It is gorgeous, gorgeous weather. YAY! And next week at this time I will be in Colorado. Yippee! :-)

Several of us from work are getting to attend the EPA* Convention in Col. Springs, and then I will get to spend the weekend with some friends who live in that area. So looking forward to that! :-D

I have been enjoying working on an article about Goa for our next SEND!, and have been amazed and encouraged at how it's been coming together. The Lord has really been answering prayer! I asked others on staff to pray for me on Monday morning when I shared some things that had touched my heart about Goa - and I can really feel there prayers as the Lord has truly been bringing this article together in incredible ways.

It's also so encouraging to think of how, if He's answering prayer as I work on this article, how much more I can be encouraged that He must be bringing about incredible breakthroughs on the field, in the lives of these precious people. I am continually amazed at His power and His faithfulness.

By the way, did y'all know I sometimes see random flying objects whiz by my upstairs office window? Just thought I'd share that fun fact ... one time recently it was a plastic bag. :o) Fun stuff.

*for those who may be wondering, no, this does not stand for Environmental Protection Agency - at least not in this case. :-) Check out the link above to learn more!

Heather and Jess left this morning - I had a nice time with them!

A couple of fun facts from the weekend:
-went to 7 (I am not kidding!!! :-)) Half-Price bookstores in two days
-ate at two Panda Express's
(we went other places, too, besides just Half-Price bookstores and Panda Express! :o))

My friends really, really like Half-Price bookstores, so they wanted to go to as many as they could! And it worked out fine for me, too, because usually they had a table somewhere in the store where I could spread out my SEND! research and get some work done, and I could also visit with my friends, too, as they stopped by to look through books or have me watch their purse. :-)

Going to Panda Express the second time was really fun. My friends both like Panda Express, and it's something they don't have back home. Jess wanted to have her picture taken by the pictures of pandas that were on the wall, to give to her mom since she likes pandas. So she recruited Heather and I to help with picture-taking. :-) [Well, I tried to help, but I didn't know Heather's digital camera that well ... so she wisely figured it would be quicker if she took them. :o)]

It was so fun watching them walk around to the different spots to take pictures, especially when the nice guy at the counter who had served us earlier looked over and laughed good-naturedly, and a couple of high schooler boys who were watching them looked over at me and were like, "Um, have they not ever been to Panda Express?" :-D Needless to say, when Heather and Jess got back to the table from their picture-taking adventure, we all enjoyed some good laughs together!

I'm a bit tired from the weekend, but doing well, and so grateful for the good visit with my friends.

Sitting down yesterday to lunch at Chick-fila with a group of gals from the office, the song "Give Me Jesus" playing in the background, I thought of how appropriate it was as a good friend from my department shared how the Lord had worked in hers and her husband's hearts to lay aside their plans and hear His heart for them. I loved hearing her story of how God drew them to GFA - I hadn't gotten to hear it yet. :-)

Today two projects came together that I was hoping would get completed - I'm glad!

It is beautiful, warm and sunny outside! As soon as I finish blogging, I'm about to pack up my stuff and go take a walk in this great weather. :-D Then, at 6:00, I'm going to supper with my good friend Tee so we can catch up and pray together. Then I have some friends coming to see me from out of town ... they're arriving in the middle of the night because that works out best with when one of them gets off work. :-)

I went to the dentist for my routine cleaning today. They're always telling me I have great teeth. :-D It's kind of fun to hear that ... I mean, I know life is not all about having good teeth (it's really not! ;-) but it is kind of nice to not ever have to have dental work done or worry with that hassle and expense.

A bunch of us here at the ministry have little pages on Facebook, and it's kind of fun. There are also little "groups" that you can join if you'd like; today I decided to join a Dr. Seuss group since I enjoy occasionally collecting Dr. Seuss paraphanelia, like the fun jelly jars I found on Ebay.

Anyhow, today's funny quote for the day that I just had to share ...

IIsak...
Since the two of us are the only people in the group... why not make me an officer?

I laughed so hard when I read that! I thought it was too cute. [Incidentally, he did get to become an officer, and they both named themselves after Dr. Seuss characters. :-) My joining the group makes the current total
six ... and, nope, in case you're wondering, I'm not an officer. :-D]

I'm back in the office again! I tried to come back again on Thursday but my co-workers could tell I still needed more rest. :-) I slept much of the day on Friday, too, but did make it to supper at a friend's house (she fixed a delicious meal of tilapia and fruit!) and then to a couple of hours of all-night prayer, too!

On Saturday I was still pretty congested and tired, and didn't have much energy ... but thoroughly enjoyed volleyball with a bunch of friends from staff after a four-hour nap on Sunday. :-D

And now a good friend and I are going to supper and to catch up and pray together. That will be nice. I think we're going to Wendy's ... she was talking about their yummy salads earlier, and they're nice and close to the office. :c)

It was nice to be back in the office today after being home Monday and Tuesday with a head cold I developed over the weekend! It was good to see people again, and to be "back in the swing of things" after mostly having my couch, a box of tissues, and cold medicine as my constant companions these past few days. :o) [Well, and of course, Jesus, too, but He's always my companion, not just when I'm at home sick. :-)]

Anyhow, it's good to be back.

Today my sister and I took the kiddos and went to Wal-mart to get groceries and then did a little cooking and baking this afternoon, and we all had our cousin Rob over this evening for chicken pot pie.

It was good to see him again! Some of us watched Lady in the Water after supper. Looked like possibly a scary movie from the previews, but really not that scary ... just a few loud parts where this grassy-like creature suddenly jumps out at you. ;-D

And now my sister's watching me write in my blog and taking pictures of me ... not sure why ... I think she's trying out her camera. :-D It's good she made sure it's working so she can get pictures of the kiddos tomorrow in their Easter outfits!

We all have been having such a good visit! :c) Well, I'm sleepy now so I should get ready for bed soon, I s'pose. :0)As I think of it being Easter tomorrow, how wonderful it is to remember that Christ is RISEN.

I'm having a blast at my sister's!!!

When I first got here, we played at the park. I pushed my niece Elizabeth on the swings! Then my sister and nephews and niece and I all went to eat at Chuy's.

I got initiated into Cinnamon Stick Country when my brother-in-law got home. :-) He ordered them from Pizza Hut. He and my sister were teasing each other, because she didn't know if I would like them but he kept insisting I would, and I did. :c) Then my sister admitted she'd never tried them, and he insisted she try them, and she wasn't impressed. It was pretty funny.

After supper, my sister and I went to the mall. Then later, we three all had a great time chatting and joking around. :-D

It's Easter soon, and a three day weekend!

After work, I'm going walking with a co-worker, then packing so I can head out early tomorrow to go visit my sister in Austin for the weekend. I'm excited!!!

Happy Resurrection Sunday. :-D

Animal crackers or doggie treat biscuits? That is the question.

Okay, now that I've got your attention ... :-) An out-of-town friend of the ministry wanted to play an April Fools joke on my department coordinator, Lars ... so she enlisted my help! She was in town briefly last week and brought boxes of animal crackers for today's information department meeting.

The boxes had our names on them ... so in the one with my coordinator's name, she put doggie treat crackers! They looked like regular animal crackers, and tasted quite good to a number of us who tried them later, actually! [She told me last week that she had taste-tested them and mentioned that you really couldn't tell they weren't animal crackers :o)]

Lars ate probably four or five of them and was totally oblivious until I showed him the pet store receipt!!! And with the help of a couple of co-workers, we got the whole thing on video, too. :-D

We all think Lars was quite the good sport! He even packaged up the cracker box and the receipt so he could bring them to show his wife! Of course, he did remind me that he does my staff evalution (uh-oh) ... and it just so happens I have one coming up really soon. :)

Volleyball is one of my favorite outdoor games ... and I got to play for a while today!!! :) Afterwards, some of us headed over to J and C's apartment to hang out for a bit. We had fun watching last year's intern video and playing interactive video sports ... well, I didn't actually play ... I think it was more fun just watching the ones who actually did play. :o)

We also ate these super yummy pita chips from Costco. :=)

A group of us from staff went on outreach to a local flea market. It was kind of a neat time ... I think a lot of us were pleasantly surprised at how receptive people were to receiving tracts!

Some highlights from my time there ...

- Talking to Bonnie, a sweet lady who was waiting to clean the bathrooms. When I went back and handed her a Gospel tract, she smiled and said, "You made my day"! [Thank you, M and J, for encouraging me to go back :o)]

- When I handed the fake one million dollar bill tract to a Spanish guy maybe in his 40s or so, and he laughed and got really excited about it and his friend insisted on having one, too. :=)

- Giving out the optical illusion tract to a man by one of the booths and then watching as he tried it out on the two girls nearby. What was really cool about that is, I had originally wanted to approach the two girls but it looked like they were busy setting up their booth ... so it looks like the Lord used that man without His even knowing! [Isn't it cool that God's ways are so far beyond us and our limited human perspective? :o)]

- One young man at a booth chuckled good-naturedly after I walked away and was saying something to me. I was a little afraid of what he would say ... but I walked back over. :) Holding the Gospel tract I had just handed him, he shared that he's a Christian, too! That was a nice surprise, and we got to share with him about Gospel for Asia.

On the way home, our car of people stopped in at Cracker Barrel ... we all ordered off the kids menu, which was really fun! I had the chicken and dumplings, and some of the others had chicken tenderloins. And the waiter brought out these really yummy biscuits and butter ... need I say more?! Good times. :o)

Today was our Spring Cleaning day. Some of the people in our department were being pretty funny ... and our office manager came in with a cowboy hat and these humongous sunglasses. We joked that we should make sure not to schedule building tours for Spring Cleaning Day ... people may not know quite what to make of us silly people. :-D

In a bit, we're all going to have pizza downstairs (yum). I was so looking forward to volleyball, too, but looks like it may be too rainy for that. :( I'd still love to play, so we'll see ... maybe there will be a few of us brave souls out there to join me, since there are some folks out there playing basketball now. :)

Well, my friends, I close this workday and start this weekend with this song ... because it's so encouraging to remember this at the end of each day ... however I may be feeling or whatever each day may have held ... this is what it's all about.

Not to Us

The cross before me, the world behind.
No turning back
raise the banner high
It's not for me,
It's all for YOU.

Let the heavens shake and split the sky,
Let the people clap their hands and cry.
It's not for us,
It's all for YOU

CHORUS:
Not to us,
but to YOUR name be the glory.
Not to us,
but to YOUR name be the glory.

Our hearts unfold before YOUR throne,
the only place for those who know,
It's not for us,
It's all for YOU.

Send YOUR holy fire on this offering,
let our worship burn for the world to see.
It's not for us,
It's all for YOU.

The earth is shaking,
the mountains shouting,
It's all for YOU.
The waves are crashing;
The sun is raging;
It's all for YOU.

The universe is spinning and singing,
It's all for YOU.
YOUR children dancing,
dancing, dancing,
It's all for YOU,
It's all for YOU,
My all for YOU,
My all for YOU.

My shoulders have kinda been hurting lately and I was pretty tired last night. But I went to bed pretty early and got tons of rest, and that helped. :-) And today several projects I've been working on all came together - that was nice!

I am continually reminded in various circumstances to seek refuge in the Lord - that He is truly my strength and my sufficiency!

This Friday we're having Spring Cleaning at the office so we can all go through our files and drawers, then supper and VOLLEYBALL. :-D Sounds good to me!

So today, we writers all wore the same color (red) to surprise our department coordinator. We planned it out last week and everything, and he was supposed to discover it and be surprised at our 11:00 meeting, but he wandered over to our corner before then and quickly made the discovery on his own!! Oh well ... it was still great fun! :c)

As I write, it's raining quite hard, and it's kind of fun sitting up here in my second floor cubicle and listening to it come down! I was going to head out to my much-loved Barnes and Noble to work on some SEND!/web projects this evening, but I wasn't quite expecting this heavy downpour! I could always work on them at the apartment as long as I promise not to let myself get too comfortable so I won't get sleepy ... :-D Or better yet, just stay here to work on them so I won't have to brave the pouring rain! :o)

Stephanie and I biked 24 miles around the White Rock area today! We started at this park that is 7 miles from White Rock Lake, then went once around the lake and back. Then we went to McAlister's to grab a bite to eat. :-D We had a really nice time!

Now I'll probably rest around the apartment and get a few things done, too, before heading out to a ladies' game night. I have still been working on some Meghalaya SEND! web extras; I hope to finish those over the weekend! :-)

Some of us from my department spontaneously headed to Panda Express for lunch. That was really fun! It started with Shelly saying something like, "I'm in a Panda mood today". I assured her that I would gladly join her if she decided to go. She did! Then she invited another from our department, and they invited two others! :-D

So now I have leftover Kung Pao chicken ... and since I went down the hall just now to grab it from the break room refrigerator, my cubicle has the aroma of Chinese food at present. :-) It won't for long, though, 'cuz I'm 'bout to head out.

Last night I had the privilege of sharing a field story in a small group setting at our prayer meeting. I shared about a young woman who came to Christ through our film ministry when they showed a film on the life of Jesus in her village. She had never heard of Jesus, and was so happy to know Him! Her parents weren't so happy, though, and basically disowned her. Yet she is committed to serving Jesus faithfully, no matter the cost! She is now studying at a GFA Bible college, with a heart to reach those who have never heard the Gospel.

I thought about the incredible love this sister must have for her Savior ... I have been blessed to grow up in a Christian family and will probably never have to make the same kind of sacrifice that she is for her faith, yet I want to love Jesus just as much! He is wonderful, and I want to love Him more each moment. I want Him to be the first thought on my heart when I wake up each morning!

This day's been kind of flying by! After staff prayer this morning, I came upstairs and read stories that we would be going over in our information meeting. Then we had our meeting - we all had so many stories to go over, we just decided to meet in the Believers Cafe'. :-) So after our meeting, I had some great beef stirfry!

Going into the weekend I wasn't feeling all that well physically ... achy shoulders and kind of tired, etc. But the extra exercise I ended up getting helped me so much and really energized me! I spontaneously decided to go biking at White Rock Lake. I had been wanting to for a while, and a co-worker who lives across the street had showed me how to put my bike rack on, so I figured, "Sure, why not?!"

After asking my co-worker for directions, I ran upstairs to grab some stuff and my backpack, jumped back in my car, and off I went to White Rock Lake. I'm not usually quite that spontaneous (although I can be at times!) but I really seemed to have peace about my quick decision. :-D

The exit off the interstate was closed for construction and I ended up getting a bit lost, but the view when I got there was well worth the drive. [My co-worker and his wife ended up going over the weekend, too, but it sounds like they didn't get quite as lost ... I guess navigating just isn't my strong point ... hee hee. :o) I was glad they didn't get too lost, though.] I biked twice around the lake, so a total of 18 miles!

I was amazed how much more energized I was when I got home. I also biked with my friend Lindy over the weekend, at a trail near her house! That one was about 11 miles total.

Tonight I'm going to eat with my friend Michele from work, and to catch up and share prayer requests. I look forward to that.

Well, I better get back to work (hee hee) but just thought I'd write a quick update since it's been over a week! I hope everyone is doing well. Things are good here. It's so wonderful to know that I can trust God completely with things on my heart. He's truly so faithful and so good to His children! I am so glad to know Him.

I just got back from lunch and a walk around campus [or rather the office grounds? :oD] with a friend from work! We had some nice times of chatting and laughter, and I came back with some caffeine [notice I did not say whether Coke or Pepsi ... :-)]

Before I go, thought I'd share this great quote from a John Piper sermon I've been listening to online:

"If I lose any or all things, good or bad, I do not lose my joy, my hope, my treasure, my significance, my meaning ... because CHRIST is all."

Snapshots of my weekend ...

*Got laundry and other stuff done around the apartment

*Found a pretty dress at the Goodwill for $3.49

*Enjoyed relaxing around the apartment and cooking black bean soup and rosemary herbed chicken and vegetables to freeze

*Helped the T-Rex celebrate her birthday

*Went for an evening walk with a friend

*Walked for a while at the nature preserve

*Purchased a bike rack with a 20% off coupon ... slight complications but hopefully these will be worked out so Lindy and I can soon go biking at the trail near her house ;-)

*Slept in

The thing I remember most from the weekend was spontaneously going to eat at Subway and doing some journaling there ... the Lord really ministered to me in that time, reminding me His incredible love and His utter sufficiency.