P90X Challenge

So as many of you may know, Jared and I like to stay really active and consistently like to try new things. We've seen the ads on TV for the P90X program many different times, and since our anniversary is coming up, we thought "what better gift to give ourselves!". Our P90X came in the mail today and I think we'll be starting the program tomorrow! Now we just need to find a good set of dumbells...


~Angela M.

Nephew Evan---

I think my 1st nephew and I have too many things in common---
~Angela M.

Heroes Part 2

Mary Cryderman:
It seems I haven't known Mary for too long. I suppose the first time I can recall us meeting was when I was a Sr. in High School down in florida with my parents (and emily) for some church conference they were attending. We were going out for dinner with a bunch of my parents friends when Mark and his wife Mary offered for us to ride in their rental car with them: a convertable. Boo-ya.

It wasn't until years later that Mary and I became connected in a much closer and heart intertwined way.

When I was offered the job of Director of Student Ministries at CrossRoads, one of the first families to welcome me with open arms was the Crydo clan. The kids were all excited and wanted to get to know Jared and I, Mark was critical in our lives as he did our pre-marital counseling, and then there was Mary. You see, when I was in college, I had been prompted in a chapel service that I needed to have a life mentor. Someone a bit older and much wiser then I was. Someone who could not only hold me accountable, but who could challenge me in life just by their own lives and character. Each place I have lived since college, I have asked someone different to step into that role, and I could tell within the first few weeks at CrossRoads, that Mary was supossed to be that next person for me.

Mary and I had plenty in common, which helped us to get together. We would often meet at Lifestyles for Ladies Only in Lambertville for a good long walk and talk on the treadmills followed by a good prayer time. Or we would go over to her house and spend some time just talking, eating and praying together. And then what began to happen led to one of the best times of my life. Slowly but surely I would spend more time at their house, and then Jared would get off work, and they would invite us over for dinner...and then we did the Daniel Fast together, and in order to share our fruit and veggie concoctions with each other, we ate together...a LOT!!! It was immediately following our daniel fast together that we had the blessing of traveling to florida together. And I had begun to notice that my time with Mary was effecting who I was...more patience, more appreciation for life, more appreciation for my beloved husband, more affection for the Lord.

And then, one fateful day in May, Mark and Mary offered for us to live with them for our last month and a half that we were in Michigan. That time in my life can only be described as one of the most joyful, hilarious, fun-loving, God-filled and on and on. It was actually a pretty difficult time in our lives for all of us, and yet the relationships that we shared brought out the good and lessened the bad.

Moving across the country from Mary and the rest of their clan has left a huge hole in our hearts, but Mary and I do manage to talk several times a week on the phone. It is so refreshing to have someone who knows your faults, and is not your family, and yet they choose to love and care for you. Mary is one of my true life heroes. She has survived cancer and has spent so much of her time devoted to encouraging others who are in the midst of it. She went from being a "walker" of like 3-4 miles a day, to being able to run 5-7 miles daily in less then a year! She is kind, funny, prayerful, compassionate, she is a lover of Christ and desperate for His touch, an awesome mother, wife, friend, and mentor. Thanks Lord for my dear friend Mary.

~Angela M.

Heroes

No I'm not blogging about the tv show as interesting as it may be. I've been inspired by the life of Mitch Thomas to do a series of blogs based on different people in my life who I view as heroes. There are many blogs to come following this one, but today I have decided to feature one of my favorite people; my brother Alex

My bro Alex is my only sibling. He is 22 months older then me (which means for 2 months of my life I get to rub it in his face that we are only 1 year apart). When we were little, we used to play together ALL the time. We would play with legos, dominos, army men, make army forts, ride our bikes etc. together. (one time we played barbies, but he just kept wanting to make them kill each other, so that was the first and last time). Since our family loves to travel, we've been to some pretty awesome places together. When you think about it, he's really the only other person who really knew what it was like to grow up the exact same way I did.
We attended the same high school and college, were a part of many of the same activities, but although we did a lot of the same things, we are very different people. I think that's one of things I like so much about Alex: though we are similar in some ways, we are different. Alex is probably the more introverted of the two of us, but also more of the "life of the party" in the group he is comfortable with (more so then myself). I've always know Alex is much more intelectually inclined of the two of us. He loves to eat pizza and peanut butter and jelly, where as I would prefer veggies and tuna. He is very thoughtful of our family and has been overly welcoming to my husband Jared who joined our family just about 2 years ago. Alex is an awesome husband to his wife Becky (more about her in a later post) as he just gives and gives to her and their 3 kids. He has shown some pretty incredible unconditional love to Evan, Aaron and Ashlyn and has waaayyyy more patience in circumstances then I do. Alex doesn't always like to express his feelings the way that I might, but that's ok too. I know he loves me lots, because he shows me and tells me. Alex is one of the few people in my life who can make me laugh just by a side glance or some crazy inside joke we've had for years.
Most of all, I am so thankful for the passion for the Lord my brother has. His choices everyday reflect his commitment to God. Alex is for sure a man of integrity. I'm so thankful for his example on my life. I am so blessed to have him in my life, we just seem to "get eachother".

~Angela M.

Singing Through Our Tears

Today we celebrated and honored the life of Mitch Thomas. Mitch has been battling Leukemia for about 16 months, and the Lord brought about complete healing as He brought Mitch to the heavenly realms early Tuesday morning.

I've known Mitch for so long, I don't even remember when I would have first met him. Our parents went to Bible College together and even sang in a group together, as we were destined to become friends long before we knew it. I can recall our yearly family trips to the Spokane area when we would hang out with the Roberts and Thomas kids--we were all loud and crazy together. My most vivid memories with Mitch occured when I was living in Spokane in the Spring of '03 while I was student teaching. I spent plenty of time with the entire Thomas family, and I can remember different times when i was lonely, Mitch just seemed to pop in at the Roberts house where I was living. He always had a funny story to share and was genuinely interested in my life. I remember one night in particular when we decided we should get a group of people together after I graduated and go backpack in Europe! We went on-line searching prices and planning who should come with us. (although the trip never happened!)

Mitch and I kept in contact through Facebook every now and then, and when he was diagnosed with cancer, I decided that even though we may not have been super close friends, I wanted to make sure he knew how much we cared about him and prayed for him almost every day. And yet even in our communication he was so selfless and giving.

Jared and I were able to visit him in the hospital in August while he was still healthy and strong--the first time I had seen him in several years. He was the same Mitch I had always remembered, but wiser, stronger, and so mature in the Lord. We so enjoyed our conversation that day, and we ended our visit by planning a double date together with his beautiful fiance (now wife).

The last time we saw Mitch was on one of the most impactful nights of my life when about 200 people surrounded the Thomas house as we held a prayer vigil for healing of Mitch. Everyone there was so unified in heart and mind. Although Mitch had to stay in the house, we arrived early with my parents and he and Chelsea came out onto the front porch so they could talk to us without the barrier of a window. It is so amazing to me that the last time I saw him was a moment when he made me feel so special and loved by greeting us in that special way.

I am convinced that as Mitch passed into eternity, he felt more love on earth then most people do in their lifetime. It is evidenced in the life of his family, and in his bride Chelsea in particular. The joy of the Lord runs so strongly in her veins, it is a blessing just to be in her presence.

Today we all sang through tears of joy that he has reached the final destination, and tears of extreme sadness that we have physically lost our brother. It was a hard day...but it was good, because the presence of the Lord was in that place. As I look ahead, I plan on joining the Thomas family in their grieving process, loving on Chelsea and Mitch's sister Charese and her husband David and his other sibling Luke and his wife Jennifer in particular (as they all attend our church).
I love life, and my own life in enhanced because of the life of Mitchell Alan Thomas.
Keep singing and dancing up there Mitch, can't wait to join you!

~Angela M.

Running and Praying

Over the years I have had different running spurts-sometimes months at a time--last winter I was up to 8 miles even! I have been running again recently-lots of hills around Spokane to run around on. And today my wonderful husband joined me for the first time in a while, which was a huge blessing. (3 miles isn't too bad) I love having him by my side.
Many people have told me about the great prayer times they have had while running, and I have to admit I have always been a bit jealous since I am usually consumed with thoughts on what part of my body hurts, is my breathing right, am I swinging my arms too much etc.
Today was different though. As we ran through the hail, rain and wind, my heart connected with God as I interceeded again for my friend Mitch and his family. God is able to do more then we ask and imagine, and that's what I ask Him to do today.

~Angela M.

Meeting a Mad Scientist

So Jared and I finally took an expedition up to Green Bluff here in Spokane. This area is known for awesome fruit and veggie farms that seel fresh stuff at much cheaper then the grocery stores. So we went around the area stopping at a few different places before finally stopping at Strawberry Hills...
We walked up to the barn and this old guy comes over and asks us if we've ever been there before. "I'm the Mad Scientist!" he tells us. He then proceeded to not only tell us where we could find the different produce, but takes us row by row of the u-pick farm explaining how everything is "more then organic" (I didn't know that was possible!) He let us sample everything we wanted, but he just kept talking and talking about how he studied in Australia to get special certifications and everything. It was amazing. He's our new best friend. We plan on visiting the mad scientist with the best strawberries in town soon!

(not actual photo of Verne)

~Angela M.

Friends of Mine


So the other day my bro Alex posted an amazing video "Jesus is my friend". Through a little online searching I found an interview with the lead singer and a few snapshots of my friends from Jesus is a Friend of Mine. If you haven't yet seen it, PLEASE go to my brother's blog right now and watch it!

~Angela M.

Gandalf's Whistle

So for the last few days, ever since Mariah Crydo told me she was watching Lord of the Rings, Gandalf's whistle was been stuck in my head. I've been practicing over and over again, but Jared just has that natural touch and sounds just like Him! Can you whistle like Gandalf????

~Angela M.

-Church Family-
So I've been thinking about the phrase church "family" for about the last week or so...
We had a prayer service last Monday night for Mitch Thomas-a friend battling leukimia for about the last 16 months or so-in desperate need of a miracle. I'd say there were over 200 people there pouring out their hearts to the Lord-seeking His power and grace and healing upon our Brother Mitch. We spent hours praying, worshipping, and praying some more. And the thought occured to me more then once-what a beautiful picture of unity--maybe we're just a little closer to what God wants us to be like right in that moment. It was a night I will never forget, and we still pray and wait upon the Lord to heal Mitch.

Last Thursday night, Jared and I were invited to come to a couples small group at our friends Nick and Jillian's. All of us had been at the prayer night and somehow seemed very unified. When we left the house a few hours later, we kept commenting on how much of a "church family" we have here at Timberview.

Today at Timberview was Opening Day as we called it. I was priveleged to be on the worship team today singing up front with my mama and the rest of the team. Dad spoke wonderfully always...but there was just a sense of unity among everyone. So many people volunteered hours to get everything set up and ready-there were lots of new faces-and everyone seemed genuinly excited about what God was doing in this church family we have.

I'm so thankful God is showing me more and more through those around me what the church family is supossed to look like!



~Angela M.

Moving Boxes

So Jared and I have been here in Spokane WA for about a month and a half--which has gone by so extremly fast I can't believe it. I just got done moving some more of our boxes from mom and dad's garage to their basement so we can actually use the garage for the car (we've living with mom and pops in case you hadn't heard).
Strange how something as mundane as moving boxes reminds me of some great memories, and how far God has brought me.

I can recall sitting in our old apartment, going through each room of "stuff" and putting absolutely everything we own on the floor and saying "each room only gets 2 bins worth of stuff"--I can't even begin to express how much "stuff" we got rid of, stuff that I don't even remember, miss, or think about, but I'm sure I thought it was very important in the moments that I stored it away.

I remember sitting in the Crydo's living room with them, helping them purge from their household items, and Mark writing some pretty funny return address labels on our boxes as we all prepared to move. Somehow we all helped make the moving process so much fun for each other although it was extremely difficult-we were able to laugh our way through most days no matter what.

Seeing the few things I have kept from being young reminds me of when I was a child and Alex and I would play all day long riding our bikes, coloring, pretending there were alligators on the carpet, or building the tallest lego towers possible (please great grandma, please great grandma). I can hardly believe sometimes my brother actually has kids of his own.

Most of all, as I carry these boxes back and forth and continue to snoop through what we have, I am reminded of how far the Lord has brought me in so many ways. I can't believe I am married to the most incredible man in the world, have made some extremely amazing life-long friends, have been so welcomed into the Timberview family, have such a deep love for my family and friends that I am able to feel so much loss just being away from them, have made such wonderful friends here in Spokane already, and that I can live today in the truth that God's mercies are new this morning.

Thanks Lord for the chance I had today to move some boxes.

A Pic from a coffee shop in Seattle...

Spring Break 09 Baby!!!!

So most people are not planning their Spring Break this far ahead, however, Jared and I have VERY special plans that have to go on the calendar now so we do not miss this exciting event!
Last year we were fortunate enough to travel with our very dear friends the Crydo's to St. Pete Florida, camping at the KOA site for a few days-it was so much fun, and more importantly the Crydo's are so important to us, that we are making the trip again this April! We've practically started the countdown already-can't wait till April for Cramerine time!!!!!

The "Bitter" out of the Bittersweet of Moving...

So today I am feeling some definite sadness that we are not in Michigan right now. My bro Alex and his wife Becky just had their 3rd child 2 months ago tomorrow-Ashlyn Ann-and she is just perfect:) Today they are having her dedicated at her dad's church, and I'm feeling so sad that we aren't there! I've been so happy that for the last few years we have been able to live really close to Alex and Becky and their boys--we've done some really funny and stupid things together (spiderman premiere, spiderman costume contest, chucky cheese and chucky cheese again), and their boys Evan and Aaron really do know and love us. I am so thankful for the plans the Lord has for us, I just wish it included being nice and close to those I love so much-especially little Ashlyn!

Best Manaquin Ever

Jared and I saw this last night at the mall and couldn't stop laughing...

"do you have a baboon in your pocket?"

Praying for My Friends:

For more then a year now my friend Mitch has been battling with Leukemia. It sucks. There have been many ups and downs, and my newly engaged friend is in an extreme down time right now. Many prayers are being sent up by myself and the entire Timberview family-and lots of others who know (and probably don't know) Mitch. Please join me in prayer for Mitch and his fiance Chelsea and his family.

Stupid Adidas
And the New Asics

Running Shoe Update...

About a month ago I saw my dear friend Mary go through the difficulty of trying to find new running shoes that worked for her. I think she had tried about 5 different pair before she finally found some that didn't hurt her feet!
Well my asics have done me well for the last year and a half, but recently I have noticed they were needing to be replaced-thus the hunt for new shoes began.
I wanted to have an open mind--"I don't have to stay with Asics...don't be a running shoe snob." So I branched out, trying on many different brands and styles within my price range. I found a pair of Adidas and thought..."Hey, I think these might work!" Unfortunately they did not have my size in the store, so I had to wait patiently for a week before my new shoes showed up on our front porch.

I had a great run with my new shoes-didn't think about my feet at all while I was running which is great! When I got home however, I looked down and saw they the tongue of the shoes had rubbed my ankle raw! I was hoping I had maybe laced them wrong or something, so I tried them for one more day...where it only made it worse, creating a lovely scab on my leg.
So yesterday, we took the shoes back, and traded them in for...
Asics! Asics TN776 to be exact. I love how they are tighter in the middle of my foot, but very open at the toes. I am about to go out and try out the new shoes, so hopefully I return as a satisfied customer once again of Asics!

Floating down the River...

So with Jared and I currently jobless, we are trying to enjoy our "forced vacation" as we like to call it :) For the last few days, not only have we been job searching, but we have been enjoying getting to know the area of Spokane.
Our new favorite spot is the Little Spokane River-in our own little raft!
Yesterday was an absolute riot as we had purchased a "2 person" raft...that was the smallest thing in the world which was really made for 2 5 year olds. So there we are, trying to get into this little tiny raft with 2 life jackets, a backpack with 2 towels in it, and our sandals, not to mention the oars. I could not stop laughing--the more frustrated Jared got, the funnier the situation was to me!! Although he did not find it as humerous as I did at first, he eventually saw the hilarity of everything:)
Today, we took the stupid raft back, and purchased a new larger 3 person raft that actually fits 3 people! We then went back on the river and about half way through the ride, totally ran into a mama moose and 2 babies!!!! It was AMAZING!!!! I was a bit freaky at first since a mama moose with her babies has been known to be kind of scary and fierce--but this mama just let us go right by while she fed them with some branches:)
Love the days we are enjoying together!!

My New Favorite Movie!!!

I LOVE Bride and Prejudice!!

Tonight marks the 2nd time I have seen this movie and I just love it so so much! This will definetly need to be added to my DVD collection:) If you haven't seen it, please do! It has wonderful music, color, and culture-love it love it love it.

The Cramerines...

Week 1 in Spokane:
Sunday:
Went to Timberview Christian Fellowship
Lunch with Aunt Judy and Steve and peeps from church
Bouce Ball

Monday:
Picked up a billion packages we sent to ourselves-Yay now we have clothes!
Bought hangers for clothes
Picked up Application for Starbucks
Swimming
Work Out

Tuesday:
Went running outside-Boo ya-oh ya, high altitude made my lungs want to expolode
Banked
Coffee and Ice Cream with the fam
Shopping

Wednesday:
Work out
Met with Whitworth University Peeps
Jared met with Job opportunity peeps
Swimming
Puzzle

Thursday:
Running Outside!
Went to Timberview to use computer/printer/fax
Batman-The Dark Knight. Good, but I was tired!

Friday:
Visited with Timberview peeps
Went to Grandma's house
Swimming at Sun Lakes
Grand Coulee Dam

Saturday:
Running outside
Washed cars
Weeded mom's garden
Wrote Letters
Swimming

Finally Home...

Late last night Jared and myself with my parents along the way, arrived at Spokane Washington our new home! It was an incredible trip for so many reasons and in so many ways.
Night #1 was spent in Colfax Iowa...very exciting town.
Night #2 was spent in Wall South Dakota right next to the famous Wall Drug! Boo Ya!
Night #3 was spent in Gilette Wyoming since we spent the majority of the day driving to Mt. Rushmore and around the area.

Lots of driving and lots of great conversations. Jared and I also finished reading "The Shack" which brought about some excellent convo and even some emotional moments. Arriving in Spokane last night was a very unifying time for us as husband and wife as we prayed ourselves into the city. I told God "You had me at hello, it's always been I'll do whatever You want, and it's still the same".

We are so excited to be here!

Packing Up and Moving On

It's hard to believe Jared and I are moving again. It is so strange how quickly the last 2 years of my life have gone by, and yet it is truly amazing how close I feel to the volunteers, students, and many other families here at CrossRoads. I consider it such an honor that we have been able to serve the students of CrossRoads. We have had so many really fun moments, probably some of the most fun in my ministry career. I have learned so much from these 12-18 yr. old students about God and about relationships, and I know I am a better person because of them. My office "cube" looks so bear empty and boring-not even remotely resembling the few years I have had here. But I am very thankful that although I will not physically be here anymore, God is bigger then that. He gives us relationships as a gift that we can take with us no matter where we go.

Tonight is our Farewell Party with the students. Part of me is really excited to see everyone again like I've come so accustomed to over the last few years, but the other part of me does not want to face the fact that this is the last time we will be having a youth event. The last time we will see these people who I love so much. I hope tonight that we are able to convey to everyone just how much they mean to us and how amazing God's plan is for the students at CrossRoads.

It's a Good Day

So you know it's a great day when...

You wake up early to the man of your dreams...

Drink coffee together...

See your brand new baby niece when she is only a few minutes old...

Hang out with your 2 nephews with cool shades on...

Have a great staff farewell party...

Watch your husband drive around on the scooter of his dreams...

And camp out with a bunch of 6-12 grade students...

What a great day! The Best part for sure is my new niece Ashlyn Ann Teal! Love this girl to pieces already! Can't wait to hold her tomorrow! Alex and Becky said the song "Isn't she Lovely" came on right after she was delivered--Thanks God!

Late Father's Day and Birthday for Dad!

My dad recently had his 57th birthday--the day after Father's Day!

Why I love my daddy:

-He is a good laugher
-He always puts a smile on my face
-He "gets" me
-He shows me and others His huge love for God
-He is a fabulous pastor
-He is an amazing leader
-He drinks eggnog with me on Christmas Eve
-He lets me sing as long and I want to and never asks me to stop
-He always smells like aftershave
-He is fun to be around
-He is adventurous
-He loves me and our family so so much!

Thanks Dad for being the best a girl could ask for:) Sending love to Washington-

Ang

For Micah Cryderman:

Mourning the Loss of Maria Sue Chapman

I was so sad to hear the news that one of Steven Curtis Chapman's adopted daughters was tragically killed last week. You can find out more information at the blog they have set up.

Our Newest Nephew: Aaron James Chance!

The worst part about living across country from your family is not being able to be actively involved in their everyday lives, which also includes missing out on really special moments. Our newest nephew Aaron James was born this last Friday to Dan and Annette, making Tommy a big brother! We love our family and can't wait to meet the newest addition!

The Big Move:

Well since my last post was about us selling everything and moving, I realized that not everyone who reads my blog may know about our most recent adventure God is taking us on--so here's the latest in the life of the Amerine's:

Jared has officially been accepted in the teacher certification program at Whitworth University in Spokane Washington! He wants to teach High School Math (I don't know how many people out there actually want to do that, my husband is one of a kind!) and will be excellent at it! Upon looking for the teacher certification programs in the area, we quickly discovered that it would take between 2-3 years for him to obtain his certification if we stayed here! Gross! I knew there had to be a program somewhere that would take about a year to complete. So we started looking-and began our search where my parents live in Spokane Washington. It only took looking into 1 school there: Whitworth University when we realized it would take him 9 months to complete the program! Not only that, but each person from the University that he spoke to was so helpful and welcoming. After weeks of searching, prayer and seeking out wise people (wisemen...get it) we decided this was the right move for us to make!

The move comes with sadness and grief of leaving our CrossRoads family, and the many students we have poured ourselves into, but we are very confident this is God's direction for us.

We're looking to move at the beginning of July, so if you want to buy any furniture...just stop over at the Crydo house Thursday or Friday!

Selling Everything We Own:

So Jared and I made the decision last night to sell basically everything we own-all our furniture is going bye bye. With the cost of moving it across the country, it's just not worth it..sad, but happy. It's a very freeing feeling-so the Garage Sale is on Thursday and Friday at the Crydo house if you need any furniture, clothing, or other misc. items:)

My Newest Reading Material:


Like they say at McDonalds: "Ba Da Ba Ba Ba, I'm lovin It"

Mother's Day

For the 2nd year now I get to celebrate not just 1, but 2 mother's on this special day! Nancy Teal and Cathy Amerine are both in my life for 2 very different reasons, however I know that God has blessed me so much with each one in different ways.

Cathy Amerine (aka my mom "in-law") is just about the best mother in law around:) I know without a doubt that she loves me not just because I am married to her son, but she loves me for who I am. I am amazed each time we talk on the phone, send e-mails, and when we are actually lucky enough to see each other, how natural our conversations are. I love getting to know this woman who is my "mom" more and more everyday. She is caring, encouraging, fun, thoughtful, prayerful, and a wonderful example of how to be a Godly woman.

Nancy Teal (aka my mom) is probably one of the most selfless people on the planet. She gives and gives and never seems to tire of sacrificing for me, our family, her church, and most of all, our God. The list of things she has done for me would be far too numerous to write down, and the thanks she has gotten from me has probably been far too small. If I can be even slightly the woman that she is, then I know I will bless others.

These 2 special women have been crucial to my life and continuously have an effect on who I become. Thanks God for placing them in my life-I am blessed with 2 great moms:)

Hawaiian Luau!

At SURGE this Sunday night we are having a Hawaiian and I couldn't be more thrilled about it! We've got a lot in store for all the 6th-12th grade students who attend including butt volleyball, costume competitions, photo booths, watermelon eating contests and more! I'll post some of the amazing pictures next week!

Social/Biblical/Global Justice???


Recently, Jared and myself have been thinking a lot about what God has called us to as His children-His ambassadors here on earth. Tony Campolo is and has been a huge advocate on this for years--and after hearing him speak when I was in college, that was when I first decided to sponsor a child through compassion international. At the most recent conference I visited-the Student Ministries Conference at Willow Creek-basically every speaker we had hit this issue--not just touched on it, but hit the nail on the head. Several like Shane Claiborne, and Dan Kimball and Kara Powell have even written books on this.
I seem to be thinking and praying each new day how I can serve God by serving others. How I can help show the love of God to the world through the choices I make, people I talk to, and the purpose with which I do things. I pray that as God continues to shape these thoughts and ideas in my own heart, I can pass on the same things to the students of CrossRoads--Love God--Love People--Desire to Change the World.

The Biggest Loser wins Inspirational TV of the Year award!


Ok, maybe not technically, but of any TV show I've ever seen (and that's a lot), The Biggest Loser inspires me to push myself harder-there is always another goal to be reached.

Hard to believe this is the same person in these pictures! Wow!!! Ali the 1st Woman to win the title of The Biggest Loser looked incredible, and extremely healthy.

As I look at my upcoming birthday milestone...the big 27...I'm feeling more and more inspired and encouraged to really work hard for the goals I've always set for myself, but always seemed just shy of. This year will be different.

I WILL run a marathon. I WILL be happy with how I look. and I WILL work harder then I ever have to obtain it!

Counting Crows...

So last night Jared and I were walking around downtown Chicago having a good time going from store to store when we come to one of our favorites: The Apple Store.

Upon our entry, we realized the upstairs was blocked off and there were a ton of people upstairs and an exciting bustle. I asked the nearest employee what was going on when they replied..."Counting Crows is going to perform." I'm thinking to myself...does anyone even listen to Counting Crows anymore?

Needless to say, we did not get to "see" them, but we heard them starting to play. But no, that was not the best part of my evening.

Jared and I had dinner at the fabulous Grand Lux Cafe--and we both had the most amazing food! Salmon with stir fry and rice--wow it was incredible. Of course, I was not able to finish the entire thing...inspired by the speaker Shane Claiborne earlier that day, we decided to take the leftovers and give them to someone on the streets who needed food.
We did not have far to walk to our car, so I was praying we would find someone in need between here and there...we had only walked a few blocks when suddenly a man with a son about 3 yrs old came up to us and said, "Can anyone help? We need some food" Wow! Talk about Jesus being right there in that moment! We happily gave them the food and felt like we were able to be used by God in a little way.

So there's a little taste of our day spent downtown.

NEW EVERY 2!!! BOO-YA!

So I'm not sure if anyone else has experienced the curse of having a stupid phone that doesn't work half the time--partially because I've dropped it down flights of cement stairs...and partially because it was the free verizon phone they give you because they no longer want to have it.

After 2 long years (well more like 20 months since they let us change a little early), we decided to get new phones...nice ones you actually pay for, as birthday gifts for each other! We ended up getting identical phones except the color is different, so we will finally be able to tell them apart!!!


Check it out!!

MOCK ROCK

So tonight at SURGE, we had 5 Mock Rock Groups perform, 3 Rock Band Groups, and other surprise guests such as Keith Urban, Hillary Duff, Slash, K-Fed, and Axel Roses sister. Oh, and of course Hannah Montana:)

It was an amazing night with some pretty unforgettable acts done by the NC Rockers and LCM5--and R!, HLTT, and the Randoms. Job Well Done everyone-thanks for the amazing night!

QUIZ ALERT!

What I was doing 10 years ago:
Living in Temperance MI, attending CrossRoads, about to turn 17 years old and had a bad case of senior-itis.

Five things on my to-do list today:
1. Work Out--accidently slept in
2. Staff Meeting
3. Meeting with Lisa
4. Youth Group-60 Jr. Highers--ahhh!!
5. Drive to Dearborn to see the fam-including mom and dad!

Snacks I enjoy:
1. popcorn made on the stove:)
2. fruit leather
3. Coffee Drinks
4. Chips and Salsa
5. Sour Gummi Worms

Things I would do if I were a billionaire:...
after tithe......
1. pay off any debt
2. buy 2 new cars
3. buy a house
4. Give tons of money to the fam.
5. Travel

Five of my bad habits:
1. biting my fingernails
2. Misplacing my shades
3. throwing lady bugs in the toilet
4. checking facebook too often:)
5. forgetting laundry in the washer.

Five places I have lived:
1. Saskatoon, Saskatchewan Canada
2. Temperance, MI
3. Spring Arbor, MI
4. Long Beach, CA
5. Sylvania, OH

Five jobs I've had:
1. Cleaner at Lifestyles for Ladies Only
2. Dungeon Servant in the Library-Spring Arbor
3. Student Development Office-Spring Arbor
4. Camp Leadership-Spring Hill Camp
5. Youth Pastor-Midland, Long Beach, and CrossRoads