I found a Cockroach in my Apt tonight, it was gross and big. They are very reliant because even though I sprayed it with cleaning spray it still lived~Annie said that apparently they can even live through exposure to radiation~Therefore I had to get a shoe and kill it. I hit it three times before it died and even then it was twitching...So GROSS! Sorry no pictures it is in the garbage.

After Church there was a chili lunch party for those who are 20's-30's . I sat down at a table with some women I had just met there; We were all talking and it turned out one of them is part Croatian. It was fun to share with her about Rijeka as she has not gotten the chance to visit the country yet. Although talking about Croatia makes me want to go back and visit, but I know it wont be for a long time, if I do get the chance. Either way Here is a picture of Rijeka. I have this as my background on my computer :-)

Over the last few weeks and days I have been pondering Love and being a servant. God calls me to Love others, but what does that look like? God calls me to be a servant of others, and to be humble. Yesterday I was thinking about work and what I can do to share God with others, it was hard to think of specific ways to go about sharing who God is. Then today in church the sermon was about being a servant, just as Christ was to his disciples when he washed their feet. (what a passage about sacrificial love, mercy and grace because Jesus knew Judas was going to betray him, but still washed his feet). The main points of the message were to be others focused especially in the world; to no longer think about my status, but rather living in terms of mission. Where I am placed right now is my mission place. Second was to live life not longing to be "normal", but to be "peculiar;" in that others are taken back by our self-sacrificing response to situations. Lastly was about not just reading the Word, but doing. Thus After going over the passage we were challenged to look for 3-5 ways this week to be a humble servant to people. I have been reflecting on the sermon and I was reminded that sharing God with my co-workers is more than sitting down for deep spiritual conversations, it is building relationships through demonstrating love for them through being a servant. So that is my challenge this week to be aware of opportunities to show Love.

This is a good quote:

Helen Keller Wrote "I long to accomplish a great and noble task, but it is my chief duty to accomplish small tasks as if they were great and noble."

Subject Request by Jason:

This post is on a subject which Jason inspired me to write about.
Subject: camping

Camping is awesome!!
I love it so much and I haven't gotten to go for a few years.
What do I like about it?

1. Getting away from everything and going out in nature.
   
2. Seeing the stars
3. Sitting around a camp fire talking and worshiping
4. playing cards (may i)
5. swimming
6. going on walks/runs/bike riding
7. Laying in the sun
8. Not caring about taking a shower
9. Enjoying friends and family
10. Fishing
11. S'mores (Mallows, Reese's Peanut butter cups and grams) :-)
    

In General it is wonderful and I would highly recommend it.

One of my challenges for the year is to read through the Bible. I just started yesterday and thus far I am doing great! I am using The MacArthur Daily Bible for this venture and it has been wonderful. Each day I read a few chapters from the OT, part of a psalm and proverb and one chapter in the NT. Additionally there are some questions and comments from MacArthur along with some of the verses...I really enjoy the formate...Plus the content is amazing :-)

Psalm 8:1
"O Lord, our Lord,
How excellent is your name
In all the earth
Who have set your glory above the
Heavens."

I was driving to a work meeting tonight, when I saw a truck with 3 trucks on it. They were of course just the front of the trucks, but it reminded me of the children's book that asks, "How many trucks could a tow truck tow if a tow truck could tow trucks?"

Just thought I would share.

Today is a beautiful day. The sun is shining and there is a cool crispness in the air. I love it!! It makes me motivated to do things although not enough for cleaning the apartment and laundry. I did go work out and I got myself a crock pot with my gift card from Christmas (Thank you Grandma and Grandpa)!! I am very excited about using, but now it is the hard part of trying to decide what to make first...hum maybe Chicken (without the bones of course)! Well I am just rambling, But i thought I would do a post instead of my to do list.

Five Questions to ask yourself in the New Year: These were from Pastor Brad and his sermon on 12/30/07. I thought they were good to think about.

1. What is one thing I can do this year to increase my enjoyment with/of God?
2. What is the most humanly impossible thing I want to ask God to do this year?
3. What is the single most important thing to do to improve your marriage and family?
4. What is the single biggest time waster in my life and what am I going to do about it?
5. What is one thing I can do this year that will matter most ten years from now?

Over the break I was reading through my entries over the last two years of my blogging life and I realized how little I write about what I am thinking, I mean it is great to have the pictures and updates about what is going on, but I would much rather have writings that have meaning not that they need to be profound, but at least raw and honest to life...I looked up profound and according to the dictionary means "penetrating or entering deeply into subjects of thought or knowledge; having deep insight or understanding" I like to think a lot, but unfortunately I have yet to come out with any profound saying, nonetheless I will continue to think deeply and maybe one day there will be something deep and penetrating written on these pages .

So to start my renewed desire to have this blog be one about deeper things or even just inspiring thoughts I will begin with what I have been thinking about lately.

As each year comes to an end and a new one begins, I always begin to think about life and how short it really is. Each day is but a breath in a year and each year is but a moment in time in light of eternity...This morning at church we spent time in worship, at one point we were reading a prayer aloud (when I get it I will post it) from the Valley of Vision; It was about asking for God's will to be done on earth and giving self over to his will. At the end of reading this prayer I was struck by the simplicity of my purpose in life: to give God glory on this earth, but not just to give it rather live a life glorifying to God. For a brief moment in time nothing else in life mattered apart form doing the will of my father. All the pleasures of life faded away, Oh that we would live each day longing to glorify God in all of life, instead of running to the world and seeking our own gratification. Daily I will chose God for to live is Christ and apart from him I can do nothing. Lord teach my soul to run to you every moment that I would want your will and not my own accomplished on this earth. Thank you for the gift of your Son who has enabled me to bring Glory to your name!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO US!

JAN 1

I turned 25 and on

JAN 3

Annie turned 26