I am actually sitting in my closet right now waiting for a tornado warning to pass. the lights just went out and it is reather sureal sitting here waiting not knowing what will happen next. I am glad I can write right now because if I had to sit here and just wait I would go mad. anyway just a little update from me her in Texas

Please Pray

Last night while talking to my Mom ont he phone I reacieved some very hard news. one of our family friends died not too long ago and it has been very hard. She was an elderly woman but it just didn't seem like she would be gone so soon. If you are reading this and you know me please pray for me. I have lost several lost ones in the past year and this doesn't make it easier. Please pray also for her husband, Jack. thank you :)

Happy easter...no belated :(

ok so I know that I am late in saying this but HAPPY EASTER everyone!!!!! I had a good Easter weekend. What did I do? Well.....nothing really. I went to church on Sunday and that was about it. But I liked it because I could rest. It was nice to catch up on some most needed sleep :) But in all it was great, how about you?

Spring, Spring, Spring!

Sring is here and I am loving it! I honestly never thought that Texas could look so beautiful but it does. As the chill of winter wind falls away the trees begin to bloom and it looks like a huge calibration of sorts. Oh it is wonderful. When the wind blows now it’s not the kind of wind that makes you pull your coat closer but the kind that makes you throw your arms out and welcome it with a smile. Or at least that is how I feel about it. The other day my roomies and I went out to take pictures and we had so much fun. We went to several different locations and took over 200 pictures! It was great fun to say the least and I was able to spend a great deal of time out of doors. Oh how lovely it was to walk in the wind and see nature for more than a moment as I pass by. We went to a nature preserve to take some pictures and that was just indescribable. I really miss being able to take those long walks that I had grown so fond of back home where I would troll up on the mountains and sit and just listen to the creek and the trees in the wind. This was a small taste of that but a little is better than none, right? Well here are some pictures from the event and hopefully in the coming days I will be able to post more…ENJOY

I don't think so

Your Dominant Intelligence is Spatial Intelligence

You've got a good sense of space and how the world around you looks. You can close your eyes and "see" images. You have innate artistic talent. An eye for color and shapes, you're also a natural designer. Since you think in pictures, visual aids and demonstartions help you learn best. You would make a good navigator, sculptor, visual artist, inventor, architect, interior designer, or engineer.

What Kind of Intelligence Do You Have?

So I don't think hardly any of this applies to me at all :(

International Women’s Day

Today is the first of march and that means that in eight days it will be the “International Women’s Day”. Many of you might be scratching you heads at this point and wondering…what is this “international Women’s day” and why have I not heard of it? There is a very simple answer to that one, if you have not lived in Russia you would not know it was a holiday. It is sort of like the Russian Valentines day and they all would like to think that it is “international” but…I won’t say any more :)

I'm BACK!!!

I am sorry for not writing for so long but for the past week and a half I was totally out of commission. I got sick but then on top of that had an infected tooth. Not fun. I was running a fever for about four days but now I am on antibiotics and I had my tooth worked on. All better. Well at least I am feeling better and am working.

Today was one of my co-workers birthday and that as always in my department is fun. We try to make it as much of a secret as possible but seeing how she normally orchestrates such things she was expecting it…no fun :( Just kidding it was a lot of fun and I am glad that I was able to be here for it. I had enough of lying in bed doing absolutely nothing.

The weather is finally warming up and it is lovely. I miss snow and all that good stuff that goes along with winter but it is nice to have a nice warm day with just a slight breeze. I love it and am looking forward to taking a walk :)

Valentines Day... a holiday or a headache?

Deffenition: Valentine's Day falls on February 14, and is the traditional day on which lovers in certain cultures let each other know about their love, commonly by sending Valentine's cards, which are often anonymous. The history of Valentine's day can be traced back to an obscure Catholic Church feast day, said to be in honor of Saint Valentine. The day's associations with romantic love arrived after the High Middle Ages, during which the concept of romantic love was formulated.

I know that I am posting this AFTER ” The Day of Love” but so was my intention. See Valentines Day has become this ridiculous Hallmark holiday that in most cases really means very little. If you are in stores on the said day you will see men rushing through trying to find something anything for the girl in their life just to make her happy because she would be very upset not to get anything on this particular day. Ok so if you get the picture that is REALLY DUMB in my opinion. Valentines Day should be celebrated with much thought put into it. If you are going to get a gift what would you rather get… A gift that is simple but you can tell that the one giving it really put some thought into it or a gift that you can tell is just a store ready-made pick-me-up gift? That is the point I am trying to make. Valentines Day does not have to be a stupid rush around holiday but it rather can be something very special, thought through, and personal.

In everything...

In everything, every situation and case, I have learned to hope. With every mountain there is always a trail that winds up the side we never look at but all the same it is there if we will allow God to show it to us. With every ravine there is a bridge, it may look as though it would not hold up a fly but it is there and we can cross. God is always there and most often in ways we lest expect but in the same token they are the ways that will force us to grow more. I have learned to hope as never before because God is always faithful if we will simply take his hand and say “Lead me, Daddy. I trust you.” If we can do that and put our everything into the hands of the One who loves us more than we can fathom there is no despairing because He is with us and will help us through. In everything I have learned to hope…in every situation and case.

The Golden Temple 2

What struck me was the reverence that they had for what they believed. Most Christians here in America have a hard time getting on their knees in reverence to God yet over there they would bow their faces to the ground till their foreheads touched the ground to show their respect. I thought to myself, “ Why am I so lenient about what I believe? Why don’t I show such respect for the God whom I worship?” One word came to mind as I mulled over these questions...pride. I as an American have so much pride instilled in me since birth. I feel that I am above such humbling expressions. I have the right to stand tall. I have the right to believe what I believe and to do it in any manner that I please. In essence what I realized I had been telling myself for so long was I have the right to not revere God by humbling myself with outward actions. That conclusion brought me to yet another question. If I know I worship the true and living God how much more should I yearn to worship and revere Him with everything that I do and in every action? They worship with everything they have in them. They bow down to the earth in reverence of their god. Why won’t I do the same for Christ?

At The Golden Temple 1

India is known for its land marks and wondrous structures such as the Taj Mahal, the Golden Temple, and so many more but for me India is so much more byond that. I was able to see these tourist centers but I asked God to show me something different than that which meets the eye and when you ask God to show you something you’d better be ready for what comes next. What golden capped building, what marble paved walk way, what splendor of man and that which he has built can cleanse you...save you? These questions plowed through my mind as I walked through these places that are admired by the world and revered by the natives. The Golden Temple made me think and eventually made me weep. To see so many people bowing towards the temple bathing in the water that surrounded it hoping to be washed clean of their sins. Here I stood watching all this knowing what these people need wanting to proclaim to them the truth of Christ yet I couldn't. I was not in America where we have our “rights” to be able to say what we want, where and how we want. I had to stand by as the multitudes stood in line for hours waiting to enter into this temple to pray and be cleansed. There were so many also standing in line to bow and pay homage to “saints” that had died protecting this sacred place. It blew me away it really did and I felt so helpless to reach out but God had other plans.

To Be Continued...

REJOICE!!!

Rejoice in the Lord because today is a new day! Praise Him for He has given us yet another day, another chance to serve Him and reach the lost with the good news of Jesus Christ. Be glad in all things for Christ is our king, Abba Father, to whom we can speak freely without a priest or sacrifice. We may run to His arms and find refuge in His love.
Today is wonderful because it is a gift. REJOICE!!!

I can't believe it's SNOW!!!!!

so you would think that Snow in Febuary woud be a normal thing right? Yah well not where I live. Here in Texas snow is a delicasy and guess what...IT SNOWED TODAY!!!! granted none of it stuck but the fact that ther were huge flufy flackes of snow falling from the sky was AMAZING!!! I was at work when it started and had to sit through training while the rest of my department went outside to enjoy the wonderful gloriouse snow. but all is well because my boss had mercy on my and let me go out as well. It was SO MUCH FUN!!! ok so some of you may not think as much but I had a blast just standing out in the falling snow.

After Delhi

Now that I have had time to think on it I thought I would tell you more of my trip to India. there is so much that I wish I could say but so much that is in hy heart that words would not be able to describe. Anyway after Delhi we boarded a train and traveled to a bible collage. the things that I heard there were so encouraging and they put my faith to shame. I heard the testimonies of some of the young girls that were studying there some not any older than me and yet they had been threatened with death for their faith in Christ. they had been driven out of their unbelieving homes and were shunned by their families, friends and entire villages, yet they stood strong for the because of Christ. how little any of my trials seemed. how minute any of my troubles that I had faced on behalf that I was a Christian. I realized what a privilege it was that I could talk to my parents about anything, my faith, my life and they would listen and help me in any way they could. It struck my for the first time in my life what an amazing privilege it was to have Godly parents that guide me from things and urge me to seek out Gods will in everything. I had disliked so many times that they had told me no on issues and wouldn't let me do things that I had wanted to while I lived at home and now looking back I was so glad that my parents were there for me all those times. I couldn't imagine not being able to talk to my siblings whenever I wanted or to watch my niece grow old but that is what these girls in India sacrifice so that they can fallow the call that God has placed on their life. being able to talk to them and really spend time with them was such a blessing for me in so many different ways. I hope that one day perhaps, God willing, I will be able to talk to these girls again but until that time I will pray for them and I ask you to do the same. Pray for all the young Christians in India and ask God to give them strength through everything and in every situation to stand strong.

Entering India

As I said in my last update I had just returned from India and so I will begin today with a series of recollections, memories, different things that God thought me through my time there. There was so much I really don’t know exactly where to begin. So many people, so little hope in their eyes. One of the things that struck me first was as we drove through Delhi I saw two men sitting on a fence just staring off into the distance. I wondered what they might be thinking of. Did they care what happened to them tomorrow? Did they believe that their gods would listen to them, answer them? It made me so sad knowing that these two men were lost crying out to their own gods deaf and dead as they are carved out of stone and wood. I wanted to jump out of the car and tell them about Christ but what would I have said? I couldn’t speak their language even if I could where would I have started? No, my place was to pray, to cry out to the one God who would listen and answer on behalf of these men and so many others that I saw daily.

Before the Memoirs

Ok so I never informed all of you that I was headed off to India about three weeks ago but I am here now telling you that I am back J I am still trying to get readjusted to the time change and food and all but for the most part it is going well. I am back at work and trying to get back into the swing of things but my mind still cant quite get the fact that we are in AMERICA now and not in India. The weird thing is just a few days ago I was in a tropical rain forest and now I am in a windy cold icy Texas. Very strange. Any way I really should get going, I just wanted to give you all the heads up and in a few days I will start posting stories with pictures and all.
God Bless.