Monsters Inc: Fighting the Monsters Within You

I have learned that when bad things happen to you, you have two choices. You can become bitter and angry at God and the world or you can become better and stronger. I choose to become better. There are monsters all around us that want to steal our joy: impatience, hurt, anger, envy, bitterness, greed, loneliness, guilt, etc. The trick is to call them out and find ways to combat them. I find that worship music, the old hymns, really helps me.

You have to tell the voices in your head, that seem so loud, to be quiet.  I wish it wasn't so hard. I find myself failing a lot. I have found that if you are not careful that impatience can turn into anger, angry can turn into bitterness, and bitterness turns into envy. Envy is a horrible emotion. Envy not only steals your joy, but it robs you of feeling joy for someone else.  Guilt speaks loudly in your ear when you are alone.  What did I do wrong?  You go through every moment in your mind and wonder what you could have done differently.  The Devil would love it if I gave in and let him win.  He would love it if I got anger at God and walked away from His love.

I have chosen to lean in to what God is teaching me. If we don't learn something during life's trials, then the situation was wasted. It had no purpose. What is God trying to teach me? I don't know that yet. Even when I feel alone and just want to scream, God is there. While I try and find an explanation, God is there telling me He has it under control. Have I hit the acceptance stage? Hardly. Do I feel better today than I did yesterday? Yes, so far.

I am choosing to become better. I am choosing to move forward and not live in the past.  I am choosing not to let the monsters steal my joy for one more day.

2 Cor. 12:9-10: My Grace is Sufficient For You

2 Cor. 12:9-10
But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

Philippians 3:12-14
I don’t mean to say that I have already achieved these things or that I have already reached perfection. But I press on to possess that perfection for which Christ Jesus first possessed me. No, dear brothers and sisters, I have not achieved it,d but I focus on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us.

Do I truly believe this? I am made stronger in weakness.  Jeremiah 29:11 - "For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." It sounds good and I want it to be true.  But do I really believe it? I am looking forward to God's plan for us this year.  The best is yet to come.
Psalm 40:5

Isaiah 40:31: They will walk and not become weary

* Yet those who wait for the LORD Will gain new strength; They will mount up with wings like eagles, They will run and not get tired, They will walk and not become weary. Isaiah 40:31

CONTENT; CONTENTMENT
kon-tent', kon-tent'-ment (ya`al; arkeo): To be free from care because of satisfaction with what is already one's own. The Hebrew means simply "to be pleased." The Greek brings out the full force of the word in 1 Timothy 6:8 Hebrews 13:5. Contentment (1 Timothy 6:6) is more inward than satisfaction; the former is a habit or permanent state of mind, the latter has to do with some particular occurrence or object.

* But godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that. 1 Timothy 6:6-8

* I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do everything through him who gives me strength. Philippians 4:11-13

You're Still God by Kathy Troccoli

You're Still God by Kathy Troccoli

Jesus,I love you
And I believe all that you've said.
I know your promises,they are true
Beyond my questions
And times when I just don't understand
Help me remember Lord
The answer's in your hands
So I sit at your feet and I listen
For your ways are much higher then mine

Do what you want to do,I give my all to you
Whatever you ask of me
Lord fill me with your grace.
Do what you got to do,I surrender my life to you.
I'm never whitout a prayer.
You're hope inside my heart.
I know you're still God

Jesus,I need you
I have been wandering in the dark.
Whenever I call your name
There you are
You have been faithful
Even when I have I have turned away.
I've seen your mercy
Always light my way.
So I sit at your feet and I listen
For your ways are much higher then mine.

Every storm you lead me trough
I will put my trust in you
Give me grace to carry on

The Snow is Coming...Maybe

Thursday Forecast: "Cloudy with snow showers early and steady snow likely later in the day. Temps nearly steady in the mid 30s. Winds NW at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of snow 90%. 1 to 3 inches of snow expected."

According to weather.com, we are under a Winter Storm Watch from Thursday afternoon to Friday morning.  The article claims that this might be the biggest winter storm of the season.  The worst of the lake effect snow is supposed to come Thursday night.  So we will just have to hunker down and wait to see how bad it.  The local forecast is only calling for 1-3 inches of snow.  We shall see who is right.

Year In Review: 2011

Goals for 2011

I can't believe that 2011 is over already. I can't wait to see what adventures God has in store for us this year. I suspect that our lives will change a lot this year with starting Wycliffe training, getting our house ready to sell, and preparing to maybe move down to Texas. There is so much up in the air when it comes to a time line. I'm trusting that God has it all in control.

We actually paid off about off more debt than we did last year, so we did make our financial goal. I didn't think that we would with all the pay cuts. We have leave the credit up to God, because we did not do it on our own. God has really provided for us this year. I could not be happier with the way things are right now.

The year started out with us remodeling our bathroom. It looks really nice. Steve did a really nice job. We replaced the last two windows in the house this year too. That was basically all the major work we did on the house this year. In February, it got a little stressful in our house when I lost my job at the mall Sears. We scrambled to adjust our budget while I looked for another part time job. God provided me with another job at the new Sears Hometown Store the next week. Then Steve transfered down from the Electronics Department to the Hardware Department. That was a huge blessing, because Hardware does quite a bit more business than Electronics. So when the YWCA cut his hours back again this summer it was easy for him to work for hours at Sears and make up the loss in income. In the Spring, we took a trip to Tulsa to visit my best friend and her family. It was an eventful trip. I was happy with my Lizzy and her parents though. That part was a good part of the trip.

Steve and I celebrated our 4th Anniversary. I'm looking forward to another 80 more. Before we even got married, I knew that he wanted to work with Wycliffe and do Bible translation. This June, we got to the point financially where we could start the application process. I didn't realize how long of an application process it was going to be. In November, we were finally accepted as members and now the process continues. We have to find a place to serve and wait for that country to send us an invitation. We have been in talks with both Chad and Cameroon in Africa.

My sis and I turned 30 this year. I'm looking forward to what the next decade has in store. We had another baby boom in our family this year. Two of my cousins had kids this summer. For my cousin Joe and his wife, it was there first son. Little Chris is an absolute cutie. My cousin Pete, his wife Gina, and their son, Isaac welcomed a little brother named Eric. He is a cutie too. So far, I have three little "second cousins" and they are all boys. Our family needs some little girls. Steve's family grew too. His mom decided to adopt a baby this year to help out one of her students. Her name is Julienne and she is precious. I know it might sound crazy, but I think that little girl is going to be blessed. God pulled her out of a life of generational poverty and put her into a huge loving family. God has a special plan for her.

We were blessed beyond belief this year. I am so thankful for the amazing friends and family that we have. I'm so looking forward to great adventures 2012 will have in store for us.

Christmas 2011

Oh, how I love Christmas.  There is just something special about getting together with family and friends to celebrate the birth of Jesus.  I love the spirit of giving that comes out this time of year.  If you look hard enough, you can find the joy in the season.  I know I'm slightly biased, but I think I have to best family ever.

Breath of Heaven by Amy Grant
I have traveled
Many moonless night
Cold and Weary
With a babe inside
And I wonder
What I've done
Holy Father
You have come
Chosen me now
To carry your son

I am waiting
in a silent prayer
I am frightened
by the load i bear
In a world as cold as stone
Must I walk this path alone
Be with me now
Be with me now
[chorus:]
-----------------------------------
Breath of Heaven
Hold me together
Be forever near me
Breath of Heaven

Breath of Heaven
Lighten my darkness
Pour over me, your holyness
For your holy Breath of Heaven
-----------------------------------
Do you wonder
As you watch my face
If a wiser one, should of had my place
But I offer-all I am
For the mercy-of your plan
Help me be strong
Help me be
Help me

Happy Fiscal New Year!

Today is our Fiscal New Year!  Since we get paid every other week our paychecks don't line up with a traditional month.  At the beginning of every year, I map out and label each check with either "Check 1," "Check 2," or "Extra Check."  This year our "Check 2" of December landed on December 8th, so that means the checks we got today are the first check on January.  So HAPPY NEW YEAR to us!
Now that mean it's time for us to have our year budget committee meeting and see how we did for the year.  I think we were incredibly blessed this year.

Book Review: The Love and Respect Experience

I just started reading The Love & Respect Experience A Husband Friendly Devotional that Wives Truly Love by Dr. Emerson Eggerichs.  I chose this book because Steve and I were looking for a devotional that we can go through together.  This sounded like a good one because I have heard good reviews of this authors other books and I have heard him speak.  The devotional is designed that you can do it together each daily or one each week.  Because of our busy schedule, we chose every Sunday.  Each devotional (there are 52) is just a few pages long and begins with Scripture and includes a personal example followed by suggestions for prayer and action.


Each devotion focused on how men and women think differently about different topics.  My biggest disappointment was that I hoping that it would go a little deeper and be more of a Bible study.  It seems perfect for a couple that is struggling with communication in their marriage or if a couple wants a simple devotional.  It is nice that it gives us a chance to relax on Sunday evening after a busy week, read the devotional for that week and then discuss what we read.

* Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze®.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.

Are you Square Peg Trying to Fit into a Circle Hole?

We had a great conversation last night with the African coordinator.  Chad or Cameroon? 


The African Coordinator last night said that we wants to make sure that the job is a good fit for both us.  In Chad, if we focus on my work we would be in the capital city, and they are very interested in me coming as an IT Manager.  However, they won't have a linguistic position available in the city, so Steve might have to work in something that he is not necessary as passionate about, literacy work.  If we focus on Steve's skills of linguistics, we would have to be in a more rural area closer to the people groups and they would have to find something for me.  In Cameroon, there is an opportunity to be in a city and they can use both Steve's linguistic skills and my skills as a computer help desk specialist of sorts.

Of course, we are both willing to work where we are needed and Steve is willing to fill the role in literacy, instead linguistics, if we do choose Chad.  Dave, the African Coordinator, however; said that even though Steve is willing to step out of his passion area he doesn't want to "take Steve as a square peg and drill him into a round peg, just so they can fit him into a round hole."

In either country, it sounds like we would most likely be working in a language cluster where they are working on many languages at the same time, since we have to be in a city but still close to the people groups.  Steve would occasionally take trips to the villages to meet with the "mother-tongue translators."

My New Sister-in-Law

We got to meet our new sister today.  She is such a sweet little baby.  I got to feed and snuggle with her.  She is so very precious.

Steve's mom adopted a baby.  She is one week old today.  She is such a lucky little girl to have been taken out of a cycle of generational poverty into a huge loving family.  God must have something really amazing planned for her.

I love Fall

We raked our leaves for the second time this season today.  Our first pile was about a third of the one we made today.  This is a picture of our leaf pile from today.  I parked my car next to the pile, so you could get an idea of how big the pile is.  It is taller and longer than my car.  There are still some leaves on the trees too, but the rest we can mulch with the lawnmower.  I love Fall or Autumn as it likes to be called.  I really think it's my favorite season.  I love the cool crisp air and all the pretty colors.  It was such a beautiful day today.  It was perfect day for raking leaves and yard work outside.  I hope the weather stays like this a little longer.

YWCA 2011 Winter/Christmas Wish List

This week we been over capacity averaging between 145-155 women and children residing at the YWCA North Central Indiana.  Today, we have a census of 78 women and 78 children for a total of 156.  This proves there is a great need for our services here in the Michiana area.  The YWCA serves women and children that are victim's of domestic violence, chemically dependant, and living in our Transitional and Permanent Housing programs.

Many of our clients are young single moms that enter the shelter with nothing but their kids and the clothes on their backs.  We never turn away a woman and her children in need of shelter due to domestic violence. 

What does this mean?  It means that we have some huge needs currently and I predict bigger needs as it gets colder.

Our Current Immediate Needs:

• Hats/Gloves/Scarves/Winter Coats for both women and children
• Twin sized winter blankets
• Pillows
• Snow boots for both women and children

YWCA Wish List

Due to Indiana Health Laws, we cannot accept used Stuffed Animals

Food Related: Canned & Boxed Foods of all kinds, Non-Perishable items, Food Storage Containers, metal teaspoons, plastic forks/knives, Plastic bowls/cups, Juice, Cereal

Personal Care Products: Deodorant, Conditioner, Lotions, Shower gels, Hand Sanitizer, Combs, Toothbrushes (adult and children), Toothpaste (small and large), Disposal razors, Kleenex, Feminine Care products, Paper Towels, Toilet Paper

Infant Care: Baby bottles, Disposable Diapers (all sizes), Baby Wipes, Baby Shampoo, Baby Lotion, Baby Powder, Baby Food and formula, Sippy Cups, Baby monitors, Strollers, Toddler and Preschool Car Seats

Over the Counter Medicines and First-Aid: Aspirin, Tylenol, Midol, Advil, Tums, Pepto-Bismol, Non-Alcohol Cold medicines, First Aid tape

Household Items: Shower curtains, Wash Cloths, Towels, Crib sheets, Twin-Sized Blankets and Sheets, Bed Pillows, Elevated toilet seats, Space Bags for storage, Laundry Detergent, Small Alarm Clocks, Microwave Ovens, Small Kitchen Appliances.

Clothing: Plus Sized Women, Baby Clothes

Miscellaneous Items: Pre-paid Phone Cards, Bus Passes, Wheel Chairs, Office Supplies, Blank Journals, Reading Glasses, Luggage, Heavy Duty Snow Blower, Leaf Blower, Drill Dress, Gas Fryer, Heat Lamp for Kitchen, Commercial Washers and Dryers

Almost anything you use in your household is needed at the YWCA.
Items can be delivered to the front desk between 8-5 Monday through Thursday and 8-2 on Friday.

YWCA North Central Indiana
1102 S. Fellows
South Bend, IN 46601
Phone Number: 574-233-9491
Crisis Line: 574-232-9558

Passion: We are Hungry

Lord I want more of You

Living water rain down on me
Lord I need more of You
Living breath of life come fill me up

Lord I want more of You
Living water rain down on me
Lord I need more of You
Living breath of life come and fill me up

We are hungry
We are hungry
We are hungry for more of You
We are thirsty, oh Jesus
We are thirsty for more of You

Lord I want more of you
Holy Spirit rain down on me
Lord I need more of you
Living breath of life come and fill me up
chorus x2

More of You
We are hungry for the more of You
We are thirsty (thirsty)
We lift our holy hands up
We want to touch You
We lift our voices higher and higher and higher to You

We lift our holy hands up
We want to touch You
We lift our voices higher and higher and higher to You
chorus x2

We lift our holy hands up
We want to touch you (We are hungry for more of You)
We lift our voices higher and higher and higher to you
We lift our holy hands up (More of You, more of You)
We want to touch you (More of You, more of You, more of You more of You, more of You, yeah)
We lift our voices higher and higher to You

We lift our holy hands up (We are hungry, We are thirsty
We want to touch you (We are hungry for the more of You)
We lift our voices higher and higher to You
More lyrics: http://www.lyricsmode.com/lyrics/p/passion/#share

What a Beautiful Weekend

I had a great weekend.  The  crisp cool air and the beautiful trees.  I love this beautiful fall weather.  I actually had both Saturday and Sunday off work.  That doesn't happen very often, unless I request it.

Saturday: On Saturday, I went to my first Women's Conference.  The North Central District of the Missionary Church had their Annual Women's Conference.  The church we are now attending is a part of that.  I decided to go because the speaker was a missionary with Wycliffe and I thought it might be cool to hear from someone else who actually works with them already.  The conference was in Shipshewana at the Farmstead Inn.  That area is so beautiful.  It seems so peaceful out there.  I was really glad to see other people from church there, since I had no idea who else was going.  I'm glad I went though. 

Jan Benson was the main speaker and she has been serving in Peru for the last 30 years.  Gospel Center was their sending church and has supported them for over 30 years.  They had their Bible dedication in August where they delivered the completed Bible to the people they had been translating it for.  She showed a video of the dedication and it was so exciting.  The people looked so happy.  These are people that 40 years ago didn't even have their language written down and now they have the Bible printed in their language.  The next step is to continue to teach the young people to read and write, so they can continue to study the Bible and maybe get sent out as a missionary themselves.  God is at work!  There are about 2000 languages left that need a Bible in their language.

"I pray that you may be active in sharing your faith, so that you will have a full understanding of every good thing we have in Christ." Philemon 1:6

One big thing I took away from the day is that if God calls, then he will provide us with whatever we need.  Life as a missionary in an unknown country can sometimes be scary or stressful.  You may have to work with people that you don't work well with or the people you are called to serve may not receive you with open arms.  But God can use us even when we don't understand why things are happening.  After the conference was over, I introduced myself to her and told her that Steve and I were in the application process for Wycliffe.

"No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us." Romans 8:37

On the way home, since I was in Shipshewana, I had to stop my Das Essenhaus and pick up some tasty food.  I got some Apple Cinnamin Bread and some Black Bean Salsa. Both were spectacular.  Then I rushed home hoping to get home before the Notre Dame game started since I only live a few minutes from campus.  I didn't want to get stuck in the traffic going to the game.

Sunday: We got up and went to small group and church.  The speaker from Saturday's conference and her husband spoke at church.  He talked again about the work they did in Peru.  The Missions Committee was taking them out to lunch and invited us to come along.  We were babysitting our favorite girls on Sunday too and since we didn't want to be rushed at lunch, we picked up the girls and brought them with us.  We went to Ho Pings House Chinese Restaurant.  It was pretty tasty and it the lunch special prices were good.  I feel like we made some new friends. I love knowing they they will be praying for us as we continue to Wycliffe journey. 

When we got home, the girls wanted to play some Mario Cart with Steve.  Kariana helped me make some Turkey Pumpkin Chili for dinner while Steve got the games set up.  She learned how to saute peppers and was pretty excited about that.  She said that even though she doesn't like vegetables, she still likes to saute them.  I love that girl. She cracks me up.  She also helped wash some dishes afterwards.  I also made some pumpkin cookies too with the leftover pumpkin.  The girls and Steve took a break from playing Mario Cart for some "snack time" and enjoyed them very much.
After some tough Mario Cart matches with Steve where Kariana actually beat him once, the girls relaxed and played until their dad came to pick them up.  After the girls went home, Steve and I relaxed around the house, ate some dinner, and relaxed some more.  It was a great ending to a great weekend.

Wycliffe Application Process Continues

I think I had a pretty productive night tonight.  First, I started dinner in the crock pot.  I'm making some Italian Country Ribs.  They should be great.  Then I started some laundry, folded it, and put it away.  The last load is currently in the dryer.  Then I started some dishes in the dishwasher.  I love the feeling of accomplishing stuff and getting the house clean.  It still needs some work, but it's a start.

Steve and I have about 20 days left to finish our Wycliffe application.  The only part that we have left to do is the summary of our Church Interview.  It was a dinner interview, so I had to cook for everybody.  I made some Parmesan Chicken and they turned out great.  I made some rice, corn, and fruit salad to go with the chicken.  Lance and John said if I wasn't good for Wycliffe, I was definetly good at making chicken.  I thought the interview went great.  It was neat and helpful to meet with someone who had actually grew up as a missionary kid.  I think we interviewed them as much as they were interviewing us.  We discussed everything from raising kids to partnership building.  Now the only thing we have to wait for is one more reference for me to come in and we are done with the application.  Once our application team looks over our application, we can move forward in the process. The next step is to be assigned a ministry location and start our Equip training.  This has been a long application process.

Baked Parmesan Chicken! Yum!



Smile on this Rainy Day!

Proverbs 15:13: A happy heart makes the face cheerful, but heartache crushes the spirit.

"Be glad today for the clouds or the rainbows. Both are meant for your good. And without both, neither has meaning." Anonymous

Thursday Date Night: Rio

I love Thursdays from Red  Box.  Every week, I get a code texted to my phone for a free movie.  Last night for dinner, I made a Cheesy Chicken and noodle casserole with green/red peppers and mushrooms.  It turned out great.  Very cheesy! 

Then we went over to our local Red Box and picked out a movie.  Steve wanted to see Rio.  It's a movie about a bird that gets bird-napped by an exotic pet shop and ends up lost in a small town in Minnesota when he fell off the truck.  He is found by a little girl who raises him as her pet.  She names him Blu.  He is a very spoiled, happy bird until a scientist comes to find him and says he is the last of his species.  The scientist has found a female blue Macaw and they only way for their species to survive is for them mate and have baby birdies.

After much prodding, the girl, who is know an adult, decides to bring her bird to Rio de Janero, Brazil with scientist.  The scientist runs a bird refuge that finds injured birds in the wild or rescues them from smugglers.  They arrive in Brazil just in time for the annual Carnival festival.  Blu and the female Macaw, Jewel, are again bird-napped by some local smugglers.  Blu must learn to trust his new friends and learn to survive out in the unknown wild.  It's a really cute movie about a bird who never learned to fly, who has lived as a pet his whole life, and never really had any bird friends. 

In all the adventures, Blu must gain the courage to learn to fly, develop friendships, and learn the value of family.  I thought it was a good story about perseverance, believing in yourself, and getting outside your comfort zone.
Definitely Pitney Approved.  Rated: G

One Week Left! Please Help if You Can!

The Big Red Shoes Are Back

The YWCA Staff Team needs some help to reach our goal.  There is one more week left to reach our goal!  Go to www.ywcancin.org and click on the red shoe or click on the link.

Join us in my efforts to support YWCA - North Central Indiana

Thank you for supporting YWCA - North Central. Your contribution is greatly appreciated.

Team Fundraising Goal:	$1,000.00
Total Raised:	$400.00

Can you walk a mile in her shoes! Join men throughout Michiana in the effort to raise awareness & money for the YWCA's Domestic Violence & Sexual Assault programs.

Saturday, October 1, 2011

9 am check in begins

10 am walk begins

Coveleski Stadium

South Bend, IN

Book Review: Your 100 Day Prayer

I am currently reading Your 100 Day Prayer: The Transforming Power of Actively Waiting on God by John I. Snyder.  I am on day 15 of the 100 day journey.  The premise of the book is that you pick one thing to pray about and then focus on that one thing for 100 days.  Not only do I think this book helped me get in the habit of praying every day, but it also has helped me focus on what to pray for.  For me, sometimes I find it hard to pray for myself because I feel that either I'm selfish to focus on myself or that I'm unworthy for God to answer something for me.  It's a process, but I am learning to break free from both of those opinions.  I am looking forward to continuing the journey of self discovery and watching God works is ways I have never seen before.  I'm excited to see what He is going to teach me through this journey.  We have some big changes coming into our lives in the next few years and it feels good to know that God is in control.  For each day there is a short devotion beginning with scripture and a guide to prepare you how to pray, so it forces me to go a little deeper than I might go on my own.  You can also jot notes and track the progress each day. 

"Go to God humbly and ask him to reveal the secret places of worry and anxiety that surround you and your need."

* Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze®.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.