Picture Post

Hannah and I went to a HUGE grocery outlet today in Hazard Kentucky. It was a college students breath of fresh air! Our wallets breathed a sigh of relief as we left and asked us to please consider doing shopping there in the future. While we were there we looked for some water. campus water is not very good and we thought we might finds some at UGO cheap. We found this stuff pretty cheap but couldn't read the label. We assumed it was water but didn't know because we couldn't read the label. We bought it and when we got to the car Hannah said maybe you should try this first- my response was maybe you should because I am driving and if I die it will cause us to wreck and then we would both die anyway. We both ended up drinking and liking the water! We had a memorable  day!  

We finished our day off with discount Carrot Cake!

What Happened to You Can Never Have to Much?

 If I go about filling my schedule with things that are trivial and tomorrow will not have an impact then of course I won' t have time for the things that will really make a difference in the outcome of my everyday.  When will I get it! Unlike that piece of pie that is definitely an option at the end of a yummy meal, God is more than an option! He is number one and deserves much more of my life than He gets! 

 These thoughts bombarded me while I was on the dish crew after lunch today. When I walked into the Dining Room at lunch time I was greeted by Noriko (a new freshman from Japan). She was so excited!! WE ARE HAVING ICE CREAM!!!- she exclaimed! We went through the line and got our food and when we got to the dessert table sure enough we were having vanilla ice cream on top of fresh homemade apple pie. As we were trying to pick our plate she couldn't find one small enough. One of the young men serving dessert said " You can never have to much pie!". Noriko found her piece of pie and we went and ate. 

  Later as I was gathering up trays from the counter I saw the "You can never have to much pie" man and noticed he hadn't been able to eat all his pie. I said- what happened to "you can never have to much pie?" His response was "It wasn't the problem of having to much pie it was the fact that I had to much of everything else. The wheels had started rolling in my head already when he came through the kitchen and said-"If I would have eaten my pie first I would have had room for it." 

  Lately I have been wondering how I can fit enough time in to feel like I am really filling my "cup". Trying to figure out how I can do all the things life demands and still have enough to have my quiet time and really see God in all HIS power. To really be able to feel all His power in my life. 

  In chapel the first day after Christmas Break Dr. Speas preached about this very thing. His message was titled -ORDERING YOUR PRIVATE WORLD-. He said sink holes are created by extreme droughts. He compared our lives to these sink holes. Our lives are like sink holes. They will cave  in the when there is not enough influence of the Creator- if we don't worship and wait for His voice our life is nothing but one big sink hole. The minute we get overwhelmed we will find that we are stuck in the sand!  When Mr. You Can Never said that if he had eaten his pie first it reminded me that I am guilty of saving the best for last and then wondering why I never get enough! DUH!!! The question is answered and I knew it all along but I was to busy filling my planner with things I probably won't remember next week. 

 Luke 10:38-42 talks about Mary and Martha. There was a vast difference in their personalities and priorities. The things of preparing for the meal for Jesus overtook Martha and she got frazzled and complained to Jesus that Mary should be helping her because why should she have to do it all alone and get so stressed out. Jesus informed her that she was troubled with many "things" and that her sister had the one thing that no one could take from her. That one needful thing was what Martha was lacking in the midst her busy hustle and bustle of serving.

 My prayer is that we will all be able to remember that good part, that one thing that is needful! 

 God bless you all! 

Swauger, Room 201 (My Room)

Last Semester will be remembered for the mouse invasion. As it got cooler the mice welcomed them to Deanna and I's rooms at one point we watched one go between our rooms under the door. 

I slept in a different building for a couple nights and I think we got the problem fixed. This here is just to remind them where they belong.

 This sweet snowman was a Christmas gift from one of the girls. We drew names. She also gave me a 3 foot gummy snake with a note that said- Maybe this will get rid of the mice!

Where Do I Begin???!!!

   I have been contemplating a title for the next -way over-due- blog post for a couple days and couldn't think of anything that was satisfying so I settled for the easy way out this time. 
    The last post was in early November and I am struggling to think of words to describe the length of time it feels like it has been since I posted it. I promised more pics and they never came- please forgive me? Thanksgiving was a week after that and I was so excited to be on the road to my parents house that was a fun dream! The days leading up to Thanksgiving break were very overwhelming but God brought me through it all. I was privileged to watch one of the professors daughter a couple times that week. The day I left for Ohio I watched her in the morning and did some laundry. I left around 2:30pm. I got directions and a concerned "be careful" from my daddy on the telephone minutes before I left. As I was heading out the door I stopped at the office at the bottom of the steps leading to the main floor of my building where the student center and one of the counselors offices is and got a hearty have good break from Mr. Paul. As I left Vancleve I stopped and got gas. Then was on my way. I set the cruise and off I went. It was such a beautiful day and I was on cloud 9! I had 3 fun-loving brothers and 2 sisters that are always ready to stay up and chat till- well to  late early to be talking about here. Not to mention my parents. There is something about being where your family is that is just  a comfortable feeling. I was anticipating seeing my grandpa who at the time was still in the hospital. All this and just the simple fact that I got to get off campus, didn't have any assignments staring me in the face, I was pumped! I was about an hour from school when suddenly the cruise control kicked off on its own, I pushed on the accelerator and the gas gauge when flying up towards 50 mph then slowly fell back down. I could speed the car up but the lights and the gas gauge wouldn't work. I pulled off at an exit and stopped at a gas station and used 3 dollars to use a pay phone that didn't do what I paid it to do. I was in tears trying to stay calm as I went into the gas station and as I tried to hide the fact that I was losing it I ask if there was a mechanic around. She proceeded to ask what was wrong and I told her I had no idea and she went out and looked at it. I couldn't start it now and I popped the hood for her and she jiggled the cables to the battery and she told me to start it- started right up and she said "oh it was just a loose cable- you should be good to go now". So quite relieved I went on my way thanking God she had been able to figure it out. I made it 12-15 miles- same thing only this time it just up and died and I coasted to the edge of the freeway. I sat there and looked around and tried to my racing heart to be still. I prayed that God would help me give it to Him and that I would be OK with staying on campus if it was His will. I then got out of my car and changed into my tennis shoes and started walking. It was going to be getting dark in an hour or so and I was trying to figure out how long it would take to walk to the nearest town- about 15 miles. I walked and tried to ignore the stares from those on the interstate who were FLYING past. I had walked about 5 maybe 10 minutes when a man pulled over and rolled his window down. He asked me what was wrong and I told him trying to keep the tears at bay. He asked if I had someone I could call and I said yes. He let me use his phone and I tried to call the school. I got someone on the line and I lost it. I couldn't even talk. It was a little lot humiliating!  The person on the other end thought someone had died. About that time a truck pulled over closer to where my car was and 2 men were walking  towards us. Turns out its people from the college. The men worked on the car and got it started and we were on our way. For 10 miles. It did it again. Finally we parked it in a empty lot and moved on to plan "B". I called my daddy as we were travelling North and he said that they didn't have time to come and meet us so I ended up in Paoli Indiana. I slept in a hallway behind a sheet for 5 nights. It was a warm and welcoming place to be I have no complaints but is was not the above mentioned dream. I still don't know what God was trying to teach me maybe submission. I am grateful to Pastor Bob England of Paoli Wesleyan Church and his wife and their family for taking me in and making me feel welcome. It was a Thanksgiving I will never forget. I spent a big chunk of the little bit of money I had to buy an alternator for my car and the guys fixed it on the way back to school on Monday morning- in the rain! 
  The weeks after Thanksgiving break were full with studying for finals and working to pay my bill at school off. Finals and Christmas parties finished off the semester. I got a Gummy snake that was 3 feet long and a cute little snowman made of a sock and some rice it really is pretty cute! He is adorable!
 Christmas break began and I spent it in Ohio. Mother was sick the entire time I was there and Kendall and Laban (my brothers) and Sarah and Carrie (sisters) took turns with it too. We had 2 funerals while I was there (no family- Church friends) and we celebrated Carrie (17) and Kendalls (8) birthdays as well along with Christmases. It was a fun time I got to spend some time with a couple friends and took all 3 of my brothers at home on a little fun trip to am Amish Store and then to Richmond Indiana for some window shopping. We went to the Library 2 times and we went mudding in my car- their idea all the way! It was a fun trip. I got to school last Tuesday and classes began on Friday. I am praying for a good semester! May God bless you all! 

Pictures from Fall Break...

Hannah and Kendall checking out farm equipment

My brothers and Hannah- a college friend

This is Tisha the kitty that got abandoned at Grandpas my mother has been bottle feeding her so while she was away we took turns feeding her.

More pictures to come...

Life These Days...

How is life these days? Well rather uneventful unless you count the full schedule of classes and work and homework. It seems to set a pace of sorts! 

I SPY(campus recruiting event) went well. My sister Sarah and 2 cousins came for the weekend. It was about a month ago. Guests arrived on Thursday eve. and went to classes with us on Friday and spent the afternoon having fun. On Saturday most of the guests went home. My guests stuck around another day and my wonderful cousin helped get my car back up and running, it needed a new battery and had been sitting there for almost 3 weeks. God provided the means for a new battery and my cousin to help replace it. In the afternoon we all went to natural bridge and hiked up to the top and over to a lookout. It was a lovely afternoon. On the way home we had supper at DQ and then lounged in the Student Center for a little bit till curfew. 

3 days later I got to go up there for 5 days! It was a great break. I took a couple girls up from here and we helped my sister hold the fort down while my parents took the weekend away for some much needed R&R. They got home on Monday right before lunch and we lift right after lunch. It was great to have some time off campus. On Thursday (before we left) around 11:30am I went down to the Business Office for something quick and as I was leaving Mr. Paul was coming in. He said do you need some kittens to take to your mother? I told him no not really and he said well there are 3 of them at the end of the driveway in a box. So I ran ( literally) down the lane to get the dears, it was in the low forties and drizzling I thought at least I could warm them up and maybe find homes for them. When very much out of breath arrived at the end of the lane- I heard them whining and when I opened the box I got quite a surprise- Not 3 but 5 and not kittens- PUPPIES!!! =< I was irate, who could do such a thing? I was expecting kittens that were scrambling around in this box that would be all cute and cuddly and I could find home for them simply because they were so cute but what I found broke my heart- 5 one week old puppies almost frozen their eyes werent open and they had no teeth. The first little puppy I picked up was so could when I picked him up he didnt move he was stiff and I thought he was dead. As I put him down he whimpered a little. In the bottom of the box was a wet towel and the box was wet as well. I took my jacket off and picked them all up  and hurried up the hill to the  school. The staff wasnt to happy to see them there is a no animal on campus policy so I can understand. Students were calling home and asking if their mothers would be interested in taking a puppy. No they didnt want a puppy. One of the girls took one of them to Tennessee with her to give the people she was staying with. This was after Mrs. Marshall ( our financial aid lady) drove me to Jackson to see if the hardware/pet store would take them. The lady in there was almost in tears and wanted to help so badly. She wasnt allowed to take them and prayed for us right there. The remaining four went to Ohio my riders happily (kinda) obliged to feed them as I drove. We got a little lost as we crossed the Ohio river ( as is usual) and we stumbled upon a "no kill" animal adoption agency. They director didnt really want to take them but one of his volunteers took them. I was so glad to find a home for them! I have a reputation here now and I dont know if it is good or bad but I do know that people here will no longer inform me of poor animals dumped by the road anymore.=)

We are a week and a half away from Thanksgiving and something like 5 weeks away from the end of the semester. There is alot that will be happening between now and then. Right now my biggest problem is learning to trust. I know God will provide I know He will but I am getting better and better at getting myself all  stressed out about the little stuff. This is not something I am proud of by any means-  I am simply asking for your prayers as I continue to try to lean on HIM. School bills and gas to drive to Ohio on breaks or the funds to stay on campus if it doesnt suite to go up there- He knows where it will come from! 

I am hoping to go to Ohio for Thanksgiving. I will be up there from 11.23-11.28 Lord willing and then we are in the home stretch for finals. 

If any of you in Ohio know of anyone looking for help over our Christmas break from December the 17th to January the 11th or something like that I would be happy to know about it. If not that ok too! But please pray that Gods will would be done and that I can accept it!
May you all be blessed as we Journey Heavenward!

The last Young Folks gathering before I moved....

One last young folks gathering at the river before I left Washington.

Pie Irons over the fire for supper!

DELICIOUS!

Singing around the fire as the sun went down...

In my kitchen...

Cherry Seed spitting contest.