PRAY FOR US!!

There is a fire right on the hill behind us, pray we don't lose our place.
We are packing up now and leaving for my Dad's til morning. Love you all
and Thanks for your prayers.

Our 4th of July

Today consisted of Andrew and I waking up at 9:30am this morning. I woke up and put away our 2 weeks worth of laundry and tried to tidy up our little tin can a little better. We got ready and headed over to Andrew's parents house for a brunch BBQ and had chicken and beans, etc... and for dessert a Root Beer float. I know, I know I am not supposed to eat those type of things but anyway it was good.

After we finished there, we left for Melissa's house...

We swam a little, joked a little, ate a little carne asada, hot dogs, chicken, chips, beans, etc. Had some 4th of July cake, yummmm and then watched some fireworks. We had a lot of fun, it's just a bummer that we have to go to work tomorrrow once again. Ergghh.. Here are some pictures of our fireworks:

Seeing "Cars" tonight

Who hoo, I am so excited, we are going with a few kids from youth group to
go see "Cars" tonight. I will let ya know how funny it is :)

Today at work

Alright so, I brougt in a frozen biscuit for breakfast this morning... I
was gonna warm it up. Well... The biscuit burnt and I has smoke all over my
office and the offices next to me said they smelled the smoke too. Know the
breakroom smells like an old smoker lady lived there cause it's a mix of
smoke and air freshner. Lovely day at the office. On a brighter note, it is
super quiet at work and no phones ringin off the hooks. Anyway more to come
later.

Denominations

Andrew and I are members of the Christian Reformed denomination. I had an interesting conversation yesterday about denominations. In general, our calling from Christ was to make disciples in all the nations(Matt 28:19) ... to bring people to a saving knowledge of Christ(1 Tim 2:4). We are also called as believers to be unified as one body (1 Cor 12:18,12, Eph 4:4). I am not one for splitting hairs usually, and I think that in a lot of ways Satan has grabbed a hold of some churches. In that, I mean that people have allowed things like denominations to divide them, rather than unify them. Does that mean that we should allow a mormon to preach at a Christian Reformed church.... No. They don't stand upon the same foundations as we do. What I mean is that, how can a Baptist come to me and want to come to my church and I say...well you're Baptist I am sorry you can't come and serve at my church. Sometimes people lose sight COMPLETELY of the grand scheme of things here on earth. There is a purpose for each and every one of us, in the "Big Picture", you have to ask yourself, Is this bringing people closer to Christ or bringing them further away from God's purpose for us. I don't think Christ intended for denominations to split us, but people have taken this to the exteme. Christ himself, was not so narrowminded that he could not socialize with others of different beliefs. If we are following Christ's example, then we need to follow Christ's example. I am not perfect and I never claim to be. But I do understand that our actions can be an eternal consequence. YOU HAVE TO REMIND YOURSELF, THAT YOUR ACTIONS TOWARDS ANOTHER PERSON CAN EITHER DRAW THEM INTO A WONDERFUL KNOWLEDGE OF CHRIST OR COMPLETELY DRIVE THEM AWAY FROM CHRISTIANITY ALL TOGETHER. In the "Big Picture" I don't think God would ever want us to split hairs about denominations. I truly do believe that if a church is based on Biblical principles and their doctrine follows just that, then why should anyone divide the body of Christ. We need to be unified in Christ. When The Passion and Narnia came out, a group of churches in Riverside from all different denominations gathered together for one purpose, to reach those in the community that do not know Christ. We had booths with information, bibles, etc. at local movie theaters handing these out and talking with people. I think this is great example, we united together for the one purpose, the purpose in which God has called all of us. I pray that everyone in ministry or in a church understands the eternal impact you can have on people either good or bad. The eternal impact you have on someone can bring them closer to or further away from the Adonai.

.....

I have come to the conclusion that Andrew and I are completely different
than most people we know in our life. Ehhhh, where do I begin? Well #1) We
live in an RV [gosh darn it] I don't know anyone else that is doing that.
It's rough living the way we live and also where we live. Most nights I am
exhausted beyond belief because of how busy we are and how far we have to
drive to go home. #2) We are in ministry, and I say WE because when you are
married to someone in ministry and go to a small church normally you will
be unpaid staff for that ministry. Is it a blessing to be in ministry? Yes.
It takes it's toll on you and your health when you work full time and do
ministry. #3) We have to have set days to spend time together because
ministry usually fills our days and nights completely. We have to
"schedule" time to hang out with just us as a couple and not with people.
Otherwise, our attitude towards one another becomes not so nice. It's sad
but I know that this schedule will only be able to last one the babies come
along. It's temporary.

Sometimes, it is very frustrating to feel like God has just overlooked you
on certain aspects but at the same time knowing that he hasn't. He blesses
everyone different, and our blessings may seem like less of a blessing
compared to others but none the less God still takes care of us. Do I get
jealous of others who have kids, a house, pets, money? I do, I am not
ashamed to admit that I feel that way, more recent than not. It's so hard
not to be able to see the footstep in front of you that you are supposed to
take. We are forced to walk blindly with the Lord guiding us. It's hard to
cling to that, If God is guiding us, sometimes I want to peek my eyes open
and see where I am going but when I do, all I see is blank around me. God
whispers to me: "You will not know your destination until we arrive there,
only then can your eyes be truly opened to your purpose for this moment."

Uhhhh (deep sigh). I deeply desire to have babies and a home with pets and
our house filled with friends and family we love. As for now, I will have
to be content with what God has given me. Only God knows if those dreams
deep within me are God's purpose for us.....

From Vegas

Leaving Las Vegas

We are about 2.5 hours from home still. We left Las Vegas at about 8:45 and
still driving home. We stopped at Del Taco to use the facilties and get a
little snacky poo. We, in the later hours, were getting a little loopy and
goofy so this is the result of us being goofy. Oh man, good times Talia
good times. I am gonna be sooooo tired tomorrow morning, I gotta be up for
work at 6am, grrr I hate going back to work. Can't wait to work from home :)

Jake spilled

On himself at the lunch/ dinner at La Salsa in the Luxor hotel. They were
goofing off and he spilled his pink lemonade all over his leg. Yeah for
Jake. We love ya man :)

Trapeze show at the Circus Circus

Short little show with trapeze stuff. Pretty awesome. Played some video
games, one a prize and also got lost in the parking structure to leave. We
thought we would take the short way, the stairs, well what we didn't
realize is that all the floors doors locked once you got in the stairwell.
So we had to climb all the way to the top and then go all the way down
again and go to the next parking structure over to get to the car. Yeah,
all in 110 weather. Hottest weekend so far this year. Only upside of
sweating and climbing a million stairs is the fact that you loose weight.
Anyway I will have some pictures from our nice camera and some video soon.

Pictures from last night

This is the night view of the Bellagio and the Paris. We missed the water
display show at the bellagio last night after running our butts from the
Treasure Island. Oh and note, the Treasure Island pirate show is not worth
stopping for. It's a bunch of half naked sirens dancing around a bunch of
pirates... Egh. Totally better like 10 years ago. We might catch the
Bellagio water show this afternoon.

Won at the slots!

We were waiting for breakfast at the Santa Fe Station and the penny slots
called my name for a few minutes. I sat down for 2 minutes and put in $1
and WON $10.39 ! Whoo hoo.This is where we ate breakfast.

Pictures from places we visited today

First picture, the living statue at the Venetian
2nd and 3rd picture, funny T-shirt
4th pic, Bath of roses
5th picture, the venetian hotel
6th pic, Tiger at the Mirage
7th pic, Aquarium at Mirage
8th pic, The secret Garden and dolphin exhibit

Lunch at JJ's Boulangerie

Today we went to the Paris Hotel and ate at a Bakery. Yum, turkey sandwich
and juice. Not too expensive either.

What we ate!

This is what we ate for lunch at Kahunaville.

Lunch at Kahunaville in Treasure Island

Here are some funny pictures of our lunch at a really cool and not too
expensive either whooo hoo :) They had a water show during our lunch...
That is the last picture. I will have video of the show soon.

Onward to Sin city!!!

So we are leaving tonight to go to Vegas... No our friends are not eloping.
Amanda is originally from Nevada and wanted to get married at her home
church so... We are driving to Vegas with Talia and Josh. Can you say ROAD
TRIP? Ha ha. We'll stay out of any trouble and make sure to be home safely.
I get to play amateur photographer at the wedding so I am very excited.
They already have a photographer but I am gonna get some practice in gosh
darn it!!! I will be posting some pictures so keep reading :)

My new favorite Album...

This is my newest favorite album right now, Awesome lyrics and she is only 18 years old!!! My favorite songs from her are: The Noise, Everyday, and Hold me now. Check it out sometime. Her sound is much like Barlow Girl or Joy Williams. Hope you guys get a chance to listen to her.

Ugh::::

Alright well our rent went up again, and at this rate any more raising and
we won't be saving any money living where we are living with the rent. So,
we have kind of killed the idea of upgrading our RV.

Now, our next exploration will be to purchase a house. We decided with the
rent increase in the next year, Andrew and I are gonna powerhouse it and
save like our saving is a credit card payment and put away some major money
so we can buy a house. We are gonna sacrifice majorly to make this work
because we don't have another option unless we want to rent which would be
a major step back for Andrew and I financially. We will probably go FHA but
we will talk about it when we get there. So, keep us in your prayers so we
can bust out some major cash to buy a house.

I don't want a huge house, or a new house. One I have to fix up would be
just fine for us. I am not picky really except for what area it is located
in, I don't want to be in the ghetto. I would like something we can
decorate and paint ourselves and have some babies in someday.

Oh yeah on a side note, Andrew's parents sold their house in Riverside for
385K. Yipeee, now they don't have to pay 2 mortgages.

Happy Father's Day

Not just to my earthly Father but also to my Heavenly Father who has loved
me before I was born and has given me life. I pray that I have honored My
Father and made Him proud to call me His child. I want to be sitting in
your lap Lord and hearing your voice. I have whispered your name
"Father..." and I have screamed it sometimes in anguish but you are a
faithful Father who has loved far beyond what my mind can ever comprehend.
Today, I say Happy Father's Day to the Father of all Fathers!!!

So you think you can dance

Watched so you think you can dance on Fox and loved it. I love dance, wish
I could get back into it again because I love it so much. My favorites
right now are Benji and Danyelle also Martha and T. Can't wait to see the
next competition... It was awesome. Anyone else watch it?

RV's

We drove out to Pomona yesterday and looks at a few models of 5th wheels.
Found a floor plan that had room to put a crib in. It was 45,000 so, kinda
more than we are going to pay but at least now we know what we like and
don't like about floor plans. Ohhh, I can't wait to have little ones :)

So frustrated

Well, I feel kinda bummed because maybe there is something Andrew and I are
doing wrong with the youth. Last year a lot of high school kids graduated
and stopped coming to Barefeet so our numbers dropped quite a bit. We can't
seem to get more kids to some to Barefeet. We call the kids every week and
make sure to see if they want to come and nothing. Our college group is
just booming, we average 15 young adults every tuesday with continued
growth. We are having a hard time feeling like we are reaching them, we are
going to do a community outreach and see if we can get more to come on
Monday nights. Please Seriously pray for Andrew and I to know how to get
more kids to come. Sometimes I just cry because it's so hard to understand
why it's not growing. Do we need to fast Lord, to find the answer? Lord
please, help us to be good leaders and bring the kids to know integrity and
the truth of you. Lord, we are asking you to completely drown Monday nights
with your blessings. If you have any suggestions let me know, we are OPEN!
Please keep Andrew and I in your prayers and Monday nights. The woes of
being ministry are rewarding but also at time very hard because of the ups
and downs. I am thankful that God is able to use us.

Sometimes Andrew and I often wonder if God will some day use us to be
church planters because God has made our life so mobile right now. We live
in a 5th wheel... If God called us to somewhere else in the nation, we
wouldn't even need to pack. We could just hitch up and leave :) It's such a
cool feeling but also really scary because I would need to leave the only
place I've ever known.

Open door

Pastor Cor spoke on John 10:1-30, It's not enough to JUST know where the
door to Salvation is, we have to walk through it and accept it. We cannot
look at the door of Salvation from the outide and say we're saved. We have
to walk through and receive God's blessing of forgiveness. Too many people
in our society think that if they look at the door long enough that they
are saved. If you dont't know Christ, think about how he could bless you.
If you confess with your mouth the Jesus is Lord, and believe with all your
heart, then you will be saved.

Don't be complacent in where you are in your faith, be active and
expressive about what God has done for you. Be willing to look at where you
are in your faith and always be striving toward growing closer to Christ.
Never give up on meeting together and knowing God more.

Funny video

This video was from Melissa's birthday a few months back, but it is still so dang funny. We went to build a bear, and the bear you see is one that I am making hardcore dance while we are driving in the truck. So funny :)


Get this video and more at MySpace.com

Best milk ever

If you drink milk, we bought some of this milk from stater bros. And it is
literally the best tasting milk I have ever had. It comes in a glass
bottle, and it's reduced fat. You should try it sometime.

Updated Site- Bee Zion

Hey Everyone,
Jusy wanted to let you know I have updated my website for Bee Zion. Go ahead and check it out and let me know if you have any suggestions for it. I created using the new iweb, which I have to say it soooooo awesome if you own a mac.


www.Beezion.com

Quick and Easy Recipe

1 lb. uncooked turkey breast cutlets, about 1/4 in thick
1/2 cup Honey dijon mustard dressing
1 cup baby-cut carrots, cut lengthwise
1/4 cup of water
2 cups fresh sugar snap pea pods strings removed

1) Place tuckey in shallow glass or plastic dish.Pour dressing over turkey; turn tukey to coat evenly. Cover dish; let stand for 20 minutes

2) Spray 12-inch skillet with cooking spray, heat over medium heat. Drain dressing from turkey; pat turkey dry. Cook turkey in skillet 3 to 5 minutes, turning once until brown.

3) Add carrots and water. Top turkey and carrots with pea pods. Cover, cook 7 to 9 minutes or until carrots are tender and tukey is no longer pink in center.

4 Servings
Prep time 20 minutes
Start to Finish: 40 minutes

*Note: When I cooked it, I added a little more honey dijon mustard to give more flavor and added salt and pepper.

Listen to God's Word

"Does my critique of believbers who don't pay attention to God's Word seem harsh? Often I've observed that people do not listen in church, and my sympathies are with those who, when they finally plop down in the pew are completely exhausted from a week of work and a harried morning's rush to get to church. I am also sympathetic with those who have given up listening because the pastor is poorly prepared or has himself given up on preaching God's Word in favor of more popular themes. But when God's Word is preached we must discipline ourselves to listen in spite of difficulties because listening is God's will for us. Hear Jesus' words: "My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they shall never perishl no one can snatch them out of my hand" (John 10:25-28, emphasis added). "


Disciplines of a Godly woman by Barbara Hughes

Bridal shower location

Hey everyone, I am throwing the bridal shower for my cousin and I am really
STUGGLING to find a place to hold it at since I do not have a house. It is
going to be a late afternoon shower and I want it to be elegant but also
not too expensive since I am on a budget myself. If you have any
suggestions for location within the inland empire. Please, please let me
know!!!

My meds

Not a huge dilemma but, when I switched jobs my insurance dropped until August. So, I attempted to fill my rx through Savon's, but when they called had no refills left. So they said, oh just contact your Dr to get authorized for a refill. So, I contacted Kaiser to get the contact for my Dr. Well, she doesn't work at Kaiser anymore. So, now I cannot get a refill unless I pay out of pocket for the Dr's appt and the rx, which we can't afford. We figured whatever happens is in God's hands. Keep us in your prayers.

Alrighty so here's the deal...

After speaking with our accountant, Andrew's dad, we were trying to decide what we were going to do next with the living situation. We can't really afford a mortgage yet, so looking at anything but a complete junker is out of the question. So, our options are this... 1) we will need to buy a different 5th wheel with a better floor plan in case we have an unplanned surprise so we want a 5th wheel with the ability to put a crib in. Anyway, plan one is buy a piece of land decently sized and not too expensive, put the 5th wheel on it and slowly build a paneled (pre-fab) home. Or 2) Buy a junker house that need major repair, fix it piece by piece and meanwhile living in the 5th wheel until the house is liveable. So, let me know which idea you think would be better.

Unless, the property values in Riverside drop severely then these are our only options.


Pray that God gives us guidance in what to do with our finances He's given us, and that his direction will be clear.

Mr Woodbury's last performance

Today, one of our kids in the youth group attends Ramona and is in the Madrigals there. Ramona is also my alma mater, and I sang for 6 years under Mr Woodbury. In June, he will be retiring after 27 years of choir teaching at Ramona and also at Sierra Middle School. When I was going through junior high and high school, I didn't appreciate him that much. Looking back I appreciate him, he taught me a lot about singing, about loving music completely in every genre. He also taught me about how to be picky about voices and listen for flaws. I am critical of myself and my own singing not because I am self conscious but because Mr Woodbury loved near perfection in voices. So, I thank you, Mr Woodbury, for giving me a passion for singing and making me strive more to make my voice more beautiful. Thank you for your passion for music, which has been passed onto other students, and also for caring so much for your students. A bittersweet ending I am sure!!

Clothes created

These are the baby clothes I have sewn I am working on some more!!!

Devotion

Our devotion results in a conscious yielding of every part of our
personality, every ambition, every relationship, and every hope to Him.
Submission to God's will is the true heart of worship.

From "Disciplines of a Godly woman" by Barbara Hughes

I need my meds...

J/K. Well, this month I have been completely without insurance and won't have any until august 1st, so now I can't get any medications or have any dr's appts until august. So, now it's a waiting game and well to be honest kinda frightening at the same time. I hope nothing serious happens to me... keep me in yours prayers. Also, we need extreme direction for finances as to what God wants us to do either buy a townhome, or a bigger rv, or just stay with what we have. Pray that God shows us the right decision to make. Love ya all.

Sold baby!!

Yeah baby, I sold my car today!!

Thoughts for today

"But true discipline is a far cry from legalism- thank God! The difference lies in motivation: Legalism is self-centered; discipline is God-centered. The legalistic heart says, 'I will do this thing to gain merit with God.' The disciplined hearts says, 'I will do this because I love God and want to please Him.' "

From "Disciplines of a Godly woman" by Barbara Hughes

Slideshow of my work!

Some of my work!

Here are some pictures from my recent work (engagement photos):

5 Questions from the DaVinci Code

5 Big Questions from The Da Vinci Code
A brief guide.
by Christianity Today magazine editor Collin Hansen


Download this article as a Free One-Page Guide to hand out and discuss with your family and friends.

Already an international publishing sensation, The Da Vinci Code now is a feature film directed by Ron Howard and starring Tom Hanks. The compelling story written by Dan Brown blurs the line between fact and fiction, so moviegoers have joined readers wondering about the origins and legitimacy of orthodox Christianity. This guide offers brief answers to five important questions.

1. Was Jesus married to Mary Magdalene?
No. Mary Magdalene was certainly close to Jesus. She wept at Jesus' tomb (John 20). Jesus even entrusted her to return and tell the disciples about his resurrection. But we have no reason to believe they were married. Brown says that Leonardo da Vinci's Last Supper reveals the secret. He writes that the figure to Jesus' right, traditionally known as the apostle John, is actually Mary. Not true. Artists often gave characters feminine features to portray youth. John was the youngest of the disciples.

Brown correctly observes that few Jewish men of Jesus' day did not marry. But why, then, did the apostle Paul, himself celibate, not mention Jesus and Mary when he argued that apostles could marry (1 Cor. 9:5)?

2. What about these alternative gospels that aren't in the New Testament?
It's true that the Bible did not arrive as a "fax from heaven," as Brown writes. The New Testament canon in its current form was first formally attested in 367. Nevertheless, church leaders applied important standards when compiling the Bible. Authors of accepted writings needed to have walked and talked with Jesus, or at least with his leading disciples. Their teaching could not contradict what other apostles had written, and their documents must have been accepted by the entire church, from Jerusalem to Rome. Church leaders considered earlier letters and reports more credible than later documents. Finally, they prayed and trusted the Holy Spirit to guide their decisions.

The so-called Gnostic gospels, many discovered just last century, did not meet these criteria. Many appeared much later than the Bible and were dubiously attributed to major Christian leaders. Their teachings contrasted with what apostles like Paul had written. For example, many Gnostic writings argued that Jesus did not appear in the flesh, because flesh is evil, or they rejected the Old Testament.

3. Were there really competing Christianities during the early church?
Yes—in the sense there were many disputes about the nature of Jesus. And the church has done its best to vanquish challengers to orthodoxy. Once the church decided against the Gnostic writings, they gathered and burned all the Gnostic manuscripts they could find.

Later church councils convened to discuss other threats to Christian orthodoxy. Constantine, the first Roman emperor to make Christianity legal, called the most important of these meetings in 325. Leaders from around the Christian world gathered in Nicea, where they debated Arianism, which taught that God created Jesus. Brown writes that Constantine called this council so he could introduce a new divine Jesus on par with the Father. On the contrary, documents from before Nicea show that most followers of Jesus already called him LORD, the Yahweh of the Old Testament. The church leaders at Nicea rejected Arianism and affirmed that God and Jesus existed together from the beginning in the Trinity. This council produced the first drafts of what became the Nicene Creed, a landmark explanation of Christian belief.

4. What is Opus Dei?
A conservative religious group within the Roman Catholic Church. Opus Dei urges priests and laypeople to strenuously pursue sanctification through everyday discipline. The group has taken criticism for its conservative views, zeal, and secretive practices. There is no evidence that Opus Dei has resorted to murder; nor has the Vatican entrusted Opus Dei to violently guard the church's deepest secrets, as Dan Brown claims in The Da Vinci Code.

5. Does the Priory of Sion really exist?
Yes, but not as described by Brown. Researchers suspect that members of the real-life Priory of Sion, founded in 1956, forged documents that placed major historical figures—such as Isaac Newton and Leonard da Vinci—in an ancient secret society. There is no evidence for this group beyond dubious documents. Any story relating this group to a dynasty begun by Jesus and Mary Magdalene is a fanciful work of fiction.




Collin Hansen is associate editor of Christianity Today (www.christianitytoday.com). For more Christianity Today coverage, visit www.ChristianityToday.com/go/DaVinci

Car for Sale!

Well, since we bought our new car... we are selling my 1998 Ford Escort, runs good needs a/c repair $2000/obo. Let me or Andrew know if you would be interested in buying or know somebody that would be. I will post pictures of my car at a later date!

My first cake

I had some time on my hands today and I have always wanted to make a cake and use the fondant icing... so I actually made a cake using the fondant icing. Which it is pretty cool to manipulate but it actually doesn't taste like anything but sugar... next time I use it I am going to put a layer of regular frosting underneath. Take a look: