Josie's Revisited! - Christmas Edition

Thankful Thursday - A Snow Day!

What a glorious day it is today! Though no sun is shining, and there is only snow and wind to admire, it is truly beautiful to behold. It is a wonderful thing to have a fireplace in weather such as this. So my main thankful point is for the amazing protection God has provided for me by giving me a warm home to live in, good food to eat, clean water to drink, and all such things.

This week has been very blessed! Everything after being sick and alone becomes exciting and new again. Monday was the first day I felt well again, and to celebrate, I went shopping! =D I haven't always enjoyed shopping, but on occasion it really can be fun, especially when finding great deals! Woot woot! It wasn't until Tuesday that my social life really came back. I finally was able to get out and about by going to work, and it was swell! It wasn't too busy, which I enjoy, and a lot of my regulars came in. But the best part of Tuesday was definitely dancing! It was such a wonderful evening.

Yesterday was great too! I got to open at work, and it went really well! Then I went almost immediately to my chiropractor and it was brilliant! :D When I got home I got a phone call from my pastor to discuss when we would all meet for dinner when I found out that they were still working on packing and moving one of the families in my church! So! I went to go help! I really wasn't able to help that much, since I got there so late, but at least I was able to offer my car for a necessary trip to the church. :D Then four of us went out for dinner and it was really fun. I love spending time with people...it's so much fun.

Today was quite nice..at least it has been so far, and I don't foresee that changing. I opened up at work again, and it was busier than I expected, despite the beginning of a winter storm that has been forecast for a while. It was pretty slow, so I managed to deep clean quite a few things. It's a lovely feeling.  And now I am sitting cozily next to the fire, listening to the wind whistle outside, and watching a sad movie. How much better could it get?

Refreshed

After a weekend of laying around doing nothing and seeing barely anyone, I was extremely excited for today! I actually got to work this morning, and it was so wonderful to be around people again; to laugh and joke. *sigh* It was so wonderful. 

Every time I spend large quantities of time alone I am reminded more and more that I am an extrovert! I relax best when I'm around people...in fact, I rather dislike being alone for more than a day. It's just lonely and depressing. 

But! I can be thankful for this weekend of solitude.. It gave me the rest I needed, I worked on my piano composition, I did good reading, I learned a lot from educational tv, saw movies I've wanted to see, and ate some really delicious food!

Anyway, work was great, but dancing was even better!! There weren't many people there, but that worked well for me, because that meant I could dance every song if I wanted to! I didn't quite do them all, but it was close to all.
Dancing tonight was so refreshing. Lately I've felt like I've plateaued and haven't improved at all. That's really frustrating to me. Tonight though, I was able to dance well (for the most part) and have fun when I didn't dance well. A goofing-off session was had, and it was a blast. =D  The best part was that I was able to do the 's-drop' without losing my balance, causing my lead to lose his balance, tripping on my skirt, or falling over! That's an improvement indeed! Yay! It was all very exciting.
And now it is off to bed so I can wake up early and spend some time with more people! Yay for people!

Winter Wonderland

My apartment complex behind the mound of snow from the parking lot.

Ever considered shoveling the roof?

Such a cute house!

Here's a good way to see how much snow we got. Having a flat roof really isn't the best planning though.

I walked through this just two days ago, and you would never know.

Christmas Blessings

I am feeling so blessed right now. The day didn't start off that well though. I woke up at 4:50am with my throat just burning. Oh it hurt sooo badly. But that was sufficient to wake me up. Usually when I wake up in the middle of the night, I end up being awake for a few hours. Today was no different. It was nice to find some internet in my apartment complex to keep me occupied. Not really anyone was on, considering how it was around 5:30am at this time.
But then a guy from my church was on! He works night shifts, so I actually caught him at a good time. We ended up talking on the phone for quite a while, and it was such a blessing. I truly am an extrovert, so going awhile without interaction with people is not easy for me. So being able to talk with him really helped. He even helped me fall asleep! What a nice guy. =D
The next blessing I received was when I went to work to eat some lunch. It is a family owned place, and so only the family was working today, but I knew that I needed to get some food before they're closed for the whole weekend. I bought my bowl of food and sat down and talked with the daughter. It was really nice just chatting with her. Than the wife came out with a bag full of food. The same food that I was eating, and it is so delicious! I couldn't help but tear up at her thoughtfulness. She knew that I didn't want to cook anything since I'm not feeling the best.
But that wasn't the end of it! About five minutes later, the husband came out to see if I'd like some Knoephla soup! Mhmmm, I love knoephla. It's like a German chicken dumpling soup. So, he gave me a quart of that, then his son came out with another quart of it. And then they gave me the rest of the dippin' dots that a customer brought in. My cup ran over with blessings. I couldn't express how grateful I was to them, but they understood.

I went in to get some food for lunch and I left with food for the whole weekend. All in all, they gave me four quarts of food, plus a big bag of cooked pasta, and the rest of the dippin' dots. Now I don't have to worry about cooking anything for the next few days, and I am so grateful for it.

Thankful Thursday

It's really so much harder to be thankful when one feels ill. *sigh* But I can't deny God faithfulness despite how I physically feel at this moment. Looking back over the week there are certain things that stick out to me as particular blessings.

A huge blessing was being able to get together with my pastor and his wife. Every time we meet I feel like I grow a little bit more. It was a lovely time getting to know them better and hearing some great stories.

And the other huge blessing was my visit to the chiropractor. I saw him last week and it was actually really painful. But, every time they've caused me pain, it's always worked out for my benefit. That was especially evident in my second appointment. They both agreed that I was much improved...even my jaw was better placed. I always learn more when I go see them. They have had a huge affect on my life.

I've had lots of other blessings this week;  good conversations, good food, dancing, and getting my car back!!

Being sick this weekend might end up being a good thing..if I am diligent and use the down time to get some good studying done. :P

P.S. I did write this on Thursday..but my internet isn't working at home..

Remembering

For some reason I've been missing my Grandpa a lot lately. In just over a month it will be the two year anniversary of his death. It's hard to believe that it's been so long, and yet it feels like it's been even longer. So much has happened since then, it's just crazy. I was in Germany for the first anniversary, and though they knew why I was sad, they didn't really understand, and that was difficult to handle. What is especially difficult is how little I actually knew him. My family lived with him until I was nearly nine, and then we moved out. After our move, we didn't see him as much. It wasn't one-sided by any means. None of us made a very big effort, and I couldn't regret it more.

Most of what I know of him is from before I was nine. I remember going to his restaurant and playing on the horse and eating his amazing grilled cheese sandwiches. I remember sitting on the back of his chair while he would read the paper and drink his coffee, and I would do his hair with girly hair things. Then when I was done he would put me on his shoulders and walk into the living room to see my handiwork. I loved that so much. He would call all of us "babe" or "baby". He was an amazing cook, and he showed his love by cooking for us. I remember him singing "lollipop". I remember helping him mow the lawn.  I remember going to his storage building with him and loving it. I remember finding him asleep on the couch and wanting him to wake up so I could sit with him. I don't remember that much about him.

When he got sick he came to live at my house. Though he couldn't talk very well it was a wonderful time of getting to know him. I never wanted to leave him alone. One time I was kneeling by his bed and he put his hand on my cheek and said "Thank you, Babe". That was such a precious moment, especially considering the difficulty talking was for him. That is one moment I hope I never forget.

100 Posts!

Can you believe it? I've made it to 100 posts! As I was thinking about this fact, I thought about how this blog has affected me. I started this blog way back in March with no expectations. I had no idea whether I would have anything worthwhile to write about. At first it was just a way to get rid of the itch to write. I didn't feel like my words truly meant anything.

I had one last week in Germany when I had the opportunity to do street ministry in Hamburg, and it changed me. Though it wasn't my most read blog post, I feel like No Longer a Title was one of the most powerful posts for me. It was then that I realized that though my blog isn't huge, and I don't have thousands of readers, my words can still be a blessing to one person, and that's all that matters.

I continued to write posts about normal life and freely sharing how God has been working in me and around me. Another one of my favorite posts is Customer Blessings where I display God's excellent blessings through other people.

I also began writing Thankful Thursday posts. I never imagined when I started this blog that it would be a key ingredient to changing my attitude. I would never have called myself ungrateful, but my gratefulness has been kicked up a notch since I've had the opportunity to put such a focus on it.

When I realized that this would be my 100th post, I asked my facebook friends what I should write about. It was suggested that I list 100 things I'm thankful for. That suggestion couldn't have made me happier; apparently my blog is noticeably thankful. It is my joy to know that when people read my blog they go away with thankfulness. Maybe perhaps I have played a role in someone else being thankful to God for the blessings He has given them. What an honor that would be.

I don't need to be the most well-known blog, and I don't need a thousand readers. I just want to be a positive influence in someone's life, and with God's grace, I will do that. Here's to 100 more!

Dancing!

This is the look I always want to see: happiness.

Here are just pictures that were taken over two nights. Thanks to Nathan for taking them!

Thankful Thursday

Again, I normally would wait until the end of the day so I could relate any fantabulous occurrences, but decided to post early anyway.

I haven't really posted at all since November's marathon of posting, and it's not that I've been lacking things to say, but time to say them! I have at least three different posts that are sitting in my head just waiting to be written, but today I'll just focus on thankfulness.

And it is just in this moment that I have no words to speak. Today I have been really confused/concerned about a few things, but particularly my physical status. Over the past year I have had a lot of problems with my back/neck, which included headaches and dizziness, also mild concussions and generally nothing fun.

In my small group, we've discussed praying for healing vs. praying for God to work through the pain. That's really paraphrased. I guess a better what to say it is that in both ways, praying for God's will to be done, but one way focusing on healing, and the other focusing on how God's going to use the pain. Hopefully that makes sense.

Well, people have prayed for my healing from my back/neck issues, and even last night I was prayed over. As they were praying I really just felt the frustrations build up in me over the whole situation and I'm just sick of dealing with it. But I felt better once they were done praying, and all was well. This morning I woke up in more pain than I've been in for a while. And this realization was so difficult to handle.

Here I was expecting God to do some miracle in me and heal me, and it didn't happen. But the more I thought about it and prayed about it, the more I realized that though I haven't seen too much of this, God could totally be using this time in my life to benefit His kingdom. He can be using this weakness in my life to remind to lean on Him and not myself.

The one circumstance that continually popped into my head was when I had my mild concussion last month. That was a week full of frustration for me. I wasn't able to dance. I felt dizzy a lot of the time. I felt pretty awful about pretty much everything. But in that, God gave me a blessing.



It was the Sunday after my concussion, and I still wasn't quite up to par. I decided to going dancing anyway, and just take it easy. Well, that translated to sitting out for at least an hour of dancing and just watching. But lo and behold, I wasn't the only one sitting out. Here next to me was someone I really didn't know at all, and yet, amazingly, we got along really well. We talked a lot that night, and began interacting on facebook and just chatting with each other. Then she decided to help me make lasagna, and so we got to know each other better then. Later on we had a tv night, and we didn't watch tv..we just talked..and talked..and talked some more.
I told you about some of this here but there's just so much more.

Every day we've grown closer, and become better friends.  One of her first comments to me was that she sees friends in three categories: Reason, Season, Lifetime. If you have a friend, you either have them for a reason, for a season, or for a lifetime. I really liked that. Well, I'm happy to say that we've past the first two..she has definitely been my friend for a reason. I prayed for months to find a girl friend here, and God provided one. She's already been my friend for a season (though technically a short amount of time, it feels like I've known her for ages), and we're well on our way to "lifetime". =D

I hadn't thought about it before this morning of doubt and confusion..but I honestly don't know if I would have gotten to know her if not for that concussion of mine. I'm pretty sure she wouldn't have reached out to me.. ;) And I wouldn't have realized what a difference she'd make in my life. Amazing how God works, huh?

So it is with that said that I can truly thank God for this time of physical pain and frustration, for He brought a huge blessing into my life because of it. I can't say that I particularly want my headaches and dizziness to stick around, but if God continues to bless me through it and using it for His glory, it'll totally be worth it!

A Reminder

I was at work today, and I wasn't having the best time ever. I'm not feeling the best today, and lately I've had some things that have been pretty stressful and some that have upset me. I found myself being a "Debby-downer" with my co-worker. She listened very patiently and was very sympathetic..but that didn't really help me that much. 

Later on, she made a comment that she just heard a story on the radio about a girl who was having doubts about her faith, and this story made my co-worker sad. As she told me that I feel like a light bulb went off over my head. No, I wasn't having doubts about my faith, but I wasn't really living it. I allowed my focus to be shifted from God to this world..and that will only ever bring trouble. I thanked her for her comment and said that I needed to hear it. God is still good, no matter what I'm going through. 

Right now I'm going through The Purpose Driven Life by Rick Warren, and though I haven't agreed with everything he's said, some have really stood out to me as wisdom. One of those things was when he was talking Romans 8:28: "All things work together for good for those who love God and are called according to His purposes." 

He said that this doesn't mean we'll all have 'happy endings' here on earth. Things might not go well (or what we consider well) for us during our life. But throughout it all, God is using it for eternal good. And that just makes everything worth it.

A month of Thanksgiving - The 30th

It's the last day of the month! How shocking is that? I cannot believe it is nearly December. Pretty soon it'll be Christmas, and then it'll be 2011! I would like to use this post to remember some of the things I've been most thankful for this month.

One thing that I am amazingly grateful for is my church. I have learned so much, and grown beyond my expectations in the short six months that I've lived in Fargo.

Something that I'm constantly thankful for is the ability to dance. I've had my setbacks, but as a whole, I just continue to learn and get better! It is truly the best form of exercise. In fact, I've never enjoyed exercising, but I can't get enough of dancing.

A huge blessing from this month has been making a new friend. I am continually blessed in getting to know this lovely girl, and she has helped me out of some big pickles already. Thank you-thank you, my dear!

God has granted me safety as I've been traveling. I don't always enjoy traveling..it gets rather stressful for me. But God has continued to be good to me and He truly protected me in some dangerous circumstances. Thank you, Lord!!

And one of the biggest blessings from this month was definitely my family! I have been extraordinarily blessed with an awesome family!!

Those are the things I am most thankful for this month, and I know that God is going to continue to remind how awesome and great He is. As always, I am left with a feeling of happiness. I know there are many things I must accomplish, but oddly enough, I'm not worried. God will still be good no matter what I do. And that helps me strive to be my best. Thanks for coming with me this month of Thanksgiving! And thanks to Rebecca again for starting this project.

A month of Thanksgiving - The 29th

Today has been very exciting/interesting/frustrating and blessed. That seems like an odd combination, but it's the truth. I have found that whenever I want to travel, I should just expect adventures! Seriously, coming back from Germany for Christmas, then again after my contract, plus driving home for Thanksgiving...and then today? Well, the adventures never end!

The main reason I drove (rather than flew) home last Wednesday was in order to get my car fixed, but knowing that we couldn't bring it into the shop until today. Unbeknown to my father and I, the repairs for my car will end up taking...a while. So, with literally 30 minutes to reorganize and pack, it was decided that I would fly back to Fargo!

Getting checked in and through security was no problem. Boarding began as usual, and then over the loud speaker we hear "We are now boarding all passengers because apparently there's a gas leak in the building and they need us to get out immediately." Now, I don't know about you, but that's not something I generally expect to hear at the airport. Either way, we did all manage to evacuate before the airport exploded (no worries, it really didn't) and the flight was great!

Getting to my second gate was normal, but as I was watching the screen to see how my status was, it continued looking worse and worse until finally it said I wouldn't get a seat. After talking with the gate agent, it was determined that one passenger wouldn't make it, and I was free to go aboard! Yay!! Or so I thought...

We sat at the gate for a few minutes, and there was obviously something wrong. No one was panicking or anything..but yes..it was wrong. They brought up some of the gate checked luggage to shift the weight and balance of the plane. And I heard the ramp re-approaching the airplane. I immediately knew that this was bad news for me. The very nice gate agent got on the plane and was talking to the flight attendant. I heard my name, and quickly stood up before it was announced over loud speaker. They sincerely apologized, I quickly made no big deal of it, grabbed my stuff and got off.

That would appear to be the end of my part in this flight, but it was not! They had to search the belly of the plane to get both of my bags off. I'm so happy that for once I actually kept the pink tag on my bag and my portion of it as well! There was a large bit of difficulty in finding my bags (who knows why) and the end result was that the plane was delayed for over half an hour. This was in a small amount, due to my bags being lost. Oh well.

I just have to wonder what everyone was thinking as I stood up and left the plane literally 3 minutes after boarding it. Hmm. Sehr interessant!

Despite the troubles that have ensued travel wise today, I am extremely grateful for the flight benefits that I am allowed being the daughter of an airline employee. It's really brilliant, and has helped me out of some terrible issues.

I still don't have a flight back, but I have four more chances to make it back today, and I think it'll happen!

A month of Thanksgiving - The 28th

Me with the Reilly Bun

Reilly Bun with Uncle DJ

Miss Reilly with Uncle Josh

What I did quite frequently this weekend.

"Bro" DJ, myself, and Bethany

Daddy and Reilly playing cards

Taking the kids for a walk

The whole bunch

Cutest family ever!

Starting the little girl early.

Josh, Bethany, DJ, and myself

Well, I haven't been doing such a great job at keeping up with this, but things have been pretty crazy!! The weekend is drawing to a close, and I'm the only child left at home once again. Looking back on the past few days, I can't help but be thankful! Even with my constant tiredness, I was able to truly enjoy the time spent with my family. As was expected, my niece Reilly got a lot of attention! It's amazing how often she comes up in conversation up in Fargo, so..I'm very excited about her..and I'm just one member of the family. Just imagine what it's like with all 8 of us together!! Baby Fest! =D It was really fun! She is such a cutie. I have 124 pictures from this weekend, and I'm betting that around 100 of those are focused on Reilly, no joke. She is just too precious. Man, I love being an aunt! Anyway, we also played a lot of games and sang all our old songs and some Christmas carols. It was pretty spectacular! There is very little that can beat singing with my sisters. And the food...well it was just amazing!! Mostly thanks to my second oldest sister who organized everything! Way to go sis! I posted a few pics so you can see the happiness that was this weekend.

A month of Thanksgiving - The 25th

Growing up, I always said it was the same day until I went to bed. For example, if I stayed up on Monday until 1am on Tuesday, I would still count it as Monday. So, that is why this post is still counted for the 25th..I simply haven't gone to bed yet!

Today has been amazing! It is technically Thanksgiving day, but because of other commitments, my whole family won't be together until tomorrow, so we'll do our big dinner then. But several awesome things happened today. I was able to talk with Krista a bit, and it had been a while since that happened. That was lovely. Then I was able to talk to another friend from Germany for the first time in a few months, and it was also very fun. I got to play with my niece throughout the day, which was so fun. I went shopping with my sister and bought a crock pot. =D But the best thing was having my 'brother' come home. He's not technically my brother, but definitely the closest I ever got to having a brother. He was just a part of our family throughout high school, and we all loved it. For a variety of reasons, I haven't seen him in two years! So tonight was a long-awaited reunion. It was really great to have him back with the family again. And he'll be here tomorrow all day, and then the whole family will truly be together again, and we'll take more trips down memory lane. I can't wait. =D

What a happy Thanksgiving!

A month of Thanksgiving - The 24th

Wow, today has been an adventure for sure!! I wasn't able to get that much sleep last night, in fact, only four hours. That seriously is not enough sleep! So, I was pretty tired all day. Work went well, but I found myself constantly distracted with the thought of having to drive home to Iowa after my shift. I had heard that the weather could be pretty bad, and I wasn't sure if I'd be able to make it. With that in mind, my bosses allowed me to leave work an hour and a half early so I could get on the road. Yay for awesome bosses!

The roads around here weren't the best, but I felt fine going 60mph. I drove for 2 hours without much incident besides for having difficulty keeping my windshield clean for some unknown reason. There always seemed to be ice on there, and it was difficult to see at times. It was a bit scary. I was able to clean it off when I stopped for gas, but then when I had to use my wipers again because of snow flung on my car. Once again, I had poor visibility.

It was then I realized that it was a problem with the washer fluid/wipers. It was leaving a residue on the glass, and I couldn't get it off on my own. My sister and her boyfriend were driving in front of me, and when we stopped for supper, I was able to get some water to clean off my windshield again. But again, it didn't last, and this time it was while on a two way highway where the oncoming lights were causing so much glare that I nearly knocked over several cones. Thankfully, I was able to work with my sister's car that they were my guiding light. I couldn't have made it through without them. Scary!!

So, after that scenario, we stopped at a gas station so I could wash my windshield again. That was all fine and dandy...until I realized that I had locked my car...while it was still running. Now, combine 4 hours of sleep with driving (always stressful to me) and then being locked out of my car without hat/gloves/scarf in freezing weather and insane wind...well, you get one hysterical me. Thankfully my sister's boyfriend was there to help.

We called for a police officer, and he came quite quickly and was able to get it open. As I was still somewhat hysterical (what can I say? *shrug*) my lovely sister ended up driving the rest of the way home and there were no further incidents. All in all, the trip took two hours more than I was expecting, but we all made it back safe and sound.

So, that being said, I'm thankful for the opportunity I had to learn from new experiences, and mostly, I'm so thankful to be home for Thanksgiving!!

A month of Thanksgiving - The 22nd

I woke up this morning and noticed that the light coming in through my blinds seemed a bit brighter. This has always been a tell-tale sign for me that it has snowed over night. What I did not know what that it was continuing to snow! It snowed a lot today..at least 7 inches, but I want to say it was more. It's amazing how snow completely transforms a city. It did snow here a few weeks ago...but not like this. This was madness! I was quite concerned that my car wouldn't start, but thankfully it did, and I did manage to get to work without major mishaps. Happily for me, I didn't have to do any shoveling out front..but I'll have to do that on Wednesday for sure. Getting home was an adventure! The snow plows cleaned the street after I parked at work, and this means that there is a huge pile of snow the whole length of the left side of my car. I was really concerned that I wouldn't get out. I almost did get stuck, and I burned rubber...but I got out! :D And I had to drive to and from church tonight too..and my car's quirks were acting up again. But I'm safe and sound, back at home in my room. I'm thankful for safety in traveling around town today, and I pray for safety traveling hope on Wednesday!

A month of Thanksgiving - The 21st

Well, I've missed a few days of posting, but it is because of that that I have my thankful thought of the day! I'm thankful for having a few days without the distraction of the internet. Man, I am seriously addicted to my computer..and I know it. But I had the chance to really do some good homework, and not stay up extraordinarily late. I also cleaned more and had more personal conversations, which is always a plus. For the first time, I was really able to enjoy my literature reading assignment. I listened to a lot of my old music, and it was lovely. And, I realized that not much happened in my online world in those three days. Yes, I still have blogs to catch up on, and I don't know exactly how everyone's lives are going on Facebook...but I barely had anything happen that actually regarded me at all. It was a nice reminder of how very insignificant the web world can be, and how having personal relationships in general is so much better. Anyway, that was somewhat random. I need to get going for a busy day!

A month of Thanksgiving - The 18th

It's Thankful Thursday again!! And I can honestly say that I need this post in this moment more than I've needed it in a long time. I'm currently not very happy, but despite that emotion, I'm going to remember my blessings. I know that will cheer me up. :)

Today I'm thankful for...

German classes:
I was pretty nervous to teach my German class today, because I had the oldest class for the first time. It ended up going really well, and though we didn't get through a lot of material, I think they learned it all well.

Being able to help out my boss.

A good conversation with a good friend.

Having great discussions at small group once again!

Having people who actually want to come over for small group. :P

Having a friend who let me come over spontaneously to use her internet. :P

The opportunity to go swing dancing tomorrow in a new place with a live band! Woot woot!

Okay, I'm still not extraordinarily happy, but I do feel a bit better..so I can be thankful for that too. :)

A month of Thanksgiving - The 17th

It's amazing to me that it's already the 17th (technically the 18th now :P)! This month is just going by so fast. I think I can honestly say that having this daily thankful post has majorly contributed to my happier than normal status as of late. It's hard to be in a bad mood when you have so many things to be thankful for.

The thing that stood out the most to me was having a new friend come over. She actually came over to watch Psych with me...and that's how it started. It didn't take very long before we weren't paying any attention to the tv and rather, were just talking like crazy! I can't help but smile when I think about our conversation. We did stick to a few major topics, but it still varied quite a bit. The crazy thing about this is that we really didn't talk at all before last Sunday! Somehow or other, last Sunday, we totally hit it off. And since then I have been able to hang out with her on 6 different days! Yay!

Now, this is something that I haven't really told anyone, and I wouldn't necessarily feel comfortable saying it out loud; but having friends has not been an easy feat for me. For many years I haven't had a good friend that lived anywhere near me. Many times I felt like the friends I did have didn't like me as much as their local friends. I really had a low self esteem when it came to friendships.

I have told you before how I was able to throw off the bonds of rejection and how that has already affected my life in many ways. Well, I would have to say that friendship is the biggest change in me. Almost immediately after this change occurred in me, I was contacted by an old friend and had the chance to catch up. This is really significant, because for years I felt like I needed her to be worth anything...and I just couldn't have her as a good friend. It just didn't happen, and that was hard for me to handle. But then, once God was able to get it into my head that I don't 'need' her as my friend, that was when I was finally able to have her again. And since that time, I've had some friends over, and it was fun...and I've done things with other friends, and it's been so encouraging.

Wow, I just feel so different from...a month ago or so. God has been so good to me. So yes, tonight I am incredibly thankful for friendships. Friendship that have been rekindled and friendship that are just starting to blossom. =D

A month of Thanksgiving - The 16th

Today was an incredible day! I was pretty nervous about it before hand, but it ended up going so smoothly, and it was so much fun!! I had my first paying gig for swing and salsa dancing, and it went really well! I was pretty nervous about that a few days ago. I hadn't had much time to practice swing, and when I did, it didn't go well. :P But, all in all, it was an excellent experience, and I would love to do it again!!
Another thing I did today was help teach a salsa class for a school presentation with one of my main salsa leads. It was fun, and again, a good experience!
I was forced into being a grown-up and drive myself all these different places, and honestly, that was pretty stressful....but God was good to me, and traffic wasn't too bad. :)

At my church we are beginning to work out our Christmas program, so I had a music rehearsal with that, and it turns out that I will be playing at least some piano for the program, and I'm a bit nervous...but I think it'll be fine.
Today was just full of dancing, and I still haven't told you about the Avalon! Every Tuesday there is swing dancing at the Avalon, and it is so much fun! I felt more confident and comfortable tonight than I have in a long time. It was nice to be back. An excellent way to spend an evening, if I do say myself.
And then just to top it off, I was able to enjoy the fresh air and get some needed advice at the same time! Brilliant! :D
So, to put it all together...I'm thankful for how far this day has exceeded my every expectation.

A month of Thanksgiving - The 15th

A few days ago I actually had a misunderstanding with my boss, and honestly, I was very upset over it. Not necessarily that I felt mistreated, but rather, I felt awful for having caused a seemingly huge issue. I would find myself mulling over it since it happened, and there was always a sense of dread within me. I knew that I would have to go back to work today and deal with whatever came my way. I was concerned that she would still be upset and frustrated, and then work wouldn't be fun anymore. I was so upset in all this because this has been the best job I've ever had, and I don't want to ruin it one bit! So, I went in this morning, and everything was just normal.  I didn't feel any animosity from my boss or co-workers, in fact, in a way, I think they were being nicer to me than normal. Wow, that's hard to imagine. They're always nice to me. =P Anyway, my shift passed by with relative ease, and the misunderstanding was not brought up in the slightest. I couldn't have felt more relieved. So today, I am thankful for a forgiving and patient boss!

A month of Thanksgiving - The 14th

Today I am thankful for Music!

I had the opportunity to attend a symphony concert this afternoon with my sister and my roommate, and it was lovely. I can't remember the last time I had a chance to see such talented musicians in action. It is times like this that make me want to pursue music more intensely...to learn to play the violin that I own. I have always wanted to learn to play the violin, but never really took the initiative to actually do it. While in Germany, my host family found a beginners violin and gave it to me as a birthday gift. So now, I have one of the most expensive pieces required to learning violin, and why haven't I done it yet? I don't know. That being said, it is my goal, for the next semester, to begin learning violin on my own. I have the perfect space to practice in my apartment complex. I place with good acoustics, but far enough from the main buildings that hopefully I'll never be heard. Well, at least until I get past the screechy stage. =) It is my goal, with any musical instrument I play, to be inspiring and encouraging to other musicians, and to use the talent that God has given me for His glory. 

A month of Thanksgiving - The 12th and 13th!

I wasn't able to do a post yesterday because my internet is down! Sad! Hopefully it'll be up and running soon..

So my thankful thought from yesterday?

My Dad! It was his birthday yesterday, so Happy Birthday Dad!

I'm so thankful for having him as my dad..wouldn't trade him for anyone! :D

And my thankful thought for today?

I'm thankful for my friends who are there for me when I need them. :D

So, I'll just keep it short and sweet for today. :)

A month of Thanksgiving - The 11th

Today is my normal Thankful Thursday! As always, I have tons to be thankful for. :D

~ I'm thankful for getting some good homework done. It's not easy to motivate myself, but it's a great sense of accomplishment when I do get stuff done.

~ I'm thankful for another chance to hang out with Mr. LJ a bit. I definitely miss hanging out with my charge back in Germany, so it's nice to have another young man here to take his place. So much fun!

~ I'm thankful for good food. Yum!

~ I'm thankful for a nice walk with a church friend.

~ I'm thankful for a chance to speak German again.  Es war sehr spass!

~ I'm thankful for the opportunity to do a dancing performance this next Tuesday, and for the chance to rehearse tonight.

And the thing I'm most thankful for tonight?

I'm thankful for the experience of leading a small group with excellent people who help me strive to learn more.

A month of Thanksgiving - The 10th

I'm getting a jump start on today's post because I have a particular thing to be thankful for. Last night I was able to have a conversation with a ten-year-old boy about God and religion, and lots of other things. This conversation was not the first that we've had on the same topic, but we did go more in-depth. I was immensely proud of how presented his questions, and also the answers he gave to my questions. He honestly made me think hard about some of his questions..they were so good!

So here's what I'm thankful for in all this.

I'm thankful for the yearning to know God that I've seen in this young man's life.
I'm thankful that he felt comfortable talking about what he believes.
I'm thankful that his parents have raised him to ask questions.
I'm thankful that he gave me things to think about and find answers to.

Thank you, Mr. LJ for such a blessed conversation. :)

A month of Thanksgiving - The 9th

Today I am thankful for dancing. Before I moved up here, I had it in my mind that I wouldn't go dancing just because my sister did. I had the idea that I didn't want to dance because I wanted to have my own life. Well, as soon as I started learning how to dance, I just couldn't help going! But, I have had my setbacks. All during the summer, I was dealing with major dizziness, and that really took a toll on any dancing I was able to do. I finally got that taken care of (I'm really thankful for my chiropractor, btw), and I was finally able to learn how to do moves with lots of spins! Oh, so much fun! But then last week I had a mild concussion, which again, disrupted my dancing schedule quite a bit. I have learned two things through this experience.

1. Slowing down and focusing on other things can be very good, and even something I should continue to do.
2. Dancing is more fun after an absence, because you appreciate it so much more!

What I'm really excited about is that I will be helping a friend teach a salsa dance lesson at his college class, and then immediately afterward, we'll go to perform both salsa and swing! How exciting is that? I've only been dancing for five months, and I am already performing and teaching. It's really quite surprising to me, and I'm not sure that I deserve it, but I'm going to enjoy it immensely.

A month of Thanksgiving - The 8th

Today has been pretty normal, but also very blessed. I was able to get some good school accomplished, had a very nice talk with my mom, wasn't late for work (like I thought I'd be), was encouraged by my pastor, and got out of work early!
Particular things I'm thankful for today:

Meeting customers who are doing their Bible study homework in my coffee shop. It just thrills my heart.

A wonderful time spent with my sister yesterday.

Being able to dance, even just a little last night! I didn't even get that dizzy.

And some very delicious food that I actually made myself! (I'm still learning though.)

All and all, I have only blessings to speak about today!

A month of Thanksgiving - The 7th

Normally I would wait until the end of the day before posting, just in case something incredible happens before the end of the day. Today is different though, because I have something to be thankful for that will take up a whole post on it's own!

Back in June I wrote a post about how I was seeking a church in this new town. Only a few short weeks later in July, I wrote another post about how God was moving in me through a church I was deciding on. Well, now is the time to write a follow up of my decision.

I chose to continue going to Harvest Community Church, and I've never been disappointed. It didn't take very long to learn everyone's name (it's pretty small), and to feel like a part of the group. I've been in this church for six months now, and it feels like home to me. I've never felt so free to be open and honest, and to just be me. I've been able to help lead worship with singing and playing electric bass, and I might be playing the piano this month! I've been able to share what God's been teaching me. I've been able to make new friends to keep.

Just today, I was able to witness how one friend was a blessing and motivator in another friend's life. It was amazing to feel God's presence in our conversation, and to feel blessed merely by connection to the conversation. It is such a blessing to have the accountability that is in my church. It is through the encouragement of my friends at church that I've even begun my own small group during the week. That was a bit scary for me, but I truly feel like God is going to use this study, not only in my life, but in every one who attends. God has been so enormously good to me.

I am so grateful and thankful to God for providing me with a church that will encourage, motivate, and bless me every day.

A month of Thanksgiving - The 6th

So, I have been doing Thankful Thursdays ever since July, and I got that idea from the lovely Rebecca at "Rebecca Writes". I was just checking in at her blog yesterday and noticed that she, and many others in the blogging world, are doing "November of Thanksgiving", and I decided to join them! Every day, I will write a post about something I'm thankful for, and it just worked out so well that I just had a Thankful Thursday, and then had a thankful post yesterday. Woot! :D

Anyway, for today's post, I would like to focus on how thankful I am for food. I was talking with my sister today about how I'm finding it difficult to make actual meals for only one or two. And how I wish produce was sold in smaller portions, so that I could eat all I buy without any of it going to waste. And we discussed how I am a somewhat picky eater, including not eating nuts or seafood. But, you know what I just realized? I probably have more food in my refrigerator right now than millions, if not billions, of people worldwide....and I'm complaining? No, I have no right to complain one bit. How easily I forget how even the most common things, such as food and water, are a direct blessing from the Lord. For His purpose, I am where I am, and who I am. Tonight I'm choosing not to take the blessing of food for granted.What is something that you take for granted?

Customer Blessings

     Work this morning brought something amazing with it. All things were going as normal until a lady walked in and came up to order. She informed me that she is looking to move back to the Windy City and if that happens, she's already planning on becoming a regular! :) Seeing as I had little to do this morning, I felt free to engage in conversation with her, and what a blessing it was. I learned how when she lived here before, she would pass by this corner shop (before it was Josie's Corner) and want to buy it and make it into a coffee shop. On a return visit, she happened by the shop and was surprised to find not only a coffee shop (just like she wanted), but incredibly, she found her name right on the door. Right in my shop was a lady named Josie. While the name Josie is not all that uncommon, it was more than coincidence that hers is the same as my work place.
   Our conversation continued in-between serving different customers and I got to know her a little bit more. I learned how she had gone through a season of many trials, and how God has healed her completely. What an extraordinary testimony she has. We also discussed how I moved here and what an astounding blessing this city has been for me over the past 5 months. The amazing difference in me since moving up here is hard to describe. While we were talking she mentioned that I needed to start a blog! Well, that's taken care of, and now she is making a spotlight appearance.
  I don't feel like I can adequately explain what my time with her meant. Her positivity, enthusiasm, interest, and sweetness are all to be admired. It was truly such a blessing to meet this real-life Josie, and I sincerely hope that she does move back to the area!
  Josie, if you are reading this, thank you for blessing my morning more than you can know. And I hope to see you again very soon. =)

Thankful Thursday

Alright, so there always seems to be something interesting going on in my life. This week is no different. But I'm getting ahead of myself.

I had a fabulous weekend including staying with my sister for two nights! That was a blessing to be sure. And I was even able to hang out with a couple from church on Sunday!

Here comes the interesting part.. :P So, I managed to awkwardly hit my head on a wall. Yes, quite awkwardly. It's really difficult to explain. This was initially quite painful, but then decreased to a headache.

Work on Monday was pretty good, a bit stressful but not too bad. Monday actually was pretty nice and there were definite high points. The hard part about Monday was when I went to Salsa..it was then that I realized that I simply did not feel well enough to dance. So that was kinda a bummer.

Tuesday was exciting! Laura has started her own language company where she has teachers go into a school for extra curricular language classes, mostly introductory. So, I am working with her as an introductory German teacher and Tuesday was the first day! I was working with kindergarten kids, and they were awesome! It ended being a lot of fun. :) Then I was especially blessed with a bunch of clothes from a friend! Yay! Dancing on Tuesday again didn't go very well. I just didn't feel the best and so then it wasn't as fun as usual.

Wednesday at work was a bit rough. I felt the worst that I had since hitting my head on Monday. And with some very appreciated medical advice, it was determined that I probably had a mild concussion. Jolly stuff indeed. =) I ended up deciding to take a break from dancing. A wonderful thing from yesterday was eating supper with some friends from church! That was a huge blessing to me.

And today was excellent! We had our second language class today, and it went soo well! I really enjoyed it today, even more than Tuesday. Then after teaching, the three of us introductory teachers went out to have German conversation hour! It was so nice to speak German again. I realized both how much I've forgotten, and how much I remember. It was a great time. And tonight I led a small group for the very first time! I was pretty nervous, but it went well! :) I'm excited for next week!

So here's what I've taken out of this week...I can use this break from dancing for good. I can use it to focus more on my school, more on work, and most importantly, more on God. I think my body needed a break as well. While I have missed dancing, and will miss it for the rest of the week, I know that it'll be alright. :) There are more important things than dancing.

I didn't use my normal format this week, but you can know that I am incredibly thankful for my week, and for things not being any worse with my head. There could be so many worse things. I truly have been richly blessed.

Thankful Thursday

What a week it has been! Having gone to the chiropractor twice last week has drastically improved my physical state, which in turn improves my entire health! So that is one thing I'm extraordinarily thankful for!

This past weekend was really great, including dancing on Friday and Sunday (amazing!), and then we had Oktoberfest with church on Saturday and we even had a bonfire! Sweetness! :D
Monday was my first time in two weeks being able to salsa. I was a bit off, but it was still a blast. Plus, I was breaking in some new dancing shoes, so that made it a bit harder. I'm already planning on getting a video next Monday to post on Facebook so you all can see how much I've improved, and so I can see it for myself. :P Some happiness from Monday was when one of my main salsa partners asked if I would be willing to dance with him for a college presentation, and then having the two of us be asked to perform with my sister and her boyfriend for a wine tasting event. How fun is that? It is so nice to know that my dancing has improved that much.
Tuesday was quite interesting! The weather was pretty gross up here, and we even lost power in our entire block for about 1 1/2 hours. It ended up being quite fun, but sadly, dancing at the Avalon was canceled. That was a huge disappointment since I wasn't able to go last week.
Yesterday was really great! Work was a bit slower than normal, but adventurous to be sure! We even had an incident with a small child being burnt with hot coffee. That was somewhat scary and stressful, but she ended up being alright. The best part was being able to chat with some regulars, since there wasn't as much to do. And last night we had 'auditions' for the Christmas Radio Show at my church. That was really fun, and a very different experience. I'm really excited for it.
And today was a really good day as well. I was able to get some good school accomplished, and I had some great conversations. I was able to go on a walk with a friend from church and it was really great. And another friend from church invited me over for a spontaneous party! Yay! It was a lot of fun. I love my church family...they're awesome.

One of the biggest things I'm thankful for this week happened on Wednesday. I'll try to explain this, but don't know how well I can. I would say that have always put myself down with very little effort. It didn't take much for that little voice in my head to tear me down to the core, and though I hated this, I was just used to it. Well, after an amazing conversation I had, I truly learned that this little voice in my head was not me! And it also was not God...there's really only one other option.
Well, the power of God is so incredible, truly amazing, and by His extraordinary power and grace, I was able to get rid of that little voice of rejection and I had proof of it's absence yesterday.
I was just talking with my boss at work, and she made a comment about me. We both immediately started laughing and talking about it, and it was a funny moment.
Later on, I was thinking back on it, and literally, tears came to my eyes as I realized that not once did I berate myself for that personality trait she had joked about.
It is something I always have been self-conscious about, and one that I ceaselessly hated about myself. "Normally" I would have taken that comment to heart and let it crush me to the core. I'm really not kidding...it could have possibly ruined my day completely. But for once, I was able to see the comment for what it really was: a joke.
For once as I was able to look at myself and truly be happy. Yes, I have my own personality traits...but that's okay. It's okay to be me..it's ok! Wow, I'm so happy just re-thinking about it. Yay! What an awesome feeling. Yes, that is what I am most thankful for this week. That God has revealed to me how powerful He is, and how He created me as I am for a reason. What a blessing.

It's a-coming!

Winter is striving hard to come to the windy city, and it's efforts are being rewarded! The weather has been so droll this week. Last night it actually snowed, but not enough to collect. This morning was soooo cold as I drove to work at 6:30. It's really amazing how one day we can be walking around in a light jacket and the very next day you have to wear a heavy jacket with a winter coat on top of it all! I'm anticipating that winter will be similar to winter back home with a surplus of wind and drifts. I don't understand why it is so windy here, but I definitely noticed that a long time ago. =) Which reminds me, this week was my 5 month anniversary for moving up here! How bizarre is that? I'm amazed at how much faster this year is going than my year in Germany did. Again, time is a strange phenomenon. It feels like I've been here forever and only for a day at the same time. This time of my life has been so extraordinary, and I am so excited to continue living here and growing and just...becoming more.. me. I can't stop smiling right now. God is so good to me. =D

Thankful Thursday

Each week seems to go by so quickly. Hm.

Honestly, this week was a bit harder for me..more frustrating and exhausting. But, I suppose I could just give a list of my days here.. :D

Friday was a very good day. Work went well, and I was able to hang out with my roommate and her brother, not to mention get some studying done.

I got Saturday off of work to dedicate the day to studying. I did manage to finish all my homework, which was a blessing indeed.

Now Sunday was a brilliant day indeed!! Church was excellent, and I was sooo happy to sing on the praise team for the first time in a year and a half! Woot woot! The sermon was excellent, and all the conversations were inspired. I even got some compliments on my ability to play piano, and they were very appreciated!

The day continued to get better as I was able to go dancing! Since I missed dance on Friday, I knew I had to go. It was a great time. We worked on aerials again, and a few other moves. I really feel like I'm improving. It was also a great time to get to know everyone a bit better.

Monday is when things got a bit difficult. I woke feeling extreme pain in my neck, but I couldn't go to the chiropractor until Wednesday after work. So, I had to suffer through work on Monday, nearing crying on more than one occasion, and then made the wise, though difficult decision to not go salsa dancing.

Tuesday was similar, though not quite as painful at work. Tuesday night was dreadful though. I couldn't believe how hard it was to stay home from dancing at the Avalon. Thankfully, my sister came over to keep me company, and I was able to get some good homework done as well.

Yesterday was a good day. Work ended up being really fun, despite the pain. I was even able to show J a video of me doing the aerial. I'll try to post it on here for you to see as well. She really enjoyed that. :D  And all of my conversations were really fun! Yesterday was also spent working on homework and finishing up all that. I ended the evening with watching some of BBC's version of Pride and Prejudice. *happy sigh*

Today has gone quite well. The only slightly annoying bit has been my wisdom tooth coming in. It's only my second one, and I'm not sure it's coming in straight. Yipes! But other than that...I was able to talk with my best friend for quite a while, which was amazing.. And! I finally took my geography exam that I've been stressing over, and was able to complete it in half of the allotted time. I'm quite pleased with that. I should know my grade sometime next week.


 So all and all, these are the things I'm most thankful for this week--

~My fabulous chiropractor who knows what he's doing.

~ An easy going geography teacher who made my exam quite simple.

~ Having a keyboard in my room to help relieve stress.

~ Good conversations.

~ A new found appreciation for the wonderful world of dance!

Golden Nuggets of Wisdom

I love Wednesdays at work. Every Wednesday morning I have a large group of women from a local church who come in for coffee and cookies before their Bible study. There are a few women that I have really gotten to know, and they are always interested in how my life is going. One in particular (we'll call her "J") , has been so encouraging to me over the past few weeks. J always has a smile on her face and is continually asking about the latest news in my life. She makes me very happy. =)

Another lady who came in today was sitting by herself reading her Bible. From there we were able to discuss her reading Esther, and how she enjoys reading Job. She then went on to explains some things to me, which though I may have thought of them before this point, also gave me a chance to relearn them.

Job 1:1
¹ In the land of Uz there lived a man whose name was Job. This man was blameless and upright; he feared God and shunned evil.

Job was a man of honorable status. His character was such that God put him on display before Satan in verse 8, where He said:

⁸ Then the LORD said to Satan, "Have you considered my servant Job? There is no one on earth like him; he is blameless and upright, a man who fears God and shuns evil." 

So, it would appear that as Job was a man of such an upright character, we should strive to imitate him. And yet, while God speaks highly of Job, we also find Him giving Job an attitude adjustment once we get to chapter 38.

 ¹ Then the LORD answered Job out of the storm. He said:  ² "Who is this that darkens my counsel
       with words without knowledge?
 ³ Brace yourself like a man;
       I will question you,
       and you shall answer me.
 ⁴ "Where were you when I laid the earth's foundation?
       Tell me, if you understand.
 ⁵ Who marked off its dimensions? Surely you know!
       Who stretched a measuring line across it?


I love that in verse 5: "surely you know!" Oh the sarcasm this suggests; that Job would truly know such things as this.

³³ Do you know the laws of the heavens?
       Can you set up God's dominion over the earth?  ³⁴ "Can you raise your voice to the clouds
       and cover yourself with a flood of water?
 ³⁵ Do you send the lightning bolts on their way?
       Do they report to you, 'Here we are'? 

 How awesome to think that God has this power!

So, here we have a man worthy of imitation, and yet even he is brought low by the magnificence of God. How much more so will we be brought low when we are faced with the glory of the Lord God on His throne! 

Thankful Thursday- An eventful week!

This week has been indescribable. I honestly can't think of a single word to describe it! I guess I'll just jump right in.

I'm thankful for:

Being able to dance 4-5 nights a week! I never imagined that I would dance that often, but it is so incredibly fun, I just can't help myself!

Supportive church leaders.

The ability to forgive by God's grace.

Chinese food!! :D

Good talks with good friends. I've had so many amazing conversations this week. Yay!

A new friend who is now my new roommate!

A place to live.

That I was able to get all my things moved over without too much trouble.

For the multiple conversations I've had lately about religion and evolution.

For my geography discussion that has gone very well so far.

Amazing weather.

A completely positive 4-month review at Josie's.

Getting a raise! :D

Being able to go shopping for my own food and having to develop a bit more independence.

Having the chance to chill with my new roomie and watch You've Got Mail while drinking smoothies. 

It's truly been an awesome week!

Thankful Thursday - extended edition

I didn't mean to skip last week's post in order to do an experiment, but I think the experiment worked. Amazing how one week of forgetting thankfulness can ruin everything, huh? The last two weeks have been stressful to say the least, and unfortunately, I've allowed the stress to overtake me. No longer! And my first objective in getting my mind back is to count my blessings once again.

~ God blessed me extraordinarily by giving me two Sunday school teachers, Marcy and Danny, plus countless other leaders, who pushed me at all costs to memorize scripture. Thanks to all of your for your marvelous work. Though I can't remember all those verses perfectly, they have given me such a strong foundation of the written Word.

~ I am incredibly thankful for the glorious weather we have been experiencing here in the north. The beauty of it is overwhelming.

~ My job always appears in my TT posts, and this week is no different. I'm thankful for understanding co-workers who don't give me a hard time when I'm having an off day.

~ I am thankful and excited for the opportunity to live with a new friend and begin a new chapter of life. One more step to being an independent adult.

~ I'm thankful for the blessing it was to go home last weekend: to see my family and my second family, to eat chinese food, and to prepare myself for winter.

~ I'm thankful for making it home in time to still catch some of church on Sunday. I'm so thankful to have a church family!

~ I am thankful for the realization that dancing does not define me, and how that realization has made dancing so much more fun.

~ I'm thankful for having good conversations with my grandma! An event I hope to duplicate in short order! :D

~ I'm thankful for handy friends who can instruct me in more ways than one.

~ I'm thankful for friends who believe in me when I don't.

~ I'm thankful for school. As stressful and difficult as it's been lately, I would be so bored and depressed without it.

~ I'm thankful that my teacher is allowing me to do a discussion topic that will allow me to stand up for what I believe in.

~ I'm so thankful for the ability to play piano. Music is such a great way to relieve stress.

~ Though I don't always appreciate it, I am thankful for how God made me..quirks and all. =P