Merry Christmas!

What an amazing Holiday to Celebrate! One of my personal favorites:)
Seriously....
This day we celebrate (although in reality it probably happened in March...but come on) changed history forever. And not just History books or anything like that...my life was changed forever in that one day.
I am so thankful that out of all the memories and traditions, my favorite ones are those which I share with the Lord. Those moments that no one else knows about. Those moments that God and I share as a secret. They make me so happy and joyful unlike any other moment I have in my life or share with any person.
Thank you God for being the best thing in my life and for completly changing my life!

I love you-Happy Birthday!

Jr. High Christmas Party!!!

Last night was our Jr. High Christmas Party. And it rocked.
Seriously-everything was awesome about it! 20 kids showed up. We all laughed a lot. I made them bob for candy canes in a huge bowl of eggnog-what else would make the night complete??? Lighting the advent candles and praying with these amazing students:)

I love them:) Picture to come...

GO HOME!!!

I can not WAIT to go home! And this is the short list why:
1. Evan-my nephew
2. Mom-she rocks
3. Dad-I am in love with him:)
4. Alex-My one and only brother who makes me laugh
5. Becky-The best sister in law a girl could ask for!
6. Emily-My best friend in the world who I can't wait to see because she is pregnant and I have been going through major withdrawls from her!
7. SNOW-yes. snow. I can't wait to shovel!
8. Vanessa-It has been too long since I visited her grave-
9. CrossRoads-too many people I know and love like crazy
10. Christmas-the Teal traditions are the best ever. Yes mom, I will make my bed before I wake you up:)
11. I have not been there since August. I'm sorry, but that is just too long in between visits.
12. New Church-the new CrossRoads building is supossedly really coming along
13. My parents fireplace
14. Drinking eggnog with Dad on Christmas eve
15. Showing everyone pictures of Jared
16. SNOW!
17. Running 10 miles Christmas eve...dang it!
18. Lifestyles. Don you really need to open one up down here.
19. Watching Evan dance. I can't wait
20. Singing with my fam.
21. Giving my entire family their gifts.
22. no work. no school. enough said.
23. SNOW. I can't wait till my nose hairs freeze when I step outside!

Date Night

I am convinced I have the most amazing boyfriend in the entire world. This is for many reasons. One of which is where he took me out for dinner the other night: The Chart House in Newport Beach. Seriously breathtaking view. Amazing food. Jared certainly spared no expense. I am so blessed.

Three Names You Go By
1. Angela
2. Ang
3. Champ (thanks to Jesse)

Three of Your Everyday Essentials
1. phone
2. car
3. prayer

Three Things You Are Wearing Right Now
1. sweatshirt
2. the ever famous jeans
3. slippers because my feet are cold (even in cali!)

Three Things You Want in a Relationship (other than Real Love)
1. Passion for the Lord
2. Joy
3. Someone who can lead me (because I am a handful)

Three Things You Did Yesterday
1. Went to class
2. Bought Christmas presents
3. stayed up till 3 talking and laughing with my roomates

Three Things You want to do really badly right now
1. Spend time with Evan, Becky, Alex, Mom and Dad
2. Take a nap since I was up too late
3. Watch a movie with Jared

Three Places You Want to go on Vacation
1. Michigan-visit the fam
2. Maine-I don't know why
3. Hawaii

Three Things You Want to Do/Be Before You Die
1. Make an impact in the lives of many people
2. Snowboard well
3. Get Married

Three Ways that you are stereotypically a boy/girl
1. I expect guys to know what I'm thinking
2. I go to the bathroom with multiple women
3. I love to feel like I am safe and taken care of

Thanksgiving in Mexico!

So I leave for Mexico tomorrow morning until Sunday-

Prayer for God to do some radical things in our hearts
Prayer for God to use us in mighty ways
Prayer for safety
Prayer for financial assistance

Thanks for your prayers! Though I can't be with my family over Thanksgiving, I am so excited at this chance to be used during this time!

Time to Think:

There's not much better time to think about life then when you are in the waiting room of a hospital and then when you are in a room waiting for heart and lung test results to come back.

The thoughts primarily started out as admitting my own fears to myself. Most of all my fear of death. Until I was reminded that I am not home...no matter where I am on this earth or who I am with, I am not complete or fully at home until I have reached my final resting place with the Lord. My fear comes from leaving what is behind, as well as the unknown things of heaven. How I desire to have FAITH and CONFIDENCE in who Christ is!

I sat there in my hospital bed sitting next to my best friend Jared (pictured above), receiving more phone calls and text messages from more friends than I can even count! The care and response from people around me is truly unbelievable. I sat there knowing that not only was I not alone physically (thanks to Jared and Kari), but I am never facing anything by myself.

As I waited with thoughts of how the test results could come back, Jared offered to read from the Word for me...I asked him to read 2 Chronicles 16:7-9 "Because you have put your trust in the king of Aram instead of in the LORD your God, you missed your chance to destroy the army of the king of Aram. Don't you remember what happened to the Ethiopians and Libyans and their vast army, with all of their chariots and horsemen? At that time you relied on the LORD, and he handed them all over to you. The eyes of the LORD search the whole earth in order to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to him."

There is so much to glean from that passage. The first of which is how I know often I just put my trust in man, rather then that of God. It is one thing to say it, and a completely different thing to be waiting for potential lfe threatening test results back. I was challenged tonight to put my trust in Christ alone.
The next thing I took from this was how I desire for my heart to be fully committed to Christ-so that when God's eyes are searching my heart, He will see His love has won me over.

Life truly is a vapor. It is here one minute and gone the next. I very well could have heard completely different news tonight. God still has ways to grow in me and is blessing me with more time here on earth to love Him and love people. I am glad. It makes me think...what will I do tomorrow to treat it as it really is...

Locks of Love:

So I've had a few friends ask me how long I'll be growing my hair out for. For those of you who don't know, I've been growing my hair out for almost the last 2 years. Vanessa Pirrone and I decided to grow our hair out together for locks of love about a month before she passed away in a car accident. I decided immediately that I would hold true to that promise no matter how hard it got.
Recently I decided I would cut it on January 23, 2007-exactly 3 years after Vanessa's accident-and give to to locks of love. Here is a picture of how long my hair was when I started: where it was about a year ago, and where it is now...1 year to go!

Changing the World is Like...

After graduating from Spring Arbor University, I left feeling the way many people my age do: Like I could change the world...
Then reality set in...I did not get my dream job, was not surrounded by people with the same vision, and did not see many dreams come to fruition. (say it like "nutrition" with a "fr" instead of a "n")
2 and a half years after I have graduated and thought I had come to grips with reality, I am realizing I had it right the first time! My "reality" came from the fact that my circumstances were not what I had imagined as ideal. God's reality is that He desires to use us as Christ followers to be revolutionaries!!! A revolutionary by the way is someone who changes things-who does not settle for mediocrity. God is continually searching our hearts to see if and when we will be ready for Him to use...I have decided I am ready...I will not be a revolutionary-I AM a revolutionary!

Changing the world is like finally coming to terms with reality!

The Great Outdoors!

Camping with the girls this weekend is probably one of the coolest things I've done in months! Millard Falls was only about 15 minutes from downtown LA and yet was in the middle of the mountains! It was amazing! The trip included a cool hike, a waterfall (pictured), weird camping neighbors, burning my hand on the fire pit, and sharing about the amazing God we love! I will DEFINITELY go there again! Did I mention it was free?!

It's almost official! Here is my first Half Marathon!!!

Place: Huntington Beach California

Date: Sunday February 5

Time: 7:00 a.m.

Distance: 13.1 miles

Goal: 2 hours and 15 minutes (max.) But I don't really know because I've never run anything close to that far before!

Training begins: Monday November 7

Running Partner: Jared Amerine and anyone else who will test themselves!

This is why I work at Light and Life!

This is Emily. She is my best friend in the whole wide world. I love her. The end.

That's Right! I'm going to Mexico!
This time: Melissa and I are leading a group: the community service team to be exact. And it is going to rock! I already know it. You know why? Because God is going to do some amazing stuff that we could never plan. I think this is going to be one of my most amazing Thanksgivings ever! (not that I don't like mom's stuffing-we all know that's a lie!) I'm so excited to use my Thanksgiving break to bless others!

Parades are Funny:

So after being in 3 parades, I have decided they are one of our most ridiculous cultural fads! People line the streets in the masses, sit down or stand in the sun for hours on end. Other people decide to ride horses, drive cars, or maybe just walk through the street. And then all at the same time they all wave. Just wave like they have never waved before. What's worse is that the parents force the little babies to wave, so at an early age, these babies think that parades are cool! Seriously people. We may need to get help.
All that said. I must admit that being in a parade-as weird as the custom is-is pretty sweet. Plus, it'll probably never happen again-next time I'll be a waver on the side;)

Just a few pictures from our jr high girls sleepover!

God is Incredible!

I simply can not begin to express how amazing the Lord is!
We had our big youth event tonight that we have been planning for the last few months. It was absolutely amazing!
Over 100 students there-over 130 total-over 20 visiting students-over 20 first time and re-commitments to Christ!
How humbling to be used by God! How great to be a part of His plan! How awesome to see over and hundred jr and sr high students worship the Lord-be excited about each other, and join in true fellowship with one another!
God truly does more then we could ask or imagine!
I love you Lord!

AMT

Feeling Special...

You all know those people...the ones who just make you feel special...It may be in the way they talk to you...they way they treat you...The attention they give to you...
I am very blessed-there are several people who make me feel extra special. Fortunately I have been able to spend more and more time with these people...
Am I lucky or what!?

AMT

Best Nephew Ever!!!

Now I know several people who think they have the best nephew's or niece's so I thought I should clear up the record.

There is only 1 best nephew and his name is Evan Alexander Teal...No...you can't have him or trade in your nephew for him...He is mine....

And just because he has no idea who I am has no reflection of his adoration for me:)

AMT

Stillness

In the stillness of my heart
I am unsettled at best
Needing Your help like I can't believe
In the quietness of night
So much that ills my heart
seems to make its way to the surface
Rearing its ugly head I try so hard to stiffle
It is when I am alone that I am able to feed my hungry heart.
The topics I dare not speak of
For the fear of admitting the absences I feel the most
Fearing the same questions will again arise and the same
void answers will reply
It is in the stillness I seek solace
and in stillness my ambiguity seeks resolution