Pressed Down, Shaken Together, and Running Over...

Give, and it will be given to you: good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over will be put into your bosom. For with the same measure that you use, it will be measured back to you.
                                                                                                                                        ~Luke 6:38~  

It seems to me that this verse can't be right. I feel it has been measured back to me FAR greater than I have given.

Looking forward to the youth conference this weekend! I have a feeling I shall come back feeling even richer. : )

The Hottest Day Yet...

Last week, I failed to check the weather forecast previous to promising to take Mark & Jude to the park in the afternoon. So with out delay, off we went to Brecknock Park. Madison came along as well. We ate our lunch under the pavilion and that was about the last we saw of the shade. It was SO hot it was just ridiculous. My phone said it was 87F and felt like 107F! The air was so thick with humidity you could practically slice it. We managed a few swing rides and a couple of shovels of sand before we decided ice cream sounded like a better idea. Fifer Orchards here we come! We were a happy, sticky, dirty, sweaty mess by the end of it all, but we had fun. I just love these kids! : )

Watching the birds eat the twisty cheese curls they tossed to them

Jude and I hid in about the only shade to be found on the playground

You can almost feel the heat from this pic! 

This soggy cone was good to the laaaast drop.

BBQ Time

Mel & Ben invited James & Roshini and Co. and Isaac and I over for a BBQ. Ben grilled some of the best chicken EVER! We brought our giant bubble mix, and I'm not sure who enjoyed it more, the kids or "Uncle Isaac". : )

Washington DC

Last weekend the CT youth came down for a youth trip, and we had an awesome time in DC. Well, i did anyways... even though after our group split (Holocaust Museum goers and non), I didn't actually have any CT youth in my group. : ) We were going to meet up after they were done at that museum, but we never found each other. So I had a super fun day going to museums and a few memorials with Teresa, Abbie, and Jess. We went to the Museum of Natural History, saw dinosaurs, the Hope Diamond, and a dead leaf mantis. Well, several to be exact. See if you can find them. : ) We saw "To Fly" in the Imax Theater in the Air and Space Museum, walked around looking for the nearest metro station, and finally ended up at Arlington Cemetery. I love this place... Jess had never been to The Tomb Of The Unknown Soldier, so while Teresa and Abbie took a relaxing walk back to the Metro, power walked/jogged to the tomb and back. We kept thinking it would be right around the corner, but all we would see is another sign pointing the direction. We were glad to sit down on the metro when we finally made it there. We were BEAT! Really glad we got to go though, and I have rarely had so much fun in DC before. Thanks guys! Especially Jess! : ) Super nice to hang out with you there.

Random sign of the day (it was taped on the wall in by the bathrooms in the Museum of Natural History)

The Dead Leaf Mantis 

The Arlington House - Built by George Washington's grandson to honor his grandfather, on land he inherited from him. Their daughter later married Robert E. Lee, and they lived together in this house until the Civil war started and they had to leave. A Union general appropriated the house and used the grounds as a military cemetery for Union soldiers so that the Lee family might never return. It was later purchased by the government to become the military reservation that it is today.

The Tomb Of The Unknown Soldier - Guarded 24/7/365

I drank more black coffee...

I am so thankful we we were able to go to Brunstad for the Easter Conference. It had been way too long since the last time. It was so nice to see so many in and between all the meetings. I think I got less sleep and drank more black coffee that weekend that I had in a long time. : ) I couldn't keep the smile off my face all weekend, because every time I turned around I saw another friend.

As for the saints who are on the earth,
“They are the excellent ones, in whom is all my delight.”
Psalm 16:3

There is no price you can put on going to the best place in the whole world. It is there God has his blessing, and it is there His word is able to come forth so clear. I am looking forward to the next time!

We slept on the balcony overlooking the cabins and the water. It was beautiful to wake up to in the mornings. (the birds chattering LOUDLY at 4:30am were not so nice tho...) : )