Flirty Fun

Does he know that the compliment made my day?
Does he know that his smile tickled my thoughts?
Does he know that I was distracted for hours because of his flirting?
Does he know that I hope to run into him again?

I don't know.

But I do know that being flirted with is delightful.
To all of my readers out there.
Get your flirt on.
It is way more fun to be flirty. way.

Moments of Today

Today was a day spent in the presence of long time friends. This morning I picked up Rachael and Paul and we met Gerod at his house in west Seattle then went to visit his church Grace community. It was a delightful experience. Unlike any service I have ever been to but very comfortable and engaging. The music was more orchestral instrumental than the regular church band type I am used to... and more classical/hymnal in music choices as well. A positive experience. The message was challenging too.
After church we went to a little cafe a couple blocks away and had a delicious lunch. It felt like old times sitting round a table and enjoying each others company. These friends have shared many amazing moments in my life. It is so wonderful to me that today we added more amazing moments together. Sharing great fellowship, delicious foods, and even a trip to my favourite store in the world... H&M!!! Fabulous! I like to think that my special moments can be saved in a special memory box and wrapped all pretty with ribbons and colorful papers to be opened again some day and relived as those same special moments. I must have storehouses full of special moments already! One of these days I will unwrap a great deal of them!

goodbye beauty

yesterday I found myself having to stop several times on my way to my car to take a few photos of the colors of fall that were taking my breath away. I was brought to the reality that soon the branches that were so vibrant and full of beauty, would shortly be bare and stark in comparison. It made me stare a little longer. Take in a deeper breath of crisp fall air. Enjoy the bite of the wind on my face. And even kick up some leaves that had already changed and fallen to the ground. At that moment I wished for a huge pile of leaves to jump into and a bunch of friends to have a leaf throwing "fight" with. Sigh. Oh the beauties of fall are quickly passing. Capture a moment before the season turns.

Big Headed

Currently I am being challenged in my academic endeavors. I seem to be cramming so much information into my head that I am sure it has to be getting larger. I think it might be compared to when a woman is pregnant and a baby is growing inside her womb. Except my brain is growing! It must be! I get head aches! Thankfully I don't have any stretch marks yet! I am not retaining water... but am retaining massive amounts of information! If I keep at this rate through the next three quarters (not trimesters!), I am going to have one GIANT NOGGIN!

Shares, 401-K, and MPG

If you had purchased $1,000 of shares in Delta Airlines one year ago, you will have $49.00 today.

If you had purchased $1,000 of shares in AIG one year ago, you will have $33.00 today.

If you had purchased $1,000 of shares in Lehman Brothers one year ago, you will have $0.00 today

But, if you had purchased $1,000 worth of beer one year ago, drank all the beer, then turned in the aluminum cans for recycling refund, you will have received a $214.00.

Based on the above, the best current investment plan is to drink heavily & recycle. It is called the 401-Keg.

A recent study found that the average American walks about 900 miles a year. Another study found that Americans drink, on average, 22 gallons of alcohol a year. That means that, on average, Americans get about 41 miles to the gallon!

This made me laugh... I don't really like beer so don't worry about me drinking 22 gallons a year :)

URGENT NEED FOR PRAYER

Sent to us by Jose Sebastian via Isaac Pulladil urgent prayer request from YWAM missionaries in India . This is long but it is important we pray for these persecuted Christians. Thank you for taking the time to read this and to be one with our brothers and sisters in Christ.

URGENT PRAYER REQUEST!
Dear beloved sponsors and friends of Good News India .

We have never seen anything like this. We knew that Orissa was the most resistant and hostile State in India as far as the Gospel is concerned. And we brushed off the continuous threats and harassment we faced as we went about His work. But none of our staff imagined that they would see this kind of carnage.... And it seems to be totally under the radar of the Western Media ....
Let me explain.... A militant Hindu priest and 4 of his attendants, who were zealously going around the villages of Orissa and "reconverting" people back to Hinduism, were gunned down by unknown assailants in Central Orissa last weekend. Immediately the Christians were blamed. The cry rose up..."Kill the Christians!" And the horror began.... In the past 4 days, we have first hand witness to hundreds of churches being blown up or burned and many, many dozens of Christian tribals have been slaughtered. For no other reason than they bear the name of Christ.

Night and day I have been in touch with our Good News India Directors spread across 14 Dream Centers in Orissa... they a re right in the middle of all this chaos. In Tihidi, just after the police came to offer protection, a group of 70 blood-thirsty militants came to kill our staff and destroy the home.
They were not allowed to get in, but they did a lot of damage to our Dream Center by throwing rocks and bricks and smashing our gate, etc. They have promised to come back and "finish the job." Our kids and staff are locked inside and have stayed that way with doors and windows shut for the past 3 days. It has been a time of desperately calling on the Lord in prayer.
More police have come to offer protection. In Kalahandi, the police and some local sympathizers got to our dream center and gave our staff and kids about 3 minutes notice to vacate. No one had time to even grab a change of clothes or any personal belonging. As they fled, the blood thirsty mob came to kill everyone in the building. We would have had a mass fu neral there, but for His grace. In Phulbani, the mob came looking for Christian homes and missions. The local Hindu people, our neighbors turned them away by saying that there were no Christians in this area. So they left. We had favor. The same thing happened in Balasore.

All our dreamcenters are under lock down with the kids and staff huddled inside and
police outside. The fanatics are circling outside waiting for a chance to kill. Others were not so fortunate. In a nearby Catholic orphanage, the mob allowed the kids to leave and locked up a Priest and a computer teacher in house and burned them to death. Many believers have been killed and hacked into pieces and left on the road.... even women and children.

At another orphanage run by another organization, when this began, the Director and his wife jumped on their motorbike and simply fled, leaving all the children and staff behind. Every one of our GNI directors that I have spoken to said: "We stay with our kids.... we live together or die together, but we will never abandon what God has called us to do."

More than 5000 Christian families have had their homes burned or destroyed. They have
fled into the jungles and are living in great fear waiting for the authorities to bring about peace. But so far, no peace is foreseen. This will continue for another 10 days.... supposedly the 14 day mourning period for the slain Hindu priest. Many more Christians will die and their houses destroyed. Many more churches will be smashed down. The Federal government is trying to restore order and perhaps things will calm down. We ask for your prayers. Only the Hand of God can calm this storm. None of us know the meaning of persecution. But now our kids and staff know what that means.

So many of our kids coming from Hindu backgrounds are confused and totally bewildered at what is happening around them. So many of their guardians have fled into the jungles and are unable to come and get them during these trying times.
Through all this, I am more determined than ever to continue with our goal: the transformation of a community by transforming its children. Orissa will be saved... that is our heart's cry. If we can take these thousands of throw-away children and help them to become disciples of Jesus, they will transform an entire region. It is a long term goal, but it is strategic thinking in terms of the Great
Commission.

What can you do? First, please uphold all this in fervent prayer. Second, pass this on to as many friends as you can. We must get the word out and increase our prayer base for this is spiritual warfare at its most basic meaning. We are literally fighting the devil in order to live for His Kingdom. The next 10 days are
crucial. We pray for peace and calm to pervade across Orissa. Thank you for taking the time to read this. Please pass it on and help us to get as many people to partner with us on this cutting edge effort to fulfill His mandate: Go and make disciples of all nations.... Prayer works!

Blessings, Chip & Sandy Wanner Col 2:2 MBI
Team Facilitators to YW AM frontlines

Are you serious?

Today I went to the cashier's office at college after dropping off a scholarship application that would cover winter quarters tuition. I waited my turn in line. And sat down in the chair in front of the cashier office worker. I asked her if my Stafford Loan check came in. She reached into her file and I saw her pulling out some forms. She told me... "no the stafford loan funds are not here... but, it looks like there is a check... and it is grant money from the state need grant." ARE YOU SERIOUS!!! I am just in awe of how God is providing above and beyond what I could hope or imagine. I quickly went to the bank and deposited the funds. Paid some bills. And filled up the gas tank. God is so amazing! I am going to continue to share His awesomeness in my life. AWESOME!!

Dying Delima

So I was playing around with a photo of mine the other day with picasa and changed my hair color to be a bit darker. I liked it so much that it prompted me to go out and buy some color for my hair. I love Feria products and have used them in the past when I would dye my hair blonde every 4-6 weeks. So I picked up the darkest shade of brown they had and made sure it wasn't a warm tone because my hair has a way of turning red every time I color it. So tonight after a fun day in Bellevue, and IKEA in Renton, I brought out the dye and followed the instructions to a T. When it was all said and done I thought it looked almost exactly the same... except... there might be a more red hue to my hair. sigh. I guess I am going to have to try again... maybe I will get some professional help this next time. Here is a cute picture of me while I waited for my hair to have its not so dramatic change. I smell like hair dye now. I have been two years without any hair color on my head so that is why this is blog worthy. Felt like I needed to justify myself for a moment... but really this is my blog and I can write about whatever I want, no matter how ridiculous it may be :)Thanks for reading! Love you friends!

Toast

this is the state of me. I am toast. my brain has been zapped to the point of not functioning like it should. It is definitely well done, maybe quite burnt, but surely there has been a chemical change that puts me on the brink of crumbling to pieces. There is a miracle though... when I sleep my toasted state somehow reverts back to fresh fluffy delicious bread and I then go through the "toasting" process again that new day. Tomorrow is going to be a day where I almost stay out of the toaster completely. There will be church in Bellevue, browsing The Container Store, lunch and more browsing at IKEA, all the while delighting in the company of a dear friend. I am making it a goal to have one day per weekend where my brain does not get exhausted by the end. Tomorrow is going to be refreshing. Delicious! If wonder bread were natural... thats what kind of bread I would be tomorrow. :)

More Provisions!

My A&P teacher GAVE me a book! Just GAVE it to me. I have been borrowing the book from her the past week and a half and today she asked to talk to me after class. She then asked me if I was waiting for a loan to then by a book or if I would be getting some type of voucher for a book. I told her I was waiting for a loan. And she asked if I would get to keep the money from my loan if I didn't have to buy a book. And I said yes of course. And then she said. I want to give you my book. You can keep it. It is yours now. My response was a rather loud... "Are you serious?!" And she smiled and responded calmly... "Yes." It took all that was in me NOT to jump up and down and give her a great big hug. Instead she got several thank yous from me and a smile from ear to ear. God is so amazing! I am blessed beyond words.

Stripping!

Today I had the joy of stripping some ugly wallpaper border from the top of a bathroom wall for a friends mom. The stuff was very stubborn and so we had to use some potent chemicals and apply them at a few stages. I got to wear a cool mask and goggles, and eventually put on a hat when I was taking the gloss off of the ceiling. Oh what a fun day! My arms are sore. sigh. But boy do I love working on renovations! I am so excited for the next project! Can you tell I am excited and totally smiling in this picture? :)

Provisions! Provisions! Provisions!

I never would have guessed that getting "let go" a couple months ago could be a blessing. Since this quarter of college started I have understood why I have been unable to get a job for almost two months. The amount of studies needed to do well in my classes (Anatomy&Physiology+Lab, Human Nutrition, and Statistics... Plus required study group and additional study groups for required projects)has been overwhelming. So much so that my eye has been twitching off and on since Saturday. I am trying to get enough sleep and some exercise/fresh air every day to ward off shingles( I have had them twice in the past and they can be stress induced). I have been waiting to find out about financial aid and grants for weeks. Monday I was told that I was awarded a grant that covered all of my tuition and then some! I also applied for a book fund scholarship last week and was awarded a free book for the quarter... one that normally costs $150! I am able to borrow books from my professors of my other two classes until my stafford loan comes through. Which I should have in a little over a week. This will take care of a need for a job and pay my bills so I can focus on doing well in school. Praise the Lord! He has provided in ways that I could not have thought up a couple months ago. Hind sight truly is 20/20. I need to remember that more often in the beginning of a "character builiding/learing experience/trial". Thank you for all of your prayers. I will still gladly accept them for the rest of the quarter. It is going to be tough. But I know that if God brought me to it... He will bring me through it! Money doesn't grow on trees... but God's provisions certainly supply ALL my needs!

Double Mamm!

(the dreaded flattener!!)
Ok. Don't get upset with me. Just praise the Lord along with me!
For the past month or so I have been aware of a little lump in the tissue of my left mamm (I have two mamm's- a right and a left mamm). I have been researching about free mammograms, looking into affordable health care, and wondering about what to do... without telling anyone (except my mother).
Tonight I was reading a mentor mom's blog and she shared a testimony of being healed from Endometriosis. As soon as I read how she was healed I was like "DUH, I haven't asked for healing!" So I prayed right then and held onto my mamm. I finished reading my friends blog, it was long... and almost forgot about my mamm. I did a quick feel and didn't feel anything... so I did it again. Still nothing. So I searched and tried to find the exact place where it was. Nothing. No lump. The mamm is in perfect condition!! Miracle Mamms! Hurray! What a great day! Miracles are awesome! I serve a God who still does miracles today! Awesome!!

Pillow Talk

This is the perfect pillow for my broski. Makes me miss him... but don't tell him I said so! Love you Nicklefritz!!

Ram Pride!

Tis the season for Rams to kick butt!!
And here is Katie RAM(beck) flexing her RAM muscles and showing her RAM pride that never seems to diminish over the years. GO RAMS!!

Do Not Focus On The Wind

Matthew 14:22-33 (New International Version)
Jesus Walks on the Water

...Jesus made the disciples get into the boat and go on ahead of him to the other side, while he dismissed the crowd. After he had dismissed them, he went up on a mountainside by himself to pray. When evening came, he was there alone, but the boat was already a considerable distance from land, buffeted by the waves because the wind was against it.During the fourth watch of the night Jesus went out to them, walking on the lake. When the disciples saw him walking on the lake, they were terrified. "It's a ghost," they said, and cried out in fear. But Jesus immediately said to them: "Take courage! It is I. Don't be afraid." "Lord, if it's you," Peter replied, "tell me to come to you on the water." "Come," he said. Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus. But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, "Lord, save me!" Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. "You of little faith," he said, "why did you doubt?" And when they climbed into the boat, the wind died down. Then those who were in the boat worshiped him, saying, "Truly you are the Son of God."

My friend Sonja told me to read this passage before I went to bed tonight. In the past couple months I have seen myself losing sight of the Saviour and getting distracted and scared by the storm or circumstances that I am in the midst of. Focusing on the wind or trials does nothing except take away my trust in the Lord to keep me afloat. Focusing on the storm brings questions of whens and hows everything will be made right. Focusing on the water that seems to rise up around me makes me think that I am sinking. When I focus on the Lord rather than the wind, I see He is steadfast and I am protected. When I focus on the Lord rather than the storm, I see His perfect timing in answering the questions I have. When I focus on the Lord rather the water, I see He is not letting me sink but enabling me to walk on water with Him.
Focusing is crucial. I am praying for my focus to be fixed on my Savior, not distracted by circumstances, and held steadily by His loving hands.

I CAN do all things through Christ who strengthens me!
(Phil 4:13 exclamation added for personal emphasis)

Friend Ugly Office

I was trying to arrange these three words in an order that would not hurt the feelings of the person I am referring to and also make it funny or uncouth(UFO-ugly friend office... funny but no... OFU-office friend ugly...nah... FOU-friend office ugly...you calling me a fou?... no... OUF-office ugly friend...nope...UOF-ugly office friend...not a chance...) friend you are not ugly. I think you are beautiful!! Today after a mind numbing, headache inducing, day ONE of statistics class... I went over to Kate's to enjoy two of our favorite shows. The Office premiered tonight and it was momentous as Stanley made AND achieved a personal goal, Ryan reared his head back in Scranton sporting a goatee, it was discovered that Angela and Dwight are still very interested in spending time together, and Jim finally proposed to Pam!! What a great night for The Office! I am looking forward to what this season has in store!Kate was kind enough to record Ugly Betty for me and waited to watch the show with me until after The Office. True friends share moments like that.Thanks Kate! It was fun watching Betty have some uncomfortable but world shaking moments of her own. She is making leaps and bounds towards growing up. It was thrilling for Kate and I to watch and think toward the future when we can do things like "get an apartment" and "take on more responsibilities at work"... fun times are on the horizon for Betty as well as me and my friend Kate.Thanks for sharing the premier night of both of my favorite shows Katie! You are amazing!

Not my Bill

today I started back to school. woohoo! this is my last year of pre-reqs before I am able to get into an RN or BSN program. I am excited to get this intensive year underway. Excited to dig my heals in and stretch my brain beyond what I think is possible. A couple years ago when I started back to school with urging from the Lord, He told me to be faithful in my studies and He would be faithful to enable me. It really blows my mind to look back at the last two years and see how God equipped me in my studies.
This quarter I qualified for a grant! woohoo! A grant is free money, meaning I don't have to pay it back like a student loan. They just give it to me! Awesome! I am in the waiting period right now wondering how much this grant is for. The woman I have been working with at college told me the numbers should be in on Friday and that I will be receiving a check. So I am hoping that is enough to cover all of my tuition expenses and my books for the quarter. My books alone this quarter are almost $600!! Crazy! Yikes! It is reassuring to know that this bill is not mine but the Lords. He has called me to it and He will make a way for me to get through it! These past couple weeks have been a roller coaster of emotions and lessons in trusting God for provision. He is so good. He is my provider. He is meeting my daily needs just as the bible tells me He will. Stay tuned for updates...

The song that my heart was singing today

Downhere - Here I Am
From the album Ending Is Beginning

Sometimes Your calling, comes in dream
Sometimes it comes in the Spirit's breeze
You reach for the deepest hope in me
And call out for the things of eternity

But I'm a man, of dust and stains,
You move in me, so I can say

Here I am, Lord send me
All of my life, I make an offering,
Here I am, Lord send me
Somehow my story is a part of Your plan,
Here I am

When setbacks and failures, and upset plans
Test my faith and leave me with empty hands
Are You not the closest when it's hardest to stand
I know that You will finish what You began

And these broken parts You will redeem
Become the song that I can sing

Here I am, Lord send me
All of my life, I make an offering,
Here I am, Lord send me
Somehow my story is a part of Your plan,
Here I am

Overwhelmed by the thought of my weakness
And the fear that I'll fail You in the end
In this mess, I'm just one of the pieces,
I can't put this together but You can

Here I am, Lord send me
All of my life, I make an offering,
Here I am, Lord send me
Somehow my story is a part of Your plan,
Here I am

Here I Am, all my life an offering to You, to You
Somehow my story is a part of Your plan
Here I am

Girls Night In

Take a bunch of women, stick them in an apartment, feed them dinner, AND dessert, add some MacGyver, and plenty of talking (ie laughter, silliness)... thats what I call a great evening!!

Last night a few of my friends and some new friends gathered at a mutual friends apartment (that was a lot of friends!). It was a low key night with a delicious chicken dish, fluffy fruit salad, salad salad, and my specialty smoothies for dessert. I am always reminded at the end of a girls night how much we as women need to be around each other occasionally to refresh, refuel, and, in a sense, rebirth. It is amazing to me how God made us to need to spend time with each other.

Thanks ladies for a great night!!