Breaking News

So here's some amazing news. My brother and sister in law came into town last week, we picked them up in Fargo and drove back to Grand Forks. Well on the way back to good ole GF, Rachel was telling us about her and Jeremy's trip to Uganda in March of 07. At the end of her telling all it was going to hold and entitle, she looked at me and asked if I would like to go. Needless to say, I was taken back, because going to Africa has been one of my dreams ever since I was a little kid. And here was my opportunity, not only to go, but to also serve the Lord while being there. The reason they are going to help an organization called Hope for Uganda, it is an organization that is going to be building an orphanage over there for kids who have lost both of their parents to AIDS. So a majority of our work load would be to just hang out with the kids, build relationships, and help with man power (well in my case lady power) building these facilities. This place at this time I believe is where the Lord wants me to be, and I am willing to go. I will keep you updated with more news, the more information I get. You can check out the website at www.hopeforuganda.com

Nashville Surprise

So this past weekend, I made a surprise visit to my best friend in Nashville, TN. It was her birthday coming up and it just seemed like the thing to do. Not only was it a HUGE surprise for her, and a great time all together, but I also had a chance to see and chill with a few friends from the good ole YWAM days. It was just a huge blessing I believe for her and me all at the same time. All the timing and everything to do with the surprise worked out perfectly. If you want to hear the story just let me know!!! I can post another entry just of the story. But here are a few pictures from the short trip I had to Nashville, TN.

New Photos

Just to let everyone know, there's some new photos up on flickr. Go over to the sidebar on the right and click my photos and it should take you there. Some are just from being home, chilling with friends, and then a few from going to Nashville. Hope you enjoy!!

Here Are The Results

Before on the left there, and after on the right here.
Craziness I know, don't ask. But there they are before and after. Comments are welcome, just make sure there nice!!! HE HE

What Was I Thinking

Well today was a big day!!! You may be asking yourself well what the heck happened why was it a big day? Let me tell you about it. So I had this great idea that I was going to get my hair cut and I have been working on growing my hair out for like seven months now. Seven months of hard work, and I was pretty fed up with the long hair thing. Today then I headed over to Avant and got my hair done, well I brought in this picture of a pretty cute haircut and I realize that not all haircuts are going to look like the picture basically because I do not have the same face as this person. But I though hey why not let's go for it. BIG DAY!!! It did not turn out the way I would have liked, I went to having the longest hair I have ever had to having the shortest hair I have had since I had a bowl cut in fourth grade, oh in about 30 minutes, just like that seven months of work cut off, finished, done with. Here's where you ask what were you thinking, and to be honest I don't know, a fresh look maybe. And I really don't understand that when I walk into a hair place and talk to my hair lady and am like I am totally low maintenance, like I do nothing and I want to do nothing, and then they go all out. GEEZ!!! Can't you see the way I am just from looking at what I wear, and the simple fact that I just told you that I don't want to have any upkeep and if any make it minimal. So yeah, I will try to post a picture at some point in the near future. I have a before and after. Warning: Please sit down before viewing these pictures.

Helping New Bloggers

Sorry it's been so long since I last wrote an entry, I have been busy with school, studying and then while on the computer trying to hook up my best friend with a blog of her own. So I have been working a lot on getting things together for her on that. She's been back at YWAM now here for two weeks, so I'm encouraging her to get some great news, and things she's been learning up on it for her supporters to read and be encouraged by. You'll have to bookmark it, to check it out yourself, it's www.tashapaulson.blogspot.com. It's not the greatest blog ever but she's working at it so be nice!!!
Recently things have been pretty normal, except for today. I found out that a really good friend of mine from high school is in the hospital. She was riding around with a bunch of friends in a golf cart and fell out hitting her head, and breaking some bones. There also was some fluid coming out of her ears. So right now she's in the hospital, in a drug induced coma. Right now I am in the stage of unbelief along with the burden of knowing I can't do anything. I am here though to tell you I am going to become a prayer warrior for her though, and I sincerely ask that you do too. She's in someone I love and admire, and treasure as a friend. I ask that you please join in with me, and pray, and pray and pray some more!! I would really appreciate it, and I know her and her family would appreciate it too! Her name is Amanda, thank you so much for your prayers.

Realization Moment

So I was watching a re-run on Oprah today, and it was an episode where she had Faith Hill on and Oprah asked her to sing a song that her producers had heard her sing when she was warming up. It was Oprah's favorite song, I Surrender All. So Faith agreed and took her place behind the mic and did her thing. Sang the song from heart, and sang without backup or any music, just pure beautiful voice. It was simply amazing, that's the only way I can explain it. And what it reminded me of was something that I came to realize while at YWAM and on outreach. So I am going to tell you exactly what that realization was, but I may have problems putting it into words so please bare with me. I will do the best I can for you to get what I'm trying to say.
While at home and going to church every Sunday and for some of us doing Bible studies on the side, I think we all seem to get caught up in life, in everyday things, in our world that just surrounds us at that moment. With that I believe that I also put my Jesus, without realizing it, in that world that surrounds me at the moment, and maybe never thought of Him being outside those places. I mean obviously He was in those places, because He's in me, so yeah He's there. But I never thought much of it, or put much thought into it. The first realization came when I got to YWAM, the fact that here are 14 different people, from 14 different places, from Florida, to Minnesota. And these 14 people have at least have one thing in common, our belief in Jesus Christ. That was the first time it hit me, or I actually put thought into the fact that Jesus is the same everywhere, it doesn't matter if I live in North Dakota or in Florida. He remains the same. But here I didn't stop to actually put enough thought into it. It was a fleeting thought, a sit a minute and say to myself, huh?!? Then, when I was sitting in church services in Mexico and Cuba, hearing singing in foreign languages, and sermons in a different language it hit me again. How amazing is it that no matter where you are in the world, Jesus is the same. And not only that there are people all over the world praising the same Jesus I do. Like I understand that we may all have different ways in how we practice and may disagree on little things that have to do with our faith, but when it comes down to it, our Lord is the same. Right now I am sitting in North Dakota, loving and serving Jesus, and yet in Cuba right now there's someone doing the same thing. I don't know that might not be exciting or like a oh yeah moment for you, but for me it was so encouraging and unreal at the same time. I mean I know my Lord is BIG, but I don't know for the human mind, or maybe just mine, it was like I needed to see it and think about it for awhile for it to be like yeah, that's awesome!
So to tie the whole Oprah thing in, it just reminded me of that. And I'm not saying that Oprah and Faith Hill are believers because I don't know. But just knowing how different of a life they live than me, and they find the same happiness in Christ that I do, that's just mind boggling. The fact that He's the same to us all, yet different all at the same time.