Arrived In Munich

Just wanted to check in with you all. I arrived in Munich a little while ago. Had a pretty smooth flight, was not able to sleep much. Almost complete with A Severe Mercy- yes the book made me cry, the lady next to me was looking at me :) It was pretty funny getting on the flight- as I looked around most of the men either looked like my dad or my cousin... I guess the German Schlenker was stronger that I thought. I was pretty much laughing out loud- it was kinda trippy. Thanks for your prayers and thank you Jesus for getting me and providing this far! Might try to curl up on the airport floor, I will see how that goes. And right now I am eyeing a choclate croissant.....

Waiting In Denver...

This is a pretty cheezy shot of the small little mountain plane I took out of the Eagle/Vail airport this morning. My friend, Carol took me to the airport this morning. It was a beautiful spring morning in Colorado. Carol waited outside the aiport to see if my bag was over weight and sure enough it was. I had to reconfigure and pull some stuff out. I thought that for international flights it was 75lbs, but it was 50lbs- that or the altitude got into their heads. Carol knew what she was doing. I am so thankful for her friendship, she is gold nugget! Thanks for everything Carol! I board the plane in a hour and a half, so I got my favorite latte in Denver- A vanilla latte from the Seattle's Best Coffe Shop. I have flown in and out of here several times and everytime that is a stop for me.

Do you ever wonder who you will end up sitting with on the airplane? I wonder if I wil have a empty seat to curl up in or if I will end up in some interesting conversations. I am always up for a good conversation- a nice espresso induced mind is always good. I fly into Munich, Germany and will land in the morning. Looking forward to diving into some good books on my flight- A.W. Tozer is on the list, it has been a while since we have talked.

I think I might go do some lunges in the airport before I leave- yes I will be that girl- doing lunges in the airport. See you soon Chris!

Headed to the Ukraine

I am wrapping up loose ends before I leave town. It is almost 7:00 mountain time and it has been a long day of trying to get out of town. Crazy how that happens. Needless to say, I can't wait to get off the plane in Keiv and see Chris- What an incredible person who brings more life and joy to me when I get the chance to be with her. I met Chris when I was 19 years old.... I have a big layover both ways in Munich, Germany- 21 hours later and I will be there. I will be meeting my other friends- Karen and Sherry over there a few days later. I really am just excited to see life for Chris over there. She has been serving as a missionary for 4 years in the Ukraine. Anyway, I am sure it will be a time full of lots of laughs, walks, having fun and witnessing the mirarcles of God in the hearts of others in a place unfamilar to me. I will keep you posted on my journeys. I would love your prayers for safe travels and sweet time!

A New Phase......

So this weekend I made the plunge and bought new bedding. My last purchase was a duvet cover I bought in the Roseville Mall with my sister at Eddie Bauer. To say the least, it was time. It is cheerful, vibrant, detailed and so fun! I made the purchase at Anthropologie and was not as expensive as I would have thought. It is funny, I feel like it marked a new phase of life..... out with the old, on with the new! No more reminders of being snuggled in my light blue cherry blossom duvet reading a book or studying in college all hours of the night. Now, I will be snuggled in my new comforter being cozy and reading......

This Weekend....

So... I just got a email from Jenn Avila calling me out on my outdated blog... So here is to you Mama Jenn! I was in Denver this Sat, it was a beautiful drive in! Here are a few pics from the weekend. Sunday I headed over to Aspen to hike with a friend,Ann. It is the mud/shoulder season here, so the mountains are closed for skiing and the next few months are slowing down around here. We hiked Smugglers on Sunday. I was able to run outside yesteray, which was beautiful, the snow i melting away and the rivers are filling up. I can't wait for the summer here! I am headed to the Ukraine on Sat, so you can pray for safe travels.

Good Friday

My Utmost For His Highest
The Collision of God and Sin

. . who Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree . . . —1 Peter 2:24

The Cross of Christ is the revealed truth of God’s judgment on sin. Never associate the idea of martyrdom with the Cross of Christ. It was the supreme triumph, and it shook the very foundations of hell. There is nothing in time or eternity more absolutely certain and irrefutable than what Jesus Christ accomplished on the Cross— He made it possible for the entire human race to be brought back into a right-standing relationship with God. He made redemption the foundation of human life; that is, He made a way for every person to have fellowship with God.

The Cross was not something that happened to Jesus— He came to die; the Cross was His purpose in coming. He is "the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world" ( Revelation 13:8 ). The incarnation of Christ would have no meaning without the Cross. Beware of separating "God was manifested in the flesh. . ." from ". . . He made Him. . . to be sin for us. . ." ( 1 Timothy 3:16 ; 2 Corinthians 5:21 ). The purpose of the incarnation was redemption. God came in the flesh to take sin away, not to accomplish something for Himself. The Cross is the central event in time and eternity, and the answer to all the problems of both.

The Cross is not the cross of a man, but the Cross of God, and it can never be fully comprehended through human experience. The Cross is God exhibiting His nature. It is the gate through which any and every individual can enter into oneness with God. But it is not a gate we pass right through; it is one where we abide in the life that is found there.

The heart of salvation is the Cross of Christ. The reason salvation is so easy to obtain is that it cost God so much. The Cross was the place where God and sinful man merged with a tremendous collision and where the way to life was opened. But all the cost and pain of the collision was absorbed by the heart of God.

Winkie Pratney

Please pray for a friend I have never met, his name is Winkie. Winkie has been serving in youth ministry for over 30 years all over the world. Winkie was ministering at a youth event in South Korea when he was immediately rushed to the hospital. The condition that he has has been life threating and at several points they did not expect him to make it. People all over the world have been praying for him and Winkie is begenning to experience the power of healing. I have been deeply moved by his sermons and his ministry. If you have never heard of him, listen to some of his messages. It is so weird that I don't know him, but have been so moved by his ministry. Please pray for my friend, pray that God would use this time to impact people all over the world, that hearts would be more stirred to know a loving and merciful God.

Here is a little more background on Winkie Pratney

Logging some 150,000+ miles a year and often speaking with over half-a-million young people annually, Winkie has wide experience in youth work. His technical background in both science and the popular music culture has given him a unique insight to the particular needs of a media-dominated technological society, and his constant monitoring of youth trends combined with continual feedback from young people themselves has helped him interpret these for those with a vital interest in the welfare of the young.

Besides annual leadership training seminars he has for three decades helped challenge and inspire young people to holy and happy living. Winkie is involved with helping and training young people of all ages and works with many leading international youth movements including Campus Life, Champions For Christ, Operation Mobilization, Masters Commission, Youth With A Mission, Young Life, Youth Alive, and Teen Challenge. He conducts yearly leadership training for youth workers in Europe, North America and the Pacific, and has been involved as an advisory and consultant to church, civic, educational, government and social welfare leaders on the needs and problems of modern teenagers. He occasionally speaks in churches, but his primary call is to students.

A frequent featured speaker and guest on national television talk shows, his audio and video-tape lectures are carried by many effective outreach ministries as part of their training. Winkie has authored more than twelve books including youth manuals like the best-selling Youth Aflame!, Handbook For Followers Of Jesus, books on contemporary and historical issues like Devil Take The Youngest, Revival - Twenty Centuries Of Vision and Visitation, Dealing With Doubt and evangelistic and apologetic works like the contemporary devotional theology The Nature And Character Of God.

He and his son Bills' training work for GenXers The Daniel Files and other training materials are available free on-line via the Internet.* His "scholarship on fire" approach has resulted in the conversion of multiplied thousands of teenagers, the creation of powerful new ministries and the continual encouragement of multitudes of young believers and their leadership.

Winkie is a New Zealander and maintains a low organizational profile. He is sometimes known to reply to mail, (especially from teenagers) but his frequent travels discourage lengthy correspondence and he leaves personal counseling to pastors and churches. He with his gracious wife Faeona and awesome son William live sometimes in New Zealand and visit often Australia, Canada, Europe and the USA.


http://winkiepratney.com/winkie_pratney_blog/index.html

Ukraine

Miss you all friends. Thought I would let you all know that I am headed to the Ukraine to visit a dear friend, Chris Zurbach. She has been a missionary there for four years now and I am so greatfull for the time to be able to go and see her and dive into her life. Sherry Stupar and Karen Stump will be meeting us over there. I am leaving April 28 and returning May 10. I know it will be a great time of being with Chris, seeing all that God is doing in her life and in lives of the people there.