He knows what I need

God knows exactly what I need and when I need it. It's almost embarrassing to admit to all the times that I freak out because I think I know what's best for me. I really have no reason to freak out. None. God provides.He is faithful. I am just writing this to remind myself. It all works out :) just maybe not exactly how I picture it.

Thanksgiving Break

Driving home after a wonderful time with our staff. We had so much fun the night after all the residents were gone before we went home to our families. I have been so blessed by every girl on my staff this year and for that I am very thankful. I am also so grateful for the opportunity to serve these amazing freshman women. God has shown up in more ways that I had ever imagined.

Emily and I stopped at McDonald's because we couldn't find Wendy's....sad. It was tricky. But it was one of those days where McDonald's sounds good and it really was good. We also had great conversation and before we even went in I realized the need for an instagram picture. We were also wearing matching sunglasses. Duh. We left Gilbert in the car...he was pissed. (He's the fish). I am so thankful for the relationship that Emily and I have built. I am so blessed by her wisdom, joy and her love. We have a great time together.

I love this place. So wonderful to drive up to! However, the best part is the people inside. Duh. I am so incredibly thankful for our home. A place filled with wonderful memories and the things of life that we take for granted. Running water...clean water for that matter. Beds...enough for everyone and then some. A roof...that keeps the rain and snow out. Great siding that not only keeps the critters out but the elements as well. Heat....the list could go on forever.

This year my Dad and Grant (Waldo) joined me in running the Fox and Turkey 4 mile. It was so nice to have them there. Running has really become a family thing which is cool. Mom is wonderful and holds the coats and takes the pictures and cheers us on. For that we are all thankful. Alex even ran a 10k in NM. I am thankful for a healthy body that can run. I am also thankful that my parents encourage healthy traditions and motivate us to stay healthy and live active lifestyles.

What a feast! It was a nice reward after the run. Lots of laughs. My mom's cousin Bruce and my second cousin Lauren came and ate with us. My Grandma is also here for the weekend. We missed Alex and Ayla but I guess Alex is coming here tomorrow night? News to me.

I am blessed beyond belief. I want to live day to day giving thanks to my God and Savior and I hope that it pours out of my heart. Not just for a day. But a day focused on it is great.

100 Posts

This is my 100th blog. Craziness. I've been blogging for under a year and I think that 100 time is a great accomplishment. I only have one more class to go before break. Its my night class. We are just watching a documentary. I. Love. Documentaries.

Here are some random pictures of recent events.

This is Moe. Being Moe. On Grant's dashboard. I was laughing so hard.

This is a sidewalk drawing that my friend Jason from Olivet drew for me. It was raining this morning when I tried to take a picture. It says "There's always money in the Banana Stand" which is from Arrested Development. Super funny. I love it.

Grant. Doing homework? Who knows. But What this picture does document is no-shave November! He's rockin it.

 College is silly. I should clean or pack or something. Hopefully there will be more blogs to come during break.

Oh p.s. Emily and I are driving home together. It's going to be insanity (aka crazy fun).

Buy One Get One

As most of you hopefully know by now...Starbucks has had a buy one get one deal on their holiday drinks. It is only between 2-5 and started Thursday and ends today. I think. Anyways. I went on Thursday....on Friday...and...on Saturday. Lets just say I have enjoyed my White Peppermint Mocha's. And no I am not drinking two each time I go.

I am a big fan of this years holiday cups. They make me happy. They make me want to drink more coffee and have more conversations with friends over coffee. It makes me excited for all the conversations that I am going to share with dear friends next week during break and during Christmas break which will be here before we know it.

Last night we played the game of things. It is classic fun. However, people were getting distracted and playing half hearted so I called for a phone collection. As I went around the table I realized I was collecting mostly iphone's. Mine being one of them. Wow. What does that say about us? What does that say about our culture? Our school? My friends? I think it can say a lot of things. But I just want to reiterate that I am thankful for technology but I am not in love with it. I think it is useful and has its place but it should not rule our lives. I think its a great tool but it is not a necessity. Its a luxury. I hope I can maintain that thinking for a long time to come.

I decided that it's about $1,200 right there in a pile. It's almost as close as you can get to seeing a big stack of $20's. Unreal.

I am getting really excited for break. I leave Wednesday afternoon because I am an RA. I have no clue how I am going to be able to run 4 miles on Thursday morning. But Jesus got me through my last race so I am more than positive he can get me through this one.

God is able. 

Guest Blog

Many of you may not know me but I am Paige’s oldest brother, Alex.  Last weekend my wife (Ayla), my son (Austin) and I surprised Paige at Family Weekend at IWU. We totally surprised Paige by showing up at a service project that she was finishing up with the Rays on Saturday. Mom was videotaping the walk to the car because she knew we were waiting by the car (Paige thought Mom videotaping a walk to the car was totally normal).  Paige couldn’t believe the amount of people who were involved in the surprise!  The Rays, Vankerkoffs, both the Oler and Manson sides of the family and Kim Oyler; thank you all for keeping this from Paige, the surprise was awesome!

This was the first time that any of us had visited IWU and I believe I can speak for Ayla when I say we were blown away by what we saw!  Paige took us on a tour of the campus and we could not believe what a nice campus IWU presents.  Every building looked like it was built in the last 3 years!  I went to Eastern Illinois University where all of the buildings were built in the 60s and 70s so this was very amazing to me.  She took us to her dorm room where she showed that on her floor they have a small 24 hour workout room.  What a cool idea!  If you are too tired or it is too cold out and you want to get a run in you just walk across the hall.

After our tour of the campus Paige took us to McConn Coffee Shop for a quick cup of coffee while Paige went and bought a pair of IWU socks for Austin.  I was very impressed by the coffee at McConn and with the atmosphere.  Ayla and I were both shocked at the amount of people at the Student Center in the middle of the afternoon on a Saturday.  Where we went to school most of the students on 65 degree Fall Saturday afternoon are partying or recovering from partying or sleeping in their room watching football.  Very cool community atmosphere.

During our drive back to St. Louis we mentioned numerous times how impressed we were with how nice the campus was and how nice the people were.  We now understand why Paige tells us that she goes to school at “Disney World”.  I believe she made an incredible decision to go to IWU.  It was great to finally see where Paige goes to school understand why she chose to go there.  We are very glad we made the drive and that it all worked out as well as it did. We love you Paige

-AO3

It feels like Prom weekend

It feels like prom or (insert busy/fun event here) weekend. It was/is family weekend at IWU. This started with my parents arriving Friday afternoon to take me and a few friends out to dinner. We went to UpperCrust Pizza. Always a win. It was 11/11/11. We spend the evening sitting around the fire place in North Hall talking and talking and talking. My parents retired to their hotel but Kendra, Moe, Grant and myself stayed by the fire and continued to talk. We celebrated 11:11 11/11/11 by going to get ice cream. We didn't realize how many things are closed at 11 but it was a success anyways.
I woke up early to go on a morning jog with my Dad. It was fun getting to show him my usual route.

We then participated in the Family Service Project with the Rays. We have been to enough camp clean up service projects that we knew exactly what job we wanted. We were on team fence. We took down a chain link fence at the front of the camp. It was great from my point of view. We had lunch at the camp finished the fence and started to leave to go back to IWU.

As we were walking to the car I saw a family walking our way. It was from what I could see a Dad, a Mom, and a baby. As we got closer I started to think...that Dad, Mom, and baby look like people I know.......I do know them!!!!! It was Alex, Ayla, and Austin! I then started saying "No Way!" over and over. I was so surprised! It was so out of context and I had no clue that they were coming. I then started to cry. I was so amazed that they had driven all that way and that I could finally share that piece of my life with them. I was in a surreal state as we drove back to campus.

 We then toured IWU and it was nicely peppered with them meeting important people in my life. The wonderful visit concluded and they drove on to Afton and Jimmys and we went to the family banquet with all the food Baldwin is capable of making but never does, and with an Improv show. Then we drove up to the Ray's house in Warsaw a little over an hour away. We stayed here last night and went to church with them this morning. It was a good weekend of Oler/Ray time which is always needed. Mrs. Ray has been a saint in letting my do laundry and helping with that, and cooking amazing food. I feel like I am on such a retreat. My parents headed back home this afternoon but I am still here. Tonight I will sleep on a sleep number bed and Matt and I will head back to school tomorrow morning for our scheduled 10 o' clock events. So Family Weekend lives on with the Rays (they are family as family gets as far as I'm concerned).

If all the world were a village of 100 people...

Only 53 people would always have enough to eat.

Slap in the face

Does Jesus ever just slap you in the face with songs? I think that is what is happening to me right now. I decided to listen to Tenth Avenue North this morning and Jesus is making me not just hear the words but actually listen to the words and it is kicking my butt/slapping me in the face/ totally comforting me and being awesome. So I figured I'd share.

Why are you striving these days
Why are you trying to earn graceWhy are you crying
Let me lift up your face
Just don't turn away

Why are you looking for love
Why are you still searching as if I'm not enoughTo where will you go child
Tell me where will you run
To where will you run

And I'll be by your side
Wherever you fall
In the dead of night
Whenever you call
And please don't fight
These hands that are holding you
My hands are holding you
Look at these hands and my side
They swallowed the grave on that night
When I drank the world's sin
So I could carry you in
And give you life
I want to give you life

Cause I, I love you
I want you to know
That I, I love you
I'll never let you go

Strong Enough To Save - Tenth Avenue North

You faught
but you were just too weak
so you lost
all the things you try to keep
now you're on your knees, you're on your knees

But wait,
everything can change,
in a moments time you don't have to be afraid,
cause fear is just a lie
open up your eyes

And he'll break
open the skies to save
those who cry out his name
the One the wind and waves obey
is strong enough to save you
Look
now is not too late
lift up your head
let the rain fall on your face
youre not far from grace, your not too far from grace
And he'll break
open the skies to save
those who cry out his name
the One the wind and waves obey
is strong enough to save you

I know the weight of this world can take you down like gravity and I know the current of yourself can take you out, out to sea but hold on, hold on
And he'll break
open the skies to save
those who cry out his name
the One the wind and waves obey
is strong enough to save you

A week at a glance

A week at a glance was the title of the email we sent out to all of student council at the start of the week. It said all the meetings we had and any other important events. This is more of a reflective week at a glance. I will now share some of the events that have happened this week (not including my birthday).

I went to a Professors house for a book discussion with 10 others from my class. I felt like I had walked into Pinterest. It was adorable. He had two little boys who were not going to go to bed anytime soon once we showed up. He had chocolate chip cookies, apple cider, and hot chocolate. It was wonderful. I wish I had a picture but that might have been creepy. It was a great experience and not just because we didn't have to write the paper for that book.

Last night Emily and I went to the McConn Barista competition. I love coffee. I won a free shirt. President Smith was there. He was the head judge. After that Kendra, Grant, Moe, Josh, and I went to Ivanhoes. I think it was only my second time this semester which seems really reasonable to me. It was great. After that we watched Crazy, Stupid, Love. It was crazy.

I had a presentation this week in my Sociology class. It went way better than I expected. There was great conversation.

Tonight I register for classes next semester.

I am incredibly entertained when I think about what will be going on in my life a year from now. Who knows. It's absolutely crazy. These 4 years have so much potential for so much change. But for now its one day at a time. One day is enough for me.

20

20 years old. Goodbye teenage years. It's pretty crazy. The past few years my birthday has been kind of awful. However, this year set the bar. It was so great. Sunday night my residents surprised me with my room all decorated and cake and cookies. That was just the start. Then on Tuesday, my actual birthday, I woke up, opened some presents that my family sent for me. After that in walks Kendra with a fruit pizza. I LOVE fruit pizza. It was so yummy!!! I had lunch with Kendra and got my mail. I had a few cards and a package. It was a box of cards from my residents. So sweet! They really out did themselves. I had a class then did homework on the porch. I went to dinner with Kendra, Grant and Moe. We then moved on from dinner to shots (of espresso) at McConn. Grant bought the first round then a friend who was working gave me a free second shot...little did I know until the next day that there were two shots of espresso in the second one. I thought I would be wired after that but I really wasn't. They then walked me to night class. Night class got out early thankfully. We had covenant at 10...but I was surprised by a party with our brother staff. We also celebrated Lindsay's half birthday and Jfer's half birthday. We had ice cream then the boys wanted us to have a reunion tour of our Ke$ha and Mulan dances from opening night. So we did. It was great. All day my facebook was going crazy. I was getting wonderful texts and voicemails.
I felt so loved.
I am so blessed.
I am so thankful.

Guest Blog

First off I would like to thank Paige for letting me be the first guest blogger on her blog.
Paige is the youngest of 3 children. My older brother Alex and I tried our hardest to raise her as a boy teaching her to play sports and trying to drill the sports knowledge we had acquired into her brain. I can remember being a little kid about 3 years old and hearing that we we’re going to have a new baby sister it was a this point I thought CRAP now we wont be able to go on bike rides anymore (she has since learned how to ride a bike). In my 20 years of living with Paige I have been able to observe and learn the in’s and out’s of her personality. I feel that it is my duty to provide you an “Idiot’s guide to Paige Oler” so here are just a few things to look out for.
To start you need to be wary of your seating position relative to Paige during the dining experience. This is important because if you are sitting next to Paige during a particularly large meal you will find that she becomes Slanty. “Slanty?” This means that Paige might slant your direction and use your shoulder to support her as the food has put her into a “sleep like” state.
Paige is actually her middle name which most people are surprised to hear but with so many Kathryn’s or Katie’s in her early classes as a kid mom wanted her to be different and thank God she did because Paige is different, not in a weird way but in a Paige way she likes to do silly things and as long as it makes her happy it doesn’t matter what other people think.
Paige has blogged about this but I was really happy that I got to work with Paige this summer at All Star Sports. I have had a lot of memories with my little sister and from time to time you might get to hear one but I really treasure those vacations and little trips I’ve gotten to share with her. I know I’m kind of rambling but I really hope that Paige posts this on her birthday and has a great day and am so blessed to have such an awesome sister.

Grant (Paige’s Brother) Guest blogger