Epic Summer Daze

My generation has become all so fascinated with the words "epic" and "fail" and so everything that you do is either extremely epic or a fail. Or my favorite, an "epic fail". Epic has become a part of my daily vocabulary because of this and due to this, I vaguely remember perdicitng my summer to be the Epic Summer of 2009.As summer is drawing to a close in roughly two weeks, I look back and it seems my perdiction came true.

Starting in May, i left to go over 6,500 miles from Stillwater to go to Oigawa, Japan. For three weeks, I was blessed to read with the people there and experience the culture that I had been facinated with for many years of my youth. I made deep friendships with a few of the people there. Some who were apart of Chirst's family and some who were not.
















I returned home in the first couple of weeks of June. The very next day that I was back, I returned to work, working 35-40 hours a week all summer. Work during the day and either church, parents, or friends in the evenings. I've stayed busy all summer and its flown by faster than I realized.














After 11 days home, I was given a surprise 19th Birthday party by my high school friends though I was the one that told them I wanted a party in the first place. it was the first time all summer that everyone was together under the same roof. For a few hours, we shared stories, played games and ate the cake that Ms. Ashley Wilson baked for me. I felt extremely loved when it was all over.

The past two weekends, I've floated the Illinios river. My first time to do so i might add. The first weekend was with the UC friends. We camped (first time to camp also haha) on the river side Saturday night and the proceeded to float the next morning. My favorite part was seeing people that had been absent from my life gathered around a camp fire singing familiar songs that are close to my heart. Each person holding a different kind of friendship with me with memories to boot. While circling the campfire, we kept the tradition of making smores. Stick in my hand, I proceeded to roast a marshmellow but ended up coating the side of my knee with it resulting with me sporting a small burn. Sunday morning, Monty read to us, we went to the Father in prayer, and we sang praises while taking communion. All in all, the trip was a blast.

The following weekend, I returned to the same place for a day trip of a six hour float of the river with co-workers and friends. We sure met some interesting people but I was able to get to know my new friends a bit better. Listening to the radio, doing the macarena, and bubbles ^___^. In the picture on the right you have Shelly, Mattie, Liz (roommate), and myself.


















Now its come up to the last five days at the house I grew up in. I'm filled with excitement and anxiousness about the year to come. I've led a blessed life with loving parents and awesome sisters while at Jenkins Family Farms but I've chosen to venture out on my own. I've grown in to a person I'm proud to be though I have so much more growing to do. These next two weeks are going to be just as exciting as watching a bug zapper (as i have done twice this summer already and yes, it was entertaining). By the time summer is all over on Sunday August 16th, I'll be left in a summer daze, wondering where the time went while not wanting to go to class, bouncing in the UC lobby, watching movies with friends on Friday nights...

Its all going to be so "Epic"! I can't wait!! :D

~Aeriel <3

Happy to Be Alive

Happy to Be Alive

You are my sunshine
day come and day go
My hand held tight
Story from long ago

Seek thy father
Contrite spirit living in me
Bow your head
Come on bended knee

Time will always pass
Storms may cloud the sky
But through salvation be saved
Live in Christ and never die

Sunshine breaks through azure
Rising each morning given as a blessing
You meet us here on earth
Guiding us to our final place of resting

Strength when I am weak
Grace from up above
Lover of my soul
Mercy as gentle as a dove

Faithful friends
Loving families
Beauty to behold on your creation
I stand in awe of You

-Vanercy (my pen name)


"Sunny with a High of 75
Since You took my heavy heart
And made it light
And its funny how you find
You enjoy your life
When you're happy to be alive."

-High of 75 by Relient K

Home is where the heart is...

Dad, while watching an old western: "Them's Hollywood Indians. You know, Creek, Cherokee, and Hollywood..."

I'm use to this sense of humor being around my house and I have adopted it as my own when I first started wearing brithces. I love my dad. Momma too. For as much as I love them, things are changing again. Mom got a job over an hour away and dad already works 30 minutes that away so it very logical to move closer to their jobs.

I made the decision to move out about Christmas time and now its looking like it was suppose to happen that way. Or at least it does as I'm evaluating things now. For as much excitement as I have right now to have my own place, I'm going to miss the late night kisses and the several "Good nights." that my parents and I give each night. There is a song called Butterfly Kisses and the feelings I have right now make the think of the lyrics..

There's two things I know for sure
She was sent here from heaven
And she's daddy's little girl
As I drop to my knees by her bed at night
She talks to Jesus and I close my eyes
And I thank God for all of the joy in my life
Oh but most of all...

Oh with all that I've done wrong
I must have done something right
To deserve a hug every mornin'
And butterfly kisses at night...

I couldn't ask God for more than this is what love is
I know I've got to let her go but I'll always remember
Every hug in the mornin' and butterfly kisses...

The random quilts thrown at me because dad got bored with the commercials that are on an decided to pester me until his show came back on. The taddling (spelling?) that we do on each other when the one won't stop picking on another. Mom and I's trips to Walmart which start off with me not wanting to go but end up with me talking the entire time. Dad's ever so long but wise talks. The little things that make my house a home...

It was like this when my middle sister moved out and even harder when my oldest sister moved out. My middle sister was my roommate and I adjusted well when she left to go to Ardmore with Charlie. What I found to be shockingly more of a challenge was Sherrita moving down to Ardmore shortly after Jamie did. Being so much a like but having a 10 year age difference, we fought a lot. Odd thing was, I missed my fights with her. It was a twisted way of showing the other that we cared enough to take the time to argue. A few months later and I was fine but the change was intense none the less.

Now I'm facing moving out. I'm not going to be able to see all the random things that happen on the farm nor be able to pester my dad when I get bored like he does me. And that's going to be even more of a change because I didn't think that my parents would be moving too. I figured I could crash at home when I wanted and go home to mooch off them when I felt like it. Home would still be home. Even when I found out where my mom would be working, I didn't think of what that might mean. Even if we keep the house in Stillwater, Stillwater won't quite be as much as my "home" IF and when my parents move. Home is where the heart is and my family is where my heart is.

Growing up here in Stillwater and then going to OSU here was surreal. This is because my friends and fellow classmates didn't really "live" here (with the exception of a few) and so they would "go home" over the weekend and over breaks, leaving me here to entertain myself. I was already home. Even more so since I was blessed to live with my parents my freshman year. I thought I was taking a step to being a "normal" college student by moving out. I was ready for a step...not a leap.

Again, as I stated earlier, home is where the heart is and we are called to focus our hearts on heaven. "Where your treasure is, so your heart will be...". So I guess if I wanted to shut myself up, I could go with actual truth and say I don't have a home here on earth because my real home is in heaven where my Father and Savior dwell.

*Sigh* I know everything happens for a reason and everything always seem to fall right into place. His plan is flawless of course and my family and I are richly blessed to have always been taken care of. This I am so very thankful for. If anythings happens on my parents in, I don't think it would happen for at least six months, but the thought is still there.

School will be starting soon, and with it, basically a new way of life. If things change the way I think they will, I'll also be saying "I'm going home for the weekend." and drive out of this place that I've always known as home. After all, I can't take to much time away from my parents because I'll miss all the corny jokes!!

Later days,
Aeriel <3

"Plum" Awesome!

I went to Theta Pond on my lunch break to eat and just be in a quiet place. After I finished my microwave meal, I sat there thinking; evaluating everything that crossed my mind. I was looking for the feeling that I get when I know that my heart is close to God. So I sat there, thinking, which lead to praying. I prayed about whatever I could think of: His power, blessings, love, will, and His ultimate plan.

As I was nearing the end of my time in prayer, I looked up and a little girl about the age of 5 walked up to me and handed me a plum. It was a, in my eyes and understanding, God's way of saying, "Yeah, I'm here." I was going to leave Theta Pond and head back to work a few different times but I stuck it out till I was at the end of my lunch period. I was waiting for my heart to recognize my faith in Him. I wanted to feel him there even though I already knew he was with me so I started praying about the things that I had been thinking about the previous 30 minutes or so.

I wondered why God would use this little child of his to hand me something as simple as a plum. Was it all he had at the time or was it planned out that way? Only thing I know is that since I chose to stay a little longer, I received a blessing that has put a huge smile on my face.

"And he said: "I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like
little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore, whoever
humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of
heaven. "And whoever welcomes a little child like this in my name welcomes
me." (Matthew 18:3-5)

I remembered back to when I was about the age of the girl that handed me her fruit, which was also about the time that I learned that plums were something amazing to my taste buds. I was around seven years old at the time, in second grade, and I was one of the kids that always ate a school lunch and would trade up with other kids at our lunch tables. I hadn't recalled ever eating a plum before the day I was given one in the school lunch line and being the me, I didn't care what it was, I was going to eat it. This was also about the age that I wanted to start doing everything on my own and making my own decisions. At the end of the school year, I remember my mom sitting down to have a talk with Ms. Hicks about her evaluation of me as a student. Ms. Hicks thought it best for me to be held back due to the fact that she worried that I wasn't up to speed with the rest of my class. I was sitting right next to my mom as they discussed my future. It was in the moment that my mom turned to me and asked me what I thought that has impacted the course of the rest of my life.

When she asked me what I wanted to do, I told her that I wanted to continue into the next grade. In my mind, being held back meant that you were not cool. If I would not have made it into the third grade the following year, I would not have made the friends that I had through school, I may not have been baptized for the first time when I was 10. I wouldn't have dated the guys that I have and been through the same heartache that has brought me this far in life. Lessons, memories, and adventures would not be what I know them to be now. Going to Japan, moving in with Liz, starting my Sophomore year rather than what would have been my Freshman year...none of it.

So I thank my mom for asking me what I wanted to do with my life that day, for the little girl who thought of a stranger and gave away her fruit, and for my Heavenly Father letting things happen the way they have. Today I saw the innocence of a child that knew what God wanted her to do. I felt my heart yearn for him and burst with joy in thinking that I'm his daughter and all that entails. I realized what kind of impact one very small decision can have on one life which results in affecting a multitude of other lives. Today I realized just how "Plum" Awesome my life really is.

Great is our God.

How do you view Heaven?

~A little inspiration to remember to carry your cross and spread His word. He died for us, so we are called to live for Him.~

17-year-old Brian Moore had only a short time towrite something for a class. The subject was what Heaven was like. 'I wowed'em,' he later told his father, Bruce. 'It's a killer. It'sthe bomb. It's the best thing I ever wrote..' It also was the last.

Brian Moore died May 27, 1997, the day afterMemorial Day.. He was driving home from a friend's house when his car wentoff Bulen-Pierce Road in Pickaway County and struck a utility pole. He emergedfrom the wreck unharmed but stepped on a downed power line and waselectrocuted..The Moore 's framed a copy of Brian's essayand hung it among the family portraits in the living room... 'I think Godused him to make a point. I think we were meant to find it and make somethingout of it,' Mrs. Moore said of the essay. She and her husband want to sharetheir son's vision of life after death. 'I'm happy for Brian. I knowhe's in heaven. I know I'll see him.'

Brian's Essay: The Room....

In that place between wakefulness and dreams, I foundmyself in the room. There were no distinguishing features except for the onewall covered with small index card files. They were like the ones in librariesthat list titles by author or subject in alphabetical order. But these files,which stretched from floor to ceiling and seemingly endless in either direction,had very different headings. As I drew near the wall of files, the first tocatch my attention was one that read 'Girls I have liked.' I opened itand began flipping through the cards. I quickly shut it, shocked to realize thatI recognized the names written on each one. And then without being told, I knewexactly where I was.
This lifeless room with its small files was a crudecatalog system for my life. Here were written the actions of my every moment,big and small, in a detail my memory couldn't match. A sense of wonder andcuriosity, coupled with horror, stirred within me as I began randomly openingfiles and exploring their content... Some brought joy and sweet memories; othersa sense of shame and regret so intense that I would look over my shoulder to seeif anyone was watching..
A file named 'Friends' was next to one marked'Friends I have betrayed.' The titles ranged from the mundane to theoutright weird 'Books I Have Read,' 'Lies I Have Told,''Comfort I have Given,' 'Jokes I Have Laughed at .' Some werealmost hilarious in their exactness: 'Things I've yelled at mybrothers.' Others I couldn't laugh at: 'Things I Have Done in MyAnger', 'Things I Have Muttered Under My Breath at My Parents.' Inever ceased to be surprised by the contents.
Often there were many more cards than I expected.Sometimes fewer than I hoped. I was overwhelmed by the sheer volume of the lifeI had lived. Could it be possible that I had the time in my years to fill eachof these thousands or even millions of cards? But each card confirmed thistruth. Each was written in my own handwriting. Each signed with my signature.
When I pulled out the file marked 'TV Shows I havewatched', I realized the files grew to contain their contents. The cardswere packed tightly, and yet after two or three yards, I hadn't found theend of the file. I shut it, shamed, not so much by the quality of shows but moreby the vast time I knew that file represented...
When I came to a file marked 'LustfulThoughts,' I felt a chill run through my body. I pulled the file out only aninch, not willing to test its size and drew out a card. I shuddered at itsdetailed content.I felt sick to think that such a moment had beenrecorded. An almost animal rage broke on me. One thought dominated my mind: Noone must ever see these cards! No one must ever see this room! I have to destroythem!' In insane frenzy I yanked the file out. Its size didn't matternow. I had to empty it and burn the cards.. But as I took it at one end andbegan pounding it on the floor, I could not dislodge a single card. I becamedesperate and pulled out a card, only to find it as strong as steel when I triedto tear it.
Defeated and utterly helpless, I returned the file toits slot. Leaning my forehead against the wall, I let out a long, self-pityingsigh. And then I saw it.. The title bore 'People I HaveShared the Gospel With.' The handle was brighter than those around it,seemednewer, almost unused. I pulled on its handle and a small box not more than threeinches long fell into my hands. I could count the cards it contained on onehand.
And then the tears came. I began to weep. Sobs so deepthat they hurt. They started in my stomach and shook through me. I fell on myknees and cried. I cried out of shame, from the overwhelming shame of it all.The rows of file shelves swirled in my tear-filled eyes. No one must ever, everknow of this room. I must lock it up and hide the key. But then as I pushed awaythe tears, I saw Him.
No, please not Him. Not here. Oh, anyone but Jesus.. Iwatched helplessly as He began to open the files and read the cards. Icouldn't bear to watch His response. And in the moments I could bring myselfto look at His face, I saw a sorrow deeper than my own. He seemed to intuitively go to the worst boxes. Whydid He have to read every one? Finally He turned and looked at me from acrossthe room.. He looked at me with pity in His eyes. But this was a pity thatdidn't anger me. I dropped my head, covered my face with my hands and beganto cry again. He walked over and put His arm around me. He could have said somany things. But He didn't say a word. He just cried with me.
Then He got up and walked back to the wall of files.Starting at one end of the room, He took out a file and, one by one, began tosign His name over mine on each card. 'No!' I shouted rushing to Him.All I could find to say was 'No, no,' as I pulled the card from Him. Hisname shouldn't be on these cards. But there it was, written in red so rich,so dark, so alive. The name of Jesus covered mine... It was written with Hisblood. He gently took the card back.. He smiled a sad smile and began to signthe cards.. I don't think I'll ever understand how He did it so quickly,but the next instant it seemed I heard Him close the last file and walk back tomy side..

He placed His hand on my shoulder and said, 'It isfinished.' I stood up, and He led me out of the room. There was no lock onits door. There were still cards to be written....

'I can do all things through Christ whostrengthens me. '-Phil. 4:13 'For God so loved the world that He gaveHis only son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternallife.' My 'People I shared the gospel with' file just got bigger. I hope yours will too.

What did you think of his view of heaven? What is yours?

What my daddy is to his daughter

My dad is quite the man, working hard an loving others from the time he wakes up to the very moment he falls asleep. I love him with more than what I have words for and I'm so very thankful to have been blessed with such a father.

Here's to you Daddy :)

Always Present

Finger slips and I tumble to rocks ledge
Bruised, I stood and climbed that mountain peak
Ray-light fades as twilight sets in so I stop to think
Till this happened I never had to seek...

Pondering the meaning of one life
The power that one touch can hold
Remembering those callused hands sends shivers down my spine
Protecting against this night of cold

Looking up as to see that face
Smiling because the vision's clear
Not happy but rather content
To still hold this memory dear

You taught me to never give up when life takes you down
To hope when all dreams are lost
To laugh through a stream of tears
And that true love has no cost

I can see my father standing proud
Watching over his little girl from up there
Knowing that he made me who I am today
And talking with the Lord's Angels with plenty of stories to share

Because of this great man
I take this gift of life day by day
Taking care of the meek and poor
And guiding those that have gone astray

He lives in the hearts of those who loved him
And will forever have left a mark
Because he cared for those around him
While giving many lives their first spark

For tonight, I will stop what I'm doing
And save my journey for tomorrow
Rest my mind on a happy thought
Having no room in my heart for sorrow.

~I love you.~

To have friends half way around the world...

~Written the night I got back into the states. Miyoko is the one on the left in the picture.~

Its about 3:14 in the morning as I sit here in Dallas and can't sleep because jetlag is not a friendly thing. Nothing else to do besides share a story that He blessed me with while I was in Japan. What better way to spend your time anyhow. So...

There's a woman by the name of Miyoko that resides in Yaizu City (Oigawa), Japan, who has changed my life and I hers. After arriving in Japan and getting settled, it was time to do our information meeting and see who we would be reading with for the next three weeks. After names where drawn, I was surrounded by four wonderful ladies known as Miyo, Akiko, Takayo, and Miyoko.

We started our reading sessions the next day with smiles on our faces and full of excitement. Least to say the first two weeks past and Japan had become a second home in a away. I woke up eager to see who I was reading with each day because I learned so much reading with the girls and watching them soak up and understand The Word made me all warm inside. I can happily say that the first two weeks seemed long but as the three weeks started drawing to a close, it seemed like the time had flown by leaving much more to be done and said to the people who had, by now, become extremely close friends. In the last week, Miyoko finished a whole work book and started into the next. She and I would do anywhere from two to four lessons at a time and then proceed to open up my bible because she was left with more questions that were found else where. We studies out hearts out and told our stories with a few tears here and there. One night I told her the story of how I became a christian and she then told me about how she wants to be a Chrstian someday too. She told me that she wants to study more so that she can hopefully teach her husband and mother but she doesn't want to become one now because she feels that she would be shaming her family because they are of another religion.

She asked me"I always see you smile big when you are talking about Jesus. Why is that?"

I answered her with Psalm 16: 8-11

"I have set the Lord always before me. Because He is at my right hand I will not be shaken. Therefore my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices; my body will also rest secure, because you will not abandon me to the grave, nor will you let you Holy One see decay. You have made known to me the path of life."

Miyoko showed me how you can truly thirst for the living water and not know how to take hold of the cup and drink. Our last day to read together, we proceeded to spend two hours in God's word, enjoying the conversation and discussing salvation. When we got to the fourth lesson, I aksed her if she understood that this would be our last time reading together.

She understood.

I handed her some tissues and grabbed one for myself. We finished the lesson that just happened to be about the Samaritian women who meets Jesus at the well. In this story, for those of you who don't know, Jesus offers this women the living water. The lesson of the story was that the living water is for anyone who believes in Him and is always available. The last question of the lesson was in two parts:

Do you think the Samaritian women wanted the living water?

-Miyoko answered yes.

Would you accept the living water if it was offered to you?

I looked up at Miyoko and heard her say a squeaky yes. She had just told me that she wanted to be a christian and I explained this to her. She and I grabbed more tissues. This was our last reading session and then I was heading home.

She told me many things after she answered that question. A few of them being "You've taught me so much and I'm so thankful for that", "I want to go to heaven one day to so that I can be with God and be happy all the time and also see you again", "I've never met someone with the kind of heart that you have and I'm glad I met you". We said so much in those two hours that it was breaking my heart to think that I had to return to the US in just two days. I was torn because I felt that there was so much left to do but I wouldn't be there to help. I want, with all my heart, to be there the day she is reborn into our christian family.

This was on my heart the rest of the day. I finally FULLY understood what it meant to give your life to God and serve others. To go in to the world and spread the message. To love a complete stranger.

God knew what He was doing when He paired Miyoko up with me. He also knew what He was doing when He sent His son to die on the cross for our salvation.I know that He let me be apart of something great. So many lessons where learned but the greatest thing that happened while I was there was that God found his way into a lost woman's heart.

Great is our God.