belated birthday thing

Well, my birthday was last week and I thought this would be fun...

------10 years ago---------------

1.) How old were you? 12
2.) Where did you go to school? Benjamin Middle School
3) Where did you work? didn't
4.) Where did you live? With mom and dad in West Chicago
5.) Where did you hang out? Christine Wolniak's house... all the time
6.) Did you wear glasses? Yes
7.) Who was your best friend(s)? Christine Wolniak
8.) Who was your crush? Hans Colliander
9.) How many tattoos did you have? None
10.) How many piercings did you have? One in each ear
11.) What car did you drive? I didn't
12.) Did you drink or smoke? Nope
13.) Had your heart broken? I was twelve!
14.) Were you Single, Taken, Engaged, Married, Divorced, or Widowed? *see above*
15.) What were your main interests/activities? swimming and playing games with Christine and volleyball and basketball

----------------5 years ago----------------------

1.)How old were you? 17
2.) Where did you go to school? West Chicago high school
3.) Where did you work? St. Vincent DePaul thrift store
4.) Where did you live? Basically in my car! but technically with my parents still
5.) Where did you hang out? Evangel Baptist, Bakers Square, Wendy and Steve Taylor's house, anywhere that wasn't home
6.) Did you wear glasses? Contacts
7.) Who was your best friend(s)? Kelly Wagers
8.) Who was your crush? I was in between crushing on Aaron Troy and Joe Wagers
9.) How many tattoos did you have? None
10.) How many piercings did you have? Two in each ears and my cartilage in my left year
11.) What car did you drive? Micah, my buick white regal
12.) Did you drink or smoke? Nope
13.) Had you had your heart broken? No
14.) Were you Single, Taken, Engaged, Married, Divorced, or Widowed? Single
15.) What were your main interests/activities? Hanging out with my friends, being super involved at Evangel, helping out at the junior high youth group, choir, forensics (speech team)

----------------------NOW------------------------

1.) How old are you? 22
2.) Where do you go to school? Not in school
3.) Where do you work? Benjamin Middle School
4.) Where do you live? back in with mom and dad...
5.) Where do you hang out? work, Ari's house, Celeste's house, anywhere there is good company
6.) Do you wear glasses? Contacts
7.) Who are your best friend(s)? Ann M
8.) Who is your crush? I'm a little old for crushes
9.) How many tattoos do you have? one
10.) How many piercings do you have? five in one ear, three in the other, and my nose used to be and will be again soon
11.) What kind of car do you drive? Grace, my sebring convertible
12.) Do you drink or smoke? I'll have wine or beer occasionally (and margaritas) but I don't get drunk and I sometimes smoke cigars socially
13.) Has your heart been broken? No
14.) Are you Single, Taken, Engaged, Married, Divorced, or Widowed? I am very happily in a relationship
15.) What are your main interests/activities? Ari, spending quality time with friends, playing board games, flippy cup, road trips, europe trips, following Jesus

taking care of business

I am doing relay for life on Friday and I have not yet reached my goal for fundraising. Please visit my website an consider donating. This is for a great cause I am walking to honor Dawn Leo (Ari's mom) and Erica Walter (my cousin). These are two amazing women who have impacted my life through their strength. To visit my RFL website click here

I did something to mess up my computer so I lost ALL of my bookmarks. So if anyone with a blog could send me your link so I can stay as updated on your lives as you stay on mine, I'll greatly appreciate it (even if you read this an think "she probably didn't read mine anyway" chances are, I did!) Thanks! Email address is lamonaca5@yahoo.com

Thank you so much!

walking through fire part 2

I apologize for my last post.

To explain myself, I am struggling with something. I feel betrayed and alone and confused and I have so many questions. While asking them, including the ones I expressed on my blog, I realized that God has been preparing me for this particular struggle, even when I had no idea it was coming.

Because of converstations with a friend, I have been challenged incredibly in my walk with Christ. I have had to find answers to questions that, in return, helped me to memorize scripture. The scripture I have memorized in the past couple months are words that our Lord knew I would need to remember through this trial.

I know I will get through it and I know I will come out stronger because I am learning to rely on the strength of God and He has more strength than any of us could ever imagine.

So let's all praise God for being so present in the darkest of times. For being my hope, my joy, my light, my strength, my one true love.

I'll write more later, I just needed to post this and let you all know that I really am okay. And though it feels like I am getting burned--I am confident that God is a God of love and that He will never let me be consumed by the flames.

walking through fire

Isaiah 43:2 says "When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you; when you walk through fire you shall not be burned, and the flame shall not consume you."

This is a verse that I carry with me every day believing that it is true. I have seen it in my life and I have seen it in others' lives.

As of today, I am walking through fire and I am trying so hard not to be consumed, but I feel like I am burning up. If I get burned does that mean that I didn't believe hard enough? Or that I didn't have enough faith? Or that I am not one of His chosen ones? Or that I am not good enough (which I'm not). If I get burned, does that mean that all of this is a lie? A lie.

Lies are funny things. We've all told them, but they destroy lives; they burn.

Could it all be a lie? Or is that just what the enemy wants me to think? If that is the case, than what happens if I do get burned?