Thank You!

You guys are amazing! Thank you so much for remembering me on Wednesday night. I wasn't even nervous once I got talking and God answered so many prayers. I am glad it's over, but I am still thankful I had the opportunity. Of course, after talking about how important it is that we watch what we say, I've had an incredible challenge today keeping my mouth shut about certain things that I would like to gripe about - difficult yes, but thankful for His gentle nudges to help keep me quiet. :)

Oh, today I had the joy of eating Turkish food for lunch at the Empire Turkish Grill which is only about 5 minutes from work. It's only my second time there in two years. It was fun trying to remember my Turkish and I thoroughly, thoroughly enjoyed my mercimek corbasi (red lentil soup), my coban salatasi (tomato and cucumber salad), and sigara boregi (feta cheese rolled inside phylo dough)! It was cok guzel (fabulous). I wanted to get firinda sutlac also, but I was way too full. Tokum, afiyet olsun to me!

I know, I know!

I know it's taken me way to long to post, but for goodness gracious, I've been busy! We just moved offices last week so I'm now in a nice and shiny new "office system" (more affectionately known as a cubicle). Actually, my cubicle is quite spacious and homey. I'm just trying to get caught up after several days packing and then unpacking - oh, the joys of change!
The most important reason I'm posting, however, is to ask you to be praying for me the next couple days. I'll be speaking to a group of fabulous high school students on Wednesday night and I'm crazy nervous. I've definitely never done this before. Actually, when I was asked last Wednesday, I said "NO" repeatedly but to no effect. Alas, I know God's asked me to do this and I'm actually really excited about it and how He's already been answering prayers for me as I've been preparing, but still I could use more of your prayers. Mostly, I just want you to ask God to do the work He wants to do on Wednesday night - I feel like these students are really at a place where they can choose - pray that they choose life. I love you guys and promise to let you know how it goes...Josh. 1:9

Happy things today...

1. It is a gorgeous spring day outside with blue skies, nary a cloud, and the wind blowing.
2. I had a great lunch outside today with the Tuesday lunch bunch (always a good time) AND my beautiful sister Kate joined us. We enjoyed our burgers and fries sitting outside in the sunshine.
3. I love my job and that is indeed a gift.
4. My sister gave me a goodie bag of oatmeal chocolate chip cookies, homemade bread, and something else that sounds yummy but I can't remember at the moment.
5. I'm wearing a girly skirt today.
6. Oh, I almost forgot...the lady in line behind me at the restaurant asked where I got my haircut because she liked it so much. She even took a picture with her phone to show her hairdress. I know it's silly, and honestly a bit embarassing, but it did make me feel good.
7. I don't have anything I have to do tonight.
8. I got an e-mail from my sweet friend Linda this morning and she is doing fabulous!
9. Did I mention the guacamole on my burger?
10. I had a long, long commute this morning in the traffic, BUT that meant that I also had a long time to pray this morning. ;)

Ecc. 5:19 "Moreover, when God gives any man wealth and possessions, and enables him to enjoy them, to accept his lot and be happy in his work - this is a gift of God."

Home sweet home

I've been sitting in another office this week filling in for another secretary, but finally I'm back to my own place on the planet - the oh so lovely youth office. While I did enjoy the view of the pink-blossoming tree outside my window and the plush office, it is so good to be home where I belong. Thankful to be doing what I do best and working with my 3 homies and mostly, actually knowing what I'm supposed to be doing again. Life is good. '

In other news... I slipped out of first place in March Madness, but still second place isn't a bad place to be and I'm sure I'll be making a comeback! And the first place was nice for the few hours that I held that title.

Wow, my life sounds so exciting! Actually, I did go to a meeting last night for our Mtrip we have coming up for high school students this summer. It is going to be amazing and we are all so excited about what the Lord of the harvest will do. We are taking 7 leaders (I'm one of those) w/ 7 teams, in 7 seven vans and setting of to wherever He leads us and doing whatever He says do. At the end of the 7 days, all the teams will meet together to share how He spoke to us and what He accomplished. We really have no plan or agenda except His. Crazy, isn't it? We'll be learning how to hear His voice and depend on Him for every moment. I'm a bit scared, but mostly excited about it. We will have lots of training times beforehand getting to know our teams, praying, listening, memorizing scripture and learning how to hear His voice and share our faith, etc. Our inspiration is Luke 10 where the 70 were sent out - however, in that passage they were told to take no shoes, no bag, no money. We will be in fact taking shoes, bags and money which almost seems like a cop out to tell you the truth. Hmmm, something to ponder. What do ya'll think about that?

More rodeo pics

Sucking the marrow out of life...

Carpe Diem, Siezing the Day, enjoying the abundant life, whatever you want to call it - we certainly did it all at the RODEO. My girlfriends and I had a marvelous, incredible time soaking it all up. In the picture I'm enjoying the unlimited goodness of a deep-fried oreo. Yes, you heard me right - a deep fried oreo, also known as happiness covered in powdered sugar. It's like an oreo inside a donut hole. Life is good. We rode a carnival ride, explored the fun house, ate way too much food, bought cowboy hats, ate more food, laughed, cheered, and gasped in horror at the bullriding, calf scramble, and wagon races. We weren't too crazy about the likes of Toby Keith since he's pretty skanky. (Actually this morning I was thinking how grateful I am that I have fullness in my life without all that junk he was singing about. My Father is truly enough goodness for me!) Oh yeah, and my great friends just had their first baby yesterday! What a great gift Bailey will be to them and everyone she meets. It was great to hear Billy and Liz talking to her and hear her cry on the video. You can check it out yourself on the blog which you probably already have if you love them like I do. So yes, hard things happened today, I missed my Turkey friends, I heard about a bombing and another terrible accident in Turkey today and it squeezes my heart...BUT life is good. Our Father is gracious and good and rich and enough for all we need and desire! This week may He give you sweet fun breaths of joy in the midst of our crazy lives like He gave me last night.

Don't you just hate that?

So last night I was being a good little blogger and writing a post. I didn't have tons to say, but for all 6 of my readers I wanted to give you something - a little something to hold on to until I really had something to say, ya know? Well, then of course, my troubled laptop decided to disconnect and well, let's just say "the mission was aborted." ( thanks to LG for that quote) Anywho, man don't you just hate it when that happens? I probably won't let it happen again because I won't be updating on my laptop too often. I should know better anyways. My laptop has never been the same since Central Asia, but that's another story. So, ya'll missed out on my thoughts on Softscrub w/bleach and NPR, I'm truly sorry for your loss. Here's a hint though - I love them both. Yes, it's true, I have many loves.
It's amazing how full my social calendar has been of late. A crazy FamilyForce5 concert last week, dinner and coffee w/friends Friday night, church and then dinner at a friend's place on Sat. night, a real live Oscar party on Sunday night, and the Rodeo tonight. Crazy, I tell ya, crazy! I do love to be social, but I'm sure by this weekend, I'll be more than ready for some introverted time. Being social so much really does wear me out. But alas, I'm not there yet - still more fun to have, more social oats (relatively speaking of course) to go before I crash and hole myself up in my little apartment and spend quality time with my pooch Carly and give her some much needed belly rubs.
And now, I'm off to lunch for some vietnamese food - yum!