Hey You! Check this out!

Wanna know what to get Mom for Mother's day?

How about one of these necklaces or keychains? Not only are they super cute, but the proceeds benefit our trip to Chen Zhou!

What you need to know:

The price of each item is $15. You can pay me by check or cash!

If someone orders 10 items they get one free.  

Make sure you get me your mailing/delivery address

I will deliver your items :)

*The deadline for orders is MAY 13th.  

*If you want something in time for Mother's Day I need the order by THIS FRIDAY morning!!

Why we are fundraising: We will be traveling with Visiting Orphans and will be visiting several orphanages and serving more than 100 children.  As part of our mission we need to raise funds to be used for an orphanage gift. Also we need to raise enough money to cover the extra baggage fees we expect to incur when we bring over the medical supplies and baby care items that have been so generously donated. All proceeds from this fundraiser will go to the orphans of Chen Zhou.

Some Things Never Change.

Some things never change. We always hear that saying...mostly with bad connotation. But, as far as I'm concerned, most of the time that's a good thing!

Okay, so this is what I mean...

Sara and I were best friends in elementary school. We were attached at the hip. Sleepovers almost every weekend, riding to football games together, birthday parties, you name it, we were there together.

Then my dad had to do the mean thing of moving me away from Jacksonville. With neither of us having our licenses and getting busy with school, we kind of drifted apart.

Fast forward a few years.

It my freshman year of college and as I'm sitting in my dorm I get a message from her, telling me that she wanted to visit. We got all the details worked out, and planned an overnight visit.

I was wondering how it would go because we had lost contact, but I am glad to say I was pleasantly surprised. We had so much fun!

The weekend was over all too soon, and we weren't able to meet up again until the summer. Repeat cycle. Wondering if we could find things to talk about, meeting up, having so much fun, and then having to say goodbye.

Well, last night she came to visit again. I hadn't really seen or talked to her since the previous June (I am bad at keeping in touch, I'll admit it!)

We had sooooo much fun at Pottery Hollow and dinner laughing and talking and catching up on life.

Then we decided to go see a movie in Fairview Heights...ummm...so that was actually a bad idea. As we were getting on 255, a big pothole found its way to my poor car and we ended up with a flat tire. Normally, I'd be worried and freaking out. Not this time. We passed the time waiting for help by talking and laughing and taking pictures.

After the tire fiasco, as we were heading back with the spare on. Instead of being all frustrated about the whole thing and missing the movie, we were laughing so hard that my stomach was starting to hurt! It was like being back in the 5th grade again.

So yeah, maybe some things never change, but I think that's a good thing!

Landon's Easter Egg Hunt

Starting off (He needed a little assistance!)

Now he's starting to get the hang of it!

Checking out his loot

"Sharing" eggs with Uncle Josh? (aka throwing them at him)

Boys Will be boys right? Is that why we had to start hitting eggs off the tee?

Happy that he was the center of attention!

41!

Okay, so...that's how many days until we leave for China!! I am so excited!!!

That's all.

Expectations.

I had a bad morning this morning.

Not just your normal Monday morning either. I had a headache when I woke up, the toilet overflowed in the upstairs bathroom for no reason and I didn't have time to finish my coffee before work. All before 11am.

And then I got to work and remembered that Allie was home all week on Spring Break (cue crazy circus music in the Keller household).

A lot of people don't know this about me, but I am a crier. When I get sad, or mad, or stressed, the waterworks start. So, this morning on the way to work...yeah. Tears.

Since my mom was at work, I called my poor unsuspecting boyfriend to vent. Boy, did he get an earful....

As I'm complaining about all this stuff, and freaking out because I wanted to talk to my mom so bad but she was at work, Chad did the male thing.

Ladies, you know what I'm talking about. Instead of just listening, he started offering solutions and telling me that stressing wasn't going to help me have a better day at all.

Given the mood I was already in, I kinda got really cranky with him. I think my quote was something to the effect of, "WHY CAN'T YOU JUST SIT THERE AND LISTEN TO ME VENT?! I DON'T WANT A SOLUTION, I CAN FIGURE THAT OUT ON MY OWN! I JUST WANT YOU TO LISTEN!!!" (yeah, I pretty much win the girlfriend of the year award for that one...)

Anyways, by that time I had to go take care of the kiddos so the conversation shifted...it came up later though after I talked to my mom (finally!).

This is the texts sent back and forth between me and Chad about it...
C: How are you?
Me: I'm doing okay, got to talk to mom.
C: That's good, how was that?
Me: Good. She listened to me vent.
C: That's good, sorry I wasn't very good at listening this morning...
Me: No that's fine you're still learning to understand us girls!
(Then the super sweet guy thanked me for giving him a chance to learn...awww...)
-and then I said something back that I didn't even realize how true it was until I wrote (well, typed) it...
Me: I can't expect you to know how I think unless you're female...

Then, after I sent that I re-read it...and was thinking (no matter how silly it sounds) "Wow. That's really true. How on Earth can I expect him to think like me? He's not a girl. God made men and women different so we work well together..."

And that's really my thoughts for the day.. Sure, it drives me insane sometimes when I want to vent and automatically the men in my life start giving solutions, but what else can I expect out of them? God created men as the primary problem solvers.

To get frustrated when they try to help is like telling God he made man wrong. And that's definitely not the case.

Chad, because I know you're reading this, this is not your free pass to always offer solutions. You're a good listener. And I like that.

Bottom line: God made men and women different. And I can't expect my boyfriend or any other male in my life to understand what's going on in my head, because they don't think like us girls.

The way we work together is perfectly imperfect, and I wouldn't have it any other way.

The countdown...

48 days. 48. That's all until I say goodbye to my family and friends and boyfriend for 2 weeks of loving on babies in China.

What emotions am I feeling? Excitement. A little worry. Nervous. And surprisingly, blessed.

So blessed that the Lord called me to go and minister to these kids. I don't feel adequate. I don't feel totally prepared yet, but I don't think I ever will!

I'm so looking forward to it.

That's all I can articulate right now...

So yeah, please be praying for our team in these last 48 days before we leave and while we are there!

Chen Zhou trip Itinerary!

June 6th                        Arrive in Beijing                

June 7th                        fly from Beijing to Changsha, take bus to Chenzhou

June 8th-June 12           orphanage

June 13                         take bus to Changsha, fly to Beijing

June 14                         visit the Forbidden City and shopping

June 15                         vist the Great wall

June 16                         visit Shepherds Field

June 17                         fly home

I am getting so excited!!!!!! (in case you couldn't tell)

Chen Zhou Blog

Here is the link to the team Chen Zhou blog:
http://chenzhou2011.blogspot.com/

I encourage everyone reading this to follow the Chen Zhou blog as well!

You can also see my bio on there :)

Fear and Worry

The last few days have been absolutely awesome.

Truly.

And it makes me think..(scary, I know!) Why is it so hard for us to praise God in the bad times but its easy to say a little thankful prayer whenever something good happens?

Casting Crowns has something to say about this...and I think they got it right, in song form.

And I'll praise you in this storm 
and I will lift my hands 
for You are who You are 
no matter where I am 
and every tear I've cried 
You hold in your hand 
You never left my side 
and though my heart is torn 
I will praise You in this storm 

Then the song ends with one of my very favorite passages: Psalm 121. So why do I worry?

Captivating

I never knew I had a favorite word until this weekend at Women's Overnight. 

It was during quiet time, and they had us read in Song of Songs, where the man was talking about how she captivated his heart "with one glance of his eyes". 

I loved this.

This is how captivating is defined:

-verb (used with object), -vat·ed, -vat·ing.

1.

to attract and hold the attention or interest of, as bybeauty or excellence; enchant: Her blue eyes and red haircaptivated him.

2.

Obsolete . to capture; subjugate.

In Song of Songs 4:9-10, "He" is complimenting her beauty, telling her how her love is "better than wine." 

I couldn't help but think about how as girls, we long for this kind of compliments and affirmation from guys. Who are flawed, and will let us down...no matter how amazing they are. 

Yet while we long for this love from guys, the Lord loves us more than that. Guys are flawed in their life and love, however, the Lord's love is perfect. 

Why do us girls find it so hard to rest in that?

An Explanation of the Title!

I figured since the title was so strange, I'd explain...


If you know me, you know I love country music.


Martina McBride has an album called "Waking Up Laughing", and on it, there's songs about love and hate, joy and sadness, trials and triumphs. 


And that's what I hope to write about. 


I once read an article where Martina explained why the album got named what it did. She talked about what a perfect picture that is, waking up happy and ready for anything God brings.


So yeah. That's the deal.