Sarah Campbell's Blog

New Blog...

2007-10-31T17:24:00.000-05:00

Hello Everyone. It has been a crazy summer...it is my busiest time of year. I am hoping to get back into blogging soon - but at a new location - http://web.mac.com/kevandsarah. My laptop crashed so we have become mac users, and I am so amazed at how easy it is to make a webiste on their web program. So I hope you check out our website and new blog!

Monday Nights

2007-06-11T10:34:00.000-05:00

I am going to miss Monday nights. The past year Kevin and I have had a group of Senior boys from the youth group over for dinner every Monday night. I fix a meal and we sit or stand around the table - eat, have good conversations and grow in relationship with one another. This years group of boys started with only four and by the end of the year there were 10 coming on every Monday night. It was such a blessing to feed them and listen to them interact with one another and with Kevin. Kevin and I have grown to love these boys and are excited for their next stage in life. They have all recently graduated and we cannot wait to see how the Lord is going to use them in this world. They are amazing men of God.

Pepperdine

2007-05-14T16:44:00.000-05:00

I have fallen behind on my posts. As soon as Kevin and I got back from our trip to Vegas and Cali I hit the ground running with our Youth Group's Garage Sale to raise money for our summer mission trips. So sorry this is kind of old news.

We had a great trip to Pepperdine. We went to a Dodger's game with the Lavendar's. We had all-you-can-eat Dodger Dogs and sat in the outfield. It was a blast and really neat to see to be at a baseball field that I had never been to before. It was fun.

We stayed with a friend of ours named Jen and slept in late everyday. We ate some great food - Marmalade's, BJ's, etc. I also helped lead a middle/high school oriented event during Pepperdine Lectures called The View. I had a blast working alongside Jim Hinkle. We had some great speakers come in - Mitch Wilburn, Jeff Walling and Sean Palmer. All who did an excellent job. The students were fun to get to know and hang out with for 3 days.

This trip was such a blessing for Kevin and I. We got to relax and not think about work. It was good to do that for a week. We are very thankful to God for this time to get away.

Viva Las Vegas

2007-05-08T22:49:00.000-05:00

A little over a week ago Kev and I went to Vegas for Kev's cousin's wedding. It was a great time to be with the family. We spent the long weekend hanging out at the pool, sleeping in late, we caught a show and did the wedding thing. This is the 2nd time Kevin and I have been to Vegas. We like going much better during the week, instead of the weekend. My favorite part of Vegas is the water show at the Bellagio. On our first trip we missed it - it must have been under repair - but this time it was going every 15 minutes or so.

If you have never been it is the water show see in Ocean 11 and it is coordinated to music. It was also my favorite part of Jodie and Derrick's wedding. They got married on a balcony at the Bellagio and when they were pronounced husband and wife the water show began to the music of their wedding. It was so cool. Here are some pics from the weekend. Enjoy.

New Addition

2007-04-23T21:59:00.000-05:00

It is always fun to find a good buy in the most unlikely places. For my birthday my parents bought us tickets to the Stock Show and Rodeo - we had a blast - I blogged about it in March - but that is besides the point. While we were at the Stock Show and Rodeo, enjoying the vendors and great food - we came upon a vendor selling furniture. We had been talking about getting a new kitchen table and chairs and guess what - we found it at the Stock Show and Rodeo, of all places. It was the exact kind that Kevin and I had been talking about. We inquired about the price and it was an incredible deal. We decided we couldn't pass it up, so we bought it. We had to wait a couple of months in order to get it, but it is in and we love it.

He Is Risen...

2007-04-10T17:27:00.000-05:00

I absolutely love Easter! It is probably one of my favorite holidays. It is the day that we remember and celebrate Christ's resurrection! Some of my favorite things about this Easter are:

1. He is Risen! He is Risen Indeed!

2. Passion Week - this is an activity we have done with the youth group for the past 5 years. We get together with some of our fellow downtown churches and have a service every night of the week, beginning of Palm Sunday and ending with a sunrise service on Easter morning. As a youth group we get the chance to walk alongside of Jesus on His way to the cross.

3. The snow - yes - it snowed in Texas the day before Easter and we had snow covered buildings on Easter morning.

4. Sunrise Service - there is nothing like celebrating the resurrection of the Lord first thing in the morning. As the service begins you go from the darkness of the crucifixion and the grave to the rising of the sun, which symbolizes just that - the rising of the Son!

5. The flowering of the cross - turning a piece of wood that symbolizes death into something beautiful that symbolizes new life.

6. Val singing Arise My Love on Thursday and Sunday morning.

7. The picture the Maxwell's painted at our Tuesday night Passion Week Service - how powerful it was, especially for those who had never seen them paint before.

8. The Jones Cream Soda after the lenten season.

9. Watching the Masters with some of our friends on Sunday afternoon.

10. Taking a well deserved Easter nap.

This is just a few that I can think of - I bet I could go on and on. What were some of your favorite memories of this Easter?

The Dunking Booth

2007-04-05T16:34:00.000-05:00

Well since we got back from Miami, I have hit the ground running at work. We had a Spring Family Carnival two weeks ago to raise money for our High School Summer Mission Trips - we are going to Mexico and New Orleans this summer. It was a lot of fun - we almost got rained out, but it turned out to be a gorgeous day. My favorite part of the day was the Dunking Booth. We started the carnival later than we were expecting due to the weather, but all the High School students were there ready to work. Since we were unsure if we were going to cancel or not, and we had already rented the Dunking Booth for the day - I thought I will go and sit in it and let the students have some fun. It was overcast, the West Texas wind was a blowin' and it was about 55 degrees outside - so just a little cold. The water that I was about to fall into was straight out of a fire hydrant - so it was COLD and very rusty as you can tell from the pics. You're supposed to be able to see through the plastic window in the front. The first time I went in it was pretty cold, but it wasn't until I got out and sat back on the bent that I really got cold from the lovely West Texas Wind. My husband showed up for the glorious occasion and it only took him two throws and he had me dunked. I had one student who plays baseball step up to throw and I got so scared about being knocked in that I jumped off the seat and into the water without him even hitting the target. All the parents and students got a kick out of that.

Throughout the day I had some great people lined up to be dunked - the director of Young Life, a very challenging Biology teacher and English teacher from Abilene High, the head football coach from Abilene High and our preacher Mike Cope to name a few. They were all such great sports, we are very thankful for them. One of my favorite moments of the day was when my husband's grandmother showed up to try to dunk Mike. She is over 70 years old and on her second throw she had Mike dunked! We had a great day and the Lord was good. We raised several thousand dollars. Thanks to everyone who helped make this day a success! It was a blessing.

Miami - A Small Bit of Sabbath

2007-03-29T19:03:00.000-05:00

I know this was a couple of weeks ago now, but Miami was such a blessing. Kevin had a conference there and I got to spend the day here...

Just me, my IPOD and Harry Potter (# 5 - I am a little behind) from 11AM to 4PM. It was such a good time to relax and breath. The beach was amazing - some clouds, but mostly sunshine and a cool breeze off the ocean. Perfect weather to sun bathe. The hotel was absolutely gorgeous. This was the walkway that led to the pool.

The company that put on this conference had an awesome dinner party every night, so I would come up to the room after spending time on the beach and get ready for the evening. We had dinner on a 4-story yacht one night and another night was called Havanna Nights - there were flame throwers, jugglers and a band. They went all out. It was such a blessing to get away for a couple of days with the hubby and relax. It was very much needed. As soon as I returned home I hit the ground running at work. I am very grateful for the small bit of Sabbath that the Lord blessed me with in Miami.

Happy Birthday Kev

2007-03-20T20:16:00.000-05:00

Miami was great and I will blog more about this throughout the week, but this past weekend we celebrated Kevin's birthday. It is not the way I would have celebrated, but it is exactly what he wanted to do. His parents came up for the weekend and we spent the whole weekend in the yard. We planted flowers, trees and shrubs. We were all exhausted by the end of the weekend, but it was worth it. The flower beds went from looking like this:

(Yes they are filled with weeds.)

To looking like this:

Amazing I know. That was just the back yard. We also did the flower beds in the front.

As we were working in the yard I asked Kevin why he chose to do this on his birthday and he replied my birthday is just another day. I disagreed - I told him that it was this day that the Lord brought him into this world and that made the day special. I am such a lucky lady. God has blessed me with a great husband. Some of the things I love about him are his love for others, the way he is talented at things you wouldn't expect (computers, wood working, and gardening), his patience, his sincerity, and the way he can make me laugh. He is a gift from God that I hope I never take for granted. I am very thankful for March 17.

Moments from God in Times of Busyness

2007-03-10T15:30:00.000-06:00

This past week has been busy. Actually the past 2 weeks have been. I have been working non-stop since the end of February. I think today was the first day in a month that I have slept in. Crazy how busy we get at times and how life just zooms on by. Even though I have been extremely busy there have been moments sent from God that I don't want to overlook or forget...

1. Having coffee with 2 girls in my youth group.
2. Eating dinner with a friend from CA that was in town for Spring Break.
3. Having friends over for dinner.
4. Playing (I should say attempting to play on my part) ultimate frisbee and basketball with some boys in my youth group.
5. Getting a pedicure with Kara that was given to us for Christmas from a co-worker (thanks Michael and Leah).
6. Having lunch with a friend at Square's Bar-B-Que - catching up and learning more about one another.
7. Getting ready to go to Miami - a business trip for Kev and a time of rest and relaxation for me. (I can't wait!)

What are some moments in your life that have been a gift from God in the past couple of days?

6th Grade Girls Dinner

2007-03-06T14:02:00.000-06:00

This past Saturday night the 6th grade girls put on a dinner for their parents. The teachers in their class, Diane, Candy and Julie, made this experience possible. The girls met for weeks on end for 3 hours each Sunday to plan for the big event. During this time they develop lasting relationships that give them a foundation for the hard middle school and high school years ahead. The Lord has used this team of teachers in mighty ways to impact these girls lives. This is especially evident on Senior Sunday when the Senior girls remember some of their most memorable moments at Highland - the 6th grade girls dinner always seems to be metioned. It was so amazing to sit and be a part of what God was doing on Saturday night.

Birthday Bests

2007-03-04T14:41:00.000-06:00

Wednesday was my birthday and here are some of my favorite moments:

1. Having breakfast with Jennifer Porter - one of Highland's missionaries and a good friend of mine.

2. We had breakfast at AM donuts - cash or check only - which we did not know. So I was going to run to the nearest ATM, when a complete stranger who was in front of us offered to buy our breakfast. She was such a sweet lady and truly a gift.

3. Celebrating my birthday with the staff at Highland and in Faith Decisions class that night.

4. Lunch with my good friend Kara.

5. All the sweet calls and cards I got throughout the day.

6. My husband waiting on me to get home from church. He was sitting in the dark and had his flash light spotlighting my birthday gift in the living room. He got me an IPOD and we went out to a nice dinner.

It ended up being a good birthday.

The Oscars

2007-02-27T17:48:00.000-06:00

I absolutely love the Oscars! I thought Ellen did a great job and was so natural as the host. I was excited to see Jennifer Hudson win best supporting actress and to see her, Beyonce and Anika perform. It was outstanding! The cool effects they did throughout the show were amazing as well - like how did all those people to make the sound effects and how did those people behind the screen make themselves look like those objects? AMAZING! Jaden Smith was so funny - he covered so well when he missed his line. I loved it when Ellen came out and almost vacuumed up Penelope Cruz's dress - which was beautiful. The dresses were spectacular as well - especially Helen Mirren and Cate Blanchett. I also loved Forest Whitaker speech. It is just a fun night for us movie lovers. What were some of your favorite moments?

What a Weekend and What a Husband!

2007-02-26T14:21:00.000-06:00

This weekend we had our first ever Winter Retreat - I know it is 80 degrees outside and not really winter, but the ice storm in January pushed us back to this weekend. This retreat is the first one I have ever done at Highland that has consisted of both middle school and high school students - we had about 80 of them in all. It was amazing - the last lunch of the retreat I remember looking around and listening - this was the first time that I can remember where our youth group has been all together and in community. It was a great weekend.

The theme for the weekend was Crushed. We jumped into 2 Corinthians and talked about what a hard-pressed life looks like and how we are not crushed because of Christ. The students wrote on tiles the things that seem to be weighing heavy on them or seem crushing. They then crushed the tiles and those crushed pieces were made into crosses - to symbolize that Christ can take crushed lives and put them back together. It was a good weekend.

I also have an amazing husband. He went on this retreat and helped me lead a group. He supports me in so many ways, but I love it when we get the opportunity to do ministry together. It is also the little things that make him so great - after the crosses had been made there were pieces of tiles left over and Kev stayed up late to help me put one together for my office. I love and appreciate him more than he will probably ever know!

Passion Week Kick-Off

2007-02-22T10:11:00.000-06:00

Last night we kicked off the season of Lent with an Ash Wednesday Service at First Baptist. It has been something that our youth group has done for the last 4 years. It has been an amazing experience of different denominations gathering together and walking alongside Jesus on His way to the cross. Last night we had close to 300 6th-12th graders gathered together and praising the Lord. They were challenged to give something up for the next 40 days as they prepare their minds and hearts for Christ's journey to the cross. They then were given the opportunity to get ashes put on their foreheads in the shape of a cross. It was not until last night that I finally realized the full symbolism behind the ashes. Ashes are put on our foreheads to remind us that we are sinful people and that we will one day die. This is kind of morbid and sad if you think about it, BUT the amazing thing I learned last night is there is HOPE in the symbol as well. The ashes are placed on the forehead in the shape of a cross - the cross reminds us that there is hope and it is through Jesus' sacrifice on the cross that we will have eternal life. It all came together for me last night - what I had been receiving for all these years finally made complete sense.

It was also amazing to watch as our students grasped the concept too. As they lined up and got ashes put on their heads by one of the leaders from our church. It is a memory that I will cherish for a long time. I am excited about this season of Lent, and what the Lord is going to reveal to me through this time of reflection and sacrifice.

A Night of Blessing

2007-02-19T10:41:00.000-06:00

Last night we had our 8th grade parents read a blessing over their 8th graders at Faith Decisions. It is always amazing to hear the love that is poored over their child. It is truly a holy moment as words of blessing are read. Many of the 8th graders have experienced so much in their lives already and they are only 13 or 14 years old. The amazing thing is that they have clung to their families and to God through every situation. These teens are some of my heroes. God has taught me so much through them - perseverance, faith and trust - to name a few. I was reminded again last night of the wise words in Proverbs 3:5 - Trust in the Lord with all of your heart and lean not on your own understanding. God is good - ALL THE TIME!

A Stir-Fry Valentines

2007-02-15T22:54:00.000-06:00

When Kevin and I got married four years ago, Kevin convinced me to buy a certain pan. It was in the shape of a wok, and the way he convinced me to buy it was by promising me that he would make me stir-fry. (Sounds similar to - I got NFL Sunday Ticket so you can watch your Bears anytime you want.) Well in the past four years, I haven't seen any stir-fry - only at PF Changs, Pei Wei or Fugi's. So every time I got that pan out over the past few years I have asked when am I going to get that stir-fry you promised? He finally came through - four years later I got my stir-fry on Valentines. He surprised me and it was amazing! I told him that we should make this a regular occurance - him in the kitchen. It was a great Valentine's day - very sweet and well thought out. I love and appreciate him more than he knows!

I'm So Excited!

2007-02-13T18:05:00.000-06:00

My brother proposed to his girlfriend of 3 years almost a month ago and I am ecstatic! Even though I almost ruined it. He was going up to surprise her for her birthday - which I found out from my mom - except she left off the very important part that it was a surprise. So when I talked to Lisa on her birthday I asked her if she was excited about Matt coming up for the weekend. She had no idea what I was talking about - I realized then that I had just let the cat out of the bag. I tried desperately to cover it up and told her I could have misunderstood my mom. Not long after that I wished her a happy birthday and ended the conversation. I went back and forth on whether or not to call Matt and tell him what I had done. I called mom instead and they were not happy. I told them I would try to fix it, so I called Lisa back and in a high pitched loud voice (I am not a good liar) I explained to her that I had misunderstood my mom and that Matt was not coming up. I apologized if I might have gotten her hopes up. She said she had not expected him to come anyways.

Two days later I get a call from my brother and I was terrified to answer it - I thought he was going to say I had ruined his big birthday surprise. I braced myself and answered the phone. To my relief he said I did not ruin it. As I was apologizing to him again for almost ruining it, he revealed a much bigger surprise - that they were engaged! I was so caught up in apologizing it took me a minute to process it - they got engaged - YAHOO - and once I fully comphrehended what he had just told me - I yelled "I almost ruined your engagement!" But I didn't. It was a great day for them and I am so excited that I am going to get a sister - I have never had one of those before (except for my best friend - Caley).

To make it even better I got a phone call today from my soon to be sister-in-law (Lisa) and she asked me to officiated her and my brother's wedding! I am so honored that they asked me and I am so excited. I told her I need to get started now because I want to make it the best wedding ever! I can't wait for them to get married - March 29, 2008! Congrats Matt and Lisa!

Stock Show and Rodeo

2007-02-12T09:50:00.000-06:00

When I was a little girl my parents took the whole family to the San Antonio Stock Show and Rodeo and we had a blast. I remember getting my first cowboy hat, getting are pictures drawn and eating a lot of great food. Well this year for my birthday I asked my parents to get me tickets. So we went this last weekend and it was awesome. The whole family was there including my older brothers fiance and my two cousins from IL. We had so much fun and ate way to much - fajitas, funnel cakes, deep fried onions, gyros, nachos, peanuts, etc. I could keep going. My cousins had never been to a rodeo before, so it was fun to see their reactions. Jessica thought the clowns during the bull riding were hilarious and couldn't figure out why one kept jumping in and out of a barrell. We also got to see Alan Jackson in concert. He was great! When we were younger we introduced these same cousins to country music and they ended up loving it. Jessica is constantly made fun of at college for listening to that "hillbilly music." But it was sure fun singing along with them to every song on Saturday night. Kevin and I were talking on the way home how much we love spending time Jason and Jessica. They are amazing people who make us laugh and always look at the bright side of things. It is so hard to say good bye. Jessica agreed to get rich, so we can buy a jet and spend more weekends together like this. We had a blast and we can't wait to do it again.

Remembering Grandpa

2007-02-07T11:39:00.000-06:00

As I said in my last blog, there were some sad times as well this past year. My grandfather passed away in Dec. Upon his request I did his funeral. The first funeral I have ever done. My family requested that I type up what I said at the funeral because they would like a copy. Well I have been putting it off, that is until Monday. I typed it up and spent some good time remembering him. I thought I would share with you a little - so you can share in some of those memories too:

I remember driving around with him in his Caddy. It was always fun to ride with grandpa. First of all, I always thought it was an awesome car. The color might have changed over the years, but you could always count on it having leather interior and when you opened up the console you could always find candy – Big Red chewing gum, circus peanuts or cinnamon candies. When we rode with him we were always allowed to get candy – it didn’t matter if it was morning, noon or night.

I also remember when we moved to Texas we only got to see gram and gramp a few times a year – either they would come visit or we would come home to IL. When they came to visit my brothers and I would wake up early for school, which we never did, get ready as quickly as we could so we could play cards with grandpa. He taught us poker, black jack, and seven-card stud.

I remember Christmas when the whole family would get together and the grandkids would get to open their presents first. We would have so much fun taking pictures in our matching outfits. I remember a very special Christmas when I was five – I was in the hospital on Christmas day, so I missed the big family get together. Once I got out gram and gramp had Christmas just for me. I remember the love he showed me while I was in the hospital. The way he was a strength to me and to my parents in our time of need.

I will always remember how much he loved us. He showed us through his actions and his words. I won’t ever forget when he said good-bye to my brother as he headed off to the war in Iraq. I won’t ever forget the times he told me he loved me. I won’t forget the way he loved grandma, especially in the last several months. He wanted to make sure she was taken care of.

I won't ever forget him and the impact he made on my life. This Christmas was just not the same. I am very thankful for my family - my grandpa, grandma, aunts, uncles, parents, brothers and cousins. Here is a pic of the cousins and grandma. I have been reminded the past couple of months that even though things are tough and life might stink - God is good.

What A Year...

2007-02-06T18:56:00.000-06:00

I am so bad at this blogging thing. I am going to give it one more go and see if I can keep up with it. Life this past year has been filled with joys and sorrows - like most years. I had an amazing summer and fall. Have been all over the place it seems like - to Mexico with the youth group:

Then I went to New Orleans with the Youth group:

And to Fort Worth with the youth group:

That concluded my summer of travel. Then in the fall I went camping with a bunch of MS's and had another amazing West Texas Girls Conference. Following that I spent a week with my best friend in California. We had a blast!

I really had an amazing year.

Meet Coop

2006-03-17T15:49:00.000-06:00

Coop is the new addition to our family. Kevin and I got her about seven months ago. Look at how cute she was when we got her.

It did not take long, and Coop quickly grew - in size and in attitude.

This past week we took her to the vet to get her fixed and this is what she came back to us looking like...

She is one crazy dog, but we love her and are glad she is a part of our family.

The Adventures of Sarah and Kevin to Miami

2006-03-16T11:01:00.000-06:00

It is always an adventure when Kevin and I fly. In the past Kevin's name has appeared on the no fly list, we have been searched, Kev has had his luggage lost, we have had planes break down and we have sprinted across DFW barefoot to try and catch a plane.

But nothing was more eventful then our trip to Miami. We arrived at the Abilene airport at 3:50 (our flight was suppose to leave at 4:45). This airport is a small 2 gate airport. We get greeted with hello Mr. & Mrs. Campbell - realizing that we are probably one of the last passengers to show up. We then have complications getting our boarding passes because they had entered into the computer that Kevin was 100 years old. Once they figure that out we move to security where I got the pleasure of being randomly selected to be wanded and have all my carry-on's searched.

We finally make it to our gate - one of two - where we wait over an hour without boarding the plane and not know what was going on. We find out that there was a "mechanical problem" on the plane and we are going to be delayed another hour. This means we are going to miss our connecting flight in DFW to Miami. So we get in line to see if we can book another flight - we quickly find out that since it is Spring Break there are no flights to be found. We wait 45 minutes for one lady to go through the line.

We finally get to the front of the line to find out our options. We are told that we can make it to Miami tonight if we fly through Mexico City. We didn't think that was a smart option - so we asked for other options. We could leave the next morning from Abilene and arrive in Miami the next day at 7pm. Or we could fly to Dallas and switch planes 4 times and make it to Miami at 7pm the next day. We held out and then it came - we were going to fly to DFW spend the night with Kev's parents and fly to NC and then to Miami the next day - arriving at 6pm.

Next was bags - I asked if we would have them at DFW and I was assured three times that we would. We finally made it to DFW - 3 hours late - and you guessed it no luggage. It had already been routed to Miami. So we finally get to Miami on Sunday at 6pm (were suppose to arrive Saturday at 10pm). Then was the challenge to see if our luggage made it. After numerous conversations with baggage people, we were told they were behind an unmarked door. We followed a hand written map down past deserted baggage claims. Where we found an unmarked silver door. Kevin made the comment that he hoped this wouldn't turn into then next CSI:Miami - it was that shady. We opened this unmarked door and it was deserted or so we thought - a man popped out and told us where we could find our luggage. Sure enough it was there.

After being in the same clothes for 36 hours, we were happy to finally make it to the hotel and have a hot shower. The rest of the trip was great - Kev enjoyed the conference and I had fun laying on the beach reading.

63 Years, What's Ahead and Macy...

2005-09-13T21:35:00.000-05:00

Today is my grandparents 63 wedding anniversary. Congrats Virgil and Irma. I pray and long for the day when Kevin and I will be able to celebrate our 63rd. I can't imagine being married for that many years, not in a bad way of course. More in the simple things...like...How close you have grown to that person, how you know what they are going to say or do, and how spending a day without that person would be as if a part of you was missing. I am very thankful for my grandparents. For the amazing family they have - all 40 of us. The amazing faith they live out and the example of that faith they are to us. They are two of my spiritual mentors who have helped shape my faith. Thanks gram and gramp for being such a great example to me. I can't wait to celebrate 64 years with you.

On a side note...this summer has been wild - I have been stretched, shaped and molded. In June, my co-youth minister resigned and moved to Tennessee. So I have been in charge of spiritually directing about 300 kids for the summer - like I said stretched, shaped and molded. In the next couple of weeks the church I work for will be interviewing some candidates for my co-youth minister. I ask that you be in prayer for this process and that the Lord brings the perfect person for the job.

A sad update on Macy...she was never found, but her collar was. Macy was hit by a car and is now in a better place. I was sad, but relieved to find out. I am now getting the itch to get another one. I am hoping in the next couple of months or so we will have a new furry friend in our lives.

That's about all for now. Will be talking to ya soon.

Missing Macy

2005-06-14T21:17:00.000-05:00

This year has been crazy...I haven't had enough time to spend with myself let alone blog. So when I have a chance, I will have to update you on my year, which has been a little rough to say the least. As for this moment in time, there is an emergency. Kevin and my 8 month old puppy - Macy - is MISSING! We don't know if she ran away (which is not like her) or if she was stolen. So if you live in Abilene, TX and happen to have seen her, found her or heard anything, please leave a comment. Thank you so much. She is about 40 lbs. She was wearing a red collar with tags and she is a reverse brindle - so she looks like a tiger. She is also very friendly - loves humans.

Like I mentioned earlier this has been a rough year and Macy has brought me the joy I have needed to get through it. So if you know anything please post a comment. Thanks.

God Works In the Little Things

2004-12-03T11:01:00.000-06:00

The conference I talked about yesterday was amazing. The most amazing things about it were the little details that came together throughout the weekend. Everything from registering over 600 people in an hour to people offering to help left and right. Several times throughout the planning of the event I got overwhelmed and often wondered how I was going to get everything done. I believe God heard my cries and answered me. As soon as I cried out for help the phone would ring, and it happened to be someone who offered to help months ago, who I just forgot to call. At that moment I was able to delegate what was worrying me, so I could get other things done. I was extremely thankful for the ways in which the Lord worked by having the right people call at the extact moment I needed them (thank you Lord for Lori and Chrys).

Also during the weekend the girls had ended up eating in the hallways of the church so they could get to the class they wanted. Unfortunately it left crumbs all over the floor, so we pulled out several vacuums and I planned on cleaning in between sessions, but I did not have to because the Lord provided servants to do that task as well. Mothers of some of my girls who happened to be waiting around saw the vacuums, picked them up, and began to vacuum without being asked. It was such a blessing.

One of the biggest blessings to me from the Lord this weekend was my best friend Caley. She is amazing to begin with, but I was reminded that she was the best best friend ever that weekend. She came into town to help me out at the conference. She was my right-hand woman. If I needed anything done, she would run and do it. If I was busy and people were waiting to talk to me, she would intercede and help them out. She always had a smile on her face and she made me laugh constantly throughout the weekend. Without her I know that I would have been a ball full of stress throughout the conference. She is an amazing woman that the Lord has blessed me with over and over again. I can't thank God enough for the gift of Caley. She is the sister I always longed for, but never had.

It is amazing what the Lord will do when you just say yes to Him. He was the reason this conference was such a success. He was the one who brought together amazing teachers and committee members, as well as an excellent speaker and praise team. I prayed that He would bring all the details together and He did just that. The Lord is amazing and it is awesome to see what He can do with a little seed and someone who is willing to help it grow.

West Texas Girls Conference

2004-12-02T16:04:00.000-06:00

I know, I know it has been a long time since I have last blogged. Looking over the last few I have realized this is a reoccurring theme. I guess I just need to get better at this. It will be one of my New Year's Resolutions this upcoming year.

Life has been good and a lot has been going on. I will blog over the next couple of days letting you know all the new things that have happened. To begin with at the beginning of November I coordinated a West Texas Girls Conference at my church. It was amazing. We had over 600 girls and sponsors attend. The theme this year was The Simple Life: How to be Marys in a World Full of Marthas. We studied how Mary and Martha both approached Jesus, Mary who sat at Jesus' feet while Martha was distracted by other things. We tried to stress to the girls that in this world there are so many things to do and be involved in, but Jesus tells us that their is only one thing that is needed. That one thing is taking the time to sit at the feet of Jesus, just spending time in His presence.

This was an amazing weekend, where the girls got to hear from an amazing keynote speaker. The had 8 different classes to choose to attend. There was a Fashion Show - What Not to Wear and a huge slumber party to end the day with. It was an amazing and powerful weekend. The Lord spoke mightily to many girls that weekend and I hope will continue to remind them of what they learned.

We are planning to make this conference a yearly event, so please be in prayer that it will continue to glorify God and to challenge young women to be godly. Thanks for all who helped make this event possible, without you it would not have been such a great weekend.

Can You Believe It...

2004-10-26T23:01:00.000-05:00

Can you believe that Texas can be this pretty! I was pleasantly surprised. Here is Garner State Park:

Make Me A Servant...

2004-10-19T18:32:00.000-05:00

I know, I know...I am almost as horrible at this blogging thing as I am at emailing people back. I hope to get better at it. Well since the last time I blogged, many things have happened. Kevin and I moved into our new home, which we love. The Lord has truly blessed us and we have used it already for many youth group events. I also finished all my grad school work, except passing the English Bible Exam (yes, that does mean that I have taken it already, but failed, of course). Once I pass that test I will be a Master in Arts and Religion (we will have to see about that).

I also attended a Youth Specialities Conference in Dallas a couple of weekends ago and it was amazing! God knew I needed a time of rejuvination and that was what this conference did for me. It got me even more pumped about being a youth worker. It was an exciting weekend filled with amazing praise, worship, and unbelievable speakers. If you get the chance google Mars Hill Bible Church in grand Rapids, MI. Their preacher is Rob Bell, one of the speakers at the conference, who is amazing. You can listen to his sermons online (http://www.mhbcmi.org/listen/index.php) and once you do, I think you will know what I mean. He was amazing to listen to and inspiring in his suggestions on how to teach the Gospel. If you get a moment listen to him preach and let me know what you think.

This past weekend I, along with 9 other brave souls, took 55 middle school kids camping. Call us crazy I know, because, well, we are. It ended up being a great weekend. We went to Garner State Park which is located in the hill country of Texas. I never knew that Texas could be so pretty. I will have to post a picture of what it looks like tomorrow. God's beauty truly shined through the hills, the clear river, the geese, and the calmness of the breeze. He is amazing, and very creative I might add. I also saw God work through one girl in particular on the trip. I found out today that she does not have a family and her friend that she usually hangs out with did not end up going on the trip. This girl knew pratically no one, but fit right in. She was an amazing servant the whole weekend. She was sweet and she was always offering to help whenever she could. She spent most of her time, not skipping rocks or cutting up with the other kids, but serving her peers and the adults that were around her. What an amazing example of being Jesus. I long to be more like her.

Well, until next time (which I hope is in less than a month), God's peace be with you.

Life, A House, and Amazing Kids

2004-08-24T16:44:00.000-05:00

Life can be kind of crazy sometimes. So much going on at once that all you want to do is curl up in a ball and do nothing. I am in need of a siesta - a week long one would be nice, but I do not see that coming any time soon. I will be finishing up my masters in the next couple of weeks - my last paper is due on Sept. 15th. Don't ask me how far along I am on the last 5 papers I have to write. It will get done - it always seems to. I then have to take the English Bible exam in order to get my degree, which I should have begin taking years ago - haha.

More exciting news - Kevin and I bought a house. We will be moving in this weekend. We are very excited, but you know the process of moving and how much fun that can be. Hopefully we will have a lot of help this weekend, so things will get done quickly. We can't wait to be there and to use this gift from God to spend time with others, especially kids in the youth group.

Speaking of kids in the youth grroup - they are amazing. The way they encourage me and inspire me would blow your socks off. Many of them are what I want to aspire to become. I see the Lord in them and it is my prayer that they continue to be the people God created them to be. On thing I truly hate is when Satan attacks them and I can't do anything about it but pray. I know it can only make them stronger, but it is so hard to sit back and watch them go through tough times, whether it is the divorce of their parents, the loss of a loved one, not fitting in at school, or just trying to find their place in the world. I feel so powerless, like there is nothing I can say or do to make the situation any better. Yet I am reminded in these times that when we are powerless, He is powerful. So the best thing I can be doing is turning the situation over to Him - through prayer. By doing a little, I am really doing alot.

Church on Every Corner

2004-08-03T18:47:00.000-05:00

It amazes me how in the town I live in there is a church literally on every corner. You would think that everyone here would go to church and would know the Lord. That would make logical sense. Why else would they have a church on every corner? That is not the case, not everyone in the town knows the Lord. Why not? What are the churches doing wrong? Maybe we are staying inside our church buildings too much and wanting people to come to us instead of us going to them. What would church look like if we left the comfort of our pews and entered back into the world? I am not saying becoming of the world, but not being afraid to encounter the world. Meet people where they are at, develop a relationship and then share the Lord with them. Would church be in a bar or in a public park or maybe even at a sporting event? Isn't this what Jesus meant by calling us to go into all the world?

Andrew Came Home to Visit

2004-08-01T14:30:00.000-05:00

My brother Andrew is in the Army and he is stationed overseas. He got a two week leave a couple of weeks ago and I got the chance to spend a couple of days with him. Can I just say that my brother is amazing and I can't wait until he gets to come home for good. We talked alot and he shared with me what he does on a daily basis as well as what it is like to live in a desert. It sounded as if they were in the middle of a desert without any life, expect the people he works with. What a lonely place - no friends, no family, no familar places. I would have a hard time surviving in a place like that. Yes he made friends and he is now familar with his surroundings, but what a totally different world. The more we talked the more he revealed to me that he got through each day by living it for the Lord. How amazing is that! Each day Andrew knows there is one who he can always count on and that is God. Andrew inspires me to live each day here for the Lord. To not let my world get so bogged down with trying to make others happy or trying to get things done, but to remember to live each day for God and the rest will fall into place. Thanks so much Drew, for inspiring me to become a better person. I love you.

Jessica Simpson

2004-07-28T23:17:00.000-05:00

Here is how close I was. Caley and I had a blast!

One Crazy Summer

2004-07-27T21:03:00.000-05:00

This has been one crazy summer. I have gone from Abilene to Mexico to Corpus Christi to San Antonio to Abilene to Denver and back. All in a matter of three weeks. Oh wait, I forgot I also went to Dallas in between San Antonio and Denver. It's been a whirlwind of a time, but it has also been amazing to watch God work in all these places.

I have been working with a youth group in Abilene this summer and it has been amazing to see God working through them. Kevin and I got to go on the Mexico Mission Trip this summer to Monterey. Throughout this week we helped a preaching school in many ways. We tied rebar and helped make a foundation so that they could add a second story to a building. We also laid a sidewalk and laid the floor for a second story bathroom. The Lord gave us great weather - overcast most of the week. It was amazing to see our youth group work so hard to help people in need and to see the way God worked through them in so many ways.

Kevin and I then went on a family vacation with my parents to Corpus Christi. Unfortunately, I got sick, but I wasn't going to let that keep me from the beach. I came back with a nice tan, which always makes my day. It was during this time of rest and relaxation that I realized how God calls us to rest and to refresh ourselves so we can go back out there and give it our all. I am such a go-getter that I often forget to take a second and breath. Rest is a good thing that needs to be taken advantage of when we are given the opportunity to do so.

I then had a weekend, or should I say a couple of days of fun with my best friend Caley. I went to Dallas to a Jessica Simpson concert. I know, I know - a Jessica Simpson concert! I had a blast - she put on a great show! We sang along with her and were excited when Nick surprised her with a puppy for her birthday! I was just a great time of fun.

Finally I went to Denver with the youth group on our last mission trip of the summer. We worked with a ministry called Dry Bones, which works with homeless teens. It was an amazing trip. Watching our kids interact with people they never met before was an inspiration. God worked powerfully through this week. He challenged our kids to plunder the darkness and reclaim what is rightfully His.

This summer has been challenging, but the Lord has been faithful and good (like always). It is just amazing to be reminded that the Lord is working all over the place, not just in our own individual lives, but in the lives of millions of people. God is an awesome God!

Why Worry About Tomorrow?

2004-06-02T23:01:00.000-05:00

So many times I find myself getting worked up about the future. Where am I going? What does God have in store for me? Why does there have to be so many choices or in some cases so few? Why can't I know where I am going to be for the next 5 years, or more importantly in the next year? I was reminded today and have been very surprised at myself lately for the sense of peace I have about not knowing what is in store. I have recently graduated with my masters and my husband wants me to follow my dreams of working in full time ministry. Right now I do not know if or when this will happen, but I am okay with not knowing where I am going to be and what I will be doing. I know that the Lord has provided in the past and he will provide in the future. All I need to do is live each day for itself and not worry about tomorrow (right Andrew?). God will take care of me. He has a plan. Knowing this I am at peace.

Memorial Day A Day Late

2004-06-01T07:09:00.000-05:00

Yesterday I thought alot about Memorial Day and what it stood for. I thought of my grandfather who fought in WWII and I also thought of my father who fought in Vietnam. The sacrifices they made and the families they left behind to enter an unknown world where they put their lives on the line for our country. I will never know what they experienced, except through the stories they tell. I do know that I am very grateful and proud of them for what they did.

I am also very proud of my brother who is serving our country today. I am proud that he is my baby brother, but I am even more proud of the man he has become. I received an email from him yesterday that challenged me to be a better person. My prayer for him as he left was that he would live each day for the Lord. Boy has he done that and in the process he has challenged me to do that as well. He encouraged me to be a missionary for the Lord no matter where we are located, whether it is across the country, in our home towns or to our next door neighbor. Through his words of encouragement he has revealed to me that he is seeking the Lord and looking for Him in a place that is filled with turmoil. The least I can do, is seek the Lord with all my heart as I sit in a comfortable home, surrounded by familiar faces who are constantly encouraging me. He is in a dark world seeking the Lord and sharing Him with others. I am encouraged more than ever to seek the Lord in my comfortable world and share Him with those around me. I hope you are encouraged too.