Vint Vibe

The Relief of Knowing You're Not Alone

2011-07-13T16:27:00.000-07:00

Sorry. By the title you may have thought this blog post would be ultra spiritual... about faith or trust or something like that. It isn't. :) It's just that today I had a stunning realization that I am not a complete wacko! All of which is totally blog worthy after months of not blogging, right?!

There are times when I sit down with Joel after a long weekend of great events and seeing God do great things in the lives of people and realize that we haven't seen our family or friends for weeks or months or BOTH! I feel the horror of my in-laws thinking I hate them. And then I think that maybe my friends hate me because I haven't text them back for a couple of days. And it's then that I feel like I am INCREDIBLY lame and there must certainly be something wrong with us (well, in many ways there probably is). Completely Serious. Weeks! And it's not because we avoid any one of them on purpose (usually). It's really just because we don't have 8a-5p-ish jobs and with varying seasons we get more freakish-scheduled and with the both of us, someone ALWAYS has a weekend activity, if not 10 activities and we WORK on Sunday's. We COMPLETELY love where God has us, but thus a con that includes at times (ok, almost always) having a LAME-O social life.

And then I read the following paragraph from Beth Moore's blog (yes, I know I am not Beth Moore and I am not writing a book... though maybe someday) and it gave me such joy because I realized I WAS NOT ALONE! GAH! (A few notes: Beth is in the middle of writing a book with her daughter Melissa, Melissa and Amanda are her daughters, LPM is her ministry, Living Proof Ministries).

"Melissa said something to me yesterday that I’ve thought about a lot. She said, “You and Daddy and [insert Amanda's nickname] are pretty much my social life right now outside of home because I can’t be a dependable friend.” Whoa. Have I ever been there. People ask often how I’ve “balanced” (me balanced???) ministry with family and I’ve said the same thing over and over: I dumped practically everything else. If you have the updated version of David: A Heart Like His, it’s dedicated to my friend, Johnnie Haines, because she stuck with this on-again-off-again friend for 30 years. I’d drop out of communication for weeks at a time. I’m not suggesting anybody out there dump their social life. It’s not healthy. It’s just what I had to do for long stretches of time in order to fulfill my responsibilities to family and calling. These days I have my fellow sojourners at LPM and YOU and I am inexpressibly grateful. Truly, it’s one reason why I love blogging so much. It’s the way I get outside without ever leaving my home or office."

This makes me realize A LOT about me, us, and the friends that have stuck close despite our TOTAL wackiness. And honestly, it makes me ok with being lame if I'm putting my chips daily where I should (God, marriage and work). I am continually realizing that life is NOT balanced. And honestly, I'm totally ok with that. Someday (maybe), I'll see my friends (if I have any left after the next few years) more often!

Sigh. I'm not alone! :)

Livin' It Up!

2011-06-22T20:26:00.000-07:00

Sorry everyone! It has been a L.O.N.G time since we've blogged. We've SERIOUSLY been livin' it up. One thing that annoys me is when people make themselves "busy" and then complain about it. Every one of us chooses to busy. We sign up for ALL of it (especially in this house). That to say, we're not sorry for not blogging. We've been living it up!

But if you REALLY want to know why we haven't blogged (if there are still any of you out there). See below. This is a screen shot of our calendar. Here's a sneak peak into what life looks like everyday in the Vint home (and it's summer) (and we don't have any kids) (and I happen to be an organized/efficiency freak and put all of my meals on my calendar).

There's been A LOT in the mix lately-- from job changes, loving each other well and going on vacation, junior high ministry, some house improvement, trips, vacation, work, mission trips, high school ministry, camp, family, friends, going to the pool and college ministry. Would we have it any other way (most of the time)? Heck no! Who else gets to do what we do?

Maybe we'll see you soon! :)

My Favorite Granola Recipe

2011-02-12T09:14:00.000-08:00

I'm certainly not a lady that feels she has to make every last thing from scratch (and don't worry I won't put that pressure on you either), but I do enjoy some homemade granola now and again. I have been looking for a granola recipe for over a year that I really like. I've tried at least 10 recipes, none of which hit the spot. My friend Sydney brought me over a sample of the recipe she uses and I loved it! Thought I'd share!

Sydney's Homemade Granola

Ingredients

3 cups of old fashioned rolled oats
½ cup of walnuts roughly chopped
½ cup of almonds roughly chopped
½ cup of pecans roughly chopped
¼ tsp of cinnamon
¼ tsp of salt
½ cup of real maple syrup
½ cup of dried cranberries optional

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Mix all of the ingredients so everything is coated.
Spray baking sheet (use one with sides).
Layer granola evenly on baking sheet.
Bake for 20 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes.
Cool for 20-30 minutes (until cool to the touch) before storing.
Store in an airtight container.
Yields (9) ½ cup servings.

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Loaf

2011-02-12T09:07:00.000-08:00

The other day Joel and I were in the mood for some tasty goodness and so I whipped up this easy "bread" (it's a lot more like cake, lets face it). It turned out simply divine... mmm... mmm... good! I found it on the food blog Dinner with Julie.

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Loaf

Ingredients

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup sugar (white or brown)
1 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. ground ginger
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
1 cup pumpkin puree
1/2 cup canola oil
1/2 cup buttermilk, thin plain yogurt or milk
3 large eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
1/2-1 cup chocolate chips, chopped walnuts or pecans, or a combination

Directions

Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray a 9″x5″ loaf pan with nonstick spray.
In a large bowl, mix the flour, sugar, spices, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
In another bowl, whisk together the pumpkin, oil, milk, eggs and vanilla.
Add the wet ingredients to the dry along with a few handfuls of chocolate chips and/or nuts, if you’re so inclined, and stir just until the batter comes together.
Scrape into the prepared pan and bake for an hour, until the top is cracked and springy to the touch.

LIfe is like a box of chocolates (or a bucket of chips)... you never know what you're gonna get!

2011-01-09T15:06:00.000-08:00

Today was the kickoff of 180. A leaders training would not be complete without Mexican food from the infamous El Azteca of Ames. They have ridiculously delicious food and when it is light on the checkbook, we are always game!

With that said... you have to see what the chips were delivered in.

Nothing, but a fully sanitized trash can. Whon whon whon!

Gotta love it!

We Had a Whole Week Off & We Stayed Home!

2011-01-02T15:02:00.000-08:00

Another blessing of our jobs at Cornerstone is that we have the whole week off between Christmas and New Years! Working in ministry we naturally work with people. Joel is well, 120% extroverted. He can never get enough and I well, my people-meter blows at around say 80% (don't worry, its not because of you of course). Sometimes I feel bad when I just want to stay at home because I am all peopled-out, but I LOVED this week. LOVED IT (until the end of the week I was all ready to have a good ol' time)! We spent a record 10 nights not doing a single activity besides staying home (that was partly due to sickness). Joel also read A LOT for his seminary classes (yes, he is getting his Masters... cool, huh?).

That said, I will recount to you most of what we did this week (backwards).

We had a New Year's Day party. Ah friends, food, football... and a little Grumpy Old Men to boot! Did I mention that Joel gave me my fav movie selection for Christmas? Love these movies!

Did I mention footballl... yep, we've certainly watched (are watching) our fair share of that lately! In my second life I think I'm going to work for ESPN as a sports analyst. =)

Joel was a well, a little under the weather on New Year's Eve so we hit the hay about 9:00p. I wanted to show my love and devotion to Joel and stay home with him, even though I was throwing a pity party for myself on the inside. I was sad to not be ringing in the new year with friends and fun. I soon got over myself (thanks to the Holy Spirit)... oh yes, and because I was the one who got sick earlier in the week and probably gave it to Joel.

Wah-lah! A little somthin' I threw down on New Year's Eve (while Joel was sick). Window transformation (in reverse... hah). The one set of windows we had yet to paint white in our home. This was one of those..."why didn't we do this a long time ago" type things. I like it way better!

The day before this I did come down with the awesome 24/48 hour flu. I am a huge baby when I am sick and want all the care Joel will offer, while Joel hates all personal contact while he is sick. We are so opposites sometimes! Who knew?!

Don't you love when the trees are like this? For an instant I really like it (and then I step outside and freeze my toes off). Our God really was the originator of beauty. Our fake flashy lights do not compare to days like this. On this day we were on our way to Des Moines to do some exchanging and returning.... and we picked out some tile for a project Joel has been working on all month and much of this week. That will require a post of it's own in a month or so!

Somewhere in here Joel and I did celebrate Christmas together. We got to attend the Cornerstone service (which I have never done), make our own special Christmas Eve and Christmas morning meals, and enjoy one another. SUPER FUN! We also spent most of Christmas day with Joel's family enjoying food, opening gifts, and playing games.

We shared the Sunday before Christmas with the Vint side of the family. Notice I only like pictures of young children and beautiful aged women (I'm so weird with photo taking).

Love Joel's grandmother, Melva. 1st Christmas without her beloved husband of 42 years. So hard! Do notice that her christmas light necklace blinked!

We spent the weekend before Christmas celebrating with my family in MN. My baby brother is 19. WILD!
A family favorite Christmas character even showed up. Santa and his little elf (my Grandfather has dressed up as Santa for years and come to our home... I used to be SO SCARED OF HIM and would hide). Some things do change. Isn't my Grandmother lovely?!

Joel's first time on Grandpa Santa's lap. Santa called us a bunch of ding-a-lings!

The week before Christmas we celebrated in style with the 180 leaders. "North Pole Trash" was the theme. Cute, huh?

This is one group acting out the dance they made up to a beloved Christmas carol. We had a blast!

The best and worst costume contest winners. Sonny got a Barbie for being worst dressed and Jewels got a Cafe gift card. Mmm... the cafe!

Most of the leader gang. Thanks for all you do ya'll!

That's a wrap for the 2nd Vint Christmas Season!

All Access Pass

2010-11-22T18:47:00.000-08:00

One of the many perks of my job is that I get to have a hand in stadium cleanup. The Salt Company (the college ministry I work for) cleans the stadium after every ISU home foothall game to raise money. As the coordinator, I play a role in how this goes down each week. This week my co-worker (that does even more stadium cleanup setup than I do) was having surgery and so Joel and I got to use the ALL ACCESS PASSES!!! BOO YAH!

Def. a highlight of my job that my husband loves... Here are some of the photos!

Check it!

Maybe a future photo on the wall!

Love this one!

ACT (clap, clap, clap)-ION, ACT-ION, Action boys Action! (Yes, that was from my cheerleading days)!

Too bad the Clones had to lose. Despite their lame-o roller-coaster season we had 7 great cleanups. As you may well know, I am BAD at taking pictures. Next year I'll have to take some pictures of 200+ people cleaning a stadium. Now that is something to see! We certainly keep Jack Trice Lookin' Nice! Thanks to everyone who helped.

Retreat Season

2010-10-19T16:40:00.000-07:00

What in the world have the Vint's been up to? Well, since we work for one church, but two different ministries, we've been up to retreats.... well putting on retreats that is.

While we catch up on our sleep, here are a few pictures to see exactly what fun we have!

Hanna, a TSC student, and I sporting our 80's great at the TSC Retreat 80's dance!

The TSC staff. I have the best job EVER!

The TSC staff girls. LOVE THEM!

Notice the hilarious difference between a college retreat and a jr high retreat! =)

Joel, after he jumped in a pool of nasty food and (unknown to everyone at the time...someone's puke).

After the students did the dizzy bat, they had to run around a baby pool of nasty (as close as possible without falling in). Joel pushing some kid in!

How fun!

I never want to forget this... Part II

2010-09-25T15:57:00.001-07:00

In the previous post I told you that Joel's grandfather passed away. It has been 2 weeks since his death and still my mind flashes back to that day as one that I never want to forget. I told you about the first reason. Here is the second.

The night before the funeral I sat in my mother-in-law's kitchen late into the night sipping drinks and eating peach crisp. I, accompanied by my mother-in-law, my father-in-law, my husband, and Pete.

We sat listening to the life stories of two friends.

Dean, Joel's grandfather, had a friend named Pete Lombardi.

Pete was from Brooklyn, New York. Dean grew up in small town Iowa. They met and became great friends while serving in WWII together, probably enlisting in their late teens. Pete recounted their first meeting as Dean saying, "Well, if you aren't from Brooklyn, I ain't fron Iowa." And boy was he right.

After serving together they each went their separate ways, but stayed close through the communication that they had. Each man married and started having children. Pete described it as a competition. When Dean had one child, Pete had one child. I guess this went on until each had 4 children. Pete's family would come out to see Dean's family on their farm in small town Iowa for vacation in the summer months and when Dean's family could, they went and saw Pete's family that now lived in Maryland and Florida. Pete and Dean were very different men. Pete was a business man, having many achievements and making some good money throughout his life. Dean was a farmer and painter, never having too much or an abundance of money.

Pete was schedule to come and visit Dean in the month to follow, but instead changed his ticket to attend his funeral. Pete was asked to share a tribute at the funeral and he did. He mentioned much of what I have written above, but also told us, in his east coast accent, that Dean talked to him often about Jesus. Dean emphasized the importance of family, the importance of Christ and being involved in your local church. Pete said that Dean had the largest impact on his life of anyone he knew.

These men were very different, separated by so much, but remained close friends for 65 years. Can you imagine being someone's friend for 65 years?

I never want to forget this clear picture of friendship. Through thick and then, good times and bad, they remained great friends. I don't know if I have remained friends with anyone for more than 5-6 years, let alone 65! Wow! What this means for my life, I don't know, but it remains a picture in my head. A picture of faithfulness, the joy found in knowing the in's and out's of someone else and they knowing the same about you. A picture of loving people when you don't want to and someone else loving you when it is equally as difficult. A picture of faithfulness.

I never want to forget these two reminders of faithfulness. The faithfulness of a wife and of a friend. I never want to forget these two pictures because they are rare. You don't go to every funeral and see this. These two relationships, not even kept together by the will's of two people, but of God.

Oh Lord, that I would remain faithful, for great is your faithfulness!

I never want to forget this... Part I

2010-09-18T18:03:00.000-07:00

On Friday, September 10, 2010 Joel's grandfather, Dean Vint (age 84), passed away. We had the privilege of attending his visitation and funeral this past week.

I was slightly anxious going into the funeral. One weird part of being newly married is that you don't know your spouse's life before you entered it. That sounds weird and maybe dumb, but it is an odd reality. I haven't known Joel's grandfather like he did. I didn't grow up with him like he did. I didn't paint with him or ride in his truck. I didn't know him without oxygen assistance or without a wheelchair. I hate that. I wish I did. I really wanted to be able to grieve with and to have deep compassion, but it is hard when you don't know. You don't have the same memories and it just doesn't feel the same.

Because of the prayers of my dear friends. If a funeral can be good, this was the best funeral I have ever been to. Good for me for two main reasons. I will start with Part I.

My throat hit my stomach as I sat from a distance looking on as Melva, Joel's grandmother, stood touching the hand of her deceased man. The man who had protected her, comforted her, romanced her, wrapped her in his arms, fathered her children, laughed with her, gone through good times and bad with her, provided for her every need... her husband of 62 years. Standing there for minutes that seemed like years, she said her last goodbye.. kissing his head and hesitantly walking away with tears pounding from her eyes. At that moment I felt my own face, tears reaming from my own eyes, and my own heart ripping in half. The reality of separation.

When you giddily stand at the altar on your first day of marriage, your wedding day, you don't think about the last day, the day your marriage ends and you are desperately separated by the inevitable... death. At that moment, as a girl hardly married, I thought about that last day.

Melva is such a dear woman. The Spirit of God is incredibly evident in her life through love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, faithfulness and self-control. She is my real life definition of Proverbs 31. I want to be her. I want it to that faithful when my husband is sick for 10+ years. In sickness and in health, right? Isn't that what I promised on my wedding day? Yes, yes it is. For richer, for poorer? Yes, yes it is. Till' death do we part? Yes, yes it is. God, please! My marriage is awesome, but please keep it that way! Please help me to think about that daily! Remind me of Melva and Dean. I never want to forget this.

Now Joel and I have already decided that I am going to die first or that we will die together (haha... because we have so much control... right?). If Joel does die first or without me I will be one heck of a W-R-E-C-K! But what if it does happen, what if Joel does die first? I guess what else would I want... would I want to NOT be a wreck? No, I want to be a HUGE WRECK actually.

Why? Because of love, because marriage is the way the gospel is most clearly portrayed in real life. It is meant to be a representation of Christ (husband) and the church (wife). Christ died for the church. He gave his life, he sacrificed it ALL. No, Joel is not God, but besides Christ, he is the ONE and ONLY person who I have committed my life on this earth to. Committed. I have vowed. And if it isn't hard if he dies before I do and if I am not a wreck, I have not loved him like the church is to love Christ. That is what I saw in Melva. A woman who followed a man that led her well, who took her vows seriously, and who has lived a life of love.

And death, well, because of our sinfulness and our need for Christ. We are separated. I can't wait for the day described below, when the church is reunited with Christ and there is no more pain, crying, or mourning.

Revelation 21:1-4 "Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, "Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away."

Thank you Melva for your faithfulness and your great example. Thank you for being a wreck and letting me see a very real picture of marriage on the last day. I will never forget this. I love you so much!

Matt & Jessica's Wedding

2010-09-18T17:15:00.000-07:00

Joel's brother, Matt, got married to his wonderful new bride, Jessica, on August 28.

Joel officiated the wedding and I got to help with decorating and other fun things like doing my the hair of my two nieces and sister-in-law (this is such a fun thing when you've never had a sister until recently)!

At the Groom's Supper in our finest (I REALLY do LOVE it when Joel dresses up. He has great style anyways, but I guess it is just not his normal work apparel and so I get excited)!

Joel and Carrie trying to love on Matt. I can't even imagine them as children.... I have a feeling Matt got the bad end of the stick all too often (a middle child thing right?...) too funny!

I like this picture not because it is actually a great picture but because of the meaning. I am doing exactly what my mother would do in a picture with her sisters. Sticking out her face and smiling really big! Weird! It is also fun because we are clearly having a great time. One great thing is that none of us new sisters had a sister while growing up! We have a lot to catch up on!

My beautiful nieces Sydney and Addison!

Giving the bride away. Joel got to officiate the wedding. He did such a great job!

Ever since we got married we have been horrible at taking pictures of ourselves together. So we decided to do it when we got home (notice our home in the background). Dorks!

Yea!

Married!

I clearly didn't take these pictures, but LOVE them, so I thought I'd share!

The In-Laws. Enough Said! =) Haha... just kidding! I love this. The photographer took pictures of people at the reception with these frames. What a FUN idea!

Jessica had the most beautiful flowers! And notice the bling... TOO FUN!

We LOVE YOU Matt & Jessica Vint!

Visiting my brothers

2010-09-18T17:01:00.000-07:00

Last weekend Joel and I got to go visit my brothers (and my parents). Brian was home visiting from the Navy. Together we attended Matthew's football game at his new home, Hamline University!

Joel and I with Matthew. Yes, it was quite wInDy!

Brian and Matthew.

Matthew and my parents, Brad & Sue.

Brian and my mom, Sue.

Joel and I with Brian.
Matthew, #18, standing on the sidelines.

My parents and Joel and I are now in the same life stage (no kids), they're just on the other end! I hope they pick up some new hobbies and really enjoy their time together!

GO STATE!

2010-09-10T15:37:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow is the big ISU v. Iowa game.

If you didn't already know, Joel and I are ISU fans (we even have a room in our house that happens to sport the clones). As a non-native Iowan, my blood doesn't bleed cardinal and gold like Joel's, but lets just say I spent a great deal of energy, time (and we all know a lot of $$$$) at our beloved institution that they've happened to convert me.

Here are some pictures from The Salt Company Tailgate. This event was a lot of fun to coordinate. Have I told you that I LOVE my job? It rocks and is such a blessing!

We had around 300-400 students attend the tailgate. SO FUN!

After the game The Salt Company does a little something called Stadium Cleanup. We do this as a fundraiser each year. We had to have broken some kind of record. 300 students cleaned the stadium in 1 hour and 40 minutes. Talk about some serious awesomeness! Oh my gosh!

Jill's daughter Jaida, learning the ropes of tailgating early. Isn't she just THE CUTEST little thing you've EVER seen? I want one!

Some of my FAVORITE PEOPLE (the girls I get to work with)! With me are (the other) Sarah, Kendra, and Jill (and some college dude goofin' in the background).

Oh we will fight, fight, fight for Iowa State and may her colors ever fly.... (ok, there is a reason I don't sing... I'll spare you the rest)!

Game on dark side (that other black and gold team)!

Sweet Article about Salt Company in Iowa City

2010-09-02T12:46:00.000-07:00

I can't wait to see what God does in Iowa City through Salt. It gave me chills reading this article below and watching the video. God used Salt Company to rescue a lost, arrogant soul like me. I can't wait to see that happen over and over again in Iowa City!

http://dailyiowan.com/2010/09/02/Metro/18532.html

The Healing Power of Our God

2010-08-29T09:41:00.000-07:00

Yesterday Joel's brother, Matt, got married. It was absolutely beautiful! We had a wonderful time celebrating with our family, Matt, and his new wife, Jessica. I found myself throughout the day doing a lot of sitting, watching, and waiting (very unlike me, but I was supposed to be doing this). God reminded me of a lot of things while sitting. I'll mention the top two.

#1 The next time Joel and I get married (not that we're going to get unmarried, this is just hypothetical) we're going to elope.

Weddings are SO much work and SO many people get SO stressed out about them (I mean it is important, but not to the point where you can't think outside of yourself).

Note: This is not written to condemn anyone (yesterday was awesome), God just really allowed me to reflect on my own time to engagement/wedding planning.

Our wedding was 15 months ago and I think I've finally realized how stuck I got on a lot of silly things (lipstick, flowers, times, hair, my mom's dress, tablecloths, etc). Did I say how silly this was? I'm so thankful that God forgives me when I am ridiculous and lose sight of what really matters... Jesus. Not to mention the fact that I got to marry Joel... what a gift! I am SO grateful for such a WONDERFUL man! I am so thankful for His grace, even when my intentions seem good, but are thwarted by my sinfulness.

#2 The healing power of God through His Son Jesus.

When I was in high school/early college I struggled with an eating disorder. You can read the story below. Though the physical habits and most of the mental/emotional healing were finished during mid-college, the sins of comparison and jealously reared their ugly heads off and on.

Over the past 2 years (post-college) I rejoice in the grace gift of healing that Christ has given me in these ares. I can now find myself engaging in conversation with any given woman, not sizing myself up to her in beauty or character, but still feeling confident and beautiful in myself because of Christ. I can agree with another person about how great wonderful another woman's gifts, character, or accomplishments are and still love her to death, not feeling like if she is so wonderful in these areas then I must be scum. I can also realize when I am tempted to compare, be jealous, and to be insecure and to say "NO, I will NOT think such things!"

Romans 12:2. "Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will."

I don't share any of this as an accomplishment of my own, but one of Christ. I have SO much joy in the power of Christ, his hand has touched me and sin has no hold on me.

Gal. 6:14-15. "May I never boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world. Neither circumcision nor uncircumcision means anything; what counts is a new creation."

Am I still a mess in other areas of life? OH YEAH! Do I enjoy spending $30 on a haircut, painting my nails or buying a new pair of jeans just because? HECK YES! But it is NOT the same. It is not so that I can become beautiful, it is because I am His, He created me, and it brings me joy to do these things every once in a while.

God has turned this wretched sinner from ugly, hateful thoughts against other women. I, in my mind, objectified them, but He has created them as they are with souls longing for love, for healing, for a Savior! Whatever has divided me from other women has been my own sin because I've added a "plus" to the gospel. I know that I now can LOVE them with all that I am because of just the gospel. I want them to KNOW, LOVE, and FOLLOW after Christ!

1 John 4:8 "Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love."

-------------------------

My story from the "Renew" magazine our church put out.

One Pure and Holy Passion

“Everyone is obsessed with something, and I want that to be God.”

“I believed I wasn’t good enough for anyone to like me. I hated myself. I believed that if I was thin, I would be loved. I saw how people liked people with thin bodies, and I wanted that.”

These are the lies that Sarah Wood believed about herself throughout high school and her first years at Iowa State.

Sarah grew up in the church. She memorized Bible verses and went to camp each summer, but even in an environment conducive to learning and growing in Christ, she and those around her practiced a “two-faced faith.” Her eyes were fixed on earthly things, and in an attempt to somehow gain the standard of perfection set by the world, Sarah inadvertently walked down a path to destruction.

Hungry for the love and approval of others, she was starving herself.

“I began to desire to look just like these women. I lusted after their beauty because of the love they were shown, so I quit eating. I would go days without eating. I was sent to a counselor, but it didn’t change anything,” Sarah said.

But even as Sarah sought after something false, God’s sovereign hand of hope began to tug on her heart. She went to Texas to visit her brother, who was on staff at a Christian summer camp, and it was there that she realized how desperate she was for a living and loving God. She encountered true believers at the camp who “lived and breathed the life of Jesus,” and she wanted what they had.

Finally her face hit the bathroom floor as she cried out in need of a savior. Sarah received forgiveness.

She surrendered her life to Christ and began eating regularly again, but her struggle with self-image remained as a foothold for the next years of high school and her start at Iowa State.

“I knew he loved me, but I didn’t believe it enough to let it change me,” Sarah said.

So Sarah, still believing the same lies, gradually slipped back into overeating and compensating with excessive exercise, running at least six miles every day. But even that was not enough to satisfy the cravings of a sinful desire, so Sarah added laxatives to her routine.

Still wrapped in a life-style of bondage, she returned to Texas, and at last Sarah told someone about her struggle and was made aware of the chains she was living in. However, after the summer ended and she returned to ISU and the Salt Company, she remained a slave to sin.

“I knew that I struggled and wanted to give up, but the lust to be loved by the world was too great. I chose to sin,” Sarah said.

Having the misconception that Christian leaders don’t struggle, Sarah kept her battle a secret from those around her, allowing her fear and self-hate to continue to grow.

During Spring Break of her sophomore year of college, while running on her treadmill at home, Sarah broke down. She fell to her knees in tears. She couldn’t do it anymore.

“I was done. Exercising and purging did not love me, and the quick high of endorphins only lasted so long,” Sarah said.

She didn’t know what to do, but she knew that she was not going to waste another day of her life struggling with this sin. She hated it. Crying out to God daily, Sarah sought counsel. She was beginning to see the light, but still, she often relapsed.

It wasn’t until Sarah publicly confessed, and started to believe the truth of God’s word, that she was set free.

“I was dealing with it to some extent, but I never really took hold of it and said, ‘No! This is done.’ I wouldn’t let myself work out in a gym or look at nutrition labels. It was pretty extreme, but it had to happen,” Sarah said.

Sarah had the accountability of those closest to her and a practical application of scripture to guide her. She quit trying to win the battle on her own and gave it to God to carry, allowing him to sanctify her through and through.

“It took discipline on my part, but really, he did it,” she said.

Now Sarah has learned to eat as God designed her to. She has become passionate against the sin of a negative self-image and is currently being used to help other young women see their beauty in Christ.

Her body image is no longer her obsession. God is.

I am SO grateful for the love of Christ and where he has so graciously brought me in the past 5 years... all with so much patience.

Life is a Gift

2010-08-24T15:38:00.000-07:00

Kyle Lake was the pastor of University Baptist Church in Waco, TX. He died, far too young, in October of 2005. Somewhere along the way I heard that they read the following excerpt from one of his final sermons at his funeral:

“Live. And Live Well. BREATHE. Breathe in and Breathe deeply. Be PRESENT. Do not be past. Do not be future. Be now. On a crystal clear, breezy 70 degree day, roll down the windows and FEEL the wind against your skin. Feel the warmth of the sun. If you run, then allow those first few breaths on a cool Autumn day to FREEZE your lungs and do not just be alarmed, be ALIVE. Get knee-deep in a novel and LOSE track of time. If you bike, pedal HARD… and if you crash then crash well. Feel the SATISFACTION of a job well done—a paper well-written, a project thoroughly completed, a play well-performed. If you must wipe the snot from your 3-year old’s nose, don’t be disgusted if the Kleenex didn’t catch it all… because soon he’ll be wiping his own. If you’ve recently experienced loss, then GRIEVE. And grieve well. At the table with friends and family, LAUGH. If you’re eating and laughing at the same time, then might as well laugh until you puke. And if you eat, then SMELL. The aromas are not impediments to your day. Steak on the grill, coffee beans freshly ground, cookies in the oven. And TASTE. Taste every ounce of flavor. Taste every ounce of friendship. Taste every ounce of Life. Because-it-is-most-definitely-a-Gift.”
Excerpt from LPM blog

A Whale

2010-08-24T08:01:00.000-07:00

So a couple of my friends have started some photography businesses lately, which is SO fun!

I'm just gonna put this out there (to go with the previous post).

Someday if (not a guarantee) I am ever pregnant and nearly due I don't think I'll be able to handle taking maternity pictures.

I don't know why... other people are cute when they do it.

Quite possibly I'm just insecure... and clearly I've never been there.

I think I'll just feel like a whale. What woman likes taking pictures when they feel like that?

Babies

2010-08-21T20:34:00.001-07:00

It's a funny thing... once we got married and a lot of our friends got married... all of our friends start doing this other thing...

Babies.

Nearly daily Joel and I get asked when we're going to have a baby (well maybe not everyday).

I usually smile and giggle. Like anyone really knows when they are going to have a baby. Right?

I know people plan and prevent but you don't really KNOW KNOW.

It's not a good or a bad thing that people ask... they just do and they just think, oh, well you're married so the logical thing for me to think is that you're moving on to the next thing.

Babies.

So for now I just smile, giggle, and tell them that I am a huge fan of babysitting and hosting baby showers and I love being married and learning about my husband and figuring this wife thing out for awhile....

AND maybe, just maybe I might be a good afraid... I mean I think adopting or having a baby is a REALLY big deal.

So I guess we'll all just wait and see... (maybe wait and see for a good lil' while).

For now the Vint family is just us... Joel and Sarah!

And I mean really? What more could one want?

Vint Vaca

2010-08-18T17:01:00.001-07:00

THE Vint's went on Vaca last week... while our entire hometown was flooding (we were fortunate not to have any water in our basement).

We went to Joel's family's friends lake cabin. It was SUPER fun! Here are a few things we enjoyed..........

The cabin! At first glance you'll see that it's a little 70's. I have a mind that thinks... "How can we change this to make it look awesome?" and Joel thinks ... "No, it's great the way it is!" I realized that it is easy for me to think this way but he has SO MANY memories associated to this cabin and so it is GREAT just the way it is! It was fun to make some more great memories there as a new family!

The kitchen. There is a table across from the kitchen, home to many Vint Family card games.

The main room (extra bed to the left).

The main bedroom.

I am standing in the kitchen/dining area.

Here you can see the other bedrooms and the fireplace.

Sadly I forgot to take some pictures of the loft bedding upstairs. =(

Frosty's... a hole-in-the-wall ice cream joint in Longville, MN (aka small town USA). Also known as the turtle racing capital of the world. Try that one on for size!

Eating ice cream!

If you know us, you know that I broke Joel's driver (golf club) on one of our first dates. We found the Black Bear Golf Course while driving around on a windy day. Luckily, after 2 years, I was able to redeem myself by hitting a few balls and getting some tips from my personal golf pro, Joel W. Vint! Super fun (except I didn't know your back would hurt the next day)! $1.50 for a small bucket of balls and $3.00 for a large. Coming to your nearest golf course: the new and improved Sarah A. Vint!

Earlier in the week we got to play Ridgewood Golf Course in Longville, MN (we meaning Joel playing and driving the golf cart, Sarah being caddy [taking the flag out of the hole] and snapping a few pics).

Your vision is not going bad, these are in fact geese! This is also me taking a picture facing the other way while Joel is trying to chip in! Ah, whoops?! The basic story of our golf outings together. I guess that is what you get when your caddy is free!

My handsome golfer!

In all my years of cooking (I mean I was an FCS teacher), I have NEVER used a gas stove... and a mini one at that! There is certainly a first time for everything.

Over the course of the week I got to experiment with some new recipes out of my newest Taste of Home and Healthy Taste of Home Magazines (I am an avid subscriber and fan).

Here Joel is chompin' on some Caribbean Jerk Baby Back Ribs slow cooker style.

They were DE-LISH!

The famous Guacamole!

Ah, the lake! We didn't get to enjoy it nearly as much as we would to have liked to due to rain, but these little guys sure did!

We were blessed to hang out on the boat with some of Joel's friends from childhood.

This gal... she DID get her hair chopped off.... but also enjoyed catching some rays!

View from my toes!

The ever-famous ISU chair. A new treasure to our souls!

Joel, making some waves! He totally ROCKS at skiing (go figure)!

My LAME attempt at being a photographer with my Sony Cybershot. Even so, isn't our creator awesome?!

We enjoyed a couple of great books, praying, and reading the word! We definitely got some GOOD R&R as we head into a year filled with ministry! Thanks to our Gracious Father and our dear friends for such a great time!

Bring on the fall baby!

Spiritual Gifts Part II

2010-08-09T11:49:00.001-07:00

I referenced spiritual gifts in a recent post. Our church recently had a seminar on this topic. If you'd like to take a look at the references and see the videos, click here.

Is this Florida?!

2010-07-25T11:21:00.001-07:00

Last Saturday Ames had a HUGE storm. Think tsunami plus tornado weather (ok, so maybe it wasn't that bad). Regardless, I was super scared because we have 3 LARGE windows in our room and it is on the top floor of the house. There was a storm warning (with chance of a tornado at any moment) and the lighting was going crazy (it felt like the lights were on in our room). Joel decided that we should down sleep on the single bed in our basement, where there are no windows (it is moments like these that I am really ok with not having any kids yet).

We woke up the next morning and found....

A palm tree?! For a moment I felt like Dorothy felt in Kansas. Man, what I would give to live in the tropics!

Actually that is one of the HUGE pine trees in our back yard. God graciously sent it flailing over the fence towards the railroad tracks and not onto our house. Joel had a great time cutting this tree down. We now have lots of wood for our fire pit!

A Typical Sunday

2010-07-18T17:10:00.000-07:00

Today, like many other days in the Vint home was well.... eventful! I was sitting in my living room talking to my friend Jessie and all of a sudden. Pop! My wedding ring came flying off of my finger and rolled down into the crack of the couch (the funny thing is, I rarely play with my ring).

What is a woman in distress to do but call her beloved husband for help! =)

Joel ripped off the black stuff stapled to the bottom of the couch. He then tried to shimmy my ring from of the arm of the couch and out through a tiny hole. Complicated? Yes! While I stood giggling, giving my worried 2 cents of instruction. Did I believe it could be done this way? No... of course I thought we'd have to cut the couch apart.

But of course... his way worked! HE DID IT! I mean seriously... He is Joel Vint!

Did I not tell you He'd rescue me?

Lesson for the day: Stop acting like Eve (would ya just follow your man and listen)?! AND invent couches with no cracks!

Liquid Consciousness

2010-07-16T07:09:00.001-07:00

I love working at Cornerstone (from my desk to Joel's is about 50 steps... when he is in the office). After having 180 Wednesday nights and having Salt Company on Thursday nights.... by the time Friday morning rolls around I feel like someone has thrown bricks at my head! I wake up and it's like "AHHHH!!!!" But the funny thing is that on Wednesday nights and Thursday nights I LOVE engaging with students and other leaders... LOVE IT! I Since I am unwilling to give up my habit of Wednesday and Thursday craziness, I've found a cure.... take a look!

That's right sista... it is not only coffee but creamer and a good dose of sugar!

Submitting to His Plan & Holding Our Plans Loosly

2010-06-17T17:35:00.000-07:00

The last time I wrote, I was done packing up my room and full of anticipation for all that the summer would hold.... spending sunny days at the pool, experimenting with foods in the kitchen, and spending more time with friends. Sitting there waiting, I also was quite anxious.

Anxious, because I had an interview that afternoon with our head pastor for a position that I was really excited about. An interview? Wait! You just got done with your first year of teaching! Yes... an interview!

A couple of weeks earlier my dear friend, Jill Paullus, made known to me that the position of Salt Company Coordinator (the college ministry of our home church, Cornerstone) was now open and as a long shot she suggested that I at least think about the job. And I emphasize that in our minds it was A LONG SHOT! Questions like the followng began to arise...Well, we're most likely going overseas in a year, would that work? Would it work since my husband works in the same building but with 180 (junior highers)? Would I be able to keep my teaching license? Would our head pastor even consider it? All of these questions flooded through my mind.

On the other side of all of the questions was pure excitement! When I was a junior in college and only dating Joel, Jill approached me about working for Salt Company when I was done with college. I was immensely excited about this idea! I really wanted to. I honestly wasn't going to college to be a teacher anyways, I wanted to go to grad school for counseling. But upon getting engaged and married to Joel, we didn't think that us working in two different realms of ministry would work and so the idea slid off the table. I thought I would just let the dream die, even though the desire remained. I love my husband and in all honesty, his growth in his job and ministry was and is always going to be my main priority. I, most likely, will not always work if the Lord blesses us with children.

That to say, I went home and talked to Joel about the idea to see what he thought. He said it might be a long shot because of all of the questions I had already raised, but we could go forward with the idea. We talked on and off with Troy and set up an interview. During this time of waiting I really struggled with not REALLY wanting this job v. my current job. My heart was already there... I wanted it. I saw how wrong I was by thinking these thoughts. I could not let my heart get connected to and be deceived by something that may not be God's will. It took a few tears, but I got there.

Joel and I prayed through our desires and that most of all we would abide in him and that we would submit to His will no matter what it was. We are currently reading a book titled Radical, by David Platt. This helped remind me that we are in God's hand and to trust his sovereignty... and that ultimately he knows what is best and that I should trust in Him.

We finally came to a place where within 48 hours our lives where God would make very clear His plan for us. At the beginning of the 48 hours our friends that were thinking about going overseas with us told us that because of recent trials and just different desires/leadings by God they were putting off the idea. Since we see the benefit of going with people we've been in community with here, we decided this might delay us or else we'd go alone.

Twenty-four hours later we got to have our "interview" with the head pastor. In short, he told me that I would be awesome at the job, but that we should go overseas and consider doing so by ourselves if need be. Why? Because we couldn't give a 2 year commitment to the job (that was a requirement and we thought we'd be going overseas before that) and that going overseas was our main desire. He also told us that we are gifted to do really well in an overseas context and that this coordinator job should not thwart our passion to go. We agreed. We came home and had a huge talk about life. Though my mind agreed, it was still hard. We made a pros and cons list (the geek in me comes out) of going overseas in the next year and staying for two years. Even so, there was not a clear picture, so we got on our knees and prayed for His help and discernment.

The next morning Joel met with two other awesome pastors from our church. They reminded Joel that we were not the kind of people just to "lose" our passion for the nations and that 2 more years of full time ministry training for the both of us would be very beneficial to going overseas. Joel called me and told me this. He agreed with them. What? Was I really hearing this? I was ready to not say anything else and submit because I love Jesus and I want to follow my husband.

I was really excited.... like REALLY, REALLY excited! So, with that, he went and told our head pastor our new thoughts. At 4pm that afternoon we had an interview with the IMB (International Mission Board, organization that we'd apply through to go overseas), which we actually thought about canceling because of all of the chaos. We went through with it and were very encouraged! They told us that with the process as it is now and selling a house we most likely wouldn't get overseas in less that two years. Wow God... Wow! What are you trying to tell us? Please give us wisdom!

We left a couple of days later for my brothers graduation party. I had little time to think about any of this as we helped serve our family. We had a lot of peace because I knew that God knew our desires and that ultimately He would do what was best for us, which could mean anything. We decided that no matter what happened we would hold life with an open hand and not a clenched fist (oh, so hard)!

We celebrated my birthday on June 8th and had a great time enjoying God's provision. The next day I was getting the oil in our car changed and our head pastor called. He asked me if I'd like to put fewer miles on my car next year (I drove 50 miles both ways last year) by being a part of the Salt Company staff as the Coordinator?! I was elated!

The next day I resigned from my teaching job and picked up my belongings a few days later. It was really hard telling some students and staff that I wouldn't be returning. They had made such an impression on me and I had learned so much.

Joel and I are REALLY excited to see what God has in store. We want to be more giving of our lives, time, and possessions to His kingdom very directly! We do desire to live an uncomfortable life for the gospel. We do want Jesus to be made known! We want to be radical... even if it is hard! We praise the Lord for his faithfulness not just because we happened to seemingly "get what we wanted" but that His hand is and was so evident in our lives. Praise be to Him!

I will start my position officially on July 1st! =) Summer will no longer hold what I had imagined, but I am excited for what He has in store!

Spiritual Gifts & Love

2010-06-02T07:57:00.000-07:00

The bible talks about spiritual gifts. Sometimes people ask me, "Well, what are your spiritual gifts?" and I honestly reply with... "Well, I haven't honestly looked into it a ton. I've always been bent on the fact that God has the power and he will do with and through me what He wishes whether that is helping the poor, doing something administrative, or speaking truth and sharing the gospel with someone. I never want to have the thought... Oh well, I can't do that because it is not my spiritual gift or it is not in my personality to do ____________."

Jesus also says in John 14:12 that he will use us to do even greater things than He did for his glory and most likely this will be through the giftings He's specifically given us to work together. I don't say this with a "Look at me, I'm better than Jesus" attitude (talk about ugly) by any means, but I want to believe it and obey it. So where does the proverbial line fall between knowing your gifts and not being partial to using only them and not being willing to be led outside of your comfort zone?

I think that 1 Cor. 13 says it best: that without love we cannot really use the gifts God's given us for His glory... we are nothing without love.

1 Cor. 13:1-8 "If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames, but have not love, I gain nothing.Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails."

With all of that said, I've looked into resources for figuring out what God has really gifted me with. I would say this has been a process of learning about how God has created me, not a one time test. This is one of the best resources I have found about spiritual gifts:
http://www.theresurgence.com/series/spiritual_gifts

Overwhelmed

2010-05-28T08:18:00.000-07:00

Some days, like today I have many worries and concerns on my heart and I feel overwhelmed. I read a few blogs on a regular basis and this is what I found today about being overwhelmed from the girltalk blog.

Feeling Overwhelmed?

1. Cast your cares on the Lord because He cares for you (1 Peter 5:7). Pour your heart out to the Lord. He already knows the details of your life and what is causing you to feel overwhelmed.

2. Remind yourself that you need a Savior. Feeling overwhelmed is often a sign that we’re trying in our own strength to do what He’s called us to do. We will never succeed with mere physical and mental stamina. We desperately need His grace and the power of the Holy Spirit. He has made us to need Him. If appropriate, repent of pride and declare your complete dependence on Jesus. Tell yourself the gospel in detail. Here are a few sections you can look up to soak yourself in the truth of the gospel: Romans 3:23-26, Romans 5:6-11, Romans 8:32-39. Also consider reading The Cross Centered Life by C.J. Mahaney.

3. Also, meditate on Scriptures to remind you of the truth such as:
Psalm 94:19: When the cares of my heart are many, your consolations cheer my soul.

Nahum 1:7: The Lord is good, a refuge in times of trouble. He cares for those who trust in him.

Isaiah 40:11: He tends his flock like a shepherd: He gathers the lambs in his arms and carries them close to his heart; he gently leads those that have young.

Isaiah 40:28-29: Do you not know? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary, and his understanding no one can fathom. He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak.

Isaiah 41:10: Do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.

2 Corinthians 12:9: My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.

4. Guard your mind and enjoy today.

Matthew 6:34: Do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own. [Also see Matthew 6:25-34.]

Proverbs 3:5-6 Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.

Psalm 139:1-3: O Lord, you have searched me and you know me. You know when I sit and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar. You discern my going out and my lying down; you are familiar with my ways.

Isaiah 26:3-4: You will keep in perfect peace him whose mind is steadfast, because he trusts in you. Trust in the Lord forever, for the Lord, the Lord, is the Rock eternal.

Philippians 4:6-7: Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.

5. Cultivate gratefulness. Start with the gospel and consider all of the other categories of your life (husband, child(ren), home, church, friends, food, clothing....). It may be helpful to write this down.

Nothing gives the believer so much joy as fellowship with Christ. He has enjoyment...in the common mercies of life, he can be glad in God’s gifts and God’s works; but, in all these separately, yea, and in all of them added together, he doth not find such substantial delight as in the matchless person of his Lord Jesus.
-C.H. Spurgeon

compiled by Lisa Donovan 4/03

A few things I have learned this year as a teacher...

2010-05-27T08:20:00.001-07:00

Today I feel refreshed and like I can actually reflect on this past year. I have learned so much from my job. I would say it has been a hard year. I don't know a 1st year middle school/high school teacher who would tell you much different. As God does in all things, he uses the hardest things to teach us the most. In John 15:1-2 Jesus says this, "I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful." I think I have been pruned a lot this year, which has been SO hard but so good!

The first and greatest thing I have learned this year is that I really stink at loving people. I have judged students and staff based on my first impressions of them and their looks. I have written these people and others off because of the way they've treated me.It's so easy to follow my evil desires and hate rather than love.
I've had the opportunity to humble myself multiple times and repent of my thoughts and things I have said to other people. The result has been awesome and I am encouraged by this verse to really love people who hate me (like today when I had to have a student go sit in the hallway because of his blatant disrespect).

Matthew 5:43-48 "You have heard that it was said, 'Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.' But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. 46If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? And if you greet only your brothers, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that? Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect."

The second thing is that I really am worthy of respect. Proverbs 31:25 says this,"She is clothed with strength and dignity; she can laugh at the days to come." When I started teaching I don't know what I was doing. I was a pushover... is it possible to be too nice? I expected my students and coworkers to act like Christians (loving, respectful and sinless... not that I know a single Christian like that) and I was inconsistent with how I managed my classroom.I have not swung to the other extreme and turned into the infamous bulldog teacher, nor do I always know what fights to pick or even exactly what rules work and those that don't. I have also had to confront other teachers about things they have rudely said to me or things that have happened that have made me feel extremely degraded. By no means am I now perfect, but through reading Beth Moore's book "So Long, Insecurity" (she explains Proverbs 31:25 in detail) I have learned to not please people and love them by confronting them. I think I am still kind and give grace, but I have also learned to confront and lay down the law when. I know that this will be super helpful if I am blessed to be a mother someday.

As part of this respect, I have also learned to wave my own banner in humility (odd wording, but true). Being a Family & Consumer Sciences teacher can sometimes be somewhat degrading. Culture has created this idea of feminism and because of this many poeople don't believe a stay at home mom is legit and they see Family & COnsumer Sciences in the same way. I mean it is "Home Ec" and it is the same as it was 40 years ago right? In many instances I have had to just let comments "roll off my back" and not make a scene (because honestly its not usually worth it when they think they're right). I know in my heart that it is worth it and God loves it. I think at my high school we have even started to change this viewpoint. To do so I have had to prove that it is worthwhile and valuable by taking some initiative and being willing to work hard... to wave my own flag in humility. I think my classes have done that this year. We've started a small "take n' bake" business, have served the community, I have got my students into observe real jobs, and we have served the school and teachers in many ways.

The last overaching thing I have learned is that I have to pick my battles. Middle schoolers and high schoolers will be middle schoolers and high schoolers (here I am saying this as a 22 year old). Proverbs 19:11 says, "A man's wisdom gives him patience; it is to his glory to overlook an offense." I really want these students to know God and to follow him... and sometimes I expect them to act maturly . Some do... and some don't. Regardless, I've had to have some major patience and give a lot of grace by overlooking some things that really don't matter and require no discipline. One battle I am willing to pick is that of complaining and whining. "It's so cold in here!" "Why do we have to do ___________ today?" "This food is gross!" "I hate that _______ (insert food type). I am NOT going to try it!" I've enforced a rule that is pretty much Phillippians 2:14 which goes like this... "Do all things without complaining or arguing."

Well.... thats a few for now! Have a super day and feel free to share things you're learning in life!

The Extremes of Business & Boredom

2010-05-26T13:18:00.001-07:00

This post comes to you straight from my classroom. I have time to write a blog post while on the job? Sad, but true. I am absolutely bored. My seniors were done almost 2 weeks ago and 75% of the students I teach are seniors. I've been chucking papers and cleaning every nick and cranny of my 2 classrooms for the last week and now I am done. Everything is off of the walls even. The 2-3 students I have left in 4 out of my 6 classes (due to seniors being gone) are working on final projects and my middle schoolers are finishing up their last unit. Crazy!

If you remember the last days of school, they were boring, mundane, and everyone was ready to freak out (and have I had my share of people freak out at me the last few days) because they were so sick of being in school and they had semester tests! Not to mention.. I mean, summer fun is right around the proverbial corner! Well, let me say that it is no different for a teacher... a 1st year teacher no less. One who yes is extremely grateful for her job and all that God has taught her. More on that one later! My brain is also about to turn off for about 2.5 months after cramming so many facts, ideas, theories, techniques, and skills into it and trying to teach middle and high school students in a semi-interesting way for 9.5 months. Now do I have the hardest or worst job in the world? No... (well besides the days I am convinced I'd rather work in a meat factory than with high school girls who are so mean to each other and me sometimes).

It's funny as I look back on my planner and think about the many days I had so much mental tension over deciding between going home and making dinner for my husband and having 100 things still to do at work for tomorrow, it is 6 pm and I have a 50 min commute or vice versa. And now I am bored? I feel like I live a life of extremes.

I was just telling Joel yesterday that I am so used to living super busy, going from one thing to the next, that I can't even imagine sitting at the pool this summer. I think I am going to be bored out of my mind. Regardless, I know I need the time off and have pledged to doing very little because I know my mind needs to unload and I need to sleep A LOT. I am achiever, a girl who thrives on lists and things to do. We shall just wait and see what happens... (hopefully I don't drive my husband, who still has to work, crazy)!

Our 1st Anniversary

2010-05-23T10:42:00.001-07:00

On May 15, 2010 we celebrated our 1st anniversary! We went to Des Moines and stayed in a suite for two nights. We had a great time reflecting on everything that has happened over the past year! We enjoyed relaxing, having a picnic, and watching our ceremony and wedding day rewind. The best part was... well, I'll let the pictures speak for themselves... Joel even took in pictures of my bouquet and had a similar one made!

Yes, I dressed up in my wedding dress (though I needed to tan) and Joel wore his suit! We went out to eat and received many "Congratulations!". We made sure to tell people that it was our 1st anniversary! We really enjoyed this experience! We also had a great time dancing on a dock later that evening!

God's Love

2010-05-18T05:41:00.000-07:00

Sarah and I are reading through the bible and we're on our third day. This morning Genesis 3:21 struck me.. "The LORD God made garments of skin for Adam and his wife and clothed them." This was right after they sinned and screwed up, felt shame, and tried to hide from their loving Creator. It's a beautiful picture of how God loves me and treats me when I sin. He's not quick to scald and say, "What are you doing you idiot!".. although there is punishment, pain, and I'm responsible for my sin and sin separates me from a loving relationship (they were driven out of the garden in 3:24). His love and our free choice to follow Him is always there. He "clothes" me with His love and cares for me. Ultimately His kindness leads me to repentance (Romans 2:4). His grace and love drive me today to be holy and live with gratitude.

Always Challenged by Mr. Chan...

2010-05-12T07:57:00.000-07:00

The Glories of Grocery Shopping

2010-05-04T19:02:00.000-07:00

Since I am a wife and a family & consumer sciences teacher, I have to grocery shop quite a bit (3 times a week at least). I know, those of you who have kids are like... chica, that is nothing. I guess I will find out if and when that day comes. When Joel and I first got married I loved grocery shopping. I still love it when I can take my time (which is like never). With that in mind, I try to shop when no one else does (Saturday mornings, early Sunday mornings, 8pm at night, etc).

Nonetheless, I don't always get to shop when I want to and so grocery shopping often becomes a huge game to me. How can I get everything I need, starting on one side of the store and making my way to the other side without having to turn around, all in the shortest amount of time? I recently had a friend tell me she saw me in the store and I was so focused that I didn't even notice her a couple of rows over... I guess that's how intense I get. Whoops... note to self.. work on being a freak in the grocery store (people do see you)!

Another thing that makes my time a little more fun is this guy... the HyVee "short cart" (as my husband and I so fondly call it). When I shop for school I shop at HyVee. I don't always get a short cart but when I do I get pumped. These dudes come in a limited supply and man whoever invented them needs a stinkin' raise! I was in a really odd mood the last time I was shopping and decided to take a picture of my "short cart" (yes that is TP)!

Think what you will... the small joys in daily life make a big difference!

Sarah's Classrooms

2010-04-25T15:38:00.000-07:00

This has been a long awaited post.

Where does that girl work? Does she even work? I mean she teaches foods classes? Where the heck is Colfax-Mingo Community Schools anyways? I mean seriously...

Yes, well thank you for the introduction. I do teach foods classes and not surprisingly people do call it Home Ec. a lot. I choose not to be a brat (surprisingly, I know) to people by correcting them, but it actually has been called Family & Consumer Sciences (FACS) for nearly 15 years.

How did I get into teaching Family & Consumer Sciences? Well, low and behold I graduated from high school with pretty darn good grades and was VERY into nutrition (yes, a little too much). I started off going at ISU in Nutritional Science. I NEVER wanted to get married, NEVER wanted to live in the midwest, NEVER wanted to depend on anyone (especially not a man), AND I was NEVER going to marry someone from Iowa. (P.S. Never say never! I pretty much did the opposite!) That to say... I loved the nutrition part of it but I hated the science part. You can say what you will, but I got two B-'s my first semester and flipped out (perfectionism at its finest folks) and decided to change my major. Not only that, God was doing a great work in my heart, showing me a lot about how and why he created women.

I became very interested in children, families, and psychology. I went into Child, Adult, & Family Services, but had an experience while volunteering a few places that showed me that working with children in really bad circumstances wasn't really for me (I had come home crying everyday). That is where I found out about FACS and jumped in head first (yes, a little blindly).

Is my job all I hoped and dreamed? Well, lets just be honest here, no. But who actually has a first job they've dreamed of? If you do, count yourself blessed. Most people have to work really hard to get where they want to be (if they ever do). Do I love my job everyday? Umm... lets see here... no. I am a first year teacher. I make a fool of myself on a daily basis and yet still find it in me to get up and punt again the next day.

You were right when you said I teach foods classes. I teach Occupational Foods Classes, Gourmet Foods Classes, Nutrition Classes, Child Development Classes, Fashion Classes, Interior Design Classes, Financial Literacy Classes, and Comprehensive Real Life Skills classes. I teach 6 periods a day (different classes each semester), 2 at the middle school (see below) which are the comprehensive classes, and 4 at the high school. I never teach the same lesson plan twice and I am my own department. Do I have others to talk to about my curriculum? No, except other FACS teachers via e-mail or on my own time. Do I love the flexibility this gives and the freedom I have? Yes, sometimes. The hardest part is just that its all new and I have very little to work off of. Stressful? Umm... yes, ask my husband, some co-workers, and my friends. Sassy Sarah comes out quite often these days (sometimes too often).

Nonetheless,the Lord has blessed me and there have been so many awesome things that have happened this year. I am/we are (my students are helping) currently jump starting a small business-like organization called Tigerhawk Takeout (weird mascot, I know) where my occupational students make all the foods and then families from the community can buy them and back them. Kind of like Papa Murphy's Take n' Bake. I wanted to try this out before the year gets over to see if it'll fly next year. I'm also collaborating (big educational work for working with) a local preschool where my child development students will get to get hands-on-experiences with children.

I've also learned a ton. I feel like God has giving me amazing management skills through all of this, has taught me to work well alongside people, serve and work long hours diligently with little thanks, to speak the truth in love (aka disciplining teenagers) A LOT, working with parents, and to really wave my own flag (and stick up for myself in a humble way).. but most of all to be a light in a dark place, to be bold, and to be full of integrity when its hard. Preparation for something... I hope so!

A lot of people think that FACS classes are just fluff, and maybe that's what they had. I know of so many people who are dying from cancer and diseases that are easily prevented via good nutrition and home-cookin'. So many families that are just a wreck because their parents were never trained in parenting skills of any kind or they expect their kids to act like adults when they aren't nearly there cognitively. Do I want to do this job forever? Specifically teaching, probably not, but almost everything I do is helping me for whatever I do in the future (mommying, hospitality, home-based bakery/catering?, designing, etc). Yes, my dreams have changed! Go figure! I'm up for whatever God has and for now, I am content (well, most days)!

That's enough about FACS. This is what I inherited from a long-time Family & Consumer Sciences Teacher. I will be receiving some Perkins money this summer and I hope to purchase some more technology!

Here is my room at the middle school. It is a bit cramp. I hope to make more use of the space by eliminating some of the stuff I don't need and maybe get a smaller desk. When you have 20 kids in here/hour it gets REAL cramp. It is in the oldest building in the district, and though not ideal or extremely glorious, I am thankful!

Here is my room at the high school. It, along with the whole high school, got a massive face lift only 3 years ago. It is going to get some massive rearranging this summer, There are 4 kitchens, you can only see two in the picture though. as I'll have more students in my classes next year and need much more board space. I'd put up some pictures of students working but I think I might get it trouble! =) Can you tell I hate bare walls?

To finish... here is my letter of thanks for the year from a student I've mentored during my lunch hour this semester and was in my classes last semester (she wasn't fond of me then)...

"As your former student, I'd like to thank you for many things, actually. I know I was often a difficult student. I was very rude, and never cared about anything you said. But now, as a friend, not just a student, I am constantly asking you for advice. Mostly relationship advice, which is usually repetitive, so thanks for still listening. I'd also like to thank you for not labeling me as a "bad" kid during our first impression. Most of all, thank you for helping me care more about myself. I honestly feel that you've made me a better person."

Sarah's Thoughts on Modesty

2010-04-10T12:34:00.000-07:00

Although God commands us to be modest, His Word is very different from a 180 youth camp packing list. It doesn't spell out all of the details about what to wear and what not to wear. Do I have to wear a dark shirt over my bikini? Can I wear short shorts or spaghetti straps? How short is too short? What is a spaghetti strap? What about V-neck shirts? You see, though youth camps are very particular about what should be worn (and they can and should be), God’s word is not the same way.

There is not a verse that says, “And he said to the people, it is unwise and immodest to reveal more than one third of your skin” 2 Opinions 3:5. Why you ask? Good question [I mean it’d be so much easier]. Well, there are probably a lot of reasons, but I think mostly because fashions change like the wind and because God gives us free will to choose to obey the general principles He does give us in the Word and through the conviction of the Holy Spirit in the practicalities of our lives [modesty is one such practicality].

Here is one such principle that can be played out in many ways from Luke: 10:25-28:
On one occasion an expert in the law stood up to test Jesus. "Teacher," he asked, "What must I do to inherit eternal life?" "What is written in the Law?" he (Jesus) replied, "How do you read it?" He (the man) answered: " 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind'; and, 'Love your neighbor as yourself." "You have answered correctly," Jesus replied. "Do this and you will live.”

The ultimate goal is for us to love Jesus in all things, including modesty. Did you catch that loving Jesus in ALL things includes with ALL of our heart and ALL of our strength? AND to love our neighbors as we love ourselves? Wow! Hard? Yeah! But it’s also helpful to read on because Jesus says if we do this we will LIVE! What is life? Jesus came to give us a rich and abundant life through redemption! He’s given us the Holy Spirit so that we can be filled with good things that come from him (that nothing and no one else can give us) and resist following a destructive path that leads to death (Matthew 7:13-14). As we seek Him about everything (modesty included) we can trust that He has our VERY BEST in mind...a life with abundance and purpose! Isn't that so exciting? What grace!

So what does it look like to love Jesus with all of our heart, mind, soul, and strength and to love others as ourselves in modesty? Well, there are many ways, but here is a little practicality that scripture does give us in terms of modesty.

“likewise also that women should adorn themselves in respectable apparel, with modesty and self-control, not with braided hair and gold or pearls or costly attire, but with what is proper for women who profess godliness—with good works.” 1 Timothy 2:9-10

Modesty here is listed among “respectable apparel” and “self-control” and “good-works” as something that women should adorn themselves with. It’s not saying don’t go to Gap and buy those jeans! It’s not a "rules based only" type of clothing, it’s an motivation! What is your attitude toward your fashion choices? What is your motivation? That my dear friend is what it's all about... the motivation of your heart and what comes out of it!

But you may be thinking… “Yeah, Sarah that sounds real great and well, maybe a little easier said than done, Jesus is cool and I mean I think I believe that… but what you’re really saying is that I can’t wear short shorts and bikini’s like all of the other girls do. right? Ugh! No guy is ever going to like me if I don’t look like all of the other girls and I really do need to look my best! I mean I can’t let some other girl one up me or look better than me! I mean, what would I do if I walked into a room and stood out or someone looked better than I did?”

Ding, ding, ding! We have a winner! We have hit the issue on the head. Read the paragraph above again.

Does this sound like you? It certainly sounds like me not long ago. But if this is you, what you’re really saying is that it is all about YOU and what others think about YOU, and not only that, but you’re worried about being “the” best looking girl rather than “a” good looking girl? Right? Right! Can I say that WE are very SELFISH?! Eeek!

Girl, I want you to know that this is an issue that almost every single woman does, has, or will struggle with, myself included, which is why I am writing about it. The world tells us that we have to be sensual (aka sexy) in order to be beautiful. And our pride tells us that we have to look “the” best in the room rather than just being “a” girl in the room that looks good.

Only in the past couple of years have I really saw how much of my fashion life has been lived to look the “best”. It has been all about MWA! Only recently has the Lord radically convicted me and changed my heart on this subject. Do I now walk around in a robe looking trash nasty having rarely brushed my hair? Girlfriend, NO WAY! I love me some new clothes and a new haircut! However, there are a few things I now try to think about when shopping and they are things I want to challenge you to think about as well.

To start off using the verse above (the one in 1 Timothy), if my modest attitude is to be reflected in “respectable apparel”, what in the world is “respectable apparel”? Not only this, but what does it look like to respect your body? Like I said, the world’s standard is that the more sensual (aka sexier) you look and feel, the better. I KNOW that this is not what God would call respectable apparel. To be respectable or to dress respectably means that you think that YOU are worthy of respect and you are going to dress that way! Is your main concern that others think you look real good in short shorts? Do you think you have to be sensual in order to be desirable? What a lie! What a lie! So many people love you dear sister and if you think that wearing super sensual clothing makes you desirable, then you are dead wrong. You are so worthy or respect! God loves you dear girl, he loves you! So, by gosh, dress like you are loved!

With that said, what does it look like to have “self-control” in modesty? And what does doing “good works” have to do with modesty? Self-control means to have control or restraint of oneself or one's actions and feelings. What in the world does this have to do with modesty?

Well, our brothers and sisters usually suffer if we don’t consider them in our fashion choices. We must acknowledge that no matter what our body type, it may tempt the others to sin through sexual thoughts, judgment, or jealousy and if we don't have self-control over what we are wearing we're helping them to sin.

The tough question to consider when choosing our fashion then, is, “Do I look too good (cute, flattering, too sensual, etc.) for my own good and for the good of others? ”Do I have self-control over my desire to look good? Am I trying to do good to those around me through my fashion choices? Or am I being selfish because I want these outfits to make me feel and look a certain way in order to be appealing to men and to look better than other women? I should be WAY more concerned about doing good to my bro’s and sista’s than about myself and this is done through self-control in modesty!

Another way to do good, in terms of modesty, is to ask those in authority over us what they think about our wardrobe. If we're single girls it's very honoring to parents for their daughters to ask their thoughts on modesty. This might mean your dad tells you to go upstairs to change. If we're married, we need to ask our husbands what they think and then rest in their leadership. God has given women the blessing of living under authority. Husbands and parents (and their thoughts on these matters) are truly gifts and trust me, they know what they are talking about!

There were times where I would wear something that I would have never considered to be immodest, but because I look at myself like a woman and my dad (and now my husband) looks at me like a man, he was/is able to lead me to see that my clothes were actually a stumbling block. I certainly don’t want to attract the attention of any man that is not husband if I can help it! This goes for you single girls too... may the man that chooses to marry you be attracted to you, but more so for your character than your dress! Joel has been very helpful in my selection of what I wear to go swimming. There is nothing better than going swimsuit shopping as not only a pastors wife, but a junior high pastor's wife. He’s honest and affirms me that I look good. I might not look good according to some of the world’s eyes (because they want to only see me as sensual), but I look good to Joel (and he sees me as his wife, a role model to other girls, and a future mom of his children), and that’s all that matters!

So, what does that leave us with? Looking like tan-less grandma when going to the pool? Not hardly! I feel so cute and comfortable in my fashion choices because I know my motivation is to please the Lord, to have self control, to do good to others, and to submit to those in authority over me.

My hope here is to challenge you to sort out and confirm your convictions about modesty. If you’re being led by the Spirit that God has given you so you can LOVE HIM and OTHERS and HAVE LIFE, your convictions WILL line up with the principles and practicalities given in Scripture.

Modesty lived out is going to look different for all of us to some extent (mostly because we all have different bodies made by our awesome Creator). No person can fully define modesty with "rules" that will really work for all of us as women. We must work through modesty "issues" with the Lord and those who love us, asking for a teachable, humble heart and follow the general principles He's given us in the Word.

I pray we're not following the ways of the fashion market blindly, but honestly going to God and asking Him to shape our wardrobe like He's shaping our souls in every other area. May we avoid the road that can so easily lead to destruction! May our goal be to imitate Christ in all areas of our life and believe it or not, modesty is a part of this process.

So, what does modesty look like you ask? If modesty were a woman, she would be very beautiful, but not only because of her clothes, but she would be beautiful because of Holy Spirit at work in her!

As an added bonus, here are some great sites that I’ve found to help us live practically with the motivation of modesty:

Swimsuits: http://www.limericki.com/
Shorts (the longer mid to lower thigh): http://oldnavy.gap.com/browse/category.do?cid=35158 and http://www.gap.com/browse/category.do?cid=5715

Help and some references from the following blog: http://allthingshendrick.blogspot.com/2010/04/guest-post-modesty.html

Sarah's Thoughts on Sports and UCONN

2010-04-09T07:32:00.001-07:00

Before dating and marrying Joel I was not heavily into sports. In college, I went to football games to socialize and to do stadium cleanup and then maybe topped it off by going to a few other random sports events along the way. In high school I was a cheerleader and spectator for all of the sports my brothers played.

One of the first things Joel and I disagreed about when getting married was his time spent on sports (TV, Internet, actually playing, etc). He, in no way, is obsessed with sports.... the man spends so much time with people and at being an awesome husband to me, but I didn't and don't watch much TV and so I thought it was a lot. I think Joel saw my point of view and he has certainly become more aware of his time spent on sports, but he certainly wasn't going to become a completely different person just because I rarely watched TV and had little interest in sports.

During the first couple months of our marriage I heard this quote from Carolyn Mahaney that goes something like this. "Enjoy the 80% of your spouse that you absolutely love and focus on being thankful for this, because you will probably only end up changing about 2% of the 20% of them that you don't always like." Joel is a great man and there is so much about him that I love (I mean I did marry him) and so at this point I decided that I needed to just love Joel and if nothing else, start enjoying his hobbies too.

It's taken some work and I still can't swing a golf club for my life (and I'm ok with never being able to do this), but I have learned to enjoy watching sports with him. I think it is fun for him to help me learn and to just be able to sit down and watch a game (where I know the players and some of their past). I've also learned that sports are an outlet that he does a lot of ministry with men in, playing sports is a way for him to get some great exercise, and they are a great way for him to spend quality time with his guy friends (and trust me, though you don't always think so initially when you date and get married you still need same gender friends... so don't cut them off).

All of that to say.... it is funny that I am writing a blog post about sports! In a sense, I may be turning over a new leaf!

UCONN Women's basketball has been undefeated for 78 games (I know a stat)! Let me tell you non-sports women, this is a BIG DEAL! In an interview with Maya Moore (that is right, I know her name!), after she led her team in a turnaround win against Stanford to take home the National Championship Trophy, ESPN asked her about what the season has been like for her. She stated that with so many critics and people doubting them that the hardest and most important part of their game has been consistency. She also mentions that to play well they couldn't question themselves and to play in fear but to love the game, play their heart out, and play with confidence.

Click here to see video

I was really taken back by her comments because yes, a lot of people have been doubting and questioning how long UCONN can keep it up (I mean honestly, I was hoping Standford would upset them). But, when you really think about it, isn't is so much easier to lose at things than it is to keep winning? If you apply this to the Christian life, it's so much easier to just give up or sleep in and not spend good time with God than it is to consistently get up and engage. It's a choice to not fear and to trust and have confidence God and where he has you. It's a hard choice to not be afraid or to not complain about life and to instead love what you're doing and to play your heart out... allowing the holy spirit to work through you (even when you are tired).

Wow! What a challenge to me, Maya Moore, this basketball girl has been! Maybe I'll learn something awesome while watching the Master's Golf Tournament with my man this weekend! Lord knows we'll have a lovely time while I recover from getting out my wisdom teeth! Haha!

Fun Week

2010-03-20T08:43:00.000-07:00

Jason and Jen's studly little man - Abram. You can tell he's a dearly loved boy. We really enjoy spending time with him and Jaida - Andy and Jill's little girl - and are blessed to have friends like the Lee's and Paullus'!

Last weekend we went to the Amana Colonies and explored the history of the unique German communal society. We had a blast learning new things, admiring the tight community they had, and understanding why they fled for religious freedom. Many lessons of what to do and what not to do! We stayed at a nice Bed and Breakfast and took a 2 hour self guided CD tour of all the colonies and just enjoyed being out of Ames for a bit.

We also found our future family van! This beast would be truly Vintastic!

Health Care

2010-03-19T16:03:00.000-07:00

I agree... Freedom of the private sector has always been America's strong point!

Liquid Consciousness

2010-03-07T11:15:00.000-08:00

I am currently reading a book by Beth Moore (see previous post). She is a fantastic writer and uses the words "liquid consciousness" to describe her need for coffee. Though she and we depend on Jesus for our strength, I think on many days Joel and I would reference our beloved Dunkin Donuts Coffee as just that... liquid consciousness.

Meet "Liquid Consciousness"!

Joel has drank DD for nearly 7 years (and he used to order it when they didn't sell it at Walmart... clear sign of dedication). Pre-dating Joel I didn't even drink coffee much. Now, however I am hooked to DD plus the fact that I do add WAY more sugar and choice flavorings to mine than Joel does. My current choice is coconut... mmm! I sometimes hear, "Would you like some coffee with your sugar and creamer?" from Joel trying to make a a joke of my habits. He's probably right... but eh, whatev! My holistic motto for a healthy lifestyle is everything in moderation and thus far its workin' great!

That to say, he makes Dunkin WAY better than I do. He doesn't think he has any skill related to the kitchen, but I beg to differ. He makes a mean pot of coffee and I will never top him (I'm really ok staying in bed when he gets up to go make the coffee)!

They say to be an expert at something you have to spend nearly 10,000 hours doing it. Maybe Joel isn't an expert, but if they opened a DD in Ames he would make a fine barista (or whatever you call the man version). However, I do not think Cornerstone would let him leave his Jr. Pastor job (mostly because he rocks at it and God is really using him). We do hope someday to live near a DD... maybe in heaven!

In Honor of National Craft Month.. Edwin

2010-03-02T15:26:00.000-08:00

Black Diamond

2010-02-28T20:18:00.000-08:00

Recently Joel and I went skiing with 70 junior high students from the ministry Joel leads called 180. Skiing was a part of a 180 weekend retreat in Dubuque, IA.

To give you a background, I am from MN and have been skiing nearly once every other year. Joel has been skiing probably about that many times or a few more. On this adventure, he decided to learn to snowboard. I avoided snowboarding and the idea of ending up on my rear the entire day (prideful and not wanting to fail at a new skill? most likely). Though we were skiing with students during most of the day, many of them headed to the comfort of the lodge earlier than we chose to. I guess we felt the need to get our money's worth.

If you've never been skiing, typically there are 3 different levels of hills. The first being green (the easiest), then blue, and then black diamond (which are usually the hardest). On your first day skiing (and your first day back after a long time) you are advised to stay on the green and blue hills.

That to say, Joel and I found one another after most of the 180 students had retreated from the hills. I had yet to end up on my rear, sticking to the recommended blue hills (and yes this is Iowa and they are not mountains... they are hills). No doubt, Joel had been on his rear multiple times and down multiple black hills. He asked me to go down a hill with him... a black diamond. I was like, "Umm...ok... are you sure babe???" "Oh yeah, you got it," he says. So we went near it and I was hesitant with more questions. In the end we headed down. I plummet to my rear instantaneously and shouted (he was a bit ahead), "Ok, I think I am going to walk back up, this is not going to happen!" Joel stops (like a pro mind you) and waits for me "You can do it babe!" I hear from below. Mr. Encouraging. "Ugh... how did I get him to con me into this?" I think trying to get up. I then see some good skier go by and see how one is supposed to go down this black diamond. Joel instructs me on how to get up and I do and with a fall or two more, I make it successfully down the hill with a wide smile!

Why do I tell you this story? Because this is the story of our lives... Joel is risky and I follow the rules to a T. He is a visionary and I am detail-oriented. He tends to see things from a positive perspective and I call myself a realist. All are good and not one is better. As we've been married nearly 10 months now, we've realized a thing or 2 and this is a pure example of how Joel will want to dive into something, I play it safe, and then he asks me if I want to go along. And me, not knowing how to say no (and if you know some of Joel's family members... no one says no because they are all WOO'ers), I usually go along with it, though hesitantly, knowing the potential danger.

As a Christian wife, I choose to submit to my husband and so this is a pure example of how sometimes this is hard, but oh so worth it. At the end of the hill I was so glad Joel had asked me to go with him. My initial questions were a showing of my usual (sometimes legitimate) hesitation, but I was so glad that I followed Him down the hill (though falling on my rear multiple times and a good does of humbling). He did a great job leading me by being where I could still see him and he could stop and tell me how to move forward. I want to trust that he knows what he's talking about more (please help God, sometimes I am a real brat)! In the end I will forever remember this example when he asks me to go somewhere (ahem) or be a part of something that I may be hesitant toward (godly obviously). Bring on the black diamonds baby!

Best Book I've Read...

2010-02-21T16:07:00.000-08:00

I am currently a book called "So Long, Insecurity: You've Been a Bad Friend to Us" by Beth Moore. I saw this book and asked Joel to get it for me for Valentine's Day. An odd gift for a day of love? Yes! However, as this year full of many new changes have occurred in my life, I've realized that there I am so insecure about SO many things. I perceive so many threats in this life (some that are very legit) which often cause rash reactions and I don't really know even where to start with them or how to change. I am only 4 chapters into this relatively hefty book, but to say the least, I am really enjoying it.

For all of you who've been christians for a long time, it has been so refreshing to read. This book is so honest and isn't just a bunch of fluff on how to fix yourself with a few bible verses thrown in here and there.

Inside Our Home

2010-02-09T07:32:00.000-08:00

Proverbs 24:3-4 says this, "By wisdom a house is built, and through understanding it is established; through knowledge its rooms are filled with rare and beautiful treasures". I enjoy this verse because it shows me that caring for my home is worth it and enjoying taking every little detail brings glory to God!

I like to think of our home as a space he allows me to be creative in. When I was a young girl my mom would send me to clean my room and I'd be there for hours moving furniture around and trying to use what I had to make things look beautiful.

My mom has many wonderful gifts and most of the gifts she has been given are very opposite of what I've been given. Now this is not bad, but decorating isn't her forte and well, I love it. This quality about my mom always drove me nuts when I was a kid, because I wanted our house to look good and clean, especially for guests. It's not that she didn't care, she just didn't always care as much as I did. First, she cared more about the people who came in... not what we had to eat or how clean the house was. Secondly, with 4 kids (3 of whom are boys) most of her decorating was pushed to the side to make way for the imaginary basketball court of football field being established in our formal living room. Holla to my mom for allowing this... for loving my brothers and allowing them to be masculine and making our house a home rather than a museum where you couldn't touch anything.

All that to say, I love decorating our new home... and maybe someday if we get to have children they might enjoy it too or maybe they won't... only God knows! Nonetheless, here are some things I've done with our home. None of will probably ever be sold at an art show, but I enjoy making them cheap and personal nonetheless!

As a sidenote... my favorite color is red and that is why it is in almost every room!

To start us off, this our room. We were given the "love is patient love is kind" plaque at the top and kept with the theme of brown, cream, aqua, and red in our room (red and aqua were our wedding colors too)!

These are the vows Joel and I wrote and read to each other on our wedding day. We joke that Jeff Dodge (our pastor) is the only one with his picture in our room besides us!

I painted these last year. I gave Joel the "God" one for Valentine's Day, the "Husband" one for his birthday (Feb. 25th), and the "Wife" one on our Wedding day (May 15th)! The grass idea was a theme at our wedding and is taken from our wedding invites.

The following pictures are in a tri-room (if you will). We have the side entrance, a weird room, and our workout room all connected. The side entrance and the workout room are both a dull lime green and the center room is tan. This is a window that used to be in our house (Joel bought new windows when he moved in) and I asked him to keep some of them. We placed some pictures from our experience in Turkey in it!

This is the side entrance. We bought these shelve units at IKEA (fun story) in MN with my parents. They were perfect for the odd area we had!

This is what I mean by tri-room. You saw the side entrance above, then there is the odd tan space, and we separated the workout room with curtains! We really like it!

This is the "odd tan room" We also bought this long shelf at IKEA and really like it! We placed pictures on it from our engagement in Turkey!

This is our guest room. It is light purple, white, and brown. I did these four paintings on one of my many snow days this winter. I took the idea from a picture I saw in a magazine!

This is our formal living room. It's colors are tan, brown, a touch of blue, black, and white. We use only black and white photos in all of the frames. Joel and I saw this picture at IKEA. I LOVE pictures of trees and he thought that it represented this verse well. So, on two of my snow days I wrote the following verse around it (talk about hard... writing on a bumpy wall)! "Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it." Matthew 7:13-14

This is our little kitchen. It's colors are a gray/blue, black, white, and a hint of red. I was looking through a magazine and saw the idea of putting a chalk board in our kitchen! I couldn't find one with a white trim and so I just covered the chalk board and spray painted the trim! We write the verse we're memorizing on it. I hope we can continue this if we get to have kids in this home, or wherever we live!

We bought these baskets for our wedding... and they serve as perfect placemat and napkin holders! They add the splash of red to our kitchen!

This is our unformal living room. It's colors are a warm gold and deep red. Here is another old window. Joel is a HUGE ISU fan and since I did all of the other rooms, we thought it'd be fun to spice it up a bit and make this room a bit more edgy and masculine. These are all photos of him in his college years having fun with the guys (mostly painted chests and of him doing pushups while body surfing)!
My dear friend Jessie helped me with this one. While this house was a bachelor pad, Joel had the ISU stickers plastered on the wall. I wasn't a huge fan and so we modified them to make them look a bit more formal. Frames and matting board did the trick. We had to put a picture of the biggest ISU fans on this wall... my dear friend Jill Paullus and of course Joel (and I somehow got on there too)!

I'm sure there will be more to come!

While decorating my house I must also think of this verse, which probably has some to do with decorating, but more to do with a woman's inner soul. Proverbs 14:1, "The wise woman builds her house, but with her own hands the foolish one tears hers down." I've realized that it really doesn't matter if I have a nice house because if I am a nag towards my husband and unpleasant to those to enter our home than all the decorating is in vain. It's like when you meet a really pretty girl with a horrible mouth.

Like my Mom, I want to care more about those who live there and enter and focus on how I can love them more than if they like the food or how pretty they think the walls are. In the end whether people thought my house was gorgeous will be minimal compared to if they knew me as someone who served and loved them like Jesus would. My prayer is that all who enter would be urged and encouraged towards Christ no matter where our home is. I mean, because someday our home will be in heaven and I sure hope all of our guests will be there! How much better will it be to be Jesus' guest and have streets paved with gold!

6th Grade Slam Highlights

2010-02-03T05:55:00.000-08:00

Last Friday we had our annual 6th Grade Slam lock-in at Cornerstone. It was as an event aimed at creating "remember when" moments. Many memories were made... It was awesome!
70 sixth graders showed up and 15 adult volunteers - we needed every single volunteer!

The kids had a lot of fun and heard some great God stories from leaders along the way. We played dodgeball FOREVER, had a midnight pizza feed, and stayed up well past our bedtime.

It was fun to hear the leaders share openly and authentically - something we strive for in 180

The boys brought more friends so they got to pick who gets duct taped to the wall - Jase, Samantha, or myself. They were up for a challenge and chose Jase

The most fun for me was the morale dance. It's a dance that we did at the top of every hour that brought everyone together. 6th grade boys are the best - they're not in the "too cool" stage and it was a joy to see them dance like no one was watching! No 8th grade boy would ever do this...
180 is so blessed to have the leaders we do. They are very relational and give their time freely. Here's a picture of Heather Krueger and Audrey Ward. Heather's investment in a band of zealous 6th grade girls is already producing fruit. I can't wait to see what the upcoming years bring. Two seventh grade leaders, Dustin and Ben, attended just to teach us the dance and ended up staying all night - sleeping on the gym floor to guard the doorway. Jase and Samantha, the 180 interns, led the event from start to finish and did a fantastic job. Becky Jones and Vicki Hillock, 2 all-star parent leaders, didn't sleep at all and were happy about it! Shane Kelly is a man who works diligently behind the scenes.. somewhere around 4:30a.m. some boys got rowdy and were waking everybody. As I rolled over and wished it would go away, Shane got up from across the room, admonished them, and slept next to them - losing all hope of any sleep.

One of the reasons I love junior highers so much - their randomness

All in All, It was a Grand Slam!

Grace

2010-02-02T05:41:00.000-08:00

Jerry Bridges says in his book Discipline of Grace - "Your worst days are never so bad that you are beyond the reach of God's grace. And your best days are never so good that you are beyond the need of God's grace."

I love this truth. In Christ, we're never too far from getting what we don't deserve and we're never not in need of it. It all depends on His grace and never depends on our performance. We just respond to His goodness and grace. When we think of it that way, the need to perform and please people fades and the desire to please God exudes from us. When we are fixed on His character and his goodness, we fall more and more in love with Him (Hebrews 12:1-2).

The Galatians struggled with performance and lost their joy in God because of it. Paul says in Galatians 4:5, "What has happened to all you joy?" I think this is the pivotal statement in Galatians. The Galatians were trying to please God by human effort (Galatians 3:3) and not depending on His Spirit and grace for joy, comfort, peace and guidance like they did when they first believed. They started out with grace but went back to performance - which ultimately causes confusion, discomfort, and pride. I fall into this trap sometimes - the performance trap. I constantly need to be reminded that we perform/obey/submit to God because of the gospel - not so we can look good or be congratulated by God.

The author of Hebrews was tackling some similar issues in Hebrews 13:9, "It is good for our hearts to be strengthened by grace." They were looking around at each other, comparing one another's holiness, and losing their joy that can only be strengthened by grace.

The gospel doesn't end after we first believe - it's a daily thing. We're saved when the Holy Spirit connects us to faith in Jesus (John 3:3-8) but daily I have to remind myself the truth of Colossians 1:22. I'm no longer separated from God. I am holy in his sight, without blemish and free from accusation. I'm completely innocent and perfect in His sight because of Jesus and nothing that I've done! Each day his mercy and grace is renewed in my life! This is not a licensee to sin or abuse His grace but a truth that sets us free to live!

His grace is why I will submit, follow, and obey today. It causes me to be in love with Him and tell others about Him. His grace clears it up for me. I don't want to please people or even attempt to earn His stamp of approval. I fall way short (Romans 3:23). Jesus does not. I'll respond to His grace and follow Him today.

Hebrews 13:9 - "It is good for our hearts to be strengthened by grace."

God is BIG

2010-01-28T13:06:00.000-08:00

Psalm 33:6 - By the word of the LORD were the heavens made, their starry host by the breath of his mouth.

WOW!

Thought from Sarah..

2010-01-23T10:42:00.000-08:00

I recently met up with a friend who just went through a very devastating loss. I was so excited to see her, empathize with her, and be God's hug of love to her. Not that I am overly special, but there is just something about us (including me) that is just awesome when we are at a low point in life. It's like we see life more clearly and for what it really is rather than complaining about petty things... like rain, snow, hair that needs to be cut, or a bad day at work. Through this situation God showed me that He, likewise, delights to meet us when we most need Him... when we are in the pit and see that for all we are worth, we are broken, needy people who are awful at planning out our own life.

Sometimes I really dislike being with people who feel like an obligation... there's no desperation or excitement... just obligation. Woohoo =( While thinking about this God showed me that this is sometimes how I see him (when I am most full of myself). I am thankful that he sees beyond my obligation and makes me desperate, needy, and excited to know Him! It is such a blessing... it is what matters! That to say... today I don't want to care about the snow or that my nose is running or that I have a million things to do before we have company over tonight... I want to be desperately in love with Him and open to where He leads me. To take up my cross (whatever that looks like today) and follow!

That's my 5 cents for the day...

How my sister gets me to call her back

2010-01-23T09:01:00.000-08:00

"Spuring" me on

2010-01-20T12:22:00.000-08:00

From a Spurgeon devotional...
A prisoner of the Lord once wrote,
"O my Lord Jesus Christ, if I could be in heaven without You, it would be hell; and if I could be in hell, and have You still, it would be heaven to me, for You are all the heaven I need."

Along the same lines Jonathan Edwards wrote,
"The enjoyment of God is the only happiness with which our souls can be satisfied. To go to heaven, fully to enjoy God, is infinitely better than the most pleasant accommodations here. Fathers and mothers, husbands, wives, or children, or the company of earthly friends, are but shadows; but God is the substance. These are but scattered beams, but God is the sun. These are but streams. But God is the ocean.”

Fun Day at the Office

2010-01-17T19:33:00.001-08:00

Day in the life of a Junior High Pastor...

7:00 - Spurgeon and Hebrews
8:00 - Donuts and juice for the new Sunday morning class
8:15 - Drove past a hitchhiker
8:16 - Felt Convicted and picked him up
8:17 - Good conversation about Jesus with Dan Meremet - he's heard a lot about Jesus over the years!
9:30 - Fun conversations with Josiah Sabino (6th grader) about God and football
10:30 - 40 junior highers packed in a small room for our first Grapple Class - http://my180life.posterous.com/blog-grapple-starts-this-sunday
11:00 - My intern Jase faked liked he was crying to get their attention
12:00 - Leaders Make-up session
1:00 - Call from a leader thinking meeting was at 1 and he's at my house
1:15 - Lunch
1:30 - 6th grade guy leaders meeting - lots of cool things happening in Stratford, IA
3:30 - 6th grade lady leader meeting - 7 ladies committed to almost 30 6th grade girls!
5:30 - Respond to texts from students
8:30 - Received a call from parents about disruptive boy

Say it

I have moments like these...

2010-01-15T04:19:00.000-08:00

Road Trip To Chicago

2010-01-10T13:21:00.000-08:00

This past Tuesday my buddy Brandon Young and I set out to visit our friends - Brandon and Sydney Jacobson - and take in the ISU vs Duke bball game at the United Center. It is always random, fun, and crazy when the Brandons and I get together. I love how we can go from Cyclone/Hawk smack-talk to Christmas Vacation Quotes to car dancing to impersonating John Piper to discussions about Luke 3:21. We had a worshipful time talking about the Trinity after listening to the Mark Driscoll's message below...

We spent a few hours discussing how in Luke 3:21 the Father and the Holy Spirit affirmed that Jesus was God and that NOW Jesus and the Father are in Heaven affirming the Holy Spirit in us and how His job is to point back to Jesus. One BIG circle! Romans 11:36 - "For from him and through him and to him are all things."

After a long car ride to Chicago we were ready for some fun. You can have fun at Home Depot and Dick's Sporting Goods can't you?

I was sure to get my Dunkin Donuts in for breakfast. Sydney cooked up some special bacon from Wisconsin. It was the thickest, tastiest, most artery clogging bacon I've ever had!
We watched the Hawkeyes win a big one in the Orange Bowl that night. This was big for the trip. Brandon Young is a die-hard Hawk fan so this was key in everyone's sanity the rest of the trip!

Wednesday morning was a great time of discussion about God's changing power in all of our lives the past few years. We reminisced about the college days and thanked God for his continuing work through all of our friends - Phil 1:6. The Domino Gospel keeps going and it's really fun to hear more and more from B Young and the Jacobsons!

Wednesday a.m. = Bowling Time. BY won. Sydney was 2nd. BJ was third - but only on a last frame strike! Ya... I got last

Wednesday night we hit up Gino's East - a famous Chicago style pizza place. I saw this restaurant on the Discovery Channel's "Man vs Food" show and had to go there.

It seems like any time Brandon Young and I road trip we get hooked up somehow. Below is our parking spot at the United Center. As we were heading to the game, we were discussing where we should park - the $17 spots or closer $25 ones. About 5 seconds after thinking I had no cash to contribute, a taxi Driver rolls down his window next to us and says, "Take it! It's free!" We were a little nervous but the closest spot possible is what we ended up with!
Cyclones got killed to Duke but we still had fun!
Being in the United Center and seeing the place where MJ won so many games for the Bulls outweighed the lackluster performance.
We had a fantastic time in Chicago and left at 7:30am back for Iowa. This is a picture of the accident that we waited 2.5 hours for wreckers to clear - 2 jack-knifed semis. We had just talked about how we want to be more patient men and better listeners - we get the point God!

We ended up making it to Iowa City and camping there Thursday night with our friends Andy and Lisa Bishop - 5 fresh cars in the ditch in a 1/2 mile broke my prideful desire to make it all the way home. I really was missing Sarah at this point and it took every car in the ditch to make us stay in Iowa City!I'm trying to get Brandon to consider moving to Iowa City to help with Cornerstone's church plant there. Meeting up with the Bishop's helped!

All in All - fantastic trip, great memories, and I'm challenged by my brothers to live more like Christ.

My 1st Year of Teaching

2010-01-07T04:17:00.000-08:00

I am currently a first year teacher in a high school/middle school setting and I teach Family & Consumer Sciences (aka food science classes, nutrition classes, 7th and 8th grade exploratories, and various classes regarding 21st century skills classes [communication & conflict, career exploration & skills, lifespan development, parenting, financing, etc]).

On Tuesday I started teaching for my second semester. I feel like it has gone really well, thanks to the grace of God. At the end of first semester, while all of my students were taking finals, I took the time to really evaluate myself and how I was really doing as a first year teacher.

Some areas that were going well were in my relationships with students and other staff. This is really important to me, as I gauge a lot of life and how any certain area is going by how my relationships with people are in that particular area. Near the 3/4 mark of the semester some students asked me about my life and God allowed for me to share His Story in my life with a few students, some of which I sensed totally disliked me up to that point. Because of this, I now have really great relationships with these students. The quote, "They don't care what you know until they know that you care!" is absolutely true! God has also given me some great relationships with other staff members, some that are mentors and others that are peers.

An area that I needed to grow in was discipline. I am a people pleaser and sometimes, honestly, I allow things to fall through the cracks in terms of discipline. My principle says that "There is always one leader in a classroom, either you or the students". Sometimes I honestly wasn't. By no means was I horrible and there was never chaos, but as a first year teacher much of what I am about is survival. However, I DO want to improve and through the Proverbs our Father is showing me just how valuable discipline is. I know that honoring Him through discipline with my students now will really help me someday if we ever get to have children of our own.

That to say... here are a few of my rules that now apply in my class (most which have been borrowed from other experienced teachers, of whom I am SO grateful)!

1. If you choose to swear or use language to degrade others, you can choose to pay Mrs. Vint 25 cents by the end of the school day or serve 30 minutes of detention. (Note: I have a "swear jar" on my desk and $ will be used towards classroom materials).

2. If you choose to throw anything or hit people with anything, you can choose to do 25 pushups or serve 30 minutes of detention.

It is a struggle to know how to be merciful and when to be very bold in truth. Oh how I want to be like Jesus.... John 1:14 "The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth."

Pictures of my classrooms to come, but Joel is in Chicago and has the camera... and I have a snow day today! Stay warm!

Top 10 Reject Names for our Blog

2010-01-02T09:59:00.000-08:00

10. Vintarific
9. V as in Victory
8. Vint View
7. Vint Times
6. Vint Villa
5. Viva la Vint
4. Vint Vine
3. The Vintastic Life
2. Vintliscious
1. Livin la vida Vint

Welcome to our NEW Blog!

2010-01-01T17:35:00.000-08:00