Prayer

I know it has been a long time since my last post. Life has caught up and blogging is the first thing to go when that happens. But, after last nights church service I feel the need to share.

For the past couple months our life group has been listening to a series by John Eldridge on prayer. We've been discussing such topics as God's will, and if prayer can really affect our lives if God all knowing. Can we intervene on the behalf of others or does God's will for them to suffer have greater purpose. Just to name a couple. Being a Christian woman, I know how necessary prayer is in my day to day life. And as a sinner I also fail to do it as often as I should.

Last night we had a group called Global Awakening come to church to speak about the amazing things that God is using them to do around the world. Things I've always dreamed of but never thought I would get to experience. My heart has always been aflame to see great works and miracles. Being raised in the church I never felt I had a powerful testimony about God's healing and restoration in my life. When I interned in Africa I had great expectations of seeing God's wonder and the magnitude of the spiritual forces that are at work around us. I came back let down, not understanding why God didn't show me the things that I earnestly prayed for. Since then I've heard stories and been jealous of God's intervention and restoration in other people's lives.

Last night opened up a whole new can of worms. We watched a few videos of the work this team is doing, healing people around the world. They are literally causing the lame to walk, blind eyes to see, and all pain to be taken away. Of course skeptical me thought 'well, maybe this is a coincidence, they just feel better for now but not permanently'...endorphins can do a lot after all. But I know these thoughts are from the evil one. After all Jesus told his disciples that they would do even greater works than he. A concept I have always struggled with. As the service progressed we began to see person after person say that God had healed them. Of course we were all astonished and I was skeptical. I've never been one believe the preacher who yells out that there is a person with a specific problem in a room of 5,000 people and not find someone in the crowd with the problem.

The whole experience was overwhelming, but at the same time I thought it was the answer to prayers that have for so long gone unanswered. At one point I suddenly felt the urge to pray for a woman sitting beside me with arthritis in her knees. We prayed for 10 minutes over this woman to no avail. I was crushed. I truly believed that when I looked up at her she would be smiling and overjoyed. But no. In James 5:13-16 it tell us to pray for the sick and our prayers will be answered. After this event I've come away with more questions than answers. Why does God choose to heal some and not others? Is my faith too weak to heal the sick? Does the Spirit not dwell in me that it might heal others with God's power? If anything, this has made me more hungry than ever. Yet with all of Jesus' promises I was still not assured.

However, in all my doubt God imparted a wonderful gift to me. The peace that I have been seeking for a while now. When doubting my ability to heal others He said 'there will be a time for healing. You will not only heal with your heart but with your hands'. What affirmation that Jon and I have followed faithfully in his direction over the past few months. I almost started crying. I have an overflowing of peace now that God has everything laid out before me. I didn't exactly get what I expected last night. But maybe God showed me what I needed even more than I knew. He tends to do that sometimes.

I am going to continue praying for Barbara, you can join me if you like. I know that she is also seeking restoration and affirmation from God. Both physically and spiritually.

Until next time...

The 12 days of 12th day: 1-6

I know that you have been waiting a whole year for this!!! It is finally here. The 12 days of 12th day are well under way, as is the gift giving around the office. Read the days to the tune of 'The Creation Song'

DAY 1
Day1, day 1, we can't rest till 12th day's done.
surprise: freshman common reading



DAY 2
Day 2, Day 2, we will bring a drink to you...
surprise: favorite sonic drink



DAY 3
Day 3, Day 3, lets go on a shopping spree
surprise: $20 at the campus store, here was my buy! looks much better in person, the ACU is embroidered.




DAY 4
Day 4, Day 4, Jeans on Friday that's for sure.
surprise: not really a surprise that we got to wear jeans on Friday



DAY 5
Day 5, Day 5, Campus Cash is your surprise
surprise: campus cash of course, $20 that I haven't spent yet




DAY 6
Day 6, Day 6, Halfway there don't let it slip
surprise: cookie bouquets! I got a little guitar cookie

That's all for now, I'll do the other 6 when we get them all. They just keep getting better and better!!

until next time

A year of work comes to a close

I can finally start the countdown to end this year of working with the Fall 2009 class. It has been long and arduous. Tomorrow freshman start moving into their dorms. Many of my students are on their way to Abilene at this very moment. I can't wait to see all of them on campus, in their dorms and making friends. The rewards of this job are sweet though it takes a long time to get them. I feel like the little Christmas elves on the movie Elf. They spent all year gearing up for this one day, they celebrate for about 4 hours, and then it is back to work preparing for next Christmas. So it goes with Admissions. Class of 2013, check, class of 2015 here I come!!!

Going back to school

For the past year and a half I've been debating going back to school to pursue a degree in nursing. Well, I'm finally putting money where my mouth is... School starts in three weeks and I'm going to start on my leveling classes for nursing. I'm really nervous about it all, but I'm determined!! I've decided to go through the Patty Hanks program at ACU so I can get Jon's discount and still have time to work part time. Jon's been super supportive and wants to make it work too. I'm so excited about the prospect of this new career, and finally getting into the field that I initially was drawn to 6 years ago. There are still a lot of things that need to fall into place for me to start nursing next Fall, the main one being able to keep working full time as long as possible. Keep me in your prayers, the unknown is always scary.

until next time

Krystina

Bring on the Harry Potter Mahem

I FINALLY got to watch the 5th installment of the Harry Potter series last night. No, this is not the most recent movie that is out in theaters. I felt like I needed a refresher on where Harry's been over the past 5 years before getting into Movie number 6. I finally finished my marathon of Harry Potter movies last night YAY! It is interesting to watch how much the acting of the characters in the movies improve from year to year. I'm sure the next one will be great, although I've heard mixed reviews. I'm still trying to convince Jon to dress up with me when we go see it...but at this point I feel like all the avid Harry supporters have already seen it 3+ times and we've missed all the excitement that induces the urge to dress up. Shucks...well in case you were wondering how we would dress up, I made an artistic interpretation of how we would look.

Jon would be Harry, of course. I would go as Hermoine. And Penny would be Ron, she has the redest hair. The jury is still out on the awkward girl to my left. What was that you said? Possible Halloween costumes...I think so!


Until next time...

Penny learned how to sit!!!

Penny Update!!!

Mom and dad were AMAZING to watch our little bundle of joy while we cruised to Mexico. It was great to have a week of good sleep and no crying puppies. We were really excited to get back and see her though. I had weird dreams that when we got back she was full grown and we missed all of her cute puppiness. Luckily, she wasn't full grown but she did gain 3 pounds!!! She was so much bigger and she seems to be huge now. Luckily with her growing body comes a growing mind too! Jon and I decided to start giving her a treat every time she went outside and pottied. Well, she's caught on pretty fast. Now she runs to the laundry room and waits for us when she comes inside. We also decided to start teaching her how to sit. After just two days she is sitting on command without a treat. What a good girl!!! We do have a long way to go, but it makes me so excited that she is so smart with such a sweet little personality. Here are a couple of newer pictures of her! Her hair is starting to get lighter too.

She always does the little head twist...it's like she's saying 'huh!?'



LOVES the kitchen tile!



She's really good at the one armed, take it yourself picture pose.


I need to learn how to upload video, I have some great footage of her and Jon playing last night. So funny!!!

Until next time...

So much to update, so little time....

Where do I start. So much has happened in the past couple weeks. The majority of which has been spent on vacation! Which I definitely approve of. Let's start from the last post.

Jon and I celebrated our first year of marriage :) It is so hard to believe that a year has gone by already. Since our house was our present to ourselves...we took it pretty easy. Jon and I both had to work on Sunday too, so no out of town quick trip either. We just had a nice romantic dinner at Copper Creek Saturday night and then had our wedding cake top for desert. Sad to say it was awful. The frosting had detached itself from the cake and there was a 1/2 inch gap all the way around. We managed a few bites for photos sake then had cheese, wine and chocolate covered strawberries, yum! And yes, I did break out our champagne flutes and engraved knife and server for the occasion. I also tried to re-create our little toasting picture from the wedding, but that didn't turn out all that well.

Sunday through Tuesday was Passport Student Orientation. It was real long, but all my students showed up so I was really excited. No cancels so far! It was so great to see all the families that I've been working with, some for over a year, finally here and so excited. I can't WAIT till August Passport, Move-in and Welcome Week!!! Only a month to go...crazy.

Friday Jon and I left to go down to Lake Jackson and hang out with my family for the fourth of July. This was our first big trip with Penny and we were a little nervous how she would do in the car that long. Well, she did amazing!!!! She slept pretty much the entire way, and pottied every time we stopped for a break. good girl! I was most excited about her meeting Shiloh and Sophie. I knew that she and Sophie would be little pals and hit it off, and boy were they. They spent the entire weekend play fighting, tackling, pouncing, chasing. It was so fun to watch them, and a nice break from following Penny around the house for hours. That night we grilled out and Jeff and Margaret came over to hang out. It was great to catch up with them and have relaxing family time. On the fourth we just relaxed, mom and I shopped some sales, ate dinner at a family friends house, then went to watch fireworks. I have to give props to Lake Jackson, it was a pretty good show this year! Sunday we just relaxed and got last minute things for the cruise.

Speaking of the cruise...we had such a great time. It was super relaxing, so nice to get away for a while and have no worries except what to eat for dinner...oh yeah and my stupid sunburn. It was wonderful to hang out with Jon's family and go on a proper vacation with them. I think they enjoyed it too. I'm definitely up for another round of cruising, but we won't go on Carnival next time. A word to the wise, you get what you pay for. Anywho, I won't go into all the details now, but I'll post some pics from the trip soon.

Now it is back to work, I officially start my new position at ACU today. We'll see how things go...

Until next time.