Human

While finishing our workout for soccer today this lady walks into the room where are stretching after she has clearly been working out herself. Coach asks her how she is and she replys, "Good! Well I'm hurting, but that just means that I am human, so I'm good."

What a statement. This was such a good reminder to me to celebrate the life that we are given. "In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! For I have overcome the world" John 16:33. Although we experience so much pain in this life on a daily basis we can find comfort in knowing that God has conquered this pain and that someday we can live a life without hurt or pain or trouble. So today I find joy in this pain. It lets me know that I am alive and living for a higher calling put on this Earth for a reason.

Bachelor

Today my joy was found in a room full of girls arguing over which girl is prettier and how dumb guys are. ahaha. It was great fun watching each girl fight over Brad on The Bachelor and how every girl just had to tell him how hard it is for them to be there... lol We shared lots of laughter tonight.
It made me so thankful I have such a wonderful boyfriend who accepts me exactly the way I am and that he is all mine :)

Oh the Joys

Weekend Joys:

- Out for dinner with Scott to Culver's and getting concrete mixers :)
- Despicable Me with Dordt's campus
- lazy Friday night
- Sleeping in on Saturday morning
- Spending all afternoon off campus with friends at an actual house!
- Ramona and Beezus
- Roller skating the old fashioned way ;)



- "Real life mafia" in the dark
- Laughter
- SLEEPOVER!
- lazy Sunday afternoons with cuddling and watching football
- Skyping with the family
- Going to bed on time... hopefully :)

I am so blessed!

Teacher!

I just had my teacher education program interview with my advisor that will be the deciding factor on if I will be accepted into the teacher edcuation program or not. Needless to say I was very nervous about this interview.

The interview went very well and my advisor paid me some of the highest complements. He said that he truly valued my perspective and loved my dedication and hard work. He told me that I was inspiring to him. And he finished with a bang. He began, "This is something I don't say lightly and have not said to many sudents before..." (I am blushing by now) "... You are someone to whom I would say 'Here, you may teach even my own children.' " I was so honored. I respect my advisor very highly and to have him pay that kind of a compliment to me was very exciting.

He passed my interview which will now be put up for discussion by all of the education professors. He said that I shouldn't have any problems.

You are now speaking to Aubrey Lynn Kloosterhouse, TEACHER!
Well not yet, but now I am truly on my way :)

All the Joy of the Weekend

Saturday I spent most of my day at the Dordt Invitational. Track meets are so much fun! There is always something going on. I got to watch Merissa in both of her races as well as Ryan, and Gail ran as well. It was a lot of fun. I also brought my new camera and practiced getting some moving shots. But my computer is still not letting me upload them :( After the track meet me and the girls went to the basketball game and got watch Dordt cream Midland Lutheran with two dunks and one ally-oop from half court! It was a great game! And then baking cookies and sitting in the hot-tub at the Holiday Inn :) It was a great weekend.

At church on Sunday we got home made cinnamon rolls fresh from the oven in the college coffee house.

I [heart] You

Today I'm finding joy in hearts. Grandpa's heart surgery today got me thinking... what a complex and completely amazing miracle that lives right inside of us. The heart is so complex and I am amazed at all it does for us. Our hearts keep us alive, it pumps our blood and oxygen throughout our bodies and it allows us to feel ;) It breaks when we hurt and it flutters when we are excited. It beats with passion for what we are passionate for. And when our hearts are not what they should be, it can affect our entire being. It takes my breath away that doctors can go into that part of our being and fix what may not be working correctly. It is so intricate and so important and yet they do procedures like that every day. (I feel a lesson creeping up on me :) This is just how I picture God. He sees into the very depths of who we are and if we let him, he will come and fix what sin has tainted in our lives. He can take away our hurt and make us fully alive again in him. And this certainly brings me joy!

Bundle Up!

It is another one of those eyes watering, tears freezing to your cheeks kind of days. Today I found joy in bundling up in my new warm winter wear :) Some of my Christmas presents put together. Through this project I can find joy in the -20 windchill.

Difficult

Today I am finding it difficult to find joy. Iowa has welcomed me back with a -15 degree windchill and blowing snow, classes starting again, trying to buy books, paying away my life in tuition, homework, commons food (no more home cooked meals), cold showers, and missing home. However in going with the theme of joy, I have chosen to look at the bright side of things today. When I change my attitude I will notice the glittering snow all around as I walk through the cold to class, eating meals and laughing with friends I haven't seen in a month, orgainizing books, notebooks, and sharpening new pencils, cable tv so I can watch Gilmore Girls again, walking back from class with the company of a great friend, and drinking a warm cappucino when I return to the haven of my warm room after being out in the cold. Even when I think there is no joy in my day, when I take time to look at the positives in my life I realize that I don't have it as bad as I always think.

Trying hard to look for joy in the mess of life,
Aubrey