Bear One Another's Burdens

 I have been really working on making sure I do my personal devotions everyday. Having accountability helps. The last couple of weeks I have been memorizing 1 Corinthians 10:13 with my boyfriend.
1 Corinthians 10:13
"No tempation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the tempation he will also provide a way of escape, that you may be able to endure it."

This verse is really encouraging. It is such a great reminder that God is always providing for you and tht he truely cares about you. Just a quick snapshot from my own personal devotions. I have been reading through Galations and have officially given up on 2 Kings. I started with 1 Samuel, 2 Samuel, then 1 Kings. Right now I am starting to hate the old testament-the whole he killed who to become king is losing me- so I decided I would switch to Psalms. Galations has been really good. The verse that really stuck out to me today was Galations 6:2, 

"Bear one another's burdens, so to fulfill the law of Christ". 

That is something I really need to remember. It is so easy to be concentrated on my own life and my own problems or issues. But God calls us to "Bear one anothers burdens". He calls us to take the focus off ourselves, and put our focus on others. Care for them, pray for them, and support others. That is my goal for this week. I want to be more than just someone passing through in someone's day. I want to be suportive and invested in other peoples lives. Get deeper than the superficial stuff. What are your goals for the week? Are your goals focused on you? Or are they focused on others? Most importantly, are they focused on God? 

Until Next Time,

Miss Sass A Frass

The Nanny's Life For Me

For the past two weeks, I have been busy being a live-in nanny and starting on campus college classes at Northwestern College. With a 7th grader depending on me for her needs, I have gotten a little taste of motherhood (along with learning about pregnancy in psych, I am in no hurry to give birth). 

One thing I have really enjoyed has been the cooking. I really don't mind making dinner (If I want to avoid premade frozen food like mac and cheese-bleh-I have to). My two favorite dinners have been Thai Peanut Noodles and Parmesan Crusted Chicken with Fettuccine Alfredo. Contrary to popular belief, I am a very talented cook (thank you very much dad!). 

I have also gotten to try my hand at discipline-it lasted a full minute, with the child's cooperation and agreement. Is it always this easy? 

My biggest challenge has been entertainment. Crazy thing! Kids do not find enjoyment in reading anymore. What a sad sad world! Instead, I found myself trying to pull away my ward of the week from the tv (surprise there!) and her ipad. After 5 hours of TV, apparently I am a nasty nanny for telling her to turn the tv off. The horrors! The motivation to do anything was very limited. I suggested ice cream-she suggested lying around. I suggested tubing-she suggested "lying around like a potato sack" (and that is a direct quote!). I suggested shopping-she said the "biggest she goes is Target" (poor girl needs to open her eyes to the joys of the mall)! I suggested seeing a movie-she said that she doesn't like to go to the movie theater. I suggested helping me vaccum out and wash my car-she said she had a vaccuum phobia. After I basically begged her to hang out with a friend, she finally agreed and proceeded to ask to go to ice cream and THEN the mall with her friend (miracles upon miracles!)! 

I have a couple days of nannying to finish up, then I am back in my own wonderfully comfy bed in my horribly cold room!

Until Next Time,

Miss Sass A Frass

Lasts and Firsts

        Minnesota is never predictable. Especially in January. You would think that January would be one of the most predictable months of the year-cold and snowy. But, alas, no. Every year it's a surprise. 2011: cold and snowy, 2012: no snow, 2013: cold and rainy? Yeah, doesn't make a lot of sense. Come on Minnesota get with it! I think Minnesota is trying to be Seattle, but just like the bible says, when a body part tries to be a different body part, it doesn't work out too well! Same thing happening here. Minnesota stop trying to be Seattle! It just doesn't work.
        This last weekend was the biggest high school race in the nation-mesabi! With over 1200 skiers, Giants Ridge in Biwabik, MN was a very busy place. The 2.4 k race course was even busier! Each racer had to do two laps. The course was skied 2200 times yesterday. Although I had two falls-one in the first 5 mins of the race-I had an okay classic race. Wayzata girls took 2nd place overall. It was a very fun last mesabi weekend of my ski career.
         Tomorrow, I start my very last semester of high school!! I am so excited to only have 17 weeks of high school left! Along with my last semester, I am starting something new-on campus PSEO at Northwestern College. I am excited to do something new and different, but also slightly apprehensive because I missed orientation due to mesabi and it is something I have never done! I am excited to finish up my senior year with 56 college credits and only three (hopefully) years of college left ahead of me.

Until next time,

Miss Sass A Frass

2-0-1-2

With the holiday festivities over, and life starting to return to normalcy, I started thinking about the past year and things that I have learned. Things such as, choosing your friends wisely, commitment, and not judging.
Friends that build you up, encourage you, and are trustworthy are the best ones to have. The bible reminds me of this in Thessalonians 5:11 
Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing.
It's better to avoid those that tear you down, instead choose the ones who are just as goofy as you are (Example A Picture-my friends are just a weird as I am).
Another thing I learned was about commitment. God puts us all through trials that are not always the most fun and are painful. But even when your hurting, it is so important to follow through on your word and not to give up. God is probably teaching you a important lesson that will benefit you.
James 1:2-4
Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.
It can be hard to see God's plan through the tears, but things usually turn out much better than you expected. 
Not to judge. This one was a toughy for me to learn, as I am a ESVJ according to the Meyers-Briggs test. But in the last year, I have really worked on the whole no judgy thing. The book Cross-Cultural Connections  really helped me in this area. CCC (the book) talked about how different people from different cultures do things differently. It doesn't make them wrong, it just makes them different. I have really tried to apply this in my life. Everyone grows up in a different way, doing things differently. They aren't wrong. They are just different (Example B Picture-I am not judging my sisters for being weird). 
Matthew 7:1-2
“Judge not, that you be not judged. For with the judgment you pronounce you will be judged, and with the measure you use it will be measured to you. Why do you see the speck that is in your brother's eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye?

I learned countless lessons this last year, and I am already learning a new one this year: Trust. But I will save that one for a future post.

Until Next Time,

Miss Sass A Frass