Delight yourself in the Lord, and He shall give you the desires of your heart.

Psalm 37:4

Well, I totally blew it these last two weeks with my #11 of 27 things to do before I turn 28. It has been over a week and every time I sit down to blog, I think of a 100 other things to do around the house. I can get so scatter brained and before I know it, Adi is awake from her nap and I have gotten lots of odds and ends done, OR nothing at all!

Yesterday I was very proud of myself for going ALL day without ever sitting down. Adi and I went for a walk in the morning with a friend, in which she screamed the whole entire time. We then ran a quick errand to drop off my China Trip application (more on this later) and came right home for her nap. Although it was only 10:45 in the morning, Adi was exhausted!

We purchased a new armoire for Adi's bedroom from IKEA last week and Luke put it up for me on Sunday. Her closet right now is stuffed to the brim with clothes and Rubbermaid bins, so I knew that I needed to "clean" before I transferred clothes from one place to the other.

As the routine goes often...I began one project and ended up doing something completely different. I think I was on my way outside to put trash in the garbage can and I got sidetracked by the beautiful lighting and fresh air in the backyard. SO, I ran in and got my camera...and the 18 beautiful long stem red roses that Luke brought home for me last week, and started to experiment. I read in a photography book about making rain...and so that is what I did for a couple minutes. This is what I came up with....

Because I had my camera out, I decided to take pictures of our two bikes that we are going to sell on craigslist, and than I thought of the chair inside the house that is taking up too much room, and decided to bring that outside to take a picture with the thought that maybe I will sell that too. After I took the pictures, I put the chair in the shed, which made me think of putting all the other stuff that is on our side yard into the shed. So for an hour I did that! Before I could move and clean the patio table, I needed to get the 3 storage bins of little girls clothes out of the way. Sooo...I opened up that can of worms. An hour later, Adi and I had sorted and bagged up 4 bags of baby clothes. The nice items will go to Olivianna's Closet, the gently used to the thrift store, and some to Adi's cousin Lexi. Finally, an hour and a half before Luke got home (which I told him that I was going to get things transferred from closets) I decided I better get in there and do something. We pulled the bins out and all the junk that was on the bottom. Of course everything I pulled, Adi opened and played with. Luke arrived home, Adi's room looked like a tornado went through it (still does) and no clothes were transferred. I finished my day with some wonderful friends at a Mary Kay girls night party. Good food, fun conversation, free beautification (don't think that's a word) and an excitement to come home and see my handsome husband. Girls nights always refresh me!

Well, I am super excited! I have been given the opportunity of a lifetime to go on a mission trip to East Asia with a team of men and women who love God and love people. Lord willing, I will be leaving July 27 and returning August 8th to teach cheerleading at a high school with a team of other girls. Cheerleading is one of the most sought after sports in China right now. I am excited to find out why!!! Along with cheerleading there will be five other clinics going at the high school. There will be volleyball, soccer, basketball, ESL and quilting. Through these clinics, we will be able to build relationships with the Chinese and share the love of Christ with them.

It was really cool how the opportunity was presented, and I praise God for allowing me to be open, willing and ready!


Two weeks ago at Perspectives we had an amazing speaker named Bob Blincoe. At one point in his talk he held a little lamp up and read this quote: "If you cannot see very far ahead, go as far as you can see." The lamp was an ancient lamp that in biblical times would be placed on the foot in order to see at night. They could literally only see one foot ahead of them. The verse "You are a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path (psalm 119:105)" really came to life for me. He also talked about taking inventory of what we have been given, and ask God how He can use it for His glory.

So the next day, while I was driving to Ripon, I was praying out to God that He would show me the next step in this journey. That He would show me how He wants to use what He has gifted me and blessed me with for His glory. I poured my heart out to Jesus and proclaimed the truths that He has for my life and for His glory.

The next afternoon, after MOPS, was our church's mission lunch. Many of the missionaries that the church supports were there and we were given the opportunity to get to know some of them. After the lunch was over, Luke introduced me to the leaders for the East Asia Trip. Luke had met with them a few weeks before and had heard about the need for cheerleaders. He than told them that I was a competitive cheerleader for 4 years and.....God did the rest!

One very interesting thing I must add...before my miscarriage, I was due the 12th of August. I would have never been able to go on this trip! He makes all things for the good!!!!
I am so very excited to be used by God in this way, and ask that you please pray for me and our team as we prepare for this trip. With an opportunity like this I am going to need the prayer and support of as many of you as possible. Please pray for my heart to be humble and right before the Lord as I prepare spiritually for this trip. Please pray for our health and safety as we travel through East Asia. Pray for the team relationships that will be birthed and that we will work together for His glory. Pray that I can get in shape and be disciplined with my eating/working out so that I am in good physical shape to do the Lord's work. Please pray for finances to come in as I have to raise all of it in the next 2 1/2 months. And last, I ask if you would pray for the men and women that we will be interacting with. That they will see the love and light of Christ in our lives and ask us about it. May we always have an answer!!!

One last thing! My #13 will happen on the 20th of this month! I am attending a Tots 2 Teen photography seminar with Trisha in San Francisco. I am soooooo excited!
This evening I will be posting some photos of a family that I did a shoot with over the weekend! So very sweet!

and a few of my sweet girl....

Crazy to think that it was a year ago on Thursday that we found out about Olivianna's condition. What a difficult year it has been.

Until next post...

Christ be lifted high