Happy Thanksgiving!!

I am very thankful and blessed!

I am thankful for my family, that God is the center of it and that we love each other deeply.

I am thankful for how hard my dad works to send me to a school like Corban College.

I am thankful for Corban College, that it is a place to grow in my faith.

I am thankful for the basketball team and that even though it seems as if I'm getting a small taste "of the world," it's NOT more than I can handle, God has promised me that. I will grow because of this.

I am thankful that when I am in tune with God I can find blessing in ALL circumstances.

I am thankful for my beau, that God is the center of us, and "as we live in God our love grows more perfect." (1 John 4:17) I am thankful that this season apart has grown us dynamically! I am thankful that he loves me just the way I am, always and forever, never wanting to settle. I am thankful that he is a man of God and leads our relationship that way. I am thankful that we pray and do devotions together. I am thankful that he is patient and gentle with me, and always encourages me. I am thankful that he will not give up.

I am thankful that Monz is so close and that we can visit each other! I am thankful for Monz because she is my bestest friend. She always speaks the truth to me, loves me, and encourages me. She helps me learn from the hard situations. And we have a lot of fun together!

And I am thankful for my new friends here, like Kate, Mel, Courtney, and Sunshine. They laugh with me, some run with me, and they encourage me!

I am thankful for Christmas that is coming! Because I will get to be with my family, my grandparents, and Jason in a beach house in Pacific City, and then I will get to go back home with them and spend more time with them and see Monz, Hannah, and Meaghan!!

Thank You, Father, for Your unfailing love and mercy that is new every morning!

The Mysterious Ways of God...

Last night I was supposed to read 1 Peter 5 for my devotions...but God had other plans, because I "accidentally" read chapter 4 again. Look what He was showing to me:


verses 4-5: They think it strange that you do not plunge with them into the same flood of dissipation [referring to the debauchery, lust, drunkenness, idolatry etc from verse 3], and they heap abuse on you. But they will have to give an account to Him who is ready to judge the living and the dead.



verse 8: Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins.



verse 12-14: Dear friends, do not be surprised at the painful trial you are suffering, as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice that you participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed when His glory is revealed. If you are insulted because of the name of Christ, you are blessed, for the Spirit of glory and of God rest on you.


Thank you Jesus! I am right where you want me!


PS: to understand why this post/scripture is significant to me right now you might have to go back to yesterday's post "I Miss..." and then last night's post of "Thoughts From My Boy:"

Thoughts From My Boy:

"When God throws you a curveball don't duck, because you might miss something. He has you right where He wants you. Remember your purpose is to bring glory to Him."

I Miss...

I really miss my family...my best friends Monz and Hannah and Meaghan...Jason...my Lady Eagles... I miss people who encourage you to get good grades and do your homework instead of making fun of you... I miss people who think it's ok that you don't listen to Michael Jackson or songs about drunkeness and sex. I miss people who think it's ok that you aren't into Twilight or Harry Potter... I miss people who are positive and encouraging... People who care about basketball and aren't just playing because they are paid. I miss people who act like the Christians they say they are. I miss it.

**Disclaimer: don't get me wrong...there are some great girls here too...and overall I feel like Christ is the center of this school...

Free Throw Shoot-a-Thon

For basketball we're doing this fundraiser where each player shoots 100 free-throws, keeping track of the total made. Your pledge will then be multiplied by the total made to determine your contribution. (for example, 50 free throws made, times a pledge of $.25 equals $12.50). The money is used to offset team travel expenses for the season. So if you would like to participate and "sponsor" me, please leave a comment with your name, address, and the amount per free-throw! (PS: I usually shoot about 60-80%, and the donations I've gotten so far have ranged from $.01 to $.05) Thank you in advance!

31 More Days!!!!!

This picture is from August 21, 2009. It was the morning Jason left for college. And it is only 31 more days until I see him again! On December 24, when I see him, it will have been 124 days!

I remember the Monday on the week that he was leaving, I looked at him with tears in my eyes, and I told him I wasn't ready for him to leave. He looked at me and softly said, "You will be, I promise." That promise defiantly came true! The day he left, we both were filled with complete joy and contentment, knowing that God had magnificent things planned for this season apart. And boy were we right!! Even though I miss Jason so bad my heart aches at times, I am so very thankful for the ways God is growing our relationship and deepening our love! It's unbelievable! And it's all because of Jesus!

Jason Paul Koemans I love you always and forever! I'm honored and blessed to be called to a relationship with you that proves ourselves by our purity, our understanding, our patience, our kindness, by the Holy Spirit within us, and by our sincere love. (2 Cor 6:6 NLT). You are the most amazing guy I have ever met! I love your heart for God and for me! I can't wait to see you!!

A Rose

At Salem Alliance Church that I attend here in Salem, they put a rose on the stage during the service for each person that came to Christ that week. I am going to start putting them in my blog, when they happen within my relm of ministry and prayer.

This week on Tuesday, Kristina from the homeless church accepted Christ!!! Praise the Lord!


Please keep praying for her husband John and their 10 month old daughter Hayden as well, that they could come to know the love of Christ!

"So we have not stopped praying for you since we first heard about you. We ask God to give you complete knowledge of His will and to give you spiritual wisdom and understanding... All the while, you will grow as you learn to know God better and better." Colossians 1:9-10

If you would like to pray for some of the others I am praying for from my various relms of ministry, they include: Max, Russell, Tim, Ryan, Daniel, Kate, Galaxy, Emma, Krista, Christene, Frank, Roger, Ben, Jane, Jen, Misty, Brett...

Promise in My Pocket

Our theme for chapel this year is "Dedicated to the Journey," and when our campus pastor speaks we are going through the book of Pilgrim's Progress. The other day PK (Pastor Kersey) preached about the "Lesson of the Key." While on his journey, Pilgrim ran into the Giant of Despair. This giant was bigger than him and took him captive in the Castle of Doubt, spreading lies in Pilgrim's head until he was so full of despair and hopelessness that he considered ending his life. But then Pilgrim remembered he had something in his pocket. A key. A key called Promise that will unlock ANY door in the Castle of Doubt.


I LOVE this analogy, because it is SO TRUE, for me anyways! The Giant of Despair (i.e.: worry, fear, discouragement...) IS BIGGER than me! And sometimes I let him lock me up in his Castle of Doubt and lie to me! But I have to remember my God who has always proven Himself faithful- and the key of Promise He has put in my pocket to unlock the doors in the Castle of Doubt!


Along with this, I love the line in "Come Thou Fount" that says "prone to wander, prone to leave the God I love! Take my heart Lord, take and seal it, seal it for thy courts above." Because I feel like that's what I do when I succumb to the Giant of Despair, I "wander" from the truths and promises that I know. So I pray that God SEALS my heart, mind, and eyes on HIM and His truth, because then no matter what, I need not despair! This also goes along with a verse from Jeremiah 31:22, "How long will you wander, my wayward daughter?" I could save myself so much heart and head ache if I just remembered the promise in my pocket and didn't wander away from the truth!


So, you might wonder where this is all going. Well it inspired me to write a song. I don't have chords for it...but I have the lyrics!

It's called "Promise in My Pocket."

I feel the clouds turn gray

As I walk down the cold, stone stair

Into the dungeon of the Castle of Doubt.

The Giant of Despair

Has brought me here.

Huddled in the corner,

The lies swirl around my head.

My mind is weak and weary,

My heart feels like a lump of lead.

The Giant has brought me here.

Feeling hopeless and lost,

Like there is no way out,

I feel a poke in my pocket, a key

That can unlock any door in the Castle of Doubt!

This key called Promise has always been here.

Just before I fell through the cracks,

When it felt like I'd reached the end,

You let that poke remind me

That on Your promise I can depend.

The Promise in my pocked will always be here.

I get up off the ground,

It's as if the sun has risen on my day!

Unlocking the door and climbing up the stairs,

The promises on my heart say-

He has always been here.

You cry out to me,

"Oh my wayward Daughter,

There is a promise in you pocket,

How long will you wander?

My Promise will always be here!"

Oh Father! My heart is prone to wander!

Prone to leave the shelter of Your love!

I'm lost without You, desperate for You!

Take my heart, and fix my eyes on You above,

In You my hope will always be here!

In my heart is Your love.

I will trust in You!

You have marvelous things planned for me;

The Promise in my pocket says that too!

You will always be here!

In this world there will be trouble

But the darkness is no more,

Because the light of Your Promise in my pocket
Will shine and unlock every door!

You will always be here!

Today is my second official day of practice...and it's going SO MUCH better than I expected! Which is super encouraging! My main problem now is I'm super sore! =)

Conference, Cake and the Paul Wright Concert!!

So today was our conference cross-country meet... The only picture I have so far (more are coming later) is of the sweet sign my awesome roommate made for me! (ha...and she even knew I'd put it on my blog! Lol!) In case you can't read it says: "As you run beTWIXt the other runners, you will be NUTRAGEOUS! You will CRUNCH the competition when you ZERO in on the finish line and ROLO across the tape! Love from your favorite IDAHO SPUD!" And in the left corner is a Nutri-Grain bar for something healthy =) She is great! So the course was pretty muddy...and I felt like a ran really strong and my best ever...and then I found out I didn't even PR...my time was 20:30...and my coach told me I "ran a good race but not a great race...but that I have a lot of potential..." So it was a bit discouraging...and yet encouraging... And weird thing...my race number was 43, and I took 43rd place! Crazy! Too bad my number hadn't been 1! Haha!

Before the concert we (Kate, Sarah...a basketball player, Jen, Courtney, and I) went to this cake place that is famous for it's cakes... Kate and Sarah and I shared this espresso cheesecake and also a piece of chocolate peanut butter cake. The cheesecake was the yummiest!

And here we are at the concert! (Sarah is on the far right)

These are our tickets =)

And this...is Paul Wright himself! It was an awesome concert! And I got a sweet t-shirt for $12 and a cd for $5... And...we found out that he'd playing in our chapel on Monday!!

College 101: Get To Know Your Coffee Shops!

Dutch Brothers (Salem college lingo: "Dutch Bros") is a local drive through coffee shop that is really really good! Visit them on Tuesdays, because any drink, any size, is only $2!! I love to get the iced Kahlua Kicker or an iced non-fat Americano with half white chocolate and half peppermint! Yum!

The Ike Box is a great coffee shop to study at! And they have some great concerts too! This Saturday night some girls and I are going to a Paul Wright concert there...tickets are $5!! Oh, and visit the Ike Box on Fridays, because every Friday is called "Friend Friday!" And it means that if you buy a friend's drink...it's free! And their pumpkin muffins and coffee cake are so yummy too! Jen and I go every Friday morning from 7am-8:30am to get our coffee and talk and do homework!

Weekend With Monz

I love that my bestest friend is so close! (I wish my family and Jason were too!) I spent the weekend up at George Fox with her! I cheered for her as she ran her conference meet for cross-country...we made a care package for Meaghan...we watched movies...went to church...went to a coffee shop to study...went running...and took pictures! And had lots of fun =)