JOY! {GMG: Advent Study}

JOY! 

"When they saw the STAR they were OVERJOYED. On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary and they bowed down and worshiped him" Matthew 2:11

Tis' the season to be joyful, to celebrate the birth of a baby who was born to die so that we may live for eternity in heaven! But sometimes it is very hard to find JOY in this world... Sometimes all we want to do is skip this season that should be filled with JOY when we are filled with sadness. I watch parents I have come to know and love say goodbye to their babies, who then have to figure out a way to find JOY in what is left for them on this earth.  I've watched my family say goodbye to their husband, father, grandfather only to think about what it will be like this Christmas without him at the dinner table. This world is filled with sadness, no doubt; but there is JOY that comes with knowing our reunion with loved ones is only separated by our time here on earth.  Such a small increment of time when you think of spending eternity in heaven with your child, father, husband or grandfather! 

So this season I have come up with many reasons to have JOY! And of course I am going to show these to you in the form of photographs... (big surprise right!?)  

Joy is:

JOY is: Memories that are filled with people who no longer with us and honoring those who are in the arms of Jesus.

JOY is: The boundless and never ending love of parents

JOY is: Watching little brothers and sisters turn into amazing young adults with bright futures ahead of them.

 

 

JOY is: Attempting family pictures... and then getting two great shots!

JOY is: Having little girls look up to you as a role-model

JOY is: Pretending to be in high school again, enjoying the 'Twilight Saga' and trying on fur coats in dressing rooms,  JOY is amazing Friends!

 

JOY is: Watching the first snowfall of the year, and getting to experience a child's JOY as he experiences the JOY of SNOW for the very first time!

JOY is: Smiles and Laughter of Family!

 

JOY is: Christmas Traditions

JOY is: Whatever we want it to be.  JOY is something different for everyone, we get to choose what brings JOY to our lives. Today and in this Christmas season I choose JOY! Even though this world is not perfect, and there are many things I wish I could change that I cant, there is always the option of JOY! So will you choose JOY? 

Merry Almost Christmas....

Africa Update!!!

I just wanted to write a short update for all of those that are following my journey to Swaziland Africa!! It is just a little over 2 months away, and time is FLYING by!!! I am getting so excited I can hardly stand it, I can't wait to see what the Lord has in store for me and this trip.
My fundraising is going great, thanks to everyone who has donated thus far!!! I have raised $2000 of the $3200 I need to, and have a few deadline coming up shortly.  I pray that the Lord will  make this trip happen for me, and I am giving him all of the trust I can muster up. My final absolute deadline is January 14th, but I am asking for donations to be in by Dec 31st so I will have an idea of what additional money I will need to pay out of pocket. If it is on your heart to donate please follow this LINK yes I know you have to enter A LOT of information, and I apologize for this! If you would rather mail a check that is also an option. They can be sent to  the following address, just place my name and "Swaziland" in the subject line.

River Valley Church 

14898 Energy Way 

Apple Valley, MN 55124

I just received yesterday an updated picture of the little girl we sponsor Nompelo, with a letter from the center she goes to. They are working on teaching the kiddos about being healthy and staying active. They have been teaching them all about hygiene and are on the lookout for kids that may be infected with HIV and getting them proper medical attention. In the picture I'm posting she is playing soccer, and check out those flower flip flops!! Definitely a girl after my own heart, there was also a picture included of her on a bike with some other kiddos.  I continue to pray that I will get to see her in February and that the Lord will make it known what she needs and what I can bring to her!

Thank you so much for keeping up with this journey, I pray that you will be impacted through these posts and through my trip!!

May the Lord continue to bless you and your family through the Holiday Season!

With Love,

Gretch

Advent Study: {Weeks 1&2}

The gift of HOPE!

Well I had great intentions of blogging weekly throughout this study, but life has been busy and blogging has been on the back burner! This study has been amazing thus far and has really brought the focus and the true meaning of Christmas in our home back to Jesus. 

Week 1: The focus of the first week was on HOPE, God gave the hopeless world the gift of Hope in his son Jesus Christ. 
"May the God of HOPE fill you with all the Joy and Peace as you trust in Him, so that you may overflow with HOPE by the power of the Holy Spirit." ~Romans 15:13
There were so many good verses this week, my favorites coming from the book of John.

 

"The Word was first, 

the Word present to God,

God present to the Word.

The Word was God, 

in readiness for God from day one.

Everything was created through him; 

nothing- not one thing, cam into being without him!

What came into existence was Life, 

and the Life was Light to live by. 

The Life-Light blazed out of the darkness;

the darkness could not be put out." John 1:1-5

The Lord sent his only son Jesus, the Life-Light into a world of darkness. The world was not ready for him, nor did they comprehend what this little child would one day do for them.  People doubted him constantly, and still do; but those who believe in him and what he stands for have been given the greatest Hope of all. A life that doesn't end when we take our last breath, but a life filled with eternal happiness.  He is the LIGHT in our world of DARKNESS, this tiny baby born in a manger is our greatest HOPE!

Week 2: LOVE, "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life." John 3:16
While we focus every year on the Love God had for the world by sending his son Jesus to die for us, we often forget that WE as believers must show generosity, compassion  and LOVE to those around us suffering.  We must LOVE and be generous because God LOVES us and is generous to us.

 

"Beloved, let us LOVE one another, for LOVE is from God, and whoever LOVES has been born of God and knows God." ~1 John 4:7

This second week I have had a harder time sitting down to do my study, but once I do I feel ten times better about where I am in my walk with the Lord and in my life in general. 

"By your words I can see where I am going, they throw a beam of LIGHT in my dark path." Psalm 119: 105-106 

As I look forward to week three of this study: Keeping our hearts focused on Jesus, I pray that the hustle and bustle of the holidays will slow down and allow us to really spend time thinking about the true meaning of Christmas! This week I challenge you to do something nice for someone you don't know... buy someone a coffee, wish someone in passing a Merry Christmas, put a little extra into the red kettles (Bell ringers LOVE that... I know from personal experience!!) whatever you do, do it in His name!!

Merry Christmas from our Home to Yours!!

GMG Advent Study

Tis the season to celebrate the birth of our Savior! What better way to do that, then to dig into His word and re-discover the reason for the season.

I am stealing this from the Good Morning Girls website~
The word Advent means “the waiting on the arrival of something important” and for us as Christians, it’s waiting on the arrival of the day we will celebrate the birth of our Savior. Advent is a 4 week preparation time FOR Christmas that focuses on celebrating Christ’s birth, looking forward to His second coming and finding strength in His presence in our lives right now. Seeing God in our past, our future and our present. It’s about preparing our hearts and minds on HIM…..the “reason for the season.” Advent is a deep daily focus on Jesus. Many believe that it is the deepest form of worship at Christmas..not celebrating Christ’s birth and life one day but rather for the 4 weeks leading up to Christmas.

I have participated in a couple of the GMG bible studies and I am so excited to dig into this study as we near my favorite holiday! It is a very simple study to participate in, all you need is your bible, the free e-book available at this Link, and four candles! All of the instructions are on that webpage, and the links to the materials you need are there as well.
I am going to be joining my friend Jessica, an amazing Christian woman and mother (who has a fantastic Blog ) and try and post weekly about what I have learned thus far in the study.
I hope you will join along with me as we prepare our hearts for Christmas!!

Thankful

I can't believe it is November already! Where has the time gone? Before we know it there will be snow on the ground and it will be socially acceptable to listen to Christmas music (not that I haven't already started or anything..) I have decided to write a post about thankfulness seeing as though Thanksgiving is just around the corner, and isn't the theme of November thankfulness?

Mom, Brother Ben, Me, Sister Hannah, Dad

 There are so many things I am thankful for, starting first and foremost with my family! I have two amazing families, starting first with the family I have always known my parents, brother, sister, cousins, aunts and uncles. My parents have always supported me in everything I have chosen to do with my life and I am so grateful for their endless love and support of all my dreams! My brother and sister are equally as fantastic, just in their own ways! While my relationships are not as strong with them as I wish they were, I am thankful to have siblings and hope that one day our lives will align a little more and our relationships will grow

Ashlyn, Me and Jen

stronger. I am so lucky to have amazing cousins and aunts and uncles who never question my motives or my plans and provide me with endless advice and support. I better include some pretty special kiddos of my cousins that have brought so much joy and happiness into my life!!!

The Liljas~ Mike, Nanci, Josh, Me and Chad

My second family is equally as amazing, I just haven't known them as long (but can you believe it's been almost 9 years!?) My husband Chad is my rock. He has shown me endless support over the last 9 years, and there is NO WAY I would have made it this far without his support and encouragement. He welcomes my crazy nurse friends into our home, cooks for us and even cleans the house after we leave! What more could I ask for in a husband and best friend!? I am so thankful for my marriage and I pray that the Lord will continue to bless us and our home as we continue to strive to have a faith filled relationship centered around love, trust and the Lord.

Me and my Best Friend

And with my fantastic husband, comes his amazing family and extended family (there are lots of them!!!).  My second set of parents are absolutely fantastic, they have shown both Chad and I endless support, and given us much needed advice over the last 9 years.  I have never felt so welcomed as I do in their family, and I am so thankful my best friend came with amazing parents and a pretty cool brother! Chad's extended family is great, and so much like my extended family that I think I just fit right in! It has been a true blessing to enjoy the gift of Grandparents once again, as I have spent much of my adult life without living Grandparents.  I have learned to make homemade Lefse and shared in so many fun family traditions over the last 9 years. Chad's cousins, aunts and uncles have always shown me love and supported Chad and I in every turn we make.  There are some pretty special kiddos on this side of the family as well, they give pretty good hugs and love to play!

My "Niece" Jordyn and I

My favorite picture from our wedding day, our first look...

Hunter and I

I better not forget to tell you that I'm thankful for my sweet puppy Hunter, who just so happens to be our problem child but gives the best snuggles ever!!! We are so lucky to have such a good dog to share our family with.  He loves to hunt and chase tennis balls, and gives the best kisses!!!

So can you tell I am thankful for my family?!

How about my friends... yep I am REALLY thankful for them! For new friends, for old friends, for work friends, church friends and for school friends.  It never ceases to amaze me the impact friends can have on our true happiness in life.  I am so thankful for the easy conversations, the shoulders to cry on, the wine drinking partners I have come to call friends, and those ladies who let me steal their babies to fulfill my own baby fever ! They are truly a gift from God and I thank Him everyday for the amazing people he puts in my life. I swear each friend that I have grown to love has been put in my life for a certain reason. There are some that are put in my life to teach me what it means to be humble, to be kind and caring, putting others needs before themselves. There are friends in my life that teach me to be patient, and to not sweat the little things. I am so blessed to be continually learning from those around me! I am also so thankful to my IG (instagram) friends. Women whom I have not yet met in real life, but who continue to support me in my strife to be a better wife and Christian! There are so many things I still have to learn about being a friend, and I am so THANKFUL to have these people in my life.

I am so thankful for my health and for the health of those I love.  In my line of work sickness and death are normal occurrences so to be able to say that I am healthy is a true gift from God.  I am also thankful for those who are sick, those kids who teach me about myself and my faith just for fighting their own battle.  Their courage and happiness despite everything they have been forced to endure, is life changing and I am so thankful to have my life changed everyday I walk into the hospital.

There are so many other things I am thankful for but I will end with one more; I am thankful for my faith in God and my promise of eternity in heaven.  There are not enough words to describe my gratitude, nor do I think I can adequately articulate what my faith means me to me or how thankful I am to HAVE faith.  There are many people I encounter who do not yet know the Lord, nor have faith in anything other than themselves. I pray that people will come to know the Lord though my actions and the way that I live my life striving to be the best person I can be, living for Him everyday.

So what are you thankful for? I am thankful that you took the time to read my blog and hope that it has blessed you in some way today!

Mission Trip... Whats the point?

**UPDATE: $900 left to raise by January 14th!! Please consider donating or joining me in prayer**

Is a mission trip like a vacation? What are you doing in Africa? Are you going to go on a safari? Why are you building a church in Africa? What's the point in a mission trip? Why are you sponsoring a child in Africa, why don't you just have a kid? Why is it so expensive?

After announcing to my friends and family that I have decided to go on a missions trip to Swaziland Africa, I have gotten many questions like the ones above.  So I shall enlighten you to the best of my abilities!

Why Africa? One of my best friends went to Africa last year with church, and all of the stories and experiences she shared with me were AMAZING! When I found out River Valley would be sending two groups in February, I felt the Lord tug at my heart and tell me I need to make this trip a reality. My faith has grown so tremendously in the last year that I KNOW this experience will enhance my spiritual growth, I am so excited to see what the Lord has in store for me. 

"Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”Matthew 28:19-20 

A mission trip is not the same thing as a vacation.  To me a mission trip has a main purpose of serving the Lord and spreading his gospel to people who may not know him.  In Africa we plan to serve the people of Swaziland by working at in the community, serving the children at care-points and spreading the word to anyone who will listen! I am so excited to share my testimony and my experiences and my beliefs with other people, especially young people. I am also SUPER excited to get to meet some amazing kiddos and teach them about Jesus!!!

I will learn more about what exactly we will be doing once we have a group meeting, but one of the main things we will be doing is opening up a River Valley Church campus! By launching a church in Swaziland, we are giving so many people the opportunity to learn about Christ and to find salvation in their future in his presence. I am so excited to be part of this experience, it is something our church has been praying about for a long time and for it to finally be opening is amazing! 

As for the safari... not sure, but I HOPE so!!!

Sponsoring a child has always been something I have wanted to do.  Growing up I have never been hungry, I have never not known home, I have always felt safe and provided for.  There are so many kids in this world that don't have the security I grew up with and that makes me so sad.  It makes me want to do something, which is why we are sponsoring a child! It's totally different than having out own kid, its a way to provide for someone and bless someone we have never even met (yet)!

Why is the trip so expensive? Do you know how expensive it is to fly to Africa!?!? That's why! The cost of this trip includes my airfare, transportation, food and all of our accommodations.

So doesn't it sound amazing?!! Yeah, I think so too...

If my story has inspired you, please feel free to click THIS LINK to donate! 

I have deadlines to make and the 1st on is fast approaching, I have to have $1000 raised by Nov. 5th and I am a long ways away from that... 

I pray that you the Lord will provide for you like he has for me and that your faith will be influenced by my story and this blog!

~Pray, Hope and Don't Worry~

The perfect Bible

The Bible is probably one of my favorite books of all times. I have known it almost my entire life and yet I am still surprised at it's magnitude.  There is so much in it that I do not yet know, and there are so many verses that bring me so much comfort. I have grown so much in the last 9 months just in my faith alone, that I feel like a whole new person. Growing up I had a study bible that I loved! My dad bought it for me shortly before I was confirmed and there are many notes and verses high-lighted in it.  It is hard cover and I have moved it with me for the last 10 years and it to this day resides on my bookshelf in our living room.  It is an amazing bible, but I lost connection with it a long time ago.  I have since moved on, and I can now say I have found a bible that I will use for the rest of my life.  It is amazing! And even better, it is Hot PINK! How cool is that? I am currently doing a bible study on the book of Colossians, and many of the girls in the study have asked me about my bible so I figured I would share. It is the Message translation, which for those of you who don't know it is the contemporary version of the bible.  I am all about it because I can understand what is going on, it tells the story in a modern language and for me that helps me relate and apply it to my everyday life.  There are decent size margins so I can take lots of notes, and write my favorite verses in their more "popular" translations  I have tried using a Bible app, and while that is super convenient, I love being able to write all over and leave marks to find at a later date.  The only downfall is that the "popular verses" don't read the same in the message Bible as they do in a NIV or more traditional version.  But like I said, I just write that popular translation in the margin of the page and then you have both version! So I would advise, if you are in the hunt for a new bible try out some different translation via an app and then find one that is fun and you can understand.  If you wont read it in the store, you are going to read it at home!