So as someone who typically blogs/journals, (mostly the later) it seems insane that I have not in so long. It is in times of extreme stress and craziness that I need to write, but have difficulty finding the time to do so. There are many things I wish to process all with so many different topics, some are very short, and others are very long. So here is my goal, between now and my wedding I am going to blog about the following:

*Summer Blast

*Church and community

*VBS- the why

*Wedding updates (2-3ish)

*Why I love Matt and am going to marry him

I have several more that I would LOVE to process, however I don’t want to make my return to blogging to daunting of a task so close to the wedding. As for now, I will leave you all with a brief update of my life the last few months.

*I am the Children’s director of a wonderful church called Desert Springs.

*I am getting married to Matt on September 5^th after over 2 years of being engaged

*I am living in an apartment on my own in which I will soon have a permanent roommate

*I am living in the desert, after swearing to never move here again… *sigh

*I am LOVING where God has me and am so thankful to be here, even when its rough.

*I miss all of my wonderful Biola friends

*God is good, always

God is good

I can't believe all that God has done in my life the past year. One year ago, I was living in whittier, working at Disney trying to figure out if I should get my teaching credentials because there was no way I was going back to ministry.

Then:

July - I was getting very few hours at Disney and a friend of mine from Biola was hired at a church in my home town...

August - My mom fell twice and broke two

bones, I came home to help her while my dad was gone...

September - I ended up subbing for my mom and staying in the desert Monday - Friday going to visit Matt every weekend

October - I decided to go for a teaching program and enrolled in the Chapman program in the Desert, and gave notice in my apartment in Whittier, and bought my 1st Mac, I will never go back!

November - I started helping out a little bit with my friend from Biola's jr. High group, Matt started working in Porterville Monday - Friday and I was in the desert more full time.

December - Matt and I decided that by next Christmas we would be married.

January - Matt's mom got diagnosed with Breast Cancer (originally we were told stage one and found out later in the month that it was stage 4) This was a very bitter month for me as i was frustrated with life, and where God had me, as I worked to seek Him, I slowly found peace and a "wait" feeling

February - Matt and I hit 2 years of being engaged, I continued my teaching program and trying to figure out what to do with my life. I went to Winter camp with the Jr. High group and began to help more often with them.

March - At the end of the month, I found out that the Children's position at the church I had been volunteering at was opening, that day I turned in my resume and my life changed.

April - On the 1st I was hired as the Interim director of Children's Ministry at Desert Springs Church. Matt and I decided to get married sooner than later.

May - I moved into my own 1 bed apartment and fell in love with ministry again. Matt and I set a wedding date of Sepember 5th 2009

which brings me to...

June - I am now officially the Director of Children's Ministry at Desert Springs Church. Matt passed his CHP interview and I am busy wedding planing. Matt's mom is still fighting the cancer, but has a positive outlook. God has seriously been blessing me like crazy right now. I am at a place in my life where even though things are spinning around me, I know that I am where I'm supposed to be. It is so far from 1 year ago, but I know that my heart was made for ministry, it was just in God's timing for it to happen at the right place. I am so thankful for that and the opportunity to serve God in the church teaching His kids. It is absolutely amazing.

Finally a blog!

So I finally got a CAMERA!!! SOOO excited about this fact! I spent my tax rebate money on it, and had so much fun with it at winter camp. I just got back from Jr. High winter camp with Desert Springs. I had so much fun with all these girls

They are all amazing gals, this was our themed dinner of mismatched.

So I love, love, love ministry. This weekend totally reaffirmed this in me. I got no sleep, ate enough junk food to last 3 life times, threw tons of snowballs, cried/prayed with hurting girls, sang songs, acted in a silly skit.

A highlight:

The DEEP amazing SNOW

my foot sunk into past knee deep

There was also an amazing Zip line

and tube run

The speaker was amazing. ALL of my girls were in tears, they were absolutely touched by the power of God. The theme was Misplaced, and it discussed how we have "misplaced" our hope in other things, rather than God. I am so thankful that God is in charge and moved! I pray that these girls will continue to put their hope in God. Such an AMAZING weekend, I am so exhausted, but it was totally worth it. More to come later, now that I can post pics again! :)