ahhhhhhhhh

goodbye blogger

2008-01-19T11:34:00.000-08:00

it has come time for me to say, "KWAHERI!" to my dear old blogger account and, "JAMBO!" to wordpress.
yes, yes, yes i have finally switched over. so take a moment to change my link in your blogroll or on your netvibes to THIS instead!

wahhhhh, ADIOS AMIGOS

www.leahfriedrichs.wordpress.com

about time!

2008-01-17T08:44:00.000-08:00

bless my lucky stars, never thought i would see the day!!
Yes my friends, Andrew's teeth are bare and brace-free. That boy and I got braces on at the same time- the summer of 2003, and he has FINALLY gotten them off.
hallelujah

x-ray uh-oh

2008-01-17T06:49:00.000-08:00

I had to go to the doctor yesterday because my nose had been bothering me. so they checked it out and decided that i needed an x-ray. well in order to do an x-ray you really aren't supposed to have any metal on your face. . . since i got my nose pierced I am really not supposed to take it out for 6 weeks and im not about to just pop that sucker out.

Instead they just took an x-ray with it in. the doc was not pleased, but hey, c'est la vie.

wahhh! can you see it?!

so this one time when i was a nun. . .

2008-01-14T18:57:00.001-08:00

i found this picture the other day. I was in "The Importance of Being Earnest" in high school (had to change Rev. Chausible to MOTHER Chausible, if you catch my drift).

yep. a nun. Tori's dream job. plus i had a butterfly net. ahh, quite enjoyable.

i had some pretty nifty other costumes. whats the snazziest costume you've ever sported?

colorado rocky mountain high

2007-12-31T11:53:00.000-08:00

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

2007-12-29T21:36:00.000-08:00

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

2007-12-17T22:32:00.000-08:00

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?

2007-12-12T07:05:00.000-08:00

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

2007-12-10T21:52:00.000-08:00

" 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. . .

2007-11-21T10:33:00.000-08:00

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!

2007-11-15T08:22:00.000-08:00

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?

2007-11-12T09:47:00.000-08:00

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.

2007-11-08T09:23:00.000-08:00

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

2007-11-07T10:41:00.001-08:00

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

2007-11-05T08:08:00.000-08:00

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

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

2007-11-03T19:38:00.000-07:00

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

2007-10-28T07:42:00.000-07:00

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

2007-10-02T12:57:00.000-07:00

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

2007-09-30T20:48:00.000-07:00

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. . .

2007-09-28T08:07:00.000-07:00

oops.
yes. diet coke explosion.

lesson learned.

a few of my favorite things

2007-09-23T22:00:00.000-07:00

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

2007-09-20T22:02:00.000-07:00

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

2007-09-11T12:10:00.000-07:00

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

2007-09-06T12:15:00.000-07:00

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

2007-08-30T06:35:00.000-07:00

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

2007-08-26T20:38:00.000-07:00

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.

2007-08-24T06:19:00.000-07:00

- 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?!

2007-08-16T19:57:00.000-07:00

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.

2007-08-01T07:53:00.000-07:00

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?

travel size

2007-07-16T07:18:00.000-07:00

I love to travel. i love getting ready for trips, that kind of high-energy exciement the day before, getting everything together and packing. Im a pretty organized person and its no different when i pack. i make stacks of everything, sorting it all. it all has to be folded and in its due place in the suitcase i also have a pretty bad overpacking problem. i am a incredibly indecisive person and so when i pack i feel like i need a TON of options of clothes because i wont know what i will FEEL like wearing that day. make sense? well, im working on that.

But, one of my favorite thing about traveling is TRAVEL SIZED bottles.

they are so handy and fun. target has a really amazing selection of travel sized goods, you should check it out. Alberstons's is lacking a little in that department. But i go a little nuts for my travel sized. We just got a bunch of travel sized products in at the hair salon i work at and i went ahead and bought travel sized conditioner and straightening balm, even though i didnt REALLY need it. but it was way too cute NOT to get.

ALL of this just to say the LA team and i are heading out this afternoon, travel sized goods in hand, to rock cali and learn a million trillion things about life and God.
PLEASE keep us in your prayers, for safety and that we would just encounter Jesus on those streets and we would get a chance to change some lives, including our own.

a 4 letter word for pear variety

2007-07-06T10:47:00.000-07:00

camp was glorious.

deal or no deal went grand. a lucky girl actually won $1,000. um crazy much?

4th was fun.

LA is in 9 days.

whoa, summer is speeding by.

like. . . a racecar?

and if you can tell me the answer to my title line- you get $10, or maybe just a pat on the back.

in a dry and weary land where there is no water. . .

2007-06-22T08:10:00.000-07:00

. . . get submerged?
so, SUBMERGE is coming up realllll soon. in fact the first group of people left this morning. Im heading out Sunday with pathfinders, which is going to be awesome! i get a chance to hang out with some snazzy 6th grade girls for a few days, and then refuge is heading down wedesday and OF COURSE i'll be staying for that too. Im really pumped about camp this year- i know its going to be good. it always is. But what is so amazing to me is to see how much its GROWN.

My first Refuge camp was in 2003 to LA College in Pineville with Jason Upton. That was when i started to become comfortable with church, i think it was the first time i lifted my hands during worship. i begin to understand God on a level seperate from the religion i had been raised in. It was amazing. Camp is such a defining moment in peoples' lives. Who knows where i would be now if my parents hadn't forced me on that bus, my mom made me talk to lauren best, and then they forced me to refuge every wednesday. how crazy is that? And to see how each year the camp has grown bigger and bigger- to the point where this year we have over 1000 kids registered?! WHOA. i love it.

I have to give a shout out to one of my favorite people in the world -->tori. She is amazing and always willing to serve and has helped me SO much with getting things together for Deal or No Deal(more on that post-camp). She hops in my car and runs errands with me, and keeps me in check while placing stickers on lunch boxes. could i ask for a better friend? i think not.

This is for you Tori. . . .

and, yes. she is just THAT popular. dodging paparazzi.

catch ya in a week after my face is rocked off by the Holy Ghost. everybody who's anybody is gonna be there- WAHHHHHH!

itsy bitsy, teeny weeny yellow polka dot. . . burkini?

2007-06-12T13:30:00.000-07:00

thats right. . . a burkini
the opposite of a bikini.

i propose this be the new dress code for all the girls at camp. that way nobody has to worry about all the ladies trying to see how far and how much skin they can show. this is much better than my turtlenecks and blue jeans idea.

it was desgined by a muslim designer to accomidate muslim ladies who want to go swimming, but stick to their dress code. So im guessing its the same material as a bathing suit, of course a lot less clingy, and even covers your head!
how inventive.

the blogging blues

2007-06-12T07:39:00.000-07:00

so life is crazy and i dont blog.

its funny because you think, oh yay! summerrrrrrr, ill have so much more time since im not in school and its all going to be grand. but, that really never happens anymore. instead its, oh summmerrrrrrr! now i get to be 40xs busier. i've been working alot more, enthralled, 6,052 refuge meetings of all sorts spread out here and there, Refuge, getting ready for summer camp (which im going for the whole week, so im excited about that), getting ready for LA which now means prayer @ 6am, AND THENET. the first NET party is this saturday.
Sooooo, its been alot- and will continue to be so until maybe august? haha. no it'll calm down. but i love it. i couldn't ask for better people to serve alongside in Refuge, they pretty much rock my face off.

-Elizabeth is now coming to Submerge?!?!?! i have no idea why she wants to, but i know God is going to do a work. for those of you who don't know- my sister moved with my dad to Wyoming is now she says she doesnt believe in God. hmmmm, yeah right. okay. but shes coming to a in-your-face-slammeddown-with-the-Holy-Ghost Fest like no other by choice. yeah, okay elizabeth. atheist my butt.

- im pumped about LA, too. finances aren't done yet, but its all good in the hood- i know ill get it. the money is due tomorrow and i sent out me letterrrrrssssss. . . yesterday. ahhhhh i know. i wasn't planning on sending any out this year, but i realized i need to, not only because i hadn't raised any money but because not everybody can go physically, but if they are given a chance to give financially, that is their part in missions and its my responsibility to give people that oppurtunity. Plus i read Ezra 1:5 that said some people are called to go and build the temple of God and some are called to stay and support them, to "Their neighbors rallied behind them enthusiastically"
i dont know, i liked it.

well thats incredibly wordy. but thats whats up.
and i can't post a post without a picture so i shall leave you with this-

notable quotable

2007-05-29T09:39:00.000-07:00

"Whatever we do, even if we are reading the Word or praying, we should stop for a few minutes- as often as possible- to praise God from the depths of our heart, to enjoy Him there in secret. Since we believe that God is always with us, no matter what we may be doing, why shouldn't we stop for awhile to adore Him, to praise Him, to petition Him, to offer Him our hearts, and to thank Him?

What could please God more than for us to worship Him in our spirits? These momentary retreats serve to free us from our selfishness, which can only exist in the world. In short, we cannot show our loyalty to God more than by renouncing our worldly selves as much as a thousand times a day to enjoy even a single moment with Him."
- brother Lawrence, The Practice of the Presence of God

deep, dark secret

2007-05-22T09:17:00.001-07:00

if any of you go to refuge, then you probably know the Mom and Pops of Refuge. . .Paula and O.G.. They are awesome, and i think i can easily say we all love them and their contributions to HPC, they are pretty hardcore.

But there is a deep dark secret that Paula has that maybe some don't know about.

something quite funny, really. and you cant help but love her for it.

she might bust a cap on me for revealing this, but Tweez snapped this picture @ Salem's graduation party and i just couldn't help myself.

she always carries a piece of ribbon in her pocket and rubs it together, since she was a wee lass in the good ole days. . .not an old joke.

but there you go. you learn something new everyday!

I AM FINISHED!

2007-05-11T11:57:00.000-07:00

can i tell you how nice it is to realize that i don't have to worry about school until August?!?

i finished my last exam in 10 minutes, just get it done. im so glad to be finished.
my grades aren't as good as i would like, but c'est la vie. i got a couple of Bs, oh well.
im just so happy to be done right now.
ahhhhh-maaaaaayyyy-zzziiinnngggg. needless to say, im pumped. don't get me wrong, i love school and i love learning. but it is definitely time for a much needed break, im pooped.

this summer should be really awesome. L.A., summer camp, workworkworking, the net, beach, hanging out with all my favorite enthralled girls, and all my snazzy friends. oh man its gonna be good.

(this is the picture that came up when i googled summertime. i know when i think summer, i think gnomes. . .right?)

a few pictures. . .

2007-05-08T13:01:00.000-07:00

- we had a little surprise party for mr. ray

-heather and rachel made a really amazing cake. it had a flag for every country jarreds been to

- sarah and heather are really mature

- what a fruitcake

-sarah is a nerd. this is the best picture EVER

-some lovely ladies of entrhalled

- and we like to explode diet coke and mentos

-AND my hair has been chopped. ahhhhh. its so short! a nice change for the summer.

that is all.

let the finals begin!

2007-05-06T19:14:00.000-07:00

tomorrow . . . is the beginning of finals. oh dreaded finals. im not pumped about taking them, but pumped about friday at say, oh 1:30ish when i shall be done with school until august.
can i get a whoop whoop?!

wahhhh

AND im chopping my hair off tomorrow. finalllyyyyyy

yes. its almost summer

pardon me while i vomit

2007-05-04T07:54:00.000-07:00

heres part of an article
i read from the NY Times. its pretty disheartening...
---------------
Abu Ibrahim considers his dead friends the lucky ones.
Four died in Iraq in 2005. Three more died this year, one with an explosives vest and another at the wheel of a bomb-laden truck, according to relatives and community leaders.
Abu Ibrahim, a lanky 24-year-old, was on the same mission when he left this bleak city north of Amman for Iraq last October. But he made it only as far as the border before he was arrested, and is now back home in a world he thought he had left for good — biding his time, he said, for another chance to hurl himself into martyrdom.“I am happy for them but I cry for myself because I couldn’t do it yet,” said Abu Ibrahim, who uses this name as a nom de guerre. "I want to spread the roots of God on this earth and free the land of occupiers. I don’t love anything in this world. What I care about is fighting."
---------------

i DO NOT understand.

little miss laura

2007-05-02T10:18:00.000-07:00

just case'n you were wondering i pretty much really really like this girl. her name is laura. if she had a blog. . . i would put a link here. but, alas. . .she doesnt. so i cannot.

BUT, i like her anyway, and laura-leah lunches, and her amazing heart. plus, shes going to NICARAGUA!

thats all.

kool?!?!?!

2007-04-30T06:46:00.000-07:00

okay, here is a tad bit of a rant, so pardon me.

is there one word that just drives you nuts? and its not the word itself, but the way people spell it. well i have one. and its

"KOOL", or even worse. . . "KEWL".

i dont understand it, i dont see the point. you may ask, "why, leah? why does this bug you so much?" well, i have an answer. Because, first of all when i see this i think of 7th grade girls talking on AIM. its acceptable for them. but once you pass that point in life, its done. over. fin.

to type "kool" and "cool", and even the horrid "kewl", you are hitting the same amount of keys on your keyboard, its not a shortcut. if it were, it might make a little more sense. and sure the 'k' is closer to the 'o' and 'l' keys, but if thats why then that just sad.

i know jp is going to gonna hate on me because im uptight about spelling, but i cant help it. it drives me crazy. if you were to type say. . . idk instead of i dont know. at least that makes sense, its comprehendable because, well ITS SHORTER. forgive me, please if i've offended any "kool" kids, but there must be some out there with me who feel this pain, who are extremely vexed by such silliness?!

if you are a sayer of "kool", please shed some light on me. why, oh why? is there ANY explanation?

and im. . . spent.

you dont say?!

2007-04-25T06:39:00.000-07:00

"The moment the organic unity of belief and behavior is damaged in any way, we are incapable of living out the full humanity for which we were created."
- intro to Ephesians in the Message

welcome to louisiana

2007-04-23T20:18:00.000-07:00

gotta love it.

tomato and mayo?!

2007-04-20T07:06:00.000-07:00

Recently my friends and i have started a new movie night once a week. we've watched flushed away, invisible children, and blood diamond. So, naturally i thought i would suggest a top-notch academy award-winning drama. . .Harriet the Spy.

Now, when i was little i absolutely LOVED this movie. I ate tomato & mayo sandwiches for a long time because of this movie. i got a journal and would lay behind my bushes in my front yard journaling what all my neighbors were doing because of this movie. it INSPIRED me, let me know that grungy 8 year olds can be spies, you dont have to be a highly trained CIA agent. it gave me hope! haha

well, needless to say i got shot DOWN for suggesting this movie. nobody seems to understand my appreciation for great cinema. PLUS, how can you reject a movie that came as an ORANGE vhs tape?!

next up. . . .

maybe i'll have better luck with this one? two guys working in a fast food restaraunt/ saving it. does it get much better? i think not.

yeahyuhhh

blinded by the bling?

2007-04-13T07:56:00.000-07:00

So. right now in Refuge we are in a series called bling. im really pumped about it. In this generation we are so focused on ourselves, materials, and money. We are raised being told that we have to make a certain amount of money, drive a particular car, wear certain clothes, and try to get as far ahead as we can. We make it so much about ourselves. We forget to look at the big picture of life. At the mandate that God called us to. To reach out to those who are hurting, who are oppressed, hungry.

[im not making that up. check it out:
"Is it not to share your food with the hungry
and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter—
when you see the naked, to clothe him,
and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood?"
Isaiah 58:7 ]

AND. . .There are people EVERYWHERE, not just in Africa, Sri Lanka, Peru and third world countries that are oppressed and in pain.

check out Jason's blog. he gets it. im so excited to see our church really step up to the plate with the injustice in our back yard.

so often i get so focused on myself i forget how blessed i am. and the only reason God has blessed me the way He has is to equip me to in turn use those blessings to glorify Him. ouch. i forget that way too much.

So, even though Magic Juan in the picture is really fly, hes really retarded too. the jewlery he's wearing (if its real) could feed 34458430958 people. for real. and his glasses are extremely ugly.

DISplace ME

2007-04-10T06:28:00.000-07:00

Tori sent me an email last night with a this link.

Invisible Children is putting this event on to raise awareness and try to rally up enough support to help foster peace talks and put an end to the devestating war in Uganda.

SO, in order to give people an oppurtunity to raise up, they are hosting a nation-wide event called DISplace ME. for 24 hours people will sleep outside and act as though they are displaced peoples.
New Orleans is one of the host cities, and its on April 28th.

so. . .what i propose is a bunch of us head down there and experience some of the injustice we are seeking to end.

its a chance to stand up and stand out.
possibly change this world. . .

check out the website. let me know what you think?!

mi madre

2007-04-08T10:33:00.000-07:00

i just thought i would let everybody know that i have the most awesome MOM on the planet, shes pretty much incredible.

Just last week she was honored as one of the most distinguished sales people in the big BR, a title which she definitely deserves.
she works so hard at 225, and is such a wonderful mom at the same time. shes my best friend, and i just really love her.
She is such an encouragement to those around her in the workplace, and is really making an impact in this community. plus, shes a huge fruitcake.

so, next time you see her make sure and give her a big congrats.

(hope that wasnt TOO terribly wordy. . . JP)

ningependa kuogelea

2007-04-01T16:09:00.001-07:00

"The next minute the disciples were looking around, rubbing their eyes seeing nothing but Jesus, ONLY Jesus"
-Mark 9:8

almost there. . .

2007-03-29T21:34:00.000-07:00

baada ya kesho, nitakuwa mtu mfurahi.
(after tomorrow i will be a happy person.)

spring break?

mucho excited.

1 more test. another class. then freedom?

YIPPEEEEEE CAY-OOOOO LITTLE DOGGIE

this is why WE'RE hot hot

2007-03-27T18:58:00.001-07:00

we've got the power

2007-03-25T08:45:00.000-07:00

lately my heart has really been breaking for the muslim population in the Middle East. There is such a sense of hopelessness and desperation in that culture and it just seems like so many people have nowhere to turn, and nothign to look forward to in their lives.

alot of my reason for this passion for these people stems from my incesant reading of the NY Times that i am require to read everyday for my Political Science class. Although it can be really really annoying to read it all the time, its also really nice to be aware of whats happening in our world.

But, anywhoooo . . of course there are so many stories about Iraq, Iran, Saudi Arabia, and the whole Middle East right now. there is so much violence and hatred not only against America, but against each other. the level of sectarian fighting is insane. it rips my heart up. But, in prayer on thursday i was just praying and begin to think about these empty people and their Islamic faith, the levels they go to in their faith. What they do in order to "please God". What they have been told is a sign of reverence to God, to the point of death, murder suicide. educated students, married women with children, young people with nowhere to turn. These are the type of people blowing themselves up. I was watching the news today and there was a mother of two children who blew herself up. Just last week militants used 2 children in a car as a decoy and blew the children up. its absolutely stomach-churning.

Militants have cleared out neighborhoods, everybody is a refugee. This one woman, cannot return to her home because the terrorists threaten everybody in the neighborhood with death, and this quote is just so relevant to the what i imagine the feeling of the people to be. . .

“I don’t know what to do now,” she said, desperation in her voice. “I’m just crying and beating myself because I don’t have any plans.”

just crying and beating herself. she doesnt know what to do. ahhhhh, i wish i could go to Iraq and give Umm Maher a huge hug and let her know it will be alright, there is a way out and there will be a light at the en of the tunnel. honestly, if these people could just grasp a hold onto the TRUTH. onto the light of Christ, can you imagine the change that would take place in the Middle East?! i know i seriously doubt this as a possibility, but i cant put a limit on God's potential. He would do it if we were willing.

They cry out to an
empty
powerless
allah
They sacrifice their lives
for their cause

Yet, here we sit
with the authority
of the powerful
and
LIVING God
unmoved
and uncomfortable to stand up.

how much louder should we shout out? To this LOST and literally DYING world that is desperate, reaching out for anything they can grasp hold of. We know the answer, we have the ultimate support. whats holding us back?

who wants to take a little trip over to the good ole' Middle East?!

can you see it?

2007-03-23T06:51:00.000-07:00

On Wednesday at Refuge, Jason talked about proof of God and then gave an altar call to receive either the baptism of the Holy Spirit (tounges), or just a fresh fire from God.

Well it really got me to thinking when he was talking about the power that comes from recieving the Holy Spirit, and its kinda strange that ive just really never though about it before. I actually recieved it at Amplified 2 years ago, and it was a really amazing experience, the strongest ive felt the presence of God. And, what i was thinking about yesterday is that at that point, that is when my life began to really change.

yes, i had been a Christian before, but i was still longing for the things of the world and you know, being a high school girl. at that point, is when the DESIRES of my heart began to evolve and mold into the desires of His heart. I have NEVER associated those two things together. Recieving the Holy Spirit and the true change in my life.

how retarded am I? but its so awesome, because i began to actually SEE differently. i no longer looked at my friends partying and wished i could get drunk with them or desired to be in a relationship. I began to walk down the path less traveled, and just like mr. frost says, it has made all the difference.

but, in my car yesterday when this revelation hit me, i got a kinda cool metaphor. life is like this lovely Magic Eye puzzle. we look at it, and we stare, try to fix our head the right way, look at it long enough and hard enough to see the picture.
But, with the power of the Holy Spirit and God in your life, He reveals the picture that nobody else can see. It wont take years of turning the picture, changing your head, and crossing your eyes to see it. He reveals it in His power.

how awesome is that?! our God really is incredible. he amazes me all the time with His Glory in my life.

so. . .can you see it?!

FREEEEEDOOMMMMMMM

2007-03-21T09:54:00.000-07:00

i really like when the lovely late nite crew comes out to LSU to hand out free gum and spread the word about Saturday nights.

WHY?! you may ask. no, not because my breath is stinky and im in desperate need of a stick of juicy fruit, but because when they yell "free gum!" it sounds a whole lot like "FREEDOM!" and people think they are the crazy Christians.

OR

i dont knowwwww???

a few pictures. . .

2007-03-19T07:10:00.000-07:00

amplified was this weekend, and it was amazing. i need to write about it later. but, here are a few fun pictures from this weekend :D

m<span style="font-weight:bold;">rs. paula working hard!

sarahhhhh

all the girls in our house, group I. they were so awesome

and they really enjoyed dancing to indian music. yeahyuhhhh

four of the girls in our house got baptized saturday night, yeah they are pretty amazing.

heather and I before the outreach

they say today is your birthday. . .

2007-03-16T06:36:00.000-07:00

even though he pretends to hate me, i just would like to wish andrew vallois friedrichs the fourth

a very very very very happpppy 20th birthday

20. whoaaaa, i remember when we were just wee lads, my boy.

i love you buttface, youre my fav.

-leah.

okay, so.

2007-03-10T20:21:00.000-08:00

okay. so i made this blog because all the cool kids i know have one, yet, obviously ive never used it. and im not too sure if anybody will read this, but i know little miss sarah will! yayyyy

so, after much time of contemplating it, ive finally decided to blog. im a sucker for fitting in. and its the hpc way!

yeah so the missions conference was today and definitely made me more confused about life and where to go. i just feel so overwhelmed right now and at the same time sort of spiritually drained from allll the crazy stuff with my family, its like everything is pulling on me and i havent been deliberate enough about turning to God and getting Him to fill me back up and looking to Him as my source of strength. and the sad thing is i know it and i reconize it, and yet i still have trouble doing it. bleh.

but, im pretty much thinking LA Dream Center will be an amazing oppurtunity, a learning oppurtunity and a time to really go and support and learn from the amazing servants over there and some harcore Jesus-style ministry. cause thats what they are about. and we definitely need more of that in Refuge. Im really loving this amazing heart change Refuge is going into. i think its so important for High School students to have a heart to reach out in this community, thats the only way that anything of the INJUSTICE we see in this world around us will ever change.

injustice? JUSTICE?! TORI OHLERKING?!?! ahhh love her, and shes gonna be starting a justice projects life group which is sure to be slamming and im so 100% for. she will seriously do amazing things with that, she has the heart.

another + about LA is that so many people in the church, esp. nowadays, and esp the youth think so glamourously of missions and foreign missions and its just kinda the thing to do. you are a hardcore real christian if you go evangelize africa and india, but its sooo not that way. which sounds hypocritical of me because, well, i want to live all over the world doing foreign missions. BUT, God has been having to show me that it starts here, just like sarah said too. Serving here in our own country is just as, if not more important than serving around the world. i dont know, i think its a really really good thing we are going.

this has been a very long post about one thought, but oh well.

kwaheri rafiki!