15 Random Things

1. I could watch The Office all day every day and never get tired of it. I have yet to watch season 9; I just don't want it to end. One day, I'd like to have a love like Jim & Pam. That would be wonderful.

(Source)

2. Amazon.com is my online shopping weakness. I mean, 2-day shipping? Who doesn't love that? I constantly have a wishlist going.

3. Art is my love. Painting, photography, typography, computer graphics, sketching. I haven't done as much since I'm working full-time & not in school anymore, but it's still my passion. Maybe that's why my degree is in graphic design.

4. I have always loved to read. Pretty much any fiction, nonfiction, Harry Potter, any book about JFK, but I just started loving to read the Bible as it's written: a love story from God to me personally. I read little excerpts daily, and it just helps to make my day a little brighter.

5. I got a record player for Christmas last year, and I love to listen to records. I love the scratching; the authenticity of the music. It just sounds so amazing. I wish I could get all my music on record.

6. Going along with the record player, I much rather prefer music from eras other than the one we are living in. They had a better beat and were much cleaner. When I was studying in college, I would turn on the "Chubby Checker" Pandora station.

7. Traveling is one of my most favorite things to do, even if it is little road trips on the weekends. I have been to 24 of the 50 states, and Washington D.C. Outside of the United States, I have been to 4 countries. One day, I 'd like to make it to all 50 states, and visit at least every continent once. I'd like to see every ocean. Man, I have a lot of travel goals.

(Source)

8. Going along with travel, I am passionate about missions and sharing the Gospel of Jesus with many many people far and wide. I would love go back to Ukraine, but I will go wherever I'm led.

(Source)

9. I love the flea market in Nashville. I have an obsession with buying typewriters, old suitcases and old cameras. I like to buy anything there, but those are the things I'm always on the lookout for and always looking for a good bargain.

10. For most of my college career, I didn't wear make-up, and barely wear any now. I feel that make-up has taken over our generation and hides the natural beauty of women. Less is definitely more in this case.

11. Socks are the worst thing ever. I cannot stand to wear them, even in the winter time. I also don't like to wear the same pair more than one time. I always told my mom that when I grew up and I was rich, I would just throw away my socks after wearing them and buy brand new ones. I haven't gotten to that point yet.

12. One of my biggest pet peeves is cursing. There are like a million words in the English language, plus a million other languages, can you not pick another one besides those stupid curse ones? Read a book, read an article, watch the news, learn how to speak like a human being that people actually want to be around. End rant.

13. I have the dumbest/smartest dog. I got Brody for Christmas in 2005. He is an American Eskimo named after the actor Adam Brody. He'll kennel when you tell him to, and sit & lay down. But he doesn't do much else. But I wouldn't trade him for anything.

14. I have had so many different hairstyles. It's been red, blonde, brown, black, pink, blue, short, long, straight, curly, wavy. Oh, goodness. I can't wait to show my kids one day. They will laugh at me like I laugh at my mom's perm & my dad's fro.

15. I love to read blogs about adoption, because one day I hope to be able to adopt and give a child hope & life. Even though I have never met any of these people before, I love to keep up with them (I know, I'm a creeper) Some of my favorites are Under the Sycamore, Adding A Burden, Tiny Green Elephants, A Blog Full of Weldons, A Moose in Moscow, just to name a few.



I know no one really needed to know these things, but it's fun to share. And random might as well be my middle name.

Passion Tour

Saturday night a huge group of young adults from our Thursday night prayer group and high school/junior high students went to a concert in Murray, KY. It was part of the Passion Tour. Kristian Stanfill is one of Passion's worship leaders and is traveling around putting on concerts, and promoting the Passion conference which is in Atlanta & Houston in the winter. If you don't know about Passion, check it out here. There are really geared toward reaching college age (18-25), but right now they have started this tour for the first time where anyone can come.

Oh my goodness, it was incredible. The presence of God was truly there. Now most the time you don't expect that at a concert, but this wasn't just a concert. It was just like any other worship service, except the worship leader was famous and had written a lot of the songs we sang.

We even had a dance party. If you have the Spirit within you, how can you not jump for joy when you are worshipping the King of Kings? How can you not be excited for the things He is doing?

where has the summer gone?

It seems like just yesterday summer was starting, and now it's already the first full week of August. I've barely done anything "summer-y" this summer considering I have a grown-up job now. I didn't get to experience every minute of church camp. And I can't just pick up and go to Holiday World. And there's no sleeping in during the week. And I don't get "vacations" per say. But I do have a full-time job, which is nice.

We have officially moved to our new location. The new building is smaller than the last one, so we are still trying to find a place for everything. And we've had a few technical issues with printers/engravers/sublimation printer, but things are starting to look up as of this week. The super good news is that there is a new coffee shop in our new building. Good for my well-being, but bad for my wallet. They are super nice people and the place is decorated so chic/vintage/coffee shop-ish. Very cool for my small town.

I am very thankful for friends. We still meet every Thursday night and usually hang out on the weekends and Sunday nights, and chat throughout the week. It's so nice to have people you can rely on. If there is something I need prayer for, I can always ask them and know that they will stop what they are doing and pray right then. If I ever move away, that will be the first thing I look for.

I just finished reading through Job. I knew the gist of it, but I had never read through the whole thing. It really made me reconsider what I value and what I consider important to me. Is God the most important thing to me that He would allow the devil to take everything away from me? Would I understand that He thought so highly of me? Would I understand that He was testing me? Would I see past my current situation to where God is trying to take me? Would I ignore the advice that my so-called "friends" give me and wait for God to speak to me? When God did speak, would I repent of sin and turn to Him? Even as I am writing this and saying 'would,' I can feel that these things happen to me all the time. But how often do I answer rightly? As I was going through Job, I was praying that I would be like Job, and then praying that I wouldn't be like Job, and then praying that I would be like Job, haha. I want to be unwavering in faith, the ability to know you need repentance.




I am so excited for this weekend because I am finally going to get one day off. My parents and I are going to the Ocoee River. Dad is going kayaking with his friends for part of the day and rafting with me for the other part of the day. Mom is going to take pictures. I'm ready for a much needed break from working.

1) I worked in the nursery at church during Sunday School and got to spend some quality time with my sweet Hallee Jae.
2) The high school kids having a dance party in the tabernacle late night at senior camp.
3) My mom doing what she does best on 4th of July -- SycamoreGrovePhotography
4) My brother & Hallee Jae on the beach without me :(
5) Jackie & I at junior high camp
6) Celebrating the end of camps at Jackie & Austin's house with a killer pool party.
7) My mom and I got this lovely bouquet from the local farmer's market the other day.
8) All us girls with my friend Beka who got married a couple weeks ago -- She made such a beautiful bride!!
9 & 10) All us friends hanging out yet being anti-social on our iPhones. Oh, technology!
11) My BFF Becca stopped by on her way back to Evansville and her little sister was with her.

controlling my words

I know the last time I blogged I said my work was moving. Well, we have yet to move. But hopefully, we will actually be moving the beginning of this coming week. We started packing things up about two weeks ago, so we have lots of things in boxes and things at the new building. So it has been quite stressful and quite hectic getting things done when almost everything is in a box. But we are making it work. We just know that we will probably be down a few days from the move, but we are resilient and we'll keep on trucking.

The first weekend in June I went to another wedding. This time it was one of my roommates from college. Man, I feel like such a grown-up when all my friends from college start getting married. It was such a pretty ceremony, outside at a small airport. We sat on hay bales covered in sheets. Then the reception was inside one of the hangars. It was incredibly beautiful. So much thought put into every detail. There was even a hayride during the reception. One of the best weddings I've ever been too.

Recently, I've had to work on my patience, and holding my tongue — from James 1:19-20. Be quick to listen and slow to speak. I've heard this verse all my life, but I usually disregard it. Or think I'm doing it but don't actually do it. Now, I am really trying to control my tongue and listen more to others. And keep my emotions in check. It's easy to let what other people say get to me, and even more frequently, what they don't say. How often are we hurt when people don't compliment us or don't ask us how we are doing? And then we get angry. We joked the other night in our prayer group – it doesn't say you can't get angry, just be SLOW to get angry. But directly after that is says that the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God. I think I would rather be righteous in the eyes of God than always being angry. Just something to think about.

1.) The verses I have to repeat to myself over and over throughout my days – James 1:19-20
2.) My sweet Hallee Jae loving her some watermelon & getting so stinkin' big
3.) Such sweet details at Bemily's big day
4.) Walking down the aisle – awwww
5.) Vows & getting married by one of our former campus pastors
6.) Officially Mr. & Mrs. Heidinger!!
7.) Me & A-Ro on the hayride
8.) We had a gigantic slip-n-slide at church for the Collide Youth
9.) My daddio, the one guy who has always been there for me & truly understands me
10.) My father's day gift to the best dad ever

as of late

I have been crazy busy at work as of late.

We are in the process of moving from our current location to the new location up town. Our new building is not quite ready yet, but it should be within the next week or so. We have gotten a lot busier these past few weeks with a lot more jobs to do. So we are trying to get them all taken care of before we move.

I recently celebrated my 23rd birthday. Honestly, I don't feel too much different than 22. I'm just a little bummed I can't sing T-Swift's "22" anymore. I got some new TOMs for my birthday and my plane ticket to NYC.

Speaking of NYC...Another one of my friends from college got married. And he happened to be getting married in NYC. Of course, I jumped at the opportunity to go to New York and see my friends. So my friend Becca flew from Texas and my friend Allyson flew from West Virginia, and the three of us met up in NYC. We stayed with Becca's uncle who happened to live only five or six blocks from the church our friend got married in. Friday morning I flew out from STL and went to New York. I got to eat dinner with my grandma's first cousin. She's such a sweetheart. She even took me to dessert at Cafe Lalo. It was delicious, and so great to spend time with her. Saturday, me and my friends explored the Chelsea area of the city before the wedding. Then we went to the most beautiful little ceremony in the city. I'm so glad I went. After the wedding, we walked around the city some more and even walked to Times Square, and had some dinner. The next morning, I had to wake up super early to fly home. I was  actually home in time for church.


Since then, I've been working like crazy and working out when I get the chance. I got another day off this past Monday for Memorial Day. Mom, Ang & I went shopping in Marion and Carbondale. It was relaxing and nice to just be chill. I got some new tops and a new bathing suit. Just getting ready for summer time.

1. "Baptism Sunday" at LCC, over 35 people baptized into the faith. Praise the Lord!
2. celebrating Cinco de Mayo at Taco Bell with my best friends
3. doing a little freelance designing for a friend
4. birthday TOMs
5. my baby cousin graduated 8th grade & was valedictorian --- his speech was about a rubik's cube
6. Kleinfeld's in NYC
7. Flatiron Building in NYC
8. art in the park in Madison Square Park in NYC
9. wedding dates
10. the dates with the groom!
11. Times Square in NYC
12. leaving NYC

Happy First Birthday Hallee Jae!!

Last Tuesday, my precious niece turned ONE! I can hardly believe that one year has gone by already. It seems like just yesterday that we were waiting for what seemed like forever in the waiting room for her to get here. And then she arrived. And she's fantastic.



Hallee Jae. So full of life. She is exuberant. She's got a fire and a sass. A beauty and a firecracker. My kinda lady. I look forward to every year that comes along to watch her grow into a beautiful young woman. God has wonderful plans in store fo her life. I'm so glad He picked me to be her aunt.




We had a birthday party for her last Saturday at Rosiclare Park down by the river. It was a little chilly, but overall a beautiful day. It was a cowgirl theme, for the little cowgirl herself. She got so many wonderful presents. And she smashed her cake to pieces. She loved every bit of it.

1) trying out her new tricycle
2) loving her new rockin' horse from grammy, gramps & aunt E
3-6) CAKE SMASH!
7) trying to share some cake with Aunt E
8) all cleaned up

being a youth leader

One of the greatest joys in my life right now is being a youth leader to the junior high and high school kids at Little Chapel Church. While I was at school, I didn't really have time/I was still too close in age to the kids to really be "relevant." But now I'm just old enough to be a leader. Most of the leadership is made up of people my age, with a few older couples. I feel like we really relate to the kids because we are so close to their age. I just remember when I was their age, and how significant the relationships with college age/a little older adults were to me. So I try to be the best that I can be, and live my life in a way that they can be proud of. One month I taught junior high Sunday School. We all try to meet one-on-one once a week with one of the girls, and go through a Bible study or just meet and talk about life. Just take time to invest in them. When I find verses in my quiet time that I think are relevant, I'll send it to the girls. They need people who will love them and want them to grow up in Christ. This weekend is the girl's conference, WORD. We have an exceptional speaker and an awesome worship leader coming in. It's going to be great.

Some of my favorite girls :)

working 9-5

I have just been informed that it's a long time since I have blogged... so here it goes.

I've been rather busy working 9-5, Monday-Friday. Work is good, but it can be crazy busy and sometimes a little stressful. So when I get some, I'm ready to just relax and just be chill.

Other than work, I've been trying to squeeze in time to work out, which doesn't happen as frequently as I would like, but I'm working on it. I like to hit up the elliptical for a while and then stretch real good. After I've worked out, I always feel really good, but I just don't always have time to get there. Or I just don't feel like going.

Last Friday night, a few of us girls went bowling with my friend Jason who is in medical school. It happened to be cosmic bowling, which is awesome. We had a lot of fun just catching up and spending time with him. And we got DQ afterwards, and sat in Jason's car where he quizzed us about our lives. It's the simple things in life that are oh so much fun.

Then the next night, Angela, Cacy & I went to Crossroads Bible Church in Norris City. They were having a night of worship. It was incredible. Most of the music was new to me, but it was really good. We spent the evening worshipping the Living King. It was so refreshing to be in the presence of God.

My quiet time has been so good lately. I feel like I've really been digging in. Recently I've been reading in 1st & 2nd Timothy and I just started in 1 Thessalonians.

"We give thanks to God always for all of you, constantly mentioning you in our prayers, remembering before our God and Father your work of faith and labor of love and steadfastness of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ. For we know, brothers loved by God, that he has chosen you, because our gospel came to you not only in word, but also in power and in the Holy Spirit and with full conviction. You know what kind of men we proved to be among you for your sake. And you became imitators of us and of the Lord, for you received the word in much affliction, with the joy of the Holy Spirit, so that you became an example to all the believers in Macedonia and in Achaia. For not only has the word of the Lord sounded forth from you in Macedonia and Achaia, but your faith in God has gone forth everywhere, so that we need not say anything.  For they themselves report concerning us the kind of reception we had among you, and how you turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God,  and to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, Jesus who delivers us from the wrath to come." 1 Thessalonians 1:2-10
This is something we should strive to be as Christians. That we would become imitators of the Lord because we are filled with joy of the Holy Spirit. That we would turn away from idols of this world to serve the one true living God because He promised Jesus was coming back. And we are always, always to give thanks for one another.

1) Celebrating Ben's 30th birthday at El Ranchito.
2) One of my new favorite movies, very good, wholesome, family movie. Worth watching.
3) Watching my high school alma mater play soccer.
4) My sweet niece at 11 months old getting so stinkin' big.
5) The most recent picture of my youth kids in Ukraine. One of the girls recently graduated from University.
6) And a throwback to Seattle. I wish I was there.

exploring & working

A couple weeks ago, I went to Missouri with my parents. My dad likes to go kayaking on the St. Francis River near Fredericktown, and he wanted to take me and my mom to see it. So two Saturdays ago, we went to check it out. There was still snow on the ground. It was beautiful. The beauty was an incredible reminder of God's wonder and majesty. It never hurts to be reminded of it. On the way home, we stopped through Perryville, MO and found an incredible pizza place, Galati's. It was really good. I highly recommend it if you are ever in that area.

My job has been going really well. I'm still learning all the printing lingo and jargon. Because I'm pretty well-versed in the computer end of the business, especially the Mac platform. But we've been pretty busy, which is good for business. So I can't complain.

We've been planning lots of events for the youth. Last night we had our youth leaders meeting. The spring banquet is going to be EPIC to say the least. We're already talking about camps, and summer mission trips. I'm so excited for all the things the youth are going to get to do. God is so going to rock some faces off of these youth kids. It's going to be awesome.

Here's a few pictures from our trip to the river & a few pictures from the past couple of weeks :)

1) new pizza place in Perryville, MO called Galati's — this is my extra cheesy smile for deliciously cheesy pizza
2) I got candy & a balloon at work for doing such a good job one day :)
3) helping Jackie paint at her new house
4) my new JFK book, "The Quotable Kennedy," I got at the antique mall in Marion this past Saturday. it's filled with some interesting stuff.

valentine's day

Well, something big has happened since my last blog post.
I got a job! A real, big kid job. I got to work from 9-5, pretty much Monday through Friday. And it's almost like a graphic design job. I'm doing some designing, but mostly typesetting at a Print Shop in town. We make copies and trophies and awards. I'm still learning the ins and outs of it all, but it's interesting.
Still working on designing for the girls conference this spring. We are almost done with that. I can't wait for that to get here. I think a lot of junior high and high school girls are going to get rocked by it.
Recently, I made my mom a logo for her photography company. She's a pretty accomplished lifestyle photographer. I get to be her assistant sometimes. Basically, she has recreated her image. She just got a new website. She takes pictures of babies, seniors, children, families, and couples. Pretty much, she does it all. Go check it out: Sycamore Grove Photography.

This morning in my devotion I was reading Hebrews 13. I got to verse 8,

"Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever."

And that just made my heart so happy to have that reassurance. Because Jesus will never ever change. He was at the beginning of time and He is right now and He will be forever. And nothing about His character will ever be different. He is just as patient and kind as He was then. That is incredible to me. Forever I will trust in the fact that He won't change on me, no matter how often I change.

I'll leave you with some iPhone pictures from my week.

1] I'm never up before the sun, but I had an appointment in Evansville last week and happened to see this fantastic sunrise, and I was reminded of God's beauty and majesty.
2] my awesome friend Allyson sent me these mustaches that attach to your bottles while you are drinking to make it look like you have a mustache, hehe
3] my dad delivered flowers to me at work on valentine's day
4] my sweet Hallee Jae is the only valentine I need, who is now 9 months old
5] I love cheesy valentines, like this Harry Potter one I found online
6] a close up of my pretty flowers

living life

Recently, I have been just here.
Working on a little project for a girls conference at the church. I'm pretty much in charge of all the graphics that we'll be producing for it. I've been working with the youth leaders pretty closely.
For the month of February, I will be teaching the junior high Sunday School class at church. This past week was my first week and it was pretty interesting. I had to bring out my authoritative voice, and I didn't even know I had one. Other than that, I think it went pretty well. I remember being in junior high — it was awkward, weird, and so was I, which will help me relate to them.
I have been looking for a job, but alas, I still have no job.
Contemplating a trip to Florida to see my snowbird grandparents sometime this month.
Recently, I've had a lot of really good time in the Word. Most of my time has been spent in Hebrews. Focusing on Jesus being the ultimate sacrifice and the new Most High Priest. Thank goodness Jesus came to be the last and final blood sacrifice so we no longer have to make a yearly sacrifice. Jesus died once and for all, and He is now seated at the right hand of the Father interceding on our behalf day and night. How great is that?

"The former priests were many in number, because they were prevented by death from continuing in office, but he holds his priesthood permanently because he continues forever. Consequently, he is able to save to the uttermost those who draw near to God through him, since he always lives to make intercession for them.
For it was indeed fitting that we should have such a high priest, holy, innocent, unstained, separated from sinners, and exalted above the heavens. He has no need, like those high priests to offer sacrifices daily, first for his own sins and then for those of the people, since he did this once for all when he offered up himself."
Hebrews 7:26-27



A few pictures from December until now.

1) watching fireworks with some of my favorite girls at church
2) still getting matching sweatshirts, even though we are getting old
3) remembering my sweet great-grandmother AnnaBelle who recently passed
4) girls night at the Ellis' house usually means Coca Cola in glass bottles
5) I've been listening to some pretty good music on my new record player I got for Christmas
6) my baby niece Hallee Jae getting so stinkin' big
7) Brody sitting in the snow, rather than going into the barn where it is warm
8) reading glasses, because I've had a lot of time to do just that — read

the unknown

do you ever feel like your drowning? literally sinking into a bottomless pit of despair. trying to grasp and reach for air but every attempt is for nothing because you slip further and further into the nothingness that is wrapping you up.

that's where I am at right now. drowning the unknown of my future, the unknown of everything.

here I am, roughly seven months since I graduated college and still without a job of any kind. still uncertain of what I am going to do with this degree I worked so hard to get.

here I am, longing to be in Ukraine. in a place where I can't understand 99% of the people I encountered due to the language barrier, but they loved me regardless. in a place where I felt Jesus moving.

where does God want me? where would my 'talents' be best used? if you could call them that. at this point in time, I look at what other graphic designers are doing and I look at my work, and then think that I will never be good enough to work anywhere as a graphic designer.

all I know is that I have to surrender everything I know and everything I am to Jesus. because the only way to be rescued from the drowning mess is when Jesus reaches down and pulls me out. and when I refuse to let myself be not 'good enough.' but I've been seeking for quite some time and I still don't know where I'm supposed to be or where I'm supposed to go or what I'm supposed to be doing. I must need a lesson in listening.



Psalm 143
A psalm of David

Lord, hear my prayer,
listen to my cry for mercy;
in your faithfulness and righteousness
come to my relief.
Do not bring your servant into judgment,
for no one living is righteous before you.
The enemy pursues me,
he crushes me to the ground;
he makes me dwell in the darkness
like those long dead.
So my spirit grows faint within me;
my heart within me is dismayed.
I remember the days of long ago;
I meditate on all your works
and consider what your hands have done.
I spread out my hands to you;
I thirst for you like a parched land.

Answer me quickly, Lord;
my spirit fails.
Do not hide your face from me
or I will be like those who go down to the pit.
Let the morning bring me word of your unfailing love,
for I have put my trust in you.
Show me the way I should go,
for to you I entrust my life.
Rescue me from my enemies, Lord,
for I hide myself in you.
Teach me to do your will,
for you are my God;
may your good Spirit
lead me on level ground.

For your name's sake, Lord, preserve my life;
in your righteousness, bring me out of trouble.
In your unfailing love, silence my enemies;
destroy all my foes,
for I am your servant.