Better than Mcky-D's... I'm Lovin IT!!!

Running joke in my new department... it or I.T. ? or does one equal the other? Yes, you can all see i'm getting quite cozy in my new position with our IT department at work. It's been quite fun, i do have to admit. i'm learning so much, some wins, some loses, but all in all, it's been a good experience for me so far! :) and i'm sure it will continue to be. Seeing as how i'm the only chick on a team of about 20 men, you all know i'm instantly the appointed Chairman of Social Activites, the mom, the nagging sister, the birthday reminder, the lunch coordinator and Director of Festivities. I think most of the guys are cool with it, i mean, at least there's now some sort of decoration on a desk in our area, MINE of course! haahha!! i have all sorts of pics up, a plant, such items that make it look a little more inviting in our area. :) Anyways, enjoying learning something new.

Next, I'll be taking a trip to Minnesota in about 2 weeks. :) sure to be a fantastic trip and i am terribly excited about it!!! :) we know many good pictures will be coming from it! I'm ready to leave now... but i can't b/c i'm also very excited about the Make Room Conference http://thelifechurch.com/m_makeroom.php we're gonna have at The Life Church next weekend!!!!!!!!!!!! it's bound to be fabulous!!!!!!! it was a terrific conference last year, so many good reports came from it, and i'm sure this year is going to be bigger and better! I have met people all over our city/area, Memphis and Mississippi, who came last year to the conference who were so happy and blessed! they're telling me now that they will be attending the conference as well next weekend. AAANNNNDDDDD..... even more to be excited about is that SONYA WILL BE IN TOWN NEXT WEEKEND!!!!!!!!!! For those of you who don't know... Sonya is my bff. I can not wait to see her! i talked to her today, she's had a cold but is doing so much better, and her back is feeling better as well. I just can't wait to see her!!!!

Life is going great! I've made some great changes in my life lately and coincidentially, I've had some monkey from my past be taken off my back, some purposefully some not, but none the less, I know God is moving my life forward!!!!!!! :) and for that, i can not be more thankful... i mean.... sooooooooo thankful. God is changing me, from the inside out, again, to better than i was before. My life is not my own.

My brother, Derek, is at Camp Stryker in Iraq, supposed to be one of the nicest bases in the area. He's doing good, i've talked to him online! :) and that was soooo awesome!!!!!!!! so happy and such a relief. :) It's good to know he's doing good. i wish i could talk to him more tho. I miss him so much...

Hoping to make another trip to India this summer! :) Joel says Hillsong will be there in May for a huge conference. It's going to be good to get to see everyone again! The Spiritual heaviness there was incredible... i know God is moving mountains in India, i can not wait to get back there, i still do think i will live there as a missionary one day... for real... I love this country.

I put some pics from our Chick Nite at church last weekend, what an amazing weekend it was!!! I will post more on facebook and/or flickr tomorrow maybe. I can't wait for all the stuff coming up tho! Make Room, Minnesota!!! I CAN'T WAIT! :)

Something new...

Hey guys! I have had some guilt lately about not blogging in a bit... but I'm still running around crazily like a chicken with my head cut off! :) I've been taking pictures, like you would NEVER believe! 2 weekends ago, i had 5 shooting sessions... can you believe it!? but I love it!!! And... guess what!?

I just got in the mail today my newest addition to my Nikon Family... an 18-105 VR lens! :) i'm so excited! i have not taken it out of the box yet, as i just picked it up, however, you all can rest assured that i will take the adequate # of 'first time' shots tonight! i'm so excited!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I have been shooting The Dempseys A LOT lately (mostly b/c i have been working late and can go out there after 9pm). Last night, i took almost 700 pictures. some are really good... i'm going to give them a CD of their stuff and possibly have them use my stuff on their websites, they have a facebook and myspace page too... thedempseys.net is their band page tho. check it out!

Will post more stuff soon! BTW, my brothers are doing great! Derek is well taken care of for now in Iraq. Keep prayin for him!

"Alas... we meet again"

Do you ever see someone and that's the first thing that comes to your head... 'Alas, we meet again' in that Susan-Sarandon-soap-star-from-Friends-overdramatic-crazy'tress role? Jessica someone... anyways... i am in that kind of mood tonight... part of me is fuming with emotions, part of me is exhausted and part of me is just plain, darn happy! Church was off 'da chain tonight! and i didn't take any pictures!!! AAARRRGGGHHH! but we had a WONDERFUL guest Pastor, then we made 2 new pastors, then it was, just wow!!! AMAZING! such a good night to be up there, on the team, serving... every night that we increase a kingdom, ever service, every time i see a hand raised, i am hoping, praying... i hope they have a heart to grow God's house. because, as i see with my two little munchkins... there is no sweeter joy than watching them or hearing their voice tell me, 'Mommy, i love going to church' or 'Mommy, i love Jesus' and i just want to cry every time!!! aaahhhooo!! i can't wait to get them back this weekend!



So, in normal fashion... i will begin with the dramatics. My uncles mom passed away... another family tragedy, hopefully the only one this week! mom and i were talking, we've had one every week for the past 4 weeks... and we could really do without one for a while! :S but... on a good note, i filed my taxes! WOOHOO for single parents! (who need the cash! :) and Derek is hopefully going to get leave in August. !!! woohooo!!! for his birthday.

so, that's that! lets talk about India. I have our first India mtg tomorrow night at the church! i will post more info when i get it, but we're gonna go build something! YAY! that is all i know now, oh, and we'll be in the same area as last time. in the middle of the country, by Hyderabad. :) i can not wait to see my friends! i miss them so much!!!! Sounds of the Nations guys!!! i miss singing with them! i can't wait to go back and love on that country again... such amazing people we met!

ok... it's good to go to bed on a good note! i miss Missions.........

Picture taking coming up on saturday! but i think i need to post more of my last shoots before i go out and do another one! :S http://www.flickr.com/photos/onlyaubs/

Retreating no more

So, I did it... i took a weekend for me... and me alone. I know that seems like a very boring, 'who cares' kind of thing, but it was a BIG DEAL for me... i've not ever, seriously, that i can think of, took a full weekend just for me to get away. as in... no phone, no internet, tv only if i chose to watch it, gotten away on purpose just for me to relax. No work, no church, no kids, no schedule, no events, no nothing... Now, before any of you who actually know me start to think i must have been drugged or bribed or maybe even kidnapped, yes, i did in fact do this for me. I did, also, miss the showing of a testimony video that I filmed for our church!! on my weekend! i left... however, it was not planned that way. For you who have read some of my posts lately or even just maybe know me personally, life has been a little heavy in the trauma and drama of it all and well - disconnecting, rest and detachment is what i have needed... and these indeed are what i did.

It was awesome to go to nature, a very similar spot to where i went to high school and where my mom still lives, in the hills and forest and trees and lakes and trails and... man... it was totally awesome. Andy and Brandy went with me, we got a cabin at Natchez State Park, a short distance past Jackson, TN. I was able to talk to Sonya on Saturday, from the top of a hill on the Pine Oak trail, Andy took a picture of me 'not disconnecting' but i will never miss the chance to talk with her! Its so exciting and encouraging to hear how her life is changing, from the inside out and what God is doing in her. It keeps giving me hope that i am not lost and i am not forgotten, even when i feel like all hope should or could be lost at times. It's just such an inspiration... it makes me get all fired up... I titled this blog 'retreating no more' because I am not running away any more. i'm not going to hide and wait patiently for others around me or things to start coming my way. I'm not going to sit back idly while my life passes me by. Over the past 6 months, i started a new position, of which i am officially leaving today, Monday the 2nd of February and this has TOTALLY been a time of rest for me. the position i had before it was supppppppppppeerrrrr hard-core and i was very very very worn out. i was physically and emotionally exhausted from the year and 1/2 i was in that role and i was just... pooped. so the job i had come to was such a relief. i was able to finally breathe, and i was also able to catch up on my life, as in outside of work. but in doing so, i got lazy in a lot of my other obligations. DR ended and i just fell out, pretty much. in general. so... all that to say this. Passive Aubrey exists no more. Time to get up and go-get-em... if you don't get out and get what God, Himself, is putting right in front of you, who will????

India, here we come.

Faithfulness, I'm yours.

Service is here.

I have caught my breath and ready to jump back in the race. We are all called to a race. I remember having a philosophical talk with some friends of mine, Christian, and we discussed why it is so important to not know the future... it's always said and we firmly believed that if God always showed you what He has called for your life, you'd never find it because you're always thinking... that cant be for me, i'm not good enough, I will never be able to handle that... i don't deserve to have God give this to me... and man... is that ever true. Even if you do not know what race you are called to, you better stay on the trail... you better stay fit and you better keep running.... because you just never know when you will get the baton. I'm not willing to stop.

So... 2 days, 3 nature walks, 969 pictures, 2 grilled cheeses and 1 fire later... i am home with some clarity and some fired up determination.

My family is tough, we are strong and Derek will come home safely, we are all sure of it. My step mom's dad is still in the hospital and may not come home so i'm still believing for her sanity. And i must away to bed so that i will keep mine. But... Happy Birthday to my mom, her birthday is Feb 1.

Good nite! and wish me luck with my new position! :)