25 Letters

Monday, June 19, 2006

Gold refined in the fire

Gold refined in the fire.

"No one who has left home or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or fields for me and the gospel will fail to receive a hundred times as much in this present age (homes, brothers, sisters, mothers, children and fields - and with them, persecutions) and in the age to come, eternal life."

Dear friends, do not be surprised at the painful trial you are suffering, as though something strange were happening to you…In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that your faith - of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire - may proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed.

And the God of all grace, who called you to His eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will Himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast. - "In this world you will have trouble. But take heart - I have overcome the world."

(scriptures were quoted in the Daily Light - a daily devotional and were originally taken from Revelation 3:18, Mark 10:29-30, 1 Peter 4:12, 1:6-7, 5:10, John 16:44)

Monday, June 12, 2006

Private: Private: hurting

Lord, I don't like this feeling. I don't like crying and I don't like hurting. I know You have a plan and it will be wonderful, no it is wonderful. But it sure hurts right now.

Your love is amazing. You never cease to amaze me. Thank you for my family and the blessing that they are to me. I love them so much. I love You Lord- Your name be praised.

Friday, June 02, 2006

Camp Nikos

As many of you know, David and I have volunteered and served with Mission: Possible! Austin (MPA) - an organization which serves the community in East Austin. Last year was my first year (David�Ŵs been going longer than he remembers) to attend Camp Nikos �Ŭ MPA�Ŵs weeklong summer camp for underprivileged inner city kids. It was incredible �Ŭ watching children's�Ŵ lives be impacted in just 5 days. Their response to the love and attention they receive is amazing. We�Ŵre so excited to be going back this year and can�Ŵt wait until next week�ĶI can�Ŵt believe it �Ŭ we leave on Sunday!

This year�Ŵs theme is �źHeroes and Giants.�Ź These kids face giants on a daily basis, from neglect or abuse at home, trouble with peers at school, or the pressure of drugs and violence that surround them. Our hope is to instill the heart and courage of David into the lives of the children so that they can overcome their own giants. Lessons and regular camp activities such as fishing, swimming, ropes, and crafts will help teach these truths to the campers. Camp Nikos is a safe and loving place where kids can be kids while not fearing the dangers of the inner-city streets. It is a life experience that most will remember for a lifetime.

David and I will both serve as adult staff. David will run the technical side of things (run worship and picture slide shows, take pictures, run the sound, drive around the �źalarm clock�Ź for the camp, and pretty much be the �źgo to�Ź guy), and I will do whatever is needed (for now that means help lead worship, lead games, take pictures, and spell counselors who need a break). This week is truly a week of flexibility for both staff and counselors �Ŭ �źrolling with the punches�Ź has a whole new meaning!

We�Ŵre really looking forward to the week and would be grateful if you supported us in prayer. We are asking for prayer for the camp, the kids, the counselors, and the staff each day next week (Sunday June 4th �Ŭ Sunday June 10th). Pray specifically that each child�Ŵs heart would be open to what they are being taught, that each counselor would rely on God�Ŵs strength instead of their own, and that there would be unity among the counselors and other leaders at camp. We want the kids to see our love for one another, and witness the love that Christ has for all of us through the leadership.

If you feel led to be part of my prayer support team and would like to get the daily updates via email, you can sign up by clicking here to visit the Camp Nikos Blog. A daily report and prayer requests will be sent each night, allowing you to pray for specific needs. Your names and email addresses will be kept confidential, used only for the daily email. The blog will be up and running during camp if you�Ŵd rather read updates online, and for those of you who know what an RSS feed is, there is one that will be attached to the blog.

Because Camp Nikos is free for these underprivileged children, it requires funding from other sources. Counselors and staff have been encouraged to raise camp fees for themselves and for two campers. The cost for each adult/child to attend Camp Nikos is $325. I know that the Lord is gracious and will provide the means necessary to fund camp this summer, and it will be fun to see how He will provide. Will you ask the Lord what your role is in this matter? Would you pray for the Lord�Ŵs provision, and the possibility of being part of that provision? If you are interested in playing a part, you can click here to donate online or send a check to Mission: Possible!, P.O. Box 142076, Austin, TX 78714. If you send a check, please do not put anything in the memo field �Ŭ you can use a sticky note to let them know what you�Ŵre donating for.

Thursday, June 01, 2006

Private: Private: most beautiful girl

So last night (written on 5/18) was date night. We went to Shoreline Grill to see the bats (my first time - it's crazy!). During the meal, I was a bit out of it I think - when we were deciding on what to eat, I watched our waiter take the order of the table besides us. 2 min late, i was like "Oh shoot! I forgot to order salad!" David looked at me really weird and then started laughing. "Noell, we haven't even ordered our food yet!" I don't know what I was thinking, but I was convinced we'd just ordered and I'd forgotten to tell him I wanted salad.
After dinner we walked the Congress bridge and looked at the water…and talked about currents. For some reason I thought that when the water is mirror like (because it's so calm) that there isn't a current, at least on the top of the water. Nope, not the case. We're going to have to go back and take a picture from the far side of the bridge into downtown. You get the tall buildings, with the Capitol smack in the middle. It's beautiful.

After that, we went back to the grassy area by the lake and just sat and talked. It was a beautiful night and a lot of fun. Finally, the mosquitos drove us back to my house where we started a movie.

At some point in here, David told me something that I'd never heard. He said that when he was in high school, he and his friends had a conversation. David said that he told them - "When I fall in love, it will be with the most beautiful person I know. Not just outwardly, but inwardly too." He said his friends didnt't believe him, but then he looked at me and said - "It was true. I'm in love with the most beautiful girl I know - both on the inside and out." Wow. How's that for making me feel INCREDIBLY special and extremely loved. How could I find a better love?

Thank you Lord for this opportunity to be so special to someone and feel so much for them. Continue to guide us as we are reaching a crutial time in this relationship - and help both of us rest in the knowledge that You know what You're doing…and You have the timing all ready in place.

1 Year

Today is our 1st anniversary. Crazy. Can you believe it? In some ways it seems like it's been forever, and in others, like it was just the other day.

It's been a fun year - and we've done lots of fun things. A cruise, skydiving, baseball games, scuba diving - and more things that I can count. We've also done a lot of "nothing" - just sitting and talking, taking walks, watching movies, cuddling, and sometimes working (or playing) side by side on our laptops while watching tv (which Debi keeps saying that she's going to take a picture of someday).

He told me he loved me in October. I made him wait to hear those words returned until December. He says it was worth the wait. I'm continually amazed.

We balence each other well - that's code for we're totally different in a lot of ways. Like, I like to be busy - he likes to be still. So, we've done a lot of both in the past year. He thinks things through and makes an informed decision (which usually takes FOREVER) and I'm one to make quick decisions - with the information at hand at that time…which can be good and then not so good.

I love weddings. He's not such a fan. You can feel sorry for him - his wedding attendance has skyrocketed in the past year - including at least one day with 2 weddings attended (and another like it soon to come). Unfortunately for him - considering that I have been in 11, coordinated 5-6 and now run a business coordinating them, I don't know that percentage will drop…

He loves to watch TV. I'm learning to enjoy it. And because he's taught me such an enjoyable pasttime - he gets to watch American Idol religiously.
I love people. I'm happy to be around them most all of the time - with one friend right after another. He would be happy with a select few (including me of course!), so we're all about compromise. I've also learned that I can go do people stuff for a while and he doesn't always have to be with me. He's learned that he can take people stuff more often than he thought he could.

Vunerability. I hate it. But it's so wonderful.

How can you spend so much time with one person and not be tired of them? Don't get me wrong, it's not a storybook and we get quite frustrated with each other at times. But David told me several weeks ago that when he was frustrated with me - in the middle of the frustration he had a thought. "It doesn't matter how frustrated with her I get - I still love her." I feel the same way and to me - that's amazing.

I thank God every night for this relationship. Will it last forever? That's still in God's hands. But has it touched my life? Definitely - and the mark of it will last forever on my heart.

P.S. Just in case you missed it - I love David Alley. (hows that for sappy… )