A gander at Believe!!

Another successful year at Believe!  This was probably one of the best trips, in the sense that the most dramatic thing that happened was one of the kids forgot his coat & we had to wait for him to run back & get it... how nice is that!  It let the time be focused on the important things...

The weekend was full of lots of laughter, some A-MAZ-ING worship, some deep & powerful discussions in small group & just great time worshipping the MESSIAH!

The theme this year was "The Messiah is MORE".... & each session would discuss more about that - like "The Messiah SEES MORE" - "The Messiah LOVES MORE" - "The Messiah EXPECTS MORE"...

During each of the sessions, the artist, Eric Samuel Timm, portrayed GOD & would paint a picture right there in the midst of a song that was just gorgeous & relevant to the message...

At the last session, it all built up to this amazing presentation... he painted this crown of thorns & the music started building up representing the death of Jesus... The lights went red & "God" just stood & then hung his head... he stood like that for about 5 minutes & there wasnt a sound in the room... a room full of thousands of kids & silence... it gave me chills. 

Then the music started again, & Eric started painting over that crown of thorns & turned it into the CROWN FOR A KING!!!!

The picture was complete... Eric pulled chains raising the whole complete picture of the Messiah... all the while, the entire areana was singing "Hosanna".... I had chills non stop & to see the reactions of all the kids around - it was just so beautiful...

We were reminded at the end of it all that the Messiah expects MORE from us... that we are all called to be Kingdom workers for Him!  Big or small - we can do MORE through HIM because HE IS MORE!

If you ever get a chance to go to a CIY Convention, please load up the kids & go... they have such a powerful way of relaying a message - perfect for young & old of all ages... just be sure to know, LOUD, BOOMING music is going beat your chest out!  Just the way I like it...

And see this group?  Yep, we all BELIEVE that the MESSIAH IS MORE!!!!!

We're already ready for next year....

(Here is a little taste of what the weekend was like... you'll enjoy this - trust me)

Project 365-5

Another week.... let's take a gander...

Sunday Feb 7, 2010 - TAKE OVER!  The dogs were happy to take over my blanket... I get up for a second & come back & see all the dogs already snuggled in all areas of my warm blanket... they looked so cute, I let them keep it... just long enough to warm it up even more - then I snagged it back!

Monday Feb 8, 2010 - The Case of the Missing Sock!!!  I take all my "one" socks & put them in a bag & then after so long, see if I can find some matches... This is the bag full before the match up... I ended up getting 14 matches out of it... nice!  Like 14 new pairs of socks!  No need to go to Target...

Tuesday Feb 9, 2010 - Thank you for the walkway!.... the snow came in over night & on the morning drive & I pull in our parking lot & see that in the midst of all the snow, my coworker came & shoveled the entry way & not only that, but shoveled where I park my car & have to walk TO the entryway... that was so nice!  Me + snow = usual falling...

Wednesday February 10, 2010 - I'm sick of SNOW!!!!... I'm sure this is the common thing being heard around most of the US... this is my drive to work...

Thursday Feb 11, 2010 - Grocery Game savings.... Still loving it...

Friday Feb 12, 2010 - Tradition continues!!!  We are on our way to Believe & we had to get a tray from our dinner to take home... WHY?  Because its tradition... it started 3 years ago (& thats a LONG story), but the kids loved it because we get everyone to sign the tray & its a fun reminder... so now, we try to get a new place to eat & that tray goes up on the wall in our Jr. High room!  This year, Arby's was the tray of choice...  Oh, fun ways we make our memories!!!

Saturday Feb 13, 2010 - To Write Love on Her Arms.... Everyone was up for this!  It was fun passing around the Sharpies & designing up our "LOVE"... it wasnt fun to have the colors fade all over our shirts... & to scrub my arms with paint remover & alcohol & STILL have it on there... I may have a trace of LOVE on my arm for the next few months... Next year, not so much coloring in...Did you remember to write LOVE on your arm?

(That's me with the Pink Watch & the little Cross over the Blue Heart...)

Hope you've had a Picture Perfect week!

I BELIEVE!!!!

I am passing on Friday Fragments because I am getting everything finished up to hit the road today...

I'm heading up to the BELIEVE Conference -a Jr. High Christian Conference that lasts tonight & tomorrow up in Cincinnati, OH...

Remember this picture....

Yep, I'm ready to see thousands of kiddos get their "Jesus on"!

I just ask that you pray for us.  As the leaders going, we are struggling with colds, ear infections, pulled back muscles & many other "problems" that can be distracting... Pray for the kids, that they keep God the center of the weekend, that something is spoken to their hearts, and of course, that we all have a ROCKIN' good time!  Finally, please pray for safety, as there is still snow all around & we heard more snow will be coming in soon... supposed to be after we get back home, but want to keep it that way!!!

I'm ready for a night full of giggling girls... I'm ready for a weekend of fast food (treadmill, you will feel the results next week!).... I'm ready to laugh & to cry... I'm ready to BELIEVE!!!!

Get the Sharpie's Out...

...cause we're drawing on ourselves!!!

You may be like "HUH?  What are you talking about NOW Rebecca Jo?"... well let me tell you!

One of the girls in my youth group turned me onto this & I am excited & pumped & want everyone to join in!  To Write Love on Her Arms is a campaign that I really am interested in that I've been looking into it.  Working with the youth, it seems so important - & even more so, women, yes, grown woman, still struggle with these issues as well... this is not an "age" related thing... love is for everyone!

Their "Mission Statement" is this:  To Write Love on Her Arms is a non-profit movement dedicated to presenting hope & finding help for people struggling with depression, addiction, self injury & suicide.  TWLOHA exists to encourage, inform, inspire & also to invest directly into treatment & recovery.

All you have to do?  This Saturday, write LOVE on your arm.. however you want!  I've seen some pictures & some people are AMAZING artists that have beautiful drawings on their arm.  Others simply have the word LOVE written plain across it - others may have it small across their wrist - however it is, its uniting in a cause together.  And if some people see it on you, they go & donate to this cause... or even better, if someone asks what that is on your arm, you have an opportunity to share about this cause.

For me, its falling on a great weekend, because I'll be at a Jr. High Conference & plan on having Sharpies in all the girls hands before we take out to the conference Saturday morning!

This is Christian based & I encourage you to read the Vision they have below... its inspiring!  I'm going to highlight the points that really touch my heart & hope you find something in this vision that inspires you as well - inspires you enough to get all crafty on your arm anyways!!!
_______________________

VISION:

The vision is that we actually believe these things…

You were created to love and be loved. You were meant to live life in relationship with other people, to know and be known. You need to know that your story is important and that you're part of a bigger story. You need to know that your life matters.

We live in a difficult world, a broken world. My friend Byron is very smart - he says that life is hard for most people most of the time. We believe that everyone can relate to pain, that all of us live with questions, and all of us get stuck in moments. You need to know that you're not alone in the places you feel stuck.

We all wake to the human condition. We wake to mystery and beauty but also to tragedy and loss. Millions of people live with problems of pain. Millions of homes are filled with questions – moments and seasons and cycles that come as thieves and aim to stay. We know that pain is very real. It is our privilege to suggest that hope is real, and that help is real.

You need to know that rescue is possible, that freedom is possible, that God is still in the business of redemption. We're seeing it happen. We're seeing lives change as people get the help they need. People sitting across from a counselor for the first time. People stepping into treatment. In desperate moments, people calling a suicide hotline. We know that the first step to recovery is the hardest to take. We want to say here that it's worth it, that your life is worth fighting for, that it's possible to change.

Beyond treatment, we believe that community is essential, that people need other people, that we were never meant to do life alone.

The vision is that community and hope and help would replace secrets and silence.

The vision is people putting down guns and blades and bottles.

The vision is that we can reduce the suicide rate in America and around the world.

The vision is that we would learn what it means to love our friends, and that we would love ourselves enough to get the help we need.

The vision is better endings. The vision is the restoration of broken families and broken relationships. The vision is people finding life, finding freedom, finding love. The vision is graduation, a Super Bowl, a wedding, a child, a sunrise. The vision is people becoming incredible parents, people breaking cycles, making change.

The vision is the possibility that your best days are ahead.

The vision is the possibility that we're more loved than we'll ever know.

The vision is hope, and hope is real.

You are not alone, and this is not the end of your story.

What is that?

Can you tell what this is from this first picture?

How about if I take another picture that isn't so blurry?  Know what that is?

If you guess snow balls attached all over a dog, then you guessed right!

6 inches of snow on little dogs is rough!  Zoe came in & just stared at me.  I got a towel & wrapped her up in it & just held her.  She's not the type of dog who likes to be held either, but she was shivering & she just let me hold her tight in this warm towel until it was all melted....

Life is rough when you have to pee outside!

Yeah, this may have a something to do with it....

I'm not shy on saying I'm scared to death of flying... I hate everything about it!  No control of a situation, being in a tiny tube that you can touch both sides just by standing in the aisle & extending your arms, dropping a few hundred feet just because of wind... yeah, none of it is fun for me... there is a thing call GRAVITY for a reason people!

But once upon a time, we had an incident happen when flying that I think has really left its mark on me....

I flew the first time to Texas with my aunt & while it was un-nerving, it was something I could tolerate.  Then a few years later, Ricky & I were dating & we venture to Disney World.  The only way to go, via plane, of course.

So our plane takes us en route through Pittsburg, PA...why, I never know!  I mean, why do you take us up North a few states, only to come back South to Florida - weird...

The return trip was the same path - from Florida to Pittsburg to Louisville.... well, a few hours before we were to get on a US Air plane going to Pittsburg, it came on the news that a US Air plane en route to Pittsburg had just crashed - killing everyone!  All 131 passengers, gone....

I was instantly freaked out!!!!  I didnt even want to get on this plane to go home.  I called my parents & my mom said "Rent a car - drive home!".  My dad & his reasoning said, "What are the odds of two planes crashing within hours of each other?".... I still laugh at his thought process on that...

So we head to the airport & found out that about 80% of the people on the flight had canceled.  See, I wasnt the only one that this bothered!  That was a strange flight taking off - the quiet, the nerves....

Then the worst part - we had to fly to Pittsburg, where all this chaos had JUST HAPPENED!  We couldnt land!  We had to circle the airport for quite some time before we could even get clearance to land... & we found out, that the plane crash was very close to the airport so we were trying to avoid flying over head of that scene as well.  Please Lord, just get me to the ground & out of this whole area!

While we DO finally land, we're not home yet - we still have to get to Louisville.  And since it was truly madness there, no flights were able to take out.  After all, all the media was coming in - national media.  The airport was crazy - cameras, interviews, people confused & crying... a scene in something like you see in a movie. 

I found out my mom was in Louisville trying to find out when we would be arriving home.  This was in September 1994 so well before cell phones & with all the hectic madness going on, phone lines were down so we couldnt even contact anyone!

It was about 6 hrs later that we finally got a ride home & ended up back in Louisville...

I later found out that people were even wondering if Ricky & I were on that plane... they just knew we were flying home that day, on a US Air flight to Pittsburgh.... what a weird feeling to think people thought we were involved in a plane crash....

So yes, here it is 16 years later & I despise flying... I can remember everything about that day, even now... How do you just get on a plane & not think of events of a drama filled day? You dont... so while some people say, "oh, you'll be ok, just get on a plane" - its not that easy for me...

Here's to safe flights everywhere....

Enchilada Pie

You ask, I listen... that's how I roll

So a lot of you were interested in the Enchilada Pie I made last week.  You ready for this easy recipe?  Because let me tell you, its EASY & oh so yummy!!!!

The ingredients:
Extra Lean Ground Beef (it calls for 1/2 lb for 2 people - I used a full lb. though - all the other ingredients I used the same measurements & it all still turned out good
14 oz can diced tomatoes -undrained
1 packet taco seasoning mix
1/2 c chopped onion
1 small can sliced black olives - drained
Flour Tortillas
1 c. shredded low moisture mozzarella cheese

You just brown the beef & then add in the can of diced tomatoes, the packet of taco seasoning, onion & olives.  Let it simmer for just a few minutes to get all mixed together good.

Get a pie plate & layer the sauce, a toritilla, then cheese ... do it as deep or as much as you want. I just had two layers & it was great.

Sprinkled with cheese on top also & then cook at 350 for 30 minutes - uncovered.

I was surprised it called for mozzarella but it browned up so nicely & was a great taste with it.  We both really enjoyed the olives in it too!  And if you were a real fan of veggies, which I am NOT, you could probably add corn into the mix for a Mexican add in.

When it comes out, we just cut it like you would a pie & it was excellente! (like my Spanish thrown in there?  Just for my Mexican dish of the day!) 

See...simple!  or "easy-o" if you want to go all Spanish again!

Project 365-4

Sunday Jan 30 - Welcome back friends!!!... This was the first Sunday back for Joe & Erica with their baby, Emily.  Continue to pray for this family as they are struggling with the diagnosis of "Infantile Seizures"... but it was so good to have them next to us back in church...

Monday, Feb 1 - WHAT kind of tree is THAT?  ... During lunch on Monday, I pulled my orange apart & the middle of it came out on the rind & I couldnt stop thinking it looked like a tree!  (Does this make me weird?)... but I thought it was pretty cool so, I had to snap a picture of it.... yeah, go ahead, call me weird.

Tuesday - Feb 2 - Enchilada Pie!!! .... I tried another new recipe & it was yet ANOTHER winner... YUM!  It was layered & so dang good!  Yep, Ricky went back for seconds (the sure fire way to know if it was successful!)

Wednesday Feb 3 - Mrs. Potts makes me smile!.... If you dont know anything about me, then let me tell you that I love everything about Beauty & the Beast.  My office is even decorated with it & while I was cutting checks for the day & matching them to bills, I pull my paper clip holder & just had to smile ...

Thursday - Was feeling bad so I didnt even get any pictures... which leads to...

Friday, February 5 - A cold finally snagged my butt!... Oh mercy me - I feel bad!  My throat & ears are killing me & I just feel horrible... left work & stopped at Walgreens to load up on all things drugs & headed home to do nothing but rest.

Saturday February 6 - White & Grey... these seem to be the only colors we are seeing lately.  Woke up to yet again, more snow... ready for Spring with doses of color added in...

Happy Project 365!!!!

Friday Fragments

*Oh mercy me... my ears have been aggravating lately, but last night was the WORST... they both hurt so bad, & my throat was like razor blades in them... & I cant breath & I'm achy & I'm just not fun to be around.  I have to say, I've done pretty good not getting a cold this year so I guess my time had come - my winter dues had to be paid... but I feel exactly like this picture!!!

*Look at our grand"baby" Isaac next to his new brother Luke!!! He looks HUGE!  When a new tiny one comes in, it sure makes the other one look so grown up, doesnt it?  And Julie was excited because Luke has passed the 5 lb. mark!!!  5 lbs!!! Can you even imagine?  That household has been sick too & we've just been praying that tiny squirt doesnt get sick... so far, so good! 

*Is there a football game this weekend?  Living just 2 hrs away from Indy, its been a sea of blue & horseshoes around here... Personally, I'll probably be catching up on my DVR & knitting Sunday night.  I just watched my first Super Bowl game last year only because I went to a party... it was fun... but cant imagine sitting at home & watching it by myself. 

*Spat of the week:  Arguing... Yes, we had a "spat" ABOUT arguing... how messed up is that?  I'm helping prepare a purity weekend retreat for the girls in our youth & there is a section about how to fight with your spouse.  I was pointing out how they said the "healthy" ways of arguing are... one was "Do not interrupt" - & what did Ricky do as I'm telling him this?  Yes, interrupt... Which led to the other things on this list, that caused Ricky to interrupt more & make comments... oh geez... we're hopeless!  At least it gives me hope that every week will be a "spat of the week"!  And Ricky's comment at the end of it all - "Those are stupid"... he better be glad I love his arguing butt!

*I got this picture & my dad said "Just like her aunt"... ahhh - Gotta love a girl who loves to snuggle with her doggies...

*we're getting more snow this weekend... & then MORE next week!  UGH!  This has been a rough winter!  And especially because everyones electric bills have gone up! Ricky thought ours was bad?  We found out everyone around us has been getting bills for $450 - $500... for ONE month?!?! & these are your average homes - what the heck?  How do they expect people to pay that?  Those prices have only encouraged Ricky further to freeze me out...I seriously knit a row & put my hands under the blanket to thaw out - knit another row, thaw - keep the pattern going to keep my poor fingers from freezing in a knitted, hooked position!

*LOST - anyone totally lost about the Flash-sideways?  I sat literally the whole show saying "What the heck?" - but loving every minute of it!  Loved seeing the "other side" of the plane making it home safely... just have no idea where this is taking us.  I've given up even trying to figure it out!  My guess - it'll all be in a snowglobe held by an austic boy! (remember that was the end of St. Elsewhere & people were FURIOUS about it? - did I just date myself?)

*The Bachelor - Reminder to everyone - I hate Vienna... enough said

*Has anyone seen that commercial where the dogs are wearing dentures?  The commercial is for a dental dog treat... but every time I see that commerical with those dogs wearing fake teeth - it cracks me up every time....

Hope everyone has a fantastic Friday.... I gotta go... feel like I'm getting a fever now... boo!!!!  At least its the weekend! Bring on the snow & cold - I'm going to be on my couch snuggled under 5 blankets!

What are you going to do about it?

I love working with the youth in our church...I know you've heard me say that over & over....

Through the years, we've watched so many kids come & go.  We've watched as some have grown so close to God & then fall away to their old ways of just "Teenage" life.  We've also watched some grow closer to God through the years & become AMAZING examples of young Christian men & women.

Its hard to see those ones fall back though.

One of our youth leaders, Ryan, did a message last nght about this topic - back slidding.  What was interesting me first & foremost is that most of the kids never even heard of that word, much less knew what it meant. 

Back slidding - how easy is it for us to do, even as adults?  But add in the pressure that teens have today & its a struggle! Peer pressure in of itself is hard.... but try being the only Christian teen in a group & see how hard that pressure falls on you....

Ryan posed some questions? 
Are you back slidding?  Are you OK but your friends are back slidding? What are you doing about your friends back slidding?

A group of girls came up & cried tears & prayed for their friends that they knew had turned away from God's love.  To see their hearts broke over their friends choices just tore at me. I can only image what God felt with those prayers those girls lifted....

Then our youth minister said a few words & what he said about knocked me off my feet... he was talking about how many of the youth have left, have turned away from God & are back to old ways & he said through tears "It just bothers me that Satan's youth group is bigger then ours"...

Wow... I had never thought of it in those terms....But Satan is the Prince of the Air (Ephesians 2:2) & is all around this world & he is fighting to make these teens turn away from God....

It just laid heavy on me to know how important my job - how important YOUR job is.... if you have a teenager, if you KNOW a teenager - PLEASE, encourage them!  Help them fight to not back slide. Let them know that even if they've walked away from God, He's still there to take them back again... & again.. & again... Give them a little love to know that its not easy - but God's Youth Group has MUCH better benefits! :)

This applies to even us, as adults... so let me ask you?
Have you back slidden?  Are your friends or family back slidding? What are you going to do about it?

I'd walk naked if I had too....

I was listening to the news this morning (something I rarely do because it's just depressing to me) & they were talking about the full body scan & how people are upset about it because its an invasion of privacy.

I get that not everyone wants their naked body to be seen on a screen for others to see, but its not like you're just walking down the street & your image is popping up.  I think this serves a purpose.  Dont we get naked for doctors every year to serve a purpose?  To make sure we are safe & healthy?

I guess because I'm not a fan of flying ANYWAYS, I think that this is a smart way to insure safety from the crazies that are out there nowadays. 

And I'd much rather go through this machine where my face isnt recognized anyways, then have total strangers pat me down & feel up & down my body.... no thank you!

What is your take on this whole thing?  Does it even matter to you?  Are you for it or against getting the look over from a stranger?

Its a LOST thing...

..you wouldnt understand...

Unless you are a fan of LOST, that is...

I'm so excited about tonight!  I cant take phone calls - I'm hiding my cell so I wont text, & I'm turning off the computer so I wont check my email... I will be out of commission from 8-11 tonight! 

Enjoy this LOST Anthem... pretty dang funny!!!  (I want his shirt! It says "Desmond is my constant"_

Energy in a crowd....

I walked into my Jazzercise class today & it was packed to the rim... people everywhere.  I literally had to grab a back corner, by the doorway & was glad I even got that spot.

It didnt bother me one bit though.  Why?  Because when there is a room full of people like that, there is just an energy.  It pumps you up more when there are 25 other people doing the same thing you are doing!  The music seems louder, you can jump a little higher, run a little longer... its hard to even give a reason "why" that happens, but it just does....

And I think about when we take the Jr. High kids to the Believe Conference - WOW!  Talk about energy!  A room full of THOUSANDS of kids.  And kids are full of energy anyways!  But direct that energy towards the SAME idea of worshipping God, & its just a buzz in the air.  Something that is almost contagious!

I mean, look at this picture from last year of all the kids worshipping.  How do you just stand there with your arms crossed?  You dont!  You cant! 

I'm excited because we are gearing up to go back to this convention next week with the Jr. High youth... I'm looking forward to that crowd & that energy to pump up my soul.

Driving home from working out, I thought, wouldnt it be a fantastic & amazing world if there were energy like that everywhere you went.  Just like that aerobic class, where everyone had a similar goal... & granted, people did it differently.  There are women who are like super model beautiful who do high impact the whole time & dont break a sweat... or women who are more "mature" & do things maybe a little lower... but they all are there to work out - to get their body in shape & doing similar things to achieve that goal....

I just think how hard it is for the youth of today to get ENERGIZED for God....I know especially when they are in areas of their lives where they are NOT surrounded by Christians, its hard for them to be the one to stand up & be bold. Adults too really...

But just like at Jazzercise, when everyone else lets out a big scream, its easy to do it, but when its a small class, I'm usually the only one who'll let out a big WHOO HOOO during a move (Yeah, I'm THAT person).... When not everyone in a small youth group sings loud, its hard to belt out a song... but put that same kid in that arena with 1,000 others & see how loud that voice can carry!!!

Then I thought of something else as I was driving... Jesus spent a lot of time in crowds as well.  But every time he wanted to talk to his Father, he did it alone - away from the crowds. 

So I guess God gives us that energy to sustain us until our time alone with him... And that's where it really matters... that one on one time... that time where you do get away from the crowds - the good crowds AND the bad crowds & its just you & your Father & you get to listen to what He speaks to your heart & to your soul... & that's the best feeling you could ever get....

For where two or three come together in my name, there am I with them. -Matthew 18:20