Being Unseen

I spent the day at Northwest Fellowship watching a replay of the "Undivided Heart" simulcast by Leslie Ludy; and learned a lot.  I was also convicted of a few things.  In talking about motives for ministry, she made the point that God must purify my motives.
She made a statement that stuck with me. She said that we "must be willing to be unseen." I admit that sometimes I like the appearance of being unseen, while craving selfish acknowledgements of the things I do. I know my spiritual gifts include ones that have me working behind the scenes (see my last blog entry and/or Romans 12 for more on spiritual gifts); but I still struggle with wanting to be appreciated.  It's a fine line to walk, that I don't always manage to walk.

I still have more to process from today, but this was this point that struck me, and convicted me the most

29 with 20 yrs of Experience

Yep.  I'm a woman admitting my age.  Or at least what will be my age tomorrow.  I wish I was creative enough (or in denial enough) to come up with how to state my age.  My friend from high school, Lisa Mayfield, came up with this.  I liked it enough that I told her I was going to steal/use it.

My actual 29th birthday, when I had no experience at being 29, was the last birthday I spent in Kansas.  I had just come back from Colombia, where I has spent the school year teaching at El Camino Academy.  The school has gone through at lot of changes since I was a teacher there.  And to the Class of 1995... It's been fun seeing how you have grown over the years.

The 20 yrs of experience... well that's too long of a story for one blog entry.  However, there are some changes that bear mentioning... and I'm not just talking about hair color... although that's changed several times.

In preparation for the new sermon series on Spiritual Gifts at church, I took a new spiritual gifts analysis.  I have to admit the results were somewhat surprising to me.  I think this is the first time that "Administration" was not one of my highest gifts.  (So there Chad McMillan and Darren Williams, the 2 who tagged me with the gift of Administration all those years ago. And aren't you jealous Jennie Loftis)  My top 3 from today's analysis, in order, are Pastor/Shepherd (I'm not going to seminary, so don't go there), Showing Mercy, & Teaching.  The second one kinda put a kink in one of the examples in Pastor Russell's sermon for tomorrow, which I admit made me laugh as I called to tell him.  I'm sure he'll adjust just fine.

It seems that what were once my secondary gifts have become my primary gifts; and what used to be my primary gifts of Serving (helps), Administration & Exhortation (encouragement) are now my secondary gifts.  I'm sure that this is in no small part to leading the Women's Ministry and Small Group Bible Study at The Fellowship at Scofield Farms.  One thing I've learned in my years of experience (even those before age 29) is that spiritual gifts can strengthen and weaken due to use or non-use.  But that doesn't mean I don't use my secondary gifts, or even the ones that are my weakest (Evangelism, Prophesy, & Giving).  I'm still so thankful to Tom Westbrook for the extremely intense retreat on Spiritual Gifts, Spiritual Armor, & Fruit of the Spirit in Spring 1992 which has given me a broader view of spiritual gifts and how to use them.  It has stayed with me all these years, and contributed greatly to the "20 yrs of experience".

If you're in Austin and want to learn more about Spiritual Gifts, join us at The Fellowship at Scofield Farms at 10:00 am on Sundays for the next few weeks.

It will be interested in seeing what the next 20 yrs of experience will bring.

Normal Level of Crazy

I'm not sure if it's a good thing or a bad thing to have a "normal" level of crazy.  While I think I come by it honestly (you'll understand if you're family or you have met any of my family); I'm not sure if there's any basis for it in scripture.  Of course my "Martha" (Martha of Bethany, not Martha Stewart) personality, can totally relate to having a normal level of crazy given the number of things that need to be taken care of on a daily basis; and even the unexpected things that make things really crazy.

Given the ultra-crazy season I've just gone thru, returning to a normal level of crazy is a somewhat a relief.  However, I have friends who are going thru seasons of "above normal" crazy.  This includes surgery and other health issues; problems with children and their health; interpersonal and family relationship issues; financial issues; spiritual and emotional crises; and many more.

The encouraging thing about seasons of above normal levels of crazy, is when it leads us to the feet of Jesus, just like Martha's sister Mary.  I'm thinking that having at least some level of crazy in my life can keep me from becoming complacent, and still bring me to God.  So while it may not be Biblical to have a "normal level of crazy"; it can still be used by God to bring us the feet of Jesus and encourage us to stay there more than we would otherwise. My hope and prayer is that even during the seasons when I am at the "normal level of crazy", I still remember to sit at Jesus feet.

Obedience and Annoyance

Don't you hate it when you are obedient even when you don't want to be, and then find yourself annoyed because it lead to something you needed to learn and didn't even realize it?  Yeah me too.

And now I have Keith Green's song "To Obey is Better Than Sacrifice" going thru my head. That isn't a bad thing. It's never a bad thing to have a Keith Green song in my head. [yes, I realize that was random, but those who have known me for a while will get it]

So this post is coming from ministry frustrations.  It's not the first time it's happened, but it's the first time it's happened at my current church, The Fellowship at Scofield Farms.  We had an outreach event on Friday.  Because the pastor had another event, I agree'd to unlock the church for set up, and help with the set up.  As it turned out, I was the only one there setting up. I know things happened, but that didn't stop me from feeling hurt and taken advantage of, and therefore upset. Also, the reaction to me being upset, or more importantly the lack of a satisfactory reaction; i.e., one that included an apology and acknowledged that I was upset; left me more upset and angry at the pastor.  

I should interject that the event was pretty successful and we had over 100 people attend.

Anyway, I was upset enough that I spent Saturday still angry and childishly coming up with excuses for missing church today, but kept hearing the word "obedience" in my head. As a result, when this morning came, I decided to be obedient and go to church, even though I really, really did not want to.  The sermon topic was 'Trusting Jesus During the Storms of Life'. At one point, he was talking about trusting Jesus instead of letting your emotions run away with you; and one of the examples he used was going to church even when you don't want to. Needless to say, I was more than mildly annoyed. But this was the type of annoyance that comes from realizing I needed to hear this.

Long story short, by the end of the sermon I was in tears, but in a good way; have asked for forgiveness for my anger. It was gracefully given. Many thanks to Aimee and Sofia for the prayers and talk after church.

This isn't to say that I won't still have frustrations, or that I won't let my emotions take over, because I am an emotional person by nature; but the important thing is that I know I can still be obedient even when I don't feel like it and it's annoying.

The Bitter Sweetness of Easter Weekend

For the last several years, Easter weekend has always been bitter sweet for me.  

Let's start with the sweetness of the weekend, which the joy and hope found in Christ's sacrifice and resurrection. I'm sure the disciples didn't see that on Friday or Saturday though.  How could they?  Jesus had bee crucified and buried.  It was not until Easter Sunday that they saw the joy and started to understand what had been done for us.  So this weekend had to have been bitter sweet for them as well.  It's really the only way to truly describe great sorrow followed by great joy.

For me personally, yes the sweetness comes in celebrating the joy and hope in the weekend because I know that I will get to spend eternity with God.  The sorrow comes in being separated from loved ones.  Easter day in 2002 was the last time I talked to my mom. She passed away a few days later on April 4, 2002; 13 years ago today.  

One of mom's Glamour Shots.

Also my brother Danny passed away on Easter in 2007, April 7th, which will be 8 years ago this coming Tuesday. Danny's passing was not totally unexpected as he was suffering from complications of Multiple Sclerosis and a brain tumor.  Mom's passing however, was a total shock.  She was not only my mom, but one of my best friends.  I still miss both of them; but I also know I will see them again in heaven.  This is more joy and hope that follows sorrow.

I know there are others who understand the bitter sweetness of the weekend.  My friends from High School, Patty and Mike buried their younger brother Les on Good Friday.  Patty and I talk about it every so often as we both understand what the other is feeling.  Only those who have experienced something similar can understand.

Because of this, I think I can understand some of what the disciples and followers of Jesus felt on that weekend.  However, I have an advantage on this Saturday before Easter because I know how it ends.  The Saturday before Easter Sunday, they didn't.  I am thankful the hope I have.

Endings... or maybe not

No, I'm not ending the blog... you can't shut me up that easily.  However, things ending does seem to be a theme right now.  One of my co-workers had his last day in our office on Thursday.  Kelly will be missed.  Now we'll have to talk smack over e-mail.  He went to West Virginia, so now there's the in conference rivalry.  I can't find the picture of his cubicle after K-State be WV last fall.  It included purple streamers and I had fun decorating. [insert evil laugh].

I'm also sitting here watching the end of the Kentucky-Notre Dame game in the College Basketball Tournament.  Quite honestly, all of my teams are out, and my brackets are totally busted, so I'm done cheering for specific teams.  Although I will be interested to see what happens tomorrow when Duke and Gonzaga play.  

Since we're talking endings... Kentucky ended that game in a really fun way.  It was a nail-biter, and an exciting ending!  I'd rather have endings like that than a blowout - unless of course it's a K-State blowout win.  And that will never end.

Time to shift topics within the bigger topic.  This coming Tuesday is also the last session for our Women's Bible Study in Beth Moore's study of Revelation.  I must say it's been a wild ride, and I'm kind of sad we're coming to the end of it.  But I'm looking forward to seeing what God will do next with the Women's Bible Study at The Fellowship at Scofield Farms.  

And while we're talking about church, and faith, tomorrow is Palm Sunday, and we celebrate the beginning of the last week of Christ's life here on earth - also known as Holy Week.  It is reassuring to me to know that Christ's life is not over, that He defeated death, and still lives.

Palm Sunday last year was the first time I attended church at The Fellowship.  It's been an interesting and sometimes challenging year.  I am thankful God lead me to this church; and don't really see an ending here any time soon. 

The last ending, is ending this post.  Tune in for the next post...  

Temporary Insanity & Brackets

Yep, it's that time of year... the NCAA Basketball Tournament.  I admit I can turn into a raving lunatic - well more than some, but not as bad as others.  This year should be a mild year since my Wildcats aren't going to the dance - men or women.  There are plenty of Big 12 Conference teams to cheer for (with the possible exception of OU), not to mention Wichita State.  Yes, I admit it, I like the Shockers - as long as they aren't playing the Wildcats or the Longhorns.

I was posting comments with my friend Rick during the Selection Show talking about how interesting it's could be if KU plays Wichita State.  I don't know who I'd cheer for in that case; because even though I may get flogged and/or disowned for saying this, I actually like Jayhawk Basketball -  and I'll probably never hear the end of it from my KU friends (yes that means you Rob Hett). However, as I've already mentioned, I also like the Shockers.

For now I'll just leave it at "Let the Madness Begin!"

Biting my tongue and speaking my mind.

In my last post I made a comment about winter in central TX being short.  So much for that idea.  Time to bite my tongue.  We had freezing temps and rain last night - and it's MARCH!!!  The agency is closed today - which is why I get to blog in the middle of the day (while watching Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade).

I've long had the great ability of sticking my foot in my mouth... speaking my mind (and often being sarcastic) when I should be biting my tongue and keeping silent.  I'm still trying to learn when I should speak my mind instead of holding my tongue - moreso when talking to those I don't necessarily know.  I'm OK with people I know and trust, so most people don't realize that I'm an introvert who overcompensates.  I can also speak up when needed for work, because my job includes giving presentations to different groups and providing information at exhibit tables during different events.

When it comes down to it, I get the most timid when it comes to verbally sharing my faith with strangers.  Being a geek-nerd-white trash growing up, I found it safer and less painful to shut up and try to blend into the woodwork.  It's not that I don't know how to share my faith; but I tend to mess up when speaking about it.  I tend to communicate much better in writing... thus this blog.

I was thankful for this week's sermon at church.  Our guest speaker gave a sermon on How to Share the Gospel (you can watch it on You Tube), and then talked more about practical methods during lunch. It really wasn't anything new for me; so the issue is not knowledge and ability, but boldness and obedience.  

Enter yesterday's post by Margaret Feinberg on disobedience... It's good, and you should read it. I found it fairly convicting.  My prayer now is that my boldness in writing about faith in Christ will help me develop boldness in speaking about faith in Christ to those who need to hear it whether I know them or not.  If you are reading this and have questions about faith in Christ, feel free to ask.  Maybe we can talk about it.

There is a Season

This is a continuation of my life in songs.  Right now, it's a Willie Nelson song... "On the Road Again".  This is the time year that I'm very seldom in the office, but work a lot of hours. Which explains why I'm watching the Oscars in a hotel room instead of at home or a friend's house.  Between medical clinician educational conferences, job fairs, presentations to students and residents, clinic site visits, and health profession fairs I spend a good amount of time on the road in a rental car and in hotels.  Last week I managed to put 3 events into 3 days: a presentation to the Family Medicine Interest Group at UT Southwestern Medical School; a site visit to Mission East Dallas, where I got to reconnect with a colleague and put a face to several calls and e-mails; and exhibiting at the TX Academy of Physician Assistants spring conference. 

After getting home yesterday afternoon, I was home log enough to sleep in my bed for a night, catch up on missed episodes of NCIS, go to church, change out suitcases, then hit the road again.  I was asked how I was this morning, and my response was "The normal level of crazy".  Some days are more crazy than others.  I was thankful for this morning where I could slow down for an hour or so at church.  

This coming week is known as "Swing Week" for 5 undergraduate universities to have their health professions fairs. This is something I do every year, and have done it often enough that I see the same people, and continue to build professional relationships.  We start with the University of Houston, then Texas A & M University, The University of Texas at Austin, The University of Texas San Antonio, and finish with Texas State University.  

In the midst of this, I'm also trying to plan events for the Women's Ministry at The Fellowship at Scofield Farms, including a fall retreat where my friend Lora Jones, will be the speaker.  

As I read what I've written, I'm starting to think that during this period my life isn't in songs as much as it is in links.  Mainly because I'm looking at how many links are in this post and the professional links I'm building and renewing.  Thankfully this season is a short one (like winter in TX) because it's quite tiring.

To Everything...

There are times when it seems that my life is a series of songs; and the song depends on the day/month/season of my life.  It could be new songs such as "All About That Bass" by Meghan Trainor, or old ones, like "Turn! Turn! Turn!" by The Byrds: "To everything, turn, turn, turn.  There is a season, turn, turn, turn".  If either song is stuck in your head now, I make no apologies, in fact, I'm probably laughing [insert evil laugh: mwa ha ha ha].  The laughing part comes from a game we played while I was a student at Kansas State University, where you'd randomly insert lyrics into a conversation and see if you could get a song stuck in someone's head. If you did, then you won (mainly bragging rights - style points depending on how it was done.)  Thanks to Chuck and Rob for introducing me to that game.

    

I brought the game with me to the University of Texas where I had a whole new playing field.  There I advanced it to an art form after conditioning a friend to the point where Burke hears "A Mighty Fortress is Our God" in his head without using lyrics and simply saying "German hymn".  [insert more evil laughter].  Apparently Pavlov and Martin Luther make a good team.  

In all fairness, I fall victim to it too; and not just because I have a former roommate who was a musician; and several friends who are musicians.  During today's sermon at The Fellowship at Scofield Farms, I found myself hearing Kim Hill's song "Charm is Deceitful" because Pastor Russell was preaching from Proverbs 31, focusing for a while on verse 30: "Charm is deceitful, beauty is vain...".  Normally I have a problem when the Proverbs 31 woman comes up because I know that I am very far from being one.  I've always thought that becoming one was impossible, mainly because it covers things involving a husband and family, neither of which I have.  However focusing on the fear of Lord, makes it seem more attainable.  

I'm always working on coming to grips with my imperfections, and fixing them when possible. This is one more step.

Post Script:  A song about seasons is also appropriate today as I watch the blue birds flitting through the trees outside my house on a warm sunny day.  I hesitate to say "spring" day because even though it feels like spring, it's still February.  One more reason I love living in central TX.

Becoming Un-entangled. Thank you Beth Moore!

Last night, I had the privilege of hearing Beth Moore speak at Shoreline Church.  I got to go with several women I attend church with, and serve with at The Fellowship at Scofield Farms.  This is some, but not all of us:  

L - R: Brooke, April, Carol, Terron, Donna, & me.

I was also lucky to run into several friends from other churches: Amy, Leece, Lisa, Sheila, it was good to see you there.  I know there were other friends there that I didn't actually get to see, but considering there were approximately 5,000 in attendance, there was no way to see everyone I knew. (Sorry Tisha).  Also my new friend Mary Anne Kent from Northwest Fellowship was one of the ladies offering an opening prayer.   

Admittedly I was still kinda frazzled from coordinating logistics for the evening for the ladies at church for most of the week.  Yes there were lessons learned from that process. Friends had told me during the week to relax.  I jokingly told them (to relieve stress) that I'd relax when the program started.  As it turned out, that's exactly what happened.  

Even though I forgot to take a notebook, there were several take away's that I will remember... partially because I put some of them in the comments after I checked in on my Facebook page:

     "I love the Lord because..." [fill in the blank and make sure you tell others so they can know Him too]

     "It ain't gonna kill you."

     "He never 'entangles' us"  to which my friend Katy replied: "No. He doesn't. He ENJOYS us!"

I also amused (and semi-impressed) myself when Beth referred to Daniel 5.  Because we completed Beth's study on the Book of Daniel last fall, I knew exactly where she was going with it.  I also knew where she was going with the reference to Hebrews 12:1.

The major take away from the evening was a realization that there are some things I've been holding on to that entangles me from time to time, and I needed to, in the words of the over-played and cheesy song from Frozen, "Let It Go".  I think there is a part of me that kind of realized this, but since no one had actually said anything about being "entangled", it was easy to push it aside and ignore it, especially since some of it deals with family history. 

I know there are some things I still need to work on; and that will be the case until I go home to heaven; but last night brought progress and growth.

Thank you Beth for allowing God to work thru you!

Karma, Predestination, & Revelation

I spent this morning judging a science fair at River Oaks Elementary.  There are some smart kids at that school  This morning there were some nervous kids as well.  It was fun and interesting.  I was told that volunteering at the school was good community service and would bring good karma.  Sometimes I think karma is attributed to things that aren't necessarily done for karma.  I decided to look up the definition of karma and what I thought it would be was confirmed.  What surprised me was the list of synonyms.  It includes "predestination".  I think I was surprised because it didn't occur to me that a term from Buddhism and Hinduism could have a synonym from Christianity.  However both are tied to destiny.  It's just that the destiny comes from different sources, each accepted by some and rejected by others.  Needless to say this was a revelation to me.

The other revelation in my week was beginning Beth Moore's study of the book of Revelation with the Women's Bible Study I lead at The Fellowship at Scofield Farms.  While I had expected to learn from this study, I was still surprised at... well, basically how much I didn't know or understand.  I am so thankful that Beth Moore has done a lot of the hard work for this study.  I'm going to have to work hard enough to keep up and continue to learn from this study.  I'm really looking forward to learning more and exploring what it means to me. Thanks be to God, and Thank You Beth Moore! 

New Year, New Blog

So it's a new year, and since I haven't written in a while (years ?!?) I decided a new year was as good a reason as any to restart this blog.  I also realized I needed to start writing again.

Last year (or two) brought some changes for me.  The most important thing is that I started attending a new church, The Fellowship at Scofield Farms.  Not only did I change my membership to the church, after much prayer (and a little disbelief), I agreed to be the Women's Ministry Leader.  It still amazes me that God used me to start at women's ministry. It's been challenging, but very educational and fulfilling.  I admit it had been awhile since I was involved in active ministry, and it was long past due. We're starting off this year in the women's Bible study with Beth Moore's study of the Book of Revelation as well as attending An Evening With Beth Moore at Shoreline Church at the end of this month.  I'm excited to see what God will do through me in this ministry in 2015.  

Until last July, my sister Brenda was stationed at Ft Hood in Killeen, TX, about an hour away from me.  It allowed us to spend more time together than we had in years.  It also allowed her to help me redesign my back yard.  The pictures are on my Facebook page one of many albums. She got promoted (finally!) and is now serving as the Area Leader of the Army Reserves Center in Columbus, Ohio.  Better her than me.  I hate cold weather, which is why I live in Texas.

Another major event in 2014 was being able to reconnect with old friends at my 30th High School Reunion at the end of September.  Pictures from the weekend can also be found in my Facebook albums.  It was really good to catch up with old friends from the Marion High School Class of 1984.  Thanks to the planning committee for a great weekend!

I guess that's enough for now since it it my intent to write more frequently.

A Long Absence & About Dreams

I admit I have neglected this site. While it seems that there have been a variety of thing happening, sometimes I just need to stop and decompress. I guess I decompressed a little longer than planned.

I've found a new fascination - an actor/singer who played Joseph in "Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Coat" in London at the West End (London's equivalent of Broadway) after winning a nationwide competition in Britian (which is currently airing on BBC America). His name is Lee Mead, and he's got a fabulous voice. I also recently found an online video of him singing "Any Dream Will Do" with 2 former Joseph's, Jason Donovan, and one of my personal favorites, Donny Osmond. I absolutely love it!

My next dream will come in September. I get to go to another place I've always wanted to see. This one is #3 on my list of "if you could go anywhere"... First was Israel, which I got to see in 2005. Second is Machu Picchu - haven't been there yet. Third on the list, and this year's destination is Rome! Yep, I'm going to Rome at the end of September. I'm meeting my friend Rendi there. I had to laugh because my friend Tommy is happy for me, but at the same time bummed that I get to see The Vatican before him. That's OK, I know I can make it better by bringing him a mug. :-)

It started off as kinda joking, but then turned into a serious conversation, and now looking at flights from Austin to Rome at the end of September. This does mean that I'll miss my high school reunion, but this is once in a lifetime. And it's not like I've made any of the others. There will be other reunions. And for the Marion High class of ??, don't feel bad, I'm also missing a family reunion that same weekend. Someone please take pictures for me.

Anyway, once again, I got a fun reminder to not give up on dreams because they can come true when you least expect it.

Silver Linings

There is nothing like major dental work to make you appreciate solid foods. Last Monday I had my 2 top Wisdom teeth and a bottom back molar taken out. The holes from the Wisdom teeth are healing nicely, however the bottom is still giving me problems.

There really is only so many things you can eat without making your mouth even more sore: pudding, jello, mashed potatoes, tomato soup & yogurt are the first things people think of. I'd like to add Malt-o-Meal, refried beans and guacamole to that list. I'm up to things that have some substance but don't require chewing such at chili, mini ravioli, scrambled eggs, salsa, and oatmeal.

There is still pain that comes and goes, but that's to be expected. Apparently this is one of those things that are worse when you're older, but at least it's taken care of now. And thanks to my friend Tammye who took me to my appointment then home afterwards since I made them put me out to do the surgery. Friends like that are the silver lining in things like this.


Other things have made me smile lately. My sister and brother-in-law came for a visit a few weeks ago. We had fun running around the Hill Country and going to Sea World in San Antonio.

Last weekend I got to see my friend MaryAnn and spend some time with her and some other old friends I haven't seen in a while. I also got to hear MaryAnn sing again which I totally enjoyed.

My friend Jen told me that her daughter Maddie finally took her first steps and her son Jack is now crawling. YEAH!!!

Next weekend is going to be packed but it includes seeing other old friends while I'm in Dallas for work. One of the good things about my job is that from time to time I get to visit friends while traveling to other cities for health professions fairs.

When my mouth is sore and my jaw is throbbing, it helps to remember the silver linings. The prescription pain killers help too. [insert big smile].

Extended Silence

Wow, I didn't realize it had been this long since I've posted. Things that have kept me from being silent lately:

People in the left lane going 5 miles below the speed limit. I want a sign that says "If I passed you in the right-hand lane, you're in the wrong lane" Or better yet that on a big billboard on North Lamar! :-)

The same 866 telephone number appearing on my caller ID at least once a day. Get a clue! I don't want Dish Network.

Coffee with Tom Westbrook.

A birthday party with Joley; and by extension, playing "Don't be a Dork". Yes, I know it's too late for some of us.

Broken appliances: the clothes washer and A/C (at least the washer was till under warranty).

Now my introverted self can go back to being silent for a little bit.

Primary Fairness

I've posted on See Ya Dubya on the call for counting Michigan and Florida. Take a look and check it out.

New BLog

My friend Chris asked me to contribute to his blog See Ya Dubya, on the '08 elections from primaries and caucuses to the conventions, to the general elections. You know me, I like telling people what I think. I posted my first entry there today: Still Running. Go check it out.

On my political soapbox

Yeah, I finally got fed up with the amount of complaints about our current administration, and just had to say something. See my current post on Voice in the Wilderness: "Admnistration Bashing for Sport" It's about the right to vote being related to the right to complain.

The Next Step...

So my thought for today is "Just exactly when did I become an adult?" I remember having a conversation with my friend Logan several years ago and we started laughing at the evolution of our conversations going from classes, finals, and such to job benefits, retirement funds, and career decisions.

Well as of today I get to add a new topic... Home Ownership. Yep, by the end of the day I should be the proud owner of a 1/1 condo in North Austin. My sister says it's about time. My dad doesn't want me going into that much debt (too late for that one!)

Now comes the crazy part - MOVING! I'm a pack rat. I admit it. I come by it honestly from both parents - not to mention grandparents who didn't want to get rid of anything - because of course as soon as you get rid of it, you'll need it.

Anyway, I just wanted to share my next step in the scary realm of adulthood.

Things that make you go "AAAHHHH!"

See my latest rant on The Flag, God, and Political Posturing on Voice in the Wilderness.

Then there is Israel's Prime Minister Olmert calling for a divided Jerusalem. Thankfully Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel's former Prime Minister, took to the floor of Israel's Parliament and totally layes into Olmert and his government. You can read more about it from Natan Sharansky's One Jerusalem blog and in the Jerusalem Post.

Sometimes I get sick of the political posturing that is happening around the world. The US can't think it has cornered the market on that. When I get to that point and consider going back to my political apathy of the early 90's, I remember that all it takes for evil to prevail is for good men (and women) to do nothing.

So when you have no other option except to scream "AAAHHHH!" just make sure you're heard.

Postcards & Prayers for Bella

My friends Patrick & Christy, whom some of you know, can use prayers for their daughter Bella. This pregnancy has been very difficult for them as Bella is having some serious medical issues. Christy is currently on bedrest to help Bella grow. Please see Exit Strategy, their website And send a postcard to Bella with your prayers - for her baby book. Info on this is at Prayers & Postcards

Things that squeak and make other noises

Bad stuff first. See my blog on Voice in the Wilderness on squeaky wheels.



Now the fun stuff - other noises. Babies, babies and more babies:

Mike and Jodi welcomed Abram Michael into the world - and from what they can tell he looks like his daddy. You can see pics of him at http://www.ohmyhead.com/archive/abram/

John and Jennie's first is John Landrum Loftis V - how's that for a name. His Uncle Darron said he's going to call him "Cinco". I approve. Don't have a site for pics, but have seen several, and he's way majorly cute.

Others on the way... Dan & Lisa are expecting a girl in early November; Eric and Jen are expecting a boy (Given name is John Wayne and is called Jack) right before Thanksgiving; Bobby & Ruth recently found out they are expecting (she's 8 weeks)

I'm sure I'm forgetting something, but I can't remember...

Exploitation of fallen soldiers is an outrage

Yep, this one made me livid when I saw the story in the Statesman. Nothing makes me more mad than someone exploiting the grief of others for their own personal gain. See the full posting on Voice in the Wilderness.

New Blog to check out

My friend and co-blogger Travis recently got engaged to a wonderful woman named Koby. Check out their new blog. Also keep checking out Travis's Voice in the Wilderness, although there haven't been recent posts because he's been busy getting engaged. :-)

Let the Punishment Fit the Crime - NOT!

You know, every time I think I’ve seen the most ridiculous thing in the world something else comes up. In Illinois, students were denied their high school diplomas because their friends and family cheered in support of their accomplishments at the graduation ceremony. According to the AP article, the students can get their diplomas once they complete 8 hrs of public service.

Oh come on! Give me a break! If anyone should do the public service it should be those who were cheering, not the students. They had no control over the actions of others while they were walking across the stage. The Galesburg school district has gone overboard with their ridiculous and unreasonable punishment for students who did absolutely nothing wrong.

Fun(d) Raising

A couple weeks ago, our next door neighbor's teenage daughter left a surprise in our front yard - a flock of pink flamingo's. I was getting home after a birthday party at the Salt Lick (all I have to say about that is "yummmm"), and at first I thought my roommate had done something silly, but then a friend who was with me saw that one of them had a note attached. I don't know if you've heard of this, but they're apparently being used for fund raisers. If you contribute to the cause, you get to pick the next victim... um, I mean "host". As I like helping others, especially young people, and I thought it was a great idea, I contributed and picked the next target... um, again I mean "host".

Given that Kelsey was raising funds to be an international soccer ambassador this summer, I chose to let them migrate to my friend David's house (that's his yard at the right). I know how much he likes soccer (he's the Director of Business Development for Austin Lightning Soccer), and I correctly guessed that he'd contribute to the cause as well. I had to laugh, though, when he first thought it was a joke by one of his former roommates, then found a note that had my roommates name on it. She had taken the $ next door when she went over to talk to them about something else, so her name ended up on it instead of mine. Of course I set him straight. Some things are fine for framing, but I wanted to take credit for this one.

So if you find yourself "flocked", don't jump to conclusions, and consider helping out by contributing to the fun(d).

Congo Line

My photo's from my mission trip are online at Snapfish; and here's my letter about my trip to the Congo:

Dear Family and Friends,

Thank you for letting me continue to share with you what God has been doing in my life; and for supporting me both financially, and prayerfully as I went to the Ubangi region of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, (DRC). This trip was originally scheduled for the end of October, but had to be rescheduled due to regional instability associated with their Presidential elections. We left on January 24, and returned on February 11 (team shown right).

The Tandala hospital serves the population base of approximately 200,000 in the region. It has its own nursing school with an emphasis on public health, and caring for the needs of the people in that region. There are 3 full time Congolese physicians leading the ministry of the hospital.


If I had to use one word for this trip, it would be “flexibility”. Plans for this trip changed for me from day one. My first flight out of Austin was cancelled five minutes before it was supposed to take off. After 45 minutes my flight was rescheduled and I had about 10 minutes to get thru security and to my gate. Little did I know at the time that this would set the tone for the rest of the trip – especially the travel logistics.

Once we got to the DRC, with our all of our luggage (Praise God), our team was divided between those who were there to teach at the Bible Institutes in Bau and Tandala; and those working at the Hospital and Nursing School in Tandala, which is the team I was on. While I didn’t totally understand the language and therefore how I was introduced, I did manage to pick up that the Congolese were told I work with White Cross sending supplies, and that I was there to see what was going on at the hospital. This resulted in people not quite knowing what to do with me at first. They wanted to show me everything and explain a lot of things, but I got the impression that they didn’t necessarily want to let me actually do anything, which was frustrating for me. After a day or so, Thelma, had me sorting and inventorying medical supplies in the hospital depot. This was in addition to inventorying supplies at the mission house, along with preparing breakfast and dinner for the team in Tandala. I did more counting and sorting than I care to admit … and I now know a lot more about surgical sutures and clamps than I ever wanted to know.


While it seemed like all I did at first was sorting, counting, and cooking, I was able to help in other ways, and learn more about the Congolese people. The creativity of the Congolese people amazed me at times in the ways they made due with what they had. For example, the hospital had received a shipment of paper gowns, but couldn’t use them. So I ended up helping Alfonsine, one of the ladies at the depot cut them into rectangles and strips. She then sewed them into surgical masks. This not only made use of the gowns, but also supplied the hospital with more surgical masks while they waited for the next container shipment to arrive.

The Congolese people are very welcoming, and very giving. I think I shook more hands on this trip than I’ve ever shaken in my life. And while they don’t have much, they give what they have with a great amount of joy that is encouraging to see. It brought to mind the story of the widow’s mite. Their joy is also very evident in their worship. The services there last as long as both morning services at FEFC together and often include multiple offerings during which everyone files to the front to put their offerings in the baskets.

While in Gemena, we were updated on the ministries of the Community of Evangelical Churches in Ubangi (CECU), the largest Evangelical Free Church in the world after the US. Global Fingerprints, the Aids orphan sponsorship program, is still in the pilot phase, but making progress.

We were also able to see improvements being made at the hospital including a new septic system, which needed upgrading, to go along with the new latrine/shower system being built. The hospital’s administrator, and dentist, used a great amount of creativity in making improvements to the facilities.

I was also able to help by taking pictures at the World Food Program (WFP) clinic for malnourished children. While one of the other team members took the majority of the pics on the trip (thanks Dan), he had other obligations at that time, so I took pictures for the WFP administrator to use in their newsletters and reports.

Toward the end of the trip, I was surprised to find myself ministering more to our team members than to the Congolese people, and it was a major paradigm shift for me. It took me a while to realize that I had gone with a set of expectations very different than what I was experiencing. This caused some major frustrations. I felt like I wasn’t really doing anything of consequence during a fair portion of the trip. Eventually, with the help of Carol and Tom, I finally got it thru my head that ministering to the team members allowed them to do what they needed to do to serve the Congolese people.

Shortly before we left Tandala, one of the doctors at the hospital asked me if I was going to come back. Of course this was after questioning me about still being single and having no children, which I found kind of amusing.

Others here have also asked me about plans to go back. My answer to him, and to them, is the same: “God willing”.

Thank you for allowing me to continue sharing what God has been and is doing both in my life, and in the DRC. Soli Deo Gloria!

What's that white stuff on the ground?

When I woke up this morning I saw something unusual for central Texas. Can someone tell me what these are:

I found it funny, so I snapped a shot. Later got shots of my roommate playing in the snow. Yep that's right, we had snow flurries today too - big fluffy ones - and there as even some accumulation.

Every few years or so, we see actual winter weather and everything shuts down. I have no problem staying off the road in winter weather here. Although I grew up driving in it, I don't like being on the road with those who didn't.

Sunday morning I was sitting in church, and during the announcements, they said that the office would be closed and all church events on Monday would be cancelled due to immenent weather. The staff member who was giving the announcements made a comment that he was sure that those of us who grew up in more northern areas were laughing at the Texans - he was right. I was lauging as was my friend Derek who grew up in Michigan.

The only question left is whether or not I'll have to go to work tomorrow.

Military Compassion

For those who read OZ, but not Voice in the Wilderness, check out Travis's last post He Gathers The Lambs In His Arms, but read it with a box of kleenex.

Latest Sports Entertainment

OK, I admit it. I'm stuck on watching professional poker tournaments. And yes, I even have my favorite players: Daniel Negraneau (my personal all time favorite cause he's so fun to watch), Scotty Nguyen, Annie Duke, John Juanda, and Doyle Brunson (gotta love the ones who have been around for a while) among others. My friend Velvia likes Phil Ivey, and he's OK; but when it comes to entertaining poker, I like Phil Gordon best of all the Phil's.

If you want to see what it's all about there are several websites: Full Contact Poker, Full Tilt, Party Poker, World Series of Poker, etc...

I like the strategy of it, that and it's just fun to watch these people try to figure each other out. I've always liked people watching, and this is just a new twist on it.

Exotic travel destinations revisited

Well, my trip to the DRC is back on for the end of January. Instead of putting the text of my new support letter in this blog, I have uploaded it to my website. You can see it at http://cjellis.tripod.com/FEFC/Congo_Support_Letter.htm

If you want more info on the trip, feel free to e-mail me at cjellis66@yahoo.com

Holding Pattern over the DRC

The long and short of it is that my mission trip is being postponed.

Africa is an often unpredictable place. Once again we are seeing this unfold before our eyes. In the past month the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) has seen the first truly democratic elections in 40 years. The current President Joseph Kabila and Vice President Jean-Pierre Bemba will face each other in a run-off election scheduled for October 29.

Unfortunately, since the final vote totals were announced there have been daily gun battles in the capital city of Kinshasa between forces loyal to each of the two candidates. Tensions are rising as the conflicts continue. Given past experience, it is quite likely that Congo will continue to be very unstable in the weeks and months to come. As you can see this is a very serious situation. Please pray for the brothers and sisters in the Congo Free Church, and for all the people of this war torn country during these difficult times.

The Evangelical Free Church of America International Missions (EFCAIM) office has been monitoring the situation closely and has been in contact with the President of the Congo Free Church. A couple weeks ago President Selenga sent an e-mail to the EFCAIM office requesting that we NOT bring a team of Americans to the DRC in late October and early November due to significant security issues. This means the Congo Vision Trip must be postponed until a later time when the security issues have eased and a new government is in place. At this time there are no specific dates in mind as it will be dependent upon the resolution of the current political conflicts. We hope to be able to go some time in early 2007. It is my intention to still be a part of the team when the trip is rescheduled. I’ll let you know when it happens.

Exotic Travel Destinations

OK, so last fall my travel destination was Israel. It was a dream trip. This year's destination is the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).

The continent isn't the only difference in the trip. It's not a vacation, but a missions trip. Part of my time will be spent working at a hospital in Tandala - which is in the Ubangi Province (NW part of the country.) I gotta admit that it's pretty well out of my comfort zone, but that's OK. God is going to a lot of trouble (at least by our standards) to get me on this trip, so who am I to argue.

The Tandala hospital is a 180 bed general hospital. It has its own nursing school with an emphasis on public health, Aids, and caring for the needs of a huge population base. There are two full time Congolese physicians leading the ministry. However, workers are needed in almost every area for short or long periods of time.

The Evangelical Free Church of America International Ministries has organized a Missions Vision Trip to the DRC from October 18th thru November 5th. As part of the team for this trip I will get to visit the Tandala hospital and spend a few days working there. This will help me get a better idea of what their needs are and how we could possibly partner with them in ministry.

[insert shameless plug here - it's my blog, I can do that...]
Because this is a missions trip, I'm raising support to cover the costs of the trip, which is about $3,000. This will cover airfare, meals, lodging and other group travel. I will be responsible for my own incidentals and any personal things I may wish to buy. If God leads you to support me financially, your check should be made out to “FEFC”. On the memo line put “Congo Vision Trip-Cindy Ellis”. The donation will be tax deductible. If you want a receipt for tax purposes, please let FEFC office know when you send the check. You can send the check to FEFC at:

FEFC Missions
4220 Monterey Oaks Blvd
Austin, TX 78749

If you want to be on my prayer support team, just e-mail me and I'll add you to my list.

Been getting the first round of immunizations. Not fun either but necessary. I go back in September for round 2. The Austin Diagnotic Clinic's Travel Clinic at the North Austin Medical Center is very good and thorough when it comes to determining what immunizations are needed. Some of them still make me sick, but I think I'm done with those. Don't expect side affects from the ones I still need.

I'll be posting more (and more frequently) about the trip and what I learn.

Delusional 'preachers'

OK, so I did a commentary titled Don't Disrespect the Military on Voice in the Wilderness about the followers of Fred Phelps and their protests at military funerals. However, I'm just as upset about the religious aspects of his so-called 'ministry'. Personally, I would call Westboro Baptist Church a cult instead of a church.

According to the American Heritage Dictionary, a cult is defined as being:
"A religion or religious sect generally considered to be extremist or false, with its followers often living in an unconventional manner under the guidance of an authoritarian, charismatic leader."

and a ministry is defined as:
"The act of serving"; "The profession, duties, and services of a minister."; and "The Christian clergy."

If you need to read it for yourself, see Dictionary.com.

From what I can tell the only person Fred Phelps is serving is Fred Phelps.

Additionally, what he 'preaches' is not in line with scripture. Hatred of people is not of God. While God hates sin, He does not hate the sinner but desires for the sinner to come to Him in repentance. God desires for all to be saved, however, Phelps holds that only his followers will be saved. Do not get me wrong about the stance that God desires for all to be saved. I am not saying that all will be saved. Scripture tells us some will spend eternity in hell. However, God desires that all be saved, although He gives free will and the decision is ours, thus some will perish. And yes, this means that God even desires for Phelps to be saved.

I'm not going to comment on what I think Phelps salvation status is. That's between him and God. However, I am going to say that I believe those who lead others astray will be held accountable for not only their sins, but for all those they led away from God and His will. Scripture says that "From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked." Luke 12:48b

Sadly, Phelps is not the only 'delusional preacher' out there. He just happens to be the one who is currently the most vocal. Yes, I've left a church before because what the Senior Pastor was preaching did not line up with scripture. We all have a responsibility to hold our preachers accountable for what they preach, and if what they preach cannot be backed up by scripture, then we should not be giving our support to that particular church.

Multiplying things

First, if you don't read "Voice In the Wilderness", you should read Travis's post from yesterday "Go Forth and Multiply". It's a very interesting look at demographics and politics.

The other thing that's multiplying again is internet hoaxes - more specifically, the one about "Touched By An Angel" and Madeline Murray O'Hare. Will this e-mail ever die?!?!? If you get this petition, do not send it on. That's why God created the 'delete' key. It's a hoax and has been going around for years. Unfortunately, it gets sent to those with conservative values who get all riled up and defensive (which I couldn't blame them for if it was true), so they send it out, therefore unknowingly propogating the hoax. Let it die people. Just let it die.

Prohibition and Persecution

For those of you who check "Oz" and not "Voice in the Wilderness", check my post on VITW of this same name.

Wondering about Robertson and the Holy Land

I wonder what Pat Robertson is thinking. He truly shoved his foot in his mouth when he commented that Ariel Sharon’s stroke was God’s punishment on the Israeli Prime Minister for diving the land by pulling our of Gaza. He shoved his foot far enough that the White House criticized him for it. Ok, yeah, sure he apologized, but he never should have made the comment on international media in the first place.

I also wonder whether he apologized because he truly felt remorse, and believed his comment to be wrong; or if it was to restore the good will of Israel so he could go ahead with his proposed theme park near the Sea of Galilee. Either way, it worked. The Jerusalem Post reports that the Israeli Tourism Ministry is reconsidering its decision to cancel its contract with Robertson after he apologized to Sharon’s son.

And while I’m wondering, I wonder what Jesus thinks of Robertson commercializing the Holy Land by building a theme park. I know that tourism is Israel’s biggest industry, and the proposed theme park will bring in a good amount of revenue, but so did the money changers in the temple court.

Having visited Israel a few months ago, I have a problem with there being a theme park in the Galilee region. A church on a holy site is one thing, but a theme park is something else all together. Even so, there were places that we visited that I would have preferred to see without the churches built on them – for example, the Mount of the Beatitudes. While the church is beautiful and has a great view of the Sea of Galilee, I would have liked to see the site as it was when Jesus taught there. I wasn’t the only one in our group who felt this way.

I believe that Robertson’s sees the theme park as being for the benefit of those who would travel to the Holy Land on a pilgrimage, and for the nation of Israel. And I’m sure it will to some degree, and to a large dollar amount. However, I can’t help comparing the proposed theme park with the booths of the moneychangers in the temple courtyard of Jesus’ day.

Finally, I wonder whose idea it was to stop referring to the project as a theme park and start calling it a ‘Christian Heritage Center’. Call it what you will, it’s still commercializing holy sites, and I still have a problem with it.

This brings us back to my original statement. I wonder what Pat Robertson is thinking.

Intelligent Design Under Judgement

For those who read Oz, but not Voice in the Wilderness, check out Travis's posting on Intelligent Design, In Judges We Trust. He's got some really good points there about presenting options and letting people make up their own minds.

The Deeper Majic of Narnia

After seeing Narnia this weekend, several things came to mind, many of them similar to what my friend Travis posted on VITW, "That's Narnia Business". All in all I liked it, though there were parts of it that I was truly disappointed in. I had to keep reminding myself not to get caught on details, things that were in the movie but in the book. In comparison, both the BBC version that came out in 1988 and was aired on HBO, and the animated version released in 1993, were truer to the book. This Narnia is most definitely a Disney movie designed to keep the audience enthralled even though it had to stray from the book to do so.

While the larger main themes of betrayal and redemption through the sacrifice of another are still present with the Christological imagery, I think Disney should have stayed closer to the book, and paid more attention to details.

My other disappointment with this movie is that I don't really like how Susan was portrayed. She was shown as being much more overly pessimistic than she is in the book. Travis commented that he thought she was cynical. Yeah, I can go with that. I think Disney went over the top in her unbelief. In the book she is not so much cynical and pessimistic as she is timid, and unsure of things. The movie shows her has being totally without hope to the point of being reckless, not only with her life, but the lives of her siblings. This is all prior to meeting Aslan of course. While it makes the imagery of going from hopelessness to hope through the one who brings salvation much more dramatic and distinct, I don't think is true to Lewis's portrayal of her in his book. As I said before, this is totally a Disney movie.

In spite of my disappointments with the movie, I can see the appeal to the mass market. My hope is that the part of the deeper magic of this version of Narnia is that it will have the same magic found in Harry Potter in that it will encourage both children and adults to read more. I'd love to see school-aged children pick up the entire series to read, and then bring their parents along on the trip as well, or vice-versa. In this age of mass video entertainment, that would truly be magical.

Vince & the NFL

While I didn't post it here, I'd encourage you all to read my latest post on Voice in the Wilderness. It basically gives my reasons for why I think Vince Young should stay at UT for his senior year even though he could be a first round NFL draft pick.

Hook 'Em Horns!

That which we may or may not be required to know

I don't pretend to even come close to understanding public school finance, which would make me fit right in with the TX Legislature since they can't quite seem to get it right either. School finance has been and issue for well over a decade and it hasn't been fixed yet, and I'm not totally convinced it's just because Republicans and Democrats can't agree. The latest in the ongoing saga is the decision handed down by the TX Supreme Court stating that the current plan is unconstitutional.

One of the main reasons listed for finding the current school financing plan unconstitutional is that the individual school districts have no control of the tax rates. The court holds that the state-designated cap on property taxes which are used for public school financing is in effect a statewide property tax, which is prohibited in the TX Constitution. Maybe the June 1 deadline stated in the decision will light a fire under the Legislature to actually come up with a better plan. I'll let them borrow my lighter if it will help get that fire lit.

The other points of this lawsuit are the adequacy of public school funding and the equity of school funding between districts. The court holds that current school funding is adequate to achieve a 'general diffusion of knowledge.' The problem with this is that the standards used to measure whether to not the schools are achieving this are set way to low. The current requirements for a school to be rated as 'academically acceptable' are focused on reducing the failure rate, not educating the students in a way that will prepare them to function in our society as adults. The court's majority opinion on the school finance decision addresses this, although it's long and may take a little bit to wade through.

Current requirements for a school in Texas to be academically acceptable state that only 25 % of their students have to pass the science portion of the TAKS (Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills) test, 35% have to pass the math portion, and 50% have to pass the English, writing and social studies portion. The rates will increase incrementally until 2009 when the rate will have to be 70% passing in all areas, but it doesn't really make sense to start the levels low and incrementally increase them. I've found that when you settle for standards that require lower levels of education that's exactly what you'll get. Allowing students and teachers a lower level of accountability in passing rates on the TAKS now doesn't promote increased learning as there is a lower base to build on which will make it harder to increase the passing rate at later dates. And people wonder why our students aren't better educated.

Because the passing rates are measured by standardized test scores, I feel like I need to comment on the reliability of standardized tests. While I recognize the need for a uniform system of evaluating what students have learned, I am not a big fan of standardized testing. While it may show how much a student knows to a certain degree, I believe that it is more a measure of how well a student tests. Additionally, the TAKS test doesn't cover all of the prescribed curriculum, and therefore isn't necessarily an accurate measure of whether or not a school has provided a 'general diffusion of knowledge.'

Unfortunately, without a better way of evaluating how well our schools are preparing students to function in college and society, we are stuck with standardized tests. I'm sure this issue will be visited again in future posts. Equity in funding between the districts is a different issue for a different time. Not even the high court would touch the Robin Hood law in their latest ruling.

Maybe some day, someone will come up with a better method of evaluating how effective our schools are. And maybe Legislature can fix public school finance.

Hmmm... a girl can dream can't she?

Black & White & Grey all over

Shalom! I'm back from Israel with only minor jet lag. Am trying to catch up on US news since the only newspaper I've read in the last few weeks is the Jerusalem Post, which I highly recommend for keeping up with news in the Middle East. Lessons from my pilgrimage:

1) Close counts only in horse shoes, hand grenades, and Holy sites. Given the multiple turn overs in occupation and control in the region for the last few millenia, it's hard to tell sometimes which is the actual site, and twhich is the 'traditional' site as designated by the Catholic Church. At first this bothered me, but as our tour guide, Doreen, said, it's more about the symbolic importance than about the actual location sometimes. Although I must say those Byzantines sure knew how to do mosaics and stained glass.

2) Nothing in that area is as black and white as we would like to make it. For every person you talk to with one opinion, you will find another with an opposite opinion. I took a side trip to Bethany, which is just outside of Jerusalem, in the Palestinian West Bank. Our guide was a Palestinian Muslim who was very knowledgeable about the Christian sites in Bethany. He took us to the tomb of Lazarus among other sites. He told us that he believes that those in power keep trying to make the issue of control in the region a religious one when it is really about possession of the land and political power. This was totally opposite of an editorial I had recently read stating that those in power keep trying to make it a political issue when it's really a religious issue. I really don't think we can have one without the other. The political issues are religious, and unfortunately the religious issues are political.

3) True peace in Israel isn't possible until Jesus returns. As simplistic as that may sound I believe that there will be temporary periods of relative peace, but no true lasting peace this side of Jesus return. There are too many different groups with history there, and the future for every one of us, whether we want to admit it or not, lies there.

4) I don't know nearly as much about Judaism or Islam as I should. I was amazed that both our Jewish Israeli guide and our Palestinian Muslim guide knew much more about Christianity than I know about either religion.

All in all the trip was absoultely fabulous. I'm still processing the great amount of information that I've been given over the last few weeks, so I'm sure there will be more later on the subject.

The merry old Land of Oz

Allow me to introducce myself. I'm Cindy; and I live in central Texas, although I grew up in Kansas. This is what led to my name for this blog. I figured that since I'm not in Kansas anymore, I must be in Oz.

I find lately that there are things that happen in life that keep me in awe of what God is doing in and through me, thus the play on words - Awes & Oz.

I was encouraged to do this by my friend Travis who is the Voice in the Wilderness. His blog is at http://austinvitw.blogspot.com/. I encourage you to read it. He covers pretty much everything from politics to religion to the BCS and why it's evil, plus anything else that comes to him.

There will be more to come although it may be sporadic at times. You may also see me contributing to the VITW.

Now I'm off to see the Wizard.