Happy Weekends

Ok. Here I sit on a cloudy Sunday morning. I have been asking God to wake me up early (when the 1st alarm goes off). And, I seem only to be able to do so on Sunday mornings. Is that ironic or what?!

We have had a busy weekend. We helped pack and move one of our dear friends, Xavier and Erin. It is very sad to me that we only just began being friends with them. David and Xavier get along famously; Erin and I were just beginning to craft together. I am going to miss them much. But, they have God's call on their lives. They are heading west to Missouri. I cannot wait to get the report from them about their journeys and how God has continued to guide their paths. He's been so good so far!!

I updated my "ticker". I lost another pound by Saturday. Felisha, the kids and I have gone to the pool 2 times this week and swam. I had meant to on Friday but ended up being part of the move crew. We will try to continue this next week. Her kids are getting more and more independent in the water. Maybe Felisha will one day too.

We started putting together a website for Felisha. She will be making purses and diaper bags. I have ordered one from her. I even got to pick the fabric I wanted, how fun was that!! I will post more once I have her site more functional, of course I will be putting pictures up here once I have my bag.

Christa.

Things to consider

Well, too much going on to get into much detail.

We have friends moving to Missouri. We have new job prospects, one of which is in Houston. We have lots going on at church. Too much.

Our business is growing. But, it seems to be getting more and more difficult to run. Things are panning out as smoothly as it seems they should.

I feel like I am dog-paddling in a pool, barely keeping my head above water. Things keep getting crazier and crazier. It will end soon? Right?

PWOC - Kick Off Program

We also just finished our Kick Off Program on Unity. It was once again WONDERFUL. We have Becky Shirey speak. The board had heard her at the leadership conference. It was a great pep talk with major spiritual focus.

I used international flags to drape on the tables and chair backs. We have cheese and chocolate fondue and all the dippables you could imagine.

Once again, great!

Welcome Tea

The Welcome Tea for PWOC was wonderful. It was on Saturday August 18.

We had 2 hours to get it together. Eight dining tables with teapot centerpieces. Three buffet table with ivy. Ferns across the front.

I will TRY to write more later!

Weekends

Here it is.. hmmmm.. Sunday evening. I have had a long weekend.

Friday night I had a PWOC board planning "retreat" at the Officers Club on base. It was nice, BUT the air conditioner was OUT! So, it was *very* hot. We worked on figuring out our skills, passions, attitudes, etc. It was an interesting night.

I woke up early on Saturday and finished working on my programs for the year with PWOC. I brought a fan to the final 10-6 meeting. It was applauded. :) We worked more on our strengths and weaknesses and then went to work on planning on the year. One thing we failed to accomplish was to learn of Felisha's (our president) vision for the coming year, and then to state our goals for the year. We tried and tabled them only succeeding in making very generic goals.
1. To reach the women in the pews at RAFB chapel.
2. To reach the women of RAFB.
3. To strengthen the women of PWOC in their Christian walk.

Ok. Those are nice, but we didn't plan how to accomplish those. It was disheartening. There were many, "we didn't do this or that last year", "I didn't like this last year", "You offended me here or there when I came to PWOC", etc. I tried to make my comments constructive but positive. There were many prayers going up during the "retreat".

Last night David and I went to the Atlanta Bread company. It was good, I had a Greek salad. We then went to our favorite shopping strip and I headed to Michael's while David headed to Books a Million. We drank coffee and David picked up 2 more computer books. He loves that place.

I picked up a few things for next week's "work" Sunday for the PWOC welcome tea. I am getting more and more excited about putting that together. Since our theme is "unity to let the world know" I am doing an International Tea. We will have tea and desserts from around the world. I have asked Kitty to make some German cookies, Sharon to make some Korean tea and cookies. I will be asking Ms. Faynetta to make some lace cookies, and to borrow her silver tea service for the meeting. I am hoping to ask Ms. DiAnne from Mississippi to come up for the weekend. We shall see.

I am also planning on using tea pots filled with fresh ivy for the centerpieces. I will be making and buying small country flags to put into the tea pots. I will then make up a small fact-sheet about the country of which I have flags. I will put on it the country's motto, bird, etc. I am hoping to research some Christian facts or maybe some "Voice of the martyr's" info about some of the 3rd world countries around the world. This way I can put some prayer facts for each of the countries as well. I want to make up a few index cards at each table as well that will have those facts on them and make it something that the women can take home with them and continue to pray about. Again, we shall see. That's a lot to get together before next Sunday when I have the work day.

The tea will be on Aug. 19th. I plan to take lots of pictures and of course have an update here. :)

Anyways, today was the last day of our senior Protestant chaplain, Burrell. They had a fish fry in his honor, and of course we had a "hail" for our new senior Protestant chaplain Page. This will become confusing at some point. We have a Ch. Payne and a Ch. Page. Whew.. His family seems nice, we are looking forward to working with him at PWOC, he's our new guy! I need to get back to work on the house, that's what I've finished the weekend off with.

We received rain this weekend as well. Thank God, prayers never cease to answered around here. I've planted a few new things in the garden and around in the beds. I was hoping I wouldn't have to water every day for the next week. God is soooooo good.

Til later..
Christa.

New job..

Ok, whew!

I got a new job. It has consumed more time than I thought it would.
I am excited still about it. It just keeps me on my toes, and limits my time
at home.

The neat thing about the job, is almost everyone one of you has seen one or used one of our products. It's pretty cool. We put promotional sayings and icons on pencils and markers.

:) Anyways, I need to get my laundry done, and also work on a few websites with David before bed. I'll try to post more soon.

HUGS AND LOVE,
Christa.

PWOC program

We had our first PWOC program last night. Things were crazy in trying to get it together. Everything from moving from the chapel annex into a tent, to last minute changes in availablity of chairs and tables. It was crazy.

Our speaker was RIGHT ON TARGET. The program flowed and we had a good time. I am exhausted though.

:) I will try to write more later and possibly get a few pics up too.

new post.... holder

holding space for new post!

General Thanks..

We are doing very well. We are so incredibly blessed, I cannot put into words all the things God in continually doing in our lives. It truly amazes me.

Georgia is probably the prettiest place I've ever lived or visited. We have had round after round of flowering trees, bushes, plants, bulbs, you name it. I am in awe. I spend about 2 hours every other day outside in our yard. I have started a herb garden. A welcoming neighbor sent over about 10 transplants from her garden, so I've dug up new areas around the house to plant the various azaleas, wisteria, camelias and dogwoods. The town we live in is a military town. They are so welcoming and warm.

We have gotten really involved with the base chapel. There are 3 groups of people who attend there. The Catholics, the Protestants, and the Muslims. We are obviously involved with the Protestants. There are 3 different Protestant church services on Sunday, and about 10 different Bible studies to enjoy. I have really fallen in love with this group of women called the Protestant Women of the Chapel. http://www.pwoconline.org/

May 1st..

It's May Day. I'm researching what that exactly means. I seem to recall it having to do with War? and poppy flowers? I'll post more when I know more. :)

Let's see, I have lots to write about, and I don't have time. So, I'll BBL!

UPDATE: So, I was SOOOOOO totally wrong. May Day has something to do with Workers rights, here's a link to a full definition at Wikipedia.

Home Again, Home again, Jiggidy dig..

Our chapter has about 50 women involved, and we recently attended our Spring Retreat (42 women attended!) I haven't been on a church retreat since Youth camp when I was in 9th grade(?).

We left on Friday at 1pm after Financial Peace University. The ride was nice on the bus. I sat with Gloria. Felisha brought Scene-It a DVD game, guess who won?

We got in and cleaned up and then headed to dinner. It was good too. We then we met with our speaker for the weekend, Linda Evans Shepherd, author of The Potluck Club. She has an amazing testimony. She was fantastic. Our speaker at the retreat said that she "loved coming to PWOC meetings, because looking out into the audience gave her a glimpse of what Heaven might be like". I thought I might get away with some "retreating" while we were there, but it didn't happen. I roomed with Felisha and we stayed up late Friday and Saturday nights. We have many things in common. I would have NEVER guessed. I am so glad she picked me! The room was GORGOUS, new, and roomy.

We spent Saturday afternoon in downtown St. Simmons Island. We walked around, had ice cream and coffee. Oh the fun. Some of the ladies bought books, others bought shirts, and others bought some beautiful things.

The weekend went by very quickly. I ended up skipping the bus ride home and went back with Mabelle. She is such a hoot. I love spending time with her. I learned A LOT about PWOC in the 4 hour drive. Just don't tell David about the Krispy Kreme donuts!

David had the grill fired up when I got home, we had steaks and some yummy veggies. He is SO good to me.

And... We're off!

I'm heading off to the PWOC Spring retreat. I am excited!!

I get back on Sunday evening.

Elden, my brother, was taken to the ER last night. He had to have his appendix taken out. Mom called this morning and let me know he was out in recovery and stable. He was going to give mom a call later after he woke up, according to the nurse.

PWOC Board application

This is a serious decision that the women of PWOC do not take lightly.

I have to answer the following questions and include them in my application. (yikes!)

1. What has PWOC meant to you personally?
2. How as God been preparing you for service on this local PWOC Board? Please indicate any previous experience with PWOC or other ministries within the chapel.
3. Besides PWOC and other chapel ministries, what job or volunteer experience do you have that would prepare you to work on this Board?
4. Do you have any job, volunteer or special family commitments during the next 2 years?
5. Which chapel do you attend? Do you have the support of your chaplain if you are selected to serve?
6. If you are married, do you have your husband's support and encouragement to seek a position on this Board? Tell us about your family.
7. For which board position would you like to e considered? Why? Would you be willing to serve in any other position?
8. What computer skills do you have?
9. What is your vision for the future work of this Board?

Wow! What a mouthful!

What does PWOC mean to me?

I have only been with the base chapel since September of 2005. After Hurricane Katrina, God guided us up to Warner Robins and then the chapel. The chapel first, then in turn PWOC (Protestant Women of the Chapel) opened their hearts and their arms toward us in our desperate time of need. I attended my first meeting in November and felt the warmth and friendship from every woman there. When you are new, everyone knows it, but seldom does the love and compassion "ooze" through and the feeling of true welcoming shine. That's what PWOC has meant to me. True friendships, true warmth, and true growth.


One of the main things I love about PWOC is the vast differences in the women who are there. We have women who are active duty, who are young, who are old, who are active duty wives, and retired wives. Almost every culture is represented too.

I am prayerfully considering a position on the executive board of our chapter. The PWOC is military wide, it spans the Air force and Army that I am aware of. The Air force takes the PWOC to a level of programs and retreats along with Bible studies. The Army usually is focused only on the Bible studies.

Life decisions

I've been on a job hunt for about a month now. I went on 4 interviews a couple of weeks ago. I got all 4 of the jobs, and had to decide which was best for me. I made a bad choice.

The vice-president, Bob, lied to me about benefits and the exact job details. After two days, I made the call to quit. It was a hard decision to make, but now I'm happy I did. I couldn't imagine what else Bob might have lied about. Oh well, live and learn.

Next on my life plan. Hmm.. PWOC - (Protestant Women of the Chapel) - board member. I have been prayerfully considering a position on the board. As of right now, no women have stepped up to the plate. I wonder if this a yearly occurrence. I am great friends with 2 of the members now. They think I'd be a good match for "1st vice-president programs coordinator". I think it would be interesting. I'm just unsure about the commitment and letting people down with my "creative thinking". I will be filling out the application here in the next few hours. (After I get our taxes finished!)

Easter Weekend travels

Whew.. What a weekend!

Thursday night, the 13th of April, we had tickets to The Passion at Second Baptist here in Warner Robins. It was amazing. Our next door neighbor, Patty, was one of the make-up artists for the play. She got us GREAT tickets and then met us after the show. My favorite part was near the end. They had a "view" of heaven. About 100 actors were dressed in all white and were carrying crowns. Four angels blew ram's horn trumpets, while 30 or so banners drifted across the stage. The banners were huge, brightly colored, and very artistic. Beautiful. There was an actor who recited all the books of the Bible, which I admit isn't a hard feat. But, the amazing thing was he did them in order, and explained how each book represented Jesus. He did a great job.

Friday, the 14th. We went to week 11 of Financial Peace University with Dave Ramsey. We discussed extra jobs and career plans. We also discussed having a "life" motto. David and I are working on that now.

We came home, cleaned up and set out clothes for PWOC meeting. It was great, as usual. I brought a corn slaw of sorts for the potluck.

For Toni and Ms. DiAnne-
Christa's Corn
2 cans of corn
1 can Rotel - mild tomatoes
1 cup shredded Parmesan.

Mix, fridge 4 hours, enjoy.

Next weekend is the PWOC Spring Retreat for me. A very nice lady paid 30 dollars toward my fee. Is God good or what? I am looking forward to this time away in North Georgia with good Christian friends. I am also excited because I get to room with Felisha. She is ON-TOP of her game, her life, and her walk with God. :) Blessed, blessed, blessed.

Saturday, the 15th. 8:30 we went to Robins Elementary and set out 6000 Easter eggs. Also, we helped set up the grill and other games for small children. Next on our list was to pack the van with a hot water heater, stove, sink and other goodies for "ocho" (our Mississippi house).

We packed and then headed out to Montgomery to meet with dad. We ate at Captain D's fish house. YUMMM.. A favorite for Dad and me. We arrived back at home around 1130 pm. We were wired from the trip and didn't get to bed until 2 AM, I think. We listened to Zig Ziglar for part of the ride back. "Success for Dummies", appropriate title, don't you think?

Sunday, the 16th, Easter. We tried to get up for the Sonrise Service. But, it was too late getting to bed. We instead made it to the 1100 service with Chaplain Pagan.

We were invited to Easter dinner at our next door neighbors daughter's house. We had fun, it was yummy, and plenty of people to meet. Patty and Charles have 4 daughters, all married and 3 of them with children. So, we hid eggs one more time and watched the children hunt them down. Too much fun.

The rest of our Easter Sunday was quiet. We stayed home and cleaned up some, watched TV some, and lazed around some. ;)

What did you get in your Easter basket? Leave a comment!

Internet Survey .. quite interesting results

For those of you who didn't visit my blog, I did a "meme" (internet survey
or game) where you go to google, type in your name and the word "needs" and
see what "needs" you have.  It's a lot of fun!

Christa needs to realize that despite the disappointing action, she is still deserving of friendship.

Christa needs one major to finish her AKC Championship.

Christa needs a permanent family that will help her maintain her relationships with her birth and foster family.

Christa Needs a favor...!

Christa needs to find out all she can about her potential.

Christa needs the membership to help sell tickets.

Interesting, huh?

Our Day .. Template

8:00 Get up
Get Dressed
Get Fed
Take Vitamins

9:00 Morning Meeting
Outside duties (Car, house, garden)
Run Errands (Library, Bank, Post Office)

11:00 Office - Appointments

1:00 Lunch
Take Vitamins
2:00 Office - Appointments

6:00 Dinner
Take Vitamins

7:00 Office - Appointments

8:30 Gear Down
Wrap up Meeting

10:00 To Bed
Bedtime Routine - LAYOUT CLOTHES

11:00 To Sleep

Spring Break with Taylor and Tyler

Whew! What a week with Taylor and Tyler. We picked them up late on Tuesday night, in Valdosta, Georgia. We had a great travel time talking about currency. How money flows, and is used to make things happen. We explained the concept of compound interest, and showed them the "trick" of starting to invest at age 21 and where you will be at age 65. I think we'll have some millionaires in the family one day.

The boys spent all day Wednesday out on their skateboards, up and down the hills around here. I think they had too much fun. :) We went to Soul Food and Bible Study that evening.

Thursday, David spent out at McClouds Auto working on the re-certifications. The boys spent another day out on the hills. I cleaned house, and tried to work. David got home around 630 and we then went to Gregg's Mexican food with Mike and his family. yummmmmmmm Mexican!

Friday, we all went to Dave Ramsey's Financial Peace University. We learned about mortgages and financing. I wish we would have learned about this before we signed the closing paperwork! But, we didn't do too bad. The boys went off to the Museum of Aviation, and came home with some goodies for their friends and family. Taylor picked up a peach candle for me. HOW SWEET. He can be the best sometimes. We took the boys out to Stevie B's pizza buffet. It was good as usual. We came home and watched "Dinosaurs in the Bible" DVD with Dr. Kent Hovind. I learn something everytime we watch that show!

AND, whew, he's 14 now, 8th grade. Time is flying way too fast.

Saturday, we were planning to head to Mississippi to take the kids back (the short way around, but long story). But, we changed those plans after looking at our bank account and talking some. So, we ended up going to Macon and doing LOTS of window shopping at the hobby store (which is going out of business!! :( ) and having a picnic in the car on the way. That evening we watched more Creation DVD's and played Baulderdash. That is Taylor's favorite board game here. We had fun and learned new words too.

Sunday, we packed up and headed to Valdosta to do the drop off. We had a good ride there. Taylor and David sat in the front seat while we discussed the military phonetic alphabet. We learned how to s-p-e-l-l things that way.

On the way back, we stopped in at a Mexcian restaurant in Valdosta. It was good and filling, but not as good as Gregg's! We then stopped at Mike's new house and stayed for 3 hours exploring all the details. We played hard with Mark, I can't believe he turns 3 in July! Again, time flies.

Mississippi, 1st trip to old house

From the front door, pan view.

David spent March 30- April 1st down in our old home town of Pascagoula. He went to help move my father into our house there. After Katrina, a church group came in and gutted the whole house. It is down to studs and sub-floors. The only remaining fixture is the bath tub. All cabinets, sinks, walls, everything is gone.

On Thursday, the 30th, they headed down there after hours of loading 2 vehicles and a u-haul trailer to the max. David was able to run an extension cord over from the neighbors and a hose too for the first night. They spent Friday, the 31st, getting inspections for mold, electrical, water, and occupancy. Everything passed. God really blessed David's time there. He was able to come back home on Sunday, or rather early Monday morning.

We spent the week getting ready for Taylor's visit. He is expected on Sunday the 2nd. But, because of the time needed to get the house up and going we have opted to pick him up on Tuesday. He will be bringing his friend Tyler with him.