Jun 25, 2008

Can you match which mii goes to which girl?







Today is June 25th 2008. I turned 28 yesterday. I am one of those individuals who love birthdays, maybe that is because my mom always put a lot of effort into making sure we had fantastic yet realistic birthdays when I was growing up. I have to say I have had a lot of really good birthdays, last year I went sailing with a great group of friends. The year before that I had a BBQ with a very similar group of friends, and this year is no exception. It was a great birthday, I had great fun at the Youth Group Pool Party in the afternoon and then Faith threw me a great party with just my close girl friends. It was simple and lovely. At last evenings party my friends went around and toasted me. (This aside from being somewhat embarrassing was very touching.) It was at that moment that I realized how fortunate I have been these last 28 years. I have always had a fantastic group of friends to celebrate life with. Maybe that is really why I love birthdays so much, it is a chance for me to hang out with some of my favorite people, and just have a good time.

What was interesting in all of their toasts was that we all (minus my mom) just kinda fell into being friends, there was no effort, nor any great moment in time where we can pin point being friends, we just are. I love that. With my mom of course there was of course that moment that she first saw me 28 years ago. Still I am glad that we are friends, more than just mom and daughter.

Boy did we have a good time. There was lots of laughter as we created our own mii characters and then proceeded to bowl on the wii. I loved that we could just be who we are and love every moment of it. That I was surrounded by some great ladies who know me just as I am and love me anyway made for a great birthday.

What birthday would be complete without a delicious dessert to end the night? My mom put together these lovely little bowls of yummy goodness.


Jun 19, 2008

Crazy Good

It has been a wild and crazy week. From the fires last week to the insanity of Vacation Bible School it is safe to say that life has been Crazy Good. Good because the fires have stopped and crazy because well its summer. This is my first summer in 9 years that I have not worked at Mount Hermon in Child Care. Crazy, but good. I would be going crazy if it weren't for the fact that I have been overwhelmed (in a good way) with 260 other children and 106 volunteers at our VBS program. In what has been a Crazy Hot week. I am sure I will have more to say about all of this crazy goodness later, but for now I just wanted to show you what 260 kids in church looks like.

Jun 11, 2008

Smoke Signals





Friends, the area of Bonny Doon is ablaze. If you are not from my neighborhood know that these pictures are taken from the door of my office. The fire danger is real for many members of our church and community already. Join me in taking the smoke as a signal to be in in prayer. Pray with me for the community, families, land, firefighters, rescue workers. Pray also for peace to rule in the hearts and minds of all of those touched by this fire.

Thank you for praying with me.

For more updates...
http://abclocal.go.com/kgo/story?section=news/local&id=6199895

Jun 3, 2008

Second Times A Charm...


Well...Hopefully it's true. This is my 2nd New computer in less than a week. In case you have had better things to keep track of, let me remind you that my old church computer bit the dust on my Tahoe "study leave" trip. So I went old school, back to pencil and paper, and actually got a lot done. Amazing how that works, but that doesn't work forever, so last week I went to Circuit City and purchased a Gateway laptop (never been a fan, but cheap is an effective selling point for a church budget) Then yesterday my New computer which I was just getting used to, decided it did not want to turn on. Bummer. (putting it lightly) After much coaxing it did allow me to reload Vista (yes I realize this is a problem in itself) and wall-la we were back in business, well almost. Now it would turn on, but it was looking kinda warped, and it would not recognize the fact that it did posses a wireless card. Not a good thing.
So today I took it back to the people in the red shirts, and they kindly let me pick out a new laptop. No questions asked, which makes you think I am not the only one who has had to return this laptop. And because they were out of the cheap Cow computer I got to get a more expensive HP for less ;) This is a selling point for anyone!

All that to say I am happy to have a working computer and my fingers are crossed that this one will work longer than a week.

Morning Rituals



I can still recall watching my Nana sit in her chair with her Bible open on her lap, it was the only time I was not allowed to bug her. I have that Bible now, with it's hand made cross stitched cover . While it is not the Bible I use day to day I cherish it, because she did. I like looking at the verses she chose to highlight and underline in her colored pens.

Nana's quite time, used to frustrate me, I was used to being the center of my Nana's world. Now looking back I can see why she cherished it so much. I have developed a similar pattern in my own life. A time set aside for just me and God. I look forward to it, and I hate when it gets interrupted.

Our morning rituals may look different, but at the heart I believe they are the same. I am pretty sure that what I always thought was just my Nana reading the Bible and me having to be quiet was really so much more than that. For me these times have become a time of deep conversations, challenging thoughts, and new insights. It is a developing love affair with my God.
I have a hard time imagining that these times were any less special for my Nana. I am so thankful for her living example of what faithfulness looked like. It is from people like her along with the Dunhams (who shared their home with me for a few months) who woke up early each morning to spend time together in prayer, the Wednesday morning Spring Lakes prayer group who pray daily for those they love and countless others who have showed me time and time again what depth I can have in my relationship with the living God. I love these people, who all have their own rituals and have taught me the value of time spent in prayer.

quotes i love

  • "they will never care how much you know until they know how much you care."
  • "never be afraid to trust a well known God with an unknown future." - Corrie Ten Boom
  • "God doesn't need you, He loves you, that is much better."
  • "the world has yet to see what God can do through a man/woman who is totally commited to him." - D.L. Moody
  • "be who you is, cause if is ain't who you is, you is who you ain't."-
  • "some people say movies should be more like real life. I say real life should be more like the movies."