Life and all of it's crazyness.

So, I am still a traversing person on the road to my own life.
I still am looking for a job, and while I'm not yet having much luck, I did get three leads that I am going to call on later today...

I am currently residing at the McCall household for one last night. Then, tomorrow i start a house-sitting gig for the Lanzen's. I will be there from tomorrow night until next Thursday the 7th. That is a blessing to have because I'm still not sure about living conditions...

I'm not sure what is going to happen with Michelle's right now. I'm stubborn and want to be able to stay there and pay her for this coming month, but then I'm also stubborn because I don't want to have to sell my stuff, but i will if I need to...I just put my digital camera up for sale on Craigslist. I figure that enough people have a camera so I don't need one...
I will be planning on selling my laptop next...I still have my Ipod Touch so that will work for me, at least for right now...

SO yeah, life is full of kinks that need to b e worked out but I still hold fast to the knowledge that God has my life under control and it will all work out eventually. I am not panicking or worrying about what is going to happen because it adds nothing to my life, rather it takes away from my joy and happiness. I know that God is my provider, He is my source and he will give me what I need when I need it in the time that I need it in. I am blessed to have a family here in Denver whom I love and who loves me. I have friendships with many people and I know that if I do need something, it will be provided for me from someone.

I attend a wonderful church with a wonderful body. I am growing in my faith and am having to live it out actively. I am being put to the challenge of letting my yes mean yes and my no mean no. I am able to help people out in tangible ways, though not yet financially. I know that one day it will all fall into place. I am actively seeking out ways to be resourceful and to support those who I call friends.

I am blessed to have a place to stay, food to eat, and people that care about my well-being.

Christmas miracles

This is not really a post about miracles that have already happened. It is about those that I would like to see happen.

I would love to be able to find a job. A FT job would be preferable, but I would go for a PT one, at least to start out with. I really just feel that God is calling me to wait on Him. He is the God of my life who decides to do things last minute, but just when they're needed. So, I know that He is going to provide an opportunity for me. I think he just wants me to focus on my last 9 days of work, and also my last days of this class. I just have to be patient, calm, and collected.

Other notes of interest in my life include getting ready to move into my very first, pay for rent, apartment. That is exciting in and of itself. It's going to be in Capitol Hill, which is one of the many areas of main-town Denver. I'm going to live with 2 great roommates, one of which is 8 years old. :) It's going to be an experience, but one that will be enjoyable.

Right now I'm struggling with the whole money thing. I need something to break to be able to pay my bills. I'm tired of living and only being able to pay the minimum's on my bills. I want to be able to pay two of my credit cards off and have the other one down low as well. I also want to be able to help my sister out with her Cross Cultural. But, this money thing won't break until the job thing does.

Speaking of money, I've recently been looking at the Crown Financial Ministries Money Map and would like to be able to do this while I am young and have a smaller amount of debt. The whole premise is paying off bills, creating a savings, and buying smart. This is a great thing to start since I am young.

The first step is emergency savings of $1000. Step two is to pay of credit cards and increase savings to one month's living expenses. Step three is paying off consumer debt (student loans) & increasing savings to three month's worth of living expenses. Step four makes you begin to save for major purchases (home, auto, etc.) and also for retirement, children education, and if I want to start my own business or something of that nature. Step five is buying a home that I can afford, begin prepaying the mortgage, and also investing wisely, whether in stocks or bonds or CD's or MMA's. The second to last step is paying off the mortgage, making sure I have enough money to cover children educational needs. the last and final step is making sure my retirement is funded.

I am excited about the potential my life has. Life is going to be different from that which I grew up in. My ultimate goal is to not have to worry about money matters, to make sure that I have enough to cover my needs and then enough to cover other people's needs, too. There are so many things that life can bring, it makes me very excited!

Life is a great thing to be able to explore.

If you would, please pray that I would be patient for God's timing. I am finding that the more I talk about his timing, the more nervous I become. The more people ask about what I'm doing next, or go on about what will happen if i don't get a job, the more nervous I become. Deep down I know that God is going to provide, but I'm the kind of person who likes to know what is going on, and by relying on God, it causes things to be taken out of my hands and out of my control...

ultimately, I understand that I need to "be strong & courageous." I should "not be frightened or dismayed for the Lord [my] God is with [me] wherever [I] go." (Holmsman Christian Standard Bible, Joshua 1:9).

Pray for this.

Frick

It is officially December - the busiest month of the year. In more ways than one, of course.
This month:
my internship ends
I move into a new place [where I will have to pay rent]
- With new roommates [Michelle & her daughter Kelbie]
I will live in a new part of Denver
I will ride different busses to get to where I need to go
I [hopefully!] will start a new job
I will make more money & pay off some debts
I will most likely not make it home for Christmas
I will enjoy Christmas in Denver
I will send out Christmas cards [which I have never done before]

Woot Woot!

A life and time of change!

November, can you slow down?!

HI there :)

Life has been ever busy as usual, in the good sort of way.
I am currently 3 weeks into the last class I need to get my diploma, YAY!
It is going alright. I don't have the main textbook, which causes me not to really pay attention to the class and homework in general. I need to strive to do well, though - this is imperative.

my working life is going well. I am trying to keep busy and stay on task but am finding it hard to do so. I have only 5 more weeks at this internship and then I will be done. It is crazy to beleive that I have been here for 10 months already! Time sure does fly. For the most part my clients are doing well, some of them are going through struggles, but I have faith that they will get through it with dignity. There are some that really have it rough right now, I will admit. I'm just trying to be prayerful for them and hope that they are able to have faith that God is there with them and that this is not the end.

church life is absolutely fantastic. I am getting involved with my church - Providence Bible Church - and I really really love it there. THe people are fantastic and I really love them all. I learn so much about God and about myself by hearing the word and enjoying fellowship. I am engaged in a community group through them which is fantastic. I like it a lot. I am learning even more about myself and applying scripture to my life through it. I am also in a book club through PBC with the 20-somethings. We have our first session on Sunday and I am excited to see what it is going to look like and see how we are all going to grow, not only on our own, but also together

babysitting life: I have been picking up a lot of babysitting jobs. God has really been providing for me regarding this situation. He is just awesome, and through I still need to work on not squandering away my monies, I am making progress. I just got extra money tonight. It is helping me to pay my bills and also is giving me the ability to go out with my friends on the occasion.

social life is becoming more fun. I have been going out with friends semi-regularly. I try not to spend a whole ton of money but it's hard. I'm making new friends and trying to still keep in touch with those I know from college which is mostly proving difficult - this could be due to the fact that I'm not really trying that hard... I don't know.

I am working on trying to find a job for after November. I need to stop being lazy and finish the cover letter that I am working on. I don't really have the motivation to do so :( Sad, yes. Pathetic, doubleyes. Will I get it eventually, doubleplusyes.

That is my biggest thing right now is finding a job. We'll see what the Lord brings to me...

Well, I need to go get a few hours of sleep. I will post this paper tomorrow.

with love, blessings, and a grateful heart
Ama

So we run....

hi there friends.
Sorry for the long leave of absence.

Life here at TC is going well. Case management is also going well. It is keeping me busy and I am learning alot about what a case manager is, who I become as a case manager, and who I am in general. life is taking me for a ride these days, but it is a ride that I rather enjoy.

I am learning a lot of the resources around the Denver metro area and I am making a few contacts within these agencies. Like anything else, there is always more to learn as things change in the blink of an eye. I fidn that I enjoy being able to tell people who come here looking for help places that they can go and agencies - it makes me feel good to be able to refer them to places that are actually able to help them where they are at.

Most days work goes well though there are times when I become overwhelmed and am ready to leave for the day. I was really frustrated at intake yesterday with a person's situation and what seemed like he was going to be screwed over.

A litte background information:: when it comes to transitional housing, there aren't a lot of places like TC that, if you meet the requirements, you are able to move in the same day. Granted there are times when we don't have rooms open which means a family has to wait until one comes about - but we usually have a pretty decent rate of turn-over. Right now we have like 8 rooms open, or something like that. It's pretty ridiuclous, actually. This month there haven't been a lot of people who are able to meet our qualifications and move in. We have had at least 6 rooms open for like 3 weeks.

Back to this man - he was a single dad who was just kicked out of the shelter that he was staying in. [I'll be honest, I haven't been hearing great things about this particular shelter and it has been making me not so happy.] So, he comes here and because his TANF doesn't kick in until the end of the month, and we can't take him. I think about different places that would take him and his 9 month old daughter so that they don't have to sleep out in the cold. Nothing. Not a single damn place had space to take a single father. I was fuming! Absolutely upset. So much so that I'm working myself up to tears.

Thankfully God created us to be resourceful. After much thinking, he was able to overcome the fact that he didn't like his daughter's grandmother and took her there to stay for a few days until he's able to find an organization that can voucher him into here until his TANF comes in. I was able to get one of the residents in the NLP to call over to our downtown facility and secure this man a bed for 7 days. God was really working in this situation. So, as far as I know, he is there again tonight, waiting for an agency to say they have money to move him into our residence until the 1st of next month.

I know that God has this family in his hands and that he is working on hearts and has been planning for this very moment for ages. Speaking of God doing great things, in December I am going to be participating in something so very cool! My church has put together a fundraiser for our new building & it's operating costs, Denver's Road Home & the Denver Rescue Mission, called A Night In A Box.

I am so excited to be a part of this and see God work in amazing ways. Our goal is to raise $100,000 and to be honest, I see us raising a whole lot more than that. It sounds like a lofty goal, but I have huge faith that we are going to surpass it.
I am always looking for sponsors for this. It doesn't have to be a ton of money - $5 makes a huge difference. See A Night In A Box for details :)

God has blessed me immensely through Providence. I have made great friends, been a part of fun times and see myself staying there and being a part of it for a long while. :)

Time is getting away from me and I really need to head to bed. Have a 9 o'clock meeting in the am. Yikes!

With love & blessings,
Amanda

Year 2

Today was the 2nd, anniversay if you would, of dad's passing away after a tough battle with cancer.

It strikes me, how time has gone. I took the day off and spent part of it down by the rivers that I love here in Denver. While sitting/laying there, i thought it felt a little bit like South Haven. Like I could get up and go down to gma's house and say hello. In lieu of that I wrote on her facebook wall. :)

I took time to rest and relax after sleeping in this morning. I'm not terribly sad about the day. Sure, it brings back memories thinking about pops, but I know that he is in a better place and that I will once again get to see him, someday. Whenever it is that my time comes. Both my heart and mind have come to grasp that he isn't with me. Sometimes I forget it, though. I get this urge to call him, but then I realize that it's not his phone anymore - it's Andrew's, now.

Except I forget that when Andrew calls me [okay, the one time he called me] and the name showed up as Dave Brucki. That was a little bit of a stunner, I'll be honest.

Mostly, though, days are well, even with rememberance's of him. It's definitely bittersweet. It's usually been more sweet than bitter, though.

Well, I am getting tired, though it's only 8:05. I need to make some calls, see if some people want to hang out. It's free pie night at Village Inn. YUUUMMMM!

Labor Day weekend

Fun facts about Labor Day::

x It originated in Canada, first Hamilton then Toronto [which is near Michigan!]
x The first Labor Day in the United States was celebrated on September 5, 1882 in New York City
x Due to the aftermath of the deaths of a number of workers at the hands ofthe US military and US Marshals during the 1894 Pullman Strike, legislation making Labor Day a national holiday was rushed through Congress unanimously and signed into law a mere six days after the end of the strike.
x We can thank President Cleveland for this
x All 50 states have made labor day a natl. holiday
x Traditionally, Labor Day is celebrated by most Americans as the symbolic end of the summer. The holiday is often regarded as a day of rest and parades.
x some view it as the last weekend for parties before returning to school.
x Labor Day marks the beginning of the NFL and college football seasons
x Alternatively, Labor Day traditionally occurs on the first Monday in September

I enjoy labor day and all the things there are to do on this day.
Some places have parades, fireworks, etc.
It usually involves a big day of party.
Cooking out, laughing, playing games - it's the last big HURRAH! of summer, afterall.
Unless you have an Indian Summer.

:: Charaterised by sunny, warm weather in autumn, not long before winter. Usually occurring after the first frost, Indian summer can be in September, October, or November in the northern hemisphere.
:: In the northern U.S. state of Minnesota, for example, warm Indian summer weather generally occurs earlier, in mid October rather than early November.
:: value for determining whether an Indian summer is occurring is that the weather must be above 21°C (70°F) for seven days after the autumnal equinox
:: in the South as elsewhere, this period is more commonly known as the dogdays, in reference to the appearance of Sirius – the "Dog Star" – to the Ancient Greeks
:: Joe Walsh has a song called "Indian Summer" on the 1978 album "But Seriously, Folks..."
:: Pedro the Lion included a song called "Indian Summer" on their album Control.
:: Mandy Moore has a song called "Indian Summer" off her new album "Amanda leigh" [I hope this album is good, it is, after all, named after me!]
:: "Indian Summer" (the movie) was produced and written by Mike Binder in 1993.
:: Brooks & Dunn have a single released in 2009 called "Indian Summer".

I LOVE Indian Summers. It is my favorite time of year, by far! The leaves are turning colors, some are falling off by this time, and the weather is just as fabulous as ever. It's such a glorious time! The sun comes back out and you crave being outside. I hope they have Indian Summers here in Denver...!

Right now the weather is still wondrous, but I haven't been out in it as much as I would like.
The sun goes down ridiculously early here because of the moutains.
I don't appreciate that at all. The weather here is usually nice, though.
It is hard to believe it is already the 4th day of September.
I can feel this month is going to pass quickly.
The 16th makes it 2 years since Pops has passed.
Time really does fly.

I hope that I have a lot to do this Labor Day weekend.
I am too extorverted to spend as much time with myself as I have already.
I need energy and excitement.
People, friends, family, church, etc.
I have to get out and about.
I still need to do more things!

with love, blessings and a thoughtful heart,
.:Amanda:.

Life never slows down.

There is always going to be ebb and flow when it comes to living.

Coming and going;
beginning and ending;
hello and goodbye.

It's a never ending cycle.
But there is always beauty.
Even in the hard times.

How does one find beauty in family failure.
In a wife cheating on her husband.
And producing a child.
What about the four children the couple shares?

This family tragedy is one that I see again and again in our society.
It's sad how often this seems to happen.
This happened to one of our families.
Today the whole building saw the fermented fruits of this failing relationship.

It's hard to know how to deal with something like this if you've never been privy to this happening with anyone you know before.
It's not so hard, if you've seen it with your own eyes and experienced it with your own heart.
It feels like there is never anything you can say to the person on the opposite end who has had to suffer through this.
They will never understand it.
It's possible to try, but it's almost always incomprehensible.

We said goodbye, tried her hand at magic
We couldn't make us disappear
Not a day goes by, I don't wish I had you
So run away, I'm glad you're still here

It's a bitter sweet victory
Lovin' the ghost in front of me

Now I can't laugh, can't cry
And I can't run, can't hide

What do I gotta do?
What do I gotta do to keep you?
What do I gotta do to keep you
From doin' this to me?

I wrote a couple of notes
One in love, one in anger
They're lyin' there
Dyin' in the dresser drawer

Lived louder than my voice
Struggled through a stranger
He loved me
Till I loved you even more

It's a bitter sweet victory
Lovin' someone else who wanted me

Now I can't laugh, can't cry
And I can't run, can't hide
You get used to the pain and numb to the sting
Till you can't feel anything

You tried to explain, but I couldn't hear it
As if your words were my tears
Flowin' freely, warm and quiet
From the edges of my eyes and my ears
Then all that disappears

Now I can't laugh, can't cry
And I can't run, can't hide
Now I can't laugh, can't cry
And I can't run, can't hide

What do I gotta do?
What do I gotta do to keep you?
What do I gotta do to keep you
From doin' this to me?

Two sides to every coin

It's interesting to me that since I've been an intern here in Denver that I've not been able to get away from the homeless population. This, by no means, is a bad thing, it's just something that has stuck out to me in a big way. Not only do I work with the homeless, I live with them and I go to church with them.

Tonight I had a great time at church. I went to a leadership class there and we focused mainly on the fact that Community is central to the Christian identity. How truthful is that? Don't we classify ourselves by whom we hang out with. Life is all about community in both christian and secular settings. Even God is in community with the Trinity. We crave community in friends, family, husbands and wives, etc.

We focused tonight on what it means to facilitate discussion groups. Tonight was a leadership group targeted towards those who would like to take on the role of leadership within out church. I love the church [the church is the people not the meeting place] and I would like to at least be able to take on the role of a leader when necessary or when prompted. I enjoyed the 3 hour group.

One of the main activities we did towards the end of the night. was to "practice" facilitating a group discussion. So we met in groups of 4 and each of us picked a question out of a list provided and did the "facilitation" of the question. This list of questions was pretty intense. The four questions we asked were
..."Where do you draw the line between helping people and showing them how to help themseves? How do you strike a balance"
..."To what extent is your view of God influenced by your view of your father?"
..."How would you prefer to die - quickly without warning or slowly over time?"
..."What is the ideal age to get married? Why?"

The answers given by each member [including the senior pastor] were very interesting and insightful. For instance, the one about dying was particularly involved and revealing of one's character. I believe that the other three said they would prefer to die quickly. I, because of the situation with Pops [my dad] and him dying of cancer, chose to die slowly over time. One has to think a long time about this question. For me, it was simple. I remember how much I appreciated those last months with Pops and all the talks we got to have, the questions I was able to ask and get answers for, and the ability to have some sort of closure. Did dying slowly suck, absolutely. Did it pain me to the depths; Yes. But, was is worth it? Like nothing else.

I asked the last question in the group about drawing the line, and it was a great discussion and very thought provoking. God is a great God and really drove the point home.

Earlier in the session, I was outside with Teresa, from CH, and we were talking about how this seminar was pertinent to our lives and how she doesn't think this is the right church for her because they don't believe in having women pastors and teresa has felt the calling to be a youth pastor from her high school days and knows she wouldn't be able to do that here. Needless to say, she was feeling discouraged.

While we were out talking, a homeless lady came up to us asking for money. Teresa gave her a dollar. I had some money in my wallet in the meeting place but didn't want to give her any. All she was asking for was money - not food or water and I have learned from past experiences that homeless people who do that are not looking for nourishment, they are looking for drugs or alcohol.

Anyway, I went inside to get her some pepsi and brought it out to her. She asked what was going on inside and we told her and she decided to go inside. I'm glad she did. After all of that, while I was asking this question she came up to our group and asked Jay [the pastor] for some help - some money. Sadly, it was a great example to the question of how to draw that line. I suggested that in order to draw that line, you have to question the need of the person you would like to help. You almost have to do some background digging. Is this person honest, truthful and earnest about what they need and why they need it. Does this person desire to change? Or will they just use you until they find someone else?

The way that God teaches is often bewildering. He likes to throw real life situations into the mix and make us deal with it.

Question to take into consideration:
...When does the end justify the means?

"Blessed are those who dependo n the God of Jacob for help.
Blessed are those who put their hope in the Lord their God.
He is hte maker of heaven and earth and the ocean.
He made everything in them.
The Lord reminas faithful forever
He stands up for those who are beated down.
He gives food to hungry people.
The Lord sets prisoners free.
The Lord gives sight to those who are blind.
The Lord lifts up those who feel helpless.
The Lord loves those who do what is right.
The Lord watches over the outsiders who live in outr land.
He takes good care of children whose fathers have died.
he also takes good care of widows.
But he causes evil peopel to fail in everyhting they do.
-Psalm 146:3-9

with love, blessings and a grateful heart

when God works through us to touch another

Today I learned a lot about how God's timing is perfect.

I have a resident [Sarah*name has been changed] here who needed rental assistance - a money voucher to pay a portion of her rent here. She told me about this last week and in turn I gave her an application to one of the local organizations [HHH] that pay for 25% of the rent if the tenant pays for the other 75%.

I played phone tag with a lady at HHH and never really got anywhere. During this time I had Sarah* breathing down my neck because I was not replying to her phone calls [which I got about 3 times a week, sometiems even twice a day]. I had told her that when I knew something I would give her a call and since I still didn't know anything, I didn't call her regarding it.

Today, after about a week and a half of playing phone tag with , I finally gave in and decided to give the HHH lady my email address over the phone. That finally did the trick! She emailed me very soon after that to tell me that she had just phoned in the order to cut the check for Sarah*. I was so relieved for this! Today, Sarah's* rent was due. She just started a new job as a teacher and because of the school's start date, Sarah* doesn't have an income for the month of July [basically]. If this voucher had not come in, Sarah* [and her two children] would have been asked to leave for at least 30 days.

I called Sarah* to let her know the fantastic news and she was so thankful for this provision.

Praise God that his timing is always perfect, even when we have to wait until our last minute to receive his giftings. It's not good to doubt, but there is always a certain curiosity when it comes to having things one needs provided for as to when it is going to come through.

with love, blessing and a joyful heart

Key Cards

So, I counted today, and instead of having the normal amount of key cards in order to get into my room, I had a ridiculously large amount. Instead of having one, I had ten. Yep, I am a key card horder. Sometimes I just can't help it. I leave my key card in my room and then go down to get another one.
It's gotten worse since I figured out how to work the key machine so now I can make my own room keys and not have that accountability to bring it back down...

Today one of my clients left for a different housing. I am happy for her. Granted she did not gradaute the program or anything and wasn't really able to work it in regards to her savings account, but she is getting out of here. So, good for her.

I might add that this was one of my hardest clients. Through her I learned that not everyone appreciates the work that I do and some people probably feel that I could be doing a lot more to help them. The first couple meetings that we had together were okay. The last 3 - not so hot. She made it clear to me that I wasn't acting like the type of person [Christian] she thought I should.

For the past 2 or 3 months, she has been struggling with working a lot, not getting a lot of sleep and not making enough money to eat after paying her rent. When she was going through this, i did not know that I had the ability to give out food vouchers. I just recently found this out about 3 weeks ago. By this time she already had a second job and was now doing a lot better that previously. It is with this job that she is now moving out, going somewhere. Hopefully this is a place that she succeeds in and that she can find some sort of positive insight into things.

This was a lady that I wasn't really able to connect with. I don't know why not, I just know that we never clicked. This was really tough for me because I am a people pleaser and I enjoy being around others. I like to think that I am funny [most of the time] and most people laugh at the things that I say [or at the least they are laughing at me, which I still enjoy and can handle]. This lady did not, ever. It is not that I resent her for this fact, becuase i absolutely do not. I understand [now] that not everyone is going to like you. Most of the time this is due to matters that are outside of one's control. It could be a character flaw or perhaps there is something about myself that rubs her the wrong way. I have no clue. I do know, however, that this is one of the biggest learning experiences that I have had in a while.

That all being said, I really do wish her the best and pray that she follows God whom loves her more than anything. Would you, too, pray for her? Pray that God's mercy and grace would be bestowed upon her and that she would continue to find steady employment that provides her with the ability to pay her rent, to eat, and to also do things that give her rest and rejuvenation? Pray that she would continue to stay in line with the expectations that her PO have for her. That she would stay away from drugs and alcohol even if/when the temptation to give in is high. Pray that God would keep a protective shield around her to stop any unwanted contact from those whom she considers strangers.

with love, blessings, and a grateful heart

On today's episode of Around This Place

It's amazing to me how easily life can turn into one big soap opera...

Living in transitional housing with families, seniors, and singles takes a wearing out of one's soul.

There are days when living here is good and revives my soul, but there seem to be more and more days when living here takes a toll on me that I have a hard time replenishing.

I usually love hanging out with people, but am finding myself becoming more secluded and turning away from the hustle and bustle of life here. This is not always a bad thing regarding most people, but for me I think this is detrimental to who I am and how I live my life.



On the other flip of the coin, living here, a lot of times, is a whole lot of fun. I enjoy getting to know people and to hear of their stories. I find a lot of people would prefer that you listen to them, rather than talk over them or give them advice... So many people have a story to tell and get really tired of others thinking that they know it already. I have a problem with that sometimes. I think that I know who a person is and where they are coming from and I am usually wrong. I find that we all feel that our stories are important and often times telling them comes at the expense of allowing us to get to know other people.

Living a portion of my life here shows me that regardless of where one goes to live there is always going to be drama. This can be both exciting and disappointing, depending on the topic of it. I think that growing up people beleive that drama ends with high school which is entirely untrue. Life is a throwing together of drama and, oftentimes, politics.

I have learned quite a lot about myself since being here. I have figured out that I enjyo being right and I dislike immensely beign told what to do when it interferes with my ethics and values. I have understood the importance of seeing things from two opposing view points; issues are not always black and white - rather there is a lot of grey that colors different situations. This difference is not always bad. I have realized that most people have good intentions. It is just that quite a few of thsoe with good intentions somehow get misled along the way.

It is in these grey areas and these good intentions with bad consequences, that we learn the most about ourselves and realize things that we might never have learned just by seeing and labeling situations, emotions, reasons, thought processes, etc., as black and white. It is through viewing these different areas in a grey shade we are able to come to our own conclusions about how things should, or should not - for that matter, work and/or be run.

Oh Andrea...

Before the throne of God above
I have a strong, a perfect plea:
A great High Priest, whose name is Love,
Who ever lives and pleads for me.

My name is graven on his hands,
My name is written on his heart;
I know that while in heaven he stands
No tongue can bid me thence depart
No tongue can bid me thence depart.

When Satan tempts me to despair,
And tells me of the guilt within,
Upward I look, and see him there
Who made an end of all my sin.

Because a sinless Savior died,
My sinful soul is counted free;
For God, the Just, is satisfied
To look on Him and pardon me
To look on Him and pardon me

Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Praise the One,
Risen Son of God!

Behold him there, the risen Lamb
My perfect, spotless righteousness,
The great unchangeable I am,
The King of glory and of grace!

One in himself, I cannot die
My soul is purchased by his blood
My life is hid with Christ on high,
With Christ, my Savior and my God
With Christ, my Savior and my God.

There is just something about a Shane and Shane song that gets me. You can feel the passion, swelling up, bursting to get out of your soul deep within. I am constantly reminded how good God is and how blessed we are to know Him and to be loved by Him.

I have been learning, this week, just how deep God loves us and cares for us. There is a lady here where I work, a resident who has some mental issues. I am not sure what exactly is going on as she does not have a case manager right now, but there is definitely something. I would say that she is off of her medications whether that means she is just refusing to take them or is out of them, I do not know. What I do know is that she has to leave by next week because we are not a facility that deals with mental illness as we do not have the means nor the capacity to deal with that type of situation. I do know that God loves her just as much as He loves me. I have come to the conclusion that I might not be the best person to work with those living with mental illness. I do know that there are many qualified people who can.

Through a series of incident's with this lady, she has come to consider me a good friend, which I am blessed by. Earlier today she offered me some of the food that was on her plate. I kindly turned her down and made sure that she was not offended by it. During that same conversation she told me that she was going to have her daughter (who is currently in foster care) buy me some fruits and vegetables and I said, "no, that is alright but thank you so much, I really appreciate it" she replied that "it's what a human should do." I was so blessed by her thought for me and her generosity! As I was leaving she told me that she loved me. :) My heart swelled with love and mercy for her.

She is still struggling with some issues right now. Earlier she called the police but wouldn't let them into her room and it has just been a complicated mess at times. I say all of that to say that God has infinite love for her. I don't know who some people are affected by mental illness while others are left untouched but I glory in the fact that eventually God is going to restore all of us to our former glory.

And, after you have suffered for a little while, the God of all grace who called you to his eternal glory in Christ will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you. [1 Peter 5:10]

All I can do for her now is try and search out places that would be beneficial for her and would truly help her to regain an astute consciousness in which she can function in society. Would you be willing to pray for this situation? I would really appreciate it. “Again, assuredly I tell you, that if two of you will agree on earth concerning anything that they will ask, it will be done for them by my Father who is in Heaven.” [Matthew 18:19]

I leave you with love, blessings, and a grateful heart.

God is still in control.

Today was an exhausting day. I am not sure if it is primarily due to the fact that I only got 5 hours of sleep or not. I will say that between the 5 hours of sleep, losing 3 of my families in the last week, having a bit of a confrontation with one of the relatives of one of the families I had to ask to leave, going to breakfast for an agency visit, having a meeting from 1-2:30, having another meeting from 3-6, a meeting from 6-6:30, I am very much qualified to be exhausted.

It's not that this line of work is physically draining, rather, it is emotionally draining.
I cannot say that it is not good, however. It definitely is rewarding, but like anything else, it takes it's toll out on you.

Pray that I would be able to seek quiet time with Jesus tonight. A refreshing that is far overdue.

Be blessed this day.

With love and blessings,
<3 me.

Psalm 23 (for the Workplace)

The Lord is my real boss, and I shall not want.
He gives me peace, when chaos is all around me.
HE gently reminds me to pray and do all things without murmuring and complaining.

He reminds me that He is my source and not my job.
He restores my sanity everyday and guides my decisions that I might honor Him in all that I do.

Even though I face absurd amountsof emails, system crashes, unrealistic deadlines, budget cutbacks, gossiping co-workers, discriminating supervisors and an aging body that doesn't cooperate every morning, I still will not stop---for he is with me! His presence, His peace, and His power will see me through.

He reaises me up, even when they fail to promote me.
He claims me as His own, even when the company threatens to let me go. His faithfulness and love is better than any bonus check

His retirement plan beats any 401k there is!
When it's all said and done, I'll be working for Him a whole lot longer and for that, I BLESS HIS NAME!!!

Author: unknown.



This is posted on the filing cabinet next to my desk. I don't read it every day but I revel in the fact that God is who I work for. To think in terms like that is what makes my job worthwhile.

Speaking of my job, I will be keeping it a little bit longer. I am staying in Denver until December at the earliest. I am praying about it, and will figure out whether I will accept a position to do the same thing I have been doing until May of next year. Please pray for me in the area of guidance as to whether this is where I should be that long. I know that as of right now, I would not accept a position with the M unless it was doing case management. Ultimately that is what I would like to do; at least for now. I love being here for clients and finding resources that are able to help them. I want to empower them to take responsibility for their own actions and as or right now, for the most part, that is what is happening. Mostly I enjoy this position very much and appreciate the fact that God has put me here to do his work in a way that I don't even understand.

In lieu of accepting this internship until December, I am going to send out support letters that are seeking both financial support as well as prayer. For me, both aspects are important. If you would like to help in either way, please comment with your address.

For right now I am seeking God in every way possible. I know that I don't always do the best job of it, but I think that life is about learning from one's mistakes and I personally know that there is always room for improvement.

Blessings to you all.
Amanda

ME 517 GG

I have a picture of a boat. It is next to my desk, on top of the AC unit. There are two boats actually. Of the old rowing style. The water is calm, as if it is glass. I can see three oars in the white boat. The oars, like the boat itself, are wooden. It's a picture of a simpler time, a time when taking a day off work to go fishing was no big deal. When being on the water, without a motor was enjoyable and relaxing. The reflection of the boat on the water is wavy, reminding me that just because something looks picturesque, doesn't mean that life is always calm.

Below the surface, which I cannot see, I am positive that there are hundreds of fish swimming around, waiting for their next bit of food; wherever that comes from. There are water plants that have been growing for thousands of years, which still do not come to the surface. I keep wanting to look past the mat board to see what lies past the boats on this lake. Is it surrounded by weeping willows? Are there other people on the lake? Housings with windows that overlook this lake? Questions are endless as I bask in the glory that I have known before and that I wish I could find here in Colorado.

Glory of a God that created all things. I see this in the mountains and in the way the rain puddles up on the rough, cracked pavement and blacktop, waiting to flow downstream to bask in the softness of the grass. I see it in the people I work with everyday, those with spirits that are looking for refreshment and which are longing for love. A glory that brings to light how much God loves us and how much he longs to be with us. A love that shines down on us with glimpses of grace and mercy from our lover up above. One which reminds us just what it cost to capture us and set us free, to rescue us from the chains and heartaches that we are all too used to.

This is the place where I realize that everything is so much bigger than myself. This is where I attempt to grasp just what that means for my life, my will, my spirit. How do I go from here, a changed person, and live life like I have been changed. What does that mean for me? As a friend, daughter, sister, lover, acquaintance, and more. I don't know. Perhaps I will never know, but I can't stop trying to figure it out. I have to pursue this change, this difference.

This is me, attempting to become more vulnerable, dependent, gracious, loving, kind, gentle, firm, agreeable, and through it all learning to lean on my God whose yoke is easy and burden is light.

Long time, no what...?

No blog - that's what.

More often than not I realize that I don't really fancy this blog writing like I think I should. Whether that stems from not know what to write, or I guess in my case not knowing how much (or how liitle) to write. I'm a bad blogger, this is true.

I am finding life to be busy. I think it has always been busy, I am just starting to realize it a little more. Saturdays tend to be my sleep-in-and-not-do-anything days. It's nice to be able to get some sleep and not worry about when I need to get up. Those days are the best.

This getting up and being to work by 9am has never been my thing, and I'm worried it never will. It's not that I wouldn't like to not have to be to work by 9, it's the fact that there are so few jobs that give me the ability and opportunity to come in later. I think my ideal work day would be 10-6. Yup, that's it. Long enough to be able to stay out late at night and early enough to feel productive.

I have been living life in the fast lane as of late. I have been doing a lot of thigns at work - it is very time consuming. I love what I do but I understand how easy it is to get burnt out. It's easy to give and give and give of yourself, but if I am not filling myself up then I will soon be useless. I have had a fair share of clients come and go already. It's crazy to think that I've only been doing this for a little over 2 months. This job causes time to feel like it goes so quickly.

But it's hard to leave something that you love to do.

I have come to love each and every resident here. They all bring something special to the table. On that note, could you pray for me? I have asked to be able to stay until the end of the year. I will find out by the end of the month (which is in a week and a half)! I want to stay here only if it is where I am supposed to be and if this is what I am supposed to be doing. If I am not supposed to be here I have been praying for a door to be slammed in my face.

I would love to stay here and continue to do what I do and discover more about myself through all of this, but I know that sometimes I want to do things that I am not supposed to be doing. I just want a clear and definitive answer.

If the answer will be no I pray that I would find something else I love to do, that an option would be open in front of my face and that I would feel it and be passionate about it.

If the answer is yes I will be sending out financial support letters to friends and family. I am not expecting anything out of them. If family and friends have extra money to send and indeed want to send me money then I will take what I am offered. I ask that I would not become greedy about the money. It is just hard only making $150 a month and being able to maintain a checking account as well as even think about putting money into a savings account. The LORD my God knows what I need and I am sure that he will provide it.

All in all, things are going extremely well here.

Life is blossoming before my eyes. Friendships are being made and living is pretty swell, as well.


I will attempt to post more, on a more regular basis.

For now I leave you with love.


Blessings <3

Forever your girl

I love 80s music. Why does it have to be sooo fun?!

I don't have too much of an update, but I just wanted to post a little, "HI!" to all of your lovely faces! It's crazy how fast time goes, I'm coming home in less than 2 weeks and the more I think about it the more excited and anxious I become for it!

I would like to have a lot of fun while I am there, even if it may mean breaking some concept rules. I just won't tell anyone, especially not Rebecca Kelch ;)
But for real, I am so EXCITEDDDD!!!!!!

I am getting my hair cut, colored and styled tomorrow - hopefully! I don't see a reason why I would not get it done, but it may not come about. I'm letting James do whatever he would like to it. I have no preference. none. Just something FUN!

I should be working on a paper but I am not a little high-strung. I need to release some of the energy. I may stay up pretty late tonight; I really need to bang this paper out! Tis the truth! I wish I had some sort of chatting function to use and talk with people I miss right now. That's one thing that gets me the most frustrated is not being in the loop with regards to people's lives.

Indeedey so. :D

Anyway, I should go and do something, like hw preferably!

Blessings & lots of LOVE!

Play Your Part

"someday we'll all have perfect wings..."
I've picked up on the fact that I have not been living life daily. There are times when I do, don't get me wrong, but the whole line about me wanting to live life daily on a daily basis has not been following suit.

I wish I had more evidence to back this up with. However, I do not. I have not been working on my humongo welfare paper. It's not a good thing. Bonnie hasn't written me back yet and it's very frustrating because I need to know if I am on top of it or if I am not doing what I'm supposed to be doing. It's really becoming a pain in my ass.

The work week last week was really good. Wednesday wa a busy day. I had two meetings with new cases. It went well, for sure. On Thursday I had yet another CM meeting and I did it all by myself! It felt so good to be released from people sitting in on my meetings. Granted, I wanted them to, but to do a meeting all by myself was wonderful. After that I went to a Family2Family meeting put on by one of the agencies around here. It was nice to be able to network a little bit and just see the other agencies who are around here.

Thursday night I went John's (a house manager who used to be an intern of my friend Ashley's) small group for the second time and I really enjoyed it. It makes me wish I was able to go more; I don't know when I'll be able to go next... :( Ashley spoke at the small group this week. Ashley went to Columbine and was a sophomore during the shootings. She has an amazing story and I was honored to be able to hear it once again. It reminds me that God is still in control. After she was done talking we stayed for a couple hours longer at John's house talking and relaxing. Ash is going through a rough time at work right now and she's not sure when it is going to end. Her and John talked about it a lot; it was nice that they were able to share the experience since John was an intern in this specific program before.

Friday was a decent day. I went out that night, and was I ever glad for that. We went to this little bar downtown-ish called Charlie Brown's [it reminded me of all of the people who did Zeke's Ride]. I went with Ash and Crystal (my roommate) as well as 1 other girl and 3 guys from church. I think the thing I appreciated the most about it was seeing that there doesn't have to be a dichotomy between drinking responsibly and Jesus. We actually witnessed to a guy who was there. It was pretty cool actually. This guy had some things in common with Mike, one of the kids from my church, so they were able to lay some ground work. It was good. Besides that, we had a lot of opportunities to get to know one another better. We shared some of our best awkward & embarassing moments.

I never fully realized that I don't really have any embarassing moments. It's intriguing really. How can I not have embarassing moments? I did finally have one just yesterday! I was coming out of the front office after sitting in a chair to get a drink of water. I made it from the office to the drinking fountain and finally my friend Jim told me that my dress was stuck in my leggings. Praise Jesus for the fact that I was actually wearing leggings. It would have been really embarassing had I not been! :)

I'm working on studying for my clep exam that I will take a week from tomorrow. I ask for your prayers that I would be able to pass the test because I have studied well. !

On that segway - I'm going to get back to studying now.

Blessings!

Must be.

I have noticed that I tend to make posts at nighttime when in reality I should be close to sleeping.

I'm impressed with people as of late. Sometimes they just surprise you.
On Saturday afternoon I went to my church to meet up with some of the other attenders. We then went out and canvassed the neighborhoods to invite people to come to our Easter service. I went with Brad, a 20 year old Denver native, and we started out knocking on doors. But we just weren't really feeling it. So, we just started to walk around - go where we felt led and so on. In the midst of this God was working. It's amazing the way things begin to work out. We met a few people, mostly homeless. We handed out little pieces of paper that told of what we were going to be doing, but that wasn't the extent of our works.

We went up to two homeless people in the park next to our church and handed out flyers to them. They came this morning. Now, as far as I know they didn't stay for the service, but we did provide them with a most delicious breakfast and friendly hospitality. We did what we could, and now God has to work in them. The seed has been planted, and that was what we wanted.

Next we walked around and saw parts of the city we've never seen before. It was good. That was when we met Vincent. He was a cute old man, with yellow eyes and crooked and missing teeth. We talked with him for a few minutes. We gave him a sheet and told him we would love to see him. He was a fantastic man. We asked if we could pray for him but he said no. It was okay, though. God was doing a work in him and still is. I was sad that he didn't make it to church this morning. I have been praying for him off an on throughout the entire day. I miss him. When we left him, we both gave him big hugs. My heart went out to him.

As we left him and continued to try and feel where we were supposed to be going, we ran across more people. Some young 20 guys playing a game of pickup in a little park. We gave them the flyers, but I could tell that they weren't feeling it. It was rather awkward, but I'm still glad we intiated some kind of contact with them. Who knows what God will grow in them in the coming months or years.

I felt that God was using us the whole time. It was amazing to get out and talk with people and to offer up help if we could. One of the last stops we made before we headed back was at a house with a lady coming out of the door. At first Brad and I walked past her but I felt God saying, "go to her." It was kind of a mutual unspoken decision between Brad and I to go back. We did and gave it to her. She, Telula, told us that she acutally attended Providence [how cool is that?] and that she was planning on going anyway. We were about to leave when Telula asked if either of us had $5 or $10 bucks that we could give her. Neither Brad nor I had any money on us, but Brad was gracious enough to run back to his car and grab some for her.

So, while he ran there I stayed with Telula and asked her about her life and her situation. She told me about her life, that she was currently homeless but recieved deceased widow benefits and that she had a voucher for section 8 housing. We talked a little more and I told her that I would worked for the DRM and that I would probably be able to help her. So I got some more information about her life and wrote it down. While we were talking, two men that she knew came up and were also asking me questions. Here is the strange part... One of the men that had come up to us was at DRM the previous Thursday and I actually had sat in on intake with him and Steff. We were not able to provide the help that he needed because he did not qualify for our program but I had felt a strong inkling to help him but I wasn't able to act upon it at that time. Isn't it curious that the Lord would bring him back into my life?

I told him that I would look into a few options and that I would get back to him sometime this week. So, after I came back to the Crossing last night, I went to my office [where I now currently sit] and looked up a few different options for him. It's still a work in progress, but I feel like it is something that I needed to do. After that Brad and I walked back to Providence and proceeded to go our separate ways. He was going to take the two guys that we had just met out for a sandwich and I was going to Ashley's house to hang with Seabrooke [yes, that is her real name...] for a while.

Then, to add more wood to the fire, I saw him again this morning after coming back from the church's easter egg hunt! Might I add that Denver is not a small city. There are many parts to it. I was impressed with seeing him again. I do not believe that things are coincidence

Coincidence is God's way of staying anonymous.

So I am pushing on and am continuing to look for housing options for him.

With that in mind, could I ask for your prayers? I want to glorify God in this and the only way I know how is to seek him and to ask for his guidance and grace. I would love to be able to find housing for this man, but I know that there are a few factors that may inhibit this process and I would just like for God to be in the midst of it. I would also like prayer for myself, that I would learn of the best places to refer people and to be able to compile a list and a relationship with other case managers around here. That I would be able to effectively convey the message of the crossing to those who need it and that I would become a competent case manager.
Blessings,
Am

Life Won't Always Be This Way

That's a funny concept to think about, yes? That life won't always be this way.
Life and the living is well these days. Sure, there are some things that weigh me down, but it all works out in the end. How wonderful to know that; that TRULY in the end, we win. GOD wins. It's fantastic. :)

I'm working on writing a paper right now for my Social Welfare Policies class. It's a bit rough going, I guess. I'm just trying to do it and do it well. and soon. Things are catching up to me and will continue to do so until graduation. There is so much work to do between now and then, it can be a bit overwhelming. But then I remember to take it one step at a time and it gets better.

Right now I am beginning to look for a job that will help me sustain the lifestyle here.

It's been tougher than I thought to make $140 a month.

I have credit card bills to pay along with a phone bill.

that doesn't leave me much for spending money...

Oh well - what's a girl to do? Find a job and stop complaining, that's what :)

So on that note; I have been looking into jobs.

I kind of applied for one this weekend as a weekend residential coordinator through VAC.

I don't know if I'm qualified for that...we shall see.

It would be very good experience for me.

I have also been looking into part time nanny jobs.

Starting on Monday I switch internships.

I'll be working with STAR [Strategic Transitional Assistance & Response].

There I will be a case manager and will be able to put my

social work skills to work.

It will be a nice change. I was starting to get a smidge bored with Champa.

It was hard having only one kid in the program I was working in.

This last week I felt like I wasn't really needed.

And when I don't feel like my services are needed-

I don't feel obligated to go to work.

It's not a good situation.

Nope, nope, nope

Well, I should prolly get to working on this paper.

Or get to sleeping.

Leaving for church at 8:40 tomorrow morning...

I stayed up until 3 last night

perhaps not the best choice.

But slept til 1 this afternoon.

that was a better choice.

most definitely.

Good, good, good or good?

Good is life & life is good.
I know - it doesn't make any sense and I'm not sure that I would be pleased if it did.

Did you know: there are 45 definitions for the word GOOD in the dictionary. How is that possible you say. I myself am not quite sure. Could you imagine understanding the difference and applying that to the word every time you used it?

I can't.

In the past two weeks, I have seen 3 different movies in the theaters. Marley & Me, New In Town & InkHeart. They have all had good parts in them. And I don't feel bad about seeing them since, after adding the three prices up, I've only spent $11. CRAZY, yes? Yes, considering that I spent $10 on one of them alone, and a mere $ .50 on each of the other two. Oh, and before that, I saw a movie in February: Paul Blart: Mall Cop. I'm not even ashamed to say that I liked it a little bit...

I enjoy $ .50 movies! I don't even mind the fact that they are a little bit older.

Growing up, we rarely went to see movies in the theater.

We waited until they came out on DVD so we could rent them.

I like seeing movies in theater.

I also like writing in small type.

Life is treating me well right now. There are definitely times when I like to complain - mostly about the lack of car, but honestly I've got it good here.

Not gonna lie.

Last night was one of my most eventful nights since I've been here.

And by eventful I mean where I've done the most different things

and that I've stayed up the latest.

I went with Ashley & Candace to what I like to refer to as SAG

Single's Awareness Group.

Which it wasn't by any means.
Well, I guess that it did kind of make me aware that I am single,

but not in a depressing kind of way.

This was actually a young adult night put on by the worship pastor of Providence

Who also happens to be from Michigan.

We had a good chat about that.

and Minnesotan accents, don't-cha-know.

After that, I left rather hurriedly because we

[Pearson, Crystal, Isaiah, Isaiah's friend, myself and SeaBrooke]

were going to go to Red Rocks and hang out a lil.

SeaBrooke & Isaiah both drove and we wound up racing.

SeaBrooke, Crystal & I won, of course.

I would never ride in a losing car.

And I made a new friend in SeaBrooke

I enjoy new friends!

So much!

Well Red Rocks was FREEZING! but it was lots of fun.

Pearson brought her guitar and Isaiah's friend, Will, played it for us a bit.

He's good at guitar which was nice.

Singing in the Ampitheater was fantastic!

The sound was amazing.

As was the view of the city of Denver from there.

Which I wish I would have gotten a picture of. :[

After we left Red Rocks, we raced to The Shoppe -

a sweet Cereal Bar/Cupcake Shoppe.

It's greatness in the making, of that I am sure :D

We were there until closing - which is 2 am!

I am going out on a limb to say that this was the longest I have stayed up since I've been in Denver.

It's kind of AMAZING mixed with SAD and DISAPPOINTING.

I have been through all of those little emotions.

But you do what you can, I reckon.

So, yes. That was my night.

It was good [advantageous; satisfactory for the purpose]

Life is still beautiful...

...even when we mistake it for being ugly and nasty.

I think there is something about looking past what seems to be to strive for a glimpse of what is really just hidden most of the time.

I was riding the bus home on Wednesday [I had to work the midday shift, instead of the regular late afternoon shift] and I was reminded of how good people still are. We had rounded the corner and as we were doing so and heading to the next stop, people in the triangle were making oversized give-me-your-attention motions. They were letting the bus driver know that the man wheeling across the way in his wheelchair (wc) was headed to our stop to get on.

I don't know about you, but I'm pretty sure that a man wheeling a wc is fast, but not super fast. So, I looked over out the window and I see a younger homeless man jogging the guy in the wc to the bus stop. It was such an honestly nice gesture it brought a huge smile to my face!

The man was a really haggard looking fellow, old and a bit decrepid [it's the truth!] with this big white beard. He boarded the bus and flirted with the bus driver a little bit, who flirted right back, might I add ;) This man had the greatest spirit - he was just talking to all sorts of people on the bus and waving at a baby who was smiling and cooing right back at him. :o) I was very much surprised to see how loving and gentle this man was.

After he had gotten on, we made a little bit of small talk. He asked
me something but I didn't hear him so I say, "yeah" like in a questioning sort
of way.

He reiterated what he said and I actually heard him this time,
"Can I have a kiss?"
I kind of chuckled and shook my head while saying,
"No"
"I thought that was too easy," he replied.

It was one of the cutest things ever, I think. Soon after this, he got off to transfer to a different line to get to the airport. I do not know if this man was homeless or not. I wish that I would have asked him more questions and talked with him some more. He had on Western Michigan gloves and I really just wish I would have asked him about it. Maybe he was from Michigan and then we could have had a common bond - we do live in an all too entirely connected world :)

I keep hoping that one day I'll get to see him again, but I've never seen him before and I think it's not all too entirely possible, but God is good and it could happen.

I find that I see a lot of beauty on the bus. Granted, there is a lot of vulgarity too, but I am a firm believer that beauty, grace and goodness can outweigh any of the dirty and nasty things that life can sometimes throw at us. There are always way that people surprise me on the bus: the way they get up to let someone else sit in their seat; people who help secure the strollers that might come on the bus; the list really is endless. It just seems that every time I ride the bus, though it hasn't been much, I catch myself smiling a little bigger and feeling my heart expand a little f u r t h e r.

How is it that we serve such a GREAT God?

Recently I went to an all-staff meeting with DRM & they presented a chapter of a book entitled How to Keep it Once You've Got It; at least that was the name of the chapter. Basically it was saying that we need to ask God to do three (3) things with us every day when we wake up.

Stretch Me

• do the impossible - ask God to stretch me in new & humbling ways
• allow me to serve God to glorify Him
• [GLORIFICATION]

Ruin Me

• Break my heart
• God messed me up - he consumed me
• Get rid of the emotional shell - it's risky but worth it
• Feed the hurt - let it grow; God will provide for us
• [VULNERABILITY]

Heal Me

• Ask God to take me and make me new
• Learn to relax
• Stop giving into pleasure - even pleasing people
• [PLEASE GOD]

They went further and applied this to the the meaning of what we do at Denver Rescue Mission. Who we are and why we're here

:: We are an ambassador for Jesus Christ and a servant to the poor
:: Changing lives in the name of Christ
:: Meeting people at their spiritual & physical point of need
:: For those who are willing, we offer practical programs to provide productive & self-sufficient citizenship

6 goals:

.intentional outcome
.opportunity to know who God is and how He operates
.skills to live in community
.justice for all - same rules & policies for everyone
.good learning environment
&
.clear expectations

Proverbs 3:7, :13-14 & :27 (italics World English Bible, WEB, version) [Bible in Basic English, BBE, version]

x. 7 Don't be wise in your own eyes [Put no high value on your wisdom:]. Fear Yahweh [let the fear of the Lord be before you], and depart from evil [and keep yourself from evil].

x. 13 Happy is the man who finds wisdom [Happy is the man who makes discovery of wisdom], the man who gets understanding [and he who gets knowledge]. 14 For her good profit is better than getting silver [For trading in it is better than trading in silver], and her return is better than fine gold [and it's profit greater than bright gold].

x. Don't withold good from those to whom it is due [Do not keep back good from those who have a right to it], when it is in the power of your hand to do it [when it is in the power of your hand to do it].

God has called us to be faithful to Him!

A few hours at the zoo!

The penguins were perhaps my most favorite animals...

There were so many of them and they were just so cute.

We didn't get to see them swim, though and that was

a scotch disappointing!

We tried to get them to swim, though!;

To no avail...

Contrary to popular belief,

the humps in camels do not contain water

only fat to help them survive when they can't find food...

Lions, lions everywhere!

Well, maybe not so much.

I love the Rhino!

I nicknamed him Rippy the Rhino

- he was a grand fellow :)

Sea Lions @ the zoo.

They are so much fun & are busy little guys!

I like this picture of the girls :)

They were so into watching the elephants

It was cutesey!

There were 2 sloths in with the birds!

I thought it was pretty cool.

The elephants were covering themselves with dust - and I took a video of it. It's amazing how they maneuver, ps!

It was free day at the zoo on Tuesday and we take every free day we can get! It was good, it was a little on the packed side, but good nonetheless :) It was nice and sunny& I even got a titch of sunburn :D ALWAYS a good thing ;)

And the census states...

I was at Wells Fargo cashing my payroll check (thankfully, because I didn't have any cash for the bus ride back) and my teller looked at my drivers license and said, "Yay for Michigan."

This led me to believe that she was indeed from Michigan,

which turned out to be way right :)

I asked her where she was from and she said Kalamazoo

and I told her that I was from South Haven.

She also went on to say that went to South Haven

every summer

[go figure].

I asked her if how long she had been

here in Denver and whether she liked it.

She has been here for just over

4 months & said that it was

nice but people were different here.

And I knew

EXACTLY

what she meant!

We came to the conclusion that:::

...that it is the altitude that does things to these silly Colarodians [colla-rod-e-ens]. I would bet that nearly everytime I smile at a random stranger on the sidewalk, on the bus, or anywhere else for that matter [with the exception of Wal*Mart strangely enough] people either don't smile back, don't acknowledge my existence or look at me like I grew two separate heads. I don't really understand.


It's funny to be able to have this kind of conversation at a bank telller window. There was more, like how she had lived in ATL for the past 7 years for school and stuff. It's amazing the things you can learn when you talk to people :] What if everyone talked this much? Sheesh!