Tuesday, September 30

Cameras & Scrapbooking

Have you ever noticed that when you have to rely on others to get you the pictures off their cameras of the trips together--even if you took the pictures--it doesn't always happen? Plus, after a while, you just plain forget to ask. Or sometimes you're not even sure if there were any, or many, pictures of the short hangout you had...

Well, I don't know if y'all noticed, but I've suddenly got a lot of pictures in my last couple posts. And does it ever feel great! It was a short weekend, where most of the time everyone was distracted in the interaction of humans and not so much taking memorable pictures of it, yet I've got some! Woo Who!

Thanks to Roy (Mom's new hubby) & Mom, who heard my last camera had been destroyed by a small sand particle during my first missions trip to the Philippines (almost 2 years ago). They were going to get Alissa a new camera for her birthday when I piped in. So I searched the internet and found a camera that almost screamed "missionary proof." They decided it was perfect for my lifestyle, and both Alissa & I ended up with two really great Olympus, dustproof & shockproof & waterproof (up to 10ft under water) cameras! Mine is turquoise and Alissa's is yellow; mine came in the mail almost two weeks ago and Alissa's finally arrived in WY! And the cool thing is, no little partical of sand can destroy this one! Neither can an accidental drop in a toilet or a friend sitting on it or anything (the only thing I have to watch out for is theft, LOL!)

Now I'm just gabbing because it's SOOOO great to just take pictures again! I can be that lady whose downright annoying to her friends because she can't take enough pictures, that lady who has abundance of both professional-looking and crazy photographs for writing, blogging, and especially remembering moments with my friends via scrapbooking! Woo who!

I know I could probably better use the money for my trips, and don't need expensive toys. But there is something about having a camera again; it's like saying "I'm back" after a long trip in netherworld. It feels complete, like a weird part of me had been suppressed in not using the art of photography to capture moments and the cool designs of scrapbooking to log the memories in a fashion which no words can fully encompass in a simple journal. (no wonder I once tried to go to a college for Script & Screenwriting; there is something about facial expressions and lighting which says so much more then even a book ever can!)

And just for show, here's a picture of my camera. But this one I had to take via my camera phone so it's not as good...LOL!

Monday, September 29

Toronto Airport Church, Conference...

Well I had a lot of fun with my friends late at nights and a couple other times, but the first two days we attended the conference I pretty much had fun with God. Thursday and Friday, I spent a lot of time with God, out on the floor drunk in His presence. Most of the time I'm not even sure what happened, but some of the time God showed me incredible things and just loved on me back!

<- Emily laying in God's presence
-> Tim trying to sit with Cathy's help

Saturday morning we decided to catch up on sleep and go only for the afternoon session and then ended up enjoying ourselves at the B&B instead and stayed in the kitchen till late into the night, talking, worshiping and all such fun and spiritual things we like to do together. Sunday, we accidentally slept in till 10am, and since we had missed church (which was 20 minutes away, and started at 10) and our hosts got back right then, we stayed and had a late breakfast and enjoyed another couple hours there. Then we all left and went our separate directions.

<- Em & Tim enjoyn picts
-> Dave takn picts Sat. night

<- Hosts: Doug & Janis

-> Tim leadn worship late Sat.


Sometime in there, late Thursday, the Ingole parents came with friends from their church--Russ & Marsha, whom I had the pleasure of getting to know during our week attending the Florida revival. Then they left before we were up Saturday to go to the conference in Toronto, but somehow got lost and decided to enjoy the day at Niagara Falls before heading back home to do church in the morning (Mike Ingole is the pastor of the church in East Liverpool; where we are having the ladies conference this weekend, too, by the way). Sadly, I didn't see them much, so no pictures of them...

OTHER RANDOM PICTURES:
<- Em, studyn Bible, Sat.
-> Getn ready, on way to Conf

<- Cole strangln Tim to wake him, Sat

-> Em & I at church b4 meetn

Our Gang before we seperated ways after noon, Sunday.
Top row: Tim, Emily, & I (all FOFs)
Then: Cole (friend of Ingole family & from OH)
Bottom Row: Dave (Tim's friend, and internet site manager), Cathy (his mom), & Michelle Harter (a FOF)

Thursday, September 25

Golden Birthday...

Have you ever noticed its the simple things in life that make it better? small and simple can say more then big and expensive; if its with friends, sometimes it doesn't matter how much they spend on making a special day for you, its just special that they do...

Emily, Michelle, and Cole got lost on their way to the church--they tried a short cut, which added over an hour to their trip--and got there just as the service was ending. The first thing Emily told me was to stay put, and Michelle ran out to the car for something while we mingled and talked with Pastor Jun. Then my surprise came--and boy was I worried!

<- Em


->

P Jun
& I



It was simple really. A big-beaded pink necklace wrapped around twice, a cute pink tiara, and a little wand. (Have I mentioned that my least favorite color is pink? And all shades of pink! So by default, also red?) Of course I had to wear it all for pictures, and was supposed to keep it on for the rest of the day (thankfully there was only 3hrs left and that was how long it would take to get to the B&B in Streetsville, Canada!)...The funny thing is, that as much as I abhor Pink and don't like being too girly (Can it get anymore girly then all pink and a tiara?) it was somehow cool. I was the princess for a couple hours. And it was my friends way of making it special. Once we were downstairs in the coffee house, hanging out and eating, they handed to me a little Victoria Secret bag (it's an old joke, but I swore I'd never be caught be dead carrying one of those bags through a mall, and ever since then I've gotten gifts in those bags!). I was worried, again! (it would be like them put something "interesting" in there too) But all it was were a couple of those really cool musical cards about friendship (one was the show Friends, go figure), the Momma Mia soundtrack (woo who!), and a really cool picture of the three of us girls in Honduras together!

Then we had a really long, but really fun, road trip up to the B&B where we met up with Tim, his friend Dave, and his mom Cathy--who arranged this whole thing. Of course, once there, we stayed up another couple hours to laugh and talk with each other--as seems to be our habit whenever we're together!

Unless you count the fact that my friends drove a couple hours out of their way to stop by and pick me up on my birthday, it really wasn't anything too big. Yet somehow it was one of the sweetest birthdays I've ever had (the only other one was when I turned 19 and my dorm-hall went together and made a special scavenger hunt for my gifts and gave me a cake at lunch)...I think I'm beginning to understand it's the company that makes the difference, not so much the price or place of the event, it's the fun, the laughter, the craziness of our interaction. And of course none of that is possible without the company, the actual friends! Thank God for my friends!

To my friends & family, thank you for always making such simple days so special! I love y'all and I thank God for you, every day! May He bless you as your presence has blessed me!

Wednesday, September 24

The Day Ahead...

Well, today is my "Golden Birthday" (I'm turning 24 today, which is the 24th) and among many wonderful gifts, one of my friends is paying my registration so I can go to the conference with them in Toronto, ON, Canada! Its at the Airport Church up there, which oddly enough, I have never been to. I'm excited because I've always wanted to see Heidi Baker and she's one of the speakers!

The day is gonna go as follows (now that I'm all packed): at 3:30pm we are going to my cousins parent's house and having diner and hanging out because our pastor from the Philippines is here and we want to eat and commune with him every chance we have. Then at 6pm when we have our usual Wednesday night church meeting, we will go there and I will meet up with Emily & Michelle and a friend of the Ingole family. We will stay and listen to as much of Pastor Jun's preaching as possible, and then start our way up to Canada...There tonight Cathy Hoffman will being picking up her son, Tim Wright, and a friend of his at the airport. And tonight the FOF's (friends of Four) will be back together again and get to enjoy the conference together and with other friends and family also meeting us there!

Sadly, Sunday we will all be parting ways again and heading to our separate homes. Until then, I not only expect to meet God in a new and awesome way through the conference, But I also anticipate great fun and interaction with my friends!

Praise God for His many blessings!
<>< HJ

Monday, September 15

The Weekend...

Well our conference went great! Tina was an awesome speaker (as I knew, but others hadn't yet) especially for the subject of Praise and Worship. I had a wonderful time with my friends Christine and Emily (who had to leave Saturday to preach somewhere else Sunday, which I heard went awesome and was along the same theme, too!). Christine got to stay till a few hours ago because she doesn't have to work till later today; but while she was here it was decided, she is now joining us to go to the Philippines! Hoorah! I was also blessed to receive a couple hundred for my trip from a friend, as well as have next years conference handed off to me (the subject is going to be on friendship and titled Forever Friends, so please come and bring your friend/s!)...

Oh, and as an added bonus, for my birthday a friend is paying for my expenses to attend the conference in Toronto on my birthday. I really wanted to go, since I've never been and Heidi Baker is a speaker I've wanted to see since I first heard her of her a few months ago, but with trying to pay for the Philippines trip I couldn't do both. So I'm very happy about getting to do both! (Of course, I'm trusting God for the provision to still go to the Philippines; but I'm certain, when God calls, He provides. He has every time before, so He will again!)...

That's all for now, I believe...I pray blessings to y'all...

<>< HJ

Tuesday, September 9

Planned Philippines...2008

This is just a note to keep us in your prayers. Half of the medical team has dropped out of going to the Philippines in October, and the lady who was going to lead the Bible School for the kids has dropped out too. We can still manage, but most of us who are still planning on going are very very short financially and all of us are wondering when--not if--God is going to provide; we need $2400 for the plane ticket in two weeks! Emily and Michelle could also use extra money to come up with the medical supplies they plan to bring...We appreciate and envy your prayers, so keep it up. In the end, The Lord will have just the right people going and all the things we need, right now we just need more faith!

I love y'all and pray God blesses you back, continuously...

<>< HJ

Monday, September 1

Salamanca Women's Conference

On The Corner of Praise & Worship:
Sept 12-14

FREE
Registration Friday, 6-7 pm

Meetings Friday, 7pm
all day Saturday, 9am-9pm
Saturday night, worship bash, 7pm
Sunday church with lunch afterward.


Main Speaker: Tina Davis.

Tina was born and raised on the mission field in Caracas, Venezuela, moving to Rochester, NY at the age of 10. She moved to Virginia Beach, VA, to attend Regent University, graduating with a joint Masters Degree in Community Counseling and Practical Theology. Tina has spend the last 15 years working with at-risk youth and their families, specializing in substance abuse treatment for adolescents. Tina has ministered through worship and the Word across America and internationally speaking at worship conferences, women's conferences, and other leadership venues. She's been a worship leader for over ten years at New Life Providence Church in Virginia Beach, VA, and is currently the co-founder and director of King's Chamber, a worship and intercession ministry for an "audience of One." She has recently become the leader for a postmodern service, ministering to both the de-churched and unchurched in the community. She and her wonderful husband, Christopher Davis, have been married for nearly 2 years, and have just returned from leading a worship and intercessory missions team to Turkey.

Feel free to come and stay the night, but remember your:
Bible & Journal
Snacks to share
Sleeping Bag
Towel (showers available)
Other toiletries
Etc...

Ps 138:2 (NKJV)
I will worship toward your holy temple, and praise your name for your lovingkindness and for your truth; for you have magnified your word above your name.



LOCATION:

Valley Christian Assembly
Prospect Ave
Salamanca, NY



Call me or Debby for more information
And check out our schedule here

Salamanca Women's Conf. Schedule

FRIDAY, Sept 12, 2008
5:00-7:00PM Registration
7:00-10:00PM Evening Session
________Worship-Josh & Angelina Creed
________Speaker-Tina Davis
10:00PM Snack & Fellowship

SATURDAY, Sept 13, 2008
8:00AM Breakfast
9:00AM Session One
________Speaker, Dining Hall-Cheryl Harrison
_________________"Give Me One Good Reason"
________Speaker, Sanctuary-Delores Chapel
_________________"Deborah: Warrior/Worshiper"
10:30AM Session Two
________Speaker, Dining Hall-Becky Ingole
_________________"A Call to Worship"
________Speaker, Sanctuary-Cathy Hoffman
_________________"Spiritual Warfare: You Can Be Free!"
12:30PM Lunch
2:00-4:00PM Session Three
________Worship-Cathy Hoffman
________Special Music-Linda Clute
________Speaker-Tina Davis
5:30PM Dinner
7:00-9:30PM Worship Jamboree
________Special Dance-Angelina Creed & Marie-Louise Davis
_________________"Holy of Holies"
________Worship-Debby Davis
10:00-12:00PM Fellowship

SUNDAY, Sept 14, 2008
8:00AM Breakfast
10:00-11:00AM Sunday School
11:00AM-1:00PM Morning Session
________Worship-Josh & Angie Creed
________Speaker-Tina Davis
1:30PM Lunch