For Christ and His Kingdom!

"Don't be afraid of the enemy! Remember the Lord, who is great and glorious, and fight for your friends, your families, and your homes!"

Nehemiah 4:14

Me, 27.

Well it's the eve of my 27th birthday. I thought I'd get pumped up about it and write 27 things I have enjoyed about my life so far. So here goes:

1. My nutty brother
2. my Dad
3. my Mom
4. Wonderful grandparents
5. the sun
6. my friends
7. Spunky, my pet dog when I was a girl
8. Carseat, my pet cat when I was a girl
9. Texas
10. 10 years working at summer camp (including this summer to come)
11. working in Honduras
12. living in Tchad
13. Exploring the world
14. Mowgli, my African dog
15. Duplicat, my Norwegian cat
16. Traveling
17. Chisholm Trail Academy, high school years
18. Southern Adventist University, the growing years :)
19. Green grass
20. Learning Spanish, French, and random Scandinavian words
21. Spring
22. Photography
23. Earth Day
24. Destiny Drama Company, Southern's touring Christian theater
25. University roommates
26. Colour
27. Living the life God has given me

The Best thing in the World

Sunrise by my hut
Originally uploaded by dreams with faith

What's the best thing in the world?
June-rose, by May-dew impearled;
Sweet south-wind, that means no rain;
Truth, not cruel to a friend;
Pleasure, not in haste to end;
Beauty, not self-decked and curled
Till its pride is over-plain;
Love, when, so, you're loved again.
What's the best thing in the world?
--Something out of it, I think.

Elizabeth Barrett Browning

AWOL

Last Thursday night when I went to bed I called for Duplicat and he was a no go. So I figured he was all tucked in for the night under my porch. Then when I didn't leave for Scotland on Friday, I called for him again that night . . . again he was a no go. I realized perhaps he was just out running around, sowing his wild seeds for the weekend a little bitter that I was going to be gone again. When he didn't show up all weekend I started getting a little worried. I had been given reports that people had seen him, but I knew in fact they had actually seen the mom cat, not in fact Duplicat.

I had been getting in the habit every morning to yell out my door, "DUPLICAT, HERE KITTY" but alas, nothing. I would repeat the same thing in the evening. Nothing. Hmmm. Where could that cat be?

I found myself on Monday wondering where and when Duplicat was going to return again. I was afraid that perhaps something had happened and a normally kind, quite Norwegian had gone CRAZY on him. I then started wondering where he had wondered off to and who was a better owner than me!?

Then after lunch today, I was on my porch standing in the sun when off in the distance I heard a yell. Someone had yelled, "DUPLICAT" and I saw a white fur ball running as if his tail was on fire towards my house! Duplicat was coming home. Then I looked to see where he had come from and I saw Dominic, a normally quite German, standing on top of some giant metal container with his arms in the air. He had heard a tiny meow and went to investigate, and found a crazy cat stuck in there! So Duplicat came home, smelling a bit stinky and being a bit scared of the world.

This evening after work we headed out to take a hike up the mountain across from my flat and guess who was so people lonely that he decided to come? That's right, Duplicat. My crazy cat decided to be with people because he missed people contact. He climbed the whole way up the mountain and followed closely with us the whole time. I can't believe he went on a mountain hike, what a cat! He would even lead the way sometimes.

My cat rocks. Period.

My Duplicat wins best cat, hands down.

So I am pretty sure that Duplicat is the best cat EVER. Tonight we were kicking around the football outside and Duplicat was watching and waiting from the sidelines to attack it any time it came over to his area. How many cats do you know that do that? Honestly.

Then Friday night I went to sleep on my couch but not before Duplicat came up and cuddled in right next to me. He was purring loudly at first but then he stopped because he had fallen asleep. Best cat, ever.

Then on Monday I woke up to the sun beams pouring through my window at 5:30 am and there was Duplicat right by my head watching me waiting for me to wake up so I would pet him and feed him.

Then when I am in my flat (my two room flat) he follows me between the two rooms as I get ready in the mornings. I guess he doesn't like to be left out either. I can sympithize with that too.

All in all I vote Duplicat the best cat ever.
If anyone differs let him come and tell that Duplicat's face.

Ode to a taller friend

Tall friend of mine
You hail from Danmark.

We didn't wait for you
We went on the train
Arrived in the rain
Saw nothing planned
Including you, my tall friend.

The streets were stone
The buildings full of colour
The rain fell
Then the sun shone.

We took pictures
But we missed our tall friend.
We spoke English
But missed our Danish friend.

The country of pastries
Gave back to it's patrons
She opened her heart
And let two Americans in.
She gave us her gold for free
Yet how can it be?
We did it all without thee?

We went to Danmark
But missed our tall friend.

scotland . . .

“Were it not for hope the heart would break.”
~Scottish Proverb

Some notes from Ambassadors for Christ 2010

From Malmö, Sweden
In no particular order and not necessarily from a speaker but were rediscovered during a meeting. Enjoy.

For the Kingdom of God is not a matter of what we eat or drink, but of living a life of goodness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.
Romans 14:17

But I am trusting you, O Lord, saying, "You are my God!" My future is in your hands.
Psalm 37:34

Don't be impatient for the Lord to act! Travel steadily along His path.
Psalm 37:34

The only thing I failed to do, which I do in the other churches, was to become a financial burden to you. Please forgive me for this wrong!
2 Corinthians 12:13

It's how you live
Live the life faithful in everything you do.
Character should be thoughtful, courageous, and self possessed

Love people

You will be my people and
I will be your God.

Cannot keep good things to Himself
If He knows He can help, HE WILL

Luke 9:59 He was foolish to not drop everything and go. Same foolishness today there are no BUTs!

Then he said, “Don’t be afraid, Daniel. Since the first day you began to pray for understanding and to humble yourself before your God, your request has been heard in heaven. I have come in answer to your prayer.
Daniel 10:12

Can't fail when we work for God.

We have something better, believe we have something better.

Requirements to pray: be awake.

“Look! I stand at the door and knock. If you hear my voice and open the door, I will come in, and we will share a meal together as friends."
Revelations 3:20

"I hope to see you in Glory"

"Things were going the direction a chicken kicks" -Eric Sommer

Father, send me someone to share with this week. . . .

"A burning heart soon finds a flaming tongue"
-Spurgeon

Don't beat around the bush

For nothing is impossible with God
Luke 1:37

How Jesus looked at people

Did not our hearts feel strangely warm as He talked with us on the road and explained the scriptures to us?
Luke 24:32

He can still make my heart feel strangely warm today.

Awaken hope in their hearts

And you must commit yourselves wholeheartedly to these commands that I am giving you today. Repeat them again and again to your children. Talk about them when you are at home and when you are on the road, when you are going to bed and when you are getting up.
5 Moses 6:6,7 (Deuteronomy 6:6,7)

Go with the strength you have
Judges 6;14

“Keep the Sabbath day holy.
Don’t pursue your own interests on that day,
but enjoy the Sabbath
and speak of it with delight as the Lord’s holy day.
Honor the Sabbath in everything you do on that day,
and don’t follow your own desires or talk idly.
Then the Lord will be your delight.
I will give you great honor
and satisfy you with the inheritance I promised to your ancestor Jacob.
I, the Lord, have spoken!”
Isaiah 58:13,14

Keep me from lying to myself.
Psalm 119:29a

We miss you. You are unique, will you come back to Me?

Jesus said to the people who believed in him, “You are truly my disciples if you remain faithful to my teachings. And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”
John 8:31,32

God has money, you have NO EXCUSE.

To Laura Brownlow

You take the chocolate
I'll take the sugar
And I'll be asleep before ye
For me and the sugar will
Never replace you
On the balmy, balmy benches of Malmo

One day I met you
Another day I left you
But we met again in Norway
For a camp friendship
will never ever end
From the balmy, balmy weather of Alamisco

Beginning and End.

This is Laura and I at the start of our journey to Malmo, Sweden.

This is Laura and I at the end of our journey in Malmo, Sweden

The question to be asked is, "What just happened here?"

Ahh, what just happened here?

So my time in Sweden has come to an end. It was a great week, well I should say 10 days. (That's as long as an American family vacation!) I was greatly blessed by the meetings. I had known they would be good, but I didn't realize they would be THAT good. I'll share more about what I learned later, this is just a quick update. I also made heaps of new friends and had crazy adventures! But just know it was 10 days I will never forget!

Here's to all my new friends, the good food and God inspired meetings.