Pictures from the Springs

Just got back from the Springs - had an awesome time. NO, I'm not moving back anytime soon......not saying I wouldn't like to, though, I'm just saying.... :)

Thought I'd update you with some pictures from the trip! I didn't get to take pictures with everyone (Sarah B, Sara D, Brenda...) but, these are the ones I DID get to take. It was really awesome to see everyone - and to not be at work for a few days!!


Janna - my old boss from Compassion.


You see why I love her so much?


Christie and I shared a cube when I first started at Compassion...


Oh Randy......got the scoop?


Haley - I taught her everything I know about Training...


Bill - You'll never find a truer friend.


Robyn - Be thankful I didn't post the OTHER picture Robyn and I took...


Mi Amiga - Elaina


Tara aka T-Mac


Me and Yatron

All in all - it was an awesome trip. I didn't get to see everyone for as long as I'd like to have. I guess thats just the way it goes, huh? I really do miss everyone. Its hard, even being here for 9 months, I still feel like I don't know that many people. Anyway - wanted to post these here for your viewing pleasure!

Oh, and for those of you who still wonder.....my total weight loss after the trip - 34 pounds!!!!! I'm down two pant sizes and one shirt size!!! Can you believe it? Me saying "No" to pasta, cheese, BREAD, cheese, regular soda......the list goes on and on..... Anyway, yeah, thats where I'm at right now! ;)

Jeremiah 3

I've been reading through Jeremiah. I came across this passage yesterday, and I don't know that I've ever read anything like this before. (DISCLAIMER: I am sure I have read something that has touched me like this before....its just been a long time...)I don't even think I need to write about it - it speaks clearly for itself. This is from Jeremiah 3, out of the New Living Translation: enjoy.

19 “I thought to myself,
‘I would love to treat you as my own children!’
I wanted nothing more than to give you this beautiful land—
the finest possession in the world.
I looked forward to your calling me ‘Father,’
and I wanted you never to turn from me.
20 But you have been unfaithful to me, you people of Israel!
You have been like a faithless wife who leaves her husband.
I, the Lord, have spoken.”

21 Voices are heard high on the windswept mountains,
the weeping and pleading of Israel’s people.
For they have chosen crooked paths
and have forgotten the Lord their God.

22 “My wayward children,” says the Lord,
“come back to me, and I will heal your wayward hearts.”

“Yes, we’re coming,” the people reply,
“for you are the Lord our God.

The Sermon

Here is the message from church on Sunday - see previous post to see why I'm posting this.. :)

You can listen to it online from my church website:
Becky's Message
Right click on it and save to your computer. :)

or you can go to our website and download the message from the church website:
Desert Springs Church Sermons



It takes several minutes to download either way, but trust me its so worth it...

If you can't get it to work - I'll send you by CD, so let me know!!

Faulty vision

Evidentally at my church there is a tradition that on Mothers Day the pastors wife, Becky, will give the message. Most of the people I've talked to there have told me, "Make sure you bring tissues on Mothers Day," 'Yeah, okay,' I thought...

Have you ever been at church and thought, "I don't know why everyone else showed up for church today because this message was just for ME!" Yeah, thats awesome and it happened Sunday. Since I've not been at the church a full year, I had never heard Becky speak, and let me tell you - I feel blessed that God is allowing me to be a part of this church. We are going through a series right now entitled, Heroes - Ordinary people with extraordinary abilities. (Yes, its sort of based on the TV show Heroes.......man I love this church!) Becky spoke about sin and us and how God views us and our sin. She brought in her laundry (stay with me here, this is good) and talked about how she and Pastor Brad have different ways to sort the laundry. One does the laundry by specific colors: Blues, Browns, Yellows, etc. and the other does it by lights and darks. She said the one thing that neither of them do is wash everything together in one load. The darks stay with the darks and the lights stay with the lights. Always. This is how God views us and our sin. Separate. When God sees me, he sees me as who he created me to be. My sin is still there, but its in another pile. What we do is we continually lump our sin and our lives together and say, this is who I am. I'm this terrible person who does these terrible things. Its not. I am redeemed. That moment where I told God that I needed him and asked Jesus into my heart, the dirty laundry in my life was separated. Do I still sin? Yes. Does God still view me as a sinner? No. He sees me through his Grace Goggles. Through those goggles, I'm righteous and holy. Romans 6:21 says "so that, just as sin reigned in death, so also grace might reign through righteousness to bring eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord." She even mentioned that when God talks about our sin he always says, "Your sin has separated you from God," not "because you're such a sinner..." He keeps us separate from our sin. May our prayers this week be that God would allow us to see ourselves the way He sees us, and not through the faulty vision of our own eyes.

I'm going to post the message here once it goes online. It will be here sometime this week. I encourage you to check back and listen to it.

Eeeks

This is a lesson to myself........before applying make up....


and after.......

ALWAYS GO WITH THE AFTER!!!!! ALWAYS!

:)

p.s. if I had photoshop I'd look even better!!!!!

I'm coming to Colorado Springs...

So evidentaly my coming to Colorado Springs for 1 day last month and not telling people that I was coming wasn't the best idea...SO-RRYYY!! Okay, well, I'm letting you know - ahead of time - that I will be in the Springs on May 23-27. My friends daughter is graduating from high school that weekend, so I thought I'd take some extra time and stay a while. So for those of you who like to leave town when I'm in town (Sarah) or who like to schedule plans then not show up (Brenda) or who don't read this blog (Tara) or who do read this blog (You) - you have been dutifully warned. My only plans so far are that I'm going to be at Compassion on that Friday the 23rd around lunch time. Please let me know if you are planning on coming. I also want to have lunch at my favorite place, Tsing Tao....probably Sunday, Monday or Tuesday (or each of those days!!) ;)

Now, don't complain.....you can't say you didn't know...unless you're Tara, because she already told me she doesn't read this blog....but other than that - no excuses!!