birthday getaway

Since we couldn't do much for our birthdays (which were the week of Acquire the Fire), I was determined to do something special the weekend after. After a tip from Bernard about wanting to go for a nice walk and some help from my mom, I had a plan: take Bernard out for a walk on Friday night. What he didn't know is that I packed for the weekend, put everything in the trunk, and started driving north.
We spent the weekend on the North Shore hiking, relaxing, and taking in the beautiful scenery. We stayed at a hotel that had a water slide, so that was a bonus, too (thanks, Mom!). We toured several state parks, took lots of pictures, browsed in local shops, and ate some amazing food.
The actual "walk" was Saturday night. The MN DNR puts on candlelight snowshoe walks all over the state in the winter. Neither of us had ever tried snowshoes before, but we thought we'd give it a shot. It was so beautiful - walking under the billions of stars with candles (surrounded by ice columns) to light the way. Needless to say, we had a wonderful time!
Here are some of the pictures of the weekend. (no, none of the showshoe walk - we forgot the camera!) I guess it just means we'll have to do it again next year. Enjoy!

Acquire the Fire

Last weekend was Acquire the Fire - here's a quick recap: ATF is an event to spur youth into a passionate relationship with Jesus. There are amazing speakers, concerts from great bands, awesome worship, a full-length drama, and lots of time to hang with friends or meet new ones. Each year elevate goes to this event we see youth come away strengthened and encouraged in their walk with God...and of course it opens doors for us (as leaders) to speak into their lives. This year we weren't disappointed! We are so privileged to be able to impact this generation! This video is a taste of what the event looked like (kudos to Nathan Walkington for putting it together). Enjoy!

endless winter

ok, i love the festive feeling of Christmas and New Year...but now that we've just turned the corner into February, I've had enough! It been cold, cold, cold. ah, Minnesota - winter 6 months of the year. Will I ever get used to it? Bernard sure doesn't seem to mind. At least it's snowing today. (sigh)
In all honesty, life must be pretty good if all I have to complain about is the weather. So, no more complaining. Only a request - hello to all of you in warmer climates. I am now accepting donations for a plane ticket to come visit you. Any takers? :0)