Board of Trustees

I was honored to be a part of the Board of Trustees meeting for Bethel this fall. I was asked by the head of the doctoral program to represent the graduate program for the day. I didn't hesitate to say yes even though it meant taking a personal day at work.

It was a humbling experience to say the least, but I consider it a true blessing to have been chosen to attend. It is no secret that I hold Bethel in such high regard, and it is my HEART'S DESIRE to one day be a full-time faculty member there. I was moved by the opening prayers and devotions, and being able to attend Chapel in the middle of the work day inspired me to keep me Bethel dreams alive and well.

Two things struck a chord with me, and I hope to never forget them.

• Our struggles, trials, and tribulations can be meaningful or meaningless. WE decide.
• It's okay to reach a breaking point where we feel we can't go on. It is then when we can truly let God take over.

Feeling blessed by this campus and my program on a continual basis.

Truly.

Don't Blink

Because this day will be here before I know it :(

My Mini-Tennis Pro

Grayson started tennis lessons this weekend. We are so fortunate to have found the PIT. The youth tennis instructor is phenomenal and a GUSTIE :) Grayson had a smile on his face the whole time, and he is stoked to go back. Better yet, he was a great listener. So proud of him!

Impromptu Math Lesson

Thanks to Krissy, a dear friend from college who now works for Thrivent Financial, we turned a candy problem into a math lesson. We allowed our kiddos to keep 25 pieces of their favorite candy, and then we made different deals to buy the rest. Pieces of candy were worth 5 cents, 10 cents, or 25 cents, depending on the type. When all deals were made, I made them count out their earnings. The money was then put into each of their three different piggy banks. I then took the rest to school to put into my prize bin. WIN. WIN.

Young Love

On Halloween, Griffin turned to Isabel and said, "Hey BatGirl. You look good tonight." 

BEST. LINE. EVER.

Halloween 2013

Monster Dash 2013

 

This year I ran the Monster Dash for the second time. It's funny how running a full-marathon changes your perspective on almost everything. Last year, I was freaking out about this race. Not only was I trying to break the two hour mark for the THIRD TIME, but I felt completely unprepared due to my vein and heart issues. The day before last year's race involved drinking lots of water, obsessing over my fueling, and, for lack of a better word, panic. Fast forward to this year, and I was COOL as a cucumber. I knew I would be running with Chad and Jessica, and I knew that I didn't have a PR on mind. I was hoping to stay under two hours for Chad's sake, but neither of us really cared. We just wanted to run a race and enjoy ourselves.

I barely drank water the day before. I ate Chinese food for dinner. And I stayed up later than I normally do on a Friday night. (Let's be honest, though, it wasn't that late). I slept great, and I woke up without knots in my stomach. Tackling 13 miles literally didn't phase me. And for that, I am thankful. The end of the race proved to be a little tough, but for the most part, I simply had fun catching up with Jessica and listening to Chad curse us under his breath! He claimed he hated us, but later on he thanked us :) Less than 2 hours later, we crossed the finish line. Chad broke two hours for the first time, and I didn't feel like I was going to die. It's all about perspective, folks! Hoping to have a repeat experience next week in Disney. Who knew running 13 miles could be so enjoyable?