A Still, Small Voice

"What is a miracle?"

Last night, we had girl's bible study at our house, and I led a group of girls in a study centered around "God is Speaking... Are we Listening?" The central theme was that often, we misinterpret God's "silence" as Him being completely absent, or not caring. Too often, we disregard what the Lord is really trying to say to us because it is not what we want to hear or when we want to hear it. Yet what we forget is that God's most powerful messages come through a still, small voice. Sure. God could write it in fireworks up in the black night sky. He could reach down and quake the earth as easy as we can break a cracker. He could spell out His will for our lives with daisies in an open field. But more often than not, He chooses the silent whisper of the wind, the soft encouragement of a friend, or the gentle hug of a parent to speak to us. Are we hearing it?

I started off with a question that was brought out at one point in our group. "What is a miracle," one girl wanted to know. What defines it? Why did God choose to speak through miraculous wonders so often in the Old Testament, and what constitutes it?

A MIRACLE, according to my Bible's concordance, is a "divine act, unexplainable by the laws of nature."

Science tries to explain away everything that exists. Searching deep within the heart of science allows us to give meaning and logic to WHY things work the way they do, whereas before, we lived perfectly fine without knowing and had faith in the God who created it. I am in a Genetics course, and as I journey back through the makeup of the smallest unit that makes up everything that is living- the cell- I am amazed again and again at how intricate our human bodies really are. I came to the conclusion that God is very creative! For these amazing units to work together to form a living, breathing soul, a miracle must take place. We hear, "every baby is a miracle." That means that you are a living, breathing miracle and testament of God's love... He created you in your mother's womb, and knows your every detail. Not only that, but he CARES about what you think. He may have different plans for you than you do, but He wants to know your thoughts. That is why we pray.

We pray to God- why? Sure, we have requests. But the focus is on His kingdom, and not our own.

This morning, I was reading in 1 Corinthians and a verse stuck out to me that I had previously highlighted: "For the kingdom of God is not a matter of talk but of power."

We all talk A LOT. Even as Christians, there is a lot of edifying TALK that goes on. We go to church on Sunday and hear ministers talk to us. We fellowship with others. We go to girl's and guy's bible studies and Wednesday church and singings and church activities, and we talk and are uplifted at all of these events which are SO very important. Yet, how easy it is to let this TALK constitue the larger portion of our life and forgetting to let the POWER of the Holy Spirit work through us on a daily basis. Many of us do both, and our balance is amazing, but I know for me... sometimes finding that happy medium is difficult. Sometimes, attending all of the uplifting events and talking about what could be takes place of just going out and doing it. My prayer for all of us is that we can learn to make use of the power that is available to us through Christ Jesus to further His kingdom, and that all of the talk that we do that is so encouraging can serve as a springboard to do it!

I love you all, and thanks for reading. T

Items of Business

Announcement: Anyone interested in seeing pictures from the Labor Day weekend in Michigan (if you, perhaps, went on that trip and want to relive the excellent glory), please head over to Kristi's blog, as she has some great pictures posted.

Answers from my previous Tuesday's Top Ten:
1. T
2. B
3. C
4. B
5. C
6. C (note- when I calculated the %, I took into account all 6 of us. No trick intended)
7. A
8. B
9. A
10. A

Today's Inspiration:
Romans 12
1I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.

2And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.

3For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith.

Could we get through the day succesfully without God's grace? Probably not. Yet let's remember who He gives it to- the humble. Step forth with a renewed mind today and let the Spirit lead you within the AMAZING will that He has planned for your life.

Love you all, T

Top Ten Tuesday 20

Guess what... it's that time of Tuesday again... time for a Top Ten!!

Today's Top Ten is better titled "Top Ten Who's of Random Trivia." Test yourself on the top ten trivia and see how well you do... post your answers. Winner gets a surprise.

True or False
1. Central Illinois is "the center of the universe" (socially).

2. Who wants to help me make m&m pancakes?
a. Tricia b. Steph c. no one- everyone thinks they sound gross

3. Who is my life-long Euchre partner?
a. Kristi b. Gab c. Cody

4. Which one of my friends wanted me to do a "Top Ten Reasons Friends with Condos in Morton Rock?"
a. Tony b. Luke c. Cody

5. Which one of my friends wanted me to do a "Top Ten" on Euchre?
a. Cody b. Kristi c. Kenton

6. What percentage of my room mates is going to be a teacher?
a. 33% b. 50% c. 66%

7. Who's arm is pictured holding the ipod in this picture?
a. Gab's b. Tricia's c. Laura's



8. Who is driving?
a. Gab b. Tammy c. me

9. Who ate the peanutbutter cup?
a. Gab b. Tammy c. me

10. Who's Yankee cap did I wear today?
a. Abby's b. Tricia's c. Steph's

Love you all. Happy guessing. Sorry it's not very exciting-- any new top ten tuesday ideas would be welcome. I'm sure there are things I have never thought of... T

New

I am sitting here on a new kitchen chair in the new room of our new house. In a new neighborhood. But fortunately, the campus isn't new :) or else I'd be in trouble. When I think back to how "new" everything felt last year at this time, I shake my head in awe of how quickly it all flashed by. Life only gets quicker as the years go by, which teaches me to enjoy the times of "youth" while they are still near.

This past week before school started, I had off. I was able to have a snapshot of "summer" during this week and I kept myself busy with activities that I might have enjoyed throughout the summer had I not worked. One day was spent going out to lunch with my mom, sisters, and aunts. Another day I took my older neice and nephews to the water park with Kristi. Dairy Queen trips were frequent, and hanging out with friends late at night occured nightly. I was thankful for a week to enjoy before the rush of school came flying towards me at full force.

However, I am looking at a pretty light 'n easy semester- photography, graphic design, communications, and genetics comprise my learning palette for these next few months. I am looking forward also to working 2 days a week at Cat in Mossville, interning in the same business unit that I stayed with all summer, Cat Electronics.

Another area that looks exciting to me is our ISU Young Group. I am serving as treasurer this year on an amazing committee, and I look forward to planning, facilitating and participating in events throughout the year! I can already see how God is working through each member and the individual talents lying therein, and I know it will be used for His glory! I look forward to seeing people at ISU Bible Study this week. I remember last year, that was the one night a week I always got excited about, because I was able to see so many faces from all around Central IL.

I can't end this post without a mention of my room mates. I can already tell this year holds a lot of fun and fond memories, and it only took me one night to figure it out. Actually, I knew it ever since we finalized the 6 room mates living here. But at any rate, we all have much to be thankful for-- and hopefully, our house here on Willow Street can be a shining beacon of God's love as we live out this next year here at ISU.

It is exciting to note God's almighty ways and how His purpose for each of us is simple, but the way in which He works it out is so beyond our understanding. It does me good to remember that I am not always suppossed to have all the answers or figure out all the mysterious ways in which He works; I am only here to glorify Him and further His Kingdom in where he has me in the present. Simple to say, so hard to follow through. I recently dug out "The Purpose Driven Life" and got slammed in the face with the "It's not about you," statement starting off the book. No, it's not. Yet I wake up every morning with a self-centered approach, and the only way to break loose from this perspective is to keep consistency in reading the Word, praying to God, and being open to opportunities that surround us each and every day.

Some applications...

Try denying SELF. Start with the small things-- give your friend the bigger half of the cookie even though you are STARVING and it's your favorite kind. These types of behaviors, if enforced habitually in the small things, will soon come naturally and will be more easier to apply in the big things.

Pray OFTEN. Pray for the driver who just cut you off. Pray for your boss. Pray for your attitude. Instead of worrying about how something will work out, pray that it will.

Treat every "job" or "task" you are given during the day as if God gave it to you. It doesn't matter if you know you can "take advantage" of the situation and do it quicker one way or easier another way, and it doesn't matter that the task seems unnecessary to you. It doesn't matter that the job you were given is frustrating and time consuming, or that it's the last thing you really feel like doing. Whether your mom gave it to you or your teacher gave it to you, treat your work like "God's work" and every time, I guarantee that your attitude will be nicer, your finished product will show quality, and your "self" will be taken out of it.

Love you all! T

Tricia, Part II

I have had multiple requests to update, so I best please the crowd. I have also had a few topic suggestions, but the one I am going to go with is actually close to brilliance, because the timing is astounding.

As I sit here and think about school starting back up in ONE week, I become extremely excited about my living arrangements for the Fall semester. We 4 T's will be collaborating with 2 newbies, so I need to make sure all of my T-House Tributes are complete. I have covered Tracy, Tammy, and Part 1 of Trish. Looks like TP needs to be closed up with a Part II before my new room mates enter into the mix.

So here we have it: Tricia, Part II

Randomalities & Greatnesses...



Just in case you get real hungry late at night, she is always willing to make a Krispe Kreme run.

She likes to laugh. Trish and I can laugh until we have tears in our eyes and our tummies hurt.

Rather than trying to butt in with stories and words, she will always lend a great listening ear to any story.



She is a natural encourager.

She has a unique style with a flair-- in every way.

Good & easygoing conversationalist.

She would support ideas of post-it notes on kitchen walls, rearranging living rooms at midnight, and watching the best episodes of The Office... even if we've already seen them.

She's a creative thinker.

Needless to say, I look forward to some super times with this girl starting next week. Thanks to TP for making sure there is never a dull moment.

Love you all. T

A Novel Piece: Weekend Events & Spiritual Tidbits

I took my two nephews towards the front of church today and sat with them during the morning service. Actually, I offered to take one of them, and Noah was the first to jump at the suggestion, but as he trailed along behind me, I glanced back to see an upset and left out Oliver. Needless to say, I cannot turn away sad and tearful faces, so I took them both.

Noah, Oliver and I plopped down in a bench mid-way in the sanctuary with three bags of toys- oh, and I also brought my Bible to church and a purse. So it’s a good thing at ages 4 and 6, the boys can carry their own bags. ☺ I enjoy spending time with my nephews, but an older lady sitting behind me had it right when she leaned up and said, “You have a busy morning ahead of you.”

We started off coloring with those magic markers that only produce color on the special paper to eliminate staining. It is amazing what accident-proof toys they have come up with over the years. Back in my day, you used to have to just be real careful to stay inside the lines or within the edge of the paper. Anyway, once we got through the excitement of that (which lasted about 6 minutes, which equals about 2 songs out of the Zion’s Harp), we made paper snow flakes. I showed Ollie how to fold the paper into a triangle and cut it to make pretty patterns.

“Let’s make another one,” he would say every time after opening the snow flake up and seeing it’s beauty.

“I used coffee mugs to make it a circle shape at school,” Noah informed me.

The things these kids learn at school… he’s going to be smarter than me before I know it.

Next, we played “Guess what Picture I’m Drawing.” Oliver had a fixation with drawing a circle and a smiley face with about 5 legs coming off of it. The first time, it was a spider, and the second time it was “nothing.” Noah drew a long squiggly line.

“It’s a snake,” I guessed.

“Nope,” Noah replied.

Ollie and I put in about 2 more guesses each until Oliver said, “It’s a snake.”

“Yep!” Noah said.

“That’s what I guessed,” I told him, slightly annoyed, “and you told me I was wrong.”

“Ohhhh, I thought you said STEAK,” Noah said.

Kids.

I love them both- I really do. Being with them reminds me of the important task both of my sisters, and my sister in law, all carry in their day-to-day lives. I look at their life sometimes and I don’t really envy it; but other days, I come to stand in awe and appreciation of how they raise their kids. It’s not a blow-off task. It is so comforting to know these kids are being raised in homes where the love of Jesus is taught and their morals will be set as a solid ground beneath them. I know that teaching those things to kids doesn’t always guarantee they will all grow up and be perfect, but by having those morals instilled in them, hopefully they will be carried in their minds all throughout their life.

I look at myself and my life so far, and a lot of the choices I have made and the convictions that have tackled me. Almost every one of those instances can be traced back to how I was raised. Why I think the way I do, why I act the way I do, why I say the things I say… it all comes down to the amazing parents I had who raised me up in a loving and caring environment, and one in which encouraged the good and admonished the bad. I have always had a never-ending source of wisdom and advice to go to at any time throughout any of my family members, and it has been what has molded me to who I am today.

Being with kids makes me nostalgic- I wish that I could go running back into the days of my youth… sometimes I walk down the alley that now leads to me sister’s house across the street, and I stroll right by my old best friend’s backyard. I remember those summer days when we would run barefoot through the neighborhood until it was dark out, catching lightning bugs and finding wounded animals to care for. Those were the days… but how great to think that one day, I could raise kids of my own who can do those same things. Sometimes, life seems to connect in ways that are like a dot-to-dot-- a series of events that look scattered… but occur in chronological order that all relate to each other and when it is finished, it creates a beautiful picture that just makes sense.

I am done being philosophical for the moment. I’ll dwell on my weekend for a second… it was a good one, but a busy one. I went out to eat and then to the riverfront Friday night with some friends to celebrate Tricia’s homecoming from Europe. It was good to see her and welcome her back! We then wrapped up the evening back at my house.

Saturday, I got to help at the Cat Electronics picnic all day, helping sign people in and answer people’s questions. We had a good turn out with volley ball games going on, great music, food, and other activities for kids and adults. Saturday night was another out-to-eat deal with bowling and games… you can never go wrong there.

Today was church in Morton, which was very good, and then volleyball with some people in Goodfield in the beautiful afternoon weather. My mom and I met my sister and her husband and kids for supper, and then spent the evening together.

I look ahead into a very busy week with lots of plans… in life’s busy-ness, it is so easy to overlook my purpose. It is my prayer that we can all learn to stay focused all the way through… you know, today in church, we read out of 1 Corinthians 15, and there was a verse that stuck out to me:

“Therefore, my dear brothers, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.” (15:58)

When I think of “purpose,” I feel like that verse supports a world of answer. What is my purpose? What is anyone’s purpose? To further and build His Kingdom while we are here on earth, and we do that by being firm and unmovable, proclaiming His name boldly, and giving of ourselves FULLY to the work of the Lord, in all that we do. Not just at church or after bible studies or during singings… it’s an “always” thing. The singings and bible studies and church services are supportive worship services and opportunities to serve and encourage and learn, but the real “doing” of Christianity happens outside church doors and worship singing circles. The real “doing” happens every day in our day-to-day lives at work, at school, and at home. Let’s do this, knowing that our labor in the Lord is not in vain!

I love you all! T

Wednesday's Wisdom 3

Tonight in church, the minister told a story about an old lady he was visiting in a nursing home. He said that she stated, "I love everyone- I do. I don't like some people, but I love everyone." The minister then pointed out how we all should have that brotherly/sisterly love for all, even if we don't all always "like" the same things and click perfectly. That isn't always going to happen because we aren't all the same, and it's a good thing we aren't. But that doesn't mean we can't all love each other.

Anyway, I sat there and thought, "Old people are so wise." One of those revolutionary thoughts that I knew, but the notion hit me tonight in an awe-inspiring way.

Then tonight, I read in Proverbs 16: 31, "Gray hair is a crown of splendor, it is attained by a righteous life."

I feel like the thoughts that the elderly have just spill with wisdom and experience. The perspective is so... right. But how is this attained? Proverbs says "by a righteous life." Sounds like a tall order to me. Yet, there is light at the end of the tunnel... as we strive to continue down the path of glory and obedience to our Father in Heaven, we will be led into the way everlasting and perhaps someday be adorned with a "crown of splendor."

Love you all! T

When I was little

We worry about what a child will become tomorrow, yet we forget that he is someone today. ~Stacia Tauscher

You can learn many things from children. How much patience you have, for instance. ~Franklin P. Jones



A child can ask questions that a wise man cannot answer. ~Author Unknown

There was never a child so lovely but his mother was glad to get him to sleep. ~Ralph Waldo Emerson



There's nothing that can help you understand your beliefs more than trying to explain them to an inquisitive child. ~Frank A. Clark



Anyone who thinks the art of conversation is dead ought to tell a child to go to bed. ~Robert Gallagher



There are no seven wonders of the world in the eyes of a child. There are seven million. ~Walt Streightiff

Top Ten Tuesday 19

I went to Les Mis this weekend in St. Louis, and on the car ride there, we played "Would You Rather..." My Top Ten is going to be in "Would You Rather" style, so pick what you would rather do...

Would you Rather...

1. dive into a giant bowl of peanutbutter and jelly holding pieces of bread to be pictured on the cover of a magazine

2. dye your hair a different color a day for a week

3. eat a whole pack of popcorn flavored jelly bellys a day for a month

4. take a paper-route job delivering papers at 5 a.m. every morning, and keep it for at least 3 months

5. go swimming in the baby pool with floaties on all afternoon like nothing is wrong for a week

6. take a course in html coding for 6 weeks

7. watch the whole first season of Gilmore Girls

8. wear maple syrup flavored deodorant until it ran out

9. take the lead role in the play "Beauty and the Beast"

10. train to run a half-marathon

Let's see where you guys all fit into the category of adventure via randomness. Have fun! Love you all.

T

Wednesday's Wisdom 2

As I would expect, this past week has flown by, and it is already Wednesday again. Is it not interesting how quickly time goes when you stay busy? It's time for another edition of Wednesday's Wisdom.

Proverbs 4:23...

"Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life."

In order to stay alive, you must have a brain. However, even if your brain stopped functioning correctly and you were a "vegetable," as long as your heart was still pumping blood throughout your body, you could stay alive. You could. But the second your heart stops it's beating, you are dead. This is one way of seeing it as the "wellspring of life."

Another road I like to go down is one in which specifies each of our hearts as entities all their own; we say that no two snowflakes are the same, and if I may, I'd like to say that no two hearts are the same. Sure- they all have the same function. But so do our brains, yet look how differing our personalities can be.

We all have different wants, different needs, different desires. A lot of our natural, human desires stem from our heart- the essence of who we are. However, Who does our heart belong to? Who is the keeper of our heart? Who knows our wants, needs, and desires, and so desperately wants to give them to us? Jesus. Let's not forget that.

Perhaps this is why Proverbs says, "ABOVE ALL ELSE, guard your heart." What does "guard" mean? If I said to you, "Name, would you please guard my plate of food?" Would you let someone eat it? Would you let someone throw it away? Would you let someone indulge in it? I would hope not. You would do the exact opposite- you would protect it from harm, keep it from damage, and make sure no one took it. That is what we should be doing with our hearts.

It's easier said than done. When we look to apply this concept to our life, there are so many different avenues to go down, but let's take the common one of the heart: desires. There are so many different desires of our heart, and it isn't always simple to sort them out and continue down the path of righteousness at the same time. A lot of times, our desires don't always match up with what is in the Word, because we are human beings, and the Bible also says that the ways of the heart are wicked. As Christians, our job becomes an effort to counteract this natural tendency... but we find that over time, as we work to align our lives with God's way, our wants, needs, and desires amazingly start to match up to what He wants for us.

In a more general sense, not all desires that come from our heart are necessarily wicked or evil. However, it is important to be discerning and remember the concept of "guarding" so that our heart doesn't allow us to become deceived and we end up twisted and hurt. Another trick of the heart occurs when we allow our heart to rule our lives instead of remembering that we have a brain that can think with a soul that needs God, and somehow our number one consultant gets put on the backburner behind "how we feel." Feelings, desires, wants.... these aren't bad things. We just need to remember to allow God to be the leader, and we need to follow the feelings, desires, and wants that further Christ's kingdom and stores us treasures up in Heaven rather than the other way around.

If we can succesfully master this concept, we can then GUARD our hearts.

Today's Application: Pick an area in your life where you know that your heart is the most unguarded. Ask God to take this area and give it to Him- don't carry around burdens you weren't intended to bear. Christ is there to help you as you guard your heart. One thing I have found is that in order to guard my heart and keep it guarded, I have to decide that God is in control and that my plans may not be the ones that come through. If God is in control, we are surrended to His will, and therefore, our heart is guarded becasue we don't allow ourselves to jump into a situation full of expectations that may be completely selfish and wrong.

This was a long one... sorry, all. If you figure out a way to make a "short" deovtion out of the subject of "guarding your heart," though, let me know. It's a great topic! I hope you all have a most excellent Wednesday. Love you all!

T

Wednesday's Wisdom

I am happy to announce the newest section in my blog called "Wednesday's Wisdom." Before you know it, each day of the week will have it's own title. You just wait. :) Anyway, each Wednesday (or a little before, as I may need to plan ahead for scheduling purposes) I will cite a verse from the Proverbs and then a short little commentary to follow up. I will only post one verse, because I personally feel that only one is necessary. Every time I read from the Proverbs, I am amazed again and again at how each verse is like a mountain of wisdom all its own; if we just took one verse a day and tried to live by it, we would be doing pretty good. Proverbs is packed.

Wednesday's Wisdom 1

"A fool shows his annoyance at once, but a prudent man overlooks an insult."
-Proverbs 12:16


We are often insulted, and even more often, we are annoyed. I doubt a day goes by when you aren't annoyed at something... the car going 10 mph below on the interstate, your classmate's snide remarks, or the slow check-out clerk. How do you react to these instances?

I know how I react. I get annoyed. It's alright to get annoyed- we often can't control the onset of some feelings. However, what do we do with the "annoyance?" Do we let it pour out into a pointed look and shake of the head as we pass the slow car on the interstate? Do we turn around in class and make an equally snide remark back to our classmate? Do we let the annoyance become known as we glare at the check-out clerk?

Most of us probably don't go so far, but maybe some days, we do. Some days, it is hard to control how far we let our "annoyances" or "insults" take us. I believe that a very important truth comes out of this: We need to let God guide our minds and hearts, and not let our feelings rule us instead. It is easy to let anger, annoyance, bitter, rage, sadness, and even good feelings overtake us in a way that leads us blindly into a world of trouble. The simple solution is to hand the reigns to God, each and every day, and not only daily, but situationally... so that His presence can be there to calm us and we are not so quick to show our annoyance or retaliate in anger.

Application for today: Let God lead you today everywhere. Don't just ask God for help in the morning and then thank Him tonight. Remember that He is there always, and acknowledge that. By talking to Him continually, your attitude will be clear, and situations that may have been "annoying" may not be such a big deal anymore.

I love you all! T

Top Ten Tuesday 18

I am going to post an early Top Ten of some of the photos that I took in Arizona and edited a bit. Vote for your favorite.

1. Stop Wining


2. Curly Green


3. Through the Window


4. RYG


5. The Walking Sisters


6. Pool Balls


7. Peeking Pink


8. The Van with Something to Say


9. Coke


10. Night Lights


Have an excellent Fourth! I love you all! T

Final Days of the Western Expedition Featuring Photo Gallery

Days 6-9 of the Western Expedition

Wednesday…

Well, I don’t really want to bore you with details of this day… because basically, it was our “shopping” day. ☺ Come on- a vacation with a bunch of girls… it’s to be expected. Anyway, we did meet my cousin, Stef, and her 2 daughters for lunch at Le Madeline’s.

As if the day wasn’t centered enough around being a girl, we had “girl’s night” at my aunt’s house (where we were staying), and all of my girl cousins came over to enjoy an evening of fun. We sat around, talked, and laughed the evening away.

Thursday…

We all awoke early to journey up to Oak Creek. Some of you who are aware of current events may have heard that there have been severe fires around the Sedona/Oak Creek Canyon area. The fire had potential to go as far as Slide Rock in Sedona, and if the firemen were not going to be able to contain it, they were just going to let it keep burning… which meant our cabin in the mountains built by my Grandpa which held so many memories would be lost forever. By God’s grace, the fire was contained, the firemen did an excellent job, and although many parts are still burning (as we were able to see on our drive there and back), our Junipine cabin is safe and sound.

We enjoyed a day of relaxation up in Oak Creek… God’s beautiful creation and mighty works are displayed so clearly as you take in the breathtaking features that paint such an amazing picture to enjoy.

Friday…

After waking up to a beautiful Oak Creek and enjoying it for most of the morning, we got in the car and took a detour to Jerome. What is Jerome? It is a ghost town located high, high up in a mountain. Most of the buildings/homes there are abandoned and/or broken down, the sidewalks are uneven and cracked, and there are 3 levels of city blocks situated on one-way roads to walk through. The city has a ton of character because of its condition, and a lot of small little shops and diners have moved there to do business. A horse and carriage rides up and down the streets, and people (mainly tourists) walk in and out of the shops sprinkled throughout. Such a ghost town like Jerome was pleasant to visit, and was a joy for getting some great photography.

We caught a cheese crisp at Julio G’s on the way home, and finished the night off relaxing around the house.

Saturday…

Sniff*Sniff- the last day to enjoy ourselves in the sun. We went to breakfast, caught a 40% off sale, made some chocolate chip cookie dough, and then headed out to the sun. A couple of my cousins and their kids came over for the day, and we enjoyed vegging out, visiting, and then ate a dinner of brats and hot dogs that night. A pleasant last day to end on!

Sunday… The day of travel… tiring, but good to be back.

Please enjoy the Photo Gallery below:

The beginning shot of the trip at Gate 8 in Peoria


Remember the talkative man on the plane? He's the one behind Kristi in this shot


Kristi, slightly scared and tense as we are taking off


The new hat I got at the Mall of America


My mom and aunt on the elevator!


Red Balloon Discovery!


Andrea, Krystle and me (my cuz's)


Oh... dear Scottles, the bird


The afternoon that Kristi and I attempted Tennis in the hot AZ sun


A very strange shot that just had to be shared


Cool shot


The signs of a successful day of shopping


Kristi, my Uncle and I after enjoying a great steak dinner


My cousins, mom, aunts, and I, laughing... not quite sure what about, but we were having a good time!


My mom and Kristi attempting a game


My friend... Kristi didn't really like him


In the garden at Garland's before having a great supper


Beautiful Oak Creek


Kristi and I with Jerome displayed in the background


This sign was in the small diner we ate at in Jerome, and I thought it was cute


My mom and I in Jerome


On the way home from Oak Creek/Jerome, I saw this highway. I would like to drive there someday...


Kristi and I playing Nerds... the game of the trip


Last shot of the trip, loading up all the luggage


Love you all! T

Day 3 & 4 of the Western Expedition + a Top Ten

Day 3 of the Western Expedition- Sunday, June 25

Not much to report for Sunday. Kristi and I awoke at some ungodly hour again, and then went to Phoenix Church. After church, we traveled to my aunt’s house and then to my cousin’s house, feeling much like we were on a tour… or more so like we were on TLC. Anyway, at some point in the afternoon we ended up over at Kierland, which is like a little shopping area city all its own. We walked around there for awhile and then ate supper at North. Kristi and I split a pepperoni pizza, and I’m pretty sure we took care of the whole thing. Yeah- pretty impressive.

Later that night, my cousin, Stefanie came over and we talked to her for awhile surrounded by popcorn, licorice, and soft drinks. Mmmm. Good end to a good weekend.

Day 4 of the Western Expedition- Monday, June 26, 2006

After much thought and effort, Kristi, my mom, and I headed over to my aunt’s house to spend that day at her pool. We had packed up all of our necessary pool items plus a change of clothes, because we were going to be eating supper at her house later that night. We even stuffed my aunt’s SUV with 2 pool rafts. Well, needless to say, when we arrived, the plans got switched around, and it ended up that we were going to be spending the day at my other aunt’s house who we had just come from. And that we did, after finally driving all the way back and unpacking again. We had a nice day in the sun with some more of my cousins.

I found a water disc and Kristi and I played Frisbee for awhile. Kristi had a tendency to throw the disc either very far or in a direction perpendicular to me, and at one point she threw it completely out of the pool, which is really too bad, since the pool has a negative edge water system that pours water into a canal at the side, and then beyond that is basically a mountain heading downhill with desert landscape features, including rocks, cacti, and other shrubbery which usually is baking hot in the sun. My point being… the rescue of the disc was going to be an adventurous one. The side of the pool is lined with rock that gets very hot in the sun, so it’s not like we could just stand around for a long period of time and gaze down the mountain to find the pink disc. We finally got a mat and sat on that, and Kristi was brave enough to jump off the rock wall (about 5 feet or so tall), climb down a little bit, and rescue the poor item. After all this work, we didn’t even end up finishing our play; I guess it was the thought (and the fun we had getting there) that counts.

My cousin’s daughter is only a couple years younger than me, and she had come over with a friend, so we all played Speed Scrabble outside. After that fun mind-testing game, we got cleaned up and went to my aunt’s for supper. My great aunt and uncle came, as well. Fortunately, my cousin who played Speed Scrabble with us earlier called us to come over and play more fun games with her and her friends, so we enjoyed some time of Apples to Apples and we even introduced them to Telephone Pictionary.

Seeing as it is Tuesday when I am posting this, and because I have gotten an adamant request from one of my most cherished readers, I am going to throw in a top ten with the end of this post. Only those who conquered reading through this whole report (or for those of you who are smart enough to skim to the bottom) can enjoy and vote on the top ten.

Top Ten Moments of the Western Expedition

1. Toast- the hummingbird
2. The man on the plane who told us all about AZ’s finest activities
3. Audience sitting in family room watching the News on TV, fully engrossed in the day’s happenings being reported. Aunt runs excitedly into room and says, “You’ll never believe who I just got off the phone with…”“Not now, ______,” Uncle says. “Save it.”
4. Red Balloon Discovery
5. Scottles, the parakeet
6. “Baked Potato” winning over “Super Model” for the word “dainty”
7. “WHATEVER”…. Even said by 60-year old uncles
8. Organic foods and sun tan lotion
9. Decorating homes
10. Honk!

There is your ten. Vote on whichever one strikes a cord way down deep. Love you all! T

Day 2 of the Western Expedition

Day 2 of the Western Expedition
Saturday, June 24

At 6:30 a.m. in the morning, Kristi awoke like an early bird as if she did it every morning. Keep in mind the time difference- 6:30 in Arizona = 8:30 in Illinois. Anyway, eventually I woke up and joined her to start our Saturday.

We headed outside to the hot dessert and basked in the sun… for about 3 minutes, before certain individuals could take it no longer and jumped into the pool. It was a refreshing welcome on such a scorching day. Much to our dismay, cloud cover hovered above us most of the afternoon, but we somehow all ended up enjoying the warmth that enveloped us as we relaxed.

After enjoying a mild lunch of CHEESE CRISPS (Kristi prefers the title “quesadilla,” and simply cannot understand why our family calls them this name), homemade salsa and whole wheat tortilla chips, fresh fruit, and an ice cream bar, we headed back outside… but not before introducing Kristi to an entirely new fruit: the strawberry. Sitting there appalled was my mom and my Aunt Connie, trying to fathom how she had never ever tried a single strawberry in her life. Well, we couldn’t have it.

I kindly sliced up a strawberry into several pieces while Kristi sat there with a scrunched up look on her face.

“Try it….try it…. TRY IT,” I cheered. She hesitantly took a bite, and ended up enjoying it immensely, but not without a few comments about its texture.

Upon arriving back outside, we both jumped into the pool, and I swam over to the edge to get a gander at the beautiful scenery in front of me that stretched out down the mountain for miles. Looking up into the sky, I spotted something. Was it a bird? Was it a plane? Was it SUPERMAN?

No- it was a red round object, flying gently in the sky with something attached at the bottom of its string.

“Look!” I shouted to Kristi, pointing up at the flying object. “It’s a balloon!”

“Yeah, and there’s something attached to it. I wonder where it’s going?” Kristi pondered.

“I don’t know. It looks like it’s headed our way.”

Well, wherever it was headed, it had a long way to go- it was pretty high up in the sky.

Within a minute, though, the balloon had managed to float over our way, lowering itself into an area that looked very close to us.

We just had to know for sure.
We climbed out of the pool, ran across the deck, and rushed through the gate, turning the corner. As we peered down the driveway, we both came to a complete halt, our mouths dropping open.

“There it is,” I whispered, pointing down to the foot of the driveway.

Sure enough, there it was, floating above the driveway under a shaded tree.

We approached cautiously.

“I wonder if there is a bomb attached to it,” I remarked. Kristi stood at a safe distance, and I circled the balloon, trying to eye what could possibly be attached to its string.

I picked it up, and low and behold… it was a CD, melted and twisted into the shape of a heart.

So thank you- secret admirer, for sending that present our way!

Kidding. But it was amusing, and we immediately befriended the balloon and went running with it back to the pool, half expecting for there to be several other balloons in the sky floating in our direction. Sadly, we were wrong, but it was fun to find such a prize.

The rest of our afternoon was spent being lazy at the pool, and then Kristi and I decided to be active.

“Let’s play tennis!” I suggested.

Now let’s get one thing straight. Neither Kristi nor I have played tennis since high school, so seeing us up there on the tennis courts was probably an amusing sight- and to our knowledge, no one got to enjoy that sight except us. We practiced serving and hitting the ball for awhile until running around and whiffing became tiresome and hot—I kid you not, it was likely still over 105 while we were up there.

After returning to the pool and then getting cleaned up, we headed to Pasta Pomodoro, a small Italian restaurant, and enjoyed that with my aunt and uncle. We then went to “Honk,” a play about the ugly duckling, featuring my little cousin. It was a darling play, with lots of fun and laughter.

By the time we got home, Kristi was ready to crash. After all, she had gotten up at 6:30 that morning. I somehow killed an hour (I have been dying to stay up late on this vacation, something I don’t get to do much now that I work every day), so I did so, and then climbed into the big, King-size bed next to her. The enormous size of this bed is nice for a change; usually, I am kicking, shoving, and elbowing the whole night through, but we practically have to get binoculars out to see each other in this bed. Nice change.

That wraps up Day 2 of the Western Expedition. Stay tuned for tomorrow’s post on today! I love you all!

T

Western Expedition Series- Day 1

Day 1 of The Western Expedition Series
Friday- June 23

Preface: Get ready for an intense, 10-day journey through “The Western Expedition,” featuring Chelly, Kristi, and Taryn. Chelly, who grew up in Phoenix, Arizona is excited to return to her place of “home” and visit her sisters and their families. Taryn is just as excited to see her family and enjoy the annual visit to the hot desert. Kristi will be experiencing this place of sunshine in her first trip west of Illinois.

*Due to some blogger technical difficulties that have been worked on and unresolved over this past day, pictures will not be posted until the end of the trip so as to not slow the reporting process, as well as to create a certain anxiety for the audience reading... I know you are all visual learners, so check back in a week for a gallery!*

Our journey started off standing in the middle of Peoria Airport- my dad was hugging my mom and I good-bye, and Kristi was adjusting her big white sunglasses on her face. Scenes like this are emotional for her. We proceeded through security, and successfully boarded the plane to Minneapolis, but not before catching a couple from Morton church… the joys of living in Central Illinois. Wherever you are, there are people you know.

“I feel like the president,” Kristi commented as we climbed up the stairs to board the small plane. Clearly, this whole “airplane” experience was new to Kristi, as was quickly reinforced to my mind as she started chattering about the tiny area of the plane.

“Are you kidding? Is this really what we’re riding in? It’s so small!” I heard these novice-flyer type comments frequently.

However, my real amusement was yet to come. As the plane prepared to take off, I glance over at Kristi next to me, who was avidly gripping the armrests while her eyes were squeezed shut. What’s that? Oh yes- of course, I got a picture.

Don’t worry- our flight to Minneapolis was pretty painless after that. When we arrived in Minneapolis, we then took somewhere near a 20-minute walk to our destination- one of my mom’s friends who lives in Minneapolis was kind enough to meet us at the airport during our 3 hour layover and drive us over to the Mall of America for lunch. We ate a nice lunch, chatted, and browsed through a store before returning to the airport.

We returned to the airport in just enough time to board our much bigger and more comfortable plane for the 3-hour ride to Phoenix. We took our seats and settled in. Of course, 5 minutes into the spacious plane, I was out like a light, leaning against the window next to me.

Kristi wasn’t so fortunate to enjoy such shut-eye. An older man with a definite extraverted personality preference was seated next to her, and he never gave her a moment of silence. Kristi now knows the following:

-In regards to designing a logo, the importance of trying to use Arial or Times New Roman as a font choice.

-Several random comments and thoughts applied to the process of flipping through a magazine.

-A few varied facts about his family life.

-Every possible tourist attraction, site-seeing pleasure, or hobby-related activity available in the whole state of Arizona.

Luckily, I was able to listen in on that last bullet point- I had woken up by then. This guy was a character to sit by... be expecting a shot of him in next week's gallery.

Upon arriving in Phoenix, my aunt picked us up and we met my uncle at Islands, a restaurant there where we all grabbed some burgers and fries.

Well, that wraps up the wonderful first day of flying, footing, and food. Stay tuned for tomorrow’s post on today.

Relay & a Psalm

It would be very rare if any of you did not know someone who had cancer, or who was affected by it some way. By now, we all know the horrors cancer can cause and the agony of a raod it can be to go through-- and although this horrible disease can seemingly control and overtake lives in a way that is undesirable, it is a sickness like this that spurs events like "Relay for Life" to take place. If I have to find a positive in the hugely negative, I will say that one kicker to a sickness like such is the uniting effect of determination it can cause in families, friends, and communities.

On Saturday, I was able participate on a Relay for Life team to help carry out the symbolic meaning of what cancer patients go through in their "walk" via walking the track and helping with other activities. In preparation for this event, one is required to raise a minimum of $100 (which really isn't asking much), but after doing this for 2 previous years and catching Kristi's enthusiam of the event (as she has been involved with Relay for longer than I have and was a committee member with publicity this year), I decided to shoot for bigger and better with Kristi. We made ourselves "one person" as Taryn-Kristi, and together raised almost $6,000, coming out as the top raisers of the day. It was amazing being able to contribute to such a worthwhile cause, and in such a small way. Our team, the "Toucans," (motto: We "toucan" find a cure), came out as a top raiser with reaching our goal to raise $10,000. The reason for the raising really hit home to me early on in the day, when a cancer patient (who actually goes to our church) walked into the gym full of relayer teams and other survivors, and everyone stood up and clapped for her as she walked to the front with her walker. She had just finished with chemo treatments the day before, and ended up being one of our speakers at the Luminaria services that night. Knowing that our money was going to be going towards cancer research that would directly affect that lady, and so many others who have cancer currently or who will in the future reminded me why events like Saturday and money-raising like what we had been doing was all worth it.

The theme of "Relay for Life" points back to one word: Hope. It is amazing to see so many people united together to fight for a cause that affects so many.

Some of the relayers on our team trying to keep warm!


Kristi and Adam battling it out in some Euchre during a break


Kristi and I after the Luminaria


Kristi and I "being" the picture... we were trying to figure out what facial expressions to go with, and found out after the picture the sign said "Smile and say Boo" - it was probably for the best that we realized that after the picture


Well... let me rack my brain for other tidbits of brilliant information. Hmmm. Ok, spiritual tangent.

Today, in church, I established my new favorite chapter in the Bible. It would be Psalm 139. I am going to paste it below, and then talk about it.

Psalm 139

1O lord, thou hast searched me, and known me.

2Thou knowest my downsitting and mine uprising, thou understandest my thought afar off.

3Thou compassest my path and my lying down, and art acquainted with all my ways.

4For there is not a word in my tongue, but, lo, O LORD, thou knowest it altogether.

5Thou hast beset me behind and before, and laid thine hand upon me.

6Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is high, I cannot attain unto it.

7Whither shall I go from thy spirit? or whither shall I flee from thy presence?

8If I ascend up into heaven, thou art there: if I make my bed in hell, behold, thou art there.

9If I take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea;

10Even there shall thy hand lead me, and thy right hand shall hold me.

11If I say, Surely the darkness shall cover me; even the night shall be light about me.

12Yea, the darkness hideth not from thee; but the night shineth as the day: the darkness and the light are both alike to thee.

13For thou hast possessed my reins: thou hast covered me in my mother's womb.

14I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvellous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well.

15My substance was not hid from thee, when I was made in secret, and curiously wrought in the lowest parts of the earth.

16Thine eyes did see my substance, yet being unperfect; and in thy book all my members were written, which in continuance were fashioned, when as yet there was none of them.

17How precious also are thy thoughts unto me, O God! how great is the sum of them!

18If I should count them, they are more in number than the sand: when I awake, I am still with thee.

19Surely thou wilt slay the wicked, O God: depart from me therefore, ye bloody men.

20For they speak against thee wickedly, and thine enemies take thy name in vain.

21Do not I hate them, O LORD, that hate thee? and am not I grieved with those that rise up against thee?

22I hate them with perfect hatred: I count them mine enemies.

23Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts:

24And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.

I believe the captivating-ness of this passage gets me in the sense that it envelopes the sweet essence of the Lord knowing us so intimately... and being there with us, no matter what. Let's face it; there is no one in this world who knows us better than Him, and so why does it seem like sometimes our goal would be to replace Him with another "someone" or another "something?" Why does the "search for a soul mate" or other fanciful, wordly idols take place of the One who knows us inside and out, and in whom we should be focusing our every day on pleasing? That gets me, and those questions convict me, because I am guilty as charged when it comes to those inquiries.

This morning, Ted Witzig also quoted a phrase he once heard that went something like this: "Where a man's heart is, that is his god." Sooo true. I challenge you to all ask yourselves, "Where is my heart RIGHT now?" As Christians, let's not lie- we all have our good times, and we all have our not-so-good times. Hopefully, though, it is through those downer times that we learn to rely on God even more, strengthen our faith to a deeper level, or learn to rebound in a way that takes us even higher than ever before.

"Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts:" What a request!

"...And see if there is any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting."

That's a great note to end on. Love you all. T