Here Am I

"I will rescue you from your own people and from the Gentiles. I am sending you to them to open their eyes and turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, so that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in me.' " Acts 26:17-18

Clothes? check Credit Card? check Passport? check...Passport? check...Passport? check
7:03 Tuesday evening and I have yet to finish packing because I just started yesterday. Yeah, my bad. I'M GOING TO AAAAFFFFRRRRRIIIIICCCAAAAAAAA! Cape Town, SA or bust baby!

Here's the deal about my Awesome Saviour King whom I serve whole-heartedly and with great enthusiasm...He's so incrediblely wonderful that an eternity of blogging couldn't contain His wonder and goodness. He's GOD. He is the undeniable ultimate grace gift to a dying world and He seeks to serve His servants. He is the rubix cube of logic and reason and I stand in awe of Him!

Back to CapeTown. I'm going to serve the Lord in evangelism for 2 weeks. I leave tommorrow. Romans 8 describes a generation groaning for hope & guess what? We have hope in Jesus Christ God's resurrected Son who died that viscious grip of sin is destroyed. The best illustration of sin that I have seen is in Spiderman 3 with that Black-Goo -Virus (technical name???) from outer space and the more you feed it the more it takes over and consumes you unto your ultimate demise...total submission to it's desire for evil and your death. Christ is so worth sharing and I grow in boldness each time I say "yes". I wish it was easier for me to say yes because it was for Him. It wasn't just death it was humiliation, toture, betrayal...have you people seen "Passion of the Christ" We will never know a greater love than the love the Lord washes over us each day. I could go on but like I said I can't So here's a little diddy for your audible entertainment. You don't have to go to Africa...or for some you don't even have to leave the house but wherever and however for Christ's sake...telll someone that Jesus is Lord and He is good and He takes us however we come. Come with doubt, come with anger, come imperfect, come with questions, just come.

The Return of El Gato Rojo

July 18th...last day at BCM...last day at SLEH...last day of true euphoria from working with some great people...Mo, not a happy camper. Cure for the common frown??? El Gato Roho with the finest kittens and the coolest cat in town.

(Yes, 610...you do look the fool with your tongue out, how 'bout a little class, eh?)

And now how's the little missionary feelin?

OOOOOOOHH TAY!

Thanks for coming out mis amigos. I can't tell you how much I love you. We'll have to plan the sequel for when I get back.

I Forgot to Pay my Construction Monkey...

Thermal Expansion (n): the tendency of matter to change in volume in response to a change in temperature. When a substance is heated, its constituent particles move around more vigorously and by doing so generally maintain a greater average separation.

Don't understand? Maybe this little illustration will help...

Yes folks, that's right, that's my Bettle "Gracie" as I found her when I got off the Park & Ride Bus this afternoon...that is a giant hole in my rear windshield...giant...hole....windshield. My response? a little chuckle, nay a mere titter. I mean seriously how can you help but to not laugh at this? Who says that things never line up just right for me? My "Gracie" of all the cars in the Park & Ride parking lot was parked in the perfect spot, under the perfect angle of the sun and heated to the perfect temperature to cause my car to explode...

Or Maybe....

This is what happens when you withhold bananas from a construction monkey...

El Gato Rojo

I'm officially ancient! One of the kids that I used to babysit and teach in Sunday school is now at UofH for vocal performance and he sings at the Red Cat Cafe for Open Mic Nite...not sure how he gets in...What happened to the past ten years; come out come out wherever u are.

This place is downtown H-Town on Congress. On Sunday Nites they have this ooooober talented band, hosted by James Andre James, that dishes out endless vittles of musical feastdom guaranteed to satiate the appetite of the most finicky connossiuer. Song after song I'm rockin in my seat saying "Oooo that's my jam!" It was like finding the perfect station on the radio that lasts for the entire 6 hour roadtrip...Bottomline I had a blast and I'm going back next Sunday.

Hector the Construction Monkey

I adore the chicas I work with but the guapos keep me in crooked stitches (I mean straight-up gasping for air, begging for mercy, "will those people please shut up" cackalacking) every day from noon to 1 or 1:30 okay sometimes 2....Anyways, they are simply the funniest guys I know and all they do is talk about "stuff" Most recent convos have centered around my upcoming trip to Cape Town, SA. Today they informed me of Hector the Construction monkey who will, among many things, chew the polish off my toes while I sleep if I don't pay him in bananas for building my resort room from 4 planks of wood.

In Addition:
*I'm doomed to catch the "JuJu Flu" & "Naked Berry Hepatitis" (which is worse than reg. hepatitis) because I haven't taken the proper medicinal precautions

*My hair looks like the weave of popular demand...you guessed it Yakky#5

*A young african boy will chase the bus down as I leave yelling "I love you, I tink" (with accent)

*I need to take Xtra grandma draws in case I end up naked while hiking thru the mountains. I can use the industrial strentgh elastic band as rope or something.

*"Just Do It"

*And as all their Africa trip premonitions end; I'll get traded off in marriage for the king's ransom of 6 goats and 2 chickens.

Make sense??? I didn't think so...you had to have been there.

Pig-Face World

So my mantra for life is that "I am justa pretty faced girl in a pig-faced world". I got it from this episode of an old-skool Twighlight zone (B&W days) called "Eye of the Beholder". Synopsis: a beautiful woman undergoes an unsuccessful surgery to change her deformed face which looks beautiful by our standards to the morphed pig like faces of her world. She goes into exile with another "normal" guy at the end. I feel like that woman sometimes...kinda (she wanted to look like them but...) in some situations when life gets a little upside down and inside out I'm like am I the only one who sees the problem...clearly I must be crazy. You know those days when everyone is looking at you like you've got the issue. I've had a lot of those "pig-face" days lately :=)

Clean Casa

So on an episode of clean house tonite they cleaned and furnished the "dirtiest" house in America. It was filthy...they found 25lbs of cat poop in the closet...I mean seriously that's just nasty and unacceptable. They clean, pack, organize and completely revamp the entire house and attic and it looks incredible. These people had the nerve to display dissapointment when they didn't get the nursery room they wanted. I was not happy with this couple instead I felt like they didnt deserve any of it. I'm thinking, "they have a proclivity for filth & they aren't going to maintain this new start" Conviction! How many times does God in His grace pick us up from our muck & mire & mark out a clean path for us to walk in? What do we do? We complain at what we have to give up and about His will for our life. Just like these folks. And even more...we deserve not one iota not one morsel of His grace; which is why it is grace. Some of us are notorious from living crappy lives. Our friends and family wait almost eagerly for us to screw up again and again. I've known some successful screw-ups. What can we learn? One: lets encourage each other even though our better judgement says otherwise...Two: let's not squander our redeemed lives...Christ died and rose that we may have life abundantly not just to look toward heaven and live however the "hell" you want to until you get there...Christ died brutally, so much more than a trickle of blood and a brusied backside. He endured a cross that He didn't deserve. We owe it to Him to love, appreciate & maintain a rearranged life.

blOg hOdge pOdge

Faith..."This was so that your faith would be in God's power and not in human wisdom."
I Corinthians 2:5
God has held my hand & led me & taught for as long as I can remember but for the first time in my life I am so aware of walking in faith with Him. It is such an odd feeling. I am resting in the proof-washed power of my God, my Saviour. I need much, at least tangibly but I truly lack nothing. I don't feel anxious or upset...of course I slip sometimes thru the day. But...I just have this incredible peace and I own this state of "knowing" that not only is it going to be alright...it's already alright.

Teens...Adolesence =Awkwardness. I don't care who you are. Those teen years and some of the 20's offers a wave of just not feeling right in your skin. No matter your social status, popularity, beauty, talent or lack thereof. Lately, I have been reminded of that feeling...I'm taken back to a time in my youth when even though I had plenty of friends and things, a car, a great family and church and plenty to do I just never felt, ya know, settled...or something. I fit in with any crowd and I could adapt to most situations but somehow I didn't at the same time. Senseless, I know but I thank God for this proverbial thorn in my side because He has, in turn, blessed me with developing a great love and compassion for those awkward teens. We can embrace our inner oddball together. If we can't be "normal" then maybe "strange" is the new "normal"

Music...Still lovin John Legend! My dearest friends and a host of strangers are well aware of that special feeling that consumes me when I hear him sing even if he's just humming on someone else's track. I don't know why I go straight bananas over him. I feel silly. I actually sit in front of the computer squeal and clap when I hear him. He just makes me want to be in love. When he comes, I hope my husband is understanding of this my infatuation. I just can't help myself.

God Luvs a.....

"Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously. Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver."

II Corinithians 9:6&7

In case you haven't noticed, the economy is kinda crappy and being "broke" is common to the masses. Disclaimer: the following anecdote is not for the sake of being boastful or prideful... This past Saturday God blessed me with the resources to bless my neighbors, a family of 5 going thru some tough times, with some grocieries and encouraging words. Sometimes saying "I'll pray for you" just ain't enuf. When we ask God for help He may be waiting for us to step up our game. Anyways, I gave what I had along with some hugs and went on to my house. The next day the father and his 5 year old son came to the door ringing the bell excitedly. When I opened the 5 year old is beaming as he presents me with a fresh pineapple and some cherries from his grandad's produce. In appreciation he was so happy and proud just to have something to give. It makes me smile to think of his face. God blessed me by showing me how tithing is supposed to look and feel. God gives to us sooooo graciously. Whether is seems like a lot or a little we deserve nothing at all. God doesn't give to hold a favor over our heads but its just anotha way for Him to lavish His love on us. And when we give back its not about math and obligation but rather we should give in honest cheer because it feels good just to have something to give back to an amazing God. I promise that if a pineapple is all you have in comparison to the Lord's cornucopia of blessings the mere thought of you will surely bring a smile to His face.