This morning I didn't get up as early ... but still had time to read Genesis 2.

God is so good to us. His kindness is incredible to me, that even knowing we would sin and grieve His heart, He still created a beautiful place for Adam to live in, and provided wonderfully for him in every way. How incredible that must have been -- probably more beauty in the setting than the most scenic place you can imagine on this earth, and supremely beautiful for a little while, because untainted by sin.

Wow.

God's Word is truly so living and active. There's nothing like it. Reading passages like this colors my day with a bright, heavenly hue: With a God like that, why do I ever doubt that He has my best interests at heart, in EVERY circumstance? And that He loves me more than I can imagine, cares about my life even down to the tiniest, most minute detail, and can be trusted in ALL circumstances.

I don't know about you, but I am glad to know a God like that.

It's hard for me to get up in the mornings. I'm so not a morning person ... and usually I'll wait until the last possible minute (practically!) to get up.

But this morning I found myself rising up early to read in Genesis 1, where I have started reading just recently so I can have more consistency in my quiet times and also read through the entire Bible.

Part of the text talked about God creating the birds. Wanting very much to find application in what I read, even at 7:15 in the morning as I sat up in my bed, I found myself thinking for a moment of how kind God is to us, that even knowing that mankind would sin against Him, He created beautiful birds for us to enjoy.

Then I hustled about to get ready in my probably still half-asleep state, not thinking much more about it for the moment.

Well, during prayer meeting this morning just moments later, the guy sharing requests stopped himself suddenly stopped himself to point out this huge, beautiful hawk outside. It was so cute; it looked like it was peeking in at us through the window. :o)

Wow.

God is so good. Even in those spiritual "dry" times like it feels like now, He can be trusted. And He is at work. Yesterday's sermon at church was encouraging about trusting God to bring to maturity the seeds He plants in our lives and those of other people. The pastor reminded us of Philippians 1:6, challenging us to TRUST God that, truly, He who has began a good work in us WILL bring it to completion.

I visited the new church today.

Nothing earth-shattering happened, but pretty much the whole time I was there, I kept having this wonderful sense of peace, this feeling like, I should be here.

I have peace about at least pursuing this new direction and seeing where it goes. It will be neat to see what the Lord does.

Every Sunday they have communion, which is kind of neat. I have never been anywhere where they do that every week! Anyhow, it was a neat time of renewal ... of seeking the Lord's face and being reminded that I want my focus to be on HIM, not me. It can be so easy to get distracted ... I can be so selfish and preoccupied with my own things.

And deep down, I don't want to be that way! I love HIM so much and want to be closer to Him and do that which brings HIM glory.

Today a big group of us on staff went and moved Chloe into her new home where she will live with family. Chloe's a sweetheart. She's one of those people everyone calls "mom". :o)

It was truly a fun time with everyone, going back and forth and moving stuff, lots of joking around, and enjoying some yummy food at the end.

I also went walking a bunch today. I try to be sure to get some good exercise in on the weekends. :o)

Ok, I’m not the only one with Spring Fever, I just stood up and realized that our Creative guy was playing baseball over all the cubicles with the guys in IT. The "ball" is some kind of CD.

This was in an email from my friend Cotrina, and I found it hilarious in the best way. It doesn't get much better than that. :o)

With this beautiful weather and having trouble focusing, I had spring fever today, too. Which is why I took my lunch really late so the afternoon would go by fast!

Tonight some of us from church are hanging out at Cotrina's house for a game night. I'm looking forward to that!

In the meantime, I should probably go by the bank before heading to my apartment to get ready.

I'm back.

It's a gorgeous day outside. I love days like this!

I'm fixing to leave the office and go walking for a bit at the nature preserve. Then tonight is ladies' meeting at the office. I got so much out of last month's and am looking forward to this time.

Still excited about visiting the church this Sunday. It would be really fun if it does end up to be the one God wants me at, because it has the same name as my much-loved college church. :o)

Post #325.

With that profound thought, I begin today's post. :o)

I have been realizing just how rich my life is ... not in terms of "stuff" or money but in terms of lessons the Lord has taught me, and the enriching relationships He has been blessing me with in my life. I think this weekend really reminded me of that.

And yesterday being back at work, it was fun to go downstairs and eat with a couple of my buddies and celebrate the birthday of another one. Some of us are even playing volleyball on Sunday; I can't wait. :o)

Another thing I can't wait for on Sunday is visiting a church the Lord seems to be leading me toward ... at least to visit and continue seeking HIM about. I am sensing perhaps that He wants me to move on from the church I've been going to here in Texas, despite that I have enjoyed some wonderful times with the people there and have gotten to share the ministry a little bit with them as well.

It's incredible how God cares about every little detail of our lives. He is so faithful and so good to us.

Well, I am heading out now to the midweek service at another church, Calvary Chapel Plano. I love the worship music, and they're going through the Proverbs now. :o)

Sunday night on the way home from my college church, my mom dropped me off to meet up with some longtime good friends, Heather and Jess, for sodas at McAlister's. We had a blast talking and laughing together, like old times. It was really nice.

Yesterday I had the opportunity to catch up with supporters and family in my hometown. My mom, cousin and I went walking through some new neighborhoods they're building closeby. And I enjoyed chatting with my dad, aunt and uncle over Barq's root beer and Breyer's vanilla ice cream.

My flight back to Texas went well. I was pretty tired when I finally got back to my apartment. I actually dozed off for a while and then had to get up to get ready for bed! But I wouldn't trade this weekend for anything ... I had a wonderful time and would do it all again. It's always so nice to catch up with people, especially from that church! :O)

Now I'm fixing to head to a friend's apartment from work, to celebrate another gal's birthday. That will be nice. Then we have prayer meeting, so I probably won't be back at my apartment until well after 9. I think I will sleep very well tonight.

Sam and I ended up staying up until two in the morning talking! But it was so much fun. She and I had a blast catching up and talking about everything from what the Lord is doing in our lives, to New Zealand and what old acquintances are up to these days.

[Sam, if you are reading this, you are an awesome sister in the Lord, and I SO much enjoyed all the fun times we shared this weekend. And I hope you are getting a wonderful night's sleep and feel nice and rested in the morning. (And remember, there's always caffeine, as we both know. :oD) I was going to tell you, feel free to call me anytime you wanna chat or anything! If nothing else, I definitely look forward to seeing ya again when I'm back on the Coast or you're in the big D in Texas! :o) I'll probably send ya an e-card sometime this week, because I saw your email addy in the new church directory I picked up.]

Being back in my college church for worship this morning was so nice. And the guest speaker who shared as part of the missions conference gave a message that really encouraged and challenged me. He talked about how the hardest times can be the times of greatest blessing in our lives and the times when God uses us in unexpected ways! He also talked about finding creative ways to give more to the Lord's work. I was inspired and took that as a personal challenge, something I'd like to work on more in my own life!

I so much enjoyed fellowshipping with people at tonight's supper! I had the opportunity to share during the program, I shared about the Mising tribe in India, and showed a powerpoint. I thank the Lord that for the most part I didn't even feel nervous. :o) I tend to be kind of shy about public speaking, but some of my friends from the church were telling me they thought I always did a good job. That really encouraged me.

This has been such a nice weekend.

Today has been a good day.

Sharing at the ladies' luncheon went well overall. I felt like I rambled a bit in parts (hee hee) but I know God is FAITHFUL and uses even my ramblings. :o) He is SO good.

It was so nice to get to catch up and fellowship with the women there. This afternoon my mom and I went shopping and ... had a $1.99 cutting board to show for it. :oD It was fun, though! More than anything, I enjoyed the mother-daughter time. Getting to spend some time in Mobile together was something the Lord really blessed us with, especially when I'll be here such a short time before I head back to Texas.

I really enjoyed catching up with people from my college church at the missions supper tonight, too! It was so cute; Paul, who along with his wife happens to be one of the many people at this church that I affectionately have often referred to as adoptive parents, came up to me and said in a teasing tone, "I have to tell you this! When we heard you were staying overnight with Sam, I looked at my wife and was like, 'Whoa, who is this Sam person?'" Then of course his wife quickly explained to him.

[Yes, for all you who are writing this, Sam IS a girl. :o) I think that's such a fun nickname! We went to college together and have fond memories of oozeball (volleyball in the mud--no joke!!!) together. Good times!]

Tonight after the dinner, and after I had tested out tomorrow's powerpoint presentation on the church laptop [and set up my table with my worldmap tablecloth and India trip pictures :o)], Sam and I caught up with some more buddies over hot chocolate and various other tasty beverages at a nearby Starbucks. That was fun!

Now I'm at Sam's apartment and we're having so much fun chatting and laughing together. We'll probably go to bed soon though because tomorrow we have to be at a 8:15 breakfast, and I don't think either one of us are morning people. (hee hee)

Night.

I am very tired. But not doing too bad, all things considered.

I have so much sensed the Lord going before me as far as this weekend. Not to say things have always been easy as I make preparations, and there are still some unknowns I need to work on and trust HIM for.

But all in all, I am sensing He is going to do great things ... even if I never see them this side of heaven.

Minus the fact that I spilled COKE on my new brown embroidered flower skirt and almost lost an earring, my flight tonight was pretty uneventful.

[The waitress, I mean flight attendant, brought me CLUB soda. "Sounds strange, I know, but it will bring out the stain" said she. Very thoughful. I want to pray for her salvation!]

Good night. Sleep tight. Don't let the bedbugs bite.

I am very tired. But not doing too bad, all things considered.

I have so much sensed the Lord going before me as far as this weekend. Not to say things have always been easy as I make preparations, and there are still some unknowns I need to work on and trust HIM for.

But all in all, I am sensing He is going to do great things ... even if I never see them this side of heaven.

Minus the fact that I spilled COKE on my new brown embroidered flower skirt and almost lost an earring, my flight tonight was pretty uneventful.

[The waitress, I mean flight attendant, brought me CLUB soda. "Sounds strange, I know, but it will bring out the stain" said she. Very thoughful. I want to pray for her salvation!]

Good night. Sleep tight. Don't let the bedbugs bite.

If you receive reward in heaven for bringing someone a cup of cold water, think of what your reward will be for bringing pizza.

These words spoken to me by a fellow staff member today encouraged and warmed my heart. It was incredibly easy, and no problem at all, for me to go down to Cici's and get the pizza for the staff lunch in the kitchen. And I was so happy for the privilege to do it, for the opportunity to help out in this way.

But sometimes it's just so nice to feel needed and appreciated . . . and that your life is counting for something greater than yourself. :o) That's the incredible thing about everything we do here at Gospel for Asia's U.S. office . . . when done in Jesus' name, it is ALL so signficant for His kingdom and for establishing churches in Asia.

What a privilege.

It's me again.

Today went by fast ... again! It's still beautiful outside. And I had fun again at lunch, with several buddies from the office.

We went outside our staff kitchen to eat our bistro chicken, french bread, red potatoes and homemade carrot cake with delicious cream cheese icing. Suddenly I exuberantly burst out with, "I LOVE carrot cake with homemade cream cheese icing; there's nothing like it!"

A few minutes later, we saw that Jay, one of our fellow staffers, had finished lunch with his wife and was now attempting to fly a huge bright pink kite outside. Well ... we couldn't decide later whether he was flying the kite or the kite was flying him, as it was beginning to look like the kite was going to get caught in the light pole. :oD

But at any rate, I again burst out exuberantly about the beauty of the kite on this nice day. To which one of my lunch companions replied with a big grin, "There's nothing like carrot cake with homemade cream cheese icing and Jay flying a kite ..."

To which we all burst in laughter. :o) It was one of those "had to be there" moments I guess. It was hilarious. Definitely welcome comic relief, especially when I've been so busy this week.

Watching Pride and Prejudice with Tirina was nice. We laughed together at some of the cute parts, which was fun.

I can't believe how quickly today has gone by. It's been a good day overall. I feel like significant progress has been made on my picture powerpoint. It really feels like it's been coming together, and is very near done. YAY!

For lunch I ate pot roast, carrots and creamy mashed potatoes downstairs with a couple of co-workers. I have been so excited about our staff lunches that I was actually able to recite the whole rest of the week's menu to them. :oD We all were laughing -- it was pretty funny.

It's beautiful outside again. But I think instead of walking, I will shower and wash my hair before prayer meeting tonight.

It is so gorgeous outside.

I can't believe how quickly this day passed. Things are coming together for my trip this weekend. I still really need to pray and sit back and trust the Lord. There are still uncertainities, and lots of preparations that need to be made.

By faith it will all go well. :o) I'm getting excited about it! I love this church and getting to catch up with the people there.

Well at 6:30 my friend Tirina and I are going to see Pride and Prejudice (one of our long-time favorites) at the dollar theater. I'm looking forward to it. :o) We'll also pray together on the way there, which will be really nice. I need that. :oD

Now I think I'm going to try to go enjoy some of this gorgeous weather and do some praying myself.

All in all, today was a good day. I like Friday's.

Caitlyn and I had a nice meal at McAlister's Deli. I am still enjoying my COKE from there. :o) I like their cups. May sound silly, I know, but I do.

Last night I practiced my presentation. It went so well. So grateful for that!

This weekend not a whole lot is planned . . .

Tomorrow late afternoon I'm meeting up with others from my church to hear the experiences of a gal who went to Russia on a short-term mission. Then Sunday I'm visiting my friend Cindi's church with her, followed by a lunch with some other gals at the Olive Garden to celebrate her birthday.

I changed my blog template today. I hope I like it. I won't know until after I publish this post, since the changes haven't showed up yet.

I like to be adventurous.

Well, last night I did pray about my presentation. And I felt such a peace in my heart . . . and God gave me a great idea on how to start it out. Praise the Lord!

I am still not totally done with presentation preparations (boy, is that a tongue twister! :oD) but by faith things will continue to go well. I still need to figure some things out with my picture powerpoint presentation (auuggh! techie stuff is not my forte. ;o))). But God is faithful.

And I am feeling increasingly excited about next weekend. I do have to say, though, that I'm glad it's not already this weekend. :o) I don't feel ready yet.

Now I'm going back to the apartment. Just a little while back, at work, I finished my written presentation (by God's strength!). So I am incredibly excited to "try it out" at home and see how long it is. :o) That seriously will be fun. It will be a little harder, though, when it comes to the real thing. In case you haven't figured it out by now, public speaking is NOT my greatest talent.

But GOD is faithful. My prayer and heart's desire is that somehow, his words will shine through. That people will see, not my shaking knees or shy face, but HIS heart somehow.

God is faithful.

P.S. Tomorrow I'm eating lunch at McAlister's Deli with my co-worker Caitlyn. One of my favorite people and one of my favorite restaurants -- good times. :o)

Hello there on this dreary Wednesday. Okay, so maybe not where you live, but here it's been kind of rainy, and definitely foggy, all day. That doesn't mean my mood needs to match, though. :o)

All in all, I'm doing well. Main thing is just that I'm getting ready to share at a missions conference at one of my supporting churches (my beloved college church :o))) and I just really need the Lord to give me HIS words.

I've been working on a powerpoint picture presentation that isn't quite together yet. Yeah ... I think I need to PRAY more and do less for the moment. Prayer changes things. My worrying doesn't. ;o)

Now I need to gather my things, meander on out of the office, and decide whether I'm going to the mid-week service at Calvary Chapel tonight. I think it would be nice to go. : )

Over the weekend I went and saw Pride and Prejudice at the dollar theater with my friend Sara. I like that movie. :o) We also got salads with buy one, get one free coupons at KFC. She liked the salad. I was glad. I even splurged and got a drink and popcorn at the movies. :o)

I also went to the game night with GFA folks on Friday night. We played "around the world" ping-pong, hung out, sang worship songs and classic hymns, just enjoyed everyone's company. Great times.

Then yesterday I worked a GFA booth at a convention, along with some others on staff. I was honestly a little apprehensive going into it, especially as I'd never done this before, but I had so much fun!!! Yesterday I also ate at Schlotsky's with my Sunday school group.

Today a couple of friends (my former roommates) and I hung out for one of our birthdays (not mine). :o) Now I'm tired. But overall, doing pretty well.

I had such a nice visit with my sister and brother-in-law.

They got here around 10:00, and I showed them around the office and introduced them to people. Then we crashed at my apartment for a little bit to chat, eat Skittles and watch just a little of Bride and Prejudice. :o)

After that we went to Chick-fila for lunch. Yum! I had the 8-pack nugget combo.

Soon I will go home, but tonight I am going to a game night for the young people at the office. Tomorrow I'm not up to much, but I do hope to work on what I'll be sharing for my college church's missions conference coming up very soon in March.

Happy Weekend!

This is my 310th post.

Overall, I had a good day. It passed relatively fast. I spent lunch break at my apartment, eating cranberry chicken, drinking a COKE from Quicktrip and picking up a little. Oh, and walking out on my balcony to enjoy the nice weather.

This morning, looking out the window in front of my desk, I saw some sea gulls flying around in circles. There were probably four or five of them, and they were so beautiful.

Tomorrow my sister and brother-in-law will be coming to see me. I'm excited! They'll be here for a couple of hours. It will be the first time they've seen the GFA office where I work, or my apartment. We'll also go grab lunch together. (There I go talking about food again! What can I say? :O)

Well I'm not writing much more because it's nice out and I want to go take a walk in that gorgeous weather. Next time.

It has been such nice weather today.

Today I learned the "E" and "A" chords on the guitar. That was fun! Guitar was one of those instruments I always wanted to learn when I was younger, but my mom discouraged me from because she said it would give me callouses on my hands. :oD

I want to play worship music on the guitar.

Last night I got a bunch done around the apartment. That was a good feeling. Thank You, Lord. I couldn't have done it without YOU enabling me!

I also worked on a web story today -- and that went very well. Well, I think I just might see if I can go take a quick walk in this beautiful weather. :O)

Until next time.

Today was a little chilly. But still a gorgeous day.

We just had carrot cake downstairs to send off a staff family that will be going our office in the UK. They fly out tomorrow! Hard to believe.

I'm fixing to head off for the apartment because at 6:30 I'm meeting with my friend Jaylie. We're going to see Yours, Mine and Ours at the dollar theater, and probably grabbing a bite to eat, too. :o) I'm looking forward to catching up with her and hearing her story of how she got engaged. She's getting married in July, I think.

Tomorrow is Valentine's Day. It's also my half-birthday, meaning I'm "27 1/2". :o) And I could be sad because I don't have a "significant other" in my life. But I think I'd rather be happy because my good friend Carrie and I are going to lunch at Arby's and fellowshipping over some more of those delicious chicken salad sandwiches. (see last Thursday's entry) When she emailed me this morning about lunch, and I picked Tuesday, I wasn't even thinking about the fact that it was Valentine's Day--but that will definitely be a bright spot in my day. :oD

God is good.

It was a chilly but beautiful day.

I had my friend Marrie over for crockpot cranberry chicken. We also ate Breyers black raspberry chocolate, chatted and prayed for each other.

Then we went over to Erik's house for his 40th B-day celebration. I talked to people and also played outside with the kiddos. :O)

Tonight I had a house-warming party to go to for a guy from my church. It was so much fun! Lots of people were there. I especially hit it off with his cousin and her girls. We had shrimp, fajitas and other foods to nibble on.

I had a great time.

I am doing great.

Today during lunch I took a much-needed trip to the bank ... AND ate a delicious chicken salad sandwich at Arby's. :o) The nice thing? It's so HUGE I have half of it left for supper. (YAY!) That is, provided I don't forget it in the office refrigerator. In which case it would be tomorrow's lunch.

You know what? I probably never would have tried the chicken salad sandwich, were it not for my friend Kari. I tend to get in a rut when it comes to food, especially when I know I like a certain thing but am fearful of the unknown.

We were at lunch one time, and she and I ended up each getting a different sandwich and splitting them. So we each had half a chicken salad sandwich and half a turkey and swiss sandwich. And today, I've got to tell you, that chicken salad sandwich just melted in my mouth!

I think I've learned two things.

One: It's nice to have friends. Especially friends who encourage you to try new things.
Two: It pays to be adventurous ... to not be afraid to "risk" tasting the chicken salad sandwich for a change, instead of the turkey and swiss one you've been so accustomed to.

Okay, I'm going to go now before this becomes "Ode to the Chicken Salad Sandwich". Tonight I'm meeting up with some young people and others from the office, to fellowship together and pray for Tibetans. I look forward to that.

I just got back from going to Chili's with Tirina to hang out and have our weekly prayer time. We grab supper together once a month together as well, and this time we decided on Chili's. :o))

Our waiter was cool. You know how some servers are polite but you kind of know it's "put on" -- they're not really personable but just probably trying to get a good tip (or, at least you have a feeling they probably are?)? This guy was pretty personable, in a genuine way, which made the meal a fun experience.

For starters, our first introduction was when my friend was like, "Do you ever feel ...?" and he suddenly appeared from out of nowhere and said, "I feel that way all the time!" It was CLASSIC.
Then later, my friend and I were chatting, sharing prayer requests, and I saw her look behind me. Literally right behind me was his face, resting on a wall, and he was asking us a question. It was pretty funny.

Then when our meal was over, he was like, "Man, I wish I had a picture of my sister-in-law because you look exactly like her. "

Good times.

In general, how am I doing? I'm tired. But overall doing pretty well, I think. Ever feel like you just can't quite get it all together? Whatever "it" means. :oD I've been feeling like that at various times lately. Yet somehow I also feel encouraged.

I also am learning on a practical level that God's ways ... HIS perception of what my life should look like ... are not always what I would look at as the most comforting, emotionally reassuring or easiest. But yet I can trust Him, for His way is always best, regardless of my immediate circumstances or what I in my very limited perspective think. Not necessarily the most fun lesson to learn, but an exciting and very enriching lesson to be able to learn at the same time.

Praise God.

It's 4:00.

And I'm fixing to head out. Today's all-night prayer, which means we all can go home early. :o) Tomorrow I'm joining others on staff for a moving party. Those are fun -- we all get together and move people in, and it hardly takes any time!

The hawk is outside again. And it's gorgeous. Speaking of gorgeous, I hope to take me a walk in some of this gorgeous weather. It appears that we have missed out on winter ... at least thus far.

And I'm not complaining.

Earlier today I was thinking about how wonderful it is that God knows what He's doing. That He is in control and our lives are in His hands. How comforting, how encouraging.

"The LORD will perfect that which concerns me; Your mercy, O LORD, endures forever; do not forsake the works of Your hands." --Psalm 138:8 (NKJV)

He is good.

Moments before I wrote this post, there was a big, beautiful hawk on the light-post right outside my office. I love all the birds God has blessed me with both here at the office and at my cozy apartment!

I DID get the cookies made. :o) I'm planning to bring some tomorrow to our staff's all night prayer as well.

My friend Nicole mentioned me again by name today on her blog -- that made me feel good! So, Nicole I'm returning the favor. :o) Too bad we're 12 hours from each other or we could go watch Pride and Prejudice tonight or something. Not to mention go to Chick-fila with my coupons -- you know ME! (hee hee)

Well, anyhow, as it's gorgeous outside and daylight is waning fast, I think I shall leave the office and perhaps take a short walk. Hasta la vista! (I can't remember exactly what that means in Spanish, but I think it refers to some kind of farewell greeting?)

To all my fellow bloggers, have a grand night and don't forget to smell the roses. Okay, I'm getting sillier and sillier. I REALLY must go now. :oD

Farewell.

I had a great night Monday night.

Felt in tune to the Lord and very encouraged. He totally brought together an article I was writing, too.

And I went to Panda Express and the people there told me my meal was free because of my "frequent punch" card. I wasn't going to complain. :o) I did try to tell the guy I thought I needed to buy one more meal before my free one (if I understood correctly) but he didn't seem to understand me.

Got to go now. Before I go to the Calvary Chapel midweek service, I'm hoping to maybe make some cookie dough so I can bring in a gift bag full of cookies for my supervisor. :o) (We are going to surprise him by singing Happy Birthday to him tomorrow, but, shhh ... don't tell him. :oD)

He has been a HUGE blessing in my life. I joke that I can bring him an article and in three seconds, he gives it the "magic touch" and it doesn't even have to be a lot of changes, but it looks so much more complete. I appreciate his warmth and laughter too!

Praise God. I have been thinking lately about the people I am privileged to work with here at the ministry. I think I can really take that for granted. Thinking about my good friend Nicole and the challenges she has at her workplace really makes me appreciate what I have here.

It would be hard to describe how I've been feeling for this last hour.

But I will try.

Earlier today I'd been feeling overwhelmed with articles, deadlines, etc. And some areas of my life that I need to grow in.

But then my friend (and former roommate) Tirina and I met for our weekly prayer time. And wow -- I felt so encouraged by the time we were done.

Now I feel ready to tackle things. Ready to "take on the world". Well, in the Christian sense of the word, anyhow. :o) And just now, sitting at my computer, God gave me the words for the first paragraph to a short article I'll be working on tonight that's due tomorrow.

All I can say is, God is good.

We all went and saw Narnia last night.

It was good.

Aslan, the lion, was such a beautiful picture of Christ. The way he came out of his tent and everybody bowed down. A powerful moment. Truly God is worthy of ALL my worship.

The scene where Aslan was killed was pretty gripping, too. To think that Jesus went through that and worse. Wow.

Then there was the part where Aslan told Peter, who was frantically searching for his brother Edward, "I want to be sure my family is safe, too." Made me think of the heart of the Father, who loves mankind so dearly and "is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance" (2 Peter 3:9).

That should motivate my life.

It's Friday.

I'm fixing to head out and go home so I can get ready to meet up with some friends from my S.S. group at the Olive Garden. :oD That should be fun.

Also planning on working some on articles for work this weekend. And wanting to pick up and clean around the apartment.

I hope the weather's nice so I can go walking tomorrow. I'd love that!

I feel like now I should say something incredibly deep and profound or something, but nothing is coming to me. What can I say? It's Friday. :o)

It's a beautiful day outside. I love this weather.

Praise God, I seem to have gotten over my "research block" to a large extent. At least the article is started and I have a feel for general direction I'll be going with it. :o) So thankful for that. There is still much to be done, but by faith it will be done before next Tuesday or even before!

P.S. Speaking of "by faith", my crockpot was indeed full of cranberry chicken this past weekend. And there is now some cranberry chicken in my freezer.

I'm back. And it's a Monday.

Overall today's been a good day I think. :oD Perhaps except for the "writer's block" I've been experiencing. Well okay, so I guess it's cheating to call it writer's block since I haven't technically gotten to the writing stage yet ... Is there a such thing as RESEARCH block? :o) I could certainly use prayer that these articles would come together in a timely fashion and most of all that they would be Lord's words, not mine.

It's beautiful outside. I love such weather. I only wish it didn't get dark so quickly these days so I could more easily go walking after work. Oh well.

I still think about the movie I watched last Friday. Incredible. I don't want to forget its impact ... nor the things the Lord wants to do in my life through it. I think for me, the challenge is first knowing those things, and then, having the discipline to do those things. I just know I don't want my life to be "mediocre" ... I'm really sensing the Father calling me to a deeper committment. And I don't want to shrink back. Although even as write these words, it is with a little bit of trepidation as I wonder what will be asked of me.

[BTW, Nicole, it's been so much fun to read your comments on my blog ... I love getting comments! If you look on one of your recent entries on your blog, I think your Saturday one, you'll see one I wrote you, about our "trip" to Wal-mart this weekend. :oD]

Angie and I ran into each other at the soccer field around 3:00 ... where we all from the office were going to play soccer, but only a few of us showed up. So anyohw, Angie and I went to Panda Express together and split a two-entree plate. That was fun.

Yesterday I met up with Windi to attend a health fair at the church. It sure was fun walking around the different booths ... and grabbing all the freebies. :o) Among the most notable freebies, my favorite by far, was a bright pink water bottle from Baylor Medical Center.

Definitely a keeper.

Girls nite out.

Mall, Chick-fila, Shopping, Chocolate, and a movie.

What more could a girl want? The movie was incredible, actually, AND showed me that there's SO much more I want. Not stuff ... although, yes, my flesh too often craves stuff. No, not stuff. Unless you're talking about hte kind of stuff that money can't buy. Stuff of the Kingdom.

But I'll get to that in a minute.

8:30 or thereabouts. Still a good hour and a half before the movie starts. Tami, Robin, Wendy and I at Pacific Sun because I want to look for clearance cloth belts that I use as headbands. They're hanging out and chatting. I'm in line to buy my $2.99 headband ... it feels like the people ahead of me are taking a century, but maybe just because I feel people are waiting for me.

A lady with grayish hair put up in a "showercap-like" contraption is in line with what I assume are her children and grandchildren. She's just kind of standing there ... but a little close for my comfort level. Especially considering a non-too-pleasant odor is coming from her direction. I mean, forbid, what if one of the guys standing behind me thinks it's me? Involuntarily, I step back. Then suddenly I hear the Lord's voice in my heart, "She is one of the people I love, who needs to be reached with the message of my love. She is one of the people the native missionaries in Asia (www.gfa.org) are sacrificing of themselves daily just so they can reach with my love."

Looking back on that incident, it's incredible to think of how it also ties in with the movie we watched. Amazing to me lately how God has totally been driving themes into my life repeatedly. But in such a faithful yet very patient and kind way. He's AMAZING.

Anyhow, about the movie ... If I let it, it quite possibly has the opportunity to radically change my life from this point forward. It was ... out of this world. The Lord spoke to me throughout it. The deceitfulness and utter depravity of the human heart. The blindness of so many people who have never heard of my Jesus as I have! The awesomeness of God pouring out His abundant love, compassion and forgiveness through His people, when humanly speaking it would seem impossible. The fervent dedication of one man to reach a remote tribe with the Gospel, even if it meant losing his life. The passion and drive God gave him for the Kingdom's work. "Betty, we don't have two years. We have ONE CHANCE to reach these people" That grabbed me. Made me want to be much more dedicated and focused on the task He has given me.

Then my devotional this morning, from Streams in the Dessert, quoted Acts 20:24 about Paul not counting his life dear to himself for the sake of the Kingdom.

Incredible. May I be given the grace to actively apply these things in my life. I want my life to forever be different because of this night. Amen.

Last night was our bi-monthly ladies' meeting at the ministry. It was incredible ... I felt like the message was spoken directly to me. It was SO good.

But oh, how could I even begin to share all of it? In a nutshell, in my oh-so-eloquent summary, what I got out of it was, "Just do it. Just surrender. Those areas in your life that you need to grow in and change? Just do it. Not on your own strength, of course, but in HIS strength." She talked about how we always say "someday" but that "someday" will never come if we aren't proactive in letting Him change our hearts and lives.

The bottom line of it for me was her statement that change in your life is just a prayer away if you're willing. I was thinking, Yeah, Rachel, you knucklehead, you. Change can take one prayer or a long time, depending on how surrendered your heart is to His purposes in your life. :o) Definitely very powerful. And something I so much want to be diligent to apply. I feel this week that I've been learning SO much. Now I just need to be faithful to APPLY it. As NIKE would tell us, "Just DO IT."

I thank the Lord for all He's been teaching me. I feel so encouraged. But now my hair very much needs a washing so I'm going to head out so it can have time to dry before I meet up with some church friends to go see End of the Spear. (I saw the preview online today and it looks very powerful.)

Looking forward to tonight.

An Ode to the Little Things in Life that Are Really the Big Things

Windchimes with little pewter butterflies.
Last night around 10:30 P.M. after eagerly gulping down an oven-roasted chicken salad--my supper--I went to Walgreens to check out the "free with mail-in rebate" scene and, on a whim, decided to buy some windchimes. [You might wonder, and rightly so, what I was doing eating supper at this unearthly hour! Well, you will find out later if you keep reading. :oD] They are cute and at only $1.99, much cheaper than ones I'd seen in the stores before.

When I got home with them and hung them up on my upstairs balcony, I got to wondering if they were the same as my next door neighbors. [They're not, it turns out.] Not that it would matter.

I like my next door neighbor.

And I like my blue metallic and silver pewter windchimes.

A package of M and M's.
I promised you I would tell you why I was eating at 10:30 last night. Okay, here goes. I left the office at 6 p.m., headed over to church for the mid-week service. I was intending to stop and eat something at a fast-food type restaurant along the way, and musing in my head (and with my very hungry stomach!) where might be good to go. Long story made short, all my plans came to naught, as I had forgotten my money AND credit cards at home that morning. So anyhow, when I got to the church I casually remarked to a nice acquaintance in the restroom that I was starving and hadn't eaten. Much to my surprise (and delight!) she promptly produced a package of M and M's that had been at the bottom of her purse for a while. "These are a God-send," I told her. :o)

A crockpot filled with scrumptuous cranberry chicken.
Okay, so mine isn't YET, but (by faith) tomorrow or this weekend it WILL be. :o) Found this great recipe in "101 Things to do with a Slowcooker." But alas, the recipe didn't indicate whether the chicken should be raw or cooked to go into the crockpot. My assumption would have been raw, since it would have ample time and more to get done, but I noticed other recipes that called for cooked chicken. So I asked my mom about it. She agrees I should try it with the raw chicken. I love having a mom I can call at anytime about the little delicacies of life, like chicken and crockpots. :o) The amazing thing is that she just about always has the answer, too.

It's the little things that mean so much.

It's all about you, Jesus.
And not about me, as if You should do things my way.
All this is for You, for Your glory and Your fame.
You Alone are God, and I love You.

Sitting in my chair in our weekly staff prayer meeting last night, I felt like I was singing this as a love song to God. It was an incredible moment when everything else just seemed to fade away, and I was reminded that it's all about Him. Not me. Not my dreams, my desires, my ambitions. Not about the "rights" I may think I have.

Funny how we don't have to be reminded to think about ourselves and our best interests. No, it just comes naturally. We don't have to be reminded to think about the temporal. Instead, we must ever be reminded to think about the eternal, to set our heights on things above.

Today was a good day. Now I'm going to grab a bit to eat, probably at McAlister's (yum!) and then head to the mid-week service at church. YAY! :o) God is good.

Wow. Has it really been over two weeks since I've posted in here? Oops. I WANT to post more ... I will try to, I promise? :O)

Despite that I've been kind of swamped with working on writing stuff for our upcoming Annual Report, this week has been really good so far. SO glad for that. I was just thinking about how this Monday has been so much nicer than last Monday was ...

It was a “normal” Monday afternoon at my sunny spot in the GFA office when I got the call from my mom. Early in the conversation, I knew something had happened. That day, my dad had suffered a heart attack. Even as we talked, he was being rushed by ambulance to the hospital to have stints put in. [If the stints worked, he wouldn’t need surgery.] In that instant, I felt numb. I was in shock, disbelief. I was very close to my daddy and couldn’t imagine anything happening to him. I felt, in a sense, that my whole world had shattered. And yet somehow through it all I felt an emotional calm. I thank the Lord for that.

I later found out it was a massive heart attack, with one artery completely blocked. Yet incredibly, the doctor reported that my dad was doing well for having just had a heart attack, and by just a little later in the week he was feeling “back to normal”. He was in ICU for a day before being moved to the cardio ward for the rest of the week. The doctor says he will have permanent heart damage but we’re hoping and praying this won’t be the case.

WOW --I truly thank God for His wonderful protection! My daddy is at home and seems to be doing well. He's taking several medications now. Please pray with us for his continued recovery and a heart that’s “good as new”. And pray also for me, that regardless of any trial I go through, I would be like the tree described in Jeremiah 17:7-8,“planted by the waters, which spreads out its roots by the river, and will not fear when heat comes; but its leaf will be green, and it will not be anxious in the year of drought, nor will cease from yielding fruit” (NKJV).

Well I have to say, so far 2006 has been a very nice year. :o)

Today I went to church and then came straight home and ate a little lunch and hung out around the apartment for a bit. Then I went and chatted and fellowshipped with some women from the ministry.

After that I went walking.

Last night was the New Year's Eve party with my S.S. class. I had a great time!! My only real complaint was how fast the evening went by! Oh well. :o) It was a memorable experience ringing in the new year with friends there. Lots of laughter and joking around for sure.

Laughter is good for the spirit.

Today was my first day back in the office.

It's good to be back. Very good.

I think when you're away from the town you live in for a little while and then come back, you come to experience a new appreciation and thankfulness for it. :o)

I'm happy to be back.

Today was kind of a nice day. I was off from work still, since I arrived back a day earlier than I'd originally thought I would.

It was nice outside.

I had to go to McKinney to get a calendar but the trip was well worth it because of the pretty trees and little hills I saw (almost didn't look like Texas :o)) and the yummy free meal I enjoyed at McAlisters. Free because I had used up my nine entrees on my supper club card. They even let me have my drink free. Yippee!! :oD

Yesterday I drove in, but from Jackson so it wasn't nearly as long a drive. (YAY!) I stopped at the Terrell outlet mall and found some great bargains -- a really cute pair of khaki capri pants at the Van Heusen outlet on clearance for $10!! They even fit me perfectly, which is an amazing feat generally for pants or jeans. :o) Needless to say, I was pleased.

I also at at Schlotsky's, one of my all-time favorite restaurants.

I'm going through something kind of hard at the moment. Yet by faith (not my emotions yet!) I'm thankful if it will be used to drive me closer to Jesus. And I believe it will -- or can be! Oh how I need to stay close to Him. He is truly a wonderful God. There is none like Him. He will never leave us nor forsake us. How wonderful!

Tonight my mom and I ate supper with a big group of relief workers at the church. I have so much been touched by these dear brothers and sisters in Christ and their hearts to come from all over the U.S. and labor long hours on behalf of people in need. It is my prayer that just as we have seen many come to Christ through our tsunami outreach in Asia (www.gfa.org/tsunami), they too will see an incredible harvest of souls.

God is good. Even in the pain ... even in the midst of the storm.

Yesterday I made the 600-mile drive to my hometown. Yikes! I'd forgotten how long it was. It felt especially long for some reason.

But today was incredible. Worshipped at my beloved college church. Caught up with friends and supporters there ... and made new ones!

Ate lunch at Applebee's with this really fun couple who supports me. Enjoyed more fellowship at the church's Christmas open house. And the one-hour drive back to my hometown tonight felt small compared to 11 hours yesterday.

This week has been going by so FAST.

It's Thursday. WOW.

Things are going quite well overall!

I still have much to get done before my trip home in a week or so ... both at the office and at home ... and things to tend to with my car. But things have gotten done as well. I feel optimistic that everything will come together. :oD

Today I got a coupon in the mail for Arby's, buy fries and a drink and get a free Market Fresh sandwich (which I love but are kind of expensive!). I used it for lunch and was quite happy. :oD

It's the little things in life that matter so much sometimes.

I had such a nice Thanksgiving weekend.

It was just really relaxing and refreshing.

Thursday I ate Thanksgiving dinner with my Sunday school teacher, his family, and some others who, like me, were away from family. It was a restful time and I felt at home. :o)

Then Friday I met up for a little bit with a friend of mine from class, a single mom and her two children. I also just hung around the apartment and sang praise songs.

Saturday I met up with several others from my S.S. class to watch "Yours, Mine and Ours" and fellowship over Chinese food (them) and Chick-fila (me :o)) in the mall food court. I really enjoyed that ... good times. :oD

Yesterday? After church we all grabbed something to eat at Chipotle and had more fellowship ... chatting with my S.S. teacher and his wife about the incredible thing Jesus did for us in dying an excruciating death for us on the Cross and paying the penalty for our sin. Then I joined some others in the class who were sitting at a table outside, where we engaged in a fun and kind of thought-provoking conversation about "the whole guy/girl thing".

Today has been a good day at work. I can't believe it's already over. It's gone by so quickly ... and yet I feel that I've gotten things done. YAY! Thank you, LORD. I really am feeling like everything is kind of starting to come together for my upcoming trip back to the Coast. :o)

Until next time.

Thanksgiving is almost here. :o)

Looking at my life, there is much to be thankful for.

I'm looking forward to the holiday weekend to rest and maybe catch up on stuff!

Tonight I need to grab ingredients at the store, for the salad I'm making. I'm eating Thanksgiving Dinner with a family from church, along with others from my S.S. class.

Until next time. :oD

I've had a nice day!

I went to lunch with a friend and co-worker, Kaitlyn. We had such a nice time of sharing some of what the Lord is teaching us.

I have been thinking lately about how with Jesus, you have everything. Even if you have nothing as far as this world goes. Or if you lost literally everything in the tsunami or in Hurricane Katrina, or live in a North Indian slum where the place you "go home" to every day is little more than a makeshift tent strewn together with garbage bags, little pieces of tin, anything else you can find.

Gretcha with her contageous smile and joy in Jesus showed me THAT. A powerful lesson I don't ever want to forget ... and something I want to put into practice in my daily life.

What a joy the Christian life is ... that this world and our circumstances and struggles are NOT all there is. That we can labor for fruit that will last for all eternity. Incredible.

And who are we, that we have this privilege? It's all God. And nothing in us.

It's Friday. I am tired ... ready to go home. : )

I love my job. But sometimes you need a break, too. :oD Looking forward to this weekend. It's been beautiful out ... maybe I'll even get some biking in!

That would be nice.

See ya!

Wow.

I feel so encouraged. You could say I feel "all better". :o) My friend Teri and I just finished praying together.

God is so good.

I'm walking home now. :oD

Kind of an intense weekend.

Sorting through some stuff. Realizing my wretchedness. Realizing the warped perspectives and attitudes I still have ... but don't want to have. When I am resting in the Lord, those attitudes fade away. I'm sure glad He never gives up on me.

On another note, I did enjoy walking and riding my bike this weekend. Beautiful weather. And it's so nice to be outdoors.

Well bye for now -- better leave the office since I can't be here after 9. :o) I'll write more soon ... I promise? :oD

Has it really been two weeks since I last wrote? Wow.

The cooking went well. (See last entry, October 29)

Overall I've been doing really well!

It's a little cloudy today, perhaps to match my somewhat melancholy mood. Long story. I want to go back to my apartment and have some time with the Lord. My desire is to be lost in the wonder of His presence ... to be so enamored with Him that, ultimately, everything else fades away. He is so good!

Tonight I am getting together with some friends to go to the Olive Garden ... kind of an outing planned in my honor since I told my friend Trudy I needed a group here to go to the Olive Garden with since ours back home got destroyed in the hurricane. :oD I'm looking forward to that.

I can't believe it's only a month now before I head back home for Christmas. Wow. I'm excited, at the same time there's much to be done before then. But I know it will all come together. :o)

God is good. Always and no matter what.

P.S. Tomorrow is the International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church (IDOP). Wow. I know that anything I go through is so small compared to what they go through every day ... not to mention what Jesus went through for me on the Cross. Incredible. We are truly blessed ... why can it be so easy to forget that?

This has been such a nice weekend so far.

Last night I helped my S.S. class with a booth for our church's Harvest Festival. One of my buddies pelted me in the face with the beanie bags we were throwing. It was pretty funny. Then we all headed to Applebees for more laughter and fun.

When I got home, I looked through a bunch of my recipes and got really inspired. A grocery list and $36 spent at Wal-mart later, I'm still inspired.

But I'll have to wait 'til tomorrow because soon I'll be going to a Matt Redman worship concert with some friends.

Looking forward to it.

This weekend our S.S. group went camping at Lake Texoma. It was nice weather ... well, mostly, that is. It did get a little chilly at night .... and the last morning was very windy.

A fun adventure of the weekend was getting recruited to play in a handbell choir that was performing at their church potluck on the campgrounds. :oD The really cool thing? I got a B-1, 2004 Annual Report and latest issue of SEND! into their hands. Please pray they will read these materials and that the Lord will bring eternal fruit through this!

I woke up and it was cold this morning.

And now? My shoulder is kind of hurting (again) and I'm a little tired and disoriented. But God is faithful. I'm trying to remember that. My tsunami article is almost ready to turn in -- yay! :o) And tomorrow A.M. I should be able to turn in my other article ...

This Friday us writers are leaving work a little early to go to Starbucks and work on projects there. I'm looking forward to that!

Today we went to the annual Peanut Festival of Whitesboro, Texas.

It was a nice, refreshing adventure.

I actually did kareoke. Twice. For all on the streets of this small town to witness.

First in the morning I did "My Girl" and then later in the day I did an encore performance of "Ain't No Mountain High Enough" ... except the second song was NOT the version I'd expected, and therefore I didn't know it. At least I did "My Girl" justice. ;oD

Then someone in our group got "arrested" and put in jail. We had to bail him out. Before I go any further, I must explain something. At this event, you could actually pay to put your friends in jail. So we had one of the people in our group put in the little jail they had set up. Then our group had to pay $2.00 to get him out.

Quite funny.

It was a beautiful day.

Whew! I went through some hard times recently.

But a very encouraging phone conversation, some prayer and a few hugs later, I am doing much better. :oD

God is so good. It seems He was so faithful to bring me encouragement at just the right moments.

And in the middle of my little "trial", I thought about how it is likely at least partly spiritual attack -- I worked on an earthquake email yesterday, and I am excited about the potential there is for people's hearts to be touched and to give and pray.

Of course I must remember that there is nothing in me. It is Jesus who gives me His words. Without Him, I am nothing. I desperately need His intervention on the articles I am working on for SEND!. I am feeling writers block, and am at a standstill in some ways. I know He is able! I've just got to trust Him ... for that and for something else that's kind of been on my heart.

He is good and desires my ultimate best. I can trust Him. Hallelujah!

Well it is beautiful weather and I plan to maybe try to work just a little on SEND! stuff before I go and enjoy it. :o) Tonight I hope to go to Barnes and Noble and hear a fresh word from the Lord to help me as I work on these articles in one my favorite college spots. :o)

I had a nice weekend. Much of it, I had my windows open. It was so gorgeous outside.

I've been so much finding that our Friday night prayer meetings are a faith-builder. I find myself being greatly renewed and strengthened through them as I hear the encouraging reports from the field and am encouraged to pray in faith.

Saturday I woke up at 11 because a friend called. It was good she called ... who knows how long I would have slept after all-night prayer? :oD

Later in the day I played soccer with some friends from the office. Good times; good exercise. :oD

Then yesterday Steph and I went to Ikea (one of my favorite stores!) and then walking in this beautiful area by a new library. There are two lakes with paths around them.

And now? I'm going to enjoy some more of this beautiful weather. Thank you, Lord.

Wow. It is beautiful out there.

We have prayer tonight at the ministry.

In between now and then, I think I may just go out and enjoy this nice weather. :o) I don't have much planned this weekend except catching up on walking and working on my SEND! articles. And that's fine with me.

It's been a good week, I think.

I can't believe how quickly it's gone by.

It's a little chilly outside. But feels nice. It's maybe in the 60s. I'm debating whether to brave the wintry mix by walking at the nature preserve or curl up in the warm shelter of my apartment. :o) Maybe watch a movie, maybe pour over "Let the Nations Be Glad", a book by John Piper that I'm really looking forward to reading.

Which reminds me ... this quote from a little booklet I got last week really spoke to me.

“My Heart—Christ’s Home” by Robert Boyd Munger.

~I will never forget the evening I invited him into my heart … He came into the darkness of my heart and turned on the light. He built a fire in the cold hearth and banished the chill. He started music where there had been stillness and harmony where there had been discord. He filled the emptiness with his own loving fellowship. I have never regretted opening the door to Christ and I never will. ~

What a beautiful word picture. As a single woman in her late 20s who believes God has given me the desire to be married one day, just unsure of when and how He will bring it about, this really speaks to my heart. There are times when I get lonely, but I don't really have to be! Every day, every moment, my apartment can be a haven of abiding in Christ. A place where His fire warms the hearth on those chilly days. This is especially vivid to me as my fireplace has an apartment.

God is so good.

It's nice outside.

Saturday I did a triatholon.

Okay, so it wasn't official. It was my own special, personal triatholon.

I walked two hours, bladed 20 minutes, and did some light swimming for an hour.

And I also found a gorgeous park in Richardson. And stopped on my way back to eat at Chick-fila with one of my calendar coupons. :o)

Tonight? I'm hoping to head to Barnes and Noble to work on some SEND! stuff. As far as I know, that will work out. I've been meaning to get down there for maybe a week now! I really like working on projects at Barnes and Noble ... I have such fond memories and nostalgia of it from college.

And I like the one I go to here, too.

I'm also really hoping to get some picking up done in my apartment. It's always nice to have a tidy apartment. :o)

Hiya. This will be a short post as I am ultra sleepy and plan to go home and rest a bit before heading to supper and prayer with a good friend. :o)

Last week I had a nice long post all ready to post here. And then? You guessed it; blogger had technical difficulties and I lost my post. BUMMER. Oh well ...

Things here go well.

I've been working on a few articles for our upcoming SEND!. Those are so much fun! Of course, I'm kind of still in the research phase for the most part. I did start writing one of the shorter articles but have kind of come to a standstill where I need to review my research and see what facts can be woven in.

Truly it is a privilege to be His ambassador. Praise God.

Gorgeous day.

And there are still people who think this all happened by chance? Hard to believe.

I had a good day. Passed pretty quickly. I just got done with a project at work. Now I still need to go and clean my restroom at the office.

After that? I'm thinking about going walking. Then I may use a coupon I have for a FREE shrimp taco at Tin Star. :oD And get my pictures developed at Costco.

That's all for now, folks. :o)

Okay, the weather outside is BEAUTIFUL. Thank You, Lord.

This afternoon a co-worker and I went to the airport to welcome back another gal who works with us. (She had been in India for several months.) It's a nice feeling to have her back. And the Lord has brought others to work with us, as well. I'm very excited about all the people we have in our area now! :oD

Now I'm sleepy.

After I leave here, I'm planning to go back to my apartment for just a little bit and rest. Then? Going for a walk to enjoy this gorgeous day, of course. :o) And pray as I walk. Those are such nice times!

It is so nice to know God can be trusted. And especially to rest in the wonderful, indescribable peace He gives.

This afternoon, sitting upstairs in my office, surrounded by co-workers as we welcomed a new couple on staff, it struck me how very happy and content I felt. How much I felt part of the family of people here. Moments like that are priceless.

BTW, the new couple, whom I'll call Clint and Jenny, are really nice. I am incredibly excited that they will be joining us on staff. They are some of those special people who not only have a GREAt sense of humor but also a thoughtfulness and warmth that makes you almost immediately connect with them. Being around them makes me feel invigorated, alive.

They hope to make it back here in November. Praise the Lord. We need to pray for them. They are giving their lives to labor for the Gospel, and the enemy is not happy. But GOD is in control, and HE always wins!

Praise the Lord.

Last night after my friend and I ate supper, I ran into another friend at the office! We chatted and then spontaneously decided to run by McDonalds for a milkshake (me) and sundae (her).

Then we stopped by the apartment of a mutual friend, to fellowship with her. Except she wasn't answering when we knocked (she was on the phone on her balcony, it turned out!), but her cat was walking around outside.

So we planted her cat right by the door (amazingly, she stayed--she even went over there herself!) and then knocked really loudly and ran around the corner. Sad to say, our friend never heard us knock. But if we could have pulled it off, it would have been really hilarious. :oD

Tonight is prayer meeting. And--speaking of prayer--I'm experiencing quite a lot of peace and hopeful expectancy about the thing I'm praying about for this month. So ... we'll see what God does. Regardless of the outcome, I'm ultimately content. :o) His plan is good and perfect!

The weekend was very nice.

I enjoyed all-night prayer and getting together a couple of times with the interns who are serving with us at the ministry for the next year, as well as some of the other young people on staff.

I also visited a new S.S. class for the second time and really liked it. I went and ate with everyone afterwards and had a really nice time. I even got recruited to be part of the worship team. :o)

On a different note, in one sense I have been very encouraged as far what I've been praying about. I want whatever would most glorify the Lord -- whatever that is!

Tonight? I'm going after work to eat with one of the girls I used to room with. And of course we'll pray for one another. :o) I'm really looking forward to it! We meet at 6, so before then I'm probably going to walk around outside and pray. Those are such nice times with the Lord!

And later on tonight? Not sure yet ... would go swimming but I just washed my hair and kind of hate to have to turn around and wash it again. (Yes, I know, I'm lazy. :oD)

It's Friday.

I went through some things over the weekend. But all in all have had a NICE week.

I'm holding on to what as far as I can tell I need to be faithful to pray for (see last week). Haven't missed a day yet as far as I can tell, and don't plan to. But I've definitely been "challenged" and tested along the way ... even if given at different times, very possible "glimmers of hope" : )

Sometimes it's soooooooooooo hard to be patient.

Whatever happens, I am confident that the Lord is doing a work of faith in me through the process.

And now? Well, it's a little after 4 and we all get to go home early since it's Friday night prayer. For starters, I think I'll go home and just have some R&R time at the apartment while I watch a little of Ice Princess. Then I'll probably go pay a bill at the mall and eat some supper with a Chick-fila coupon. :oD

Until next time.

I struggled a little last night with my emotions about the thing I mentioned yesterday that I'm praying about. Singing praise songs helped SO much. I felt a peace about things. But then later in the evening I struggled again.

And something else challenging has come up that I am trying to give over to the Lord and have HIS perspective over ... not always easy.

But He is good and faithful and I can trust Him. Even when my circumstances or emotions may try to wrongly tell me otherwise! Throughout the years I've definitely had a number of times where I've had to say "Okay, Lord. I'm going to trust You by faith." Then it is the most encouraging thing when the feelings later (or sometimes sooner!) follow. Praise God. He is so good.

On a different note ... I just got back from a really nice time with some gals from church -- a "bargain shopping" trip we've been planning for a while. We went to a Dillards clearance sale. And boy did we ever find some bargains!

I ended up with two really cute skirts, three great shirts, a much-needed pair of summer dress shoes, and a cute dress --all for about $80 total!

I think I'll get a lot of use out of everything. The skirts were $108 and $168 before clearance. (Can you imagine?!) And I got the dress for $6 and the shoes for $9. : ) I can't wait to try things on again when I get home -- that's always fun. :o)

Well, I'm going back to my apartment. I think some R&R along with some more time with the Lord will do me good. :o)

Until next time.

Whew! Not long after I wrote that last post, we received word that my parents--and aunt and uncle--were safe. What a relief! I was so glad to hear this.

On kind of another note ... Ever feel like the Lord has impressed on your heart to be faithful to pray for a certain thing but you have no guarantee of the outcome? I'm feeling like that now ... on the one hand I thank God for putting this on my heart to pray for. Then on the other, it's truly a leap of faith because of not knowing the outcome.

But in either case, I can rest assured that He will work everything out beautifully, according to HIS perfect plan -- and will develop more character in my life in the process.

Thursday and still no definite word from my parents since about noon on Monday.

I imagine most phone lines still aren't going through ... and that it could be days and days still ... although my sister did receive a call yesterday from their cell phone, but there was no voice because it disconnected too soon.

We were wondering last night how much drinking water they saved up before the storm ... There are so many uncertainties, yet this entire week my heart has been feeled with this incredible peace and calm that could only come from the Lord. I'm SO glad for that.

I can't believe how quickly this day has gone by. Come to think of it, the week's passed quickly, too.

I've working on various projects, and they've been going well. I think I'm about caught up, so next week I will probably get some more to work on. :o)

Tomorrow morning I'm going over to my Sunday school teacher and his wife's house, along with others in the class, to help them pack. That should be fun!

It's hot out there. It was 104 degrees earlier today!

Well I think I'll get going. I want to go home and rest and maybe go walking before a friend and I hang out and watch a movie.

I'm back. But not for long. It's been one of those afternoons ... although I'm doing much better now!

Tonight I'm going to a women's ministry thing at my church. It sounds like it will be really good! I'm meeting up with a couple of friends so we can sit together.

Ever been in a crowded room and still felt lonely? God has allowed me to go through a number of "lonely" times in my life ... for reasons I may never know this side of heaven.

Last week I turned 27. I would so much like to at least be "dating" the person He has planned for me to marry ... whoever that is. But His timing is PERFECT. I've got to keep believing that.

The cutest little sparrows have found my bird feeder! The one I got birdseed for when my parents were here. Sometimes there are 10 on my balcony at one time! They're so much fun to watch. This morning when I got up, one was feeding another.

I can't believe it's Friday. Wow ... another week has gone by already?

It was a good one ... I think. Looking back, it went by almost too fast for me to remember it!

I had some very interesting experiences, that's for sure. Someone who works at Chick-fila asked me out! Thankfully I was prepared with an answer. I think the Lord really went before me on that! Whew!

And before that happened, someone at Arby's suddenly turned to me and said, "Where did you get your blue eyes?" Is God trying to tell me to stop going to fast food restaurants? :oD

Well it's almost 6 and I'm tired and I'm going home now.

Today was my birthday.

And I felt loved. :o)

In Sunday school this morning, they all sang "Happy Birthday" to me at the end of class. A girl had also brought a carrot cake with cream cheese icing, my favorite. Then she presented me with an adorable gift bag filled with guess what?

Cards!

That's right, each person in the class had written me a card and stuck it in the bag. It was fun to open and read them.

One guy gave me a mother-daughter card. The inside read, "You are a terrific daughter. And I am a proud mother." The outside? "To my little princess." Only Kelly! He's always making us laugh.

After church was lunch at LaHacienda Ranch. (To quote Dave: "You're not allowed to bail.") Where (of course) the servers all came and sang Happy Birthday to me.

It was a nice birthday. And I felt loved.

This is my 255th post.

I'll try to briefly (as if that's even possible for me? :oD) recap the events of the last week.

Thursday, August 5
9:00 P.M.
My parents arrive at my apartment. Their first time to see my new apartment! They're here for the weekend. I've been looking forward to their visit. Tonight after they got in, they were hungry so we got to eat some of the 3-bean soup I had made for them. :o)

Tomorrow we're going to try to find me a new washer machine. Well, that's if my current one can't be fixed or is expensive to fix. Like my dryer, it was a gift to my roommates and I, maybe two years ago. A huge blessing. Now? Well, it may be on its last leg. My trips to the apartment laundry room are getting a little old. (But I'm still grateful for all the use we've gotten out of it --Praise the Lord for His provision!)

Friday, August 6
Mission accomplished.
The washer would have been expensive to fix, so we were able to find a washer on a good sale, rated well by Consumer Reports (used by my dad many a time :o)). When we went to the mall to purchase the washer, we also ate at Chick-fila. I had great coupons for all of us -- buy a drink, get a free southwest chargrilled chicken salad. Now you can't beat THAT. I also had coupons for free cookies (for each of us!) at the Great American Cookie Co. Fun!

We also went to the Ikea store. WOW. That place is HUGE! And quite popular. We didn't buy anything, basically just walked around for over two hours. It's a fun place to be. Much of the decor (although not all) is not particularly my style, but I think my good friend Heather from back home would really like some of it.

DEFINITELY a store I plan to go back to.

When we got back home, we finished eating our cookies, and ... I don't remember what all else we did. I think just stuff around the apartment, though. Tonight we went for a little bit of all-night prayer at the ministry and my parents were able to catch up with some people there. :o)

Saturday, August 7
We did things around the apartment and went to Wal-mart and Target looking for different household items. My parents got me a birthday present at Garden Ridge, a beautiful picture for my dining room! It is pretty big and has kind of muted pinks, blues, etc. And it's a picture of a vase with flowers. My other walls, um, also have flowers on them? What can I say, I'm just a flower person. :o)

Tonight we had a couple of gals from my S.S. class over. We looked at some of their pictures and showed them a couple of short GFA videos about our Bridge of Hope program. It was a wonderful time of laughter and fellowship! My parents enjoyed getting to meet them both. I knew they'd like them!

Sunday, August 8
To be finished tomorrow :o) Heading back to my apartment now.

It's been a nice day.

We writers had two meetings this morning. And I worked on some things. Then I had a nice, relaxing lunch at one of my favorite places (McAlisters) while working on my "To Do" list for the next day or so. :o) Oh, and this afternoon I finished up my other article I was working for to go in our next SEND!.

Now I need to get home and do some more picking up and probably make some 3-bean soup. I have family coming to see me later this week, which will be nice!

TTFN.

I'm back.

I feel very encouraged ... the Lord has been giving me little opportunities here and there to share (even if just a little bit) about the ministry, as well as putting different people and avenues on my heart. What a blessing!

As I sit here writing this from my second-story cubicle in the office, I am watching a couple of birds eagerly peck at a bag (of potato chip crumbs?). Besides it being really cute to watch, I also saw a great spiritual analogy ...

I got to thinking, here they are all excited about this bag. But what if a much bigger bag, with more food, is about to come their way? From their frame of reference, they can't see that. But it doesn't make the possibility any less real.

God's ways and His timing are always best.

Hi. It's me again.

I'm writing in here more often now. :o) Today I went to lunch with some friends from work. That was nice.

I didn't stay the whole time because I came home to write an emergency email that would point to an urgent story for prayer. The Lord really went before me and brought everything together! (Be sure to check out the story, which my supervisor wrote, and pray for this impoverished area that is going through so much.)

I also heard from some supporters that they would like to be on my email list I'm putting together. I enjoy hearing from my supporters!

It's been a busy day. I just now got back to my desk after helping the young people (teenagers) clean in the building. My cleaning partner and I had such a good time of fellowship as we prayed for each other at the end.

It's a beautiful day out there. I'm about to head out and ... I don't know what. Probably go back to my apartment to rest for a bit, then maybe go walking. I know that later tonight I need to work for a while on my SEND! articles which are due very soon! I pray the Lord goes before me and brings everything together like He did this afternoon.

This workday went by fast! It is so pretty outside. If you read the post below, you'll see that I'm doing MUCH better than I was last week -- YAY! :o))))

This afternoon as I was reading a Christian magazine article, possible source material for a Dalit article I'm working on for SEND!, I felt like I got a glimpse into another world. The article mentioned thousands of people gathering every Sunday in a field in an area of India, traveling to get there by foot, bicycle, or whatever other means of transportation they could find. And they carried in sick people on cots and chairs, voicing their cries for help ... and listening to the message that Jesus loves them ... that they are cherished by their benevolent Creator.

One thing that spoke to me was the deep hunger for God's Word. When the missionaries came in with New Testaments and other Christian literature, the rush of the people was so great that at one point the missionaries were cornered into their vehicle. Outreach team members then began proclaiming the message of God's love to those who had gathered, as they handed people their own copy of God's Word.

Incredible. When I hear stories like that, I am transported into another world. A world that doesn't revolve around me. A world where the Word of God is living and active, alive and fresh. A world where "other things" suddenly don't seem to matter so much ... they start to pale in comparison. Lord, help me to live in that world.

Now I'm going home to have some time with the Lord. I'm going to read in Romans 12:9-21, the passage from yesterday's message at church. A while back, when I was meditating on the sermon passage throughout the week, the Lord spoke to my heart so much -- so I plan to start doing that again. :o)

WOW. I'm doing SO much better. In fact, I'm probably doing great. :o) I'm so very thankful.

I ended up having such a nice weekend. On Saturday some of us from the office helped move a co-worker into the apartment she and her husband-to-be will share after they get married next weekend. And after that, three of us gals ended up taking an impromptu trip to three different malls. At the second mall, we also ate at Chick-fila. Such a blast! I ended up with a sarong skirt, a couple of headbands and a pair of blue open-back Keds. Early birthday presents, I told them. :oD

Yesterday was Sunday school and lots of fun laughs in class. :O) Then after church we all went to eat at Luigi's. Then my friend Mellie and I announced that we were going to see a movie at the dollar theater, and several others joined us. That was fun!

I also had a nice walk at the nature preserve later that day, and a really good talk with my parents. :O) And some yummy lettuce wraps, and I re-watched part of a fun movie.

I'm feeling probably slightly better.

The Lord allowed for me to meet up briefly today with Emily, another woman at the ministry. She listened and encouraged and prayed for me. I feel comfortable sharing things with her, which is such a blessing.

Even though she's married with five children, I can sense in her voice and expression that she remembers what it's like to be a single woman, having various struggles and desires and seeking to be right where God wants her to be.

Ever feel like you just "can't quite get it all together"? (I talked to a couple of single gals, friends of mine from the ministry, over lunch today, and they totally agreed that they've been there!) I've been kind of feeling that way a lot lately ... like, where does all the time go? And why am I so tired all the time? (Probably in big part because I was sick last week) And when I try to sit down and spend time with the Lord, why is it so hard to focus? Probably a big part of it is the spiritual battle.

When I was talking to Emily today, she said, "Your heart to please Him is beautiful. And your heart is what He desires, and then everything else will follow." Loosely paraphrased, but the basic point of what she was saying. I needed to hear those words of encouragement today.

I know I have a long way to go, but He has given me a heart to seek Him. For that I am so thankful. And He doesn't give up on me. I just need to trust Him.

Well, this month is my month to help clean the building, so I'm going to go work on some things so I can leave a little early tomorrow after work, to go see Shakespeare in the Park with some friends from church. :o) That should be fun.

It's Wednesday.

And it's a beautiful day out there. But it hasn't been the easiest week. I've been unusually tired, still recovering from being sick, and have had kind of a weak stomach.

More than that, though, I'm having some confusing thoughts. I so much desire the Lord's peace! And according to His Word --which is absolutely TRUE-- it is attainable!

I came across verse during lunch yesterday:

The LORD will guide you always; he will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land and will strengthen your frame. You will be like a well-watered garden, like a spring whose waters never fail.
--Isaiah 58:11

I didn't see the last sentence of the verse until later -- but isn't it cool? The whole image is such a nice one. That's how I want to be -- "...like a well-watered garden, like a spring whose waters never fail". Right now I feel like I'm kind of GRASPING ... wanting to be at that point but just not quite there at the moment, and not quite sure how to get there? Help me, Lord. I know You are able!

Okay.

I'm back, and no, I didn't get to dress up like a cow for Cow Appreciation Day last Friday. So much for my public debut. Maybe next year. :o)

I got sick and was disappointed because I had to cancel not only those plans, but also everything else I had planned for the weekend. But I think the Lord taught me something about surrender through it? I had some rough days, especially with being worn out physically and major spiritual attacks on my emotions. But Friday night I did have some good time with the Lord.

And yesterday was nice -- I was able to make it to church, and to hang out with my S.S. friends at Bennigan's afterwards. Of course one buddy teased me saying I should wear my costume to church next week. :o) We're all going to Shakespeare in the Park this weekend -- that should be fun!

Today? I've been kind of like a zombie ... well, especially in the morning. See, with sleeping so much during the day, I've had trouble getting to sleep the last couple nights. I slept very little Saturday night, even though I was tired. But this afternoon has been so much better and I was able to focus more on things at work. That was a blessing!

Pray for sleep. At the right times.

So this is my 246th post. Pretty cool.

As I sit up here in my desk at the office, I have a beautiful view of houses, trees, apartments, and even buildings on the horizon -- framed by glorious big, open sky.

Today was a good day. I had the opportunity to go eat lunch with a friend from the office, Karene.

The weekend was good, too! Friday was extended prayer here at the ministry ... I left at 12:30 after helping to clean up, because I was soooooo tired and my left shoulder had been hurting.
That day both our 3rd Quarter SEND! and 2004 Annual Report appeared in our mailboxes at work, which was pretty exciting! I had the opportunity to write the radio and Muslim outreach features for SEND! this time around -- you can check them out in our latest issue at www.gfa.org/send. :o) It's my heart's desire that the hearts of many be touched as they read these stories!

Saturday during the day I didn't do much except do laundry, pick up a little, and take a one-hour nap. Then that night I met up with several others in my S.S. class to see The Pacifier at the dollar theater.

Wanna know something funny? Friday I am dressing up in a cow costume and actually making a public appearance ... twice. Hey, it's for a good cause (see www.chickfila.com), plus the fact that I'm just about ALWAYS up for free food, especially when it's Chick-fila. :o)

There will be people and cameras to witness my costume debut.

Another nice weekend.

It was a very memorable 4th of July holiday!

On Friday I went to a pool party at my Sunday school teacher's house. We all had so much fun hanging out and laughing, and splashing in the water!

Saturday I slept in and did stuff around the apartment. Then Sunday I hung out again with my S.S. class.

And Monday? Some coworkers and I went to a church event complete with hot dogs, sno cones, cotton candy and an inflatable "waterslide". :o)

So it was a very nice weekend!

I had such a nice weekend.

Spent Saturday and Sunday with my sister and her family.

We did all of the below, plus more. :o)

Shopped at the mall and Old Navy
(My sister and I came out with on-sale shorts that we really liked, and I found some really cute striped flip-flops at Old Navy that, at $3.99, were a bargain! They'll be great to wear to work and church with my black skirts and other things.)

Celebrated my 2-year-old nephew's "half Birthday" with homemade (yes!) cake and Breyers oreo ice cream.

Ate at a really fun restaurant called HulaHut
(My sister and I split a salad :o))

Hung out with their neighbors
(They're so nice, and, as it turns out, ended up giving me one of their "extra" DVD players! Incredible how the Lord provides.)

Good times. :o) I so much am looking forward to going to see them again! I can't believe it had been nearly a year since I'd been down there. Boy, how time flies when you're having fun and serving the Lord. :o)

9:35 P.M.
I'm at Target, trying on a "fun" shirt. Translation? Fun, meaning I could definitely wear it around the house, and with just a few alterations, could probably also wear it out places.

It's on sale for $12.99.

Not a bad price, but not "super-duper" cheap, either. Trying on the shirt, I think about the family we just did a web story on, who were brutally hacked to death in Central India for their Christian faith and Gospel witness.

And suddenly I am struck by the contrast ... and finding myself transported to another world.

This dear, sweet little family probably didn't have much to their name. Let alone could even one family member be shopping "for fun". Say, for shirts at Target or its equivalent.

Yet exceedingly great is their reward in heaven.

I end up deciding on another piece of clothing -- will make a great skirt for the office and church. Even at $12.99, it's a bit more practical than the other thing.

Still, in this area I probably have a long way to go.

I get to the checkout. Turns out, the "skirt" is still $14.99, not on sale for $12.99. In keeping with what I already decided, I don't get it.

Hmmm ... maybe I am learning at least a little bit after all. :o)

I had a nice weekend.

Friday I stayed for Part One of the Lord of the Rings trilogy and a little bit of the second. :O)

Saturday morning I was tired and a little sad about something, but then that afternoon I had such a nice time with the Lord!

Then I took an hour and a half nap (much-needed! :o)) and my friend Christine and I went to a hot dog cookout they were having at our apartment complex. We sat by the pool for a while enjoying the nice breeze and talking. Then we went and had ice cream at her apartment. :oD It was a nice, relaxing time.

Sunday I introduced my friends from Sunday school to my black boot. Some of them teased that they couldn't believe I was wearing a big 'ole boot, just for a fractured toe. :oP We all had tacos in our classroom after church.

Then that night, four of us hung out playing games. That was fun!

Well, I'm about to go home for lunch, a nap and prayer. Well, that is, if I can squeeze all that in in an hour. ;o) We'll see ... I'm struggling a little with something, but I know God is good and He knows what He's doing. I find sometimes that even just a few minutes in His presence can so much change my perspective. How wonderful.

It's Friday. :o) I'm tired! But it's the weekend so I can catch up a little on my rest! Tonight I'm probably watching part of Lord of the Rings with some friends from the office. They're doing a Lord of the Rings marathon ... good for them! But as for me and my big black boot, we're pretty sleepy ... we'll probably just stay for part of the first one.

My foot is doing much better! But I'm told I'll still have to wear the ever-stylish big black boot through at least the 27th. But praise God! :o) We can rejoice always. He is good.

Tomorrow I'm going to a wedding shower for a good friend of mine who also serves here at the ministry. I'm so happy for her!! Then tomorrow night I may have an opportunity to share the ministry through having some friends for supper and then us going to hear Brother KP speak ... if the Lord wills!

Then Sunday is church and a taco dinner with my S.S. class in our classroom! :o)

I've had a headache this afternoon. ;o( Not fun! But I've had a relatively good week overall. Yay! :O)

Guess what? I fractured my left middle toe playing rugby with some pals from the office on Sunday. So I've been walking around with the ever-stylish big black boot all week. :oD And my toes are kind of bruised and I still can't bend my left middle toe that much at all. But I had so much fun! I would do it again in a heartbeat ... just this time I may wear shoes. : ) (we were ALL playing barefoot)

Well I am going home ... I will probably try to do laundry tonight. Doesn't sound all that appealing tonight, but it's gotta be done sometime. Then again I could always do something fun tonight and wait for the weekend to do laundry ... Hmmm. :o)

I think my headache is already getting bunches better.

I've had a good week. It's gone by fast with projects. I think I'm going home in a minute. :O)

It is beautiful outside. I will probably go walking at the preserve in a little bit. First, though, I need to pay a bill so it won't be late. Not fun, but must be done. :oD

Last night I went and saw a funny movie at the dollar theater. It wasn't my first time to see the movie and I'm sure won't be my last. : ) It was quite relaxing, a nice break!

Not sure what all I'm doing this weekend. I do want to have some good time with the Lord over the weekend. And I need to do laundry. I want to go walking. I'm also getting together with a girl from my S.S. class tomorrow night, most likely. And then on Sunday of course is church and our S.S. group all hanging out afterwards. And Sunday night is my ladies' Bible study.

Okay, so I take back what I said about not having weekend plans. :oP

(I'm taking off. Will be back later.)

Last week I struggled with some discouragement, but this week I've been feeling renewed and refreshed, almost like a new person. I've found in recent weeks and months I have maybe tended to struggle much more with discouragement than usual -- not sure exactly why.

I had a nice weekend. It was pretty restful. Most of the day Saturday it was raining, and I just hung around the apartment. Sunday our group went and ate after church -- We had such a nice time sitting outside at Chipotle, laughing and talking.

This week is going by pretty quickly, which I guess makes sense, considering we were off for Memorial Day. Work is going pretty well -- I have some new projects to work on and am encouraged about that. :o)

Well, I'm gonna go for now, but I will write more later!

The campout last week was a blast! I only wished it could have lasted longer. ;oD Here are some highlights of our time there:

Friday: I arrived at about 6:30. (still can't get over the fact it takes hardly over an hour to get to Oklahoma :o)) After getting just slightly lost (had the right general area), I navigated my way to our campsite, which was right on the shore of Lake Texoma. There were just a couple of us there (I actually thought I'd be late!) and we kind of hung out down by the water for a while. Then when people finally started arriving, we helped get supplies, etc. to the campsite. I had sausage for supper.And later on, of course, we all roasted smores by the campfire. :o)

Okay ... I know I haven't covered Saturday and Sunday yet, but I'll write later ... I promise? :o) I'm kind of ready to get home now.

Saturday: Rolled out of bed, went and took a shower, and had some time with the Lord by the beach. It was such a refreshing, peaceful time! Then I came back to the campsite and we all hung around eating breakfast. Then Rob and I went to Wal-mart and got water and ice. I got a volleyball since the leader of the campout had forgotten his and I'd kind of been wanting one anyhow. The big joke of the weekend was "What did Rob NOT bring?" :o) He had everything, from aluminum foil and graham crackers, to tweezers and a first aid kit. * Incredible. We lazed around in the shade most of the afternoon and then some of us swam out toward an island. That was fun! Trace and I walked around the island and talked, then we began the trip back. A couple of the guys went with us in a canoe, which was a huge blessing, especially since I got tired part of the way there and had to be towed by rope and lifejacket. :oD

*When Trace and I came across some quicksand on the island, I was walking some on it and we joked that if I got caught in it, she could just go get Rob and he would come to my rescue with "Pulley 646". :o)

Sunday: We had a short service with communion, and I took one last walk and had some time with the Lord. I looked out over the lake and thought of how nice the weekend was and how I wanted to stay. :o) Then when I came back, we all had breakfast and picked up everything from the campsite. Then we all pretty much headed home.

I'm doing MUCH better now. And SO thankful. :oD My shoulders were hurting quite a bit this morning, but that wasn't so bad -- I am just glad I've been doing better otherwise!

This weekend is a long-awaited camping trip with my S.S. class. I'm looking forward to that. I have a lot of peace about this trip and feel that this is such a good time for a change of pace. I hope to come back from the weekend refreshed, invigorated, and having had some good times with the Lord in His creation!

I know it's been a while. The last few days have been kind of hard for me. I feel discouraged ... not fun. I feel like the enemy has really been attacking. (Ephesians 6:12) I don't want to feel this way ... I want to focus on the wonderful promises in God's Word and glean encouragement that overcomes these dark times.

Lord God, I pray that I would feel Your arms around me during this time ... that soon You would bring me through this. By faith I thank You for not shrinking back from making me a little more like You through life's circumstances, even when they are painful. Help me feel Your love for me on a heart level. And go before me and give me Your words as I teach Kids Korner tonight, I pray. I love You, Lord.

On a bright note, I went to lunch today with my friend Christine. We had a good time of fellowship together. And, bright note #2, I enjoyed skating with friends over the weekend and going out afterwards with one for late-night icecream bars! (we tried two grocery stores and one Walgreens before settling on our fine delicacy :o))