My blog is moving....

Dear friends and family,

It has come to my attention that there is a vile website that has attached itself to my blog's address. I apologise to anyone that knows what I am talking about. However, since I cant seem to rid myself of it, I am moving to a different webpage.

I also decided that since I am starting a new chapter in my life, that I should have a new blog celebrating that fact. Sam and I can now be found at samandnickivandyke.blogspot.com.

Merry Christmas...

Sam and I drove up to my parents place for the weekend before Christmas and stayed through till Christmas Day. Christmas is normally not a big thing in my family. We dont always do the gifts, or the tree or the decorations. But it is always a day for family and rest. This year we did it all...

It was so nice to be home...and I even felt like an American college student going home for the holidays. Sam and I arrived after dark, and as we drove near the house, it was fun to see the Christmas lights were up. Dad had spent some time making it look very festive. There was even a decorated Christmas tree with presents under it.

On Saturday we did some wedding planning and Mum and I went to look at Bridal gowns. We went to the Christmas service at Hickman Community Church on Sunday, and it was nice to catch up with a lot of folks there. Beckie came home from New Zealand on Monday, so we spent most of the day in San Fransico after picking her up. On Tuesday, we had a family devotion, opened our gifts, prepared the Christmas meal, and played with our new "toys." Beckie posted some pictures on her blog from the day.

The weekend was full of talking, laughing, game playing, driving, gift giving, singing, planning, napping, cooking, eating, and looking at Christmas lights. It was also a time to reflect on the most important person in our lives...Our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. He IS the reason for the season, and I think that we so quickly forget it.

Merry Christmas...

One down...Seven to go....

Well it is official. I made it through my first semester in College. On thursday I took my last final and on Friday I finished work. I now have about a months break before the next semester starts.

This year has been quite the challenge. I took 5 classes, which isnt too many, but it took some adjusting for me. I had to learn to juggle homework, ministry, work, and free time. (I never did get the hang of juggling.) But I have learned some valuable lessons, and am really looking forward to my next semester.

The Lord has been so gracious to me during this semster. I have learned the importance of the lessons that you learn outside the classroom, as well as what you learn in the classroom. I learned a lot about myself and how lazy I am, how unmotivated I can be and how selfish I can be. My prayer is that in learning these lessons, I will not forget them next semester.

I have learned to trust the Lord in new ways and in new areas. I have learned to rely on his strength. I have learned to do the best that I could and to accept the outcome of that effort. I have learned to praise Him in the busy times as well as the good times. He truly is my strength and portion, the God of my Salvation.

It feels like winter...

It is winter...and today actually feels like winter. For the last few weeks it has been getting colder, but in the last two days it started to freeze. Ok, not quite literally, but once you are used to the Californian heat, even a small drop in temperature is like freezing. Last night, it started raining and today there were clouds all over the place. It is sunset, and as I am looking out the window everything looks grey, except for the purple and orange tones from that are eminating from the setting sun.

This has matched my mood for the majority of the day. I have been sick and trying to sleep away a cold for most of the day. I have been feeling very grey, but right now as I am watching the sunset through the window, I can feel my heart also eminating some very beautiful colors. I am sitting on the couch snuggled in my blankets with a box of tissues next to me and a hot bowl of soup on the side table. There is a blazing fire in front of me, and the one who has decided to take care of me is sitting on the floor reading, trying to study. I am afraid, he is probably not having much success, for he has been caring for me, lighting a fire and making sure I have everything I need.

My heart is overflowing with thankfulness. I have felt miserable all day; grey like the sky outside till I realized just how much I was loved. Then the color shone through; and though I am still sick, I feel glorious like the setting sun. The Lord truly does take care of those who love him, and He has provided for me one who still loves me even though he has seen me at my low. I was reminded of how God loves us when we are at our low; so low we even hated Him. Yet He cared for us, drawing us to Him and saving us from that which was killing us - our sin.

Thank you, Sam, for brightening my spirits when they were feeling so low...and for caring for me. I love you very much. ♥

Im Engaged....

You heard me right...

On thanksgiving morning, at the top of a mountain overlooking LA, Sam knelt down and asked me to marry him. He had it all very elaborately planned and I had no idea.

Three weeks ago, he had travelled to see my parents and to ask for my Dad's permission to marry me. Sam told me he was spending the afternoon and evening with his sister, Cassia, and they would be watching movies and hanging out, which they did...in the car.

In the morning of November 22nd, we went for our hike. I didn’t realize that Lukas and Cassia, Sam's siblings, and Beckie and Reu, were already hiking the trail...only about 20 minutes ahead of us. They had all had excuses why they couldn’t do the hike with us. But I didn’t mind...I was thankful just to be with Sam. It was so quiet and peaceful on the trail. We made it to the top of the trail, after a few stops for me to catch my breath, and I looked out over the San Fernando Valley. It was glorious...the sun was shining, but there was a fog bank that covered half the valley and was slowly dissipating. Sam said it wasn’t enough...If we climb this last steep part, we can see a whole lot more of the valley. So we did....and I might say it was a very steep climb, but well worth it for the view. So we were standing at the edge looking out at the view and catching our breath and little did I know that Lukas was only about four feet below us, hidden in a bush.

Now that I had caught my breath, Sam started moving off to the right, so I followed him. As I turned, I saw that behind me was a mound, and a heart of roses. I looked back at Sam, and he had dropped to one knee. I think if I was an emotional person, I would have cried...but as it was I was just speechless. Sam caught me totally by surprise. For the very first time, he said he loved me, and then asked me to marry him. Of course I said yes! As I looked around, music started playing, I saw Lukas popped up out of some bushes and start snapping pictures, and then I learned what I thought was the full extent of his plan. Reuben and Beckie were there (I thought they were at my Aunts 45 minutes away) and so was Cassia, who I thought was on her way to Sacramento. They took a few more pictures and left us up there for a while.

We started down the mountain…and as we got back on the trail, we came across a red and a white rose, lying on the path together. I picked it up, and there was a note attached that read, I love you because.... All the way down the trail back to the car, we picked up 100 red and white roses each with a different reason Sam loved me. Sam’s sister, Julia, and her husband, Ben, had hiked up the trail behind us, laying down the roses as they went. So there was quite the welcoming committee that met us at the bottom of the trail. And there was one last surprise. My parents were waiting at the bottom. It was so special to be able to have our two families there to celebrate with us. And celebrate we did, with some of Jules homemade cinnamon rolls and apple cider.

It was the perfect way to spend Thanksgiving Day. I already had much to be thankful for…but now even more. The Lord has been so good to me and sometimes I still wonder how it is that a wonderful guy like Sam could love me. But isn’t that the way of our God, to bless us by giving to us that which we don’t deserve. I look forward to showing Sam how much I love him, and to being able to display God’s character and love through this new stage of our relationship in order to bring Him glory.

Click here to see an album of the pictures.

Thanksgiving...

Thanksgiving Day...

The American Tradition of taking a holiday and eating so much food that you fall asleep and gain 5 pounds in one meal. It is a time to celebrate with family and friends, and a time to remember all the blessing you have been shown. It is a time to remember the history of this country and to celebrate the harvest. It is a time to give thanks....

This year we have much to give thanks for. The Lord has blessed my family so much in this last year. Dad graduated from the seminary and is now pastoring an amazing little church. I was accepted at the Master's College and I have almost finished my first semester there. Beckie has been accepted at the College also, and will (Lord willing) start in January. Then there are the little blessings...things like, the family I am living with, the boyfriend that I love so very much, the ministry that I have with the highschoolers of Grace Church, and the friends that make life enjoyable.

Tonight, I joined Sam and his siblings in their annual Pie-making. 7 of us started making the pies...and the four of us women finished them. We made 18 pies in all with fillings like, pumpkin, apple, blueberry, cherry, blackberry and boysenberry. Sam and I left about 11:30pm with the pies all made, but still needing to be cooked. Poor Julia (Sam's sister) stayed up till 3:30am cooking the rest of them. It was so much fun to spend this time with the VanDykes and to see them laughing with each other. And oh yes, there was a lot of laughter.

Tomorrow, Sam and I will be spending the day with my family. We will first be going for a hike, to build up an appetite, and then we will be going down to my Aunts house where I have no doubt that there will be more food than any of us can eat. And of course lots of pie. Mum and Dad, Beckie and Reu are also going to be there. They drove down this morning, and I got to see them for a little bit before they headed on to Aunty Kates. I am so excited to be able to spend some time with them and for them to spend time with Sam. It is going to be a great day.

Time Flies...

It had been my intention (and a good one too) to keep updating this since I got back. However, I was unprepared for the barage of work that would be laid on me, and just how much time it would consume. But like otherthings in my life, I am unwilling to let this set back discourage me. So here is a brief update of my life...

I am two thirds done with my first semester in college. On Friday, I had my last mid-term exam to hand in. So I am feeling unrestrained at this moment. However it is only 5 weeks till finals week. So I must not let this feeling of unrestraint blind me to the work that is coming up very fast.

The Lord has taught me so much through this first semester. I have been reminded over and over again just how little I actually know and I have learned to trust Him to work out the little details. I am learning to lean on Him as my strength and portion because otherwise I think I would go mad. I have made some very special friends here who are such an encouragement to me both with the school load and with my walk with God.

I am still involved with the Highschool ministry at my church and I love serving in this ministry. We had quite a number of freshman join our biblestudy this semester and, as a biblestudy, we have all bonded really well. For those of you who are wondering, Sam and I are still dating. It is coming up 5 months since we started dating and things are going well. Sam is a blessing from God, and I love that we are able to serve together in the Highschool ministry.

In the U.S., we are just starting the holiday season. Thanksgiving is a week from Thursday and then Christmas is just around the corner. This is a time when life just gets crazy. We have dinners and parties and events to go to for every group and ministry that we are involved with not to mention all the family fun. But it is such a fun time and well worth the craziness of it all.
Tomorrow night, our Biblestudy is going to kick of this holiday season with our Thanksgiving dinner. It is just a pot-luck style meal, but it is great fun.