24

So in just a couple of hours I will be 24. Its such a crazy thought to me. As I think back to when I was a teenager planning out my life, What I thought I would be doing by 24 is NOT at all what I am doing at 24. I thought by now I would have been married to one of the PLUSONE boy band members, or if I was lucky one of the members of NYSNC, or realistically, a REALLY hot model man, and we would have been now married for 2 years NOT living in Wisconsin, and possibly start having children any day now. This is OBVIOUSLY not what has happened. I am honestly okay with that. Don't get me wrong, there are days when I wish I was married, and having kids, but the Lord has done great things in me, and there is still so much for me to learn, I feel, before I am ready to be a wife. Its crazy to think back and see all that the Lord has done for me in my life, I am So So blessed, and I take so many things for granted. The Lord has taught me, showed me, revealed to me so many things that continue to break me, mold me, and shape me in the women that I need to be, I have so far to go, but I am glad that the Lord is faithful, and loves me so much, gives me the grace and forgiveness that I need and don't deserve. I live a very blessed life, I have a great parents, 2 amazing brothers, great friends, a great church, and an amazing job that I love. I have no complaints. I am excited for my year of being 24. I am excited to see what the Lord is gonna do in my life, and just do life as a single 24 year old women who loves to watch sad movies, hang out, and just be. I am ready to be 24. Bring it on.

Dreams Come True

I maybe a little bit into this show, Ok, I am really into this show. Its no secret that I am a huge fan of American Idol. Some people are really into other shows such as LOST. I won't name-names, but I know just a few who are into that show, but this is my show. I love it, I think I like it cause I can't sing and I live vicariously through them or something, not really sure. A lot of them have had some amazing talent, and its fun for me to see what these contestants can do from week to week. For the 2 year in a row, my favorite has won the compition, I am convinced because of my votes, but who knows. Some of my favorite commercials have always been the Disney ones, the ones where after someone wins a Super Bowl, the World Series, or American Idol. And they say " So and so Just won the Super Bowl, What are you gonna do next? and they reply; I"M GOING TO DISNEY WORLD!!!!!"Well the new American Idol just did one, and its awesome. Check it out! Happy Memorial Weekend to you all.

Breakfast Talk

I wanted to share this now funny story (it wasn't so funny at the time) with you. I was making Owen his breakfast on Friday morning, just like any normal day that I have with them, and as I was making the egg over the stove, Owen stands next to me and looks at me funny, and just stares, and says," Nie- Nie, are you having a baby soon?" At first I wanted to throw the kid outside, but I did not. I said to him " no, why do ask that question Owen?" He then replies "Because your tummy is sticking out!!" Thank you Owen for making me more self conscience than I already am about my stomach.:) Oh that kid, he says the darn est things. Its I guess funny now, but I was a little offended at first, but I do understand that he is only 3. O children, they make me laugh.

Comfort Zone

My Comfort Zone. That place is easy, normal, good, and fun. I was challenged today in my personal time with the Lord, and also this topic came up in a conversation I had earlier this week with a friend, about breaking free from my comfort zone. I don't really like change. I guess when change happens I feel out of control, which I am working on. When I was preparing to go on a Missions Trip when I was a Junior in High School, Andrew my youth pastor pulled me aside and said, "Nie-Nie, I am gonna challenge you on this trip to break out of your comfort zone this next week to try and hang around with the girls that maybe you wouldn't normally hang around with." At first I thought he was nuts for thinking that I would do such a thing, but I knew he was right, So I did, I tented with the 3 girls that I normally wouldn't have chosen, but to be honest, It was great. I learned a lot about those girls, and to this day was my favorite missions trip ever, for many reasons, that being one.
I guess I have been thinking about this issue this week and also was challenged with it today because there are some changes coming and its gonna be okay, I don't do change well, BUT the LORD is in control NOT me. He has a sovereign and divine purpose for all things. I just need to trust and obey.

Undeserved Blessings

Tonight we had our every six-week youth leaders meeting. Normally all the leaders from the high school group and middle school group meet together, but this time we met separately, and it was really good. Don't get me wrong, I love to death the high school leaders, but it was nice to just encourage one another in our ministry and learn specifically how to pray for one another, and things like that. As we were talking and laughing, I realized just how undeserving I am to be working along side these people. They are Godly men and women that I love and care about a lot, and the Lord has blessed the ministry. I am so blessed to be working with these people, and I love the unity that we all have with one another. The encouragement I got from everyone was awesome, and to hear what the Lord is doing in their lives just makes me hunger more for Him, and to spend more time with Him, and to spend more time in prayer. Time in prayer for these fellow youth workers. I am so undeserving of all that the Lord has given me. I am just in awe. God is sovereign. God is good. God is great. Thank you Lord for placing these people in my life, who make me strive to be more like you.

No More Night

I know this may sound a little cheesy, but I really, really like this song. I first heard it the day before Easter at my church choir's rehearsal, sung by my good friend Heather's dad. His voice is incredible. I grew up listening to him in church for years, and listened to him practice diffrent songs throughout the years as I was over at their house. Jim then sang this song for our Easter service, It was incredible. I had tears streaming down my face. Not tears of sadness but ones of pure joy, So much looking forward to the time I get to heaven. I am looking forward to no more pain, no more tears, no more night, Just being in the presence of my Savior forever. I guess what was also running through my mind was all the great saints that have gone before me, who are with the Father, and how they strove to live a life that glorified Him, and the legacy they left behind. I can't wait for my day to come. May I finish this race looking unto HIM. Glorifying Him all of my days.

The timeless theme, Earth and Heaven will pass away.
It’s not a dream, God will make all things new that day.
Gone is the curse from which I stumbled and fell.
Evil is banished to eternal hell.

No more night. No more pain.
No more tears. Never crying again.
And praises to the great "I AM."
We will live in the light of the risen Lamb.

See all around, now the nations bow down to sing.
The only sound is the praises to Christ, our King.
Slowly the names from the book are read.
I know the King, so there’s no need to dread.

No more night. No more pain.
No more tears. Never crying again.
And praises to the great "I AM."
We will live in the light of the risen Lamb.

See over there, there’s a mansion, oh, that’s prepared just for me,
Where I will live with my savior eternally.

No more night. No more pain.
No more tears. Never crying again.
And praises to the great "I AM."
We will live in the light of the risen Lamb.

All praises to the great "I AM."
We’re gonna live in the light of the risen Lamb.

So Cool

I saw this video on one of my friends facebook pages and thought it was funny, good, and so true. I LOVE IT. Amen. Amen. Happy Weekend.

Looking Back

This post is for my" brother" Drew Papillion. Drew is like a brother to me. He teases me like my brothers do. Drew is a swell guy, He's a good friend of my brother Dan. I've had my iPod on shuffle the last few days and it brought me back to my good old days of my teenage years. I was one of those teeny bopper girls whose wall was plastered with posters of the boy bands. First it was Hanson,(who by the way is still around, thank you), then *NSYNC, The Backstreet Boys, O-Town and then my favorite, PLUSONE. I saw them 3x in concert. They were the "Christian" version of the boy band. I loved them. Its sad that one of them ended up in alcohol rehab, and one broke away from the group because the band was steering toward more a "worldly" sound. I still in fact have some VHS of all of these bands,(DVDs didn't exists then-till later when PLUSONE came out) some days I will admit I do like to pop them in and remember those days, its not often that I do that, but I like to keep them because someday I want to show my daughter what bands were so cool when I was her age.
Drew and I first met and "hung out" at a PLUSONE concert. Drew was dating Amy at the time and he and Amy took me, Naomi H, Kristina H., Andrea H., Me and Lars(to keep Drew company I think). I was like 14 or 15. And PLUSONE was at the State Fair, Naomi was a fan too. That concert was incredible. It is still clear as crystal in my mind. We had good seats. I screamed my little head off, Drew and Amy just laughed and laughed at me, I think I even had tears running down my face, I was so pumped. This was the time also that Pastor and Amy DeBurgh had just started at RBC. They were there too, not to see Plusone, but to see the band before them. They watched me too. But I didn't care, I was having the time of my life. I am convinced that that at least one band member pointed to me during one of the songs. Thanks Drew for putting up with me. That was a great night.
I was always a *Nsync fan too, taped every talk show they were on, went out and got their CDs the day they came out, saw them in concert once, and of course the Backstreet Boys, they are still around too by the way-most of them in their late 30s, They came out with a new CD recently, Not gonna lie, went out and bought it, they still make me smile and my heart still skips a beat at times.
All this to say, These boy bands used to consume my life, my thinking, basically everything, I even dreamed that I would marry one of the Plusone boys b/c they were of course Christian so my dad would approve, and b/c one of the band members and I share a birthday; so obviously we were meant to be together. But as I got older and grew in my relationship with the Lord, and under the guidance of my amazing youth leaders I knew it got to be to much. One by one the posters came down, the BOP magazine subscription stopped, the internet searches stopped, and I realized that it wasn't important anymore. Instead of desiring to know more about these boys I desired things of the Lord, and pursued realistic relationships with others in the youth group, and youth leaders.
So no more posters except for one, on the inside of my closet door.:). Thanks for walking down memory lane with me.