How He Loves Us....

As I was spending some much needed time with a great friend tonight, we were surfing the net and I showed her the JesusCulture version of the song "How He Loves Us." This song has the words of my heart. I had never heard it until I started working camps this summer. And I heard it at every camp and conference I attended or worked. And no matter how many times I heard it, it never failed to leave me completely in awe of my Creator. Take a moment to think about those words.....he is JEALOUS for me...For who?? For ME. Who am I to deserve such love??? Who am I that the God of creation would fight for my affections, attentions, love, and service???? The song then goes on to talk about how beautiful the Father is, yet how great his affections are for us. Wow. God created everything, yet He still reaches out to us. He doesnt want to live without US. What a great big God we serve!!!

I had always been told how big God is, but honestly the past 6 months He has proved himself 100 times over. I can't believe it has been 6 whole months since I had to say goodbye to my best friend and brother, but I have been living a miracle, which has left me in love with the Savior of this world. God has been so faithful to meet me right where I am and just let me cry, laugh, or do whatever I need to. And He has brought blessing after blessing across my path, leaving even my hardest days filled with a million little love notes from Him. My Savior LIVES, my Savior LOVES...my Savior's always there for me!! Praise the Lord, we serve a God who is alive and reigning, and ever-loving toward His children :)

Be blessed, dear friends, and keep serving our God :)

Ahhh..snow, ice, freezing temperatures, and mountains of homework that actually have set due dates. Its, um, good to be back in America? Some days I'm less than enthusiastic about being back in the states. Bring me back that wonderful tropical weather, Omega blasting from next door, and yes, I'd even go for some mangu right about now.

But honestly, the transition continues. And not necessarily in a negative way. Each day I wake up in this country, I seem to remember, appreciate, or learn something new about my Dominican experience. It was hard to miss some of the lessons when I was carrying them out, and now that I have a chance to reflect and focus on what happened,God continues to reveal new truths about Himself and what he wants me to be.

Balance is so hard. So much of me is still stuk in Dominican mode. Schedule-free and wonderful. Unfortunatel enough, that doesnt fly in American college. So it's been a constant struggle to actually make myself sit down and do my homework. I would much rather be socializing...or doing anything really. It's harder than ever to really put my heart into my studies when its floating around elsewhere, even though studying is essentially the point of being in college. But I guess this is all part of the readjusting process, I just need to relax and go with the flow. God has it under control...

Es oficial! Estaria ir a la republica dominicana el otono luego! Estoy tan nerviosa y tan emocionada! Hable con Josh Hartsell ayer y me ayudo con los cosas siguientes. Y anoche, fui con mis amigos para mirar una pelicula. La pelicula fue The Dark Knight. Es una pelicula tan buena! Y tambien, ahora tengo un trabajo. Este domingo, estaria empezar de Bath and Body Works. Yo estoy feliz porque necesito dinero para la D.R. y tambien una computadora nueva. Esta fin de semana Amy esta viajando a su casa en Arkansas para una boda. Ella esta tan feliz. Enotonces, sin ella, no se que hacer para el fin de semana. Probablmente la tarea, pero todavia yo no se. Tengo mucha tarea esta semana, y tambien tengo mucho estres. Pero es todo bien, porque la semana luega tengo una vacacion a Illinois!!!!! Bueno, tengo que ir, porque tengo muchas cosas para hacer. Se quiero todos!!!!

~Frita

Hoy recibi una oportunidad magnifica! El otono luego, estaria moviendo a la republica domincana. Estoy tan emocionada, pero estoy nerviosa tambien. Estaria a vivir en la D.R. por tres meses...tres meses sin mi familia....sin mis amigos.....sin todo que esta familiar. Pero, yo se que esta es algo que dios quiere me hago. La parte que estoy mas emociado con es el facto que por cuatro semanas puedo trabajar en una escuela dominicana! Entonces puedo ensenar espanol mas facil porque estaria sumergido en espanol todo el tiempo....Estoy tan feliz que Dios me da esta regalo...esta opotunidad para servirlo. Por favor, me recuerden en sus oraciones. Se quiero todos ustedes.

En Cristo....
Rep

Realizo que nadie lee mis notas, entonces decidi a escribir todo en espanol. No tengo una clase de espanol este semestre, y yo necesito practicar todavia. Este semana soy muy preocupada. Tengo tres examenes y tengo demasiado estres. Este ano yo estaba haciendo toda mi tarea ANTES de yo tengo que hacerlo. Es una sopresa? Para, mi, si :) Tengo dos examenes en la manana, un de matematicas y una de gobierno. Para mi examen de matematicas puedo tener una carta de informacion, entonces no estoy muy preocupada con esta. Pero para mi examen de gobierno, no tengo nada....solamente la informacion que yo puedo recodordar :0! Bueno, pienso que es tiempo para salir, porque es la tiempo para frisbee! Abrazos por todos!

Con mucho amor,
Rep

So here I am, Sunday night, after a really long and tiring week. Last week was spiritual emphasis week and it was excellent! The speaker was awesome and God really used him! But between the spiritual exhaustion on top of the physical exhaustion from cross country and having the stomach flu, it was kind of a hard week. But so worth it.

I went home this weekend, and it was really good! I surprised my mom for her birthday on saturday and she was so excited that I came, she screamed! It made me smile....We had all my brothers over, as well as the neighbors, Jason and Emily and their daughter Jackie. It was a lot of fun, and I got to hold my nephew Aiden again! He is getting so big already! (I have pics on facebook for anyone interested)

So this week is my birthday! On thursday I will be turning twenty...you could say I am pretty stoked. We're not sure what we are gonna do yet, but we definitely wanna do something. It's my last few days as a teenager! Anyways, I think that is all for now!

Love to All,
*Frita*

Me again! Well, its the start of a new year! I cant believe i am a sophomore in college already! Its so good to be back on campus and seeing everyone again, I missed them so much over the summer! Im living in Tuckey 201/203, and I'm super-suiting with Amy, Emma, and Chelsie Bennett, a transfer from Michigan. ITs working out well and there is a lot more space with two rooms. Cross is getting underway, and we have had some crazy hot weather and some pretty tough workouts. But its great to be with the team. There are some really cool freshman on the team this year, and I love hanging out with them!

I am now an aunt of six...Aiden Cristopher Replogle was born about two weeks ago. He joins Alexis and Callista Jo and proud parents Julie and Cris. He is so cute :)

Spiritual Emphasis week starts next week and I am, in a word, pumped. Last year was amazing and I can only trust that God will work like that again.

Im thinking that is all for now, well that I can write on here for everyone to see anyways ;)

Love to you all,
~Frita~