As I surfed through "blogville" tonight (Yeah, instead of partying and ringing in the New Year), I came upon the following and thought it was kind of fun.

Enjoy...

bold the states you've been to, underline the states you've lived in and italicize the state you're in now...

Alabama / Alaska / Arizona / Arkansas / California / Colorado / Connecticut / Delaware / Florida / Georgia / Hawaii / Idaho / Illinois / Indiana / Iowa / Kansas / Kentucky / Louisiana / Maine / Maryland / Massachusetts / Michigan / Minnesota / Mississippi / Missouri / Montana / Nebraska / Nevada / New Hampshire / New Jersey / New Mexico / New York / North Carolina / North Dakota / Ohio / Oklahoma / Oregon / Pennsylvania / Rhode Island / South Carolina / South Dakota / Tennessee / Texas / Utah / Vermont / Virginia / Washington / West Virginia / Wisconsin / Wyoming / Washington D.C. /

I think I have "passed through" a few more than those mentioned above, but these are the ones that I've truly spent more than a few minutes in.

Go HERE to have a form generate the HTML for you.

Life Changes

So, the unthinkable happened today...I was let go from my job. You always go into meetings thinking the worst is going to happen, and then nothing...it is just a normal meeting...blah, blah, blah.

Then you go into a meeting, your heart starts racing, you start praying, "No, this can't be happening.", and then you hear...."I'm sorry the numbers just haven't been adding up....we haven't had any new sales....we might have failed in our training....you just aren't a good fit....it is partly me...blah...blah..blah."

Yep, that's right, for the first time I was actually let go from my job. They never said "FIRED", but more politically said your position has been terminated. The feeling of utter rejection and an overwhelming sense of OMG...what now! How are those bills going to get paid (thank God, Freddie the Ford Explorer got paid off last month), how am I going to find a new job when this one took me 8 months to find, how do I explain this to friends and family without sounding like a failure?

Questions
Questions
Questions

But I guess it comes down to the fact that I serve a greater God, and He has me in the palm of His hand right now and is whispering, "It's going to be ok...I have better things in store for you. I love you and I will never leave you nor forsake you."

And as I am typing those words, I have tears streaming down my face, because I do truly believe it, even in the midst of what seems like disaster!

Sit up straight, chin up and march forward. God's in control...I'm not...He's got something awesome for me.

Please pray!

Year in Pictures

As I was web surfing today, I came upon MSN's Year in Pictures. As I sit and think about the past year for my personal life, the problems and concerns that I have don't seem so significant when reflecting on the lives of the men, women, and children featured in the slide show.

Make sure you grab a kleenex when watching, and remember to send up a prayer for all these people that represent the world....a world that is truly hungry and crying out for the hand of God.

http://msnbc.com/modules/yip05/dw.asp?nStartOn=1

Merry Christmas!

As I sit and think about the holiday season and Christmas day that is just around the corner, I realize how blessed I am to be celebrating such a holiday. Not only do I get to choose how I spend my Christmas, and why I celebrate Christmas...but I get to celebrate without being in the midst of civil wars, bombings and other terrorist activities that are happening around the world.

This past year has been great! Yes, I have had a lot of changes, and a lot of depending on God for things that I didn't have a clue about. But since I serve a great God, I was never failed.

I started my second year as the administrator for Puyallup Foursquare's Masters Commission program. For me this has been an awesome opportunity, as I have seen God working in my life just as much as the student's lives. He has been restoring the broken cords of leadership and relationships that have had a decade or so to unravel. It is amazing what God can do when you are willing to go where He leads. I had the opportunity to travel with our MC group to Singapore, Malaysia, and Indonesia for two weeks last February. What an exciting, eye-opening opportunity.

I moved again (what else is new people are saying)....I am staying with a wonderful couple right now--Charlie and Barb Goodman. Thank You for opening your home and taking me in as another daughter!

Probably the biggest shift for me this year, was a new job. I had been working for my family for the last few years, which was a very laid back job (the couch and taking naps with Mason was my favorite part of the day); however, they moved to California (who I miss tremendously...especially my bad bad Mexican...Maddy)this summer and I had to find a new job. That was one of those leaning on God trust factors...I started at Renewal Construction, in Puyallup on August 1st. It is a great job, and I actually like going to work. However, I am not used to not taking naps during the day, and being able to do what I want and when I want....but I guess that is part of being an adult. RIGHT?



The next year looks to be a wonderful year as well, as I am working my way out of debt and God is seeing to all my provisions. I am heading back to SE Asia again in February...where we expect to see awesome works of God. God blessed me financially to even go on the trip ($950 donated anonymously! Only need $325 more...WOW!), and my boss let me have 2.5 weeks off work to go as well. This next year is going to be spent getting myself on my feet financially so that I can better use my finaces to further the kingdom of God.

I pray blessings for each and everyone of you and your families. I pray that you will see through all the hoopla of Christmas, to why we really celebrate. And then have fun (everyone loves getting presents!). I also pray traveling mercies on all you as you travel to see families and friends.

Blessings,
Rachel Ann

For the Girls!

Remember this at Christmas Time...

According to the Alaska Department of Fish and Game, while both male and female reindeer grow antlers in the summer each year, male reindeer drop their antlers at the beginning of winter, usually late November to mid-December. Female reindeer retain their antlers until after they give birth in the spring.

Therefore, according to EVERY historical rendition depicting Santa's reindeer, EVERY single one of them, from Rudolph to Blitzen, had to be a girl.

We should've known... ONLY women would be able to drag a fat man in a red velvet suit all around the world in one night and not get lost.


Thanks to my friend Megan who sent me this!

Playing Cards

Tonight I was asked, "On a deck of playing cards, who were the original French Kings and what suites were they?" What a fascinating question to ask...so I did a little internet search and here is what I found out about the history of the playing card:

...It is believed to have originated in China once paper was discovered, and all cards were then created by hand.

...As it was hard to mass produce cards made by hand, they moved to making cards with stencils.

...And the orignial decks consisted of 56 cards, not 52.

The Parisian Design of Kings are as follows:

King of Spades: David
King of Diamonds: Caesar
King of Clubs: Alexander
King of Hearts: Charles (Charlemagne)

Just to go a bit further....

Queen of Spades: Pailas (warrior goddess)
Queen of Diamonds: Rachel (mother of Joseph) I particularly like this card! :)
Queen of Clubs: Argine (anagram of regina which is Latin for queen)
Queen of Hearts: Judith (Book of Judith)

and a bit further, shall we?.....

Knights or Knaves:

Spades: Ogier (Knight of Charlemagne)
Diamonds: La Hire (Commander in arms with Joan of Arc)
Clubs: Hector (prince of Troy)
Hearts: Judas Maccabee (led Jewish rebellion against Syrians)


What a completely fascinating history of the playing card. Thanks Greg for the lead.

I know this is a subject that is completely out in left field; however, I find these kind of topics quite interesting. Now if there is ever a lull in conversation, you have a great conversation starter....

Blessings from the Queen of Diamonds Rachel

Kingdom of Heaven

I am not usually a person that gets "spiritual" thoughts out of movie; however, I watched the movie "Kingdom of Heaven" last night. It was a greatly intense movie, and gave me much greater insight into the crusades of that time (also helps that Orlando Bloom is easy on the eyes).

Things I learned...

....The crusades lasted for 200 years. Think about that! That is at least five generations of men, if not more who went to war to fight for the privelege of "owning" the City of Jerusalem.

....It wasn't a war that accomplished anything. It was merely a bragging rights of whose flag flew from the highest point in Jerusalem...Christians or Muslims.

....God was NOT in the middle of this war. I can't even imagine what He was thinking as the crusades drug on for years and years.

This is my journal entry today:

"As I sat watching the movie last night, I commented on how lame it was that the very city these men were fighting for was the very city they were destroying in order to gain control. The Syrian (I think) Prince wanted nothing more than to see the Muslims in control of Jerusalem once again, so they laid seige to the city they claimed as theirs.

Then I got to thinking--my life is the "city" God wants to control; however, I stand at guard not allowing God entrance. He then starts "attacking" areas of mylife that need to die. Sometimes I feel as if they are personal attacks, and that I won't survive. Other times I just hunker down and pray that the debris I see falling all around me won't hit me. Yet I am praying against the very debris God is sending down as a notice to get my attention. Sometimes God does have to destroy us or our shell in order to get to the prize He is looking for. So do we stand at the gate of our fortress defending it or do we come out to surrender and 'give terms'? God very much wants my full cooperation and surrender.

Now I need to realize what God was trying to destroy in order to build me back up. Is it the lies of the enemy that I thought I had been prevailing against (loneliness, fear of never being married or a mother, discouragement)? Is it the plans I have laid out for my life? Do they not truly match up with God's plan for my life? Is it the need to have deeper relationship with Abba Father?

The crusades lasted for two hundred years. At the end men were fighting each other in a war, that neither side had been alive at the onset of...NOR truly knew the reason for the continued fighting. I don't want to have God trying to destroy things in my life for 2 years, nonetheless 200 years.

I come out!
I Surrender!
I come to terms!
I am yours. Kill that which needs to be killed and breathe life into that which you want to see be fruitful and alive."


So where is my Kingdom of Heaven? In the city of Rachel waiting to rise up as a powerful force in my life and in the lives of those around me. A city that is ready to march and do battle in a Godly way and for a Godly reason.

Where is your Kingdom of Heaven? What are you fighting for? What is God fighting for in your life?

Let it Snow, Let it Snow, Let it Snow!!!

Well, the weathermen said we would have a "snowstorm" last night, getting 1-2" inches overnight. So I made sure I was up early enough this morning to possibly scrape ice off my truck, and heat it up and have time to go slowly to work.

What did I see this morning? RAIN!! Go figure, we live in Washington and get rain.

Then about 9ish this morning, as I was sitting at my desk, it started to snow. Now don't get me wrong, I am not a complete Bah Humbug; however, I hate to drive in snow...especially with others who don't know how to drive in it. It snowed all day long, actually sticking to the cars, the trees, and even the road. I do have to admit that it was beautiful, but then.....it all melted away.

Enjoy the evening with a nice cup of hot cocoa!

I am Thankful For.....

all the blessings God has bestowed on my life over the year's, the months, and even just the last few days. I am so excited to serve a God that answers prayers. I received a phone call today from my church saying that someone anonymously donated $950 to my mission's trip that I am taking in February. I have always heard stories of how God gives large sums of money to people; however, I never really thought it could happen to me. But I prayed for a certain amount to cover my trip, and I am only $325 away....my faith level went up a few notches today, and I truly believe God blesses those who trust in Him.

I am also thankful for my family. Next to God, family is the most important thing in my life. Unfortunately, I won't be spending the holidays with family this year, but I do think of them constantly and wish that we could all be together; however, I know that we will be together again someday. I am fortunate that I have many friends whom I consider family, and will be spending the day with a great family!

Please spend a few minutes contemplating all that God has given you this last year, and all the things you have to be thankful for. It isn't a hard task; however, so people have to think hard about what they are grateful for, and that is a sad thought. Why do we always wait until Thanksgiving to think about what we are thankful for? Why not think about it tonight? Why not think about every day?!! Be thankful all year long!

As a closing note, I am extremely grateful for humor and the gift of laughter that God has given me. And for those that know me well, you will say that my laugh is loud, obnoxious and hard to forget. So to keep you laughing, copy and paste the following link for a great Turkey Survival Song:

http://www.americangreetings.com/display.pd?bfrom=1&prodnum=3081495&path=25200&va=1

Enjoy...and don't eat too much Turkey.

Blessings to each and everyone of you. And if someone happens on my blog who doesn't believe in God and blessings, then I pray a double portion of blessing on you and your family!

Where is My Italian Man?

You Belong in Rome

You're a big city girl with a small town heart Which is why you're attracted to the romance of Rome Strolling down picture perfect streets, cappuccino in hand And gorgeous Italian men - could life get any better?

What City Do You Belong In?

I got this via Sabrina's blog, and I love it. Of course, I belong in Rome...sounds much more romantic and attractive then Puyallup! And yes, I would go and look for Italian Men anyday......any takers :)

MC Intensive

We took our MC students to Island Lake in Poulsbo, WA this Friday and Saturday for what we call an intensive. We have four throughout the year, and this first one is our Spiritual Intensive. The word intensive is intentional as it is an intense 24 hours. We have sessions all day long on various aspects of Christianity. These sessions include: Devotional Life (The Bible), The Holy Spirit, The Cross, The Old Man, The New Man, Hero of Heroes, Deliverance, Call of God, and more.

Almost all the sessions have a practical application as well. For The Cross, we watched The Passion of the Christ...wow. I forget how much that movie gets to me until I sit down and watch it again. The scene where Mary, Jesus' Mother, flashes back to when she ran to Jesus when he fell as a child and then does run to him when he is carrying his cross...I'm not even a mother yet and it gets me. I think one thing that I saw this time that I didn't see last time was when Jesus died and then you see the view from above and the one raindrop that falls, I think was the one tear that God let fall before His Righteous anger fell on the world and on the enemy. Intense.

The students would probably tell you that the intense thing for them was when they got the opportunity to be baptized. The reason it was intense? It was done at 2am, outside in the cold in a LAKE! Sometimes your theology and logical thinking goes out the window when you are freezing cold in the middle of the morning!

All in all, it was a great weekend, and to be a part of something where I get to watch lives transform right before me is amazing. I thank God continuously that He allows me to be a leader of a program that changes lives, and yet the focus is always on Him and how much He does for us. Broken hearts begun to heal this weekend, Love for others begun in their hearts.

Amazing! I love Masters Commission and all that God is doing in our program.

Goonies....Hey You Guys!

Come on, admit it, you love this movie!! It is one of the greatest 80's cult classics out there (next to Girls Just Want to Have Fun).

The trivia question I was asked tonight was: What is the name of the Pirate Captain in The Goonies?

Rumors

While I'm here, I have been hearing rumors of some of you taking the 80's music test, and some of you are not doing so well! Isn't it amazing how we think we know all those old songs, then when push comes to shove we are hard pressed to remember one.

However, we all know that we can all those one hit wonders once they come on the radio!!! Or we sing in the shower!

Slogans

My friend Stephanie sent this to me, and it was quite funny!

Go to this website, type your name in, and see what slogan they come up with for your name.

http://www.thesurrealist.co.uk/slogan.cgi

My slogan came out: Mama's got the Magic of Rachel

Let me know your slogans!

What Generation Are You From?

Calling all people from all generations...well, mostly those who lived and breathed the 80's.

The following is a great website to test your musical knowledge of all those great 80's one hit wonders....."Oh, Mickey" is one of the first to come to my mind.

http://www.yetanotherdot.com/asp/80s.html

Tell me how you do...if you do really bad, I won't let everyone know...well maybe not everyone!

Have fun going down memory lane.

Random Trivia...Random Rachel

This subject is totally dedicated to one of my favorite people: Greg Reich. Greg serves on our MC council and is one of module teachers, as well as being a great awesome Man of God.

Greg and I have this game that we play everytime we see each other, even if it for five minutes on a Sunday morning. We play random facts of trivia...Random Rachel...that's me! For some reason, God has given me a brain that stores multitudes and multitudes of useless and totally random trivia. Most of it is media in nature, like movies, music, etc. Not really good with sports trivia, but I suppose I can learn.

We spent almost four hours in a car, with a bunch of people that thought we were crazy, just bouncing trivia off of one another.

So my challenge to you is....give me your trivia! Ask me trivia questions, I will see if I can answer. I'm good, but not perfect, just keep that in mind.

Life

Work all day...make MC calls at lunch time...catch a fifteen minute nap after work...and then head to the church to gather up my paperwork and head into a Masters Commission Council Meeting. Somedays I'm grateful that I am not married and don't have children as I am totally available to dedicate myself to the ministry I love. Although it amazes me once I get home at 9pm on a continuous basis and wonder, where did the day go.

I am such an anally administrative person, that I love the meetings, the figuring out of schedules, budgets, and emergencies. I love the comings and goings...but every once in awhile I stop and think, "Man it has been three weeks since I've had a night at home." On top of my regular job and MC, I also work part time for KMPS radio station, which is a great perk job (since I have to work the Rascal Flatts concert this Friday night!). Then there is that part of me that is trying to get out of debt, at the same time I am taking 2 1/2 weeks off of work (non-paid) to go on a mission's trip...so I think let's get a second..um third or fourth job during the Christmas Holidays. Am I crazy???? At times I think I might be.

Let me leave you with a bit of random trivia that I learned tonight. Who plays Barney Fife on the Andy Griffith show and what did he always carry in his pocket? Want the answers....check back next time.

Support Letter

Rachel A. McAskill
601 9th Ave SE
Puyallup WA 98372
206-276-9332

Family and Friends—

Greetings and Salutations! I pray that you are all well, and that you are enjoying the change from summer to fall. Over in this area, we are finally seeing the rain that we usually expect this time of year. I don’t mind the rain so much, but it has gotten cold very quickly!

I want to share with all of you that I am once again heading back to SE Asia in February. The Masters Commission (an internship program) that I help with at my church is going to Singapore, Malaysia, and Bali Indonesia. We have 26 team members that will be leaving on Wednesday, February 8, 2006, and returning Friday, February 24, 2006. Last year we were able to spend time in various churches in Malaysia and Indonesia, and we will be getting the opportunity to revisit at least one of those churches on our return trip.

Through the generosity of many people, we were able to feed 100 families in two different villages; provide fresh water for one village; buy new instruments for a Bible College; and bring 18 suitcases full of clothes and toiletries, many of which traveled up into the areas affected by last year’s Tsunami. Thank you to all of you who donated, the smiles and hugs that we received were wonderful! I snapped tons of pictures, and the joy that we saw even in the midst of nothing was spectacular. We serve a great God.

This year we will be going to Bali, Indonesia as well, which is the orphan capitol of the world. We will be going into the orphanages there and simply loving on children, telling them of God’s love, and hopefully leaving money to see to the basic necessities of life. While in Bali, we will also be participating in a beach ministry that is already in place. We will be passing out tracts in three different languages and inviting people to a nightly coffee house, which is an established Christian outreach. It is a great opportunity to work with a program already in place, as we know that there will be follow-up with individuals once we come back to the states.

I am asking that you prayerfully considering sponsoring my trip to SE Asia. I have to raise approximately $1300 more of the $3000 needed. All donations are tax deductible, if the check is written to Puyallup Foursquare Church. Please mail all donations to:

Rachel McAskill
Puyallup Foursquare Church
601 9th Ave SE
Puyallup WA 98373

I understand that not all of you are able to help monetarily; however, all your prayers are coveted and much appreciated. Once again, thank you for your support. May God’s blessing be on each and every one of you as we share God’s love in places around the world!

Love and Blessings
Rachel

Mission's Trip

I am so excited! Last year our MC students went to Singapore, Malayasia and Indonesia for two weeks on our annual missions trip. I had the opportunity to go with the group as a leader and the keeper of records (passports, itineries, etc), and it was the best experience that I have had in a long time.

We are going back to Singapore, Malayasia and Bali, Indonesia, this coming February. I have been worried that I wouldn't be able to go this year, since I have a new job, and the trip is for two and a half weeks (which is a lot of unpaid time off work); however, I put into God's hands and decided if he wanted me to go then I would be there. This last Friday, my boss said that I probably wouldn't be able to go since he would be out of the office for most of February (along with our receptionist who is going to Jamaica on a mission's trip the last week of February).

HOWEVER! My boss and I were meeting this morning going over our office schedule for the next few months, and come to find out he gets back in town the day I would leave and doesn't leave again until the day I would get back. So, I asked him if he thought I could go....he said YES!! I am so excited. Now, I am believing that God will supply me with approximately $1000 to finish paying for my trip. If anyone would like to donate, I'd be happy to accept!

But I really wanted to just let people know that when you trust in God, He will see you through. And He will put you where you are needed...meaning that there is some reason for me to be in Asia in February. So no focusing on the money I'm losing by not working, and the money put into the trip...God has it covered!!!!

This or That!?!

Do you ever get to the point in life where you wonder if you are doing the right thing, are living in the right area, are working for the right company? I know many of us have these thoughts; however, I have to say that as a single gal those thoughts come to the forefront more and more. Without a family to ground me to this area, I constantly think about moving to the next place and seeing what is around the corner. Kind of like a kid shaking the presents at Christmas, or hiding from a friend and peeking around the corner to see if they are close.

To be quite honest, it is hard sometimes to listen to God and obey. I had the choice this summer whether to move to California with my sister and her family or stay in Puyallup. After praying and considering the committments I have here, I decided to stay. I know beyone a shadow of doubt that God called me here for a purpose, but sometimes it is hard to define what that purpose is. I know the broad picture of what I want to do with ministry; however, it is the fine points of how to actually travel the road.

So, as I contemplate the next several months...I will be seeking God and asking Him where He wants me to go next. I have the opportunity to move to California with one sister, my other sister is moving to Georgia where my best friend lives, and my best friend is contemplating moving to North Carolina. My personal evaluation time is during the summer, as I have committed to never leaving my church during the middle of a Masters Commission year.

Being single does has it's advantages as I am able to pack up and move at a moments notice; however, I am still waiting for the day that God decides to bring my husband into my life. I know that 31 isn't old, but sometimes it feels as if I have been waiting for ever. Me and God have been talking about this; however, I am not winning any of our conversations of late. He is saying be patient, and I am saying I have been patient long enough. But God knows....and when he does walk through the door of my life...excitement will be a major understatement.

Marcie's Neverending Thoughts on Things

Marcie's Neverending Thoughts on Things

Update on Friend in China

Thank you all who are praying for my friend Ben Durden and his family. We haven't heard anything more about his condition. His dad flew over last week, and Ben is still in ICU where they are trying to stabilize him enough to allow him to be Medi Vac'd to the States with a nurse on board. They are afraid to let him go at this time, because they are still not sure what is wrong.

Thank you for praying!

Please Pray

The following is an email I received from my friend in Georgia:

Hi Rachel, I will probably call you tonight, but in case I miss you...please pray for Ben Durden. He has been in China teaching at Sias University for the past few months and has recently become seriously ill. He was hospitalized Sunday night and doctors discovered an irregular heartbeat. He is still in ICU in China. Dr. Durden is flying out tomorrow morning to be with him. If they can stabilize Ben's heartbeat, Dr. Durden will probably bring him home. The Durdens are getting conflicting information on Ben's condition and the final word they received was that he needed a family member present. Please pray for Ben's recovery, Dr. Durden's trip and for the family here who are very anxious to have Ben home. Thanks! Susana

Ben and I graduated from the same university, Beacon University in Columbus, GA. Ben's dad, Dr. John Durden, was one of my professors and my academic advisor. Thank you so much for lifting this young man up in prayer. I will keep you posted as to his status. Blessings!

More Family Pictures

My brother-in-law Ernie. Hey how is Bert doing?
My sister Shannon and my 11 year-old niece Brittany.
My 15 year old nephew Brandon...great guitar player.

Family Visits!

My sister Shannon, brother-in-law Ernie and their kids recently moved to California, back in August. I had lived with them for about five years, and I am really attached to their children. My best buddy is my niece Maddy, she just to do everything with me. Imagine how hard it was to go to California with them, and come home alone. Even though I talk to them 4-5 times a week, it's not the same as seeing them on a daily basis.

The came into town yesterday for a short visit (they are leaving Saturday), and I got to see everyone. It was great. My niece looks so grown up! You don't notice how much when you see them on a daily basis, but when I haven't seen her in 2.5 months.... And my nephew Mason just looked at me and smiled when I first saw him in the truck yesterday. I wasn't sure if he remembered me or not....although, I choose to think he does. Needless to say, it was good seeing all of them.

What to do when things go awry!

For all of you that help run any type of program within a church, you understand all the details that must go into planned events. Especially events that involving feeding mass number of people.

Last night our MC class had our beginning of the year banquet. We had about 120 people in attendance, and had our dinner catered from a great Teriyaki place in Puyallup. However, to our surprise, they packaged each dinner individually when we had planned a buffet style dinner. Feeding people individual dinners doesn't really work when you don't know if you will have enough or not. So once our food arrived (a tad late...all right quite late), we formed an assembly line. Boys carried bags of food into the hallway of the church, people opening the bags, people combining the salads, someone opening the boxes, myself emptying the rice and and more separating the meat. Then we had to cart it back down to where we were eating. Oh my, what a fiasco. But for those who have done MC, and really anyone...the key word I have be for years is "FLEXIBILITY". Can you imagine the chaos of last night?

All in all, it was a great night to visit with students, host familes and "real" families. Even though I didn't really get to visit with anyone!

Connecting.....

As I have been reading the comments left by various friends, I am in awe of how people can manage to stay connected. This last week I have re-visited with friends from years ago, and connected via the web with at least a dozen more people. All this because I decided to join the blogging family. I have all sorts of people who say, "That is so cheesy!" I just look at them and grin :). I want to say thank you to all of those who have stopped by and left comments, it is great to see where everyone is. I truly count myself blessed to have so many great friends. And the most amazing thing is knowing that friendship doesn't end here on earth, but will be continued in heaven.

And if anyone can give me some hints on how to work a blog it would be greatly appreciated. I am a quick learner; however, seeing the layout of my side bar and such is really irritating me! All those anal retentive admin organizing type people all said? AMEN!

The Happy Schlesinger Family

The Happy Schlesinger Family

The Cagle Clan

The Cagle Clan

Pumpkin Patch

Yeah! I see pumpkins....My mom, my sister and Dajia went to a Joe's Pumpkin Farm in Vancouver, WA today. We ate sliced caramel apples, looked at pumpkins, and went on a hay ride. Dajia had fun, as you can see she says, "Put me down now!"

Sleeping Lady Bug

Here is my niece Dajia again, sleeping in her Lady Bug outfit for Halloween! Such a cute lady bug. I love babies when they are sleeping, so innocent looking.

Baby Dajia!

This is my almost one year old niece Dajia! Born on Oct 21, 2004 to my baby sister Camille. Isn't she cute!

Seeing Old Friends

At Rachelle's wedding I ran into MC friends from my year in Spokane.
It was great to see the girls, their husbands and children. Starting on the left is Lisa Phillips, Kerry Harvey, myself, and Jessica Side. It was nice to catch up with everyone....most I hadn't seen in over 10 years!

Rachelle Greennidge's Wedding

My dear friend from my Masters Commission, Rachelle, got married last night, Sat. Oct 15th in Portland, OR. The ceremony was beautiful, and of course so was the bride. Her new husband's name is Michael Darby, and man can he sing....he serenaded her with an original composition he wrote titled, "Incredible".

The reception was held at Studio Ten-Fifty, in downtown Portland...beautiful. Teal and Brown were the colors of the night.

A little bit about Me!

I turned 31 in September, and I think it was harder to turn 31 than 30...since it was the realization that I am firmly entrenched in my 30's and will no longer see 20. However, on the flip side of that, I have done so much for being so young. I have the opportunity to travel all over, work in a ministry that I love and pretty much do the things I want to do.

The main activity that I am involved with is Masters Commission at Puyallup Foursquare Church, in Puyallup, WA. MC is an internship program that teaches students biblical foundations, heals relationships with our Saviour, and learning what area of ministry they want to be a part of. I was an MC student in 1992--1993 in Spokane. Through a serious of events and mixed emotions, I decided I never wanted to be a part of that ministry. However, God has different ideas! As a part of my spiritual and leadership restoration, God placed in leadership of wonderfully solid Masters Commission program. I am the administrator for our program, and I love every minute of it. God has brought me back to my first love of ministering with young people, and this year we have 20 great students for me to love on!

First Time

As I've been looking through blogs, I've seen that I can see how old friends are doing and what the world has been up to. As my family has started moving away, I decided this is a good way to keep in touch.