name that tune

"Though we're strangers, still I love you
I love you more than your mask
And you know you have to trust this to be true
And I know that's much to ask
But lay down your fears, come and join this feast
He has called us here, you and me ..."

movie

Just watched the movie Tears Of The Sun about a rescue mission in Africa. Although this story was fiction, similar atrocities have filled Africa's past and it just broke my heart for the people. Yes, I cried.

sick

One thing I hate about this time of year- waking up with yet another cold. Just an annoyance. ..
Gary Chapman was funny, but didn't really learn anything new. It was good to be reminded of some stuff though, like the love languages. We already knew each others, but it's amazing how we just forget about it in the normal course of life and try to relate to each other the way WE like it. So I continue to buy him things and ask him to spend time with me, while he is busy kissing on me and hugging me, etc.. So neither one of us is communicating the way the other desires. We were laughing about it over lunch, how we so easily forget. I kind of don't like that one of mine is gifts. It seems so shallow, but the idea of someone going out of their way, spending time thinking of me when I'm not around, and using time, money and effort , just to bring me something, makes me feel loved. It doesn't even have to be something nice. A good friend of mine went in to a gas station to get something while we were in Mexico recently and brought me back a bag of sunflower seeds cause he thought I might want a snack. That made me feel loved and valued, and it only cost him 99 cents.
Quality time seems kinda girly for me, but again, the idea of someone choosing to take time from their busy schedule to hang out with me makes me feel loved.
The Africa team get together was good; but hanging out in the USA is just not the same as working side by side in Africa. I miss it. But I got to share the good news of the XAI XAI church, and several of them want to go back with me in the fall :-)

Xai Xai

Let's see. Worked up at church the last 2 days, and probably for a little while today, then tonight we're having friends over for dinner. 318 class was awesome last night, and tomorrow is the Gary Chapman marriage conference, then Sunday afternoon we have another Africa team get together.
Life is just moving so fast.
We now can officially announce that we are starting a Celebration Church in Xai Xai, Mozambique!
I am beyond excited about this new development. I had another conference call with Ben Rodgers (head of Children's Cup over Africa) to let him know we're in. That was cool. Pastor Joe even walked in and joined the call for a few minutes. Next step is to find our Portuguese speaking pastor...

volunteer banquet

Monday night turned out to be quite hilarious.

home

long weekend, but lots of fun

Saturday - back to church

Just got home from day one in San Antonio. We left our daughter there with her team.
Now I'm REALLY tired. We got no sleep because there was a room full of teenage? boys next to us making all kinds of noise, even after having the front desk call them. Then we had to get up at 6am. I maybe got a few hours sleep, but not enough to get my contacts in, so I had to pull out the glasses today. The girls had a kind of rough start to their tournament, but did manage to win a match. Day 2 will put them against their club mates who they sometimes practice with; that should be fun, but we will miss it.
Some of those sports parents really scare me. They seriously need to get a life and quit living through their kids...
On a more positive note, I got to see some old friends, and also made some new ones.

thursday

I'm tired. Sometimes there just aren't enough hours in the day. This weekend is shaping up to be another long one. We have to leave town tomorrow night for our daughters 3 day volleyball tournament in San Antonio. Josh and I will be coming back Saturday evening, just long enough for the weekend services, then will go back Sunday afternoon. We will be home Monday in time for the team member banquet.
We had a pretty good turnout for the missions meeting last night. If you still want to go to Panama, but couldn't make it, come see me this weekend, applications are due in about a week.
quote for today:
"we do not remember days, we remember moments"

meeting

Don't forget tonight- information meeting for all who are interested in going to Panama! No obligation necessary, just come, listen, see the beautiful pictures of where you could possibly spend your spring break :-) Right after service, in the upper room, be there!!

lyrics

This morning I'm stealing them from Dan Ohlerkings post. You should read his blog regularly, it's awesome.

All creation waits…
Oh, for you to take your place, take your place

All the stars are waiting for you to shine
And your heart is beating to find it’s home in mine

Wake up it’s time to dream bigger
Wake up it’s time.

Monday again

I kinda miss my orange hair.
got some more lyrics for you
" I don't need nobody flyin' in my jet stream
Take the bus
Go on and get yourself your own dream"
name that band :-)
Marty is over tonight, he and Josh are working on a new song Marty wrote; which means I need to disappear and be quiet for a while, so I'm gonna go read my books for school.

weekend

was long and exhausting, but fun. At G1 we had 168 new people! Great turnout.
The worship team debuted Josh's new song "Brand New" during offering last night and this morning. It seemed to be received well. He wrote it to go with the current sermon series "Brand New". There's actually a growing list coming out of the band of new material waiting to get in the lineup. Exciting times at Celebration. News 8 Austin was there today filming, and even interviewed Pastor Joe after last service.

friday

Yesterday was long, but fun. 318 was awesome. Everything went great and I actually learned a ton! I took 3 pages of notes on notebook paper. That's alot for me...
Today I worked up at the church again for a while, where I got to take part in an exciting conference call with the Childrens Cup Director over Africa. There are good possibilities for our future involvement there. I can't talk about it just yet, but it is so cool to be a part of this from the beginning.
Then I took the kids to grandma's, then Josh and I went to see the movie Charlie Wilsons War. Good movie. Really liked it.

wednesday

Today was not all that exciting, but tomorrow is gonna be busy. First I have to go to the orthodontist to get Jordans wires removed, then to the dentist to have her last baby tooth pulled, then back to the ortho for the wire to be put back onto her braces, then around lunch time I'm going up to church to help Danielle the rest of the day with the 318 school of ministry stuff. Then at 7, we have our first 318 class, then at 9pm, Marty's coming over to watch the Spurs game.

on a whole other topic..
I have this sign in my study that reads.."If you have no regrets, you need to get out more"
I used to think that I had alot of regrets, now I'm wondering if I really would change anything. Even the bad has brought me to where I am today. Then again, without the things I regret , maybe I'd be miles ahead of where I am..

tuesday

So this morning Wade got to speak for a couple of minutes at the foundation breakfast about Africa . He did a good job. So much so that he reminded me how much I miss it....

If anyone you know needs a custom boutique guitar amplifier, check out Revelation Amps.
Josh has designed an amazing line of amps that are tunable to each player. This is our side business. I am praying that 2008 will be the year we can grow big enough to become a full time business.

I love song lyrics and quotes. See if you can guess the author.

song#1

They tell you where you need to go
They tell you when you need to leave.
They tell you what you need to know
They tell you who you need to be.

But everything inside you
knows there's more than what you've heard
There's so much more than empty conversations
filled with empty words

And you're on fire
when he's near you
You're on fire when he speaks
You're on fire burning at these mysteries
Give me one more time around
give me one more chance to see,
Give me everything you are
Give me one more chance to be near you.

When everything inside me
Looks like everything i hate
You are the hope i have for change
You are the only chance I'll take

And I'm on fire when you're near me
I'm on fire when you speak
I'm on fire burning at these mysteries.

I'm standing on the edge of me,
I'm standing at the edge of everything I've ever been
And I've been standing at the edge of me, standing
at the edge

pray

Please pray for my (ex)stepdad. His name is William Stacavich, and he just had a stroke. He lives in New York and my brother (his son) just flew out to see him. Please pray for total and complete restoration. Thanks.

Monday

Took the girls to the mall today. Found some way cute jeans for myself that were actually long enough, but the girls had to reassure me that they looked good and that I wasn't too old for them :)
Then I hit the Victorias Secret semi annual sale, and got some good stuff. Of course I was at the mall to buy the kids some clothes, but hey, I rarely go to the mall, cause I just don't like it. But anyway... Jordan actually found some clothes she liked(which is rare) and lucky me, they were all on sale.
I Still have this 5 day old headache :-(
Didn't do any reading today, but watched this DVD of the building of the Panama Canal with the girls. That really is amazing how the whole thing works.
Got through about one-fifth of the mail pile from the holidays... found some checks in some Christmas cards I didn't know about :-)
We're going to watch the LSU game tonight in honor of Pastor Joe.
Aren't Mondays exciting?? (j/k, I hate Mondays)

does anybody read this stuff?? :-)

Church was crazy busy this weekend; our overflow room was overflowing!
..ok, let's see ... Josh and Chris are recording some new worship songs for church in the other room, Hannah just got home from volleyball practice, I haven't seen Jordan in a few hours, and I'm doing homework and I have had this headache for LIKE 3-4 DAYS!! It just won't go away. And there's a little spot in the bottom right back of my head that hurts when you touch it. And my vision has been bad. (just ask Wade who was my spades partner the other night :-) )
anyway... Panama...who wants to go with us?? There will be an information meeting on the 16th at 8:30p.m. in the upper room, no commitment, just come and listen, and be open to the possibility.. you know you want to.. make the leap, it's all good over here :-)

Spanish, court, dinner

So last night Josh played bass at Spanish church so Ronnie and I decided to go. We had a blast trying to keep up with the sermon. Between the 2 of us, we understood about half of it!
Then we went to dinner afterwards and had great girl talk.
This morning I had my court appearance for my traffic ticket I'm disputing. I prayed for grace and favor as I waited in the court room, then I met with the very nice prosecutor Amy, and she let me off with deferred disposition, which means I have to behave for 90 days and it gets dismissed. Praise God!
Tonight Wade and Janet are coming over for dinner and games. Yay for new friends!

WOW

What a great service tonight. God showed up and moved in a powerful way. So cool. I love my church...