While shopping...

I found this husband reading a story to his kids. I thought it was so cute! You see this on commercials, but not very often in 'real life.' And people wonder why I take my camera with me into stores!

Couple quick pictures

Mom kept begging for more pictures of the red leaves. She loved 'em!

Wow!! ...that pizza was awesome!

Nan and Byron in their little car.

Well...

I tried. Mom and I tried so hard to get a good picture of the two of us, but...

I cut off the top of our heads...
(but we could've just stopped with this one)

I closed my eyes on one...

Um, yeah...

Yay, finally a good one!

School and lack thereof

:'( I stayed up until 4 doing a paper for psych (the previous night I had stayed up until 5:30 doing New Testament homework :P ). So today, I woke up at noon!! I was shocked! And MAD! Oooo! (In fact, I am getting mad at myself as I type this) So now that paper that I stayed up so late working on, will probably be considered late. :-/To quote Larry (the cucumber :), "Oofta!" Now for some good news: It's officially fall break!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I am completely and totally ready for it! I have to let this sink in: no design homework, no drawing homework. YAY for professor Carl!!! I'm so glad school is over (for four days). As Gomer Pyle would say, "Shazam!" :D :D

Aren't my quotes just so inspirational today?!

My mom is flying up, er... down tomorrow at 8, so pray for that. I am so excited!!

Hmmm...

When going through pictures for mom's birthday, I came across this picture.

Mom, Susan, Nan, Grandma

Captions anyone?

Hooray!

Yay! Blogger is cooperating! I can post some pictures! Happy birthday Mom!! You are so many things. I really don't think I can list them all. You are such an inspiration to me. You encourage me so much, you have no idea the impact. It makes me want to go farther (especially this year with drawing). Your silliness has impacted me as well, but I think that is an entirely different post.

A sister

A joy!

I don't have a picture of her and me with me. Hopefully I'll get a couple when she comes down!! That's right, I get to see her on the 21st!!!!! YAY!!! I can barely wait!!

Happy Birthday!

My mom's birthday is today, but alas alas, blogger won't let me load pictures. I'll wait a little bit and if it still doesn't let me, I'll do a meaningful post without pictures. (Is it really possible?)

A renewed thirst

These past couple days I have really gotten a renewed thirst for God's Word. It is so exciting!! I think it started with reading Elisabeth Elliot's Passion and Purity . Really good book, it talked about starting a spiritual journal, so I thought I would try it...again (usually I'm not good with journals). Well, we will have to see if I keep up with it, but last night I really enjoyed what I read. I Chronicles 29, verse 5: Now who is willing to consecrate himself today to the Lord? Consecrate: to be set apart or sacred. "NOW, who is willing...?" I love it! I really gave me something to think about. And verse 12, "In your hands are strength and power to exalt and to give strength to all." Through GOd's strength we can fully consecrate ourselves to the Lord TODAY!

An Amazing Video!!!

You seriously need to watch this. Even if the sound doesn't work on your computer. I love this. Just watch.

A totally random post

"So how did it go? Will he ever walk again?" Yes, those are the questions that haunt my (im)patient readers. Well, let's see... Scott is back in school. So you can pray that he gets caught up with everyone. The bleeding has stopped. I think he still has a bandage of some sort one his toe. I don't want to gross you out, but I have no choice. I was talking with him last week sometime, and he was saying that they had to take the nail out and sew it back in....! Yikes. But he is fine... and able to walk.

Schoolwork isn't too bad. I have to re-do a paper yet tonight and write up a chapter quiz (essentially, it is an open book quiz-- YAY!!!!) Homecoming was this weekend. I didn't go. I wanted to actually relax, so the few girls that were still in the dorm watched a movie, One Night with the King. I liked it a lot. (Doesn't replace Arsenic and Old Lace though! :D :) So this week, the goldfish actually had a day of rest! :) Speaking of nicknames, let me share with you the list I have gotten here at college: Guppy, Dory (Finding Nemo), Squirrel (I should make a brown tail in design class for myself!), an archaeologist, and a cheerleader. Along with the list from home: Meggy Eggy Seggy Peggy Weggy Zeggy, Mugsee, Mugsee Mouse, Mugsee Rat and of course, my personal favorite...goldfish. :) Anyone have/remember any others?

Surgery

Scott will need to have surgery today to place a pin in his toe. So, they are heading to Bismarck. His surgery is scheduled for 2 PM. Please PRAY. Even if you read this after 2. Pray that the surgery goes well and that Scott will be able to heal quickly.

Upper Room

Hear my cry for mercy as I call to you for help, as I lift up my hands toward your Most Holy Place.
~Psalm 28:2
WOW!! Upper Room was awesome!!! I wasn't intending on going, but I went. And I am so glad!!!! It was awesome! I have never worshiped God in a more honest, open way. I loved it so much! You could really feel the presence of God. Did I mention that I loved it?!

Prayer Request

Sunday night Scott had an accident while kicking a ball in the basement. He broke his big toe and tore the bottom part of the toenail. Needless to say, he is in a lot of pain. He and mom went to the clinic yesterday, and Rosemary put his toe back into position and fixed his nail. There is a lot of bleeding though and he is in a lot of pain. Please pray for him.

2 Corinthians 5:13a

If we are out of our mind, it is for the sake of God.

Hooray!!!

I got a C+ on my drawing assignment! Did you notice that it said C PLUS?! YAY!!! It took a long time to do, so I am quite pleased. The teacher is really good, but it is hard to get a high grade. Pretty much impossible to get an A (although, ALL things are possible with God :) On the plus side, he says that perfection is over-rated. :D (But I'll still AIM for perfection! ;)

I also have another reason for being happy. I got TWO packages from home today!! Yeah, that's right-- two!!! :D I was overjoyed!!! Among other things, she sent dried pineapple (*licks lips*), and a skirt from Christopher & Banks (which I am wearing right now :)!!! My mom definitely knows how to send a care package, that's FOR sure!!

And my RA just dropped off a cookie! How much better can it get?

Extreme Sacrifice

	Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God - this is your spiritual act of worship. ~ Romans 12:1
					They huddled inside the room while hearing the screams of fellow Christians being butchered outside. Pastor Hendrick Pattiwael and his wife were helping to lead the Indonesian youth camp, and they felt responsible for the young people in their care.
					The camp had been a joyous time of spiritual growth and worship. Then they were attacked. When the radical Muslim mob surrounded the building where they hid, Pastor Pattiwael went outside. Distracting the bloodthirsty mob’s attention away from his wife and the young people, the pastor was attacked while the others escaped. “Jesus, help me.” They were his final words. His wife next saw him lying in a coffin. Ugly wounds crisscrossed his torso and arms. In shock and anger, Mrs. Pattiwael cried out to God. “How could you let this happen? Why didn’t you protect my husband?” But the Holy Spirit reminded her of her husband’s words only days before the attack. “If you love Jesus, but you love me or your family more, you are unworthy of Christ’s kingdom.” He told her that he was ready to die for Christ’s kingdom. Remembering those words, she refused to become bitter. She still works with her church in Indonesia. The advice that she would give Christians in free nations is simply this: “Seek God more earnestly, so that you can stand in the midst of more trouble.”
					We don’t have to go looking for trouble. It already has our address. Jesus often reminded his disciples that trials are part of daily living. Seeking God more earnestly does not mean seeking more trouble for our lives. No, the benefit of seeking a deeper relationship with God is to better prepare us for the inevitable. We don’t have a choice about what troubles come our way. However, we can choose to have a relationship with God that prepares us for trouble. Some trials may mean losing our lives for Christsake. Yet this is not the real sacrifice. The extreme sacrifice must come long before. We must sacrifice selfishness at every level in order to develop intimacy with God ahead of time. When we have sacrificed all to pursue a preeminent relationship with Christ, we will have already done the hardest part.

Have you applied it today?

While in church today, I was thinking. Do you have any idea of how fortunate we are to have Bibles in our pews? So many countries have people thirsting for God's Word. And we, who have countless Bibles in our churches and homes, hardly give it a second thought. Sure we will read it occasionally. And many page through it's wonderful words every day for devotions. But what about after that? Do we really apply it? We have the tools, but do we really use them? We need to get beyond just reading them, and actually apply it to our lives. We would be so changed, so altered, so...transformed. Our minds would be focused so much more than on this world! I challenge you (and myself) to apply God's Word, meditate on it, memorize it and apply it.

"The secret of my success? It is simple. It is found in the Bible, 'In all thy ways acknowledge Him and He shall direct thy paths.'" ~George Washington Carver

Jesus Freaks Around You Now

"Christianity has become dramatic with us," wrote Pastor Richard Wurmbrand, a leader of the underground church in Communist Romania. "When Christians in free countries win a soul for Christ, the new believer may become a member of a quietly living church. But when those in captive nations win someone, we know that he may have to go to prison and that his children may become orphans. The joy of having brought someone to Christ is always mixed with this feeling that there is a price that must be paid.

" When I was still living behind the Iron Curtain, I had met a Russian captain. He loved God, he longed after God, but he had never seen a Bible. He had never attended religious services. He had no religious education, but he loved God without the slightest knowledge of Him.

" I read to him the Sermon on the Mount and the parables of Jesus. After hearing them, he danced around the room in rapturous joy, proclaiming, ‘What a wonderful beauty! How could I live without knowing this Christ?’ It was the first time that I saw someone jubilating in Christ.

" Then I made a mistake. I read to him the passion and crucifixion of Christ, without having prepared him for this. He had not expected it. When he heard how Christ was beaten, how He was crucified, and that in the end He died, he fell in an armchair and began to weep bitterly. He had believed in a Savior and now his Savior was dead!

" I looked at him and was ashamed that I had called myself a Christian and a pastor, a teacher of others. I had never shared the sufferings of Christ as this Russian officer now shared them. Looking at him was, for me, like seeing Mary Magdalene weeping at the foot of the cross or at the empty tomb.

" Then I read to him the story of the resurrection. When he heard this wonderful news, that the Savior arose from the tomb, he slapped his knees, and shouted for joy: ‘He is alive! He is alive!’ Again he danced around the room, overwhelmed with happiness.

" I said to him, ‘Let us pray.’

" He fell on his knees together with me. He did not know our holy phrases. His words of prayer were, ‘O God, what a fine chap You are! If I were You and You were me, I would never have forgiven You Your sins. But You are really a very nice chap! I love You with all my heart.’

" I think that all the angels in heaven stopped what they were doing to listen to this sublime prayer from this Russian officer. When this man received Christ, he knew he would immediately lose his position as an officer, that prison and perhaps death in jail would almost surely follow. He gladly paid the price. He was ready to lose everything."

Homework Report

Okay, so last night (well, actually this morning!) I went to bed at 3:30!! I was studying my psychology chapter. And tonight I have a feeling it will be pretty late night as well. :P I have to draw someone's eye for at least 20 minutes. If you think that it doesn't sound like a lot, just try it! Your arm about falls off. Let's see, a chapter in my NT textbook, about 40 pages in Shadow of the Galilean (which is actually fairly easy reading-- narrative story of Jesus) and a chapter in Design. That's what is due tomorrow.

For Friday, I have a personal reaction paper to type (1-3 pages-- YAY that it isn't long!) Some drawings due on Monday-- supposed to take 10 hours in all. :P And I need to read the next chapter for another psychology quiz next week.

Today I watched Star Trek for the first time-- for my New Testament class. I'm sorry, but that show is BOR-RING (and kind of hard to follow-- kept getting planet's and people mixed up! :)! But when you are with friends, it is much better, because then you can all make fun of the characters and ask questions like, "What is the name of the planet they are on?" and "What is the bald captain's name again?"

Tonight is room inspection. I guess that means I should vacuum, huh? :)

And today is my room-mate's birthday! Yay! Happy Birthday, Allie!!!!!!

I almost forgot!-- on the way back from supper tonight, I saw the hugest racoon that I have ever seen in my WHOLE 19 years of existence on this planet! It was HUGE! I had to look again to make sure it wasn't a badger, but it wasn't! I'M POSITIVE!!!

The many faces of Megan