is for Captain, Chief Cornerstone, Christ,Our Life, Crown

Joshua 5:14 (King James Version) And he said, but as captain of the host of the LORD am I now come. And Joshua fell on his face to the earth, and did worship, and said unto him, What saith my Lord unto his servant?

Psalm 118:22 (NAS) The stone which the builders rejected has become the chief corner stone.

Colossians 3:4 (NAS) When Christ,who is our life, is revealed,then you also will be revealed with Him in glory.

Isaiah 28:5 (NAS) In that day the LORD of hosts will become a beautiful crown. And a glorious diadem to the remnant of His people.

Girlscout Cookie - Game Night

Daniel and I tried out the whole evite method of inviting some ACU students over for a game night. We served only Girlscout cookies. Yum Yum!! When we got up on Sat., 17th, we thought we might need to reschedule because we had only heard from one person. We had invited 33, knowing some couldn't come. Well, we decided from the history we have had with aggies we would go ahead and whoever came would be great!! Am I glad we did, 22 showed up. Some came in cars of 6-7 people. Great evening. We had a table of farkle, a table of catch phrase and the last word, and on the floor was of course 42!! Our house has been opened up to what God has for us and we are excited to have had these students. Janet and Philip Jergins joined us too!! What great friends, they kept cele for us from July to Dec. since we could not have a dog at the rent house. We feel blessed here in Abilene.

is for Banner, Beginning, Branch, Bread of Life

Not surprising, my friend, Chelsa and I decided we would teach about the names of God for our ladies Bible class this semester. I'm excited. Our class is small but we pray God will bring us who He wants us to have this experience with. It is quite a transition from the A&M church to our small congregation. We truly feel we are in a mission field and have much to learn. Haley Edmiston, who lives with us, told me yesterday, just get in there and learn. Good Advice. That is what I will do. We know God is guiding us and will show us what He wants accomplished with this community in Abilene He has called us to.

Banner: Exodus 17:15 Moses built an altar and named it The LORD is My Banner

Beginning: Colossians 1:18 And he is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything he might have the supremacy.

Branch: Jeremiah 23:5 The days are coming,declares the LORD,
when I will raise up to David a righteous Branch,
a King who will reign wisely and do what is just and right in the land

Bread of Life: John 6:48 I am the bread of life

is for Advocate, All in All, Ancient of Days

As I unpack I find treasures. One of the treasures I found was a 3-page typed document entitled "Living and Praying in Jesus' Name". It has names for God in ABC order. This is a game I play with myself in the car or in situations that I need to distract myself. I start with A, and then B, on to C and end with Z - trying to think of names of or for God. Try it for yourself. Send me new ones!!

Advocate: I John 2:1 My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin and if anyone sins,we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous Jesus.


All in All: Col. 3:9-11 Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator. Here there is no Greek or Jew, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave or free, but Christ is all, and is in all.


Ancient of Days: Daniel 7:13-14 In my vision at night I looked, and there before me was one like a son of man, coming with the clouds of heaven. He approached the Ancient of Days and was led into his presence. 14 He was given authority, glory and sovereign power; all peoples, nations and men of every language worshiped him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion that will not pass away, and his kingdom is one that will never be destroyed.

Angel of His Presence: Isaiah 63:9 In all their distress he too was distressed, and the angel of his presence saved them. In his love and mercy he redeemed them; he lifted them up and carried them all the days of old.

(Alphabet graphics courtesy of http://www.rennysniche.com/)

Costa Rica, Dec 2008

Orozco-Thompson-Wenzel families and Orozco-Thompson-Clancy families

Very early on Christmas eve, Cathie, Hannah, and I began our journey together that brought us to San Jose, Costa Rica, to visit Justin, Alison, and Cailyn for a week. After a smooth flight (yeah for Cathie!), we arrived and survived an exciting van ride for the 40 minutes to their home. Justin's family (Teri, Andy, Preston, and Allie) were here already, so we were all able to spend 2 days together. On Christmas day we followed the Costa Rican tradition of having a late dinner. Joining us were Mark Clancy and his parents, Danny and Susan, and another young couple our Lima Team has befriended, Jason, Lindsey, and Shelby Cleaver (also going to Lima, Peru). What a feast!

On Christmas eve we spent time opening gifts and of course the main attraction was Cailyn's activity. Lot's of pictures and laughs for all of us.

Our daily routine has been to hang out around the house, play with Cailyn, play games, nap, and take day trips by bus, taxi, and walking. Cailyn likes to yell for a taxi whenever we get to the main road, whether we need one or not. Cathie and I decided that our night time routine would include bath time with Honey (Cathie) and then singing time with DaddyO and Honey before going to bed. It has been the real treasure of the trip to have Cailyn get on the bed, lay down and wait for us to lay down with her. Tonight, she and Cathie were on the bed and I was putting something in the living room. Cailyn yelled out, "Da'O, Da'O" because I wasn't in the bed fast enough for her. With the lights out, Cathie and I sing random praise songs while Cailyn lays there and falls asleep. As I said earlier, this is the real treasure for us.
. We covet your prayers.

May the Lord's blessings be evident to you

Caroling, College Station Friends

As many of you know we leave in less than 48 hours for Costa Rica. The kids left on August 20th so we are ready to hug them and play with Cailyn!!! But in the middle of thinking of this, we have enjoyed many other events. Our tradition of caroling continued here in Abilene. We were excited to have some College Station friends here to join with us this year. We went to University Place and enjoyed a time with Grams, a friend of Hannah, Lynn Spivey and Janet Jergins' mom, and the Brooms (missionaries of long ago). We headed to see two families that Hannah met while here in Abilene, the Lakey and the Riggs families. We ended with visiting Jacque, Mitzi Mills' mom. Refreshments and the reading of The Night Before Christmas waited on us back home.

On Sunday, Mike, Kathy, Jayden and Scott came to spend the day with us. Of course Mike brought his guitar. We enjoyed much singing. Jayden and Hannah especially. An another highlight was Hannah's boyfriend, Jason Grassie, showcased his yodeling abilities, a new insight for all of us!! We got to share our Hope church family with the Holts and then enjoyed a new game, The Last Word.

Continuing on with visits, Erin and Travis Bodeker were in Abilene visiting family and we had them for lunch today. They are living in Chicago now while Travis is in medical school. What a JOY to remember our sweet times in College Station, and make new memories in Abilene.

What do you want me to do for you?

That is the question Jesus asked Bartimaeus in Luke 18:35-43. I have such memories of reading this story to the girls out of the Read A-loud Bible Story book. Moms and Grandmoms, check out this resource. There are a couple of volumes, and I'm sure there have been additions since my girls were little.

As I worked back through a chapter in the book, Sacred Rhythms, I read this story again. Shanna French, a young wife who is earnestly seeking the Lord, has asked for us to share about this book, chapter by chapter, over email. Isn't technology great!!! She is in Houston and I'm in Abilene and yet we can walk with each other as we journey.

When I ask myself this question, it takes time of silence to really come up with an answer. Do I know myself well enough to answer? I must be still and let the sediment settle. How blessed I am that in the Christmas season God allows me to have time to sit and be quiet. I love that things are as they are in my life at this point. Our move has awakened "what do I really want and what does God really want" in our lives. I mean, we know that our lives are about a ministry of reconciliation, II Corinthians 5:18-20 -- yielding ourselves and begging others on behalf of Christ to reconcile to God, but how that plays out each day is a mystery. I really love to walk into each day and see what He brings me. Soon, I need to share with you the ones He has introduced us to here in Abilene.

Bartimaeus asked for his sight, a physical need. I love it that it was physical because sometimes we think that physical needs don't really matter, it is only the spiritual needs we need to ask about. I don't believe that. Daniel laughs at me because I find myself asking for things like parking spaces, productivity of the day or that someone will answer their phone. I do get to the deeper things, but i don't see a limit to what I ask my Father about. All that said, when all is thought about ....

My answer is: I want myself and my family now and for generations to come to be deeply in love with God, to be intent on searching Him out, to be passionately in love with their Heavenly Father, to have deep relationship with their creator. To Trust.

Listen to Jesus asking you, What do you want me to do for you?
Peace.