gotta start somewhere...

i can look back over the journey of this life story and i feel like i have said this before... it's been awhile since my last post. yup, it's been over a year. the funny thing is i really enjoy blogging, when i do it. i like to think i have fun and insightful things we share, when i remember. 

but i feel like i have a pretty decent excuse. i got engaged. i moved. i looked for jobs. i got a job. i got married. i moved again. i got a different job. i have a husband in school. i have a husband.... it has been a busy year to say the least.

but it has been a year of growth and exploration. learning to share a bed, a bathroom, your thoughts, your frustrations, all with someone who isn't going away. it has been a year of patience. moving here without a job, working a job you didn't really like, working a job you like but with a lack of direction at time. it has been a year of stretching. having to find new friends, having to strengthen old friendships. being married really does change the way you have friends and how you hang out with people.

it seems like there is so much more to report, but you think, 'where do i even begin?' i think it begins here, telling the stories of life, like my year long hiatus never happened. so here we go...

here is a nice picture to show we are making new friends :)

j's birthday cake. e and i had to get creative.

life back in the 'lou

so i'm back in st. louis. i never thought i would come willingly, but since drew was going to be starting seminary here... long distance the months before our wedding just didn't sound appealing. so i'm back and kicking!

i'm living with a friend for the next few months until we get married. our hope is to find an apartment next month so that drew can move in there over thanksgiving break and we will have the month to get things organized before the wedding. i'm also in the process of job hunting. i was lucky enough to get in with a nanny agency, so i've been doing temp work with them. i'm hoping that even when i, one day, find full time work, that i can keep doing some temp work on the side.

it's good to be around friends here! i think that is the saving grace of st. louis... community. it quickly made life busy and full and i love it. we were able to get back plugged in with a small group i used to attend and a group of friends who gather for community dinners. it makes the transition so much easier and they all seem to embracing drew as their own, which i love.

i think that's all for now. between all the transitioning, job and apartment hunting, wedding planning and catching up with folks, it's been a pretty busy first month in st. louis. i'll try to do better about updating!

sunset at sunset

in case you haven't heard the news (thank you world of technology), drew 'engaged' me last saturday night when we were visiting camp lone star. it was perfect. it was sunset. we were at sunset. camp is a very important place to both of us as we have experience a lot of spiritual growth working summers there. we had a very great conversation that i'll store away for our memories, but it was very special. and then we were able to share the exciting news with friends and family via phone and with all our camp friends in person at bbq. best weekend ever!

i also leave for kenya... um, sunday. that's two days from now. goodness! there are a lot of things to get done. for one, i haven't even started packing yet (but i do have a list). plus being gone for two weeks means i want to spend as much time with drew as i can. oh and now that i'm engaged and we want to get married by the end of the year, there is much to be done in that department before i leave for the trip.

but praise the Lord! i am blessed with an amazing fiance, supportive family and friends, an awesome opportunity to serve in kenya. there are definitely some busy months ahead!

i'm a slacker

well it is safe to safe that i am a slacker when it comes to the blogging lifestyle. i have been trying to get better at journaling, and therefore, my writing here has suffered. but i feel obligated to write about how life has been semi-recently.

CRAZY

that is how life is and will probably be for awhile. as my internship is coming to an end, i'm looking at options, calls and jobs for august. my current employer is going to be offering me a call in the next few days, so i will have a big decision to make soon. there are definitely pros and cons to staying in the dfw area. hopefully, i will be able to figure that all out.

in super exciting news, i will be going to kenya in august. i will be going with a group from for africa's future. we will be checking in our students and schools, as they run a student sponsorship program. i get to meet my student, phanice, who is 17 years old. it will be so neat to actually get to meet the kid i'm helping put through school and such. our group will also be working with some photographers to capture the lives of these students for publicity as the organization grows. God has really opened my eyes to the poor, locally and globally, this year. i'm humbled that i am even getting the opportunity to see and be a part of this community.

i've been helping out a lot with new hope, our community center in east dallas. i get to tutor and teach bible class to kinder/first graders. it has been a lot of fun to get to know the kids from the neighborhood and build relationships with them. yesterday was a little nuts. it involved two girls crying, a run-a-way, the f word, a beach ball and making an altar of thanks. there are no normal days at new hope, but yesterday i definitely felt like i needed a beer by the end.

most importantly, the spurs play the mavs tonight and will hopefully finish off the series. we had a bet in the apartment during march madness which ended with b and b buy me and drew ice cream. this time, however, they are all against me. but i plan on collecting a pretty healthy prize this evening, once the spurs are victorious: bell peppers, pineapples, and strawberries! in the 4% chance that i don't win, i'll owe ice cream to brandy and brandon and some sort of berries to drew. all i have to say is: GO SPURS GO!

prayers for layla grace...

i've been following the story of this sweet little girl for a couple weeks now. i heard about her from my old pastor who knows the family. he got to baptize her a couple weeks ago in their home over the kitchen sink. she is losing her battle with neuroblastoma. it is not looking good. but i have been encouraged by the family of God all around the world who have been offering prayers for layla and her family. even though healing may not come for layla on this side of earth, we can be encouraged that restoration and life comes for those who have faith in Christ. you can follow her story here: http://laylagrace.org/ (note: her mom writes very honestly and openly and beautifully... be prepared for tears)

say a prayer for peace and hope.

family matters

trav and i have been wrestling with children's ministry as he is processing how things are going to look at the new church. but the more i think about it, the less i can separate children's ministry from family ministry. even at work, i feel the same pull. we are working on a school leadership program that encourages teenagers to enter into a mentor relationship with their parents.

the role of parents and family is unavoidable, as it is incredibly impacting. our parents affect us whether we like it or not, whether it is in a positive or negative way. what our parents tell and teach us, or lack thereof, shape and mold us.

my parents encourage me and challenge me. they listen to me, but also speak truth to me. they model good decisions and a relationship with Christ. they are consistent and steady. and most importantly, i know that they love me.

so i'm still processing what this means for ministry. i am starting to think that you can't separate these pieces. there is no children's ministry or youth group, even men's and women's ministry can't be approached without looking at how it affects the whole family. and i wrestle with that because i don't have a family. there is no husband or kids that i come home to. but i know that i belong to the family of God, the body of Christ, and we have to stop pretending that we walk through life alone.

the community of believers is just that, a community. i can't say that i believe in Christ and ignore the community. it doesn't work that way. we are given this family to hold each other accountable, to encourage one another, to help and walk along side each other. this includes the way we view and carry out ministry. the conversation is only beginning and i am only one voice. but i truly believe it is time to rethink how we live the life of a disciple.

2010

i'm not sure how to say it. i've heard a few options:

-two thousand and ten (2010)

-oh ten ('010)

-twenty ten (20-10)

-two oh one oh (2-0-1-0)

i'll take any other suggestions, but even with those, i'm still undecided.

and so it is a new year hopefully full of new adventures and new possibilities. being in dallas for a little over four months, i'm finally starting to settle a bit and get into a rhythm of life. life outside of school is so different. trying to balance work, no more cafeteria, evenings with no homework, making new friends. living the dorm life for so long allowed me to get comfortable with so many things right at my fingertips. now, adjusting is taking longer than i would have liked, but its coming along.

i feel like i just have so much to learn about life and relationships and myself. right when i think i am getting the grasp of a new lesson, God has a way of throwing something else out there for me to grapple with. but i'm determined and i've even started journaling again. it's a good feeling to be writing and crafting, getting my thoughts and prayers out on to paper. it is amazing to be able to look back and see how God has been working and i look forward to being able to do that for 2010.

so here is to a new year, whatever you want to call it.

may it be one of direction and growing,

peace and justice,

mercy and love.