changed

because i have taken the train to slc the past two days i have listened to music and done various things (like blogging - i am on my way to slc now) on the train. i like it, especially when it is not crowded. a song i came across is called changed by phil joel from his deliberate people cd. it is about how Jesus changes us and continues to change us. my favorite part comes near the end when he lists things that have changed in him because of Jesus. they are things i pray will change in my own life: 

You have changed the way i do everything

You have changed the way i wear my wedding ring

You have changed the way i treat my family

You have changed the way i see all my friends

You have changed the way i spend my time

You have changed the way i use my mind

You have changed the things i spend money on 

You have changed everything i ever thought was mine

You have changed my emotions

You have steadied me

You have changed my eyes and what i let them see 

You have changed the course of my history

thank God You're still changing me

the frontrunner is fine, if you're not late

today and tomorrow i am attending an economic training seminar in salt lake. the two day conference is free and i will receive professional development credits for it. the only thing i have to promise is to use it once in my classroom this year, no problem. because it is in salt lake i rode the train. i didn't want to ride with pete because he leaves too early. i was planning on being 30 minutes early leaving me plenty of time to get on trax and find my way around. well, that did not happen. i missed my first train because bella threw-up in her kennel last night. the second train was on time, but we had to wait for about 8 minutes in roy (i am not sure why). it is now 8:00 and we just passed bountiful. the conference starts at 8:30! i am not going to make it on time, story of my life. i enjoy the train because so far i have emailed the guy to tell him i am late, read an article on the country i am assigned to, checked my email, and blogged. if i had driven (which i should have, the traffic was fine) i would not have been able to do those things. good-bye for now, i hope your morning was a bit smoother than mine. i hope to blog about jamaica soon. 

viva las - utah!

i am back in the states and had a great time in jamaica. the picture is after 12 hours of travel time. there is a lot to process. i will be at church tomorrow (today) hope to see you there. happy birthday mom, your party will be fun. love you all and thanks for praying for us if you did. more to come, 

amy 

viva las - may pen!

hi from las vegas! just an update, we are doing great, only two more flights to go! pray that we have an awesome time and nothing gets lost. God is already teaching me things - like, it is good for me to write my thoughts. 

here is a picture of my "buddies" we keep each other from getting lost

love you all - more to come i hope

jamaica here we come!

the house is clean, laundry almost finished, dog fed, and the bags are packed. i finally found time to post as i wait for pete to come home. tonight i fly to jamaica for our mission trip! i am excited and nervous. for such a tiny island there is a lot to know about jamaica that i don't know. i would like you, as my friends, to pray for me and the team as we attempt to let go of ourselves and let God use us how He wills. a few things i am expecting and praying about:

i pray God will use me in a great way, and i will notice it.

i want to be a person of encouragement to my team, with no complaining.

i pray for a renewed awe of who God is and how great and mighty He is. 

i want to notice God's work in those around me (and tell them when i do)

i pray i will find time everyday to spend with just me and God.

those are a few things i am praying for and if you want to pray too that would be great. verses i chose to help me on this trip are:

philippians 2.3-4

galatians 5.13

thank you for your support in my life and i hope you have fun this week

love amy

evening in south weber

tonight i went to my parents house after Bible study because my grandparents were there and sarah thought i should be there (my grandparents are really funny sometimes, but only if you are in the same room.) the following pictures are a recap of the evening. my mom wanted to hang some lights on the patio; my dad did most of the work, my grandpa helped in his own way, and i, my grandma, and sarah took pictures (sometimes of each other).

this is my grandpa, climbing on the wrong side of the ladder! we yelled at him a bit. he was handing my dad a hammer

mario came and watched the process. i'm sure he was thinking, "how many people does it take to hang some lights?" he was also thinking, "that old guy keeps making noises at me"

for about 30 seconds, my grandpa made meow sounds at the cat. it was so funny because my brother does the same thing.

the finished lights, aren't they nice?

sarah, doing a crazy dance

also, i took a picture of a hummingbird on the front porch

update

hi friends,

i haven't written in a while. i am less busy and more busy at the same time but i will try to update the blog frequently. i thought i would update you on the things happening this summer.

1. i finished my writing class and it was great. i will now be more conscious of the writing i assign my students and the purpose it provides. i also have a renewed desire to be a better writer myself, sample work coming to a blog near you.

2. now that i am finished with class i can focus on jamaica! we are leaving the evening of the 17th. i am not prepared, but getting there. please pray that i can clear my mind, get everything ready, and not come back with a sickness of some kind.

3. carrie is coming today! she will be here for a week so make sure to get in on the hang out time.

4. we decided against a new dog, for now. bella is getting older so she is better behaved and two dogs does not seem helpful to us as the humans who have to take care of them.

5. my summer seems to be slipping away leaving no time for actual work. i need to get ready for next year! ahhhh

6. i am running the huntsville 5k on friday. i am not in great shape, but it should be fun. if you want to make t-shirts we should do it tomorrow! if not, oh well.

that is all for now. i am also enjoying more books. if there are books you think i should read for sure, let me know.

hope your summer is relaxing