PNW: Episode 1

This isn't quite the theme I have going in my blog, but this is truly something (no matter how secular) that I just LOVE.  I don't love it as much as Jesus, or family or friends or my kids, but I LOVE IT.  For those who have followed me over the years, you know this already.

In May of this year (2019) we took an amazing trip to the Pacific North West.  This has been a dream of mine for as long as I can remember, from since before Twilight even became.  As a teenager I really loved Nirvana and the Seattle scene. 

Keep reading ...

But one day I came upon this in my facebook scrolling ...  --------->
And I knew almost immediately that ONE: as lame
 as it may be and TWO: as lame as I may look, I couldn't miss this!!!
I'd already agreed not to go for a preview of the movie, there was
no way I could miss this. I mean hello ...   So we committed and I began planning, because I couldn't fly all the way across the country and only see a High School  before it's destruction (although I would have done it) Because hello it's the last tour EVER!

YOU GUYS!  WE WENT ALL THE WAY ACROSS THE COUNTRY TO SEE A LUNCH ROOM AND HIGH SCHOOL FROM MY FAVORITE MOVIE SERIES EVER!  Y'ALL !!!!!

Let me calm myself,  I know I'm yelling at myself here pretty much, but whatever..

Let me show you .

The hallway heading to the science class 

The classroom, where Edward hates Bella 

The hallway leading to Bella's locker 

Bella's locker where she notices his eye color change

The lunch room!

That's no Edward Cullen, but that's definitely the door he walked through

The Cullen table is right over there!

More shots of the doors 

Ahhhhh 

cafeteria shots , you guys I'm totally fan girling

the last tour of the school where Twilight was filmed!!!

I'm in love 

The flags will be moved to the next school but there was talk of maybe auctioning off other hot items that didn't' move over!

You guys this guy was the coolest, he's been doing these tours for literally 10 years now, since Twilight. It's amazing and he was the coolest coach I've ever met!

Guys this was an amazing trip and  because there is more than this, I'm going to do episodes and I hope you'll check back for more. 

Be blessed

-MB

connections

We started "connection groups" at church within the last year or so and it's really becoming quite a blessing to me and hopefully to others as well.  I've started attending two currently and have started a ladies dinner meeting style thing once a month. 

God's really moving and showing me a lot of new things. It's really wonderful.  Keep praying and I'm praying for you.

Be blessed, Jesus loves you
-MB

Share the love

real life post coming...

I've been blogging more lately, mostly about Godly things.  Tonight's post isn't really my thoughts on what God has for me. It's just a real life thing.. I guess.

There's a lot of addiction in this world, addition to drugs, alcohol, porn, social media... The list can probably go on and on and on, I won't attempt to name them all.  Over the course of my thirty something years of life, I've known and know more than my fair share of addicts (see list above). While I've never had a real addiction per se, for many years I drank too much alcohol.
It was a time in my life where I rebelled from the life I should have been leading and took a crowded road on a path to hell! I've come a long way since then and I no longer drink or smoke or party and my life has changed entirely.  I don't even know that person anymore.

circa 2010

I have several friends who aren't as lucky. Several friends who are stuck on that road to hell and whether they just don't want to figure out how to get off the road or they just.don't.care. It genuinely just breaks my heart, because well ... I love them all. Each their own way and for different reasons and at different times of my life, but it doesn't change the love. They hold a special place in my heart and I just hate to know they're battling something to dark and evil.  My brother in law is addicted to heroin and well he's been in and out of jail and rehabs and just back and forth and on and off and he just can't shake it.  I've recently found out that the brother of one of the men at church is also battling addiction, he has a small child and a large family that loves him and recently found out he has cancer as well.  It's a real mess.  But just yesterday I read a news report about a group who was arrested in our county. I saw it on a friends social media and she'd tagged a friend, she knew one of the people.  Being nosy that I am, sometimes, I clicked it and read through it and low and behold I knew two of them as well.  My heart broke a little, because I'd always cared about one of them and though I'd never met the other, they were in a relationship so naturally I cared for them as well.  Well I sent it to my friend and we chatted about it and talked about the disappointment of it and well that was really it.  Tonight I couldn't shake the feeling that I just had to contact my friend. So I sent a message on social media, a kind message but in this message it contained my feelings toward the situation. Kindly of course. Telling this person that what had happened sucked and that they were better than that and that I'd pray for the situation.  I was shocked to get a reply. I didn't expect to hear anything from them honestly.  We had a very good conversation and I come out of it knowing about three things.

1. my friend isn't addicted to hard drugs
2. I got up on my soap box with this person and told them how I felt, because I genuinely care about them. I've always cared about them. I care about a lot of people and addiction is a real thing and it's terrible and horrible and it's hard and I was scared.  But I did it, I said what I thought and I told them I cared and that I would pray for them.
3. I don't make enough contact with others on their addiction.  The ones that I'm closest to and related by marriage to I don't say enough to them. I try to encourage but after this conversation I see that it just may not be enough and that maybe it's doing more harm by not just saying how I feel about the whole thing.

It's really got me to thinking... I think  it's time to make some changes in the things I say and how I say them, because some people need the words and they're not hearing them.

Just like the world needs the good news of the gospel of Jesus Christ and there aren't enough people willing to do it. 

I'm going to show the love of Christ and share the love of Christ. 

making new friends, i hope

I had the most amazing, encouraging conversations with a stranger yesterday. I say "stranger" because while we were talking, she was a stranger. I'd never met her before, though I had heard her husband speak before. Luckily my remembering her husband and my misunderstanding that he was on the missions field is what started the conversation. I'm not normally the one to strike up a conversation with someone I don't know but I was curious.  I'm so glad I did!

We chatted and laughed and talked about the mission trips that her husband goes on and things of that nature.  I mentioned how I really wanted to go on one of those trips but couldn't figure it out while having 4 children. Her words of encouragement and later her and her husbands words really pulled on my heart strings.

Yall pray for me, join me in prayer. I'm really doing a lot of soul searching and trying to determine His will for me.  I want to live this life for Him, because He gave it all for me.

Prayers with you all
-MB

In over my head

"I have come to this place in my life

I’m full but I’ve not satisfied

This longing to have more of you

I can feel it my heart is convinced

I’m thirsty my soul can’t be quenched

You already know this but still

Come and do whatever You want to 

I’m standing knee deep but I’m where I’ve never been

I feel you coming and I hear Your voice on the wind

Would you come and tear down the boxes that I have tried to put You in

Let love come teach me who You are again

Take me back to the place where my heart was only about you

And all wanted was just to be with you

Come and do whatever you want to

Further and further my heart moves away from the shore

Whatever it looks like, whatever may come I am Yours

Further and further my heart moves away from the shore

Whatever it looks like, whatever may come I am Yours 

Then you crash over me and I’ve lost control but I’m free

I’m going under I’m in over my head

And you crash over me and I’m where you want me to be

I’m going under, Im in over my head

Whether I sink, whether I swim

It makes no difference when I’m beautifully in over my head

I’m beautifully in over my head

I’m beautifully in over my head"

In over my head (crash over me) Bethel Music 

This is the song I'm currently working on, it really speaks to me and it's really pretty much exactly how I feel.

-MB

Pastoral Theology, eh

(photo credit)

Good evening again friends,

Tonight was a successful ladies fellowship dinner at a local restaurant. I say successful because well last month only 3 of us showed up and tonight we  had seven. So, pretty amazing for my standards as I am not very interesting.  It was a lot of fun and I'm so glad it's taking off.

So I'm taking some new courses, in Pastoral theology and also church administration. I'm feeling a bit overwhelmed, but a part of something weighing on my heart lately has a little to do with this. 

Pastoring... Now I'm no expert and I'm sure I fall short of all of the required criteria to be a pastor. I mean can women even be pastors? Biblically, I mean.  That aside..  I can't say I'm feeling a call to pastor.. but it's definitely something.  I'm feeling confused. 

I know I'll continue to pray about it I talk to God about it before I blog about it, but I thought I'd share anyway. 

Continue to lift me in your prayers, as well as the family who has lost their loved one.  I'm praying for you as well. Please leave me a message, how can I include  you in my prayers? 

Mondays thoughts

It's with a saddened heart that I make mention one of the men from church has passed away this morning.  Heaven got  a lot cooler when he arrived and I know it was an homecoming celebration for sure. My heart hurts for his sweet family, I love them all so much but I don't tell them often enough.

Please join me in praying for their family, it's never easy to say good bye to those we love. Even when there is peace knowing where they are, there always seems to be a void where they use to be. 

I'm excited and curious and praying dutifully at a recent tug I have. I haven't told anyone yet, so perhaps here isn't the right location to bring that information out.  haha..  But I feel like God is tugging on my and His tug is stronger when I'm reading, studying and trying to hear Him.

Be blessed yall bloggers and tell me what's on your mind this week?

How can I include you in my prayers?

_MB