Announcement....

Hear ye, hear ye...we have an addition to the Gordon family. Kyle bought himself a Jeep Wrangler today. He's officially a member of the Jeep club. Now he can do the little finger wave to all of the other Jeep drivers (what is that all about, anyway? I never waved at other Grand Prix drivers...)

He's like a kid at Christmas...oh, wait, he IS a kid at Christmas. It's a happy day in the Gordon household, (almost as exciting as Jill's news!). Now, all he needs is a puppy to ride along with him with the top off in the summer and all of Kyle's wildest dreams will have come true.

Good News!

For any of you who read my last prayer and update, I have some exciting news to share! Sean and his wife Lydia, who have been living in Poland since 2003, emailed to let me know that we've already got a person of peace! There is a woman named Ela, who is good friends with Lydia and a professor at the University where we'll be working with the students. She heard about what Amber and I will be doing and wants us to come to her classes and invite her students to meet with us outside of class! Apparently, this was totally her idea; neither Sean or Lydia asked her to do this, she came up with it on her own. She has been friends with Lydia for two years now and is totally open to studying and hearing the Word of God and even to helping them as they share about Christ, but is not yet a follower of Christ herself! She definitely fits the "profile" of a person of peace!
So, thank you for praying and praise God, who is the Lord of the Harvest...this just totally reminds me that He is "not willing that ANY should perish" 2 Peter 3:9...He has been at work in Northeast Poland, drawing people to Himself, long before we even knew to pray for a "person of peace"! It's His heart that is passionate about each one of us having new life and forgiveness in Christ. What a good God! It's also such a reminder to me, especially at this time of year, that He is Emmanuel...God with us; that He is a God who came to earth to live as we live, with struggles and frustrations and weaknesses, and made a way for us to know Him (John 17:3) and to have "life in all its fullness" (John 10:10). He is truly a God who loves us and cares for us!

Tree Down! Tree Down!

The picture says it all...

We've resorted to tying it down with a rope and nailing the rope to the floor. This poor tree has no dignity.

Home Sweet Home

Hello! I blog to you greetings from Huron, Ohio! I survived the training down in Virginia and am back in Huron for Christmas and New Year's.
My time in VA was amazing. I think it's going to be one those times in life that grows in significance as time passes. I think I'll look back and continue to grow in appreciation for everything that I got to experience and learn during that time. Right now, my brain feels like it's on overload and needs to process a LOT, yet is still reeling trying to think through all that needs done in the next few weeks.
We had a commissioning service in Virginia Wednesday and my parents and friends, Tim and Teresa, came down for it! It was a great day, then I flew home (while my parents and Tim and Teresa drove the 9 hours home!) Thursday. I got to spend some time with my friend Brandi on Friday, then spent today with my family picking out our Christmas tree (by the way, I spent yesterday morning scouting tree lots with my dad...tree selection is serious business in the Gordon household!). Every year we go as a family (or as close as we can get) to a tree farm to pick our tree. It's definitely one of our family traditions. And, if I asked who of the Gordons was the most nostalgic about traditions, who would you guess...Kyle? It's true. He's SOOO sentimental and nostaligic, it's great. So, fortunately Kyle wins the prize for spotting the "perfect tree" this year! Way to go bubby! Right now, my parents are trying to figure out how to replace all of the burnt out light bulbs for the tree lights. There are, like, 20 working lights on the whole strand. Good times. And for any of you who read my Christmas Survey about my dad insisting that we had to let the tree branches "fall" after being in the car for 40 minutes even though it had been standing for decades will be pleasantly surprised...he pulled the tree out of the van, trimmed up the trunk, and put it up on the SAME DAY this year!
As we speak, he's off for a walk over to Drug Mart to buy some new Christmas lights. I'll post a picture of the finished product. And for the Ohio constituents of the Davis family, you'll get to see the finished product in a week!

Christmas Survey

My cousins Amy and Lori have both filled out this survey and I have to admit...I'm a sucker for the online surveys too. Combine a survey with Christmas and I'm sold! Especially since it's been hard to get in the Christmas spirit down here in Virginia...I don't know how you Texas girls do it!

1. Egg Nog or Hot Chocolate? ewww...egg nog??? Gag me with a spoon! (That's for you Lori!)
2. Does Santa wrap presents or just sit them under the tree? Ummm, hello? The ELVES wrap the presents!
3. Colored lights or white lights on tree/house? Definitely colored blinking lights on the tree...white outside.
4. Do you hang mistletoe? No
5. When do you put up your decorations? well, I decorated my door here the weekend after Thanksgiving
6. What is your favorite holiday dish? hmmm...fisherman's stew; crab legs; fondue are some family favs
7. Favorite Holiday memory as a child: singing songs all the way home from Aunt Lennie's house on Christmas Eve to keep me awake so I'd actually sleep that night (NEVER worked!); staying up most of the night with Kyle; my dad SHAVING before we could go out and open gifts (can anyone say cruel and unusual punishment?!?!);
8. When and how did you learn the truth about Santa? what are you talking about? Is there something I should know????
9. Do you open a gift on Christmas Eve? As if! (Lori, I think this one is technically early 90's, but it's close!)
10. How do you decorate your Christmas Tree? Colored blinking lights, random and memorable ornaments, tinsel, and the star gets put up by Kyle Christmas Eve
11. Snow! Love it or Dread it? Thinking I'd better learn to REALLY love it!
12. Can you ice skate? I guess you'd more or less call it ice coasting
13. Do you remember your favorite gift? My Cabbage Patch and the tea cup and saucer from Grandma D
14. What's the most important thing about Christmas for you? the more I get to know the Lord, the more I'm amazed that He became Emmanuel...God with us. To think that God, the Creator, would send His Son as a normal baby born to normal people, out of love for us is precious. Of course, I love all the family time, the excitement, the decorations and special traditions, too, but that God stepped into our world to be with ME is rad (I'm really getting into this, Lori!)
15. What is your favorite Holiday Dessert? candy cane ice cream pie with chocoloate syrup on it!
16. What is your favorite holiday tradition? cutting down the Christmas tree wtih my family, especially at the old place down in Bellville, fearing for my life as we drove up and down the "mountain" with a tree precariously hanging out of the back of our car, then getting home and dad insisting that we couldn't put the tree up that day because it had to stand up in the garage and let the needles fall....because that 40 minute drive in the car negated the 15 years of an upright position that the tree had previously been in
17. What tops your tree? star
18. Which do you prefer giving or Receiving? I really like finding the perfect gift that you're so excited to give to someone!
19. What is your favorite Christmas Song? O Holy Night
20. Candy Canes! Yuck or Yum? Yum, definitely, especially in candy cane ice cream pie!

Thanksgiving

Happy Thanksgiving! So, I was trying to figure out how to use these three pictures and divide them into two posts...and then it hit me! A stroke of genius! How could I have missed the obvious! These three pictures CLEARLY go together! Obviously, the picture of the food is from Thanksgiving. We had our traditional turkey dinner earlier in the afternoon at the home of one of our leaders, and since we were all mourning not having any cold turkey leftovers to eat---we decided to all bring different "finger foods" to munch on while we played games Thursday night back at our "home". We had a great time, played some good games (Beyond Balderdash), and ate WAY too much food!
That leads me to the next two pictures. Trying to work off the several thousand calories consumed yesterday. There's a group of us that has really gotten into doing an exercise video called "Turbo Jam". It's kind of like Tae Bo with dancing and fun music. It's great. We don't have tvs in our quads (where we live) so we have to go to one of the other buildings and find an empty room...and cover the door window with a sweatshirt so no one can see =)

Five Things...

Ok, so quite a while ago, my cousin Amy challenged her blog readers to come up with five things we thought other people wouldn't know about us. Other than the obvious (that I'm a slow responder) here are my five, in no particular order:

1) I love trucks. I don't mean wimpy Rangers or S-10s, I mean "big boy" trucks, as my dad calls them.
2) I would love to fire a gun. Not AT anyone, but at a shooting range or something.
3) I really, really, really don't like the eye doctor. I could go to the dentist ANY DAY, but I HATE the eye doctor.
4) I have really poor circulation. Sometimes my hands turn purple. All the kids I taught at school would ask "what's wrong with your hands?!?!?!" in utter shock and dismay. Nice.
5) I don't like meat. I'm not a vegetarian, but if I have a choice, I usually don't prefer meat.

So, there you go. You can now psychoanalize me and find that I'm definitely a red neck at heart. Just give me a big truck, with a horn that plays "Dixie" and a gun rack on the back, and I'm good to go.

A Virginny Hollar!

Here are some pictures from my time here in Virginia so far. I still don't really know how to move the pictures around on the post, so I don't know what this will end up looking like! Someday I'll figure that one out. Somewhere on this post (hopefully!) is a picture of me and Amber, the woman I'll be working with. There's another woman going with us, named Patsy, but I don't have any pictures of her yet. Amber and I will primarily be working with students at the university. She's super fun and really sweet, and so is Patsy. It's been really great getting to know them. And Amber has a strange fascination with mullets, which TOTALLY reminds me of Kyle. We just got back from an evening out with several other women. We went to eat at Friday's, then made a quick stop at Target. We were all so tired, we had to get back and get to bed! My schedule has DEFINITELY changed from the previous two months!
Anyhoo...the other three pictures are pretty self explanatory. I'm at a place called the "International Learning Center" and it's on quite a few acres, with woods and a small farm and a little lake. It's absolutely beautiful here. It's like a small college campus, with buildings of classrooms, a library, a computer lab, dorms, a dining hall and things like that. Last night, all of the Journeyman (which are the under 30 and single crew who are going to serve for 2 years) were invited over to the home of the director of our Orientation program. They hosted nearly 70 of us! It was a really neat time. We had pizza, cake, and got to know everyone a bit more. Today I finished up the second of two Saturdays getting a certificate in ESL (English as a Second Language). It was pretty interesting, and I'm sure all of my teaching family members and friends will attest to how useful that will be whether here or overseas!
So now I'm waiting for Patsy to finish her shower so I can go get ready for bed and crash! Tomorrow we have church in the morning, which is really cool. We meet in small groups of about 8 or so, rather than as a large group. It's a really cool way to do church and gets us ready for what most of us will experience overseas. Well, Patsy just came out and informed me that the leading cause of conflict in marriage is whether you squeeze the toothpaste from the top, middle, or bottom, so that must mean she's out of the bathroom! Time for bed! By the way, married ladies, is that true?!?!?!?!

Yes, I am alive!

I live! Sorry it's been sooooo long since I've last updated this thing! A lot has changed since I last posted and I have lots of great posts that I've written in my mind, but just never got around to moving them from my mind to my computer. So, here's a brief list:
*went to a wedding in Michigan with my friend Brandi...good times
*had a surprise going away party given for me by my friends from church, Brandi and Teresa---I was TOTALLY surprised with my friends from town...then five of my best girlfriends from college came running out!!!!!!!!!!! I couldn't believe it. We ate (kielbasa and cabbage, of course!) and DANCED, DANCED, DANCED!!!! It was just a perfect night. I was truly honored and humbled by their love for me. It was just amazing.
*I celebrated my grandma's 90th birthday with my family. It was a precious time. My grandma is an amazing woman and she seemed to really enjoy her day.

So, there's the last month in a nutshell! I am now in Virginia at the International Learning Center in training to leave for Poland on January 3. It's really been great so far. Incredibly busy, but great. We're filling out form after form and going to classes, and eating in a cafeteria (including eating Moraccan food today without utensils!), and living in dorm-type rooms, and way busy...sounds, wonderful, doesn't it?

Today was the first of the immunization clinics. After teasing all of the people going to jungle-type places, I looked at my form for Poland and realized I'm getting 9 stinking shots!!!! Most of them are hepatitis series, and today I had a Hep A (I think), rabies, and polio vaccine. Don't worry, it was well worth it, because I got My Little Pony, Dora, and psychodelic band-aids--it was well worth it.

Here are a few photos of my band aids and my room. (ok, so I was just kidding about the photos---apparently they're not loading on my computer. I'll work on that another time.) Please pray for me that I'd get done what gets done here and learn what I need to learn to be ready for Poland! Thank you =)

Deep Thoughts...

Ok, so I have a confession to make. I love watching DOG the Bounty Hunter. I hardly ever get to watch it, but I love it. No excuses, no deep meaning to it. I just do. Do you think they have DOG in Poland????

By the way, I'm kind of over the Lost thing. It's getting too weird. I mean, come one, we need some closure, or at least some hope of closure soon!!!

Red Hat Society, Here I Come!

Through some different circumstances going on right now, I've really been thinking a lot about growing old. To be honest, it's easy to think "it won't happen to me!". It seems like I'll be "young" forever and I sometimes forget that people who have grown "old" were once young and probably thinking "I'll never grow old!". I see some elderly people and see the ways their bodies and minds are failing them and it's a reality check that I'm not invincible; I won't be here forever. I have no guarantee that my body won't fail me or that my mind will always be sharp (of course, I have to add, that's really open for discussion right now!). My days in this body, on this earth are limited and numbered and will quickly pass, and there's absolutely nothing I can do about it. It's a reminder of the Lord's control and reign and my dependence on Him. I must trust Him for my future, that He'll be faithful and His grace will be sufficient to carry me through whatever comes; that His love and care and presence will never fail, and eventually I, along with all those throughout all the ages who have trusted Christ, will be clothed with a perfect body that will never die. This life is temporary.
All this thinking about growing old also reminds me to care for those around me who are in their "golden years". I see that I, too, will most likely one day have to depend on other people to care for me and will long for the company of people coming to visit. It makes me want to care for them right now, knowing that I'll be grateful to anyone who would do the same for me in 50 years. There's also so much to learn! The older generation are living history books! I recently spent some time with an elderly couple from my church and found out that he drove a jeep off of the boat and onto the beach of Normandy on D-Day! How amazing! He is a living part of history.
Of course, my Grandma Davis' approaching 90th birthday has gotten me thinking quite a bit. I'm excited to go celebrate with her, and VERY excited to honor her with the scrapbook of 90 memories of her (thanks to my super-talented cousin, Amy, who is going to put it together!!!). It also makes me think of what my life will be like if I make it to 90 years old. I do not know, but I will cling to this promise:

"My health may fail, and my spirit may grow weak, but God remains the strength of my heart; He is mine forever." Psalm 73:26

At Least There Are No Wigs in This Movie

...oh, yes, it does get better. This is quite possibly one of my favorite movies. It's the Indian Bollywood version of Pride and Prejudice. It's full of beautiful clothes, beautiful people, and great songs and dancing. The best part is the scene on the beach which includes a full gospel choir, dancing lifegaurds, and singing surfers. How great is that. Sadly, I'd seen Bride and Prejudice before Pride and Prejudice, so I found myself watching P&P thinking "hey! That's just like on Bride and Prejudice!" The storyline is basically the same, but this movie focuses more on the sinister Mr. Wickham and his relationship with both Lalita (this version's Lizzy) and her younger sister Lakhi.
Like I said, the music is great (you can listen here); the dancing is fun; the clothes are beautiful; and there are parts that are hillarious. But, you definitely have to be ready for major cheese. I have to admit...while I was watching it, I was briefly reminded of a little known, late 80's hit movie (at least in the Lehman household) known around the world by one little word...Shag. Good times.

If I Ever Have to Wear a Wig, Please Make Sure it Fits!

I have to admit that I've been on kind of a Romantic movie kick lately. It all started with the "new" Pride and Prejudice that I watched with my mom a few weeks ago. While I've seen movies of other Jane Austen books (Sense and Sensibility and Emma), I'd never seen any film adaptations of P&P. Aside from a few particular details, I loved it. I loved the formality of their manners and etiquette (sorry, I'm a sap for that stuff), the beautiful scenery, and of course the love story. I love that Lizzy (the main character) falls in love with Mr. Darcy mainly because of his character and how he un-cerimoniously helps her family and does what he thinks is best for his friend. She isn't first and foremost attracted to his money and looks (although they definitely don't hurt!), but grows in affection toward him because she gets to know him as a man. I feel like you rarely see that in movies now.
That being said, there were some things that bothered me. First and foremost: HER HAIR!!! For crying out loud, couldn't someone have made that wig fit better??? It was awful. There were little hairs hanging out of the back! Also, while I love the sound of classic writing in those Brittish accents, it was hard to hear and understand. I also have to say that, while most of what Lizzie said (especially to Mr. Darcy) was true and honest without trying to flatter or win opinions of others, she was harsh!
Anyways, I did like the movie and the best part is the ending. I love this line: "you have bewitched me body and soul." Doesn't get much better than that...or does it??????

A Great Day

So, yesterday was just one of those days that was so sweet. It's nice to have those once in a while. It wasn't anything big or exciting or pre-planned, it just sort of happened. My friend Angie came over for the afternoon and, because it was such a beautiful day, we decided to take advantage of it and go for a bike ride. It was perfect. We rode down to a bike trail in Huron that runs along the Huron River and listened to the birds and insects, looked at the pretty flowers, and just absolutely had a great time. It was definitely one of my favorite days of the summer.
Here are some pictures from our wonderful day.
(By the way...I have no idea how to arrange pictures on this thing, they just sort of show up in any old layout, so bare with me!)
We saw this graffiti while riding beneath an old railraod bridge...for Angie's sake I restrained myself from breaking out into "Ice, Ice Baby" with dance moves and all.
The picture of the snake is the snake Angie ran over with her bike. The snake survived; Angie almost didn't.
The picture of the person is Angie (Any hints from the family on arranging these pictures???? I have no idea where these "captions" will show up, so I don't know what to write! Help!)
Anyhoo...we had a sweet day, saw some interesting things, and got some exercise. Good times.

Remembering...

This post actually began as a comment in response to this question from my cousin Amy. My comment was getting too ridiculously long, so I thought I'd turn it into my own post.
Classes had just recently started at Ohio University and I had just left a morning class and went to the Bookstore to check if a book I needed was in yet. I ran into a friend at the Bookstore who told me that a plane crashed into a building in NYC, but I honestly didn't even really think much about it and went home, changed, and went on a long bike ride because it was such a gorgeous fall day. While struggling to get up one of Athens' many hills on my bike, I remember thinking that I never turned on the news to see what my friend was talking about and I'd have to remember to do that when I got back. I peddled home and turned on the tv and soon found that nothing was the same. Images of the planes crashing into the different sites around the country were on every station. I didn't even really comprehend all that was going on, but I remember that I wanted to talk to my dad right away. I also just wanted to hear the voices of the ones I loved and hated being far away from them. I remember my dad saying that he just wanted all of us to be together and go to the Lake. I don't know particularly why the Lake, but that's exactly what I thought, too. I just wanted to have my family near. I remember going to bed that night and looking out the window by my bed. It seemed surreal. I was in Athens, listening to crickets and stillness. Surely not what they were experiencing in NYC. Surely not what thousands of families, waiting and fearing, were experiencing.
I, too, noticed lots of attention given to 9/11 this year, commemorating the 5th anniversary. As I watched, I was again reminded (which I suppose is the whole purpose of Rememberance Day) of my frailty and that I'm not assured security simply because I live in America. My security must lie in Jesus Christ, the One who never leaves, never fails, and never changes, no matter what happens. I must rest in the One who knows the beginning from the end and who still reigns in the midst of chaos, although I may not understand. He doesn't consult me for His plans, but rather tells me to trust Him and know that He loves me and has a perfect plan that, in the end, will culminate in His glory and my good.

"When the earth quakes and its people live in turmoil, I am the One who keeps its foundations firm." Psalm 75:3

Attention Scrapbookers!

Ok, so I've only scrapbooked once in my life...ever. I realize that I may have just sent a few of my cousins into cardiac arrest with that confession, but it's true. I really enjoyed it (it was one of those Creative Memories parties) and even bought a scrapbook to start. However, I literally haven't even taken the thing out of the plastic and that was going on four years ago. For whatever reason (and let's be honest, a huge reason is MONEY!!! That stuff isn't cheap!) I never really got into it, altough I think they're so cute when other people create them.
Anyways, I was spending some time with the Lord, reading the Bible the other morning and came across this verse:

"Every day of my life was recorded in Your book." Psalm 139:16

I just thought that was so neat and it immediately reminded me of scrapbooking! I know people scrapbook to capture memories that are precious and sweet to them and I'd have to guess (being neither a scrapbooker OR a mother) that most mothers would LOVE to have the time and resources to scrap every day of their child's lives...even the rotten ones to remind their children of when they are parents themselves! It was such a precious thought to know that that's the same delight and detail and involvement that the Lord has for us as His creation. He cares for and desires to be involved in every detail of every day of our lives. He's there and He cares. He never forgets or misses a single day, a single hurt, joy, need, fear...nothing. We will never ever encounter a single day that the Lord hasn't promised to be there and paying attention. Acts 16: 27 says "He is not far from any one of us." And His promise is that we have complete and utter security, every single day we will ever live and into eternity, offered to us through Jesus and that "He will never leave us or forsake us" (Hebrews 13:5). Pretty amazing to think about. Any maybe even enough motivation to start scrapbooking for my experiences in Poland!

Is Fantabulous a Word?

Ok, so I'm still teary eyed, but I just watched a great movie. I just got done watching Akeelah and the Bee and I think everyone should see it! It's great and the kids in the movie are GREAT actors and actresses. What a sweet movie. AND I found a new word. My friend Jenn would always say that she had diarrhea of the mouth and there's a word for that! Logorrhea! Who knew?!?!

Warning: Random Musings Ahead Proceed With Caution

So, nothing too exciting to post, just some random thoughts a la my cousin Amy:

~I was just doing some browsing on the web and found an interesting and informative site about the town where I'll be living in Poland. I thought I'd post it if anyone's interested!
~So, I'm watching Lost and watching them all scramble around, fighting to stay alive and I got started to thinking: everything else they were living for was left behind after the crash. I mean, think about it. If I were suddenly stripped of all the stuff I easily think life is about (careers, friends, achievements, retirement, even family) and realize that life really does go on without these things, what's the purpose of life then? All of those things, although not necessarily bad things, are not secure and unshakable (we saw this a year ago in Katrina). I guess that's where you come down to asking what is secure and unshakable, what can be counted on no matter what. I know of only One, Jesus, the One who promises to never leave or fail me, no matter what other junk happens in life...even if I were stranded on a whacked out island! (although, I really wouldn't mind being stranded with Matthew Fox...)
~Another musing from Lost: so, they're stranded on this island, fighting for survival, and they each have different talents and skills and knowledge that is needed for their survival. They can't afford to have petty fights over who's in charge and all that junk. It's just like in a church (or even work or family, really). When we meet Christ, we're each given specific gifts (along with our own backgrounds, skills, and experiences) that we're to use to help the church function in a healthy and growing way. If we're picking at each other, we're not going to make it! On the flip side, if we're looking out for the good of the group other than ourselves first, we'll offer our skills and gifts and get done what needs done!
~My dad and I are going to a flea market tomorrow morning. Why are they called flea markets? Anyone?
~I got a new dress for two weddings and a birthday party in October. It's chocolate chip brown, little cap sleeves, with a little sash around the waist. It's called a "garden dress" and it reminds me of something from the 60's. Now, I just need the perfect shoes.
~I found myself back in Mansfield today (don't ask!) with my friend Brandi. We went to Kingwood Center, this 47 acre estate with a mansion on it that they've kept up as a beautiful garden. It was great walking through the paths and through the house, pretending it was mine and dreaming up what type of parties I would have in the gardens. Wouldn't that be fun?!?!

Ok, well, I'm through. Was that random enough? Have a great Labor Day Weekend!

Witaj (it means "hello" in Polish)

Once again, aplogies for my absence from the blogosphere. I can't claim the excuse of being terribly busy, just lazy and consumed with trying to watch the entire first season of Lost before Sept. 5 (when season 2 is released). I have a whole series of thoughts on Lost, but I'll save those for another post.
I've been waiting until I received my "official" assignment in the mail to post about Poland, but I received it late last week, so here we go!
Shortly before I graduated from college I began to sense that the Lord was calling my life into some sort of ministry as a career and I freaked out, to say the least. I absolutely shot down the idea, said "forget it!" and got myself a job and moved to Huron. To me, ministry as a career seemed way too insecure and scary and not at all what I had planned for my life. While the Lord has been so gracious and has really done some awesome things these past four years, He continued to change my heart and draw me closer to Himself, to a place where I began to truly know Him and trust Him. Even as I think back on this right now, I'm amazed at His grace and kindness to me to patiently show me that I could trust Him and believe Him. I definitely didn't deserve it! Anyways, throughout the past four years He continued to lead towards spending some time overseas serving Him, but I never really thought about actually acting on this. I just assumed I'd wake up one day in another country and there you go! However, back in early January, He really made it clear that this was the time. I began the application process to be a part of a program called the Journeyman Program through the Southern Baptist International Mission Board. The program is for people who have graduated from college, are single, and are not yet 30 and is a term of two years spent overseas. The application process in and of itself was awful in a great way. There were lots of steps including an intensive and extensive health questionaire, VERY personal questions to answer (the Board says they know more about you than your mom, and they're probably right!), references, and lots of other information. Honestly, after finishing the application process, I figured "if I still get accepted, then I know it's the Lord!" Well, I did get accepted and went to a Screening Conference the beginning of August where the Lord really seemed to be opening a place for me in Poland. I got to spend a week last summer in Poland with the man, Sean Stevenson, and his family who started my church here in Huron. So, I will be living in the same town and working with him and his family, as well as another girl about my age (Amber) and a retired woman named Patsy. There is a university in the town we're in, so Amber and I will primarily be working with college students. The young people in Poland are a lot like young people here in that they are tired of "religion" that doesn't have any real meaning in their lives and are hungry for something that is real and that applies to their daily lives. We'll be doing lots of building relationships and just loving on them that way and hopefully pointing them to a real, living relationship with God through Christ.
Let's see...other details that you might want to know...I've been able to take a leave of absence from school; the name of the town is Olsztyn and it's in North Eastern Poland; the family I'll be working with has three daughters named Abby, Cara, and Becca; I'll most likely live in an apartment with Amber; I leave October 24 for training down in Virginia, will be home Dec. 14-28 and will fly out for Poland on Dec.28 for two years; I'll get about three months of survival Polish language training, but most of the college students will want to practice English with us and that will be a big way we'll get to meet people; yes, it's very cold in Poland; no, I don't think they appreciate dumb Polock jokes; I don't know if they tell dumb American jokes...hmmmm, if there's anything else, feel free to ask, but that's all I can think of right now.
So, there you go! That's what's going on in a nutshell. For right now, I'm just working on getting things situated and tied off here and spending time with people. Oh, and watching my new best friends on Lost.
Here is a link for the Northeast Poland website. It's not been updated for quite a while, but at least it may give you an idea!

How Do You Spell ABC's?

Ok, this is for the cousins =) I've definitely enjoyed reading all of yours!

A is for age: 26
B is for beer of choice: Does Diet Pepsi count????
C is for career right now: ummm....used to be Elementary School teacher...now, employed by the International Mission Board to be a missionary!
D is for your dog's name?: Louie, may he rest in peace
E is for essential item you use everyday: my computer
F is for favorite TV show at the moment: Deadliest Catch!!!!!!
G is for favorite game: Catchphrase
H is for Home town: growing up--Mansfield, Ohio; now--Huron, Ohio
I is for instruments you play:flute and shakers and tamborine (don't ask)
J is for favorite juice: Ruby Red Grapefruit
K is for whose butt you'd like to kick: anyone who hurts children
L is for last food you ate: scrambled eggs and a piece of toast
M is for marriage: nope
N is for your full name:Jessica Renee Gordon
O is for overnight hospital stays: none, aside from my own birth
P is for people you were with today: spent some time with the Lord this morning; haven't seen anyone else yet today
Q is for quote: "Are you drinking 1% milk because you think you're fat, because you're not. You could drink 2%"
R is for Biggest Regret: I'd also say high school---I walked around thinking I was too good for everyone, but that was really my safety wall because I was so insecure. I could have cared for and known a lot more people.
S is for status: single, but content
T is for time you woke up today: 8:45
V is for vegetable you love: Corn on the cob cooked over a campfire
W is for worst habit: twirling or playing with my hair
X is for x-rays you've had: Teeth
Y is for yummy food you ate today: the eggs (with ketchup) were pretty good!
Z is for zodiac sign: Taurus

Isn't She a Beauty?

Here she is...my valiant chariot in all of her glory. Know anyone who might be interested in a 2001 Pontiac Grand Prix with 92,000 miles and a new starter? I'm so not kidding. Give me a call 419-602-0111!

2006 Tour De Western Ohio

Here are the final reports from the 2006 Tour De Western Ohio:

The Tour began Friday shortly after four (only slightly over one hour past the intended departure!) and consisted of an exciting drive down rt. 4 to a hotel in Blufton, Ohio *(don't ask!)* where I met up with four friends from college. Great time.
After a short rest Friday night (and I do mean short!!!), the Tour resumed down rt I-75 to Dayton, Ohio where I got to spend some more great times with the friends (aside from Jenn, who had to leave early Saturday morning for the annual tractor pull--not kidding). There was a sense of anticipation in the air Saturday evening as the Tour came back to the parking lot of Apex Community Church (returning from enjoying some good dinner after the Saturday night service)...only to find the chosen valiant chariot for the Tour (otherwise known as the Grand Prix) COMPLETELY UNWILLING TO START!!! The whole future success of the Tour was in jeopardy!
Ok, so it wasn't that dramatic, but special thanks to Amanda's roomate Laura for the ride back to their house!
After some phone calls and a really great time with Amanda (including Panera bagels and coffee at a park), the Tour continued on Sunday with the assistance of Uncle Tom who came to my rescue and picked me up and continued the next leg of the tour up to Urbana, Ohio.
Monday was spent eating, shopping, and visiting with my cousins Kara, Rylee (Kara's ADORABLE daughter), Lori, and my Aunt Barb. It was great.
Tuesday ushered in the reunion between me and my valiant chariot (complete with a new starter...who would have guessed! It wouldn't start, so it needed a starter!). Before pushing hard for the finish of the 2006 Tour, I got my hair cut by Lori and it is so cute! I can't wait to style it myself tomorrow. She did a fabulous job!
So, I'm home now, with the 2006 Tour De Western Ohio in the books. You may be wondering what I'm going to do now...? I'm going to Disney World!

I Love Lisa's Laptop

Hey! This won't be a long post, but I just had to blog for a moment. I'm hanging out with my friends Lisa, Sarah, Jenn, and Natalie and talking to my friend Amanda on the phone. Lisa has her laptop here and we're having good times. I'm getting pathetically old though and need to go get some coffee to stay awake anytime beyong 11:00. SO, I think we're going to head out and find some coffee and I'll try to update at some point later this weekend.

Still Need a Laugh?

I've never watched 24, but these crack me up anyways.

Jack and Jill went up the hill. Only Jack came down. Jill was a terrorist.

Jack Bauer once forgot where he put his keys. He then spent the next half-hour torturing himself until he gave up the location of the keys.

1.6 billion Chinese are angry with Jack Bauer. Sounds like a fair fight.

Killing Jack Bauer doesn't make him dead. It just makes him angry.

There were originally five horsemen of the apocalypse. Jack Bauer said he would travel by foot.

Jack Bauer sleeps with a gun under the pillow. But he could kill you with the pillow.

When life hands Jack Bauer Lemons, he kills Terrorists. Jack Bauer hates lemonade.

Jack Bauer doesn't miss. If he didn't hit you it's because he was shooting at another terrorist twelve miles away.

After running out of ammo, Jack stood in the line of fire, took 3 shots to the chest, and used them to reload.

A Priest, a Rabbi, and a Minister walked into a bar... and Jack Bauer is going to find out why...

Superman has Jack Bauer pajamas.

Jack Bauer is the reason Waldo is hiding.

Jack Bauer has been to Mars. That’s why there's no life on Mars.

Upon hearing that he was played by Kiefer Sutherland, Jack Bauer killed Sutherland. Jack Bauer gets played by no man.

On Jack Bauers Tax Returns, he has to claim the entire world as his dependants.

Jack Bauer killed 93 people in just 4 days time. Wait, that is a real fact.

Jack Bauer's favorite color is severe terror alert red. His second favorite color is violet, but that's just because it sounds like violent.

Lets get one thing straight, the only reason you are conscious right now is because Jack Bauer does not feel like carrying you.

When you open a can of whoop-ass, Jack Bauer jumps out.

Jack Bauer does not sleep. The only rest he needs is what he gets when he's knocked out or temporarily killed.

Jack Bauer literally died for his country, and lived to tell about it.

While being ‘put under’ in the hospital, Jack Bauer can count backwards from 100 every time. This annoys the doctors.

Jack Bauer can watch all 4 seasons of 24 in 24 hours.

Jack Bauer's family threw him a surprise birthday party when he was a child. Once.

Everytime Jack Bauer yells "NOW!" at the end of a sentence, a terrorist dies.

Don't ask what Jack Bauer would do for a Klondike bar...

Need a Good Laugh?

This is just bloggin' hillarious. Enjoy and I'll talk to you later!

These were selected by Chuck Norris as his favorite Chuck Norris sayings:

* When the Boogeyman goes to sleep every night, he checks his closet for Chuck Norris.

* Chuck Norris doesn’t read books. He stares them down until he gets the information he wants.

* There is no theory of evolution. Just a list of creatures Chuck Norris has allowed to live.

* Outer space exists because it’s afraid to be on the same planet with Chuck Norris.

* Chuck Norris does not sleep. He waits.

* Chuck Norris is currently suing NBC, claiming Law and Order are trademarked names for his left and right legs.

* Chuck Norris is the reason why Waldo is hiding.

* Chuck Norris counted to infinity - twice.

* There is no chin behind Chuck Norris’ beard. There is only another fist.

* When Chuck Norris does a pushup, he isn’t lifting himself up, he’s pushing the Earth down.

* Chuck Norris is so fast, he can run around the world and punch himself in the back of the head.

* Chuck Norris’ hand is the only hand that can beat a Royal Flush.

* There is no such thing as global warming. Chuck Norris was cold, so he turned the sun up.

* Chuck Norris can lead a horse to water AND make it drink.

* Chuck Norris doesn’t wear a watch, HE decides what time it is.

* Chuck Norris gave Mona Lisa that smile.

* Chuck Norris can slam a revolving door.

* Chuck Norris does not get frostbite. Chuck Norris bites frost

* Remember the Soviet Union? They decided to quit after watching a DeltaForce marathon on Satellite TV.

* Contrary to popular belief, America is not a democracy, it is a Chucktatorship.

The one I wish he’d had pick:

* Chuck Norris’ tears cure cancer. He has never cried. Ever.

* Chuck Norris can divide by zero.

* Chuck Norris and Mr. T walked into a bar. The bar was instantly destroyed, as that level of awesome cannot be contained in one building.

Red Purses and Burning Bushes

Well, once again, it's been a while friends. And oh so much to fill you all (as in both readers) in on! My friend Amanda does lists a lot on her blog, so I think I'll take that approach tonight. So, here goes:
Things That Have Happened In The Past Two Weeks That Would Take All Night to Write About

1)My cousin Lori has one of the funniest blogs I've ever read. Check it out at http://blog4lola.blogspot.com/
2)Had a great weekend at the end of July with my dad's family coming up on Saturday, then my mom's family coming up on Sunday. Family is great. I'll try posting a few pictures and see how it goes!
3) My church voted a pastor in on Sunday July 30. We're still waiting to hear back from him. Pray for us! We need a pastor!
4)I bought a new cute purse from Wal Mart Monday July 31. It's red pleather and just so fun! It brings me joy to carry it. I would wish such joy on all the women I love.
5)I went to a conference in Virginia to pursue the next step in going overseas to tell people about Jesus. I will post another entry (hopefully tomorrow) about all that, because it really deserves much more than just a mention on #5...but, think Kielbasa.
6)I found out my grandma Davis was admitted to the hospital for dizziness. I got to visit with her and my mom and Aunt Barb, Uncle Bill and Aunt Jeni for a night. She's doing well now and it's nothing serious. However, they'll have to make some serious decisions in the near future about where she'll live and driving and all that. Yikes. I don't want to be around for that conversation! It should go over like a led zepplin.

And, last but not least, the coolest thing that's happend within the past two weeks....drum roll please...I saw a burning bush today. No joke. Only, this time no one spoke to me out of it (a la Moses and the burning bush), but the fire department came! I'd have to imagine that Moses' burning bush wasn't surrounded by mulch in professionally designed landscaping next to Key Bank. I know you're dying to know the story, so here goes...I was up at church picking something up and saw smoke coming from beside a nearby building. As I got closer (yes, closer to what could have been a raging fire. Good idea, huh?) , I realized that it was this little bush that was burning down at the base. So, I thought to myself "Self, this is a little bush that is burning down at the base, what should you do?" I answered myself that I should go back to the church and get a pitcher of water to put the smoldering little bush out. So, obeying my self, that's what I did. Yeah, so that pitcher of water achieved absolutely nothing. After cursing myself for telling myself to do it, I got back into my car just as a police car drove up. I asked if anyone had called about the bush and he said that the Fire Department was on its way. As I pulled away and saw the fire truck tearing down the street with its lights flashing, I felt slightly sheepish and realized that clearly my pitcher of water was no longer necessary! And then I found five dollars!

So, there you have it. The past two weeks in a nutshell. Good times.

VBS Pictures

Here are some pictures from VBS. The bottom is a picture of Sharon working hard, laboring really, on the float for the parade. The middle is the guys "working on the float". The top is a picture of the Worship Rally and the little girl on the left is the girl who came with me. Everyone does an amazing job with decorating. Our theme was the Arctic Edge and the verse was Joshua 1:9 "I command you--Be strong and couragous! Do not be afraid or discouraged. For the Lord your God is with you wherever you go." Good one to remember.

VBS 2006 Is in the Books

Wow! What a week it's been! We had our Vacation Bible School this past week. Months and months of praying and planning and preparation came to fruition and it was amazing. Our church went through a rough time this past winter where we lost quite a few families, so we all wondered what VBS would be like this year. Well, it started out great for me when, on Tuesday, a little girl that I had brought (background: she used to be one of my students then I got to know her mother a bit and have kept in touch...she comes from a pretty discouraging home life, let's just put it that way) trusted Jesus. We were driving home and we started talking about the Lord and she was asking some pretty heavy questions, which led directly to the gospel. The VBS curriculum uses the ABC's to explain the Gospel: A-admit that you are a sinner, B-believe that Jesus is God's Son and came into the world to take away our sins, C-confess your faith in Jesus as your Savior and Lord...these are a great and simple way to explain the Gospel...I even use it as a guide in talking to adults! Anyways, it was precious to know that she is now securely in God's Hands and He promises that He'll never let her go and that He's her Protector and Defender and Heavenly Father now...she's definitely going to have to learn to lean on Him more than most other children her age. In all, we had 16 kids trust Christ which is just precious. It reminds me how simple the Gospel is. We adults make it so complicated and think and question (not that it's wrong to really think and question the reality of what we believe. I think that's a good thing!) and have to have doctrines to explain and understand everything about the ways of God...what a joke! He says: "How great are His riches and wisdom and knowledge! How impossible it is for us to understand His decisions and His methods!" (Romans 11:33) Children just believe. However, I also think it's interesting and testifies to the working of the Holy Spirit drawing people to God that some kids don't make the choice to accept Christ. It seems to make it clear that it has to be the work of God for us to understand. Some of the kids in my room (I taught 1st/2nd graders) knew right away that they were sinners and that they needed Christ to take away their sins. Others didn't really get it. And it didn't make a difference what type of home they came from, whether a family that took them to church or not. It was the work of God.
Anyways, I'll stop babbling=) It was an awesome week. But now comes the tough part: some of the kids that you just want to take home with you go back to what I consider depressing home lifes. So discouraging and negative...not a lot of hope there. But, I'm so thankful that they came and got to have a taste of and invitation to the hope that "never disappoints".

I Feel Like a Woman!

I have been so encouraged lately reading a couple of different blogs and websites. One way or another, I've found myself having uncommonly large amounts of free time this past week! I have a creeping fear that I'm TOTALLY forgetting to do something and utter madness will ensue shortly.
Nonetheless, as I said, I've been really enjoying reading these blogs and websites and they all have to do with being a woman and femininity. Now, I am far from being a tom-boy and really never was. However, I do find myself at times thumbing my nose at the idea of caring how I look. I think "I'm not trying to impress anyone, who cares?" While the purpose of taking an interest in how I look is not to impress people, but rather to honor them. Follow me here, I know this may sound weird. But, I'm sure people much more appreciate my presence as a woman when I've taken some time on my appearance as opposed to when I show up in cut-off shorts, a t-shirt and my hair pulled up in a I-haven't-taken-a-shower-since-yesterday bun. (Not saying I went to a church council meeting like that Monday night, but I might have...). When I actually take the time to, say, shower, put on a little make-up, and put on real clothes, it can tell people that I care and value being with them. It's a way to honor them and honor the Lord in doing so.
Then there's the whole "domesticity" thing, which is so far beyond me. I really did think I was pretty domestic, but bringing year number four of living on my own to a close has definitely revealed a different story. I have NO cooking skills and, this may sound crazy, but NO grocery shopping skills. I have no idea how to buy foods to have on hand for guests or visitors. As I usually just shop for myself, it's cheap to just buy the staples, but then I have nothing on hand to feed my ocasional visitors. Normal people over the age of four don't eat peanut butter as their staple food!
OK, so I know that much of this may not make sense...maybe it's the latte I had with my mom earlier this evening. Really though, I have so many thoughts rolling around in my head right now, you're getting a glimpse into my crazy mind. This is everyday life for me! Whoa...focus. So, anyways, all of these things are fresh on my mind because as I read about womanhood and femininity, I cry out for it! I WANT to be a feminine woman. I believe all of us women do, because deep down, we were created by God distinctly as women...to love beautiful things, (my mom was just pointing out the other day how women feel fabrics while they're shopping...men don't do that!), to enjoy being prettyfied (like that new word?), to thrive in their homes, to enjoy having doors opened for them and chairs pulled out and coats taken for them (my dad's great at this!)...all of these things that our society says we should look down upon with disdain because they are signs of "weakness". NO! They're signs of fitting into the mold God our Father made for women when He created us and that we intuitively long for.Women shouldn't feel ashamed for wanting to be women and be feminine.
Well, I'll stop here, before my computer explodes. Thank you for listening. This was a great time of processing and thinking out loud for me. I'm sure you'll be hearing more about this later, and if anybody reading this has some helpful tips for the whole "cooking and grocery shopping" thing, please comment and let me know!
I'm off to go put together some ideas for a children's sermon on manners...I have some thoughts and thanks on this topic too, that I'll share on a later post.
Love you all!
ps--here are the links to the blogs and the website. Check them out!

http://www.reviveourhearts.com/

http://girltalk.blogs.com/
http://solofemininity.blogs.com/

Hey, It Works!

I wanted to try posting a picture and see if it works. Looks like mission accomplished! I'll publish more later. Now, I really must get to some VBS work!

Let's Catch Up

Wow! So, I know it's been a while since I've last posted on this thing...now that it's been so long, the thought of catching up on lost time seems overwhelming! So, here's my best shot at the hi-lights:

1-went to Devner for the conference--the conference was pretty good, mainly a group of people who are giving new names to things that good teachers have instinctively done for years (however, note that I didn't necessarily include myself in the "good teachers" category, so the conference was good for me). We had lots of free time to walk around Denver and enjoy no humidity and no bugs! We also got to go out to Red Rocks and the burial site of Buffalo Bill Cody for an afternoon. Good times. Red rocks was amazing although we didn't get to sing or dance on stage. And Buffalo Bill Cody's museum and burial site...well, really, what can be said about that?! Seriously though, what made the trip really great was spending time with my mom. I really enjoyed that (and I'm not just saying that because I'm pretty sure you read this mom!)

2-got back on Friday and the 4th of July weekend began! Spent some time with my friend Brandi on Saturday, then went down to my parent's house for their annual 4th-on-the-2nd of July party. Sat out on my parent's deck and watched a great fireworks display down on the beach on Monday. And by Tuesday, the actual 4th, I was so whooped, I truly didn't care what happened. (I also got to baby-sit my favorite 1 year old, Calen, Monday and Tuesday!!)

3-Worked on putting together a float advertising Vacation Bible School, then walked with the float in our town's RiverFest parade today. We passed out over 1,000 flyers! The float turned out SOO cute. We had a polar bear riding the float and dancing, and played the karaoke track to "Ice Ice Baby"...it was great watching the kids (and slightly more mature "kids") dance as the float went by. Again, good times.

4-Went to Calen's first birthday party. She had her own little cake and ended up with icing in her hair, all over her face, down her legs, and all over her clothes. It was great. She got lots of great toys and clothes, but I think she loved the baby doll I got her the best, of course! I could be mistaken, but I'm pretty sure I heard her say her first phrase: "Aunt Jessica, you're my favorite!" hee-hee

So, there's the past two weeks in a nutshell. And, with my powers of prediction, I can pretty accurately tell you about the next two weeks...VBS, VBS, VBS, VBS! It starts on the 17th. Until then, there are signs to be painted, sets to be decorated, and lessons to be prepared. There's also kids to pray for and still more foot work to get into some of the local neighborhoods. As my friend Brandi puts it, by the first week in August, we'll all be sitting on a couch, leaning to one side, and drooling. I think she might be right on the money on that one! As for tonight, I think I'm going to work on painting some signs and watch a documentary on Lewis and Clark. Good times.

Thoughts on Fears...

I was told a story today by my good friend Teresa, about her sister Sharon, whose son was killed a week ago. She told me that the other day she had a large spider crawling up her shirt and Sharon just reached over and killed it with her bare hands, totally undisturbed by the event. Sharon said that she has nothing left to fear...her greatest fear has been met, what else is there to fear?
I know that an Ohio spider may seem like a small fear, but there is a lot of truth in that story. I guess you could go one of two places after such a tragedy. You could either dispense of all fear out of hopelessnes and just give up on life...or, you could realize that in the midst of your greatest fears God doesn't change and by His grace, power, and mercy you can survive. Our fears don't have to control us. Even if we experience that which we fear the most, life will go on because God hasn't changed. True life isn't in avoiding difficult, fearful, tragic circumstances...that's a life lived in constant fear of "the other shoe dropping" and trying to maintain control to ensure that nothing bad happens. It just reminds me that living life to avoid things that I fear is futile and the only real purpose, meaning, satisfaction, whatever you call it, in life is living to know and follow Christ, whatever the circumstances of that life might look like.
Anyways, the funeral was survived and...well, what do you say about a funeral? They're never good or happy events. The Lord was very precious in a lot of ways and Tim did a great job sharing the message of hope, and the Lord is working in some hearts as a result of this.
This weekend I got to spend some time with some of my girlfriends from Ohio University and it was great. I'm going to work on figuring out how to get pictures on here (for some GREAT pictures, check out my cousin Amy's blog here). Then, today we had a VBS sign up at an apartment building behind our church and got to meet a few sweet kids and get them signed up! Then, my friend Brandi and her kids, Madi and Dylan, came over and we headed to the beach.
It's been a great couple of days and now I'm getting ready to head off to Denver, Colordado for a conference on Differentiated Instruction. So, I won't be able to post for a few days, but hopefully when I get back I'll figure out how to post pictures and have some great pictures of Denver.

Please Pray

I was met with the greeting "I've got some bad news" by my friend Carol at church Sunday. The only child of our friend, Sharon, had been killed in a car accident. He was 22 and he's gone. I don't have children, and I cannot imagine what she and her husband are going through right now. This is every parent's nightmare. Some are lucky enough to experience only the fear. Sharon and Tom are living their fear right now. The calling hours are tomorrow and the funeral is Thursday. I am dreading both. This is SOOOOO selfish, but I find myself sad also because I wonder if we'll ever have Sharon back. I don't mean attending church, I mean with her goofiness and fun. She was always so fun and bubbly and LOVED being with people. She is honestly one of my favorite people to hang out with. My heart breaks for her. My friend Brandi and I prayed last night and she prayed that Sharon would be like Naomi from the book of Ruth in the Bible...when Ruth's sons died she called herself "Mara" or bitter. However, eventually, through the Lord's grace and redemption, she was able to laugh again.
I also got to speak to a neighbor today who shared with me that she had just lost her mother last month and she was still devestated. It just reminds me how unnatural death is. We all know it's inevitable, yet we're shocked and surprised and angry and grieved and a myriad of other emotions when it happens. It doesn't make sense. I am comforted by the simplicity of knowing that it's not natural to God either. Death was never His plan, and I believe that this grief we experience testifies to this truth. Death is His enemy and death is what He fought to destroy on the cross:
"Death is swallowed up in victory;
O death, where is your victory?
O death, where is your sting?" I Corinthians 15:54-55
Hmmmm...well, don't know what else to say. If you're reading this before Thursday, please pray for the parents, Tom and Sharon, and for Tim (their brother-in-law) who will be doing the funeral service, as well as for the rest of their family and friends. And if you're reading this after Thursday, please continue to pray for this family and I ask you to specifically pray that the Lord would put a song in Sharon's heart...she has always been a singer and I'm praying that the Lord will comfort and draw her near to Him through music. And for Tom, please pray that his broken heart will lead Him to the Lord who calls Himself the Resurrection and the Life. Hope.

Random Reflections

I SO wish my camera weren't in Illinois being repaired right now! I'm watching my friend Carol's little girl today (she's just 3 weeks shy of 1 year old) and she's asleep on my bedroom floor in just her diaper with her little curls blowing in the breeze from the fan. I wish everyone could revel in her cuteness! It is so precious to see.
I love spending time with kids and have come to really appreciate and be grateful for the place God has me in right now. Five years ago, I would have thrown a small temper tantrum if I knew I'd be 26 and still single with no children. At that point in my life, my main goal was to get married and have children...of course, there is ABSOLUTELY nothing wrong with that desire. I believe that it's placed in our hearts, especially as women, by God and is a precious thing to Him too. However, for me I held onto that desire so tightly because I believed that that's what I needed to be satisfied and complete. I was definitely not content. However, God began to show me that all I needed was Him...knowing Him would be my satisfaction and that would never change. As He led me to a place of trust and surrender, He also graciously changed my heart to rest in Him and see the importance and satisfaction of serving Him by serving single moms and their children. I can love on their babies and children so they can do the things they need to do and have a little break as well.
On the flip side, the more time I spend with moms and their children, the more realistic view I get of parenting and I have grown to LOVE coming home to a quiet, calm house...I mean, good night, moms don't get to punch a time card and stop working!!! Y'all never get to quit! So, I applaud you, and I'm going to enjoy being the fun baby-sitter kids can go and hang out with...then leave =)

Welcome Summer!!!

Today was the first day it really felt like summer. My friend Angie came over and we spent the afternoon down at the beach laying out and swimming. It was great...apart from Angie swimming into a dead fish which she swears was my fault...go figure that one out! Anyhoo, Angie started coming to my house when she was only 9 and I was her babysitter. That was 3 years ago and I'm so glad she still comes over a couple of days a week so we can hang out. It really struck me today how much she has changed in 3 years. She's grown up so much and gained so much confidence. I'm truly thankful for her in my life and excited to see what the Lord has in store for her.
On a totally random note...my dad is finishing up building one of those corn sacks games where you toss the bean bag onto a ramp with a small hole in it and try to get the bean bag in the hole. OK, so I could totally see myself becoming obsessed with this game. I love it. However, I was slightly bitter today when I threw and my bag was ridiculously off-target and Angie tossed hers precisely in the hole. I don't even think it hit the edges. Anyways, I have come to the conclusion that I love lawn games. Bocci ball, catch, sacks, frizbee, volleyball...if it can be considered a lawn game, I love it.

Autobiography

This is actually a pretty decent survey. It asks questions that haven't been asked a thousand times over. It asks questions that aren't obviously from a kid's point of view (in the last month, ever been caught sneakin out?). This survey might actually give your friends a chance to know you better, so please repost and give your friends that chance!

Your Autobiography


Part 1: The Birth of You

Were you a planned baby?
yes

Were you the first?:
YES!

Who was present at your birth?:
My parents and a few doctors

Were your parents married when you were born?:
Yes

What is your birthdate?:
May 9, 1980



Part 2: The Family

How would you describe your family?:
My family is great. We love to have fun together and enjoy teasing each other...well, mainly teasing my dad...it's a great bonding experience for the rest of us! My parents are also two of the friendliest people I've known. They have always made my friends feel welcomed and I've learned so much about relating to people from them. My parents are also very involved. They deeply care about our lives and enjoy being involved with us, which was and is a true blessing.

Are your parents married? Divorced? Separated?:
Married 30 years this August!

Siblings or an only child?:
I have 1 brother, Kyle.

If you have siblings are you oldest, middle, or youngest?:
oldest

What are your siblings names?:
Kyle Thomas Gordon; Cheeks; Cubby; LA; K;

Which parent do you get along with best?:
I truly enjoy both of my parents in a different way. I love hanging out with my mom and talking and being goofy. But I love having conversations with my dad about current events and discussing different issues.

What do you fight about?:
We honestly don't really fight. We definitely disagree sometimes, but I think we do a pretty good job of talking it out and making sure that the most important thing is protecting our relationships as a family, and any disagreement comes second.

Do you have step parents?:
No



Part 3: The Friends

Do you have more than one best friend?:
yes

What do you like to do when you are together?
Talk, talk, talk, and talk some more. I love late nights with cups of coffee and solving all of the world's problems. However, we've also been known to be pretty goofy, possibly crossing over into obnoxious.

Do you share the same interests?:
For the most part, yes.

Which friend can you tell anything to?
Well, I'm not a very open person to begin with, but I can tell just about anything to Brandi or Teresa.



Part 4: Your Personality

How high/low is your self esteem?:
Who knows....I try not to think about that stuff too much, just rest and believe in how God says He sees me.

Do you get depressed about things easily?:
No, not really. I get the funk once in a while, but I just enjoy the funk for a day or two, then put it to rest.

Are you an extrovert or an introvert?:
I do like to have some time to myself, however I love being around people I know. To be in a large group setting with a bunch of people I don't know is not appealing to me at all.

Are you happy?:
I'm learning to be content and, while not the same thing as happiness, it's a lot more secure!

Do you live life to the fullest?
Depends what your definition is...these are deep questions for a blog post no one will read.


Part 5: Appearance

Are you comfortable with the way you look?:
Well, I'm pretty sure a shower would help things a lot right now!

Do you have any piercings besides your ears?:
No, just ears.

Describe your hair?
Just below my shoulders, very dark red, almost brunette.

What make-up do you wear?:
As little as possible in the summer.

How do you dress?
I like to be comfortable and tend to be pretty simple. Pretty much, whatever I can find at Goodwill!

Part 6: The Past

Were you a strange child?:
I was too afraid to be strange. I worked very hard to be status quo.

What did you use to love that you no longer do?
Read for hours on end.

Do you have the same friends?:
Not at all, really.

Was there anything in your past that was traumatizing?
Nothing, unless you count the time my grandma told me the story about her uncle whose stomach froze because he ate too much ice WHILE I WAS EATING ICE!!!!! I was convinced I was going to have a frozen stomach and was in the back seat of her car devising plans in my 8 year old head about how I would drink hot water to melt it once we got home.



Part 7: The Future

What is your ambition?:
To obey Christ...not exactly sure what that will look like down the road though.

Are you scared of growing old?:
I don't actually think about it too much.

Do you want to get married?:
Sometimess...other times I love being single and selfish!



Part 8: The Outdoors

Do you prefer indoors or outdoors?:
Outdoors, and if I have to be indoors, I want the windows and doors open.

Favorite Season?
Summer!

Favorite weather?
Hot and sunny and even some humidity!

Do you like walking in the rain?
Not really, unless I'm working.



Part 9: Food

Are you a vegetarian?:
No

What is your favorite food?:
PEANUT BUTTER

What food makes you want to gag?:
nothing, really

What is your favorite desert?
ice cream

What is your favorite restaurant?:
anything Mexican

Are you a fussy eater?
Not at all, really



Part 10: Relationships and Love

Are you single or taken?:
Single

If taken who is the lucky guy/girl? n/a


Do you think love is the best feeling in the world?
Come on...we all know love isn't a feeling!

Do you believe in love at first sight?
I believe that you could be attracted to someone at first sight, which could draw you to them, which could let you get to know them, which could lead to love. This is my thought on that whole "as soon as I saw him/her, I just knew he/she was for me". OK, how many other people did you say that about before it happened to be true this one time! I think that true love grows from knowing someone more than anything.



Part 11: Experiences

What was one of your greatest experiences?:
Anytime I get to be in the presence of God is amazing, as well as getting to go to Poland.

What was one of your worst?
I had a really hard time during my junior and senior years of college when some of my best girl friends left school and got married. I felt really left behind. Most of junior high and high school was hard for me, too. I felt so alone and insecure, but it ultimately drew me to Christ, so I'm thankful for that time now.

Have you ever done drugs?
no...unless you count an addiction to caffeine

Have you ever thought you were going to die?:
Yes, but I can't remember when...must not have been too tramatic, huh?

Have you ever suffered from depression?:
Yes. However, it was being without hope that led me to seek God and cling to His Word rather than my own feelings and circumstances...it was the catalyst for an amazing change in my life, getting to know Jesus so, once again, it was well worth it.

First time for everything!

Well, I got inspired by reading my cousin Amy's blog and decided to give this a shot. I have been reading various blogs for about 8 months now, and look forward to checking them every day...not that I expect ANYONE to even acknowledge that this blog exists! But, I think they're a neat way to keep up with what's going on with people and to read different people's opinions and views of things. I titled my blog "You Don't Say..." because that's what people say when they either don't know what else to say, or just plain don't care, and i figured that might be a reasonable response to this blog!
So, on that note, last night I had a great night. My friend, Brandi, dumped her kids (oh, sorry, I mean tore herself away from them in great anguish and distress) and came out to my house at about 10:30 at which point we decided to walk around Huron and talk for a while. You've got to love towns where you are completely safe late at night. So, we had some serious conversation, the Lord opened up some truth to both of us, then we got goofy. Our Vacation Bible School theme this yeat is "Arctic Edge" and we're making a float for our town's RiverFest Parade and plan on using the track to Vanila Ice's classic hit "Ice, Ice, Baby" (you can hear the opening cymbal sounds now, can't you...). SO, we had to find the video and study it for a while. And, of course, we had to practice Vanila's moves! Let's just say we don't have Vanila Ice dancing skills!