New Beginnings

Wow! This is incredible!! I haven't written a blog post in over a year!! And SO much has happened since then...I can't even describe everything good that has God has blessed me with in the past year!!

Firstly, I would like to make a shout out to a very dear friend/mentor (whom I have almost lost touch with); she just got engaged!! Jami Jensen, my babysitter back in the olden days of 2006, (not so long ago haha) has grown up and fallen in love! I'm mentioning her because she is subscribed to my blog and she just announced it. (Thanks!!) So congratulations to Logan and Jami!! I hope God blesses you both, your marriage, and your future beyond what you deserve or expect!! Praying for you guys :)

Secondly, wow my life has changed for the better since I last posted! I have learned so much from mistakes, gained new friends, bettered friendships, strengthened my relationship with Christ, been blessed with a whole new church family, gotten my braces off, made some important decisions, and received two new jobs.

Not to mention that I just got back from summer camp a week ago!

I would love to tell y'all about everything exciting and so positive in my life right now! I feel like everything is such a blessing!! Like nothing bad has happened in a while!! My dad finally got a stable job, my boss is so flexible with my hectic schedule, and I'm taking an online summer class that is pretty easy.

Lately, I have been blessed with many trips this summer and I had a great junior year...hopefully senior year is even better!

I went to Louisville this April and had an awesome experience; right after school got out I received the opportunity to help out the tornado victims in Oklahoma; in the middle of June I went camping in the Ozarks, and I just got back from my first time in Chicago!!
God is too good. (Jk he can never be too good.)

My second big news is my transition to a different church. Last summer I worked as a lifeguard at Spring Hill Aquatic Center. I had to work everyday I was in town because I was out of town so much. Since this included Sundays, I honestly stopped going to church. My dad started going to Life Church because he wasn't happy with ours. So when my seasonal job as a lifeguard ended, my dad and I went to Life Church together...and I LOVED it!!! Everything about it!! Great pastor, great people, great messages, and it was so alive and real compared to my old church.

One thing that I struggled with, though, was the youth group. I didn't know any people in it, and I was scared to join because my old church's youth group was very exclusive and left me out even though I had gone there my whole life. I was a wimp and kept refusing to go when people invited me. (I think I scare people with my enthusiasm about how great it is now; how ironic.) Anyway, I finally started going with my new friend, Dana, and it was life-changing!! Amazing!!! The student ministries pastor was so alive and energetic. It was just the beginning of my renewed relationship with Jesus...I continued going there and have made many new friends since and invited tons of people I was already friends with :)

Along this new exciting path, I had met this crazy girl named Dana. We met when I started babysitting her siblings and they had just moved to town. At first I was so jealous that she had a car (truck) and had an inspiring relationship with Jesus. I found out we went to the same school AND church, so we saw each other a lot. As I got to know her better, we became friends, and now we are best friends :)  She is my closest friend, and my mentor. It's amazing how the quality of a friendship determines how close you are, not just how long you have been friends. We are truly best friends and we just have fun everytime we hang out. She is such a blessing in my life and I hope we remain friends for many years to come.

Another new thing about my physical self is that I have had my braces removed, my teeth whitened, new sealants on my teeth, and my teeth added to. All of this happened between November last year and April this year. I missed school every Wednesday for a dentist appointment during that time. It was worth all the cost and time in the end, though, because now my teeth are white, my bite is correct, and 

I don't have gaps anymore. I really appreciate it because I grew up with terrible teeth. Such a blessing in disguise.

Following along with my opening paragraphs, I mentioned some important decisions being made. One of those decisions is that I decided to attend College of the Ozarks after I graduate college. I have three top majors: graphic design, education, or missions. I have no decided on what I want to major in yet.

Another important decision I have made is to not date or have a boyfriend until I am in college. I have made this choice because I believe I, and most boys my age, are still maturing now. Also, because I want to wait until God sends along the perfect match, my one true love, who he has chosen. Although I do have "crushes" and will continue to have interest in guys throughout my senior year, I will try to be as patient and trusting with God as I can. For now, guy friends are my best friends. 

Lastly, I have gotten two jobs recently since last fall. Both are related to lifeguarding and I still hold the same postitions. In November last year, I became irritated when I never had spending money. (I didn't have a job for two months and I couldn't handle it). So I applied at a gym and hoped for the best. As you know, I got the job! My boss told me my pay would increase if I took a class and got certified as a WSI. So I did, and I started working there in January teaching swim lessons. I did that until the end of May. Then I had a meeting with my boss and we found that I couldn't teach swimming lessons during the summer or lifeguard on a regular schedule because I was going to be gone so much. She suggested I become a permanent sub for the aquatics staff. I took her offer and felt relieved. Then, a few days into June, my mom was annoyed about me sitting around the house doing nothing, so she pushed me to apply for another lifeguard job. I applied quickly online just for fun, closed out, and didn't give it a second thought. Then in the morning I got a call. The lady on the phone was from that job and she wanted to interview THAT day! I was so surprised I had gotten the job so easily and quickly! 

Anyway, that's about all that I have to talk about myself, I just wanted to update anyone interested :)

In the future I would like to do more interesting blog posts, especially anything y'all reccommend :) so leave me some suggestions in the comments below or email me at: imanna95@yahoo.com

Thanks for reading and please comment or follow me :)

The One I Miss the Most

      “Mimi, how do the clothes’ makers make the picture on your shirt?”, my little eight
year old self asked. My grandma then proceeded to take me to her bedroom where her
sewing things were kept. She said, “It’s called embroidery”. Mimi took out her sewing
box and threaded a needle. While my mom and sister were still waiting in the other room,
she helped me embroidery a whole little scene with a flower, tree, the sun, and some
grass. She asked me if I wanted to learn how to sew, and I said “Yes!” She taught me how
to hand-stitch right at that moment.

      The next day, when we were over at her apartment, she took me over to JCPenny without saying anything. We walked into the pajama department of JCPenny and started down the pajama aisles. We found some Barbie pajamas and she bought them for me. I still wondered what we were going to do. When we got back to the apartment, she laid the pajama shirt out on a table, and then went and dug out her sewing box. She helped me embroidery my name “Anna Gibson” on the back of the shirt in pink.

     About a year later, I found some old fabric that I didn’t think was very
attractive, but it was special to me because it was from my Mimi. We sewed together a little
mismatched-fabric quilt for my Barbie bed. My Mimi found some cotton for it and we filled it. I
have kept the piece of fabric, pajamas, and blanket, and have not let my sister wear my special
pajamas since.

     In fifth grade, we got a packet for Thanksgiving Break to write in and answer
questions in paragraph form. One of the questions was about how special grandparents are. I had
three at the time, and she was the only one not in a nursing home. I wrote about her, and yet that same Thanksgiving Break, something very tragic happened. My Mimi was still in her apartment, but
confined to a hospital bed in her living room because she was diagnosed with cancer. I was really
mad at the cancer. Mimi was my best friend. I slept over with her, went swimming with her, and
sometimes we just hung out. Her apartment complex had ice cream at three in the afternoon, and
we would walk over and get some everyday. I would go to her aerobics classes with her and I still
remember the exercises they had us do. She was my favorite grandparent I had at the time and
the one I was closest to. I feel really sad when I think about how my sister never gets to
experience what a great grandma she was. She never saw Mimi as the active, loving, person I admired so much.

      The most difficult part was on the day after Thanksgiving. My mom wanted to visit her,
and see how she was doing. I didn’t really feel like going that day and kept saying that I didn’t
want to go. But we went anyway. I haven’t forgotten what I saw when we arrived. My dad was
there, on his knees next to her bed, holding her hand and talking to her. He kept repeating “Pray
to Jesus, you can go now”. The nurse was by the window crying and yelling out to God. My
mom pushed me into another room and said “Don’t look,” and “Call Aunt Karen and tell her
Mimi is dying”.

     When I was dialing, I disobeyed and looked anyway. Mimi sat up, opened her
eyes real wide like she was seeing heaven, opened her mouth faintly like she was going to say something, and then she closed her eyes, and was gone. (My dad said later that “As soon as Mary and the girls had arrived, she knew it was okay to go.”) Just as that was happening, my Aunt Karen answered the phone and said “Hello?” (My Aunt Karen, Uncle Benny, and father were her children. She was the only one not there.) I was barely able to choke out the words “Mimi died”. I will never forget what she said. “Oh. Okay.”, with as much sympathy as a piece of wood. It was almost too much for my ten year old little frame to handle. I hung up and fell down crying because of how apathetic she was. I will never forget that day.

      I think that’s why I am so close to my dad. He reminds me of her. Sometimes, I just want
to go visit her in heaven. It makes me collapse on the floor in agony when I think about her being
gone. Most of the time I think of it as a short vacation that she’s left for and I’ll join her
someday. But the memories still always come flooding back and sometimes there are new ones. I
miss her immensely, but I know that one day I’ll get to walk those streets of gold with her.

Me

Sometimes I look in the mirror, and think, "Wow I look pretty today", but other times I think, "What is wrong with my face??". Yep. I'm just a normal teenage girl that has a low self esteem. I don't know about all you girls out there, but I love it when I get compliments. I mean it brightens up my day, and makes me feel like I do look acceptable.

   But as Christians, we're not supposed to act that way. We're supposed know that we're beautiful. God says that we're beautiful. In Psalms 139:14, I am told to" praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made". We have to be sure of ourselves and then we can properly acccept compliments. If you keep the Lord first, believe in yourself, and your beauty; you can keep your ears open, and heart protected. :)

sometimes i wish too

sometimes i wish too

sometimes i wish you would not blame me for stuff i didn't do,

and recognize what i did for you

sometimes i wish you would thank me,

instead of yell at me

sometimes i wish you would say "i love you",

rather than "why did you do that?"

sometimes i wish i was appreciated,

for all the work i do

sometimes i wish i was rewarded,

for what i deserve

sometimes i wish good grades in advanced classes,

weren't expected

sometimes i wish expectations weren't so high,

so you would be proud of me.

when i do my homework,

for six hours,

right after school,

on a friday night,

with a computer right beside me,

the power of integrity

makes me feel so proud of myself...

but my heart shatters when you barge into my room yelling,

the nonsense i dont understand,

it just breaks my heart...and my spirit...

thanks for ruining my night.

mom.

How creative we are...

Here is a story a girl in my english class finished after I started writing the beginning. It was an assignment during class that we did when we had a sub. I really like it so I thought I'd share it.

key: Anna; blue
       Elizabeth; yellow
           
        As I walked into the capacious room, I realized what happened today. Earlier that day I woke with consternation as I heard a formidable scream from downstairs. I thought it was a pantomine! I languidly dragged my tired body out of bed with animosity from lack of sleep. I started downstairs, and found my mom staring into the fridge. It was idiosyncratic of her to scream at the stupidest and smallest things. I acted venerable, and with effulgence, asked her what was wrong. The aphorism she made felt like an encroachment towards me. Enmity filled my soul. Even though we were quite opulent, she couldn't inviegle me to believe it but, someone ate the last pudding cup!

*Note to reader: If you don't know what the underlined words mean, I dont know either...they are my english vocab. words

College Church of the Nazarene VBS: Mission to M.A.R.S. (Meet A Risen Savior)

      I help out with VBS at my church every year. Now usually I'd blog something more interesting than this, but seriously, there's mostly non-christian visitors coming and we need them to see real worship. (It's something I'm concerned about.) Not loud music, outdoor uncontrollable games, and just coming for the dinner and snacks. I wish kids were more interested in learning about Jesus instead of which way to kick the ball.


      My mom is the snack director and she pulls together a few volunteers who wheel carts of Hy-Vee paper bags with snacks inside, fill water pitchers, and divvy out paper products. She may need some more volunteers but I'm not sure.* (Offer comes with unlimited number of snack samples. Hence me helping with snacks every year.)


BUT the real purpose of VBS is learnin' more about our Savior and when I was a kid, VBS to me was...

1. FREE FUN {snacks, fun, music, water rides etc.}
2. HAVING FUN {watching a short movie clip, watching a skit, eating snacks, spending time with friends, winning prizes, playing games singing and doing motions etc.}

Last but should be first,


   3. GOD {showing people the Jesus in you, learning more about Him, saving people you care about etc.}

    I know I might offend a few people but I'm just stating my point of view from when I was that age. If we want our generation (meaning teens and kids in elementary) and generations to come to be true christians, then we might want to think about what our focus during VBS is.


Hasta Luego,


                   ~Anna








P.S. Do you even know what VBS stands for??

      It stands for Vacation Bible School.
     
      Vacation~meaning summer break from school
      Bible~meaning we're going to do something with the Bible
      School~meaning learning is involved


Hence, we're learning in the Bible during the summer....So why don't we bring our Bibles??




*If you would like to volunteer for snacks, contact:


Mary Gibson
913-706-4622
byewaybooks@yahoo.com

67 Reasons how you know if you're from Johnson County...

This is a list for people that know about Johnson County and enjoy scrolling through the info provided below. Some of it may be an exaggeration, but most of it is true for many Johnson County natives. If you disagree with any one of them, comment, and I might alter or remove it. Please no haters! I came up with this list because I know what it's like to live in such a great county. :)

You know you're from Johnson County if...

1. Your high school has a nickname referring to its reputation.
2. Your high school’s name consists of the district, then a direction.
3. Your high school's parking lot is bigger than Super Wal-Mart’s.
4. Your house is worth more than $300,000. (not true for me but for most)
5. You live in one of the countries’ “Best Places to Live”.
6. Your school's bathrooms are used for crying girls dealing with their "terrible, dramatic lives".
7. You have/had a cell phone since the 3rd grade.
8. You think Tech N9ne is the best rapper ever.
9. Your wardrobe is 95% Hollister, American Eagle, Abercrombie...
10. You receive $2000+ in Christmas/Birthday gifts.
11. You say you look horrible in 98% of your pictures, yet you still continue to add hundreds of pictures onto Facebook.
12. You rent a limo for all special occasions.
13. Your parents think a B in school is unacceptable.
14. You see girls wearing short-shorts/skirts and Uggs in the winter.
15. Your winter outfit is tight American Eagle jeans, a PINK shirt, and Uggs.
16. Most t-shirts you own are part of Victoria’s Secret “PINK” line.
17. For pants you wear short jean shorts, yoga pants, tight dark jeans, or sweatpants.
18. You own a lake house, beach condo, and timeshare.
19. You run out of minutes every month.
20. Your family takes yearly vacations to your lake/beach house.
21. Every few houses in your neighborhood have their own private pool.
22. Your looked down on if you don't have a “PLC” membership.
23. When things don't go your way, you text your ‘rents.
24. You have unlimited texting on your Android, Iphone, or Blackberry.
25. If you are in middle school and insist on having a facebook just because it's the "Cool Thing."
26. If you have an Xbox 360, PS3, and a Wii.
27. You get mad that school's aren't closed and complain about how half and inch of snow on the ground is enough for a snow day.
28. It's not uncommon to see a guy in his Ferrari or Mercedes every once and a while.
29. If there's a Walgreens/CVS every other block.
30. If there’s a Starbucks on every corner.
31. If you wear huge designer sunglasses just to go to Target.
32. You have nicer cell phones than your parents.
33. If a 2005 car model seems outdated.  
34. If you consider everything west of Topeka "Western Kansas".
35. If you think Taco Bell is real Mexican, Pizza Hut is real pizza, and Panda Express is real Chinese.
36. If you only watch reality shows and think a day in your life is honestly like an episode of “The Secret Life of an American Teeenager".
37. If your strongly offended when someone asks you if you own a farm.
38. If you constantly find yourselves explaining “No, I don’t own a farm, I’m from Johnson County”.
39. If your offended when someone honestly says "your from the same place as me!" when they are from Kansas City.
40. If you plan on attending JOCO/K-State/KU after you receive your diploma from the 3rd ranked school district in the nation.
41. If you call driving to someone's house 30 minutes away "Out of Town".
42. If you drive to a friend's house who lives in the same neighborhood as you.
43. If you own a house with a three-car garage but have so much stuff in there that you park the cars in the driveway anyway.
44. You go to AMC 30 every weekend to buy a drink and candy and sneak into the movie you just saw last week, then leave, and spend the rest of your night at Olive Garden or Red Robin.
45. You have at least 500 feet on each side of your house until your neighbor's yard starts but you still say your yard is small.
46. You lock your car doors and hide your valuables every time you cross State Line.
47. You don’t lock your front door or car doors when you’re at home.
48. Every time someone asks for your location/hometown (Facebook, Myspace...) you answer Johnson County.
49. If you see it at Pac-Sun, it’s "skater”.
50. If it’s from Hot Topic, it’s “emo”.
51. If you get presents for your birthday, New Year’s Day, Valentine’s Day, Easter, Fourth of July, the birth of a sibling, Halloween, and Christmas,.
52. If you know the official picture poses of Johnson County. (Hand covering face, other hand on hip)
53. Seeing a hobo is the most unusual thing ever.
54. If you have a Xbox, PS3, Wii, a $2000 laptop, a $300 cell phone, a trampoline, pet, musical instrument, and four flat screen TVs and there is still "nothing to do".
55. If you think not going on a vacation over the summer is weird.
56. Gum works as money in your school.
57. You went to a junior high with a name ending in "Trail."
58. You give people directions to your house based on it's proximity to a school.
59. You ever walked from AMC 30 to Texas Roadhouse or Target as a kid.
60. Sonic is the hangout for cheapskates and sevies.
61. Everyone you know owns a car.
62. Walking around your school in the morning with a Starbucks cup is the usual.
63. You have a Jansport, Columbia, North Face, or Vera Bradley backpack.
64. You own at least one North Face jacket.
65. Everybody drives off in their cars before you’re dismissed to the pep assemblies at your school.
66. (Boys only) Your "Truck" is a Ford Escalade with chrome 22 inch rims.
67. (Girls only) You wake up three hours before school starts just to straighten your hair, do your make up just right, pick out what you’re going to wear with what accessories, and meet your friends at Starbucks.