Continually.

"Seek the Lord and His strength, seek His face {continually}." 

1 Chronicles 16:11

Continually. For some reason the word continually pops for me in this verse. It could have been written "seek the Lord and His strength, seek his face" but to me the continually that is added says so much. I am by no means a theologian but when I read this I can't help but think read it and think "Continually! Seek his face DESPITE, AMONG, AMIDST; continually." Seek His face through thick and thin.

I do not want to "sugar coat" this blog, I just want to be real. With that said, we are struggling, we are tired, we are weary. I don't know if it's an attack or what this is but we are really having a difficult time. We are trusting God with our future and stepping out into the unknown but it's scary (leaving YWAM Denver) We are also young and just now learning how to live as a family, what is important and what is not. Anyways, combined, it's a lot and we would truly love your prayers. We need your prayers!


Romans 8:24-31 For we were saved in this hope, but hope that is seen is not hope; for why does one still hope for what he sees? But if we hope for what we do not see, we eagerly wait for it with perseverance. Likewise the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. Now He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He makes intercession for the saints according to the will of God. And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose. For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren. Moreover whom He predestined, these He also called; whom He called, these He also justified; and whom He justified, these He also glorified. What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?

Lately, it has been one thing right after another and we are trusting Him in all thing regardless of how it can be so hard sometimes. We don't believe God causes these situations but we believe that He can turn ugly ones into something truly beautiful. He's redemptive like that. :) We are trying to keep positive and make the best of what we have. Perseverance and believe the truth can be so difficult, especially when the times get tough, but we've choosing to do both of these because we've seen the affects of giving up and believing we are alone, we aren't good enough, there must be something wrong with us, etc.

When situations arise, persevere and believe the truth.
When we are hurting and feel alone, persevere and believe the truth.
When we don't understand, persevere and believe truth.
Even if/when some things around us come tumbling down, persevere and believe the truth.

One reason I am writing a blog is to ask for your prayers. On our way home from our Christmas in Ft. Collins, our car broke down.The past few months Ted has put a lot of time and energy and money into our car so this is really, really hard. Please pray that it is not our transmission because if that is the case it will be totaled and we really need our car!

"When life hands you lemons, you make lemon pie."


I need to go but I will write another update soon but here is a sneak peek. We are about to begin another quarter tomorrow actually. Students begin to come in this week. This will be our last quarter and if it's anything like the fall quarter, it's going to be a difficult one. Since we are short on staff, sometimes we get overworked. Meaning, Ted does. This is why I am the one who always writes and lets you know what is going on, not to mention, I LOVE doing this! If you could remember to pray for Ted and strength to get through this next quarter!I wanted to leave on a light note, saying, we are doing great as a family of 3. Chase is quite the amazing little man and brings so much joy into our home. He's truly a blessing and we are so thankful for his bright little spirit. Hope you can all meet him one day!


We are so thankful for you and your loving support!

Legacy.

Two years ago today. Ted and I cannot believe it's already been two years. This is one anniversary that is not anticipated with excitement.  Today we (YWAM Denver community)  honoured their legacy by passing out roses with this little note attached. Ted and I joined a group of staff and headed to the Arvada Police Department to thank them for everything they did for us two years ago. It was actually very, very good for us both.

One thing we have battled each time this date rolls around, is fighting the good memouries with the awful ones. Allowing the fear, the memories, the flashbacks become our main focus of our "December 9th". This year I truly felt in my heart a peace.

{One which surpasses all understanding}

I feel like I have finally laid down the "whys" and that I can remember as they were. I will dwell on the good memories throughout the year and choose to deal with things as they come up throughout the year.

In the moment it is a lot easier to shut down, but in the long run it's detrimental to our ability to move forward. And we remember too, it's not by our strength. We are not alone. He is with us. He surrounds us.

We will never forget this day, but most importantly we will never forget the legacy Phil and Tiffany left behind for it is one that is {unforgettable}!

{We remember.} 

And we are challenged;

"What legacy will we leave behind?"

To dream again.

The word is finally out and about.

If you haven't already heard (or read here) we are leaving YWAM Denver in March, spending one week with my family in Colorado, driving to Alaska and working there for 9 months to make enough money for Ted to do the SOP (School of Photography) in Kona, Hawaii January 2011!

We already have a job lined up for Ted, housing for our little family and Ted's application completed and turned in for the school. We are just awaiting acceptance. Please pray Ted is accepted!

Once Ted and I felt we were to move forward in our dreams, he said to me,

"This is the first time in a while, that I feel like I am able to dream again."

This was bittersweet for me to hear. I am so proud of him persevering through hard times, pressing in and giving his 110% to help fulfill someone else's vision, but now it is his time to pursue what he dreams of.

My heart aches sometimes as I think of my husband and the visionary he is, yet for so long unable to pursue his dreams for our future. I've seen him discouraged many times, and he still is able to keep his head up and still dream. Here we are again at this point where the discouragement comes, but we are pushing forward. We are doing this!

We are moving forward in our dreams for the first time as a couple and now as a family.

It is scary,

walking into the unknown,

leaving loved ones (here)

and everything that we are comfortable with

yet we are more excited than we have been in a while!

We've always known that YWAM Denver was not going to be long term for us, but that doesn't mean this isn't hard. We are very sad to be leaving our family here. We have both grown so much since the time when we first stepped foot in their doors years ago; Ted at 19 and me at 18. Here we are 3-4 years later, with a much greater understanding of who we are in Christ and what He has called us to. (...and now with a family :))

This was a launch pad for our dreams and we are ever so grateful for this place and the people who have invested in us, loved and supported us. It's such a wonderful community and we have been so blessed to be apart of it!

But it is time for us to move on.

We've spent too much time not pursuing our dreams. Mostly because of me, for I am afraid, even now. Only this time I am obeying Him. So, here we go, about to embark on this journey of the unknown, allowing God to lead as we follow. I am so very thankful He is the one leading us and we are not alone.

We are {not} alone.

This past year has been very hard for us. We need to know people believe in us and most of the time we feel like we're without a solid support base (of belief in us). Lately, we've been so thankful for those who have stuck by our side and have encouraged us. We've seen that there are many of you out there that love us and want to see the best for us. We've been so encouraged by you. Thank you!

Are you pursuing the dreams, the calling that He has called you to?

I am asking you, because for far too long, I have held my family back from moving forward.

Out of fear of man and fear itself.

I believe everyone is called to something bigger than themselves and each calling is different than the next. Some may be similar but with each person created in the image of God, yet with their own unique personality, I can't help but think that God has something specific for each individual. Not a general dream, but an exact one for YOU. Pursue that with your whole heart.

Thank you Loved Ones!

Love you all! Be blessed!

The Davis Family

Big Change Ahead.

Our big news;

We are pursuing our heart to raise awareness and capture beauty through photography by first pursuing the School of Photography in Hawaii, January 2011.

As many of you may know, our plans for starting a photography school here in Denver fell through.
So what is next?

Our tentative plans;

We will leave staff here at YWAM Denver after our commitment is up in March. We will take time to say goodbye to friends and my family and then drive, yes drive, to Alaska. We will begin working right away. Ted will take on a full time job, as well as both of us working at his parent's lodge in Seward.

I am hoping to find a job as a barista with flexible hours and/or selling things on Ebay.
And of course, first and foremost, be Chase's momma!

Since, the school will cost us $5,000 for Ted to do the school, we will save money for the SOP (School of Photography) from April until December.

Please pray for us as this is a huge change, but one we truly feel like God is leading us in.
We are going for a dream. We believe we can do this.

October Update.

Happy Fall! I hope you are enjoying this beautiful season!

That is, if you have autumn where you are. :)

I hope this update finds you all doing really well and trusting Him in all things!

The Latest updates!

YWAM Denver:

We began our fall quarter welcoming 100+ students to the base. They are currently running two DTS programs; a Musicians DTS and a Young People's DTS. (My 19-year-old sister is attending the YPDTS and is doing wonderfully!) They are also running a School of Worship, A Phase 2 leadership school, a Video Impact school and a School of Social Justice! Needless to say, the YWAM Denver base is quite packed and busy!

Photo School Proposal:

Two days after Chase was born we found out the 8 week school Ted had applied for in Amsterdam cancelled due to lack of housing, which was a huge disappointment but I believe this tops it off; the school proposal we put in fell through. We are very disappointed but we are moving forward. In the beginning we couldn't help but begin to wonder if this was where we were meant to do this photography school when we shared with everyone and had very little support in it. We still believe God spoke to us and photography is in our future! Please pray for grace, strength and for us to continue to trust that we hear the voice of God and follow where He leads.

On Monday or Tuesday I will write again with more information on our next big step.

____________________________________________

Our Family of three.

Ted:

Ted is a Phase 2 small group leader, as well as leading worship at the base and at our church here, working the graphics department, doing an online college class for photography, doing yard work for money and being a new daddy. He is very, very busy right now and is doing okay. The thing that is uplifting him and keeping him going is his time with God in the mornings and spending time with Chase! Please pray for strength for him!

Jami:

I am running the childcare department, which isn't much but it helps me feel involved. I love it because it still keeps me up to date and in community. I am also being a mommy, doing crafty things at home, learning to cook, journaling and photographing every milestone, blogging, finding great deals one everyday needs and letting other mom's and YWAMers know of them. I am really trying to put my time to good use while at home and I am truly enjoying it more and more! And I absolutely adore being Chase's mommy. He is precious and such a good lil boy.

Together:

We are enjoying being a family of 3. It has been quite a transition but one we wouldn't change for the world! Also, we are praying about the new changes to come in the future. I will update on Monday or Tuesday about the specifics for everything is almost final now.

Chase Journey:

Such a joy and a gift from God! Growing, showing more and more personality, being precious. If you don't already know, I love documenting every milestone and his funny expressions, etc. If you'd like to see photos you can go to jamiandbabybump.blogspot.com for more about him as he grows. His newest "milestone", although early, is teething. The pain has begun, poor buddy!

__________________________________________

Prayer Requests:

• Since the school of photography fell through, we've felt discouraged. We always try and pursue the dreams and vision God lays on our hearts and I feel like they always seem to come crashing down. We are excited to move forward, but we will need a lot of strength and trust in Him.
• Balance in our time as a family and in ministry.
• As we plan for the next BIG step as a family.
• We need support. I am not talking just about financially even though we've lost a lot of support since March, but what we really, really need is people who believe in us, encourage us, challenge us, love us and want to see the best for us. Thank you if you already do so! We appreciate you and we need you more than you could ever know. Thank you!

To be honest, we are on the verge of becoming weary and need your prayers. We love being a family of three and we are finding a lot of joy in spending time together when we can, but we need more than that. We are ready and willing to do what God is calling us to. Getting there has been hard but we desire to follow Him, trust Him and know that His face is shining upon us even when things we think are His path seem to fade away. Please pray for us!

Thank You very much for taking the time to read this!

Be Blessed!!

Ted, Jami & Chase Davis

Jami Has A New Job!

Being Chase's momma... well, and you are now looking at the new Childcare director for YWAM Denver. You may be thinking, "And you are excited about this?". Yes I am!

Why? Because I have always had such a heart and a love for children and now I will be able to plan little fun times for the kids at the base and organize crafty fun things for them to do while at the base! Also, this is such a great way for me to ease back into working while being a first time mom. I will also be working in the communications department on the web as well. I don't know my schedule yet, but I am planning to start working 3 mornings or afternoons a week and then working my way into full days or a half a day each day.

I am excited to get back into the community and being around people. It's so funny I am saying that as an introverted person... but I really am excited!

Being a mom means my days are now so unpredictable, which I love and dislike at the same time (referring to the unpredictability and not motherhood)! This is the biggest responsibility that I have ever had. I was told this before Chase came, but I had no idea the extreme! You don't realize how selfish you can be until you have a baby! I might have to sacrifice working everyday and being apart of the community all of the time, but I have such a beautiful son! He is worth every little and big sacrifice!

I am now rambling.

What about that great man in my life? He is a husband, a father and he is also working as a Phase 2 small group leader and as Project manager and in the graphics department! He is excited and thankful for the upcoming changes!

I will update sometime in October about the school we proposed about. We honestly don't know anything more, but we are hoping to find out some things soon!

A Davis Family Update (Finally).

I think this will be brief because I am writing as Chase is beginning to wake up. Tomorrow is a busy day and that is why I must try and update now. And, it's been a while! I'm sorry!

First, I wanted to share with you about what is going on in our ministry here in Denver and where God is leading us.

As we've shared in the 'Stepping into the unknown Part 1 and 2' (I sent an email a while ago, but you can also read about it on our blog) , we have proposed a school of photography here at YWAM Denver.

How is this coming along? Slowly but surely. It has been excepted as a school but it is looking like the first school running will be more of a communication school with the focus of photography and journalism instead of just a journalism and photography school (more details later).

How exciting huh? Yesterday we had a meeting to talk about the school and how to fit our vision with the corecurriculum to be a communication school, which is what we want. Kind of confusing and brief, but I wanted to update. It is exciting! Please keep praying for us as we begin to put the pieces together.

Also, pray for us in what we should name the school. 6 of us our brainstorming the layout, the name, the values and focuses, teachers, etc. We want to have the desire God has for this school! Please pray that we keep that as our main goal and in our hearts and our minds first!

Ted had found an amazing opportunity to do a school of photography in Amsterdam this October but that ended up falling through. It turns out they didn't have enough housing. We found this out two days after we had Chase and now that we've had the time to think about it, we are totally bummed out but we know that God must have another plan for Ted to get the training that he needs!

Will you join us in praying for a way to get trained?

How are we doing as a family of three? Awesome! We love this little man so much already! It's unbelievable how much love you can have for a little being! Wow! God is so good! He is healthy and beautiful.

(For all of you in the area) We are planning on making a trip up to GSBC soon! In September in fact. Ted leads worship every Sunday at our new church down here and we need to find a replacement for him for one Sunday and then up we come!

A personal prayer request from me (Jami)...

I am struggling to find time with God and time with my son and time with Ted. Time cleaning, eating right, etc. It's a lot! I am mostly asking for prayer in my times with God. Being in YWAM is such a blessing but I am also surrounded by spiritual things 24/7. I am by no means saying this isn't a blessing, for it truly is! I am just struggling now that I am at home most of the time and NOT surrounded by that. I am kind of learning all over again, how to find God in everyday living and the everyday things I do. I kind of feel like I am on outreach overseas! I don't know if I make sense... but please will you pray for me?

Okay, I must run! Love you guys! Thank you for your loving support and prayers!

Jami

Baby Update.

Hey Everyone!

Today is officially our due date!

A lot of people are wondering and asking what is going on, when is our baby coming, is it today, am I being induced...

Well, we had another appointment this morning and our baby is still backed out of my pelvis but is head down, just not engaged. My cervix has been posterior and still is, which basically means it's really high. With the baby's help, it needs to be pushed farther down before we can begin labor.

Our doctor told us today, that if we were to go into labor right now, we would most likely need a cesarean. He told us we need to wait this weekend out and hope that the baby moves back down and begins his/her descent to help everything get ready.

I don't like the options that come with having a cesarean! One is general anethesia, which would put me under and I wouldn't be awake to witness our baby's birth and the moment where they say "its a..." but that would only be if I began with an all natural labor and then had an emergency c-sections. The other option is an epidural which I really do not want, but I would be able to be awake for the delivery, just unable to hold our baby until everything was finished.

Please pray with us that our baby moves down this weekend and everything begins naturally! It's my heart's desire to have an all natural labor and delivery and to have that precious moment when they place the baby on me.

We are hoping and praying for the best! Obviously our greatest desire is our baby's safety and we will do whatever it takes for that.

Please join with us and pray!
Thank you!!!

Love,
Jami & Ted

3 Days Away!

Please pray for us as we could be (hopefully) having our baby this week! Our due date is 3 days away!

We would love your prayers as we're about to become parents! Oh and pray for the birth part, when I think about it too often, I get a little nervous!

Love ya and hopefully soon we will be introducing our baby to you soon!

A Teeny Update (longer one to come)!

Hey Loves,

Two quick things;

We celebrated our 2nd anniversary yesterday. It's hard to believe it's already been 2 years. If you want to read a bit of our story, I posted a condensed version http://suchprettyrain.blogspot.com/

Also, our baby is due to arrive in 14 days or "any day now"! Exciting! Please pray for us as we are about to embark on another journey, becoming new parents!

I will hopefully write an update as soon as Ted and I talk! It's exciting news coming your way!

Love,

Jami

"Detours of a dream".

I've shared below, some of the things God is stirring up in us and leading us in, but we aren't really seeing any movement forward. We are still waiting to hear from leadership here about the school we've proposed and the steps we need to take to get this started and we are even waiting to see if we will be apart of this in any way. It's really difficult to not get worried or not to doubt that we heard God speaking.

During our staff meeting this week, a man came and spoke on the "Detours of a dream". He spoke about how God had given Joseph a dream and how Joseph walked through many trials and detours before this dream was actually fulfilled. It was encouraging to remember this and to see God fulfill His promise. Now, I do not know if we are hitting a detour or just trials, but we definitely need your prayers.

Please pray for Ted and I to continue to seek after God's heart in this dream and pursue what He is asking of us, even if it requires a lot of stepping out.

One last prayer request is for Ted. He has such a desire to work in the communication department and with every new quarter that rolls around he serves faithfully and whole heartily but never yet has been put in the communications department. In fact, if we are not leading an outreach or working a school, he has been in automotive or maintenance the entire time on staff. Somedays I ache so much for him to be where I am, because it's not only his desire, but I know he would make the most out of the time. He would learn so much in video, photography, photoshop, web, etc. And he would help better things here at the base. I know this, because he is my husband and I really want others to see his heart and desire.

The thing about Ted is that he will serve wherever he is put and he does a great job. He is an excellent leader but sometimes his desires and true talents get over looked. Please pray for this opportunity to arise! He would be ecstatic!!

Stepping into the Unknown Part 2.

Stepping into the Unknown Cont'd
(Please read the Part 1 blog below before reading this blog!)

We have had our ups and our downs in the past year, but we can honestly say that God has really grown us. He has shown us even more of who we are when we walk in Him and what walking in Him looks like. It is not a formula and that is exciting, somewhat scary yet extremely intriguing and beautiful.

One more 2008 moment and we will move forward into 2009!

Ted woke one December morning and told me to listen to his dream. Let me just say that the last time he told me to listen to a dream he had, it was in Decemeber of 2007 the night before the shootings at YWAM Denver occurred. He actually woke me to tell me that dream and had me take notes in his journal. I was incredibly morbid and confusing and once the shooting happened, it hit us so suddenly that the dream had to do with that very thing. So I was worried when he told me about another dream he needed to share.

He then went on to tell me he dreamt that we had poineered a photography school here in YWAM Denver. We both took it lightly and continued on with what we felt for our future. Pushing this dream to the back burner and honestly thinking nothing more of it. Well, that was until February 09.

In February Ted headed to New Orleans for a Mardi Gras Outreach with the winter WISE school he was working with. He took our Canon and began documenting the things he saw on the streets. He ran into a man that the team had told him about, a man who prophisied over a few of them. When he prophisied to Ted, he told him that he felt like Ted was coming to a Y in the road and then he said it might have something to do with a camera. He said he saw polariod pictures and he told Ted, like someone flipping through the photos and stopping to realize he saw a photo that caught his eye, then flipped back to it. He said he felt that Ted needed to go back to something that God showed him. Kind of vague and actually I feel like I am leaving some things out. I will ask him and update more specifically later. Ted called me from New Orleans to tell me this and was excited about it, even though we both had no idea where this was going.

When Ted returned we spent time talking, praying and taking notes about what this could mean. We talked about the possibility of heading out in 2010, spending the summer working and with relatives, then moving to South Africa for a 4 month long photo school and heading to Tyler, Tx to do a TESOL, etc. We looked up the cost to live in Thailand and we were floored to think with the amount of support we have now, we would be able to live in Thailand! We kept searching, seeking and dreaming.

And then came our week long staff conference in March. We spent most mornings in worship and I remember clearly this one morning while in worship, God asked me to release my dreams and plans for our future. I was 6 months prego at this point and the thought of releasing our dreams and plans meant that we don't have a plan. This scared me, but after batteling within for a while, I let them go and cried.

That afternoon Peter, the director of our base here, spoke about having a communications school here in Denver. He was saying he stepped out in faith and told the founder of YWAM that our base would be running all four "core courses" by 2010 and we at the time were only running 3 of the 4. Kind of confusing, but I'm trying to condense this blog. Ted turned to me a few minutes later and said, "I feel like we are supposed to propose a school of photography here." Without even hesitating, I agreed. This is not typical for me. You see, Ted is the visionary, the one with the big dreams. At the moment I didn't freak out, but later my mind was trying to understand what this could mean and the logistics of it all. That was when I freaked out!

Ted and I went to a local coffee shop and prayed for a while then felt we were to begin writing a very detailed proposal for this school. Our vision with it came out as soon as we began to write.

You might be wondering, why photography? Was it just because of Ted's dream in December? Isn't this a little too visionary and lofty?

I would normally answer with YES to the final question, but I can honestly say we know this is where God is leading us. Does this mean we know what this might look like, or if we will be leading, or if we will even be running this school here? No! How crazy I must sound. We are really stepping out here and we are trusting God as He leads. I think the most exciting part is the fact the He is leading, not us, not me!

Random bits of information:

*Ted and I feel strongly about raising awareness of what is happening around the world. One way to do this is through media. In the new testament it talks about Jesus seeing the crowds and being moved with compassion. The importance of seeing is actually quite incredible. We would love to travel and document the lives of people around the world through photography, video and journalism and bring awarness into churches, youth groups, highschool, etc. Letting people see and be moved in compassion. Causing people to say, "I want to do something about this".

*Ted is truly gifted. I know I am his wife and a bit bias, but God has gifted him with being able to read something once and remember it almost word for word. In the past year Ted has researched the use of our camera, lighting and exposure, etc. He now has this incredible knowledge. I don't know very much about our camera and he always seems to amaze me and those around us. His photography from New Orleans brought me to tears! Not only does he have the knowlegdge but he also has such a heart for people. Combine our camera with his heart for people and the outcome is phenominal. (I will post some of his photos soon).

*We both love finding beauty in all things. I have a more creative point of view but not the knowledge of the camera and Ted vis versa. We are learning on working together in this and encouraging and challenging each other to grow in areas that we need growth.

*We would aslo like to add a journalism track to the photography school and I am hoping to be involved in this somehow.

We have proposed the school and had our first officially meeting to see if the school would fit into the criteria to run as a communications school and it does. We are still waiting to hear of anything more and can only hope for the best at this point. God's got our back and we are trusting Him. Please pray for us as we are walking into the unknown!

Thank you and we love you!
Any questions? Colourherhope@gmail.com or comment on here. =)

Stepping into the Unknown Part 1.

Ted and I have shared with many of you about where God is leading us and I realize that unless we spoke to you in person, than you are totally unaware of what on earth I am talking about. Hopefully this blog update will fill you in a bit!

I'm going to rewind back to March of 2008 and begin there...

In March of 2008 our commitment with YWAM Denver was up and we had the choice to recommit for another year or move on. We prayed and felt led to recommit and as we did we were asked by leadership to join a leadership team called the Timothy Team. We needed time to pray about this because we knew it was a two year commitment. We spent the next week praying and calling our friends outside of YWAM and our families and asking them to pray as well. God was speaking to us but nothing specific about whether to stay or to go, and He did this all the way up to the "11th hour". The night before our deadline to give our answer, God finally spoke and clearly.

Then the LORD answered me and said:
“ Write the vision and make it plain on tablets, that he may run who reads it.
For the vision is yet for an appointed time; But at the end it will speak, and it will not lie. Though it tarries, wait for it; Because it will surely come, It will not tarry.
Behold the proud, his soul is not upright in him; But the just shall live by his faith. "
Habakuk 2:2-4

When we read this together we knew God was asking us to stay and commit. We also knew that this was a step of faith for us both because our flesh was telling us that two years was a very long time! This is what we felt was right for us, and that He is faithful and would not let our vision tarry! AMEN!

God totally rocked this last year, challenged us in our faith in Him and in trusting Him. He brought us through a valley where everything seemed to be crashing in on us. Almost from the very moment we commited to the Timothy Team our financial support began to drop. Not long after that, a situation arose which had the potential to ruin our names in this ministry, specifically my name. We were shocked speechless, "What was happening?". Both of these situation had us questioning God's intention for us staying on staff another two years. We wondered, "Is this what the next two years will hold?". It was such an intense time of attack.

Our Faithful Father helped us walk through these difficult times in such a miraculous way. Both situations caused us to trust Him and walk by faith rather than by sight. On paper, financially we should just be able to pay our rent and have gas money for our car, but with each month, God always provides us with enough for all of our expenses!! He blesses us beyond what we could ask for!

With the other situation, God challenged us to not get on the defensive side but that in the end He will show our true character and the truth of who we are. This was so hard for me personally because I am very black and white. I've been a victim of injustices before and when something great or small arises now, I want justice and it is extremely hard for me to be merciful. Ted is the opposite. He is usually more merciful and understanding naturally.

With the help of God and Ted I am able to release the desire to see "justice served" and let it go. And that was/is completely freeing for me! I still occasionally struggle with questions of why and I have to deal immediately with unforgiveness when it arises. I spent too many years in unforgiveness for things that happened in my past, that dealing with this was incredibly draining. Causing me to walk back into some of those sickening feelings of bitterness. God's been faithful to us through this all and is slowly but surely healing and mending areas internally. Maybe this is one reason of why these things came about, not that I believe God causes these, but He most definitely creates something beautiful out of something difficult.

He has promised to "restore the years the locusts have eaten" (Joel 2:25) and He is doing what He promised me. Slowly but surely I am seeing this!

This is getting very long, but honestly this is the beginning to where God has been leading us. I'm also a detail kinda girl and writing a small blog update is actually really hard for me =) Please bear with me. I will continue to write the rest on our "Part 2" after my lunch break.

Specific Prayer Requests.

Prayer requests

Working with YWAM Denver:

• Our passion and our purpose. Ted and I are passionate about discipleship, relationships and especially people finding Christ and who they are in Him. We want to keep our center in Jesus and our main focus the very things which He puts on our hearts.
• Remaining broken before God. Living in a christian community is such a blessing. We have realized lately how important it is to maintain our times with God and remaining broken and humble before Him. Not allowing this lifestyle to become habit instead of relationship with God. We need prayer for us to find new meaning and purpose in Him and to not become stagnant.
• Our 'everyday' jobs and our focus. Sometimes the very thing which we are passionate about gets placed on the back burner to the everyday jobs we do around here. We need prayer for our focus and passion to remain as we serve the base. And that we serve with everything in us! Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves; do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others. Philippians 2:1-4
• Opportunity. Ted and I long to head back overseas with a team to disciple. We are hoping to lead an outreach off the fall DTS. Please pray that God makes a way for this to happen. With a new baby (well, 5 month old) the leaders might be more hesitant, which makes sense in the natural. Please pray that they see our hearts and support our desire to take a team overseas.
• Currently. We are dreaming big and going with something that God has spoken to us. We've submitted a new school to the leadership here in Denver and might be running this in the near future. Please pray for us in this and to trust God completely in how this will work out!

Our relationships with others:

• Loving as Christ. I always feel like this is an area in which God is constantly growing Ted and I. Situations arise with every new day and we have a choice to make. Will be love as Christ and view others as He would or will be see people through our own eyes. God is challenging us in our relationships with others and we need prayer to love as Christ. Follow God’s example in everything you do just as much loved child imitates his father. Be full of love for others, following the example of Christ who loved you and gave himself to God as a sacrifice to take away your sins. And God was pleased, for Christ’s love for you was like sweet perfume to him. Ephesians 5: 1-2
• Against Bitterness. I (Jami) struggle with this a lot. I have seen (even in our christian community) many kinds of injustices and I have personally experienced the brunt of a few here. I had a situation that wasn't dealt with in the right way and I am the one left wondering if anything was every made right on their side. It really, really hurts me inside. I do not want to be bitter! I feel like for years I dealt with unforgiveness and bitterness and I don't want to get back into that again! Please pray for me! God has been speaking to me about letting go and not defending myself because in the end He's got my back and He will make my character known, but this too is so hard for me, honestly! Romans 6:4 -We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life.
• Justice and mercy, hand in hand. (This kind of ties together with the above prayer request) A few blogs back I wrote about the struggle that I have with this. I struggle with seeing an injustice and wanting it to be made right that I cannot move forward in being merciful. It's very hard for me. Please pray for me in this. James 3:17-18-The wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere. Peacemakers who sow in peace raise a harvest of righteousness. Colossians 3:12- As God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.
• Friendships. Being "newly" married and with a baby on the way, our friendships sometimes take the back burner. We don't want this! We want to remain in good, deep, godly relationship with our friends. God has really blessed us each with a few deep friendships that challenge, encourage and inspire us to be better people. Please pray for these to continue in an even greater way as we become a family.
• Marriage. Ted and I will be celebrating our 2nd anniversary on June 24 and that is hard to believe. 2 years already?! We are also expecting our first baby and this will make us not only husband and wife, but mommy and daddy. Please pray for us as we make this huge transtition!
• Family. We are about to add a sweet baby to our family! Please pray for us as we enter this new journey. We are so excited but we know that we are about to have the most responsibility of our life!

Supporters and Finances:

• Supporters. Please pray for more supporters to stand with us. In the past year we have lost 4 supporters and recently friends of ours joined in supporting us. God is always providing miraculously and we are always okay, but with a baby on the way we will definitely need people standing beside us!
• Updates. Please pray for Ted and I as we are figuring out how to let everyone know what it is that we are doing here. Please pray for us to affectively share what is happening in our lives. There are SO many things Ted and I have dreamed about doing for supporters, family and friends but financially it is impossible. We began this blog almost 2 years ago now, to let everyone know what we are doing, but we always feel like there is more we want to do. The cost of doing things like printing and mailing newsletters, making a family magnet, or sending mail to supporters is kind of high. We want to be able to bless those who always bless us. If you have any creative ideas, please let us know!

I love and appreciate the fact that I know many of you read our blog (here) or email update (which is the same thing only sent thru email). I also love that you will be praying or thinking about us and each situation that arises. You truly care and we know that! Thank you for writing me emails of encouragement and of what is going on in your life as well. Those messages always mean the world to me!

Thank you for reading this and praying for us. Please let us know how we can be praying for you!

Love,

A Little Distracted but Here We Are!

Oh my, I've been a little distracted lately from updating our blog! My (Jami's) last post was in February! I'm so sorry! I updated our baby blog on a regular basis, but that doesn't explain anything about what Ted and I are up to these days.

You are probably wondering just that. What are we doing this quarter?

Ted:

Ted is running the maintenance department (like he did in the fall) and this time things seem to be running a bit more smooth than before. He is still busy as ever, sometimes even on weekends and with his phone ringing off the hook usually. That part is kind of a bummer, especially right now as we prepare for our baby! But God gives you the grace you need in these situations. Nothing is too hard or impossible to handle when you walk in Him. Ted is also leading worship here and there, which is a blessing! He is passionate about that and always enjoys it. Ted recently started a photography group here at YWAM Denver, which basically anyone with a Digital SLR can come and learn about the camera and lighting and how to take a good photo, etc. This saturday will be our first outing, so that should be fun. We will basically meet once a week with some kind of teaching and everyone can bring things to the table. During that week, we will go out and put everything to practice and each new week we will bring something back to share.

Jami:

Well other than being super prego right now (30 weeks with only 10 weeks to go)... I am currently working in the web department, updating the website and trying to learn graphics as well. I am also receptionist one day a week. At times things can get hectic, but really I am blessed to be able to relax and really enjoy the work I am doing. You would probably never take me as a web kinda girl... but I actually really love it! I get a maternity leave starting in June, but I am feeling really good right now and I will continue to come into work until basically the baby comes. I want to remain in community as much as possible and when you are gone for even a week, here it feels like a month and it sometimes takes a while to get caught up.

Prayer requests:

• Future- God is doing something seriously incredible right now. We will share in more detail, well when He shares with us! It's exciting!
• Relationships- balance between work and our relationship as a married couple soon going to be parents, our friendships and relationships with co workers.
• Finances- we are slowly but surely preparing for our baby but this is one area we are still worried about sometimes! It will no longer be just us and that can be frightening.
• Trusting God with ALL things.

I have really been struggling with loneliness lately. I think most of it is my pregnancy and emotions right now, also with Ted being busy all of the time with little time for us (he tries so hard to make it happen though). I haven't struggled with feeling alone for a long time now so this all makes me wonder what is going on. I even have backed away a bit from the community in my insecurities which haven't been with me for a while. I don't know what is bringing everything back up but I want it to go away and especially before our baby comes. I am writing because this is seriously something I want prayer for.

I know you all care and will be praying and that means the world to me.

We love you all and appreciate your prayers and love to us!

Jami, Ted and Baby E/C

p.s. for everyone who lives close by... we are having a Share Dish at my parents new home in Timnath on May 17th at 5 PM. Ted and I will be sharing some exciting possibilities for our future and we can all fellowship and eat some good food too! Come by! RSVP to Jami @ Colourherhope@gmail.com

Mardi Gras Reflections

Hello Everyone sorry it has been so long since our last post! I wanted to write up a though I had on my trip to Mardi Gras. (Ted)

The streets of New Orleans were just as everyone described; Rich architecture, Good food, and Beautiful music. As I wandered around I found myself people watching. Not the tourist who come to drink the nights away in a crowded street with chaotic music bumping away. but of the locals who call this unique place home.

There was this man who was set up on a bench. He had a cheap little amp and a fairly cheap classical guitar. You could here him playing at the back part of Jackson Square in front of the church. As I walked up to spectate his show I found myself some what lost in the music. He played many well known Classical hits, but he played them with a conviction that was mesmerizing. It seemed as though the music brought stimulation to all 5 senses. 

After a time he put the guitar down. Grabbed for a bottle of whiskey and drank. I was shocked to find that he was drunk. I felt sad as i realized how I had forgotten that humanity has the finger print of God on it. This man was not a shallow drunken hobo with no soul, No he was a human who has an understanding that there is beauty. Now I don't know What he believes, but I do know that he was expressing something beautiful to the world. I believe that God is Beautiful, and as we show beautiful things we bring a greater understanding to the Beauty that he is. Just as we love one another we bring greater understanding of how He is Love.

I wonder how many times do I keep the beautiful things that I see inside.......When there is a hurting world that desires to see beauty, because it brings hope. I want to express the beauty inside of me because I want to express God. 

Let's take time to express the beauty we see around us! 

Las Vegas. Mardi Gras.

It's hard to believe we are now entering week 6 of this quarter! Time is flying, and soon the Boarders DTS students will be on their way to one of three locations; Panama, Thailand (!), and Mexico. The WISE school will be graduating in 6 weeks, and either heading home, staying here for another school, or heading on outreach with the DTS (which is an option).

I'm writing to share some of the exciting things coming up. In fact, the next few weeks will be crammed! Ted was asked a few months back, to teach in the YWAM Las Vegas DTS on Grace. Ted is super excited about this opportunity to teach on this, for God has really given Him a lot of revelation about Identity, who we are in Christ, and Grace! They also decided to bless us with a ticket for Ted AND a ticket for me to fly out as well! So, Saturday (Valentines Day) Ted and I are flying out to Las Vegas until Tuesday evening. Ted will only be teaching two days due to the fact that he will be leaving for a WISE school outreach to Mardi Gras that Wednesday (Feb. 18).

Ted and the entire WISE school & staff will be heading to Mardi Gras February 18 - February 26. Originally they told me that I would have to take vacation time to travel with them, so Ted and I were super bummed that I would have to stay back. My vacation times are very limited, in fact after the trip to Las Vegas I will only have 1! 

After finding out I could not go to Mardi Gras, a family here on staff which some of you may know from our wedding, the Murphy Fam, asked me to watch their three oldest Isaac 6, Jada 4, and Emily 2 for about a week! I LOVE these kids a whole lot, and that brightened that week for me, seeing originally I would have been alone. My mom will be coming for a few days to spend with the kids and I as well, which is a blessing too because I will still need to work on my intercession and website jobs throughout the week.

I actually found out a few weeks ago, that I could go to Mardi Gras and help run the food side of things, but I declined because I already made a commitment to the Murphy's, not only that but I had already prepared myself for not going, and was looking forward to the time with the Murphy Kids. Plus, being prego and traveling hours in a van with 14 other people, then getting to Mardi Gras and being mixed in with all of the smells... too much I would think!

Anyways, please remember to pray for the Ted's teaching in Las Vegas, for Ted and the WISE school as they head out to show the love of God among Mardi Gras, and for me as I become somewhat of a "mom" for a week-ish! P.S. I don't have to take vacation time to watch the Murphy kids because John & Bethany are traveling to Hawaii for a YWAM conference with the directors of our base. Another blessing! 

Heavenly Father.

A song I love and wanted to share

By Jon Foreman (switchfoot's lead singer)

'Your Love Is Strong'

"Heavenly Father, You always amaze me,

Let your kingdom come in my world and in my life.

Give me the food I need, to live through today,

Forgive me as I forgive, people that wrong me.

Lead me far from temptation,

Deliver me from the evil one.

I look out the window,

The birds are composing,

Not a note is out of tune, or out of place.

I walk to the meadow, and stare at the flowers,

Better dressed than any girl on her wedding day.

So why should I worry?

Why do I freak out? 

God knows what I need

You know what I need.

Your love is, Your love is, 

Your love is strong.

The kingdom of the heavens, is now advancing,

Invade my heart, 

Invade this broken town.

The kingdom of the heavens, is buried treasure,

Would you sell yourself,

To buy the one you've found.

Two things You've told me,

That You are strong,

And You love me,

Yes, You love me.

Your love is, Your love is,

 Your love is strong.

Our God in heaven, Hallowed be Thy name,

Above all names, 

Your kingdom come, Your will be done,

On earth as it is in heaven,

Give us today, our daily bread,

Forgive us weary sinners,

Keep us far from our vices,

And deliver us from these prisons."

Do Justly, Love mercy.

"He has shown you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you. But to do justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with our God..." Micah 6:8

This past Sunday God really spoke to me through this verse, showing me in the most loving way, how often I get caught up on the justice, that I rarely make it to mercy, or even walking humbly with our God.

I know the areas in which I excel in and am gifted in are also my areas of my greatest weakness. I love justice, and am lacking in the area of mercy. You see, if I see something wrong or unjust, I want to see it made right. I want justice, and usually I want it now. I get stuck so much on the justice side of things, that I grow uptight and ultimately merciless.

Synonyms of mercy: compassion, clemency, kindness, understanding, grace, forgiveness...

Antonym: cruelty (yikes!) 

I began this week with every intention of loving mercy, and unfortunetly it is harder for me to break this habit. Please pray for me to truly love mercy. To show grace, understanding, and to forgive! I really want to move forward in this, with my whole heart. I need your prayers. 

Prayer Request.

Just a quick prayer request: my (Jami's) health

Now that we are having a baby, we worry a lot more about my health when I catch something. It is almost impossible for me to not catch the community sickness, whatever it may be.  (I have a terrible immune system)! 

Anyways, living in the mountains with almost 100 other people, is frightening to me. I try to stay away from people who are hacking or have a cold, but it seems I've come down with one anyways. 

I either have a cold with a terribly runny nose and a headache and earache along with that. I don't know if it is the common cold or a sinus infection. Can you please pray for me!

Please pray that I heal up VERY quickly and that the baby will be okay throughout this entire quarter, regardless of what I may catch! I feel miserable, and don't want my baby to feel the same. I know you would all pray for us if I wrote, so thank you!

Love, Jami & baby

New Heights.

I apologize for being so late in updating! Hopefully now that our quarter is beginning to settle I will update more frequently.

I've received emails asking "What are you guys doing this quarter" or "How is the pregnancy" or "Have the students arrived"... well, I'm here to answer all of the questions. Hopefully if my pregnancy brain allows me to remember every detail. 

5 outreach teams left from Arvada on Christmas eve; Colombia, Argentina, Mexico, San Fransisco-Tokyo, & Mobile team (secondary students traveling the U.S.). They will return for debriefing February 9th. 

The new students arrived January 5 full of excitement & anticipation for what was ahead; for most of them, that meant the unknown. 41 students arrived for our Boarders DTS (snowboarding discipleship training school), and 13 students arrived for our W.I.S.E. school (worship spiritual warfare & evangelism). 

Boarders DTS: 

For more information on what a Boarders DTS exactly is: (www.ywamdenver.org/boarders_dts.htm)

I personally really enjoy this group of students already. This DTS is unlike any of the other DTS's we run throughout the year. 

The boarders are usually young & like a culture of their own. Ted grew up skating and snowboarding & I tried my hand in both, walked away with some scars from skateboarding & planning on improving my snowboarding by a lot. Despite the fact that we aren't pros, we both LOVE the culture. The students are brave, raw, courageous, and searching for adventure; whether is be good or bad. I really enjoy watching the growth already. Some may walk in with a tough facade masking private despair. The redemption is this school is phenomenal. 

W.I.S.E. School:

For more information on what the W.I.S.E. school exactly is: (www.ywamdenver.org/wise.htm)

For the first time in YWAM Denver history W.I.S.E. school is living up at our mountain campus called Eagle Rock. It has been great watching the two schools interact. This group of WISE student's is very diverse & enjoyable! 

What this quarter looks like for Ted: 

Ted is actually working as a small group leader of 3 WISE students & already enjoying sitting in class for each teaching & spending time with his guys. He will be heading out Feb. 18 - 27th for Mardi Gras outreach with the WISE school. Please be praying ahead for good weather & a great outreach! Ted is also leading worship up here.

What this quarter looks like for me: 

I am not working a school, because I am pregnant. At first I was disappointed, but now I see it is for the best. I need to rest a lot more than I ever have in my life, and having a small group would have been crazy. So... I am still working in the web department and loving it. I updated the YWAM Denver site (ywamdenver.org) and I am working in photoshop cs3 & dreamweaver trying to learn as much as possible about creating a website & graphic design. 

I am also working as the Intercession coordinator with one other girl on staff. We have the awesome opportunity to intercede & ask God what He wants our base to be praying for each Wednesday & Friday morning. We are trying to be creative & catch the heart of each student/staff, challenging them to step out in creativity & prayer. I've enjoyed the creative side of both of my jobs this quarter. It is fulfilling!

And... I am pregnant, which I feel is a job in and of itself; just wait 'til baby comes! I am reading material on pregnancy, eating, exercise, the baby in the womb &  outside. It's been awesome & eye opening. I am also trying to move forward in maturity & quite making life all about me. With a baby that will be close to impossible, why not learn now!

Oh, and we have temporarily moved to our mountain campus for the next three months, along with all of the transition ahead. Hence: new heights. 

Thanks for reading this novel. ;)

Love, 

Jami