Before I die I want to...

Follow God's will for my life...please Him first and foremost

Be a grandmother of many

Have everyone I love around me at one time

Make and keep good friends

Ride a horse in the surf with someone I love

Travel worldwide...Israel, Egypt, Italy, France, England...

Collect a coin from every country

Give Bible studies

Make an impact on my world...my family, my community, my friends and co-workers

Jump off a bridge...for fun!

Laugh until I cry

Stay debt-free

Learn a second language...Spanish, French, Swedish, Sign...

Teach someone to read

Wear heels every day for a month

Have lots of children

Be a Proverbs 31 woman

Study world religions

Marry the will of God for me

Live up to the high expectations of those who love me

Write letters...real pen-and-ink letters...not email!

Memorize whole books of the Bible...I'm starting with Phillipians

Have a vast library of the classics...and read them all

Dance in front of Bel-Air

Adopt a child

Run ten miles

Live in a dump and make it beautiful

Have a fairy-tale wedding

Walk where Jesus walked (that's Israel!!!!)

Play the piano well

Take lots of pictures

Give out 100 one dollar bills...one at at time!

Rent a nice car and go somewhere

Have a conversation with Nina where we DON'T disagree (impossible goal...but I'm working on it!!! ;O)

Pray all night long

See my daddy and Rush back in church

Be a leader

Go to the top of the Empire State building

Read every version of the Bible

Break a piggy bank to buy something I've been saving for

Eat something strange...not sushi!

Witness to an unlikely person

Go sky diving

Stare fear in the face and win

Eat dinner blind-folded

Watch a sunrise with someone I love

Live life to the fullest possible extent..."Live like I'm dying"...thanks Bro. Tyre

Be in a room full of yelling people and smile

Lap the church until I'm winded

Send packages to people I don't know...like Uganda

Have all my own teeth when I die

Be fashionably late to something

Support a missionary

Give my very best every day

Praise Him anyway

Visit all the homes I've lived in

Study my family geneology on both sides

Cook for hundreds of people

Plant a tree

Learn to play a sport I don't like

Play matchmaker

Ask Liz Waage to do my hair

Write a book

Plant a garden

Dream big...and work to see it happen

Know my language and use it properly in speech and writing

Measure my words

Give up junk food

Become a master flower arranger

Wear wild clothes

Lead others into truth

Dance

Learn about the heavens and stars

Swim with dolphins

Learn to imprint Bibles

Go down in a cage with a shark

Be an original

Complete a knitting or crochet project

Plan everything in advance for a week

Temper my sarcastic tendency

Be a servant

Sway like a black sista'

Follow hard after God

Take voice lessons

Milk a cow

Dress up for no reason

Own a fish

Fast for 21 days

Live by candlelight for a week

Be a cheerful old lady who talks a lot...lots of great stories!

Be in more than one place at a time...like standing on a border

Some of these I can already check off (like finishing a knitting project and owning a fish), but to do everything on my list will take lots of time, money and effort.

And while I do want to do all of these things, the item most important to me would be to follow God's will for my life...dancing in front of Bel-Air and having Liz Waage do my hair are just for fun!

Junior Camp Fun!!!

Junior Camp was a total blast! I went this year as part of the kitchen crew. I know, you're thinking yeah, right, but we really did have a good time. I would even think it would be safe to say that I had more fun at Junior Camp than Senior Camp. We had to look for fun and make it a good time...a couple of skills that I've learned from mom, Aunt Kirsten, Sis. Young...and many others.

First things first --I have to talk about my sister Olivia. This was her first year at youth camp and she was a little nervous about the whole thing. Most of her close friends weren't going, and that is scary to a kid...I mean, who am I going to HANG OUT WITH??? It turned out great though. She had a blast and made new friends. She slept next to me which helped with the whole "being away from home" thing, and on the last night SURPRISE, SURPRISE she got camper of the week for her age group. That was pretty cool! (Not to brag, but she got camper of the day one of the days, AND the Miss Smiley award!! I'm proud of Livie! Ok...I am bragging. So shoot me! JK!)

We had a great time in the kitchen. My time was really scheduled and I was busy, but the others that worked there made it fun. Just want to say: I LOVE CHRIS HUFSTEDLER! She is the neatest, most easy-going and yet efficient person on earth! I loved working the snack bar...boy could I tell stories, but you never know who reads your blog, so....

The services were amazing. They were so kid-oriented...games, skits, songs, but at the end the holy-ghost fell and we had a MOVE OF GOD! I don't know how many kids got the holy-ghost, but 4 from our church did, and lots of them got awesome blessings. It was really neat to be a part of ministering to children in that way. I was very moved as I watched the children respond to the presence of God.

We had a massive water war on the second day. I have never been a part of a water fight that huge. It went on forever! Being part of the kitchen staff was great...we had access to AMMO!!! We used pans, bowls and pots while everyone else had balloons. Shaving cream and silly string got in the mix and everyone was a sight! It started out as the kids against the staff, but before it was over it was every man for himself! Needless to say, we all got soaked and had a lot of GOOD CLEAN FUN!

Another great thing was pranking. Now, my mom really isn't into all the pranking (TPing, forking lawns, etc.) so we haven't done a lot. Truthfully, I think it can be inconsiderate to leave a mess all over people's property too. So I haven't done a lot of that, but at camp it was another story! For the first time I was a part of all the craziness that went on after everyone else was asleep. Let's just say that Sis. Shawna and Sis. Tishawna look innocent...but I learned a lot this week! They are SO MUCH FUN!!! We used TP and saran wrap and soap and had a blast!

I really want to go back to junior camp...what a great time!

A little wet, wouldn't you say?

Here everyone thought that we were in trouble for pranking...it turned out to be a false alarm, but oh, those EXPRESSIONS!!!

Bro. Waage was our ally, but turned traitor and became our target...or were we his?

Kitchen staff...great bunch of ladies.

Having a lot of fun when we should have been sleeping...

Livie gets her trophy...what a great ending to a great week!

Cell Phone vs. Bible

Freedom week was fabulous this year. I was so blessed by the services and by the fellowship. In the past I have often gone to Freedom Week or Ladies Retreat with the mindset that I was there to get something, not there to minister. This year at Freedom Week I really felt a shift in my life in regard to this. I did recieve wonderful things from God...things I really needed, but I also felt as if I was able to reach out and be a blessing to others also. It is a good feeling to be moving into a new place in God.

Bro. Lance preached 3 awesome messages and used this illustration in one of them. It was funny because I came home and told my mom about it and THAT DAY she got this email...coincidence?

CELL PHONE vs. BIBLE

I wonder what would happen if we treated our Bibles like we treat our cell phone?

• What if we carried it around in our purses or pockets?


• What if we flipped through it several times a day?


• What if we turned back to go get it if we forgot it?


• What if we used it to receive messages from the text?


• What if we treated it like we couldn't live without it?


• What if we gave it to kids as gifts?


• What if we used it when we traveled?


• What if we used it in case of emergency?

This is something to make you go....hmm...where is my Bible? Oh, and one more thing. Unlike our cell phone, we don't have to worry about our Bible being disconnected because Jesus already paid the bill. And no dropped calls!

Makes you stop and think 'Where are my priorities?'

We're just a crazy bunch...

Everyone thinks that we are all so well-mannered and reserved but really deep down we are a bunch of hickville supremo's (as Franklin likes to say.)

Here are a few pictures to give you a laugh...I'm sure you need one if you've been to the gas pumps lately.

I CANNOT believe I'm sharing this...if I'm not at C&C tonight maybe my siblings murdered me!

Susanna has fun with her naturally curly hair!

Olivia...or Raggedy Ann?

Franklin...when he was MUCH younger...LOL!

Snaggarooter party...oh, my!

Rush...too weird.

Yes...that is my brother back there...or is it Stevie Wonder???
Part of our Disneyland group.

More snaggarooter...Franklin...PLEASE stop!!!!

Julia...she just fits right in!

Thankful...

A few things I'm thankful for...

• JESUS CHRIST, my LORD and SAVIOR!!!


• To be a member of THE ROCK CHURCH in ELK GROVE, CALIFORNIA under the leadership of PASTOR & SISTER YOUNG and BISHOP & SISTER WILSON!


• For my job at THE BIBLE HOUSE.


• My godly heritage...my parents, grandparents, great grandparents AND great-great-grandparents are Apostolic.


• That I live in a free country and can study the word of God...although it seems as if our freedoms are on the line...


• To be old enough to VOTE! And maybe make a difference...


• DOUG & KARI MORGAN...nobody like them on earth!


• The LOMBARDO family (Love you Uncle Chris and Aunt Lisa! And all the kids...you guys are awesome!)


• ICE CREAM...especially on summer days!


• HOLINESS STANDARDS!


• That my mother has taught me to be discreet, ladylike and thankful in word and action.


• FOR MY HAIR...I love the testimony that it is, and the doors that it opens to be a witness.


• For the HOLY-GHOST and a Pastor that preaches TRUTH!


• Being BAPTIZED in JESUS NAME...the ONLY saving name!!!


• JAMES & EMILY WILDER and C&C...learning the word with my peers in a fun, comfortable setting is a blast. I'm thankful for the VISION that is being imparted to me, and for the memories I'm making with my friends.

I know this is a lot like my "Things I like" post, but I was just thinking this morning about things I'm thankful for and wanted to tell the world! Anything you're thankful for?

Something else to think about...

SEVEN DAYS WITHOUT PRAYER MAKES ONE WEAK.

Something to think about...

Worry does not empty tomorrow of it's sorrows

...it empties today of it's strength.

-Corrie Ten Boom

Some things I like...and a few I don't like at all!

Things I love...Jesus...my family...friends...ice cream (Banana Split -not chocolate!)...a good book (and time to read it!)...MICHAEL BUBLE...rainy days...Christmas...my mama's hugs...Caramel Frappucino (extra whip)...PINK & BROWN...singing in the choir...teaching Sunday school...Audrey Hepburn's style...picnics...DISNEYLAND...Fiddler on the Roof...my daddy...Harleys...Sunday Morning worship...A+'s...Bishop and Sister Wilson...working at the Bible House...my sisters...World Class...snowflakes on my eyelashes...laughing...the Word of God...cute shoes (the higher the better!)...spending time with Emily...a good teacher...my brothers...Les Miserables...Grandparents (Grandpa and Grandma Locke, Grandma Arlene, Bro. and Sis. Sargent, Bro. and Sis. Bertram, Sis. Esther)...VW Jettas (Black with leather interior)...laughing with Anna (all her great escapades!)...Salt & Vinegar Potato Chips...Spirit Life...talking to Nina all night...stories...breakfast for dinner...swinging as high as I can...heavy services where we linger in the presence of God for hours...Oreo's (Double Stuf)...Phantom of the Opera...In-n-Out...deep prayer...telling jokes...bubble baths...SUMMERTIME...memories of running through the sprinkler when I was little...hot chocolate (with candy canes)...SHOUTING...crocheting...Pastor and Sister Young...knitting...sewing...NO LIMITS...horseback riding...The Sound of Music...spicy food...The Kurt Carr Singers...jammie day...camping...hanging out with SarahAnne...helping with Hospitality...baking...birds singing in the morning...scented candles...a clean house...bike riding...swimming...playing Mexican Train Dominoes...caramel brownies made from scratch...Sis. Elva Fries...being organized...fishing...taking care of my little sisters...blowing dandelion fluff...the smell of fresh laundry...a firm handshake...the seaside...working with Ayla at the Barrel

Store...Psalms...Aunt Missey...planning dinner...someone who takes time to explain things I don't understand...Julie Kirsten...going thrift shopping...aprons...preaching tapes/CD's...my Olivia-boo...ribbons...My Fair Lady...manicures...learning...Uncle Tim and Aunt Kirsten...sleeping in on Saturday mornings...BattleCry...Target...Uncle Allen and Aunt Darlene...thunderstorms...College and Career...accents...perfume (Issey Miyake)...finding things I need on sale...sunsets...walking in the woods...classic hair styles...chocolate...classical music...journaling...fresh flowers.

Things I don't like...gossip...hot dogs...fake orange cheese...angry people...diet anything...people who criticize leadership...dirty fingernails...wearing yellow...tattoos...black coffee...rap music...loud women...idleness...eating fish...1,000 Island dressing...arguing...Wal-Mart...Hummers...cheese sandwiches...Home Depot...men who giggle (chuckle, guffaw, chortle...but DO NOT GIGGLE)...men who don't work...impatience...Coke...fake anything...sloppy clothes...bitterness...disorganization...blood...rats...people who lie...the alarm at 5:00am...being sick...a dog with fleas...seeing children suffer...Elk Grove water (thank God for filters!)...being late for anything...being unprepared...feeling like I've disappointed someone...MATH...nosy people...talebearers...liver...off pitch singing...bad dreams...family reunions...the first day of a new class...scratched CD's (especially if I bought them!)...people who borrow my things without asking...real life drama...arrogance...runs in nylons...fake flowers...granny shoes...allergies...big rigs...anything with butterflies on it...porcelain dolls.