Ecclesiastes 3:1-8: A Time For Everything

There is a time for everything,
and a season for every activity under Heaven.
A time to be born and a time to die,
a time to plant and a time to uproot,
a time to kill and a time to heal,
a time to tear down and a time to build,
a time to weep and a time to laugh,
a time to mourn and a time to dance,
a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them,
a time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing,
a time to search and a time to give up,
a time to keep and a time to throw away,
a time to tear and a time to mend,
a time to be silent and a time to speak, 
a time to love and a time to hate,
a time for war and a time for peace.

Fall Party

So instead of doing a halloween party, my friend hosted a "fall party" on October 30.

We had a lot of fun. . . just hanging out, eating and playing 3 hours of Mafia (if any of you have never played it, then you're totally missing out! It is an awesome game!) anyway...

Here's some pictures from that crazy night! lol enjoy!!

Worship

I know there are many ways to worship our Heavenly Father but my favorite way is through music!

I love listening to music, singing, playing instruments, and going to concerts!!

This past weekend I went to a Tenth Avenue North concert in Sioux City...I went with my sisters and some friends and we had a blast.
Matt Maher and Addison road also played. And this was an amazing concert.
You could just tell that God was there, working in and through people.

I know God was doing work in me...the past few weeks, I've been struggling with some things...and I've just been distancing my self from my Father.

God spoke to me through this concert...through those people. Life isn't going to be easy but God reminded me that He is the only one who can satisfy me...there are so many "pretty things that steal my heart away, I feel I'm fading, cuz Lord I love so many things that keep me from Your face...come and save me" (All the Pretty Things-Tenth Avenue North)

God has also been teaching me a lot from a book that I'm doing. The Backward Life by Jarrod Jones is an amazing book! It really makes you think about your life...and how much we think about ourselves.

I need to put God first...in EVERYTHING!!!!!

Nicole and I

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."