Monday, November 26, 2007

Cyber Monday


I dont know if it's true or not, but a friend told me that today is "Cyber Monday," the largest INTERNET shopping day of the year. So I decided to celebrate the holiday and checked out my shopping cart at amazon.com. The prices were lower on the new digital camera I've been considering, along with a 2G memory card, so I decided to just get it for myself for Christmas (thanks Mom & Dad for the extra money)! It's a Canon PowerShot A720 IS. Since I ordered it today, it should arrive in 5-9 days with FREE Super Saver shipping!

Top 5 Things For Which I'm Thankful

1. Sanctification. God doesn't just leave us where we are; He gives us the opportunity to grow and change. (And plenty of opportunities to practice it.)
2. The Bible. Although I don't open it as often as I should, God gives us His Word as a tool to help us in our quest for personal holiness. He didn't just leave us empty-handed.
3. My amazing family. I am SO thankful that I have a wonderful Christian family that is always there for me and has given me such a good foundation. This includes my parents, my brother Tim, my sisters Rachel & Sarah, my grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins!
4. My church family & friends (including those with whom I work), without whom I would be tempted to remain nice and cozy in my own little personal bubble. They keep me accountable to grow and change.
5. My dog Juju...of COURSE she made the list!

Wednesday, November 14, 2007

Congratulations to the Boysens!


Congratulations to cousin Kristen Helfinstine (now Boysen) on her gorgeous October 5 wedding!! Here's the Helfinstine family that was able to attend.

Monday, November 12, 2007

FMT Tour Fall 2007


Here's a write-up I did for the school newsletter about tour...I'm finally getting around to posting!

The Faith Ministry Team enjoyed a great time of fellowship and ministry on our annual Tour. This year tour was held in the fall instead of the spring. We left Thursday morning, November 1st, with 13 girls and 11 boys (9th-12th grade), Pastor Leffew (bus driver) and Joan, Jack (director) and Joy Heim, and Beth Hill (accompanist). Our first stop was Covenant Christian School in Demotte, IN where we did our program, which includes singing, testimonies, and instrumental music for their chapel time. We then crawled through Chicago traffic to get to Union Grove, WI, home of the Shepherds Home, an institution for the mentally disabled. We really enjoyed our chapel time with them, getting to meet quite a few of the residents afterward. Then we traveled another 2 hours or so north to Green Bay, WI where our host church (Bay City Baptist) had supper ready for us. Bob & Joan Leffew enjoyed getting to spend the night with their daughter Michelle and her family!

Friday morning we sang for Bay City Christian School’s chapel, then got to visit Lambeau Field, home of the Green Bay Packers, before driving another couple of hours up to Northland Baptist Bible College, near Pembine, WI. We sang at Pioneer Christian School, a K-12 grade school run by the college, before bunking at the college for the night. That evening we enjoyed a memorable tour of the campus and a time of fellowship with some of the college students.

After brunch on Saturday we traveled our last leg of the tour, reaching our farthest point north, Ishpeming, MI—which is located in Michigan’s beautiful Upper Peninsula! Our host church, Bible Baptist Church in Ishpeming, arranged some activities for us to enjoy. Pastor & Mrs. Hill (Miss Hill’s parents) took care of us. Pastor accompanied us on a tour of some of the scenic spots in the Marquette area, including a climb up “Sugarloaf Mountain,” which gives you a great view of Lake Superior! We then spent some time at Presque Isle point trekking out to the lighthouse there on the breakwall and catching sight of an ore boat as it was docking. Saturday evening we enjoyed a time of fellowship with the church family at their annual Harvest Party, then split up into homes for the night. Sunday morning we shared in Sunday School (probably quadrupling their entire Sunday School attendance!) then did our whole program for the morning service. After a lasagna dinner, we said goodbye and headed home to Lafayette. We pulled into the school parking lot around 10:45 Sunday night, November 4th.

Monday, November 05, 2007

Happy Anniversary!


Happy 2nd Anniversary, Mr. & Mrs. Mathew Eliason!