On the road (or in the air) again...

i officially give up the "theme" blog entries. forever. until i feel like doing one again, which i will undoubtably forget about or just not be able to think of anything to write about pertaining to said theme...

i am headed south of the boarder in a little over 30 hours..this is an adventure i've been anticipating excitedly since way back last fall. i was blessed to receive lots of financial donations to make my trip to Nicaragua possible, and have been promised lots of prayer support while i am gone. THANK YOU to all of my supporters. i love you guys so, so much. ♥

some things have cropped up in my life in the past couple of months that make me feel like someone is out to ruin this thing for me....which can only mean that good things lie ahead! right? seriously, one blow after another has come at me, affecting this trip directly or indirectly, trying to distract me, take away my enthusiasm, from all angles...craziness. but no one is going to steal one more ounce of my joy. i just refuse to give it up. i am going. i am going to love God, love others, and serve wherever/whomever i can.

in addition to being able to serve, i hope to:

• have an amazing time
• make and strengthen friendships
• experience a fascinating culture
• sample some delicious(hopefully) cuisine, including a sweet little cake called tres leches, which i had years ago and remember fondly..
• maybe feel an earthquake or two
• climb a volcano...or three
• spend a weekend on a volcanic island in the middle of the world's only fresh water lake that is inhabited by sharks...
• swim in the pacific ocean for the very first time
• lounge in a hammock
• get to practice my VERY limited spanish & likely get made fun of by the locals
• maybe see a monkey..which i am kind of excited about and freaked out about at the same time
• take a boat trip
• see some awesome trees and other natural beauty
• and mooooooooore. :)

some things that i could live without experiencing:

• seeing a tarantula
• seeing a python...from too close, anyway
• finding a critter in my sleeping station..whatever that may be
• having my eardrum(s) rupture, or getting a migraine because of these aggravating sinus issues i'm having
• heartburn.

heheh. 

so..there you have it. 

now. i'd better start packing...

1 Corinthians 16:14 "Do everything in love."

When my world is shaking...heaven stands.

When my heart is breaking, I never leave Your hands. ♥

Cancer sucks.

As for God, his way is perfect: The Lord ’s word is flawless; he shields all who take refuge in him. For who is God besides the Lord ? And who is the Rock except our God? It is God who arms me with strength and keeps my way secure. He makes my feet like the feet of a deer; he causes me to stand on the heights. He trains my hands for battle; my arms can bend a bow of bronze. You make your saving help my shield, and your right hand sustains me; your help has made me great. You provide a broad path for my feet, so that my ankles do not give way. (Psalm 18:30-36 NIV)

people are fickle. one minute a kid is best friends with someone, and the next he is knocking their tower down and kicking the pieces all over the room. obviously, the victim of the tower demolition feels a certain amount of injustice, gets angry-or sad-and has some kind of emotional reaction. nine times out of ten, a third party comes onto the scene, either voluntarily or after being summoned by the demolition victim. this third party will almost always first quickly console the victim, and then berate the tower wrecker. after sufficiently chewing out the offender, the third party "hero" normally does one or more of these things; helps the victim to rebuild the tower, finds someone else to help the victim rebuild the tower, offers moral support to the victim and a bit more castigation to the demolish-er, or simply walks away. interestingly, a majority of the time, the tower wrecker will also have a desire to help rebuild. human nature causes us to think, "no way would i let someone who wrecked my tower help me to rebuild it!!" thankfully, kids aren't human. heheh. not fully human, anyway. more often than not, the tower wrecker is welcomed back into the good graces of the victim and construction commences. it never surprises me that the new tower is always far more awesome and elaborate than the old tower was.

this is what makes teachers smile:
when kids stick up for other kids.

this is what makes kids smile:
candy.

My Methodist neighbor is my brother.

God is so much bigger than we give Him credit for. His Church is so much more than we sometimes want to allow it to be. Bigger than labels. Bigger than traditions. Just big. And we need to stop trying to break it down and isolate ourselves from each other. Why is this hard for us?

This is what makes the congregation smile: when the visiting pastor nearly topples the music stand because he is "used to speaking from behind a solid, poundable surface..oops."

And also, when this is said:
"I need to get to the text before I become a homiletical nightmare up in here."

so, it turns out that 3 days of me is more than enough. Heheh.

that little exercise was supposed to be a means to begin to "see amy as the rest of us see her" rather than through my own self-filtered view. the idea of the photo of yourself a day challenge is, at least partially, to help people (ladies, specifically) to be able to see ourselves as others see us, and to be okay with whatever that is. i very much appreciate the sentiment, and i can see where she was coming from...it's important to have an accurate picture of how the world sees you. to become comfortable with that picture, and accept yourself for who you are.

the thing is...i am really about having less of me to worry about accepting. less of amy's issues, less of amy's wants, less of amy in general...and more of Jesus. as for the part about being comfortable with how others view me- i am actually trying to care less about that, too. i want to be seen by others the way i am seen by God...and that doesn't look anything like amy. because of His Grace, when he looks at this girl, He sees Jesus. He sees Jesus. and that is Who i want everyone else to see when they look at my life, too. because, as much as i want to be loved and cared for by others and to have true, meaningful friendships-what I want most is to reflect the love of Jesus, so that others might also turn toward Him and give Him glory and honor.

so, we now shift to something that makes me feel much more comfortable...23 days of anything BUT amy. :)

this is what made a kid on the bus smile this morning:
seeing a squirrel eating a nut on top of a fence. :)

"if you have then been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. for you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God." colossians 3:1-3

happy fan. 

this is what makes me smile:

when my team wins the SUPERBOWL.

"he who dwells in the shelter of the Most High

will abide in the shadow of the Almighty.

i will say of the Lord,'my refuge and my fortress,

my God, in whom i trust.'

for He will deliver you from the snare of the fowler

and from the deadly pestilence.

He will cover you with His feathers,

and under His wings you will find refuge;

His faithfulness is a shield and buckler.

you will not fear the terror of the night,

nor the arrow that flies by day,

nor the pestilence that stalks in the darkness,

nor the destruction that lays waste at noonday.

a thousand may fall at your side,

ten thousand by your right hand,

but it will not come near you.

you will only look with your eyes 

and see the recompense of the wicked.

because you have made the Lord your dewlling place-

the Most High, who is my refuge-

no evil shall be allowed to befall you,

no plague come near your tent.

for He will command His angels concerning you

to guard you in all your ways.

on their hands they will bear you up,

lest you strike your foot against a stone.

you will tread on the lion and the adder;

the young lion and the serpent you will trample underfoot.

'because he holds fast to Me in love, I will deliver him;

I will protect him, because he knows My Name.

when he calls to Me, I will answer him;

I will be with him in trouble;

I will rescue him and honor him.

with long life I will satisfy him

and show him My salvation.' "

psalm 91 

roar.

i have many notebooks. none of them are full. 

this is what makes me smile:
learning.

"therefore, as God's choice, holy and loved, put on compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. be tolerant with each other and, if someone has a complaint against anyone, forgive each other. as the Lord forgave you, so also forgive each other. and over all these things put on love, which is the perfect bond of unity. the peace of Christ must control your hearts-a peace into which you were called in one body. and be thankful people. the word of Christ must live in you richly. teach and warn each other with all wisdom by singing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs. sing to God with gratitude in your hearts. whatever you do, whether in speech or action, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus and give thanks to God the Father through Him." Colossians 3:12-17

introducing....28 days of me.
in celebration of the shortest month of the year.
and as a challenge to myself.

what is 28 days of me?
probably too much.  ba-dum-bum.

the real answer?
i have no idea.

well..i have a little idea. i was directed to a post about a photo a day of yourself challenge...self explanatory.
so here is February 1, 2013. unedited. hehehh. never realized i kinda have a bit of a lazy eye.

"do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." Philippians 4:6-7

this is what makes me smile:
dinner and laughing with friends i haven't seen in a while. good times. (and really good coconut shrimp!)

reminder:
things could be worse.