Fill us up and send us out.

Last night at Chapel, we sang God of Justice.  It really got me thinking about my trip.

God of Justice, Saviour to all
Came to rescue the weak and the poor
Chose to serve and not be served

Jesus, You have called us
Freely we've received
Now freely we will give

We must go live to feed the hungry
Stand beside the broken
We must go
Stepping forward keep us from just singing
Move us into action
We must go

To act justly everyday
Loving mercy in everyway
Walking humbly before You God

You have shown us, what You require
Freely we've received
Now freely we will give


Fill us up and send us out
Fill us up and send us out
Fill us up and send us out Lord

I truly believe that God has called me to spend my summer in Ireland doing his work.  This song last night reminded me of that fact.  I make this song my prayer...Fill me up Lord and send me out...use me me to freely give everything I have for your glory.  Help me to act justly, love mercy, and walk humbly before you.  Keep me from just singing and move me into action.

God Bless

KJA

Your Hands

Today I am sharing with you a beautiful song that I have been listening to as of late!  In the words of my friend, Staci, "this song hits the nail on the head."  It just really speaks to my heart right now! It is Your Hands by JJ Heller.

I have unanswered prayers
I have trouble I wish wasn't there
And I have asked a thousand ways
That You would take my pain away
That You would take my pain away

I am trying to understand
How to walk this weary land
Make straight the paths that crookedly lie
Oh Lord, before these feet of mine
Oh Lord, before these feet of mine

When my world is shaking
Heaven stands
When my heart is breaking
I never leave Your hands

When You walked upon the Earth
You healed the broken, lost, and hurt
I know You hate to see me cry
One day You will set all things right
Yea, one day You will set all things right

When my world is shaking
Heaven stands
When my heart is breaking
I never leave Your hands

Your hands
Your hands that shape the world
Are holding me, they hold me still
Your hands that shape the world
Are holding me, they hold me still

When my world is shaking
Heaven stands
When my heart is breaking
I never leave You when...

When my world is shaking
Heaven stands
When my heart is breaking
I never leave...
I never leave Your hands

Closer and Closer

As this semester is coming to an end, it has hit me how close Ireland is!  I am excited to experience new things and do some amazing things for God, but as it gets closer I also get more and more nervous!  Pray that my nerves will turn to excitement!  Also be praying that all of my finances fall in to place!  If you are still interested in donating I would greatly appreciate it!  I am still worried about getting all the money that I need in time for my trip!  So if God lays it on your heart to support me financially, it is not too late! 

 This is also a really busy week for me!  I will take some inspiration from Beth's blog and make a list:

 -Diagnostic Reading Report due 

-Communication Portfolio due

-Observe and write reflections for two Lesson Studies

-Teach two kindergarten lessons and write reflections

-Reading Kit due

-Junior Block Luncheon

-Teach Science Lesson in 1st grade classroom (evaluated by three teachers!)

-Garage Sale Day on Sat!

After this week I will be able to breath a little bit!  Be praying that everything goes smoothly!  I am counting down the days until I get to go home for SUMMER!!!  17 days from today!  That is 2 and a half weeks!  HOORAY! YIPPEE! SUMMER!

God Bless

KJA

Drop the 'tude, dude!

So I decided to take a break from my homework and share some insight with you!  Yesterday all the junior education majors were required to attend a conference about Highly Effective Teaching.  Even though it was little on the boring side, I did really enjoy one of the speakers.  Barbara Pedersen spoke about teaching with joy.  I think that the points she made could not only be applied to teaching but also to everyday life.  She really made me think about my attitude towards things.  Her advice about teaching with joy were:

1. Choose your attitude
2. Change the story
3. Have an attitude of gratitude
4.Polish your passion
5.Choose your words
6. Keep it simple
7. Choose the way you see tomorrow

Well there you have it!  Try changing you attitude to one of joy!  I think you will be surprised how having an attitude of joy will make your day!

God Bless
KJA

Gaining a new Family Member!

Big news in my household! Adam (big brother) got engaged!!!  I will have a sister now!  I am soo happy for Adam and Amy!  this is going to be a super short post because I have a lot of stuff to do today!  have a wonderful day.   Tell someone you love them!

God Bless
KJA

Praise

So Praise the Lord!  Last night went well!  I was very nervous but my roommates said that you couldn't tell at all!  Adam (big brother) came over to where I was sitting before chapel started and prayed with me.  He prayed that God would use my words to speak to the hearts of those listening and he also prayed that God would calm my nerves and give me comfort.  Prayer answered because after that I felt much more at ease.  I still was nervous but I knew God had control of what I was going to say!

God Bless
KJA

Prayer

Be praying for me today.  I am speaking at Ekklesia tonight.  Ekklesia is our student lead chapel here on campus.  I am kind of nervous because by no means am a I preacher!  Pray that the words I speak would be God's and not mine.

I am off to another day of classes!

God Bless
KJA

Blessings

God has blessed us with a beautiful 85 degree sunshiney day.....GO ENJOY IT!  I know I am!

God Bless
KJA

Busy Busy Busy

I am so busy!  I have started Junior Block practicum, where I spend the mornings in a elementary school.  Yesterday was the first day and I got sick while at school.  It was not so fun.  I have alot going on right now.  I am doing a three hour workshop over Project Learning Tree tonight. That should be interesting!

Welp I am sorry that this is such a short post!

Bless
KJA

Trip Update and a Favorite thing

TRIP UPDATE:  I am now the official owner of a US passport!  Hollar!  I applied for it awhile ago and it came in the mail over Easter break!  Hooray!  This makes me super excited for my trip!

Things to be praying for:
-That I will get all the money that I need for my trip...it is beginning to stress me out!
-That I will continue to memorize the things that need to be memorized for my trip

Now the title of this blog says that I will share a favorite thing.  I am going to leave you with one of my favorite pieces of writing that was turned into a song

God Bless
KJA

"ADVICE, LIKE YOUTH, PROBABLY JUST WASTED ON THE YOUNG" by  Mary Schmich

Wear sunscreen.

If I could offer you only one tip for the future, sunscreen would be it. The long-term benefits of sunscreen have been proved by scientists, whereas the rest of my advice has no basis more reliable than my own meandering experience. I will dispense this advice now.
Enjoy the power and beauty of your youth. Oh, never mind. You will not understand the power and beauty of your youth until they've faded. But trust me, in 20 years, you'll look back at photos of yourself and recall in a way you can't grasp now how much possibility lay before you and how fabulous you really looked. You are not as fat as you imagine.
Don't worry about the future. Or worry, but know that worrying is as effective as trying to solve an algebra equation by chewing bubble gum. The real troubles in your life are apt to be things that never crossed your worried mind, the kind that blindside you at 4 p.m. on some idle Tuesday.
Do one thing every day that scares you.
Sing.
Don't be reckless with other people's hearts. Don't put up with people who are reckless with yours.
Floss.
Don't waste your time on jealousy. Sometimes you're ahead, sometimes you're behind. The race is long and, in the end, it's only with yourself.
Remember compliments you receive. Forget the insults. If you succeed in doing this, tell me how.
Keep your old love letters. Throw away your old bank statements.
Stretch.
Don't feel guilty if you don't know what you want to do with your life. The most interesting people I know didn't know at 22 what they wanted to do with their lives. Some of the most interesting 40-year-olds I know still don't.
Get plenty of calcium. Be kind to your knees. You'll miss them when they're gone.
Maybe you'll marry, maybe you won't. Maybe you'll have children, maybe you won't. Maybe you'll divorce at 40, maybe you'll dance the funky chicken on your 75th wedding anniversary. Whatever you do, don't congratulate yourself too much, or berate yourself either. Your choices are half chance. So are everybody else's.
Enjoy your body. Use it every way you can. Don't be afraid of it or of what other people think of it. It's the greatest instrument you'll ever own.
Dance, even if you have nowhere to do it but your living room.
Read the directions, even if you don't follow them.
Do not read beauty magazines. They will only make you feel ugly.
Get to know your parents. You never know when they'll be gone for good. Be nice to your siblings. They're your best link to your past and the people most likely to stick with you in the future.
Understand that friends come and go, but with a precious few you should hold on. Work hard to bridge the gaps in geography and lifestyle, because the older you get, the more you need the people who knew you when you were young.
Live in New York City once, but leave before it makes you hard. Live in Northern California once, but leave before it makes you soft.
Travel.
Accept certain inalienable truths: Prices will rise. Politicians will philander. You, too, will get old. And when you do, you'll fantasize that when you were young, prices were reasonable, politicians were noble and children respected their elders.
Respect your elders.
Don't expect anyone else to support you. Maybe you have a trust fund. Maybe you'll have a wealthy spouse. But you never know when either one might run out.
Don't mess too much with your hair or by the time you're 40 it will look 85.
Be careful whose advice you buy, but be patient with those who supply it. Advice is a form of nostalgia. Dispensing it is a way of fishing the past from the disposal, wiping it off, painting over the ugly parts and recycling it for more than it's worth.
But trust me on the sunscreen.

Child-like faith

I am in charge of organizing the chapel for Forrester Village this semester.  We have decided to focus on the topic of having a child-like faith.  I am the one who is going to be talking. I am nervous already!  I don't typically have any trouble talking in front of people but for some reason I am nervous to do this.

I am beginning to plan out what I am talking about.  Be praying for me!  If you have any ideas about Child like faith let me know! 

It is raining out today and my morning classes and one of my afternoon classes got canceled today...which in my book means it is a nap and movie kid of day!

God Bless
KJA

Encouragement from Friends

So I have the worlds greatest friends.  I am blessed beyond reason to have such encouraging girls who lift me up even when they don't know that they are.  As of late I have been struggling with stress and enjoying every bit of the short time I have left at HU (a year and a half!) and God has provided me encouragement and laughter through three particular friends. Hebrews 3:13 says, "But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called Today, so that none of you may be hardened by sin's deceitfulness."  And these girls do just that through the laughter and joy they bring to my life!  So thank you Erica Abel, Carrie Hall, and Beth Portice!