Authority

I bought a book at Borders, mainly because it was a Christian novel, the back sounded interesting, and it was only $1. I started reading it last night at around 11:30pm, and it started getting kinda dark, talking about demonic powers attacking people. I stopped reading, because I can handle that during the day, but when I'm alone at night, I have a tendency to be freaked out pretty easily. So I stopped, but as I lie there alone in the dark, I was starting to hear things in the house. Normal creaks were magnified, and I swore I heard things that I knew weren't there. As I lied there, I decided to pray. As I started to pray, I remember the authority I have. I don't have to be afraid. If there was anything in my house, I could cast it out. So I declared out loud in my room, that in the name of Jesus Christ, I banished anything that was not of God from my room, my house, and my property. At that moment, all the things I swore I heard stopped. There was no fear in my heart. I was completely full of peace. I turned on some worship music and fell asleep listening to How He Loves Us.

I often forget how powerful we are as Christians. I really don't have to be afraid anymore. Nothing can touch me while I have God with me. We really do have an amazing God.

My breath fogged up the glass, so I drew a new face and laughed

I'm sick right now. It really sucks. I was supposed to be an extra in a movie today, but hand to cancel because I don't want to infect everyone else. I have the opportunity to do it again for a different scene next week, and I am starting work on Thursday and don't know my schedule yet. I was really excited to have a chance to be in a movie, but I decided yesterday that if I'm supposed to be in it, God will open up next Tuesday. If not, then I'm not supposed to do this. I have such a peace about it. So maybe you'll see a flash of me on the big screen, maybe not. I'm honestly fine either way right now.

On the topic of a job, I go in to sign papers tomorrow at Home Depot. In a way, I'm nervous, because I've never had a job where I work with adults (weird), and I've never done sales. At the same time, I think it's hilarious that I will get an orange apron of my own. I will hang that thing up in my dorm room next year. Or maybe I'll use it as an apron for cooking. Who knows? I'll be in the gardening section, and I know very little about plants. Maybe this will set me into a life on an avid gardener... or maybe I will inhered my mom's knack for killing plants. Who knows? Hopefully I'll get shifts with Jacob. That'd be awesome to know someone. And Grandpa Enos. One of my goals for the summer is getting a picture of the three of us in our aprons.

Kids are insane

So I've spent the last week straight with kids. Wednesday - Friday working at a school, Friday - Sunday with Jonah, and Monday - Tuesday working at school again. Today is my first day off in a week, and I slept for 12 hours... it was fantastic.

Anyways, I've decided that kids really do say the strangest things. Here are a couple of my favorites from the week.



I was told by a little girl that she likes my "teenager shoes" (converse). The same little girl asked me how old I was, so I told her to guess. She said I look 30, and was shocked when I said I was 20. Then she proceeded to tell me that I look like I should work at as hospital, and I'm too young to get married.

I worked in a classroom with a 5th grade boy that was in my day care group last summer. On the last day in his class, he held up a sign the he made for me across the class that said "BYE!" When I told him that it really was my last day, he crossed it out and wrote "DON'T LEAVE!!!" and gave me one of the saddest faces I've ever seen.

At church on Sunday, I was holding Jonah, and he said "down," so I put him down. Another little girl I babysit wanted me to hold her, so I picked her up. Jonah had a complete meltdown. He threw himself to the ground and screamed bloody murder in the foyer right before church was about to start. I guess I'm not allowed to hold other kids....

Later, when the service started, I went up front to sing with the worship team. The whole time Jonah was standing on a chair, pointing at me saying "my Nenni!" really loud.

Again, later that service, my mom gave Jonah goldfish crackers to try and distract him. He takes two out of the bag, bites the face off of one and says in a squeaky voice "OH NO! My nose!" and then proceeds to do the same thing to the other fish and said "OH NO! My nose too!" My mom was in a silent fit of giggles.

Lastly, had to "borrow" a kid from his kindergarten class to work on reading with him. It was the lady I was subbing for's birthday, so I had all the kids make her cards to surprise her. As he's coloring on his card he says "I love Mrs. Thiele A LOT, but not as much as Andy the babysitter. I'm going to marry her."

Summer has really begun

Last week, Megan and Janelle came to spend the week with me. We did the Seattle tourist thing and had a lot of fun, but now it's over. Being home has been nice so far, but I really miss Redding. I really have enjoyed church lately. I have begun taking membership classes, and I am really excited to become an offical member of Alliance Bible Church. My parents don't understand why it's so important to me, since most of the year I am not in Redding. I think the main reason is that sometimes, it's hard for me to go to my church when I'm used to the Stirring. They are two very different groups of people, and my love for the Stirring makes me feel like I don't belong at my church anymore. I think that becoming a member at my church will help me feel more a part of it. I have been asked to help with high school girls and to join the worship team. I'm really excited to really be involved at my church. I've also been a part of the adult sunday school class for the last two weeks, and I had never been a part of it before. I actually can contribute to the discussion with things I have learned at Simpson. It's really exciting to be able to live out what I learned at school.