shamrocks.....

ok this story is my all time favorite story of my rainbow boys that i teach on wednesday nights. we are consistently asked to 'poll' the boys for a statistic that is printed in some kind of AG literature. last night the question was to ask them 'what is God like?' most of them didn't have an answer but i few of them were funnie-remember they are 4 or just turned 5:

God is like magic, like powerful.
God is like and angel, he flies everywhere.

But then there was Nico he is 4 and this answer blew me out of the water.

sandrock...ok so im not understanding what he said....can you describe it Nico? yeah teacher rachel its green and it comes out of the ground and it has 3 leaves.....still not getting it. then tristan says, teacher rachel-the thing at st. patricks day sandrock!


oh a Shamrock......i get it now. i then asked Nico why is God like a shamrock...he looked at me and without missing a beat he says : teacher God is like a shamrock because hes 3 in 1; God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Ghost!

i about passed out. on the floor. out cold.not breathing

i have been taught about the trinity all my life but i had never heard this illustration in my entire life. it was so real to nico and he got it. he's 4 and he understands more about the trinity than most adults do. that is what ministry is about.
i used to always use the egg as an illustration for the Holy Ghost but the shamrock is so much more simple for a child to understand. because all the leaves are equal just like God but all together they make up the One True God.

hmmmm....maybe we should be listening to the kids of the church they seem to know what's going on.......

all girls chapel

once a semester we divide into guys and girls and have chapel separately. Usually this is one of the most skipped chapel services because it is normally not very good. BUT this one was spectaular!! the worship really spoke to me. here are some higlights from the songs:

"Draw me to that place Lord,

to that special place where,

I can be with you,

you can make me like you."

This song just spoke to me. I had a rough week last week and i needed to be reminded i have that special place with Jesus and he will always be in that place. no matter where or go or what i do he is there.

Another song:

He loves us,

Oh how he loves us

Oh how he loves us,

Oh how he loves us.

This song goes along with the other one really well too. i am reminded that God loves us for us. we don't have to be perfect when we come to him or even after. we can be dirty and useless. and he picks us up and wipes us off. we don't have to do anything special we can just recieve. i needed that. i always seem to forget that Jesus loves me for me. and i don't need to fix myself before i come to him. he is there to carry me through the hard times and run by my side.

past 3 weeks

Mike and i were thrown a shower in ohio by his family and my maid of honor. Here are some highlights:

Sorry ive been gone so long, but life has been crazy....so crazy.....here are some highlights:

• Wedding dress fitting #1-felt so good to have my dress on it. alterations will be almost finished by Easter. going back for a 2nd fitting the friday before Easter.
• We finalized the design for the invites. they will be mailed out soon. that's what i'm doing this week is finishing and starting to address them.
• After that mike and i drove to ohio for our shower. We had about 20 women attend. It was alot of fun. We played games, opened gifts and had CAKE. anyone who knows me well knows that i love love love love cake. :) and its was good cake! thanks to mikes mom, sisters, and jaimie for throwing the shower! it was great! love yall!
• i took my licensing exam a week ago and i got word earlier this that i passed! i'm so excited! on the 30 of march i have my interviews. so please pray that i leave a good impression. thanks again to everyone who gave me refrences! If everything goes well i will be offically a pastor!
• School is going well. i'm getting ready to have a marathon of papers and tests. so please remember me in your prayer times for strength and endurance. Thanks i appreciate it.
• Mom and Dad are in Hawaii for a week-they are having a blast! I'm glad that they got to take a break before the wedding planning hits full fledge! I love when they go on vacation because i always get cool t-shirts. So far they have only been there one day but mike and i both have a bubba gump shrimp co. (forest gump) tee!!! i can't wait!
• The wedding is only 7 weeks away and everyday i think about it i panic and then get really excited. Mike and i are finishing up our premarital counseling- we are growing and learning alot. its been very helpful to be counseled by a pastor's wife because she knows how to be a wonderful couple in the ministry. its been so good. i just can't wait!
• Also i have started a new blog for the wedding info: mikerachelswedding@blogspot.com so if you have questions about wedding stuff there is alot of info on there! if you don't find you answer please leave your question as a comment and ill get in touch with you!
• Independence 1st started their 2nd service last week and the attendance jumped 25%. Can i get an Amen? i'm so excited to visit this week! i love the people of independence so much they are great people that love God and people so much! i miss them when i'm at school. I can't wait to spend the summer here and help out!

spring break is early but its here all the same....

Spring break is upon us and wedding planning is high on the priority list!!! mom and i are finalizing the flowers this week. she is ordering the centerpieces super cheap and i love them!!! and so will the bridesmaids!!! hehe...love yall on wednesday i have my first dress fitting for alterations...kenzie and maybe tay get to go with me i'm sooo excited to see my dress again. and i can't wait till it fits me perfectly! then its a for sure deal! lol

We booked our honeymoon about two weeks agao. We are going to Disney World for a week. Mike and I are so excited, mike has never been there and i haven't been in about 5 years. i can't wait to go! we are also registering for our honeymoon. we have registered for lots of tours and merchandise for sourvioners and things of that such.

On Friday mike and I are heading to Ohio for the shower at his home church. it will be good to see his family again and of course Jaimie!! (my maid-of-honor) I can't wait to visit RLC again. We will get to attend church and then head back in time for school and work monday morning.

I'm working on a wedding blog. i will post the link to it here and on facebook. it will keep you up to date of what's going on with the wedding planning!

School is going well for both of us-midterms went well for us. I can't wait to be done done in April. I went through the 1st set of interviews for the licensing process. They went well. On the 13th i take my exam and on the 30th mike and i have the actual interview. After that it goes to the General Council to be reviewed by them. its exciting and daunting all at the same time.

Sorry that he has been so long since i wrote but i will write again soon! loves everyone