Amazing

Wow, a lot has been happening lately.

School, work, church...and some awesome highlights...such as the "Courage" retreat I went on with my youth group.



Molly and I were given the pleasure of having mustaches "eyelined" on our faces...
from one of the games we played at the retreat!! It was hilarious!!



13 of us youth went...it was just on the outskirts of Cherokee, out in the "wild"! LOL

We played games, ate, climbed a really muddy hill, watched some Francis Chan videos, and spent one on one time with God.

It was an amazing weekend...God taught me some really cool things and He's been using me in some awesome ways too!!

Faye, Whitney, and I also are doing a Bible study once a week. It has been pretty amazing too!!
It's cool how God can speak through people...in ways that are just to amazing to fathom!

This past Friday was Cherokee's homecoming game. I went with some friends and had a blast! Even though our team lost...big suprise! LOL
But I got to see a lot of my friends and yah, it was a lot of fun:)

My youth pastor has been doing a guitar clinic for the past 3 weeks. He leads it after youth group and we have a pretty nice size group! My sister's and I are all doing...so we all practice together through out the week! I love music!

Well I should probably be going...but I'll blog again soon.

I've also had a lot of fun spending time with my BF, Emily!!!

Thunderstorms

Right now I can hear the rain on our roof...it sounds so beautiful!! I love storms...I love getting that excitement and kind of the nervousness about what could happen. My mom thinks I'm crazing for loving storms but to me a storm isn't something to be "scared" about. Yes you have to be kind of scared because storms are unstoppable and just crazy but to me, a storm is God's way of saying He loves me and wants to show me just a little part of how big He is!!

I had a really stressful day yesterday and I woke up this morning to thunder and rain. God was telling me,

"It's okay Nichole, I have given you these struggles to help you...even when it gets hard and you feel you can't go on any longer, just remember that I'll always be here. I have never left you and I never will. But my child, please don't leave Me! I love you."

Clay County Fair

On Saturday I went to the Spencer fair with my sisters (Kristen and Melissa) and Ross.
We arrived there around 10:00 a.m. and spent the whole day there till 5:30. It would've been a perfect day, had not it been below 60 degrees and drizzling most of the time! It was still a lot of fun but VERY cold!!
We looked around...we even got to see ALL of the animals (My favorite!!!!)...ate lunch, listened to an
A Cappella group, walked around, and even ate yummy Nitro ice cream...OUTSIDE!! haha after that we did end up getting some hot chocolate.
My friend, Nicole, was there showing cows. I spent a little bit of time with her...which was really awesome!
I loved going to the fair...getting to be with animals and just the atmosphere of it all.
I'm so glad I got to go with Ross and my sisters...it was a blast!!!

Why?

My family and I have been doing a lot of traveling lately...honestly I'm sick of being gone! I've really enjoyed the trips though. That's why I haven't been posting lately. We arrived in Chicago (again) 2 hours ago and are now getting ready for bed...yes it really is after midnight.
Anyway, this will be our last time seeing Bethany before she leaves for England. For some reason I've gotten this horrible rash all over my body...it's not a big suprise because I've suffered with rashes a lot. But this one really hurts.
I'm also so tired and my stomach kind of hurts, my head hurts, stuff like that.
I've been asking myself, "Why am I complaining to my mom...she can't exactually help me and this is our last time to see Bethany...why is it always about me?" I need to constantly tell myself, "It's not about me, it's about others. It's not about me but about God."
But I've been struggling with that...I want someone to feel sorry for me, I want someone to give me attention...especially during a time when it's not about me!!
Why is it that we're always so selfish...why does it always have to be about me? I have to ask God to change my mindset so that I'm only focused on Him.
And for now that's all I can do...pray, read the Bible, and thank God for everything He has given me!!

I Just Realized. . .

Do you know how much we take for granted? We don't realize how much God has given us...and how much we should be grateful to Him.

Yesterday I worked with Blake (the "new kennel kid") at the vet. We were talking and having some nice conversations...and I realized that I should be thanking God for the ability to talk and to have conversations.

I let some of the dogs out and cleaned the cat's cages...yes it might smell really disgusting and make me gag sometimes but I have the ability to walk, to use my hands...why are we so selfish with everything?


We should be thanking God all the time for the "little" things He does for us!!! We should WANT to glorify with Him in everything we do!!!

I'm always wanting my way, and my will...it's always me, me, me. Why is it so hard for us to just let go of things, surrender to God and let Him do the work?!?! It's our sin...the past few days I've been struggling with letting God work out the details. I realized that I have to CONSTANTLY keep surrendering things to God...otherwise I somehow take it back into my hands.

It feels amazing to have God do all the work...just to sit back and see what God is going to do...in my friendships, my family, at work, in my life!!!!

 Psalm 139:14 "I will give thanks to You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; wonderful are Your works, and my soul knows it well."

The Fear of the Lord

Acts 24-Be joyful in all situations, God has a plan for EVERYTHING, even the trials we face. We just need to trust God completly.
"But this I admit to you, that according to the Way which they call a sect I do serve the God of our fathers, believing everything that is in accordance with the Law and that is written in the Prophets; having a hope in God, which these men cherish themselves, that there shall certainly be a resurrection of both the righteous and the wicked.
"In view of this, I also do my best to maintain always a blameless conscience both before God and before men." Acts 24:14-16

Today I will be starting a little bit of school...but I'm working on the Beier Bulletin!!
I also will be working at the vet. I get to work with the "new kid" whose starting at the vet. I've worked with him for a few days and will for the rest of the week! It's really fun to work with someone...and things get done a lot faster!!!
I'm so thankful for my job at the vet...I absolutely love working there!!!!

Chicago

This past weekend my family and I were in Chicago, IL. As most of you know, my eldest sister, Bethany, is leaving for England this September. We took here to Chicago for a month of training.
Before we dropped her off we spent some time at Lake Michigan. It was a lot of fun and great memories!!
After we dropped her off, the 5 of us "tried" to find Willis a.k.a Sears Tower but got lost.
We did end up finding it and went up the 103 floors. For all of you who don't know this...I'm terrified of heights! SO I was freaking out! But it was okay...I even went out on this glass "box" that is 103 floors above traffic. It was pretty cool!!

We arrived home yesterday and now are getting back to everyday life! I'll be heading for work in 30 minutes.

I read Acts 23 today for my devotions.

I learned that God's power is unfathomable...His plans are amazing and He is ALWAYS with me!!

Acts 23:11; But on the night immediately following, the Lord stood at his side and said, "Take courage; for as you have solemnly witnessed to My cause at Jerusalem, so you must witness at Rome also."

Update on Devotions

August 13-Acts 11-12...I learned that God has amazing plans for my life, I just need to step back and watch what He's going to do. (Jeremiah 29:11 "For I know that plans I have for you", declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans of a hope and a future."

August 14-Acts 13...God is sending out His disciples. God is calling me somewhere to do work for Him so I must listen and pray for others. Just be open to God's calling!

August 15-Acts 14...It was kind of the same as yesterday's...God has chosen me (can you believe that He has chosen ME!!!! and YOU!!!!) to do special work in His kingdom.

August 16-Acts 15...Even when we have trials and think we're at the end of our rope, we need to remember that God works good in EVERYTHING! (Romans 8:28 "And we know that God causes all things to work for good to those who love God and are called according to His purpose.")

August 17-Acts 16...My mind needs to be constantly on God, and not to focus on the earthly things!! Delight in the Lord!

August 18-Acts 17...Verses 24-31 really hit me (I'll blog them later...) but it's also kind of like yesterday's...I need to be constantly in prayer and reading God's word. I must focus on Him!!

August 19-Acts 18...This one is also kind of like the past 2 days...I MUST read God's word more and pray continually. If you don't read the Bible and pray, how are you going to know God personally? And how will we be able to share the gospel?

What's Up?!?!

Okay, the reason I haven't been on for a while is because I've been gone!!! My sisters, Kristen and Melissa, and I had a "Radiant Purity" Bright Lights conference in Cedar Rapids, IA on Friday and Saturday.
It was an amazing conference and I learned alot. We also got to visit with some of our old friends...we hadn't seen them since over 4 years ago! It was alot of fun and a good bonding time for the 3 of us.
We got home Saturday night at 11:30, woke up around 7:30 and left for church at 9:00.
Suprisingly I actually stayed awake all through Sunday school and church.
Bethany, Kristen, Melissa, and I were planning on leaving from church to head to South Dakota but we brought a friend with us to church. We ended up going out for lunch (which was a lot of fun) and leaving from there.
We spent Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday in Freeman, SD with both of my grandparents. I had a ton of fun and made many great memories with grandparents and sisters!
I really should be thanking my Heavenly Father more for the amazing family He has given me!!
Tomorrow I will update you on my devo's but I need to go now.

Devotions

Acts 11 & 12
I learned that God has amazing plans, and that I need to trust Him even when things aren't going my way!

My kitty Moses...look at all the things God has given us!!

The verse that really stuck out to me is Acts 11:15-17 "And I began to speak, the Holy Spirit fell upon them just as it did upon us at the beginning. And I remembered the word of the Lord, how He used to say, 'John baptized with water but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.' Therefore if God gave them the same gift as He gave to us also after believing in the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I that I could stand in God's way?"