I'm Now Sharing Jesus Online!

I recently heard of the coolest new (to me) ministry ever!!! Two weeks ago, I was opening up some mail from a Christian organization when a little 4-color flyer fell into my lap. Because I saw a veiled woman in one of the pictures (my heartbeat), I actually read the flyer... and was immediately so excited! Here's what it says:
In case you can't read that: "Millions of people search for God everday--online. Global Media Outreach, an internet ministry ... that has websites where thousands of people everyday learn about the good news of Jesus and connect with volunteers through email. Would you like to help respond to emails from people seeking Jesus? Apply to be a volunteer today!" After reading this, I think I inadvertantly let out a little squeal! Then, I flipped it over to find out more...
It reads: "Here's your passport to the world--without ever leaving your home! Easy-- if you can send an email, you can share the gospel! You control how many emails you receive. You decide how much time you spend online. Safe! No one sees your email address and no one can spam you. We provide the training and resources."

How easy and stinkin' COOL is that?!?! I immediately ran and showed the flyer to Andy. He knows better than anyone how -- although I LOVE the church, and ESPECIALLY Austin Stone -- I love the nations and wish I could be used more "out there." With Andy actually working for the church, I know and believe Austin--and Austin Stone--are where we are called by God in this season. He is always re-confirming that in our hearts (its actually pretty neat). But I also have this strong desire to be a light and presence to this world (especially all the parts that look nothing like me and don't resemble my culture). I can go on several short-term trips a year (and I do), I can have international friends who live here in Austin (and I do), but now I could ALSO be a part of sharing Christ across the globe right from my own living room during all the times I am at home. Pretty amazing, huh!?!

This past spring, I heard a girl from Sudan's testimony of coming to Jesus and having to go into hiding. She was from a prominant family in Khartoum and grew up with a strict Arab-Muslim family culture. When she became a believer, they tried to kill her and she ran away and lived in an apartment with a missionary family in town for several months before she got safe passage out of the country. During that time, she wasn't allowed to leave the house (or even walk past the window) and she told me that she spent her days online... learning about her new faith and going to chat rooms made up of people in the Arab World (and particularly countries closed to missionaries) and shared Christ online. That was about the coolest thing I had ever heard of (can yall tell I think this is "cool"? I keep saying that.) At the time, I wondered-- how does someone get involved in that? Now, I know... (I am in no way implying that my Sudanese friend volunteered for the organization that I am now volunteering with... she just had a similar outreach.)

I went to the website on the flyer (http://www.globalmediaoutreach.com/) and did some more research... watched their videos, read all the scoop on how it works, and then decided to pray about this opportunity. After a week of prayer, I applied to be a volunteer in their ministry. I completed the application & references, was approved, and finished the training all within 48 hours. Then last night, I got my first email from a contact! Here's me re-enacting responding to emails last night at midnight:
I was pretty excited! The whole thing was super easy and such a neat way to pray for and encourage believers beyond my reach. Here's me, being REALLY excited about this new ministry AND excited to tell all YOU out there about it... I want to rally some more volunteers from my readers:
If you want to read some stories about volunteers and their experiences serving in this minsitry, click here: http://www.globalmediaoutreach.com/responses/volunteer_stories.html. And if you want to read some stories from people across the globe who have found the evangelistic and discipleship websites and written in, click here:
http://www.globalmediaoutreach.com/responses/visitor_responses.html

I sincerely hope that some of you who read this SIGN UP!! What a cool (there I go again) way to be used by our God in this new age of technology and global accessibility!

Miniatures... of Food??

I had dinner with a friend tonight at Kerbey Lane and when we were walking out there were two plates set out at the hostess podium (ones like you might usually find specials of the day displayed). But the plates were almost all empty and white. So much so that it caught my attention. Upon closer inspection, I noticed that-- in fact-- they WERE displaying food. Miniature food. I was so tickled that I whipped out my phone to record this RANDOMNESS!

The picture above is of 3 meals served at Kerbey and a QUARTER from my wallet to show scale. The hostess said all the displays are actually made from the food they are meaning to display. On the left, pancakes/eggs/bacon/garnish... in the center, french toast with powdered sugar sprinkles... on the right, a hamburger with sweet potato fried.

Above, is a close up of the miniature of the burger (dressed with lettuce) and krinkle fries.
Above, is a close-up of the pancakes (with butter and syrup), bacon, and scrambled eggs. I guess Tuesday nights are slow...

Boy Bonding

We had a band retreat this weekend at the lake (I was the honorary girl/non-band member) and I just have to laugh at the way boys bond sometimes. What did they do? Played pool, fished, beat up their bodies by pulling each other on the tube behind the boat, as band-boys they play songs for each other, and... they play on the internet, together. Two of the guys stayed up till almost 5am showing each other funny videos on Youtube. I busted Joe and Andy at one point with both laptops on the arcade console Facebooking (each other). It reminded me of a picture I caught of them 2 weeks ago in our living room... sitting in the same room, both laptopping. It cracks me up. Girls just don't bond this way.

This weekend.
Two weeks ago.

Side story-- our two boy dogs copy each other in their expressions and poses. It's not exactly "bonding", but it's two boys so there is the similarity in theme. ??? Here are some random pictures to show you what I mean.

I Applied for a PAL

Before you start wondering if my social life has dwendled to such a place that would necesitate me "applying" for friends, let me explain... PALS is a program offered by the International Office at the University of Texas, Austin.

PALS stands for:
Partnerships to
Advance
Language
Studies.

The program was started in 1993 to introduce international students to American students (now evolved to include any Austinite) for the purpose of practicing language. It has now evolved to be not just a language practice program, but also a culture sharing opportunity for both parties. You apply (online or in personal at the International Office), you get in their system, they match you with an international student, and then whammo-- you have a PAL. You can even request a PAL from specific countries or native languages. You meet with your PAL once a week at the time yall choose, the place yall choose, to do the activity yall choose. That's it.

It is a fabulous way to WELCOME one of the almost 4300 undergraduate international or 7250 graduate international students that come to UT each year. Statistics indicate that vast majority (if someone can find the stat, post it in the comments) of international students never step foot inside an American home-- EVER-- during their time in the states. To me, that is a sad and missed opportunity to love on strangers in this foreign land we call home.

If you live in Austin and want a PAL, I highly recommend you signing up. It's easy. It's fun. And the semester starts around the corner. They will begin matching students the first week of September. Check out their website, http://studentorgs.utexas.edu/iopals/index.html , for more information. If that doesn't work, try this: http://www.utexas.edu/student/esl/pals/join.html

I Can Still Water Ski**

(pictured above is a UT Water Ski Team member, NOT me!)

Ladies and gentlemen, the results are in... I can still water ski**. I started skiing when I was about 5... if you define skiing by nestling between my mom or dad's skis while the boat pulled them up and then I'd stand on their skis while they balanced and moved them around. I first learned to slalom (on my own) when I was in 6th grade. I kept trying all summer by using my double skis and trying to drop one. It wasn't working, so finally I borrowed my high school-aged sister's professional slalom ski and popped right up on the frist try. After that I was hooked. I can't tell you how many hours I would ski. It was my favorite passtime.

By the time I went to college, I felt enough of a pro to try out for the University of Texas' Water Ski Team. Much to my surprise-- and EXCITEMENT!-- I made the team my freshman year. We had tournaments almost every weekend, playing big public universities from Texas, Louisiana, and Oklahoma. We had to practice at least twice a week too... it was quite a time commitment!

Ski Team Tournaments were comprised of 3 events: 1) the slalom course (my event), 2) trick skiing, and 3) the ski jump. http://studentorgs.utexas.edu/waterski/rules/rules.php This is the website that describes the rule of tournament "play". For the slalom course, basically, as the boat went up the center of the lake, I was to zig-zag back and forth, looping around bouys that were pre-set a certain distance apart from each other. When you finished your first pass at the course-- without error-- the boat turns around and you make a second pass, this time 2 miles/hour faster... and so on and so on until a certain speed and then they start shortening the length of your rope. I was decent. Before the team, I thought I was a rock star water-skier. After being around seriously good teammates, I realized I was just okay. But is sure was fun! I was only on the team for a year before I decided (sadly) that partying was a more important time commitment in my life. I quit the team, but I still skied-- just with family and friends.

When Andy and I were dating, we would go skiing some, but I was embarrassed to ski in front of him (I am not exactly sure why), so I kind of stopped skiing. Then 2 summers ago we had our "motorcycle" accident and my foot hasn't been the same since. It was my left foot that was crushed in the accident, which was my frontward ski foot. I never regained complete control or balance in that foot and was certain that it would mean I wouldn't be able to grip my foot well enough to ski.

But today, I went into Andy's office and declared: "Let's go skiing this afternoon!" Shocked, but up for the adventure, he agreed. After my frist attempt, I realized my foot was not as much of a problem as my complete lack of arm strength to hold on to the rope as the boat pulled me up. I didn't get up. But on the second try, I managed to emerge from the water. (Now this is where the ** comes in) I stayed up for almost 45 seconds. I stayed inside the wake the whole time. My arms were getting weaker by the mili-second. I dropped. But I did it! Now I know it CAN be done... I'll just need to start working on my stamina! It has only been an hour since we went skiing, but the backs of my thighs are already killing me, and my arms shake whenever I try to hold them up. It was worth it though!

Funny in Farsi

After finishing such a heavy read earlier in the week, I picked up "Funny in Farsi" by Firoozeh Dumas. This book is a gem! I found myself up till 2am last night trying to finish it. It is worth the sleep-dep. To sum it up-- it is the memoir of an Iranian woman growing up in America. The way she interpreted and saw American culture through the lenses of her own experience and her family's are just priceless. She moved to the U.S. when she was in 2nd grade and is now a permanent resident, married to a Frenchman, with two kids, living in California-- so this book spans from the 1970s to today. Chapter after chapter she writes about the hilarious esapades of immigrants trying to figure out and appreciate America. This book is so worth your time if you want to instigate a perspective shift in your own mind about what the foreigner's experience is like as they try to adjust and live in this "great" land of ours. Ohhh, and get ready to laugh!

My Elderly Boyfriend Died

I am having a hard time with the changing face of our neighborhood. Last weekend, I was driving down our street only to find an estate sale going on at one of the houses. I knew this meant bad news. It was the house of one of my favorite old folks... our neighborhood is full of 'em. I'd regularly drive by seeing him out on his front porch smoking and waving at the cars. He was precious and, in my head, was the sweetest old man there was. Andy dubbed him my "boyfriend" and would tease me saying that I would one day leave him for this old man.
So last weekend, I walked through his empty house (pictured above). The estate sale workers confirmed he had passed away last month. I knew I hadn't seen him out smoking in a while, but we've been gone a lot this summer. Each room was full of old people furniture and nick-nacks. I found a stack of old records selling for a dollar. I bought a bunch that were of old organ playing and hymns. He even had an ooooollllldddddd Billy Graham crusade on LP. I got that too. Then I found his stash of pipes. There were about 30 of them. I bought the cleanest looking one for Andy to remember my old boyfriend by.

As I drove away, I got even more sad. Not just because the sweet old man had died. It was that, PLUS what it represented in our neighborhood. Change. Like I said, our neighborhood is full of elderly people living in their old houses on big lots of land. Our street is old farm land complete with 80 yrs old green trees and a big creek winding through it. The houses are on average 1000 square feet. But the land is cause enough for circling buzzards in the form of real estate speculators. Especially given we are less than 5 miles from downtown.

A house not one block from the old man was torn down the year we moved in and NINETEEN homes were put in its place (complete with a skinny road splitting the property down the middle to gain access to all these new homes). Pictured below, this land went from ONE to 19. It not only squeezed every square inch possible into the development, it also paid no mind to the required 5 foot-to-lot-line rule.
Last year, a tiny old house was bought and "added onto," making it one of FOUR houses in the line of a single driveway. They advertised it as "Luxury Homes in the Trees," even though after construction I can only count 2 trees on the once copious lot. Then earlier this year, the cutest little farm house on our whole street was bought. The developers promised to ship the house to a new place, but one day we drove by to see it being dismantled in a way it could never be rebuilt. Today, it is a construction zone for a major development of town homes. Here's the link to the site plan: http://solacityhomes.com/default.asp?contentID=594 where you can see how many homes they are placing on a lot that used to be one precious farm house. Pictured below is the construction in progress.

I know times change, but this just makes me sad. Plus, Robin had always planned to one-day buy that little farm house so we could be neighbors.

The lot next door to the old man who died is the latest victim on our street. It was an 800 sq foot home with an equally old lady living there, but the land was well over an acre. She died this year. The "house" was sold, immeidately torn down, now the land has been cleared and a new sign announces the coming of "SIX Unique Luxury Homes" and the development is called "The Park". Pictured below is the cleared lot, ready for building now. I am scared my boyrfriend's house will be next on the chopping block (he's on at least 2 acres).

It feels like pretty soon Andy and I will be defending our old pecan farm from the vultures as well. Not that the vibe of our street will be worth fighting for anymore after the evolution continues to suck the life out it.