Ah sabbatical!

Oh my! Has it really been several months since my last post?! Incredible. I really must be on sabbatical. The last few months has been a flurry of activity for me as I've visited with friends, family all over the globe (kind of!). From the sunny coast of California (or smokey right now) to the never ending twilight of Norway, my summer has been a full one. The "rest" phase of my sabbatical is officially over now and I am now in the "reflection" phase. I am enjoying (sometimes) reading through my journals from the last nine years. God has worked in tremendous ways these past years and I look forward to the next chapter in this exciting and unpredictable adventure with Him. I am attaching several photos from the summer so you can glimpse a small part of what my time has been like (Amsterdam, Norway, LA!). Newsletter in the works!

the end is at hand!

The end. Not of life, certainly not of my time with the Navigators, but the end of the chapter on my collegiate work is close at hand. It has been a long chapter, but one I have loved despite in the ups and downs. I look forward to the next chapter...one with international flavor and adventure. I'm thankful for the last nine years, and am so ready to have the time and energy to reflect well on upon what the Lord has done over those very formative years. I really wanted to post a video that we shot recently on campus, but that requires skill beyond my expertise because the video needs to be formatted. So someday, when I have time, I'll attempt what seems unattainable...I will attempt to understand my computer :-)

Zooextravaganza

One of the reasons I love my job....I get to enjoy time with staff and students having fun! This is one of our ministries values...having FUN together bonds, unites, and deepens the friendships we have with each other and with the Lord. So going to the zoo fits in perfectly with that value. Jesus did this too (not going to the zoo!). He went on roadtrips with his disciples quite a bit. It seems that they were always walking somewhere or another, and sometimes to have a downright good time together (like the wedding in Cana). That together time bonded them, gave them shared memories, and lots of quality time with each other and the Master. How cool is that! This is one aspect of my job that I truly love.....creating shared memories of fun, laughter, and togetherness :-) Here are a few pics of us and the animals from this past weekend.

She's Beauty and She's Grace, She's Miss United....Navigator!

The sashes swayed with the flowing dresses as Nav women walked down the pagent "catwalk" to represent their state, city, or favorite person. Each girl got to make her own sash while partaking in chocolate fondue and yummy queso dip. The walk off determined our top three finalists who went onto the interview round of the competition. Those three girls are pictured here along with a group shot of all the lovely ladies. There is just something about putting on a fancy dress and walking down a fake "catwalk" that bonds girls. Chocolate helps too! So watch out world, Miss Navigator is here to stay!

My first attempt!

A not-so-typical Sunday...I'm actually at home this weekend and enjoying the quiet of my living room! Last night it snowed in Arkansas and today it should be in the 50's outside. Perfect day for a walk with the dogs. Tonight I'll be leading our student leaders through a mini-workshop on how to hear the voice of God. We'll be looking at the life of Joshua, who I have to admit is probably my favorite guy in the Bible. This guy knew how valuable spending time in God's presence was...he also knew how important it was to seek the Lord and then to obey Him once He spoke. I'm also going to attempt to post my latest newletter to the next blog! Thanks for reading!