What a great life I have!

I must have a very full life not to have the time to spend updating the world on the events of it through this blog, huh?

My friend "K" is worried about the lack of time to post on her mommy blog. That is ok, K, don't give it up...just blog when you can...your updates inspire!

Speaking of K, let me tell you of the fabulous couple of weeks I have had, including a weekend in Houston.

I have found that my life at work is never going to slow down it is just going to get busier by the day. The amazing thing is my enjoyment of that. I love the feeling of purpose that I have with in my job...it is so great! There are days that I wish that everyone would just leave me alone to get it all done, but if they all left then I would miss them....silly me!

The highlight of my month was getting to spend the long weekend (thank you Mr. King, jr) in Houston. I made phone calls or texted everyone to let them know I was going to be around. Several answered wanting a peice of my time, so I sat down and figured out exact times that I could meet with everyone that wanted to see me without my be frazzled in the end. It worked out beautifully.

First I spent a few hours with my favorite Cheerleader! My sweet Em is going to be a senior next year...how can the years have gone so quickly? She is growing into a beauty and learning some very important life lessons at an early age. We had a couple of sisterly heart to hearts in my time spent with her and then she made fun of them....yep she is a teenager! She is more like me every day and I think that scares her mother!

That evening, my girl Marianne and I headed down to Kiran II for all you can eat Sushi! (Ha! I never thought I would say those words with joy!) We had a great time and ate and laughed and shared life till we were stuffed! Then we headed over to PF Changs to see my favorite bartender where I indulged in some birthday cranberry juice with a shot of cranberry...yeah I am wild!

Sunday was spent with the Crawford family. They are my treasure! What a gift to walk into a home where as you walk in the door the burdens of of life fall off your shoulders. Where there is unconditional love no matter what the situation and where laughter, a love for Christ and family reign. I am so thankful for this family and this home!



Sunday evening...a rare treasure. Usually on Sunday evening during a "houston weekend" I am making my way back from Houston, tired and a little sad because I did not get to spend any time with my friends from my former TKD school.
This weekend because I did not have to be back until Monday, I got to spend Sunday evening at the home of my friend Maricris!
The evening started with me attending Mass with them. I love their church. When I was at the TKD school I was often called a "religious thrill seeker", because I would show up to Mass with them whenever the kids would invite me. This was said with laughter, but what was really known and felt was that I was/am passionately in love with the same Savior and Jesus that they are. It was important to me then and still is that the kids I taught knew just that. If I could show them by being involved in my own church, I did. I also showed them by attending their church with them and being respectful of our differences in belief, yet our common love for the Savior.
After Mass we made our way back to Maricris' home where after a yummy meal of spaghetti, (and the Giants beating the Packers) we settled down to Majong and I was re-taught how to play! The kids played "Rockstar" and "Guitar-hero" with Fish singing "la-la-la" cause he couldn't read the words!

Two sweet memories bring a smile to my face and both involve Fish..suprise suprise. The first was when Fish walked through the door and saw me for the first time in probably a year, and he ran and wrapped his arms around my legs and hugged me for a good 5 minutes. During the evening we had a couple of conversations...conversations that could only be had with Fish (i.e. the logic behind each of the names of his webkins..I promise it was riviting!) The most bittersweet however, was when the kids were ready to make their leave and Fish clung to my neck and whispered "I miss you all the time." in my ear.

Funny how one can capture another's heart and keep it even at a young age. Fish you capture my heart little one! I am so proud of who you are growing up to be. I promise to come visit more often, I need your influence in my life!

I drove home the next morning having seen some sweet wonderful faces, but missing out on seeing others. Time is so short when spending it with those we love.

For those I did not see...I love you, wish the moments of the day were longer and our distance between shorter! "I miss you all the time."

A Letter from Isaka

Dear loved ones,

You are aware that the first years of our overseas ministry was spent in Kenya. We have written about our pastor Isaka Wachiye and his faithfulness for 20+ years. The recent news from Kenya has touched our hearts because a lot of the violence was in our own town of Eldoret where we lived for the time we ministered there. We have heard tragic stories from many friends, but also have heard of God’s protection. We wondered how it was for Isaka. This week, we received the following letter from him. We he mentions the food stores – he could possibly mean groceries stores and/or stores of grain kept by their huts. Should God move your heart for this need, we will forward the monies to him as soon as we receive them.

*Note: Isaka is our pastor of over 20 years, of the church in Kabuchi, Kenya (near the border of Kenya and Uganda). This was my parent's first work and sweet Isaka who started as our gardner began to pastor this work about 2 years or so after it started. He and his family have served faithfully since then. As you can see from the letter below he is a man of great faith and wisdom. His letter here refers to the damage of the recent political clashes in Kenya. Please be in prayer for this sweet family and Elgon View Baptist Church in Kabuchi, Kenya.

Dear Br Workmans,
> Receive our greetings in the mighty name of our Lord
> Jesus Christ.We hope that you are fine and doing well
> in his service.
> Thanks be to God for enabling you and the church to
> reach the new year 2008.
> For us we've seen a new year but through struggle, and
> hardship that came following elections that was
> contacted in December. This led to the fighting
> between people of all races, some being killed, others
> injured, housesd being burned, looting people's
> properties, no transportation, no visiting of the
> shops for shopping. Some of our family members were
> butchered while in their house - Father, Mother and
> their children.
> For us the gang came and carried away everything that
> was valuable to them, it is now difficult for us to
> send children to school for life has come back to zero
> and it needs new plans.
> This is just to inform you about it and for you to
> know that we are alive through God's grace. We
> earnestly request for your prayers, for us and our
> country to have peace. Pray that God may provide for
> us our needs.
> Truely life has become hard for us.
> We are writing this in fear without freedom.
> The church is doing well, but some4 members have been
> displaced by the chaos. Others lost a lot of their
> properties, and some are still staying in the police
> station. As the church this is the burden that we are
> carrying for now both spiritually - evangelization and
> material provision to these families, but it is not
> enough. Some of the food stores were burned.
> Pray brother that things may change to normal. For now
> the situation is improving for we can move around and
> some of the offices are opened for service.
> God bless. Amen.
>
> Yours faithfully,
> Pastor Isaac.

Into my 31st year

Happy New Year to all....and blessings for what promises to be a fantastic 2008!

This past weekend I celebrated the 31st anniversary of my day of birth.
One thing about having a January birthday, it allows you to stop and take stock at the beginning of the year at the same time as one is normally already taking stock and making resolutions.

I personally am not a resolution maker. I know myself well enough to know that I am going to break them so instead I set goals for myself that I know that with the right planning I can accomplish and will feel good about accomplishing.

However, I do like to look back at the past year and see what God has done. Last year at this time the Lord was working in my life (to say the least!) In all honesty though my birthday weekend turned out ok, my life was fairly misreable, I had just moved to Dallas to take a job that I thought I really wanted and it turned out to be the job from that really really hot place, I had yet to truly find a church home, I was struggling with faith as a whole, I had not really found a community and did not have that many friends with whom I could live life.

This year on my birthday my life was contrastly different. I found myself sitting on the front row the church I am honored to call home and where I have the pleasure of serving. As my church began to sing the amazing song "Glorious Day" I had a taste of what heaven would be like. I was surrounded by friends, people the love me and people whom I love. People that I have the honor of doing life with! People that stand beside me in the gap to fight the battles of the unseen, friends that laugh and cry and share their lives with me. Best of all we were in adoring worship of the Father and the glorious day that our sweet Lord will return.

I have a job that I love! A boss that is so incredible and co-workers that I respect and with whom I enjoy working! (what a concept huh!)

I have an incredibly family on both sides of the Atlantic that I get to call mine. I am being able to develop relationships with many of my extended family that I have not had the joy of knowing deeply before.

My life is a testimony of God's faithfulness. That He would bless someone so incredibly unworthy with so much is humbling.

31...actually in my 30's. It is going to be a grand adventure...the sky's the limit!!


Blessings!