Ame's Blog

Finding Out

2011-01-10T14:11:00.000-08:00

I missed it. My monthly visitor, that is. I thought that I was pregnant earlier in the week, so I took a home pregnancy test. I thought I saw a vertical line try to show up, but it was so faint! I could have been seeing things or making it up in my mind. Plus, it really was too early for a home pregnancy test to show accurately. We have been trying for a little over 2 years now, so why would this month be any different? Still, I knew that if I didn't have a period by Friday, that I should retake the test. So,Thursday night I went to bed, knowing that first thing in the morning I would try again. My mind reeled with the thought of this actually happening. I laid in bed, staring at the ceiling, while Derek slept like a baby. I hadn't told him my suspicions, because I wanted to know for sure first. Of course, he didn't have any trouble sleeping. I think I looked at the clock almost every hour. I fell asleep sometime after 3 a.m. Then, I woke up a little after 5. Yay! It's time! I got up, went to the bathroom and took the test. I waited. And watched. The vertical line started to show! It was definitely a plus sign! Praise God! I go and find a little box, put the test stick in it and place a red bow on top. I take it with me and crawl back in bed.

Me: Whispering..."Derek."

Patting him on the arm..."Derek. Are you awake?"

Derek: "Hmmm."

Me: "Sweetie, wake up. You have to look at something."

I turn on the light. He sits up with his eyes barely open.

Derek: "What is it?"

Me: "Open it."

Derek: He opens the box and stares in. "What does it say?"

Me: "It's positive..............Aren't you excited?"

Derek: Smiles, still squinting..."Yes."

I turn the light off and we snuggle up together. It's the best New Year's Eve ever.

2009-11-19T16:18:00.001-08:00

Is blogging a thing of the past? =)

2009

2009-01-21T08:13:00.000-08:00

This blog was inspired by some questions that Chet Snyder posed at a recent small group bible study. After a few weeks (and some admitted boredom), I decided to answer these. Maybe this will start me in a positive direction for the year.

One thing I want to change in the year 2009 about….

the world…

There are few things I can do to change this world in and of myself, but I can change the things in and of myself to make this a better world. I want to see my brothers and sisters throughout the world as God sees them. I want to be a citizen of the world, as much as I am a citizen of the United States. I want to have a heart for ALL of God’s people, and stop the selfishness that American “patriotism” can bring. Most importantly, I want to live as a citizen of the Kingdom of God, which resides across the globe.

this country…

As a citizen of this greatly blessed nation, my views and actions are a part of this nation as much as I am a part of it. I would like to see this country be the “United” States of America, as the name suggests. In order to do that, we have to lay down our differences and work together to uphold the freedom and blessings we enjoy as Americans. My part in this, in 2009, is to respect the ideas and beliefs of others, to look beyond party lines and to see truth through the eyes of God.

The Church…

There are many things that I dream of seeing happen within The Church. Many I believe I won’t see until Christ’s return, when His Kingdom comes together under one Leader. I can’t wait for that to happen! One small thing I would like to see change in the Church, this year, is for the local churches in the Fairfield community to come together as The Church, more than we currently do. I would like to see members of the Body of Christ in our community, looking beyond denominational boundaries to become the Kingdom of God. I’m not sure how to bring this about, but churches need to step beyond their walls and become a Family.

my local Church…

My prayer is that, this year, our local Church will begin to spend less time and resources on ourselves, and more of those on “the aliens, the fatherless and the widows”. I would like to see our resources going out to those in need, more than it goes into our building and our programs. And, those resources should be followed by the love of Christ reaching those people through those in our Church, ministering to them face to face.

myself…

I want to regain my intimate relationship with God. Somewhere along the way, busy-ness has crept in and I find myself no longer seeking the will of God in my life. Just saying that I want to do His will is not enough. I need to daily seek His will and listen for His voice in every situation that comes my way. I need to start looking at God and listening to Him, as we walk this road together. Instead, I have been hurrying along with my ear buds in, music and noise blaring, while God patiently walks alongside, just waiting for me to look His way. I need to remember my first Love.

2008-11-18T11:12:00.000-08:00

I'm stealing/sharing this from "Wrecked for the Ordinary". In our constant search for "church", I found this relevant. Comments by me, in green.

"What's Wrong With Church - Me
3/1/2008
by Jeff Goins

Church is such an amorphous term these days. Is it a home group, community, mission activity, or a worship service? Of course, we know that we are the Church, the body of Christ. But church - or, perhaps, better said, fellowship - means something different to everyone. However you do church, the fact remains that we need corporate worship. As members of this cosmic family, we can't really do with out it, so that leaves us in a bit of a quandary... because, frankly, sometimes I can hardly stand church.

Our culture, especially twenty-somethings, esteems individualism far too much. Whether we can afford it or not, many of us live on our own. Those of us who are Christians believe in biblical principles, but almost equally so, we believe in our independence. Private faith. Private worship. Don't interfere, or we'll call you "dogmatic." Nonetheless, we are all looking for something to give our lives to.

Am I willing to die for church? A building? A potluck? Lately, I’ve grown critical of the whole institution, and I'm learning that I'm really the one to blame in all of this. As I'm lulled into apathy, I become resentful at the church when really it was I who chose to let church become a passive activity. (Guilty.)

A year ago, I took a fifteen-day trip to Mexico. I like how Mexicans do church. I like that I was challenged. I like that we sang the same worship song, incessantly jumping up and down, for at least eight minutes. I’m told that the average limit to a song in American churches is about three and a half minutes. Otherwise, people just get bored. I think that they already are. (That's exactly the problem. We're bored before we every step in the "sanctuary". If we really meant what we were singing, we would never tire of praising our God.)

In Mexico, by the time the preacher went up to preach, we were all sweaty and disgusting and didn’t realize that an hour of the service had already passed. The sermon did not have three points; there was no Powerpoint or fill-in-the-blank bulletin; and it did not stay in the 30-40 minute window. It was long, passionate, and sloppy. And ten people got saved.

While we in America are debating about the "age of accountability," Jesus is transforming lives in Mexico.

So, I got back from my trip to Latin America and fell into the familiar slump of seeking to be entertained at church. It wasn't doing life together, and it wasn't a celebration. It was my opportunity to pick apart other people and pretend that I knew whether they were being authentic or not. This spirit of judgment did not just surface in the church building, but in daily encounters with other believers.

As good Westerners, we're trained to be critical, aren't we? And church is no exception. If you live in the Bible Belt like me, it can even be a frequent topic of Sunday afternoon conversation. (Wow. I am so guilty of INDULGING in this form of recreation! I see how intelligent I can make myself seem, by tearing others down. Help me, Jesus.)

For those of us who are cultured, we call it an appreciation of "good art" and justify all kinds of nasty thoughts regarding our brothers and sisters in Christ. The truth is, I'm not looking for good art. I'm not looking for a great show or even an inspirational sermon. Sure, there's the temptation to "grade" my pastor or measure up other Christians, but what I'm really looking for is real fellowship.

Because deep down inside, I know I'm fake. Spending a church service in a seemingly disingenuous environment exposes my own selfishness in worship, my own religiosity in corporate prayer, and my convoluted desires towards God. And I don't want to be that way. I need to be amongst a group of believers that will call me out of my starvation for truth and into authenticity.

It was a breath of fresh air when I started visiting the Hispanic service at my church. I admit that I was attempting to relive my experience in Mexico by surrounding myself with the culture - at least, for a couple hours each week. At this church, everyone brought something to share. I even played a song on my guitar. Let me say that again: everyone brought something to share. This may not seem novel to you, but this was it for me. Church, with a big "C" or a little one.

When the Body of Christ comes together and shares its different talents and unique abilities, God himself is glorified, and his children are grown. You see, this is how the Body was meant to work - how it was meant to function. We're not supposed to come together and take a passive stance, being talked at and taught, so that we can store up clever cliches and acronyms with little practical value. (Amen!) Worship is work. The strength of corporate worship is actualized when we work together - not looking to our pastor to referee the show, but each doing something to get the Body's blood flowing. And the only way to make that happen is to move some parts.

We're supposed to gather and share. Really share - everything from our money to our possessions to our talents. Last time I was at the Hispanic church, it was a short testimony, an a cappella hymn, and a poem being read aloud. It wasn't eloquent or well-orchetrasted, but it was fellowship.

And I'm hooked."

Give Me Your Eyes -by Brandon Heath

2008-08-19T09:33:00.001-07:00

Looked down from a broken sky
Traced out by the city lights
My world from a mile high
Best seat in the house tonight
Touched down on the cold black tile
Hold on for the sudden stop
Breath in the familiar shock
Of confusion and chaos
Are those people going somewhere?
Why have I never cared?

Chorus:
Give me your eyes for just one second
Give me your eyes so I can see
Everything that I keep missing
Give me your love for humanity
Give me your arms for the broken hearted
Wasnt it far beyond my reach?
Give me your heart for the once forgotten
Give me your eyes so I can see
again
again
yeah
yeah

Step out on a busy street
See a girl and our eyes meet
Does her best to smile at me
To hide whats underneath
Theres a man just to her right
Black suit and a bright red tie
To ashamed to tell his wife
Hes out of work
Hes buying time
Are those people going somewhere?
Why have I never cared?

Chorus

Ive Been there a million times
A couple of million eyes
Just moving past me by
I swear I never thought that I was wrong
Well I want a second glance
So give me a second chance
To see the way you see the people all alone

Chorus (x2)

Another thing......

2008-07-15T11:39:00.000-07:00

It just hit me as I was falling asleep the other night. I was saying my normal bedtime prayers and I remembered all of the prayers I had said over the years for God to give me a husband. I don't know how many nights I spent in tears, praying for God to give me a partner to share my life with. It just hit me (after being married now for 10 months), that God answered my prayers! And, it was made perfectly clear why I had to wait all of those years. It was because God was changing and preparing my heart for "such a time as this". My husband is an amazing gift from God and I can never thank Him enough for placing Derek in my life.

What I Believe

2008-07-15T10:49:00.001-07:00

So, I've been reading the book "Blue Like Jazz" by Don Miller. Loving it! But, it is really challenging me. His friend tells him that what you believe is what you do, not what you say. Not a mind-blowing concept, right? Wrong! I talk about believing a lot of things. I think about what I believe all the time. But, do I really believe what I think I do? Or what I want to? For instance, I say I believe in helping people (the poor, hungry, spiritually lost...), but I go about the majority of my days doing nothing to help them. What does that say about what I really believe? It says I don't really care about those people. Maybe I don't. I mean, I was born a selfish being wanting nothing but for my own needs to be met. Have I really changed that much from when I was born? Aren't I still screaming and crying "Take care of me! Love me! Pay attention to me! Feed me!" I've been thinking about this over the past week. Wondering how I can change what I believe.....who I am. Of course, I can't. I can't do a thing about who I am, but God can. He has changed many things in me since I've known Him. He has so much more to change though. I don't want to forget that I still need Him. I don't want to come to a point where I think I'm "good". I always want Him to be changing me. I want to be more and more like Christ. So, I need to keep praying for God to change my heart. My insides have to change in order for my actions to change and affect the world. I want to believe that I care about others like Christ does, but if I'm honest, I'm just not there yet. I need God to change what I believe.

Happy Father's Day, Dad!

2008-06-16T11:11:00.000-07:00

Me and my poppy...

Tree Progress

2008-06-16T10:59:00.000-07:00

Things are getting back to normal in the Demaret backyard. Here are some pics of the cleanup.

The gazebo has been replaced...

Derek splitting wood

And jumping to a more recent pic.....Dad and Derek have rebuilt the storage shed...

And it fell....

2008-05-11T18:33:00.001-07:00

I have a lot more pictures, but you get the idea. My backyard is a tree!!!

Icy, falling trees

2008-03-11T06:41:00.000-07:00

Here's the lovely tree that tried to take out our little storage shed last week.

Friday Night

2008-03-02T18:16:00.000-08:00

Friday night I went bowling with the Sunday school class at church. I brought Jenn along too. =) So, here are some pics from that. I always have problems blinking when people are taking pictures of me.....and I was having REAL problems with it this night. Anyways, I had fun! I really suck at bowling and this night was no exception, but it was still fun. Oh, and I stole these pics off of Sarah's myspace page, so this is courtesy of Sarah's photography. =)

Here's a couple pics of Jenn, me and Sarah...

Me and Derek

Also, today (Sunday) was beautiful. It was so warm!!! Praise God for warm weather!

Snow

2008-02-24T06:53:00.001-08:00

It was snowing when we woke up this morning! Here are some pictures......it's really pretty. =)

There's my sweetie, shoveling snow...

Looking Good for Jesus

2008-02-12T14:06:00.000-08:00

Ok, I know this is wrong, but hilarious!!!

Christmas 2007 Pictures

2008-01-30T07:12:00.000-08:00

Bailey is getting excited about Christmas!!!

2007-12-05T07:49:00.000-08:00

Happy Thanksgiving

2007-11-26T11:37:00.000-08:00

I hope everyone had a Happy Thanksgiving! I enjoyed having a couple of days off work and going shopping. And, I'm thankful for a lot. I'm thankful that I am married to the best new hubby ever! =) I'm thankful that I'm healthy - that so far in my life, I have woke up every morning with breath in my lungs and with rhythm in my heart. I'm thankful for my job, which pays for my home and everything in it. I'm thankful for my family, through blood and in Christ. I'm thankful that I live in a country that enjoys the freedom to worship as we choose. I am thankful that my soul is saved for eternity by Christ's ultimate sacrifice. And, I am thankful that Jesus walks with me daily as a friend and comforter. I'm thankful.

Our annual picture on the couch...

I'm sick of this crap.

2007-11-15T11:50:00.000-08:00

"'Do you think I came to bring peace on earth? No, I tell you, but division. From now on there will be five in one family divided against each other, three against two and two against three. They will be divided, father against son and son against father, mother against daughter and daughter against mother, mother-in-law against daughter-in-law and daughter-in-law against mother-in-law.'" -Luke 12:51-53

I have been thinking about this today. I recently heard a fellow Christian make reference to this verse to describe the divisions within the church. He used the scripture to explain why there is so much arguing and disagreement in the church body. At the time, I think I blindly nodded in agreement that, yes, Jesus did not promise peace. But, I think that I was wrong in thinking that applied to the church. Jesus promised division, but I think that was in reference to division between believers and non-believers. I don't think that Jesus meant to bring division between his followers. Christians should be united in the grace given to us through the blood of Christ, which has saved our souls. I cannot allow the above verse to excuse away the responsibility that we as Christians have to strive for peace and unity. I can't sit idly by and say, "Yeah, none of us get along, but then Jesus said that would happen. Oh well." I don't think any of us can! Have we forgotten the commandment?

"The most important one," answered Jesus, "is this: 'Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.' The second is this: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' There is no commandment greater than these." -Mark 12:29-31

And, I just noticed something! I never saw this before. But, in that scripture, Jesus lists two actual commandments - "the most important one" and "the second is this" - yet, his last statement says "There is no COMMANDMENT greater than these." (emphasis added). Commandment. Singular. He speaks of two things, but calls them a commandment instead of commandments. It's like the two things are one thing. If you love the Lord, you love your neighbor. You can't love your neighbor unless you love the Lord. They go hand in hand. You can't do one without the other. If that's the case, we had better be loving our neighbors, RIGHT?! And, that definitely includes our brother and sisters in Christ.

"If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand." -Mark 3:24

"If a house is divided against itself, that house cannot stand." -Mark 3:25

I don't know what our problem is. I'm not saying that every Christian will see issues in the same light. We won't agree on everything. We don't have to! But, we do agree that Jesus Christ is Savior and Lord. And, because of that, all other things should go by the wayside. The things I have been seeing within the Body of Christ have broken my heart. I'm guessing God's heart is broken also.

Something for us to remember...

2007-11-02T09:31:00.000-07:00

"But the plans of the LORD stand firm forever, the purposes of his heart through all generations." Psalm 33:11

Something for us to pray...

"May your unfailing love rest upon us, O LORD, even as we put our hope in you." Psalm 33:22

2007-10-26T11:37:00.000-07:00

I love vanilla pepsi from Taco Tierra! There are just some things in life (often caffeinated beverages) that make me giddy inside. Thank God for vanilla pepsi!

Ok, so yeah, I'm at work and I'm bored. My coworker left me for the day and there is not a whole lot to do, so I'm trying to entertain myself.

This weekend is Judgment House at church. I'm excited! I hope people are touched by it. Hope everyone has a good weekend!

Just call me Mrs. Demaret

2007-09-28T14:12:00.001-07:00

The "WOW" dress!

Mom and I

Me and Sis

The three of us!

Stace and I

Skyler and Bon

Larissa and Sarah

Our beautiful cake

Mom

Me and Dad

Michelle and Geoff

Mr. and Mrs. Demaret

Oh, I dunno.....

2007-09-05T14:23:00.000-07:00

I had sort-of a vision in Sunday School a couple of weeks ago. I envisioned seeing the view of the world on Sunday morning from God’s perspective (as if I can even imagine His perspective). It was as if I were looking down on the world…….and people were all walking into churches. And, I felt sad. God felt sad. People were walking into churches and closing the doors behind them. I’ve been holding this thought in my mind, trying to figure out what would really be sad about people going to church. People go to church to worship God, right? Or……..is that the problem. Why do we go to church? I’ve had these anti-church feelings welling up inside of me for several months now. And, I think my problem is how the word “church” is used. What is a church? A building that we go to, where there is a cross hanging on the back wall, where we sing songs and listen to a sermon? Why would I want to participate in that? Where is God in all of it? Oh, I know He’s there. But, does everyone else? Do the people sitting in the pews know that He’s right beside them? Does the pastor realize that the words he is speaking are representative of the very God who wants to reach the people through him? Or is it all a show? Do the church-goers want to impress each other and the pastor with their “good” lives? I mean, they are at “church”, right? Is there a secret contest between pastors to see who can grow the biggest church? I think that it saddens God that instead of us waking up in the morning and embracing Him and His love, we rush off to a building we call “church”. A responsibility. A recreational facility. We walk away from our relationship with the Father. I’m not saying that going to “church” is a bad thing. I just think we all need to readjust our thoughts on what the church really is. God’s Church. God’s people. People who love the Lord and love each other. It’s more simple than we make it. Come as you are WHERE you are. Don’t close the door of the church on Him (metaphorically speaking). Take Him with you wherever you go. Better yet, go where He’s at!

First Baptist Shower

2007-08-28T12:51:00.000-07:00

Here are a couple of pics from the shower First Baptist Church had for us on 8/18/07.

Derek and I....

That's my mom, Derek's Grandma Bernadine, Derek and I, my Grandma Clarabelle, Derek's Grandma Neva and his mom, Blenda.

Shower

2007-08-07T12:17:00.001-07:00

Pics from myWedding Shower the girls had for me this past Saturday.

Me and my bridesmaids...

Me and my Maid of Honor...

Me and Stace...

There's Stace and her cute baby boy!!!

Me and Alex...

Me, Bon, Ang, Stace and Alex, hanging out afterward.

My soon-to-be new mom-in-law, me and my mommy...

My soon-to-be new hubby and me!!!

I had a really awesome weekend. I feel so blessed!

Bachelorette Party!!!

2007-08-07T12:07:00.000-07:00

Here are some pics from my Bachelorette Party this past Friday. First we went to eat at Los Bravos.

This is Sarah, Bonnie and Stacy at the restaurant.

And, me, Michelle and Larissa.

After we ate, we went to the mall and hung out for a little bit. We had some fun taking pictures of Alex.

Me and sis, back at her house.

There's Bon with Alex.

I had a lingerie shower, but I don't think I can post those pics. =) It was lots of fun having girl time!

Invitation Party

2007-08-07T06:39:00.000-07:00

On July 14th, I had an "Invitation Party". Some of my friends came over to my mom's house and assembled my Wedding Invitations and addressed them. Here are some pics from that:

Me and Jenn

Bon and I

Me and my Sister

All of us hard at work...

It was loads of fun. =) Thanks girls, for your help!

Random Updates

2007-07-02T07:30:00.000-07:00

I know, it has been a long time since I have updated. I have been busy with wedding planning and, well, LIFE. Wedding planning is going along fine, by the way. I can't wait to marry my sweetie!!! =) Here are a few things that have gone on recently.

Larissa got married!!! I'm so happy for her.

This is her and David.

Here is a pic of the girls I roomed with at the Women of Faith Conference in St. Louis on June 15.

That is Pam Smith, Dianne Harl, my mom, Edith Harl, Sherry Cotton and myself.

Fun times.

"Freedom is not the absence of bars, but the presence of Christ." - Sheila Walsh

Here is Pastor Joey preaching on the roof. He promised to do it if our Sunday School attendance surpassed the record high, and well, we did it! =P

Word for the Day

2007-04-11T10:25:00.000-07:00

vo·cif·er·ous /voʊˈsɪfərəs/ Pronunciation Key - Show Spelled Pronunciation[voh-sif-er-uhs]
–adjective
1. crying out noisily; clamorous.
2. characterized by or uttered with vociferation: a vociferous manner of expression.

Be still and know....

2007-01-29T10:50:00.000-08:00

Going along with Peck's sermon Sunday on contentment, I was listening to this song this morning. If only I could be content to just sit in the presence of God....keep quiet once in awhile....stop with all the requests, so that I can listen to Him "breathing".

BREATHING
by Lifehouse

I'm finding my way back to sanity again
though I don't really know what I'm gonna do when I get there
and take a breath and hold on tight
spin around one more time
and gracefully fall back to the arms of grace

cause I am hanging on every word you say and
even if you don't want to speak tonight
that's alright, alright with me
cause I want nothing more than
to sit outside Heaven's door
and listen to you breathing
is where I wanna be yeah

I'm looking past the shadows in my mind into the truth and I'm
trying to identify the voices in my head
God which one's you
let me feel one more time what it
feels like to feel and
break these calluses off of me
one more time

cause I am hanging on every word you say and
even if you don't wanna speak tonight
that's alright, alright with me
cause I want nothing more than
to sit outside your door
and listen to your breathing
is where I wanna be yeah
where I wanna be

I don't want a thing from you
bet you're tired of me
waiting for the scraps to fall off of your table to the ground
cause I just want to be here now

Alexander David Morris

2007-01-24T19:43:00.000-08:00

Saturday, Stace was home with Alex, for her baby shower. I am SOOOO happy for her! He's a cutie. Here are some pics.

Alex sleeping soundly

Stace and I

Bon and Baby Alex

My mom holding the baby.

Angie's little girl, Kenlee, kissing Alex (Stacy's cousin Shannon holding him)

I only wish they lived closer so I'd get to see them more!

2007-01-12T11:53:00.000-08:00

Yeah, so I had a dream involving Trogdor chasing me on a cruise ship last night. I don't think he was burninating people though. He was eating them. Weird.

http://www.homestarrunner.com/sbemail58.html

2007-01-08T20:16:00.001-08:00

God is good.

Merry Christmas!

2006-12-27T16:18:00.000-08:00

I had a wonderful Christmas. Hope everyone else did too!

The House.

The Tree.

The stockings hung by the chimney with care.....

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!

Sacrifice

2006-12-22T10:50:00.000-08:00

Just thought I'd share this story with you. A guy that I work with has a daughter who sacrificed her wedding in order for a church to be built. It's an awesome story of sacrifice, faith and love for Christ. I can only ask myself, what would I give up in my life that would be of such worth...for Him?

Here is the story, written by the girl's sister:

"This is the story of my little sister's wedding. . . My brother-in-law, Scott, proposed to Adrian with a knock-out ring in 2005. Of course, as wedding photographers, we get excited at the opportunity to work for a family member or very close friend. We love shooting weddings but it's very special when it is your own flesh and blood in the dress. We were all working on a June 3, 2006, wedding at my parents house. It would be a small family ceremony followed by dinner on a summer evening, A.J. would be the only one standing up with them as the ringbearer. We were tracking when the sun would set and considering rain plans; grandma was getting started on dress alterations. She had chosen her flowers and cake and the small details were in order - we were excited! Then Adrian shocked us all. I will never forget when she called. I was washing dishes on a Sunday night after fixing food for our small group meeting which was to start in 30 minutes. As soon as I heard her voice I knew something serious was up. She very quietly explained to me that their church congregation, First Assembly of God, in North Little Rock, had set a huge goal to meet by their 100th anniversary. The pastor unveiled the vision of planting 100 churches in some of the toughest to reach areas of the world. It was clear that Adrian was touched by the vision. The congregation had been challenged to consider what they could sacrifice to help out with this goal. For Adrian that sacrifice was her wedding. She told me that nothing else seemed to be much of a sacrifice but that giving up her wedding would truly be a sacrifice for her and Scott. I've been in the dressing room with many a bride on her wedding day. It's a powerful site to see a young woman look in the mirror at herself in that gown for the first time with her hair done, her makeup on, and jewelry knowing her dream is waiting a short walk and a very few moments away. Every little girl dreams of her wedding day until it comes and I knew Adrian was no exception. I asked her a dozen times during that conversation, "Are You Sure?" In tears she assured me that it was the right thing to do. She was willing to give up that moment in her gown and that day as a queen so that others could hear the gospel that makes us all the ultimate bride of Christ, His Church. They began contacting family to let them know of their plans. Instead of sending wedding invitations, everyone received a letter about the church's mission and how Adrian and Scott planned to give up their wedding in response to the challenge. On February 12, 2006, they drove to Eureka Springs and were married at a bed and breakfast. But their mission had only begun, they felt that they could raise enough to plant one church on their own with the money they had saved and the contributions of their intended wedding guests. It happened, on the Sunday after the wedding was to be held, Adrian and Scott put their gift, their sacrifice in the offering plate as it passed by. And today, in Rwanda, a church building stands as a testimony to their sacrifice. . . . But it wasn't over. Last month my mom received a phone call from Scott's mom. Adrian & Scott's church family was giving them the wedding that they sacrificed and we all needed to be in North Little Rock on December 17th for the early service. Each year at Christmas, the church has a special Sunday in which they give incredible gifts to the church family - Adrian and Scott were one of the recipients. Wow! And it was a surprise to Adrian and Scott - they had no idea what was going to happen. The church had taken care of all of the details so we would be going not as photographers but just as family. So on Saturday the 16th after we watched our bride and groom, Jason and Angela, drive away to their honeymoon, we drove down to North Little Rock to meet my parents who had A.J., my grandparents, my aunt and uncle and cousin, and all of Scott's family at a hotel down the road from the church. We would all be sneaking over to the administration wing of the church the next morning at 8am. The church had asked Scott and Adrian to take pictures during the service so that they would be sure to be occupied. Everyone who was to attend the original wedding was there, even Adrian's best friend since grade school, Adrien, and her husband and baby would be there. There were nearly 30 of us waiting to run in and surprise them on our cue. Everything was so organized. We were in the foyer observing the service from a TV outside. Over 1600 people were in attendance that morning at this service. Pastor Rod Loy began the gift giving portion of the service by beginning the Christmas story. One of the other pastors began reading the story of Mary and Joseph - "Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph" - then Pastor Rod interrupted and explained how Mary & Joseph had sacrificed their wedding to do God's will. Then he brought my shaking little sister and Scott up on stage and read the letter they had sent out instead of their wedding invitation. We watched outside as Adrian and Scott sat wondering what was coming. They presented them with a picture of the building their sacrifice had made possible and then he told them they were getting their wedding with everything - the original dress, flowers, hair, makeup, photography, and all of your family is here too. At that point we all went rushing in and it was chaos. Adrian burst into tears in total shock at what was happening. It was awesome. "

I'm not sure why I'm sharing this. I guess I am just in awe of this girl - that she could give up something so precious as her own wedding. And, beyond that, this couple put themselves out to be judged by others. I cannot imagine what my friends and family would say if I told them I wasn't going to have a wedding and that I was going to give that money so that a church could be built. People would think I was crazy!!! Beautiful story.

http://strattonphotography.smugmug.com/gallery/2259619

Thankful...

2006-11-26T10:58:00.000-08:00

I am thankful. For family and friends. My home. My job. My church. Sunshine in the morning. Stars at night. Fuzzy warm socks. Quiet moments. Peace. Health. God's Word. Eternal life. Dreams. Grace. Love. Hope. Breathing in and out. Beauty. Lessons learned. Trials to come. Smiles and laughter. Life.

Happy Thanksgiving. =)

To be completely honest with you……

2006-11-03T14:19:00.000-08:00

In my Sunday School class last weekend, I learned something that has changed my perspective on things. For those of you who were in that class Sunday, this will be repetitive, but I thought I should put it out here since it has really impacted the way I want to live out each day.

The class was on “Honesty”. My first thoughts were that this topic was just going to be Christian fluff and not that interesting……another virtue that we need to keep, yada, yada...but, it turned out to be a transforming idea. Simple, but life-altering if you let it sink in.

Christ has called us to be honest – to speak truth.

Ephesians 4:25
Therefore each of you must put off falsehood and speak truthfully to his neighbor, for we are all members of one body.

Proverbs 12:22
The LORD detests lying lips, but he delights in men who are truthful.

God’s word is the truth.

John 17:17
Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth.

Proverbs 8:7
My mouth speaks what is true, for my lips detest wickedness.

If we are to be honest and speak truth, everything that we say should line up with God's Word. Here are some examples of things that we may say that are lies:

Lie: "I can't do this."
Truth: (Matthew 19:26 Jesus looked at them and said, "With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible." )

Lies: "This is going to be a terrible day." or "This has been a day from hell."
Truth: (Psalm 118:24 This is the day the LORD has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.)

I don't know about everyone else, but these are things that I say and hear a lot. And they are not true!

God created the heavens and the earth through spoken word. What He spoke, came into existence. The words we speak are also very powerful. The words we speak, create our future. When we say things that are not true, we create for ourselves a future and an environment that is not what God wants for us. He wants something better for us. And, we not only speak this into our own lives, but into the lives of others who hear what we say and believe it. We need to chose our words carefully and make sure that they line up with the truth - God's Word.

I know that this is something I need to work on. It can be easy for me to develop a bad attitude, IF I don't read my Bible daily and keep the Truth in my heart. And I want to be able to speak truth to others who don't know it at all. Why, when I KNOW the truth, do I live as if I don't? I've got to stop that. I know better. I am priveleged to have access to the Father, whenever I need Him. And, I can know His will for my life, simply by reading His Word.

Maybe I'm the only one who needed to hear this....haha. I just hope you all know that where you are right now, is a good place. Because, no matter where you are (even if you have strayed from the path), God has good plans for you. Jeremiah 29:11 For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. And, if you feel like God has forgotten you, He hasn't. Luke 12:6,7 Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies? Yet not one of them is forgotten by God. Indeed, the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Don't be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows. God wants good things for us! Let's grab a hold of that truth and LIVE.

This is it.

2006-10-26T22:15:00.000-07:00

Psalm 15

1 LORD, who may dwell in your sanctuary?
Who may live on your holy hill?

2 He whose walk is blameless
and who does what is righteous,
who speaks the truth from his heart

3 and has no slander on his tongue,
who does his neighbor no wrong
and casts no slur on his fellowman,

4 who despises a vile man
but honors those who fear the LORD,
who keeps his oath
even when it hurts,

5 who lends his money without usury
and does not accept a bribe against the innocent.
He who does these things
will never be shaken.

AND

Matthew 5:8:

8 Blessed are the pure in heart,
for they will see God.

This is what I want. I want to see God. I don't want to live my life day after day without purpose. I don't want to go to work every day and see things in the natural.....as tasks that have to be done just so that I can get a paycheck every two weeks. I want to see through the four walls of my office and see what God is doing there. He's doing something! I know it! But I can't see it if I'm covered in my old self. I don't want to go to church on Sunday because it is something that I SHOULD do, because that is what good people do and it looks good.....or because it is a social event, or even because I just enjoy it. I want to go there and hear God speak to His people. I want to SEE His work within us and watch as He sends us out as an army to fight His war.

I want to live on His holy hill and dwell in His sanctuary.

Ok already.....here's your update.

2006-10-24T19:05:00.000-07:00

Not really sure what to put on here, but I guess I'll just start with some things I've noticed. There are a few things that I feel have been being repeated to me. #1 - Purification, #2 - Order, #3 - Splinters. I don't know if these have great significance, but when I feel like God is repeating things through His chosen teachers and preachers of the Word, I try to listen up and take notice.

1. I feel like God is calling me, more than ever, to holiness...to let Him strip down the layers of sin and selfishness and to become what He meant for me to be. I mean, of course, this is a calling for any Christian. But, I think this is bigger than that. More urgent. So, I'm thinking, why do I need to be purified? And, not only me, but the church as a whole....because, I feel that God is calling His church to this process as well. When we let go of the sin in our lives, we are closer to God. We are in alignment with His will. We are in a place where we can hear Him. We can be touched by Him and moved according to His plan. I think God is calling me to this process so that I can be ready for something.

2. Our God is a God of order. He has a plan laid out and steps in which He will carry out that plan. As a Christian, my steps are ordered by Him. Something I have begun to realize is, that since He is a God of order, I cannot keep things in order MYSELF. This thought drives me crazy!!! I am a person of order! =) I like things to be done a certain way, on my timing. No wonder I have come across disappointments in my life! I need to rely on God more to plan my life. I mean, He's got it planned out anyway and His way is best, so why don't I just follow Him?

3. Splinters. Jesus came to earth as a man, a carpenter, and carried a cross. He had splinters. We should have splinters from carrying our own cross daily. I find it strange that this illustration was used in two different services I have attended in the past week. Not sure where to go with that....just interesting.

That's all I've got for now.

Peace!

Me without You?

2006-10-11T10:52:00.000-07:00

I'm not a huge Avalon fan, but I was listening to this song this week and a line in it really hit me. (See below, emphasis added to said line.) Have you ever fallen into the trap of living like the world? You start to think that, hey, this isn't so bad. I can still be a Christian and do some of the things the world thinks is ok (even though my gut tells me it's wrong). The Bible doesn't specifically say that this is wrong, so I can justify it. I can live without seeking God on this. You convince yourself that no one will get hurt. But, really, you're hurting yourself and you're hurting God. When you truly know Jesus Christ, you will never be the same inside. You can go back to living like the world, but you will KNOW that it is wrong. The Spirit living inside you knows it's wrong. We long to be close to Jesus and to the truth, even when we stray from the path.

Avalon - I Don't Want To Go
From the album Oxygen

You changed my world
When You came to me
You drove a passion
In my soul down deep
Lord, to follow You in everything

I don’t want to go somewhere
If I know that You’re not there
'CAUSE I KNOW THAT ME WITHOUT YOU
IS A LIE
And I don’t want to walk that road
Be a million miles from home
Cause my heart needs to be
Where You are
So I don’t want to go

So come whatever
I’ll stick with You
I’ll walk You’ll lead me
Call me crazy or a fool
For forever I promise You that

Without Your touch
Without Your love
Filling me like an ocean
For Your grace is enough
Enough for me
To never want to go somewhere
If I know that You’re not there

2006-10-09T16:26:00.000-07:00

I had a beautiful weekend. Stace came home to visit! I got to spend time with my "Soul Sisters". Yeah, that's a cheesy term they used at Revolve. But, that's what they are. They are my sisters in Christ - personalized gifts from God. I had a great time and felt even more thankful (if that's even possible!) for the blessings in my life. Anways, here we are....

Bon, Stace (with baby Morris), and me.

A couple of pics of me and Stace Sunday morning after church.....

2006-10-03T07:35:00.000-07:00

I love....

and...

Of Ants and Men

2006-10-02T18:45:00.000-07:00

Ok, I know....I'm on a roll now and can't stop. But, here's another thing I was thinking about while driving out to my parents' house last night. It is amazing that God speaks to us. I have heard the way God relates to us explained by imagining if God were a human and people were ants. An ant cannot possibly understand anything in our world - what we say when we speak, the reasons we do things - they can't even comprehend us......in the same way that we don't understand everything about God. He's too big, too powerful....He's so above us in every way, that we don't understand the reasons He does things. Yet, He reaches us. Somehow, He is able to break through, into our little world and speak to us. Can you imagine trying to communicate with an ant???? It would be impossible! It doesn't matter how many different ways we would try to talk to an ant, it would never understand. But, God is so awesome, that He can do the impossible. And, He does it without us even SEEING Him. He speaks to us without us even actually HEARING Him. I know, maybe this doesn't seem like a big deal to anyone else, but the more I think about, the more AWESOME it becomes in my mind.

My listening ears are turned on now....

2006-10-01T19:22:00.000-07:00

Last Sunday was a wake up call for me. Not that I didn't already realize that I wasn't focusing on God enough, but I was officially called on it. Several in Sunday School were talking about how they felt the Spirit moving. Basically, they had an uncertainty of what is happening right now, but agreed that God is doing SOMETHING. When Penny asked me directly what I was feeling, honestly I was startled.....because, I haven't been paying attention. I have not been seeking the Spirit's movement around me, here lately. I have been doing my own thing.

I'm listening now.

----------------------------------

I have mixed emotions about how this weekend was. It was good FOR me, but not such a fun experience. I ended up going to "The Revolve Tour" (kind of last minute), not with my church, but with the church group of the lady I work with. It is like "Women of Faith", but for young girls. For anyone who has been to a Women of Faith conference, you know that it is kind of a bittersweet experience. It is a very good program, but you'd better be ready to have your toes stepped on.....and to be in tears all day. That's how Revolve was as well. In fact, I was in tears as soon as we all stood up to sing the very first song. And....it had nothing to do with the song. It was the whole environment. Here I am, standing amongst 7,000 mostly teenage girls. God has really been laying young people on my heart. And, as I looked out over the crowd, I was overwhelmed with love. I know that sounds strange.....I only knew about 20 out of the 7,000. But, what I saw when I looked around, were thousands of promises for hope. I saw God's daughters. And, it made me remember myself at their age....back when I first came to know Christ....when all I wanted to do was live for Him and be a light for my unsaved friends. I was so excited back then. I just wanted to protect those girls from the world. If they could only just stay in that arena, where they were safe from the ideas the world throws at them. If they could keep their innocence. Yeah. That is what I felt.

I LOVE Tammy Trent...

Esther, Courtney and Jordi

And, the tears were back in Sunday School today. Melissa Garrison is going to be teaching us for awhile. She is an anointed teacher...I felt God's presence in every word that left her mouth. Can't explain that, but.....it is like fire. And, I'm not pentecostal, so I don't normally speak in that way, but that's how it is. What she said today though, was an answer to something I've been praying about. You see, I am a dreamer (literally). All my life, I have had vivid dreams. My family has always been amazed at the crazy stuff I dream. A lot of it is just that.....crazy stuff that is hiding somewhere in my brain and decides to show up when I sleep. Some of it, however, I believe to be God-given (and sometimes demon-inhabited...that's another discussion). Anyway....for several months, I have been dreaming about wars. Some are wars here on earth. Some have been dreams of the last and final war, between heaven and hell and the people on both sides. And, I am always a part of them. Either I am training to be in a war, or I am gathering weapons, or I am running alongside Jesus....but I'm always IN the war. This is kind of a strange thing for me to dream, because I am in no way militarily inclined. I don't view myself as the type of person who would be a soldier in the army....in fact, that is the last thing I would want to do. I do know that I will be in the last battle with Jesus, so that I understand a little more, but as far as my dreams about training and that sort of thing.....it is very uncharacteristic. And, not really something that is even on my mind. Along with these dreams, there is a name that I have felt God speaking to me. I can't explain that either, except that it is a word that has been on my mind...and it keeps coming back. I have been praying about what it means, and trying to figure out why it is on my mind. Today, Melissa told us that there are many names that people will call us. The world gives us names, like "stupid", "unimportant", "ordinary"....but, God gives us a new name. In the Bible, He gave people new names. God has been whispering to me His name for me. I don't think I'm going to share it yet, because I still don't fully understand it's meaning in my life. But, does anyone else feel that God has given them a new name? Or am I the only crazy one out there? Haha. You all are going to think I'm a looney-toon now! =) Oh well!

Hope everyone has a good week! Love you all.

Getting Dirty

2006-09-28T14:57:00.000-07:00

Something has been bothering me. And I'm not sure what to do about it, because I'm part of the problem.

There are too many saved people in church on Sunday. I get up in front of the church every Sunday morning and look out over the congregation and I've been thinking....wow, we have so many amazing people here....and, I get warm, fuzzy feelings as I look over the crowd and see my church family worshipping together. It really is wonderful. But, lately, I've begun to realize that something is bothering me about the whole picture.....I wasn't sure what it was at first, but then I started to notice. Where are the lost people? The ones who do not know Christ at all? Has church become a place where Christians meet, like a club or something? We should be bringing in the lost - the despised, the lonely, brokenhearted, the hopeless. But, (to quote a friend) we might have to get "dirty" to do that. There are people out there whose sins we might not want to be around. We might not want other people (other Christians) seeing us associated with THOSE sinners. You know - the ones whose sins everyone knows about. And, we might literally get dirty. Not everyone is as well off as many of us are. What if someone came into our church and they weren't as clean as we might like? They might track dirt in on the carpet. What would we do then? Could we just love them? Or would we stare and whisper?

I read an article recently about a preacher who held a Bible Study in taverns. He said that if drinkers are afraid to visit God's house, he'll bring God to them, wherever that may be, even if it's at a bar. Now, I know that this concept is hard for many to accept - Bible Study in a BAR? The people there wouldn't even want to hear it, right? In my experience, people who hang out in bars are still just people. Really. Most of them have the same things going on in their lives as Christians do (some of them even ARE Christians - gasp). And, most importantly, they need God. But, for some reason the bar scene is more attractive to them than the church scene. I wonder why that is? Maybe because they feel that Christians will look down on them for the things they have done wrong? Maybe they don't feel accepted in a church? So, for this man to lovingly go to where THEY ARE to tell them about Jesus. Isn't that what Jesus did?

I know that my life is as filthy as anyone else's and Christ loves me.

So, here are the lyrics that say it all:

Audio Adrenaline - Dirty

Tired of being clean, sick of being proper
I wanna live among the beggars
And dig out in the dirt
Fed up with religion
And all the pious people talking
Wanna hang out with the homeless
And show them what they're worth

Sometimes we just need to get a little messy
The God I serve isn't always safe
Step outside the walls,
We build to protect us
Don't be afraid, get some mud on your face

Let's get dirty, let's get used
No matter where you come from
If you're beaten up or bruised
Let's get foolish, let's get free
Free to be the one thing
We were meant to be – Get dirty

You might get a bruise or some blisters on your fingers
You might start a question, and wonder what it’s worth
You may slip and fall from the burdens that you carry
But you can’t have this treasure,
till you dig it from the dirt

Workplace Discussions.....

2006-09-28T07:30:00.000-07:00

This week's discussion topic at work has been: If God is in control and knows everything that is going to happen, then why/how do we have free will? The conversation goes around in circles. God knows everything and how things are going to turn out, so why do we pray to Him? Why do we ask Him for things when it's already set to happen a certain way? How does it benefit us or God? Well, the answer to that is in the relationship. God wants us to have a relationship with Him. And WE NEED to have a relationship with Him. Our discussion ended on the fact that we will never fully understand how things work in God's grand scheme of things, at least not as long as we exist on earth. In the end, we have to have faith that God is good and that we can trust Him with His plan.

Last night at Bible Study (Wonderful Wednesday), on the video we watched, Tony Evans said that it doesn't matter whether we accept or reject God, His plan will continue. Whether we accept or reject Him determines whether he will work through us, move around us, or push us out of the way. This was in reference to God's plan for the second coming of Christ, but I think it can also apply to God's plan in our day to day lives.

Now I have this picture in my head of God doing His work.....and sometimes we choose to join Him, sometimes we sit out or walk away. But, He is still carrying out His plan. I think that the choices we make may alter how our lives are played out, but God's concern is gathering souls to Himself. Not that He doesn't care about the little things in our lives - those things help us grow - but, in the end, the only thing that matters is our salvation. That is His work. So, while we may think that it is important that we get this or that job, marry someone at a certain time and have X number of kids, stay in good health.....these things do not worry God.....His work is bigger than that. Our lives are eternal. The things that go on in the small amount of time we spend on planet earth are miniscule in comparison to what God has planned. So, we need to choose to join God in His work, and all the little things will fall into place.

(And, yes, I work with awesome people who challenge my faith constantly with great discussions such as these. I am very thankful for them!)

Thats My King

2006-09-25T18:14:00.000-07:00


The late S.M. Lockridge once presented an incredible message, describing our God and who He is. Though God can't be described with just words, this is as close as you can get this side of Heaven.

MySpace

2006-09-24T10:13:00.000-07:00

Find me on MySpace and be my friend!

Where I Was

2006-09-11T10:55:00.000-07:00

On the morning of September 11, 2001, I was in my college apartment, getting ready to go to class. It was a morning like any other. My alarm clock went off and I drug myself out of bed. Took a shower, got dressed, had my orange juice, like I always do. My computer was on, so as I picked up my book bag to head to class, I glanced at the screen. A friend of mine had IM'd me...."Have you been watching the news?" "No", I replied, "Why?" "Turn the TV on", he said, "the World Trade Center has been attacked." I turned on the television and watched, unsure of what was going on. An airplane had hit the WTC? They were talking about terrorists. I left and started walking to class. It was beautiful outside. The campus seemed quiet, except for the military jets that flew over. In my class, everyone was chatting about what was going on. No one really knew yet exactly what had happened. Our professor came in and taught class as usual. Afterward, I went back to my apartment. Mom called. She told me that I had better fill my car up with gas, because the rumor was that the stations might run out. Of course, I knew that I shouldn't give into that panicked behavior like everyone else, but I wanted to get home that weekend. I wanted to make sure I was able to get home to see my parents and sister, so I (like everyone else) went to the gas station and got in line. Cars were lined down Kingshighway waiting for gas. There were probably 10 cars in front of me, but I didn't care. It wasn't important. For once, I didn't get impatient waiting in a line. All of us were there for the same reason. We were confused about what had happened. We didn't know what else to do. I turned on the radio in my car. The only thing on any station was coverage of the day's events. I listened as they told of the deaths...I couldn't stop the tears. My normally selfish routine had been interrupted by something bigger than me...something I couldn't control. I didn't personally know a single soul who died that day, so I don't know what it feels like to be a person who did lose a loved one. What I did feel was an attack on something I love.....something that until that day, I did not realize how much I took for granted. My country. Our freedom. The great people who live here. My home.

2006-09-01T11:22:00.000-07:00

"I can only speak with a grateful heart as I'm pierced by this gift of your love..." - Jeremy Camp

2006-08-09T07:23:00.000-07:00

I went to the Women of Faith conference in St. Louis this past weekend. Here are some pictures.

Me and Mom

Bon and I

Me and Sister

BKK - 2006

2006-07-29T20:58:00.000-07:00

Umm.....yeah.....so I know there has been a blog drought here for about 2 months, but I've got stuff to share now!!! I have spent the past week at Big Kids Kamp and it has been awesome. =) I have a ton of pics that I'm going to put on here and I'm going to share what God has revealed to me along the way. So many things, I don't know where to start!!! First of all, "Bon & Ame" was back in full force this week after being away from camp for 5 years. We had to adjust to some changes that have occurred since we were last campers, but all turned out for the best.

I was a resource person for J'ne, but really I don't feel like I can claim a job title. J'ne was an awesome teacher and I can't take credit for a thing. Our class became very close throughout the week and were able to share things with each other. The class was an example of the body of Christ working together as a team, to build one another up and be unified in the Spirit. Which is what the bible study (book of Phillippians) was all about!!!

We started out the week with "The Big Game" on Monday night. My class was Teamo Supremo. (Teamo...Supremo.....Teamo....Supremo....) We won!!!

Here everybody is getting their war paint on before the Big Game.

Marylee showing team support. ;)

Teamo Supremo girls (Emily, Kelsey, J'ne, me, Katie, Tiffany & Lauren) and Mark.

Emily & Greg in the "Sammy the Seal" competition (he had to catch as many sardines in his mouth as he could).

Here's Gatlin, our "Garbage Disposal", with Jimmy and Brad being judges. Gatlin won this one. This guy will eat anything!

Kelsey and J'ne had to find out how well they knew each other in this one.

Chet announcing Levi and Lauren for their dance routine. They rocked!

Here's our "Timeline" representatives (Mark, Katie, Tiffany and Levi). They had to put books of the Bible in order.

So, Tuesday night we went swimming. Wednesday night's service was awesome and I think there were like 12 campers (there were 16 souls won for Christ total this week out of 54 campers - that we know of) who stood up to say that they had accepted Christ as their Lord and Savior. Molly (one of the girls in our cabin) was saved! Praise God!!! Wednesday night was also Comedy Night...

Dorothy Vaughn got Brandon Lee back for writing untruths about her in the newsletter. He got to taste test some of her treats and got a little taste of the "crap" he had been dishing out. =)

Ok - this is JC and Matt Wallace doing "The King and I" and it was hilarious. I was dying. JC ended up with a concussion during this, but it was well worth it.

The Posers - Quentin, Brandon, Paige, Kelsey and Mark

Okay, so I guess you had to be there...

I guess I can't talk about camp without mentioning the Kneeball game on Thursday. Boys won. Thursday night was Talent/Praise Night. Our class did a skit envisioned by Emily. And it was really awesome! All Christians are sinners, but by the blood of Christ we are washed clean!!! And don't let any Christian fool you - we all have sin in our lives. We all have things that we are ashamed of and would rather no one know about. But God knows everything about us and He STILL loves us.

Friday during Bible study, we celebrated the Big Game victory. Here are some pics of that:

Greg

- by the way, Greg has an awesome testimony of how God has saved his life more than once. God has great plans for him! ;)

Katie

- this girl has such an awesome heart for the Lord. I can't wait to see what God does in her life!

Katie & J'ne

Hehe...

Friday night was the dress up dinner. Here are some pics of that:

Here's me and Bon. Are we two hot chics or what?!? (Sorry, still working on being humble.)

We're not as cute as Macayle though...

Cathy, Misty and Bonnie. I'm not sure what Misty's laughing about - she's probably just full of the Spirit.

JC, Brad and Herschel serenaded everyone with their rendition of "Ice, Ice Baby".

Random table pics...

Let me just tell you...the dinner was great, but the service after that was AMAZING. There really is no way for me to put it into words, but I'll try. Wow. The Holy Spirit was in that place. He was invited in, He showed up and everyone in that room knew it. It was beautiful. Adam started playing the guitar and everyone joined in praise. Praise to our King. I have never felt the Holy Spirit's presence so strong. I was trembling as I sang. I stopped singing for a moment just so I could hear everyone and it was so beautiful. It sounded as if we were a choir that had rehearsed the songs... Chet said that it was like he could hear angels singing above our voices and I believe that is true. I think that angels sing along with us in praise all of the time, but this night, a piece of heaven was revealed to us. This was truly God's church in worship - one in Spirit and in agreement that He is the one true God who has saved us all. AWESOME! I could have stood in that place forever. But there was more after that...

We went back to our cabins and had communion together. Nicole accepted Christ into her heart! And Jenna already knew Him! So.....all of our cabin is going to heaven! Yay God! Hehe. It was an amazing night. Have I mentioned that it was awesome???

Here is a pic of our cabin girls (Molly, Nicole & Jenna) Aren't they cute?

We stayed up late Friday night - I don't think I got to sleep until about 3:00 a.m. Here are some pictures that I took around 1:30.

Brittany

Terra & Bethany

Morgan & Jerica modeled their feet for us.

Jimmy (he looks so excited)

Terri & Joe

One thing that I was reminded of this week is that I am so unworthy of God's love. We watched a video clip from "The Passion of the Christ" - where Jesus is crucified. I don't know why I have to be reminded of what He did for me, but I needed to be. I become concerned with so many petty things in life that don't even matter. The only thing that matters is that people know what Christ did for them. If we all lived our lives as if we actually understood His sacrifice, we would have no reason to argue or complain, or to worry over the future. I should live a holy and blameless life for Him, because I can give Him nothing more than that - my life.

I also learned that all I have to do is make myself available and God will use me. One of the messages JC gave came from Matthew 4:18-20 where Jesus calls Peter and Andrew from the lake to "Come, follow me". I can come up with so many reasons not to do what God calls me to, but I need to trust in Him and say "Okay Lord, I'll do it". I guess that is what I did with this week. I came up with so many excuses not to help with camp - I had to use my vacation time, I didn't feel capable or worthy to be an example to campers, I was afraid of opening myself up the way I knew I would have to....etc. But I felt God nudging me to go, so I did...and He used me. Not because of anything I can do, but because I made myself open to whatever might be placed before me. I have been so blessed and praise God for revealing His power to me.

Visit JC's website! www.jcgroves.com

2006-06-01T10:50:00.000-07:00

"Flowers appear on the earth; the season of singing has come..." - Song of Solomon 2:12

I drove out to my parent's house last night and the honeysuckles were blooming along the roadside, the whole way there. It smelled amazing! Praise God for things like that - for simple beauty, for seasons full of hope. =)

Word Verification

2006-05-23T11:00:00.000-07:00

Ok, so I finally had to turn word verification on. Sorry guys, but unfortunately the spam had to go. Hope everyone is doing well.

2006-05-15T10:51:00.000-07:00

I know. I haven't updated for awhile, or so someone has pointed out to me. I think I have run out of important things to put on here for the moment. Not much going on in my head, which can be a good thing. ;) But I can update everybody on a few things that have been going on.

Thursday, my friend Jenn called me up and invited me to go to Charleston with her. I agreed and after we were halfway there, I asked her what we were going to do there. Hehe. So trusting I am of her. =) Anyway, we went to this coffeehouse where they were having open mic night. It was fun! I had a yummy Kahlua Mocha and got to hear some free-thinking individuals sing and read poetry. Good time.

My very intelligent friend, Bonnie, graduated this weekend with her 2nd Master's Degree. I don't know how I will even associate with her now that she has reached such a higher level of education than I. But, congrats Bon!

A couple of weekends ago, I visited Cape Girardeau (where I went to college). It was beautiful down there. Here are a few pics I took:

The waterfall in front of the Library.

Academic Hall

Pretty place across from Crisp Hall.

The house that Kristen, Michelle and I lived in. It was white when we lived in it and they have painted it green! Coolest place I've lived so far. And from the cooler and the beach towels laying on the roof, I guess it is still a party spot.

And, I just have one more thing to say. WHAT IS WRONG WITH AMERICA? Why was Chris Daughtry voted off American Idol!!?!?! This is an injustice and I do not think I can get past it. I have been a loyal fan for all 5 seasons until now, but I think this may be the end for me. At the least, this is going to take time for the wound to heal.

Stuff About Me

2006-04-19T19:00:00.000-07:00

A friend of mine recently asked me some get-to-know-you questions in an email, which I have decided to post on here just to let you all know a little more about me. I would love to hear anyone else's answers to these questions, if you feel led to post them! =)

1. Who are your role models / people you look up to in life ?

My parents who have instilled in my sister and I the knowledge of right and wrong.
My sister for her compassionate heart.
Bonnie James - for loving people enough to say the important things, even when they aren't easy to say.
Stacy Morris - for her unwavering faith in God to bring her through all circumstances, and her obedience to His will.

2. When did you first accept Jesus and what experiences drove you to that decision ?

I was baptized (alongside my Dad and sister) when I was 9 years old. I truly believed in God at that point in time, but I lived a life without a relationship with Him. I don't think I recognized Him as my Savior, because I did not realize that I was in need of one - I did not realize I was a sinner or that I needed anyone to save me. So, the next several years, I lived a life pretty much with little thought to God. I even stopped going to church all together for several years. In high school, Bonnie and I became friends....I look back and think of us as little heathens. We were very worldly. I was a naive teenager who lacked any sense of self-worth, like a lot of young girls. At that time, Bon had been hanging around with Stacy McCormick who told Bonnie about Jesus. Bon got saved and was excited about it, which lead to her asking me if I was going to heaven when I die. I brushed off her question, thinking that I didn't need to worry about that kind of thing, after all, I had grown up in church. I knew all about that stuff. She kept bugging me about it for about a week and I kept ignoring what she was saying. But, Bonnie spent the night at my house one night and we stayed up late talking about God. I realized then, in my room, how awesome God was to have created the world and all the things in it. For the first time, I just KNEW that God was there with us and that He actually loved me. And in my heart, I asked for God's forgiveness for being so stupid and living my life apart from Him so many years. That was September 6, 1995, - I remember we went to "See You At the Pole" that next day and I was the happiest I had ever been in my life. =) I was 17.

3. What are your passions in life ?

The number one passion in my life is my relationship with Christ. I know that I can never be more fulfilled and content than when I am seeking to know Him more and striving to become more like Him. The other passions in my life fall under that heading (they are influenced by my first love) - relationships with family & friends, my church, reaching others for Christ. Those are things I am truly passionate about.

2006-04-02T21:42:00.000-07:00

I went to my Great Aunt Ruby's funeral today. I never really knew her, but as the preacher spoke of her, I felt like I did. She was a quiet, no-nonsense type who was not at the forefront of things....she kind of kept off to the side. But she loved God and her family, and did everything to take care of them. I guess I felt that we might have been similar in some ways, which made me wish I had known her. I also enjoyed spending time with the Simpson's. I always feel proud to be a part of such a beautiful, intelligent bunch. And, there's always cousin Norm to put a smile on your face. Great people.

Tonight I was introduced to Settlers of Catan. I REALLY thought I was going to be all awesome and win the first time I ever played, but Nathan RUINED IT for me!!! Way to go. =( I think I will be better next time though, so you all better be ready!

2006-04-01T10:45:00.000-08:00

Okay, okay....everyone is wanting me to post something new, so here goes. But, honestly, I'm not sure what I have to put on here.

My co-worker, Vern, has pointed out to me that my Blog is "girly", so I guess I'm going to have to work on that. The look of it anyway - I have actually been hating the pink. Vern has also introduced me to the world of sniglets, which apparently are nothing new, but I never knew about them. At least, I never knew there was something defined as a sniglet - that is, "words that don't appear in the dictionary, but should". So, I have decided to start posting a "Sniglet of the Week" on here. =)

I have had a pretty good week. It started out with me being tired and cranky, but then I had to tell myself to "Quit that!" and everything was better. In our group at Wonderful Wednesdays, Herschel opened it up for us to discuss things we envision for the future of our church. It's good to see that we're all on the same page - at least those of us in that room. God has great things planned for our church and His Church as a whole. Can't wait to see it all come to pass! The scriptures I have been led to this week were all about God's faithfulness. I can definitely attest to His faithfulness throughout my life. I know He will be faithful to carry out His good plans (Jeremiah 29:11) in my life, in the church and in our community.

As I think about all of the good things going on in my life and around me, I also think about all of those that are fighting illness and who have broken hearts right now. I know of so many. I wonder why they have to be going through these things. But, I know that we live in a fallen world - we're not in heaven yet - so we all will go through things. I have in the past, and I'm sure I will go through worse things in the future. So, I am thankful for THIS TIME, RIGHT NOW.

Happy Birthday to Me =)

2006-03-20T20:25:00.000-08:00

So, I had a good day......and a good Birthday weekend. Lots of time spent with those most important to me. My life is good. This was definitely a better birthday than last year. I didn't spend this one shut in my bedroom all day being depressed. And, I'm okay with being 27. I think whatever lies ahead, my future is in God's hands. It doesn't matter how old I am and what, by human standards, I may not have accomplished by this point. I have accomplished a lot....maybe things only God and I know about. "Once Again I thank You. Once Again I pour out my life." Happy Birthday to Me!!!

2006-03-12T20:04:00.000-08:00

I must admit, it has been a trying week. But, I heard this song by Casting Crowns last weekend, that is awesome. God is always there, even in times when life is like a storm. This is the song...

---------------------------------
I was sure by now
That You would have reached down
And wiped our tears away
Stepped in and saved the day
But once again, I say "Amen"
and it's still raining

As the thunder rolls
I barely hear You whisper through the rain
"I'm with you"
And as Your mercy falls
I raise my hands and praise the God
Who gives and takes away

(Chorus)
I'll praise You in this storm
And I will lift my hands
For You are who You are
No matter where I am
Every tear I've cried
You hold in Your hand
You never left my side
And though my heart is torn
I will praise You in this storm

I remember when
I stumbled in the wind
You heard my cry You raised me up again
My strength is almost gone
How can I carry on
If I can't find You

As the thunder rolls
I barely hear You whisper through the rain
"I'm with you"
And as Your mercy falls
I raise my hands and praise the God
Who gives and takes away

I lift my eyes unto the hills
Where does my help come from?
My help comes from the Lord
The Maker of Heaven and Earth
---------------------------------

I also had a wonderful evening with Derek last night, which took my mind off of everything. Thank you. =)

Bonnie's dad passed away this morning. I can't imagine going through losing both of your parents at our age. It is a great comfort to know, however that both Bill and Sheila are with our Heavenly Father. Bon and so many others prayed for their salvation and God was faithful in bringing the both of them home to Him. It's funny how when someone passes away, you try to remember the last time you saw them. Of course, I saw Bill Friday night in the hospital, but he wasn't able to talk to any of us. But, before that, I saw him at church a couple of weeks ago. We had a potluck after church and I sat with Bill, Bonnie, Skyler, Philip and Sherry. He was chatting away...asking me all kinds of questions about what is going on in my life. I feel bad that I can't remember much of the conversation. I was too wrapped up in the fact that my house was on tour that day and all kinds of other stuff going on in my life . I really should have paid more attention. I should pay more attention all the time to people and little things, like conversations at potlucks. But, Bill and Sheila are very dear to my heart and I will see them again someday, so we can get back to that conversation. =) And, Bon, I love you. You are one of the strongest people I know.

Here is a quote from the book (Captivating) us ladies are reading for Bible Study: "Every woman knows that she is not what she was meant to be. And she fears that soon it will be known - if it hasn't already been discovered - and that she will be abandoned." I could totally relate to the whole chapter we read this week, but that part sums it up. It is so hard not to fear being abandoned by others, when it has happened to you before. And I do try to cover up my insides by trying to make my outside pretty, or else by keeping myself so busy that I don't have time to think about what is going on inside. And I know that God will never abandon me, but being the ignorant person that I am, I also care what people think. I don't want people leaving me or not liking me because they find out what I'm really like. Because what I'm really like can be messy and confusing and totally NOT in control. I am a total control freak with things I CAN control, but those other things that I can't, I try to ignore. And my being in control means that I don't trust God. That's rough. There are definite things that I need to give over to Him.

I hope everyone has a good week! I plan on trying to survive another crazy one. God bless!

2006-03-09T18:13:00.000-08:00

My day at work was definitely interesting. Our morning was interrupted by a meeting, called by Dee, in which EVERYONE in all departments attended. It was strange. All of us were down in the tool room standing around in a circle, waiting for Dee to get there and I was like, "Is there a bomb in this room?" Haha.....CLOSE. So, the bomb was that UCI will be aquiring water pump manufacturer - ASC. To quote the memo, "ASC will become the company's Center of Excellence for water pump production". The faces on those in Water Pump Engineering turned somber. If any of you don't know, this is my department. Now, technically, I work for Water Pump AND Fuel Pump Engineering - Fuel Pump will remain the "Center of Excellence" at Fairfield. Although the process could take months, basically what this tells us is that WP Eng. will not stay at Fairfield. No one is actually SAYING that, but it makes no sense for the department to stay here. The higher ups tell us that they don't know anything for certain at this point. Bull. Guess I'm a little angry with the corporate doublespeak. And I have more of a chance of keeping my job than the Engineers and Drafters, because a lot of the work I do is for Fuel Pump. But, there are two of us doing my job, so who is to say they won't get rid of one of us. I know, I don't need to worry about any of this. I can handle whatever is thrown at me, because I have Someone Greater on my side. But, it is something for me to think about....ya know, what will I do if I lose my job? And, mostly, it upsets me because there are great people in that department that really DO need they're jobs. I just hope it doesn't pan out like we think. Prayers, please.

Susie

2006-03-07T19:14:00.000-08:00

Just wanted you to all meet my new Aunt Susie. =) My grandparents have a new baby and I went to visit her tonight. She's so sweet!!!

I know dad doesn't LOOK happy, but he really likes her. =P

2006-03-05T19:46:00.000-08:00

I went to visit my roommate this weekend!!! Big city girl Kristen, with her own apartment and cool job downtown. It was great hanging out again. We went out to eat at this little diner Friday night...cute place. Then it was late enough that we just went back to Kristen's place and watched tv. Saturday we went to the Galleria and didn't buy a thing!!! I guess we weren't in the shopping mood or something. But, it was fun.

I spent Saturday evening at Michelle & Geoff's, reading my "Captivating" book and watching a girl-movie with my sister (since Geoff was working on his sermon and sis never gets to watch chic flicks). I went to church with them in Chandler this morning. The rents came over and took us out to eat for Michelle's "Birthday Weekend". Her B-day is tomorrow. Happy Birthday Sister!

2006-02-28T15:44:00.000-08:00

What I really want is to be able to be myself. I don't want to pretend to be different things among different crowds. I don't want to have to seem more interesting or intelligent or outgoing than I am. Although I love beauty and find nothing wrong with striving for it, I want to feel like I'm beautiful even without the makeup. I also want to be more than just pretty. I don't want to have to play any roles that the world expects me to play because I'm a woman or single or Christian, etc. I want to be able to get emotional without scaring people away and sometimes be emotionless without having someone think I'm heartless. I am not really a warm, touchy-feely person, but I try. I have a hard time expressing my thoughts and feelings because the two get all tangled and confused. I only share my heart with the select few in my life I can trust it with. I want all of that to be okay because even though I have many flaws, I deeply love others and want to be loved just because I think that is what we are here for.

2006-02-26T20:27:00.000-08:00

New things. We should remember the past, so that we know where we have come from. But, when we look at the future, we should forget the past so that we can move forward into something new. Just because something happened a certain way in the past doesn't mean it will be that way in the future. That was what Pastor Joey's sermon was today. We have a pastor! Yay!!!

Today, my house was on the Afterprom House Tour, so I stayed clear of the place for the afternoon. I went to my sister's and hung out for awhile. Tonight I went to Chet & Misty's for young adult Bible study. We have a really awesome group of young adults that go there. They have actually been trying to talk me into going on Sunday nights for a long time. And, I just haven't, because of a million excuses. But I decided that now would be a good time to start going and I'm sure it's something that I need to do.

God, give me peace.

2006-02-19T18:23:00.000-08:00

I had a good week. Work was pretty mild...not too much craziness happening. I did have to stay for a "pizza party" Wednesday night.....a.k.a. work overtime to sort through defective pumps. I had a good night Friday night, because of a visitor who came to see me. ;) Saturday, Larissa and Jenn came over for the afternoon. And that night I went to Evansville with my parents, to eat with Michelle and Geoff. It was so cold! It was 8 degrees on our way home!!! I'm ready for summer. Brrr.....

At church today, we watched this video of Caz McCaslin (the guy who started Upwards Basketball). This is the second time I've seen it, but it's really good. I took several notes on what he said, but the main thing I've got from it is that "it's not about me". It's not about me ANYMORE, anyway. When Jesus came here and died on the cross.....THEN it WAS about me. That was about all of us. But from the moment I accepted His grace and forgiveness, it wasn't about me anymore. If it were, I would have went to heaven right then to be with Him. But I'm still here, because it's NOW about sharing the love of Christ with others. Wow. That really gives me perspective. That gives my life meaning and purpose.

I had some "Me Time" today. I know, it would seem like I should get a lot of that, being single and all. But, coming home from work everyday and watching TV is escapism....not me-time. I sat in my living room floor, drinking coffee, watching "Hitch" and looking at old pictures. I really have had a great life, ya know! I have so many pictures of great times with family and friends. Really makes me feel loved and lucky to have all of those people in my life. Oh, and Stace, you will be happy to know, that I removed the risque pictures of us from my photo album. =) I have one that Luke needs to have though!!! The "Barnyard Animals" sure had some fun, didn't we? Hehe.

2006-02-05T20:55:00.000-08:00

"If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness."
1 John 1:8-9

Last Wednesday at church, Herschel brought up the point that sometimes it seems like it would be easier if we weren't Christians. I have thought this many times, even to the point that I have felt like giving it all up. Sitting where I am now (which is a lot better place than I was a few years ago), I realize that if I am seeking God and have a day-to-day relationship with Him, it isn't hard. My desires become God's desires (or His become mine). It is when I am living for myself that it becomes hard to live an obedient life for Christ. Sometimes, it can seem challenging to live a Christian life, but it really is harder to live without God. He is always there to pick me up off my worthless butt whenever I think I can't get up and go on! I can't count on anyone else in this world to do that.

So, I was really emotional last week. I don't know what was wrong with me. Hopefully I'm over it. Last Sunday I was feeling like everything in life was great and then.....Monday came and....ugh. Maybe it's just work. There is just so much negativity there and I HATE that. I know things aren't perfect at Airtex and a lot of people have worked there a long time and are just sick of their job. I understand that. But, oh my gosh. It just drags me down sometimes. And then, I play into it and start acting the same way. And I REALLY HATE that. Aside from that, I've just been worrying about my life. It's getting close to my birthday....I know that's part of it. I'm almost 27, I'm not married, I don't have kids (not sure if that's a bad thing, but I might want the opportunity to find out!). I'm just worrying about things that I shouldn't worry about. I know God will take care of me as He always has. And, it wasn't too long ago that I had peace that He was taking care of me and that everything will work out. Satan's working on my thoughts, I know. I need to fix that.

Saturday was Skyler's birthday. Happy Birthday Skyler!!! Bonnie threw a surprise party for him, although he had it figured out before he got home. It was fun though. I miss seeing those two since I don't live so close to them anymore.

Sunday was the Superbowl. I stayed home and watched it. But mostly I couldn't wait for it to be over so I could watch Grey's Anatomy. =) Abby also got a bath that night. Here she is after the terrible experience.

And here's Cybil, happy that she didn't have to get a bath.

2006-01-29T18:07:00.000-08:00

Something witty to say........uh........I've got nothing. I'm tired. It really has been a great week. God is good. Here's my Abby:

2006-01-22T17:04:00.000-08:00

"But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come. He will bring glory to me by taking from what is mine and making it known to you. All that belongs to the Father is mine. That is why I said the Spirit will take from what is mine and make it known to you." John 16:13-15

This is Jesus telling his disciples that the Holy Spirit would come after He had left them, to guide them and teach them the ways of God. This is also a piece of scripture that Penny used in Sunday School this morning. And it is also what God has been laying on my heart again and again in recent months. I keep hearing from Him that I need to know God more and in order to do so I have to become in tune with His Spirit. I need to learn how to listen when the Spirit speaks and discern when it is the Holy Spirit speaking to me, as opposed to all other forces in this world. The Holy Spirit is a part of God that I have neglected in the past for a couple of reasons. One, I have misjudged the Spirit's leading in the past and because of that have been afraid to step out in faith and follow His leading again, for fear that I might read it the wrong way. And two, something as mysterious and wonderful as God's Holy Spirit is a little scary, in all honesty, to a natural human being like myself. But, I'm willing to put those two EXCUSES aside now and get serious about knowing my God. I feel it is a NECESSITY for all Christians, in order for us to move forward in God's will and to be unified in our outreach to the lost. The Spirit is definitely stirring. I have felt His movement for several months now. Things are about to change, for sure in my life and in my church, and I think within my Sunday School class we are getting the sense that something is about to happen in the world. I mean, it's obvious that things ARE happening in the world........the tsunami, hurricane, the recent deaths occurring in 2 different coal mines, wars, disease.......all things described prophetically in Revelations. I think we all need to be on alert and ready to listen to what God has to say during these times. To quote Penny..."Something's up."

Now that my sermon is over =) , this week things at work got a little bit more back to normal. I am no longer working overtime, for now anyway. The 5th season of American Idol has begun!!! I'm so excited. Umm.....I have now tried fish tacos from Taco Tierra. Not bad. Really. They're pretty good. I rented "The Village" friday night. Interesting movie. Chet used it in his sermon today. I think it is a good depiction of how the church often is. Saturday, I went to my cousin Susan's baby shower. I had not seen her since her wedding, 10 years ago, so it was good to see her again. This afternoon I went with the youth group to Evansville. They had a scavenger hunt at the mall and us "adults" had to find them. It was pretty fun.

I hope everyone has a good week! Amy out.

2006-01-15T19:44:00.000-08:00

Ok, so maybe it wasn't the greatest week. But, for me, it ended better than it began. I mean, I did have a hot date last night. Had a great time. Hopefully he did also. ;)

The Big Layoff

2006-01-10T18:03:00.000-08:00

There has been a rumor going around the past couple of weeks that Airtex was going to lay off 30-50 "company" people. And, since I know how rumors are around Airtex, I didn't believe a word of it. It appears, however, that there really is a bit of truth to every rumor. Although they had their numbers wrong, 19 company employees were permanently laid off yesterday and today. We lost four in my department. I am very thankful to still have my job, but those who lost their jobs this week really need to be kept in everyone's prayers. I know it isn't easy to find jobs in this area, especially ones that pay as well and have benefits like Airtex. And, one of the hardest things is that many of us lost people that we have worked with everyday and have become friends with. The ones of us who still have our jobs are also having to take on the work of those who have left. Rough week.

2006 has begun...

2006-01-08T14:01:00.000-08:00

The holidays are over....now back to real life. It will be a long time before I have that much time off work again, but I think I'm rested up and I can handle it. So, this past week I worked some overtime to get caught up on all the work that piled up while I was on vacation. I think I'll be working some extra next week, too.

Stacy and Luke moved back to Michigan Thursday. I'm going to miss my friend, but I know God has plans for her there.

I have this notebook, that I write things in whenever I'm upset or need to just get some thoughts out. Sometimes I'll write out prayers or poems in it. Anyway, I try not to read through what I've written too often, because really, it's kind of depressing to sift through that old stuff. But, I pulled it out of my nightstand this week and read it. And, this time when I looked at it, it wasn't depressing. It actually had the opposite effect. Looking back on things that have happened, dreams that I once had, I realize how far I have come from 6 years ago, even just one year ago. There have been times when I thought that I would not make it from one day to the next, but I did...I have. I have grown through the things that I have overcome. And I thought that I was overcoming horrible things being done to me, but in reality I had to overcome MYSELF. Selfishness. Wanting to live my life the way I want and not according to God's perfect plan. God has forced me to give up my desires and I have come to a point, finally, where I am willing to listen to Him and what He wants for me. It's such a relief to let go of the things I have tried to control and let God take control. I thank God for not giving up on me and putting up with my stubborn pride.

Last night was Geoff's ordination ceremony. It was an awesome service. God is going to do great things through Geoff and Michelle. His anointing was definitely over the service and is on their lives and the church in Chandler. Pastor Kevin (who I miss very much) said that it was a historic moment and I believe he is right. I can't wait to see what God has in store for the future.

(My Beautiful Sister)

New Year

2006-01-01T18:46:00.000-08:00

Ok, so, the quest for the perfect New Year's Eve continues. No matter how many good intentions go into plans for the best New Year's Eve, it never turns out as good as it is in our minds. Suffice it to say, at 7:00 last night all of the plans that were made were completely thrown out and the evening turned into.....well, it was actually not that bad. Jedidiah is home from college for the holidays, so him and I met up with Bonnie and Skyler to eat at Olive Garden (which does happen to be my favorite restaurant). Then, Jed and I went to see King Kong. Awesome movie! I could see it again, definitely. We said our "Happy New Year!" at midnight in the middle of Ann trying to be saved from the large primate (from whom she actually didn't need to be saved). We continued watching the remaining hour and 27 minutes of the movie in 2006. It was a good night. (Stace - sorry you missed it. It wasn't the same without ya.) I'm looking forward to the new year. And, I think next year, I'm not going to plan so much for New Year's Eve. I'm going to keep it simple. Here are some pics from when we went to eat last night...

P.S. I really miss playing mini golf with Rob Giles!!! =) Hope you're doing well, Rob.

Merry Christmas!!!

2005-12-25T14:50:00.000-08:00

I hope everyone out there had a Merry Christmas! I know I did. The Simpson's had christmas Friday night at my parent's house. The 6 little girls (great-grandchildren - Hannah, Sidney, Ella, Jade, Avery & Abby) had fun on mom & dad's stairway. My sister and I reminisced about how we did the same things on that stairway when we were little - slid down on our stomachs face first, had contests seeing who could jump off the highest stair, bounced down on our butts one step at a time.... And THEN, Uncle Jim got the girls all SLEDS!!! I'm sure you can figure out what they wanted to do with them. Of course they got stopped dead in their tracks on that idea. They also had some fun trying to find mom's cats which were hiding under beds and couches, of course trying to stay away from the crowd. Saturday, Christmas Eve, my family stayed home and watched Star Wars - Revenge of the Sith, drank coffee and went to bed so that Santa would come. And Santa did come. He brought lots of great things this year, so I must have been a good girl. =) We had to drag Geoff out of bed at 7:00 so we could open presents. This early tradition is something he hasn't taken well to...yet. 7:00 is actually late for us. Michelle and I used to always get up before sunrise to see what we got. I got lots of clothes (which I picked out so of course I like them), and some candles, and a new coat, and a Darth Tater!!!! (Mr. Potato Head) Yeah, I get Star Wars toys every year, which are the most fun presents. Hehe. I'm glad I haven't grown up enough yet that I can't get toys. Then we went to church and after church we went to Grandma and Papa's for Christmas with the Phillips'. Got lots of good things there also, and ate noodles!!! I have had a great weekend, spending time with family and getting lots of presents, but most of all I am thankful for another good year. I am glad that all of our family is still here to celebrate Christmas together...not everyone is that fortunate. Happy Birthday Jesus.

My First Post

2005-12-14T17:52:00.000-08:00

I cannot wait for this week to be over, but it seems to be slowly dragging along. Things at work have been SLOW. Which, I guess is good, because I'm on vacation next week and I don't want them to have so much for me to do that they could keep me from taking my vacation. My parents and I are going down to TN this weekend to move my sister closer to home. YAY!!! I will get to play with my sister (and brother(in-law)) all the time now!!! Christmas is a week and a half away. I love Christmas. Can't wait to do all the holiday stuff. So, here is a pic of me from this past weekend, before I went to a Christmas party with Larissa...