Baylor Bears

Well, its official... I'm going to be a Baylor Bear!

I've made the decision to attend Baylor University and pursue my master of science degree in Student Services Administration. During my two-year tenure there I will be working in University Ministries as a graduate assistant. My area of work will be in discipline specific missions. (http://www.baylor.edu/um/missions.php) I'll be working to plan and execute mission trips for the college and even have the opportunity to go on the trips! This year they are sending/ have sent three trips, to Honduras, Armenia and Kenya! Their program is really innovative in that the groups within the trip are organized by educational disciplines and led by faculty members.

So that news is VERY exciting! :) And I am excited, though also a little trepidatious about the new opportunity, expectations, and whether or not I can do it! yikes!

If you are the praying type, I would covet your prayers to raise the finances necessary to move to Waco and for my finishing strong here at Greenville. I would also appreciate your prayers to enable me in advance to do what I'll need to be able to afford to live there (I will be recieving a small stipend) and for the materials I will need to purchase (considering purchasing a laptop).

There will be more news to come, but for now - Sic'em Bears! And Go Greenville Panthers!

Love, Tiff

Seven Brides (Glad that You were Born)

I love the film, "Seven Brides for Seven Brothers" - I could watch it a lot. But until this weekend I had not seen the musical play version of the show. Wonderful. Greenville High School put on the production this weekend and it was incredible. I was very impressed with their acting, singing, choreography (though there were a few production issues the night we went - the microphones for the 2nd tier characters were not really working well - they would cut out occasionally).

Anyway, a song that was not in the movie (i just double-checked the soundtrack, but its still possible I could be wrong) was a song that Milly sings to the new baby after she's born. Its called "Glad that You were Born" and its fantastic. I think it wonderfully captures the heart of a parent and for my friends who are expecting (Karen, Katie, Liz, Kristi, probably some whom I'm forgetting), I am dedicating it to you today:

Glad that You were Born (Johnny Mercer/Gene DePaul)
Through your eyes skies look brighter
Grass more green clouds are whiter.
When you're close cares grow lighter,
I'm glad that you were born.

Through your eyes hills stretch higher.
When you smile you inspire
hearts to sing in a choir.
I'm glad that you were born.

Born to laugh,
born to dream
Born to spread your light.

Through your eyes I see clearer
You bring God so much nearer.
Life has grown so much dearer,
I'm glad that you were...

Born to laugh,
born to dream.
Born to spread your light.

Through your eyes I see clearer
You being God so much nearer.
Life has grown so much dearer
I'm glad that you were born.

Enjoy your day, friends.

p.s. I'm having some technical difficulties related to photos today. argh. something i downloaded hurting my computer, I fear. :( snow pictures soon!

Welcome to Spring!

On the oft-debated "first day of spring" (if the first day of summer is 6/21, why is the first day of spring 3/20?) we were greeted with announcements of SNOW... When I went to bed at 9:45 I heard the beginning of the freezing rain, which preceded the snowstorm in the central mid-west....

I awoke to much snow (pics to come)

Also, because of the forecasted weather we postponed today's game - i included some pictures of our field... I guess it was a good decision!

Enjoy spring, friends!

Love, Tiff

The God who is Able

From the Daily Light (March 8, evening)
I know whom I have believed and am persuaded that he is able.
Able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think.
Able to make all grace abound toward you, that you, always having all sufficiency in all things, may have an abundance for every good work.
Able to aid those who are tempted.
Able to save to the uttermost those who come to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them.
Able to keep you from stumbling, and to present you faultless before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy.
Able to keep what I have committed to Him until that day.
Who will transform our lowly body that it may be conformed to His glorious body, according to the working by which He is able even to subdue all things to Himself.
"Do you believe that I am able to do this?" They said to Him, "Yes, Lord." "According to your faith let it be to you."

** 2Tim.1:12; Eph. 3:20; 2 Cor. 9:8; Heb. 2:18; Heb. 7:25; Jude 24;
2Tim.1:12; Phil 3:12; Matt.9:28-29

I am learning a lot about the Lord these days. Stuff I maybe knew, but its new to me again. For example I'm reading "Experiencing God" for the first time, for one of my Lenten season resolutions. The first day Blackaby said that God knows where we are and what we need at any given moment (surely I know this, but it hit me new) - and that if thats the case, surely he can tell someone else where we are and what we need at any given moment and thus provide for our needs naturally or supernaturally. wow. YES LORD! that's what I needed to hear that day.

And then the page above from the "Daily Light" was SUCH a blessing to me, too!! God IS able. Scripture is full of "ables" about God - over 20 of them (or maybe more?). Anyway, it was a great reminder that God IS able to do more than I can even think of, and even when I ask BIG... my big is not big to God - he can do bigger, more than I could ever even come up with on my own.

So I'm asking big lately, for big things for my future, and for clear direction. And God is able.

WEDDING

Here are some pictures from my friend Leah's wedding. I made them into collages so that there would be less pics on the post. There's also a pic of my friend Bethany - dressed up like a J.Crew Bride (but shhh, her outfit was all Anne Taylor).

who'swho, what's what: L-R/Top-Bottom: window decoration, pew bow, wedding dress, me and tiffany (rowe) alf, leah and chris before the wedding, leah and her dad, reception, the crazy bridesmaids, bouquet, leah with her niece (flower girl) elaine, me and krismastina (her real name is Kristina, but I like that version better, me with maura (l) and jenn (r), leah and her sister kortni, leah with me, jenn and maura, reception candle, leah's neck (she has a good neck)

(below) Bethany - J.Crew bride. If I had had my camera set on a faster setting I think it would REALLY look like a catalog pic. :) Plus, she's adorable, so that helps.

If you've never used "Picasa" - you are missing out! Bethany was right - its a great tool! I used it to make the collage above and the one below. I love collage photos, actually, and sometimes throw my pics on a table or background and then take a picture of the pictures - its just neat to capture a bunch of memories in one shot. Picasa throws these pics down in the order you selected them, so the only downside is that you can't pick which are on top or which corners are visible. I cropped this one so it looked fuller, but frankly, i love both this collage and the one on top. near the top left corner you can see me and my friend, Laura (we are sisters in heart), to the right of that you just catch Jenn and Amanda's faces (and my left eye) when those two, me and Maura took a pic of ourselves. :)
Good times!

Invisible Children

If we are not moved by the plight of the abuse of children in other nations, or even our own, then can we truly call ourselves Christians? More importantly, if the movement of our heart does not move us to some sort of action: financial, spiritual (prayer), personal (going) - then we have to wonder again - do we really exhibit the spirit of the Lord.

I don't know that I do, when I see things like this and realize that the most I can say is that I faithfully give $30 a month to World Vision to support Stephen Pole, a young boy (in high school now, I think) in Uganda. I'm not downplaying that help - its a blessing to give it - but how often do I pray for him? And do I even pray for him as I write my check, or has it become a passionless "task", a "to-do" on my never-ending list of household responsibilities?

So donate to World Vision (by all means, they are one of the TOP children's aid organizations in the world) but also check out these two websites:

http://www.invisiblechildren.com/home.php

http://www.kids-with-cameras.org/bornintobrothels/

THE AMAZING RACE - Numero Nueve (9)

OK – the verdict is in from Greenville....

We believe this could be the funniest Amazing Race YET!

The early favorites from our group are: BJ and Tyler and Dave and Lori.
I love the “kooks” as I’m calling them (in an affectionate way, though everyone else on the show is calling them the hippies) – they are so fun and have a lot of crazy spirit. I’m hoping they continue to be nice and don’t get mean.

And... no surprise, I REALLY love the nerds. I like that I can call them nerds because they call themselves that. I like that he said she’s good at card games and he’s good at math tests – I laughed out loud.

Finally, one of the the high comedic points of my night was when “MO JO” was at the ticket counter, approximately 2 hours after the race begins and she was about to get really upset because of the flights and we (at my house) were all thinking – “whoa, its way to early to be that upset” and the boyfriend says, “Are you really about to start crying?!?!”... articulating the words in ALL of our heads.

Check out these websites for more info:
http://www.cbs.com/primetime/amazing_race9/
http://too-manic.net/race/2006/02/01/the-amazing-race-9/

What did you think?