Hello friends and family!! So sorry that my postings are few and far between!!

To catch you up a little on the happenings of life... last Friday I moved to North Vernon, IN. I'm currently staying at Ryan Goode's house while he is teaching English in Korea. As of my moving, I had 3 weeks to find a job and an apartment before he returns home. This past week I have applied out the wazoo... and I'm actually starting as a substitute teacher in a position I'm hoping for full-time at the middle school. I have another job interview on Thursday, need to call another organization tomorrow to set up another interview, and this week my goal is to shop for an apartment or housing unit! ;) I'm really excited about being Ryan's neighbor, and it's looking good so far!! I just gotta keep it up, keep praying, and hope that God will continue to provide and open doors so I can stay here!

On top of house-sitting for Ryan, job hunting and apartment shopping, I am also taking care of Ryan's puppy dog, Claxton (both pictured above). It's been quite the trip so far. I've never lived with a dog... and I'm not sure I ever want to again! He's a good puppy, but he does smell. I've been wanting to bathe him all week, but have been rather afraid of him! My fears were conquered tonight with help from some of the teens in Ryan's youth group. Pictures and videos are below...

This weekend was also our family Christmas in Ft. Wayne. I had so much fun!! I went up on Friday night and stayed with my cousin Kendra (in the green sweater), and then hung out in Ft. Wayne all day Saturday with all my cousins, Aunts, Uncles, and then my family of course. (Minus Kate... she sure was missed!) We had so much fun!! AND!!! I finally now know how to make my favorite soup in the world made special by Uncle Steve and Aunt Pat!! Green bean, ham and potato. Ah. It's to die for!! (Seriously!) Oh, and!! I got the card game Rook from Grandma Nelson for Christmas!! That was fun... we had game gift exchange and stole games from each other until we ended with the one we liked!! And then I played Rook all afternoon with my Aunts, Uncle Steve, and Momma! Oh, I love my family!! :)

Step 1: Getting Claxton into the Tub.



Step 2: Washing him, hoping he sits!
Step 3: Drying Off!! Watch out, Brittany!! :)


I'm having technical difficulties with captioning the photos... but, as you can see... we made cookies tonight and then gave Claxton a bath. It was very interesting! :) I'm just glad I didn't have to do it myself!
Here's the final product... a clean and not so bad smelling puppy dog!!


This video's kind of funny... Hannah decided she wanted to dance with Claxton. I thought he was going to eat her!! But he didn't. And he probably enjoyed the excitement. I'm never exciting. I just sit around and every now and then I talk to him, but yeah, I'm boring compared to this!! :)
Have a great day, everyone!
Oh... and check out Ryan's blog for updates
on what life is like teaching English to 8 year olds in Korea!

happy 2009!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

it's 2009! how crazy is that!?!

new years is supposed to be a great time to reflect on the past and anticipate the future, and plan for some hardcore new years resolutions. i like the reflecting and pondering part... but i'm not good at new years resolutions. i'm not really into dieting or crazy health goals... i want to be healthy, so i'm striving to live healthy. i'd rather not set myself up to be disappointed later... i know myself and any new years resolution that would sound remotely good enough to post online would not happen three months from now. ;) so... i don't know what i would resolve to do for this next year. i would like to read some books on topics i think are boring (seems like a stately thing to do), and i would like to learn how to bake bread like my momma. other than that... i got nothin.

as for reflecting... i can't believe that the past four years at college flew by and are over!! i mean, dude, i'm an adult!! how crazy is that? (do adults say dude?) ha. i'm thinking back over my life... i still have dreams i have yet to fulfill... serving God in a foreign country, being a social worker and advocating for those who can't speak for themselves, visiting churches all over the world, getting married and serving God with some hot fellow... all those things have yet to happen... but i feel like this new year is just the beginning. in fact... here's what i'm anticipating in the next year or so...

this week, tomorrow in fact, i am moving to southern indiana where my ryan lives and serves as an associate pastor. we want to be neighbors, and i'm seeking a full time job, and possibly a part time job as well. i want to work, pay off student loans, and live in an apartment by myself. i really want to put my hard earned social work degree to use!! in may i'm traveling back to the middle east with a team of students from olivet, and i dream of the day when i'll move and work overseas... focus on the student-loan time is now!! and yeah... i anticipate that i'll keep dreaming and just live every day on purpose anxious for where God will take me next as i trust in Him!

happy new year, friends!!

i hope your new years morning is excellent (faster than mine... working at a panera where we had one customer at 6am, one at 6:15, and not another one until 7:40... everybody's sleepin!!).

much love,
kara joy

quick little update...

so... i dropped my ryan off in korea yesterday!! :) that is, i dropped him off at the airport in detroit. we had such a great time visiting family and celebrating christmas with our families... and were both sad and excited for him to go to korea!! he should be getting there as i type now, so be praying for him as he's there for a month teaching bible and english to junior high kids. he's gonna have a blast!! :) in the meantime, this week is pretty huge for me... i'm moving to north vernon on friday and am searching for a job and an apartment before he gets back january 26th! hopefully i'll find one and i'll keep you updated... but pray for me too, cuz i'm so anxious and incredibly nervous about the move and job search!! hope you had a merry christmas!! :)

a post

honestly, i have a hard time updating this blog.

it's almost as if the words i write on this page i want to be encouraging, uplifting, informative, enlightening and lately (as in the past several months) i simply do not feel as if i have anything to share. my life consists of the same: working 40 hours a week, visiting my hot boyfriend on the weekends, sleeping, eating, working out, and trying to get ready to move to indiana again. the problem that keeps me from posting: i've struggled with life lately. i'm terrified of not finding a job, of making a huge move and then finding myself somewhere doing something without purpose. i feel far from God as i struggle with consistency, with prayer, with listening for his voice and following. and i don't know, i haven't had time to check the news or think up interesting things to write about... and i don't have a faithful internet connection, so i have a hard time putting pictures up!! yesterday, however, in the midst of my worry and near hyperventilation about having bought a new cell phone and anticipation of bills and loans and no job and a major move, a lady at work shocked me. i didn't even know she knew Jesus!! and she says to me: "you know kara, sometimes you can just pray and pray about something and God never clearly says 'Move here' or 'Take this job' or 'Do this', He simply provides you opportunity to take a big step and then lets you decide if you'll do it. so the question here is: are you going to take that big step? you don't have to. but you can!" ah lori, thank you so much for those words. my response? "ok, God. i'm freaking out. again. not new to you, huh? but i'm going to take the step, make the move, and trust that you'll come through and provide for me." God is faithful. always. i can trust Him.

as i wrote this, my sweet new phone slash music player sang this song to me... how fitting!

my soul is weak, my heart is numb
i cannot see! still my hope is found in You
i'll hold on tightly: You will never let me go
Jesus You will never fail, Jesus You will never fail!

simply to the cross i cling
letting go of all earthly things
i'm clinging to the cross!
mercy's found a way for me
hope is here as i am free
Jesus You are all i need
i'm clinging to the cross!

insha'allah (God willing) i'll post again soon.
for my sweet thanksgiving weekend details, check out ryan's site. it was a great week!

happy sweetest day!

and another entire month has passed since i last posted.

so much for my empty promise of pictures.

i'm a slacker... or i'm just slacking at the internet... i've been not slacking in work!! i been goin' crazy with work!! :) so crazy that i put my two weeks in and i'm going home. yes, that's right... i'm moving back to lima!! never thought that would happen, huh? well... it's just temporary... i hope to move to columbus, indiana in january where i'll hopefully find a full-time job (i'm interviewing!!) and be close to my ryan. that would be lovely. and!! in the meantime i'll work some part-time job in lima and hang out with my incredible bro and sis... i'm pretty stoked about that. oh, and we have cows!! i'll milk baby cows!! slash give them milk. so yeah... homeward bound i am... i'm moving a week from wednesday!!

today... is a special day. did you know that it is sweetest day? and! it just so happens to be the three-month-aversary for me and ryan. that's pretty hot. i miss him today. and i miss amy today. here's a sweet pic from a few weeks ago when ryan took me to nashville for the weekend and we hung out with chris and amy!! :)

Happy Sweetest Day!!

it's been a month!!

wow.

incredible that an entire month can go by without my updating of this blog. there once was a time when i was addicted to it... i guess growing up can change everything, huh?

i've been thinking alot lately about growing up.
and i still don't want to do it.
but i am. regardless of how much i want to be back at olivet... it is over. :)

this past month has brought a lot of changes for me...

-i've been living with my aunt nancy. she's awesome... and there's this other lady rhonda living with us as well. it's nice to live in a "house" and not a dorm room... yet i struggle with my longing for my own little apartment. i'm living with her while i seek out a job and save up to get my own apartment... so hopefully by the end of the year that struggle will be over! :) but ah, aunt nancy is such a blessing to me. God is good, isn't He? :)

-i'm working like ALL THE TIME!! ;) i have two part-time jobs... which really together has me working more than full time. i just started this past week at panera bread. i really like it. i'm working there during the days and then i work at barnes and noble in the evenings. i still LOVE that job. i could work for barnes and noble forever!! (i won't though, don't worry mom!) ;)

-i'm making plans!! i'm seeking out a full time job in social work and anticipate that i'll still work a part time job on the side, but i'd love to find a job down in southern indiana (near the hot fellow in my life, ryan) and i've been beginning to look in columbus and madison, indiana. it would be awesome if i could find a job and an apartment by the first week of december!! we'll see what happens...

and really other than that i'm just living.

i continue to struggle with consistency in my relationship with God... i have this crazy feeling that that struggle will never go away. just when i think i've got it down and i'm chuggin' away spending time with Him in the Word, i lose my focus and suddenly i haven't taken time for Him in several days. it's so frustrating!! yet, i will continue to fight this battle and someday i will be victorious and i will be consistent!!

i miss people.
i miss olivet.
this weekend i was able to see before tomorrow lead worship at seymour first church of the nazarene.. and it was SOO good just to see tyler and chris and wes and liz and courtney and harold and abby and just hug them!! ah... i miss them!! this coming weekend ryan and i are taking some teenagers from his youth group to olivet and i can't WAIT to see jonathan and kate and b-train and mellow and rainsyl!! and THEN!!! ahh!! the very next weekend ryan and i are journeying south to nashville where my best friend amy and her hot husband chris have been living since the last time i saw them... their wedding day june 14, 2008. i am SO excited to see everyone!! life after college is a hard adjustment. it's weird to live in a place where i know no one and for a long time i was just working at barnes and noble with people a lot older than me (most of them have retired from something and just need something to do!!)... so i've really struggled with that. but once again, God is good... i'm so excited about the young crazy people i work with at panera, and i've been so blessed with my friend ryan and i have so many opportunities to see people these next weeks that yeah, i have nothing to complain about!! :) God is good... all the time!! and all the time... God is good!!

i have some pictures to post from this past month... but i can't do that at the moment as i'm at work!! so follow up soon and you'll get some good hot shots!! i love you!! have a great day!

an update!! :)

Wait for the Lord. Be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord.
-Psalm 27:14

"Gratitude is central to the life God made us for. Until we can center ourselves on what we do have, on what God has given us, on the life we do get to live, we'll constantly be looking for another life."
-Rob Bell

So the past two weeks have been quite the trip!! Two weeks ago I moved from Bourbonnais, Illinois to Anderson, Indiana... but I wasn't quite done with my internship... so after an awesome weekend with my family and Ryan's family in celebration of Ryan's ordination in the Nazarene Church I popped in my little wagon and drove back to Illinois to stay with Brenda for a week, finish my internship and work a bit at Barnes and Noble. It was a rough week... I was so excited to be finished, but goodness gracious, the stress of moving and not knowing anyone or anything and not having any job secure except for a transfer to Barnes and Noble in Noblesville, IN (which was TOTALLY a God-thing, praise the Lord!!) completely overwhelmed me. To top it off... on Thursday as I had gathered up my last papers for the hospital and finished my last class at Olivet ever and was driving to the hospital, I got in my first real accident. I rear-ended a pregnant lady at a red-light. It was horrible. Check out my sad little wagon now... it needs a nose job! :)

Thankfully no real damage was done and while I am currently unable to pop my hood, my car is drivable and the week before I'd gotten an oil change, so I have a little time before I have to worry about fixing the hood. So... I drove to Indiana after being rescued by the Heubners (bless you!) and Friday was Ryan's birthday. I met up with him and then that night we had a huge party in his backyard... the next few pictures are of him and his cake, the band he got to come play for the night (plus the incred Christmas decor he had in his barn that they took advantage of!), and then of us the next two days as we hung out together and got to go to the zoo (which was disappointing... did you know that there are no camels in the Indianapolis zoo!?! Who has a zoo with no gamels!?!) and we went to Kings Island with his youth group. It was a great weekend in the midst of all of my stress!!




I came back to Anderson to this incredible little house I live in with my Aunt Nancy...

And I started working at Barnes and Noble on Wednesday. It's been so busy!! I've been working in the cafe which definitely is stretching me... I miss those books, but I'm striving for excellence and just to be a servant... and I worked every day this week. Tuesday is my first night off... and that's been really good to have so many hours. This week my goal is to get my resume out there hardcore and just be praying and hoping that doors and oppotunities will open up and I'll find a full-time job sometime in the near future. I love living with Aunt Nancy, but it's been an adjustment... I didn't quite realize how alone I would be and I've been real frustrated as I got lost twice on the way to and from work, and I'm pretty good with directions. Sometimes I wonder if I'm in the right place, but then I do things like get to work the cafe by myself one night so that the other girl scheduled to work can go home early (not her idea!) so that she can be with her husband who's in the Navy and she hasn't seen since January and he leaves again in a week... and I know that even here God can use me and little things like his and her smiles make it worth it!

Pray for me these next weeks if you think of it... and if you're in Lima Friday night the 29th 7pm-9pm, well you should stop by my house and give me a hug!! The following pictures are of my incredible new yellow room and me in my work uniform on Aunt Nancy's incredible front porch!! One thing I am looking forward to... learning how to garden and become a better cook!! Aunt Nancy ROCKS!!! Have a great night and many blessings on you as you and I strive to trust God more together!!