Wordless Wednesday

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Segovia, Spain

We went to Segovia today.  You can read about Segovia wiki-style here. I thought about giving you the historical run-down myself because I strive to educate and inform on this here blaaaawwwgggg...but I'm really tired from the eight miles of walking and a staircase that just about killed me...literally! 

Instead of describing everything I'll let these pics speak for themselves since each one is worth a thousand words...

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Test...Test...Test...

I just got back from a walk to the neighborhood farmer's market and butcher shop.  I forgot to take the camera or my phone so I don't have any of those great shots to share, but I will go back and I will be sure to take a lot of pictures when I do! Until then, I thought I would show you a bit of what we did yesterday...

So yesterday we did test shots in preparation for today's shoot.  There was a lot of this going on...standing around talking about where this and that should go and then there'd be a flurry of activity to adjust then more standing around, then adjustments, then more discussion...

The Music Man was blissfully happy in the the incredibly sound proof studio.  I, on the other hand, did this all afternoon...

That's me running the clapper and Pastor Saba who is doing all the video and narration for this project.  He is a pastor in Burkina Faso of a large church (about 500).  He is also a professor at the Bible schools and he also serves as the Assistant General Secretary of the Burkina Faso Assemblies of God.  

  Those are the tools of my temporary trade...the clapper, clipboard, and powder. And this is one of the hazards of my temporary trade...

Dry erase marker on my jeans...

:::

Tomorrow we are headed sightseeing in a town about an hour from here.  I would tell you the name of it, but I can't remember it.  We will take lots of pictures and hopefully post them tomorrow evening.  Sunday we will spend the day in Madrid...church in the morning and sightseeing in the afternoon. And of course we will take lots of pictures and post them as soon as we can.

Adios!

A tour of our room and other musings...

 So I thought I would take you on a bit of a tour of where we are staying.  I believe that IMM built this building and customized it for their specific needs.  On the first floor are the studios and editing rooms (all state-of-the-art).  There are also a number of offices and a storage room for sets.  There is also a workshop where they make those sets. The second floor is where the main IMM offices are as well as a kitchen and conference room.  The third floor is where the interns and MAPS workers live.  This is where we are staying.  There are several suites like ours and a shared kitchen and living room.  The top floor attic is where the costumes are stored.  (We're headed up to see that as soon as I'm done with this post.)

This is where we are sleeping.  (I almost wrote "staying" but we really haven't been in this room much more than to sleep and shower.  At some point I will take you on a tour of sorts of the IMM facilities.) 

This is where I am sitting right now... 

This is my view as I look out the window...

Hello bathroom!  How are you?

This is looking into the room from the terrace doors towards the bathroom...

The IMM courtyard...

The view beyond...

The view to the left from our terrace...

And the view to the right...

So that's where we are... A few people have teased us that we are "suffering" for the Lord and I just wanted to share a few thoughts...  While there are many places in this world where poverty, disease, and suffering are a very severe reality, there are also places that are much more similar to what we as Americans are used to.  I think the term "missions trip" contains a preconceived notion that we were headed to the bush jungle to sleep on dirt floors.  Many Americans have a hard time thinking of missions work beyond that.  This is an out-of-the-box concept, especially for one who holds a degree in Cross Cultural Studies--ME!!!  Never in my missions training and background were we taught about trips and ministries such as this and IMM.  It is so refreshing and exciting to see God moving behind the scenes and I think one of God's purposes of this trip for me personally is to show me that "missions" can be anything.

We are participating in the making of a video that will be used in those bush jungles to teach believers the Word, as well as an evangelistic tool for those who have yet to hear the name of Jesus.  We are doing the behind-the-scenes work that is vital in order for those missionaries who are in the bush jungles.  So I guess this trip might be better described as a business trip for the Kingdom rather than a typical missions trip.

So I guess to bring this all together, I would encourage you to consider where God has placed you in life.  God moves outside of the ordinary.  There are no rules when it comes to the Kingdom of God.  The only rules are the ones you set for yourself.

Hola!

We made it!

And so did all of our luggage!

I honestly don't think that I have ever been on an easier, more uneventful flight in my life! No problems at security.  No turbulence.  A few snotty flight attendants, but nothing major.  It took us 30 seconds to get through customs.  Seriously!

We are settled into our suite here at IMM and I even got us unpacked.  It feels good to be settled.  (I took a great picture of our view from the terrace but for some reason my it's not cooperating with me. So just imagine the spanish countryside in your head and that's about what the picture would look like only better.)

The Music Man is already in the studio.  Big surprise, right! He's like a kid in a candy store. I have to say though, that for this non-techno-gadget girl, even I was impressed by the set-up they have here. IMM has the hook up!  It's good to serve the Most High King! Over the next few days I will take you on a virtual tour of their facilities here.

Tomorrow we start production on the video shoot we came to help with.  I get to man the clapper.  Not that clapper!  This clapper...

...I think...

I feel very important and totally hollywood to do this.  Let's all pray I don't completely screw up and make a total fool of myself.  Not like it would be the first missions trip that I found myself looking like a complete idiot, but I'm now older and let's hope a bit wiser.

On a random sidenote...Google is in Spanish here.  I know you're thinking, of course! You are in Spain, but I was surprised that it automatically updated itself to the local language.  Now I have to google the spanish terms on the google page to find what I'm looking for on the google page.

Wait, what?

I'll be posting as much as I can.  Wi-fi is great here so life is good!

Adios!

Let's not be hasty.

We are leaving in less that 6 hours and I have most of the packing to do. I would rather do anything other than packing. Just ask my mom. She's usually been the one packing me at the absolute last minute for my whole life.

Take for example the night
before my wedding... After the rehersal dinner I went back to my parents house to finish packing for our honeymoon. I had taken a sleeping pill on the way home, so to say I was doing really good to sit upright is an understatement. While I layed on the bed, my mom packed my suitcases. (Yes I said suitcasES.) I lasted 10 minutes and she was left to finish on her own only she didn't know what all I wanted.

Fast forward to after the wedding and reception: we went back to my parents house to change and pick up my luggage AND SO I COULD FINISH PACKING.

Fast forward to after the honeymoon: I lived out of my honeymoon suitcases for a week before we finally went over to my parents and packed up my room and my life.

So you see. I'm not one to rush into packing.


- Posted from my iPhone

And this is where I planned to give you all the little details...

about how this trip to Spain came about as I remember them...

Instead I found a journal entry from December 31, 2009 that I wrote about our upcoming trip to Spain, the last minute whirlwind of my man going to Africa, and other trips we had a feeling were coming our way this year.  (Those other trips are already in the making! Can you even believe it?!)

I think it still sums up perfectly how I feel as I prepare the final details for our trip next week.  I still feel like I'm a total misfit, but as always, I am willing to go wherever He wants and do whatever He wants.  I'll be honest and tell you that a part of me is scared to death, another part is a bundle of nerves, and another part is just plain excited.

LORD, what do you have for us in 2010?!?!  Certainly more that we have ever thought or even imagined!  I am beyond blown away at your great love and faithfulness to us.  Don’t you know how screwed up we are?!  We’re a collection of misfits.  Surely there are others who have it together, but yet here You are sending us.  We have always said that we will go where You lead.  We will do what You ask of us.  Never looking to our own gain, but trading it all in for a lifetime spent in Your care.

International Media Missions

So you know we're headed to Spain on a missions trip, but this isn't any ordinary missions trip. As far as we know, there won't be any street ministry or orphanage visiting.  In fact, we may not even speak at a church or share our testimonies!  Instead, we will be working with some amazing people from an organization by the name of International Media Missions.

Simply put they combine media with missions.  More specifically they produce and distribute media throughout the world for other ministries, missionaries, and national churches. It's really a cutting edge organization.  Here's a bit about them from their website...

Through programming, media development, engineering, and media training, IMM is enabling people to influence their own countries for Christ.

Our Mission
: To establish a global witness of Jesus Christ through media by Training, Empowering, Assisting, and Motivating missionaries, national churches, and lay Christians to use media effectively in their culture, language, and nation.

train: Media training for students who are missions conscious

empower: Placing evangelism and discipleship tools in the hands of nations

assist: Partnering in media production and engineering services

motivate: Offering media awareness seminars to open minds, release imagination, and explore new opportunities.

The details of what we will do while we're gone are still being formulated. The Music Man is incredibly gifted in the area of audio production. He'll be putting those gifts to use recording a Bible translation project for the national church of Burkina Faso. I believe that this is the main project he'll be working on. There may be smaller "side" projects as well.

As far as I know, there is nothing specific planned for me while I'm there.  I've heard mention of them possibly needing some help in their offices.  (Hello filing cabinet!!!! Oh please let it involve some sort of organization!  Oh please Oh please!!!) I have long been praying for God to plan some awesome appointments for me in addition to whatever IMM has planned.  

Up tomorrow.... a little story about how this trip came to be.

T-minus 7 days and counting...

In roughly 182 hours The Music Man and I will leave our children with my mother and fly across the Atlantic Ocean to spend the next two weeks in Madrid, Spain. International Media Missions, based in Madrid, invited us to come and contribute to some projects they are currently working on. (And when I say that WE will be working on them, I mean The Music Man will be working on them.)

I will be blogging our trip as much as possible, which should be pretty regularily, considering we are going to Madrid and not on some African safari.  Although The Music Man did text his way through his African safari so I guess I really have no excuse NOT to blog my way through Spain, right?

This week is jam packed with to-do lists to check off.  I haven't made a list of my lists yet, but trust me, I will.  On one of those to-do lists is listed "Post about upcoming trip." Real specific, huh?  So that's what you get this week.  A bunch (or one or two) posts about where we're going, how we're working with, and what we'll be doing while we're there.

Disfrutar!


(That means enjoy in Spanish, although I'm not really sure.  I just googled it.  I don't really know any Spanish, so it could mean Paco is chewing gum for all I know.)

The last blast from the past...

As I conclude this week's study on posts of yore, I thought I'd share some of the drafts that didn't make the cut as re-posts of their own. They didn't make the cute because well, they were titles and nothing else. Apparently I thought that the title along would be able to inspire me no matter when I got back to it.

How'd that work out for me, you ask?

Not so well.

:::

Minimal Maintenance - That could literally be about anything. I vaguely remember that the idea was actually really good, but since I wrote myself no notes as to what that idea was....we'll never know if it was good or not.

Did you? - Did I what? I have no idea. Maybe did you vote??? Possibilities are endless.

Google-ite! - Now this one I do remember what I was going to write about but I have since incorporated it into an upcoming, to-be-published, scheduled post (that may or may not ever get posted, beacause, hello! have you been reading the posts this week?).

:::

There were more but I've already deleted them and we are well aware of my memory performance, so let's just leave it at three for today. Mkay!?

BTW...tomorrow's my birthday just in case you were wondering!

What I'm NOT Doing...

Original post date was to have been two years ago today. Hmm... What I'm NOT doing today, two years later...

1. Being pregnant
2. Having pity party about baby showers
3. Whining about my upcoming birthday
4. Getting a pedicure

:::

Today and tomorrow are supposed to be a day of doing household projects in preparation for this little karate kid in my belly. I told The Music Man yesterday that I'm loosing that nesting feeling and delayed 2nd trimester energy fast. I am becoming more and more uncomfortable and my feet are beginning to swell just a bit. There is still so much to do, and I'm afraid that my motivation has peaked and is now waning. I've moved from nesting to desperately wanting to finally hold this baby in my arms, not my belly.

So, this is what's on the agenda for the weekend:

1. Rearrange the kids' bedroom to make room for baby.
2. Clean out the bathroom closet and cupboards to make room for all the stuff currently residing on the changing table.
3. Dig out remaining baby gear from the shed and figure out what is still usable and what needs to be replaced.
4. Make a master list of everything else that needs to be bought before we are ready for baby.
5. Name this baby.

It might not sound like much to you, but it is so overwhelming to me, especially given the fact that The Music Man is in the basement on the phone with the IRS and has been for the past hour with no sign of hanging up anytime soon. In addition I've been watching A Baby Story and it's making me sad. I'm so ready to be the one delivering and bring my baby home.

:::

(WARNING: What follows can only be described as a full blown pity party. I'm sorry to do this to you, but this is my blog and my journal of sorts. Besides I'm very pregnant and emotional so I need your pity and support. Ok, here goes...)

On another semi-related note, I'm a little bummed out. Call me crazy, but why are there no baby showers given for second babies? It just seems like no one feels the need to celebrate this second baby's upcoming arrival or the fact that I am miraculously pregnant after two miscarriages. This may sound selfish, but I just don't get it. This time around I am far from any family, which is making this harder yet.

Don't get me wrong, my friends here are excited about this baby, but it's just not the same as having my family close. There are so many times when I have wanted to work on something for the baby with my mom or sisters, but can't because they're hundreds of miles away. I miss them and the excitement they have over this little addition to our big family.

And, oh my goodness, so many of my girlfriends here read this blog and I don't want anyone to think I'm fishing for a baby shower. That's not why I'm writing this. Maybe it's just because it's rainy outside today which is making me a little down and out.

And, I need a pedicure.

AND I'm turning 30 on Thursday and it will most likely be a day like every other, but it's a huge deal for me!

Why, oh why, is my family scattered all over so far away from me. I need them here!!!

From My DVR

Originally scheduled for posting on September 28, 2008...

:::

I love my DVR.  There is no greater invention than the DVR.*  I have decided that there is no reason why I shouldn't live out the remainder of my days watching recorded television.  It has given my family freedom like we have not know a part from life with Jesus!  No longer are ruled by tv.  Your favorite shows on at 8, but your meeting goes till 815?  No worries!  It'll be on The List.  The kids won't go to bed and it's causing you to miss The Office season premiere?  Fuhgettaboutit!  It's on The List!  You want to see the re-runs of The Real Housewives of the OC, but The Rachel Zoe Project is on at the same time?  The List will have them both!  What entertaining bliss this little device offers!

I don't watch live television any more, unless it's the morning news.  I can't do it, I tell you.  The commercials are enough to send anyone to the looney bin.  They're so obnoxious!  And don't even get me started on shows like The Biggest Loser!  I love it, but I hate, HATE, THE GAME.  If you watch this show, you know just what I mean.  So a two-hour show of nothing but DRAMA, only takes about 35 minutes of my time.  I just fast forward through all the commercials and pointless interviews about who said what about so-and-so.  Beautiful.  

I thought that perhaps I would take post about the different shows I watch from time to time.  The other night my post was written while I was watching Project Runway from the week before.  (That post is the one below this piece of golden blogging.)

Today, we're going to discuss my new love, The Rachel Zoe Project.  Ahhh...cheesy reality shows about quasi-famous people and their drama-filled, ratings-choreographed daily lives.  Waste of valuable time or useful tool for greater appreciation of my own beautiful life void of drama?

Anyway, back to Rachel Zoe (Zoh, not Zo-ey).... Isn't she pretty?  She's fashion.  She's blonde.  She's bi-coastal.  She's just plain fun to watch!

For those of you who are thinking, "Huh?  Who is Rachel Zoe?"  This is what Bravo has to say...

The Rachel Zoe Project is a docu-drama that follows celebrity stylist Rachel Zoe and her trusted inner circle -- husband Rodger and fashion team, Taylor and Brad -- as they endeavor to take Zoe's business to the next level. In the series, the perfectly styled, go-to force among "it" starlets, fashion houses, beauty firms, and magazine editors will give viewers a fly on the wall look at how she juggles constant deadlines, fashion shows, and celebrity clients. 

This last week the team was in NYC for fashion week and Brad and Taylor 

*Ok, so maybe there are inventions greater than the DVR.  The wheel--that was a pretty good one.  Sliced bread--that was another smart idea.  Oh and that whole electricity thing worked out ok, too.


:::

As you can see I never got past gushing about Rachel Zoe.  Rightfully so!  She's worth an entire post!  Someday I will do a post about what's on my dvr because I think it would cathartic to let the world know about all my tv watching habits.

You're on pins and needles waiting for that post aren't you!?

Give me a few years and I'll get right on that!

Miss Pro Nunciation

So I happened to be looking through some old post-drafts that I started and never finished.  This is one from 2007.  It's been 3 years in the making and I know once you read it, you will know why it has taken me this long to finish.

:::

cume-cumbers - cucumbers

frig-er-aver - refrigerator

ever you say so - Whatever you say

pop-pa-scle - popsicle (although she says it correctly now)

:::

That's it folks...That's all I had in the draft and that's all you get today.

Sometimes three years allows one to realize how much can be said in just a few words.

It's not always necessary to go on and on about a matter.  This can speak for itself if left to it.

I learned that it's not always better to give a long description to a post.  You get it.  You're smart people.  That's why we get along.

So I won't go on and tell you that this was going to be a cute and witty post about how my girl (then almost three years old) says different words.

 I also won't tell you about how she went on to say eleventeen and no matter what I refused to tell her that it wasn't a real number.  Gosh darn it, eleventeen is still my favorite number.  It's right up there with cume-cumbers!

So there you have it.

Short and sweet and to the point.

Without all the unneeded fluff of wordy words.

Words just for words sake.

Blast from the past...

I originally started this post on January 11, 2008.  I was about 4-5 months pregnant with my boy...

:::

Thought you might like to know that my son is kicking me like crazy right now.

:::

I have no idea where I was headed with this post.  It looks more like a text message or tweet than a blog post.  But who can possibly know the mind of me.

Why mess with a good thing?

My man's been gone for a few days. When he leaves I have a tendancy to find a great outfit and wear it till it can stand on it's own. The past few days have been no different.

Buuuut with the desire to "keep it real" and show you how I roll on this blog, I thought I'd document this outfit that can now stand on it's own.

Ready???

(Compelling content here, huh?)


Cute, right? That's the sweater my man bought me last week. What I put under that sweater has changed throughout the week but the sweater has stayed the same almoat everyday. (There was that one day when I threw all caution to the wind and wore a sweatshirt.)

The jeans are none other than the most awesomest pair of jeans Gap has ever sold! Ever! And they were a bit of a splurge but oh! so worth it!


The tank needed a close up because it's too cute for a wide angle. It's from that little Miley Cyrus girl who somehow got herself a clothing line at the Walmarts. You know the one who's dad had a wicked mullet and sang about his achey breaky heart back in the day. I think she may have a tv show too, but I'm not up to snuff on the tweeners shows.

Annnnyyyywwaaaaayyyy...huge steal for $3. And as The Music Man would say, "it has a tasteful use of sequins."


A close up of my hair because let's face it...doing that requires a fair amount of flexibility and I thought you'd like to know that I'm flexible.



Cute shoes, no?


Because I'm a dork.


Because I'm weird.


And because you're still reading this silly post.

Now for a close up confession...see this?


That little bunch of hair is being rebellious today. It refuses to stay in the braid where it belongs. But see what happens when I don't hold the end of the pony tail up? It goes away.


No one would ever know I have rebellious hair as long as I don't go around holding my braid up in the air.


- Posted from my iPhone

You can change how you roll.

Do you remember my Cathartic Confession I made the other week? No? Ok, well, in a nutshell, I have this absurd fear of actually getting what I have so-long desired and prayed for. WHAT. THE. HECK?! Who does that! And why would someone be afraid of that. Don't you think when you see it up ahead, you'd go running after it?

Apparently that's not how I roll. I roll in fear of that most of the time. Or so I thought...

My beautiful sister-friend Anissa (who has birthed the most amazing niece and nephews this auntie could have ever imagined!--Hey Kidlets!!!) and I were talking about this ridiculous fear I have. Later, she sent me an email that was so powerful it just about blew my head off. Seriously! In one short paragraph it summed up EXACTLY what is at the root of my fear.

"Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It's not just in some of us; it's in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others." -Marianne Williamson Isn't that what we're all really afraid of? We're not afraid of those things that we've been longing and praying for. No way! We wouldn't pray for those things and dream about them if we didn't truly want them. What we're afraid of is being who we were always meant to be and what we were always meant to be is awesome! God doesn't create duds. He only creates awesome. We are awesome. It's taken me time to marinate in that word and soak it all up. I wish I could sit here and type out that I have conquered that old nasty beast of fear, but for me it's a process of letting go. Or better still, it's a process of going so deep in Him that there is no room left for any fear. There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear: because fear has torment. He that fears is not made perfect in love. 1 John 4:18. For God has not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind. 2 Timothy 1:7 So here's my question for you: What are you so afraid of?

It's been awesome so far...***

I put too much creamer in my coffee. Awesome.



Came terrifyingly close to dropping yogurt in my phone. So close, my heart's pounding just recalling the episode. Awesome.




My boy won't eat his breakfast. Awesome.



My man is leaving for a couple of days. Awesome.



I have to go grocery shopping with kids in tow. Awesome.



I have nothing to wear for Easter. Awesome.



I have a load of laundry in the washer that's been there for three days. I wash it and promptly forget about it till the next day. Then I have to wash it all over again. Today will be washing #4. Awesome.



I think I let an unedited, unfinished post be automatically published yesterday. If so, it may not be recoverable now that it's "out there." Awesome.




On a lighter note...

With the absence of my man I will have the whole flannel-sheeted bed to myself for two nights.

Awesomest.



Thinking I might just stay there for the next three days.



***I wish this was all one big April Fool's joke. That would be awesome.


- Posted from my iPhone