each morning is new

11 January loves.

2012-01-27T17:16:00.000-08:00

1. I've never been a good journaler but I bought this cute journal anyway. But then I read in a magazine this month about how this girl would write one highlight at the end of each day. One sentence a day I can do, right? It has been great! ...and growing my awareness of the little things.

2. I'm obsessed with *allllll* things grapefruit right now. I found this recently. It's wonderful.

3. The latest Need to Breathe album. Mat Kearney. Switchfoot. All constantly on shuffle. loving that.

4. American Idol is back my friends. SO happy about it.

5. Making Smoothies.

6. I started reading through the New Testament in a year. It has been a daily highlight. Here is the blog that goes along with my reading plan. http://halfashardandtwiceasgood.blogspot.com/

7. Always a love.

8. I've had 3 really good convos over cupcakes this month. thankful for friends.

9. Wednesday nights at ODU CRU is a love for sure.

10. When friends{&dogs} come visit from out of town. I love that.

11. Playoff football is a LOVEEEE. I am super sad that football season is pretty much over.

this has gotta be the good life

2011-12-15T11:03:00.000-08:00

I just spent {almost} every waking hour with my staff team this week. We prayed. Planned tons. laughed til we cried. Ate cow stomach{well some of us}. We recounted all that God has done in us and in the ministry this semester. We praised God for what He is doing and building here in Tidewater.

We spent our times in the Word this week focused on Advent. The one particular devotional that struck me was about humility. weakness. Here is an excerpt from, "Come Lord Jesus Come" by Will Walker mixed with pics from our Christmas party last night.

God seems to nearly always use the weak, unassuming and humble to
bring His kingdom of peace. Abraham was an old man in the land of Ur.
David was a young boy in the pasture. Gideon was short-handed against
a great army. This is the story of the whole nation of Israel: “It was not
because you were more in number than any other people that the Lord
set his love on you and chose you, for you were the fewest of all peoples”
(Deut. 7:7)

The fact that the angels announced the peace of the Messiah to the shepherds
instead of kings and priests is incredibly reassuring. God has made,
and will make, peace with the humble — those who are not dependent
upon themselves for righteousness or moral acceptance. It is those who
understand their lowly position before the Wonderful Counselor and
Mighty God, the Everlasting Father and Prince of Peace and come to
worship him, who will be saved.

Jesus taught this to his disciples (Luke 9:46-48; Luke 22:24-30). Paul and
the other apostles taught it as well (1 Corinthians 1:18-31; Philippians
2:1-11; 1 Peter 3:12-19; James 2:1-13). The connection between humility
and peace is at the center of the gospel message.
In response to the criticism that Christianity is just a crutch for the
emotionally or psychological needy, John Piper counters that it is not
only a crutch — it is an entire ICU. We were once dead in our sins and
trespasses (Eph. 2:1), naturally God’s enemies (Romans 5:10), and in need
of a saving God to bring us to life (Eph. 2:4-10). Those who do not think
they are sick will never get well (Matthew 9:12-13).
The season of Advent brings us peace because God has reconciled us to
himself through His Son. We experience this peace when we recognize
our humble state before the unassuming manger of the saving, loving and
good King Jesus. Jesus, who though he was in the form of God, did not
count equality with God a thing to be grasped, made himself nothing,
taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being
found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to
the point of death, even death on a cross (Phil. 2:6-8).
I'm thankful that God uses the weak...that he would use this band of 11 to share about Him here in Tidewater. We are so thankful for that gift from the Lord. I'm always struck by that one line in that popular worship song, "you use the weak to lead the strong." May everything I do be about raising up Christ.

He must become greater and greater, and I must become less and less. John 3:30

one week

2011-11-17T20:05:00.000-08:00

I can not believe that in --one--week it is Thanksgiving. I realized this fact this morning when I was talking with my friend Wendy in my kitchen. I said, "Wait, is Thanksgiving really next Thursday??" This whole time I thought it was like 3 weeks away folks. ONE WEEK.

BUT-as the day went on I kept thinking of how much there really is to be thankful for:

*Tim Tebow as QB. Haven't missed a Broncos game since he took his start. Another win tonight, friends.
*A bestie that sends you the cutest handmade wreath in the mail to jumpstart Christmas. Thank you Katy- i loveeeeeee it. It's perfect.
*Seeing some dear friends marry their loves this fall.
*Thursday morning walks with Wendy! refreshing.
*Studying the book of James with Brian.
*Prayer time with Stacey each week. love.
*every student at the Wed nite ODU CRU meeting. seriously, love them. family.
*Starbucks Americano, 2 pumps of caramel. yessss.
*Nita- dear friend, prayer warrior & mentor. so thankful for the constant wisdom.
*Norfolk- i love almost allll of it(minus the weekly street flooding and the 17 minute commute to Target!)
*a husband that is just. the. best. Gift from God.
*phone calls with my Dad- he always puts my dog Sugar on the phone so I can talk to her. it's hilarious.
AND SOOO MUCH MORE.

What a beautiful thing, God, to give thanks, to sing an anthem to you, the High God! Psalm 92:1

Heather & Ramsey

2011-11-06T14:08:00.000-08:00

Yesterday was so special. A day I will treasure for a very long time. My dear dear friend Heather got married to her love. They smiled{beamed, really} the whole day. It was beautiful.

11.5.11 perfect day!! love you heather!!!

celebrating love.

2011-10-03T19:49:00.000-07:00

Not too long ago I had a little shower to celebrate Amy & Heather--two dear friends that are marrying their loves this fall.{Amy just got married yesterday!-woo}. It was a sweet & simple night with lots of laughing as we showered them with honeymoon gifts:)

Here are some of my favorite pictures from the night:

xoxo.

June to August, part 2

2011-09-17T19:58:00.000-07:00

I want to talk to you about two things in this post: good food and the grand canyon.

One thing we made sure was part of our trip was good food{not expensive, just good}. We mapped out all our food stops even before we left. Tripadvisor and Urbanspoon gave us all the info we needed. We ate the best little hipster pizza place{The Tomato Head} in Knoxville. I still dream about that veggie pizza. We ate the absolute most amazing fried chicken in a place in Memphis{Gus' World Famous Fried Chicken}. It was down an alley and looked abandoned until you opened the door and the place was bustling. It was standing room only. for chicken. amazing. We also had breakfast the next morning in Memphis at this supppppper cute spot called Cockadoos. The atmosphere was so precious-it was like having coffee in the home section of Anthropologie. delightful. Then we had our much anticipated burger stop in Texas. Blue Sky Burgers. The people weren't too nice but the burger was great.

We also packed PB&J's and carrot sticks as to not eat out every single meal.

Then there was our stop at the Grand Canyon. I didn't really know what to expect. I'd heard great things-but I really wasn't prepared for how stunning it was. When you are there and you look out into the canyon for the first time-it really does take your breathaway. I couldn't get enough. And, I'm not what you would call outdoorsy.

If God uses rocks to show His glory to the world then how much more does he want to show His glory through you and me. That's what I kept thinking about that day at the Grand Canyon.

{God created the heavens and earth. God saw that it was good. God made us. God saw that it was very good. Genesis 1}

June to August, part 1

2011-09-09T18:07:00.000-07:00

Under the mantra, "you only live once" Brian and I set out on a journey that started on the East Coast, paused on the West Coast to see friends we love, arrived for 6 weeks in Colorado, and then returned to home sweet home. The following are pictures from our trip. We won't drive coast to coast again BUT we are so happy we did it once.

Sometime around June 6 we hopped in the car, prayed that God would direct us, keep us, use us and the summer began.

Our first stop was unplanned. We saw signs for the Billy Graham Training Center and immediately pulled off the road. We love Billy Graham. I have every book book that his wife, Ruth Bell Graham, had ever written. We were greeted by very warm people that suggested since our time was limited to head up to the chapel to see the museum. Within minutes we were kneeling in prayer with the lady(a volunteer) and the gentlemen(visitor like us) pictured top right{below}. We soon found out that he was a missionary and director of Operation Christmas child in a country in South America. He shared amazing stories with us. He also prayed for us in his awesome acccent. The room we were in was Ruth Bell Graham's prayer room. I was so inspired. Scripture was painted everywhere. She would kneel and pray in that exact room for the world.

{love this quote-O, God do more than we can even dream.}

CMA Fest was happening on our day in Nashville. It was craziness. 105 degrees. The city was swarming with tour buses and screaming country music fans. Every famous country singer was in Nashville that day plus Justin Bieber, Scotty McCreery, & Lauren Alaina. I was in "star" watching mode the whole day. Didn't see Bieber but did see the Rascal Flatts and Toby Keith.

We stopped here on our way out of nashville for biscuits & jam. Sooo glad we did. i hope to get "part 2" up soon. xoxo.

about a best friend.

2011-06-22T12:25:00.001-07:00

Two weeks ago Brian and I packed up the Civic and headed to California to surprise my Bestie. The plan had been in the works for months but she had no idea. The roadtrip out was crazy and so fun{more on that in a later post}.

{Waiting for Katy to arrive!}

We spent 6 days together! It was so refreshing. We laughed the whole week.

After California, Bri and I drove to Colorado- we will be in Colorado til the end of July. We are taking Bible classes and learning a ton! What a sweet season of being in the Word.

S & A

2011-06-01T07:18:00.000-07:00

In August 2009-right when we moved to Norfolk- we met Abby and Steve. And, ever since that Saturday afternoon in August we have been so blessed by their invested and sincere friendship. And, it turned out that their home was just a 10 minute walk away from ours. They are the kind of people that would do anything and go anywhere for you. They have taught me a lot about friendship.
For about a year now we have had consistent and crazy nerts nights! Always a highlight in my week{even though I lose every single time-and we've played hundreds of times}. But the best thing about "nerts night" is always the stories that we share between each round. Almost always when someone yells "NERTS!" (meaning that round was over) someone else would launch into a story, or a highlight from the week, or something that was making them bummed. We've talked about:

how long is too long to keep chicken in the freezer
babies
ice cream
country music
Trader Joes
American Idol, duh.
MVPs
RBIs
even UTIs
sewing garlands
iphones
5ks
losing people we love
uncooked calzones
the Hope College "pull"
dogs and dog parks
answered prayers
unanswered prayers
trips to Spain
cruises
broken bones
seal team 6
deployment
hot yoga

We just said our goodbyes. They are moving to North Carolina. A 10 minute walk turns into a 3 hour drive.

Abby & Steve were easily and are easily one of the best gifts the Lord gave us in Norfolk. We are forever blessed.
"Every good and perfect gift is from above." James 1:17

We love you guys!

God is great.

2011-05-19T19:03:00.000-07:00

I remember sitting in the back of the youth room in 6th grade praying, "God, I want to marry a guy that loves you with his whole heart-nothing less. A guy that wants to do ministry and live boldly for you." All through middle school I prayed that. All through high school I prayed that. All through college I prayed that.

On May 20, 2007 that prayer was answered.

The Lord is so kind to give me Brian.
Amen.

Carrot Cake Weekend!

2011-02-28T15:39:00.001-08:00

In celebration of my Dad's birthday we headed to his house for some Saturday cake making! Dad loves carrot cake. Dad loves maple cream cheese frosting. I found the perfect recipe thanks to the Smitten Kitchen!{The link is at the bottom of this post}.

If you are looking for a treat to give someone or make yourself- try this! I have had 8(maybe 9) cupcakes since Saturday at 3:30pm! *ohhhwelllll*

Here's the link:{fyi:we did add walnuts and raisins. We also used half whole wheat flour and half all-purpose flour} http://smittenkitchen.com/2008/12/carrot-cake-with-maple-cream-cheese-frosting/

Thoughts on...

2011-02-25T11:54:00.000-08:00

A couple weeks ago I prayed: "God would you make me a woman of peace". I want to be someone that:

*trusts Him deeply.

*doesn't have anxiety as the default setting.

*has a light heart.

*"...laughs at the time to come!" Proverbs 31:25 {Someone that doesn't worry about tomorrow but smiles, laughs, welcomes whatever God has next because she knows He is good}.

--Fast forward--

Just a few nights ago I was sitting with my dear friend Ginny in her apartment. Her phone rang and it was the girl that lives in the apartment right across the way from her. We were super exicted to see that is who was calling because just 3 days before this neighbor had given birth to her first baby. Ginny answered and to our surprise and delight she asked if Ginny wanted to come over and see the baby & so I tagged along too.

Within minutes of being welcomed into this strangers home I noticed something very different about her. She exuded peace. She had this peace about her- the peace I had been praying for. Even though she had this 72 hour baby in her arms. Even though she had family coming in and out and in and out seeing the baby. Even though she didn't have time to keep the house in order. Even though she had never been a mom before. She had this spirit about her- a spirit that was gentle, kind, others-focused, still. It was just so refreshing. She even offered to pray for us as we left.

Then, the next day I was listening to this sermon below with my friend Amy. It brought even more focus to my "peace" prayer and I felt like it put into words the type of woman that I had just met the night before. If you have 30 minutes-grab some coffee, chai, tea{peppermint tea is my thing right now, Merry Christmas to all} & listen to it! It really encouraged me and I think it will encourage you too! www.reviveourhearts.com/radio/roh/today.php?pid=9784

So thankful that God can create in us peaceful, restful hearts. Amen.

In other news, I love coffee now. About once a week over the past year I would get a coffee when I was out instead of a chai or tea. But, then Brian's mom gave us a Keurig for Christmas{pictured below}. I loveee my Keurig. I still only have coffee coffee 1-2 times a week but what I am really loving is decaf coffee at night. with a good book or amercian idol. {below you will find my picks for American Idol 2011}.

My top 5 picks:
Casey
Tim
Paul
Kendra
Julie

the end.

A football story.

2011-02-15T17:52:00.000-08:00

I went 25 years of my life without ever watching a football game.

But then I moved to Morgantown, WV and things changed. I was all of the sudden in a place where football was everything. And, I loved it! As the years went on, Fall made me think football--cookouts made me think football--Saturdays made me think football.

And, not too long after the move to Morgantown I met Brian. He loves football- A LOT. Not only Mountaineer football but Pittsburgh Steeler football. He REALLY loves the Steelers. He recently ranked his sports love for me:

1. Steelers

2. WVU football

3. WVU basketball

4. Pittsburgh Pirates

5. Pittsburgh Penguins.

Anywayyy. I now LOVE the Steelers & the NFL too. I have even played fantasy football the past 3 years.

As you can imagine the Steelers going to the Super Bowl was a HUGE thing around here. The two weeks leading up to the Game was filled with impromtu dance offs to the song Black and Yellow{YOU KNOW WHAT IT IS!)-terrible towel waving-and Brian screaming"Steeeeeelllllerssssss" without warning several times a day. It was a mad house.

Game day arrived. We were ready.

We all made predictions before kick-off:

We even had a good friend from Pittsburgh, Jon Mathieu, come for the weekend and watch the game with us. It was SO fun for Brian to have a die-hard Steelers fan{that's a boy} to watch the game with.

As we all know the game didn't end as we hoped.

But something that I kept thinking about through the entire game was how far Ben Roethlisbeger(Steelers QB) has come this year. Last April or something he was accused of doing weird things to women in bathrooms. This led to a 4 game suspension....so when the NFL kicked off this year he was at home watching it on his TV. For 4 games. 4 weeks-no team interaction. I just feel like when that happens you don't end up going to the Super Bowl that year.

But. It. Happened.

I keep hearing whispers that Ben is praying more. getting discipled now. starting to love God.

Time will tell how serious Ben is about his faith, but 2 days before the Super Bowl a reporter asked Ben:

What does Jesus Christ mean to you?
Everything, honestly. Everything.

Ben didn't finish the game the way he hoped. But, I feel like in a lot of ways he still won this year.

waiting, singleness, and worry.

2011-02-05T18:44:00.000-08:00

In the past 2 weeks I have been face to face/voice to voice/email to email with so many friends & students that are waiting. waiting for something--in most of these scenarios it is for the right guy to come. and stay. forever.

I remember feeling the exact same way. With each new or familiar guy wondering could this be it. But if I've learned anything it is that God will and does line it up{in His time} and it's good. He has a plan for us. It's better than our best any day. I grieve over seeing girls date, marry guys that are just okay. It's better to be alone than to be with a guy that doesn't lead you and love you and love God first. The guy should make you really love God more.

I know it's easy to just think about the future. I know I do. I worry about tomorrow. I worry about the summer. I worry about what my staff team will be like next fall. I worry about when my Dad's dog Sugar will die{she isn't even sick}. I worry about tunnels and germs. I worry about if the meat has been sitting out too long.

I used to worry too about the guy. If I had only known that God was lining every detail up. When it came time to meet and get to know Brian--it made so much sense. This is what I have been waiting for and praying for. Every so often I think to myself-"thank you God. You know me so much better than I do. Thank you for not letting me marry the guy I thought was a really good dresser and drove a car that is 4 times more expensive than mine, thanks God for not letting me marry the guy that loved photography more than You. Thank you for directing my heart.mind. Thank you for giving me Brian."

I wonder what you're waiting for? Or worried will happen or won't happen? Everytime my anxious heart goes toward the future I hear{sometimes louder, sometimes softer} just live today. Be present for today. I made today for a reason. There is SO much I have for you today. Don't miss a thing. Why worry about things that you think will go down tomorrow?

God is writing a story with your life. I believe it. I see it. Wait well, friend. It will all make so much sense one day.

"Give your entire attention to what God is doing right now, and don't get worked up about what may or may not happen tomorrow. God will help you deal with whatever hard things come up when the time comes." *Matthew 6:34

.

a little review.

2011-01-10T16:24:00.000-08:00

I can not tell you how many blog posts I have started over the past 3 months and not finished. I want to be a better blogger. honest. There was a blog in the making about this crazy life moment I had at a Switchfoot concert. I also started one on what I was learning about advent. Oh, and there was one about if things happen on purpose--here is part of what I wrote and a lot of what I still think about:

Do you ever wonder if the people that are around you at Starbucks or in the student union or in the cars next you or in the Wal-Mart line with you are there on purpose? Sometimes I like to pretend that each person I see God has placed right there, right at the moment and right for that moment. I pretend because I want my heart to tune to that naturally. I want to see each person around me. Really see them. Move towards them. Get to know them even. At least say hello- especially if they are there on purpose. I mean God knew they would be there, right?

I wonder if I miss a lot of opportunities.

There was also a blog semi written about saying Hi to 2011:

I can't believe we are about to say hellllllo to 2011. ahhh. This year seemed to fly by. But I love how each year the Lord gives us is filled with things He wants to teach us and places He wants us to go and people He wants us to meet and love and scriptures He wants us to see in a new light and dreams he wants us to pray into existence and meals he wants us to share with friends and fears He wants us to fight through and tears He wants us to talk to him about and steps of faith He wants us to leap into. I love that each day{each morning} is handmade by Him for us to live. I believe it. I love the stories He writes with each day and each year.

I'm going to try to make the most each day He gives me in 2011.

And, then I had this collage of pictures I wanted to share from when I turned 30. ugh. It was a great day though! It was filled with dachshunds. dog walking. good good friends. a party bri put together filled with games and some of my favorites. vintage soda. laughter. a homemade cake by Kristin. lots of nerts. thankfulness.

There was also a blog about my book club--that. I. ADORE. It's with my friend Heather and 4 of our friends from China. They are studying at ODU. Every other Thursday late afternoon we get together and discuss Tuesdays with Morrie. Trust me we tried to have our club on Tuesdays but it just didn't work out. We talk about life and death. We talk about living with purpose. We talk about marriage and love. We laugh a lot. I leave this time renewed and so encouraged. I have grown to love these girls dearly.

Then there was this quick blog about birthday pictures. I have a picture of Amy on her birthday that I just love. You can see people singing to her in the backgroud. Just love it. Forgive her though for the sweater. Her birthday fell on the night we were having our tacky Christmas party.

And, this one was taken on Heather's birthday. Just love this one too. so simple & pretty.

And, then finally there was a blog about my staff team and my dining room table. The thing is I love having them around it. Whether its for a meal{like of Christmas dinner below} or playing unending, forever fun games of nerts. i love living life with them.

the end. i love you. thanks for reading all that.

love captured on a phone.

2010-10-04T19:41:00.000-07:00

Every now and then you have a weekend that is just what you need. I just had a weekend like that. It was so full of things I love. people I love.

*I loved the 17 plus hours driving in the car with Bri.

*I loved crossing into WV(& staying in WV all weekend)!

*I loved that it was actually FALL there. The leaves were starting to turn. The crispness was in the air. ((It still acts like summer where I am from)).

*I loved getting quality time with Ashley: so. much. fun.

*I loved getting quality time with April! We launched into deep convos almost every second that we were together. It was refreshing!!

*I loved watching the groom & his men watch a golf game in the distance for a LONG time:

*I loved watching the bride prepare for her groom:

*I loved the ceremony: beautiful.

I LOVED the program:

I loved the rose petal aisle:

Most of all I loved this:

Congrats Chris & Amanda!

The team.

2010-09-02T17:35:00.000-07:00

I am in full-time campus ministry. And, I just love it. I am in the midst of a new school year on 4 campuses. Each day is wild. Each day I see God in a new way.

But, the thing that restores me the most these days is a group of people that I sit in a circle with every Monday morning from 9-11:30. It's a group of people that listen well & laugh often. They pray HARD and care deeply. They carry dry-erase boards and boxes of water bottles across 95 degree campuses. They help carry burdens too. They don't complain. They drive hundreds of miles/week to care for students. They are honest about insecurities. They put others ahead of themselves. They stand at CCC info tables and do "the small talk" thing for hours on end. They love well. They work hard even the day after serious surgery. They text encouragements. They rub your back when you cry. They make thousands of copies of fliers. They pass out thousands of fliers. They arrive early. They stay late. They ask good questions. They love Twix & Snickers. They are gracious. They pursue purity. They initiate conversations with new students until they are blue in the face. They carry sound equipment up long staircases. They see the best in people when I don't. They are funny. They pray to be bold. They are bold. They pray for new ways to share the gospel. They pray to see campuses changed. They are my staff team. They are an inspiration.

And, when you can't stop thanking God for such a dear team you get an email that says another teammate is coming and SOON! Heather Louk will be here in 2 days- can't wait!!

Sunny With a High of 75.

2010-08-10T21:09:00.000-07:00

As we walked in to the LAX airport I said a quick prayer under my breath: "God, please let our flight get cancelled! I want to explore LA! Amen." We were then hustled through security{all the while looking for famous people, come on LA is stocked with them!} Brian was hoping to see Kobe I was hoping for Taylor Swift or Frances Chan(or both!). We get to our gate and we are scheduled to leave right on time: bummer! I pop my Dramamine(flying freaks me out!)and walk to the Starbucks LINEEEE and wait for a scone. The girl behind me is questioned by the guy behind her about the book she is holding: Church Planting something something. He asks if it has something to do with gardening. She proceeds into a great convo about Jesus with this guy who has not had a positive experience with church. It was cool to hear her talk about Jesus- it encouraged my faith(and his too, I think). Apparently more can happen in the Starbucks line then I thought. I got my scone and then headed back to Brian. Flight still on time:bummer. I decide to sit on the floor-every seat in LAX was taken...the only spot left was next to 10 5th grade boys who were about to travel to Japan to compete in Battle of the Brains and represent America or something crazy. I've never been more entertained in my life by how intelligent and weird their conversations were. A few moments later I hear over the intercom: "Brian and Brooke Barnett please report to the US Airways counter". At first I thought I was just having a Dramamine side effect...but as I saw Brian get up I realized that YES our name was just announced throughout the airport. We roll our bags to the counter and they say: "You are getting on an EARLIER flight out of LA" Noooooo. Whyyyy? I want to stay where it's 75 and sunny! Where I am flying to has a 107 heat index! I prepare by myself to be on a plane sooner than I thought(I really do have to prepare myself for these kinds of things). Then, ALL of the sudden the lady at the counter says, "CANCEL THAT. It looks like your original flight will be leaving on time again." Oh, great. We wait for awhile now. I'm feeling really loopy. I get up(it's probably been 45 min now) and walk back up to the counter(The flight she wanted us to get on and then didn't want us to get on had been gone for 40 min now) and ask the lady what is the reason for the delay of our flight, she looks me in the face and says "Medical Emergency!" I lean and whisper in her ear, "I need to know if it's contagious!" she looks back and says, "no mam!". WHEW, close one. I turn back around and wait again. Moments pass and a new guy calls us over. He whispers "This flight isn't getting out of here anytime soon, WOULD YOU LIKE TO STAY ANOTHER NIGHT IN LA? You won't make your connecting flight in Philly so you might as well just stay here or sleep on the floor in Philly!" I quickly respond, "AHEM WE WILL STAY IN LA!" I look at my phone it's only 2:33pm- Brian and I have FOREVER to live it uppp in LA! Brian and I can't stop smiling! I thank God for hearing my prayer and answering my silly request. We even got $30 dollars from USAIRWAYS to cover a few meals. I said my goodbyes to the people I had gotten to know in the past 3 hours of my life. And, we ran out in to the SUNNY LA streets.
We booked a hotel.
We dropped our bags in the room.
We hopped on a trolley that took us straight to Manhatten Beach.
We watched people surf.
We watched the sunset.

We ate at Whole Foods.

We shopped in cute boutiques.

We never saw famous people.
We laughed a lot.
We took pictures:

East to West.

2010-08-01T20:03:00.000-07:00

Back in May of 2004 I met Katy.
We've been Besties ever since.
The 2,728 miles between us just makes the visits even more special.

Here are some highlights from our recent trip to Cali-this time it wasn't just Scott & Katy we were visiting it was also Miles{the sweet new addition to their family}:

thankful.

Your love is strong.

2010-07-06T20:26:00.000-07:00

This song has been the prayer of my summer. I just love it. I hope you love it too! The lyrics are below(it's simply scripture meshed into a song, powerful).

Heavenly Father
You always amaze me
Let your kingdom come
In my world and in my life
You give me the food I need
To live through the day
And forgive me as I forgive
The people that wronged me
Lead me far from temptation
Deliver me from the evil one

I look out the window
The birds are composing
Not a note is out of tune
Or out of place
I walk to the meadow
And stare at the flowers
Better dressed than any girl
On her wedding day

So why do I worry?
Why do I freak out?
God knows what I need
You know what I need

Chorus (3x):
Your love is
Your love is
Your love is strong.

The kingdom of the heavens
Is now advancing
Invade my heart
Invade this broken townThe kingdom of the heavens
Is buried treasure
Will you sell yourself
To buy the one you've found?

Two things you told me
That you are strong
And you love me
Yes, you love me

(Chorus 3x)

Our God in heaven
Hallowed be
Thy name above all names
Your kingdom come
Your will be done
On earth as it is in heaven
Give us today our daily bread
Forgive us wicked sinners
Lead us far away from our vices
And deliver us from these prisons.

Amen.

Bestie's babe!

2010-06-29T11:55:00.000-07:00

I'm finally an Aunt!(sort-of!)

My Bestie & her husband Scott had their first baby last Thursday night! Isn't he a doll? Less than 3 weeks til I get to kiss his cheeks! We could not be happier for Katy & Scott! Miles is going to have so much fun with them!!

2010-06-27T18:15:00.000-07:00

This summer I have done a lot of thinking about three verses found in Mark chapter 12:
Jesus answered, "The most important is, 'Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.' The second is this: 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.' There is no other commandment greater than these."

During a quick trip to the library I came across a book called, 40 Days Living the Jesus Creed by Scot McKnight. It sounds intense and a little weird but let me tell you that I am just eating it up! It's a 40 day devo that helps you apply those 3 verses everyday.

About 4 days into this 40 day devo I was talking to a good friend on the phone. She was telling me that she had a court date coming up in a few days--after I asked her why she proceeded to tell me a story that I won't forget.

She said that a few months ago she was heading back home at like 1am to her apartment. To get back to her apartment she has to drive through the center of campus where there are lots of bars, etc. Night life is always booming! In the midst of the criwded streets she notices that there is a guy beating a girl on the side of the road to the point that she is laying on the sidewalk while the guy is yelling and hitting her. My friend notices people looking and walking away. She immediately pulls her car up on the the sidewalk right next to this scene, puts her 4 way flashers on and rolls down her window and yells for the vistim to get in her car...over and over she yells(All the while calling 911)! The girl will not escaoe to my friend's car. She even asks a guy that is looking at the scene to do something or say something to this abusive guy, he looks at my friend and then drives off. The guy that is continually beating this girl starts to yell back at my friend. She doesn't move. She stays until help comes. The police interview her and now she has a court date to testify as a witness.

Now, I wonder about what I would have done. I think if I had seen this same scene- I would have prayed really hard for them as I drove home to my comfy bed! But, I believe that my friend did JUST what Jesus calls us to do in Mark 12. She lived out what Jesus calls the greatest thing. She showed neighbor-love. She loved someone she didn't know as herself. I want to be like this.

Which of these three, do you think, proved to be a neighbor to the man who fell among the robbers?"He said, "The one who showed him mercy." And Jesus said to him, "You go, and do likewise." Luke 10:36-37

Rite Aid

2010-06-10T14:28:00.000-07:00

Have you seen those coupons in the weekly Rite Aid ad about receiving a $25 giftcard if you transfer your prescription to Rite Aid? I did it today. It was fun. My prescription only cost $4 & in return I received the glorious $25 giftcard. I went around the store and got things that we actually did need(ziplocs, toothpaste,body wash, etc...)The essentials only cost $10. So, I used the remaining $15 to get a Panera giftcard. Which means a fun date night out with Bri or 4ish morning trips to get a bagel & coffee. All on Rite Aid's tab:) love it. Transfer your prescriptions if you can:)

WVU friends to VA!

2010-06-04T14:27:00.000-07:00

Recently in a 6 day span we had we had 6 friends(& a precious baby!) come in from out of town. It was such a FUN few days for us....

Here are a few pics from our time with Claire & Caleb & Lydia...talk about a family that keeps the Lord as the focus. It was really encouraging to live life with them for a few days.

Memorial day weekend brought in some really special friends, too:

Within the first hour of Laura getting into town we decided to make lemonade from scratch! It was sooo good(and so easy!).

we also had a picnic on the beach with PB&Js!

John Michael and Ashley were in town visiting family so we got to spend a little time with them! It was a blessing!!

Time for a Friday night date with Bri! Off to Five Guys where we will have a little Nertz competition! Our dear friends Abby & Steve taught us the other night- so fun! We can't get enough of it!

Rest.

2010-05-24T14:33:00.000-07:00

So, I've been learning a lot the past 2 weeks on the importance of REST. After a FULL/FUN/CHALLENGING/BEAUITFUL/REFINING year of launching ministries--I think I've forgotten how to slowwww down. (And, sometimes I start to feel guilty for slowing down, yikes!) My prayer for the summer is that even though it will be busy that I will :embrace: the little moments to rest/restore.

Here are little -daily- things that help me(& hopefully you)rest/relax:(most of which are under $5)
*Trader Joe's Sparkling LIME Spring water! (.79!) This is a new love of mine. It's a GREAT calorie free complement to any snack, meal. *This has made limiting my Dr. Pepper consumption to 2/week easier:)
*Saturday morning blog reading!
*Last week I got a Library card! I wanna start reading more fiction books this summer...the first one I checked out::: The Last Song by Nicholas Sparks(don't hate)...i'm on page 160 of 390...so far it's pretty average but i am interested in how it will all end. What other books do you think I should check out this summer? I'd LOVE to hear suggestions!
*Playing Skipbo with Bri at Starbucks or Norfolk Ice Cream!
*Walking through our neighborhood with a good friend or a good talk on my Ipod(Louie Giglio,Francis Chan, Piper, Priscilla Shirer...). I need to blog about our neighborhood sometime-it's one of my TOP fav things about living in Norfolk.
*Watching Everybody LOVES Raymond reruns with Bri(&popcorn.)
*Trying new recipes! Cooking=rest to me. My summer goal is to try a new/fun recipe each week. Let me know if you have a good one I should try.
*Today to rest I woke up at 6:15am and cracked the window open so that I could clearly hear the birds singing. I know it sounds crazy but it was actually REALLLLY interesting to hear all the different songs birds sing.
*Curling up with any of the Better Homes and Gardens Creative Collection magazines. Especially 100 Decorating Ideas under $100. It only comes out 4 times a year--I get really pumped when there is a new issue!
*Workbooks! Last summer I did the Anointed, Transformed, Redeemed workbook by Priscilla Shirer, Beth Moore, and Kay Arthur. This summer I am working on the "sequel" to that book, Faithful, Abundant, True. It's by the same 3 women. Love it. Has been a GREAT encouragement in my walk with the Lord.
*There's a dog park in my neighborhood! This dog park is always BUMPIN'! On average there are 15-20 dogs with 15-20 people standing around. I haven't gotten the courage YET but I am hoping to slip in without someone noticing that I am coming in without a dog...when i'm in I can just play with all the dogs(no one will know i'm dogless)..and then somehow I will slip out. This will def help me rest:) ha.

strawberries, salads, & sisters!

2010-04-29T15:50:00.000-07:00

So on a semi-regular basis(daily) Kristin Boden and I check in with Bethany Dillon via her blog. Several weeks ago Bethany blogged about a Summer Strawberry Salad...yes please! And, tonight we made it...we even had a little Bethany playing via grooveshark in the background. As a side note, you should check out grooveshark! Recently someone shared with me about the beauty of grooveshark-all the music you want all the time, for free! It's a great thing!
Here are some cooking/food pics!:

Here is the recipe from Bethany's blog:
Summery Strawberry Salad

serves: 5 people (or 2 if those two are Shane & me)

1 container of pre-washed baby spinach
couple handfuls of ripe strawberries, washed and quartered
half of a Granny Smith apple, chopped into bite-size pieces
half to a whole handful (depending on how much you like gorgonzola) of crumbled gorgonzola cheese ** if you don’t like gorgonzola, feta or bleu cheese would work fine! I’m just a fan of gorgonzola’s strong flavor and richness
a GENEROUS handful (let’s make it one and a half) of walnuts and/or pecans (I prefer walnuts), toasted (if you like) and chopped
Brianna’s Blush Wine Vinaigrette (most groceries carry the brand – look for a pretty glass bottle with a picture of a strawberry on front)
To toast the walnuts or pecans:
1) Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees F.
2) Lightly coat the bottom of a glass baking dish (any size) with a couple tablespoons of melted butter or oil (walnut, vegetable, olive, any kind you have around).
3) Coarsely chop the walnuts and/or pecans, pour into baking dish and toss to evenly coat with butter/oil.
4) Sprinkle a couple teaspoons of sugar (sugar in the raw or organic sugar work great) on top, half a teaspoon of salt, and a LIGHT dusting of fresh ground black pepper. Toss again to coat.
5) Place in the oven until you begin to smell the nuts toasting, about 10 minutes. Be careful not to burn! (although I LOVE things burned. Seriously, I do.)
For the salad:
1) Take toasted nuts out of the oven, place on a plate to cool.
2) In a tall bowl, throw baby spinach, quartered strawberries, chopped apples, crumbled gorgonzola, and COOLED (or it will melt the cheese) walnuts/pecans.
3) Add the amount of vinaigrette you want, and then toss!
4) Put on a plate. Grab a fork. Go outside on your deck or backyard, find a sunny spot, and enjoy.

*We added chicken to it! We just cut up chicken into bite sized pieces and then browned it in a skillet with the help a little olive oil. After it was cooked all the way through we added just enough Strawberry Salad dressing to give the chicken a light glaze! It was great.

Thankful for:
Yummy salads!
Good music!
But mostly I am thankful for the sister I have in Kristin!
Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows. James 1:17

A Picture of March

2010-03-31T19:52:00.000-07:00

*Sunny Saturdays with a basketball and Ginny & Alan!!

*Baby Asher!

*CELEBRATING GINNY'S BIRTHDAY!!

Then celebrating Alan's Birthday Texas styleeeee:

In March I fell in LOVE with the Wii JUST DANCE:

Katie & Jason came to visit!!:)

Rita came to VA!

Angel Taylor, Ingrid Michaelson, & Mat Kearney! A goooood night.
(PS Angel Taylor opened her set with a song called Chai Tea Latte, that's my girl!)

Easter FUN with some Chinese friends from ODU:

WVU Spring breaks in Tidewater!

Volleyball & a sunset at ODU!

Quality time with some of my favorites!

Loved March!

Panera & a Bible

2010-03-05T07:15:00.000-08:00

Sometimes there is nothing better than just getting up realllllly early and heading over to Panera. At first it might just be the promise of hazelnut coffee and a blueberry bagel(with raspberry cream cheese for me!) that gets you rolling in the morning! But, I just love sinking into one of the little tables for 2 with a little coffee and my Bible. I love the switch that starts to take place...when originally it had been the coffee that got me there the promises of the Bible begin to wake me up SO much more than the coffee ever could.
Here is a little of what woke me up this morning:

Satisfy us in the morning with your steadfast love, that we may rejoice and be glad all our days. Psalm 90:14

God raised him up, loosing the pangs of death, because it was not possible for him to be held by it. Acts 2:24

Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, making the best use of the time... Ephesians 5:15

In ALL circumstances take up the shield of faith. Ephesians 6:16 (been thinking about this verse a lot lately- trying to apply it daily)

He brought me out into a broad place; he rescued me, because he delighted in me. Psalm 18:19

Mark 7:31-37- Jesus heals a deaf man. (i love reading about Jesus' miracles) And they were astonished beyond measure, saying "He has done ALL things well. He even makes the deaf hear and the mute speak." Mark 7:37

Hope you can make it to Panera soon!

P.S. Misty Edwards song- Arms Wide Open. Killer. you must listen to it soon.

I heart Saturday mornings and...

2010-02-20T07:55:00.000-08:00

I heart MAIL: I love swinging the door open at the end of a day to see whats fallen through the mail slot. I look forward to that moment everyday! Sometimes I wake up and say, "Bri, do you think we will get any fun mail today!?" I don't know what my deal is with the mail...I even wave to every mail carrier that I see when I am out and about. I feel a connection with them:) The best is after we've been away for awhile and there is a pile waiting for us when we return, like this:

This is the mail we received after being away in Colorado for 7 weeks! Can you even imagine how excited I was!
I heart weddings! It's SO fun to see people get married that you know will LOVE eachother well and live to bring God glory together! Here are 2 recent examples of this:

anddddd

2 weddings already in 2010!

I heart all animals with long noses(P.S. I don't know why I just do!):

I heart AMERICAN IDOL! I seriously get so pumped up about it!(I've been asking around A LOT and still haven't found anyone else that is in to it!) Brian calls the finale of American Idol, "Brooke's superbowl" That's how intense I get. I bawled/screamed with joy when Kris Allen made it to the top 2 last season. And, i'm sure you can imagine what happened when he won. I know it's a little crazy! (I just love to see people go for their dream!) WOO. But, this year i'm not really able to watch it because of different responsibilties on Tues & Wed nights....so, Brian and I went to a thrift store the other night and bought a VHS player for $2.99 so we could tape both nights!(Brian really gets into AI with me too which makes it even more fun).

I think that's enough hearts for now!

A & A

2010-01-23T17:43:00.000-08:00

Brian and I are pretty excited about Saturday(January 30, 2010)! It's the day that 2 of our very dear friends will marry each other! YAY! We've been waiting so long for this day to come and it is finally so CLOSE.

Brian and Adam have been best buds forever!! Here's Brian and Adam the summer after freshman year doing who knows what:

Here's Adam giving the toast at our wedding:

April and I met in 2005 and have been great friends ever since. We even got to hang out together 2 summers in East Asia. Here we are in East Asia in 2006 at a Starbucks of course:

and here we are in 2008:

A little over a year ago Adam & April MET and fell in love. This picture was taken exactly one year ago to their wedding date! (This is the night before their official 1st date!)

This weekend we will celebrate them and thank God that He brought them together!

We love you, Adam & April!

Outback Steakhouse.

2010-01-03T20:17:00.000-08:00

A couple weeks ago when the mail came we received a wonderful surprise. A very sweet couple had sent us a $50 giftcard to Outback. Huge blessing. We were SO thrilled because just that morning we were talking about wanting to go out and do something special together.

We made all our plans that afternoon around the dinner location: Outback Steakhouse. Throughout our afternoon of Christmas shopping we kept saying, "I can't believe we get to be treated to Outback tonight!!" After an *exhausting* afternoon of shopping we finally arrive at Outback. As we are walking into the restaurant Brian asks me if I have the gift card on me and I assure him that I do. I had been glancing at it most of the day with excitement! We sit down and order our Dr. Peppers and I decide to pull the glourious gift card out for us to look at again. It wasn't there this time. I dug through my purse as my heart was breaking. Where on earth did our gift card go? I tearfully looked at Brian and said, "Our giftcard GONE!". He takes my purse and looks for himself (usually he finds what I have assumed is lost and gone forever). Not this time. Brian runs to the car to see if it's in there. I tell our waitress the scenario that is going down. She doesn't care...but when Brian returns with a super sad look on his face I tell her that we need to go and find the lost gift card(I assure her we will be back). That means retrace every step we took during our Christmas shopping "outing" is my word for it "nightmare" is Brian's word for it. We get in the car, I cry really hard...mostly because I thought we were about to have a SWEET dinner and get to have our special date. Instead, we are both bummed and somewhat hopeless about finding our beloved giftcard. We regroup and map out a plan:

Brooke will go to Target(every aisle!)
Brooke will then run across the parking lot
to Macys and look in every section we were in.
(which I think was every section but childrens and furniture)

Brian will go to Barnes and Noble and JCP and look through all the parking lots.

We break and go to our seperate destinations. We looked in EVERY little spot. I even had the Target customer service guy page every person on the floor about our lost giftcard. He wasn't happy to do it... but I was pretty happy to hear on the speakers, "Attention Target guests and Employees has anyone seen an Outback giftcard laying on the floor?" Sadly, nothing.
Run to Macys. nothing.
call Brian. He has found nothing.
I retrace his steps in B & N becauseI thought maybe it would be there. nothing. An Hour and a half has gone by at this point.

I leave B & N with a deep sadness. I know it's strange because it's just a giftcard. But we were SO pumped about this giftcard. I had been praying too during this whole thing that some how some way we would find it, that God would just guide our steps. But then again who wouldn't take a $50 giftcard that they found?

by this point Brian's phone is dead. He is somewhere in JCP looking. I decide to wait for him outside- it wasn't too cold and there were pretty Christmas decorations out and a Huge Christmas tree. I walk around it and listen to the music that's playing for all the people walking by. And as the music starts to build(i'm not even kidding about the music building) I see in the blessed distance our giftcard. Can you even believe it? I take off skipping and grab it and stare at it in disbelief. I think I even pumped the air with my fist. I immediately take off RUNNNNING to JCP with the biggest smile on my face. I ran through about 17 different sections before spotting Brian. There were probably 50 Christmas shoppers between me and Bri but I yelled. "BRIAN, LOOOOOOOK!" I threw the giftcard in the air....everyone looking at us. Brian just starts shaking his head and meets me in the mens shoes dept. I fill him in on all that had just happened. We celebrated and thanked God for the giftcard that was once lost but was now found! It was a good moment.

I'm thankful that God cares about the little things in our lives- He will even direct us back to lost giftcards.

We returned to Outback and our waitress and had a great date night!

Celebrating Semester ONE!

2009-12-16T22:37:00.000-08:00

It has been a great semester of trusting God to start campus ministries in the Tidewater area! We are SO thankful for all God did. Here are a few highlights!

When we work, we work. When we pray, God works." -Hudson Taylor(Spent 51 years sharing Christ in China)

new mornings.

2009-12-08T21:19:00.000-08:00

I wanted to chat for a little bit about why my blog is called, "Each Morning is New." It really just goes straight back to Lamentations 3:22-24,
22 Because of the LORD's great love we are not consumed,
for his compassions never fail.

23 They are new every morning;
great is your faithfulness.

24 I say to myself, "The LORD is my portion;
therefore I will wait for him."

Or

God's loyal love couldn't have run out,
his merciful love couldn't have dried up.
They're created new every morning.
How great your faithfulness!
I'm sticking with God (I say it over and over).
(Message version)

Where would we be without this LOVE and without this MERCY? It's there for us every morning which is basically saying every day that there is a day- God is for you, God loves you. There hasn't been a day yet that didn't come with a morning. There hasn't been a day yet that God wasn't for us and wanting to be involved in our day-to-day lives. That's comforting.

Also, I love that each new day really holds a new story. Like yesterday when I woke up I knew generally the plan for the day but I didn't know that I would get to spend part of my night on the phone with a dear friend in NYC or that later that night I would get to hear from a friend that's in East Asia, or that while I was at Sam's Club I would get to talk to an elderly man about life while we were both in the *long* pharmacy line, or that my husband was going to take me out to a fun dinner!

So, the blog title reminds me of these simple yet profound truths. And, it makes me want to make the most of each day that He gives me. It's my hearts desire to start off each morning with a simple prayer--"God, today is a new day from you. Help me to make the most of these hours you've given me today. Help me see people the way you see them and love them the way you love them. I don't want to get caught up doing things that don't matter." I've found that when I do that the day is more full & rich & purposeful. Without question.

things i love, lately....

2009-10-31T08:17:00.000-07:00

*Have you heard of Francis Chan? He is the pastor of Cornerstone Church in Simi Valley, CA. He also wrote Crazy Love and Forgotten God. The second one I just finished reading- it was excellent. excellent. For the past 2 months I have taken Francis with me on my morning walks(via the ipod of course). His sermons are all straight Bible teaching and have really spurred me on. He also talks a lot about how living for yourself will get you no where. Put a couple Francis Chan talks on your IPOD- it will encourage your heart to live more boldly for Christ.

*Today is Oct 31st and it's 82 degrees. i love that.

*I love reunions:

I got to spend the evening of my birthday with some very special women. I was so thankful. That same evening I got to spend time with my favorite Japanese couple and their baby:

*Retreating with our staff team. We spent 2 cloudy days at a lake house but it was SO much fun:

*1 Peter Chapter One. So much good stuff just in one chapter. I love it.

*Saturday mornings to read blogs with a latte. Since I love paper products I love this blog: http://parcelpost.wordpress.com/ among many others.

Dog Days of October.

2009-10-18T11:34:00.000-07:00

So, about 3 weeks ago I was scanning through a local Va Beach newspaper while waiting for a friend to arrive for our coffee date. To my surprise I saw a small ad that said, "DACHSHUND BEAUTY PAGEANT OCTOBER 17th on 24th ST VA BEACH." WHAT? REALLY? As you can imagine this was amazing news to me. So, I immediately circled the day on the calendar and began the count down.

I just love dachshunds.

Brian and I arrived about an hour before the pageant started(I wasn't sure what to expect so I just wanted to make sure I could get as close to these pups as possible!) When we arrived there were probably 4 dachshunds already there(with their owners, you know). Over the next 40 or so minutes 20 other dachshunds strolled in(most of them wearing cute little outfits). I was in absolute heaven. There was one point that all the cuteness got so intense that I shed a tear.

Here is a glimpse into this blessed day:

Here are the the pageant judges:

Each dog and owner had to come onto the stage and share the dogs name and show any special tricks that the dog could do:

Here's the dogs waiting to hear who will be the winner!

And, here are the winners: 1st place is the far left. She was fancy! She could jump hoops and twirl!

Needless to say- it was a great afternoon. Oh and about half way through this event Brian leans over to me and says, "did you notice that that we are the only ones here that actually just came to watch- everyone else has a dog involved in this thing!?" ha. good times. just supporting the community events, you know.

Monday was SEW fun.

2009-09-15T14:20:00.000-07:00

While I was out in Fort Collins, CO this summer I bought a sewing machine at a flea market for $19 with HIGH hopes that I would learn: A. How to use the machine & B. how to make fun pillows/anything else. So, last night was the culmination of this dream(with a little help).

Below is the sewing machine that I couldn't figure out for the life of me how to use. I even watched random YouTube videos people made on how to use a sewing machine. When that didn't work Kristin and Matt went to work on it.

thinking...

Then they got it to work! Praises!

With a little more help from Kristin I was on my way to making my first pillow!

Yay for pillows! I'm going to use these to add a little color to our bedroom! And, it was so inexpensive to make!

Morgantown, WV

2009-09-08T17:00:00.000-07:00

I need to tell you a story about the goodness of the Lord. It all started yesterday morning- Brian and I(and our friend and co-worker Matt) were driving home(which is now Norfolk, VA)from a fun wedding weekend in Pittsburgh! On our way home we were going to swing through Morgantown WV to pick up our other friend and coworker Kristin. We knew we had a good 8 hour drive ahead of us so we couldn't stay very long in Morgantown- which broke our hearts. Before I go any further in this story let me just tell you why Morgantown is so important to Brian and me:
*it was the 1st place I ever did full time ministry.
*it's where Brian went to college!
*it's where Brian and I met & fell in love and then lived our 1st 2 years of marriage!
*it's where I started to like football(Let's go Mountaineers!)
*It's where my heart grew for the nations.
*it's where I met some of the most amazing people I have ever met in my life! Who knew that I would meet so many girls that I would grow to love so much and consider sisters!
*It's where I saw SO many answers to my prayers.
*AND so much more.

So, as you can imagine returning to Morgantown for the 1st time after living there for 6 years could be a little emotional. As Brian and I passed by the "Welcome to West Virginia" sign on the highway we got a little teary. We just LOVE LOVE LOVE Morgantown because of all that God did there. SO driving into Morgantown knowing we couldn't stay for days and catch up with everyone or at least see people we care about was a hard thing for us! To make a long story short we scheduled to meet with 3friends at Chickfila at 11:30am. It was awesome catching up with them- it was even better to just being with them! We left Chickfila at about 12:15- we started to say our "goodbyes" in the parking lot when people I just LOVEEEE started coming from every which a way in the parking lot. It was as if it was scheduled but it wasn't. Over the next 15 minutes I got to see close 15 people that I care about so much. And, God knew it. And, so in His kindness they all just happened to show up for lunch at Chickfila. The timing was out of control amazing. Here is a picture of just some of the people I got to see:

Grandma and Asher

2009-08-25T07:04:00.000-07:00

This is my Grandma! She was such a sweet sweet part of my life. On August 9th she passed away. She lived a strong 94 years though! These pictures below were taken last year on her 93rd birthday. Some of my favorite moments growing up involved grandma- I loved when I got to spend the night at her house. We would always stay up "late" watching Star Search(remember that?) and Lawrence Welk(ha!). It was always a good time with her! And, whenever I would tell her that I loved her, she would always respond with, "I love you more!" and we would go back and forth with the I love you more thing. I never won! She always wanted to be the last one to say it. She was so cute. I thank God for the time that I had with her.

Her funeral was on the following Wednesday after she died. It was a special time of gathering and remembering but also was just a sad morning as we missed grandma so much. Her best friend, Anna Marie, came to the funeral. I hadn't seen her in years. She was 94 years old too. She was adorable and told me about how this was the 1st time she had left her house in years but wanted to be here for the funeral. Her mind was definitely going(along with her body-she was frail and needed assistance walking) but she said that she could never forget the great friendship they had. Some things just stay with you no matter how old you get.

Later that evening after things had quieted down and everyone had left our house(we had a little lunch after the funeral) I got a text. The text said that my friend Carrie had had her baby earlier that morning! So my Dad, Brian and I rushed over the the hospital to see this new baby boy, Asher Bishop! He was adorable!

The turn of events that day reminded me clearly of one of my favorite songs, Every Season by Nichole Nordeman. This line kept going through my mind, "Even now in death, You open doors for life to enter..." It was just that kind of day-that morning we were walking into a funeral service to mourn the loss of someone so special to us and later that evening(to our surprise) we were walking into a hospital to celebrate new life.

i love bri.

2009-08-04T13:55:00.000-07:00

Today is Brian's Birthday! He is SUCH a gift to me everyday! I love living life alongside him. He is a constant reminder that God is so kind and that God is so good.

Since it's his special day(and right now he is on the phone with his mom and dad) let me just share a few things that I really love about him:

*He always jumps at the opportunity to serve someone. Even today he looked out our window and saw a guy out that had a flat tire...before I even knew what was happening he was hunting for tools for the guy. (the guy is now back on the road safe and sound).

*everytime I bring up a need or worry he immediately will start to pray about it for me. Isn't that kind?

*He always has a song stuck in his head and he is always singing it. (usually with the wrong words, but he doesn't know that.) The current song that he can't get out of his head is Poker Face by Lady Ga Ga.

*because I love dogs so much he ALWAYS points them out to me when he spots one. During your typical day he will say, "Look there's a dog Brooke!" at least 7 times.

*He is a RISK Taker!

*He keeps me up to date on what's happening in the news. I now know things about sports that I never dreamed I would know. For example, Did you know that Tarvaris Jackson(who plays for the Vikings) was diagnosed with only a mild sprain of his medial collateral ligament. It was welcome news after the scary sequence in Saturday's practice when defensive tackle Letroy Guion got tangled in the line and rolled on the ground into the oft-injured quarterback. I'm learning a lot!:)

*He gets giddy to spend time in the Bible each morning. He sets a great example for me.

*He loves rap! Esp. Lecrae! One week ago today we saw Lecrae- it was such a happy moment for him.

*He loves to play cards with me. Right now we are having a SKIP-BO competition. The first to 1500 points wins. We've been playing since mid June. I have 1118 points and he has 1342 points! There's still hope for me.

I'd write more reasons but we are off to dinner(Texas Roadhouse- his fav! and a movie- he loveeeees movies)

HAPPPPPPY BIRTHDAY BRIAN!!!

Spurred on...

2009-07-29T15:55:00.001-07:00

There's something special about being in Colorado every other summer with our job. I love rubbing shoulders with FUN people that LOVE Jesus and want everyone to know about Him. We meet in a HUGE gym. I think there are close to 3500 of us in there. I love looking around the room-- here are some of the people I see:

This is Josh and Liz! They are getting married in November. They are wonderful together. In January they will move to New Zealand and share life and Christ with college students there. inspiring.

This is Jayson and Carrie. They were our dear roommates this summer. They moved to DC a couple years ago to live among the people there and share the love of Christ.

This is Maria and Jason(and their baby Hannah). They rule. They want every student in Pittsburgh to know and treasure Christ. I'm constantly encouraged by them.

This is Mike & Jessie. They just got married in April. Jessie was such a sweet surprise in my summer. We had several coffee/Jamba dates. Her heart is awesome. Their passion is to reach cadets! Isn't that great. In the next few months they will head to Virginia Tech to build relationships with the cadets there.

This is John and Sandy. They have a huge heart for Asian Americans students to know Christ- They live near Penn State and live life with the students there. They are a delight. Sandy inspires me in so many ways!

This is Corey. Sadly his wife Christina and daughter Cora couldn't be out here for conference. Brian and I are always always encouraged by him. They both LOVEEEE people with such a genuine and sincere love. We always feel cared for and prayed for by them. WE praise God for them always. They have given their lives to share Christ with WVU students. WVU is one lucky place:) (side note: Corey asked us to take this picture of him to send to Christina for their anniversary-which was yesterday. Along with this picture he sent(overnight)a plate of Christina's favorite Noodles dish on dry ice.) HOW CUTE!

I could go on and on and on about all the people that have really spurred me on this summer. I love the people I work alongside.

Sunday Summer Tarts with Carrie!

2009-07-19T20:12:00.000-07:00

Tonight Carrie and I made these amazing tarts! They are very easy to make and are so pretty!

Here is the recipe:

All American Summer Tarts

Ingredients:
1 recipe basic pie dough
4 c. chopped ripe strawberries
1 c. fresh ripe blackberries
1/2 c. sugar
1 tsp lime zest
1 Tbsp orange juice
1 Tbsp butter
1 egg, beaten

Directions:
-Preheat oven to 375 degrees and line two baking sheets with parchment.
-In large bowl, combine strawberries, blackberries, sugar, lime zest,
orange juice.
-Toss to combine and set aside.
-Divide dough into 6 equal pieces.
-Roll each piece into 7-8 inch circles.
-Place each circle onto a lined baking sheet.
-Place 1/6 of berry mixture into center of dough.
-Fold up sides of dough around filling.
-Repeat with remaining dough rounds and filling.
-Cut butter into very small pieces and place three small pieces on top
of each tart’s filling.
-Brush sides of pastry with beaten egg and place baking sheets into oven.
-Bake until sides are golden brown and filling is bubbling, about 30 minutes.
-Remove from oven and let cool completely.
-If making ahead, store in airtight container up to 24 hours in advance.
-Serve with scoop of ice cream.

Serves 6

Note: We added peaches and blueberries plus orange zest.

Here are a couple more pics of the process:)

53 hours and a Toyota Corolla

2009-07-15T16:30:00.000-07:00

On June 15th, Brian and I headed out on our first ever road trip. We travelled from Virginia to Colorado! It was super fun and it only started feeling long when we got to Kansas. Kansas was really long!

Highlights from the road:
We got to catch up with our dear friends: Beth and Wes! It was super fun. They were so kind and hospitable.

This is beautiful Beth in the sunset. We were touring Wes's seminary- Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. Great campus.

I woke up at 4am in Louisville, KY and felt like glass had been shattered in my eye. I could hardly open it- intense pain. After pretending to fall back asleep and act like it wasn't happening I decided to wake up Brian. He immediately took me to the ER. Turns out I had torn my cornea in my sleep somehow. For the next 3 days of the road trip I couldn't see out of my right eye. For a day and a half, of the 3 days, I wore an eye patch. It was one of those times when you are super glad you are in the middle of no where and there is no chance of running into anyone you know. Discharge coming out of your eye plus an eye patch with glasses over the eye patch so I can see out of the left eye = quite the sight.

While in Louisville we got to do a little taunting:

We also went to the St. Louis Arch museum- this qoute was in the museum and I thought it was perfect for our journey to the CO:

We made it!

And to Brian's JOY the Pittsburgh Pirates were playing in Denver the evening we arrived in Colorado. The Pirates lost- but we expected that. Still a grand evening.

1500 miles in a car with Brian was so fun! We are looking forward to the 1500 miles back in 2 weeks.

2009-07-13T22:08:00.000-07:00

I'm starting a BLOG. I can't even believe it. But, the other night I stumbled across an excerpt from Donald Miller's new book(It will be out in September- you can read the 1st couple chapters on his blog). His book is called A Million Miles in a Thousand Years. I just read the 1st few pages and it made me want to start documenting daily life--Here is what I read:

"The saddest thing about life is you don’t remember half of it. You don’t even remember half of half of it. Not even a tiny percentage, if you want to know the truth. I’ve got this friend Bob who writes down everything he remembers. If he remembers dropping an ice cream cone on his lap when he was seven, he’ll write it down. The last time I talked to Bob, he had written more than five hundred pages of memories. He’s the only guy I know who remembers his life. He said he captures memories because if he forgets them it’s as though they didn’t happen, it’s as though he hadn’t lived the parts he doesn’t remember.

I thought about that when he said it and I tried to remember something and I remembered getting a merit badge in Cub Scouts when I was seven, but that’s all I could remember. I got it for helping a neighbor cut down a tree. I’ll tell that to God when He asks what I did with my life. I’ll tell Him I cut down a tree and got a badge for it. He’ll most likely want to see the merit badge, but I lost it years ago and so when I’m done with my story God will probably sit there looking at me wondering what to talk about next. God and Bob will probably talk for days."

So, now the documenting begins! I don't want to miss the small & big things that God is doing in the every days of life.