Embracing LOVE!

There comes a time in your life when you are soooo in love with the Father and you somehow get a glimpse of how much he loves YOU!

Last year i had the opportunity to begin to lead worship at Axiom (our young adults group) and when ever i pick songs for my set, i go straight to the songs about God's love and my love for Him. Worship to me is a part of my life!! Working with children, i strive to influence them with songs that are only pleasing and glorify God! My Ipod has only worship music or Christian artist (and yes...kids worship and Veggie Tales) on it but i am mostly playing the same worship band over and over again...Jesus Culture. I do believe the name says it all. I want to live a life that is devoted and reflects a culture for Jesus! Please don't get me wrong, i love Hillsong and United (among the many other amazing worship bands). But with Jesus Culture, it is like they are taking the words straight out of my heart, soul and mind and singing them to the King! And if i am not laughing...you can bet i'm singing!! Most of the time out load and just that...loud! (i can't tell you how many times Pastor Rick has caught me singing in a room!!)

To me, singing is a way for me to express my feelings to the Lord. It's like no matter what happened during the day, when i get into the car and put on music or even step onto the stage and i begin to sing...everything melts away because im spending time with my dad! And all of a sudden that AMAZING LOVE comes and takes over! And i am sooo greatful for that!! I just wish that EVERYONE could experience God's love every day...not just at a camp or church setting.
And i'm not talking about a "John 3:16" love...i'm talking about a 1 John 4:18 love. "THERE IS NO FEAR IN LOVE! But perfect love drives out all fear."

When we have perfect love there is no wiggle room for anything else! And although John 3:16 is an important love, it's just the surface of love. There is soooooo much more! A deeper love that we have with the Father! He has a love for us that will NEVER fail, it will NEVER give up on us, it will NEVER leave us to love someone or thing else, and it is such a deep love that wants to drive out all fear!! Not just some fear...ALL FEAR!!

It's funny, every year i feel like its a theme that the Lord want to teach me. Like last year was faith and trusting in Him. I do believe that i have much more faith in trusting that HE has ONLY GOOD FOR ME! And this year...well it looks like he's teaching me more about his love! And i am sooo excited for this! Why he would love me with all of my flaws?? I will never understand that...but i am soo thankful that he does!!
My heart and prayer is that you fall sooo in love with the Father and just catch a glimpse of the love he has for you!!

How He Loves
By: John Mark McMillian

He is jealous for me
Loves like a hurricane, I am a tree, bending beneath
The weight of his wind and mercy
When all of a sudden
I am unaware of these, afflictions eclipsed by glory
And I realize just how beautiful you are
And how great your affections are for me

Oh, how he loves us so
Oh, how he loves us
How he loves us so
Yeah, he loves us
Oh, how he loves us

We are his portion, and he is our prize
Drawn to redemption by the grace in his eyes
If grace is an ocean we’re all sinking
So heaven meets earth like a sloppy wet kiss
And my heart turns violently inside of my chest
I don’t have time to maintain these regrets
When I think about the way...he loves us so!

Aloha Friend!!

As many of you know, our good friend Ricky (was ever so lucky) is moving to Hawaii! Jealous?!? Yup! You could say he's going to "Suffer for Jesus" over there..but really we know that he just wants to hang with Sumo ;). Ha ha.

But seriously, I am soo happy for Ricky! No one deserves this move more than him. Ricky is one of the most loving, compassionate, big kid, hard working, AMAZING friend who loves to bug the people he loves (aka...me! haha). When he graduated last year he told us that he was going to move to Hawaii and live with Sumo. We didn't really believe that it would ever happen, but hoped that it would. Well...a week before Christmas Ricky made the plans and the second week of January he bought his ticket!! I still couldn't believe it! But its true...today I had the privilege and honor to take Ricky to the airport with some friends!

But let me tell you...Ricky wanted to make sure that we spent plenty of time together!! From the day that Ricky purchased his ticket to Hawaii he did a count down and made plans with everyone! I've never watched soo many movies (let me rephrase that...cartoon movies) in the theatre. I usually wait until they come out on video to see them. Nope! Not this time! We watched "Marley and Me" (oh..if you have never seen...don't see it! YOU WILL BAWL YOUR EYES!!), "Bolt," "Kung Fu Panda," and finally "Madagascar 2."

Amidst the movies were the days he just had to come over and visit Spike (one of my two doggies!). The last Sunday he was here he just hopped in the car and came home with us. If you know Ricky at all you know his LOVE for animals. So we let him spend time with the doggies.

Ricky has been at The Cornerstone for years now and has worked in the Children's and High School departments. To show Ricky how much he is loved i decided to make him a scrapbook with notes from everyone! I've made 3 Scrapbooks now and have never made any for myself (haha, oh well...i know they are in good hands). As soon as i gave Ricky the book, he never put it down. In fact, he had MORE people sign the cover as if it were a yearbook. I know that book is going to bring him happiness when he misses us.

BUT WHAT HAPPENS WHEN WE MISS HIM?!?

Ricky, you are going to be missed sooooooooo much!! It's going to be lonely without you to bug me, but i have all the confidence in the world that you are going to do AMAZING things in Hawaii!! Just remember not to fall in love with a hula girl with duct tape on her head! ;O) I'm sooo glad we are friends! I think after these last few weeks you've moved up to Broder #2!! You will ALWAYS be in my heart and i will think of you everyday...you know between the bubble stains in my office, the "Ricky is coo!" note and of course when i come home and play with MY Spike (and Nemo).

LOVE YOU FRIEND!! Please visit and keep in contact OFTEN!!

MUCH love!!!! ALOHA!!!!!!!!!

P.S. YOU are LAME for moving!

Me and my Broder!

It's not a secret that me and my brother are super close! But please know that we were not always like this...when we were younger we fought like cats and dogs! My mom always recalls the time when we were on vacation to Colorado (driving in the back seat of a BMW) and i yelled to my mom, "he's breathing my air!" Oh how we have changed. And don't get me wrong, he still drives me INSANE sometimes! But no matter what, i wouldn't change it for the world!!

As most of you know, Jacob goes to Azusa Pacific University and is in his last year! (yes, he did it in 4 years. Crazy, i know!) He has lived off campus for all four years and i LOVE when he comes home (even if it's just to pick something up). I actually count down the days till he's home and get soooooo excited to see his beat up maroon-purple car in the drive way!

During the Christmas break Jacob was home for a whole month!! Woo hoo!! We did all sorts of dumb/bonding things together and did our very favorite thing...drive mom insane! haha we do that well! :D Besides driving mom insane, we watched ELF a couple of times (I will only watch that movie when Jacob is watching it cause i absolutely LOVE hearing him laugh at that movie!!) and watched A LOT of discovery channel shows! Although when we watch them Jake has to put his knowledge into the equation as well. But then come the time when he has to pack up all his things and go back to school :( I hate this part! The whole time he's packing up i whine "Don't go!!"

Needless to say, Jacob left for his last and final semester at APU! I couldn't be more proud of him! He heard God call him to this school his Junior year of high school and now is on the final road. Where God will take him after? I don't know! But i do know that it is going to be somewhere spectacular and i can't wait to see it unfold!! And no matter how old we get, i know that we will continue to grow closer and closer! Sorry mom, didn't mean to make you cry! But on the happpy side, here are a few picts to make you laugh and get somewhat an idea what we do.

LOVE YOU JAKE JAKE!!!!

this was our "portrait" we took for my mom for a Christmas gift!
Jacob got the movie,"Horton hears a Who" and got Horton as well. He wore Horton on his finger all Christmas day!
Jakes 21st birthday
We match! We left at different times for an outreach and when he came to help we pointed at each other and laughed cause we never wear hats!! This is one of my favorite picts!!
At the Thresher wedding...mostly for mom cause we are all dressed up!

Am i really doing this???

Ok so not like my life is that exciting, but i have decided to become a Blogger! ahhhhh! And yes, you can laugh a me now (and make fun of me...if you must). The main reason that i wanted to do this was because i really wanted to share some of my photos with YOU!

When i go outside i cannot help but notice God's creation all around me! It is practicly screaming out his glory! Every week when my mom and i are coming into work we go up this hill and we see the most beautiful sunrises as the sun in creeping up from the mountains. Every single week i just look at it and praise God for the beautiful creation he has made for us.

Last week i took this picture of the mountains that is ahead of us when we reach the top of the hill. The mountains is always there, but this time it had snow right on top. The picture doesn't give it justice, but the snow was gleaming from the sunrise. And then it got me thinking about the way God provides for us. That snow will melt away and produce water and streams for not only the ground but for the animals way up there. And how much more will our heavenly Father provide for us??

There is a song by Rick Pino that pretty much sums up how i feel about God's creation and my relationship with him!

My Romance

Look at the way the flowers bloom for you.

They want to show you their beauty, Lord.

Running waters dance

As you and I romance

Unto You, be all the glory

Angels dance around you

The earth it sings about you

Open up the heavens, Lord,

Let Your kingdom come to Earth

My praises all surround you

My soul can't dance without you

Open up the heavens Lord,

Let Your kingdom come to Earth

Take time this week to see his creation scream out his praises!!

Be blessed this week!

MUCH love!!