a view through the window 

foot in mouth disease

I'm going to try and make up for my horrible rant on Democrats now. Not to say those 2 mornings were fun, or even pleasant, but all democrats are not responsible for it, and all them do not act that way. That guy was just being a jerk, and his political views had very little to do with it. If he had just kept them to himself and agreed to disagree nothing would have happened--he was immature like you said Molly.

I guess I've just been having a really hard time lately with unpleasant people. See, around NOC, Christianity isn't really looked highly upon. If I were a Buddhist or had a Guru, or just thought that people were generally good, then I would automatically be accepted. The problem is, I'm not, and I don't condone those things. I'm sorry I don't think one person is responsible for the destruction of the world. I don't play the blame game every day, and it seems like everyone there does--even with the staff around them. I hate it, and it's discouraging. First, I wish people could be more accepting of each other. That is one thing I have learned being at NOC, that you have to accept people for who they are, not what they do or believe in. I guess that pretty much contradicts everything I said in my "democrat" blog, but I was angry, and I jumped into the blame game w/ both feet, sorry. I just want to serve God so much, and it seems there are so few Christian ministries to work in around here. I know my work place is a HUGE mission field, but I don't know what to say to them! I don't know anything about Buddhism or Guru's, and I'm such a bad example of a Christian that going on looks alone they're NOT coming to Christ. I just feel very defeated most of the time--there for the pay check but checking out. I love working in the outdoors, but how am I suppose to use that for God? I don't know yet. I feel like every time I start a new job I think, "this is the place I'm gonna start fresh for God, be an example from the beginning." And that lasts all of 2 days. Where to start? I don't know, but I feel like I'm being beat down from every direction at work. I really don't want to argue w/ anyone, I just want to run away from it---but is that the answer?

This is a picture from Hurrican Katrina...amazing huh? I have lots more, if you want me to e-mail them to ya just ask! 

Amazing Grace

I love this feeling that I have right now, the one that I get after being around Christians all night and having great discussions about God. It’s amazing isn’t it?! What God can do with your heart and your desires when you let Him? I would NEVER have imagined I would have wanted to do God’s will with this kind of desire when I was in high school. God was always a “I know I’m really suppose to want to do this stuff but I really just do it cause I have to” kinda thing. I love the fire that He has put in me right now; the heart he’s given me for missions, or just to serve Him in any way I can and to the best of my abilities. I almost cry when I think of how far God has brought me. And then I think of the rest of the journey, but I know that He’s going to walk with me the whole way. Wow, just wow is all I can say right now. We just got done with a small group meeting. I have to tell you, before we went I had almost decided I didn’t want to lead one anymore, that I hardly knew these people and how could they really ask me to do something like this so quickly! Well, too bad Satan, I’m not backing down, I’m just gonna have to study harder and pray more. Jason, the youth pastor at our church, just gave me a great entrance to a ministry/internship for next year. He wants me to intern at the church and work with the youth while I go back to school and finish a degree. The church pays for school and I work for them! It sounds amazing, and I am YEARNING to work with kids in a spiritual arena again. He always wants me to start helping out with youth group now, maybe w/ a girls Bible study group, which I am ECSTATIC about! I miss serving SO badly. I know God has a place for me, that he is going to fill this void and this yearning, and I can’t WAIT to see what he does with it! GOD’S AMAZING!

Political controversy

Let me give you this scenario. I walk into work at 7:30 in the morning, not a time I really like to be at work, but I have to, so that’s that. Into the kitchen I go where I usually get to talk to my favorite cook, he’s usually a laugh. Not this morning mind you, he’s ranting about how republicans suck and so on. I laugh and say, “hey watch it I’m a republican.” Ok, he takes that in stride w/ just a few snide remarks, then goes on to say one of many remarks he would make that day about how George W. Bush was the worst thing this country had ever seen and he was running it into the ground. Now at this point I probably should have just walked away, but, I didn’t think it would be that bad if I just jokingly said, “hey I voted for him.” No, wrong answer. I then got berated for the next hour about how I was affecting children for years to come and how could I do this to the world and was a I rich or something, how could I afford to vote for Bush??? After a bit of that and almost being in tears I finally left, because you just can’t argue w/ someone who is only going to see his side anyway and is blaming the countries debt (which we have been in since basically the beginning of our country) on one president. The next morning, guess what, the same thing—I yelled back this time, although it made no difference, he just yelled all the louder.

If you are a democrat, I suggest you probably not read the rest of this blog, I may offend you, but I just need to let off some steam.

Why is it exactly that Democrats get SO pissed when they find out we voted for a Republican presidential candidate, and yet, when was the last time you EVER heard of a Democrat voting for a Republican???? It doesn’t happen unless they are just a registered Democrat and always vote Republican. I mean, when exactly did the right for speech in this country start to infringe on other people’s decision to vote???? You voted for who you wanted to, SO GET OFF MY BACK!!! I’m sorry your presidential candidate didn’t win. Blame it on a miscalculation or a screw up or whatever you want to, but it’s not MY fault cause I voted for him, you lost GET OVER IT OR MOVE TO ANOTHER COUNTRY! And maybe if you do move, you should move to a place where they don’t GET to vote, and see how it feels when people infringe on your opinions. I just wanna know this---how does a miscount of votes that happened in the previous election get someone REELECTED in the second??? I don’t infringe upon you being a democrat, even though I still think you need to get saved (LOL), so don’t infringe upon mine. Didn’t you mother ever tell you, “If you can say anything nice, don’t say anything at all?” Well, I am, so just shut up.

Renovation complete...and other stuff

Well, I fixed the new color (I didn't like the last one, what do you think of the new one?) and put the tag-board and links back on...YAY! It took me alot of time, but I finally figured it all out. Hope ya like it.
In other news, Dave and I went kayaking last night at a lil place in Bryson called "the Dip." the Dip doesn't sound really that big or exciting, it's just a wave to play on right? No, it's really a BOAT EATING MONSTER! Yeah, we got up to the Dip and it looked too big for me, so I told Dave to go for it! lol He did, and at first he looked like a pro, surfin the wave and stuff, but then I realized it was sucking him in and spitting him back out repeatedly, he didn't WANT to go back in. Then it flipped him over a few times and he came out sputtering. But you looked GREAT while you were in it babe, promise, no one woulda known the difference! lol So, after we both figured out the Dip was too big for us, we went to Dip Jr. It's just a bit down the river from that in a nice wave to play in without eating you alive. We had a blast! I tried out a Pyranha Sub 7 kayak and he tried a Liquid Logic Vision 44. I did an STERN SQUIRT! I REALLY GOOD ONE! Dave taught me how to do it, and it felt so good! He was doin great stern squirts and BEAUTIFUL enders, you woulda loved it Scott. I also did some pretty mean surfin if I do say so myself (although I'm still not up to par w/ the Dip). Anyway, we had a really good time, even if Dave did have to drag me out there. That's how it always happens though; I never wanna go and he REALLY wants to go, so I drag myself out there and end of having lots of fun. Well, that's the end of my tales for now. I think I found the boat I wanna buy though, I really like the Sub 7, but I like the Jackson Fun too, it's just the seat adjustments really suck. Any advice Scott? SCOTT? Ya out there??? We haven't heard much from ya in a while buddy! E-mail us or somethin k? Peace out yo! lol

Technical difficulties

As you may see, this site is having technical difficulties. I tried to change just the color of my template but it erased the tag board and my links. Hopefully they will be back soon. Keep checking!

Taming the beast

Well, we didn't so much tame it, as it rode us. We were down at the beach this last week, during hurricane something or other (the one after Katrina if that helps, lol), and the weather got a bit fun. Monday afternoon they came through w/ a truck saying there was a mandatory evacuation for Oak Island (that's US!). Well, it was ONLY a tropical storm then, NOT EVEN A HURRICANE, and we knew it was just cause everybody was freaked out over Katrina's damage that they were even saying that. So, of course we had to stay and ride it out. The bridge to get off the island closes down after sustained winds of 40 mph. It started coming in hard on Monday night, the whole house was rocking and creaking throughout the night, but of course Dave slept right through it (except when I woke him up, he was very sympathetic for all the 30 seconds he managed to keep his eyes open). Then Tuesday the power went off at 7 am. The Summer's family were down at the beach w/ us, along w/ my whole family (excluding Shannon and Shaun's family). As soon as we got up, Brad, Daddy, Dave and I rode around the island to see if anything had power or was open. We got to the LAST gas station before the bridge and it was open! It had a generator of course, but we bought coffee and those lil white donuts and got the morning gossip, so we were doin good. The lady said the worst of the storm was yet to come (we didn't mention that to Laurie and Mom, they weren't very happy we had stayed by this point). The wind and rain had done some damage to the roads, and a couple of signs and awnings, but other than deep water that was it. We played the LONGEST game of Phase Ten I think I have EVER sat through, and then we went looking for adventure. The kids had woken up by then and were starting to get restless (NO MTV, WHAT DO WE DO???). So, after pushing the warnings of our mother's aside, we went out into the storm, dressed in our bathing suits and holey soles; we were prepared for anything. We played in the ditches by the house, as they had become pretty powerful streams by then, but we had to hide behind bushes every once in awhile, because 75 mph rain hurts! Then, we headed to the beach. Brad and Daddy geniously explained to us that because the sand was so wet it wouldn't be flying around, so we would be fine (ha ha). By the way, even after Laurie and Mom's warnings, they were too curious to stay inside, so they came too. We started running for the beach. We had to wade through a lot of water even to GET there, but we were there. We headed over the sand dunes and......................................we got PELTED w/ 75 mph rain AND sand. OUCH OUCH OUCH OUCH! You could hear everyone screaming. Brad, Daddy, and Dave were trying to get to the water just to step in a lil, everyone else was running screaming for cover. We waded EVER SO quickly back through the water and to the house. My ears were killing me from very cold rain and wind being pushed in them, but we had HAD our adventure. We played some more card games and did a few more runs around the island in the truck, to pick up gossip magazines and the other necessities, and waited out the rest of the storm. The power came back on about 7 pm. 12 hours w/o power, and we had survived. The bridge was still closed, but we had our TV back! And we could cook spaghetti! Yes folks, that is our story, and we're stickin to it. I would do it again, Mom and Laurie, not so much--but it was fun, just sittin around thinking of things to do and just being w/ family and friends. I had a great week at the beach guys, it was so much fun. Thank you Mom and Dad for letting us come. Thanks Brad and Laurie for letting us tag along, we enjoyed your company very much.

The End....until next year

Saying of the week-- "IT'S ONLY A PHASE 1 HURRICANE, HOW BAD CAN IT BE?"

Like my dad's new car? It's VERY fuel efficient. 

a higher calling

I've been wanting to blog about this for a long time, and never really got around to it. There's been a real burden on my heart lately to do something of a bigger purpose than helping people have a good time on their vacations. It started with watching the movie "Hotel Rawanda." I think that every Christian, and really every human being, should watch this movie. I cried several times through the movie. It's not a happy movie, but one that is needed, to see humanity as it is. I felt so completely useless afterwards. I knew I had done so little to help anyone other than myself! I have been yearning lately to be used by God for His purposes, to help other people see him, but help them physically too! I feel restless at my job. Don't get my wrong, I enjoy it, but I need to do something more. The whole jest of this is to say, please pray for God to tell me what he wants me to do, and to give me the patience to wait if he chooses not to tell me soon.

see, they think so too 

3.65

There is no end to this madness, people here are just plain STEALING our money now.! Did they pay 3.65 per gallon to get the gas in the gas station? NO!!! They paid 2.50, but now they're selling it for a DOLLAR MORE! I'm done w/ the gas ranting for now, but if it hits 4.00 I'm hitch hiking to work ever morning!

P.S. ATTN: DEE DASILVA---first you tell us you're engaged then you just leave us hanging for a month!!!! Helloooo??? We want to know what's going on, and what your going to do next! And Disney World is not an option. lol Love ya!

and the waters keep on risin'

or maybe the rising part is just the gas prices.

Well folks, we're in our new place. "In" not meaning ANYTHING is in it's place, other than the bed cause we had to sleep there last night, but we're in at least. We no longer live in a mold infested apartment!!!!!!!!! WUHOO! Guess that's all there is to say about that really, Dave can tell you how the moving in process went and so on, considering I wasn't there for most of it :).

I do have a few comments to make on the gas prices however, considering we just paid THREE DOLLARS AND TEN CENTS PER GALLON to fill up our car, because everywhere else for the next 3 counties it out of gas and there is very little left! Yes, it may be up to a week and a half before there's more gas! So, we're gonna be carpooling alot, to say the least. I believe the apocolypse is coming when the gas prices in the US of A reach this high, or maybe we're just getting our due for having the cheapest out of the REST of the world for so long, who knows, but we may be seeing Jesus soon! lol I'm out to organize my house. Toodles!

P.S. pray for New Orleans considering the death toll is being projected into the 1,000's there because of the water levels.

just for the rush of it

We found an apartment this morning. We started moving in this morning. We have to be out by tomorrow. We ACTUALLY have to completely move tonight. I'm working till 8 pm. It's raining lots....remember that hurricane coming through? yup, it's hit. We stuffed a towel under the outside door of our old apartment last night so it wouldn't flood on the last night. Did I mention Dave and whoever he found from church is moving our apartment right now? K, just thought I'd tell you. By the way, for those of you who are wondering, we still have the same address and phone number. I don't like hurricanes--I would never live in Florida--I mean, what ARE those people thinking???? I'm done, gotta go back to work, then move for the rest of the night. OH! Pray for our landlord to let us out of our lease (the old apartment) and give us our deposit back, or at least reimburse us for the "carpet doctor" we had to rent all FOUR times it flooded.

additions

As you might have noticed, I've added a sidebar. The sidebar is a place just to leave me a note or whatever you want really. It's not a place to comment on the postings, it's just there so that you can leave random bits of info and we can correspond a bit more. We'll see how it goes. If no one likes it, or it just doesn't work for this blog, then I'll take it off. This site is now under construction and may be making more random changes in the next few days...the time has come for some change :). Talk to ya soon!

a tablespoon of salt

It's not quite a teaspoon of sugar, but I think it has the same ring to it, lol. The other night Dave and I were cooking my mom's lasagna recipe (which was very good inspite of everything mom, thanx), and Dave misread my my cooking directions. See, Mom had just been reading them out to me really quickly, so I had written down 'tp' for teaspoon, and 'tbs' for tablespoon. Yes, I realize those abreviations don't quite match up, but I was shorthanding it ok? Anyways, he thought tp was tablespoon and ended up putting a tablespoon of salt and a half tablespoon of pepper in the recipe instead of the teaspoon size to fill the quota. He didn't tell me he was second guessing the measurements, nor ask me if that was right till AFTER it was out of the oven. None the less, it turned out ok. We just had to drink a lil more tea w/ our salty lasagna, lol.
On a serious and GOOD note, we went and saw an apartment tonight. It's REALLY cute but slightly smaller than our apartment right now. I like the way the space is arranged though, even though the bedroom is pretty tiny (our bed will still fit in though, so we're good). Not sure if this is the one we will choose, but at least we're actively moving towards getting out of "the wetlands" as I like to call our apartment now.
p.s. Molly, we want to send you something--what's your new address over there?

long lost friend

A long lost friend called me the other day. He was an ex-boyfriend actually, but we were friends much longer than we were anything more. Our relationship ended badly, and I'm pretty sure we were both to blame; neither of us were the people we needed to be at the time. After a few months I missed that friendship really badly, and ever since I thought about him and wondered how he was doing. Well, he left a message on my answering machine...yesterday I think. He use to NEVER leave messages, he hated them, but guess that changed too, or it was just an important message. He called my parents house and asked for my number. My mom said he told her he was engaged! I'm SO extremely excited for him, and I'm so glad I'm gonna get that chance to "end" things well. We use to e-mail each other mutiple times a day during high school, and then...nothing really, for several years. I always called him on his birthday though. He always said I could never remember it, so I decided to annoy him after we broke up, and prove that I could....I've called him every year since :). Anyways, I haven't talked to him yet, but I'm looking forward to hearing about all the wedding plans, and the girl, who's gotta be something special, and how great his life is going. I love that, that an old friend is doing well, and I get to celebrate w/ him now. Thanx --to you know who you are, thanx for calling, it means alot to me. God has grown us alot huh? I wish you all the happiness a wonderful, Christian marriage brings, it's GREAT!

Cool sign huh? It's right before you come into town, I love it. Dave took this pic. :) 

P.S.

Because I keep getting adds for other people's businesses on my blog, I have now added a word verification process where you have to type in a word that you see on the screen before you can comment. It's just so computers can't automatically post their crap on my blog. Sorry guys, I know it's an extra step, but I've been getting a lot of spam lately. Please still comment! I love all of them!

God's dry shower of blessings

"I have faith God, I have faith that it won't happen." Ten minutes later; "ok I DON'T have faith God, I just don't have enough, I have ALOT of hope though, does that count? I have VERY great hope, that this downpour, will NOT flood our apartment."

As Dave and I drove home today, I felt a sense of dread, but not as much as I do usually when I just KNOW the apartment was flooded. It was a peace sort of, that even if the apartment WAS flooded, even though the ropes course and the river WERE flooded, that God would help us get through it, no tears this time. Dave said if it was flooded, he would see it as a sign, that we WERE suppose to move. I asked him, "So you WANT it to flood??? You're just temping God aren't you!"

So we walked in, to our house, fully fearing that we would be waiding through, but IT WAS DRY!!! We praised God IMMEDIATELY! Because you know what??? The drain outside our apartment was TOTALLY clogged up, AND GOD STOPPED THE RAIN!!! I TOTALLY believe HE was the ONLY reason it didn't flood today, just to show us that He can and will take care of even the little things. We definately needed that miracle today. And Dave still thinks we should find a new place, so I guess the miracle was as good of a sign as the house being flooded :); it takes more to NOT flood than to flood(sorta like the fleece in the Bible w/ the dew and stuff, lol).

Well, Dave's first day at NOC went REALLY well, but I'll let him blog about that.
GOD IS GREAT! .....even on the rainy days :).