Beautiful Arkansas

In the last year or so I just haven't been sure which direction to go with my life. When I was in California I said if I could just surf and be a beach bum for the rest of my life, I would be pretty happy. So a couple of the guys there would talk about my "Beach Girl Ministry". I'm not sure what it all entailed but it sounded like a good idea.

Anyways, there obviously aren't many beaches in Arkansas so that kind of flew out the window.

A couple weeks ago I was talking to one of my friends online and he was telling me about this YWAM (Youth With A Mission) Waves DTS (Disciple Training School) in Australia.

It's five to six months of training where they teach you about God and surfing all at the same time! How cool is that!

I don't know at this point how serious I am about going. But I think I might start working in that direction and see where I end up.

My best Friend Amanda is getting married in December so I'll be in Idaho for a couple weeks for that. Then in January I plan to have a job lined out, probably on a cruise ship again, to start saving for this school or the Dream Center program in California. Who knows what will happen.

As for now I'm working at JC Penneys again. It's obviously not a bad job because this makes three times now. I was so happy my (wonderful) boss Rusty hired me back and only for a month too! I'm so blessed!

I did move to Springdale (which is about an hours drive from my parents) and am living with one of my friends here in town. It works out nicely for me now because I get to go "home" and see Joey on my days off.

Well, I think that's all for now, we'll see where the wind takes me from here. Ha!

How Patriotic...

Well, election is only eight days away... And I hope you're voting. Because as they say, those who don't vote can't complain.

Huntly Brown says, "that whoever wins this election will have his prayer support", and I would have to say the same.

I have been so very interested in this election. Normally I could care less about anything political, but these last couple of months I have been doing a little research; mainly on our man Barack Hussein Obama. Who accidentally said "my Muslim faith". Oops, that happens to me all the time when I'm talking about my Christian faith.

Did you know that he is friends with Mr. Ayers? If you don't know who Bill Ayers is; in 1969 he co-founded the radical organization the Weather Underground. Ayers and the Weatherman were responsible for 30 bombing aimed at destroying the defense and security infrastructures of the U.S.. "I don't regret setting bombs," said Ayers in 2001 after 9/11, "I feel we didn't do enough"
Hello! And he's buddies with Obama?

I received this forward from one of my aunts and thought I would share it.

'Woe to those who call evil good,' but that is exactly what we have done. We have lost our spiritual equilibrium and reversed our values. We have exploited the poor and called it the lottery. We have rewarded laziness and called it welfare. We have killed our unborn and called it choice. We have shot abortionists and called it justifiable. We have neglected to discipline our children and called it building self esteem. We have abused power and called it politics. We have coveted our neighbor's possessions and called it ambition. We have polluted the air with profanity and pornography and called it freedom of expression. We have ridiculed the time-honored values of our forefathers and called it enlightenment. Search us, Oh God, and know our hearts!

If you're interested in reading what Huntly Brown has to say about "Why I Can't Vote for Obama", here's that link:

http://www.snopes.com/politics/soapbox/huntleybrown.asp

In Loving Memory of My Uncle Carl

This is a very difficult post to write so I'm going to keep it fairly short. If you saw my previous post you would have seen the obituary for my uncle Carl Bjornstad. He lived just four miles down the road from my family in Arkansas, so even everyday life won't be the same without him.

My earliest memory of Carl was when I was about 3 or 4. He was playing ball with my older sister Lynn and I up in North Dakota. We were in the hallway of my aunt Laona's house and I just remember having such a great time.

When I would come home to see my parents in Arkansas, Carl would always ask about what I had been up to and what I was doing next. He always listened to my stories about life and would tell me that he was proud of me.

He is already greatly missed by his family and friends. There will always be an empty hole where he should have been.

A lot of family came down for the funeral so I thought I would post some of those pictures.

(Uncle Ronnie, Aunt Sheila, Aunt Laona, Dad, Mom, Uncle Bobby, Aunt Nancy, Uncle Norman, Brother Luke, Cousin Travis, Brother-In-Law Robert, Grandpa Pete, Grandma Joyce, Sister Lynn, Niece Emma, Cousin Bobby, Niece Rebekah, Me, Sister Sarah, Cousin April and Brother Joseph.)

(The cousins, or some of them anyways.)

(I love my grandpa!)

(Joey taking time to smell the flowers)

If you think to remember the family in your prayers, it would be much appreciated.

Carl Dwayne Bjornstad

Carl Dwayne Bjornstad, 50, of Wesley Arkansas passed away 06 October 2008 at his home. He was born 05 November 1957 to Pete and Joyce Bjornstad in Cando, North Dakota

He accepted Jesus Christ as his savior in 1982. He worked in construction and loved the outdoors. He was a hard worker and always enjoyed visiting with people. He would always go out of his way to help people when it was needed.

Survivors are his wife of 26 years Mary Lue Bjornstad; One Son & Daughter-In-Law, Dale and Sarah Knott - Cotter, AR; One Daughter Kelsey Bjornstad - Fort Smith, AR; One Son of the home Casey Bjornstad; One Granddaughter Melody Knott – Cotter, AR; Parents Pete & Joyce Bjornstad - Cando, ND; Karen and Monte Anderson - Perham, MN; Norman Bjornstad – Maricopa - AZ; Bobby & Nancy Bjornstad – Carrington, ND; Sheila & Ron Hartl – Dickinson, ND; Laona & Garth Eggl - Cando, ND; Royce & Charlene Bjornstad – Wesley, AR

Funeral services were held at the Brashears Funeral Home in Huntsville Arkansas.

Back in Arkansas

I find it difficult to keep track of my life and what I'm actually doing, so I can't even imagine how confusing it must be to try and follow along... What am I doing anyways?

Well, I'm not sure exactly, but I'm back in Arkansas again... ...I never made it to Washington or the Panama Canal like I thought, but spent the last two and a half months in California working on a yacht Friend Ships has there.

Did I say working? ...I meant surfing. Well, on the weekends at least.

(Have I mentioned how much I love surfing? ...This is actually a picture of my friend Damien.)

Anyways, I decided to return to Arkansas for a hundred different reasons. And none of them I feel like discussing here at the moment.

But instead of Seattle being our next stop, the trip was postponed and Friend Ships decided to do disaster response for hurricane Ike in Galveston. That means all the crew in California are now on their way back to Louisiana. I opted not to go this time around, but who knows what will happen in the future... ...Not me...

Here are a couple pictures of the love of my life!

(My little pumpkin Joey!)

(Isn't he a cutie! He just loves playing in the leaves.)