Pistachios and a Milk shake

I never seem to know what i am going to write about until my fingers get used to the keys and then the words begin to flow. We are back, and right now i am happy that i am not in Minneapolis. The weather here has been simply amazing. I can hardly believe it is January. Today it was 63 degrees. Ok now that i have turned into an old person by talking about the weather i should tell you i turned 25 yesterday. 25, my pastor likes to say now you are a quarter of a century old. That sure seems old, but i have always liked getting older. Will see if i say that when i am 40.

I had a good birthday, wish i could have been with all my friends and family from back home. I did though get to celebrate with great friends from Pine Ridge. One of my friends said 'hey just think next year you will be celebrating with a 7 month old.' Wow that will be a world of difference. Speaking of children, Jake and i get to find out what we are having on the 12th of February. Start your bets! I have no clue what we are having, it will be a surprise. I seem to have moments of forgetting i am even having a child, then i have moments of holy cow i am having a baby. Both are good and a little strange. I can not wait till all of our friends start having babies. That should be crazy.

Anyways, things are good, not easy but good. There are days that i want to go home, then i have days where i can't even imagine being back. Oh the good and the bad. Thanks again everyone for supporting us out here, we need you! Hope all is well and feel free to give us a call!

Well here i am again.

December 28th 2008,

I can hardly believe that it is almost 2009. I feel as if we should having flying cars and transporters like the Jettson's had. Oh we are so far away from those things. Perhaps my child will get to fly a car around. I can only dream right? I have a slight feeling this blog will be full of random thoughts, feelings and sprinkled with passion.
So let me begin...

I am so happy to be home! I have loved every minute of it! Wait let me take that back, I have not loved the moments when i feel my stomach approaching my mouth. Other than those times, this has been simply wonderful. I love spending time with my family and my inspiring friends. I am so blessed to have good friends! Random thought coming... And i am so thankful for food!

I was recently shown a friends blog and he spoke about the desire, the thirst for deep invigorating conversation. I couldn't agree more Kevin. I have always had that feeling. I know our friends can go deeper and when it happens my soul feels a slight renewal. Right now I am sitting at Panera bread thinking about so many things. Talking with my husband about Adam and Eve, good and evil, and being revolutionary. Jake right now is reading a book that helped inspire me to be set apart, and to see the world as Christ sees it. The Irresistible Revolution, by shane claiborne. Here is one thought from the book that is hard to digest.

"There is no doubt that we must mourn those lives lost on September 11th. We must mourn the lives of the soldiers. But with the same passion and outrage, we must mourn the lives of every Iraqi who is lost. They are just as precious, no more, no less. In our rebirth, every life lost in Iraq is just as tragic as a life lost in New York or D.C. And the lives of the thirty thousand children who die of starvation each day is like six September 11ths every single day, a silent tsunami that happens every week."



Wow! I know most may disagree with me but i see no need for retaliation. I do not see how redemptive violence brings peace to anyone. How is there such a thing as a "just war"? When is is OK for us to take up the High Throne and be the judge of those around us. I believe that is in the hands of God. We are to mourn with those who are mourning! And as Americans we are not the only ones mourning. Although we tend to instigate reasons of mourning for others.
We are ALL created in the image of God. You and I, the children in Africa and the mother and fathers in Iraq. We bare the image of Christ.


This blog has been a spewing of my thought and feelings. I am overwhelmed and its time to hand the computer to my husband. I hope there can be many conversation in the future about the love of Christ.

Oh the good news...

Who would have thought that I would be having a baby, and the first one of our Minnesota friends at that. I was sure it would have been Hope and Zach and then a FEW years later perhaps Jake and I. Oh how God works.

At first i could not believe it. Even though deep inside i new it was true. I am not angry or frustrated, I am content. I have always been a firm believer that everything happens for a reason and so did this. I am going to be a mother... (please with hold from laughing. I say that to myself as well.) This will be the biggest learning experience of my life. I am excited for all the moments we will have with our child.

The good, bad and ugly!

We are excited to share in this experience with you all. Keep us in your prayers and be ready to babysit... just kidding!

We miss you all and can not wait to have some face to face conversations!

a look into my life...

Here I am again. Sitting in my little home in #4 and wondering 'what the heck should i write about.' so many times i desire to write something amazing, but I am not an author nor an amazing poet I am simply me.
Things here are going amazing. I have been a little under the weather the past few weeks, but finally I feel like my old self again... Kind of!
the life i live here in Pine Ridge is a much slower, relaxed life. More time to ponder life's biggest question. Time to wonder why am I here. Time to wonder, who will i become.
One quote i enjoy is...

"Perhaps the questions shouldn't be 'what will i do with my life?' but 'who are you going to become?'"






There are so many good days here. Don't get me wrong, life is not perfect! Daily i struggle with home sickness. So much of me wants to go back to the life i am used to. Knowing fare well that i would sit most of my days in discontent with where my life is. I do not want to fit it, to blend in, to just be another. I want to live a life that is different, to speak truth and to have LOVE spill from my soul. I am here to be refined.




"Are you not much more valuable then they? Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?"





There are so many beautiful moments in life, and when i worry about the next i pass so many moments by. I will never know all the moments i have missed, but my soul longs for the beautiful moments in life. Not the easy or selfish but the truly beautiful in Gods eyes, those are the moments i what to be around for.





My randomness is starting to bother me. My thoughts are all over the place and all i can do it take a moment and breath and enjoy this beautiful moment!

before there was snow...

Well winter has arrived here on the Reservation. The beautiful landscape has been covered with even more beautiful blanket of snow. I could hardly believe how large the snow flakes were. When i awoke the next morning it felt as if I had been moved to another place. Now the dirt and nastiness of winter have set in. Mud, sand, brown dirty snow is all the eye can see. I wait for the next snow fall to once again cleanse this land.

In other news... Things here are still going wonderfully. There are times when we feel cabin fever set in. There is not much to do around here. filling our time with positive thing are very important. Jake as even taken up painting. (Thanks to my friend Michelle back home) i also created one masterpiece, a buffalo. I believe i did ok. If anyone is interested in buying the art work just let me know. :)

I thought i would post a few photos as well. the first one is of our staff, we went to Rapid City and stumbled upon the most beautiful terrain. the next is of the most amazing tree captured right as the sun was setting. and the third is my lovely (not always thinking) husband. on both sides of him it was a extreme drop off. HE IS CRAZY!

Its almost November 4th!

Many days i spend contemplating who i should vote for. Growing up in a Christian home, going to a Christian high school and college it seems i should vote Republican. We all know its our 'Christian duty to vote'. 'Its our God given right' at that.
It seems though my life has begun to take a different path. I no longer feel obligated to stand on one side. Of course i have my ideals of what i think we should do, but lets just say I no more than anyone else have the best solution.
I question how i can vote on an issue that i do nothing about in my daily life. When i am willing to take in a child whose mother feels that they have no other way. Our to open my home for those who are not excepted by those around them. When i can love without question, then i will begin to decide what issues matter to me.

I know that i desire to live the life God intended me to live. To love those He loves. To become an example that points only to Christ. How can i say that i put my trust solely in Christ, but vote for one that is not Him. I am putting my faith in that person to change our lives. Faith in my God will lead me to change the things around me that must be changed. We are all human! We will fail. Our president will fail! My God will never leave me nor forsake me. His promises are that which no man can make. He calls us to be SET APART as a Believer. Today we have decided that we must be within, to look the same, to follow those around us. How are we set apart. Perhaps by the negative things we have done and are doing. Perhaps by not loving those who Christ called us to love!

Matthew 25:35-40 (New International Version)

35"For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, 36I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.'

37"Then the righteous will answer him, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? 38When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? 39When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?'

40"The King will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.'


In my life i am only beginning to learn. Many will tell me its just my young age that has made me think this way. I tell them this: I believe these things because Christ is in me!

old faithful...

Our morning started out like any other.. No that is a lie. First of all we woke up before 10am, 7:40am to be truthful. Alissa and I were starting our first day of work at Wounded Knee school district. Alissa works in the first grade room and I work with the lovely Kindergarten.

We woke up packed our lunch and then the choice... What van do we take? I picked up the keys to the brown bulky conversion van, thought twice and set them down. I wanted to take the newer sleeker blue van. I grabbed the keys and we rushed out the door. We made a quick stop for some morning coffee. I need some caffeine do to the fact that we were awake so EARLY.

We started our drive, the whole 40 miles to the school. Just as we arrived to wounded knee, my pal Alissa leaned over...

"Did you feel that?

"um nope i sure didn't. What did you hit a dog Alissa?" (a common occurrence here on the Rez)

"oh no lizzie, WHAT DOES THAT LIGHT MEAN?"

(the check engine light flashing)

"Ahh, well i have no idea. I will look it up." (after a few moments i began to read the warning out loud.)

"When Check engine light flashes, there is a misfire and can result in exhaust entering the car and further damage can happen by your car irrupting in flames." (i for some reason could NOT stop laughing)

"Lizzie Its not funny, we could start on fire!"

( we decided to pull the car(van) over in the middle of no where. We couldn't get cell phone reception so we decided to make one more move and drive up onto wounded knee hill, you know where the massacre happened. Hopefully we could get reception. WE DID.)

(Jake arrived told us some things and drove us to the school. We were sure that the car had been fixed but on our ride home from Henry, a community member. He saw our van on the hill and said...

"You better move that van. People here are nervy. when you come tomorrow. you might only have a frame left."

"oh dear!" ( we towed to the van later and it is now being looked at by a wonderful man named Ata.

Praise God we didn't start on FIRE