Wow!!!

Yeah so I had an amazing rest of the week last week and a fabulous weekend.

First of all on Friday I got a call from one of the women I have been interviewing with for this new position. She wanted to know if i could stop by really quick and meet with the other person I would be supporting. I had no other plans but to leave early that day because it was so slow and boring at work so of course I went. It was amazing! Both women are impressed and love me and basically without actually having been offered the position in so many words, I know I have the position based on their comments and the next steps they have me taking. I AM SOOOO PUMPED!!! The position is amazing and will be sooo fulfilling. Instead of going home tired out of my mind from boredom I will be going home tired from actually having worked hard. I look forward to it more than some people can even fathom. :-)

Now Saturday was every bit as good. I had rented a car for the weekend to be able to get out of the city and enjoy the last of the fall foliage along Skyline Drive in Virginia. My friend Courtney and I grabbed breakfast at a little french cafe in the city, had the best french toast ever and then hit the road. We went south before going north because as I have discovered on past occasions going west on 66 and heading south will tack on an extra hour or two to your trip. Plus the traffic would have given me a massive headache.

So by 11:30 AM we were on our way. It was sooooo beautiful and the day was perfect. For those of you who know the quirkiness of me, you know that even though I suffer from sun deprevation depression my favorite days are cloudy gray days with bright autumnal leaves offering a magnificent contrast. That is exactly what we got to start the day. We had intermitten shots of sunshine as well but few and far between. So back to the trip itself, we stopped at a Wawa on our way out of the suburbs and grabbed lunch. Then we continued on and slowly but surely all signs of the city and suburbs fell away to mountains, forests, intermitten houses and numerus apple stands. At one such stand we decided to stop and grab some apples, cider and honey. The farmer had some cups at the stand so we grabbed them to go with our cider and the honey, man it had actual honeycomb in the jar. Then we continued on. The leaves and the scenery continued to get more and more beautiful the farther we went.

You know I seriously wonder sometimes how human beings could possibly explain all the wonder and beauty that can be seen around us as a result of evolution or a big bang. It is soooo obvious to me that it's only description for being can be a magnificent and wonderful Creator who wants to show us just how wonderful and beautiful He is. I mean to see all the different colors and so much of it, its well its indescribable. (thanks to Chris Tomlin for putting it to words)

From the highest of heights to the depths of the sea

Creation's revealing Your majesty

From the colors of fall to the fragrance of spring

Every creature unique in the song that it sings

All exclaiming

Indescribable, uncontainable,

You placed the stars in the sky and

You know them by name.

You are amazing God

All powerful, untamable,

Awestruck we fall to our knees as we humbly proclaim

You are amazing God

Who has told every lightning bolt where it should go

Or seen heavenly storehouses laden with snow

Who imagined the sun and gives source to its light

Yet conceals it to bring us the coolness of night

None can fathom

Indescribable, uncontainable,

You placed the stars in the sky and
You know them by name

You are amazing God

All powerful, untamable,

Awestruck we fall to our knees as we humbly proclaim

You are amazing God

Alright back to the trip, we both got many beautiful pictures.

And when we reached the top of Skyline Drive we got a wonderful surprise!!!

SNOW!!! Courtney loved it as she is from Texas and I was okay with it cause I knew I would be leaving it behind. But I did throw my first snowball for the season! It was a good time.

Then it was back to the city, take a nap and then Courtney came over for pizza and we watched Miss Congeniality. Then to bed.

Sunday was a great day too. First of all Pats had a bye so I didn't have to stress about a football game. Though I was rather shocked that the COLTS LOST TO THE CHARGERS?!?!?!? Pastor Joel covered the next movie in the God at the Box Office series. His was The Pursuit of Happyness. I haven't seen the movie but what I did see of it this weekend I need to go rent it. It was an excellent message. The rest of the day was full of other such fun events as well. I took JennO to Tunnicliff's for lunch and then we ran to Target for some quick pick ups. The best part of the whole day was when I met up with my friends Michelle and Amy and we headed up to the 930 club to see the David Crowder Band.

Talk about the most amazing time of my life!!!! A group called the Myriad started the concert and they were phenomenal. Then Phil Wickham played and I have found two new artists that I really love. Then by the time DCB got up there I was ready to sing some praise and worship myself instead of just listen to it. AND PRAISE GOD DCB invited everyone to sing along with them. It was amazing. I believe I experienced the Holy Spirit for the very first time. I have never felt so free to worship ever before and in such a public place. I almost literally felt the Holy Spirit come in and lift me up. IT was all I could do to not try and crawl up into Heaven with Him. It was amazing!!!

Okay this is taking awhile to type up so I'll post more later. God Bless. Oh yeah enjoy Veteran's day fr all you who get the day off.

Update

Well to start Cayd Elijah was born November 2nd, 2007 at 9:35 PM. He is 9 pounds 8 oz, 22 inches long. He is the spitting image of his big brother when he was an infant. Red hair and all. I can't wait to say hello to the little guy.

As for me, I had both interviews and they both went well. The one I actually withdrew my application later because I realized that I wanted the other one more than I did that one. Now I am basically just interviewing all over the place looking for a new job.

I am really excited because I met Sunday with the group of folks who have all expressed an interest in going to India in the Spring with NCC. There was about 12 of us and all had different backgrounds. Some of the folks had been on prior trips with NCC and know what to expect. Then there are others who are more like me, never been on a trip outside the US and freaked beyond reason to go. It is going to be an expensive trip and a trip that requires complete faith in God. I will have to take a week and a half off work, it costs approximately $3000, I have to have a bunch of shots (and for those of you who know me well, know that I am a 27 year old baby when it comes to needles), and it will be a huge step outside of my comfort zone.

I was encouraged however during this meeting by those who said that if you are fighting with whether or not your supposed to go then you are definitely supposed to go. That is most definitely satan fighting hard to make you stay when he knows if you go he will lose more. That is both encouraging and discouraging. I get tired of constantly fighting to do the right thing. Sometimes I feel that no matter how hard I fight I just keep getting beat down and I just don't want to do it anymore. I feel like throwing in the towel and going up into the hills and becoming a hermit. Never having to deal with people again and thus never really having to fight. All I would do is read my Bible and pray. There would be nothing there to make it hard.

Now I know this is foolish and extremely selfish because this world and my life is not about me and my creature/spirit comforts but rather about God. I know that I made the decision to be used by Him which means that my life will never be easy. I have made the choice that I will honor and glorify Him in everything that I do. Thus, I will keep fighting, I will keep reading and studying and learning more about Him. I will keep allowing Him to put me in situations that require complete faith in Him. I know by just saying that I have opened myself up to more hardship than I personally can probably handle but I know that if I continue in His word and in daily prayer with Him I will be able to make it through and come out the other side more refined than before.

well that's all for today. Thanks to all who read this and pray, especially Beth. I covet everyone's prayers.

My fabulous weekend and "star" experience

This last weekend was a ton of fun! Sarah was stilll prego, the little one just wants to hang out inside mummy, so I ended up staying in DC for the first weekend in a very long time. I still went a head and rented the car for the weekend though because I had a lot to do. So Friday was nice, I got off work, picked up the car and went shopping. I got all my grocery and necessity shopping done and made it home in time to watch Numb3rs.

Saturday was gorgeous! A large group of us met up near-by and headed out to Virginia to go apple picking. we stopped at this little restaruant called the Apple House for lunch and then it was on to Stribling's Orchard. It was beautifully cool and still sunny and the picking was good. I had so much fun and now I am planning to make a couple of apple pies with my pickings. That night I hung out with a couple of other friends from church and we ate chili and cornbread and carved our pumpkins. Overall it was a great day.

Sunday was one of the best days ever!! Pastor Mark's message was amazing and very convicting. He finished off his series on the Elephant in the Church by confronting the Apocolytic Elephant. To hear his sermons check it out on itunes Podcast National Community Church.

But the best part of Sunday morning was actually getting to meet Dave and Kate Schmidgall. They are the missionaries that I have mentioned a couple of times previously, who are working with a church in Edinburgh, Scotland called Eikon. I didn't get the chance to meet them last year when they were at NCC's Mission conference but my friends knowing my passion for Scotland told me about them and I was able to find them online through their website. I have been following their work there in Edinburgh since shortly before they left, via their blog. Let me just say that what the team at Eikon is doing in Edinburgh is AMAZING!!! You should see the way that God is working there. All that to say that it was so wonderful to finally meet them in person. I felt like I was getting to meet my version of movie stars. I am really hoping that God will allow me the awesome opportunity to go to Edinburgh in the Spring and help with my church's Buzz Conference!!

In other news...pray!!! I have an interview tomorrow for a job that I would really like. It would be a cut in pay but the job would be amazing! I would get to work in a great environment, with great people, and actually be busy doing great work. I will tell more after the interview!!!! Please pray though!!!

On a more serious note...please be praying for my co-worker John. This past Friday night two of his daughter's were in a terrible accident. The youngest at 16 Sarah was killed and the oldest at 21 Melissa is in critical condition, in an induced coma with brain damage. Please please pray for him and his family. He has three other children as well. It could be months before he comes back to work due to the extent of Melissa's injuries. Please please pray God's will in his life and for the recovery of Melissa. Please also pray for peace, comfort and strength for the rest of the family to make it through this extremely difficult time.

The best and the worst of it.

This past weekend was both good and bad. Let's start with the good.

I finally made it to the West Coast for the first time in my life. I went to Oregon to attend the wedding of a friend. It was absolutely lovely there. It reminded me so much of Scotland that I just wanted to stay. I got to go with a friend and have a lovely time driving the scenic highway to Multnomah falls and then on to Mt. Hood. It was lovely and quite enjoyable. I also got to see the Pacific Ocean for the first time in my life. I was like a child running at the waves coming in and running away when they got too close. It was amazing!! We were there at night for a bonfire and just to see two of God's greatest pieces of work in the same place was breathtaking. The sky was blanketed in stars that ran down to meet the wide expanse of the mighty Pacific. How can anyone say that a big bang did all that? Really?!

I got to see and spend time with old friends and make new. It was great! The wedding itself was beautiful. The bride was out of this world gorgeous and the groom was handsome in his tux. Everyone looked dapper and beautiful. The reception was an elegant affair in a renovated old JC Penney building. I'm talking the good ole building with wood floors and ornate decorations. I spent more time at the reception reacquainting with old friends and making more new ones. I met the Reber's a wonderful family. Carissa and I share a passion for cars that I have never found in any other girls I have ever met. It's nice to know that I am not the only girl who enjoys "boy" things. :-)



Then came the after-party. All the folks from DC and all the groomsmen trotted round the corner to a local bar. The reception ended before 9 PM and none of us were ready to hit the sack quite yet. Spent time shootin the breeze and then shootin some pool.

The worst part of the weekend then hit like a gale force off the bow. My friend that came out with me decided to do something that I and a lot of other people really didn't think was wise. We all loved them and didn't want them to get hurt or make a fool out of themself. Well let's just say, I confronted them and it did not go well. I and another friend spent the rest of the night worrying about them, where they was, how they were and if we would actually see them again the next morning. It was awful. We also worried about the person on the receiving end of their decision. They were drunk and had no clue what was going on. They didn't even no the other had decided to stay until they walked back in and we didn't.

That was the worst part of this whole trip. Two people that I care about deeply and neither one coherent to make a good decision. I hate fighting with people, I really do. I love my friends and would do anything to ensure that they never had to deal with pain in their lives. However I can't back down from what I said to the one. I still believe that what I told them was true and I stand by it 100% but that doesn't make it any easier that they still won't talk to me and that they hate me. I hope that someday they will realize this and see that I only cared about them. Until then I want them to know that I still love them and am here for them if they need me.

How depressing :-)

I think I have finally figured out my "purpose" for men in life. For some I am their ego booster, meaning when it is good for them they'll not discourage my liking them but when it isn't they'll be rude and cold shoulder me. jabg For others I am the carrot to be dangled in front of the woman they really wants nose. dnfc The last group are the ones that see me as the permanent "gal pal". The Gal they can hang with, who likes cars, football, soccer and more. apjggtss

Maybe my Dad was right, I do act too masculine. However ,though I may like lots of "guy" things I wear a ton of pink. I wear skirts all the time in the summer. I have an unmistakeably unavoidably prominent chest. I wear make-up, like to cook, love my kitty, love bright colors and find Tom Brady, Matt Damon and George Clooney highly attractive!!! YUM!!! Maybe I just have really bad luck. If that's the case, 27 years of bad luck does not bode well for the future. :-/ :-)

Soo....maybe it's the guys who are the problem not me. Maybe they are the ones who can't handle the idea that a girl can be a girl and still love "guy" things. Maybe they are the ones that can't see a good thing when it is staring them in the face. Oh well, what to do. I won't change me (to a point, I do know that everyone has things they need to work on) to make a guy happy.

oh well not going to dwell on it too much but just needed to put it down on "paper".

10 years ago today

The People's Princess, Princess Diana

10 years ago today we lost one of the most amazing women in the world. There are many others out there but Princess Diana will always stand out as one of the most remembered.

I can still remember how I felt when my Mum informed me that Diana had been in an accident. I remember thinking, there's still hope because she isn't dead yet, they think she's alive. Then that awful moment when they finally announced her death to the world. It was devestating! She was one of the most influential women in the world and was 100% worthy of the title "The People's Princess". I mean she was one of the few people that was on my list of folks I wanted to meet. She showed the world that not everyone in the royal family was immune to the world around them and the difference they could make if they chose to. She showed the world that Aids patients deserve the same amount of dignity and respect as the next. She showed the world that all it takes to bring everyone together is a little bit of love and caring.

To this day I still get teary-eyed when I think about her and about her sons. She did a good job instilling in them the reality of life and responsibility to the people. They have grown up to be wonderful young men who reflect her love and character on those around them.

Well I will be done with Grad school in April of 2008 and I AM SOOOOO EXCITED!!!! It has been a long three years in coming. I didn't realize just how hard it would be to go to school full-time and work full-time. I mean, I knew it would require work but I figured being able to go online would balance out the time that I would have been sitting in a classrom. Yeah doesn't work that way. It actually takes a lot of self control and self discipline. I have had to really crack down on how I spend my time so that I am not up into all hours of the morning. Now that isn't to say that I've done a good job. I have slipped a lot and because of that have really pushed myself to the limit. But in the end it will all be worth it. I will have my MBA, be eligible for a raise, have the option to look for "better" jobs and much more.

On another note, I may have found a way to spend next summer working in Scotland. I have to do a bit more research but who knows. I really hope it works out because it could open doors for me to be able to move there in the future.

I DID IT and here are my results.

Next year these numbers will be much better, but for my first time, I am proud of myself.

The first number is my place finish (oy!) then obviously my name age and where I am from. Then the first time is the overall amount of time it took me to complete(3:45:38.05, we had a total of 4:20:00 available to us to finish it in) then the next number is my place finish in the swim (1659) and how long it took me (54:32, we had an hour to complete). Then my place for the first transition from swim to bike and the amount of time it took (1421, 5:49). Next is my place finish in the bike portion (1652) with 2:10:00 available to me I finished it in 1:52:03. Next is my place overall for the swim/bike combined (1658) with a time of 2:52:22. Then my place and time for the second transition from bike to run (192, 1:25). Finally is my place in the run (1632) and it took me 51:52 which is worse than my previous 3.3 mil run but I also did have to swim and bike before my last run. So that in a "nutshell" is my results for the RYKA IronGirl Triathlon.

1656 JOYANNA NEINER 27 WASHINGTON DC 3:45:38.05 1659 54:32 1421 5:49 1652 1:52:03 1658 2:52:22 192 1:25 1632 51:52

I acutally can't wait to train for next year, but I think I'll give myself a week first to stop being sore :-).

J's Jewelry Designs

So I have finally begun to create pieces of jewelry that I am actually putting out there for the world to see. I have been making jewelry for friends and family for years as gifts but now I have been encouraged by a good friend to set-up shop and offer my pieces to the "world". I create made-to-order jewelry, you tell me a little about yourself (the colors you like, your personality) and a little of what you are looking for. I draw up a design and create a unique piece of jewelry to fit you and your personality. I also make copies of certain pieces I have made in desired colors. I love doing this. I would love if someday this became my full-time job. (One can only dream right)

Here are a couple of my most recent pieces.

Cherry Pop Bracelets (set of three)

Cool Breeze

Lime Lolly Necklace

(there is a set of earrings as well just no photo at the moment)

Orange Sherbert

Orange Sherbert2

Linkin Gems

Peridot Heaven

Red Rhapsody

Red Rhapsody2

Red Rhapsody3

Silver Lining

Silver Lining2

ZigZag

Transformers and Harry Potter

I LOVED TRANSFORMERS!!!!!!!!!!!! I have seen numerous movies where you know there is going to be CGI and unfortunately you can see it but not with Transformers! I grew up with these guys as toys as a child but never watched the cartoon. So the movie was great on two levels for me. First it was like seeing something for the very first time that didn't have a book or previous show to it (at least that I actually saw) and the CGI was AMAZING. It was so well done that you could almost believe that the Autobots really changed from cars to robots and back. The interaction with humans was quite real as well. I have to say this is the first movie since I was a youngster that I would pay to go see it in the theatre again.



Now as for HP and the O of the P, well that's another story. I didn't go into the movie with any pre-thoughts though some friends said it was great and others said it was disappointing. I sat and I watched and I generally enjoyed but over all I was disappointed. About the only thing I definitely enjoyed where the action scenes. I don't really know what else to say. I thought they could have done a much better job.



Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows comes out RIGHT NOW. As I am staring at my computer it changes from 2359 to 0000!! MIDNIGHT!!! HP is officially on sale and my copy will be in my hands at some point in time tomorrow when UPS delivers it!! I CAN'T WAIT!!! I am so excited and kinda worried at the same time. I know someone has to die and that this is the end but I am worried about who it will be. I'll let you know what I thought of the book in about a month when everyone has had a chance to read it. I don't want to be held responsible for someone googling it and getting my site and having the book spoiled for them.

My new life verse!

With everything that God has been teaching me lately and impressing upon my heart I discovered a new life verse. As many of you know I have finally decided to let go and obey God and stop making excuses. I am headed to Scotland next year to start my new life. I discovered this verse the other night while reading through 1 Thessalonians and it really struck deep.

1 Thessalonians 5:24

FAITHFUL is He who calls you, and He also will bring it to PASS.

What a strong reminder to me that no matter how hard I fight it, His will will be done and He will see it through till the end. It is a constant encouragement to me that I am not in this alone and that I will do this this time.

In another note, I found verses in 1 Thess. that will hopefully help me with my no complaining restart.

1 Thess. 5 16 - 22

REJOICE ALWAYS;
Pray WITHOUT CEASING;
In EVERYTHING give THANKS; for this is GOD'S will for you in Christ Jesus.
Do not QUENCH the Spirit;
Do not despise PROPHETIC utterances.
But examine everything CAREFULLY; HOLD FAST to that which is GOOD;
ABSTAIN from EVERY form of EVIL.

OY!

This whole not complaining thing is harder than I thought. I haven't gone one day without complaining at least once. I have cut back but it still slips out. I blame it entirely on the job right now :-).

On another note, I both like and dislike change! You know in some ways change is great because it increases the spontaneity in life but on the other hand it comes with much "growing" pain.

Relationships~all kinds not just that annoying boyfriend/girlfriend one but the friends one. I realized recently that I am very selfish. When it comes to relationships I have a hard time maintaining them if I can't physically see the person. For example, my best friend Beth lives in Iowa and I rarely see or talk to her.

Now some of this I attribute to the fact that she is now married and has someone else that she has to consider in life. Not that I hold that against her. I am happy for her. But I was thinking the other day that it sucks that our friendship seems harder to maintain now and that is when I realized that it is solely because I am selfish. I expect her to call me or contact me all the time instead of me MAKING the time to maintain a friendship that I hold dear. I never thought I wasn't selfish but I guess I just didn't see myself as that selfish.

The other thing that I realize is that when I do talk to my Best friends I usually am also working on something else at the same time and not giving them my undivided attention. What A JERK!!! If they have taken the time to call me and check up on me then I should give them the same consideration and pay attention. I realized this when I was talking to my best friend Shrig a couple of weeks ago. She is always so good about it and I always promise to call back when I have time, but do I? No! I am a selfish jerk.

Then there is my best friend Sarah who I probably dedicate more time to than all the three put together and that is so unfair of me. I don't know why, it's not that she is any better than the other two. I don't know, maybe its because she challenges me on a level the other two don't. NOt that they don't challenge me in their own ways but somehow it's different. I don't know how to explain it.

Each of them has had a direct and infinite impact in my life. Shrig has been the one person I could count on to treat me as an equal since that wretched time of life called highschool. She has taught me to laugh at myself when I do something stupid and to be strong in what I believe. She has been a part of my life for years and without her I sometimes think I would have forever remained living with my head stuck in a hole in the ground. (you know what I mean Shrig :-))

Beth I met in college when she was dating a guy I was interested in. (It's always best to be friends with your "friends" girlfriend) We built an amazing friendship out of it and have been there for each other through the ups and downs. She has taught me to find the beauty inside myself, to persevere and to trust that God is in contrl.

Sarah I also met in college and have known for years now. Sarah is the one who showed me the grace of God through her life, she showed me that there is always hope and opportunities for second chances. She has shown me that it is possible to live solely on faith alone when there really isn't much else to live on.

Then there's a friend that I met online who I have had the HARDEST time maintaining any kind of a relationship with. We seem to miss each other somehow. Course that might be because he lives in Portugal :-). But you know... He's fun to talk to when we get the chance and it takes me outside of my small world of DC and the USA. Who knows moving to Scotland next year may even give me the opportunity to actually get to meet him in person. That might make the friendship work :-) seeing as I do better with "physical" friendships.

I have numerous friends here in DC and am afraid of leaving next year purely for the reason that I know I struggle with maintaining long-distance relationships. I don't want to lose my friends. They mean a lot to me and each one has made an imprint on my life. What will I do without them?

Tryin something out and Scotland

So our Pastor mentioned this challenge that another Pastor presented to his church. I have decided to give it a try. Basically the challenge is to not complain for 21 days. Supposedly the result is no more complaining because you have created a new habit of finding only the good. This is something I definitely need to work on so here goes...

Have you ever finally let go and let God take the wheel only to realize that DUH if I had just done it sooner maybe I would already be where I should be? Boy I really do feel like an idiot when I look back at just how clear God has been for as long as I can remember about going to Scotland. I mean I am talking all the way back to the age of five!!!!

I have always dreamed of this country and had an intense passion for her that I couldn't quite explain and still in fact have a hard time putting into words. When I tell people that I love Scotland and that i can't wait to get there and they ask why all I can say is I know that's where God wants me. I really have no other way to explain why the passion is so strong and so intense.

Before last September '06 Scotland was a mere dream and not even a "possibility" in my mind. Then I actually got to go and visit with my Grandmum and God just made it 100% clear that I was home and I should have already been there. I have a passion for the country who's land flows through my blood. I have a passion to reclaim the youth and college age of Scotland for GOD.

It's funny to think that Scotland is the home to John Knox and had such a strong Christian past yet 67% of all Scots no longer claim any religious affiliation. Some say this is due to the fact that the church has remained in the past while the rest of the world contiunes to change and move forward.

A very belated Father's Day post

I LOVE MY DAD! I truly believe that I have one of the best Dad's out there. Without him in my life, I would have never become who I am today. (I wonder how he sleeps at night? :-D) He took care to raise us with an instilled fear of the Lord that helped me to grow into a faith and love of God that I can call my "own." He taught me by experience to work hard to pay off debt. He taught me to respect my elder's. He created in me my passion for camping, history, designing my own home, the smell of fresh earth and timber (he built homes and we would visit him on the job site), football and my Scottish heritage.

Though I am told I look exactly like my Mum, I believe I act a lot like my Dad. I have a strange and inane hatred for the telephone (which I am pretty sure he gave me), but it's a good thing. It allows me to be able to break free like other people can't. I tend to both think things through and do things on the spur of the moment which he definitely does. I am a complete introvert at heart, which I definitely got from him, but I work hard to combat it and step out of my comfort zone to be part of an "extrovert" life. I most definitely have his nose!!! (it's big :-D) I generally tend to hold my frustration and annoyance in until I reach a point where I can no longer do so, but I don't have a tendency to yell at all. I don't like to be told that I am wrong unless you can show me how I am wrong. Definitely qualities I get from him. To think of it, I don't know if I have ever even heard my Dad yell in anger or frustration. I have heard him yell to be heard above the work site and to get people's attention from a distance but HHHMMMM, yeah can't think of a time.

My biggest frustration with my Dad is that he refuses to see how great he is!!!! I fight every day to not feel like a failure because HE believes he has failed in raising his children which in turn conveys to me that no matter what I am doing it isn't enough and I am a failure. That is rather frustrating to deal with every single day. I mean none of us still live at home or rely on him to care for us. My brother is an amazing Marine and wonderful man, my sister is growing into her own person and learning how to do life, and I am living in my dream American city and soon to realize a whole nother dream. I mean SERIOUSLY!, I call that a man who has definitely succeeded.

Now that is not to say that at times things haven't happened that make life look bad but there comes a time when a parent has GOT TO REALIZE that they have taught their children to the best of their ability and that no matter what that child is still a human being with their own free will to make right and wrong choices. I mean seriously. It would be pretty sad if at the ages of 24, 25, and 27 my Dad was still teaching us right from wrong and disciplining us. NOW THAT would be utter failure.

At the same time, his utter refusal to accept success makes me fight even harder to do something that will make him realize what an awesome job he did and to say he is proud of me and what I have become. I hope that some day he will view me and his family as a success and in turn I will finally feel as if I have accomplished something in my life.

Things I remember doing with my Dad that I love:

Camping at Gettysburg
Camping in general
Highland Games
Snipe hunting
Job site visits
Pink things (Canada mints)
Spearmint leaves
Campfires
Family devotions at the table
Sunday nights playing boardgames and eating popcorn
Cookouts (master griller)
Long drives to Virginia
Vermont
Dirt Roads (he has a thing for finding at least one on any give trip we take)

"milestones"

I chopped off my hair on Wednesday night and I absolutely LOVE the result! It is so short, easy to care for and refreshing.





Today I finally paid off enough on my school loans to break under 12,000. I am so excited. While I was paying on them between school, it felt like all I was doing was paying interest and I wasn't seeing a reduction in the overall at all. Since being in school and getting my new job I have decided to continue paying on the loans though they are in forebearance. Because of this I am paying on the principal and not the interest and actually starting to see a reduction in how much I owe! I LOVE IT!! It makes me feel like there is hope and someday it WILL all be paid off. Yippee!!!!!!!!!!

verrry interesting *thoughtful skeptisism*

I am not sure if I 100% agree with this, but then I am not sure where I stand on theology anymore. Being from a Baptist upbringing and attending a Baptist College where theology has been shoved down my throat, I have found that theology is the grounds for a lot of division in the church.

I do know that I firmly believe in the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. I believe that we are here on this earth to bring Glory to the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. I believe that without Them I am nothing. I believe that as a believer it is my duty and privilege to tell others about Them. I believe that the Church is a global body of believers and not a building where believers meet. I believe that God has granted us all gifts and we are to use them to glorify Him. I believe the Bible is 100% right and true.

As for the other things I choose at this point in my life to not deal with them. I don't believe that what you believe about the rapture and the millenium will make a difference to whether or not you will get into heaven. I also do not believe that being a Calvinist or Arminian makes a difference. The Bible specifically remains unclear about many things. Also it seems everyone who has a differing belief or opinion can each back it with Scripture.

Seems to me that this means we should spend less time fighting and arguing about who's right about what and more focusing on telling others about the awesome and amazing Grace of God.

You scored as Reformed Evangelical, You are a Reformed Evangelical. You take the Bible very seriously because it is God's Word. You most likely hold to TULIP and are sceptical about the possibilities of universal atonement or resistible grace. The most important thing the Church can do is make sure people hear how they can go to heaven when they die. Reformed Evangelical 61% Evangelical Holiness/Wesleyan 57% Fundamentalist 57% Emergent/Postmodern 50% Neo orthodox 43% Classical Liberal 43% Charismatic/Pentecostal 36% Roman Catholic 21% Modern Liberal 11% What's your theological worldview? created with QuizFarm.com

My Bug-a-boo

My precious little Bug-a-boo
Happy Birthday you're TWO!!

I pray you'll grow in knowledge and grace,
And always learn to seek His face.

When push comes to shove
May you always show/know love.

How exciting that soon you'll be a big brother
And you'll get to be Mommy's extra special helper.

As you enjoy your toys, especially Thomas,
Know that this I solemnly promise....

Your Aunt Jo will always love YOU!!

Things to do today

___ Talk to a friend about getting a ride to the airport early Friday morn.
___ Write Aunt Karen in PA
___ Write Andee in Virginia
___ Write Kate in Iraq (I've been very bad about this) SORRY!!!!
___ Write Aunt Karen in Scotland
___ Finish writing discussion paragraph for the first part of this weeks assignment
___ Clean kitchen
___ Fold and put away clothes
___ Call Virginia State Police :-/
___ Read chapters 2 and 3 and take quizzes
___ Call Beth and Sarah

My Brother the Marine

I think that way too often I have taken for granted the fact that I have the best brother in the world and he came back to me and my family from Iraq not once but TWICE. I love him so very much and wish there was some way to express how much I love him and am so proud of him. He is an amazing man who overcame, what he was told were insurmountable obstacles, to become an extremely competent and respected United States Marine.

I also had the awesome opportunity to see my Grandfather honored on Memorial day this year. It was amazing and had me crying. My PopPop is WWII veteran who served his country with honor. He was honored by a local TV station in Southeast PA.

I also had the chance to be able to stop at Ft. Indiantown Gap National Cemetary and pay my respects to my Grandpop. He served in the Navy during WWII. Unfortunately he died before I ever discovered my passion for understanding the war and hearing my grandparents stories. I miss him and wish that I could have just one more day with him.

I know it's a little late but a great big THANK YOU to all our men and women who have served and are serving our Great Nation!

How big is your God?

We finally finished the last night of our small group going through the book, If You Want to Walk on Water, You have to get out of the Boat. The last chapter discussed how big is our God. It talks about worship and how our lives are to be worship, that what we do on Sunday at church is only a small part of what worship is. I really appreciated this excerpt from the book.

"We are to worship God, not because His ego needs it, but because without worship, our experience and enjoyment of God are not complete. We worship God not so much because He needs it, but because we do.

I need to worship. I need to worship because without it I can forget that I have a Big God beside me and live in fear. I need to worship because without it I can forget his calling and begin to live in a spirit of self-preoccupation. I need to worship because without it I lose a sense of wonder and gratitude and plod through life with blinders on. I need to worship because my natural tendency is toward self-reliance and stubborn independence."

I need to worship because without it I have forgotten Who takes care of me and gives me the will to live each day.

And on the subject of getting out of the boat...I now have a one year plan to get to Scotland by June 1st, 2008. Here is the plan..

DESTINATION SCOTLAND!!! (5/17/2007)

One year plan -- June 1st 2008

Concerns
Books
Degree
$750 for plane ticket
Sarah's baby 10/2007
Janis' Wedding 4/5/08
Getting Fia to Scotland
Storage for all other items
Finding a church
Obtain Ancestry visa
Finding job to pay bills
Save $5,000 for vital living expenses

Solutions
Box and Ship
Start back 6/2007
By August 30th 2007
Enjoy the experience
Enjoy the experience
Purchase cat carrier, and get tranq from vet, research rules and comply
Rent space near folks in PA May 2008
Pray, check out Eikon and other churches in the area
Begin push on May 22nd, and get Grandmum's birth certificate
start search Feb/Mar 08, talk to Walden and the possibility of an internship
Save $500 a month beginning June 07

So I have definitely not been keeping up my end of the cleaning deal in the apartment. Sooo while my roommate was away on vacation this past week I CLEANED the apartment. I cleaned the living room top to bottom, i mean dust and all. Then it was on to the kitchen, where I cleaned out the fridge and mopped the floor. Then swept and wiped down the bathroom. I must say I probably didn't do as thorough a job there because I HATE CLEANING BATHROOMS. However I did clean it a bit.

Last night we had our first good thunderstorm. It made me VERY happy! On the downside though it downpoured and I didn't catch my bedroom window in time and my comforter got soaked. Darn it! But oh well, finally having a thunderstorm was well worth it.

This week will be nuts at work, leading up to a crazy weekend! OY! I am ready for a vacation!!!!!!!!!! Gotta go!

I did it!!

Well I actually got up at 7:30 AM on Saturday morning stretched and ran 2.5 miles all on my own. Then I came back stretched out again and laid down for a nap. Then I met up with my brothers girlfriend and my friend Amber and we headed to the Jeremy M. Herbstritt Memorial 5K. Where we met up with some of their friends. We registered got our t-shirts, stretched and prepared to walk. Lucky for me Michelle one of the other girls was interested in running the 5K as well so we paired off and took off. We ran most all of the race. I would say we ran a good 2.75 miles out of the total 3.2 miles. We stopped and sped walked up the hills, though there weren't many, because neither of us could do it. I finished the race in 38.?? minutes. I was really excited because that is about how long of a run I do at home as well for about the same length of time.

What did I get out of this you ask? Well, I got a chance to pay my respects to his family and come to grips with reality a little bit. I got to help out the family as all proceeds from the race went to Jeremy's family to help with all the finances. I also got the chance to start off my racing/running life in a perfect tribute to a friend. Oh yeah I also got some terrible sunburn on the shoulders and a headache because I didn't drink enough water.

Tomorrow my Mum and I are headed to the graveyard to visit Jeremy and say my goodbyes. My heart is aching right now in ways i can't begin to describe for Mike, Peggy, Jenn, Joe, Steph and Lex. I wish that I could take there pain away and make life all better for them. I wish that I could give them Jeremy back and that I could take his place. Honestly death doesn't scare me. I am ready to go home and be with my Father.

Well until later...

and I'm back.

Sorry its been such a long time. A lot of things have been happening and changing in my life. So where to start...

Lets start with Godspell. We officially closed on Easter Sunday and then celebrated our cast party a week later. We had a ton of fun playing Dance Dance Revolution, eating a lot of food and then Kacey our director passed out fun awards. I received Rookie of the Year! Whoo hoo for me! :-)

With Godspell out of the picture, I had already decided that I would not be going back to work at Ebenezers. I found that I was literally killing myself and no longer finding joy working there. So I now had a lot of time on my hands, so to speak.

Then came Virginia Tech. The world was stunned and the small town of Bellefonte, PA was left in utter shock. This was the 2nd time that an incident effected the small town. The last was when the Pentagon was hit and a young man from Zion, PA was killed. This time not only Bellefonte was effected but myself and others that I knew personally. A young man was murdered in that mess who we had gone to school with. What a mess.

That was a Monday, that Friday I spent the day in Philadelphia with two very good friends, sporting my Virginia Tech Maroon and Orange. We had fun wandering the city, doing some shopping and just having some good girl-time together. Then it was back to DC and work.

I think for the most part that gets me all caught up. Oh yeah I am training for a mini-triathalon in August and the Army Ten-miler in October. Also this weekend I am going home to run in a memorial 5K for Jeremy Herbstritt and to say my good-byes.

this should not have happened!!!!

I am 26 years old and I shouldn't have known anyone there. In fact as far as I knew today at 3:30 PM, I didn't. Then they released the names of the murdered at VT. Among them was the name Jeremy Herbstritt. At first I thought it was just a coincidence that he would be from PA (they had the wrong town listed) and have gone to Penn State. I called my mum and best friend from high school Shrig to have them check on this. Then I got on facebook and checked him out. Just before my friend called I found him and realized that it was indeed the guy that I had gone to high school with. Shrig confirmed it and then my mom confirmed it shortly after.

This is ridiculous, I shouldn't have known anyone there. I should be looking on this and praying for all the families of the victims, not crying my eyes out over the memories of a funny and quirky young man that I had known personally. Jeremy's family shouldn't have to be writing an obituary, they shouldn't be buying a casket, they shouldn't be mourning a young man, who had so much to live more, so much to offer the world. He was smart, he was funny, he was quirky, he was a runner. He was a young man who loved his family and his friends. He cared about people and wanted to make a difference in the world and he would have.

Jeremy Herbstritt and the many other victims, their families and the injured will be in my thoughts and prayers alway. God bless!

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ONE WEEK FROM TONIGHT..........



GODSPELL OPENS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

One week from tonight all the hard work that the whole entire group of us have been doing will finally reach its climax. All the pure talent and desire that God has given us will be given its chance to share His story, His love, His joy and His sacrifice for the Greater DC area to view and behold.

Please pray:

For our health
For our safety
For our sanity as this last week will affectionately be known as "hell" week.
For our Director
For our Producer
For our Band
For our Tech folks

The cast by name:

Nathan Spiwak-Jesus
Dan Cummins-John the Baptist/Judas
Chris Girardi
Ryan Zemple
Robin Landauer
Lisa Overman
Jessica Johson
Jen Watts
Bekah Kitterman
JoyAnna Neiner

Director: Kacey McGowan
Producer: Heather Zemple
Band:
Keyboard: Sarah Chilcolte
Guitar: John Purcell
Drums: I am so sorry, I can't remember his name

Please be in prayer that God's will will be done throughout the run of this performance and that His name will be Glorified!!

realizations

Have you ever had one of those weekends where something goes dreadfully wrong and it makes you rethink your life and choices you've made?

I did! I realized I made a dreadful mistake about someone and am hoping and praying that they'll give me a second chance. I also realized that someone that I had hoped to reconcile with, well it just won't ever happen. I also realized that as hard as I try and as much as I want to be the perfect person who is trying to do the right thing for God, it just won't happen. All I can do is admit it and try harder.

It's a couple of frustrating realizations because as you can see by a human perspective there is no hope to be found in a single one of these situations. But from a God perspective there is always hope to be found. For the mistake there is the possibily of a second chance, for the no reconciliation, its for the best and as for trying to be the best I can be for God, well that's good news to His ears when I say I'll just try harder to be what He wants me to be. It means to Him that I am truly His and He can work His glory through me. WOW

Okay not that I would wish another weekend like this on anyone but I don't know maybe we all need one of these realization weekends every once in a while. At least I know I do.

Thank you Father for reminding me how worthless I am when I try to do things without You. Thanks for letting me see my mistakes and please give me a second chance. Please take control of my life and make it more than just a useless lump of clay.

Bio for the program of Godspell and pic.

When not being dramatic JoyAnna can be found trying to maintain sanity in the craziness that is Gov't and DoD in the Pentagon. I would like to take this opportunity to thank my FATHER for His unending love, faith and use of a lump of clay. Thank you also to Kacey and Heather for the awesome opportunity to be a part of Godspell. Thank you to the rest of the Gang for the "good times and great memories", they'll be cherished forever. Thanks to my Family who have never doubted I could act and for supporting me in this journey. Thanks to my best friends Sarah, Beth and Shrig for their patience and support. Thanks to my roomie Hyla, for her patience with my long hours and mess during the past few months. I love you guys!!

National Community Church Production of Godspell

Tickets are $10 each and they will go on sale to NCCers this weekend before and after services. If your not from NCC and I know you and your planning to come, let me know by tonight if possible but at the latest this weekend. I will pick up the tickets in advance for the performance of your choice. Be sure to let me know! I would love to see you all there!!

Performance Dates are as follows:

Friday, March 30 at 8:00 pm
Sunday, April 1 at 2:00 pm
Sunday, April 1 at 6:00 pm
Thursday, April 5 at 8:00 pm
Friday, April 6 at 8:00 pm
Saturday, April 7 at 10:00pm **Special Easter Vigil Performance
Sunday, April 8 at 2:00 pm
Sunday, April 8 at 6:00 pm

Godspell, a musical based on the Gospel of Matthew, tells the story of Jesus and his disciples and the history-changing community they formed. All performances will occur at Ebenezers Coffeehouse. We have set our version of Godspell in modern times against the backdrop of the DC metro. To enhance your experience, take metrobus or metrorail to Union Station and walk one block to Ebenezers Coffeehouse.

Metro-operated lots are free on weekends and most federal holidays. At times when fees are charged, SmarTrip® cards with full parking fees are the only accepted form of payment for parking (except metered parking). Visit the Trip Planner at MetroOpensDoors.com or call 202-637-7000 (TTY 202-638-3780).”

(taken from the Zonegathering.com excpet for a little embellishment.)

I am officially registered

One of my goals for this years was to run a marathon or some kind of run.

I have just officially registered for the Iron Girl. It is mini triathlon, we swim for 1K/.62 mi, bike for 30K/17 mi, and run for 5K/3.3 mi. I am really excited and somewhat nervous. I have plenty of time to train and build the endurance for it but I am still nervous about the fact that I officially have to do it. I mean I paid money to enter this thing so there is no backing out. The countdown to August 19th, 2007 is set at 172 days.

In April I will be registering to run the Army Ten-Miler in October as well. Again excited and nervous.

It has begun...

Today I started my 40 days of fasting coffee and chocolate for Lent. I am a little worried as those who know me must realize I am both a chocoholic and coffeeholic. I started weening myself off over the long weekend but am still slightly worried as to whether I will be able to make through 40 days! We'll see, lets just say that this should hopefully make my prayer life much stronger. (I hope)

Psalm 95 and 96

Psalm 95
1. O come, let us sing for joy to the LORD, Let us shout joyfully to the rock of our salvation.
2. Let us come before His presence with thanksgiving, Let us shout joyfully to Him with psalms.
3. For the LORD is a great God and a great King above all gods,
4. In whose hand are the depths of the earth, The peaks of the mountains are His also.
5. The sea is His, for it was He who made it, And His hands formed the dry land.
6. Come, let us worship and bow down, Let us kneel before the LORD our Maker.
7. For He is our God, And we are the people of His pasture and the sheep of His hand Today, if you would hear His voice,
8. Do not harden your hearts, as at Meribah, As in the day of Massah in the wilderness,
9. "When your fathers tested Me, They tried Me, though they had seen My work.
10. "For forty years I loathed that generation, And said they are a people who err in their heart, And they do not know My ways.
11"Therefore I swore in My anger, Truly they shall not enter into My rest."

Psalm 96
1. Sing to the LORD a new song; Sing to the LORD, all the earth.
2. Sing to the LORD, bless His name; Proclaim good tidings of His salvation from day to day.
3. Tell of His glory among the nations, His wonderful deeds among all the peoples.
4. For great is the LORD and greatly to be praised; He is to be feared above all gods.
5. For all the gods of the peoples are idols, But the LORD made the heavens.
6. Splendor and majesty are before Him, Strength and beauty are in His sanctuary.
7. Ascribe to the LORD, O families of the peoples, Ascribe to the LORD glory and strength.
8. Ascribe to the LORD the glory of His name; Bring an offering and come into His courts.
9. Worship the LORD in holy attire; Tremble before Him, all the earth.
10. Say among the nations, " The LORD reigns; Indeed, the world is firmly established, it will not be moved; He will judge the peoples with equity."
11. Let the heavens be glad, and let the earth rejoice; Let the sea roar, and all it contains;
12. Let the field exult, and all that is in it then all the trees of the forest will sing for joy
13. Before the LORD, for He is coming, For He is coming to judge the earth He will judge the world in righteousness and the peoples in His faithfulness.

Hope, Be Undismayed: Conversations in bed

Thanks to Sara, who may or may not know me from BBC. What she posted here was a much needed slap in the face. As well as the comment from Elizabeth. It doesn't mean that things will be any easier and that I still won't struggle with being depressed and bitter but at least I have a strong reminder of the ONE who cares enough to always be a way out of that depression and an antidote for the bitterness. Hope, Be Undismayed: Conversations in bed

My heart is clinging tightly...

Psalm 77

1 I yell out to my God, I yell with all my might, I yell at the top of my lungs. He listens.

2-6 I found myself in trouble and went looking for my Lord; my life was an open wound that wouldn't heal. When friends said, "Everything will turn out all right," I didn't/don't believe a word they said/say. I remember God—and shake my head. I bow my head—then wring my hands. I'm awake all night—not a wink of sleep; I can't even say what's bothering me. I go over the days one by one, I ponder the years gone by. I strum my lute all through the night, wondering how to get my life together.

7-10 Will the Lord walk off and leave us for good? Will he never smile again? Is his love worn threadbare? Has his salvation promise burned out? Has God forgotten his manners? Has he angrily stalked off and left us? "Just my luck," I said. "The High God goes out of business just the moment I need him."

11-12 Once again I'll go over what God has done, lay out on the table the ancient wonders; I'll ponder all the things you've accomplished, and give a long, loving look at your acts.

13-15 O God! Your way is holy! No god is great like God! You're the God who makes things happen; you showed everyone what you can do—You pulled your people out of the worst kind of trouble, rescued the children of Jacob and Joseph.

16-19 Ocean saw you in action, God, saw you and trembled with fear; Deep Ocean was scared to death. Clouds belched buckets of rain, Sky exploded with thunder, your arrows flashing this way and that. From Whirlwind came your thundering voice, Lightning exposed the world, Earth reeled and rocked. You strode right through Ocean, walked straight through roaring Ocean, but nobody saw you come or go.

20 Hidden in the hands of Moses and Aaron, You led your people like a flock of sheep.

I LOVE BIBLEGATEWAY.COM

All I have to say is whoever thought of Biblegateway.com was a lifesaver.

I needed this passage today to remind me that living for "fame" on earth and a name for "legend" is pointless. I don't want to be known on earth by everyone as someone who did something or made money. I want to be known as having loved God and served Him and done whatever He asked of me. I want to leave this earth with my name being synonymous with being a servant. I don't mean in a prideful way, I want people to recoginze that I wasn't doing anything for my own Glory, I want all I do and did to be known as for His glory.

Psalm 49
10For he sees that even wise men die; The stupid and the senseless alike perish and leave their wealth to others.

11Their inner thought is that their houses are forever and their dwelling places to all generations; They have called their lands after their own names.

12But man in his pomp will not endure; He is like the beasts that perish.

13This is the way of those who are foolish, and of those after them who approve their words. Selah.

The Sermon on the Mount

I love how The Message translates this passage of scripture. It finally makes sense when it is written in layman's terms.


1-2 When Jesus saw his ministry drawing huge crowds, he climbed a hillside. Those who were apprenticed to him, the committed, climbed with him. Arriving at a quiet place, he sat down and taught his climbing companions. This is what he said:
3"You're blessed when you're at the end of your rope. With less of you there is more of God and his rule.
4"You're blessed when you feel you've lost what is most dear to you. Only then can you be embraced by the One most dear to you.
5"You're blessed when you're content with just who you are—no more, no less. That's the moment you find yourselves proud owners of everything that can't be bought.
6"You're blessed when you've worked up a good appetite for God. He's food and drink in the best meal you'll ever eat.
7"You're blessed when you care. At the moment of being 'care-full,' you find yourselves cared for.
8"You're blessed when you get your inside world—your mind and heart—put right. Then you can see God in the outside world.
9"You're blessed when you can show people how to cooperate instead of compete or fight. That's when you discover who you really are, and your place in God's family.
10"You're blessed when your commitment to God provokes persecution. The persecution drives you even deeper into God's kingdom.
11-12"Not only that—count yourselves blessed every time people put you down or throw you out or speak lies about you to discredit me. What it means is that the truth is too close for comfort and they are uncomfortable. You can be glad when that happens—give a cheer, even!—for though they don't like it, I do! And all heaven applauds. And know that you are in good company. My prophets and witnesses have always gotten into this kind of trouble.

when will it be MY turn?!

I don't want to wait anymore!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

State of my attempt to follow God

You know for as much as I struggle in my relationship with God it is always encouraging for me to read about how others are battling forward as well. I love how my Pastor puts it "let's storm the gates of Hell! We aren't commanded to sit on the sidelines but to get up and play the offense." Okay so its a little more loosely taken from what he said but that is the gist of it.

I am encouraged everyday by my Pastor and his openness with not only his church but with any and all who come upon his blog. It is such an encouragement to me when he relates his struggles and frustrations. It helps remind me that he needs prayer just as much as the next person and that just because he's a Pastor doesn't mean he won't face the same temptations as you or me.

This past weekend Pastor Mark's message was "The State of the Church." Basically an NCC version of the "State of the Union" address. Only better cause it's about NCC. :-) Although Pastor Mark talked about all the good that has been happening this past year at NCC, what with the opening of Ebenezers (which was by the way voted the #2 Coffeehouse in DC on the AOL city guide), and the starting of two more services at the Ebs location, he ended the service on this note after showing our Baptism video (go to Baptism by the Bay). And I again quote loosely because I am not sure exactly how he said it. This video is what its all about, its about the lives that are changed and the people who come to Christ as their own.

FRIGID Temps

Okay so it is the coldest it has been in a decade in DC right now. The temp. this morning when I left for work...20 but felt like -1. Now its 20 but feels like 2. I thought I had it bad until I checked the temp. in Iowa, New Jersey and Pennsylvania. Respectively they were 7 in IA, 17 but felt like 0 in NJ and in Pennsylvania it was 12 but felt like -5. OY!!! Our only hope lies in the fact that Punxsatawny Phil said Spring will be here soon!! I sure hope so because I don't like this cold.

Oh yeah now this fits~

now this template fits me and my blog title :-) Beth what do you think!?

Psalm 8

1. O LORD, our Lord, How majestic is Your name in all the earth, Who have displayed Your splendor above the heavens!
2. From the mouth of infants and nursing babes You have established strength Because of Your adversaries, To make the enemy and the revengeful cease.
3. When I consider Your heavens, the work of Your fingers, The moon and the stars, which You have ordained;
4. What is man that You take thought of him, And the son of man that You care for him?
5. Yet You have made him a little lower than God, And You crown him with glory and majesty!
6. You make him to rule over the works of Your hands; You have put all things under his feet,
7. All sheep and oxen, And also the beasts of the field,
8. The birds of the heavens and the fish of the sea, Whatever passes through the paths of the seas.
9. O LORD, our Lord, How majestic is Your name in all the earth!

You Know My Name - Detour 180

Help me remember the reason I’m alive
And that I was on your mind the day you died
Help me imagine, this is not my home
And some day I’ll be resting by your side

Help me remember the day you won my heart
And you paid my way to freedom with your love
Help me imagine the beauty of this gift
A grace that I am so unworthy of

But you’ll never let me fall away from you

You know my name
You know my story
Still you’ve taken on the world
Just for me

I am amazed that you hear me speaking
You listen close to every word I say
Who am I to be loved this way?

You know my name
If I rise, if I fall
My only hope is this
That you’d be with me everyday
Who am I to be loved this way?

We Beseech Thee (Godspell)

Father, hear thy children's call
Humbly at thy feet we fall
Prodigals confessing all
We beseech thee, hear us!

We thy call have disobeyed
Into paths of sin have strayed
And repentence have delayed
We beseech thee, hear us!

Come sing about Love!
That made us first to be
Come sing about Love!
That made the stone and tree
Come sing about Love!
That draws us lovingly
We beseech thee, hear us!

Sick! We come come to thee for cure
Guilty! We seek thy mercy sure
Evil! We long to be made pure
We beseech thee, hear us!

Blind! We pray that we may see
Bound! We pray to be made free
Stained! We pray for sanctity
We beseech thee, hear us!

By the gracious saving call
Spoken tenderly to all
Who have shared man's guilt and fall
We beseech thee, hear us!

By the love that longs to bless
Pitying our sore distress
Leading us to holiness
We beseech thee, hear us!

Grant us all from earth to rise
And to strain with eager eyes
Towards the promised Heavenly prize
We beseech thee, hear us!

Come sing about Love! Love!
That made us first to be
Come sing about Love! Love!
That made the stone and tree
Come sing about Love! Love! Love! Love! Love!
That draws us lovingly
We beseech thee, hear us!

Finally a real relaxing weekend

For the first time in a long while I actually had a weekend that was meant to be relaxing turn out to be relaxing. After work on Friday I picked up a rental car at the airport and a friend at the café. I ran home packed a few small things and we headed back to the café to help set-up for and watch another friend’s performance in God on Broadway. First and foremost props to all who performed in this. Every single one of them had fabulous voices, but especially Dennis and Genevieve knocked my socks off. Talk about pipes, they both had a magnificent set of them.

After God on Broadway, Dennis, my friend Joe and I headed out to Western VA to meet up with the rest of the gang at a lodge we rented in Luray. It took us about two hours not counting a couple of stops. One getting my first every ticket/summons to court. OY! Slightly frustrated about that but am planning to write and see what kind of a deal we can work out as I was in a rental car, in a state I don’t live in with a PA driver’s license. Hopefully as it is my first offense they will be lenient with me.

Anyway we got there around 11ish and the rest of the gang was all there. We chilled for a bit chatting and listening to the guitar and singing along at times. Then we all gathered round the TV and watch “The Italian Job” (I was thinking of you BETH!). I hit the sack about halfway through because I was exhausted.

The next day I was up at 9:30 AM and ate and showered. Then a group of us decided to hike down the hill and find the river. It was great, the weather had gone from bitter cold the day before to warm with a slight chill the next day. When we got back from our hike we ate lunch and decided to hit the Luray Caverns (pics later). Not so sure that was a good idea as I am slightly claustrophobic. There was a garden maze there as well that we raced through. Out of the group of six of us that went in, I got out first. (I am way to competitive and not really sure how to change that)

After the maze, Adrienne, Bryan, Stacey and I headed for our “guided” tour of the caverns. It was pretty fascinating as well as scary, for me at least. All the different types of stalactites and stalagmites were amazing. I couldn’t help but look at them and stand in awe of Gods creativity and power. There was even this one portion of the cavern that had been turned into a natural organ. We were blessed with a live performance where “A Mighty Fortress is our God” was played. How utterly fitting!!!!

There was even a wishing well! Though I don’t believe in them I threw in a good dollars worth of change in high hopes ;-). Actually they dredge the pool at the end of each year and donate the money to a charity. It is pretty cool and if I’d had more change I would have thrown it all in. Towards the end of our tour the guide asked if everyone wanted to see how dark it was in the cave. Since I seemed to be the only person who didn’t, I grabbed a friends arm and held on so everyone else could “enjoy” the feeling of total and complete blackness. I felt like I was in hell, except there was no torture or heat.

When we were done here we headed back to the lodge and ate dinner. Celebrated Dani’s birthday with cake, ice cream and some salsa dancing. Well at least most of us did. Dani attempted to teach me but I just really am not that good. Then we all chilled and sang worship songs and talked. It was a really fabulous weekend and I would do it again any time. I really got a wonderful chance to get to know better some folks that I had met or known previously but had never hung out with. What a great group of friends. Thanks to Stacey, Rob, and Adrienne for pulling this together. Your hard work was much appreciated.