Randomocity...whatever that is.

This is literally the 6th time I've tried to write out this particular blog post, lol!  Have you ever partially journaled at one point and then something big happened so you had to write about it, then more things got exciting and you had to write about those...and so on and so on.  That right there, my friends, is what's happening.  Hehe!!  I always get so excited about things God is doing that I just can't ever seem to find the perfect time to write about them...so I'm hoping tonight is a good night to do it!

Before I dive in, baby Landt is doing great!  I'm currently 18 weeks along and haven't had any complications, other than being sick here and there.  But as I've said before, I'd rather go through that sickness than go through the heartache of loosing another baby.  Anyway, if you ask me...I think there's a little girl in there just waiting to be confirmed in 2 weeks.  And Jared actually told me tonight he thought it was a girl too...even though he's hoping for a boy.  :)  Obviously, we're happy either way!

Alright, well...where do I even begin.  It has been quite the ride lately for Jared and myself.  God is always working on our hearts and refining in many different ways.  One of the passions the good Lord has blessed Jared and myself with is a heart for seeing human trafficking eliminated on this earth.  And even typing that out does not quite show you the burden we have in this area.  I hear of things like sex trafficking and child slavery and my heart hurts to a pain that no words can even describe the depth of that pain.  For years I have known God to put a fire on my heart for broken and battered women of this world, foreign and domestic.  For so long I have wanted to be among the women that are victims of sex trafficking and reach to them to let them know that I love them and I want to help.  But there were times I've become so discouraged with the questions, "how do I even help when I'm here in the U.S.?  How do I find it in America?  Can I, one person, really even do anything?".  Those questions, I believe, are a product of Satan and his way of deterring me from even pursuing this passion.  He felt threatened, so of course he'd make me doubt.  So...

It wasn't until this week that I have been so encouraged with this journey, and Jared as well.  But for myself, God spoke and encouraged me through my intensive week class and today's sermon.  Lol!!  Crazy how God works and at the most perfect times.  My intensive week class was called Christian Leadership, and it was literally phenomenal!  Dr. Allan Dunbar was our professor, and let me tell you...I've never met someone so full of wisdom in my life.  He spoke of leadership, obviously, but to realize the things that it takes to become a leader is what really hit me.  I won't even begin to dissect my notes for you from that class on here, but one of the biggest things I took away from this class is how God blesses a person who heavily pursues leadership through Him.  God will develop you and me wherever you are...it's not like you have to go through this detox in order to start the process, the process is always going and God is going to use you wherever you are at, He's going to start on you wherever you are at.

Which brings me to the sermon today in church about serving.  The preacher today talked about how often times we get frustrated when we want to be involved in something, or serve somewhere and we think, "Well, I don't have anything to serve with.  How can I serve this, or be involved in this, when I don't have this or that?".  To which the preacher said, "God will bless what you have to serve with and then bless even more as you begin to open yourself up to serve more."  And I about stood right up and yelled, "YES!!  YOU ARE RIGHT!"  Just because I am one person in this big world, does not mean I can't start somewhere.  And if God is calling you to it, and you follow through...you best believe He'll bless you!  So, with all this mumble jumble, I guess what I'm saying is that I am in pursuit of this passion and where to start and asking for God's blessing in this journey.  

Ok, sorry...I just had to somehow get that all out, and it's probably just all over the place.  But if you knew my personality, then you'd understand how my brain works sometimes.  Just need time to unscramble it all and keep moving forward.  Either way, this life journey is so incredible!  I just love God so much, and I am continually amazed by how He works.  Seriously friends, He is so incredible.  As much as a journey in your life with Christ can hurt, it can also be so exciting, exhilarating and intoxicating that you just can't help but yell: "WOIJWFEKSFLDKJ!!  WOOT!"  Lol.  I don't even know what else to write, but I hope that through the randomness of this post you can be encouraged to dig deep and find that passion God has set on your heart and you just take off with it, and knowing full well that God will bless you.  I will be praying for you this week, readers, that your ears and hearts are open and God shows you the passion and calling he has place on your hearts.  

Until next time!  :)

Just when you thought...

This, my friends, has been the post I have been waiting to write for quite some time now, especially after loosing a beloved baby in August this last year.  I'm sure most of you, by now, will know what I'm talking about when I say I've been excited to write this post...if not, then you'll just have to read this whole thing and wait for the end.  DUH DUH DUUUUH!!! (like the movies, hehe)

Obviously many of you know that 2011 wasn't exactly the easiest of years for Jared and myself.  But our plan for 2012 was to remain faithful and persistent with the here and now and know that God had a plan for us, no matter what.  

  I know for me, Anna, it was hard to think that God would bless us anytime soon with becoming parents.  My thought was since I always hear stories of women who cannot get pregnant for a long time after a miscarriage that this would inevitably happen to us.  But that was not so for Jared and I!  We found out a short while ago that God blessed us again with a new little life that is currently 11 1/2 weeks old and with a good, strong heartbeat...baby Landt!  

To be completely honest with you, when Jared and I first found out, we were really scared.  Lol, in fact, I cried really hard when I saw the little positive sign...I just figured it'd happen all again.  Especially because I was already have a few pains here and there that were similar to the first pregnancy.  My heart hurt so much because I didn't want to go through this again, and I knew that the only way my heart and mind would be at ease was if I prayed.  I didn't want to feel this pain and live in fear of what COULD happen again, but I wanted to feel excited and experience the joy of first finding out that you are expecting.  So that is what I prayed, because God knew I was thinking about it all the time, so why not just say it outloud/journal it?  I mean, c'mon, it's only fair right?  So let me tell you how this specific prayer went down:

  "Hey God,

First off, thank you.  Even though I'm having a hard time saying it because it's hard for me to believe it...but for real, thanks.  So here is what I want to say, I want to be excited.  God, I want to experience the joy of knowing that you have done this beautiful thing of creating a little life inside of me that you are wanting us to raise for you.  I'm asking you this because I know that the only way I will experience a real, like FOR REAL, joy is if I receive it from you.  And only you.  So I would love to have my prayer answered today, is that alright?  Will you please bless little baby with being healthy, and wanting to stay there and see us all alive and vibrant at 40 weeks?  I would certainly love that!   Anyway, I'm not sure what else to say, but I ask that you hear my prayer today.  Thanks for being great.  Love your daughter, Anna Marcelina."  

It was from there on out that God has given both Jared and I peace over what is to come.  No matter what comes in our way, He has reassured us that we serve a God who is bigger than any obstacle or struggle we could ever come across.  And as I have stated before, WE were the ones who signed up for this.  WE were the ones who answered when He called us to be in His family and serve Him no matter what.  Jared and I know that anything could happen with this baby, but we also know we serve a God who is faithful and provides for us.

SO!  Without dragging on any longer...we are happy to say that we are EXCITED!  And pregnant.  Lol!  :)  I am excited for what the rest of this year holds, and the plans God has for Jared and I...as well as baby Landt.  Before I leave you, readers, I would like to ask you to please be praying with us for this pregnancy.  Please pray that the spirit of worry and anxiety will be bound away from us as we continue this journey of preparing to raise a little disciple.  We want to be parents who pray and are strong examples of people who are exceptionally faithful to the God we serve.  Thank you all who have been praying for us already, and giving us encouragement.  It is so appreciated!   Blessings friends!

  (P.S. I think it will be a girl.  HEHE!  Maybe that's just me hoping...)  :)   

New things, new places, and a new year!

2012!!  It's here, AHH!  How do you feel, futuristic and robot-like?  Yeah...me either.  hehe!  Oh well, moving on:
Jared and I cannot even begin to tell you how excited we are that the new year has started.  2011 ended well for us with seeing all our families on Christmas.  It's always awesome to see family over the holidays and be able to catch up with them about life and the such.

One of the many things that God has blessed Jared and I with is the church we are currently attending, Glad Tidings Church.  Being able to attend this church and know how God works in this place has been amazing for us and our own spiritual growth.  It has been amazing to be around a church family who places a strong emphasis on prayer and the way our God works through this powerful tool He blessed us with.  Glad Tidings is doing a month long devotion to prayer challenge called The Live Dead Challenge.  They offered devotional books to everyone who wanted to be part of this challenge.  In these books are given thoughts and things to pray for that particular day for every day in January.  And it has been great to be part of this and learn new ways that we can connect to God and challenge ourselves to be more intentional and intimate with our time with God.

Our cool news for the new year...brace yourselves...: We've found our next place to live!!  YAY!  I cannot even begin to tell you just HOW excited we are!  I mean, we've loved living in the house we're subleasing, but we're ready to have our own place and decorate with our own stuff.  Er..well, I am.  I guess that's not really his cup of tea.  :)  I would also like it to be known that our new place allows DOGS!!  GAH!  We're currently in the process of having our application to be adopters of a dog from The Nebraska Border Collie Rescue.  So exciting!

As many of you know, I (Anna) am committed to going overseas to Beijing, China this year in April.  I am looking forward to this trip, and hoping that all goes well as I prepare for it...especially hoping that my passport can get here in time for the tickets to be ordered!  Jared and I have also decided that we would like to save money over the course of the next year or two to go overseas again and visit my older sister and her family in Central Asia.  We've always wanted to visit friends and/or family who are servants of Jesus and wanting to spread the word across all of the world and we want to be a source of encouragement as well as just simply love on them!

Jared and I have been through some of the hardest time in our lives in 2011, and at times thought we'd never come back and be as strong as we are.  But here we are, stronger than we've ever been and pushing on to what other things may come.  Each of us has a life story, and experiences are always being added into the pages of our lives.  Some being harder than others, but still being part of who we are.  I hope you, reader, have been able to look at the many things that have happened in your life and see them as part of your story.  And you have no idea how your story may touch other lives and the impact you have, it's truly amazing to be touched by another's life story.  So we encourage you to embrace the things that have happened in life because they made up who you are and the person God has made you to be.  Seriously, you are SO cool!

Well, I think that about covers everything that has happened since we last talked...er, since you last read.  Whatever.  We hope the new year has found you well and that God blesses you in every way possible.  Please know how much you mean to us and how much your support means as well!  Stay tuned for our next update...life is always transforming when you've got Jesus involved!

Tis the Season

Ah, December!  We welcome you with open arms...well, not your cold, blistering weather though.  But I suppose we can deal with it.

It has been quite the month for Jared and myself!  Where do I even start??  I know what I'll do...I'll start with the most recent things and go backwards.  Goin' against the grain!

As most of you know, Jared and I have been praying about our next move come the end of January.  We have had our eye on one particular house that is right across the park from our team leaders' place, Eric and Lisa.  We've prayed very specifically about this place and asked God that if He wanted us to be in this house that He would have it remain empty until our time to move.  We prayed that two months ago when we first looked...and here it is!  Still up for rent!  The renters made it sound as if we were really the only people looking at it.  We went and looked at it again today and told the renters we were very interested.  So we're hoping and praying hard that this is the one for us.  Your prayers on this subject have been much appreciated and we'd like to ask that you guys keep praying with us!

We are happy to announce that we have a happy, healthy new baby nephew!  Declan Thomas Struthers decided to make his grand appearance on November 15th and weighing in at 9 pounds 9oz!  We are so, SO excited for Michael and Leah and the new addition.  They are doing so well with adjusting to parenthood as well, we're so proud of them.  It is also quite nice to have them just a few blocks away from us so we can pop in and see that cute little mister!

Backstory before I jump into the next subject: The school I attend, Nebraska Christian College, has a requirement of its students to be involved in something called Week of Ministry that occurs at the end of every school year.  Usually right before finals...how convenient.  :)  This year, being my last year, I had prayed about going out of the states for my last year of Week of Ministry.  And did God answer that prayer with a resounding, "YES!  I'm sending you out of the country!"  So, for the last month I have been raising money to go to Beijing, China!  That's right!!  Beijing, China!  I've never been there and I'm so excited to experience this trip!  As soon as God had called me to this particular trip, I barely had a month to raise $1,500 for the first portion of the trip.  I'll be honest with you...I was a bit intimidated by the timeline and was a bit doubtful.  But I figured, if God wanted me on this trip then He'd provide those finances!
So I sent out support letters just a couple days later and here I am BEFORE the due date sitting just slightly over $1,500!  God is SO cool!  The last portion of our trip, $500, isn't due until April 19th.  So I still have a bit of time yet before I need to hit that goal.  In Beijing we will be working with an orphanage, homeless family, and meeting with a friend of our leader who leading an underground church.  We will be teaching a little bit of English, loving on kids, helping to restore a home for the homeless family and also learning more about Beijing as a whole.  I am SO excited!  Please pray with me as I prepare for this trip and raise the last portion for this trip as well!

In our last blog we had talked about the trip we would be taking (then) to Topeka, Kansas for a support trip and also a time to branch out and meet another church outside of our area.  It was an amazing time to connect with another church family and receive the encouragement we did from them.  Visiting Countryside Christian Church in Topeka was a huge blessing to Jared and myself as we had the chance to see how they function as a body of believers and hear their testimony of where they have come from.  It gave us hope and joy for how God is working in churches everywhere and see how His word has spread through places like Topeka, Kansas.

Lately, it has been a bit hard to meet with Eric and Lisa with it being prime season for the holidays and seeing family.  But we've recently picked back up and it has been quite encouraging to say the least!  Our last meeting we decided to go on a bake frenzy and make cookies for all our neighbors and getting to know the community around us more!  It was so much fun and great to be able to meet new friends as well.  Earlier in the month, we had a chance to host a party at our place and invite a bunch of friends for food and games.  Well, I should say, "game" because we really only played Apples to Apples the entire night...but that game never gets old.  Needless to say, it was a fantastic night!

School is almost done!  ...for the semester.  :)  It has been quite a difficult semester trying to keep up with these darn online classes, but having Jared, as my personal "No more procrastination!" trainer has helped to boost my motivation.  Overall, it has been a very good semester and great to learn so many of the things that I have.  I have come to appreciate the diversity throughout the Kingdom of God and the many different types of servants and gifts He utilizes.  It has been exciting to meet many different pastors and other individuals of churches throughout the Omaha area and see/hear of how God is working in their lives.

I want to encourage all of you who are reading this to take time to reflect on the many blessings God has showered upon you this year.  Jared and I were just talking today about the year we've had...and to be completely honest with you, we both said it had been a very difficult year.  But at the very same time we have a God who has never left us, forsaken us, or even for a split second abandon us.  I would be so lost if it wasn't for having the God we have in our life.  He's taught us some hard lessons, broken us down and molded us back together again.  And on top of everything He has brought us through we are still reminded of the sacrifice His son made to set us free.  Now that, friends, is amazing!  May every day be a "Tis the Season" kind of day to celebrate the God we serve and share the testimony of what He has done in our lives!  Merry Christmas, friends!  We hope the end of this year and the beginning of a new one is a blessed one for you!

The journey of ministry

Hello friends and family!!  We hope October came to a fantastic close and November with an amazing opening for you!  Shall we start?

 Our team leaders, Eric and Lisa Purcell, meet with us every Tuesday night for fellowship and team time.  The past couple of time we've been talking about conflict within a developing community.  AH!  I know, something that is never a subject to be excited about...in fact, my tendency is to pretend it won't ever be there.  But that isn't reality, now is it?  So we've been going over a lot on how conflict comes about, where the roots of it are from, how to approach it and deal with it.  Our take, as a team, on how to deal with conflict is learning a healthy way of going about it when it comes up.  Satan is real good in this area, I'd even go so far as to say he tends to be an expert in getting his foot in the door of conflict.  And our team wants Satan in no part of the ministry God has set us out to do. We know there are mountain tops as well as valleys in the life of ministry, especially being on a team, and we want to make sure we maintain the heart of bringing Him glory through it all.

It's been great to meet with Eric and Lisa every week, and even more than that at times.  I know my heart is being humbled in taking things slow as a new team in a new area and...well, just starting things all new.  I believe God loves situations like this, one where he has full control of molding and laying out the ground work.  It is hard at times to not just want to jump into something and not putting as much prayer into as it deserves.   So, needless to say, we as a team have been praying and asking God for an opportunity to become more plugged in with the community and a good timing to do so.  Recently we have been blessed with that opportunity!  SO EXCITING!  There is an elementary school in the community called Yates, and they have been wanting to a garden project of some sort.  So Eric went to the woman in charge (I can't remember her name, forgive me!) and asked if there was a need for some extra helping hands.  She said yes and couldn't wait to give us more details.  So we will be meeting with her soon and finding out more about what we will be doing.  This project will be taking place in the spring of this next year and we will be helping the community out by making boxed gardens for yards of people in Gifford Park.  As for more details...I will have to get back to you on that after we meet with her.

Going on...
Jared and I, outside of our team, are doing well.  Something, again, that can be in prayer for us is our search for our next place to live.  We have been praying fervently about this move and have felt God opening our eyes into a house to rent.  We would love to live in a house and we are even considering the possibility of having someone else live in the basement.  So we're in the market for a house that would have a basement apartment-like attachment to it.  It would be much appreciated if you, readers, would be in prayer with us on this matter.

As most of you know, Jared is working at Jimmy Johns and I am not working but instead focusing on schooling this semester.  Mind if I rant and rave for just a minute?  I want to tell you how big of a blessing God has been to us, me especially, through blessing Jared with an amazing work ethic.  I don't know if many of you know Jared very well, but let me just say that this man is an amazing work of our Lord.  He works hard to support our family, no matter how difficult the day or what is going on outside of work...he has  Godly way of working hard, and works hard to bring glory to His name no matter the circumstance.  I am a blessed wife!

While Jared is at work, I am usually at home doing school work.  And trust me, there is a lot of it to do. I'm currently in just 3 classes, two are online: Church History (online), World Religions (online), and Church Growth (off campus, but not online).  I don't usually like online classes, but this semester has been a blessing for my spiritual and intellectual growth.  One class in particular, church history, I have been challenged to look at the history of the church and the generations before us.  As someone in my generation I know that I have a tendency to rag on the older generations and all the things I think they did wrong.  But I have been convicted lately on my attitude towards such thoughts.  God has opened my eyes through this class to see the hard work that our older generations laid for us.  Yes, they had mess ups...but we're human.  And the beauty of it all, in the midst of mess ups the older generation helped in teaching us to get back up, wipe the dust off, and continue on the journey.  I appreciate those of you who have dedicated your life to ministry and continuing on the journey of ministry and then handing the baton off to us, the next generation.  If you are reading this and are of an older generation, please hear our hearts as we thank you for all that you are doing and have done.

This weekend, the 5th and 6th, Jared and myself are going to Topeka, Kansas to do music for a church as well as share what we are doing in ministry right now.  So it would be FANTASTIC if you could be praying with us on that as well!  Also!  Our nephew is almost here!  Michael and Leah Struthers (Jared's sister and brother-in-law) expecting little Declan to be here any time now.  Please be bathing them in prayer with us as we pray for them and their next step in life.

Again, we thank you readers for praying with us and for us.  You mean so much to us and we are so thankful to have people like you in our lives!  Blessings be to you, friends!

Omaha, Nebraska...what's not to like??

Hello!  And welcome back to...SURVIVOR, death or chocolate!  Did I get you??  Did you believe it?!  Dang it...  I've always wanted to write something like that...so, now it's out of my system.  Here we go:

So, in case you didn't already know, Jared and I live in a different part of Omaha.  We were living in the married housing out at Nebraska Christian College and then decided we'd like to live in society.  :)  That probably sounds funny to most of you, especially if you are thinking, "Well, weren't you already in society at the college?"  The answer to that is, no, not really.  We love the people at the college, truly we do, but Jared and I like to be in close proximity with people who do not know Jesus.  And God led us to this part of Omaha.  Just a few blocks from what is called Midtown Crossing in a little area named Gifford Park.  Google it!  It's sweet!

Anyway, we LOVE LOVE LOVE this part of Omaha.  I couldn't be happier with this area and being around people I don't already know, or people who I see in a classroom everyday.  Lol!  Just a couple nights ago we were meeting with Eric and Lisa (our team leaders for CRM, New Minster Omaha) and another gentleman named Dave (I think?  I'm really bad with names...).  In this meeting we were taught about a different kind of prayer walking, and we practiced it that night too.  On our prayer walk Dave taught us to be asking God not what we can be doing, but rather what HE wants to do in this part of Omaha, as well as asking Him if we could be used in this plan as well.  He also taught us to ask God to open our eyes to what He may be wanting us to see on that particular walk, as well as any other walks we may do.  When God has opened your eyes to thing begin to pray about what He is having you see, then branching off into specific prayer about a particular thing, or person, or happening that you are seeing.  It was very cool and exciting to experience this!  

Soon Jared and myself will be house/apartment hunting.  The house we are currently living in is actually someone else's place, we are just subleasing until they back.  Our prayer is that God will bless us with a house to rent that is closer to Eric and Lisa, as well as a place that will allow us to have a dog.  We are longing to have a dog!!  So bad!  As well as a place that will be wonderful for raising children (whenever that is, in God's timing).  So we are asking you all, whoever is reading this, to please pray with us about a house to rent and for a good price.  

Recently I just finished a book called, "Heaven is for Real" by Todd Burpo.  I'm sure most of you know what book I am talking about.  It is the story of the little boy, Colton Burpo, who experienced heaven while in the midst of surgery that the doctors believed he wouldn't make it through.  The story is quite literally amazing, but the part that really touched my heart was the behind-the-scenes person, Todd and Sonja (the father and mother).  Todd is the one writing the book and throughout the book you are witnessing him growing in this journey of hearing about the reality of heaven.  He is a pastor and yet struggles through believing what is happening, which is not something many pastors are not willing to be openly vulnerable about.  I was truly amazed to see him express his emotions throughout this book and not solely stick to his ways of being a teacher (which I'm sure he is gifted at) but also become a learner and teachable follower.  He expresses anger towards God, anxiety, confusion, frustration...all of the above.  He learns how to become more childlike in his faith with the Lord and really seeking what God is doing in his life.  It was amazing to almost be there as Todd is showing us through his writing what is going on and how he and his wife are experiencing this.  You see his heart and the way God works through the craziest circumstances.  One thing he talks about towards the end of the book is his amazement in how God responds to a childlike prayer, a prayer of really talking with God as if he is standing right there in your living room or bathroom, or bedroom...etc.  To really converse with God and tell him what you are truly thinking, tell him out loud...you might as well because he already knows what you are thinking.  So why not say it?  I personally started doing this and it's refreshing, rejuvenating, and quite hilarious at times too.  I think God likes us to know that while He is big and beyond our comprehension, he is personal and totally capable of hearing your conversation with Him.  He's really the best listener you'll ever meet, I promise!  

So let me encourage you, reader, to try chat praying with God.  Tell him what you are really thinking during your day or prayer time, he likes to hear it out loud (Or at least that's what I think).  Envision Him right there with you while you drink your coffee or eat your tacos.  He's a cool being to get to know in that way, it's amazing!  

Anyway, that's a bit of an update with Jared and I.  Here, loving God and wanting to be used as one of His many vessels in Omaha, Nebraska! Hope you all are being blessed and that God has been growing and stretching you in ways you never knew possible!  Grace and peace, friends!

One month down

Ah,  here we are!  One month later after our miscarriage and finding ourselves more in love with the Lord.  Crazy right?  I know!  It's crazy to think that just one month ago today we were going through one of the toughest times in our life.  But it has definitely been an amazing month of encouragement, love, and joy by being surrounded with such Godly friends, we are truly blessed!  The last month has been crazy busy with traveling, school starting, job hours increased, a little bit of support raising and all the other daily stuff here and there.  

Jared and I are currently part of an organization called CRM (Church Resource Ministries) doing an internship for a year.  Our team leaders, Eric and Lisa Purcell, are great and have been a Godsend to us throughout this last month to a year.  We've been blessed to be able to meet with them on a weekly basis and receive encouragement, accountability and mentoring.  Jared and myself are titled, "leader residents" for this particular branch of CRM, which is called, "New Minster".  This is new to our area and so Jared and I will be part of laying the ground work for this ministry which we want to see become a church plant.  We are living in an area that does not know much of Christ, so we look forward to seeing how we will be used.  As people who want to fill in the gap between the community and church we will be missional minded about our relationship with the community as well as meeting with pastors of different churches in order to give them encouragement and love.  We are just in the beginning stages of this and look forward to seeing what God will be doing throughout this next year!  So pray with us as we await the next steps.  Especially as we go into support raising and asking God to provide for us financially as well as blessing us with supporters who are willing to pray fervently for this ministry!

This particular week is especially different for Jared and I.  Before I proceed to explain, let me tell you a bit about the personalities of Jared and myself, if you don't already know us.  Jared is more of a solitude person (I call him solitudy judy) than myself.  Me, on the other hand, I'm the extreme opposite of this judy character.  So I love to be around people, in fact, if I'm not around people for a long time I may start to cry because it's just one of my love languages...weird, I know.  Jared needs time to himself, and being around people all the time may drain him a bit.  SO!  This week is what is really funny for our personalities:

   Jared is on a houseboat trip with a quite a few dudes for a week, every day, all day.  People, people, people!  And me...well, I was at home, alone, then traveled to Wisconsin, alone, and with my grandmother who doesn't really like to chat with me.  So, needless to say I've had to experience this solitude.  I usually try to avoid being alone, I hate it and it makes me feel like I can't even breathe at times.  I enjoy nature and even just knowing that people are walking by.  I LOVE PEOPLE!  So this week I was challenged to embrace this solitude as a change up.  I'm always use to doing what I usually do...be surrounded by people, or talking people for that matter.  Lisa Purcell said to think of it as a cleanse.  God is cleansing me of what I am use to, what I default to, or what I tend to be routined in.  And let me tell you...this is ridiculously harder than I thought it would be.  But I've discovered so many different things about myself and connecting with God.  It has been good for me to experience this, and I still have a few more days of this.  So some prayer would be awesome as I learn to grow in the Lord through this little baby adventure.

I would also like to ask for prayer for Jared and Eric as they are on this houseboat trip.  They head back Monday (I think?) and I'm asking God to fill them both spiritually, mentally, physically and emotionally.  I've prayed hard for a long time about this trip for Jared and that he would receive the adequate amount of encouragement.  Especially since Leena Marie left us a month ago.  I know his heart needed this trip and I pray God has done some amazing things in him, I don't doubt that He has already!  

Our marriage has grown significantly over the past month, through leaps and bounds!  I'm amazed at what God can do in a person in just the course of one month.  We are so excited to see how God will utilize Jared and myself throughout the next year.  Please pray with us as we continue on this journey and seek the will of our Father!