This has been a pretty good week. Right now I am enjoying a night at the house. These times are rare....so I am loving it. Monday I went to U of M for an awards night. Yep....I got an award. haha! It was a Honor Society ceremony for the top 10% of the Sophomore class. And I got an award for being the top student in the School of Education. My brother and mom went with me....which was very nice of them. My brother and I laughed and laughed the whole night. So good to be with him. I love him so much. He is such a sweet and caring guy. He works hard and is very smart. I couldnt have asked for a better brother. I pray that Jason grows in his relationship with God and really gives Him his heart. I got to have some good God conversations with him....and that was great. I sang at church on Wednesday. I was allowed the privilege to sing the special. I love the song got to sing....and to sing with Stacey was awesme! I never take that for granted. I got to take a student to Wendy's before church. His name is Chandler and he is a great kid. My sweet Jordan drives himself now and Chandler asked me to hang out so we have for the past 2 weeks. Wednesdays with students are a joy to me that I am pleasantly surprised by. While I dont take Jordan anymore....him and I are still close and hopefully will always be. Even sat with me in church. haha! I love the honor of speaking Christ into these guys lives and count it a blessing. Students are pure joy to me. I am so thankful to God. I am excited to keep getting to know Chandler and I know God has great plans for him. I am hanging out with with a Rustproofer tomorrow at her house to watch the first in The Lord of The Ring movies. Tia has one of those cool movie theatre rooms....and it is cool! I havent seen this movie and we made plans to watch them all. Not sure if that will all happen tomorrow....but will be fun. I have a busy but very FUN weekend ahead....just got paid....so things are lookng good! :)

Thank you God for your goodness to me....I am amazed by You Lord. Peace!

Camp was AMAZING! I loved every minute of it! Thank you to those of you who prayed (if anyone reads this anymore...haha) because while I had a stuffy nose at times....I felt great Saturday and Sunday. Loved hanging with the leaders....they are a great group of people. On a side note....NRC is blessed with GREAT volunteers in Student Ministries.....truly amazing people....I am lucky to be in the bunch. There is so much to say about this camp...from how nice the actual facilities were....good food...great music.....great teaching.....and AMAZING students. I had a great small group of freshman and sophomore girls. I learned a lot as a small group leader and did some things I had never done. We had great talks....one girl was very new to Velocity and the "God thing"....but she grew so much in just 2 days. The band was awesome! I was blown away at how great they were. And I see these students play in Velocity all the time....but God used them and anointed them.....yeah...anointed....thats the word. Watching them play and the students worship around me just filled my heart up in huge ways. OVERFLOWING ways. I got to sing with the band on Saturday night. Such a special time for me. Relationships with those guys are major important to me....and you just grow close with people you sing or play with.....God like weaves your hearts together....it is really something I began to understand this weekend. Music moves people anyways.....but when it is God music and you are on this "journey while leading others in worship"....something happens to the people on stage.....you grow closer...you just do. I am forever thankful to God for the closeness and relationship I have with this paticular group of guys and even one that was missing from the weekend. I truly love them and want God's best for them so much. I learned a lot from Josh (the worhsip leader) and Chris (the speaker). I think the coolest part is that I have known a lot of these students since they were in 6th grade and some of them are seniors now....so to be able to still be in there lives....truly is priceless. It brings tears to my eyes just to type that. We had all the seniors come up to the front and we layed hands on them and prayed for them as this was their last trip with Velocity. It was emotional to look at them and just pray so hard for their futures and their lives. Such a privilege. I could go on and on....but I should go.....just an AMAZING weekend and even a great time at Velocity last night. I will treasure these times in my heart forever. Thank you God for helping me to go this weekend. My cup overflows.....

Today I leave for Velocity camp and I have a bad sinus thing going on. I hope I am making the right decision to go and dont wake girls up all night blowing my nose! Please pray that God relieves me in this. The funniest part is that today when I went to eat my breakfast...I couldnt taste the food. I havent had anything like this happen since I was a kid. Cant taste my food! haha! I didnt sleep well....which for me....is VERY rare. I dont know how people function without good sleep. It wipes a girl out. My dreams were crazy too and I had a lot on my mind at like 4:30 AM. Um.....4:30??....no no no.....I should still be asleep! Fo sho! Oh well....I am feeling a bit brighter right now....even though my nose is making me nuts. And I am just waiting for when my nose will start to be dry underneath from blowing it! I HATE THAT! Every time I get sick....I sure begin to really remember to be thankful to God on the days that I have no health issues. Have you thanked God today for not having a runny nose? Well, hurry and do that. That is a big blessing. :)

So camp this weekend....have been so excited to go....just sad that I dont feel great. I will try to be myself.....but I know I will not be as crazy fun as I would normally be at something like this. Next week is "National Kristi stays home and rests week"....probably will not be on my cell much at all...and just slow down. I have been running nuts since the week before Rustproof camp last week all the way through till last night at like 9:00. So I gotta slow down. So if you hear less from me....know that I love you and need you still....just gotta detach a bit and get some "me" time.

Remember all the Marvelous things the Lord has done for you and say thanks! He is so good!

I have said before that relationships are life. I love people and I love the relationships that I have and I welcome more....but man can they HURT. I have this struggle at work with a friend. I really care about her and I have known her for about 8 years. We have a great time with each other and everyone needs that at work. The weird thing is...there are times I feel like she competes with me or wants to show out for people. She is about 7 years older than me....and wants to put this attitude out there that she has it all together and like anybody knows....none of us have it all together. The other day some girls in my unit and I were having a fun time playing back and forth mostly at my expense (haha) and then this girl says something under her breath to another girl (something I had told them in light humor about myself earlier in the day from my childhood) but now she is meaning it rude and making fun of me. I told her that was rude and that I wouldnt do that to her if she shared something like that with me. She said I was laughing when I told her and I am being too sensitive. And that is true that I was being sensitive but she was making fun of it now and saying it loud enough for others in the unit to hear and I didnt tell but now they were intrigued to know. I told her not to say anything to them. Well...needless to say that was like a week ago and she isnt really talking to me. I am not really talking to her either. Other than work conversations and light stuff. I am sure she is putting an attitude toward me and blaming me. I think that is totally ridiculous because she is the one that made fun of the info I shared with her....all I did was tell her to stop and not share that. That is ALL I said....and she will just be in denial in her own head that I am the problem. It so surprises me how we as people can just get something in our head about others and never NEVER think WE could be the issue. I am seeing that so vivid in this sitation. I guess it is better to not be as close to her....but I just dont like it to be this way. I am disappointed with her and I feel insecure in this cause it makes me feel like I am not worth her just coming and talking to me and saying she is sorry. I thought we were better friends that that. But in her head I dont think she thinks she did anything wrong. I am just "too sensitive". And the funny part is that if anyone knows me....I am sarcastic and I give it so I better be able to take it....but I also know that if someone shares something personal and it would be rude to make fun of it regardless of how that person shared it....I wouldnt make fun of that. And if I ever have....and I realized I hurt the person with my words...I go and make it right. With this girl, I seem to always be the one to make things right with us and I am not the one that did anything this time....why should I have to go to her again? I am just gonna have to let her go. I cant keep putting my heart in and get it hurt over and over. Sometimes it is better to just make a new boundary even if we would rather not.

Work relationships are hard. While I dont hang out with them outside of work like some of them do with each other and I really dont have the desire to....everyone needs some good pals at the workplace and I feel like I just dont have that. That is really hard and makes being at work hard. Work is hard enough without having issues with people that you dont hang out with but have to spend 8 hours EVERY day with. Makes me sad to be here.....maybe not sad.....but weighs very heavy on me.

Oh well....I just gotta be thankful I have a job and thankful that I can keep my radio on and just do my work. But for a person that loves people and relationships....this is rough. If you read this...send out a prayer for me today. :) thanks!

Random thoughts....
I leave for Rustproof Winter Retreat in a couple hours....so excited! So much fun to connect with students at a retreat!

I am eating Quiznos for lunch (right now) hee hee

It is like 40 degrees out and you would think it was summer here in Mi....people are craving the sun and warm weather. So glad it wont be freezing at camp!

I had a power lunch...meaning I went to so many places in 45 minutes....Rite Aid, Quiznos, Hallmark, Baskin Robins (oreo shake) :0) ..., and the bank.

Nancy's belly is so cute....her baby boy is growing....never seen Nance with a tummy!

Jordan has his license....gotta say I MISS HIM....but I do still see him all the time. Just miss him being in MY car. :) Great way to connect with a student...pick them up and take them out to eat. Students spill all..sitting in the passenger seat. I think I get Jordan next Wednesday though. :) yeah!

I am going to Velocity retreat next weekend! So excited for that camp too. Kristie and I will RULE that camp. Fo sho!

Communion next Wednesday....sweet!! And I get to lead worhsip? wow.....

Today is my 10 year anniversary of being at NorthRidge I have been there a little longer (when it was in Redford)....but that became MY CHURCH 10 years ago today when they opened the doors to the chuch in Plymouth. Praise you Father....you are sooo good!

Finished my sandwich.

Kurt is on WildFire.... :)

I get to sing with Shelly and Stacey next week....Super Duper!

Dave...thats all I gotta say.....

Great verse I read today.....He (God) has made everything beautiful in its time. Ecclesiastes 13:11. Love that....love that God completes us in his time. That should leave me nothing to worry about...just sit at his feet and wait. And believe.

He really is soo good and His mercy endures forever. Yesterday, today, and forever you are the same, Lord you never change....You are faithful and we will trust in you....from the Inside-Out.....my soul does cry out. And Lord you truly are Mighty to Save!!!!!!! AMEN! Worship service happening at my desk right now. LOL!