This past week and a half Andrea and I have been watching my siblings as my parents helped move my sister and nephew to Ontario. It has been fun but so very tiring. I know that God is calling me to love special needs orphans and I know that if I am obedient in this area that i will need his strength and patience everyday. I am so tempted to live the "typical" life but my heart just can't do it. I need to follow my God given desires and passions. I do not have it built in me to live an ordinary life.

So I guess I can know three things: I will never know boring., I will be stretched and life will ALWAYS be an adventure.

I do not know what the road ahead will be like. I think it will involve many children, loving the people on the fringe of society, driving a big ol' van and living in a house that knows much laughter and joy. I am excited to look back from enternity on my life and see how God has lead and blessed me.

Back to the World of SIAST

I am back at SIAST for my last semester and it is such a different atmosphere from Briercrest. I low the price of classes and the lack of pricey student fees but I miss the caring professors and Godly atmosphere. I am taking law, economics, accounting, career skills and ebusiness. It looks like it should be a lighter semester once I get my last distance class and portfolio finished.

I am moving into Moose Jaw on Wednesday and will be back to work this week as well. I have very much enjoyed a 10 days off and hopefully when I go back that it will be a quiet week. I am excited to pay less for gas but will have to get used of locking doors again:)

2011

2011 was a good year to me it brought many challenges and blessings but it is one that I will never forget.
It brought the starting of my final year of college (for real this time-I have no intentions of going back at least for a few years), the birth of my handsome nephew (who captured my love- I never knew I could love someone so much), the blessing of having my whole family living in the same community with me and a time of growth and seeing my dreams start growing for my next steps.

I am so thankful to God for the blessings that he has brought in my life. I remain so thankful that He is beside me leading me as I walk.

Looking forward to 2012 I see my graduation and a move to a new location there. I have started looking at jobs and have found some that I would be able to use my skills and passions in but they are in the northern communities of Alberta and BC so I may be looking forward to more "real winters" in my future. I am so excited to start paying off my student loans and to be able to dream about what comes after that. I have a great desire to adopt a baby with Down Syndrome and to be able to pour into the lives of people who are choosing to raise their children with disabilities.

I know that whatever comes next will be an adventure and will not contain the word "boring"-even if sometimes I desire that.

Answer to Prayer

This past week I found out that if we wanted to rent heated storage for our belongings (which we need because we have things that the cold will wreck) it would cost us $500 per month. The reason we are housesitting is to save money to pay off some bills and save for our future moves.

Saturday night as I was talking with Krista our neighbours names came up and I remembered that they have an empty basement that they do not use. So they have agreed to let us store our belongings in their basement for free! I am so thankful that God worked this out for us.

Today I am Thankful for...

-above zero weather that is melting all the snow

-food in the cupboards and fridge

-my sewing machine

-my family

-the ability and resources to go to school

The world only gets one you!

You with your gifts.

You with your smile.

You with those things you do.

So take your place,

take your chances,

take this moment to know…

You’ve got something to offer.

Something good and right and true.

Something God-given,

Heart-of-Heaven created.

And the rest of us need it, need you.

Oh, you think it’s no big deal.

Anyone could be that way.

Anyone could do it.

Nope.

Not true.

There’s just one irreplaceable you.

By: Holley Gerth

Blackberry Problems

Well I have had a cell for five years now and I have come to rely on it and I never thought I could function without one...last week my phone refused to turn on and so I went over a week without a phone and I must admit I more then survived (I kinda liked being phone-less).

For work at this point and with driving on the winter roads I do need a phone but I will be practicing leaving it on more and not jumping every time I do hear it as I focus much better on school without it near me.

Maybe there will be a day when I can go cell-less again....I would sure save alot of money (in two years I would save enough to go on a nice vacation to Mexico or Disney Land!).