I Won!!!

So I previously told you to check out this site. Well, I won something!!! It's such a thrilling feeling to win something. It makes you feel special even though it is totally random. So I will be the proud owner of a Pledge Duster. My mom will laugh because she knows how much I have always hated dusting.

Goodbye

Well, I had to say a very difficult goodbye. After having Stella for a week, it was evident that I was not going to be able to juggle the ministry at camp and the responsibility of having a dog. She was a great dog and I loved my time with her, but I didn't want to have a divided heart. I'm very sad, but relieved at the same time.

The Betz family is trying her out this weekend to see if she would be a good fit for them. Pray for them as they make a decision.

Senior Pictures

I was sorting through some stuff and found some of my senior pictures. I thought I should share them with you. Remember that I was homeschooled, so they aren't the typical pictures.

She's Home!

Well, she's home and we're having a great time. She cried and barked the entire way home in the Jeep, but it was because she was so scared. We are going to work on the ride thing before we go to my parents' the first week of November since it's an eight hour drive. We are doing great and enjoying getting to know each other.

I think I wore her out. She was falling asleep standing up.

Funny Jr. Girls Story

We have a set of twins that attend our class, Danielle and Deidre. They are absolutely identical, so we have a hard time telling them apart. Stacey and I got together and prayed for our girls this last weekend. When I prayed, I asked that the Lord would help me tell the girls apart. I don't want to see them as "the twins," but as individuals with individual needs. They came in late on Wednesday and lo and behold, they had glasses! And the glasses were different!

I told the class that we pray for each girl and what I had specifically prayed about the twins. I was excited that God had answered my prayer. Well, Deidre raised her hand and said, "So basically you blinded us." We all laughed so hard!!! We have so much fun in our class!

Check out this site...

http://www.agiveawayaday.blogspot.com/

Why do I do this?

Yesterday, I had a moment of panic. Am I ready for a dog? Do I really want the responsibility? What if she barks too much and I have to get rid of her? What if my allergies freak out and I have to get rid of her? What if I can't train her? What if, what if, what if? I think you get my point.

I called Stacey, Bekah and my parents. They all really helped in calming me down, but here is my point. (Okay, this isn't my point here, but why call them instead of praying first...I did pray too, but not first...okay, now on to my real point.) Why do I freak out when I get an answer to prayer? I have wanted a dog for a long time. I get tired of going home to an empty house. I have always loved it when we had dogs growing up. I knew that with my housing/work situation it just wasn't possible. But I kept praying about it.

Well, lo and behold...God answered yes and very unexpectedly too. I went through this when I was offered the job here too. I was excited and really wanted it and prayed that Pastor Phil would call. Then the call came and it really freaked me out! Once again...all the "what if's."

Bottom line, it's worry and it's sin. God doesn't answer prayers and then leave us hanging. Stacey gave the application after our lesson last Wednesday night. She gave everyone a piece of paper and they had to find verses to battle against a particular temptation. Well, for my devos this morning, I did the assignment and had to write down worry as my temptation. I have never thought of myself as a person that struggled with this, but if I'm honest with myself I really do.

I'm thankful for God's Word. Not only does it help expose areas of our lives, but it also gives solutions. So maybe you need to take the challenge. What temptation are you battling? Write it down and find some scripture to help.

Not Very Nice...But Very Nice

(Don't worry...I'm not only going to post about my dog now.) So I was driving home from a fantastic weekend with Stacey and the kids a couple weeks ago, when I heard a loud CRACK! Yep, someone hit me...or so I thought. They also ran the red light at which I was sitting. Of course, my mind was running a bit behind and I didn't get the license plate or the make/model of the car.


I pulled over and called the police to get a report. I'm glad all they did was break my tail light. The police officer said that he thinks they threw a bottle at me. There were shards of glass above my wheel well and some liquid there too.


Well wonderful Shane Callison, who works at the camp, replaced it for me. I'm so glad I only had to buy the part and not pay for labor as well. Thanks, Shane! (He would never be caught dead reading my blog though, so it's a good thing that I told him thank you.)

Ready and Waiting

Well, tonight I went shopping. No, I didn't buy a new sweater or a great pair of shoes. That would have been nice though. I spent over $150 getting ready for Stella to come home. I'm sorry, to those that didn't like the name. I can't help it...it's stuck with me. I realize that most of you liked Zoe, but the more people that liked it, the more I didn't like it. Just ask my mom, I'm stubborn.

So here I wait until Friday to pick her up, but I'm ready! Don't worry, she won't come close to filling this crate. I just want to have a little room for her to stretch. I also got a pink collar and leash and a few toys as well. I have to thank Stacey and my dad for being on call while I went shopping. They answered lots and lots of questions for me.

I really wanted the pink food dish that said "Diva" on it, but I think I had spent enough money already.

Big News

Big confession here...I'm a dog person. I love dogs. But I'm also kind of specific about the kinds of dogs I love. I'm not feeling the love for those little chihuahuas. I'm also not one to like those little yippers, nippers or the ones the jump in the air and twirl in circles. I like big lazy dogs. And energetic hunting dogs. Dogs that are all about you. Otherwise, you might as well have a cat. (Sorry to all of you cat lovers out there.)

Anyway, about my news. I have been wanting a dog for quite awhile now and didn't think it was possible because of my housing/work situation. Well, I have learned not to limit God...even in things such as dogs. He knows our hearts and even cares about whether we want a dog. So guess, what??? Yep, you guessed it...I'm getting a dog.

My friends, the Ryals, went with me to the pound today and I totally fell in love. Let me introduce you.

So this may not be her best side...

This is getting a little better...

Ah, that beautiful face...

"Oooo! I think I may have made a friend from Russia!"

Aren't I adorable?

Look at this face...doesn't she look like a Troik. Yep, that is the name they have given her at the pound. I can't believe they would look at that face and name her Troik!!! Either they have no creativity or too much...I can't decide.

So I want you to help me decide on a new name for Troik (ugh...I can't stand to think that she is there being called by that name). I have a few suggestions, but I would love to hear your suggestions too. So even if you are stopping by my blog by chance and have never been here before, I want to hear from you. If you have known me from birth, I especially want to hear from you. If you claim to be my friend, I better hear from you! Okay, so here is my list:

Stella
Lola
Lucy
Daisy
Bella
Lulu
Dulcie
Zoe
Claire

I'm really leaning toward, Stella. Maybe you need to know a little bit about her. She is a seven month old Beagle/Terrier mix. She was found as a stray and brought to the pound. The pound does euthanize dogs, so I'm really glad that I found her. She has lots of energy, but was very eager to please. I'll have a lot of training work on my hands (potty, obedience), but she seems very submissive and smart. If I get approved as her new home, they will spay her, vaccinate her and give her an overall check up. Then I can bring her home most likely on Friday.

I'll be looking forward to hearing your ideas.

Wow!

This is a video of Tyler Betz, the director's son. You have to look close, but he leap frogs over a guy!

Great Weekend!

I spent Saturday afternoon with my friend, Stacey, and her two great kids. They found out I didn't really know about all the fun stuff to do in Mason City, so they created a really fun day for me. We started the afternoon at the nature center and hiking at Lime Creek. It was a little longer than the kids liked, but they made it and had great attitudes.

We then stopped at the Police Station to say hi to Stacey's husband Jeremy. Don't worry, he wasn't in trouble...he's one of Mason City's finest. Thanks for tour, Jeremy. By the way, it doesn't look at all like what they show on TV and movies.

We then stopped in at the art museum. A wedding was going to be held there, so we had to make that quick too. It was really neat though. The guy that made the puppets on The Sound of Music was from Mason City and he donated a lot of the puppets to the museum. The puppets from the movie were there! It was really neat to see them.

We then went to their house for dinner. The ribs were super yummy! Thanks for a great day, Stacey. It was wonderful!

We were making "beaver teeth" for the camera.

On our hike.

Tabitha took some great pictures on our hike. I love fall.

Jr. Girls Class

I have no pictures to show you since I never remember to take my camera with me. Last night, we had a fabulous class time. The size of our class doubled in one night. Please pray that the girls that visited will continue to attend.

Our theme this year is Jr. Girls Boot Camp. We have pink camouflage behind the verses for the semester all over the room! We divided the girls into teams this year with some fun incentives. Last night we let them pick their team name and they designed flags. We have the Pink Bombs and the Blue Tankers. I'll try to get pictures to post soon!

Several of our girls from last year have not returned. We have called and sent letters, so please pray that they are able to come back. We want God to continue to have an impact on their lives. I do realize that God can do that without us, but we truly love them and want to see them back.

Home Sweet Home

Yes, my computer has come home from the hospital. I guess it had a nasty virus, but it's feeling much better now. What turned into a 24-48 hour stay was extended to a week!!! Communication was not the forte of the computer guy. Well, it's anxious to get back into blogging, so you'll be seeing some posts very soon.