Monday, January 31, 2011

"Everything has beauty, but not everyone sees it."



It's amazes me how the Lord can changes ones perspective not only on life but ones perspective of His children.  Many of us can look at pictures of remote African villages, Haiti, the Middle East etc and all we see is devastation and the desperate need for help.  We don't take the time to truly look at the people, at the children, HIS children. 

There's a picture a friend of mine took last year on her trip to Africa.  When she first showed it to me, I remember thinking, "Wow, what a great picture".  But looking over that picture today I see so much more than that.  I see hope and beauty.  



I remember talking to my friend a couple weeks ago and looking at pictures of some orphaned children in Africa.  The first thing that I could think of when I saw the pictures, despite the heart wrenching story that went a long with it, was how beautiful these children were.  He makes everything beautiful. Everything is His and everything of His is beautiful.  Do you stop and take the time to see the beauty though?  You have to look past the devastation, the poverty, the torn and tattered clothing, and bare feet.  Look into the eyes and see the sweet smiles...that's beauty if I've ever seen it.

Below are pictures from a few friends mission trips, perfect examples of His beauty in everything:
Sudan:

 Uganda and Ethiopia:



 Haiti:

"Faced with what is right, to leave it undone shows a lack of courage." - Confucius

Friday, January 28, 2011

Beauty


"Imperfection is beauty, madness is genius and it's better to be absolutely ridiculous than absolutely boring." — Marilyn Monroe













Wednesday, January 26, 2011

Current Obsessions

These two groups, Zac Brown Band and Amos Lee, are my favorite artists at the moment. 

For your listening pleasure:



Amos Lee just released his new album, Mission Bell, and it's great stuff. The CD is currenting streaming in its entirety Here.

My favorite Amos Lee song, The Wind (Live @ Abbey Road):



Thankfully, both of these bands will be touring in Houston in the next couple months so this definitely won't be the last you hear of them.

I hope you enjoyed the musical stylings of these fine bands.

Happy Wednesday!!!

Monday, January 24, 2011

Fighting for her Life, Prayers Needed!!



A childhood friend of mine, Allyssa, is currently in the fight for her life.  She was diagnosed with viral cardiomyopathy (heart muscle disease) in 2006 when she was a college freshman.  She has since been fitted for a heart pump which is a mechanical device implanted alongside the patient’s own heart that takes over the pumping function of the weakened heart.  The last couple of weeks she has taken a turn for the worst and is getting worse by the day.  The right side of the heart is currently not able to keep up the circulatory support her organs need to keep functioning and because of this her kidneys are shutting down and liver fuctions are reducing.  They need to perform a tandem heart procedure to add a pump to assist the right side of the heart but are unable to do so until she's more stablized.  Simply, she urgently needs a heart transplant to survive and will remain in the hospital until a donor heart is found.

Please please keep Allyssa 'Smith' Babineaux, her husband Mike, and the whole Smith family in your prayers.  They are desperately needed!

Her story - Today Show (May 2010):


Story Update - Today Show (Dec 2010):
For the ‘Bionic Bride,’ Her Wedding Was ‘like a rebirth’

Today Show (1/24/11) - Bonic Bride Fights for Her Life

Saturday, January 22, 2011

Home Is Where The Heart Is

My dear friend Tamara is heading off to Africa this week.  Tamara regularly jokes that she was born on the wrong continent.  The Lord has given my sweet friend such a heart and passion for the people of Africa. She is an amazingly gifted woman that the Lord is using in mighty ways. This is just the first of many African adventures she's going to have this year.  There will be lots more about Tamara in the coming months so stay tuned!!

My continual prayers go out to her in her first trip back "home" this year.

Safe travels friend!



"I will take you home, will take you home wherever you are.
I will take you home, take you home with me."

Thursday, January 20, 2011

New Year, New Adventures

We are only 20 days into 2011 and this year has already been a whirlwind.  There are big things in store for me this year, some of which I know but many of which I can't even begin to imagine.  All I know is that this year, 2011, is going to be a grand adventure!


More Studying!
On the studying front, this spring I will be taking my last course requirement to be CPA exam eligible.  The last half of the year will be completely devoted to studying and taking the CPA.  This will be my last and most difficult hurdle before I can fully fit into this accountant family of mine =)  Brent and I reversed rolls in the grad school/CPA exam process and are fighting it out to see who finishes first. 


The Dominican Republic
The most exciting news of the year is that I found out yesterday that I will be traveling to the Dominican Republic in May.  I have signed up with Compassion International to go on a sponsors tour of the country.  We will not only be serving and helping with VBS in different development centers in the country, we will be be able to spend a day with our sponsor children.  For the past four years I have had the extreme privilege of sponsoring a sweet boy, Jose, in that beautiful country.  Jose is now 9 and lives in the plains of Batey Magdalena.  I feel so honored and blessed to be able to sponsor one of God's sweet children but I am so overjoyed with the fact that I'll get the opportunity to serve throughout that country and love on my sweet Jose some.


The Lord is moving so visibly in my life this year and I just can't wait to see what else is going to unfold.  When I get more details and updates on my great Dominican adventure I'll be sure to pass it along.  But for now, all I'm asking for now is prayer. Prayer for my journey, for my traveling buddies, for the country, and for my sweet Jose.  He said to go, so I'm faithfully following where he leads me. Eeeek, exciting yet nerve racking all at the same time!!


Where to?
Life often gives you two paths to choose from.  You can step out in faith and blindly follow where he leads or you can grab control and go it alone.  Which path will you take?

"And the King will answer them, 'Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.'" Matt 25:40