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Peace in His Calling

Posted on April 19, 2012 by Sarah

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I have known for a long time that God had a unique plan for me. I can still remember the first time I felt God calling
me to the mission field. At that time, I had no idea he was also calling me to be a teacher as well. One of the
missionary families supported by my church gave a presentation on their work and I was engrossed. I was only
about 9 years old, but I could feel God tugging at my heart and almost whispering that he had the same kind of
experiences in mind for me. For many years I struggled with that idea. To be honest, there are times I still
struggle with that idea. Sometimes I feel quite bipolar about this calling.

Some days, I simply cannot wait for the day he calls me to begin the adventure. I find myself becoming rather Whatever you have done
impatient and trying to run on ahead of his plans. (That works well let me tell you.) Teachers ask the all too for the least of these…
famous question for any teacher candidate, “Why do you want to be a teacher? What do you plan to do with your
degree?” and on and on. At these times, I love to share my reasons and my plans- sometimes…I will admit it
comes from my want for recognition. Other times it is simply because I want people to be encouraged and to see
how God can use us in the most interesting ways.
Food For Thought
Other days, it scares me. There are times I am scared to tell anyone about what God has called me to do. What if I
fail? What if it isn’t his calling and it is just something I want out of my life? (This I have struggled with often). "Where others see but the dawn coming
Then I get into the process of thinking where he could possibly send me and I think: over the hill, I see the soul of God
shouting for joy." -William Blake
What if He calls me into a place where war is about to be declared? What if He leads me into a desperate place
where I have no answers to all the pain and suffering around me? What if I’m with Him in one of the literal darkest, I am aware that I am less than some
most frightening places on the planet? What if something serious happens to me while I am there? What about my people prefer me to be, but most people
family? What if….. are unaware that I am much more than
what they see.
And then oddly enough on these days, God brings a sense of peace over me…. and as terrifying as following
Be soft. Do not let the world make you
God’s calling seems to me sometimes, my soul simply says, “Yes, God. Yes. Even if I have to go to the scariest
hard. Do not let the pain make you hate.
place I can imagine, even if the world literally starts to crash down around me, even if I never see the people I love
Do not let the bitterness steal your
again, even if something happens to me or I cannot provide all the answers for the people I will be trying to reach.
sweetness. Take pride that even though
My heart and my soul are here for You to use.”
the rest of the world may disagree, you
Who is the Gospel for, if not the most desperate? still see it as beautiful.

Bind my wandering heart to Thee

What is the Gospel made for, if not the most dire situation?
Jesus has given me eternal life in Him. Let
When is the Gospel to ever find a more perfect time than people looking for a miracle from God? them take my life here, but God holds me
in the palm of His hands and no one can
I’ve realized that skirting the dangers for my benefit is not what the Gospel demands.
take me from Him.

I believe God is sending his army- including me to those who need to be shown His enduring love and that in "The people who think they are crazy
those times of doubt and sheer frailty, Satan is doing everything he can to keep us (me) out. enough to change the world...are the ones
who do. " - Steve Jobs
I’ve struggled for years with the idea that I am not the strongest Christian out there- and actually what really
defines a “strong Christian” anyway? I struggle with prayer and I struggle with sharing the Gospel through words.
And Satan has tried his hardest to use those weaknesses against me in my mind. But I am not going to let him Oh how quickly time
win. Even if I am not the best evangelist, I care for people and I show them love through actions. Even if I am not
passes
the best at praying, God knows my heart even if I can’t speak the “right” words. Therefore, I believe that I’m ready
to go wherever and whenever He calls, to do whatever He says, and to lose all of myself in the process. I am not May 2012
afraid of what lies ahead because of the One who has gone before, the ONe who lies within.
S M T W T F S

If Jesus is close to the brokenhearted, He is in every aspect of the place he decides to send me. And He wants to
1 2 3 4 5
put a voice to his presence. He’s sending me. And though I don’t know when and I still struggle with patience and
doubt in His timing, I will still trust. And though tomorrow might bring disappointment, I still will trust. And though 6 7 8 9 10 11 12
tomorrow might bring jubilation, I still will trust. And though tomorrow might bring war and famine and poverty,
« Apr
and widows, and orphans, and death, I still will trust.

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God is never giving up. He’s pursuing His children with all He has. Declarations of war do not surprise Him. S M T W T F S
Human weakness does not stop him and neither do those matter. He is bringing His light in the midst of darkness,
His comfort admits the carnage, His truth against the lies. 13 14 15 16 17 18 19

God is so much bigger than war, failure, famine, doubt, and all the other fears and dangers that could await me 20 21 22 23 24 25 26
wherever He sends me. Jesus, much more powerful than the echelons of man. Holy Spirit, more tenacious than 27 28 29 30 31
any army.
« Apr
And with that in mind, my soul and my heart are at peace. I will be at peace even though it scares me to death
sometimes. Tomorrow, come what may, I know God has a plan. And whether I am jetting towards the place He has
called me for in days, months, years…..God is already there. He always has been. He always will be. But He’s
Archives
going to let me be a part of it. He’s giving me the gift of making my life count. Not in the spotless halls of
corporate wealth, but in the dirt and mud, holding onto the ones He loves. He’s never letting go of them or me.

Come what may, He’s never letting go.

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MAR RT @76garments: RT this & follow

Significance of the Last Supper
21 Posted on March 21, 2012 by Sarah
@76Garments now through Jan 18 and
we'll send you a 20% #discount
#voucher. 3 months ago
Rate This RT @Rangers: RETWEET this if you
Once again, I have to tell you….I LOVE Tenth Avenue North. Someone shared this with me the other day and I think the Rangers will rally in Game 4.
was just in awe. First of all, Mike is just hilarious. More than that though, is the powerful significance in what #postseason 6 months ago
he talks about. Take a minute to listen! Check out FreedomConnector and
connect with local activists. http://t.co
/4hS6taj2 6 months ago
@closerstreet hope you will be playing
this saturday! Wanted to see you on
9/11 game, but you didn't play. :( LOVE
watching you pitch! 7 months ago
tried to write a very convicing email for
tickets to GBTV. @glennbeck please let
me and my dad come! You have made
a difference in our lives 7 months ago

Follow @SarahRiddleB

MAR
Embracing my Struggles and
6 Running Toward Him
Posted on March 6, 2012 by Sarah

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Today I found out about an amazing missions opportunity and began the application. For those of you who
don’t know, my heart is deeply rooted in serving Christ overseas when I graduate and this opportunity is
something I am seriously considering and praying about. (Side Note: If you wouldn’t mind, I would appreciate
all of you praying for me as I seek God’s council in this. It could be a life altering experience and I just need to
know if it’s what He has planned for me. Thanks!)

Anyway, I started filling out the application because I know I am going to get pretty busy here in the next few
months and it would just be a good idea to at least have some of it done just in case He says yes. Now, most
applications for mission trips ask you about your relationship with Christ and maybe a little bit about you.
They never truly seem to get down to the very specific parts of your life journey though. This application,
however; did. And let me tell you, it was brutal and extremely hard to answer those questions. I had to
continually stop typing because I literally couldn’t see the screen I was crying so hard. And now you are all
proably wondering why I would ever want to fill out an application that made me bawl my eyes out right?! Well
here is the beauty in it- As I was literally writing about some of the struggles and painful experiences in my
life, a thought came to my mind. It was another one of those thoughts that came directly from God because no

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way would I ever think of this myself. He told me “This is why I died for you. Even though you’ve sinned and
messed up countless times and experienced things that no one should ever have to go though, I still love you.
I LOVE you and I will carry you in my arms all the days of your life. You are mine and no one can take you
away from me.” Wow. Powerful words. This is exactly what I needed to hear.

I go through so many days of life pushing those experiences and struggles as deep down as I can because
they hurt, I am ashamed of them, and I don’t like having to remember. So many people who “know” me would
never know most of what I had to write on that application because I have done a pretty solid job of stuffing it
all away. Only a few very close friends and family members know a good deal of it, and even then, if I was
completely honest, only God knows all of it.

We all have things in our lives that we keep hidden- out of shame, regret, or maybe simply because we don’t
like to share everything with everyone. I have recognized in myself the same characteristics that Adam and
Eve dealt with after they ate the fruit from the tree of knowledge of good and evil. I am ashamed of a lot of
things in my past, whether I actually commited the acts or if they were done against me. And I find myself
behaving the same way Adam and Eve did- by hiding from God and believing he can’t see it all. But he can-
and he does. I cannot hide my struggles and problems from Him any more than a two year old can hide the
fact that he has been in the cookie jar when his face has chocolate smudged all over it. He knows. He knows it
all and he cares for me and loves me just the same.

I have got to stop trying to hide all my pain from Him. The only way I will ever fully be able to stand up proud
and confident is if I allow Him to take all those burdens away- if I allow Him to carry them for me. God’s going
to hold my heart. He’s going to be there when I fall and when I struggle. I only need to trust Him and allow Him
to be there. We all have things in our past that we are not proud of, but that is what can give us such a great
testimony! God puts us in tough situations for a reason and although we often don’t understand why, it all
works into his plan perfectly. All I need to do is give up my hurt and pain to him and let him carry my burdens.
He can handle it!

FEB
You Are More!
14 Posted on February 14, 2012 by Sarah

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Let me start out by saying this: I love Tenth Avenue North. You know those songs or artists that just seem to
get you? The ones that somehow come up with the words you’ve been feeling for so long, but cannot seem to
intelligently get out? Well, Tenth Avenue North is one of those artists for me. I swear that they must be
tapping into my brain.

Anyway, tonight a thought just came to me. It was simply this….you are more.

“What?”, I thought. “I’m more than…..than what exactly?”

Then it came again. “You are more.”

“Well, alright…glad to know that.” I started going on with my night. But then I thought back to the strange
thought. And the more I thought about it, the more I wondered if it was God trying to tell me something.

Now, we all struggle with dealing with failure daily. Yes, even failure to stop at a stop sign counts! For me,
failure is hard to deal with. I want to do well. I want everything to go the way I plan and imagine it will go.
Unfortunately, that rarely happens. Sometimes I get so frustrated with failure. The biggest failure I face every
day is my sin. I cannot for the world get around it. It happens daily, hourly, probably every minute and that
drives me nuts. After all, I am supposed to be refining myself to be more like Christ right? True, but I’m not
perfect and I am going to sin again. I feel so ashamed and guilty like I should be doing so much better than I
am. And sometimes I feel like God is just one day going to decide I am not worth it. Now in my heart, I know he
won’t ever give up on me. He loves me unconditionally. It doesn’t matter how much I fail to obey him , He will
always be there to shower me with his love. It’s a hard concept for me to grasp at times because regular
people don’t do that. We are so quick to find fault with each other (and I am completely guilty of this), yet we
are much more reluctant to simply forgive each other for those faults and failures. Sometimes I find myself
putting God in the same category as people, forgetting that He isn’t a person. God is God. He commits no
wrong. He loves despite our wrongs. But I am so ashamed of my faults sometimes that I am afraid to let my
secrets come out in front of him- which is silly because he already knows. I have even found myself
pretending that I have done nothing wrong. And that is when God sends me a thought bubble saying, “You are
more.” It’s then that I start recalling Tenth Avenue North lyrics. It’s like God just knows I need to remember his
promise. He loves me. His love reaches over and underneath, inside and in-between. It reaches toward me
when I doubt Him or myself and when I am so broken that I cannot fathom ever healing again. And most of all,
it’s there in my sorrow and under the weight of my shame. God knows I am going to disobey Him. He knows it.
And yet, His love for me never changes. He will never forsake me.

Again he says “You are more” once I have come to realize he isn’t going anywhere. Now I start to understand
what He means. I am more than my faults and failures. People often say that what you do makes you who you
are and I can understand how they think that. I don’t disagree with them on a level that they are simply trying
to make people understand that there are consequences to their choices. But here is the gospel: Where you
end up is not who you are. What you do is not who you are. If you are in Christ, who you are is what has been

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done for you. We are going to screw up ALL the time, but how else do you think God can call us said screw
ups a “new creation?” I AM MORE than my faults and failures because I have been made new in Christ. I am
still going to mess up, and mess up often, but when Christ died on the cross for me, things changed. I am his
child now and I am what has been done for me. It’s like Pope John Paul III said, “We are not made from the
sum of our weakness. We are the sum of our Father’s love for us.” I am a child of God in spite of myself and
nothing can ever break me from that.

“you are more than the choices that you’ve made

you are more than the sum of your past mistakes
you are more than the problems you create
you’ve been remade

cause this is not about what you’ve done

but what’s been done for you
this is not about where you’ve been
but where your brokenness brings you to
this is not about what you feel
but what He felt to forgive you
and what He felt to make you new.”

-Tenth Ave North “You Are More”

JAN
Talking With Jesus- Trusting Him
26 With My Life
Posted on January 26, 2012 by Sarah

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One thing I have been trying to work on this year is prayer. I have a bad habit of only really talking to Christ
when I feel I need his help and I want to change that. They say it takes 30 days to make a habit. I am on day
two and it feels great. My 15-20 minute drives to and from my Practicum school are the perfect time for me to
make sure I am talking to him on a daily basis. With the beautiful, snow-covered mountains out one window
and the wide open plains out the other, it is hard not to want to praise Him. I’ve literally been talking out loud
to him the entire way there and back for the past few days and sometimes I get there and don’t even realize I
am there. Guess that is a good thing right? I’m sure I look a little funny to those who are speeding past me on
their way to work. O well!

One thing that has really been on my heart lately is finding the person I want to spend the rest of my life with.
Every girl dreams of it, and unfortunately logging onto Pinterest doesn’t help. Sure, I’ve dated, but I haven’t
found that person who was made to be my partner in life yet. I have a lot of friends who are dating or engaged
and more who have gotten married in the past few years than I can count. It leaves a girl wondering, struggling
with when that perfect man is gonna show up for her.

So I had a chat with God about it. It was really more me spouting off what was in my head/ heart. I am a pretty
independent young woman partly from genetics and partly because that is just me and how I grew up.
Nevertheless, it’s always nice to 1) be loved and 2) have the knowledge of your future in your hands.
Unfortunately, that second part isn’t going to happen. Only God knows what is truly in my future…and
sometimes it is very hard to deal with not knowing. I’ll be the first to admit I struggle with that.

If any of you have read Elizabeth Elliot’s “Passion and Purity” then you know that even she struggled with the
same thing, but ultimately found peace in God’s answer. His answer was simple. Trust him. She was at peace
with the thought that she could be single for her entire life or that she could eventually marry Jim. She trusted
God in that area of life. Every time I start to struggle with this aspect of life, I always think back to her…and go
read the book again. It’s pretty well-worn now.

So in one of these chats with God on my way to the school, I talked about my fears and my struggle with that
aspect of life. I got all my thoughts out and then it was like all of a sudden, a complete peace concerning it
came over me. I can’t even describe it. I just knew that God was in control and he has a wonderful plan for my
life. If that includes marrying a man after Christ’s heart, great. I am definitely all for it. On the other hand, if that
isn’t something he has planned for me, then I accept it. The more I thought about it, the more I realized just
how much he has already blessed me with. I have a full life already. I have a career path that I know he has
designed just for me and students that love me and I love back. I have a family who supports me in my
decisions and love me no matter what. And above all else, I have him. He is ultimately all I need. I’m ready to
trust him completely with this area of my life and stop doubting my future. He has it under control.

Nevertheless, I still pray for the man I will (hopefully) marry if he is out there…and logging into Pinterest
adding things to the “wedding ideas” board that every girl admits to having. , I hope that he is praying for me
as well, but maybe not adding to a Pinterest board haha.

Can’t wait to have more thought-provoking talks with God on the way to school! Just so you know, I do talk to
him more than that…that time is just very special in a way that I can’t explain.

God

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JAN
I Love My Students
26 Posted on January 26, 2012 by Sarah

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I am currently in my Practicum semester for my Elementary Education degree and I have been placed in an
ESL pull-out classroom. What is great about this is that I get to know my kids very well since I only have a max
of seven kids in the room at a time. I also get to work with students from each grade level k-5 so it is preparing
me to work with any age group! Anyway, I was working with my first grade students on Tuesday and one of
these kiddos, Carson, was refusing to draw a dragon like the activity directions told him to. I tried encouraging
him (I know how well he can draw), but he still refused. I then asked him why he didn’t want to draw one and
he explained to me that he believes himself to be bad at drawing. In my quick response, I decided to draw an
AWFUL looking dragon to make him feel better and hopefully encourage him to draw a better one. Well, it
worked and his dragon looked awesome. It was breathing fire and everything. Later, after helping other
students in the class, I sit down at my desk…only to find the piece of paper with my drawing on it with the
sentence “It is bad” underneath my picture. Another one of my students had picked up the paper not knowing
why I had drawn it so terribly. I really can draw, I promise!! This kid Juan, decided he needed to let me know
just how bad it was. I guess I should take that as a lesson in humility or something. All I could do was laugh
and stick it in my “Memories of 2012″ jar.

Today, Thursday, (I only go to the school twice a week) my third grade kids decided they needed to know how
tall they were compared to me and to each other. After about 20 minutes, we figured it all out. Javan, my
obnoxious but totally cute and sweet kid who can talk up a storm decided to tell me I was very short and that
one day he would be much bigger than me. I should tell you that he is the shortest of the group too which
makes it quite ironic. He then decided that was mean and added, “But it’s ok. For now we are all short and
short people have to stick together!” He gave me a hug after that and made it all better. :)

I love my students.

DEC
Sarah’s 2012 Book List
29 Posted on December 29, 2011 by Sarah

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Here is my list so far for my 2012 Book Challenge. This is most certainly not the entire list….only the ones I
bought home with me for Christmas break that I have not been able to read yet. A longer list will begin as soon as
I get back to my apartment at school! Now I have to finish the book I am currently reading (A Little Princess by
Frances Hodgson Burnett) before the 1st so I can start a new one immediately! Hope ya’ll are willing to join me!

The Snow Angel by Glenn Beck

Being George Washington by Glenn Beck

Keeping Score by Linda Sue Park

A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith

Rose in Bloom by Louisa May Alcott

Eight Cousins by Louisa May Alcott

Jo’s Boys by Louisa May Alcott

Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte

The 5000 Year Leap by W Cleon Skousen

The Hiding Place by Corrie Ten Boom (again, didn’t appreciate it the first time)

Mao’s Great Famine by Frank Dikotter

Lost December by Richard Paul Evans

Persuasion by Jane Austen

My Friend Flicka by Mary O’Hara

Rules of Civility ( originally by George Washington)

Christy by Catherine Marshall

The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne

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Lady Susan/ The Watsons/ and Sandition by Jane Austen

The Phantom of the Opera by Gaston Leroux

Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen

The Wednesday Letters by Jason F. Wright

Filed under World of Books! | Leave a comment

DEC
2012 Book Challenge
29 Posted on December 29, 2011 by Sarah

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Alright all you readers, a wonderful woman who writes a blog I am in love with posted about a book challenge for
this coming year and it has me super excited! She and a friend plan on reading 104 books this year Jan 1, 2012-
Dec 31, 2012. That’s 2 books a week for those of you who don’t want to do the math. Now, seeing that I am a
college student and it is going to be a very stressful, busy semester, I may not be able to reach that high of a goal.
Her challenge got me very excited though, so I plan on setting a goal for myself of reading as many books on my
bookshelf in my apartment as I possibly can before the year is up. Most of you don’t know, but my bookshelf is
double stacked mainly with books that I have bought, but have not read yet. (I have a slight addiction to buying
books…I’m working on it) For this challenge, if you would like to join, any book counts (as long as you read the
entire thing). I’d count textbooks…..but most of us don’t really even read those ha! Anyway, kids books, political
books, the Bible, cookbooks, whatever; they can all count! I’ll even count Calvin and Hobbes. I know a lot of my
friends are not readers themselves for many different reasons, but I think this challenge could really help
encourage you, knowing other people are doing it too. Sometimes it takes a while to find the kind of genre that
interests you and doing a challenge like this is the perfect way to find it! I think it could also be a great way to
share good books! Write me and tell me what books you are reading or where you should start if you like. Books
are wonderful, valuable treasures. As is quoted from the Love Comes Softly movie (also a book, go figure). ” Once
you can read, you can have every adventure you ever dreamed of.” Books are my escape from reality and one of
the most important ways I expand my knowledge about the world around me. Join me in this challenge for the
coming year. You don’t have to set such a lofty goal as I am, just set one high enough to challenge yourself….who
knows, you might break it by more than you expect! I’m telling you, you won’t be sorry you did!

You can see the original challenge below:

http://amandarenestroud.wordpress.com/2011/12/29/you-are-cordially-invited-to-the-2012-lovely-little-reading-
challenge/

Filed under World of Books! | Leave a comment

DEC
6

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I Am……A Poem of the Simple Things

in Baseball
Posted on December 6, 2011 by Sarah

2 Votes
I took a writing class this semester and we had to create a multi-genre life story book for someone we know. The
goal was to write in at least 4 different genres and then give the book to the person we wrote for at the end of the
semester. I was so excited, but I could not figure out who I wanted to write it to for the world! Then I thought of it.
Nathan is an amazing baseball player for his age and sometimes he does not understand why he is the youngest
in our family. So to make him feel extra important, I decided to write it to him….and all about baseball! This is the
poem I wrote for him. Hope you enjoy!

I am the old, little glove passed down from your brother

I am the helmet a little too big for your head

I am the muddy cleats after a rainy practice

I am your posse of fans in the stands cheering your name

I am the hours your family spent teaching you how to play

I am your first proudly worn jersey with your favorite number

I am the crack of the bat as you hit your first home run

I am the 6-4-3 double play you wowed the crowd with

I am the experience of a major league game

I am the hours of practice it took to get your swing down

I am the smell of pine oil on your new wooden bat

I am getting to meet your heroes of the game

I am the pride written on your face after you make a big play

I am the dirt smeared on your pants after a perfect slide

I am the crackle of cracker jacks and smell of peanuts eaten by the fans

I am the tears rolling down your face when you strike out, but

I am the wild cheers you hear after winning a big game

I am the importance of the last out

I am the love for the game passed down from your sister

I am the wad of gum you snuck out of mom’s purse for the game

I am the fresh-cut grass and the spotlights shining on the field

I am the “SAFE!” call at the plate giving you the lead

I am the showering of sunflower seeds and

I am the welcoming hugs and congratulations in the dugout

I am the friendships made, and

I am the lessons learned on and off the field

I am the encouraging coach, friends, and family helping you through a slump

I am the adjustment to your stance that sends the ball soaring

I am the memories made on the late summer nights

I am the little things that made the experience great

I am the pure enjoyment of the game…

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Filed under Baseball Romantic | 3 Comments

NOV
My Little Buddy, Nathan
2 Posted on November 2, 2011 by Sarah

1 Vote
I was born to two wonderful parents in 1990 and since I was the firstborn, I had them all to myself….at least for a
little while. A full 13 months after I was born, my brother Jonathan made his entrance into our family. I, of course,
was a great big sister and while I’m sure I missed getting ALL the attention, it was fun having another kid in the
family to play with. We were two peas in a pod and we did everything together. We were the picture perfect
American family and we were happy for sure…but something was missing. It was you.

You were born 4lbs 3oz in 2003, 12 years younger than me. You were so tiny and cute. The first time I held you if
felt like a dream come true. It was hard to believe I had another little brother. Little did I know just how much you
would change my life.

We all had our own unique bond with you and you were never wanting in the attention area. How could anyone
resist such a cute baby like you anyway? Dad loved to tease you and make you laugh and mom of course took
you hiking as soon as she could. Even Jonathan helped out and changed plenty of diapers when you were
younger. Me, it didn’t matter what we did together. I just loved having the chance to spend time with you any way I
could. You were our pride and joy. Your sweet smile and contagious laugh left us wondering how we ever lived
without you in our lives.

At five years old it was time for you to go to school. I still remember your first day like it was yesterday. You were
so excited and ready to go. I’m pretty sure we all cried as we walked away from your classroom that day. It was
that year I fully came to understand what I wanted to do with my life.

You see, I had always been a tomboy. I caught with frogs and toads with Jonathan and played baseball in our
cul-de-sac…and I was one feisty soccer player. So when it came time to teach you about some of the sweeter
things in life, I had some pretty good experience.

I remember our whole family loved to take you sledding and we tried to teach you to do some pretty cool tricks. I
helped you develop a love for cooking….or at least experimenting in the kitchen. You turned out to be the best kid
in our family to take hiking too. Mom was pretty happy with that. I still remember teaching you how to roast the
perfect marshmallow (even if you liked to burn them) and showing you what plants you can eat in the wild. We
spent hours together trying to perfect your bowling game and had fun on the Frisbee golf course. But the one
thing I know I taught you well…. was baseball. I always wanted you to play and enjoy the sport, but I never
thought you would love it as much as me. My favorite times with you have been teaching you about the sport at
Rockies games. That’s where most of our memories come from lately. Through teaching you about different
things as you have grown up, I realized I have a passion for kids and for teaching. You are the one who inspired
me to make the trip to Guatemala to work with a school down there. Without you in my life, I never would have
realized how much I love kids. You also inspired me to help out kids who struggle more than the average middle
class children do which is why I worked so hard at the daycare. So when it was time to graduate, I already knew
what I was supposed to do. And you helped me realize my dream. But it wasn’t just teaching you about life that
caused me to love teaching kids. It was your passion for life too. It was the goofy expressions you made and the
fun times we spent together. It was the hugs you gave me when I came home and the look I got when you wanted
something. Now here I am about to graduate and become a teacher. Our family has become who we are today
greatly because of you. It’s been a mix of your encouragement and plenty of prayer and guidance from God that

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Adonai li, v'lo ira http://adonailivloira.wordpress.com/

has led me to the idea of reaching the destitute children in this world. Because just like you, they have their own
dreams and passion for life and I am ready to help guide them in their journey to finding them. All because of
you.

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