Missions

I am so excited to write this post!  Jameson and I have committed to going on our first missions trip!
(This photo was taken last year on the same mission trip we will get to be a part of.)

The missions trip will be during spring break, March 15-24th, we will be going to the Navajo Indian Reservation in New Mexico/Arizona.  There are two partnerships where we will focus our efforts; Hilltop Christian School in Tse Bonito, New Mexico.  Where we will serve the students, staff and be involved in various work projects on campus. And Free Trinity Navajo Mission in Tohlakai, New Mexico.  Here is where we will serve along side Rev. Gardner who has been ministering to the Navajo people for over 40 years.  Work varies with helping him on campus, to serving a large elderly population in some of the outlying remote areas.  This is our main wood chopping distribution and food distribution site.

We are so excited and look forward to how God will use us alongside of the Navajo people.  Jamie and I are already putting our brains together to see what we can do before hand to raise funds and items for this trip and the Navajo people! Stay tuned!

Numbers 10 and 11

10) Attend church every Sunday, and be in the Bible at least 10 minutes a day & 11) Grow deeper in my relationship with God.

This Sunday Jamie and I started a 10 week course at our church called Alpha.  What is Alpha you ask? 

-Well, each gathering begins with a meal or refreshments- a chance to get to know others.  Then there is a short talk which looks at a different aspect of the Christian faith each week.  This is followed by a time of discussion in small groups, where everyone is welcome to contribute their opinion and ask questions.  People usually stay in the same small groups for the duration of the course so they can get to know each other, continue discussions and deepen friendships.  The emphasis is upon exploration and discovery in a relaxed and intimate environment.

This Sunday was the first class so we just got to introduce ourselves, watch a video, and have a short discussion but, I'm really excited about taking this class, meeting some great Christians and having the experience with Jamie.  

After Alpha we attended our regular service which we always love and learn so much at!  Here is a link to our churches sermons! Definitely take a look!

http://vimeo.com/ridgelife

Coffee, coffee, coffee, ...tea?

I've always been a HUGE fan of coffee, even a couple of my semester "bucket list" items revolve around coffee! However, I've been trying to implement healthier choices in my routine so lately I have been trying tea!

Earlier today I meet a friend at Lorry's.  Lorry's is a GREAT little coffee shop in Ames.  Or I guess I should say Lorry's is a GREAT little TEA shop in Ames.  I told the barista I wanted to try some sort of tea but that I was honestly new to tea and didn't know what to order. She instantly lit up and said she makes an awesome...I think she said London Fog?...I don't know...something Fog. Asked if she could put cinnamon on top then made the most amazing drink I've EVER HAD. Only thing is I'm not sure a London Fog is really that healthy (it has steamed milk)....anyways I've been trying more teas and have been pleasantly surprised! :D

First Day of Spring Semester

SPRING SEMESTER

Today was my first day of my last Spring semester...sounds silly but it is an accomplishment! So this semester I needed to choose a Global Perspective course, there are about 500 to choose from and for some reason when I enrolled in classes I picked T SC 220.

T SC stands for Technology and Social Change and 220 is a course in Globalization and Sustainability.  As today got closer I was starting to question why I signed up for this course, I mean its a course designed for engineers! So the last few days I was looking for seats to open up in another Global Perspective course at the same time, however, for some reason I never made the switch.

After my classes today I am so glad I didn't.  Not only is Marston Hall (the building T SC 220 is located in) gorgeous but also the professors (there are three) are amazing! The class went by so fast and already gave me a lot to think about-which I love.  I am really excited for this course!

Numbers 8 and 23

I am currently working on number 8) Read 10 books.

Right now I am reading How to Be a Hepburn in a Hilton World by Jordan Christy.

This book is about how to stay classy and true to yourself in a world that is constantly telling women the only way to get ahead is to wear a miniskirt.  I am currently only about half way through the book (hoping to finish tonight) and although at times I feel like Jordan Christy is a little bit too judgmental of some, while she over idealizes others, she does have some great points and excellent advise.

Here is one of my favorite excerpts (so far)...
"...another great way to up the language ante is to learn a new one.  Audrey Hepburn knew sever languages, including Dutch, English, French, Italian, and Spanish.  However, if you're anything like me your 'foreign language courses' in high school roughly translated into three years of pinata parties and worthless workbooks.  Just as we'd dive into 'Hasta manana,'  one of the oh-so-mature boys would put on the classroom sombrero, run around, and taunt our teacher (who never could quite master the art of discipline) until she sent him to the office.  All in all, I think I gleaned more about Spanish language and culture by watching Adam Sandler in Spanglish than I did in my three sad years of classroom learning on the subject.

So when I got around to really learning a new language, I decided to try one I was genuinely interested in.  (I chose Espanol in high school only because other kids said that the German teacher would blow her cigarette breath in your face if you answered a question incorrectly.)  I'd always been intrigues by the nation of Israel and thought that it might be exciting to try Hebrew, and I honestly had more fun in one week reading Brandeis Modern Hebrew than I did in all three years of Chips and Salsa 101.  I've since fallen in love with the language and can't wait to visit Israel someday."

She goes on to say "You just need to find a language, country, or culture that genuinely appeals to you and immerse yourself in some great learning material from that society.  Bonus:  it gives you a really good excuse to take a vacation to that country once you're well-versed."

After reading this I decided to make this part of my number 23) Do something to grow my skill set.  After I finish reading Jordan Christy's book and The Great Gatsby I will immerse myself into the Irish culture-one that has always appealed to me and where Jamie and I are hoping to go on our Honeymoon!

Number 18

18) Get SOMEWHERE in my wedding plans

Tonight my fiance took me out to dinner to my favorite restaurant!!! (The Cafe, in Ames, Iowa)  Every time we sit down together the wedding of course comes up. :D So I thought today would be a great day to spend some time tackling number 18 on my list!

We currently have the venue narrowed down to three places :D I know which one I absolutely love...but that one is of course 3x the budget!

I'm a believer that the most beautiful, impressive weddings don't necessarily have to be the ones with budgets the size of an average person's yearly income (although wouldn't it be fun to plan weddings with budgets that size!). However, here's a neat resource breaking down average costs for sealing the deal on that four letter word...LOVE!

I will spend the night on Pinterest looking at wedding dresses!
(Feel free to follow me, http://pinterest.com/nwhitwer).

ONE LAST HOO-RAH

Living my last semester of college

Whenever I got a new journal growing up, I always spent more time introducing myself and providing initial updates about my life than I did writing consistent entries. It always makes me laugh looking back, and I'm sure I'm not alone out there!

Although I feel like this is similar to a diary, I'm going to skip that part. If all goes as planned anybody reading this will learn about me over time anyway. Not spilling everything right away will be my way of courtship and getting you to come back for more. :)

I've been going through this quarter-life crisis, not really sure what my next chapter looks like. But what I am sure of, is that I will be spending this spring in Ames, Iowa, for what will be my last semester of college. So, I'm making a bucket list to hold myself accountable in making this a memorable, fulfilling semester.

This is what I have so far, still tweaking of course... but hopefully these items will lead to good blogging material, and teach me a few things about myself and what it is I'm looking for. Here it goes...

1) Volunteer at least 50 hours.
2) Visit the buildings on campus I've never been to before, soak in every corner of campus.
3) Watch the sunset on ISU's campus, and take more photos on campus.
4) Ames coffee shop crawl - true hipster style.
5) 100% attendance record in all my classes.
6) I have about a 5 hr. gap in my schedule on Mondays, use this time to be productive/do something on campus.
7) Add value to and appreciate others every day.
8) Read 10 books.
9) Have coffee with 5 people I admire - pick their brains for advice, life lessons, views and perspectives.
10) Attend church every Sunday, and be in the Bible at least 10 minutes a day.
11) Grow deeper in my relationship with God.
12) Actually attend more VEISHEA activities, also take advantage of Senior Week (April 22-26)
13) Run the Nearly Naked Mile (April 26th)
14) Eat out less than 3 times each week - and try and make my meals balanced.
15) Make it to the gym, outside to run or to my T.V. for an Insanity video at least 5times/week.
16) Take my dog on more walks, and different routes.
17) Learn something or experience something new every week with Jameson (my fiance).
18) Get SOMEWHERE in my wedding plans. :D
19) Family is #1 - visit them, call them, and thank them for what they've helped me accomplish.
20) Create and STICK TO a budget. seriously.
21) Increase my emergency funds. seriously.
22) Come up with amazing answers for interview questions (mock interviews)
23) Do something to grow my skill set.
24) Apply to 1 job a day.
Which will hopefully land me at 25) FIND A JOB!!

Now to decide which to work on first...

Inspiration For My Chase

Benaiah chased a lion down into a pit. Then, despite the snow and slippery ground, he caught the lion and killed it.  II Samuel 23:20