Heading Home...

Hello!

Hard to believe that I have been here 4 months and 4 days! Leaving to go back home to the States tomorrow morning!! I spent yesterday packing up and watching Christmas movies by the fire. (My family's fireplace is broken so I'm trying to enjoy having one while I can)

Today I did last minute things in the office to prepare for the holiday season when I'm away. Had a couple of meetings to make sure everything would be taken care of and I definitely feel better now having done that :)

After work I headed over to my AAB site to visit Mr. McCrae and a couple other ladies who weren't there this past weekend to say goodbye. So glad they were all home and I had a lovely visit with each! Did some last minute shopping for gifts for friends and family (mostly sweets) and finished packing last minute items.

I'm at Lynsey's house now. Eating some chicken curry and watching TV. Stephen just weighed my bag and I do believe that it's exactly 50lbs. (Crossing my fingers its not over!)

Heading to bed here shortly! Waking up before 5am to drive to Dublin! Get to spend the day in Newark with the longest 7 hour layover ever! (Good thing my favorite hobby is people watching!)

The past 4 months have been by far the hardest and most stretching four months in my life - but I have never been more challenged in exercising faith and trust in the Lord then I have and I am so excited to see God continue to move in this amazing country! Ready though for a much needed holiday and visit with my family! I wont be writing while I'm home - so this is goodbye until mid January.
I pray you all have a wonderful Christmas that carries into the new year!

xoxo
Julie


"At Christmas, all roads lead home."  ~Marjorie Holmes

The Night I Met My First Gypsy...

Happy December 11th!! Hope you are having a wonderful Sunday - (Or had. . . depending where on the globe you live) I have HAD a great one. Though I am pretty exhausted at this point (and unfortunately not yet over my cold) so this entry will be a rather short one.

Church this morning was really good! The message was spot on. I also received more Christmas cards than I think I have in all my past Christmas' combined!!

Lunch at the Clarion with Sue, Allison, and her dad (Jim). DELICIOUS as always . . . although they were out of my favorite dessert :(

Christmas caroling at a care home with 6 others. . . really touched my heart. I never realized how much I adore elderly people. But I do. . . very very much.

Came home for about an hour before heading back to the church for worship practice and our night service.
John Purcell was our guest speaker for the evening. My very first gypsy! I was ecstatic!!! For those who know me know that this is something I have always wanted. . . to meet a gypsy. The message he brought tonight was really good and VERY entertaining. (He also looked very much like a mix between "Max" on Sound of Music and Maxwell Smart (w/ his mustache) on Get Smart.) - Random I know. . .

Texans won tonight in an absolutely incredible, nail-biting, edge of your seat, hold your breath, silent prayers of "God, if you could just please. . . " type of a game!!! And with it (thanks to the Saint's beating the Titan's) they clinched the AFC South - marking there first EVER playoff berth! Awk wish I was able to watch this game live (Though I probably would've had a heart attack!) Can't wait to watch my first game of the season next week!!! Hope they play decent!

Well I said most of my goodbyes tonight - now heading home is that much more real! Awk can't wait to see my family!! So soon now!!
Have a splendid evening!
♥
-J

Let Heaven & Nature Sing...

Hello!!!!! Hope your Saturday was as wonderful as mine!

Last night was AMAZING! Wonderful time with the Jamesters! We walked all over Belfast but had several good chats :) Street Reach went great as well! Got to see my favorites!! Amy, Gemma, Jack, Erin, Jenn. . . to name a few :) Also got to pass out my wee Christmas cards to them!

Today was great! Last Adopt-a-Block before I head home. Saw several families :) A couple of them weren't home - I'll go see them Monday or Tuesday to say goodbye though. Then I went back to the church to record an interview for Beauty for Ashes. Home to rest for a couple hours. The Loft Youth had their Christmas show tonight. Amazing job! It was the Nativity story set in modern day Belfast. Very cute! And 3 of my Junior youth girls were angels in it and also had a couple singing parts - so proud of them!

Busy busy day tomorrow! Definitely need to head to bed!

Have a wonderful night!!

xoxo

-J

Meet Moses...

Agh! I'm so upset with myself for getting almost a week behind - AGAIN! Haha but it has been a busy week sooooo I forgive myself this time :)
Ok. . . quick catch up. . .
Monday I worked in the office. Not too busy of a day. Painted some in the youth game room and got things ready for the Junior Youth Christmas party. Monday night after tea I Lynsey came and picked me up for a sleepover. Spent the evening watching TV with her and her brother.
The next day (after sleeping in) we went out for a delicious breakfast! However thanks to the shots of wheatgrass Stephen made for us earlier. . . and the all the vitamins we took to help with our colds - we both weren't feeling too well by the time our food arrived :( Still we enjoyed a lovely morning together :) Ran a ton of errands that afternoon - getting me ready to head back to the States and her to California in January. That night we went to her church for a prayer meeting that was really good - so glad we went! Then finished our night at Tescos buying last min things I needed for the Christmas party.
On Wednesday I worked all day in the office - painting majority of the time. (The youth game room needed to be finished for Thursday night) Had prayer meeting that night at JCC - and then back to Sue's for our cooking show which I have become quite fond of (Unfortunately I realized I will miss the last 3 episodes!!)
Thursday turned out to be a busy day. . . borderline stressful. Had the wee hours of the morning off - but then worked on the Christmas party before heading to the Clarion for a staff Christmas lunch. Immediately headed to the church from there to get ready for the Junior Youth Christmas party! Craziness - but SO MUCH FUN! Games - Pin the nose on Rudolph, Find the yellow snow, Winter BINGO, and more! Hot Chocolate, snacks, and a gift exchange! Their highlight was definitely snow mountain (made from a stack of paper that I shredded) - by the end of the night. . . after 30 mins of "snowball fights" the sanctuary was COVERED! Ha but they had a blast. MY highlight was definitely the gift exchange. We were at the end of our white elephant gift exchange. One child left to go...one present left under the tree - she chose though to steal a present instead of picking the one underneath the tree. . . then that kid stole a present. . . and this went on for about 3 more kids (I was worried we'd never finish) when finally one girl said "Ok, I'm curious to what's in the last present;" so she took it - thus ending our gift exchange. John (7 years and one of my favorites) looked on anxiously as she opened the overly taped gift . . . as this was the gift he brought. A look of confusion crossed her face once opened. "What is this?" she finally asked him after several suggestions of what it wasn't were said. (The thing was a ball made out of what looked like strings of dried play-doh) He smiled and proudly replied. "I don't know. I just found it under my bed!" Ahahaha I couldn't stop laughing! Such a boy! The older youth party was good too. Couldn't ask for a better night :)
Today I've been hard at work in the office, finishing up little things here and there. Heading into town shortly to get some last minute shopping done. Meeting up with one of my Street Reach girls. . . should be fun! And then tonight I have my last Street Reach. . . gonna be hard to say goodbye to everyone - but I know I'll be back soon enough :)

Have a wonderful Friday everybody!!! Hard to believe I'll be home in less than a week!!! Gosh been 4 months today actually. . . crazy!
-J

PS: Meet Moses. The kids found him in Sunday school the week I was teaching and I made the mistake saying I'd keep him (instead of putting it back outside) Benjamin named him after our lesson for the day - too cute. He has now been in my office 2 weeks. . . don't know whats gonna happen to him when I leave but man. . . having a pet caterpillar is exhausting - I didn't even need to feed my guinea pig this much!

Oh the Weather Outside is Frightful...

. . . but the fire is so delightful!

What a cold and wintry night! Had church this morning. Really good service - then Alan, Rach, Ben, and I went out for lunch. DELICIOUS! Afterwards Ben and I watched his Christmas present - "The Incredibles" while Alan snored on the couch and Rach worked on songs for the Christmas play. Haha halfway through Ben got bored and played a video game. Got bored of that and then the movie went back on. Oh the short attention span of a 4-year-old :)

Heading from Ballymena to church tonight we hit some heavy snowfall driving down the motorway! Would've filmed it but I didn't think it'd show up (plus those who are used to snow would find it rather silly) Still it was exciting! I've never driven through snow before! Unfortunately by the time we got into Jordanstown the snow had gone back to rain and thus I will need to wait a tad bit longer to build Frosty.

Tonight was our first Sunday night youth discipleship. Haha it was promising but also gonna be a stretching time for the leaders :)

Had a lovely skype date with my sister Emily tonight...though the Internet kept dropping our call :(
I also got to catch the last 5 mins of the Texans game!! I can't wait til the 18th for my first game of the season to actually watch NOT on Internet gameday!

Have work in the morning...taking Tuesday off instead this week so I can spend time with Lyn's (who has Tuesday's off) Trying to stay warm right now by the fire. . .

Love you all!
-J

It's Beginning To Look Alot Like Christmas...

YAY FOR DECORATING DAY!!! What a wonderfully festive day today was! I had Adopt-A-Block in the morning that was short on volunteers (just 3 of us) but was still a really good AAB.
Got home around noon and the Christmas decor came out of the attic!!! Sue and I got busy to work! With Sinatra's Christmas Collection playing in the background we focused on decorating the tree. Random decorations of tinsel, snowmen, reindeer, and nativities came next. A short break for lunch and then we completed the rest of the rooms. After the last snowflake was added to the window we sat down in the living room by the fire to enjoy a cup of coffee over a lovely Christmas film. . .

SOME OF OUR DECORATIONS:

Mini Christmas Tree

Mr. Snowman outside my room

"Urso" (Portuguese for Bear)

Our beautiful Christmas Tree :)

That pretty much sums up my day! Except for the exciting dinner we had. . .


THE STORY OF THE MAGGOTS:
So this is a rather funny but slightly gross story - so if you have a weak stomach prone to queasiness you might want to skip reading the following. Sue and I waited on dinner because we had such a late lunch but by about 6pm we were hungry so she went to make some pasta. It was DELICIOUS! (No exaggeration) Noodles in tomato sauce with pieces of zucchini, yellow pepper, mushrooms, and onions. Now I have become quite fascinated with the art of eating ever since I started watching Master Chef on TV. I can't seem to help it but now whenever I'm eating I try and savor every bite checking for it's blend of flavors and textures. Quite fun actually. Anyways tonight was no different and as I was thoroughly enjoying my meal, and after finishing half of it, I noticed what looked to be a maggot in my bowl of pasta. (Still not completely used to the different types of ingredients out here I was a little hesitant to mention it to Sue thinking it might be something that only resembles the miniature grub.) But no that was definitely a maggot. So I asked Sue; "Ummm are there supposed to be maggots in this?" Now noticing another one hiding behind a mushroom. She looked at me confused and after some discussion that maybe what I was seeing was herbs I picked one out to show her. Sure enough there were maggots in our dinner!!! After later investigating we discovered they were in the bag of pasta (we noticed some in the strainer - because they were the same color as the noodles they were hard to see if you weren't looking for them) I have now taking a careful look through my bowl and discovered about 12 others (in only the uneaten half mind you)! So yes I am certain I have consumed several maggots tonight! Thank you Tescos! Surprisingly I wasn't as sickened as I thought I'd be - however eating pasta again may not happen for some time. Needless to say, neither one of us had much of an appetite after that but managed to have a good laugh. Oh what a memory we both created! So yes this will go down as the night I, Julie Ochterbeck, ate maggots.

Well I wonder what tomorrow holds!
ps Everyone is saying there is to be snowfall but according to every weather station I have yet to hear anything about snow! We shall see. . .

xo
-J

A Rough, Tough, Yet Incredible Week...

Wow hard to believe we are already into December!! Time is rushing by so fast! Been so busy I completely forgot to write! So much has happened in this past week! Extreme highs - Extreme lows. . . Hmmm where to even begin???

Well I guess I should probably pick up where I left off. . .

Sunday went to church in the morning - incredible service with the Tharp family. For lunch the Tharp's, Sue, and myself, went over to Cecil and Evelyn's. Oh my word - what a GORGEOUS home. Straight from a Jane Austen book. Had church in the evening and then back to Alan and Rachel's. The three of us had some Veda and cheese and stayed up until 2am visiting. . . haha probably not the best idea.

Monday was a really good day. Hung out at the house until about noon and then went into Ballymena to get some gifts and just walk around town taking in all the Christmas decorations :)

Rebecca came and joined me after school and we had such a lovely time. That night Rach and I went grocery shopping and then had a TV girls night which was a perfect ending to the day.

And then Tuesday happened. One of my lowest days to date. One thing after another the enemy was really getting me down. At one point I had pretty much decided on not coming back in January. I even told the Lord; "I know you have called me here but regardless of that, unless you do something massive, I don't think I can come back - please don't force me to come back." No joke - that's word for word. But then He told me to read Psalms 119:1-8 in the message. And that one silenced me. That night I was completely overwhelmed and remember saying to myself; "This is too much for me." And then I heard him say; "Is it too much for me?" So even through it all He was right their to encourage me and gently remind me that He is with me and NOTHING is impossible with Him.

Wednesday was a little better. Work, Bible Study, Prayer. . .

Yesterday was the extreme high. God really showed off His magnificent power and left me in awe once again. Woke up with a bad head cold and sore throat so I opted not to go into town but take the morning and afternoon slow. Stayed home and did some minor work for Junior Youth that night and watched TV. I even got an hour nap in there before youth! Watched a cheesy yet entertaining Christmas film w/ Sue and then headed off for the church. Junior Youth went better than I had anticipated with a couple first timers and tons of regulars showing up! Then The Loft Youth followed with even more first timers and about 35 regulars. That night Zippy, one of our youth leaders, gave a message about destiny and purpose. . . Alan closed it up - both were really anointed by the Holy Spirit ... Then we put on some good worship music and the teens really got into it. . . (you can see for yourself in the video)

Then Alan spoke a wee bit more and closed with a call for salvation - 5 accepted Christ for the first time and 2 rededicated!! PRAISE THE LORD! One of them that got saved was the girl I had mentioned in "Oh Christmas Tree". I can't even begin to express how excited I am!!! There is such a new level of passion on Thursday nights from the leaders to the teens - and an expectancy that something is going to happen. Can't wait to see what next week holds! Please be believing with us for a mini bus as we have more teens we reach on Friday nights that want to come but don't have a way to the church!!

Today, aside from being sick, was another really good day. I got a ton done in the office and touched up painting on the youth game room with Alan. Had Street Reach tonight in Belfast which was amazing. Last two weeks the Christmas Market has been up outside City Hall as well so the crowds of people, the smells of food, the energy, lights, everything is just bustling with the holiday spirit. Even the rain held off for us :)

Tomorrow I have adopt-a-block in the morning which I can't wait for since I missed last weeks. Then, Sue and I will be putting up our Christmas decorations  - including the tree! Christmas music and movies galore!! Gonna be spectacular!

Well that's about it. Will try my best in the future not to let a week go by without writing. . . though my next two will be pretty busy! Haven't decided yet if I'm going to write while I'm home in the States. . . hmmmmm.

Hope you are having a WONDERFUL evening wherever in the world you might be :)

And remember that no matter what you face tonight - He's bigger than it.

xoxo

-J

A Piece of Pumpkin Pie...

LET CHRISTMAS CELEBRATING BEGIN!!!!!!!!

Just finished my Irish Thanksgiving! What a lovely day at the Kirks! Spent some time with Benjamin while Alan and Rachel were out. We constantly had to check on "the bird" as he was helping me with the turkey. Abigail and Rebecca came over to join in the festivities as well as Rachel's sister. What DELICIOUS food we had! MMMMMMMMMMMMMmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm!

We hung out and talked after dinner and then had our pie. Now, the girls (who just got back from McDonald's) are eating. . . again. Alan is in the kitchen making Veda and Cheese, Benjamin is asleep, and Rach is watching the X-Factor.

Sleepover tonight with Abs and Bec . . . Oh man. . . got a feeling I wont be sleeping much tonight!! After I finish writing I'm turning on Miracle on 34th Street. It feels good to be able to listen to Christmas music (as I have been for the past 3 hours) ~

Currently it is:

28 Days

2 Hours

33 Minutes

16 Seconds

SO SOON!!!!

Love you all!!! Here's to the best Christmas season EVER!

xoxo

-J





Happy Thanksgiving!

Happy Happy Thanksgiving!
(tho I'm not celebrating mine until Saturday)
. . . which leads me to a dilemma I've been contemplating ALL DAY! Literally I woke up this morning thinking about this! Everyone who knows me knows that I'm scrooge until my last piece of pumpkin pie is eaten. . . and then I turn into Christmas' number one fan. So the problem? Today is Thanksgiving BUT I haven't even celebrated it a little - Saturday is when I get my turkey and piece of pumpkin pie. . . So, do I get to celebrate Christmas now or do I need to wait until Saturday night?? I'm serious - this really has been on my mind all day!

Anywho - Yesterday was another rough day. Please keep Vinny in your prayers as he has become pretty sick. He is my right hand when it comes to running the Dream Centre - and I know it kills him not to be able to go out on the outreaches but he must take it easy until his health improves - so yes, please be praying!

Worked all day yesterday and then came home and had a wonderful 3 hours to myself where I did nothing but indulge in the finer things in life - a bubble bath, chocolate, and classical music. After my 3 hours of Julie time I headed out to the prayer meeting. I was supposed to be picked up by Vinny but once 7.45 showed up and no Vinny (that's the time it starts) I decided to run there. Daniel Wright said he'd meet me at the Vivo (like a 7-11 minus the icees). So I waited there for 12 minutes before heading on - no Daniel in sight. LOL a bit down the road he called saying he forgot he was going to meet me (though we discussed it 15min beforehand!) And so we ended up meeting just before the church and walked the rest of the way together. Needless to say we got there pretty much at the end - but still I'm glad I went.


Today was glorious - I slept in until 9.45 (I believe that's the latest I've slept in since moving out here!) Had a banana and then went to work on my "To Do" list.
1. Wash Clothes
2. Clean Room & Vacuum
3. Wash Mold off Walls (long story)
4. Work on Junior Youth Bible Lesson
5. Iron Sheets

After I completed the above I went to visit Mr McCray. I just love that man so much! He always puts a smile on my face!! Ran halfway there and halfway back. Felt really good to run again :) - tho I haven't a clue how on earth I ran a marathon...just a bit of running (mostly the downhill parts) and I was dying!!

At 3pm I had a skype moment with my family. Where would I be without technology?! I'm so thankful to have been able to see my family thousands of miles away to wish them a happy Thanksgiving :) We also drew names for Christmas in which I drew Emily's. Hmmmm what to buy???

Had soup for lunch, quiche and chips (fries) for dinner. . . missed Thanskgiving food - but yes Saturday will come soon enough (along with my pumpkin pie!!!!!) . . . Youth tonight! Both went well. Actually the Highschool youth went extremely well - God really anointed Alan tonight when he brought the word and I have no doubt that the kids were greatly moved. BIG THINGS!

Came home and watched Master Chef with Allison and Sue while I had my cup of coffee - heading to bed after I post this. Feel really good right now - I love days where I accomplish much :)

So a Happy Thanksgiving to you all!!
I shall let you know how mine goes come Saturday!
-J

"On Thanksgiving Day we acknowledge our dependence." 

 ~William Jennings Bryan

"Thanksgiving is America's national chow-down feast, the one occasion each year when gluttony becomes a patriotic duty." 

~Michael Dresser

"Thanksgiving is the holiday of peace, the celebration of work and the simple life... a true folk-festival that speaks the poetry of the turn of the seasons, the beauty of seedtime and harvest, the ripe product of the year - and the deep, deep connection of all these things with God." 

~Ray Stannard Baker

Harvester's Needed...

"Then He said to His disciples, “The harvest truly is plentiful, but the laborers are few." Matthew 9:37

Wow what a day! Been in the office working all day. A little discouraged at the task before me but God really has been showing me that it's all about having the right perspective. Excited for the things to come! He is really doing a work over here!

I have decided  though that I want to recruit volunteers to bring back in January when I come. I'm believing God for at least one guy and one girl to commit to 3-4 months. Be praying and if you feel led send me an email - julie.dreamcentrebelfast@yahoo.co.uk God's really anointed the work here and we are seeing lives changed everywhere we look! Praise God! But there is so much more we could do if only we had more help. If you are interested pray about it and then let me know if you still feel it's a God thing.


I have the night off. Planning on getting to bed early tonight as I want to walk Lough Shore in the morning to get some fresh and and Jesus & Julie time. Will be a cold morning but there's no rain in the forecast :)


Loving this life!

-J

Making Scones...

I just spent the last 10 minutes trying to think of a fun title for today's entry and finally gave up on it. So you've ended up with the above haha.

Wow - so much accomplished today and yet I really didn't do too much. Woke up semi - early for it being my off day. Turned out to be a blessing in disguise cause Sue had two doctors appointments for today (one being an eye appt. at 1pm in which she wouldn't be able to drive after, thus ending our adventure out and about).

We headed out into Carrickfergus this morning. First to a material shop for her, then to get some coffee. Next we headed into a couple boutiques where she bought a couple Christmas gifts, and finally somewhere where I needed to go to get gifts for my brothers.

After that we headed to appointment number one. Took but 10 minutes and then off to the house to drop off the car. We decided to walk the two miles to the eye doctors. The sun had long since gone behind clouds - but it was dry and not too cold out so we had a lovely time walking. Allison met up with us about a block from the place and took us the final bit there in her car. After the eye doctors, we picked up Allie's dad and headed to the Garden Centre for tea (lunch). After my delicious lunch of a cheese and tomato panini we headed to the Christmas section - It was massive!!

SIDE NOTE: It has been beyond difficult NOT to cave too much with getting into the Christmas festivities before Thanksgiving!! With N. Ireland not celebrating Thanksgiving - they are already full blast into the Christmas scene. I know to most of you this isn't even a big deal...but today walking through the Christmas shop 3 days BEFORE Thanksgiving. . . I felt extremely guilty - haha holding out strong for the next few days might prove to be impossible! We shall see. . .

After we left the Garden Centre I came home and cleaned up my room and did some house work before dinner. Then, later this evening (after dinner), Sue taught me how to make scones. I felt very much like Betty Crocker baking in my apron :) I must say my first attempt was DELICIOUS! (Hopefully they turn out just as nice when I make them for my family when I'm back in the States!) We ate them with a cup of coffee while we watched our Master Chef episode.

No fire was needed tonight - though I'm pretty sure a cold front came through about an hour ago. Hmmm I shall see in the morning.

Missing yall very much !!
xo
-J

Oh Christmas Tree...

Hello!! Been a crazy weekend! But a good one!

Friday was a REALLY busy office day! Had to get everything done for our banquet the following night! I spent majority of my time printing and laminating. . . then Hannah and I went to the hotel to bring the decorations over.

CONFESSION: I definitely put up a Christmas tree and decorated it for the banquet! One week BEFORE Thanksgiving! I had no choice. . . but I must say - we did a FABULOUS job in decorating it! It was a beautiful tree :)

Friday night we went out on Street Reach. Amazing night once again! I couldn't believe the amount of people that were outside City Hall! I spent the night hanging out with several of my girls! What fun we had!


Saturday was Adopt-a-Block. We had it an hour earlier but still a lot of families were awake due to the nice weather. I got to meet about 8 kids which was great! Plus visit with several of our regular families.

Abigail came over after and we hung out for a bit and then got ready for the banquet. The banquet that night was a lot of fun! We had almost 80 people there so a decent turn out. So glad it's all over now though - it was alot of work!

Hannah & I checking in guests

Abigail & Rebecca

Abigail and I  ♥

Today was a great day! We had a guest speaker for church this morning that REALLY ministered to me. Sue made lunch and Allison and her dad came over. Had the fire going and I took a Sunday nap before getting ready for church tonight. A different sort of service tonight - but still good. Came home after and got the fire going again while we watched a movie and had some coffee and teacakes. Mmmmm :)

Just got off the phone with one of my girls. We talked about God and being a Christian. Please keep her in your prayers as God continues to reveal Himself to her as she contemplates the biggest decision of her life!

Things are definitely moving forward over here - but Satan's attacks are that much greater! Like unbelievably massive! Please keep the whole church in your prayers especially those in leadership as that seems to be where the biggest hits are. We hold fast to the knowledge that Christ has already overcome the world - therefore we are MORE than conquerors in Christ!

I have the day off tomorrow - but by the sound of the rain storm happening outside right now I'm not quite sure what I'll be doing! Still it'll be nice to have it off.

Hope all is well!
23 more days until I'm back in the States!
Where has the time gone??
xoxo
-J

ps ~ I love taking pics of Lough Shore. There is something captivating about it. Here are two of my most recent shots. . .

Men's Meeting...

Hello again!
Today was a busy one!! Headed into town early this morning to purchase two puzzles for a Junior Youth game. Not a fan of the bus system - but I'm getting the hang of it. Headed to Mr McCray's afterwards - unfortunately he wasn't home when I visited...hopefully he'll be in tomorrow. The walk back to the house was treacherous! Extreme gusts of winds! Haha my umbrella flipped inside-out more times than I would've liked! It was a miracle it didn't break like the other two!

John and Gemma and Harrison left today. Felt sad for Sue - I know she will miss them a lot. Ah but their company was so nice and I look forward to seeing them again next year :)

Tonight I had a speaking engagement with Dr. Stewart on behalf of the Dream Centre. Pastor Henry and Evelyn came along to support. Hahahahaha I was told on the way that it was a men's bible study! What?!? So yes I can now say I have been to a men's meeting! Question - is it a requirement to have food at a men's meeting?? Anyways - the meeting went well and God moved which is always a good thing :)

Made it to the church in time to catch the tail-end of the youth service where several teens gave their hearts to the Lord! Some rededicated and one for the first time! WOOHOO!

Headed to bed now. Pretty tired! Just finishing up skyping with my sister Melody for her birthday! And my other sister Emily...just because.

Hope yall are well!!
-J

Breaking Through...

God is absolutely amazing! Where would I be without Him?!

Today was incredible! Yesterday turned around for the better. A struggle in the beginning but breakthrough began late afternoon. Thankful for all of your prayers and all the amazing people He has placed in my life to support me and strengthen me when I'm weak. When I am weak HE is strong!

God really put things into new perspective for me and I know for sure He has called me out here for such a time as now. He then of course asked me to give up some things that were holding me back from complete liberation in some areas - without a second thought I gave it all to the Lord and though i know this Christian walk isn't always easy - He is really bringing me through some things and I have never felt more at peace in Him!

Excited for the new things He has to show me. Though I never enjoy the struggle that challenges bring - I am always grateful for the lessons He teaches me and the growth it brings. Ah but I am still an imperfect person - though He knows that and loves me just the same. He's just too good to me :)

Be blessed friends!
God is in control!
-J

Twenty - Four...

Ups and downs. Highs and lows. Challenges, battles, and victories. What a week this has turned out to be. I honestly am really tired and don't feel much like writing but I'd hate to let another day go by. . . so I will do my best to update you on some of the more highlighted things that went on in the past 7 days.

Tuesday was my 24th Birthday. (I had the day off cause I worked Monday for Hannah) What a lovely day I had too! Lynsey took me out for coffee and a pedi and then that night Sue took Allison, Lyns, and myself out for dinner. Got several gifts which I wasn't expecting and hundreds of Facebook comments and messages from friends and family wishing me a happy birthday. . . each one made me feel so loved and appreciated - exactly what I needed :) I also got to visit my elderly friend - who's name I now know is Mr. McCray. (I am now trying to visit him daily as I feel this is something I've been called to do - I don't think he gets many visitors)

Wednesday I worked in the office and Thursday morning/afternoon I ran errands for Junior Youth. (We had a movie night so sweets and popcorn were a must) The Loft Youth was absolutely incredible that night too. God really showed up in a big way - His presence was evident that night.

Friday I worked in the office and had Street Reach that night. Once again another eye opening evening and God really is continuing to do a work with those teens! John and Gemma (Sue's son and daughter-in-law, along with their baby Harry) came from England for a week visit on Friday as well. We've been having such a lovely time together. I met them when I came back in January and have grown to be quite fond of them and have loved getting to meet their newest addition :)

Saturday was Adopt-a-Block and then I went into town afterwards. AAB went amazing! Though only 7 people showed up to volunteer we were able to split into 3 groups and visit with a lot of our families. Expecting it to only grow from here!

Yesterday, Sunday, we had church - lunch - and then church again. The usual :)

Today has been my off day - though I discovered mid-week that Sue has wireless and I did bring home my office laptop to work on some things from home today...ignoring Sue's comments that today is my "day of rest".

I can't lie and must admit that I've had it really rough the last two days. Under heavy attack and really seeking the Lord in the direction I am to move next. Really could use your prayers! I was having an extremely rough time last night and opened up my Bible randomly to Psalms and the Lord gave me 143:7-10 to meditate on - which was my prayer word for word. I'm so glad He hasn't left me! Through all of life's most recent challenges I know it's just God shaping me into the women He's created me to be. I am nothing without Him. So glad He is the author of my journey.

Today also begins the one month countdown before I head back to the States for the holidays. Where has the time gone??? A paper chain just might be going up in the office. . . we'll see :)

Hugs to everyone!
-J

A Frosty Morning...

Mmmmmmmmmm what a lovely weekend followed by a beautiful Monday :)

Still have half my day left but I felt like I should capitalized on this free moment I found myself and catch you up on the past weekend.

Saturday was wonderful. Me and a team of 8 teens (plus Vinny) headed out to our Adopt-a-Block sites. It was a little chilly - but no rain in the forecast! I got to meet several new families and visit with them all morning. It was quite pleasant. Then I spent the rest of my day caring for Sue who caught a bit of the flu. We finished off our evening by the fire watching Pride and Prejudice.

Yesterday we had church in the morning where I was on children's church duty. Woowee! I was ready for a nap after that one! Good kids. . . but full of energy! After lunch I left Sue to rest and headed out to visit an elderly man on my Adopt-a-Block site. His health is poor and I know he doesn't have much time left - I feel called to visit him daily. Can't remember his name. . . but I know it starts with McC - so that's what I've been calling him. After a short visit I went down to Lough Shore to walk along the beach and watch the sunset. (I must say I couldn't help but collect some more shells to add to my collection!) Church last night was up-beat and powerful! We had an African Night. Lots of music, colorful clothes, and food! What a crazy time we had!

This morning the sun was out. . . as was the frost. (Sigh) The winter has officially arrived! Not much longer now before the snow hits. Been in the office catching up on things. Cleaning. Organizing. Had a skype date with my family (minus one brother) for an early birthday celebration. Can't wait to be with them again! Not much planned for the rest of the day. . . finishing a couple things in the office then heading out to see Mr. McC before making my way home for dinner.

I am completely blessed. I was reading through some old journals I have here with me and it's amazing being able to look back and see the journey the Lord has taken me on in the past year. I am so unworthy but ever so grateful!

I hope you are all enjoying this lovely day - November 7, 2011. It's a once in a lifetime moment. . . don't waste it.

xoxo
-J

Excitement in the Air...

Woohoo! Just had two of the best days ever! So far I am LOVING November!

Yesterday I went on an adventure with myself to Belfast. Needed to get a couple of things for Junior Youth last night. Haha it was extremely windy and raining pretty hard on my walk down to the bus stop. Sad to say the red umbrella is no more. But to protect my hair from the rain I continued to walk down the street with a broken umbrella. . . holding the plastic part with my hands and praying that the broken spikes wouldn't cut me. Made it to the bus relatively dry praise God and found a nearby seat to sit. I was noticing on my way to town that no one getting on the bus would sit in the seat next to me. At first I thought it was me. . . then half way there I realized I had chosen to sit in a disabled or elderly seat section!!! I didn't even know those sections existed on a bus! But I was mortified! Too embarrassed to move I decided to remain seated and just learn from my mistake for the next time :)

Had a lovely day shopping around Belfast. The city was buzzing due to the EMAs being in town on Sunday. Definitely extra energy about the place. Got a few things I needed (and some) before heading home.

Last night we had Junior Youth - which went AMAZING like always! And then High School youth which was beyond amazing! God is SO good! 6 of our teens rededicated their lives to Christ last night!!!

Today I worked in the office - got loads done! Had a lovely coffee date with one of my girls - the fabulous Naomi Smyth, this afternoon. And yes of course - Street Reach tonight! Because of the EMAs we had to move our location just a tad bit, but it still worked. Got to see Ryan and Gemma and Amy. . . three of my favorites! Continue to keep them in your prayers as God is definitely doing a special work in their lives. Passed out over 100 hot chocolates and 30+ hot dogs as well!!

Now I'm all bundled up at home and about to head downstairs to watch the US x-factor over a cup of tea!

Hope you are having a wonderful evening yourself!

xoxo
-J

The Note...

Hello Hello :)

Not much to write about but since I regret skipping so many days in October - I figured it be best not to repeat the same in November!

Today was good but long. I was allowed back in the office! Woohoo! Got a lot done and had several meetings. Tonight I spoke for the Bible Study on "Positive Attitudes" (Something the Lord is working on in me) and we had an incredible prayer time as well! Tonight after worship practice I had a couple moments away with the beautiful Abigail Wright. Just chillin in my office. . . but when I went to lock up tonight I saw this wee note she left me on my board and it made my day. . .

God has HUGE things for this girl and I'm blessed beyond words to get to see those things come to existence.

So here was my encouragement for the day. . . from my modern day Timothy.

Heading into town tomorrow during the day - running some errands before youth. Please continue to keep the work of the lord here in your prayers. The enemies attacks become stronger as the Lord's victories become greater. As least I know who wins in the end  :)

xoxo

-J

Doctor's Orders...

What a long and boring day today was!! Hmmmm let me backtrack to yesterday. . .

Yesterday started out so lovely! Sue and I headed out in the morning on an adventure! Our final destination being Giant's Causeway. We took the scenic route and decided to take a slight detour along the way to see this beautiful spot! The colors of autumn were breathtaking!

About 10 minutes before reaching Giant's Causeway it started raining so we opted to have our lunch first. We had a delicious chicken and bacon sandwich and then headed out in the drizzle to the Causeway. Even in the rain I was in awe. for anyone to deny God after seeing this masterpiece in impossible!! I've never seen anything like it! Can't wait to go back and explore a bit more next year! (Decided no to this time due to the combination of my converse and the slippery rocks)

After a looksie in the gift shop we headed home. And that's where my day took a turn for the worse. Still not sure if it was food poisoning or the stomach bug but I was sick for the rest of the night. :(

Finally fell asleep around midnight (glad the Halloween fireworks weren't too loud and the trick-or-treaters decided to skip our house). I woke up this morning feeling much better - aside from being weak and tired.

Frustrating though cause I have so much to get done in the office and under Doctor Sue and Doctor Evelyn's orders I was to stay home :(( To top it off the sun was out all day! Ohemgee - it would be.

I was able to get a couple things done however, so the day wasn't a total loss. And I did get several naps here and there so it was probably for the best that they sentenced me to house arrest. Though I will be glad to get back in to the office tomorrow.

Sue is away at Women's Mtg right now. Tomorrow I'll be busy with work and I'm speaking for the Bible Study in the evening.

Been deep in thought for most of the day. Haha and the funniest things have come to mind! Probably the most random would be the 1996 Olympics. Specifically the team gymnastics - hard to believe I was only 8 when it happened and yet I remember in full detail the whole event. Crazy what you can remember at such a young age!

Well I hope you are all doing well and in good health!

Blessings to each one of you!

xo

-J

One Week Later...

Another Sunday, and another week has passed. Where has October gone? I must say I had every intention of writing daily in October but I have been extremely busy and haven't been very consistent this month. (Sigh) Oh well. . .  Here's to the catching up :)

Tuesday and Wednesday were nothing of the spectacular. I worked in the office, got things done. . . off Tuesday night - Worship prac. and Bible Study on Wednesday night.

Thursday we had a leaders coffee/tea morning at the church. I was to help Hannah serve. (Ahh my first professional tea party!!!) I must say I wasn't the best at pouring tea. Agh no matter how hard I tried that last drop always landed outside the cup :( What an amazing and powerful meeting though. I definitely was encouraged and blessed by the amazing words spoken and the heavy anointing of the Spirit. I know I say this alot but BIG THINGS are happening! That night we had Junior Youth - with my AMAZING kids and then High School youth after! I have fallen in love with all of them as well and am excited where God is taking this youth ministry!

I had Friday morning off - a nice break. The sun was out for the first part of the day so I met up with Abigail and Daniel at Lough Shore and we went on a long walk. They brought along their dog, Cassie, so our outing consisted of throwing things into the water for her to chase, collecting pieces of blue glass for my newest mosaic creation, and playing on a playground we found nearby. All in all a very relaxing morning/afternoon. That night; Vinny, Myself, and the team went out on Street Reach! Met some new teens and saw several of my favorites! I truly wish I could describe to you what all happens on those nights. . . but words don't do justice. I am forever changed each time. God is AMAZING!!!

Saturday was a busy day. Adopt-a-Block in the morning. Saw a ton people! I love them all so much!! And I am loving the new site we've just started! After AAB I met up with Lynsey and spent the afternoon/night with her and some of her crew from Celebration Church Belfast. Morning + Afternoon + Evening = Wonderful :)

Today I had church in the morning. It was a healing service. I was in tears again. God's spirit was so heavy in that place! It was so beyond good! Liberating! Then I had lunch with Sue, Allison, and her dad, at the Clarion Hotel. . . before church again tonight.

God is truly changing me and stretching me in this season of life. I can honestly say I'm not the same person I was two and a half months ago. I am far from perfect - but daily strive to live out the destiny He has for me to it's fullest!

Before I end I must mention that this past week I was consumed by a couple of books by Francine Rivers. They took me 25 hours to read - didn't finish until 4am on Friday night. . . I couldn't put the book down! Not a "happy ever after" novel as some might hope to read. . . but the Lord spoke to me through them and I must say I now look at the scriptures in a whole new light. It's funny how God can speak so clearly through practical things. . . but He did just the same and I'm ever so grateful for it.

In awe of Him and all His splendor.

Be blessed friends
-J

A Moment of Weakness...

I LOVE MONDAYS!!!
What a completely relaxing day! Slept in until about 9:30am and then had a delicious bowl of cereal while having some Jesus + Julie time. Spent the day as planned - eating, relaxing, and watching TV. I did clean my room and did a load of laundry at some point in there :)

I also must confess I had a moment of weakness. . . I don't know if it was the cold and overcast weather, the chai latte, or being slightly homesick for my family, but all of a sudden this afternoon I had a strong desire for one thing - and I definitely caved!!!


I blame it on Frank. . .

After dinner tonight, Sue, Allison and I played Skip-O eleven times. After I think the 5th game we decided to break for tea. Sue offered me hot chocolate, I figured - why not?? Next thing I knew I caught myself humming jingle bells . . . Oh man - how will I manage once the snow starts to fall?? November 24th can't get here fast enough!

I hope you all had a wonderful Monday as well!
Missing you!
-J

Four Eventful Days...

Wow time is really flying by! I can't believe that another weekend has passed by so quickly! Had a crazy busy weekend packed full of exciting moments! 

Thursday I hung out at home for the day, relaxing and cleaning (I didn't want Sue coming home to a messy house!). That night I went to the church - day two of the Life-Giver's Conference! Cecil brought a powerful word and I was so proud of all the teens that came and paid attention to the message!

Friday I worked in the office until half five (5:30). Then, Vinny and I took a team out to Street Reach! Another exciting night! No rain praise God! I spent most of my night with one group of teens. Was a little worried that I might get checked for alcohol when the police showed up. . . but they passed my group by. (Uhh not that I had anything on me! But still it would've been funny had they of asked) Afterwards I went out for coffee with Rachel and had a lovely wee chat. Miss spending time with her and it was good to catch up on life :)

Saturday morning I went out on Adopt-a-Block! What a great morning that was!! We had about 10 volunteers so we split into two groups. Vinny stayed at Glenville with a group and I took a team to a new section called Abbeyglen. The response we got blew me away! Tons of families - a lot of children. Everyone was pleasantly surprised at our offer of free service. Some people had questions about the Dream Centre and others took fliers and seemed interested in building relationships. Really excited to see how this new site develops!

After AAB, Rose, Daniel, and Abigail, and I, headed out on an adventure to Victoria Square. I've been there several times but promised both Abigail and Daniel I'd take them cause they've never been. (Victoria Square is a large shopping mall in Belfast) I also told them I'd take them out for their bday so after taking pictures at the lookout point in Victoria Square, we all headed over to Nando's for a late lunch.

Haha Daniel had never had chicken wings before so that was the only thing he wanted, regardless of where we went to eat! Rose, Abigail, and I, all got chicken in pita while Daniel ordered his hot wings. We were all enjoying ourselves nicely when Daniel decided to pour Nando's extra extra hot sauce on his last wing.

 I love catching moments like this on camera! . . .

Needless to say we had to wait 45 minutes afterwards until his stomach settled. Haha but it was well worth it. Daniel Wright is now a legend :)

Spent the rest of our time there shopping (well us girls helped Daniel shop) for clothes, before heading home. . .

Later that night I went out to a hockey game with Sue and Allison to see the Belfast Giants. Brought back memories of the time my youth group went and saw the Houston Aeros play. That and the time my sister Melody, my best friend, Rebecca, and I, watched the movie Miracle back to back to back!!!

Finished the evening getting fish and chips with the ladies. . . all in all Saturday was the best!

Today was Sunday - church in the morning, lunch at Alan and Rachel's, and church in the evening. A wonderful way to finish off my weekend. God is really teaching me so much through Dr. Stewart and all the people I do life with out here in N. Ireland.

Tomorrow I have off so I plan on doing nothing all day but sleep, eat, and relax. Maybe a waste of a Monday. . . I guess we'll see what the weather's like :)

Love to everyone!!

xoxo

-J

What An Ending...

Dr Stewart's messages tonight were amazing! And then to cap off the evening Alan, Vinny, Andrea (Vinny's wife), Stevie Shaw, a couple others, and I went out to an American Diner for dinner. Got me some delicious chicken strips . . . But seeing this made my night complete:

Sweet dreams <3

-J

A Little Bit of Random...

What a spectacular day! Yesterday and today both! Working hard and getting a lot done! Today I had a coffee date at the Cozy Chair with Evelyn. It was a wonderful way to start off my morning! This afternoon I had an attempted skype date with Pastor John which ended up being a phone call - but an encouraging and life-giving phone call. . . I am so blessed to have him in my life!!! I have now been told by several people that I have a slight accent - so funny!

Fresh vision on the direction the Dream Centre is to go - God is really blowing me away! Please keep in prayer the Dream Centre as we move forward. We are really believing God for a building and one recently went up for sale in downtown Belfast! An 11-story building!!! Enough for men's and women's recovery floors, long-term and short-term volunteer rooms, and endless possibilities for the rest! My mind is seriously exploding with God-given creative ideas of how we could use them!

Of course we don't have but a few pounds to our name so in the physical it's impossible - BUT in the supernatural we know that NOTHING is impossible! So please believe in prayer with us as we continue to pursue this option!

We are having a conference tonight thru Friday night. Dr. Stewart has a ministry (CCN) that is working in Italy so the conference is being recorded for Italian TV. The testimonies that we've received from viewers in the past are incredible and we are expecting many more in future days to come!



RANDOM OFFICE PICS:



My Shell Collection - Compliments of Lough Shore :)






Very proud of my artwork - "Pin the Rock on Goliath" (Junior Youth)



 Currently on my whiteboard :)

 

Kept me alive today! - Thank you Glen Turbo!



I felt like it's been awhile since I last put anything random up! Missing yall but I'm really starting to feel apart of what's going on here in N. Ireland. Excited for what's to come! Have the day off tomorrow before the conference. No plans. . . really depends on what the weather's like. Hmmm we shall see!

xoxo

-J

A Lovely Weekend...

Hello again!

Been a couple days here now hasn't it? Really good ones. Some busy - some relaxing. It's late so I don't wanta spend too much time on here blogging but I know if I let another day go by I'll regret it...so here is a quick update :)

Friday night we went out to Street Reach. Absolutely amazing (like always) I spent most of my time talking to Ryan ... one of my new friends out there. He'll be 18 in Nov. and plans on becoming a tattoo artist so we talked about that for most of the time. I also got to see Gemma and several others that I've grown quite fond of.

Saturday morning I headed out to Adopt-a-Block with my faithful team of volunteers. Rained a bit but we had the umbrellas :) Not a lot of people home so we had a litter picking up contest - I believe Abigail and I won that...though I've been told otherwise :) Later that day I went to Lynsey's to hang out. Love her!

Sunday we had church (morning) and I was on childcare duty. Had lunch with Allison and her dad - fun moments :) And then we had church in the evening and Pastor Henry brought the word.

Today is my off day - and what a wonderful day it's been! Slept in, had a great Jesus and Julie time, cleaned the house, did laundry, watched some TV, polished my nails, and then went out to dinner with Lynsey, her brother, and a friend of theirs. Loads of fun :) Now I'm just relaxing at the house. Apart from the heavy rain outside it's pretty quiet - I'll be glad for Sue's return on Thursday :)

Working in the office all day tomorrow - nothing exciting planned. Probably gonna take it easy tomorrow night. God is good though - I definitely can't complain.

Goodnight to all!
-J

Meet Lynsey Agnew :)

Sunshine in the Garden...

Had the morning off so I slept in until about 10am and then made myself a chai latte to drink while I enjoyed the couple hours of rare sunlight! Spent my morning in the back garden - it was lovely ♥