Verses with Kristin - 1 Samuel 12:24

So I am starting this new thing like where I share my thoughts on Bible verses.  Hopefully, I will put one up here every other day or so.
Today's verse: 1 Samuel 12:24   "Only fear the Lord, and serve Him in truth with all your heart: for consider how great things he hath done for you."
This verse tells us to fear and trust the Lord.  We need to fear him and serve Him with all our heart.  If we trust Him we will have no problem serving Him.  Why should we serve him?  You may ask.  it tells us in the verse.  God says because He has done so much for you.  How do you think gravity was formed?  God done it.  You may say, "Well God did not build my house."  He may not have built your house ,but He gave man the ability to do it.  If God had not given you arms, you could eat or throw a ball or anything like that.  If God did not give you legs, you would not be able to walk.  If God hadn't given you a soul, we would not get to walk and talk with Him.  You see, it is because of God that you can do what you can do.    But to serve him, you have to fear him and trust him!  And to trust him means giving your all to him no matter what the problem.  No matter what the task may be we should trust him.  God can help us through any situation we may be in.  God wants to help his children in any way, shape, or form.  He starts by saving the sinner.  Then as his children grow he shows them what they need through His Word.
Thanks for reading my little blog post!  Hope you enjoyed it!  If you have a favorite verse you would like me to use, just post it in the comments!

Thoughts with Kristin - Where do your thoughts go? A Christian's Job

Ok, so I was asked to do a post on where my thoughts lead or go, and where they should lead or go.  So here is this little post with my thoughts on the matter.

I actually had to think before answering this question: Where do your thoughts turn to first?  God or material things?  In a way, this is very difficult to answer.  I guess it all depends on like what I am thinking about.  Or what I see around me.  Let's take people for example.  Through the world's eyes, they're all just people.  But in God's eyes, they are souls that HE loves.  Before I was saved, I could care less about everyone else around me.  They were all just people.  But now, I see them as people, and I see them as souls on their way to hell, and needing someone to tell them about Jesus.  The main thing a Christian should see is souls on their way to hell that need to be told of Jesus' love.  Some people think that this job is only for people like missionaries and pastors to do.  They think it is not their job to tell others of Jesus' love for them.  But it is not just the job of a pastor, deacon, missionary, or evangelist- it's every born again believer's job to spread their joy in Salvation.  Christians are like walking books.  Though they shouldn't, most people judge a book by it's cover.  SO, with that being said, people will judge you by the way you act.  If you act like the world, but you tell them you're a Christian, then they'll just say that you're no better than they are, and they'll just go right back to the world, and doing what they did before.  This is not what a Christian should want.  That is an example of a ruined testimony for the LORD.  What you need to do is act different than the world does.  Don't do the things they do.  Don't listen to the things they listen to.  Do say the things they say.  Why?  Because really and truly, you're not like them.  You have something on the inside that changed you completely.  This is a good testimony for the LORD.  

Hope you enjoyed this little blog post.  Keep an eye out for more, and once again, if you have any suggestions that I should write about, tell me in the comments.  Until next time, TTYL!

Thought's with Kristin - What Life's About

Okay so here is another one of my 'thoughtful' posts.  It might seem a bit scrambled, so very sorry if it is.  Anyway, down to business.
I was doing my devotions a little while ago and ran across this verse.
And he said unto them, Take heed, and beware of covetousness: for a man's life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth.  -Luke 12:15

This verse basically tells us a very important truth.  Life is not about what we have in this world.  It's not about money.  It's not about our new big house.  It's not about buying new cars or new clothes.  It's not about how much we can possess in this world.  But what it is about is God.  Jesus Christ is what life's about.  For a Christian, life is living for the LORD.  

Matthew 6: 19-21

(19) Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: (20)But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal: (21)For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.

This is telling us that we should not invest ourselves in material things on earth.  We should lay up our treasures in Heaven.  Because one day, this earth will end.  This earth doesn't last forever.  But the soul of every living being will go to live in either Heaven or hell one day.  Now how do you lay up treasures in Heaven?  By working for the LORD while you're on earth.  While you're here, and if you're saved, you should go tell others about what has happened to you.  Encourage fellow believers.  Do what God says.  And your treasures will be the reward you get when you get to Heaven.  So in other words, you work for your reward which is in Heaven.  This is what life is really and truly about.

Thanks for reading my thoughts.  Hope you enjoyed it!  Let me know what you think in the comments.  If there is something specific that you would like to hear my thoughts on, just tell me in the comments.  Until next time, TTYL!

UPDATE!!! 9/18/13

Ok, so I am actually going to give you an actual update on what's been going on here.  I know it has been a very long while since I have done this, so bare with me.
First of all, let me just say things are going well all the way around.  As far as our family goes, nobody is currently sick and everybody is doing well.
Pastor Srithone's church in Lampang is currently building a new building for the church there.  That church is growing very fast.  The new building is actually going to be pretty big.  People are getting saved here and there in Chiang Mai and also in Lampang.
Please be in prayer for the family and friends of missionary Rick Horn.  I am not so sure how long he was here, but he died in the states a few days ago.  Pray for his family and the work he's leaving behind.
Among other things, this is the highlight of my coming week!  On September 26, 2012 I accepted Jesus Christ as my Savior.  Before that, I went to church just like everybody else, but I wasn't truly saved.  I remember that night.  Pastor Srithone had preached a very convicting message about being afraid to die, and I listened to the whole thing.  I sat there, nervous as could be.  Everyone thought I was saved, but on the inside, I knew I wasn't.  I remember during the prayer time after I told dad, he took me out and I knew exactly what I needed to do, he didn't even need to help me with anything.  I bowed my head and asked Jesus to save me.  I am so glad the Lord brought our family to Thailand.  And even though I have to be away from all my family and friends and the things I know and love, Thailand is where God wants me to stay.  I know this because, I am a teenager, not yet an adult.  The will of God for my life is for me to follow my dad, and I know for a fact that Thailand is where we all need to be.  Next Thursday, I will be able to celebrate one amazing year of being a Christian.  It has been one of the most incredible journeys ever.  God has taught me alot from His Word and from the pastor's teaching.  I am so thrilled to be able to serve the Lord in Thailand.
Thanks for letting me vent to you a while!  Hope you enjoyed my little testimony, I have been wanting to let that out for a while now!  I thought about waiting until the actual day, but I am so excited about it that I just had to do it now.  Anyway, until next time, I'll talk to y'all later!!

Writing Prompt Day 7: Combination of All Prompts

So I really like this one.  I actually enjoyed putting all the stories together.  Hope you enjoy the last of my writing prompts!

The Door to the Future

Original Story by Kristin Rutledge

Chris and Macy were going about their daily duties, same as usual.  But something was different about today.  Macy wasn’t sure what it was, but she knew something was going to happen.  Only moments after she had this thought, an urgent letter for Chris was slipped under the door.  It read: “Come quickly!  We need your help!”  Chris stopped reading and looked at the date of the letter.  It was dated in the year 3005!  He had no idea what this was, so he continued reading aloud so his wife could hear too.  “I know the date seems kind of weird, but you are the man we need.  As soon as you read this sentence, a door will appear to your left.  You must kiss your wife goodbye and immediately go into the door.  It will bring you to our time.  Don’t waste any time, we need you now.”  Chris looked to his left, and there was the door she spoke of.  He immediately kissed his wife, told her he loved her, and went in the door.  He had no idea what he was getting into, but he knew he must hurry, for the letter seemed urgent.  But his wife had no idea that she would never see him again.

Meanwhile, Tom Benson was going about his usual business in the blue world, when a piece of paper slapped him in the face.  He read the letter to himself, “Come quickly!  We need your help.  Jump in the door that appears on the ground when you read this sentence.  It will take you to the year 3005 where we are.  Come quickly!”  Tom wasted no time looking down and seeing the door there.  The year 3005 sounded so exciting, so he immediately jumped in it. 

Ben and William were sitting around telling jokes, just like always.  But suddenly, one of them saw a figure coming.  It looked like a ghost.  The figure spoke only a few simple sentences.  “Come, we need you!  You must go through the door to your right and it will bring you to us.  We are in the future, in the year 3005.  Come with haste.”  Ben and William knew that this was no time to make jokes.  They were about to ask questions when the figure disappeared and all that remained was a glowing arrow pointing to the right.  They went with haste and entered into this unknown world. 

At last, all four of them had ended up in the year 3005.  They were all exhausted and confused.  They had no idea what was going on.  There was a sign right behind them that read, “Hiroshima, Japan, 3005”.  Then someone came running up to them shouting, “Hallelujah you’re here!  We are currently engaged in a nuclear war.  Take up arms and follow me!”  Seconds later, the shooting began.  They all got the general idea that you just point, shoot, and hide, so that’s what they did.  They fought day and night for months.

One awful day, a bomb hit the barracks.  Ben and Tom got out alive, but William and Chris weren’t so lucky.  Months later, after the war ended, Ben and Tom were told that they were stuck here in the year 3005.  As days went by, strong storms came and went.  Ben and Tom were eventually killed in these fierce winter storms. 

Back at Chris’ home, Macy received another letter, telling of her husband’s death in the war.  She was told that her husband was one of the bravest soldiers ever.  She mourned his death for several days.  And she never got to tell him the news: she was going to have his first child.

Tom Benson had no relatives.  No one even noticed that he left.  He was never missed and never grieved over.  He died a lonely man. 

Ben and William’s relatives were told of their deaths.  Their relatives were heartbroken.  But they knew that if those two died in battle, they must have died for a good cause.

All this because of a door to the future, and a nuclear war.

Writing Prompt Day 6: Character Analysis

So today's prompt!  Enjoy!!!

Character Analysis of Tom Benson from Prompt #3

Original Story by Kristin Rutledge

Tom Benson is a normal person.  He lives a pretty normal life, but lives in a pretty blue city.  Now Tom tries to be happy!  But if everything around you is blue, it is kind of hard to be bright and yellow.  So to be a little more in depth, let’s go into what he feels.

He wakes up every morning and goes to work.  The first thing he sees is that same old blue coffee pot with blue coffee and a blue mug to put it in.  Yes sir, everything is pretty blue.  But on the inside, he looks at the world from a different perspective.  He imagines it with lots of colors and stuff, and eventually starts to think it really is that way.  Pretty soon, he feels as though he is in a colorful little wonderland.  But how does he keep this up in a blue world?  By not letting the blueness get to him.  He thinks happy thoughts, talks about happy things, dreams happy dreams, and even does stuff that makes him happy.  He does this because if he does anything or thinks anything that makes him sad, the blueness starts to get to him and he starts getting down. 

So to sum it all up, let’s just say that Tom Benson is a ray of sunshine in a dark world!  Or a yellow smiley face in a blue world!

Writing Prompt Day 5: Dialogue

SO most of this one is dialogue! Enjoy!  I think this one's pretty funny!  Sorry about missing yesterday.

I Don’t Get it

Original Story by Kristin Rutledge

Ben and William meet for lunch today.  After lunch, they were telling jokes.  This one turned out kind of funny.

Ben: “Knock, knock!”

William: “Who’s there.”

Ben: “Who”

William: “No, that’s what I said, who’s there.”

Ben: “Who.”

William: “No, no, no, you’re not getting it, I am asking you who’s there?”

Ben: “I know, who.”

William: “Then who is it?”

Ben: “I just told you!  Who!”

William: “NO!  Who is it?”

Ben: “Yeah!  That’s it!”

William: “What’s it?”

Ben: “No not what, who!”

William: “What?”

Ben: “NO!  WHO!”

William: “I am asking you a question!”

Ben: “And I know the answer!”

William: “Then who is it?”

Ben: “You just said it!  Who!”

William: “Okay……..”

Ben: “Let’s just start over.  Knock knock!”

William: “Who’s there?”

Ben: “Who’s”

William: “Who’s who?”

Ben: “Nevermind!”

Writing Prompt Day #4: Random Word

So I was really worried about this one, because i had to go to www.wordgenerator.net and write something about the first word it generates.  Hope you enjoy this one!!!

Nuclear Winter

Original Story by Kristin Rutledge

It’s the year 3005.  Most countries now have the ability to use nuclear warfare.  In fact, a nuclear war has just ended.  It was between several countries, including Japan, Russia, China, and India.  Japn and Russia formed an alliance and beat both China and India.  But a lot of the battles took place in Japan, because they were fighting over that land. 

The war ended just before winter.  It was super cold in some parts of Japan.  Japan often has cold winters.  A battleground at Hiroshima was often prone to firestorms and stuff like that.  Because of the nuclear battles that had just taken place here, there were still some nuclear particles all over the place.  When the suns beams hit these particles just before winter, it began to cause many, many firestorms.  They had never seen storms like these.  Cities were burnt to the ground.  People were dying.  And no one really knew the cause.  There were at least 2 firestorms every week.  And each one of these firestorms lasted several hours.  Smoke began to build up in the sky.  Usually the smoke just went away, but this time there was so much, that it was all staying right where it was.  Big smoke clouds began to form, and before long, they could no longer see the sun.  However, because of the heat trapped inside the storms continued to rage on until finally it all died down, right in the middle of winter.  There were a few people still alive, but they wouldn’t be for long.  There was no sun to heat the place up even a little bit, so it was super cold.  Temperatures were below 10 degrees Fahrenheit every single day.  Because their homes had been burnt to the ground, they had to sleep in tents or in little huts built from any scrap they could find. 

This went on for about 4 months.  After the sun finally came back out, there were only a handful of people left in Hiroshima.  What used to be a big bustling city was now a pile of ash.  The few people were so happy to see the sun again that they just lay in the sun for hours. 

Japan then blamed this phenomenon on China planting a bomb somewhere, which, in turn, started another nuclear war.  They had no idea that what had just ended was about to start up again, and this time it would be 10 times as bad as the first.  

Writing Prompt Day #3: One Object

Here is prompt #3!  I describe an object in sort of great detail and what it would be like if this object had feelings.  This one is written in more of my personal way of thinking.

Doors

Original Story by Kristin Rutledge

Doors, have you ever really thought about a door?  Doors are actually pretty useful objects.  I mean, if we did not have doors, there would be no way to get in and out of a house or closed area without a big hole somewhere. 

Doors are usually made of wood or glass or something like that.  But sometimes doors are nothing but a big hole somewhere.  They are usually in the shape of rectangle or square, and very seldom do they come in shapes of circles or triangles. 

If doors had feelings and emotions, what would they be like?  Because they don’t have feelings, we just open and close them (and sometimes run into them).  But what would they say to all of our running in and out all the time.  I think because of their position being hinged to a wall anyway, I think they would probably get really bored.  I know I would if I was a door.  I mean they may not like all of our opening and closing, but they can’t do anything about it.  I think a door would probably begin to get used to our running in and out all of the time.  And then begin to like it!  Maybe even then start to like and get used to us.  Pretty soon, you’ll have a best friend in a door.

Writing prompt day 2: Fifty Shades of ???

Here is writing prompt #2!!!  Enjoy!  For more info about what this writing prompt is, check out number 1 and it will tell you everything.

A World with the Blues

Original Story by Kristin Rutledge

It is so gloomy.  We had a blue sky in the day of course, and at night, we had a dark blue sky.  But that is only a little part of this world.  One just gets sad looking at it.  It is very, very strange.  Let me just tell you about it.

I, Tom Benson, live here in this blue world.  I walk down the street at around 7 pm.  The street lights are now on glaring a bright shade of blue.  I look up, and the moon is a very bright.  I decide to go down to the ice cream parlor for a little pick-me-up.  I walk up to the counter and the lady asks me, “You want blueberry, blue pecan, blue chocolate or blue vanilla?”

“I’ll take blue chocolate.”  One actually gets tired of blue after a while.  I mean just sitting here in this ice cream parlor, the table is blue, the napkin is blue, the spoon is blue, my bowl is blue, the ladies skin is even blue.  EVERYTHING IS BLUE!!!  I am going crazy just thinking about it. 

Even the people here are blue on the outside.  But what’s on the outside doesn’t tell what’s on the inside.  A lot of people here are blue on the inside, because they live in a blue world and it kind of gets to you.  But some people are different.  Some people are bright and yellow on the inside, and they are always cheery.  But then some people like me are green on the inside.  I am in between blue and yellow, and I guess I sort of let the blueness of my world get to me. 

I got home and went into my blue room to go to sleep.  I was so tired I did not even change.  I fell right to sleep, and in my dream, I dreamed of a world of colors.  Many, many colors covered this wondrous planet.  Oh how I wish my world was that way, and for a moment, I believed it was.  Then I suddenly woke up and realized that it was all a dream. 

A world may be blue on the outside, but its real color is actually not what you see, but what’s on the inside.  

7 Day Writing Prompt Day 1

SO I am doing this writing prompt thing with my friend Emma Greere.  Every day for 7 days you will get a new story based on the plan that she made.  So here is day one's story, Sticky Notes.

Miracles of Sticky Notes

Original Story by Kristin Rutledge

It was a typical day at the office.  Nothing unusual was going on, which meant they would have to go through the same ole routine that they go through every day.  Macy had just started working here about 2 months ago.  She didn’t like the job that much, but her family needed the money so somebody had to do something. 

There was one thing that she did like about this job though, a handsome young man worked in the cubicle right next to hers.  She had often wanted to speak to him, but she was far too shy.  One morning, she got to work at 8 am just like usual.  Someone had left a blue sticky note on her desk.  She got up and looked around, and the young man in the cubicle next to hers was grinning.  She then sat back down.  She was so surprised by the note that she did not even read it, but she knew that it must be from him.  So she began to finally read it: “Hi Macy!  I’m Chris!  How are you?”  She didn’t know what to think.  She was also wondering how the young man knew her name.  She then began to write back on a pink sticky note.  When the young man got up, Macy went up to his cubicle and placed the note on his desk. 

After an hour, Chris returned.  He found the pink sticky note sitting right in front of him.  He knew it must be from Macy, for no one else knew about this new way of conversing.  He read it through several times: “Hi Chris!  I am fine.  It’s been a long day.  How about you?  Oh and by the way, how did you know my name?”  He was so startled that she had actually answered his message.  He sat for a while thinking of what to say.  Then finally he thought of something.  He quickly jotted it down and left it on her desk, and then he went home. 

That night, Macy was preparing to leave.  She was packing up all her things when she noticed the light blue sticky note on her desk again.  It read:  “Meet me at the Coffee Shack before work.”  She was so excited that she almost fainted.  She looked into his cubicle and saw that he was already gone.  She was not able to give him an answer.  She figured that she would go ahead and go and if he was there then she would stay, but if he wasn’t she would just go on to work early. 

Early the next morning, Chris was waiting at the Coffee Shack.  He was hoping she got the message.  He was just about to give up when he saw her striding up the sidewalk at full speed.  He checked his bag and made sure he still had his pad of sticky notes.  She walked up and waved at him.

They sat down together and both ordered a hot coffee with a doughnut.  They were both kind of quiet until he wrote a sticky note and put it in front of her.  “Good morning!  You want to just chat like this?” 

She did not bring any sticky notes of her own so she wrote on the back of his, “I can’t because I did not bring any of my own.”

He quickly wrote out another one and gave it to her, “Well then, why don’t you talk to me?”

She did not really know why she did not say anything.  She then wrote on the back, “Just shy I guess.  I am not really a forward person.”

He read the note and then said to her, “Then let me be forward!  I am glad I met you!  You are the sweetest, cutest, and prettiest gal I’ve ever met!”

She was so surprised to actually hear his voice that all she said in reply was, “I am glad I met you too!”

He chuckled and said, “Now that’s the smile I wanted to see!”

2 years later

They were still meeting at the coffee shack just before work like always, and Chris always brought his sticky pad just in case.  He wanted to ask her something this morning, but he was scared to say it.  Finally he pulled out his pad and began writing, “I love you Macy!  Through these past two years, I have gotten to know you more and more!  Will you be my wife?”

Macy read it, jumped up, and kissed him.  They were married the next month.  This is a miracle caused by sticky notes.  Did they ever live happily ever after?  That you’ll never know, for the story ends right here!

Priorities- First Things First

Okay so I was just thinking about this, and I decided to write about it.  
Where are your priorities?  What do you spend most of your time on?  For me personally, I spend a lot of time on the Internet and computer and doing things I wanna do.  But let me just give you a little idea on how our priorities should be set up.First- God should be on the top.  If you are a born again Christian, you should want to get closer to God.  To do this, you must pray and read your Bible everyday.  I don't do this as much as I should, but God has begun to help me in that area.  God should be the most important thing in your life.  No matter what you have to do, you should always make time for HIM!Second- Family and Friends.  Okay, in my opinion, these people should come next.  Your family is a special group of people that God gave you.  Friends are also little gifts from God to keep you company, and hang out with you, and do all sorts of things with you.  There is nothing more fun than hanging out with family and friends.  Third- Studying or working.  This is an important factor in life.  You can't do anything without the knowledge you get from books, and without the knowledge that you gain from experience.  This should come before anything that you want to do personally.Fourth- Your Own Wants.  This should be last on your list.  This is what you do with your free time.  What you want to do.  It's all up to you what you do at this point.  But don't spend more time than necessary doing what you want to do, when you could be serving the Lord.  Thanks for reading my little late night blog post!  I forgot to put sleep and eating in there too, LOL!  I am sure everyone finds time to do that though, lol!  Hope you enjoyed it!  TTYL!

Things We Take for Granted

  Okay, so there are alot of things in this world that we have, and we never really think about it.  For one thing, there's food and clothing and other material things.  Then there's other things like things we can't see, such as the air we breathe.  Then there's people.  And this is my main point.  We have our families.  I think families are a gift from God so we don't get to lonely, and we have someone to love us and we can love them back.  But you know, sometimes, we take them for granted.  We never think about how much mom cooks and cleans for the whole family.  We never think about how hard dad works to support the family.  Families are amazing in my opinion.  We also have friends.  Friends I think are another awesome gift from God.  I am trying to think of what I would do if I didn't have friends, and I realized that I would be a lonely person with no one to have fun with.  I mean I would still have my family, but there's nothing like a friend.  Good friends listen to you, laugh with you and at you, make fun of you and you to them, and is basically there for you.  I am happy to say that I have quite a few of these.  But you know, there is a friend that sticketh closer than a brother?  Jesus is my best friend in the whole wide world.  Next month, I will celebrate one year of being saved.  And I have to say, it has been an amazing journey.  Jesus has taught me a lot from His Word.  You know I have been thinking a lot about what God has done with me, and I think now that none of this would have happened if we had not come to Thailand.  I got saved for one thing, and that might not have happened if I had stayed in the states.  I have made many new friends and I wouldn't have met any of them if I hadn't come to Thailand.  And I teach Sunday School to the kids at church.  You know, it is really hard to be a teacher if you aren't really saved yourself.  It is really hard to be a teacher if you don't practice what you teach.  But throughout this whole year, God has taught me so much.  Reading His Word is one of my most favorite things to do.  I have also found that sometimes it is hard to stand for God, and do to do what's right.  But if you really trust in God, and I mean trust Him fully with all your heart, He will help you to get through trials and temptations.

  Thanks for taking the time to read my blog.  I know sometimes I am very scatterbrained in my thoughts.  But I enjoy blogging and I hope you enjoy reading it just as much as I do writing it.

Back to School!!!

Well, it's that time of year again!  It's time to go back to school.  I am a little excited.  I mean, summer is fun, but sometimes, you miss doing school everyday, and you feel like you have nothing to do.  It's kind of like watermelon, you eat it all summer until you hate it, and then all winter long all you do is dream about it!  Same thing with summers.  You miss school all summer long, but then halfway through the school year, you can't wait for it to be summer again.
STUDY STUDY STUDY!!!!!
So this year is a big one for me BECAUSE:  It is my first year in high school!!!  9th grade, YAY!!!!  So yeah kind of excited about that, but a little scared too.  Makes me wonder if I am ready for it.  I remember when I was in like 3rd and 4th grade, and my dad was the teen leader at our church.  I hung out with the teens a lot because I went with my parents on the outings.  Anyway, I always dreamed about what I would be like when I was in 9th and 10th grade!  Well, here I am!!  I couldn't wait until I was older, and now sometimes, I just wish I was a kid again!  4 years from now, I will be graduating, BUT I would rather not think about that!!
But anyway, for those of you that don't like school, don't think about it as this thing that parents make us do and you can't wait until its over, but think about it as an opportunity to learn more.  That way, when you are older, you will be able to do something with your life.
Anyways, thanks for reading my little blog post!  I know it was not very long today.  But there will be more coming soon.  Until next time, TTYL!!!

Thoughts with Kristin - Goodbyes Aren't Always Easy

Okay so I have written a blog post before about saying goodbye and things like that.  And the main reason for this post is just for me to get a little bit of my thoughts out of my head.  Now, today, I said goodbye to an awesome friend of mine.  This young lady was like a big sister/best friend/MK.  WE connected because she was one of the only people I had ever met that really understood how I felt.  How it felt to come to a foreign country and not have any friends.  How to be a MK and become and teenager for the Lord.  How to handle things that would come and go.  She was really awesome.  I posted this on FB this morning and I got a comment that really encouraged me.   In short she said to “Remember”.  Of course, I am going to miss her, and wish she was here.  But don’t spend all my time just sitting around going into depression while wishing she was here, but remember the good times we had together.  Now something this friend always told me was that it is ok to cry.  Crying is just one of the ways to express our emotions.  SO yeah, I just remember all those good times we had together, starting from the first time we met.  All the way up to the day I hugged her neck and said goodbye.  See there is one good thing about this entire story.  I found a real and true friend.  There are not many friends like that in this world.  But I am happy to say that I have a few of these.  Anyway, thanks for reading my rambling.  This is just my thoughts so yeah kind of scattered.  But keep an eye out pretty soon for a blog post about my life and what has been going on with us here recently.  I may even do a video on it, who knows?  But until next time, TTYL!!!  And remember to remember!!!

Being Thankful!!

Okay so we all have at least one thing to be thankful for.  I could make a list that could go to the moon and back for all the things that I want to thank God for.  But here are some of my top ones.
1.  A good home church/family.  Sometimes, we take things like this for granted.  My family is the best in the whole world in my opinion.  They love me and I love them.  Then there is my church family in America.  A church family like that is something that I am very thankful for.  I know just about all of them pray for our family daily.  And we love and miss all of them.
2.  Friends on the mission field.  You know it was really hard for me to accept Thailand at first.  One reason was because I had no friends.  Everyone at church spoke Thai, and so did everybody else around me.  I had no desire to do anything.  I never realized how much I enjoyed having friends around until they were gone.  And I had them no more.  I finally came to my senses and started making friends one day, and it did me a world of good.  I have also said goodbye to many of them.  A friend is one thing that most people take for granted.  You have a friend, and you do things together, and you think it can never end.   In about two weeks, I am going to say goodbye to a very good friend of mine.  I know it is not going to be easy.  She has been one of the best friends I could ever have.  But one thing about a real friend is that, you never really forget each other, and you never REALLY say goodbye.  I know I'll see her again, but that does not make it any easier to say goodbye.  
3.  A home in Heaven.  This is one thing I will always be thankful for.  Jesus Christ died on the cross to save me in my sins.  I never can get over that.  Then he rose again on the third day.  Hallelujah!!!!!  I am so happy I am saved.  I have peace that I did not have when I came to Thailand.  I now serve HIM here in Thailand teaching young kids Bible stories in Thai, and telling them the way to Heaven.
4.  I am thankful that God allows me to serve Him here in Thailand.  Since I got saved, it was like a spark was lit inside me.  I enjoy helping and doing things at church, whereas when we first came I did not wanna do anything that had to do with Thailand. I wanted to get out of this place.  It took Thailand to bring me to God.  I thought one day, if I had not come to Thailand, I might not have gotten saved.  You know sometimes we don't know why things happen.  We get confused and think it will all turn out wrong, but God knows.  And God knows what is best for each and every one of us.  He puts things in out paths accordingly.  I never thought I would be in Thailand.  If you had asked me 6 or 7 years ago if we would be missionaries to Thailand, I would have said no.  I did not know.  And at first I was sad about being here, but then my friend told me this,
"Not all girls your age get the chance to live in a foreign country, you should embrace the unique experience."  And look where embracing the unique experience got me, I am serving the Lord!!
Thanks for reading my LONG post!  Here is a little bonus video.  TTYL!!

I Have Been Blessed!!

I am just going to take a little time and blog about how much I have been blessed.
Reasons:
1.  I was born in a Christian family.
2.  I was homeschooled and never had to go to public school.
3.  I have a loving mother, father, and brother.
4.  Jesus died on the cross to save me from sins!!!!
5.  I got saved on September 26, 2012.
6.  I am in Thailand serving the Lord.
You know I have been blessed my entire life.  Both my parents are Christians.  I was never allowed to do the sinful things that the world does, and now I know why.  I was homeschooled right from the beginning.  I never had to go to public school.  I have a wonderful family that loves me.  Jesus died on the cross to save me from my sins, and I accepted this gift as of September 26, 2012.  I am now serving the Lord in Thailand. I never thought about it this way, but if we had not come to Thailand, I might not have gotten saved.  The one thing that stuck out in my mind was "How can I tell these Thai people about the Lord Jesus Christ, if I am not saved myself?"  Thailand caused me to take a look at my own life.  I love that song, "I have been blessed".  Here are the lyrics to that song.  It is the perfect description of how much I have been blessed.
1st Verse 
When He walks among us, all that He does, All of His mercy and all of His love.  If the pen of a writer could write every day even this world could never contain just how I've been blessed / The warmth in the winter, the flowers in spring, the laughter of summer, and the changing of leaves.  Food on my table, a good place to sleep, clothes on my back and shoes on my feet.  Oh, I have been blessed. 

Chorus 
I have been blessed, God's so good to me, precious are His thoughts of you and me.  No way I could count them there's not enough time, so I'll just thank Him for being so kind.  God has been good, so good.  I have been blessed. 

2nd Verse 
Arms that will raise, a voice that can talk, hands that can touch and legs that can walk.  Ears that can listen and eyes that can see, oh, I've got to praise Him as long as I breathe.  Cause I have been blessed / Father and mother, nurtured and raised, my sisters and brothers, memories made.  Our pastor to lead us, this altar to pray, Stripes that can heal and a Blood that can save.  Oh, I have been blessed. 

3rd Verse 
We live in a country, the greatest on earth, our flag stands for freedom and what it is worth.  She stands in the harbor, Ms. Liberty calls, all have gave some, but some gave it all for me to be blessed / A shoulde to lean on when I am down, a rock where He leads me when I'm overwhelmed.  The place where He hides me under His wings.  He's not just a song, He's the reason I sing, Oh, and I have been blessed.
This is the story of my life right here!!  There is also a bonus video at the end of this song.
Hope you enjoyed this little praise of mine!!  Until next time, TTYL!!

Guest Post: Growing Up on the Mission Field

Today we have a guest post!  It was written by my friend who goes by the pen name Emma Greere.  We had an idea not, too long ago, to do a guest post on each other's blogs.  So here it is, enjoy!!

Growing Up on the Mission Field

My parents first told me that our family was going to Thailand to be missionaries when I was around four years old. We started going from church to church when I was five. So I have been in the ‘missions business’ for nearly my whole life.

When Kristin asked me to write this blog post, I wondered what I should write about. I do know what it's like to grow up on the mission field, but what do I say about it? Do I talk about the frustration? The times I hated Thailand? Should I reveal that much?

Frustration... if that's one thing missionaries knows it's frustration. For myself, it's been frustration with Americans. For a while I was kind of a bitter and judgmental person and I prided myself in knowing more about the world. Well, I say 'know' more, I'm still learning about the world. It wasn't until the day I read a book and the lesson was that everyone has issues. That's when I realized that not everyone is as 'all knowing' as other people are. Just saying that I know a lot about 'the outside world' I would be lying to myself. Because I don't. I really don't, I'm still learning about the world just like everyone else. Proud and full of myself... that is what I was. Gotta accept what you were before!

I won't lie, I had my moments that I hated Thailand. Growing up, I felt different from my friends in America. Because of the fact that I grew up in Thailand and that I was the 'missionary's daughter'. I wanted to be a 'normal American girl' like everyone else. I wondered what our lives would have been like if we had stayed in America. But now as I think about it, I would never want to go back and change things. I like living in Thailand, I like being a missionary kid.

The thing I am so extremely grateful for, is that I had amazing parents! During deputation (when we went around America raising money from churches) we got to go to awesome places and saw national monuments, historical landmarks, and got to go to theme parks.
Even when we came to Thailand, we went to temples and went elephant riding, we were tourists for the first few years we were here. My parents made me love Thailand!

Even though there was the difficulty of growing up different from the average American I'm proud to say that I grew up a missionary/third culture kid.
I believe that living in Thailand has made me who I am now.

Hope you enjoyed this!!  Here is a link to Emma's blog!  The post that I wrote on her blog is on there!!  Until next time, TTYL!!

Special Father's Day post!!!

It is Father's Day!!  Well, it is in America.  Anyway, I have already made a video for Father's day and I will put the link to that video in the bottom.  I also wrote a poem for Father's Day which pretty much sums up what I am gonna write in here.   A father is a special person in the life of any child.  I mean sometimes I think we take dads for granted.  They work so that the family can eat, have a place to live, have clothes on their backs, and even after working all the time, they still have time for their children.  A father loves and cares.  And now I am going to brag on my dad a little bit.  My dad is my favorite man in the world.  Ever since I was little I was always daddy's little girl.  He has loved me all 13 years of my life.  I remember when I was little, I could not wait for daddy to get home from work.  Partly because he would always bring me a different chocolate bar every night, and another reason, because I couldn't wait to spend time with my dad when he got home.  Anytime I had a problem, I would go to dad and he would always be glad to help me.  Then I got older.  I know he probably had a hard time dealing with me sometimes, but somehow he did it.  I know he gave me enough spankings to make a big difference.  Then we moved to Thailand.  When he told us that we were going to be missionaries to Thailand, I was a little scared.  But I went on because I trusted my daddy.  I knew that if daddy was doing it, it must be the right thing.  So now I am in Thailand.  I am 13 years old.  I think he has a hard of a time being a dad to a preteen as I had being one.  But through it all, he has been the greatest dad I could ever have.  He and mom have both dealt with me for 13 years and I love both of them.  Here is the poem that I wrote for Father's Day.

What a Father is to Me

A father is a special person,

A man who loves and cares,

He loves and cherishes his children,

With a love that never wares.

He is a strong and encouraging man,

A shoulder to lean on,

And when I don’t think I can,

He helps me stand thereon.

Another thing, a father,

Guides me as a child,

So that when I am older,

I will know to do what’s right.

And best of all, my father, 

Follows the Lord,

So I know I’m in God’s will,

If I follow my father.

So that is all I have to say!!  Hope you enjoyed this little blog post, and watch the video that I made for Father's day too!!  :D  Happy Father's Day to all fathers out there!!  And Happy Father's Day to you too, DAD!!!!

Finished with a book!!! The Sound of Sleigh Bells

If you don't want spoilers please don't read this.  I really enjoyed the book, the sound of sleigh bells.  It is set in amish country.  I think Cindy Woodsmall did a very good job of keeping reader's attention throughout the book.  It could be classified as a romance novel, and normally I would not read a romance, and I was worried about that when I started this book, but I got into it, and Cindy did not always emphasize the love.  Beth was a hurting girl who worked with her aunt.  She has been mourning the death of her fiance for a year, and she is mourning for one particular reason.  She goes on a business trip and hears about a carver named Jonah Kissinger.  She thinks he is an old man, because that is just what everyone calls him.  Lizzy noticed Beth's interests in this man's carvings and deceived the both of them into writing each other.  Beth ends up sharing secrets with him that she would share with no one else.  That is all I am gonna say, if you want to know more read the book.  She also ends up telling Jonah about he BIG SECRET.  you wanna know what the BIG SECRET is?  you have to read the book to find out.  I am not going to spoil it for everyone else just because someone wants to know the secret.  Hope you enjoyed this "little" review!!!

Thoughts with Kristin - "'Be yourself"

Okay, I know it has been a very long time since I have blogged.  This is supposed to be a daily thing, but I am going to change that right now.  I will try to post every day, but I may not so don't be disappointed if I don't.
Today's thought is be yourself.  This is one hard thing to do sometimes.  Some times we start making friends.  And nobody is the same so that friend may do something different than we do.  We always want to be like our friends, and be like everyone else.  Everyone longs to fit in, but let me tell you that it is not that way sometimes when you're a Christian.  Being a Christian is not really that hard.  But standing on what you believe may be sometimes.  You may have a friend that does not believe the same way as you.  You  may have a friend that is not even a Christian.  That friend may do things that you know is wrong, and they invite you to do it with them, but what do you say?  Do you turn away from everything you've been taught and go and do with them?  Or do you stand firm on what you believe?  Let me tell you that when you have unsaved friends, it is hard sometimes to do the right thing, but if you ask God to help you, He will.  You will be able to get through any problem or temptation with the Lord's help.

Thoughts with Kristin - "Fear"

Okay, so once again, I forgot to post yesterday, because we were very busy.  Today's thought is "Fear".  Fear is something that everyone has.  Everyone has been scared at least once.  I know I have.  Some people have phobias.  Some people are afraid of the dark, some are afraid of heights like me, and some are afraid of going underwater.  But it does not matter what kind of fear you have, there is a remedy for all fears.  Some people would say talk to your friend.  Some people would say talk to someone close to you like a family member, and those remedies work too.  But the remedy I am going to mention comes from God.  God is there to help His children.  When you're scared, just talk to God.  Pray and ask Him to help you through it.  Then read your Bible.  It always helps to read your Bible when you're scared.

Currently reading

I have changed my mind, and decided to start a book called The Sound of Sleigh Bells by Cindy Woodsmall.  I am on page 21 of 194.  I will post more about it later when I have time.

Thoughts with Kristin - "Prayer"

Sorry I forgot to post yesterday, but today's thought is "Prayer".  We all know what prayer is right?  Prayer is the way we talk to God.  Now here is how it works, God talks to us through His Word and we talk to Him through prayer.  But how often do you pray every day?  Prayer is one thing that we should do everyday along with our Bible reading.  Most people find a time in the day when they are not doing anything, and pray and read their Bible.  Praying may not mean much to you at first, but after you talk to God for a while, you will find that you can't seem to quit.  Praying may seem weird at first.  But after a while, you will begin to see that praying about something helps alot.  You will have to spend more than five minutes just to talk to God about everything you want to talk about.  Prayer is a wonderful thing!!!

Thoughts with Kristin - "Goodbye"

Today’s thought is “Goodbye”.  This is one word that not many people like to say.  I have said it so many times since I became a missionary.  There is just something about that word that makes me feel sad inside.  Especially when you think about whom you are saying it to.  But you know, there are two kinds of goodbyes.  One is just goodbye, not really caring, just saying it because that person is leaving.  Then there is the other kind.  The kind I use, the kind that is said with love and a longing inside for that person to stay with you.  I have said it a lot.  First, I said it when we left the states.  That was one of the hardest.  Then I said it to my good friend Bounmee when she went back to Laos.  Then I did not have to it for a while.  Then I had to say goodbye to Bounmee and Baiyan after they had both come to Thailand for a visit.  Then I had to say goodbye to our good friends Asim and Tina who went to the US.  And next month I am gonna have to say goodbye to my good friend Hannah Frederick.  But there is just something about all of these goodbyes.  You never get used to it.  You never know when one is gonna come at you.  I cried on every one of those goodbyes.  Mainly because I was sad, but why would you cry?  Because you are saying goodbye to people you love.  With this one coming up, I know I am gonna cry.  Not because it is sad.  But because one of my best friends is leaving and I am gonna miss her.  Now some people would not cry.  But I cry because God gave us ways to express our emotions and I like to use them.   Hope you enjoyed this!!!!

"Last Plane Out of Paris- Attacked!" Book review

This book was ok.  It started out very dramatically with two people being killed in the military in WWII and their son joining the military to avenge his parents death.  The book itself had a good start to it, but as you get into it, you can see that it is not very interesting.  It is like a continuous conversation and there is not much happening except a whole lot of talking.  The author does not really give us much to go on about what is going on in between conversations.  I have also read the author's other book called the Florida Chase.  It is ok, but you can tell that the author kind of rushed it when he was writing.  I read the first book of both series because they were both free.  But I am not so sure I will get the next ones which are not also free.

Kristin Reads

I have two other blogs, but this one will be used for updating you about what books I read, and giving reviews about what books I have read and things like that.  I don't have much to say right now, but here is the name of the book I am going to start.
Harken by Kaleb Nation

Thoughts with Kristin - "Food"

Today's thought is "Food".  When I say food, you think like physical food, or something like that.  But that is not the food that I am talking about.  This food is spiritual food.  Just like we need physical food to live in life, we need spiritual food to live for Jesus in our Christian life.  Now food in our spiritual life is different than food in our physical life.  Physical food is like good ole fried chicken and Apple pie.  But how do we eat spiritually.  By reading God's Word.  The B-I-B-L-E!!!  If you are a Christian, then you know what I am talking about.  If you don't eat every day you will die right?  OK well if you don't eat spiritually every day, then you will never grow in the Lord.  Just a chapter a day along with a little prayer is all it takes.  You will find that after you get started, you will want to read more and more every day.  You may start with one chapter, then the next day you will read a chapter once again.  Then you will find that you don't want to put your Bible down.  I know how it feels.  I read every morning.  When I first started, I only read like a chapter a day.  But now, I can't seem to put it down.  So every day , don't forget to eat spiritually and physically.

BTW, check out my new blog that will keep you updated with what books I read and such.

Thought's with Kristin - "Love"

Today's thought is "Love".  When you think of love, what or who do you think about?  You may think about someone you love.  You may think about someone you know loves you.  Now love is a very important thing.  True love is something that is also very hard to come by.  Parents love their kids.  Husbands and wives love each other.  But I am gonna tell you a story of the greatest demonstration of love.  A long time ago, Jesus came into this world and took on the form of a man and was born through Mary.  He then grew up and Became a great teacher.  Some people sat at His feet and listened intently, but some people (meaning the religious leaders) did not like Jesus.  With the help of Judas, they had Jesus crucified.  Now why would Jesus come to this world and die?  Because he LOVES us.  He came to this world and died because it took the precious blood of the Lamb of God to take away the sins of this world.  Jesus loves everybody with a real and true love.  But you may ask, who else loves me in this world?  Why don't you try your parents?  Or maybe a friend?  Like I have said before a friend loveth like no other.

Thoughts with Kristin - "Happiness"

Today's thought is "Happiness".  Have you ever had true happiness in your life?  True happiness is something that is hard to come by for some people.  But if you know Jesus, it can't be very hard.  For example, when something is funny we laugh, and laughing is a sign of happiness, but it doesn't last forever.  It doesn't last all the time.  It eventually goes away, and after awhile it is not even funny anymore.  Let me tell you how Jesus can give you true happiness.  Jesus can come into your heart and save you.  And the idea to know that the King of kings is living in your heart, and living with you all the time is a pretty happy thought.  Once again, I am gonna use my life as an example.  Before I got saved 7 months ago, I was not happy on the inside.  I got happy sometimes on the outside, and acted happy all the time, but I was never truly happy, for many reasons.  Mainly because I had no friends at all, and most importantly because I did not have Jesus living inside of me.  Then as I said last time, I met a friend named Pookie, and she was nice.  But one thing about her stuck out.  She was always HAPPY.  And I don't mean just physically happy, I mean spiritually happy.  Something about her made me think, "Why is she always happy?"  I had been dealing with salvation for a long time, so I then knew, she had Jesus in her soul and that is what made her happy.  I knew I needed to get saved, but I was too prideful to do it.  I then asked Pookie if I could start helping in teaching Sunday School on Sunday.  She was very helpful, and helped me learn how to teach the kids correctly.  I wanted to teach the kids, because it kept me away from the thought that I just might not be saved.  But it did not help much, because most of the lessons I studied mentioned salvation, and it just made me think even more.  Then one Wednesday night, I listened to the Pastor preaching, and he was preaching about Being Afraid to Die.  I knew he was preaching right to me.  After the pastor finished preaching, I told dad that I needed to get saved, and he said, "Okay honey, wait until the service is over, and I will take you out."  But I told him that I needed to do it right there.  He then took me out, and I took care of it.  I had peace in my heart.  I had true happiness.  Can't you see how the happiness of one person rubbed off on another person, and caused me to get saved?  Happiness is a really great thing if you are truly happy.

Thoughts with Kristin - "Friend"

Today's thought is - Friend.  Who do you think of when you say this word?  You may think of you bff.  You may think of you dog (like duh, man's best friend).  You may think of you sibling or a family member.  I have alot of people that I call friends.  But what is a friend really?  A friend is someone who is there to lend a helping hand.  One who is there to encourage you.  One who loves and cares for you.  One who feels your pain when you are feeling down.  One who is easy to talk to.  I know sometimes it is easier to tell a friend something than it is to tell other people.  You may think about this and say, I don't know if I have anyone like that in this world.  Let me tell you friend.  I was at this very same point a long time ago.  I came to Thailand and had no friends.  I had friends in America, but it was not like having a back door neighbor like I used to.  Then one day I met a friend at church named Pookie.  She affected me for life.  Something about her caught my eye though.  She was always happy.  No matter what happened she always had a way of making my day brighter.  I knew she had something in her that made her happy.  But because I had no other friend, I just hung out with her more and more.  Mainly because she spoke English, and it felt good to speak to someone in English.  Then on September 26, 2012, I got another friend.  His name was Jesus!!  I asked Jesus to come in to my heart and save me, and I had a friend like no other.  Jesus is there to encourage you through His word.  Jesus is there to lend a helping hand through prayer.  Jesus loves and cares for us.  Jesus feels your pain when you are feeling down.  He is also very easy to talk to.  Have you ever noticed how easy it is to say something to Jesus when you are praying?  I have many friends in this world.  My first friend is Jesus!!  Then there are my other friends like Pookie, Hannah, Kate, Sarah, and many, many more.  It is so easy to talk to all of these friends.  How do you get a friend like this?  From the Bible. "A man that hath friends must show himself friendly, and there is a friend that sticketh closer than a brother." - Proverbs 18:24.  I hope you enjoyed today's thought!!!!!

Thoughts with Kristin - "Home"

My other blog is going to be used for updates and such, but now in this blog, I am going to blog about things that interest me, and what goes through my mind as a missionary kid in Thailand.
Today's thought is "home".  Have you ever even thought about the word?  I thought about it the other day as we were in Malaysia for visa purposes.  I couldn't wait to get home, but I did not mean home in America.  I meant Thailand.  I looked up the word home in the dictionary, and it gave 5 things.  But this one caught my eye.  -The place or region in which one's domestic affections are centered.  Now when I first came to Thailand last year, I did not call Thailand home.  To me it was just awful.  I was homesick most of the time.  It always felt like everything and everybody was against me.  I would call our house home, just because that was where we lived, but to me, America was my home.  The main reason for that kind of thinking was that I was not yet saved.  I had never truly accepted Jesus Christ as my Savior.  I never had peace about coming to Thailand.  Many people asked me about it, and I would just say that it is going to be an adventure.  Now I see things differently.  I see Thailand as my home.  I belong in Thailand.  In the mind of a teenager like me, something changed that day I got saved.  Some thing clicked.  It was like I knew the reason I was here.  That was why the LORD helped me learn the Thai language so well.  I believe the LORD wanted me here.  So what is a home again?  Home is where you belong.  My home is Thailand.
I know my thoughts may seem a bit cluttered, but that is why I called this blog thoughts with Kristin.  Because it is just my thoughts.  Straight from my head, typed on to the screen.  Hope you enjoy it!!!

School is almost out

     Hello again folks!!!  I have not updated in a very long time, so this will give you a big insight on what has been going on with the Rutledge family in Thailand.  As most of you know, the school year is coming to a close.  Kenton and I will finish school tomorrow, so I am very excited.  But that excitement goes away when I see all those tests that I have to take tomorrow.  

     English Camp was a blast.  We all had a great time, and I think that includes teachers and students.  We had 9 souls saved at the camp, PRAISE THE LORD!!!  I was able to give my testimony one morning at the camp, and I was very nervous.  I am ok singing with someone else in front of a lot of people, but it was just me and the Pastor and I was talking.  My friends said they could see the microphone shaking while I was talking.  But all went well. 

     At church, our piano player went on a trip, so me and another lady were the only other people there that could play the piano.  So therefore we split it up.  She played the first two songs, and I played the offertory and the last song.  I was VERY NERVOUS.  I had never played for people singing before, and it is very hard.  There is a whole lot more thinking involved in it that I thought.  But thankfully, I lived, but now I know I have to stay in practice, because now that they know I can play, they might use me more often.  :D

     Next week, we will be taking a trip to Malaysia for some visa stuff.  We will be gone from the 14-18 of May.  I would explain it, but I don't get it myself, so I can't.  Anyway, Kenton and I will be done with school, so we are going to make a small vacation out of it.  We are going to see many of the sights in Kuala Lumpur.  I have heard that there are some high towers there also, and dad says we might tour them.  I am ok with that, but I am not looking over the edge, because I am scared to death of heights.  

     That is about all for this update, check out my youtube channel and my Facebook page for more updated pics and such.  TTYL!

English Camp 2013

Here is a video recap of the english camp 2013!!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4m-495JzNoM&feature=youtu.be

English Camp 2013

     Hello again everyone!!  Things have been going well here, as we have been very busy preparing for our English Camp.  We currently have about 60 students signed up.  We have it set up so that it will be preparing them to be one of ASEAN.  (If you don't know what that is, look on wikipedia, because I can't explain it, LOL).  The students will be separated into 10 different groups, (one for each country in ASEAN).  During the week, they will learn about that country, and on Saturday evening each group will give a presentation on that country.  It is going to be very interesting.  There will also be other classes which will focus on English learning.  Please pray that we might see a few souls saved in this camp.
     I have recently posted some videos on you tube about the Rubik's cube.  One of them is just me solving it, and the other is a tutorial.  I hope they are understandable.  Even though I don't like listening to myself in videos, I did on that one just to make sure it was understandable, and I get it, but I am the one who made the video, so I am supposed to get it.  I hope that it will help you if you are trying to learn it.
     That's all for this update!!!!!!!!!!!

Just an update!

     Ok folks, this is just a little update!  Things are going very well, and right now we are experiencing lots of smog.  I guess it is just that time of year again.  Lots of people in the mountains are burning things right now, so it is really bad.  Over the past few days, my family and I have been doing a lot of cool things.  On Thursday, I went to my friend Kate's house, and we had a little "party".  It was awesome.  We stayed there until 9:00 pm.  (FYI, Her house is like a 30 second bike ride from my house, so I did not have to travel far.) Then on Friday, we went to a Mexican restaurant here in Chiang Mai, and I guess since the people who own it knew that Mexican food is a little bit spicy too, they put some spicy stuff in it.  I had a barbecue pork burger, and that thing made my lips turn red, and my nose run.  (For those of you who don't know, my reaction to pepper, is red lips and runny nose.)  But it was still so good!!!  Then later that night, we went to the Night Bazaar.  It was awesome!!!  And once again, I did not take pictures, so I can't show you how much fun we had, but just trust me when I say that we did a lot of walking.  Then on Saturday, I sort of sat around the house, until that evening when I went out with my friend Pookie.  We went to an Italian restaurant near our house, and had a great time!  Well, that is about it for this update!  If you have not already done so, look me up on Facebook, or follow me on twitter.  TTYL!!!

Welcome to my blog!

     Hello everyone!  I hope that this new blog will give more people a chance to keep up with me.  I am a missionary kid in Thailand, that speaks the Thai language, and wants to serve the Lord.  I have been in Thailand for over a year now, and I am enjoying every minute of it.  It is a joy to serve the Lord on the mission field.
     What a day I had on Sunday!  (This is just something that happened on Sunday at church.)  My friends and I were eating together after church on Sunday.  In Thailand, the food is very spicy.  I knew that there were some little tiny peppers in the food, but as I was talking, I was not paying any attention to what I was putting on my spoon.  Then, I done it!  I took a bite and bit into a pepper, and it was like a bomb of spiciness just exploded in my mouth.  Normally someone would just spit out the pepper, but I didn't, I swallowed it whole.  I went to get some water and after about 30 minutes of drinking and sloshing water around in my mouth, it stopped burning.  But that pepper was still in my stomach.  I had a very bad stomachache until finally, I knew what I needed to do.  I went straight to the bathroom and I was so happy when the pepper came back up.  After that I was fine, but if you want to know how much that hurt, let's just say that I would have cried if I was not at church.