Sweet Home Superdome

The New Orleans Saints won their first game back in the Superdome!

Wish I was going to the Saints/Panters game this Sunday, but I'll have to settle for watching it on tv.

Vision

The whole topic of "vision" has been weighing on me since church on Saturday night. Our church is going through an awesome time where things are changing and we're building new buildings, bought some new land, beginning new outreach programs, etc. The entire campaign for our church is entitled "Vision". We have been hearing a lot about vision for the past month or so, but last week's sermon was aimed at our own personal vision. What are we here for? What is our purpose? What can we accomplish here on earth?

I have always had big visions for my life. I'm a big dreamer kind of person. I can remember the first real vision I had in my life. When I was eight years old I had a dream about going to Africa. This was at a time when we were learning about missions a lot at church. Since that time, I have met so many people either from Africa or have been missionaries in Africa. Each person I met inspires me and makes my vision grow even more. This is a huge vision that I have...to go to Africa, live there, and minister to those living in poverty there. I know, God-willing, this vision will be lived out one day.

This leads me to a vision for my life that is closer to being lived out. Ever since I visited New Orleans three and a half years ago I have be drawn to the city. The people, the culture, the land, the buildings...I love it all. I have never understood why I love this city so much. As I was sitting in church listening to Shelton speak the other night, I realized...New Orleans is a huge part the vision I have for my life. God has placed a burden for the city and the people on my heart and that burden is not going away. And I realize that I am so blessed to be married to a man who shares my visions for life. At this point we are making plans to move to New Orleans in June, so that I can begin grad school in the fall. It's all about living out your vision.
So what about you? What vision do you have for your life? Vision drives us to accomplish great things for God. Shelton said one thing that hit me big, "You need to have a vision so big that it's due to fail if God isn't it in". Isn't it amazing to think that we could accomplish nothing without Him. Dream big. Have a huge vision for your life. We can't do it on our own, but God can do it through us.

"Now to Him who is able to do exceeding abundantly beyond all that we ask or think, according to the power that works within us, to Him be the glory in the church and in Jesus Christ to all generations forever and ever. Amen." Ephesians 3:20-21

The world is Flatt's...

Here are some pics from the Rascal Flatts concert last Friday (9.15) It was a great show!

Here's me, Matti, & Anita.

Matt says that this is such an exciting show he can sleep through it.

I'm a cowgirl!

poem

Poem by Rainer Maria Rilke, written in the form of a prayer

Make it so the poor are no longer
despised and thrown away.
Look at them standing about--
like wildflowers, which have nowhere else to grow.

it's a crazy world

So, I got a call from Matt while I was at work last night--his dad's identity has been stolen and someone has tried to charge over half a million dollars on his bank card (fortunately only charged $4000 because all the other charges were denied). How crazy! They had to call the police and file a report, call the bank's fraud department and call all the credit agencies to get it all straightened out. We hear about this all the time but never think it can happen to us. This goes to show, it can happen to anyone.

Other than that scare, things are going well. The gang (me, Matt, Kelly, Paul, Daniel, Jen, & Grant) all went camping in Cherokee, NC for Labor Day. We had a blast and got to do lots of fun stuff. We went rock mining, saw a waterfall, fished, and just hung out at the campsite and ate hotdogs and s'mores. I sure do love camping and wish we could do it more.

My internship is still fabulous. I got to go to Hall Psychiatric Institute (yes, the infamous Bull St) last week. It was a great experience as I had been in private psychiatric institutes before but never the state run ones. It was sad in just the fact that it is run down and just looks so dreary. But in meeting with a psychiatrist and social worker I was encouraged to see that they really want the best for these kids. So, yeah, that was really cool.

This is random, but does anyone else hate the new facebook?

Guess I should get back to working on my agency presentation.

fun times