I want to give you all an amazing story about how God is God.
A few weeks ago I was sitting in my apartment playing video games to pass the time until my class. I was getting up to leave when I got a phone call from Ren. He said that he was with a pastor from a Wesleyan church in Cuba. This seemed odd to me because Ren is not a Wesleyan and makes that pretty clear, but I listened to him. He wanted me to come meet this pastor and talk to him about possibly preaching a sermon. I couldn't go right then but I told Ren to have the pastor email me. Eventually I set up a lunch meeting with this pastor and he told me that he was going on vacation and wanted to give a student minister an opportunity to preach. He also mentioned that the church would pay me 100 dollars to do it. I wasn't going to pass that up.
The really amazing God thing that happened this weekend. On Saturday while I was preparing the sermon, Hilary was having a really bad day but I needed to work on my sermon. I then felt God compelling me to take Hilary out and cheer her up, and I felt overwhelmingly that this sermon was His and He would see it through. So I did. When we came home I finished my preparations and trusted God to take care of the rest.
On Sunday when we got to the church, we loved it. We both immediately felt a connection and may try to get further involved there. Anyway this is where God really showed up. I had decided to put in my introduction some statistics about stress related illness. I was speaking about the fruit of the Spirit, peace specifically, so I thought it reasonable. After I preached the whole sermon, several people came up to me and commented about how I was mature beyond my years and how they all thought it was a great sermon. This made me feel good, but the real amazing God thing happened next. The last person to come up to me and speak with me was a woman who said that she had been having some trouble lately because her father was in the hospital and she had been getting stressed out. She mentioned that she had developed a skin condition because of her stress. This was something I had mentioned in my stats about stress and she said that God really spoke to her through this. She then went on to mention how she hadn't been in church for a couple weeks and God must have put in on her heart to be there today, she also mentioned how she took notes which she never does.
God really touched this woman. She was crying as she told me all these things, and how she knew God would do awesome things in my life. She even begged me to come be the youth pastor at this church because they had just lost theirs.
Isn't it wonderful and mind-boggling how our God works? I keep having to remind myself that God is God, and God is who He says He is. I can't even tell you how nervous and unsure of this sermon I would be. I felt like I'd prepared it inadequately, but I followed God as He directed me and His will was done. Praise God!
Tuesday, September 29, 2009
Saturday, September 19, 2009
Christina Ricci Looks Better With A Pig Nose
That's right, I said it. Dan and I finally got around to watching Penelope, that movie that came out a few years ago with her having a pig nose, and it was supposed to be a modern day fairy tale. It was pretty good, and I enjoyed it, and it had some great messages about loving yourself the way you are... but when the "curse" was broken and Christina Ricci got her real nose back... well, both Dan and I were like... she was cuter before! Lol.
Today was an AWESOME day. Dan and I went out for a day on the town. Grocery shopping, dinner at Applebee's (our favorite restaurant) and just an all around good time. An amazing thing happened, too. Dan broke his glasses a month ago, during the moving in process. Something got sat on them and the arms snapped. So whilst we were at Wal-mat we decided to go to the vision center and have them checked out. We asked if they were fixable, and they were like, no. Bummer. But the lady said she could put his lenses in a new frame, and found one that looked almost identical to his current, busted frames. We were like... can we afford it? Then she was like, well these frames are only $18. $18! We were like, heck yeah! So now Dan has his glasses back, and all for under $20. I was so afraid when they were busted that it would be so expensive to replace/fix them and then $18! What a blessing!
I haven't gotten new shoes yet, but I bought new insoles and they seem to be doing the trick. So maybe I can get away with forcing my shoes to last one more year. Come on shoes, you can do it!
I'm getting my hair cut tomorrow. I'm also considering dying it blonde. I get bored with my hair way too often, lol! I'll update later with pictures after I get it done.
Love,
Hilary
Today was an AWESOME day. Dan and I went out for a day on the town. Grocery shopping, dinner at Applebee's (our favorite restaurant) and just an all around good time. An amazing thing happened, too. Dan broke his glasses a month ago, during the moving in process. Something got sat on them and the arms snapped. So whilst we were at Wal-mat we decided to go to the vision center and have them checked out. We asked if they were fixable, and they were like, no. Bummer. But the lady said she could put his lenses in a new frame, and found one that looked almost identical to his current, busted frames. We were like... can we afford it? Then she was like, well these frames are only $18. $18! We were like, heck yeah! So now Dan has his glasses back, and all for under $20. I was so afraid when they were busted that it would be so expensive to replace/fix them and then $18! What a blessing!
I haven't gotten new shoes yet, but I bought new insoles and they seem to be doing the trick. So maybe I can get away with forcing my shoes to last one more year. Come on shoes, you can do it!
I'm getting my hair cut tomorrow. I'm also considering dying it blonde. I get bored with my hair way too often, lol! I'll update later with pictures after I get it done.
Love,
Hilary
Tuesday, September 15, 2009
It's the Ides of September!
Hmm... somehow that isn't nearly as powerful as the Ides of March. Nevertheless...
Hilary again:
Guess what everybody. I need new shoes. Now, I say that on a regular basis, because I LOVE shoes. Usually, I need the pair of shoes I'm coveting like I need a hole in my head... or like I currently need THIS really, really pretty sweater dress at Victoria's Secret that costs $80. Of course I don't NEED it, I just WANT it really, really, really badly. But this time, guess what. I really do NEED the shoes... and I don't WANT to purchase them. Is that a switch or what? The problem is, my work shoes are worn out. They've very much outlived their usefulness. They are holey and they are no longer supportive and I've been dealing with massive, massive back pain. I really just DON'T want to pay for practical shoes. How boring. Oh well, I suppose I'll try replacing the insoles first, but if that doesn't work, shell out the cash for boring, practical shoes I must. After all, breathing is kind of a necessity.
Other practical things that I don't like paying money for include:
$160 textbooks. Seriously. $160 for one book. Ridiculous!
Gasoline that is creeping ever closer to hitting the $3 per gallon mark again.
Paper checks. Why do they have to cost money? You use them AS money.
Etc, etc, etc.
Anyway, there's not really much going on here this week. It's pretty slow and boring. Just thought I'd give you all a little update before you thought we didn't love you anymore.
Love,
Hilary
Hilary again:
Guess what everybody. I need new shoes. Now, I say that on a regular basis, because I LOVE shoes. Usually, I need the pair of shoes I'm coveting like I need a hole in my head... or like I currently need THIS really, really pretty sweater dress at Victoria's Secret that costs $80. Of course I don't NEED it, I just WANT it really, really, really badly. But this time, guess what. I really do NEED the shoes... and I don't WANT to purchase them. Is that a switch or what? The problem is, my work shoes are worn out. They've very much outlived their usefulness. They are holey and they are no longer supportive and I've been dealing with massive, massive back pain. I really just DON'T want to pay for practical shoes. How boring. Oh well, I suppose I'll try replacing the insoles first, but if that doesn't work, shell out the cash for boring, practical shoes I must. After all, breathing is kind of a necessity.
Other practical things that I don't like paying money for include:
$160 textbooks. Seriously. $160 for one book. Ridiculous!
Gasoline that is creeping ever closer to hitting the $3 per gallon mark again.
Paper checks. Why do they have to cost money? You use them AS money.
Etc, etc, etc.
Anyway, there's not really much going on here this week. It's pretty slow and boring. Just thought I'd give you all a little update before you thought we didn't love you anymore.
Love,
Hilary
Saturday, September 5, 2009
Just.... wow.
Hilary's turn...
Well, today I woke up at about 3:30 in the morning to go with my mom and KC to Bethany. I should be there right now, but today didn't exactly turn out as planned. Mom and I were just past Corning, only an hour and a half from Houghton, when K.C. called to say he'd flipped his car! HE was fine, but the car was not. So our trip to Bethany turned into an extended tour of the Corning hospital, (again, K.C. was discharged almost as soon as mom and I got there, he's just fine) Corning McDonalds, and a towing service in Bath. They have a Bath in New York. Does EVERY town in Michigan have a counterpart in New York?
Dan was awesome and made no complaints about me waking him up at 5:30 in the morning to come help out, and Dan's boss was awesome and didn't get upset about the fact that he had to skip his shift due to all this. I'm so glad KC's okay, and I hope all of his stuff is okay too. It seemed to be when we got it out of his car, but who knows until he actually tries it all out right? His keyboard was definitely all busted up, and the car is of course totaled.
God was definitely watching out for him and keeping him safe, and that's just awesome. I'm praying that this doesn't interfere too much with his freshman year of college... poor guy. But we all know that the devil likes to mess with us and try to hinder us from doing what we're supposed to be doing. I'm sure K.C. can stay strong and persevere.
Dan and I have been doing very well. It seems like every time we try to get those few last odds and ends unpacked, something happens which causes us to have to go do something else and put it off a while longer. Frustrating.
Dan has a perfect attendance record so far this school year. No classes missed, no chapels missed, no work shifts missed (well except for today but that doesn't count.) It's only one week, but it's a lot considering how badly his sinuses mess with him this time of year (summer by day, winter by night, ugh!) I'm very proud of him and know he can keep it up. Can I get a big "WAY TO GO DAN!"
I'm just praising God for seeing us all through the ordeal today, and for keeping K.C. safe. Our God is truly an awesome God. Can I get an AMEN?
Love,
Hilary
Well, today I woke up at about 3:30 in the morning to go with my mom and KC to Bethany. I should be there right now, but today didn't exactly turn out as planned. Mom and I were just past Corning, only an hour and a half from Houghton, when K.C. called to say he'd flipped his car! HE was fine, but the car was not. So our trip to Bethany turned into an extended tour of the Corning hospital, (again, K.C. was discharged almost as soon as mom and I got there, he's just fine) Corning McDonalds, and a towing service in Bath. They have a Bath in New York. Does EVERY town in Michigan have a counterpart in New York?
Dan was awesome and made no complaints about me waking him up at 5:30 in the morning to come help out, and Dan's boss was awesome and didn't get upset about the fact that he had to skip his shift due to all this. I'm so glad KC's okay, and I hope all of his stuff is okay too. It seemed to be when we got it out of his car, but who knows until he actually tries it all out right? His keyboard was definitely all busted up, and the car is of course totaled.
God was definitely watching out for him and keeping him safe, and that's just awesome. I'm praying that this doesn't interfere too much with his freshman year of college... poor guy. But we all know that the devil likes to mess with us and try to hinder us from doing what we're supposed to be doing. I'm sure K.C. can stay strong and persevere.
Dan and I have been doing very well. It seems like every time we try to get those few last odds and ends unpacked, something happens which causes us to have to go do something else and put it off a while longer. Frustrating.
Dan has a perfect attendance record so far this school year. No classes missed, no chapels missed, no work shifts missed (well except for today but that doesn't count.) It's only one week, but it's a lot considering how badly his sinuses mess with him this time of year (summer by day, winter by night, ugh!) I'm very proud of him and know he can keep it up. Can I get a big "WAY TO GO DAN!"
I'm just praising God for seeing us all through the ordeal today, and for keeping K.C. safe. Our God is truly an awesome God. Can I get an AMEN?
Love,
Hilary
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