Home At Last

Well i feel as though i should update and let everyone know we all made it home! Thanks for your prayers while we were away and while Vernon was in Sudan. We made it to our church prayer meeting tonight and it was sweet reunion with friends...although i will add that i missed seeing all the sweet college students. As we pulled up to the church, we turned the corner to park and Titus said from the back seat, "Its MY church!" It made my heart so happy to hear him say this. During our trip we went to several churches of friends and family members, but he knew this one was different. Its his church. amen.

I leave on Sunday again. I am speaking at a high school camp...and i am sooooo excited. I will be teaching 3 morning sessions (one hour a day) to about 60 high school girls. We are focusing on John 15 and more specifically the word ABIDE. Get your thinking caps going, read up on that passage, because in the next day or two i will have an assignment up for all of you and you MUST comment me some feed back. yes, you must.

for a funny story about my nephews potty reading, visit Phyll's blog
to see some video footage from Vernons time in Sudan visit His Voice for Sudan or the blog

Almost home

In one more day...

Vernon will be home.
Titus and I will be home with him.
Titus and I will not be in Missouri.
Vernon will not be in Sudan.

In one more day we will be...

2 states away from my mom
2 states away from old friends
2 states away from a Trader Joe
2 states away from most of our family

In one more day we will be...

Together.
In our home.
Close to our beloved Church.
Ready to start the Summer!

YIPPEE!!!

Land of no Technology.

Just in case anyone wondered if I was alive...i am. I traveled to Missouri to see my mom and now on to see Vernon's family. I usually dont travel when Vernon is gone so that i can be available and easy to get a hold of. But this time i decide it would be fun to make the Missouri rounds. My family is from a very small town in rural northwest Missouri so even "hi-speed" Internet is an ordeal. I would get on long enough to check and see if Vernon had updated and that was about all i could handle! hehe! We had a GREAT time with my family. We went to three little league games to see my nephews play...so cute! Alot of the children on my nephew's team are children of my classmates and children of my cousins. So it was like this big reunion! haha! Everytime I come home my mom always throws an "amber's home party" where all my aunts uncles and cousins come and we have lots of fun. I love my family.
Now i am in St. Louis. Titus and I have been staying at Robyne's new house (vernon's step-mom) along with Phyllis (vernon's sister) and her two kids, Ladan (same age as titus) and Gabe (9 months). We have had so much fun! We have played and played outside, we had a party for the boys and we have gone to the zoo! The only down side is that Robyne just moved into the house so the Internet is not up yet! So, so much for me being easy to get a hold of! ha!

Hope you are doing great!

Sudan Bound...Again

Before i start this post about Vernon going to Sudan i better apologise for not having a recipe up on Monday. It was the day Vernon left and I was not about to give up some time to write a recipe. do forgive me. hehe.

Today is Wednesday and it is hard to believe that two days ago i was saying good-bye to the love of my life. One would think that Vernon's departure to Sudan would get easier with time but i would say it gets harder. I mean logistically it gets easier because we keep everything he takes to Sudan washed and together so all it takes is putting them in Ziploc bags and putting them in a back pack. But emotionally it is always hard. I think it is because we are growing so much closer together day by day and we are both so involved in the ministry in Sudan, that when he goes we are overwhelmed with emotions that usually do not exist simultaneously. Excitement, Sadness, Fear and Joy to name a few. There are statements people always say to me when Vernon is away or getting ready to leave.
"Well, i guess you're probably use to it by now, I bet it gets easier everytime" - to which i think (butdont normally respond) "Worth it, but not easy." The embrace at the airport always seems to be longer and deeper., neither wanting to let go but knowing the work in Sudan and furthering the Gospel is worth it.

So all that said, yes i cried, i always do. Yes, i took every moment of the last week, soaked it in and treasured it up in my heart. But i always wonder after i drive away from the airport...why dont i always embrace every moment?
So sisters, today look around your house, look into your children and your husbands eyes and treasure the moments you have.

I talked to Vernon, he made it to London fine. The meetings went great and very efficiently! Since they are so ahead on meetings they might get to go see Wicked which happens to be my very favorite musical. I am just sure Vernon will think of me the entire show...hehe!
Check out the Sudan blog, Vernon will be posting sometime tonight!!

OUR NEW WEBSITE!

yes friends, what you have all been waiting for. OUR SUDAN WEBSITE IS LIVE!
check it out! link it to your stuff! get it out there! We are so pumped!

www.hisvoiceforsudan.com

a talented family

yes, i will admit that i come from a ridiculously talented family.
my cousin's cd just released....go check it out. amazing.

balmorhea

rob. micheal. amazing. thank you for sharing this with the world. the Lord has gifted you and you have blessed all of us by your raw honesty. i love you both.

What's on the Menu Monday

Well another week has flown by and i hope you all have enjoyed cooking this week! I have missed it tremendously...last Monday evening, mid cooking (for 12 people) our stove died. It took our landlord until today to get it fixed...but we have a brand new oven now! (they couldnt fix the other one!) So I have one last week to cook before Vernon heads to Sudan and I to Missouri.

On the menu today is a family favorite. It makes a great meal that needs no sides but pairs nicely with a fruit salad if you need more food. I kinda make shift this meal so measurements will be lacking, but give it a whirl! Everyone who makes it has their own way....so create yours!

I am not sure even what to call it so i will call it....

Sun Dried Pasta Chicken Yumminess!
3 servings of Bow Tie Pasta
3 Chicken breast
1/2 stick Butter
one yellow sweet onion
6 oz Sun Dried Tomatoes
1 cup Pine nuts
1 cup Half and Half (add more if you like it creamier)
1 package of shredded Parmesan
(i usually add cracked red pepper somewhere!)

Cut 3 chicken breasts in to bite size pieces and saute (until fully cooked) in a bit of olive oil and garlic.
Boil water and cook Bow Tie Pasta. Strain.
In separate skillet (needs to be large enough to hold everything at the end) melt a half stick of butter. When melted add one yellow sweet onion and approx 6oz of Sun-dried Tomatoes. (smaller sliced ones are better in my opinion) Cook with lid for 3 min. add pine nuts.
Add Chicken to onion/sdt mix and then add Pasta. Stir together and add half and half. Stir and add Parmesan.
Let sit and add more Parmesan.
ENJOY!

A Titus Weekend of Fun

Titus, Vernon and I did a lot of fun things this weekend! Sadly not all of them were photographed but here are some that were! Enjoy!

Thursday Titus and I went to the River with Sarah...so fun and we found a crab leg.

Friday we went to MayFest (a big fair in downtown Ft. Worth) with Rodney and Jessica
Saturday we went to Central Market and Titus got to play on the outdoor playground there, then we went to Church, which by the way was amazing.
Today we went to Church again and then we went to the Water Park at our YMCA.

Happy Sabbath!

WHAT? its already Thursday?

well friends i just realized it is already Thursday...and that, my friends, is craziness. I had great plans for my blog this week like, Titus Tuesday and Worldview Wednesday but i guess life had a different agenda. So here i am and its Thurday and i have so much to say that nothing is coming! So i guess for now i will tell a story about Titus that I had planned to write on Tuesday, save the Worldevents for next Wednesday and maybe ramble on a bit about Today!

on tuesday Titus and I were playing around and he was singing, although i couldnt quite figure out what it was that he was sing. when suddenly with a look of great concern on his face he turned and asked me..."mommy do you like it that Jesus says I'm in the way?" and i was taken aback and a bit confused so i replyed, "what baby?" and he repeated himself, "Mommy do you like it that Jesus said I'm in the way?" this time he was even more concerned. I responded, "why do you think that Jesus thinks you are in the way? He doesnt think you are in the way He has a great plan for your life!" To which he reponded with one of his memory verse songs, (to the tune of London bridges) "Jesus said Im in the way, in the way, in the way, Jesus said Im in the way..." and i quickly cut him off, trying hard not to laugh at his sweet mistake and told him that Jesus is saying HE IS the way, along with a brief explaintion.

I thought alot about this and wondered how often i felt that Jesus thinks i am just in the way, and how often i believe He really has a great plan for my life. In the day to day battles of motherhood it is easy to feel like what you are doing is just half rate, but that is so far from Truth. Today as you do what you do in a day, may you be encouraged that what you are doing is worth it, if done to the Glory of Christ. May your reflect him as you mother, as you serve your husband, as you do your school work or your job. May the Lord deal bountifully with you today sweet readers.