Naps are a WONDERFUL THING!

Ok! So, if kids knew how they'd long for one of their dreaded naps when they're older, they probably wouldn't put up as much of a fuss. =) Oh sweet rest!!

I'm sure Jake feels awfully neglected sometimes because I'm gone from home a lot. Whenever I am home I try to spend as much time playing with him as possible, not to mention taking moonlight strolls, blazing morning hikes and naps. Haha! He loves to be close to me when he knows I'm getting ready to leave, and he finds 'any' way to do it.

As you can tell by the picture -- ANYTHING he has to do to get close. Haha!!
I love Sunday naps!
He doubles over as a super-soft 'pillow.' He'd be a good one to take camping.
At least you would not have to use a stone. =)

He's such a good boy. I am so extremely BLESSED to have him. I am not a 'solitary' person for the most part, though I do like 'alone time,' just not ALWAYS. Jake makes for great companionship.

Aren't you hot?

I went to the car wash yesterday to.. uh... wash my car?! =)
I rolled down my window and the first thing the guy said was, "AREN'T YOU HOT??"
I was kinda' confused, it took me a second to register and then I said, "What?"
He said, "I asked you if you were hot."
Hmmmm... well, I was seriously trying to figure out what he meant... could mean a few things right?
Well, I said, 'What do you mean?'
I mean hello folks, I live in PHOENIX, ARIZONA...
not sure if you've heard but this place is like purgatory for many people and a good tactic to convince people to change their ways before passing on.
I mean come on - the weather is consistently 110+ degrees...
hello??
Am I hot?
Uh, YES!
I'm stinkin' HOT!!
Isn't everyone in Phoenix??

So all this was whirling in my head in less than 5 seconds and then he said,
'I mean, your clothes, I mean you're wearing so much of it.'
HUH?
So first I had to wonder, who asks someone that?
I mean, I don't go around asking total strangers why they do things.
Hmm... though, now that I think about it,
the responses might be pretty interesting.
Hmmm?
Haha!!

So you have to understand, I was sitting in my car with the A/C on full blast and he was standing outside asking me if 'I' was hot.
:-/

I was wearing a thin 3/4 length sleeve t-shirt with a little cap sleeve T over it... both were relatively thin and cool in their own right.
Both were probably the weight of a guys polo shirt.
I then quickly replied,
"Well, aren't you hot?"
He said, "Uh, well, not really, I mean.. but you're wearing 2 shirts."
This is were I kinda' chuckled and said,
"YOU ARE TOO!"
He looked down and to his dismay said,
'Uh, yeah, well... I guess I am, huh?!"

(Insert: epiphany)

Phoenix all of a sudden got brighter and the temp went up a few degrees.

He then said, "Well, that's not the same, I mean mine is short sleeve."
The funny thing is that my top was a couple inches below my elbow.
He was wearing a heavy weight Polo with the standard 'white-guy-T' under it.
Haha! =)
It was so funny.
I was talking to my mom on the phone when I pulled up for the wash, so she heard the whole exchange.
She said I shoulda' told him,
'Why yes I am... thanks for noticing!"
She cracked me up!! She's funny!
(She's a shy person so this, of course, adds to the humor.)

This is what I was wearing.
Ok, well, a little less face and a lot more clothes, I guess. Hehe! 8-)

Do you ever have those crazy little details in life that just crack you up and if it happened at any other time it probably wouldn't be funny? Hmmm.... this is probably one of those, I guess you had to be there moments. Oh well, it's my blog and this is all I have to write. haha! :)

God is more interested in our character
than our accomplishments.

Oh, forgot 1 thing...

In High School I had the amazing honor of watching
Michael Crawford's
last performance as the original Phantom in
'Phantom of the Opera.'

Wow!! This performance was unbelievable! It was in Los Angeles and we sat in the center, only 3 rows back from the stage. The Phantom swept right over our heads in his entrance on the Chandelier and the flames from the stage were so close we felt the heat. Yikes!

What a memory, what an amazing trip, what an amazing performance. =)

25 Random Things About me

1. I went to 2 years of head start school, at age 3, before starting Kindergarten
2. I saved all of my money to buy my first planner at age 11 (Haha... musta' been pretty important.)
3. I sang the 'Vivaldi Gloria' in Latin at New York City's Carnegie Hall with my High School Choir
4. I love to travel, stateside and beyond. I have driven cross country multiple times.
There's so much to see here in the U. S.
**I would love to repel and rock climb some time, see the Northern lights, go to Canada and Alaska! ( I hope to do all of these things someday).
5. I love adventure and trying new things. (I am going skydiving soon and have flown in a helicopter, been on a bungee swing, ridden on motorcycles & ... =))
6. I write and have had some works published.
7. I love giving to people, doing things for others to make their lives easier and make them feel special. :)
5. I am a communicator and love public speaking and teaching.
6. I LOVE kids and treasure families and the wholesome love, friendships and memories they create. (I would someday love to have one of my own.)
7. I love lullabies!! :) I guess there's a kid in all of us. =) Haha.. silly, I know.
(Sometimes being grown-up is too complicated. )
8. I love good hugs. =) Bear hugs are the best!!!
9. I LOVE the outdoors better than anywhere else!!! BEST place in the world! I love mountains, waterfalls, rippling streams, the ocean, rushing waves, fall leaves or calm meadows.
10. I enjoy the newness of mornings. I love awakening the sun from it's nighttime slumber. ;)
11. I love the company of a friend sharing a common interest.
12. I Love learning!! I research just about anything.. haha, crazy I know. :)
13. I don't like to be in control, hmmm, contrary to popular opinion, I'm sure. =) I will always hand the keys to someone else whenever I get a chance (well, that's if I trust 'em.. haha). I will take control 'IF I HAVE TO,' but I DO NOT prefer it... and I'm not super comfortable with being the Boss. :(
14. There's something about Summer Nights!! They always take me back to my carefree younger years. :) Good times!
15. I love flying!! I love to fly in planes, and just recently got a chance to fly one myself. Very Cool! :)
16. I like driving and road trips. I don't mind driving to a destination alone but would prefer to travel with someone else or meet up with others.
17. I am loyal to a fault!!! I often believe in someone long past their own/others hope for them.
18. Cooking is one of my favorite things to do. Cooking for others is definitely on the top of my favorites list.
19. I enjoy photography. I began this hobby when I was 11 yrs. old. I would like to increase my knowledge in this area.
20. I am not a good pretender. I am transparent... no guessing. :-/Yikes. Hmm.
20a.Oh and there is one thing I ABHOR more than anything in this world -- LIES!!
20b. I cherish and respect HONESTY and TRUTH!!
21. I have taught Spanish since I was in High School. Teaching is one of my favorite passions.
22. I might be a li'l ADD... not my energy just my mind... as pointed out by one of my dear friends. Haha!!! I often feel like there's so much more for me to learn, to do or to try =)
23. I HATE COCKROACHES and even have to look away while I type 'THAT WORD' otherwise I get all weirded out! Grrr... YUCK!! I think they may have been God's only mistake. GROSS!!
(I almost fell off a 2-story balcony one time someone pretended to throw one at me... my sister saved my life. Coulda' been bad.) Bet he woulda' felt bad! haha!! :)
24. I love sunsets, listening to lightning, crickets/night sounds and rain (love the smell of rain and getting drenched as it falls - no umbrella). Yippee!!!
25. I LOVE WEATHER... Fall, Winter, Spring, Summer (if it's not too hot)... I prefer cold weather.. love the fun clothes too. :) SNOW IS MY FAVORITE!!! Teeeheee!! :)
25a. I love to laugh!! =0)

*** BEST OF ALL***
I LOVE FLIPPING THE PILLOW OVER TO GET TO THE COLD SIDE!!
;-)

There are some silly number mistakes on this post... I know... just not worried about ' it enough to remove 'em. Haha!! :) Sorry OCD folks, hope you don't go CrAzY with it. =)

Ok, so I am officially addicted to Lindt Chocolates.

Hmmm... for someone that has never boasted of a chocolate addiction, I sure have eaten too many lately to dispute it now. 8-/ Yikes!!!

Hmm... who could I blame, who could I blame?? =)

Lily, Danny's wife is the culprit!! Hehe! :)

She gave me a delicious Swiss chocolate filled with scrumptious whole hazlenuts... mmmm... and then introduced me to other flavors, but luckily DID NOT allow me to take them home with me. Phew!!

No worries, I was able to research (Haha) and locate a World Market in my area and quickly made my way in search of Swiss chocolate.

Grrrr... this is NOT GOOD!!!

To my dismay, yeah right, I did not only find Swiss chocolates but also Spanish and German ones. Ok, this is REALLY NOT GOOD!!! The crazy thing is, I come from a family that doesn't like chocolate... and until now, I did not either.

No, I DO NOT EITHER!

I DO NOT LIKE CHOCOLATE!

MIND-OVER-MATTER, MIND-OVER-MATTER!!!

Hmmm, it's NOT WORKING!

WHO AM I KIDDING!!!

(Insert: another delicious square of my toffee choco....grrrr! ;)

Help!!! I have already tried the Hazlenut exported chocolate (a lil different than the one Lily gave me, no worries it was still delish), Toffee Chocolate and I'll admit there are a few other flavors in my freezer to be savored on my next attack! UH-OH!!!! Well, I guess I should be ok, considering my worst addiction has always been FRUIT. It's important to say here that I've not abandoned this addiction. I'm extremely loyal!! YIKES?!? :-s

I figure after a lifetime of C-H-O-C-O-L-A-T-E deprivation, I am barely catching up with most of my counterparts.

Haha.. you know who you are!!!

Wink, Wink! ;)

Nothing Compares

There's something amazing about PRAYER!!

It's not only a time of communion with our Heavenly Father but a sacred place where one finds strength, refuge, enlightenment and new surrender.

I often find myself lost in thoughts as I drive, walk, hike... pondering the reality of this life. So many often ask, "What's this life about, and what are we here for?" There are so many questions, so many thoughts, so many longings which mankind cannot understand.

There are answers!!
There is hope, purpose and a REASON for this life.

I recently came across this quote.
"Two hands working can do more than a thousand clasped in prayer." (Anonymous)

I can't explain what my heart felt when I first read this... except maybe a sense of sadness. Oh, how can I explain it, how can others begin to comprehend something they've not experienced? Prayer is a means to the throne of The Almighty God, The Creator of the Universe and a place where lowly man can bring his petitions before a sovereign and merciful God. Where he can be heard, but not only heard, listened to. Prayer changes things, it's been said, but so many have yet to experience it.

Oh what an honor, what a privilege to pray!

When I look back on my life... I realize one truth remains.

The best person I ever was without God,
is not even close to the least I've ever been with God.

I am, by far, a much better person, certainly not in my own right, but through Him.

It's important for us to know...

God did not send His Son to make,
"Bad people Good."
God did not send His Son to make,
"Good people Better."
He came that we through Him might have LIFE,
more abundantly on this earth and
eternally with Him forevermore.

My brother once told me, "Well, you are a little extreme, you know... there has to be a middle somewhere from what you believe to what it 'should' be." My immediate response even caught me off guard. I asked him if it was extreme that Christ had suffered the way He did, if it was extreme that He was brutalized, mocked and murdered the way that He was. You see, extreme is just 'OK' when you're saving the whales, the forest, the owl or the planet but not when we talk about saving our SOULS! The Scriptures talk of a day when mankind will 'worship creation more than the Creator,' it seems that time has come.

My heart feels a quickening, an urgency and a desperation for others to know Him. I remember a pastor of mine once said,

" if you're looking for a thrill, adventure, romance, mystery and excitement... serve God!"

How true it is!! And only then will you know the meaning of:

The Wonderful Cross
The Precious Blood
Eternal Life

Only God can make Light prevail where darkness seems the Conqueror.

Only God!

I Peter 5:7

It's not in trying but in trusting
It's not in running but in resting
It's not in wondering but in praying
That we find the ...
Strength of the LORD.
(L.H.)

The next best thing to being
'mommy' is being -
Auntie!

I LOVE his smile!!

(Aurelius and Sofia at 3 days old)

She's so precious!!! :)

Hmmm.... anyone know where I can get one of these?
Hehe - love 'em!!

Auntie... yet... AGAIN!!

Sofia Denice Brown

Born at 9:15 A.M.

Monday, August 17, 2009

7 lbs. 6 oz., 20 in. long

Happy Birthday Baby Girl!

Congratulations Nick and Christine Brown!

What a miraculous little treasure you've been blessed with.

Thanks for blessing me with another little niece to spoil. =)

Auntie Again!! =)

Aurelius Roque René Renteria
Born at 2:19 A.M.
Sunday, August 16, 2009
6lbs 15oz, 19in. long

Happy Birthday Baby!!

Congratulations Christopher and Keri Renteria!!

Thank you for blessing me with another nephew to love!!

*My brother added the name Roque to his name in memory of my grandfather who passed away 3 years ago, since he was born on my grandfather's birthday. God gave us something back to bless this same day. God is so good!*

God gives the best to them that leave the choice to Him.

Would you drive over 2 hours to meet someone you've never met,
spend a few hours with them and drive back home?

Well, I did!!

9 years ago...


(Intent: to meet a friend of a friend's family)

That's when I met Danny. Who would have known that was the beginning of a very special friendship.

Danny has been one of my closest and most treasured friends over the past 9 years. He has been like a brother to me and has enriched my life a hundred-fold.

Over 6 years ago Danny began studying abroad in his beloved China and it was there he met a very special young lady - Lily. Well, after many failed attempts to 'meet,' I was finally going to get the chance, and today was the BIG DAY!!

I had initially planned on hiking in Sedona Thursday morning with Jake, but quickly aborted those plans. I reminded myself - YOU ONLY GET ONE CHANCE TO MAKE A FIRST IMPRESSION!! I then planned on continuing my trip up the mountain to Flagstaff, where I planned to spend the evening with Danny and Lily. I did not want to meet Lily for the first time after almost 6 years of 'trying' when I was all sweaty from hiking. :-/ I'm sure they were glad too. Ha!

Flagstaff is at the base of the San Francisco Peaks,
which you see in the distance.

The drive up the mountain was amazing - as always. The delicious scent of rain and pinetrees was inviting and made me want to pull over and do a rain dance. Haha, not to make it rain but to rejoice because it was raining. =)

I love weather and so anytime I get to be in it, I am like a kid in a candy store. A little over 2 hours later, I arrived in Flag. The following are all good reasons why I LOVE FLAG!!

Flagstaff was established in 1882, it has a population of approximately 60,000 people, it sits at the base of the San Francisco peaks in the largest contiguous Ponderosa Pine forest in the continental United States and boasts of it's 7,000 foot elevation. So...

"CATCH YOUR BREATH!"
(This is the city motto.)

(Old Maine Building at NAU)

I walked the NAU campus with Jake, which is also Danny's place of employment, and enjoyed the beautiful mountain backdrops, fragrant pine scents and the pure fresh mountain air. While Jake was enjoying his new surroundings, mainly 'grass.' Hehe! He LOVED it.

Danny 'scooted' (literally) to the NAU Bookstore to say 'hello' to me and then went back to work.

I confirmed plans to meet Lily at the local Starbuck's, so off I went. There she was, she was as pretty as her pictures. I felt a special connection to her from the beginning... well, I am eternally entrusting my dear friend to her. =) We had a nice time talking and then Danny showed up.

They were married this last February in Switzerland and I was unfortunately unable to make it.

It is hilarious because already they have assumed their roles as husband and wife. She controls him and he knows it but allows it with the understanding that he get the reins whenever he really wants them. Haha - ok, not really, but it's funny anyway as displayed in the video above.

**********************************************

Our expressions in the following pictures
clearly show what a great time we had.

Jake looking VERY SERIOUS on the NAU campus, he musta' thought classes were in session. Sssshhh!
The only problem with self-portraits is that
you have to have arms long enough to take them. :)

My car looking quite comfy in Flagstaff! Hmmmm?!?!
Seems we all like it. Hehe.

The best way to decide where to go for dinner.

Josephine's
My first time having fried green tomatoes - yummy!
Below: Best Mac-N-Cheese in the world, it has King Shrimp in it.
Wait, King-shrimp... that's funny. Haha!!

Josephine's Restaurant had high recommendation from Lily
and since us girls have to stick together,

that's what I picked. Haha!
It was AMAZING!! Good pick Lily! =)

Lily excited about their wedding gift.

Danny 'super' excited about the 'ribbon' on the bag...
when I told him it was supposed to double over as lingerie.
Haha... look at his face!! =) Silly guy!! :)

(The bride and groom's gift: a super-soft throw for those

cold Flagstaff days when snuggling's all there is to do. Hehe!)

Lily loves good food!!
She ought to, her parent's own a restaurant in Switzerland.

Danny loves saving money! Haha! Danny making sure we're staying 'in the budget.'
Uh, maybe next time. Wink, wink! =)
Janet just loves friends, uh, and food!

We split the tab which kept Danny in the budget after all.
He even offered to buy dessert later that night. Woah! =)

We then went to the park to play frisbee and run with, or shall I say after Jake. Danny tried teaching Jake how to catch the frisbee...
unfortunately there was one casualty in this attempt.
THE FRISBEE!! Oops.. haha! ;)
Lily teaching me how to poise.
Hehe! Silliness!
This is a Japanese thing... hmm...
forgot to ask what it means. Hope it's not bad.. haha!
Me being silly! Trying to poise like Lily. Hehe!!
Awe, me and my other great friend.

After the park it was time for Danny to make 'GOOD' on his offer for dessert.
Hmmm... and after a little convincing that
he 'really did want dessert' we were off into the sunset.
To Coldstone Creamery for the best ice cream in Arizona! Yummy! Ice cream is good no matter what the weather... maybe even better in the winter. :)

Hmm.. I think Danny may have just remembered that he was paying. Yikes! Haha... oh wait, maybe not, because he forgot his wallet. An all too common occurance over the past 9 years. Wait a minute... I think I'm catchin' on. BRAT! =)
After our deliciuos ice cream, we finished off the evening at their place. I had 'authentic' tea from Southern China as well as some delicious Swiss Chocolates flown in from Switzerland just a few weeks before.

CONCLUSION:

Lily is 2 enthusiastic thumbs up

So...

Would you drive over 2 hours to meet someone you've never met,
spend a few hours with them and drive back home?

Well, I did!!

Yesterday!!

(Sittin' on their new couch.. haha,
otherwise known as pillows if your from Western civilization.)

And...

I am so excited to see what comes of this
new special friendship.

Looks like it should be good.

Finally!

So excited about tomorrow.

I have been waiting for this day for over 5 years!!

Planning & Preparation

Ok, so I am trying to plan the hikes I want to take while in Yosemite and one of the first things I ran into in my search for great trails was this...

There have been more than 20 deaths on Half Dome itself,
and if you count the trail leading up to Half Dome,
the number leaps to more than 60.

Yikes, check out this link... it's unbelievable.
http://www.yosemitehikes.com/yosemite-valley
/half-dome/cables-tips.htm

UNBELIEVABLE!!
(click on each pic below to get a closer view)

In case you want to take it easy, they've created 2 trails for your hiking pleasure.
You decide!
Would you like the...
long version or ...

the short version. Gulp! :-/

Hmmm... this is debatable.
Wowzers!!! I am so super impressed by the people that do this.
They have my utmost respect!!

I remember seeing people scale this mountain when I was younger but they didn't have cables for common-folk, like myself, to enjoy this trail. Amazing! I can't wait to see it all in person.
I may try to venture on the beginning of one of these trails but, I'm pretty sure, I'll not be making the full ascent.. or at least not planning on it. Hmmm?!?! ;-)

Haha, if you notice no posts on my blog for a few months, then you'll know I may have attempted it and am probably just healing from having my limbs reattached or that I'm still learning how to dial the phone with my noise while in a full body cast. :) YIKES!

There are over 800 hiking miles in Yosemite, it makes you kinda' wonder what draws people to these SPECIFIC 14.2 miles. What is it in 'us' that makes us sometimes want to push the limits and go to the extreme? I don't know really, but the funny thing is, I'm one of those crazy people. I guess it's because the majority won't. THAT makes it MORE appealing!!

There's something about saying you've done it. Kinda' like skydiving or wrangling will crocodiles. Some of us have more curiosity than we have brains... haha. I'll admit there's something about trying things a lot of other people won't try. I guess I'm impressed by the 'discipline & dedication' required to accomplish these tasks and the drive to live to tell about it.

Strange, I know! :) Haha!!

I love that we're ALL SO DIFFERENT!!

"For who maketh thee to differ from another?..." (I Cor. 4:7)

It's a good thing!! :)

Morning Glory

Mornings are by far my most favorite part of the day. Don't get me wrong, I love evenings and beautiful sunsets as well as the delicious summer nights (mainly in cold country), but there is something about the newness of the morning. The last several months I have worked a late schedule, which I do not prefer, and though I often am not able to go to bed as early as I'd like, I've still made it a point to awaken early.
This morning Jake and I went on a hike of our own and I was glad we did. The weather was inviting, definitely much cooler than it's been [fall is coming, you can smell it in the air :)]. It was great! It was good 'think' and meditation time.

When you're out in nature it seems a mind is freer to 'think, ponder and wonder' about things often overwhelmed by normal day-to-day routines. Heading up the mountain I decided to take a path which was 'CLOSED.' Hmm... well, I sometimes like to push the boundaries, uh... just curiosity is all. :-/ It seemed the sign must have been misplaced because the hike was beautiful. It went along the 'Tapatio Cliffs' paralleling a road across from the Pointe Hilton Resort. It was beautiful! Uh, well... after a while I got to a section of the trail that was not far from the edge of the cliff and then I remembered this was the trail Kathy and I had taken before (except we came from the opposite direction). We came to a fork, just before the hike by the ledge and I allowed Jake to lead the way, he chose the high road. Whoo... this was a better choice, a lot higher and just above the lower cliff, it was steep, but not next to the ledge. A better choice none-the-less. One wrong step and you might be tonight's dinner special at your local 'Road Kill Café' though. (I wish this picture did the trail justice, trust me, in three dimension, it's much more intimidating. If you don't believe me, come on out.) :)

Like many others, Jake like's to live life on the edge. Any time we walk on a sidewalk or path he will walk on the curb or on the ledge if I'll let him. Uh, not a good thing sometimes, especially when a cliff is a few inches away. :-/ But sometimes I will let him look over. In this picture he had just caught sight of a lizard, one of his favorite things to chase. He likes the rush! Haha. He will settle for a rabbit though if there's one in sight. Needless-to-say, Jake locks his eyes on his prize and no matter where it leads him, he's going to follow the critter. As noted in one of my entries before, this is not always a good idea and has gotten Jake into some prickly places (mainly cactus).

It made me think of us as humans and how we are so often distracted from our path and how our attention and focus may veer from our prize/goal to a temporary 'want.' Probably not a good idea. So I thought... head North, that's a sure direction that never changes.

Another day I'll blog, in detail, as to why I am so intrigued by the COMPASS, NORTH and our JOURNEY.

What a Trade

There was a time when I was not extremely comfortable among the church; and classrooms, workplaces and coworkers were much more accepted in my life. But today, things are different. Praise God!!

There is no other place in this world where I am more comfortable than in the presence of God's people, God's Holy place and among the Spirit of the Almighty; wherever it might be. There is no greater joy in my life than knowing a life has been transformed by HIS SOVEREIGN GRACE AND ALMIGHTY POWER! Oh what a change grace has wrought.

Sunday's used to be a welcomed day of rest, but now it's no longer just a day of rest, rather a day for spiritual renewal and fellowship with friends. There is no other day in the week which I love more than Sunday.

(How I adore God's special little treasures.
God help me to be a good example by which they will not stumble.)

God has been working in our church in a most wonderful way; despite the enemies fierce attacks, we are holding on to His promises and believing in faith for souls. Recently a young man from our Indian work in Mesa was saved, along with many others, but today 'Chico' got up to testify. He spoke of the way God had sought him, followed after him in love and wooed him to come to Him. You see, Chico was a gang member and had been involved in drugs and alcohol among countless other things, but God, in His love and mercy stretched out His loving hand to him. Oh what joy to see the tears roll down Chico's face as he testifies and asks, "Why, why would God love me, why would he want me? I cannot understand it, but oh the peace I have. I'm not going back - NEVER!" Chico's wife Leticia is currently incarcerated, she was saved prior to, but desperately needs our prayers as she will be facing a court hearing on Friday. Please pray for her. God knows all the details.

My heart resounds the words of this beautiful song...

I've been given something that does not contain a price
This jewel has been a precious one,
It's rays have touched my life
It's a heritage of holiness and to it I will hold on
Lest I lose this precious vision, that Generations have passed on

I don't wanna' lose the vision,
I don't wanna' take for granted
The heritage of holiness that has been passed on
I don't wanna' lose the fire
I don't wanna' lose the glory and
I LONG FOR HIS OUTPOURING all across the land

If this plan of salvation would have required a price, I am afraid I would not have been able to afford it. Rather, Christ paid my price with His precious life and I was offered this treasure for the mere worth of my sinful life, and oh... what a change. I have gotten the best part of the trade. A life ruined and wasted, for a life rich in mercy, forgiven and new. Oh what a wonderful story of love... the story of Christ, my Lord is truly THE GREATEST STORY EVER TOLD!!! But more than just a story, it's my reality. I'm living proof.. it works!
Glory be to God!!

Children are a Treasure From the Lord

Special moments.

(Kids in a church make all the difference)

The other day Natalie said, "Janet, it's OK if you're picture's not in my baby album, I won't forget you, I promise because I really like you. You're my special friend."
Awe!! Kids are the BEST!!

I was reminded today of how much I long for young people to be in our church. It's been a little while since we've had a youth ministry in our church and I am praying that somehow God would change my work schedule to accommodate this desire. We are surrounded by families in our community and lots of kids/young people... my heart is hungry to see them in church. Please pray with me.

Postponed

Well, it looks like the Payette River will have plenty of time to reload and prepare for a Spring raft. I have postponed my white-water rafting trip for various reasons and have decided to replace it with an excursion to two of my most favorite childhood haunts.

Yosemite National Park

I have not been to Yosemite for many years but I've been aching to go, so... what a better time then NOW!

Yosemite has over 800 miles of hiking trails with at least 9 major waterfalls. There will be plenty to see, experience and photograph.

I will then culminate my trip with a visit to the beautiful Sierra Nevada Mountains,
also known as 'back home,' and visit the beautiful waterfalls of...
Lake Tahoe.
Happy Trails!