Love Out Loud Tour!!!!!!!

God is AMAZING!!!!

There is so much to say, but that sentence pretty much sums it all. Yuppers. :) For the last 3 weeks, we have been on the "Love Out Loud" tour where we got to love on others and our mission was to make the LOVE of God tangible and real, show others that it is something that they can see, hear, and feel, introduce them to Jesus, so He can seal the eternal deal!
He really is in control, though, not that I had to say it.
God loves us so much the psalmist tells us:

Psalms 139:17 and 18
"Oh how precious are your thoughts about me, O God.
They cannot be numbered! I can't even count them.
They outnumber the grains of sand!
And when I wake up, you are still with me!"

His plan is perfect and no matter how much you want your way, His way will be the only way. So you see, I had an opportunity to travel with the Israel team but God had other plans. Two days before we were to take off, I had become so sick I was not in the right state to travel across to the distant land of the chosen people. I had to stay home but I got a chance to heal. God is Jehovah-Rapha: The Lord who heals:

Psalms 103:1-3
"Let all that I am praise the Lord;
with my whole heart, I will praise his holy name.
Let all that I am praise the Lord;
may I never forget the good things he does for me.
He forgives all my sins and heals my diseases."

What an amazing God we serve and loves us not for who we are but because of who HE is!

So after a week of healing I had a chance to join my friends in the Coachella Valley-Palm Desert-Palm Springs area. The people there were are so blessed! I won't be able to even begin to share how much God moved in not only their hearts but ours! Check out the website-there's links to the other tours as well (Israel, Philippines, Sudan, and Macau, China).

www.loveoutloudtour.com

There are tons of testimony, pictures, and videos! The media team has done an awesome job capturing the essence of the tour!

Thank you!

{Click on picture for link to Love Out Loud tour 11/28/09}

The tour has touched my heart so much there is no doubt that God is Real! I saw the love and amazement of the people there, so many lives were introduced if not reconnected to Jesus! For right now, this very moment, the most momentous time was on one of the BBQ outreaches (It was just a few days after the Thanksgiving one in Thermal). HSE had turned an empty dirt lot into a large festival. Two buses filled the majority of the space with the band in between. There was chairs, tables, a balloon animal table, face-painting, and the food team making a delicious meal. The space filled with students and tons of kids! They were all so sweet! The best is watching two beautiful little girls dancing to the music and singing along! There were a few of those children that stepped up to receive Christ!
It was an overall wonderful trip and I can't wait for HSE 2!

God is truly amazing!!!!!

Four months?!?

Wow! I can not believe it's been Four months since I've entered in my blog!!! So much has happened in these short (but seems like long) months. First I've dedicated to God Five months to revolutionize my life and He did it in three! I've still got a long way to go but OMG, I have changed so much, I don't know where to start! Okay, here's the long story short (hopefully one day I'll be able to re-write it in more detail...) In the beginning (since my last post~) God was there...I've been interested in finding out more about a school my friend Jenn told me about. The Horizon School of Evangelism. Four months ago, Jenn mentioned HSE was having Vision Week-an intro about the school. I just knew I had to attend. I had a chance to visit twice before: Once during Jenn's Vision Week (the beginning of her semester) and on Friend day. I missed her graduation ~ partly because of drama (yuck!). The thought of attending HSE never really crossed my mind, just the sense of attending Vision Week. So the first day of Vision, a leader, Michelle, asked "Why not this semester?" Of course, I had my job, my promotion, my raise, my set schedule, my CSUSM, and my excuses. So I got an application and prayed about it. Each day God's been tugging at my heart "For a time such as this..." My soul was saying "why wait? why put God in the back burner?" My flesh said "no way, next semester, you'll be good next semester." So by Friday I turned in my application and Thank God, I had tuition~ AND I quit my job and school (California State University of San Marcos ~ I was on my way of finishing my Bachelors degree). Saying yes to the Lord in this way was very scary to me. It was a new way of living, not having a job. I was okay with it because I knew after I quit I could cash out my 401k. But that's another story. This was a MAJOR step in FAITH for me.

The interview with Robin was so revealing! She pointed out that I was the shrub in Jeremiah 17, in the dry desert. That day I cried my heart out to the Lord; I was this starving and parched child of God that was left in a dry wasteland of Life, so wanting to be freed, feed, and nourished! Robin welcomed me with open arms into the school and I prayed she was my leader. She's so beautiful, a Princess of the King of Kings, Our Heavenly Father. That next week, I had the chance to meet so many more "children of the King". New found friends but I was so shy. That week was Wilderness prep and more of the bible teachings. We were placed in "families" and I was so quiet, not wanting to ask questions or talk to anyone really. I felt like an outsider, an adopted child, the unwanted. Wilderness changed all that.

If I wrote a book of my life it would be called: My Train of Thought Crashed into God's Island of Peace. It does need a shorter title, though.

Humm....anyways, yes, Wilderness was such an amazing trip: a week of hiking on the beautiful island of Catalina, California. I was placed in a wonderful family: Tiffany and Matt (leaders) then my "sisters": Pam, Diana, Marnie, Brittan (so wonderful her parents named her after the land of greatness! lol), Jessie and Jackie. My "brothers" are: Mike ("Get in the truck kids! Time for ice cream"), Dave, John, Wil, and Cody. The leaders encouraged us that whatever issues we had in life to take it to the island and leave it there. I did...but the peace of the changes I've committed to is still an ongoing process. I hope that makes any sense. :)

We went on wilderness as friends but returned to school as a united and loving FAMILY. HSE2 sent us off with style and we returned the love by sending them out in style as well! They were leaving for Nehemiah (HSE2's version of Wilderness ~ they studied the book of Nehemiah all day, non-stop); The students for HSE1 got together and planned (it was so last minute ~ thanks to Wil and I working together) "one of the best send offs" (quoted by Ali, a leader). We had the works: The guys as luggage valet, we had two rows of greeters, lavish breakfast buffet, Heather, Brittan, Jay, and a worship group saranading everyone. It was GREAT!

After those trips we had the Huddle, where all the older alumnis and missionaries, get together to talk about the mission field. We had the privilege of "serving the servants, and washing the feet of the warriors". It was an amazing time! I did feel kinda bummed that on Saturday I was working but it became a blessing because I got to know my other brothers and sisters In Christ.

Dovetail was the only other outing besides outreach days outside of the school. Outreach were on Fridays where we went out to the communities (for example, Ocean and Mission Beaches, Old town trolley or Balboa Park) to share the Good News. It was all day worth of work, nothing but packing green beans ~ in food packs. Others had their own food product, and all the products had to be placed in each box in its specified place or else the box will not close. It was so awesome though! I wish I could describe it better. This is an experience I wish everyone could experience.

OMG, I don't know what I just did but I somehow erased so much! Ugghhh! Anyway, Dovetail was great...I wish I remembered what I wrote. Something about the food we had after working so hard...lol.

Well this is a long enough post I'll write more later. :)

Saturday morning....

It's been a tough week. It feels as if I've ran around from here to there and prayed so much more this week than any other times. Although I'm extremely thankful for this trying time. This week we were unsure of our living situation, it all started with a letter in the mail on Monday. Luckily, it ended with a sigh of relief on Saturday morning. We still have uncertainties up in the air but I trust God that he'll provide a way. Prayer and Faith...without these two I would be in trouble!

Happy 4th of July!

It's a few days early but I may not be on much since I have a 3-day weekend! These come far and few between so I'm hoping to take full advantage of it! I don't know what we have planned but the main thing on my agenda is to watch fireworks! Two years ago, Rich and I were in our boat in San Diego bay and to watching the fireworks was awesome! It's a great experience, that I hope to do again someday soon.
Whatever the plans may be, I wish everyone a fun and safe holiday!

Peace that passess all understanding

I hate slow internet connections. I have been waiting to post these pictures of the cards I just created and my wireless connection is lagging! It's funny because I'm all irritated about it and I glance at the verse I wanted to post for today. John 14:27 "Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid." Although I may be annoyed with my computer, I thank God for that peace that passes all understanding. Right now my life feels like a disaster. I stress about things I have no control of: work, school, FINANCES, my dogs, and my house. The Bible tells me to be anxious of nothing, all I have to do is pray and ask. With the way the world is today, I'm good, I don't have to stress and loose sleep, it could be worse. With that, the peace fills my heart and I know that I'm blessed. You too can have this peace, all you have to do is ask and receive it. God loves you!

Pretty ribbon

A Muse's second A*Muse*A*Palooza challenge is ribbon so here's my entry. The wild bouquet is the very first A Muse wooden stamp that I've purchased and I still love it! Anyway, check out the ribbon challenge and guess how many yards of ribbon are in the suitcase! Cheers and good luck!

Another Mundane Monday

Yesterday was Father's Day and I forgot I had made this card a few months ago. The verse is Matt. 4:18; "He said, Follow me and I will make you fishers of men." At church yesterday there was a skit with a little girl in a princess dress trying to attract the attention of her father. The father was busy on the computer and cell phone. I don't know what the song is but it brought tears to my eyes something about dancing with the princess and needing to practice her dance. Finally the father took notice and danced with the little girl. The skit took the audience through other times of her life: her prom and marriage, both with the fathers dancing with their little (or not so little, anymore) girls. It was really sweet.

My father passed away this March but I never really had that "daddy's girl" type of relationship. When I saw that skit it solidified my prayers that my kids will have that type of father I never had. My BF, my wonderful Richie, also shares my thoughts. We both want our kids to have a solid foundation with God in the center and a loving home. But before the kids, we gotta work on ourselves. I just hope I'm not too old to enjoy it! I'm kinda afraid I'll be in a wheelchair before my babies are teenagers! LOL....Ah, it's all God's timing and it's perfect timing!

Back to the card, I had wanted to submit the card to be on Christian Paper Crafts Magazine but I missed the deadline. There's always next time!

• The deets: The Greeting Farm-Rock the farm set and computer generated sentiments.