thanksgiving break... and it's almost christmas!!!

so here are some shots of my thanksgiving break...

on thanksgiving day, we took nicole with us and went to grandma burkey's house for turkey and stuffing in northern indiana (lagrange to be exact). it was great fun! my aunt just had a baby... lydia ann, and she was there, and it was just good to see grandma and some of the other burkeys in the world! :)

uncle pete and jonathan ate this huge tray of food. really gross, but it was really funny too! the plate had the thanksgiving story on it, like a big turkey and pilgrims and indians. so they dug up some pilgrims and indians. :)

some thanksgiving verses...

Give thanks to the Lord, call on his name; make known among the nations what he has done. Remember the wonders he has done, his miracles, and the judgments he pronounced.

-1 Chronicles 16:8, 15-

It is he who made us and we are his; we are his people, the sheep of his pasture. Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name. For the Lord is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations.

-Psalm 100:4-5-

Bejoyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus.

-1 Thessalonians 5:16-18-

Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe, for our "God is a consuming fire".

-Hebrews 12:28-29-

Come, let us sing for joy to the Lord; let us shout aloud to the Rock of our salvation. Let us come before him with thanksgiving and extol him with music and song. For the Lord is the great God, the great King above all gods. In his hand are the depths of the earth, and the mountain peaks belong to him. The sea is his, for he made it, and his hands formed the dry land. Come, let us bow down in worship, let us kneel before the Lord our Maker; for he is our God and we are the people of his pasture, the flock under his care.

-Psalm 95:1-7-

so today, sunday... as i'm getting ready to go back to olivet, dad walks in the kitchen... mom and i laughed so hard! don't you just love the socks!?! and the swimtrunks are to die for! i love my papa jon! :)

OH, IT'S CHRISTMAS TIME!!!!

i set up our christmas tree in our living room when i got back today. alli helped me... we decked out our apartment. it looks amazing!!! i'm so excited! i just wish rach and amandalynn were back to see it!!

allison put lights on rachel's plant... isn't that awesome!?! :) i love it! rach will too!

and this is our living room... and our tree!!! it just has lights right now, but ah, it feels like christmas!!! and i made chex mix and we listened (are listening to) christmas music... ah, it's in the air!!! merry christmas early!

The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.
-John 1:14-

the fat dutch kid!!!!

DUDE!!!!!!!!!
I FOUND THE FAT DUTCH KID WEBSITE TODAY!!!!!!!!!
TOTALLY GO TO IT AND LAUGH REALLY HARD!!!!

http://www.michounet.com/fatman/

fashion show!

so my room mate rachel had this amazing idea tonight to have a fashion show/photo shoot on our last night before thanksgiving break. boy oh boy was it a blast!! here are a couple of me all weirded up and out for the pictures. i'll try and put some more on laters... although if you have facebook, there's a tons of pics there... and if you don't have facebook you should totally get it cuz it's amazing and there are so many kewl people in the world that will add you and you'll be like... dude, i remember you!! so yeah, www.facebook.com for some good times. :)

weren't those just awesome!?!

so wow... lemme tell you, i am SO ready for thanksgiving break!!! i can not WAIT to go home and hug my momma!!! yeah! one more sleep as rach dawg says!! if you get some time read through isaiah 49... and pretend that God's speaking about you, his child, instead of Jerusalem. how kewl is it that he hides us in the palm of his hand and he conceals us in his quiver!!!

i will praise the Lord always, his praise will forever be on my lips!

bowling!

tonight was our sister-to-sister end of the year/program bowling party at gala lanes. it was great fun. above is my beautiful sister maggie and myself, and below are all of us with multi-colored bowling balls having fun!! we've got brenda with orange, kristina with green, me and pink, katie and blue and joy with red. it was so much fun!!

renewed

meet renewed. well, the revival version that is. you got chris davis in green, amy slonecker in pink, aaron payne in stripes, myself in purple and chris payne in black.


they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength. they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not grow weary, they shall walk and not grow faint.
-isaiah 40:31

praise the Lord... let everything within you shout praise!!

wow... lemme just tell you that it's been CRAZY busy lately!! i'm living for thursday. if i can make it to thursday then i can make it... and thanksgiving break is tuesday!! whoopie!! our band, renewed, is playing revival services for a church in kankakee this week which is totally awesome. we're also playing at freshman chapel tomorrow... so pray for us, cuz it's a lot of time, but totally worth it and all for God's glory! i got that job at barnes and noble, praise Jesus!!! and i don't start until after christmas break which is totally perfect... otherwise i'd really be struggling to make it!! i have a couple papers due and am busy tutoring... but other than that i'm searching for moments to meet with Jesus and am continually reminded of his saving grace that is working in my life. be encouraged today and lift your eyes to heaven, from whence does your help come. pray... pray in the spirit at all times, and he will guard your hearts and minds as you trust in him. be transformed by the renewing of your mind so that you can see what God's good pleasing and perfect will is for your life. and take heart for Jesus has left you with peace... not as the world gives, but as the Father in heaven gives. peace. be full of him today!


i will sing unto the Lord
a new song, hallelujah, sing praises to Him
i will clap my hands before Him
praise Him all day long
hallelujah, sing praises to Him

Hallelujah!
Hallelujah!
Hallelujah!
Sing praises to Him!!


My heart is steadfast, O God, my heart is steadfast; I will sing and make music to You! Awake, my soul! Awake, harp and lyre! I will awaken the dawn. I will praise you, O Lord, among the nations; I will sing of you among the peoples. For great is your love, reaching to the heavens; your faithfulness reaches to the skies. Be exalted, O God, above the heavens; let your glory be over all the earth!
-Psalm 57:7-11


when i think about the Lord
how He saved me, how He raised me,
how He filled me with the Holy Ghost
how He healed me to the uttermost
when i think about the Lord
how He picked me up, turned me around,
how He set my feet on solid ground

it makes me wanna shout!
hallelujah, thank you, Jesus!
Lord, You're worthy, of all the glory
and all the honor and all the praise
and it makes me wanna shout!

thank you, Jesus

WOAH!!

Humble yourselves, therfore, under God's mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.
-1 Peter 5:6-7
DUDE!!!!
so oh my goodness... guess what happened today??? i went to barnes and noble to drop off an application to work in the coffee shop there because i had heard that they were hiring. i've really needed a job like all year, and i really need one for next semester even more than the moment. i gave it all to God and went in there, not really even knowing if i should... i mean, working at barnes and noble would be so awesome, but i dunno if they'd hire me and i dunno. so anyways, i go in... and i had an on-the-spot interview!! right then and there! it was awesome!! i don't know if that means anything... but i passed interview number one and have another interview with the store manager on thursday at 11:15. i'm so excited and nervous at the same time... but even if i don't get hired there, God will totally provide as i continue to cast my anxiety on him, and that was the BEST interview ever so i defintley have hope for the future!! lol. :)
OH MY GOODNESS!!! HOW AMAZING IS JESUS!?!!?!?!?!!