Don't worry, be happy!

"Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself.  Each day has enough trouble of its own."

             -Jesus (Matthew 6:34)

I feel like one of the major themes of this blog, so I guess of my life, is that things work out and God always has a plan.  I truly do believe this and try to live my life accordingly.  Some people might say that I live too much in today and do not plan well enough for the future, but I would answer back saying the future has never gone as I planned so I would just be wasting time planning it.  Kyle and I do set short term and long term goals, but we try not to map out the next thirty years of our lives.  Going with the flow, God's flow, has always worked best for me/us. 

This last Sunday I got to teach Youth Group while Mike was gone camping.  I honestly had no clue what I was going to teach on, so that morning (I know, I'm a slacker!) I opened my Bible to Matthew 6.  Matthew 5-7 tends to really catch my eye when I am browsing the Bible because the text is all solid RED!  In my Bible, red print means it is Jesus talking.  Most parts of the Gospels are intermixed red and black because Jesus is interacting with other people and is not talking the entire time.  There are only a few times when Jesus "preaches".  These chapters in Matthew are called the Sermon on the Mount, but I really view it as Jesus going off!  He talks about so many different things and really seems to just be getting everything off his chest.  It reminds me of getting in 'trouble' as a teenager.  My parents would sit me down and start talking about one thing and then all of a sudden I'm getting lectured on cleaning my room, not making fun of my brother, watching less TV, and driving safe all in one sitting. 

The part of Jesus' venting that I chose to teach youth group about was Matthew 6:25-34.  This is titled in my Bible 'Do Not Worry'.  Our youth group is full of studious teens who seriously stress about their future and grades and college.  I can't really relate to them because grades came easy to me, I killed the SAT's and I went to community college by choice.  They all put me to shame in the 'ambitious as a teenager department'.  But, because of this, I though a lesson on worry would be great - and it was!  They all were quick to discuss the things they stress about, why they stress, what to do when they stress (Phil 4:6-7) and then how God has promised to work out their future (Jeremiah 29:11).  It was altogether a great Sunday and a great discussion time. 



Most of our great Youth.  Picture taken at Winter Retreat 2012

After that lesson, I could not get the verse that I wrote at the beginning of this blog out of my head.  I honestly am not sure if I had ever really heard it before.  What really stuck out to me is how validating it is.  The fact that Jesus, in the same sermon where He sets these standards for us that seem impossible to live by, He also says 'Hey, I know its hard!' ("Each day has enough trouble of its own").  Jesus really does recognize that life is hard and we face things to worry about, but He is saying go against what is normal and trust Him.  God continually encourages us throughout the Bible to trust in Him daily.  Not weekly.  Not monthly.  Not yearly.  Daily!  Today truly does have enough trouble of its own that we don't need to be borrowing the trouble from tomorrow.  God only takes care of us today, tomorrow He will do the same when it becomes today - and the next and the next, but not until they become today. 

In a world where the future seems a little bleak - it is comforting to take things day by day.  No, this is not an excuse to be lazy and not work and say God will work it out (Matthew 25:14-30) But it is an excuse to not have all the answers for what lies ahead and it is an excuse to be OK with only seeing a bit of God's plan at a time.

My friend, Ginger, told me a really great analogy one evening at our growth group.  She said she was sitting outside and looking up at the stars and could only see a few.  She thought wow, this is exactly how God shows us our future.  She knew that if she was up in Tahoe and looking at the same sky there would be hundreds of stars in any direction.  But right now she could not see them... does that mean they aren't there?  Absolutely not, Ginger knew that the stars are there but are just not visible to her because she is in the city.  So, whenever you can't see very far into your future, remember that it is there, God just isn't ready to show it to you.  Or maybe, there are too many other 'lights' around that hinder your view of the plan God has for you. 

I really did not sit down to write a blog about this, but it just came out.  My original plan was to write a blog about cleaning out my parent's garage.  But maybe I'll share about that joyous occasion later.  In the meantime, I'm going to work on enjoying each day and not stressing about the next.  God Bless!

My Daddy...

Today was Father's Day.  It was a kinda weird day because I did not spend it with my dad or my father-in-law.  Instead, it was my brother-in-law, Mike, my niece, Madison, and I representing the family at church.  Then after church I got to babysit Madison while Mike went to the movies with his own dad.  Madison took a nap and we played and had a great time!  She is such a sweet little girl and loves to do whatever I do!

This afternoon I made my dad his father's day present.  I busted out my very first recipe I learned to cook, courtesy of my father - Cookie Dough!

A freezable container of cookie dough for each month.

This Fathers Day I have really enjoyed reading every one's Ode to their father's.  My own dad, is a great father.  He is not perfect, but I think in showing his flaws he is an even better father than those who act like they know everything all the time.  Children should look up to their parents, but not idolize them.  Parents make plenty of mistakes and that will make us all feel better when we are parents and do the same. Now, off my parenting soap box and onto how awesome my dad is.

My dad taught me so many things growing up (so did my mom, but its Father's day...).  The first memory that comes to mind was when I was young, my dad sat my sister and I down and explained a box that my great-grandfather made for us.  It had four compartments and a small opening for each on top.  Each box had its purpose and was labeled - Tithe, Missions, Asheena's Savings, and Shayla's Savings.  We were asked to put 10% of whatever we made into tithe, and 10% into our individual savings.  Missions was whatever extra we felt we should give.  My dad essentially gave my sister and I the gift of financial freedom that day.  He taught us to tithe and to save.  He told us that if we always gave 10% to God and 10% to ourselves, we would never have money problems.  How true is that?! 

Another thing my dad taught me was my own strength.  He raised me, as I jokingly say, as a boy.  I would go with him on jobs and would always rather be out in the garage with him than inside with my mom and sister.  I have fond childhood memories of being on the roof, fixing sprinklers, and climbing in the rafters.  My dad never let me get the impression that I couldn't do something, and even took it a step farther to giving me jobs that were probably way too hard for a child.  When I was around 10ish years old, I had a bedroom with a door that opened up to a patio.  This patio had a tree right next to it with a branch I really wanted cut off because it was hanging over the patio.  I asked my dad, as I am notorious for doing so, to cut it off.  He took me to the garage and showed me where the handsaw was.  Now, this branch was a good four or five inches thick and I had seen him use his power tools plenty of times, so I was not too happy.  But he did not back down and I got that saw and spent days cutting that branch down.  I finally sawed all the way through that branch and was so proud of myself.  That day my dad gave me the gift of perseverance and strength, not to mention independence!

One last gift my dad gave me that I want to share, is his blessing.  On May 31st, 2009, I got married after dating Kyle for less than a year.  My dad, oddly enough, was the one who really gave me the confidence and freedom to do that despite what anyone else thought about that decision.  Kyle and I started dating in June, while we were working at a Christian summer camp.  I came home after that camp for a few weeks in August.  I talked to my dad about Kyle and how I thought he was the 'one', but it seemed crazy because we both had so much school left and had only been dating for a few months.  My dad told me that he thinks its crazy when people know they are dating their future spouse, but put off getting married for years because it isn't the right time... because its never the right time.  Now, we didn't get engaged the day after he told me this, but it was always in the back of my mind.  I am so thankful my dad was so full of encouragement when we decided to get married.  So many fathers feel like they are losing their daughters when they get married, especially when their daughters are young, but my dad has fully embraced my brother-in-law, and Kyle as his own sons.  The gift of his blessing is one of the greatest he could have given me!

Ok, now on a lighter side.  I would like to thank my dad for my dark skin, dark hair and my height.  Also, as everyone in my family knows, he gave us kids our sense of humor... or not.  He taught me to put salt on my watermelon, that cookie dough is a meal, and that ground beef and kidney beans mixed with top ramen is delicious.  Also, he taught me how to win at every game I play.  One last thing, he build me a house... its mini... and its awesome.

I would like to end this blog with a picture of my awesome dad... in all his dorky glory!

Love you Dad!

Some of everything

Tonight is a usual night... It's midnight and I'm playing on my phone waiting for Kyle to get home from work. So why not update this blog that we are horrible at.

It's crazy how much our lives have changed in one year. We have now been living in Sacramento for a solid year. When we first moved here, there was a long time of adjusting to our new life. Kyle spent hours searching for a job and studying for boards. I spent tons of time with my family because it felt more like a visit than permanent.

Inevitably, as time has passed, we have settled in. Kyle finally seems to have a regular schedule at work. I am involved in a number of different things that not only keep me busy, but give me a purpose. Now, life is busy!

We just got back from a great and much needed visit with Kyle's family in North Dakota. His 'little' brother graduated from high school! The graduation was so nice and enjoyable, only lasting 50 minutes! I am weird about time and was bored at my own 3.5 hour graduation, so I really appreciated the brief ceremony. It was quite the perfect graduation... People laughed and cried and the graduates got to display a few 'stick it to the man' antics.

Also while we were visiting, Kyle's little sister got her permit.. At 14! Sometimes I think I should write a book about the differences between North Dakota and California. If I passed a 14 year old on the freeway I would have a heart attack. But there aren't too many freeways (or any since they call them the 'interstate') in ND, so I suppose 14 year olds driving isn't so ridiculous. Anyways, Kristin got her permit and asked me to take her out driving... For the first time! So there we were, two first timers going out together. She had never driven and I had never been the responsible adult for someone with their permit. Another difference there, I'm not old enough in CA to take a permit driver out! But I am in ND, so Kristin and I headed out and for the next 45 minutes she gave me the grand tour of Cando, ND about 8 times. Overall she did great, all 3 times she encountered another car (ok, probably an exaggeration, but you get my point!)

On the last day of our trip, we celebrated our 3 year wedding anniversary in Fargo! 3 years, woo hoo! It's so dumb to say, but seriously, where does the time go? I'm not sure.
So of course half way through our day we get a call that our flight is delayed and we'll miss our connection. Learning from past experience, we headed straight to the airport, waited in line for an hour, got everything straightened out, and made it home as scheduled. Another cheesy thing: seriously as we get older, these things just don't phase us.

I could continue to bumble along about our whole life store, but I won't bore anyone. Our lives have become so busy and fulfilled; more than I could have hoped for. We have been married for three wonderful years, have great family (and can afford to visit the ones who don't live close) and have amazing friends. What more could we ask for? I always come back to the promise God gives us in Jeremiah 29:11

For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.

Four and a half years ago my pastors wrote this on a cribbage board they gave me right before I moved to ND for college. This was the verse I clung to when times got hard and I questioned if I made the right decision. And now this is the verse I rejoice in, because God has shown me a glimpse into the amazing plans He has for my life.

Ps. I think I made the right decision :)

Life...

Well, our life here in Sacramento has really settled in. We went from no jobs with nothing to do to having every day and evening packed full... But we are not complaining!!

Kyle's job keeps him more than busy! He usually works around 50 hours a week and tries to sleep the rest of the time. He has adjusted so well to working nights and to working so many hours. I think he really likes getting paid to work so hard instead of paying to work hard in school. Many Saturdays this fall he has gotten to play pick-up football with some friends. Even though that cuts into his sleep time, he really likes it.

I have really gotten busy lately. Kyle says I'm the busiest unemployed person he knows. I am coaching club volleyball, so I guess I'm not technically unemployed. I also am on the women's ministries board at church. I am a youth leader. I have been helping plan a winter retreat in Tahoe for the kids... we are going up this weekend.  And, we have recently started leading a young adults growth group at church. Life is good! I love having the freedom to do all the things I enjoy! Oh, AND, I graduated from college in December! What a relief!!! I also get to spend a lot of time with my favorite little niece.

At the end of October, Kyle and I got to make a last minute visit to see his family!!! It was so great to see them! We got to watch Shawn play football and win a playoff game!! We also got to take family pictures since we were all together. I am so glad that trip worked out since we were not able to make it out for the holidays. But, we are already planning our trip for Shawn's graduation!!! So exciting!!

The most recent exciting thing in our life is that our good friends, Cody and Jessica Bren had their first baby!! We are so happy for them! Kyle and I are loving our role as uncle and auntie to the little girls around!

God has blessed us so much in the past couple of months, it is overwhelming! We try to continue to be faithful in allowing God to use us and all He has given us for His glory!