June 4, 2008 Growth Ahead!!!

As I sit still in "the breakfast nook", wiggling my naked toes in the morning light, listen to the elephant sound of the bus driving by my window, avoiding the massive bin and pack of gear waiting for me to organize, I am flooded with thoughts from the last two weeks and anxious for the weeks to come. I leave on Sunday, with my car singing friend, for the Sunshine Coast. I have come to discover that our Maker places phyical distance in our lives for reasons. For example, I come to know the drive up the coast (4 hours to the Canadian border crossing "I am on Malibu workcrew", 2 hours to Vancouver, 2 hours to the Horseshoe Ferry, 45 min on the ferry to Langdale, then 2 hours to Egmont...or something like that) to be a time of heart transition. I find that time flying 5 hours alone from home is a strange and neat time with Jesus. He always puts a warm sense of confidence in my heart. I am alone and insignificant but with Jesus as my traveling guide, it is incredible how free I feel from myself. to be continued...

New Staff Training 2006

Yes! I have rediscovered the love of being read too! I have always appreciated a great story but without a great storyteller is just not as...well great! So besides Ms. Akins, my second grade teacher, Anna Carter and John Moye are my new favorite story"readers", if you will...and I will! :)
With that said...
Being at New Staff Training for YL is daily becoming a huge priviledge! I got here two days ago and many of you will understand when I say that I was like the camp golden retriever! The moment we stepped off the bus, everything was like being at Disneyworld with your closest friends :) Wait, wait, wait...back up this started before I even left the hotel. Okay, I was sitting in the hotel lobby (finishing my amazing paper) :) When all of a sudden, THE Sara Doughty walked through the front door...I sat there stareing in disbelief. I couldn't believe it really was her. (The last time I had seen her(co-guide for "the city" that we took up One-Eye at Beyond) was at Cindy's house in Seattle a year and a half ago and heard from her before Christmas when I got the update letter of her commiting to MCYM-YL on military base in Germany) Anyways, I GOT to sit by this sweet sister all the way to Fun Time Ranch :) Yippee! But it just kept getting better! I got off the bus turned to my left and there was none other than THE Susan Greene (aka "Wrangler Susan" and co-superstar laundry folder with me at Trail West) and as soon as I finished hugging her, I turned to my right and there was none other than THE Jessica Ann Cofer (co-student staffer for Chattanooga YL-we love to cry together for kids). I was like a kid in a candy shop. I found my room and Sara Doughty is my "bunkmate" (Beyond, you understand the depths of what this means ) :) Yep..I pretty much WON! :) Then I go outside to find Chris, Josh and Mark are still here from last year working as Guest Services :) Then...it gets even cooler...I walk into the snack bar to find Michelle Trissler (Sea Kayaking guide at Beyond '02-'03) yeah..she is interning at Frontier for the year :) Okay, so then after dinner the first night, I am in the dining hall and I hear this very very high pitch scream..yep its none other thanTHE Bethany Christin Dayton and she is so excited to see... ME!We hug and laugh so loud, of course everyone is looking at us jumping around. Mal McSwan, had to come and talk to us about our volume, but not b/c we were a bother but b/c...if you know Mal, he LOVES stories and he has to know the story behind the screams :) (I LOVE that man!)...okay okay even more... Then that first morning at Chapel I turn to leave the amazing time in worship and find no other than Kelly (co-lover of laundry at Malibu for two summers!...yep Hof..I WIN!) So great! I love being here and I love meeting new friends and I can't wait to see where else GOd takes me! If this is not a foreshadowing of even just a taste of what Heaven will be like than I don't know what will.
It is almost day three and I am still so thrilled to be able to be here with so many great folks that are beginning the journey with me :) PTL! I am so very Blessed! :) Thank you Jesus!

Courthouse Rock Thanksgiving 2007

Yesterday, Emily, Ben, Dad and I went to Gatlinburg to hike with Nana and Pop. It was tourist time, like always, but us Miller's pride ourselves in knowing "the short cut" aka Back Roads :) We even went hiking off the map and beaten trail. My favorite look from tourists is the where did those folks just come from look. We hiked to Courthouse Rock and Nana was worried we would have to bribe the judge with one of our snickers. One snickers! you say, well if you think that is no big deal then you have obviously never been hiking. :) It's like GOLD to hiker's! Until, my next adventure.

Remember:
"It is for freedom, He set us FREE!" -Jimmy Neman, John Wood and Galatians 5

Thanksgiving 2007

Thanksgiving Day!
Turkey, dressing, yummy non-dairy mashed potatoes :), football, movies, bonfire in the backyard, taking pictures of Uncle Kevin on his motorcycle for his Christmas card, Spiderman, King Kong, Jurassic Park and a great bunch to celebrate what we are thankful for. I love Thanksgiving! We get to eat, sit around, enjoy each others presence and don't have to give gifts. We get to be exactly who we are and be thankful for the simple things!

"Every time you cross my mind, I break out in exclamations of thanks to God. Each exclamation is a trigger to prayer. I find myself praying for you with a glad heart." Philippians 1:3-4

'God gave you style, God gave you GRACE, God put a smile upon your face..." -Coldplay

rediscovering BALance :) written Monday, February 11, 2008

The move to the NW is more than a physical move; its a move towards balance. When you excerise balance is dependent on your core strength. When you take a photograph balance is found in the light. I am trusting that the path before me is a journey towards a strong core and the Light! I have already been so inspired by a breath of fresh air. The morning after I arrived, I woke up went downstairs, enjoyed a hot cup of coffee with my sister, Lauren Miller. When we took a moment to step outside we could smell the ocean! Then we turned on the News to discover that the passes to the East of us were closed due to feet of snow covering the roads from avalaches. I can't believe that I am here again. I love it here so much, all the mountains around and the sea so close. This place brings back so many good memories of growth and yet there is anticipation within me for the new adventures and the growth that lies ahead. I am so excited to be with donors that are here and meet the donors God is going to invite to join our efforts in ministry. I have been challenged to "Find the joy in the waiting". Thank you all for your support in seeing me stay healthly, regain core strength and dance in the light!

Where I live...

Seattle. This is where I live. I have learned that there are days here and even months where it just seattles all day. My best description of seattling is walking through the mist at a theme park. I get to wear cow patty boots (for us country folks), or galoshes (for those from England), or gum boots (for you Canadians). I have learned to layer and thanks to my roommates I can make this more of a fashionable system rather than a camping system.
I am so happy to get to live with these girls. Let me introduce you to them. Lisa (on the right) loves fish, she will watch Gilmore Girls with me :), and is an incredible cook. Lauren (on the left) loves to go for walks, graduated with psychology so she loves to listen, and is an incredible photographer. I am so blessed to be sharing my life in Seattle with these girls! I mean I WIN! :)