Triennial and Natalie Grant

Worship

Flags of just a few of the many nations represented at the conference
Woman from India speaking about sharing Christ through a sexual abuse recovery ministry
The international market - women from around the world hand-make all of these things and Covenant missionaries brought them over to sell
Our good friend Liz - She and her husband are missionaries in Mongolia

Miss America 2008 - Kirten Haglund. I attended her and her mom's powerful seminar on how God sees us vs. how the world sees us as women

Tiffany! Natalie's back-up singer. This girl is awesome!

The boys of the band. Funny, awesome guys!

with my sis, Natalie and my mom

My mom and sister flew out last week for the Triennial Covenant Women's Conference (amazing, by the way) which happened to be in DC this year and our guest concert artist was Natalie Grant. The three of us had the priviledge of spending a day with Natalie and her band. Natalie is actually from Seattle, so it was fun being in DC with another PNW native. If you haven't heard any of her music, definitely do it. She has an incredible voice, but more importantly a huge heart for Jesus. One major thing that Natalie and the Evangelical Covenant Churches have in common is that we're all very passionate about ending human trafficking in the US as well as around the world. Her new song "Human" was written after a trip to India where she saw 5 and 6 year old girls being subjected to prostitution. She also looked up at a tall building to see a young girl caged in the window. The song is all about how we're not just a bunch of empty beings roaming the earth without souls, but we're human beings, designed to have hearts and a passion for the suffering and lives of others.

Also, Paul and Kathy Wilson, friends of my in-laws who pastor a church in nothern California, started an organization called A New Day for Children which is a safe-house for girls forced into prostitution. It's projected that within just a few short years, human trafficking will surpass drug trafficking in popularity around the US because it's much easier, tougher to track and makes more money. If this doesn't lead us to action, I don't know what does because the truth is that this isn't just an "over there, overseas" kind of problem, it's happening in our own communities around the US. If you click on the link above, you can watch two powerful videos from the New Day for Children web site.

I love that the Covenant empowers women through Jesus Christ and very strongly supports women's ministries because we truly have the power to tackle the terrible violence against women around the world.

Texas Twenty-Four

This past week we spent a whirlwind twenty-four hours in San Antonio for Aaron's company meeting. His boss was so gracious to fly all of the families out, too! We stayed at a beautiful resort and enjoyed every second of our quick stay. I'm amazed by all the fun things we packed into such a short period of time. After everyone arrived on Wednesday evening, we had a great meal and we all chatted for a while. Afterwards, Aaron and I spent time exploring the resort and quite a while in the hot tub. The next morning, Aaron had a meeting and I had a long workout in the gym (a 3 mile treadmill run is FANTASTIC when your machine has its own television!!) Then Aaron and I enjoyed some Starbucks, packed up our stuff, went hot tubbing again (WITH our Starbucks!) and then the whole crew made our way over to the movie theater and we watched Toy Story 3 in 3-D. Let me just say that I think the Toy Story series is the best Disney has ever made! They're absolutely hilarious! After the movie, we trecked over to Red Robin and had lunch. Following lunch, we drove as fast as we could (through the wind and rain and everything else in the wake of the hurricane blowing through the south) and made it to our gate about 20 minutes before we boarded.

Like I said, it was a whirlwind trip, but absolutely wonderful! It taught me how important it is to be spontaneous and to make the most of a small amount of time.

YUM!

I've been busy baking today! I recently decided that I'd start making bread myself instead of buying it. So far, so GOOD. Homemade bread is very tasty, but it is a bit of work. I think when it comes to bread, I already prefer the recipes with the fewest amount of ingredients. Some of them have eggs, milk, buttermilk, etc. and I just don't keep those types of ingredients in the fridge - esp. because of my allergy. This bread tastes so fresh and fluffy. You can't even compare it to store-bought stuff!

The other yummy treat I made is called "Do-It-Yourself Power Bars" from the cookbook Super Natural Cooking by Heidi Swanson. This is a must have for the healthy baking/cooking enthusiast. It was recommended by the friend, Rebecca (thanks girl!) and I've been lovin' it ever since I got it! She's my awesome friend who is constantly introducing me to new fun crafty things and yummy food tips. Don't you just love friends like that?? So now I'm sharing the wealth, too! These bars are SO easy and fun to make....no baking required! And they're packed full of delicious ingredients like dried cranberries and crystalized ginger (YUM!) This recipe is easily varied...I use almonds instead of walnuts. Heidi incorporates natural sugars instead of refined ones and let me tell you, you can taste (and feel) the difference. Try 'em!

Sweet Love!

Ok, following my ridiculous blog-deleting mishap from a few days ago, I knew I was due for a special post. I'm still trying to figure out how I could manage to delete a blog I had spent so long creating. It was all about blasts from the past...pictures from college and the life-long friends who have made life so much sweeter.

I dedicate this post to my dear best friend, Bre. We met my first year at Azusa and have shared so many life experiences together...both the joys and sorrows. True friendship. Boy, that's real life!

Well, Bre and her wonderful man, Jimmy, recently got engaged and I couldn't be more thrilled! The journey of marriage is such an incredible, refining experience...an adventure of sorts and who better to have an adventure with than the one you love!

So here's to Bre - a friendship that will always remain. And here's to Bre and Jimmy as they begin the journey. I love you both!

Oops...

Well, after spending an hour or so writing a blog update, I accidentally deleted it right after I posted it! I have no idea how that happened, by apparently i've forgotten how to use my own blog....Oh well. I suppose i'll find time to post a replacement later.

As Promised....

So I have no idea why, but these pictures posted really blurry and they weren't like that when I edited them with Picnik (my FAVORITE picture editing program...and it's free!)

These just happen to be four pictures of some most treasured moments of the spring thus far. The first, a night out with our neighbors, Gini and Harper. We dazzled ourselves in 80's garb and rocked the night with our favorite local cover band, the Legwarmers. Anyone living in or visiting DC/Baltimore: They're a MUST SEE. Truly one of the best bands around. It's always such a fun time!

The second and third is from a recent trip to Charlottesville, Va. One of the most charming plantation towns and of course, the home of UVA (a little shout-out to our friends Chris and Erica Andresen....and BABY!) We met up with our dear friends, Aaron Watson as well as the Kelley's and enjoyed a sunny Virginia spring day at a local winery. Both Aaron Watson and Eric Kelley were photographers at our wedding. They've become such treasured friends of our's! Eric and his wife Lora were married just after us and they're expecting their first little boy any day now!

The fourth is of Aaron and I from the NeedToBreathe concert just a few weeks ago. We were lucky enough to have my cousin Jason in town from Washington and I had the pleasure of introducing him to my love for bluegrass/rock music. This band just so happens to help make life pretty wonderful. Check them out!

All for now. Until next time!

Dear Blogging World....

It has been such a long time since I've posted anything....well, a few weeks I think. But in the blogging world that's a lot longer - Almost like animal years.

Aaron and I have been pretty consumed with the busyness of life lately. The sun has been shining and we've had unusually warm weather for this time of year, so we've managed to sneak away the past few weekends to enjoy fishing, hiking, kayaking and exploring with friends. We're both reminded how much we loathe winter (once March rolls around and it's STILL 20 degrees) and just how much we LOVE spring. The changing of the seasons is truly a reflection of our loving God. I think of a song as I type this that has a line saying, "for everything must die to rise again." Jesus' life proved that. And the changing of the seasons prove that as well. From winter (when everything seems to die) and then to spring (when everything begins to rise!) I'm looking out my window to see my blooming flowers and the trees full of bright green leaves. I simply love it.

A lot has transpired over the past few weeks and I think the longer I have taken to blog about them, the less I have a desire to. I have many pictures that I'd like to post, but i'll have to save that for a different blog. I think this will be my up-to-date "word" blog. The next one will be my picture blog (with captions since it will cover a few different activities.)

For me, work has been busy. About 5 of our clients had their babies right around the same time. The biggest challenge was that we ran out of car seats (as a non-profit, we can only give out what is donated to us) but God is always faithful to answer our prayers. We lifted it up to Him and we showed up to work yesterday with two car seats annonymously donated on our office steps!! We also had a MOPS group donate $100 in Target gift cards, so I was able to run over there and purchase 2 more car seats! I cannot say clearly enough just how big our God is. I feel like I'm relying on Him daily to meet our needs when it appears impossible. I've found myself thinking, "What am I doing?!? Limiting God based on my own comprehension!" I'm amazed. He shows up. Every. Single. Time.

We are still continuing to get new clients that pose different challenges, but there's always joy in the relationships we build with them - Regardless of their challenging circumstances. Life together: Life is good.

Aaron has been enjoying his work and is making great connections with people at the Pentagon. I'm convinced it's a whole different world there! I'm filled with joy as I see him thriving and I know he's happy. For that, I feel blessed and we are both content with where we're at in life. He's also been busy tying flies for fly fishing which never ceases to amaze me. I posted some pictures on Facebook of this incredible talent he possesses.

The latest on me is that I've begun yet another journey of medical testing. I went to see a new GI specialist and he wanted to run the same procedure I had last summer as soon as possible. I never had a follow-up appointment with my military doc last summer since Aaron got out of the Air Force just a few short days following my last procedure. Since seeing this new doc, I've been informed that I may be at higher risk for a few other things (awesome) so I may be sent for genetic testing and a visit with an oncologist (even more awesome.) In short, I have a handful of unanswered questions and for me, that's the hardest part. I hate waiting. There - I admitted it. I think I just needed to throw that out there. We're praying for wisdom for the doctors i'll be seeing as I move forward, but we're really praying for healing. Like I said, my God never fails me!

Well that's the latest for now. I'll post my picture blog soon, so watch for it!

A Vintage Treasure

I found this hot little number at a vintage shop in Washington while I was visiting. I love the shops downtown Olympia because they're so unique yet still affordable. In case you were wondering...that's almost un-heard of in Alexandria. I paid $14 for this dress (Used...but who cares?) It was a little too big, so I performed some sew-magic and had this puppy at a perfect fit in about 20 minutes! You sure can't beat consignment shopping!

Snap Shots of Washington

I'm back from the best trip (ever!) to Washington. I actually got to see most of my family from both the Gordon and Walton sides. I can't think of any other time when that happened. I only wish Aaron could have been there! It was so special to celebrate Addie's first year of life with a fun birthday bash. She came down with a fever the night before and still had a wonderful time. She's just the world's best kid. She's so happy, funny and FULL of personality! I can't get enough of her. Addie even decided to walk for the first time for her GG and Auntie! She completely surprised herself - She took about 5 steps, landed on her butt, then started clapping. It was so cute and funny, all I could do was laugh and cry at the same time! I love my family so much and couldn't have imagined a better time together. I'm truly, TRULY blessed.

It was only fitting to post this picture with my cousin Jill first. She's blogged about me in her famous running blog and she's amazing! She'll be running her first marathon this Summer. We got in two good runs together while I was in town. It was beautiful - The Cascade Mountains, Mt. Rainier and the Puget Sound all around us. It just doesn't get much better than the PNW!

When you're 4 years old, choosing just one when presented with a plate full of cupcakes is the toughest decision you've ever made. Waiting for a scream...(eek!!)
Nope - We're happy still!!

Sis, GGD, me and Mom (GG)
GG and Oompa's gift to Addie. Her first Radio Flyer wagon!
Birthday festivities
Addie's gift from her auntie and uncle. She LOVES her Rody Horse!
Childhood friends - Tyler and Claudia

First hair cut...somewhat of a tramatic experience, but a lovely look to show for it!

Someone loves ducks...and bath time!

Just the "usual" attitude of this kid!!

Ruston Way - The beautiful Puget Sound!

Mom's side of the family...were we really all together?!? And no, that's not Aaron behind me...only my 7 foot, 18 year old cousin - Ok, 6 feet. But when you're only 5'2, everything just looks ridiculously tall.

Tutu Time!

Old Friends :)

Addie Walked!

Power Smoothies

I'm on this new kick that I thought I'd share. I love most fruits and veggies, but it's not always "easy" getting the right amounts of them. And of course if I have the choice between a fruit or a veggie, usually the fruit wins! I started thinking, "I wonder what it would taste like if I ate them together?" So I tried it! Why not? The result is a super tasty, healthy, vitamin-packed power smoothie! I grab anything from a kiwi to kale and throw it right in the blender along with some ice and liquid (water, your favorite juice, or I use Naked Juice "Green Machine.") I realize it may sound a bit strange, but don't knock it 'til you try it.

To add a little protein, try throwing in half an avocado. I'm a huge fan of avocados - Not only for their taste, but for the fact that they're made up of healthy, essential fats.

Here are a few ideas. If you try this, let me know what you think.

1 kiwi
1/2 banana
4-5 frozen strawberries
1/2 avocado
1 carrot
5-6 kale leaves
3-4 broccoli spears (I don't "recommend using the "tree" part...it doesn't taste as good.)
a few ice cubes
1/2 C. water or juice of your choice (juice will obviously sweeten it a bit more.)

or

4-5 frozen strawberries
1/2-3/4 C. mix of frozen blueberries, respberries and blackberries
1/2 avocado
1 carrot
5-6 kale leaves
5 slices cucumber
a few ice cubes
1/2 C. liquid of choice

It's fun to play around with different ingredients to find what you like. I typically enjoy this for breakfast and sometimes one other time during the day (but not as a meal replacement other than breakfast.)

**I generally use kale (visit the link and scroll down to read about its nutritional value) in every smoothie because it's one of the healthiest veggies known to man. It's extremely anti-inflammatory and packed with antioxidants.

Enjoy!

Purse Project

My friend Rebecca has sure kept me on my game, because I promised I'd finish a craft project before this crazy snow storm was over! Thanks, Becca, for the texts, calls and encouragement! ;)

I've been meaning to fix the strap on one of my favorite purses. It isn't a fancy purse, nor did I pay much for it to begin with, but I absolutely love the size, color and look! So, after searching at the fabric store, I came home with the only pattern I thought would really work. It isn't the best, and Aaron isn't a fan of it (when I asked him what he thought, his response was, "Does it match?") Arg. Thanks, honey!! But he gave me two thumbs up for my creativity. Coming from such a handy guy, i'll take that as a compliment. Of course, the alternative would be a new bag!

Thankfully, this was super easy and took me only about an hour. That means I can always switch it out with something else in the future. Hey, at least I dusted off the sewing machine after about a month of no use!

Snow Crazy

It's official, we are snow crazy AND stir crazy! Since Friday, we got somewhere between 25 and 30 inches of snow. Old Town looked more like the Whistler Ski Resort (fitting, I'd say...) than it did a busy, happenin' city. We ventured out and hiked a bit on Saturday, ending up at the steps of one of the monuments. It had been turned into a snow boarder's haven. Pretty incredible!

Today (Monday), the entire city is bascially shut down still. The metro system can't operate above ground because there's too much snow piled on the tracks. My office runs on the Fairfax County School District schedule, so who knows if we'll even be open tomorrow. And the latest?? Another 6-10 inches in the works and hitting us tomorrow in the early evening! I must say, the snow is beautiful, but will this winter EVER end?!? I'm fairly certain I've asked that dreaded question every year since I've lived here. Thank the Lord for seasons and the hope of Spring!

Explanations

I've found myself unable to blog much for the past few weeks. It isn't because there's a lack of things to share, it's just that I've yet to discover a way to share things that can't be understood outside of the heart.

It's almost conflicting when I realize that most of the work I do is what many would call "depressing" and "overwhelming." When people ask me what I do for work, I often want to blurt out the question: "Do you want the short or the long answer?" Sometimes I can tell when I've explained too much....I might start to really bring the mood down in a conversation. I've come to realize that it isn't purely natural to "want to" walk through the fire with another human being during a time of great brokenness.

As I was catching up today with a friend who is about to embark on a new journey working for an international ministry, God brought these words to me as she and I discussed the amazing places faith in Christ leads us. I said, "Being in a ministry that takes you into the lives of hurting and often over-looked people, leaves your heart in two places. Half of your heart is constantly hurting and broken, but at the very same time the other half of your heart bursts with joy for the incredible miracles the Lord allows you to witness." The world is full of great sorrow - It is easy to get stuck on those things...this I know. But incredible things are still happening!

As I met with my boss yesterday, she shared something with me that really resonated. She said, "Often times we ask ourselves why a loving God would allow so many awful things to happen in the world. But the real question we should be asking is this: How could God not just wipe us all off the face of the earth for the destructive choices that we make." He created us. He could take us all away. It's very humbling to think of life in that way.

The thing I love most, is that I get to share real life with women as we see the good and bad in one another. I'm allowed the opportunity to walk beside someone as we journey through a time of life. She allows me trust - and to love and to help her. What our clients don't always realize is how much they actually bless us. It's incredible and I truly learn so much from them. Someone also said to me recently, "Whoever you come into contact with, always remind yourself: YOU are the worst sinner you know." Leaving any and all judgement behind and thinking of yourself as less than the broken one sitting before you. Since Jesus died to save us all, we are all broken in need of His grace and forgiveness. And it isn't about "getting rid" of anything, but accepting the gift that we could be loved enough to die for. For me, compassion flows out from my very being as I continue to grasp a bit more each day the grace I've been given. And how freeing it is to know that I am not given the power of judgement. That belongs to God alone. But through Jesus, I can be filled with his love and called to share it with women as it breaks our chains of pain and sorrow.

Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends. John 15:13

For ALL have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God, and are justified FREELY by his grace, through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. Romans 3:23-24

Reconciliation

During our Christmas vacation in California, I brough along an amazing book that I could literally not put down. It's such an incredible story that I decided to dedicate an entire blog to share about it.

I don't want to give away important pieces of the story - so I won't - but this is truly one of the greatest books to tell of authentic faith, the bridge from misunderstanding to understanding, reconciliation, compassion, ministry, true friendship, love, struggle and pain. If you haven't read this book, you're missing out on something so imporant and special! I encourage you to visit your local book store or library to pick this up. Grab a box of tissues, because you'll cry and laugh tears. This story will change your perspective and increase your understanding of racial divisions, help you find your true passions in life and will move you to take action. It gave me a renewed compassion for people and helped to re-fuel my faith in a fresh new way. It also taught me that each one of us walks through life with intense joy as well as pain, regardless of what it looks like on the "surface."

This book is another reinforcer as to why I love the work that I'm doing, and a reminder that I ultimately do that work for God, who can do far greater things than I could ever imagine.

Ok, now go out and get the book! Then leave me a note.

First Meredith Christmas

Not a first for any other Meredith but me! And of course, the real first Meredith Christmas for Aaron and I as a married couple was last year. But this Christmas was a big deal for me because it was the first time I hadn't spent this special holiday with my side of the family. And being that it was also Addie's first Christmas, it was a little extra sad to not be with them. But truth be told, I always feel "at home" just as long as I'm with Aaron. I'm not sure about other women, but I didn't really grasp at the time that I was "leaving" my family as soon as my daddy gave me away. It's such an important thing to prepare yourself for as you commit to marriage. I'm wearing my heart on my sleeve as I write this because I did struggle with it at first. But the reality is that I didn't marry Aaron to make decisions in life that centered around anything or anyone else....but him.
We had a wonderful time in Palm Desert, Cal. We spent 9 full days in the sunshine and loved every second! Each day went nearly something like this: eat, run, pool, eat, pool, hotub, read, eat, games, hotub, sleep. And for the boys, golfing was in there just about once a day. Sounds like a pretty nice vacation, eh?
We spent time enjoying our family; visiting and catching up. We missed having Jesse and Jen with us. Aaron, Jesse and Sam have such a unique relationship. They're brothers, but truly best friends. I love the bond they share. My in-laws were down from Alaska, so you can only imagine how great of a mood the sunshine put them in! Sam's awesome girlfriend, Marylin, also came down and I ALWAYS enjoy her. She's simply adorable. We get to see my mother and father-in-law about once a year now, if we're lucky, so reconnecting with them is special. And it was fun to get to know Aaron's Grandpa and Grandma a lot better. Grandpa Dupar has some great stories! And I've returned home with a few lovely knitting creations thanks to the very talented Grandma Dupar!
We made time to revisit some of my old stomping ground when we took a trip up to the Joshua Tree. I have so many great memories of being there with my old Azusa roomate, Julie. We had many fun adventures together! I wouldn't necessarily call the Joshua Tree "beautiful" because it's the desert, but it's one of the most unique places in the world (I think, anyway.)
So here we are back home in 15 degree weather with a chance of snow at the end of this week. Go figure! Southwest "lost" our bags for a little more than 24 hours, but we finally have our stuff back following a day spent with un-brushed hair. I looked pretty cute. Anyway, here are a few pictures from our sunny Christmas!

The Fam

Aaron and his "rough life."

Marylin and Sam

It's all an illusion...

I miss sunsets like this

Family Time

Well i'm a good beat behind, but I wanted to post about my parents fun visit and our trip to NYC and Conn. to see some family. One of the high lights of the trip was finally getting around to seeing the Newseum. It's so typical that I only get out to do these fun things when people come to see us! It's now probably one of my top two favorite museums in DC - Truthfully. They have real pieces of the Berlin Wall, a whole section on 9-11 and so many educational exhibits that remind us how important a role the media has played in US history. I don't always love the media, but this museum really shows the good side of things.

We just had so much fun with my parents. At this point, I only get to see them about 2 times each year, so it's always a special time. Aaron and I are constantly thanking the Lord for our incredible families. We feel so blessed.

We drove up last weekend to Connecticut to see my uncle, Nonz and the kids. Unfortunately, my aunt Tina wasn't in town, so we missed her! It was such a sweet time for my mom to reconnect with her brother since the last time we were all together was at our wedding! Distance sure helps keep things in perspective. It isn't easy being so far away, but it helps us to never take our time together for granted. The kids performed on their violins for us, they took us to see where they go to school and then we went out for ice cream which is always a crowd pleaser! Too bad I just officially found out that i'm allergic to Dairy...and eggs! UGH. What will I do?!?

Anyway, it was very, very cold up north so we didn't stay out as long the day after spending a freezing Friday in the city, but we did get out to catch the incredible sunset on the Long Island Sound. My uncle lives just up the street from a park where you can look out over to the city. It was breath-taking and we had to take some pictures!

It was such a fun experience to see New York City at Christmas time...something Aaron and I have not had a chance to do until now. It really is beautiful! The department stores have the prettiest window displays and I thought I was dreaming when I discovered that the Macys in the city is EIGHT FLOORS. Yes, it's true. Can we say OVERWHELMING?!? Then, that night we went to see The Lion King on Broadway. I'd heard people say it was incredible, but I'm pretty positive there aren't any words to describe it! It amazes me just how creative we can be. Broadway talent never disappoints!

Here are a few pictures that capture our fun time together!

The beautiful Long Island Sound

The fam - Minus Dad and aunt T

One of my favorite Christmas windows at Lord and Taylor

Such an INCREDIBLE show!

Mom and Dad (or GiGi and Oompa...according to Addie!)

This guy proposed to his lovely girlfriend while skating at Rockefeller Center. Hundreds of us got to watch! Super cute!

Simple Pillow Fix

I've had a decorative pillow that I use for our bed, but I was getting a bit tired of the same boring pattern. I found fabric that I LOVE and decided my pillow needed some sprucing up. Even better, the fabric was only $6.99 per yard and when I walked up to the counter to have it cut, we discovered that it was almost to the end of the spool. The woman at the counter offered me the rest at 50% off. Woohoo!! Gotta love it! I don't plan to decorate our entire place with this fabric (ha!), but I love it so much that I'm thinking of other creative ways to use it. Right now, I'm working on a little shoulder bag with a different fabric. If I like how it turns out, I may use the leftovers for that.

I enlisted Aaron's help for the button in the middle (he squeezed it down for me as I threaded). I found this little vintage thing at a shop in Arlington and it was just what I was looking for. It ran about $3.

The best thing about this pillow project is that it only took me about 30 minutes. I just re-covered the pillow I already had. It was easy to measure the fabric and you avoid the mess of pillow stuffing. Plus, I can always just remove this new fabric and re-cover it again in the future. Lovin' the easy fixes!

The Day Ahead

If any of you think about it, please pray for me today. It's just going to be a an extra challenging day at work, but I know God is in control.

I just listened to these words from a new song by Casting Crowns called "To Know You." If you haven't heard this album, go listen to it!

"To know you, is to know the pain of the broken-hearted, 'cause they can't live without you."

And neither can I!