Mission Mexico 06!

Tonight is our first meeting for our Mission Mexico '06 trip to Monterrey, Mexico with Lifeline, and I can't wait! This will be our 3rd year going down to Monterrey and serving with Matt & Julie Cooper at Back 2 Back Ministries. This trip is INCREDIBLE and has changed me for life - I wish that I could stay all summer long! The trip is July 22 - 29th. Tonight is the information meeting for people who are interested in going (6:30 - 7:30 in the Heir Force Room). I can't wait to see who shows up and wants to be on our team! I can't remember this little cutie's name, but isn't she adorable? She lives in Casa Hogar Manatial de Amor - she was abondoned by her parents. I wish I could bring her home to live with me - I wish I could bring them all home to live with me!
This is a Mom and baby who live in the Rio. The Rio is basically a garbage dump that people have used trash to build their shacks with. Milk here in the Rio is pretty much unheard of (no money and no refrigeration), so the babies drink water and pop in their bottles. Most of them have their baby teeth rot out before they fall out naturally. We'll be doing quite a bit of outreach here at the Rio, and again, I can' wait!
This is Erin Koczan, Brittany West, Jim Ralstin (in the back) and I at the Rio when we did an afternoon outreach last year. We were the "balloon crew" - we must have blown up at least 1000 balloons and handed them out to kids - it was a blast!
This is part of our team from last year. We took 49 Lifeline students and leaders. During the day we would split the team in two and spread out to work at 2 different children's homes - this one is at Casa Hogar Douglas, just down the road from Back 2 Back. We helped build a sports court (basketball and such). It was in the beginning stages and we mostly picked rock, dug trenches, and built rebar. It was incredibly hard work, but our team did an amazing job. It will be exciting to see how far it has come when we get back there this year.

Did I mention - I CAN'T WAIT!!!

I have spring fever. I can't wait to get the boat out on the water. I can't wait to go up to Silver Lake. I can't wait to lay out on the lighthouse beach. I can't wait to do my a.m. quiet time outside. I can't wait to have coffee time with my husband out on our deck.

I CAN'T WAIT FOR SUMMER!!! (I know, it's a little premature, but I'm still learning the whole patience thing).

Thanks to my friend Chris Infalt

This is my friend, Chris Infalt - her desk is right next to mine at GCC and she works for Oasis, the middle school ministry. We also are neighbors up at Silver Lake, although we dont' get to see them up there much lately.

Yesterday I was struggling with something and was about to either burst into tears or burst into a fit. She came upstairs to our office and I just let it out and told her what was bothering me because I knew she would understand. Not only did she understand, but she has such a quiet and wise way of pointing out how Jesus would want us to respond. Not in a preachy way, but in a very kind, loving and compassionate way. She totally helped me get my head screwed back on the straight and reminded me of some VERY important things.

That's not the first time she's done that (and probably not the last) - I remember several times when I've been so torn up and crying over something that has happened to one of my students and she would stop what she was doing and calm me and pray with me; another time my little kitten disappeared into thin air and I was so sad - she stopped what she was doing again and asked to pray with me; she is a great Mom and has 3 wonderful boys so I can't even count how many times she has given me extremely valuable advice on raising a boy; her Mom had Alzheimer's and when she was sick I would ask Chris about her and she was always so strong about the horrible disease that was stealing her Mother from her - every time we talked about it she always found something good to praise God for - and the list could go on and on.

In Proverbs 31 it talks about the "Virtuous Woman" and it reminds me so much of Chris ". . . She is clothed with strength and dignity; she can laugh at the days to come. She speaks with widsom, and faithful instruction is on her tongue . . . Many women do noble things, but you surpass them all . . ."

Thanks Chris for being such a great friend and a great example to me - you have definitely made my life better by knowing you. Thank you for all the important "behind the scenes" stuff you do for middle school kids at Oasis. Your love and passion for Jesus and middle school students is an amazing example for us all.

Here's a plan you can live with!

For any of you who know me at all, you knew it was coming sooner or later. . . It's time to talk about health and fitness. Now don't jump off my blog just yet - hear me out!

Here are some GRADUAL changes you can make in your lifestyle and diet that will really pay off - plus, this is a plan you can stick to! Try to add one of these steps a month, and at the end of the year you will look and feel like you are 10 years younger. On top of that, you'll be adding years onto your life. (I got this off of MSN health if you want to see the entire article, without my commentary)

Step 1: Walk, Man
Since exercise doesn't have to be intense to be beneficial, brisk walking is an ideal choice for beginners. It's inexpensive, it's enjoyable, anyone can do it and it works!

Step 2: Laugh More Often
Did you know that 100 hearty, good laughs burn the same amount of calories as ten minutes of rowing? Looks like more giggling leads to less jiggling!

Step 3: Learn Label Lingo
A healthy eating plan begins at the grocery store. Nowadays, food labels contain all the information we need to make smarter choices. More on this later . . .

Step 4: Follow the 80/20 Rule
Eighty percent of the time, choose foods that are nutritious, low in fat, and high in fiber. Twenty percent of the time, allow yourself an indulgence. This way, you'll never feel deprived, and no foods will be off limits or taboo.

Step 5: Think Fitness, Not Thinness
Throw unrealistic notions of becoming pencil thin or perfectly chiseled out the window. Anyone, of any body type, of any age, of any height, can become fit through regular exercise and a healthy diet. It's fitness that matters most in the long run.

Step 6: You Booze, You Lose
If you drink regularly, say, two beers or two glasses of wine each day, that's over 1,400 calories per week, or over 73,000 calories per year -- enough to create 20 pounds of excess flab! Have you ever carried around a 20 lb bag of potatoes? Not fun!

Step 7: Kick the Habit
It's second nature to add butter to toast, mayonnaise to sandwiches, and fat-laden dressings to salads. Try replacing these high-fat habits with new low-fat ones, like putting jam on toast, low-fat mayonnaise or honey mustard on sandwiches, and low-fat dressings on salads. My favorite is honey on toast or bread for getting rid of my sweet tooth.

Step 8: Don't Be a Frequent Fryer
Choose cooking methods that don't add fat to your foods: baking, broiling, grilling, roasting, poaching and steaming. Use nonstick cooking spray in place of oil and save 14 grams of fat.

Step 9: Give Your Spuds Some New Duds
Forget the butter when mashing potatoes. Every tablespoon has 11 grams of fat. Instead, use low-fat sour cream or buttermilk to get the creamy taste and texture you're after. Try salsa on baked potatoes—it's fat-free.

Step 10: Plan Menus in Advance
When you know what you're going to eat ahead of time, you avoid impulsive high-fat, high-calorie food selections. Try to plan weekly menus on the weekend and shop for the ingredients you'll need. This will make weekday mealtimes a lot less hectic.

Step 11: Kill Two Birds With One Stone
Doing two things at once may be just the way to fit exercise into a hectic schedule. When you take your kids to soccer practice, walk around the field instead of just sitting for an hour. Catch up on the latest gossip with your best friend while hiking, biking or golfing. Walk from the Creative Arts Center at GCC up to the youth offices a couple of times - that'll get your heart going!

Step 12: Prepare Yourself for a Snack Attack
Keep healthy snacks on hand, like skim milk puddings, baked tortilla chips, low-fat cereal bars, pretzels, fresh fruit, veggies with low-fat dip, and frozen yogurt. Leave the high-fat snacks at the supermarket. Out of sight, out of mind.

"If you're connected to people, you're connected to pain"

Every Wednesday I have the privilege of attending our staff meeting at GCC (which I look forward to every week). Yesterday Dr. Bob was in charge and he said something very profound and I've been mulling it over and over. He said . . .

"If you're connected to people, you're connected to pain".

Hmmmmm . . . .

Right now, in my immediate family & close circle of friends, there is so much going on that is hurtful and painful - BIG stuff that cuts very deep. In my job/ministry, working with high school students, there is tremendous pain. Sitting on the floor holding a student who is sobbing and doesn't understand why her parents could do the horrible things they did to her (or why God would allow that), that is the epitome of "If you're connected to people, you're connected to pain" - holding her I can actually physically feel some of what she is feeling, and it is gut-wrenching.

In one way it seems like it would be so much easier to disconnect so that I wouldn't feel so much of their pain. Just keep everything at the surface and keep the "wall" up to protect myself.

On the other hand, that's not the way that God created me, and that's not what He's called me to do. To be completely honest, when I am down there in the pit with someone I care about, or a student has opened her heart to me, that is when I feel the closest to God. I can actually feel his breath on me and I can hear him whispering to me the entire time. It is indescribable, and as hard as it is, there is no other place I'd rather be.

Jesus tells us that the 2 greatest commandments are to love God and love others - it's that simple, it's not rocket science. So what are you doing to "love others" and connect to them? How do you manage the pain that you feel when you are in close relationship with others, or do you put the wall up and not even go there? GIVE ME COMMENTS - I'D LOVE TO HEAR FROM YOU!

Thanks Dr. Bob - you really got me thinking!

Trent's Diet and Work out Plan is working, but I'm a little worried...

Some of you might know that for about 9 months Trent has been on a pretty dedicated diet and work out plan - he's lost about 45 pounds.

As you can see by this picture, I'm getting a little worried about him - he's not just losing weight, but shrinking altogether. I'm going to have to get him a booster seat just to sit with us at the dinner table if he loses any more!

This picture cracks me up!

Debbie, can you get Cody in for a haircut, like, really soon?!

Something you might not know about me . . . I was born on a Friday the 13th!

Pics for Profile

The whirlwind of the holidays

The last couple of weeks have been a whirlwind, but in a good way! Here are some of the highlights from Christmas and New Year's:

Christmas Eve Eve: My niece and nephew (Josh and Kayle) came over and spent the night. We ate alot, dipped candy canes into chocolate to make the coolest hot chocolate "stirrers", and then fired up my new hot chocolate machine that made the best hot chocolate in the world. Then we loaded everyone up, grabbed the neighbor kid Chris and went to the Christmas service at church. The service was GREAT and it was an awesome way to start our Christmas.

Christmas Eve morning: All of Trent's family came over and we had brunch, opened presents and hung out. Cody loves to cook and he especially loves his Uncle Jeff's biscuits and gravy, so it really made his day to have Uncle Jeff teach him how to make it. He did a great job and it tasted better than any restaurant!

Christmas Eve: Relaxing family time in the afternoon and then off to two parties. The first one was at our neighbor's, The Warners, and it's always a lot of fun. Then we were off to the Mann's for a really nice, laid back get together of friends. We ate a lot and laughed a lot and it was great!

Christmas Day: Cody, Trent and I slept in, opened presents, had an awesome breakfast that Cody cooked for us (he made his Grandma's famous brunch casserole). We had some really good family time and everyone loved the presents they got. We were all too spoiled! Then in the afternoon my family came over for dinner at our house, more presents (did I mention that we're spoiled), and some more great family time. The evening ended with our annual "Christmas Bingo" game and there were lots of laughs at the gag gifts that people won.

New Year's: On Thursday we took off to escape to the mountains to a gorgeous log cabin that we rented in Pigeon Forge, TN. We've been there once before and it is the best! Full kitchen, fireplace, big screen, pool table, hot tub out on the deck, master suite with it's own deck - it is aweesome. Our goal for those 5 days were total rest and relaxation, which we did very well. We didn't hardly leave the cabin - I brought enough food to feed an army and we ate most of our meals there at the cabin. We did venture out one day to go into Gatlinburg - we went to the Ripley's Believe it or Not museum, ate at Hard Rock Cafe', and went to the China Star knife shop, which was really scary for Mom, but the boys wanted to go. Going on a mini family vacation was a great way to start off the New Year!

Saturday, GCC Food Drop: What an amazing way to close out the holiday season. We gathered with a couple thousand other people from GCC to distribute 6 semi-loads of food all over the Michiana area! It was incredible working right next to one of my favorite students Casie Kyle, my niece Kayle, my nephew Josh, my husband and son, and my friends Debbie, Chloe and Corey. To me, this is what Christmas is all about and that is serving others. Click onthe link to watch a really cool video my friend Corey made of the food drop. http://www.youtube.com/watch.php?v=_ENgFZqBRNk

All in all it was one of our best Christmas and New Year's ever - not because of any gift that we got, but because every year we simplify Christmas more and more and get to the heart of what Christmas is really all about, and that is loving and celebrating Jesus and loving others.