Dear Lord, thank you for blessing me so much more than I deserve.
Sorry I haven't posted much lately - the internet at the timeshare hasn't been working very well. I've got some big news to share with you all........
I GOT A JOB AT SANDY COVE!!!!
I am so excited and thankful right now for the things that God has blessed me with over the course of a week - vacation with my wonderful family, a scholarship to Grace College, and now this job!
When I applied for the job at Sandy Cove and was preparing for the scholarship competition at Grace College, I told myself that I would honestly be happy if I only got one of them. When I went to Grace and saw the other 150+ students that I was competing against, I thought I knew for a fact that I wouldn't get one of the top scholarships. But God blessed me extraordinarily by giving me one of the scholarships!
Since I had gotten the scholarship, I told myself that I would be fine even if I didn't get the job at Sandy Cove. I would be, of course, disappointed that I didn't get the job, but He had given me the scholarship I never thought I would get....and that was definitely enough for me.
But God is so good - He has a plan for my life, and for yours, and things will always work out the way He has planned. And I guess He had it planned for me to work at Sandy Cove this summer because I got a call this afternoon offering me the job position I had applied for!
So what's the point? Take time today to thank God for the plan He has for your life - He is sovereign and will always work things out in our lives for His glory. Writing this made me think of my friend Savannah's favorite verse, Jeremiah 29:11;
"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."
Monday, February 25, 2013
Friday, February 22, 2013
Little Life Moment #5
I hate long car rides.
But I really shouldn't be complaining, because that 15 hour-long car ride brought me to Florida, where the weather is 60, yes 60 degrees warmer than it was when we left home last evening. Why do I always tend to complain about little things like long car rides, when I have so much to be thankful for? Here's a spontaneous list of at least 15 things that I am thankful for today. I should try doing this every single day of my life, so that I never, ever forget what I have been blessed with.
So here it is:
15 Things (off the top of my head) That I Am Thankful For
1. Being able to come to Florida for a week in the middle of winter.
2. Seeing my grandparents (whom I haven't seen for almost 2 months), and my uncle, who traveled all the way across the pond (that is, he currently lives in England, and flew over here for a family vacation).
3. For having awesome brothers who were willing to watch She's The Man in the car with me at 2 am this morning (they probably just wanted to have some understanding of all the random lines from that movie I quote somewhat regularly).
4. For having parents that were willing to buy peach rings, dried mango, Arizona Southern Style Sweet Tea (6 bottles), a Wendy's frostie and french fries, and a DQ Crispy Chicken Sandwich for me - despite the fact that they are so unhealthy - just because we're on vacation and we should be enjoying ourselves (:
5. For almost - but not actually - running into another car as I was attempting to switch lanes. (Don't judge - it was a very traumatic time for me).
6. For learning how to NOT drive by almost hitting said car (see #5). Ahhh....don't you just love teaching moments like that? ;)
7. For having friends who are constantly praying for and thinking about us. We appreciate those prayers so much!
8. For having family members who don't find me absolutely crazy when music in a different language started playing on my iPod. (Don't ask - I have weird tastes in music - ask my family).
9. For having enough room in the back seat of our van so that I could lie down and take a nap when I was tired from driving.
10. For having electronic devices to listen to music, play Temple Run, and watch movies on to relieve the inevitable boredom of a long car ride.
11. (This kind of goes along with #10, but I have to list it separately because I'm so thankful for...) the invention of the GPS, without which I would have had absolutely no idea where I was supposed to drive. (And it was very amusing to listen to 'Karen' say, "Continue on I-77 for 163 miles).
12. For being able to unpack all my cool, comfortable summer clothing upon our arrival at my grandparent's timeshare room, and being able to change into shorts!
13. For sitting on the couch, with the windows open and fans on, just being able to talk with each other. (Unless you are me, and are currently typing up this blog post while everyone is talking.)
14. For everything else that I have been blessed with that I cannot think of right now...
And, last, but certainly not least.....
15. For getting the extremely unexpected phone call from my Grace College admissions officer (Bethany), that I had won a $17,000/year scholarship through the Scholarship Competition I had last weekend! BEST MOMENT OF MY DAY.
So, needless to say, today has been a great day - regardless of how long our car ride was! Take time today to be thankful for the little things in your life ♥
But I really shouldn't be complaining, because that 15 hour-long car ride brought me to Florida, where the weather is 60, yes 60 degrees warmer than it was when we left home last evening. Why do I always tend to complain about little things like long car rides, when I have so much to be thankful for? Here's a spontaneous list of at least 15 things that I am thankful for today. I should try doing this every single day of my life, so that I never, ever forget what I have been blessed with.
So here it is:
15 Things (off the top of my head) That I Am Thankful For
1. Being able to come to Florida for a week in the middle of winter.
2. Seeing my grandparents (whom I haven't seen for almost 2 months), and my uncle, who traveled all the way across the pond (that is, he currently lives in England, and flew over here for a family vacation).
3. For having awesome brothers who were willing to watch She's The Man in the car with me at 2 am this morning (they probably just wanted to have some understanding of all the random lines from that movie I quote somewhat regularly).
4. For having parents that were willing to buy peach rings, dried mango, Arizona Southern Style Sweet Tea (6 bottles), a Wendy's frostie and french fries, and a DQ Crispy Chicken Sandwich for me - despite the fact that they are so unhealthy - just because we're on vacation and we should be enjoying ourselves (:
5. For almost - but not actually - running into another car as I was attempting to switch lanes. (Don't judge - it was a very traumatic time for me).
6. For learning how to NOT drive by almost hitting said car (see #5). Ahhh....don't you just love teaching moments like that? ;)
7. For having friends who are constantly praying for and thinking about us. We appreciate those prayers so much!
8. For having family members who don't find me absolutely crazy when music in a different language started playing on my iPod. (Don't ask - I have weird tastes in music - ask my family).
9. For having enough room in the back seat of our van so that I could lie down and take a nap when I was tired from driving.
10. For having electronic devices to listen to music, play Temple Run, and watch movies on to relieve the inevitable boredom of a long car ride.
11. (This kind of goes along with #10, but I have to list it separately because I'm so thankful for...) the invention of the GPS, without which I would have had absolutely no idea where I was supposed to drive. (And it was very amusing to listen to 'Karen' say, "Continue on I-77 for 163 miles).
12. For being able to unpack all my cool, comfortable summer clothing upon our arrival at my grandparent's timeshare room, and being able to change into shorts!
13. For sitting on the couch, with the windows open and fans on, just being able to talk with each other. (Unless you are me, and are currently typing up this blog post while everyone is talking.)
14. For everything else that I have been blessed with that I cannot think of right now...
And, last, but certainly not least.....
15. For getting the extremely unexpected phone call from my Grace College admissions officer (Bethany), that I had won a $17,000/year scholarship through the Scholarship Competition I had last weekend! BEST MOMENT OF MY DAY.
So, needless to say, today has been a great day - regardless of how long our car ride was! Take time today to be thankful for the little things in your life ♥
Thursday, February 21, 2013
Little Life Moment #4
Dear Lord, thank you for naps. 'Cause I am so looking forward to mine today.
We're currently in the crazy, hectic process of getting ready to go to Florida for a week. Yay! But with the fun of vacation comes ALL the packing and cleaning, and in my case - frantically working ahead on my school work. Because, let's be honest, who wants to do schoolwork on their vacation?
Our household has been working pretty much non-stop all day. We did laundry, packing, cooking, cleaning...you name it, we probably did it today. In fact, the reason I am posting so early today is because I have a piano lesson at 2, I'm going to take a good 1-1/2 to 2 hour nap when I get back, have dinner, go to aerobics, participate in a group meeting for school, type up our group report, shower, pack up the car, and then try to leave around 10:30 pm.
Do you see why I am looking forward to my nap?
But in all seriousness - I am so thankful that God took a day of rest - knowing how tired our physical bodies can become. Sleep is a marvelous, God-given gift. Our bodies recuperate and recover while we sleep, and sleep gives us energy to work during the day. Today is one of the days that I am particularly thankful for sleep - especially because I didn't get that much last night.
So what's the point? Instead of complaining that there aren't enough hours in the day to get everything you want done, enjoy the time God has set aside for us to rest. Enjoy sleeping - knowing that your body is restoring and healing itself during that time.
In more basic terms? Enjoy those naps (:
We're currently in the crazy, hectic process of getting ready to go to Florida for a week. Yay! But with the fun of vacation comes ALL the packing and cleaning, and in my case - frantically working ahead on my school work. Because, let's be honest, who wants to do schoolwork on their vacation?
Our household has been working pretty much non-stop all day. We did laundry, packing, cooking, cleaning...you name it, we probably did it today. In fact, the reason I am posting so early today is because I have a piano lesson at 2, I'm going to take a good 1-1/2 to 2 hour nap when I get back, have dinner, go to aerobics, participate in a group meeting for school, type up our group report, shower, pack up the car, and then try to leave around 10:30 pm.
Do you see why I am looking forward to my nap?
But in all seriousness - I am so thankful that God took a day of rest - knowing how tired our physical bodies can become. Sleep is a marvelous, God-given gift. Our bodies recuperate and recover while we sleep, and sleep gives us energy to work during the day. Today is one of the days that I am particularly thankful for sleep - especially because I didn't get that much last night.
So what's the point? Instead of complaining that there aren't enough hours in the day to get everything you want done, enjoy the time God has set aside for us to rest. Enjoy sleeping - knowing that your body is restoring and healing itself during that time.
In more basic terms? Enjoy those naps (:
Wednesday, February 20, 2013
Just Because.....
Just had to quickly post this.
If you had to watch only one video on the Internet in your entire life, this would ABSOLUTELY be the one to watch.
May I present to you ...............
THE CAST OF DOWNTON ABBEY SINGING ONE DIRECTION'S 'WHAT MAKES YOU BEAUTIFUL'.
Seriously though, it is so funny! Don't believe me? Here's a sneak peek just for you:
"The way that you do your hair gets me flabbergasted "
Yes, ladies and gentlemen, it may be One Direction's song, but it definitely has that Downton Abbey flair that we all love ♥
If you had to watch only one video on the Internet in your entire life, this would ABSOLUTELY be the one to watch.
May I present to you ...............
THE CAST OF DOWNTON ABBEY SINGING ONE DIRECTION'S 'WHAT MAKES YOU BEAUTIFUL'.
Seriously though, it is so funny! Don't believe me? Here's a sneak peek just for you:
"The way that you do your hair gets me flabbergasted "
Yes, ladies and gentlemen, it may be One Direction's song, but it definitely has that Downton Abbey flair that we all love ♥
Little Life Moment #3
Knowing that people are praying for you is one of the best feelings in the world ♥
Recently, I went to Grace College in Winona Lake, IN (a fabulous school, by the way) for a Presidential Scholarship Competition. I was so nervous about this competition - it could be the deciding factor in regards to my college choice, and would be a huge help for my inevitable future college debts. More people than I can even name came up to me in church the Sunday before the competition to tell me that they were praying for me, and offering other words of encouragement.
Me, being the somewhat cynical person I am, didn't really want to believe them. I mean, come on, it's a competition for school money. Why would they want to bother praying about that? But boy, was I wrong. Sometimes I really like being wrong (:
I came back from the competition the next Saturday evening, and come Sunday morning, several of those people who said they were praying for me, as well as others (who I wasn't aware even knew of the competition), were asking how things went, and let me know that they had prayed for me. I am so beyond thankful for all the people in my church (nice big shout out to Orrville Grace Brethren Church! Church information here) - family, friends, close acquaintances I cannot describe how much I have been blessed by your prayers.
__________________________________________
Another incident with prayer occurred just today. I am in the process for applying for a summer position at the BEST family camp in the whole wide world. (I tend to exaggerate sometimes, but I kid you not, this is one of my favorite places ever ♥). I seem to be good at shamelessly promoting different companies and places, so here’s the link for Sandy Cove's website.
But I digress….so I got an email today saying that one of the directors there wanted to call to talk about one of the positions I had applied for. I was so excited – I even did my little happy dance around the kitchen. I told my parents and brothers about it, and told them that I was going to go into a part of the house that was a little quieter to wait for my call. During the time I was waiting for my call, my mom (she is the best, by the way) texted a really close family friend and asked her to pray for my interview. I felt such peace and comfort during the phone interview – I was able to just be myself – which is hard for me to do when I am really nervous.
Needless to say, I am so thankful for all the prayers that people say for me – and it’s reminded me of the real power of prayer. So what’s the point? Take time to pray for those around you. It’s absolutely incredible the power that prayer has to give someone peace and comfort in a time of need. NEVER underestimate the power of prayer. Sometimes it is all that we can do.
~Jennie
P.S. Regardless of whether this is the summer job the Lord has for me or not, thank you for all of the prayers! I'll keep you updated on the job status....who knows, it might end up being a Little Life Moment in a few days! (:
Recently, I went to Grace College in Winona Lake, IN (a fabulous school, by the way) for a Presidential Scholarship Competition. I was so nervous about this competition - it could be the deciding factor in regards to my college choice, and would be a huge help for my inevitable future college debts. More people than I can even name came up to me in church the Sunday before the competition to tell me that they were praying for me, and offering other words of encouragement.
Me, being the somewhat cynical person I am, didn't really want to believe them. I mean, come on, it's a competition for school money. Why would they want to bother praying about that? But boy, was I wrong. Sometimes I really like being wrong (:
I came back from the competition the next Saturday evening, and come Sunday morning, several of those people who said they were praying for me, as well as others (who I wasn't aware even knew of the competition), were asking how things went, and let me know that they had prayed for me. I am so beyond thankful for all the people in my church (nice big shout out to Orrville Grace Brethren Church! Church information here) - family, friends, close acquaintances I cannot describe how much I have been blessed by your prayers.
__________________________________________
Another incident with prayer occurred just today. I am in the process for applying for a summer position at the BEST family camp in the whole wide world. (I tend to exaggerate sometimes, but I kid you not, this is one of my favorite places ever ♥). I seem to be good at shamelessly promoting different companies and places, so here’s the link for Sandy Cove's website.
But I digress….so I got an email today saying that one of the directors there wanted to call to talk about one of the positions I had applied for. I was so excited – I even did my little happy dance around the kitchen. I told my parents and brothers about it, and told them that I was going to go into a part of the house that was a little quieter to wait for my call. During the time I was waiting for my call, my mom (she is the best, by the way) texted a really close family friend and asked her to pray for my interview. I felt such peace and comfort during the phone interview – I was able to just be myself – which is hard for me to do when I am really nervous.
Needless to say, I am so thankful for all the prayers that people say for me – and it’s reminded me of the real power of prayer. So what’s the point? Take time to pray for those around you. It’s absolutely incredible the power that prayer has to give someone peace and comfort in a time of need. NEVER underestimate the power of prayer. Sometimes it is all that we can do.
~Jennie
P.S. Regardless of whether this is the summer job the Lord has for me or not, thank you for all of the prayers! I'll keep you updated on the job status....who knows, it might end up being a Little Life Moment in a few days! (:
Tuesday, February 19, 2013
Little Life Moment #2
I don't do sports.....I'll freely admit that I'm pretty much terrible at every sport that was ever invented. I can't do volleyball, basketball, baseball/softball, tennis, or even dodgeball. Yep, that's right....I said dodgeball. "How can anybody be bad at dodgeball?", you ask. Well, apparently it's possible. 'Cause I'm terrible at it.
You don't believe me? Picture this - I was always the kid who got hit in the face (with my glasses) by a dodge ball (thrown.... *ahem* whipped by one of the strongest guys in gym class) because I couldn't dodge out of the way of the ball.
~Jennie
I believe I've proved my point.
ANYWAY...regardless of my natural lack of skill in sports, I really enjoy watching other people play these sports. Tonight happened to be my younger brother's last high school basketball game of the season (he's a freshman so he doesn't get to play much, but the crowd goes CRAZY! when he does get to play). In conjunction with this basketball game was the event of watching a family friend's six year old, adorable, 'curly-top' son for the day. So naturally, we took him to the game with us.
I was not adequately prepared for this experience.
Now don't get me wrong - I had a wonderful time at the game (it was a real nail-biter!) - but I wasn't ready for all the questions that a 6 year old child naturally has about the game of basketball. All of the questions he had about who was winning, which player I was talking about, when he could get his soft pretzel with nacho cheese from the concession stand, and "where is David?", made me smile. He was really trying to wrap his head around the idea of this game.
My vocabulary changed greatly during this game as well, no longer referring to the home team as the Kingsway Eagles, but as the "white team", and the visiting team as the "black and red team" (according to the color of their jerseys). Player's names were forgotten, and replaced with their corresponding color and jersey number ("white team, number 3-4").
It was the best basketball game I have ever attended - and not because of the final score.
Even though he struggled understanding who the players were and the whole idea of 'halftime', he loved that game. He whooped and hollered, clapped his hands, and stomped his feet on the bleachers with the rest of the fans - cheering those boys on. He shouted "Goldie!" with a huge smile on his face, as my brother finally went on to the court to play. He ate his popcorn and pretzel with nacho cheese, drank his can of soda (caffeine-free of course - we needed to get him to bed at a normal time), and ran to my brother, giving him a big hug and congratulating him on winning the game. He thoroughly enjoyed his time - even though I'm not sure how much he understood.
What a gift - to be able to enjoy something even if you are not an expert in it. To go to an event or try something new just for the fun of it - even though you might have no idea what you are doing. Too many times, I am afraid of doing new things. I think, "It'll be so embarrassing if people find out that I don't understand this activity 100%".
Why do I think like that?
Life is made up of trying new things that you don't know anything about. Take for example parents with their first child. My mom told me, "I didn't have any idea what I was supposed to do." But did that stop her from trying, from experiencing the joy (and pain) that comes with parenting? Absolutely not - and I think that my mom did pretty well raising me with zero experience (if I do say so myself) (:
So what's the point of this story? Try new things. Babe Ruth once said,
"Don't let the fear of striking out keep you from playing the game."Be like a little kid in the way you approach new things - don't be afraid to ask questions until you understand something!
~Jennie
Little Life Moment #1
I was looking through some of my best friend's wedding pictures today - getting ready to order some for a scrapbook my mom and I are putting together for her and her husband. Looking at all the pictures of the set up for this wedding, of those who worked so hard to make sure that things were perfect for her big day, I was struck by the love in my community. So many people worked so hard to make her wedding the fairytale she had always dreamed of. And it was - from the venue, to the lights, to the flowers, and dresses, and tuxes.....I could go on and on!
Seeing the pictures of her and her father walking down the aisle, the look of sheer happiness on her face as the pastor declared them man an wife, and the pictures of guests (young and old alike) cheering for the couple and dancing their hearts out at the reception, just made me SMILE! I love looking at pictures like this - and I should do it more often. There is just something about pictures - they seem to transport you back to that time, where you re-experience all the emotions you felt and re-live the events that took place.
Being Kayli's maid of honor that day was just that....an honor. Seeing the formal pictures of her and I, her in her beautiful wedding dress and I in my stylish, yet very comfortable bridesmaid gown (thank you so much for that, Kayli!), reminded me of all the amazing times we have had together, and the wonderful times we will have together in the future.
Where is this mushy, lovey-dovey ramble going? Here's my point: Cherish those times with those you love - don't let ANYTHING make you regret missed moments with people you truly care about.
Seeing the pictures of her and her father walking down the aisle, the look of sheer happiness on her face as the pastor declared them man an wife, and the pictures of guests (young and old alike) cheering for the couple and dancing their hearts out at the reception, just made me SMILE! I love looking at pictures like this - and I should do it more often. There is just something about pictures - they seem to transport you back to that time, where you re-experience all the emotions you felt and re-live the events that took place.
Being Kayli's maid of honor that day was just that....an honor. Seeing the formal pictures of her and I, her in her beautiful wedding dress and I in my stylish, yet very comfortable bridesmaid gown (thank you so much for that, Kayli!), reminded me of all the amazing times we have had together, and the wonderful times we will have together in the future.
Where is this mushy, lovey-dovey ramble going? Here's my point: Cherish those times with those you love - don't let ANYTHING make you regret missed moments with people you truly care about.
This is Life...
When you enter high school, your life is taken over by insanely hard math classes, guidance counselors bugging you about career placement tests, and studying for midterms, finals, and the dreaded ACT (which basically decides your fate and whether or not you will succeed in life). For seniors, like myself, this last year of high school is deemed one of the most critical years in my working life. I must decide which college I am going to attend......and be forever in debt to. Over the past 6 months, I have submitted countless college and scholarship application forms, hounded my parents about filing the all important FAFSA, and just generally worried about what the heck I'm going to do with my life.
I'm kind of sick of it.
This is my last year of high school and I should be enjoying myself - not freaking out over the results of a scholarship competition, or the fact that I am having trouble finding a summer job, or even the fact that NONE of my scholarship applications won. I should be enjoying everything that I have been blessed with - and I think this will definitely help me to focus on the little moments, the "little wonders" as quoted by Rob Thomas' song Little Wonders (from Meet the Robinsons), in my life.
I hope this, likewise, encourages you to take a step or two back from the craziness of your own life and just appreciate everything you have been blessed with.
~Jennie
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