Slumber Party

Hey Everybody!

Guess what we are doing this weekend? Stacey and I are having our Jr. Girls over to my place for a slumber party this weekend. We have 8-10 girls coming!!!!! We are so excited for this.

There are three girls that are not saved, so we would love to have you pray for opportunities for us. We are having the party on Saturday to Sunday so the girls that don't attend church can try it out.

I'll post some pictures after the party!

I've Been Tagged

What was I doing ten years ago?
I was a Junior at Northland Baptist Bible College. I had a pretty interesting roommate that semester, so I was probably either having to talk with her or avoiding her. (Remember, Kristi?) I was probably studying and having fun in the dorm.

What was I doing five years ago?
I was living in Eau Claire, WI, working at Ayres Associates as the Transportation Secretary. I was working with my parents in a church planting ministry.

What was I doing one year ago?
I was doing pretty much the exact same thing I am doing now: working at IRBC, attending Faith Baptist Church, teaching Jr. Girls, going to basketball games, etc.

What was I doing yesterday?
Working in the office. Then I went to Pamela Betz's concert, and the end of Tyler Betz's and Jared Callison's basketball game. Then I watched Dancing with the Stars when I got home (taped it). Went to bed late.

Five snacks I love:
Popcorn
Chex Mix
Anything Chocolate
String Cheese
Fruit

Five places I would run away to:
Savannah
Bahamas
Just home alone
A cabin in the woods
Ireland - just because I've never been and want to go

Five TV shows I like:
Dancing with the Stars
American Idol
CSI New York
NCIS
Anything on the Food Network

Five things I hate doing:
Dishes
Dusting
Talking on the phone
Crafts / Decorating for events
Anything last minute - I'm a planner

Five biggest joys of the moment:
Teaching Jr. Girls
Friendships
God's Word
Time spent with family
Basketball season

Okay, now it's time to tag people (thanks for the tag Kelly).

Bekah
Angie
Mary Ann - you need to do some serious blogging anyway
Kari
Janelle
Amy
Malissa

Giving Thanks

Here is my Thanksgiving list:

1. I am thankful for a loving, wonderful Heavenly Father. He gave His only Son. He chooses to use me in spite of my failures and weaknesses. His mercies are new every morning.
2. I am thankful for my family. God blessed me with the most wonderful parents. They are a godly example.
3. I am thankful for true friends. I have been blessed with many friends that point me to God and bring such joy to me.
4. I am thankful for the opportunity to teach Jr. Girls at church. They bring such joy to my life.
5. I am thankful for the opportunity to be a part of an incredible ministry at IRBC. It amazes me that God chooses to use me.
6. I am thankful for my church family. The Lord has blessed us with a wonderful pastor and wife. My church family is home.
7. I am thankful for music. God has blessed us with this incredible gift that we can use to worship Him and bring Him glory.
8. I am thankful for laughter. I love to laugh and enjoy the humor that life brings.

What are you thankful for? This is a wonderful time of year to reflect on the blessings that God has brought to our lives.

Fun with Pictures

Check out this website: http://www.dumpr.net/

You can do some really neat things with pictures! This is one of our staff pictures from this summer.








Sketch your photos

Mmmm Good Recipe #3

Okay, this might not be an actual recipe, but it is a new twist on shakes. I had the camp ladies over and we decided to try to make Chai Shakes after talking about a place that makes Chai Ice Cream. We tried it and loved it!

Just put your ice cream and milk in a blender. Then add some chai syrup. The brand that I have is a little thicker and pretty strong, so I put in about 4 tablespoons for a full blender. It probably depends on what kind of syrup you have and how strong you want the shake.

Delicious! Hope you try it and love it!

Season of Prayer

Due to Halloween falling on a Wednesday night, we only had one girl come to class last night. At first, Stacey and I were very disappointed. We have been running 10-12 girls recently with all the visitors and it has really been exciting to see them learn. The one girl that did come joined another class for the evening.

Stacey and I decided to spend the time in prayer for our girls. Our goal is to first of all, see them all have a personal relationship with Christ. After that, we want them to be continuing to grow in that relationship. God doesn't make mistakes. Even though we very much missed the opportunity to open the Word with them, it was such a sweet time of fellowship with each other and with our Lord as we prayed for each one.

God is doing some great things in our class. Please continue to pray for them. Many come from unsaved homes, but that does not mean that they cannot grow to be young ladies that will serve the Lord with all their hearts.

~Savannah~

I'm finally posting about vacation. It was so much fun to spend some time with Bekah and meet Trina. We spent a couple days in Greenville, SC before heading to Savannah. In Greenville, we went hiking at Paris Mountain. It was absolutely beautiful.

Our favorite sites in Savannah were The Lady & Sons, Davenport House, Old Fort Jackson and a tour on Old Savannah Tours. I would recommend a trip to Savannah to anyone!!!

It rained almost the entire time in Savannah. Good thing I bought an umbrella while there.

Did I mention we got a free limo ride? It was the first time in a limo for all of us. Quite fun!

Back to the Real World

Well, I'm back from vacation and back to work! It was a great time and I'll post some pictures and blog about it in detail later.

I got back last night just before 6:00, which was about two hours later than it was supposed to be. My flight from Minneapolis to Mason City was cancelled and they wouldn't have been able to get me home until today. Well, that wasn't an option, so Michelle and Barb (staff wives) came and picked me up.

More to come later...

The Angels Are Singing

Luke 15:10 - "Likewise, I say to you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents."

I just want to thank all of you for praying. One of the girls in my class, Hillary, got saved last night!!! She tends to be hyper and easily distracted, so I was praying all day that she would be calm and focused during our one-on-one time. I have never seen her so calm and focused. She was so ready. Praise God!!!!

Thank you for praying and please continue to pray for Haley.

Vacation!!!

Some of you have asked where I'm going. My best friend, Bekah, is on deputation in the south, so I 'm taking a week off to enjoy some time with her. I fly out of Mason City on Sunday and head to Greenville, SC.

We will spend a few days in that area and then we will head to Savannah, GA to spend a few days there as well. I think our highlight will be going to Paula Dean's place, Lady & Sons. If you watch the Food Network, you will know who she is. We also plan to see some historical sites as well.

If anyone has any other suggestions of what to do in Greenville or Savannah, let us know! I'll post some pictures when I get back.