My New Bedspread!

I think my favorite thing about Christmas for the past few years is that I don't actually open very many presents ON Christmas. Since I usually fly to visit my family, I can't really carry everything back with me. So, I usually get some clothes and then open boxes with pictures of things that will be sent to my house. I really do like it, its kinda like I get to open presents twice!

So, this post is mostly for my mom and dad who bought the bedspread, but haven't actually seen it, haha. I LOVE it and am so excited to sleep under an actual blanket tonight, for the first time on 2 years!!

In case you thought I was exaggerating, here is what my old bed spread looked like:
I really likes it when I first got it, but the washing machine took a away a lot of its beauty.

A closer look at the rips (they are serious when they say dry clean ONLY, haha).





And the new look....

So pretty!! And warm!! And comfy!!

Thanks mom and dad!!

Christmas 2008

Merry Christmas!! I know its almost new years, but I haven't said Merry Christmas yet! So, Marry Christmas!! Thankfully, I had a wonderful and very laid back Christmas.

First, we didn't actually celebrate Christmas until Dec. 27th since my brother and his fiance couldn't get to NC until then. So, my first few days in North Carolina were spent doing some final shopping, reading and just hanging out with my parents.

My brother and his fiance arrived on Saturday, with their dog. :) Can you tell my family loves animals??

We pretty much immediately opened presents, which didn't take too long since there aren't any kids...and of course we didn't really have any toys to play with afterwards, haha. My most exciting gift (next to the amazon.com gift certificate!) was my new bed spread!! My old one was accidentally washed 2 years ago (its dry clean only) and was literally ripped almost to shreds. I've basically been sleeping under threads, haha. I'm so glad I can finally throw it out!

Jack and I went in together to buy our parents a TomTom GPS, which they were VERY excited about, and we have already used several times. Hopefully now we won't get lost going to the airport... :)

After presents we had a really nice dinner (much better than Thanksgiving, haha) and then just hung out.

On Sunday we all took a shopping trip to return things that didn't fit, spend gift cards while the sales were still going, and to pick up a charger for my cell phone since my cat chewed it up. Since none of us really like shopping, we weren't out too long, but still had a lot of fun!

Unfortunately, Jack and Suzanne had to leave Sunday afternoon, but we had fun while it lasted. I think he just gets bigger every time I see him...


So, now I'm just working (still have my AIM stuff to do during the day) and relaxing. I'm actually kinda ready to get back to Philly. I still have a lot on my to-do list and the stuff I did on the kitchen has me motivated! I will be back in Philly tomorrow afternoon and will hopefully get started right away.

Until then, however, I will just work while sitting on my parents' back porch enjoying the sun, and the sounds of nothing.

Is this what normal life is like?

The Kitchen, Organized

Okay, this is going to be a fast post since I am supposed to be packing for my trip to my parents' house. But, I am SO excited about organizing my kitchen that I had to share!!

Unfortunately, in my excitement to clean my kitchen, I didn't take many "before" pictures. Actually, I only took one. So you will have to use your imagination for the rest.

I started with the "Spices Cabinet". We have a ton of random spices, mostly given to me by people who didn't want them (gotta love how people think missionaries are just desperate for stuff you don't even want!). But, I don't want to throw them out cause you never know when I will need some Spicy Spaghetti seasoning.

Here is the cabinet before:

And here it is now!

But wait! Where are the spices??


I moved them to a cabinet where I could actually see all of them! And, I put labels on top of each to it would be a lot easier to see what I have and find anything I am looking for. Yay!!


Okay, now here is the rest of the kitchen now (or most of it...for the before shots, just imagine A LOT of junk piled in random places, most of which I threw away because I couldn't even remember getting it!).

Now, before you start freaking out about the lack of food in the cabinets remember 2 things: 1) My roommate literally lives on pretzels and cookies and 2) I have been traveling a lot over the last several weeks, I have just been trying to get rid of what I have. I plan on making a BIG shopping run when I return!





This all literally took me about 5 hours, but I am SO excited to have it finished! I will literally kill my roommate if she messes any of this up (I have already warned her, haha). Unfortunately, Beth wasn't much help....



And Gizmo stayed with me the whole time I was cleaning, but he wasn't exactly helpful...







I'll try and take some pictures again when there is actually food in the cabinets so it will be even more impressive.

Now I must finish packing and get to the airport. Peace and quiet here I come!!!

My Messed Up House

The other day I was hanging out with a kid and he made the following statement:

"Compare your house to mine. Yours is kinda messed up while mine is really pretty. I still like you're house, but mine's kinda nicer than yours".

Now, there was no way that this kid had any idea that my house is somewhat of a soft spot for me, nor do I think he meant anything negative toward me.

I really like my house. A lot. It feels like home to me and despite the endless list of things to fix, I still really love my house. However, I am also kind of sensitive about it because I know it needs a lot of work...and I know that I can't do most of that work. In fact, while a lot of really awesome work has already been done on my house, I have done very little of it. I have a wonderful new kitchen, that was funded by home church and installed almost exclusively by Frank Hinson.

Same story with my floors, installing the washer and dryer, installing my refrigerator, and on and on. I pretty much have to call in a favor (90% of the time it ends up being Frank) or pay someone money whenever something needs to be done at my house. And I hate that. I have put up curtains, and done some painting. I did put together my TV stand and my nightstand, but that's about it.

So, as much as I love my house and want to see it someday become a really nice house, I recognize that I can not do it alone. I am dependent (more than most and WAY more than I would like to be) on others to help make that happen. Especially as I look at the list of things that need to happen. As much as I would love to know how to fix leaks, install windows, tear down and install ceilings, fix lighting, change outlets, etc.; at this point I just don't have those skills. And, I'm not sure where I could fit construction classes into my schedule. :)

All of this got me thinking about my life. There are so many things I would like to change about myself, so many ways I would like to become more like Christ. But I can't do it alone. In fact, even the simplest task in my life can not be done without Him. And to really become the person that God created me to be, I need other people as well. People to show me Christ, show me where I fall short, and to encourage me in my walk.

My life will be so much easier if I can every truly grasp the truth that I can't do it alone!! If I can someday fully understand my desperate need for Him, maybe more and more of my brokenness will actually be restored.

Someday I won't be living in a messed up house. Until then, I am SO thankful that God feels about me the same way I feel about my house. No matter what anyone else thinks, I can't help but love it. :)

Normal :)

The last few days for me have been what I would consider "normal". The kind of days that are full but not busy and are filled with things that make me happy and content, not stressed and overwhelmed. I hadn't realized how many days have NOT been like this until now; which makes me very thankful for them!

On Saturday I went with my friends Elizabeth and Melanie out to Melanie's parents' house (in Delaware) to help out with a Christmas party for some of the kids that live near Elizabeth. There were 7 kids, and while I really only went as a driver, I had a lot of fun hanging out with these kids. They are hilarious! They really enjoyed getting out of the city and being in a real home for a few hours. It made me wish my parents lived closer so I could take kids to their house! (Which is probably why my parents keep moving farther and farther away from me, haha).

I had Prayer Pals Christmas Party shopping to do on Saturday, but the party (including all the driving) took several hours, so I couldn't go until after 10. Thankfully, Elizabeth and her husband Frank went with me and we made it a fun midnight shopping trip. It was very helpful to have Frank as I was shopping for 5 boys and 2 girls, and he thinks like a little boy so we got some great stuff. :)

Bonita, Pedro and Miguel came to church with me on Sunday and just hung out with me for the day. They were hilarious!! They had to stay downstairs most of the time while I was wrapping Prayer Pals presents, and they managed to be very helpful. They cleaned up the basement, threw out an old (kitten poop covered) mattress and box spring and took the dog on several walks. Of course, they also took her running in the mud and left me with some floor cleaning to do, but they were so helpful otherwise, I couldn't really complain.

Sunday night was the Prayer Pals Christmas party...my favorite night of the year!! I was especially excited because I had personally shopped for 7 of the kids, so I couldn't wait to see their reaction! (A lot of the kids' pals found it easier to just send me a check and have me do the shopping...which I actually had a lot of fun with!). As usual, the party exceeded my expectations and we all had a BLAST! This was the first year that we had ALL the pals opening presents together (we usually split them into two separate hours). So, it was a bit crowded but fun.

Here are some great pics!

Miguel was SO excited about these chips. I would guess that they have all already been eaten, haha.





The whole group! :)

I will be uploading the pics to the church website today, so you can check all of them out here!

Yesterday I got to spend the morning babysitting the Hinson boys. Last time I babysat I had so much work to do that they ended up just playing by themselves while I worked. Not fun. So, this time I made sure I could just hang out and play with them the whole time, and we had so much fun!!! Paxton got the game "Perfection" at the Prayer Pals party, so we played that for a long time. We actually got a good system going of Kyler handing me a piece (while saying, "Here Frish") and then me putting in the right place. We beat the clock several times! If course, we still let it pop and scare us. It scared us every time. After it would pop Kyler would say, "Want to do it again, Frish?". How do you say no to that? You can't!!

Incidentally, Kyler has just started calling me Frish. He alternates between that and Trish. Paxton called me Frish for about a year when I first me him, so I kinda like the nickname. :) It's a lot better than what my brother calls me, haha. :)

I also cleaned my room last night! YAY!! Kirsten is coming to stay at my house while I'm away to help take care of Beth, so I figured I should make my room somewhat bearable while she is here. Actually, my room usually stays very clean except when I travel...which I have been doing a lot lately. Its nice to have it all clean again!!

Today, I will be tackling the kitchen. I am reorganizing the entire thing! Don't worry, its not a very big kitchen, so it won't take THAT long (though it will still take some time), but I'm excited to get it done. I'm hoping that once everything has its place, my roommate and I will be consistent with where we put things (meaning, I am hoping she will put things where I think they should go, haha).

My plan is to have the kitchen and the floors cleaned before I go home, and then threaten Kirsten and Jen if they mess anything up. :) When I return I will be organizing the storage in the basement, putting in shelves upstairs (that could be interesting!), painting the dining room, stripping the paint on the banister, and putting together my dining room table (or trying to find someone I can pay to do it, haha). Oh, and hopefully having a plumber come and fix my leaky upstairs.

I have about 3 weeks to accomplish these goals...while also preparing for the Spring semester of Kids Club, starting a Sunday School class and taking over Children's Church every third month. Whew! It WILL all be finished, just you wait and see!!!! :)

I am home! I think...

I had an incredible time away! I stayed in a hotel room that had a fireplace and a jacuzzi bathtub (yay for last minute deals!), both of which afforded me a ton of relaxation. I spent a good amount of time either reading, journaling or sleeping. I did venture out a bit to visit the battlefield (which is enjoyed even more than I thought I would!) and to grab something to eat every once in a while. Still, the majority of my time was spent in quiet, which was both wonderful and hard.

I have a lot of difficult questions swirling around in my head and some difficult issues I am facing with the Lord. Some serious stuff has come up with Linda that has me so confused and questioning a lot. Not to mention, with everything that has been going on in my life and all around me, I have a lot of questions.

So, while I did spend a lot of time relaxing, I also spent a lot of time crying (I know, shocking). But seriously, I don't question people going through hard times, I understand its a part of life. And I totally get (and even see in my own life) how God uses struggles to draw people into Him. I'm not asking for me (or anyone else) to have a life without hurt...I'm just seeking to better understand what to do with that hurt.

I spent most of my "Bible" time studying 2 women; Tamar and Hagar. I will write more about them later, but I found myself feeling connected to Hagar, and desiring to be like Tamar. It was eye opening, and amazing!!

And, I heard God speak. In the midst of my crying and total lack of understanding...I heard God speak. Again, I will write more specifically later, but I do want to share one thing that I learned.

When I hurt, I hurt deeply. (I'm sure I'm not speaking only for me, but I don't want to assume anything, so I am going to speak in first person. You can decide if this is you as well...). Some hurts are superficial, or only go so deep...but others go deeper than I can even describe. Recently I have been praying fervently for several close friends; the mother who miscarried a child, the wife and mother who faced possibly losing her husband, the wife and mother who no longer has any feeling of security or peace in her own home. As I prayed for them, I prayed for peace and comfort...and quickly realized that I had nothing to offer them.

There were no words that could come out of my mouth that would bring the comfort they so desperately needed. Why?!? Because there are some hurts, and we all have them, that go so deep, only God can touch them. Only He knows what it feels like. Only He knows what I feel. Only He knows. Someone else may have faced something similar, but they don't really know. And I need to admit that I don't know.

I have decided that telling someone, who is in the midst of deep pain, that "God has a plan and will make you stronger through this", is kinda like bringing out an "I told you so". You may be right, but it certainly isn't what is going to bring comfort. When I found out my dad had cancer, the only words that meant anything to me were, "I'm sorry". Hugs were a blessing, tears shed with me were an encouragement, but words were just meaningless.

So, I have decided to stop trying to find the words, and start turning to the only one who can truly comfort. When I am hurting, I am thankful for the people that God uses to hug me and cry with me, but I will desperately seek the one who truly understands. And when my friends hurt, I will pray. Really pray. Pray for the healing hand of the Father to touch the deep places that I will never see or understand. And I will trust Him.

During my time away I didn't find all the answers. I did find Jesus.

Unfortunately, I also came home to a really messy house (I really do like my roommate, but we have been living together for 7 months now and she has not once cleaned anything besides the dishes occasionally. seriously) and a serious leak in my bathroom/laundry room. So, in light of not needing words of comfort, I could simply use your prayers as I search for a plumber! (And maybe a maid, haha)

A Rotic Trip

I am heading out on a Rotic Trip tomorrow. What is a Rotic trip? It's a roMANtic trip without the man. :) (I heard that once in college and really loved it, haha).

Anyway, I have been really wanting some time away, ALONE, for a long time. I need a lot of Jesus, without distractions. I had one day over Thanksgiving when I was basically in a hotel room by myself and really loved it. Unfortunately, I was sleeping for a good part of it so I didn't get the chance to really soak up Jesus and some alone time. But, that taste left me wanting more.

So, I started looking on line for some nice but inexpensive places to get away for a few days. I looked near Philly as well as near my parents house. I was looking for a place that felt nice and homey (like a bed and breakfast), but would allow me to be anonymous and really spend time alone (like a hotel). I found a place near Philly that advertised itself as "a unique alternative to Bed & Breakfasts and chain hotels" and thought I may have found the perfect place. I looked at the sites near it and discovered that it was right next to a Revolutionary War battlefield!! While I'm more interested in the Civil War, I still just really love history and would LOVE to spend a few hours walking around a battlefield. So, I booked it!!!

I'm heading out tomorrow afternoon and will be back on Friday. I am looking forward to resting, reading, praying and listening. Actually, I'm hoping that most of my time will be spent listening as I am feeling desperate to draw close to Jesus. The room I am staying in has a fireplace, so I plan on hanging out in front of the fireplace with my "man" for as long as possible. :)

I'm also hoping the weather will allow me to visit the battlefield for at least a few hours. We'll see though!

So, you won't be hearing me until at least Friday. I am so excited I can hardly stand it!!

If you know me...

Then no explanation is necessary for this picture.

Awesome.

Meet Beth!!

We got a dog!!! We are keeping this one, the adoption papers will be finished soon. She is a 4 or 5 year old white shepherd mix; VERY lovable, and very protective of me, Jen and the house. I wish we had gotten her before I paid for the security system!! Seriously, if people come in the door and we welcome them, she is fine and will quickly become your best friend. If you start to walk in the door and we haven't welcomed you; watch out! Plus she has a very intimidating bark which is just nice to have around. :)

She was found as a stray, so she's kinda skinny but we're working to fatten her up (Gizmo is teaching her everything he knows). She is loving and friendly to anyone and everyone, unless you seem to be posing a threat to me or Jen...then she's not so nice. (Needless to say, my dad loves this dog, haha). Anyway, she's also GREAT with kids, is very laid back and already house trained. Basically, the perfect dog for us!!

She even gets along with Gizmo!! Of course, Giz is still getting used to her, but the only real problems they have had have been when she accidentally wacks him in the face with her tail (which really makes Gizmo mad, haha).

Isn't she cute?!?




And yes, we did take her to get a picture with Santa. She would only look at the camera if Jen was sitting with her though. Still a really cute picture!

Christmas Parties!!

This has been the week of Christmas parties!

We had the 7-10 year old party on Monday:


11-12 year olds on Tues:

5-6 on Wed:

and then the teens yesterday (I was too busy doing other things to get a group shot at the Teen Club party...whoops!) Tomorrow is the Adult Party. Its been a fun, but very exhausting week!

I was actually responsible for planning the 7-10 party, so the rest were just fun times to hang out with kids and help wherever I was needed. I really enjoyed all of the parties, and I think the kids did too!!

(She isn't quite 5 yet...more like 2....but is just so darned cute!!)


(That's not actually the present Miguel left with, he traded for another gift just as we were heading home!)

EVERY kid that came to one of these parties (except for the teens, their party was a little different) left with a sweatshirt or tshirt (this is the 5&6 and the 7-10 shirt...isn't is so cute?!?),

as well as a brand new Christmas present (that they got to choose!) and a bag full of school supplies. The preteens and 5-6 year olds also got hats and gloves (there are too many 7-10 year olds, for them to get winter gear, haha). There are lots of really great pictures of all of the parties that you can check out here!!

The Christmas parties also mark the end of our Fall Season of clubs, meaning we all get a break! If course, there is still a lot going on to keep us busy for a little while, but it is really nice to have evenings free for a while! After Christmas we will really get a break, with time to prepare for the winter/spring season as well as do all the things we don't have time for when clubs are running (i.e. home improvement projects).

I have a long list of goals I am hoping to accomplish during this break. Some are personal (time with Jesus!!), others are relational (fun activities with the kids!) and MANY are home improvement...all of which I *should* be capable of doing on my own (meaning no major construction). I'm excited to see what actually happens! :)

Peter and I would be Besties

For those of you who are not teenage girls living in Philadelphia, bestie is the new term for best friends. :) And the Peter I am referring to is the apostle.

Of course, I have never met Peter, but I do know a lot about him and his character from the bible. He was very passionate and outspoken about his love for Jesus, something I can relate to. He also made some pretty huge, and public, mistakes...which I can relate to as well. I think if I was an apostle during Jesus life I would have been a lot like Peter. Can't keep my mouth shut, but with the best of intentions nonetheless.

The other day I was reading the story of when Jesus walked on water and I really saw myself in Peter. In fact, I heard (not audibly) God telling that I have been Peter recently. Talk about walking away with my tail between my legs...

Jesus had been on the mountain, alone, talking with the Father before deciding to head out to the boat that the disciples were in. They were pretty far out on the water so He decided rather than take another boat, He would just walk. On the water.

The disciples first caught a glimpse of Him on the water and were scared, thinking it was a ghost. Jesus assured them it was him, and Peter was the first to pipe up a response. Here is how I picture the scene:

Upon hearing Jesus words that it was in fact Him walking on the water, Peter thinks: "Jesus IS awesome and we just watched him feed 5000 people with very little food, so it makes sense that He could walk on water" (Peter and I think very logically). But, just because someone is walking on water doesn't mean he is Jesus. Who knows what kind of crazy things the devil could pull off. But, ONLY Jesus could give ME the strength to walk on water. Hmmm..."

Peter says: "Okay Lord, if it really is you then call me to come to you on the water"

Jesus: "Aight, come on" (Jesus' ghetto language comes out occasionally)

Peter steps out onto the water and doesn't sink. He takes one step. Then another. Then another. Still not sinking. His confidence builds quickly and he starts walking a bit faster, though not too fast. He's not sure what would happen if he tripped.

He is now far enough away from the boat that no one could reach him if he started to sink. That's okay, though, because he is walking on water!

Peter thinks: That is Jesus! I'm walking on water! This is crazy! He really is everything that He said He is!"

Unfortunately, the novelty of the walking on water soon wears off and Peter starts to feel the wind. The water from the waves starts splashing on his face. He is still walking on the water, but as his friends are becoming more and more distant, the wind and the waves seem to be increasing.

Peter thinks: "Wait a minute. I am walking on water, but I'm still getting wet. Is that supposed to happen? And the wind is picking up, what if it blows me over? Whoa, that was a huge wave, it barely missed me! What happens if a wave goes over me?? Will I walk above that? I don't understand what's going on, what am I supposed to do now??

Jesus, watching this scene unfold before Him, thinks: "Come on Peter, just look at me. I'm standing on the same water. I'm getting hit with the same wind and the same waves. Just look at me. Do exactly what I am doing and you will be fine".

Of course, Peter doesn't hear this, and is too busy wiping water from his face and staring at his feet waiting for the first sign of possible sinking. And that's when it happens. He slowly starts to sink. Panic quickly sets in and he instinctively turns toward the boat, hoping that his friends notice him sinking, hoping that they will pull him out of the water.

But, its dark and he is too far from the boat for them to see. Besides, they're busy trying to keep their own boat from sinking.

His knees are underwater, his waist..."Help me Lord!". Without hesitation, Jesus reaches out His hand and pulls Peter back on top of the water. Peter is shocked by how quickly this happens. Apparently Jesus was standing much closer to him that He realized. In fact, He was never more than an arms length away. Even in the excitement of walking on water, Peter never noticed where Jesus was. Whoops, he had been focused on the water most of the time.

Jesus looked at him with such compassion, and...disappointment. "Why didn't you just look at me? Who do you really think I am?" Peter is immediately disappointed with himself. It wasn't the first time. It certainly won't be the last.

They walk back to the boat and the storm calms down.

It really is Jesus. He really is so much more than they thought.

Jesus doesn't dwell on Peter's failure, however, which allows Peter to move on as well. He still has much to learn, much to do; no time to dwell on the mistakes.

That's my take on the Peter walking on water story. And I see my name written all over that.

"Oh yeah, Jesus, we can do this whole life thing together. It will be sweet. You are God, so I can trust you with everything!
But wait a minute....
My dad has cancer, what if I don't get married before he dies. My dad might not get to walk me down the aisle!
Oh wait, I'm 28 and still single. Almost all of my friends are married, in a relationship or having babies. What if I never get to experience any of that?
Hold up; I've been living in Philly for 6 years and things seem to be getting harder and harder. Even Bonita and Linda are making really bad decisions. What's up with that?!"

Sinking...sinking...

Thankfully, I am finally hearing what Jesus has been trying to say to me.

"Trish, I'm out here standing on the same water as you. Just look at me. No, don't look at them, look at me. Do exactly what you see me doing. You will stay on top of the water, just like I am. Ignore the wind and the waves, I have total control over them and will not let them overtake you. Just keep looking at me"

Okay, I have to say that at this point all I can think of is: "Here's lookin' at you; Jesus". Haha, anyway...

So, that's Peter's and my story. Walking on the water with Jesus trying not to focus on the storm all around me. Just keep my eyes on Him, and He will take care of the rest.

Jesus, I need your help to even do that.

"I know Trish. That's why I'm standing right here"

Thanks Jesus.

"Anytime"

A Thought

I had a thought today...

At Cornerstone's staff retreat in August several of us felt like God was calling us to have all church prayer on a regular basis at church, similar to Brooklyn Tabernacle. We felt like God was calling His people together to pray.

Unfortunately, we couldn't find a day that worked, so we shelved the idea. We did have one all church prayer evening, but not one every week like we wanted.

Over the last four months our church and staff has been attacked like never before. Heart attack, stroke, cancer, bed bugs, gossip, slander, depression, and on and on.

I wonder if God knew all of that was coming and was calling us to come together and pray; to prepare us and even invite Him to come and provide protection from an attack that we didn't foresee but He did.

But, we didn't invite Him.

And we were attacked.

Just a thought.

**Quick note to add...I am NOT saying that I think the attacks we are facing wouldn't have happened had we done the all church prayer, nor am I saying that God hasn't brought good...even great things out of these struggles (He's pretty sweet like that). I AM suggesting that I think maybe God was trying to prepare us for what we were going to face and was trying to bring us together as a body to fight against the attacks together rather than individually being blindsided by them. (Kinda goes along with the message today at church).

Anyway, again, it was just a thought...