Starfield Concert

"Let me not be blind with privilege
Give me eyes to see the pain
Let the blessing You've poured out on me
Not be spent on me in vain
Let this life be used for change"

I will go - Starfield

Last weekend (10/22) we took a trip as a youth group to see the band Starfield. They are a christian band from Canada, and they play wonderful music, with lyrics that hit home. They took the stage at Fair Oaks Presbyterian Church in Fair Oaks, CA for a concert unlike one I've been to before.

About halfway through the concert the lead singer, Tim Neufeld, had the lights turned off and and played acoustic worship with us. It was amazing. He played songs that most of us were familiar with so we could sing along, and he shared his heart. It was different for them as well, they were able to switch up the set list and was a much needed break.

Later during the show they took advantage of the intermission and informed us about the opportunity we have to sponsor a child through Compassion. He and his family sponsor 3 children and encourage families, though they might not be able to sponsor 3, there's many ways to be a part of what Compassion is doing. (sponsor 1 child for $38 a month)

The finale was HOT! The second to last song we broke the mold, ran down and stood right in front of the stage. Jumping up and down, praising God with everything we had, yelling, "I will go, Lord send me!" ... it got hot fast! And before I knew it I turned around and there were five more people behind me. Then there were 30!!!


For their encore they came out and played The Saving One..

Website: click here
Facebook: click here
Youtube: click here
Twitter: @starfieldband

Jesus Calling

Do Not Resist or Run
from the difficulties in your life. These problems are not random mistakes; they are hand-tailored blessings designed for your benefit and growth. Embrace all the circumstances that I allow in your life, trusting Me to bring good out of them. View problems as opportunities to rely more fully on Me. 

When you start to feel stressed, let those feelings alert you to your need for Me. Thus, your needs become doorways to deep dependence on Me and increasing intimacy between us. 

Although self-sufficiency is acclaimed in the world, reliance on Me produces abundant living in My kingdom. Thank Me for the difficulties in your life, since they provide protection from the idolatry of self-reliance.
John 15:5, 2 Corinthians 1:8-9, Ephesians 5:20


Written by Sara Young
[from the book "Jesus Calling"]

Pumpkin Spice Bread Is Amazing

With it beginning to feel more and more like fall in Northern California, I decided I should start baking like so.

With it becoming closer and closer to Halloween, I can't help but think of pumpkins.

So what better thing to bake than pumpkin spice bread. It's not a recipe that I went searching high and low for. Simply the one on the back of my Pamela's Baking Mix bag, a gluten free version of Bisquick. However don't let that deceive you, because this pumpkin bread is delicious!
Check it out!

Ingredients 
4 tablespoons butter, melted
1/2 cup sugar
2 large eggs
1 cup of canned pumpkin
1-1/3 cups Pamela's Baking & Pancake Mix
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon 1/2 teaspoon ginger
1/4 teaspoon cloves

Topping (optional):
2 tablespoons butter, melted
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup of nuts (sliced almonds, walnuts, pecans)


Directions
Preheat the oven to 350° 

Beat together butter, sugar, egg, and pumpkin

Even though I don't love the smell of pumpkin, this still looks good! 

Add remaining bread ingredients and mix together

Adding the dry ingredients - I added an extra 1/4 tsp cloves

Pour into a greased loaf pan (8x4). Mix nut topping ingredients and smooth evenly over batter to the edges.

Bake in the oven for 50 to 60 minutes, or when toothpick inserted comes out almost clean.

Mmm - even though I skipped the nuts, I must say it's amazing! 

We're Calling Out For All Hot Chocolate Recipes

I've never "made" my own hot chocolate mix before. I mean, I used to when I was little, with powdered creamers, I'd mix all of my favorite pre-made hot chocolate mixes, like Ovaltine, Nestle, Swiss Miss.. .etc but I've never made my own before.

So I decided I should go to my favorite recipe site allrecipes.com and find one to try out, then eventually make tweaks, so it's suits my taste buds.

Of course it didn't stop there, I got side tracked and found what looks to be a great recipe for Hot Chocolate Jars, to give out for Christmas, or what will soon be our Holiday Season =]

My question to you is, what's you're favorite recipe, or brand, when you think of a steaming mug of hot chocolate on a hay ride, what does it taste like for you?

Please comment below so I can get some ideas. Thank you!

She Asked For A Blog - And She's Got One

Sarah is nothing close to an "average" high school girl. She's tall, blonde hair, has greenish blue eyes but that doesn't even begin to describe her. She's a killer volleyball player, driven, and loves Jesus.

I've grown to know and love this girl that I'm able to call my friend, and her humor fascinates me. She's always making people laugh, and isn't one to have self doubt or insecurities.

Some Sarah Fun Facts
Favorite Food: Potatoes
Favorite time of the year: Fall (because her birthday falls during this season)
Most inspirational person: My cat Kelly
Would most like to accomplish: Living life to the fullest
What are you most serious about: My Mom
Why do you want to go to Panama: To help Canadians (apparently they are lost)

Like I said, her humor is quite unique and hilarious.

Being a high school girl and having such a relaxed view point is so refreshing.

My professor once told my class,

Don't miss the forest for the tree and

Don't miss the symphony for the cord/soloist

I have no worries that this girl will be able to see the whole picture 

and enjoy every individual part of life at the same time.

I'm Going To Haiti And I Need Your Help

Dear Friends and Family,

As many of you know, this will be my 4th trip to Jacmel, Haiti. I will be there January 27-February 4, 2012, and I can’t wait! I work with an orphanage called, The Hands and Feet Project, we have about 70 children now, and 3 project sites, in Jacmel (where I will be), Grand Guave, and Port Au Prince. We take children in who’ve been abused, orphaned, or their families have no means of taking care of them. This way they get to go to school, have 3 meals a day, and a huge family that loves them dearly.

Some people would ask, how much of a difference I really make in the lives of these beautiful children in just one week, obviously construction gets done, painting gets done, but one week in a child’s life?

That one week, out of the 52 in a year, might not seem like much, but by going back each year, I am a part of this family. 

They remember my name. When I get out of the van after the 3 hour/40mile drive from the airport, they run to me, arms wide open, saying “Bwitney, Bwitney! Mwen sonje ki jon yo konte a dis nan Spanish!!!” (I remember how to count to ten in Spanish!) Which I taught them the previous year!!! Even I had forgotten about that! This year when I was there I lost my voice. Every. Single. Night. I sang the Hannah Montana song (that has a hip hop dance to go along with it) every single afternoon for hours. I taught them the dance, and they loved it, they’ve never seen anything like this except in American movies, and now they got to learn it!  

I’m now a green belt in Karate (white, yellow, blue, green, purple, brown, black) and the boys there are learning karate from the guy who’s been teaching me.  He’s interning there (which I would like to eventually do) and teaching karate, but the girls don’t really want to try, they feel it’s a boy sport…. Well guess what! I’m a girl, they know me, and I’ve been doing it for a year now! I just can’t wait to be there, and continue loving on them; being a part of their lives.

However, I cannot do this alone. I need an abundance of prayer. Walking down the streets and seeing a 2 year old who’s hair is turning orange because of malnutrition, touching the burn marks on a girls arms and legs knowing she’s been abused, holding a baby who’s been life threateningly sick 7 times because his parents won’t give him clean, boiled water, and not knowing if he will live when I leave… they weigh heavy on my heart and spirit, and are extremely frustrating at times…  Prayer is necessity. 

Financially I need support too. I have been blessed for God to lead me to this beautiful country and give me a heart for the people, but I need support financially. 

This year it will cost $1750/person to go (payments starting this month until we leave in January) that goes to plane tickets to Florida and Haiti, and back. It pays for our food while we’re there, the supplies we’ll need to buy, ex: in order to build more bunk beds for more kids, or paint so they can have a feeling of ownership in the room they share with 8 other kids, and other projects the orphanage has planned and needs us to do. (Last year we made the cabinets/ counters for their kitchen that now feeds 67 children!!)

If you are able to contribute financially, please email me via alittlebirdietoldmetoo@gmail.com, or comment below.

Please, above all else, keep me and my team in your prayers as we prepare our hearts to return to this place we love so dearly. 

There's A Cat In My Room

Today, I came home from filling out more applications around town, to a carrier on the floor in my living room. I didn't know what it was, or what it was for, so I just walked around it and to the couch to sort out the mail. My mother walks in and tells me she needs a cat. Our cat Chili has gotten old and isn't keeping up with her job as a mouser around the "ranch". Excitedly I asked if I could pick one out, she said no, she'd already gotten one. It was in the carrier.

She is 6 months old, fixed, litter box trained, and not very energetic, which I LOVE, as I'm not a fan of the kitten stage...

She will be staying upstairs with me until she's old enough to be an outside cat around spring time. She knows what "no" means, and we've trained our other cats with a squirt bottle combined with making the sound with in mouths so they responds equally to both. So keeping her off the furniture and clawing furniture (she does have a cat post) shouldn't be a problem. #grateful

So besides not finding a name for her yet (thinking possibly Madi, which means Tuesday in Creole), what else should I know about having a kitten/cat living with me? Like I said, we have others, but last time we had a kitten was about 16-18 years ago... so it's been a while.

Would love some input, feel free to comment below =]

It's Time For Tea

Tea: Any of various infusions prepared from the leaves, flowers,etc., of other plants, and used as beverages or medicines.


With the beautiful rain clouds rolling in, the idea came to me, it's finally time for tea! With the wide selection, from green tea, to homemade tea, I've had some that were, well, not my cup of tea! Hilarious I know =] One however has completely turned my head to my perspective on fall, on winter, on the hot drinks we love to drink when we can see our breath. That tea is, Good Earth Tea.

It was Sophomore year in high school I believe, a very cold day, and my friend Hannah came into class and sat next to me. In hopes that she had hot chocolate or coffee in that beautiful steaming thermos, I asked for some of what she was drinking, she said yes and passed it my way. Upon taking it, she told me it was tea, so I quickly gave it back to her. She wouldn't take it, she insisted I try some, that it would be the best tea I've ever tasted. Though I tried to decline, she wouldn't take no for an answer, I couldn't believe how good it was. I've never tasted a tea so wonderful.

It's been my go to tea ever since. It's a "Sweet and Spicy Herbal Tea" and all Organic
The following are the all organic ingredients

Red Rooibos, Spice Blend, Chircory Rood, Rosehips, Honeybush, Natural Flavor, Lemongrass, Peppermint, Chamomile, Orange Oil, Orange Peel

I strongly urge you to try this fall/winter favorite, and to make it even more enticing, click here to get a coupon. I have mine with milk and honey, but this tea needs no help in being delicious. 

There's A Castle With Dreams - A Disneyland Adventure

The other day I went to Disneyland. Upon arrival, the woman working at the Disney Store in Downtown Disney was surprised with my cheery hello, and a woman with me, Christine, explained that it was my first time, and I was just short of excited... It was here that I got my first Disney souvenir, a "1st visit" pin =] Which I happily wore on my shirt.

I couldn't believe how happy I was just looking at the castle. That really is all I needed to do to be happy. However the most spectacular thing we did that day was go and see World Of Color at California Adventure. It was spectacular. I knew I wanted to see it, and I knew I would love seeing a light/water show of my favorite movies, but I wasn't expecting it to take my breath away. Words can't describe how wonderful that show is!

It was a wonderful trip, meeting princesses, going on It's a Small World, having ice cream, meeting a family from New Zealand, seeing that same famliy the next day while walking from our hotel to Ihop, and spending time with friends. It's a pretty happy place!