Snow...

So as I mentioned before - I love snow. Yesterday I took this picture on campus (it's of our new football field)

And this morning I woke up to this (and yes - it was shoveled by my shoveling angel!!):

Here is the street - down and then up...

Do you see the little path up the sidewalk? (that's the shoveling angel up at the top of the hill!)

And this is what my house looks like now:

Isn't it beautiful??? Snow is amazing, and it always reminds me of this song:

White as snow, white as snow
Though my sins were as scarlet
Lord, I know, Lord, I know
That I'm clean and forgiven

Through the power of Your blood
Through the wonder of Your love
Through faith in You
I know that I can be
White as snow

God is so good - so faithful - always taking what is ugly and making it new - clean - white! I'm so thankful for all that God does in my life, He is constantly helping me, refining me, taking what I screw up and healing, changing, covering - with this white, beautiful, new thing!

I guess I haven't been bloggin lately because I've been busy - but that's the normal excuss. I've been kind of lame (as in sore leg.. ;) not dorky - though I am that kind of lame all the time! ) and busy with company and work. Also - for those that have been reading awhile I have a new prayer request, I got a call that I have been moved up on the list for adoption. So I'm very excited about that and blessed that it's is starting to move again...

Gotta run!

another year older

ok - so I haven't blogged in about a month - and this is going to be short - but I thought I would just let everyone know that I'm coming to terms with becoming 30... it has taken a bit - but I'm ok with it now. I also wanted to give a great big shout out to my friends Ceta and Trits from the south that came to make my b-day extra special - God has truly blessed me with wonderful, faithful friends - from all over!

I also want to say - I love winter. I love snow, I love knitting, I love warm soft blankets, I love shoveling, I love pictures in the snow, I love driving in it... The list could go on and on. I will add photo's later.

New side playlist

Hey all - I just found a nice new thing to add to my page! On the right hand side of my blog - you will see something called "my playlist", check it out - let me know what you think!

Great sadness.

It is with great sadness that I watch the election results tonight. I thought Obama would win, but I never thought it would be by this much. And I'm also very disappointed in Iowa... WHAT WHERE YOU THINKING??? I pray that God will have mercy on us. I pray that God would bring peace to those that fought hard and lost, it was not God's will that we win this one. I guess that just means that the time is getting shorter, as in the day's of Noah...
All I know is that I'm looking for a new bumper sticker: "I voted McCain - so don't come cryin to me!" May God save the children and not give us, as a nation, what we deserve for this election decision.

"A new dawn of American leadership is at hand... the true genius of America is that we can change..." ~ President Elect Obama
Lets see where he leads this nation.

Palin Rally

I went to the Sarah Palin rally yesterday. It was amazing to see someone in her position with so much passion for the issues that are important to me.

I took a few pictures,

me and Tate almost got trampled,

I touched greatness,

and I have some of the coolest "family" ever!

It was quite an experience. I voted for life and I am still praying for those that will fight for life and stand up for those values that are so close to God's heart to have victory today!

Fireproof - for single people?

(Becca asked me if I would write something on how Fireproof impacted me - as a single person... This is what I came up with - for better or worse!)

SPOILER DISCLAIMER - THERE MAY BE THINGS IN THIS POST THAT WILL GIVE A WAY VITAL PARTS OF THE MOVIE - DO NOT READ IF YOU DON'T WANT TO KNOW WHAT HAPPENS!

Fireproof, a story about love. I was truly moved by the movie, it is yet another example of love being a choice - not a feeling. Of course the film is about a married couple, but it is even more about the relationship we have with the Lord. Are we choosing to love Him, even when we don't feel like it? When we can't see His face, or feel His presence, or when we just don't know if He is even speaking to us. We much choose love. We must choose life, everyday making choices to let God know that we love Him. It's a slightly strange concept to me, but God made us so that He would have a companion, so why wouldn't we need to continually show our devotion to Him.

In the movie, Caleb made a decision to do what His father requested - which was to go through this book called "The Love Dare". His heart wasn't in it to begin with, but he was willing to do it for his dad. Somewhere along the way something changed in His heart - and he choose to follow the instructions in order to make his wife know that he loved her. He had to put away the idols in his own life so that nothing would come between them. In the process, Caleb realized that his relationship with God was the same way, that he was turning away from God continually, and that the reason he couldn't love his wife the way she needed to be loved was because he didn't know what true love was. True love isn't a feeling, it is sacrificing yourself, it is putting that person before your own needs.

Truthfully, when Becca asked me to write a bit about my perspective about the movie - you know writing how a movie about marriage could be pertinent to a single person, I thought - well of course it will give me a view of how I should love in the future with my husband. But now I know - the true meaning of the movie was about loving God, truly loving God, putting His will before my own. God has loved us fully - and gave His life for us, to be a Christian is to be like Christ, to do that we need to love Him, truly love Him. The tag line for the movie is "Never leave your partner behind." He doesn't ever leave us behind - can we say the same?

my desires

Sometimes - even when I feel that my desires are starting to become more about God's will, it turns out that maybe I'm not as close to His will as I hoped...
Let me explain, I thought that God opened a door for me to go to my favorite place on earth this year, I could get off from work - there was going to be a way on the other end for me to work through the time I was way, and I had the funds... So God was opening the door - right?
Well then I get a stipulation - you have to travel with someone else.... but no one else is going when it would help me!!! - So this is the point where if my desire is really for God's will - I would just lay it down and not worry about it. But I'm really sad that I can't go... so I'm working on really just surrendering my desires to God's infinantly more wise will.
Well - God knows more than me even when I think I'm pretty smart... ;)

this obviously isn't a photo of me - but rather one of my very best friends - Drew... but I thought it was appropriate!

Office War

Saw this on Becca's blog and thought it was to funny to pass up...

The Great Office War from Runawaybox on Vimeo.

fascinating - probably not...

Can you successfully blow up and tie a balloon?
Yep

What was your last purchase?
batteries 

Does anyone like you?

yes - Jesus - and my friends...

Have you made anyone laugh while they were crying lately?
well... I try all the time... Tate's been doing it to me all the time lately!

Are you easily amused?
depends on my mood - most of the time I am.

Do you sleep on your side, stomach, or back?
depends on the temp in the room... 

Have you ever liked somebody and never told them?
dumb question

What did you do Saturday?
what a blur...the day before the wedding... went out and decorated the fair grounds ball room, set up a sound system, tried to each bbq, caught my sister when she fainted, got my nails done, sang poorly, practiced walking down a VERY long aisle, freaked out, ate pizza, gave a great message, got one (thanks Joie!), put my baby sis to bed for the last time, cried, slept.

Do you trust all of your friends?
if I call them friends - than I trust them, if not - they don't make the cut.

Morning or night person?
I agree with Becca - neither - I'm only truly awake from about 11 - 2 :)

Are you taller than 5'5''?
yep

Would you rather have love or money?
both would be nice - but of course love is tops...

Do you have a best friend that knows you inside and out?
probably a few... some that I wish didn't know me quite as well!

Last person you watched movies with?
probably Grammy

Do you hide your emotions?
as much as possible.

Do you prefer to take showers at night or in the morning?
always in the morning! 

If you could either float on the moon, or snorkel in the ocean, which?
neither - my camera wouldn't work in either situation. How about an alaskan cruse?

Do you think you'll be married in 5 years?
I will leave that question up to God... 

Third text in your inbox? from who?
Baby sis before she left for the Dells

Have you been to New York City?

yes, I think 3 times

Who was the last person you talked to on the phone?
Mike

Do you need to say anything to anyone?
I'm usually pretty honest - sometimes a bit too honest...

What were you doing at 7am?
hiting the snooze for about the 20th time!

What do you think of your number 3 on your top friends?
I second Lydia: Who numbers their friends??? That's cruel!

Can you legally drink?
yes.

When is the last time you saw your mom?
this mornin!

Do you prefer shoes, socks, or bare feet?
flip flops

Have you ever been in an ambulance?
no

Do you hold grudges?
hmm - i would love to say no - but to be honest - I do struggle with forgiveness - but I continually remind myself of how much God has forgiven.

Do you sing obnoxiously in the car?
yes - as much as possibly and pretty much anywhere I can!!

When was the last time you had butterflies in your stomach?
Last night. - I'm missin my baby sis...

Are you watching TV?
not now - I'm workin - can't you tell?

Glory- Nichole Nordeman/Selah

One day eyes that are blind will see you clearly
And one day all who deny will finally believe
One day hearts made of stone will break in pieces
And one day chains once unbroken will fall down at your feet
So we wait for that one day come quickly

We want to see your Glory
Every knee falls down before thee
Every tongue offers you praise
With every hand raised
Singing Glory
To you and unto you only
We’ll sing Glory to Your name

One day voices that lie will all be silent
One day all that’s divided will be whole again
One day death will retreat and wave it’s white flag
One day love will defeat the strongest enemy
So we wait for that one day come quickly

We want to see your Glory
Every knee falls down before thee
Every tongue offers you praise
With every hand raised
Singing Glory
To you and unto you only
We’ll sing Glory to Your name

We know not the day or the hour
Or the moments in between
But we know the end of the story
When we’ll see

We want to see your Glory
Every knee falls down before thee
Every tongue offers you praise
With every hand raised
Singing Glory
To you and unto you only
We’ll sing Glory to Your name

The Big Read

from Becca
The Big Read reckons that the average adult has only read 6 of the top 100 books they've printed.
1) Look at the list and bold those you have read.
2) Italicize those you intend to read.
3) Underline the books you LOVE.
4) Reprint this list in your own LJ so we can try and track down these people who've read 6 and force books upon them ;-)
WATCHING MOVIES DOES NOT COUNT!!!

1 Pride and Prejudice - Jane Austen
2 The Lord of the Rings - JRR Tolkien
3 Jane Eyre - Charlotte Bronte
4 Harry Potter series - JK Rowling
5 To Kill a Mockingbird
6 The Bible
7 Wuthering Heights - Emily Bronte
8 Nineteen Eighty Four - George Orwell
9 His Dark Materials - Philip Pullman
10 Great Expectations - Charles Dickens
11 Little Women - Louisa M Alcott
12 Tess of the D'Urbervilles - Thomas Hardy
13 Catch 22 - Joseph Heller
14 Complete Works of Shakespeare
15 Rebecca - Daphne Du Maurier
16 The Hobbit - JRR Tolkien
17 Birdsong - Sebastian Faulks
18 Catcher in the Rye - JD Salinger
19 The Time Traveller's Wife - Audrey Niffenegger
20 Middlemarch - George Eliot
21 Gone With The Wind - Margaret Mitchell
22 The Great Gatsby - F Scott Fitzgerald
23 Bleak House - Charles Dickens
24 War and Peace - Leo Tolstoy
25 The Hitch Hiker's Guide to the Galaxy - Douglas Adams
26 Brideshead Revisited - Evelyn Waugh
27 Crime and Punishment - Fyodor Dostoyevsky
28 Grapes of Wrath - John Steinbeck
29 Alice in Wonderland - Lewis Carroll
30 The Wind in the Willows - Kenneth Grahame
31 Anna Karenina - Leo Tolstoy
32 David Copperfield - Charles Dickens
33 Chronicles of Narnia - CS Lewis
34 Emma - Jane Austen
35 Persuasion - Jane Austen
36 The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe - CS Lewis
37 The Kite Runner - Khaled Hosseini
38 Captain Corelli's Mandolin - Louis De Bernieres
39 Memoirs of a Geisha - Arthur Golden
40 Winnie the Pooh - AA Milne
41 Animal Farm - George Orwell
42 The Da Vinci Code - Dan Brown
43 One Hundred Years of Solitude - Gabriel Garcia Marquez
44 A Prayer for Owen Meaney - John Irving
45 The Woman in White - Wilkie Collins
46 Anne of Green Gables - LM Montgomery
47 Far From The Madding Crowd - Thomas Hardy
48 The Handmaid's Tale - Margaret Atwood
49 Lord of the Flies - William Golding
50 Atonement - Ian McEwan
51 Life of Pi - Yann Martel
52 Dune - Frank Herbert
53 Cold Comfort Farm - Stella Gibbons
54 Sense and Sensibility - Jane Austen
55 A Suitable Boy - Vikram Seth
56 The Shadow of the Wind - Carlos Ruiz Zafon
57 A Tale Of Two Cities - Charles Dickens
58 Brave New World - Aldous Huxley
59 The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time - Mark Haddon
60 Love In The Time Of Cholera - Gabriel Garcia Marquez
61 Of Mice and Men - John Steinbeck
62 Lolita - Vladimir Nabokov
63 The Secret History - Donna Tartt
64 The Lovely Bones - Alice Sebold
65 Count of Monte Cristo - Alexandre Dumas
66 The Road - Cormac McCarthy
67 Jude the Obscure - Thomas Hardy
68 Bridget Jones's Diary - Helen Fielding
69 Midnight's Children - Salman Rushdie
70 Moby Dick - Herman Melville
71 Oliver Twist - Charles Dickens
72 Dracula - Bram Stoker
73 The Secret Garden - Frances Hodgson Burnett
74 Notes From A Small Island - Bill Bryson
75 Ulysses - James Joyce
76 The Bell Jar - Sylvia Plath
77 Swallows and Amazons - Arthur Ransome
78 Germinal - Emile Zola
79 Vanity Fair - William Makepeace Thackeray
80 Possession - AS Byatt
81 A Christmas Carol - Charles Dickens
82 Cloud Atlas - David Mitchell
83 The Color Purple - Alice Walker
84 The Remains of the Day - Kazuo Ishiguro
85 Madame Bovary - Gustave Flaubert
86 A Fine Balance - Rohinton Mistry
87 Charlotte's Web - EB White
88 The Five People You Meet In Heaven - Mitch Albom
89 Adventures of Sherlock Holmes - Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
90 The Faraway Tree Collection - Enid Blyton
91 Heart of Darkness - Joseph Conrad
92 The Little Prince - Antoine De Saint-Exupery
93 The Wasp Factory - Iain Banks
94 Watership Down - Richard Adams
95 A Confederacy of Dunces - John Kennedy Toole
96 A Town Like Alice - Nevil Shute
97 The Three Musketeers - Alexandre Dumas
98 Hamlet - William Shakespeare
99 Charlie and the Chocolate Factory - Roald Dahl
100 Les Miserables - Victor Hugo

Becca said "They should have an option like 'highlight blue all the books you've never heard of'. So I added blue to mine..

I've read 32... a far cry from respectable... but there are so many that are not on here that I think should be... maybe I'll start my own list of books that everyone should read!

Your Vocabulary Score: A-

Congratulations on your multifarious vocabulary! You must be quite an erudite person.

How's Your Vocabulary?

The only problem - what is erudite?? :)

now they are just crazy...

You Are Extremely Charming

When someone talks to you, they feel like they are the most interesting person in the world. And for you in that moment, they actually are. You truly care about the people you're around, and it's obvious to everyone who meets you. You are open, warm, friendly, and welcoming. You epitomize charm.

Are You Charming?

Oh this one is good too!!!

What Your Front Door Says

You are bold, brave, and easily excited. You are passionate about what you believe. And you're never afraid to tell people exactly what you think. You're picky and particular. It's sometimes hard to meet your standards.

The Front Door Test

Me picky?? NEVER! ;)

You Are Strawberry Cake

Fresh, sassy, and romantic. You're a total flirt, who never would turn down a sugary treat. Occasionally you're a bit moody - but you usually stay sweet!

What Kind of Cake Are You?


LOL - that was just too funny!

Bones quotes!

I just love this show!!!
Bones is a TV show that I'm hooked on currently. This is what IMDB says about it
"Brilliant, but socially inept, forensic anthropologist Dr. Temperence Brennan works at the Jeffersonian Institute in Washington DC. After consulting for him on a FBI case, she is approached by cocky yet charming ex-Army Ranger turned Special Agent, Seeley Booth to help the Bureau solve crimes by identifying human remains that are too far gone for standard FBI forensic investigations. Brennan's empirical, literal view of the world causes friction with Booths emotive, instinctive attitude creating a volatile relationship. However as their case load increases the symbiotic partnership produces results and with the support of Brennan's Squint Squad, murderers, past and present should be on the look out."

So here are a few of my favorite quotes:
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Booth: So, is it him?
Brennan: It's him, but here's the kickster.
Booth: Kicker, Bones, here's the kicker.
Temperance: Oh.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Temperance: Why would a gang leader cooperate?
Booth: I'm gonna ask him really, really nicely, Bones.
Temperance: You know that book I'm reading about getting along with your co-workers? It says that sarcasm is never helpful. I can lend it to you if you want.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Booth: next time you miss me, pick up the phone, we'll do lunch, or something!
Temperance: I do not missed you (hahaha!)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Booth: Reason for wanting a gun?
Temperance: To shoot people
Booth: Not a good response
Temperance: It’s the truth!
Booth: You know, I’m writing self defense in the performance of my duties pursuing suspected felons as contracted out to the FBI...
Temperance: ..so I can shoot them.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Temperance: I don't know what that means.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
AND MY PERSONAL FAVORITE!
Temperance: I find very few people scary once they have been poked in the eye.

Love

One more Wordle and then I will get back to work!

Wordle - brilliant!

I ran accross a totally cool free (yes I said FREE) internet app to create... well in their own words: "Wordle is a toy for generating “word clouds” from text that you provide. The clouds give greater prominence to words that appear more frequently in the source text. You can tweak your clouds with different fonts, layouts, and color schemes. The images you create with Wordle are yours to use however you like. You can print them out, or save them to the Wordle gallery to share with your friends." So I tried my hand at one trying to describe myself - still working on it. But it's kind of fun. (I'm working on one for my sis and future brother in law - but don't tell her - she never reads blogs anyway!!!)
Check it out for yourself and let me know what you think! www.wordle.net

It's been awhile

Thanks Shannon for the reference to this quiz - it was fun.. and kind of funny as far as results go! I guess it did get me right saying that I'm opinionated and can be judgmental... God's still workin on me!

Take the Quiz here!

D300

As promised, here are some pictures of my new camera:

The lens is amazing, it's a Nikon 18 - 200 VR lens - the wide angles on it are so beautiful. I will keep you posted!

some of my yarn

some of my yarn
Originally uploaded by Nicky Story

Ok, so this is probably my favorite picture so far. But I will keep you posted! As you may have noticed I have a bit of yarn... I like to knit - but even more I like to collect gorgeous soft colorful skeins! I can't knit like some but I can hold my own with scarves and hats! I've tried a blanket - but lost interest pretty quick...

my room - and the first picture with my new camera!

my room - and the first picture with my new camera!
Originally uploaded by Nicky Story

So here is the first picture with my new camera. Click on it and you can see the first couple photos. Nothin to earth shattering - but I'm pretty much in love with this new camera. I will post a picture of it in a bit!

Asleep in the Light

There is a song that has been on my heart for a few days now - and I was looking for it online and found it on YouTube.com... It's a classic Keith Green song, but like alot of his stuff - it is so apropos to today and so many of us struggle with the issues he talks about in his songs... Enjoy!

Above Rubies

I have found quite the website!!! www.aboverubies.org
My friend Cheryl told me about it after we started talking about adoption. She said that it was a really good resource in general, but also specific to adoption. There is also a lot of good/encouraging homeschool information. Practical and from an excellent perspective.

---

On a different note, I had a wonderful time with my friends yesterday. We ate, laughed, sang, played, and talked. It was amazing - and I hope to do it many more times!

I also had a great day at work today - because I got to hang with my friend all day!

Happy Monday! (and yes - I'm even happy for more snow!!!)

Thank you

Watch More Videos       Uploaded by www.bebo.com/YUNGCUE

Watchmaker

I ran across a great little film called "The Watchmaker". It is part of a bigger children's website that has some great films as well as resources for children.
I liked some of the resources because it gave me a few idea's for the website I'm working on for KIT for Kids. I think it's great to have a good list of safe, biblically sound, and entertaining websites for children.

Happy Thursday!

First Steps

Ok, so I'm thinking this will be a great place to keep the progress (or lack thereof!) for what I’m going to call my missio Dei (Mission of God). How do we know what God wants us to do? How does God speak in our lives? How do we know if what we hear is God’s voice or our own will? What is the mission of God in our life?

These are some of the big questions that most of us struggle with, well at least those that WANT to hear God’s will…

So here is a short story… When I turned 15, I felt a call of God on my life, to minister in some way to children – and not just any children – but children in need. So I made a promise to God and myself, that if when I turned 30 I was not married, I would adopt children. Well I’m a bit older now, and just in the past 2 years did I remember this promise to God and myself, but I didn’t think much of it till last month, when I realized that I was now 29… oh my – that’s pretty close to 30! And guess what? I still haven’t found the ONE God has to be my mate.

So here is the part where I am hoping to hear the voice of God clearly, what would God have me do? Am I to pursue adoption – as a single parent? Am I to go to Africa and try to do some good there? What about the orphanage that Sister Beiry runs? What is God’s mission in my life? What does it look like? Am I prepared for whatever it is?

At this point – I do not feel to leave this place where I’m planted, that may come, but for now I have a mission field right here is Iowa. God has blessed me with a home and a family, some that live with me and some just over the hill, and I know that this is where I’m supposed to be right now, but what about the call for ministering to children? At this point I have begun to look at options for adoption.

After having a short discussion with one of my friends about hearing the voice of God – or knowing His will for my life, I have come to realize that I really operate in certain way when it comes to figuring out God’s will in my life. I start with prayer, and that prayer consists of – Lord, Your will – not mine! Then I ask for His guidance – Lord, open the doors you want opened and close those I’m not supposed to go through. I really feel that by really only wanting His will, it is kinda His responsibility to show me that will. Also knowing that adoption is something that is very close to God's heart is a good place to start, God is very specific about the fact that His people are supposed to be taking care of the widows and orphans! So I go through doors that look open – and keep praying for His will. So that is the process that I’m in the middle of right now. Adoption? Which doors will open? What would God have me do – even to begin?

But what does a girl like me know about the wide world of adoption. And remember – at all times, I only want God’s will. So I did an internet search on adoption in Iowa, and I was a bit more specific – Christian Adoption Agencies in Iowa. One that I checked into was called Bethany. Mom and I went to an informational meeting and gathered quite a bit of information, but the big thing I learned was that they do not do domestic (adoption of children within the US vs. international – adoption of children outside of the US) adoption with single parents, only international. So for right now, I feel to try a different venue – I’m currently gathering information for state adoption. Pray – and let me know if you hear anything! And I will keep you posted. J

Big Deal

So I have been struggling with wanting to upgrade my computer and camera this year. It seems to be constantly on my mind. My computer is almost 8 years old and my camera isn't far behind. My struggle on the computer end has been wanting a MAC - but not being able to justify the added cost... And the problem with upgrading my camera was similar - I couldn't justify the cost of a new camera even though it would work more consistently as well as work better under certain situations. But last week while we were dealing with my father being in the hospital, I dropped my camera on the ground and it broke the lens. It is completely useless!!! So, long story short - insurance is going to help me pay for a new lens. I will be ordering my new D300 camera within the next few days - the drop did quite a bit of damage to that as well... As for the computer it will have to wait a bit yet - but I think things are looking up for it! ;)

On another note - I ran across a new book that I want to read "Scratch Beginnings" by Adam Shepard. It looks very interesting and compelling, I looked up Big Brothers Big Sisters as soon as I finished watching the interview.

I thinks the reason it looked interesting to me is because I'm actually praying about adopting a child (or 2!). I really feel like it's something the Lord is calling me to. It's a bit scary, in that I am single and already taking care of my Grandma. But I really feel that God doesn't give us more than we can handle. So I just keep praying for his will.

I went to a Christian Private Adoption Agency last week and found out that they do not do domestic adoptions to single parents. So we will see where the Lord leads from here!

Hospital stays are happy and sad

So in the past couple weeks, I've seen quite a enough of hospitals. Though, it wasn't all for trying reasons! The frist 2 times where for births - which are always fun. My cousin and his wife had their first baby, and we were all their to support them! It was amazing!

But after all that excitement was over (at least for me!) my dad got an infection in his foot - so back up to the hospital we went. This time we had a better view from the room, but after a week and a 1/2 of all of us being in that room with him - we are very happy to see him come home - fully intact! Here are a few pictures from his room!