I want to share a story with you-- one of the many God-stories that have been happening lately in our lives. David is now working with FCA in the South Denver area. I am proud of my man that he has such a heart for the lost and the faith to believe that God can move mountains.
FCA relies on many different types of partnerships to reach the lost. Well David (loving Chick-Fil-A) and knowing how generous they are with helping non-profit organizations was praying for the Lord to help him find a connection with the owner of a Chick-fil-A in the South Denver area. Well this Sunday the Lord gave him that connection.
Each Sunday David meets with high school kids to disciple them. This Sunday only one guy came to the Bible Study. He is a swimmer and has a desire to improve his relationship with God. At the end of the night, David and him began talking about their lives. Oddly enough this kid's dad is the owner of the Chick-Fil-A in the South Denver area!!!!! Tomorrow morning David has a meeting with him and God is even blessing him with a free breakfast. :)
I hope that this is can be as encouraging for you as it is for me. When you believe and ask, the Lord answers. If He has called you somewhere or called you to do something, be specific about your requests. He will open doors for you to answer your calling.
Tuesday, September 30, 2008
Monday, September 29, 2008
About Me
I named this blog "ENJOYING NOW" as a reminder to myself to enjoy where my life is right NOW instead of always hoping to be at the next stage and therefore, end up missing out on all the pleasures of today.
~~~
Almost 3 years ago (on August 31st, 2006) I married the man of my dreams. We live in Parker, CO where he is a sports minister and I am a nurse. He works for Fellowship of Christian Athletes ("work" is a term I useloosely since we have to raise our own support) which is a ministry that teaches high school athletes how to have a personal relationship with Christ and disciple others. You could say we both save lives: I work for the temporary and he works for the eternal. I always wanted to be a teacher and when nursing gets tough, I often wish I was a 3rd grade teacher with the summers and holiday's off. Our lives have the expected ups and downs but we are MORE than blessed with a great family and some really good friends.
Christ is the thread that keeps us together and makes us valuable, without Him we would be nothing.
Turbo is our 5lb little boy dog. While we are trying to start our family, he doubles as our pseudo-child. Don't worry though, I don't dress him up in dog clothes or push him in a stroller!
I never quite know what to put here about myself so check out my 101 things post to learn a little more.
Thanks for checking out my blog :)
Sunday, September 28, 2008
Random Ramblings
- Today we had our second official showing of the house (in the week that it has been on the market). God is so faithful! The first guy didn't like the laundry room location which happens to be next to the bathroom. I wish I could correct him because it is more of a laundry closet than room. However, I can understand and this is the kind of market where you can be picky... I plan to be picky myself. :)
- I am really enjoying the fact that the house must be "show ready" at any time. This is the type of environment where my perfectionist tendencies are truly able to shine! Therefore my husband must also go along with it (all in the name of a quick sale of course...) and allow me to complain about any crumb he drops on the kitchen floor. I know, I should enjoy it while it lasts.
- My friend Heather is interviewing for a job at Donor Alliance (where I work) and I am SO excited. She is such a sweet, genuine person. I love her heart for others and look forward to spending more time around her.
- I have several names for my dog: Turbo (his actual name), Turbinator (his superhero name), Turb (don't mistake this one for TURD...), Turby (given to him by my sister-in-law Lori), poochy-poo (in a baby voice, of course).
- I absolutely love this new Crystal Light that we got yesterday. I tried it at my friend Cassie's house and I practically drank the whole pitcher. I got some at Wal-mart (yes I shop there, I am a woman on a budget!) and I am addicted. You should know that my addictions come in phases. I absolutely love something, then consume it whenever and wherever possible until I never want to see it again. We shall see how long this love with Crystal Light Strawberry-Orange-Banana lasts!
- I am going to go do my wifely duties now...laundry, emptying the dishwasher, taking a nap with Turbo (shh, don't tell David) and playing some Mario Cart (another addiction I can't seem to shake. Maybe I should read a book instead of shooting flying turtles at Luigi and Mario...na!)
Tuesday, September 23, 2008
We're the Farmers...part I
So remember me telling you about the Brown Palace?
Well this is how the Farmer's do the Brown Palace...
D: "Let's watch cable on the sweet plasma TV since we have neither at our house"
A: "Ooohhh Sleepless in Seattle is on! Can we please watch it????"
D: "I am going to need some popcorn to get through this one. Let's order from room service!"
($8 for the popcorn, $2 to deliver it, and a 21% tip on top of that)
A: "No way that is too expensive. The movie theater is just a block away, lets go get some from there and bring it back"
D: "That's why I married you...you are so practical!"
And there it is...our $7.50 popcorn
Oh and I forgot to mention that it was pouring down rain when we went outside the hotel to go get it.
Saturday, September 20, 2008
Palm
"35 Percent Of BlackBerry And PDA Users Would Choose Their Device Over Their Spouse"
I am guilty...
I would never consciously choose the phone over David
But, just ask him how he feels...
He calls my phone "palm" and says that I love "palm" more than him.
I say I need it for work but then it wheezels it's way into my life even when I am not on call.
I confess, I am addicted to the email, to the texting, to the web...I can't stop!
I am guilty...
I would never consciously choose the phone over David
But, just ask him how he feels...
He calls my phone "palm" and says that I love "palm" more than him.
I say I need it for work but then it wheezels it's way into my life even when I am not on call.
I confess, I am addicted to the email, to the texting, to the web...I can't stop!
Thursday, September 18, 2008
2 years and counting
August 31st was our 2nd Anniversary!!!
I know I am a little late posting but we have been working non-stop on something (I'll tell you about it a little later...)
The weekend of our anniversary we went camping with two of our good friends, Jeff and Dawn. We had a blast but unfortunately I did not plan ahead enough (aka I forgot to bring more batteries for our camera = NO PICTURES!).
So visualize this: two great looking tents (one from REI and one from Target); Two fearless dogs (one a black lab and the other a small Maltese who is deathly afraid of the big black lab); Smores (3 marshmallows toasted golden and one burnt, mine); no indoor plumbing for miles (ask David about that).
Now onto our actual anniversary day...
If you don't know David, the man likes to celebrate! :)
David surprised me by taking me for a romantic dinner at the...
(here we are with the Mona herself)
(for some reason he couldn't keep his eyes open for the picture and it wasn't because he had too much wine!)
It was a great night talking about our marriage, remembering the wedding, and eating great food.
For our "planned" celebration, David had gotten one of his friends (who conveniently works at the Brown Palace) to give us the employee rate for 2 nights (that is $65 a night instead of over $200 a night). So last weekend was our trip to Denver and it was great to just get away, even if it was only 60 miles away.
The hotel was built over 100 years ago
The bed was just divine!
Babe I adore you even more than I did the day we were married. I never could have fathomed all that we have done or where the Lord is taking us. You are an amazing leader and great friend with such a kind heart. There is no one else in the world I would rather wake up to every day or tickle me till I can't breathe.
I love you forever!
Our BIG news...
WE ARE MOVING!
Today our house officially went on the market and now the waiting begins and praying continues.
It feels like we have arrived since much of the last month has centered on getting the house sell-ready. We have been interviewing realtors, fixing our bathtub, cleaning the carpet, painting, cleaning, painting, going to Home Depot, painting, going back to Home Depot, getting cracks fixed, painting, PRAYING and cleaning. David and I are ready to get back into the rhythm of life but we know that this is just the beginning of the moving process. :)
About 6 months ago, the Lord starting moving in David's heart about joining FCA (Fellowship of Christian Athletes) full time. Translation: he would retire from teaching (hey now, he taught for 4 years...that's a loooooog time people, ha!) and go into their school of sports ministry (really an internship) for 1 year then to be hired on staff. The great part about this is that he needed to complete a 3 month internship this past summer and FCA worked perfectly for this. Well, to make a long story short, David and I truly felt the Lord's leading about all of this and he applied.
FCA is pretty saturated down here in the Springs and there is a great need in South Denver. You guessed it...that's where we are headed. It has been a leap of faith but with each leap I feel the arms of a strong Savior holding us up. The great thing about FCA is that it is full-time ministry. Therefore, we call upon those that we know, those that have been called to be Kings to support ministry and in turn make it financially possible for us to live this life. So many of you have supported us, again, a testimony to the faithfulness of the Lord. Thank you!
One other blessing has been my job. Donor Alliance is based out of Denver (coincidence, I think not) and they were amazingly wonderful in making a position for me up there. When our house sells, I will be able to transition to an Organ Recovery Coordinator, which is a very nice promotion for a nurse like me. I give all the credit to the Lord because David and I have been believing for a miracle like this for months. David told me countless times to keep believing for the Lord to open the door and He did.
Now I have more faith to believe for the sale of our home. There are 3 others for sale just like ours in our complex and we all know about the economy. However, God has told us to move, He has opened doors, and I look forward to the post I will write when He sells our home.
Patiently waiting....on day 1.
Today our house officially went on the market and now the waiting begins and praying continues.
It feels like we have arrived since much of the last month has centered on getting the house sell-ready. We have been interviewing realtors, fixing our bathtub, cleaning the carpet, painting, cleaning, painting, going to Home Depot, painting, going back to Home Depot, getting cracks fixed, painting, PRAYING and cleaning. David and I are ready to get back into the rhythm of life but we know that this is just the beginning of the moving process. :)
About 6 months ago, the Lord starting moving in David's heart about joining FCA (Fellowship of Christian Athletes) full time. Translation: he would retire from teaching (hey now, he taught for 4 years...that's a loooooog time people, ha!) and go into their school of sports ministry (really an internship) for 1 year then to be hired on staff. The great part about this is that he needed to complete a 3 month internship this past summer and FCA worked perfectly for this. Well, to make a long story short, David and I truly felt the Lord's leading about all of this and he applied.
FCA is pretty saturated down here in the Springs and there is a great need in South Denver. You guessed it...that's where we are headed. It has been a leap of faith but with each leap I feel the arms of a strong Savior holding us up. The great thing about FCA is that it is full-time ministry. Therefore, we call upon those that we know, those that have been called to be Kings to support ministry and in turn make it financially possible for us to live this life. So many of you have supported us, again, a testimony to the faithfulness of the Lord. Thank you!
One other blessing has been my job. Donor Alliance is based out of Denver (coincidence, I think not) and they were amazingly wonderful in making a position for me up there. When our house sells, I will be able to transition to an Organ Recovery Coordinator, which is a very nice promotion for a nurse like me. I give all the credit to the Lord because David and I have been believing for a miracle like this for months. David told me countless times to keep believing for the Lord to open the door and He did.
Now I have more faith to believe for the sale of our home. There are 3 others for sale just like ours in our complex and we all know about the economy. However, God has told us to move, He has opened doors, and I look forward to the post I will write when He sells our home.
Patiently waiting....on day 1.
Friday, September 12, 2008
It's pouring down rain...
I am in my bed...
I am diligently catching up on work emails...
Turbo is keeping me warm...
My house is very dark and quiet...
I love mornings like this!
I am diligently catching up on work emails...
Turbo is keeping me warm...
My house is very dark and quiet...
I love mornings like this!
Sunday, September 7, 2008
Friday, September 5, 2008
Today I broke down...
and turned on the heat.
I know it sounds ridiculous to some of you. Why in the WORLD would I need the heat on in the beginning of September???
Well, it's Colorado....and I am a bit of a softy when it comes to being cold.
It's been somewhat gray and chilly here since the calendar flipped to September.
Fall is obviously coming (or already here) and a girl's gotta keep warm.
Just don't tell my husband ;)
Wednesday, September 3, 2008
My "gold" Friend
Have you ever heard that song that goes, "Make new friends but keep the old, one is silver and the other gold..?" I used to sing that song at camp when I was younger and for some reason still remember part of it.
This past weekend I got to see one of my long time friends , Vanessa. She is what you could call a "gold" friend. We met each other in 8th grade..ugh, the memories of middle school!
We are both married now and live in different cities (her in Fort Collins and me in Colorado Springs). It's just far enough that our visits with one another are few and far between. We keep in touch through email and blogging but nothing compares to spending some face-to-face time with her.
Here we are on Labor Day at her parent's pool
(if only they had that when we were in high school!)
I am so thankful that Vanessa and I are still friends after all these years. She is so solid in her faith and her relationships. She is very intelligent and I enjoy having medical/scientific conversations with her. I love how when we haven't seen each other in months that we pick up right where we left off. I love that she has known me through so many seasons of life and that we still have so much in common.
Thanks Vanessa for being such a wonderful "old" friend!
Tuesday, September 2, 2008
Dentist Nightmare!
I had a dentist appointment today for a "routine" cleaning. I haven't been in over a year.
I know that makes me a horrible person, especially because I am a nurse but hey, we all have shortcomings right?
Anyway, I went a new dentist turn over a new leaf per se (actually because we have new insurance) and was sadly disappointed.
It's not what you are thinking...I had absolutely no pain whatsoever. No pain, no drilling, no scraping, now water squirting on my face, no gross toothpaste, no hygienist with bad breath or dentist with hair growing out of his nose. Let me explain...
I arrived at the dentist 15 min early to fill out the "new person" paperwork and was called back for my appointment just on time. Everyone seemed very friendly, thinking when I had last been to the dentist (ugh, embarrassing) and what kind of x-rays I had at my last dentist. That is where it all went down hill...
The x-rays were a B-I-G deal to this place and they wanted me to remember if I had 8 or 18 at my last dental appointment. Now usually I can remember odd things but since it has been awhile, the whole 8-18 thing was throwing me for a loop. It didn't seem like a big deal to me but then they started saying that if I didn't know then they would not be able to clean my teeth. Seriously????
Then they came back and said that they could do x-rays on me there and would clean my teeth.
After a brief exam, I was told that I have two teeth on the top that have a lot of build-up and are effecting my gums. The hygienist told me that I needed to have a special cleaning procedure (costing $200) on those two teeth to clean under the gum line. I asked her why this had never been brought to my attention before and she then went straight to the flossing issue.
Hygienist: "Do you floss daily?"
Me: "Not daily but on a regular basis."
H: "Oh that's why you have this problem"
Me: "Well I have never flossed daily and all my other dentists said that I did a great job"
H: "Well as you get older...How old are you?"
Me: "24"
H: "When you are in your twenties you can start to see changes in your teeth because you are aging and that is why you need this special procedure."
Me: (in my head...since when was OLD 24?) "Well since I have never been told anything like this before, I would just like to get my teeth cleaned today."
H: "Well every one's assessment is different and this is what I see. I am not going to be able to clean your teeth unless you agree to this procedure."
Me: (in my head again...WHAT!!! You won't even do the preventive cleaning that I haven't had in over a year because I won't agree to pay $200 for a problem that I have never heard of before and I just met you and you can't even say my name correctly...she said my name "Ali" like Mohammad Ali...excuse me but do I look like I am from the Middle East and a boy????...) Let me call and check with my husband about this.
After talking to hubby and agreeing to get a second opinion...
Me: "I hope I am understanding you correctly that I cannot get my teeth cleaned unless I agree to do the procedure."
H: "Yes"
Me: "We'll I have been here for over an hour and need to get back to work. All I wanted to do today was get my teeth cleaned so I will have to go."
H:"You are leaving?"
Me: "Yes, thank you."
I went to the dentist (good), got there on time (good), was honest about flossing (good) and practically begged to have my teeth cleaned (very good) and was denied. How weird!!!!
I know that makes me a horrible person, especially because I am a nurse but hey, we all have shortcomings right?
Anyway, I went a new dentist turn over a new leaf per se (actually because we have new insurance) and was sadly disappointed.
It's not what you are thinking...I had absolutely no pain whatsoever. No pain, no drilling, no scraping, now water squirting on my face, no gross toothpaste, no hygienist with bad breath or dentist with hair growing out of his nose. Let me explain...
I arrived at the dentist 15 min early to fill out the "new person" paperwork and was called back for my appointment just on time. Everyone seemed very friendly, thinking when I had last been to the dentist (ugh, embarrassing) and what kind of x-rays I had at my last dentist. That is where it all went down hill...
The x-rays were a B-I-G deal to this place and they wanted me to remember if I had 8 or 18 at my last dental appointment. Now usually I can remember odd things but since it has been awhile, the whole 8-18 thing was throwing me for a loop. It didn't seem like a big deal to me but then they started saying that if I didn't know then they would not be able to clean my teeth. Seriously????
Then they came back and said that they could do x-rays on me there and would clean my teeth.
After a brief exam, I was told that I have two teeth on the top that have a lot of build-up and are effecting my gums. The hygienist told me that I needed to have a special cleaning procedure (costing $200) on those two teeth to clean under the gum line. I asked her why this had never been brought to my attention before and she then went straight to the flossing issue.
Hygienist: "Do you floss daily?"
Me: "Not daily but on a regular basis."
H: "Oh that's why you have this problem"
Me: "Well I have never flossed daily and all my other dentists said that I did a great job"
H: "Well as you get older...How old are you?"
Me: "24"
H: "When you are in your twenties you can start to see changes in your teeth because you are aging and that is why you need this special procedure."
Me: (in my head...since when was OLD 24?) "Well since I have never been told anything like this before, I would just like to get my teeth cleaned today."
H: "Well every one's assessment is different and this is what I see. I am not going to be able to clean your teeth unless you agree to this procedure."
Me: (in my head again...WHAT!!! You won't even do the preventive cleaning that I haven't had in over a year because I won't agree to pay $200 for a problem that I have never heard of before and I just met you and you can't even say my name correctly...she said my name "Ali" like Mohammad Ali...excuse me but do I look like I am from the Middle East and a boy????...) Let me call and check with my husband about this.
After talking to hubby and agreeing to get a second opinion...
Me: "I hope I am understanding you correctly that I cannot get my teeth cleaned unless I agree to do the procedure."
H: "Yes"
Me: "We'll I have been here for over an hour and need to get back to work. All I wanted to do today was get my teeth cleaned so I will have to go."
H:"You are leaving?"
Me: "Yes, thank you."
I went to the dentist (good), got there on time (good), was honest about flossing (good) and practically begged to have my teeth cleaned (very good) and was denied. How weird!!!!
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