New Life Choir Retreat

This past weekend, the New Life Choir had a mini retreat...as in we didn't go anywhere, but we had an awesome prayer/worship time friday night and then rehearsal time Saturday morning.  Next week there is a New Life Worship Live Recording which the choir gets to participate in!  It's fun to see this whole process of developing songs, planning parts, and organizing the night is going... we don't have too deep a look though...just the things you can pick up on through the choir. :o)

I was trying to get a picture of someone behind me, but I failed miserably...but it was quite fun in the attempts!  And I got a pic of Jewel!! She is one of our international students from Ghana.

First Covered Wagon in Indiana

There are only a few posts left from the westward road trip.... they are too fun for me not to put up so here goes!

One night PJ and I slept in Indiana, and in the morning drove to the other side of the exit to gas up.  Right across the street from the gas station was a nursery with acres of trees, plants, and several large metal statues to include a covered wagon, bison, and a pink elephant holding a martini (which I did not get pictures of :o( )  This place began my habit of taking pictures with fake bison in any large form that I find them in!

Also on this same road was a sign for a restaurant that historically had been a stage coach stop.  We drove the mile down the road to see if it was worthwhile, but alas, nothing amusing to take pictures of....just a grey, nondescript building surrounded by parking lots and empty fields....so we journeyed on.

Pinata Devotional

Last week it was my turn to lead my team's devotional time.  The school of worship students are broken into five separate teams and each team is assigned to an intern/staff.  I had the idea to make a pinata from week one when Cindy led a devotion based off of a box of chocolates.... and so I deviously planned around it.

I spoke on the verse from Psalm 95 that says, "Today when you hear his voice do not harden your hearts."  The Psalm starts out with praises of singing and music...exactly what we are doing here, and then moves into warning against the hardening of hearts...the psalm is quoted again in the book of Hebrews chapter 3, where it talks about how we need to fix our eyes of Jesus and that God is going to build something within us if we are open to it.  I was focusing on my own struggles to not shut down in the endless discussions, sermons, books to read, etc. Both passages say a lot more than just that, but that's what we pulled out in our short time of conversing...I was way more excited about showing my physical application.... so I said, "well, I brought a hardened heart for us to soften, and I pulled out my masterpiece that took most of the week to make and we headed out to the windy parking lot and tied it on a tree branch.

The poor heart only lasted one hit before falling down, but the candy stayed inside through a punting and a toss to hit....It was a fun and light hearted time with a team that I love!  Although if it comes back to me to lead again, I really don't know how I'll top that one...:o)

Colorado Springs Fine Arts Center

Every third tuesday of the month is "free day" at the Colorado Springs Fine Arts Center... translation: you don't have to pay $10 to walk through their art galleries.  I found out the night before and so of course I rounded up some people to go with me after classes the next day!!!  The walk through the dozen or so rooms starts in a tactile gallery where you can touch all the different works of art.  It's hard once you leave that room to not touch everything you see after that....

We touched everything.... it was all about the different materials

The upstairs section held the temporary exhibits, some political pieces, some videos, some small statues....this is just a compiling of some of my favs.

Moses by Gabe Singleton

the men of the apocalypse...which one doesn't fit?

The permanent exhibits downstairs were much more festive with decorated walls and the aesthetics of each room geared towards what it was displaying.  The use of hallways for other collections made it seem more fluid and continuous right up until you are deposited in the gift shop.

Mexican Folk Art

United Nations Boys

I happen to be living in a house right now that is awesome in its hosting capabilities.  For about a week and a half, there were three directors from VisionTrust (i.e. a compassion like company), staying there.  With completely different schedules and no real time to sit down and learn about them when they first arrived, I started referring to them as the "UN boys".  I was blessed to go to their benefit dinner, also celebrating the founder, Earnie Dyke's 50 years in ministry.  The next morning, all the directors came to New Life... it was exciting to see them as they came in and welcome them...almost like I was back at the Vine in my typical run and squeal method.

 Monday night, everyone from VisionTrust came over for a potluck dinner.  Unfortunately  Mary became ill only an hour before everyone arrived, but the rest of us chipped in to host... I've become quite comfortable opening the door to strangers and inviting them in!

 I can say now that we hosted Jimmy from Maya mar, Sammy from Thailand, and Abraham from Cambodia.  Three sweet men, that are working with orphaned and underprivileged children all around the world.  I have such respect for them! I stole Sammy and Jimmy for a quick pic, complete with Reese, Mary and Doug's grandson!

Pie Rush Wednesday

I am continually excited about the free and cheap things I am finding to do here in the Springs.  Last wednesday I hit up Village Inn with some kids from the Furnace (another college age program at New Life) for "free pie with a purchase".  All I had to do was buy the scoop of ice cream to go on top of the slice of apple pie....amazing!!!!

I'm pretty sure I'll be making this a weekly tradition... it fits in perfectly to my wednesday evening right after voice lessons...:o)

The Green Bullet

I love this little car.  He's doing his best out here on the hills and inclines of Colorado and I'd like to think he'll adjust even more and soon we'll be rocking out on I-25 with the big dogs.  We've already got our own share of stories... being run off the road by a trucker in Indiana (don't worry they make really wide shoulders on their interstates), getting the back window shattered by a rock chipped up by a weed whacker, and for the first time ever getting out of a speeding ticket!

The only reason I could want to share this story, is the happy outcome.  I was going to be late for classes and this one road has a lot of downhill to it...well, suffice it to say that my car actually gained speed for the first time and I didn't stop it from happening.  At that same moment, on this two lane road, a cop happened to be driving towards me, flipped his lights on and slowed down to do a u-turn.  I didn't even try to pretend it wasn't me and seeing a side road coming up, I pulled off so we weren't left trying to have a conversation on this narrow, pretty busy road.  An article on yahoo from a couple of weeks back, actually came to mind, and I took the advice to heart.  I immediately apologized for speeding, kept my hands on the steering wheel, let him know I was reaching into my bag. He told me he was going to write me a ticket and as he headed back to his car, I'm pretty sure I said, "I am really sorry, my car just hasn't handled these roads well at all and I was just excited it was finally going somewhere."  I'm also pretty sure I saw him pause at those words and then keep walking.  When he came back, he handed me all my paperwork and said, "I'll let you off with a warning this time, but next time I'll write you a citation for $238."

Whew! I have never gotten out of a ticket before!  I credit it all to yahoo, the site that always has those catchy pictures that make you want to read the articles. I strolled into class 10 minutes late, but at least I didn't have a hefty fine on top of it!  So back to under the speed limit the green bullet and I go...my heart can't handle more legal confrontations.

Newest update on the green bullet: the plastic guard that one side was wired into place, has officially all disconnected... hopefully someone knows how to put that back on.....