Come back to the sticks.

Our lil piece of heaven. We have returned! To Nemiah. This is our "reading" break. Although I DO have to get on to my reading:S I'm just excited to be home:)
Our planned schedule to leave the Fraser Valley: 9:00AM. Actual time of departure: 11:00AM. Man, we're so indian time about everything. Mike, Alissa 'n Dan experience this most weeks of youth nites! Notice I said most? Not every week. We seriously been doing some good timing though, we have arrived on time for our youth leader meetings:) Hi-5, Hi-5!
Anyway, 11 hours later from our departure we are sitting at home. I've missed my family so much:( We were greeted with hugs and we talked forever. Well, not that long, they all have school and work to go to early in the morning. Ha, suckers! I feel for you guys (talking to family).
Hey quick
s
i
d
e
note: I'm becoming less of a morning person. I dread early mornings! They kill me! If my days started at 10 or something that would be awesome. O'well. I love my nights. I feel so alive! Too lively. I need to sleep so I can focus during my 8AM Psalms class. It's nice though. I guess. I finish all my classes in the morning, I have my afternoons and evenings. Filled with youth nites, small groups, Vespers, work out, dates, lazying, walks in the park, shopping, sleeping... homework.
So I'm the only one up. Surprising huh?
There's still a whole lot of snow out here. Jackie said it all came last night. It's freaking beautiful! We haven't had this much snow in freakishly long time.
So this week I hope to at least get some homework in, visit my ?Etsu's and aunties, play some ball hockey at gym nite tomorrow, play in the snow, pour out wisdom I have received, drop by the skoo and B.O. (aka Band Office, not body odor), lazy around, quad and take some pictures;)

This past weekend we went to Acquire the Fire in Tacoma, Washington.
Words to sum it up: amazing (looooooong) weekend, incredible drama play, heart-touching music, no mosh pits= poo-ey, whole lot of fast food (mmm Subway), youth refocusing on Christ, aligning themselves to obedience of their call, intimate small group discussion, stressful driving, chaotic communication (lol between leaders, mix ups are expected!:D), a lot of people, pink wigs, La Quinta, security called on us (being too loud in hotel:S), sleepy dozy people (us), artistically funky Sunday church service, more dozy people.
By the end of it, or in middle of it, 3 youth voiced to us that they gave their lives to Jesus!
ALL worth it.

My eyebrows...

are in bad need of threading!
(A.K.A. plucking)
They're long past due.

I fell over.

Just now! And Yo can't stop laughing. It was really funny actually. It's almost 10:30 P.M, Yo 'n Chelsea fell asleep during a movie 'n I was trying to be as quiet as possible. Well after my tiptoe-ing around I was fiddling with the computer hard-drive which is sitting at my feet. So I'm sitting on my chair and have bent down to try and plug my camera cord in the back of it and... wait. My chair's history: the 2 legs on one side of it tend to bend inwards if you lean with it a certain way and it falls to one side. I was leaning backwards in my chair so I could get a better look at the hard-drive and I fell over. Feet up in the air and everything. I looked behind me to see if I woke up the girls and well, if you saw me you would laugh your stomach out too. Aaagh, lol this always happens to me! I goof up!
Yea, Yo's been laughing for at least 20 minutes. In her mind her imagination hits play, rewind and play over and over again.
Telling her that it wasn't funny or to shut-up makes her laugh even more. And then Chelsea laughs more cuz Yo is laughing then I laugh and then we all laugh and Yo laughs more, so we don't stop laughing! On my way to attack her, my legs got caught up in the blanket and I almost tripped. Again. Yo laughs more histerically. "Our stomachs are sore", but Yo's more so.

Sails.

Although the wind is very powerful and you can feel its presence, in and of itself it cannot be seen. You know it is there by its effect on others. The great trees, the grasses and waves on the sea bend with its force. If you are aware of your surroundings, you know it is there long before you feel it. So it is with the Ineffable. - Author Unknown The winds of grace are always blowing... it is you who must raise your sails.
Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.

-Philippians 4:6
The will of God will never lead you where the grace of God cannot keep you.

Ignite the fire... again

I brought this back again. Our dance with the Lord. Lately my Teacher has been re-igniting the fire within my heart. He's been bringing me back to His heart. I'm still on that journey. He's been asking me upon the alter of my own heart, what have I placed there? Do idols take the place of Christ? Or is Christ the center of my heart? Jesus has made the final and complete sacrifice, am I living in the confidence of this? Do I take hope in this day to day?
Am I living as a renewed soul that He has made the way for me to be?
Yes.
I believe that is what all our hearts yearn for, even scream for.
It's not fantasy that we are to walk this narrow path that is less travelled. It's reality. Our "yes" to walk down this path, it is deep in our hearts! Jesus has promised me, has assured me that He will help me to carry out that yes. In my life.
And the lives of others.
...
Imagine. You are in a dream. It's you and Jesus, you are walking down the beach together.
The Lord's footprints go along steadily, consistently, rarely varying the pace. But your footprints are a disorganized stream of zigzags, starts, stops, turnarounds, circles, departures and returns.
For much of the way, it seems to go like this, but gradually your footprints come more in line with the Lord's, soon paralleling His consistently.
You and Jesus are walking as true friends!
This seems perfect, but then something happens: Your footprints that once etched the sand next to Jesus' are now walking precisely in His steps. Inside His larger footprints are your smaller ones,
you and Jesus are becoming one.
This goes on for many miles, gradually you notice another change. The footprints inside the large footprints seem to grow larger. Eventually they disappear altogether.
This goes on for some time, but suddenly the second set of footprints is back. This time it seems even worse!
Zig
..... zags are ....................... a....l....l.......o....v....e....r
.............................................................................the place.
Stops.
....................... ...Starts.
G a s h e s...in the sand.
A variable mess of prints. You are amazed and shocked.

Your dream ends.

It troubles you to no end, for days you are plagued by the meaning of this, and so you pray:
"Lord, I understand the first scene with zigzags and fits.
I was a new Christian; I was just learning. But You walked on through the storm and helped me learn to walk with You."
"Yes, that's correct."
"...And when the smaller footprints were inside of Yours, I was actually learning to walk in Your steps; followed You very closely."
"Very good. You have understood everything so far."
"...When the smaller footprints grew and filled in Yours, I suppose that I was becoming like You in every way."
"Precisely."
"So, Lord, was there a regression or something? The footprints separated, and this time it was worse than at first."
There is a pause and the Lord answers, you could hear the smile in His voice, "My precious child, you didn't know?
That was when we danced!"
...

Love. This is what we are commanded to live by. Is that hard?
We are to fall in love with our Lord.
Love Him first.
Then, love our neighbors as ourself.
In doing this, we are also loving Christ.
Love. This is the greatest.
Without love, whatever is in your being, or whatever you do, without love, it's all in vain. It goes to nothing without love.
This is pretty powerful.
There's power in it.
Love is what this world moves for.
This is what we shall find our joy in. Serving the Lord, serving people who surround us.
And lately.. God's been confirming that "Joy, is our strength".
Take his hand,
let Him lead you out onto the floor,
dance with Him.
He's patient to teach you about the dance in your life.
He'll counsel you through it.
This has been my encouragement. In my own heart, the fire's growing.

So... so!... So.

I am goin to write a 'BORED' song.

I am bored, oh how I am bored.
I have everything to do but they are things I don't want to do.
I am bored, wow I am bored.
Squirrels laugh at me because I don't collect acorns. Hippos laugh at me because I don't live in swampy waters.
Skateboards are more active than me.
Boredom, boredom.. you are my friend.
You are the closest to me.. in this moment.
Maybe I'll ditch and... write this blurb.
Yea, mmhmmm.
Now Gilmore Girls and us, we're just going to veg out.
As of now, picking a fight with a bear seems like fun. Think I will walk back to Nemiah and do that.. next week.

Blah, why am I so restless? Why do we as humans get restless?

All I have to say about that is...

Blick... Blick.. Blick!................ blick.

In the midst...

Psalm 16

A miktam of David. [a]

...

Keep me safe, O God,

for in you I take refuge.

I said to the Lord, "You are my Lord;

apart from you I have no good thing."

As for the saints who are in the land,

they are the glorious ones in whom is all my delight. [b]

The sorrows of those will increase

who run after other gods.

I will not pour out their libations of blood

or take up their names on my lips.

Lord, you have assigned me my portion and my cup;

you have made my lot secure.

The boundary lines have fallen for me in pleasant places;

surely I have a delightful inheritance.

I will praise the Lord, who counsels me;

even at night my heart instructs me.

I have set the Lord always before me.

Because he is at my right hand,

I will not be shaken.

Therefore my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices;

my body also will rest secure,

because you will not abandon me to the grave, [c]

nor will you let your Holy One [d] see decay.

You have made [e] known to me the path of life;

you will fill me with joy in your presence,

with eternal pleasures at your right hand.

...

Footnotes:
Psalm 16:1 Title: Probably a literary or musical term
Ps 16:3 Or As for the pagan priests who are in the land /

and the nobles in whom all delight, I said:
Ps 16:10 Hebrew Sheol
Ps 16:10 Or your faithful one
Ps 16:11 Or You will make

...

.

The white splatters against the black and red canvas. This is our soul. The twisting, the meshing, the squeezing of our flesh and the Spirit. The white dominates. In a way. It's purity doesn't go on ignored in the midst of all the darkness of the flesh. The white splashes will go out into the soul and will not stop it's work until it has worked it's way into the deepest part of the soul. It will not stop until all as been 'bleached'.

Every now and then, in my thinking, this thought moves me, the fact that my only safety is in Him. When it comes down to it, it's just me and God. Not me and my money. Not me, my money and God. Not my family and me. My friend and me, my boyfriend and me or anything. It simply is, God. And simply, me. The two of us. I have nothing else to depend on but Him. Refuge, that is the Lord's name.

Jessie has helped me to see this.

I love reading the Message. It puts things simply and into perspective.

I've definately been resting in this truth of His graceful counsel over me. Verse 7, The wise counsel GOD gives when I'm awake
is confirmed by my sleeping heart.

In my dark, I have those dark days, I was encouraged that just a few days ago, even when I felt "distant" from God, I still chose to draw into Him and He drew near. Through the dark, His light reached in.

This is my song (Verse 8-11):
Day and night I'll stick with GOD;
I've got a good thing going and I'm not letting go!

I'm happy from the inside out,
and from the outside in, I'm firmly formed.
You canceled my ticket to hell--
that's not my destination!
Now you've got my feet on the life path,
all radiant from the shining of your face.
Ever since you took my hand,
I'm on the right way.

Yes, this thought has 'danced' across my mind

Hmm.. I'm always wondering if there are more people within the congregation, youth or college group that I am standing in who have a dancer that's got to be pryed out of them.
Maybe not so much pry but..
to inspire.
To let down those walls we put up for "protection" and be 'all-out-vulnerable' before the One God who actually cares.
I seriously just go bezerk inside cuz.. the joy of the Lord manifests in many different ways! Dancing for example. I always thought joy could be expressed. With emotion. With action. With crazy words.
Why is it that in church.. joy is shoved down in ourselves when we come together as a body and sing. In our fellowship we let ourselves be locked up within ourselves.
I think, uhh, I KNOW God lets us free to show our joy in how He's made us. We have hands- clap, pray, lift them up, embrace the one next to you.
We have feet- walk, jump, dance, don't stomp on the feet of the ones next to you. Maybe if I look close enough I'll see indents on the pews by hands clenched to keep from doing anything or.. "going crazy".
Maybe if I look close enough I'll see... no indentations on the floor because feet resist the urge to jump and dance!
Let loose people!
Let the free-spirited worshipper be released from within you!

And that means letting go of pride.

We can 'afford' to look like a fool and 'undignified' before the Lord.

THROW UP YA RAWK FIST

.
IF YA FEELIN IT WHEN I DROP THIS…
All I know is what it did take to make this,
all I am is what it will take to break this,
light it up now...





These are the lyrics of...

Thousand Foot Krutch

All I know is what it did take to make this...

There's something bigger than me, the Creator, who created me, created all- everything lies in His hands. Nothing is in my hands except my life, I lift it and offer it up to the One who's made Himself Everything to me. Made Himself my ALL.

God knows. He knows what it takes to make this. And this, this is my life. This is LIFE.

All I am is what it will take to break this...

I love this! "All I am". When Yahweh showed up before Moses 'as a burning bush' His very words to Moses was "I AM that I Am". In other translations it goes "I AM the One who always is".

The fact that God says "I am" He is very precise, and making it clear that Moses knows who it is that is behind him when he goes out to deliver his people. Makes his servant Moses KNOW who it is, in who's power and authority, that he goes out upon the land. The Lord says of Himself "I am faithful. I am patient. I am kind. I am Holy. I am pure. I am the Creator, Judge, Father, Friend. I am love. I AM the final." He is all these things. The "bottom-line" so to speak.

Moses had to do an impossible task. He knew it. God knew it. Impossible in the eyes of men! God knew it. What's impossible for men, well.. you know. Is not impossible for God.

He's above everything!

Because we are the Lord's, so are we. The Great I AM is within us! The Spirit that is within us compels us...

All I am is what it takes to break this.

I don't want to get off track and say that this is bad. This could be anything, I took it to be whatever comes to us in life, the good and the bad. To break it, I took it as, in the good- throw up your rawk fist, we have all reason to be excited! When it gets bad- throw up your rawk fist, we have all reason to be excited!

Ha.

Whether we're having it good or bad, rejoice. Have a 'party'.

We're not in any of this alone.

Yea. Hmm.. *wonderin if I confused you in babbling*

* Sunlight is there...

...................... _
Hope (Hop)
v.
hoped, hop·ing, hopes
n.
1. A desire accompanied by confident expectation of its fulfillment. 2. Something that is hoped for or desired: Success is our hope. 3. One that is a source of or reason for hope: the team's only hope for victory. 4. often Hope Christianity The theological virtue defined as the desire and search for a future good, difficult but not impossible to attain with God's help. 5. Archaic Trust; confidence.

"Where there's life, there's hope."

I wish I could 'gleak' on demand.

That way... no one will mess with me! Everyone is intimidated by me as it is anyway. My beatings are quite harsh.
Beware of my wrath people!
This is just my wishful thinking.
To gleak on demand.
Because.
I can't.
Always accidently. Like few times it's gone on this computer screen as I was drinking or something. Always when I'm eating.
I try to recap what I just did after I've gleaked but.. can't piece together what the special technique is all about.
Maybe I should go ask a camel.

Hey is it 'gleaked' or 'dleaked'... 'gleek', 'dleek'

Squirrel is a cool word. Caramel apples are good! I had chocolate chip cookies today.

Today is a beautiful day. Like yesterday. And day before. As tomorrow will be. And every day after that. Cloudy days are still beautiful. I watch for God in the clouds, I like to observe the shades and how the grey takes form in the sky. This grey blanket stretches across the sky completely. Almost wonder if the sun will come back...
As Yo has said "There's still a sun behind those clouds!"
Yea, the lights chime in every now and then. The shadows of the clouds flee as the sunlight invades the Fraser Valley. And we might forget for a lil while the 'bland' weather we've been having all this while, because we are caught up in this soul-warming gift. The kiss of this light gives breath to 'living things', nature. To us. Mt Baker is frosted with snow and seemingly bigger and brighter.

And
I still wish I could get my 'gleak' on!

I pulled a 'Meaghan'

Meg's I slept for...*counting*- 16 hours!

:S

And it felt gooood;):)

Well... I'm not too sure about that now. I felt "rested" earlier. As of now, it's close to midnight 'n my head feels like.. metal. My brain feels like it has been increased twice the size. Maybe cuz I am coming down with a head cold? Did I catch my cold from my sis? Hmmm... maybe it's cuz the 'all-nighter' threw me off..

I dunno.

I'm feeling wonky. Whatever comes out of my mouth doesn't make any sense at all. Me 'n Yo stole Billy's food card so we could eat at the cafeteria 'n we sat with Alissa:) Blah, was all I could say. It's all that came out. And then Mike came over and decided to pick on me about my shopping spree at Value Village. They ran into me there. They're always there! Every Thursday. But today was a Tuesday. But he claimed I was on "his territory". So I went over to "mine", the girls section. I bought some books and a lot of T's. He made me go through my list of stuff 'n Yo 'n him were goin to give me a lecture about spending money. I only go like once a month and he goes EVERY WEEK! So... we're equal-ish.

It's true though. I need to go smart with my money. I haven't been doing bad lately. Laura 'n I last year in Lifeteams were rowing the same boat, we're spenders! How's it been going with yours Laura?... are you going to scalp me for exposing our 'secret'?

So I don't think I'll make it a habit of sleeping 16 hours.

That was insane! There's something that's in me that kind of... shrinks at the fact that I slept THAT LONG. Ick.

lol I say I pulled a 'Meaghan' cuz well Meg's slept quite a bit in Lifeteams and was known for it. She loved sleep! Sorry Meg's. For spilling the beans.

:D

This is the extent of anything 'intelligent' I can piece together in my brain right now.

...

An encouragement? This has been my challenge.

Hope. Hope in what is unseen, what is not yet here. Hope for high things. Entertain your mind with

'whatever is true,

...whatever is noble,

......whatever is right,

.........whatever is pure,

............whatever is lovely,

...............whatever is admirable

—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy-

—think about such things.

Phillipians 4:8 rejoices in this.

Stand in the hope of what has been set on your hearts.

They've been pressed upon you for a reason.

For a reason!

Soak your mind in heavenly things. Concern your being (heart, mind, soul) with what God's heart is concerned with.

He will keep His promise: He is with you (Emmanuel). His Spirit will move you in the way He desires.

And it's important you look through His eyes and not your own!

Our eyes see small and limited and tainted.

His eyes see all, see possibilities, promises, HOPE, abundance.

After all He has layed the foundations of the world, He should know how to get you through in the world.

His understandings have sketched the galaxies and the beaming heavens.

Nothing is hidden from Him. He's made it that His WILL happens.

This is the authority of which His wings He has given us flies on.

He presses His will upon our hearts. We walk in the life of it. The reality of it.

It unravels with, through, and in our lives!

Hope in it.

Believe it.

Live it.

Rejoice in it!

Chirp chirp!

It is waaaaaaaaaaayyy early in the morning. I am drawn to a place of wonder and UNBELIEF as to WHY people get up this early:P And I am about to throw this computer across the room! Pop-ups keep popping up! Ummm I have an exam to study for in Adolescent Psychology so I pulled an 'all-niter'. I had no time on the weekend to do any reading. Friday I was doin something during the day... can't remember what. Oh. Yoyo, Janelly 'n I have volunteered to babysit these sweet kids for our friends' mums group called 'Time Out'. They're adorable! I just want to eat them, cuz they're so cute. They're so innocent. And they are brats. I chuckle to myself cuz I think back to when I was a kid. I KNOW I was a bad baby. I cried my head off! My mum told me stories:S I scared my gramma. Sorry mum 'n dad! Think I'm okay to be around now:) I think... lol 'n I remember being a bratty kid. Suckers:)
It's early, I can be a smarty pants.
Well this weekend I went to Salmon Arm with my bro Billy. He has his appointments out there once a month, so I been the one taking him! I love lil hick towns. Reminds me of Williams Lake. I can see myself living in a place like that. I still don't mind cities. BUT. I love my valley. Think I'll stick around there for lil while.
After Salmon Arm we caught up with my family in Kamloops, took my cousins out shopping. Walmart. I love shopping with Jackie (my cousin), I got someone to goof around with! Oh 'n hey, I almost lost my wallet. This was entertaining. Me 'n Jackie were trying on some quirky jackets 'n we figure that's where I left it. In a leopard print fur jacket. This is my life! Not just trying on weird clothes but MISPLACING stuff!!! Billy was like "How do you do it?" Acck, I just do! I annoy myself *strangling myself*
Between Abby 'n Salm you have to drive through the Cocqahalla, Cocahaulla... :P It's so so beautiful. I couldn't stop looking at the mountains and waterfalls. Everything was coated with snow and yea. I wanted to jump out and make snow-angels. There was a bit of snow just around Hope too. Aaah, my eyes just open to beauty of creation again and again!
I see God in it.
His detailed work.
His love expressed through 'art'.
...
Oh know what's sweet?! Every now and then God does this weird thing where He speaks to me about specific things within the few days together or even all in one day, through different people. Last Tuesday was one of those days.
This takes my breath away!
I get goosebumps every time He does this.
So Tuesday was a special day, we had chapel that day. Chapel is always and only on Thursdays, but this past Tuesday they had something else going on with 'Spiritual Emphasis' week or something so there was chapel.
I felt something different the minute I stepped into the room. There was something in the air and I said to myself 'It's different in here. This is going to be good'.
The group that was there was called 'Fresh Fire', the same program my pal Miranda is in! They are known for doing crazy stuff for God and major intercessory prayer.
Two of them, girl and a guy, told their testimonies. If you were sitting there you would just KNOW that from their stories and just by seeing them that they lived for an Almighty life-changing God. They been Christians for a long time but you can see that they are 'refreshed'. They still had that 'fresh fire' lol. They gleamed with this incredible joy.
My heart was pounding. As I was sitting there, it brought me back to when I was first introduced to a church in Williams Lake and they were just crazy for God. They were vulnerable, hearty worshippers of God. The fellowship we had in Nemiah was amazing, I still consider that church for me. I meant like a 'church building' kind of church with the congregation and everything.
I was encouraged by just how real they were with us and then the speaker came up from 'Fresh Fire'. What I remember from what he spoke of was eagles.

We are all from the same body (of faith), there is no division. We all receive words from God for each other and we receive the intimacy of walking this faith (my interpretation).
He encouraged us with verses that talked of flying with God with wings like eagles. One wing represents Grace and the other wing is truth. We can't fly with one wing. We were given both by God. This stuck out to me cuz my life 'challenge' lately has been "balancing" my life and issues of faith. I remember being encouraged by this illustration.
This is where it gets interesting.
I was incredibly antsy! This whole week. Things just been stirring up for me spiritually, I don't know what to do with myself sometimes. I just want to go! Just walk! Do something... not go back to the apartment and sit there. Doing my homework.
So I went to the library, browsed the books. I was so hungry to read something! My soul felt hungry, thirsting for more of God.
Randomly (very randomly!) skimmed this book my eyes fell upon and there inside was a chapter titled "Signpost: Grace and Truth". I signed the book out, thought I would read more into it. They book is called 'The Quest for Christ' (Ken Baugh & Rich Hurst).
Yea! Everything I've read in it spoke out to me.
It encouraged me in my own walk to handle my relationships, discipling, mentoring with Grace and Truth of Jesus Christ. Not only Grace. Not just Truth. But both! Both are needed to go hand-in-hand for living out my faith. These are my ~wings~
I love it when God surprises me with affirmation.
It's kind of cool, me 'n Yo's story have been very similar to one another lately. Our Author has been connecting us on a deeper level, with Him and with each other:)

Grace. The beauty of this has been raining down on us. We been soaking in this blessing!
...
Another encouragement:)
Me 'n Yo were talking about hardships and what comes out of it. We expanded on the reading as well. Grace and Truth bring about an incredible JOY.
This joy may be undescribable. Joy because of Grace. We are undeservant of this blessing. Yet Jesus' hands of grace stretches out to us. Truth brings about joy. Truth points out the state of our soul and draws out a cry in us for help. Christ' hand of righteousness stretches out when we ask for it. Forgiveness releases us, more than we know great transformation has taken place! A Christ formation.

This is surrender.

And this is our goal. To be like Him.

A joy that the world could never give us, wells up in the hope of Christ. Hope of the promise of his hand to help us.
Deepest joy comes about in midst of our deepest needs and our sufferings.
I hadn't quite understood this. My joy comes about in the grace and truth shown to me at even my worst state..

*Sigh, got to get to class. I will post this later today.

Been blessed...

I am just living it up! I just been so blessed by God and my surrounding people. Man... I don't deserve this.
Well, what's been up with me lately? Where do I start...
Hattie had her baby!
Yes yes, we got a phone call Thursday at midnight! She actually had the baby 4 minutes to 10pm that night. Yoyo, Alissa 'n I were at Kris' place- pampering ourselves, had a spa. We were all rested. Really rested. About to fall asleep 'n we were about to get out the door when Jessie called!
We are aunties!!! And godmothers;):D
We drove home excitedly (as excited as we could be, we were really really really really tired.. inside we were jumping). We had decided that night that we were goin to go to Victoria, so we packed a bit of our stuff 'n sunk into our beautiful comfy beds.
In the morning we hit the snooze button a zillion times before we got up (you can tell we are morning people). We had originally planned to catch the 9am ferry, but we ended up swaying for the 11.
Our drive in to Tsawassen, Twassessen, whatever, we felt our spirits a bit more chirpy-er! Yo 'n I filled our tummies with caramel apples, again! MMMMMMMMMM, I L-O-V-E caramel apples. Yo didn't get an aged apple this time lol. She was actually SANE during our ferry trip. The last time she went.. whew, I was like "Who are you!!??" She was off the wall! People gave us queer looks and stayed at least a meter away. Yea, they gave us our room.
This time we were normnal.
Ummm we arrived at the hospital about 1 or so. Hattie looked really good for after having a baby. Most look really washed out or something. Hattie looked fresh and her cheeks were pink.
The baby, oh the baby, is ADORABLE! I just want to eat her 'n squeeze her tight and... I mean, hold her tight and give her hugs 'n kisses.
After hesitating as to what her new born's name would be Hattie settled on Jayell Rose. I'm not sure how you spell it, but it sounds beautiful for our lil niece. Jayell's hair is like ketchup and got blueberry greyish eyes. She's a peanut.
My favorite memory: watching her sleep. Her face is content. Then her face scrunches up and looks like she is trying to concentrate on sleeping.
She farted on me a lot too. Ack. I didn't smell too pretty:P
Umm yep, our weekend was spending time with them and just being there.
We went to church, was blessed to see Bruce. He's an amazing man of Faith. God's presence of love is so strong in him. Bruce is the pastor of Lion of Judah (church). The church is held in a school gym. 2 weeks before we met him and he gave Yo 'n I words of encouragement. MAJOR encouragement. A lot to do with our future and it was sweet cuz the very words he used was what I was learning at the moment and felt God just confirmed it through Bruce!
Just thinking now... i love watching men dance for God. It does something for me. Moves me. I am encouraged when men step out of their comfort zone and are... vulnerable before God. It reminds me of when David danced before God with the ark. It was all HEART. And worship. It all spells out in sincerity.
Guys were not only dancing at this church but another church I went to and I see them at our college.
It's a 'beautiful' sight seeing people stepping out. Courageously. Not caring what others think. It silently pushes me forward to do the same:)
Sunday night we got back 'n lazied out from all the driving.
...
I started out with saying I am blessed. I am loving this semester at school.My life has been emphasizing worship lately. The meaning and the love of this word. It's going deeper, growing stronger, living courageosly, loving vulnerably. A lot of DEEP stuff.
Meeting up with people I haven't hung out with in awhile has been my life so far too. Keeping my connections up. If I haven't gotten to you, write me! Doesn't mean I have forgotten, just working on my schedule.
My discipline I'm working on: thinking aloud.
A lot of traffic and busyness of words occupy my mind. I've decided to voice them, quietly to myself, in prayer or just thinking. It's helped just for.... release. I'm still in the process in seeing how this will move things in my life. It's probly weird thinking. But makes sense to me. Somehow.
Spiritually disciplining: sincerity and genuineness, in everything. My faith, who I am, in my being, in my doing... it's so easy to fake things. It stresses me out putting on a show because it's all about perform perform perform. I'm tired of it!
So, none of this niceness, kindness, shallowness. Only realness. In my feelings and faith.
So far... it's going great! I feel less stressed. I'm just living simply, plugging into realness. It's been empowering me in every way. In every way.
Oh guys, God is so good. So goooood.
Blah, I'm just throwing off weight of arrogance, bringing myself back to the youth, the childlike-ness of my faith.
Yes, I'm just a child. Learning from my Father.
It's great.
...
Dope!...Sorry guys, this went longer then I intended. I get lazy to read long stuff, I should keep on keeping my stuff short. Working on it:D