Got my attention.

These two things got my attention today:

Isaiah 9:1-2; 6-7 (Also in Matthew 4)
Nevertheless, that time of darkness and despair will not go on forever. The land of Zebulun and Naphtali will be humbled, but there will be a time in the future when Galilee of the Gentiles, which lies along the road that runs between the Jordan and the sea, will be filled with glory. The people who walk in darkness will see a great light. For those who live in a land of deep darkness, a light will shine ... for a child is born to us, a son is given to us. The government will rest on his shoulders. And he will be called: Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. His government and its peace will never end. He will rule with fairness and justice from the throne of his ancestor David for all eternity."

AND

"I've been comforted this week thinking of our Lord's thirty silent years of readying Himself at home with His family and bending over a carpenter's bench. Were those days any less of a fragrance to God than His later work before the eyes of the people? I think not. A well-made piece of furniture and a healed blind man represented the same thing to the Father- a job well done; mission accomplished. So with us here. Nothing great, but what is that to Him with whom there is no great or small?" - Jim Elliot, age 24 (Shadow of the Almighty)

It's baaaaaaaack.

The camera, that is. After a long 6 month waiting period and then finding out that they lost my camera and never called to tell me. Ahhhh, yes. Thank you Radio Shack. SO. New camera. For free. Niiiiiiiice. Always be sure to purchase the insurance they offer. It's worth it.

So here are some sneak peeks of our growing garden these days. I love summer.

10 years goes by so fast.

THIS has me remembering all that took place that first year of college. I've thought about the memories today that I shared with all 10 of you girls. Not only was this album the theme of our year but I remembered these things too:
1. 202 suite meetings. Does anyone remember when Ashlee smashed the glass blender?
2. Naps. Like three of us in a twin bed sort of naps. Except for Stacey.
3. Does anyone remember when Stacey locked me out of our room because she was rearranging it?
4. Ashlee and Heidi sitting at their computer doing homework, right by their door, just so they could see who came and went.
5. Knives. Remember the knives?
6. Remember when I tried to dump a bucket full of water on Stacey in the shower and the curtain collapsed with it?
7. Who was it who hung the rope out the window for a boy to climb up?
8. Jess and Natasha ate more peanut butter that year than anyone I know...
9. Holy batman...
10. Who's birthday did we celebrate trapsing them through Dillions at midnight?

That year was so full of wonderful memories. Each of you so deeply set in my heart and the ways God used you. I am still in awe. Now we are all spread out across the world, married (or not), having kids (or not) and changing lives as we go.
I miss you girls.

"The Mighty One the Lord calls to all the earth for a heart that would bow down, for a head that he could lift. With eyes of mercy, a burning passion, He will not keep silent, until we feel the fire again. Til' we feel the fire again. A thankful heart prepares the way for you my God. A thankful heart prepares the way for you my God. Come fall on us, we call on you, a thankful heart will be our rhythm."

Recent things.

- A new love for frozen double stuffed oreos.
- Windows down and music loud.
- Coffee. This isn't new. But my strong love and addiction for it is. Even better when it's shared with friends (thanks Kim!)
- Wishing that I had my camera back. It's been gone 4 months.
- Terri- I miss you. Can I call you and you can figure out my life for me?
- I get this week off work. Spring break if you will.
- I chopped all my hair off.
- Change. It's become my middle name.
- Fresh flowers. I don't know why, but they fix everything.
- Last weekend, my sister and Patty and I went for a run. 5.5 miles. We then promptly high tailed it to lunch and landed at Outback. Seriously.
- This weekend: 6.2 miles will be calling my name.
- Melmel. I need you to come home now ok?
- Hot Beats: Volumes 1,2 and 3. Thanks ML for the FANTASTIC music. Nothing like cleaning house to a little Ja Rule. :)

There are no words sometimes.

This song + the sunrise + my running shoes= a wonderful way to start the day.

The update is for Julie.

This link is for you.

Go ahead. Click on it. And sign up, because it will be worth it.

(P.S. JG- this post is in your honor. Just givin' you something new to read.)

Done.

After many days of trying to upload Bermuda pictures, they are finally done.
Click here to see them.

6 years ago this weekend.

6 years ago I celebrated Valentine's day like really any other. We had a girls night and ate sweets and hung out. Nothing spectacular. We even talked about how we wanted to prank the senior boys before we graduated in a few months. Laxatives in cupcakes? Maybe. That one had gone over well across campus a few times. Maybe if we get some free time we'll think about it.

February 15th however, changed the course of history. And friendships. And the prank of (almost) all pranks was pulled. I woke up that day around 10 a.m. strictly headed to the bathroom and back to bed. Having no glasses on, I went straight to the bathroom, turned no lights on, only to be stopped by the fact that the lid to the toilet was down. Huh. Never had any one of the four of us done that. Weird.

So I lifted it up, and started to turn to sit down when I realized that some sort of fur was spilling out onto the lid of the toilet. That's right. FUR. Whoa. No way. What the heck is in there?????? I ran to my room, grabbed my glasses and turned on the light to the bathroom. Oh. my. gosh. Heart racing, I ran down the hall pushing open the door to Darci and Stacey's rooms. "You guys, get up now. There's something in our toilet."

Darci, groggy as could be, mumbled, "I must have forgotten to flush..." Oh no you didn't. There's no flushing this. "No Darci. Get up, I'm serious. There's something furry in the bathroom toilet."

"Furry? Like a mouse?" Uh, NO.

We all go into the bathroom and peer over the mass in the toilet. My heart had never beat so fast. Seriously. There was an animal in my toilet. How did it get there? Did it have a pulse? Where was its face? Oh. my. gosh. Who was I going to have to kill?

We quickly learned that that wasn't the only present left for us. SOMEone (who shall remain nameless because he now has a 2 year old child and a wife and a job and a life that doesn't need to be ruined by his past) had pooed in our kitchen sink. Yup. And there was a bag of smashed eggs sitting on the kitchen floor. And sodas in our freezer, about to explode. BOYS!

I believe it was Stacey who said "Those stinking boys!!!!!!!! They put a dead oppossum in our toilet and pooped in our sink!" At this point, Darci was hyper-ventilating and crying. Stacey was so mad her face was red. And I? I was in pure shock. Disbelief if you will. Not one of us had heard five boys trapsing through our house in the middle of the night. How was it possible? There was no breaking and entering. Not a peep made. I had gone to bed a 4 in the MORNING for crying out loud.

We spend the day scrubbing out apartment from top to bottom. Fuming, flaming, blasted mad. It took us at least two hours to muster up the courage to get the animal out of the toilet. Even at that, two boys, two girls and their hands covered in layers of plastic bags still couldn't get the courage to get it out. We had to call up Jeremy, who took one look and said, "Oh, no big deal." as he reached in a grabbed the oppossum by the tail with nothing covering his hands. The thing was so past dead, it was bloated to twice it's size.

I still don't really know to this day what we did to those boys to deserve such treatment. I guess with boys you don't really have to provoke them much and they'll come at you full force. I've learned a thing or two since my senior year of college. I'd venture to say I'm a new person. Or maybe just a much better liar.

Contrary to popular opinion ...

I am one of the few single women out there who does actually enjoy Valentine's Day.

Why are people so suprised by this?

Slowly but surely.

Little by little, I've been updating Flickr with Bermuda Pictures.

Click here every few days to see more!

I haven't said much about it.

But, Meghan DID take her test for her visa in Germany. The word on the street is that they are supposed to hear sometime mid-January. If you could be praying that God would allow her to pass this test and really begin to dive into the ministry there in Germany, I know they would appreciate it!

If you'd like to send them a word of encouragement, let me know and I can give you their contact info.

Let's really believe on the Adams behalf that the Lord is going to pull this one through!

Thanks friends.
jb