Forever Young Infininty Scarf Tutorial

I love the song "Forever Young" by Bob Dylan.

But, I have a confession...I never actually knew this song until the TV show Parenthood used it as their opening theme song.

Nonetheless, love is love.  I love it.

So much so, that I decided to incorporate it into one of my handmade Christmas items this year.

Enter:  The Forever Young Infinity Scarf

Yes, infinity scarves have been done before and will continue to be done forever, I'm sure.  I didn't say this was a brand-spankin' new idea here folks.  But I did take two ideas previous pinned here and here (Thanks again, Pinterest) and meshed them into my own creation.

I have somewhat of a list going of friends and family for whom I want to make some sort of Infinity Scarf- whether the Kid Art one posted previously, or one with writing like today's scarf.  So, last night while catching up on the most recent episode of Parenthood (thank you Hulu for keeping this island girl up with the times!), it hit me!  I knew I wanted to use the lyrics from the song "Forever Young" for one of the scarves.  I even knew exactly who I wanted to give it to.  (She doesn't read blogs, or Pin anything, so I'm safe in posting...mwahaha!)

The steps are super easy, as you probably already know:

Cut your shirt to the desired width (I chose a thinner width for this scarf and *still* fit the lyrics to the song twice!), put a piece of cardboard inside to prevent bleeding and get to writing:

*I think I have decided that it is best to turn the shirt inside out before writing.  Both the scarves I have done this week seem to curl to where you cannot see the side you draw/write on.  I'm going to test this on my next one, but just something to think about*

Once you are finished writing, stretch the heck out it.  The longer you stretch it out, the skinnier it will be.

I really like the skinny look for this scarf.  I think a bulky scarf with this much wording would be too over powering.  But now, it is the perfect accessory to complete an outfit.  I can't say we wear many scarves on Saipan, but my friend doesn't live here and I can see her using this to dress up a tee, go casual with a cardigan or anything this fall.

I really love to give thought out, hand made gifts.  I hope you are inspired to start working on a creation of your own!

"Forever Young"

May God bless and keep you always
May your wishes all come true
May you always do for others
And let others do for you
May you build a ladder to the stars
And climb on every rung
May you stay forever young
Forever young, forever young
May you stay forever young.

May you grow up to be righteous
May you grow up to be true
May you always know the truth
And see the lights surrounding you
May you always be courageous
Stand upright and be strong
May you stay forever young
Forever young, forever young
May you stay forever young.

May your hands always be busy
May your feet always be swift
May you have a strong foundation
When the winds of changes shift
May your heart always be joyful
And may your song always be sung
May you stay forever young
Forever young, forever young
May you stay forever young.

Update :: 18 Weeks

Seeing as I completely forgot to do last week's update, I guess we can add forgetfulness to the list...(O:

I don't really feel like there is much to report, but I will try.

*Weight: gained 3ish pounds, still doing OK.

*Exercise:  I try to attend Zumba at least once a week and add in walking the park on other days as I can.

*Clothes:  I am surprised and happy to report that most of my pre-maternity clothes still fit!  There are 2 pairs of jeans/jean shorts that I have had to do the old "hair tie around the button" trick, but otherwise they are holding steady.  I have started adding maternity tanks and tops to the rotation for a little variety.

*Food:  No new cravings.  I have noticed that I think all milk smells slightly spoiled (when it is not)...which is weird.  I don't have a complete aversion to milk (yet), but I have been drinking less of it- especially plain white milk.  I guess this is a good thing, since I'm "off milk" once on Saipan anyway...but still a bummer.

*Preparations:  Thanks to my wonderful friend, Elise, I am now almost fully stocked on cloth diapers!!!  She was able to attend the Cotton Babies $1 Diaper Sale this past weekend and was kind enough to take my "Wish List".  She was even able to snag several in my favorite colors- kelly green and orange.  Yay!  Thanks friend!! (O:  I still have a gift certificate from my coworkers to use at CB, and I am researching diaper inserts, etc.  Feel free to throw any suggestions/opinions/advice my way! ;-)

I received TWO gift packages yesterday in the mail, speaking of cloth diapers.  One was from an old high school friend- she sent me a package of the cloth diaper kit she purchased and never used.  I am glad to help put it to good use!  Also, my Aunt Emilia sent a whole cloth diaper making kit!!  It is the cutest set I have ever seen.  My mom had asked about a pattern for them because she wanted to try to make some and so I was excited to tell her I have Everything she needs to make 3!  Thanks Tracey and Aunt Emilia for your love and encouragement!! (O:

*Other Prepartaions:  I was finally able to confirm with United Airlines that each Jason and I can check either a stroller or car seat, free of charge.  Jason can check the stroller and I can check Emilia's car seat, both for free!  Whew!  Now the debate about whether to purchase a double jogger here or wait to see if someone has one on Saipan continues...I can honestly say this is my only packing/planning Saipan worry at the moment.  I honestly do not know which option is the right one.  We are still considering the Baby Jogger Double City Mini...and it's hefty price tag.  I have found a few online for cheaper than retail, but it is still a big investment.  And a hard one.  I believe my friends who tell me it is a worthy investment, but I cannot help but feel guilty for spending that much on a stroller.  Each time I think about what to do, I get anxious and decide to leave that decision for another day.  (haha, good ol' avoidance...)

*Emilia:  We ask her often if she wants a brother or a sister.  Sister has been winning over the past couple weeks...in fact, Emilia says she now has a "Sister Baby in her belly too".  Our discussions to the contrary are not changing her mind.  She also thinks she can see the "Sister Baby" by looking down my throat.  ;-)  We find out the gender in two weeks...I'm praying she will be excited either way!

*Belly:  It is officially out there and *finally starting to round a little.  Thankfully!!  I think my belly is a little lopsided and definitely LOW.  My SIL has also joined the races and is betting on a Boy.  This pregnancy has been different from Emilia in so many ways, she might just be right!  Only time will tell! (O:

*Pictures:  I haven't decided yet how often I will take updated "Baby Bump" photos...but the first one may come in the next few weeks.  I can't remember how early friends started posting pics of their bellies....but I wanted to make sure it was at least noticeably preggo before posting. ;-)

That's all for today.  It turns out I did have some updates to share! Have a lovely day! (O:

Just a matter of weeks

The closer we get to our Saipan launch date, the more I begin to count big milestones by number of weeks.  This helps make these events more tangible, and also makes them a little scary!  This is my life, in a matter of weeks:

3 Weeks left at my current job

4 Weeks left until we go on full mission support

4 Weeks until we *hopefully* find out Saipan Baby's gender  (Make your guesses now!)  ;0)

(Less than) 5 Weeks until we (Emilia included) leave for a month-long Cultural Training course in North Carolina

8 Weeks until our Commissioning Service at Skyline Church

9 Weeks until the General Baptist Missions & Ministry Summit in Springfield, MO

10 Weeks until we say Goodbye to everyone and everything we have ever known, board a plane (or three...) and say Hello to a whole new life God has planned for us!

24 Weeks to Saipan Baby's due date

Whew!  Does that list make anyone besides me tired and a little anxious??  More tired than anxious.  I Know God has this all under control, and I trust Him with everything. 

It just doesn't seem possible that we are THIS CLOSE to leaving.  Wasn't it just September when we were announcing the initial decision?  How did so much time sneak by us?  Crunch time is here and I feel under-prepared.  It looks like it might be time to start making lists again...oh rats! ;-)

Rely {Fully} on God

The last few weeks have been a little rough in the Warren household.  I really feel like Satan has been attacking me with a few things and I haven't been doing very well with it.  It wasn't until one day last week while praying on my way to work that God told me exactly what to do.  {TRUST ME}.

As you may know, our main focus at present is raising support before leaving for Saipan in July.  This involves seeking out Support Team Partners who will commit to donating as little as $10/month for the 2 years we will be gone.  This money is what makes our mission work on Saipan possible.  In addition to that, we also have one lump sum amount to raise to pay for travel to Saipan, shipping of goods, etc.  A lot of numbers that are always on my mind.  In the course of only a couple days the week before last (it may have been last week actually...?), we had a couple sets of bad news in this area.  They really rocked my heart and I was honestly struggling with each sad response.

I do not want to go into great detail about this, because in the grand scheme of things it isn't overly important.  But, I will say that we have been heart broken to realize some relationships aren't as strong as we believed them to be.  Relationships that span over one or more decades.  It hurts.  It hurts hearing "no" from people of power within churches and not even being offered prayer or encouragement in its place.  It hurts to find out a church's promised commitment has to be revoked due to grumblings of a few.  It hurts being told "we can't help" from people we have known for years and considered close friends.  While maybe I shouldn't take it to this extreme, it feels like we are being told that we are not worth a sacrifice on their part- like the work God is calling us to do on Saipan isn't worth their $0.34 a day.

Yes, I do understand that there truly are circumstances out there in which some of our loved ones will not be able to support us financially.  The economy is rough and people have other obligations.  I am not saying any of this as a judgement against anyone.  The point I am trying to make is that even when a person (or group) says they cannot support us monetarily, it has rarely been followed up with an offering of prayer and encouragement.  We are in desperate need of the prayers and encouragement of those around us.  Prayer will be the fuel for everything we do Here and on Saipan.  I understand if one cannot afford to sponsor us, but please keep us close in your prayers and share words of encouragement.

As I said, Satan has really been pushing these sad thoughts on my mind recently and it has worn me down.  I started feeling defeated.  I started talking to God about each specific situation and how it felt.  Once I poured out my heart, I felt a sense of calm.  That is when I heard Him- not audibly, but definitely from Him- saying {TRUST ME}.  It was time to stop relying on my own efforts or the efforts of my husband, our missions director or other people.  It is time to rely FULLY on God and to know that His timing is excellent and perfect.  Yes, I am scared at the loss of shares we encountered last week and find myself wishing to reach our goal {soon}.  But, these are not things within my control.  God has the plan.  I just need to keep working towards the goal and HE will make sure we get there.

I want to add- This journey has had way more joys than sorrows, for sure.  God has used a number of people to bless us beyond our expectations.  More than once, a Share Card has come in or a conversation has been had and we are blown away by the generousity of our friends and family.  God's blessings are not coming from the places we had deemed most likely or the places/people we were "counting on".  His blessings are being poured out by His servants- those willing to sacrifice for the mission on Saipan. 

These people do not even know how much they have touched our lives, and they may never fully know.  But it was the reminder I needed to refocus my energy and emotions.  I only need to rely {fully} on God and His timing.  July is coming and through God's provisions, we WILL be ready.

The Un-Planned Events

Sorry I have been MIA for a while on here...things are picking up with traveling to churches to raise support for our mission on Saipan and usually my brain is too fried to do anything else productive.  I hope to gather my thoughts into a somewhat coherent manner very soon to catch you up on the highs (and lows) of the past few weeks.  But for today, I'm keeping it light.  So I cannot mess it up too badly.

Emilia's birthday party is only two short weeks away- what??!  How can my little girl already be 3?  It just does not seem possible.  This itsy bitsy baby is no more.

She is growing up so fast and I have new things I love about her every day.  She is smart, funny, loving and kind.  She is always up for a good time and loves making new friends.

 

We have not done a large birthday party ever year, and did not intend to do so.  But, with our move coming up in July, we thought a party would be a great way to get all our friends and family together.  We are going to *try* and keep it simple, but that goes directly against everything I believe about parties and planning (haha).  Emilia has requested a Tinkerbell party, but wants to dress as Tink's friend Rosetta so she can wear pink- as is true "Emilia Fashion", if it's not pink, it doesn't exsist.  It wasn't until last week that I realized I am WAaay behind on planning and prep for this party...I am so ashamed!  Usually by this point I would have everything purchased, organized and ready (except for the fresh produce, etc.).  I started to beat myself up about it, but then had to remind myself that we have a LOT going on right now.  I still have time, I just need to get moving!  I hope to do a party post after the event, with the highlights, my favorite *Pinned ideas, and all our fabulous party-going friends and family.  (O:

Next, for the rant portion of this post...haha.  As the title of this post states, this is about The Un-Planned EventS, plural.  So I couldn't just stop with one.  This is going to be a completely random and unnecessary rant about a gathering we are attending tonight.  It serves no purpose other than allowing me to get it off my chest.  And while I may seem sincerely upset about it (which I AM!), I am also mostly talking in jest. 

So, we are currently part of a small group Bible Study at our church and it meets on Tuesday nights.  Last Tuesday we missed because I was sick, so we didn't find out until the prayer list was emailed out that this week's meeting was going to skip the lesson and have a Bonfire/Potluck party.  Sounds fun, right?  Yes, it will be.  That's not the part I'm twitching over.  The email went on to explain that each couple/family was to bring either a main dish, side dish or dessert.  BUT, it said we aren't going to "sign up" or communicate who is brining what...so "if everyone brings corn, we will eat a lot of corn", to quote the email...ahhh!!  What??  No list or even a heads up about what we think we might bring?? 

I have been in a state of panic and probably have an ulcer now because of the stress.  If you know me in real life, you are probably laughing hysterically at my perdicament (as is my husband, every time I try to talk about it..)  I like order, I like lists and I like plans.  I like to have a good time, and I promise I am not a stick in the mud.  But the secretary in me is screaming!  I have litereally gone through a dozen different ideas of what to bring- trying to find the perfect way to optimize a snack with some nutritional value that will also keep hunger at bay...does such a snack exist?

I forgot to stop at the store last night after Zumba.  So I am now forced to scramble on my luch hour to the grocery store in hopes of finding the perfect dish to bring.  I may end up forgoing nutritional value and sustainability and go with Bacon Cheddar Ranch Dip or a premade/precut cheesecake.  This is what happens when a male plans the party- I lose my mind and give up.  He brought this upon himself and will now suffer my wrath this evening over such poor planning!  (Not a *real* wrath, I do love this guy and his family.  But I intend to tell him about the ulcer, for sure.)

So, now that you have an extra little glimpse into my crazy ways...I hope you have a splendid day!  (But, really!  Am I the only one who would be so bothered by this??  There must be someone else out there twitching with me...???)  ;-)

Manic Monday

I have a friend (who blogs here) but who also had an old blog on which she usually posted a "Manic Monday" post.  This post always seemed so fitting because no matter what the state of one's weekend was, by Monday it all seems to have been a blur.  This past weekend was no exception for me.

After working 6-4 Tuesday thru Friday last week to make up for Monday's sick day, I was totally pooped.  But, Jason asked to take Emilia and I out on a little family date and even agreed to stop at a fabric store for a few supplies I needed (wow!).  We went to the mall food court for dinner because we love Chick-fil-A.  It was a wonderful evening spent together laughing at E's newest quirks and funny statements, holding hands, chicken and fabric.

I had high hopes of sleeping in LATE on Saturday, but Emilia had other plans for me.  She was in our bed by 7...but after waking at 4a.m. each day last week, that was still technically sleeping in.  ;-)  We bounced downstairs, arms full of all the supplies we needed to start working on her "Rosetta dress"- which is actually a tutu style skirt.  I really had no idea how I was going to put this thing together, but I knew I wanted it to look similar to the skirt Rosetta wears in the Tinkerbell movies.  So far, I *love* how it is turning out!  Unfortunately, my borrowed sewing maching started acting up with only 2 layers of petals remaining to sew...bummer.  But, I at least had it somewhat constructed and one layer of petals attached so Emilia could test it out after naptime.  Success- she loves it!  She says it is a beautiful Rosetta dress, so I think that is a win.  I want to wait until it is finished (as well as a coordinating shirt) before I post photos, but be excited.  Her fairy party is going to be SO fun!! (O:

Saturday afternoon we headed for Cape Girardeau for two church visits on Sunday.  We were very fortunate to have a Warren relative (don't ask my what relation..) open her home to us so we didn't have to pay for a stay in a hotel.  She was actually out of town for the weekend, but still let us stay.  It was weird but great.  Weird to be in a home we had never been to and felt odd searching for the right rooms to sleep in as well as tracking down the linen closet (luckily, it was IN the bathroom). ;-)  But nice to have a quiet place to ourselves for the night as well as an all-family naptime between the morning and evening services on Sunday.  Not to mention the amazing Barbie dream house she had in the play area of her basement (for her grandkids).  This wasn't a cheap-o plastic house, someone constructed it out of wood, complete with working Elevator!  Emilia (and I) were in awe!

Sunday was a whirlwind of a day, but we definitely feel blessed to have had the opporunity for these visits.  The morning church, Connection Point Church in Jackson, MO, was so welcoming and friendly.  We added 17 new committed shares, 7 additional prayer partners, as well as a substantial amount in donations to the general fund (which covers our plane tickets, shipping, etc.)  We were taken to lunch at a local BBQ place (yum!) and had just enough time for a quick nap before heading to the evening church in Scott City.   1st General Baptist Church was holding their Association's local meeting that night and had a youth-oriented service after dinner.  It was so refreshing to see all the young people of these churches coming together and putting on skits and other dramas for God's glory.  I love seeing passion in our youth!  Jason was given 20 minutes to speak and he did a great job.  We had a number of people come back and take Share Cards to look and pray over at home.  We left Scott City around 8:20p.m. and after one dinner stop (me) and one potty stop (Emilia), we made it home close to 11.

I am dragging this morning, but feeling incredibly blessed.  I am often asked if I am scared about moving so far away.  But honestly, I just feel honored and very very blessed to have been called to Saipan.  God is teaching me to trust His will and follow where He leads.  I cannot imagine being scared of these wonderful things God has planned for us.

Refocusing

I have been pretty quiet this week on blogger...and fb...and life.  I tried to keep my complaints to a minimum while Jason has been away.  I know there are many circumstances that blow this 2 week stint out of the water. 

I reminded myself this morning that there are military families all over the world who are going through so much more than me right now.  Yes, I miss my husband and Emilia misses her daddy.  Yes, Emilia's behavior and attitude have been on the decline since he left and it makes me sad.  But what are these 16 days compared to 6 months-1 year-Years apart?  We have a lot of changes going on in our little family right now and there are many hard days.  But this can not even compare to the sacrifices our military families- including the several friends I have who are in the military.  Families moving every two years, going for months at a time without seeing or talking to their families, moving across the world away from everything they have ever known.  Shame on me for throwing a pity party this morning.  My husband is safe and will be home tomorrow.  Some families live in constant fear that their loved ones are in danger and may never come home. 

Thank you to all my military friends, their spouses and families for the huge sacrifices you make for our country.  May we never forget- even for a moment- how your lives make our lives and our country better.  (I will work on a couple posts soon to get back on track...no more pity parties for me.)

This morning I spent a little time catching up on the most consistent Saipan blogger and found a link to an older blog of someone else who was on Saipan.  This girl is now back in Texas, but I was excited to read every post, hoping for some other tidbits of information about this tiny island.  What did she love?  What should I prepare for?  And so on...the more I read, the more discouraged I became.  This girl and her husband were both in the public school systems on Saipan, so not directly affiliated with the school Jason will be working at, nor did she ever really mention attending the church we'll be part of.  My struggle with this blog was the underlying negativity I felt radiating from each new post.  Even after their first month of teaching, she was already counting down the days until they would be back stateside.  (1/8 of the way done, and so on).  She also had her fair share to say about the heat and humidity on the island.  Don't get me wrong, I *know* it's going to be hot, really hot, and humid, yucky humid.  But the tone of her posts was never really very uplifting.  I felt my eyebrows creasing as the discouragement set in.  I caught myself thinking, "Man, if this girl hated it that bad and she's from TEXAS, how on earth will I survive?"  That is the moment I knew I needed to shake these bad feelings!

Now, I obviously know nothing about this girl other than what she has posted.  She may be super cheerful and optimistic in real life.  Heck, she may LOVE sweating for all I know.  I'm not trying to point a finger of shame, nor am I trying to act like I would be any better in the situation.  But, I do know that after reading her whole blog (that's right, I read it all...are you really shocked?), I need to mentally prepare my mind and heart for this.  I don't ever want anyone to come across my blog and think, "Gee, she must really hate it there...why did she even go?" 

Above all, I will always strive to follow God's will for our lives, but I never want to do it begrudgingly.  Yes, it will be hot.  And yes, I may on occasion lament about the humidity and my sweat levels (gross, I know).  But, I want this blog and I want MYSELF to be more about the good things God is doing through us on this tiny island.  I want to sing shouts of praise as lives are changed and know that because of Him, we got to be a part of it.  I want to find ways to enjoy life on a tropical island, even when the heat index is 105.  I want to be excited about making new friendships and stepping out of my comfort zone, trusting in God to see my through.  I want to lead by example, and teach Emilia how to always look for the GOOD in life, even when it gets really hard.

Life on Saipan will be different than anything I have ever known and that is scary.  It is scary to leave everything you know and love, pack a few suitcases and head to a place you know nothing about.  I worry about how my family will eat.  Yes, I know that is a weird one.  But, with a family as finicky about food as we are, I worry about it.  Add to that the prices of anything not-local and my worries increase.  When I feel my heart getting heavy with such worries, I remind myself that God will be with me, Every. Day.  I may not get to eat the foods I love here in the States.  But I will not go hungry.  I may not have the same level of air conditioned comfort I am used to during STL summer months, but He will comfort me.  I may miss my family and friends on the mainland, but God WILL bring new friends into my life.  I recently heard a definition that I intend to cling to.  SACRIFICE:  To give up something you love, for something you love more.  As hard as it will be to leave our lives in Illinois, we know this is the right step for our family.  There are so many people on Saipan that need to hear about Christ and God has called us to this task.  When I think about the lives He will change, including our own, I cannot help but get super excited.  The triumphs through Christ will definitely outweight our trials.

Sadly, the girl, whose blog I stalked today, did not return to Saipan.  From what I can gather, she and her husband did not return after their first year.  I cannot help but wonder if part of the reason is because she never got past the "uncomforts" and always longed for her "home" in Texas.  This has taught me that there must be a certain level of disconnect from "home".  I do not want to sit around thinking about how I miss Target, Old Navy and AC.  I cannot allow myself to be bowled over with misery of the things I no longer have access to.  I must always keep my mind positive.  There are so many wonderful things about Saipan and it would be a disservice to myself to overlook them.  I have no idea how long God intends for us to stay on Saipan, but I never want the reason we leave to be because I just couldn't get over missing "home".  Saipan will BE my home for as long as God wills.  I want to embrace it whole-heartedly and if the day comes that we must leave Saipan, I hope to ache for leaving my new "home".

Saipan Support Team Letter

Hi friends!

(If you are coming to this link from the Facebook event:  I posted this letter on my blog so you could each have a chance to look it over before Saturday.  This is a support team letter we are in the process of sending out, inviting others to join us in this mission.  Since we are meeting with you face-to-face, you will not be part of the mailing group receiving this letter.  If you want a hard copy, please let me know before Saturday and I will print one out for you!)  (O:

(If you stumbled across this from another venue:  Hello!  This is our support team letter inviting anyone interested to join us in our mission on Saipan.  There is lots of good information, so please read!  Feel free to ask any questions you may have or request further information.  Thanks for stopping by!)

Greetings!  We pray this letter finds you well.  The Lord has been faithful to our family during the past year.  He is doing many wonderful things, and we know He will continue to be faithful in 2012. 

We are so excited to share with you a challenging and incredible ministry opportunity God has presented to us.  After prayer and consideration, we have answered God’s calling and are moving to the Island of Saipan to work as full-time missionaries with the General Baptist International Missions organization.  We are excited to have this great opportunity to reach out and spread the Gospel to the people of Saipan while encouraging local Christians.  Jason will be working with the other ministers of Saipan Community Church as well as teaching at Saipan Community School.  Annie will stay home with Emilia while looking for new ways to reach out to mothers and young families in the community.    Ministering from this tiny Island gives us an opportunity to reach out to countries all across the Pacific Rim area: Japan, Korea, China, the Philippines, Russia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Palau, and the Island of Truk, just to name a few.  People come to the Island for work which means we get a two to four year window to show them who Christ is and by His Grace send them back as missionaries in their own countries. We are initially signing on to serve for two years and are scheduled to leave in July 2012.

We are also excited to invite you to share in this ministry opportunity and be a part of our Support Team.  First and foremost, we ask you to cover us and this life-changing decision in your prayers.  Prayer is the fuel that will allow us to be successful as we follow God’s leading in ministry.  Please pray that God will prepare us for this venture and bless our efforts as we minister to the people of Saipan, and that their hearts will be open to our message.

We also need prayers that the financial needs for our missionary support will be met.  We would like to ask you to help this important ministry through a monetary donation.  We are striving to obtain 200 commitments of shares in only a few, short months.  One share is $10 per month which will equal $120 per year ($240 for the 2 year commitment).  In addition to the monthly donations, we also need to raise an additional $20,000 to cover travel, shipping and other expenses related to this move of faith.  Our departure date for Saipan is July 24, 2012.

To make it as easy as possible, we have included a Share Card to be completed and mailed in to start your partnership with us; a prepaid return envelope has also been included for your convenience.  Please mark the box to correspond with your committed number of shares, or use the empty space to write in another commitment amount.  We ask you to please consider committing to a minimum of 2 shares, and whenever possible, more shares as you feel led.  You can send a check for the first month, annual support amount, or one-time donation with the completed Share Card.  There are also options for online payments and monthly automatic withdrawals direct, if you prefer.  A copy of the authorization form to be completed for automatic withdrawals is included, for those who are interested.  Visit www.gbimissions.org under the Giving tab for more information.  We are putting our trust in God to move in people’s hearts, leading them to donate to this life-changing mission.  For as little as $20-50+ a month, you can be a part of this exciting ministry and help us spread the message of Christ on Saipan as well as into many parts of Asia!

We thank you in advance for your prayers and donations.  May God bless you richly!

In Him,

Jason, Annie and Emilia Warren

Friends, Flowers and Fun!

How are those for 3 Fabulous F's?  Now there are 4!  ;-)

This past weekend I enjoyed a great Saturday with 10 beautiful ladies and a couple of our kiddos.  As I mentioned here, my sister, momma and I are working on a really cool quilt for me to take to Saipan this July.  My sister had the awesome idea of asking all my friends and family to be a part of this project by helping to make the fabric and/or crochet flowers to cover the front of the quilt.  What a cool idea!  I love that I'm taking little bits of my favorite people half way around the world.  It will be a great comfort to have on tough days and a pleasant reminder every day of the relationships and encouragement I have so far away.

My friend Margo, was gracious enough to open her home for our Crafty Friend Day!  We invited lots of lovely ladies to join us for a few lessons on flower making, chatting with friends, and yummy snacks.  Many of my friends were aprehensive about their levels of craftiness, but I assured them were many options that were all relatively easy.

I caught a few photos of my girls hard at work! (Erin came after I had already put my camera away, but she was there too!)  (O:

Sherry, Lacey, Margo and Michelle  (Michelle and Sherry drove 2 hours to join us!)

Elise and Jessca

Alyssa, Brooklynn, and Clare

Neely

Once we were all finished with our flowers, we laid them out on the sheet I'll be using to get an idea of what it will look like.  There are still many flowers to create, but I love how it is coming together!

On my way home after this super fun day, I really got lost in my thoughts about how thankful I am for these ladies.  God has blessed me with an amazing group of friends and it is sometimes overwhelming to think about how much we all mean to each other.  Like I said before, many of them weren't all that excited about making a flower, but they still came and tried (and Did Great!).  Because they knew it was important to me.  What God reminded me in that moment is that it doesn't matter where we live, only that we love.  I know I will use this quilt often while on Saipan and I cannot wait to get lost in fun memories of each friend who helped put this quilt together.  Once we are a little closer to completion, I hope to do another post remarking of the specialness of each and every one of these awesome ladies (and anyone else who contributes between now and then).  It will be a great reminder of the great people in my life.  While I may not be blessed with a good enough memory, I am Totally blessed with the best of friends!!

Lovely Weekend

Good Morning~

I had to take a moment away from work because I wanted to reflect over our past weekend.  There were SO many fun times and my heart is full of joy.  God never ceases to amaze me by how He knows our needs and provides for them above and beyond our expectations.

Friday night I loaded Emilia and my fabric flower crafts up in our car and drove out to my Momma's house.  My sister, Clare, was meeting us there too.  I can't decide what my favorite part of the evening was:  Chinese food from my FAV take out place, my old bedroom remodeled into E's dream playroom (she gasped "Oh my Goodness!  This is beautiful!" when she first saw it...LOVE), laughs with my family, parenting tips from Mom, Mom and Clare's dogs behaving SOO well as E wrapped them in blankets for nap time and gave them *strong hugs, or crafting together.  Suffice it to say, it was an awesome evening!  And for once in my life, it was ME showing THEM something crafty.  Who would have thought we would see this day?!  ;-)

Saturday was the Warren Family Extravaganza Day!  I think I usually call any day where the whole Warren clan is together an extravaganza, and I don't think that is an over-statement.  With nearly 50 of us, anything we do is super-charged!  We had several families that weren't able to make it this year, but we still had a blast.  We started the party around 10:00 a.m. with a full line up of yummy breakfast foods.  We played the "game" in the early afternoon and stayed together until 8:00 p.m. that night!  Actually, that's just when Emilia and I left...there were several that stuck around to ring in the New Year together.  I was fast asleep by 9:30 and have no regrets about it!  Especially since I got to sleep in until 8:30 a.m. the next morning!  Yessss!

Sunday was PJ day, woo hoo!  E and I vegged most of the day and it was perfection.  We had no plans until that evening when we headed out to our friend DJ and Margo's house for dinner.  DJ is an awesome cook and he is one of the only people that can get Jason to try new foods.  We are never disappoined!  It was fun to spend a few hours just chatting with our friends and watching our kids play together.  Their son, Daniel just turned one in November and is such a cutie!  He and Emilia played pretty well together- he's too young to fight back at my sometimes-bossy 2 1/2 year old. ;-)

I had yesterday off and was able to catch up on laundry, etc.  It felt so nice to actually get some of our clothes out of suitcases and storage tubs!  I feel more human when my clothes are put away in the correct places and I can see part of the closet floor.  It was another PJ day and very relaxing (or as relaxing as laundry day can be...).  That evening we met up with my old college roommate for dinner!  She and her family are from Louisville, KY and were in town for a wedding.  We ate at QDOBA (yum!!) and then went back to their hotel and let the kids swim!  It was so so great to catch up with her; it was like no time had passed.  Her some, Emerson, is only 2 months younger than Emilia and they are Definitely two peas in a pod.  One would dish is out and the other would sling it right back.  Oh, the joys of 2 year olds.  But it was really great to watch them interact and Mandy and I both agreed that it was nice to see that our kids are NORMAL.  Sometimes one can feel like their kid is out of control or that their parenting skills are lacking...but seeing the two E's together, we realized that sometimes toddlers are just that- Toddlers!

So, like I said, God definitely blessed me this weekend with exactly what I needed!  My soul is refreshed.  Anyone who knows me can tell you I am very much a people person, and it had been way too long since I had interaction with friends and even family.  I could feel myself getting ever-so-slightly depressed because I felt alone- working long hours, coming home for a couple short hours with my family before back to sleep and redo the next day.  I know these are short-term sacrifices, and I am happy to make them because I know God's plan is BIG.  But, I am also very very grateful that He gives my heart what it needs, even when I'm not sure what that might be.  He knows because HE is in charge.  He loves me and has filled my heart with joy once again.  God is good!