Welcome 2010!

I was reminded today that we are talking about a decade gone by... the "O" somethings are no more. So I thought I would also do one post on my decade in review. (In no particular order!)

3 jobs (4 titles)

6 Estes Parks

2 boys dated

1 church family

3 Beth Moore studies

5 countries visited (3 continents)

1 week of intense counseling

3 Ironmans spectatheleted

5 beach trips

1 broken heart

11 community group combinations

2 cars (1 for 90% of it)

3 trips solo

5 roommates
1 ring

6 months on anti-depressants

1 marathon relay

3 boy crushes (not dated)

17 people on children's ministry team

10 Aggie girl weekends

3 canon cameras

1 Masters degree

And the few things too numerous to count...

words written in journals

hours writing curriculum

cell phone minutes used

kleenex needed for tears

shoes purchased

other marathons and triathlons spectatheleted

pictures taken

words said out loud for processing

AND people God has brought into my life that have changed me over the last 10 years!

Excited to see what the next decade holds!

Reflection #9

So I was trying to decide what the last one should be about and I remembered a letter I wrote right before I left for Ethiopia. And when I say right before, I mean 2 hours before I was heading over to the Fournets. I got this feeling that I needed to write a "goodbye" letter if I did not come back. I have never done this before and I had never had that feeling before. So I wrote it.
I then had to think through who I should send it to so that it could get sent out if something did happen. That was an interesting conversation in my head... "If I send it to her, she will not let me get on the plane," "She would probably be ok with it," "Not so sure about her." Kaigler was the lucky recipient. I knew he would be fine, but the conversation upon receipt was pretty interesting. :)
I did not necessarily think I was going to die. I was definitely not stressed out about dying. But none the less... the letter was written.
It talked about my happiness of knowing where I was if I was gone. The joy I would be experiencing meeting God and having all my questions answered!!
It also talked about how much I love all of you and my hope that you would celebrate. Oh, and I made a small request for Marble Slab to a be a part of the celebration.
Writing the letter helped me think about a couple of things... I don't fear death. I am ready to meet my Creator, Savior, Father, Redeemer, and Best Friend face to face whenever it is time. AND as I have said often on this blog, I am thankful for the many many people He has shown Himself real to me through.
Well... obviously I made it back and experienced the rest of 2009. It was a great year and I'm excited about the year ahead, serving the Lord, bringing Him glory and being a part of all of your lives.
So here we go... welcome 2010!!

Reflection #8

I'm still amazed I get to do what I do for a living!  

When I look back at last year and having to take a month off in February 2008 because I was either burned out or had lost my passion for this ministry and compare it to this year it is pretty nuts.  This year I have woken up every day ready to go to my "job."  

-I have a passion for what I get to do each day.

-I love that we are bringing the truth to our kiddos in a creative and memorable way.

-I love the people that I get to do it with.

-I have been challenged in my role of leading a team of 5, but feel like the Lord has given me exactly what I need to do what He is calling me to.  

-I have met with a talked with parents and been amazed at the work the Spirit has done.

-I really do feel pretty blown away at the movement that He does and chooses to use me to do it.

-I am less stressed than I ever have been in this job.

-I feel more laid back and able to choose my battles.

-I communicate better and I cry less!

Could it get any better than this? :)

(PS: the pic above is of our Children's Ministry Team. We are missing Robbi in this picture.  When I get back home I will upload with her too!)

Reflection #7

I don't have much time to squeeze in my last reflections for the year... yikes.

But I have been thinking about the books I got to read this year and the studies I did.  Here is a small sampling of the list...

The Rest of God by Buchanan

Scared by Tom Davis

Lies Women Believe by Nancy Leigh DeMoss

Bible by God

Daniel by Beth Moore

Maggie by Charles Martin

TrueFaced by Bill Thrall and others

A handful of years ago that would have totaled the number of books I had read in 10 years.  But now, I love to read.  I like books that challenge my thinking and draw me deeper into truth about God and I like books that tug at my heart strings.  All of these books are ones I would recommend (most of them do not do both of these things.) 

If I was at home I would pull them all out and give you some highlights of what I underlined. But instead I will give the top 10 things I either learned or was reminded of by reading them...

1) There is always more to the story than the initial picture that you see.

2) Lies steal so much from you but truth can defeat anything.

3) Giving up fried foods for 6 weeks is challenging but not impossible.

4) Trusting people with who you really are brings great freedom.

5) God is sovereign and in control.

6) Every time I read about some one's long time pet dying I CRY!

7) Being hungry is not always a bad thing.

8) An apple is used to represent the fruit that Satan used to lure Eve away from God, God's word is to be the apple of our eye, and we are called the apple of God's eye.

9) Making time for "sabbath rest" in my life is extremely important.

10) Reading through the entire Bible in 90 days is a crazy idea!  (I didn't make it this year but I hope to accomplish the task in 2010!

Reflection #6...

GETTING OLDER... has a lot of ups and a couple of downs!!!

I am just going to focus on the downs in this one, not because I want to be a downer, but they are what I am reflecting on for now :)!

This one came to me when I realized that I am posting at 5:30... AM!!! I'm not suppose to be up at 5:30AM... EVER! But one of the downs of getting older is sleep seems to be different than it use to be. I don't always sleep through the night and sometimes I will get up for an hour or two, read or journal and then go back to sleep. And I seem to function pretty ok the next day. Most of my time when I am awake in the middle of the night is spent with the Lord and it is really sweet time. So in some ways, it is an up from what sure seems like a down of getting older.

And I learned this year that I can not sit with my legs folded under me for long periods of time like I use to. Nothing real thought provoking here, except that it is pretty funny when I try to unfold! Oh, and it is one of the few things that reminds me what my age really is, because most of the time I don't "feel 36." I'm not sure what 36 is suppose to feel like, but I am pretty sure this is not it. Because for the most part, I feel awesome and love my life!

So I guess if this is it... 36 is not old.

Ok, back to sleep for a while!

(Picture from my birthday lunch this year.)

Reflection #5...

These two pictures represent at least 2 things. One... I work with some pretty awesome people. Truly! If I was going to reflect on who I work with, I would have to reflect on the last 7 years on staff at Watermark and that could take a lot of posts. So I will just say, "I LOVE the people I get to work with everyday!"

This past year I was in more of a management role in my job on staff. I used to be in all the details of everything we did in Children's Ministry. Then we hired a bunch of people who are better at what they do than I ever was or ever could be. It has been fun to see each of them thriving in their gifts. But this "shift" pulled me out of the creative aspects a little farther than I realized.

AND so, to the 2nd thing the pics represent and to the point of what I learned... I NEED a creative outlet!!!

I found myself at different points in the year grabbing hold of little projects and going a little over the top. (I can hear some of you saying right now, wait, how is that different than she normally is?) It's not so much that the over the top was different than it was before, just more that I was snagging someone else's job from them to get my "fix." They were are all very gracious in my moment of weakness, but it did show me that I need to be sure that I am allowing for places to be creative.

And so... 2010... watch out, I will be looking for those outlets!

Reflection #4...

It seems to me there have been more and more things created in the last couple of years that can completely consume/waste your time. Where you literally look up and at least an hour has just ticked off the clock. Facebook was one such thing for me this year. I had to make some very conscious choices to RELEASE!

It has its ups for sure... seeing fun pictures of friends and their families, knowing a little more of what they are up to, and of course... pulling weeds out of your garden.
I have basically refused to take any tests, join any clubs, start a club, or own a farm. Oh wait... I did become a fan of Bob Costas.

But one really great upside has been connecting with old friends. Just yesterday I got to see face to face a friend I grew up with in church. We got in lots of trouble in church together, for talking (imagine!). We also spent a lot of time playing make believe at her house. We encouraged each other through the hard junior high years. It was so great to see her and talk about life growing up.

It also reminded me of how much I have changed. I thought back to how insecure I was then and how I wasn't willing to ruffle feathers for truth. I am thankful that the Lord has given me confidence to speak truth and to be great with who He has created me to be.

So thankful this year for the chance this year to reconnect with old friends.

PS: The photos above are 3 of my profile pics... clearly I am a little more secure with who I am :)!

Reflection #3...

I went electronic!!!

I fought against getting rid of my paper calendar for my outlook calendar for years. I am VERY visual and I couldn't carry computer around with me everywhere so I refused to switch.

In February when I switched to AT&T for phone service. I made the plunge. Now my life is in living electronic color.

Looking back at my calendar has reminded me of all the lunches, dinners, meetings and coffees I have had with the many people God has allowed me to come in contact with this year.

I have seen Him do some pretty awesome things in people's lives...

-restoring worth where shame and guilt lived

-healing broken hearts

-giving life

-opening eyes to His truth and love

-bringing joy and freedom

-allowing belief in truth instead of lies

-watching the struggle to trust and believe Him and His faithfulness always there

-scripture bringing hope

-freedom from bondage

-light into darkness

It has been a pretty awesome year. So grateful to all who have let me into their lives to see God working!

Reflection #2...

This year has marked a new frontier in my walk with the Lord. Scripture memory! I have never been a great memorizer. Sure, songs seem to stick in my head that I hear over and over again, and I use to have a steel trap of a memory on events that happened. But getting scripture hidden in my heart had proved to always be VERY difficult. Now don't hear me say that it has all of a sudden gotten easy, it hasn't. BUT... He has definitely given me a renewed desire for it and is helping me with the process, OK sometimes dragging me through the process!

I read a book by Janet Pope called "His Word in My Heart." I would highly recommend it. She challenges you to memorize scripture by entire books or complete passages (like Sermon on the Mount.) This has proved to be pretty cool. It has been fun pushing through and I have seen the benefits for sure. Scripture is TRUTH and it transforms both my mind and my heart. I am thankful for Robbi who has attacked the challenges with me. We meet every week to go over what we are learning.

I'm in the process of working through Psalm 119. WHAT IS WRONG WITH ME YOU ASK? I have actually asked that a lot, but really do feel like the Lord wants me in this challenge. Even if I never make it to the end it has taught me a ton! Psalm 119 is PACKED with amazing truths of the benefits of knowing and obeying God's word. It has challenged me to really look at God's two greatest commandments. I am challenged to ask, "are they what I run after most?" And it has caused me to stop and ponder God's UNFAILING LOVE. Did you know that 120 times in scripture it talks about His unfailing love? That is a lot of love people! The word unfailing has really been a great one to ponder and I have been so blown away and thankful that He chooses to give it to us.

So as this holiday season is upon us...

I am so thankful that God sent His Son... His Unfailing Love... to us so that we could have an eternal relationship with Him. (John 1:14, 17)

And thankful that He is showing me more and more about HIMSELF as we work to hide His Word in my heart.

Reflections of 2009... #1

One of the biggest events of 2009 was getting to go with my friends Beau and Natalie to pick up their twins from Ethiopia. They took along their two other children, Caleb and Hannah. I had the joy of praying with them for over a year for the "ok" to fly over and pick up Beck and Deshi. It truly was an amazing experience.

Their adoption was one of the more complicated ones. Most adoptions have court delays and interesting things that happen. I think everything that could happen, happened to their case. They asked me if I would be willing to go with them and I jumped at the chance. Who could say no when it has to do with... adoption, Africa, the Fournets and a 16 hour plane ride.

I had a lot of emotions going into the trip wondering if there would be some big answers for me on this trip. Would I hear direction for my life while over there? Would I fall in love with Ethiopia and not want to come back? Would I be more devastated with the orphans that I met than I had been before?

The trip definitely proved to be an adventure.

Here are some things I learned...

-Solomon, a man that drives for Gladney and is joyful about everything.

-there are lots of kiddos waiting for their new families to pass court and come pick them up.

-the food was pretty good and I love the boiled egg.

-I can survive showers with really cold water and on very little electricity.

-monkeys up close and personal do scare me a little.

-I don't really like warm oatmeal.

-Michael Jackson spanned the globe.

-I love my new camera and I am thankful to get to capture so many great adventures with it.

-being a part of bringing sheep to Kidmia was cool, and you can cram a lot in the back of a jeep.

-look in other rooms of the house to see if there is a heating apparatus attached to other showers.

-orphans anywhere break my heart, but I need to listen and be obedient, I can't save them all. (DARN IT!)

-Kaldes has great gelato.

-Sally and Tom Baer are great hosts and are doing some cool stuff over there.

-the kids at Kidmia are precious sweet.

-the flight attendants on Emirates were awesome as we played in the kitchen area, for hours.

-not getting sleep for over 16 hours, having a delay in the Houston airport, not eating, heat, and a buzzing noise add up to a small emotional breakdown.

I am sure I could go on all day-but most importantly...

I learned that getting to see and be a very small part Beck and Deshi leaving hopelessness and be united with family who already loves them was priceless.

Thanks Beau and Nat for the opportunity to go with you and be a part of your amazing journey.

Christmas Cookies

Today I received a box in the mail from my sister. She mailed me cookies as a sweet reminder of my Grandma. You see, we made sugar cookies with her when we were at their home in Kansas for Christmas. If we couldn't be with her she would always mail us a bunch of her Christmas goodies. One of my all time favorites is her peanut clusters.

One quick cookie story: We had finished making the dough, rolling it out and cutting it with all the fun cookie cutters. We stuck them all in the oven and made icing while they cooked. When they came out of the oven, Grandma tasted one. It was then that she realized we had forgotten to put the sugar in the sugar cookies. But of course, once we got the amazing icing on... they still tasted pretty good!

Remembering my Grandma today was a sweet moment. She is suffering from Alzheimers now. She doesn't remember any of us, but Grandma... we remember you today!

ALWAYS read carefully...

Sent from "no tellin' where!"

Question...

If I get married, instead of a "maid of honor" and "bridesmaides"...
Is it ok for me to have a "peep of honor" and "bride's peeps"???

Sent from "no tellin' where!"

ABC's

Lots of different things over the last week have reminded me of the many blessing in my life. One being... MY FRIENDS!
So here are the ABC's of why I feel so blessed by them...
A- authentic conversations
B- bold in speaking truth
C- care about my heart
D- diligent to find me
E- eat ice cream with me (ok and chips and salsa too!)
F- faithful even when I'm frustrating
G- generous with their time to help
H- help me to process
I- individually being different things
J- just willing to listen while I cry
K- knowing what encourages me
L- listening while I process (externally of course)
M- make time for quality time
N- never keeping me in a box
O- open to my crazy ideas
P- patient while I take lots of pictures
Q- quick to forgive me
R- ready to encourage me to Truth
S- steering me to what is important
T- tears are accepted
U- understanding when it's hard
V- very fun to laugh with
W- want me to succeed
X- xtra encouraging when I am wrestling
Y- your prayers impact me
Z- zillion reasons why I am who I am today!
So incredibly thankful for those God has let me call FRIEND!

THIS IS IT... or is it?

Yep! I went today to see the Michael Jackson documentary, "This is It!" I had not planned to go see it. But after a recommendation from a friend, I went. I walked away with some thoughts.
One... Michael Jackson was really talented. The creative stuff that came out of his mind was amazing. Seeing what that show was going to be like was pretty phenomenal. AND he could dance!
Two... A lot of different times in the show I found myself sad. Sad that his "show" was never going to be seen. Sad for all the people who put in HOURS of training and heart to get ready for the show and were left looking for the next thing. But mostly, sad for him. To think that he had fame, fortune, and talent, and yet he was so unhappy in his own skin. He was in pain so much of his life. And it all ended abruptly.
This week I read Ecclesiastes, Solomon is sharing his thoughts on the meaning of this life and tonight I was seeing the correlation to Michael Jackson's life. So much of what Michael chased and experienced in this world never satisfied him. It could not help him sleep at night, it could not make him ok with himself.
At the end of the book Solomon says in Ecclesiastes 12:13... "Here now is my final conclusion: Fear God and obey His commands..." That IS it!
Lastly... I was reminded that THIS IS NOT IT! There is life after this, we must decide whom we will serve!

The Top 10!

Well, my 8 day vacation has come to an end. It was a great week of hanging out with the Creator and in His creation. I feel like I learned some good stuff on this trip, some new and some reminders.

Let's see if I can give the top 10:

#1: My need for perfectionism, being sure I am doing the right thing, and wanting others approval sure can get in the way of relaxing.

#2: Psalm 119 is RICH with truth about God's Word!

#3: I love being out in nature, I feel really close to God out there.

#4: It is wise to wear orange in deer season.

#5: Cooking all 3 meals in one day is not something I love, but I can do!

#6: I have 2 camps of people in my life... those that think I was crazy for getting on those ATV's and those that don't.

#7: I like writing this blog, but will have to let my need to say the "right" or "great" stuff go.

#8: A trip every year where I get alone and out of Dallas is good for my head and heart.

#9: I take more pictures than most people on an 8 day trip to Arkansas... over 700 this time!

#10: I have an incredible family (both blood and not) that love me.

Thanks for keeping up with me and praying for me this week.

More postings to come... from "no tellin' where"!

Beside the pics I already included... above are my other Top 10 Favorites.

A little bit of fog...

This is what it looks like here today! Rainy, foggy, and cold!! Great day to study, journal, drink hot drinks, make cookies, and maybe take a nap!

Lots of processing today...

I will try to post more tomorrow.

Here is a pic to prove it is me posting and that I am actually here :)

And for wondering minds...

Yes, I am on the edge of a drop off and yep, I climbed through the barrier to get there.

Sharing a little of what I know...

The reality is... 147 million orphans.

Thought... daunting!

I have just spent the last hour reading blogs about orphans and people helping orphans. I can get really caught up in how overwhelming it is! So I thought... share what you are reading. And I realize that I think maybe 10 people are reading my blog, so this does not make much of a dent in sharing with the masses.

BUT... if all of you reading my blog, who have a blog, post some of this on your blog and the hundreds that read your blog do the same... then we got something going. (facebook works too!) And the reality is... God is the one that moves hearts, we just get to be obedient!

So... here are some links to info about orphans and people helping them.

147millionorphans.com

watermarkblogs.org/africa

kissesfromkatie.blogspot.com

drawnfromwater.org

aplacecalledsimplicity.blogspot.com

reviveafrica.com

ordinaryhero.org

kidmia.org

villageofhopeuganda.com

My heart aches for all the kids out there that go to sleep each night without someone to hold them and tell them how special they are and that there is a God that loves them very much.

I'm contuing to ask God what He wants from me. We'll see!

But today... I'll share a little of what I know.

What if this things snaps?

Today I decided to head out a little later so I could spend more time just studying and journaling. It was a little cloudy this morning so it worked out perfect.

Around 1pm I headed out towards the Oark General Store and Cafe. Had a late lunch and then headed out to see the "swinging bridge". And that is exactly what it is. This bridge that was built out across the Mulberry River and is on 2 cables with some rickety wood and some wire on the sides so you don't fall in. It is not fancy and very bouncy! I did calculate the distance I would fall if it broke, it would have been painful, but don't think it would have killed me. The picture above is the scene I found once across the bridge and climbed down a little :)

I spent the rest of the afternoon just driving around on a curvy road with beautiful trees overhanging. It was an amazingly beautiful day so most of it was driven with my windows down. As adventures go, none major to report. Vernon did come check on me this morning to make sure I was doing ok. Such nice people.

The other picture is of this little guy that keeps hanging around me when I am on the porch hanging out with the Lord. He just looks cool I think!

MIND IF I ASK HOW OLD YOU ARE??

After an amazing morning studying Psalm 119 on my deck overlooking the beautiful trees, in the sunshine, and the cool breeze... it was off to find the waterfalls.

I got all loaded up... camera, 3 lenses, backpack, water, snacks, crazy creek, map, jacket, orange vest so I don't get mistaken for a deer and my compass... CHECK! I'm off!

Drove down to where the trail starts, the guy told me that it would take 30 minutes downhill to get to the 1st waterfall and then about 1 1/2 hours UPHILL to get out. He also told me that they had places red markers on the trail a month or so ago so that might help me. I start heading in, pretty confident of my abilities.

OK HONESTY... I'm a little worried I might get lost. Just for good measure I pull out the compass to see which way I am headed. North! That should be easy to remember!

It is an amazing hike, beautiful trees, birds and little critters everywhere. I finally reach the little creek and am not sure if I am suppose to cross it or turn left beside it to get to the water fall. So I hike beside it, doesn't take much time before I realize... I was suppose to cross it!

So I head back through the muck and cross the creek and then start hiking up. I can hear the waterfall at this point, so I know I am heading the right way now. Then I hear an ATV behind me. I move over to let them pass and the first guy, who I learn later is Justin, stops to say HI and ask where I am headed. I told him the waterfalls. He says there are about 4 other guys behind him and they will try not to push me off the road. The 2nd guy pulls up and asks if I want a ride.

PAUSE... just for the record... Justin is really cute! And also, my pride is telling me, no you can do this, you came to hike!

So I get on the ATV with one of my new friends. They drive me up there, which by the way, would have taken be a pretty good hike to get there. And then once there, they get me to where I could not have gotten without going knee deep. Really great guys. We quickly figure out we are on opposite sides of the football, couple of razorbacks and an OSU cowboy! :) So the Aggie ribbing begins!

I'm just walking around taking pictures, when I realize they are waiting on me. Oooops! They ask if I want a ride to the other waterfall.

AGAIN... my pride says... Oh no, thanks guys, I'm good!

I get back on and off we go. This ride was not short. It was fun though, and muddy! And when we do get to the next waterfall... it is B-E-A-utiful! (pic at bottom) They let me tool around and take pictures. When we get all done and ready to leave they really want to be able to take me back, but realize I came from a different direction than they did and they can't take me back, no ATV's allowed.

So, they want to make sure I am going to be ok and send me off. I assure them I will be fine and off I go. When I got back to the creek I am a little confused, we have crossed a lot of creeks at this point and I'm not sure which way to head. Mom and Dad, you will be so proud. I took the compass out and starting heading south. I make the trek back up in an hour! I feel pretty good about that.

So to my ATV freinds... thanks for the lifts, thanks for caring that I got out safe, thanks for the laughs, and thanks most of all for thinking I was young enough to set me up with your 25 year old single son!

DESTINATION #2

As I arrived in Ozark, AR this afternoon and ran to get groceries for the week. The first picture is what I saw in the grocery store. It is their High School mascot! LOVE IT!
On my way to my place I drove upon a motorcycle accident that had just happened. It was scary to jump out of my car and run up on it. The trailed on the motorcylce had rolled over the driver's wife. She is going to be ok, and today I saw why you NEED to wear your helmet!

Then I arrived at my new home for the week. The 2nd picture. My little home above the conference center is precious. I was checked in by the owner, his name is Vernon. He was the nicest man and told me about the property and where I could go to get great pics. He also told me that he would show me how to get to the waterfall that they keep private. So I got all unloaded, drove around the property a little and then decided to go get the scoop on the waterfalls. When I went into the store I talked with Vernon's son, Paul. He gave me a lot of maps and told me how to get where I needed to go. Such nice people. Then as I was leaving he came out and here is how the conversation goes...

Paul: "Ma'am, I don't mean to scare you, but do you have anything orange you can wear when you go out into the woods?"

Me: "No! Why?"

Paul: "Well deer season just opened and I don't want you to get mistaken for one."

Me: "Thank you for that. Do you have extra orange I could borrow?"

Paul: "Sure, follow me."

That would be picture #3. I am going to be stylin' as I head out tomorrow on my waterfall search!

MY BREAKFAST TODAY!!

Sent from "no tellin' where!"

Day 2

Arrived in Mena, AR to my cozy little carriage house. It is precious.
Found my way around town and had breakfast for dinner.
Today I spent the morning reading Esther and some of Job. Such amazing
stuff on God's sovereignty. Then off to lunch at a little coffee shop
and then drove the Talimena Scenic Drive. Pretty leaves. Cold breezy
day.
Tonight... Dinner at a little Italian cafe and then to the little
community theatre to see Barefoot in the Park.
Verse for today... Psalm 119:2
This little Psalm is kickin' my butt!!

Sent from "no tellin' where!"

Mr. Fix-It

So tonight my Dad came over and "helped me" fix the belt on the dryer. In quotes because, let's be honest, he fixed the belt while I supervised.

I have always been astounded by my Dad. He has always been able to fix or build anything. When I was growing up, he spent hours in the front yard fixing the cars or building something for the house.

And as a side note on the fixing things, he is a little bit of a perfectionist. In college he built my roommate and I the most deluxe set of loft beds any college room has probably ever seen.

As a kid, I for sure would have challenged any other kid's dad to go up against my Dad to fix something and know my Dad would win!

Well tonight as we were putting the dryer back together he revealed a little bit of his secret. This wire came off and I wasn't sure where to put it back on. He reaches down and just sticks the wire to this spot. The rest of the conversation goes something like this...

ME: "Is that where that wire goes?"

DAD: "I don't know, I guess we'll find out if it blows up."

ME: "Oh good, that's comforting."

DAD: "Hey, I can always tear it apart, just not always sure how to put it back together."

Ok, so my image of him wasn't shattered in this moment, but it did remind me that there has always been some trial and error in his work... and then it hit me.

I now know where I learned to just try it, go in, feel around, try some things, see if it works, and most of the time, you will figure it out. Doesn't usually take a rocket scientist.

Well, thanks Dad for that skill and for the confidence to try it and see what happens. It has served me well. And thanks for being willing to be my handy man. I am thankful for you.

And, just for the record... I would still pick you in any fix-it challenge!!!

I WAS JUST TRYING TO HELP!

A week or so ago, I was at lunch with my friend Leigh. We went to Blue Mesa, at my request, to sit on the patio in the amazing weather. Mexican food and a cool sunny day... who can beat it!
Well... close to the end of our meal a rather large beetle fell into Leigh's soup bowl. She was basically done thankfully. The beetle is on its back now covered in black beans. I feel sorry for him so I decide to take a spoon and scoop him out and flip him over the fence into the grass. At this point I feel like I have done a good deed! Right then, a big black bird scoops down, lands next to my bean covered friend and starts to peck at him.
I was so distraught that I did not watch the ending, but I have a feeling that the bird was thankful for his meal with a touch of black beans. Here is a picture of end of the story unfolding.
I really was, "just trying to help!"

KIDMIA

This last July I was blessed to go to Ethiopia with the Fournet family to pick up their twins, Beck and Deshi.  Truly it was an amazing trip, getting to see this family together, lots and lots of prayers later!

I also got to go visit Kidmia.  An organization helping orphans in rural Ethiopia.  You can visit their sight here to see what they are about, http://www.kidmia.org/.  You can also click here to hear about our adventures and see a few pics from our trip... http://www.kidmia.org/2009/08/the-fournets-visit-to-kidmia/ .

Before going I sent an email offering my friends a chance to partner with them by donating money to buy sheep, chickens and books for the kids.  While I was there we got to purchase 2 of the sheep, we actually got 4 for the price of 2 because they were both pregnant.  They have had their babies now.  They have also purchased all the chickens and I received an email the other day that the hens are producing eggs.  What an amazing thing.  It warmed my heart today to think about kids half way around the world eating eggs that my friends were a part of bringing to them.

So all that to say... thanks friends for partnering with me to bless this kiddos! 

WHAT I WOULD DO!

This week at our staff meeting we talked about how our world is changing.  That it will probably get tougher and tougher in the US to be an outspoken believer and not be persecuted.
It left me with the question... what would I do?
If faced with the decision to say "YES I BELIEVE IN JESUS CHRIST" or deny Him to save my own skin, what would I do? 
I have to admit I have really struggled with this question over the last couple of days. Being honest with myself (and y'all)... I have insecurities, at times my flesh seems bigger than my faith.  I hate it, I don't want that to be the case, I want to be able to say, absolutely, no question, I would say I believe and take the consequences knowing that God is with me.
But... What would I do?
Then a friend reminded me that no matter my response, Jesus loves me, remember Peter?  Honestly, I felt a huge sense of relief to remember Peter. He was so sure that he would never deny Jesus, he would be the last one standing.  But he did! (Matthew 26:31-35, 69-75) And Jesus loved Him all the same.  And God continued to use Peter to spread His truth.
Then I think about Paul.  (Acts 20:24, Romans 1:16, and Philippians 3:7-9) These verses are just a few examples of how Paul considered his life nothing compared to following Jesus and making Him known.
And lastly I remember the sick boy's father in Mark 9:24 when he says to Jesus, "I believe, cure my unbelief!"
So I have decided to change my question from: What would I do?  To... What am I going to do?
I am going to continue to pray, to read His word, to surrender my life to Jesus, to be obedient to what He calls me to, to give Him room to continue to change my heart, ask Him to change my unbelief to belief and trust Him with what is coming.
I'm going to be thankful, that whether I respond like Peter or Paul... I know that God's grace is more than sufficient.
And it really is so great because He already knows... What I would do!

"THINGS"... ie: Commandments, Laws, Regulations, Decrees, Instructions

I have been spending a lot of time in the last months with Psalm 119 attempting to memorize it. I reached the 1/2 way point today!! (I have wanted to quit on it a lot the last couple of weeks, it feels impossible, but trusting the Lord and taking it one day and verse at a time.) The entire psalm pretty much says the same thing over and over again... obey God's ________! The title lists all the "things" that go into that blank, many times over throughout Psalm 119. In reading it over and over I have continually asked myself... what exactly are are all of these "things"?
I have also joined a group that is attempting to read the entire Bible in 90 days. I say attempting, because true confession is that I already got behind and decided to jump ahead to catch up with them. The reading over the last couple of days has been about the kings and repeatedly it says that they did what was evil in the sight of the Lord because they did not do what David had done. In 1 Kings 14:8 it says, "But you have not been like my servant David, who obeyed my commands and followed me with all his heart..." Again the question is asked... what are the commands, the "things?"
Then today as I was journaling and thinking about these things I was gently reminded by the Lord what these "things" are. I say gently because I feel a little dumb that I had not gotten it before, and yet His patience with me is so amazing! He took me to Matthew 22:34-40, the last verse says, "The ENTIRE law and all the demands of the prophets are based on these two commandments." I am suppose to love the Lord with all I have and love my neighbor as myself. That's it, that's the "things" I am suppose to obey, the "things" I am suppose to follow with all my heart.
I am thankful that the Lord has sweetly answered my question so clearly, but now the reality of what that means. These "things" are NOT EASY! And I know that I can not keep any of His commandments without His strength, His Spirit, Him working them out in me.
So... today I rest in HIS GRACE and pray for Him to continue to draw my heart to LOVE HIM more and therefore to be able to love my neighbors.

Thoughts As of Late!

There has been a lot going through my mind lately.
Here are just a few of the thoughts...
I want to make a difference in this world. I want my life to count, but what does that really mean? I know that I believe in God. I absolutely think it is worth it. Worth it to trust Jesus with everything I have. And so, I want to be used by Him, I want His name glorified through me. Each day I want to wake up and ask the question, "What do you have today Lord?" And I want to lay my head on the pillow at night and know that I was with Him on His journey today.
I want to be fully surrendered to Him!
My brain gets overwhelmed sometimes with all the questions that I don't know the answers to. The kind of things that make my head hurt. But I am thankful that He has given me FAITH and allowed me to trust Him. There is a lot I don't know, but I do know that God loves me, I love Him more each day, and I want others to know Him and His love too!
I'm laughing that I think I could go on and on here. The dangers of an external processor having free reign!!

Getting Started...

Well, I think maybe I just took the plunge. I do not consider myself to be a writer, but I sure seem to have a lot to say. I am not even sure at this point if this will stick for me. Will this be something I really love doing? For now I hope to just get out stuff that I think, find, am intrigued by, impacted by... etc. We'll just see where it goes.