New news!

Hi everyone! Things have gotten busy around here the past several days so I am just getting a chance to update. GOOD NEWS!!! I have started working and although I haven't enjoyed getting up extra early, it has been nice working and staying busy! I am working through Express Personnel doing temp work (clerical). As long as I stay busy with assignments it will work out GREAT having a temp job! I can take off when visitors come to stay and don't have the stress of leaving when we move from Woodstock!

Anyway, things are going good...Mike is teaching LifeGroup next week (Monday night) and he is super excited! For anyone that doesn't know, LifeGroups are a way to filter kids from the public schools into the youth program. They take place in a home and are a non-threatning environment for our kids to invite their friends. Anyway, Mike and Mikey have reformated the group and it was awesome Monday night! We are really excited about it all!

The new season of 24 has begun and let me tell you, it's going to be good!!! We had a friend TiVo it for us and we watched the 4 episode premiere last night! Hopefully we'll get out of LifeGroups in time to watch it each week!

Anyway, other than me working, not much is new with us...but i will let you know if anything comes up!!

Trip to Tennessee

Here are some pictures from our trip to Gatlinburg, TN for Winter Xtreme with the High School youth. It is in the Smokey Mountains...it was BEAUTIFUL, but COLD!! The trip was better than we had anticipated but we are so glad to be home!! We left the day after returning from Texas!! Anyway, hope you enjoyed!!

Christmas

Our trip to Texas was great!! We had such a great time! It was SOOOO nice to get to see everyone, although there were some that were out of town! We spent Christmas Eve with my dad and grandmother, Christmas lunch/afternoon with my Mom's family, and Christmas night with Mike's family. Our hang out night was a blast!! Hope you enjoyed the pictures from our trip!!

PICTURES!!

I apologize about the format but hey, at least you have some pics to see!! There are pictures of our trip to Stone Mountain while my mom was here, our first Thanksgiving away from family (and to cook ourselves!), and our new "apartment". Hopefully the pictures are self explanitory! We are still working on getting our new place together so I may add some pictures in the future! Also, there is a blog w/info of how we are doing before this one if you haven't read it!!

I'm sure it's taken me so long to post that no one is reading this any longer...but hopefully someone will!! Things are going great here in Woodstock! We have been pretty busy lately, especially Mike! He just finished his 15 page paper for one of his classes (with only a little bit of help from his Grammar Nazi wife!!) and he is so relieved! Unfortunately, he finished it up just in time to leave for tonight and tomorrow with the Young Life group here so today was kind of rushed! He and Mikey are still working at getting in the school's and things are slowly coming together! They were able to do some volunteer work at the middle school and are taking what they can do to get into the school. It is such a neat position! One small but AWESOME note: Mike and Mikey were in charge of Wednesday night (Rick, the middle school pastor, was gone to a youth choir thing) and it could not have gone better!! They had the junior high and high school (they are usually split) and had a little over 300 youth...things went AMAZING!! Mike was so syched (yes, I just said syched...lol) about having planned the evening and how it went!!!

For those of you who want to know, I haven't started working yet. I've had to work through some things to figure out what I am supposed to be doing right now and altough I'm still not sure, I'm starting to look! I'll keep ya posted!

All in all, things are great with us right now...other than us missing TEXAS!!! We are getting our new place together and filling it with all the necessities of living...like kitchen knives and laundry hampers!! ha ha! Well, I'm getting off the computer now but wanted to get a quick post on here!!

LOVE Y'ALL!!

finally!!

Well, we are FINALLY in our "new place" that we should be at for the next year while we are in Woodstock!! I don't have much time to type now but wanted to at least post this in case I don't get back on here for a while...

We are in an apartment type place that is attached to a family's house...they are great and Mike and I feel it is really going to be nice!! We have a very large living room, a very large bedroom, a bathroom, and a small kitchen area (minus a stove/oven). We will try and get pics on here soon...the house we are at is amazing! lol....I never thought I'd be living in a house like this!

Mike is really enjoying his job and I will hopefully have one soon. My mom's visit was GREAT!!! but now it is time to get back to the "real world"...Anyway, I need to get to bed but will try and post more later!!

I know, I know, "It's about time!!"

Hey everyone! Sorry for the lapse in time between postings...first there wasn't news to post and then we were out of pocket internet wise!! Mike started work Tuesday at First Baptist Church Woodstock and we have been staying up there with Rick, the Middle School Youth Pastor (and Mike's "boss") so Mike won't have to commute. He is really enjoying his job so far and is still really excited about the year! We should find out our living situation next week. It looks like we will be living in an apartment type space with a family from the church. It is our understanding we will have our own bedroom, bathroom, living room, and a small kitchen! Rick said we should know something by Monday! Also, we won't be able to get online regularly until after we get settled and figure out internet capabilities and all! (just for general info!)

My mom is coming to visit a week from today and i'm SUPER excited!! My dad came through here during our first week in Georgia but because of time restrictions, we didn't get to go do anything...so taking my mom to see the attractions of Atlanta is SO exciting! Plus, just getting to spend time with her will be nice. We've always been close and we worked together for over a year so the move away from her has been tough! Needless to say, I can't wait until next Friday!

Well, I don't think there is much else to share for now. I will start looking for a job soon. I decided to wait until after my mom came down so I could spend time w/her! I'll let everyone know what i'm doing once I find a job! I hope everyone is doing GREAT!! We miss you all!!

Woodstock

Hey Everybody,

Whats crackin' baby!!!

I am going to have to start setting my alarm for the middle of the night, so that I can start making some posts on this blog. Cymbre just wont let me make any postings on here!!!
Just Kidding !!! I just never think about it. Anyways, I had a couple of interviews at First Baptist Church of Woodstock ( a suburb in North Atlanta), we didnt want to tell anyone in case it didnt work out! So, I got a call back after my second interview a couple of days ago and found out I GOT THE JOB!!! This is a great oppertunity that God has given us. The church runs about 10,000 members. No that is not a type-o, it is just nuts. I really dont even know why they even gave me an interview, much less given me the job! So basically, my title is Minister in Residence; which is like a step above an intern. I will be a campus minister at Woodstock High School and Woodstock Junior High. The church will certify me to substitute teach, so that is one way that I will be able to be on campus and they are also going to try and get me on as either an assistant basketball coach or more likely a chaplain for the basketball team. I am sooo excited about this!!! Cymbre and I feel that this is why God brought us to Georgia! We also feel that everything that has happened in the past 2 - 3 months has just brought us to this place. It is just so amazing to see God work and how the 8:28 principle applys (Romans 8:28). That verse talks about how God works everything for the good of those who love him and are called according to his purpose! When we moved originally to New Orleans, we took a step out in faith. When the hurricane hit alot of people said that well i guess you made a mistake, but I would have to disagree. This is an amazing oppertunity, and will go a long way for our future! It is just awesome to see what God can do when you completely put your trust in him and let him guide you and tell you where to go!!!

And the winner is...

Well, Mike was the winner of last night's Nugget Eating Contest...83 nuggets!! Cory stopped at 70! They were both sad that they didn't break the record of 118 (held by a H.S. Varsity football player!) but I made Mike promise me he wouldn't make himself sick! And I'm SO proud that he didn't! lol... the pic of them together is an after picture...i should have taken a before, but oh well!

Anyway, after the nuggets, we were off to 722 and I'd like to share a little of what was shared there! The 2 creators of www.xxxchurch.com were there and it was extremely interesting to hear their story and how they use the website to minister to those addicted/affected by pornography. I think everyone should check out their site and what it has to offer...not necessarily for yourself but for anyone you know or may come in contact with that needs help. Porn is such a big thing today and so many people are affected by it each day. Anyone that knows me very well at all knows my stand on sexual purity and porn is ripping that away from so many people from all backgrounds: young, old, male, female, married, single, believer, non-believer...you name it! They have a program you can download that keeps you accountable for the websites you visit. It is an awesome resource...mostly because it presents the need for accountability. If anyone needs this program, it is free and Mike and I would be glad to be anyone's accountability partner on this, no questions asked! If it is something you feel you should do, just give us a quick e-mail...

Cymbre-cymbreg@aol.com

Mike-thealleydude@aol.com
Please check out the website just so you know that the ministry is there!!

PICTURES!!

Just a few pictures to add...I really don't have much to say other than I had a GREAT birthday despite being so far away from "home". Mike made sure that it was a special time!! This pic is from our night out on the town for my birthday!

Linda made me a Pina Coloda cake minus the coconut on top for my birthday! I am still snacking on that cake! and the best part is, it only gets better with age!! lol...the cake's age that is, not mine!

Everyone keeps wanting to see pictures of our new friends...Tracey, Cory, and Kenneth (l-r). Tracey and Cory are also NOBTS students displaced to Atlanta and Kenneth is from the church that is helping us out...he also happens to be Linda's second cousin. They are Floyds and there are Floyds everywhere down here! lol...he's related to probably over half the church! They are all great and it's so nice to have friends here!

This is one of my favorite pictures! Mike says he knows how to make drinking out of a straw look MANLY...well, this is it! It sure looks manly, huh??

Anyway, those are all the pictures I have for now but I will be taking the camera tomorrow for the 2nd Chick-fil-a nugget eating contest between Mike and Cory tomorrow night. The first one was a forced tie due to time restraints but we are giving them more time tomorrow! Chick-fil-a may reconsider their All You Can Eat Nuggets after tomorrow! Good night all!!

Chris Tomlin in Midland

Just a note...Chris Tomlin's tour will be stopping in Midland at Stonegate Church on October 30. I recommend it to EVERYONE! You can get more info at www.christomlin.com

How GREAT is our God!!

I can't even bring to words how awesome last night was! Mike and I worshipped with Chris Tomlin, Matt Redman, Louie Giglio, and a full theater of Atlantans!! It was AMAZING! The tour is titled Indescribable and the entire night was centered around the magnitude of God and it was the first time I was overcome with all the emotions built up in me during this crazy time in our lives! I hadn't allowed myself to cry out to God and realize just how mighty and indescribable MY God is! Matt Redman led us in several songs and let me tell you...the words were powerful! One praise we sung out was
OH NO! YOU NEVER LET GO. THROUGH THE CALM AND THROUGH THE STORM. OH NO! YOU NEVER LET GO. THROUGH EVERY HIGH, EVERY LOW!
followed by
YOU GIVE AND TAKE AWAY! YOU GIVE AND TAKE AWAY! MY HEART WILL CHOOSE TO SAY, "BLESSED BE YOUR NAME!"
This is the first time in my life that I have truly trusted God with my entire life, not knowing what he was going to do. It would have been so easy for me to give up after Katrina. We had followed God and moved to New Orleansl...miles upon miles away from our family, our friends, out entire lives and then we were forced out. But we didn't give up. We saw that God had a few detours that we didn't see! He has never let go, through every high and every low, he's been there! I am SO glad that our hearts have choosen to say "BLESSED BE YOUR NAME OH GOD!!" This is an amazing time in our lives that I know is preparing us for the rest of our lives and I have been and continue to be blown away by God right now. He truly is INDESCRIBABLE!!

God was greatly praised and I was so blessed to be there...in that theater...praising God! Chris ended the night with what has to be my favorite praise song simply because it puts the words together that mean so much to me right now. I hope that you all can join with me in saying:
HOW GREAT IS OUR GOD, (SING WITH ME) HOW GREAT IS OUR GOD, ALL WILL SING HOW GREAT, HOW GREAT IS OUR GOD. HE'S THE NAME ABOVE ALL NAMES, HE'S WORTHY OF ALL PRAISE, MY HEART WILL SING, HOW GREAT IS OUR GOD!!

Thank you all so much for your comments! It is so great to hear from everyone back in West TX! plus, it's good to know that someone other than my parents, sis, and grandmothers read this! lol...Although I have to say that even if they were the only ones...it would be worth it! :) Anyway, things are going good here in ATL. We had a nice weekend lounging around the house. We rented a couple movies and locked ourselves in the Braves room...the Braves room is the room that was added on for Paul's son but once he moved out, it was converted into an extra TV room decorated in Braves stuff...pretty cozy! Anyway, Mike is still reading a lot but next week is his Fall Break. I'm sure he'll prob. read some then to stay up to speed and possibly get ahead but at least he won't have class on Monday! We are getting really excited about the Chris Tomlin thing Thursday night...I'll try to take pics for Kate! and i'm sure if I just mention your name, he'll get me backstage and all, right?? ;) ;) Well, I better get to bed! Love you all! Miss you all!!

Hello all! Wanted to share a pic in case anyone forgot what we looked like! ha ha! Mike and I went w/some friends to the 2nd game in the Braves vs. Astros series of the championships. Unfortunately, the Braves won...Mike is an Astros fan! But, at least he got to see them play! School is definitely back in session. Mike is in the other room reading away!! There's not a whole lot to share right now...we are close to the end of our 4th week in Georgia...can you believe it?? I can't!! In a way, it seems like just yesterday we were moving to Kenner...but at the same time, it seems like FOREVER since we were in West Texas wondering what to do next...

Remember the bible study we started going to on Tuesday nights called 722?? Well, for those of you who know who keep up with worship leaders and all will enjoy this. We were there this past tuesday and after Erwin McMannus (spelling??) finished speaking...he was a great speaker by the way...the worship band got back on stage to close us in song and it was none other than Chris Tomlin! He has been in town rehearsing for his tour that will be here next Thursday (my b-day present from Mike is going to hear him, Matt Redman, and Louie Giglio) so he decided to "stop" by and lead us in worship! it was AMAZING...I had never heard him live and was blown away! I LOVE his songs...he wrote the one quoted earlier on here! Anyway, just wanted to share that!!

LOVE YOU ALL...MISS YOU ALL!!

BELMONT YOUTH

WHATS CRACKIN BABY!!!

THIS IS MIKE, CYMBRE FINALLY LET ME POST

ANYWAYS, I JUST WANTED TO SAY HEY TO ALL THE PEOPLE AT BELMONT. I HOPE YOU GUYS ARE DOING WELL.
I AM GOING TO TRY AND ATTACH A SLIDE SHOW, BUT I AM NOT SURE IF IT WILL WORK OR NOT. I HOPE IT DOES, BECAUSE THEY ARE SOME GREAT MEMORABLE PICTURES FROM OUR LAST SUNDAY AT BELMONT. KEEP THINGS GOING AND DONT LET THINGS FADE!!! WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU GUYS, PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE!!! POST ON THIS OR EMAIL US. LET US KNOW HOW THINGS ARE GOING AND HOW YOU ARE DOING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The bench stands alone

Well, we made it back from Louisiana with MOST of our stuff. We were really blessed...for the most part, our things were OK. However, we were limited on our space in the trailer/truck so not everything came back with us. The tree outside our patio was uprooted and fell (pictures above), causing our TV to break the table it was on and fall but it turned out OK. A shelf in our bedroom fell also but other than that, everything was on the walls and intact! The debris around the town was CRAZY! I had heard that it resembled a war zone but I had NO idea! The picutres of the really bad streets did not turn out since we were driving while Mike was snapping photos but we did get some decent pictures! Pretty much EVERY resendential street was overwhelmed by debris on the sidewalks and in yards waiting for dump trucks!

The drive was interesting...we went through Pascagoula (sp??), Biloxi, and Mobile...some of the worst hit places. There were canopies gone that had covered fuel stations, signs down all over the place, and buildings that had taken a beating! Two of the most interesting scenes we passed on our Interstate detour were a small motel missing it's roof and a boat that had been slammed into a building.

The drive was LONG and tiring. We had a change in plans as far as the trailer was concerned on Thursday night around 10:30. We were supposed to leave at 8 the next morning...so we got up as scheduled and started calling around for a U-Haul. We finally left around 10, got to our apartment around 7 p.m., ate some Chinese and went to bed. We decided to start our day early, hoping to finish at a decent hour and get back on the road. The only part of that which happened was the getting up early part! We arose at 6 a.m. to get there at 7. Because nothing was packed, it took FOREVER to get things loaded. The smell was pretty bad but NOTHING like we expected. Mike and I had gone grocery shopping not long before the storm and because it was still a small storm when we left, we did not clean out our fridge. Needless to say, we did not even open the fridge due to the bug/fly/maget creatures on the seal of the fridge! We decided to take a lunch break around 1 hoping it would energize everyone but because it was SO hot and humid, we still drug on. We finally finished loading, went back to Corey's house (Corey is another seminary student living in the area thanks to Sunny Side Baptist) to take showers and headed out of Louisiana around 7:00 p.m. Because of the trailer, we weren't able to drive very fast and did not arrive back in Hampton until 9:00 this morning!!! Talk about a drive!! Corey was great about driving though. The truck didn't have cruise so it was tough on Mike's knee...Corey drove most of the way with a 3 hour exception between 2 and 5 so he could get some rest! Anyway, I will end here with one last note. The title of this blog is "The bench stands alone"...my mom and Craig made me a cement bench when I envied theirs. My bench endured the long move to Louisiana in August and made a GREAT sitting area to enjoy the afternoon showers of Kenner. Throughout the storm, the trees were uprooted, siding was ripped from the building, boats were tossed to and fro, but the bench stood firm, making it through the storm with not even a bump or a bruise. Unfortunatly, my bench and I had to part ways yesterday. It was just way too heavy to load without a dolly and now, it stands alone at 824 Joe Yenni Blvd. #4. I hope the apartment complex allows the next tenant the option of hanging on to my bench as it brought me much happiness! Hopefully I will have another bench be part of my life one day, and hopefully it will bring me as much joy as my first!

In Loving Memory

My Bench

picture time!!

It's a long story, but I just remembered I could use the pics on my disk from my camera even though I don't have a cable! SO, here are just a few pics...The Muehlbergers, their house/porch/yards, view of downtown Atlanta from Turner Field (home of the Braves), and pic of Mike and I with his fav. team's ball inside Turner field. I hope to have some pictures of Louisiana online after we get back so stay tuned...