Life · in · the · Fast · Lane

Which should I do first? :-)

Being pressed for time, pictures seem the best way to share bits of the past month...


The Valentine's dinner (February 24th) was fabulous -- and it was God working, even into the very last moments. He provided beyond our expectations and made the evening a complete success. Yes, the garlic bread did catch fire in the oven :-)....but why else would Amber have felt led to buy "two more loaves...just in case"?



<sub>All dressed up and ready to serve! :-) L to R: Shelley, Ashley, Kendal, Amber, me & Pastor McShaffrey.




The main course: fettichini alfredo, garlic bread and green beans.




Ashley and I decorated the tables with beautiful candle centerpieces, heart confetti, and ribbon.</sub>




March 1-6, I had a wonderful couple days babysitting Shane (9). His three days in school provided some much needed R&R (with a few hours for scrapbooking the TX/New Orleans trip), but we also had a fabulous time hoops, reading books, playing with cars and just being together.




Since then? And all in between?

First off, ALERT called just days after we returned from our trip south in January, asking me to come on full time staff. It was quite a shock, let me tell you. :-) But, after much prayer and discussion, I knew it was the Lord's will. I will leave March 28th, working until the end of June in the STEP department and then switching to housing/meals registration. Leaving my family for the rest of the year (and most likely longer) for a place I consider a second home has made for feelings of extreme excitement and extreme sadness. In the past couple days, though, the Lord has really settled my heart and I at last feel "ready" for this next step of life.

2 weeks ago, we went down to IL to help my paternal Grandma put her house on the market. Within 2 days, it was sold! We were all looking forward to building her apartment off our home and welcoming her full time into the family, but things progressed much faster than expected!! She hopes to make the offical move in the middle of April. My days have been full of preparing to visit her for a week and begin the packing process, and also packing up my own room to let her use it while the apartment is being built.

All this to note: online time in becoming increasingly rare. I fully intend to update when possible, but I will be closing down this journal. Please feel free to bookmark and regularly check gracegirl. I'll be making public entries there, just as I do here, and hopefully once a week. I'm eager to keep y'all informed on the ups and downs life at ALERT! It's never dull. :-)

Yesterday was the official start of the Secret Sisters program at church! Out of the 19 invitations given, we had 13 participants (ages 9-24) who very enthusiastic to see who they would be able to bless and surprise for 2 months. Personally, I was very encouraged by the excitement shown and pray God will use this effort to possible begin a more regular Bible study with the young ladies.

Two other events have been occupying my time as well! The first is the Valentine’s Day Couples Dinner, which my friend Amber and I (and our siblings) scheduled for February 24th. So far, five couples have signed up, and I’m sure there will be more next Sunday! Last weekend we had a shopping day for ideas and food pricing….and left with a mixture of great anticipation and small anxieties. Had we committed to more than was humanly possible? I’m reassuring myself that God will provide – both in needed materials, finances, and strength. In the end, I’m sure it’ll be fine. :-)

I’ve also had a couple babysitting jobs with a 9 year old autistic boy named Shane. We knew his family from years ago, and I recently ran into Mrs. while shopping one afternoon. She mentioned they were looking for a babysitter, and I told her I was definitely interested whenever home. My first evening was a couple weeks ago and I thourally enjoyed it! Shane is a sweetheart, a boy after my own heart with his great love for books. Right now, dates are pending for a possible 5 day “weekend” in March.

I’m reminded of the verse in Psa 84:11 – “For the Lord God is a sun and shield: the Lord will give grace and glory: no good thing will he withhold from them that walk uprightly.” A “good thing” in my mind may be a husband/children of my own :-), but it’s so narrowminded to stop there! He has blessed – and will continue to bless – with so much more. I’m totally sold out to any and every possible idea. My God is a God of wonders!

The following is from my January 12, 2006 journal entry, just as we began our New Orleans adventure....

Okay, warning – major journal entry is about to take place!  Ya want the long story or the short story, LOL? In this case, I believe the longer one needs to be told, just as it happened.

We got into Slidell tonight around 5:30pm and, in a crazy mix of turns, finally pulled into the Ryan’s parking lot to meet the Bakers. We piled out, Jason & Sarah came from their car as well, and the door to the Baker’s van opened. Wonder of wonders, out came Laura Bogner! Needless to say, I was surprised and while my first thought was, “I wonder if she’s here to visit Aaron”, all was dismissed in the greetings, hugs and chit-chat.

Well, then, there was a lull in the conversations. Nothing uncomfortable, but enough time for Aaron to motion to Laura and I heard him say, “Are you going to tell them?” Laura said HE should tell and I’m the only one noticing this and getting really suspicious. Still in denial, I thought maybe it was re:the upcoming Philippines trip, which maybe they thought I didn’t know that both were going, etc.

But then, Aaron kept raising his eyebrows at me….I’m like, “What?!”…by now, all are paying attention…Aaron’s still being silly and I KNEW then what was up….Laura just laughed, refusing to tell…Aaron was still smiling at me…I almost blurted out my guess but would be terribly embarrassed if I was wrong…and finally Aaron did spill the news.

( interested in the rest of the story?? )

I'm so happy I could bust right about now. :-)

Over the weekend -- Sunday to be exact -- two wonderful, immediate opportunities were laid on my plate. The first is starting a Secret Sisters program with the 18 young ladies in our church. Ages range from 10-24, and all might not participate, but this is a real answer to prayer. I've been wanting to start some sort of Bible study, but none of my 101 ideas seemed like "the one". Hadn't prayed about it in awhile, but when this idea came into a casual conversation last night, I KNEW it was it. I spent a very fun morning designing invitations and listing guidelines, etc. I'll pass 'em out next Sunday, and hopefully we can begin in February! The second opportunity was again in a casual conversation. My friend Amber and I said how fun it would be to host a Valentine's Day banquet for the parents at our church, and Pastor seemed totally enthusiastic. The idea didn't leave us, LOL, and so I e-mailed him today, seeing if it'll really work out. We're looking at the Friday after Valentine's Day. Amber and I talked non-stop for a good 20 minutes this afternoon with all sorts of ideas! Fun, fun, fun. I'm so grateful God has given me some areas to work with all my heart while at home.

And for the more distant (as in 2 month) future, I would like prayer for a couple possibilities. One of them is a potential 3 week missions trip to Romania, the other is returning to ALERT and serving in registration for the annual ATI conference, and as office coordinator for STEP. All of them seem like no brainers for many reasons, but I'm not 100% settled in my heart (except for STEP) and would like confirmation from His Word. And, there's the never ending prayer for finances to allow me to do these, and several other possibilities later in the summer/fall. (Including weddings. Goodness, seems like everyone I know is getting married these days, LOL!) But I'm confident that my Father will provide for every detail, money included.

Thank you for your prayers!

Unbeknownst to me, the family had been in touch with the Smith family of southwestern Tennessee, whom we met at our first String Workshop in 2003, and had plans to spend Tuesday night with them. And visit the Civil War battlefield of Shiloh, only 5 minutes from their house. :-)

So, while we had tears and many hugs in leaving the Baker’s home on Monday night, there was something to spur us onward. Unfortunately, it was chilly and rainy the entire day, so our sightseeing was limited to only 1 ½ hours, enough time to view the on site museum, watch a 30 minute documentary of the battle, and view the grounds in what daylight remained.

Proof that we did arrive...even if the rain prevented many pictures. :-)

( staying at the Smith Home )

*This was written on Tuesday, January 17th but could not be posted because of e-mail issues. We arrived home around 9PM last night, very grateful for safety in travels and overwhealmed by the goodness of God.

We’re currently in northeast Mississippi, traveling on the scenic Natchez Trace Parkway, an old Indian trading path later used by the government as a postal route. It’s been raining/misting all day and getting chilly – ::sigh:: Oh, for the sunny south!! – but traveling has gone well and we’re looking forward to arriving at the Shiloh Civil War battlefield in about 2 hours.

I wanted to pass along some pictures taken in the New Orleans area. Traveling thru the city at 65 MPH doesn’t afford the best photo opportunities, but we did stay the weekend in Sliddell, which had some extensive damage.  I walked around the neighborhood one morning with my camera and found some interesting sights. All around there are road signs bent and stained, mounds of trash in ditches (trash being shoes, clothes, carpet, furniture, toys, etc.) swept from homes, damaged restaurant signs and buildings, twisted and fallen trees (chopped halfway down at odd angles or totally uprooted), etc. I can’t even imagine water totally covering some houses. And, there is the Baker’s church with their non-existent sanctuary after a huge tree smashed the roof.

The most shocking sight, however, was passing by the Ninth Ward in New Orleans and seeing street….after street….after street…..of abandoned neighborhoods. Windows were blown out or boarded up. The roofs were either totally gone or resting on a couple beams – or clearly showed a hand made hole for occupants desperately trying to escape the rising waters. Every house had “9/30” sprayed in red paint, with other abbreviated details.

That, along with viewing a video/slideshows from the Bakers, and talking to several families in their church who lost their homes and possessions, made everything I had read or heard about the disaster come to life in a sickening way.

[Psa 9:8] “And he shall judge the world in righteousness, he shall minister judgment to the people in uprightness.”

( New Orleans area in pictures )

I was determined to not use the word “good-bye” when leaving ALERT. It seemed too harsh….almost a lie, since plans were already brewing to for possibly returning in April. So, I bid all my friends a simple “see ya later” and enjoyed the last couple days to the fullest. So many friends, so many memories…. Love y’all!!!!

( more pictures, of course! ) </p>

I had such a fabulous weekend! Amazing how much one can pack into two days. Early Saturday morning – as in 4:45AM early, even though I went to bed at 1AM :-P – Sharon and I joined the Smith family for a road trip to Houston, about 5 hours one way. A former staff girl, Brandy, and a former ALERT man, Jeremy, were getting married that afternoon and I was thrilled to be able to attend, plus enjoy a leisurely Sunday of fellowship and time on Galveston Island.

And I do have pictures. Marvelous pictures – especially on the beach. :-)

( A taste of the weekend )

This mornin' is definitely a coffee day. Brrrrr! Stacey and I headed towards Cassandra's desk (and the coffee pot) at the same moment, and rushed to get the first cup. :-) We had some thick frost on the windshield, so Christy used her credit card to make a viewing area. The lake was gorgeous, though. Wow -- the fog was hovering just over the top of the water for about 30-40 minutes as the sun rose. I'm hoping it works out for Sharon and I to go canoeing tomorrow morning; we've been talking about doing it ever since my last visit, LOL, but it never worked out. This time, the activity will probably depend on when my family wants to leave.

Speaking of such, I called them last night and they were trying to find a hotel in Missouri, south of St. Louis about an hour. So, they'll probably arrive around 4-5pm. The boys sounded really excited. :-) For them, ALERT is *the* place to be, and they can't wait to follow in Timothy's footsteps after highschool.

Weather in the New Orleans area looks to be in the high 60's this week. Not too bad, I guess. I was hoping for 70's, but this IS January after all. Oh well. We're going for the fellowship, not for the weather. :-) I haven't quite got to full excitement about this next adventure of my trip, mostly because I want to fully enjoy my last day of work and with the girls. It's going to be....hard....to leave....

Although details are already cookin' for the next visit. ;-)

Anyway, look for another post this afternoon, Lord willing, as I have some fun details and pictures to share about the weekend!

I wrote in my journal Sunday night: "It seems impossible that I'm truly at ALERT, that the past two days have been full of traveling and seeing friends, and I have 8 days of wild possibilities before me." Goodness. Being determined to have no expectations for this adventure has made every little detail exciting and wonderful!

( More news and pictures... )

Guess what? I prayed the Lord would keep me flexible while serving at ALERT and I He's keeping His end of the deal. Yesterday afternoon, while on break from the kitchen, I was doing my normal rounds in the Admin, chatting with friends as time allowed. Well, I happened upon Jess right when she was trying to figure out if it would work to take some local CPR classes these next 7 days, both to be a STEP instructor this summer and help in her nursing degree. Classes were from 8-5. Everything fell into place -- except someone needed to take her place in the office. Yep, I got to switch from the kitchen to Operations. Kinda threw me for a moment -- I was just getting use to the kitchen routine -- but I'm excited. Jess said the phones haven't been too busy and Major Moulton gave assurance that He has no problems with me answering what questions I can, and taking messages for the rest. SO.....I'll have a very interesting couple days!

Schedule is:
Today - office
Friday - kitchen
Monday - office
Tuesday - kitchen
Wednesday - office (the day my family arrives! Probably not until supper, though)

Ahhhhh...it's so positively MARVELOUS to walk to work in the morning! Love it, love it, love it!!!!! :-)

Timothy and I pulled onto campus around 4:30 Sunday afternoon. I quickly got settled into the girl's house and spent a lovely evening with Sharon and BethAnne. On Monday, I was informed that I would be helping in the kitchen for my short stay, but Hannah and Betsy said I could start today. So, I made sure to take a nap, LOL, and spent the afternoon visiting with my "little sister" Katie. Kitchen work went well this morning; I had forgotten how crazy and enjoyable mass food production can be!! I haven't been in that type of job since Trail Ridge camp back in 2002.

I do have some pictures to post, but will have to download them later. I think I shall walk home and take another nap during my 2 hour break. Jess arrives back tonigh and I doubt Sharon and I will get much sleep. :-)

It's so good to be back. ::sigh:::

Well, the past two days have been l-o-n-g -- but very fun! :-) I'm here in Texas, looking over my various pictures, and so amazed that God worked out the details to not only end 2005 with friends, but also bring in the new year in the same manner. Traveling thru 7 days with my brother has been a great experience; these two pictures are what were most common on breaks --

me looking at a map :-)

 

Timothy trying to connect to the Internet at a rest area. :-)

 

( The journey continues... )

Hail the heav'n-born Prince of Peace!
Hail the Son of Righteousness!
Light and life to all He brings
Ris'n with healing in His wings
Mild He lays His glory by
Born that man no more may die
Born to raise the sons of earth
Born to give them second birth
Hark! The herald angels sing
"Glory to the newborn King!"

Okay, make that a month until the updates come. :-)

I got inspired with some pretty neat ideas, so am branching out on all sorts of projects! Too fun.

Summary of the Texas trip, family updates (with new pictures), and all in between should be uploaded by the end of the year. Yeah, yeah, yeah -- seems like forever. Really, peoples, it's not that far away, when you consider that Thanksgiving/Christmas always makes the weeks pass quickly. Bear with me, and hopefully the results will be worth viewing, LOL.

...since it'll be another week or two before my website is updated. :-) I'm working on it, but since I'm wanting to do a more extensive summary on Amanda's wedding, it's slower than normal. Hopefully it's worth the wait!

Meanwhile, I wanted to post a couple pictures. Starting with...

Amanda Davis and Jonathan Wells are now officially Mr. & Mrs! Hurrah!!!!!!!!!!!! :-) [picture taken when they got their marriage license approx. a week before.] The wedding was beautiful, I cried buckets, and when all was said and done, I simply couldn't believe it was over. More so, that all the dreams Amanda had for the past 11 years had been fulfilled. I'm so very, VERY happy for them! And eager to call Amanda in about 47 minutes. :-)



The weeks beforehand, though, were CRAZY -- and fun!! I got a good taste of all the last minute details that go into a wedding. Amanda made a TO DO list, which we faithfully divided into daily schedules (whether or not we did everything was another story :-) ) and managed to complete all the essentials. One of my favorite activities was wrapping the favors [above] while watching "Father of the Bride".



There was plenty of time for "other activities"....rather, we made time. :-) One night, we went to Starbucks with Tracy and Michael, then hung out at the house at bit. Amanda was also given a couple bridal showers by her church and other friends, we went walking every day, drank coffee and watched movies, and, of course, talked. Thursday before the wedding is when 9 other s joined us and Friday was a blur of decorating the church and making food for the reception. But what fun to do it with friends!


And the 3 weeks at ALERT....wow, that seems so very long ago. I was first placed in the information booth at the convention center, where nearly 600 evacuees from Hurricane Rita were housed. Those 2-3 days were so eye-opening! I didn't work much with the people themselves, but did alot with the Red Cross, answered phone calls, and found a couple moments to just listen to the people tell of the homes and families they left behind. Everyone was moved onto another shelter within a week, and then Family Camp began! We topped a 750 attendee total this year, and it was by far the best yet. :-) Jess and Sandra and I worked registration together...our adventures and mishaps cannot be numbered, LOL. Sharon even joined us a couple times, though she mostly worked in concessions. I also enjoyed spending time off with Timothy, and my numerous "little sisters" on campus. When I left on October 20th, the phrase "don't cry because it's over; smile because it happened" kept ringing in my mind. I couldn't help the tears as I hugged the s good-bye that morning, but overall, I was so grateful for another visit to ALERT, amazed once again how God worked despite my shortcomings and blessed me with a wonderful support of friends.


So, in a nutshell, that's that. :-) More to come on the website!

That quote – visualized in the setting of The Sound of Music with Maria leaving the abbey :-) – has been running thru my mind all weekend. My God is a God of wonders, beyond all I could ever ask or think. The Bright Lights conference turned to be a “no”. BUT….next Wednesday (28^th) should find me heading for Texas once more!!! I’ll be helping with ALERT’s upcoming Family Camp, then spend a couple weeks with my best friend Amanda before her November 5^th wedding. In no simple terms, I’m thrilled!  Finances were provided just when I lost all hope, and He has continued to bring just the right amount of funds needed. Halleluiah!

I’m not sure if LJ is accessible at ALERT, but I will do my best to post updates when possible. Please keep me in your prayers as I serve the 800+ people expected for Family Camp, then join Amanda in her final days of preparing for her new husband and home. I’m so excited for her. :-) I cannot imagine her with anyone else but Jonathan and am very grateful to know them both. They’ve been a huge encouragement in my life as they’ve set their face to always seek the Lord, no matter what they may face. Please pray for them as well, as they start life together.

See y’all in Texas. :-)

I'm currently praying about the possibilities of attending a Bright Lights conference this weekend, located a couple hours from here. I've been wanting to start some sort of Bible study with the younger girls in our area/church, and found a wonderful course during our 2 weeks stay in Indianapolis last month. But there wasn't any conferences in our area, so I put the idea aside. Well, on Saturday, I found out my local friends Amber & Ashley were going to a....yes, Bright Lights conference this weekend. :-) I'm really excited and hope all the details work out. The Bible study has been something on my mind for a good couple months. We'll see what happens!

On Tuesday, my friend Naomi V. called from San Antonio, where she was visiting her brother Micah. We met halfway for dinner and a great time of talking and laughing. :-) Naomi and I have known each other for about 8 years and recently just got back into writing -- when our busy schedules allow!

 

Hurrah -- to the beach again! We went to Galveston Island and had a marvelous day in the sun and surf. Man, that water was salty, LOL.

 

Laura and I....

 

And tomorrow I'm headin' home. Amazing how fast these days have flown -- preparation for the conference, those 2 crazy days, and enjoying the Bogner family afterwards. I'm listening to them practice for their nursing home service right now and am sure gonna miss their humor (fits right in with us Baldridges :-) ), and their sweet spirits. I praise God for this amazing time of refreshment and encouragement!