Thinking about school....life....everything....

I have been thinking a lot lately about what I want to do with my life, more specifically what I want to do with my degree once I get done with college. Currently I am a social science major, but I keep going back and forth on whether I am really cut out to be a teacher. Some days I am sure of myself and I think that I could really make a difference in the world, other days I feel inadequate. Today is one of the latter days, a day when I just don't know. I have these thoughts of changing my major, but not knowing what to do, also I have other job aspirations that I think about... It's hard to just choose a career, a life plan at 20. I mean I know that I could change it over my life but really its like high school just doesn't prepare you enough for what college (university) brings. I guess that, that is my biggest frustration. So this leads me to my other career idea of being a high school counselor to help kids figure things out early and let them know what is coming. I found this Audrey Hepburn quote and it really got me to feeling better, because she is right a good education is the basis to the pathway of life. Really for me my college thinking began last term when I took the global issues class. That class really got me to thinking about the world and others, thanks Dr. Khe!

“A quality education has the power to transform societies in a single generation, provide children with the protection they need from the hazards of poverty, labor exploitation and disease, and given them the knowledge, skills, and confidence to reach their full potential.”
~Audrey Hepburn

Michael Buble'

Hey All,
For those of you who don't know Michael Buble' is one of my favorite singers. He not only sings his own songs, but also he covers songs by Frank Sinatra (another one of my favorites). On Sunday I saw Michael on a tv show and he just seems so down to earth, he even takes his parents with him when he travels. Anyways...the reason I am writing about him is because someday I would love to go see him in concert I think that would be so fun! My current favorite songs of his are "Everything" "Home" and "Lost"

Thinking about Ed and Marge...

A few weeks ago my good friend Marge died, she was in her 80's and ready to leave this earth and go to be in her new home. I was very close to her and her husband Ed who died two years ago this year. They both meant a lot to me and I am very grateful that I knew them and I got the chance to sing at both of their funerals. As I was going through some things on my computer I found this essay that I had written right after Ed died two years ago and I wanted to share it...
~Leah

Life’s Lesson

In America today, people are taught that death is something to be afraid of. They try everything they can to prevent death from coming to them. A lot of people are uncertain about what will happen to them after they die and that scares them. Will they go to heaven or that other place? How have they lived their lives? It can be a very scary thing if a person doesn’t know where they are going. As a Christian I have always known, that when I die I will go to heaven to be with God forever. Knowing this has given me comfort through all the uncertainties of life, but none so much as the peace I have received in the past couple weeks. I have learned how precious life is and that I need to value each day as a gift from God, treating as if it may be my last.

The reason I have come to value life so much is because of my very dear friend, Ed Vantress. On the 24^th of January Ed went home to be with his savior in Heaven. Ed was 89 years old, but by looking at him one never would have guessed his age. He had a zeal for life that showed through in his spunkiness. He was on fire for God till the day he died. He was a wonderful man whose love for God shone through in all he did. I never saw Ed without a smile on his face, and never once did I hear him complain.

A favorite hymn of Ed’s really described how he lived his life. “It is Well” is an inspirational hymn by Horatio G. Spafford. Spafford wrote the hymn about his own life and all the struggles he had. Through everything that happened in Spafford’s life, his business burning down in the Chicago fire, losing his children in a shipwreck and having only his wife survive; he knew that with God he could still live on. With all that Spafford went through in his life he said, “It is well with my soul”. This is how Ed lived his life, and this is the song that the congregation sang at his memorial.

I remember the Sunday before Ed died, he had been in and out of the hospital for months. He really wasn’t doing well that day. Before he left to go back home, I went up to him and hugged him. I started to cry because even though I knew he was going to a better place, I didn’t want to lose my friend. He pulled me away from him, so I could see his face and he said, “I’m ready to go home and we both know where I’m going. I don’t want you to cry and be sad for me, because I’m happy.” With that he hugged me again and told me he loved me. His confident and fearless attitude made me realize at that moment that there was no reason to fear death if he didn’t fear it. That was the last time I ever saw Ed. He passed away two days later, and I know without a doubt that he is happy in his new home.

Although I’m going to miss Ed a lot, I can live my life by the example that he set for me. Ed lived a long and happy life. He was always so happy that he filled people’s lives with joy. In the last couple months of his life he and another older man in my church had an ongoing race. They were racing to see who would get to heaven first. They knew that they had lived good lives, and they were ready to live with their savior. The day after Ed died my family went to visit Jake; and he smiled and said, “The only sad thing is that I lost and Ed beat me!”

Each day is a gift from God that we don’t even deserve. Life is precious. The lesson that I have learned from all of this is that we need to take each day and live it to its fullest with no complaints and no regrets. Each day has a purpose and I need to seek out that purpose and fulfill it. I want to use my days here on earth to glorify God.

Let it snow let it snow let it snow...

Hey Everyone: )

I just wanted to show you this video I made earlier this morning at my house.  I can't believe that its the end of April and I woke up to snow! I hope you all have a good day and safe travels.

~Leah

My Favorite Quote: )

Whoever is happy will make others happy too. He who has courage and faith will never perish in misery. ~ Anne Frank

I love this quote because of all that Anne went through. Even in the hardest times that anyone could imagine living through, she was happy. She made it her goal in life to press on in courage and faith in everything. That's how I feel as well. I mean if you are so focused on keeping yourself happy no one can bring you down. They have a choice be happy and be with you or be downtrodden and not be with you. I want to be happy: )