LEX

i have moved

please visit my new life at:

http://aboyagirlandadognamedjill.blogspot.com

posted by Alexia & Jeffrey @ 2:21 PM 0 Comments

i should be working...

...but i'm a little bit distracted today. it's exactly TEN days till my wedding day. I have 4.5 work days left. i have not much planning left to do, but i do have an unfortunate amount of moving left to do (any amount of moving, to me, is an unfortunate amount).

so here i sit, doing my best to stay focused on the task at hand. counting down the slowly moving hours.

*sigh*

posted by Alexia & Jeffrey @ 10:44 AM 0 Comments

check. it. out.

Check.It.Out.

Jessica Monnich just might be the best engagement photographer in Austin. I am thrilled with how these pictures turned out! If you need a photographer recommendation, you get HUGE one from me for JESSICA MONNICH.

nineteen.

posted by Alexia & Jeffrey @ 3:21 PM 1 Comments

twenty six days

so it's been a while since i've posted. a lot has been going on. wedding planning, mostly. and pre-marital counseling. and trying to stay sane as the days pass more slowly than they ever have in my entire life.

but at least there are only twenty six (26) days left. twenty six days and 1 hour to be exact.

things checked off the list, both major and minor:
venue booked
dress bought
caterer/baker/florist booked
bridesmaids dresses bought
guys' suits bought
photographer booked
engagement photos taken
bridal portraits taken
wedding shower attended - and many fun gifts opened
invitations sent
song/singer chosen


tomorrow is groundhog day. and the first time in several years i won't be watching the movie with my student NOR my friends. i won't be watching it with my students because i no longer have my own class to teach. i won't be watching it with friends because we'll be at community group.

tomorrow is also the season premier of the last season of LOST. i won't be watching it, either, for the same latter reason. hopefully we can plan to catch up on hulu after the wedding :)

see our wedding details

posted by Alexia & Jeffrey @ 12:11 PM 0 Comments

the story

This is a story of boy meets girl.

Boy (who we will call Jeffrey) takes the girl out to a nice Brazilian dinner in central Austin. Things went well, so the girl (who we will call Alexia) agreed to spend more time with him. So the next time they went to the Blanton Museum. In typical fashion, the girl made fun of some of the paintings, which looked like her elementray splatter paint projects. So the boy decided they should test their skills. They proceeded to Hobby Lobby for small canvases and paint. The results were less than museum worthy, but it was a fun evening nonetheless.

Fast forward 9 months.

Jeffrey goes to Greece for a week. Alexia was sad that he was gone. She missed him a lot. He was supposed to return on Saturday, but got stuck in Houston until Sunday. He arrived in Austin just in time to go to church. There was no time for catching up.

Monday evening, Alexia returns home from work to find pink geber daisies, Grecian Olive Oil soap, and a card on the floor in her bedroom. She enjoyed them all thoroughly.

Tuesday evening, Alexia returns home from work to find yet another card. Wow, that's exra sweet, she thought. Later Tuesday evening, Jeffrey asks if she noticed anything similar in the two cards. No, she said. She made a few guesses, but didn't get it. She went home and studied the cards to find one red letter in each. The first one, a red I. The second one, a red l.

Alexia is a pretty smart one, so as expected, Wednesday she received yet another card, this time with one red o.

But Jeffrey, knowing he had himself a smart girl, knew she was catching on.

Thursday, no card. Were you expecting another card?

Yes.

Yeah, I thought I'd throw you off a little bit.

(punk.)

The last several months had been quite busy, and the two hadn't had much time to just do something fun. So Jeffrey asked Alexia if they could have a fun date on Saturday, ending with dinner with friends with whom they had not done much recently. Jeffrey, however, would not tell Alexia the plan for the day. He finally said, just wear something nice. (he actually said, i don't care what you wear, just look hot!)

 (now to first person) 


Jeffrey picks me up (I still have no idea the plan for the day) and takes me to the triangle to get my nails done. It is important to note that Jeffrey also gets his nails done - with no color. It was too much of an obvious dead give away, so I thought there was no way this was proposal day.


From there we proceeded to the Blanton Museum for a private tour. We enjoyed seeing some of the same things from before, now with an explanatinon, as well as some new things.

After the museum, we still had an hour and a half before dinner time. Jeffrey was hungry, so we stopped at Central Market for gelato (pumpking gelato is great, by the way!). From there we went to the park at the triangle, the secluded part with the pond and the bridge, to eat our gelato. We found the bridge, sat down, ate and talked.  

Do you remember the first time we went to the Blanton, and painted afterwards? Yes, I do. Well, I made some more sketches. There's three of them, and they go in order. See if you can guess what they are.

So I looked at the sketches. Number 1: A boy. Number 2: A boy and a girl. Number 3: A boy on one knee.
My heart skipped a beat.

Do you know what it is?  Maybe.... (not wanting to guess incorrectly, cause that would be really awkward).
I know you've guessed what the cards were leading to, but I didn't want to take that lightly. I want you to know that I really care about you, that I love you, and I wanted to make that special. I also wanted the first time I say "I love you" to be the same time I ask you to marry me. (pulls out the ring...) So, will you marry me?

YES!

We still have plans to meet Dave & Annette for dinner. I thought it would be fun to celebrate with friends. Of course, that sounds great.


(in the meantime, I had gotten a splineter from the bridge, so we had to go back to Central Market to buy some tweezers to get it out.)

When we arrived at the same Brazilian restaraunt from 9 months before, I thought I recognized Marissa's car. Wow, he invited her, too. That's so sweet!

Well, he had invited much more than just Marissa. We turned the corner to go to our table and I slowly realized that 28 more of our friends and family were waiting on us, including my parents from Dallas, his dad from San Antonio, his brother from Louiville, and Jeanae & Jeremy from Houston, along with many of our Austin friends from previous and current Community Groups at the Austin Stone.

For the rest of the evening we ate and enjoyed celebrating with our friends and family.

posted by Alexia & Jeffrey @ 6:32 PM 0 Comments

simple truth

posted by Alexia & Jeffrey @ 9:25 PM 0 Comments

a city on a hill

first, i think i need to define a few things. i've realized throughout my life that i use a lot of "cultural" words that others outside of this culture might not understand. so, in order to avoid confusion, here they are:

1. believer - someone who believes the Gospel of Jesus Christ
2. Gospel of Jesus Christ - that we are all sinners, but Christ died, and rose from the grave, to save us from eternal damnation
3. sinner - every person on earth, because we have all acted in disobedience to God's will
4. missional community - a group of believers striving to live together on mission for the Gospel of Christ

ok, now i can begin.

so last night my missional community was having a discussion about whether or not we feel that our group (or any group of believers we know) is open to outsiders (our other friends, family, co-workers, etc.), whether believers or not. and we got into a discussion about how, though our group is welcoming, we might feel uncomfortable bringing these other people into this part of our lives.

within our community we are safe. we trust each other. we know that we don't have to be perfect, because we know many of the imperfections/sins of others in the group. and within the group we can freely share our struggles and ask for help without the fear of condemnation.

and so we become uncomfortable with the idea of bring the outsiders into our group, because they would then also know our imperfections.

but then i was thinking about Matt Carter's sermon series on confession a while back. he not only talked about the healing power of confessing our sins to our community, but also about how an attitude of confession - a humble attitude that doesn't try to appear perfect - is an example to non believers.

you see, we are constantly told that we are supposed to be a city on a hill. a light in the darkness. as believers, we are supposed to be different. we're supposed to be like Jesus. and with all of this i agree completely. but does this necessarily mean that we are supposed to be perfect, or present ourselves as perfect? Jesus does tell us to be perfect, as our heavenly Father is perfect (matt. 5:48). but what if - or rather when - we're not perfect, should we still pretend to be perfect?

and this is where i think the tension lies. because truthfully, the Lord does not want us to be deceptive. he does not want us to present ourselves as something we're not. we need to have an attitude of confession, not only with believers, but also those who are not. is that uncomfortable? well heck yes it is. but why? is it really because we're so ashamed of our sin (sometimes, yes.) or is it because we claim to be followers of Jesus Christ and we want others to do the same, yet we ourselves consistently disobey him every day? it's because we know we aren't who we say we are.

yes what if we had a paradigm shift. what if, instead of trying to convince the world that we're perfect, we proclaim to the world just how imperfect we are. that we are prideful. lustful. drunkards. liers. cheaters. murderers. gossipers. disobedient to our parents. fornicators. adulterers. what if we told this to the world? because you know...they already know it.


and then the idea of the healing power of confession can really work itself out. please don't misunderstand me, i'm not trying to say that the Bible, or that Matt Carter, is saying we should confess our sins to unbelievers for healing. but here is my point. we become uncomfortable with "outsiders" entering our community because then they will see the ugliness. but if we consistently live in an attitude of confession, i think that might limit the amount of confession that is actually necessary. if i know that prideful thoughts and gossip about my co-worker is going to be brought into the light, for believers and non believers alike to see, and that my witness for the gospel will be marred by it, i might think twice before letting those words come out of my mouth. and really we should already view all of our sin in this way, because whether or not it comes to light on earth, the Lord knows, and it does affect our witness.


so instead of trying to present ourselves as perfect, let's be real. let's show the world who we really are. and just when it seems to be completely devastating and hopeless, the difference, this city on a hill or the light in the darkness that we have our Savior. because really, we're all in the same boat. we're all sinners. we're all hopeless. but what i want to show the world is not myself, but my Jesus.

posted by Alexia & Jeffrey @ 5:59 PM 0 Comments

adoption

I can hardly think of a human action that more clearly depicts the Gospel than adoption. And I don’t know if you feel it yet or not, but I believe that God is doing a work of stirring our church towards adoption. On a regular basis I hear the great and wonderful news that someone from our church body has adopted a child, I see the heartbreak on our people’s faces when they’re great anticipation of being able to finally pick up that child is crushed by another news of delay, and I see the curious look on young couple’s faces… even singles as they hear the same stories and contemplate adopting for the very first time. God is doing something. If you feel the same stirring, I’d like to let you know of the tentative calendar of our “For the Orphan Network”. Please email oliviaengstrom at gmail dot com if you have any questions.
September 27 at 9am – Library
Sharing God’s Heart for the Orphan: Creating a Culture of Orphan Care and Adoption
October 18 at 10:30am – Cafeteria
Adoption 101: A Basic Overview of the Adoption Process
November at 10:30am – Cafeteria
Adoption Panel – Come hear several families from the Stone share their experience of God breaking their hearts for adoption and have a chance to ask questions

Also below is an excerpt from a book that I highly recommend for anyone thinking about adoption. In the book, Adopted for Life: The Priority of Adoption for Chrisitian Families & Churches (Crossway, 2009), Dr. Russell Moore teaches on the theology of adoption and tells their personal story of their adopting their two sons from Russia.
Here’s their story in Moore’s own words (pp.25-26, 43-44):

“So, are they brothers?” the woman asked. My wife Maria and I, jet-lagged from just returning from Russia, looked at each other wearily. This was the twelfth time since we returned that we’d been asked this question. When I looked back at the woman’s face, she had her eyebrows raised. “Are they?” she repeated. “Are they brothers?”
This lady was looking at some pictures, printed off a computer, of two one-year-old boys in a Russian orphanage, boys who had only days earlier been pronounced by a Russian court to be our children, after the legally mandated waiting period had elapsed for the paperwork to go through. Maria and I had returned to Kentucky to wait for the call to return to pick up our children and had only these pictures of young Maxim and Sergei, our equivalent of a prenatal sonogram, to show to our friends and relatives back home. But people kept asking, “Are they brothers?”
“They are now,” I replied. “Yes,” the woman said. “I know. But are they really brothers?” Clenching my jaw, and repeating Beatitudes to myself silently in my mind, I coolly responded, “Yes, now they are both our children, so they are now really brothers.” The woman sighed, rolled her eyes, and said, “Well, you know what I mean.”
Of course, we did know what she meant. What she wondered was whether these two boys, born three weeks apart, share a common biological ancestry, a common bloodline, some common DNA. It struck me that this question betrayed what most of us tend to view as really important when it comes to sonship: traceable genetic material.
This is the reason people would also ask us, “Now, do you have any children of your own?” And it is the reason newspaper obituaries will often refer to the deceased’s “adopted child,” as though this were the equivalent of a stepchild or a protégé rather than a real offspring.
During the weeks that Maria and I waited anxiously for the call to return to Russia to receive our children, I pondered this series of questions. As I read through the books of Ephesians and Galatians and Romans, it occurred to me that this is precisely the question that was faced by the apostle Paul and the first-century Christian churches. …
When Maria and I at long last received the call that the legal process was over, and we returned to Russia to pick up our new sons, we found that their transition from orphanage to family was more difficult than we had supposed. We dressed the boys in outfits our parents had bought for them. We nodded our thanks to the orphanage personnel and walked out into the sunlight, to the terror of the two boys.
They’d never seen the sun, and they’d never felt the wind. They had never heard the sound of a car door slamming or felt like they were being carried along a road at 100 miles an hour. I noticed that they were shaking and reaching back to the orphanage in the distance. Suddenly it wasn’t a stranger asking, “Are they brothers?” They seemed to be asking it, nonverbally but emphatically, about themselves.
I whispered to Sergei, now Timothy, “That place is a pit! If only you knew what’s waiting for you—a home with a mommy and a daddy who love you, grandparents and great-grandparents and cousins and playmates and McDonald’s Happy Meals!”
But all they knew was the orphanage. It was squalid, but they had no other reference point. It was home.
We knew the boys had acclimated to our home, that they trusted us, when they stopped hiding food in their high chairs. They knew there would be another meal coming, and they wouldn’t have to fight for the scraps. This was the new normal.
They are now thoroughly Americanized, perhaps too much so, able to recognize the sound of a microwave ding from forty yards away. I still remember, though, those little hands reaching for the orphanage. And I see myself there.”

posted by Alexia & Jeffrey @ 1:19 PM 0 Comments

rainbows and God's promises

i saw a rainbow on the way to work this morning.

this was beautiful for a few reasons.

one: austin has seen no significant rain fall since, well, i don't know when. ok, so it rained last friday night. but you couldn't even tell saturday morning, that's how desperately dry this land is.

two: it reminded me of God's promises.

i was reading in Psalm 38 today. it doesn't say specifically, but i assume it's a Psalm of David. David who, for much of his life, was running from his enemies. David, who sinned greatly against the Lord, and one of his best men, and finally felt the weight of what he had done.

he starts out with a lament.


1: O Lord, rebuke me not in your anger, nor discipline me in your wrath!


but then he rejoices.


15: But for you, O Lord, do I wait; it is you who will answer.


and this reminds me of the Lord's faithfulness. the rainbow is a sign of God's promises. sometimes life is dry. sometimes it feels like the drought (the stress, the loneliness, the financial strains, the busyness) will never end. but the Lord is faithful. when we wait on him, the rain (peace, comfort, provision, sanity) will come.

posted by Alexia & Jeffrey @ 2:18 PM 0 Comments

AYW in the news

AYW Family,

Grab a copy of this week's Austin Chronicle to see AYW's Critic's Choice pick for its 2009 Best of Austin issue!

"Best Place to Prepare Yourself for the Future: American YouthWorks

For more than 30 years, American YouthWorks has been helping Austin's at-risk youth prepare for adulthood and strive for success. In that time the organization – which provides life-skills training, counseling, and health care, among other services – has served nearly 20,000 Travis County kids. AYW boasts three award-winning job training programs: Casa Verde Builders, where kids earn money while learning to build five-star energy-efficient affordable housing; the Environmental Corps, which allows students to earn money for higher education while building and restoring trails and facilities in public parks and on public lands; and the Computer Corps, where students learn and teach computer skills to others. In 1996, AYW started its own open-enrollment charter school, which now operates at two campuses and educates nearly 1,000 kids each year. AYW has been doing the hard work for a long time and certainly lives up to the motto of its founder, Richard Halpin: "Serve people fully and ask them to serve their community in return."

1900 E. Ben White, 744-1900; 216 E. Fourth, 236-6100 www.americanyouthworks.org "

http://www.austinchronicle.com/gyrobase/Awards/BestOfAustin/?Year=2009&Display=Long&BOACategory=Kids&Poll=Critics

posted by Alexia & Jeffrey @ 1:41 PM 0 Comments

AYW Moving Sale! Cheap Office Furniture and More!

posted by Alexia & Jeffrey @ 3:05 PM 2 Comments

Volunteer at AYW

If you're looking for somewhere to volunteer this fall, please consider AYW. This is my full-time job, but it can also be a great ministry opportunity. You will have the opportunity to build relationships with immigrants in south Austin and help them in their pursuit of English, a better education, and a better life for their families. Please contact me at the email below if you're interested.

THANKS!

VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES

Option 1:

Volunteer Monday and/or Wednesday evening for a “conversation hour” from 7:30pm-8:30pm. During this hour, you will practice Spanish (if you want) for half an hour and then help others practice English for half an hour. It is a language exchange time, for native Spanish-speakers and native English-speakers to help each other out. This option allows, but does not require a weekly commitment. You can come for one night only, or attend as often as you choose. All that we ask is that you notify us of when you plan to come so that we can make you aware of any possible changes in the schedule.

Option 2:

Volunteer to teach a class every Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, OR Thursday evening from 5:30-8:30. Lesson Plans will be provided. As a volunteer teacher, you will facilitate learning activities rather than give direct instruction. No previous teaching experience is required. BA required. Training provided.

This option requires a weekly commitment for approximately 8 weeks, depending on the length of the class session.

Dates for the 2009-2010 school year:

August 31^st – October 22^nd

October 26^th – December 17^th

January 11^th – March 4^th

March 22^nd – May 13^th

May 17^th – July 1^st

Option 3:

Volunteer sporadically to be a substitute teacher, which would include the responsibilities of option 2. Subs are needed only when a regular teacher and/or volunteer cannot teach their regular class due to illness, professional development meeting, or personal issues.

Option 4:

Childcare and tutors are needed during our evening classes. Volunteer one night a week for an 8 week session, or for an entire semester or school year. Volunteers will play with young children and help school age children with their homework. Background check required.

http://www.americanyouthworks.org/

a s h o e m a t e @ a m e r i c a n y o u t h w o r k s . o r g

posted by Alexia & Jeffrey @ 4:04 PM 0 Comments

support turkey - buy a shirt

Want to buy a Turkey T-shirt? http://bit.ly/XTYFz

posted by Alexia & Jeffrey @ 10:50 AM 0 Comments

loving haiti's kids

Dear Friends-

This note is to ask you to consider getting involved in a great cause. ANY donation will help make a difference in the life of a starving child. Below is a photo of a little boy named Renald that is living with us right now. He is 3 and a half years old and weighs 13 pounds. (To give you perspective, four of our children weighed 13 pounds at their one month check up. He is currently a full 15 pounds lighter than our 20 month old.) He wears size 3 months clothing. His mother lost two of her other children to starvation and brought him hoping someone could help her save his life.

We're not sure if Renald will make it but we're praying he will and daily feeding him a product that was created for severely malnourished kids. The product is called Medika Mamba. Please go to www.livesayhaiti.blogspot.com <http://www.livesayhaiti.blogspot.com> and look on the top left corner for links to the major fundraising effort being made to save kids just like Renald.

WE ARE SEEKING SPONSORS for a marathon Tara is running to benefit malnourished kids.

Please consider helping Renald and hundreds of others like him. ALL funds go to help hungry kids, zero is kept to cover administrative or personal expenses in Haiti. The total cost for 60 days of this Mamba treatment is just under $100 per child. That small amount can turn a child's life around! The entire story can be found by going to the link and following the two links there, you can also see before and after photos of kids who have already been helped. This is a program we administrate on the ground here and can continue to show amazing results and proof that your money mattered.

Please ask your church or friends to consider getting involved. (Feel free to forward this.) Please help up spread the word. We hope to raise $26,200 for the kids of Haiti and only your help will make it possible.
Also, please pray for sweet little Renald as we attempt to nurse him back to health.

Thank you.

With love and great hope from Haiti,


TROY and TARA LIVESAY
World Wide Village
http://livesayhaiti.blogspot.com
www.worldwidevillage.org

posted by Alexia & Jeffrey @ 8:20 PM 0 Comments

Eat at Plucker's - Support AYW

Greetings American YouthWorks Family!

Please Join us this week, Thursday, July 23 at Plucker’s Wing Bar (3909 S. Lamar) between 6pm-9pm to support American Youthworks!

Plucker’s will sponsor our organization at their weekly Party with a Purpose featuring live music by Wynn Taylor. Come by between 6pm to 9pm and tell your server you’re eating on behalf of American YouthWorks. Plucker’s will donate 20% of the profits to AYW from meals eaten on our behalf.

Members of our staff will be available to talk about volunteer opportunities, upcoming events, and spread the word about the great work we’re doing. You can help by showing up Thursday with as many of your friends and family as possible!

We hope to see you there!

posted by Alexia & Jeffrey @ 3:49 PM 0 Comments

got tacos?

eat tacos, support education

Join us this Saturday at 7:00 at Torchy’s Tacos in South Austin for a fun a night of music, prizes, and great food. Most importantly, a percentage of the proceeds will benefit American YouthWorks!

See below for details or follow this link
http://torchystacos.com/events/party_moontower.html

Party at the Moontower celebrates the '70sLast day before summer - Saturday June 20 at 7pmSouth Austin Trailer Park & Eatery, byob1311 S. 1st StreetBenefits American Youth Works
Party at the Moontower celebrates the '70s at the South Austin Trailer Park in the glow of an historic moontower at Monroe St (about two blocks away). The Trailer Park parking lot will be open to classic cars and motorcycles among the Torchy's Tacos trailer, Shuggies Burgers & Shakes trailer, La Dee Dah Gifts trailer, and Treat desserts trailer. There will be '70s music, videos, and hazing. Prizes will be given for best '70s outfits, best ride (car, bike...), mustache, cut-offs, and Wooderson look alike. The trailer park is a byob venue. Sales from Shuggies Burgers & Shakes will benefit American YouthWorks in the spirit of the future success of at-promise youth.

American YouthWorks (AYW) is a 501(c) 3 nonprofit Green Jobs Training and Education Center located in Austin, Texas, committed to offering high school dropouts and undereducated youth and adults alternatives to welfare and crime. AYW operates a comprehensive program providing education, jobs training, and social services to transform the lives of youth and adults. AYW creates a holistic opportunity for individuals to acquire the life skills needed to succeed in the new, green economy.

American YouthWorks emerged in 1976 as the first program in Austin to recognize the needs of individuals neglected by our educational system. In 1981, AYW established Austin's first program to serve high school dropouts and was the first to offer undereducated youth and adults alternatives to welfare and crime. In the fall of 1996, AYW began one of the first Open Enrollment Charter High Schools in Texas. Over the years, AYW learned from our “customers” to directly address the multiple barriers to the future success of at-promise youth. We realized that the attainment of a diploma or GED alone does not ensure their continued academic and employment success.

posted by Alexia & Jeffrey @ 8:00 AM 0 Comments

an ode to estes, banks, haralson & co.

so, while i wait for a ridiculously long grant to print on and even more ridiculously slow printer, i have chosen to express my gratitude to the people who made my move happen this weekend.

the move was originally planned for friday evening. jeffrey would pick up my car and exchange it for the haralson's truck. jeffrey, andy and i would then load my furniture and other belongings into the truck and CRV and take them to Lori's.

and then my cousin died. the memorial service was planned for friday evening. this was the only time we would have the truck, and even so, jeffrey had to work saturday morning.

so, despite my frantic packing (or lack thereof), and despite me not even being in austin on friday evening (though the extent of my theoretical help is debatable), jeffrey picked up the truck and he and andy, all by themselves, carried my furniture down two flights and up one flight of stairs, loaded it in the truck, and drove it to Lori's, in 3 trips.

so i left town friday with a chaotic apartment filled with furniture. i returned late friday night to a less chaotic apartment with no furniture, and a sleeping bag awaiting my worn out body.

and this, i tell you, is only one reason why i have the best friends in the world.

posted by Alexia & Jeffrey @ 1:49 PM 1 Comments

in an attempt to post more often

i was reminded today that i never posted a very important link about haiti.

http://haitiancreations.com

if any of you have seen me with a patchwork handbag, this is where i got it. these purses are made by haitian women as an alternative to prostitution or other unprofitable work. it provides them with a living wage for them and their families. and it's just a stinkin' cool purse. great as gifts, too.

so, go buy one. now. thank you.

posted by Alexia & Jeffrey @ 7:17 PM 1 Comments

oops...

so, it's been a while. too long. i didn't even finish blogging about haiti.

oops.

i will. someday. i promise. i just can't right now because i'm not technically even supposed to be on blogger.

but i was reading another blog (which, i guess, i technically was not supposed to be doing that, either) and was reminded of several things.

1) i love blogs. both reading them and writing them.
2) blogs take me all over the US and the world. they make me think outside of myself. they remind me that there are things bigger than me, more important than me. they remind me of all of the people i love even if i haven't seen or even spoken to them in years...or ever.
3) i always have too many blogs to read. i am always behind. and i always love catching up. or at least attempting to.
4) i really need to post an update.

so, really, really quickly...since haiti...

- i am now the adult education program manager at work. promotion in title. more work. no more pay. that, my friends, is the world of education.
- i have come to love my friends even more than i thought imaginable. i have the best friends in the world. no, you cannot argue with me.
- i will be moving into a house in just about 3 weeks, to live with a lady from my community group. though i am not excited to leave my much loved apartment, i am excited for the new opportunities that are to come.
- my young life girls have left for the summer. this makes me sad.
- this weekend i will attend weddings 2 and 3 of wedding season. one of them is for a dear friend i've known almost since the day i moved to austin. i am more excited for her than she knows.
- the lack of recent blogging is because life has been crazy busy. but a good busy. i wouldn't change a bit of it. not a single day. not a single adventure. not a single moment. not a single person.
- i am completely overwhelmed with the life God has given me.

...to be continued...

posted by Alexia & Jeffrey @ 2:49 PM 1 Comments

'there' 'they're' & 'their'

i am an English teacher.

i work at a school.

and we have a principal who repeatedly misuses 'there' in professional emails.

i can't send him an email about it, because it would come across in a very rude way. so i am going to get it out here.

they're - a contraction for 'they are.' ex. They are learning English.

their - possessive form for they. ex. Their principal needs to learn grammar.

there - location. ex. The class is over there.

thank you.

posted by Alexia & Jeffrey @ 7:50 AM 2 Comments

haiti tshirts

The moment you've all been waiting for...the Haiti T-shirt sale is HERE!

So here's the deal. We're raising money for the trip we just took, and other mission projects at the Austin Stone Community Church. If you want one and live in Austin, please try to see me about it in person, as I need the money before I can take your order. If you're not in Austin, you can mail me a check. This is only because I have to front the money before I can order - i.e. I buy the shirts and then you buy it from me. Info about the shirts and a picture are below.

• Shirts are navy and printed on Anvil shirts and super soft.
• can do XX and XXX but they are $2 extra
• smallest we can do is Youth Med
• get your orders to me by April 10th, hopefully shirts will be here in 3-4 weeks .... So we’re looking at 4-6 weeks before shirts are here
• Cost is $20 for each shirt and $5 for shipping if they’re out of town.
  
• $ is going towards trip we just took and for other missions projects at ASCC.

Need more info? Just let me know! And please sent this on to anyone else who might want a tshirt!

THANKS!

posted by Alexia & Jeffrey @ 8:00 AM 1 Comments

haiti day 3: the heaviness sets in

the following excerpt is taken from The Rainy Season: Haiti Since Duvalier by Amy Wilentz.

"Voodoo is the culture of my country," he says... "Voodoo is the only real religion, which respects all life. Voodoo is the religion of religions, it came before all other religions. It is the root of belief, all belief. The whole world is the work of voodoo, which will survive all religions. Voodoo is the cultural name of Haiti. Voodoo is Haiti."

day 3 began by going to church at Port Au Prince Fellowship. John McHoul presented a challenging message about forsaking safety and seeking the Lord's will for your life. it seemed a little ironic that he'd be preaching such a message to a congregation full of americans who had already left the comforts of the US to give their lives for the poorest country in the western hemisphere. as our group discussed the sermon later that day, we felt it was directed towards us, not the regular attenders. yet as we spoke with some of those people who had already given several years to haiti, had adopted handicapped children, had sold house and home in the US with no plans to return...they also said it was directed towards them. "what more can i do?" is the question they were now asking themselves. it's incredible to see that the Word of God is truly living and active - always and everywhere.

after eating haitian pizza for lunch, we spent the afternoon playing with children at Wings of Hope childrens home, next to the Baptist mission up above Petion-ville.

Wings of Hope is a home for disabled children - whether physically or mentally. because of the culture of voodoo in haiti, these childrens' disabilities are seen to be manifestations of evil spirits. as a result, their parents don't want them. they are left abandoned. in places like haiti, there's no one to take them in. everyone agrees - they are manifestations of evil spirits. no one wants to invite an evil spirit into their home. no one wants to love and care for an evil spirit.

so these children are left for dead.

and then there are those who somehow find their way to Wings of Hope. a place where they are fed, bathed, educated, loved. though some of these children are adopted, most of them never leave haiti. yet they are given skills they can use to make a life for themselves, and most importantly, the Hope of Christ.

many of the children from Wings of Hope have even returned to work, love, educate those who remain - to share the great hope they received.

this was probably one of the most difficult things i've ever seen, maybe second to a similar orphanage i visited in the DR.

i am generally uncomfortable around disabilities. i don't know why this is. it has nothing to do with thinking they are lesser people. it has nothing to do with a lack of patience or compassion. i simply don't know what to do. i'm not saying this is ok, i'm just saying it's the way i am. the Lord definitely didn't give me a special gift for working with or loving this population.

yet something now happens inside of me when i see a precious, innocent child in such a condition. handicapped. abused. neglected. abandoned. hopeless. it almost makes me sick to my stomach. if it weren't for the mini-playground which brought such beautiful smiles and laughter, i'm not sure i could have endured the time we spent there. to know that there are so many children starving for love and so few people willing to give it does not settle well in my heart.

i have itunes running as i type this post and the song that just started playing is Chris Tomlin's I Will Rise. it seems pretty appropriate for these children. they do have hope. they do have victory. and one day, those who have put their hope in Him, with no more sorrow and no more pain...will rise.

There's a peace I've come to know
Though my heart and flesh may fail
There's an anchor for my soul
I can say "It is well"

Jesus has overcome
And the grave is overwhelmed
The victory is won
He is risen from the dead

And I will rise when He calls my name
No more sorrow, no more pain
I will rise on eagles' wings
Before my God fall on my knees
And rise
I will rise

There's a day that's drawing near
When this darkness breaks to light
And the shadows disappear
And my faith shall be my eyes

Jesus has overcome
And the grave is overwhelmed
The victory is won
He is risen from the dead

And I will rise when He calls my name
No more sorrow, no more pain
I will rise on eagles' wings
Before my God fall on my knees
And rise
I will rise

And I hear the voice of many angels sing,
"Worthy is the Lamb"
And I hear the cry of every longing heart,
"Worthy is the Lamb"
And I hear the voice of many angels sing,
"Worthy is the Lamb"
And I hear the cry of every longing heart,
"Worthy is the Lamb"

And I will rise when He calls my name
No more sorrow, no more pain
I will rise on eagles' wings
Before my God fall on my knees
And rise
I will rise

posted by Alexia & Jeffrey @ 9:33 PM 0 Comments

hispanola: day two

posted by Alexia & Jeffrey @ 12:02 PM 0 Comments

haiti day one

we were picked up by troy livesay and carried off to the port au prince hilton - otherwise known as the Methodist Guest House. in addition to very weak, but free wifi, we got cold - yet running, or sometimes jogging - showers. we could have even gone swimming, had we energy enough at the end of each day (which we unfortunately did not).

posted by Alexia & Jeffrey @ 11:45 AM 0 Comments

i'm back

from hispañola. more stories to come, hopefully soon.

posted by Alexia & Jeffrey @ 7:52 AM 0 Comments

the magic in letters

please click on the title to see the original post.

The Magic in Letters

As heard on NPR's Weekend Edition Sunday, February 15, 2009. I believe in the alphabet, because it has the power to change life. I realized the power concealed in the alphabet on the very first day I joined the adult literacy class. For the first time, I was introduced to letters that stood for my name. In discovering the Nepali alphabet, I discovered I was Cha-me-li and not Cha-mi-li, as everyone used to call me. It felt like magic. A little loop of “e” for “i” changed my name! If three letters could change my name, how much would I be able to transform my life if I understood all the letters? I spent that whole evening writing and rewriting my name. After that, I carried the spelling book with me while I went to collect firewood, weed the maize field, just everywhere, until I learned to write. Before learning how to write, my life was like the nearby Indrasarovar Lake, always stagnant. I had the pain of child marriage, my husband did not support me, abject poverty was my way of life, and I didn't have any skill or courage to do anything. But I saw that the number of people learning to read and write was growing—and their lives were improving. I then realized it was neither wealth nor beauty that I lacked, but letters. As my new knowledge of words boosted my confidence and courage, I made a resolution: Yes, my life has been like this, but I and my sisters and brothers should be given education, as much as we would like. The immediate obstacle to this was the Tasar River. The village school was on the other side of the river and children would be cut off from going to school during monsoon season. I wanted to erect a bridge over the river. In the beginning the villagers did not help. Some even mocked the idea, saying it was only for me and called the idea, "Chameli Bridge." But finally we got support, materials were collected, volunteer laborers were available, and the bridge was finally constructed. Now I cannot express my satisfaction seeing children running to school over that bridge. It is a bridge of iron, a bridge of letters, a bridge of community. Nothing is achieved without the cooperation of all. I am now heading five women’s micro-saving groups. Ten or 20 rupees that used to be spent buying petty cosmetic items have been collected into a fund of 300,000 rupees. We are planning to open a small cooperative in the village soon. We also want to run permanent literacy classes for women and open a library. All this is the result of my knowing the alphabet, even though I learned it late. Letters have immense power. They have magic. The greatest thing in the world is the alphabet. That is my belief. Chameli Waiba lives in Makwanpur, a village in rural Nepal. She was a child bride at 15, and didn’t learn to read until she was 21. Waiba works for social causes, environmental conservation, road construction, child development, and micro-finance. Independently produced for NPR by Jay Allison and Dan Gediman with John Gregory and Viki Merrick. Special thanks to Madhu Acharya of Antenna Foundation Nepal.

posted by Alexia & Jeffrey @ 3:25 PM 0 Comments

community

the following is an excerpt from the book We wish to inform you that tomorrow we will be killed with our families by Philip Gourevitch. It is in reference to a story told by a woman about the Rwandan cultural responsibility to respond to those who cry out in a crisis situation. If I am in crisis, I want someone to help me. Therefore, if someone else is in crisis, I will help them. "I cry, you cry. You cry, I cry."

So there is responsibility. I cry, you cry. You cry, I cry. We all come running, and the one who stays quiet, the one that stays home, must explain. Is he in league with the criminals? Is he a coward? And what would he expect when he cries? This is simple. This is normal. This is community.

It struck me as an enviable agreement. If you cry out, where you live, can you expect to be heard? If you hear a cry of alarm, do you add your voice and come running? Are rapes often averted, and rapists captured, in this way in your place? I was deeply impressed.

Should this not be the norm among our Christian community?

Rom 12:15 Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep.

i am thankful to have a community where i believe this to be the norm. i have, in fact, seen it to be the norm. someone loses a job - we all search for a new one. someone gets engaged or married - we have a party. someone has an injury without insurance - we all give what we can.

this is, however, unfortunately uncommon in the united states. if this is not a picture of your community, i dare say you should look for a new one. or create it yourself.

posted by Alexia & Jeffrey @ 3:17 PM 1 Comments

it's a noun, not an adjective

if you use bad grammar, beware. you will not like this post, but i just have to get something off my chest.

it's The Dominican REPUBLIC. not "The Dominican."

why?

because "dominican" is an ADJECTIVE. do you call it The United? NO. It's The United STATES. because without the "states", there's nothing to unite. and without the "republic," there's nothing that's Dominican.

so call it what you will. The Dominican Republic. The DR. La Republica Dominicana. La RD. just please, please, PLEASE...don't call it The Dominican.

thank you.

posted by Alexia & Jeffrey @ 4:19 PM 3 Comments

real hope for haiti

http://haitirescuecenter.wordpress.com/

posted by Alexia & Jeffrey @ 3:14 PM 1 Comments

hope

so i was reading these verses today and thinking about the DR, and Haiti, and about how in 10 days the US will have a black president, yet tonight many of my haitian friends will not eat dinner.

and i was thinking that a post about such a topic would really pull at someone's heart strings with picture of a sad little child with a bloated tummy and that might cause them to pray and give money.

i am, however, not the manipulative type to do such a thing. but i did search my files just to see what i have if i were to do so. the picture above is the best i could do.

her name is Yoslena, but they call her Belleza - Beautiful. and that is what she is.

it is often hard to reconcile the poverty and desolation and injustice all around these precious children with a God we are told is good and loving. but as i look at their smiles and remember their laughter, David's words in Psalm 9 remind me that there is a Hope that is bigger than i can see. and that is truly beautiful.

Psalm 9
9 The Lord is a stronghold for the oppressed, a stronghold in times of trouble.
10 And those who know Your Name put their trust in You, for You, O Lord, have not forsaken those who seek you.
18 For the needy shall not always be forgotten, and the hope of the poor shall not perish forever.

posted by Alexia & Jeffrey @ 4:51 PM 0 Comments

a list

1. learn to lead climb
2. drive up the west coast. stop in san francisco, portland and seattle. find outdoor adventure.
3. go to africa.

posted by Alexia & Jeffrey @ 3:42 PM 0 Comments

write them on the tablet of your heart

how easily i forget.

every day. i wake up each morning. my first thought is of coffee and how i really wish i had washed the pot the night before. i eventually make it to my chair, a rich, sweet, addictive cup of coffee in one hand, and the even richer, even sweeter, yet sometimes, somehow...less addictive Bible in the other.

i read the words.

i write them on paper.

i pray.

by the time i get to the 183/mopac fly over i've usually forgotten the words about patience and humility. by lunch time i've forgotten the words about wisdom and by the time the release bell rings i've forgotten the words about discretion. as i head home i forget the words about my wealth and go to sleep having forgotten the words about the Lord's loving discipline.

the next morning i wake up.

i drink. i read. i forget.

were i ever to forget to drink, i'd be very aware by 10:00am and go in search of caffeinated freedom from weariness.

yet if i were ever to forget to read, i fear i would not be aware even by 10:00pm. i would not go in search of biblical freedom from weariness.

and so i press on, fueled at times by caffeine for a cause (and feeling pretty darn good about myself for it), and running on the spiritual fumes of both the old AND new testaments (and feeling pretty darn good about myself for it) which have not settled in my heart due to the coffeemate blocking the way. and suddenly i look just like the the world - impatient, prideful, selfish, unruly. addicted to me.

the problem is not the coffee. it is, in fact, a quite tasty and stimulating drink. the problem is not the Bible. it is, in fact, the most glorious book on planet earth. the problem is the forgetting. the problem is my heart. the problem is forgetting to write these words on the tablet of my heart.

Proverbs 3

1 My son [or daughter], do not forget my teaching, but let your heart keep my commandments...

3...write them on the tablet of your heart...

5 Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding.
6 In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.

7 Be not wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord, and turn away from evil.
8 It will be healing to your flesh and refreshment to your bones.

9 Honor the Lord with your wealth and with the firstfruits of all your produce.

11 My son [or daughter], do not despise the Lord's discipline or be weary of reproof,
12 for the Lord disciplines him whom he loves, as a father the son in whom he delights.

19 The Lord by wisdom founded the earth; by understanding he established the heavens;
20 by His knowledge the deeps broke open, and the clouds drop down the dew.
21 My son [or daughter], do not lose sight of these - keep sound wisdom and discretion...

26...for the Lord will be your confidence...

27 Do not withhold good from those to whom it is due, when it is in your power to do it.

posted by Alexia & Jeffrey @ 10:08 PM 1 Comments

2008 Was Great

it was my first full calendar year back in the country. that means that this year i can't write about the contrasts of third world living versus the luxuries of the US. oh, but wait, i did visit the DR. and how good that was for sure.

yet in the midst of this "economic crisis" (which, honestly, hasn't affected me much at all, except at Valero and HEB), i feel like it's a bit of the minimalist way of living forcing itself on culture around me. problem is, people here are complaining about it, rather than realizing what a blessing it could be.

and i find myself also in the middle of the tension between wanting more and needing less, of taking more and giving less, and striving to give more and take less. and though my vocation will never allow me to have a lot in the eyes of american culture, i have way more than i could ever ask. and while this year wasn't full of those explicit reminders of the material wealth i do possess, it was full of vivid blessing from the Lord that i didn't even know i was lacking. i've been struck this past year by how much better the Lord knows our needs than we know it ourselves. so many things to which he led me i thought - or hoped - were for one purpose, only to discover they were for something much better.

when stress drained, peace filled.
when people drained, community filled.
when knowledge drained, relationship filled.
when plans drained, the Lord's sovereignty filled.
when decisions drained, the Holy Spirit's guidance filled.
when surgery drained, sacrifice filled.
when pride drained, humility filled.
when sin drained, Grace filled.

posted by Alexia & Jeffrey @ 3:31 PM 0 Comments

DR Update

I just got this message from those who are still living in the DR. please pray for the relations among Dominicans and Haitians, as well as for Rachel who works in Villa Ascencion. this village is just past Pancho Mateo, the larger village in which i taught while living there.

This email comes from Cara Jane Welch (Cara, I hope it's ok that I posted this so others can pray!).

This was on my friend Rachel's blog. (Rachel runs a fair trade co-op
in one of the villages near where we work. I'm sure I've mention La
Tienda before. It's Haitian women making jewelry, paper, candles, and
other beautiful things in order to support their families. For many
of the women, this has brought them out of prostitution.)

[Side note from Alexia: If you ever see the MAKARiOS table at the Stone and there is jewelry for sale, it's from this co-op.]

"Dec 2008

Some of you may have heard that we are experiencing severe trials in
our Haitian Village. A Mob of Dominicans went in Sunday night and ran
families out of their homes, threatened their lives and destroyed
small business. This was in reaction to the discovery of murdered
Dominican in the sugar cane fields on the road to the village.

Many families have abandoned their homes in fear of the mob and have
been scattered all over the place. Pastor Jonny (Dudu's Father) house
was broken into and all of his stuff was thrown outside and
destroyed. Pastor Jonny is the man who is taking care of Rosairi and
Jonathan while I am away. The whole family (including my kids) fled
the village and all 11 of them are currently hiding out in my
apartment in Montellano. There is a vendetta against him as he is a
community leader, and this mob wants all the Haitians gone for good.

I am endlessly thankful to hear that the entire family, including my
two, remain unharmed. The military went in to try and restore some
normalcy, they arrested the ringleader of the mob, but ended up
letting him go when a riot ensued. It is unsafe for Gringo's or
Haitians to travel to the village, and there are only a few families
who remain in what was once a robust population of Haitians and
Dominicans trying to work together and climb out of abject poverty.

Please pray for the Haitian community, as well as Jonny's family, as
well as my two kids at this time. Also I would covet your prayers as
I try to decide how to respond. "


What Rachel doesn't mention is that her art co-op is in this same
village and all of the women that she works with live there as well.
This has affected many of the people that we have ministry with, know,
and love. If it is dangerous for people to travel out to the village,
then this prevents Rachel form doing her work. The village that was
attacked was built by missionaries. Something around 200 Haitian
families were given homes and are encouraged by many means to better
their lives there. This attack is not only out of hatred for
Haitians, but also an attack on efforts to make things better for the
poor. While no one associated with Makarios was directly affected,
the families of our students live out their, and many of my friends
work for other organizations in the village. There is a Kids Alive
school in the village where people from my Dominican church, Gringo,
Dominican, and Haitian alike work.

It is clear that Satan has used these people for his evil purposes.
This is a direct spiritual attack. Pray for safety. Pray that the
government would respond so that people would feel safe to return to
their homes. Pray for direction. When I return to the DR on January
3rd I plan to help Rachel in what ever way I can.... so pray for that.

posted by Alexia & Jeffrey @ 1:10 PM 0 Comments

trade as one

if you're looking for unique gifts for christmas, go here:

http://tradeasone.com/

posted by Alexia & Jeffrey @ 1:02 PM 0 Comments

haiti

for those of you who actually read my blog, here's something newsworthy.

i'm thinking about spending spring break in haiti. a couple from my church who is adopting two children are leading a team to work with Real Hope for Haiti. my first and only trip to haiti lasted only about 2hrs, as i was simply (or not so simply) passing off little orphan Ian to his new family. even that one little glimpse of the other side of hispanola made it very clear the stark difference bewteen haiti and the dr. i never had the opportunity to go back to see more of the country from where many of my students came.

and while i definitely stuck out in the dr, i felt more obvious in haiti; more white, somehow. and since i only speak about 5 words of haitian kreyol, and only 3 words of french, it will be very much out of my comfort zone. the dr, while it is very far from my own culture and language, can be comfortable because there i can manage. i can speak the language. i know how the money works. i can avoid being ripped off...too much. in haiti i know nothing. the little bit i DO know is tied to the dr - haitian culture...in the dr, haitian kreyol...mixed with spanish... it will be a good test of my crosscultural skills, or lack thereof.

it might also provide an opportunity to stay behind the group a few days and visit wonderful people such as robin, jakob & isaak, jim & teresa white, and evelina. that would be a sweet reunion, no doubt.

so, you can pray about my decision and, if i do go, the finances to get there.

posted by Alexia & Jeffrey @ 12:41 PM 1 Comments

thursday

thursday was not only thanksgiving and 1 week after my 28th birthday.

it was also the birth day of Miss Kaytlin Elizabeth Hall, daughter of Jeanae and Jeremy Hall.

Since I don't have any nieces or nephews of my own, I'm going to adopt her as mine :) pictures will come after i actually get to meet her in person.

posted by Alexia & Jeffrey @ 12:25 PM 0 Comments

andrew murray on humility

Is it any wonder that the Christian life is so often weak and fruitless, when the very root of Christian life is neglected or unknown? Is it any wonder that the joy of salvation is so little felt, when that by which Christ brings it is so seldom sought? Until a humility that rests in nothing less than the end and death of self, and which gives up all the honor of men as Jesus did to seek the honor that comes from God alone (which absolutely makes and counts itself nothing) that God may be all, that the Lord alone may be exalted - until such a humility is what we seek in Christ above our chief joy, and welcome at any price, there is very little hope of a faith that will conquer the world.

I cannot too greatly impress upon my readers the need of realizing the lack there is today of humility within Christian circles. There is so little of the meek and lowly Lamb of God in those who are called by His name. Let us consider how our lack of love, indifference to the needs and feelings of others, even sharp comments and hasty judgements that are often excused as being honest and straightforward, are thwarting the effects of the influence of the Holy Spirit on others. Manifestations of temper and touchiness and irritation, feelings of bitterness and estrangement, have their root in nothing but pride. Pride creeps in almost anywhere, and the assemblies of the saints are not the exceptions. Let's ask ourselves what would be the effect if all of us were guided by the humility of Jesus, that the cry of our whole heart, night and day, would be, "Oh, for the humility of Jesus in myself and all around me!" Let us honestly fix our heart on our lack of humility - that which has been revealed in the likeness of Christs's life, in the whole character of His redemption - and realize how little we know of Christ and His salvation.

posted by Alexia & Jeffrey @ 12:38 PM 0 Comments

eternal salvation

i am thankful for eternal salvation.

Hebrews 9:12:

...he [Jesus] entered once for all into the holy places, not by means of the blood of goats and calves but by means of his own blood, thus securing an eternal redemption... (emphasis mine).

posted by Alexia & Jeffrey @ 10:32 AM 0 Comments

it's been a while

and for good reason. i've been busy. i was reminded this morning at church that i haven't posted in a while. it's been over a month. a very busy month.

why have i been so busy? well, to begin with, the end of august and beginning of september are always busy with the beginning of school. and as soon as school slowed down to a stead pace, life picked up. vision series groups began at church, and college young life small groups began. that takes up at least 2 evenings out of my week, in addition to trying to fit in an hour or two somewhere to work on my neverending thesis.

about a month ago i went to my cousin's wedding in paris, tx. it was good to see family again since i normally only see them on holidays.

i had the opportunity to go back to the holy land a few weeks ago and watch the aggies play. unfortunately, our football team isn't the best thing about A&M right now. and we were defeated again this week - by tech, no less :-\ all the while the teasips around me continue to gloat. it's a little sickening, really... on a positive note, i was able to see my college roommate and good friend Jeanae, who is VERY pregnant, and due around thanksgiving. i can't wait to see that precious little girl face to face.

so all in all, life is good. reall good. but really busy. which leaves me less time for blogging. so for all of you who actually do keep up with my blog, know that i haven't fallen off the face of the earth, or into a coma. i am here. and i am living. and i'll catch ya later.

posted by Alexia & Jeffrey @ 1:34 PM 1 Comments

what can i say?

so at our prayer meeting tonight, we sang this song. and i think it's the beginning of the answer to the question about suffering.

what can i say?
what can i do?
but offer this heart, O God,
completely to You.

So I'll stand, with arms high and heart abandoned,
in awe of the One who gave it all.
I'll stand, my soul, Lord, to you surrendered,
all I am is Yours.

we all sing this so easily, loudly, excitedly and with hands raised high - when we're in the midst of others who are doing the same. but do we really understand what it means to offer our heart, to surrender everything, to completely give ourselves to the Lord?

it's different for all of us. but i wonder if it begins with things that are actually rather simple, but will, at times, feel like suffering. because if we really do give everything, it's going to hurt. it's called sacrifice for a reason.

do we need to surrender our control?
our schedule?
"free"time?
appetite?
dining out?
freedoms?
social life?
sleep?
pride?
money?
time?
energy (physical and mental)?
rights?
privileges?
comforts?
big houses?
identity?
nice clothes?

the list could go on and on.

the point is

it's going to cost us our LIVES. nothing is saved but our souls.

posted by Alexia & Jeffrey @ 8:52 PM 2 Comments

...to know the power of his resurrection, and may share in his sufferings...

this verse (Philippians 3:10) was brought to my attention twice this past week. once, early one morning, as i was "reaping" through my bible with the plan set out by my church. the second time was tuesday evening at our prayer night.

it's easy for me to skip over verses like this because i've read them so many times before. when you grow up in the baptist church, that kind of thing happens.

our church is heading into a series about being a church for the city. not just a church in the city, but a church FOR the city. and that means that most likely, or rather, mostly definitely, our livestyles will change. and it means that we might, or rather, we will, suffer.

so our pastor asked us to pray this prayer of Paul's. that we might count it all loss for His sake, that we might see the power of His resurrection in this city. but then we came to this part. the part about sharing in his suffering. and rather than asking us to pray that, he asked us to spend time praying that we would be able to pray that.

what i realized that night is that i don't really know what it means to share in His sufferings. i can't even begin to fathom what it would me for me to truly suffer for the sake of his glory in this city. sure, i can read all about how Paul and all of the other disciples and early Christians were humiliated and martyred for the sake of Christ. but what does that mean for my life, today, living in 21st century America? i honestly don't know, and probably don't want to. because if i did, i might run the other direction.

so my prayer is that, rather than having a clear and specific picture of what it means to share in His sufferings, we might have a heart that says yes to whatever may come. a heart that honors him above all things so that when the suffering does come, we can truly accept it...

"...that by all means [we] might save some...[to] share with them in its blessings."
1 Corinithians 9:22-23

posted by Alexia & Jeffrey @ 5:05 PM 0 Comments

austin's top 14

1. First, it's pronounced AWS-TUN. It doesn't matter how they say it in other places.

2. Forget the traffic rules you learned elsewhere. Austin has it's own set of traffic rules. There's no book about them. All you can do is get in your car and hope you survive to learn them.

3. All directions start with "Go down Mopac...'cause you don't want to get on 35."

4. Burnet, Braker, and Lamar have no beginning and no end.

5. It's impossible to go around a block and wind up on the same street that you started on. The Chamber of Commerce calls this a "scenic drive"

6. The 8:00 am rush hour is from 6:30am to 9:30am. The 5:00pm rush hour is from 3:30pm to 7:15pm. Friday's rush hour starts on Thursday morning.

7. If you actually stop at a yellow light, then you cannot be from Austin. You may only apply your brakes when the end of a yellow light and the beginning of the red light create a "burnt-orange" hue

8. If you like being an individual, don't even think of working for Dell. You'll be branded like cattle and made to walk all over town with your "Dell tag" around your neck or clipped on to your belt loop. 98% of the people within a 200 mile radius work for Dell. When someone says "Michael Dell", Dell employees are trained to face Round Rock, hit their knees, put their face to the ground, weep, and rock back and forth.

9. Just remember that Mopac IS Loop 1; Capital of Texas Hwy IS 360; and 183 IS Research, Anderson, Ed Bluestein, and Old Bastrop Hwy. 2222 IS Northland or Allendale or Koenig. Don't try to figure it out. Just accept it. If You question the intelligence behind this naming convention, people will Simply tilt their heads to the right and stare at you.

10. If moisture is determined to be rain, not sweat, all traffic must immediately cease. Ditto for daylight savings time, a girl applying eye-shadow across the street, or a flat tire 3 lanes over. Do not attempt to access any road after an apocalyptic event like snow or South X Southwest.

11. Construction on I-35 is a way of life, and a permanent form of entertainment. Get used to it!

12. Keep in mind that the sloppily dressed, tattooed "hippie" in sandals with multiple piercing is probably the latest IPO millionaire around here.

13. Stay away from the Congress Bridge at sundown if you do not like the thought of being in an Alfred Hitchcock movie.

14. And, yes, we all know that's a man in a teddy and a tiara on Congress Ave. It's Leslie, he did run for Mayor and he probably makes more money than you do.

posted by Alexia & Jeffrey @ 3:34 PM 0 Comments