shoplifting friends

so, i've had 2 of my really good friends lately talk to me about shoplifting. neither one of them did it, and i haven't shoplifted since i was like 8. i was at the dairy queen, and instead of paying a nickel or a quarter for a piece of candy i just took one. on the way home my dad said, "what do you have in your mouth?" and when i told him he took me back and made me apologize and pay for the piece of candy. yeah. i never shoplifted again :)

anyway, i just found it humerous that within a week of each other they both told me stories or recent desires to shoplift. of course they weren't serious, but it was funny.

one of them wanted to steal a reference book from a library for me. now that is funny.

and another one wanted to steal a strap off of a swimsuit at a store because her aunt threw hers away. her aunt thought it was a sunglass string or something i don't know. ridiculous. i told her she should make her aunt buy her a new suit. anyway, she said... "i just felt too guilty. i couldn't do it" good times.

my friends are funny.

a.maz.ing.

seriously. this is the best i've got today.... the single most powerful question you can ask is... here again. do it. click on this link and read it.

obsessions

a few weeks ago i had a conversation with my husband. at the time we had something that we were commited to every tuesday night. on the way out there i talked to him about switching that commitment to wednesdays so that he wouldn't have to worry about getting home for lost. he said... oh i think worry is he wrong word... and i was like, what? like, you don't worry about getting home for lost? he said, no... worry is just the wrong word. i would say obsess. i laughed. he proceeded to tell me that life is not even worth living if you don't have at least 5 things your obsessed about (that you can't take with you)... so, what do we do? we make lists... i will give you the top three from both of our lists...

his... LOST, Music, and kicking kids butts (helping kids get their lives in order)... for those of you that don't know.. my husband works with kids that have been addicted to drugs, and it takes some major butt kicking to get things through their thick skulls... gotta love em :)

mine... going out to eat, social networking, and impacting the lives of teenagers...

do you have some things that you are obsessed with? is your life worth living?

more on the youth center...

i think i like the hangout. i'm not ready to put everything out there for everyone to see, but i am making progress. i like the name the hangout. do you?

i've got some goals... a timeline. but, i'll keep those goals to myself for now :) don't want to get to engrossed in sharing information... especially when it's just a goal of mine... thoughts.

i figure more older teenagers will be hanging out than younger, although i'm all about the younger ones coming. it's just that usually the younger ones are a little more apt to stay home. we'll see.

i've got a building that i would love to use, but i've got to talk to the people that own that building. see if they're up for either donating or renting it out or whatnot. i'm working on getting donations and grants. i'm working on getting the nonprofit status. i'm working on a business plan for a nonprofit. i'm networking. i'm seeking out a core group of teenagers that can give me their input. i'm writing. i'm planning. i'm listening to Jesus :)

and most importantly i'm being who He has called me to be, and doing what he has called me to do. be an awesome wife and mom with a passion for reaching other kids in the community.

slow down and relax

sometimes in life we get so excited about what God is doing in and around us that we forget to slow down and remember why He's got us where we are currently. at least that's how it's been for me the past few days/weeks. i've got a lot going for me. i really do. i feel like God is taking me in some really cool directions.

but... today i just stopped for a bit in this beautiful weather and said, "God, what do you want of me? What are you trying to do IN me?" and i waited. i just listened.

it was good. i came away from it remembering that God put me where i am right now... at home full time with mazerick. and, one thing i've really been learning from that... about who God is and who i am... is that my lifes purpose is not to DO great things for God, but to BE a great person, inside. God made me who i am, and He doesn't expect me to do, do, do. *except when i've got to go to the bathroom*

so anyway, that's where i'm at. i am excited about what God is doing through me, but more important i am excited about what God is doing in me. i am excited about how i am coming to rely upon him, and how i am learning to slow down. i am learning that he loves me for who i am... not for what i do. the rest is just a benefit :)

progress is good

so, i have a friend that's great with adminstrative stuff... and she is really, really, really a great help with everything for the youth center. things are coming along, and it's great. i'm getting a lot of stuff on paper, and within a month or so i'm sure i will have more to share!

i helped my friends jen and randy on saturday getting ready to move into their new house! woot. woot. it's awesome, and i'm really happy for them! funny thing was... i was really tired when i got home that evening. it was totally worth it though. but, i found it humerous when watching the news... it must have been a slow news day in michiana because one of the top news stories was, "woman is arrested for causing an accident while shaving her bikini line" seriously. aren't you glad i shared that. it was worthy enough to be newsworthy, so i figured it was worthy enough to blog about.

i'm going to colorado in june with 2 of my friends. we decided when we were like 18 that when we all turned 30 that we were going on a big trip, and it's here! woohoo! i'm really excited about it.

yesterday i had fun with rachel while mazerick had fun with maggie. we are looking forward to playing again! check out her story at this site Pray for them as they are pretty much confined to their house right now... that's got to be rough!

for caleb and angela

michael was listening to these guys and thought you guys would like them. and, they are going to be at cornerstone. you should go.

because i can

sarah damaska is amazing... as a matter of fact... all of the damaskas are amazing.... just saying.

being sick on birthdays

so my little guy turned 4 today! what an exciting day for him... i think i did a pretty good job faking not being sick most of the day. up early, took him to the store to pick out birthday cookies for school, picked him up from school, played on the trampoline, hung out inside with him... took him out for a birthday ice cream cone... all good times. unfortunately last night the flu hit me like crazy. i honestly can't remember the last time i felt as miserable. i couldn't even function. i layed in bed from 6:30 on... not even able to move... had a difficult enough time to get up and walk down the hall to the bathroom. anyway, woke up feeling a bit better, but not 100 % for sure. hope i'm better by tomorrow... for maz's family birthday partay! this partay is for him!!!

just some late night thoughts...

as a Christian... my goal, and i would imagine the goal of other Christians, is to lead people to Christ.. personally, it is in my life statement (i kind of stole it, but i think it's cool)... to know God and make him known... anywho, this was on my mind.

my purpose... to know God and make God known.... sure, i've led people to Jesus... by my actions.

but how many people have i made run the other way? how many people have seen me and thought, "man, if that's what Jesus has to offer, i'm out" how many people have i been a complete a-hole to? and then said, "you need Jesus."

i'm sure there are more that i would like to remember... anyway, what do i do about that? not much can be done for a lot of those people. there may be a few that i can change an opinion. but, it's not going to come overnight. they are going to have to see me living a life full of Jesus... and seriously, full of him... in a good way.

but for those that i can't reach... i can pray. i must repent, turn away from, my ways... and ask God to fill me with his ways. and start over. there is no time like the present. our greatest days are just ahead :)

let's do this. let's love God. let's know Him and make him known.

and for those of you reading this that have made people run the other way, just think about it... is there something that God wants you to do?

and on another note... who am i trying to please? is it God? or is it some other person? another thing i'm thinking about...

my links aren't working.... grrr

so they are.... the post... the-post.org

and horizon is... horizonministries.com and horizonministries.wordpress.com

can anyone help me figure out why they aren't working? i seem to be doing what i'm supposed to be doing. hmmmmm...

more on the youth center

i've been talking to people at the post because they are very similar to what my vision is. actually, it's when i learned about the post that i felt like God said YOU NEED TO DO THAT TOO... in bremen! so, that's exciting. and, i'm following his lead. i had a meeting yesterday with jim from horizon here in bremen... and that went well. he was very open and had a lot of good things to say. i learned a lot from him! shout out to jim at horizon! (those are 2 different links for horizon.) on monday i've got a meeting with another friend, brad thornton, who is also a youth pastor in town. on tuesday i'm meeting with a friend that works at young life who hooked me up with indiana youth institues youth workers cafe! and then later on tuesday i'm going to meet with josh walters who runs the student center at one of the churches in town. and on thursday i'm going to the youth workers cafe! so excited! exciting things are happening! God is at work!

all bets off?

so tonight we went to hacienda. good times were had by all. our great awesome friends were talking about how it was funny to see their daughter try to eat 3 saltines in 30 seconds last night. i was like, "i can do that." so, they asked for the crackers. yeah. i couldn't do it. but, i will practice. i will be able to do it :)

and michael brought up... drinking a gallon of milk in an hour. and i was like, "i can do that." and he bet me... he came up with what he gets if he wins... and i couldn't think of what i wanted if i won... but i've got it now. i want a kindle. awesome. i could read books without having to turn pages... it would be awesome. anyway. a kindle. i want one. so, within the next few days. i will do it. i will drink a gallon of milk in one hour. and keep it down. watch me.

....to be continued....