Alvina.

This Christmas,
my heart is with an ole friend.

Her name is Alvina. I met her while I was in Alaska. She impacted my life more than she knows. She became a Christian while I was there...what a beautiful day that was.
Well...in hindsight it was like every other day in Juneau. It was foggy and misty.
We (the entire project all 45 or more of us) had just climbed Mnt Robert. We prayer walked on the way up. When we arrived we sat down. We sat quietly...then we prayed...then we sang. You could see the entire city of Juneau...and Auke Bay...
God's great creation all around. There was snow directly behind us...(which later we would have the largest snowball fight I have seen...and even later in which we would slide down time and time again) there were mountains...there was ocean water...there were beautiful souls of beautiful people.
I remember the most beautiful soul of that day.
Alvina.
I remember watching her be moved.
I remember watching her accept Christ into her heart!
I remember hearing her speak to Him.

It was so surreal. It moved me much...But never as much as I wanted.

Alvina and I were very different. Everyone saw that. She was city, I country. She liberal, I conservative. We were different crowds and everyone saw that.

Alvina and I were so similar. Few saw that. We were deep, sincere.
Alvina and I were the same.

After that moment on that mountain, she was more similar to me than ever before. She loved my Lord. She became a Sister. I hope I never forget that day on that mountainside above Alaska. I hope a never forget praying with her and a few of the guys following her excepting Christ.


I have journaled for several years now...I have a stack of them. They are mine...my writing to God. Only one other person has ever written in one...Alvina. She also wrote on my heart...

Alvina taught me what I can do with this life...
I pray I never ever forget what I as a Christian listening to my Savior can accomplish for His kingdom.


In closing,
I do not know why my heart is so burdened for Alvina tonight. But, I know there must be a reason.
I ask that you join me in praying for her. Now that you know a bit of her story I hope you can find it easier to pray specifically for her. She is a beautiful Sister, and Christ has a beautiful plan for her!


Merry Christmas, Alvina!!!!

Where is my heart?

Tonight, I finally watched a few dvd's that Jim Lee put together. Jim Lee is the guy that is always in a beat up van at the duck pond (or the ole' fishin' hole). I for four years have been curious about who he was and what he was doing. I always assumed he was just lonely...I always planned on starting up a conversation with him, but somehow I never seemed to catch him outside of that van.
Well this last September, I again noticed he was there. As I drove by him, I thought..."inside that van or not I am going to at least say hi". So, I drove around the pond, parked beside him, and started a convo.
Wouldn't you know it made my day. He is a Christian...and disabled (thus the reason I never saw him out of the vehicle), he loves birds, and he was putting together a video of that which he loved, with Christian songs. He wanted to share Christ. To share him with anyone who would give him the time.

Well. Tonight I am watching a scratchy, slightly out of focus, video of all kinds of birds and animals set to the sound of everyone from Chris Rice to Amy Grant singing about our Lord.

Last night, I for the first time in a very long time allowed myself to think about and miss a very good friend of mine. James Hensley.
James, I do believe touched my life more than just about anyone else. He too was someone, who the rest of the world would say was short-changed in life. But, he would never be one to believe that. James proclaimed to the world Jesus Christ. He shared him with any single person who gave him time.

HOW BEAUTIFUL.
- Jim Lee; unable to leave his vehicle, yet spending all his time making something that reaches to those so far away.
- James Hensley; knocked down time and time again, yet always smiling, always reaching, always loving.

- Jim Lee & James Hensley; two people who give (gave) from a full heart. Two people who serve(d) Christ with all they have.


Lord, where is my heart? Help me. Help me live as those who give you all.

Thank you, James. Thank you, Jim.

Life is so good!

Here I sit at my home away from home. TheCup. If you know me at all, you know how much I love this place.

Today, I am drinking my usual Cappuccino...it is the standard go to drink for me in almost all situations from times of stress to moments filled with pensive thought. I am watching The Proposal with Rick and his daughter. Friends close as family.

It is crazy how friendships are made...how they grow...or disappear. Just last night I was able to meet my best friend's fiance. Crazy, how I feel like I have known her for ages. Crazy, how just as my friendship with Trent has always been so great that I have never doubted its lasting endurance over the course of our lives, I now know the same will be true of Casey and I's friendship. Friends close as family.

Just this morning, I had breakfast with Garrett. He is another very good friend of mine. I think his friendship is one of the most beautiful that I have had. Beautiful because even as close of a friend as he is, his friendship...or atleast the depth of it...came from nowhere...or at least seemed to for I can not trace it back to one moment or another. Friends close as family.

These times with friends and family remind me of how important people are to me, and how important I want to be to others.

I am currently in transition from one job to another. I have direction! This new position is one I hope to have as a mini career. It is an opportunity to invest in others, to build up those around me, to help others in need... in short it is a great direction and a great opportunity. I hope I live up to it well.

All this to say: I have great friends, great family, a great Savior. I have direction. "I have feet in my shoes, and brains in my head." :)

Life is so good!