When life doesn't seem to be going your way,Gods got a much sweeter road ahead for you. - Corrie Ten Boom

"Ahhhhh". That's the emotion that reading the above quote envokes in me, if only I could truely embrace it. The road He has chosen, what does that look like? I thought it might maybe look a lil somthing like; married to my Godly man
(ok,1 down) 6 children, all serving God (I know, there's still time enough!) seeing (because I believe) His hand in miraculous ways, daily ,even hourly -The road I'm on looks long & winding, frought w/ old hurts healed & unhealed ( by Gods grace & love, on the way to mending)- new friendships budding- old friendships evolving , growing - & a less passionate love, deepening, healing , protecting , sticking. I could be in reference to my precious man, or to my precious Heavenly father- infact I'm refering to both. My husband was & is the love of my life. He has shown me (through his simple act of going through his daily life w/ me, side by side) what it is to trust & to love -completely. I don't know what lies around the next bend in the road, but I have the assurance that it can only sift, bless, grow, challenge & strengthen me, and my God will be there to carry, lead or walk side by side w/ me, & that's alright w/ me. What does your road look like? Are you truely able to lay "it" down & fully trust your God? I challenge you to look for Him daily in the little things. When you see Him in those, He'll knock your socks off when you are called to believe Him for the "Bends" in your road! Till next time- L A

Lord, make them hungry for your word

Todays message was really good & last nights was, to put it mildly "in-tense!" The pastor is from a little well know town called Cedar Point.. Sound familiar? My precious husband thinks its the "most awesomest " ( I know, not a word) place on earth because Cedar point has claimed the title of having the theme park w/ the best, most terrifying fastest coasters on the planet, & my husband is their biggest fan! (personally I think 6 flags Arlington rocks!) The message was on salvation, & was really straight foreward about hell & what it really looks like to "pick up your mat". The reaction was stark. There were vast revelations & kids realizing that God isn't like burger king, we can't have it our way. You could sence that it wasn't a message that any of them were to comfortable w/. (not often taught in our western culture) Then an alter call - and one that was hugely different than any I'd ever seen, in that he didn't say a prayer over all that stayed. He asked that no youth leaders pray w/ them. He wanted them to work it out w/ God mano e mano, after which 2 of our girls gave their lives to Christ!!! (I would call that a success & we arnt half done yet, Go God!!) Today the lesson in our book we are teaching on is based on Mat 15:16.-teaching to fish verses feeding.They are working on it now- I'm really encouraged about how they are applying themselves. I must go discuss & challenge butplease keep praying, changes are a foot here @ the foot of the rockies !! In Him, LA

Hey-

I've told the kids about this blog & they are asking questions reguarding who's been in so- who's checking in & reading this (if you just read that, post your name in a reply please) ... I'll be checking back! LA

its 9:09 pm. & we are back on the road!

We have just spent the 4 hours ribsticking & playing frisbee alongside the most beautiful mountains I have nearly ever seen. It has totally made being stranded w/ 20 teenagers funtastic! Our ride has arrived from Camp, 40 miles away so we are off to Winterpark- what an adventure already, isn't God so good!

17 hundeed & 50 hours-

ok, so we are on I70 @ exit 256 just outside Denver & the van, she's broken. Not sure what the problem is but think it might be the battery. Soooo 2 of our fearless leaders have headed up the mountain to find one. The wonderful children we have brought along are in great spirits & have not yet begun to turn on us. Please join us in praying that we will soon venture on to camp. (& thanks fer the prayer J to the 2nd power, um remind me what our prayer is please ?!) In Him & His glorious power to resurect old church vans doing Gods work, Amen!) LA

We're off!

Its 5:26 am & we are going through down town. The girlies are all chatty & hyper- I give it 45 minutes! :0) We are following the guys & they are hauling the bikes that all of you donated for the week, it blesses me that our church is such a wonderful family! I just hope that all the bikes make it back. Oh well, it would be tax write of! :0) The theme of our week is thristy, so pray that they all are, I. gonna go dig for my skittles!! Till next time! Leah

Pour Me out....

Fill me up w/ you...I am an Emmaun,which basically means I'm part of a particular christian fellowship because I took part in a retreat that you have to be asked to go on(there are now some who don't want to do it the original way it was set up & just take it upon themselves to get hooked up & go,that's not the way your supposed to experience it-it defeats the whole purpose & well, the ones that do that don't have the same experience,they are left lacking. I would really encourage anyone wishing to go to just pray & wait.After I went I returned later to serve & during that week I was poured plum out & came the closest to a mountaintop experience that I have ever encountered. I can still feel it when I stop & think back,I hope I always will.There are few times in your life when you get the chance to truely lay whatever "it" is down,I have been blessed & my life made so much richer during those precious times in my walk.I pray them for you too! Tomorrow I leave @4:30 am for camp for a week. I'm headed for the mountains of Colorada & am praying that as God leads me I will follow as I try & lavish His love on these10 precious girls.I am getting old, 37 isn't old, I can hear it now, but make no mistake, I aint no spring chicken. And when I think about whats required of me on these camp trips(yearly,sometimes bi annually)I'm always tempted to dred it.I have this time however, changed my approach. I'm believing that He's going to set our feet upon the rock & restore us to those high places. At FBCO when we go to camp they give somthing out w/ all our names so that we are all being prayed for while there,please pray for mountaintop expereinces for these girls & boys( not just high altitudes;0) that they lay "it" down & that we will see the glory of His Majesty in those Mountains & beautiful surroundings...Above all that He is magnified & that we all come home smelling just a little more like my Precious Savior. Thanks gang & I'll be checkin in if you'd like to let us know your a praying & believin! Till next time, LA

Memorial....

-GOING TO THE GONE
A checklist for Memorial Day
by Greg Asimakoupoulos
May 23, 2008-
Go look in on your children still asleep within their bed.
Remind yourself they’re safe and warm because of some long dead.
Go for a walk through cemeteries
lined with little flags.
Take time to ponder homebound heroes flown in body bags.
Go stand between those granite stones engraved with names and dates. Imagine all who died defending our United States.
Go on and kneel beside a marker
offering a prayer with gratitude for those who gave their lives
defeating terror.
Go home and count your blessings
from the hands of those now gone. Then vow to the Almighty that their mem’ry will live on.
The following note applies to this poem: Copyright 2008 Greg Asimakoupoulos. Permission is granted to send this to others, with attribution, but not for commercial purposes.

The Phantom Mystery Spot Does Exist!!

Its a real phenom @ casa Allen! The girls have chores & as typical teen girls, they don't do them properly- they do just enough to get by.Well today Chris had had it- Syd sprayed ant spray , left the jug sitting in the corner on the floor & dead ant carcus's were all along the wall in the kitchen left there for goodness knows how long... So @ first noone would admit who did it (we have soooo much of "no one did it" round these parts- its an epidemic actually!) Chris then said" well, your all three loosing your cell phones for a week then- because this is getting ridiculious! Suddenly, Syd realizes that hmm, it may have been her, but that the sand & surf of Gaveston for the past 4 days might have affected her memory. I sat w/ my mouth literally agape! ( they will w/ out hesitation, resort to anything to shirk responsibility) Needless to say, I then wrote an entire list of things they have to accomplish by 4 pm. As I write this, I smell the sweet odor of pine & hear the vaccume a runnin! Oh Happy Day!

What's the big deal?

Ok so I live in a house w/(counting me) 5 women (hence the blog addy) & we are heading south to Texas for a long weekend w/ the girls. Well there has been a series of pickin out outfits, warshin clothes, & packin for the last 2 days now. ( & that's just the girls) We leave tomorrow around 10 am & I havnt even opend my suitcase yet. Well we are eatin Tacos for dinner & the girls start talking about loading the car (its 7 pm!!!) to which I say" I havnt packed yet & still have stuff washing " OMGAW, you should have seen their faces. I had to leave the room cause of the rucus that broke out - they are ovbiously extremely concerned!! So it got me thinking, maybe I'm the one that's abnormal!? Well now I have to know, ladies are you a last minute packer or do you plan & take days to get ready for a trip? Alright, I've got to get finished puttin my sundries in my overnite bag! Till next time! LA