Party in Heaven

Grandma left her earthy home and went onto her heavenly home on Thursday morning. I spent the night at the hospital with her on Wednesday night and she passed away early Thursday morning. I was sitting by her side as she took her last breath and Jesus called her home. We miss her so much, but surely no one misses her more then grandpa. He loved her deeply for 66 years and he really doesn't know life without her. If you remember, pray for him. His world has been turned upside down, and although that would be hard for any of us, I think it's a bit harder when you're 90 years old.

The Unknown...

Wrote this for the ladies of FPU... My writings rang so true for myself too...so SO true...

Welcome back from a week of what was hopefully filled with some rest and relaxation! Spring Break was always one of my favorite things when I was in college. Usually the weather was nice enough to go somewhere with friends and enjoy time away from school. Though it’s always nice to have time off, sometimes getting back into the routine of going to class can be tough. And pile on daylight savings time on top of that and it was harder then ever to get out of bed this morning!

Spring break is always like a little summer preview. We’re in the home stretch of the semester and summer is just waiting for you—though for many of you it’s not coming fast enough. But with the coming of summer means the closing of a school year. Now I don’t want to get all of you thinking about summer just quite yet—your professors probably wouldn’t like that too much… However I think it’s valuable to acknowledge that though summer can be really fun, there can also be a lot of uncertainly associated with it. The season of life you are in right now is such a unique time where you have A LOT of time off from school and so many opportunities before you. Maybe you have this summer figured out but are now uncertain what next semester will look like.

Life is and will always be full of “the unknown”. Just the other day I read this quote and couldn’t agree with it more…”There will come a time when you think every thing is finished. That will be the beginning.” It’s true. Just when you think you have everything figured out something new will arise and you will start back at the beginning. This idea of dealing with the “unknown” can be a bit scary. Not knowing what lies ahead reminds us that we’re not fully in control—but many of us oh so badly wish we could be.

Many of us are wired to want to always have things figured out and to always know what’s coming next. Sound like you? But I think if we could see into the future and know what was to come we wouldn’t be able to handle it. I believe there is great purpose in why God keeps the future a mystery and only reveals one day at a time to us. Think about it—if God showed you everything all at once do you really think you could handle it all? I know what you’re thinking though…you don’t want to know your whole future just the next couple of years… right? If only it were that easy…

This is why we’re called to pray. And there's a big difference between praying for God to show us what He wants and praying for God to bless what we want. Okay, now read that again. There's been so many times that I've gone to God thinking that I'm praying for His will, and that He's remaining silent. When what I'm really doing is telling Him what I want and asking Him to make it happen.

God is so much bigger then we are. Trust and remember…He knows exactly what you need exactly when you need it…

:)

2010 Here I come...

I read this and loved it. Hope you pull a few things from it too! Happy New Year!!!

HANDBOOK 2010

Health:
1. Drink plenty of water.
2. Eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince and dinner like a beggar.
3. Eat more foods that grow on trees and plants and eat less food that is manufactured in plants..
4. Live with the 3 E's -- Energy, Enthusiasm and Empathy
5. Make time to pray.
6. Play more games
7. Read more books than you did in 2009 .
8. Sit in silence for at least 10 minutes each day
9. Sleep for 7 hours.
10. Take a 10-30 minutes walk daily. And while you walk, smile.

Personality:
11. Don't compare your life to others. You have no idea what their journey is all about.
12. Don't have negative thoughts or things you cannot control. Instead invest your energy in the positive present
moment.
13. Don't over do. Keep your limits.
14. Don't take yourself so seriously. No one else does.
15. Don't waste your precious energy on gossip.
16. Dream more while you are awake
17. Envy is a waste of time. You already have all you need..
18. Forget issues of the past. Don't remind your partner with His/her mistakes of the past. That will ruin your present
happiness.
19. Life is too short to waste time hating anyone. Don't hate others.
20. Make peace with your past so it won't spoil the present.
21. No one is in charge of your happiness except you.
22. Realize that life is a school and you are here to learn. Problems are simply part of the curriculum that appear and
fade away like algebra class but the lessons you learn will last a lifetime.
23. Smile and laugh more.
24. You don't have to win every argument. Agree to disagree...

Society:
25. Call your family often.
26. Each day give something good to others.
27. Forgive everyone for everything..
28. Spend time w/ people over the age of 70 & under the age of 6.
29. Try to make at least three people smile each day.
30. What other people think of you is none of your business.
31. Your job won't take care of you when you are sick. Your friends will. Stay in touch.

Life:
32. Do the right thing!
33. Get rid of anything that isn't useful, beautiful or joyful.
34. GOD heals everything.
35. However good or bad a situation is, it will change..
36. No matter how you feel, get up, dress up and show up.
37. The best is yet to come..
38. When you awake alive in the morning, thank GOD for it.
39. Your Inner most is always happy. So, be happy.

Life is busy..

and my blog is suffering because of it. Sorry for the lack of posts ladies and gentlemen. I'm still alive and lovin' life. So much good stuff going on. I am thankful for so much and looking forward to the upcoming holidays. The Lord continues to teach me a lot about myself, about the stirrings in my heart and about how to truly love people with the need to look beyond myself to genuinely do that. I'm feeling incredibly thankful as the holiday season approaches for great friends, a wonderful family and a boyfriend who is truly a gift. Although classes are keeping me busy, I'm thankful to be able to be in school too.

What are YOU thankful for?? Hope you take time this week to step back, look around and remember what's truly important in your life.

Pumpkins, Candy Corn and Good Friends....FALL is here!

Everything is Amazing and Nobody's Happy

This is so worth the 4 minutes of your time. So so funny. And so so true.

Learning: really good but not always easy....

Let me first start by saying, I think learning is always a good thing, but not always an easy thing.

:: It feels like grad school is kicking my butt...but I'm trying my darndest to kick back. In the end, I will win. I know this.

:: It feels like it's been a REALLY long year. I feel like so much has happened--and so many things I never expected would happen (both good and bad). I think I'll have to take a whole day towards the end of December to reflect on all that God has done and taught me this year.

:: I am looking forward to the holiday season and want to embrace what's left of this year for all it's worth.

:: There is a man by the name of Jerrod Bradley who has come into my life, and he was an unexpected blessing. This man understands what it means to love God and love people like few I have met before. He understands what it means to give and accept grace daily and he challenges me in ways I've never been challenged. And he's my boyfriend. And I like him. A lot.

:: I think August and October are by far the busiest months in my life. August came and went, now it's just a matter of getting through October. Busy with lots of good stuff, yet still busy.

:: Being busy is a drug and I may need to go to rehab...

:: I went to the fair this year and ate tacos, cinnamon roll and gelato. Umm Umm Good!

:: Dani and Mallorie stayed at my place for a few nights and it made me feel like I had roommates. They would be really fun roommates :)

:: Seasons come and seasons go and to that I say, PTL (Praise the Lord!) Some seasons I can't wait to be over and others I wish I could stay in forever. But just as their is great beauty in the weather seasons changing, there is also great beauty in the changing seasons of life.

:: My birthday is coming up and I'm going to be 25. 1/4 of a century. So 1/3 of my life is over, although I hope to live past 75.

:: I've ate more chocolate and candy in the past two weeks then I have in the past two months. And next week won't be good either... You only live once, right?? :)

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TIM!

Today is my brother's birthday. He is 27. TWENTY SEVEN! It seems like just yesterday I was 5 and he was 7 and we were running through the sprinklers in our front yard. I love him so much--more then he knows I'm sure. He has taught me more then he'll ever know and has been a true example to me of what it means to love people without judgement in such a genuine way. He's so much like my mom--in so many good ways.

He's one person I can't be mad at or stay mad at very long. He just has this way about him that makes it's so hard to be mad at. Trust me, growing up we had our share of fights, but as we've got older I have learned to appreciate so much about who he is and the wonderful brother he is to me. His hugs are so comforting and just talking to him can make any day better--his light hearted laughter is so refreshing.

Happy Birthday Tim! You are greatly loved by so many!

She's Home Now...

Jesus called this beautiful young woman, Katie Friesen, home with Him last Thursday, October 1st. She was a junior at Fresno Pacific where she was loved by MANY. Those who are grieving her loss do not grieve as those who have no hope--Katie had hope and her hope in Jesus was evident.

These song lyrics have been on my mind a lot: "Til He returns or call me home, here in the love of Christ I stand". Katie truly is standing and basking in the LOVE of Christ right now.

Christ called her home and often the journey one begins when a loved one dies is full of more questions then answers. Even with the many questions, there is rejoicing together in Christ knowing it's not "goodbye" but rather "until we meet again".

"Til He returns or calls me home, here in the love of Christ I stand"

Food for Thought

"We have not been promised extravagant housing, but we have been promised His presence. We often find ourselves in spaces that seem the last spot on earth we would have picked to insert ourselves, engaged in things that we never imagined ourselves having to do, but we can know this comfort: that wherever we are, we are in the very residence of God and this is sweeter and greater than anywhere without Him."

–David Crowder

Nina and Scott Shaver

It was a BEAUTIFUL day full of GREAT memories...

Prayer Request for G-ma

My grandma is in the hospital right now and has been there for the past four days. She went in because she had become extremely nauseated, stopped eating because food made her feel sick, would throw up any food she did eat and the consequently became quite dehydrated. The doctors have run ample amounts of test on her, yet there has yet to be any further understanding as to what is going on. All of us are praying that it is nothing major and that she'll be back at home soon.

She was diagnosed with cancer for the second time about 5 months ago and has gone through radiation treatment since then and that in itself has been a bit of a rough road for her. We're all pretty sure the cancer is being stubborn and still lingering in her body.

I talked to my grandpa the other day on the phone and asked if he needed anything and he replied with, "Nope, all I need is for grandma to come home..." The love they have for one another is indescribable.

So my family and I covet your prayers right now as we continue on this journey of wanting grandma to be back home and feeling much better. I'll surely keep you all posted.

"Me Too"

Thoughts For The Throne
September 14th

I had lunch this weekend with some good friends and walked away feeling quite refreshed. Sometimes when you share a meal with people there might be a hint of a deeper kind of conversation, but typically there is usually more eating and less talking. With the busyness of life we are sometimes driven by the clock and eat in a hurry, leaving limited time or space for “beyond the surface” kinds of conversations.

I sometimes find myself being a slave to the clock, moving quickly from one thing to the next. This weekend however, I sat with my two friends at lunch and I was determined to not watch the clock. Our conversation was filled with all sorts of topics and conversations, some focused on life’s bigger questions and others focused on the day to day struggles we all encounter. For me, the most refreshing part of the conversation was hearing two simple words that carry with them a magnificent healing power; the words "me too".

There's something special about hearing those words from someone. I think that we each carry within our broken souls a false assumption that we are unique in our hurts. We believe that we are singular in our struggle. Pioneers into a land of pain that no one has ever set foot in before. But that's just wrong...

We're not Neil Armstrongs of sin. In fact God’s Word (see below) says that we can't encounter any temptation or struggle that isn't common to others. But we forget this. Satan uses our shame to isolate us from the fellowship that God has designed us for. And sometimes, we need to hear someone who is walking a similar path as us say "me too".

There's something about those words that carries with it a power greater than even an answer to our problems can give. A power that builds a bridge between two people. A power that heals...

I hope as you continue in your time here at FPU, you examine where you’re at in life, look at the struggles you encounter, and remember you are not alone in those. It’s easy to push people away as it’s much more difficult to let people in. My prayer for you is that you engage in those deeper conversations with people you trust. But I’ve learned that the more honest we are with ourselves and with those around us, the more we allow room for God to work…to heal our souls…and remind us that we are His.

Until Next Week…

Becky

“The temptations in your life are no different from what others experience. And God is faithful. He will not allow the temptation to be more than you can stand. When you are tempted, he will show you a way out so that you can endure”. 1 Corinthians 10:13

They Are Married :)

More pictures to come... :)

I can't do it on my own...

This past week has been a whirlwind. Many MANY good things and a few overwhelming things. I started my grad classes two weeks ago and I've gotta be honest, I've been a bit overwhelmed by it all. I know once the routine of life settles in and I start back on the track of doing school stuff and setting aside time for reading and paper writing, things will even out. I am taking 6 units right now and continue to work full time in the job that I love. There were a few times last week where I felt that there was so much going on and so much to do, I felt somewhat paralyzed and didn't know where to begin. It's in those moments I am reminded that I MUST rely on strength from the Lord and not rely on my own doing.

I am blessed to have the opportunity to start my grad studies and have a job that I love and work with people I love. I really feel I am exactly where Jesus wants me and for those of you who have felt that before, you know there is nothing that compares to it.

Surely there will be more to come... :)

If you want a really good laugh...watch this....

The video is almost 3 minutes long, but if you just watch the first minute of it you can get the jest of it. And after about 20 seconds you'll probably be laughing really hard. Make sure you can hear the music when you play it. Enjoy :)

PTL

"But we have treasures in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us. We are hard pressed on every side but not crushed; perplexed but not in despair, persecuted but not abandoned; struck down but not destroyed."

2 Corinthians 4:7-9

Soon to be Mrs. Shaver... :)

My really good friend Nina is getting married in less than two weeks! Last night all of us ladies in the wedding party went out to dinner to celebrate! This wedding is one I'm REALLY looking forward to for many, many reasons. Can't wait to celebrate with Nina and Scott and all their friends and family!!

So much good stuff going on...!