Happy Birthday, Dad!

Today a very special man in my life celebrates his birthday, my dad! He gets to celebrate it by watching my little sister play hockey and be a sports dad- something that he has learned to love since having children. He has definitely embraced it well and is our #1 fan along with mom!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, DAD!!!!!

Dad! Thanks for being an example of what it means to be a godly man who fears the Lord with their whole heart. You have taught me how important it is to pray about everything and commit everything to God. I am so thankful for our father-daughter relationship. It means the world to me when you take me on “father-daughter” dates. I still remember the ones in Switzerland when we use to go dancing by the lake and now I love our coffee dates whenever I am home. You are amazing man who is slow to speak, but quick to listen. You are so compassionate towards others and always willing to help wherever there is a need. My prayer for you this year is that you will take a risk and really trust God for something amazing this year.

 

I love you, dad, so much! I wish I could be celebrating with you right now, but know that I am thinking of you from afar! Happy Birthday, Dad! J

Love, Daniella

Freely Give

The past couple of months I have had hard time trusting that my student-loans will be paid off. It is burden that is constantly on my mind and heart. It is something that I have hard time coming to terms with. It is something that I just wish would go away so that I could use my money to bless more people. It is something that I have had a hard time trusting God with. It is something that makes me think “what is so great about being an adult.”

Well, I am learning that God knows what He is doing. He is constantly reminding me how faithful He is and has PROVIDE in amazing ways each and every month. He has blessed me through people who give so generously not only through financial gifts, but through meals and such. I am learning that money is gift from God. It is not mine, but it is given to me to use it wisely; to be a good steward of it. It is something that I should not have consumed my every thought or action, but instead allow God to use it as a way to bring glory to Him. What I want more than anything is to be free from the bondage of money.  I want to not constantly think about my loans or if I should be spending my money on this or that. I want to have a new outlook on what it means to be a good steward of what God freely gives to me!

 

Ironically, a couple of weeks ago I spoke in elementary chapel again. This time I was given the passage about the Widow’s Gift. What a very convicting passage in my life right now. This widow only had two coins yet she didn’t even think twice of what she would do it with it. She gave it all to God.

“And a poor widow came and put in two small copper coins, which make a penny. And he called his disciples to him and said to them, “Truly, I say to you, this poor widow has put in more than all those who are contributing to the offering box. For they all contributed out of their abundance, but she out of her poverty has put in everything she had, all she had to live on.”  Mark 12:42-44

This widow gave all she had to God. She didn’t hold anything back. To me she had amazing faith. She had faith that God would take care of her. She wanted to give her very best to God.

The message that I really wanted the students to understand is that

“God wants us to love him first and most of all! When we love God most, we give generously. We may think we don’t have much to give to God. But how much we give is less important than whether or not we give it gladly and out of love.”

As I was speaking this message God kept putting it on my heart “Daniella, I know that you love me so deeply so allow me to give generously through you. Allow me to use what you have even if it is not much. Please do not hold on to it, but be free.”

This is all so convicting to me and something that I have had to daily ask for repentance in, but I know that God is slowly tugging on my heart in different areas to be generous in.

With all this said I am faithfully believing each and every month that God will provide for my loans before the date. God has been so faithful every month so far so why should I doubt him now! HE WILL PROVIDE.

 

Love, Daniella

Mr. Thiel

Mr. Thiel is man who has amazing heart. He cares about each person that enters into his life. He believes in you even when you don’t believe in yourself. He teaches with passion and understanding. He challenges you to think beyond what you can think.  He takes time for you. He encourages you. He listens with his whole heart and responds with wisdom. Mr. Thiel was my high school math teacher who impacted my life. I enter into his math class my sophomore year with absolute no confidence and after three years of being in his math classes (which is very rare with the fact that I went to high school of 1,000 students and lots of different math teachers and yes they were all different math classes!) He believed in me and told me daily. I left with more confidence then when I entered.

Over Christmas break I was able to go and see him. We had a great time talking and catching up since I graduated from high school. Meeting with Mr. Thiel over break was definitely a divine appointment. He spoke some very wise wisdom into my life and showed me again what it means to have confidence. Thanks to you, Mr. Thiel, I am praying that I gain my confidence again this year to be who God has created me to be. Thank you for making a huge impact in my life and always believing in me. I still have that mechanical pencil you gave me with the secret eraser. You said “sometimes in life even when you have confidence you make mistakes, but you can always fix them so go out into the world with confidence” J

*sadly my picture of Mr. Thiel and I is only in a real picture in Montana! :(




The Pencil Mr. Thiel Gave Me!