Spirit House...what?

Outside of almost every building and home is some sort of spirit house. I think it houses good and bad spirits from the property. People will bring gifts to it to keep them happy. The gifts look like ribbons and little charms, etc. A monk has to come and bless the land and invite the spirits into the house. They have Spirit House Depots (like Home Depot) where you can purchase these things; which are empty until the Monk does his thing. (but i think they are still empty after wards too)

Adorable kids at a World Vision funded school

look at those cheeks

Absolutely Beautiful

Political Campaign Posters...

I want to vote for this guy

Not this guy

Thailand Trip Beginnings

Bangkok extends as far as the eye can see, this is the view from the Grand Tower Hotel, Rm 1928.

Stupid Smart phone or is it me...

I have a so much fun phone now that I use to take lots of pics and video. I would love to post them on my blog, but it's a Windows phone and I have a Mac and so it is just not that simple. I can't just plug it in and away we go. Once I figure this thing out, I will be posting like crazy.

Spring in Portland
Ryan's Baptism
Pacific City, OR (the coast) big cliffs and crashing waves.
So much more...

Please keep coming back monthly to see if I've made any progress.
Much love to anyone who reads this. I think it might just be Courtney and Pam :) Love you ladies, and anyone else I missed.

Convicted and Convinced

This Easter morning I read Proverbs 24. Verses 11-12 gently slapped me across the face. Basically if you know people who are being led into death, "staggering toward slaughter" - RESCUE THEM!!!
And since God perceives our heart, we cannot say "I did not know."

I'm sure there are people in your life, just like there are in mine, who are being led to the slaughter house and I sit by too scared to say anything. I sit safely in my boat reading my Bible, maybe even praying for them, but too scared to jump out, run to them, grab them by the pant leg, and hang on yelling, STOP! turn around, you're being led into the slaughter house.

I would like to challenge you this week as I challenge myself to think of one person you know who is walking towards the edge of the cliff and start up a life preserving conversation with them.

Can this Mary choose the better?

There are multiple Mary's in the Bible and the 3 I can think of had the most incredible/important parts.
First, Mary Mother of Jesus (duh) no explanation required.
Second, Mary Magdalene who was the first to see Jesus after His resurrection (WOW!)

Third, Lazarus' sister Mary.

This Mary sets such a great example for us, the other two really can't be touched in their relationship to Christ, but this Mary can. In Luke 10:39-42 she did the most important thing we can do. She sat at Jesus' feet.  Martha was busy with preparations (as I usually am) and then bitter with her "lazy" sister Mary (as I tend to feel- bitter that is b/c I really selfishly want to be lazy- haha). I find that Mary sets an example for all of us that cannot be missed and Jesus said that Mary had chosen the better thing to do, which was to sit at His feet. Mary realized her time with Jesus, in His presence was priceless.
So many times I find myself busy and it could all be busy serving Jesus as Martha was, we could be preparing for mission trips, hosting a home group, serving in the nursery, etc. the list goes on, but if we are too busy to sit at Jesus' feet then I think we need to cut back on our service and focus on the one thing that is most precious.
I have come to realize the immense power that sitting at His feet holds, and I cannot do the other things in His strength if I am not spending precious time with Him, it becomes dry, fruitless, and exhausting.
I feel like at this point I am just rambling, you get the point.
Martha was busy, worried and distracted, while Mary sat at Jesus' feet. Mary "chose what was better and it will not be taken away from her."

Hallelujah, Praise Jesus, sit at His feet today, spend time in the word, pour your heart out to Him, and picture Him just smiling at you in approval. He just wants us to sit at His feet, we can be a mess at His feet, He just wants us to be there.

Get Out of the Boat

I'm going to Thailand this summer!!!
In preparation for the trip we are reading "If You Want to Walk on Water, You've Got to Get Out of the Boat," by John Ortberg I hope I'm allowed to copy quotes on blogs b/c I'm about to. I guess as long as you give credit to the author then it's okay...
It is kind of revolutionizing my faith because it is encouraging me to finally have some. I have had faith all my life and occasionally did things to act on it, but I would not call myself a "water-walker" by any means. This book is based on Peter walking on the water.
I'm only on the 2nd chapter and I'm inspired to blog about it which means that this is a GREAT book, life-changing!!
One of the things that has stuck out to me is "Only Peter knew the glory of walking on the water. He alone knew what it was to attempt to do what he thought he was not capable of doing on his own, then feeling the euphoria of being empowered by God to actually do it. Once you walk on the water, you never forget it - not for the rest of your life. I think Peter carried that joyous moment with him to his grave." 
Do you have a moment like this in your own life? something God did that was totally God and you will never forget it? please share...
If you don't have a moment like this then "get out of the boat" and go make one and then share with everyone you meet.

Suffering = Comfort

My inspiration sure didn't last for long. Ha Ha.
But here I am again, re-inspired. I hope to post more spiritual things this year, and when you need a good verse and you can't find your Bible then you know you can look here.

2 Cor 1:3-7 - Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God. For just as the sufferings of Christ flow over into our lives, so also through Christ our comfort overflows. If we are distressed, it is for your comfort and salvation; if we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which produces in you patient endurance of the same sufferings we suffer. And our hope for you is firm, because we know that just as you share in our sufferings, so also you share in our comfort.

I've had a pretty comfortable life, praise the Lord, but I seem to find that those who have gone through trials seem to have a greater ministry. I find that those who have really struggled end up comforting and ministering to others about how God has moved in their lives, saved them, grown them, shown them His faithfulness. Of course I do not envy their hard times, but I greatly value the lessons they have learned. It just goes to show how God can make all things work for good. (Ro 8:28)