March 31, 2012

Coo-Coo Saturday

So here is a little glimpse into a Fern Saturday.
As Kelsey is making us watch the Hulk, I was on Twitter, and Josh on Facebook... this was a conversation between the three of us.
Me: At least Gerard Butler didn't leave the Colts.
Josh: Gerard Butler?
Me: Sorry, Gerard Powers.
Kelsey: Yeah, Gerard Butler plays rugby!
Me: That's Russle Crowe.

Oh the joys of having siblings! 

March 26, 2012

Week Two of the Second Term

Today concludes my first week of the 2nd term. I must say God has defiantly given me peace this semester. I finished the last term with 2 B's, and only by His grace, I was ok with that. My Theology class was out of my hands. My teacher didn't quite see eye to eye with what I have been taught over the years, and because of that he took points away for things He didn't agree with. Even though they said in the beginning of the class to speak freely on what you believe. The book we were reading was a lot on what we do as Christians, rather than the work of Christ on the cross. And in my papers and discussion boards, I spoke freely. But it was clearly not what he wanted to hear.

My education class I finished with 89.5. Just .5 points away from an A. With everything that is going on in my life, I had peace with receiving that grade. Though I do wish it could have been an A, I mean who wouldn't?

So far my new classes have been going great! I am taking Bible and English, and I'm really enjoying both of them. This will be an easier term for sure! The first day my teacher said for us to start reading right away since there was a lot of it. When I looked at the assignments, I was required to read 30 pages for the week. Compared to the 100 I was reading for my Education class last term.

God has been very kind to me this year, giving me the strength he has for everything that has been going on from work and church, soccer, friends, family, and school. At times I don't feel like I'm gonna be able to get it all done, but some how, every week, I do. How kind He is!

Little did I know, my current memory verse was perfect for this past week. "Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go." - Joshua 1:9

Hope you are able to see God's amazing grace in your life at the moment! Because He is an awesome God. Thanks for reading!

March 24, 2012

The Everything Became the Nothing

Since January, my Community Group has been going through Jesus + Nothing = Everything. Over Spring Break I was reading chapter 6, and wow, what a chapter I need to be reminded of daily! The chapter is called "News - The Biggest and Best", and Tchividjian is talking about how we really need to be aware of our sin in order to see the greatness of the gospel. I loved what he said in the closing. That whole last page in my book is pretty much underlined. He says;
"The more we reflect on the gospel, the more we let our hearts and minds soak in it, the more we see how the gospel is saturated with the dynamics of nothing and everything. This Jesus who is so infinitely everything -- this same Jesus "made himself nothing" (Phil 2:7) .... The Everything became nothing. Four our sake. On the cross, Jesus took upon himself our sin -- our corrupt, fatal nothingness -- then placed upon us his righteousness, his everythingness. It's what has been called "the glorious exchange." .... "In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him" (1 John 4:9). A restored relationship with God never happens by our climbing up to him; it happens only in Jesus, who came down to us. Grace is descending, one-way love! .... This vast gospel, in its fullness, is now ours to fully know, to fully experience, to fully embrace." 

What a glorious exchange! The moment I read that, I was about to jump out of my skin. He did that for me! He was everything, and became nothing, so that He might place His everything on me. I LOVE the song "We Have Been Healed" on the SGM Risen cd. 
"We have been healed, justified. Made alive in the life of Christ. Righteous blood covers every sin." It covers every sin. "Risen Lamb, heaven's light. Crucified and now alive. In Your love You have drawn us in .... All our sin for Your grace. What a glorious exchange."I'm speechless. And it's not cuz it's 2:00am. He did that for me. I was nothing. Nothing. On my way to hell. But He turned me around. All my sin for His grace. What a glorious exchange!!! 

March 20, 2012

Adventures In DC

Last Monday for Spring Break, Kelsey, Josh and I went to DC with our great friends Stephenia & Chris Deloglos. We had a blast! I kept picking on Kel cuz she kept saying this was our first trip without an adult. She just happened to forget that I am 21.... but that's ok.

Our morning started at 6:00am. And yes, I did get up that early! They picked us up at 7am, and can you guess where our first stop was? Starbucks! And that is when we made our way north. It was a pretty easy drive.

We hoped on the metro in Springfield, VA around 10:00am, which took us to the heart of DC. After 40 minutes on the metro, we got off near Pennsylvania Avenue. So our first stop was the White House. We then sat near the Washington Monument for lunch, and that is when our walking adventure began. From there we walked to the World War 2 memorial, and then we made a visit to Abe. That place was packed!

At that point, someone in our party really wanted Starbucks. So we made what looked like on my Starbucks app a small detour. The building that the app said the Starbucks was at, happened to be the Federal Reserve, which had a few guards that were clearly not holding big water guns.

The man at the Reserve was very nice, and helped us with what we were looking for. As we walked a few more blocks to our destination, that same someone who was going to die right in front of us if she did not have Starbucks, saw it several blocks aways through many beginning to bloom trees (which none of the rest of us could see). I won't say this person's name, but I'll give you a hint. This same person that is beast on an electric guitar, has a built in radar for Starbucks.

From our rest at Starbucks, we headed for the Smithsonian's. At this point in the day we knew we only had about 2 hours till we needed to be back on the metro. We first went to the American History Museum, and stopped to see the Star Spangle Banner. Last time I was in DC (1999) they were repairing it, so we could not really see it as it was laying on a table. But this time I got to see it's magnitude. I got chilly bumps seeing it. I thought of all the lives that have fought for this land, past and present, and what an honor they are to our country. They have spared their lives, so that I might live in a free land. Something I don't think enough of.

We left from there to go to the National Archives, but the line was redonkulous! So we skipped that and heading to the Air and Space Museum. Lame. Sorry, it was ok. I guess I am so use to P'cola's Air and Space (which I love), that when I was going to DC's, I was expecting for something much bigger. What a let down!

This was the part of the day when everyone began to drag their feet. So we decided to go sit in front of the Capital to rest and have a snack. I think we spent the longest time here. We just talked, ate, and talked some more. It was rather relaxing. It wasn't crowded here like it was everywhere else.

4:45 rolled around, and we decided to hit the metro early. And what a blessing that was! No lie, our first stop after getting on was a flood! It was so packed, I have never seen that many people in such a little space.

After an hour ride, we finally got to the car. And surprisingly the traffic wasn't all that bad.

So that was our adventure. Thanks for reading! Here are some pictures I put up on Instagram. I took some with my "not pink but red" camera, and hope to put some of those up as well.

Our stop near Pennsylvania Avenue


Abe!
The infamous Starbucks
Loved finally seeing this! Spirit of St. Louis
The gang

A Snapshot from Life

03/20/2012

A Snapshot from Life

03/12/2012


{Instagram}

March 08, 2012

A Snapshot from Life

03/07/2012

Sad Time To Be A Colt

As some of you may have known, Colts have let Peyton go. After 14 years with the only team he has ever known, Manning is team less. With not knowing if he is even able to play next year, and last season realizing they don't have a QB without him, it was a hard decision to make. And I must say, how he and the team have handled it, as a fan, I couldn't be more happy. Peyton has been very "classy" (as most people are saying). As I was watching part of the news conference yesterday, hearing it from his own mouth through his own tears, I to shed a few tears. How heartbreaking it was to watch.

It's been very sad to see him go. I am so thankful and blessed that I was able to see him play in 2010 while he was still wearing blue and white. He is and always will be the best QB in football history. And Peyton will always be known as a Colt!

To watch what he and Jim Irsay (Colts owner) had to say, click here.

The one and only good thing that comes out of this, is that we will 99.9% get Luck in the draft. It's gonna be a new era for the Indianapolis Colts. And it sure will be a sad few years without #18.

March 06, 2012

A Snapshot from Life

03/06/2012
Sad day to be a Colt. He will be greatly missed!!! So glad I got to see him play in blue and white!!! #18Forever