wooo staff retreat.

Such a fun couple of days in Palm Springs with the team. I had so much fun getting to know people better...relaxing...getting tan...sleeping in a big comfy bed. It was the best. i just loooove the people i work with.


This is me and my lazy eye being really excited about banana runts just in case you were wondering what was going on here. =)

these are very fun pictures of me and the girls. =)


this is me, my lazy eye, allison, and zack entertaining ourselves while we waited on shaun to shop. haha

2 allisons. =)

graduation.

So i went to mission's graduation last friday and realized, once again, just how privileged I am that this is my JOB. But then after a little talk with my host family over dinner just now I realized this is so much more than my job. its kind of a lifestyle. I feel like the majority of my "work" in the lives of students isn't done from 9-5. And that's the part that i LOVE. I think that's one of the most important things i've learned out here so far is that you can't be halfway in student ministries....you're either 100% devoted to students or you're not. You can't sorta love students....you have to love them with your whole heart and i definitely do. There's nothing in the world i love more than watching a student grow. i loooove my job. i love my team. i love saddleback. i love knowing this is what i was made to do. God's so rad.

Thank God for staff retreat!!!

i'm so excited.
Palm Springs in the morning!!!!!!
and after this crazy week...it'll be a nice get away.

graduations to attend+freshman frenzy+promotion weekend+new service times+saturday night special= ABSOLUTELY EXHAUSTED!!!!!

woooo palm springs here we come!!! =)

Doing the shuffle.

the wonderful husband of my best friend tagged me to list the first 15 songs when i hit shuffle on my ipod.....this could be ugly. haha.

1) You've Got a Friend - James Taylor
2) Standing Outside the Fire- Garth Brooks
3) "track 3" from my spring break mix from college. which is in the club - 50 cent. ha
4) You make me sick - Pink
5) Here i am to worship - michael w smith
6) Remember When - Alan Jackson
7) City Love- John Mayer
8) Swallowed in the Sea- Coldplay
9) I hate myself for losing you - kelly clarkson
10) Nice and Slow- Usher
11) Better Man- pearl jam
12) One i love- coldplay
13) Lead me on- bethany dillon
14) Cocoon- jack johnson
15) Time after time- cyndi lauper. hahahahah awesome. =)



and now....i tag ANNIE!!!

new favorite song

Hillsong's Mighty to Save. We did it this weekend in HSM. It stuck with me for some reason. I REALLY like it. Especially this part.

So take me as You find me
All my fears and failures
Fill my life again
I give my life to follow
Everything i believe in

Savior
He can move the mountains
My God is Mighty to save
He is Mighty to save
Forever
Author of salvation
He rose and conquered the grave
Jesus conquered the grave

so disappointed!

Dear Chick-fil-a,
i hate you.
I hate that i got so excited to visit you only to remember you're closed on sunday.
dang you chick-fil-a for honoring the sabbath on the day i wanted you AND was in Tustin.
i wanted sweet tea more than you know.
Apparently i WILL NOT be "eating more chicken" as your slogan suggests.
Instead i will eat in-n-out...which is hamburgers.
quite the opposite of your slogan...now isn't it??
You have no idea how much you let me down chick-fil-a.
Maybe next time will be better, just not on sunday.

-Me

Griff's a rockstar.....

Let's talk about how the number of people that look at my blog has DOUBLED since Griff gave me a little shout out about our fun day of filming.
Griff...i wish i was as cool as you.
haha.

Why I love my job...

#1....i drank an entire bottle of hot sauce just to make a funny video.
#2....i watched Josh inhale an entire double double, fries, and drink....again just for a funny video.
#3....we threw a computer (mouse, keyboard, monitor, tower) off the top of the worship center, which involved climbing 2 ladders i might add.
#4.....i get to hang out with the most amazing students
#5.....i spend my day with REALLY fun people.

And that's just to name a few...
BUT come to the PDYM student leadership conference to see these crazy fun videos!!!

This is why i love myspace...

I got this message yesterday on myspace

This is going to sound weird, but you look like a girl I knew back when I
was in middle school in St. Marys, GA? Could you be her??
(I swear I'm not crazy!)

and it was my best friend from like 6th grade...and i hadn't talked to her since 6th grade. So funny right????? THIS is why I love myspace! =)

Fall Planning Retreat

We are getting ready to head into our last session of our fall planning! So far so good!
We started yesterday and spent the morning at the Starbucks in Anaheim with our own barista waiting on us, which was fun. We spent our first session talking about team goals and personal goals for this year, which was awesome. Mostly just talking about surrendering ourselves and surrendering our ministry to God and really being open to change. We had lunch at the ESPN zone at downtown disney and then spent the afternoon brainstorming our purposes. It was a really great session.

We had dinner at Buca De Pepo which was aweeeesome. During dinner Zack (our newest member of our team) and I decided we were going to coach a soccer team together this fall. SUPER stoked about that. After dinner was a rousing game of celebrity and Ryanne and i totally owned until we got disqualified because i said Herbert Hoover starts with an H. laaaame.

All day today we spent going over events and volunteers and where our ministry is headed and how we get there. It was pretty exciting. I'm excited with where our team is and where we are headed. It's gonna be a great year.

Stained Glass Masquerade

I've been thinking a lot lately about how hard it is to be real with someone. To let another person see your hurts and your fears and your failures is a huge risk. I was listening to this song today by Casting Crowns and it just opened my eyes to a lot of things and brough a lot of questions to my mind. How many people in ministry are faking it? my favorite line

The performance is convincing
And we know every line by heart
Only when no one is watching
Can we really fall apart

How many people in ministry are so into the routine of what's expected in ministry or of Christians in general that we lose sight of why we do what we do and forget that its okay to be real with someone. We just start going through the motions of ministry and aren't real enough to be honest about it...so the routine just escalates. The risk of being genuine is well worth it when you have genuine relationships with people that love you for who you are, no matter what. I'm so grateful for the genuine friendships in my life.

Just some random things I was thinking about today...check out the song.


Is there anyone that fails
Is there anyone that falls
Am I the only one in church today feelin' so small

Cause when I take a look around
Everybody seems so strong
I know they'll soon discover
That I don't belong

So I tuck it all away, like everything's okay
If I make them all believe it, maybe I'll believe it too
So with a painted grin, I play the part again
So everyone will see me the way that I see them

Are we happy plastic people
Under shiny plastic steeples
With walls around our weakness
And smiles to hide our pain
But if the invitation's open
To every heart that has been broken
Maybe then we close the curtain
On our stained glass masquerade

Is there anyone who's been there
Are there any hands to raise
Am I the only one who's traded
In the altar for a stage

The performance is convincing
And we know every line by heart
Only when no one is watching
Can we really fall apart

But would it set me free
If I dared to let you see
The truth behind the person
That you imagine me to be

Would your arms be open
Or would you walk away
Would the love of Jesus
Be enough to make you stay

Stomp the Yard

is one of my absolute favorite movies of all time.
If you haven't seen it please watch it!
BUT watch with an open mind and you'll loooooove it!!!

Spelling at starbucks part 2

Yesterday was Alis-tan. Today, Alician.
really is it that hard to spell allison??? I mean you're not even close.
I think they are messing with my head.