I'm back and I'm in Spain

Hello Everyone!! It has been way too long since i have been able to blog. I hope people still actually read my blog. Just wanted you to know that I'm around. We have been in Spain for two nights and then we head to Scotland tomorrow. I am so excited to be going to scotland. This won't be long, but when I get to Scotland I'll fill you in on what the past month has been like. And maybe some pictures of our trip so far. goodnight for now. ( we are near Malaga ...if you want to know, check out the map)

We leave again on new year's day

Well, it's new year's eve and i am so tired i'm not sure i'll make it to midnight. We have been so busy these past few days that all i want to do right now is cry. i am so tired, my body is aching and i'm not looking forward to flying tomorrow. our flights will take us about 18 hrs to get there, we will arrive into Casa...anyways, please please pray for me to feel well while traveling, that being pregnant doesn't take all the energy out of me, and pray too that i just take care of myself and of the baby. That i have wisdom in my decisions and all of that. I know God will take care of us, he always has. I don't think i'll be able to blog for the next month, but hopefully after that i can update everyone from scotland. i'm going to bed now. Happy new year. This year will definitely hold lots of 'new' things,....and for our family a new baby. That is definitely something to be grateful for. We are very blessed. And our parents have been so supportive and happy for us in all oft his. It's been great so far (except being sick) anyways..love you all and i will miss you...goodbye for now.

positive is for Pregnant

Well, we are going to have a baby! Me and mike just found out that I'm pregnant! The baby is Due August 2006. So , we've been even busier these last few days, today went to see a midwife and a travel clinic about being pregnant in morocco. It's all quite exciting, it's definitely a surprise but a very good one! We are very excited to be parents, although it is a bit scary. Anyways, that's is our good news we want to share with all of you!! i know it's kind of a shock...it's still weird to say, we're having a baby..but we are!!!

in Vancouver for 3 days

hey we're back in Vancouver. We arrived very late Tuesday night and we have about three more days before we head off on outreach. Our Vaccation was awesome, beautiful beaches, clear water, tropical fish to swim with, we didn't have to pay for a thing......i'll post pitures when we put then on the computer. It was beautiful!
And now we're here and we trying to pack up all of our things to move out before we leave, pack for outreach, we have to go get a few things, have some appointments and stuff...so we're a bit busy over these three days, while still trying to get some rest before we jump into outreach in Morocco. That's all for now just wanted to let you know we're home and that we had a great time. Although i really did miss my parents on Christmas. Thre is always something about family, you know, but i talked to them all yesterday and it was fun. Well i Love you all! i'll keep you updated these next few days...

We're off!!!

Well, here we go. Tomorrow we leave for the Turks and Caicos Islands ( next to the Bahamas) nice huh?? For those of you who don't know or don't remember we are going to be spending Christmas with Mike's dad and his wife Jo on the islands of Turks and Caicos..and we are looking forward to it! We are looking forward to relaxing, we have about 10 books between the two of us, we are going to get a tan, we are going to relax as much as possible. And be warm in the sun, it's going to be beautiful! Don't know if i'll have time or be able to Blog or if i'll even care..:) So, i'l update you when we get back, show you some pictures of us on those lovely beaches!! But I will miss my family on Christmas day, even though i was home and had Christmas with them, it of course isn't 'exactly' the same and i will miss you mom and dad and andy! Mom, think of me and know that i had such a great time with you last week. You really are one of my best friends! i love you!
And merry Christmas to everyone, especially those i won't see for so long....and I'll be back in Vancouver on Dec 27th so for those that are around, i would like to SEE You before we leave for outreach on january 1st. Merry Christmas!!!

all kinds of craziness

Well......just to give an update since i haen't been on here in awhile. We flew back from Wisconsin on sunday night and arrived back to vancouver to our very cold apartment and slept really well..:) Then monday we have had Outreach meetings and Monday Night we had our captivating Christmas party!! And it was soo fun, i've been looking forward to that party for so long and it was so nice to be with my friends again, to laugh to eat yummy food and enjoy ourselves. i felt really like we were just celebrating ...and it was amazing. We shared with each other about where we are at and we ate some more! Definitely worth all the excitement..:)
And now it's tuesday and we have even more meetings....soo many meetings all about outreach, trying to be with our team some and get to know them, and meetings like crazy..for today and tomorrow...and then we leave. i'm teeling ya it's busy but after all this it's going to feel even better to go to that island somewhere and RELAX........so yeah, that' s me and what we've been up to....the pic is me and mike at home in wisconsin playing with our camera....

blessings all around

hello! well, it's funny, Since being home i don't have that much to say, days go by quickly and the nights are spent being lazy by the tv, or the fireplace, and of course eating lovely home-made meals with my mom..it's been very nice. Tonight we rented two movies, a guy movie for mike and a girly movie for me and my mom, we're going to pretend it's our Christmas Eve and have appetizers like we usually do, then watch movies and eat yummy desserts. i'm going to wrap presents tonight and just relax. my dad gets home tomorrow so we'll have dinner tomorrow and give each other our gifts. good times. Last night we went to a home fellowship with a couple from my church Karen and Stuart Johnson and it was so great, we were encouraged so much by people who are much older than us, all in their 40's 50's and 60's. So, that was really amazing. To be part of a group that wants to hear your opinion on things as well and wants to know what you think of things...it's been definitely the right time to be home. We have been very blessed. i' thought i'd give you some more pic's of us....

pieces of home

well this won't be long...it's still been so good being home. yesterday i was spoiled, my mom took me shopping and for dinner..we really did shop for hours and hours..and then came home and crashed. anyways i'ts been great! todays' agenda is to do nothing then go to a church fellowship tonight at our friends house...so i'm looking forward to that! but i just thought since i'm home i'd just show you some pictures of me and mike when we were little.......just for fun.
that's me and my mom and mike and his sister lisa....

beautyqueen - masterpiece

well....being home has been good so far. today we slept in and that's the first in a long time...soo great!!! woke up, went to the fireplace and grabbed a cup of coffee...
yesterday was great, me and mike were able to share at my church what we've been up to lately and about our outreach we're going on soon. Also, in the evening there was a women's christmas tea. It was called a Christmas of Blessings, and it was. There was so much lovely food, desserts, coffee, apple cider, the church was decorated so beautifully....and i enjoyed being with my church family again as well. But at the end they had asked if i would sing a song...so yesterday i was trying to think of which song to sing, and one came to mind that wasn't christmas-ey but it was fitting for women i think. in our captivating group in vancouver we have talked about how women are mean to be peaceful, full of quiet strength that exudes from them, not in controlling busyness, and so this song that i wrote for a friend awhile ago seemed fitting...so i sang it and i'm always amazed because music really does stir something in us and it wasn't me, it was God, He moved through the song and touched people's hearts, one lady came up to me because she said she was 'undone' she was crying through the whole song...and so praise God!! He uses music and so i just wanted so share the words of this song with all of you.....(and its one of my only songs i've recorded on my own because it was for my Lovely friend Franziska she was in Norway and there was a recording studio, so i recorded it for her) She is lovely and i miss her dearly!!!!!
if you read this at all Franziska, know you are still dear to my heart and this song is still for you! The picture is me and her in norway.

Swirling, the chaos growing
But i'm standing still
I can see life moving at me,
But will it pass me by
Colors dancing around my being
But i feel as if i'm gray
All i really long for now
Is to truly live

All i want is to see
That beauty really lies in me
And the world with all it's colors
Is where I want to live

All i want is to see
That beauty really lies in me
And the world with all it's colors
Is where I want to live

The paintings, the music, the laughter
I want to soak them in
To live and breathe each day as if it is my last
I want to look back on life
and know that it was more
To know that my Life was part
of a Masterpiece

All i want is to see
That beauty really lies in me
And the world with all it's colors
Is where I want to live

You are a masterpiece
more beautiful than you know

Home in Wisconsin

well.....after a very long day of traveling yesterday we made it!! And on the way, we got to see some friends....yesterday we left vancouver early in the morning, arrived at our friend Kelsey's at 10am....had coffee with her, then off to the airport, where we got on our 3 hr flight into mineapolis, and then our friend Bridget picked us up and we went for dinner with her and my brother Andy.....and then made the 3 1/2 hr drive home!! So it was a long day, but at least we got to spend some time with people we love and haven't seen in awhile.
And now we are home...and it's sooo great to be home!! There is a christmas tree all decorated and the house is so cozy with the fireplace.....and woke up this morning to my dad making us a yummy greasy breakfast. Spent the day relaxing, took a trip to Wal-mart and tonight we are going to have dinner together and then play games or something. It definetely feels like Christmas, and it is soooo cold outside, so it's definitely Wisconsin. I love being home with my family.......and i love christmas in wisconsin.

prayer station

hey guys.....just a quick update than off to bed. Today we did prayer station and i was so nervous, even though i have done it a few times now, enough to know what i'm doign anyways. So, we did it and it was good. We didn't have tons of people wanting prayer, as it was cold and rainy/snowy outside. But our team that went out today felt like we're just being consistent, we will go out no matter what.....and just be a presence in that neighborhood....and i just hope that one day that will be a place where people feel safe, not like they are going to be mugged by the drug dealers..:)
anyways, then we had staff meeting and that was good...it was good to hear stories of what God is doing and to see that we as a ywam base seem to be on the same page about alot of things....

then tonight, i had coffee with Rita and it was sooooo good. I just thank God for her, i feel like i can trust her and that talking comes so easy when I'm with her. So that was my day and my night......now off to bed.

i miss traveling.

just a few pictures from places i've been......i'm looking forward to traveling again.

tribute to Mike.

well, i just want to say a few things about mike. he is amazing me more and more. Lately there have been some great opportunities that him and craig have had to really talk with people about God. Or to learn more about other faiths, I respect them both so much for their faithfulness to go where God calls them, to be bold in their faith, to stand on the streets and pray for people, to meet people where they are at without compromising their faith at all. They are both bold men of God.

Mike is a great leader, He is asking God to make him whole, to help him to be a better man and a better leader. I have fun with him, he makes me laugh and he is definitely my best friend. And i just wanted this blog to be for him. For him to know and for others to know how much i love and respect him! He is being obedient to the things God has shown him to do and because of that I think God will trust him with more i love you!!!

over the rhine

well..i don't have much to say about today..i slept in...cleaned a bit, got read, had a meeting over coffee with jen and josh to talk about the coffee shop..so it's good, i'm making moves towards the coffee shop now..more than i have in awhile. I'm getting excited about it..then i came home and cleaned some more....made dinner....and then tonight Pam and Henri came for dinner and it was fun..we had indian food that i made and then sat around for awhile chatting......good stuff..and now i'm waiting for mike to come home from his night hoops thing again. So, i've got a movie on in the back ground while i'm on the computer. Tomorrow we are going to church and i'm looking forward to it, but i'm also looking forward to lazy sunday afternoon, i'm tired..i'm looking forward to going home for 'christmas' with my parents.....anyways, i have nothing deep and meaningful to share right now..but i was thinking about over the rhine.
they really are my favorite band. i think you should all go check out their website and listen to a song..
listen to...the first song and the last song.....ok?? go to the over the rhine link on my blog and click play or on the over the rhine radio..ok?? then you can share my love of over the rhine.
love you all.
goodnight.

me and life

it's almost 1am and i'm sitting here with my husband. He's playing guitar ( i hope the guy upstairs doesn't mind) i just spent the evening with jamie and we sat on the couch and talked for hours and didn't even realize it was soo late....and now i'm writing on my blog. It's been a good day. Lots of different things and lots of unrelated things. But all in all today was a whole was good. I feel encouraged too because mike just got home from this night basketball team he is helping a friend with and he was telling me what happened tonight and God is obviously at work. I feel as if God has opened up connections for mike to meet people in this city and that encourages me that God is at work in this city. And i feel as if God is making more and more clear to me the things He has called me too...I feel like I am realizing more and more that God actually longs for us to live our giftings...for us to live out of the personality He has given us, to live the dreams He has given us and to live operating in the gifts He has given us...So, like i said earlier this week, i really want to have a coffee shop that is like a 'home' because i love having people over, i love making meals and offering coffee and being a place where people can feel like they have a home.
And i also feel lately like what i long to do is help people to operate out of their true selves. to WAKE UP to Life and really live......whatever that means, to live and love God with their whole hearts, minds, spirits and bodies. Thank you all for the encouragement you gave me when i asked about my strengths I appreciate it very much, because I think i needed to hear from other people what they see in me because sometimes i'm afraid that i just think there are things God has put in me, and it's nice to hear from other people that they see some of them too.....so i wanted to Thank all of You. Because I feel God has been showing me through Himself, and through Others that I really do long to be a voice God can use to WAKE people up to REAL LIFE.

crazies and thanksgiving.

well today is thanksgiving, but in Canada it is not..so today we still met as an outreach team and today was quite the day. We knew we were going out today to meet people, give out free bread and offer free prayer to people. So we spent quite awhile praying for each other and praying for the day..and then we headed out onto the streets....and ...well, it's just so hard to explain in a blog. We were in pairs, me and jamie were going up and down Commercial Dr with the intention of giving away free bread and seeing if we could talk to anyone..and we ended up talking to this one guy for a long time..he told us he was 'the devil's son' ......we talked with him for a long time..and then we went back to the park for safety...and joined the other groups there and all of our groups had crazy stories, i can't even explain, but near the ened we knew we had to get off the streets, we had to go back and pray and 'debrief' the day. It was encouraging in a way because it seemed that someone did not want us out there and it was intense. So it was a pretty cool day. And then we came home, made our yummy foods and had thanksgiving dinner....i feel like even if you don't 'gorge' on thanksgiving you always end up feeling stuffed for hours, it must be all teh wrong foods to eat...you know..but they all taste so good and for dessert tonight me and Audrey brought a Maple Pumpkin Cheesecake..and it was sooooo good!!!! well, i'm thankful for my family, my dear friends...my husband, i grow to love him more and more. And for God who sustains me and gives me life.


p.s. that picture of me is in turkey but i thought it appropriate since i feel like i ate soo much today!

coffee coffee chai chai

that's what people chanted in India when you were on the trains, or watching the sunrise..or any crowded area...which is lots of places in India.
Anyways, today was all about the coffee shop......
we prayed, talked, asked God about the coffee shop, especially since it has been something i have wanted to do for so long..and really i need to just go for it. So today was so encouraging for me. I felt encouraged by my friends who were praying with me and excited for the vision as well. And i felt encouraged by God to keep going and there was a challenge as well to be faithful with the dreams He has given me. So all in all, good things are happening.
I feel like i want it to be like coming home for people, for them to walk in and know they are welcome, they will be known and they can get some really great coffee as well. Exciting stuff.....So here is what i made....it will be home. i want a fireplace, bookshelves, a long bar where people can sit and talk to me, of course yummy food, excellent coffee and me! what more could you want........

whispers

well i think it comes down to trust. Me and mike have been praying about our money situation for awhile, and we've been praying about getting a really nice camera so that we can pursue photography more and we've been asking God to meet our needs and He is. And yesterday was encouraging because we were given some money and told that more was on the way, so we still need alot more but God is being faithful. We still need God to meet our needs tomorrow and this week but He is faithful to provide for us. And in our hearts we're learning to trust God for the things that are important to us as well ( like a really nice camera) and other fun things and i feel like i'm learning about Grace again and i'm learning to trust again. And i feel like God never lets me down. I may not understand His timing and His way of doing things, but i'm beginning to trust on a deeper level that His heart is for my best. His heart is to love me. His heart is to be in relationship with me that goes beyond just meeting my 'physical' needs, but to really be filling the holes in my heart that need filling. And not just because He is what's left, but because His love is necessary for my heart to survive.

whispers speak so loudly
of the feelings our heart can't grasp
the secrets we long to be sharing
the truth that's in our hand

we keep searching for the answers
keep looking for the light of day
all we want is to be heard
to know we're inside someone's head

we are lulled into sleep
by the thought of tomorrow coming
there is no way to avoid it
no where to run and hide

all we want is freedom
all we want is to breathe fresh air
to be at peace with ourselves
to know that someone cares.

and it all comes down to trust
trust in someone greater than ourselves
who knows our deepest longings
who can see inside our heads

and so today i choose to trust
that this grace i can sense is real
that love is not an ideal
that truth is in my heart

outreach stuff.....and Christmas.

so, awhile ago a group of us decided we wanted to really do some outreach in the city and we wanted to see what God wanted to do through us in the city of Vancouver. So, we have put aside two weeks to do 'outreach' in the city and today was the first day. We did alot of planning, praying and discussing this morning. It was really good, thought provoking and i think we all left with the question what does it really look like to be a 'missionary' what do we really want our lives to look like? Lots of questions....so today was good. The rest of them had other outreaches they were part of as well today and i did the grocery shopping for our little team this week.

And on another note..i'm excited for christmas. We have just decided that our captivating group is going to have a christmas party and i'm so excited about it. For some reason i feel even more like i want to make the most of the moments and celebrate this season!

have a beautiful evening....enjoy the little things..appreciate each other...live life..and love with your whole heart.

blue skies

well i must admit that it's been sunny here for quite a few days and it really does make a difference. And actually i've had a good weekend. lots of relaxing and lots of enjoying things. i went downtown and i love being downtown when it's not raining. So now it's Sunday.......and me and mike are going to go to Bon's and enjoy our sunday as well. And we just got an email from my Father-in-law and he has booked our tickets for our holiday on the Caribbean. We are now going to the Turks and Caicos Island in the Caribbean. So that will be a lovely time for Christmas, my second non-white christmas. Mike will be spending his 25th Birthday there. This is a very non-deep blog..but i just wanted to share. I'm looking forward to the christmas season this year. I'm looking forward to being with my family in December i'm looking forward to our vacation in the caribbean with Mike's family. And i' m just looking forward to enjoying the little things. So that's all for today. The picture is now where we really are going for Christmas!