We Are the Champions!

So this weekend James and I played a game called sequence with our newly engaged friends Kevin and Drew. We decided to play girls vs. guys just for fun. The first game was a super quick and seemingly effortless win by the girls. Then came the second game which was won almost as quickly as the first. The guys still felt like they needed to play another round. The third game could have been called a lightening round, the girls won and totally triumphed in the game of sequence. It was hilarious!!! At least we thought so! They guys already want a re-match, they couldn't believe their defeat!

On other news, James and I have been editing all weekend. I have been editing wedding pics from a wedding that James and I shot for. He did the video and I did candid pictures. I love taking pictures it is so fun and yet I have so much to learn. And the more pictures I take the more I desire photography gadgets....as with any hobby. Also I've been helping to plan two big outreach events with the church. Its pretty fun! This next weekend we will be reaching out to refugee families in the DC area, so I'm excited to get it planned.

Tomorrow I have the day off so this week will be a short one!Thanksgiving is just around the corner and my parents are coming to visit James and I in VA!!! I'm super excited to make a thanksgiving meal with my mom! We make a pretty good team!

As I close I will quickly recap our halloween fun. James and I had the small group over and we carved pumpkins. James and I were ninjas, and I accidently scared two 4 year olds who were trick or treating.... all in all a fun and eventful night! Here are some pics!

Update Needed Now!

So I admit I am currently a VERY bad blogger....hopefully that will change. So much has happened since my last entry. My job has picked up a lot. I am so busy, and my days seem to fly by. We're trying get the church going in Washington DC and it is tough stuff! But wow do we have an amazing opportunity to serve here. It's been neat working on my new team and getting the know the group dynamics. The last two weeks have been a blur though with everything that has been going on. There have been prayer meetings, classes, registrations for classes, sunday service work, and lots of popcorn! Yes, I served popcorn to thousands of people at church last weekend to promote our new campus which Lord-willing will be in this really neat historic movie theater. Lately my weekday and weekends have been running together with plans and engagements of some kind or another. A few weekends ago James and I went to VA beach for a much needed rest and relaxation. It was wonderful and so calming... I even got a tan! James and I also had time a few weeks ago to visit the white house and get an official and VIP West Wing tour!!! It was so neat to see where the President and previous Presidents worked. To think of all the decisions that were made in those rooms and to be where people had changed the world was too amazing. Not to mention knowing that not everyone gets a West Wing tour was definitely a plus. It was pretty neat!

This weekend James and I went to Pennsylvania to visit our friends the Mundens! It was really great to see them and spend time with them. They are possibly going to go to Africa as missionaries within the next few years. There was a play at their church and fundraising event. It was neat to see their whole church get behind this missions trip prayerfully, emotionally, and financially. The play was about some of the missionaries experiences from the last trip where they spent many years among an African tribe and how God used them and taught them there. We also ended up going to an apple orchard for fun while we were there and that was pretty fun too! The had some interesting animals!

This past week I also ran into a girl that was at my campus crusade staff training in FL in 2005!!! It was crazy! And fun! Its always so encouraging when you get together with people whose faith just leaps out of them. I've been missing my friends lately. You know the verse "as iron sharpens iron, so one man shall sharpen another."? Well that is how I feel about my friends and we're so spread out lately, running into this fellow staffer was so refreshing. I hope that we can meet up again now that she is living in the same area as James and I!

This week I'm hoping things will relax a little...but that might be a lofty hope! I'm excited for Halloween I love the holidays and decorating for them. I found out today that my Boppa might need to get another heart surgery so we're all praying for him and waiting to see what the doctors say. He had a triple bypass surgery years ago and now they say his heart is not getting enough oxygen so we will see. I pray that the Lord would be with my Boppa, my family, and the doctors who overseeing this.

On a side note.... today I baked two pies!!! I'm pretty impressed with myself... they are pretty good! Now I can officially say that I've baked an apple pie! Ha!

Well that's it for now, I'm seriously going to get better at blogging! In the meantime, though enjoy the update pics!!!

Interesting Day

That is what I would call today...interesting. It started out by waking up at 6:30am on my day off to go into the DMV to get my car licensed and registered. I really thought that this time would be smooth sailing...well not so much. We didn't have the right form, then I didn't need the new form, then I needed a notarized copy of something. I guess they just didn't believe that I bought my car from my dad for $1.00....I guess I can't blame them, but c'mon this is a run around. Not to mention the lady that was helping us out wasn't exactly friendly. I shot her my best smiles and had really great manners, none of which seemed to matter or have effect on her. I think it made her dislike her job even more. I don't think anyone that works there likes their jobs. They're not very friendly and no smiles, anywhere. The only smiling I see is when people are actually leaving the building.

After the DMV, James and I were off to get notarized a form she had give us. We thought maybe we could do it at the post office. And since we were going to go to the post office we might as well get my passport renewed and the name changed. Then we thought if we were going to get the passport taken care of I would need new photos. So we went to Costco to get the photos. Costco was quick thank goodness and I actually liked my photo. (Not too shabby for waking up at 6am with no shower and no makeup.) So off we went to the post office to get the passport and notarization. We soon went to the wrong post office. Then we went to the right one and found out they don't do notarization, or whatever it was we needed. So we continued on with the passport renew. I started to fill out the only passport application thingy I could find. I soon found out that I had to fill out a different application form. They had run out so that is why they did not have any out for us to start filling out. Then I hurriedly finished filling out the correct form for the renew. The passport lady then took my pictures and measured them, and Costco screwed up!!! My picture would not work and would be sent back and make the passport process even longer. So I rather than feel like the day was completely useless, I had the lady at the post office do my passport photo and it was $10.00 more than what I had already paid. Ugghh! Now I have to go back to Costco and tell them to refund my money for the crappy passport photos. (I decided to do that on a day where my success rate was a little better.)

On our way home, James and I thought that we would check to see if our building access keys were working yet. Our plastic access keys (FOB) let us into the clubhouse where the workout facilities are and some other things too. They had stopped working and when we stopped in on Thurs. they were going to have them working by Friday. Well sure enough neither of ours were working correctly. Luckily there was a really nice guy in the office who fixed them on the spot for us and gave James a new one. So that was successful at least and good thing too since I would like to go and work out tomorrow!

Tonight my friend Maggie and I went into Old Town Alexandria and my day took a big spin for the better. The place was bustling with people, art, food, music, and people. We ate outside at Chadwicks where the waiter kind of forgot about us (but it was okay b/c we enjoyed the time talking and catching up!). It was wonderful weather. Then we walked around the streets where they were having the art festival. We heard an amazing blue grass band performing in the street. Then we walked down by the Riverfront to look at the boats and water. On our way we passed many different talented people performing. There was even a guy playing water glasses...he had about 30 glasses on the table of all shapes and sizes. A little further down there was a one man band. He was pretty good! He was playing the harmonica, drums, guitar, and singing all at the same time. (Or at least all in the same song!) It was quite impressive! Then to top off the evening as we approached the end of the waterfront where the pier was...the fireworks began! They just exploded right before our eyes! Talk about great timing! It was a fun evening and I love having time with Maggie!

I'm praying for some rest from the crazy morning and for a better beginning tomorrow! I'll let you know, but sometimes it good to have days like today. They remind you not to take life's mishaps too seriously. It also makes me very thankful that I do not work at the DMV or the post office.

Summer 07

Well, it's officially the end of summer.... it went so quickly! Things are going pretty well. James and I were able to really clean out our apartment and get rid of a lot of junk. I was able to visit home in late July for a short visit and loved my time there. I wish I could go back! Things at work have been pretty good. I get my new laptop from work on wedsnesday and I'm excited. I am as busy as ever with all the different campuses we are preparing to launch. Tonight I am exhausted! There isn't too much new that I can report on right now I guess you'll just have to sit through all 87 photos on the slide show to really see how we've been filling our time these days.



On a side note.... I've been thinking a lot about how God in His amazing love is beyond compare. He is good and His way is perfect. Beyond any plans I could make for myself.

Lifehouse

Make sure your speakers are on and please take a moment and watch this all the way through... I just love it!

July is Here!

Well, things have certainly been busy! Recently work wise we announced the launch of two new churches in the DC area. Since my job is to assist in these new campuses to say I was busy is definitely an understatement. Everything and everyone has been a buzz these last few weeks. Not only are we opening two new campuses but I have been chosen to be the campus administrator of the Uptown campus! How amazing is that?! I am on a team with some amazing individuals from MBC. I've only been working here for 3 months and I'm honored to be given this position to say the least. So right now, until things are finalized with me switching over, I've been working for 3 different campuses of MBC. I'm looking forward to getting things a little more organized and to focus on the things ahead.

James and I have attended 5 weddings in the last 6 weeks! We have one more to go this weekend in Erie, PA. It's been fun to see all our friends getting married and sharing in their joy. It's so weird to think James and I have been married for over a year now. We've been getting to know the couples in our small group (bible study group) and that has been great! They are all uniquely wonderful! I turned 25 a couple of weeks ago! I am officially a quarter of a century old...so weird! And I get cheaper car insurance :) The weekend before my birthday we hiked with friends in the Shenandoah mountains and it was beautiful. We saw waterfalls and got a workout too.

It seems like all my updates lately are about what I've been up to... I guess I just haven't made time for myself to reflect. I'm going to though. I need to! I also need to workout... I'm going to do that too! Every morning I plan on working out and the battle between sleep and my alarm clock begin. Sleep wins a lot... but we'll see maybe I can develop some good habits and just get up! James and I are planing to go home in early August. I am so excited I miss my family and I miss Michigan!!! I'm counting down the days! Well that's it for now please click on this link if you want to see James and my photo albums. We have lots and lots of pics so be warned, but if you want to see what we've been up to in our free time, check it out!

http://picasaweb.google.com/james.kanka

Weddings and Suff

I am so tired! Lately I feel like I am just going, without really taking time for myself. Last week was especially busy with work, friends, and our friend's wedding. It was a great wedding and the best part (besides seeing them get married) was being asked to be a "wedding nazi" with my friend Jenn. Our friends Jenn and Kyle stayed with us that weekend and both of our husbands were groomsmen in the wedding. It was a fantastic way to see my friend Jenn who I miss so much now that she has moved to UVA to be on the Campus Crusade staff there.

The bride and groom knew how much Jenn and I really love weddings and planning, so we were the go-to girls. When I first got there I really didn't think we were going to need to do too much because everyone that was helping out that day seemed to know what to do. But then, out true roles emerged! People were late and needed calls, last minute changes needed to made at the reception site, bouquet holders were not in place, the guest signing table was not set up, caterers had no tables, trash was left around the room after set up, and at the end of the night... you guess it. People left and left their cleaning/packing up responsibilities too! So Jenn, I, and some other friends stayed to get things ready to go. I unfortunately was conered by the lady who is the coordinator from the church and told to mop and sweep the kitchen floor!!! Ha! It was a fun night and this only made me laugh :) No worries though, I didn't spill a thing on my dress and the bride and groom had what seemed to be a fairly seemless night! Yay! Job well done for me and Jenn.

This weekend we have one wedding and two receptions. James' cousins (who are sisters) are celebrating weddings on the same weekend. We have the wedding today with all of James family and then tomorrow is the riverboat cruise reception for his other cousin that was married on a tropical island and now is going to celebrate with family and friends. Next week we have another wedding, our friends from GMU are getting married on a vineyard. Then we actually get 1 or two weekends off, and at the end of the month of June and beginnning of July we have two more weddings! It'll be great fun! And I am definitely getting creative on what to wear so I don't look like I only own one dress! :)

Thurs. night James' grandparents from Nebraska flew in for the wedding celebrations this weekend. We don't get to see them very often and they are sweet as can be! When they came for our wedding in Michigan, my grandparents and James' became best buddies, it was really so cute and perfect! They now write eachother post cards and keep track of eachother from time to time. Who knew that our extended families would like eachother that much? We couldn't have asked for anything better! I'm excited to see them this weekend and this week, seeing how I am a big family person.

And on a side note, this week felt really good at work. I was told some really great things about the work that I have been doing. It's nice to be noticed and appreciated :) Well hopefully I won't take as long of a break from blogging next time. Have a great saturday!

Lights, Camera, Action!

Well this past weekend I let James buy his long awaited and much researched video camera! It was a big decision and I didn't make it on my own by any means, but it was a decision that James was gracious enough to let me make when I wanted to make it. He is so excited and I love seeing him get this way over something he is passionate about. He wants to impact our culture for Christ through film. To him it is not just entertainment but art and a story. The camera is arriving on Thursday! Today I came home to find him trying out all of his tripods, camera stands, and other gear! Just like a kid on Christmas, I can't wait to see his reaction on Thurs.! James' birthday is on Monday so this is just in time :)

Things have been really busy lately we've been having people over a lot which is great! On Saturday James and I went to a farmer's market and it was fun! I liked the samples best! Tomorrow we are having our new bible study over. It's being lead by a great couple that we met through church. Church is really taking off and people are coming to know Christ! That is really cool! This weekend I'm looking forward to celebrating James' birthday and Mother's Day! And I'm really looking forward to relaxing!!!!

I love my work!

Recently at work I have been working with the Frontline Arlington team to plan a volunteer appreciation night for all of our volunteers. We made plans to have a red carpet night and we pulled out all the stops...there was a red carpet, paparattzi, our very own E Entertainment host, Arlington Feud, prizes, lots of cameras, lights, a life size award man, chocolate fondues, chocolate fountain, beverages, a pool table, a rooftop view of the city, and a swanky and modern room to tie it all together. It was a blast and looked amazing! I love that I was able to help plan and implement this night! My team is amazing and here are some pics from the night! To view all the photos from that night you can go to: http://picasaweb.google.com/james.kanka/FrontlineVIPNight

Stuff

Okay so quick update! These are two pics from the bridal shower I went to this weekend. It was a surprise bridal shower for our wonderful friend Jenn. It was a blast! And I got to hang out with some great friends! Job update: I love working at MBC and with the people. Everyone is very nice and welcoming. I enjoy doing something that is having a direct impact on people for Christ. James and I are celebrating our 1yr. anniversary this coming weekend!!!! YAY! So we're going back to Virginia beach to celebrate :) I'm looking forward to being at the beach and hanging out with my wonderful husband. It's crazy to think that just a year ago we were preparing for marriage :) Things are going great so far and really fast! I have recently become addicted to the game settlers of Catan. It sounds so nerdy and it probably is... but I love it and I love playing it with friends. I also attempted to make some drapery this weekend as well. The apartment is almost done, but I feel like there is always something more I would like to do oh well. Recently I've also started to feel sick so I'm praying I will feel better before the anniversay trip!!!! Well, I know I said I would give you all some good details but this is as good as it gets tonight I am sooo sleepy!!!! Night!

Sorry!

Okay, so I haven't exactly been keeping up with my blog this past week or so... sorry! I'll totally update this weekend and get back into the groove of things. Staring my new job and reworking my schedule has been a little crazy, but great. So I'll post more this weekend and maybe even have some pics! :) But in the meantime check out this cool new website that MBC just created its called: www.notasermon.org.

Somthin' New!

Well, I've made my decision and it feels good!

I have decided to take a position with McLean Bible Church. I will be the Community Campus Administrative Assistant. Which means that I will be working with campus development, Frontline Arlington (20 something church group set up in Arlington), and the Internet campus. A little bit of everything! I'm so excited to be working for such an amazing church and the people are great! I have already met with one person on my team a couple of years ago and I love her! It'll be a great change, lots of work, and most importantly it is impacting our culture for Christ!!!

It was a difficult decision because I already had a job with the National Energy Management Institute. And while the benefits of the job were amazing, and I definitely enjoyed the 7-hr. work day... it just wasn't fulfilling. Everyday I felt like I was toughing it out. When this opportunity came, I felt like God was giving me a chance to do something BIG. So I decided to go out on a limb and take it!

I was really nervous about talking with my boss and supervisor, I had no idea how they were going to take my two week notice conversation. For all I knew, they could have kicked me to the curb, making it impossible to use them as a reference. They could have been angry. I've heard some scary stories so I had no idea.

Well, I practiced what I was going to say and stayed up all night the night before nervous. (I hate confrontation and the thought of people yelling at me makes me sick.) So I went into the boss's office and explained my decision to leave in two weeks. They were so sad, but not angry with me. They were understanding! I was so grateful for that! Thank God! They even told me that they would write me a letter of reference if I would like one!!! I was so relieved! Now I can know that I have left on good terms and that I can validate my hard work there. So... now it's just two weeks. I felt really bad for my co-workers because I know I will be putting a strain on them, but this was an opportunity I needed to take. I hope they understand and I will miss them.

Onward I go... two more weeks and then my first day at McLean Bible Church!!! How amazing! And James and I are going to be going to a new married couples Bible study, that's exciting too!

P.S. I've also been working out lately!!! I'm trying really hard to keep it up this time!!!!

Hmmmm....

This was a picture James took of me using my new sewing machine. I've always used my mom's before and it is amazing . This new one I have works great as well, but it is more of a manual machine so I had to read to figure out how to get things going. It was kind of confusing even though I knew in the long run how to sew. I finally figured it out and made some curtains for our bedroom! :) I was proud and next I get to tackle the living room curtains! It's fun and it gives you a feeling of resourcefulness.


Well, I have a decision to make this weekend... but I think I already made it. By making a decision that means that I have to let people down. I hate doing that.... it always feels so...awkward. It also means that I could be stepping out on a limb to try something new. Please pray for me that I am truly discerning God's guiding and that I would be able to stand firm in the things I have to do. I have a tendency to let people make me feel bad and I hope that really doesn't happen. We'll see......the other thing about making decisions is that the thought of letting people down makes me hungry and so then I end up eating everything!!!! Ughhh! I am such a mood eater! :)

Well at least those girl scout cookies will be put to good use!

On the Road Again

These pictures were taken in 2005. This was probably the most uncomfortable driving trip ever. My husband James (then boyfriend) had a finger that swelled to like triple it's size. While his finger was still somewhat abnormal the doctors gave him antibiotics and saw him before we left for our trip to visit my parents for a vacation in Alabama. Well, the doctors believed that the antibiotics they gave him would fix the problem. So we began on our trip to Alabama. Since James was on heavy antibiotics and pain relievers he couldn't drive.

Yup that meant 15 hours of me going nuts driving and listening to James on drugs. Not to mention looking at his hand getting worse and worse by the hour. I guess the doctors were wrong, he needed different antibiotics! And his finger was HUGE! I felt stuck because I literally couldn't do anything but drive. After we got to Alabama we decided to take James into the ER where it was another 8 hours before he was seen and treated. They fixed him and shot him with the big antibiotics which seemed to work. But boy was it an awful painful experience for him. I felt so bad that he endured all that pain just to come on vacation with me. And amidst all this he managed to go on a walk with my parents on the beach and ask if he could have my hand in marriage. He's a wonderful man, and very determined :) I love him very much!

Now James' finger is back to normal and today I was reminded of horrible driving experiences because I just spent a total of 3 and 1/2 hours (at the least) on the road in my car. Yet I somehow only had to travel about 15 miles :) Gotta love the city at 5pm....

That experience I had of driving to Alabama made this one look no so bad in comparision :)

Overwhelmed much?

It seems like lately I've been feeling a little overwhelmed. There is so much that I have on my list of "I would like to do's" that by the time I am done with the "have to's" I'm just plain tuckered out. I've also been facing some big decisions as of recently, and I really need God's guidance to help me with my/our decisions.

This verse rings true for me today "...do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." ~Philippians 4:6-7. I was also reading Abba's Child again today and this part struck me..."When we accept the truth of what we really are and surrender it to Jesus Christ, we are enveloped in peace, whether or not we feel ourselves to be at peace. By that I mean the peace that passes understanding is not a subjective sensation of peace; if we are in Christ, we are in peace even when we feel no peace."

My bad habits tend to lead me to feel anxious, because instead of turning to God and trusting in Him and His will, I try to handle it all myself or figure everything out as quickly as possible. This is a lesson I just keep on needing to learn. I feel like I am constantly learning to wait for the Lord, and His provision because it is perfect. His will is perfect. And no matter how anxious I get, or how much planning I do, it will never be good enough. God is more than good enough for me, and through him there is PEACE. Even if I'm not quite feeling the peace, I know that when I am giving my life (all of it including my plans and control) to Him, there is peace regardless of what my life looks like or feels like at that moment. And THAT quiets my anxious thoughts and gives me the rest and discernment I need.

Yesterday I had a doctor's appointment and was given a shot. It really made my arm hurt it's still sore and the person who took my blood did not do a great job. I have a huge bruise where the blood was drawn and that hurt a lot too :) Later James and I went to church and I had an interview for a position. (I've decided not to say what the position was for until I am ready to share with everyone.) But I would greatly appreciate prayers to give me insight on this position. I am going to another meeting this week to discuss the position, we will see what God has in store for me :)

Today I was incredibly busy and tired at work. I think the shot I received yesterday made me feel a little sick today. By the time 2pm rolled around I felt like I was going to get sick for real! But I'm definitely feeling better now. I'm planning on getting a game night together with some friends this week. I'm looking forward to seeing some of our friends that we don't see to often. I've also been trying to reach some of my friends via phone with no luck. I miss my girls so much! I hope I will have luck connecting with them soon! Not much else is new, I'm going to get back to American Idol now :) God bless!

Clumsy Me! :)

Today I managed to get 5 cuts. One on my toe this morning from the closet and the other four on my hands at work from paper! I wonder what my life would be like without all my clumsy moments. I can still see some asphalt in my knee from when I fell in the high school parking lot! How embarrassing! :) Seems like I'm always falling, bumping, or scraping myself on something. Not purposely, of course. It's not my fault... The paper always seems like its out to get me.... and today the closet door totally jumped out and bit my toe! :)

Perspectives

This picture was taken this past summer on a trip James and I took to a bed and breakfast. I like the perspective it has... right there in that spot I am looking down on 3 different states! It's interesting how things all come together, and totally change your perspective.

Right now I am reading Abba's Child. I found it in my room when I went home to Michigan for a visit this past weekend. The first couple of chapters are very intriguing. I found myself pondering Manning's words as I was scarfing carrots on my short lunch break.

Here were my thoughts: How many times do we perform and put on a false self for security? Instead of identifying our weaknesses, we cover them up and hide them from God. Our weaknesses are like bruises that we would rather cover up. They are sensitive areas. Our bruises need healing and they won't just disappear, it takes time. We find our bruises ugly and pretend we are just as strong with them as we were without them. We might even think that if we have bruises we are un-loved. Well we need not buy in to these lies. God loves us bruises and all! There is freedom and healing in giving our weaknesses to Him. Do not be afraid of knowing him deeply and opening yourself up to discover yourself more.

I realized that I need to keep my perspective in check, and remind myself that I am His. He calls us His beloved, and beckons us to believe it.

Today was a sleepy day. I was grumpy this morning. ... who wants to hear "hurry-up" in the morning? Our schedules have been really busy these last couple of weeks. I've been getting very little sleep and fighting an inevitable cold. So I'm blaming these extremities :)

Interesting story from the Kanka household:

Yesterday I got home from work as quickly as I could so James could use my car. (His car's battery died and we haven't fixed it yet.) Well little did I know while I was visiting Michigan this weekend, James had eaten most of the food in the apartment. We don't keep massive quantities of food around...so it's not that crazy... but, there wasn't very much left when I came home from work and I was stranded without a car...I didn't want to waste money ordering a delivery and I couldn't go anywhere so... I found a large but overlooked yam in our cupboard. I ate a yam for dinner...mmm. Not so balanced but definitely filled me up. :) Ha!

No worries though, today we went to the grocery store before James went to church for a video project. Yay! Real food!!!

Saturday Feb. 10, 2007

So it's Saturday night and I sent my husband to go out and have a guys night. I was on the computer and realized that yet again it has been too long since I've updated my blog. Today we bought some used bedroom furniture and I am so happy to finally have a large dresser and a head and foot board for the bed! Yay! But the down side is that I now have to finally pick up all the clothes I've left lying around waiting for a dresser. Ha!

One thing I realized last week, is that James and I have been married for almost a year!!! The year mark is fast approaching.... crazy! It's exciting! James and I started going to a new church and we are looking forward to going to bible studies too. My job is not that fun, and I would love a change of pace. I hate feeling like I'm the one that gets to all the stuff no one else wants to. I've heard, on the down low, that I could be getting placed into a more specific marketing job soon. But we'll see if or when that happens. In the meantime I am definitely wide open to any opportunities coming my way.

The other day at work another lady who works down the hall from me was on the exact same schedule I was. (Which is really very odd). Every time I went in to use the restroom, there she was. She was either walking out as I was walking in or we would meet when we were washing hands. It was so weird! It happened 4 times that day, and not at regular or set times!!! So strange! Also at work people are dropping like flies, catching sicknesses. Ewe! I really don't want to get sick, there are so many people going home sick though I think it's coming for me soon!

Lately I've been doing a lot of reading during my lunch hour. I was reading in 1 Corinthians. I was stuck by the realizations that in Moses' time. God showed his people his presence through a cloud. And this is what I was reading chapter 10 verses 3-5. " and all ate the same spiritual food, and all drank the same spiritual drink. For they drank from the spiritual Rock that followed them , and the Rock was Christ. Nevertheless, with most of them God was not pleased, for they were overthrown in the wilderness."

These people experienced miracles from God right in front of their eyes and God spoke to them through Moses, yet still they could not see. They heard but did not listen. The were lost in the "wilderness". Later in the passage Paul writes, "Therefore let anyone who thinks that he stands take heed lest he fall. No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. " And of course there is way more to the passage. But it definitely struck me that day.

How often do I get "overthrown in the wilderness" of my own life. How many times do I choose not to stand in Christ, and instead stand in my own pursuits. And how many more of those times do I fail? God's arms are open wide and He sent his Son Jesus Christ to me so that I no longer have to wander aimlessly. Through Him there are GREAT things waiting. So many times I choose to forget on purpose. It is selfish and I become so vulnerable to sin. How often do we get comfortable with where we are and think we are just fine, and that we have a handle on our sin and temptations? Lately I have felt like I am too comfortable with where I am, and like I am not seeking God as much as I should. I need to look to Jesus and not lean on my own puny 24yrs. of wisdom and strength. God has surpassing wisdom and through Him are all things. Why not go to God?

Well I might be jumping around a bit but hopefully you get my train of thought. I am quite sleepy from all the moving action today. I still have to get the dishes done today... we have not one clean spoon in the whole apartment!!! The cups are almost scarce too!!!! God bless everyone!

Fun Stuff!

2007 A New Year!

Well... I made it through the holidays in one piece! I was sick for my work Christmas party so I missed out on that but I was able to go to James' Christmas work party at it was really fun. We were able to eat amazing food and have whatever kinds of concoctions we wanted to drink. I met all of the people James works with and they were so nice, I like his co-workers they are a good team. Nothing too crazy happened there but a lot of laughing!

Then we flew home to Michigan where it was a whirlwind of shopping, eating, visiting friends, and family gatherings. It was unseasonably warm this year, which was fine with me, so this year there was no white Christmas. Other than getting like zero sleep it was so great to be home and see everyone. I was able to visit with my whole family and even have time to see 2 of my really great friends, Devon and Nicole. Nicole has the cutest baby ever and I can only pray that when I have babies they are as beautiful and fun as Lily. On Christmas day we flew back to Virginia to have Christmas evening with James' family. That was great fun as well! We watched Little Miss Sunshine and I feel bad for saying it, but... I didn't really like it. I usually like a lot of quirky movies oh well....

Well, right after Christmas it was straight to work for James and I. Luckily I had a short work week with New Year's Eve being observed by my work on that Friday before. Yay! So both of my parents and Mac (the dog) came to visit and bring some of our Christmas presents to us in Virginia. It was wonderful we made an amazing dinner with my parents, went walking, played lots of games, and celebrated the New Year with James' family as well.

These last two weeks have been really tough. I don't enjoy getting back into the swing of working.... I think I should be a professional bum that lives in our apartment. Ha! This past weekend James and I visited our friends the Mundens and took a road trip to NYC. It was fabulous and I had never been there before. Such a crazy and wonderful city all at the same time. I was able to see a dear friend of mine, Annie. She canceled plans for our last minute visit and spent the day with us as well. I decided that I didn't like the icky subway but for the price it would be way worth it. $2.00 to anywhere and $7.00 for a whole day pass!!! Whahoo! And the best part was no driving.... although that meant my feet really hurt too...but so worth it! It was great!

Now James and I are at home chillin and wishing the weekend would come sooner. I finally kicked myself for not going to the gym in our apartment complex. I got up and worked out for the first time in months. It felt good, but in the morning that on-going battle returns for yet another fight...... sleep vs. getting in shape....hmmmm....so difficult!!!!

Well I'll end this blog now, and post pictures! Catch ya later!

Time Flies Fast!

I find it kind of weird that suddenly I agree with so many of the older, and wiser, people in my life. They would say to me in passing, "time passes so quickly" and "...it seems like yesterday...". I've been thinking about that a lot lately and they are right. We are only here for a moment, in the grander scheme of things I want what I do to count. Have you ever felt like you were destined for more in life? God is helping me to daily discover more of Him and His will for my life and I'm looking and praying about what could be next.

On another note, I've been so busy lately I feel like I've had no time to spend with friends or to do the things which I enjoy most. I feel so selfish when I come home exhausted and tired and I just want to sleep. I feel like I am cheating myself out of great possibilites. I could read more, write more, exercise, or hang out with friends. I know I'm still working on finding a balance. I've done the opposite before where I was doing too much and that is just as bad. You can't be at your best when you're being stretched too much. Craziyness! So for now I'm pretty tired :)

I've been so busy that I've neglected writing in my blog, and I guess I didn't even notice!!! So here are more updates:

James and I finally have a livable apartment. We've moved, painted, and set up house (for the most part). There are still a few boxes while we look for bedroom furniture but ohhhh it is nice to have your own place!

My family came for Thanksgiving and it was wonderful! I miss them so much and it was great to hang out. My mom and I made a Thanksgiving meal together and it was great fun! I learned that I can cook!

We decorated a little bit for the holidays although no real tree this year. Just the fake-o, but I'm happy, I love Christmas and putting up decoations. James doesn't seem to mind yet!

James sold his Jeep and I think he misses it but it wasn't working and it was time for it to go. So he said a sad good-bye and gave "Cecillia" away.

We have some Christmas parties coming up and they should be fun and interesting! James and I went to a holiday party this week at our apartment complex (we wanted to win a door prize). Although we didn't hit the jackpot, I did win a Starbucks gift card!

We leave in a little over a week to head home to Michigan for a Christmas vacation! Whahoo!

We found out more friends of ours are getting married (I think the total number of weddings going on this summer is 5!) I'm very excited for them! And I LOVE weddings!

That's pretty much it so far...... I know the Christmas festivities will lend me some great blogs soon! Until then good night!

Rest In Peace

Today I got word that my Aunt died this morning. She was in her 50's and a beloved friend and teacher. She meant so very much to me. Late last year we found out that she had a brain tumor and they had to have it removed. They didn't expect her to live for more than a few weeks. Well, she managed to live a lot longer than that doctors thought she would (praise God!) and she was even able to make it to my wedding in April (which she thought she would never be able to do). I am so blessed because of her, and the way that she had impacted my life. I am sad and pained because of how much I love her and I will have no more memories than I already have with her in them. I am also happy because she was in a lot of pain and she has now gone to be with her beloved Jesus. He has taken her home.

This Week Thus Far :)

I started my new job this past week! It really isn't bad :) There are some quirky people there but I think that is fun and makes it really interesting. Everyone is a nice kid of quirky too! One lady has started calling me "bits" short for "little bits". My boss calls me "Daniella" even though all my letterhead says "Danielle Kanka" and everything that you put your name on is spelled "Danielle". I don't mind it but I do think it's funny and I don't have the heart to tell him any different. One funny aspect of work is how a few people handle stress. It's a busy time right now and so there is a lot to do. In my previous job there was always a ton to do and never enough time to complete everything and that is just how it was, no biggie. Well, some people at this job start to freak out a little bit and seem overwhelmed by the amount of work there is. I find this really funny, it's like "Oh no! We've got work to do!". It really cracks me up :)

I had my hair cut 2 weeks ago. I love having short hair for the sake of ease and it saves me a lot of time in the morning so I can sleep in a little. Here is a picture of my new do!

James has a new change too, his loving Jeep died and now he has a new used Toyota Celica. It's got a sun roof and flippy lights! He likes it a lot but I know he is sad to see his Jeep, "Cecilia", go.

Also this week I've been feeling really busy with trying to prepare for moving too. Buying furniture and paint and trying to account for all the things we already have. One thing we really need to get is a mattress! I can't believe we haven't bought one yet! Oh well I'm sure we will soon enough. We bought a dining room table and chairs for $150 on craigslist! I love using craigslist. It is so easy and a lot of times people are moving and sell their nice furniture for dirt cheap! I love our table and was so happy to get it. Two other tables that I tried to buy for us had been sold within the first hour they were posted. So when this one was posted I jumped on it and was the first one! :) We also bought an amoire for the TV and entertainment center area. My mother-in-law found/got us a slightly used sectional from Crate and Barrel and some upholstery material. Today I think we are going to go look at some paint. This is the first time I've been able to paint in an apartment I am really excited!

Lately I've been feeling heart sick for my girlfriends. I miss them and home so much right now. I know I've neglected calling and hanging out lately. I feel like I have so much on my plate, so many new things and crazy things coming up. But that shouldn't be an excuse and I'm making a point of it to get a hold of people soon.

Well I've definitely rambled on and I've got a ton to do today! God bless!

More news!

Well over the past month I decided to put forth all my efforts into finding a good job. I felt like all I was doing was going to interviews, responding to job ads, making and receiving phone calls, and running all over the place. On top of that I was apartment hunting as well. It was really chaotic and yet in some ways fun to put that much effort into something.

I had talked to so many people and gone on so many interviews that I began to feel very confident with my skills and it became easier to communicate all of this with future employers. My brother had also helped me redo my resume and it seemed like I was getting a lot of notice. It was wonderful, but then came the hard part about figuring out what kinds of companies I wanted to work for, where I felt comfortable, and what kind of salary our family needed.

Well this past week I finally found a great fit job! I am really excited :) It's with a company called the National Energy Management Institute. Honestly I was drawn to the non-profit organization, their benefits, and the 7 hr. work day but I am excited to work in the office as well. The people that I met were so welcoming and inviting it will be great! I start monday!

James also got a job and began working last week! He is a producer at the Washington Bureau. I think it is a marvelous stepping stone for him. Not to mention that he did some great production assistant work with the style network a couple of weeks ago! Things are really starting to take off for him and I love seeing him so excited about one of his life passions!

We signed on an apartment a couple of days ago as well. It is in a young professional community and has a lot of stuff to offer. It is really close to the metro system which James uses to get to work and it is about 7 minutes away from where I'm going to be working. The community is located in between Pentagon City, Crystal City, Alexandria, and Arlington! I feel like it's right smack dab in the middle.

It's a one bedroom and there isn't a ton of room for extra stuff but it's pretty and I am beyond excited to start decorating!!! I just finally feel like James and I can start our little nest and finally can live somewhere that is our own and have it reflect our own style. I am jumping out of my skin to start decorating it and making it into our home! I think it's going to be fun to paint the walls with my husband by my side and to use all of our wedding stuff too!

So, life has been really full lately. James and I are feeling so blessed by all these things that have come our way. We know that God definitely has his hand on us and our lives. Through Him all things are made and accomplished, apart from Him I am nothing. I was reminded about this all month and still am. I feel more at peace lately too. God is Good!

1-uppers

Have you ever had that feeling that someone 1-upped you on purpose?! Today I had that feeling. People who do this are always so sneaky! It's like they purposely say something to verify that they are not "quite" on your level (or whatever level they perceive you to be). It's so crazy, sometimes it feels like a drive-by. You know... your are talking and getting along great and then it slips out from the other persons lips and if you weren't really listening you would just have let it pass with no thought, but because you are listening you catch it. Then you start pondering , "did that person just say that?" and then feelings on inadequacy start to rise. I absolutely hat that! I hate comparison, and I hate it when I start to question if I am good enough or if someone else thinks lesser of me. Maybe I just live in my own little world where comments pointing out someone's short-comings is a bad mistake. I'm not saying that I think myself anywhere close to perfect but when someone takes pride in comparing themselves to you it definitely hurts even if they don't realize the full consequences of such talk.

Well, the past few days I've been energized at the prospects of looking for a job. I hate the interviewing process and despise the whole aspect of getting a job. But for some odd reason I actually got excited about it this week. I am at peace with not having a job right now and had started to not beat myself up about finding the perfect job. (I do that sometimes.) And then today I felt like suddenly someone's ill-though blurbs not only took the excitement away but made me beat myself up in other areas... some even old areas. For 10 minutes I started to scrutinize how I was measuring up. The 1-ups got me into comparison, and I passionately hate comparison because once you start comparing suddenly what was good and worked is now not quite enough. But, then after the 10 minutes of shocking and comparative thoughts, I realized that I had officially been 1-upped and that this person who 1-upped me must not be happy with themselves because why else would they desire to elevate themselves?

And then I began feeling good again because of the realization that I am perfectly adequate the way I am and whatever level that may be. God knows I am not perfect but He loves me just the same and I need not be in bond to comparison (not even for 10 minutes!) but rather in bond to love.

The Rest of the Updates :)

Here is some more fun stuff.... James finally got to walk for his graduation, my friends Lauren and Jon got married in OH, my parents came to visit, the Kankas had a second wedding reception for us in Virginia, our friends Lauren and John got married in PA, and then we went home for a family vacation in northern MI!!! Whew what a fun spring/summer!

Long Time No Hear?

Yes it has been a VERY long time since I've been using the blog but since it's way to long to write everything I'm going to put up a montage of pictures to fill you all in on some of the details......



We were married at the MSU Alumni Chapel on
April 22, 2006

It was a beautiful day and we had so many family and friends there to help us celebrate!

Our honeymoon was spent in Virginia Beach VA


More to follow......

New Profile Picture :)

Here is a picture of me from our honeymoon and I thought I needed a new picture for my profile :)

Mrs. Danielle Linn Kanka

I am officially a Kanka now! The whole month of April flew by and now May is almost over too! Where in the world does the time go? A lot of people may be wondering how the wedding went.... Well the wedding was perfect but there was definitely some craziness!

I went home in April about 3 weeks before the wedding just to get some things done and organized and I am so glad that I did. 1 week before the wedding James came to help out with wedding stuff too. Well... About 3 days before the wedding James comes out of the bathroom and says "My arm is really swollen!". I was like, "are you kidding me?!!!" So I drove James to the ready care who sent us to the E.R. at the hospital where we stayed from 7pm till 10am the next morning!!!! They ran lots of tests and even called in a specialist but they just couldn't figure it out. Finally the specialist had a name for it, he called it cellulitis. Which is what it's called when random parts of your body swell up at the blink of an eye. So they decided to start James on I.V. treatment right away and had him come into the hospital every 6 hours for I.V. treatments that took forever to give. Well the day before our wedding they decided to switch the antibiotics because James wasn't taking to one of the earlier ones and so James spent the whole day before the wedding in the E.R. and we didn't know if he was going to make it to the rehearsal or not :(

I was so worried for him and in the meantime trying to set up for the wedding that I was praying would still happen without any problems. We had the rehearsal dinner before the wedding rehearsal and there were so many out of town guests it was wonderful! But I had to go to it without James :( With about 40 minutes left at the dinner James made it!!!! He came straight from the hospital!!! He was so bummed, and felt like he had missed so much. I think we all did a good job of cheering him up though! :) So the rehearsal went great and I had to drive James back to the hospital afterwards for another treatment and his friends went with him and then took him out for some bachelor fun. So I stayed up fairly late getting last minute stuff done since we were so behind from all the hospital visits. My brother and sister-in-law were amazing!!! They got everything done for me and helped me with so much! I wouldn't have made it without them :) And my friend Devon came over the night before and helped us make some flower arrangements for the pews! The help was so much appreciated! :) I was all set and ready for bed by 12am.

The next morning I woke up at 5:30am and casually got ready, my friend Lauren joined me at 7:45 and my friend Devon at 8. I knew it was going to be a wonderful day!!! I did my own hair and makeup and loved it!!! We got to the church and everything was in bloom and the sun was shining! It was beautiful and then all my bridesmaids and friends that came to the church helped to set up the flowers and line the isle with flower petals! They were amazing and helped so much!!! The florists had also decorated the doors with wreaths and the alter with flowers. It really was breathtaking and looked exactly the way I'd always pictured it! I got news that my groom had made it to the chapel and I was thrilled, now there was no stopping this wonderful day!

The wedding was amazing and so beautiful and the reception was perfect too! We had a wonderful time and James and I felt so honored and blessed by all the support from our friends and family over the week. Although some minor setbacks (like James' arm being swollen, having to cancel our honeymoon trip to Mexico, and having to go to the hospital right after the reception for another treatment) we made it through!!!! And we had so much fun regardless of circumstances!

After the wedding we were able to take a trip to Virginia Beach at James' grandparents place and enjoy a little honeymoon there although it was no Cabo San Lucas, it was very romantic and wonderful! James' arm is fine now and he's feeling great. We were able to switch to oral antibiotics shortly after the wedding so we didn't have to go into the hospital every 6 hours. And now were are just having fun being newlyweds and living together. We are still planning to take our trip to Cabo at some point. We've been back in Virginia for a week now and we're going to a bed and breakfast this weekend to celebrate James' birthday and have some fun! God has blessed James and I so much and we praise Him for all the wonderful people and experiences He gives to us :) Thanks everyone that made our day so special and for those of you who couldn't make it we are having a reception in Virginia at a later date! :) I'll post pictures soon of all the festivities!!!

I'm getting married!

It hit me the other day that James and I only have a little over 40 days until we get married! How amazing is that?! :) We just did our last marriage mentoring meeting last night, and well... we passed! hah! The couple that have mentored for many weeks have been such a blessing to us not only as resources but friends as well. They are so inspirational and real. It bugs me when married people act as if they have no problems and that communication is not an issue with them. Of course its an issue for them...it's an issue for everyone! Okay I'll stop my rant, but I am so excited to be getting married soon! I feel like I've waited so long not only for marriage but for James as well. I know things are going to be hard, because marriage is hard, but oh will it be so good!

I've been doing so much lately I feel like a chicken with its head cut off. When I'm not working I'm planning a wedding, and getting more details tackled. I'm excited to get my extra-cirricular life back! People keep asking me and expecting me to be stressed out with wedding stuff... sometimes I feel like telling them that if I was stressed out they would definitely not need to ask me about it. :) So no right now stress is fine for me although I think other people are getting stressed out for me, so that's too bad that they are feeling that way. I'm excited for my showers coming up, it will be so amazing to see everyone and I think it will really hit me then, that I am actually getting married soon!!!! So fun!

Well if you all think of it pray for me and James. We are driving late on friday night of next week to Michigan and have a TON of stuff to do for the weekend, pray that we don't crash. Also please pray for James and I in the job situation and apartment situation. Both of which we don't have to count on right now.

Okay, time to get back to work!

Home for the Holidays

Well after about 9 hrs. of awaiting departure in an airport....I finally made it home! I've been in Holt since late Sunday night. It's been nice so far, I love the snow and seeing my family. I really hope I can see some of my friends before I head back to D.C. on Christmas day. After I'm back in DC I will be going on a road trip to TX to be in my friend Elizabeth's wedding. I'm excited to see her get married. Then right after that I will be in my other friend Jenn's wedding! Crazy time for me right now. I'll be going to 4 weddings in these next few months!

So far since I've been home I've done my holiday shopping, for the most part, and now onto cakes, flowers, invitations, hotels, and DJ stuff! Yikes... and I thought I was going to relax this week! Naw, I'm actually excited to get to do these things since when I'm in DC I can't do any of it. I've been thinking more and more of coming home in april to have the few weeks before the wedding to organize and finalize everything. We will see though :)

Okay enough about wedding plans...
Lately I've been hearing and reading that some people have been reading my poems/songs. That is awesome! I'm so excited, it was very flattering! Also the other night when I was riding home from the airport I did some thinking. An older lady from the flight I was on needed to get to Mason, MI wich is right down the street from where I live, but also at least 2 hours away from the airport. So I invited her to ride with us, and seeing how it was either that or stay in Detroit over night... she came with us. While we were in the car she was trying to make conversation and was really sweet but I could help my tiredness. I had been in the airport making small talk with LOTS of people (surprisingly) the WHOLE DAY!!!! (like literally 9 hours) At this point it was nearing 12am and I was zonked out. I could help but feel bad. What if I could have fought the tiredness and really talked with her... where would the conversation have gone? What would we have talked about? Maybe we would have talked about Jesus? Maybe she had never heard about him? It's kind of scary to think about how my selfish desires can sometimes take away from some perfect opportunities to share Christ with people. Well, anyway hopefully she didn't see past the smile to the tired grouchy girl on the inside.

Right now I'm also thinking about how much I miss James. He stayed at home, and I'm visiting Michigan alone this time. It's always fun to be home, but I really miss him. I hope and pray that he is having a great time at home with friends and family. I can't wait to join him on Christmas! Please pray that this time the plane actually takes off relitavely on TIME!!!! I really don't want to waste my whole Christmas!!!! Also thought I would let everyone know that James is officially done with school!!!! Yay! Here comes a BA in mass media communications!!! (Or whatever the specific title is--- the important thing is he is done! And he did it!!! YAY!) Okay that is for tonight I'm feeling very scattery...love to all! Night!

The engagement pictures are officially here... well they aren't edited yet but at least we have them! And I'm posting them!!! We went to Great Falls National park to get some really amazing photos in the beautiful scenery. Our friend Gregg took the pictures for us and did an awesome job!!!! Hope everyone is doing great, I'll post more on life later!