Word of the Year!

I am dedicating this blog to the assistant pastor at The Quarry Church, Brenton Balvin. The editors of The New Oxford American Dictionary have chosen the word "podcast" as the word of the year for 2005...seriously!
"Podcast," defined as "a digital recording of a radio broadcast or similar program, made available on the Internet for downloading to a personal audio player," will be added to the next online update of the New Oxford American Dictionary, due in early 2006.
From the PRNewswire: "Only a year ago, podcasting was an arcane activity, the domain of a few techies and self-admitted 'geeks.' Now you can hear everything from NASCAR coverage to NPR's All Things Considered in downloadable audio files called 'podcasts.' Thousands of podcasts are available at the iTunes Music Store, and websites such as iPodder.com and Podcast.net track thousands more."
Among the runners up: bird flu (an often fatal flu virus of birds, esp. poultry, that is transmissible from them to humans, in whom it may also prove fatal), ICE (an entry stored in one's cellular phone that provides emergency contact information), persistent vegetative state (a condition in which a patient recovering from a coma retains reflex responses and may appear wakeful, but has no cognitive functions or other evidence of cerebral cortical activity), and trans fat (fat containing trans-fatty acids, considered unhealthier than other dietary fats).

Long time, no blog

Hey everybody!
Sorry it's been a while. I don't seem to have as much "down time" as I used to back in the "olden days" before my new job. Nowadays if I have some spare time I usually spend it sleeping. :)
My husband had knee surgery this week, so he's been recovering at home from that. What a happy man - he's been able to lay on the couch watching movies and eating all the rainbow sherbert he wants, all week long. Maybe I'll have knee surgery next week, too. (It's worth a shot!)
Anyhow...this short blog is just to say hi and let you know that I haven't fallen off the face of the earth. Stay tuned for more as the schedule allows!

Christmas Bills, Christmas Bills, Paying all the way

Today, I went Christmas shopping. Not Christmas gift shopping, but Christmas decoration shopping. For the first time, I have my own home to decorate...and I'm realizing that all the things that used to be at my disposal, I now have to go purchase for myself. Like white twinkle lights, for example, or decorative holiday dish towels. (Seriously, have you ever been to a homemaker's house who didn't have decorative dish towels?) Granted, I'm not a homemaker (yet). But I am a wife now - I NEED these things.
So I set out today. I went on a mission, made my list and checked it twice: Christmas lights, tree ornaments, greenery, ribbon, stockings, candles...I think that should do it. That's all I need to give my home the festive ambience it lacks.
$200 later, I am not satisfied.
All the lights I bought for the tree, I ended up using around the house. I'll need about 3-4 more boxes of those. The tree ornaments somehow ended up in a bowl as a centerpiece, so I guess I'll need more of those, too. Hmmm...now the room feels kind of lop-sided, as though one half is decorated more than the other. Maybe once we get the tree in here it will help with that. I should also get a cinnamon spice candle, too. And a bigger poinsettia. I wasn't going to decorate the outside of the house, but now I think I will. The candles I did get are kind of drippy. Maybe I'll get some dripless ones tomorrow.
*sigh*...what is happening to me? I'm 23 years old and this is my first Christmas as a wife/homeowner. I'm supposed to have a 2-foot tall fake tree with do-it-yourself ornaments and silly string tinsel. But instead I blew $200 on Christmas Crap ($150 if you don't count the $50 gift card) that has nothing to do with the Reason for the season. I didn't even get a nativity set for crying out loud! (Note to self: add nativity set to list of things to get...oh, and a small light-up village.) At this rate, I'll end up like those obnoxious snooty ladies whose imported tree ornaments are so expensive she'd disown you if you broke one.
Lord, help me to not lose focus of You this season. Help me not to be caught up in the vanity of a home that looks pretty on the outside, but lacks the depth and insight of who You are and what You mean.

New Pics of Malachi

Thomas Merton

"To be grateful is to recognize the love of God in everything He has given us - and He has given us everything. Every breath we draw is a gift of His love, every moment of existence a gift of grace."

Top 10 Things I'm Thankful For

1.) My Sweet Jesus and His blood
2.) My husband, JP
3.) My family
4.) My friends
5.) My & My family's health
6.) My home
7.) Freedom
8.) Music
9.) The outdoors
10.) My job & the ability to work

Malachi Allen Harpel

He's here! My very first nephew, Malachi Allen Harpel, entered the world and made it just a little more beautiful today, Wednesday, November 23rd, 2005. He is absolutely beautiful: 5 lbs, 14 oz (TINY!!!!)...20.5 inches long...curly light brown hair and a dimpled chin like his Grandpa Ferguson. He has the most precious little face -- looks like his daddy (my brother, Micah) if you ask me. Of course I'm biased, but I think he's the most beautiful baby I've ever seen.
Missy was a champion. Last week she was diagnosed with toxemia, which is a pregnancy-induced hypertension. About 7 out of every 100 pregant women develop toxemia, also known as preeclampsia. It can be dangerous, even deadly for mother and baby. Basically, Missy's blood pressure was very high, she had high protein levels in her urine. At first the doctors put her on bedrest for the remainder of the pregnancy, then after more testing decided to induce her today. She was great...held out as long as she could before requesting an epidural. Once she had it, it was only a short matter of time before she started pushing...and 15 minutes later, Malachi was here!
There are no words to describe the power of holding an hours-old baby in your arms, the tiny miracle you've known about for so long but are just meeting for the first time. It's completely overwhelming. And this was just my nephew! I can't imagine what it must be like when it's your own child. All the parts are there...tiny fingers & toes...tiny ears...thin, soft hair...little lips. A real, live, tiny person, alive and well since conception.
I hope you all get to meet Malachi soon and experience the wonder of human life. I am a very proud auntie!!!
I love you, Malachi.

I know You are, but what am I?

“I AM,” You thunder – as You do,
Deep in my bones, I know it’s true.
Your Are Jehovah, Savior, King
My Righteousness, My Everything
You are Yeshua, Lord on High
I know You Are.
But what am I?

“I AM,” You whisper – Lord, I know!
My Shelter safe from every foe.
My Judge and Jury, God and man
The one who numbers grains of sand
Majestic, Glorious, Mighty One
Son of man, yet God’s own Son
At Your command men live and die.
I know You Are
But what am I?

“I AM,” You weep, Your aching eyes
Reveal what I don’t realize
“I AM the Balm that heals your wounds,
I AM the Voice that gently soothes;
The breath beneath the sparrow’s wings,
The melody creation sings.
Is it too much to comprehend,
I want to be your closest Friend?
I’m not just thunder when you’re bad;
I’m Father, Papa, Abba, Dad.
And most of all, my darling, dear:
I AM Your husband, and I AM here.

"So what are you? Beloved bride,
You are my greatest source of pride.
You are my heart, my soul, my prize;
My spotless treasure, purified.
You were my daughter before you knew;
You are my home; I live in you.
An heir with Christ you’ll always be,
That’s what you are because of Me.”

Leave & Cleave

This weekend, I experienced one of the most exciting, frightening, wonderful, and breaking events of my life. It was at the same time both wonderful and devastating, God-ordained and heartbreaking.
On Saturday, my husband and I were sent out from the church of which I have been a part for the entire 23 years of my existence. No, not kicked out -- sent out. As ministers. To a new season, a new vision in God's plan and destiny for our lives. My father, my pastor, laid his hands of blessing on our shoulders and released us to go do God's work in a new place...a place I never imagined I'd be. And I am torn. Torn between the excitement of this new call and the deep-rooted attchment of the church which I have for so long called "home."
God is leading us to a new place. After months of prayer and waiting, my husband and I both heard the call to go to The Quarry Community Church in Monticello, MN and serve there. It's a wonderful church, and I know for certain it is where God has opened the doors for us to give. I'm blessed and excited, thrilled and confident in this work in our lives, yet I'm so reluctant to let go of the old vision, the passing season.
My dad is the pastor of Maranatha Christian Church at the University of Minnesota. All my life, our entire family's lives have revolved around the church, been entirely devoted to the church, been envolved in every aspect of the church. It's second nature to me. So to leave this church --to step out of my father's vision and into my husband's vision -- is extremely hard. I might even say it's been the hardest part of "leaving and cleaving" so far. I knew what I signed up for when I married; I knew that meant my husband's world was my world now. I knew today would come. Now it's here, and it's just as hard as I thought it would be. And I weep with joy over the destiny He had planned far in advance for our lives.
God didn't tell us to cleave to our husbands for nothing. He mentioned it because it's so vitally important, and not something we women would do on our own, naturally. Thank God that He puts this kind of stuff in His Word. Thank Him that He prepares us and teaches us what to do. Praise Him that He is faithful, that His grace is sufficient, and that he was the perfect example of perfect submission.
I praise God for Maranatha...for The Quarry...for my father...for my new pastor...and for my huband, the prophet, priest and king of our home.

C.S. Lewis

"Don't use words too big for the subject. Don't say 'infinitely' when you mean 'very'; otherwise you'll have no word left when you want to talk about something really infinite."

Blood Covenant

To the left is a picture of an engagement ring one of my friends received this weekend: a stunning ruby with two pure diamonds on either side of it. Gorgeous. But not your typical engagement ring.
Most girls (too many of us, as a matter of fact) have been dreaming of and envisioning what our engagement ring would look like from the time we were...oh, I don't know...like, nine years old or something. And most of us all had one rock in mind: a diamond. After all, diamonds are a girl's best friend, right? By the time we were 12, we had already picked out what size we wanted, what cut, whether or not we'd have white or yellow gold, and how Mr. Dreamy would propose to us. We girls are so stereotypical.
This engagement, though, was different. The groom waited for his bride on one knee at a picnic table, with communion elements - the symbol of Christ's broken body and spilled blood.
And then there was the ring. The never-ending circle of eternal covenant to give and give and give and never stop giving. A ruby. Red, like the blood of Jesus - the perfect covenant. Two pure diamonds, washed clean by the blood of the lamb, centered around and connected by their Savior. Without the covenant He made, we could never fulfill a covenant like marriage.
I have never seen a ring like this before, and I love it. I am so moved by it's symbolism and depth.
Congratulations, Dale and Brenda. Built on this foundation, may God continue to reveal aspects of His blood covenant with you and the promise you're making before Him.

Trick-or-Treat, Smell my Feet

Halloween was kind of fun this year, because for the first time in my life, I was a homeowner handing out candy to kids in the neighborhood. I opened the door to everything from two-year-olds in princess outfits, to five-year-old power rangers to thirteen-year-old kids with pillow cases (they generally don't dress up). It was so much fun to give them candy and watch their little eyes sparkle, especially the really little ones.
When it came to buying candy, we stockpiled. We bought so much candy, I thought for sure we'd have enough left over to last till our first anniversary. Reeses and Snickers and Skittles and Butterfingers and Twix and Nut Rolls (for the parents)...a myriad of sugary delights and Lord knows a couple days worth of belly aches for kids of all ages.
We never trick-or-treated growing up, but we never really missed out, either. We didn't get to dress up, but we did that on our own time anyhow. Mom always seems to buy "too much" candy so that we all got our fair share. I remember one time when I was 12 or 13 I had a friend over on Halloween. We wanted to go trick-or-treating, so instead my dad gave us each $20 and sent us down to the gas station to buy as much candy as we could with that budget! (Dad, I have a confession: Patty and I stopped at houses along the way to get more candy.) When we passed out candy, we would first staple a tract to it so the kids got both.
We also had another "tradition" in our home: no scary jack-o-lantern faces. We loved carving pumpkins, but istead of faces we'd carve things like crosses and fish and words like "Jesus." What a cool way to evangelize to all of the kids and parents walking around on Halloween!
I don't really have a point to these remembrances. I just like thinking about them. It really has no "blog value"...except may just to say thanks, Mom and Dad, for laying such a wholesome foundation full of such fond memories.

Ah, Humor!

This is hilarious. Click here.

Verse for the Day!

Titus 2:11-14

The grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to ALL MEN. It teaches us to say "No" to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age while we wait for the blessed hope -- the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, who gave Himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for Himself a people that are his very own, EAGER to do what is good. (!!!!)

Song Lyrics of the Day

Here are some more song lyrics to encourage you today. I've sung this hymn many-a-time in my 13 years at Fourth Baptist Christian School, but it hit me with a new meaning today now that I'm married. When I married JP, I took his name. I am no longer Audra Harpel, but Audra Charlebois. I have a new identity that connects me to JP (or I will...once I get around to changing my SS!).
When we give our lives to Jesus, we take his name. He is our bridegroom. And now we take that name with us everywhere we go. We're identified with Him...and that is such a comfort!

Here is the song:

Take the name of Jesus with you
Child of sorrow and of woe
It will joy and comfort give you
Take it then, where'er you go

Take the name of Jesus ever
As a shield from every snare
If temptations round you gather,
Breathe that holy name in prayer

O, the precious name of Jesus!
How it thrills our souls with joy
When His loving arms receive us
And His songs our tongues employ

At the name of Jesus bowing,
Falling prostrate at His feet
King of kings in heaven we'll crown Him
When our journey is complete

Precious name, O how sweet
Hope of earth and joy of heaven
Precious name, O how sweet
Hope of earth and joy of heaven

Women of Faith, Sandi Patty, and Me

Many of you have probably heard about the huge, national annual women's conference "Women of Faith." Believe me, when I say "huge," I mean sold-out-the-Excel-Center huge...more estrogen packed into stadiums around the country than you would EVER want to experience! Up until this year, I had never been before - and believe me, I was perfectly fine with that. 20,000 females in one place is not my idea of a particularly good time.
Yet somehow this year, I got suckered into going. Well, not suckered exactly. I kind of got myself into it. A friend from work had extra tickets, so I spamed out an email asking if anybody wanted to go. My mother-in-law felt like God was telling her to go, so I told her I would go with her. NOT for the conference, mind you, but for the opportunity to spend some good bonding time with her.
We got there Saturday morning and found our seats...very back balcony, very back row...and gazed out over the sea of hairdos, taking in the smells of mini donuts mixed with perfume & hairspray. "Oh God," I thought to myself, "This is going to be a long day."
Now, many of you are familiar with my "issues" with a certain Australian singer by the name of Rebecca St. James. (I'm not going to go into that - that's another blog.) But you probably don't know about my issues with another singer/songwriter, Sandi Patty. If you don't know anything about Sandi Patty, don't feel so bad. She was "big" when I was "little." I used to be a part of her "Friendship Company" where I would receive newsletters and tapes with children's music on it. I thought she was great. My style of music has since changed, and blaring soprano vibrato just doesn't do it for me anymore.
Probably about 12 years ago, Sandi Patty was busted for cheating on her husband. It rocked the CCM industry pretty hard since she was so well known. Ever since I found out about this - as young as I was - I have had extreme issues with her and her music. The mention of her name would send shivers up my back. Some people said she had repented, but of course she's going to "repent," I figured, because her reputation was at stake! Anyhow, that's my rant.
Go figure that one of the key note speakers at Saturday's conference was - you guessed it - Sandi Patty.
When it came time for Sandi to speak, I was in my seat thinking, "Oh Lord, please let this be over soon." She came out in all her pomp and makeup and sang an outrageous rendition of "Crown Him with Many Crowns" to which all God's menopausal women erupted in an equally as obnoxious thunder of applause and cheering. Sandi blew kisses to the crowd and I just rolled my eyes, thinking of a what a two-faced, phony, blasphemous person she was.
Shortly thereafter, she started getting into her message. And as much as I hated to admit it, she was pretty funny. She did this hilarious Barbara Streisand impersonation that I tried SO HARD not to laugh at...but it was really good.
What really surprised me, though, was when she started talking about the one topic I thought she would surely avoid - her affair. She made it very clear to the crowd of women that she had made a decision - a wrong decision - and that it was nobody's fault but her own. She talked about how she walked around in self-condemnation, feeling as though she had a big scarlet letter on her chest. Then she talked about repentance, restitution, and Biblical restoration. My jaw was hanging off the balcony by the time she was done as I realized this woman really had repented, and I continued to judge her.
As she was closing, she told a story of how shortly after everything went down, she wanted to go to church, but everywhere she went people would recognize her and reject her. Finally one Sunday, she went to a church she had never been to before where she was fairly sure nobody would recognize her. She went into the balcony and sat way up in the corner, hoping nobody would come by to greet her and ask her her name. The pastor preached on grace, and as he drew to a close he spoke to the visitors: "I know there are some of you out there who would love to get to know everybody around you, and then there are others of you who just want to sit in the back row of the balcony and be unnoticed. Just know that even if that's you, God is with you there, and He forgives you." God was speaking to her.
Then Sandi said, "maybe there are those of you here today who have your own issues, be it something as big as what I did or something as little as hurt or bitterness. I want you to know that even if you're in the very back row of the balcony in this place, God is there with you, and He forgives you."
OH MY GOODNESS! By this time my mother-in-law was poking and teasing me...sitting in the back row of the balcony...clinging to the bitterness I just wanted to hang on to...but having to laugh at God's creative way of getting my attention to an area of pride in my life. God has such a sense of humor!
Don't get me wrong, I'm still not going to run out and buy her CD...but I'm sure not going to speak out against God's annointed anymore! Thank you Lord for teaching me that funny lesson!

Ha ha! My Poor Guardian Angel...

I saw this and it reminded me that I'm not the only one whose work schedule has changed! :)

Life in the Newsroom

Sorry it's been a while since I last posted. It's been a crazy last couple of days! I started my new job yesterday, and it's been quite the adjustment! Remember how I mentioned I'm not much of a morning person? Well, these days I'm getting up about 2 hours earlier than before - at 4:30 am! That in an of itself is a major change in my life and something I'm going to have to get used to.
Things at WCCO are great - it's wonderful to be back in the biz. I am convinced that life in the newsroom is completely different than every other job in the universe. Everything is so fast-paced and dynamic; flexibility is a necessity for survival. Today, for instance - while I was supposed to be in training - the producer who was training me called in sick...which meant I was left to care for the show! On day two!!!! To top it off, we had 2-3 "breaking news" type of stories right before we went on the air. I was so nervous I thought I was going to puke, and I never would have gotten it all done on time without the help of some very talented (and calm) people over there. Talk about a tea bag situation - I was way past my boiling point today.
In other news, God's grace is sufficient. I made it through and hopefully tomorrow will be a little better.
I had another crock pot experience, too! (Wow, today seems to be the day of re-ocurring posts) This time I was trying a pot roast, and PRAISE THE LORD it turned out better than the funky chicken from days of old. It still wasn't great. We had to salt the heck out of it and the potatoes were mushy, but it was an improvement. Thank You, Lord, for being patient with me...and for my patient husband who so kindly bears with my cooking/sanctification.
On a totally different note, has anybody else seen this story? Apparently, Missouri had passed a new policy that forbid priosons to assist female inmates seeking to have abortions. But the Supreme Court overruled it...and off to Planned Parenthood she goes. Bummer. Now Missouri taxpayers are having to pay to end that baby's life.
This post is too scatterbrained for me to continue much further. One of these days when my body has adjusted to my new schedule and I've stopped vibrating from all of the coffee I've been drinking...I'll write a sane post again. :)

Rose of Sharon, Rare and Sweet

Yesterday I met up with some friends for lunch. It happened to be one of the gals' birthday, so on the way to meet up with her my other friend and I stopped at the farmer's market to buy her some flowers. A small thing, but we thought it would be nice.
After returning to work I received the following email:

"So, the flowers you got me prompted the receptionist in my office to ask me, 'OOOh, where did you get the flowers???' (no doubt she thought it was some boy)...and I said, 'Oh, my friends got them for me, because it's my birthday!' And she said, 'Oh, how old are you?' And I told her. And she said, 'Oh, so you were just legal last year, huh?' She's in her forties (and apparently went to rehab 2 yrs. ago). And I said, 'Actually, I haven't had a drink since I was 19.' And she said, 'Oh, really? Why not?' And I got to tell her that Jesus is my Lord, and I neither want nor need to drink anymore. And it turns out a Christian friend of hers has been trying to "convert" her...and she just agreed to go to the Women of Faith Conference with her. So now I can minister to and pray for this receptionist. And I had been kinda bummed out b/c I wasn't having much of a chance to minister here (I've spoken out but not really been able to minister). So see what those flowers prompted!
Thanks again...
For He says, 'AT THE ACCEPTABLE TIME I LISTENED TO YOU, AND ON THE DAY OF SALVATION I HELPED YOU'; behold, now is 'THE ACCEPTABLE TIME,' behold, now is 'THE DAY OF SALVATION.'
-2 Corinthians 6:2"

HALLELUJAH! Who would have thought that the simple act of stopping to buy a bouquet of flowers would open up doors to ministry. That's what we like to call a "divine appointment!" God was pre-ordaining that situation.
I hope all of you reading this will ALSO be praying for this receptionist. God is surrounding her with "Women of Faith" to minister into her life. Sounds to me like she is ripe for the harvest!
"Thank you, Lord, for using me in some small way...."

Judge Rules Against Planned Parenthood

Here's some slightly encouraging news:
"A judge has found that Planned Parenthood's St. Paul clinic broke state law when it performed an abortion on a 17-year-old girl without first telling her parents. Ramsey County Judge David Higgs agreed with the girl's parents that they should have been notified before the 2002 abortion. The parents argued the girl -- who was a high school senior at the time -- was still dependent on them. "

You can read the whole story here.