Dells Get Away

I went on a much needed Day trip with some great friends to the Dells. It is a tourist town that is town for its water parks. We went on the famous "ducks" which is a boat/bus that can travel on both land and water, hence the name Duck. We also walked the strip, had lunch at a nice diner and did some mini golfing. It was so nice to get away from work and everything else and just have some fun!

Independence Day!

This year my goal for celebrating the 4th of July was to see as many firework shows as possible, I made it to 3! (I was pleased with that!). The first night I went to a show in a very small town but it was a very good show! I went with a dear friend of mine who I am honored to be a bridesmaid in her wedding this September! The second show was in the town I am moving to in a few weeks! It was a very short show and a little disappointing. The third show was by far my favorite because it was with some amazing friends and involved watching the fireworks from a boat!

I hope you all had a wonderful holiday as well!

XoXo,

Valerie

June Visit

So this post is long over due but better late than never! The end of June was a very sweet time for me because my sister came for a visit. My sister and her family moved to Michigan last August so it was almost a year since I had last seen her and her sweet baby boy who is now one! My sister came down for a few days for my cousins wedding and then my mom and I went to see where she lived and stayed with her for a few days. I miss my nephew so much already! Here are some pictures from my cousins wedding.

And a few randoms from the visit, including a picture of all three of my nephews, I love being an Auntie!

What a great way to end June!

I hope you are having a wonderful summer my friends!

XoXo,

Valerie

I love Sundays

This past Sunday was one busy but fun day! I started my day at 5 am! I had to work from until 2:30 pm, I quickly changed after work and went to a friends graduation party, from there I went to Church and then had dinner with two wonderful friends. The weather was in the 60's, still pretty chilly for this time of year! Despite the coolness, we wanted to eat outside. We went to a local restaurant that at one time was a church! It is so beautiful, we sat outside by a fire that they light and stayed until they closed at 10 pm. I then drove home and went to bed because the next day I had to up by 5 am once again! Here is a photo of Anna and me at Trinity's

40 year journey

"It is [only] eleven days' journey from Horeb by the way of Mount Seir to Kadeshbarnea [on Canaan's border; yet Israel took forty years to get beyond it].  

Deuteronomy 1:2

I read this today and thought about how often I have made an eleven day journey into a forty year journey! Sometimes Gods' plan is so simply but I make it so complicated and allow so many distractions get in the way. So many times when reading the old testament, I look at the Israelite's and think "wow, they were so stupid at times, whey didn't they just believe and trust in God." Then I look at my own life and realize I do the exact same thing! Why don't I always trust that God has the best plan for me? Why would I spend 40 years trying to get somewhere that only takes 11 days!! I remember the first time that verse really sunk in, I was so amazed. 

Lately, I have been trying to develop a heart of thankfulness, which isn't always easy. I am trying to thank God for everything He has given me instead of looking to and complaining about what I don't have. It is so much easier to complain than to be thankful, but I despise complainers and I don't want to be one! I want to have a heart of thankfulness, a heart that beats for God. 

Flash to the past

Yesterday was the first Saturday I had off in a long, long time! It was so wonderful to have plans with friends and to truly enjoy a Saturday, also a bonus of sleeping past 5 am! I went with some friends to see the movie Iron Man 3, I really enjoyed the movie, although I have not seen Iron Man or Iron Man 2 so I had nothing to compare it to and no expectations. We went to the 3:45 pm showing so afterwards we went to Red Robin for dinner, YUM!
It also happened to be prom weekend, so the Red Robin was packed with girls in pretty dresses and boys in tux's. They all looked so young! It made me think of my prom and how much fun I had putting on my beautiful dress, getting my hair done. I wasn't dating anyone at that time so I went with a friend, I actually asked him because he was a grade younger and couldn't go unless he was asked by a junior. Oh, the memories. Here is a photo me and some of my friends, oh how long ago that was! I think we were trying to be gangster?!

Sunshine in the Park

It was the first time I had a day off and it wasn't raining, so you know what that means!? I got to experiment with my new camera! I had so much fun enjoying the beautiful sunshine and taking pictures. Spring is finally here in Wisconsin and I am loving it! I can't wait to get my hands on some photo editing software and really experience photography!

A New Adventure

I am so excited that I finally bought my first DSLR camera this week! I got the Nikon 3100, I know it's not the best but it is an excellent camera for people starting out, amateur photographers! I am so thrilled to learn    how to use it and to begin taking pictures! I am also looking forward to entering the world of editing! I am not looking to start my own business, just to have some fun and make some wonderful memories as I go.

When I was a student I never had time to do the things I wanted to. I also felt guilty if I wasn't studying or working on my homework and in my "free time" I was working to help pay for school. Since graduating, I realized that I had time for hobbies again! That was both exciting and scary because believe it or not, I didn't know what I liked anymore! I had so much time and nothing to do with it! I of course spent time with family and friends but when people asked what I did for fun, I honestly didn't know what to say.

I started developing an interest in photography a few years ago, I had my little point and shoot camera. But over the past year I developed camera fever! I longed to take beautiful images that I knew could only come from having the right equipment. Now if only the weather would actually turn into spring, I could go out exploring, new camera in hand! Seriously  It is April and we are still getting snow here in Wisconsin, when will the madness end!

You can expect to see a lot more photo's on my blog and more posts!

Worth it All

This is my favorite song as of late, I love all of it!  Worth it All by Meredith Andrews. She has become one of my favorite worship artists to listen to.

Season of lonliness

Lately I have felt so alone, I miss having friends around all the time and always having something to do on a Friday night. Lately, life has consisted of working 40-50 hours a week and church on Sundays. How I long to do fun things with friends, to be silly, laugh for hours on end and just enjoy each others company. I have been transitioning to a new phase in life and it is difficult. I haven't been a student for a few years now and all my close friends have moved away. Don't get me wrong, when I finally do see my friends from far away, it is like we have never been apart and I love, love that!

I am not sure why I am currently struggling to find friends who are at the same stage of life as I am, people who are there for me. I just want to find a few people who accept me as I am, who don't give me a list of things I need to fix. I want to be chosen and loved for me, just as I am.

This has been a really hard season and it doesn't appear to be ending any time soon. Here is what I know:

•  I know that the Lord has a plan for all that He does.
•  I know He works all things for the good of those who love Him.
•  I know the Lord can sympathize with me. Tonight I was reading from Matthew 26 and in verse 31 Jesus tells his disciples, His close group of friends, that they will all desert Him that night. 
• Jesus knows what it is like to be alone. 

I am going to leave you with this quote I came across tonight:

"I do know that waiting on God requires the willingness to bear uncertainty, to carry within oneself the unanswered question, lifting the heart to God about it whenever it intrudes upon one’s thoughts." (Elisabeth Elliot) 

New Name, Fresh Start

You may have noticed that I changed the name of my blog, I feel like this new Title really fits with my life lately. God has been teaching me to find beauty in the brokenness of life and all around me. I have learned to find beauty in places where you would never think to look.

I finally had a chance to read a few more chapters of Battlefield of the Mind and this is what I learned:

• Unbelief always produces misery. 
• Psalm 107:20 "He sends forth His word and heals them and rescues them from the pit and destruction"  (emphasis added).
• As Christians, we need to learn to decide to believe.
• As children of God, one of the privileges we have is believing the impossible.
• We will get from the Word of God what we put into it.
• If we want to do what the Word of God says, we must spend time thinking about it.
• Practice makes perfect, whey do expect Christianity to be any different?
• If you want to be a success and to prosper in all your dealings, the Bible says yo must meditate on the Word of God day and night. 
• Our thoughts certainly affect our attitudes and moods.

So what does all this mean to me? I have learned that when I doubt God or don't believe His Word I am miserable and lacking faith. I am so thankful that the Lord has rescued me from the pit that I was in! I need to chose to believe Christ, I also have the option to chose to not believe (scary!). I can't just quickly read God's Word and not really think about it and expect to get this amazing revelation. I need to mediate on the Word and let it soak in. If I want to be a doer of the Word and not just a hearer then I must spend time with it and think about it. I am not perfect and I need to keep practicing the things God has for me in His Word. I need to take every thought captive to Christ (2 Corinthians 10:5). What I think about will affect how I act. 

What is the Lord teaching you?

New Year

I know it is already the end of January but I haven't had time to post about this new year, 2013! I have really high hopes for this next year and am so excited to see what the Lord will do.  When I reflected on last year and tried to sum it up in one word, that word was difficult. I had a lot of hard times come my way but the Lord was faithful through it all and I am now stronger because of it. This next year I want my word to me Intentional. I want to be intentional about my faith and in my relationships with others.

This New Year is going to bring about changes which I am excited about, normally I cringe at the thought of change. In August I plan on moving back to the town where I went to college, it is about 30 minutes away from where I live now. I am going back there because that is where my job and church are. I also know the Lord is calling me back there. I feel like Jonah from the Bible and I tried to escape Nineveh but at last I am done being in this belly of a whale and I am ready for whatever the Lord has for me! I am also applying for a new job in that city and am excited about the opportunity to work in a different nursing home.

I am also excited to begin a new Hobby! I have been saving up to purchase a nice camera so I can take and edit nice photo's!

This past weekend I traveled a few hours north to see two really good friends from college and it was like we had never been apart. We talked for hours, watched movies, drank coffee and painted our finger nails. It was so exciting hearing about what these two women were up to and what the Lord has been doing in their lives. I really missed them and already can't wait to see them again!

The drive home was not so fun however, there was a big snow storm! You could not even tell if you were on the road or even in your lane. The snow than turned to freezing rain and the sky kept lighting up with lightening, so strange in winter! I stopped at a McDonald's half way home to call my other friend and warn her about the roads, meanwhile I got stuck in the parking lot! Thankfully some employees and customers were able to help push me out! Always thankful for the kindness of strangers. It also reminded me that even when there are storms and life gets tough, the Lord will provide for me and help me.

I am going to go catch up on some reading on this cozy winter day!

XoXo,

Valerie

Battlefield of the Mind

I have begun reading Battlefield of the mind by Joyce Meyers, it is an awesome book that talks about negative thoughts and uses scripture to do it. I have only read the first four chapters but already it is so encouraging, this is what I have learned so far:

If we have a negative mind, we will have a negative life

To have an effective prayer life I need to have a good relationship with my heavenly Father.

Fill your prayers with God's Word.

We will walk across the finish line of victory in any area if we are willing to go all the way through it with Him.

Galatians 6:9

I have spent forty years trying to make an eleven day journey. (Reference to the Israelite's journey)

1 Peter 5:10

When we try to do something on our own, fail and then realize that we must wait on Him, our hearts overflow with thanksgiving and praise as He rises up and does what we can not do ourselves.

Don't receive condemnation when you have setbacks or bad days. Just get back up, dust yourself off, and start again.

Just let Christ be strong in your weaknesses, let Him be your strength on your weak days.

Psalm 42:5

Discouragement destroys hope. Without hope we give up.

God wants us to me encouraged not discouraged.

He uses the difficult period of waiting to stretch our faith and to let patience have her perfect work. (James 1:4) God's timing is perfect, He is never late.

Philippians 2:13, 1:6