psalm 139

In starting anatomy class, I have been thinking so much about one of Danielle's new songs called "Psalm 139" and the beautiful message

"I praise You, God, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made."



Lord you search me and you know me
When I sit and when I stand
You understand my thoughts from afar
Behind me and before me Your hand is there to guide me
Too wonderful for me this knowledge is beyond my reach
Before a word is on my tongue
You know it all before it has begun

I praise you God that I am fearfully and wonderfully made…

Where can I hide from your presence
Where can I flee from your face
If I fly to the heavens you are there
It I lie in the grave you are there

If I take the wings of the dawn
(A line I can’t hear…)
Even there your hand will guide me
You right hand will hold me fast
For you night is as the day
For you light and darkness are the same

I praise you God that I am fearfully and wonderfully made…

In secret, as in the depths of the earth,
You formed my inmost being
My very self, my bones were not hidden from you
You knit me in my mother’s womb

I praise you God that I am fearfully and wonderfully made…

big city mountaineers

My younger brother Ryan just got back from a week long camping trip to the Boundary Waters Wilderness Area in Northern Minnesota with an awesome program called Big City Mountaineers. Ryan helped lead a group of young men from the Chicago Youth Program canoeing for a week and couldn't say enough good things about the whole experience. They had an amazing time, and I wanted to share these two pictures. Looks like a great group! You are awesome for always following your heart & combining doing what you love with caring about people so much Ryan!

on to pittsburgh...

After one last early morning rainfall trip to the Grotto, I was on my way to Pittsburgh!

My mom, dad, brother Jeff and friend Craig definitely win the award for being awesome. Dad, Jeff and Craig unloaded all of my stuff and helped me move everything in, despite the rain. My mom stayed a few days, made multiple trips to Ikea with me, and helped me unpack and decide to hang pictures and fun things like that. My dad helped me put up shelves, figured out how to hang a mirror, made labels for my mailbox and buzzer and other fun things like that. Jeff... what can I say! He made multiple trips over to help put together the furniture we found at Ikea, drive me around to help me learn the city, figured out how to work my remote control and has just been all-around awesome. Thanks also to Katie and Abby for inviting me over last weekend to the pool and for dinner. I had so much fun and I love living so close to you!!!

I miss South Bend and know it will always be a second home, but I am really excited to be here in Pittsburgh. It's been fun this week meeting my new classmates, and I am looking forward to all that is ahead. You are all in my thoughts and prayers!!!!

Here are a few pics from the white coat ceremony!

mom, me and my God-daughter anastasia

aunt patty, mom, dad, ana and me

mom, ana, dad, jeff and me

ana and her buddy "uncle greg" hanging out at station square

last weekend in south bend

My mom and dad came to South Bend to help me move (thank you!!!!!). We had a fun dinner at Macri's deli with Beth, Alli, Jackie, Beth and Brett, and then they were on their way while I stayed behind one more night to attend Kaitlyn and Tommy Curtin's wedding.


The wedding was absolutely beautiful and so much fun!! Anytime you have the chance to dance with any of the 3 Slonkosky brothers (let alone all three), you know it's going to be a great time. I was so, so, so happy to get to spend time with Keri, who is a true sister to me and one of my biggest heroes and inspirations in life. Thank you Keri for everything! I love you!
It was such a gift to see so many wonderful friends at the wedding, and to have the chance to say hello and goodbye before I left. It was especially fun to see Maria Spears, who I haven't seen for years!
It was also great to see Claire who had come all the way from the Honduras to be there for the wedding. You are beautiful Claire!

the blogiversary

For those of you who are new to the blog, it all began last year (mostly as a joke) after a trip to the St. Joe 4H county fair. So we decided to celebrate the 1st blogiversary by going back to the place where the fun all began! Enjoy the photos!!

the happy crew arrives...

and we all begin the search for our favorite fair foods. brett finds his favorite first. he calls 'em "pronto pups" but you probably know them as corn dogs!

beth, alli and beth enjoying their dinner!

this sign for fried vegetables seemed a little misleading...

this one, however, definitely wasn't trying to hide anything!
the "fatballs" seemed a little too much, but this sign convinced us to go for the elephant ears. (we put them in the category of "almost good for you")

this sign meant exactly what it said...
all you had to do was pick up any duck to win... so here we are with our matching prizes! (brett opted out of this one)

which way next??

to the animals!

i was a big fan of the "fuzzy lop."

last but not least, i can't forget to thank the mayor of south bend for coming to the blogiversary! mark your calendars for next year everyone!!!

back online!!

thanks to my wonderful mom and dad who drove in from ohio to be here so the internet people could work their magic installing routers and such while i was at school, i am so happy to say that i am back on the internet!! there is much to share, so i think i am going to just post a series of short blogs with photos from the past few weeks. i'll try to go in chronological order including the 'blogiversary' (attended by the mayor of south bend!), the last weekend in south bend before moving, and the move to pittsburgh... here we go!

checking in!

hi everyone!

just a quick note to say hi, and let you know that much more blogging is in store... i am in the process of moving into my new apartment in pittsburgh, and won't have internet for another week or so. in the meantime i'll try to find a place to get online so i can post the pictures and videos i'm so excited to share.

hope you all are having a WONDERFUL day today!!!

love,
nicole

ps. thanks so much to beth p. for telling me that if you follow this link, you can "subscribe" to the blog, and find out when there are new posts. i think that's how it works-- does that sound right beth??

lyrics for "abraham's offering"

I posted this song earlier, but was recently asked to post the lyrics too...



“Abraham,” You called to me
I am ready Lord, what do you want of me?
“Take your son, your only one, your joy above all things
You shall journey up the mountain
To the place of which I speak
You shall lay him on the altar
You shall give him back to me.”
And I did not sleep that night
And my agony gave birth to the morning light
For three timeless days my son walked by my side
And Isaac turned to me
As we approached the chosen height

“Father I carried the wood and you carried the flame
But where is the lamb for the sacrifice of praise?”
I said “God will provide what He asks for we must do”
Oh God, I trust in you

This was the child You gave to me
The fruit of all my prayers I offered fervently
My son, my only one, who bore the wood for me
I took it from his shoulders when our
Journey was complete
I began to build the altar then I bound his hands and feet.
Then I looked into his eyes
And saw the confusion and I heard his cries
“Father why are you doing this?
Please say something to me”
But silence was my sole reply
I could no longer speak

Then I laid him on the wood and shook like a flame
With trembling hands I took the knife and
Prayed for strength
Oh I do not understand but my love for You is true
Oh God I trust in you

“Abraham,” the Lord cried out to me
“Do not slay your son
Do not harm him in the least
Now I know that there is nothing you won’t do
Now I know your love for Me is true.
By your grace every nation shall find
Blessing in your name
You have trusted in my promise
So your kingdom shall be great
You’ll have descendants countless as the stars
Sands of the sea
All the world’s been blessed through your
Obedience to me.”

Jesus in His agony
“I am ready Lord, what do you want of me?”
My Son, my only one, my face revealed to see
You shall journey up the mountain
To the cross on Calvary
You shall lay down on the altar
You shall die to set them free

And You did not sleep that night
And Your agony gave birth to the morning light
For three timeless hours You made one last sacrifice
To save us by Your blood and offer us eternal life

Lamb of God upon the wood with the
Spirit’s burning flame
The Father gave his only Son as a
Lamb to be slain
To fulfill every hope that
Your promises are true

Oh God I trust in
Jesus I trust in
Jesus I trust in You