Ramblings from Philly

2009-09-26T10:10:00.000-07:00

Regina Spektor's concert was a blast this week! Five girls and one brave man (taking the picture).

I've tried to upload some video footage from the concert but it's taking so long. I'll keep trying.

Yummy food and fun atmosphere for dinner before the concert:

2009-09-19T13:14:00.000-07:00

Concerts

Last night I went to The Note to see NeedToBreathe. About 10 years ago, Kerri, Megan R and I worked together as lifeguards at our YMCA. Meg ran into Kerri in FL a few months ago and they realized that Kerri and I only live about an hour apart from each other in PA. So last night Kerri, her hubby and a bunch of their friends and I went to this concert. It was amazing. I'm new to the concert scene. I mean, Meg and I saw a lot of Christian bands growing up but you know... it's not quite the same.

I'm not going to pretend I'm someone who can review a concert but let me just say it was a great concert. Their music, lyrics, stage presence- everything was EXCELLENT. The venue was nice and intimate.

Next week is Regina Spektor with friends. Mat Kearney is coming to Philly next week too... might go. I don't think this many concerts will be normal but I'm enjoying something new.

2009-09-06T22:31:00.000-07:00

Humble Swag

Today I visited a church with a new YoungLives volunteer. The preacher said we should walk with a humble swag. Love that picture! We're called to be humble and yet at the same time to walk with confidence because Christ is for us and is our identity. Brilliant phrase- humble swag.

2009-08-18T14:11:00.000-07:00

Moved... again

This most recent move has been harder than the other four moves in Philadelphia. I know a large part of this is because I had salmonella poisoning and didn't feel well. It's been a reminder that this world is not my home. God is not letting me physically settle here in Philly. Emotionally and spiritually I've settled because my calling is sure.

Two weeks ago, I've moved two miles closer to Center City Philadelphia. My life is changing, my calling has changed and is being re-focused. On Camac Street I was only a few miles to easy access to the suburbs and the mall. Now on Luray Street I'll be closer to where many of our YoungLives girls live. This is exciting because it's more holistic in my mind and will allow us to hang out more naturally.

The new neighborhood I've moved to is called Hunting Park I need to learn some Spanish in the coming months to talk with many of my neighbors. Just a block away there is an amazing Colombian restaurant called Tierra Colombiana!

2009-07-15T18:26:00.000-07:00

Salad
This evening I went to my front cement patio and picked some lettuce from the window box. There is nothing like eating a salad from lettuce that you've grown... from seeds! Yes, I'm a little proud. :-)

2009-06-27T01:19:00.000-07:00

Well, I'm up at 5:00AM, not having gone to bed yet. I'm only now just starting to get tiered. Must of had too much caffeine this afternoon. It's been so long since I blogged so here are some updates.

-Philadelphia is still the place I call home. My lease runs out August 1st so I'm in need of two roommates. I'm also looking for a few places around the area. God will provide- it will be interesting to see how

-YoungLives is my passion and I'm in full swing of raising support to go on staff.

-I was in Florida for the past two weeks for Megan's wedding, seeing family and raising support for YoungLives. Wonderful times were had.

-I'm not sure what blogging will look like for me in the coming days. More regular blogging may happen or I may take a break from blogging. We'll see. :-)

2009-04-30T18:25:00.000-07:00

I just returned from an Urban Young Life training conference. About 60 Urban Young Life leaders from the Easter division met at Lake Champion for 2 ½ days to learn from Richard Cohen. We went to learn how to care for and love our kids who struggle with same sex attract. It was powerful. He talked about wounds from childhood the first day and how we need to healthy people to be able to help people. The second day he went into same sex attraction issues: how it happens, how to love in the process and how to help.

Worship was Gospel, urban style. Worshiping with people where I was the minority was refreshing. The refrain of one song said “all I can do is believe and trust.” Simple but what I needed to repeat over and over again. Raising support for my new job and finding two roommates within the month are the two largest areas where I need to trust the Lord. All I can do is believe and trust. There is something beautiful in the simple words. There is something free in realizing all I can do is believe. God is for me. He is for you. He ALWAYS provides for his children. Let’s rest in this truth.

2009-04-13T18:02:00.001-07:00

"Jesus, I am resting, resting, in the joy of what Thou art,
I am finding out the greatness of Thy loving heart.
Thou hast bid me gaze upon Thee, As Thy beauty fills my soul;
For by Thy transforming power, Thou hast made me whole.

Simply trusting Thee, Lord Jesus, I behold Thee as Thou art,
And Thy love, so pure, so changeless, Satisfies my heart;
Satisfies its deepest longings, Meets, supplies its every need,
Compasseth me round with blessings: Thine is love indeed!"

2009-04-08T19:50:00.000-07:00

It's official: I've been offered the position of YoungLives Coordinator in Philadelphia! I'm so, so excited. It's been a long time coming and feels so great to have it official. Details to come soon. If you want to read more about YoungLives check out the website.

2009-03-13T09:14:00.000-07:00

Limping but alive computer

Well, the great news is that Walter was able to pull most of my stuff off my corrupt hard drive. The annoying news is it will be in one folder. All pictures, videos, Word docs, excel docs and music are together. I'm going to have quite a sorting party with me, myself and I. :-)

I do need a new computer within the year, but he's going to put in a new hard drive (2nd one in one year). That should give me a few months. There's something in my computer that's eating hard drives. It's not virus related so that's good. Guess I'm going to start saving for a hard drive. :-) Let me know of anyone who wants to get rid of a computer.

2009-03-09T20:35:00.000-07:00

Silent retreats are good for the soul. I spend Saturday here.

2009-03-02T08:13:00.000-08:00

Walking on Water

Pastor John recently preached a sermon from Matthew 14:22-36. I was out of town or in nursery the Sunday he preached so I listened to it online. Wow. It was just what I needed to listen to in the context of going on staff with YoungLives. I want to share a few of the highlights. If you want to listen to it you can find it here. He preached it on January 18, 2009.

Fear is so often our motivator. Instead we need to know that it’s Jesus who's out on the water. We should be willing to join him and walk on water. It’s more important to be where He is, not in the safety in our boat. The boat often represents our comfort zone. Even in our fear, the best response is to tell God what I’m afraid of. Don’t hope for an island in the lake between you and Jesus, just in case you start to sink and need to swim to the safety of the island.

Are you in a boat? Is it being battered by the wind and the waves? What waves, sins, what broken relationships grieve you, what fears, destructive habits do you have or impossible needs that won't go away? Don't pretend, cry out to Jesus. Take a step, any step. If you sink, it's ok, ask for Jesus. You're not a failure, you've just realized you need Him more than you realize.

1. Express to God you're willingness to get out of the boat.

-Then wait for God to give the go ahead.

2. When you get the go ahead- go ahead!

-It doesn’t matter if you think you can.

-How do you know if you're getting the go ahead? From the Bible, as you pray and talk with wise friends.

3. If you start to sink ask for help

-Cry out, “Lord, save me!”

-We must be faced with fear and weakness, broken, bent, afraid and beaten.

-Don't let the storm have the last word in your life.

4. The impact on your life is worship and healing

-Jesus wants us to walk on water with him because it's impossible. We need his grace and power each step of the way.

-He draws us to step out and sometimes sink. This causes us to realize it's all him and none of us.

2009-02-05T06:36:00.000-08:00

People were praying yesterday and last night! As I drove home from club, I was overwhelmed with how smoothly things went. Thank you for everyone who were bringing the girls and club before the feet of Jesus. Club went SO WELL. We were short staffed but there were only 20 girls and 6 kids which helped. Everyone pitched in so well. The overall thought I have is we were a team tonight. I felt so support and didn't feel like I was flying solo.

Class starts tonight. I'm so excited! Rach and I are taking the same class: Counseling Problems and Procedures. This is a topical course and is going to be so relevant to my work with YoungLives, friends and myself.

2009-02-03T06:09:00.000-08:00

This week is crazy. I'm leading YoungLives club because Debbie's got something with her son, I work normal hours and start a class Thursday night and am speaking at the women's retreat about Young Lives. I'm excited about all this stuff but need the Lord's strength and words for all of it. I'd like to do it in my strength but that's never a good idea.

Yesterday was beautiful- 57 degrees. It was so refreshing to have a warm day. Today it's snowing a little bit. At least the days are getting longer and longer. I'm counting down the days until Spring.

2009-01-19T13:05:00.001-08:00

Going to San Diego, CA

It snowed some yesterday and most of today. I've lived in the North for almost 3 years and I'm not sure if I'll get over the wonder of the snow. Love it!

Early tomorrow AM I leave for a national YoungLives conference at a Young Life camp just outside San Diego. It's perfect timing to leave Philly in the beautiful snow and then to go to the warmth. :-)

2008-12-31T22:30:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas from Florida

Snowman in the Sarasota beach.

From left to right: Christie, Sara, me, Mom (Roxy), Peter, Dad (Orin)

Mom loved the picture coasters Sara made for her.

Homeschool reunion Christmas masquerade party (wow, how many adjectives did I need to use to describe the party?)

2008-12-18T21:01:00.000-08:00

The end of the Macy's Light Show:

A snippet of the Comcast Christmas Show:

2008-12-14T21:25:00.000-08:00

Christmastime in Philly

Friday night brought a dozen girlfriends over to make earring holders from picture frames. This is Hannah and me with some of our frames. It was a great night of AMAZING food, a variety of Christmas music (everyone brought a CD) and most of us walked away with some Christmas gifts.

Shelly and I headed downtown Saturday morning to see the Macy's light show and the Charles Dickens village. We also did a little Christmas shopping. Shelly needed to run home for family events and so I went around downtown by myself. I love being downtown by myself. A friend told me of the new Comcast Christmas Show and so I checked it out. Wow. I'll try to figure out how to post some of the videos of the show.

2008-11-30T19:51:00.000-08:00

Thanksgiving in Washington DC

Amazing food. Some of it was nontraditional or at least very different from what I'm used to.
Shopping on Black Friday. Becca is the only person I could shop with on that day. The crowds aren't as bad when we're laughing, trying on clothes and eating along the way.
Dancing the night away with girls at an Irish Pub.
President Bush flew over the highway as we drove into the district. Becca told me that you know that it's the President when there are three helicopters in the air. He has two decoys, everyone else has one decoy.
Thanksgiving photos

2008-11-14T05:28:00.000-08:00

A friend of mine sent me an email this week reminding me of good things about Winter. I was so thankful to read the list she has about her love for Winter. Be encouraged:

-getting to wear scarves (I love scarves!)
-drinking hot chocolate or apple cider
-wearing fun coats/jackets & sweaters
-Thanksgiving dinner
-time w/ family
-seeing the snow as its falling or just after it's fallen
-huddling on the couch under my fleece blanket
-eating yummy soups
-Sara's wedding (this winter only!)
-sledding/tubing/skiing
-crawling into flannel sheets
-CHRISTMAS!!! (lots associated w/ this...wrapping gifts, decorating the
house, Christmas music, going caroling, etc.)
-etc...anything to add?

2008-11-11T14:09:00.000-08:00

And then there's Carter...

I get to hang out with this little guy 8 hours a week. I LOVE it! He was only 8 weeks old when I started watching him. Taking care of babies and kids all day brings smiles to my face and joy in my heart.

2008-11-10T20:38:00.000-08:00

Could I get off the merry-go-round? Please?!

2008-11-09T17:34:00.000-08:00

Autumn has peaked in Philly

I forgot how much I love the intense colors. I've thought about and reflected on why I love and yet fear Autumn. The leaves are so beautiful and yet their turning is an indication that Winter is around the corner. I hold my breath and brace myself for the season I like least. It's hard for me to truly enjoy the few weeks of Fall because I'm dreading the Winter. I don't want to live like that. Help me enjoy the moments.

Life is a process and full of seasons. There are many beautiful Autumns, cold Winters, beautiful Springs and warm Summers. As Winter comes to Philly, I find my heart entering into Winter. God is working on my heart in huge ways. Boy, it's painful and hard. I wish I could fast forward this Winter and be in the Spring. And yet, I appreciate the Spring so much more after an especially cold and hard winter. I'm thankful for the parallels I can find between my life and the nature seasons God gives us.

2008-11-01T19:23:00.001-07:00

Well, I must admit that I love this book. I just finished "reading" it on tape. I was able to relate to Bridget a lot more than I realized or would care to admit. I found myself laughing out loud in the car as I listened. The movie is on tonight. Renee Zellweger completely embodies the character of Bridget Jones. Colin Firth is brilliant, of course. The way he looks at her is quite amazing.

2008-10-29T20:16:00.000-07:00

The Phillies are the World Series Champions!

Philly has been buzzing with the excitement this whole week. It's been so fun to be a part of it all. I joined in with all the honking as I drove home tonight. My dad and I chatted tonight just after the Phillies won the World Series. He said that I was in Philly the last time they won. It was 1980 and I was about 6 months old and my dad was a teaching assistant at Temple. Crazy things happened on Broad Street the night they won. He remembers that his students didn't show up for class for days after the Phillies won the World Series. I don't remember their win in 1980 but I'll sure remember this win 28 years later!

2008-10-22T20:38:00.000-07:00

We're in the World Series after 15 years!

Philly is buzzing with excitement. The next week will be so energizing... even if I'm not a regular baseball fan. :-)

2008-10-09T06:19:00.000-07:00

Rain in Chatty
I woke up to the pitter-patter of rain. Oh how glorious! Meg and I sat on her porch and drank coffee and talked for a long time as the rain fell. Then we went to Becky's discounted shoes and both found cute shoes!

2008-09-29T21:13:00.000-07:00

Endings

by Janine Anderson

I hate endings. I'm bad at them—horrible actually. Beginnings, now there's something I can sink my teeth into. Beginnings are beautiful, fresh, teeming with life and possibility. Middles are for obedient muddling, the holding patterns of the "known," but endings…Endings are unnatural, awkward, painful and downright wrong.

Think about it. You only want something to end when it's undesirable. We long for bad things to end. But, we long for the good things in life to never end, and when they do we experience loss.

Actually, I don't know that endings were part of the original design. I think they are largely a consequence of the fall. The original breaking of perfect, trusting fellowship with the Father was the first and worst ending, and we feel the ripple effects throughout our consequently broken pilgrimage.

I'm not even a fan of the so-called good endings, like having just earned my Master's degree. I find myself grieving the loss of classes and classmates, lectures and papers, reading and learning in semester-long rhythms—that whole school-student- professor-campus thing. I will miss it.

I long to accomplish the goal without losing the season. I long not to throw the baby out with the bathwater. But the baby has graduated, and full-time work she must. So, school ends, a beloved season passes, as all things flesh and fallen are wont to do. But, we carry this eternity in our hearts that nothing good should end, that there's a wrongness about endings that eternal beings were not designed for.

And good endings like graduating are just the tip of the ending-iceberg. There's the end of a cherished friendship, the end of a romantic relationship, and the mother of all endings—DEATH.

Enter Jesus: Jesus ultimately silenced the bitterness of endings when He hung there and died, saying, "It is finished." It is finished. All death and endings are swallowed up by life, and even the endings we so desperately experience are somehow wrapped into His finished work that we walk out and work out in our anguished and fallen, yet redeemed state.

Finishing is very different from ending. I daresay that finishing is an opposite of ending. And while often listed as synonyms, even Webster makes a clear distinction: "the end" is the limit or conclusion, whereas, "to finish" is to complete or perfect.

Finishing a paper or a project garners the sweet fulfillment of accomplishment, as does any job well done. Fine wines are described as having, "a crisp, clean, finish," not a crisp, clean ending. No one would dare disgrace the finish line of a race, by calling it the "ending line."

And yet, the end of Jesus' life on earth signaled the beginning of our hope against death and endings. By His crucifixion, Jesus plays a cruel trick on death making it His instrument to bring about true life. He turns all endings into mini-death surrenders to His life-giving Lordship, because it is indeed finished. And we rise with Him in His resurrection life, of using even us in His global mission of putting things to rights.

"Death, you have no more sting!" Someday, all will be rightfully eternal; the fullest fullness will be fully realized. For now, we groan purposefully; hopeful and confident in His finished work that puts all endings to death, and rights all that is wrong—gradually, patiently, eventually.

May your endings of all kinds draw you closer to Him because of His loving, life-giving sacrifice, as you follow Him into the good fight, finishing your course, and keeping the faith in His end without end. Amen.

2008-09-29T10:59:00.000-07:00

Rain on Spiderweb

It rained all weekend in Philly. Since I've been under the weather (pardon the pun) it was a perfect weekend to relax and be inside.

2008-09-26T21:15:00.000-07:00

Gifts

A friend of mine lost his wife to cancer a month ago. His blog has been a constant encouragement to me. Yesterday he blogged about God's gifts to us. All of life is a gift from God; it is "something planned for us, not designed by us. Something received, not earned. Something shaped by HIM, the Giver of every perfect gift." The last 6 months have brought many different things in my life. Some have been hard, some have been wonderful, some have been clear and others confusing. Through it all, do I trust that God is in charge? I falter so, so often. Do I believe and trust that He works all things out for our best and His glory? Psalm 62 has been a comfort to me.

My soul finds rest in God alone;
my salvation comes from him... He alone is my rock and
my salvation; he is my fortress, I will never be shaken...Find rest,
O my soul, in God alone; my hope comes from him.
My salvation and my honor depend on God; he is my mighty rock,
my refuge... Trust in him at all times, O people; pour out your hearts to him, for God is our refuge. One thing God has spoken, two things have I heard: that you, O God, are strong, and that you, O Lord, are loving.

2008-09-22T21:21:00.000-07:00

Home Sweet Home

After a wonderful summer full of traveling it's good to be home. The red flowers (I forgot what kind they are) are still blooming and greet me as I walk up the stairs. My roommates (Rach in the white and Casey in the red) have started grad school at Westminster Seminary. We've all been traveling so much this summer, it hardly feels like we're roommates. I'm excited about getting into a rhythm of life together.

We spent Sunday afternoon laying in the sun- the last of it before fall and winter come. We read, slept and talked. It was the perfect beginning for the week.

2008-09-16T06:56:00.000-07:00

Abby Hunter and I are good friends and had lots of fun together while I was in Vienna. She let me use her scooter throughout the week. We had some girl time as we watched Little House on the Prairie. That TV series is a wonderful classic.

2008-09-13T04:06:00.000-07:00

Schombrunn Castle is on the agenda for this afternoon. I have the afternoon off so I'm going to put on running clothes and take my bus pass and the Hunter's extra cell phone and head to this beautiful, historical castle.

2008-08-29T14:02:00.000-07:00

Netflix has an extensive movie selection. Recently I've been going putting my childhood favorites in my queue. This week I watched the original Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory with Gene Wilder. I love the creativity in this movie and the good lessons of honesty, unselfishness and love it brings out. I think I will give the Johnny Depp one a chance.

2008-07-30T21:59:00.000-07:00

Batman: Incredible

2008-07-27T13:50:00.000-07:00

London

On our day off some of our team (Julien's and Jessica) went to central London. We saw Westminster Abbey first then Coventry Gardens for lunch. Then to the National Gallery & Trafalgar's Square. We took the tube to the Tower of London and walked around. For more pictures go here.

During LEAP we sang many wonderful songs. The one that went right to my heart is below:

My hope is built on nothing less
Than Jesus’ blood and righteousness.
I dare not trust the sweetest frame,
But wholly trust in Jesus’ Name.

On Christ the solid Rock I stand,
All other ground is sinking sand;
All other ground is sinking sand.

When darkness seems to hide His face,
I rest on His unchanging grace.
In every high and stormy gale,
My anchor holds within the veil.

His oath, His covenant, His blood,
Support me in the whelming flood.
When all around my soul gives way,
He then is all my Hope and Stay.

When He shall come with trumpet sound,
Oh may I then in Him be found.
Dressed in His righteousness alone,
Faultless to stand before the throne.

2008-06-24T19:08:00.000-07:00

Mini Florida/ Atlanta Vacation: June 13- 18

Sara's graduation from cosmetology school.

Linde's in pink. Yes, we're all summers.

Our beach.

Cousin Eric in ATL.

Friend from college & admissions: Pam

I also saw my college roommate, Sara, and another friend (her current roomie), Janna. It was wonderful to take a break from Philly and be with friends and family. More pictures here.

2008-05-28T13:46:00.000-07:00

Roomies: Casey and Rachel

After a rain there came a beautiful rainbow. This is from our new front door!

A shot from the sun room into the living and dining room. The couch and table are from the person before us. As of right now, we don't have any couches or tables. We ate lazania on the floor last night. Fun adventures!

2008-05-04T21:25:00.001-07:00

10-10-10

Rachel and I ran the Broad Street run on Sunday. It was TEN miles. The race went well. The last two miles were hard to push through but Rach challenged me and we finished strong. It was exhilarating to run with 22,000 other people! I'm so sore though- I can barely walk.

You can click here to see a picture slide show from the newspaper.

Philly skyline in the background.

Broad Street is the straightest street in Philly. The race is from the start to the end of Broad Street. It runs through many different kinds of neighborhoods.

We averaged TEN minutes per mile.

The finish line was the Navy Yard near all the stadiums.
That night we went to TENth Presbyterian for church.
It was a day of 10's.

2008-04-14T13:07:00.000-07:00

Running

Spring is here in Philadelphia. It makes my heart so happy. Running is a gift from God to me. Erik Liddle said it perfectly, "when I run I feel God's pleasure." When I run I think, dream, pray and let my mind wander. A run will aways do me good if I'm happy, sad or moody.

My favorite place to run in the city is Boathouse Row along the Schuylkill River. All the trees are in bloom. I'm not a sure all the names of the trees but I know some are cherry, weeping willows, lily trees and dogwood. I can't describe the beauty.

A few friends and I are training for the Broad Street 10 mile run. Last week I brought my camera on one of my runs to try to capture the beauty along the river. Below are a few of my shots. You can see more on my flickr page.

2008-03-24T07:03:00.001-07:00

Good Friday

I went to my church's Good Friday service. The church was dark and solemn, a few candles were light at the front of the church. We sang hymns about Christ's death. At the end of the service, we were given the opportunity to be prayed for by the elders and anointed with oil. We left the church quietly and in the dark.

This service was so powerful to me. The service didn't end on a happy note, it ended in the reality of Christ's death. He died a terrible death for me, for my sins. What amazing love. The Gospel is too good to be true and yet it is true. Easter Sunday was much more special for me because of the reality of Good Friday. The contrast of the two days was vivid. Thank you, God, for sending your only son to die for us. Thank you for raising him from the dead so that we can live in freedom and live forever with You. This is good news!

2008-02-21T08:00:00.000-08:00

Lunar Eclipse

A friend called me late tonight and said a Lunar Eclipse was happening as we talked. I had no idea. The next full Lunar eclipse won't happen until 2010. In the words of Emily Haymes' a Lunar eclipse is "the only time the Earth sees its own shadow."

2008-02-01T10:55:00.000-08:00

Covenant comes to Philly

Last week three girls from Covenant came to be assessed to join the Kenya team for a year. They were approved- no surprise there! I loved hanging out with them. We had dinner in Manayunk and then met with up with my roomie- Rachel- to see 27 Dresses.

2008-01-20T15:30:00.000-08:00

Still Sick

It's been a week of being under the weather. It's kind of a bummer but it's forcing me to rest. WHM has the day off tomorrow so that means one more day of low key activities. I look forward to catching up on emails and phone calls and getting back to life soon.

2008-01-12T10:07:00.001-08:00

Donovan...

Many of you know Dr. Donovan Graham. He taught at Covenant College for many years and was the school's chaplain for his last few years. He is now a missionary in Ireland with World Harvest Mission. He and Wilma travel to our fields to do missionary care. I am always blessed by their friendship. They were at the team leaders' retreat this past week. He's been trying for the last two years to get me to call him "Donovan" instead of "Dr. Graham." It's been hard but I think I'm now comfortable calling him "Donovan."

2008-01-09T11:45:00.002-08:00

Austria... is magnificent! Where we have been staying for the team leaders' retreat is absolutely beautiful! We had a day of skiing. I know I'll barely be able to walk tomorrow.

View from our room

Jamie & David- two of the three childminders for the missionary kids this week. They are apprentices in Spain with World Harvest.

2007-12-29T15:43:00.000-08:00

A Florida Christmas

It was wonderful to be home for Christmas. Mom encouraged all of us to take lots of pictures because at the end of the week we were going to scrapbook as a family. All 6 of us created a page for our new annual Christmas scrapbook. Each of our pages looked creative in different ways.

I've grown up in with warm Christmases. I've never thought going to the beach on Christmas day was a strange event. Well, when I went home this year I just couldn't believe that we went to the beach on the 25th!

Another thing I noticed during vacation was the safety in my home town. I hadn't realized how much I need to think about safety in Philly. I found it quite refreshing to be able to leave the front screen door open while I was home, not having to lock the car door for a quick trip into the store and not having to be painfully aware of my surrounds all the time. I was able to breath easier.

The West coast Linde's came for a few days. On Christmas day, my dad made arrangements so we each had a bike. The 12 Linde's went for a nice ride. It was so fun! The weather was perfect. My skin hasn't seen the sun in so long my shoulders got quite burned.

Other Christmas break highlights:

Sara dyed my hair- twice!
Went to the gym with my buff brother
Sale shopping was a must
Lot of yummy food including our yearly Swedish tradition of meatballs and Yule kaka (bread)
Matching sister shirts (see above pic)
More memories here

2007-12-09T18:16:00.000-08:00

Ebola Outbreak in Uganda on WHM website.

Want to donate to the Africa Response Fund?

2007-12-06T15:22:00.000-08:00

Brokenness

The last two weeks have been full of brokenness. There have been daily, even hourly reminders that we live in a very fallen world. I've always known we live in a broken world but it's hitting close to home. I want this to be an honest and yet hopeful post so I'm not going to run through the list of reminders of this broken world. In the midst extreme sadness, confusion and tiredness I know God is who he says he is. I know the Holy Spirit is giving us grace to make it through each moment. A friend reminded us this morning at staff prayer that when life doesn't make sense at deep, deep levels, we can only run to Jesus because he has the words of life. John 6: 68-69 says, "Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. We believe and know that you are the Holy One of God." It's King Jesus who hangs on to us when our faith is weak.

Many of you have heard about the Ebola epidemic in Uganda. Our WHM team has been greatly affected. The tone at home office is heavy, sad and clinging to Jesus and his promises. I greatly encourage you to read the blog of the doctors who have stayed in Bundibugyo to help with the Ebola epidemic. Their children and the rest of team were evacuated to Kampala earlier this week. Each post is powerful. Click here for the blog link: Myhre's blog

Last night Rachel and I were at Young Lives Club. I said hi to a friend and they asked how I was doing. I can't lie when life is rough. I don't have the gift of faking it so I said I was tiered and worn out from seeing all the brokenness in the world. They wrote me an encouraging email later that night. "You are at the point where your gifts will not help, but his Grace will be sufficient for you. Without ignoring the pain or denying the weight you carry for yourself, your friends, Uganda, your missionaries-- God is placing you right where he wants you-- naked before him, open to the cold-- ready to rest in the warm blanket of his embrace... Monica, go there!

Tears came to my eyes as I read these words. God will still use my gifts in the midst of the sadness but I'm realizing that my gifts won't fix the problems, pain and sadness. The graphic picture of my expose before God was hard to read and yet beautiful. I can be as I am before him and he loves me. May He give each of us the strength to "go there" with him.

2007-11-27T19:56:00.001-08:00

Thanksgiving in Philly

Thanksgiving dinner was small and wonderful. Christie came from Florida and Brooks came from Boston. Janine, a dear friend from work, came as well. We had a boxed and canned Thanksgiving dinner. We splurged on the ham and bought a real honey baked ham. Delicious!

Brooks playing the guitar at our cousin's house

Will's (my cousin) 2 of 3 daughters

Christie showed Olivia how to play a duet

More Thanksgiving pictures here.

2007-11-21T08:37:00.000-08:00

A Marshmallow World

Usually I show great restraint in listening to Christmas music until after Thanksgiving. This year is different. Bethany and I are the only staff in the MOB department today. She had Pandora Macy's Holiday mix on her computer. I gave her a hard time about it but within 10 minutes I was listening to Christmas music. So much for restraint! A Marshmallow
World by Frank Sinatra is one of those happy, get-you-in-the-mood-for-
the-holidays songs.

Christie (sister) and Brooks (cousin) come to Philadelphia tomorrow to share Thanksgiving with me. My friend, Janine, from WHM will join us for Thanksgiving dinner. She and I went grocery shopping yesterday. Our theme is "Boxed and Canned." No fresh or homemade dishes allowed! I'm looking forward to a relaxing Thanksgiving dinner at my house with family and a good friend.

God is good. All the time, God is good. Happy Thanksgiving!

2007-11-06T13:08:00.000-08:00

Parking Tickets

My sister, Sara, and I chatted a few minutes last night. We decided parts of center city Philly are so look nice because the city gives out lots of parking tickets. Ask Sara sometime about her ticket adventures in Philly because she got a few tickets and was only here 2 months.

I contested a parking ticket last week for a ticket I got about a month ago. They forgave the ticket! Yeah! The story: On a beautiful Saturday morning, I went to the South Philly Aveda Institute to get my haircut. One of the girls ran out to feed my meter. There was a parking ticket on my windshield with FOUR minutes still on the meter! She returned to tell me, I quickly paid for the haircut and ran out to my car. I spent 45 minutes looking for a meter maid.

The ticket was only $26 but still- it was an unfair $26. Lesson learned: take a picture with my camera phone to prove I had 4 minutes left on the meter.

Last night I was in Manayunk and happened to find a meter that was broken so I got 2 1/2 hours of free parking. Thanks, Philly!

2007-10-29T07:02:00.000-07:00

Living Sacrifices & Love

Romans 12 is the chapter that I'm reading these days. The themes are living sacrifices and love. As I read it this morning I was hit with how impossible it is to live this chapter out without the Holy Spirit. Who wants to be a living sacrifice? That sounds painful. It calls for constantly laying down our lives for others. I'm called to be "joyful in hope... patient in affliction... faithful in prayer... live in harmony with one another... if at all possible as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone." My heart is not responding to these words this morning. It's too hard. I don't have the strength to do these things. I know in my heart that I'm never able to do these things in my own strength but I trick myself into thinking it's in my strength that I lay down my life and love others. Holy Spirit, I need you to invade my dead heart today.

2007-10-23T07:31:00.001-07:00

Will Fall truly come this year?

Global warming- the leaves are FINALLY starting to turn. Guess how warm it is outside though? 75 to 80 degrees everyday! It's crazy to see leaves turning and being outside in a tank top and flip flops.

I'm thankful Winter will be shorter this year but I'm going to be sad if we only have two weeks of fall. The switch has been made: winter clothes are in my closet and dresser and the summer clothes are packed away in the basement.

This is a picture from my front porch- our leaves haven't turned much yet but our street will be beautiful when the trees are full of color.

2007-10-20T17:40:00.000-07:00

Went to a friend's house for a fun Friday night. Guess what we started doing after dinner? You'll never guess so I'll tell you. We colored. That's right, Jennifer is into art these days and she bought professional level pastels, water colors and colored pencils. We colored for a while- it was so relaxing. My picture was a Florida tropical scene including palm tree, sand, water, sharks and a bright sun. After our art session was over we watched Dirty Filthy Love. It was a 2007 Sundance movie. The preview made it sound hilarious and light. In reality, it was slightly depressing. The main character has turrets syndrome and also has a severe case of obsessive-compulsive disorder. During the movie I felt I had OCD and turrets. Needless to say, not a good feeling. This movie is still haunting Jennifer.

My next post may deal with life instead of movies. :-)

2007-10-06T13:48:00.000-07:00

A friend and I went to see Across the Universe last night. We didn't have plans after dinner and thought we'd go see a movie. I always plan ahead when I go to a movie but last night we drove by a few theaters to see what and when they were playing movies and then picked one. Thankfully, the Ritz theaters in Philly are close together. We killed an hour before the movie started.

Ever since I saw the preview for Across the Universe I was excited to see it. The movie exceeded my expectations! I recommend this movie. I was worried that the movie was going to be depressing because it was about star crossed lovers during the Vietnam war. I was also worried that they weren't going to use the Beatles' songs wisely and well. Boy was I wrong. The movie was a beautiful musical that used the songs ingeniously. The timing and rhythm throughout the movie was beautiful. I'm not an excellent movie critic so I found a review that phrases my thoughts well.

One of my favorite scenes was when Jim Sturgess sings Strawberry Fields Forever. It's an emotional scene as Jim creates art using strawberries that , like his heart, are depicted as bleeding.

Watch it. You won't be disappointed.

2007-10-01T20:27:00.000-07:00

Fun Quiz

My friend showed me this website by HG- TV. You can go to their website and take their 10 question quiz. Then they tell you your decorating style. Fun.

They said I'm Ethnic Eclectic...

Your style is a mix of bohemian chic and contemporary ethnic flair. Whether you travel extensively or shop locally, chances are good that your home is filled with a collection of interesting accessories. By contrast, a neutral color scheme and furniture with simple lines is the best backdrop to accentuate your most colorful pieces. To achieve this mix-and-match design style, look to nature. "The concern with the environment is playing a big role in interior design trends – from colors you find in nature, to high-end natural fibers in wall coverings, to exotic woods and stone being used throughout the home," says Denise Turner, an interior designer in Alta Loma, California. It's all about simple lines and natural materials as a backdrop for your collectables and artwork.

2007-09-22T13:08:00.000-07:00

Rach and I were honored to hang out with Ben's for his last night in the US of A. Good conversation at Tierra Colombiana for drinks.
Three of the four guys going to London. The other Ben hopes to join Ben, Adam and Daniel in a month or so. This picture was taken at the Jenkintown train station just before they boarded for the trip to the Philly airport.

2007-09-17T06:18:00.000-07:00

Interactive map of violence in Philly

Very interesting...

http://www.philly.com/inquirer/special/violence/

2007-08-15T20:30:00.000-07:00

Recent Movies Watched

Last night I finished Philadelphia. It's the first Hollywood movie that dealt with AIDS in America. Tom Hanks plays a homosexual lawyer with AIDS. Denzel Washington plays the reluctant lawyer to advocate Hank's case. Powerful & real... it's an excellent movie! It won a few Oscars in 1993.

The Ten- a movie I watched last week with my new roommates. It's comprised of 10 short stories inspired by, not based, on the Ten Commandments. Overall, this movie is crude & sacrilegious. The cast is good and the movie is hilarious at parts and keeps your attention. I don't recommend this movie. Maybe I'm not cultured enough or don't know how to better interpret this movie. Thoughts?

2007-08-08T07:40:00.000-07:00

Natalie Grant has been on my iTunes for months now but I haven't listened to the album. I'm at a coffee shop with Rach doing work stuff and decided to listen to Ms. Grant. Wow. Powerful, beautiful music. I'm struck by the words of The Real Me. How freeing to know that God knows the real me. Read and ponder.

Foolish heart, looks like we're here again.
Same old game of plastic smile,
Don't let anybody in.
Hiding my heartache,
Will this glass house break?
How much will it take before I'm empty?
Do I let it show?
Does anybody know?

CHORUS:
But You see the real me.
Hiding in my skin, broken from within.
Unveil me completely.
I'm loosening my grasp,
There's no need to mask my frailty
Cause You see the real me.

Painted on, life is behind a mask,
Self-inflicted circus clown.
I'm tired of the song and dance,
Living a charade, always on parade.
What a mess I've made of my existence.
But You love me even now
And still I see somehow...

Wonderful, beautiful is what you see
When You look at me.
You're turning the tattered fabric of my life
Into a perfect tapestry.
Oh, I just wanna be me,
I wanna be me.

and you love me just as i am.
wonderful, beautiful is what you see
when you look at me.

2007-07-30T13:15:00.001-07:00

Ireland- Dublin Prayer Conference

2007-07-17T03:03:00.001-07:00

From Ireland

I've been in Ireland for 5 days now- half way through my time in this beautiful country. The schedule is packed with worship, Irish speakers, ministry sites and people. I love it! Before I landed in Ireland my days were full of packing my home and office, unpacking in my new home and finalizing details for the church teams heading to Ireland. Now my days are full of catching up with interns, apprentices & missionaries and getting to know the Americans who are here for the Dublin Prayer Conference. This is what I enjoy- sitting down with people, hearing their stories and having Kingdom conversations. People give me energy but after 5 days straight I need pull away a bit and have Monica time.

There's a quiet room right off the kitchen at the YWCA in Greystones that I'm blogging from. The picture above is a bay in Greystones. I'll post more pictures from the trip on my flickr site when I return. Greystones is a small, sleepy town about 15 miles south of Dublin on the coast. One of the interns and I went on a run last night on the beach. We started the run at 10:00PM!!! In the summer here the sun rises at 4:00AM and doesn't set until 10:30/11ish.

Thank you for your prayers. Please continue to pray that the Lord sustains us as we pray and walk alongside the Irish and American missionaries.

2007-07-09T06:51:00.000-07:00

Passport Found!

Thank you, for praying that I'd find my passport. I looked through a few boxes after I returned home late last night from Chatty. I went to bed resting that God would show me where I lost my passport or had some reason for me not to go to Ireland on Thursday. This morning, I looked through a few more boxes as I got ready for work. I took a small box labeled "random/ misc." from a shelf. I hadn't even opened all four flaps before I saw the little navy book with gold writing: "Passport: United States of America." Nothing can go wrong today!!!! I'm so happy. :-) I'll post pictures from my time in Chatty soon. Thanks again for praying! Unless I misplace my passport before Thursday, I 'll be heading to Ireland that night. Yeah!

2007-07-03T10:43:00.000-07:00

Thanks... God is faithful

The move went well! About a dozen people showed up to help load and unload my stuff. We started a little after 5:00pm and were done with all the moving AND dinner by 8:00pm! The house is a mess but all my stuff and Sara's stuff is in one place. We went back to my old house to clean and make one last trip. I was in bed by midnight- a long, tiring but good day. Thanks for praying! I knew people were praying. God's peace surpassed my understanding and his grace was big enough for it all. Why am I still surprised at this?

This morning brought new adventures. When I got out of the car today at work I heard a hissing sound. Sure enough- it was my tire loosing air. Within 5 minutes my tire was flat.

Tuesday is prayer meeting and two missionaries were in town. Robert & Lois Carr- missys in Nairobi, Kenya and Jason & Amber Kidner- missys in Southall, London. Robert is the field director for East Africa and are back for a few months. Jason and Amber got married 3 weeks ago. They will come through A&O in September in hopes to return to the field as a couple. What a blessing to be in partnership with these couples.

Paul shared a wonderful devotion about how we tend to act like orphans instead of adopted children who have the full rights and privileges to our Kingly Father. Just imagine Jesus in a palace in the center of extensive grounds. We say to Him, "I'm busy with fixing this fence, Dad. I'll spend time with you later. I'd love to hang out with you when I get all the things on my list finished." I do this to my Dad all the time. Yes, we need to get things done, yes, God's called us to Kingdom work but not at the cost of spending time with our Daddy.

Paul asked us if our problems have consumed us? Are we living on the estate like we own the land because we're adopted or like orphans? Are we running to our heavenly Father? Why do we avoid Him? Where do we scurry away to instead of to His palace?

A friend and co-worker and I went out at lunch to get my tire fixed. $15.90 isn't too painful, especially when we also stopped at Rita's on the way back to work.

2007-07-02T08:25:00.001-07:00

Monica Needs Prayer Today!!!

Will you guys pray for me? I've had some anxiety about my move to the city. There are a few factors:

I don't feel 100% ready with all the packing. Sara and I weren't feeling well last night so we didn't get a lot of packing done. I leave work at 1pm today and my friends come at 5pm to help move me- so we will have some time to finish the packing.
I know I have expectations about moving into the city. I know I still have somewhat of a romantic view of living in a needy neighborhood, ministering and hanging out with neighbors.
Adjustment to new roommates. New friendships in the house. New pace of life.
I work all day Tuesday then leave for Chattanooga on Wednesday morning. The house will still be a mess with boxes all over the place. Not my ideal but the way it's going to be.
The great team coming to move today is great- I feel loved. I want to communicate my appreciation and not waste their time. Fear of people is the issue on this one. Will they think I'm disorganized? Will they think I have too much stuff?

Thanks for praying!

2007-06-29T10:22:00.000-07:00

I love technology!

WHM is working to update all our technology before the office move in two weeks. A generous donor funded the technology upgrade. Our system is now 10x faster than our old one! I don't know what to do with this much speed. I used to start to open a program and then go back to Outlook to do email until it loaded. I no longer can multi-task.

My computer was one of the worst in the office so I was a priority to get a new computer. Chris, our computer guy, set up my new IBM ThinkPad earlier this week and today I he set a 20 inch, flat screen. What a nice surprise to see when I got back from lunch!

2007-06-27T18:55:00.001-07:00

Welcome to Philly, Sara!!!

Karen Joy, Leah, Jonah and Talitha had a welcome dinner and dessert for Sara. It's so nice to come home to a family member. She is hoping to start at Starbuck's soon.

Sara flew into PHilly on Saturday. That morning I had a yard sale. Sara called me two hours into the yard sale and I had made $4. Oh well. By the time we cleaned up I had made about $70- enough to rent a U-haul van for the move day. God provides.

2007-06-21T20:22:00.000-07:00

Dear Friends,

My dad and I talked Monday about my grandmother. Last week I had a bit of inaccurate information. The procedure they did on her last week was to take a sample of the lumps they found, not to remove them. The lumps they found were cancerous.

She had gone to the doctor's office Monday to check if the results were coming in soon, not thinking the doctor would be in the office. However, he was in for a short time and out of courtesy took her into his office and told her that the results showed she had cancer.

As you could imagine, by herself (she had no one along) the news hit her as quite a shock . She and my Aunt Marlys meet with the doctor again yesterday for further discussion and potential steps to take next.

The doctor will do a lumpsectomy, followed by radiation. If all goes well, that will be the of her breast cancer. Please pray for her peace, strength and faith. Thanks for caring and for praying.

Monica

2007-06-18T14:51:00.000-07:00

Living in the Present

The last 3 weeks have been crazy at the Sending Center. We had 30 interns. The next week we had an A&O class of 9. Last week phase two of the interns came through for orientation. I LOVE having all these great students and adults in the SC. It gives me such energy.

July is going to be crazy busy. I'm moving into the city in 2 weeks, then going to Chatty for 5 days, back to Philly for a few days, Ireland for 10 days, back to Philly for a few days then going to Altoona, PA for a college roommate's wedding. I'm her wedding planner so I'll be there a few days early. It's all fun stuff but lots of moving and packing and unpacking.

Please pray that I'm able to live day to day. It's been OK but the last week I've started to get stressed about moving stuff, my sister moving up here, my job, etc. It's just busy. I don't like being this busy. I can't wait for things to slow down in August and yet I know God calls me to live in the present.

2007-06-13T07:45:00.000-07:00

Grandma Linde & Muffey

Some of you knew that my Grandma Linde had breast surgery yesterday afternoon. Thanks for your prayers. I talked with my dad this morning. The surgery went well. Hopefully they were able to remove both lumps. The biopsy results will come back Monday. Please pray that she doesn’t have cancer. If she does, she says she doesn’t want treatment. My grandfather passed away this past fall and she really misses him. Pray that she decides to fight- especially if a more aggressive surgery could take care of it. She loves the Lord with all her heart and is at peace about her future. Pray that my family and I would rest in Jesus’ care for us and her. Here's a pic of her with 2 of her 3 kids this May.

My parents are going to put my dog, Muffey, to sleep today. When I was home in June they told me they were going to put her down and so I said my goodbyes to her. We’ve had her since I was 10. She’s old and in a lot of pain. They think she has cancer through her whole body. Please pray for my siblings as they say goodbye to her today- Christie, Sara and Peter. The appointment is this afternoon.

2007-06-09T18:52:00.000-07:00

Email a bouquet of flowers to someone.

2007-06-08T16:16:00.000-07:00

Hope

Hope means to keep living
amid depression
and to keep humming
in the darkness.
Hoping is knowing that there is love,
it is trust in tomorrow
it is falling asleep
and waking again
when the sun rises.
In the midst of a gale at sea,
it is to discover land.
In the eyes of another
It is to see that he understands you.

As long as there is still hope
There will also be prayer.

And God will be holding you
in his hands.

~Henri Nouwen
With Open Hands

2007-06-04T17:43:00.000-07:00

Squirming

God is trying to teach us things when we're at low points in of life. My normal reaction has been to work to climb out of the valley. This is not the way God intended it to be. We're not supposed to sit still in the valley and be passive. We're also not supposed to strive to get out of the valley and miss the lessons God wants to teach us. We're supposed to squirm. Squirm because we're not content to stay there. God, teach us to welcome you into the mess of life. Teach us to squirm.

2007-05-28T19:13:00.000-07:00

What American accent do you have? Your Result: The West Your accent is the lowest common denominator of American speech. Unless you're a SoCal surfer, no one thinks you have an accent. And really, you may not even be from the West at all, you could easily be from Florida or one of those big Southern cities like Dallas or Atlanta.
The Midland
Boston
North Central
The Inland North
Philadelphia
The South
The Northeast
What American accent do you have? Quiz Created on GoToQuiz

Yep- I'm a Floridian. This was a fun quiz to take try it. The red lines didn't come through for the bottom accents to indicate how much of these accents I possess. They are in order or the most like me to the least. A friend & WHM missy gave me the idea from her blog:
http://www.eurorebs.com/blog/2007/03/phillies.php

2007-05-23T08:29:00.001-07:00

A friend recently asked me what kind of music I listen to. I always have a hard time with this question. Besides the fact that I have a hard time putting tunes with artists, I'm all over the map with my music. I like to say I'm well rounded. :-) My mood dictates the genre of music I'll listen to. My pattern is to listen to a few cd's at a time until I'm sick of them or until someone presents new music to me. I don't actively seek new music but am always open to suggestions. I welcome recommendations.

Currently in my ipod & computer at work:

Keith Green
Eva Cassidy
Sarah McLachlan
Little Women soundtrack
Third Day
The Temptations
Beatles
Postal Service
Rigoletto soundtrack
Gospel
Allison Krause
Jump 5
Nickel Creek
Casting Crowns
Dixie Chicks
Vivaldi- the Four Seasons
Flaming Lips
Sufjan Stevens
Martina McBride
Cold Play
Abba

2007-05-17T17:01:00.000-07:00

Peter Herron & Janet Talley got married last Saturday. The wedding was a wonderful reunion. What a blessing to see people I hadn't seen in so long. It was great to Dan & Shanna & their new little boy- Eli.
He's one cuddly baby.

Tomorrow I'm leaving for Florida. My little brother, Peter, is graduating from high school. Pray that I wake up in time to catch the train to the airport at 5:45AM. Yikes. Better not stay up too late.

Can't wait to put my toes in this sand.

2007-05-15T17:44:00.000-07:00

Amy Claire (& her firstborn, Brighton)

We weren't friends in college- we ran in different circles but our paths now cross frequently in Philly. Her blog is one I check regularly. Her post on Mother's Day is one of my favorite. http://minismith.com/home/the-culprit
She's been working to put all her entries into categories so you can click on "family," "faith," "recipes" or other categories. No matter your gender or status in life you will be uplifted by her honesty and love for the Gospel.

2007-05-10T16:48:00.000-07:00

I sold my car... finally!

2007-05-03T12:24:00.000-07:00

Motivating words from my pastor's weekly update:

I think that's it for now, except to ask you to pray for one person by name, who you know is troubled or in conflict and needs God's peace. Would you share with that person what God is showing you these days about conflict and peace here at New Life, and invite him/her to come with you on Sunday? Don't keep it to yourself! It's too good not to share! People are dying for Good News, and by the grace of God you've got it! Turn it loose!

Please come "prayed up" and "looking up" in anticipation of what the Lord will do as He "shows up"...

Blessings in Christ,
Pastor John

2007-05-01T20:51:00.000-07:00

Spilling Open

by Sabrina Ward Harrison

My friend Tammy showed me this book. It's the journal of a 19 year old that she published at 25 years of age. It's a work of art. Amazing & inspiring.

I've only read a few entries but here's a taste of what she's written:

"I sat on the bench outside of class today and talked to Jon. I read to him from my journal, it was the part about the accordion player I was watching on the street last weekend. He said that an accordion is such a perfect metaphor for love, because you are always opening, and closing, shifting and getting air, and that's how the music happens. True."

Sabrina writes a lot about accepting and loving who you are. More treats:

"If we let ourselves be truly seen than we can be truly loved."

"I'm afraid to show you who I really am, because if I show you who I really am, you might not like it and that's all I've got."

"I want to stop sucking in- stop holding my breath- stop covering up. Let g0- it isn't worth it. I can't think of one good reason to keep up the act of being more (or less) than I need. If I can't love myself... then he certainly can't love me."

"Trying to change myself to fit some ideal seems to be an endless and dehydrating way to live."

Does this drawing of a woman look familiar? She did the art for one of the albums for Sixpence None the Richer.

2007-05-01T20:06:00.000-07:00

Scoop

Just watched Scoop with a friend. Woody Allen is the director & writer. It was released in 2006. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0457513/

2007-04-18T10:03:00.000-07:00

Faxing the Vatican

Today I faxed the Vatican to set up a tour for a group of WHM people. Dan & Bob are taking a few potential missionaries to a few of our fields in the next two weeks. They will be visiting our team in Rome and hope to visit the Vatican while they’re there. One of my jobs as the MOB Administrator is to set up the tour for the six of them. The way the Vatican works is you have to fax your information to them and wait for their response. I just think it’s crazy that I can say, “well, I faxed the Vatican today.”

The group is going to take the tour that will allow them to see the Sistine Chapel. Taken from Wikipedia: "The Sistine Chapel (Italian: Cappella Sistina) is a chapel in the Apostolic Palace, the official residence of the Pope, in the Vatican City. Its fame rests on its architecture, which evokes Solomon's Temple of the Old Testament, its decoration, frescoed throughout by the greatest Renaissance artists, including Michelangelo whose ceiling is legendary, and its purpose, as a site of papal religious and functionary activity, notably the conclave, at which a new Pope is selected." http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sistine_Chapel

2007-04-16T10:06:00.000-07:00

The office is quiet today. The glaring florescent lights are off and Matthew and I have our living room, Ikea lights on. It's real nice.

2007-04-02T16:46:00.000-07:00

Kimiko & Garrett
March 31, 2007

What a blessing to witness the marriage of Kimiko & Garrett. Instead of having a receiving line they returned to the sanctuary and dismissed each row. They were able to greet each guest this way. What a great idea!

We danced the night away. The bride and groom left around 11:30 and the last few of us left at midnight. Now that's a party!

Keren was beautiful in her bridesmaid dress. She also sang at the reception.

WHM friends

The day after the wedding the New City folk were at my church for Palm Sunday. This is Kimiko's home church. My worlds came together and Randy coined the phrase "Philla-nooga."

Jim & Joan played a song during worship

More wedding pictures:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/monicatulip/sets/72157600039448276/

2007-03-19T14:40:00.000-07:00

Thanks for all the "Happy birthday's." Each one was special!!!!

The staff decorated my office.

Leah, Brae, Amy: some of the girls that came to the Melting Pot for my birthday dessert.

2007-03-13T19:06:00.000-07:00

Nostalgia.
Chatty found me in Birmingham!

Clumpies opened a store in B'ham about a year ago. LB and I passed it on our walk and I made a mental note. My cousin, Jordan, is a freshman at Samford in B'ham. He and I went out for Thai and then Clumpies for desserJordan. French silk tasted the same in B'ham as it does in Chatty.

Interesting March flavors. I tasted Guinness... let's just say it's much better as a drink.

2007-03-11T18:58:00.000-07:00

Weekend in Birmingham, AL

LB took me to this great little place for brunch after our long walk.

Laura Beth

The cups and saucers were handpainted.

Brunch

We sat outside but inside was set up like a taste of Europe.

Here comes the bride.

Mr. & Mrs. Powell

LBT & Me

Yang & Me

Her parents bought her this veil in France a few years ago before she had even met Chris. Absolutely stunning!!!

Off to Chatty for their first night.

I snapped this from LB's sunroof as we drove home after the wedding. I was on a high. It was 74 degrees and beautiful. The weekend away was refreshing to my soul. It was a treat to be in the South again. People who you don't know actually smile as you go by. Thanks for hosting me, LB. You're welcome in Philly anytime.

2007-03-02T09:54:00.000-08:00

Marissa Sheaman

Marissa and I first met through World Harvest at LEAP 2005. (http://whm.org/go/vision-trips/london) She came through Assessment & Orientation (A&O) in December. She did her undergrad in art at Westmont and then got her masters at Boston University in fine art in studio teaching. Check out her artwork online. http://www.zhibit.org/msheaman Excellent drawings, Marisssa!

She came to A&O with these crazy cats.

2007-02-28T09:59:00.000-08:00

You know how you can be reading your friend's blog and they a link to their friend's blog and suddenly you find yourself reading blogs of people you don't even know? This happened to be today as I was reading Amy Smith's blog. She had a link to her friend Natalee's blog. I have no idea who Natalee is but her entry titled "Aromatherapy" ministered to my heart and soul this afternoon. Enjoy- soak it in...

Aromatherapy

"For we are to God the aroma of Christ." 2 Corinthians 2:15

It was like a shot of adrenaline to read this the other day. I've read it many times, but something different happened that day.

It sunk it. A light came on. The Spirit breathed life into it.

I can't believe that I don't have to go around "striving" to be the aroma of Christ. I am. I already am. That is what Jesus did on the cross. He took away my stench, my rot, and instead when the Father sees me, He smells...inhales Jesus....

Like lavender, or night jasmine or bbq or garlic in wine and butter...but better, so much better.

I'm nothing short of lovely. Perfect. Miraculous. That's what Jesus did. He made an exchange. Him for me. Who He is for who I am.

What would it look like if I actually started believing this? Living like this is true. Like I have nothing to prove. What if I started dealing in the reality that there is a God and His relationship with me is one of Father. Friend. Dare I say, confidant, even?

Maybe it would be ok to feel pain. To heal. To not go around providing for myself. Maybe I wouldn't care what my house looked like. Maybe I would tithe more. My money worries would begin to melt. Maybe I would start praying for the house that I can't afford downtown because He can do that. Maybe I wouldn't clean as often or feel the need to read parenting books. Or maybe at times I would clean more often. Maybe I would buy that lavender fabric softener that is a bit more expensive or maybe I'd wait because He'd give me something better because He made me to like lavender fabric softener and He cares about that. Maybe I would quit my Bible study. Maybe I would never darken the doors of Wal-mart again. Perhaps I would seek first His kingdom because I desperately want others to experience His extravagance. Or maybe I would stand up for all of us mothers who get handed mothering "to do" lists and only get challenged to be "mothers" and nothing else by some. Maybe I would love and engage those people who tell me that instead of being synical. Perhaps I would start wearing pointy toed shoes occasionally and care to be feminine and beautiful. I might start to paint. Or not feel guilty that I'm not painting. Maybe I'd get over myself and put Abe in short-alls because I'm in Greenville. Music would be better. I'd probably laugh more. Or be ok when I'm not laughing.

Overall, resting in this Jesus...is better. Much better. I was able to rest today. And if He can do that for me...an anxious, fearful, disbelieving, guilty ridden woman...

2007-02-25T18:40:00.000-08:00

Never mind what I said in my previous post about the snow melting...

The snow started to fall this afternoon and isn't supposed to stop until tomorrow night. I took this picture at a city park I enjoy visiting. The snow is a wet snow so you can hear the snow as it hits the ground & roof of the house.

This is the same park in November

Kids playing Ring Around the Rosy in the park

My shoes playing in the snow

2007-02-24T12:08:00.000-08:00

Melted snow in Philly

The snow in Philly has pretty much melted. It's always pretty the first few days but then it turns into dirty slush mixed with ice. Dangerous combination. This is a picture of our house.

This afternoon I am at my favorite coffee shop in Chestnut Hill working on my finances. I haven't done budget maintenance for a quite a while so I'm tackling in one afternoon.

Hope whoever is reading this has a good weekend.

2007-02-21T19:37:00.000-08:00

New Running Shoes

Talitha and I went on our first run together this afternoon. I christened my new shoes. There is such a difference in running in new shoes. It's still light when I get off work so there is more motivation to fun. Plus the weather is warming up which helps as well.

2007-02-20T10:34:00.000-08:00

Donivan, are you reading this post?

If I write about YOU on my blog I expect you to read my blog. :-) It was a blessing to catch up with you last night on the phone. Thanks for the words of encouragement, your honesty and for asking questions that didn't allow an easy answer.

2007-02-19T08:59:00.000-08:00

26 degrees in Philly. Weather.com says it "feels like 14 degrees." Is it ready to be spring yet?

2007-02-14T09:38:00.000-08:00

My Valentines: Dad, Mom, Christie, Sara & Peter

Matthew, a friend and co-worker posted a sweet Valentine to his wife on her blog this morning.

"Amy, you are my pink. Will you keep marrying me every morning? I promise to keep you filled with coffee and give you something to be passionate about. Even if it means being passionately annoyed!"

So, so sweet, Matthew. Good job! Check out the post and enjoy Matthew's creativity & Amy's good words. http://minismith.com/

2007-02-13T20:08:00.001-08:00

Stuart Beach

The water really was this color!

2007-02-11T16:57:00.000-08:00

More Pictures from Stuart, Florida

Peter was presented with a scholarship at the Martin County Fair's opening night.

Walking around the fairgrounds brought back memories of high school. I entered photographs, sewing and science projects in 4-H.

The hat was bought for the fair. :-)

2007-02-10T07:29:00.000-08:00

Florida is beauful! It's 75 degrees... oh it's good to be home.

Family Picture

Christie-the birthday girl

Cynthia Roderick, Mom and me at Christie's 24th bday party.

2007-02-01T20:11:00.000-08:00

Currin trying on Dior sunglasses.

We couldn't keep all our shopping in bags of the back of the PT Cruiser.
Fun times with the Nabor girls- all day shopping. What a blessing to see them in Florida and hang out. Randy was teaching on mercy ministry and inner city churches.