AP: 300th post!!!!!!!!!!!

AP writes:

WOW!!!!! This is the 300th post on our family blog!!!! I can't believe how much God has been teaching my family! It is so much fun to go back and read old posts!

Well........I have some pretty exciting news for you! March 23rd, 2011 is a very special day. =) Today I took my Introduction to Educational Psychology CLEP test and passed. This moved my credits up to 120 which means.......

I'M A COLLEGE GRAD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! WOOOOHOOOO!!!!!!

I now have a Bachelor of Arts in Liberal Studies. =) I won't actually graduate until June but I've done all the work, so for me it counts as graduation! =) I'm so excited I'm about ready to burst! My parents and Mallory met me afterword and took me to eat Chipotle! =) It's still very hard for my brain to comprehend that I don't have any more school! As for the rest of my year I have lots of things to keep me busy! I am currently working on our dance performance we are doing in June called Firstborn from the Dead and Sleeping Beauty. =) So that takes lots of time. I get to start playing piano again as well as do Calculus I and II for fun! I miss math so much, so I am going to do those and then I'll probably be done. =) I am also preparing to go to China this summer! I'm still working out all the little details but so far it looks like I'll be going for about a month. So I am starting to learn Mandarin Chinese. =) And then in August, I'm going to start my second degree. I will be attending IHOP's Bible school, IHOPU, and getting a four year degree in Biblical Studies. =)

Another exciting thing is I'm getting a facebook! I don't have time to set it up today, but I'll probably have one by this weekend......so look me up! =)

So cool that I got to post my graduation as the family's 300th post!!!!! =) Hope ya'll have a fabulous day!

Love,

Ashton =)

AP: Praying for Japan

AP writes:

Most of you know of the current status in Japan from the earthquake that happened a little under two weeks ago. Just wanted to post some prayer updates:

>Dacia Bostrom (the student from Japan living here with the Kawase family) went back a week ago to visit her family for a month. While she is there they are planning on visiting Sendai, the epicenter, and providing hot meals and the good news of Jesus Christ! =) Pray that they will be safe from everything including the radiation!

>Mr. and Mrs. Kawase left this morning for Japan. Mr. Kawase was cleared as a Doctor to be able to go into Sendai and minister to the people there for 10 days. Mrs. Kawase will be assisting him as well as helping with the Bostrom family. Pray that they will have traveling mercies, especially since they are traveling with lots of medical supplies. Also pray they will be safe from radiation since they will be driving past the nuclear plants.

>Pray for Grandma Kawase as she was alive during the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. It is really hard for her seeing her son willingly put himself near the radiation in order to help other people.

>That God's purposes will come forth in Japan through this crisis. God causes all things to work together for his glory! Pray for the hearts of the Japanese people that they would turn to Christ as the only savior to help them through this massive crisis

Thank you all for praying! My heart hurts for our Japanese brothers and sisters. But God holds all things in his hands!

Much love,

Ashton =)

KP: Desperation

KP Writes:

When things get tough, really tough, we become desperate. Quite frankly the feeling of desperation is awful. It is that state of being where you have no ability to be able fix or change the situation. None. There is no person or nothing available to you that can change your situation . That place can bring despair. Desperation can actually be our friend. "What?", you say. That sounds anything but true. But, desperation can be our friend IF it makes us crave God and long to see His power unleashed in our lives.

How hungry are you for God today? Do you long to see His power unleashed in your life? It is much more pleasant when these desires come out of a heart at peace. But, given the alternative of not seeking God wholeheartedly and not seeing His power unleashed in our lives, I would even welcome a situation that unleashes desperation for Him. The end result of hungering and thirsting after God, seeking Him like never before, grabbing hold of the hem of His garment and not letting go until He meets me new and afresh, must be the posture of my heart.

Lord teach me to love you in and out of the storm.

Kristian