Winter is here!

Snickers in the snow

It has been snowing like crazy here. It is really pretty. Unfortunately it is too powdery for snowballs or snowmen. It is kind of fun though. This picture is of Snickers, the Sullivan's dog. She is so funny. She loves playing in the snow. She's pretty cute too. Well, I really don't have a whole lot to say but just thought I would post this picture and let you know what was going on.

It's Friday

Well, I'm running out of clever titles to use, so sorry if they sound boring. Actually, I don't think I ever really had ANY clever titles, so I guess you're not missing anything. Well, it's the end of the week and it's been a good week. I guess it was a pretty normal week. Although, you would be proud of me, Mom, because I cleaned my apartment thoroughly and it is pretty much spotless right now. My room could still use some work, but at least you can see the floor now. I have some piles going on in some corners, but it's a lot better than what it was. It seems like basically since Thanksgiving I've been running around like crazy and I think that's why my room got so bad. Now things are slowing down and getting back to normal so my room can go back to order now.

Quote of the day: I don't know if I will keep this up, but I found some funny quotes online and maybe I will share some every once in a while. Today's quote is:

Whenever you read a good book, it's like the author is right there, in the room, talking to you, which is why I don't like to read good books. -- Jack Handey Deep Thoughts

Ok, that was pretty silly, but funny. I'm not really sure what to write about today. Sometimes it's kind of hard to really write about what I'm thinking or feeling on this thing.

Oh!!!! I'm so silly, I forgot to mention that Karen Neel is here!!! She arrived yesterday around 4:30! For those of you who don't know her, she lived here in Chemnitz for 6 years and she went back to the States for about 3 1/2 or so. She missed it so much that she wanted to come back! She will be teaching English once she is all settled and everything is figured out for her. She is staying with me right now and so it's fun to have a roommate again! If you still don't know her, her mom is Wanda Neel who works in the Business Building at OC. She most recently lived in Edmond and attended Memorial Road Church of Christ. Anyway, I met her on my first campaign to Germany in 2001, which was the same year she moved back to the States. She is a great gal and I know we are going to have fun together! Please pray that she can get all the details worked out for her plans to stay here! I'm not sure what all she still needs to work on, but I'm sure she could use the prayers!

Ok, well that was about all the news I have for now and so I wish you all a wonderful weekend!

Lady In Waiting

Hi friends! Does anyone even read this?? I was just wondering. Ha ha, I have no idea. It snowed a little bit earlier, but not for long and now the sun is out and shining bright and has melted anything that even tried to stick. Larry said this is like the month of April. There is a saying that I have heard several times because of my name: "April, April der weisst nicht was er will." (I hope that is right) It means: April, April (s)he doesn't know what (s)he wants. (Technically it is in masculine form because the months are masculine. Don't ask me why.) This is in reference to the weather.

I'm reading a book called "Lady In Waiting: Developing Your Love Relationships" by Debby Jones and Jackie Kendall. I recommend it to any women who are single, dating, engaged, or even married. The main point of it is to develop your relationship with God first before your relationship with a man, boyfriend or spouse. Here are some favorite quotes from the book that I have read so far:

"Lady in Waiting is not about finding the right man, but being the right woman."

"A woman becomes a woman when she becomes what God wants her to be."

"Happy indeed are those people, married or single, who have discovered that happiness is not found in marriage but in a right relationship with God."

"No one, not even the man you will marry one day, can make you happy--only Jesus can."

"God knows that you will never be complete until you really understand that you are complete in Jesus."

"When two 'incomplete' singles get married, their union will not make them complete. Their marriage will be simply two 'incomplete' people trying to find completeness in one another."

"If the Lord wants to give you a man, He does not need your clever 'chance rendezvous.' This is not advocating that you avoid men completely and expect the Lord to 'UPS' His choice to your front door."

"Even though Ruth was young in her faith in the God of Israel, she chose to trust with her heart for the future her eyes could not yet see."

"Datelessness is a common type of debris that irritates the 'eyes of faith,' but the eye wash treatment--quality time with Jesus and reading His Word--is always effective."

"If Jesus wants you married, He will orchestrate the encounter."

"Are the sands of singleness causing you bitterness right now, or are you allowing these trials to change you into a pearl? The Lord wants you to be a Lady of Virtue--a costly, beautiful pearl for all to admire."

"As you set your attention on developing godly character, Christ will change you into the beautiful princess He created you to be."

"Are you becoming a virtuous woman that a man may need as a helpmate? Are you using these days to develop godliness in order that, if asked, you will be ready? Whether you marry or not, every woman should seek the virtues of Christlikeness."

"God's Spirit, however, produces true inner beauty, as you confess your sin, avoid displeasing God's Spirit, obey even the slightest of His promptings, and give the Holy Spirit full control of your life. Pearls of godly character take time to develop, but how blessed is the woman adorned by them."

"When you love someone, you give them your heart, the center of you being. God asks for no less. He desires a totally devoted heart."

"Do you know God in a way that causes Him to be an intimate, personal part of your being as you may desire a husband to one day be?"

"Sin is far more repulsive to God than even onion breath is to a sweetheart."

"You are the one who determines the depth of your relationship with God."

Well, those are just some really good points that I have read so far. Maybe I can put more in as I read it. I hope they can be encouraging to you no matter what your "situation" is.

Trying to Keep Up

Lately I have begun to think about wedding plans... ahhhhh! It's so exciting and yet so overwhelming at the same time. I know that after all is said and done though, the details won't matter and the most important fact will be that Clint and I will be married! Wow, it's still amazing to think of all the things you have to do though. I'm very blessed to have a lot of good friends and family that are helping me with everything.

I've been feeling a little under the weather this week. I mostly have cold symptoms: nose and sinus congestion, sneezing, watery eyes... etc. but thankfully I was able to pick up some Claratin at the military base over Christmas so hopefully it will help me.

Just from talking to a few friends lately I realized that I had never really made an official announcement that my sister is pregnant! I know I told some friends, but it's so hard to remember who I have talked to and who I haven't when I don't get a chance to talk to all of them on a regular basis. Anyway, she is about 6 months along I believe. She is due on March 30th. They are pretty sure it is a girl and are planning on naming her Ashlyn Denese Freeman. I'm so excited to be an aunt! Anyway, hopefully that covers all my bases.

I hope you are all having a great week and if anyone has any advice on planning a wedding, let me know! I can use all the help I can get!

Our Trip to Cologne

Our trip to Cologne

Hello to everyone! I just thought I would put a short post about the trip to Cologne. Maybe some of you didn't know that I went there, I don't know. Well, on the 2nd of January after church, Clint, Ed and Courtney and I drove to Moerfelden to stay the night at Courtney's parents' house again. It's about 4 hours away but it took us a long time to get there because we were stuck in traffic jams almost the whole way there. We finally made it there and got to partake in some wonderful Mexican food that we discovered while visiting for Christmas. There is a great restaurant called Mexico Lindo and it is owned by some people from San Antonio. It is the "real thing". Here in Germany, you can't really get real Mexican. People try, but it's not the same. Anyway, the next day we got up and drove the rest of the way to Cologne, which is about 2 1/2 hours away. Well we got there and the week was really good. Jim Baird was there teaching about Apologetics. It was very interesting. I have to be honest that I didn't understand everything, especially when it came to the scientific and philosophical things, but it was very good for me. I know that I gained a lot from it. It was also a lot of fun to get to hang out with Dr. Baird while we were there. We got to look around Cologne a little bit and enjoy the other people's company. There were a lot of people that I met as well from all over the world. There were some people from Albania and Belgium as well as other places in Germany and I believe Russia as well. It was a great time of fellowship with outer Christians and I learned a lot.