Merry Christmas!

I just got home from spending Christmas with my family. I have to say this has been one of the most wonderful times we've had together. My parents and I went to their Christmas Eve service after spending time at my sister's house yesterday. I have been reminded, once again, the magnitude of God's love. It is totally amazing to think how He can love a wretched, detestable, and twisted sinner such as myself. I have nothing to bring to the table.....NOTHING. It's amazing to think how his mercies and his promises are new each morning...He keeps on giving grace and mercy even though He knows I will never meet up to His standard but, ONLY because of His son Jesus! He is the propitiation for my sins. He is my Savior and Redeemer! This truly is the BEST GIFT ever!!!

Wendy, what do you think?

Welcome home, Amy!!

Amy came back to midwest for the weekend and it was so-ooo great to see her! The weekend was full of tears, laughter, smiles, hugs, and memories. This is a picture from Friday night when some girls got together for dinner and dessert fondue. Gaylene rocked the house with her HOMEMADE marshmallows!! They were so good!

I count it a blessing to have each and everyone of these girls in my life. I appreciate their godly examples in living a life that is Christ-centered and of sacrifice.

Kristi...this is for you!!

Thankful

There are so many things for me to be thankful for...the sunshine today, nieces and nephews, a loving family, the freedom to worship, God's Word, changing leaves, pumpkins, christmas trees, hot chocolate with marshmallows, Christmas carols, ice cream, godly friends who encourage me to be like Jesus, coffee, green bean casserole (mom, that was for you!), high-speed internet service, the color pink, 2 legs, 2 arms, eyes that see, a nose that smells, and ears that hear, my health, everlasting life, AND hope in my Savior!!

Have you ever....

01. Bought everyone in the bar a drink
02. Swam with wild dolphins
03. Climbed a mountain
04. Taken a Ferrari for a test drive
05. Been inside the Great Pyramid
06. Held a tarantula
07. Taken a candlelit bath with someone
08. Said “I love you” and meant it
09. Hugged a tree
10. Bungee jumped
11. Visited Paris...2008 baby!!!
12. Watched a lightning storm at sea
13. Stayed up all night long and saw the sun rise
14. Seen the Northern Lights
15. Gone to a huge sports game
16. Walked the stairs to the top of the leaning Tower of Pisa
17. Grown and eaten your own vegetables
18. Touched an iceberg
19. Slept under the stars
20. Changed a baby’s diaper
21. Taken a trip in a hot air balloon
22. Watched a meteor shower
23. Gotten drunk on champagne
24. Given more than you can afford to charity
25. Looked up at the night sky through a telescope
26. Had an uncontrollable giggling fit at the worst possible moment
27. Had a food fight
28. Bet on a winning horse
29. Asked out a stranger
30. Had a snowball fight
31. Screamed as loudly as you possibly can
32. Held a lamb
33. Seen a total eclipse
34. Ridden a roller coaster
35. Hit a home run
36. Danced like a fool and not cared who was looking
37. Adopted an accent for an entire day
38. Actually felt happy about your life, even for just a moment
39. Had two hard drives for your computer
40. Visited all 50 states
41. Taken care of someone who was drunk
42. Had amazing friends (have)
43. Danced with a stranger in a foreign country
44. Watched wild whales
45. Stolen a sign
46. Backpacked in Europe
47. Taken a road-trip
48. Gone rock climbing
49. Midnight walk on the beach
50. Gone sky diving
51. Visited Ireland
52. Been heartbroken longer than you were actually in love uh, feeling like an idiot now...
53. In a restaurant, sat at a stranger’s table and had a meal with them
54. Visited Japan
55. Milked a cow
56. Alphabetized your CDs
57. Pretended to be a superhero Wonder Woman
58. Sung karaoke
59. Lounged around in bed all day
60. Played touch football
61. Gone scuba diving
62. Kissed in the rain
63. Played in the mud
64. Played in the rain
65. Gone to a drive-in theater
66. Visited the Great Wall of China
67. Started a business
68. Fallen in love and not had your heart broken...His name is Jesus
69. Toured ancient sites
70. Taken a martial arts class
71. Played D&D for more than 6 hours straight
72. Gotten married
73. Been in a movie
74. Crashed a party
75. Gotten divorced
76. Gone without food for 5 days
77. Made cookies from scratch
78. Won first prize in a costume contest
79. Ridden a gondola in Venice
80. Gotten a tattoo
81. Rafted the Snake River
82. Been on television news programs as an “expert”
83. Got flowers for no reason
84. Performed on stage
85. Been to Las Vegas
86. Recorded music
87. Eaten shark...no but, I've eaten crocodile, ostrich, and camel....does that count?
88. Kissed on the first date
89. Gone to Thailand
90. Bought a house
91. Been in a combat zone
92. Buried one/both of your parents
93. Been on a cruise ship
94. Spoken more than one language fluently
95. Performed in Rocky Horror
96. Raised children
97. Followed your favorite band/singer on tour...NKOTB!!!
99. Taken an exotic bicycle tour in a foreign country
100. Picked up and moved to another city to just start over
101. Walked the Golden Gate Bridge
102. Sang loudly in the car, and didn’t stop when you knew someone was looking
103. Had plastic surgery
104. Survived an accident that you shouldn’t have survived
105. Wrote articles for a large publication
106. Lost over 100 pounds
107. Held someone while they were having a flashback
108. Piloted an airplane
109. Touched a stingray
110. Broken someone’s heart
111. Helped an animal give birth
112. Won money on a T.V. game show
113. Broken a bone
114. Gone on an African safari
115. Had a facial part pierced other than your ears
116. Fired a rifle, shotgun, or pistol
117. Eaten mushrooms that were gathered in the wild
118. Ridden a horse
119. Had major surgery
120. Had a snake as a pet
121. Hiked to the bottom of the Grand Canyon
122. Slept for more than 30 hours over the course of 48 hours
123. Visited more foreign countries than U.S. states
124. Visited all 7 continents
125. Taken a canoe trip that lasted more than 2 days
126. Eaten kangaroo meat
127. Eaten sushi
128. Had your picture in the newspaper
129. Changed someone’s mind about something you care deeply about
130. Gone back to school
131. Parasailed
132. Touched a cockroach
133. Eaten fried green tomatoes
134. Read The Iliad - and the Odyssey
135. Selected one “important” author who you missed in school, and read
136. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
137. Skipped all your school reunions
138. Communicated with someone without sharing a common spoken language
139. Been elected to public office
140. Written your own computer language
141. Thought to yourself that you’re living your dream
142. Had to put someone you love into hospice care
143. Built your own PC from parts
144. Sold your own artwork to someone who didn’t know you
145. Had a booth at a street fair
146. Dyed your hair
147. Been a DJ
148. Shaved your head
149. Caused a car accident
150. Saved someone’s life

I give

The masses have made their plea to make my blog unrestrictive. To make their lives easier...I will take off the username/password.

Vegas recap

It astonished Melissa and I how much advertising there was with almost naked women on it and men passing out cards on the streets inviting other men to the "shows". It made us sick to see how they were advertising cheap sex with no commitment nor responsibility....the whole mentality of "what happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas." That is so NOT how God designed it. I felt like I needed to cleanse my brain when I got home!! Melissa and I tried to make the most of Vegas while we were there despite all the "crap". Here are some of the things we did:

• Saw the Cirque Du Soliel "O" show
• Madame trousseau wax museum
• Ate crepes at the Paris Las Vegas Hotel....yummy!
• Watched the fountains at the Bellagio
• Saw Mamma Mia
• Titantic Exhibit
• Took the "world tour" of the hotels

Look who we saw while we were in Vegas!!!

Las Vegas

Sedona, AZ

Change of plans

Michelle got a call on the day we were leaving for the Grand Canyon that her grandfather had passed away. The earliest flight she could get out of Vegas was at 12:15 AM that night. God was gracious enough to let us marvel at the canyon for 1.5 hours before we had to start heading to the airport. Melissa and I stayed in Vegas that night (thanks to Wendy for getting a hotel for $50!!) and left for Sedona the next day. To kind of give you a picture of how much driving/traveling we did...we went 2,000 miles in 4 days.

Grand Canyon

The Grand Canyon

Simply amazing. Words cannot express the magnitude of the Grand Canyon. I'm in awe of our God who created such a wonder. It makes me think of Romans 1:20 "For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse." We serve an awesome and mighty God.

Zion National Park

Bryce National Park

Last Tuesday Michelle, Melissa, and I headed out to Southern UT and Arizona for a tour of the great Southwest. We flew into Vegas, went to the Hoover Dam, and then headed up to Southern Utah all in the first day. The 2nd day of the trip we went to Bryce National Park where they have "hoodoos" (or as Michelle likes to affectionately call them "whoohoos") which are rock spinacles. It was great to see the creativity of God.

Fall is in the air

I just love fall!!! Chris and I went to Anderson Orchard after church today on this gorgeous fall day! We had some apples with carmel and fried biscuits with apple butter....yum!!! I love the crisp cool air, the pumpkins, the gords, and carmel apples! Isn't God great to have created these so we can enjoy them?

Blonde moment

Note to self...Never put an aluminum coffee mug in the microwave

Some more Kenya pictures

It was such an incredible experience to worship with the Kenyans'. It is so easy to focus on what God is doing in my church or my city. I forget that He is alive and working across the other side of the world. I was reminded while in Kenya how big our God is and that he is preparing himself a kingdom of many different races and colors.

I had the privledge to go on a missons trip with my church to Kenya this past July. My church has a partnership with the Nairobi Evangelical Graduate School of Theology in Nairobi, Kenya. We assisted the seminary in preparing for their graduation and conducting a VBS for the children of the seminary students. The kids were absolutely precious and were the highlight of the trip!

Looking....

I went to visit Amy in FL over Labor Day weekend and we visited a church on Sunday where the SS teacher encouraged us to look for opportunities to see God. The teacher went on to say how God gives us little "I love you's" and we can see who He is.

We were able to "see" God this weekend a number of times but, one time in particular Amy and I woke up early on Monday morning to watch the sunrise at the beach...(and of course we had to get some Krispy Kremes to go along)! The sunrise was so beautiful! It reminded me of Psalm 19:1 "The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork." We were also able to see dolphins jumping up in the water...oh it was so cool! I almost started jumping up and down with excitement and praise! It was amazing to see God's glory and His handiwork on that beautiful but EARLY morning! Thank you Lord for that gift!

How have you "seen" Him lately?

Good luck, my friend

My sweet friend Rebekah and I have met over coffee a number of times over the past few years. I have appreciated our heart to heart talks and her transparency. I love how she is always so grateful for what Jesus has saved her from. I am excited to see what God's plan is for both she and Joe!

This picture was taken before she and Joe left for FL.

Yea!!!

I finally got my computer fixed...thanks Cliff! I can actually use the internet longer than 10 minutes!

Boy...do I have a lot to catch up on!!! Stay tuned!

I'll write more when I get back from Labor Day weekend.

still connected....kind of

I know it's been forever and a day since I've posted. I am having some technical difficulties since I moved in with Chris. Our wireless router has not been letting me use the internet on my laptop and I've had to use Chris's PC....needless to say, It's been a little challenging. I have someone coming to our home next week and hopefully he'll be able to fix our problem!

I promise I will blog more regularily once I get my laptop going!!

Until then....

Connected

I know...I know...it's been a long time since I've written last, however, I've had some technical dificulties. My desktop computer has COMPLETELY crashed....yup, you got it...it's no more. I ended up having to buy a new computer, which I'm thoroughly enjoying! I got a Dell laptop and I love being able to be "connected" while sitting on my couch in my PJ's....or at Starbucks (not in my PJ's)....or you name it!!!

I'm enjoying my new job. I know God has me there for a purpose, however, it has been a difficult adjustment. It has been dificult to be in an enviroment where there is a lot of language and inappropriate topics of conversation. I feel like my spirit has been squelched at times but, I pray my life would be a testimony to my co-workers and they would see Jesus in me.

I'll be moving down south in about 4 weeks and i'm starting to pack up my belongings. Ugggh, I hate moving!! You certainly realize how much stuff you have and how little you want to move it!!! I still need a home for my cat...if you know anyone who wants a fun-spirited feline friend...just let me know!!

What kind of cookie are you?

You Are a Chocolate Chip Cookie

Traditional and conservative, most people find you comforting. You're friendly and easy to get to know. This makes you very popular - without even trying!

What Kind of Cookie Are You?

This is kinda odd that my personality is like a Chocolate Chip cookie, however, I would say it's pretty accurate. What do you think?

Happy St. Patrick's Day

I know this is a little late but....I thought I should at least blog...right?
Mary, Melissa, Wendy, and I made pottery on St. Patricks day while enjoying a new favorite drink. You HAVE GOT to try a Rasberry White Chocolate Mocha! It has certainly become a favorite "stand-by drink".
***
Just a tidbit on St. Patrick's Day (thanks to Melissa!!) St. Patrick was a religious man who used a 3-leaf clover to explain the Trinity....How cool is that? All three leaves are different yet they are all one clover!!

New Job

I was blessed to be offered a job down in INDY with S.F. I will begin the new job in late April handling bodily injury claims.

Your next question probably is...when are you going to move down? That IS a good question!! and if I knew...I would love to tell you. Please pray for wisdom and clarity in knowing what to do. I'm a little overwhelmed by all the change happening in my life and the "bigness" of the decisions having to be made.

Questions....

Why is it when you finally find the perfect lip color...they discontinue it?

Why is it when you wear your favorite pair of khaki's...mud gets flipped up on them and it permanently stains?

Why is it you have to buy a swimsuit 2 sizes bigger than your normal size?

Why is it you can never find the perfect black dress shoe for work...but you can find the cutest (and must have) sandals that you won't wear for another 2-3 months?

Mommy

This is dedicated to my dear friend.

I had the privledge to visit some college friends this weekend. It was so great to see the kids. Holy cow...they're huge!! C is 21 mos and C is 9 mos.

It has been so neat to see how God is using these two little joys to show Himself to her and to teach her. I remember petitioning the Lord for her to get pregnant and seeing the Sovereign hand of God bring their little boy into their lives. It reminds me over and over how God has a specific plan for our lives and His timing is perfect. God also brought the blessing of their little girl just 11 months after Carson was born... and don't tell me God didn't have a plan in that!!

My dear friend has truly amazed me. She is an incredible mom of 2 ADORABLE children. I see the grace of God working in her life on a daily basis...especially with 2 babies still in diapers! Her life is crazy but, full of blessings. I admire her love and patience for her children. She shows them on a daily basis who Jesus is. I hope to be a mom like her some day!

Fair Oaks Farm

Last Saturday Amy, Mary, Wendy, Michelle, and I went to Fair Oaks Farm. What better place to spend a VERY cold February day?!!? We had the opportunity to learn how milk is made AND we saw a calf be born (pics to come later). It reminded me how amazing our God is. He is the Creator and Author of life. It's amazaing how He designed an animal that can provide milk for us (and beef for that matter!) . He is sovereign...He even controls how many calfs are born each day!

They have 80 calves born each day at Fair Oaks Farm...can you believe that? They also have this rotor that milks 72 cows at a time. It takes a total of 8 mintues for the whole rotation. It was so amazing how the cows knew when to get on and off the rotor.

Only in the Midwest can you get this kind of entertainment!!

Mary and me....

I love my roomie! She has been such a blessing to me over the years. I appreciate her faithfulness and love for the Lord. I appreciate how she is "others focused" and anticipates their needs. She always speaks kindly of others and believes the best in them. I have treasured our heart to heart talks and look up to her counsel. She is a godly woman! Thanks for your friendship, Mar! I hope you feel better! :)

A Room With A View

This room we're sitting in was probably one of my favorite parts of Pokagon State Park. It was so quaint....there was a fire blazing in the fireplace, large comfy chairs, classical music playing in the background, decorated Christmas trees, and a great view outside the window with snow glistening. I enjoyed relaxing by the fire and reading my Nicholas Sparks book. Aaahh...the life!