bagels

I haven't updated in a while... it's been such a busy past few weeks what with coming back from Egypt, visiting family and friends in Ohio, and then Prep Week here at ONU. I finally feel like I have time to breathe and work on stuff like Sister 2 Sister and laundry and emails and all that stuff. Hope you haven't felt neglected by me in these past days... I apologize. Know that I love you! So I thought I'd post and thank you for praying for me and share these pictures from the past few weeks with you. It's been a rough two weeks. God has really stretched me. I'm thoroughly enjoying the band and the boys, but at the same time it's not what I anticipated it would be... and I have a hard time trusting God and not being overwhelmed with fear. It seems to be a consistent pattern in my life: learning how to trust! I have to keep working on it.
Have you ever heard the song "Abba Father"? It goes like this...

Abba Father
My defender, You are Holy
I surrender to You
In my weakness You protect me
When my heart strays You correct me
Abba Father
I love you Daddy
Abba Father
I love you Daddy
Abba Father
I love you, I love you, Daddy

Well we were singing that in devos the other day with Zions Wake and I remembered this time when I was in Israel... in Jerusalem they have these INCREDIBLE bagels, like I'm not even kidding you... if you ever get a chance to have a Jewish bagel, you TOTALLY have to try it! So they make these incredible bagels and they have all different kinds of bagels and then all different kinds of toppings you can get on your bagel... like tuna or lochs (I think it's salmon), or egg salad and then like 5 different kinds of cream cheese... with dill or garlic or plain... and then they have cucumbers, tomatoes, pickles, lettuce, onion, olives, cheese... and you get to choose whatever you want. It's incredible. Almost as good as the potatoes in Turkey (check out www.karajoygoestoegypt.blogspot.com) Anyways... I'm standing in line one day for a bagel and in front of me is this little red-headed boy and he says "Abba! Abba!" To his dad and it caught my attention cuz I'd never heard anyone actually call their father Abba before. As I watch the little guy is pointing like crazy at the topping bar and babbling in Hebrew, I'm guessing saying "Daddy! I want that, and this and don't forget to put this on my bagel, Daddy, ok Daddy?" And the Abba seemingly ignores the boy for a little while but then looks down reaches his hand out and pats the little boy on the head and says something in Hebrew, seeming to say, "Don't worry, I know what you like." Later I watched the little boy sit down, tear into his bagel and excitedly eating it perfectly content with the bagel his Abba has just chosen for him.
As I sat in devos listening to this song and thinking about the bagels in Jerusalem I realized that I'm a lot like this little boy with God. Here I am saying, "HELLO!! God!! Don't forget I need cucumbers and tomatoes and I really like onions, could you please make sure you get those on my bagel?" And I'm scared cuz he's ordering my bagel with cheese and lettuce and I'm not sure I like that... and he's reaching down patting me on the head, "Kara, don't worry, I know what you like. Trust me." And he's just made me the best bagel possible and if only I'd shut up and go sit down I'd really enjoy it and realize that I couldn't have made it better... but I'm caught up in the choosing stage, determined that I know what I like better than he does, and it's just stressing me out. It's hard right now to trust his topping choice but I know that if I do it'll be so worth it... and yummy!! :)
Well, that's a little I've been realizing lately... hope you too let God pick your bagel toppings this week with me. And I hope you like the following pictures... Love you!! :)

This is Lindsey and Erin and I saying goodbye at Panera in Valpo. Oh I miss these girls sooo much!

When I was at home I got to go to see Cabes and Anna quiz at Mt. Vernon with Mom, Dad and Jonathan.

My girls!! Tara, Rachelle and I went to Cedar Point one Saturday with Michael Remole and Jeff Alexander... it was a blast!

My sissy!! I miss her!!

Awe, I love my brother!

My Caleb... I love this kid so much!


I got to hang out with the Kendalls one day... we went to Noah's baseball game and then it was funny cuz it got all stormy and we were waiting on Bobby and Dylan to pick us up and Beth suggested we hide from the wind in this house... with no walls that didn't help any and it was just as windy and relaly funny!!


Jonathan and I got to hang out with our favorite... Kelly Prichard!! It was SOO good!! I miss her soo much!! Love you Kel!! :)


After youth group one Wednesday we went to Taco Bell with the fellows and Kel and Shelby showed up... it was wonderful.

Prep Week began... and this is my Brenda!!

Me and the Katester... my incredible roomy!!

THE BAND!!!
Meet my fellows... Jeremiah in Black, Chris in Orange, Tyler in Blue, Tim in Green, Harrison in Grey... and of course, me in the middle.

I love these fellows!

Practicing it up!

Just yesterday my roomy Nicole and I went with Ty, Chris and Jer to these cliffy caves with waterfalls in the woods and hiked all over and climbed. It was beautiful and wonderful... I want to do this everyday for the rest of my life!! :) Made me feel like I was back in Egypt hiking somewhere or going on another adventure. Oh, how I miss Egypt and Turkey and Syria and Jordan and Israel... soooo much!!