It's Christmas!

What a different Christmas season this has been!

I go home TOMORROW!

It doesn't feel like any other Christmas.... but it has been a good season!

When I think of the Christmas season I think of....

Family.
Joy.
Music.
Laughter.
Food.
Games.
Baking.
Friends.
Togetherness.
Warmth.
Snow.
Ease.
The Christmas story.

This season has been full of tears, homesickness, and seeing a lot of pain.
It showed me a lot of stuff about God that I had never known.

This season I looked at Christmas in a totally different light.

I didn't go Christmas shopping... bake tons of cookies... sing at the top of my lungs.... have loads of people over... and cuddle with my little siblings.

But...

I have seen God's redeeming work in womens' lives.

I have come to a point that I couldn't go on and saw Him carry me.
I have loved... like I have never loved before...

I love my family and have longed for them.
I love the residents here... oh, how I love them.
I love the wonderful Staff and Interns that God has placed here.
I love Heaven... I LONG for Heaven!
I love God's redemptive work.
I love His PLAN! The one that I can't understand... but don't have to.
I love God in a new way

I love Christmas... always have.
I love all of the things that I didn't have this year... but it was really special to think about what Christmas REALLY is about.

The fact that I have a relationship with my Savior is all because of the baby that was sent to earth.
A baby with a tragic yet beautiful purpose...

The fact that GOD REDEEMS because Jesus paid for our sins!
The fact that I can rest in Him and bask in His love because His Son tore away the veil that separated us!

Normally I am surrounded by people who I love and who love me.... This season I was carried by THE One who loves me.

I'm thankful for the last month. I'm thankful for a Christmas season that didn't "feel" like Christmas yet showed me what it is all about!
I am so excited to be going home tomorrow... I can't even explain HOW excited because it still doesn't feel real... but God knew how important this time was.

"Oh holy night! The stars are brightly shining,
It is the night of our dear Saviour's birth."

Thanks....

Wow... lots has happened since last Thanksgiving.
Lots.

My life is very different.

God has blessed me.

I still have a lot to be thankful.
A lot.
More than ever before...

Being 2,000 miles away from home has a way of showing you what you have been blessed with.

This year's list is a bit different... but better.

I am thankful for this internship.
What a blessing to have the opportunity to be in a home like this. To be under the teaching of very wise and godly women.

I am thankful for God's unending, constant, and beautiful grace towards me.
It amazes me over and over again.

I am thankful for HIS strength,
I am more weak and pathetic than I ever imagined possible
Each shift I go on.... I see God at work.
Each time I go on shift.... I know God held me and strengthened me through the entire time.

I am thankful for trials.
No, I don't handle them as I should, but throughout every hard time God has brought me so much closer to Himself... I am thankful for that!

I am thankful for my family.... my one of a kind, wonderful, too good to be true family.
My heart aches... I miss them.
I've always known I was blessed with something very special... but being far away has made me have an even greater appreciation for what I have.

I am SO thankful for my mom.
She is a blessing from God.
She has been my counselor, confidant, friend....
She has listened to a crazy amount of tears... she hears my heart when I don't feel like moving on.
She has been a vessel that God uses to point me to truth and Himself. She has been a prayer warrior and truly my best friend.
I am so blessed....

I am thankful for every single girl in this program.
I love them all so much.... I love the amazing redeeming work He is doing in their life.
I love the love that God gives.... it is overwhelming.

I am thankful for this time.....
It is hard. ...
I am tired....
I can't do anything....

BUT....

GOD is holding me
My SAVIOR is giving me life... abundant life!
I don't have to do anything... I am only a vessel for Jesus.

I am on a honeymoon with my Beloved Savior!
He is drawing me close to Himself, changing me, stretching me....

I miss what I had last year an awful lot....
But I wouldn't trade what God is doing now for the world.

THANK YOU, Lord!

Johnny-Boy!

Happy Birthday, JOHNNY!

It is so insane and ridiculous that my biggest brother is now 18!

Goodness.... I miss this guy! 

He rocks my socks! 

Johnny is so dear to me! 

We have a million memories that I will never ever forget!

I miss being a kid... I miss being crazy.... I miss this guy!

I am so thankful for the wonderful brother and friend that Johnny is to me!

It is crazy to see your "little" brother grow up.... it's also awesome. 

It's awesome to see him growing as a man of God!

 Johnny is more of a blessing that he could ever really know!

I miss him so much....

I love him SO much!

Peter!

Goodness.
My littlest brother turned 14 today!
I have never missed his day before. It's killing me!

Peter is like none other.
His joy and energy rock my world.
I truly cherish the memories I have with Pete.
The crazy times we have shared will never EVER be lost in my heart.
I plan on having many more crazy times with him... but for now, I'm in Indiana, he's in Idaho.

I wish so much I could share this day with him...
...To have him come wake us all up way too early in the morning.
... To sing him "Happy Birthday," super off key.
... To  make him a gourmet bowl of Fruit Loops.
... To....

This is not helping.

Peter. I love you.
More than anything.
You make my heart sing every single time I am talking to mom and hear, "Please, PLEASE! I NEED to talk to her!!"
Or the times I get an emergency text and call to hear, "Oh hey! I just wanted to talk!"
I am blessed beyond words to have you in my life!
I am so proud of the man that you are!

I miss you. SO. MUCH!
I want to be with you today... but we will make up it in 9 weeks!

Pete. I love you.

Peter took me to coffee before I left.... BEST date EVER!!!!!

Peter has awesome hair!!!!!

Peter loves to Skype!!!

Peter.... is Da Bomb!

There is a REDEEMER!!!!!!!!

Happiness = Being in the perfect will of God.
Contentment = Knowing God... nothing else really truly matters.
Joy = Only comes through Christ.
Love = Christ.
Conviction = Obnoxious but wonderful!
Idolatry = Anything you place in higher regard than Christ.

AWESOME = Seeing God Work!!!!!!

Never... ever... EVER did I imagine how wonderful this experience would be.

It is changing my heart.
It is molding my life.
It is amazing.

When I came here....  I thought I would have to basically "survive a year" of serving God.
Now... two months later... I have never been more fulfilled or happy.

I miss home... miss my family... but wouldn't WANT to leave.
I LOVE, absolutely LOVE what God has me doing here.
It stretches me in a growing, learning to love God more type of way.

Recently a girl here at VOH accepted Christ into her heart and life.
NEVER have I seen Salvation in this light.
I will never look at Salvation the same.

I can't even describe the happiness that I feel even thinking about her now.
God redeems.....
God transforms lives....
God loves....
God is amazing.

I am amazed.

Sorry about the lack of posts.... Just a bit busy! :)

Mom.

My mom is amazing.
I know I have said this before... but it is really true!

She's my best friend.
My confidant.
My mentor.

I love her.
I miss her.....

My family traveled to Canada this afternoon.... which is AWESOME!
They are picking up Johnny and visiting family.
The only "not so awesome" thing is that you can't call from Canada....
This is pretty tragic!

Today was the first time I haven't talked to Mom.
Well, I did talk to her once.
Oh wait. Twice... but they were short talks!

Mom has put up with a ridiculous amount of phone calls through this last month and (almost) three weeks....

She has talked to me through many tears and many joys.
She has encouraged, strengthened, pointed me to Christ

Mom never EVER acts like my calls are a bother.... the exact opposite.
She calls and texts to tell me she's available!!

Would you believe that Mom learned to text?
(Btw.. they can text from Canada!!!!)

Her first few were a jumble of letters and numbers....
After finding the space button, words began to take shape....
NOW... we can actually communicate!

Its pretty awesome because we have our own social network....
Forget Facebook...
I'll update Mom every twenty minutes!

I walk around the pond here many times a day!
I love this pond... it is my place to talk to my mom!
I LOVE those talks... I treasure them.. I look forward to them more than anything else....


Mom blesses me every single day with her wisdom and love.


I can't imagine where I would be without her!
She is so dear to my heart!

I love you, Mom!

God is Good.

God is so good!

I know I have said this in all of my posts... but I am pretty overwhelmed with the depth and truth of those words.

God's good.... no matter what.

The "what" part has been full of blessings lately.

I still miss my family.
TONS!!
RIDICULOUSLY!!!!!

But my heart towards being here has changed drastically!

God has given me a DESIRE to be here.

I wanted to serve the Lord!
I wanted to do His will....
But I wanted to go home...

In the last week or so God has given me such a love for the women here and the work that I am able to be a part of... that I can honestly say I'm glad I have eleven more months.

I have never in my life been so stretched... but I have never been so blessed.
It is humbling to see the many things God is showing me and changing in my life... I wouldn't trade this for anything!

I miss my family like crazy... life would be perfect if they were here but Christmas is coming!
And... "I'll be home for Christmas..."

I still cry often....

I still hurt....

But being in God's will is more beautiful and precious than anything I could have dreamed!

A few pictures of life in this new place!

Ahhh... seeing Jo was too good... but true!

BUDIA'S!!!!! So wonderful to see them! 

STATE FAIR!

My morning spot with Jesus!

"Praise God from Whom all Blessing's Flow...."