BG ...Let's hear it for #9

I had an "it's Thursday?!" moment... and realized this past week went really quickly...not sure what I was doing, but it's time to post my Thankful Thursday post again...
Ok, technically I live in the country and the nearest town is ten minutes and the nearest city is 25. But this weeks' topic is gratefulness for the city in which I live. Do I have to? Ok, fine..I know I need to because gratefulness is what will cultivate my perspective shift..so here goes. I am going to go with the closest town since it's the place I know the best, and perhaps I will expand to the fringes.

For starters, I am really grateful I don't live smack in the middle of the town. I've done my time in the subdivision world. (I loved living in CO so don't get me wrong..I'd live in a subdivision there any day again.) But for now, I am glad to live where there are a few dirt roads, there is grass surrounding the house, I can plant a garden and my nephews can build forts in the woods.
But, of the town...
It holds a certain quaintness. There is a lovely little coffee shop in an old church that is really tasty...and a guaranteed place to see someone you know. On that same end of town are all kinds of vintage and "pinteresty" kind of shops. I went once with my cousin Heidi, it was a good time.
The other end of town sports a great Thai restaurant and the best sushi place...

There is a little book store that I enjoy browsing in..and I generally find at least one or two good titles to take on out the door with me. You can exchange your books there for a credit as well. Problem is, I seldom get rid of any books. 

I love the park up the highway from the town, Its a beautiful many acred, wooded land with plenty of trails and green grass and the bubbling river, lots of swing sets and places to play sports. 

Welllllllll....thats about it for this week. Until the next one :).

Built in friends...week #8

My sisters, the ones with whom I can burst into random song, stay up til 2 am having a heart to heart, ask for advice on wardrobe decisions, borrow their belts and sweaters, join for picnics and spur of the moment shopping trips....
There are six of us, and never a dull moment when we are together. When I lived in Colorado I would tell people they would know me better if they saw me with my sisters. They bring out the goofy side of me. I might be the oldest, but I have gained much wisdom from them, been challenged and grown because of them.
I love piling on the couch with them, flopping on their beds beside them, taking a hike, riding a bike, and those moments with Julie of "clap, clap, motivation" which go no where.
One night when I was temporarily moved back in with Julie (thanks for begrudgingly sharing your space for a couple of months) we laid in bed and interpreted dreams for each other.
I am about to become Mindy's roommate. I've never really shared a room with any of my sisters except the above mentioned, but that was her own space, not really a 'shared' space. I'm looking forward to it! I guess I did share when we were very small...but then there were brothers in there too.
My sisters and I all tend to be pretty different and independent- but this we share: Love for Jesus, humor, and creativity.
Love you all - Christy, Julie, Mindy, Renae and Emily!

it's not too late to join the challenge! We are on week 8, but it will continue until next September! My friend Carrie and I are doing it..and we would love to have you with us!

Taken for Granted...#7

The things I take for granted are the things I do not think about..so to think about what I do not think about is an interesting task. Welcome to the challenge week #7.


Potlucks and Sunday night visiting. Saturday night saunas and drop in visitors. The days when dropping by was normal and you didn't have to plan to have relationships..you just did them. Oh,  what I have taken for granted and what I am so grateful to know as my childhood "normal".
Growing up Apostolic these things were the norm. Weekend would come and we would ask "can we go visiting?" Dad would pick up the phone and call just to see if someone was home. Or we would just hop in the van and go check. If you stayed home it meant the opportunity for someone to come "visiting" at your house. My best of friends as a child were because we had countless weekends playing together. We frequented Carrie and Diana's (one of my all time favorite visiting locations). Sometimes we would go clear up to Clatskanie to Kendra's where we would write stories and spy on the boys and dream up all sorts of adventures. Then there was the sauna places. One home we went to had so many "little peoples" to play with we ever got bored. Oh...I never knew people didn't have saunas or at least know someone who did. I mean, we didn't have one, but of course we knew plenty of places to get one. They weren't just something you used in a gym..they were where you got clean on a Saturday night.
The strength of the hospitality culture I grew up in was something I took for granted, until I didn't have it around me any more. It's more than hospitality even..it's a sense that someone always has your back. You'll never end up on the street..you have family everywhere. When someone had a baby, people rallied and cooked meals. If you were sick and at the hospital, there was no shortage of visitors and meals and prayer.
And..people love to sing. Every time you would get a group of people together- if someone can play the piano then you have some singing. And there would be plates of treats..always if you go visiting- you bring a snack. The nissu and coffee and crackers and mucceda (I have NEVER tried to spell that word in my life..but some people call it summer sausage) comes out and there is a glorious array of tasty treats whether there are many or few present.
Our visiting days were to the young and the old. We'd visit Aunt Penny and Uncle Lew- there we could play in the barn. At Karl and Becky's there was loads of books to read and the old Carmen Sandiego game on the green screen mac. We'd pick beans at Lorretta's and watch the fish at Chelle's...
Yes, I took this for granted.
Yes, I am thankful for these memories...and someday, when I have kids, I want them to experience the "visiting" culture. But to have that happen I must be interruptible, to value relationship more than agenda..and slow down.

Gracious God. I'm so Thankful...#6

Week 5's challenge: "A challenge you have overcome" How about writing this post? (learn about the Thankful challenge here.)
An overcome challenge never seems as large in hindsight as when you are right in the middle of it. I've been reflecting back on my life and considering different seasons and challenges and many of them I think..is that really worth writing about in my blog? Was it really that big of a hurdle? I mean..when you are five, learning to tie your shoe seems like such a big challenge. At 15, driving a car is scary and overwhelming. The first time you move away from the task of paying bills, furnishing a home, buying your own groceries, it is all quite daunting.
So, I am exceedingly grateful for all the challenges I have overcome in my life and that none of them are quite so vast on the other side. I could keep it simple and tell you how learning to read has changed my life. You know, I overcame that challenge a long time ago and it's influenced my life every day since- guaranteed.
Instead, I'll share about another, more recent challenge that I have over come... One that sticks in my mind is leading outreach teams. When I joined YWAM in 2008 as a staff member I wanted to disciple and assist outreach teams. I had no interest whatsoever in being a primary leader. I dove into every opportunity (except working in the kitchen...now looking back, that's a whole different thing I've overcome! I love to cook now! Yay!) - whether it was onsite student discipleship, office work, cleaning, assisting schools, and more. Within five months of being on staff I was asked to assist an outreach to Mexico- excited and VERY nervous, I said yes. A year later, I said yes again to assisting an Around the World team. I began to be asked to take a team myself- each time I would turn it down, scared to bits at the thought of being in charge of a group of people all myself.
During the summer of 2011 I was in Huntington Beach, CA setting up the Circuit Rider Outreach for over 200 people. Four of us were detailing logistics before the arrival of staff and students from Hawaii and Colorado. It was there that I felt the nudging of the Lord..."You can do this, it's time to lead." You know those times when your palms sweat and your heart is pounding and you are scared but you say yes anyway...it was one of those times.
So, upon returning to the base I stepped forward and said "I'll lead". Oh man, I was SOOO terrified. What was I in for? Would I have good students? Jesus PLEASE prepare the way! After a lot of prayer the locations were picked: London and Romania.
That January as the students were arriving in Denver, I had a dream that I was up on a hillside, on top of old building ruins that overlooked London. I was with my team and some guy named Shawn (means: God is Gracious or Gift from God.) On this hillside I began to sing something simple like "God loves us." I don't remember exactly what it was...in my dream my team joined in with me and then slowly the city joined us. The song became so deafening I actually jolted awake. This happened before I knew who my team would be.
While I was preparing my team, my friend Derek was preparing a team from the Boarders DTS. God IS so gracious- he gave me a friend to lead along side because our teams worked together during the London portion of our outreach. Our teams gelled so well that one time when we asked them to meet separately they got confused!
Toward the end of our time in London we were praying about where to have a time of worship. It was suggested several times that we go up to Crystal Palace Park. Many of our team had been up there but for whatever reason (probably meeting for other ministry prep) I had not been there. As we climbed the steps to the top of the park..I realized where we were...we were standing on ruins of a building that overlooked the city...about to worship and intercede. I nearly cried.
GOD IS SO GRACIOUS!!!! There are just times that you know that you know that you know you are where you need to be.
I am so Thankful I said yes- even in the midst of being afraid.
P.S. I also had AMAZING students.

The Simple Things- Thankful Thursday #5

The things we forget about, take for granted, overlook, don't realize other's live without....

Rain pouring from the gutters-not into the house
Washers and dryers.
Cameras to capture moments.
Grocery stores.
Flushing toilets and hot showers.
Airplanes and cars-  I've travelled by many other modes, these are wonderful gifts.
Heat at the flip of a switch. (and cold air too.)
More than one pair of shoes.
Clean water to drink.
CHOICES when it comes to food.
Eating off of a plate-with silverware.
Blow dryers and towels.
The ability to read and write.
Walking outside freely.
Shoes. More than one pair.
Soap. Shampoo.
Almond butter. Of course.

In so many places these things are not "simple" and available. Enjoy. Cherish. Stop..and smell those roses.