One of my Heroes

 Hero - a person noted for special achievement in a particular field; 

a person noted for feats of courage or nobility of purpose

I want to tell you about one of my heroes.

His name is Gabriel and he just turned 10 years old. 

He is a man after God's own heart.

He loves to read his Bible.

He loves to share his knowledge of God and other facts about the world.

He hears from God.

He is a defender of the weak.

He is wise beyond his years.

He is bold.

He is creative. 

He is an author.

He is my nephew. ;)

  
  Gabriel is destined to do great things. How do I know this? Surely not just because he is my nephew and I am slightly biased. Not so. He is already doing great things so I know that it won't stop as he grows older. He is a dreamer. He has an incredible imagination and he is allowing God to use it NOW. From the young age of 4 or 5 years old Gabriel was already putting pen to paper and writing stories. I am absolutely honored that one of his first stories was The Story of Gabriel and Stefanie. I love this kid. God has placed talent inside of Gabriel and it has been coming out for many years now. We serve a big God. My 10 year-old nephew already knows this. 

Gabe's 10th Birthday Party

   This past Christmas was a memorable time for our whole family. Gabriel finished his book Toy Wars a while back and his mother helped him type the story onto the computer and edit it. There is a special company which actually allows you to create a book just like it would appear from a publishing company with a copyright, author's note and more. Gabe started saving up money to get the book "published" in the future. Little did he know that his Christmas gift would be an actual printed copy of his book. I think it is safe to say that the highlight of our family Christmas was to watch Gabriel open his gift of Toy Wars and to see the joy that he displayed. Pure joy. Dancing. Jumping. Singing.

my crazy. goofy. nephew.

   The thing that I find most incredible about all of this is that this is only the beginning. He has already finished Toy Wars II. He has started another series in which he plans to have over 20 books. He is not even stopping there. Gabriel is walking into the goodness that God has planned for him. He is not limited by his age. He does not believe that God has small plans for him. He is asking God for big things and experiencing BIG results because of this. 

  Gabriel is an example to me of a hero. A man used by God. He already has a special achievement. He has been overcoming many fears this past year and is proving courageous. He has nobility of purpose.  1 Timothy 4:12 speaks of not being held back by age. I believe that of Gabriel. He is an encouragement to me that I have what it takes to do the things God is asking of me. I have been using Gabe as an example to myself and to my friends to not be afraid to ask God for big things. When we limit God we are in turn limiting ourselves.

  This next year ask God what He wants to do in your life. How does He want to stretch you? How does He want to bless you? How does He want to empower you? What is His ultimate BEST for you?

    "Get the word out. Teach all these things. And don’t let anyone put you down because you’re young. Teach believers with your life: by word, by demeanor, by love, by faith, by integrity. Stay at your post reading Scripture, giving counsel, teaching. And that special gift of ministry you were given when the leaders of the church laid hands on you and prayed—keep that dusted off and in use." 

1 Timothy 4:11-14

Thank you for taking the time to meet one of my heroes.
To read an even more in depth story of God's work in Gabriel's life this past year click here.

Goodbye Billy Vanilly

5 years. One job. That says a lot. Right!? ;) I can't believe how quickly time flies. Where do I even begin??

My job has been a God thing from the very beginning. After I graduated high school in 2008 I went to Mexico for a semester. After coming back it was time to start college and find a new job. I wanted something in the baking field as I had hopes to one day open my own bakery. So I looked up bakeries in Topeka. I found one that had a website. Daddy Cakes. I looked it up. Suuuper intimidating. They had pictures of beautiful cupcakes and cakes on their website. I thought 'there's no way I could make that!'

Yet I strongly felt God telling me to apply. So I emailed the store to ask if they were hiring. The owner replied and we set up an interview. I had the hardest time finding the store when I went in. I finally found it and after my interview I still wasn't sure. It wouldn't provide me with enough hours. Yet I strongly felt God telling me to accept the position. He would take care of me. Thus began my career at Daddy Cakes.

Daddy Cakes

I started out working in retail and quickly worked my way up to a position in the kitchen. Three months after I started my boss took her daughter to France so I was in charge of the kitchen. It was safe to say that I was trusted. :) The store business was rapidly expanding and we moved to a bigger store across the street. I became the kitchen manager with the new store. It was a great experience of learning how to work and manage in the kitchen. I enjoyed it! Plus I earned more money and worked lots more hours than when I started. God was taking care of me.  Along the way the store changed from Daddy Cakes to Billy Vanilly Cupcakes.

I took a break for a season when I moved to Colorado. When I came back I didn't think I would return to Billy Vanilly. However God saw differently and I went back to work at Billy Vanilly. Instead of returning to the kitchen however I began working again in retail, as the manager, and took a position as the office manager as well. It was once again great and I was learning more and more about running a store. Plus I got another raise to help balance out the fact that I was working less hours because I began attending school again. God was taking care of me.

Ariel's Cupcake Deco Party

It was a good year and a half back at Billy Vanilly Cupcakes. I believe that God wanted me there. However, this season is now over. A few weeks ago I talked to my dear boss and told her that I was done working for her and for Billy Vanilly. All in good timing. My season is just over. I don't know what I am doing next, but I know it is time for something new. God has a new job for me. I am taking about a month off to just relax, enjoy the holidays, rest, and seek out what God has for me. I am stoked!! Seriously. It was incredibly hard for me but now I am honestly excited. I can't wait to tell you where God takes me next.

Working with a dear friend!!

Memories....
  * I remember the day I walked into Daddy Cakes for the first time for my interview. It took me half an hour to find the place.
  * I remember working in a tiny store with a clock tower above it. There was only room for two or three customers at a time yet we often had lines out the door on a Saturday morning.
  * I remember moving into a new store. It was HUGE!!
  * I remember when the name changed to Billy Vanilly Cupcakes.
  * I remember actually having to start wearing a uniform. Tough transition. Seriously. ;)
  * I remember working countless Valentines Days with nonstop craziness. It's the busiest day of the year!!
  * I remember all of the fun conversations I had with my boss. She calls me boss and I call her boss. We have an unconventional relationship. ;)
  * I remember baking countless cupcakes...I remember the first time I baked over 100 cupcakes at a time!
  * I remember moving into a position where I got to interview people and choose who to hire. Fun job!
  * I remember making daily bank deposits and new friends at the bank! ;)

My boss and I! ;)

  * I remember hosting several music nights at Billy Vanilly....the store was full of people and it fulfilled a dream of mine!
  * I remember working with one of my best friends. They say it isn't good to live with your friends...or work with them...yet we only grew closer through all of that. and we had SUCH fun times working together. laughing together. dropping things. laughing together.
  * I remember working up front and realizing how often certain people come in. We truly have weekly, sometimes daily, customers.
  * I remember answering all of the silly questions....like which cupcake is the red velvet one. (It's red!)
  * I remember all of the fantastic people I have worked with over the years. They've become my friends.


I am soooo grateful for the opportunity to have worked at Billy Vanilly Cupcakes these last five years. I don't regret it for a moment. However, it is time once and for all to say Goodbye Billy Vanilly!

Cliff Jumping

   Ohhh goodness. Life is so wonderful. So crazy. So unexpected. So fun. Full of twists and turns. Last week I did something crazy. It wasn't a spur of the moment decision by any means. Yet, for me it was crazy. Kind of like jumping off of a cliff.

   I have been working at Billy Vanilly Cupcakes for 5 years come January. It has been a joyous 5 years. I was confident that I was supposed to work there. From the beginning. When I moved to Colorado for DLA I was confident that I would not return to Billy Vanilly. God had other plans. I have been back for over a year and I knew once again that that was where God wanted me. Since the middle of the summer however I began to sense that my time there was drawing to a close. I would pray and ask God if it was time and He kept saying 'not yet'. Recently I finally felt that God was telling me that it was time. I spent MUCH time in prayer before I did anything about it.

  A week ago I talked to my boss and told her that I would be quitting at the end of the year. That in itself isn't that crazy. However, I have NO idea what I am doing next. I just really feel God leading me into a season of 100% completely trusting and relying on Him to provide for me. To give me new direction. I'm not sure where I am headed, but I want to make sure I am pointed in the right direction. Before I can take another step I have to stop and listen. This being said, I don't have another job that I am moving into. I'm not supposed to.

  My security blanket is Jesus. Not a job. Not the number in my bank. It's God. I am jumping off a cliff into the great unknown. However, I am confident that that great unknown is not land that I am smacking into. It is as ocean. Of God's goodness. His provision. Faithfulness. His plan for my life. I jumped. Now I can't wait to see what washes over me. I have SUCH a peace inside right now. I know without a doubt that this is what I am supposed to do. I look forward to sharing with you what exactly God has in store for me. I am not sure what it is. I do know this. It is good. I am CONFIDENT of that. ;)
2014 is going to be a GOOD year!

Let's go headed down the open road unknown....

And we find what we're made of

through the open door

Is it fear you're afraid of?

What are you waiting for?!

Love alone is worth the fight!!!!

- Switchfoot

 

The Gift!

   I am back! With more to add to the story. :)

   I have this desire to finish college and earn a Bachelor's degree. I'm not 100% sure what I am going to do with it, but I really want to finish. I also have this desire to finish debt free. I like to pay as I go! That being said it is a slow process. Another thing, I have had the same car since I was a senior in high school and it is getting kind of old. I was really wanting/needing a more reliable car. A Honda to be specific - that's what I wanted, not needed. So I began saving money for a new car and for school and for other life expenses. It was getting tough while going to school because I am not able to work full-time. So I told God my desires and asked Him for help because I didn't know how this was all going to work. I was barely getting by to have enough for school AND books and life. I cut back on hours at work to take more classes. Ouch. Not helping. Yet I specifically heard God tell me that He wanted to show me how He provides. I needed to just trust Him. Little did I know what He had up His sleeve..... ;)

  Oh friends, God is so abundant. Far more than I could ever hope or dream. I just can't stop smiling when I think about what He did, and continues to do.

   I have a very dear friend that I met in Colorado. Her name is Rachelle and she is such a blessing. We were going through a similar season in our lives and connected one night over frozen yogurt. After that evening I knew we would be friends for a long time. When I returned to Kansas after DLA she remained for a second year yet we were still able to connect via phone dates & Skype.

   One day while on the phone Rachelle began to tell me a story. She was planning on spending this season right now at YWAM. Her original plan had been to sell her car to be able to afford YWAM. However, God had other plans for her. She began to sense that He wanted to stretch her and soon He asked her to give up something HUGE. Her car. Rachelle felt that God was wanting her to give her car away and trust Him to provide her with the money she needed for YWAM. Craziness! She told God that she would be willing, if He made it abundantly clear to her. She asked for three signs and three signs she got. My favorite is the last. The seat adjustor on her car has been broken so that she could not move her driver's seat back and forth. It remained in one position. Luckily for her she is taller and the height worked out well. If she gave her car to someone who was shorter it might be an issue. One day she was driving her car and something got caught on the seat adjustor. As she untangled it, the seat adjustor loosened and the seat once again was able to move back and forth.

  You might wonder why I mentioned this last sign. Well, while praying for the strength to make this decision, Rachelle was also praying for direction as to who she was supposed to give her car to. My name kept popping up. With that last sign about the seat adjustor once again working she immediately knew that the car wasn't her car anymore. Last summer Rachelle bravely allowed me to borrow her car to drive home for my dear friend Meghann's wedding. It was in the middle of the summer and my little red car does not have air conditioning. 8 hours is a loooong time to drive without air. In Kansas. I had the wonderful privilege of driving her car that trip. Because of the broken seat adjustor I actually had to put a pillow behind me so that I could reach the pedals without stretching. ;)

   Anywhoo, when the seat adjustor started working again Rachelle knew it was no longer her car anymore. It was my car. So one day she called me up and asked me if I would be interested in receiving this incredible gift. No strings attached. There was more to the story that happened before, but ultimately she blessed me with her car. WOOOOOOOOOOOOOWWWWW!!! I do not adequately have the words to express my gratitude to Rachelle. I know this though, Jesus is going to bless her abundantly more than I ever could for her huge leap of faith. I am excited to hear the ways He does so!

  There are so many amazing things about this gift. This car is in much better condition than my Cavalier so it is essentially the new car I have been saving and praying for. This car is a Honda, which is precisely what I had been saving for. This car has air conditioning. I never had air conditioning in my other car. The day that Rachelle offered me the car was the very day that my red car would not start, for the third time this year. Before the phone call I felt peace even though my car wouldn't start. After the phone call I knew why. ;) This car was free, therefore I am still able to say that I am debt free. My worries about struggling financially with a car and school to worry about have been alleviated. God has provided for me, in one of the craziest ways possible. Now I am able to tell our story to so many people and see how God uses the story in their lives. I firmly believe that this is only the beginning. For both of us.

  Every time I walk out to my car I am reminded of God's faithfulness. His provision. His abundance. The way He lavishes His love on me in ways that I cannot even imagine. I did nothing to deserve this car. Believe me, I made lists about whether or not I deserved  it and He wiped them all away. This car was a gift. An incredible one. Because Jesus loves me. He is taking care of me. He is blessing me.

  He wants to do the same for you. Will you let Him?

 
 I wanted to share this link with you. If God lays it on your heart to help support Rachelle as she takes part in YWAM, here is how you do so: Support Rachelle.
  

He Knows Me... ;)

  Sometimes life is so painful you can barely breathe. Sometimes life is just simply okay. Sometimes life is so wonderful you can't keep all of that joy inside. Sometimes...there are plenty of other emotions. ;)
  Over the last year I have had some incredible things happen to me. Some rough things too. But right now I want to reflect on the abundance of God. I have some pretty crazy thoughts. I dream REALLY BIG dreams. I have a Dream Big book for goodness sake. ;) I'm pretty positive that the reason I have been able to have so many incredible experiences over my lifetime is because I ask. I ask God to expand my horizons. To take me where I haven't gone before. To challenge me. Ohhhhh boy has HE!!! According to Webster's New World Dictionary abundance - means more than enough. Yep. That is most definitely a word I would use to describe Him.

We Matched!!

  When I moved back to Topeka I had my requests for God. One of them was that I wanted to move out of my parent's house. It has nothing to do with them. I LOVE my parents both so much and I am extremely blessed to call them my parent's. I just have an independent streak in me and wanted to pay for my living expenses and such, ha! I was having a hard time finding someone to live with....it didn't help that I am rather selective about who I live with. :)
   Anywhoo, a few years back my brother had asked me if I wanted to move in with him. At the time I couldn't. About a month after being back home I remembered my brother's offer from before and wondered what he would think about that now. I prayed on it a bit and asked God to give me wisdom and move my brother that direction if that's what He wanted. Right about this same time I had lunch with my brother and he brought it up again! Oh how cool is Jesus!? Now I live with my brother & his daughter and I love it soooo much! My brother is a bit older than me so I don't feel like we really lived together that long when we were younger & now God has given us this awesome opportunity. It is really so much better than I could have dreamed up. God is using my brother in my life to teach me some things and hopefully the same is true for him. :) Plus, I have this awesome 'loft' that I call my room. God really REALLY is abundant! I love my brother and my niece so much & we have such fun together. Painting pumpkins. Going to concerts. Watching movies. Eating at Pizza Pub. Talking about what God is doing in our lives. Talking in silly accents. Watching Duck Dynasty. God is just really really great!!
   On to the next thing....
 
   Whoops. I think I am going to split this into two parts so I don't lose you. Check back later to see the next part of the story!!!!!!!!!!! Hope you don't mind. ;)

   The moral of this story is this: God knows me. He knows what my desires are and He knows how exactly to bless me. Beyond what I dream up. Oh yeahhhhhhhhhhhhhh!

Help!

 Help! If you are anything like me, this is a very difficult thing to ask of others. Being a rather independent person I pride myself in being able to do things on my own. (Whoops, problem right there. pride). On not asking for help. However I am learning that this really isn't the best way to live life. God designed us for community. We have a family and friends for a reason. If we do not support one another, what are we doing?
  So when you are used to being stubborn and independent it hurts to be broken. It's a rather slow process. Very difficult. These last few months have been a season of me learning to say that one word. HELP! In the easy and the difficult....asking for directions from a friend...asking different men to carry things for me that I didn't have the strength to carry....asking a teacher to help me understand something further...asking for rides when my car was broken...asking for prayer with my struggles....asking Jesus to give me the strength to remain silent when I want to speak...so many different areas.
  I've been learning something in this. One - it is extremely important to rely on others. on Jesus. We can't make it through life alone. It would be truly miserable without friends. Without family.  
  Two - this is for all you single ladies out there... ;)
   For those of you who have been single for a long time I know the struggle to try to do things on your own. To learn to be comfortable alone. To try and prove to others that you are fine on your own. This can be a safety net that people set up to protect themselves. If you don't need others, they can't hurt you. bahhh...this is silly thinking.
    One time when I was thinking about my independence I distinctly heard Jesus whisper a hard truth to me. He said "Stefanie, if you can not allow other people (especially men) to help you right now you will not know how to accept help from your husband. If you are truly preparing for marriage then this needs to change." Ouch. I needed to hear that. Stubborn pride needs to go. Accepting help is a great thing. I'm loving asking people for help actually. It's good for me. It's good for you. When you have the right balance! So, for any single ladies out there, or really anyone struggling with this help thing, please allow other people in your life to help you. Stubbornness is not an attractive quality. Pride is ugly. It needs to go! We need to learn to find that balance of interdependence. People are a wonderful gift from God. Friends. Family. Strangers even. God can use anybody!!! :) So, if you struggle with asking for help, just take it little by little.

Fighting Against Success

   I turned 23. Two weeks ago now. Ooooh goodness does time fly! I can't believe I have been here on earth this many years so far. ;) I've been thinking a lot. Partly because I'm a little older today than I was yesterday and partly because I have been discussing this in my English class. What is success?

 Dictionary.com describes success as the favorable or prosperous termination of attempts or endeavors; the accomplishment of one's goals; the attainment of wealth, position, honors, or the like. 

   It seems to be that the "American Dream" tells us to root for money, fame, and love. the perfect career. a college degree. the 'picture perfect' mom, dad, and two kids. a car you can't afford. your dream house. What happens if you have none of these? What if you are in still in college after 5 years of high school and seemingly nowhere near finishing? What if you don't really know what you want to spend the rest of your life doing? What if your relationship status is currently single? What if you've had the same falling a part, un-airconditioned car for six years? What if life isn't going the way you 'planned' it? Does this mean that you failed?

  I've been wrestling with these thoughts lately. I know a piece of this struggle comes from the enemy trying to fill me with his lies that I am wasting away my life. trying to discourage me from my true. purpose. Another piece of this struggle is just me coming to terms with what really is my purpose. Why am I here? There comes a point when we have to sit down with God and have a heart-to-heart. Trust requires walking into the unknown. It requires faith. But this doesn't mean that it all comes easily. This trust thing is super difficult. 

World Prayer Center in Colorado Springs

  I heard a line in a song the other day that simply says "I want to waste my life to search you out, to search you out." Like Mary of Bethany. I long to pour my life out on the one I love. When everyone else says it is a waste. My life's work and money. Just pour it out before Him. Because He is worth it. Everyone else may say I am crazy. That matters not. What matters is what my beloved says to me. That He sees the value in what I do. That I learn to know His heart and follow after that. This is what matters. This is true success. That I waste my life in pursuit of Him and the things He has called me to. Regardless of the cost. Regardless of the time it takes.

"Does the Lord delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices

as much as in obeying the voice of the Lord?

To obey is better than sacrifice,

and to heed is better than the fat of rams."

1 Samuel 15:22-23