Our first child (aka- a new dog!!)

Hey guys! Here is the newest addition to the family!!! He is a cockapoo (cocker spaniel/poodle). He is adorable and I can already tell (from the 4 hours I've known him) that he is a people dog. He likes being around us and now I think I will feel really guilty if/when I leave him here alone. We'll see how that goes. Oh yea, his name is Spud! Isn't he so cute?! You should come by and meet him! We'll keep you posted on life as a parent! Haha!

DUP reunion!

For those of you who don't know what the DUP is, let me tell you! The DUP (which is short for duplex) is a group of college roommates that lived together on 11th street in Waco! But there is so much more to it than just roommate-ship. It cannot be explained with words...only experienced. OK that sounds really weird, but it's the truth. Anyways, we had a DUP reunion in Waco this past weekend and everyone was there but Rachel--who is interning with IJM in Bolivia right now, so her absence was excused. (DUP reunion 2009 Rachel??)Kate came down from Colorado, and it was so fun to have her back in Texas! Enjoy some pictures from the weekend! Also, Jas and I are getting a dog this weekend-- stay tuned for PICS! I am so excited!

I love Homemade Pizza

Actually, I just love pizza in general. But I really enjoy homemade pizza because it is fun when you can make the pizza yourself. Now, I have in no way perfected my pizza making skills, but I did want to share a recipe that has become a common meal at the Sudan apartment. I also like to take pictures of food...so that is why I have a photo of the pizza. Strange? Perhaps, but thats ok. Here is the recipe for the dough (because once you make the dough, duh, you can put whatever you want on it silly.)

Whole Wheat and Honey Pizza Dough

INGREDIENTS
1 (.25 ounce) package active dry yeast
1 cup warm water
2 cups whole wheat flour
1/4 cup wheat germ
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon honey
1 TBS. of Olive oil (or however much it takes to make the dough "work")

DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
In a small bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water. Let stand until creamy, about 10 minutes.
In a large bowl combine flour, wheat germ and salt. Make a well in the middle and add honey, olive oil, and yeast mixture. Stir well to combine. Cover and set in a warm place to rise for a few minutes(10-30 minutes...depends how much time you have).
Roll dough on a floured pizza pan and poke a few holes in it with a fork.
Bake in preheated oven for 5 to 10 minutes, or until desired crispiness is achieved.
Put desired toppings on the dough and cook for 10 to 15 minutes or til it is done.

*Sometimes when I make the dough, it gets crumbly for some unknown reason, but if you put more olive oil in it that usually helps. If anyone can fix this crumbly problem, let me know.

Enjoy!!!

New friends

As some of you know, Jason and I live in an apartment in Dallas where a lot of refugees from all around the world are resettled. About 800 to 1,000 are resettled in the Vickery Meadows area of Dallas each year. We've lived here since August and we've slowly seen several Iraqi (and some SouthEast Asian) families move in around us. There are always some really loud soccer games going on outside our balcony. Its awesome...we've really come to love living here at the Biltmore.

Anyways, today on our way to doing laundry we met two Iraqi guys named Thouray and Akil. Jason and I met Thouray about a week or two ago while he was playing soccer. He was so nice and eager to make friends. He knocked on our door about a week ago looking for Jason and he wasn't here. Since then, we had been trying to keep our eye out for him since we didn't know exactly what apartment # he lived in. On our way to the laundry room we saw him and he yelled out at us. He told us that this was his apartment and he invited us in. We sat down and got to know Thouray and Akil a little bit while the laundry was in the wash. They offered us drinks and we just talked-- as much as we could. Thouray just arrived in the US two weeks ago and Akil just one week ago. Akil didn't know much English, but Thouray knows enough to carry on a conversation. It was fun to get to know these guys and here a bit about them. They really seem eager to make friends and said they haven't met many Americans yet.

Please pray for Akil and Thouray. We are excited to get to know them more and to show the love of Christ with them by serving them in any way that we can. I have been praying to encounter refugees and that God would provide creative ways to serve them here, so if you could pray that too that would be awesome! Jason and I really want to have them over for dinner to show them some good American or Tex Mex food. So will see what happens!!

El Presidente

Jas and I went to Waco this weekend for Baylor's homecoming and we went to our old church in Waco. He had a great sermon on the election of our future president. I thought I would share (for those of you who didn't hear the sermon) as it won't be long until we know who was won this whole deal...

The sermon really focused on what WE need to do as believers...how we should respond and how we should live our lives. 2 Chronicles 7:14 says, "If my people who are called by my name humble themselves, and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land."

No matter what happens tonight (or whenever they figure out who the new president will be), does not change what we as follower's of Christ should be doing. We must continue to pray, humbly seek God, and repent of our sins. This is the calling we have received...and if we are faithful to submit and obey, He has promised us that he will heal our land. So tonight, let's cling to those promises. Whether McCain or Obama wins the race, we know that ultimately our hope comes from our merciful and loving Father and not the Presidential figure. That's a good thing...

30 Million a week!

I saw this video of Campbell Brown on CNN about McCain and Obama's negative campaign ads. I'm just saying...I like her way of thinking. And I don't think her idea is all that crazy. I think we'd all benefit from not hearing or watching anymore negative ads this election season....check the video out!

John 15

John 15 (the vine and the branches) is one of my favorite metaphors in the gospels. what a creative and truthful way to illustrate the Christian's relationship with Jesus! i resonate with what the scriptures say about abiding in Jesus. i wouldn't be able to follow Him if i didn't (or He didn't allow me to) abide...this world is too dark, too sinful. I was going to try to break down this scripture and what not, but who am I kdding, I am no Matt Chandler! Instead , I found this poem in one of my books. This poem sums it up nicely, way better than I can say... sorry it's kind of long, but stick with it! It's good!

Only a Branch

'Tis only a little Branch,

A thing so fragile and weak,

But that little Branch hath a message true

To give, could it only speak.

"I'm only a little Branch,

I live by a life not mine,

For the sap that flows through my tendrils small

Is the life-blood of the Vine.

"No power indeed have I

The fruit of myself to bear,

But since I'm part of the living Vine,

Its fruitfulness I share.

"Dost though ask how I abide?

How this life I can maintain?--

I ambound to the Vine by life's strong band,

And Ionly need remain.

"Where first my life was given,

In the spot where I am set,

Upborne and upheld as the days go by,

By the stem which bears me yet.

"I fear not the days to come,

I dwell not upon the past,

As moment by moment I draw a life,

Which for evermore Shall last.

"I bask in the sun's bright beams,

Which the sweetness fills my fruit,

Yet I own not the clusters hanging there,

For they all come from the root."

A life which is not my own,

But another's life in me:

This, this is the message the Branch would speak,

A message to thee and me.

Oh, struggle not to "abide,"

Nor labor to "bring forth fruit,"

But let Jesus unite thee to Himself,

As the Vine's Branch to the root.

So simple, so deep, so strong

That union with Him shall be:

His life shall forever replace thine own,

And His love shall flow through thee;

For His Spirit's fruit is love,

And love shall thy life become,

And for evermore on His heart of love

Thy spirit shall have her home.

-- Freda Hanbury

I hope you are encouraged and thankful for this beautiful picture of our relationship with Christ!