A Dance Through Life...

more gems...

2011-03-29T17:52:00.002-04:00

This was also found in my grandmothers house...oh how I can't wait to go back. And this old lantern that was my dads. I think I have two :) I was thinking of making the lantern into a light for our library nook... Ideas wanted and welcome!

little gem of many

2011-03-29T17:35:00.004-04:00

I got this little vanity bench out of my grandmothers garage and I can't wait to clean it up. If anyone has any ideas for color, fabric or use I would like to hear.I can't wait to go back and dig a little more to see what I can find. Oh the little gems in life. :)

dryer-sheets

2011-03-29T12:11:00.010-04:00

Here it is...I couldn't stand it so while the kids were playing so well I mixed up the softener. I already had the Downy on hand and to be honest, not really sure where it came from. We have never bought liquid softener. (It could have been any of the many college students that have lived with us over the years) I also had a bottle of Dreft spray that was gone, so I used that.I filled the Dreft

Borax...what's that??

2011-03-29T09:53:00.011-04:00

At least that was my question. First let me say that this blog credit goes to Stacy from stacymakescents.com. This lady's blog rocks my world! :) I love finding ways to save money and of course love making my own things. Check out her blog!So here it is; I made my own laundry detergent. Ya'll this was so easy and only took me 5-10 minutes. I am so pumped. You know I am excited because this is

Bathroom cabinet makeover

2011-03-14T10:21:00.014-04:00

Really?? Has it been a month already. Time sure flies by when you have two kids. Those of you with more than two...not sure how you do it yet.Evangeline is now 3 months old, she is growing sooo fast! She has been a joy. Elijah is talking up a storm and will be 3 this summer. Hard to believe. In between the kids I work on projects here and there and need to get better at putting the pictures up of

RESULTS

2011-02-11T14:23:00.004-05:00

Okay, so I am still learning all this couponing stuff but here is my results from today...I went to Rite Aid cause the were having a sale on Pepsi and halls, weird combo I know, but hey I am couponing. (Is that even a word - couponing????) I have been hooked on Pepsi ever since Eva was born and I don't even like cokes. And the halls, well medicine can be expensive and we have all had are share of

I love saving

2011-02-11T10:37:00.002-05:00

I am now addicted to couponing,crazy! I sat down this morning to clip a few before going to the store. And of course got side tracked...because I am addicted and every coupon or deal I see, I CLICK!! AHHHH!!!! So now 2 hours later I am about to get ready to leave for the store. I just can't help it. I love saving!!!

YAY we did it!

2011-02-09T15:19:00.004-05:00

Finally, I took Elijah to the library. I have been wanting to take him for months now. They have story time for kids twice a week where they read them a story then the kids get to do a craft of some sort...and I am all about crafting these days. :) I decided this year I want to be more intentional about some things and this is one of the things on my list. He has always loved reading too.

Why didn't I know about this 10 months ago...

2011-02-09T14:38:00.006-05:00

I don't know how many of you are in or have been in the season of life of MATERNITY. With that goes the pre-belly and after belly awkward sizes...nothing seems to fit right. Maternity is too big and old clothes, you're just not there yet. That is where I am now. But these little bundle of joys are SOOO worth it. Not only that, it seems every time I am pregnant I end up having to do something

potty time

2011-02-05T00:39:00.002-05:00

We are working on his potty training right now. We are not pushing the subject with the new baby and all but making our way. He is very curious and wants to "go to the big potty" but still has not figured it out. I keep my niece during the week and she is fully potty trained. She and Eli are the same age. So I am hoping this encourages him. So far two things have happened...1- he wanted to use

no more hitting the snooze button

2011-02-05T00:34:00.004-05:00

Just in the past two days Elijah has discovered that he can now come OUT of his room when he wakes up in the morning and makes his way to our room. He has been in a big boy bed since the summer so we have been lucky that he has not figured this out before now. I wish I could be a fly on the wall as he runs down the hall to us so proud that he has figured this out because when he enters our room

And 3 become 4

2010-12-16T16:10:00.002-05:00

Welcome baby EvangelineEvangeline Marie Barton was born on 12/11/10 at a whopping 9lbs 12oz. She is super sweet and cuddly. Elijah is adjusting well and is being a wonderful BIG brother. He enjoys helping with her and wants to know where she is at all times. We will have to watch him carefully though because he has already tried to pick her up on his own several times.

Front door makeover

2010-12-04T20:40:00.004-05:00

I may have mentioned about wanting to paint my interior doors black. So after talking about it for months and well, our little Eva is still super snug, I figured why not get started. LOLSo tonight I started with our front door. I just love the way it turned out. Now I have 7 more doors to go..... BEFOREAFTER

something fresh and something new

2010-12-03T11:25:00.002-05:00

So I have decided to change the look of my blog. There are several reasons running through my head:*I figured something fresh and new is rejuvinating...so maybe it will motivate me more to blog. *New look = new seasons in life.*I have had this blog since I lived overseas...and obviously I am no longer, so it's time for this season to be represented.What ever the reason hopefully it will keep me

The things kids say...

2010-11-30T13:13:00.002-05:00

As I am sitting here getting ready to put Elijah down for a nap, myself included, we are having small talk. I told him he had to take a nap in 1 minute, he then looks at me and says, holding up his pointer finger, "mommy, in 2 -1 minutes I will go to bed." I love it! Bryan tried explaining to him yesterday that he can say, 2 minutes. But I think he prefers his way of saying it. I really need

Christmas wreath

2010-11-30T09:37:00.004-05:00

We won't be decorating a ton this year as we are days away from our little Eva arriving. But I am hoping to get a few things up for Christmas. I think Christmas decorations are great and so much fun! I just love the smell of the tree in the house and the warm fires we have been running at night. Here is the Christmas wreath I just finished for our front door... total cost $2.00 (I already had

Easy gift idea

2010-11-26T23:20:00.005-05:00

Here is an easy yet fun gift idea. You can use these as recipe holders of even to hold a favorite picture of yours. I just took old tiles and hot glued a clothes pin to the back...so simple yet fun. The one with the buttons was a white tile I got from home depot...you could really paint these or glue what ever you want to them to make them unique and fun!

Fall has come and gone, 4 weeks till Christmas

2010-11-26T22:33:00.009-05:00

I can not believe fall has come and gone and now we are 4 weeks away from Christmas. I have not even started Christmas shopping yet. I am still working on projects around the house and yet to have all my pictures ready for before and afters but promise to get there. With that, we are still waiting patiently for little Evangeline to get here. We are hoping any time now in the next week but of

Goodbye "nunnie"

2010-11-05T17:19:00.003-04:00

So today is the day...I took Elijah to the store to by a toy with his "nunnie" aka... PACIFIER!I had no clue how this was going to go but it was time. He is 2 1/2 years old, my niece is loosing hers this weekend to the passy fairy and well his had a huge hole in it and it was on its last leg anyways. So I have been prepping him for two days about this BIG purchase and how he is a big boy. We

Happy Fall

2010-11-02T15:14:00.005-04:00

Today has been a chilly day but so nice at the same time. I really enjoy the fall weather. Time for fires, coffee, soups, cuddling and blankets...Please bear with me if I am in rambling mood and I just got up from a much enjoyed/needed nap. I wish I could sleep the whole 2 hours my son sleeps. I seem to wake up after an hour. Sad! I decided I needed to update some... I should have some more

Elijah and Evangeline's room

2010-10-11T18:01:00.005-04:00

As promised here is some pictures of both Elijah and Evangeline's room. It was a fun project and Alaina did such a great job. Now I have a crafty itch and keep finding things around the house to do. LOL

Inspired

2010-10-07T12:58:00.003-04:00

Well, I have a new friend that seems to have made me into a mad woman. She is super crafty and I like crafty. So I have decided to try and be crafty myself and save money on projects around the house. I have several projects going on and will post them as I do them but for starters, here is the wreath I made for the front door.It has been a lot of fun. Although tricky trying to get things done

Slovakia 2010

2010-10-07T12:47:00.002-04:00

Below are a few pictures from our mission trip this summer... just so you all can have a visual. :)

The past 6 moths with the Barton's...

2010-07-26T07:34:00.010-04:00

Unfortunately this is a 6 month recap of our lives...apparently time got past me yet again. How do people do this daily. LOL After Eli goes to bed, I am ready for bed.Lots of events have happened in our lives over the past 6 months. I will do my best to cover them all in this post.APRILRight around this time we had the joy of finding out we are expecting number 2. Elijah is now a BIG brother to a

sweet moments

2010-01-26T14:47:00.009-05:00

I just laid Elijah down for his later afternoon nap/quiet time. I can hear him kicking around and talking, not so sure he was ready for his quiet time but I needed it for a little bit. :) I have had some sweet moments today with Elijah and just taking in all that he has learned and trying to learn. We went for a walk this afternoon to get some fresh air and enjoy the beautiful day and when

Christmas time already??!!!

2009-12-03T10:40:00.004-05:00

I feel like we just posted Halloween pictures and now we are decorating for Christmas.Thanksgiving was great, a blur; but great! We traveled up to Blue Ridge to spend time with Bryan's parents. They rent a cabin for Thanksgiving...something they have done the past couple of years. It is a good get away. Then we headed over to Alpharetta/Milton to see my dad and Trudy. Then two days later we

Eli's Halloween...

2009-11-02T16:20:00.002-05:00

This year he got to participate a little more than the year before. :) Although dressed up and loving every minute of it, we let him stay up late and hand out the candy. We decide not to go "trick-or-treating" because I did not want all the candy.Every time Elijah would look in the mirror he would bark and get so excited.

TOP 10... Agreed!

2009-10-16T12:22:00.004-04:00

The other day I was surfing around on the web and reading about other Girls Ministries and came across a blog that just made me "giggle". I would say that I would have to agree with the entry and wanted to share with you....this pretty much sums up why I love what I do. This is the top 10 reasons to love girls ministry.10. Girls come in all shapes, sizes, colors, and personalities. Like

"Living Room Intimacy"

2009-10-15T11:07:00.003-04:00

...At least that is what it is referred to in the book I am reading. Luke 10:38-42I am studying the hearts of both Mary and Martha right now and what it means to have a Mary heart in a Martha world. So often I have the intentions to sit down and have intimacy with Jesus and then I will think of the things I did not do or need to do only to jump up and do them at that moment because

The good, bad and the rain....

2009-09-24T11:21:00.005-04:00

As we all know it has been raining an incredible amount. For us there has been some fun moments then not so fun moments...Just this past week before it got really bad, I thought I would let Eli play in the rain. (This is the fun moment) Why not, all kids should get a chance to do that - right? He LOVED it. He would run out, laugh, run back...this continued for 10 minutes or more. He thought it

Mallory Smith

2009-09-15T13:30:00.004-04:00

I just received a text message from a student in our ministry. Her name is Mallory Smith. Mallory just turned 21 this past week and for the past couple of years she has been in and out of the hospital. Today she got admitted again. Mallory has gone through many many surgeries and two liver transplants. She is a fighter. Please keep her in your prayers as she again goes into the trusting hands of

RAIN

2009-09-15T10:52:00.002-04:00

This morning has been a bit wild. I get the honor of keeping my niece twice a week and the kids were all over this morning. Right now they are down for a little nap and I am soaking in the sound of the rain falling outside and the stillness in the house. There is something about rain that I have begun to enjoy... it makes me slow down, it's a chance for new growth, and there is something about

so cuddly

2009-09-11T17:10:00.001-04:00

I just wanted to post this picture. Eli had just had a bath and loved running around in his robe. Too cute!

Update on Elijah

2009-09-02T22:04:00.003-04:00

Well, we have been home a couple weeks recuperating...the doctors did not really have an answer for us except that Elijah mush have had some soft of allergic reaction but to what we don't know. He just finished up his meds/steroids and we are praying it does not come back. IF it does, then we go back to a specialist and try and figure out what is going on.After returning home from the hospital,

Trusting Him

2009-08-20T22:16:00.003-04:00

Well tomorrow is Bryan's 3oth birthday...but unfortunately we get to spend it at Scottish Rite. Eli broke out in a rash in the last two weeks that got progressively worse. Within the past two days he had welts all over his body and his hands, feet and face (eyes) started to swell. The pediatrician was unable to figure out what was going on and quite concerned with his swelling and bruising so

Beach trip

2009-08-18T13:15:00.004-04:00

We went to the beach, St George Island, this summer with my family...here are some pictures of our fun. (you can tell I am trying to catch up with my blogging...lol)

WALKING

2009-08-18T13:06:00.002-04:00

Elijah starting walking about two weeks ago...he is so funny! He is proud of himself for sure. The first week we had a few bumps and bruises where he would fall into the coffee table, but he seems to be getting faster and faster each day.Now that the walking is down and he is 13 months, it seems he learns something new everyday. His new words are 'dog or og', 'car', 'light or ight' and 'woof more

HAPPY BIRTHDAY ELIJAH!

2009-07-07T13:04:00.004-04:00

Elijah turns 1 today!!! Crazy how fast it goes by. It seems all at once he is blowing kisses, saying "bye-bye" and "uh-oh", and drinking out of straws. He has even taken a few steps today...he is SO CLOSE to walking.Today we took his great-grandma to the airport. On our way we went to IHOP with her. Eli got to eat eggs and a pancake for his birthday. After coming home and lots of playing around

too curious for his own good

2009-07-06T08:45:00.003-04:00

Elijah is so inquisitive. He watches EVERYTHING and absorbs as much as he can. This week he learned how to drink out of a straw. He got a juice box at Chick Fil A and loved it!!! It's amazing how fast they grow and figure things out. Yesterday I was picking up his room and knew he was pulling things out of the drawers but figured I would get to that after and there was no sense in me

Drew & Stacy Holley

2009-06-12T16:27:00.002-04:00

Well this weekend Bryan and I had the honor of being part of Drew Holley and Stacy Kavorous' wedding. Drew and Stacy came to us almost 3 years ago and joined our college Bible study back when we lived in our apartment. Shortly after that, Drew moved in with us and lived with us for just over a year. Over the years we have become very close to them and have come to love them dearly. They are

so big so fast

2009-06-12T16:24:00.002-04:00

Well just in the past few weeks both Eli and his cousin Carolyn are growing so fast. Carolyn is now walking. She is 5 weeks younger than Elijah. I know Eli is not far behind her...he is trying so hard.The other day Elijah was playing with some toys...it seems the only toys he wants now are BOY toys. He loves trucks and blocks. I try to give him his other baby toys but he is not so interested

Mr and Mrs Michael Grayson Barton

2009-05-27T10:14:00.006-04:00

Over Memorial weekend we went to Navarre Beach for Michael and Karah's wedding...CONGRATULATIONS you two!!! We are so happy for you! We love you guys!!The wedding was beautiful. It was on the beach in the early evening, there was a cool breeze and a gorgeous background. We had a wonderful time.Bryan also had the honor of doing the ceremony. He did such a wonderful job. It was so beautiful

Mother's Day

2009-05-07T15:10:00.009-04:00

HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY!!!!This was my first Mother's Day as a M-O-M. It was so wonderful. My best friend Rebecca asked if she could come and "babysit" Eli the other night, so I let her...Bryan and I went out. Well her baby-sitting was really a surprise gift making party for me. Eli made me my first mommy's day present. I just LOVED it...and cried.Also for Mother's day, Bryan and I closed on our first

Up, Up and Away

2009-05-07T09:09:00.007-04:00

Eli turned 10 months old on May 7th. Boy is he everywhere. He is now climbing the stairs as fast as he can. He keeps me busy as he moves from couch to couch and then up the stairs. It is hard to believe how fast he is growing. His personality is really developing and he is always so happy.

Tooth fairy get ready...

2009-04-17T18:50:00.003-04:00

Tooth number 2 has entered right next to the first one on the bottom in the middle. :) He has been really good during all this. It is exciting to see his little teeth coming through.

No longer toothless!

2009-04-10T16:11:00.003-04:00

Eli has his first TOOTH! It is the bottom, front tooth. Just after I posted the blog from earlier this week about all our updates the next night felt a little tooth. I was wondering if he would ever get teeth and here they come. I hate to see our grocery bill now... he ate everything without teeth, now that he is getting them, he may eat even more. I would post a picture but can't keep his

3 months till the day....

2009-02-10T16:03:00.011-05:00

... that we had Elijah! Boy, does time fly. My sister in law is so much better than me at updating these kinds of things. I can't seem to find the time to sit down and type. There is so much that has happened in the life of the Barton's since Eli was 4 months old (the last time I updated, ha). I will try to recap the past several months from Christmas to lots of friends having BEAUTIFUL babies

18 weeks

2008-11-18T22:05:00.002-05:00

Elijah is 4 months old this month. Time sure flies. He had his check up Monday and it went well. He is now 15 lbs 13 oz and 26 in long. What a big boy. He is so meek and mild, obviously taking after his daddy.He is doing good. Fighting a small cold right now but other than that he is in good spirits.

Montana continued

2008-11-18T21:27:00.002-05:00

As the days went on we continued to get rain. That made it a bit difficult to hike and get out of the car much. We think this is God’s way of saying…RELAX and if I have to send you to Montana to do it, well then Montana it is. It truly has been a week of doing nothing and much needed! For my birthday Bryan cooked Salmon and Tuna on Thursday night. It was delicious. We also got our fill of CSI,

Holiday Rush

2008-11-13T12:23:00.003-05:00

With the holidays right around the corner Bryan and I decided to take a furlough (vacation) to regroup not only with each other and with Eli but also with God. We have been running ourselves silly far a while now…I am sure most of it was me; getting ready for Eli, then Eli came, then work and it has just been non-stop. So we left for Montana on November 7th and will return November 14th. We

Visits from my Slovak family

2008-11-13T12:22:00.004-05:00

Some of the Slovak team came in town the first week of November. It was such a joy to be able to spend some time with the folks who are so dear to me. It reminds me how much I truly miss them and the Slovak culture. Maruska, is one of my dear friends and she got to stay with us for the week. It was so wonderful! She brought so many gifts from the students in Kukova, I could not believe it. The

Happy Birthdays!!!

2008-11-13T12:21:00.005-05:00

We want to wish our sweet sister, Leah, a happy birthday. Her birthday was November 7th. We love you!Lee Ann, Bryan and Cousin ElIAlso, we got to celebrate Larissa’s 20th birthday. Larissa is a student that lives with us. We love her dearly. J We made dinner for her and then made FONDU for dessert. It was great! HAPPY BIRTHDAY LARISSA!

College Ministry

2008-11-13T12:21:00.003-05:00

The college ministry is going really well. It seems to keep us busy. We are now running close to 50 students a week. It is a packed house with lots of energy. We continue to seek God’s direction in leading the ministry.

Eli's baby dedication

2008-11-13T12:20:00.003-05:00

At the beginning of October Eli was dedicated at North Star. What made this event even more special was that he was dedicated with his cousin Caralyn, who is 5 weeks younger than him. What a special day! It is our prayer that Eli grows up to be a man that chases after the Lord, a man that is in love with Jesus and truly lives out his name…ELIJAH! The dedication was more for us as parents as we

Elijah’s first Halloween

2008-11-13T12:15:00.002-05:00

As usual it has been a while since we updated you on our life. Eli is doing great. As of November 7th, he is 4 months old. Time sure does fly by. For Halloween we decided to stay in for the evening for Eli’s first Halloween he was dressed as a pumpkin and it was too cute (pictures below). The pictures were taken from a pumpkin patch. We thought it would be a cute idea to dress him up and stick

Mr. Mom

2008-09-24T22:19:00.003-04:00

Well tonight I had a youth event to go to and Bryan got to stay home with Eli and just be DAD (with out Mom to come to the rescue). I pumped a bottle for him and he had a little bit of reserve in the freezer... side note, Elijah is hitting a growth spurt and wants to eat EVERY hour to two hours, ugh, keeps me busy! :) I must say I was not sure how the night would go considering Bryan has had

Big steps for Eli

2008-09-09T18:20:00.003-04:00

Elijah has been making so many accomplishments these days...about a month ago we put him in his own room. He is doing a great job and loving his big bed. (I still bring him in our room for some cuddle time)He is also beginning to smile a TON!!! I love it. There is nothing more sweet and innocent then Elijah as he is figuring out his smile. He smiles at many things...funny noises, his daddy's

First day of church

2008-08-28T11:07:00.003-04:00

This past weekend we ventured to church. It was Elijah's first time. Let's just say the whole morning went well then right before we walked in the door he threw up on me TWICE! Unbelievable. We decided to dress he and daddy just alike. It's amazing how fast he is growing.

Caralyn Dee is here

2008-08-12T15:53:00.003-04:00

On Monday afternoon my niece and Eli's first cousin arrived. Caralyn Dee Schlampp. She was 7lbs. 12oz. YEAH!! Congrats to Spencer and Misty. She is beautiful! Mom, dad and baby are all doing well. Proud Auntie! Brother and sister each with their first kids, only a month apart.

5 weeks and counting

2008-08-10T10:16:00.005-04:00

Elijah is now 5 weeks old. It sure does go by fast. He is so precious and so much fun. Here are some pictures of him over the past month. Proud Dad! Proud Papa (Bryan's dad) one of our favorites...so precious!

Elijah's nursery

2008-08-10T09:51:00.007-04:00

I just realized I never posted any pictures of Eli's room...here it is. Dinosaurs, per his daddy's request. For those of you who know Bryan, know that is typical. This cradle was made by his PaPa Cliff. What a wonderful gift that can be passed down in the family. Thank you Papa Cliff. We love it!

Elijah's first cousin

2008-08-10T09:38:00.002-04:00

My sister in law Misty is having their little girl tomorrow. YEAH!!!! CARALYN DEE SCHLAMPP We are so excited to have another little one in the homes of our family. Elijah will have his first cousin and they are a month apart. That will be so much fun growing up. Congrats Spencer and Misty. We can not wait to meet our little Caralyn.

7/7/08 8 lbs. 10 oz. and 20.7 inches long

2008-08-10T09:08:00.005-04:00

Just before giving birth....37 weeksWell, so much for me keeping you posted... one week after my last post I was in the hospital delivering our little Elijah!!! As most of you mom's know babies take up a lot of time, especially newborns. At 37 weeks the doctor decided she wanted to induce me so we went into the hospital Sunday night the 6th to start the induction. Monday morning they broke my

37 weeks...

2008-06-29T10:16:00.001-04:00

I went to the doctor this past Friday and Elijah is doing great, a bit crowded. Although, the doctor did not like what she saw in my sonogram. She was checking my fluids and they were LOW! So, I am now on bed rest until Tuesday to hopefully bring my fluids back up. If they are not where she wants them, then we will be having baby Eli Tuesday night. :) I will keep you all posted.

College and Young Singles Ministry

2008-06-07T20:51:00.002-04:00

The college and young singles ministry is going well. We are staying steady and running around 35 students a week in our home. Bryan has done a great job as college and young singles pastor. You can tell this is his heart and what he loves doing. There are a lot of things going on within the ministry, and finding time to balance it has been a bit tough, but we have

"Crazy Love" by Francis Chan

2008-06-07T20:48:00.001-04:00

If you have not read this book, Crazy Love, I suggest you pick it up and read it. Talk about convicting in our own lives. If you have not heard of Francis Chan, he is a pastor in California who I think is an incredible speaker and now writer. (If you have heard him speak, he writes like he speaks, which is great and entertaining). Chris Tomlin quotes in this book, “As

"Nesting"

2008-06-07T20:41:00.003-04:00

I looked up the word ‘nesting’ and this is what I got: nest |nest| noun 1 a structure or place made or chosen by a bird for laying eggs and sheltering its young. • a place where an animal or insect breeds or shelters : an ants' nest. • a person's snug or secluded retreat or shelter. • a bowl-shaped object likened to a bird's nest : arrange in nests of

6 month update

2008-04-01T14:07:00.002-04:00

Here I am at 6 months... the belly is continuing to get bigger and bigger! We are getting excited as Elijah continues to let us know he is there by kicking and moving around. I think he is going to be a very active boy. I personally have been feeling great. I can't seem to sit still, which drives Bryan crazy. :)More to come!

It's a BOY!!!

2008-03-12T17:46:00.005-04:00

Well, here we are in our 5th month. We found out on Valentine's day that we are having a BOY! We are very excited. His name is Elijah Grayson. We can not wait to welcome him into this world. :) We are starting to get busy planning the nursery and getting the house ready since I am half way there (my nesting has begun).*this is his last sonogram... he turned to us just as we woke him up to

2008-02-13T10:03:00.000-05:00

1 month4 months

4 months down and 5 more to go...

2008-02-13T07:52:00.003-05:00

I just wanted to update everyone on the baby development. I am working on getting pictures posted of the growing belly. Mommy and baby are doing well, the morning sickness (or all day sickness as I would call it) is gone. At this stage I have felt the baby move slightly but nothing dramatic yet. Bryan is anxiously waiting to feel him/her kick. We are hoping to find out the gender this week, I

2008-01-13T21:13:00.000-05:00

serv*ant |'sərvənt|nouna person who performs duties for others, esp. a person employed in a house on domestic duties or as a personal attendant.• a person employed in the service of a government. See also civil servant , public servant .• a devoted and helpful follower or supporter : a tireless servant of God.DERIVATIVES serv*ant*hood |-ˌhoŏd| nounDo you ever stop and wonder if you are a servant?

2+1=3

2008-01-08T18:21:00.000-05:00

(listening to O.A.R)I hope that you all had a wonderful Christmas and New Years...sadly nothing was posted during those day. Between running from home to home visiting family and resting, we neglected to fill you in. For Bryan and I Christmas was filled with lots of family time and down time with each other. It was relaxing and fun! We always enjoy time with our families. Bryan got a fun Wii

blogging nelgected for 8 months!

2007-11-16T13:36:00.000-05:00

I have neglected to post anything in several months...more like 8 months, but who's counting?! RIDICULOUS! I am finding it a lot harder to blog when I don't stay on top of my "blogging". You would think that after several months of not blogging I would have plenty to say. The reality of that is, I do...I just can't gather all my thoughts to even know where to begin. I am sitting here thinking of

Our season of life since I have been in the states

2007-04-16T15:17:00.000-04:00

Here are images of what has happened in my life since I returned to the states.... ( I know I have been promising to post pictures...so here they are)PASSION conference in Atlanta: OUR FLAT in Acworth, Georgia: (we are the middle floor)

Our flat

2007-02-07T22:17:00.000-05:00

When I got back to the states I was living at home...which I would recomend to anyone. For some of us that may be difficult but in the long run, well worth it. Around October Bryan and I decided to start looking for a flat. We knew we needed to find someplace to call "home" after we were married. "Home"...what is HOME, humm??? (another post for another day)After much searching we came across

PASSION 07

2006-10-05T08:24:00.000-04:00

Dear friend and family, This year I am thankful to be part of a movement of God here in the states that will spread through Slovakia. JaJa and Anka, two college Slovaks have been given the opportunity to come to the states for Passion 07.This is Anka and JaJaThis past summer I had the privledge to work with Anka all summer and also get to know Jaja quite a bit. They are amazing women that are

If you are not careful time will pass you by...

2006-10-05T08:07:00.000-04:00

It's been a month since I have been back in the states and I am not sure where it went. So much has happened since I have been here. I still think about my home in Slovakia everyday and really miss my family there. There is a lot to be said about trusting the season of life God has you in...I know I am back for a reason, besides the obvious of getting married, and trust God in this season of

Back in the States

2006-09-03T15:21:00.000-04:00

As many of you know I arrived back in the states this week. It was a bitter-sweet goodbye to Slovakia for this season in life. This past year has been quite a challenge for me...moving to Slovakia, coming home with a broken leg/operation, going back to Slovakia and now back in the states and during all that I got engaged and getting married in December. God is full of adventure in my life. It

STRBSKE PLESO

2006-08-23T12:28:00.000-04:00

This past weekend Amy, Paige, Stani (three of my dearest friends in Slovakia) and I went for a weekend away to the Tatry mountains. We stayed at the highest settlement in Vysoke Tatry (the High Tatras). It was gorgeous. We all wanted some time together to relax and nothing says relax to me like sitting in the middle of God's creation at 4,380 ft above sea level. I was speechless everytime I

CAMPFEST

2006-08-21T09:56:00.000-04:00

This year I had the opportunity to go to Campfest again. For those of you who are not familiar with Campfest, it is the "Passion" of Slovakia. It is a huge Christian worship festival and over 3000 people show up for this 3 day event and camp out./>http://campfest.sk/en/Only this time I was really only planning on going for Thursday afternoon to have a meeting with Danny Jones about mine and

Ministry bus...

2006-08-09T11:32:00.000-04:00

While I was in Cz saying goodbye to some folks I had the opportunity to talk to Mark Krupa. He lives in Czech Republic and is part of the JV team. Mark was sharing with me about his ministry and what is going on with students around him. … This may look like some gang bangers got a hold of this bus but actually this is Mark’s ministry. M: “It’s not about finding the place but finding the

Zakopane, Poland

2006-08-09T11:31:00.000-04:00

This week Mike, Ryan, Anka and I went to Zakopane, Poland for one day to debrief part of the summer. It was gorgeous. It reminded me a little bit of Helen, Georgia (for those of you who know where that is). I enjoyed the quietness there and time to relax after camp. We spent the afternoon walking around the center and having some dinner and coffee. The summer is quickly coming to an end…right

Novi Sad after camp

2006-08-09T11:30:00.001-04:00

After camp we stayed with Serbian families in Novi Sad to do some follow up with students. It was a great time to get to know the Serbian culture a bit more closely and spend some time with students outside of camp.We had a couple days planned to do things with students. Usually at a follow up a few will come and that is about it. Well we had the entire camp of students at follow up except 3.

Serbia camp

2006-08-09T11:30:00.000-04:00

Camp began and when the students arrived and got out of the van…we were a bit confused. These students came from Novi Sad but were not your typical Serbian students. They were Gypsy students. After doing some placement testing to see where their English was so I knew what level to put them in for their classes….I realized they spoke NO English. What I mean by NO is, I asked one student his name

Serbia facts

2006-08-09T11:29:00.001-04:00

Whenever I mention going to Serbia a lot of you start to worry so I wanted to give you some facts... Here are some vague facts but non-the-less they are facts...Serbia is largely mountainous. Its northeast section is part of the rich, fertile Danubian Plain drained by the Danube, Tisa, Sava, and Morava river systems. It borders Croatia on the northwest, Hungary on the north, Romania on the

Pre-Serbia camp Vs. Satan

2006-08-09T11:29:00.000-04:00

Off we went to Serbia for another camp…and Satan did not want us there. We originally planned on doing 2 camps but then the second one got cancelled. So we started our journey at 6 am to Belgrade, Serbia. It was a HOT drive and roughly SUPPOSED to be 7 hours. Here is where Satan started his battles….just before the boarder crossing into Serbia Mike said “Do we have the insurance card for the

“From one man He made every nation of men….”

2006-08-09T11:28:00.000-04:00

After camp Mike, Ryan, Ben and I decided to go to the Tatry mountains for a little Q.T. It was much needed. We wanted to have a few hours with the Lord before we headed of to Serbia. It was beautiful where I was. The day was perfect. There was a cool breeze coming off the lake where I was sitting and I could see the fish swimming around in front of me. During my time with the Lord, I read

THINK AGAIN ~ KECY Slovakia

2006-07-16T09:49:00.000-04:00

This years theme was THINK AGAIN. Each day there was a theme for the day...Reality, Self, Wonder, Hope, Awakening; and with these themes we had English classes, sports, games, crafts and evening programs. It was great!The city I worked with was Lucenec and we had camp in the city of Kremnica (I posted about it in a blog previously).Even though are camp was small it seemed to be just right. Our

Happy 4th of JULY!!!!!!!!

2006-07-16T09:13:00.001-04:00

Okay so I am writing this late....but I was thinking of you all while I was at camp in Slovakia for the 2nd summer in a row.HAPPY 4TH OF JULY!!!!!!!!!!

Old German church 1931-1945

2006-07-16T09:11:00.000-04:00

While we were at camp, our campsite was neslted in the valley of rolling green hills in a small village. It was beautiful. Across the street from us was the village church, Catholic and behind that, almost hidden was an old German Luthern church. This church was built in 1931. Then in 1945 when all the Germans were chased out of Slovakia the church shut down and has never been reopened. We

Kremnica, Slovakia

2006-07-16T09:01:00.000-04:00

When we were preparing for camp I had to run into the city for a few last minute things and my friend Miska went with me. She is so full of knowledge, I love walking around with her because I always learn something new about some kind of history here in Slovakia.We had our English camp in a city called Kremnica. It is a beautiful. Funny thing about small towns is that the people are so kind.

Poland_Aushwitz and Birkenau

2006-06-22T10:15:00.001-04:00

Have you ever just stopped and wondered what it must have been like when people were sent the the concentration camps?? Well, me either...not until we took a day trip to Poland. I read about it in school but never really stopped and soaked it all in.The first concentration camp I visited was Aushwtiz, later on to Birkenau. After I entered the gate (pictured below) I tried over and over to put

Historic Jewish Synagogue

2006-06-22T10:15:00.000-04:00

I went to Lucenec for a week to help the interns promote camp. While we were there I noticed this really old run down building...I love the history on this side of the world. INCREDIBLE!This building numbers among just four synagogues built by Hungarian architect Lipot Baumhorn (1860-1932), whose other structures grace Amsterdam, Brussels and Tel Aviv. Built in 1924-1925, Baumhorn's synagogue

overnight train to KRAKOW,POLAND

2006-06-22T10:14:00.000-04:00

yeah yeah...so we had all been on the road for weeks and really getting worn out. After leaving Czech Republic in the middle of the night and getting to Slovakia in enought time to cat nap and grab the next trian at 6 am to Serbia, I was beat. (B.T.W- the trian ride to Serbia was 14 hours, in case you ever feel like taking the locamotive to Serbia.)We had a great week in Serbia but I was ready

Isodora

2006-06-22T10:09:00.000-04:00

Last year in Novi Sad, Serbia I had the honor to help pioneer their first English camp. It was great. This was our team..During that week I really got to understand the Serbs and a little bit more and learn about their culture. Serbs are very differnt from Slovaks. It is amazing to me how you can cross the border into another country (state) over here and it is like entering a totally

On your mark, get set, GO!

2006-06-22T08:10:00.000-04:00

This is how the summer has been so far. Literally a race from one city to the next then one country to the next...I am so sorry, I am aware that it has been a month since I updated my blog last. What a busy summer so far. I have been on the go for a month now. By the end of June I will have slept in my own bed only 5 times. I literally have been living out of a bag. When the interns arrived

Direction

2006-05-22T06:51:00.000-04:00

My one year here is fastly approaching its end and over the past several months I have been praying about the direction that God would lead me and what my next steps were going to be with Josiah Venture and in ministry as a whole. During my time in the states, Bryan was brought into my life and now we both have begun to pray about where we will go and what we will do in the future. It's funny

George Bush aka America

2006-05-22T05:33:00.000-04:00

It is such a great feeling to be back here!This weekend was a weekend diving back into Slovakia and it's culture. I had an amazing weekend in Kukova...lots of Slovak food, and I mean LOTS, time with kids playing futbol (soccer and don't worry, I watched the whole time) and eating Zmirzlina (ice cream), and church on Sunday morning. I really missed these families while I was in the states. They

Always ask what you are contributing to...

2006-05-16T17:03:00.000-04:00

Do you remember a few posts ago about the kids graduating and asking for money....well, it probably helps to find out EXACTLY what the money goes towards before you contribute.I found out yesterday that the money I gave to the kids...goes to a big drunk fest at the end of the year. All the kids put the money together and go out and get drunk! Yes it is true, I just contributed to a drunk fest