Being a woman made me joyful today.

Because I am a woman I can wear makeup and curl my hair.

Because I am a woman I can wear dresses if I choose.

Because I am a woman I can wear purfume.

Because I am a woman I can wear my heart of my sleeve and not be called a wimp.

Because I am a woman I can brighten the world with a simple smile.

Because I am a woman I can drown my worries with a piece of chocolate.

Because I am a woman I can greet my friends with a big giant hug.

Because I am a woman I can write reminders on hot pink sticky notes and decorate notebooks and binders.

Because I am a woman, men hold doors open for me when I enter or leave a building.

Because I am a woman I can wear a bright polka-dotted backpack and carry a pink lunch bag. Because I am a woman I can paint my toes in any color that I choose.

Because I am a woman I take long hot showers to wash away the stresses from the day.

Because I am a woman of God I can be confident in everything because He thinks that I am captivating.

Because I am a woman I have so much to offer the world.

So Hot!

This is me saying that I am so ready for fall weather to actually be fall weather. I LOVE being warm but 80 degrees again?!? (or should I say still?). I am so ready for the weather that makes you put on a sweatshirt and sweatpants and curl up with a steamy cup of cappucino or go for a brisk walk in the coolness of leaves falling all around you. I am getting a little tired of being so hot. I had to put a tank top on again today and show off my not so hot soccer tan lines :/ and sweat my brains out at soccer practice yet again. I know I should be careful what I wish for because soon enough it will be -25 with snow blowing all around. On second thought, that doesn't sound so bad...

Today

Today's joy was listening to Point of Grace on the way to my soccer game. They put me in such a good mood and put everything into perspective for me. Today was beautiful and I couldn't help but praise our wonderful creator. We won our soccer game 3-2 and it was probably 85 degrees out and clear blue skies and I owe it all to Him. We even saw a rainbow in the sky today!! Rindy called it something else because it was straight above us and it wasn't raining or cloudy. It was so strange yet what an awesome reminder of how big our God is. It was breathtaking being at the soccer pitch in 80 degrees and bright sunshine with a rainbow in the sky. What an awesome God we live for!

I had an awesome weekend with a break from classes and I am sad that it is coming to a close so quickly but thankful for the break at all.

love always,
aubs

Shopping!

Today I was blessed with the opportunity to get out of this small town and hit the "big city" of Sioux Falls, South Dakota and go to the mall there with Jana and Scott. It was a much needed break from confines of this town, and it refilled my deprivation of shopping. Being a woman of God tainted by sin, I have the desire to walk around with friends looking at and longing for material possessions for hours on end. So today that is what I did and sadly, it brought me joy. This is what I got :)






[i love breaks from school♥]

Water

Today instead of having a regular soccer practice out on the pitch, we had a pool workout. It made me long for the endless summer days of sunshine and playing in the pool, and being at the lake boating, fishing, and soaking up the summer sun with family. The workout was a lot of fun. Water is so freeing.
That was my joy today... being in water; letting it wash all my worries of the day away. Simply enjoyig the cleansing feel of the water.

"When you pass through the waters, I will be with you"
Isaiah 43:2

Monday!!

This week we have a short week due to Hearland Teacher's Convention so my last day of classes is on Wednesday! :) I'm very excited for a break. Sunday was a nice relaxing day with a long nap taken by both Merissa and I and getting done some much needed homework. And, Monday was another B*E*A*U*T*I*F*U*L fall day. The air was crisp and the sun was warm and shining bright over everything. I have been collecting a few pictures of fall things that have stood out to me for the past few weeks. These are just a few. Not many things turn colors around here like they do at home but God has stopped me dead in my tracks some days walking to class shouting "I am your God who loves you and who is bigger than all things."







Walking to class this morning a song jumped into my head. It was "Blue Skies" by Point of Grace. I had the wind at my back and the bright sun shining on my face and I just sang the chorus in my head.

On days of gray
when doubt clouds my view
It's so hard to see past my fears
My strength seems to fade
and it's all I can do
to hold on, till the light reappears
Still, I believe though some rain's bound to fall
That you're here next to me
and you're over it all

Lord, the sky's still blue
for my hope is in you
you're my joy
you're the dream that's still alive
Like the wind at my back
and the sun on my face
you are life,
you're grace
You are blue skies
you are my blue skies.

These are the little things that show me that God is present in my life and lets me see joy in the world around me.

PumpkinLand

So my weekend was full of corn mazes and beautiful fall days and soccer games. Their is this adorable farm in Orange City, Iowa called PumpkinLand and they have a ginormous corn maze with a different theme each year. The goal is to find all six mialboxes throughout the maze and punch your map with the hole punch inside each mailbox. The first team to get all six wins! Me and Scott went with two other couples: Kyle and Kaitlyn, and Mark and Katie. We lost :( but it was so much fun! This the maze was a big car this year and it was so confusing but we mastered it finally.













And, on Saturday we work up early on a beautiful morning and headed to the bus for our soccer game. However, this did not turn out quite as well as the corn maze. We lost 2-1 and I had a horrible game. I understand that sometimes you have an off day, but I could not seem to shake myself out of it. And, it wasn't just me. It was the whole team, but I was exceptionally awful. So hopefully we can figure this out and get past it and come out ready for the next game.

love always,
aubs