Angela's Epic Adventures at Crater Lake...

Of all the places in the world to be stranded, Crater Lake is probably one of the best I can think of. And no that is not a hypothetical statement. That is exactly where my dear friend Maria Imig and I found ourselves stranded yesterday; sitting in wooden rocking chairs, overlooking one of the most nationally recognized scenes of beauty in the United States.

It all started when Papa told us we could take the Taurus up there and he though it would be just fine. I wasn't so sure, but with no other real options we decided to go for it. The drive was gorgeous and car was just fine...until 5 miles before the lake. It suddenly lost all power and white smoke began pouring out from underneath the hood. Just my luck, and just what I feared might happen. We pulled over, as did the people behind us. Of all the people in the world who could have stopped, it just happened to be a young, extremely good looking, wonderfully friendly man from New Zealand, who is a teacher on holidays. Unfortunately his girlfriend was with him, but nonetheless I was happy. He asked me to pop the "bonnet" and grab some water from the "boot." I obliged. We couldn't do much until the car cooled off, so our NZ friends gave us their phone number and headed off, while Maria and I laid a blanket out in the woods and settled in. She read Psalms out loud to me, while we munched on carrot sticks and imagined what our course of action would be if we saw a bear (jump up and run for the car or jump up, grab the blanket, and run for the car?).

Several other nice folks stopped, but we just waved them on. When the bugs forced us out of the trees we got back in the car and pondered our fate. After 45 min of letting the car rest, we put water in, but it still wouldn't budge. A family from Alabama stopped and two kind brothers checked it out (well one brother checked it out while the other told terrible jokes-what note do you get when you throw a piano down a mine shaft? A flat minor!). We discovered the transmission fluid was gone, but even after putting in a half quart the gears still would not budge. So we grabbed our stuff and piled in the suburban of our new Alabaman friends, and listened to their corny jokes the rest of the way to the lake. After calling my Dad and my brother's friend, Russ, who is living with us, Maria and I spent the rest of the day waiting to be rescued from one of the most beautiful places on earth.
Papa thinks the car is toast. That would make three cars in one week that have pretty much bitten the dust. O dear God what are you doing?! He must have something up his sleeve. While we waited for Russ to bring transmission fluid and a trailer, Maria and I read and soaked up the view (Well, I actually chronicled the day's adventures so I can record them in my memoir someday, which Maria assures me she will buy many copies of to give her friends for Christmas!)

After getting some dinner at the Rim Village we sat outside on the veranda watching the sun disappear behind the mountains. As it slipped away, the mosquitoes came out in full force. It was nearly impossible to keep from being attacked. So with our hooded sweatshirts on we twirled, and swatted, and walked trying to keep from being eaten alive. Around 8pm we knew Russ couldn't be far so we stood by the road on some boulders, in a field of wildflowers, singing all the praise songs we could remember the words to and watching for our knight in shining armor.

Meanwhile, 5 miles down the road our rescuer had found our car. Not knowing if we were by the car or at the lake (or he thought, maybe looking for wild berries in the woods?), he parked his truck and shouted my name over his PA system several times so that "An-ge-la!" echoed through the woods for miles. Eventually through a text message and some broken up phone calls he found us. We were elated to see our knight in shining armor come around the corner on his white steed (okay-a giant white Ford pickup). We snapped some pictures of the lake at sunset and headed off to find our poor Ford Taurus.
Even in the pitch black we could see the fading hazard lights (of course I left them on and killed the battery). The three of us took turns holding a flashlight and pushing the car uphill, trying to get it on the trailer.

After 15 minutes or so with no success, we saw headlights in the distance and flagged down the poor unsuspecting couple. They were enthusiastic to help to be sure-but they turned out to be completely drunk. So even with a drunk girl in a skirt and stocking feet, with a cigarette in one hand..and a drunk guy with a rope and a shovel we were getting nowhere. Long story short we finally rolled the car so it was facing downhill and got it on the trailer. After thanking our enthusiastic/creepy helpers and telling them for the 14th time that we didn't have any beer (like they needed more!), we were off. Happy, tired, and covered in mosquito bites and transmission fluid, we crammed in the cab of Russ' truck. After a long day, we munched on skittles, like little kids, guessing which colors we were holding, and sharing stories about our lives. Falling into bed at midnight, I thanked God for His protection, our knight in shining armor, good friends, and this always adventurous life!

Adventures in Bend with Jenny

Last week my friend Jenny asked if I would like to meet her in Bend (Central Oregon) for a mini vacation. After a very hectic, emotionally draining month I jumped at the idea. God, in his infinite goodness provided a free place for us to stay with some wonderful people, and a rental car for me to take (so I didn't get stuck on the side of the road in one of our beater cars ;). Wednesday I left Medford and Jenny left Portland at exactly the same time. We drove the beautiful mountainous roads to Bend and miraculously arrived at exactly the same time.

Thanks to some wonderful new friends, and Bend locals, we found some of the best places around to enjoy the scenery...

Around every bend in the road (no pun intended!) we found ourselves gasping at the beauty of God's creation and stopping to take pictures...

After missing the turnoff to our original destination we found ourselves at Elk Lake where we rented a canoe for the afternoon and paddled around basking in the sunlight, with a view of the rugged snow capped mountains...

From Elk Lake we drove back to Todd Lake (our original destination) and hiked around the lake through meadows of purple, pink, and yellow wildflowers, with snow covered mountains on either side...
It reminded me of Switzerland or some other exotic place...

Thursday evening we headed to the Old Mill District for dinner. I had butternut squash, gorgonzola, hazelnut ravioli and tiramisu on a patio overlooking the Deschutes River, with Mt. Bachelor in the distance. What a glorious day.

Friday we headed downtown to peruse the shops and walk along the river, through Drake Park.

For lunch we found ourselves at 'The Crepe Place.'

While I was eating the most delicious crepes of my life (one with chicken, mozzerella, and pesto; the other with marionberries, and vanilla frozen yogurt) we got quite a show from a local cross dresser. Please note the person sitting behind me in this picture...

This tall man, who'd obviously had breast implants, was wearing jean shorts, and a colorful bikini top, along with 4 inch bright red platform shoes. In his hand he had a leash with a cat on it. The whole town apparently knows him/her because as they walked by they would say "Hi Frank," to which he would reply "It's Monica. I'm going by Monica now." They would ask about his fake pet cat (and his real pet cat) and he would ask where they were going and where they were coming from. I had to bite my tongue to keep from laughing as he sat two feet behind me and had these conversations. Life is always interesting.

Thank you Jesus, Jenny, and Bend for a lovely, much needed vacation :)

A Brand New Princess

VBS has started off better than I could have ever hoped for! We are praising God for his hand upon us and the 170 kids who have been in attendance...

Yesterday we welcomed into God's family little Rachel (a second grader)! After story time she approached our photographer and started asking questions. Amber was able to pray with her to accept Christ and she was very excited. Today I ran into Rachel at game time and told her how excited I was that she is now a part of the family of God. "Did you know that you are a real princess now?" I asked. "No" she replied. "Well the Bible says that Jesus is the King of Kings and when you asked him to be your savior He adopted you as His daughter. So that makes you a REAL princess!" At this she beamed and the girls around her became very excited. That is when I got the idea to make Rachel, the new princess, a crown. With the help of one of my creative staff assistant we made Rachel a pink, glittery princess crown that said "I am Jesus' princess." She wore that crown with pride and a great big smile.


During the end assembly I had Rachel stand up and I announced to the whole crowd that she was now a part of God's family and the newest princess. When I looked at her and across the room my skin began to crawl with goosebumps. At that moment I realized that all the time and effort we have put in, all the planning and thinking that I have done...has all been worth it. That one little girl made it all worth it. God is faithful and his love is MIGHTY. Thank you for your continued prayers this week!

Let the High Seas Adventure Begin!

Hi Ho Hi Ho... It's off to sea we go! After months of planning and organizing our High Seas Expedition Vacation Bible School sets sail tomorrow. As Director I got myself a nice tricorn hat with a white feather and I am ready to man the helm and direct the crew. We don't know exactly what to expect, but we anticipate at least 250-300 kids. God is at work and we are excited. Please pray for me and my team this week and for the children that will be on board with us.

Bon Voyage!

Convenient Destruction of Vows

While Browsing at Staples Office Store today I found something that made me a bit sick...


So I took a picture of it...


Is it really this easy to renig on "till death do us part?" I realize that there is more to it and the process can be long and is always painful and ongoing. But I saw this today and thought to myself..So one day I decide I don't want to be married anymore so I jump in my car and drive on down to the local office supply store where I pick up a "how to" to DVD (as if it were Pilates instructions), a packet of forms to fill out, and voila! Wow.

Lifelong marriage relationships are becoming more and more rare to the detriment of our society. The list of problems caused by failing marriages could go on forever. I will spare you. When the going gets tough it's easier to quit than to stick it out. The root problem of many marriages today is that people aren't as careful in who they choose or in taking the time to build a solid friendship from the beginning.

With that in mind, I am excited about a new group that my friend, Michelle and I have started at church. When I was high school I was very involved with the youth group and I was a leader for several years in the junior high group. In fact, I was Michelle's leader. Now, many years later Michelle is older, wiser, and married. I am older, wiser, and well....an experienced world traveler I guess you could say. Michelle and I decided to start up a girls small group at church to give girls an outlet to talk and to give us an opportunity to mentor them as they grow into young women.

Proverbs 31 is our jump off point and we've begun to go through and look at the characteristics of a godly woman. the girls made notebooks...


In these they take notes, glue in handouts, journal, and doodle. Next to the Bible, it is becoming somewhat of a life manual on what it means to follow Christ, make hard decisions, stay pure, and choose Mr. Right. We hope to see these girls making good decisions and someday loving, respecting, and honoring their husbands as they do Christ. I don't know half of what there is to know out there, but I do so love being able to share what I have learned and experienced with others! This is my challenge to you...don't horde all your knowledge, experiences, and wisdom - share it with the people God has placed in your life. You have much to offer I am sure.

Wednesdays at Mellelos

Wednesday afternoons = Mellelos Coffee

I have made it a weekly habit to take my computer and journal and head to a local coffee shop to take a break from working in order to think, journal, blog, and catch up on emails. It's a lovely tradition and I look forward to it every week. It helps my brain to slow down a bit. With VBS rapidly approaching in t-minus 12 days there are so many things to think about, people to talk to, and big and little tasks to be done. My brain feels a bit like a major LA freeway with cars of all shapes, colors, and sizes zipping around, crashing into each other, going the wrong way on one way streets, and making a lot of noise. I'm not really stressed, per say. It is more of just the pressure of being responsible for directing this whole thing. It is no easy task. Note to self: don't ever become a CEO, or a business owner, or a doctor, or president of the United States, or anything else that requires loads of responsibility over lots of people. Just watch. Now God will place me in one of those positions. Eek. As I try and examine myself and analyze who I am and what I want these are the thoughts that have been emerging recently: I like to lead by example in small every day situations. Acts of service, hospitality, gestures of love, words of encouragement, unexpected gifts, etc. I never want to let myself get too busy that I don't have time for those daily moments of ministry.
Just this morning I had an experience, in which I surprised myself by speaking up in a situation that I would have most likely kept quiet several years ago. While standing in line at the Bank of America ATM downtown, I watched as a young woman and her daughter took an unreasonably long time to complete their transaction. From behind me I heard a grouchy old gentleman speak up. The conversation went something like this:

Grouchy man: “What are you doing up there- writing a darn book?! This is ridiculous!”

Me: “Patience is a virtue you know” (smiling at him)
Grouchy man: “Ya? I read that on my refrigerator this morning too. Love holds no record of wrongs..but the Bible doesn't say that I can't speak my mind.”

Me: “It does say to speak only kind words to others.”

Grouchy man: “Well some people are just inconsiderate”

Me: “We are pretty spoiled here in America with having everything so quick and readily available.”

Grouchy man: “I don't know if that's the point. Some people people are just ridiculous. Besides Bank of America only has two locations here.”

Me: (after finishing my transaction) “Yes, well have a nice day.” (smiling)

I felt so bad for the woman (who obviously heard the whole thing). I had to stand up for her. I hope I planted a seed of happiness in that man though and gave him something to think about. I prayed for him afterward because I can tell he needs some joy and perspective in his life. What I really wanted to tell him was to go to Africa and then he would appreciate what he has here in America a little bit more.

I read this week that there are really only two questions that have driven people for all of history. It all boils down to 1) Who is in charge? And 2) How much do you love me?
Love is the center of it all. My actions should all stem from love and when people look at me I want them to see the love of Christ. He said “they will know you are my disciples by your love for one another.” If I just remember that ministry and life boils down to this then it is easier not to get stressed out or muddled up in ideas, philosophies, theologies, methods, or accomplishments.

My apologies if this doesn't all flow together. It is the inner workings of my head this week as I try to serve the Lord, serve others, and make some big decisions about the future.

Coffee, McDonalds, Photography, Jesus, and Delayed Gratification

You may be wondering what coffee, McDonalds, photography, and Jesus have to do with each other. Well stick with me for a minute and hopefully it will makes sense.
This week I was challenged to figure out what my unique love relationship with Christ looks like. Take away expectations, molds, other people with their ideas, and figure out how to love Jesus. Not easy. As I've pondered that this week I have realized something about myself that I am not proud of-I am not good with delayed gratification. I like immediate results. This is partly due to my personality and undoubtedly due in part to the culture I was raised in. I can drive through a coffee stand and have my sugar free hazelnut mocha in 2 minutes. McDonalds workers can make nasty burgers for 25 people in 10 minutes (I don't want to know how). I feel inconvenienced when I have to stand in line at the grocery store for more than 4 minutes. For Pete's sake....you can get married at a drive through chapel in Vegas now! (not that I would EVER want to). I find myself hard pressed not to succumb to this fast paced society. This week I took a photography class and started doing some research on how to be a better photographer. Becoming a great photographer takes time and practice. I know this, but for some reason I find myself overwhelmed and feeling like I want to know everything there is to know and understand it right now. This mindset seems to permeate my every day thinking. I want the wisdom without the years of experience. I want to see the pounds melt away instantly when I exercise. This becomes a big problem when I project it onto relationships. I want to see change/growth in people, but it takes time. Time. In my efficient, every moment counts, rushed American mindset it's difficult to wait patiently and faithfully, but God has all the time in the world. Eternity in fact. He will take his sweet time fulfilling his plan and I've got to be okay with that. This idea of time, growth, and delayed gratification has affected my relationship with Christ, in that I somehow feel like I need to grow fast, understand more, love better. Instead of loving Jesus on a daily basis and let the relationship develop at a good pace, I find myself thinking about better Bible Study methods and comparing my relationship with Him to His relationship with other people. Ouch. Good thing He waits faithfully for me while I figure this all out and he loves me just the same. Always has and always will.

I don't have any idea how many days the Lord will allow me to walk this earth, but I'm trying to let go of the idea that I need to do it all, understand it all, accomplish it all now. It's about enjoying the journey, stopping to smell the roses, if you will.

So I took a lunch break to eat this gorgeous plate of fresh fruit and vegetables, while reading one of my favorite books...

I took mom to relax for the morning and get a pedicure...(I tried to load the pics here but it's not cooperating :(

and I am planning a weekly date to spend time with my precious Jesus as I grow to love him more each day...

Thank you to my African friends and their culture which have helped me to see the value of being more laid back. I'm still learning and I have a feeling God is going to send me to another country to force me to slow down and just live.

Core Values

Donald Miller is one of my favorite authors. He makes me think and inspires me. If you're a Donald Miller fan and you've never checked out his blog..it's worth checking out. Lately I have really enjoyed his thought provoking words about life. He leaves me pondering and wishing I were in a discussion group with other people who wanted to discourse about the same things. One recent post was about discovering our core values and importance of knowing what your core values are. Miller says in order to figure out what your core values are you need to pinpoint what makes you mad. So today, holed up in the corner of a coffee shop I am asking myself What makes me mad? What do I live for? What fuels my decision making? I guess I have always known pretty clearly what I believe and what I'm passionate about, but it's harder to verbalize. I came up with the following list which I think is a pretty comprehensive list of what makes me mad:ignorance, injustice, bad parenting, child neglect, untruth, materialism, disrespect for God, irresponsibility, negativity, apathy/complacency. Therefore, I guess some of my core values would be: education, justice, nurture/protection of children, Truth, simplicity, respect, responsibility, positivity/optimism, passion/concern for life. That's a pretty good list to live by (though I probably fail on more that one occasion to actually live by those values). So what are your core values? What makes you mad?

Poor Little Neglected Blog

Dear Friends do not be deceived. I am still updating this blog. Yes, I know it has been what seems like decades. I have been neglectful and confess to experiencing a bit of writers block when it comes to keeping you all updated on the ongoing adventures of my life. Of course this doesn't mean that there is nothing in my life worth reporting. My family always keeps things interesting...for instance...this afternoon found my mom and my 16 year old and 18 year old brothers waltzing around the house with puppets on their hands pretending to poke fun at one another and singing duets of White Christmas and I am 16 going on 17 from Sound of Music. Why in the world do we have puppets lying around the house? Well, that would be because mom found them at a garage sale yesterday and just could not help herself (she has a little bit of a puppet fetish). Of course I got the whole thing on video. I thought about posting it here...but then I realized the consequences of this (my whole family disowning me) and decided not to :). Nevertheless...there is no lack of excitement around here. That is for sure.

Beyond the daily amusements and goings on let me take a moment to fill ya'll (yes I miss living in Nashville) in on what God is doing in my life. Today I realized it has been 6 months since I finished my tour with the African Children's Choir. Can that really be?! Time has flown, but these past several months have been a very rich season of physical, spiritual, and emotional renewal for me. I am so grateful for God's goodness and faithfulness. He knows what his children need and gives it to them in his perfect time. I've been able to work from home for my Dad doing office work which is flexible, and relaxing. Perfect for this season of life.

As I ponder the future and pray for the Lord's guidance I have seen the Lord clearly guide me into the position of Director of Vacation Bible School at my church this summer. I loved VBS as a child and enjoyed helping out as a youth. I even directed a small somewhat hodge podge VBS in New Zealand when I was 19. This is going to be a much more large scale event, with many wonderful volunteers to oversee. As we plan and prepare and pray, two major aspects about this event bring me great excitement. First of all, our goal is to advertise and bring in many unchurched children from the community who would be unlikely to enter a church otherwise. Therefore, this is going to be a huge outreach and we are praying that God will work in the hearts of many that they will be saved! Secondly, I am excited because this is a healing and redeeming event for our church. We've been through a lot in the last 15 years and the Lord is at work healing wounds and growing the church. VBS has not been a part of the church programs for several years. This year we are bringing it back with new vision and goals and it will be a chance to bring people of all different ages together to minister to each other and the children. I am hopeful and excited to see what the Lord is going to do! Please pray with me for this event (July 12-16). I would appreciate it ever so much.

The ever lingering question is what is next for me. Well, I know I will be here (Lord willing) until the end of July (for obvious reasons). Come August, the sky is the limit. I am knocking on doors and praying for the Lord's guidance and peace. I know He has been speaking to me to let go of my expectations and to be willing to go anywhere. Pray with me that I will not be anxious about the future, but that I will find the balance between waiting on the Lord and seeking out opportunities. Life is a wonderful journey and I am happy to be walking it with so many of you!

I promise to keep up the blog more regularly....and hope you will continue to read..

Calling vs. Task

Every day for the last two weeks I have wanted to sit down and blog, but for some strange reason every day I feel like I have writers block. It's not that nothing is happening in my life or in my head that I want to share. The inspiration to write just hasn't been there. But today I am determined to break the streak of non-writing. So bear with me as I try to explain what has been on my mind...

For the past seven weeks I have been going through a Bible Study by Beth Moore. The title is Jesus the One and Only. I LOVE it. Beth has a way of really digging deep and causing me to think and see things in scripture that I have never seen before. Recently I got stuck on the distinction she made between a CALLING and a TASK. A calling is an overall (usually lifelong) direction in life. It involved the skills, gifts, abilities, and passions that God gives us to fulfill the plan He has for each of our lives. A task however, is a specific (probably short term) objective that can be fulfilled as part of a calling. Disclaimer: these are my imperfect and not comprehensive definitions. Christ called His disciples to follow him and spread the Gospel, and make disciples. He also gave them immediate tasks. We as Christians often confuse the two. God doesn't call us to be surrendered to an assignment. He calls us to be surrendered to Him. So I find myself pondering my calling and my immediate task. Beyond being surrendered to Christ, I can say with a fair amount of certainty that my calling is to minister to the orphans and the widows; to be a helping hand and an advocate for the poor and oppressed. That is what grips my heart. That is where my compassion lies. That is what pulls my heartstrings and fills me with passion. I read articles, I listen to sermons, I watch videos, I see pictures, I pour over blogs, and my heart breaks. My soul fills with longing. My mind gets overloaded with desire to help, to reach out, to love, to share Jesus, but I so often feel that I don't know exactly what to do with all these feelings. This so-called Christianity that I've grown up in-this sub-culture of American, feel good, self-centered, Christian religion that I have been surrounded by my whole life is wrong. I daily see that being surrendered to Christ, believing the Gospel and responding to it requires radical change and commitment. It's hard. It's ugly. It's uncomfortable. It's smelly. It means going against the flow. It's easy for me to say that is what I want. It's harder to believe it with my whole heart and live it out. So I guess my calling becomes more and more clear, but the specific task before me looms as a big question mark. Lord here I am. Send me.

As I wait for the Lord to direct me to the next "major task" (aka job/ministry) I wake up every day with anticipation. He's been faithful to give me small tasks (and some potential bigger ones soon) that are in line with His calling on my life. Whether it is baking brownies for the new family down the street, being willing to serve wherever needed at church, helping my busy family by cooking and cleaning, giving someone a ride to Bible study, talking to the person behind me in line at the grocery store...it's days full of little things that matter. Whether you know your calling in life or not, make every day count. The way we spend our moments is the way we spend our lives.