Celebrating Volunteers!!!

As I have been spending time in Florida making contacts with churches and looking into some student ministry openings... I have had the AMAZING opportunity to stay with my SWEET friends Greg (the Gal) Harford and her husband Larry and their housemate Paul.
Greg works for the Florida Conference of the United Methodist Church doing Disaster Recovery Ministry. It is AWE inspiring to see her and her co-workers go at it... be it at a training, as they plan to go into action in a recently (or not so recently) effected area... or as they did most recently CELEBRATE those who selflessly give of their time and their talents to reach out (to others) and reach up (to God) to be the hands and feet of recovery in devastated areas.
It was awesome to hear the stories of humble heart-ed people. To meet some pretty sweet people who use the gifts and talents they have and are taking the time to be trained and learn new skills to bless others... So I heard stories, saw pictures... and became part of the background to capture their celebration in pictures... here are a FEW of the 200 I took... yeah know...if you ask me to capture...I will capture!
ENJOY!!!

Thank YOU... all i can say.. thank YOU!

I found this photo on line on a "random signs" website... and even though their focus of posting was humor it hit me another way...
"Thank you for your suffering"... WOW ... such simple words, yet such deep and full out meaning... REALLY- Think about it- what if we really took the time to not only think those words, but we visualized them, we said them, we POSTED them for all to see.
WHAT IF... we were bold enough to place a sign like this in our yards... at our places of business... in our lockers at school... our sporting events... at our favorite coffee shops... and then when people stopped to look (cause we know they will) we don't brush it off, we are not quick to explain it away or mumble a excuse under our breath... BUT what if we took the time to explain just WHY ... WHY we are thankful for the suffering.. the suffering of the beatings... the Suffering of a mocking crowd... the suffering of a cross.
WHAT IF... we did more then just sing a few songs on Easter Morning? WHAT IF... we lived the message the story from the cradle to the cross every day? WHAT IF... each step we took every day we took boldly? WHAT IF... we actually were bold enough to say...

I want to be bold enough... I want to be Strong enough... I want to EVERY DAY... find a way to THANK HIM for the Suffering...
Because of Him... I live... how about you???

The Cross....

a symbol of faith... hope....love... truth... and the price paid for all....
enjoy... and remember!
Lizzy

Gates.. gates.... and MORE gates...

"But the gateway to life is very narrow and the road is difficult, and only a few ever find it." Matthew 7:14
I've always had a thing for gates... I would say it is mostly because of the scripture quoted above... there is something about them... they can let someone in or keep someone out... they can be made of many things. They can be simple or complex. You can lock them or keep them open... either way... there is just something... something about gates....

Stained Glass... old art... new inspiration.....

last fall I spent months working in the hill country... living at a little camp. Nestled among the camp is a beautiful and peaceful little chapel. Inside the walls, lit only by the afternoon sun, shaded by the trees... I found the following stained glass of saints.. the identities of the saints are important to some, but to me it is the art that is alive...
enjoy!!!
Lizzy