Skydiving

Hey everyone! These are pictures of my Auntie Jenn and Uncle Dan skydiving! They went last Saturday, and it was so fun to watch! I think I'm ready to try it now! lol! After seeing them, it looked so fun, and I want to try it now. :) sorry, I am a little behind on blogging, but hopefully I will update more often now!

Getting ready to skydive

Some of the equipment they use

the "funny looking hats" lol :)

Some more of the equipment

The suits

Auntie Jenn waves to the camera and gets ready to get on the plane

Uncle Dan gets ready to get on the plane

Auntie Jenn boards the plane

Uncle Dan boards the plane

Closing the door

And it starts...

And it goes...

Up...

Up...

Up...

Up...

Up...

And away... okay, literally... away! You are probably thinking "what's the big deal, anyone could go outside any day and take a picture of the blue sky" But if you look reeeaaallly close, you can see the plane and two skydivers (click on it to make it larger, you may be able to see better.) :)

Okay, so I just have noooo idea why this went on here like this... don't ask me.

This is not either of them, but I thought it was a cool picture. :)

Uncle Dan is the pink (with the tiny spot of blue) and Auntie Jenn is the purple and yellow... I thought this picture was pretty cool too. :)

Uncle Dan gets closer...

And he lands... eek! Someone's head got in the way... oops! :P I didn't think it was Uncle Dan, so I had to turn really fast to get his landing. :P

Auntie Jenn gets closer to landing...

Uncle Dan, finally on the ground (okay, that makes it sound like he was in the air forever. lol, not finally I guess... just... there he is on the ground.... okay that sounds lame, I'm just gonna skip to the next one. lol)

HERE SHE COMES!!!!

WOOHOO!!!!

Coming in for the landing...

And...

She (they) land(s). :)

After getting done there, we went to Dunkin Donuts and each got a donut. This was Micah's. :)

Then we went to Uncle Dan's mom's house, and she had a neat waterfall, so I took a bunch of pictures...

This was a plaque in the garden that I really liked. :)

And this was when we got back... Uncle Dan's mom gave the littles some bubbles, and this is Daniel blowing them..... CUTIE PIE! <3

Okay, so that is it for pictures... I did have one more that I wanted to share with you (we took some pictures of us kids by the waterfall, and I wanted to post that), but I forgot, and I already had it all set up, and if I tried to post a picture, it would mess everything up, or delete a different picture, or.. yeah, you get the point. I already had some difficulties in posting these.... Oh well! Here they are, and I hope you enjoyed them.

Before I go,

This is a song that I have

Been really

enjoying recently,

and so I made a video,

and put a bunch of my pictures on there.

I hope you

enjoy! :)

YOU are God alone,

in the good times

AND

the bad!

That is something that I need

to remember often!

I hope you all have a good weekend!

In His Arms,

Karissa Noelle :)

Romans 15:13

Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing,

that ye may abound in hope,

through the power of the Holy Ghost.

There

I read this the other day on ylcf.org, and thought it was really good, so I wanted to share it with you! Some of you may have read it, but I just wanted to put it on here anyways! :)

"There"

It was simply titled “There”, but it was one of the most powerful sermons I’d heard. The piece of paper on which I jotted the notes and main points is limp now, for each of the years that have passed since I first heard the sermon have proved to make the message it contained more relevant all the time.


It was a sermon about being There, right where God has asked us to be. It’s not always where we think we want to be, and most certainly not always the place that makes sense to us as humans, but being There is the only place we should be.


For Noah, there was preaching an apparently foolish sermon about something that had never happened before. There was to build a boat- a living testimony to his faith. There was to endure ridicule, reproach, to be called crazy and out of his mind for One Hundred and Fifty years. There was to wait in that arch until God opened the door. Not stepping out a moment sooner, not a moment later than God’s will for him and his family.


For Moses, there was in the palace of the king of Egypt. The king who was cruel to his people and hated his God. There was living the lonely and humble life of a shepherd for forty years, and there was standing in the palace and at the risk of everything, delivering the message to set God’s people free.


For Joseph, there was a servant in the house of a stranger, doing his very best only to be unjustly accused and thrown in to prison. There was then to serve God- and his superiors faithfully, no matter how long and tedious those years must’ve felt.


For Esther, there was in the palace of a heathen king, as Queen – for “such a time as this”- risking her life to save her people.


For Elijah, there was beside the little brook of Cherith, relying on Ravens to bring him food, and trusting that the little brook wouldn’t dry up, until God led him on.


There for him and for each one of these great bible heroes was right where God wanted them to be, and there is right where we need to be, no matter what.


Over the years, the lines from that sermon have often echoed in my heart when the place God asked me to be didn’t always feel so comfortable, didn’t always make sense to me, or so very beautiful as I thought I wanted, and again when I’ve caught glimpses of why He put me right there after all. And I’ve jotted my own notes under the outlines of the sermon, filling in the things that I have learned, that am always learning as I seek to truly be There. Right in the place that He has put me for today. No where else, just right there.


Truly, “the path where God leads the way may lie through the desert or the sea, but it is a safe path.”


May these little notes serve to encourage you in your “there” to be faithful, and to trust Him who makes all things beautiful in His time.


There is a place of perplexity. Sometimes I don’t know why God put me here. It’s uncomfortable, uncertain, and sometimes seems so far from where I want to be, or even where I think I should be right now. But if He puts me there, be there, no matter how perplexing or uncertain it seems, because I know that He knows what He’s doing. He sees the big picture, while I’m only catching a glimpse of the moment I’m in.


There is a place of promise. Our God is able to do exceedingly and abundantly above all that we ask or even imagine. No matter what There looks like, if we remain, trusting Him, He promises to make all things clear in His time, that we shall not lack any good thing, that He will be faithful. His word is full of promises to us, and the honor of His throne stands behind the fulfillment of those promises.


There is a place of providence. God has a plan, a beautiful plan for working out His purpose in our life. In our limited human vision, this is not often clear to us, but there is no chance in being there where He has asked us to be- just His promises, His providence. When we step out in faith, right there in the line of duty, providence meets us, and His way, His plans are always perfect.


There is a place of provision. God has more than a thousand ways to provide for every single one of our needs. He has promised to provide for us, and He will be faithful to that promise. If we choose our own place, instead of being There where He has called us, no matter how humble of a there it might be, God’s hand may still protect us, but His provision is not what it would have been or could have been had we faithfully remained there in his will.


There is a place of protection. While we are there, in His will, we will be under His care, even in the very path of danger. “The path where God leads the way may lie through the desert or through the sea, but it is a safe path.” Whatever happens there, God is in control and He will not allow anything to happen that is not according to His will, but we must never leave God’s appointed there for any other place, for no other place is as safe as right there where He wants us to be.


There is a place of prayer. Asking God to give us the good gifts that His word says that are ours for the asking, asking for his blessings on others, asking Him to take care of tomorrow, and to give us strength for today. Thanking Him for what He has done, and will do. Sharing with Him as your Friend and Confidant.


There is a place of praise. Praise God for his provision, protection, providence and for the promises that He has fulfilled. “Let His praise be continually on your lips.” We ask often for His blessings, as we should, but how little time we spend in praising Him and thanking Him for the great things that He has done. As we focus our eyes on the blessings He daily has poured out on us in this place, our heart will be overflowing with thanksgiving. Instead of “give me…” and “give me…” or “do this….” or “do that…”, the language of our heart becomes “Thank you”, “Thank you”, “Thank you”.


There is a place of patience. God has sent us there, and if “the brook of Cherith dries up”, if the door of the ark doesn’t open immediately, if the sun is still hiding behind those clouds, wait patiently on His plan, His time, His provision. No matter what appearances may say, stay there until He makes a way. “If there ever was a time for patient trust, it is right now” when you feel the least like waiting. Trust in his purposes, even when they do not make sense.


There is a place of peace. If you are there- in His will- you will have peace of mind and heart. If you are not there, you cannot have true peace or rest. “There” could be in a den of lions, in a fiery furnace, in a ship lost at sea, or in the middle of the most devastating of circumstances, but peace between your soul and God is there because peace is a gift that only God can give. And it is a gift that He delights to give those that trust in His will. It does not mean that there will never be any struggles, or that you will not have to keep putting your heart and mind back into the hands of God, but when you do this, the peace will come.


There is a place of privilege. It is a privilege to be There. Right there in God’s will, right there where He has called us to be. To be a part of His great plan is a privilege, and an honor that we should cherish. All of His instructions are a privilege, and more than a privilege, a joy for those who love Him to obey. And for each thing that He calls us to, He gives us strength and grace in great measure to accomplish. In light of this, why do we complain when there isn’t how we think it should be, when it is a place so filled with privileges and blessings?


This is a picture I saw on someone else's blog, and I really liked it, so I wanted to share this as well! I hope you all have a wonderful week! :)

In Christ,
Karissa :)

God is All I Need

On Monday, May 9th, I went to get my braces at the orthodontist at about 1:30 in the afternoon... We turned the radio on (AM, Hope 1000 where we are), and All I Need started playing by Bethany Dillon!! I love this song... We heard of it a while ago, and now every time I listen to it, I just... *love* it all over again! Well, I needed to hear that that day, I guess...


On Monday, the 16th, I was going in at 9' in the morning to get my spacers out, and my braces put on... We had gone a little ways, and my mom turned up the radio... Guess what was just starting to play at the exact moment she turned it up?? All I Need.... Mmmm! Wow! I was.... *amazed* (no, not really... I know God wanted me to hear that song again for some reason). I definitely did need to have that reminder, knowing that God is all I need...... He is all I need *When I'm surrounded.* He is all I need *If I'm by myself.* He *Fills me when I am empty.* There is *nothing* else.... for *HE is ALL I need!*








These are a couple other songs that I listened to today, and I just.... *love* them... so much!




Mmmmmm.... He is *Everything* to me!

Mmmm!

*I love you, Jesus*
And that's what I am going to

end with! :)

Have a great weekend, and

remember,

God is *ALL* you

will

ever need!

Sister In Christ,

Karissa :)

Giveaway, When I say... "I am a Christian", and Pictures :)

Love Unawakened (http://jenniferandkathryn.blogspot.com/) is hosting a Giveaway! The winner's will receive a free subscription for a Teen Girl's Magazine! If you have the time (and are a teen girl :)), head over there and check it out! :)

This is a poem that I read on Love Unawakened (http://jenniferandkathryn.blogspot.com/)... I really liked it, and wanted to share it with you!

When I say..."I am a Christian" I'm not shouting "I'm clean livin'."

I'm whispering "I was lost, Now I'm found and forgiven."

When I say..."I am a Christian" I don't speak of this with pride.

I'm confessing that I stumble and need Christ to be my guide.

When I say..."I am a Christian" I'm not trying to be strong.

I'm professing that I'm weak and need His strength to carry on.

When I say..."I am a Christian" I'm not bragging of success.

I'm admitting I have failed and need God to clean my mess.

When I say..."I am a Christian" I'm not claiming to be perfect,

My flaws are far too visible but, God believes I am worth it.

When I say..."I am a Christian" I still feel the sting of pain...

I have my share of heartaches, so I call upon His name.

When I say..."I am a Christian" I'm not holier than thou,

I'm just a simple sinner Who recieved God's good grace somehow!

Now for some pictures! These are pictures from various times, some pretty recent, and some from a while back that I have been wanting to post, but haven't gotten the chance! :)

Mmmm... Praise God for His marvelously wonderful, and amazinly awesome creation! :)

I love you, Jesus! :)

Which one is your favorite?

Praise God, from Whom all blessings flow! Praise Him, all creatures here below! Praise Him above, ye heavenly host! Praise Father, Son and Holy Ghost! Amen! ~Doxology~

Ephesians 1:2,

Karissa :)

P.S. I get my braces on Monday! I'm pretty excited, but not looking forward to pain! Oh well! It will be worth it in the end! :) I got spacers this past Monday, so I have had to be careful with what I chew which is annoying, and my teeth have been sore, but... You know what can I do? And like I said, hopefully in a couple years when I get them off, I will be able to say it was worth it, even if I don't feel like it will be when I am going through the pain! :) haha :)