ALWAYS

It's funny that my last post was about God's amazing faithfulness. It's true, he is faithful!!!

Yesterday morning I woke up to extreme pain in my right side and very painful urination. I went along getting ready for class tolerating the pain. Once I got to class, the pain was becoming unbearable. So...wonderful Nathan took me to the hospital because there was no way I could have waited for my 1:45 apt later that day. My mom rushed down as well. When she got to the hospital we went to the ER. After some tests we discovered that I have a 2mm kidney stone. It is amazing that something so small can cause that much pain!!! They gave me some painkiller and nausea meds and sent me home to pass it on my own. The doctors say it will take 12-24 hrs. I am home now at my parents and it still hasn't passed. Once it reaches my bladder I will have no more pain (which happened last night before bed) so hopefully drinking lots of water will do it!!!

But...the amazing thing is.....so many kind, praying, caring people were with me! My mom definitely broke the law speeding down to Ames to be with me. Many of her coworkers were concerned and lots of my friends were praying and checking up on me. Not to mention how awesome Nathan is for rushing me to the hospital and holding my hand through the unbearable pain and tears on the way. Also, I am so thankful for insurance and for a great hospital!!! They took great care of me and soothed my fears by explaining all of the tests and how to take care of my kidney stone.

So the point of this post is that God really is faithful even during a pretty trying day!

Day 23

Today the thing I am amazed with is God's faithfulness.

He is ALWAYS good! No matter what!!!!

Isaiah 40:28-29

The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He does not faint or grow weary; his understanding is unsearchable. He gives power to the faint, and to him who has no might he increases strength.

24!!!

The amazing thing of the day is the wonderful Easter Bunny rap!

http://i.flowgo.com/greetings/rapeasterbunny/rapeasterbunny.swf

This is a big thanks to my roomie, Dana!

25 Amazing Things

So...as of yesterday there are only 25 whole days until the end of my junior year at ISU. Hard to believe!!!

My dear friend, Bettina, was telling me yesterday about this fun website with thousands of amazing things, one posted each day. I decided that would be a wonderful idea for everyday until the end of the semester.

So here is yesterday's.

RIDING BIKES TO GET ICE CREAM with Bettina!!!

52 Reasons Why I Love My Dad

Tomorrow is my Dad's 52nd birthday. Here are only 52 reasons why I love him very much!

1. He’s my dad!

2. He likes to go “zoom, zoom”.

3. He’s extremely knowledgeable about many things.

4. He has a license to kill (bugs).

5. He’s entertaining.

6. If he’s not here, he’s gone.

7. He gets excited about things that excite me.

8. He read me stories and played in the sandbox with me growing up.

9. He always explains things perfectly.

10. He has high expectations of me.

11. He sings “Yes we have no bananas”.

12. He is trustworthy.

13. He makes us wrap our own Christmas presents.

14. He is a hard worker.

15. He tolerates us girls.

16. He pours mom’s coffee.

17. He hates shopping and you can’t take him any where.

18. He is honest.

19. He taught me to respect my elders.

20. Nobody will ever be able to buy him the right kind of underwear.

21. He let me drive his truck to prom after months of begging.

22. He is always organized and clean.

23. Mom thinks his tractor is sexy.

24. He watches Inside Edition every night.

25. He takes very good care of everything he owns.

26. He lets me ride in the tractor with him.

27. He protects me.

28.He’s an awesome cook and grill master.

29.He never shows off his new truck.

30.He is a planner and is the only person I trust leading a snowmobile trip.

31.He has a good music taste and dance style.

32.He never wears white shorts because they are gay.

33.He says “you’re such a nice girl” when we do something good.

34.He listens to our cheesy jokes, and laughs at them.

35.He mows the grass perfect and takes good care of the lawn.

36.He cannot watch a movie silent or without complaining.

37.He has a very nice beard.

38.He’s a handsome blonde, and has good friends to take him to the barefoot.

39.He attends our important events.

40.He says “nice and neatie, like a sweetie”.

41. He understands $money$.

42.He tolerates mom and I’s shopping trips.

43.He will always guess the gift (correctly) before he opens it.

44.He is safe and is always a thinker.

45.He is strong.

46.He says “drive safe” every time I leave home.

47.He’s always the last person to get in the car.

48.He drives down the lane slowly.

49.He secretly loves the “stupid dog”.

50.He sits on the deck in the summer, and when I pull in the

drive he waves like a princess.

51.“That’s the one I wanted.”

52.He loves me.

A New Year

Man, 2010 is gone! It's hard for me to believe that it is already 2011.

2010 was a great year and I have so much to be thankful for. Through trials and joys, God was faithful. I trust that 2011 can only be better as I continue to learn about myself, and God.

Memories of 2010:

Ski trip on Martin Luther King day (the day we all bonded and became best friends)

Working at Stony Creek Landscapes (I learned tons and love landscape design)

Garrett's death (He is horribly missed, I learned how to trust and find strength in Christ)

Sonshine!

Lifelight (and other roadtrips to visit friends)

Bike rides to McDonald's

Living in an apartment with fun roommates (I feel so grownup)

Leading connection group (I love all those girls)

Meeting LeCrae!!!!

Beginning a relationship with Nathan :D

Learning tons!

I am looking forward to many things this year too. Most of all I am excited be a part of God's plan. I'm not sure what He has in store for this year, but it is guaranteed that it will be GOOD!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Isaiah 53

Who has believed our message?
To whom has the Lord revealed his powerful arm?
² My servant grew up in the Lord’s presence like a tender green shoot,
like a root in dry ground.
There was nothing beautiful or majestic about his appearance,
nothing to attract us to him.
³ He was despised and rejected—
a man of sorrows, acquainted with deepest grief.
We turned our backs on him and looked the other way.
He was despised, and we did not care.

⁴ Yet it was our weaknesses he carried;
it was our sorrows^{a]" style="font-size: 0.75em; line-height: 0.5em; ">[a]} that weighed him down.
And we thought his troubles were a punishment from God,
a punishment for his own sins!
⁵ But he was pierced for our rebellion,
crushed for our sins.
He was beaten so we could be whole.
He was whipped so we could be healed.
⁶ All of us, like sheep, have strayed away.
We have left God’s paths to follow our own.
Yet the Lord laid on him
the sins of us all.

⁷ He was oppressed and treated harshly,
yet he never said a word.
He was led like a lamb to the slaughter.
And as a sheep is silent before the shearers,
he did not open his mouth.
⁸ Unjustly condemned,
he was led away.^{b]" style="font-size: 0.75em; line-height: 0.5em; ">[b]}
No one cared that he died without descendants,
that his life was cut short in midstream.^{c]" style="font-size: 0.75em; line-height: 0.5em; ">[c]}
But he was struck down
for the rebellion of my people.
⁹ He had done no wrong
and had never deceived anyone.
But he was buried like a criminal;
he was put in a rich man’s grave.

¹⁰ But it was the Lord’s good plan to crush him
and cause him grief.
Yet when his life is made an offering for sin,
he will have many descendants.
He will enjoy a long life,
and the Lord’s good plan will prosper in his hands.
¹¹ When he sees all that is accomplished by his anguish,
he will be satisfied.
And because of his experience,
my righteous servant will make it possible
for many to be counted righteous,
for he will bear all their sins.
¹² I will give him the honors of a victorious soldier,
because he exposed himself to death.
He was counted among the rebels.
He bore the sins of many and interceded for rebels

This passage has humbled me this week! I want to live my life in light of Jesus' death. I am so thankful that I can have the life Jesus died for. This week I have had a great sense of being lead by Christ and that brings me great joy. So many prayers have been answered. The Lord is faithful!

A new Lecrae album came out yesterday and I had a chance to listen to some of the lyrics at work today. There were many lines that stuck out to me. Here are a few.

"I am an alien about to phone home"

"God is enough"

"Won't you take the lead!"

"You came for the lame, I'm the lamest. I made a mess but you say you'll erase. I'll take it."

"Here is my moment, here is my lifetime, all that I have I will give to you."