First Seattle trip to see MATT!!

After Matt came down to visit me a couple times, I went up to see his world near Seattle. I remember wondering why I hadn't gone up there more in the past since it's such a fun place...and i LOVE that there is water everywhere...not including the rain! :)The first Troll under a bridge I've ever seen! this one is holding a real "bug" under his hand...and his eye is the hub cap! pretty cool!

and the cheesy pose! :)

good times at the original Starbucks
Loved the guys singing outside! they were pretty talented!
Of course we went to the market but i didn't get too many good pictures, and got to go on a ferry, meet some of Matt's friends, eat some good seafood....all in fabulous company!!! GREAT memories!

Catch Up...

So much has happened this summer...GOOD memories...things I wish i could have shared as they happened but i didn't have internet access. so i'm gonna play a little catch up with pictures. Hope you enjoy! :)

a little update on me...and matt :)

Yes, it's true that matt HAS become important enough in my life to take up some of my computer/blog time...i DO enjoy his face more than the computer screen's :)...BUT, since moving a couple months ago i still haven't gotten my computer connected to the internet , which gives a bit more reason for the lack of updates on my site. thanks for those who actually have missed me :)...today i had planned on catching up a bit at dave and trina's, but it turns out that before i can blog with pictures i first had to get some other things taken care of, which took up all the days time. hopefully sometime this week i'll actually get caught up a bit.

so a little update without pictures to hopefully satisfy some interest. Matt and I are doing great although extremely missing each others' company since he's been in Romania for what seems to be forever (we are both amazed at couples and families that have to be apart for long periods of time, such as refugees, military, persecuted believers that are put in prison, etc.) I think once we are together again even small things about getting to be together will seem amazingly wonderful! We're extremely thankful to live in a day where we can communicate over the computer and with text messages!

So if you haven't heard yet, i get to go on an overseas vacation to the UK! HUGE BLESSING (3 years without going to another country seems far too long)!! I'll be meeting up with Matt in London, we'll get to visit my good friend Andy and his wife for a couple days, then I get to meet Matt's WHOLE family at his sister's wedding and hang out with them for 4 days, then we will be traveling to Scotland, site seeing a bit with family and then staying with amazing friends, Rachel and Chis, in Aberdeen! Matt and I both love traveling and we're looking forward to getting to know each other better...even the stressed out-tired-grumpy parts...in the process of doing what we enjoy. We're also looking forwared to meeting important people in each others' lives. Lots of fun, learning and growing together! Please pray for us as God brings us to mind!

Yeah, so Matt has been a big focus of my life lately! I'm also back to work at the child care program as well as working at the women's Transitional Youth house. More pics to come...

Alright...if you have specific questions you'll have to ask. I hope to get some pics up before i leave Oct. 1. And after that you can be sure to get some UK pics!

Much Love

...and His Name is MATT :)

My aunt and his mom played the matchmakers and that's how we met! It's pretty much been all summer that we've been emailing, talking on the phone and over the last month, driving a LOT back and forth from DesMoines (just south of Seattle)to Portland and Portland to DesMoines! I respect this man so much already! He loves God and follows Him...and He loves people...right now he's in Romania for 5 weeks working with His sister and youth on the streets. I could say so much about him but for now I'll leave it at this! I hope you'll get to meet him someday...hopefully soon! :)

:)

so there's this guy....

The D & T days

So i haven't posted anything for a while cuz i wanted to include pictures...BUT...my computer still isn't connected to the internet after moving a month ago....so i think i'll just have to do a non-picture post. sorry. :(

yes...i've moved yet again. you can pretty much predict that i'll be moving about every year or so! since moving out of the dorm about 7 years ago i've lived in 9 different places- this being my 10th! crazy!! it's hard to imagine ever settling somewhere, although i'm sure it would be nice. i've gotten used to living in other people's space and using furniture that doesn't even belong to me. At least it's helped me simplify my own life and keep perspective on where HOME really is! CAN'T WAIT for that day...settled FOREVER!! :)

SOOoooo, at long last...here are some of my FAVORITE memories living with Dave and Trina down on 39th and Powell:

* The time it snowed about an inch or two and all of Portland closed down! We all got to stay home from work, sleep in, where PJs, and then we watched all 3 Harry Potter movies! The walk over to Blockbuster was the best cuz it brought back many memories of walking in Lithuania!

* I never knew when I'd come home and find the entire downstairs re-arranged! :)

* Can you say "amazing food"....Trina is a fabulous cook!

* The time it poured down rain in the summer...i ran down the stairs proclaiming that we should all go out in it...and Dave and Trina were the first to join me...and we all got soaked!!!

* The time we all ended up sitting on the old couch in their room, watching video clips from LT days

* new squishy carpet! :)

* Trina running away...into her room...from the little moth that dave then rescued her from!

* Conversations about the weather...really....they are CRAZY people who actually ENJOY the dark, rainy days and hide in their room with the air conditioner on WONDERFULLY SUNNY days! :) We ejoyed laughing about our differences.

* Cartoons on Saturday mornings! A simple pleasure that we each enjoyed sharing!

* Fun with the cats and enjoying their craziness together!

The list goes on, but these were some of the highlights! Thank you, Dave and Trina, for sharing your home with me. I learned so much about hospitality by living with you both. You give so much without a thought, and I've been blessed by you both!

I'm SSSssssoooooooo HAPPY!! after a year of just seeing pictures online and reading updates from Lithuania where they now live, i finally got to see them in person.... a couple friends that i love like family...JEN & PETER!! They are people that i enjoy just hanging out with...sharing the deep things or random things of life. They are people who love God deeply and reflect Him through their lives. It was SO good to get to just be with them for a couple hours....

Peter & I trying to re-enact a moment in LT

And of course a little LT reunion...complete with Kendra on the phone! good times...good memories!

I LOVE YOU JEN AND PETER

(sorry pictures are small and no title...the computer i'm using is strange...haven't quite figured it's brain out yet)

FABULOUS VACATION!!

I just got back from a week with Rachel, Ethan and the family! I won't go into detail about the wonderful moments with baby Ethan, hours in the sun in the Greens backyard paradise, tons of laughs and good talks with Rachel, seeing family, friends,...did i mention sun and swimming!! I hope the pictures aren't too much for anyone...I'm still enjoying them all so figured I'd share a bunch. the one sad thing is that Chris wasn't there...he's studying hard in Boston before they all head back to Scotland again. LOVE YOU RACHEL ..ETHAN...and everyone else down there! thanks for being you and making my vacation FABULOUS!!

oh, that i might keep this reality in focus at all moments...for now i am very much content

Do you ever just stop....i mean really stop.

...and recognize the fact that God is HERE!?!

Not watching us from a distance....

Not busy with the thousands of other concerns around the universe....

HERE.

Personal. Present. In love with you...me .

hmm....words can't express the response of my soul when i stop to just dwell on this simple truth and nothing else. it seems that this reality gives peace and rest in the midst of the chaos of the days and the world. Just GOD...the reality of just Him...Immanuel...GOD WITH US. Not just a fact that i know in my brain but a reality...YAHWEH. HERE. With ME! and ALWAYS...even when i'm NOT stopping to meditate on the reality and on Him.

GOD, I JUST LOVE YOU. Thank you for being HERE...ALWAYS...forever...whatever...I LOVE YOU.

this is what i'm sitting here thinking about tonight...while enjoying His paintings in the clouds outside of my window...far better than I could create on canvas! this is the God I trust and walk with. the One True God that I'm in love with...

"Surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age" ~ Jesus

She Graduated!!!

I'm PROUD of Marisa!

She graduated on Thursday to get her GED
and now has a job in health care!

I LOVE YOU MARISA!!!
YOU ARE BEAUTIFUL!

only 13 more days!!!

I SHOULD be in bed but i'm dreaming...

Here are 2 of my favorite people in the world- Rachel and Ethan!!!

I can't WAIT to see them, hug them, and just spend time with them down in Cali....AND see the rest of the fam, too, of course :)!!!
I wish you were going to be there too, Chris....I'm already bummed that we won't get to have any good theological discussions! But have fun studying!
ONLY 13 DAYS LEFT!!!
Guaranteed more pictures to come!!!

a quick little poem for a fabulous friend

I have a friend
I'll stand by til the end!
Melissa's her name
And she recently came
Back from Germany for a bit,
When she leaves again, I'll have a fit,
Cuz I love her so much
Even tho she's not Dutch :)
No, words cannot tell,
How much I love Mel,
If you know her you'll agree
We should shout from the tallest tree,
"MELISSA ROCKS, yes it's true"
It's time EVERYONE knew!

the HOT house!

The "House Of Transformation", A.K.A. the H.O.T. House, is a house for young women who are desiring to take steps toward a more healthy lifestyle. Some of them have come from living on the streets, others have come from very challenging relational situations, and most have had a very difficult family life. Over the last year or so I've come to LOVE THESE WOMEN LIKE CRAZY!!!! I've spent time just hanging out, talking, listening and sharing life together. This weekend we had a sweet time downtown at the starlight parade!

Please pray for these women, ultimately that they would come to walk closely with Jesus, TRUST Him, experience His DEEP love for them, and come to know how much healing and VICTORY He has for them! Their past journeys and the ones ahead are often full of challenges, but thank God that He is able to do more than we can ask or imagine according to His power at work within us!

Something else that's pretty great....God has provided a part time paid position for me at the house, which means I get to spend more time doing what I love...loving people...and since I get paid, I won't have spend quite as much time at my other job! I'm excited for the weeks and months ahead, to see what God has in store. I'm especially looking forward to starting a Bible read through/study with the women, and possibly whoever wants to come from the guys house....most of them don't have much knowledge of Scripture but want it. That's my passion and I'm SO looking forward to it!!!

So if you ever call...and I don't answer...I might just be kickin' it at the HOT HOUSE!!...with some great women...I hope you can meet them someday!

More pictures to come....and check out the web site for Transitional Youth if you're interested in who I'm working with and for (see link on sidebar)