Constant Change

16 months later...

2009-06-04T16:14:00.002-05:00

Well, 16 months later...here we go. Apparently I got more than a little distracted with life and forgot to write!

It has been a busy last several months since we last spoke (or blogged...). I am working at my church (Hope Community Church) and loving it! I am staying really busy...no real surprise there. Okay, quick run-down of the last 16 months:

-February 08: just started working at AG Headquarters
-March-May 08: kind of a blur...not sure if anything spectacular happened
-June 08: went to Michigan for a family wedding
-July 08: went to Texas and Washington to be a bridesmaid in two weddings
-August 08: I'm sure this was a good month...I just don't remember it!
-September 08: started playing piano...again
-October 08: went to Michigan for my cousin Mark's wedding
-November 08: began the Guitar Hero showdown with my bro-in-law Adam which stil
-December 08: got a new niece, Anna Marie (Alaina's new little girl)
-January 09: turned 24
-February 09: quit Headquarters through a series of God-orchestrated events (although, isn't everything orchestrated by Him?)
-March 09: started working at Hope
-April 09: got into a car accident and totaled my Neon :(
-May 09: went to Michigan for the first time since Christmas to buy a car

Well, here it is. My life in a few short paragraphs!!

Vacation Is Over...

2008-02-19T21:26:00.002-06:00

My unintentional vacation from the land of the blog is officially over. I would like to say that not much has happened since I last blogged, but I would be mistaken. Somedays, though, it felt like nothing was going on!

I have finished my student teaching...YEA! I have received my diploma from Evangel...YEA! I am not teaching...YEA-wait, what??? Yes, it is true. 4 and a half years later, armed with a college degree and a teaching certificate...I am not doing any related to my degree! It is okay, though. I feel like God is leading me down a different path right now and I am excited to see where it leads, first of all, because if He is dealing with it, I don't have to, and secondly, His plan is better than mine (shocking, I know!). After several weeks of worrying and panicking, I finally really listened to what God was trying to tell me and decided to stop pursuing teaching (I kept hitting a brick wall with the local districts...gee...I wonder why?). As soon as I started looking at other options, doors started flinging wide open. Well, maybe not wide open, but at least cracked! In what was supposed to take about 2 months but was really 2 weeks to the day, I applied, tested, interviewed, and accepted a position at the Assemblies of God Headquarters in Springfield, MO. I am working there full time as a Contribution Control Clerk/Administrative Assistant in Contributor Services. So next time you are in Springfield and decide to visit HQ, stop by the 2nd floor!

Ernie Frances

2007-10-28T20:32:00.001-05:00

In case you haven't noticed, student teaching has kept me so busy and distracted that I haven't had time to blog! I realized yesterday that I have been remiss in sharing the newest addition to the family with all of you. His name is Ernie Frances. He has quite a story!

It all began the night my roommate Dana moved in! It was late at night and I was in the bathroom getting ready for bed. Dana and her mom were already in bed and asleep. I noticed something move on the rug out of the corner of my eye. Curious, I looked closer. It was the tiniest lizard I have ever seen in my entire life!! What was it doing in my bathroom?!?! I had lived in the apartment 3 months with no pest problems and had lived in Missouri for 4 year and never saw a lizard in a house unless it was a pet. I panicked! I tried to wake up Dana (who is from Austin, TX) to find out what to do. How was I supposed to know?? I am from MICHIGAN!! We don't have wild lizards in our houses! She, not even waking up, told me to catch it. So I did. I caught him in a cup and kept him to show the others in the morning.

The next day, I was still worked up about it. Dana and her mom, on the other hand, thought it was no big deal! They have them all over in Austin! Even in their house! I decided to keep him as a pet because he was so little (maybe an inch and a half at the time, tail included) and I couldn't see letting him go in the wilds of Springfield where he would surely die before the day was out. They thought I was crazy! I couldn't keep him in the cup forever so after going to several pet supply stores, I finally found someone to tell me what kind of lizard he might be and how to take care of him. We discovered through the wonders of the internet that Ernie is a Mediterranean Gecko. Those types of geckos hide and stowaway which is why they are quickly spreading out all over the world! We discovered he probably hitched a ride in Dana's boxes when she moved back to Springfield and wandered into the bathroom!

We still have him and he is growing a lot! He is over 2 inches long! I always thought if I had a pet I would get a puppy or a kitten but instead I have a beta fish (Joaquin) and now a lizard (Ernie). But don't worry, you will get to meet him. He is coming for Thanksgiving!

I took this about 2 or 3 weeks after I found him. He was so scrawny and little! He was so small the camera couldn't find him to focus!

Dana's friend Steve made Ernie this HUGE maze to play in!

Okay, so I realize this post definitely makes me seem a little weird...or maybe very weird!

I took him to school when I was teaching the class about reptiles and they loved it! Yesterday he started shedding his scales so I took a lot of pictures so I could take them into class and show the kids.

One of My Favorites!

2007-09-24T21:33:00.000-05:00

The kids of my class are crazy. First graders are crazy. They don't sit still. When they get excited, they can't stop talking to each other. Yet I love every (well, almost every) minute of it.

This week has been a blast from the past for me at Jeffries. We read the book "The Principal's New Clothes". Sound familiar?? Maybe you would recognize it as "The Emperor's New Clothes". Family members (especially Grandma) will know this, for the rest of you, here is a little insight to the childhood of Mark and myself. We made Grandma read this book to us over and over every time we went to her house!! Mark actually got the book when Grandma moved and I tried really hard to find a picture of the cover but I couldn't find it! The copy she had was the best one. Because this was my favorite book, I was really excited to see a similar story in the curriculum. I told my teacher about it so we made a comparison lesson between the two stories (which are almost identical except for the setting).

I will tell more stories of my kids and try to post pictures of them later...for now, you can enjoy Mark and I!

Thank You, Mom, Grandma, and Alaina!

2007-09-10T16:35:00.000-05:00

Living on my own has opened the door to cooking for me. Thanks to all the help, last minute calls, recipes, and endless teaching from my mom, my grandma burkhart, and my sister Alaina, my roommate and I are no longer starving. I used to watch them cook and wonder how they possibly timed everything to hit the table at the exact same time when nothing had the same cooking times or temperatures!!! Now, I can proudly say that I can do it too (and it even tastes good!)! Friends that I have over for dinner are always surprised and I have to admit the everything I know, I learned from my family! I have even been slowly teaching my friends how to cook. Whenever they say they can't cook, I always use a trademark Grandma Burkhart phrase "Can you read? (yes) Then you can cook!" The picture is a magazine picture of one of the desserts I made when my roommate and I had company over. It is a molten chocolate cake and tastes awesome! When I made it, it even looked like this!! Most of you may know, I come from a family of notable cooks. I even remember having people tell me at my high school open house that they made sure they came to mine because they knew the food would be awesome!! This is just one of the legacies passed on through my family that I am thankful for.

There are many things about my family that I am thankful for, mainly the Christian heritage that I have. Yesterday was my Poppy's five year anniversary in Heaven. I miss him and I know the rest of the family does, too. He and Grandma have given so much and invested so much in their children, their grandchildren, and now their great grandchildren (as well as countless others from the church family and beyond). I am so thankful that when Poppy's sister came to visit from Cando, they all went to the local Assemblies of God church and met Jesus Christ. How different our lives might have been! I can only hope that I can be the same example to my children and my children's children that my parents and grandparents have been for me.

First Day of School

2007-08-29T16:43:00.001-05:00

Today was the first day of school for Evangel. I love the beginning of the school year. I love fall(although it doesn't feel like fall right now!) . There is something about this time of year that I just love. Maybe it is the teacher in me, but like Meg Ryan in You've Got Mail, I would send all of you a bouquet of freshly sharpened pencils to celebrate! To me, even though spring brings new life, spring also brings a little sadness. A school year has come and gone. Everyone goes their separate ways for summer vacations. People graduate and move on. But in the fall, everything and everyone comes together again. School starts up again, you meet new people and challenges, and greet old friends back from where ever they ended up for the summer.

My first day was a long one. I started my student teaching seminar with all the others who are doing their student teaching this semester. We got all of the paperwork and information that we will need to complete our final semester. The only thing that really sunk in is that I need to bring a pillow, cushion, or a whole new chair because the ones in our meeting room are awful!!! We stay in the same room from 9am to 4pm with little breaks throughout the day. It really isn't so bad but it is overwhelming, I am tired, and my body aches from trying to get comfortable all day!! Tomorrow is my first full day at Jeffries Elementary School. I think I may need to go take a nap now! More to come...

Jillian Grace Has Arrived!

2007-07-12T06:44:00.000-05:00

Yesterday, July 11, at 11:48am, Jillian Grace Smith finally arrived after weeks of false alarms and contractions! Shaunna and Adam went to the doctor on Monday for their weekly check-up and the non-stress test showed that Jilly's heart rate had dropped slightly. They decided to induce labor on Wednesday morning around 6am. When Shaunna's water broke around 9:15am, they discovered meconium (the baby's bowl movement) in the water. Not the best sign, so they started monitoring the baby even more closely. Around 11am, the doctor didn't like Jilly's vitals so they decided to get the baby out by C-section. She was 7 lbs 3 oz and 18 1/2 in long. She has dark hair and Shaunna's nose! Very cute! Here are some pics:

Our first peek through the window!

I hope these are enough to satisfy your curiosity for now. Alaina and Mom are in Peoria until Monday to help Shaunna settle. I will be in Ohio for a wedding this weekend and then home for a couple days before coming back next week to stay with Shaunna and Adam for about a week! Right now, it looks like Shaunna and Jillian will be home sometime on Saturday!

Does This Mean I Have to Grow Up Now??

2007-06-14T19:09:00.000-05:00

One of my favorite things to say is "when I grow up, I want to...". This was and is a common phrase for me to say. I used to justify it by saying that since I was going to be a kindergarten teacher, I didn't have to officially grow up. Now that I have been living in my own apartment for about 3 weeks and suddenly I am thinking and worrying about all kinds of things (such as the electricity bill, rent, housekeeping, etc) that I never really cared about before!!

I am working almost non-stop these days at New York and Co. as well as Gymboree. If you think about it, please be praying for me while I am working at these places. One of my bosses is really searching and thinks she has found the answer in metaphysics. She told me today that she was trying to get a group of people to go to a past lives session to discover what they all were in their past lives. I know that I have been given favor by God in this job but there are times, especially today, when I just didn't know what to say.

I have been blessed with a great roommate. A lot of different things happened in living situations (which is why I have an apartment now) and God dropped a roommate in my lap! She is fantastic! She just graduated from North Central in Minneapolis in December. We have something crazy in common...she grew up in Cando, ND and my great-grandparents (Samuel and Anna Burkhart, Poppy's parents) founded the town!! She grew up with my distant relatives!! We definitely got a laugh out of that and our grandmothers were thrilled to hear about it!!

Hopefully I will post some pictures of my apartment but it is still pretty empty right now! I am in the middle of painting my kitchen table and chairs as well as re-upholstering the chairs. I never thought I would ever know how to do any of this...maybe I really am growing up!

Graduation

2007-04-30T15:12:00.000-05:00

On Friday I will be doing something that I never expected to do so quickly. I will be graduating from Evangel University. I can't believe how fast the last 4 years have gone. It is a bit sad, leaving everyone here. I finish up my third and final RA contract on Saturday afternoon. Everyone is excited and ready to be done. More and more I am ready to be done. But what I am most excited about is having my family come down. After four years of pressure, my parents and sisters, along with their families, will be coming to Springfield!!

For those that will ask the inevitable question of my plans after graduation, here it is:

I will be in Michigan for the first few days after graduation trying to relax! Then I will spend 5 days in Florida with my friend Dana and her family. I will finish out the next week in Michigan, helping with Shaunna's baby shower. On Sunday, May 20 I will drive back to Springfield. I am planning on working in Springfield this summer and living with a friend. After my friend's wedding in July, I will head to Peoria to help Shaunna after she has the baby! I will be there about a week. By then, I am hoping I will be able to move into my apartment and start preparing for my student teaching. I will be student teaching at Jeffries Elementary in a first grade classroom this fall semester. After student teaching...well, God is waiting to reveal that part of the plan. At least I can make it through December now!!

I just took my PRAXIS test this past Saturday. This is the Missouri teacher certification test that I have to pass to get my degree, as well as be able to teach and possibly transfer my certfication if I move to a different state. I was a little nervous about it. I couldn't believe that I was actually taking it! I just kept thinking that I couldn't possibly be old enough or trained enough to take the test! The test is 60 multiple choice (which are not easy) and 6 essays. I will get the results in about 6 weeks. I have been telling everyone that I will be having a party in 6 weeks...a pity party if I fail and a celebratory party if I pass! Just think...right now, (if I passed) I could officially be a teacher...people trust me in a room filled with 30 kindergarten children!!! I will be molding young minds...weird.

The Latest

2007-03-25T22:51:00.000-05:00

Here are some pictures from Junior/Senior Banquet:

Kristy Phillips and I

My friend Dan and I

This next one is from a skit my class put on to teach homeschoolers about the Lewis and Clark Expedition a.k.a. The Corps of Discovery. (I played Meriweather Lewis)

Clark, Thomas Jefferson, Meriweather, and my faithful friend Seaman (the dog).

Spring Break Pictures from Michigan:

Jonah

Noah

Half-way Point

2007-02-27T17:24:00.000-06:00

This week marks the half-way point through the spring semester. Terrifying. I don't feel ready to graduate. Am I really grown up enough to be a college graduate?? Have I really learned all that I am supposed to know in order to be qualified to teach children?? I don't even fully know what I want to do when I grow up!! There are so many things here that I fear I will leave unresolved.

What he opens no one can shut, and what he shuts no one can open. I know your deeds. See, I have placed before you an open door that no one can shut. I know that you have little strength, yet you have kept my word and have not denied my name. Revelation 3:7-8

Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. Galatians 6:9

My Mr. Wonderful

2007-02-07T13:04:00.000-06:00

I received the best birthday present in the mail today so I thought I would share it with everyone! This is a talking picture frame with my very own Hawaiian surfer.

Hotstuff, huh?? Thanks, Heather!!

One Day at a Time

2007-02-06T16:21:00.000-06:00

Life is spinning so fast right now. Here are a few of the basics:

-I was in my first car accident last week (it was not my fault!!), so I am driving a rental and dealing with insurance companies and body shops trying to get my car fixed
-Classes are moving at a fast pace to get us caught up from missing so much class during the storm
-I am still working at the mall but am starting to look into other places of employment

Those things have been taking up most of my day-to-day time.

I am so confused right now. Oh yeah, and overwhelmed. There is so much happening in the next several months. I am desperate for May but at the same time, dreading it. I have a feeling it is going to be the worst...there is so much going on with graduation and end of the year things not to mention the fact that I need to have some answers and decisions made by then. So how am I dealing with these things? Avoidance. I get through what I have to in order to survive each day and wait. I read my Bible, talk to others, pray...the only thing I keep hearing is WAIT UPON ME. FIND YOUR STRENGTH IN ME. I HAVE IT FIGURED OUT. Some days, like today, I wish He would fill me in a little more than just wait. While I am sitting here, waiting on the Lord, I feel like I am being left out of so much. Like I am waiting at the starting line and everyone else is allowed to go except me. I stand there, so ready, yet unable to move. I need a direction and the go ahead.

So the wait continues...

I SURVIVED THE ICE

2007-01-16T16:49:00.000-06:00

For those of you who didn't watch the news this weekend, Springfield was hit with some major ice storms this past weekend. Most of the city was out of power (and actually still are out of power). I decided to stay at the school even though most were fleeing to warmer places with no ice! The school was really great about keeping the cafeteria open for meals and making things easier for the students. On Sunday night after most of the students left, Stacie North (a fellow RA), Erica Ensign (a friend), and I constructed the largest fort in Walther history. We had some help from some guys in Scott but it was still the most amazing fort! I will post pictures of it soon. We had a lot of fun during the power outage. Saturday night we had a dance party in the lobby (girls only...keeping up Evangel standards...), Sunday we built and slept in the fort, and then we finally got power again after 3 days without it. We are luckier than a lot of people in Springfield right now!

Until next time...

A WHOLE MONTH!

2006-12-18T09:48:00.000-06:00

I can't believe it has been a whole month since I blogged last. Thanksgiving has come and gone. Finals time is here and I am about to go home again. So much has happened yet some days it feels like nothing is happening.

God has been faithful throughout this entire time, though. (What a surprise, huh?) He has placed people in my life that encourage me and lift me up, especially when I need it the most (sometimes I don't realize how badly I need it!). How can you not believe and love Him?

Last Wednesday, Dana Rich and I went to Branson to finish our Christmas shopping and spend some time together before we each left for break. Earlier that day, I had been looking around online and saw an article about the meteor shower. Before I came to Springfield, I had never seen a shooting star. My freshman year was first experience. I had been stargazing with friends and feeling really alone and ready to leave when I saw my first shooting star. It was breathtaking! While Dana and I were driving back, I was just looking out the window when I saw a shooting star across the front of the windshield! I kept watching and saw another one outside my window. All I could think about was how can people see nature, other people, and circumstances and not see God in them? Some days are harder than others but He is always faithful. I may not understand what His plans are but I know (and he sometimes has to remind me of this) that He is in control and will do what is best for me. I just have to sit back and trust Him.

2006-11-15T16:18:00.000-06:00

Who Would Have Thought...

Today began much like my typical Wednesday. I got up around 9:15am and started doing some homework. I walk over to the sink, feeling quite rested from my much needed sleeping in, and all of a sudden, my foot feels really cold and wet. What could it be??? My entire floor, from under the sink all the way to my far wall, was completely soaked! I looked outside. It was pouring rain. Apparently maintainance didn't get all the cracks sealed in my wall. This happened earlier in the year but not to this extent. At least Evangel employs excellent physical plant staff for just such an occasion. Rebekah, Walther hall housekeeper, came immediately and got the ball rolling in getting everything clean and checked out by the FIXR guys. Now for my job, vaccuum up all the water in my carpet for the rest of the night. Meet my new best friend: the Hoover Steam Vac!!

Sometimes, when you least expect it, life hits you with a flood when you least expect it. You think you are going to get taken under by the current but then God sends help. Friends are there to take you shopping when you need to buy a funeral dress. Friends are there to listen to all of the things you are thinking and feeling. Your friends will help you suck up all the water until you are as good as new. Sometimes you are even better than you were before because the mess forced you to deal with things you had been putting off. Whatever may be taking you over, I hope you let your God-given friends support you. You don't have to do it alone.

2006-11-08T13:11:00.000-06:00

God is Good.

These past few weeks have also been weeks of some interesting God-moments for me. In church one Sunday, this woman came up to me and started praying for me at the front of the sanctuary and speaking these words that I knew came from God. They pin-pointed the very emotions that I had been feeling and the questions that I had been asking. I needed that. Thank you, woman of God, for following God's leading.

God has also placed some fantastic women in my life and I am so lucky to be living with them. Random moments of quick Hellos turned into hour long discussions about God, our lives, our futures, and any number of things. These are the most important things that I will take from my time at Evangel. Those nights will be imprinted on my memory forever. Thank you, my beautiful women of W1N (and those on W2S, W3S, and W1S). I love you all so much.

2006-10-29T21:12:00.000-06:00

Oh, What A Month!

Wow, it has been a while!! I started this post 3 weeks ago and am just now getting around to finishing and posting it!!

I went home a few weekends ago. It was so good to be at home with the family. The boys had grown so much and the house looks amazing (even without heat!). I needed the time away from school!

When I came back, it was time for all focus to be on planning Get-Your-Roommate-A-Date(GYRAD). We went on a picture scavenger hunt, went to Kaldi's Coffee House (where I got an amazing cup of hot apple cider!), and then my car load of people went to see the movie The Prestige. We didn't exactly get 1st place in the scavenger hunt, but we took some pretty sweet pictures that weren't on the list.

The end of GYRAD started the worst week ever!!!!! Well, it wasn't really bad. Just incredibly busy. All semester I have had very little homework and this week I had several big projects due. Added to that, I worked 25 hours at NY & Co., got a sinus infection that I am still down with, and still trying to be a good RA. Boy, was I glad when the weekend came!

Harvestfest was on Saturday and I went with the girls of my floor! Some of us dressed as a band and some were security (aka, the Mosh Squad). We had so much fun and went out to IHOP afterwards. I was a little excited about the idea of pumpkin pancakes...the chocolate chips ones I actually got were a HUGE disappointment!

Tattooes were never this painfree and sweet-looking. Mom, I am thinking about making this one permanant...what do you think??? I was also practicing my Zoolander model face...not too bad...

2006-10-15T15:02:00.000-05:00

Homecoming

I love Homecoming weekend! There is always so much to do and so many people to see! The Crusaders were victorious against the Ravens, which was exciting. Abby and I went to our church hayride/bonfire/apple orchard event after the game and then played Taboo and Imagine iff... at my friend Jeff's apartment.

I was surprised twice this weekend! The Caywoods came down to visit Micah this weekend and I ran into them at the Caf on Friday. It was really good to them again. My second surprise was on Saturday when I saw Diane Noce at the tailgate party before the football game. It is always so good to see people from home! Now, if I could only get my family to come and see me...(hint, hint!)

Next weekend I will be home for Fall Break, Praise Jesus!! I can't wait to see my family! There is so much to look forward to. Homemade applesauce, Mom's good cooking, seeing friends, hearing Dad speak at church, and hopefully seeing the fall colors. Aside from the people, the fall colors are what I miss most about Michigan. The countdown is on...

2006-10-06T01:02:00.000-05:00

The Response

Tonight Walther First North responded to Scott First South's proposal. We are now, officially, brother and sister floors. Sweet. My girls and I snuck into their "floor meeting" and proceeded to raid and take custody of them. They were forced onto the front lawn where they had to answer questions and take the consequences if they answered wrong (and sometimes when they answered right). We made them sing the song they wrote to propose to us before we officially answered them and gave them Stella, our bearded gnome. It was amazing.

Jerrilyn, my floor president, and I went to my friend's apartment to bake brownies and cookies for everyone. I made the cookies from scratch and realized that I must have more of my grandma in me than I thought, because they tasted fantastic! Just like when we would make cookies at Grandma Burkhart's house! Yea! As you can see, I haven't changed much since then. I still eat the dough...

2006-10-06T00:54:00.000-05:00

Wow.

Gina Rentschler spoke at tonight's hall praise and worship. She never ceases to amaze me. Tonight she spoke about God being described by two very small words that encompass so much. Am. In. The definition for each of these can be so deep. God is everything. He is so much more complex than we can even imagine. And amazingly enough, he wants to be in us. Why are we so afraid of that happening? Why can't we give up complete control and surrender to him? Is it a sacrifice to do so? A song we sing in chapel says that it is no sacrifice, but there are some things that I think are a huge sacrifice to give over to God. The things we care most about are the very things we struggle to give to God. I know. I struggle with that everyday. Maybe someday I will get it right.

2006-10-01T16:38:00.000-05:00

No Good at Blogging

I am not so good at remembering to blog!! I think about blogging, but then I get distracted by something and next thing I know, I can't remember what I was going to write about! So today, I have decided to write about my recent conversations with my 2 year old nephew Noah.

"Hi Noah!!"
"Hi Nina!"
"I love you, Noah"
"Wub you, Nina"
"Where is Joaquin?"
"Nina fishy! Joaquin fish! Joaquin at Nina house at school?"
"Noah, you should come see Nina at her house at school"
Noah takes the phone near Alaina and tells her:
"Noah bye-bye. Noah go see Nina house at school?" (My house at school is a dorm room in Missouri...Noah is in Michigan)
"What are you doing, Noah?"
"Noah fan. Fan go round and round. Fan fast!"
"Is the fan oscillating, Noah?"
"Fan oscilltating!!"

I miss this little guy...

2006-09-28T13:28:00.000-05:00

Time to Change

I decided it was time to change. Change blog providers. Be willing to grow, be challeged and changed. I have been reading a study book called Catalyst which has several articles written by different leaders of today. The first section is called Authentic in Influence. It got me thinking about how am I influencing others (if I even am) and how am I being influenced. One area spoke of change being a necessary and healthy part of life and in organizations. If we remain stagnant and satisfied with where we are at, we don't merely stay in one place, but as others around us move on, we get left behind. I want my life to be one of change. I want to be molded and changed for the better by my Maker. I want to change and I want to help others change and strive for Christ-likeness. Who is with me?