Delicious

Hey everyone, I just wanted to share my preacher's sermon from last Sunday. It was amazing! If you have at least 20 minutes or so to watch the first part, he talks about a talk he has with a porn star....it's really intersting! Let me know what you think!



Delicious - Foodie+ from Fellowship Church on Vimeo.

The First and Last Time......

Everyone who knows my daughter knows she is independent, adventurous, and loves to do exciting new things! So she has always wanted to go to Six Flags, and she is finally tall enough to ride most of the roller coasters. She has always been in awe of the roller coasters when we drive by Six Flags, and would beg to go. I haven't wanted to take her until she could ride the rides, because I felt it would be disappointing to her and it's a lot of money to spend and only get to ride the "kiddy rides." So anyways, we decide it is time to go to Six Flags! I am pumped, because I love riding the roller coasters, and have loved roller coasters since I was Aspen's age. I am also excited to be there with her for her first roller coaster experience! We were both so ready to go! We get there before the park opens, last Wednesday, and she is so anxious to ride the rides, but my parents had wisely suggested she go on the Mine Train first just to make sure she is ok on a roller coaster. Six Flags is dead, there are very few people there, and so we could have ridden on The Titan, Giant, Shockwave, etc. with hardly any line at all, but we went to the Mine Train first. My first clue the day would not be quite as planned was when Aspen started to scream hysterically during the first 10 seconds of the Mine Train. Then she started crying, because it went too fast! I was like "Is this a joke?" I have just spent $100 to take my "adventurous" daughter to ride all the rides, and she can't even ride the Mine Train! So then we went on the Mini Mine Train, and she was terrified on that! So I told her this was the first and last time I will take her to Six Flags! Some people may think I am terribly mean, but that place is so freakin' expensive, and what is the point if you only go to ride Yosemite Sam's Boat that goes in circles! I can take her on a boat ride on the lake for a lot less, and it's a lot more fun!

Anyways, we stayed till about 3pm and we did have fun. We took pictures with all the Looney Toons Characters, we rode Yosemite Sam's Boat 4 times, we went on the carousel, she wouldn't ride the Log Ride so she stood under the misters to cool down, we went to the 3D ride, and a couple of baby rides. But we really had fun together! Here are a few pictures of the day!

Aspen with Marvin the Martian


Aspen in front of fountains


Aspen with Sylvester and Wiley the Coyote

Aspen on Yosemite Sam Boat Ride


Aspen Playing in the Misters


Aspen on the Carousel





Aspen with Elmer Fudd


Aspen Driving!


Track Star!


The Next Olympian!


Aspen and I

Aspen Swimming

Aspen has been doing a great job swimming this summer! I didn't get her enrolled in swimming lessons in time, but she has learned so much on her own (and some help from others. Here are a couple of videos of her swimming for those who have not gotten to see it in person! You can turn the music down at the bottom of the blog so you can hear her.

Weekend With Aspen!

Last weekend I went to see my darling Aspen! We had so much fun! We stayed with some of my best friends, Kelli and Aaron Strickland, at Aaron's parents' lake house! It was so fun! Aspen and Brayden got to hang out together and it was so fun to watch them! Aspen seems to be doing wonderful! I was so happy to see her! I will get to take her to the beach next weekend so there will be more pictures soon! Here are some videos of Aspen and Brayden playing! They were hilarious!

Afternoon at the Arboretum

Aspen, Matt, and I went to the Arboretum after church the other day to take some pictures of some of Matt's friends that are getting married. It was beautiful as always, and we took a couple of pictures, so I thought we would share! Love you all! God bless!

Aspen!














Picture Perfect!








Mattie and Aspen

Prayer Request

I would like to ask everyone to keep my cousin, his wife, and their two newborn twins in your prayers. The twins were born April 14th, and they were born 15 weeks pre-mature. God has taken care of these little ones, but they continue to need our prayers. Here is a link to their web page so you can keep up with our answered prayers: http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/berkleyandemory

New Book

Ok so I continue to be terrible about updating my profile...maybe this summer I will do a better job! But I have been reading a lot, and I have a book everyone must read! It's call Same Kind of Different as Me by Ron Hall and Denver Moore. It is a true story written by two men who live in Fort Worth/ Dallas. It is so powerful and shows God's awesome power and wisdom. It was such an inspirational and encouraging story that I just think everyone should read it. The book I read before that was Blue Like Jazz; another wonderful book that I encourage everyone to read. It is more like a bunch of short stories put together, but it is really good!

Also let me give you a short update on my job. It looks like I will be full time at my morning campus, which is a very good thing! I am tired of traveling between two campuses. Also the principal at my morning campus is amazing and I learn so much from her, so I am excited to be staying at that school. Aspen is doing great. She has already lost two teeth! Yikes!!! She is growing up way too fast! Well, I hope everyone has a great day and I will try to update you again sooner than last time!

Introduction of Christ

This video was sent to me today and I had never seen it. I really liked and thought I would share. How would you introduce Christ?

Jumper

This weekend I went to the movies with Matt and Kourtney. We saw Jumper. It was ok, not the best movie in the world, but not terrible either. But it did make me think. I won't give away the movie, I think everyone knows that Jumpers can go from location to location just by thinking about where they want to go. If you didn't know that already, sorry:). Anyways, so I was thinking of all the places I want to go! I would love to travel the world and see every bit of God's creation! Below are some pictures of places I would love to visit. There are more but here are some of my top places!

Australia

Fiji

Florence

Greece
Rome

Kenya

Spain

Maybe one day I will be able to visit all these wonderful places!

Love ya!

Blue Like Jazz

Well, I have not been very good about blogging lately. Just a blog here and there. But I am going to try to do a better job. I feel like blogging is such a good way to stay in touch with others and since I hate talking on the phone then I should really do a better job at blogging:) So I just started reading this book that my family has been telling me I should read for the last year or so. It's call Blue Like Jazz. I started it tonight and the very first paragraph struck me, so I thought I would share. I think it is beautiful.........

I once listened to an Indian on television say that God was in the wind and the water, and I wondered at how beautiful that was because it meant you could swim in Him or have Him brush your face with a breeze. I am early in my story, but I believe I will stretch out into eternity, and in heaven I will reflect upon these early days, these days when it seemed God was down a dirt road, walking toward me. Years ago He was swinging speck in the distance; now He is close enough I can hear His singing. Soon I will see the lines on His face.

I love the picture that paragraph paints. I seem to be reminded more and more often to never take for granted the people you have in your life. But I think we also need to remember that everyday is a day we should be growing closer to our Creator. I always think about how I could live in a shack as long as it's on a beach. I used to think that I was being so humble because living in a shack is not materialisitic, but yesterday I started thinking about that scenario. How would I serve God if I just sat on the beach all day? How am I serving Him now? Isn't strange how going through hard times can bring you so close to God, and then when things are running smoothly you slowly drift back into your own selfish ways? I pray that I can grow closer to Him and so that I can "hear His singing, and soon see the lines on His face." I hope you are all doing well, and I love you all so much!

Who will you choose?

So I know everyone is actively watching the presidential debates, and are deciding who they will vote for. I really enjoy watching both the Democratic and Republican debates, but I know not everyone likes to watch them as much as I do so I thought I would post two websites that a good friend sent me where you answer questions about your beliefs and it tells you who your beliefs align with most.


VoteChooser.com

and

http://www.dehp.net/candidate/

I know we don't all agree on politcal issues but that's ok that's what makes it so fun!

MLK Day!

Well today is Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, and I just wanted to dedicate my blog today to him. I believe he was an amazing man that God used to change history. I just wanted to share some of my favorite quotes from him, and encourage anyone that has not really looked at MLK's life to do some research on him. He was a pretty awesome person! PS turn on your speakers there are a couple of songs to go along w/ the blog:)

Faith is taking the first step, even when you don't see the whole staircase.

Hatred paralyzes life; love releases it. Hatred confuses life; love harmonizes it. Hatred darkens life; love illuminates it.

I believe that unarmed truth and unconditional love will have the final word in reality. That is why right, temporarily defeated, is stronger than evil triumphant.

I submit that an individual who breaks a law that conscience tells him is unjust, and who willingly accepts the penalty of imprisonment in order to arouse the conscience of the community over its injustice, is in reality expressing the highest respect for the law.

In the end, we will remember not the words of our enemies, but the silence of our friends.

Let no man pull you low enough to hate him.

Returning violence for violence multiplies violence, adding deeper darkness to a night already devoid of stars... Hate cannot drive out hate: only love can do that.

Nonviolence is the answer to the crucial political and moral questions of our time; the need for mankind to overcome oppression and violence without resorting to oppression and violence. Mankind must evolve for all human conflict a method which rejects revenge, aggression, and retaliation. The foundation of such a method is love. (Probably my favorite quote of his)

The church was not merely a thermometer that recorded the ideas and principles of popular opinion; it was a thermostat that transformed the mores of society.

...And I've looked over, and I've seen the promised land. I may not get there with you, but I want you to know tonight that we as a people will get to the promised land. So I'm happy tonight. I'm not worried about anything. I'm not fearing any man. (Speech in Memphis, April 3, 1968, the day before King was assassinated)

Nothing in all the world is more dangerous than sincere ignorance and conscientious stupidity.

The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy.

There are many more great quotes from this great man, just search the internet and you'll find thousands! I hope you have enjoyed your history lesson for the day:) I hope everyone is doing well. Aspen and I are wonderful! We had a great Christmas, and now we are ready for it to warm up so we can swim!! Love you all and I pray that you live with great faith!!