11/14/11

i am so thankful for people who are passionate about ministry!!

this week will be such an encouragement to me!!!

at church, we (Cofteambringit, our student leadership team) are teaching the foundations class. foundations is kinda like an internship program. they have classes, serve/volunteer in all the different areas of the church, workout (the strengthen their physical body...so cool) etc. they are such an awesome group of people who are passionate about the things going on in church ministry. it will be so fun to be in class helping them understand why we do what we do with the students.

this week, COF is having their annual "serve the world" weekend at church. i am looking forward to meeting the COF staff from around the world and hearing what God is doing in their ministries. this will include people from mexico, costa rica, africa, and right here in the u.s. we will have several opportunities to worship, chat, and pray with them. i cant wait to see what encouragement i walk away with after interacting with these amazing leaders!

tonight, peter and i had the opportunity to meet with kim and brett. they are new staff with campus crusade for christ (cru) and will be heading to LSU in the next few weeks to help college students grow and develop their relationship with the Lord. they are so excited about what God is calling them to do and about being a part of an organization dedicated to mentoring college students and growing their faith. peter and i are excited to be a part of their "ministry team" and to encourage them in prayer! we are praying the rest of their financial support comes in soon so that they are more than ready to start the semester in baton rouge in january!

today also makes me think of my friend, elizabeth, and her husband steve, who serve with athletes in action (aia). if you have been following my blog for a while, then you know that elizabeth started a battle with cancer the beginning of the year. right now, she is cancer free and we are praising God for that!!! i am so encouraged by elizabeth and steve. while she is very real about what she feels and what she is going through, this has not stopped either of them from following God and helping student athletes in their relationship with God. in the midst of some very serious heartache, they did not back down from their passion for serving others!

thank you, Lord, for using people's unique gifts and talents in different ways to reach so many people, even if it means stepping out of their comfort zone!!

i am praying for the foundations class, for COF staff around the world, for kim and brett, and for steve and elizabeth...that they will all be encouraged to continue in what God has called them to do. praying for God to guide each of their steps toward those who need Him and praying that God will bless each of them in all that they do!!

blessings, ALo

11/13/11

on the 13th i am thankful for low key date nights at home! after a long weekend at church and running around erranding (is that a word??), we decided to have pizza and chill out on the couch tonight!! the last few hours have been awesome! :) yep...pizza, leftover brownies, re-runs on hulu...and time with my best friend!!!

so blessed and so thankful!!!

I LOVE DATE NIGHTS...in any form! :)

blessings, ALo

ps. growing up we used to have "grands" cinnamon rolls for breakfast and pizza for dinner, every sunday!!! i love traditions like that! cant wait to do stuff like that with my kids!

11/12/11

today i am so thankful for random acts of kindness! i love to do them for other people, but i am always so grateful when i am on the recieving end of them...especially when it involves food!

the last (just over a) week at work has been pretty stressful for a few reasons that i dont want to get into here. tonight, after our saturday night service, our student team and our spouses went to dinner together to just hang out and relax together. there was another staff family at the same restaurant. we had all said hello when our team got there, and when they were finished with their meal, they stopped our table of 10 to say hey/goodbye on their way out. a few minutes later 4 desserts showed up at our table (plus 2 kids ice creams for the little ones)!!! i mean, these were some SERIOUS desserts...molten chocolate cake with ice cream and chocolate cookie paradise pie with ice cream!!! there was a napkin note that said "to the greatest staff in town! you are blessed!" thanks to jason and gena for showing your love with awesome desserts!! i am going to pay for all the sweets in the gym on monday, but it was worth a few bites tonight!! :)

this has been a good day today, i am so blessed by so many people!!! thanks to bethany, peter, chuck, jason and jacqueline, rachel and amos, blake and robin, and jason and gena!!!

blessings, ALo

11/11/11

today is veterans day...i am so thankful for the men and women who have and are serving our country to keep us free!! i wrote a blog about this same thing earlier in the month, but this tends to come to mind fairly often for me, not just on veterans day. i think because paco (aka jonathan, my little bro) served in the army for several years, i tend to be a little more sensitive. i know the sacrifices he made so that i could live a life in freedom here.

i will always be thankful and grateful for those who have paid the ultimate sacrifice for our country. i will always be thankful for the men and women who willingly put themselves in harms way so that i can do things, like write this blog, without being afraid of persecution!!

THANK YOU VETERANS!!!!!

may God bless you and your families!!!!

blessings, ALo

11/10/11

today i am thankful for people who give me a chance!

i had a few few new home hair clients...it feels so good to be getting back into some hair here and there. thanks to my new friends for trusting me!! :)

blessings, ALo

11/9/11

today was one of those rare fall days here in houston. i am so thankful for a break in the humidity. i am thankful for the sunshine and cool breeze. i am thankful for a chance to wear jeans and a sweatshirt!

I LOVE FALL!!! glad i dont feel like i am missing out anymore...even though the weather report says 81 degrees for sunday again! :)

blessings, ALo

11/8/11

today, on day 8, i am thankful for laughter. i love to laugh...and it usually doesnt take much to get at least a smile out of me.

this video has made me giggle, several times! :) i have watched it three different times. i think it is a little mean, because i know that i would have responded the same way, but i still cant help but laugh! the last two little boys are the best!!

today one of my best friends, kristin (aka pooter), had her third little boy. keller david was born at 2:02 pm 7 lb. 4oz and 20". everyone seems to be doing great!!! today, i smiled when i saw this picture of keller...i am so thankful for him and his whole family!! wish i could have been there to welcome him into the world!

"a day without laughter is a day wasted" charlie chaplin

blessings, ALo