tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-57856366174809314222024-02-08T10:28:37.345-08:00Jesus is All I needThe ramblings of my life that rarely make much senseNicole Mariehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04813453738961827647noreply@blogger.comBlogger59125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5785636617480931422.post-15962662413895735812011-04-14T23:10:00.001-07:002011-04-14T23:14:17.631-07:00wowzers<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">a. its been a long time since I posted anything here</span></b><br />
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">b. I am almost ready to graduate</span></b><br />
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">c. God is pretty amazing</span></b><br />
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">d. I just got through hell week only by His power</span></b><br />
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">e. Accepted into Grad school and decision pretty much made</span></b><br />
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">f. Here in the power of Christ I stand</span></b><br />
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">g. Spring Break starts now</span></b><br />
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">h. God is good all the time!!!!</span></b><br />
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">i. AMEN!!!!</span></b>Nicole Mariehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04813453738961827647noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5785636617480931422.post-48042791754209475862011-01-12T18:17:00.000-08:002011-01-12T18:17:56.423-08:00What to do....So question,<br />
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What do you do with homosexuality??? As a christian I do believe it is wrong but how do I come to that conclusion based on the bible, besides the section in Romans 1? And while I know it exists in Leviticus, why would we choose to follow that law and not the others that exist in that book.<br />
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If one were to have a discussion about why it is wrong biblically, what would that look like in the modern and liberal world that one lives in??<br />
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I seriously do want to know....it's something that has been on my heart for quite awhile now.Nicole Mariehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04813453738961827647noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5785636617480931422.post-3316734850840508802010-12-16T11:32:00.001-08:002010-12-16T11:32:26.014-08:00Simple and SweetMoving on in a way to this <a href="http://nicoleyost.tumblr.com/">http://nicoleyost.tumblr.com/</a><br />
Not that i still won't post here but there is a simplicity to this newness that i rather enjoy!!<br />
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So simple and sweet!!! A heart of dreams!!Nicole Mariehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04813453738961827647noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5785636617480931422.post-89501511006655500872010-11-28T13:56:00.002-08:002010-11-28T13:57:39.042-08:00Living more than one separate life......<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">Today I am in this hugely contemplative mood......so much so that I am taking time away from cleaning and putting away clothes to write whats on my mind, before all of it is gone.....perhaps its because its a holiday weekend and I have had all the time in the world to think since Wednesday morning, perhaps it's because I have seen a max of 3 people in the last 4 days, and perhaps it's because more time alone, and more time sleeping than is my normal quota. Regardless.....it's thanksgiving time, and it will soon be Christmas break (3 weeks!!), and while I cannot wait to go home, I am also realizing how quickly time here is going....and it leaves me feeling weirdly contemplative and kind of sad....so here is a glimpse into the ramblings of my brain....</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 14px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">sometimes i feel like I live 2 or 3 completely separate lives...and its a strange feeling </span></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">The last several weeks, I feel like I have only been doing enough to get by, and to keep on living, I haven't spent much time with friends, other than my roommates, and even that has been limited. My life has been so consumed by homework, and class, and internship, and work, and trying to get enough sleep, that I feel like everything is slipping through my fingers like sand, and I can't seem to be able to grab a hold of anything. I am realizing that I haven't taken enough pictures, I haven't taken in enough chapel or class, I haven't given enough hugs, I haven't stepped outside of my box enough, and its almost to late for any of that to be done. I am realizing that many of these moments here, will be many last moments and it makes me sad. I have loved going to school here at APU, and I have loved living on the west coast, and I have loved living close to LA. But I don't feel like I have taken advantage of those things like I should have and lived up those experiences like I wish I did. Often I find myself in a place of complaining about the ever abundant homework, and the professor I don't like, and the weather that's too cold, and the friends I never have time for and the home that I miss. But in reality I am quickly realizing that those things are so quickly slipping through my fingers and this all is a once in a lifetime experience and what I am going to do with it in the short time that God has granted it to me, complain or rejoice??? And maybe this feeling is in part, due to the fact that instead of having 4 years here, I have only had 2. While I don't regret going to community college for 2 years and having that paid off, however, I wish that i could have had this experience for 4 years. But what I have is the next 6 months.....</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">Sometimes I wish I could live here for many more years, and to continue in this life that I have been living. But I think more than anything, its because it's comfortable to me and anything else will be new and scary and NOT comfortable. Anyone who knows me well, knows that I hate change, unless of course I make the change and I am comfortable with it. So now that I am in my senior year with one semester almost done and only 1 more to follow....here comes change, whether I like it or not, and there is nothing I can do about it. I think my mom is probably right, I would stay in school forever because I like school, and because it would mean that I don't have to face life. But it's time for me to face the change, I can't stop it from coming, it will march steadily towards me, while I march towards it in only 160 days to the tune of Pomp and Circumstance. So instead of being sad, that I will have to leave this beautiful place, what will I do with the moments that I have left, and the time that I have left, and the once in a lifetime friends that God has granted me. What will I do that will bring glory to the One who has for now, given me this. I must seize those moments that come my way and I must jump on the opportunities, since they might just be my last. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">In no way, take this to mean that I don't want to graduate, I DO!!! After 4 years of school, I can't believe that its all coming true and that I will granted a Bachelors Degree in Social Work. I can't wait for that day May 7th, 2011!!!! But I am just realizing that I don't want to be so wrapped up in that day, and in the afterwards, that I miss all the beautiful pictures that God has yet to place before me. I think many of us seniors, would outwardly say that we can't wait until graduation, but inside we groan at the thought of having to leave what we love, and missing out on a life that has been good to us, and having to face reality for the first time in our lives....or maybe it's just me, who has these random thoughts. Regardless I am excited about the prospect of getting my Masters in Social Work and going to Grad school, at a place that only God knows where. I am excited about pursuing internships after that graduation, and working in a third world country, doing relief and development work, just like my dream has always been. And I am hopeful about pursuing photography that I can then use as a means of advocating for people, and children, and families, and communities, and villages, and countries, and nations that the world will finally sit up and take notice of these people. That's my dream, and I can't wait to pursue that. I can't wait for the day when I don't have homework, when my weekends are truly my weekends, when sleep is something that happens regularly, when holiday breaks get to be holiday breaks and not homework sessions, when a place to live is truly mine without a lot of rules and stipulations, when I get to own a dog, when life is not easier or grander or better or worse, its just simply......different. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">So can I be happy and sad, contemplative and excited all at once......I think I can.....Happy for what life is and where I am at, sad to be leaving this wonderful place, contemplative of lost and unclaimed and yet to come moments, and excited for all that God has in store for me, and the places I will go, and the things I will see. In 160 days, I know that I will be walking down an isle with all of my fellow graduates, but on day 161 I have no clue where life will take me. Will I stay here for another year for grad school, or will I be moving on from here. Where will grad school be? Only God knows where. Will it be New York City, or Los Angeles, Boston, or North Carolina, Cleveland or Cincinnati, Florida or Georgia, St. Louis or Chicago, Texas or Arizona. The options are plentiful and only God knows where...</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">If any of that makes any sense maybe now you will understand why sometimes I feel like I am living 2 or 3 completely different lives, and I am happy and I am sad all at the same time. What did I get from this? I will be excited for the future, loving the life I now life, thankful for opportunities that come my way, rejoicing in the small things, and not taking for granted all that God has, for now, given to me!! And now its back to cleaning and putting away clothes before all of the roommates come home!!</span>Nicole Mariehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04813453738961827647noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5785636617480931422.post-89893440964536900522010-09-20T20:39:00.000-07:002010-09-20T20:39:00.513-07:00It's a new day....It's a new time....It's a new year....Yes, this is the first blog post in a while... school is back in session now, and I have had to say goodbye to carefree days, days of shorts and tanks, days spent with mom and my family, days spent sleeping in, days spent reading fiction for fun, days spent doing whatever, days spent with Kinzie, days at the fair, days at Crossing, and days spent blissfully in summer.... Instead I had to say Hello again, to school, to new transfer leader friends, to orientation weekend, to new students and their frantic parents, to the crazy move-in rush, to people all over my beautiful campus, to lines to get into chapel and lines in the caff and lines at the post-office and just generally lines everywhere, and going to mandatory new student meetings which i never thought I would have to do again, to crazy transfer events, to school actually starting and bringing with it homework and books and papers, to working and making money again, to getting to know new roommates, to starting an internship in which I need 400 hours before May, to making many new friends and connecting with old ones, and I said HELLO! to Senior Year..... all of this and more I have said hello to again in the last 3 weeks.<br />
I was dreading coming back here. I had this amazing great summer, where God showed up and He blessed my life way more than I even deserve, and I grew in Him and in my faith and in my church, and in my friendships and I didn't want to leave all of that behind. But I also knew that God knew what He was doing and I knew I had to come back. It was only another year right?<br />
And the most amazing thing about all of it was that God showed up here too! I don't know why I didn't think He would, or why I thought my time here would be of any less value than my time spent at home. But I have been incredibly blessed since coming back to APU. Everywhere I look I can see the hand of God in my life and the crazy part is that so much of it was set in motion last spring and was only waiting for my arrival.<br />
This semester I am a transfer leader for new transfer students, and while I was happy to be one i wasn't jumping up and down for it. But I got here and the leader went on a retreat up in Big Bear (amazing place) for 2 days and it was so inspiring to develop those friendships and then when move-in day came getting to help all those new students move in and get them through orientation and all the events that happen and all the craziness of a new school reminded me of when I was in their shoes only a year ago and it was like God was saying "see look this is why you came back, this is why I put you here" and I love being a transfer leader and being that person for my transfers if they need.<br />
This year I am living in a special living environment called the Discipleship House. And basically I have 20+ new people to call my friends and we are walking through life together. Which means once a week dinners and other events together and spending time in different spiritual disciplines and learning how to be a better follower of Jesus. Right now we are on meditation, and really it's no easy feat.<br />
Plus I have 3 amazing roommates who I know are going to bless my life tremendously in this next year. I love them already!!<br />
And now after 3 years of school, I get to say that I am a Senior!! One always dreams what it will be like to say that, and honestly I feel no different than if I were a sophomore or a junior. Its hard to envision that in only 9 months I will have my Bachelors in Social Work and that I will all of a sudden be an adult in a way. WOW!! I am not so sure I am ready for that. One part of my is super excited to graduate.... and the other part of me is really sad to have to say goodbye to all of this life and all of these friends, cause actually it's a pretty great place to be and a pretty great life.<br />
ALSO, I started my internship last week. I am working with developmental disabilities and working on getting them paired up with the right services they need. I think I will like it and I am really excited to see where it goes....it's just the getting there that is hard for me. But 16 out of 400 hours down!!<br />
And yes I had a birthday and yes I am another year older.... but more on that later....<br />
Right now it's off to Senior Chapel...another Yeah and bonus for finally being a Senior!!!<br />
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Grace and Peace!!Nicole Mariehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04813453738961827647noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5785636617480931422.post-68838954235999922972010-07-29T10:46:00.000-07:002010-07-29T10:46:41.282-07:00Update....The Boundless Summer Challenge hasn't stopped.....I promise....I just need to type up the posts sometime....:)<br />
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In the meantime I am memorizing Romans 12:1-13...it is not an easy feat....but by the grace of God....And it will be one more thing to hide away in my heart and to allow it to transform my life...<br />
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"I appeal to you therefore, brothers by the mercies of God to present your bodies as a living sacrifice holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to the image of this world but be transformed by the renewal of your mind that you may discern what is the will of God, what is good, and acceptable and perfect. For by the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think with sober judgement, each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned. For as in one body we have many members and the members do not all have the same function, so we though many, are one body in Christ and individually members of one another. Having gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, in proportion to our faith; if service, in our serving; the one who teaches, in his teaching; the one who exhorts, in his exhortation; the one who contributes, in generosity; the one who leads, with zeal; the one who does acts of mercy, with cheerfulness. Let love be genuine. Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good. Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor. Do not be slothful in zeal, be fervent in spirit, serve the Lord. Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer, contribute to the needs to the saints and seek to show hospitality."Nicole Mariehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04813453738961827647noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5785636617480931422.post-83770969614975598912010-07-26T11:04:00.002-07:002010-07-26T11:04:32.106-07:00Boundless Summer Challenge #8<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">Boundless Summer Challenge #8</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">Romans 12:3-8</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">AHHH another memorization....that was honestly my thought. But here I am again memorizing another portion of Romans 12. But while its hard to memorize I do feel that it is something that I can do, by the grace of God. I know that Satan would want to me to look and say that no I can't do it because I am horrible at memorizing things, but God says to hide his word in my heart and so I will. No matter what it takes. And this time around I don't have the excuse of 5 different verses that I have to memorize for VBS. And if my little group of 4 year-olds can memorize one verse from Proverbs in 5 days I think I can do this!! There that was my little pep talk to myself. :)</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">Romans 12:3-8.... “For by the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to thing of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think with sober judgment, each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned. For as in one body we have many members, and the members do not all have the same function, so we though many, are one body in Christ and individually members of one another. Having gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, in proportion to our faith; if service, in our serving; the one who teaches, in his teaching; the one who exhorts, in his exhortation; the one who contributes, in generosity; the one who leads, with zeal; the one who does acts of mercy, with cheerfulness.” </div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">I love the fact that God has individuality within His body. If we were all the same then life would just be boring, I think. But he also has a caution for us to not let it get to our heads, which is way to easy to do. I think the phrase that stuck out to me the most was the one that says “ having gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let us use them.” God doesn't want us sitting around waiting for things to happen. He has saved us, he has given us each a measure of grace, so what then are we going to do with it. Sit around and wait for opportunity to knock or go out there and be intentional in our gifts of community. </div>Nicole Mariehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04813453738961827647noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5785636617480931422.post-27612304226937323242010-07-26T10:25:00.002-07:002010-07-26T10:25:28.480-07:00Boundless Summer Challenge #7<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Boundless Summer Challenge #7</span></span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Relationships from another perspective...</span></span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">All around me I have seen relationships, but probably the most influential one in my 22.75+ years of living has been that of my parents 29 years of marriage. I never really got to watch my grandparents marriage as my grandfather died when I was 3 months old. I feel like my mom has the most to share and I feel like what she shares is probably the most important and the most biblical. </span></span></span> </div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">The one thing that my mom said is that life is not all about you. And that in a marriage it is all about reverencing your husband and giving him the honor that he deserves as a man. It is these things that has made my parents marriage stronger and better and I want a marriage like theirs some day. </span></span></span> </div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Community....</span></span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Romans 12:1-8 and </span></span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">"</span></span></span></span></span><a href="http://www.desiringgod.org/ResourceLibrary/Sermons/ByScripture/10/183_We_Though_Many_Are_One_Body_in_Christ/"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><u><span style="font-weight: normal;">We, Though Many, are one Body in Christ</span></u></span></span></span></span></a><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">," by John Piper</span></span></span></span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">I never really realized just how vital and just how important Christian community is to our lives. But reading Romans 12:1-8 I see just how much emphasis God is placing on the others in our lives and doing the one anothers with each other. I hadn't thought about for awhile that when I trusted in Christ as my Savior there was a union that is established between me and Christ in such a way that everything in Christ that can be shared will be shared with me. Everything that he is, and everything that he has can be shared will be shared with me except for his diety and his unique God attributes. </span></span></span></span></span> </div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Secondly my individual identity, as God has created me to be- cannot be known except in serving you as I rely upon Christ. And Yours cannot be known except in serving others in reliance on Christ. It is such a counter-cultural idea that we are not our own really we are God's and we are a part of His body. But how much better is our christian life when we have this intentional christian community all around us. </span></span></span></span></span> </div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">I love this idea that unity of the body of Christ is created in Jesus Christ. And that my individuality is valued in Christ- and it is discovered in the body of Christ. </span></span></span></span></span> </div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">At the end of the day I want to stand in awe of Christ , I want to love Christ deeper, I want to admire Christ more, and I want to follow Christ and enjoy making much of Christ above all things. </span></span></span></span></span> </div>Nicole Mariehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04813453738961827647noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5785636617480931422.post-33618794831278973142010-07-26T10:24:00.000-07:002010-07-26T10:24:30.552-07:00Boundless Summer Challenge #6<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; line-height: 14px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Boundless Summer Challenge #6</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; line-height: 14px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; line-height: 14px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; line-height: 14px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Essentials in a Marriage Partner....:)</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; line-height: 14px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
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</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; line-height: 14px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">In the list of essentials it is the Biblical list that is the only true one that even matters.... I don't believe that there is one right choice but good and bad choices. Something that is backed up in these articles and in 1 Cor 1:1-9. Primarily as a Christian, we should not even consider a relationship that would not feed my primary relationship with God.</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; line-height: 14px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; line-height: 14px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; line-height: 14px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Some qualities in a guy that I see as essential are things like</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; line-height: 14px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; line-height: 14px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">-must be a believer and be growing (</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; line-height: 14px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; line-height: 14px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">-has to be willing and able to provide for his family</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; line-height: 14px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; line-height: 14px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">-be honest, good reputation, and strive for the qualities of a spiritual leader (Acts 6:3, 1 Timothy 3:1-7, and Titus 1:6-9).</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; line-height: 14px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; line-height: 14px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; line-height: 14px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Measuring a man against this list and realizing he will grow, if he begins to meet these things then he could be considered marriageable.... even if he is shorter than me, or younger than me, or bald, or whatever other idea the culture around us has told us we should be looking for.</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; line-height: 14px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; line-height: 14px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; line-height: 14px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Its not settling, its being decisive and making a Godly choice.</span></span>Nicole Mariehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04813453738961827647noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5785636617480931422.post-82106909977130456562010-07-21T09:52:00.003-07:002010-07-21T09:52:42.504-07:00Boundless Summer Challenge #5<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;">Boundless Summer Challenge #5</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;">I am on a role now getting caught up!!.....I did this one over the weekend....But I am just now writing about it.....:)</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"><br />
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</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;">Today's challenge is about the kind of friend that you are, and it involved talking to a friend either in person or on the phone. You have no idea how difficult it was actually.....Because A) I hate talking on the phone...especially about serious stuff, and B) I hate asking about how I am doing as a friend to my friend....kind of awkward if you ask me...:)</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;">But I had the prime opportunity this weekend when my friend and I were driving together and we had time to talk! She initially said she didn't know, but then we got to talking about ways that I felt I could improve as a friend and we talked at length about both of us being better friends.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;">I know that I need to listen more to what my friends are saying and to be more in-tune with their lives and where they are going and what they are doing. I need to focus the conversation more on them than on me. Do you even know how hard that it is to do without thinking about it....</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;">Lord let me be a person who is more focused on YOU and that You would enlighten my conversations.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"><br />
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</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"><a href="http://www.boundlessline.org/2010/07/boundless-summer-challenge-task-5.html" rel="nofollow" style="color: #3b5998; cursor: pointer; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank"><span>http://www.boundlessline.o</span><wbr></wbr><span class="word_break" style="display: block; float: left; margin-left: -10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"></span><span>rg/2010/07/boundless-summe</span><wbr></wbr><span class="word_break" style="display: block; float: left; margin-left: -10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"></span>r-challenge-task-5.html</a></span>Nicole Mariehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04813453738961827647noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5785636617480931422.post-11380200652938547932010-07-21T09:52:00.000-07:002010-07-21T09:52:00.670-07:00Boundless Summer Challenge #4<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;">Boundless Summer Challenge #4</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;">Yes. I am still many days behind in this challenge but now that school is done maybe it will be time for catching up....I have looked at most of the challenges that I have yet to complete....I just need to do them and write about them!!</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"><br />
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</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;">So Challenge #4 is all about love and respect. And communicating respect to the men in my life.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;">Ephesians 5:33 says “However, let each one of you love his wife as himself, and let the wife see that she respects her husband.” I'm not married so it got me to thinking about how this could possibly relate to me. Then I realized that I have three different men in the close proximity of my life and how do I respect them? As the first chapter of Love and Respect talks about.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;">I have a dad and two younger brothers. I don't feel that it is incredibly hard to respect my dad (thanks for the example mom!) Although I am rarely perfect at showing him the respect (I think just last night I snarked at him for telling me to hurry up :)) But still I know that my dad loves me. I think that all of the things that he has done for me are proof of that. For all the times he has worked on my computer, or fixed my car or the billions of other things. Showing my dad respect is usually not that hard. Where I really struggle to show respect, and where I am just now learning I need to is to both of my brothers. Often I am left feeling like because I am the oldest, and yet a girl I have something that I still need to prove to them. Who knows, maybe I would like a little respect to. But I am realizing that in this verse Paul isn't saying to show them respect when the show they love me or that they respect me. He is saying to do it anyways. I need to value more what they say. Pay more attention to their lives. And respect what they do. No they don't have to do what I think they should, but from here on out I will show them respect, by not talking down to them, by acknowledging what they say, by being excited for their lives. And only then will I begin to get the love and the respect that I desire deep down from them.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;">Its not an easy task for me, as I ALWAYS have to stop and think before I speak.....but for the GRACE of GOD here go I.</span>Nicole Mariehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04813453738961827647noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5785636617480931422.post-48232203144759535842010-07-19T10:44:00.001-07:002010-07-19T10:44:41.637-07:00Boundless Summer Challenge #3<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">#3 Romans 12:9-13</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">So I set out to write this days ago....only it got deleted before I finished....and at the time my thoughts were a jumbled mess...now many days later and a little frustration at myself for not staying on top of this challenge I am back to write #3...especially since I accomplished the task days ago.....</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">The challenge this time was to memorize Romans 12:9-13. “Let love be genuine. Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good. Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor. Do not be slothful in zeal, be fervent in spirit, serve the Lord. Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer, contribute to the needs of the saints and seek to show hospitality. </div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">Well I am simply horrible at memorization....especially in the week when I also have to memorize 5 other verses for VBS. So this was a challenge for me in more ways than one. </div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">While I was memorizing these verses, I began to really read what it said, instead of just letting it become rote. I love the language that Paul uses here, words like genuine, and abhor, and outdo, and zeal. God is truly calling us to live radical lives. </div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">If you look at this in the view of relationship, God is calling us to live very different lives, particularly in our relationships, than the world around lives. He says that first and foremost our love must be genuine. Anything less is not something that God has called us to and we should not even be having those relationships where love is not real and honest: genuine. The second line God says to ABHOR what is evil. I feel like this is interesting wording, particularly if you apply it to the relationships in your life. I mean how many times do I really stand up for what is wrong/evil. The dominant view of relationships is messed up and there are many elements of them that are sinful and wrong and God calls us to abhor those things, not just sit by and watch them happen. In our relationships we are to love one another with brotherly affection which is to not lead each other on, or lead others into sin, we are to OUTDO one another in the honor that we show. In a way its almost as if He is saying to be above the status quo. We are to show ZEAL. Be FERVENT. REJOICE in hope. Be PATIENT in hard things. Be CONSTANT in prayer. HELP others needs. And show HOSPITALITY. </div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">And all of these things if done right and done well in our relationships will give all the glory and all the honor to where it is supposed to be- on God, to the praise of the glory of His grace.</div>Nicole Mariehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04813453738961827647noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5785636617480931422.post-23699569199045221182010-07-13T20:30:00.000-07:002010-07-13T20:30:05.106-07:00Boundless Summer Challenge #2<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;">Biblical Dating<br />
As a person who is happily and contentedly single with no prospect in the near future of being something otherwise....it might seem a bit odd to be writing about dating especially since I have no real experience in such....but the thing is....I have seen ALOT of relationships in me life...some great (like my parents 29 years) and some not so great.....You watch and observe enough like I have for the past 22 years and you begin to see what you want and what you do want in a relationship...whats real and whats not. While I don't want that relationship now necessarily....knowing what I do want and what it is that makes something great makes it possible to sit by and be content to wait on God and be happy with my life as it is. Knowing that I am preparing for the right relationship and not merely settling for the standard of the American culture makes every second worth the wait and the work. What follows might be lofty ideas of what is good and right....but I wouldn't mind shooting for the stars and placing my life in the hands of a very capable Father God! If anything you read here intrigues you, I wholly recommend you read the <a href="http://www.boundless.org/2005/articles/Boundless_BiblicalDating.pdf" rel="nofollow" style="color: #3b5998; cursor: pointer; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank"><span>http://www.boundless.org/2</span><wbr></wbr><span class="word_break" style="display: block; float: left; margin-left: -10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"></span><span>005/articles/Boundless_Bib</span><wbr></wbr><span class="word_break" style="display: block; float: left; margin-left: -10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"></span>licalDating.pdf</a>in its entirety. Or at least the parts that most interest you. What follows will be shorts pieces of each article that I found the most intriguing and influential on my life.<br />
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If the sole purpose of my life is to bring glory to God and to glorify Him in all things (which I believe it is) how best does this play out in the relationships in my life. I also believe in the sufficiency of the Bible and that it contains all that I need for life and godliness. What follows is my taking on this thing we like to call dating and what it could really mean in my life....<br />
Romans 13:8-14 calls us to love others and to work for their souls good and not look to please ourselves. In my view the concept of biblical dating versus modern dating does not necessarily seek to bring that glory to the individuals but that it can point to a greater and a better....Christ Jesus. Biblical dating does not taking into account really my needs, my wants, my emotions and my desires. Biblical dating approaches relationships from the perspective of ministry and service and bringing glory to God. If biblical dating is about "being" the right person and not about "finding" the right person, am I being the right person to serve my future spouses needs and to be a God glorifying wife.<br />
In the article to Kiss or not to kiss I was introduced to some old and some new concepts...all that only strengthened what I thought I might have already believed. Song of Solomon 2:7 clearly states to not arouse or awaken love before it so desires. The older I get the more I understand this and how true it is. I do believe along with the author that the Bible teaches that all sexual activity outside of marriage is sin, and all romantically oriented physical activity is sexual activity. Why would I want to begin something that I cannot have, at least for now, or maybe never. Every believer is my brother and sister in Christ and I am to act and to treat them accordingly. Romans 12:9-13 says that "love must be sincere... be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Honor one another above yourselves." 1 COr. 13:4-7 says that "love is not self seeking" Who am I seeking to serve, to bring glory to when I step outside of the bounds of what God says is right and holy within marriage, not singleness. In the end: God hates sin, all sin. Sin is destructive to me and to others, and it grieves the very heart of God. But He sent us His Son and did give us grace and hope free from sin. 1 John 1:9<br />
1 Cor. 6:18 calls me to flee from sexual immorality. How can I best pursue that to which God in His word has called me to? He has called me to pursue holiness and purity in my life. It leaves little room for intentional flirtation with any sin, sexual or otherwise. How can I bring glory to God when I am chasing down every kiss and following after every romantically oriented activity. Who does this serve....God or me?<br />
In the article “Are you ready to date” I wholeheartedly agree with the author....there is a reason that I am still single :). The author lists several points to being ready to date as I am trying to be (or prepare to be) a godly spouse even as I try to find a godly spouse. All singles who profess Christ and aspire to marriage- even as a possibility- have this responsibility. Step 1 is to reflect, before God on my spiritual walk and maturity in Christ. Step 2 is to know if I am at a place in my life in which I am ready<br />
and able to marry. I would agree with the author also that if you can't happily picture yourself married within a year, you are not in a position to date (none of this 5 year dating stuff for me!!). Third I must look to God's word to decide the kind of person to date. Gen 2, 1 Cor 11:7-9, and Eph 5 talks somewhat about the idea of men initiating and women responding.... Even though they are referring to marriage it is wise and right to set up patterns that will serve you well in marriage, especially if one accepts the premise that the purpose of dating is to find a marriage partner. I need to do more in my life, while still enjoying my singleness to prepare for the right kind of marriage....the kind that honors and brings glory to God. In this model, women are to respond. And honestly that is the place that I want to be in my life. As a single woman, I need to be learning what it is to let a man assume spiritual leadership in the relationship and to respond to that leadership. Ultimately, for me this means learning to trust he goodness and the sovereignty of God.<br />
In “Just Friends” the author talked about something that I had never really put that much thought into and that is how intimate of a friendship with someone of the opposite sex is OK. While I found myself generally agreeing with what the author said, I also feel that I need to dig deeper into this topic to better understand it. His point was that intimate friendships between men and women almost always produce confusion and frustration for one of the parties involved. These kinds of relationships tend to involve the sharing of many aspects of each others daily lives and routines. They tend to involve much of the type of intimacy and companionship involved in- and meant for-marriage. In the vast majority of these types of relationships, one of the parties involved either began the “friendship” with romantic feelings for the other person or develops them along the way. Looking at some recent movie trends like in “Valentines Day” or “Made of Honor” I see this trend becoming more true and evident making me want to agree with the author. One would also have to look at how others view that friendship. And what about a potential boyfriend or girlfriend...how would they feel about it?? Intimate friendships discourage the pursuit of the grown-up, God-intended outlet for martial desires- marriage. But all that being said...dating or courting relationships ideally do grow out of friendship among co-laborours in the Gospel. And God has called us to live the Christian life as a community of believers...look at 1 Timothy 5.<br />
The next several articles in this piece on Biblical Dating dealt with the Relationship itself, from “The Early Stages” to “Growing in Intimacy” and to “Tips for Engagement” there were many worthwhile thoughts to be pursued and while I did read them and I did find valuable things in them for the purpose of this writing and because my life is not there right now, and because I do not desire to come off saying I know something when in reality, all I really know is what I would want and not what is reality, I do have this to say about this relationship section. My goal, and anyone's goal in dating as Christians is to save martial levels of interaction for marriage itself, to care well for the other person's soul, to be different from the world, and to bring glory to God.<br />
The author of all of these article, Scott Croft, suggests that people should be married within a year of starting to date. Personally I don't think its that bad of an idea really. As I already talked about it a little bit earlier. Here is why he thinks this: longer realationships are only begging for trouble to come knocking. We can defraud our brother or sister in a dating context by showing or encouraging a level of intimacy, either emotionally of physically that the Bible reserves for marriage and marriage only. If we act like we are married before we've made that commitment, we are defrauding each other. To put the idea together.... “not acting married before your married”<br />
And finally the most intriguing and yet “i don't know what I think” article of them all....”Settling”. Settling will perhaps make you happier in the long run since you won't become disillusioned with broken expectations. Settling is a willingness to date or marry someone who clearly fails to meet all of the major criteria on your “list” to the extent you dreamed about when picturing your spouse or doesn't appear to be your “soulmate” Hollywood is not real help here as so many of out expectations and desires are only in the movies anyways....i mean “blonde haired, blue eyed, tall, athletic, Australian accent” come on....pretty sure that doesn't exist 99% of the time!! :) Not settling depicts 3 things, a selfish premise in that we misunderstand the Bibles idea of love, everybody settles in that I am a sinner, and I will marry a sinner no person I marry will be perfection in any way, and third nobody settles in that God has given us a gift in marriage when we deserve hell and God has designed this gift as one that just gets better with age.<br />
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Read the articles in their entirety...and I hope and pray that they will bless you as much as they did me... I leave you with this: John 14:15... “If you love me, you will keep my commandments.”</span></span></span>Nicole Mariehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04813453738961827647noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5785636617480931422.post-83580680313326615232010-07-12T10:37:00.002-07:002010-07-12T10:37:23.080-07:00Boundless Summer Challenge #1<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;">Hey guys....</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"><br />
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</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;">So this ministry that I really look up and that often offers articles that inspire as a young person in their 20's dealing with issues of faith, and school, and church, and family.....the ministry is Boundless....this summer, for the next month they are having a challenge where each day will bring a new "task" to be completed...The goal of this challenge is to be pushed outside of my own comfort zone and to be challenged to grow in my faith. On the side is an Apple IPad also up for grabs, which IS a nice bonus besides a stronger faith in my Savior.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;">Summer can often become a time that while my ambitions are good and large, I very quickly become lax and my ambitions to grow in my faith quickly fail. My prayer is that God will use this challenge to draw me closer to Him and that He will lead me to LOVE Him more fully every day.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;">I would greatly appreciate your prayers on my behalf as I take up this challenge....and that my faith in God will grow even stronger and that I will better learn to lean on Him in all things. Pray for God's blessings for everyone who is taking up this challenge and that all of us will be challenged in our faith and in our Savior. Pray that each one of us will have the patience, the strength, and the perseverance that we need and that we will each have an open heart to be able to see what God has in store for us.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"><br />
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</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;">I would also love for any of you to join me in this challenge. You have until Monday the 12th to join up! Together we can hold each other accountable and our relationship together will grow, and we can encourage each other.... To those of you I shared the event with, it would be really great if you could 'like" this note!</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"><br />
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</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;">Thanks guys and God's blessings to all of you this summer.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"><br />
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</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;">By this we know that we abide in him and he in us, because he has given us of his Spirit. And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent his Son to be the Savior of the world. Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God. So we have come to know and to believe the love that God has for us. God is love, and whoever abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him. By this is love perfected with us, so that we may have confidence for the day of judgment, because as he is so also are we in this world. There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;">—1 John 4:9-18</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"> </span>Nicole Mariehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04813453738961827647noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5785636617480931422.post-34211196168124615882010-06-02T13:23:00.001-07:002010-06-02T13:32:27.381-07:00Can I just take this moment and say that NEXT 2010 was astounding in so many God-honoring ways. That what I love about Sovereign Grace Ministries, the seek to honor God, Glorify the Cross, and Present the Gospel. And it was so clearly evident all weekend long.....<div>I really want to write about this some more, and I hope I get the chance to, but for now you can go check out the messages here: <a href="http://www.thisisnext.org/resources/">http://www.thisisnext.org/resources/</a></div><div>We had Joshua Harris on "What Are You Built On?" Mark Dever on Christ Work Accomplished and Applies, Kevin DeYoung on Scripture, C.J. Mahaney on Sanctification, D.A. Carson on God, Kevin DeYoung a second time on The Church, and Jeff Purswell on the End Times. All solid and convicting messages and I encourage you to check them out. <a href="http://www.thisisnext.org/resources/">http://www.thisisnext.org/resources/</a> I hope to write more about this but for now I have to finish packing and load the car up to that I can catch my 10:55 pm flight out of LAX tonight!!!</div><div>I will into Dayton at 9:08 AM tomorrow and it cannot come fast enough!!! </div><div>SO I will see many of you in just a short period of time!!!</div><div><br /></div><div>Blessings to you all!!</div><div><dd style="margin-top: 5px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font-size: 11px; line-height: 12px; display: block; font-family: Helvetica, arial; color: rgb(85, 85, 85); font-weight: bold; "><br /></dd></div>Nicole Mariehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04813453738961827647noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5785636617480931422.post-58863825286423716522010-05-20T14:43:00.000-07:002010-05-20T16:51:05.076-07:00Hosanna in the highest...GOD IS GOOD<div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><img src="http://t3.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:wFIfwccb9aHsKM:http://api.ning.com/files/aJLZ8vGhTkrb-pLH*kdJfYs87uzA77aoDKTL52pBLx5GvNkW9O9A2PmqPkbOMs8kYUvOlV4DtfbMvtv9RtvCi7iQFxKrO94t/praisejesus.bmp" /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">AH, so much has happened in the last week, the last month, the last semester, and really the last year....so much to give all the glory to God, as I have slowly come to realize the blessings in even the hard things....as I see them work for a much greater glory than my own....what follows are my encounters with God in my everyday life.......</span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">!!GOD IS GOOD!!</span></span></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><img src="http://t3.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:BeJriZzKj7d8FM:http://www.beaglepaws.com/images/airplaneFun.jpg" /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">I am most psyched about coming home for the summer....I do love my life here...but I am ready for home....:) I will be home 2 weeks from right now!!! I cannot wait!!! I am flying out of LAX on Wednesday June 2nd at 10:55 pm and I will arrive at Dayton International Airport at 9:08 am on Thursday June 3rd!!! It will be a grand day!!!</span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">!!GOD IS GOOD!!</span></span></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">In particular because I will get to meet for the very first time, a little girl who has completely stolen my heart, and I am pretty sure that she's got me wrapped around her finger already!! Meet my niece, Kinzie Blaze Yost born May 11, 2010</span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">I love you so much already!!</span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><img src="http://photos-g.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash1/hs342.ash1/29282_391825237395_611797395_4551296_3683664_s.jpg" /><img src="http://photos-a.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash1/hs514.ash1/30316_1445140126814_1182478279_1320168_2485766_s.jpg" /><img src="http://photos-a.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash1/hs531.ash1/31166_1450276495220_1182478279_1330500_7755686_s.jpg" /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">!!GOD IS GOOD!!</span></span></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">A few weeks ago, right in the midst of the chaos of moving, I received this amazing opportunity...</span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><img src="http://www.thisisnext.org/images/promo/banners/banner5.jpg" /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">you see there had been this contest on </span></span><a href="http://www.joshharris.com/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Josh Harris's</span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> website to win free registration to </span></span><a href="http://www.thisisnext.org/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">NEXT</span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">. All one had to do was promote the conference. I had already said there was no way I could go....school had 1 week left, money, plane ticket, conference registration, hotel....and just to much going on....Thinking I wouldn't win, but the conference is worth it, so I just decided to promote it anyways....well a week later.....i WON FREE REGISTRATION!!! </span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">While talking with my best friend....and looking at plane tickets to Baltimore....I decided to just do it and trust God with the details!!! </span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">So over Memorial Day weekend, you will find me on an airplane and then hanging out with good friends, good conversations, good speaking, good music, and just generally having an amazing time in Baltimore....I am SUPER STOKED about going.....</span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">!!GOD IS GOOD!!</span></span></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><img src="http://t3.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:MqSTJVj1Bwr_fM:http://www.saidaonline.com/en/newsgfx/saving%2520money3-saidaonline.jpg" /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">and God blessed me with a plane ticket on Priceline last night....not the most ideal times and such but cheaper than the going rate, although more than I had wished to pay...but how many opportunities in one's life do you really get like this??So I am saving my money...eating lots of PB&J, soup, and mac and cheese...and somehow I got this really bad canker sore which meant I had to watch what I eat...no acid, no spicy, and soft food...in essence no chipotle from across the street....but i am saving the money!!! and I was able to keep my student worker job even after the semester ended and many students have to find other summer work....</span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">and I WILL trust God with the small stuff, like now paying for this ticket.... and live and love in the moment. </span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">[We all base our lives on what we believe God is like, but is what we believe about God true?]</span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">!!GOD IS GOOD!!</span></span></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><img src="http://t2.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:9xAeEMJosaybxM:http://www.cavalierdaily.com/media/photos/2004/12/08/lf-main.gif" /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">The</span></span><a href="http://nicoleyost.blogspot.com/2010/04/of-course.html"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> last time</span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> I wrote, I was in the throes of THE worst semester of my educational career....for some reason Spring Semester Junior Year, Social Work at APU is incredibly intense. There was ALOT of out of the classroom work to be done, a lot of group work to be done, and a lot of papers to be written, particularly the reflection and research kind..... It was pretty much non stop all 16 weeks long....never time to relax, never time to breathe.....in particular the next to last week had about 70 pages of paper due all within 4 days time....a few 10 pagers, and a 20 pager, and 1 pagers thrown in the mix..... </span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">So i think I spent more time in the library this week than I did any other place. Thankfully it was open until 3 AM and I was there until then, and then some.....the week resulted in more than 1 all nighter and i think I got about 7 hours of sleep all week....</span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">But I made it!! and I got through finals week....and now it is all behind me!!</span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">!!GOD IS GOOD!!</span></span></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><img src="http://t1.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:Jeb971XjwSRNzM:http://savoriesnsweets.files.wordpress.com/2009/06/grades.jpg" /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Remarkably enough....I also got the best grades that I have ever gotten in all my semesters of college.... hmmm it does make me wonder if my theory is true...that I do produce my best work under pressure.... I still am lacking 1 official grade, but I think I know what I have so it looks like I am walking away with a 3.7 GPA for the semester, and a 3.44 overall...I am happy with that!!</span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">!!GOD IS GOOD!!</span></span></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><img src="http://photos-e.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash1/hs345.ash1/29428_1434498980792_1182478279_1296900_6115517_s.jpg" /><img src="http://photos-g.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc3/hs356.snc3/29428_1434498940791_1182478279_1296899_1910347_s.jpg" /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Along the same line of grades, is the Dean's List that I made it onto for last semester...I didn't even know it until my mom told me!!Made my momma proud which is always fun to do!!</span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">!!GOD IS GOOD!!</span></span></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><img src="http://t0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ftZA4ovclOIgCM:http://i233.photobucket.com/albums/ee174/charleneluckythorne/God-is-Good-All-the-Time.jpg" /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">So in the end.... all of this to say....that life....</span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">its never easy, its rarely how we would want it to be....but the hard stuff...its pushes us to rely on, and to trust God even more....and if it weren't for Him, I would not even exist.... He has worked an amazing thing in my life...I can't wait to see what He has in store next!!</span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">!!!GOD IS GOOD, PRAISE JESUS!!!</span></span></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><img src="http://t2.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:WEL2IBSdf3PEjM:http://chosendaughter.files.wordpress.com/2009/03/praise-god.jpg" /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;color:#545559;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px; font-size:-webkit-xxx-large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:Georgia, serif;font-size:130%;color:#000000;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" line-height: normal;font-size:16px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" color: rgb(84, 85, 89); line-height: 18px; font-family:verdana;font-size:13px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">I see the king of glory<br />Coming on the clouds with fire<br />The whole earth shakes<br />The whole earth shakes<br /></span></span><div style="text-align: right;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: right;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">I see his love and mercy </span></span></div><div style="text-align: right;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Washing over all our sin</span></span></div><div style="text-align: right;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">The people sing</span></span></div><div style="text-align: right;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">The people sing</span></span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /><br /></span></span><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Hosanna</span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Hosanna</span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Hosanna in the highest </span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br />I see a generation<br />Rising up to take their place<br />With selfless faith<br />With selfless faith<br /><br /></span></span><div style="text-align: right;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">I see a near revival </span></span></div><div style="text-align: right;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Stirring as we pray and seek</span></span></div><div style="text-align: right;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">We're on our knees</span></span></div><div style="text-align: right;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">We're on our knees</span></span></div><div style="text-align: right;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: center; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Hosanna</span></span></div><div style="text-align: center; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Hosanna</span></span></div><div style="text-align: center; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Hosanna in the highest </span></span></div></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /><br />Heal my heart and make it clean<br />Open up my eyes to the things unseen<br />Show me how to love like you have loved me<br /><br /></span></span><div style="text-align: right;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Break my heart from what breaks yours</span></span></div><div style="text-align: right;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Everything I am for your kingdoms cause</span></span></div><div style="text-align: right;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">As I go from nothing to </span></span></div><div style="text-align: right;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Eternity</span></span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /><br /></span></span><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Hosanna in the highest<br /><br /></span></span></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><object width="480" height="385"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/AQGJdTpMUcU&hl=en_US&fs=1&"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/AQGJdTpMUcU&hl=en_US&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="385"></embed></object></b></div></span></span></span></span></span></div></div>Nicole Mariehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04813453738961827647noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5785636617480931422.post-72342320344329648022010-05-04T10:26:00.000-07:002010-05-04T10:31:02.737-07:00<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_QvOT4yKh0LU/S-BY6EugQ_I/AAAAAAAAAzc/PM7yQ9mQ3yk/s1600/banner1.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 41px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_QvOT4yKh0LU/S-BY6EugQ_I/AAAAAAAAAzc/PM7yQ9mQ3yk/s320/banner1.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5467467702352233458" /></a><br /><div><br /></div><div>This is an amazing conference to attend. Words will never really fully describe all that happend when i went 2 years ago. But lets just say that it was life changing. Given the opportunity and given the chance. I would be there again, in a heartbeat. God changed my life through this conference.</div><div><br /></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><b>But even if I can't go....you should....you never know....you might walk away a changed person....for the better!!!</b></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><b>www.thisisnext.org</b></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><object width="400" height="225"><param name="allowfullscreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><param name="movie" value="http://vimeo.com/moogaloop.swf?clip_id=9506522&server=vimeo.com&show_title=1&show_byline=1&show_portrait=0&color=&fullscreen=1"><embed src="http://vimeo.com/moogaloop.swf?clip_id=9506522&server=vimeo.com&show_title=1&show_byline=1&show_portrait=0&color=&fullscreen=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" allowscriptaccess="always" width="400" height="225"></embed></object><p><a href="http://vimeo.com/9506522">Next 2010 Promotional Video</a> from <a href="http://vimeo.com/user844460">Sovereign Grace Ministries</a> on <a href="http://vimeo.com">Vimeo</a>.</p></span></b></div>Nicole Mariehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04813453738961827647noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5785636617480931422.post-57957959530748664052010-04-24T22:26:00.000-07:002010-04-24T22:59:11.786-07:00Of Course...<div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">OF COURSE:</span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">Of course I only have 39 more days until I leave for home!</span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">Of course I only have 2 weeks of school left- including finals!</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">Of course I have allergies now of all times</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">Of course I have the most intense week ahead of me</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">Of course everything is due in 1 week</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">Of course I don't have any of it done yet</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">Of course I have a 1 page and a 10 page paper due Monday</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">Of course I have a 10 page paper, a presentation, evals and a video due Tuesday</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">Of course I have a 1 page and a 20 page paper due Wednesday</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">Of course I have a presentation on Thursday</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">Of course thats not even in finals week</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">Of course Friday is the last day of class besides finals week</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">Of course I am almost a senior</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">Of course I will most likely pull an all-nighter</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">Of course I will trust in God</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">Of course I wish I could spend some time in the sun</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">Of course I miss home</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">Of course I want to go to my home church</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">Of course I can't wait for summer</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">Of course I will choose joy!</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">Of course I have to be moved out of this apartment in 2 weeks</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">Of course I miss the beach</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">Of course I can't wait until my niece is born</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">Of course I am ready for my momma's cooking</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">Of course I am gonna need a summer job</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">Of course "He gives power to the faint, and to him who has no might he increases strength"</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">Of course I will trust in God as my sustainer</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">Of course I am gonna stretch out here and ask for your prayers that God will get me through this week and that through it all I will bring Him the glory, honor, and praise that He deserves!</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">Of course my friends here are pretty great...we'll get each other through this week!!</span></div></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_QvOT4yKh0LU/S9PZsKBFr8I/AAAAAAAAAzM/66XUPUHFGiY/s1600/25012_578580149150_56904967_33679857_4068822_n.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 239px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_QvOT4yKh0LU/S9PZsKBFr8I/AAAAAAAAAzM/66XUPUHFGiY/s320/25012_578580149150_56904967_33679857_4068822_n.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5463950125556936642" /></a><br /><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;"><b>PRAY FOR ME AND ALL OF US....FINISH STRONG!!!</b></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><br /></span></div><div><br /></div>Nicole Mariehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04813453738961827647noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5785636617480931422.post-79145151591500522452010-04-17T10:48:00.000-07:002010-04-17T11:10:35.441-07:00Only for a momentLife is still just as crazy busy as it has been all semester....just because one project ends doesn't mean life slows down....School is getting down to the wire now....Only 2 weeks of class left....along with about 60+ pages of paper due sometime in that time....Have I started yet you ask...only about 8 pages in I say....Yes, I think I will be seeing many 3 am mornings in the library this coming week and maybe 1 or 2 all nighters. <div><br /><div>Oh but such is my life, and it is only for a small moment in time and then its on to May term classes and days at the beach and then HOME to my beautiful family for the summer, and yes a few more classes,and some work, and a new BABY NIECE that I can't wait to meet, and hanging out with all of my marvelous friends that I miss quite a lot. </div><div>But I can't wait to be home, as much as I love my life here....I also really do miss home. But God has been so good to me to grant me the peace that I needed to be able to go to school here and not become homesick....I guess when you are 22 it might be time to grow up and fly a little bit. </div><div><br /></div><div>God has been teaching me so much about TRUST lately.... And I am an EPIC FAIL when it comes to relying solely on Him to meet all of my needs and desires. But here's the funny thing....when I stop trying, when I stop caring quite so much....those are the times that God seems to sweep in and doing this marvelous miraculous works and I am usually left astounded in the face of them, but in reality I should not be surprised because HE IS GOD after-all.....</div><div> He has worked out so much in my life....from giving me the power to get through an all-nighter and the day after, to healing roommate issues, to empowering me as a SOCIAL WORKER, to giving me some pretty amazing friends that I am only not getting to know, to giving me an internship that looks challenging but good, to giving me a different living situation next year that will allow me to grow, to giving me a leadership opportunity and the chance to share my passion for APU...</div><div>Yes this is my God....and how can I do anything less than PRAISE HIM....</div><div>and now its off to the library I go...until they close most likely...</div></div>Nicole Mariehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04813453738961827647noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5785636617480931422.post-74441758387220396172010-03-17T12:42:00.000-07:002010-03-17T12:55:10.217-07:00<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_QvOT4yKh0LU/S6EzdGvtyPI/AAAAAAAAAyU/5hChsIKHV_M/s1600-h/ODWS_275x100.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 275px; height: 100px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_QvOT4yKh0LU/S6EzdGvtyPI/AAAAAAAAAyU/5hChsIKHV_M/s320/ODWS_275x100.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5449693599214979314" /></a><br />Life is crazy....Life is busy....Spring break starts in exactly 9 days and it can't come soon enough....Such is the cost for being a Junior Social Work major at APU!!!! But the sun is shining and the air is warm.....its a beautiful day to thank my Jesus!!!<div><br /></div><div><br /><div><br /></div></div>Nicole Mariehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04813453738961827647noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5785636617480931422.post-28399341531273193562010-01-09T21:09:00.000-08:002010-01-09T21:18:45.867-08:00I Promise.....I promise that an upcoming post will be in writing soon..... I have all these thoughts whirling around in my brain that i feel need to be put here....and I have had all of my christmas break to do it and here I am on the eve of my departure and have yet to write "that" post<div>Its been a great break. It has been great to be with my family both at home and at church. I love reconnecting with people and spending time with them and with my best friends. But alas....I have had my 3 favorite coffees, I have seen several of my really good friends, i have been back to church, i have been with my family, i have seen my sis in law pregnant, i have babysat more than once, i have embraced bitter cold, and i have walked through snow.....so i guess it is time to head back to school.....</div><div><br /></div><div>But over break I have realized several things about myself, and i have read francis chan's book Crazy Love and even though i do not really believe in new years resolutions I am setting forth to make changes in my life.....and in this post I am making the promise to write it all here next time....so that my thoughts are no longer only mine to know, but for all of you who read this too..... I PROMISE!!!!</div>Nicole Mariehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04813453738961827647noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5785636617480931422.post-42156445276168989822009-12-04T13:01:00.000-08:002009-12-04T13:20:21.966-08:00I'll be HOME for Christmas.....<div style="text-align: left;"><center><embed src="http://www.countdownclockcodes.com/cd/ccc-countdown/show.swf?clickURL=http://www.countdownclockcodes.com/&clickLABEL=MySpace-Countdowns&flashLABEL=CountdownClockCodes&skin=http://www.countdownclockcodes.com/cd/ccc-countdown/skins/a25.swf&text=I%20LEAVE%20FOR%20HOME%20IN%20OHIO&untilColor=255&textColor=13369344&datesColor=26112&year=2009&month=11&day=18&hour=7&minute=15&second=0&x=6&y=77" quality="high" bgcolor="#ffffff" name="countdown" wmode="transparent" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" pluginspage="http://www.macromedia.com/go/getflashplayer" width="300" align="middle" height="200"></embed></center></div><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-family: arial;">This is to tell you all that I am coming home soon!!! As much as i really really love it here and I know that this is the place that God has for me, I am really ready to come home. I need the time away, i need to be able to sleep, and rest, and relax...I need to see my family, i need a hug from my mom, my dad, my sisters, my best friends, and any other person, i love in my life, I need to recharge my life, i need to go to my own church, i need to see a small child or two and get to give them a hug, need to be with the people i love!!!!! i need to not have to grocery shop, have a dryer and dishwasher work right, eat my moms food, be able to do the things the way i always have..... and i need to not think...at all....about papers, and projects, and tests, and reading, and clients......</span><br /><span style="font-family: arial;">But i only have 1 more week of class, and 1 week of finals....and then....</span><br /></span><span style="font-family: arial;font-size:130%;" ><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(204, 0, 0);font-size:180%;" >DAYTON, OHIO, on FRIDAY DECEMBER 18, 2009 at 11:25 pm</span></span><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-family: arial;">.....can not come fast enough....</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: arial;">and I hope I can see you all sometime while i am home...Love and miss you all...pray for me these last 14 days......</span><br /><span style="font-family: arial;">see you on the other side of the continental divide...... xoxo</span></span>Nicole Mariehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04813453738961827647noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5785636617480931422.post-60958040597086431622009-10-18T13:50:00.000-07:002009-10-18T16:17:40.848-07:00FYI!!!<span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);font-family:arial;" >Ah i guess it's time.....to write to all the lovely people that i miss back home....</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);font-family:arial;" > i have been here well over a month.... in fact I have been here at APU for 6 weeks now....or 44 days if you want to look at it that way.... and honestly I absolutely love it here. God has been so incredibly good to me here. It doesn't hurt much that when i look at the temp at home it says its all of about 40* and here we had to run the AC yesterday....and today looks to be a gorgeous 80* Which reminds me often of one of the small reasons that i moved here in the first place!!!</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(153, 51, 0);font-family:arial;" >My classes are great really....i love the faith integration that is in each class. I love the fact the our professors can easily talk about their faith and their church and all things faith related as a part of who they are. The actual social work major here only has about 5 or so professors that you will get regularly although the department just added a couple adjuncts. Right now the major is under 150 students in all 4 years so you get to know the people in your class level really well....i guess going from class to class will do that to you!!</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 102, 0);font-family:arial;" >My apartment and my roommates are also pretty great..... We love where we are living and we have a lot of fun together. We are all transfer students so we have that in common and we are all juniors so there is that too... one of them is also an social work major and she also just had a birthday a few weeks after mine and also turned 22. One is 21, and one is 20. So for the most part we get along well and we hang out together and do stuff together and generally have fun together. I would say for the most part most of us have bonded well. its fun!!! :)</span></span><br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 102);font-size:130%;" ><span style="font-family:arial;">I am also working about 20 hours a week. It is an on-campus job and i actually like it alot. It was completely a God thing that i even got the job. 2 of my roommates were actively pursing jobs and not having a ton of luck and i was half-halfheartedly doing it. The on campus jobs were really hard to come by this semester for some reason. So i saw this job opening at the IMT support desk and i applied on a Friday... probably a few hours later i got a phone call which i didn't see till later that night about a job in the distance learning office (which i did not apply for) and they wanted to do an interview sometime monday. I did not get the chance to call back until monday after chapel, i agreed to do the interview even though i had absolutely no idea what the job was. i had my interview with several of the people there at 2:00 on monday and later while i was sitting in my bible class...about 3:30...they called me and offered me the job. It was such a God thing for me to get this job that i had not pursued at all. God was good to me. I am really liking this job.Basically i do all things online class related for APU. Both graduate and undergraduate level. I get to incorporate things from the 2 extra classes i took last semester. Internet development, and into to Mac. although the work could be done without the Mac. Most days i work anywhere from 2.5-5 hours and its only Monday through Friday which is the best part after spending the last 2 years at walmart every weekend.....</span></span><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-family:arial;"><span style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);">Weekends are usually fun around here.... there is almost always something going on that you can do. Sometimes i feel as if i am busier now than i was when i was home in high school. maybe it makes a difference living on campus and having everything and everyone around you. but i love it!!! :) Most saturday mornings you will find me and at least one other roommate on a field playing co-ed intramural softball with people who are becoming our friends!! we are having fun with it...our team shirts that we made are tie-dye which is fun!! so far we have lost the 2 games we played and won the 2 games the other team forfeited. yep we are AMAZING!!!! but we have team spirit and we have fun!!! </span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 102, 102);"><span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 51);">Sundays are the one day that i begin to miss home and feel slightly depressed if you want to call it that. More than missing my own family i miss my church family. I miss the building, i miss the seating, i miss the worship, i miss the going-ons, i miss the sermons, i miss the people,i miss the nursery, i miss seeing my family in worship, i miss the kids i interacted with, i miss my wednesday night kids, and most of all i miss the sense of belonging that i felt always at Grace. I know that God has led me here, i know i have to stretch and grow but it is just hard. Sundays are the one day that i look and i say what in the world am i doing here? and then i have to remind myself that we all have to leap sometime. its just hard to leave the one thing that was always right in your life. I went to a church this morning where the pastor stepped down, and honestly i don't know if i want to get caught up in that. it was my second visit and i just don't know if that is where i want to go..... i actually didn't go to church the previous 2 sundays and it was last sunday as i was home studying all day that i realized how much church is a vital part of my week and no matter if i like the church or not it is not something that i can't just not do. even chapel here though you here greats like francis chan is not enough.... it doesn't help that even though my roomies are christians they either go home for the weekend or they choose not to go, which is ok, its their choice, but i hate going alone. I have found a friend though in a girl who lives below me. its just hard to know whats good and right....especially when nothing is like home. and these are the days when i miss everything OHIO the most.....</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 153);">So i know this is very long and if i don't read....well i understand!!! but i tried to encompass all parts of my life!! I would love to hear from you all back home....</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 153);">you can use chat and IM me at: nicole@goinx.com (love this)</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 153);">you can keep up on Facebook</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 153);">you can call or text or email</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 153);">you can use snail mail</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 153);">and finally i have uploaded pics to <a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/nicoleyost1987/APUFall09?authkey=Gv1sRgCMXota3y1JKIIQ&feat=directlink">Picasa</a>....</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">I hope that you are all doing well at home.... i would love to hear how life is treating you.... and please keep me in your prayers.... God is good truly!!!</span><br /><br /></span><br /></span></span>Nicole Mariehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04813453738961827647noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5785636617480931422.post-24450331873426308682009-09-04T07:00:00.000-07:002009-09-04T07:07:18.955-07:00GLORY TO GOD!!!I am going to have to make this quick but i wanted you all to know that after 2200 miles we arrived in California yesterday afternoon!!!! It was 104*, but i like that!!! The drive was beautiful particularly in the mountains of New Mexico, Arizona, and California!!!<br />There is so much that has happened in the last couple of weeks that i want to write about but have not had time....maybe next week before classes start.....<br /><br />Move-in day is today!!!!! I cannot wait! and orientation begins today and goes through the week.....<br />Classes start on Wed. and that will be my life.....<br /><br />i will try to find the time to post pictures and words soon....<br />God has done so much lately in my life that all i can do is look to Him and say it was YOU God.....<br /><br />No matter where I go.....No matter what I do......I want the end result be for the GLORY OF GOD....otherwise it would all be in vain.....pray for that.......<br /><br />talk soon----<br />nicoleNicole Mariehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04813453738961827647noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5785636617480931422.post-55507091206816830452009-08-26T12:12:00.000-07:002009-08-26T12:21:17.324-07:00YIPEE!!!!! ;)WOW!!!! so i have less than a week left.....<br />I leave Tuesday Spetember 1st.... thats like 6 days away......*major freaking out going on* so much to do it seems.....so little time left..... and most of all i cannot believe that this is actually going to happen.....<br />On the left side of my page here is all of my contact information for while i am at school....i would love for you to stay in touch....to be reminded of whats going on back at home...with or without me....;) There have been sooo many people who have been influential in my life in the last several years...from my family, to friends both old and new, to my newish church family....and everyone else in-between..... sooooo......<br /><br />I am having a get-together for all of those people so i can see you all one last time before i take off ....<br /><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-weight: bold; font-family: arial;">SUNDAY AUGUST 30th *this sunday*</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; font-family: arial;">2 PMish *after church and lunch*</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; font-family: arial;">@TROY PARK</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; font-family: arial;">ANYONE &EVERYONE</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; font-family: arial;">come hang out and we'll see what happens!!!</span></span><br /><br />thanks everyone for caring....you will never fully know how much that means to me......<br />God bless you all.....Nicole Mariehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04813453738961827647noreply@blogger.com0