What in the world is going on here?!

weary and burdened

2007-02-13T12:29:00.000-08:00

I must say, I am disheartened by ignorant people! I am facing a Pharaoh of my day, one whose heart is so hard. I praise God for his deliverance and protection for the good name of His people. I praise Him that He knows my heart; He knows the truth; He will shine His light and expose the liar. Until that day, I thank Him for his strength and encouragement to continue in this journey... that is... so hard at times.

2007-01-09T12:53:00.000-08:00

My Dad's New Job!

The Alpha's in My Life

2006-10-24T13:07:00.000-07:00

Brandon caught fish in the Delta

My dog Jake

Teaching

2006-10-17T13:35:00.000-07:00

My class working hard!

Our Nation's Youth

2006-10-08T13:56:00.000-07:00

I am brought to tears so often with how lost these kids are, how broken their homes are, and how hardened they are to love! It BREAKS me. The youth here cry out for someone to love them, care for them, and accept them just as they are. Their cries look and sound different: they are gun shots, stab wounds, beatings, bruises, hate, and hardened hearts. These kids endure so much with little guidance. God give me knowledge and strength to love these kids who are so precious to you!

Just thinking

2006-10-03T13:08:00.000-07:00

I was driving home yesterday and was thinking about how patient God is with us. I am amazed that God sees his Son in regard to our sin. I am amazed that He doesn't get rid of us, but is patient and faithful to his promises. We have an amazing God!

Be Still

2006-09-20T12:48:00.001-07:00

I was in my room yesterday trying to spend some quiet time with the Lord. I kept hearing my dogs barking, the air conditioner unit humming and the neighbors talking outside. I got super frustrated and decided to take some time in the only place in my house where there is absolutely no noise, my closet (ironic as it may sound). As I sat there pouring out my heart and requests, I felt as though I really just needed to be still and quiet my heart. I sat for an hour or so in quiet and solitude. It was amazing. I didn't hear the audible voice of God, but I felt at peace. I have experienced the touch of God before and the peace that goes along with that; what happened yesterday was not like that. It was just a sense of closeness to God that included rest for my soul. After a long day at work and after filing all of the "to do's" for tomorrow, I was able to sit and be still.

If you are reading this and have not sat in solitude away from the noise of this world, do it. Find a place to go for a couple of hours and sit before the Lord. Be still and know that He is God!

Ordinary

2006-08-29T19:31:00.000-07:00

I thank God that I am so ordinary. I really don't have any special talents; I'm not that bright, just smart enough to find the information I need. I don't excel at anything worth being amazed at. I think about Moses often. God chose this guy to do amazing things: he confronted Pharaoh, he confronted his people, he led them out of slavery! I am amazed that God chose him. I am sympathetic to Moses' response to God's call for him to go; Moses asked God to send someone else.

How often do I do that?!

Lately, I have been asking God to use me, daily, to do His work in my land. I ask Him to use me to speak the words I can't, and the boldness to face the Pharaohs of my day. I don't have any amazing stories to share, but I am confident they will come. The Lord's eyes search to and fro for someone’s heart that is fully devoted to Him. Oh, Lord, I pray when your eyes come across me, you would see a heart screaming out your name. Here I am, pick me, choose me, send me! May you use your willing servant!

Silence

2006-08-20T17:43:00.000-07:00

"Do you wish God's voice would be louder in your life?"

"Is there a connection between the amount of noise in our lives and our inability to hear God's voice?"

I was sitting at Barnes and Nobles doing my study on Worship for the Tabernacle, and I remembered some of these questions Rob Bell posed in his Nooma video, Noise. As I was reading the Word and trying to hear the Lord speak to me, I was also hearing so much "noise" I had to stop and chuckle. I actually sat and listened. I wrote down all of the things that I heard as I was also trying to hear God's voice at the same time: People walking in and out of the door, the cafe workers chatting behind the counter, people walking past me...and then out the door, people ordering coffee, espresso machines running, milk frothing, the refrigeration unit humming, chairs sliding across the floor as people moved closer to their table....the list goes on and on.

As I listened, I smiled because what he said was so true; there is a connection between the amount of noise in my live and my inability to hear God's voice. In my experience, He doesn't scream either...He waits me for me to come to Him without the cell phone ringing, T.V. on, radio playing (even in the car), coffee shop buzz of people all around. Like Elijiah, God didn't come in the wind, earthquake or fire, He came in the silence with a whisper. God, help me to stop each day and seek you in silence and solitude; the place your Son came to meet with you! Oh Lord, help me to be disciplined enough to stop and find your voice more interesting than the voices and noise around me....that I would hear you and be changed!

Are my offerings worth anything?

2006-08-17T10:17:00.000-07:00

I wonder if what we give to the Lord is just what is convenient for us to give. I will often times, embarrassing enough, go to evening prayer if I don't have anything else to do; if I don't have anything else that is more of a priority. Or, I often times, will go do a community outreach or service, if I can fit it into my schedule for the week...again if I don't have anything else to do. What are true sacrifice and offerings? Something that costs something! I was reading through the account of Cain and Abel in this study I'm doing and didn't quite understand why Cain's offering wasn't accepted. Besides the offered commentary, I was thinking that Cain offered something that cost him nothing (sounds familiar- David). Then, I thought about all of the times I offered my time or my service when it really was just convenient for me. Oh, that my life would be a living sacrifice for my Lord! I pray my sacrifices and offerings would be out of adoration and love, not obligation or ritual!

Getting ready for school to start!

2006-08-17T10:12:00.000-07:00

I can't believe how much time it takes to prepare a classroom for the upcoming school year; I have been in my classroom preparing the look of the room, organizing all the papers for the first week, making copies and labeling everything. I don't think people realize how much work goes into being a teacher! I love it...hopefully my students will appreciate it (probably not:)

Poof...Vanished?

2006-08-13T00:40:00.000-07:00

I am working through an awesome Old Testiment study. So I left with this question still on my mind- What happened to the Garden of Eden? What happened to the tree of life and the tree of wisdom? Where did the angels go who guarded the entrance to the garden...what in the world is going on here?!

a link to my myspace page

2006-08-10T21:34:00.000-07:00

http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendID=14443191

God Amazes Me!

2006-08-10T21:14:00.000-07:00

I have been praying each day for God to do some specific things (i.e. Give me opportunities to share my faith with specific people). Well, I prayed that God would provide an opportunity to share about Him yesterday and today with the people at my teaching conference. To be more specific, I asked that He would use my tattoo ("Beloved" in Hebrew) and my china trip to open up a conversation.

I had a boy in the classroom ask me what my tattoo meant, then later the presenters and a co- worker asked me what it meant and why I went to China, all at seperate times. Today, I had one more person ask about my tattoo and my trip to China. How true is the psalm that says,
"In the morning I will lay my requests before you and wait in expectation."

My cat is freakin obese!

2006-08-10T21:03:00.000-07:00

Do they make Tred Mills for cats? He is so huge he has a hard time jumping up on our bed. Yeah, his first attempt he gets half way up and falls off.

I don't think the picture does it for how fat he really is...the rolls don't show here....but they are there!

Holland Rocks!

2006-08-05T22:13:00.000-07:00

I was at this store in the states, Target, and found this shirt. It reminded me of the Holland team we met up with in China. I thought they were fly enough for us to represent Holland here on the Westside. I guess all I can say is, "Lacker the shirt" :)

TWEEKIN"

2006-08-04T03:22:00.000-07:00

I am still up....yeah, third night in a row that I can't sleep. I even tried to bring joy to my heart with a glass of wine! Maybe my heart is sooo sad that I need about 4 or 5?? So bored, I am taking pictures of shadow puppets!

I think this is my rendition of eating squid...yeah..I'm really bored!

Don't really know how this works

2006-08-04T02:16:00.000-07:00

So I think I have sucessfully created 2 blogs, or something like that. I haven't figured this thing out yet. I usually use MySpace to keep in contact with the high school girls and old friends. However, I am tweekin at 2 in the a.m (jet lag) and decided to join this to chat with friends from overseas. SWEET. Hopefully this works.
Swonger