Vegas Baby!

We're on our way to Las Vegas for our 1 year anniversary! We leave tomorrow, stay in Vegas until the 7th, and visit friends in AZ until the 10th. It's going to be an amazing getaway! Like I said before, Jake's dream was to take me to Italy for our 1 year anniversary, but that just didn't seem to work with our finances. So, he got creative and is taking me on a "mini Italian trip" to the Venetian in Las Vegas!

We'll be staying here...

And what's an Italian getaway without a gondola ride?

And we'll be seeing these guys...

We've got tons of stuff that we want to do. Lay out and get tan, strike it rich, walk the strip, shop, eat, go out to fun places. Jake is really looking forward to the buffets. LOL I promise to take lots of pictures while we're there.

See you when we get back! xoxoxo

Crud Wars

I can't believe I get paid to do this! Ok, I have to share with you all the biggest food fight I've ever been a part of. This past Wednesday our Jr. High group had an event called Crud Wars. We had about 180 kids show up in clothes that could get ruined, and let them loose to smear each other with nasty food stuff. Here was the order for the game...

1. Water balloons - completely harmless.
2. Handfuls of flour - can you say choke?
3. Burnt oatmeal - the smell was horrendous!
4. Jello - all kinds of colors and flavors
5. Rotten eggs - they were free since they were expired. Yuck!
6. Whipped cream - sticky

I know, totally pointless activity. But so much fun! See pics below...

At the end of the game everyone was hosed down (we tried to get the fire department to do this but they declined), thoroughly inspected for cleanness :), encouraged to throw out their stinky clothes and get into clean stuff for a Pizza Party. We had a blast. I'm thinking they'll wanna do this again next year.

Nothing New To Share (with the job in AZ)

Kinda self explanatory. They're still deciding and praying (as are we). Still nothing's been offered. I feel like God is forcing me to be patient and to reflect. Is Adventure where I want to be? I'm working through all of that and at the same time trying to do my job the best that I can without checking out. I'm feeling so burnt out... it is time to get outta town. :)

If I don't post for a while it means we're on our anniversary trip in Vegas. Be back June 11th! :) Yay!

Baby Clothes & Maternity Tank

So I had another run in with an ex-friend and it got me so upset that I had to... shop. :)

But get this. Just when I thought I was an expert shopper, I went to Old Navy for their Memorial Day sale - tons of clearance racks. I got an arm full of clothes. Two trips to the dressing room. And selected my faves.

As I'm ringing up, the cashier mentions to me,

"Did you know this black tank is a maternity one?"

"Hmmm... no. Well, it fits great."

Inner voice: It must be that I'm top heavy - most tanks don't fit quite right. Small waist, big upper section... it's no secret.

I told her I still wanted it. It was only 4 bucks!

On Sunday I wanted to wear another new purchase... I picked out this super cute off-white zip up sweater with sleeves that came to my elbows (marked down from $20 to $3).

What do I notice when I take the tags off? It says "Size large" and "Long sleeve".

I had managed to buy a baby's jacket as a sweater. LOL

What is up with me?
I think I'm going to go into fashion design. JK :) I'm such a dork.

Life...

...has it's ups and downs. Something I learned from my study time yesterday.

2 Corinthians 1:9
"...in our hearts we felt the sentence of death. But this happened that we might not rely on ourselves but on God."

I love how everything in life (even hardship) has a purpose!

Back From AZ

Hey Friends & Fam,

I know you've all been curious and praying for us this weekend so I wanted to at least blog something about our trip to keep you updated... we are so wiped out. Not sure if I explained to you all what it's like to interview at a church, but for those of you who've been through the "gauntlet" understand what I mean. It was a non-stop weekend of being "on" for pastors, students, adult leaders, etc. from Saturday night to Tuesday afternoon. We were booked out almost every hour in interviews. I'm so tired of talking about myself and getting asked the same questions. :) And you all know us... introverts to a T, so all of this people time has drained us.

Let me start by saying... The whole weekend almost didn't happen. Saturday Amanda dropped us off at the airport. We got there an hour early. And when we approached the counter to check our bags, Jake reached in his pocket and noticed he didn't have his wallet. No I.D. to check in. He had left it at home! I didn't know what we were going to do with an hour to our flight and 35 minutes from home (where Jake's wallet was). Ugh. I could have killed him. I had to call Jim at Central and explain that we'd be missing our flights and would try and jump on the next flight so we wouldn't miss any of the meetings he had set up. It cost us $100 extra, Amanda alot of gas, and we arrived in Phoenix 3 hours later. Looking back now, it really wasn't a big deal. They weren't upset about it at all. At the moment, I was so stressed about making a good impression I reacted as if the world was going to end. We made it and everything was ok.

So how did it go?
It went great. We had such a fun time. The people there are awesome. We love what the church stands for and really line up with the ministry that they are a part of in Gilbert and Mesa. I wasn't sure about how I'd survive living in Arizona (it can be alot of farmlands and HEAT), but it actually was ok once I found the nail salons, AC, and mall! :) The youth ministry was fun - teens are the same anywhere you go. :) We made some great connections and feel like we could definitely contribute to what they were doing there for the youth. But they have not offered me a job yet. Basically this weekend was all about connecting and checking each other out. I was shopping them as much as they were shopping me.

So now... we pray. They pray. We wait on God's leading. There are still questions Jake and I are waiting on God to answer for us personally. We're in a process. Central should be calling me back within a week or so to let us know where they're at and to see where we're at after having some time away and getting to pray and evaluate where we feel God is calling us. That's it. :)

Thank you thank you thank you soooo much for your love and support... and especially your prayers. We are so blessed to have such rich friendships and an incredibly supportive family. I will keep you posted as things are revealed. Love you.

Interview in AZ

We're off to interview at Central Christian Church in Gilbert & Mesa, AZ. We'll be gone tomorrow (Sat) to Tuesday. We'll be meeting with pastors, student and adult volunteer teams, checking out programs, I'll be preaching, basically going non-stop from morning to night each day. We'd love your prayers. We'll see what happens...

We Got The G-Dub Money!

I'm kind of a nut when it comes to balancing our checkbook. A couple of days ago I was checking our account online and guess what I saw! $1200 from President Bush! How generous! I'm so excited. We're going to use it for our mini "Italian getaway" for our 1 year anniversary. For those of you who don't know, Jake really wanted to take me to Italy for our 1 year, but instead we found that it was more financially sound to hop a plane to Vegas, stay at the Venetian hotel, and ride the gondolas there!

Thanks George!

On the horizon...

God's timing is always perfect. I've learned this. Being a super planner, I don't often stop to see the beauty in God's spontaneity and interruptions... I'm too busy planning "my life". Sometimes I think I just can't hear His direction or I'm stuck where I'm at because I'm not praying enough or being "godly enough". I've been reminded now, more than ever, that that's not the case. God is bigger than my actions or lack there of, and He always has my best interest at heart, loving and caring for me the same in all circumstances. Yes, I've still got alot to learn. So here's the big news I'd like to share with you all... God's suddenly dropped an incredible opportunity in our laps - to possibly work for a large church in Gilbert, Arizona.

For those of you SoCalers who talked to us at Ian and Vanessa's wedding, you know that working at our current church has been an uphill climb for the past 3 years, especially this last year (I've been on staff for 4 1/2 years, not counting my internship in 2001). By August things got so unhealthy here that we were ready to throw in the towel, calling it quits and telling you all that we were moving in with my mom to escape - even applying at a small church plant in Anaheim Hills, which ended up being a joke. We were making our own plans and not listening to God. After the emotion wore off, we saw that God still had us here for a reason, and that it wasn't time to leave. It wouldn't be fair to the kids, it would be a reaction based on emotion, and God had not closed the door for us to feel released. However, we did cautiously sign our lease for only 6 months because things were so unpredictable. I didn't know if I'd have a job after April.

This might be a really long blog, but I'll try and keep it to the point. For those of you who've been in ministry, you often hear pastors say things like, "I'm feeling called to leave" or "called to go somewhere else", when they quit a job in ministry. I've always thought, I hope that's not just a poor excuse or an overspiritual way of saying, "I'm not happy at my job anymore, so I'm leaving". I mean, everyone else in the world who changes jobs can't make such a "noble" statement.

I never want to take my calling lightly. When I think of a calling, I think about God making an obvious way for someone, not because they've been applying and looking for a way out, but because God made a crystal-clear and out-of-my-hands way to an open door, closing the current one behind. It happened when I was at North Orange, where I ended up at Adventure.

Obvious is where we are at again. Lately I've been feeling unsettled about the next leg of the race with Adventure. My job with the High School Ministry is coming to a close, and I've been offered the Jr. High Pastor position. It's an amazing opportunity and a fresh start, but some of the things I've been asked to take on just don't line up with my personality or giftings. And with all of the beatings and bruises we've experienced here, it's hard to conjure up excitement and energy for the work that is ahead. To put it plainly, Jake and I are just emotionally worn out and carry alot more baggage than the average staff member at Adventure - There are only about 3 of us left who were originally here from 4 years ago due to the recent trauma.

My boss Scott has picked up on it --- words I've said out loud, anxious ventings, tears. He asked me point blank about how I was feeling last week. I really love that he notices things like this because it gets me to think. I told him I was just working through some pain and that I'm here. He wanted to know if I was 100% "in", and at the time I couldn't say that I was. He told me he needed to know pretty quickly, so I told him we'd pray.

Exactly that night, I received a call from a pastor (Jim Richardson) from Central Christian Church of the East Valley in Arizona. He had heard about me from Jon Moton (the guy that married Jake and I, and my former partner in ministry at Adventure) and wanted to talk with me about the possibility of coming there to be their High School Pastor for their new campus in Gilbert - almost like a church plant. What crazy timing this call came in! And get this, when he described the job, it completely matched my giftings and passions; the job was totally me. And he was specifically pursuing me for this job.

Hmmm... let's see...

1.) I'm worn out at my current church.
2.) Our lease is up June 30th.
3.) My job will turn into a new one in the next month, so it's like taking on a new position somewhere.
4.) My small group of girls I've been mentoring for the past 4 years are graduating and going off to college.
5.) Jake's been having the worst time trying to get a better job up here for over a year and Central's possibly interested in hiring him as a youth worship leader in the future.
6.) Jim called me the exact same day I had that convo with Scott.


We decided to be open to the possibility of something new. So, this whole week I've been on phone interviews with the people at Central. Wanna hear something random? Central was where I originally wanted to do my internship for college but they were full, so I went to Adventure. Weird!

All of the conversations this week have been great. I think I've racked up about 6 hours of talk time. They asked for my resume and other philosophy of ministry documents and a recording of my preaching, and today I found out that they'd like to fly Jake and I out next weekend for formal interviews. This could be it for us. A new page in our life's story. We're very open and interested. So I guess I just want to keep you all in the loop, and ask you for prayer. So far, it sounds like we're being called to be a part of this church. So far, no red flags or even hesitations. We'll see when we actually go there and feel it out.

I am very excited, but also very sad as this comes together. This would be another "goodbye" for us. We have THE MOST incredible friends up here. I love so many of the people here and I would definitely call them family. Leaving them is a looming reality and I hate that part of being in ministry. You never know where God's going to take you or who you'll have to leave behind. The good news for you SoCal friends and family is that we'll be closer to you than before. I googled directions from the church to my mom's house and it's like a 5 hour 45 minute drive. My dad even lives in Phoenix. For those of you here in NorCal, I am so extremely sorry and sad. We haven't said yes to the job, but I want to make sure that you know we are thinking of you in this, we would hate to leave you, and we love you tremendously.

Please keep these plans on the down-low as we are not wanting the students or staff to hear about this prematurely. We want to be cautious and to not be influenced by anyone but God.

That's kinda it in a nutshell, for now. We'll keep you posted as things unfold. Love and hugs. Goodnight.

We Finally Got One!

Yes, Roseville has arrived. Instead of having to drive to Sac for Cheesecake Factory, Jake and I are so close we can walk from our apartment. The coolest thing that happened this week - Jake and I went on our regular date night walk and ended up at the mall. A table caught Jake's eye. It said "Free Lunch at Cheesecake Factory". I was like, "We're not doing that. They're gonna want us to sign up for something." Jake goes, "I don't care... it's free!" So, we went to the table and found out that they were doing an invitation only luncheon so that they could train their new staff. We signed up, and Tuesday we had such an incredible lunch... unlimited drinks (we didn't get alcohol because I had to get back to work and both of us were leading worship that night), appetizers, 2 dinner-size entrees, and of course, cheesecake! Free! We got our absolute fav.... Adam's Peanut Butter Cup Fudge Ripple Cheesecake. A-M-A-Z-I-N-G. Don't die before trying it! Now all I need to do is convince Carlito to bring a Yard House up here! He told me that when we got a Cheesecake Factory he'd consider it! Somebody let him know! :)

Sick Today

So I woke up today with a bang... fell down in the middle of my hallway passing out. That should have given me a clue when I went about my day getting my hair done, going to the dmv, and helping my friends move, that something inside wasn't right. I thought I just got out of bed too fast. But by about 4pm I had a screaming sore throat. Yuck and boo. Who wants to be sick when the weather outside is so great? Immediately I got a Jamba with Immunity Boost and took an Airborne. 4 hours later, I'm still suffering. :(

This week has been busy and stressful. I think it's all just caught up with me. Lack of sleep, stress, not a regular diet. Hopefully I'll have more to share with you in the coming days about what we've been up to.

My Hidden Obsession

Yes, I have a problem. :) Something you may never know about me: I LOVE MAC eyeshadow. I'm not an expert at makeup, nor do I do up my eyes on a regular basis, I just love collecting it! I'm having fun experimenting and playing. I think the draw for me is the unending possibilities of looks I COULD create. It started when I met my friend Leisa (a professional makeup artist) a couple of years ago. She needed some help doing makeup for a couple of weddings, so I went as an assistant, learned some stuff, and eventually did Amanda's wedding (see pics below). I've already got 2 of my senior girls coming over next week for their prom makeup. I'm seriously still a beginner, but it's fun! Now everytime I'm in Nordstrom I have to stop at the MAC counter and buy some shadow! Yes, I'm nuts. I guess it's better than chocolate.

My Friend Leisa...

Makeup for Amanda's Wedding...

Family Visit

My Ma'am's in town! That's what I call my Mom - don't ask me why. And she calls me "Cute Stuff". I don't know where it all got started. :) We're going to have so much fun! Here's a picture (above) from our last mother-daughter trip when we went to Reno.