Sandy Henley (September 13, 1962 - December 26, 2012)

Today we held a Going Home Celebration here in Louisiana at my parents church. We were surprised and blessed by how many friends showed up on a New Years Day at 11:00am. My step mother, Sandy, didn't want a big memorial or anything so in respect to her wishes we had the Gospel preached. So their pastor preached in a good old Southern Baptist way and shared a bit about my step mom. Then we went over to eat and fellowship. The people here are so friendly and loving. There are some amazing people down here in the Deep South. There were around One hundred and six people that attended. That was not even family, it was just friends and on short notice. Almost all are friends made since they moved out here to Louisiana. I'm going to copy what was written in the pamphlet for Sandy's service today.

Biography

"Sandy Henley was born September 13, 1962, in Modesto, California, to Tom Madden (of Tahlequah, Oklahoma) and Loree Young (of Nail, Arkansas). She had two older siblings Sheila Smith and Duayne Madden.

Sandy and Don were married on September 19, 1996. At that time, Sandy had one son (Robert Madden) and two step-sons (Phillip Henley and David Henley). Later, they were blessed with the arrival of Thomas Henley.

They moved to Abbeville, Louisiana, in 2006, from their ranch in Big Oak Flat, California. Don, Sandy, and Thomas joined Temple Baptist Church in 2011.

Sandy was born again at the age of thirty at Greeley Hill Baptist Church. Sandy loved the Lord and was a joyful servant for her Lord. She went to be with her Lord on the afternoon of December 26, 2012."

"Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also. And whither I go ye know, and the way ye know. Thomas saith unto him, Lord, we know not whither thou goest; and how can we know the way? Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me." -John 14:1-6.

What Sandy wanted to share with you...

"Sandy loved to share the Gospel with others and wanted others to know that God loves them. She wanted to share these Scriptures and this good news with you today:

1. Recognize your condition. For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; (Romans 3:23). No one is good enough to go to Heaven on his own merit. No matter how much good we do, we still fall short.
2. Realize the penalty for sin. For the wages of sin is death; ...(Romans 6:23). Just as there are wages for good, there is punishment for wrong. The penalty for our sin is separation from God in a lake of fire.
3. Believe Christ died for you. But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. (Romans 5:8). Christ's great love for us was shown when He died on the cross to pay our sin debt.
4. Trust Christ alone as your Savior. ...but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. (Romans 6:23). For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. (Romans 10:13). Everlasting life is a gift purchased by the blood of Jesus Christ and offered freely to those who call upon Him by faith.

Let us help you word a prayer. (Realize it's not mere words that save but your faith in Jesus Christ.)

Dear Jesus, I know I'm a sinner. Please forgive my sins. Jesus, come into my heart and save my soul from the lake of fire. I'm trusting You and You alone to take me to Heaven when I die. Thank you for saving me, Jesus. Amen!"

Again, this was written in the pamphlet at her Going Home Celebration. She wanted the Gospel preached and I feel this pretty much sums up the life my step mom lived. She was out there witnessing to people, left and right, up until the end. Even in the hospitals. 

Thank you all for praying for Sandy and the rest of our family through all of this. We cherish it more than you know. 

-Love, Pip

Sandy Henley

Last e-mail from my Dad shortly after Sandy's passing. 

"Sandy Henley went home to be with our Lord & Savior Jesus Christ at 3.30 pm on 12/26/12. We have comfort in knowing that she is in a far better place, and we will soon see her again. I thank God for the blessing that he gave me to share time in her life. I want to thank all that has helped in her final days with prayers & kindness. I have to tell you that she charged right to the end with no hesitation. God Bless all of you and know that if you have not received Jesus in your heart and you are reading this, it's not to late!!!  - Don & Tom"

This is the last email I received on December 14, 2012. 

"Hey ya'll,
God is good!!! Having a great day. Thankful for so little sickness and pain so far. I know God will give grace for his will.I love being saves and trusting in the one who loves me so much!!1 I had to miss visitation yesterday (sad face) I hope to go on Sat. I am so greatful for all those who didn't give up on me. When I think of how lost I was I am amazed that saints saw hope!!!!Thank you so much.
Because Christ Lives,
Sandy Henley"

My family has to wait until after Christmas to see if the radiation blasts had any effect. I am currently trying to get a last minute deal to fly out there for a quick visit before my family have to go back to Texas for treatments. Next step is to see if they can do the gamma knives or straight to chemo. Just playing the waiting game. Thanks for all your prayers for my family.  

Eight

I just got the new email and things are getting crazy. This is the email I received from Mom and Dad today;

"To friends and family

 

I will do my best ,but you remember that I have a hard enough time with all my faculties, so with brain cancer you will have to have patience and understanding (HAHA)

First of all had lots of tests MRI and pet scan. We have not learned what the pet scan says, but the MRI has found 8 tumors insted of 3. the Dr's are not sure if the surgery a couple of weeks ago have sent a cell into overdrive causing many more legions, or if these leigions have always been there and have been too small to see in the original MRI.

We also have another appointment at M.D. Anderson on tue. For a consultation and to see how to proceed. Whatever they decide is best, all that Dr's have agreed that treatment will have to be soon, down and dirty, and to the point. We like it like this so this is a good thing.

Don and I are both doing great along with the boys and are trusting God.

We are trusting and desperately wanting his will and glory. Thankful for salvation and what time left he has given to shout his glory (that he so very much deserves)

A way to pray.God's will, Gods glory, and God find us worthy to be used. Simple

Love ya'll bunches,

God is good!!!!!

Don and Sandy"

Thanks for all your prayers!

-Pip

Wait....what?!

Sorry I haven't been on here for awhile. School keeps me busy. It seems a lot of people I know are going through rough times. People dying and getting horrible diseases, etc. Well, my immediate family is not safe from these things either. I have recently got a hard phone call from my Dad. He informed me of my Step-Mom (Sandy) passed out while walking the dog. It turned out that she had three tumors. They were able to get one but the other two are a bit harder to get and would require chemo among other things. I would like to share the email Sandy sent out to friends and family.

Sandy writes;

"Hey Friends and Family,

 

This should be the first of many emails. We are making an attempt to send blanket emails to all friends and family to keep all informed, as things are moving so fast that it makes it impossible to inform everyone individually. It would be a great help if you could pass emails or ask to be on our list or email us your email address so we can send you info.

Last week we went to M.D. Anderson where we were excepted and recieved a treatment plan for Gamma Knives treatment. We met with a brilliant Doctor Susan Mcgovern who will be in charge of the procedure. We shared with her that we would be in prayer for her and her team, at which she responded that she was very greatful for all prayers. Please it is so important that our Drs. and caregivers be held up in prayers. They are responsible for so many and have alot of responsibility. They desperately need guidance.

The first step is a new MRI. The Dr. assumes that everything will be the same after surgery but a new MRI is required to make sure. That is scheduled for Wed. Nov14th 8:30 pm. The next step is an appt on the 16th. for a pet scan.

Dr. McGovern want's us to meet witha melanoma Dr. to find out why I keep getting Melanoma and how to address that problem.

The gamma Knive procedure will take 3 days. 1st day prep for surgery blood work, IV, a general exam. 2nd day hooked up to a halo that attatches on my head in 4 places, that halo is then attatched with me onto a chair that moves all together to preform the procedure.

Dr McGoverrn says she will be doing brain surgery on me from another room on a computer and will not see me that day or even touch me (pretty amazing Huh?)

She says I will not know anything that is happening I will be asleep. I should wake up and it is expected not much side affects.

I will then be released they want me to stay in town just in case there is an emergency, but it is not expected there will be any.

Then the Drs. will determine how the procedure went and if any further treatment is neccessary. So 3 days is expected that from beginning to end the gamma knife procedure should be complete. Hopefully it will go quick and all will be done in the next week or two.

Now to the good part.

God has been so faithful. No sickness very little pain, a little foggy and dizzy, slower and forgetful, but the Dr. says this is all very normal for what I am going thru and should continue to get better. God draws me closer to him by the minute, and has used us for so many incredible opportunities to witness.Drs., nurses, neighbors, strangers every one we meet we are able to share how powerful and loving God is. We are blessed beyond messure. If I breath my last breath praising God I will be complete.

Don, Rob,Lisa Tom, Phil and David are all doing great and trusting in God, We are closer as a family and he has been faithful to us all.Please continue to uphold my beautiful family as this is all much harder on them than me.

Your prayers are a treasure to me I want you too know I am praying for all of you as well. God is so good to give me hours in the middle of the night to think about and pray for you all. These are times most precious with a closeseness to God that I have never experienced and a chance to lift up the ones that I love so much.

I am most thankful that so many years ago he showed me that I was a sinner.Romans3: 10 thru 12 and Romans 23. Then He showed me that the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord Romans6:23. Next was Romans 5:8 But God commendeth his love towards us, in that while we were yet sinners Christ died for us.and finally Romans 10:9 and 10 That if thou shall confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus Christ and believe in thy heart that God has raised him from the dead thou shalt be saved For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness: and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.

So simple

If this is the first time you have heard the simple truth of the gospel I would love to talk more with you about it.

So simple that a child can understand!!!

Don't let another second go by without the amazing gift of salvation

You are in my prayers, and appreciated so much for all the prayers you offer for me.

Love ya bunches

Sandy"

So I would like to ask all my followers to keep my family in prayer. Thanks.

-Pip

Spring Term is done!! A rough term for sure. This be me grades. Not too hot.

Writing & The Literary Arts = C-

From Caves to Cathedrals ( Art History) = D

Digital Layout & Design = W

Color Theory = A-

Um, yeah. Now I'm trying to shrug this term off and move forward thinking positive for Summer Term. This is just a short update on my grades. I will try and update soon.
-Pip

I have got some amazing news!!! Since my last post in this blog I have received an amazing gift! A dear friend of mine saw my blog post and had exactly what I needed!
My friend had a CS.5 program un opened sitting in his closet. On top of that he had a Mac Book Pro that he was willing to let go of for a friend! I am truly blessed!! He threw in a USB (with mega space) to help with storage. I don't know what to think or feel. I'm so excited to see how this will help in my studies!
The Lord hooked me up once again. He always knows what I need and when.
On top of this I received a call from a relative and we had a much needed update session. Little did I know that it would result in a gift card to H&M for me to buy some new trousers! Mine are getting pretty awful. And the she also dropped some cash in my account.
I'm still a long way from where I want to be but these recent events are a huge help to me. I pray that these people are blessed and rewarded for their generosity to me!
As far as Portland, it's been hot the last week. Everyone loves it and I kinda love it. But hot means I have no summer wear and I have to sweat. (haha). And this also means the pollen and other allergy related junk in the air are effecting me. So far it hasn't been as bad as the Central Valley back home but nonetheless it's not fun.
I just ended my 7th week (out of 11 weeks) of the Spring Term. Almost done for this term. I still have a lot of memorizing, reading & projects to get a decent grade. I fear, already, that I am not getting that 3.0 again. I will try again this coming Summer Term!!

Hello all!! This is a quick update. A friend of mine from back home has offered me a CS5 program and some other helpful bits to boot. As far as I know a lot of the stuff he is giving me is Mac compatiable. So anyone wanting to hook me up with a Mac or a really good deal on a Mac, this is your chance.
Also here is the website to my schools store. If you want to browse through there to check out prices and so forth here it is; The Art Institute of Portland store. (It will ask to select a campus...make sure you select Portland.)
Okay, I got to get back to school junk. I have a Midterm today. Ugh.
Thanks, Pip

I have been crazy busy with school and this is why I have not updated this in almost a year. I'm entering the middle of Spring Term 2012 here at The Art Institute of Portland, Oregon (Aipd). I have finished a year here and this is the start of my sophomore year. I'm struggling along and am getting close to a 3.0 GPA. But there are a few things I need to help me.
First of all is my time management. I suck at it and am working on it every term. I also work part-time here at school as a work study. The thing about my school is that there are a lot of projects. I feel it's more of an effort than writing a paper but then again I suck at that too. So prayers for my ability to focus and manage my time well is much appreciated.
Second is that I lack the tools at home to succeed here. The school is fully stocked with equipment for me to do my projects. The trouble is I really need the software and hardware at home. The courses go over basic tools and techniques but the key to be a success is being REPETITIVE in these tools. I have a problem with that because I have no room for the programs on my home laptop and I live far enough away that it's very time consuming to go back and forth from school. I currently take public transit. (Yes, Thunder is at my moms in San Jose.-Thunder is my pick-up truck.) I actually need some stuff that cost me a pretty penny. I decided to list some of those items on here for those who like to help out people but rather know what they are paying for instead of just giving cash to the person. So in future posts I hope to list some of the items and prices along with links if possible.
Off the top of my head, I need a Word software (I bought my laptop for cheap from Best Buy. It was their floor model and I never had the password to access Microsoft Word.) This has hurt me greatly while being at school since I have had to do power point presentations and essays. In case you are unaware, I am going for my bachelors in fine arts so this means I have to take real academic course like Math and Writing classes and other random liberal arts courses.
I also need a desktop computer to work at home with and to continue my homework at home and to continue to go over the things I learn in class. I prefer a Mac since I have been using them a lot at school and find them easier to use than PC's. But both are used in the industry so in the big picture I suppose it don't matter. Haha. But until I can get a desktop I will need an external hard drive. I do not have enough memory on my laptop to hold the Adobe programs I need. I also need the Adobe programs in CS5. (Photoshop,Illustrator, InDesign, Bridge.) My school offers tons of resources at dirt cheap prices compared to the actual prices. I get student discounts that make programs that are usually in the thousand range down to less than $300.00.
I have been looking into refurbished computers and that seems to be the way to go to get good discounted prices on computers.
I need to have these programs and tools so I can continue to go over what I have learned in class. I have already started to forget a lot of stuff since I did them once or twice in a class and then that's it. But I need to start burning this stuff in my head so I can start doing quality work. I'm starting to leave behind the introductory courses and the instructors expect us to already know how to do basic abilities. And my courses are now going to play a part in my portfolio for graduation. This is what i will be showing to potential employers at a special portfolio show at graduation.       
Thanks for reading this and taking an interest in my life.

 Love, Pip 

Summer Term 2011

I may have forgotten to mention that I have a few friends that moved here before I have. I do not get to see all of them and the ones I do get to see is not all that often. I mainly hangout with my friend Brooke, who I know from Modesto, and my friend Rich, who I know from the Ska/Rocksteady/Reggae band The Israelites. Both friends have been more than gracious in helping me out. Which I am embarrassed to say that I have over stayed my welcome and taken advantage of. I am looking for work but also suffer from severe anxiety which I find to be crippling at times. But the fact remains that I have been here almost a year and have no job or means to support myself. Prayer in this area would be greatly welcomed.

Above is my friends and I at a club in Portland awaiting to see The Israelites and Dave Hillyard & the Rocksteady 7 perform. (right side of table/left to right: Brooke, me, and Rich)


So I find myself in need of income for school and for housing. And this is quite stressing at times. But on the flip side, my life at school is amazing! The work load for some of these classes are quite heavy and challenging but exciting. Last term, my first term, I was able to achieve a 3.2 GPA and was able to make some friends with classmates within my major. This term some of those new friends and I have choose to take some classes together which I have found to be relieving. This means I will have friends to work on assignments with and not feel stupid. I have decided to take the Summer Term since this will put my projected graduation date in 2013. The Summer Term started here at The Art Institute of Portland (Ai PDX) on Monday 11, June 2011. I am very excited for these classes and yet a bit nervous about the work load and extra expenses for supplies for a few classes. My only concern this term is finding a job and a place to live in a month or less.

On a more personal note I have found a Major League Soccer (MLS) team I have a passion and love for. I have been a San Jose Earthquakes supporter simply because that is our home team in Northern California. But there is a new team to MLS that has stolen my heart, the Portland Timbers! This team has been around for generations with a rich history and an adoring fan base. This year, 2011, is the inaugural season for this team to the MLS. Portland (and all of Oregon) are very proud of their team and have been fighting for years for the Timbers to become part of the MLS. There is a huge buzz up here in Soccer City USA. Their supporters, the Timbers Army (TA), are setting the standard in North America for the experience not unlike what you would experience in English Football. I was excited to find out that Ai was offering free tickets to a match last term. So of course I signed up and got to take a friend to see the Philadelphia Union play against the Portland Timbers at home! It was a perfect, beautiful, Portland day for a MLS match; grey and wet!! Brooke was the friend I took to the match and now we are both hooked. So hooked that we learn the TA chants and bought our TA "No Pity" scarfs!! Below are some photos of that match.

Brooke and I so excited we got there early!!


The Portland Timbers Football Club backed by the Timbers Army. The TA get there early and leave last. They stand and sing the whole time, win or lose. Brooke and I are the white dot just above the goal post in this photo. This is before everyone got there for the match and the teams where still doing their pre-game warm up drills.

"So, how's San Francisco?"

Well, I did a great job with this Blog! My last entry was shortly after my move to beautiful San Francisco, California. I am still getting asked how I like living in San Francisco. Apparently you folks do not stalk me on Facebook like I thought. Well, friends, I no longer reside in The City by the Bay any longer but in The City of Roses!

After months without work while living in San Francisco, I finally landed a transfer within In-N-Out Burger. I was now making money for rent once again. However due to the crackheads and a couple murders on my block I was pleased to hear that I had to move out of the Tenderloin District. My friend (and roommate) had to, unfortunately, move back home. Opportunities for a new place for me to live continued to fall through left and right. I ended up crashing on friends couches and staying in Motels. At this time I was encouraged by a few friends in the North West to move up there. So in October 2010 I left In-N-Out Burger and moved to Portland, Oregon. I also had to say goodbye to my church family at Reality SF. I was full of mixed emotions. But I had some great new (and old) friends awaiting me in Oregon.

I moved in with a long time friend until February 2011. Then I had to move back to California for a few months due to not finding work. Something I never thought would ever happen to me finally happened! I explored options to attend school for Graphic Design, a dream of mine ever since high school. I was accepted to The Art Institute of Portland and started classes in April 2011! I am currently awaiting the second term to begin in a little over a week from now. I am a full time student with 12 units per term heading toward a Bachelors of Fine Arts in Graphic Design.

I'm reluctantly seeking a part-time job to help pay tuition and a roof over my head. My projects in some of my classes are very time consuming outside of class. I worry if I can keep my grades up with a job. But I'm afraid there will be no school if I have no job. What can you do!? So far, for the first term, I have managed to get a 3.2 Grade Point Average (GPA) with two B's, an A-, and PA (Pass). The PA was for a class I get no credits, towards my degree, but it helps me get to the level I need to be so I can take the classes I do need. The class was a grammar class which I felt I did extremely well in. I feel more confident in my writing and as time passes I hope to explore this new found fondness. In the meantime do not judge my writing abilities. I have a lot of work ahead of me in that area. Haha.

Now let's see if I can keep this up from now on?? Enjoy your Independence Day weekend! Below are some photos of me during the Rose Festival and Fleet Week. Grace and Peace!!!

7 Months In...

Well, I have been in San Francisco, California for almost 7 months. I now work at In-N-Out Burger in Mill Valley, California (Store#141). And have been living in the Tenderloin District of S.F.
Now, my current roommate informed me that he has to move back home to Modesto, CA for a season. :O( So now I must find a new roommate and/or place by the end of August.
Well, I have met a amazing friend at work who just happens to be in need of a place too!! We are currently looking for a place in the Sunset District of S.F.! I'm super excited about this next season!! I will be out of the ghetto and have my own parking spot. I will be able to bring Thunder (my 1998 Nissan Frontier pick-up truck) up to the City!!! And no more Golden Gate Transit to commute to work!!!
I could use all your prayers on this transition.
I also would like to visit my friend Emma Rees in Surrey, England. I was hopeing to this Aug., but not having a job for almost 6 months killed that dream. Now I hope to go in December. Perhaps spend Christmas and the New Year/and my 35th Birthday?! My friend Emma has and is going through some crazy stuff in her life. As much as I want to be there for her right now and try to lighten the burden....I cannot. The earliest I could possiably visit would be in December.
So please pray I budget my monies properly for this trip.
That is it for now. Reality SF is doing amazingly!! God is blessing us so much!!! Such a sweet time to be here!!
Love, Pip

My Bad...

Well, I currently live in San Francisco, California for the last six months. It's been rough for me. I JUST got a transfer to an In-N-Out and this is my second week working. I've been in this city jobless and broke this whole time. I was blessed to do a moving job, here and there, with a friend from my former church in Modesto, California. And the support of various friends with rent has gotten me this far. Things are starting to settle a bit for me.
My current church, Reality San Francisco, is launching its very first missions trip this summer. Space is limited and is teaming up with Reality Los Angeles. Our first missions trip is to London, England. We are coming alongside Reality London for a Prayer Tour of the city.
I am currently praying about this trip and am on a waiting list. Many of you already know my strong desire to live in London and in England. I'm praying to see if it is the Lords will for me to join this team or not.
I am going to do a Support Letter soon and give more info. But for now I just want to quickly get you up to speed. I seriously need to update this Blog, so please be patient with me. Thanks!!

As Of Late...

So, I'm still in the middle of moving to San Francisco, California. I moved out of my house and am crashing at a friends for a bit. Nothing solid for living situation in S.F. yet and got denied my transfer to the store in S.F.! Was told to try again in a few months. It is in a high tourist spot and thus is very slow outside of the Summer months. I may have to try and get a transfer to the nearest store right below S.F. in Daly City, California. Keep me in prayer. I know God will get me through and He has a plan. But I am being stretched loads!! That's a good thing, but also very difficult to go through at times. Thats it for now.

Around The Bend

Well, I am officially moving out of the house that I have been living in for about 6months. My last day is November 1st. I still do not have a place to live, sorta?! And my transfer for my job is getting complicated. I have a meeting November 1st in San Francisco with the Manager at the store I am trying to transfer to. A bit frustrating since I need to be transfered by then. A couple guys I am looking for a place with sent me a message that they found a place in Inner Richmond. They told me that more details are to follow. Not enitrely sure we have it or not by their message?? I pray we do! But this would be for November move in date. God has taken care of me every step of the way so far. But I do wish it was all over and finalized already!!
Moving in November also means I don't have that luxury of saving extra money. So I am still strapped for cash and will be short on my half for rent in this new place for a bit and somehow have to stretch it between that and bills I owe my current roommate. Crazy time right now. Exciting, scary, frustrating and confusing. Almost there peoples!!! Keep praying!! I really need it in the next few weeks and on coming months!!
Reality S.F. prayer meetings have started in the city at the begining of the month. They are awesome!! I am so blessed and encouraged every sunday at these meetings!! It's sweet to see what God is doing and seeing how He works in His people and in this NEW fellowship of Reality S.F.!!

I need a room!!

I write this sitting in Modesto, California…….still. San Francisco is around the corner. I gave notice to my job here in Modesto. All I need to give them is a two week notice for my transfer to San Francisco. My roommate is currently making his own preparations for when I leave this house we share rental duties. Just waiting to hear from a possible roommate situation with some guys from Reality Carpentaria, California. The church where Reality San Francisco is being planted by. Praying on what I should do room wise. Which at this point is my only real obstacle in moving to the City. Shooting for October/ November for the move date….but November is looking more realistic. I am starting to wonder if I need to move on from this possibility of roommates and start looking at Craig’s’ List again? Starting to wonder if having Christian roommates is an option?? I’m totally fine having non-believers as roomies, but the question is “Is that what the Lord wants for me right now?”. I am just praying and seeking the Lord in the meantime. Working on spending more time with my Lord. I am still serving in the High School Fellowship at my church; Calvary Chapel Modesto. We started Small Groups up again. I am very excited about this year in this ministry! I have a special group, of amazing guys, designed to be ready for my departure, whenever that may occur?!
Reality SF is the fellowship I believe the Lord is calling me to team up with and make my church home in San Francisco. The prayer meetings for San Francisco, that were taking place in Carpentaria, are coming to an end. Which means the prayer meetings for San Francisco and Reality SF will be taking place in the City now!!! First prayer meeting in the City is on October 4th, Sunday evening!! I’m so excited!! We as a church are shooting for the first Reality SF church service to be held on January 10th, 2010!!! The day after my birthday!!! I’m really thrilled about this!!!!! If you are praying for me and perhaps find interest in this church plant, please check out the link to the web-site for Reality SF!! http://www.realitysf.com/ I also have a Twitter account to add to my list of sites, (i.e., MySpace, Facebook and email. Also see the link. http://twitter.com/pipcityrockers
Most recently I visited Oregon and Washington, to see old friends and family….but centered around a friends’ wedding I attended. My friend Sarah Henderson (now McFarland) from Scotland married a man she had met in our years at Bible College. It was an honor to be able to take part of this joyous occasion! I also got to see quite a few old classmates and friends while I was in Seattle for the wedding. I love Seattle, a very cool place! I stayed with a friend I graduated with in York, England at Calvary Chapel Bible College; John Anderson. I got to met his sister and parents, whom are some of the coolest katz around!! Even got to see my dear friend Michaela Madden for a bit. She is also another class mate from CCBC/CCBC York.
I also got to see my cousin Debbie and her husband. Her husband I never met. While I was away at Bible College they got married, so I didn’t even get to go to wedding! So it was very cool to see her after over five years and meet her husband for the first time! I got brownie points because I was the first on our side of the family to visit them in Seattle. Haha.
I forgot to mention, I dragged my buddy T.J. Gates up there with me for the road trip. Also whom I met at CCBC and did time at the York campus. Also got to see my friend Emma Rees (from England) for little bits here and there….who was the Bridesmaid, so her time was quite consumed with the wedding. But it was still a blessing to see her, even for that small amount.
But before T.J. and I got to Seattle, we of course had to travel through Oregon. I had the chance to stop and see an old friend of mine from Southern California but now resides outside Portland, OR. My dear friend Rich Carlstedt, who runs Shanty Town Records and Distribution and is the brains behind the Ska/Rocksteady/Reggae band; The Israelites. Stayed at his house for a few days. It was a very blessed trip, but I spent way more than I desired. And now I am a bit hurting money wise. Haha, but it is all good. God is my provider…..and is never broke!
I also, shortly after my trip, was able to return the favor to my friend John Anderson and his sister Kristina for letting me stay at their house. I was able to house them for a couple days on their way down to Southern California. They are accompaning our friend Jessica Lindsey (from Newcastle, England) on one leg of her US visit. I was able to take them to San Francisco for the day. I was truely blessed by all three of them and was refreshed after their visit!
While I am waiting for this next chapter in my life to unfold, God is showing me about faith. The subjects of Faith and of Abraham, the father of faith, keep coming forth. I pray I hear what the Lord is telling me?! Pray I get a room soon in San Francisco! I so desire to be involved with this church plant from the start!! I hope to keep this updated more often and especially during this exciting time in my life!!

T.J. and I at the Experience Music Project/Science Fiction Museum and Hall of Fame. Under the Space Needle, in Seattle, WA.

(L-R) T.J.Gates, Michaela Madden, John Anderson, and me!! Seattle, WA.


(L-R) Kristina Anderson, me, John Anderson, Emma Rees, and T.J. Gates.


(L-R) Jessica Lindsey, Kristina and John Anderson. Golden Gate Park, San Francisco, CA.

Golden Gate Park, San Francisco, CA.

Wow!

Sorry for the long silence!! I have just been working at In-N-Out Burger in Modesto, CA and serving in the Sr. High (UNITE hsf) at Calvary Chapel Modesto. I am currently on a mission to move to San Francisco, California. I plan on transferring with INO....but not sure what the Lord may have instore?? Money is super tight also. Currently trying to get my budget figured out and my taxes done. Life is being very overwhelming.....I am not going to lie!! :( I just got back from Seattle for my dear friends wedding. It was amazing!! :) So happy for them! And I also got to spend some time with sweet friends!! Very blessed!! But now I am feeling the effects of that trip and reality is slapping me in the face. :( I could use those prayers!! :) I am working to get this updated, proper!

Prayer for San Francisco!!

I was just involved with a prayer tour with Reality Carpentaria, Reality Los Angeles and Reality Stockton for the church plant of Reality San Francisco!! You are all aware of my desire to move to San Francisco?! Well, since I made the decision to move to S.F., I heard about Reality taking trips to the city to pray about the church plant and over the city. So I decided to take my own trip to the city and pray about me moving there. After meeting up with a dear friend from Bible College that now lives in the city and a taking a long walk on the beach with just me and the Lord; I checked out some more on the church plant by Reality. I came to realize I could not survive the city unless I had a solid church body to be involved with and one that I can really connect with.
The following Sunday at the Sr. High Leadership meeting, I shared with my peers about my desire to move to S.F. and my plans. Through a series of events starting with one dear friend to talk to another dear friend that has been following the church plant, which lead to another friend that is currently down south at Reality Carpentaria. That got me in touch with the pastor of Reality S.F.! Then another dear friend that attends Reality Stockton told me to contact someone in their fellowship in Stockton that is teaming up with the S.F. church plant. Which led to me joining up and filling the last spot on the Reality Prayer Tour with all three Reality churches!!
This trip confirmed my decision to move to the city and also revealed my new church body!! I connected with everyone I met! I already feel like family to these people. This trip was to educate us on the history of the city and to know how to better to pray for people and districts. We prayed the whole three days over the city and visited different districts of the city such as; Haight-Ashbury, Pacific Heights, Chinatown, North Beach, Mission and etc. It was a very fruitful trip. One man that we met even gave his life to Christ!!! We even prayed over a possible location for the church!! All the Christians we have come in contact all say there is something going on in the city and they don’t know what it is and are all very excited Reality’s arrival!! There is already another Prayer Tour planned and we can’t wait to see what is in store!! You can check out the church for yourself at http://www.realitysf.com/! So please keep me in prayer and more importantly keep San Francisco in your prayers!!
I am currently still working in Modesto and serving at Calvary Chapel Modesto in the Sr. High Fellowship. We have some events planned that are coming up soon. Please keep those things in prayer too. April 3-4 is an event called “The Weekend“! Since everyone’s wallets are tight, we will not be hosting the Northern California Calvary Chapel High School Summer Camp. Bummer, I know. Things are different this year. This means Winter camp is different too. “The Weekend” is our Winter camp this year. It will be held on the CC Modesto campus over night. We will have two of our Pastors teach the kids; Pastor Jonathan Kehler and Pastor Mark Carson. Both awesome men of God. And our theme is “Thy Kingdom Come (Matthew 6:10)”!!
We also have a joint effort with other High School Ministries in Modesto. This event is called “One Worship”. This is something where all our High School groups meet up and worship the Lord together. This will be on April 8th. You can check things out in regards to the High School Fellowship that we call “Unite” at www.unitehsf.com! We also got the “Formal” coming up and the Grads moving on and the Freshman coming up. And many other fun events coming up. Please keep us in prayer.
I plan on moving to S.F. in about 6 months. I am very excited to move, but this means the next 6 months will most likely seem like forever. Haha. And it’s going to be very difficult making this transition to S.F…only because of the kids. I’m ready to leave Modesto! But investing in these kids is the only real thing that will make it hard to leave.
So, this is it so far. Thank you for all your prayers!!

Next Chapter.........

Well, this year started out with me spending my 33rd birthday in the great state of Illinois!! I had a blast hanging out with my good friends in La Salle County and up in Chicago!! I even made some new friends up in Chicago and experianced the Chicago snow right before they got their Artic Blast that they got this year! Haha!!

But despite the fun I have been seeking the Lord about where I am to go. I know Modesto, California is not where I am to stay. I had two options; one with some friends to plant a church down south, the other was to move to San Francisco, California.....which has always been on my heart since I gave my life to Christ over 10 years ago.

I have an answer!! I am moving to S.F. late summer/early Fall '09!! And my search for a solid church body was a short one!! There is a Reality church plant in S.F. and they are currently in prayer over it!! Check out www.realitysanfrancisco.com!!

I'm a bit nervous and excited at the same time!! Not sure where I will live yet....all in good time!! I desire to live in the Richmond District or the Sunset District and even checking out Treasure Island!! I also desire to go back to school!

So that where I am at! If you got questions and junk....hit me up via email or comments!! :)

Right now I am just working and trying to save and a lot of praying!!!!!!!

Back from the dead!!

I will be updating you all on my happenings soon! I promise!! hahaha! Please keep me in prayer!!! -Pip!!