Leaves!

Today Julie came home from church and decided she wanted to have a photo shoot in the leaves. She is always full of crazy ideas, but today, I humored her. Here are some of the pictures! We pretty much look like cheese heads in all of them!

Happy Birthday Fitzers!

Today is Laura's birthday...I call her Fitzers. She is 26 years old today. We apparently don't take pictures together, I had to go back to February in my iPhoto to find this one. Sad. Laura and I met at a GroupLink at church. We didn't end up in the same community group that day, but somehow the friendship that started there has stuck around. Laura is such a faithful friend. She makes me laugh...oh, how she makes me laugh. She is one of the few people in my world who I can be completely myself in my full out goofiness, and she still loves me, and even joins right in. She has also become a source of accountability and great encouragement in my walk with the Lord. She has walked with me through hard times, and been such a consistent and faithful friend! I am so thankful to call her one of my best friends!! I love you Fitzers!!!

Faithful

One of the character traits of God that has always resonated with me is His faithfulness. Even when I don't feel it, or even when I don't see it, he is ALWAYS faithful. I love this song. I sat and really listened to the words last Saturday in front of a fire at the lake. And today I was listening to it again sitting on my grandparents back porch looking at the river. And I love it. I long to be faithful even when I can't see or hear Him. He has taught me that He is always faithful, and I long to be the same.

FAITHFUL
There’s distance in the air

And I cannot make it leave

I wave my arms ‘round about me

And blow with all my might
I cannot sense you close

Though I know you’re always here

But the comfort of you near

Is what I long for

When I can’t feel you

I have learned to reach out just the same

When I can’t hear you

I know you still hear every word I pray

And I want you

More than I want to live another day

And as I wait for you

Maybe I’m made more faithful

All the folly of the past

Though I know it is undone

I still feel the guilty one

Still trying to make it right
So I whisper soft your name

And let it roll around my tongue

Knowing you’re the only one who knows me

You know me

Show me how I should live this

Show me where I should walk

I count this world as loss to me

You are all I want

You are all I want

Happy Thanksgiving!

I have spent a wonderful Thanksgiving sitting outside on my grandparent's porch, eating with my family, playing games, and just enjoying being here with everyone (except Rebekah who had to say in Philly). A few of the many things I have to be thankful for this year:

• My wonderful, supportive, loving family.
• Friends who are faithful and are the hands and voice of God in my life.
• A relationship with my Savior who loves me, guides me, provides for me, and has saved me!
• A job in the midst of economic uncertainty.
• A church where I am spurred to grow and supported in my walk with Christ.
• And.....finishing the last book in the Twilight series so that I can now have my life back.

Really, I have so many things to be thankful for. The Lord has provided for me in ways beyond what I can understand or deserve. And for all the things I have to be thankful for, I give Him all the glory!

Congo...

Rescue those being led away to death;

hold back those staggering toward slaughter.
If you say, "But we knew nothing about this,"

does not he who weighs the heart perceive it?

Does not he who guards your life know it?

Will he not repay each person according to what he has done?

Proverbs 24:11-12

At church on Sunday, our pastor talked about the crisis that is happening in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. I knew that there was unrest, but I truly had not idea to what degree. Here are a few of the statistics...they are sobering.

• 5.4 million people have been killed in the violence in the Democratic Republic of the Congo since 1998. MOre people have died there than in Iraq, Afghanistan, and Darfur combined.
• 45,000 people die every month in what is being called Africa's World War. This is the deadliest conflict since World War II.
• One of the primary weapons used in this particular war is rape. 80% of women living in the Congo today are victims of rape and 75% of all the rapes that take place in the world happen in the Congo.
• The violence has forced civilians to flee their homes and head for already over-crowded IDP (Internally Displaced People) camps where it is virtually impossible to access health facilities, find clean water sources, and locate nutrional food. Most deaths are a result of these types of conditions, an indirect result of the violence.
• The Congo has been named as one of the most dangerous countries in the world for children, whether they are killed by the violence, die from desperate conditions, or are recruited by the rebels and forced into unspeakable acts of violence themselves.

For more information about what's happening in the Congo, watch these videos. One from CBS, one the BBC, and one from our church service Sunday. The BBC one is the shortest, and if you only watch one, watch it. It really is sobering.

http://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=3706833n

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/7700111.stm

http://www.watermarkradio.com/index.php?id=153&series=113&message=0

For more information on ways you can help and give go to http://community.wr.org/Page.aspx?pid=1274

Celebrating Julie

Tonight we celebrated Julie's birthday at Cantina Laredo. It was a great group of friends gathered to celebrate such a great girl! Here's a few pictures from the evening.

Julie with her cake!

Me & Shawn

My table buddies...Alli & Chapman

Me & SarahBeth

The roommates - terrible picture of me, but my only one with the birthday girl

Three Quarters...

...of the way done! I found out today that I passed the third part of the CPA exam. Praise the Lord is all I have to say! Only one left and then I can put all this studying nonsense behind me forever! I'm hoping to take it sometime in January and call it done!

Tonight the non-stop pace I've been keeping since I finished my test at the beginning of the month is beginning to catch up with me. I'm doing what my very wise friend Jen instructed me to do...spending some time alone. A night for me. For the serious introvert that I am, it is strange to have to be told to spend a night for me. But I'm glad I have friends who know me and see my need for alone time.

Today I had lunch with one of my girls. She has the ENTIRE week off of school for Thanksgiving...it seems completely unfair. The joys of being in high school. When I called her to see where she wanted to go to lunch she said she didn't care as long as she could get Caesar salad. It cracked me up. Who craves Caesar salad?

Okay...sorry for the stream of consciousness post...it's about all I have left in me tonight.

Mesmerizing...

I missed yesterday. I was at the lake...with zero cell phone reception. It was actually quite wonderful. I love getting out of the city. It is SO energizing to me. I love time away, time with friends, and just relaxation.

I spent a couple of hours yesterday morning here...in front of this wonderful fire. Reading, journaling, praying. Just good time curled up in front of a fire.

I was thinking yesterday as I was sitting there about how there are two things that I can stare at for hours. Two things that are absolutely mesmerizing to me. Fire and stars. I love them both. And both I usually only get to experience when I get out of the city. Not that we don't have a fireplace in our house, because we do, we just never use it. And stars...don't even get me started on stars. To me, they are the most amazing, worship inducing thing that God created. They leave me awe struck every time. I've never took a good picture of stars, but I stole this one from google images, but there is nothing like being in a place where you can walk out the back door and be greeted with stars as far as the eye can see. I just love it!
What parts of God's creation just make you want to sing?

Lake & Lyrics

I'm headed to Lake Cypress Springs for our annual leader's retreat with all the girls of student ministries. I am so, so excited about this weekend. It is always great to get to know new leader's and spend time with old friends. I love the laid back schedule and just being out of Dallas. I ALWAYS love being out of Dallas.

Also, I thought I'd share the lyrics from another one of my favorite songs. It's Phil Wickham. Powerful words that spur me to praise Him.

Cannons
It's falling from the clouds
A strange and lovely sound
I hear it in the thunder and rain
It's ringing in the skies
Like cannons in the night
The music of the universe plays

You are holy great and mighty
The moon and the stars declare who You are
I'm so unworthy, but still You love me
Forever my heart will sing of how great You are

Beautiful and free
Song of Galaxies
It's reaching far beyond the milky way
Let's join in with the sound
C'mon let's sing it loud
As the music of the universe plays

You are holy great and mighty
The moon and the stars declare who You are
I'm so unworthy, but still You love me
Forever my heart will sing of how great You are

All glory, honor, power is Yours amen
All glory, honor, power is Yours amen
All glory, honor, power is Yours forever amen

A few more Coldplay pictures...

...from Brooke. What a night!

Coldplay!

Last night I went to see Coldplay with my roommate Brooke and our friend Kelly. I was excited and looking forward to it, but I was tired, so I don’t think I was expecting as much as I got. It was absolutely the best concert I’ve ever been to. The show was incredible. Chris Martin going from piano to guitar back to piano. The band moving to different spots in the audience to play songs. Down to the way the live video of the band was projected on globes hanging from the ceiling. It was all amazing. And even without all of that, Coldplay just delivered. I walked away from last night liking them even more than when I showed up. Here’s a few pictures I took with my phone since I forgot my camera. Brooke had hers, and I’ll have to update with some actual good pictures whenever I get them from her.

Drowning Phones...

The Welch girls have a slight problem with their phones ending up in water. When I was college, I was walking down the stairs in our apartment carrying my phone and a cup of water in the same hand. My phone most definitely ended up in the cup of water. Deborah flushed hers down a toilet. And most recently, Rebekah washed hers with her clothes. We have real talent! So, if you'd like to keep your phone, keep it away from a Welch girl and water - it's a dangerous combination!

100

This is my 100th post. Nothing like posting every day to move that number right on up there. This blogging is getting quite ridiculous, and I'm running out of things to say, so I thought I would post some random pictures. And when I say random, I mean random!

Sarah, me & Nat before she moved out to Nashville. Now she's moving back...oh happy day!

Me & Lisa at the expo for White Rock last year. We did crafts this weekend...different than running together, but it was fun. I like sewing!

Meredith & I at the Launch retreat last year. She got married this weekend. She was a beautiful bride and her wedding was a blast!

Me in Brazil August 2007...I've been thinking about that place a lot the last few days...I love it there! I love those kids, I love being there.

And this is Jen's Halloween costume. We made it. I sewed the skirt...she did the shirt. She was a rainbow that was a part of a thunderstorm. We were kind of proud of out handiwork.

Fun with the Girls...

Tonight I loaded several of my small group girls up in the car and we headed to Richardson to see Taylor in a school play. It was fun to hang out with my girls outside of church stuff, since I haven't got to do much of that with all the studying I've been doing this semester. I think it's funny how whenever they are together, mass picture taking takes place, so here you go, some pictures from our evening!

In line for dinner with Amanda & Maddie.

Rachel, Katie, Amanda & Maddie at our table.

The girls with Taylor after the play.

In the car headed home...this is just a small showing of how silly things got on the way home.

High School Musical

Today I saw High School Musical 3 with Maddie. I'd been waiting to see it, but the opportunity just hadn't presented itself. Since Maddie & I were the only ones in our small group who hadn't seen it, we decided to go today. It, of course, lived up to it's cheesy roots, but it actually wasn't half bad. Favorite ridiculous line of the movie: 'I love you Wildcat'.

My new favorite board game...

Last night I went to a game night and Jen brought a new game. It's called Quelf. It has to be the funniest, most random game that I have ever played. You should take a look at the website. It's hilarious. Here are a few of the crazy things that happened in the two rounds of the game we played last night:

• I had to say everything twice for the remainder of the game.
• Every time someone rolled a four, Sarah had to act like she was videoing the action and narrate it like she was filming a documentary.
• I had to wear Jen's sock on my hand as a puppet for the rest of the game as a sock puppet...I named him Henry.

These are just a few of funny things that happened in the game. It was really fun! I'm considering buying it before Thanksgiving and trying it out on my family!

Just a little creepy...

So, I realize that most of the time when I blog about Student Ministries it's the serious side of things. Today, a little insight on the insanity that are Jr. High and High School ministers. It NEVER ceases to amaze me the skit characters that they transform themselves into. This week at Shoreline (our high school service that happens ever Sunday night), David (our Jr. High director) dressed up as a photographer/videographer. His name was Mr. Boggs. Actually, he had a first name, but I've forgotten it. His slogan was, "I take pictures of you while you're not looking." Need I say anything else to explain the title of the post? I leave you with a picture and the question of whether we are doing more harm than good with our students...

Oreo Cows?!

We went for a walk while we were out at the lake last weekend. It was quite eventful. We ended up on a dirt road. Harper's stroller wasn't exactly meant for offroading! At one point, we definitely carried her stroller! We also ran into some wildlife. Several horses and the most interesting cows I have EVER seen. I swear they look like oreos! Here's a few pictures from the walk.

Called to Disciple

Most of you know what I do with the majority of my free time, but in case you don’t, here’s a brief run down. Through my church, I volunteer to lead a small group of freshman girls. I have been with them since they were in sixth grade, and will be with them until they graduate. They are amazing. I love them, and they keep me on my toes. For some reason, the Lord has seen fit to place me in a place of influence in their lives. Rarely do I feel worthy or equipped of such a job, but I do feel called, and I know that’s enough.

One of my girls is at a Christian school that has started a mentoring program this year. It was their goal to have every freshman student (130 of them) paired with a mentor. Someone who would do three things over the course of this school year: 1) Pray daily for them, 2) Make contact with them once a week, and 3) Get together and hang out with them once a month. I have the honor of being Maddie’s mentor. (The picture si the two of us at her homecoming game). This morning there was a breakfast for all the mentors. They told us stories of people who had influenced their lives, had us think about people who had influenced ours, and gave us some staggering statistics about this generation we are trying to reach. They are calling them the “M” Generation. The M stands for media. Here’s a few of the more interesting ones:

- 50% of teens are growing up in divorced homes.
- 85% of teens will have sex by age 21.
- 35% of teenage girls will get pregnant.
- 88% of them will abandon church within two years of high school graduation
- 66% of kids between ages 8 and 18 have TV’s in their rooms.
- 75% are on a social networking sight such as facebook or myspace. 69% of those regularly receive messages from unknown persons.
- Kids ages 8-18 spend over six hours per day consuming media.

It is crazy how even the twelve year age difference has so drastically changed the world they are growing up in. It breaks my heart, and it spurs me even more toward pouring my life into these girls, and being real with them, and doing whatever God calls me to do so that they don’t end up becoming one of these statistics and instead end up equipped to disciple others.

Lyrics...

** Update: I added the video at the bottom so you can listen to the song if you want!

I love music. Song lyrics speak to me in a way that the written word just sometimes can't get through. I think I've always loved to sing, and this is part of it, but music just gets inside my head. There are songs that I feel have shaped me. Lyrics that will be in mind and in my heart forever. To some people, I'm sure this is crazy, but I just love music.

We were listening to this song by Brooke Fraser at some point this weekend, and I was struck again by how much I love the lyrics to this song, so I thought I'd share one of the songs that has really gotten in my head lately. If you haven't heard it, you should find it, and listen!

SHADOWFEET

Walking, stumbling

On these shadow feet

Toward home, a land that I’ve never seen

I am changing

Less and less asleep

Made of different stuff than when I began
And I have sensed it all along

Now fast approaching is the day

When the world has fallen out from under me

I’ll be found in you, still standing

When the sky rolls up and mountains fall on their knees

When time and space are through

I’ll be found in you

There’s distraction

Buzzing in my head

Saying in the shadows it’s easier to stay

But I’ve heard rumours of true reality

Whispers of a well-lit way

You make all things new

When the world has fallen out from under me

I’ll be found in you, still standing

Every fear and accusation under my feet

When time and space are through

I’ll be found in you

When time and space are through

I’ll be found in you

When time and space are through

I’ll be found in you

My sister...

Is quite funny. I love reading the things she writes and just reading about the experiences she is having this year. You should read this one. She spent a day on the streets of downtown Philly living the life of a homeless person and met some neat people.

http://rebekahinphilly.blogspot.com/2008/11/no-money-no-problems.html

Enjoy!

Harper Joy

Little Harper Joy is the star of the majority of my pictures from this weekend. The five of us just aren't nearly as cute when there's a baby around to take pictures of!!! I'm pretty much too tired to post much detail from the weekend, and I just picked up New Moon (see post from Friday) from my friend who was holding it hostage for me and am about to leave reality for a while. SO, here's some pictures of Miss Harper. She is too adorable and is starting to smile and interact. We loved having her around this weekend!!!

Someday...

I want to own a bakery...or at least work in one. I think it would be so fun. I made these cupcakes for a shower at work yesterday. I had a lot of fun decorating them.

I have a problem...

When I start a book, especially if it's a good one, I have a hard time putting it down. I will stay up until all hours of the night to finish it, no matter what I have to do the next day. I will sometimes turn down social activities to read if it's a good enough book. Sunday, I started Twilight. My friend Jen (who just found out she passed the Bar!) had been telling me I need to read them. You can read about her obsession here. Anyway, I stayed up until midnight reading and then finished it Monday whenever I got home from work. I know, out of control. I had the second book in the series, and I was all ready to start it, but Jen told me that if I started it, I would be hooked for the next three books and not be able to put them down. SO, I relinquished my copy of the second book until after the weekend with my girls, because I don't want to miss out on any of the fun because I have my nose stuck in a book the whole time. I realize this isn't news to a lot of you...you know problematic habits when it comes to certain books. Harry Potter was the same way...I just couldn't put them down. Do you think there's treatment for this?!

GAFIA

Every year my college roommates gather for what is called GAFIA. It stands for Getting Away From It All. It's our one weekend a year that we are guaranteed to all be in the same place at the same time. I love it more than anything. Natalie & Emily fly in tonight and head out to Nat's lake house with Michelle, Sarah & baby Harper, and I'll join them Friday, because, sadly, I have to work on Friday. Stinking no vacation days!!

I am so looking forward to this weekend...if you didn't already know that. I can't seem to stop talking about it. I love these girls, and the time that we get to spend together is so little that I like to soak up every minute of it. These are the friends my parents prayed for before they sent me off to college. They are the constant source of community in my life. No matter where we live, what life stage we're in, or what's going on in our lives they are always my closest and dearest friends. It all boils down to this: they are a gift from God and a huge blessing in my life and I am SO stinking excited about spending the weekend with them!

Picture from last year's GAFIA.

Three Weddings and an Engagement

So, I've been blogging about all these weddings, but have failed, until now, to post any pictures. So here is a picture journey of my last few weeks:

Wedding #1 - Abby & Shaun
A beautiful wedding. Outside a historic home in Dallas. The perfect night for an outdoor wedding! Abby was in my community group up until this summer when she moved to Houston to get settled into her new life.

The Community Group (Karla, Katie, & Sarah)

Wedding #2 - Amanda & Trent
I served with Amanda in student ministries for a couple of years. She is a joy and it was amazing to see her marry Trent. Sadly, my camera wasn't charged, and I didn't realize it until we got to the wedding. I was kind of mess that day - I also left one of my shoes in my car and had to wear my flip flops to the wedding. I stole this pictures from Mel's facebook!

Kristin, me & Mel

Wedding #3 - Beth & Mason

I worked with Beth at Watermark. It was so fun to watch as her relationship with Mason started. I am so excited about their life together and the ministry that they are going to have as a couple. I had a blast at the wedding catching up with old work friends. So fun!

Me with Bethers!

Catching up with friends (me, Emily, Carlos, Emily & Lori)

The Engagement: SarahBeth & Jeremy

Jeremy proposed to SarahBeth, and it was such a fun occasion. I worked with SarahBeth at Watermark, and consider myself lucky to call her a friend. She is a thoughtful, loving, and very special friend. I am SO excited that her & Jeremy are getting married. Jeremy arranged a little party after he proposed, and it was great to get to hear the story and congratulate the newly engaged couple!!

SB was a little surprised to see everyone!

Roommates! (Julie, Brooke & me)

Timing is everything...

I think God has a pretty good sense of humor. And honestly, I have been marveling at His timing a lot in the last couple of weeks. For some reason, it still catches me off guard when He brings people or circumstances into my life at just the right time. It happened again this morning. In light of my post yesterday, and just all of the things I have been processing through, I read this as a part of my time in the Word this morning:

You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness. Ephesians 4:22-24

I'm behind on the Journey (our churches Bible reading plan), and I should have read these verses a couple of days ago, but I don't think they would have hit me quite the same way. Timing. I mean, these verses spoke directly to where I was this morning. Where I am right now in the stage of life. I'm learning - slowly, impatiently, and imperfectly learning that God wants to transform my life, transform the way my mind thinks about my circumstances, He wants more than my old, sinful life for me.

I love His timing. I love that I don't normally blog about these kind of things, I usually stick a couple of pictures up with a quick story and call it good. I like that as I'm processing these things, I'm in a month where I challenged myself to blog every day. It's fun. It's neat. But don't worry, I think the pictures will make a return tomorrow! :)

Success...

I've come to the realization, with the help of a couple of friends, that I have a messed up definition of success. I never would have thought this about myself. I’ve never been someone who was concerned with climbing up the corporate ladder, so I thought I had it all under control. My priorities were elsewhere, and that was enough. Well in this season of life, where everywhere I turned there was a wedding, an engagement, or someone telling me they were having a baby I started to get a little down. I felt like everyone was moving ahead, taking the next step in life, and I was just hanging out in the background. Stagnant. Not going anywhere.

My view of success may not exactly be the worldly one. I may not chase after money or the next big thing, but I have set marriage and having a family in the forefront of my list of goals for my life without even meaning to. I’m not saying I think it’s wrong to want these things, I just think that they have SO consumed my definition of success, that I feel like what I am doing now is not as good or not as pleasing to the Lord, which is completely untrue.

I was challenged to spend some time in the Word and really figure out what God’ definition of success is. This is hard for me. I see people who followed hard after God, who were called His friend, who served him despite incredibly difficult circumstances. I don’t see a lot of myself and my mindset in these people. I need a shift in thinking. I want to say with the utmost sincerity that I want to live for Christ above all else. I want to serve where He has me, no matter what the condition.

When I sit and think about the things God has done in my life, and the ways He is allowing me to be used in the lives of my students, in the lives of friends. When I look at the way He has changed my heart so drastically in the last couple of years. When I think about my life in this light, with a fresh perspective, I can’t help but see success. As long as I am following Him and seeking after His will for my life above all else, my life will be successful. And that’s what matters. I know it is a daily struggle to keep my perspective where it should be, but it’s worth it.

The Draw

Last night we had our big ranch party for the High School students at church. We all got dressed up in our best western wear and headed out to Kaufman. There was two-stepping, line-dancing, a mechanical bull, hay rides, and carnival games. It was a fun event to have the night after my test, and a great time to hang out with the girls, and some of my leader friends who I haven't gotten to see much of lately. Here's some pictures from the night!

Me & Mel

The High School contingent of our Community Group (Sarah, Caroline, me & Karla)

Lisa, me & Kyla

My Girls! (Me, Rachel, Amanda, Jeanine, Maddie & Maddie)

Me & Rachel on the bus on the way to the Ranch!