Chefs for Peace

Dude... Check out this article in BBC news, Middle East... it's about these chefs that have come together who are Christian, Jew and Muslim... Palestinian, Israeli... Arab and Jew... brought together by the same ingredients. One more example of how human people are in the midst of conflict and despair... these in the kitchen don't want to kill each other, but to feed each other. How neat is that? I love this quote...

"In the kitchen, we use the most dangerous utensil, the knife," Kevork opines. "But here all of us - Muslim, Christian, Jew - we use it to make beautiful food."

Wow. Check it out...
Jerusalem Diary: Monday 25 February

Water. God.

I am mesmerized by water. Absolutely in awe of the stuff. I mean, think about it. Think about all the places all over the world that water is. It's in lakes, oceans, rivers; it's in ponds, sewers, mudpuddles, fire hydrants, camel humps; it's in toilets, showers, sinks; it's inside of us. And then think about water itself. There is something so calming and refreshing about water: a relaxing day fishing, a nice hot shower or cold shower after a good run, a wonderful day at the beach. And yet, there is something so powerful and terrible about water: a kayak careening out of control down an angry rapid river, a hurricane or huge waves of a tsunami, a person submerged in a body of water unable to swim, a power plant thriving on the dam it sits next to. Water is incredible. I love to be in water; I love boating and fishing and swimming, yet at any moment when I am doing any water activities I can be overtaken by an overwhelming sense of fear. Seriously, this happens to me every time I swim or boat or am near a large body of water. I feel safe, at ease, and carelessly and joyously am enjoying the day when suddenly my chest feels tight and I think, "What if I forget how to swim? What if the boat goes down? What if a storm suddenly comes up and the water surrounds me? What if I died in this water?" Soon I forget my fear and continue whatever I am doing, but later am in awe at the rapid way my thoughts changed. To me, water is like God. I mean think about it. Think about all the places God is. He is everywhere and touches everything, clean or unclean... just like water. And think about God Himself. There is something so calming and refreshing about our Maker, and yet there is something so powerful and terrible about Him. God is incredible. And much like water, God can be longed for, wanted and desired as in a time of drought, yet at the same time He can be feared and ran from like the fear of the coming of the rainy season before being fully prepared, or the coming of a storm with no shelter, or the fear of drowning in a lake with no life jacket. I am mesmerized with God. I love being in a relationship with Him the same as I love to be in water. Yet, I struggle similarly. I'll be feeling safe, at ease, and carelessly and joyfully enjoying life when suddenly my chest feels tight as I think about the future and I think, "What if I make a wrong decision? What if my dreams and all that I worked hard for falls down? What if a storm suddenly comes up and surrounds me? What if I lose those close to me?" It is interesting then to note that the more I dig into God in my moments of fear, I quickly lose my fear and continue whatever it is I am doing, and then later step back and look in awe at the rapid change of my thoughts and how easily I succumbed to fear and let it overtake me. And I realize that mine is a journey of trust. I am learning to love the water and yet be in awe and fear of its power and might, yet not dwell in that fear but trust that when I forget to swim that a life-jacket will be there, or when the storms come, that there will be something to hold on to so that I am not destroyed. Amazing, isn't it? Water is incredible. God is incredible.

Check out these incredible pictures of water... Clear, beautiful water, Dirty, mirky, contaminated water, Powerful, gorgeous water, Drops of Water, and Incredible, devastating water breaking everything in its path, and water calm enough to fill a bath and cleanse our hands. Water. God. Amazing.

Valentines Day... My Favorite Holiday!! :)

Ah, how I LOVE Valentines Day. Like seriously, it's my favorite holiday. I decided tonight that I'd google search some images that represent Valentines Day... so here are the hot shots I found. Hope you like them. Have a Happy Valentines Day!! And may you be caught up in real love... the love life is all about.

Cute heart shaped desserts

So pretty... looks like a decorated breakfast table minus the plates. :)

Oh how I LOVE candy hearts!! Gotta have tons this day (and every day!!) I love the big smile in the middle!! :)

Ha ha ha!! Yes!

Gotta have some Valentines Day cards... and suckers. :)
(Actually reminds me that I need to go to the bank... ha!)

Awe... how presh is that!?! I found this on a preschooler's website. How crafty and creative!

Yes... now this is what I'm talking about. Yellow roses. Yum.

And some red ones. :) I LOVE roses. (And smelling my friend's roses!!) :)


And now... for the ultimate image of Valentines Day...

Yeah, that's right. The cross. To me Valentine's Day has never been a "singleness awareness day" or a day about romantic love... but a day to celebrate the love that God has for me that He demonstrated through Christ. So this Valentines Day may you too bask in His love and forget about the commercialized holiday that screams "You have a problem if you're single!" Cuz honestly... you only have a problem if you're missing out on Jesus' love. :)

God showed how much he loved us by sending his one and only Son into the world so that we might have eternal life through him. This is real love—not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as a sacrifice to take away our sins. Dear friends, since God loved us that much, we surely ought to love each other. No one has ever seen God. But if we love each other, God lives in us, and his love is brought to full expression in us. And God has given us his Spirit as proof that we live in him and he in us. Furthermore, we have seen with our own eyes and now testify that the Father sent his Son to be the Savior of the world. All who confess that Jesus is the Son of God have God living in them, and they live in God. We know how much God loves us, and we have put our trust in his love. God is love, and all who live in love live in God, and God lives in them. And as we live in God, our love grows more perfect. So we will not be afraid on the day of judgment, but we can face him with confidence because we live like Jesus here in this world. Such love has no fear, because perfect love expels all fear. If we are afraid, it is for fear of punishment, and this shows that we have not fully experienced his perfect love. We love each other because he loved us first.
-1 John 4:9-19-

Happy Valentines Day!

In Iraq this Week...

Ha ha. Check this out...

An Iraqi boy watches as a soldier from the US Army 319th Airborne Field Artillery Regiment kicks a football during a patrol of the Azamiyah neighbourhood, north Baghdad.

5 Killed in Tinley Park, IL

So... there was a shooting today in Tinley Park, Illinois.
That's about 40 minutes north of Olivet... really close to where Amy and the gospel choir were today, singing at Family Harvest. The shooting took place at Lane Bryant... near the mall in the parking lot where Target is. Scary stuff. Five women were killed and the killer got away... there's a manhunt going on as we speak, and I'm sure more details will be released later.
Crazy... and so close.

For more on the story check out FOX News...
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,327908,00.html

pictures!! :)

This is Ashley. Pray for her. And me. :)

Ah the boys and the travels... this is us two weekends ago at Decatur, IL

I'm a freshman RA!! We had a birthday party and celebrated all January and July birthdays... this is me and the birthday girls!! :)

Some of the girls eating cake...

And a few more girls and cake!!

And this is the best chapel band I've ever been a part of. I love you guys sooo much!! :)