"That's what Christmas is all about, Charlie Brown"

"Your grace has broken every chain. My sins are gone, my debt's been paid. You gave, You gave Your life away, for me."

"Come Lord Jesus, come."

"Open the blind eyes. Unlock the deaf ears. Come to your people, as we draw near. Hear us from Heaven. Touch our generations. We are your people, crying out in desperation."

"But for all of us who journey through the dark abyss of loneliness
There comes a great announcement - we are never alone -
For the maker of each heart that breaks, the giver of each breath we take
Has come to earth and given hope it's birth.

And in one glorious moment, all eternity was shaken,
As God broke through the darkness that had kept us apart.
And with love that conquers loneliness, and hope that fills all emptiness
He came to earth to show our worth.

And our God is with us, Emmanuel.
He's come to save us, Emmanuel.
And we will never face life alone
Now that God has made Himself known,
As Father and Friend, with us through the end, Emmanuel."

"Not hard-ship, not hunger,
no pain or depth of sorrow,
not weakness nor failure,
no broken dream or promise.
Nothing can take me from your great love.
Forever this truth remains: I belong, I belong to You. I belong, I belong to You!"

"Yes I can see a light that is coming for the heart that holds on, and there will be an end to these troubles but until that day comes, still I will praise You, still I will praise You!"

"You'll never walk alone. And you'll never be in need. Though I may not calm the storms around you, you can hide in me."

"I have a Father, He calls me His own. He'll never leave me, no matter where I go. He knows my name. He knows my every thought. He sees each tear that falls and He hears me when I call."

"A miracle has happened, God has come and God has spoken
But the miracle has only just begun

And the God who spoke is speaking still
And the God who came still comes
And the miracle that happened still happens in the heart that will believe
And we see (receive) the miracle of Christmas

So come to Bethlehem again and see
The One who's come to rescue us, our Saviour and King
Bring your past, the joy, the sorrow, all your hope to find tomorrow
And hear the words again, fear not and know that God is near."

"Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel has come to thee, O Israel!"

These are quotes from some of the songs that the choir sang on Sunday, December 14th. These are the words of the songs that continued to speak to my heart as we practiced, as I sang them in the car, and as we lead the congregation in worship that Sunday. Do you see a theme to these quotes? Each one is a cry, in one way or another, for Emmanuel, for Hope, for Christ.

Since I was a little girl, one of my greatest fears has been, and still is, being left alone. I used to lie awake at night, not wanting to sleep for fear that if I did, something would happen to my parents. I hated staying with a baby sitter; I miserably and anxiously awaited the return of my parents. Still today, I can be overcome with fear if I allow myself to think about this for any length of time. But this Christmas season, I decided to meditate on "Emmanuel, God with Us," (Matt. 1:23) and what peace this has brought to my heart!

There is something so calming and peaceful in knowing that I belong to the Creator of the Universe and I will never face life alone, now that God has made Himself known. Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel has come to us!

Isn't It Romantic?

My friend Rebecca often talks about how romantic God is. I've been thinking about that a lot lately.

IF YOUR LIFE WAS A MOVIE....

IF YOUR LIFE WAS A MOVIE, WHAT WOULD THE SOUNDTRACK BE?

So, here’s how it works:

1. Open your library (iTunes, Winamp, Media Player, iPod, etc)
2. Put it on shuffle
3. Press play
4. For every question, type the song that’s playing
5. When you go to a new question, press the next button
6. Don’t lie and try to pretend your cool… and alot of the songs fit with the setting

Opening Credits:
"Point Shirley" - Rhett Miller

Waking Up:
"Never Cease to Amaze Me" - Aaron Keyes

First Day At School:
"Go Into the World" - Travis Cottrell

Falling In Love:
"Better Is One Day" - Rebecca St. James

Fight Song:
"For Good" - Wicked Soundtrack

Breaking Up:
"Bus Driver" - Caedmon's Call

Prom night:
"We Delight" - Caedmon's Call

Life:
"Searching for Jessica" - The Man from Snowy River soundtrack (not sure this one makes a whole lot of sense)

Mental Breakdown:
"Why Don't you and I" - Carlos Santana and Chad Kroeger

Driving:
"There's Only One (Holy One)" - Caedmon's Call

Flashback:
"Faithful" - Brooke Fraser (How appropriate!)

Getting back together:
HAHAHAHA "What Wondrous Love is This" - OMPC Choir

The following haven't exactly happened for me yet, but....

Wedding:
"He is Exalted" - Shane and Shane

Birth of Child:
"Child of God/Silent Night" - OMPC Choir

Final Battle:
"More Than a Feeling" - Boston

Funeral Song:
"Fallin In Love With You" - Josh Kelley

Final Credits:
"On Jordan's Stormy Banks I Stand" - Jars of Clay (I didn't cheat on this, I promise)

The Rabbit Room

I am a fan of Andrew Peterson. I just subscribed to his podcast, "The Rabbit Room," and listened to the first episode. He is reading a blog post that tells how "The Rabbit Room" came to be and why it is called such. As he was reading, the following stopped me as I was folding clothes and I had to go look up the actual post to read it for myself.

"History swept me up when I walked beneath the portcullis of the Tower of London, when I took communion in Westminster Abbey among the tombs of long-dead kings. The blood and body of Christ, shed for you, peasants and kings, pagans and priests. The feast at the table is good and gives life, and is your only hope for meaning and peace and rest from the baying of the hounds at your heels, because Death and Sin and Hatred pursue you and would swallow you up if not for the strong voice of Jesus saying “Peace. Be still.” And at his word the dogs snap back into the darkness with a yelp as if reaching the limit of their chains. History belittles us. Its story is one of conquest and murder and vast darkness, and the noblest of men ends up as dead as the thief. I realized as I walked through the hall of kings in the Abbey that my time here is brief and my earthly crowns are worthless as chaff; the words of my epitaph will ring hollow lest they point to the fullness of Christ."

We are just days away from the Advent season. I was reminded recently that as we celebrate, we aren't merely celebrating the birth of our Savior, but that He was born to die for us, and He promises to return to take His people home one day. I hope you are encouraged as you read this.

You can read the whole post by going here then clicking on "About the Rabbit Room." You can also listen to it on itunes.

I Was Tagged!

Looks like I'm it (thanks Shea). According to the official tagging rules, I'm supposed to post the forth photo from the fourth folder in my pictures file. Well, my fourth folder had many other folders in it so I took the fourth folder from that folder and the fourth photo from there. Did that make any sense? Anyway, here it is:

This is Anna and Abbi at Krispy Kreme, taken 1/29/05. That would make Anna 5 and Abbi 3? Wow! Abbi looks so different now.

Now I think I'm supposed to tag four new people so here goes:

1. Whitney
2. Shannon
3. Katy
4. Jason (you decide which one I'm talking about)

Now be a good sport and do as you were tagged to do!

Surprise!

Remember when you were a kid and you would beg your mom to buy you that box of cereal with the cool prize inside? Did you patiently eat cereal for days until you came to the toy in the box or did you pour all the cereal out at once to get to it? I wasn't allowed to pour it all out but I could shuffle the cereal around in the box and shake it until the prize worked it's way to the top.

I opened a box of Cheerios tonight and there, lying on top of the unopened plastic bag, was a toy slider thingy from the movie Madagascar 2. Despite the fact that I didn't have to dig for the toy, it instantly made me smile and brought back fun memories.

By the way, I didn't buy the cereal just for the toy.

Writer's Block

This was my post on gmail earlier this afternoon: "Julie wants to blog but is having a hard time getting started." Upon reading that, a few of my friends sent me some blogging suggestions. A couple of them thought I should blog about my love for them and how they have impacted my life. One person suggested that I discuss how the sky is blue or how monkey's swing on trees or how Josie is like a ninja. Still another friend said that I should blog about how excited I am to go to the beach this weekend. Thanks for the suggestions and the laughs.

BTW, I am SO excited about the beach this weekend!

My New Favorite Word Is...

HOSANNA!! I've heard that word many times in my life but until recently I never knew what it meant (thanks to Jason and Bob for enlightening me). I looked it up in Strong's Concordance, just to double check my sources, and found that Hosanna is a Greek word, a cry, an interjection (remember your School House Rock song?), meaning "save, I pray," or "save us." The root words are Hebrew terms meaning "save us" or "deliver us" and "now, I beseech, I pray." I think this is so cool!

HOSANNA!! Has become the cry of my heart lately as I talk to friends who are struggling with life and God's goodness. Andrew Peterson wrote a song about it, wanna hear it? It goes like this:

HOSANNA

"I am tangled up in contradiction. I am strangled by my own two hands. I am hunted by the hounds of addiction. Hosanna! I have lied to everyone who trusts me. I have tried to fall when I could stand. I have only loved the ones who loved me. Hosanna! O Hosanna! See the long awaited king come to set his people free. We cry O Hosanna! Come to tear the temple down. Raise it up on holy ground. Hosanna!

I have struggled to remove this raiment, tried to hide every shimmering strand. I contend with these ghosts and these hosts of bright angels. Hosanna! I have cursed the man that you have
made me. I have nursed the beast that bays for my blood. Oh, I have run from the one who would save me. Save me, Hosanna! O Hosanna! See the long awaited king, come to set his people free. We cry O Hosanna! Come and tear the temple down. Raise it up on holy ground Hosanna! We cry for blood, and we take your life. Hosanna! We cry for blood, and we take your life. It is blood, it is life that you have given.

You have crushed beneath your heel the vile serpent. You have carried to the grave the black stain. You have torn apart the temple's holy curtain. You have beaten Death at Death's own game. Hosanna! O Hosanna! Hail the long awaited king, come to set his people free. We cry O Hosanna! Won't you tear this temple down, raise it up on holy ground. O Hosanna! I will lift my voice and sing: you have come and washed me clean. Hosanna."

One other thing struck me as I studied this word. When you read Matthew 21:9, 15, Mark 11:9-10, and John 12:13, it seems that, while the people are crying out to Jesus for salvation, to be delivered, they are doing so with hearts of praise. I think this is worth pondering.

Aurora Leigh?

I heard a quote this weekend from one of Elizabeth Barrett Browning's poems but I'm not sure which one; if you know, please tell me.

"Earth's crammed with heaven, And every common bush afire with God; But only he who sees, takes off his shoes - The rest sit round it and pluck blackberries."

I'm still pondering it but I really like it.

I Want To Meet This Guy

It's about 9 minutes long but worth it.

The Grove

Today was a professional development day at school so Carol, the other counselor I work with, and I went to Oak Grove Elementary to talk with their counselor. On the way down there we passed a sign that tickled me. Accoding to Carol, that sign has been up since the school year started. I took a picture with my cell phone's 1.3 megapixel camera so it isn't very clear.

If you saw this sign that says "Lordy Lordy Diane Carr", how old would you assume she was?



I bet you didn't say "51".

Resurrection Letters, Vol. II

Josie, Shannon, Whitney, Ashton, and I skipped LIFE group tonight. We went to Andrew Peterson's cd release concert and it was great! It wasn't anything fancy or showy, it was just Andrew on stage with his guitars and a piano, singing to a half-filled sanctuary. He went through each song on his new cd "Resurrection Letters, Vol. II", giving his background thoughts and the scripture basis for each one. It was a good time of worship.

I downloaded the first song off of this cd several weeks ago and I'll share it with you now.

"All Things New"

"Come broken and weary. Come battered and bruised. My Jesus makes all things new, all things new. Come lost and abandoned. Come blown by the wind. He'll bring you back home again, home again. Rise up, oh you sleeper, awake, the light of the dawn is upon you. Rise up, oh you sleeper, awake, he makes all things new.

Come frozen with shame. Come burning with guilt. My Jesus, he loves you still, he loves you still. Rise up, oh you sleeper, awake, the light of the dawn is upon you. Rise up, oh you sleeper, awake, he makes all things new. The world was good, the world is fallen, the world will be redeemed, so hold on to the promise. The stories are true that Jesus makes all things new. The dawn is upon you. Rise uup, oh you sleeper, awake, the light of the dawn is upon you. Rise up, oh you sleeper, awake, he makes all things new. All things new."

The following verses are the ones Andrew cited as the basis for this song:

"Awake, O sleeper, and arise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you." Ephesians 5:14

"Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come." II Corinthians 5:17

"And he who was seated on the throne said, 'Behold, I am making all things new.' Also he said, ' Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.'" Revelation 21:5

During the intermission, Josie commented that she felt like she had been covered with the Truth tonight; I'm pretty sure that is exactly what each of us needed.

(The cd isn't being released until October 21st but you can listen to a sample and/or buy the single on iTunes. If you want to buy the whole thing, you can pre-order it here.)

It's A Sunflower!!

Our Kindergartners went to the punkin patch today. One of the highlights of this trip is that they each get to choose a pumpkin to take home with them. Even though the teachers remind them to pick a pumpkin they will be able to carry by themselves, the eyes of 5 year olds are often bigger than their arms in these situations. Because of this, I went out to meet them as they arrived back from their field trip. Sure enough, several of them were dragging their pumpkin down the steps of the bus, up the sidewalk, and down the hallway to their classrooms. It was hilarious, but I guess you would really have had to see it for yourself.

One of my favorite 5 year olds, Cameron, came running up to me after getting off the bus. He had something he wanted to give me; he brought it back just for me. I was touched! He reached into his plastic bag which carried his small pumpkin and pulled out a sunflower. He was so proud of it! I got a little choked up! I took a picture of it.



I taped it to the wall to show all of it. Isn't is sweet!?!

I Doubt You'll Like It...

...but I do. This one is mainly for my mom but you are welcome to look too.

I got my hair cut and colored today.

Life is War

The Missions Committee at church is reading "Let the Nations be Glad" by John Piper. Since I'm a member of the committee, I'm reading this too, only at a slower pace than the others. Needless to say, I'm a little behind. I sat down a little while ago to read chapter 2 but I haven't been able to get past the first paragraph.

"The Supremacy of God in Missions through Prayer" (chapter title)

"Life is war. That's not all it it. But it is always that. Our weakness in prayer is owing largely to our neglect of this truth. Prayer is primarily a wartime walkie-talkie for the mission of the church as it advances against the powers of darkness and unbelief. It is not surprising that prayer malfunctions when we try to make it a domestic intercom to call upstairs for more comforts in the den. God has given us prayer as a wartime walkie-talkie so that we can call headquarters for everything we need as the kingdom of Christ advances in the world. Prayer gives us the significance of frontline forces and gives God the glory of a limitless Provider."

The Renewed Mind is the Key?

A friend shared this video with me. It makes me laugh, a lot!



If you want to laugh a little more, try this....

Okay

I love church signs, especially those found in small towns. Here is one from a church in a town I drive through almost daily.



In case it is too blurry for you, it says "Not sure you believe in God? Just don't die!"
My initial reaction is still my reaction...WOW!!!
I'm not sure what else to say about it.

Thanks Katy

Here's a fun website! Some of these are obviously more funny than others and I definitely have my favorites; which do you like best?

The scariest thing is that a couple of these look very much like my mom's high school photos.

I hope you enjoy!

Don't Get Crazy

Last year, it was Charlie the Unicorn and Candy Mountain. This year, it is Bon Qui Qui and King Burger. It CRACKS me up! Enjoy.

("Olynpics Rings")

My roommate told me about this blog today. It's good for some laughs and you might want to return to it every once in a while to see new additions.

Oh, I See

I saw the goodness of the Lord today, only I didn't realize it at first because it wasn't about me. Tonight was our monthly night to feed the homeless downtown at Linn Park. I had been looking forward to it all week, but was beginning to look for excuses not to go as the time got closer. If I weren't expecting to see LaTonya there, I probably would have stayed home.

I met LaTonya in June, my first time going to "homeless," but Shannon and I actually spent time talking with her last month. She has had 3 little girls and is pregnant with her 4th. Her oldest died of a blood disease (or something like that) a year or so ago; she is only in her twenties. Her 2 children are in foster care, and when we talked last month, she was beginning mandatory parenting classes and trying to get her life cleaned up in order to get them back. She didn't seem too excited about all she was being held accountable to do and she DID NOT like the parenting classes. She just didn't seem very motivated.

Tonight, after everyone was finished eating and we had our devotional, LaTonya, Shannon, and I sat down to really talk. We began asking about her children and her court date, when she went over to her belongings and pulled out a bright yellow folder. She brought it back over to where we were sitting, opened it, and began to show/tell us what she had been learning in parenting class. She was SO excited as she talked through things! It was so incredible to see the difference from last month. We then began to talk about some of those things in her life that would have to change before getting her children back. Again, she was very excited to tell us how things are beginning to change, slowly, but there is change.

The first night I went to Linn Park, I walked away almost despairing for these people. Their life situations can seem so hopeless. I wish I could say that I had been praying for LaTonya over the past month but I haven't. However, I am convinced that this is the goodness of the Lord and it spurs me on to really pray for her.

I asked her tonight how we could specifically pray for her, and this is what she wrote down: "for my children to get back with me and to get a place to live with my children." If you think about LaTonya, please pray for her, and pray for Shannon and I to be able to speak words of Truth to her. Please pray also for Jerome who we met tonight. He has a very interesting story but simply asked us to pray for any kind of employment; he isn't being picky.

Stephen Curtis Chapman

This is the interview Stephen Curtis Chapman and his family did with Good Morning America two days ago. What an incredible picture of the gospel!

A Good Word

Two friends both shared the same verses with me yesterday. I find myself saying them over and over to myself.

"I would have despaired unless I had believed that I would see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. Wait for the Lord; Be strong and let your heart take courage; Yes, wait for the Lord."
Ps. 27:13-14 (NAS)

Wallowing

For the past several days, I've been wallowing in self-pity because God is not doing things the way I want them to be done. I've been angry. I'm okay with saying that because I know He can handle my anger; He knows I feel that way so why not just be honest?

Terri Clark sings a song called "I Just Wanna Be Mad," and the chorus expresses my attitude from the past several days perfectly:

"I'll never leave, I'll never stray
My love for you will never change
But I ain't ready to make up or get around to that
I think I'm right I think your wrong
I'll probably give in before long
Please don't make me smile
I just want to be mad for awhile"

I still don't like, or understand, the way He has chosen to do things in my life but I'm to the point now where I HAVE to believe that He is a good God and He really does know what He's doing.

Dictum ad tua mater

I have laughed so much while chatting with my friends today. It's even more fun doing it in Latin.

Thanks, Morgan, for starting the madness.

1000 Words

If you would like to see photos from my trip to Uganda, you can find them at julieinuganda.shutterfly.com.

If you have any questions about any of them, feel free to ask.

Hope you enjoy!

Random Thoughts from My First Week Back

It's been a good first week being back. My sleep was really screwed up for the first 2 or 3 days. I went to a birthday party for a couple of friends and here's what happened.... Jason may be faking, but I'm not; it was pitiful. Thanks for taking me home, Whitney.



Besides getting my hair cut (big deal #1), I also bought a new laptop (big deal #2). I got it yesterday and can't wait to use it. Daddy, I need you to come over and get it set up for me; I've done all I know to do.

A couple of friends came over last night and we cooked out and made homemade ice cream, then watched some "tv". It was good to just hang out and not feel like I had to answer questions or entertain anyone. It was also pretty funny. I'm sure Whitney will blog about it soon so wait for it.

The thing I was honestly most excited about was Friday night. Once a month, our Sunday School class, along with groups from other churches, meet at Lynn Park(?) to feed the homeless and spend some time with them. When I got back from Uganda last year I told myself that I would start taking part in this, but it took until a few weeks of going back this year before I joined in. I'm so glad I did! I thought I had missed it this month but I had not, and I was glad.

We spend the first 30 minutes or so just passing out drinks and food so that is a good time to get your feet wet interacting with the people. It was hard for me at first to just walk up and start talking, but my friend Shannon is really comfortable with it (or at least she seems to be) so I just hung on her coat tails that first time. This time was a little easier, especially since I recognized faces from before. But this time was also really weird for me. I was passing out waters and had just given my last one away when I heard a girl say "excuse me ma'am." I walked over to her just as someone was bringing her and her friend a plate of food. I put my hand on her shoulder and waited for her to turn around. When she did, I recognized her face but wasn't sure from where. As soon as she started talking I knew. She asked me if I used to teach Home Ec. at West Jefferson High School, which I did. She told me her name and asked if I remembered her, which I did. I really hope I didn't seem rude to her but I was so stunned that I'm not sure about the look on my face. We talked for a little while longer as I fought back tears. I'm still not exactly sure how she came to be homeless but my heart broke. She was not just a nameless face in a crowd of homeless people, I actually knew her and had known her for years, since she was in 7th grade. She ate her food and didn't stay around long, but she did stop to hug me and gave me her cell number before leaving.

I don't believe it was a random coincidence that brought our paths together again, so this leaves me wondering..."what now?"

It Was Donated

I got my hair cut today. It's shorter than it has been in several years, but that's okay, I like it. I took a picture of it with my phone; I'm not sure if you can tell a whole lot about it. It's hard taking a picture of yourself with your phone. I have a weird look on my face, too. Anyway, here it is in case you are wondering what it looks like.



I really am going to blog about my trip to Uganda sometime soon. Every time I sit down to type, I find something else to do. Guess I'm just not ready yet.

So Tired

I just finished unpacking...if that's what you call taking everything out of the suitcase and putting it on the floor, the bed and the dresser. The suitcases have been put away, but now I'm left with a mound of laundry, gifts for people on my bed and dresser, and random things just lying around. I don't know where to begin to make my room clean again.

I've talked to several people today and they all have the same question, "how was your trip?". I don't know how to answer that right now, so if you ask me this and I stare at you with a blank look or stammer over my words, please don't take it personally.

I think it might be best if I just go back to sleep for a little while.

But this I call to mind, and therefore I have hope

Today was our last day of clinic and to be honest, I'm very glad. Yesterday I got to hold babies again but this time something special happened...one of them sneezed in my mouth while I was oohing and aahing. Today I have had a sore throat.

It's been a good trip; I've really enjoyed loving on the babies and children, praying with the patients, laughing with my teammates, and being with my Uganda friends, but I'm ready to go home.

The ladies went shopping after clinic while the guys went to play golf at the only course in Uganda. Mark Parker will preach the first sermon at the new church plant in Namulanda tomorrow and then tomorrow afternoon, we will head for the airport.

By the way, our flight gets in at 10:50 pm Monday. If you are awake, come see me at the airport.

B-29

First of all, thanks to Scott Baker for having a world plan on his Blackberry.

So, we made it to Uganda as scheduled. We thought me might have to spend Saturday in Amsterdam because our flight was 3 hours late leaving Detroit. Missing our connection in Amsterdam would have meant not being able to fly into Entebbe until Sunday...flights here are only every other day...but our pilot made up for lost time.

Saturday and Sunday were great days of rest. We got to go to a Ugandan wedding, and 2 hours later, we went to the reception. I'm glad I experienced it but will be okay if I never have to again. I left my camera on the bus that brought us back to where we are staying, and it hasn't shown up yet so I have no photos to put on here.

We just finished day 2 of clinic and things are going well. I've held many babies, been peed on, laughed a lot and cried a little. I'll write more later about the area we are in right now.

Tomorrow is our last day of clinic at Namulanda and we will eat an American meal tomorrow night. Thursday is our rest day and we will shop and go to the Nile for a little boat ride. Friday and Saturday are clinic days at Zana Presbyterian clinic.

I miss my friends and family. Please keep praying.

Penny, Ota is almost 5 now and cuter than ever, and thanks for the slippers, they have been very useful.

Round 3

I leave tomorrow morning for Uganda. Some of my friends joke that last year I helped cure AIDS while there. This year, they joke that the plan is to put a system in place that will continually purify all of their water. If only! But I am really excited about this year's trip. I feel like the past two years I have just been getting my feet wet but this year, I'm ready to jump in all the way. I want to love on the Ugandans and listen to their stories but most of all I want to tell them about the real reason we are all there...that the Jesus they have heard about is real and loves them and wants to have a personal relationship with them. All the medicine in the world cannot cure their need for a Savior.

Please pray for our team as we minister to the sick and dying. Pray that the enemy would be bound from the clinic and surrounding areas (last year, the spiritual warfare was easily felt). Pray that the Gospel would fall on open ears and open hearts. Pray for health for the team; some are going with family issues and health issues that could interfere if allowed to do so. Pray for the Lord to do a work in each of our hearts, giving us a passion for Christ and a passion for His children. I am so excited!!!

Here is our flight itinerary:
Thurs., 6/26 Birmingham 10:05 AM Northwest NW3793 - Detroit 1:12 PM

Thurs., 6/26 Detroit 5:20 PM NW6 - Fri., 6/27 Amsterdam 7:00 AM

Fri., 6/27 Amsterdam 11:10 AM NW8441 - Entebbe/Kampala 8:15 PM

Sun., 7/6 Entebbe/Kampala 10:20 PM NW8470 - Mon., 7/7 Amsterdam 5:50 AM

Mon., 7/7 Amsterdam 3:20 PM NW8617 - Detroit 5:50 PM

Mon., 7/7 Detroit 9:43 PM NW5839 - Birmingham 10:50 PM

Here is our itinerary while there:

Saturday - rest, visit clinic site, logistical stuff
Sunday - church and hang out with church folks
Monday - Wednesday - clinic
Thursday - rest day from clinic
Friday - Saturday - clinic
Sunday - church, shopping, airport

I would love to be able to blog while there but I'm not sure what the internet situation is going to be like; there is only electricity a couple of hours a day, how often will internet be available?

For God, For Learning, Forever

We started week two of AGS yesterday with the AGS Olympics. They are always fun and funny and the students usually enjoy themselves. Here are a few photos from the event.

Austin and Angus

Greg giving instructions.


Jason's just a little thirsty.


No, they aren't really pregnant, except for Karen
(4th from right) and she is staff.


Bill trying to get this team organized.


Relay races


Cooling off after the olympics.

Number 11

This past Sunday I started my 11th year of working with the Alabama Governor's School. For two weeks each summer since 1998, I have moved the most important of my belongings into a dorm room, eaten cafeteria food, driven 15 passenger vans, and hung out with high school students, and I have honestly loved each year of it. The students keep us entertained with the funny things they say and discuss and do and they keep you on your toes. My favorite quote so far from one of these "best of the best" is as follows: "If you don't wake up in the morning, there is no hope for a good day." Thank you Gillis from Andalusia for giving us that to ponder.

Hold Me Jesus

I went to another funeral today for one of my students. Nicholas was a precious 6 year old and he died suddenly this past Saturday. I have been dreading this day all week. No one likes going to funerals, especially not those of children or when the circumstances were tragic as they were in this case.

In situations like this, I always expect that families will be angry and bitter with God (and I'm sure they do go through some of that), but it quickly became clear today that this family is drawing their strength from the Lord. I had no idea what to expect at the funeral but I have to tell you, I'm a little jealous of Nick right now - he is in Heaven with Jesus! And while his family is grieving their own loss, they are also celebrating that Nick is at Home. Please pray for the Peeks if you think about them.

Almost Done

Our school year is coming to an end (YAY!!!). Today was the Kindergarten Celebration. I'm going to try and share some of the video I took of them singing...PRECIOUS!! For now I'll share a collage of me with each of the students from my favorite K5 class!

Update

I've been "going through the motions" in a couple of areas of life recently and I think my heart is actually beginning to catch up a little. Why am I surprised?

Check

I've been told most of my life that sometimes you just have to do what you know you need to do even when you really don't want to do it. So, right now I'm just going through the motions and trusting that my heart will catch up eventually.

Oprah Said So

There is a lot out there right now about Oprah. Between her "Big Give" on TV and "Oprah's Church" making it's way around the internet, I hear her name almost daily. I love the idea of the Big Give and paying it forward but every time I see one of those episodes, it makes me a little sad. What's sad about people giving to help others? It's sad that so many people have caught onto this, it seems, simply because Oprah "said so". I'm sure that once people do begin giving, the good feeling it gives encourages them to continue, but it took Oprah to get it started.

It's sad because the Body of Christ has been called to "care for the widows and orphans" and others who are in need, and I don't know that we are doing a very good job. I know for me, it is so much easier to keep to my comfortable world than talk to the woman on the side of the road asking for money to help pay her rent. Things like that can get messy and involved and I don't like getting messy. This verse comes to mind: "Truly I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me." Matthew 25:40 This should be my motivation, NOT Oprah! Lord, please change my heart. Open my eyes so that I see people as you see them and then move me to action.

Blog Links

I love reading my friends' blogs. It's a great way to keep up with what's going on with them and you can learn some great information. My friend Becky has the best links to really interesting stuff on her blog. Her latest post has a link to the blog of a woman who has committed to using her crock pot every day in 2008. She has some recipes that sound really good. Check it out here.

Meet Cecil

A few posts ago, I talked about my precious Granddaddy.

This is Cecil!

The Gospel and The Indigo Girls

At some point in college, my friend Amy introduced me to the Indigo Girls and I've loved them ever since. They are who I listen to when I travel, when I need the comfort of familiar music, or when I just want to pretend I'm on stage entertaining an audience. I doubt these women are believers and I'm sure it's safe to say that we disagree on several theological, moral and political points, but more times than not, their words point me to Christ. I was listening to them on the way home today and the first few lines of a song I've sung many times to my make-believe audience, grabbed at my heart. So much so that tears came to my eyes and I started the song over just to hear their impact again.

"During the time of which I speak
it was hard to turn the other cheek
to the blows of insecurity...."
(Love's Recovery)

Those last three words give a great visual (at least for me) of how my insecurities have dealt with me lately; they've been beating me up. I've been reminded lately that I'm not alone in my fight against being insecure and that does bring some comfort, but only for a short while. I'm growing tired of fighting these same weaknesses over and over.

Here's the question that has been tossed around my mind the past week or so: how would my life be different if Christ really was all I wanted or needed? If I'm being honest, I really don't believe that He is enough, but I'm learning that being liked by others, or being included, or anything else I try to draw security from, isn't enough either.

Today at church we sang "your grace is enough, your grace is enough, your grace is enough for me". I can't honestly say that's the truth for me right now but it is my prayer.

Advil, Please

OH MY WORD! I'm so sore today!

(See my previous post if you need to know why.)

9.5

We are in the middle of state-mandated testing at school and the counselors are in charge. While the students are testing, Carol (the other counselor) and I walk the halls just to make sure everything is going as it should. Well, I guess I wore the wrong flip-flops today because they were extremely noisy as I walked. I tried to be quiet by tip-toeing down the stairs but the noise from my foot slipping out from under me, my shoe flying down the stairs and across the lobby, my butt hitting 3-4 stairs, and trying to keep not-so-nice words from coming out of my mouth, was much louder than any flip-flop could ever be. Don't worry, I wasn't hurt badly; I did scrape two knuckles and my ankle is a little sore, but I'll be fine. The funniest part was the little boy in Kindergarten who was behind me and the mother coming in the front door to check her child out. The looks on both of their faces were priceless; they both had the same look. They wanted to laugh at me, pretend they didn't see anything, and be concerned for me all at the same time. I really felt worse for them than I did for myself. I'm just glad there aren't any hall cameras focused on the stairs.

I'm Not Alone

It was brought to my attention a while back that, around this time each year, I tend to withdraw from spending time with others. I'm glad my friends pointed this out and I now affectionately refer to this as "my yearly funk." I think I'm smack dab in the middle of it right now but I also think this one hasn't been as bad as previous funks. In the past I have chosen to isolate myself from everyone but this time I just don't want to be around big groups of people. I'm fine one-on-one or in small groups of 3 or 4.

After spending the week at home watching TV and reading, I ventured out tonight to a friend's house to cook out and watch basketball. Actually, I could not have cared less about the basketball, but I knew I needed to be social and I even wanted to be around a few other people. I spent a good bit of the night in the kitchen talking with Josie and one or two others and I really enjoyed that. At one point I went into the living room where others were watching the game and hanging out. I sat in my chair and listened and watched and was restless until I just couldn't stand it any more; I had to leave the room. I went back into the kitchen and as I talked with Josie and Ashton, I began to understand a little more of what I was feeling at that moment and had felt several times in the past few months...I don't like the way I feel about myself when I am in mixed company. I feel like I am in a competition for something. Turns out I'm not alone. It goes back to the idols of wanting approval and attention and to be included and I'm not the only one who feels this way. What's more, it isn't just the girls who are experiencing this.

So now I'm re-asking the question that Josie brought up: If most of us are feeling this way, what do we do to change things?

You Learn Something New Every Day

My granddaddy has always taken that phrase seriously. He loves knowledge. That was evidenced by the many textbooks he would buy at yard sales and book stores and give to us (me and my cousins) to help us with our studies. I'm not sure we ever used any of those books but we took them graciously with only a slight roll of the eyes. I wish I could remember his exact wording (because it never changed), but every time I saw him, without fail, he would ask me what I had learned that was new. Being the sarcastic person that I was growing up, I'm sure I said something smart, or just made something up. As I've gotten older, I've come to appreciate that question more. So, in honor of Cecil Ammons, I'm going to share with you what I learned today that was new to me.

1. Falling vending machines kill 13 people each year, compared to the 10 people who are killed yearly by shark attacks.

and

2. A group of jellyfish is known as a "smack".

Who knew?

Talking Stain

There is a commercial out right now that cracks me up!!!!! It's a commercial for the Tide stain stick. This guy is on a job interview but he has a stain on his shirt. Each time the guy starts to talk, the stain begins talking. I can't help it; I laugh every time it comes on.

If you haven't seen it, you can go to the website, and click on "Watch the TV Ad".

It's really funny!

What I Did on My Spring Break

Today is the last day of my Spring Break and while I'm sad it's over, I have enjoyed every minute of it. Usually these weeks seem to fly by and I go back to school wondering where my time off went; but this week wasn't like that. Really, it was great! In case you are interested, here's the run down of what I did....

Monday (Whitney's birthday) - ate lunch with a friend then met Whitney and others while they ate lunch; went to Target; read some of my book, "Safely Home"; watched some of "Felicity"; ate dinner with Stephanie and Carrie; dropped by the Jasons' to pick up something, say hi, and get some much needed hugs; watched the new "Bachelor" and decided I have friends that would be much better "bachelors" than this new guy. Good Day!

Tuesday - met some girls for lunch at Botega Cafe; sampled some of Shannon Walden's fabulous pastries/desserts; went to the Galleria; read some of my book; watched some of "Felicity"; went to Mary Lane's with Whitney for dinner and great conversation (even though I yawned the entire time - sorry about that). Good Day!

Wednesday - was supposed to eat lunch with a friend but that was canceled (so sad); got to keep Judah for a couple of hours; watched too much "Top Chef"; went to Target (again); read some of my book; met some friends for Mexican; watched some "Felicity". Good Day!

Thursday - slept until 11:00 (so nice, except for the phone call that woke me up at 8:30); watched some "Felicity"; ate lunch with Megan; read some of my book; watched some more "Felicity"; met some friends to plan a wedding shower; watched LOST (LOVE it!); watched still more "Felicity". Good Day!

Friday - getting tired of "Felicity", but still watched some; met my friend at the Good Friday service at the church where our parents attend (interesting, but good); ate lunch with parents (they paid); watched more "Felicity" (I'm determined to finish all the DVDs I have, even though I've seen them about 50 times); blogged; trying to decide what to do with my weekend. So far, Good Day!

So, there it is...the highlights of my incredible Spring Break! I know some of you will read this and yawn, but it was just what I wanted for my week. The only thing that would have made it better is if I could have spent time with a few more of my friends (and my ears weren't stopped up). But I still have the weekend.

So Amazing, So Devine

Today is Good Friday! My mom invited me to the Good Friday service which was at noon today at her church. To be honest, I said I would go just to make her happy. Besides, it's my Spring Break, what else would I be doing?

I'm actually glad I went; otherwise I probably wouldn't have thought about Good Friday at all. Ashamedly, I haven't taken any time this Easter season to think on the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Today's service gave me a little push in that direction. I want to take time this weekend to meditate on His amazing love.

"Amazing love, how can it be that you my God, would die for me?"

Untitled

It's late and I should be asleep. I have a"big" day ahead of me tomorrow. But I can't sleep. Jonathan's funeral is tomorrow. Jonathan was a student at my school who was diagnosed with a brain tumor last year. He passed away in his sleep early this past Saturday morning. I've been sick all weekend and so today is the first time I've really allowed myself to think about Jonathan and his family. The only thing I can say is that I am deeply saddened. My heart breaks for his mom and dad and younger sister. I'm sad that his friends have to experience the pain of such loss at such a young age. I'm just sad!

Since I couldn't sleep, I thought I would check my email. I hope the original author doesn't mind me posting this but it was very encouraging to my heart.

“CHfJ” has been on the board in my cubicle for the past few months, in bright lime green – Complete Healing for Jonathan. It was a reminder to pray for Jonathan every time I saw it.

I just erased these letters a few minutes ago. But not in defeat – no, they were erased because God has answered our prayers. Now I must confess that I had planned for God to heal Jonathan here – to make him well and allow him to grow up and be with his family. The way God actually answered my prayer had not crossed my mind until my Saturday morning walk. Jonathan is completely healed now. I know this to be a fact; with every fiber of my being I know this.

There is nothing that man can say that makes any difference or that really matters; whatever we think of to say sounds trite and ineffective. Not so with God.

Jesus says in Matthew 28:20 “I am with you always.”

I recently read this quote: “Peace is not the absence of trouble, but the presence of God.”

We know that Jonathan is healed and with Jesus the Christ. But our hearts are breaking for our friends, for their loss, for what we will miss. Praise God that we have His presence - we have true hope. We are never alone.

“I am leaving you with a gift—peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give. So don’t be troubled or afraid.” John 14:27 (NLT)

Terry shared with me Saturday evening that Jill and Jonathan had a little game they played where she would ask him “Who do you love the most - daddy or mommy?” Of course, when she asked this the expected answer was “Mommy.” A while ago she was playing the game and asked Jonathan who he loved the most – Jonathan answered, without hesitation “Jesus.”

Still Daddy's Little Girl

My daddy said something to me today that meant more to me than he'll ever know. The context of it is silly but the words were so powerful for me for some reason.

For the past several years, I have used his copy of TurboTax to file my taxes. When I asked him yesterday if he had this year's version, he told me that he hadn't gotten it yet and that it was my turn to buy it. He said it jokingly but that got me to thinking; why shouldn't I buy it this year? I called him this afternoon to ask him if he preferred TurboTax or another brand and he asked why I wanted to know. When I told him I was going to get it this year, he told me I didn't have to do that. To which I asked why. His reply was "because you are still my daughter." It may not sound like a lot to most of you but it was huge for me. Don't misunderstand, I have the best parents anyone could ask for and I know for certain that they love me and "won't ever stop loving me," but at that moment, I felt loved in a way I'm not sure I can explain. I'm 38 years old and I'm still a daddy's girl. Thank you, daddy!

I have played that over and over in my head today, and the Lord has used it to give me a very clear picture of His love for me. We sang this song in church today and it broke my heart. Truly our Father loves us!

How Deep the Father's Love For Us

How deep the Father's love for us
How vast beyond all measure
That He should give His only Son
To make a wretch His treasure

How great the pain of searing loss
The Father turns His face away
As wounds which mar the Chosen One
Bring many sons to glory

Behold the man upon a cross
My sin upon His shoulders
Ashamed I hear my mocking voice
Call out among the scoffers

It was my sin that held Him there
Until it was accomplished
His dying breath has brought me life
I know that it is finished

I will not boast in anything
No gifts, no power, no wisdom
But I will boast in Jesus Christ
His death and resurrection

Why should I gain from His reward
I cannot give an answer
But this I know with all my heart
His wounds have paid my ransom

What the Heck?

Someone has flagged my blog as having "objectionable content." Who would do such a thing?

Jumping Jacks and Ode to Day Zero

More and more people have told me recently that they found my blog or told someone about my blog and that is great; I welcome that. But that has caused me to struggle a good bit with what to write here. There are things I want to write about but I feel like I have to censor myself because I don't want to offend anyone who may be reading this. Well, I've come to this conclusion: this is my blog and I'm going to write what I feel like writing and if someone is offended, I apologize. With that being said, I'm going to take a few lines and vent.

This has been a ridiculous week at work. My principal got wind that morale in the ranks was not good and that there were some unhappy teachers. It all started because our PE teachers, in an effort to provide real life experiences for our students by taking them on a field trip, had to cancel their classes for part of two days last week. Now, I understand that teachers need their time each day away from their students to plan, have conferences, get things done, and go to the bathroom. Heck, if I were in the classroom with students all day I would be screaming for a break as well. But what really gets me is that some of the one's who screamed so loudly about this were not affected by the change in schedule at all. Our boss designated Monday's faculty meeting as a "Gripe Session." He gave them the opportunity to voice their concerns, anonymously. If someone had a concern, they were to type it up and put it in a box in the teacher's lounge. I was very interested, and a little nervous, to see how this was going to go.

I have never been as frustrated (let's be honest here, I was angry) with some of my co-workers as I was this past Monday afternoon. There were probably 12 typed "documents" in the box and I would say that only about 1/2 of them were legitimate concerns about our students or the school, and several of those were repeats. The rest were petty, mean, vindictive, cowardly, personal attacks on our BOSS and about 5 other people. The authors of the 2-3 page crap would never have had the guts to say any of that had this not been anonymous.

In my opinion, if morale is low, it's not because of the paperwork or anything else listed in those pages. Morale is low because when we are not happy about something, we run to everyone who will listen and complain about it and the powers that be instead of taking our concerns directly to the one who is in charge. Morale is low because we are self-centered, self-righteous, arrogant people, who are only looking out for ourselves instead of what is best for our precious students. And I am the chief of all sinners here. I am just arrogant enough to think that I'm not one of "them," that I'm better than the pot stirrers and complainers, but I'm not. I don't do my job to the best of my ability. I complain about the complainers and other things I don't like. I talk about the people I don't like behind their backs. I look out for #1. I demand grace from others, not to mention from my Heavenly Father, but I don't want to give grace to those around me. For this and for so much more, I truly am sorry.

Yes, it has been a ridiculous week at school, but the Lord is using every bit of this to make me more like Christ. He has exposed my sin and that is hard, but He has also reminded me (through friends) that I am in desperate need of His grace and mercy every day. I was reminded that I deserve nothing except hell, and am owed nothing, but because of His great love for me, He has given me EVERYTHING through Christ Jesus.

We had a dance at school tonight. It was fun to watch the students, and some of the teachers, cut loose and have fun. I was gently reminded tonight that I have been blessed with this job. I am realizing more and more each day how much I truly LOVE the students at my school and that I love most of my co-workers (Lord, help me to love them all). Thank you, Lord!

Love the Polo

We have a little boy and girl in Kindergarten, who are twins, and their names are Ralph and Lauren. Isn't that funny?

Sorry I Couldn't Make It

One of my fears became reality this past week. I was on my way to the church after school to help prepare for the Missions Conference that night. I was sitting in traffic in the center lane on Hwy. 280, at about 4:15 pm, when my car stalled. Let me repeat that: 4:15 pm, center lane on Hwy. 280, car stalls. I have driven by numerous poor souls who have just been sitting in their car on the interstate or Hwy. 280 as others pass them by and I have felt so sorry for them. I have even said prayers thanking God that it wasn't me.

This time, it was me. The first thing I did was chuckle a little, followed by picking up my phone and calling Whitney. I'm not sure why I called her first except I knew she would laugh along with me. When she didn't answer, I called 911. The Mountain Brook dispatcher laughed a little with me as I apologized for calling her, not knowing what else to do. I gave her my name and she said she would send a patrol car right over. In the mean time, cars with their irritated drivers sped past (it seemed as though they thought I might have been sitting in the center lane, blocking traffic just for the heck of it), and I made a few more calls: one to John Mark Patrick who was going to come pick me up, and one to my dad, who I knew couldn't do much because he was out of town, but I needed his voice of wisdom anyway.

While talking to my daddy, I tried to start my car again, and this time it cranked! I moved to the side of the road to wait for John Mark. As I pulled off the road, my phone and it was the dispatcher. "Julie, this is the Mountain Brook dispatcher. Are you ok?" She sounded concerned. I assured her that I was fine and told her about my car starting. Again, she asked if I was ok. Turns out that someone had called to report a stalled car in the middle of 280 and the driver was slumped over the steering wheel. We both laughed, again and about that time, the police officer pulled up. Long story short, John Mark got there and followed me to Armstrong's in Cahaba Heights (shameless plug) where I left my car for observation and repair. Two days and not-as-much-money-as-I-thought later, I got my car back.

I am so grateful to Shea and John Mark who allowed me to use one of their vehicles while mine was being fixed. The Lord was so gracious to provide for me during the whole thing. I faced one of my fears this week and everything turned out just fine.

what to do?

I really want to write something here but don't know what to say. There has been so much going through my head and moving around in my heart lately, but I'm not sure what I should and shouldn't say out loud for everyone else to hear.

I did see two movies this weekend and I highly recommend both of them: 27 Dresses and Juno.

Do You Know What He Did?

Young, school age children will tell anything and everything that happens or is said at home. Like yesterday, I gave a group of 1st graders a chance to tell me about their Christmas and then told them about mine. After a few minutes, one of the little boys raised his hand. "Ms. Ammons, my aunt came over during Christmas and the adults opened their presents. You know what my Grandma got?" He starts grinning as I ask what she got. "She got some thongs! Some little bity underwear!" He was so excited to tell that story.

Hallelujah!

Today I got to visit with my favorite group of kindergarteners. I think part of the reason I love this class so much is because they LOVE me. I know this because every time I walk into the room, they run up to me and hug me (and if you have talked to me at all lately, you know my love language is physical touch). This is the most tender hearted group of 5 year olds I have ever known. I got a paper cut one time and India (she's the one in gray sitting on my lap in my last post) came up to me, laid hands on my cut and prayed, in Jesus' name, for it to feel better.

Anyway, as soon as I sat down, they all wanted to tell me what they got for Christmas. I quickly decided that to save my sanity and appease them, I would go around the room and let each one tell me about their favorite gift from Christmas. I heard everything from Optimus Prime and Bumble Bee transformers, to Baby Alive, Barbie, air hockey tables, and xbox/nintendo/game boy/wii stuff. Being the kind, inquiring people that they are, they wanted to know what I got for Christmas. I laughed as I thought about it and then went ahead and told them the truth. I told them I got a pair of shoes that I had been wanting. Their response was "aw;" not the "aw, that's good," but the "aw, that's boring." I told them I got some dishes. Their response was an even more boring "ugh." Then I told them that I got a new Bible. Without missing a beat, India sincerely and enthusiastically, replied, "praise Jesus!" It was the most precious, and hilarious thing I have heard in a few days.

A Few of My Favorite Things

These are a few of my favorite photos from 2007 (in no particular order)!

My Year in Review

I ended 2007 on the beach, on a cold, but spectacularly clear night. You could see every star in the sky. For most of the last hour of the year I sat on the beach looking up at the sky and out over the ocean and thinking about God's love for me. It was incredible!

Like most people do this time of year, I've been thinking back over the past 12 months. It was a good year for me and the Lord did a lot of new things in my life. It was hard at times, but there was also a lot of laughter. If my 2007 had a sub-title, I think it would be "A Year of New Beginnings" (that may be redundant but it's what keeps coming to mind).

I'm pretty sure I've already written about this, but the most exciting realization for me this past year is that God loves me! I've lived most of my life thinking that God has to love me, that's His job, and so I never understood the big deal when people went on and on about His love. But this year, my Father slowly began to show me what His love is all about. It would take me way to long to put it into words but I'm beginning to get an idea of how deep and wide and long the Father's love is for me. I'm excited to see how He continues this in this new year.

Here are a few other things that I did in 2007:

• moved to a new part of town;
• started going to Sunday School again (after 3 years of not going);
• made some wonderful new friends;
• sang karaoke for the first time;
• went on a "real" mission trip;
• saw lions, tigers, and bears, oh my! (really it was giraffes, elephants, and rhinos, but still, Oh My!!);
  
• learned what "dispensation" means;
• actually began to like working with elementary school students;
• learned what it means to weep with those who weep;
• began to put the waltz into action;
• fell in love (with about 18 five year olds);
• learned how to order the really good drinks at Starbucks;
• took tennis lessons;
• discovered the many puzzle pieces of my life;
• worked my 9th year of Alabama Governor's School;
• learned to watch what I say because everything can be misunderstood;
• let some friends down;
• began to long for Home.

I don't have any resolutions for the new year but I do look forward in anticipation for what the Lord has in store for me. "What no eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the heart of man imagined, what God has prepared for those who love him" 1 Corinthians 2:9 (from Is. 64:4).