Vogt Family

In 2005 I met a family through working with Child Evangelism Fellowship (CEF). At the time they had 2 children, with a third on the way. Through the years I would occassionally babysit their 3 kids so they could go shopping or just have a date. The Vogts are Christians whose lives totally reflect their Christ. They are living radical lives for Jesus. Currently, they are in Malawi, Africa with 5 kids. Thankfully, they have facebook and email access so I get updates from them periodically. It has been very cool and encouraging to see their progress from deciding to go to Malawi, raising support, and finally moving. They send out requests for very specific prayer which I love! I don't really like praying for people in a general sense, even though I know God knows what they need. It's also easier (I think) to see answers to prayer when you pray specifically.

This is their facebook status from today about their experience buying gas/diesel. They don't have 5 gas stations within a mile radius like I have at my house.


I realized my reality has drastically changed. I was outside working on a bike when I heard Mary holler, "Anj got diesel!" I grabbed my tools, I reached in my pocket for my phone, called Anj, ran in the house, threw the tools on the counter, grabbed my back pack with water and food, Mary grabbed her stuff, we ran to the car. The neighbor asked where we were going... we said, "diesel" They said, "Run!" ... and we were off! En route we received another phone call from another missionary asking if we would have enough fuel to reach the station. I said yes, but thinking in the back of my mind, "If they run out of diesel, I may not have enough to get back...." They weren't allowing jerry cans to be filled, so the likelihood of getting fuel was better. The wait and anticipation that fuel could run out anytime was intense, as there were several large trucks ahead of us. I walked around asking fuel attendants to run off the vehicles trying to cut in line - never comfortable to do, but if you don't, the situation could get a lot crazier. PTL we have diesel - a full tank! It was our best experience, so far, at a fuel queue.

Can you see how they are an encouragement to me? They've abandoned life as they know it in America, picked up their 5 kids and moved to a place where the highlight of their day is a full tank of fuel! Praise God for people devoted to serving the Lord and faithful. If you'd like to help support them, here is a link: Missionary ID #023469.

Fall 2011

New Bible

How many Bibles can one person have? I only had one until I went to a Christian school. From then, when I was 9 years old, to now I've probably acquired more than ten Bibles. My version of choice is the ESV (English Standard Version). That's what my church teaches from and what I use in my personal reading and studying. My first ESV was paperback, probably cost about $5 and I think it was written for teenagers, but I just wanted to try it out. Then I got one, also cheaply, that's not much bigger than an index card. It's embarassing to hold my Bible two inches from my face in church, so I decided I needed another one. I also have an ESV study Bible but it has so many notes, it's a few inches thick. I'd rather not carry THAT around either. (Sorry, I'm picky). So I got the perfect (haha) Bible from Lifeway today. I love the color and the size.

It's a burgundy color which isn't extremely girly, but it's still pretty. It's a great size.

The words aren't too small, but not too big.

Great thickness.

And it fits with my notebook and little devotional book perfectly. It also fits perfectly into my new basket, which I wrote about here.

 I'm grateful that the Bible is complete and available to me, in whatever size, shape, etc... I can choose. Works great for such a choosey person. :)
What's your favorite?

MY BEST FRIEND IS ENGAGED!

So it's midnight and I just got home... why? Nope... I don't party. Nope... it's winter so I wasn't just hangin out outside. Nope... wasn't at a movie... I was talkin to my best friend for 3 hours at Steak and Shake! :D It's just so exciting! :D

MY BEST FRIEND IS GETTING MARRIEDDDD!!!!! 

I get to be part of it and that is soooo exciting to me! When I first found out Joe was going to propose to Lindi, I was a little nervous that she would be all married and just forget about me and not be a good friend anymore. But since Christmas Eve when she called me at 12:13am (ish) to tell me Joe proposed, I've been totally on cloud 9 hah. She's picked the date already and is starting to get things in order. Of course there's still a ton to do.

You know how annoying it is when 6 people get engaged this week on facebook? YES I am irritated by it. But this is so much more exciting! I am involved in learning all the little details so far and there's only more to come. I'm SO thankful for my friendship with Lindi, so since you care, I'm going to tell you our life story. :) You're welcome!

In 2007 I got my first job at a family restaurant. Being 16, I was the youngest person there and the scapegoat of everything that went wrong. I quit after 4 months. A couple weeks later, I got a job at McAlister's Deli. After working there a little while, Lindi also started working there. She was 16 and I was 17 (like this matters). One night we were just tired of sweeping other peoples' messy bread crumbs up and I, for one, was STARVing (not like kids in Africa, but ya know). Lindi seemed pretty cool. She always made me laugh. But you know how you initiate a friendship and then you're like "dang, why did I even talk to that person. Now they won't leave me alone!" I was afraid of that. But despite that, I decided to be friendly. "Are you hungry? Do you wanna go to Waffle House after this?" haha I was wondering "is this weird? ... what if she doesn't wanna be my friend?" but she WAS hungry (we're always hungry), so we went to waffle house after work and talked and laughed all night. I couldn't remember having that much fun or laughing so much in a long time! After we both quit McAlister's we kinda lost touch. Then one day she needed a job so I got her a job at Ankar's (ohhhh Ankars).... now we joke about all the wonderful life lessons we learned from Ankar's. It's always a great conversation. Ever since Ankar's we've been pretty good friends. We can talk about ANYthing and when we have a problem with each other, we just say it. And we try to work on being better friends for each other. When I'm mad, she's mad with me. When I'm excited, she might be a little more excited for me than I am for myself. Lindi and I can laugh about anything together and it's not awkward. We can talk about our Christian life and share what we're learning. It's very clear to us that God put us together (it sounds like we're getting married...). What are the chances that someone you work with at a deli as a teenager will be a life long friend? Then we don't talk for months, and are reunited. We pray for each other and love each other. I'm so thankful for a friend who understands me and while we are alot alike, we're very different too. Her friendship means the world to me. In fact, a week on their honeymoon... not being able to talk to her? Well... she better call me and send me pictures from the beach is all I gotta say. I might have to hang out with her mom or something to make up for it. Ugh let's not think about that.

I remember the first time I met Joe. I was a little overwhelmed. Joe's not the typical person you expect when your friend wants to introduce you to her boyfriend for the first time. But he's hilarious and that's all I remember about that night. Hanging out with Joe and Lindi is so much fun. I never feel like the third wheel or out of place. They always make me feel at home and comfortable with them. And there's no doubt that Joe will do something like start randomly singing "Everything" by Brad Paisley  from the backseat of the car when there's a totally different song on the radio.... I'm so happy that Lindi is going to spend her life with such a happy person. Lindi by the way, never lets people depress her. Working at Ankar's, it's pretty easy to get pissed at the world for everything. I mean, look who we're workin for here... old men who are at a restaurant 7 days a week for at least 8 hours a day... when they should be retired, playing golf and watching soaps. It's kinda a pissy place to work. But NOT with Lindi! She cheers anything up...

Well I'm just rambling now about two happy funny people. Surely, you can't wait to meet them.

Anyways, this is the first time I've been asked to be a bridesmaid. I get to go register with Lindi for the wedding and look at dresses with her and see her planning stuff online. Yeah, we just got done talking for three hours (not just about the wedding), but in the morning we're meeting for coffee so she can show me some stuff online she's started planning with www.theknot.com . YAY! Here's some pictures of us fun kids. :)

Lindi and me on Christmas Eve

This is the present I made for Lindi for Christmas.
I should blog about that soon.
Porter will be her new last name :)
and she can hang this in their house soon.

Here's a video that's dedicated to Joe... you might think it's funny.

New treats

So, I have to show off my favorite things from Christmas... This morning my mom and I woke up early (as early as I could justify...) to get some after-Christmas deals.

Of course, Starbucks was necessary after waking up so inconveniently early (7:30). My current favorite drink is vanilla peppermint latte with skim milk. I love that they put my name on it and that it looks so festive. :) makes it taste better too. Thanks to 2 of my kids' parents who gave me starbucks gift cards and my own mom who gave me one also! Free starbucks for a while! :D cheers!

This is a basket made of recycled newspapers I got for $5. I am using it to hold my notebook, colored pencils, devotion book, current novel, and candy (peppermint kisses, my favorite). It fits just perfectly in the little cubby above my bed.

New notebook! Ever since I was a kid, I adored stationary and office supplies. I'd buy new pens and pencils even when I had 1000 at home. Anyways, this notebook was only $4. I paid $8 for a similar one a couple months ago, so I was happy.  It's also the perfect size to fit in my purse and carry around.

You can't tell from the picture of the cover that the pages have 4 different colored tabs. I love to use these as a devotional notebook. I can record sermon notes in one section, personal study in another, prayer/ scripture memory in another, and the last one is open to whatever I feel led to scribble in. I also enjoy the bright colors and the plain pages. They only have lines, no header or swirlies or flowers around the pages.

These pajama pants are from my best friend, Lindi. They're pretty much awesome. I hate spending money on pajamas... so they're a good gift for me. The little slipper socks are warm. I hate wearing actual socks, but these are more cozy. Hello Kitty was my mom's doing... but I'll wear em. :) I love being cozy and blogging. :)

These hot apple cider candles are my absolute favorite! They only sell them at Christmas time at Walmart- so I got 2 extras today for half price... $2 for a 15 oz candle and hours of a delicious-smelling room! :D again, cozy.

Joy and Peace

It's always easier to stay faithful to studying the Bible when I'm in a routine. Last semester it was great not having to go to work until noon 3 days a week, then having school only 2 days a week. Especially on MWF, I could wake up at 9, take my time waking up, take my time studying, and still have time to get ready to go. When the cycle is broken, I struggle to make myself have a special time to focus only on my relationship with Christ. However, if I'm home alone especially in the mornings, and have nothing to really do that day, I can still make time easily. When I start traveling and stay at other peoples' houses, that's the hardest for me. It's hard to stay in one place and not really be bothered with anyone else for 30 minutes to an hour unless I wake up early or strain myself to stay up later. Let's face it, no one wants to wake up early... especially not on vacation. And when it's time to go to sleep after I've already fallen asleep watching a movie, I tell myself, "I'll just do it in the morning" and so it continues. 


Before Christmas break I was studying Philippians through a book by Kay Arthur and David Lawson, That I May Know Him. I'm not gunna lie... 6 weeks in the same book is kinda a long time! I got excited when we'd move on to the next chapter because I had read the previous chapter at least 20 times. Not that that's a bad thing. But sometimes I would be excited to see what I'd learn that day, and it would say "read Philippians 3 for the 40th time" and I felt like there was nothing new for me. So over the break I decided to break away from that, then today I came back to Philippians. Ironically enough, I only had 1 day left. The last day of each week in the study has discussion questions that you can use if you're studying through the book as a small group, or just individual study questions. They're the type of questions you don't want to answer, the ones you avoid when you're just skimming through. You don't really want to think about "what are you going to do about what you've learned?" or "how are you going to live out God's instructions?". But I felt like a kid at an amusement park. I wanted to run on to the next fun ride, but I didn't want to stop and wait in line for 30 minutes to eat, even though food is what I need. God was like taking my hand and dragging me back into line to wait for the nourishment I needed. Thinking through the hard questions make studying the Bible more tangible. It's easier for me to see where I'm lacking, and what I need to do about it. It also helps me focus on some key points and ya know? When I asked the Holy Spirit to teach me somethin... dontcha know he actually did it? Crazy how that works out...


This is a summary of the end of Philippians...if it seems broken, I'm sorry. These are just my notes scribbled out.


Main teaching -- 

• rejoice
• claim peace
• be content
• keep a good attitude 
• keep a proper focus
• help others

What I learn about "joy" and "rejoice" --

• Joy comes from the Lord.
• Rejoicing is the result of inner joy, not based on circumstances.
• Rejoice ALL the time.
• Paul's example: He rejoiced in prison, when he was poor and hungry, in need of support.

So what does that mean for my life? - trust God for joy, don't rely on circumstances or people for happiness. Talk with God, pray and thank Him, ask Him, He guards your heart.

That promise was probably the best thing from today. Here's the passage from Philippians 4: 4-7

Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice. Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Because I'm a spoiled American brat, it's so easy for me not to be content with what I have. I complain when things are the want I want them. (I'm working on that.) But, no matter what, even if I really did having something to complain about - if I was starving, in jail, abused for obeying Scripture - still there's nothing to worry about, according to Paul. 

What does this say about being anxious? DON'T DO IT! Don't be anxious, chill out. Stop complaining, stop worrying, stop trying to fix your own crises. ... Well... if I can't do any of those things... what AM I supposed to do?? 

1. Rejoice.

2. Talk to God... pray about everything. Thank God. Ask him for what you want.

Then God promises to guard your heart and mind. What an awesome promise. Who else can promise that? People can try to protect us from getting heartbroken or perverting our minds, but God is in control. He will give you peace that you cannot understand, and can't explain. Right after he promises to guard our minds, he tells us what to think about in 4:8 - things that are: true, honorable, just, pure, lovely, commendable, excellent, worthy of praise. How do we make ourselves focus on these types of things? Through Christ who is guarding our minds, remember? 

I love that one of the key words of the book of Philippians is "mind" or "attitude." I don't really struggle to obey the Bible in actions very much. Because I've always been in Christian environments, I'm pretty good at looking like a good Christian kid. But many of my sins are rooted in my mind and no doubt, the sinful actions I do are a result of an already sinful mind. My mind needs more work. 

There's more from the discussion questions I could type out but I'm not trying to make a 35 minute sermon here. 

*The most powerful thing spoken to me during this study: I must give up my life, be willing to forsake EVERY thing, all my comforts, my pride, my privileges, even what I think are my "rights," for the Lord. Why? The reward is to know Him more.

Whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ. Indeed I count everything as loss becuase of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish in order that I may gain Christ... -Philippians 3:7-9

*The hardest thing for me to do: Stay humble.

Do nothing from rivalry or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others... -Philippians 2:3-4

Sky

I just love the sky and how its never the same

Why?

I've started blogs before, pointlessly. They help me vent for a minute about the people I won't actually face, say the things I wouldn't really say out loud because it's just inappropriate, and get feelings out of my mind, on to proverbial paper to look at and organize my thoughts. Sometimes I take my thoughts to my friends and bounce things off them, but many times it returns void and I end up running in circles confused about what actions to take. So here in cyberworld the blinking curser is my friend who listens without judging or trying to fix me. It just waits patiently for me to express myself and even lets me back up and erase things that I didn't want to say.  The curser is almost as good of a friend as my dog, but the curser doesn't fall asleep or get distracted by dumb little things.


So, the purpose of this particular post is to tell you the purpose of the blog. The purpose of the blog is to challenge me to write at least once a week about my week, how I feel about things, what's going on around me, and just life in general. I think it will be cool to see progress over a month, a semester, 6 months, then maybe next year, I'll be just as bored over Christmas break as I am this year, and I can go back and read at least 52 of my own blog posts! (howboring...) When I think about what I was doing this time last year... I'm glad I've grown since then. I think I was at the tip of my iceberg of stupidity concerning my relations with people and when the tip finally broke off, I found myself looking absurdly wet and freezing, alone. So, I'm not sure how far I've moved in the other direction, but at least I've moved away from that point even if it's closer to the neutral - not incredibly dumb but not so impressively smart either.


Here, I could give a bulleted list of my "new year's resolutions" which I'd have to spend a few minutes thinking up, and wouldn't really keep because I never meant them in the first place. But, instead I'll just set a goal that this time next year, I'll read this and at least notice something different.


I always feel like I have to have a proper ending to a post. I usually just run out of things to say. Like now.

The purpose of this picture is just for facebook to have a thumbnail for the link to my blog... but I thought it's appropriate as I set out on this "road" of weekly scribbling.

Christmas, of course.

It's Christmas Eve. Isn't it funny how everyone is supposed to be so excited for Christmas and the joy that comes along with such a fun time of giving and being around family? Yet, look around. Go to the mall, walmart, or even just drive past. Am I missing the joy? I'm not seeing much! We've taken a sacred holiday (holy day) reserved for remembering the birth of Christ and twisted it into a selfish, hectic, and most stressful time of all. I have to get all these presents for all these people and I have to spend as much money as she spent on me and I must have the perfect tree and decorations, and heaven forbid if someone else take the last hickory honey ham (like Christmas with the Kranks)! What if I forget someone who remembered me? Did I send a Christmas card to those people I haven't seen since high school 15 years ago??

There's so much stress and, as my high school English teacher would call it, foofaraw! In my family, I only have mom and dad to buy presents for. My mom buys things for my cousins and grandparents. That leaves me with 2 people to buy for! Then of course my friends. Christmas doesn't really stress me out at all because I just don't have much to worry about. I hope that when I have my own family we will focus on spending time together and not worry so much about gifts and greetings. These distractions take away from the real meaning of Christmas, celebrating the birth of the One who makes redemption possible, the One who was born to die, the One who left all the splendor and lovliness of heaven to come to a filthy, sin-filled earth where people, the very ones he came to save would reject him. I wouldn't have done that, and if we're honest, no one really would. But Jesus, God the Son, - in his perfect amazing plan - did. Paul, the writer of Romans, recognized this wonderful irony.

"For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. For one will scarcely die for a righteous person -- though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die -- but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us."

How can we be so selfish when we reflect on the self-less origin of Christmas!? I get so excited about what I think people will get me for Christmas, because I do afterall except SOMEthing, and something good. Often I am disappointed, because I'm picky. I think I'm pretty easy to buy for, but I don't think anyone agrees with me. Many times I'm ungrateful because ... if you can't buy the right thing, just don't buy anything at all! That's the wrong attitude though.

On the other side, many people, especially on one side of my family, give gifts just to say that they gave something. They feel bad if they don't give me anything for Christmas, so they just find ANYthing to give me, even if it's pointless and I wouldn't really like it. Then I feel bad for not liking the gift... But shouldn't they feel bad for not really thinking about their gift? I feel like they just give in order to make themselves feel better. It certainly doesn't make me, the recipient feel good to get a senseless gift, and even worse, hate it. I'm not really one to act to please someone, so if I don't like something, it's not exactly a secret. 

There we go again; gifts, gifts, gifts... who cares??! We all do, but should we? Does it really matter if I get a senseless gift? Does it really matter that they got me something - regardless of the reason? No... the only thing that really matters is the true reason of Christmas. It's difficult to stay focused on the story we all know and hear every year multiple times in December.

Soon it'll be over, and our lives go on with or without the gifts we wanted. The only thing we really need, Jesus, is still there all year long. Aren't you glad he didn't decide to only give us forgiveness, grace, mercy - all the undeserved privileges we take for granted - only at Christmas time? Let's be thankful now and all year long.