Difficult Truth

Merry Christmas!

Here is a little tidbit of difficult thought.

"How do you know that you are saved? Because you believe? How do you know you believe? Everyone believes. How do you know you are not like them? Do you know how the bible teaches you are saved? You know you have been saved because your life is in the process of being changed, and your style of life is one of walking in the paths of Gods truth, and when you step off the path of those paths in disobedience like we all do, God comes for you and puts you back on the path. God will make a difference in your life."

-Paul Washer, Shocking Youth Message.

Enjoy

Preserving age-old handicraft at Matryoshka’s birthplace

This is a really cool little news clip about a small historical city called Gorodets. It is located about an hour away from where I will be living in Zavolzhye, just across the Volga river. During last years trip we were able to visit this town, and actually saw everything that is featured here such as the teapot museum and the bread museum. So cool to be reunited with its beauty. It is virtually impossible to find info or news about Gorodets from the USA. Enjoy!

URL Change

So, maybe you noticed the URL change, maybe you didnt. But, I bought my blog a nice little web address, alissaMgraham.com! Go ahead, type it right in.

I did this for a few reasons. Partly because people were having trouble finding my blog when I told them the long blogger name. Partly because Ive been thinking about getting this for a while, and might as well do it now. Partly because I dont want anyone else to have my name as a url EVER, so I figured I should pick it up while I still can.

I thought the process was going to be five hundred times more complicated than it really is. But actually Blogger sells the domain to you directly, instead of going through a third party yourself. You simply go to your blog admin options: click on settings, and the publishing, and then set custom url. You have to go through some pages of setting up info, but its really quick and easy. Not to mention cheap- $10 for one year.

Why I recommend getting a custom url:

• Those with a readership who arent exactly tech savvy will be able to easily finding your blog. Now instead of http://rhodeislandred-shootson.blogspot.com you just tell them AlissaMGraham.com!
• It cements your online presence. This could be good or bad, depending on what kind of things you write on your blog, so consider that first. Imagine someone searching your name online, and coming up with terrible nasty content. This is what happens when my sister searches her name online. Its because someone else with her name is making terrible choices online, but how would a future employer or ministry leader know that at first? Buying your name or atleast a custom url will give you peace of mind that no one else could unintentionally misrepresenting you.
• Its dang fun!

Ok thats all for now =)

This Thanksgiving

We all sat in a circle and went around the room saying what we were thankful for. Of course we were thankful for our family, friends, and good health, promotions, etc. Do not think for one second that I am discounting those amazing blessings, but it was incredibly amazing what other kinds of things people were saying.

Every day I am so encouraged by my church family at Grace Harbor Community Church and the hearts these people have. It’s amazing to see how much more we have, as a church, truly started trusting in God's providences and grace, even when it’s dark and scary and hard and strips us from all we've got. It was encouraging to hear people talk about how thankful they were for the hard situations in their lives this year. For example, Jess was talking about her surgery and how she was thankful that God has used the pain from it to show her how to trust Him and lean on him for strength. Wendy talked about the blessings that have come from her blindness. Rachel talked about how she was just thankful to still be thankful and not bitter after a rough year.

For me personally, I have learned this past year to be thankful when God doesn’t answer my prayers the way I would want Him too. Looking back, if He had given me a certain relationship that I strived so much for- I definitely wouldn’t have grown leaps and bounds like I did, coming to a more complete realization that Christ is my all. In fact, I would still be trapped in the pattern of needing people more than loving them. If God had taken people out of my life because I didn’t think I could handle the hurt, then I wouldn’t have learned to love a lot more unconditionally those that I didn’t think I could even like. If God had allowed me to get accepted for Switzerland, then I wouldn’t be going to Russia for missions, and getting co-op credit for it -ten times better. Even thinking all these things, I am just humbled, almost ashamed for my reactions when things first did not go my way.

Looking at circumstances in this light has caused me to take a general step back and realize that I cannot see the complete bigger picture. It makes me thankful for God's perfect, loving, and violent grace in my life- that everything physical can be stripped away from us but we still have the Gospel. It’s definitely really hard to be seriously disappointed by something you thought was going to happen, and then look at it with thanksgiving- but its truth, it’s the way we should respond. We need to grasp that God knows what He is doing. He loves us, and sometimes in loving us, He has to take crap out of our lives or take us on a different path so we can mature and focus more clearly on Him.


Happy Thanksgiving... what are you thankful for?

Thanksgiving Delight: A Recipe that Rocks

Hey yo! So right now its technically Thanksgiving, even though Im still awake and considering it Wednesday night. I just figured that I would share with you a recipe that I have made countless times, and each time the pot is completely wiped clean by the end of the meal. (Great for potlucks or big gatherings of people.)

GREEN BEAN CASSEROLE: Crock pot style.

I originally found this recipe from Crockpot365 but since she isnt personally fond of her own recipe, Ive decided to not copy and paste her words, but instead give you my interpretation, because I mix it up a little bit. I use my crock pot because I like how easy it is, just set it and forget it. It gives you more time and freedom to do other things through the day and not worry about baking time or whatever.

Ingredients
4 cups green beans (however you like them- canned, fresh, french cut, etc)
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 can French's French fried onions
1 Table spoon of Parmesan Cheese (or parm/ramano mix)
1 dash of garlic powder
1 dash of onion powder
1 dash of pepper

  So get out your crock pot. Pour in the green beans. I try to drain them first. Now pour in the cream of mushroom soup and mix it up. You can slosh around a bit of water in the soup can to get it all out, and then pour all of that in. Add the table spoon of parmesan cheese, and the dash of garlic powder, dash of onion powder, pepper, mix it up.

Cover and cook on low for 4-6 hours, or on high for 2-3.

***In the middle of your cook time, pour the onions evenly over the top and continue cooking.***

Then serve and enjoy.

Have a Happy Thanksgiving everyone=)

Missions Focus: Russia

So about every other week at the college fellowship, Tuesday Night Truth, I give a little presentation on a country and some interesting facts and figures about religion, missions, etc. A few weeks ago I talked about Russia. Here is the link from the TnT blog. And here is the info:

Missions Focus: Russia 

• There are many interesting things to learn about this country and how we can be more involved in sharing the gospel.
• Russian Orthodoxy is the dominant religion in Russia
• Some residents of the Siberian and Far Eastern regions practice shamanist, pantheistic, and pagan rites
• 70 years during communism- scientific atheism was enforced

63% Russian Orthodox
16% non-believers.
12% said they believe in God, but did not practice any religion
6% Muslim
1% either Buddhist, Catholic, Protestant or Jewish

Specific Ways to Pray:

• Russians are now turning to alcohol, drugs and occultism to fill their spiritual emptiness. Pray that God will do a work in this country and bring the gospel: allowing people to have hope, know love, and trust in God.
• Pray for church planters and missionaries willing to dedicate time and resources to spreading the gospel here
• Government begins to loosen grip on religious intolerance. 

Also, I follow some blogs of people that live in Russia- maybe as missionaries, or business people, or just a random family. Its really fascinating and encouraging to read stories that these people share about their lives and how they have come to adjust to life in Russia.

Check out these blogs:

• Mike and Karen McDonald's Russian Blog
• On Life in St Petersburg 
• The Bullherd: Serving in Russia

New Music Monday: JJ Heller

Ok, random new feature that I might do every so often. New Music Monday!!!
Today we are going to talk about a really great singer songwriter that my friend Rachel introduced me to the other night.
Her name is JJ Heller and her music is reminiscent of Norah Jones, Colbie Caillat, and Regina Spektor. She is a Christian who has had her music featured on the tv show So You Think You Can Dance, as well as Klove. Oh man I cant get enough of her music. Listen Below, check it out on youtube, buy her cds.



Lyrics:
You tell me life will not be pain free. 
What will be will always be in your control. 
You are stronger than any terrible possible scenario today, 
Come and save me. 
You’re the only source of all the peace I need, 
Come and save me.

Its Time for Some Christmas Crafts!

 So Friday night I went over to Melissa's house and my other friends Rachel and Melissa H were there and we made all sorts of Christmas crafts!  These are the ones I made, mini gingerbread houses out of Milk Cartons and felt! So easy! I would totally recommend making them with kids or adults, and they will definitely look great on the mantle.

 Found directions on the internet, at Family Fun, but honestly its just so easy just use your creativity. Here are the steps:

1. Get Milk Cartons, organge juice, half and half.. whatever

2. Cover them in Brown Felt or foam

3. Cut out cute designs and glue it them on!

 4. Cut off the bottom of the carton so they stand flat and not wobbly.

I made all my little decorations from scratch using ideas from the magazine and also just my own inspiration. You can basically go crazy, use whatever colors, supplies, sparkly things you want. Its your gingerbread house. We used glitter foam, rick-rack, colored felt, and pom poms for ours.

Enjoy=)

Show Us Your Life: Pets!

Every so often I make it over to Kelly's Corner weekly "Show Us Your Life" segments. Sometimes the topic doesnt really have to do with me, but when it does, Im all over it!

Meet Mr. Kodey Pants!

 My dog is the best little buddy ever. His real name is Kodey, but we have buttloads of awkward nicknames for him. Kodey is a six year old "lab shepard collie mix," or something like that (he is impossible to define).  He was brought to us as a small puppy by a friend who picked him up for free at a county fair, and was a little sack of fur and cuteness. He could hardly walk because since he was so cute everyone just carried him and held onto him tight!

We are best friends because when he was younger and we lived by the Erie canal I would take him on runs all the time and I kind of trained him and loved him through all his shortcomings. haha.

When he was two years old, he decided to run into the street and ended up getting hit by a car, resulting in a completely shattered pelvis. Much to my father's dismay, we decided to get him fixed up. Too much money, a rod in his thigh bone, a few years, and tons of meds later, he is practically back to normal! He runs and frolicks, and loves jumping in gross bodies of water to fetch sticks!

When we moved to my grandparents house, he became really spoiled rotten because my grandma loved him way too much. I think he is still trying to work off the weight from all the treats. Haha. Just kidding grandma =)

His favorite activities include:

Eating tissues from the garbage

Sleeping on people's beds.

Peeing on shoes

Frolicking and chasing balls

Chasing cats in the neighbors yard.

Eating every kind of food in the world

Going for car rides

Hanging out with his family and friends

Nawing on bones until they are gone.

Of course while I am at college I miss my family and friends, but there is just a special bond between a girl and her dog, and doggone, I miss my Kodey  Pants.

Kodey's Many Nicknames:
(dont ask..)
Mr Pantsy.
Sir Kodey Pantalones
Mr Kodey Pants
Little Pants
Little Buddy
Kodey Pants
Crazy Fool.
Grumpy Old Man

<---Kodey at Christmas.

Ok ok I could go on and on about this dog. But come on, isn't he cute!

Almost. Done.

One more final and I am peacing out of Fall Trimester 2009!!! Hoorah! I did better than I thought in some classes, and worse than I thought in others. By that I mean one of my professors told me that it was mathmatically impossible for me to pass Statistics no matter what grade I got on the final. So I ended up writing my name on it, throwing some answers on the scan-tron and peacing out. I can retake it with a new prof and get a better grade and pretend none of that even happened. Haha.

This Thanksgiving I will be staying in Providence and just hanging out with my doggie friend Gunther. I get to dog sit him while my friends are out of town for the holiday. Its going to be quite fun, as this little bugger is a ball of energy and full throttle movement. I cant wait to take him on walks and play with him like crazy!!!

Never fear though, I do have plans with humans as well. Next Tuesday I will be visiting with my old pastor, Andy, and his family in Massachussetts! I have only seen them all briefly since the beginning of October and miss them dearly. Andy's dad will be at their house too. He will be going to Russia on a long term volunteer assignment, and we will kind of working together. Its super exciting because I havent seen him since our trip to Russia last spring, and we will get to finally catch up and talk about some details. Also, on Thanksgiving day I will be over at the McKays house with some church family. I pumped about this, because Thanksgiving is always awesome, and my church family is awesome too! (I will miss my real family, of course!!)

As for my Russia missions and co-op trip, Ive been getting a slow intake of information. Yesterday I had a meeting with JWU Career Development about the JWU side of the co-op. It was informative and I cant wait to get more details to them! Also, because I will be getting credit for the co-op I have to complete different projects, one being a 30 page paper. But after she explained it to me, I do not feel intimidated by this, more excited than anything. My co-op Advisor is really excited for me, and told me that I am the only student going abroad for my internship during spring trimester. Also, emails have been sent my way about different conversations that are taking place between Russia and the International Missions Board office, which is cool for me to see. It shows me how many people are involved in this process, as well as the fact that things are being developed and worked out for my arrival. Very tentatively, I will be living in an apartment as well as getting my own Russian cell phone. I will also being helping to lead an "English Club" although that term is still kind of vague in my mind.

Sometimes I wonder what in the heck I am thinking, peacing out for three months and living in a country where I can barely communicate and have no close friends or comforts. Then I realize that God seriously is in complete control and I need not worry. Since day one of this whole process, His hands have been evident and giving much favor. As I look back on this past year, I thank Him for everything He has brought me through and cherish what a loving God He truly is.

Thats all for now=)