It's going to be a CRAZY week!

Tonight I leave after Lifeline to go to Willow Creek in Chicago for a Student Conference and I'll be there until Wednesday. I'm going with my friends Lisa Baugher, Corey and John Keim and it's going to be great - David Crowder Band is the worship band! I'm really looking forward to learning a lot more about working with high school kids - as you can tell from the picture, I must really need some help in this area - just look at Danielle's expression on her face and that says everything!

Then I'm home for a day and then I head BACK to Chicago to start a new school. I haven't mentioned this to many people, but it's VERY, VERY EXCITING and I can't wait to see what path God will take me as I start a path on this new career. I'm going to keep you guessing on what that is and I'll tell you more about it later in the week when I get back. Throw some guesses out on my comments - but if you already know what my new career is, don't give it away!

Remember: It is not how much we do, but how much love we put inthe doing. It is not how much we give, but how much love we put in the giving. Mother Theresa

This is my Daddy!

This is my Dad - Terry Staley, and he's a huge part of who I am. When I was thinking about what I should post next about love, I was thinking about my parents and how things they did for me when I was kid taught me about love.

When I was a kid money was not abundant. My Dad worked his butt off and made sure we had everything we needed, but we didn't have money for extras. It was important to my Dad that my Mom stay home and take care of us, so he did what he needed to do to make sure that could happen.

It was my sophomore year of high school and it was time to make the big class ring purchase - I was so excited! It was so much fun to pick out the ring and know that it was going to be custom made just for me. I was shocked when I found out how much it was going to be. I was working at the time and had some money saved, but not enough - so I figured I would just have to save a little more and wait awhile until I could order it. I was kind of disappointed, but it wasn't the end of the world.

Well, a few days later my Mom told me to go ahead and order it, that they were going to buy it for me. I was really surprised because I knew we didn't have that kind of money just laying around, but of course being a 16 yeard old I ordered it right away, said thank you and didn't think much more about it.

A few years later, after I was grown and out of the house, my Mom and I were talking one day. Come to find out my Dad really wanted to buy my class ring as a gift for me and didn't want me to have to pay for it myself. Since all of our money went to food and bills, he didn't know exactly how to do that, so he went to the pawn shop, took HIS class ring and sold it so that he could buy my class ring! WOW!

After finding that out, I felt so valuable, special and loved by my Daddy that he would sacrifice something that he loved and was special to him just for me. I still get teared up when I think about how much my Dad loved me to do that for me. Even to this day, when he gets me a gift that he's picked out himself, it means the world to me (because I know he hates to shop and that he must really love me if he went to the store just for me).

My Dad has taught me a lot about unconditional and sacrificial love because he has modeled that for me my entire life. From him I have learned about faith, honesty, integrity, kindness and character - to always work hard and do the job right no matter what. Thanks Dad - you are a huge example to me and I love you!

Billboards, Jesus and GCC

Did you know that . . .

Right here in St. Joseph County (not on the other side of the road but right here among our neighbors and friends) there were: (documented by Indiana State Department of Health)

1. 731 abortions in 2003 (18% teens)
2. 481 teen pregnancies in 2003
3. 37% of all births were to unmarried parents
4. 355 reported cases of AIDS

By age 19, 69% of boys have had sex and 77% of girls have had sex (as reported by the Kinsey Institute)

Porn is destroying people and families: (Family Safe Media)

1. The largest consumers of internet porn are 12 - 17 year olds
2. Pornography is a 57$ billion industry annually
3. Porn revenue is larger than all the combined revenues of all professional football, baseball and basketball franchises
4. That anyone (including kids) can download porn onto their cell phones or iPods - in fact, the first day it was available one service reported 500,000 downloads of porn videos in the first 24 hours after offering the service.

Christians are affected by porn too? 47% of ALL CHRISTIANS (OK, get that, that's almost HALF) say that pornography is a major problem in the home.

Did you know that . . .

1. Sex is a beautiful and intimate act that God created for a married man and woman to enjoy and bring them closer to each other and closer to Him?
2. Pure Sex is not anything to be embarassed or ashamed about - it's only because it's gotten twisted and warped through our culture that it is perceived as bad. It is a God given and God breathed act of intimacy and beauty in it's pure form.
3. Sex was not meant to be used as an act of trying to fill a void or trying to find your value and worth - Jesus provides all of that for us, not sex.
4. If Christians don't start standing up and addressing the "taboo" subjects to our friends, family and children there is no hope for our children's future.
5. There is a group of Christian men and women at Granger Community Church (me being one of them) that is willing to step out of the comfort zone, take extreme criticism from others, and be attacked by other Christians because lost, hurting and broken people matter to Christ and to us. We want to see families and lives restored through the love and grace of Jesus and we will do anything He has called us to do to make that happen.
6. We don't try to get people to our church who already know Jesus - we're reaching out to the people who have no idea that Jesus can even help them. Isn't that what Jesus did when He was on the earth? He didn't hang out with the "church" people, he went right in and hung out and loved on the "outcasts" and the "broken".

Did you kow that I am proud to be a part of a church that follows Christ and does what the bible says no matter what the cost! Jesus didn't change the world by being conservative and worrying about what people thought, so I'm happy to be following Him and doing exactly what I think He would have done, which is to get in the front lines of battle and fight the hard issues that are destroying people and families.

Click here to see exactly what the point of the GCC SEX billboards around town are all about www.mylamesexlife.com

Click here here and here to read more about the PURE SEX series coming up.

In honor of "the week of love" that I declared yesterday (Valentine's Day), here is a list of some of the things I love (not necessarily in order):

• I love Jesus
• I love my husband Trent & My son Cody
• I love my crazy but awesome family (they keep life interesting!)
• I love my Lifeline students (especially my girls!)
• I love my dog and my kitty cat
• I love tennis (especially when I'm winning)
• I love the beach and the sun
• I love morning coffee time with my hubbie out on our deck by the water
• I love Little Sable Point Lighthouse at Silver Lake
• I love our summer shack at Silver Lake
• I love boat rides with friends
• I love having Cody's friends Kyle and Chris hang out with us
• I love real, honest conversation
• I love sharing my dreams and insights with someone who cares
• I love watching God weave lives and experiences together to bring us closer to him
• I love Starbucks Vanilla latte - 2% decaf with whipped cream
• I love dinner with girlfriends (or anything with girlfriends)
• I love sunsets - especially with my husband at Silver Lake
• I love conversation that blows your mind and makes you think about things in a new and different way
• I love old, old songs from my childhood like The Carpenter's, Barry Manilow and Air Supply
• I love old 80's songs and movies from my high school days
• I love chocolate cake with my Mom's home made chocolate chip frosting
• I love avocadoes - I'm addicted to them
• I love to be a part of a team
• I love my Grandma Betty, Grandma Russell, Poppy, and Father-in-law Jerry who are all waiting for me in heaven
• I love getting sweaty and dirty working my bootie off on a mission trip
• I love spoiling the people I care about and making them feel special
• I love my bed, pillow and heated mattress pad
• I love snuggling up to my hubby every night and waking up with him
• I love getting lost in a sappy romantic movie
• I love my Mom's augratin potatoes and her potato salad
• I love making a difference in people's lives and having a part in changing the world
• I love visiting my in laws and their friends in Florida - hangin' out at the retirement park is cool!
• I love Mexico - especially The Mayan Riviera in the Yucatan peninsula and Monterrey where Back 2 Back Ministries is located
• I love to explore and travel anywhere I possibly can
• I love to be outside (when it's over 50 degrees)
• I love it when the wind blows on my face a certain way and I know that it's God showing me here's right there
• I love the feel of the sand between my toes
• I love to scuba dive and snorkel
• I love Off-roading in our jeep
• I love being loved
• I love Jesus - Oh yeah, I already mentioned that but it's worth saying again!

Happy Valentine's Day!

To all of my friends, family and loved ones - I hope that you had a Happy Valentine's Day today and that you felt loved. I also hope that you gave some love away today and that you showed the special people in your lives how much they mean to you.

I have a lot to say about love - so I am declaring this "the week of love" - so stay tuned, it will be interesting.

Thank you for being in my life - I love being on this crazy journey through life with you!

God is amazing!

When I look at the galaxies on a clear night,
when I look at the incredible brilliance of creation
and think that this is what God is like,
then instead of feeling intimidated and diminished by it
I am enlarged . . . I rejoice that I am a part of it.
Madeleine L. Engle

It's Strep

It's Wednesday and Cody is still home sick from school. We went to the doctor today and it is confirmed . . . STREP THROAT! I got him some ice cream and just got done getting him settled in for the rest of the day. He's really bummed because he's already missed guitar lessons, he's gonna miss 5-Star and Oasis tonight, and he'll miss his last school snowboarding trip tomorrow. The doctor said he's definitely out of school tomorrow and maybe Friday. This is making things tricky for me at work, but fortunately I have a boss that is very understanding that way.

So now I'm trying to be a good Mom and give Cody all the attention and love that he needs because he's miserable, but inside I'm freaking out because I don't want to get strep throat!! I hope that my Seaweed vitamins and Echinacea kick in so I don't catch - The doctor said it's VERY contagious.

OK - gotta go - I'm going to go take an extra shot of Seaweed essentials & Vitamin C!

Dirty Feet

Quote of the Week:

I will not let anyone walk through my mind with their dirty feet - Ghandi

I've been mulling this quote over a lot in the past day - it really spoke to me and challenged me. How many times have I been part of a conversation where something unkind, disrespectul or inappropriate has been said, and I've done nothing about it?

This quote could also be applied to the shows I watch on TV, books I read, movies I watch, music I listen to, etc., etc. My mind can't be pure and clean if I'm letting/putting unclean stuff in it. I believe that a pure mind leads to a pure heart, and that is what Jesus calls us to.

So from now on, if you hear me muttering something about dirty feet and walking away, please don't take offense - just understand that it took Jesus a lot of years of working on me to get my mind and heart cleaned up and I have no intention of messing it up and getting it dirty again.

Cody is really sick - he was home from school today with a high temp, sore throat, and throwing up - not fun for him at all. I knew he was sick when he said he'd rather be at school. Right now he has a 103 degree fever and I'm worried about him. This is about the sickest I've seen him since he was a baby. SAD!

WOW - it's been a busy week!

We just got back from a trip to Nashville with 46 student and leaders. We went to Student Life 2006 and heard Erwin McManus and Charlie Hall. The conference was incredible, our students were amazing and our bus driver was a man of many words. I'll follow up this week with pictures and details.

I am so blessed to get to do this - thank you Jesus for all of these incredible opportunities you give me. I can't believe I get to do this!

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.