Ramblings of a very tired girl

Hey all you fellow bloggers out there!
Yes, I am updating...and No this is probably not going to make very much sense! I just thought that I would write down some random happenings!
Today was great but tiring! For the past week I have been going early to babysit Levi, which, I DO NOT MIND but it gets tiring after a while! I love him though! He is definately one of the bright spots in my day!
I got to spend time with Sarah and her daughters Gracie (2 years) and Nora (4 months) today! It was really neat :) Tomorrow I am going to the city with them to watch Gracie while Sarah and Nora have a doctor's appointment so that will be fun!
Work is going well...
I really don't have much else to tell...
So, I will leave you with this picture:



Isn't that great! Anyone whose family owns a cat will appreciate that I think :)
Blessings to you all!

Father's Day!

Hey all you fellow bloggers out there :)
Yes, today is Father's Day! And in one of those genius moments I am prone to have, we decided to get some parent/kid pictures...here are the photos form annual Case family photo shoot 2008:

Since it IS Father's Day, We thought that it would be a great day to take pics of us kids with Dad because, #1 we have like none and #2 it would just be a nice memory. HAH! Well, Here we are! Lets Just say that Dan wasn't in a picture taking mood but at least the rest of us were! BTW: Dad was happy, he was just trying to get Danny to straighten up! Left to Right: Jen,Me,Dad, Abby, and Dan.


So then we decided to get some Mom/kid pictures because we didn't really have many and we didn't get any on Mother's day. SO there again: Left to Right: Mom, Dan (we were ready to throttle him! lol :p), me, Abby, and Jen.

Mom and Dad: I think that this is the best picture! I am so blessed to have 2 such amazing parents to love me and care for me! God is so good!



After us girls decided to get some "girls only" shots...We even got Gretchen in them even though as you can see it took some work! :)
So yes, it has been a wonderful and I have realized AGAIN just how blessed I am to have a family like I have.
Blessings!

Two Words: Not Much

Hey all you fellow bloggers out there!
Well, my goal is to attempt to convey to you what has been going on lately...2 words: not much!
It has been really hot today but it was raining and at one point it was gorgeous sunshine WITH rain! That is sad...I am reduced to talking about the weather :)
I got my paycheck today! That is a wonderful part of my 2 weeks...it is hard to believe that I have been working at the YMCA for almost 2 months now. The Lord has been so good in blessing me with a wonderful job and great co-workers, we have a lot of fun together!
I had to make a trip to the ER yesterday...not for me but for Danny. He has a bad ear infection and last night the pain literally became unbearable so, I drove him and Mom to the ER at 12am. By 2am I was back at home, I couldn't sleep in though because I had to babysit this morning so I dragged myself out of bed at 7:15am and babysat till around 9:15, got home and was asleep by 10am. Then I slept until around 12:20 and then I got up and went to work. It was definately a tiring experiance, but, at least he is feeling better!
So, what has the Lord been teaching you lately?
For me personally, He has been teaching me to trust in waiting for His time and also to give myself more fully to Him each and everyday. I was reading in my devos tonight about Soloman and how he had 1,000 wives/concubines (which is just crazy to me, ANYWAY) and how they turned his heart away from the Lord. And I started thinking about how many things I allow to get in my way of being FULLY devoted to Jesus...definately something to think about!

Beesh, Valerie, Me, and Mountain Dew!

Hey all you fellow bloggers out there :)
So yeah, NICE little surprise today :) Beesh and Valerie were able to come out for Bible study at the Backlas' tonight. That was really neat! Once study was over we hopped in my car and fought over twizzlers, danced/jammed out to Tobymac, and overall were just loud and crazy all the way home! Once we got home the mountain dew came out and we got crazy :) Here are just some goofy pics from tonight...for any of you who thought that I never get crazy...here is proof I do (and in a good way too :p):









So there is the proof...Mountain Dew can effect me and I am a bit crazy :)

Random Happenings

Hey all you fellow bloggers out there!
So, I just found this adorable picture of me and Garrett from Jen's 15th b-day party :) Thought I would share it with ya'll.



Work has been going really well. Last night a girl dropped a 45 pound weight on the top of her big toe and yeah...It was pretty bad! Kinda like what I did to mine except worse. So that was interesting.

It has been soooo incredibly hot out lately! I have gotten a pretty nice tan though :) And we have been able to go ziplining with the Backlas' so that has been fun :) Hopefully we can go today...

SO yes, there is just some random boring stuff! Sorry, my life isn't too eventful right now!

Blessings to you all!

Trust

Hey all you fellow bloggers out there!
So, last night I was reading my Bible at like 12:30am and these verses really jumped out at me:

"Those who trust in the LORD are as secure as Mount Zion; they will not be defeated but will endure forever. Just as the mountains surround and protect Jerusalem, so the LORD surrounds and protects his people, both now and forever."
~Psalm 125:1-2

I was re-reading it before church this morning and I just started thinking how cool it was the God of the universe cares enough about His people to SURROUND them...kinda makes me think about how when I was younger and I would go to my Grandma and Grandpa Kelley's house and I would sit on the couch next to Grandpa and he would wrap a blanket around me and we would just sit there and cuddle. I felt so secure and safe in my Grandpa's arms and it just makes me think about Christ and how just like Grandpa Kelley surrounded me with his love, Christ surrounds us with His love. Doesn't that just make you feel so much more safe to think of that? It did me :) Blessings to you all!



Ps: Speaking of protected...I just love this picture...it just drives home how the Lord will just pick us up and hold us when we need...surrounds us with HIS love and protection. WOW! What an AWESOME thought!

Just a thought...

Hey all you fellow bloggers out there! So, I was thinking about arm wrestling and I wanted to post this video of me and Fred. It was in February, and it was cold so we were all in the house and he challenged me to an arm-wrestling match. So, I was like "Lets do it." Now I am a small, fragile girl and he is a 13x bronc rider champion so he was like "Just try it with my pinky." SO yeah, I did not win and none of this was posed or whatever I am just a major klutz :) Sorry, the video doesn't have any sound...



Ha! Just another look into the life of me :)

My little man

Hey all you fellow bloggers out there!
SO, I babysit for a family with 3 boys but on friday mornings I only babysit the 3 year. His name is Levi. Anyway, I have been babysitting for a while and lets just say that I have decidedly fallen in love with this little guy!
Today, we were coming downstairs and he turned to me and was like:
"When we get to the bottom, bend over so I can kiss you 'cause I love you so much Katy Case."
SO we got to the bottom and he kissed me on the cheek...it was so cute :)
Anyway...thought I would post some pics of him.

15 years old!

Hey all you fellow bloggers out there :)
YEs, Jen is now 15 years old! We had a big party for her and Beesh and Valerie spent the night. It was really fun. SO now I am 17, Abby is 16, Jen is 15, and Dan is 13.
So I had a really interesting experiance yesterday. My 1st trip to the ER. I was running up the steps of the church and majorly cut my toe! It was interesting...it is alright now though, I had to have it butterflyed shut.
Hm...nothing else has really happened. Mom and Abby will depart for CO tonight. So the rest of us are on our own. I think we are going to starve :)
Yes, so, that is my interesting news! Kinda short...oh well.

Fun, fun, fun!

Hey all you fellow bloggers out there!
I AM FREE FROM SCHOOL FOREVER! Well, at least for now! I am so happy to have this year behind me and kinda have the oppurtunity to start over.
Work is going well. I am still trying to get used to some of the situations that happen but overall, I enjoy being a secretary/receptionist!
Beesh and Valerie are home from school :) Last night we got to go to the drive-in with Aunt Val and watch Prince Caspien and College Road Trip. It was really fun. THe really neat thing was that we got to talk a lot about stuff and stuff and more stuff. We also got to take a lot of pictures together. I will post some at the bottom.
So, I now have a new blog. It is a guys and girls perspective on real-life issues like modesty, purity, and other stuff like that. I posted the link in my links section: The Issue.
So yeah, that has been my life lately...kinda boring :) Hopefully some stuff will happen soon! Until then, I will try to update more often :)

Here are the pics...enjoy!



Me and Elisha on our way to the drive-in...


Need I say more? Me and Elisha...yeah what can I say? We are strange!


At the drive-in on top off Hammy (Valerie's car). The funny thing is that the lady pointed us to the wrong screen so we sat at Indiana Jones for 2 hours before it started. Then when it started we were like: "Harrison Ford isn't in Narnia."



The 3 stooges reunited again! Me, Valerie, and Elisha on our way to church.


Me and Valerie! We are so cute!


"DO we have to look like we can tolerate eachother?" LOL :)

What Now?

Hey all you fellow bloggers out there!
So, I have been incredibly busy lately! I am really working a lot of hours at the YMCA and with school things have gotten pretty hectic!

Today was my Mom's birthday. I am so blessed to have a Mom like her! We had a really good day and got some great pics (some of which I am posting below).

I have been thinking a lot about Mom lately and just the inspiration she and my Dad are for me. Their love for eachother and us kids and ,most importantly, the Lord is just amazing to me...I remember when I though that my parents were horrible and just not on my side, blah blah blah. But I also remember when I got over that and realized that not only they were on my side, but they had my best interests in mind b/c they had been there. Ever since then, Mom has been my best friend and confident. I couldn't imagine not having her. God has so blessed me with an amazing family!

So I posted some new pics for my slideshow :) ENJOY!

Does God have a Purpose?

My question to you is this: Does God really have a reason for when things go wrong?
My Mom has epilepsy. In other words, she has seizures. Watching my Mom have seizures was one of the worst things my siblings, Dad, and I ever had to go through. Because we normally do not have any ideo when or where seizures will occur, many of my childhood days where filled with “What if?”
I remember being in a grocery store. My Dad and younger sister were on a “date”. Dad takes each of us kids out once a month to spend time together. Mom had my two other siblings and me with her. I was probably only five years old. I remember going down an aisle when a lady asked Mom if she would like some coupons. Mom thanked her, and they began to chat. One moment they were just having a normal conversation and the next Mom was on the floor, bleeding. I remember sobbing as I hid behind the cart. They called the ambulance and then they took Mom away. I felt so helpless and alone, but there was nothing anyone could do to help. I still shudder when I go down that aisle.
Mom did have medicine but sometimes it did not work. One summer she had five seizure within two months, and that is very unusual. Every time she woke up, however, the first words out of her mouth were, “Thank You Jesus.” Inside I would think, Why, Why thank Him?
The last seizure Mom ever had was nothing compared to the previous ones. It was Mother’s Day, and we had family over. We had just sat down to eat when I looked over at Mom and realized that she was having a seizure. I yelled. Dad and my uncles jumped up to help her and then started to move her to a bed. I was in the living room just settling down to have a good cry when all of a sudden, Mom woke up. This was very unusual because of the type of seizures she had. Normally when Mom woke up, she would be very tired and unable to move.
After that, Mom decided to go to a different doctor. He gave her some new medicine, and she has not has a seizure since. We believe God healed her. Still, in the back of my mind, I always wondered, Why?
During the summer of 2006 I was given the opportunity to serve as a counselor in training at a small Christian camp in Bliss, New York. During the second week, a junior week for kids ages eight to eleven, I was asked to lead the nightly Bible study. My topic was how God protects us even at a young age, so He can use us later in life for His purposes. After the girls had somewhat settled down, I began to share with them this story about my Mother and me.
When I was a newborn baby my Mother would always make sure that Dad was in the same room when she gave me a bath. This was just in case she had a seizure. One day she decided to give me on while he was in bed napping. For some odd reason she changed her mind and decided that we would take a nap instead with Dad. She had a seizure while in bed. When she awoke, she realized what had happened. If she had given me a bath as planned, I would have drowned, But I did not drown because God had a purpose for me. He did not allow Mom to give me a bath as she had planned because He was saving me for something bigger.
As I was telling the story, one of my campers unexpectedly started to sob. The other counselor took her outside the cabin while I continued my Bible study. However, I could not get over the fact that she had begun to cry when I mentioned seizures. Just as I was wrapping up my devotional, they came back. We prayed and then I went over to her bunk. I can not convey the depth of emotion that went though me as I knelt by her bunk and talked to her. As she cried, I felt again the uncertainties, the terror, the hurt; except this time it was not me but another little girl who was hurting. I found out later that her little sister had died because of a seizure by suffocation in her pillow.
I went out onto the porch after I had calmed and prayed with her. Then the tears began to flow, not because I was sad although that emotion was present, but because my question of Why had been answered. God know what that little girl needed. She needed not only sympathy but someone that could truly empathize with her because I had been there. She need someone who knew.
To answer the question, “Does God really have a reason for when things go wrong?” The answer is an emphatic yes. Sometimes He allows us to experience something so that later on we can help another person going through the exact same thing. He has a purpose for every single thing that happens to each of us. We must trust Him to fulfull that purpose in His time.

A MUST SEE!

HEy all you fellow bloggers out there!
I was just browsing around and found this video:

"A video I created for my church. It features scenes from the short film "Most", the story of a bridge operator who is forced to choose between the life of the son he loves dearly and a train filled with people. "Most" received an Academy Award Nomination for Best Live-Action Short Film. For more information on the film, or to order a copy for your church, visit MostTheMovie.com. This is a fan-made video, and not affiliated with the producers, director, or actors in any way. I simply loved the messsage of this film and wanted to share it with as many people as possible to give it the recognition it deserves. God bless! "



What a powerful picture of what God went through with us! Whoa!

Horses and other stuff :)

Hey all you fellow bloggers out there! So I found that I love to ride horses! Here is a video mom took of me today at the Backlas' riding Silver Dollar...it is kinda shakey in parts but you will get the idea!

It is so beautiful out today! What are you doing for your mom for Mother's day? We are getting ready tonight for a big day tomorrow! And!!!! Elisha and Valerie are coming home! Here are some of my favorite pics from today...especially of me and danny!




CAN YOU BELIEVE MY LITTLE BROTHER OLIVIA? He is 13 and 6'1...I am 17 and 5'2 :) So yes...today was a wonderful day and tomorrow has the potention to be better! Blessings to you all!

WOW! 3 weeks makes a difference!

Hey all you fellow bloggers out there!
Wow! Ok...3 weeks ago I went to the mennonite Bible study carless and jobless and depressed about both. 2 weeks I came back and had a car and a job! It just amazes me how faithful the Lord is and how much He has been doing in my life!
So yes I do have a car now and the Lord has just been providing for that in so many AWESOME ways!
I had been wanting and needing (so I thought) a car and a job for a year about. Things would come up but the Lord just never really confirm them and so as a result I was 17, going to college, jobless and carless! Boy! The Lord really was teaching me a lesson in trust though. Anyway, for about a year and 1/2 I had been really wanting to work at the YMCA where we train for Tae-Kwon Do. The job that i wanted was working at the front desk (kinda like a receptionist/secretary thing). So I had applied for it over and over again but nothing ever came up plus I didn't (CONTRACTION! My Eng. professer would have a fit lol :-p) have a car and we are a one car family anyway so unless I got a car I really couldn't have worked there anyway!
So, for 1 1/2 years I just patiently waited for the Lord's timing and was completely content with where I was!.........(LOL :-p) ACTUALLY, it was really a real hard time for me and the Lord really had to teach me some lessons on contenment and trusting Him to provide in HIS timing.
So...I waited and prayed and went to school and waited some more. And you know what? As He always does and promises to do! THe Lord totally provided for me. He got me a car (for $1,000 less then it was going for!) and a job at the YMCA at the front desk! I started friday! :)
God is so good but, I have realized that I really need to get my priorities straight with Him being #1. I am very much a person that rellies on what people think and not so much what the Lord thinks. I am very people oriented and that can be a bad thing. SO, I am with the Lord's help attempting to just give it all over to the Lord once again...my desires (husband, family) and dreams (husband, family) I am just realizing that I need to just completely trust them to HIS care...I want HIM to be #1!
Well, I am sorry I haven't updated so much...hopefully now that school is almost over I can be more faithful in updating :)
Blessings to you all!

Honoring your Parents: Whew! That is hard sometimes huh!?

Hey all you fellow bloggers out there!
So, the older I get the more I realize how blessed I am to have parents that love the Lord Jesus Christ and strive to serve Him with their whole life.
The Lord has really been working with me on how I treat them and when to honor them both outwardly and inwardly...I found this really cool list of stuff by John Piper on honoring parents and I thought I would share it with ya'll.

Teenage Resolutions in Honor of Mom and Dad

1. Resolved: I will obey your instructions and do what I know you expect of me, even when it is not mentioned. I will not force you into repeated reminders, which I sometimes call nagging.

2. Resolved: I will not grumble or complain when I do my chores but remember what a great thing it is to have a family, a home, clothes, food, running water, electric lights, and central heating in a world where millions of teenagers have none of these.

3. Resolved: When I think your demands are unfair, I will move to do them first, and after showing an obedient attitude, I will ask if we can talk. Then I will explain my side and try to understand yours.

4. Resolved: I will not stonewall you and give the silent treatment, which I dislike when my friends do it to me. If I am depressed and want to be left alone, I will say, “I’m sorry, I don’t feel like talking now. Can we talk later? I’m not mad. I just need to be alone.”

5. Resolved: When I do something wrong and let you down, I will apologize sincerely with words that you can hear. Something like, “Mom, I’m sorry I didn’t pick up the pile of clothes.”

6. Resolved: I will call you by affectionate family titles like “Mommy,” “Daddy,” “Mom,” or “Dad.” I won’t let other kids pressure me into calling you nothing or calling you something disrespectful as though true affection were embarrassing or childish.

7. Resolved: I will say thank you again and again for the ordinary things you do for me. I will not take them for granted as though you were my slave.

8. Resolved: I will talk about my feelings. Both the positive ones (like happiness, pity, excitement, and sympathy) and the negative ones (like anger, fear, grief, loneliness, and discouragement). I will remember that unshared feeling lead to estrangement, coldness, and even more loneliness and discouragement.

9. Resolved: I will laugh with the family and not at the family. I will especially laugh when my little brother or sister tells a simple joke with expectant excitement.

10. Resolved: I will give two compliments for every criticism. And every criticism will aim to help someone improve, not just belittle or cut down.

11. Resolved: I will enter into family devotions and treat Bible reading and prayer with respect and do my part to help others in the family enjoy them. When I don’t feel spiritually strong, I will pray about this as a personal need rather than pouring it on others as a glass of cold water. I will remember that confessed weakness knits hearts together.

12. Resolved: I will not return evil for evil or try to justify my meanness because somebody treated me meanly first.

13. Resolved: I will read my Bible and pray every day, even if it is only a verse and a brief cal for help. I know that teens cannot live by bread alone but by every word that comes out of the mouth of God.

14. Resolved: I will come home at the time we agreed on. If something happens to stop me, I will call and explain and ask for your guidance.

15. Resolved: I will greet our guests with courtesy and respect and try to make them glad they came.

16. Resolved: I will always tell the truth so that you can trust me and give me more and more freedom as I get older.

17. Resolved: I will pray for you as along as I live, that we will be united in faith and love, not only now in this world, but for all of eternity in the kingdom of God.

Aren't those really cool and really convicting? What do you think? Pls. comment or write me!
Blessings to you all!

Boys: Why is is such a big deal?

Hey All You Fellow Bloggers out there!
Interesting title huh? I made it up myself [see I am able to think up some small things! LOL :)] Well, I just wanted to share with you some personal stuff concerning guys that I have been really dealing with lately...Here is a poem that is just amazing though 1st:

On His Plan For Your Mate

Everyone longs to give themselves completely to someone, to have a deep soul relationship with another, to be loved thoroughly and exclusively.
But God says to a Christian, "No, not until you are satisfied and fulfilled and content with living, loved by me alone, with giving yourself totally and unreservedly to me alone. I love you, my child, and until you discover that only in me is your satisfaction to be found, you will not be capable of the perfect human relationship that I have planned for you. You will never be united with another until you are united with me, exclusive of anyone or anything else, exclusive of any other desires or longings.

"I want you to stop planning, stop wishing, and allow me to give you that most thrilling plan existing, one that you can't imagine. I want you to have the BEST! Please allow me to bring it to you. You just keep watching me, expecting that satisfaction, expecting the greatest things, and know that I Am. Keep learning and listening to the things I tell you. You must wait!

"Don't be anxious. Don't worry. Don't look around at the things others have received. Don't look at the things you think you want. You just keep looking off and away up to me, or you'll miss what I want to show you.

"And then, when you're ready, I'll surprise you with a love far more wonderful than you would ever imagine. You see, until you are ready and until the one I have for you is ready (I am working this very minute to have both of you ready at the same time), until you are both satsifeid exclusively with me and the life I have planned and prepared for you, you won't be able to experience the love that exemplifies your relationship with me...and this is perfect love.

"Dear one, I want you to have this most wonderful love. I want you to see in the flesh a picture of your relationship with me and to enjoy materially and concretely the everlasting union of beauty and perfection and love that I offer you with myself. Know that I love you utterly, I am God Almighty. Believe and be satisfied."

--Author Unknown

Isn't that just the most amazingly wonderful and just yeah! I love that poem!
Anyway, Here is my personal scoop on what has been doing on in my life lately with the whole guy aspect of it: AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!
That about sums it up! :-) Seriously, the Lord has just been so good to me lately. I am finding myself being attacked by the enemy really on all sides about this topic and I must say taht it has been really hard. I have been feeling very lonely and left behind...See, most of my friends and other really close people have started pairing off and dating and I am just still here waiting...it has been a struggle not to be jealous let me tell you! The neat thing is though that somewhere out there there is a guy that will love me for ME and I just have to be patient while the Lord prepares him and I for the time when we will be together.
I dug out that poem today and was just so reminded of the fact that it has to be the Lord's timing and not ours. It was so neat...when I read it it was as if the Lord was just whispering those words in my ear...just encouraging me to hold on. And so I in turn encourage you all that are out there and maybe have been feeling down and out in the romance department to ust turn your eyes upon Jesus and look full on HIS wonderful face! If you ever want encouragement or just to talk you know my email (it is on the top of the page for those who don't)...May the Lord bless you and keep you in HIS love and grace!

"Don't try to do something about your singlehood...do something with it!"

Very interesting Article!

Hey all you fellow bloggers out there!
Here is a really great article that my friend sent me this morning! Take a look:


Prince Charming in Retrospect

Ruth Bell Graham wrote the following at 19 years of age:

Dear God, I prayed, all unafraid
(as we're inclined to do)
I do not need a handsome man
But let him be like You

I do not need one big and strong
nor yet so very tall,
Nor need he be some genius
Or wealthy, Lord, at all

But let his head be high, dear God,
And let his eye be clear,
His shoulders straight, whate'er his state,
Whate'er his earthly sphere;

And let his face have character,
A ruggedness of soul,
And let his whole life show, dear God,
A singleness of goal;

Then when he comes (as he will come)
with quiet eyes aglow,
I'll understand that he's the man
I prayed for long ago.


Obviously Ruth's beautiful prayer was answered in the form of her husband, Reverend Billy Graham. But don't forget, Ruth is the same woman who is also accredited for stating, If God had answered every prayer of mine, I would have married the wrong man seven times! and, Have I ever contemplated divorce? Divorce, no; murder, yes!

Marriage- like any other of our womanly desires and dreams- is often idolized and idealized prior to and taken for granted afterwards. How many young single women do you know who are so busy seeking marriage that they are little good for anything else? And how many married women in your circle of acquaintances live so distracted by the daily grind of life that their marriage suffers in the process of simply living?

Marriage is a beautiful, Biblical covenant that rightly deserves our appreciate both before and after the vows have been said!

If you are a single young woman, don't lose heart that God is preparing a Prince just for you. At the same time, don't become so distracted by your desire for marriage that you neglect the beautiful season of singleness. God's will entails every chapter of your life; it is not limited to some future time or date. Pray for your future husband and marriage but don't forget to enjoy the here and now, as well!

As for us married ladies: How easily we forget all the hopes, dreams and prayers that are wrapped up in the form of the man whose name and life we share! Every now and then we all need a good reminder to put on our rose colored glasses and once again become a starry-eyed girl with a stolen heart. Consider this your reminder. :o)


Forget about his faults for once; ignore them if you must. Focus on the qualities that won your heart in the first place and strive to win his heart anew, as well! Prepare his favorite meal, rub his feet, sratch his head, or whatever else suits his fancy! And don't forget the manly soul-food: I appreciate you, I'm proud of you and Thanks for all your hard work.



A successful marriage requires falling in love many times, always with the same person. Mignon McLaughlin



Isn't that really something great to think about :) Blessings to you all!

Boy am I sore!

Hey all you fellow bloggers out there! Well, today it is raining! :p Yesterday was gorgeous though! OH MY WORD! Last night at Tae-kwon Do I tested for my blue belt (which means I am now a high rank with 5 ranks to go until I am a black belt and 5 ranks below me.) I was the hardest thing I have done in a looooonnnnggggg time! See, with a test they push you to the point physically where you think you can not go on and then once you get to the point...yeah it was tough and I almost cried but i passed and now me and abby and Jen a blue belts together! I am so excited! :) I will have to post some pics. So yeah, I was so tired after the test that I fell into bed at like 9:33 and slept till 9:00am. Now I am kinda sore but I have my blue belt! Sorry I was just rambling but I thought that maybe you would be interested in that :) lol :) Here are some pics (they aren't the greatest but hey they give the general idea!): Me doing basic motion...I was so wiped out I thought I was going to collapse! Breaking boards...this was the last part of my test...I was kind of in a fog! One of the hardest things I have ever done is testing alone! Let me explain what I meant by testing alone. All 4 of us kids have tested together for 5 ranks (yellow stripe, yellow belt, green stripe, green belt, and blue stripe.) Then Danny decided to retire from TKD and it was just us 3 girls. On Tuesday Abby and Jen tested for their blue belt w/o me! I was in a childrens lit class and had a break so I got to see them get their extra strips (they waited to get their actual blue belts with me). So I had to test alone of Thursday. Testing alone is harder because the instructer is focused on you and only you! Hence, it was very hard! lol :) THe whole time though I was just praying and repeating "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." That yeah, it was so neat when I was to the point where I truly thought I could not go on (they pushed me that hard) HE was my strength and helped me finish strong. We serve an AWESOME God! :) And here are us 3 girls getting our BLUE BELTS!!!!!!















Whew that took awhile! Blessings to you all!

Catch-up needed!

Hey all you fellow bloggers out there! I am sorry that it has taken so incredibly long for me to write and up-date you on what has been going on in my life. Whenever I had the chance...the words just didn't come out right you know? Anyway, tonight I am going to give it a shot!
SO what has been going on in my life since I last wrote? Hmmm...lots to tell! :) My last post that I wrote...wow! We have met an amazing family! And yeah... SO much has happened since then. God has been working in so many incredibly ways in my life and our families life. It really has happened since He brought the Backlas' into our lives. We have really just bonded-2 lonely families and then all the sudden we had people to be with and yeah...it has been great. For a while after I decided not to go to BBC I was torn with what I was supposed to do and what I wanted to do. You know me...always wanting to leave and see the world and then get married and settle down and have a family. It just does not seem as though that was what the Lord had in mind though. ANd what do you know? I am still here...with no manly prospects :) That was A LOT to give to Him and it has taken a lot to do it. But the neat thing is that as I give it to HIM...He is giving so much to me :) I mean, yeah, it seems so weird that just having a family that loves each and everyone of us for our own personalities has made such a differece in each of us. We have all been growing sooooo much closer as a family! And Danny! Oh my word! The Lord has done such a work in him. And you would not believe the difference in him since becoming friends with Louis. Louis to him is a brother, mentor, and best friend all in one. THe best thing is that Louis loves Danny for who he is and does not try to change him as so many other people over the years have tried to do. Danny has just bloomed! I mean, he has become so much more sensitive and loving and less annoying. My brother is becoming one of my best friends! How AWESOME is that? It has been so neat watching him grow up physically (Grandpa measured him on the door today and he is 7/8's of an inch shorter than Grandpa Kelley! He is over 6 ft.!) but also watching him grow spiritually. It has been really neat!

SO much has been happening to us girls since knowing the backlas' as well. It is like having another brother and close friend! It is really neat! Louis is becoming one of my closest friends and it is not weird at all! GOd has been teaching me about waiting and yeah, it is just really neat having another little brother. He is one of the sweetest guys I have ever met along with Michelle and Fred...God has just been blessing us!

HIS plans are sooo much better than ours! Even though we are getting really close to the backlas' I will not say that there haven't been some tear-filled nights and alot of uncertainties about what the Lord wants me to do BUT I can tell you one thing...My GOD IS SOOOOO FAITHFUL!

With the whole guy thing...I was really upset and I wrote an old friend and mentor and her reply was this:

"Just think what could happen to your love relationship with Jesus if you turned that desperation for a guy into desperation for HIM!!!!"

WHOA!!! Talk about...just direction and a reminder from the Lord! :) Yeah! I just...it bowled me over and really made me think about it for the 1st time in a really long time. My desperation for a guy to love me was overshadowing my love for the Lord...Got lots to work on! But again, MY GOD IS FAITHFUL!!!!

That is something to think about...that quote...AGAIN:


"Just think what could happen to your love relationship with Jesus if you turned that desperation for a guy into desperation for HIM!!!!"

Love you all! :)

Influences and some life-altering decisions...

Hey all you fellow bloggers out there!
So how 'bout it? What influence's your life? I have been thinking about that lately and when I honestly admit to myself some stuff that I had been allowing to influence me...I got kinda scared and really convicted!
See, the Lord really has been doing a major work in my heart concerning this...
This year has been really hard just because I have been going to a secular school and getting crazily stressed out and because I was so incredibly busy...my walk with the Lord began to fall by the wayside and now I find myself stuggling to regain the innocence and purity and spiritual maturity that I really lost.
These past few weeks though the Lord has really been "knocking on my door". I realized that I had a decision to make. Was I really going to continue living like the world OR was I going to allow the Lord to take control of my life once again?

I had my life all planned out as you all well know:
#1: Get done with GCC
#2: Go to BBC and major in Women's Ministries
#3: Room at BBC with an AMAZING sister in Christ
#4: Get married after meeting a really cute Christian guy at BBC of course
#5: Get out of college
#6: Pay of my 0ver $50,000 dollar debt
#7: Start my girls home
#8: lHave tons of beautiful little babies and raise them to love the Lord

This weekend that all changed. God has a way of taking our plans and then kind of crumpling them up, and taking them away and then REPLACING them with something so much better.
This weekend I went to a youth seminar with my Mennonite friends. And while I was there I really felt the Lord just challenging me to make a deeper commitment to Him and...NOT go to BBC in the fall. I battled it all Sunday evening. How could I NOT go? That was MY future! Everything depended on it! How could He close that door expecially as me and Cynthia ,the girl I was going to room with, were just starting to get really close? So, I went home and sought counsil from Mom and Dad.
One thing that had struck me during that weekend was the freedom of these girls who were not in school to go and serve the Lord in various ministries that did not cost a lot of money. I went home and just started crying as I was talking to Mom. I really knew in my heart of hearts ,that while I still wanted to open the house for girls and have a ministry to them , God for some odd reason (at least it seemed to me) did NOT want me at BBC.
I knew that if I didn't go (oh I used a contraction! My english teacher would have a fit :)) I would be more free to serve the Lord without have debt and loan payments looming over my head. I also knew that I could continue in my ministry with the abused kids youth group and could remain in Tae-Kwon Do.
And my main reason was that I would not be faced with the many temptations of being on my own yet. I know that I will have to face them someday but as a result of this past year I was not sure I could handle it.
So, with the blessing of Mom and Dad I decided to not go to BBC this upcoming fall. Let me tell you it was the hardest decision I had to make. I knew that I wasn't "quitting" because I still have the same goal: Ministry to teenage girls; the difference was that God had a different plan for me to go about it. And let me tell you as SOON as I surrended that to the Lord I just felt this complete and total peace that I had made the right decision just envelope me.
Has it been hard since? You had better believe it! I had to tell my future roomie I would not be going and that just about killed me just because BBC is were I WANTED to be.
Here is an intercept from a letter I wrote her tonight that kind of explains what I have been feeling these past few days:

"I have been thinking and then I just broke down last night and sobbed and was up with MOm till like 12:30. I just had hit the point where i was basicly blaming the Lord for not allowing me to live MY dream (aka: BBC with you and lots of cute boys) I just was so depressed and downspirited i did not know what to do...I mean...yeah it was just really rough.
I know that the Lord has a reason for both of us and a lesson for both of us to learn out of this. Maybe for me it is a test to see if HE is enough for me. IF HE is the 1st thing...not my dreams or anything like that...HE has to be 1st in my life and that is just so hard to grasp right now.
SO don't think that I am not struggling with this situation Cynthia...I wish that I could be at BBC with you and cute guys and great friends instead of here with no friends, no guys (NONE, I am not exagerating, I know NO christian guys), and just wanting out. I have wanted out my whole life and just when I thought I had a way (BBC) He shut that door...I think He is trying to teach me contentment or something!
So yeah pls. do not think that I have not had my share of tears over this (i was sobbing hysterically last night) it is so hard! But as I said before:
HE HAS A REASON!!!! As long as we both just surrender to Him He will show us...what the reason was.
I love you so much girl and that will never change...If we are never roomates here....I am sure we will have a great room in Heaven together!"

I know the Lord has a reason for all this but PLEASE I really do not know what to do or were to do. It seems as though He wants me HERE and don't get me wrong I am excited to see what the Lord has in store. I mean, I still have tkd and once school is out SO much pressure will be gone!
It is just hard because I have always wanted to just GET OUT and SEE THE WORLD. And here I am...all those dreams I had? Right now the one that was dearest to me heart, getting married, does not seem possible as I know NO christian guys (and I am not exagerating! Me and my 2 sisters and 1 brother are the ONLY teenagers at my church). I guess for me each day has become a time to just totally surrender.
So question (and pls. comment I will comment back to you) What influences are you allowing into your life? We live (as a whole the American church) such cushy christian lives with one foot in the church and then one in the world. THe movies and clothes and books and music...That is what the Lord has been challenging me on lately. Are you up for a challenge? Something to really think about...
Pls. Pray for me...and if you have an overabundance of cute christian guys send some over to Western NY! LOL :)
Blessing to you all!

Ps: if you have any advice or ideas or know of somewhere that needs some people to come help minister to teen girls pls. let me know by contacting me at casefamily@rochester.rr.com.
BLESSINGS!

The Greatest Weapon in the World:

Hey all you fellow bloggers out there!
So I spent some time with the B's youth group today and we were talking about the words that we say and how they can hurt people and how they are so powerful. Wow! Talk about convicting...I think that it is hard because so often we as Christians really do not think about the words that come out of our mouth even jokingly.
I mean, how often do you say things like "You are so stupid." or "You are such an idiot." Or other stuff like that and do not stop and think about the consequences that one phrase could have on someone.
I don't know about you but I think that the Lord really wants us to learn to watch the words that we say to others even if it is only meant in jest. We need to remember that we are reflections of God Himself. So here is a question I have been asking myself: When people look at me, who or what do they see? Who do I reflect? Who do you reflect?
Also today I was just reminded again about just the importance of family. One of the youth group girls was sharing about how her Dad will say "I love you." to her sister but not to her. And how she told him that the only thing she wanted for Christmas was for him to come to her christmas concert but he said he was not and that they are soo stupid and ended up not going. SHe is so desperate for her Dad's love...it just breaks my heart. It is to girls like this that come from sad and broken homes that I wish to minister too. Anyway, I just was struck anew by how blessed I am to have a Dad who tells me multiple times a day that he loves me and shows it to me daily...I am really blessed!
Please pray that I would be able to minister to more girls like her...
Blessings to you all!

Boy it is hard to come up with titles for these things!

Hey all you fellow bloggers out there!
So yeah, just thought I would catch up with you...wow, the Lord is so faithful :) This weekend was a good one. I had two mennonite friends over and we were up till 3:30 am! YIKES! We had such a blessed time just spending time together...it was especially nice for me as it was the 1st time since...Christmas break! We had a ton of fun. We went to AppleBees and watched movies and ate a 1/2 gallon of icecream and then they came to church with me and then afterwards. Kar was asked to take Danielle, art, and Michaels family pics for their prayercard (you can find their website in my links) at Letchworth park so we went and did that. We also took some pics of us...here are some of them (Kar and Kris are sisters by the way):

Kris, Me and Kar


Icecream while driving...don't tell my Mom Lol :)


A whole 1/2 gallon...gone! And it was worth every bit of weight we gained! LOL :)




Kar, Me, and Kris in front of the lower falls.


Kris


Me


Kar


Hmmm...do you think they will stick?


Me and Kar


A thorn between 2 roses....NOT! I love this picture :)


Goofing off...


Friends...Sisters-in-Christ...the older I get the more and more I grow to appreciate the many friends that the Lord has blessed me with. Not only are my friends there to goof off with me and have fun with they are also there to be serious with and to help me to grow closer to the Lord.
It makes me think what kind of friend am I? Am I a true friend in every since of the word? Do I point my friends to the Lord or to I help them away? That is a scary thought!
What kind of friend are you? Something to think about...
This is the Falls that we were standing in front of. Look at those Falls! How magnificent they are! And our God created them! He is so good...take time to praise Him for His goodness.
Blessings to you all!

The 1,001 Time

Hey all you fellow bloggers out there!
Have you ever read a verse(s) 1,000 times and then the 1,001 time the Lord just kind of hits you over the head with it so to speak? Well, that happened with me 2 days ago.
I had called the admissions office at BBC and was told that I will probably have to pay money to get in and so I was worried about that and then I was trying to get this blog updated and so I was trying to get that done. Anyway, I decided that night that I would start reading one chapter in the old testament and one in the new every night. MY plan was to read Genesis 1 and Matthew 1 and...yeah, I did not get past Genesis 1:1-2! HE had other plans!
I had been (as many of you know) just really struggling with going to the Lord with my problems 1st and not turning to other people. As I was reading Genesis 1:1-2

"1 In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. 2 The earth was without form, and void; and darkness was[a] on the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters."

As I read it I started thinking about the fact that God has been around for forever and how He was the one that created everything and then I started looking up other verses and Isiah 42:5 really touched me:

"Thus says God the LORD,
Who created the heavens and stretched them out,
Who spread forth the earth and that which comes from it,
Who gives breath to the people on it,
And spirit to those who walk on it:"

Then I started thinking about the fact that I think that I have soooo many problems but instead of going to the Lord I try to "fix" them myself or try to get others to help me fix it and yet I do not turn to the only one who really can fix it...the Lord Jesus Christ.
The Lord has always been and always will be...why do I think taht my problems are "new" to Him? He was there before "new" was even thought of. Why do I not trust the Creator of the Heavens and the earth implicitely? Why is it so hard for me to give things over to His control when, in reality, He has been controlling it all since forever!
It is so neat to me...every single time something comes up where I am starting to doubt the Lord or starting to worry, the Lord just provides either through a letter, or a phone call, or a gift, encouragement and a reminder to keep trusting Him...
Trust Him!
Blessings to you all...

Life is a routine right now...

What do I mean by that? Well, things have really just fallen into a pattern! Basically consisting of school, tae-kwon do, school, tae-kwon do, church, school...do you get the impression that school is a huge part of my existence right now? LOL :)
Wow, through all the "boring" day-to-day life the Lord has really just been working and working away at me. Mainly in the whole guy department...have you ever just stopped and marveled at how far the Lord has brought you in an area of your life? I have just been marveling on how the Lord has just really helped me learn contentment. I wanted to share a letter that I got from a lady which really just encouraged me to continue to just wait on the Lord:

From me:
That is really neat how you are content were you are especially with getting married...i have really been struggling with that! Being content being single :) It can be really hard...especially with my friends having guys and me having no one. I sometimes wonder what in the world is wrong with me. Lately though i have been getting closer to the Lord and that is why I think that I don't have anyone. Who knows what is going to happen with college anyway!
I am going to BBC and I will be majoring in women's ministries. My dream is to build a house for abused girls...I am really excited and kinda scared about the whole change...the culture is so different down there and I don't want to get down there and then start the whole crushes on guys thing...i want to go to get closer to the Lord (don't get me wrong, a guy wouldn't hurt! lol) but I know myself...i get obsessed! lol :-) I am a "hopeless romantic" in the words of my best friend. How did you meet your fiance'? Did you ever feel the way I do...?
Hope you have a good day! Blessings!

Ps: the cruise sounds AWESOME!!!! lol :)

From her:
Hey girl, I TOTALLY know where you're coming from...all my friends are married and/or parents by now - ever heard the term "always a bridesmaid, never a bride?" My life's theme up until this point. :O) Plus is doesn't help when you're a little older and everyone feels like it's appropriate to ask you, "so when are YOU getting married?" That has to be the dumbest question in the history of mankind...

Anyway, I definitely felt lonely much of the time. It was hard to find solace in the fact that it wasn't God's timing for ME, because it felt unfair...why God allows some women to be older and loveless is a question that I will definitely ask upon entering heaven, but I chose to make the most of it and not be hindered by the fact that I was single because realistically, you will get married. You will meet someone amazing and have babies and be a mom, a wife, and all that good stuff...but not yet. If you believe that God has good things in store for you (and He always does), then you can be confident and trust that your desires to be loved are nothing more than an incredibly normal emotion instilled by God Himself.
I always tried to think of my future children. That might sound silly, but what do I want to teach them and encourage them to become, especially if I have daughters? My mother married at 18 and I saw some struggles and a lack of identity...I never wanted to be like that, so I fought through it and refused to marry anyone other than someone who is my absolute best friend. He is everything and more I ever wanted, and I always tell people that if I knew guys like him existed, I would wait til I was 40 to get married! He is most definitely worth the wait.
You and everything about you will drastically change as you mature and experience new things...when girls get married so young, it's almost like they're not allowed to change and develop into who God really made them to be. Change is a good thing, especially when maturity enters the picture - you might have a change of heart in what you want to do with your life, you might want to relocate, travel, or do something that does not confine you to one place. I know some women who always had a "dream" of going to Africa - when they found out I was going, there was some intense jealousy goin' on...it was crazy, but I didn't have a husband and kids like they did. Their dreams could've been obtained, they just got hindered by the little things. :O) Sorry for writing a novel, but I feel so strongly about young women possessing the confidence to be what God intended. I have no regrets going into this marriage. I've done what I wanted to do, I've educated myself culturally and educationally, and I know where I stand spiritually, and I'll tell you, it's different (better) then when I was 18. I thought I knew so much about life, but I really didn't know anything at all! I see your maturity already, and I believe it will develop into something unstoppable through the years, but don't be afraid to challenge yourself and don't settle. Ever! Realize that you only live once, so do everything you want to do, and the man that God has for you will do everything he wants/needs to do to prepare himself for being a husband/father, and when you intersect paths, it will be a rockin' experience. Who knows, maybe he will want to open a shelter too. :O)

P.S. - Erik and I met at a young adult service at my church. I work at a large church in Williamsville. I moved up this way for many reasons, one being that there were "no good guys left in Batavia." Upon meeting him at this church, I asked him where he was from..."Batavia." Unbelievable! Where was he all the years I was searching IN Batavia! God has a sense of humor...and it's all about the right timing. :O)"

God truly does have a sense of humor :) He is so faithful! Well, I have to go to tae-kwon do...I have posted some new links especially for girls so check it out! Blessings to you all...

Hey All!

So my brain has been on overload and that is my excuse for not updating in a while LOL :) No seriously, school has been crazy and life has been crazier! God is good though and it is such a relief to be able to turn to Him when I am at the bottom of me! He is AWESOME!
So, yes...God has really been doing a work in me personally and in things around me. He has really mean teaching me the big meaning of the little word trust :) It is so amazing though how He provides! Ever since I willingly told Him that I would trust Him to provide for BBC wouldn't you know it? He has! (Go figure!) Things like a box with clothes in the mail, a job teaching Tae-kwon do, being able to babysit for a wonderful family! He is so good and I am just in Awe of all that He has done!
Wow. I have just been going through a lot these past week. A lot of things to entrust to the Lord. School has been CRAZY and then I got really sick. I started having really bad coughing spells and then 2 days ago in class I could not breathe. I had also just found out that I have an enlarged thyroid. So, I went to the docter this morning and was sooo incredibly sick it was bad. But they gave me some medicene and the a nebulizer test (which is one of the most embarrasing things to me ever! I couldn't stop drooling ANYWAY! lol :)) Afterwards, I couldn't breathe and almost fainted and then I couldn't stop shaking but it was just a side affect of the medicine and I got over it. So my problem? I have a reaction to the acne medicine that I am on. The result? I have an inhaler and I have to stop acutane (my acne medicine).
Ok, about stopping the acutane...here is another area for me to just trust the Lord. See, all my life I have been extremely self-conscious about my looks. Particularly me acne. And now...well, I thought that it would be gone forever and I would not have to deal with it anymore. I have always struggled with maybe that being the reason that guys seem not to like me or whatever. BUT, as I sit here and think about it I realize that that is the devil's lie. I mean, that is what the world is throwing at me and other girls like me but, what we have to realize is that our beauty should not just come from the outside but from our spirit within. I realized that my outward "beauty" (lol) will fade and continue to fade the older I get. Girls, here is a challenge for you to really rebel against the worlds definition of beauty and start enhancing you inward beauty which is really what matters! I am doing this also...lets pray for eachother and please write me and tell me what you think. Blessings...

PS: Here is an amazing website that is just...been a great blessing to be in finding my true beauty in the Lord: http://www.teen-beauty-tips.com/

Katia and Sergei...

Hey all,
Do you love ice skating? I do! These past few days I have been watching alot of husband and wife team Sergei and Katia, russion skaters who won 2 world championships and 2 olympic gold medals. Sadly, in 1995, Sergei tragically died at the age of 28. Below is their story and I really recommend watching it...you won't be disappointed!

Part 1:



Part 2:



Part 3:



Part 4:



Part 5:



Part 6:



Part 7:



Part 8:



Part 9:



Part 10:



Part 11:



I don't know about you but I sobbed when I watched this beautiful story of love and devotion between 2 people. After I watched it I wrote in my prayer journal and I just would like to share with you what the Lord laid on my heart...:

Monday, February 4, 2008
Dear Heavenly Father,

Pls. help me to wait for my future husband faithfully. I watched a beautiful documentary on Sergei and Katia who were skaters then he tragically died in 1995. They fell in love and were married with a little girl named Daria. The love for each other was so evident...I just sobbed. I realized that marraige is not just going to bed together. Rather, it is living each day and enjoying every moment together. I think that is what touched me so about their story.
Lord, I know there is someone out there for me... pls. prepare me for him. I am not strong in my walk with You as much as I would like to be and, Lord I want to be in love with YOu 1st...

Ps: I am reading Pro. 31:10 talking about a wife having "noble character." Lord, mold me till I have a more noble character.

What does noble mean? That was the question that I pondered last night...I pray that the Lord will mold and shape me into a noble woman after His own heart and that He will prepare me for my love...
Blessings!

Typical Saturday Morning!

Hey all!
So, it has been a pretty typical Saturday at the Case household. We went to Tae-kwon Do this morning and then got back and have been just doing stuff around the house really. Jen is at a skating thing so...yeah...we are so boring! lol :)
Actually, I wanted to share with you all something that was totally not boring that I learned in my devos today...
I have been reading through a Voice of the Martyrs http://www.persecution.com/ and I was stuck by this quote:
"Spiritual maturity is not measured by a birth certificate. Chronological age has little to do with conviction. Rather, spiritual maturity is measured one day at a time. We measure our maturity by how well we daily apply our faith. Contrary to popular belief, spiritual maturity is not how much we know about the Bible, many people are very familar with the Bible, yet they remain strangers to spiritual maturity. Obediance to the Bible's commands is the mark of maturity. One question will help us know how well we are growing spiritually. We must ask ouselves each day, 'How much more do we look like Jesus today then we did yesterday?' Our answer is a true reflection of our growth."
"How much more do we look like Jesus today then we did yesterday?" That can be a scary question! I find myself wondering if I will ever be more like Christ...This is my challenge to you: Today are you closer to the Lord Jesus Christ than yesterday?
Blessings...