Leon is leaving!

Our Pastor and friend, Leon Shelton is leaving Washington Heights after 20+ years! He's decided to pursue other interests. So, his last day is October 12 and it's coming up very quickly! Quicker than I care to think about...

Over the years, I have really appreciated Leon's gifts. He is such an amazingly talented man! As the old saying goes, he has the ability to "get blood from a turnip". Seriously, he has taught, mentored, shaped and encouraged many people over the years, helping them to realize their God-given gifts, both spiritually and musically.

He's a visionary. For 19 years, he's produced our Christmas Dinner Theater and many other special events. My mom, my husband and I have participated in several of these productions. It's always fun to see the vision God puts in Leon's head come to life. This will be his first year as a consultant to the dinner theater. It's good that we will still benefit from his insight.

I cannot describe the void that will be created by Leon's absence. Through his work over the years, he has touched so many lives...and...he's changed me. I will forever value his friendship! Although I will miss him terribly, I'm excited to see the great things God has in store for him and I'm sure we'll stay in touch.

"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." Jeremiah 29:11

Deeper Still Conference

On the first weekend in September, I was blessed with the opportunity to attend the Deeper Still Conference in Las Vegas at the Harold & Mack Arena on the UNLV campus. I went with a group from our church and we all had a great time. As I was packing, look who jumped in and thought she was going on a trip!

The Deeper Still Conference features three speakers, Kay Arthur, Beth Moore, and Priscilla Shirer, representing three different generations. Representative of women in their 30's, 50's and 70's and all that those stages of life entail, these women seek to impart wisdom, encouragement and love grounded in the truth of Jesus.

I attended the Las Vegas event. I must say, I've never been to Vegas and not seen one single slot machine. However, if you go to Vegas for a Christian women's conference....it can be done! The truth is...I didn't miss the gambling environment one single bit!

There were about 5,500 women in attendance at this event and about 125 in my group. Here we all are gathering for a group photo outside the arena.

As sisters in Christ, we shared time in praise and worship led by Travis Cottrell and the Living Proof Live worship team! The music was incredible and I enjoyed every single minute of it!

This is a view of the praise and worship inside the arena.

We also made time to connect with old friends....this is Julie. She works at Weber State University and has led the Women in Motion group for several years now. Women in Motion is a fitness program designed to get sedentary women up and walking. The goal of this group is to have each member participate in the Ogden Marathon by walking at least one mile. For the past two years, I have completed the half marathon (13.1 miles!) event and no matter how you slice it...13 miles is a LONG way! Anyway, as I said, Julie is the backbone of that program and she's such an encouragement to many women, including me!

And we had time to build new friendships. Here I am with my roommates. From left to right, we have Margy, Sondra, Phyllis and me. Although I've known OF these ladies for a long time, I didn't really know them personally. We all had a great time together. Margy, Sondra and Phyllis have been friends for MANY years and it was nice that they let me tag along with them for a few days. I really enjoyed the time we spent together.

Of course there was time for instruction. Each speaker instructed us using stories from her own life, her sense of humor and her unique perspective on God's Word. It was a time that ministered to many of the women I spoke with and answered questions for those who came seeking. I think it's always amazing how God will meet you wherever you are and reveal himself to you if you. Many of the women, including me, were moved to tears on more than one occassion as God revealed himself in the most remarkable ways.

Our event planners were marvelous and left nothing to chance. They scheduled time for us to attend a local worship service - worship LAS VEGAS STYLE!! And boy, was it. There is an incredible church in Las Vegas (I'm sure there is more than one incredible church in Vegas, but this is the one we attended) called Central Christian (http://www.centralchristian.com/). Below is one of several entrances.

Since I didn't take any pictures during the worship service, I'll just tell you that musically, it was everything you would expect in a Las Vegas concert and more. I'm not sure it was particularly worshipful, for me...but I would say it was presented with skill and excellence.

This church has implemented many of the concepts our leadership has discussed. It was really an incredible, friendly, warm and wonderful environment. Inside, they had a bookstore that rivaled Barnes & Noble. It was incredible!

They were also fully stocked with CDs of amazing Christian artists, both local and nationally known.

Their coffee shop was also amazing! They served not only coffee, but many other specialty drinks.

This church is unique because of its organizational structure. This is also something our church is considering. Central Christian is one church meeting in several different locations. On this particular Sunday, they were launching a new venue in addition to their "online" church. Everyone I spoke to was very excited about the growth of their new venues.

I really liked the way Central Christian visually depicted their mission on the wall as you enter their worship center. It seemed very effective and artistic to me. They say a picture is worth a thousand words and I would agree.

As part of their celebration, they were hosting a "block party" for all youth, jr. high and above. This event was well attended and featured bands, games and a way for youth to get connected with each other in a relaxing and fun environment....BLOCK PARTY LAS VEGAS STYLE!!! Yes, that is a rock-climbing wall and a bunge-bouncing thingy (sorry, I don't know the real name of that device!) in the background.

And a quick pic of the band. Yes, these young people are SERIOUS musicians!

Lastly, back inside the facility, this is one of the entrances to the kids' area. Seriously, it looked so fun it made me want to go check it out.

Central Christian really has some great ideas when it comes to attracting children and making church fun for them. Here are a couple of their logos for kids' programs.


Once the service ended, we embarked on the long journey home. Here is some of the beautiful scenery Southern Utah has to offer. The red rock formations are unique to the Southern Utah/Arizona/Nevada area.

We stopped for a quick lunch in St. George, Utah and I took the opportunity to snap this pic of Sondra and me. It was sad to think the weekend was coming to an end.

On a potty break stop, I noticed this beautiful creature and thought you'd like to see a shot of him! Sweet, huh? Um, I don't know if you can read the sign but I'm going to need you to stay off the animals...ok?

Finally, the bus ride home provided some quiet time for reading and reflection. A friend gave me the book, The Shack, and I started it on this trip. Although it's an unconventional take on the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, it's well worth the read and thought provoking to say the least! Pick it up if you get a chance. It will really make you think!

Overall, I couldn't ask for a better experience! What a great weekend of solice in the midst of a lot of chaos! I can't wait for the next time!

Bath Day!

So it was bath day! Lahki is such a great dog. She loves her bath and even gets curious enough to check out the shower when someone is in it! Yes, that can be a surprise! She's so sweet though. Jayson called her a "puppy burrito" on this day. I just couldn't resist showing you her cuteness!

You Are What You Eat

I have a new favorite TV show! It's "You Are What You Eat" on BBCA (BBC America). Holistic nutritionist Gillian McKeith is the star of the show. She's a petite, blond no-nonsense dietary nightmare who goes into British homes and helps overweight, underactive, sugar, salt and fat-loving Brits get off "take-aways" ("take out" for us Americans) and processed foods and get on to fresh, healthy eating.

I confess, I have been one of those sugar, salt, fat-loving people! Fried food seems to be a stress reliever but I've noticed there are a lot of things that taste better than fried foods. So I love to watch her work with people who turn their lives around. I have learned a lot about vitamins (and it's cute the way she pronounces vih-tah-mins rather than vye-ta-mins).

As Jayson and I have watched many episodes, we've witnessed the complete turnaround many people have made. Not only do they lose weight but they have more energy and a renewed zest for life. So, the Telfords have adopted the philosophy of eating out less (which you KNOW is hard for me!) and including more "whole" foods. For us, it's not even about losing weight (although that's a side effect) but rather about eating fresh, tasty food and eliminating the crap! We're focusing on more fruits, veg (as she says), whole grains, white meat and fish. I know this healthy diet isn't "breaking news" to anyone, but it's a nice commitment we've made in the Telford household. Week 1 down and going very well!

We aren't following the "letter" of Jillian's plan but the "spirit" of her plan. Many of the British foods aren't common in US grocery stores but I'm planning to hit the whole foods store to incorporate more of her suggestions.

During the first 8 weeks, she really advocates you get off dairy. I don't drink milk anyway, but I love cheese and enjoy yogurt. One of the neatest things I've found recently is Rice Dream Shelf Stable Non-Dairy Beverages. Both of the flavors below are yummy!!!! Chocolate Chai and Vanilla Hazlenut are geat and a nice base for whole fruit smoothies. There is also an Almond Dream beverage which, when mixed with brown rice and raisins, makes a mean rice pudding! No sugar needed! I'm going to continue experimenting with these beverages for treats. They are really delicious!!!!

OK, so here's to healthy eating! I'll keep you posted.

Card Making 101

I belong to a Card Making club. Every other month, each member creates a card design and makes that design for each member of the club. We exchange them like you would a cookie exchange. It's a really fun thing to do. I enjoy the creativity of creating designs and the deadline ensures I'm focused enough to get it done...rather than thinking, "One day I'll make cards...."

On this particular month, I was trying a new technique I read about in a magazine. It included tissue paper and water. Of course I had my own "special" ingredients who couldn't wait to craft...
1 curious kitty
1 sneeky little PUPsicle

Because I was in a hurry to try the technique, I opened the tissue paper on my bed and that caught the attention of two furry little creatures! Pups tried her hand at brushing water on the tissue paper (or eating the brush...whatever!) while kitty looked on...trying not to appear interested.....AT FIRST!

When kitty moved in on the action, there was a little competitive crafting banter between my helpers!

Laying ON TOP OF my tissue paper was not helpful! Neither one of my furry little helpers were contributing very much to this project. OK, she tried hiding UNDER the paper....um, that didn't help either!Finally, the technique was complete and Pupsicle gave her approval. However, after letting the project sit the required amount of time I'm sorry to say it didn't work. Back to the drawing board. Needless to say, we all had fun! Here are some of the designs I've created.