have that much to say. Maybe this is why I do not blog anymore.

Other than classes, work and homework there isn't really anything else to my life right now.

Break is over, and life continues on

2007-03-08T20:15:00.000-08:00

Sadly enough break is over...has been for almost a week now.

I was away on Choir Tour in the southern and eastern states of Alabama, Florida, South Carolina, North Caronlina and West Virginia. It was a load of fun! The services were great, and it was really nice to get to know everybody better. The weather was just amazing!!! I desperately needed something to help me get over my 4-week long cold, and the beautiful warm weather was just the right antidote.

Right now I am very excited. In exactly 12 days my step-mother will be having her baby. My parents do not know if it will be a girl or a boy and the suspense is killing me. Now that I think about it I am slighty sad. I won't be there when the baby is born. (*sniff, sniff*) No worries though. Ryan and I will be going home about a week and a half later for Spring Break to see the baby. I'll post some pictures later.

I don't really have much else to say. I have tons of homework, and it just seems that I don't have enough time to get everything done that I need to get done. Well, I guess I could be doing homework right now instead of blogging...

I think I am going to get off now so I can finish what I need to do. Good night all.

Sorry!!!

2007-02-15T20:25:00.000-08:00

For those of you who keep up on my blog I must apologize for not updating. Like I said in my last blog, I have just been so busy.

Ok, so last Thursday I went to the Winter Banquet with Ryan. He was as handsome as ever, and I thank him so much for asking me to go with him. He also did an amazing job in the skit that he was in with Jaleesa, Trish and Brandon. Here is a picture of us that Brandon Hilligoss took.

Here's one of us afterwards at Barnes and Noble.

I absolutely love this picture!! We both look so dreamy. But I just can't help it. That's exactly how Ryan makes me feel.

This one is of me and my bestest friend in the world, Joylene. She was so gorgeous!

Friday morning, Ryan, Joy and I left with Mr. Cravens to go up to Michigan. I stayed at Joy's and spent time with Ryan and his family during the day. His family is absolutely amazing! Oh man, I love them so much!! He has the sweetest mother, the coolest brothers and sister-in-laws, and the cutest nieces and nephew. Here's a pic. of Ryan's brother Andy, Ryan and me at the ice-skating rink Friday night.

Here's us at his house. I had such a wonderful weekend!!!

This Saturday Ryan and I are going up to Dayton to meet some of his family to go ice-skating again. Fun, fun!!!

Oh, and last but certainly not least, a picture of the love of my life!

What goes on?

2007-01-29T04:36:00.000-08:00

WOW!! It's been 11 days since my last blog. I have been extremely busy this past week that I just haven't had the time to sit down and write a good blog. Homework is killing me!!!!!

Let's see...where should I start to fill you all in?
Well, last Friday I went ice-skating with a small group of people. That was a lot of fun. Then Saturday I found my dress for the banquet. It is gorgeous! It's hard to explain so you'll just have to wait until the banquet to see it. I'll post some pics.
Monday I got sick with the cold. My throat was sore for two days and then it all went to my sinuses. It is the following Monday and I am still sick. I told my mother yesterday and you know what she said? "You need more sleep?" HA!! More sleep? Doesn't she know that every college student realizes they need more sleep than what they get? And doesn't she know that it just isn't possible to get more than 4 hours of sleep when you have Doctrine of Holiness? That is probably why I am still sick after 8 days. Yes, mothers know best.
The rest of the week was same old, same old.

This last Friday I went to Newport with Ryan, Brenda and Branden. We just hung out and did a whole lot of nothing.
Saturday Ryan and I went skiing! That was his first time and, as his teacher, I'd say he did excellent. I love to ski!!! I could go on and on about that, but perhaps I'll save that for another blog entry.

That pretty much leads up to today. I actually got up when my alarm went off this morning. I couldn't stay in bed even if I wanted to. I was sweating like a pig I tell ya! I don't understand the people who control the boilers here. Do they know that it just isn't healthy when you wake up dehydrated? It sure doesn't help those who are sick.

OH, OH!!! Guess what? Ok, you'll never guess. In two weeks I am going to meet Ryan's mom! I'm so excited!! Mr. Cravens is taking a group of Michiganders up with him on his way to Cedar Springs,MI. He'll be dropping Ryan, me, Joy and Joe off somewhere near Ryan's house I guess. I'll be staying with Joy at her house in Bird Lake which is about 45 minutes away from Ryan's. I can't wait!

Well, I need to get going here. I will really try to keep my blog updated but I'm not promising anything.

A few original poems

2007-01-18T17:34:00.000-08:00

I'm beginning to feel the aftereffects of my English Composition 102 and British Literature classes kicking in.
In English, we have been discussing poetry since the first day of class. As time goes on I can't tell whether I have acquired a deeper appreciation for poetry or a strong repulsion of it. Some of the poems are quite interesting, yet others would be better off as ashes. Either way, all of this observation of poetry has brought me back to the British Literature class I took in my junior year of high school. Each of us had to write a sonnet and a 20 line poem in iambic pentameter. I decided to share mine for anyone interested in reading them.
The 20 line poem we wrote had to be in iambic pentameter. We were studying The Canterbury Tales, and for an assignment we had to write about ourselves as if we were one of the travelers on their way to Canterbury. Here it is:

There was a girl who was so very sweet.
Much nicer than most anyone you'll meet.
Compassion and love was in her nature,
And her heart was her most tender feature.
Her hair was that of the silkiest brown.
Not ever on her face was there a frown.
In a crowd you would need to raise your hand,
For she was quite short as I understand.
In front of new friends she is somewhat shy.
Really though, she's lively I will not lie.
She tries her hardest to get her work done. (This no longer applies to me. Lol.)
For this people think she's not very fun.
But those who know her the best will tell you
Amusing and funny she is it's true.
She enjoys spending time with family,
Famous for her strange personality.
A good friend will say she's megalicious.
By that people might become suspicious.
If ever in need of a caring friend,
I guarantee, with you her time she'll spend.

The second poem is the sonnet.

"A Peddler's Rose"
A rose for thee this very hour
To show that thou are truly fine,
And bold for thee I still may cower,
But if thou wilt I'll make thee mine.
Your feelings too I must know,
Tell me now and I can try
To give thee all, I will bestow,
As a poor peddler I will not lie.
Please hear the plea of a lowly man,
It's eternal love to thee I'll give
If thou wilt consent I know we can,
Happily together we will live.
"Oh how can I to him tell,
That I've been waiting to hear that wedding bell?!"

A meeting with the Almighty

2007-01-14T21:40:00.000-08:00

God met with me today.

I went to the Scarlet Oaks Nursing Home ministry and Dan Hubble gave an excellent message about putting our trust in God. He opened by saying that if people afterwards go up to him and tell him what a wonderful speaker he is, then he has left the pulpit a failure. But, if they tell him that God met with them during the service then he has accomplished what he was supposed to do.

Yes, the Lord met with me today.

His sweet presence came and comforted me during the worship service, Mike, Michelle and Mrs. Miller's specials, the prayer, and Dan's message. It was something I really needed and longed for. Dan preached about trusting in the Lord and giving our cares to the unchanging God of yesterday, today and forever. I've always had a strong faith in God. It's one of my spiritual strongpoints I guess. I don't ever remember doubting Him about anything. It's such a joy to be able to give everything over to God to take care of. It reminds me of when I was a little girl, and how I never worried about a thing because my daddy was a big, strong man who could handle anything and everything...it seemed anyways. Lol.

Yes, my Comforter met with me today.

Yesterday, Satan kept bugging me about a certain issue, and I just had to keep rebuking him and call upon my Lord. During the service today, God just whispered in my ear, "Don't trip up now, keep your eyes on Me. Let Me take care of you and don't worry about a thing." Reassurance is a VERY comforting thing....especially when it comes directly from the mouth of God.

Yes, my Sustainer met with me today.

It is a privilege to serve a God who not only has the power to take care of our every need, but cares enough to take the time to reassure us that we are on the right track. I like the way someone mentioned it in their testimony one day. God isn't there just waiting to check us off his list and cast us away from Him. He's there cheering us on, waiting for us to make it to the finish line. He wants more than anyone for us to make it to Heaven. I love him with all of my heart; He is so precious to me.

Yes, Jesus met with me today.

God is so good!

2007-01-08T17:54:00.000-08:00

Wow! What a week. Like many others, it's kind of hard trying to find time to blog with new classes, homework and revival starting. It's been good though.

Ok, I just have to say that God is so good. Ever since I got back from Christmas break I have felt His presence so near. He has answered so many prayers and made Himself so real to me. I have never had such a peace in my heart like I have right now. Over break there were some issues that were bothering me and I just put them in the Lord's hands for Him to handle. Since then He has blessed me innumerously. It simply amazes me that He would even care to have a relationship with a little nobody like me. I am determined to do His will no matter what, and I just want to be a channel that He can flow through that others might see Him in me.

This semester is going to be so wonderful!

Update from yesterday

2007-01-04T20:40:00.000-08:00

So today went a lot smoother than yesterday. I'm in a better, more cheerful mood.
Brenda has returned and hopefully things will go back to normal.

I really enjoyed my classes. I can't wait until things start rolling in my Introduction to the Philosophy of Music class. That should be interesting. And I am sooo excited about British Literature!! I absotively, posalutely love literature. This semester will be heavier for me, but I am determined to stay on top of my homework and get better grades.

This evening Kevin asked if I wanted to go skiing tonight since the resort would be closed tomorrow night. To backtrack, I got a silver pass for Perfect North and only went once so far. This weather is so terrible! Anyways, I thought about what my mom would say (or scream) to me if I told her that I only went skiing a couple times this season. (I had to borrow the $300 to be able to go.) After the mental picture of her getting extremely upset with me and blowing her top I decided to go. We got to the lodge, I went and changed into all of my gear, came out of the bathroom and it was downpouring.
Grrrrrrrr!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I was NOT going to go skiing in the rain.
So I just stayed in the lodge. Meredith called me shortly thereafter because he was debating whether or not he should ski. When he found out that I was just going to sit there until Kevin was done skiing he said he would come to the lodge and keep me company. That was very kind of him. We had a fun time playing Uno and talking. Meredith is a cool guy. So my evening wasn't completely wasted afterall.

Well, it's almost 12:00 pm. I probably should get ready for bed.

Night all!

Just some random thoughts

2007-01-03T16:25:00.000-08:00

I’m officially back to school for another semester. Hooray!!
Today was the first day back to work, tomorrow classes convene and Monday revival starts.
How exciting; new classes and new people to meet who are coming in for their first semester.

Christmas break was ok.
That’s all...ok.
It was nice to see my family, I guess. To be honest I wasn’t ready to go home. I was enjoying my independence here at school and having my own life. Like I said in an earlier blog, I felt like a stranger in my own land.

Brenda still isn’t back and all I feel as I sit here typing this blog is loneliness. I’m trying to stay positive and keep my mind on the things of God, but it’s hard when I feel so emotionally drained. There are so many things running through my head; about my parents, my sister, my family, my past, my future…and for the most part they aren’t very positive things.

You know, the mind is a powerful thing. It’s amazing that what you think about can affect you mentally, emotionally, physically, and spiritually. I love to think and day-dream. It’s one of my favorite hobbies! Unfortunately I waste a lot of my time doing just that, and hardly get anything accomplished. When I “wake up” I’m either in a more depressed mood than I was earlier (such as now) or a happier mood, I can feel sick to my stomach (like now), sometimes I feel like I’ve let God down, or that I’m right in the center of His will (and, actually, for the mood that I’m in I know I’m right where I aught to be with Him, I have no doubt about it). These are all huge results from just the little gears working in my head. Lol. Now there’s something, the psychology of thinking about thinking...very interesting.
...
......
.........
Ughhh!!! I just feel like crawling in a hole somewhere, and I think the closest thing to that are my bed and the covers thereupon……but come on, that’s just absolutely ridiculous...isn’t it? Mental picture: me curled in a tiny ball, under my blankets, lost in my depressive thoughts. That’s kind of scary..."think positive things Megan."

Ok, since I don’t know what else to write I’ll end this very random blog with this quote,

“Words do not express thoughts very well. They always become a little different immediately after they are expressed, a little distorted, a little foolish.”
~Hermann Hesse, Siddhartha

A Very Merry Sickmas

2006-12-25T17:46:00.000-08:00

Well, Christmas has come and is almost gone.

I hope you all had a wonderful holiday.

Unfortunately, I was sick with some sort of stomach virus that's been going around. A few days ago my brother was terribly sick; heaving up chunks for 5 hours straight (poor little guy). By morning he was perfectly fine.

This morning I woke up with an uneasy stomach. "Great!" I thought. "Sick for Christmas. Just what I wanted." Then my dad came in my room telling me that my step-mom was sick (the sound of her barfing in the toilet was evidence of that).

Worried that others might be sick, my dad called my family and indeed found out that at least one other person was sick, my Uncle Andy. Wonderful!

Meanwhile, my stomach was informing me that I needed to make a trip to the bathroom myself...however, for different reasons. Yep, it was diarrhea. Back and forth Aimee and I were taking turns in the bathroom.

Later, we went to my grandparents to celebrate, and I hadn't taken a shower yet so to the bathroom I was headed again. I was almost finished with my shower when all of a sudden I couldn't hear anything except my own voice and I felt like I was going to pass out. I got out of the shower, wrapped a towel around me and down to the floor I went. Don't worry, I didn't pass out; instead I puked into the toilet. (I haven't puked in years and forgot how painful it is.)

The rest of the evening I still didn't feel up to par, but it wasn't too bad. There was so much food, and TONS of pies, and I didn't get to eat any of it (*sniff, sniff*). So, right now I am just relaxing at the computer and taking it easy.

What a TERRIFIC Christmas, I tell ya.

Hi, my name is Megan, and I'm addicted to...

2006-12-19T12:31:00.000-08:00

THE INTERNET!!! Yep, that's right. I'm addicted. What do you expect? Take an 18 year old who has lived her entire life without the internet in her home and then throw her in a room for the next 9 months where she has access to it 24/7 (except for when it's down).

I'm constantly on the internet when I'm in my room. I IM, I mess around with blogs, I look up words that I don't know, I research for class assignments, I surf when I'm bored, and the list goes on. The internet-it's the greatest thing since sliced bread.

Coming home for Christmas break has been hard without the internet...and I still have 2 more weeks to go. AHHHHHHHH!!!!! Every chance I get I go to my grandparents because they do have the internet. How pathetic is that? "Hi grandma, hi grandpa! Long time no see. Is your computer on?" And off I run.

I know I'll survive............BUT IT'S SOOO INCREDIBLY HARD!!!!

Christmas break, end of first semester and the realization of a new beginning

2006-12-18T10:09:00.000-08:00

Christmas break; I haven't been dreading it, but I haven't exactly been anticipating it either. Two whole weeks of crashing at home and being able to relax. No homework, no obligations, nothing. What more could a college student ask for, right? Well, that's just it. I've realized that my home is no longer in Michigan with my Dad, Step-mom, sister and brother. Odd some may say. I've only been away for 4 months and I already feel like a stranger in my own land.

What is wrong with me?!?!

I feel so homesick for the campus and people of GBS; the place I've had to call my home for the past semester. Yes, I love my family to death, and I love being with them. But as soon as I got back home I only felt like a visitor. Is this normal?

I've been told by many older folks that they went through the same transition. I'm an official, legal adult now. The feeling I had before I started college, of wanting to remain a kid forever, is now gone (thank goodness!). I know that I will always have learning to do, and I will always need my parents, but I won't always need to be with them. Knowing that now is my turn to go out and start a new life is so exciting. Go to college, find a husband, start a family, and the whole cycle will start all over again with my children. I've found that it is a little scary (especially when you have no moolah), but that is when I can look towards God and fully rely on Him.

As an inexperienced 18 year old, I still have my entire future to look forward to. Sure, I know I will go through some ups and downs, some pains, some failures, some accomplishments and more, but it's all a part of this dreaded, anticipated journey we call life.

Finally alone...and lonely!!

2006-12-14T20:00:00.000-08:00

So, yeah, those of you who have roommates, or have had them in the past, I'm sure you can relate to this.

First of all, my room is extremely small for two people, and it's amazing I've survived this long living with the same person for months now. Don't get me wrong, I love my roommate to death...but I'm the kind of person who needs a lot of alone time to be able to relax. I often find myself longing for those rare peaceful moments I spend in my room sitting in my butterfly chair, with the lights off, soft music playing and just being able to think.

This afternoon Brenda found out that her flight was leaving earlier than she thought and had to be at the airport around 2:30 pm. We got there, gave her her luggage, hugged, said our good-byes and left her at the door to venture on by herself. Great! I can look forward to having the room all to myself for the rest of the evening. That gives me plenty of time to meditate and reconnect with myself.

Immediately after getting back I went to my room and I had this sinking feeling in my stomach. Knowing that Brenda wasn't there made me feel extremely sad. I felt like crying that's how much I had already missed her. Anxiety hung over me like a dark cloud. I scrambled around my room packing my bags trying to forget about the empty feeling. ...Ok, this kind of solitude isn't exactly what I had in mind.

I was finally all alone...and terribly lonely.

I'm now a Blogger

2006-12-13T21:51:00.000-08:00

I've been wanting to start a blog so I'm going to try out a few different ones to see which one I like the best.
I really don't know what I'm doing so you'll have to bear with me. The process of getting it started will be rather slow.
For those interested, I'll try to write frequently. Who knows if there is anyone out there who even cares to read things about me, but I enjoy reading the things people write about themselves. I think it is a great way to find out interesting things about the people you know.
So, this is my first posting. Not very exciting, I know, but I'm just getting started.