so saturday was a fantastical day! it was one of those days that i wish could have gone on forever. i was baptized...and it was beautiful. i was surrounded by people who love me, encourage me, believe me and accept me for who i am. they are people who are walking with me in this journey of living. and i love them so much.

amy said something yesterday that has really resonated with me. we are not just baptized into the community of saints, but we are baptized into the community of the trinity. i've never really thought of the trinity as a community because we have always heard how Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are one. and they are...but they are also three seperate parts of one.

It just goes to show that God created us for community becaues He, himself, is in community.

oh and darrell was really really encouraging when he spoke about how baptism washes away not only the sin but the pain associated with the sin. so so true. it is all gone, God leaves no by products. he also spoke on how Jesus was baptized before he began his ministry and he thought it was wonderful that i was getting baptized before i started my ministry in mozambique. how beautiful, huh.

God is good.


oh and them my most favorite passage in Hosea was read chapter 2 verses 14-20.

"He will allure her..."

what a beautiful day. thank you so much Abba.

love, love

so again it has been over a month since i have posted on this thing...i'm just not a blogger by nature. as i have stated previously i am a pen and paper girl through and through. but being that i will be leaving for mozambique in a few months, i figure now would be a good time to practice.

so what's new? umm this summer is going kinda slow for me. i'm usually overseas on missions during this time and so it felt like time was flying by. this summer i'm a nanny to four wonderful, energetic children whom i adore. other than that my summer's pretty wide open.

i'm still raising support for mozambique. i still need about $8000, but now worries. my letters are written, updates are about to be sent out and we'll see what happens. my biggest deal now is trying to get the money in so i can reserve my plane ticket, which will be around $3500. but i'm trusting in the Lord...really.

you know how sometimes you can say that just to say it. or you say it because you feel like it's the right thing to say. i'm saying because i mean it and i know it, have experienced it to be true. i'm trusting in the Lord....wooo hooo!!!!!!!

speaking of woo0 hooo....i'm getting baptized this saturday!!! can i get a praise that Lamb! i am so incredibly excited and i'm going to be surrouned by the most incredible group of people who have become my family. this year that i have had with them has be miraculous...really. i really love them and i really trust them and for those of you who know me...that's a pretty big deal. it's just something about when people are willing to be real, authentic; willing to be who they really are junk and all that makes it easy and comfortable for you to be yourself. i love you guys!!!

side note: i miss my LLA kiddos and my LLA parents, you were the best!

the cure for hurry sickness...

so i get off work at 3:30 and my plan is to run errands and be home by 4;30 in order to beat the 5:00 traffic. in my mind this is totally doable because i only have to....

pick up pics from walmart
buy resin and beads from hobby lobby
buy drill from big lots

no biggie...right. so here i go

on my way to walmart i realize i have left my purse at work. okay no problem i'll just pick it up on my way back.
at walmart to get pics..they did not turn out, so wasted trip. go back to the school to pick up purse...oh classroom door is locked. get keys...get purse.

okay on my way to hobby lobby...ummm smoke begins to come from my hood. by the time i'm in the parking smoke is billowing from the hood. great my car is about to blow up...lift the hood. oh there's the problem...i forget to but the top back on the thing where you pour your oil in. oil is everywhere. no problem i'll just let it cool down.

ok, buy resin and beads.

walk over to big lots. find and drill, oh and they have vanilla coke.yes! ok so i'm standing in line, the lady at the register has written a check and they have to call it in and all that jazz. no worries cause i have my vanilla coke! at this point it's about 4:45, it's okay because the check lady is done and i'm next. i still have plenty of time to get home. and then..

"i can't take debit cards" she says, "my system is down."

"Really, so none of the machines are working."

"No. I can only take cash or check. Oh wait let's try this one"

A glimmer of hope...maybe just maybe. No

So I got across the street to Kroger where there is a atm...get cash go back.

So now i'm back in line and i'm like the 3rd person.

sweet old lady whips out her debit card..."We can't take debit cards, systems down."

"Well, I don't have cash so I'm just gonna try it."

At this point I begin to laugh...to myself..

i mean how ridiculous...it is now 5:00 and there is still someone in front of me...definitely not going to beat that traffic.

"the joy of the Lord is my strength."

this verse comes to mind and I just smile

"okay Lord, i got you...i'm just going to chill out. take it all in stride."

and i did.

i'm finally pay for my things and begin to drive home..in traffic, but all smiles. the joy of the Lord is my strength.

all smiles all the way home

the cure for hurry sickness....

the joy of the Lord.

i love being a pre-school teacher. so many teachable moments i've experienced from my kiddos.

they forgive easily. they do not hold grudges. they except differences. they love without condition. i understand what Jesus meant when he said we have to be like children to enter into the kingdom.

i pray he keeps me young at heart.

okay okay

seriously, i'm trying as hard as i can, but this whole blogging thing is not going so well. i'm a journalist. i enjoy using pen and paper, what can i say.

so what's been going on? well for the 2 of you who may read this i'll let you know.

i'm leaving for mozambique in september and am currently raising support (woo hoo! my most favorite thing to do...note the sarcasm)

this time it's not so bad, i actually believe God when he tells me that i will be taken care of. i mean believe believe him, not just know it in my head, but i fell the truth of it resonate in my deep.

it's amazing to me how God proves himself over and over and yet there is still that part of me that is like, "but God what if...." i love his patience. he knows i need it.


oh check out this photo shot for the women's event Emerge at New Life Church.
Justin and John were fabulouso!

Sigh....

it's been a hard week for me, really hard.

i spent christmas alone, 'cause i couldn't get home. and i'm still alone.

perpetual loneliness. yep that's the state of my life it seems.

i just feel empty on the inside, and i'm hurting. it's this deep kind of hurt that i can't get to go away and i don't know where the source is. i need to find the source.

i need you to hear my unspoken words
i need you to wipe away my unwept tears
basically i guess...read my mind
find out why
this aloofness
this coldness
see me, i mean really see me
and not what you want to see
or what you think you've always seen
do you even know me
do you know me
...hardly

Here are a pair of my newest earrings:



I'm not one who will promo a new item or new project in every post, not that i think anything is wrong with that, i just don't feel like it all the time. but i figure i'll do it every now and again.

so do you think blogging/texting/im-ing has taken the place of journaling? you see to me there is just something about have pen a paper and writing your words down. i know when write..the style of my handwriting shows what mood i'm in...whether i'm overyjoyed, sad, pissed, or whatever. the emoticons and all the other glitz in blogs just don't cut it for me.

there is somethig raw and authentic about seeing my words on paper...it's just natural.
now don't get be wrong..i am in no way hatin' on the bloggers (clearly because i am one...i guess)

i just don't want the art of writng to disappear.

in the near future...send some snail mail instead of an email (postage..blah blah blah...who doesn't have a few cents right?) but think about it...how excited would you be to receive a letter, a handwritten letter from someone. maybe we've forgotten how that feels...that's why we need to write every now and then to remember...to remind someone.

or instead of a text message...give someone a handwritten note saying that you love them or that you're blessed to have them or whatever.

don't lose the art of writing

your words are power