Spending the night in a homeless shelter in downtown Minneapolis with a group of young people there to just be with the 'regulars'.  Just sitting and chatting with men whose lives were so very very different than our own.  It was so eye opening, gut-wrenching, heart breaking, and mind blowing...

I've never forgotten that night, but maybe I should remember it more...

And 2 trips to Mexico to work with Habitat for Humanity and another to work with Y-WAM.  I loved those times!

Sounds like fun!  The hardest thing I ever did was changing my major from Electrical Engineering to Elementary Education.  When I graduated high school, I thought I wanted to be an engineer.  My Dad is one and they make good money so why not.  Well, I went to college and worked hard.  While I was there, I met my husband and we married.  Kept going to school.  Had a baby.  Kept going to school.  Had another baby.  Kept going to school.

Then one day at church, I felt God's presence like never before.  The church was starting an Awana program and needed someone to lead the Cubbie PreK group.  God spoke to me and said that I was supposed to do it.  What?  I have a kid at home and school.  I can't lead a group of preschoolers.  They asked for help again.  Reminding the church that they prayed that the right person would step up.  Umm, God, surely that person is not me...  Well, after the third time they got up there, I gave in and agreed to take a semester off of school and lead the preschoolers.  LOVED every minute of it. 

Worked with the PreK for a year and the church invited me to lead all the kids AND work from home!  What?!?  Seriously?!?  You are going to pay me to do what I love and stay home with my babies!  This is amazing!!  So after prayerful consideration, I accepted the position.  Worked from home.  Kept going to school.  Had another baby.  Kept going to school.

After working for a while, I was talking with my cousin about teaching and how much I would love to teach, but I was within 2 semesters of graduation with a degree in Electrical Engineering.  The more I considered teaching, the more I wanted to teach.  Talked to my husband and we agreed that I should change my major.  So, that summer I changed majors. 

Spent two years working hard and finishing up my education.  I am proud to say that I graduated with my degree in Elementary Education in the Fall of 2009.  But the best part is that God is so faithful.  I know in my heart that teaching is the career for me.  I have prayed that God would open doors for me to use my major and that I will get the correct position.

While I was finishing up my degree and student teaching, I applied for a 3 hour per day certified teacher position.  First teaching interview EVER.  Got the job.  Finished student teaching on a Monday, started working on Thursday. 

So, long story short.  Prayerfully consider what you should do in your career.  If God speaks to you, listen!  It is not too late to make a U Turn into the life God has planned for you.

Sorry to make such a long story.  Hope someone enjoys it. :)

Honestly, I haven't done much to be brave in my life and I haven't felt like I have had to do very many hard things...but who knows what the future holds? So far, the hardest thing I have done, was become a mom. It's been the hardest and the most rewarding by far. It must be pretty rewarding since I'm doing it again in about 5 months!!

Looking back I don't know that it was that hard, but it definitely took me out of my comfort zone when I went on a missions trip to the Dominican Republic.  But I long to do more.  My husband and I live a very comfortable life right now, but we are coming to realize that God does not call us to be comfortable.  I think he might be leading us into some hard things.

My brother is a missionary to Mexico/Central America. A few of the hardest times have been going on missions trips with him. Seeing the kids living in nothing but a dump. Literally, their houses were built on the landfill. But really the hardest was when we went down to help my brother rebuild part of his in-laws house that had fallen in. (He married a wonderful lady from Mexico) This is my family, even if only by marriage, and there are at least 10 people living in a house no bigger than my kitchen and living room. We spent a week ordering supplies and hiring workers and getting the area prepped. That was hard to see how some of my own family lives... and they are considered very blessed by most people in that area.

This Christmas, two days after my son was released from the hospital, after having a bone marrow transplant (his sister was the donor), our family couldn't bear to see how many children and parents would be celebrating Christmas in the isolation of the hospital.  Using gift cards and food that was given to our family we prepared a meal together Christmas morning and wrapped a gift for each child on the Oncology unit.  It blessed my heart to see my children so eager to give, even when they knew they would have much less because of it.  There was no room for Christmas in our budget, but we still wanted to pass on the kindness that was shown to us.

The hardest thing I ever did was confront the man who had molested me when I was a young girl. It's an experience I hope I never have to repeat. Enough said.

Wow, good question!  There have been many hard things in my life, no different than anyone else, I suppose.  But for me, the hardest daily struggle I face is just simly allowing God to lead me.  I'm kind of a controlling type of girl- and waiting on Him to speak to and direct my paths is a hurdle I face all the time.  It's hard to let go of your own will and agenda!  Right now- I'm all about wanting to adopt again, I'm ready to expand our family- where as my sweet husband isn't quite there yet.  It's a challenge for me to be patient, and allow God to work on my hubby.  Or...gulp...work on me!  As I've found peace in the waiting, through constant petitioning to God for it, I've discovered that maybe I DON'T always know what's best!  That's a valuable, but hard, truth to learn!

We have chosen to follow God in his leading us to help children in Africa by going on a mission trip there this fall, and creating an ongoing fundraising project creating jewelry and art to support the orphans in the community I will be visiting and hopefully help to raise enough money to help them to build an orphanage.  This, like the cookie project, will be run by myself and my daughters because we cannot do everything, but we refuse not to do the things we can do to make this world a better place.