home from Panama

Awesome, wonderful trip! Will post more details later. I'm currently uploading photos. There are so many good ones, I need to find a better way to post them this time...
You gotta hear the song Josh wrote... (below)

Josh here...

Haven't heard from Shileen since Saturday, but all was well then. I don't guess they have cell phone towers on the island.

I miss her kind of a lot, so I wrote a song for her and recorded it. shhh... don't tell her, it's a surprise.

excited

I can't believe we're already leaving. I feel so not prepared. Too much to do tomorrow. Haven't even started packing. For tomorrow - I have a lunch appt. downtown, a Cabi show in the afternoon,I have to go in to work for a coupla hours, have to go buy some stuff for the trip, and pay the bills, and it may help if I at least glance at the topic I'm teaching on in Panama, also maybe pack, maybe do the grocery shopping so I can have one last non fish meal before I go...anyway the list goes on, yet I sit here typing instead of doing any of it. Yeah, I like to procrastinate sometimes. :-)
Please pray for me while I'm in Panama. That I would make wise choices, have a good attitude, that there would be open doors, open hearts, safe travel, and that God would use us in a big way, and change me even more. Thank you.

quote

"Looking back I have this to regret that too often when I loved I did not say so."

I love you. Yes, you.

pics

chillin in Cozumel

cheesey but cute


awww



dancing for Josh at dinner....

still more coming...

at a cool Mexican restaurant we found in Cozumel - we were very hot and tired..
game night!
view from the back of the boat
a cool monster size globe I wanted to take home with me..
about to take the plunge

he's had enough and is going back to the boat

pics pt 2

pics part 1

who knew I rock at putt putt - got 4 hole in ones!

home

We're back. Had a great time. I'm in the process of uploading pics, so I'll post some asap. On the way home we had some 10 foot waves that kept our boat rocking, and we are still feeling the effects of that, it feels like our house is moving, and we can't walk straight yet...

pray

Please pray for us as we're on our cruise. We need to use some of this time together to spend time talking and seeking The Lord for direction for our life right now. Josh is again convicted that he is working for compensation instead of where he is called to be, which is home; writing, teaching and building guitar amps. Therefor I will probably be looking for work when we get back. I need something part time or very flexible full time that will allow me to be available to my homeschooled teens if they need me, plus be able to go on my missions trips and still volunteer up at the office 1 or 2 days a week in the missions dept. Otherwise I'd be sacrificing MY calling for his. That's not any better. Please pray for wisdom, guidance, open doors , and peace. Thanks guys!

Thankful

I had a wonderful day today. Had a fabulously fun lunch with my friend Lisa Gatlin at Chuy's. Then I headed downtown to go spend a gift certificate I had for Whole Earth Provision. (love that place) I then went to Tylers in Westlake (again, love it), then went to the Arboretum to Everything But Water and found a new bikini for our cruise. Then came home and got my husband and we went and had a dinner date. Then he just gave me a wonderfully long intense neck massage while he was watching the Spurs game.
I don't know why I am so blessed, The Lord knows how much I don't deserve it, yet He does it anyway. I am constantly amazed.

yep - it's all good

I just want to encourage YOU who are going through trials right now to keep the faith. This is going to pass, and you will make it. God does not give us more than we can handle, He knows our limits and our capabilities, but He is always pushing us further and further each time. Next year you're going to be stronger than you were this year. We are constantly growing. I know about living on the edge of who you are, where you can only rely on Him for your every step. That's a good place to be when you figure out it's not about you anymore. You've just got to let it go. I think I'm finally starting to get it. What happens tomorrow is up to Him, and we have to be ok with that. He's the creator of the universe, who am I? I'll tell you who I am. I'm a daughter of the creator of the universe. A princess who will come in and kick butt, and take names if need be to go about my fathers business. Don't stand between me and my destiny. No one is going to block my path. My God will make a way for me. Thank you Lord for victory.

ready

Ok, no, I'm not dead, just preoccupied :-)
I can't wait to get on that boat Saturday, I am SO ready to skip town. When we return I will only have one week to prepare for Panama. Guess there's not a whole lot to do, unlike the Africa prep. This has been a wildly different pre trip experience. I can't even remember how many times we had to get together as a team, pre-Africa. The Panama team has met ONCE, and the last email we got said arrange for your own transport to the airport, so I guess we won't be meeting again :-)

here's another one of my favorite songs for you.. It's "Unwritten" by Natasha Bedingfield

Panama

Had a pretty productive Panama team meeting this morning. Flights are now reserved. I'm excited again. Not going to be an easy trip, but will be a learning experience.

sorry to be so vague

I hate that I can't even share on my own blog what is going on that's causing so much trouble in my life. But one of the lessons I have learned recently is how to keep my mouth shut!