movie night

Well, tonight is movie night.  Normally, we as ABC students are not allowed to watch movies, but in the Servant Center and in plain view.  Of course those movies have to be approved.  Well, something they started this year is that once in a blue moon they give special permission for us to watch movies in the dorms as a reward.  We got to do it earlier this semester as a reward for moving the new furniture into the girl's dorm.  It was actually open dorms too, which means persons of the male gender were allowed in the women's dorm and persons of the female gender were allowed in the men's dorm (doors wide open of course).  Well tonight is a movie night again, but this time not open dorms.  I had not heard about it, but my friendly neighbor asked if I knew, and if I wanted to watch a movie in her room with her.  It is Love's Long Journey and so of course, I accepted.  The majority of my packing is done, and so I didn't have to work on that.  She still has a bit of packing, so she is going to pack and watch.  I am sitting on her bed just vegged out.  I was telling Daniel the other day how much I miss being able to watch movies here at school (because I rarely feel like trucking across the parking lot to sit in a classroom and watch a movie).  Sitting down and watching something is one of the most relaxing things for me.  I know I should enjoy reading a book more, but that's not how I am.  So with exams and academics behind me, and summer break starting, I am so super excited.

Ashley is also in el ed and I have loved having her across the hall.  We use each other's school supplies and ask for el ed help and ideas often.  She has a quiet and sweet spirit I greatly admire.  I will miss living across the hall from her next year.

I can barely believe I am halfway through my college career.  This semester especially has been an absolute whirlwind.  I don't know where it went.  I was so incredibly busy and hectic just about from the first day to the last day of classes.  It has been an absolutely amazing journey the Lord has taken me through.  I have had to learn a lesson time and time again that it is not my own strength that gets me through each day, but the Lord's strength.  I have learned the reality of the verse "when I am weak, He is strong."  I have been in the schools a bit more this semester, which has been wonderful.  I am here for children, and being able to 'get my hands dirty' with the children has been very rewarding.

I have remained very active in my church here and loved every minute of it.  Yes, there have been those exhausting moments, but even those exhausting moments are good.  It is those moments that make me appreciate the rewarding moments all the more.  I did not teach tonight which was actually so relaxing.  I enjoyed being able to not study to teach and just go and enjoy the kids.  Those kids each mean so very much to me, and when I told them it was my last week, I got several poochy lips.  They know how to make Miss Rebekah feel special.  One of the little boys tonight told me he wanted to go to Heaven so he could say "hi" to Jesus.  How cute is that?  I am going to miss my kiddos over the summer, and will be very eager to see them again this coming fall.

My parents plan on leaving Friday after school on Friday and will stop in Lancaster for the night.  They will go to a special restaurant for breakfast, and then hit the road West Virginia bound!  Commencement here is required, so I will be here for that, and then have RA duties to help check people out of their rooms.  My parents should get here sometime in the afternoon.  I hope to go over to the gorge with them and have a picnic dinner (praying for beautiful WV weather).  I will then be able to bring them to church here to meet my dear church family which I will miss immensely over the summer.  Monday morning, the four of us will hit the road, hopefully arriving in VT Monday evening!

Before I close this blog, I would like to give a shout out to my sister.  Sarah turns 16 today.  She has matured into a beautiful young woman of God.  She has been at public school this year, and I have been proud of the testimony she has had for the Lord.  She is drop dead gorgeous, and continuing to work on her inner beauty.  Proud to call her my sister, and excited to see how the Lord uses her life for His glory!

1 more week

I don't have long, because next week is midterms which means exams and projects galore!  They are slowly coming along though.  I find myself exhausted, and very unmotivated.  I began the week with a cold, but praise the Lord, it is just about 100% gone by now.  I am also praising the Lord for the beautiful weather and sunshine today.  It lifted my spirits tremendously.

The biggest happening in my life this week was working the WVCSA tournaments that are hosted here at school.  I worked the concession stand with a friend, and I did enjoy it.  Our menu included pizza, chick-fil-a sandwhiches, fries, nachos, cheese, chili, candy, drinks!  We kept quite busy, trying to keep up with the orders, but I think we made out well.  I smelled quite atrociously of fried food, and was quite thankful for a hot shower at the end of the day.

This morning I went to a meeting at church introducing a new curriculum we are going to start next week.  I am excited about the new curriculum and how it comes directly from the Bible teaching God as the main character.  I am proud to be a part of this church, and the life they have in Christ.  I don't know how to describe my church family here, but they have a vibrancy about their faith that is contagious to those around.  They are not judging on anyone, and everyone who sets foot in there is shared the Word of God, and is accepted and loved with the love of Christ.  I already find myself getting sad at the thought of graduating in the respect of quite possibly leaving :(.

Well, I best get back to school work, and work, but I wanted to give a quick update.  In one week I will be home, Lord willing, and in two weeks, I will be with Daniel and his parents, Lord willing!

another week

Another week has come and gone.  I find myself counting down the days until spring break! 13 days is the count, just in case you are interested!  13 is less than 14, which means less than 2 weeks- hip hip hooray!  The week went very though and I am so thankful for the gorgeous weather we had.

Wednesday night was no exception to every other week.  There is this cute little guy (same little boy mentioned in this post) who comes each week, and this week he had a foam cut out of a tiger.  He went to hand it to me, and I acted scared out of my mind (pretty much to the extent that my mom would have spanked me if I had been that dramatic about something so small).  He of course giggled to no end, and then tried to soothe me by saying "it's okay Miss Rebekah, he is just pretend".  I immediately stopped my drama and asked how he knew it was pretend.  He quickly replied "because is frozen like this *poses in a similar way as the tiger* and Jesus made him that way".  Trying to maintain my composure at this time, I ask him if he is pretend or real.  He assures me that he is real, and so I ask "how do you know you are real?"  He looked at the ground, and then back up at me, "because I have real legs, and a real face!!!"  And I could no longer hold my composure.  I lost it, as I got down on eye level with him, and just laughed.  I love these kids so much, and without meaning to, they put a smile on my face each week!

The Lord graciously blessed up with gorgeous weather this week.  I was so ready to wear open toed shoes, and they got a lot of use.  I was able to comfortably walk to and from class with no jacket on either.  My room also appreciated the spring breeze blowing my white sheer curtains.  I am thankful for the breath of fresh air the Lord blessed us through the weather!

Anyways, I am going to stop boring you with my long winded-ness and close this blog off.  Thanks to those who faithfully pray for me.  I recognize that it is your prayers that carry me through each day.  I pray each of you have a lovely week- and feel free to drop me a note with ways I may specifically be praying for you!

the happenings of this week...

I would say that overall, this has been a good week. I got a lot accomplished, the kiddos at church were well behaved, I have laughed, slept, and had some good time with the Lord! This afternoon and evening, the biggest thing that has been on my mind is how much I miss my sister. Related to that topic, I signed up for my school to observe at over break, and it is only a couple of miles from my sister's high school, so I am hoping to be able to drive her to school and pick her up, and add some special sister time in there too.

As I mentioned above, the kiddos at church did so well on Wednesday. Taco Bell was on the menu, and the children were just much more calm and listened so well. I am so proud of them. I taught about Joseph and so we did a craft of making his coat colorful with various items: felt, ribbon, pipe cleaners, etc. I was a little nervous about giving them so many options, and the glue. Anyone who knows 4-5 year olds know they are at the stage of becoming independent so they want to do the glue. Instead of just saying "no, I will do it" I try to watch them and encourage them so they can do it by themselves, but they can do it responsibly. Another thing I love is the respect those children give me--I am an adult to them, and they look up to me. I love being able to teach them more then just stories, but stories from the Bible, and teaching them life lessons. I just love all those kiddos so much and am so thankful for the opportunity God has given me at this dear church.

This week I have been working super super hard on drinking more water, and good granny. Do you know how hard it is to drink the amount of water you are supposed to? Well let me tell you, it is very hard! My faithful pink nalgene has come in big handy as I try to keep track. I challenge you, try it!

I am super excited as well, because I get to go home in 21 days for spring break and to do my week of public school observations. If it is like last spring break at a Christian school, it is an absolute blast, but it is extremely exhausting. I love being being a teacher, and in the classroom. Praying that the classroom I am placed in works out well and I learn lots of positive 'stuff' over break. Also, in 29 days, I get to see Daniel. I decided to fly down to VA to see him at the end of my break, and the beginning of his break. I am looking forward to that time with him and his parents!

Last weekend, the weather was beautiful, I had my window open, with the crisp spring breeze blowing in, but Tuesday night, I walked to dinner, and this is what I found...

I will give it credit that it is beautiful, but after having the taste of spring, I am more then ready for spring to come and stay.

Anyways, I hope you all have a lovely weekend. I am looking forward to a productive day tomorrow working on an art lesson plan, and a few other projects. Remember that our sole purpose in life is to bring glory to the Lord! Feel free to send me a note-I would be more then happy to reply.

a slow week ending with el ed adventures!

I am not going to lie, this week has gone by very slowly. I got ahead on homework last weekend, which left me feeling a bit bored this week (weird I know). I keep telling myself to enjoy it, because in the blink of an eye I will be craving 'boredom'. It was a slower week compared to this coming week, but I used that to try and work on next week's stuff, so I was not overwhelmed with it all next week. Tonight is open dorms (what they say is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity with strict guidelines) which will probably find me in another girl's room celebrating a mutual friend's birthday and playing games. Tomorrow I am hoping to catch up on some very very needed sleep, and get a bit of homework done. I work tomorrow afternoon for Alpine's winter camp. I am not sure how much time I will for homework, but that isn't necessarily a bad thing, is it?

Wednesday night, my church started a new thing... catered fellowship dinner. Wednesday nights are hard for most families to get home from work to feed their children to get everyone to church. The leadership has also been feeling like our church has been lacking fellowship, so they decided, in trying to resolve both issues, to have dinner provided at church on Wednesday nights. This week, it came from the Steak Escape! You order what you want (from a small menu) on Sunday, and (at least this past week) your order form is stapled to a bag with your dinner. This past week it seemed to be a huge success. It was fun watching everyone fellowship with each other and laugh! I love the fact that I am a part of this body of believers--I love them so much! I love the fact that I feel like I belong, and I am one of them. I love that I am looked at as an adult. It was so amazing...I was walking over to the food table to get one of the little girls I was sitting next to some napkins, and one of my girls from 2s-5s (new as of about 6 weeks ago) said to her parents "that's my teacher!!!" as she gave me a bear hug saying, "Hi Miss Rebekah". I love being a teacher, I love being loved by those dear children, and I love the energy they create in me. Teaching and children though are not always a bed of roses.

Sometimes instead of creating energy, they zap it right out of me. The fellowship dinner was a huge success, but I think it had some connections to my 2s-5s behavior, haha. They were WILD! It was good though, because I was able to discuss it with my helper (went to school for el ed and used to teach) some tricks to hopefully better their behavior when acting the way they were on Wednesday. They are still doing SO well with their Scripture memory and make me so proud of them.

******

WARNING: I had a great adventure today, but be forewarned...I included several details.

Today, I had an exciting (and scary at times) adventure with two other el ed students for one of our art observations. Our driver had received directions from our prof, printed from mapquest. The directions were so weird. They took us on little (what I call) 'bubbles' off the main route, only to bring us back on the same exact road we were just on. We laughed pretty hard about those, especially since we missed our turn for one of those 'bubbles'. We tried hard to follow our directions to a "T", only to find ourselves on a sketchy road with 'residential' on one side, and a huge hill on the other, with a long stair case going up it. We could see a sign, but could only make out something something something Home of the something Hawks (I still don't know what sign says). We giggled a little bit, because the directions hadn't really taken us anywhere. We looked up on the hill and saw what looked like a gymnasium, so we took a few roads that would logically lead us to this building.

On our way up the hill we saw buses, which to us, was a very good sign. We then saw a playground, another good sign. The bad sign though, there was only the one gym looking building, a log cabin, one car, and no signs besides what looked like the back entrance that said something about head start. We decided that wasn't the place so drove back down the hill, saw a woman in her yard with several dogs, and asked where the particular elementary school was. Her answer didn't make much sense, so we decided to head up to what we originally thought was the school, and see if we could ask someone there. (Mind you, we left about 10-15 minutes earlier then we needed to, and we are in the same town the school is in.)

We drive in to this odd looking 'school' that we figure is a preschool, only to find like 4 cars total in the parking lot. It was weird, but we needed directions. Our driver got out of the car and went to the main entrance only to find lights off, cameras, and everything locked. She walked around the building to a back door. While she was in the parking lot of this preschool, this scary looking dog was following her. My friend and I are in the car, halfway laughing, and halfway worried for the safety of our friend walking around this odd building, with what looks to be a stray dog following her. She had better luck at the back door, when a woman awkwardly opened the door and gave her directions.

Remember that log cabin I told you about?!?! Sketchiest log cabin I have ever seen. It was really big, and the 'windows' were all boarded up. It was not cute at all like you think of when you think of log cabins. Next to the log cabin were broken playground parts. All in all, I don't know what happens there, but I wouldn't be surprised if nothing good happens. It was a very scary situation for the three of us ladies, a sketchy part of town, and we were glad to lock the doors, and get back on the road.

We went down the road a few miles, after passing several trailer parks, abandoned homes, and even a "for sale" school building (we had wondered if the school we were going to had actually been sold, and we had been led to a 'dead end'). It is not the safest feeling place I have ever been, but we were already late, and we were determined to find this school! Praise the Lord, we saw a big building in the distance, and the closer we got, we could see the letters to the school name we were supposed to be at. What a relief it was! We pulled in to the parking lot only to find they have absolutely no pattern to parking, giggled a little more as we quickly headed to the front door to find our art classroom. To make matters all the more exciting....

The secretary let us in and we introduced ourselves. "We are ABC students here to observe the art class" She looked at us, and replied "I don't think you are at the right place, we don't have an art class" You have got to be kidding me. I am positive we are at the right school, but what is going on? She gave the name of the school, to which we verified, we were at the right place. We ended up giving her the name of the teacher we were to be observing, and she said "oh yeah, she works here! Let me page her". She sent a sweet student down to show us the way to the classroom (side note: public schools are set up SO weird. they are literally a maze).

The positive part to the story is that we made it to the classroom only ten minutes late, and the lesson was very enjoyable. The teacher did a great job, had awesome control of her classroom, and was very positive. I later learned she is an ABC grad!

We got back out in the car, and each gave a sigh of relief! Getting back should be easy, right? Ha! Not quite! We made it most of the way fine, except we missed one of our roads, and instead were led on to the highway leading us away from where we were needing to go. I was able to recognize where we were and get us back on a straight shot back to school (college). But God still had more in store for us...only one lane open! We got stuck in a bunch of traffic just about the entire way back to school, but we were all happy to see the "Appalachian Bible College" sign. Our trip that was only supposed to take 1-1.25 hours took us 2.25 hours! It was a fun adventure, and I am thankful we were all able to laugh about the situation and make the best of it. Check back in with me next week to see if I am able to make it back there!

so proud of my church kiddos

What a week this has been, and I don't say that negatively. The week went by fairly quickly, was exhausting, but was a very good week. Classes went well. I don't think there are any classes that I really don't like. This semester will have a lot of required reading keeping me rather busy, but that isn't always a bad thing. I am taking several elementary education classes, which is a lot of fun! Intro to Special Ed is my first night class (which I was dreading) but has pleasantly surprised me into being a great class! My other el ed class is Elementary Art Methods. Surprisingly this class will require a bit of work, but will be a change in pace when I work on that homework.

Wednesday night, those kids were crazy off the wall. I enjoyed being back with them all and was so encouraged by their enthusiasm for memorizing the Word of God! One little boy came in with his Dad and his Dad was trying to explain to me which verses his son had ready for that night. The little boy perked up and said "the one with flawlessness in it" in his adorable 4 year old voice with a strong southern accent. His father could not remember the other verse he had memorized, so I sat down with the little boy and we were reviewing different verses, and I was trying to sound out which one he had not yet 'officially said'. After reviewing for a little bit, he remembered that it had something to do with 'indoor' (again in his 4 year old voice with a strong southern accent). I dug into my memory trying to think of what verse talks about the indoors. He had stumped me good! So we continued to work through each verse, and we got to 1 Corinthians 16:34 when he got all excited and said the verse. And then it hit me--he hadn't been saying 'indoors', he had been saying 'endure' and I was unable to understand past his adorable southern accent. These children may be a challenge and a test to my patience at times, but I truly have grown to love each one of them, and am so proud of them for how they have been hiding God's Word in their heart. They have Miss Rebekah so proud, but more importantly, they have pleased the Lord! I am so thankful the Lord has given me this opportunity.

The end of the week, was very exciting and tiring here on campus. The dorm I live in got all new furniture! I am loving every bit of it, and again, so thankful!

I challenge you to not just go to church tomorrow, but to meet with God (a common challenge from a prof here at school Friday afternoons).

take every thought captive

I have arrived back on campus safely. I actually got in around 4:15 EST Thursday afternoon in time to catch a much needed cat nap, eat dinner, and go to my night class. Talk about a long day! When we got in all I could think of was "I have never been so happy to get to school". I guess it is true, God works in mysterious ways, haha.

I had a lovely visit though with Tim, Beth, and Annette, and enjoyed the extra few days with Mom. I only solidified the knowledge I had already, which is that my niece is absolutely beautiful and I love her so much. I loved the time I had with her holding her, snuggling, and getting to learn her. It was fun too because in the time we were there, she started picking up smiling...which was a blast! What a privilege it was to spend the time with the four of them. Another nice aspect of my time in AL was I got to see Daniel! He was stopping by to spend the night on his way through to go back to school. He had originally planned to leave first thing Monday morning, but due to Monday, he stayed for several more hours. You didn't hear my complaining. All in all, it was a lovely time in AL!

Now, for my female readers (males can read too, but I just don't know how much it will mean to you)....Last night I was talking with a close friend about some of the things I really struggle with and have much room for improvement. One of the things we talked about is a severe case of the worry worts. I am afraid, I do have that severe case. I think it is a struggle most females have, but I won't speak for the rest of you. All I know is that I really have a hard time, and often times, worrying takes over my life. I know that is wrong, and so we were talking last night about how I really have to work on it, and not just half heartedly, but it is a sin that I have got to work on wholeheartedly. It is a daily battle that with God's strength I need to overcome. I am not sure if it will be possible to officially overcome, but I am ready to fight the daily battle until the day I die if I have to. All this to say, this morning in our Women's Sunday School class, we talked about self-control.

In our Women's Sunday School class we are using the book Feminine Appeal to guide our lesson and discussion. In our study this morning on self-control, one of the main points was focused on 2 Corinthians 10:5, "take every thought captive to obey Christ". I valued this discussion with the other women in the class, as we shared what a struggle this is. Women are thinking of something all of the time. I know for me personally, I sit in class listening intently, while planning out my afternoon and the order I will do my homework; I wake up in the middle of the night replaying through my mind tomorrow's activities; my mind is constantly adding to a to-do list, and so I make my point--a females mind is always working. I would like to say my mind is always thinking on productive and positive things, but that would be lying. To be quite honest, all too often, my mind dwells on negative subjects: I will never get everything done, that class was so boring, I am tired of teaching and feel I have no energy left, and again the list could go on. So I know I shouldn't be thinking about those things, but how do I stop it? That is the part of Sunday School I especially loved.

Soaking in the wisdom of older wiser woman is so uplifting. One of the ladies talked about how hard it is picking up after her husband and children, and how she found her thoughts almost always going negative at that time, so she has been trying to instead during that time, thank God that He has given her a husband, and children who are healthy enough to play and make a mess. Another woman shared how when her husband would do something that annoyed her, she would think in her mind how annoying that was, and how dare he say it that way (or whatever the situation). She has thought about it though and realized, "why do we focus on the 20% bad in a person and choose to comment on it, when they do 80% good, and we ignore it or don't comment?" These are good things for me to store away for when I am a wife and mom, but the first two situations don't just have to play out in a marital situation. I think of my 'bad' nights teaching at church when it seems like none of the children are behaving and could care less about the hard work I put into the lesson I am trying to teach them. Instead, why can't I be thankful there are children who are at church. They are the next generation, and they are learning the Word of God. What about those times I am overwhelmed with schoolwork, stressing and worrying my moments away. What if I were to take my thoughts captive and be thankful I have the Word of God to study, and that I have the opportunity to be at Bible College. Another woman shared this morning about she would like to start quoting scripture when the worrisome thoughts creep in. We talk about the Bible being like a double edged sword, why not use it?

As mentioned earlier, a woman is always thinking of something, and when those negative thoughts creep in far too often, it is impossible to just 'forget it'. I know I have tried, and I don't think I have succeeded once. The trick is to replace it with something: thankful for those children and husband who made the mess, the 80% good in a person, or straight up Scripture!

It is important for me to remember though that I can't do this on my own, and it is not by my own strength that I am able overcome this issue of worry. God is my source of strength and power, and it is Him I need to go for help and for comfort about those situations that cause to tempt me to stress.

I know I got a bit long-winded, but that has really challenged me and taken over my thought life today. I am excited to experience the relief the Lord gives me when with His strength, I don't allow worry to captivate my thoughts, but that I allow the Lord to take my thoughts captive in obedience to Christ! I hope you all have a lovely week, and remember the one who should occupy our every thought!

Christmas week

I trust you all had a wonderful Christmas remembering the true meaning. The last two weeks, I have been teaching here at home, and talking about the Christmas story. I have been impacted in a new way of what Jesus went through because of His love for me. God Himself loved me so much that He sent His only son, Jesus Christ, here. He didn't come down as a king, but humbled Himself to be born of a woman, in a messy way. He was not only born as a human, but was born in a cold, damp stable. I was even given better conditions then that. The thing that gets me the most though is that He knew His life was not going to be glorious, He knew from the start that His purpose in life was to die. He died for me, because He loved me--Wow! I encourage you to think through that.

Daniel picked me up from school on Friday and we started our long trip home. I am so thankful for the clear weather we had. The worst roads we had were in town before we left. We got in about 12:30 am. We had a lovely week together relaxing. We baked several cookies, and helped mom make other Christmas goodies. We were also able to make it to three of Sarah basketball games, which was especially nice for me! He surprised me with a Cricut! I have had lots of fun playing with that and trying to learn all of the amazing things it can do :) Sadly, I had to allow Daniel to go back to his family early Christmas Eve. After an eventful (no one was hurt) morning, he was getting on the road shortly after 7am. I so enjoyed his visit!

Mom and I had fun spending the day together on Christmas eve baking up a storm. I so miss the time in the kitchen while at college, so I enjoyed making a strawberry pie, homemade cranberry sauce, and a breakfast casserole.

We kept out Christmas day traditions by going to Grandpa and Grandma Hewitt's for breakfast. We had a very yummy breakfast and then a wonderful time of visiting with them. Thankful they are still here to celebrate Christmas with! About 1:30ish, we drove the quarter mile to go to Grandpa and Grandma Meigs'! We enjoyed opening gifts together, and I was excited to add to my teacher supply collection! We had an absolutely delicious lunch/dinner. After dinner we did stockings, watched Mom open her mother-daughter box (one of our favorite traditions as we try to guess each gift). We had dessert (my family loves to bake a little too much...we had five pies for seven people), and then headed for home. What a wonderful Christmas Day we had!

The 26th has always been our family day that we celebrate Christmas as an immediate family! For several years now, us kids have made breakfast for Mom and Dad. This Christmas was not an exception. We had a yummy breakfast, and then headed off to church. After church we enjoyed the lasagna Dad had made and opened gifts as a family. I would have to say the highlight of our family Christmas was the lap quilt my mom made me! It is a bright purple and teal with flannel! After evening service we watched The Ultimate Gift and opened stockings. We had an awesome day as a family!

Last night we got about 12 inches of snow, and the wind has been blowing like crazy. It has been fun to be home with Sarah and Mom and just enjoy being inside. Sarah and I carried firewood in this morning, so I expect to be inside the remainder of the day warm and cozy. I hope you all had a lovely Christmas remembering the true meaning of why we celebrate. I am home for roughly another two weeks before I go meet my niece. Have a wonderful day!

encouraged by friends, church family, and the Word of God

The weather this week has been absolutely gorgeous! It has helped add to making this past week a wonderful week. Last weekend I plowed away at my homework, which freed this week up a ton! I was able to enjoy the week, and be working on this upcoming week's homework instead of cramming to finish quickly.

This weekend, I got to see the Petersons (friends from home)! What an encouragement that was to me. I dilly dallied around my room all yesterday morning (since I didn't get to sleep in due to the the truck right outside my window working on the rood), and was excited when the call came at around 12:45 that they were on campus! I quickly ran to go see them. I was able to give them a tour of campus here, and then we went out for a very yummy lunch at Chili's! After lunch, we drove over to the bridge, one of the things West Virginia is known for. We walked around and went into the visitor's center for a while. After that, Mr. Peterson insisted on driving down the windy one lane road to the bottom of the gorge. It is especially neat when you do that, because you get a while new perspective from driving under the bridge. On our way back to campus, we stopped for ice cream. All the time sharing good laughs and conversation. They were not able to stay the night, so once we got back to campus, they pretty much turned around, in order to get a few hours under their belt. I so appreciate their being willing to drive the few hours out of their way to come see me!

Later on Saturday evening I went to a birthday party of one of my friends. It was a surprise party and we had lots of fun waiting to jump out at him. One guy hid on top of the soda machine, and another guy attempted to hide in a trash can, only to find he was much too big. I am not sure how surprised Sam was, but it was still fun. Hannah, Miriam, Meg, and Emilie had made some pies early on, and we all went outside so Sam could blow out the candles (didn't want to set the fire alarms off). They started to dish a piece of pie out only to find it was much too hard, so instead everyone (minus me because I will still so full from the ice cream) grabbed a spoon and dug into the pie! The guys acted as if they hadn't eaten in weeks. I must confess it was comical, mainly because this isn't a common occurring, it was something out of the ordinary to have fun and be crazy. We hung out in the lounge for a while, with the occasional interruptions of the guys jumping onto the floor in a hog pile screaming "Men on the floor" (what is called when a man must enter the dorm, they were making fun of it). A fun time was had by all.

Yesterday was wonderful as I got to be a helper for Sunday School! I love to teach, but I must admit, it is nice to get a break once in a while, and be able to be crowd control (which isn't always any easier, haha). I love my church family down here, and love being in the Sunday morning time of corporate worship. Yesterday was no exception. We have been studying the book of Daniel, and that has challenged me in so many different ways. I so appreciate my pastor and his preaching directly from the Word of God. I do look forward to being with my church family at home though this coming weekend. Yesterday afternoon, I worked on some homework, and then took a wonderful nap. It was dreary outside (adding to the sleeping atmosphere), and I was as snug as a bug in a rug. As always, Sunday night we went to the Dingus home, where we enjoyed some delicious food, fellowship, laughs, and time in the Word of God. We got into some deep conversations concerning 'the grey areas'. What an encouragement the Dingus family has been to myself, as well as the other college students.

Today has started out well, and I am looking forward to a presentation I have this afternoon. It is for elementary education, and I am feeling very prepared (a great feeling). This week doesn't look too bad, and Friday looks especially wonderful. Friday after my last class, I will be heading home with some other students who live about two hours north of me. Praising the Lord, and rejoicing in this day the Lord has made!

my week in review

My week started out with a fun package from my Aunt Dar including a Halloween card and a bag of festive almond kisses. It was fun because I had a little candy mug on my 'coffee table' which had those peppermint wheels in them, but she sent my festive chocolates, so it is much more seasonally appropriate...thanks Aunt Dar!

Wednesday night was the Harvest Party at my church, and how cute the children were all dressed up (see a few blogs down). We had two Woody's, two fairies, Elmo, a kitty cat, ninja, and a Transformer (whatever that is, haha). They loved dressing up, and enjoyed their costumes. I had to take a few items away during the story, but once those distractions were taken away the children were much easier to talk, and they paid much better attention. They were all so excited about the party, and so after the lesson, we worked on a memory verse, ate some apples and caramel for snack (yum!), and then played a game, and played with musical instruments (fun for the children, instant headache for the teachers). They were a rowdy bunch due to the party, but I am thankful that their most calm time was during the lesson.

I only had one test this week (to which I feel I did well, but have yet to get the official results), and the rest of the week was 'slower' in the sense of studying. We had several Mission's Conference meetings, and I have been doing a bit of work related to that. I had two larger written assignments due Wednesday and Thursday and then the bulletin board due Friday. I actually really enjoyed doing the bulletin board and am mostly pleased with how it turned out.

My parents have been away all week celebrating their 25th anniversary (which was last summer), and I am so happy they have had this opportunity, but my word have I missed them. Either this week has been different, or I tend to call my mom a lot. I can't tell you how many times I reached for my phone to call mom either to tell her something or just to chat because I had a few minutes, only to remember she wouldn't be able to answer. I have found myself missing both my mom and dad a lot this week, and look forward to having them home so mom is more readily available to call. But don't get me wrong, they deserve this, and I hope they are really enjoying this vacation as a vacation and for just the two of them! So thankful for the awesome example they have set me with 25 years!

I have enjoyed a relaxing Saturday, before the craziness begins tomorrow. Tomorrow morning, I leave bright and early to head out with a bunch of other students to help with childcare at a church that is having a big celebration and would like having all of their church people to be able to attend the main service/celebration. Tomorrow evening missionaries begin to arrive for the conference, and Monday morning I attend a President's breakfast with the steering committee, president, and missionaries. This is kind of our kick-off of the conference. If you think of it, prayers would be appreciated in the following areas...

• Safety and health of missionaries traveling
• That all of the finishing touches would be finished in time
• The hearts of those of us attending conference

Thank you for your prayers, and for reading about my week. I pray you are doing well and that you too were able to have an enjoyable weekend!

a lovely day

I am only ten minutes into my shift and am already bored out of my mind. Homecoming weekend and not a soul in the lounge, wow. The fridge and freezer sure do sound noisy this afternoon (as well as my typing). I am thankful that it is Friday though! The weather here is absolutely spectacular. Right before I work I was able to take a walk down to the pond and enjoy a lovely conversation. The sun was so soothing and provided a wonderful atmosphere, even if I sadly did kill a woolly bear.

We had no classes today which was such a blessing. We had sessions this morning, one of which I worked nursery and got to hold the most precious baby girl, and this afternoon involves sports games. Tonight is the banquet for seniors and alumni, so the rest of us get to go to the other side of campus for dinner. I am already on page four of four pages for a paper due on Monday, which has me quite excited. I am hoping (hoping being the key word) for a slower weekend, but we shall see.

Wednesday night we had several VERY wound up children who had a hard time paying attention and listening to directions, but still it was a lot of fun. The Lord never ceases to amaze me with the excitement those children have for memorizing Scripture. I am so excited with what He is doing!

This week has been more of a struggle as I have been under the weather, but as you can read in earlier posts, the Lord has sent much encouragement to me through the little things in life. I am holding strongly onto Him for all my strength, and He is carrying me through this hard semester. One blessing I have seen through these struggles is that it has pushed me to my knees in prayer, and I love that. I know I will look back on this semester having learned a lot and been blessed, but in the heat of it, I often find myself tired and discouraged. Thank you all for helping lift my spirits through prayers, cards, and calls. Each are so very much appreciated. I hope you all have a lovely weekend and are able to rest a bit.

So thankful for encouragement

I am constantly amazed with how the Lord uses people in my life to encourage me at the very moment I need it. Three specific times I can think of right off....

• At church yesterday, apparently I had a 'tired' look (we all know that means 'not good'), and a dear woman came over to me who I highly esteem a godly example, placed her hand on my back and asked me how my week really went. She was so encouraging as I shared the hardships, as well as the good times. She left the conversation with telling me she would pray harder for me this week and to remember that she loved me. She didn't know (though I may have looked) that I was having a hard day, but she allowed the Lord to use her to encourage me.
• After the church service yesterday, my little man from church ran over and while batting his eyelashes said "Hi Miss Rebekah". He caused a big smile on my face as his mom asked if I had heard him earlier. I hadn't, so she explained that when Pastor got up at the end of church after the closing song, he had just realized I was sitting a little bit in front of him, and yelled "It's Rebekah!"
• The third occasion was today. It has not been the easiest of all days, and I went to check my mail, not expecting anything when I got a letter with familiar handwriting (the best!). I quickly told my friends to hold on a second so I could open it up and show them. I had gotten a picture and note from Sophia back home with a note from her and her mom. What an encouragement that was. I called mom to talk to her about some other things when all of a sudden I hear Sophia pick up my mom's cell. Another encouragement it was just to hear her voice. When I asked if I could put her picture up on my wall, she informed me that I could do whatever I wanted to with it, haha.

I am so thankful to the Lord for the little things in life that are such an encouragement, and that pick me up when life gets busy and hectic. God is so good to me, and has blessed abundantly with wonderful people in my life. I have been reminded lately the power of prayer when I hear of how many people are praying for me. If you are one of those people who faithfully prays for me, I thank you so much. Your prayers are felt, and so very appreciated.

I hope you all have a great week, where the Lord teaches you something spectacular about Himself that you hadn't really ever noticed before!

Mid-Week Blessings

Each week I think I am finally going to get a break enough to take a breath, but it seems to never happen. Each week seems to be so busy, with little time to slow down and sleep, or socialize. It has been a bit wearing, and discouraging in some ways too. I feel I am already worn out, and the semester is just beginning, but yesterday I found myself rejuvenated by two dear children. I went to church, excited to teach Noah, but also feeling a lack of energy to be enthusiastic. I was trying hard, with little success when two of my girls walked over to me with a beautiful little bouquet of wild flowers, and a picture. They were shy, yet excited as they said "here Miss Rebekah, we picked these flowers for you, and here is a picture of a princess and a castle on the back" I immediately had energy and enthusiasm as I saw these young girls' hearts. I gave them each a great big hug, and enthusiastically thanked them. What an encouragement that was to me.

This morning I had to get up early for a Mission's Conference meeting. I used to come back and go back to bed, but today I have a test, so decided I better stay awake and be productive instead. I studied for a little bit while my roommate was still in, and did some cleaning. After she left I knew it was necessary that I spend some time with the Lord. What a lovely time that was with Him in His Word and praying with Him. I was reminded of how thankful I am that He hears my prayers.

Praise the Lord for the encouragement He has been giving me. Now to get back to studying for a test at 11am! But I did want to share with you in hopes that the Lord will use His encouragement to me as an encouragement to you as well.

long week and weekend

Man has this been a weekend, and really a week. It has been a week I have felt my double major, and have felt the elementary education aspect of it. Here at ABC, the el ed program is known to be the hardest, and we put in about 30 extra credit hours then any other major. I am tired, and worn out. I am very thankful though for how the Lord has carried me through this time, and how He continues to do so.

I don't necessarily have the time to fill you in on all of the details, for which I am sure you are thankful, but things continue to go well. I had a Testing and Curriculum test on Friday which everyone knows Dr. Burch's exams are a killer, so that had me studying a bit. But the Lord helped me, and I feel I did quite well on the exam. Anxiously awaiting the results. Teaching on Wednesday night was a lot of fun, but a bit chaotic, as I wasn't there as early to prepare everything, and I have forgotten how long it takes young children to do a simple craft. I also taught this morning for the 2s-5s class, which was a lot of fun, but very trying at the same time. Yesterday I was doing homework from 8:30am until about 9pm with a lunch and work (I worked the soccer game) break, therefore not leaving me with too much time to study today's lesson. I had twelve children (not all the best behaved) with no helper. I ended up paging one of the mom's I know a little better, and she was kind enough to come down and help me- boy am I thankful!

I worked this afternoon studying away, and cleaning a little bit. One of the highlights of my week is our College Small Group on Sunday nights. The transitioning-in Pastor and his wife lead it, and what a blessing that is. We have great fellowship (and if I might add, great food) and time together as brothers and sisters in Christ.

Tomorrow holds a lot for me: two exams, and two large projects due! I am confident about one exam, not as confident on the other, and the two projects are complete! If there is any way I can lift you up in prayer this week, please drop me an email and I would be delighted to do so. God has really been working on me with my prayer life, and how rewarding that has been.

Have a great week!

Week #3

Another week is coming to an end and I am finishing up my third week of being here at school. In one sense it doesn't seem possible because I still can't believe I am a sophomore. But on the other hand, it seems impossible that it is only my third week because it feels like it has been way longer then three lonely weeks.

Classes are still going well and for the most part, I am staying caught up with everything. I am kind-of-slightly behind on some reading (because on the schedule the reading was due Thursday or Friday, in the classes we didn't have class, but they weren't planning on not having class, if that makes any sense). I still find myself enjoying most classes, and am so exciting about my semester project in Testing and Curriculum. The semester project involves creating your own school that you have to write the Philosophy and Goals of Education for the school, and plan out a class. We will only be preparing one lesson, but we have to show all of our work of the technical things you are supposed to include in a lesson. Also in with this project we have to do a learning station on it, and at the end of the semester we will be teaching our lesson to our class. Our professor warned us on Monday that we may want to get to class early on Wednesday to pick out our textbook we would be using. I showed up about ten minutes early, and much to my excitement, I got Arithmetic 4! I absolutely love math, AND fourth grade is my dream age, and has always been my dream grade. The lesson I get to teach is on units of measurement (12in=1ft, 3ft=1yd etc.) I find myself wanting to do the entire project this weekend, I am so excited. The problem is, I don't know all of the nitty gritty details involved. I guess I should stick with creating my school and its Philosophy and Goals of Education this weekend!

Wednesday night was such fun with the children. The children at my church down here sure have made an impression on me and I missed them so much over the summer, so it is so good to be back with them. I was nervous about teaching Genesis 3 because of having to explain some of the topics to the 2s through 5s. But God was SO good (as usual) and helped me with it and I feel the children really enjoyed it. One little boy (~3 years old) is just so precious. He knew his memory verse from last week and was so excited to recite it to me, even though many of the older children could not remember it, and had not practiced. Later on while I was teaching this week's memory verse, I began reciting the verse, when I noticed the small voice next to me reciting it too--he knew this week's verse too. When I asked his dad about it, he explained that his son was so excited about it, they decided to go ahead and work on this week's verse too. How thrilling for a teacher to see her student so excited by the memory of God's Word. Before leaving, he looked over his shoulder with his big blue eyes and said "thank you, Miss Rebekah", while almost running in to the wall on his way out.

Once again, I am at work and it is so dead up here tonight. All of the freshman/incoming students are on a field trip (due back late this evening) and that is like half of our student population, so at the moment only two other people are up here. So far I have been enjoying my job! I get paid to do homework, talk to my friends who come by, and once in a while I sell some snacks or books, haha. I praise the Lord for providing this perfect job for me. I hope you all have a blessed, restful weekend! Always feel free to drop me an email on what is going on in your life, or how I may pray for you.

Therefore, preparing your minds for action, and being sober-minded, set your hope fully on the grace that will be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ. As obedient children, do not be conformed to the passions of your former ignorance, but as he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, since it is written, "You shall be holy, for I am holy."

1 Peter 1:13-16

a Friday night at work

Life has been insanely crazy this week. I am feeling the weight of taking on so many extra responsibilities, but I have enjoyed each tremendously. There were a few points throughout the week that I wondered if I would make it through, but the Lord is so good and carried me through on His strength! The week is not yet over, but I have full confidence that the Lord will continue to carry me through, for He is good!

Classes are still going well, but we definitely "hit the ground running" (as one of my teachers often expresses). I have already read through an entire textbook from cover to cover. I seem to be enjoying each of my classes, though some I don't look forward to as much. But I really have nothing to complain about.

I started the new curriculum at church on Wednesday night with six children between the ages of two and five. I love those children and love teaching them from God's Word. The new curriculum is like none other I have ever done before. This curriculum does not provide the teacher with what to say, or even any "hints", they just give the Bible passage. I love that because I feel so often children's curriculum are watered down and stray from the Bible adding extra "fluff". I appreciate how this curriculum is completely biblical with no extra "fluff". One other thing they try to draw our attention to is to make sure that the main character of every story is God, as opposed to Abraham, Esther, Ruth, etc. I am also trying extra hard to get the parents involved so that they are reinforcing the lesson and scripture memory to the children throughout the week. I am excited to see what the Lord will do this year through this time with the dear children.

I have started my new job and am actually really enjoying it. Most of the time I just get to work on homework, and when people do come around, I get to chat with them a little bit. I don't feel as guilty taking the time to just talk because it isn't really homework time anyways, but work time. Tonight has been the best of them all as there has been a lot of activity which keeps things fun and moving.

Tomorrow I plan on doing some work with CEF at a children's festival painting faces. I have never done this exact type of ministry before, but am excited. I know I am painting faces and have been told that the face paintings are done with the colors of the wordless book and as you paint it on their face, you tell the story of the wordless book. My big prayer is that I have the strength to do a good job for the Lord's glory.

I find myself very tired and ready for Sunday as my day off, and of rest. Though this week has been busy it has been good. I trust you all will have a blessed weekend!

one week down

My first week is behind me and things seem to be going fairly well. I can already see the Lord using circumstanced in my life to draw me closer to Him, and I love that. A bit have changes have happened since last year, not all good, not all bad, which have taken a bit to adjust to, but God is good, and has never once left His throne. Nothing has caught Him by surprise, and He has a plan in everything.

I can't think of any class I really just dread or don't like (I can say that now, because the one I question whether I will like it, I don't have it yet, it is a Tuesday class). This semester I am taking: College Algebra, Western Civilization through the Reformation, Old Testament Survey, Testing and Curriculum, General Psychology, Apologetics 1- Origins, and Tech Resources for the 21st Century Elementary Educator (that's a mouth full). Both Testing and Curriculum and Old Testament Survey will each require a bit of long, hard work, but have no doubt that I will walk out of those classes having learned a ton.

For those of you who don't already know, I am on the mission's steering committee, which means myself along with four other students plan the Mission's Conference. It is a two year long commitment, and I am so honored to be a part of this group, and am so excited to have such a hand in this project. I already can barely wait until conference because I know some of the things we will be doing, and some of the missionaries that will be here on campus. When you think of it, pray that this conference be a life changing time for the Lord's glory.

I plan to be quite busy this year at my local church working with the children. At the time, my church down here is going through several changes, and I am praying that the Lord would use me mightily in this time. I will be doing the 2s through 5s on Wednesday nights, which includes teaching, snack, crafts and/or games, and will be given one helper for that time. I love the kiddos here at the church and look forward to working with them again. I will also be working with 4s and 5s on the fourth Sunday of every month where my responsibilities will be to have the children for an hour and a half to teach, and reiterate the lesson in several different ways. Excited to see how the Lord uses we ABC students at church this year.

Please, feel free to email at any time, and share with me what is going on in your life and how I may specifically pray for you. I pray you all have a lovely week to the glory of God this coming week, and that the remainder of your Sunday, truly is a time of rest.

classes start today

I am super excited to be back in the classroom learning- call me a school nerd (I am allowed to be due to my path of study). Classes start this morning at 8am, and don't end until 2:30pm this afternoon. I kind of feel like I am back in high school with that schedule, but oh well. My Monday, Wednesday, and Fridays are all busy, but on Tuesdays, I only have one class. Excited to see what God does in my life this semester. I also have an goal to get through today--church! I can't wait to be back at DBC and to see all those dear people and precious children. Oh how I have missed them. I trust you all have a wonderful day, because this is indeed the day that the Lord has made!

busy day

I woke up this morning in time to be able to talk to Daniel. Wasn't bad, I woke up at 8, and it was 10pm his time. So I got to talk to him for a little bit, then went upstairs to prepare dinner. I made pancakes...yummy! I then talked with Beek and we found arrangements to getting to the hair salon this morning for our 10:30 appointment. I quickly got ready and drove Tim and Beth's car to Price Chopper. I met up with Beek and we headed to Turning Heads to get our hair cut.

Beek and I decided over a year ago that we were going to grow our hair out for Locks of Love. She was wanting to do something different with her hair so I said she should do something different by growing it out, and I would have to do something different by having it cut short. Well, about this time last year, I got my hair trimmed a little shorter then anticipated, so our plans were set back a bit. Beek was getting sick of her long hair and we needed to get it cut. The appointment was set for today, and Abby (a mutual friend, and Beek's roommate) decided to join us. Our experience was awesome! Our hairdresser, Tammy, was loads of fun and was so knowledgeable. She did a great job with the three of us. Both Beek and I got ten inches off, and Abby lost roughly seven inches.

After we received our new cuts, we headed to Mr. Twitters to show Beek the new cut. She didn't even recognize us at first. We then headed over to the lake for the RACS' alumni picnic. It was good to see Caroline and hear about her first year of college, and her summer plans. We only stayed for about two hours, and then I rode back to Ira with my family. We went to Andrew and David's graduation party. When we got home, I worked on dinner, the family enjoyed it, and am now about ready to crash.

I get to teach Mom's Sunday School class, and tomorrow is my first official Sunday as the kiddos teacher- so excited. If you get this in time, please be praying for me, and ask how it went, I would love to tell you.

Have a blessed Sunday (tomorrow) worshiping the Savior.

this past week

This week has been a great week at home, and I have been so very busy. One thing I have especially enjoyed since being home is cooking. I don't think mom has cooked at all since being home, and that is by my choice. I am loving the life of being home, cooking, cleaning, and doing laundry.

Sunday started out early as I got up to get lunch (which was a chicken casserole) ready on the ready bake setting (or whatever it is called). I then got to teach my mom's Sunday School class (she was at a lady's conference). Those kids were so attentive, and I loved being able to teach. Mom forgot to warn me that this week the triplet sisters and their brother would be there. It ended up not being a problem at all, and they were all so respectful and well behaved. After lunch, I got a glorious nap and then came downstairs to find mom home, and giving Scott a beard and hair cut. He looks quite handsome, if I may so myself. I had nursery that evening where I had three children on my lap at once. If you know me though, you know I didn't mind that at all.

Monday morning started with cleaning Scott's house. He had asked me on Sunday afternoon, and I had agreed to do so. Let's just say it was one of those cleaning situations that at the end, you really felt like you had accomplished something. We were going to bake some cinnamon rolls so the house would smell nice for the showing later that afternoon. Much to my dismay, last time Scott had used the oven, his creation had bubbled over and burnt. Not sure how nice it smelled at the end. I got home in time to get ready and head over to the doctor's office for a doctor's appointment. I had my blood taken, but was fine with doing that. I came home in time to make some dinner of enchiladas and apple dumplings for dinner.

Tuesday, I was awaken by a call from Austin reminding me that it was Play Group. Mrs. May had invited me to go to Play Group with her and Sophia to learn a fun teaching style. I went and had a lot of fun, while learning too. Miss Jan was teaching the kids about grain and then ground up some smoked buckwheat and helped them make pancakes- what fun (and so tasty!) That afternoon, I was able to enjoy some time at home with Mom.

Wednesday morning I got up early and went to work with Dad. Again, not an ideal dream job of mine, but the time with Dad was so nice. It was 97 degrees that day, and made it hot outside, but I managed to walk away without getting sunburned. I was in charge of measuring, cutting, and bringing the blue foam insulation over to Dad and dropping it in the hole, so he could glue it on the outside of the foundation. We all went to church that evening and enjoyed our devotional outside at the picnic table. When we got home, Mom, Sarah and I were watching TV when we got a tornado warning, and soon after the electricity went out. It was an adventure to get the dog inside, and then light candles in the pitch black. Everything was fine, and we didn't suffer any damage.

Thursday involved babysitting Sophia, which as you know, I love. That girl is so precious and is all hugs and smiles. My favorite quote from her that morning was "Will you give me a french fry braid, Becky?" Oh the things, little one's ears hear. After watching her, Mom and I went in to RACS for the Memorial Day Service. We snuck out early with Sarah to the DMV. We now have another driver in the house- yikes! She did very well on her test though, and got a 100%.
Yesterday I got a surprise visit from Sophia again. Mom made her a T-shirt dress (mom used to make them for Sarah and I when we were younger and we just about wore them every day because we loved them so much) which she even helped with a little bit. We then enjoyed lunch, made cards, and headed into town to bring Hershey to the vet. Not like any of you care, but she lost 14 pounds since her last visit (because she needed to) and is now her ideal weight. Ice cream cones were 49 cents yesterday, so mom splurged and got us all one. Do you know what it is like trying to eat your ice cream cone, and keep an eye on a 3 year olds, when it is hot out and melting fast? We then picked Sarah up at school and headed home. Grandpa had given mom some wood for her birthday, so Sarah and I went out and helped him stack it. After that, I came in and made homemade pizza- delicious. I enjoyed allowing my creative juices to flow as I spent time with Mom making cards.

This morning has been a leisurely morning as I have eaten breakfast and just mozied around. I remind you, and ask you though to be remembering Daniel as he heads to Papua New Guineatomorrow. He will be gone for two months doing an internship being an airplane mechanic. You can read his blog about this trip here. I hope you all have a blessed weekend.