Waiting

Because of the LORD's great love we are not consumed,
for his compassions never fail.

They are new every morning;
great is your faithfulness.

I say to myself, "The LORD is my portion;
therefore I will wait for him."

Lamentations 3:22-24

I've been struck recently by God's faithfulness. We haven't gotten a job offer yet. My Grandma Unruh is in the ICU. I'm having the hardest time getting my school work done. And even though I've been a lazy christian, I'm seeing and feeling God's faithfulness. I'm anxious to see what's next and I'm nervous that I can't make a big decision. I'm afraid I won't be able to try something new. I've had so many daydreams about this or that, moving mostly but there is peace now. I'm guilty for choosing to do anything but spend time with the Lord. Am I afraid of what he'll see? Even in my laziness, my lack of faith, God is faithful, and he is good. I know that wherever we go it's his best for us, and if that's 4 states away from my family then that is where I want to be. He's been preparing my heart to let go. First with Grandpa Thennes in May and now Grandma U, he's been teaching me that my home is not there. My life is not there. Yes, my family is there but my responsibility is my home, and my school, and my husband here. Maybe it will soon be Illinois, and maybe it will soon be Colorado. Either way, I am no longer afraid. My God will provide for us, and His will be done.

My favorite way to communicate

Got this here survey from Cousin Susan who is apparently taking a long weekend "holiday" in Belgium. I guess that would be normal if we lived in the Netherlands too. I bet holiday is only vacation in the Queen's English. What do I know... I know all the answers to these questions.

2008 QUESTIONNAIRE
1. What time did you get up this morning? 5:45
2. Diamonds or pearls? um, both are pretty nice. I have a wonderful diamond ring from my Husband and a beautiful pearl Necklace from Grandma U.
3. What was the last film you saw at the cinema? Mamma Mia!
4. What is your favorite TV show? Househunters or Flip that house. Also, Grey's Anatomy and Dirty Sexy Money.
5. What do you usually have for breakfast? Bowl of cereal or a cup of yogurt
6. What is your middle name? Anne, which no one in my family knows how to spell.
7. What food do you dislike? Mostly tomatoes, but I'm way pickier than I want to be.
8. What is your favorite CD at the moment? what the crap is a CD? The only CD I listen to right now is Rappin 4-tay, just got it back from Brett
9. What kind of car do you drive? 2008 Toyota Corolla
10. Favorite sandwich? I love warm sandwiches, a BLT-T or a panini
11. What characteristic do you despise? hypocrisy
12. Favorite item of clothing? jeans
13. If you could go anywhere in the world on vacation, where would you go? To see Angie in North Africa, with a stop to see Susan and Fam in Holland.
14. Are you an organized person? It does not come naturally, but I try really hard.
15. Where would you retire to? You mean, Where would I go to die?
16. What was your most recent memorable birthday? Probably the year I really wanted a sleepover, but instead my mom surprised me by having all of my friends come over early in the morning and wake me up and then we were supposed to go on a picnic but it rained so we went to the Stupid clown museum. All I wanted was a sleepover!
17. What are you going to do when you finish this? Get back to work.
18. Furthest place you are sending this? Not sending. posting.
20. When is your birthday? May 25, 1982
21. Morning person or a night person? Night, unfortunately.
22. What is your shoe size? 8-81/2
23. Pets? never.
24. Any new and exciting news you'd like to share? I might be moving soon.
25. What did you want to be when you were little? Teacher, paramedic
26. How are you today? tired.
27. What is your favorite flower? Tulips
28. What are you listening to right now? Hospital noise and busyness.
29 What is a day on the calendar you are looking forward to? August 1st! We'll hear from Crystal Lake.
30. What was last thing you ate?? Corn Pops
31. Do you wish on stars? No but I love to look at them.
32. If you were a crayon, what color would you be? Basil. I'm pretty sure it's not a crayon color but it probably should be.
33. How is the weather right now? mostly cloudy, with a 30% chance of precipitation this afternoon.
34. Last person you spoke to on the phone? Some lady who needed to be transferred to some dude's room.
35. Favorite soft drink? Dr. pepper
36. Favorite restaurant? El Patio or Portillos
37. Hair color? Brown
38. What was your favorite toy as a child? Matty Moe
39. Summer or winter? Winter, but I think so far, we've had a pretty mild summer, so I'm okay with it.
41. Chocolate or Vanilla? Both.
42. Coffee or tea? Tea
43. Do you want your friends to email you back? not e-mailing, but they could post it.
44. When was the last time you cried? Four days ago. I don't want to talk about it.
45. What is under your bed? My scrapbook stuff
46. What did you do last night? Fell asleep during Monty Python's Meaning of Life, woke up to watch My Boys and crocheted a little.
47. What are you afraid of? being left.
48. Salty or sweet? more salty than sweet.
49. How many keys on your key ring? 3
50. How many years at your current job? a little over 1
51. Favorite day of the week? Saturday
52. Do you make friends easily? Sometimes
53. How many people will you send this to?? 0
54. How many will respond? no one reads this...
55. Do you like finding out all this stuff about your friends?Of course.

Time Flies, so do Noel and Tony!

It's hard for me to believe that this month is almost half over. I've been paying more attention to life since my last post, as silly as that sounds. Saturday, Morgan, Heather and I drove to Illinois to pick up Morgan's beautiful wedding dress!! Yay! We had an uneventful drive, but lots of good conversation and deliciousness for lunch. Saturday night, I really enjoyed a night in, alone. Noel was working and I like to have along time once in awhile. Sunday, Noel and his brother Tony ran a 5k in West Liberty. Both the boys placed second in their age groups. and got medals!

After the race, we decided to go boating with Tony and Heather on Tony's boat. It was a really fun, relaxing, afternoon with beautiful weather. We ran into Noel's dad in town and he reminded us that they don't want us to move to denver. Spending the day with family, reminds me I don't really want to go either. I like being close and I hate missing out, Denver is just too far away.

I'm going to just try and remember this verse, and know that if we go to Denver, we're meant to go to Denver:

Job 42:2

"I know that you can do all things; no plan of yours can be thwarted."

Things to wait for… besides a job offer.

Noel has been wearing himself out this summer, testing for jobs at different Fire Depts. This process has taken him to Denver, Co three times since April, Chicago land three times since June and Cedar Rapids. He just interviewed in Crystal Lake (which is 5 minutes from where I grew up, and where my family is). I admit this is the one I want most. Cedar Rapids is #2 for me and Denver, last. Noel hopes for Denver first, then Cedar Rapids and then Crystal Lake. I guess Cedar Rapids would be our compromise. We’re both willing to go where God wants us, but I am definitely hoping that is not Denver.

We are expecting an offer (or not, but we’re thinking positive) by the end of the month, or early in August. I am having a hard time concentrating on the now, and not checking e-mail and the mailbox everyday for a letter. Angie came up with a good idea to make a list of things to keep my mind off this process.

Things I’m looking forward to in June/August:

1. Road Trip Saturday to Schaumburg to pick up Morgan’s wedding dress with Morgan and Heather.
2. Friend Blake/Morgan’s husband comes home from Iraq and she gets to spend a week with him!
3. First major graded project for this school term due Tuesday, the 18th.
4. Second paycheck from working my new job. Which will be twice as large as the first!
5. Watching Lost online! I think it’s weird that the main characters names in 3 big shows are Jack Bauer(24), Jack Shephard (Lost) and Derek Shephard(Grey’s Anatomy). Who’s naming these guys? I’m struggling to keep these dreamboats separate in my mind. J/k.
6. County Fairs! And hopefully more fireworks, this year’s were very disappointing.
7. Seeing Marci!
8. Thennes family picnic at Aunt Co’s house Aug 9.
9. Finishing up this term in school. After this term, I will have 1 class per term until January, when I become a Student Teacher!
10. Wine tasting night, maybe a trip to the Amana Winery.
11. Labyrinth night with Sarah and Megan (movie and game!)
12. Hawkeye Football in Late August.
13. Lots of baby blankets to be made for friends…
14. White Sox game with the Thennes family.

I’m so anxious to finish school and get settled into our own home that I forget to stay in the present. I’m constantly thinking about what everyone else has, that I miss out on all the things I should be doing as a childless woman in her mid/late 20s. I miss having Christian friends, and serving. I miss that kind of encouragement and rebuke. For 3 years, I have been hesitant to join anything at church, thinking I would be leaving, and not wanting to get attached. Now, I’m starting to realize that maybe God wants us here, and that I should be living here and not waiting to move on. I feel like I’m in a holding pattern, waiting for what’s real to come across. Emily’s post really hit home too,
http://francygirl.blogspot.com/2008/06/homemaking-is-not-holding-pattern.html
if I struggle with this now… what happens then?

This has been pretty therapeutic, it's made me realize that there is so much more happening in my life than waiting for the mailwoman. But I'm still going to check it.

My Current Spiritual Gifts Test

Ang and I have taken numerous spiritual gift tests for the past few years and I'm relieved that mine haven't changed too much. Here are my TOP 3.


Hospitality
Hospitality (Serving Gift) - The special ability God gives to some to provide an open home and warm welcome to those in need of food, lodging, and fellowship. It involves a readiness to invite strangers to your home (or church) for the sake of the Gospel.

The divine enablement to care for people by providing fellowship, food, and shelter.

People with this gift:
- provide an environment where people feel valued and cared for
- meet new people and help them to feel welcomed
- create a safe and comfortable setting where relationships can develop
- seek ways to connect people together into meaningful relationships
- set people at ease in unfamiliar surroundings.

Faith
Faith - The special conviction God gives to some to be firmly persuaded of God's power and promises to accomplish His will and purpose and to display such a confidence in Him and His Word that circumstances and obstacles do not shake that conviction.

The divine enablement to act on God's promises with confidence and unwavering belief in God's ability to fulfill his purposes.

People with this gift:
- believe the promises of God and inspire others to do the same
- act in complete confidence of God's ability to overcome obstacles
- demonstrate an attitude of trust in God's will and his promises
- advance the cause of Christ because they go forward when others will not
- ask God for what is needed and trust him for his provision.

Giving
Giving (Serving Gift) - The gift that enables a believer to recognize God's blessings and to respond to those blessings by generously, sacrificially, and cheerfully giving of one's resources (time, talent, and treasure) without thought of return.

The divine enablement to contribute money and resources to the work of the Lord with cheerfulness and liberality. People with this gift do not ask, "How much money do I need to give to God?" but "How much money do I need to live on?"

People with this gift:
- manage their finances and limit their lifestyle in order to give as much of their resources as possible
- support the work of ministry with sacrificial gifts to advance the Kingdom
- meet tangible needs that enable spiritual growth to occur
- provide resources, generously and cheerfully, trusting God for His provision
- may have a special ability to make money so that they may use it to further God's work.

My fourth one, Poverty, is one I struggle with. I desire to have both as little as possible, and a great warm home filled with hospitality and things... It's an issue for me, that doesn't appear to be a dilemma by the looks of this post.

Oh, and one more thing-
I totally failed Celibacy...


Score Graph of Score Spiritual Gift Statement / Response
25 ========================== Hospitality
23 ======================== Faith
17 ================== Giving
15 ================ Poverty
15 ================ Mercy
13 ============== Discernment
12 ============= Missionary
11 ============ Wisdom
10 =========== Miracles
9 ========== Teaching
8 ========= Pastoring
8 ========= Leadership
8 ========= Encouragement
7 ======== Exhortation
7 ======== Apostle
6 ======= Intercession
6 ======= Writing
6 ======= Evangelism
5 ====== Helps
5 ====== Administration
4 ===== Knowledge
4 ===== Healing
4 ===== Music
3 ==== Craftsmanship
3 ==== TonguesSpeaking
1 == Prophecy
0 = TonguesInterpreting
0 = Celibacy

High School.

This is how people will know me. only through surveys apparently.

Fill this out about your SENIOR year of high school! The longer ago it was, the more fun the answers will be!!

1. Who was your best friend?
Erin Vrtis, Megan Reischauer... Joey Keating.... Mrs. Parks?

2.What sports did you play?
None. I did not even participate in gym.

3. What kind of car did you drive?
'97 Dodge Grand Caravan

4. It's Friday night...where do you go?
Usually I would say movies or Applebee's

5. Were you a party animal?
Definitely not.

7. Were you in band, orchestra, or choir?
Nope, but my TA class was in the band room. (with Erin and Mrs. Sperry)

8. Were you a nerd?
No... middle of the road I'd say.

9. Did you get suspended/expelled?
I did get a saturday detention. and only took a short nap as opposed to the regulars who slept all day.

10. Can you sing the fight song?
Duh, of course! "we are the fighting warriors, our hearts are brave and true, we fight for MCHS and for the fame of you, RAH RAH RAH. Onward to victory always, let this our motto ring we fight for MCHS and our hearts will always sing!" had to type that about 100 times in keyboarding with Mrs... Karen..... something...

11. Who were your favorite teachers?
Meyers, Zac, Smith (If it looks like a duck...) McCarrell, Burm, and my all time fave. Mr. Pearson. I even had fav. secretaries.

12. Where did you sit during lunch?
DUH Erin!!!! You me and Joey went to East (sometimes) remember... and had bagels all the time. man.

13.What was your school's full name?
McHenry High School West Campus

14. School mascot?
Warrior

15. Did you go prom?
No. Getting dressed up was not my thing. I promised a lot of people I would go, but since we buried my mom four days before that I wasn't really in the mood. Looking back, I don't think I would have went even if I had planned on going.

16. If you could go back and do it again, would you?
no.

17. What do you remember most about graduation?
(yeah class officers, andrea and erin!) I sat in the front row since I was a class officer. I really just remember thinking it wasn't right that my mom wasn't there.

18. Where did you go senior skip day?
I am pretty sure that most of us didn't do skip day... I think that we were threatened to not graduate or something. But I did skip gym and AP bio on a pretty regular basis. (and they did totally threaten us, so we secretly discussed an alternate day- never happened)

20. Were you in any clubs?
class treasurer, representatives club anything that didn't actually require effort but i got credit for... that was me.

21. Did you have any secret admirers??
I secretly admired enough people for the entire school...

22. Have you gained some weight since then?
shut up.

25. What year did you graduate?
2000

26. Are you planning on going to your 10 year reunion?
Nope, it's like casual awkward prom... no thanks, see i'm still boycotting.

27. Who was your home room teacher?
No homeroom, but Sperry was my TA, in the band room, with music stands for desks.

28.Who will repost this?
don't know

29. Who was your high school sweetheart?
ahhh... memories...

30. Do you still talk to people from high school?
a handful, which is all I need.