Mosaic of a Decade

In six days I will be 30! I'm honestly feeling pretty excited about it! I've been thinking about my 20's lately and I am over whelmed by how much I've been blessed in ten years. Twenty feels like a lifetime ago...seriously. When I think about who I was at twenty and who I am now I'm amazed at how God works in our lives and grows us up, day by day...year by year.

Since twenty, I've moved five times (Scottsdale, AZ; Weare, NH; Boston, MA; Whittier, CA & Otaki, New Zealand); experienced great relational loss and restoration and in the process learned to trust God and be obedient in a way that continues to bring freedom to my life; I'm sorry to those I've hurt out of my insecurity or just plain immaturity and to those I couldn't love like you or I would've like to; I married the man of my dreams at 24 and it's been almost six amazing years already! I love you babe...it's been the most "excellent adventure" of my life!; I have a family that loves, supports, encourages and values me and I couldn't begin to express how blessed I am because of it. Thanks to my parents for their love and for continually pointing me toward God. To my sisters, "Slaw", "Honey", "Coco" and "Mouse", this one's for you, "Sisters, Sisters, never where there such devoted sisters...". Love you all so much!; I've had loved ones pass away; saw many babies of friends and family come into the world including my first nephew, Gideon!; celebrated weddings, birthdays, anniversaries, new jobs, challenging and positive life changes, healing and growth with those dearest to my heart; I've had challenging jobs and amazing ones! A "big and chunky" shout out to Peg and the ladies at "Peggy Anne's Quilting & Sewing Company"!!! I love and miss you all! Thanks for the good times, our hilarious travel adventures, for all the love, encouragement and prayer you've given over the years, and of course the COFFEE! *hugs*; I've been apart of church communities who know and understand what it means to love and serve God and each other unconditionally; I've learned that I can't, nor should I try (as much as I'd like to) to make everyone happy; I've been insecure, foolish, fearful, prideful, hopeful, honest, dishonest (mostly to myself), humble, anxious, stupid, embarrassing, joyful, overwhelmed, in awe, peaceful, amazed, crazy, courageous, loving, helpful, adventurous, hurt, healed, lost, found, broken, restored and everything in between!; I've experienced the love of God through so many amazing people over the years and I feel extremely honored and humbled to have the continued privileged of knowing each and every one of you; I saw God bring a miraculous healing to my Mom and continue to see him bringing her complete restoration and strength! THANK YOU JESUS!; I've seen God take me from a very insecure, fearful, not sure of her own self-value girl to a woman who believes she is fearfully and wonderfully made and strives every day to stand firm on Christ Jesus as her security, strength and dignity, because I am who God says I am and I have been called and given the right and authority of my God to go and do and be and LIVE all that He is calling me to!; I've traveled to Romania, London, Paris, Rome, Germany, Mexico, Hawaii, Canada, Dominican Republic and New Zealand! God has given me and my husband a passion for Missions (July 2012 will be our third year traveling to the Dominican Republic) and we are excited to continue to align our lives with His calling so we will continue to be available to go wherever He leads us!; I've learned what it is to have neighbors...ones that you actually like and have relationship with! :) We've been so blessed by Danika and Jr., our Weare, NH, neighbors, Nikki and Mavi, our Boston, MA, neighbors, and now Brian, Cathrine, and Sam, our Otaki, NZ, neighbors.; I've been white water rafting, experienced sunset on the Tasman Sea, became a certified scuba diver, been overwhelmed by God's creative design of nature and the complexity of humanity, had many regrets but have learned that we can't let our mistakes or even the things we haven't done dictate our future. 

The choice to LIVE is ours...all we have to do is make it! I had the opportunity to be apart of a Ladies Leadership Training group about three years ago and it impacted my life significantly. I realized through prayer and allot of self reflection that I had become so caught up in being who I thought people expected me to be and living just not to make any mistakes or upset anybody and that I was just striving not to fail...and that is no way to live. Over the years God has continued to teach me how to become true to him by being true to me and to decide everyday that I will choose to LIVE with the time I've been given and not just "get by".

I'm so overwhelmed by God's faithfulness and ENORMOUS love for me that I'm in tears just as I reflects on it all. I've had an extremely amazing and blessed 29 years...It hasn't been without hardship, heartache or trial, but I've come to realize that life without hardship, heartache or trial wouldn't be very interesting. Every hardship has pushed me closer to my God, every heartache has demanded that I re-evaluate how I am loving people and how and why I am seeking to be loved, every trial has brought correction and a new capacity to my character. I guess I would say I'm learning to stumble with grace and realize that even though my tiara is on crooked that I am still a site to behold in the eyes of my Father God!

30 here I come! I hope it's ready for me! I am! :)

insert foot through toilet seat here

so last night while using the cast iron grill pan to make lamb chops on the stove the house was getting quite smokey so we opened the windows and doors to air it out. this is a daring thing to do during the evening because the mosquitoes here are 3x the size of the ones at home and LOVE to be inside. as i was going around closing the windows after dinner i went into the toilet room (many houses in NZ have the toilet in a separate room from the shower and sink) and found 4 HUGE mosquitoes! these were even bigger than the ones i've been finding around the garden. i quickly closed the door ON Torre not realizing that he was following behind me so close and began the attack on the blood thirsty vipers! (we get tired of waking up with bites in case it wasn't obvious!) one...two...three down... the fourth was too high for me to reach so i took a quick second to consider whether or not i should stand on the toilet seat since it did seem a bit weak...i should've taking a few more quick seconds...because as i placed my right foot on the seat and boosted myself up i didn't even make it half way before my foot went right through the seat breaking it into several pieces. :< this isn't funny! i could've done some serious damage to my foot and i think i almost broke my big toe but thanks be to God i did not! torre ended up killing the fourth mosquito for me since i couldn't stop laughing. the only injury i did acquire was on my left calf. it seems a piece of the toilet seat hit it, scratched it and bruised it since it started swelling shortly after the incident. i put ice on it so the swelling didn't get bad but it is pretty sore.

Adventures Away! hehe.. (although not what i was expecting!)

and they're off!

February marks the last official month of summer here in NZ and the kids have already gone back to school. During January we went to one Sunday service and no Tuesday nights gathering but as of yesterday we are officially back to two Sunday services and our new Tuesday night bible studies starting tomorrow!

Yesterday we had an awesome 2012 Launch Party at the church! There was a free BBQ, bouncy castle, face painting and nail painting open to the community as well as a "massve" (as P. Mike would say) time of Praise & worship and a "full on" message from Pastor Mike about getting God's perspective! We had a full band including youth from Levin, team members from Lower Hutt Equippers and of course our team at OGNC. It was so much fun and God's spirit was there and actively moving in peoples hearts. Thanks so EVERYONE who helped make it all possible!

Friday and Saturday we had the Regional Leaders Retreat in Paraparaumu at a local Christian Camp. It was a really great time of getting to know the other leaders from our regions churches and to receive words of encouragement, building up and insight given by P. Sam, P. Jordan, P. Mike, P. Boon and P. Willie.

Sunday also marked the beginning of our Month of Prayer & Fasting. Over the next three weeks we will be fasting and praying for Nations, our Region and our City. Join us and get updates on our facebook page! We are expecting BIG things from God for 2012 and for future generations! We believe it's a year of inheritance for God's people and our prayer is that we would all be bold in our faith and not shy away from the land God has called us to poses!

Courageous

hello weekend! we had a few friends over tonight from church and watched Courageous. it was very good...definitely worth seeing. it's focus is steered towards fathers but mostly what it means to be a man of faith and courage in the role God created men for and their families. take some time to watch it with the men and boys in your life!

our friend, Preeti, brought over a yummy snack that her mom only makes once a year! it's called, Papbi, and it is light, crispy and absolutely yummy! it takes something like 5 hours spread out over a day or two to make so we feel VERY privileged to have been able to try it! THANKS PREETI'S MOM!!! :)

*main ingredients include: rice flour, cumin seed, salt, caraway seed

Dancing to the beat of our own tune

The new year is in full swing! I am always surprised how quickly a calendar can fill up. :/ All good things, of course, just busier some times than the likes to stay in bed side of me would like. :) I do like to sleep...I confess...but I must remind myself that there is plenty to be done and much that God is calling me to be apart of!

I am still busy helping in the church office, leading and cultivating the Music Team and in February we are starting a new Ladies Bible Study that I am overseeing. We are doing "So Long Insecurity, you've been a bad friend to me." by Beth Moore! I am VERY excited for this study because I believe that we all struggle with insecurity and that it's a major way the enemy convinces us that we are not ENOUGH for the plans and calling of God on our lives. Well, I disagree! We are enough because of Jesus Christ in our lives and we can do and be anything God has in mind! Get it! Read it! Don't allow a lie to hold you back from the truth of God's call, gifting and authority on your life.

Everything at the clinic is going really well with Torre. He will also be co-leading a new men's bible study in February! A few weeks ago he started meeting with one of the young adults at church for a weekly bible study.  A couple of weeks ago we decided to change the day so more people could come and the past two weeks we've had 5-7 people come! We are having it just for the month of January because we don't have a mid-week service during the Summer holiday season here, and then we will kick off the new bible studies in February.

We are excited for what 2012 holds. We are guaranteed lots of changes and unexpected you name it, but above all much love, joy, peace, patience and kindness from God and to and from others.

Natures Bounty

It has been such a blessing to have our first garden and to have neighbors who generously share their bounty with us! Here are some pics of what God's glorious design of the seasons has brought us!

This little one just came out of the nest  in the Fig tree!
I must have scared him pretty good because he pooped an entire worm while I was taking this picture! hahaha...

The garden as a whole has grown quite big. I've already had to remove a few things but the tomatoes are giving me a run for my money! I've had to re-stake them two times because they are growing out of control.
We still have four varieties of tomato, zucchini, herbs, bell pepper and lettuce.

The apple trees are still pretty small so they are bearing fruit but it's not very tasty.

Rhubarb!

The Fig tree exploded with figs in December...
Hopefully they will ripen and I'll get to them before the birds do!

It ran away and hid from me under the bench.

This is the only tomato that is not green. hehehe... And I wouldn't call it red. :/

Plenty to come though!

Surfs Up!

Mike has been teaching Torre more about surfing!
It's our Pastor's favorite pass time. :)

Ooo baby! He looks like Batman ;)

Here are some pics from their last surfing adventure:

and he's up!

Lucy and I were playing fetch :) 

 

He had a blast!