Oprah

As many of you know, I've been an Oprah fan for years - following her tips on her favorite things show faithfully, enjoying some of her guests (certainly NOT ALL!), appreciating her weight issues :), LOVING her most recent "BIG GIVE" and finding her ability to interview and be real refreshing at times.
BUT NOW, I ask that you join me in praying for this lost leader.
Read on...
Women in massive numbers across the planet look to Oprah Winfrey as a friend, an inspiration, and a spiritual mentor. In case you’re not aware, she has been taking her worldwide audience of millions through spiritualist Eckhart Tolle’s book A New Earth. Here’s a taste of what they’re proclaiming:
“I am a Christian who believes that there are certainly many more paths to God other than Christianity. . . . I don’t believe that it’s the only way, with 6 billion people here on the planet.”–Oprah
“If you go deep enough in your religion, then you all get to the same place. . . . The important thing is that religion doesn’t become an ideology. . . . The moment you say ‘only my belief’ or ‘our belief’ is true, and you deny other people’s beliefs, then you’ve adopted an ideology. And then religion becomes a closed door.” –Eckhart Tolle
Oprah is on a crusade–in earnest–to help women find hope and “truth.” Millions of people (including many “Christian” women in our evangelical churches) are buying into this tragically false teaching. Here are three ways to pray:
1. Ask God to rescue Oprah and those buying into this line of thinking.
2. Thank God for pastors and Christian leaders who are stepping forward, exposing lies, and giving the gospel in love! (Pray for more to join them.)
3. Ask Him for a widespread reformation and revival among Christian women—for a great return to Jesus—and for a fragrant living out of the faith by these revived women
Thank you for joining in this effort to lift up Christ and to equip women to recognize the difference between Truth and error. Pray that hundreds of thousands of Christian women will rise and stand as true women, and eclipse this “movement” of Oprah’s . . . for the good of women, men, and children, and the glory of God.

When Goliath Doesn't Fall

“Sometimes, no matter how hard you pray, babies die. Sometimes, no matter how much you trust God, doctors find cancer. Houses catch fire; tornadoes demolish entire communities; and terrorists successfully crash airplanes into buildings.” This book, by Jody Conrad, answers the questions: What happens to our faith when our giants defeat us? I’ve only read the first 50 pages or so on the plane today, but this book shows compassion and understanding of the admittedly hard work life is at times. This book talks about the hopeful worship of the prophet Habakkuk.
My goal is to be like her in this season of my life– to be someone who still sings of the joys of heaven even while in the trenches and darkest hours of life and even when Goliath won’t fall.
The author is a friend and neighbor of a colleague of mine at U of I. She lives in Colfax, WA and, from what I’ve read so far, is a woman who hears and understands the cry of humanity to live with abundant faith and amazing grace.
My U of I colleague is a dear, wise friend. He has children my age and we've known each other for 12 years now. He and his wife were at my wedding and he's been a professional mentor for a very long time to me. He wrote in the cover of this book words of great hope and honor for me which blessed me beyond words.

A must-try

Wild Ginger has now become one of my favorite new-found restaurants in Seattle! They offer the best Asian cuisine in the Northwest. Serving up authentic recipes from the Pacific Rim countries lying between India and Japan: Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, Burma, Thailand, South China and Vietnam. Signature offerings such as Fragrant Duck, Seven Flavor Beef, Ginger Martinis and Mango Daiquiris have marked Wild Ginger's indelible presence as a Pacific Northwest dining destination. Local and national food critics and Northwest residents have consistently rated Wild Ginger as among the very finest Northwest restaurants. The New York Times wrote: "...this is perhaps the most provocative, and fun, restaurant in Seattle."

I went there with my CASE colleagues just last night. CASE is a international council for advancement support in education. I sit on our district's board and this group of 20 people are among my favorites in my world of work. We represent all of the northwest and 1/2 of Canada and all LOVE good food. This board meeting was held at the Sheraton Seattle Downtown...just 2 blocks away from Wild Ginger! (I think it was at 3rd & Union)

You MUST try it the next time your travels take you to Seattle! It's super-yummy to say the least. I finished my meal last night with a scoop of coconut ice cream! I'm not sure on the cost per person - they serve family style and for a private party room we had to spend a minimum of $1,000. We all were stuffed when we left!

After the Conference...

For most people, the Weekend to Remember conference is a time of hope and encouragement; a time for marriages to be renewed and refined. Unfortunately, we struggled through the entire time together. Perhaps it was just too much to assume we should take on a weekend like this. But we felt, and had many encourage us, it would be good for us. There's much I could share, but the most important thing to share is that we still desperately need your prayers and your understanding as it is hard to be vulnerable and real with friends and family that surround us both because the feeling of failure and confusion is currently running rampant in both of us. I wait on God as I sit here in yet the third hotel room this week (I just left Seattle after a board meeting and am now in Boise for a couple of days for donor visits.) asking God why we are struggling so much in this marriage.
To be sure, I would certainly encourage any and all of my friends to attend the Weekend to Remember. It has fabulous, Biblical teaching, great times set aside to spend with your spouse, a fabulous hotel (at least ours was!) and offers many resources to ensure future success in marriage and family relationships.
Perhaps I had my hopes set too high for what I wanted to see happen this weekend in our marriage. I don't know what it is I'm supposed to be learning from all of this, but please pray the lessons are learned quickly. This season is a rough one and I am very ready to be back up on a mountain top.
Please, please don't feel the need to share the benefits of being in a valley - I've been in valleys before in other times of my life and I know that God is still holding me and being my All in All. No pep talk needed. :) I also know that God can do the deepest work during the loneliest hours - trust me, I know what I would say to my friends if seats were traded. But, just know, I've already heard it. JUST PRAY!

Hawaii cruise

My friend Vix requested a picture of Shel and I - so this post is for you, friend. :)

This past summer Sheldon and I went on a Hawaiian cruise...here's a shot of us from the 7 day excursion to 5 islands. We got to go snorkeling, see dolphins, tour the famous chocolate factory (YUM!), shop, visit some friends, site see, go to a luau and, most importantly, REST. My parents came, too, which made it even more fun for all of us. It was actually there idea originally until I suggested we tag along. As you can see, my husband is quick to tan, and I just burn, peel, and turn white again. We went on Norwegian and perhaps someday I'll write about the lack of service we experienced. Let's just say we will not be getting on board another Norwegian cruise ship anytime soon. But, one thing for sure, there's no better way to travel than on a big ship! This was my 3rd cruise and hopefully not nearly my last.

How do I????

Alright ladies, how in the world do I do the link thingy and add pictures from the web or website links easily to my own little blog? I need a little lesson in using the product here I think. :) My assistant at work could figure this out in no time, but unfortunately she only works on my REAL WORK, not my for-fun-and-entertainment-work. Any and all help would be great!

A Weekend to Remember...

Although I think there are just 2 people reading this :), I ask for your prayers this weekend. Sheldon and I are going to A Weekend to Remember being held in Bellevue, WA. Our marriage has been difficult at best and we are really hoping and praying for a miracle this week. Here's a bit more about the conference:

Marriage is defined by memories. They can be memories of joy and fulfillment or pain and heartbreak. It all depends on how well you apply the principles that make marriage thrive. For thirty years, the Weekend to Remember conference has been helping couples create the kind of memories that build a healthy marriage. Remember your marriage. Remember this weekend.
Weekend to Remember is a weekend marriage conference that teaches God's design for marriage and family. The environment is fun, non-threatening, and sometimes hilarious. And it's a wonderful time for couples to refresh good marriages or heal troubled ones. There are over 150 conferences in cities all across the U.S. each year.

So, with that, I ask for my friends to be praying for us as we hope and pray for a renewed marriage.

A trip to D.C.

Recently I took my dad with me to D.C. for a week. It's a place he's never had the opportunity to go and it's one of my top 5 places to visit -so, it was only right to take him along. We shared a hotel room (I had my ear plugs on hand!) and he toured with the spouses of my teammates while I had meetings with my Leadership Idaho Agriculture gang. Then, in the evenings we would connect for dinner and talk through the sites that had been seen that day. The final day, one of my teammates was able to get us in to the Pentagon for a private tour with a Lt. Col. because his uncle is a 4 star General there. It was truly amazing - we spent 4 hours walking the halls, hearing the stories, meeting the leaders and experiencing a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. All in all, my Dad and I had a fabulous time together.

Mr. Bailey

So, it's hardly fair that I've made it this long without mentioning my own kid - Mr. Bailey. He is my aussie shepherd and I've had him since he was just about 6 weeks old. He's truly a darling and is as smart as a whip. Gotta love this little boy. Unfortunately, he spends a ton of time at the kennel due to my travel schedule, but he doesn't mind. He's always happy to see me walk through the front door, and for that I'm thankful.

my travel schedule

Well, as you can see, it's been awhile since I made it back here...I have literally been on a plane at least 2 times each week since I set up this little blog. It's a bit crazy to already be the highest level of MVP (GOLD!) on Alaska Airlines and it's only April. Trust me, it's not as much fun as you may think - a hotel room (despite how nice it is) just doesn't beat my bed.

Not that there is much free time, but my favorite thing to do is spend time with my nieces. They are truly the greatest gift God has ever given our family. Here's the most recent of my favorite pics....