Fall Semester = DONE

WOW! That was an incredibly fast 5ish months! I can't not believe that I am relaxing and eating good food like it's Christmas break....IT IS! I feel like I should just now be having my midterms but I'm already finished.

This semester was a great one! I learned tons in my classes and I'm so excited to start a job where I can put all my class material to practice. I don't have my grades back yet, but I think they all finished out pretty good. I'm really excited for next semester. It is my last one!!!!! I will only be taking nine credits. I only need three more credits to graduate. I will also be a TA for one of my favorite professors in a design studio. I'm pretty excited to learn from the student and hopefully be able to help them with what experience I have.

I have applied to a job that I will have an interview for in January. It is a full time designer position at a company in Ankeny. I would love to work for the company, I really like what they do and how they run their business.

After graduation I think I will be going to England for two weeks. I finished my application for it this week and I will be starting a class for preparation in the spring semester.

I cannot believe it is already Christmas break. There is no snow and it is like almost fifty degrees outside today. I am at the Brinkman family's and tomorrow we will be celebrating Nathan's 21st birthday!!!! I'm so excited to celebrate with him. He is so great! I could go on and on about how awesome he is and why I like him so much but I don't want any of you to be disgusted so I will just hold off for now!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY NATHAN!!!!!!

Psalm 25

Last night at leader's group my mentor, Katie, challenged us to memorize a Psalm. She suggested that we memorize the Psalm of our birthday. Since I was born on May 25th, I will be memorizing Psalm 25 from now until Christmas. I'm so excited to have a Psalm memorized, and stored up in my heart :) :) :)

PSALM 25

To you, O Lord, I lift up my soul. O my God, in you I trust; let me not be put to shame; let not my enemies exult over me. Indeed, non who wait for you shall be put to shame; they shall be ashamed who are wantonly treacherous.

Make me to know your ways, O Lord; teach me your paths. Lead me in your truth and teach me, for you are the God of my salvation; for you I wait all the day long.

Remember your mercy, O Lord, and your steadfast love, for they have been from of old. Remember no the sins of my youth or my transgressions; according to your steadfast love remember me, for the sake of your goodness, O Lord!

Good and upright is the Lord; therefore he instructs sinners in the way. He leads the humble in what is right, and teaches the humble his way. All the paths of the Lord are steadfast love and faithfulness, for those who keep his covenant and his testimonies.

For your name's sake, O Lord, pardon my guilt, for it is great. Who is the man who fears the Lord? Him will he instruct in the way that he should choose. His soul shall abide in well-being, and his offspring shall inherit the land. The friendship of the Lord is for those who fear him, and he makes known to them his covenant. My eyes are ever toward the Lord, for he will pluck my feet out of the net.

Turn to me and be gracious to me, for I am lonely and afflicted. The troubles of my heart are enlarge; bring me out of my distresses. Consider my affliction and my trouble, and forgive all my sins.

Consider how many are my foes, and with what violent hatred they hate me. Oh, guard my soul, and deliver me! Le me not be put to shame, for I take refuge in you. May integrity and uprightness preserve me, for I wait for you.

Redeem Israel, O God, out of all his troubles.

PSALM 25

The title of this Psalm is Teach Me Your Paths.......which is pretty much my prayer every morning when I wake up. I'm so excited for what I will learn while memorizing this scripture.

I love verse 14...The friendship of the Lord is for those who fear him, and he makes known to them his covenant. This morning when I left my apartment I walked outside into beautiful crisp fall air, and a double rainbow!!! What a sweet way to wake up and remember God's promises and his covenant.

SENIOR!!

Wow! I can't believe I'm a senior. When I was in high school and day dreaming of college, I never thought about what graduation would be like....it never entered my mind that if I went to college, I would one day have to leave it.

Being a senior is kind of bitter sweet. College has been so good to me, I've learned so much academically, about myself, about God, and met some amazing people. The lessons I've learned will last forever......wait..it's not over yet!!! I'm trying to live in the moment of it being my last year as an iowa stater.

The first two weeks of classes has been amazing. I love ALL of my classes. I feel so nerdy. I am taking....plant physiology, visual culture and design, horticulture installation and estimating, landscape construction and management and, advanced garden composition (studio). I love my professors, schedule, and everything about it!!!

Also, this semester, I got a new job!!! God has been so faithful in providing meaningful jobs for me. One day this summer I told Nathan that I really wanted to learn more about floriculture (isu doesn't offer classes), he was like then work at a flower shop!!! For some reason that had never crossed my mind.....so I started looking for jobs. Nothing really came of it during the summer but I had a good feeling about one place I stopped, Coe's. Once school started I got called in for an interview and then a day later I was offered the job!!!!! YAY!!! It was hard to quit my other job on campus that I have had for 3 years, but I have an awesome understanding boss that was happy for my new job.

Coe's is a very cute upscale flower and home decor shop. It's wonderful!!! It is located in Somerset (North Ames near the Cafe). I started there yesterday and it was wonderful!!! My tasks yesterday including training, decorating for Christmas, and listening to Frank Sinatra the whole day. I have never had a job that I really have fit in with my coworkers. I love all the ladies and men that work there. Within the first five minutes of being there, the ladies were talking about prayer, and the book of Luke.....I thought to myself, I think I will like this place :) :) :)

Sorry if all these thoughts seem random.....

I also really love my connection group. Bettina and I are leading a group of 4-5 girls. I'm so excited for the girls He has brought to our group and I'm even more excited to see how he will continue to form our relationships with Him and each other....I think we will all become best friends!!! Our time together has been so genuine and awesome.

I went to an allergist doctor yesterday...It was quit the experience. I learned that I'm very allergic to molds and cats, and lots of other stuff (everything). I will be getting allergy shots once a week for immunotherapy in hopes that my allergies will disappear soon.

what else is going on....hmm......

Nathan is still awesome! I like him. We have almost finished reading the bible from start to finish in chronological order together. On September 17th we will have been dating for a whole year. It's hard to believe. I love how much we have learned together and grown closer to God in ways I didn't think that we would. HE is FAITHFUL!

My new apartment is awesome! I love taking turns cooking with my roomie (Andrea) and neighbors (Bryce and Nathan). I have my own room and bathroom and sooo much space!

I'm hoping to get better about blogging since I have many friends that don't live close to me...I want to continue to be close to them and give them easy access to what's going on in my life.

SUMMER......8 days

It's been a rough dead week. Strep throat! YUCK!

But...one awesome thing about this week is that it is really apparent to me that I love what I do! I can't wait to be a designer!

I was really proud of how my partner and I's final design came out. I had a lot of fun in the design process because I tried many new things and stepped out of my comfort zone, because the client allowed for such things. And..we didn't have to pull any all nighters!!!

15 More!

There are only 15 more days til summer!!

The amazing thing of the day is nap time!!!!

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.