colorado rocky mountain high

just busting out a little john denver, one of the greats. well i am in the be-a-utiful state of Colorado right now enjoying the fresh mountain air and amazing aspen trees. we are up skiing for a few days, but the roads were closed today because of strong wind so we couldnt. Visiting Dad and Elizabeth, always an experience thats for sure.
But, alas we shall return on the 4th.

waiting in line at breck to hop on the lift a hat i found in REI, thought it provoked this weird face? andrew enjoying the snow storm when we first got to denver

anyway, i hope everybody has a teriffic New Years, catch ya'll on the flip side

the way i see it #284

got this on my starbucks cup up here in Denver and i absolutely LOVE IT-

"You can't lead the people, if you don't love the people. You can't save the people, if you don't serve the people."- Cornel West (a professor from Princeton)

speak the truth Cornel, that is the way I see it as well

Newman

apparently nobody understood the Brittney Spears picture from my last post, but the reasoning was the fact that it said she had a NEWMAN.

see, Newman is my middle name and i thought thats what i read when i first saw the magazine.

yes, thats a random middle name.
yes, im aware its a guy in seinfeld. indeed.
but its a family name [great grandmother's maiden] and i love it. nobody else has it.

so, there you go all you poor tortured friends who were tormented by that. i didnt post that picture because of shiny teeth or pointy elf ears (?) but simply because of her new man

so if it is december, why does it feel like july?

yes, it IS December. i know that there has been debate due to the terribly humid and stuffy weather. but, yes welcome to a Louisiana winter. anyhow, here are some pictures from recent happenings in my world. . .

that is definitely the sports section of the newspaper and alyssa in pointing to an article about a chess tourney. i had NO idea that chess was a sport, but hey thats great news for andrew.
you may be thinking, "leah, why in the world do you have a random magazine with Britney Spears on the cover?!" well, no i do not really care for our dear friend here, but if you can tell me what is significant about this cover. . . ill get you a venti ice water from Starbucks.
This is Matt. Matt is a hard worker. last wednesday he helped with Just for Jesus all day then came to Refuge that night. take a close look at his shoes. . .that is correct, they are two different shoes. poor hombre was so pooped he didnt even realize it.
So what had happened was. . . our lovely youth pastors Jason and Jennifer came over to watch the LSU-Tenn game. Jenn and I decided it would be a splendid idea to go roll Jason's car. so we did. His payback was the trashbags on my car. . . then Andrew, Shana, and Alyssa rolled mine
some of my FAVORITE people came over and we decorated for Christmas. lacey and Shana are ah-may-zing.
setting up for TWISTED last night at the annex. Kristin and Josh have both done an INCREDIBLE job planning and working on this event. and you cant tell but Kristin is definitely on top of the coke machine, wahhh
talk about service. i walked into Starbucks with Tori yesterday and sat down at my table and one of the baristas just walked over and handed me a venti ice water. Thats pretty much the drink i always get because its free and i like aqua, so its pretty great i dont even have to ask for it.

FINALly. . . (pun intended) this is my perspective right now. FINALS. this was right before my history final. they are almost over. one more tomorrow and essays due friday, then im FIN.
thats what been haddnenin

broken

" i earnestly long for more of you in my life. Im getting to a place to be broken before you, honestly i dont think im quite there yet- but its where im headed and i think it is where you want me to be. you need to break me more. That is how i would like my entire life to be- broken- uncapable of doing it on my own, but trusting entirely in you for everythig. Im pretty aware this may be painful and tough at times, but the joy and peace you will provide will be more glorious, and the intimacy it produces with you would be greater than any hardship i could endure. Break me of myself. i want to be an unardorned clay vessel filled with the light that shines through."

thats something i wrote in my journal this past wednesday, and you know what the crazy thing is? He continues to break me. He began to break me that day, and it has truely blown my mind that He listened that quickly. i know when i wrote that i believed He would, but at the same time it always catches me by surprise.
its so funny because different things have happened and i get so uncomfortable, frustrated, or upset and then i just keep flipping back to that page and its as if He is saying, "see! its right here boo! im just doing what you asked, dont you get upset with me." and i just break down and am so overwhelmed with his love. He has truely been breaking me of comforts that i did not want to have to deal with. But while at the same time its weird or uncomfortable, i feel His intimate peace overwhelm me and I am beginning to see Him in a different way.

He is just amazing. im loving it.

lets go for a ride. . .

oh wait.

i was walking to class today and stumbled upon quite a sight, this bike was definitely up in a tree outside Lockett Hall. . .
maybe they decided this was a better option than using the handy bike-racks. or maybe. . .

i dont know. i cant think of anything else.
just thought i'd share.

NITAKUJA!

just thought I'd let everyone know that if you are looking for me this summer. . .you might have a travel a little far. you know, just right over there in. . . TANZANIA. Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania to be exact

yup. that is right, my friends. it is looking like i shall be spending my summer right here:



AHHHHHHHHHH.

as many of you know, i go to LSU. duh. and i study swahili as my language. Well LSU has a study abroad program to theUniversity of Dar Es Salaam where i will be able to go and spend 6 weeks- finishing my last level of swahili and then taking an International Studies course focused on swahili culture and such. I'll be able to get 8 hours credit, so its a pretty nifty deal. PLUS. . .ill be THERE learning the language WITH THE PEOPLE. oh my dreams.
We spend 2 weeks in a resort on the coast- beach on the Indian Ocean. indeed.
then, 4 weeks in a HOST FAMILY. ahhh, living with PEOPLE. SWAHILI PEOPLE.
like this guy:
(my friend who went last summer took this picture. im pretty sure this snazzy old man and i could be friends)

im so pumped about this, its hard to contain myself.
its not definite yet. i have a hard time talking about things that aren't definite because im scared that if it doesnt work out then i look silly. But i truely believe that this is what God has for me this summer. Its the oppurtunity of a lifetime and i dont want to pass it up.

Now, just need to figure out delightful financial details, which is pretty much the major thing.
my parents are accepting it. its all good. i plan on spendng alot more time than this overseas, so they should probably just go ahead and get used to it.

well, thats my current adventure. if you think about it, please just pray that God would guide me and open up doors financially if this is His will!

NITAKUJA TANZANIA KUHIBIRI NJILI, KUSOMA KISWAHILI, NA KUPENDA WATU WENGI!!
it really doesnt get any better

going up?

a cute little house that Tori and I saw at the Saint Joseph's Abbey in Covington. i really like the porch.

thats all.

fully committed.

Alyssa Williams, faithful to the end

this, my friends, is what i call dedication.
Alyssa is pretty much amazing and a ginormo help all the time. Well, every week Alyssa makes lemonade. . .or kool aid before Refuge to serve.
This week we had blue kool aid.
Alyssa coudnt find a spoon.
DID THAT STOP HER?!?!
the answer is: NOPE.
that girl plunged her hand (after being washed) into that pitcher and got the job done, and now has a smurf hand because of her dedication!

so, here's to you Alyssa, thanks for all you do

my worst nightmare

join in on the soccer fun?!. . . no thanks
i have this really large fear of having kids and becoming a soccer mom. people make fun of me, but i cant help it. i shall avoid mini vans, soccer uniforms, grass stains, and tide-to-go at all costs!

NOOOO

indeed

i would dare say, yes sir. indeed we can.

it's beginning to look alot like. . .Christmas?

its pretty insane that Christmas has already begun.
November 1st - Christmas music on 103.3 begins NONSTOP until December 26th, Halloween candy was rotated out for Christmas candy, and TV and radio ads are all Christmas-geared. its ridiculous

Is it just me or has Christmas begun freakishly EARLY this year? usually all of that jazz really kicks off the day after Thanksgiving. . . but i guess big corporations just really want to cash in on the birth of Christ.

TIA- this is america. gotta love it.

lacey and i were at Wal Mart and saw these delightful Christmas decorations set-up. . . really got me to pondering on this conundrum of this early Christmas. . . but i must admit, Santa is wearing some snazzy shades


I LOVE CHRISTMAS, but i just feel like this is REALLY early. its so much more exciting when you turn on the radio the day after Thanksgiving and hear your favorite holiday tune. now its just going to get old.

but hey, go ahead. drink a glass of eggnog and get ready for the season. its going to be a long one!

notable quotable

i apologize for my brief hiatus, but here is a teriffic little quote found in a fantastic book i like to call the Bible-

"I was filled with delight day after day, rejoicing always in his presence, REJOICING IN HIS WHOLE WORLD AND DELIGHTING IN MANKIND."
-proverbs 8:30-31

i just really enjoy this scripture. just take a moment.

read it.

let it marinate.

hmm, what do you think?

yeah. . . i know. its good, right? rejoicing in his WHOLE WORLD and DELIGHTING IN MANKIND. ohhhh i want to delight in mankind and in all that he created within this world.

this leads me to a leah-thought.
if God created us in His image. . . then different cultures and peoples are different facets of who God is, different aspects of his heart. They illustrate his deeply rooted creativity. ahhh. i love people.
i want to just learn to experience life with all kinds of people, rejoicing with them in this whole world God created for us and experiencing and living this life in love.

thats all.

victoria "Mwinjilisti" ohlerking

happpyy birttthdaayyyy to one of my favorite people ever.
go by her blog and wish her a tremendously HAPPY day!
or if you really love her go buy her a box of mini wheats and a plane ticket to africa. you know, its the little things that count.
whooop whooooop

don't trust burt bacharach

im just sitting here jamming out to some good ole' burt bacharach and i had an epiphany. . .

my compadre, that talented old crooner is a hypocrite! yes.
In one song, "What the World Needs Now" he says, "What the world needs now,
Is love, sweet love,
It's the only thing that there's just too little of."

okay. and so then, in "I'll Never Fall in Love" he ventures to say,
"Don't tell me what is all about,
'Cause I've been there and I'm glad I'm out,
Out of those chains, those chains that bind you
That is why I'm here to remind you
What do you get when you fall in love?
You get enough tears to fill an ocean
That's what you get for your devotion.
I'll never fall in love again."

ouch, burt. ouch.
thats quite distant from what the whole world needs, i'd say.
basically, don't take what my pal burt says seriously.
he is a little wishy-washy

see what had happened was. . .

oops.
yes. diet coke explosion.

lesson learned.

a few of my favorite things

when i think about life, i really like it. and there are certain things in life i especially enjoy. here are a few.

Venti Ice Water from Starbucks


Playing in the fountains downtown



passport stamps
although my passport is quite lonely, i really enjoy the sense of accomplishment that comes from a passport stamp. its a little splotch of ink that signifies an entire trip to another nation.


diet coke
[this one is in Hebrew. which is always a plus]

my cammy cam. my handy-dandy camera, oh its so faithful


crossword puzzles
oh my, i cannot really explain why it is i so deeply enjoy to sit and rack my brain for a four letter word for freshwater fish, but i do. and i do it on the daily, at least during school.


this book. its one of the most practical encouraging books ever. love it.

dark chocolate. i absolutely love dark chocolate. and hate milk chocolate.
[never had this kind]

sitting outside here:

and that is just a few.

s-e-r-v olution

are you ready?





um, yes sir. if you want to be a part of the biggest outreach in Healing Place HISTORY. . .ill see you Saturday morning at 9 am. its going to be pretty incredible.
especially since I will be serving with some fantastic FRESH Refugee girls. i guess you could say im pretty lucky.

and if you aren't there and you're somewhere in baton rouge this saturday, keep your eyes peeled for some red shirts. your guranteed to catch a few.

haddy birdday

Heri ya Siku ya kuzaliwa!
Feliz Cumpleaños!
Saeng il chuk ha hamnda! [ David Song]

Happy Birthday! to Jason Laird. Youth pastor extraordinaire

ninapenda mti sana

i had a teriffic birthday, really one of the best i've ever had.
Surprise party, dinner and hanging out in New Orleans with some friends (jarred and chris made my birthday really great), and I even had the honor of leading Children's Cup forty days of prayer gathering on my birthday. (thanks mr.dan)
Saturday MORNING (morning being the key word) my mom thought it would be cute to have a surprise party. so its 7:00, im asleep and all of a sudden there are 20 people in my room yelling. Needless to say, I was extremely confused and didnt know what was going on. But, it was great. My mom had tons of breakfast, everything was Disney Princess, we played games, and a couple of people even walked away with starbucks gift cards. not too shabby. The best part? i was 100% surprised.

HA. Tori made me a sign that she thought said "Hey! Happy Birthday Leah!", but in all actuality said, "Hey! Congratulations Leah!"
i love it.

But, anywho. the point is I had a great birthday. mom and steve got me some really wonderous luggage! ah, thats really the only thing i wanted. Whenever i travel end up borrowing luggage or using old beat-up stuff, so its nice to have a set to call my own.

Regardless, i must say that my favorite present i recieved this birthday was a tree.
a tree?!
yes.
a tree.
tori ohlerking knows we all too well. We both share a deep appreciation for trees. I don't know, they are just such magnificent creations.
and Monday night she rolls up to my house with a tree in a pot. I just can't tell you how much i love that girl.
she said, "well i just thought you should have your very own tree!"
[ not to mention the fact she had already given me a GREAT gift. a book called TOILETS OF THE WORLD!] -->
YEAH. i know.
Now i just have to plant my new little drake elm and watch it grow. and everytime i see it, i will think of little miss ohlerking and smile.

luggage, toilet book, a tree. what more could a girl want?

quick question: What is the BEST birthday present you have ever recieved. . .or given?

my fav five

if you know me, then its very likely you know that i pretty much want to travel everywhere. i just really love cultures and people, and want to see as much of this world as i possibly can. But, of course i have my favorites, my places i just can't wait to go and experience. So, i decided to compile a list of my top 5 places to go, my Fav5.

Here it is (not necessarily in a specific order)

#1- TANZANIA
duh. this one is a no-brainer. Since i started to learn Swahili last year, I just really want to go, learning about their culture and language in class has given me a passion to go and meet and be with the people. I want to see the landscape, the ocean, the island of Zanzibar, Mount Kiliminjaro. ahhh! can't wait.

#2- GREECE (& Cyprus)
To me, this just looks like the most beautiful place ever. There is so much history there, so much to see and learn. Its my number one "want to vacation here" spot. so, if you ever want to be my friend and have a ticket to Greece. . .call me up.

#3- INDIA
Wooooo. i love Indian people. a.whole.lot.
I love their accents, their clothes, plus their food is amazing. Spiritually, its a very different country. I would love to do mission work there, just reaching out to the oppressed people. It definitely seems like one of the harder places to reach out to. They have so many people that need a just need to be shown love and compassion, a hand to reach out to them when they are in need. Oh, yes indeed. in a heartbeat.

#4- ISRAEL
OF COURSE i want to go here. This is where it all started. and i LOVE me some jewish people.(i guess because im related to a whole bunch) The amount of rich history there, especially pertaining to the Bible, intrigues me. I find something so beautiful about the Jewish culture and traditions.

#5- TIBET
i don't really have a justified reason to WHY i want to go here, i just do. the Himalayas, a lot of yaks, and cool nomads like this:
just seems like a interesting country.


There it is. that's my list.
so. . . does that sound appealing to anybody, could i find a travel buddy?!

[what places are in your fav5?]

mi gusta some stately oaks and broad magnolias

tomorrow i return to dear old LSU. its been a really amazing summer. i think i grew alot, learned a good bit. I got to go to Los Angeles, summer camp, the beach with the fam, camping in the Bighorn mountains, New Orleans a bunch, and hang out with my pretty splendid friends quite a bit. I savor the relationships i gained and grew in this summer. I have to. But, lately a lot has changed. People have moved or things are different.
I feel like im on the edge of something new with God. He has something fresh and big in store for me this year. It might require some growth pains, but im ready and willing. I don't deal well with change, but i acknowledge its part of life and growth.

Im ready for this next year and everything He has in store. I want to grow so deep and close in my relationship with Him, that im solely dependent upon Him. So, no matter where He calls me, I'll be ready. (thats a whole other post. . .study abroad?)

Tomorrow i'll roll up in the halls of LSU, and i pray that this year God would equip me with a boldness to reach out to those around me. To have a heart burdened for the students and compassion to take action.

Im excited about school, my schedule is pretty dandy. Notice the superb LACK OF MATH and science. yes, im done with math forever and ever. LET US DANCE.

SO, here it is-
English 2270- American Lit.
Swahili 2003- . . .Swahili
Geography 2050- atmospheric geography. i have no idea what this entails. but it counts as a science
Theater 1020- pshh not an acting class. just art credit.
History 1007- world history. . .apparently its kind of boring. But its the last pre-req i have before i get to start taking my Intl Studies classes, so im pretty pumped.

not bad. WIth that and Elevate i should keep pretty busy. I can see a nice load of reading in my future, which i tend to procrastinate. ouch.
To all you other "tigers" (I hate refering to students by their mascot) good luck tomorrow.

let the games begin!

This is REALLY weird.

- I remember this book from a book fair when i was in elementary school. It freaked me out then. and still does.
SO, lets examine.
• first, look at the title. yes, Leah's Pony. Leah isn't the most common name around, and i used to be obsessed with horses. so when i first saw this book i thought it was pretty nifty.
• THEN, i saw the author line. Elizabeth Friedrich. My sister's name. . .Elizabeth and if you add a 's' to Friedrich. . .you get Friedrichs.

uhh, strange much?
i never bought the book. i wonder what its about. I guess the title is pretty self-explanitory. but, my birthday is coming up. . . so if you're looking for a gift idea, here is a freebie. whoop whoop.

so. strangest coincidence ever, or can you beat that?!

WHY oming?!

tomorrow i head out for the de-light-ful state of WYOMING. wahoooo, party all the time. the land of . . . wide open spaces, dry skin, coal, and COWS. could i ask for anything more? i think not.
I DO get to see my dad and sister, so that makes it all well worth it. Even though i am missing the Elevate retreat.



But since i was about to leave, i thought i would just share with you all the lack of humanity in this place. seriously. look at this lovely population density map. if you know how to read that sucker, then you will know that its just a very. . . personal? place to go. and in the city where my dad lives, well . . . they have a starbucks, which is a pretty big deal. and a k-mart. yeah, its poppin

at least i get to go camping, which is something i've really been wanting to do for quite some time but it has been unbearably HOT here. so i guess ill just rub it in your face that IM GOING TO NEED A JACKET. yes, long sleeves.

Im bummed about missing the elevate retreat, but i will survive with my chilly nights and tent. ill be happy as a clam.

I'd be safe and warm. . . if i was in L.A.

i apologize for the lack of blogs. i couldn't blog in L.A. because im not Josh and i don't have a phone i can update from, i guess i live in the stone age.

anywhoooo. . .Los Angeles. wow, what a trip. It was just splendid, with the best group of people you could ever want to go and serve with. We had TWENTY SIX people, and the heart and attitude of everybody AMAZED me. blew me away. everyone had such a servant's heart and was so willing to do whatever was asked of them. wether it was t-barry cleaning some nasty pooooo out of a hole in the streets, or Sarah, Faith, and Phillip Kelly unloading and bagging food in a hot truck to hand out to people on the streets, to Tyler and Josh just serving it up talking to homeless people and praying for them. This team was amazing. When you took a look at our team and then the other churches that were there, you knew our heart. You could see that this wasn't our first rodeo, that we were accustomed to serving it up and came from a church that has a heartbeat for the hurting.

Before we left, we had prayer every morning at 6 for a month our from the trip. First of all, can i tell you how amazing it is that a a bunch of high school kids are willing to sacrifice their sleep for a month of their summer to go and pray and prepare to go and serve, We have the most amazing youth group. no lie.
Anyway, I could just really see the prayers of unity and safety working while we were there. There was no fighting and barely any complaning. Not even with 6 girls in a tiny old hospital room with bunk beds, a sheet and a pillow, annnddd NO AC. yeah, Glory has to go to God. Instead of complaining about some of the small things, we saw it as a chance to grow.
Not to mention, we got to spend a day at the Santa Monica Pier and the beach, and a little shopping. Got to drive down Rodeo drive, Some of our people met Hannah Montana, and see some of the highlights of the city.

great trip, here are some pictures. . .


lauren and I on the roof of the dream center.


man sleeping on the santa monica beach

sarah spitting some spanish to a man to invite him to church and get a free meal

this woman was just sleeping in the park we were walking in

- We did a lemonade outreach, just like our good old water outreaches. this was one of my favorites, felt like home. Paul held up this sign and counted how many honnks we got throughout the outreach

yeahyaaaa, >4

This is Sir William. we met him while walking down Hollywood Blvd. and got to talk to him for awhile. i love hearing people's life stories. even got to hook him up with some yogurt and a hot dog.

Basically, i thought i would let everybody know that HPC was well represented by this group of crazy young people who are obsessed with Jesus.
I learned so much about ministry and life. i would go back in a heartbeat

BUT the big question is. . . where to next?