Launching

New things... New ways... New thoughts

*****

Today was a great day for Mars Hill Church. It was so great to read the statistics off Facebook and see how many people attended the 4 new locations that were launched today.

Mars Hill Church Sammamish -- 766 people + 11 baptisms
Mars Hill Church Rainier Valley -- 512 people + 76 children + 3 baptisms
Mars Hill Church Portland
Mars Hill Church Orange County

God's work is alive and right in front of us. It is so great to see people come to God and find a father who truly cares about them and will never leave them or forget about them -- NO MATTER WHAT! 

Mars Hill Church also launched a great series today that could not have come at a better time. Real Marriage is a series that is based off a book that Pastor Mark and his wife, Grace, wrote together to give the truth about sex, friendship, and life together, making it apparent that marriage is not the fantasy life that some people think it is. Today, Mark preached about having a new marriage with the same spouse and it was such a great sermon. To hear the story of how Mark and Grace met, the mistakes they made, the path they took to God together, and the secrets that were untold was such a relief to hear that even the relationships that look amazing on the outside may have problems and hardships on the inside.

The greatest impact that this sermon had on me was the truth about secrets. Secrets can destroy. Secrets can hurt. Secrets can cause a decade (less or more) of stress and hardships. Through the whole time Mark was talking about secrets I kept trying to think if there was anything that Caleb did not know about me... Things that he would not like to hear but had to know about. I think he knows everything but it is always good to know that keeping secrets can destroy everything! 

So... what is your secret?? Bring it to the light!

*****

So I don't know how many people read this blog or even know that I write one but I could really use some advice from y'all.

I am launching a new way of life. A new relationship with Caleb. A new relationship with God. A new relationship with myself.

How do you put God in the middle of a relationship? What things can you do with the person you are with (and maybe falling in love with) to make sure God is the focal point of the relationship and that neither of you can go wrong... or if you do, you can work through it with God's grace and help? Is a Bible study a good idea? Praying over one another? What?

Please let me know what has worked for you!

Thanks for your help! :)

God bless!

Love y'all.

--
Ali :)

Life Changing...

Tomorrow is the day... 

Caleb has his first interview for dental school in Colorado! 

Good luck hun!! :) You will do fantastic. You will blow their minds. 

Love ya! :) 

<3 always

Ali :)

Recap -- 2011

2011 is officially over!
What a year!

Surgery

January 3rd, 2011
Removal of the benign tumor that I had on my femur... Not a fun recovery but I am now starting to run again! :)

Senior Year

Became an adult -- 18th birthday on February 8, 2011

Prom

Final Band Banquet
Awarded a 4th year band letter and completed my life as a drum major... one of the greatest positions that I could ever hold

Senior Pictures

Graduation
Graduated 15th in my class with a GPA of 4.40

Summer 2011

Grad Trip to San Diego
We got to stay at a beach house on Mission Beach, went to an ASTROS vs Padres game, went to Seaworld, went to the USS Midway Aircraft Carrier, and went to the Kansas City BBQ where Top Gun was filmed.

Dyed my hair blonde :)

Met and Started Dating Caleb (such a wonderful and one of my most favorite parts of the year) :D <3 -- July 16, 2011

College

Went to New Mexico Tech

Left New Mexico Tech, transferred to UNM, and changed my major
Tech was great but I did not like living in Socorro and I realized engineering was not for me... I'm happy to be home and exploring different majors to find what I like doing (I'm thinking of Medical Laboratory Sciences right now)

Moved back home and painted my room

Got baptized :)

December 11, 2011 -- Pastor Mark Driscoll came to Mars Hill Church Albuquerque to preach live

Became closer to the Mangum family and mine :)

Got to see my nephew, Nolan, my brother, Gilbert, and my sister - in - law, Alexis

What an incredible year! :) So many great things have happened and are continuing to happen.

2012 will be amazing as well... So many things to already look forward to.

<3
Ali :)