Thankful & Full

Last night some friends invited Cody & I to go to the Andrew Peterson "Behold The Lamb" concert (i tried to post some video of a behold the lamb concert from you tube, but it wouldn't work!!). I was so excited, as I had seen months ago on Andrew's website that they were coming to Dallas & had it marked in my planner. Andrew Peterson is definitely one of my all time favorite singer / song writers. His songs are so real & honest, almost every time I listen to them I feel like I am being changed, because of the truths he sings about.

Andrew's Christmas album "Behold The Lamb" is awesome. It's different than your normal Christmas album, as it tells the story of Christ from the beginning of time. Like it talks about the old testament passover, & the prophets telling of the Christ child to come.

Ok, so at the concert is was not only Andrew Peterson who was preforming but also, Jill Phillips, Andy Gullahorn, Bebo Norman, Sarah Groves, & Andy Osenga (from Caedmon's Call). These folks all sang some of their own & then at the end preformed "Behold The Lamb" & it was one of the most amazing things I have ever seen. I am sure if I knew anything at all about music it would have been that much cooler, but even for someone who knows nothing it was awesome.

I left the concert that evening feeling so full & rich. Thanks to Luke & Paula for a great night & if anyone ever has the opportunity to see Andrew Peterson in concert, you will not leave empty.

Ok, I have been wanting to post some pictures from our Thanksgiving, so here are just a few. We had a great time & were reminded of how thankful we are for all our family. It was so fun to see family we had not seen in a while. I am sad everyone does not live closer, but maybe someday...

Cody & I at Thanksgiving dinner

Jane, Bekah, & I showing off the desserts

Dad & Cody cutting the fried turkey

Mom & Bekah at the river parade

Santa at the river parade

Nov. Club Updates

Turkey bowling anyone?? The club before Thanksgiving we did out traditional turkey bowling club. I don't really know how long they have been turkey bowling at this particular YL club, but I told everyone it was the 67th annual turkey bowling YL. As the kids were arriving at club, Cody began to drill 3 holes in each turkey so that the turkeys were as much like bowling balls as possible. Although most just threw the turkey down the "lane" instead of actually bowling it, it was still funny to watch. I was proud of our group that night as most all of the kids attempted to turkey bowl at least one time. I personally really love turkey bowling because it is one of those fun & crazy things that you don't normally do every Thanksgiving. I hope that it will be something that the kids will look back at & remember as a really fun night at YL.

Last nights' club was not as anticipated as our turkey bowling club, but it was still a great night. Our team found it hard to come up with ideas for club last night as many times when it nears the end of a semester we become fresh out of funny & crazy things to do - thankfully we still had a few things up our sleeves that worked out great.

Cody came out in the middle of club last night dressed as Bitter Buddy Elf. Bitter Buddy Elf was mad because everyone is getting all their toys on eBay this year, so Santa had to fire some elves because their wasn't enough work to do in the North Pole. Bitter Buddy came out to encourage everyone to come out to club next week & to start narrowing down contestants for our Mr. Christmas Tree contest. He led them in 2 different games, one of them was called e-bay guessing. We found the most random things you can find on eBay (like someones home made road kill stew - this was really on eBay!) and the contestants had to guess if the price we had on the screen was higher or lower & then they would guess the exact price - it was pretty funny as almost the whole crowd got into the game.

During our last part of club I got to stand up & talk to our friends about Jesus, who knows us intimately, but loves us deeply. I know we talk a lot about this, but I believe you can never hear this truth too much. I started out my talk with a clip from the movie "Hitch." This movie is basically all about guys hiring Will Smith to try & make them "look good" in front of girls so they can get a date. I then talked about all the things we do to get to know someone when we really like them. We will go to great lengths to know all the details of his or her lives just so they might like us, or just so they might give us a chance. What a relief that we don't have to do with Jesus!

I then began to talk about the encounter that Jesus had with the woman at the well from John 4. Jesus knew everything about this lady - the good, the bad, & the ugly, yet her loved her & offered her life. Her offered her life & love without this lady having to do anything. She didn't have to try & impress Jesus with her good looks or fancy cars, she didn't have to fake it at all - Jesus already knew everything, yet loved her.

I ended talking with simply telling our kids how thankful I am that I don't have to impress Jesus everyday. I am so thankful that I have a relationship with someone who knows every step I have taken & every step I will ever take & loves me deeply. I pray that kids will accept the one who knows us to the bone & loves us even more.

Recently one of my friends graduated from High School & I am so proud of her. Here is a picture of all of us at the graduation celebration - I know she can do great things!

Club Update

We had another great club this weekwith many of our regular kids & some new faces in the mix. This week Cody had a basketball game a couple hours before club was supposed to start so I was not sure he would be able to make it, but he ended up showing up about fifteen minutes before we started. It was a little crazy with not much time to plan & run through club with all our leaders, but God is good & most things went off without a hitch.

Of course, we played some crazy games & had many kids laughing. We played a game where kids have to shoot cheerios out their nose & their partners have to catch it in a bucket that hung around their neck (there were bonus points if you caught it in your mouth). Apparently this game really grossed out a lot of folks & Cody & I were the only couple who ended up actually playing the game. I realize this game is gross, but out of all the things we do in Young Life it's funny to me that some kids called this game "the grossest." After that game, we played a few more crazy games & then four of my senior girls & I did a skit. We hadn't really practiced this too much, but it turned out to be funny. I am thankful that there was lots of laughter on at club & I pray that God used this to break down walls into what's really going on with kids.

At the end of the night Dan, one of our volunteer leaders, gave a talk about Jesus over coming death. He followed up on the cross talk I gave last week & told the story of Thomas seeing Jesus after he had risen from the dead. John 20:27 says, "Put your finger here, see my hands. Reach out your hand & put it into my side. Stop doubting & believe." He talked about that verse with our high school friends & how Jesus rising from the dead is true & is as real to us now as it was to Thomas & his disciples many, many years ago. I pray that the kids who heard this message will stop letting all the little doubts that get into their heads & that other folks put in their heads & simply believe in the risen Christ.


A couple of things to pray for this week: we have our annual banquet coming up Monday! Pray that we will raise a good portion of our budget (if not ALL of our budget :), that people will get a clear picture of all the things that God is doing in the lives of junior high & high school kids in our city & for everything to go smoothly on that night.

Also, last week in his YMCA basketball game Cody tore a couple of ligaments in his ankle. Pray for continued healing for him.

This was Cody pre-injury

This is Cody after a doc's appointment, he now has a lovely black boot to wear for the next couple of months.

Happy Halloween!

Ok, can you tell what Cody & I are? We are ketchup & a french fry! Thanks to Hannah who donated some of her old sing song outfits to me (that's why the french fry is sparkling) I was able to throw together some costumes in about 5 minutes. Cody was a good sport, as I know this was not his first choice!

This week at Young Life we celebrated Halloween by playing a wonderful game of couch-o-rama! Couch-o-rama is simply a scavenger hunt with a couch. We divided all our kidos into teams & gave each team a couch (well, one team had a recliner), we threw the couches in the back of pick-up trucks and headed out around town. Each team had a list of places they had to go find & take a picture with their whole team sitting on or around the couch. For example each team had to find a pool & take a picture with everyone sitting in front of the pool with a couple of kids in the pool! Another place was a dumpster, they took a picture on the couch in front of the dumpster & got bonus points if kids were actually in the dumpster. Anyway, the scavenger hunt turned out to be a great hit & it was even funnier with all the kids in their costumes.

After the scavenger hunt I talked to the kids about the sacrifice that Christ Jesus made for us so that we could live forever with him. I talked mostly out of John 3 - I repeated John 3:16 several times throughout my talk as to emphasize that Jesus came so that "everyone who belives" in him can live forever. I love that what Jesus offers us is for everyone, not just the best people we know, not just those who never miss church, but everyone. I then spoke about the next verse, verse 17, & how it says that Jesus came to save. He came not to punish or condemn, but to save. I am thankful that what Jesus offers is free to all & I pray that we will continue to give this message clearly to our high school friends & that they might accept this gift.

"For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world, through him." John 3:17

It Snowed at YL!

Well, the snow didn't exactly fall from the sky, it really came in the back of two pick-up trucks. We wanted to push ski trip sign ups this week so we had a snow club! We got left over snow from the zamboni at our local ice rink. I was so excited about having it there for the kids, but they were not near as excited as I was. They just kept asking how we got it & then after club we had several snow ball fights. Along with having snow we played a game to see who could drink a slurpie fast enough without getting a brain freeze & we also had a couple girls stick their feet in a jello mold, surrounded by ice to dig out jellybeans & then feed them to a couple of brave guys. Needless to say, I hope we got the point across that we are really excited about ski trip this year & we want them all to go with us.

After all the fun in the snow & ice we talked about our separation from God because of sin & our need for a Savior. I always think these are some of the hardest talks to give, but I also have a firm belief that kids need to hear it. They need to know their need for a Savior. I gave the example of of 2 different branches fallen from a tree. One branch had green leaves on it, while the other had no leaves at all. I asked the kids which branch looked better. Obviously, they said the branch with the leaves looked better & more alive. We then talked about how both of these branches are dead, they have both been separated from their source of life & there is no way that on their own they can become alive again. So many of us are just walking around like the dead branch with leaves still on it. We look really alive, but this is only temporary, because we are cut off from our source of life. I ended with Romans 6:23 - "For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord." There is life through Christ, he is our only way across this separation & I encouraged all to come back next week to hear more about this. Please pray that all our friends are able to understand & process this & that they would realize their need for our Savior.

Club updates

I am so happy that it is finally starting to cool off & become more like fall. It was so great to stand outside before club this week & not already be sweating. As I stood waiting for kids, I prayed that kids would come, that they would have fun, & that God would use us to bring our high school kids to the feet of Christ. As I stood kids began to pull in to the parking lot, actually they began to pour into the parking lot. We had kids speeding in, kids walking in, kids being dropped off by their parents, & kids coming with friends & they were all coming to Young Life. To be honest yesterday was a hard day & I drove to club feeling down & wondering if I was any good at doing this job, but God totally humbled me & used our team despite the baggage from the day that I brought into the night.

When club began energy was high, music was loud, & kids were having fun. We played a game of YL Jeopardy, with Cody as Alex Trebek & challenged kids with questions like, "who is the vice president of the US?" It took a couple of guesses, but we did eventually get the right answer! After that we sang a couple songs, played a couple more games, & gave out some high quality raffle prizes from the local Dollar General. I am so thankful for all my friends I got to spend time with last night. Girls who I have come to love & care about & I love that Young Life is a place that they want to come on Monday nights. I pray that we will continue to be a place that is so different from the world around us, but so attractive to kids.

I want to end with a common verse that I have been thinking about a lot lately:
"You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled by men.
You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. "

I recently heard someone talk about being the salt of the earth, and how salt does preserve, add flavor, etc. But before we can preserve & add flavor to those around us we must first be transformed by Christ so that we become the type of people that preserve & add flavor. We are first salt & THEN we become light. We cannot be attractive or continuous light if we are not first transformed by Christ & out of that become light to a lost world.

I pray that we will continually transformed by Christ so that we can then truly be the salt of the world & out of our salt will come a true & genuine light, one that will be unbelievably powerful to the outside world.

Cody at club as Alex Trebek ( I know it doesn't look exactly like him, but we tried :)

Football & Weddings

This fall it seems we have been enjoying many football games as well as weddings. We have been to high school football games to see our YL kids & they have been fun to watch this year, as our high school team is actually undefeated! Last Friday night our church threw a tail-gate party before the big cross town rivalry football game. The tail - gate was really nothing special, just gave away lots of hot dogs, chips, candy, & even raffled off an ipod nano. The cool part about the whole evening was that we got to minister to so many people coming to the game by offering them free food. Some took the food, many passed us by in a hurry to get a good seat for the game, but none the less it was a great picture of the body of Christ reaching out to the community. The sweet fragrance of Christ as folks give so that people might wonder why we are giving & in the end come to know the Savior.

We have not only been into high school football, but of course Junior High football!! Cody is a great coach & it is so fun to watch him with the kids. He coaches a 7th grade team & then the very next day coaches an 8th grade team. Both teams are doing well & are so lucky to have such a great coach. It's interesting to be a coach's wife sitting in the stands, so far no bad comments have been made about the coach!

We have also been keeping up with our favorite teams on TV. I have a whole new outlook on Saturday, Sunday, & Monday football games on tv, now that I am living with a boy during football season. We won't really get into Texas football (you can call Cody to discuss this one), but the Cowboys are winning & that's fun!

Here are some pics of Cody in action:

September was the month to get married & I have loved going to all the weddings. Last weekend Jenn & Matt got married & it was a great ceremony & so fun to be with my ACU roommates & more friends. Kim & Keith came down from Chicago for the wedding, it was great to see them.

On a final note my mom & Dad came down last weekend & it was so good to see them. They spoiled us by feeding us great food & making sure we were doing OK.

Club updates

In the past couple of weeks we have been humbled, overwhelmed, & thankful for what God has done so far this year with Young Life. We have been humbled by the kids that we have begun building relationships with this year, overwhelmed by the kids that have showed up to club, & thankful that we get to be a part of this mission.

We had a western club & to be honest I was a little nervous about how the whole thing would fly, but it went great. We had some friends play music for us & the kids danced, had a cricket spitting contest, watermelon seed spitting contest, & heard about a man named Jesus, who's heart is filled with love & compassion for them. It was so fun to watch kids do old fashioned western dances while laughing with their friends. Please continue to pray for our ministry here, as we are always praying for more workers for the harvest. Last night at club Cody & I were the only leaders - we want to do well in our clubs, but also want to be able to talk with each & every kid coming & last night we were not able to do that.

Before I post some pictures I wanted to share an amazing story about a girl who came to one of our YL clubs, for the first time. This girl's dad has been in jail for 15yrs and she was in some really bad drug problems this summer. After club was over one of our YL leader's took the girl home, but stopped by Taco Bueno to see her mom(where she works), her mom had a charm that is usually worn by Catholics. When they got back into the car for her leader to take her home, her leader said that her friend who was Catholic had the same charm as the girl's mom. The girl said that she was a Catholic yet she didn't know who this Jesus is that she heard about at YL club. She said she wanted the Jesus that she heard about. She stated that many people had told her she needed Jesus but she didn't know what that meant. Her leader pulled the car over and explained everything to her. She said she wanted Jesus and she never wanted to be alone like she felt this past summer. They prayed together for her to accept Christ.
Our God is Amazing - he used a crazy YL club, & people encouraging her to go in order to bring this girl into the kingdom!

Cody showing everyone how the cricket spitting is done - what a man!

Us trying to do a dance -

Playing a game :)

Luke & Jane

Last weekend we went to Steamboat Springs, Colorado for Luke & Jane's wedding. We have been looking forward to this wedding for a long time & the weekend was wonderful. It was so fun to see so many friends & family who came out for Luke's big day. Thanks to everyone who traveled so far to come to the wedding, it meant so much to my family & me.

I love going to visit places where friends have grown up, as you learn so much about people from seeing where they come from. That's how I felt being in Steamboat & seeing all the place where my new sister grew up. I got to meet all the people who have helped shape Jane into who she is today & I am grateful for all those folks. Steamboat is such a cute little town & I can't wait to go back someday.

As my Dad said at my rehearsal dinner (only using different names) & repeated at Luke & Jane's dinner - "we prayed for Luke to grow up & love the Lord & he does. We prayed that he would marry someone who loves the Lord & Jane does. And we prayed that she would come from a family who loves the Lord, and they do." We are truly blessed.

I'll end with some of the lyrics of a song that Jane wrote about Luke & my Dad & the way my Dad raised Luke - it was also their first dance song.

Speechless
It was a moonlit night, stars in our eyes
the rain was falling down from the sky
down on a knees he asked me to be his bride.
Through tear filled eyes I stood before him
trembling from the grace God's given
I nodded yes, I couldn't speak a word.
People ask how I got such a wonderful man
it all started on a front porch with his Dad, he said

Someday son, you'll find your bride
Hold her hand and treat her right
Open doors and pull out chairs
Listen close to all her fears
When times get bad, you'll wonder why
Hold her hand & let her cry
Wait for the moments that leave you speechless

Ten years down the road we're searching,
for meaning in this life we're given
We suffered from a couple broken hearts
I know our love runs deep and has held us
Is it enough, enough to last us?
"member I chose you and you chose me
And asking help from his father once again
On that old front porch he said with a grin....

For the rest of the song go to http://www.101south.com/

Some pictures from the weekend:

A black bear was watching the rehearsal!

The family

Luke gave mom & Dad his first professional jersey


The pretty bride Bekah & I doing flowers for the rehearsal dinner

Mr. & Mrs. Luke Williams

Cody & I at the wedding site

Luke & his boys coming to the ceremony

Sisters

At the bridesmaids lunch

For more pictures go to http://acu.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2043359&id=54601483&saved

Back to school

Today was back to school for all of us down in Texas & I think most people were ready. It seemed so weird having such a long summer. For the first time in a couple of years I feel rested from the summer & ready to begin another year of Young Life. Usually when school starts back again my spirit & body are still so worn out from the summer, but this year I truly do fee rested & I can't remember the last time I have been able to say those words. Although we have done so much this summer, having the extra couple of weeks in August was so nice!

Today Cody started school & I went up to the school to do some contact work for the first day of school. No matter how many times I have gone up to a high school I still feel nervous almost every time I go. I am always praying that I will see someone I know as soon as I get there so I don't become known as the weird Young Life girl. Despite my nervousness it was good to be back at school & see kids that I had not seen all summer & I even met some new ones. I pray that our Young Life team will continue going strong & being "Jesus with skin on" to lost kids in Arlington.

Cody had a great first day at school & I know he will be a great teacher. Below is a picture of him ready to go for the first day! He had to wear the school polo today, he wasn't just doing it because he was overly excited with school pride :)

Go get 'um Coach!

Some summer memories:

Best meal of the summer & longest table ever!

One of our favorite places to be in the summer - in the club room at Frontier Ranch on the side of Mt. Princeton. This summer hundreds of folks from around the world heard about the love of Christ sitting right here, I can't wait to go back next summer.

So many great things this summer, bring on another year!

A little vacation

This week Cody & I got a chance to get a much needed vacation together. We had a great time as we got to spend time with family, relax on the lake, eat lots of good food, sleep in, and do some shopping.

We started out our time with Cody's family at lake LBJ. We had a great little cabin right on the lake, it was great! We went skiing, sat in the hot tub, ate BBQ, tubed, etc. After the lake Cody had to go back home to start school and I spent some time with my parents and sisters. It was fun to be home for a few days and hang-out with the family. My sisters and I have taken up a new love of antique shopping ( I think it's mostly me, but I drag them along with me). I made a few good purchases and have been working on painting them and putting them up in our new house.

Life is good right now, it just kind of feels like the calm before the storm. We finally have all our stuff moved and we are just getting ready for school to start, it's about to get crazy!

Here are a few pictures from this past week:

Mom & I with our fancy dessert

Cody & Madison on the tube

Cody & I in the boat

The girls & I at a new shop we discovered

Dad & Bekah with their dessert

Sweet Farewells

Last Sunday was our last Sunday in Grapevine. We are excited about all the new things we will venture into this year, but sad to leave some of our sweet friends who have been so great to us during our time in Grapevine. They had a going away party for us last Sunday night & during the party they played a video with pictures on it from Cody's last five years at Grapevine. It made me so proud to watch the video & see all the kids & families that he impacted. He truly did spend himself & because of it lives where changed. I will always be thankful for some of the folks in Grapevine who loved on Cody so well & then welcomed me when I moved here last year fromTennessee. Here are a few pictures from Sunday night:

Cody & I with our cake, it was so good :)

They gave Cody a nice bag to use for school

Watching old summer videosNow we get to move in the August humidity! Please continue to pray for us as we are moving & Cody starts his new job in less than a week.

Windy Gap

I have been wanting to start a blog for a while not & have finally had enough time to sit down & figure the whole blog thing out. I feel like this will be a better way to keep everyone updated on what is going on with Cody & I rather than sending out emails all the time.

Sunday afternoon I got back from a great week at Windy Gap with my high school friends from Arlington. Windy Gap is an unbelievable place. It is a place where kids feel like they can be kids again & get away from the pressures & craziness of the world. There is just something about the environment that Windy Gap creates that enables people to open up to the Love of God & many times for the first time experience a relationship with him. I am so privileged that it is part of my job to get to go to a place like Windy Gap & take new kids with me every year. I loved being with kids when they see camp for the first time & are "wowed" at the way they are loved & cared for - so many defining moments happen at camp & I am so thankful I am able to be a part of these.

Here are some pictures from our amazing week

We were the red team during the rodeo!

The girls in my pied me in the face during the county fair - it was great!
My friends - Hayes & Rachel came from Greystone to see me

The zipline is always at hit at camp!