comfort of the day.

before i rush off to class for the day, i wanted to post a really awesome verse that i read at Bible Study on Monday night. i've just been thinking about it and it is so super awesome! it's from the book of John, which is an excellent book by the way!

John 10:11-18
"'I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. The hired hand is not the shepherd who owns the sheep. So when he sees the wolf coming, he abandons the sheep and runs away. Then the wolf attacks the flock and scatters it. The man runs away because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep. I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me-- just as the Father knows me and I know the Father-- and I lay down my life for the sheep. I have other sheep that are not of this sheep pen. I must bring them also. They too will listen to my voice, and there shall be one flock and one shepherd. The reason my Father loves me is that I lay down my life-- only to take it up again. No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down and authority to take it up again. This command I received from my Father.'"

i am so thankful that i have a Good Shepherd who will NOT leave me when things get rough or scary. He lays down His life for me (and us) because He wants to! He freely gives us His life. No one can take it from Him. I could talk about this verse on and on, but i really need to get to class! let me know what you think! why do YOU love this verse!

have a great and blessed day!

well hello!

ok, i am so sorry that it has been two weeks since my last post. i certainly have had time to post, but there have been a lot of things that i've needed to take some time and work them through with God, who is super faithful and awesome by the way!

i just want to make a quick shout out and say that tonight was awesome! i led Bible Study ALONE tonight! my goodness, i was so super nervous but God knows how to use me and i am just in a really good mood right now. all of the girls are just so awesome and amazing and i feel so blessed to have been put in this hall (Burroughs, might i add) to serve Him! there is this one girl who is just so full of love for the Lord and i love it! it makes me so happy and i really cannot wait to see what awesome things God has in store for this Bible Study!

fall getaway is next week! i am so excited for it! there are going to be so many awesome Christians worshipping the Lord and having super awesome fellowship! God is just sooo good! the blog post for fall getaway will DEFINITELY be a long one! but, all for a good reason, i will have LOTS to say!

yesterday i graduated from my hunter safety course so now i can go hunting with my boyfriend and then actually get to eat some meat, which actually isn't something that i am super excited about, being a vegetarian is actually really nice! i feel so healthy and good inside! i really love it! but i will be able to eat the meat that i hunt because it will not be sent to a mass factory and hunting for your food is sustainable! yesterday evening, my grandma cooked up some trout and bluegill that my grandpa's brother caught, so it was nice to eat a little bit of fresh fish. but once again, being a vegetarian is fun!

ok, so this week is stressful. but, God is so good that He is going to get me through it! i came to that realization today (which is also why i am in a super good mood). everything that i am worried about now doesn't matter in eternity, it has no measure in eternity. so i am going to just take each day, one at a time, the way God would want it.

one of the women in my Bible Study wrote down on the prayer request sheet that the stress and busyness of school work would not take away from her time with the Lord. how important is that for us ALL to remember and pray about! college is just a step in our journey (the Lord willing) and God is giving us the opportunity to even go to college, so it is SO important to give thanks to Him and be spending time with Him! this is so important to remember, myself included.

so, with all of this said, have a great night!

mondays are not so bad after all

Well, despite today being extremely busy, it was a great day! You know those days where you wake up and just know that it is going to be a good day? I woke up with my alarm (no snooze necessary) and the sun was shining so beautifully through my dorm window!

Even though my Mondays are my 2nd longest day, it was still so glorious! God is just so good! Classes went by fast and I had a really good 4-mile run! The best part of the day was Bible Study for sure! My resident hall has been so blessed with a lot of girls who are so passionate about our Lord and they are so awesome! A few of the girls where so vulnerable tonight and it was so inspiring to see how God works through each of these women.

I have been feeling called to be a possible disciple to one of the women in my Bible Study so I'm sure next week I will be meeting up with her to find out if things will all work out!

I am in such a good mood! I love when the Lord gives me moods like this, it really makes me realize that there is so much to look forward to (ie FINALLY getting to meet Jesus) than all of the stresses of school. Having moods like this really gives me energy throughout the entire week and I really can't wait to see how God is going to work through me and others around me this week!

Things to pray about:
-That the women in my Bible Study will continue to be vulnerable and open with each other so we can bond and have fellowship as sisters in Christ
-My grandpa's health is failing and he could really use some prayers, mostly for God's will to be done and if God is calling him home, that my heart be prepared for the sadness
-School, that I don't get swept away with all of the work but can keep my eyes focused on Him!

Thanks everyone and God bless!
(:

Sustainable Agriculture

Lets talk about being sustainable. What does it mean? What can I do? As my journey begins, I need to find out the answers to these questions myself. It's one thing to say that I am a sustainable eater, but I need to be ready to answer any questions that are thrown at me as to why (and also when they ask what it is) I have become a "sustainable eater".

One of the main things that I want to make sure about my food is that it was sustainably grown--that it caused no harm to the environment. Sustainable agriculture has become a huge topic especially in today's society. What makes agriculture sustainable?

• Conservation and Preservation--basically, what ever was taken out of the earth is put back in so that land resources, such as water and soil, will be there for future generations. Also, what ever waste the farmer generated stays within the farmer's ecosystem (his or her property) and does not cause spillage and/or waste build up
• Biodiversity--this is HUGE! Sustainable agriculture really focuses on raising a variety of different plants and animals. This prevents from disease and pest outbreaks since the farmers are not raising a mono-crop. Pesticides and other chemicals are used minimally and only when needed. Most sustainable farms do not use any pesticides or chemicals
• Animal Welfare--animals are treated humanely and are well cared for. They are allowed to carry out their natural behaviors, such as grazing, rooting, and pecking and are also fed a natural diet based on their nutritional needs
• Economically viable--farmers are paid fairly and they do not depend on subsides from the government. They also support local and rural communities
• Socially just--workers are treated fairly and work in a safe and friendly environment. Wages and benefits are competitive

These are just some of the basics to what sustainable agriculture is. There are many products out there that are labeled sustainable, but there are no set regulations for this. For example, chicken may be labeled "cage free" and they are raised cage free, but could still be overcrowded in an indoor barn which is still inhuman.

Sustainable living isn't a law but a way of life.

I hope that this information was helpful and interesting. Maybe you could challenge yourself to see what types of sustainable labels there are and check some of the products out! All of the information that I presented today was taken from the website Sustainable Table--check it out! http://www.sustainabletable.org/home.php

some artwork.

I've decided to post some of my artwork on for your enjoyment! Sorry about the quality of the pictures, they were taken with my computers webcame! Drawing is a hobby of mine and I especially love to draw wildlife (birds seem to be the focus here though). Thanks for viewing! (:

a new face.

So, it's been over a month since I have been back from summer project. The transition was the strangest thing ever, but now, I seem to be back in the routine of things. College is off to full start and my homework load is incredible! I REALLY need to make sure that I can keep my relationship with Jesus as strong as it was during project.

What's with the title, you wonder? Well, I have decided to use this blog not only for sharing Bible Studies, thoughts, and awesome things about God, but to share my new journey--becoming a sustainable eater.

At this point, I have just been eating as though I am a vegetarian, which has been great and I feel really healthy and awesome! Currently, I am still researching exactly how to become a sustainable eater, but all I know is that I want to be as "green" as I can in order to make this awesome environment that God created healthier and in better shape!

Caring for the environment and God's creation is a HUGE passion of mine (which is why I am now a natural resource major--emphasis wildlife biology-- instead of pre-veterinarian). God's awesome hands made EVERYTHING in this earth and I am not going to let His creation fall apart. I am very, very excited about where God is leading me and I want to share with you what He is leading me to do and all of the things He is teaching. So, pretty much, this "new face" of my blog is still the same as the old one, but now it is focused on what God is teaching me about the environment and how He wants me to help!

I sincerely hope to be a lot more active on my blog from here on out, but with college work loads hitting me hard every week, I will try my best! Until next time,

God Bless!