More Summer Goals

Okay, I'll admit.  I feel just a bit funny saying "Summer Goals" when it's 59° outside and there's a steady drizzle.  Summer?  Yeah.  It's taking its sweet time in getting here.  Back in Missouri, it's in the 80's, and I could really go for a good thunderstorm instead of this wimpy drizzle.

But today I bring you the latest news…

Summer Goal #2: Completed



Twenty sets.  Earrings, anyone?!  Yes, I did have fun.  And no, I don't plan on making more at the present.  This is a good start.  (Those earrings aren't for me, by the way.  That would be overkill.)

Did I just mention "earrings" and "me" in the same sentence?  Oh yes, that brings us to...

Summer Goal #3: Completed

Oddly enough, this goal has very little connection with the previous one, except that they both were accomplished on the same day.  I just finally decided to get over my fear of sharp objects being stuck into me and so…



...I got my ears pierced.  It was quite an ordeal.  Would you believe I almost fainted???  Yes, almost is the key.  I didn't.

(Go ahead and say it..."Rachel's a wimp!"  I know.  I really don't like needles or needle-like objects, thank you very much!)

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And this is the secret of my success and happiness.  Now you know.  ;)

(Just kidding.  You don't think I'd give away my real secret, do you?)

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Another day to see God's hand.  I wish I was more aware of it.  But I do know He's at work in every moment, and I'm thankful that no matter what, He remains the same.

Summer Goals

Summer Goal #1: Completed!



From this...



...to this.

Twelve sets of coasters.  Sewing is so much fun!  Especially when you get an entire project out of re-discovered fabric scraps.  Hurray for the scrap bin!





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And this week's featured song is...
By Faith (a new favorite of mine)

Enjoy!  Happy Monday, everyone!

Seasons change
Barren fields will bloom again
Seasons change
Gentle rains will fall
Seasons change
Better days will come and then
You will find the blessing
Is worth the pain
So just believe and let
The seasons change

Class of Spring 2011

I'm going to let the pictures do most of the talking today.



This is us, the MTC Spring Class of 2011.  Graduation was last Friday, May 20th.

Our theme: Trust and Obey

Our verse: Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time will we reap a harvest if we do not give up. (Galatians 6:9)


This is our fabulous Lindsey, who did us proud as class speaker.



And two more shots, just because she's so cute.



This is John, our second class speaker, who also did a wonderful job.  And yes, he wore that tie on purpose.  It was an object lesson.  :)



Our very own Pastor Bob (pastor of the church Esther and I attended) also spoke.



This is our song.  (Click the link!  Do it!)



And there we are.



The congratulations...



The hugs...



The pictures...



Dear friends...



Happy memories...

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And here I sit in my bedroom back in CA, wondering what to do with myself now that summer break has come.  It has been a blessed three semesters.  And life as I know it is changing once again.



Don't grow weary.  Don't give up.
It may be a hard road, but I don't walk it alone.  God has been incredibly faithful to me in the past, and He's going to continue being just as incredibly faithful.  No guarantee that things will be easy or turn out the way I want them to - but He does guarantee that He'll be with me every single step of this journey.

Trust and obey.
Okay, let's start.

Random Fun Memories, Ep. 5

One Saturday evening:

After a campus pig roast, Michelle and I took a walk.  It was quite an adventure.  We climbed on a rock pile, followed a trail up into the woods, and traipsed along a rippling creek.  We found a broken jawbone (belonging to some mysterious animal).  I caught a toad.  (Yes, I did.  Really.)  We admired the fireflies and the stars.  We giggled and chatted.  She kept trying to scare me by pointing out imaginary snakes...

Ah, Michelle.  She's awesome.

Random Fun Memories, Ep. 4

Two weeks ago:

I was hoping to spend some time with my friend Susan before the end of the semester.  I'd pictured a nice, quiet afternoon over a steaming cup of tea or coffee.  We'd be settled in two comfortable chairs, chatting away.  Schedules were crazy, and it looked like we might not find time to hang out.  But one afternoon Susan and her husband Micah were going to clean an old trailer for a lady she knew.  They asked if people wanted to help, and I jumped at the chance.  I knew it would be a hot, dirty, sweaty job - and an opportunity to hang out with Susan.  That poor trailer was neglected...except by rodents.  Ah, dust.  Dirt.  Wood shavings.  Cobwebs everywhere.  Not the most comfortable work environment.  But hey, sometimes the best memories aren't made in the comfortable settings.  They're made in real life with real friends.

I'm so thankful for the friends God has given me - real friends who are the same whether it's over a cup of coffee or in dirty, dusty trailer.  (We cleaned that trailer as best as we could, but it definitely still needed some TLC.)

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Bonus: I heard this song for the first time this morning and loved it immediately.  The weeks and months ahead may be uncertain, and uncertainty frightens me.  But this song is my prayer.  I want the Lord to speak to me, to reveal Himself to me.  I want to know Him better.  Thank You, Lord, that You want to speak to me, that You're with me no matter what, that You have an amazing future for me.  Thank You.
(And thank you, Esther, for the link.)

Random Fun Memories, Ep. 3

Today's installment of the series...

When Esther and I flew back from Christmas Break, we were met at the airport by Christy, her daughter Beka, and our friend Lindsey.  The van had barely pulled up to the curb when the doors opened and all three of them ran towards us.  Oh, the hugs and squeals of delight!  And with five ladies in that van, you can imagine how much talking went on during the 3 1/2 hour ride back to school.  I loved every minute of it.  :)

Random Fun Memories, Ep. 2

Two weeks ago:

I'd gone over my friend Erin's to get an egg for the cornbread I was making.  After chatting for a bit, I turned to leave.  Caedmon, her two-year-old son, followed me to the door.  As I walked back to my apartment through the raindrops, he stood there at the open door, frantically waving both arms.  Every few steps, he'd call, "Bye Rachel!  Bye Rachel!"

I'm going to miss that little guy so much.

Random Fun Memories

Today's:

Sitting at the kitchen table with my friend Esther, sipping coffee and laughing together over pictures.  Ah, good times.  :)

Sufficient Grace

I normally wouldn't post such a long excerpt, but this was so good I decided to. I t's part of an article we read for a class earlier this semester.  I came across it again this morning and it was very timely.  So, without further ado...

"Resist the temptation to rethink God just because hard times come.  Look deeper.  Cling to Him tighter.  Refuse to question His motives.  He's doing something great within you.  Suffering is nothing new.

"It is not always the Father's plan to relieve the pressure.  Our happiness is not God's chief aim.  He doesn't have a wonderful (meaning 'comfortable') plan for everybody's life—not from a human perspective.  Often His plan is nowhere near wonderful.  As with Saul, His answer is not what we hoped and prayed for.  But, remembering that He is forming us more and more into the image of His Son, it helps us understand His answer is based on His long-range plan, not our immediate relief.  Thankfully, in the midst of that suffering, He gently whispers, 'My grace is sufficient for you.'  As with Saul, His grace supplies more than we need to endure whatever it is that threatens to undo us…His grace is more sufficient than your strength…sufficient to carry you through whatever your own, unique 'thorn' may be.

"All this time we thought power was perfected in success…The painful thorns make us weak.  But the good news is this: When we are weak, He pours His strength into us, which gives us an entirely new perspective on pain and suffering, hardship and pressure.  Those stresses and strains drive us to our knees.  It's at that point our God comes through.

"Let's stop looking for someone or something to blame…It's about willingly accepting God's plan, no matter what the circumstance.  It's about finding contentment in God's grace, regardless.
"I have lived long enough to learn that God's best deliveries come through the back door.  His gifts are best received when we need them most, and they always come in an understated manner, wrapped in mercy, and framed with this tender inscription: 'My grace is sufficient for you.'"

- Swindoll

Amen.

You know you're in Missouri when...

...you make lists like this one.

~Two turtles

~Three frogs (maybe more)

~A lizard

~An assortment of large moths and butterflies

When I'm back in CA, I'll have to look for other amusement besides keeping track of campus road kill.

(Thankfully the list hasn't included snakes, so far - although I'm extremely curious to find out my reaction if I ever do cross paths with one of those creatures.)

A question to self

Are my problems big and my God small, or is my God big and my problems small?

Who will I listen to?

Oh, what I would do to have
The kind of faith it takes
To climb out of this boat I'm in
Onto the crashing waves
To step out of my comfort zone
Into the realm of the unknown
Where Jesus is,
And He's holding out His hand

But the waves are calling out my name
And they laugh at me
Reminding me of all the times
I've tried before and failed
The waves, they keep on telling me
Time and time again
"Boy, you'll never win,
You'll never win."

      But the Voice of truth tells me a different story
      The Voice of truth says, "Do not be afraid!"
      And the Voice of truth says, "This is for My glory."
      Out of all the voices calling out to me
      I will choose to listen and believe the Voice of truth

Oh, what I would do
To have the kind of strength it takes
To stand before a giant
With just a sling and a stone
Surrounded by the sound
Of a thousand warriors
Shaking in their armor
Wishing they'd have had the strength to stand

But the giant's calling out
My name and he laughs at me
Reminding me of all the times
I've tried before and failed
The giant keeps on telling me
Time and time again
"Boy, you'll never win,
You'll never win."

     But the Voice of truth tells me a different story...

Quotable Quotes: Friends

Lindsey: You make walking in the wind look like a lot of work.

~

Lindsey (6'2"), surveying my 5'5" frame: If I were your size, I would cry.

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Esther: You're funny.

Rachel: Sometimes I feel funny. Or look funny.

Esther: That's true.

~

Rachel, about an older staff member: He tried to run me over with his car once!

Michelle: You must've deserved it.

~

Ah, the love of friends. :)

Thankful

God never wastes a trial.  Oh, they rarely make sense to my short-sighted mind.  But I'm thankful, so thankful, that He doesn't let my whining and fear and unbelief keep Him from sending exactly what I need.

After it's over, I can often look back and realize, "Ah-ha!  So THAT'S what You were doing, Lord!"  Even in those "ah-ha moments", I catch only the tiniest glimpse of His plan.  But I know He loves me, and I'll never, ever have regrets in choosing to trust His heart.

Somebody please slap me the next time I start complaining about things not going my way…

The countdown

Two weeks until graduation!!!  It's hard to believe how fast time is flying.  There's so much to think about...packing, finishing classes, cleaning the apartment, saying goodbye...  And I think I'll feel insane for awhile.

But in the midst of the mounting chaos, my favorite line from "Praise You in This Storm" comes to mind: You are who You are, no matter where I am.
It's nice to know that God isn't up in heaven wringing His hands, trying to figure out how to handle everything happening in my life.  I may feel like things are spinning crazily out of control, but God is still very much in control.  And I can rest in that.

Happy Friday, my friends!

When plans change...

"When my plans get tweaked, I picture God up in heaven saying, 'Oh, I can't wait for her to see what I've got in mind with this one!'" - E.H.

Rachel's Definitions

Home stretch: They don't call it stretch for nothin'.

Sleep: What happens when your teachers don't assign you enough homework.

Grooviness: The state of being excessively cool.

Obsession: Extreme, undue focus on anything or anyone – except for coffee.

Friends: The people who know what you're really like and still love you.

Energy: What little boys save for rainy days.

Mistake: When you didn't do what I wanted you to.

Misunderstanding: When I didn't do what you wanted me to.

Worry: Something that shortens your life, makes it less enjoyable, and accomplishes nothing.

Discipline: If you don't have it yourself, it will be given to you by someone else.

Success: The result of numberless failures.

A good question

"Where is God?"

"Well, He's everywhere."

"Specifically, where is He in this situation?"

"Uh...I'm not exactly sure what you mean."

"Where was God when Shadrach, Meshach, and Obednego were in the fiery furnace?"

Oh. Now I see what you're saying. "He was with them."

"Right!"

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So often I think of God as being "everywhere" and forget that means He is with me.  Always.  No matter what.

Quotable Quote

"As the reality of God has faded from so many lives in the West, there has been a corresponding inflation of expectations that personal relations alone will supply meaning and happiness in life." - Bishop Chartres of London

I have a God...

...who is bigger than every circumstance I face.

...who is able to see every detail of my future perfectly.

...who never makes mistakes, never sleeps, and never lets me down.

...who gave up His glory and became a Man to die for me.

...who needs nothing and no one, yet chooses to use me to accomplish His will.

...who loves me even when I'm running from Him.

...who is with me even when I feel like I'm alone.

...who forgives me though I keep making the same mistakes.

...who remains faithful in spite of my faithlessness.

Lord, I'm amazed by You.