Life after Christmas

So Christmas has come and gone with its wonderful times and traditions, and now I am back to work, and soon to be back in school. I technically don't have to start school again til next Sunday, but considering they gave the same amount of work to do in 3 days that they would for a whole week, I start tomorrow. So, I guess a 6 day break is better than none. ; ) This would have to be the first year that I was back to a normal the day after Christmas. Life never stops for the plumber! 

As for notable Christmas gifts: snow shoes, for which I can only hope and pray for more snow so that I can use them, a nice soft fleece from my beloved Adam, and wonderful gift cards, most of which I spent yesterday during a big after-Christmas sale shopping spree. ; ) Every girls dream.     ; ) 

Well, I guess that is about it for now. I hope and trust that all of you had a wonderful Christmas as well. Lots of Love! ~Ashley

Merry Christmas

It is hard to believe that it is really almost Christmas! The go go go-ness has not stopped yet, as many people commented about me working on Christmas Eve. I was asked to play at the Episcopal (Yes! I finally learned how to spell that!) church for their Christmas Eve service at 4:00pm. It will be simple for me as it is only a few Christmas hymns, which is nice. After that begins my relaxation and the traditional night before Christmas activities: watching White Christmas and It's a Wonderful life, while eating soy cheese and crackers and soy nog (ok, so my traditions are a little different this year : ) ). Then its off to bed to wait for the joys of Christmas day! 

For all of you who read this blog, have a Merry Christmas and wonderful Holiday season! 

Signs of Winter

Here are a few Christmas pics of us...

Before the big storm
During the big storm

Winter is Here!

Life, and Miracles!

Life is busy as always, but I have a few spare moments so I thought it time to update everyone. Practice continues for the Arlington High school and Middle school Christmas programs. I met with the director, Patty Cody, and the group on Monday afternoon to go over the first and last song, which is all I get. The principle will not allow them to have a full rehearsal, so the rest of the songs we are going to have to wing! Yikes!!! Lots of prayers are going to be said by a certain pianist tomorrow night as I depend on God for even the page turns to go smoothly. Doing these musical things has really proved to me how completely dependent I am on God for even the smallest things. I know that if it wasn't for Him, I would have flubbed previous concerts many times. So after tomorrow night there is another concert the following Thursday, two actually, with the same group during the day. Then in two more days we will have the Christmas program at our church. God is good, though, and I know He will get me through. 

Now to a much more important update:

Last Sabbath we held one of the most exciting events our church has seen.......... 11 Baptisms! But even more excitingly for me, one of them was my Dad! Praise God for the incredible miracles He is doing! God is wonderful, and I am seeing now that He is readying His people in many ways for the days to come. I know this doesn't mean smooth sailing from here. In fact, it probably means just the opposite, but just the same we have the assurance that God will be with us through it all, and some day we are all going to be united in the coming of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ! May we all be there on that day!

God is amazing!

I have been even busier than normal these past couple weeks, as my post last night stated. School and work always keep me at a normal busy, but adding the evangelistic series four nights a week at our church, plus playing for the high school and elementary school Christmas programs, I am a bit overloaded. But God is good and I know He will give me the strength to get through. I don't think I mentioned it in an earlier post, but I was asked to play again for the local high school, for their holiday programs, as previously stated. This will be another $350 for whatever God decides to use it for. I am a bit swamped with how much music there is this time, though. There is a huge stack for both the elementary and the high school programs. 

On a different note, God has been working amazing miracles with the evangelistic series. There has been a steady, consistent group that has been attending these past four weeks, and several of them have expressed their desire to be baptized. Most of them have also been coming to church on Sabbath the past two weeks. I am continually amazed by how God is breaking down barriers and really creating a hunger in people to know the truth in God's word. It has been a privilege to get to know these people and discover how precious each one is. I am only now beginning to understand what a blessing God has given us by allowing us to be used in His work to reach people. The more I experience and take part in it, the more I love it. One thing I have discovered is this work is not as scary as I always thought it was. It is actually really fun to be able to talk to people and get to know them. The devil sure does know how to keep us from the blessings of God though, doesn't he? But thank the Lord He is bigger!

Well, I guess that about wraps it up. Hope all of you are doing well, and if I don't talk to you before, Happy Thanksgiving!

Anyways, 

Blogging will return soon...

My poor faithful blog reader! I have been so slow on posting. The truth is that I have been flat out doing a million things in the past couple weeks, and there is really no hope of things slowing down until after the holidays, but there is SOOOO much to tell, really good things too! So I will do my best to set aside some time to update you all on what has been unfolding here in the past couple weeks as well as what is up in the future of the next few weeks. Until I get a chance, my warmest wishes to you all! Take care!

Survival Skills

Well everyone, I have made it through the first hectic week of my third term. Classes started last Wednesday: Anatomy and Physiology II and College Mathematics (officially the easiest math class in history). So far so good, but the week sure did keep me busy. Between adjusting to new classes, attending the seminar meetings at our church, being substitute teacher for Primary Sabbath School on Sabbath, and playing for the Federated Church Sunday morning, I was more than a little exhausted by the end of Sunday. God is getting me through, though. I was able to catch up with a good friend last night by chatting in gmail. Our talk lasted much longer than I expected, cause it was near midnight when I rolled into bed. But God is good, and I woke up without much trouble this morning, and was back up to normal par energy level after a good workout. 

Oh, for those big breakfast eaters out there, you may have already tried this, but I combined some concoctions that made a delicious meal: Lightly toasted whole wheat bread bread with natural peanut butter on it, Pour homemade apple sauce on top. Then top with slices of bananas..... Mmmmmm mmmmmm good!

Ok, well I guess that about covers it for now. Hope you all have a good week!

First Snow!

So the first big time snow of the year is here! Ok, so there was a morning of snow about a week or two ago, but it didn't stick. This time, it is, and we are supposed to get 1-4 inches! Hurray!!! Not only that, but as of tomorrow night I will be officially done with school....for a whole week! Ha ha. Year round school is not for everyone, but it works well for me, and when I am having issues with it, God gives me the strength to get through. I was even able to listen to a seminar on what I can do with my degree in Nutrition. I asked the teacher some questions I had on accreditation and certification, and am awaiting a response. Mostly, the responsibility is still on me in the sense that I really need to look up people in my area that are already working with Nutrition. I was even given a name of a lady who is...and I have been lazy. Time to kick it up a gear, now that I finally have the time and momentum. ; ) Busy life. Always. 

Tonight was also special because it was the first night of performance for the play I have been accompanying. The kids did great! I think the director was even surprised by how good they did. As for me, mistakes popped up in various places, but God's grace smoothed them out and made it come together better than ever before! Praise God! After all, the pay from this is for Him anyway. ; )

Well, I hope this will be one of several posts this week since I will have plenty of time without school cracking the whip. ; ) For now friends, goodnight, and happy beginning of winter!

Myspace no more

As some of you may already have discovered, at least those of you who made friends with me on myspace, I have deleted my account. Truth be told, I originally started it because I just couldn't deal with Adam and all my friends having one, and me not. I enjoyed it immensely. In fact, many a time I found myself up late at night spying out old friends, or friends of friends I hadn't seen in years. It was highly entertaining, but not in the healthiest sense. Although I was able to contact people I would not be able to otherwise, I found myself being tempted by it more often. Towards the end, I didn't even log in that much, but I just realized that there are so many more important things in life that I was missing out on, like spending time with real people. There were definitely times when school got pushed on to the back shelf, so that needs to improve as well. Also, I realized that myspace made it all to easy for me to judge people based on what little was displayed of their life on their pages. Since this is a character flaw God is still working out in me, I don't want to encourage it. 

SO, my time will once again be devoted more to my blog and the physical people in my life (Yay for those of you who only read my blog and have been missing my inputs! ; ) ). For now, I am heading to bed, but just to let you all know, I finally finished my last test in my health care class and I passed! HURRAY!!!! That means that starting this Wednesday I have a week off from school. More time for updates! 

Farewell my friends,

God Bless!

An Important Mission

So I have been bad about updating lately. Life has been even busier than normal, and God is the only one keeping me above the water. He did hear my prayer, because I was able to sleep for an extra hour and half this weekend! Whaa hoo!!! After three weeks of late nights and early mornings, I was on my last thread. But He knew that too, and gave me a little extra rest. 

School is now winding down since it is week 8 of 10. Or I guess I should say it is winding up. I am trying to get ahead this week since two final projects are due at the end of it. Then, next week there are two comprehensive exams....fun stuff. God will get me through it I know. 

As for more important matters of life, I have been asking God how I can serve Him here, on and off all summer. After watching an eye-opening sermon my David Gates, I believe with all my heart that we are living in the last days. Just take a look around you. The world economies are struggling, the world is endlessly becoming wicked, and just last week the people in wallstreet were seen praying before the opening of the market. It is only a matter of time before people turn their minds from the economic turmoil to the fact that "How have we sinned against God to bring about this calamity?" When this becomes a reality, I pray that all of us may be closer than ever to Jesus. The times that are quickly coming upon us are not for the light-hearted. The time is coming when it will be too late to be lukewarm. God is telling his people to "Wake up! Wake up! I don't want to lost you, but if you stay lukewarm, I will." This is where I found myself. Deep amidst the sin of contentment with the way things are. I had no desire for souls, and I certainly didn't want to make things harder for myself. But God knew this would be detrimental to me spiritually. I realized that if I thought my "ok" spiritual life was going to cut it in the time of trouble, I was dead wrong. Did I really think that my, well I guess I should give a little extra money for offering since it is the right thing to do---then hoard the rest of it for myself, attitude was going to bring me into the kingdom? No way! So that is where God started. I realized I am way too stingy with my money, and that why shouldn't I be giving all of the extra I have since it may not be worth anything in a few more months anyway. News flash people, the U.S. economy is NOT doing well. You can try to convince yourself it is all you want, but read chapter 18 of revelation, and you will see what is soon to come upon us. So, I surrendered to God. I told Him I would give much more of my own funds as well as any extra money that came from things other than working with Dad. Right then He opened up an opportunity to play for a Sunday church in town, a pay of $100. Next he decided to have me accompany a play for the local public school, a month stipend of $400! God truly is amazing! This was a test for me, but God has brought me through. Next He had me play for the Episciple church in town, another $100. God truly is turning this into a sort of ministry, all because He asked me to be willing to give. And my desire towards souls, well lets just say I don't consider this "work" so everything now has a spiritual connotation to it. It hit me that, these people's lives are on the line. Time is so short, and I want to give of all my talents for God's glory. I can't wait to see what He has done with the money I give. 

Well, that is about all that is going on now, but it is an important work. I urge all of you to prayerfully study the prophecies concerning end time events that God may lead you to be prepared in these final times. 

God Bless!!!!

A new day!

Well all, I have discovered, not for the first time either, that this blog has been a success! One of several very important people to me has been reading this blog and staying in touch with my life, even though my crazy schedule doesn't always allow me to call. Ok, so that is a poor excuse, I know. I am working on it though. I got in touch with one of my beloved friends on my birthday, so that was wonderful. : ) 

So, I realize that some of my posts have been a bit depressing. God surely has allowed me to see many sorrows in the past couple months, but He always brings me through the rain and wind to see a beautiful meadow with sunshine on the other side. In regards to my last post, God truly allowed me to see a lot of pain last week. It seemed that my character was ever being tried, and alls I could do was run straight into His arms for comfort. I don't know how many times I ended up by my bed crying and praying, but He does. My fish ended up dieing on my birthday, and that was after I was already a little gloomy on my special day. It hurt, but I wasn't about to blame God. I was a little vane though. Yes, I am still childish enough to long for presents on my birthday, and I had concluded that my parents thought I too old for such things. But God looked past my depression, as He always does, and He healed me and sent me a very special friend to talk to on the phone. It made my day! God lifted my eyes up after that and I saw beauty again. 

Later, when we had set up camp in Lake Placid, I was told to sit on the bench in the kitchen of our camper, and I was served a big ice cream cake! (Yes, I bent my vegan convictions a little, and God convicted me about that later as well). I was so excited, and thought that was it, and then my Mom brought out this HUGE bad that said Happy Birthday on it!!!! I was shocked! Inside was the jacket and sweater I had been druling over at L.L. Bean.  : ) Then, to top it all off, my dear Adam surprised me with a new little motorcycle for my Birthday! God is so good! And I have realized that I can really only see so little of what is going on. I really have no reason to complain when things aren't going my way, because God is just using it to work on my character, and He always brings an abundance of blessings afterward. 

Praise God!

Life and Prayers

So all, once again about to fulfill the fact that my best blog posts occur well past my bedtime. It seems that no matter how much my body aches to be in bed before ten, it never happens. Tonight is an especial case since I have been pelted with "hardships," at least my kind, and needed a different set of pace. After all, tomorrow is my birthday. The funny thing is, I am not in my normal excited mode. Somehow life's little kicks, have well taken me off my feet and left me a little shaken on the ground. Hopefully tomorrow my attitude will be different. For my Christian warriors out there, I request prayer that God would not let the Devil have this victory over me. I need a pick me up, and ice cream isn't going to do it this time! This is spiritual warfare we are talking here folks. Did you know the Devil works hard at those little things that annoy during our day? Well he does. Whether he succeeds depends on how we handle the situation. That is the department where I need prayer. Prayer that I will be faithful, and every trust in my God to get me through. 

Well, now that the very most important business, as it should be to everyone, is said, I can talk about the plans for the weekend. Since my birthday falls on a Friday this year, it became very clear tome that a normal celebration of going out to eat wouldn't be an option. So, my outdoor heart was longing for a camping trip, so that is what it is. Lake Placid, here I come! All those familiar spots are calling my name. The Roller Coster, the Dump, the Zelda Trail, the Floom, Whiteface, the waterfall, and of course, Mr. Mikes! Oh, happy memories from my childhood! Only some of you can understand, and you know who you are. ; ) At any rate, I look forward to this part of my weekend and a get-away from all the stresses of the never-ending work/school week. Oh for a blessed Sabbath of true rest! Now do you understand why our Creator gave it to us? I do. 

Sunday mornings

Well all, my usual Sunday morning actives have just about finished. I have checked my discussion board for school, studied, taken a test, and even make a grand ole payment to the cause! What a morning. The sad part was that I woke up this morning and saw my littlest gold fish laying on its side on the bottom of the bowl. He was still alive but, fearing for his life, I put him in a separate bowl to monitor his progress. He was at death's door for quite a while, but I prayed for him vigilantly (yes, i love my fish. I have had them for almost 7 months now), and he seems to be doing a little better. Prayers continue for his speedy recovery. 

The weather has gone from rain, to sun, and back to clouds, so I still don't know what plans for this afternoon will consist of. Not much has happened this week, although I should note I have been reading a very deep book throughout the week which God has been using to speak to me. He certainly knows how to get me. ; ) And I am thankful that He is not done with me yet. So much growing to do...

Well folks, I guess that is it for now. I should also happily report that my golden birthday is this Friday, and I am excitedly looking forward to a camping trip to celebrate it in the Adirondacks.

For now, tootloo.

Comments from the realm of "should be" sleep

Well, it is 10:37 and I am still awake, doing school. I guess if I were at Southern this wouldn't be a horrendously odd occurrence, but I try to avoid this kind of thing being an online student where I supposedly just do it all in my "free time." I guess I can't complain. Last week I entertained myself with myspace for lack of things to do. Oh yeah everyone, I succumbed to myspace and have my own now. If you are interested in being my friend, then leave me a message here and I will give you the info. ; ) Adam was shocked to see my friend list go from 5 or so friends, to 27 in about a week! I am excited. ; ) Anyways, this week I have all the school I can ask for: discussions, readings, seminar, two projects, and a HUGE exam. Can anyone honestly tell me they enjoy learning about the roots of our healthcare system and EVERY single type of health insurance, or lack there of there is and was in this country? I would sure like to meet you. Maybe you can inspire me a little. At any rate, I am surviving. Trying to pace myself by planning a little bit each day. Procrastination is a killer on my stress level, so I am avoiding it...for now. 

Oh, and this should not come as a surprise to anyone, but there are still multiple people on my "to-call" list that I am desperately looking for time to call. Its seems I will never find the proper time of day for the specific person in which I have enough time to talk and am not weighed down by guilt of not doing homework. So, to Sara, Dannia, Janna, Andrea, and others that I really, REALLY need to talk to, I will call. It WILL happen! Time to get some shut eye all. 6:00am comes early, but thank our God for early morning walks in the fresh, cool air of Vermont to get my body in gear! Tootles.

Tribute to a wonderful life

Diane Coulter was an amazing woman. She was incredible example of what Jesus meant by "let your light so shine before men." In everything she did, she did it for God's glory. It didn't matter what kind of stress was in her life at the time, she always put others first, and extended her love to those in need. It goes as no surprise that a void now lies in many hearts as we grieve her loss. The one consolation we have is being reunited with her again in the Day of our Lord. May we all be there for the reunion that day.

Updates from the Sunny South

Hello everyone. I am writing from Florida on an ever changing Sabbath afternoon. On the way back from church it poured rain, and then by the time we were getting back, the blue skies were out. It has since changed from sun to thunder and back to sun again. Gotta love Florida in the summer! 

The update about my Aunt is that she has both good days and bad days, but seems to be having a good one today. She was put back on a medicine that agrees with her better and her nausea is more manageable now. One of the downsides to the medicine is that it knocks her out at times, and others it just make her say some really funny things. But we love her lots anyway! We really just want her to be as comfortable as she can be. She ate some yesterday, which was the first time in a few weeks. She gets a nutrition pack at night though, so no worries, she does get some nutrition. 

I have been able to spend some really good quality time with my cousin Justin. We have had some good talks about what each of us is going through and spiritual things in general. It is amazing to see what God has done and is still doing. God is so amazing! 

My other cousin Andy, and his girlfriend Sarah are up today as well. Andy is an RN so he will be able to take the place of the nurse for the night. It is nice to see Aunt Diane interact with the family. 

Other than that, not much is going on. I will update more when there is more to tell. : ) 

Hope everything is going well with you all. 

Beauty and God's Beneficence

I took these pictures yesterday morning...

and thought it might be nice...

to spread the cheer! : )

Isn't God amazing?!

So, just as I promised, this is the update for what is happening right now. Due to the continued decline in my Aunt Diane's health, my family and I are heading back down to Florida tomorrow morning to spend some time, in what may be her last days. Gallbladder cancer is terrible. She has stopped taking chemo and Hospice is now at her home 24/7. Her pain level has decreased some since they are giving her pain medication, but I would still ask all of you for your prayers. What has given me hope through all of this is the fulfillment of God's promise that "All things work together for good..." Through the grief and thinking this illness brought upon the family members, my cousin Justin has come to the Lord! It has been one of the most wonderful experiences to become closer to him as he was struggling, and support him in his decision to give his life to Jesus. God is so amazing! I knew that God had plans to bring good out of this bad situation right from the very beginning, but I surely wasn't expecting this. Praise God! So, going down to Florida entails spending time with Justin and continuing to walk with him on this new road of faith, as well as spending time with the rest of the family. I am just so thankful for what God has done and what He is still doing. :) 

I would ask all of you to keep us in your prayers as we travel tomorrow (our plane leaves at 6:30am which means we probably have to leave the house at 4:30am!). More importantly, I ask that you would pray for God's wisdom for me that I may be the best support and witness for Him in the situation down there. May God's will be done! 

I thank you all for your prayers and support. All is greatly appreciated! :) Oh, and I will keep everyone posted as to what is happening down there. 

Thanks,

Ashley

School and a Surprise

So, amazingly enough, mostly to me, I am done with my classes for this term, or at least the part that I was worried about. I completed my Academic Strategies with the best grades I have ever gotten....100%! Course it was the easiest class I have ever taken, but thats besides the point. ; ) My other class went well also, but it was harder for sure. I studied hard all morning yesterday to add to the studying I had already been doing, and decided to take my final for Med. Law & Ethics early so that I could get a lot of things done working with Dad. I was pretty happy with the result. It was not as good as I had wished, but hey, it was a 200pt test! I felt good when it was over! 

After all that was said and done, I headed down to Adam's to set up for something I had been thinking about for quite a while...my parents 25th Anniversary party! I actually had thought about it months in advance, but lacked the motivation to plan it on my own. I was spurred on by my Uncle a few weeks ago and then my Aunt helped me plan it. God really worked out the details so well. He always does. :) Every single person I invited offered to bring food. The result was an amazing spread! My gift to them was to send them for a night up to the Von Trapp Family Lodge in Stowe, VT. Yes, this is where the real people the Sound of Music movie lived after they came here from Austria. It is a really beautiful place, and very well done up. My parents loved it, and while they were gone I got to bake cakes and make LOTS of phone calls. 

The whole things worked out because Adam's birthday was on Sabbath, and Gail decided to have a bon fire get-together on Sunday evening, so with her permission I used that as the guise to get my parents to their party. :) My Mom was surprised. My Dad is a Coulter. Nothing gets by him. Anways, it went really well, and I am so glad it happened. The weather didn't quite cooperate, so we got smushed inside the house like a bunch of sardines, but it was so much fun! Adam's Dad even made home-made ice cream. :) 

Well I guess that about wraps it up. I will post again tomorrow concerning what is happening this week. Hope everyone is doing well. 

Adios.

The newest addition...

Well, what do you think?!

New Bike!

So, now there is another motorcycle in the Howe family. For those of you who know Adam well, you are all shaking your heads. ; ) Don't worry, this one actually has potential! And....its a Harley! Adam was bit by the Harley bug a while after my parents got theirs. He resisted it for a while, but soon that was all he could talk about. So, after after four hours, which should have only taken two...horrendous traffic, to get to Springfield, Massachusetts, we had the bike. It is quite unique looking and I will post some pictures as soon as I take them. It needs some work, but it will be something when its done. Lets just say some guy walked all the way around a convenience store to watch us drive by last night. ; ) I know Adam enjoyed that. :) 

It was all that I could do to drag myself out of bed this morning after crashing at midnight, but time spent with heaven and a fresh start to the day with a walk up the hill set me in running order. God is so amazing! Its incredible what fresh air, good food, sunshine, and words of wisdom from the great Author Himself can do for a soul. I am sure I will be well exhausted by tonight, but for now I am just enjoying God's beautiful morning. 

So long. 

Lately...

So, life is happening, and its running away from me. It seems crazy that I am almost at the end of my first term of school. Next week holds many challenges for time and work and my brain. I have a big paper to write as my final project for Academic Strategies, and a comprehensive final for Med. Law and Ethics. I have come to appreciate both classes immensely. I have learned so much about myself and the field I am going into. 

Its seems so funny to think that I will not be joining the rest of my college chums in returning to the South this fall, but I know God worked this out for a reason and I leave my twinge of sadness in His hands. There are many people that I long to see, some of which are not returning to Southern either, aka Emily, Jessie, Bri, Phoebe and hopefully I didn't forget anyone else. The good part is that I am really enjoying my summer. Even though my time is filled with work and school, I am able to really appreciate the sunny days, my early morning walks up our road, the cute baby bunnies, and the cool summer breezes. All these things seem more beautiful and amazing than I remember. Maybe that is because I actually have time to think about them and really realize their presence. God is so amazing! He created so many beautiful things for us to see! I am beginning to see Him in all of the little things in a way I never did before. 

Also, I am crazier about fresh vegetables now than ever before! :) My lunches and suppers have been filled with fresh cucumbers, beans, peas, squash, zucchini, blueberries, rasberries, broccoli, and cabbage. It is amazing! I love having food fresh out of the garden. Oh yeah, I forgot about the beats and greens. Man those are good! :) Ok, I will stop bragging about my veggies. 

I believe this is squash... :) Its fun picking too.

Ok, well since I can think of anything else to say, I will stop blabbing. 

Adios Friends. 

Baptism!

This sabbath we got to enjoy watching the beautiful gift of new life in Jesus while we were up in Vergennes, VT visiting Adam's cousins Christy and Andrew Charlestream. It was a beautiful day and we rode the motorcycle up there with my parents. 

It was so warm out, and we had worn our heavy coats all the way up, that it was all we could do not to jump in ourselves. It was a really neat place to have it and there was a boat and a few kayak's that gathered to watch. Their parents, Glee and Cathy, played their violin and viola as we sang their favorite hymn. One of the most beautiful parts of the whole thing was this next picture.... 

Andrew came up out of the water shivering as if he had been blasted with a -40 wind chill. As they were standing together after they got out (Andrew still shivering) Christy wrapped her arms around her little brother to keep him warm. If you knew these two siblings personally, you would know how much of a shock it was to me. ;) What wonderful compassion we should always have on our fellow man!

I never cease to be reminded lately how important it is to be there for family, whether they are going through times of celebration or times of trial. When we first got there, I was looking all around to see where Chrissy had gotten to. Just as I was looking off to the right I was almost tackled by a pair of arms being flung around me by the girl whom I sought. It is so nice to see people whom you haven't seen in a long time! As for the other type of family needs, I entreat you all to pray for my Aunt Diane. She has been battling with gallbladder cancer for several months now, and is getting extremely weary. The chemo and many other procedures done for her have left her weak and tired. In a world of pain, I restrain myself from asking God the question "why" but "what" can I do in this situation. Though the most painful aspects of life befall us, I know beyond the shadow of a doubt that God is still here. So many aspects of my life have been ravaged with pain, but God always brought me through it, and even brought many good things out of it. "For now I see in a mirror, dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then I shall know just as I also am known." 1 Corinthians 13:12

~Take heart dear friends in pain. Jesus has a plan for you and He will bring you through!

Weekend in Maine

After a wonderful weekend in Maine, I am back at home. It was a really nice time of relaxation and revival. Upon getting there we parked the camper and headed down to Sam's, a grinder shop up there, where my parents ordered a special one for me...without the cheese. :) Sadly for them, the order was mixed up and all four grinders came back without cheese. Somehow it was my fault for being different. 

After that they dropped me off at my friend Laura's house where I knocked on the wrong house and had to be told to go two doors down. When I got there, I intended to catch up with Laura and take my Academic Strategies class. The first of the two things I accomplished...very well! The real story is that I tried for a half an hour and couldn't log in to my class. So, Laura and I made the best of it and munched on some cookies as we talked. :)

The next day I spent the morning getting schoolwork done in the Freeport church, who happily let campers use their wireless internet. My parents went on a motorcycle ride while I did this and enjoyed the Maine sites. We caught up later in the afternoon and went a few stores in Freeport. It was all very sad for me who didn't have money to buy anything, but I survived (This is coming from a previously die-hard shopper).

On Friday Adam came up on his motorcycle. He left at 7:00a.m.! I was impressed. :) After he arrived we coupled up and got on our motorcycles to go to Cooke's restaurant. I was surprised that the waitress didn't look at me cross-eyed when I ordered all side dishes of different vegetables. I even topped it off with a piece of strawberry pie...Mmmm yum! 

Adams bike acted up a little after that so we headed back so he could figure out what it was. It turned out to be nothing big, so we took a quick trip to L.L. Bean. (for those of you who don't know, this is an amazing store of the east full of everything you will ever need for camping, hiking, canoeing and kayaking, and hunting and fishing) It was nice to be back in our old stomping ground. 

Friday evening we went to the big tent to hear Lee Venden speak. The message was awesome! It was very hard to leave and go to the youth meeting Sabbath morning, but there were people that I really wanted to see there. I was able to see Scott and Andrea, my beloved friends who took me in and let me sing in praise team while I was at Pine Tree Academy. I also met their beautiful daughter Reese. She is sooooo cute! It was a lot of fun to see everyone again. 

That afternoon we took another ride out to Portland Headlight. I love the ocean! It was beautiful. So for a minute I will stop babbling and give you a taste of Maine...

 

So, to wrap things up, it was a wonderful time. I was so glad to see those of you that were up there. Sadly, there were still some of you that I wanted to catch up but didn't see. To you, I am very sorry, but I hope we can meet or talk sometime soon. 

Adios!

Finally the rain lets up!

After several weeks of ongoing rain we are finally getting some sunny days. The only casualties were my work clothes last week when Dad and I had to lower a boiler into a basement during a downpour. I survived, but my mental health is thanking the sun for the uplift. 

On Sunday I tagged along with Adam and his Mom and we picked up his Dad from the airport. He had been gone on a business trip for over a week and was very happy to be home. After his long flight and unexpected delays we hauled him off to Rochester, NH to look at a Harley Adam was thinking about buying. I should mention that we didn't even get there until about 8:30 p.m. It is a very long story, but the gist of it is that the bike wasn't quite what Adam was hoping for, and the whole experience had Gail (Adam's Mom) and my stomach doing flip-flops. He ended up turning it down, much to our relief, and we began the long trip back home at 10:00 p.m. It began to rain later in the trip and we made it through a thunderstorm before pulling in at 1:15 a.m. It was a long night!

To all of my campmeeting going friends, I will be up there on Wednesday night, though it is not likely you will see me then. I have class on Wednesday night as well as Thursday night at 8:00 so I will sadly have to wait for the meetings until Friday night. There are so many people I haven't seen in so long and I look forward to catching up with all of you that will be there. And to all of you that have responded to me since this blog, I thank you! Its been great hearing your feedback and voices and messages. 

Well, since my brain is tired still from the late night and I can think of nothing else interesting to say, farewell friends. 

I made it!

The first obstacle has passed: tests in both of my classes (Academic Strategies for the Healthcare Professional, and Medical Law and Bioethics). I am enjoying online classes more and more as time goes on. The setting allowed me to use all my resources (aka notes and book :) ). However, I realized that I should not be dependent upon this factor, because at least for the Med. class there is very little time to go searching for answers, so I better have them on the tip of my tongue! The other test proved much easier as it only had 15 questions and 1-hour to complete. Couldn't ask for more!

As for the more interesting matters in life, I exercised my newly acquired toy last night. Adam got this little bike for free and thought it would be a great one to have me learn on. So, after getting over my inability to interchange the clutch and gas properly, I began zipping down the driveway. It provides a fantastic form of entertainment. In fact, Adam, his dad, his mom, his grandpa, my mom, my dad, and I have all enjoyed buzzing around on it like a big bumblebee. Notch it up one for trying new things!

To all of my classmates whom I disappointed by not going to graduation (I missed you guys too!), this is what I was doing. It was my baby cousin's 1st birthday as well as my grandfather's 89th. It was also the first time I had seen most of my cousins and family members for six months. I am very sorry that I couldn't make it to graduation, but please know that I was doing something legitimate. :)

And for anyone who is wondering about Adam and I, again, so sorry for not contacting you in so long, we are doing great! However, I am almost as bad about taking pictures as I am about staying in touch. This picture was taken shortly before we left school in April (one of only a few I took all year :( ). Adam was trying his "hairy mountain man look." :) It grew on me a lot, but he did shave it when we got home. 

We were down in Chattanooga that day, watching a boat race. Since coming home Adam has gotten a job. It was a huge answer to prayer for him. He is working with what he went to school for (Architectural Drafting) and his job is literally a hop, skip, and a jump from his house. It was this job that meant that he would not be returning to Southern this fall, thus, I looked for schools around here. God really is blessing us and we are both very happy to be at home near our families and our church. I will keep everyone posted on any updates. ;)

Well folks, thats it for now.

Time to catch up...

I have tried to catch a good majority of the people I know up with what has been going on with me lately, but I know I have not been completely successful. You see, it takes so long to do this when you have to write a 2-page long email to every person that you know. That is why I have started this blog. I hate feeling disconnected from all of my friends and family that aren't in immediate contact with me. So for all of you that are hearing this for the first time, I am very sorry I haven't contacted you personally, but please don't think I have dropped off the planet. :)

Here we go: As many of you know, I have been searching ever since my junior and senior year of high school as to what God would have me do and what would be best for my, career wise. My thoughts rested on Dental Hygiene for quite some time, but those thoughts became restless and the search began again. The second semester I was at Southern Adventist University this past year left me torn between leaving my friends for the unknown adventures at home, and going back not knowing what I would pursue. In the end I decided to take a year at home and spend serious time asking and seeking God about what I should do. 

My prayers were answered sooner than I thought. One of the classes I took at Southern was Nutrition. I was fascinated about what I was learning in the class and began to be convicted about my personal lifestyle. I was angry with God at first, but soon discovered that it would be much scarier to be outside God's will. I knew what He was asking me. I became a vegan. I know some of you are thinking I've lost my marbles at this point, but don't lose me yet. I have eaten dairy my whole life, and it was one of the hardest things I have had to do, but I was strongly convicted, and I could definitely see the health benefits. 

The next thing to go was coffee. That was harder. I have been predisposed to it for a long time, and it took some doing, but I am free. Its nice to wake up in the morning and not feel like a truck ran over me. :)

I was very interested in the field of Nutrition at this point and talked to my professor about what she did. She gave me a run down of the possibilities in her profession, but I still wasn't convinced that God have given me the "go" I was desperately longing for to precede. 

Ever since then I have been thinking about it. I prayed about it considerably and was impressed that God really was leading me in that direction. Once I new that, I set out looking for colleges around here (Arlington, Vermont) that offered it, but.....only UVM did, and I don't want to move to Burlington. I did see an online school, though, so I made some phone calls. I prayed about it a ton and talked to my parents, and we all felt that it was the right way to go. So, within one week of figuring out what I wanted to do and finding a college, I became enrolled at Kaplan University Online. I started classes the next week (June 4) and have been in school for the past three. 

I love it so far. I have great interactions with my teachers and classmates and the schedule allows me to work and pay for school while taking classes. It really is a God-send. 

And now all of you know why it takes me so long to get word around...I write a ton! I promise that not all my blogs will be this long. ;) I will do my best to stay on top of things and post often. God bless you all! and I look forward to hearing from you.