I can't believe it's finally here! I leave for Peru in less than 48 hours!!! Thank you so much to everyone who has provided gifts, supplies, and money to make this trip possible. Words could never say how much I appreciate your generosity! I would like to ask one more thing of you all. Please lift me up. Lift up our team. Lift up the people who we will come into contact with along our journey.
Several people have asked me about specific things to pray for. Below, you will find a daily prayer guide. I know I can speak for our entire team when I say that we greatly covet your prayers!
September 10 - Pray for safe travel to Miami, then onto Lima.
September 11 - Pray for the leadership staff members whom we will meet today. They keep the heartbeat of Compassion going in Peru.
September 12 - Pray for the Compassion Child Survival Program and the child developement centers. We will work with them today. Pray for our team throughout the week as we serve the children in VBS-type services each day. I will be serving on the worship team. (I'm pretty stoked!)
September 13 - Pray for the Leadership Developement Program students of Peru today.
September 14 & 15 - Pray for our team as we serve the local families and Compassion centers. The work we do is for the purpose of being God's hands and feet to His people.
September 16 - Pray for me as I meet Josselyn today! It will be one of the most exciting days of the trip - when we see each other for the first time! Pray also for our team as we share in a Peruvian church service and join together for corporate worship.
September 17 - Pray for our team as we depart Lima early in the morning. I will fly to Miami and then back to DFW.
Thank you, dear friends, for lifting me up during this very special time. I cannot wait to share my memories (and photos) with you!
Much love!
Thursday, September 8, 2011
Monday, May 2, 2011
Lemon-Cream Cheese Cupcakes
Yesterday was a rainy and very gloomy May 1st. However, my day got brighter when I got to spend the afternoon with my good friend, Hannah, and her sweet little Tucker. We watched movies, did nails, played with the baby, and mostly importantly, made some ROCKIN' cupcakes! Several friends have asked me about this recipe, so here it is. (Thanks for typing it out for me, Hannah!)...
Lemon-Cream Cheese Cupcakes
1 pkg. (2 layer size) white cake mix
1 pkg. (3.4 oz.) Jello lemon flavor instant pudding
1 cup water
4 egg whites
2 Tbsp. Oil
1 pkg. Cream cheese (softened)
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter (softened)
2 tbsp. Lemon juice
1 pkg. (16 oz) powdered sugar
Heat oven 350F. Beat the first 5 ingredients in bowl with mixer (batter will be thick). Spoon into 24 muffin cups. Bake 21 to 24 minutes. Cool in pans 10 minutes. Remove and finish cooling. For icing: Beat cream cheese, butter, and juice. Gradually add sugar. Beat on low until smooth. Spread on cupcakes. *Optional: add lemon zest to the icing.
{These are our happy faces after tasting the first batch!}
{Here is sweet Tucker. He is getting so big. He is learning to sit up on his own!}
I had such a fun day with Tucker and his mom! :)
Saturday, April 16, 2011
Waiting
Waiting in line at the grocery store. Waiting to board a plane. Waiting in line for the bathroom. Waiting to read a blog from a friend who hasn't posted in months (sorry). Waiting to meet the person you're going to spend the rest of your life with. Waiting to hear from the doctor if the cancer has spread. Waiting to see where and how God wants to use you. Is there anyone that you know who actually likes waiting?
I have several friends who feel as if they are in a "waiting period" in their lives right now. Myself included. We are just not sure where God wants to take us next in life or how He wants to use us to bring glory to Himself. Sometimes it's an uneasy feeling. For those of you who know me well, you know that God often speaks to me through music. Well, I found a song - and by "found" I mean that it fell into my lap last week in a cd from a friend. It's call "Waiting Here For You" by Christy Nockels.
{Lyrics}
"If faith can move the mountains
Let the mountains move
We come with expectation
Waiting here for you, I’m waiting here for you
You’re the Lord of all creation
And still you know my heart
The Author of Salvation
You’ve loved us from the start
CHORUS
Waiting here for You
With our hands lifted high in praise
And it's You we adore
Singing Alleluia
You are everything You’ve promised
Your faithfulness is true
And we're desperate for Your presence
All we need is You
CHORUS
Singing Alleluia
Alleluia, singing alleluia, alleluia
CHORUS
Waiting here for you
With our hands lifted high in praise
And it's You we adore
We're singing Alleluia
I'm singing Alleluia
Waiting here for you
With our hands lifted high in praise
And it's You we adore
Singing Alleluia
Singing Alleluia"
Let the mountains move
We come with expectation
Waiting here for you, I’m waiting here for you
You’re the Lord of all creation
And still you know my heart
The Author of Salvation
You’ve loved us from the start
CHORUS
Waiting here for You
With our hands lifted high in praise
And it's You we adore
Singing Alleluia
You are everything You’ve promised
Your faithfulness is true
And we're desperate for Your presence
All we need is You
CHORUS
Singing Alleluia
Alleluia, singing alleluia, alleluia
CHORUS
Waiting here for you
With our hands lifted high in praise
And it's You we adore
We're singing Alleluia
I'm singing Alleluia
Waiting here for you
With our hands lifted high in praise
And it's You we adore
Singing Alleluia
Singing Alleluia"
{Follow the link below to listen to the song.}
So here is my declaration: It doesn't matter how long I wait to hear from God. I will worship while I am waiting. I will lift my hands high in praise to Him. I will wait with expectation and anticipation. I will continue to seek after Him. I will love Him more and more everyday. Because He is still the Lord of all Creation and he knows MY heart. He still sits on His throne. And NOTHING takes him by surprise. He has made me who I am and He will continue to guide me with each step I take.
Thursday, January 13, 2011
No Plan "B"
Being a commuter (for 11 years now) and typically a very busy girl, I obviously spend lots of time in the car. Most mornings I thoroughly enjoy my commute. Don't get me wrong, I have never been one to hop right out of bed when the alarm goes off and begin whistling a merry tune. I usually hit the snooze button at least two or three times. However, as soon as I actally get up, I enjoy the quietness of the morning. But as soon as I get in the car, it's MUSIC time!!! No matter what it is - the radio, a cd, or my ipod - it's LOUD! Music is a HUGE part of my life. God speaks volumes to me through music (no pun inteded).
I absolutely love to sing in the car! It's a rare thing for me to turn the music off. I only do it occasionally - if I have some big thinking to do. And there have been difficult and painful seasons in my life when I couldn't sing. Times when all I could do was let the music heal me. I've spent my share of mornings in the car shedding tears. Tears of heartache and pain. Tears of brokeness for myself and for others. But luckily, those are only seasons, and God always leads us out of the darkness into His wonderful light!
Recently, I've come across a new song by Manafest called "No Plan 'B'" - from his latest album, "Chase". I still haven't discoverd exactly what it is about this song that I like so much. It's one of those songs that I just can't turn up loud enough! I like the lyrics, the beat, the hook. Everything! I found the "official" video on YouTube; however, I actually like the radio mix better, but was unable to find it. Check it out and let me know what you think...
Not only do I thoroughly enjoy the "sound" of the song, but also the lyrics remind me that God has a purpose for me - a 'Plan A'. It doesn't matter how many times I screw up, I never lose His purposes for my life! I have a destiny, and I've got to stick to the plan! There is no 'Plan B'!
{lyrics}
Verse:
I drop in with my face to the wind
Spin 180 for the win
But I can't find my feet it's like I lost the beat
Mid air and there's no plan B's
Hit the streets,
Look before I leap again,
Skeleton filled with Adrenalin
How can I know that I got what it takes?
When I've come so far, through the rain
Bear the pain
Makes no difference now
Face myself or get taken out
One more time got to live this loud
Back to the wall no turning around)
CHORUS:
It's too late It's my fate
I can't turn around
There's no fear, in the mirror
To hold me down
I'm too far, from the start
Now I'm in too deep
I've got to stick to the plan
Cause there's "no Plan B"
No turning back (No plan B)
There's no other path, (No plan B)
And I know that this road is my destiny
I've got to stick to the plan
Cause there's no plan B
Bridge:
All I know is I can't turn back, all I know is I can't turn back
Got to leave it in the past, got to leave it in the past.
All I know is I can't turn back, all I know is I can't turn back
Got to leave it in the past, got to leave it in the past.
Cause this is the only road I've ever known,
there's no way that I could start again, Again
Chorus Repeats
I absolutely love to sing in the car! It's a rare thing for me to turn the music off. I only do it occasionally - if I have some big thinking to do. And there have been difficult and painful seasons in my life when I couldn't sing. Times when all I could do was let the music heal me. I've spent my share of mornings in the car shedding tears. Tears of heartache and pain. Tears of brokeness for myself and for others. But luckily, those are only seasons, and God always leads us out of the darkness into His wonderful light!
Recently, I've come across a new song by Manafest called "No Plan 'B'" - from his latest album, "Chase". I still haven't discoverd exactly what it is about this song that I like so much. It's one of those songs that I just can't turn up loud enough! I like the lyrics, the beat, the hook. Everything! I found the "official" video on YouTube; however, I actually like the radio mix better, but was unable to find it. Check it out and let me know what you think...
Not only do I thoroughly enjoy the "sound" of the song, but also the lyrics remind me that God has a purpose for me - a 'Plan A'. It doesn't matter how many times I screw up, I never lose His purposes for my life! I have a destiny, and I've got to stick to the plan! There is no 'Plan B'!
{lyrics}
Verse:
I drop in with my face to the wind
Spin 180 for the win
But I can't find my feet it's like I lost the beat
Mid air and there's no plan B's
Hit the streets,
Look before I leap again,
Skeleton filled with Adrenalin
How can I know that I got what it takes?
When I've come so far, through the rain
Bear the pain
Makes no difference now
Face myself or get taken out
One more time got to live this loud
Back to the wall no turning around)
CHORUS:
It's too late It's my fate
I can't turn around
There's no fear, in the mirror
To hold me down
I'm too far, from the start
Now I'm in too deep
I've got to stick to the plan
Cause there's "no Plan B"
No turning back (No plan B)
There's no other path, (No plan B)
And I know that this road is my destiny
I've got to stick to the plan
Cause there's no plan B
Bridge:
All I know is I can't turn back, all I know is I can't turn back
Got to leave it in the past, got to leave it in the past.
All I know is I can't turn back, all I know is I can't turn back
Got to leave it in the past, got to leave it in the past.
Cause this is the only road I've ever known,
there's no way that I could start again, Again
Chorus Repeats
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