Where my heart continues to be....

Haiti.
I read John's blog often to stay up to date of the these going on in Haiti. Tonight as I sit thinking about my future career goals and job: I found this...

Less than half of all Haitians can read and write, more than half of the nation's children fail to reach the fifth grade, and only one in five young people reach secondary school, reports Xinhua News Agency (May 20, 1999):

The United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) provides these figures on Haiti in its report, "The State of the World's Children 1999", the agency's wide-ranging examination of challenges to the right of all children to basic education; According to UNICEF, 58% percent of Haiti's current educational facilities were not built originally to serve as schools. Many classrooms are so overcrowded that only one in four children has a place to sit. And almost two-thirds of all children abandon primary school before completing the six-year course. The vast majority of schools lack trained teachers and less than half the children have access to textbook.
So, as we start to send children back to school, be thankful.
Be thankful they have a chair to sit in.
Be thankful they have the teachers to teach them.
Be thankful for the blessings God blesses us with and maybe one day we can help them!
As I wonder where I'll be teaching, God has put this on my heart, in hopes that one day I will understand his plans!

The average daily wage is $2, and 80 percent of the roughly 8 million people live below the poverty line. Haiti has just three airports with paved runways.

This is an insert from his blog today:

TODAY early this morning Pierre from the Heartline Office left to go to Cite Soleil to pay the registration fee for 46 students. It is seven hours later and he is still not back.

QUESTION: So then John, Heartline has received the support needed to send these children to school? ANSWER: No we have not and I'm not sure when we will reach our goal of having the money to sponsor 50 children, but we are moving forward and will believe God that He will touch the hearts of those who value education and have a heart for those who couldn't possibly attend school with out help.

please go to this website and read more: http://heartlineministries.org/Blog20.aspx

Please pray for Heartline and that they reach their goal to send those children to school!

Maybe we can help! :)

Where did summer go?

Starting with the most recent: Sarah's Bachelorette Party Saturday night!

First time at Strassenfest! The girls had to take a picture

I went to Alabama for vacation in July!

We took the ferry across the bay! Parker and Hunter were having fun!

Parker came to visit and we played at Miller Lake!

I turned 21 on June 22!

Short but sweet! It's almost time to go back to school. I'm still taking summer classes Yuck!
Hope everyone has enjoyed their summer just as much as I have! :)

Jeremy Camp

I found this very moving. First off, I love the music of Jeremy Camp. One day I came across this. Each time I watch it, it brings tears to me eyes.

Updates!

Summer is finally here! This weather makes me happy! O and Sadie (the dog) loves summer too!! We take her out to Miller lake often and she'll jump in the water as many times as you can throw her toy in the lake! She's such a good dog! Last week we finally had the Invisible Fence installed.. So Sadie is in "training" she's doing well, but ran through the fence yesterday! She learned her lesson!


A few weeks ago we had a retirement party (one of many) for my Papaw!! He has taught and built homes for 30 years! I am very proud of this man and hope to have several years to learn more from him!


So, I can see that I must be taking more pictures this summer! I have a birthday coming up and a vacation!!
Memorial Weekend: Again, no pictures.. We're out at the lake all weekend... which means today I'm in the house dealing with sunburns and laundry! We got our jet ski's out Saturday and got them ready for the water!! YAY! Most of our time was spent enjoying family and friends on the water! Sadie got to come to! Monday we spent all day at the lake again and then headed off to the Barr-Reeve Boys Baseball Sectional! Congrats to them on their win!
Then it was time for the Bachelorette... Britt, the girls, and I, could not wait! So, it was after midnight before I crawled in bed. I was exhausted, but feels much better today! :)

*Thursday: I will be attending a small group for college students if anyone is interested... @ the power house @ 7:30 pm

*I also finished reading "I Will Carry You" by Angie Smith a few weeks ago... I would recommend everyone to read it. It is very inspiring. You can borrow mine if you would like! :)

*Enjoy Your Week!!! :)

Advice..

Where to begin?
I've been hurt and I'm trying to forgive... Saying you forgive someone and actually forgiving a person are two different things!!
Back story:
Who I considered my best friend in high school, got married and I was not even told about the wedding..Since one of my other bff's was in the wedding, I found out about it. I was hurt. I didn't have to be a part of the wedding, I just felt like after all the years we had spent together didn't add up to much... I went to this girls sister's wedding.. weird..I just wanted to BE there. I'm struggling with forgiving..
I saw this girl tonight... Again, it is awkward, since we never speak and DIDN'T!!
I'm tired of awkwardness...
I turned to my new Bible that I purchased and love.... I looked up friendship. Here is what I found:
Proverbs 17:9
"He who covers over an offense promotes love, but whoever repeats the matter separates close friends."
Then it goes on to explain that:
" This proverb is saying that we should be willing to forgive others' sins against us. Covering over offenses is necessary to any relationship. It is tempting, especially in an argument, to bring up all the mistakes the other person has ever mad. Love, however, keeps it's mouth shut-difficult though that may be.... As we grow to be like Christ, we will acquire God's ability to forget the confessed sins of the past."
Is this God telling me to act like nothing happened?
Too some who read this you may think this is silly, but it is something I am struggling with. This is one of my chains, tied around my heart, in which, I'm searching for answers.
God wants us to forgive, but what happens when we can't? How are we to get past?
Proverbs 17:17 "A friend loves at all times..." This verse goes on to talk to our loyalty to our friends.... Maybe I'm to blame, maybe I wasn't a loyal friend, listener whatever I needed to be for her.
I guess what I'm really asking is for advice? How do you guys forgive those who hurt you??

Coming up next.....

Be ready I have decided to write down 100 things I want to do in my life before I die! I was watching Oprah today(never do) and her show was about completing dreams that you have. Kenny Chesney was on there, his dream was to take his grandma flying in an airplane which she had never done. I thought it was a great idea to write down some of my dreams/goals and check them off as I go! I have completed two of my goals in this past month... I'll share more later! I'm excited!

Joy

September 2008: Job interview that would impact my life...
October 2008: Start my new job at.... WC Preschool/CC
I meet this little boy. Little did I know he would one day teach me a lesson.
March 17, 2009: This little boy lost his mother, I remember days after this I would just hold him and days we laughed together, played tag together....
When he returned to school, kids often made comments like: "he doesn't have a mommy."
One day we were playing outside and Ethan came to me and sad, "My daddy says if I close my eyes real tight I can see my mommy and I can talk to her anytime."
I may have told you this in another post but.. I found it replaying in my mind last night as I was reading Abbie's blog. I went to bed with tear filled eyes as the picture in her blog made me speechless. I only met Andrea twice. She may have not even known my name, which is funny because I feel I know so much about her life in how her friends and family love and continue to find a cure.
As I said Abbie's post could not have been written any better...
I laid in bed lost for words...
confused......as to why God does what He does? I prayed for the Boes family and for me to find meaning in all of this...
This Morning..... I read...... "PSALMS 30:5 ....weeping may remain for a night, but joy comes in the morning...."
Wow right? Did I read this in my Bible? No
It was on the very 1st page of a book a started reading today. So when I got home I opened my Bible and read some more....
verse 5.."For His anger lasts only a moment, but his favor lasts a lifetime; weeping may remain for a night, but rejoicing comes in the morning. V6. When I felt secure, I said "I will never be shaken."
It is always good to know God is with us, even when we are down in the dumps. When I read this I knew I needed to be thinking of all the JOY this boy brought to my life! How much he looks like his mom is just another symbol of her life, a reminder that we should live life to the fullest for tomorrow is never a given...
Saturday I will take part in the Andrea Boes Relay for life 5K/10K. I'm not a runner so this should be interesting! BUT I know God with be with us, and when He is with us we can NEVER be shaken!

"I will help you"

I had a totally different post planned out but it's deleted and this is what I want to say:

I struggle.

I have faults.

I fail.

But I still have God.

Isaish 41:10-13 "So do not fear, for I am with you, do not be dismayed, for I am your God, I will strengthen you and HELP YOU; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. All who rage against you will surely be ashamed and disgraced; those who oppose you will be as nothing and perish. Though you search for your enemies, you will not find them. Those who wage war against you will be as nothing at all. For I am the Lord, your God, who takes hold of your right hand and says to you, Do not fear; I WILL HELP YOU"

Isn't God all we need?

I've struggled to find God this past few months. Maybe that is why I stopped blogging, I began writing in my Pray journal again because some of my thoughts were so deep it even hurt me to write them. When I was greiving it was so easy to find God, I talked to him on my way to school, I talked to him in the evening, it was just a constant thing. As the months went on I felt I had less to talk about?!? I was confused as to why I felt so distant from Him now. Sunday this verse was mentioned. It hit home.... As I sat there I remembered some of the people that helped me through difficult times or that I have helped. I realized some of those people aren't in my life much anymore. I want to change that! Also, I want to be confident in myself to reach out and help those who need God!

So my Challenge is I'll help you if you help me!