Loose Leash Walking

Before we start:

This blog is outlining loose-leash walking, not heeling. The goal of this exercise is to teach your dog to walk politely by your side without pulling. This is not about competition heeling where your dog's entire focus is on you. In this form of loose-leash walking, your dog is welcome to look around and take in the sights as you walk.

Equipment:

• whatever collar or harness your dog usually wears on walks
• a leash comfortable to handle that is NOT a retractable or bungee leash
• yummy treats (not your dog's normal food)
• a treat pouch is handy for holding those treats!
• A clicker to mark correct behavior (or a marker word)

The Basics

Before you get started, you need to decide what loose leash walking means to you. What side do you want your dog to walk on? Traditionally dogs are trained to walk on the left side of their handler, but nothing is wrong with them walking on the right side. Do you want your dog beside you in 'heel' position? Do you want your dog slightly behind you?Or do you just want your dog to stop pulling? All of those are valid answers! Ideally, your dog should always be able to see you so they can follow you and your directions. My rule of thumb is – if I can't see their eye, they're too far in front. One of the keys to success is to choose an appropriate leash. A retractable leash teaches your dog that pulling is okay – they have to pull the leash to get it to extend out. A leash that is the appropriate length will also help. A 7 foot leash can mean that you dog will be able to get so far ahead of you they can't see you before they start to tighten the leash. Choosing a leash that is 5 feet long is a good start for most dogs and sets you and your dog up for success. Don't forget you'll need lots of patience!

If you have a high energy dog, you should exercise your dog before starting a training session. A game of fetch or tug of war are great ways to burn off some energy and take off the edge! If you are new to clicker training (or using a verbal marker) be sure to practice your timing before getting started. There are lots of great resources online to help you perfect your technique. Timing is key. You should begin your training in a quiet, distraction free environment. This may mean in your living room (if you have enough space) or just in the backyard. If you are training outside, give your dog a chance to potty before getting started. As your dog learns and improves, you can slowly move on to different environments. Just remember, every time you interact with your dog you are training them, whether you mean to or not.

The Technique

There are many ways to teach a dog to walk on a loose leash, but the following is my favorite way!

1. After you have gathered all your equipment and have your dog leashed up, begin standing in front of your dog, head on (START position). Choose a noise you can make to get their attention (such as a smooching noise). Make your attention sound, and once your dog looks at you click, give them a treat, and begin walking backwards. You may need to move back quickly to keep their attention, but don't move so fast that they become overly excited.
2. Continue walking backwards in random patterns, circling, turning, slowing down, speeding up, and randomly stopping. Before any change in pace or pattern, make your attention noise to warn your dog. As long as they are following you and paying attention, click and treat them. It's best to start with a click/treat (C/T) every 2 or 3 steps at first, then slowly work up to more steps before each C/T.
3. Once you feel that your dog is catching on and is having a great time playing this new game, you're ready for the next step. Begin again from START position. Begin walking backwards. Give your dog 10 – 15 steps to engage – once they are engaged with you and following your lead, quickly turn your body as you walk so that you and your dog are now both facing and walking forward. C/T as soon as you and your dog are lined up. Continue moving at the same speed.
4. Once you and your dog are both facing forward, begin by only walking in straight lines. C/T your dog for being in position beside you every 2 or 3 steps. Keep those treats coming – this is the hard part! Many dogs need a little extra time to get used to paying attention to you by their side as opposed to in front of them. When your dog gets ahead of you, and BEFORE your dog starts pulling on the leash, make your attention noise and begin walking backwards in the opposite direction. As soon as your dog is facing you again, C/T. Move backwards 5 to 10 steps before again turning to face forward. Rinse and repeat! You can expect to spend the most time in this step. You will once again slowly build up the number of steps between each C/T.
5. Begin to add in turns once your dog can follow for 10 steps or more. Just remember to make your attention noise before any turn or change in pace. When you begin making turns, you should C/T as they successfully make the turn. If you lose them in the turn, start walking backwards making you attention noise and try again!
6. The last phase is to add pace changes. Slowly add these in. Begin by making your attention noise and slowing down. As soon as your dog slows down, C/T. Then make your attention noise and speed up, C/T when they speed up with you. Each time you add a new element to loose leash walking, you will need to return to C/T every 2 or 3 steps, and slowly build back up to more distance.
7. Lastly, don't forget to reward your dog for being beside you, but not necessarily looking directly at you. I like to C/T for position when they are looking forward or to the side, and sometimes if they're sniffing and still moving with me. This will help your dog to learn they are getting rewarded for their position beside you, not exactly for having their eyes glued to you.

The Next Step

After you and your pup have a good handle on loose-leash walking, you can begin taking your sessions to new locations with more distractions. Once again, any time you add a new element (this time an environment change or distractions), you should return to C/T every 2 or 3 steps and slowly work your way up. You may even have to start from scratch in each new phase, but generally your dog will progress quickly back to walking by your side. Dogs have a hard time generalizing training to new locations, so you have to help them along and remind them of the basics as you go.

Parting Words

Don't expect your pup to get it on the first try. It can take several sessions before your dog catches on, but if you keep it fun and light, this will become their new favorite game! Try to keep your sessions short and sweet – usually 10 to 15 minutes is more than enough. If you have the time, do 2 or 3 sessions every day, spread out over the day.

I like to make every walk a game by changing my pace randomly (with warning, of course!) and by making random stops and asking for different behaviors like 'sit', 'shake', or 'down'. Keeping your dog engaged will go a long way to make walks more enjoyable for both of you. One of the joys of loose leash walking is getting the chance to connect with you dog and walk TOGETHER. Leave the headphones at home and enjoy the moment ;)

Once you and your dog are loose-leash masters, you can begin to fade out the C/T. I try to always have my treats with me on walks (because you never know!) and give my dog random treats. I will randomly give a treat or two when they are walking in position, and occasionally give them a whole handful (jackpot!). This can keep them interested and engaged – and wanting more!

Foreman is a loose-leash pro! He's only 10 months old and learned to

walk on a loose leash using this method. He's also currently (1/20/15)

up for adoption at the Watauga Humane Society in Boone, NC!

2013 recap and 2014 goals

Well, 2014 is here whether I'm ready or not! The past year has been amazing. I celebrated two years at Apple Hill Farm, began obedience training with Knox, passed the Canine Good Citizen test and Therapy Dogs, Inc. test, began volunteering at Alliance Bible Fellowship and so much more.

I don't know that I've ever had such a wonderful year. I've had many great moments throughout my life, but I'm pretty sure 2013 takes the cake for best year over all. I feel like it was the first year I got to truly explore myself. It was my first full year without school and that opened so many new doors for me. One would think that being in school with summer, fall, and winter vacations off and classes that take an average of 15 to 18 hours  a week that you would find ample time to explore yourself. However, I have found that being out of school and in the workforce has opened so many more doors than being a student ever did. I may not have long vacations (which I usually wasted on a couch anyway) but I do have my evenings and weekends all to myself! While I was a student, even when I wasn't in class or working, I still had papers, readings, and studying all vying for my time and attention. It was hard to find time to hang our with friends, let alone explore new hobbies or discover new passions. It has been so amazing this past year to have had my evenings and weekends to do whatever I want to with. When I clock out at 5, the only obligations I have are ones I have set for myself. I feel that I know myself and my desires better today than I did a year ago, and certainly better than I did when I graduated college. I am so grateful for the year I had in 2013, and I truly look forward to 2014. I have a few goals for the year, nothing major, but I still thought I would share them!

1. Finish saving up my emergency fund (so close!)
2. Finalize my Therapy Dogs, INC registration.
3. Make more time for yoga in my daily life, at least a few days a week.
4. Eat less wheat - I haven't been doing very good about that lately.
5. Start volunteering at the Humane Society
6. Explore dog training more
7. Set up monthly therapy visits with Knox with at least one facility in the area
8. Make it to as many Respite Nights as possible at ABF with Knox
9. Set up a study break with the ASU library where I can bring Knox during finals week.
10. Work towards becoming a Tester/Observer for Therpay Dogs, INC - the closest one is 75 miles away!
11. Spread the word about Therapy Dogs and find some in the area to work with.
12. Step out and make new friends


Like I said, nothing major! But as of now, those are my goals for 2014. Here goes nothing!

Zeus

It's now been a few weeks since we had to put Beau down, and everyone's hearts have been healing. We sent him to Heaven and told him when he got there to let Lee's mom know that we did not need anymore dogs and that we weren't ready for another of her rescue treasures. Lee's mother was well known for bringing home the ugliest, most flea bitten, mangy skinny dogs you've ever seen. Even though Lee's mother has long since passed, anytime a stray shows up on Lee's doorstep, she says her mother has sent it her way. We made it a few weeks before Lee's mother sent us Zeus and we fell in love and offered our help without even seeing him first. Beau and Lee's mom surely used all their persuasive powers!

Today we welcomed Zeus into the Apple Hill Farm family. We plan on him being a foster as we rehabilitate him, but if you've met any of us, you know that may not end up being the case! Of course, we can't keep all the wonderful dogs for ourselves, and Zeus certainly is wonderful. Zeus is a Great Pyrenees that has previously been used as a cattle guardian, and that's about all we know about him. We're unsure of his age, but hopefully as his condition improves we can at least guess it. He currently weighs 75 pounds, and our best guess is that he should be around 130. He's actually about 2 inches taller than Knox, who is between 110 and 120.

Great Pyrenees dogs have been bred since the 1600's as a livestock guardian dog.Their quiet and steadfast nature makes them excellent watch-keepers over any livestock, from goats to horses and everything in between. They are excellent with all baby animals and always laid back. However, many people assume that since they have been bred to be in the field 24/7, that they are able to forage for themselves. I feel this may have been what Zeus's original owners believed. As with any domesticated dog, these majestic guardians are not able to hunt and feed themselves, and certainly not within the confines of your pasture. They must still be fed and watered, have their coats and nails maintained, and have human counterparts. This was not what Zeus's history seems to be.

As far as we can tell, Zeus was originally a Livestock Guardian Dog (LGD) for cattle. The original owners sold the herd, sold the farm (or possibly rented it out) and left Zeus behind when they moved. The next tenant fed Zeus while living there, but probably did little else to maintain his health. We're unsure how much time passed before the next tenant came along. Fortunately for Zeus, they were a volunteer at Horse Helpers of the High Country. They immediately saw he was in dire need of help and rounded up the team. Despite the fact that Horse Helpers has never rescued a dog, Amy (the director) was ready and willing. After a stay in the emergency vet that included cutting all of his hair off, IV's, and a thorough check up and blood panels, Zeus came to us at Apple Hill Farm.

We were forewarned that Zeus was not a pretty sight and that he was barely mobile. We had a stall and bed ready for him, sure that he would not be leaving the stall any time soon. As soon as Amy and her daughter got Zeus out of the car, he was up and walking, much to their delighted surprise. It didn't take him long to settle into his stall for a nap after he had lunch and was outfitted with a coat we use for our baby alpacas to keep him warm. We also set up a space heater to keep the stall warm. His second walk around the barn was amazing- he even took a few trotting steps. This is most likely the most he's moved in days, even weeks. He was eager to explore, but we took him back to the stall where he immediately settled down for another nap. Each walk and each meal seem to bring more and more life into him.

Most of the time, you look at Zeus and see a shell of a dog. But there are those moments where he suddenly looks right into your soul. Or his nose twitches at a scent on the wind.Or his ears perk at some far away sound. And you know he's in there, somewhere. Inside this shell of a dog is an amazing creature waiting to be brought back out. You can already feel the love inside of him. And we are promising to find him, deep in there, and bring him back out. And to never let Zeus disappear again.

Here are some pictures of his first day on the farm. Be warned, they are not easy to look at.

Legacies

We're working our way through Colossians at Alliance Bible Fellowship and I am loving it. Today's message centered around Colossians 1:29 to 2:5 - it's amazing what you can understand from the Bible by actually reading it! Here is what I took away from the message.

In these verses Paul speaks of how he has continuously labored with all the energy Christ has given him. And he's not laboring and striving just for people he knows, but for people he has never met. He willingly accepts his burdens, imprisonments, and torture "so that they might be encouraged in the heart and united in love" and so that they might also understand the mystery of Christ - we have all we need  in Him. Paul also suffers as he does so that no one would be deceived by false teachers. Paul surely has achieved his goals; he is still encouraging fellow believers he could never have imagined meeting hundreds of years after his death. Paul spent every ounce of himself in service to God and His people, even to the point of death by sword. How many of us can say we've left a legacy like that?

What stories and lessons do you hope to pass down to others? A story of finding true love, failed adventures, or college mishaps you hope your children don't repeat? What is the greatest moment of your life, and does it have any spiritual value?

Many of us spend hours practicing, training, reaching for and training for different goals of ours. As we're pouring ourselves into these tasks we need to ask 'Can I point to the supreme importance of Christ in this? Would others?' How much of what I'm doing and spending my energy on is for myself, and how much is for others?

It's very popular today to 'leave it all on the mat' and work til you drop - but only for yourself. If I poured myself out completely for a sporting competition, graduate school any other activity for myself, that's perfectly acceptable. But if I pour out every single ounce of myself into something for the sole purpose of others, people would tell me to take time for myself. I'm guilty of telling myself this! In the last weeks I've often wished for more time for myself. I want my personal time to relax and refresh myself. I don't want to burn myself out on something. But, if I follow Paul's example, that's just what I should do. I should give all I have for the cause of Christ. So that others may come to know Him, be unified in love and encouraged.

I should follow the example of many Christian missionaries and martyrs over the past hundred years such as David Brainerd. His life goal was 'to burn out in one continual flame for God.' And he did just that. He served faithfully as a missionary to the Native Americans until he burned himself out and succumbed to tuberculosis at the age of  28. Many would think this a waste of a very promising young missionary's life. I believe Brainerd achieved his life goal and literally left it all on the mission field.

Will I ever be able to say the same of myself?

Resurrection

Yesterday at Elevation App State we were honored to listen live to the third week of Greater from Pastor Steven Furtick. What a message. I think this third week was the most powerful for me, it really spoke to the condition of my dreams and hopes at this point in my life.

The main take-away was that you cannot experience the miracle of resurrection without death first. Sometimes God has to let our dreams die so we can experience the miracle of it being resurrected. Sometimes God births our dreams in our life and lets them live on. But sometimes He want us to know Him as more than the bringer of dreams. He wants us to know Him as the one who can resurrect a dream we thought would never live again. And sometimes He chooses one we have tucked away so deep, we've forgotten about it entirely because it's too disappointing.

I can SERIOUSLY relate to this. Over the past year, I have come so close to a few dreams being realized, only to have them fade away or even be crushed. I was so excited about continuing on into grad school at App for counseling. I had competitive GRE scores and such a desire to go. I had prayed and felt lead to apply to grad school. I kept reminding myself that just because God wanted me to apply didn't mean that I would get it, but I didn't fully take into account that He might actually lead me to apply and then I wouldn't get in. I mean, God so clearly said "Yes, take the GRE, apply to App." that I couldn't help but think that must mean I was meant to get in. Why spend $200 on taking the GRE and applying, why get me all excited if that's not what I'm meant to do? Because sometimes dreams have to die. Sometimes you have to say goodbye to something good for something greater. Needless to say if you know me, I did not get accepted into grad school. And I was crushed. I mourned for about three days. It was just such a shock - I'd never had such a big "NO" in my life.

At this point in the story, I can't give you a resurrection story about my dream. I still want to pursue a graduate degree in counseling. Sometimes it still hurts that I'm not. My landlord got into both degree programs I applied to. I have a really great friend who is few semesters ahead of me - he gets his first clients this week. I'm excited for the both of them, but I still wish I was in their shoes. Grad school would put me one step closer to my ultimate dream. And like I said, it hurts that I'm not on that path right now.

I'm still not sure what path I'm heading down. I trust that the Lord has me going in the direction I need to go. I honestly do. I have no clue where I'm going, or even the next step. But I'm trusting in Him. He may resurrect my graduate degree dream - I do get to reapply for free for fall 2013. But He may take me down a GREATER path than I can imagine.

I strongly encourage you to watch the third week of Greater - Upon Further Review - when you get the oppurtunity. As of this morning (9/24 - 8:30am) it's not up, but should be by this afternoon.

http://www.elevationchurch.org/sermons

Oh, home made cookies!

Today I went to camp after work and that was such a blessing. I still find it hard to believe that my time at camp has come to an end. I sat in on Ashley's small group with her kitchen staff and the snack shack staff. I found myself envious of her ministry. She gets to spend 9 weeks pouring into the lives of the staff and campers. My heart went out to a few of the staff tonight and I felt like I had so much advice to offer, but no time to do it. I miss being able to invest in the staff! I always felt my place at camp was more to minister to the younger girls (usually 4 or more years younger than me) than it was to give trail rides to campers. I miss it. A lot. I've been through a lot and learned a lot of lessons and feel like I have some insights to offer. And I love to help people out and give advice!

Last week when I went, I was sorely tempted by the chocolate chip cookies. This week I barely batted my eye at them. It's crazy! I LOVE...loved(?) chocolate chip cookies! And Ashley made them from scratch tonight to boot. But I think since I'm now on week three without wheat, it makes it easier to resist. Plus, last week I was experimenting with eating some wheat here and there. The more I resist, the easier it is!

I'm feeling really good being wheat free. I also find it's much easier to stay within a lower calorie range to lose weight. Where it used to be a struggle to keep my calories down and eat well, it's now super easy. My meals are all meat and veggies. Lots and lots of veggies! Gosh, I feel so much better! And I feel like I don't have to watch what I eat! The last few days of tracking meals, I haven't made a goal to keep it under a certain number of calories. I've just been eating to make myself feel satiated and having snacks at work. And again, I FEEL SO GOOD!

Experimenting

Last time I was at the store, I decided to experiment with corn tortillas. I was pretty excited that they might be a good alternative to normal wheat wraps. What a let down! They were thick, stiff, and tasted like cardboard. Ugh. I even heated them up per the instructions on the package! Hopefully I can bake them into some good chips or something. Hopefully next week or so I'll make it to Earthfare and get some almond and coconut flour! I have two recipes I really want to try - one for a biscuit and one for rolls.

I did make one oopsie today. I had corn muffin mix and used it to coat my okra before reading the ingredients. To my dismay, it included wheat flour. That being said, it was very yummy! I'll remember to check better next time!

Wheat Free

Tomorrow marks two full weeks wheat free for me. Well, mostly wheat free. After both my boss and my brother told me to try going wheat free, and after reading a few articles, I felt compelled to give it a go.  The first week I was completely wheat free. For the second week I was mostly wheat free, but experimented to see if wheat was truly a problem for me, and yes indeed it was. The second day of adding it back it really upset my stomach and I had some IBS issues - which I had not had any problems with since I cut wheat. Definitely a sign to cut it out! So, after much debate, I have decided to go almost entirely wheat free. I find the less I eat, the better I feel, and the easier it is to resist!

So, now my fridge is full of meat, fruit, and veggies! I have a few friends who are thinking about trying it out, but wonder what my meals are like.

Revamping an Old Window

My mom is constantly checking out stained glass windows and has always wanted one to hang in our living room window. The problem is, they are always very expensive - even the small one! So, being the crafty woman I am, I decided to make her one myself. We've been to countless craft shows and seen where people have taken old windows and painted them. It has long been an ambition of mine to do this, but old windows that are affordable are hard to come by! Recently, I was in a large antique store in downtown Boone and low and behold, an old window for $10! It was clearly meant to be!

This project for me was probably the cheapest Mother's Day gift I have ever or will ever purchase! I already had loads of acrylic paint on hand and lots of brushes, so I was set to go. made this project for the cost of the window.

I started by cleaning the window. Luckily, there was not much old paint on the pane itself. What was there I just decided to leave, it happened that it was right where I planned on painting anyway and didn't really interfere.

Next, I looked up some designs online. Now, I can draw pretty well myself, but I have this problem where I want everything PERFECT, so I took a shortcut and did a few google image searches to come up with what I wanted. I found the perfect flowers, birds, and font! I printed and taped these to the backside of the window. If you prefer, you can tape them to the frontside, and paint the backside. This will give you a smooth front. I didn't flip the words before printing, so I knew they would be on the front of the window, so I made everything that way for simplicity and a cohesive look. Not to mention, when painting on the back, you have to paint front to back, which is tricky.

Next, choose a good work space. My dining room table was the perfect size for the window, but I had little room for anything else! I set my table mate (a TV tray, basically) beside my chair and put my painting supplies on it.

Now the painting! I sort of winged it with the flower colors and chose what I felt would look best as I went. I began with the lighter colors first, then added darker colors. I knew that overlapping light over dark would be ugly, and like I said, I was trying to keep this easy and pretty! Rule of thumb is to usually work your way down, then you don't have to worry about getting your hands and arm in the paint. Like I ALWAYS DO. I started with the birds and moved down to the next two flowers.

Once I finished the birds and lower flowers, I turned the window around. For the words, I actually used a sharpie for the smaller words. I then went back over it with a brush.  "Home" and the heart were fairly easy to do with a paint brush, so I wasn't concerned. When I finished those two, I moved on to the last two flowers!

I actually did this project over a few weeks. I chose to start early so I had plenty of time for each layer to dry before the next color/layer was added!

Two things to note: There is a slight distance between your stencil/paper and where your brush will touch the glass, it will take a little get used to. Second, the acrylic paint doesn't go on so well with the first coat. I sort of globbed it on, then went back over again. In the future, I may be tempted to purchase a glass paint. I've used them before, and they grab a little better!

Post-Grad

I really am terrible at blogging. And that's all I have to say about that.

It's still a little surreal that Saturday makes three weeks since I graduated from App State. Right now I mostly just feel like I'm on summer break. Since graduating high school, I've never taken a full summer break. The most I've ever had at a time was three weeks. So working all summer is nothing new. The crazy part is planning for the fall, knowing I'll still be at work full time.

Adjusting to a full time job hasn't been too hard. Last summer I worked 6 days a week leading trail rides for 3 months, so working 5 days a week is not a big deal. The struggle for me is packing lunches. Most of the last four years I've been able to make lunch at home, so the possibilities are endless. Now, I need to come up with healthy lunches that are easy to prepare and take to work. Definitely a learning curve! But I've found some great recipes and ideas that I cannot wait to try!

I'm officially three weeks into living in my new apartment this weekend as well. I am loving the country life, even with the micey intruders and birds trying to get it. It's so peaceful at night, and during the day for that matter! My front porch is also ideal for hammocking. The biggest change is paying my rent. The last three years of my life, I've used student loans to pay rent. I went to App for free from my sophomore year on, so taking loans to pay rent was not a big deal, and it made sense. I was in school to learn, not to spend all my time working to afford a place so I could go to school. My last paycheck wasn't for a full two weeks of full time work, and it was JUST enough to cover my rent for the month. Thank goodness for graduation money! That made things this last week much easier.

I'm excited to see how my paychecks will really look once I have a full two weeks on them. This may sound silly, but I am so excited about sitting down with my BFFs Excel and "Total Money Make-Over" and reworking my budget! Now that I have a predictable income, I think things will be a bit easier. I am ready to really pick up some momentum in saving my emergency fund as well as paying down my student debt! My boss has even mentioned the possibility of bonuses if we have a super busy summer - that would go a long way to helping pay down those debts!

One of the best things about my post grad life is no homework! I LOVE to read. I could spend all day reading a good book. It has been so great to be able to read for fun and not feel guilty for neglecting school work! I also love that after work, I can borrow our guard dog Knox and go to the park for an hour, or eat dinner with a friend, or go to Boone for the evening, and not be ignoring something important. The BEST part is that I acutally have a weekend! For the last year, when I wasn't at school, I was at work or doing homework. Even on Sundays, I worked in the morning at 8am until time to leave for church. I now have Sunday and Monday all to myself, aside from being blessed to be able to volunteer at Elevation Boone. Life is good :)

Hopefully I really can actually pick blogging up for once. Perhaps I can come up with themes for a few days of the week? If I had direction, I know I could do it!

Morning Rituals

I really enjoy my morning rituals for getting ready. If I get up to late or something comes up that throws off my routine, I'm not really a happy camper and just feel off for the rest of the day. I probably enjoy getting ready in the morning more than I should, haha.

My morning ritual starts with a shower. From there I start applying the lotions - body lotion and face lotion. Then I apply this oil to my hair to keep it protected from the hairdryer and the elements. After getting dressed, the fun begins. I usually grab a cup of coffee or hot tea and return to the bathroom to start in on my make-up. I think part of the fun and enjoyment comes from the little girl inside who loves to play dress up and who wants to play at being someone new. I don't think any girl ever loses the little girl inside. I love watching how my face changes as I apply eyeliner, then carefully (or more often, lazily) choose an eyeshadow color. Some days, like today, I get really into it and get to shading and highlighting all around my eyes. Next comes the foundation to cover the redness in my cheeks or scars from teenage years of acne. Top it off with a little mascara, and on occasion a little hair spray for hold. I love that I can highlight want I want to highlight and hide what I want to hide.  Some days I look like a slightly enhanced version of myself. There are a few where I feel like a different person.

I find that the closer to my true self that I look, the more I enjoy the look. I almost always default to a natural look. I'm not saying that I think I need makeup to be pretty. I think I'm beautiful with or without it, but I enjoy being able to bring out attention to the things I want attention drawn to. I like that I can hide what I don't want people to see.

That's all well and good when it comes to make up, but there are so many other things in my life that I do the same thing with. That's when it gets dangerous. When I start to alter my true self and put on a mask of perfection. I want people to think I have it together. I want them to think I'm a good little girl and that my life is all flowers and horses and dancing fun. I carefully line up my mask every morning before class, and even every Sunday before Elevation. If you ask me how I am, it is likely I'm going to give you a half truth. I am going to pick a highlight of the week to share. Or I'll pick a small problem, like being worn out, to share. I do not want people to see behind the mask on the days that I'm falling apart. I don't want you to think I can't hold it together. I don't want you to think I'm not strong.

At the same time, I hate it that I have friends who don't know what is really going on in my life. I am so blessed to have my wonderful eGroup and some great friends who know how to cut the crap. Just seeing them takes the mask down. But I'm tired of myself and everyone else putting up these fronts of perfection and peace. I think we should all bear our hearts to one another a little more. I think we'll find more support and love than we ever imagined. I think we'll also discover that the Lord has granted us more strength than we ever thought.

Embracing Your Place

If you know me, and if you scroll down the page, then you know that I am the world's worst at the whole blogging thing. It's not that I lack things to write about, or even the time to sit down and type out a post. It's just that I lack the discipline to do it. As much as I'd like to blog, I can never seem to make it a little higher up on my priority list. That being said, there is something I just needed to type out and share, even if no one reads it. It's more for me, anyway.

As a few of my friends know, I'm fairly certain my pastor back home listens to Elevation's podcasts. It is not uncommon for me to rehear a past Elevation message at New Horizon Church when I go home. They're always fantastic messages, and I think I usually get to rehear the message because God REALLY wants me to get the point. Recently, this was made very clear to me that that was the case.

On my way home for Christmas break (12-18) I listened to the Get Back series by Elevation from January 2011. Specifically, I listened to the sermon Christine Caine did entitled Embrace Your Place (http://www.elevationchurch.org/sermons/getback/part2). It was a great sermon, and I really enjoyed it as I drove down the mountain. The last Sunday I was home for break, Jan 15, Pastor Dave gave a sermon that hit all the points that week one and two of Get Back did. Then, to top it off, when I got back to Elevation Boone that night, I got to watch the original Christine Caine message again.

When I realized that was the message we'd be watching, I knew that God was really really trying to get a point across to me. All three of the sermons were about embracing your place in God's plan and where He has you know. They talked about how being obedient to His plan and doing as He says sets you up to be ready for the next step. Christine was in her place for seven years, doing her job as the Lord lead her until she became an "overnight" speaking success. As she says "it was a very long night."While listening to the sermons and trying to figure out why God kept sending them my way, all I could ask God was "Aren't I in place? I'm serving as the VIP coordinator and Elevation Boone. I'm working the job You lead me to. I'm attending the school You placed me in. I feel like I'm doing what You want me to do, and I don't feel like I'm doing something You DON'T want me to do. What are You saying to me?"

It wasn't until 3 1/2 weeks later that I finally realized what god was trying to tell me. And it was a big "DUH" moment. And one of those moments that makes you feel a little guilty. As my eGroup can attest, I fully believe that as a woman, it is your duty to do the job that the Lord has set before you and He will bring your husband to you when you both are ready. Not everyone agrees with me or thinks this is right, but in the Bible, God always brings the husband when the woman is doing her job. Rachel is out tending her father's sheep when Jacob finds her. Ruth is gleaning in the fields when Boaz notices her. Rebecca is at the well fetching water when Isaac's father's servant finds her. I'm probably forgetting a few, but I feel my point is made.

I have advised many of my single friends that they just need to be patient, and embrace where they are in life and focus on what God would have them do now. I've told them that being single is a great time to do wonderful things for God and in your life. You have only God to answer to and nothing to stop you from dropping everything and following Him. And that we need to live in the present moment, and not give our hearts an thoughts away to possible but improbable futures and daydreams. And I've told myself these same things. But a few weeks ago, I realized what God was saying to me, and I realized what it meant.

Despite knowing that God would bring my husband and I together at the proper time as we follow His will, I still chose to be discontent with my singleness. I was constantly praying for God to send me a man and wasting time dreaming of what could be. Even though I was IN my place, I wasn't EMBRACING my place. I wasn't living out and internalizing my beliefs that I needed to focus on what God would have me do here and now, and not what could be happening in my life if I had a boyfriend/husband. It was great to finally realize just what God was trying to get through to me, despite the fact that I felt a little guilty for my disobedience and not realized sooner. But now, I am fully embracing my place, which is getting better and better by the moment :)

Buffalo Chicken Potato Skins

So, I adapted this recipe from two different recipes I found on pinterest, and I will post the links at the bottom. For all my girlfriends, here is the recipe for my Buffalo Chicken Potato Skins!

As you know, I am a crockpot girl through and through so I made my buffalo chicken using the crockpot! This is how I made it. You can of course substitute fresh chicken and milder/hotter sauce. I used the frozen because it's something I always have on hand and you can put it in the pot frozen! Both of these recipes are fairly simple. The hardest part is waiting for the potatoes to be ready!

Crockpot Buffalo Chicken


8 hours on low
4 to 5 frozen boneless skinless chicken tenders
1 bottle of Texas Pete Wing Sauce
4(ish) tablespoons butter ( I used unsalted stick butter)
1 packet Hidden Valley Ranch Mix

1. Put the frozen chicken and most of the bottle of sauce into the crock pot. Top with the packet of Ranch mix.
2.Cook on low 6 to 7 hours.
3. Remove the chicken, using two forks to shred it. If it doesn't pull apart easily, it's not ready. (I did mine at 5 hours, but my chicken had thawed in the fridge over night)
4. Place shredded chicken back into pot, as well as your butter. This allows the chicken to really soak up the sauce.
5.Cook for an additional hour on low.
6. Enjoy! or begin the steps for putting it into potato skins!


Potato Skins


350 degree Oven
4 medium russet/baking potatoes
oil for brushing
2 cups (or more) of buffalo chicken
Salt and Pepper to taste
Cheddar cheese
Blue Cheese
Green onion if you want to garnish it up!
Ranch/Blue cheese dressing for dipping

1.Clean and prick potatoes, then microwave for 8 minutes or so (or with potato button).
2. Let the potatoes cool, then scoop out most of the insides. Try to leave about 1/8 inch left. Save the insides for some mashed potatoes later in the week!
3. Salt and pepper the insides to taste.
4.Brush oil over the potatoes skins and salt.
5. Place on a cookie sheet (I put down foil first....less cleaning) and bake for 10 minutes on each side at 350. (The recipe calls for 450, but 350 was perfect for me).
6. Remove potatoes and fill with chicken, then blue cheese, then cheddar cheese. Place back in oven under BROIL in order to melt the cheese. Make sure your chicken is already warm when you put your potatoes together. It will only take a few minutes for the cheese to melt.
7. Pig out!

http://mykitchenapron.blogspot.com/2011/07/crock-pot-buffalo-chicken.html
http://www.closetcooking.com/2012/02/buffalo-chicken-potato-skins.html

11/21/11

I just wanted to share a few quick thoughts with you guys today. It's been almost a month since I decided to begin blogging again, and I've failed to do so. Oopsie. So this weekend I plan on posting sermon notes with the date that they were written. I also plan on writing some real posts!

So, quick thoughts:
I've begun a fast from facebook that will last until December 20th. I'm on day 2. It's not easy. It's crazy how I default to Facebook so often. I actually had to delete the bookmark off of my bookmarks toolbar so I wouldn't click on it. Any time I finish watching a show on Hulu, or get back to my apartment, or finish anything, I want to check facebook. It's ridiculous. I never realized what a big part of my life it really was!

Taylor gave me a MacArthur Daily Bible a few weeks ago, and I really love it. I've learned a lot of new things already and can view scripture in new ways. I'm loving it! In addition to that, I'm doing a few short devotions through the YouVersion Bible App (Life Application Study Bible Devotion and Right From the  Heart 1-Minute Devotions) and they are great. They're a good way to start the day and get my heart right. I've gotten SUPER lazy as the semester has progressed, so I'm usually running way too late to read MacArthur, but I can read both of those devotions and set my mind on the right path before I head out the door. Days I do that are noticeably different from days I don't!

That's it for now; I gotta read my bible and go to bed :)

Why?

So, I started a blog with this same name once, and I have decided to delete it and import all the posts to a new account that's tied to my universal Google account for simplicity's sake :) All the posts prior to this one are from the old blog. Here begins the new one! So, here's a bit of info on what this is about and why I'm doing all this!

1)Why the name "She made the Sun Stand Still?"
     If you've read the book "Sun Stand Still" by Pastor Steven Furtick, then you probably get it. And if you haven't read it, then you really need to. It's a wonderful book about having true faith in God and not limiting Him with your small faith. I have named my blog "She made the Sun Stand Still" because that is what I want to do in my life, through God. I don't want to hold back in my faith. I don't want to live a mediocre life. I want to see miracles happen in my life that people will see and know without a doubt that it came from God and not me.

2)Why Blog?
   I keep a written journal, but it's mostly a prayer journal that I use to speak with God. It's also a serious venting and praising journal. I use it to decompress and celebrate and all kinds of things. I want to use this blog as a more public record of what is happening in my life. The Lord is always teaching me things and I'm in such a phase of transition. I figured, why not type it up and share it with the internet. Whether or not anyone reads is of little consequence.

3)What should I expect?
   All manner of things. I plan on posting my notes from Church on Mondays, as well as some personal thoughts on what was said. I'll probably talk about different books I'm reading, and there will of course be all kinds of general life stuff. Hopefully it'll be fun!

I can not believe it is already April.

I can not believe it's almost the end of my Junior year at App State.

Time flies when you're living from one weekend to the next. Or one day to the next. Some days I feel like I'm just waiting for the next exciting thing to happen. I'm waiting to go riding on the weekend, or to get dinner with a friend, or for the homework to be done. I have a hard time believing the school year is almost over already. I think what makes it so hard to believe is that I have lived from event to event, and I wonder what I've missed out on.

Each day is a gift from the Lord. Every morning I wake up is a miracle. Not that I'm sick or anything, just the fact that the Lord saw fit to let me continue on this journey and to continue to do His work. I've often heard it said that each day we have a "divine appointment" with someone. There is a person on this Earth whose life we are supposed to impact for the glory of God. And sometimes days go by without me realizing, and I look back and wonder "What have I done to further His Kingdom in the last few days?" Sometimes I wonder if I've even taken a chance to marvel at the beauty of creation. It's so easy to go in to survival mode, especially with work and class and homework. It can sometimes feel like I don't have a free second to think.

I thank the Lord for days like today. Days where I can sit out at the farmhouse and watch the horses graze in the pasture. What a blessing. Days like today make me reflect back on the past week and think of the moments I've missed with the Lord because I've let myself get caught up in the hustle and bustle of being a college student with a job.

My intention for the upcoming week is to take the moments I have to enjoy the gift of each day. And take every oppurtunity to further God's kingdom. I hope you make that your intention as well.

Seat Covers!

So, my poor Rodeo has a very ratty driver's seat. The hole in it has been growing and growing, and I got fed up with it earlier this week. The solution was obvious, seat covers. But I am a college student and those cost big buck. So what did I do? I headed over to Good Will and found an AWESOME set of sheets! This total project cost me about $8, because I already had a sewing machine and thread, and in addition to the sheets, I bought some more pins to pin the sheets the right way. I have not yet purchased the string/rope to tighten the bottom, but that won't be too costly.

I believe the sheets are a full set, and as such have A LOT of sheet to deal with! Twin sheets may work, but I would suggest trying it out with a set you own before buying some. Most of the excess sheet was at the bottom, any way. And, I would suggest washing sheets first if you got them from a thrift store.



Step 1
Lay the sheet out on your car seat inside out. If one side is darker than the other, you want the lighter side up, so that as you sew where you pin, you're sewing the seam inside the cover. My sheet had a design, and I wanted this to be centered and straight, so I had to be very careful as I pinned the sheet. Solid sheets are probably much easier to work with. But, who wants easy when they do this the first time? With the flat sheet, I used the already hemmed edge at the top as the hole for my detachable headrest.If you have detachable headrests like I do, make sure to take this in to account when pinning. Get the top of your sheet situated before moving on. I put pins through the sheet into the seat to hold it in place, only at the top, though!



Step 2
I then pulled one edge of the sheet around the inside edge (beside the console) to the outer edge (by the door) of the seat. This got tricky at the bottom. I pulled as much around as I could and began pinning. Again, I had a design on my sheet, so this was a bit tedious to keep it straight! I also pinned the sheet in to rounded corners along the top of the seat so that it would be nice and smooth when finished!





Step 3
Once your back of the seat is covered, you can move around. I next moved to pin the outer edge (the one towards the door. I put a line of pins in the sheet where I wanted the bottom edege to be. Keep in mind, leave room for a hem that will have some string/rope for tightening the bottom and holding the cover in place.



Step 4
I then pinned along the front two corners of the seat. This is probably not neccessary, but I wanted it to look nice and neat once finished! I also pinned another hem line in the front, just so I'd know where to cut the excess sheet.

Step 5
This is the tricky part. Unless you have removed your seat, it is very hard to get to the opposite side to determine the proper length for that side. I trimmed the excess sheet off the back and front sides, then saved this side for last. I shoved the sheet down, then used a highlighter to mark where I wanted to cut, then pulled the sheet back out and cut. You could, of course take it off, turn it right side in, and pin it on the easy to access side, but I thought of this long after the fact, haha.

Step 6
Mark where you want to sew. I almost didn't do this, but I'm glad I did! I used a highlighter to mark where I planned the seams to go. This was very useful one I got the sheet inside. It's hard to envision what it looks like when it isn't held in the right shape by the seat. I followed my highlighted lines when sewing, and it worked out great!

Step 7
Lay your string out along the bottom edge, pin the hem around it. Sew the hem, careful not to sew in your string. I actually did sew in in the front middle on purpose. That way, when I wash it it won't come out!

Step 8
Remove any pins. No one wants to sit on that

Step 9
Flip right side out and place it on your car seat.

Step 10
If all went well, you have a car seat cover! If nothing went well..at least you tried! Sit back and admire your hard work. Brag to someone. I called my mom and told her.

Step 11
Think of all the wonderful crafts you can do with the left over fabric!

It's very possible to use the first cover as a pattern for the other seat. As of yet, I have not done this because I spent all afternoon on the first one :P And I'm also hoping I may be lucky enough that I cut the fabric in such a way that I'll have enough for the back seat. If not, oh well!

Here's the finished product! Well, the corners anyway. I neglected to take a full picture, and it is now dark out.

Delight Yourself in the Lord

One of my favorite verses is Psalm 37:4. Ashley Peterson wrote it to me in a card sometime last year, and since then I have really cherished that verse.

Reading Sun Stand Still has made me think more and more on the dreams within my heart. There are many things I feel like I could take joy in doing for the rest of my life. I know how I would like to serve the Lord. But some days I wonder to myself, what if the Lord doesn't want that for me? What if God put this love in my heart for a purpose I have already served? I've often said "I feel like God has put this love and passion in my heart for a reason." And I believe He has for many things. But some of those things may only be temporary. They are just stepping stones to guide my path.

But like I said, sometimes I really begin to wonder if what I think I'm called to do, isn't it at all. There are some things I want very much to do in my lifetime, and it scares me that it may not be in the Lord's plan for my life. And then He reminds me of Psalm 37:4, "Delight yourself in the Lord, and He will give you the desires of your heart. It is a very encouraging verse! As I follow the Lord, and stay true to Him, He will give me the desires of my heart. I love when you stop and think about that verse and realize what it means. It's not that if you do the right things and push all the right buttons, God will give you what you want. Becaue the key part of the verse is the beginning. If you delight yourself in the Lord. If you follow His ways. If you cherish His word. If you take joy in His presence. He will give you the desires of your heart. Why will He do this? Because the more time you spend with the Lord, the more your heart becomes like His. And when your heart is like His heart, your desires become His desires. Isn't that incredible?

Matthew Henry put it: “He has not promised to gratify all the appetites of the body and the humours of the fancy, but to grant all the desires of the heart, all the cravings of the renewed sanctified soul. What is the desire of the heart of a good man? It is this, to know, and love, and live to God, to please him and to be pleased in him.” I love it. I believe it to be so true.

I just wanted to share that with you all. I find Psalm 37:4 to be very encouraging, and I always love when the Lord brings me back to it :) And sorry my posts are all about future dreams and such, that's just the place I'm at right now in my life, haha. Everyone wants to know what I'm doing in the future, so I tend to think on it a lot.

Thanks for reading, and thanks for your prayers!

Despite some minor hiccups, life is pretty great :)

I mean, I still struggle from time to time with wanting to know the future, but who doesn't? Most of the time I'm able to take comfort in the Lord. He always reminds me of Psalm 119:105, "Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path." His word isn't a pair of headlights looking in to the distance. He isn't showing me all the things down the road. Because none of that matter now. What matters is the next few steps. And He is lighting those steps for me. I know the next three steps of my life. Summer at Dutch Creek Trails. Fall 2011 at App and Spring 2012 at App. The Lord has yet to reveal to me the next step, but I know He will in due time. It's comforting to know that!

Last week was pretty amazing. Every day was such a blessing. And not because anything amazing happened, but because I was really spending some good time with the Lord. And not just my "quiet time." I was really talking with Him all day long. What a joy. Now, if only I could do that all day every day. I could probably fix all the world's problems, haha. But it was great. And it gave me something to strive towards every day. I know what it can be like, so I will strive for it to be like that!

I recently began reading Sun Stand Still by Steven Furtick, and I love it. A good part of that is probably that I've been listening to his podcasts for a while, but it's also a great book. I would recommend it for every Christian. The basic premise of the book is to awaken you to God's will in your life. And not just for the little things. Steven says. "In short, I'm out to activate your audacious faith. To inspire you to ask God for the impossible. And in the process, to reconnect you with your God-sized purpose and potential." But it's not all about going out and starting mega-churches or leading hundreds of kids to Christ or anything so dramatic. It's about fixing a relationship you thought would be forever broken. It's about overcoming that weakness within you or breaking that addiction. And it's not about doing this and doing that. It's about getting to know the Lord. On page 26 he says "Seizing His big purpose for your life is not just about figuring out what God wants from you and getting down to business. It's also about becoming intimately acquainted with who Jesus is. It's about mining the depths of who you are in Him." How awesome is that? I want that. I want to better know the Lord so I can better know myself. Because in that, I can serve Him and bring Glory to His name.

For a long time I've felt a stirring within me, and my hope is that this book will help me to dive in and figure out what that stirring is. It's intimidating a lot of the time. I have ideas of how the Lord can use my talents and passions. Maybe this book will help to give me the courage to start praying prayers that make the Sun Stand Still. If you're interested in the book, I would also suggest listening to Steven's sermon "Sun Stand Still." I love it. I think I've listened to it 3 times, haha.

Anyway, there is homework that must be done if I want to make it to steps 2 and 3 that the Lord has shown me, haha.

I'm the world's worst at writing posts. Maybe because no one really reads this. I don't know. But I'm going to try to do better about that. I journal a lot and I think that it's important to document my life and journey so I can look back and see how the Lord has been moving.

Today I met with my advisor to talk about my last year in Undergrad. I only have to take 30 hours more before I get my degree. That is about 11 classes. It's a ridiculous thought. After speaking with her I feel very confident about next school year. I have my classes for next semester planned out and know which ones I would prefer for my last semester. It's a relief to know exactly what I'll be doing next year and to know that everything is in line.

BUT. Towards the end of our session I asked her about Grad School and my chances of getting in if I were to decide to go and the first thing she asked me was "Why?" And my answer was "Well, I don't know." I've told a few people that I'll go to Grad School because I have nothing better to do with my life. I don't think I need any further education for what I want to do, but grad school sounded like a good option. I think a lot of that decision is that I really really do not want to get a real job. I don't feel like it would be using the talents and gifts the Lord has given me. I think it wouldn't honor Him to put my passion for using my gifts on the back burner. And just because getting a real job is the smart choice doesn't mean it's the right choice. There is a lot of pressure to get a real job after graduation on any college student.

I mean, the Lord could change my heart and call me to have a normal job like everyone else. I know that He will guide me to ways that I can use that position and the personality He's given me to bring people to Him. I have faith that His Glory will be made known through me as long as I am in step with His will. But He has brought me to where I am and lit this fire within me, and I can't imagine Him leading me in a different direction. It just scares me to death some times not knowing what is next and in what direction He is leading me. I know where I'd love to be lead. There are a few possibilities I see in my future. And some of them will require me to really step out and have audacious faith. And I think I can do that. In fact, I will.

There's a song that is really speaking to me now, sung at Elevation Church. I think they may have written it, but I might have just lied to you, haha. But here are the lyrics and a video. I bolded the lyrics that are really speaking to me. Especially the last bit :)

We are the change
the world is waiting for
We've got a love
the world is desperate for
We will lead
and take to your streets


Now's the time for us to rise
and carry hope and let love shine
and show this world that mercy is alive

Now's the time for us to rise
and carry hope to hopeless eyes
and show this world that mercy is alive

We're not afraid
we will abandon all
to hear your name
on lips across the world
we will run
in the wake of your love

Now's the time for us to rise
and carry hope and let love shine
and show this world that mercy is alive

Now's the time for us to rise
and carry hope to hopeless eyes
and show this world that mercy is alive

Fill our hearts with your compassion
let our love be active here

We will go

Where You tell us to go.

We will speak out Your very Word.

We will move

when You tell us to move.

We are Yours.

We are Yours.