Facts, observations and a thought or two...

1. Fact: Get out of debt your first year of marriage and you'll be ahead of the game...by a long shot!

2. Observation: Just because there's money in the bank doesn't mean you should spend it.

3. Thought: Just because your friends have it doesn't mean you need it. *See fact #1 and observation #2.

4. Fact: Live like no else now so you can live like no else later. Thanks Dave.

5. Observation: It's okay to be "That Wife".

6. Thought: How does an insurance company expect me to know whether me or my husband will get sick in the next year? Just askin', I mean really.

7. Fact: Since I've been married I have actually became better friends with my parents and I really love it.

8. Observation: I would like to be a professional college student and really want to take online classes. Weird? I don't know.

9. Thought: Reading is good as long as you are reading the right things.

10. Random: Even an extraordinary life can be thought of as mundane.

How Beautiful....

When I was a senior in high school I did a bible study that went through the book of Romans…I have recently started to reread Romans and came across a set of verses that were just as strong to me now as they were then, Roman 10:13-15. In the margins of my bible I had written, “Go and Tell, My Mission.”

I have been able to see a couple of weeks of Know Sweat this summer and am looking forward to my last week in Dallas 2. Throughout the entire summer I kept thinking about this verse…it was just sitting in the back of my mind but I couldn’t pin point why.

Again this morning I read Romans 10:13-15 and I know why it was so set in my mind …it’s because I had been seeing it in great action. This summer thousands of students across America decided to have “beautiful feet” because they put into Action the love of the King. They made a choice to go and tell through their actions and attitude. They made it their mission and the impact was more powerful then anyone could have predicted.

For everyone who calls in the name of the Lord will be saved. But how can they call on Him to save them unless they believe in Him? and how can they believe in Him if they have never heard about Him? And how can they hear about him unless someone tells them? And how will anyone go and tell them without being sent? That is why the Scriptures say, “How beautiful are the feet of messengers who bring good news!”

–Romans 10:13-15

This wasn’t some big revelation where everything suddenly became clear nor was it a moment that brought me to be knees….it was a moment that challenged me, it was a moment that made me just sit in my chair and think…. that’s what it’s all about…Go and Tell because the King wants His people, His Glory and love shown to the World…it made me think….How beautiful.

Office Update: Messiah Tour 2010

I am so excited about the upcoming all spring believe 2010 Messiah Tour! No really, I am pumped it is going to be awesome.

Here are my top 5 reasons I am stoked about the Messiah Tour!

1. There is something special about getting into a van with a group people that are crazy enough to dedicate their lives to junior high ministry. It’s always a little crazy, a lot of fun and there is always an excitement in the air to get our feet on the ground and get the “elements” of believe set-up in anticipation for the coming students!

2. The 2010 Tour is going to be AWESOME! Returning artist Eric Timm is going to be doing some stellar artwork that will blow your minds while Hetti Marie and the Foundation Red Band will get you pumped up with their heart pounding, crazy awesome worship! But that’s not all, I am SO excited about the untitled skateboard crew that is going to be joining us this year! It’s gonna be edgy and awesome! I am so ready to laugh until my stomach hurts with the 321 comedy team too!

3. If that wasn’t enough to keep me up at night the new Manga art is so cool! We will even have manga books to you can buy at the believe bookstore…oh yeah, I’ve already read them and you don’t want to miss out!

4. Holy cow the speakers! Scott Rubin, Chad Monahan, Kurt Johnson, Nathan Head, Jason Raitz AND Heather Flies! I got to meet with this group a month ago and it was phenomenal! Not only were they great to just hang out with but they came up with some crazy stuff that will keep you in your seats craving more!

5. Come on, it’s believe….do I really need to say more! I gotta get my heart rate down….It’s going to rock!

Roofing = Mega Loads of Dirt

I had no idea that roofing a house was so...dirty. Now I know how girly that sounds and yes I have seen lots houses being re-roofed. But I had no idea the amount of work that actually went into the task until I went to Know Sweat and saw a team work their tails off, have fun and get mega dirty. Hopefully you will be able to see the picture I attached of the two teenagers that recently attended Know Sweat with their youth group. The entire team was cover in black dirt from head to toe in 100 degree heat! Now that's dedication! It was so encouraging to see this team come together. I'm sure from all different lifestyles and backgrounds, join together and complete something HUGE in just four days. All because they understand the importance of service. I will never forget how dirty they were covered from head to toe but their but spirits shone brightly for an entire neighbor ..all for the glory of God. It's a good day to serve the Lord. Wanna get dirty? Try Know Sweat.

I got to Know Sweat

Last week I got the pleasant adventure of going out with the Know Sweat team that did a week in Joplin, MO. It was an experience like no other...and HOT. 200 junior high and high school students came together from all over the nation to work on houses right in Joplin, MO and those students WORKED hard! Those students painted, racked, mowed, planted, scraped, nailed, cleaned, washed, roofed. 9 different places in the Joplin area were fixed up, worked on and loved on. Now, I won't lie I didn't actually work on any houses but I did get to do was something that definitely opened my eyes to the work and labor that goes into Know Sweat. I rode in one of the trucks from work site to site making sure each house or location had all the materials it needed to get the job done...and those know sweat don't use AC so it was hot ... but very fun. It was awesome to see the work that went into the program and the attention to details on every house. The interns did great and worked so hard. I think it's going to be an awesome summer for Know Sweat. If you want to know more about know sweat check it out at www.ciy.com/knowsweat

So much is happening...

KnowSweat just got on the road to start their summer tour! Check out their dates and locations and keep them in your prayers!

Joplin, MO
Cincinnati, OH
June 15-19

Omaha, NE
Cincinnati, OH
June 22-26

Omaha, NE
Kissimmee, FL
Beckley,WV
June 29-July 3

Milligan, TN
Rockford, IL
July 6-10

Denver, CO
Milligan, TN
St. Louis, MO
July 13-17

Portland, OR
Cincinnati, OH
July 20-24

Cincinnati, OH
Dallas, TX
July 27-31

Dallas, Tx
August 3-7

Also, this just in...believe 2010 tour dates are here!

Anaheim, CA
January 29-30
Hilton Anaheim
777 Convention Way
Anaheim, CA 92802

Tulsa, Ok
February 5-6
Tulsa Convention Center
100 Civic Center
Tulsa, OK 74103

Cincinnati, OH
February 12-13
Bank of Kentucky Center
500 Nunn Drive
Highland Heights, Kentucky 41099

Chicago, IL
February 19-20
N/A

St. Louis, MO
March 5-6
Family Arena
2002 Arena Parkway
St. Charles, MO 63303

Kissimmee, FL
March 12-13
Osceola Heritage Park
1875 Silver Spur Lane
Kissimmee, Florida 34744

Arlington, TX
March 19-20
Arlington Convention Center
1200 Ballpark Way
Arlington, TX 76011

Atlanta, GA
April 9-10
Gwinnett Center
6400 Sugarloaf Parkway
Duluth, Georgia 30097

Anderson, IN1
April 16-17
Anderson University, Reardon Auditorium
1100 East Fifth Street
Anderson, IN 46012

Anderson, IN2
April 17-18
Anderson University, Reardon Auditorium
1100 East Fifth Street
Anderson, IN 46012

Holland, MI
April 23-24
DeVos Fieldhouse
222 Fairbanks Avenue
Holland, MI 49422

Portland, OR
April 30- May 1
Oregon Convention Center
777 NE Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.
Portland, OR 97232

it's believe, check it out....

Well as always I haven't blogged in quite a while. So the faithful two people that do read my blog have probably stopped but I will go ahead and give another go at it.

First off, believe is going really well! The team just got home from Cincinnati, OH and we had almost 4,000 in attendance! How awesome is that?!

Learning how to put on a conference for that many churches, adults and junior high students is quite the experience. From working really long days to simply not even knowing what all needs to be done and covered it was overwhelming to say the least. I must say, I could not pick a better team to work with. I complain at times...I'm human. I get fussy and tired and irritated but I wake up every morning and know that I get to work with really incredibly awesome people.

So, let me just take a moment to tell you a little bit about some really awesome people that love the Lord, junior high students and the kingdom of God!

Nichole Palmateer is so rock solid in her faith. I don't think I have ever met a person that is so willing to give everything she has to the Lord without the slightest of hesitations. What I really love about her is that she is so honest! If she has no idea what you are talking about Nichole will never fake it and if she needs help she is able to ask. Her thoughtfulness, intelligence, humor and overall attitude are a shining light on the junior high team!


Chase Allcott is one of a kind. I mean the guy knows everybody and their mother and hardly ever forgets. He literally keeps ALL of us on track. One thing that really sticks out in my mind is that he always says, "I really want you to learn and grow and I will do whatever I need to help you do that." How awesome is that? It is encouraging to work with someone that wants the people around them to grow and is a willing servant of God to be a part of that! Chase pretty much keeps the believe team from going insane!

Josh walker is so sincere and an incredible worker. I mean I have seen his notebook and his "to-do" is longer then some books I had to read in college! It's INSANE. I appreciate him so much because he is always thinking of others before himself. God's word tells us to put the interest of others before our self and Josh is an awesome example of that. His encouragement and effort is an example to all that know him!

(The Tech guys) Seth Ulrich, Brad Rizer, Nathan Allcorn, Daniel Smyth,Tyler Olsen and Chris Russell are unbelievable. What they do and how hard they work is way beyond my thinking. From lighting, to audio, to cameras and big screens my mind goes in circles. I can hardly move a 30x30 with their equipment in it much less actually make it do anything awesome. Props to them on about a thousand different levels. Not only are these guys really good at what they do but they are fun and caring! They are a tremendous part of the believe team and a true blessing!

(Backstage Manager) Amy Girton has the most patience of anyone I have ever met! Working with almost all boys can be extremely exhausting, (sorry guys but it's true...25 guys to three guys is CRAZY!) Amy handles it like a pro. She knows a little something about every something! Her love for people is admirable and a true example. She is GREAT at what she does and works so hard! I am blessed to know her and even more so to work along side her.

Brent (the stunt guy) and his STELLAR wife, Amanda are an example of servant hood, respect, patience and love to everyone that knows them and meets them. They are truly incredible. They are two of the most inspirational people I have ever met. They work so hard at anything they are doing and are always willing to help at any moment. They are real, genuine, deep and true in every way. I can not possibly say enough good things about them. The believe team is blessed to have them be a part of this tour. I know that we will ALL miss them so much as they follow the Will of God on their lives and go to the Philippines to do mission work. I have no doubt that God will continue to use their molded hearts to further His kingdom.

Jared (the illusionist) is probably one of the funniest people I ever met. When he is on stage students and adults are glued to every word he says. His wit, cleverness and talent have taken him far and I know that God will continue to use Him! He stinkin' loves the students and it is so awesome to watch him interact with all the kids! I love it!

Eric Timm (the painter) is such an inspiration and role model for us all. His wisdom and confidence in the Lord is so encouraging. Everyone that is able to watch him work and "do his thing" walk away knowing that He is worshipping the Lord with every moment and giving the glory to God. His heart for this ministry is whole hearted and overflowing!

The Rubyz (co-worship leaders) are stinkin' energetic! They bring such a fun spirit to the stage. Junior high students get to see a real life example of someone their own age stepping out! These three girls love the Lord and their leadership and example to thousands of students is such a blessing. I have no doubt that God will continue to use them in incredible ways!

(The band) Jeremy Weldon, Chris Derstien, Isaac Schade, Doug Price and Michael Miyahara are some of the best guys out there. They get so excited and pumped up to lead worship for junior high students! They give everything they have and then some. Every once of talent and heart is given to the Lord and shines! It has been such a fun experience to get to know each one of these guys and see their hearts and where God is leading them. They work so hard and have such great attitudes. They rock it and give all the glory to God! Michael is also my fiancé! His heart to serve is an overwhelming inspiration to me! His love and devotion to God is an encouragement day in and day out. I am truly blessed beyond words.

Tom Nobis is our financial "care-taker" and such a hard worker. He is always so willing to step in and do whatever needs to be done in order for things to run smoothly. He has been able to travel to several believes and we have been blessed by his presence each time. He works hard and does it with the heart and mind set that God is being served by every movement.

Director (Johnny Scott) pushes me beyond what I think I can do. He expects the best from people and therefore people are pushed to serve the God with all they have. He LOVES junior high students, youth ministers and the kingdom of God with a solid heart, good humor and steady mind. He pushes his team day in and day out to be better, do better and serve God with everything we have. His leadership is God given and I am excited to be a part of it!

This day is not ours, nor will tomorrow be. It is the Lords and I get to be a part of a team that is driven by that very statement. Let nothing we do be for ourselves but so that the Kingdom of God will grow, overflow and shine.

From running lights, to ordering t-shirts, to answering hundreds of e-mails, voicemails and questions, to playing guitar, to singing, to making sure audio works, to making sure the team is healthy, to painting, to whatever job there is to do both seen and unseen let it be for the Glory of the Lord.