Today is the beginning of a Blizzard! It has been snowing nonstop since midnight! I love the snow, it looks like it will be a white Christmas after all.
Thursday, December 20, 2012
Walking in a winter wonderland
Today is the beginning of a Blizzard! It has been snowing nonstop since midnight! I love the snow, it looks like it will be a white Christmas after all.
Sunday, December 16, 2012
Certainty.
I saw the following posted on Facebook by one of my friends and wanted to share.
During tragic times like this there is inevitably a mad scramble for CLARITY. How could this happen? Why would a good and loving God let this happen? Who’s to blame for this senseless violence?
The problem – Shallow Christian clichés fall short and ultimately Clarity never comes…because at best, we see ‘through a glass dimly…'
During times like this we think we need Clarity when we really need is Certainty.
• I am certain that this senseless act breaks the heart of God because…I am certain that God understands what it means to lose a son.
• I am certain that every one of todays victims was precious to God
• I am certain that God is near to the brokenhearted
• I am certain that no life ever is devoid of meaning no matter how short.
• I am certain that Jesus meant it when he said, ‘Let the little children come to me’.
• I am certain that life is precious and that every day with your kids is a gift.
• I am certain that America needs to rediscover a reverence for life.
• I am certain that a day is coming when suffering will cease and God will reign.
• I am certain that when anyone closes their eyes here for the last time and wakes up in the arms of Jesus - they will be more alive than they have ever been.
During tragic times like this there is inevitably a mad scramble for CLARITY. How could this happen? Why would a good and loving God let this happen? Who’s to blame for this senseless violence?
The problem – Shallow Christian clichés fall short and ultimately Clarity never comes…because at best, we see ‘through a glass dimly…'
During times like this we think we need Clarity when we really need is Certainty.
• I am certain that this senseless act breaks the heart of God because…I am certain that God understands what it means to lose a son.
• I am certain that every one of todays victims was precious to God
• I am certain that God is near to the brokenhearted
• I am certain that no life ever is devoid of meaning no matter how short.
• I am certain that Jesus meant it when he said, ‘Let the little children come to me’.
• I am certain that life is precious and that every day with your kids is a gift.
• I am certain that America needs to rediscover a reverence for life.
• I am certain that a day is coming when suffering will cease and God will reign.
• I am certain that when anyone closes their eyes here for the last time and wakes up in the arms of Jesus - they will be more alive than they have ever been.
Thursday, December 13, 2012
Journal Entry
So I've never done this before and it is kind of scary but i am going to post an entry from today from my prayer journal. My journal is safe place where I write what I am truly thinking, I write it as a letter to God and most of the time would be terrified if anyone else saw what I have written.
Dear Father,
Wow! Today was absolutely horrible! I cried, a lot! What is wrong with me? Why am I so alone? Is it because you are jealous for me? Well, guess what!? You have my attention, now please just show me what to do!
What is total surrender and how do I do it? Does it mean laying down everything I want? Not
having dreams? I am scared of that, how will you know what I want? Does it mean never getting it?
Where has all of this confusion come from? Why do I feel like I know nothing and where do I get the answers? How do I become so consumed in You and drown out the world? Where are you leading me? Are you leading me or am I simply choosing to walk the other way? I don't like this distance I feel.
"Come back, my LOVE come back!"
Give me freedom! Where the Spirit of the Lord is there is freedom. Free me from whatever is holding me captive. Help me to call sin, sin!
Love,
Valerie
PS. My mind tends to jump from thought to thought, sometimes with no connection at all!
Dear Father,
Wow! Today was absolutely horrible! I cried, a lot! What is wrong with me? Why am I so alone? Is it because you are jealous for me? Well, guess what!? You have my attention, now please just show me what to do!
What is total surrender and how do I do it? Does it mean laying down everything I want? Not
having dreams? I am scared of that, how will you know what I want? Does it mean never getting it?
Where has all of this confusion come from? Why do I feel like I know nothing and where do I get the answers? How do I become so consumed in You and drown out the world? Where are you leading me? Are you leading me or am I simply choosing to walk the other way? I don't like this distance I feel.
"Come back, my LOVE come back!"
Give me freedom! Where the Spirit of the Lord is there is freedom. Free me from whatever is holding me captive. Help me to call sin, sin!
Love,
Valerie
PS. My mind tends to jump from thought to thought, sometimes with no connection at all!
Wednesday, December 12, 2012
12-12-12
Happy Aaron Rodgers Day to all my Packer loving friends!
It is also an excuse to post a picture of my new hair so my sister who lives in Michigan can see it! :D
It is also an excuse to post a picture of my new hair so my sister who lives in Michigan can see it! :D
Saturday, December 8, 2012
Freedom from the Pit
Do you ever find yourself feeling stuck? Like every one around you keeps moving on with life mean while some one has hit the pause button on your life? So much has happened lately but at the same time nothing has happened.
I was interning with Cru for a few months until my team leader approached me one night and told me that he didn't think this type of ministry was for me. My personality and how I was designed just didn't work with this job was the basis of what I heard that night through many tears that fell. I knew things weren't going perfectly and that it was a challenge, but isn't most ministry challenging? I was caught completely off guard, I had no idea something like this could even happen. I was at a loss of what to do. All I wanted to do was serve the Lord, make disciples, lead a women's Bible study, make a difference.
For a month I felt like there was a huge pit and I was 10 feet under that pit with a huge rock on top of me and couldn't get up. I didn't know what to do with my self, I had arrange my nursing job so I had very few hours, I needed to figure somethings out and fast! I was able to get more and more hours at my job but it didn't make me happy. I work as a RN at various nursing homes and it can be completely draining at times. Super busy shifts with little respect or encouragement. I have interviewed for various jobs at local hospitals and so far have come up empty handed. More discouragement.
Most of my friends where staff members from Cru or students from Cru. It was difficult to see them, to watch them continue on with their lives mean while I wanted to scream "What is wrong with you!? Don't you see me over here! You forgot about me!" I felt so alone and friendless. My best friend is currently in another country doing an 11 month missions internship, my sister moved to another state and my other friends where busy with school.
I spent a lot of wasted time feeling sorry for myself when I should have been going to the Lord in prayer. How I longed to pour my heart out to anyone who would listen and I chose not to go to the One who has all the answers, the only One capable of healing my heart. I began neglecting my relationship with the Lord, not on purpose it just kind of happened. I would read my Bible less or go a few days with out even opening it. My prayers consisted of me asking for a few things before I drifted off to sleep. My life just kept going in this downward spiral.
I started going through this Bible Study on my own, "Breaking Free" by Beth Moore. I realized that I needed to run to the Lord, that He was longing for me, that He wanted me to pour out my heart before Him. He wanted to talk to me, to listen to me, to be there for me. I am only in the fourth week of the Bible study and it runs for ten weeks but already I have began to get up and go to the One who can help me.
Yes, it is still hard and I am still not sure what to do with life or where I am headed but I do know that wherever I am going, I want to get there with my eyes completely focused on Jesus.
I was interning with Cru for a few months until my team leader approached me one night and told me that he didn't think this type of ministry was for me. My personality and how I was designed just didn't work with this job was the basis of what I heard that night through many tears that fell. I knew things weren't going perfectly and that it was a challenge, but isn't most ministry challenging? I was caught completely off guard, I had no idea something like this could even happen. I was at a loss of what to do. All I wanted to do was serve the Lord, make disciples, lead a women's Bible study, make a difference.
For a month I felt like there was a huge pit and I was 10 feet under that pit with a huge rock on top of me and couldn't get up. I didn't know what to do with my self, I had arrange my nursing job so I had very few hours, I needed to figure somethings out and fast! I was able to get more and more hours at my job but it didn't make me happy. I work as a RN at various nursing homes and it can be completely draining at times. Super busy shifts with little respect or encouragement. I have interviewed for various jobs at local hospitals and so far have come up empty handed. More discouragement.
Most of my friends where staff members from Cru or students from Cru. It was difficult to see them, to watch them continue on with their lives mean while I wanted to scream "What is wrong with you!? Don't you see me over here! You forgot about me!" I felt so alone and friendless. My best friend is currently in another country doing an 11 month missions internship, my sister moved to another state and my other friends where busy with school.
I spent a lot of wasted time feeling sorry for myself when I should have been going to the Lord in prayer. How I longed to pour my heart out to anyone who would listen and I chose not to go to the One who has all the answers, the only One capable of healing my heart. I began neglecting my relationship with the Lord, not on purpose it just kind of happened. I would read my Bible less or go a few days with out even opening it. My prayers consisted of me asking for a few things before I drifted off to sleep. My life just kept going in this downward spiral.
I started going through this Bible Study on my own, "Breaking Free" by Beth Moore. I realized that I needed to run to the Lord, that He was longing for me, that He wanted me to pour out my heart before Him. He wanted to talk to me, to listen to me, to be there for me. I am only in the fourth week of the Bible study and it runs for ten weeks but already I have began to get up and go to the One who can help me.
Yes, it is still hard and I am still not sure what to do with life or where I am headed but I do know that wherever I am going, I want to get there with my eyes completely focused on Jesus.
Tuesday, November 20, 2012
Hope
1 Thessalonians 5:17
New King James Version (NKJV)
17 pray without ceasing,
I have really learned the meaning of this verse this past week as a friend of mine who has Cystic Fibrosis was fighting for his life. He had a double lung transplant which had some complications. Every free moment I had I was praying to the God who heals, that he would heal my friend Adam. Seeing what he has gone through and the response of his family and friends has truly been amazing and eye opening. There was one specific night when Adam could have gone home to his Father in heaven that really caused me to examine my own life. Adam is the same age as me, when I think about people dying, I usually think about the old people in the nursing home that I take care of but never some one my age. So as I examined my life I decided to wake up and make every moment count for the Lord. I know I am no where near perfect and that I will mess up, but I really want to do everything I can for the Lord because you never know how much time you have left.
Facebook became alive with friends status about praying for Adam and it was truly amazing to see. For my Facebook friends who are not Christians they sure have had the chance to see many of my status updates about prayer requests for Adam and Bible verses that his parents chose to share on that day. Who knows, maybe somebodies life was greatly impacted by reading about what the Lord is doing for Adam. That is my prayer, the Lord would use this story to impact many lives, I know He is!
This was painted by Adam.
Saturday, November 17, 2012
I'm Back!
Hello and sorry for my unexplained absence. So much has happened and life has really been crazy but I am back now and hope to be writing often but we will see what happens. I just want to catch you up on everything right away but I don't think you want to sit here for that long!! I have grown a lot in my relationship with the Lord over these past 4 or 5 months that I have been gone and there have been some life changes as well. The Lord has been so good through it all and I will be writing many posts to catch you up! I hope you are all enjoying this time of Thanksgiving! Talk to you soon!
Wednesday, July 18, 2012
Wednesday, May 16, 2012
Goodbye old, Hello New
A few weeks ago I was in an accident and totaled my car. Not a very good start to support raising! Thankfully no one was hurt in the accident. I had a red light but didn't notice it because I was looking for a street sign. I was crossing a one way street that had two lanes. My car was hit from the front and the back.
On the upside I got a new car!
Tuesday, May 8, 2012
Where have I been ?
Dear friends,
I am so sorry for my long time absence on my blog. So much has happened yet so little. In April I attended a conference called Kingdom Called. The conference was to train me in how to raise support for this upcoming year. I have been accepted to intern with cru (formerly Campus Crusade for Christ)! Essentially I am a missionary to a few local colleges here in the states.
I am so thrilled for this internship. The Lord has already taught me so much and I haven't even begun! Theses past few weeks I have been setting up appointments to meet with people and explain to them how they can partner with my ministry. It is so exciting to tell others about the vision God has given me for this next year! It is also frightening when I think about the amount of money that I must raise, in fact it is so much that I know it will only come through if this is God's will because I desperately need His help!
Normally in life I like to have a back up plan, just in case my current plan doesn't work. That is not the case with this next year, God has removed every back up plan I can think of. So what does that mean? It means for once in my life I NEED to completely rely on Him and trust Him to come through for me. I mean sure, I need to pick up the phone call people and meet up with them. But ultimately it is God who will provide for my ministry. I have never been in a season in my life where I absolutely NEED to rely on the Lord for everything. While support raising I am only able to work 8-16 hours a week! Just enough to pay the bills. I am also learning how to live with a tight budget.
I am so excited to see where I will be when I am done support raising and after a year of interning. There is no way that I can not grow through out both of these processes!
Well that is it for now, I will be sharing more of what has happened in this past month soon!
XoXo,
Valerie
I am so sorry for my long time absence on my blog. So much has happened yet so little. In April I attended a conference called Kingdom Called. The conference was to train me in how to raise support for this upcoming year. I have been accepted to intern with cru (formerly Campus Crusade for Christ)! Essentially I am a missionary to a few local colleges here in the states.
I am so thrilled for this internship. The Lord has already taught me so much and I haven't even begun! Theses past few weeks I have been setting up appointments to meet with people and explain to them how they can partner with my ministry. It is so exciting to tell others about the vision God has given me for this next year! It is also frightening when I think about the amount of money that I must raise, in fact it is so much that I know it will only come through if this is God's will because I desperately need His help!
Normally in life I like to have a back up plan, just in case my current plan doesn't work. That is not the case with this next year, God has removed every back up plan I can think of. So what does that mean? It means for once in my life I NEED to completely rely on Him and trust Him to come through for me. I mean sure, I need to pick up the phone call people and meet up with them. But ultimately it is God who will provide for my ministry. I have never been in a season in my life where I absolutely NEED to rely on the Lord for everything. While support raising I am only able to work 8-16 hours a week! Just enough to pay the bills. I am also learning how to live with a tight budget.
I am so excited to see where I will be when I am done support raising and after a year of interning. There is no way that I can not grow through out both of these processes!
Well that is it for now, I will be sharing more of what has happened in this past month soon!
XoXo,
Valerie
Friday, March 16, 2012
Spring is here!
The weather is finally getting nice and I mean like 60s and 70s nice!! It is so nice to be able to go outside with out a bunch of layers on! Also I can wear all my cute flats now that the snow is gone!! Here are a few pictures from Wednesday.
Monday, February 27, 2012
Kari Jobe
You are for me
I love, love, love this song and pretty much any song Kari sings. She is my new favorite singer at the moment. This is such a great reminder that God is there for us! <3
Thursday, February 23, 2012
Full Acceptance
Hello Valerie,
Congratulations on your full acceptance as a Campus Ministry intern of Campus Crusade for Christ! We are excited as we anticipate what God will do in and through you during this coming year.
Yahoo! I'm accepted in Intern with CRU this fall! I know have to start working on raising support, which I know is not going to be an easy task. I've raised money before for mission trips but never for an entire year! I know that in order to raise all the support I need God is going to have to come through, BIG time!
I am so exited to begin this new journey in life and I will be sharing it with all of you as well! I will try to keep you updated as much as possible during this experience and let you in on what God does through out my year as an intern. I am so grateful for this opportunity to serve God in this way!
 |
| source |
Saturday, February 11, 2012
Discouraged
My afternoon can be summed up in one word today - DISCOURAGED. As I wrote about in my last post, I have applied to intern with CRU, which would mean going in to full time ministry. My dad is not very happy with my decision, he doesn't understand at all why I would give up my nursing career to do a job that requires me to raise support. He refuses to talk to me directly about it but tells my brother and sister-in-law exactly what he thinks about it. As a daughter, I long to please my father and it hurts to know that he is not happy with a choice I have made. I know the Lord is calling me to ministry and the most important thing I can do is to please my heavenly Father, so Father I trust You.
If you pray, please pray for me and for a change in my dad's heart.
If you pray, please pray for me and for a change in my dad's heart.
 |
| source |
Friday, February 10, 2012
Patience
Patience is something I lack from time to time ... but don't we all!? If you remember back in November I went to a conference called Life Options which I wrote about in this post. Since than I have been praying and seeking out God's will, His plan for me. I have never felt more sure that He has called me to full time ministry. I am so excited for this next part of life, this new chapter. (I have not officially been accepted yet but should here back sometime this month! I can't wait to find out!) While I am excited, it is also kind of scary. I mean who am I that God would chose me to pour into the lives of college students? I bet I'm feeling a lot of the same things Moses felt when God told him that he was to go talk to Pharaoh! I will be joining an amazing staff team and can not wait! Each day I check my email, longing, hoping, holding in my breathe, that today would be the day I find out.
I hope you all have a wonderful Friday! Here in Wisconsin it is snowing out, yet again! I was suppose to drive an hour to get to work tonight but I got called off. I am relieved that I don't have to drive in the snow but a little sad because I could use the money! I also get to spend one last night with a friend who is leaving for one year to serve in the army.
I hope you all have a wonderful Friday! Here in Wisconsin it is snowing out, yet again! I was suppose to drive an hour to get to work tonight but I got called off. I am relieved that I don't have to drive in the snow but a little sad because I could use the money! I also get to spend one last night with a friend who is leaving for one year to serve in the army.
Tuesday, February 7, 2012
My Beloved
Last night I went to an event sponsored by CRU called My Beloved. Basically girls and guys get all dressed up and the guys serve the ladies desserts, than the guys leave and us ladies had some wonderful worship, speakers a drama and fellowship. It was such a great night. What girl doesn't love an excuse to get all dolled up!
 |
| The Fond Du Lac Ladies |
 |
| Some amazing Oshkosh Friends |
 |
| My roommates |
 |
| The seniors (plus me, I graduated two years ago!) |
 |
| The Fond Du Lac Ladies with Luis |
Sunday, January 8, 2012
Here is to new beginnings in 2012!
I apologize for my absence, to say life has been crazy it to put it simply! The last time I posted it was for my birthday which was almost a month ago! Hard to believe how fast the time was gone! 5 days before Christmas I got really, really sick! I had a horrible flu and went 3 days with out eating anything because it was just that miserable! Thankfully I recovered just in time to enjoy the wonderful foods that accompany Christmas!
This was definitely a different Christmas, it couldn't have been over fast enough for me! I'm not going to lie or hold back, this Christmas was not very good to me. To begin with my mom got engaged the day before Christmas Eve. Ugh, it is so hard to see this spelled out in words but I know it will help. I don't like my mom's fiance, when she started dating him she gave up her faith and changed into a different person. This made me really sad and when I made my mother aware of my feelings she just shrugged them off and became angry at me. That really hurt. I'm still trying to deal with that and that happened 5 years ago! I was really hurt and it did damage to my relationship with my mother who I had always looked up to until that point.
On Christmas Eve I spent the day with my dad and his family, just like every year. Within 15 minutes of being at my dad's house he and his wife (who I also don't really like, again still working on this!) were arguing and I mean REALLY arguing, swearing and the whole shebang! I didn't know how to intervene so I just simply looked at them and said "Merry Christmas everyone!" That stopped them for about 2 seconds.
This is only the beginning, the rest I don't want to share yet. I'm asking you my friends and fellow bloggers to please, please pray for me and my family as things have not been easy. It is truly a challenge to be the only believer in your entire family! I have really been struggling a lot lately and would appreciate any prayers! Maybe at a later date I will share more of my struggles but for now this is all I can do.
My "blogging goal" for 2012 is to obviously post more often and secondly to be completely real with all of you. I hope your 2012 is starting out grand, I am expecting great things from this new year! I did have a wonderful New Years which I will share about in my next post!
This was definitely a different Christmas, it couldn't have been over fast enough for me! I'm not going to lie or hold back, this Christmas was not very good to me. To begin with my mom got engaged the day before Christmas Eve. Ugh, it is so hard to see this spelled out in words but I know it will help. I don't like my mom's fiance, when she started dating him she gave up her faith and changed into a different person. This made me really sad and when I made my mother aware of my feelings she just shrugged them off and became angry at me. That really hurt. I'm still trying to deal with that and that happened 5 years ago! I was really hurt and it did damage to my relationship with my mother who I had always looked up to until that point.
On Christmas Eve I spent the day with my dad and his family, just like every year. Within 15 minutes of being at my dad's house he and his wife (who I also don't really like, again still working on this!) were arguing and I mean REALLY arguing, swearing and the whole shebang! I didn't know how to intervene so I just simply looked at them and said "Merry Christmas everyone!" That stopped them for about 2 seconds.
This is only the beginning, the rest I don't want to share yet. I'm asking you my friends and fellow bloggers to please, please pray for me and my family as things have not been easy. It is truly a challenge to be the only believer in your entire family! I have really been struggling a lot lately and would appreciate any prayers! Maybe at a later date I will share more of my struggles but for now this is all I can do.
My "blogging goal" for 2012 is to obviously post more often and secondly to be completely real with all of you. I hope your 2012 is starting out grand, I am expecting great things from this new year! I did have a wonderful New Years which I will share about in my next post!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
LinkWithin
