//day 30//

 •in the kitchen• there is nothing quite like grandma's cooking, and what a splendid thing for her to pass on her recipes from generation to generation. i am ever so thankful for my heritage. {Psalm 61:5...thou hast given me the heritage of those that fear thy name.} 

//day 28 & 29//

//day 28// •a favorite verse• Psalm 86:12 

 //day 29// •spring• this is just a little glimpse of all the fun i had taking pictures of spring blooms yesterday :) {Ecclesiastes 3:1 To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:} 

//day 27//

•somewhere you've been• colorado = home. "O Lord, our Lord, how majestic is thy name in all the earth. Mountains valleys, all creation tells Thy fame. Heavens declare it; all Thy wondrous works proclaim: O Lord, our Lord, how majestic is Thy name." {Psalm 8:1 O Lord our Lord, how excellent is thy name in all the earth! who hast set thy glory above the heavens.} 

//day 25 & 26//

 //day 25// •friends• so thankful for godly friends who encourage me in my walk with God!! 

 //day 26// •happy• Bryan, Lynn, Olivia, and I on my graduation day. So blessed to have these two as my youth leaders over the years. They are amazing and I really can't imagine my life without them!! 

//day 24//

•i'm grateful for...• i'm ever so grateful for my amazing youth group and youth workers [unfortunately only a few are pictured here]. particularly thankful for that guy on the left end- Bryan...not only is he the best youth pastor ever, he's an amazing friend :) {Proverbs 27:17 iron sharpeneth iron; so a man sharpeneth the countenance of his friend}

//day 23//

•somewhere you want to go• i would go just about any where in the world, but this place is among the tops. would love to go visit and help the villarreals one day in nicaragua. {Mark 16:15...Go ye into all the world...} 

//the juarez project//

This trip was definitely different from the regular Mexico trips we usually take with BPS during the summer. 

A typical day on the Juarez project consists of early mornings, busy days, and late nights :) 

We had prayer meeting, breakfast, meeting at one of the Mexican churches, heading to a spot where we would hand out J&R's until our late lunch- this was typically on the streets, at a school, or in a plaza. Lunch was in the late afternoon, some days we had a little time for rest, then off for visitation and a meeting in the park, supper was around 8 or 9 and after packing up we would head back to the hotel in Juarez for the night. 

The first day we were there the plan was to go to one of the schools and hand out John and Romans when the kids got out of class. It just so happened that our timing was off so we missed the kids. I think we were all a little disappointed, but as we were riding in the bus a few streets down we noticed hundreds of kids who had just gotten out of another school. We quickly stopped the bus and got off to hand out hundreds of John and Romans. The picture above is just a small glimpse of the crowds of kids we were able to pass out Scripture to. 

There were a lot of different opportunities for people to be dealt with one on one. I was able to stand at the door with one of the pastors from Mexico, on the first night, as a he led a girl to the Lord. All glory to God! 

Just another day at one of the schools. As you can see there were plenty of kids and parents to hand J&R's out to! 

We were able to walk on the busy roads and hand out J&R's once the light turned red. This is a picture of a man sitting in the back of a truck reading the John and Romans I just gave him. 

Here is a picture of the group that came down from El Paso to work with BPS. We definitely had sweet times of fellowship with the different churches represented. 

Just look at the delight in their eyes as they watch the puppet program, and most importantly hear about the Saviour of the entire universe! 

We had the opportunity to go in to the cathedrals in Juarez. So many people were in their praying to their god- the one who can do nothing for them. "But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost: In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them." II Corinthians 4:3-4. While seeing them seek a god who could not help them was a sobering thought, we rejoice in all the souls who found the True Light this week! 

{deep in the heart of texas}

On April 1st we flew down to Texas. We packed up and went {camping in New Mexico} for three days, the day after we arrived in Texas.  We then spent a week in Texas, visiting with my sister and her mechanic man. I managed to take all scenery pictures with the camera. The only pictures with people in them are on my phone :) 

There were so many beautiful sunsets and sunrises while we down there...I enjoyed capturing them. The simples pleasures of watching God orchestra the rising and going down of the sun just fills me with so much delight!! 

"from the rising of the sun...

...unto the going down of the same...

...the LORD'S name be praised." 

[psalm 113:3]

this was probably my favorite sunset while we were down there. 

//day 21//

•last thing you bought• actually my ma bought me this pretty little blue pot for my hope chest, at a thrift store. **i am probably more excited about this pot than i should be** so thankful for a mom who encouragers preparation to be a keeper at home. {the aged women likewise, that they be...teachers of good things...that they may teach the young women to be...keepers at home.} titus 2:3-5 

Headlines: Little Boy with Seemingly Nothing

The sun was setting and the men decided  it would be best if they sent the people in to the town to get food for themselves, since there was no food where they were. Then a very wise Man spoke up, "Don't send them away, give them food." They looked at the man as if He were crazy. "Give them food?!?!? Have you forgotten that we are in the middle of nowhere, that we have no food, and that there are over five thousand people here with us?" 

Then a little boy walks up to one of the men and he tries to get his attention. "Excuse me, sir." He says it again and again, but is only ignored, then finally the man he is talking to turns. "Son, can't you see we are trying to solve a serious problem here?!?!" "I'm sorry, but I just wanted to give this," and he hands him his little lunch, "It's just five small loaves of bread and two small fishes that I brought along with me for lunch. It's not much, but it's all I have."  Just to satisfy the young boy he took the lunch. "Sure, this will help. Five loaves and two fishes. I mean we only have a few thousand people to feed." He chuckles under his breath, while mocking the boy. 

The wise Man comes back to see if they have solved the problem yet. "Did you figure out what we're going to do?" He asks. "I'm not sure," they say, "even if we had two-hundred pennyworths, it still wouldn't be enough money for food for all these people. The only thing we have so far is this." he says while gesturing to the lunch. "Some little boy came up to me and gave me his measly little lunch. I know it's ridiculous!" 

The wise Man spoke up again. "Just make the people sit down, I'll take the lunch and handle this." Though puzzled at the crazy way this Man was acting they obeyed Him. Then the wise Man took the bread and He thanked the Father for it. Then He started break it into pieces. He started handing it to the men. The men who had mocked the little boy for bringing such a small lunch to them.  Then the wise Man did the same thing with the fishes. 

Every one there ate. Then the men went around with baskets and gathered up all the leftovers...and wow! There was an abundance of leftovers! Ever since that day this little boy who had seemingly nothing, this wise Man, who seemed crazy; and the men helping, who made fun of this little boys sacrifice have been talked about. It's a story that won't ever be forgotten.

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Two Sundays ago as I sat in church in Texas and listened to the pastor preach, he preached about this story  -the feeding of the five thousand-  you know, the one found throughout the gospels. As he preached my eyes became filled with tears, and while he spoke the warm tears streamed down my face. 

{but why?}

Because of that boy. He was young. He was a nobody. He didn't have much. But what he did have, he gave. So I sat there and I listened and I became overwhelmed. Because...

{I'm a nobody}

{I don't have much} 

{BUT, I can give} 

and just like Jesus did with this boy's offering, He can use me in ways we could have never imagined-- and He wants to. 

There were also some people that came to my mind during that sermon who need to know this story, and know it well. Those people would be "my" kids, the ones I teach and go to church with. They need to know that God can use the young ones, just like themselves. 

Have you heard the headlines? One boy gives seemingly nothing- just five little loaves and two small fishes. They weren't much, but they were all he had, and God uses this boy and his lunch to feed over five thousand people, but more important than that he continues to use this boys story to change the lives of people thousands of years later. 

//day 21//

•something silly• this was actually taken about a year and half ago during a trip we took to ohio, but I happened upon it in my camera roll and needed a silly picture! So thankful for these crazy, silly people :) •Proverbs 17:22 a merry heart doeth good like a medicine: • 

//day 20//

•today i...• took some pictures of my violin and mirror. {praise HIM with stringed instruments...} Psalm 150:4 [p.s. i skipped day 19] 

when mirrors, violins, and cameras come together...

{and then there were three}

My sister and her mechanic man have recently made the announcement that they will be having a baby coming this fall. We planned on taking picture the whole time we were down there, but the only time we had opportunity to do so was about 30 minutes before we left for the airport! 

{Congratulations Trevor & Liv!}