How shall we escape if we neglect so great a salvation…

As some of you may know Marcus and I are going on a mission trip to
Haiti in May of this year. We are selling shirts to help raise money
for our trip. The cost for the mission is only $300 each but we also
have to pay for our airfare, vaccines and medications, and several other
types of supplies (like bug-spray w/DEET so we don’t end up like Oastie
aka Dennis). We will probably spend somewhere around $2000 and we are
paying for everything ourselves. So if you are interested in a shirt
please let us know. The shirts are $20 each and range in size from
youth medium to XXXL. Sizes XXL & XXXL are an additional $2. I have
attached a photo so you can see what it looks like. They only come in
navy. I will collect the money when I take your order and I will
deliver your shirts when they come in. If you know of anyone else that
may be interested please let me know. Any extra money that we receive
over the amount we need I will be using to purchase supplies for a
clinic in Haiti where we will be spending some of our time. I would
also like to ask each of you to pray for us. I know that this trip is
going to be a life changing experience for us and I want to be sure that
we are prepared. I will speak for myself when I say that my heart is
already beginning to soften to this country and I think I may leave part
of it there when I come home. I think I will return home with an ache I
may never be able to remedy. Ok now that I sound like a crazy woman I
will let you go.

Thanks so much,
Chrystal

P.S. I will try to avoid the temptation to bring home orphans in my
luggage! No promises though. If you would like one (orphan or a shirt) let me know.

Ok so I recently started watching LOST again from Season One. Love Love Love. I am now about to start Season Two. Excited Excited Excited. I am still watching the new ones each week. Fun Fun Fun. Anyway you get my point. Marcus is going to be out of town for a whole week and so I guess I will be needing the next season soon. If you need me I will be in my lounge chair with a blanket drinking coffee and watching LOST. I miss Charlie.

Ok so here is my Valentine present:

Some might think it strange but I wanted a tattoo for Valentine’s Day.

Quoting Wikipedia: Phoenix (mythology), a mythical bird that dies in flames and is reborn from the ashes.

Ok so why a phoenix?  Imagine the ability to be born again.  To rise out of ashes and to be given new life.  To be immortal.  Well, it’s kinda like Jesus and it’s kinda like me.  Jesus died to this life in a blaze of glory to save my soul.  He conquered death and rose again to pay a debt that I owed.  And me?  In a sense I went up in flames.  All that was left of my life was ashes but Jesus made me new.  When I die I will surely return to ashes but that won’t be the end of me.  I’ll still have the flight home with new wings.  Hope to see you when I get there.

So that’s why I picked the phoenix.  Plus it has hearts on the tail (Valentine’s Day…duh).

Oh I forgot to say OUCH!!

Dying to live,
Chrystal

I found out last night that an elderly lady that I have known all my life has breast cancer. She was my grandmother’s best friend for almost a lifetime. While we were eating dinner Munchkin asked me “Where does cancer come from?”. My answer to her was “people really don’t know where it comes from”. I’m glad our conversation ended there. I was not prepared to deliver any more of an answer than that. I am glad she didn’t ask what I think about cancer and what happens to some people who have it. Honestly I don’t think that cancer is one of the fair diseases (if there is such a thing). On a brighter note during the very same dinner I laughed so hard my face hurt and I had tears in my eyes. Munchkin was telling knock knock jokes and she was trying to tell me the one that goes “Knock knock, who’s there, banana, banana who, (repeat like 3 times), Knock knock, who’s there, orange, orange who, orange you glad I didn’t say banana?”. Well she kept getting it wrong so she would start all over. Finally I said let me show you how it goes. Then as we were going back and forth some how we got mixed up and didn’t even notice. It went from me telling it back to her telling it without either one of us realizing it. Then I said wait a minute and bursted out in laughter (giggling as I type this). I then tried to tell Marcus in the midst of my laughter what had happened and he kept saying “I know, I know, I was listening”. He only grinned and then said we were stupid. By this time Munchkin and I were dying laughing. Anyway I guess you had to be there and even if you were it still may not be too funny. I really think Marcus thought it was funny but refused to laugh cause he didn’t want to join our mania.

Please pray for my friend with cancer. I will visit her soon and I hope to find her joyful as usual. If not I hope that Jesus is able to shine through me.

Quote & Verse from God’s Tender Promises for Mothers:
God knocks at your door but He will never knock down your door. Listen for His gentle knock. Accept Him as your friend.

Behold I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me.
Revelation 3:20