Smells I Like to Smell...

I was tagged by Mary, so here's a post to the smells that I love. There seems to be a theme...

I LOVE the smell of clean laundry. I have been known to stick my head in the washer after a nice clean load and hang out for awhile.



Chocolate! Sometimes I like smelling it more than I like eating it.


My husband would say that I am addicted to the smell of these. He is probably right...


Ahh, the smell of clean kids right after their bath! I just want to squeeze them and sniff their clean hair. Most of the time they let me.


And who doesn't love the smell of clean cats? Probably the cats.


One of my new favorite smells is this Hawaii Coconut from Bath and Body Works.


And my favorite standby? Island Cotton. It smells like clean clothes!


But the smell that is me is this perfume. I have been wearing Curve for over 12 years now. Once a lady at church was in the elevator after me and she said that she knew I had just been there because she could smell my perfume. It has a nice, fresh, clean smell.


Did you get the theme? I never realized I was so obsessed with things smelling clean! Thanks Mary, this was great fun!

What I Learned at Bible College

Another blogger, Classic Mary Moments (see her in the blog roll at right), did a post called just this. Her's was 95% serious. It made me think of the things I learned in Bible College. So here is my list. Warning! It is 95% unserious.

10. A good roommate is important. A bad one will yell at you. A good one will still yell at you, but you can yell back.

9. She will probably yell if you turn on the radio early in the morning.

8. It is possible to live on ramen noodles, mac and cheese and Spagetti-os. But only if you work for a good restaurant where you get a nice discount.

7. Some teachers do not read every essay. You can test this theory by slipping a paragraph about Little Red Riding Hood into the middle of your Bible Survey paper. If you get a 99%, they didn't read all of your paper.

6. Some teachers will read every word that every student writes. It will be a joy to write papers for them.

5. If the switch to the bathroom is on the outside of the bathroom, store a flashlight in the bathroom.

4. If you blow a candle out 10 seconds before room check, the dorm mom will still guess that you had a candle burning.

3. If you climb on top of the closet and lift the ceiling tiles to spy on you suitemate, you might get hung on a nail trying to get down.

2. A good roommate will help you down. Your roommate will laugh and take your picture. You will have to tape her singing in the shower to recover said picture.

1. You CAN be a totally different person in three years! (In a good way!)

In all honesty, Bible College changed my life. I had a lot of fun, but a lot of serious moments also. It was there that God took all of the bitterness I had in my heart out, there that I knew I was going to be in Asia one day, and there that I had a vision about the revival that is beginning here now. I made great friends that I am still in contact with 11 years later and still think of as some of my greatest friends. Rest in Peace JCM!

I'm going on Va-cay-shun!

This year, Chris and I will celebrate 10 years of marriage. Mama and Dad Bracken came up to us about a month ago and said something like this, "Hey, we have enough flier miles for two free tickets and enough points with a hotel company to get four or five nights free and we want to give these to you for your anniversary, so where do you want to go?" (Yes, I did hit the in-law jackpot! UH, I mean blessingpot!) After convincing Chris and debating about where to go, we decided on this place. Can you guess it? here is clue number 1:



Still not sure? Here is another hint:


Okay, the final hint. You should get it for sure now:


YES! We are going to Rome in June! I am so excited! Of course with Rome being built on seven hills and expecting tons of walking, I am seriously visiting the exercise room in our building about 5 times a week. Counting last week, I have 9 weeks to train. Last week, I lost 3 pounds and will try to keep you all updated.

Rome! Man, I can't believe it!

***In case you are wondering, the first picture is the Colosseum, the second is the Pantheon and the third, well, it's a map!

Oh My Hallelujah, Guess What!

One of the people in the above picture got the HOLY GHOST last Sunday night. Can you guess who?



Here is another hint. He wanted to get baptized right after church. Am I one happy momma? Oh yeah, you better believe it!

I recently told Chris, "If you do not want the Holy Ghost, you had better not show up at our church, because everyone showing up without it is leaving with it!" Hallelujah!

Conference Reporting...

Okay, let me explain the title. It is not incorrect English. I have learned from teaching English (certainly never from studying English!) that when we use -ing, it is called Present Continues es and indicates that something started in the past and is still continuing at this present time. (Aren't I smart? See, Alabama girls can be smart!) Soooo, this is my report of our National Conference and its continuing effects!

We had an awesome conference! This year we had a Nationalization Service conducted by Bro. Howell and Bro. Shalm. Taiwan is now an official nationalized work and that means that we are totally self-governing. What an awesome step for the work and ministry here in Taiwan.

We had incredible services with Bro. Stoneking and about 10 people received the Holy Ghost. I am not sure if I really believe this number because my husband and I have had this exact conversation at least 5 times.

Chris: "You know that _____________ got the Holy Ghost at national conference, right?"

Me: "Really? I didn't know! I am so excited!"

Chris: "Yeah, I thought you knew."

And repeat 4 more times.

Now for the best part! We have had 6 people to be baptized at our church since the conference and 6 people to receive the Holy Ghost. I have also heard reports from the other churches of people receiving the Holy Ghost and being baptized. There hasn't been a Sunday since conference that there hasn't been someone receive the Holy Ghost or get baptized at at least one, if not more, of our churches in Taiwan! Last Sunday, we had a man from Mainland China to get the Holy Ghost!! He is an exchange student that some people from our HsinChu (a city just south of Taipei. Refer to map above.) bible class met and invited to church. He travel south for about 5 hours to get to our church and God filled him! He will soon return to China.

The Sunday after conference, the new church in Chia-I(a city about two hours north of Kaohsiung. Refer to map above.) had their church dedication. I believe I counted about 70 people at the dedication. It was hard to count with all of the people standing in the back and around the sides because of the lack of chairs! (or I should say, the lack of room for more chairs!) Also, the first Sunday in April, our Taipei church will have its dedication! In less than four years, we have gone from 2 churches to 6 churches with another one in the works! I can't tell you thrill of excitement that I feel just typing that sentence! How many will it be next year?

Sleep Warnings...

If you are ever laying on your stomach across your bed reading a book, NEVER fall asleep with your legs from the knees down hanging off the bed and your face buried flat into the pillow. If you do, you will dream that you are trying to fly uncooperative planes, drive uncooperative cars, and dress uncooperative babies. But most frustrating with be the uncooperative conversations you will have. Why could that lady not just understand that she had to buy the "Sand Vase", a word I apparently made up in my dream, at the hotel gift shop, then come to my store and buy her sand? I can't help it that we do not sell the Sand Vases because the gift shop is the only one with a permit to do such!! (Yes, it appears that I have a vivid and detailed imagination)

And my final warning? Never make it a habit to fall asleep face down. Were I to ever croak and fall on the bed, my family would just assume I was sleep for at least a good 8 hours or so...

Bubbly Ethan

My kids and I have a deal. IF they can finish their homework for the week before Thursday night, they can play in the jacuzzi in my bathroom. Doubly special since their bathroom doesn't have a bathtub, just a shower. Tonight I came to get Ethan out and found this:



Do you think he followed the rule about not getting anymore soap?