Wednesday, September 5, 2007

Welcome Back, Sandi!



Welcome back home, Sandi. We missed you so much - and we are so glad that you got to spend some quality time with your dad. Please know that we will all continue to pray for you, your dad, and the family.

Your blogging public has missed you terribly, as well.
Know that you are in our hearts and prayers...WELCOME HOME!

LuvYa, Angie.

Monday, September 3, 2007

Mi Familia Loca


I had the privilege of spending the day with my crazy Colombian family. Darrell and I went over to my uncle's house for a Labor Day barbecue and we had a great time. Let me take you there.
Setting: My uncle and aunt's house with a newly broken A/C. We hung out in their new sun porch though. It overlooks the lake in their backyard so it was breezy and beautiful.
In Attendance: Five out of six of my mother's siblings, their spouses, and children. Darrell, myself, my mother-in-law, my sisters Brittney and Cassie, Brittney's boyfriend Eric, my nephew Hayden, my grandmother and some friends of my aunt and uncle with their child as well, and a partridge in a pear tree.
Food: Hamburgers, hot dogs, ribs, and veggie burgers (I have a large vegan/vegetarian population within my family... they are converting more and more by each passing year.) We also had salad and baked beans... oh, and cake. Typical barbecue dining.
Ambiance: A lot of joking around and cutting up. Football was discussed on more than one occasion and there were many cuts made on other's teams. I caught up with my cousin Aislinn, who is a senior in high school. I had to get the dish on what's been going down in her life. It's all good. We danced to really, really, really loud salsa, merengue, and pop music. (This is always my favorite part of any family gathering. I love to dance and I love that everyone in my family loves to dance because they all do it so well... I get it from my mama!)
I love my fun family and the time I get to spend with them. It seems like we only get together with my extended family on the major holidays like Thanksgiving, Christmas, and Easter. I'm thankful for the bonus family day today!

Friday, August 31, 2007

All things work together....

I had a bad day yesterday. It seemed that everything that could go wrong did. It started the night before. I drank a mountain dew which is the root of all evil. If I drink one of those I'm doomed when it's time for me to sleep. So, needless to say, the last time I remember looking at the clock it was 3:00 am. Due to my lack of sleep I started feeling really sick. I came home from work and crashed the second I hit my bed. There was a bunch of junk that happened while I was working to enhance my crappy mood. I was trying to pull myself together so I wouldn't effect anyone else with my irritations. Nothing major happened to put me in a funk but a bunch of little things were getting under my skin. Then I started thinking...

Romans 8:26-28:

26 And the Holy Spirit helps us in our weakness. For example, we don’t know what God wants us to pray for. But the Holy Spirit prays for us with groanings that cannot be expressed in words. 27 And the Father who knows all hearts knows what the Spirit is saying, for the Spirit pleads for us believers[a] in harmony with God’s own will. 28 And we know that God causes everything to work together[b] for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them.

I started thinking about all the times in my life when MAJOR disappointments had happened and how God miraculously made the circumstances benefit my life and growth in it. If He can do it with the big things He can certainly turn my bad day full of little annoying circumstances around to something good. I love that verse 28 says "everything" ... even the little things will work out. God has my bad day under control.

Monday, August 27, 2007

Hey Rap Girl

Hey Andrea, I love that you're a rap girl! I so enjoyed watching you sing and dance with the kids in Powerhouse yesterday. I know all the kids are so happy you're back grooving with them again too. You do such an awesome job in there and it is so obvious that you absolutely love it...that's what makes you so perfect for the part. Thanks for also sharing your cooking talent with us last week too...we totally enjoyed our "Tour of Italy" at the Lopers. So, do you rap while you cook?

C3... un.orthodox!

Okay, okay... so I'm the rap girl. I love all music but hip hop is just soooooooo cool! Darrell and I visited Crossover Church in Tampa a few weeks ago. This is the pastor. He goes by the name Urban D. and this video describes C3 Church culture as well. His vision is to be un.orthodox in reaching the community around him for Christ. I'm so grateful that Pastor Byron is seeking God first and prays for un.orthodox methods to reach the lost. I've included some of the lyrics at the end of the song that I think fits C3 perfectly!

Urban D. "Un.orthodox" Music Video

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Vs. 3 On my journey’s people ask my occupation I tell em’ I’m a pastor and an artist – there’s amazement True engagement / Sometimes I wish I could take they look and frame it They can’t picture a cat that’s braided Cuz the old school presentation got em’ jaded But so many people waited (For a ministry out the box) With no cultural locks (C3 Church) – unorthodox Dreadlocks fades and fitted’s A multi-cultural faith community that’s committed To the great commandment and the great commission We orthodox in our beliefs, but not in our fishin’ We into Biblical context and not tradition Cuz we’re more concerned about your heart’s condition (We got a passion from God) – so we’re Purpose Driven We look just like you – but we found what’s missin’

This is my shout out to my family at C3! Let's be un.orthodox!