Christmas Blessings

Merry Christmas Everyone! 

Christmas this year has been so full of blessings. First off, I got to spend all of it with the man in the picture above :)

We got to celebrate 6 Christmases this year!! First, we had our own at Jared's apartment in East Lansing. The next day was Christmas with my mom's side of the family. The next, Christmas eve fun with my dad's side.
On Christmas day we split our time between our families. We started out at my house, filled with Santa presents, breakfast, church, family presents and packing up. From there we headed down to Jared's parent's house for the Grandlienard Christmas. I was so blessed to meet his extended family for the first time. It was so much fun! Finally, Christmas night we exchanged gifts with his parents and siblings. Such a blessing-filled Christmas!
 I think buying others gifts was the most fun I had this season. But I am so excited about two of my gifts :) 
First, is my PINK Chi straightner!!! (my straight hair in the picture above is a product of this gift) Thanks Santa!!
Second is a new CAMERA!! (the picture above is a product of this, as well as the one below!) Thanks Mom and Dad Grandlienard!!


I hope your Christmas has been filled with blessings as well...here's a picture that makes me love winter and reminds me of the Light that came into the world for us :)

  John 1:1-5, 9-14

     In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.

     The true light that gives light to everyone was coming into the world. He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him. He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God—children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God.

     The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth. 

Blessings, 

shmem

Second chances: an update

Hello friends,

It has been awhile. While I thought I would be able to keep up with this blog, I have not been doing a great job with it. But luckily there is new chances every day.

The past month has gone so very fast and has been filled with so many wonderful moments, and humbling moments.

At the beginning of November I was teaching at the alternative school and subbing. I was getting known as a sub (even was told I was a great sub by a secretary of a school I hadn't subbed in yet, I don't know how that happened). I was enjoying my schedule and learning to love what I was doing at the alternative ed.
The end of the 1st quarter came at PACE (this is my acronym for the alt. ed), and my boss came to me with some bad news. There would only be 1 class for me to teach during 2nd quarter, meaning less hours. After a lunchtime of praying, talking to Jared, my mom, and crying a little, I decided to leave PACE for this quarter.
The decision wasn't easy and since being gone from that position, it has taught me that decisions aren't easy as an adult. It also humbled me. I learned that I LOVE teaching those kids at PACE and I was completely blessed by them (something that was hard to see while working there). 


However, God has been good in His promises to me. I have been subbing everyday of the week and have had the chance to teach math for a couple 2-day long sub jobs. I love being around students and learning new things every day. Whenever I do teach math, this passion inside of me is lit. I love that God has called me to do this; however there are moments when I ache for my own classroom, for my own students to teach. God reminds me daily that His timing is the best. Meanwhile, I am to learn what I can and know that He is my provider. I am such a blessed woman.

A few more new things in my life:
I am the assistant coach for the MS Pom with my old varsity coach. It has been so much fun to help these girls learn and watch them perform. I also love that my little sister Hanna is on the squad and it gives us more time together :)

Thanksgiving was a wonderful time. Jared and I spent the day with my family at my grandparent's and headed down to IN for the weekend. It was great to spend time with his family, see some friends and have long car rides together.


Before I knew it, December was upon us and I was able to spend last weekend with the best friends anyone could ask for. 10 of us girls (who all lived on the same floor freshman year and are still best friends) headed to Chicago for our annual get-away trip. It was a wonderful 3 days of catching up in life, laughing continuously and crazy memories being made. Here is a picture that sums up our friendship, love and the weekend we had together:

These girls bless me so much. I don't know what I would do without them :)


Now, it's time to get ready for Christmas. Christmas music is on in my car all the time, I love driving at night and seeing all the lights, and contrary to my dislike for winter, I am ready for some snow on the ground. Getting ready for the celebration of our Savior's birth is one of my favorite times of the year. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do.


Until next time,
Blessing, love & peace

Learning how to miss and move on

     So yesterday Jared and I headed to Oneida Gospel Church to continue our search for a church community to be a part of up here in Michigan. Since we just both moved back here, we've been on a hunt for somewhere we can be challenged and we can serve. If any of you have every gone church hunting, it's hard, especially when we had such an amazing community before in the 509 Community.
     Our time at Oneida Gospel was wonderful. It's a very small rural community that is lead by Larry Schruager, who is the dad of some of my best friends from high school. After the service, a couple people came up and introduced themselves to us and wanted to get to know us. It was really nice. It is surprising how much that doesn't happen in a lot of churches.
     While we were talking to the youth pastor's wife, Becky, she asked us what we were looking for in a church. It caught me off guard and I automatically wanted to say, "Somewhere like the 509". As I told her that we had an amazing community of believers back in Huntington, I started to tear up (yes, probably not a HUGE surprise to those of you who know me), but it caught me off guard.
     
     Jared and I have gone through a huge transition both moving to MI, me back to my parent's house and him to his own apartment. We've both been dealing with new surroundings and experiences. Up until yesterday though, I was the strong one who was okay with moving on from Huntington and embracing the new experiences while Jared struggled a little more. However, yesterday I had my moment.

     I went into college at Huntington University, not needing new friends (I had great ones from high school so why would I need new ones?) and knowing where my life was heading: to being a military wife. However, after my first semester God showed me that He had different plans for me life. He began to show me that these girls on Hardy 1st were placed there to be my sisters, to be my strength when I was weak and hold me up when I couldn't hold myself up. They challenged me, comforted me and taught me so much. And I am so blessed to say that they are still my best friends today.

Hardy 1st 2007-2008

 

And then we all grew up :) Graduation 2011

     After my first year, God called me to be "Entirely His". That's when I lost my 'plan' in life and was simply lost. I wandered and wondered and wandered and was so blessed to be on the journey with my amazing roommate Hillary. She would have said that I got her through that year but she's the one that got me through.
     Then God planted a seed of love in my heart, though I wouldn't have called it that back then. He continued to stretch and challenge me through a summer at Camp Cotubic and then lead me to the man He had for me.
     The last two years at Huntington were a whirl-wind. School got harder, I became more passionate about teaching, Jared and I fell in love and I became even closer to those sisters God gave me that very first year. Before I knew it, it was all over.


     So yesterday I had my 'moment'. I cried for the things I missed: a community that challenged me every day, sisters who I could go and see at any moment if need be, people who just were so amazing and wonderful to learn from every day. But I cried mostly because I missed that constant growth that happens in college. It is a time of so much learning and growing and I took that for granted.
     But I am so blessed...Jared reminded me of that as I cried for the things I miss. We aren't ever going to go back, he said, but God will fulfill our need for friends and community. We're in transition, yes. We're trying to figure out what God has for us, yes. And we're learning to move on. We're learning and growing, but it just doesn't look like it did before. Life is different because nothing stays the same...nothing except our wonderful, loving, all-powerful God.

blessings my friends. 
And to my Hardy 1st sisters...I love you all & miss you more than words can say


Shmem

A little thing called Alternative Ed

Hello friends,

A while ago I said that I would tell a little more about my teaching adventures at Portland Alternative Education and that is exactly what is on my mind tonight. I'm sitting here listening to the soundtrack from Swan Lake (thanks to my sister Hanna's suggestion), thinking about my students and what God's plan is for me there.

So as I said in my first post, I have been unbelievably blessed with a part-time teaching position at Portland Alternative Education. I teach math 2 days a week for 2 periods. Here, let me explain a little bit about the school so all of this makes sense.

This is an alternative school, but students receive a high school diploma just the same as at a regular high school. It's a second chance for kids who couldn't handle the high school for some reason. Our schedule consists of 2 hr M-W and T-Th classes and 3 hr Friday class. Each day students have 3 classes. We also work in quarters (8 weeks long) and students earn quarter credits towards graduation.

Every student that comes into the school is at a different place credit-wise, therefor my classroom is NOT a traditional classroom at all. Each student has a list of assignments that they must complete in order to get credit and works on their own. I am there as a "facilitator" (more like a baby-sitter at times) and to help/teach when they need it.

This is a very different situation from what I was prepared for in school. While I'm all about non-traditional ways of teaching students, this is at times beyond me and over my head. At times, we are simply trying to keep our head above water with these students. So, from an academic standpoint, I am being pushed and stretched beyond what I thought I could be when it comes to teaching.

And, as anyone in education knows, teaching is all about the students. And students are people. And people are never static.

My students are a rough crowd. Students don't come to alternative school for no reason. Some of my students I can tell why they are here, and others, I am not sure. Either way, they are my students. This is where God is teaching me a HUGE lesson. I'll sum it up like this.

Loving those who love you is the easy task. Loving those who don't is the hard one.

The students I have are hurting, broken souls. These are kids who have poor parental influence or adult mentor-ship. They don't know what it looks like to be a responsible person in society. But most importantly, these kids don't know what love is. All of this makes my students very hard to love.

This is where God is moving and speaking to me. One day, a couple weeks into school, I was sitting helping a young lady in my classroom, let's call her Sally. She is a student who is always frustrated, is always on her cell phone, is easily irritated, especially when working on math. On this day, I was trying to explain a concept to her and she got flustered and put her head down. I started to get frustrated with her and in my head got quite upset. As I was sitting there steaming with anger in my head, I heard God whisper to me. This is the message He had for me:

"Emily, Sally is my hurt and broken daughter, just as you are my daughter. I love her right now as she is and I am calling you to do the same. Love this child of mine, as I have loved you."

Even remembering it now gives me chills and puts tears in my eyes. It was such a humbling experience. God called me in that moment to do exactly as He has done. While I always felt as if I was a loving person, in that moment God challenged me in my thinking. Am I really loving, or do I just love those who are easy to love, those who love me in return? Do I really understand what Jesus says is the greatest commandment? Or what he tells his disciples?

Matthew 22:36-40

³⁶ “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?”

 ³⁷ Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.³⁸ This is the first and greatest commandment. ³⁹ And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself. ⁴⁰ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”

 John 13: 34-35

“A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”

 These are the words that God continues to lie on my heart while I am at school. At times I feel completely useless and ineffective as a teacher and these are the moments God reminds me that I am NOT in control but He is. My all-loving, all-powerful God, who loves so unconditionally I scarce can take it in. 

I'll end tonight with the words of Rich Mullins:

"Our God is an awesome God. 

He reigns from heaven above. 

With wisdom, power and LOVE. 

Our God is an awesome God."

love, peace and blessings on this Tuesday evening,

Shmem

P.S. Did any of you see the Northern Lights last night? Here's a few photos that we took...enjoy!

Our Northern Lights watching party :)

The best picture we could get, see the Red in the sky? God paints a pretty sweet pictures in the night sky!

Sick days

     Well yesterday was my first official sick day that I took as an actually working adult. And let me tell you, I don't like taking sick days. I hate inconveniencing other people or making their lives harder. So when I had to call in yesterday to let work know I couldn't come in it wasn't fun. Luckily the other math teacher at Portland is so unbelievably wonderful and took my kids without complaining.

     However, this left me sitting at home and not liking being idle. This is something I have issues with: resting. Growing up as the 2nd of 7 kids, there was always something to be done. So I got in the habit of always doing something, whether it was running to a practice or putting away dishes or bathing a younger sibling. So when it comes to days when I'm suppose to be doing something and can't, I get restless.

     While I have gotten a whole lot better at learning to be still and rest (thanks to college and Jared Grandlienard), God has still been teaching me how to be still. The verse that always comes to mind for me is Psalm 46:10

"Be still and know I am God". 

     This verse never ceases to stop me in my tracks and make me think. What does it mean to "be still"? At times it completely confuses me and I'm not even sure where to begin? But I think that's the beauty of this verse also, God is saying, "stop what you are doing, wherever you are, and remember who I AM. I am the great I AM. The beginning and the end, the alpha and the omega. Everything that is, has come into existence because of me. Remember who I am". It is such a humbling experience and such an amazing experience to remember who our God is.

I hope today you have some time to "Be still" and discover more of who God is. 

Happy Wednesday everyone :)

Better late than never

Well dear friends, I failed again on posting every day but that's okay, today will just be 2 posts! How exciting :)

Yesterday was a great day. I subbed at St. Johns High School. My stud QB cousin who goes there came and said hello. I got to watch movies all day and get paid for it. Win.

Then I came home and got to get this wonderful little man off the bus.

And we had a photo session :) I'll let the pictures do the talking

Enjoy!! 

Peace, love and prayers to you all.

You are cherished

Emily

The here and now

Hello friends,
My goal is to update my blog every day but yesterday it was impossible to do so (I'll tell you why just a little bit later). So today is a double whammy. My thought for today was to update where I am and what God is doing in the here and now. Let's begin with yesterday...
 
     Yesterday I worked a 16.5 hr day at a wedding at Rosewood Inn. This is such a lovely place that my Uncle Joe and Aunt Val own and operate. Let me tell you their story because it's just so great.
     My Uncle Joe (my dad's oldest brother) was a contractor and met a wonderful woman, now my Aunt Val, who was an interior designer. They fell in love and got married. They found this 1870's Itlianate and decided to restore the house to be a beautiful bed and breakfast. It is such a beautiful house  and a great place to stay. (please go to the website to see more photos of this amazing place)

     So then, because the house has such a wonderful backyard, they started having weddings on the property. The weddings are in an amazing wedding garden build in the old foundation of barn, complete with gorgeous ferns and ponds. Check it out.

     The reception is held in a huge tent behind here. These are some seriously elegant weddings. It's amazing how sophisticated outdoor weddings can be. This is their 3rd summer of weddings and had about 30 weddings this summer.
     I love being a part of them and working at them. While it's long hours and a whole lot of work, it's just such a joy to know that you're making the best day of someone's life happen just like they want it.
     So that's what kept me busy and employed yesterday and most of the summer. And speaking of weddings and the inn, it leads me to something that is a happening in my here and now also: wedding planning :)


     I am so excited to be marrying my best friend, Jared Alan Grandlienard, on June 16th, 2012 at...take a guess... ROSEWOOD INN! I could not think of a better place to get married than somewhere that I know so well and is a family business. It has been such a blessing to know that that's where Jared and I will be beginning our life together as we celebrate with family and friends.
     Wedding planning as been so much fun. I know that at times it is going to be, and already has been, stressful, but I seriously have the best family and friends helping me out. That's not to mention my amazing fiance who has been such a help and loves planning with me :) This is definitely somewhere I have seen God's hand working. Before we had decided to get married at the Inn, it was stressful to look at venues and prices and such. Since we just came into town, Jared and I don't have a home church in the area that we definitely wanted to get married at. But God kept reminding me of my job through 

Phillipians 4:6 

       "Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God."

It's amazing what happens when we really truly do this. I still have a lot of work to do on having my heart in this state always but God is showing me how He provides and has the BEST ideas ever.


     Along with planning a wedding and getting ready for married life, God has been faithful in providing for me while living at home. I was blessed with babysitting jobs this summer along with working weddings at the Inn. While I loved this work, I wanted so desperately to find a teaching job. 
     And God is so good. I am now a part-time math teacher at Portland Alternative Education. I teach two days a week to students who have not found success at regular high schools and are working towards graduating with a high school diploma. Along with this I am employed as a substitute teacher.
     It has been quite the adventure as a teacher so far. My job is nothing like a regular teaching job at a high school and middle school but is right where God wants me in the here and now. The kids aren't easy to deal with and are a rough crowd, which can be very frustrating and discouraging at times. There are days when I cry out to God saying "Am I even doing anything? I don't feel as if I am being effective at all. I'm ready to give up, LORD". And this is when He shows me that these kids are hurting souls; that even though they defy me and might hate me at times, that God LOVES them so unconditionally and He is calling me to do the same. This is the verse He whispers in my ear over and over again.

        “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”

 John 13: 34-35

    This is my here and now. Learning to love as He loves me, learning to teach as He has called me to do and learning to love every minute of this adventure He has me on.

Peace, prayers and blessings,

      Emily
 

You are cherished

 

Remembering and Cherishing

It's been a long time coming. It's been thought about, almost started, thought about again, and finally actually started. And now I am joining the blogging world.

I'm not about to embark on a great trip around the world, or moving anywhere for that matter. I simply have decided its time for my "adventures" to be written about and shared. I don't imagine this to be one of the top 100 blogs or even read by many but rather an outlet to share with those who want to hear. Today, what I have on my mind is everything I've thought about blogging about in the last few months. So here we go, I'm going to take you through my last 6 months of life and hopefully it will help you to get to know me a little more (if you don't already that is). Let's do it with pictures, because, let's face it, memories are better in pictures....

On May 14th, 2011 I graduated from Huntington University with a Bachelors of Science in Mathematics Education.

Here are some of my best friends in the whole world, I was so blessed to live with and grow with these girls.

3 days after graduation, I jetted off to Europe with my wonderful Grandma to visit my sister Elizabeth and explore France, Spain and Italy with her

I was welcomed home by my wonderful family of 9! Here we are at our favorite vacation spot: The Central Lake House

The rest of summer flew by with some more great adventures including (but not limited to):

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 Midnight Premier

Swimming at Grandma's cottage

Beach trips

Dates with my man, Jared :)

Trips to the zoo!

Camping trips with the family

Tough cookin' women

Then along came August. Some wonderful things happened in this month :)

Jared moved into his apt at MSU and started his PhD program there

And while on a walk around campus, he asked me to marry him!!!!!!!

The amazing ring he picked out all by himself, I LOVE IT!

We are beyond excited to be getting married June 16th, 2012

 

Well that was my summer. It was such a blessing to be with family, friends and now my fiance. It was a season of adjustments (coming back home, living with 8 other people and learning to be an adult, etc). It was so much fun to experience and fun to look back on too. I'm just one of those people who loves to look at old pictures and remember times gone by. God really reveals to me how He moved in my life through reminiscing and reminds me that He is still working in my life right this moment. Isn't that just so cool?  I hope you enjoyed going through my summer as much as I did.

That's is where I have been and my next post will be of where I am right now. I can't wait to continue to share what God is teaching me through my little day-to-day adventures.

You are cherished.

Emily