On to 2008

New Year's this year was my most relaxing yet. Not a word that typically describes my New Year's plans, but I decided to switch it up this year. It was just me, a glass of wine, and a bubble bath. I didn't even make it to midnight! I think my head hit the pillow somewhere around 11:00. I don't think I've ever not made it to midnight! It was a great change, and I'm hoping the rest of 2008 will follow in it's footsteps...relaxing, and low-key.

Pray however you rang in the New Year that you would walk each day this year remembering God is right there with you...wanting to guide, direct, and love you each day of this new year...Happy New Year's!!

For unto us...

I absolutely love Christmas. And with each passing year, I praise God for revealing more and more the true meaning of this time. As much as I love giving gifts, I am drawn more and more to the true meaning of this time of year...We were given the perfect gift from our Heavenly Father. What a perfect example of love. As I have reflected deeply this year, I am so blessed for each person God has placed in my life, especially my family. This Christmas has been a great reminder of how important and God ordained each person in my family is. We have started a new tradition in our family of Joe (my step dad) sharing some scripture and encouragement to each of us kids. This year we all took a turn. As we each shared, I was overwhelmed by the importance of love, support, grace, and encouragement within a family. I think it's often easiest to take advantage of the special bonds between a family that we tend to disregard the need to still be loving, patient, and kind. I have realized over this Christmas holiday, unfortunately, how much harder it is to be a reflection of Christ to my family than to others. I am thankful God has helped me realize this, and challenged me to be an aroma of Christ to my family. Here are some pics from the day:

Opening presents Christmas morning:
Me and Cam

Caleb

Matt


Mom and Joe


Going to my Dad's after:
Me and my youngest brother, Ryan

Ryan, Dad, me, and Matt

My stepmom, Lisa

My dad

Go light your world...

I had the incredible opportunity to speak at our Christmas Eve services at my church. It was by far the largest crowds I've ever spoke in front of...ever. My church runs around 4,000 people, and I would say between the two services there were over 1,000 people. Praise the Lord I'm not incredibly nervous in front of crowds. The service was one of the best I've ever experienced. Our pastor did a great job of presenting the Gospel, and was very challenging with the message. It was a great change from the typical Christmas Eve service. The theme was "Go Light Your World," and my pastor just asked me to give a brief testimony and talk about what I do in Prague. I was able to talk about the spiritual climate and need for more light in such great darkness. I am incredibly thankful my family came to support and share Christmas Eve with me. Below is a pic from the night.

Lovin the Texas Life

I have had quite the itinerary my first week home...calendar full of dinners, parties, and weddings. It's been more than a blessing seeing everyone, but man have I been exhausted! I'm managing to stay awake until at least 9:00, but that's pushin it. I'm consistently getting up around 6:00, which has actually been nice. I've been able to get a workout in every morning! Man, how nice is it to be able to drive to the gym!!! It's the little things...



Here are some pics from my time so far...My bff, Amanda, and I got in a nice hard workout. The sun shining on my face as I ran was amazing! It's not all that often I get that in Prague. We were both a bit sore the next day, but it was well worth it.

Next was Christy and Jaye's wedding. It was beautiful, and so very Texas. I got some pics from the day, and a couple of the great Texas landscape on our drive out there. It was in this adorable chapel in Stephenville, Texas, and was surrounded by everything Texas. It was great being apart of your special day! Thanks Jaye and Christy!!






I'm looking forward to some down time with my family, and our roadtrip to Tennessee. More pics to come soon!!

God-made masculinity

You should go HERE and read this. This is a huge issue facing so many men and women, for that matter, in our world. I have 4 brothers and come from a divorced family where both parents are remarried. Hits very close to home for me, as I'm sure each of us have experienced or know someone who has/is walking through this.

We, I, should be praying regularly for the men in the body of Christ. That, as a body, we can help the men become what God intended them to be.

Snug as a bug in a rug...

Welp, I made it back safe and sound. I added it all up, and I was awake for 25 hours...one word comes to mind: brutal. I landed to my fam and bff Amanda (what a GREAT surprise), roses, and went straight to Souper Salad. My other bff, Lace, met up with us, and I proceeded to have the largest salad ever...a little piece of heaven. Next up was Target and Costco. Sensory overload to say the least. Good gracious, I was floored by the amount of choices. I've become accustomed to very few choices at the grocery store. I was feeling a bit like I had hit a wall, then I walked into Target...did a 180 in a matter of seconds...Lord have mercy how I love and have missed that place!! Got stocked up on some essentials (i.e. some cute new clothes), and headed home. I was able to stay up til about 9:00, then I was down for the count. Woke up around 6:00 the next morning feeling refreshed and ready to go. Had a 10:00 appointment with my favorite hairdresser, Christine, which is definitely one of my happy places. Saturday night proved to be a bit too much for me. I had a Christmas party thrown by my good friend Mary, and my friend, Christy's bachelorette. Somewhere in there I thought I could handle it all, but was seriously mistaken. I showed up to the bachelorette as they were heading to the hotel for some more fun, and realized I just couldn't do it. It was already 10:30, and I had to speak at church the next morning. I opted out of that one, came home, and went straight to bed.

It was soooo great being back at church. How blessed I am with an amazing church family! The talk went great, and I was able to see so many of you on my team. I look forward to catching up with some of you so very soon!!!

As for today, I took it easy. Got my morning workout in, and then cleaned house for my mom. She's hosting her office Christmas party at the house, so we have to have it all ready for tomorrow. Lots and lots of cooking and cleaning going on...I pray your doing well, and enjoying the holiday season. Take the time and count your blessings. Our God is great, loving, and overflowing with goodness. Goodnight and sweet dreams!

Returning to the Promise Land...

The waters are parting, and I'm heading home for the holidays. Well, the waters aren't actually parting, but I am going home. Where the land flows with salsa and sweet tea! The presents are purchased, goodbyes have been said(except to you Shanna!!!), and my bags are packed. Might I add this must stand to beat any other packing time. I started around 7:45, it's 9:15 and I'm blogging. Thank you Jesus!! I'm not the best packer in the world, and it's one of the most daunting task I undergo. Ok, so I might be exaggerating a bit, but it makes for better reading...

So, it's my last night in Prague for 2007. Where has the year gone? Before I say goodnight, let me leave you with some funny stuff...can't wait to be home...gotta love the south!

Please Pray

Please pray for the people in Colorado, specifically for those at the YWAM training center and New Life Church. Two were killed and two injured at the training center, and it has yet to be confirmed how many were killed/injured at New Life. They don't know if the two incidents involve the same gunman, but no one has been apprehended for either shooting. I have close friends at this church, as I'm sure many of us know people out there. You can click here for more details. Pray God's protection over the many other Christian organizations in the Colorado Springs and Denver area.

Saint Wenceslas and Queen Elizabeth

Lastnight I met some girls downtown to see Elizabeth: the Golden Age. I've been wanting to see the movie for quite some time, so I was hoping it was as good as I had hyped it up to be. I love historical epics. Before heading to the movie, we met at Wenceslas Square. Pretty amazing place to begin with, but around Christmas it's absolutely "magical," as some have recently described it. Magical is definitely an appropriate description. I'll have more pics soon...




The movie was in fact very good. I love movies based on historical happenings, even if they aren't all together accurate. Cate Blanchett did an incredible job, as did Clive Owen and Samantha Morton. Check it out and let me know what you think.

Adrianne and the kids

After not blogging f-o-r-e-v-e-r, I figured I'd try to make up for it. So, pace yourself, there's a lot of new stuff...

Well, I left my camera at the Crossan's house last weekend, and finally got it back lastnight. I figured they'd add some pics on there for me, so I decided to post them...and some others. Here are some of Adrianne, Abbey, Levi, and little Adam (aka Chunky). The first couple are of us at Shanna's baby shower.

You've got questions? We've got answers!

Found this on my pastor's blog...thought it was funny.

Cooking...cooking....still cooking...

Well, Thanksgiving came twice this year. First time around was huge fun, and the second time proved equally as entertaining. My AIA team and I hosted a wonderful American Thanksgiving for people within each of our ministries. I had quite a few of my students come; Anna, Petra, Jakub, Kate, and Dan were all able to attend. It was great! I do need to back up a bit and give you a quick snapshot of what preparation looked like for this extravaganza...we decided we would probably need a couple turkeys to feed everyone. We figured two 7 kilo(that's about 15lbs for you Americans out there) turkeys would be enough. Well, when Erin went to order the turkeys they told her that wasn't possible, she would need to order at least two 10 kilo turkeys (we're now up to 44lbs worth of turkey for those of you keeping score at home). That's a lot of turkey! So, she ordered the two 10 kilo turkeys. Friday rolls around, and we pick up the turkeys...the guy brings out a HUGE bag, and Erin's thinking, those are some big turkeys. Oh no folks, that was just ONE of the turkeys. They ended up ordering us a 12 and a 14 kilo bird! That's about 57lbs worth of turkey!!!! We decide these monstrosities need a name, so we named the 12kilo bird Diego and the 14er Tito. Yeah, don't ask, cause I don't know why. Here are some pics of the "little" Tito...before and after:



To say the least, there was more than enough food, and I think the night was a huge success. Below are some pics from the night. We all went around the room and said what we were thankful for, then played some fun games. Thanks to Anna for sticking around and helping us clean up all night! And for my Stellas!! You're the best!


Here's Dan, Kate, and me after diner.

Here's Ladia, wanting to skip straight to dessert!

Pinky Ruby, Spiderman, and the Little Mermaid

Phil and Shanna are expecting their 3rd child, a precious little girl in January. There two little ones, Clark and Lucy, have affectionately named her Pinky Ruby. Sounds like a fabulous name, doesn't it? Well, I think so. Friday morning about 15 of us surprised Shanna with a wonderful shower. It was a great time of fellowship, celebration of this little bundle of joy coming to the world, and prayer and encouragement for Shanna...smiles, tears, and laughter were shared by all. Love you Shanna! Can't wait for little Pinky Ruby to get here!!!

Next up was an excited birthday party for the Davis kids. Clark turns 3 in a couple weeks, and Lucy turns 5 in about a week. They insisted on having their party together, so Spiderman and Princesses were in harmony Saturday afternoon. The cakes were amazing, and incredibly easy! I think I want a pull-apart cupcake cake for my birthday! Thanks for inviting me Clark and Lucy!!

M.I.A.

I definitely have not been keeping up with my blog the last week or so. Seems days are filling up and flying by! There's been plenty of fun times to write about, so you can all anticipate some fun posts soon. I need to get to the gym and run some errands, but I'm hoping to have some time later today to catch yall up. Pray you are doing well, and are getting into the CHRISTMAS spirit!!!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Thanksgiving this year was probably the biggest I've ever experienced...over 50 people and about 5 different nationalities represented. My good friends, the Davis's, hosted all of us to a wonderful Thanksgiving dinner. There were some fun preparations ahead of time that I was fortunate enough to be apart of. Shanna and Phil decided to rent a tent, so everyone would have a place to sit at some point during the night. The tent came the day before, so Shanna, Phil, and I had planned to set it up and get it all ready with tables, chairs, etc. Well, Shanna and I arrive to the house Wednesday to see the tent. Phil had been there while the men were putting it up. We walked to the back, took a look, and immediately looked at each other and both said almost in unison, "This just isn't going to work." Just wasn't what the 2 of us has envisioned. It was facing the wrong way. So how do we turn this thing 90 degrees? Naturally, we decided to move it all by ourselves. Why couldn't 2 women (one 7 months pregnant I might add) be capable of moving this ginormous tent, and why should we wait for Phil to get home? So, move it we did. It was quite a sight I must say. There were many times we wished someone was videoing the whole thing. At one point, there upstairs neighbor came out to see what in the world was going on...quite a funny picture. I have provided the before/after pics.




Today turned out wonderful. I have provided some pics below. We were even able to watch the Packers game!!! Despite the harassment I received throughout the game (by someone who will remain nameless), I managed to enjoy the game, and the Packers won! I would have stayed up to watch the Cowboy's game, but the whole time zone thing made that a little difficult. My brothers went to the game, so I figured my family was supporting enough for me by being there.

I Pray you had a wonderful Thanksgiving! I am overwhelmingly thankful for my family, for the support of so many of you, and the amazing community He has given me here! God has blessed me beyond measure...

Me and Shanna...

Inside the beautiful, heated tent...

Watchin American football...

Sunday not so funday

So, today was one of those days where I should have never got out of bed...I went from hardly knowing what vertigo was to getting it twice in the last couple months! Craziness...this time laying down isn't the problem (thankfully), but the minute I stand up or sit up, well, the outcome isn't fun or something you want to read about.

I may have woken up feeling horrible due to the fact I watched the Michigan game last night. I finally get to watch an entire game, THE game, and it was awful. Michigan played Ohio State, at home, and played terribly. My friends, the , graciously allowed me to come over and watch it. It was kinda a huge game, and definitely a game for Michigan to gain some respect back. Unfortunately, that did not happen. Coach Carr was the thorn in the previous Ohio State coach, Cooperhttp://www.blogger.com/img/gl.link.gif's side, but now Tressel has returned the favor to Carr. Carr has only beaten Tressel once since his tenure began, in 03. Michigan and Ohio St were tied 6-6 in wins until this meeting...Ohio St tipped the scale in their favor, and added their fourth straight win over Michigan. Sad times for Michigan...

Well, I guess I'll stop whining...Hopefully YOUR Sunday has been better than mine! Til next time...

it's beginning to look a lot like...

Well, maybe not quite Christmas, but it's definitely right around the corner! Even the shops around here are getting into the Christmas spirit. I absolutely love it! Last night I walked home...in the SNOW!! White puffy balls of fun falling everywhere...don't get me wrong, there will come a day I'm cursing those little things, but for now, they make me smile! Mind you, this is coming from the girl raised in Texas, so snow was a super fun treat when we had it. It meant no school and playing all day. Here's a pic of some fun window stickers I put up in the house a little while back. I think my roommate thought it was a bit premature. Anyone listening to Christmas music yet?

Foot massage anyone?

Almost forgot to give you one of the biggest highlights of the trip!!

I have a thing for foot rubs, and fortunately for me, so does Chelsa! I realized how much I miss getting foot massages! I kinda have a thing for them. For sure one of my love languages, if that's possible ;0).It was a regular tradition with my past 2 roommates, so it was a welcomed return. Hopefully there will be more in the near future. Thanks Chelsa!

...with the sound of music

Round 2 of amazing pictures from Salzburg. Absolutely beautiful...

Famous Mirabell Gardens where many scenes in the Sound of Music were filmed.

Pegasus Fountain

Chelsa and me hiding...

Sara, Chelsa, and I

From the top of the Fortress

The Von Trapp house

Great Augustiner Brewery