:Today:

I desire a disciplined, steady and obedient pace on this journey and road I travel. Free me from selfish motives and ambition. I trade my way for all that You are. Cover me and bring light to my eyes, my all and only.

Psalms 13:2-3

What do we have to show for all this " strategic planning and thinking?"

It is great to seek wisdom, be patient, creative and plan ministry, but there comes a time when you can strategically think your way to a process that has no ear to the Spirit.

I think back on my life and wonder what it would look like if I would of just said yes when the Spirit was leading me rather than making a "plan."

I'm an organizer, a planner and an analyzer. 

Lord, set me free from a disease of tangled comfort and control.

I don't want to be a hearer of the word. I want to be a doer//James 1:22-25!!

Fantastic Friday!

Steven, Kristi and the kids, are moving to Virginia in 3 weeks. Their family has had huge impact on my life over these past few years! I am so thankful for their encouragement, friendship, support, and example in my life.  I will miss them dearly, but I am so excited for the new ministry the Lord has prepared for them! Adding VA to the road trip list!

When I first started working in the Student Ministry we had 5 full time staff members. We’re now down to two, and I’m the only person left from that first team. Too much change for a Student Ministry in 4 years if you ask me. Poor things! It’s a good thing I like to organize. Fixin’ to go into organize freak mode! I will be doing lots of volunteer recruiting!

What I have been listening to this week and you should too! // Phoenix, Needtobreathe, Kings of Leon, Brooke Fraser, Sarah Bareilles, U2, The Temper Trap, Fiction Family, The Icarus Account. 

Its official, my staff infection is finally gone, and I didn’t have to get surgery! I am so thankful!  What I have learned in the process of that mess: Your true friends will stay within 3 feet of you!

Blueberries and cream coffee is back at 7eleven. It is delight in a cup! :)

Fun trips ahead!

November// 2 Orlando trips

December//road trip to VA and NC and random places along the way

January// ATL for Passion!

February //Guatemala

I am a happy lady!

I can now watch the news in the morning in my room! Simple pleasure for me! Life feels back to normal! One of the things I have missed from my morning routine from when I had my own place! The Schaar’s are so sweet to let me use one of their tvs!

I think last night was the first night I have gotten more than 8 Hours of sleep in the past couple of months, and I think my body is rejecting it! Still feel so tired and this weekend is too busy to be low on enerrgy!

Have a sweet weekend :)

Time, hurry up and pass already!

So thankful that there is never a dull moment! Always a lot of life to live and a lot of laughter to be had!

Russian Boys have arrived! 4 of them ages 11-13.

One mullet and one curly rat tail are represented among the 4 of them!

They don't speak English, so we are all thankful for the itranslate!

Their first words to me were "we are very glad to see you!"

Their time zone is way off, so they were doing acrobatic activity in their room at 2:00am while speaking 100 miles a minute. Sounds exactly like you would imagine...like a lot of spitting is going on!

I just laid in my bed and laughed listening to them until 3am! Funny kids and full of energy. When they woke up this morning it sounded like a stampede in the hallway!

Here's to a good two weeks! May we have countless opportunities to live out the Gospel while they are with us!

7 years later!

So I went to storage the other day to get some things out and found my old prayer journals.

Reading through them is such a sweet reminder of how Faithful the Lord has been and always is in my life, the things He has given and taken away, the desires He has given me for ministry, and the areas He is continually molding and refining me!

One of the things that hit me the hardest were my prayers and pleading with God over my brother, Jake's, life. It hit me like a ton of bricks.

My prayers and pleads are still the same today as a 23 yr old as they were the days I wrote them as a 16 yr old.

So...7 years later and Jake is a lot worse off then he was during that time, but I will continue to cover him in prayers that are dependant upon the Lord and for His glory!

HE is faithful and is at work and has been all these years!

He is to be praised because He is WORTHY!!
  
Please pray for our family during this time. I strongly believe that family is the greatest ministry. May each one of us be available to fulfill the call and purpose we each play in Jake's life with all hurt and baggage aside!

Psalms 141:2 //
May my prayer be set before you like incense, may the lifting of my hands be like the evening sacrifice.

Hope your day is sweet, my dear friends! May the rich and thick presence of God be what sustains and carries you today!!

Let's talk Ed Hardy

First of all I just need to ask a question...

WHY?

Ladies, any man who wears Ed Hardy is not marriage material...therefore not date able!

Save yourself some heart ache!.. A man that wears bedazzled tigers and dragons has some things they need to work out.

Who's with me!?

Hmm?..

October

15 // Orlando
30&31 // Orlando

November

12-14ish // Orlando
27 // Orlando

Seeing a trend. Maybe I should move to Orlando?

Pirate Fest '10!

Only my hometown would have a Pirate Festival! It was their 5th annual one and my first! What a delight it was, an explosion of slur talkin crazies.

Between this guy not letting go of my hip or huffy's hair, I regret ever getting this picture!

 They were everywhere! On the beach, in elevators, the stairwells, dining out, riding bikes, in cars, in the bathrooms, and on stage singing. Yes, everywhere! Not sure one could ever get used to seeing a sight like that!

 He was my favorite! He must live for this weekend, and I think we're the same height! That's a first!

Guy friends made me take this pic, and I will be sure to never take their advice again! I felt like I had escaped a sweaty pit after this pic. Nast!

Everyone should attend a pirate festival in their life! So much fun! 

Another cross of the list for me! 

RSVP

All I have to say is who wants to RSVP to my pity party?

Have a knee infection from an adventure gone wrong! The only way I can describe the pain is...

1// I feel like I am continually getting struck by lightning in the knee

2// Someone is beating me with a baseball bat

3// Or someone shot me

Take your pick!

Looks like elephantitus in the knee. On antibiotics and might have to go under the knife tomorrow...AH! I am not made for that sort of thing. Looks a lot better than yesterday, so there might be hope!

In the meantime, you will find me around town with the pep in my step of an 80 year old woman :)

Content!

I’m content, I’m satisfied, and my soul has been filled with the richest of foods!

A few weeks ago this was the furthest thought and attitude of my heart!

I am continuing to learn that being content has nothing to do with circumstances or surroundings but instead has everything to do with death to self and heart alignment and sustain in the will of the Father.

I don’t have all the answers and lots of times I just don’t understand the ones I do know.

The only thing to cling to and understand is that God is sovereign! Everything He brings me through stands a plan and purpose and opportunity to bring Him glory.

My heart is at peace with where I am and where I’m not!

Today, I know that He has equipped me to do His perfect will. No need for anything else but that!

So today I say.

I’m ready, do what You will and have Your way. Whatever brings You the most honor and glory in my life today, tomorrow and the next is what I want! Use me in spite of and beyond myself!

Fantastic Friday♥

It's that time again...Fantastic Friday! Where has the week gone?

Today is going to be completely random! I haven't had my coffee yet and am running low on sleep!

1// Liv's birthday was a good day of random festivity and celebration! Sunshine, friendship, the pool, and a grill calls for nothing but! :)

2// This living on a budget thing is kinda fun. Watch out for me and my envelope system!

3// New pet peeve: Listening to people fill up their drinks from the soda fountain machine. I am convinced that it shares the same equivalency as nails on a chalk board to me. Let me brake this down. OK, you have your cup. You go to fill it up. You then act like the fizz is a surprise as it starts to raise up to your glass super fast. You stop. Try to fill it up some more. Stop. Try to fill it up some more. Stop. Try to fill it up some more. The you finally decide to top it off. AHH! Just talking about it is driving me crazy!

4// The gym hopping has come to an end! Liv and I finally found a free gym to use! Thank you Jeffrey! So now we're training to run a 10k. High five if that actually happens!

5// Bike rides on Fort Myers Beach are always a treat! I don't think people ever really understand how different the people really are on the island! Whit and I ventured on out on a bike ride this week, and within the first five minutes got soaked with a hose from a creeper washing his car. He thought he was just the funniest thing around. Two blocks later the chain came off of whit's bike. I flip the bike over to fix it...cop pulls up. Is just sitting in the car watching me. Finally comes out and asks if we're having bike trouble? No, not at all! By this time I had fixed the bike. At least they offered to get me a wet one! My hands were black.

6// Little baby Anderson is here! I wish I was in Kentucky right now :(

7// I'm taking care of the Schaar's home and McKenna while they are out of town! Been fun! Feel like a mom. Where's my suburban with the family stick figure stickers across the back?!

8// The weather has been beautiful that past two days. It is a rule to be outside on days like this! Work is the only exception to not!

9// Making my last Sallie Mae loan payment today!! This means I only have to finish one more school loan!! I am so excited! FREEDOM!

10// Got a really cool opportunity this week to go to Guatemala and be a part of putting together a youth conference for them in February!!! Just waiting to hear more details to see if it will work out!!

11// I will end with this! Find ways this week to serve the Lord and others creatively and whole heartily!