One year ago

5 more days until vacation!!!

Catch up

This past weekend I got to enjoy a night up in Frisco catching up with my good friends Amanda and Jamee. I met Amanda six years ago when I first moved to Boulder. We also experienced life together as roommates in California. Amanda stayed in Cali and I moved back to Boulder. Jamee and I, both bridesmaids in Amanda's wedding last July, met and bonded while shopping for our bridesmaids dresses. Jamee is a wedding photographer in Denver and photographed my wedding. It's been really fun to see how these friendships have grown over time. We enjoyed getting out for a walk without having to bundle up too much. Girlfriends, ice cream, and the mountains....what more can you ask for?


Me, Jamee, and Amanda went for a walk from the condo to downtown Frisco


There isn't a whole lot of snow for the end of November in the mountains. We hope that changes soon!

Prayer

"I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge - that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God." ~ Ephesians 3:16-19

Men's Retreat

This weekend, All Souls Church of Boulder had a Men's Retreat at the cabin outside of Ned. I've been to quite a few retreats in my days, but I must say none can compare. The week prior, Pat (the guy leading the discussion) sent out an online survey. The survey was 10 questions ranging from overall life struggles to the ability to connect at church. He used the survey results to determine the content of the discussion. What followed was a group of men, admitting their weaknesses, praying for each other, and "gossiping the gospel!"

It seems that often times, we can know a lot of people without truly knowing anyone. Men are especially vulnerable to this, as we have difficulties admitting weakness. Everywhere we turn, it's as though men have to be strong and without emotion. Men have to pull themselves up by their own bootstraps. Jesus has taught the something different...the opposite actually. He tells to be weak to be strong. It's counterintuitive, but it's the truth.

This retreat has spurred me on to truly begin investing in other people as well as opening up and allowing others to penetrate my heart and mind. I'm looking forward to what the Lord will do through my weaknesses.

Here's a couple pictures from the weekend.


What better way to spend a weekend with the guys than in a cabin in the woods!


Pat, speaking wisdom into our lives.


The view from deck was incredible.

Community Group

Thursday nights Shane and I host a community group at our house. There are between 10 and 12 of us that started getting together about a month ago. I love hosting...but often times don't find it easy to have people over. We live in Longmont about 25 minutes from Boulder where we go to church. It seems that Boulder is the center of most everything, but rarely do you find young people who own homes and live in Boulder. It is ridiculously expensive. The "Longmont community group" or ELomoCo and Shane calls it, that we are hosting consists of people that live in our area of town. It is an eclectic mix....our pastor and his wife, a wise and spirited couple in their 60's who have been French missionaries, young singles, married with children and us. Instead of doing a study, we've decided to start off by sharing our stories. It has been amazing to hear a few of the stories so far. Everyone has a story....ask and you'll learn.

Oh iTunes

Shane and I absolutely love music. I am especially loving the new genius feature on iTunes. It is too easy to find new music. I'd addicted!!

Here are some of my favorites....

• Donavon Frankenreiter - all of his stuff is great, super chill, love his new album Pass It Around
  
• Tristan Prettyman - great driving music
• Erin McCarley - just discovered her song Pony (It's OK) yesterday, soulful and upbeat
• Angels & Airwaves - Lifeline, heard this song on One Tree Hill last night...I know, I know, I can't believe I'm watching that show
  
• Phil Wickham - Divine Romance...beautiful lyrics
  

Portrait of the past two weeks

Randy and Brian Murphy at Randy's birthday/Halloween party up at the cabin in Nederland. Some of us dressed up, others did not...either way it was a festive night, filled with great company, pumpkin soup, apple pie, and homemade apple cider. The rustic cabin tucked away in the mountains puts the soul at ease.



My friend Laura and I


Becky and John's reception in Golden



My old roommate Becky was married November 1st at the Red Rocks Chapel. The views were amazing!

Faith

Faith. All too often my faith seems to be based upon circumstance....if I had a good day and things went as planned....if I went for a run and my neck or back didn't hurt....if I teach a client and they understand Pilates and feel better....if my husband is not stressed or working late....if everything is going my way, I so easily trust God and believe in Him. But when life does not go as planned I find myself in doubt and unbelief more than I'd like to admit. Life is not perfect, but God is still good and faithful. "And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him..." Romans 8:28

Recently I've been reading Oswald Chambers, My Utmost for His Highest. Here are some of his thoughts on faith. I hope you enjoy.

The life of faith says, "Lord, You have said it, it appears to be irrational, but I'm going to step out boldly, trusting your Word." God brings us into particular circumstances to educate our faith, because the nature of faith is to make the object of our faith very real to us. Until we know Jesus, God is merely a concept, and we can't have faith in Him. But once we hear Jesus say, "He who has seen Me has seen the Father" (John 14:9) we immediately have something that is real, and our faith is limitless. Faith is the entire person in the right relationship with God through the power of the Spirit of Jesus Christ.

God wants you to understand that it is a life of faith, not a life of emotional enjoyment of His blessings. The beginning of your life of faith was very narrow and intense, centered around a small amount of experience that had as much emotion as faith in it, and it was full of light and sweetness. Then God withdrew His conscious blessings to teach you to "walk by faith" (2 Corinthians 5:7). And you are worth much more to Him now than you were in your days of conscious delight with your thrilling testimony.
Faith by its very nature must be tested and tried. And the real trail of faith is not that we find it difficult to trust God, but that God's character must be proven as trustworthy in our own minds.