Happy Valentine's Day!

I remember how I felt about Valentine's Day when I was in highschool. I vaguely remember filling out schoolwide "matchmaker" surveys, and getting the results back that said, "You would be 90% compatible with so-and-so", or "You would be 100% incompatible with so-and-so". I remember the carnations that we could pre-order, and getting 1 or 2 from some of the girls I hung out with(including Melissa). I remember that we could buy Valentine's cards from the Latin club for "$0.25 each, or 4 for $1.00...what a deal!" and have them delivered to the person we wanted to show love or interest to on that wonderful day of February
14th. I remember always getting little Valentine's from my friends, some of them heartfelt and genuine, most of them goofy. I remember never having a boyfriend and always wishing that a boy would send me a carnation. Yet, in this small tragedy of a young teen's heart, I knew that one day I would have a Valentine.

And so enter college. It is once again Valentine's Day, and once again, I don't have a boyfriend, thus, I don't have a Valentine.

This is not a tragedy, folks. I absolutely LOVE Valentine's Day. It is a wonderful time of the year that we can celebrate love, whether it be the love between a boyfriend and girlfriend, the love between a husband and wife, or the love that family shares and friends have for one another. It is a beautiful, glorious day.

It is not "Single-ness Awareness Day" that I have heard so many of my single friends call it. It is not "cry-my-eyes-off-because-I-have-to-work-tonight-instead-of-go-on-a-date" day.

It is a day to CELEBRATE LOVE!!! God is love. And because we are made in his image, we too can love, albeit in a capacity MUCH lower than his love. But the love that fills us from Him we can use in turn to love others, and to show them that love.

So, if you are single, like me, show your love to your friends. Go out and have a get-together with your single girl-friends, have a chocolate fondue, give each other goofy Valentine's, and watch a chick flick, or an Audrey Hepburn love story. Show love to your family. Make sure you tell them you love them all, and that you mean it with all your heart!

If you are dating, married, or engaged, WHAT ARE YOU STILL HANGING AROUND THE HOUSE FOR??!! Go out and have a romantic dinner, with candlelight, and chocolate and flowers, and make today special, because this day was meant for you to celebrate YOUR LOVE! If a romantic dinner is not your cup of tea, use your imagination and do something else that will still have meaning to you both.

I think we sometimes take love too lightly in this society, we use it flippantly and say "I love you" when we don't actually mean it. I have been guilty of this myself. We also take it for granted. Don't take love for granted today! Show it to those you love, admire, and respect, and don't forget to thank the ONE who created this love for giving you people who surround you with it.

I want to include this poem that Nana sent to me yesterday. I thought it was cute, and I dedicate it to all of my family and friends. I especially thank our Lord for giving me people to love, and want you to know that I'm thinking of all of you today.

A Valentine Prayer

I said a Valentine prayer for you,
And asked the Lord above,
To fill your heart and bless your soul,
With the precious gift of love.

I asked Him for sincere love,
The kind that's meant to stay.
Just like the generous love,
You give to those you touch each day.

I prayed for love from family,
And from every cherished friend.
Then I asked the Lord to give you,
His love that knows no end.

Love is patient,
Love is kind.

It bears all things,
Believes all things,

Hopes all things,
Endures all things.

Love never fails.

1 Corinthians 13:4,7,8

I hope you all have a wonderful, love-filled day!

Happy Valentine's!

Love, Ash xoxo

Today is the tomorrow you were worried about yesterday...

Today I was very moved in chapel. We had a pastor from one of the local churches come in to speak, and he was talking about 2 Timothy 1:8-13, and how we are not to be ashamed of Christ. He also said that we should live every day to its fullest, because who I am to know that I will live until tomorrow? Of course we have to plan for the future, but we always need to try our best EVERY DAY, because it could be our last.

I realized how negative I can be, and how that can rub off on others. I want to be more positive, so that others will be attracted to the light of Christ in me.

These are just some of the things that I've been thinking about.

I hope you all have a great evening!

Love, Ash

Baptism...

I am very happy to say that I am finally getting baptized! After many years of debating when to do this, I have made the decision to be obedient to what God asks Christians to do.

I am also happy that I will be getting baptized with Melissa and Vanessa also!! This is such an amazing thing, and I can't wait! The date is on February 24, my dad's birthday.

It is snowing quite heavily right now, and I have class soon. I tried to do homework this afternoon, but I was so distracted. However, I did do some already today, so that's better than nothing. I also did homework yesterday and Saturday, which is very encouraging. Please pray for me, I have had a huge lack of motivation lately.

I hope that you all have a wonderful night!

Love, Ash

End of the Week...

I want to end the week with another devotional for the day. I have been very blessed in my time spent with God this past week. He has been teaching me and showing me many things that I need to change about myself. I can only hope that as I continue spending time reading His Word that I will change, and that the fruits of the Spirit will become more evident in my life!

The Secret Garden
READ: Proverbs 4:20-27

Keep your heart with all diligence, for out of it spring the issues of life. —Proverbs 4:23

The Secret Garden, a novel by Frances Hodgson Burnett, tells the story of Mary, a young girl who goes to live with her wealthy uncle Archibald on his estate in England. Mary gets to know Dickon, a working-class boy who loves nature. The two children discover a fenced-in garden that Mary’s uncle has locked up because it reminds him of his deceased wife. The garden looks dead because of neglect, but Dickon assures Mary that, with proper tending, it will recover with new life. With the children’s help, “the secret garden” eventually bursts forth with colorful, fragrant blooms.

All of us have a secret garden of the heart. How we tend it will determine what speech and behavior it produces. Proverbs wisely admonishes us: “Keep your heart with all diligence, for out of it spring the issues of life” (Prov. 4:23). The word keep means “to watch or guard with fidelity.” Guarding what we take into our hearts and monitoring our response will determine what takes root there. As we remove the thorns of resentment, weeds of lust, and roots of bitterness, we can replace them with the fruit of the Spirit: “love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control” (Gal. 5:22-23).

Are you tending the garden of your heart? —Dennis Fisher

Think not alone of outward form;
Its beauty will depart;
But cultivate the Spirit’s fruits
That grow within the heart. —D. De Haan


God wants you to water the seed He’s planted in your heart.

God Bless!

Love, Ash

Beautiful Sunshine...

Such a contrast from yesterday was this wonderful lovely day filled with glorious sunshine! It was so nice to feel the warm glow.

I had my first pilates class ever today! They are offering it here at the school, and so I signed up, hoping that I can learn something new. I just need to get a yoga mat now. We learned about lengthening our muscles, as opposed to bunching them together. I think I'm really going to enjoy it. The instructor is very nice and encouraging. There aren't as many girls taking it as I thought, but that's ok. The small classes are better anyways!

Work was ok tonight. It wasn't too busy, but I had company so that was good.

Last night I went to bed at midnight(which is early for me) and woke up at 8:30 without my alarm clock. It was so cool. I would love to go to bed early again tonight. I have a little class in the morning anyways, so it would be nice to get some sleep.

I realized how distracting the internet is. Actually, this isn't a new concept for me. This too shall pass when I have more important things to do. I pretty much have more important things to do all the time. Maybe I should give up Facebook and MSN like one of my friends is doing for Lent. Who knows. We shall see how good my stamina is! Although it wouldn't be a bad trade off-spending more time with God rather than listlessly looking at new updates on Facebook. How sarcastic was that! God is clearly the better choice. I need to get my priorities straight!

I hope that everyone has a wonderful night.

Love, Ash

A Snow Day...

Blessedly today was a snow day. I am so happy for this, because I really didn't want to go to class today(just one of those days). Last night it snowed like crazy, and me and some of my friends played in the snow and threw snow-balls at people's windows(those on campus, not random neighbours! :D

Today I did some homework and relaxed. It was a pretty good day altogether.

I hope you all had a great day also.

Love, Ash

Beautiful days...

I forgot that I already wrote today, but I just got the urge to write again.

I feel like today was just a good day. It was beautiful weather outside, and I had a great time with friends today, laughing so much. I love to laugh. I think we need to laugh more often! It is such good medicine for the body!

I should go now.

May God bless you all this evening!

Love, Ash

A New Week...

Good morning everyone!

I hope you all had a good week-end. Mine was great :D

This week I really need to pull up my socks and do lots of work. I need to get started on some of my major projects that are due in a month's time.

haha. "Pull up my socks" is a pretty funny saying. Gotta love the English language!

Have a great day!

Love, Ash

Thoughts for Today...

Maybe some of you read the devotionals entitled "Our Daily Bread". I want to share with you the devotional for today's date, because it basically describes what God has been trying to teach me lately.

Best In Show?
READ: Matthew 23:1-12

Man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart. —1 Samuel 16:7

About this cover
Dog shows on TV can be entertaining. The dog owners are impeccably dressed and trot along with their pedigreed pooches as they show off their unique canine beauty. The dogs have been trained to stand confidently with chins lifted high, their shiny coats carefully brushed and styled. To me, they all look like winners.

But I wonder sometimes, when their audience is gone, what are these dogs really like? Do they ever relax and let their sleek fur get so matted they’re mistaken for mutts? Does their doggie breath start smelling foul?

More important, what are we really like when nobody’s watching? In Matthew 23:2-7, Jesus rebuked those who were interested in how they looked in public rather than how they were seen by God. He wants us to be obedient, faithful, and committed to Him—even when nobody else sees. The Pharisees focused on the way they were perceived by other people. God’s focus is on what we’re like inside. His desire is for us to look like His Son.

We’re not in a competition with other Christians. God will never ask us to compete for “best in show.” He measures us by the perfect standard of His Son (Eph. 4:13). And in love, He provides the righteousness we need so that we can be blameless before Him (Col. 1:21-23). —Cindy Hess Kasper

Just live your life before your Lord,
It matters not what others do—
Your actions will be weighed by Him
Who metes out judgment just and true. —Roe


Living for God’s approval is better than living for man’s applause.

May God bless your life today!!

Love, Ash

FEBRUARY FIRST!!!

I can't believe it is already February!! It is so incredible to think that it has already been a month since New Years.

Well, the week is almost over, and I have accomplished nothing so far! It was missions conference, so that's understandable. I'm hoping to get lots done today, though.

I want to thank everyone for the wonderful support they've shown to me so far in terms of my upcoming trip! It has been amazing. I am so grateful to you all!

I hope that you all have a wonderful day!

Love, Ash