Blogger, I'm finished with you!

This Blog is officially over...on blogspot that is.

All older posts will remain on this site.

My updated (hopefully more often than recent) regularly blog is now (drumroll please...)

http://kelscaleb.wordpress.com

Make the change, come and visit. Please and thank you.

Blog Issues

So, the deal is this. I want a better template. No, I want a cool template for my blog.
I tried last night to put one on. I got it saved but then it won't let me put in my title or anything. No, I'm not smart enough to figure out how to change the HTML so that I can do that. Nor, do I want to be : )
Anyway I'm not settled on this pink deal you see now. It's a temporary fix until I get get "cooler."
Can someone help? Please?

I was clearly in the wrong...

When I first dissed this guy. Actually I dissed his name. Someone asked me in August if I had ever heard of "Phil Wickham." Since the team was from England I kind of made a joke about how English the name sounded and who the heck was Phil Wickham and how the heck would or should I know him? (And, I'd just like to add here, how in the world would I know whether or not a name sounds English or not.?) They went on...he's a worship leader, he's my friend, he's from the States, thought you might have heard of him so on and so on. (Something like that - can't exactly recall the conversation.)
Well during the time the team was here they played a CD they had of his. Secretly I got hooked to this one song they seemed to have on repeat a lot. But, I couldn't let them know that I actually liked the song. I mean, c'mon, I dissed him Day 1. You know? Hopefully, since I haven't been posting to this blog so often lately, some of those team members will have forgotten to check this blog and still never find out the whole truth.

The truth continues...
I searched for him on iTunes. I know. Although I honestly and completely didn't expect him to have anything there. Afterall he was just "a friend of _________" and let's be honest. There are about 5 million male worship leaders in the States who have put together a little record. Just because this team had an album didn't mean he had reached iTunes.
But, there he was. iTunes. Not just 1 album, but more than 1 album.
Dang it. There was nothing stopping me now. I really, really wanted to have that song I had heard. There was no way I could ask the team for it because then they would know that I actually liked his music. I couldn't remember the song exactly so I was going to have to buy the entire album. To make it a little more worthwhile I set a personal goal and once I reached it I would allow myself to buy it...but just for that "one song."
I reached that goal last week and finally bought this guy's first album.
This is al I have to say after listening to it pretty much 24/7 since getting it.
I, Kelsey Corrina Winters, swear to never ever ever ever judge someone's name as "sounding English" ever again.

Seriously. I'm going to be really honest here. This guy brings a musical style to worship that is so lacking in Christian music. And, it's good. Really good. Just speaking from hello dorky Kelsey went to music school point of view. I'm serious - he's really talented. And his voice is so unique as well. That is awesome as well to hear. Not that he was the one who decided what his voice would sound like but...you know.
Now, to put this in a Jesus perspective. Right. The words that God pours through this guy's songs...the music He led him to put to it...all of it....it has cracked open a part of my soul that I didn't know needed to be laid bare before God.

You and Jesus need some time together? Put this album on and be on your face for awhile.
It was like streams of water for me today...
http://www.amazon.com/Phil-Wickham/dp/B000EU1PNM

I found his website earlier tonight if you want to check that out instead...
http://philwickham.com/blog/

I think I'm ready now to deal with the consequences from the team. Maybe it's good that I got this out in the open before I see them in a week and a half. I'm not going to try and save face - just going to be honest. I more than like the music. There - it's out!

How am I going to see the team from England in a week and a half? Let's just say that when a $33 roundtrip plane ticket shows up you just buy it. Actually ended up being $46 when I checked my bank account. Not sure how that happened but still $46 roundtrip. Are you freakin' kidding me? I'll fly from Budapest up to Glasgow and stay with really close friends there. After spending some much needed time with them, and hopefully some me & God in the beautiful hills alone time, I'll head down to Carlisle, England to visit the team. (It's just a little over an hour by train from Glasgow to them.) I've been trying to save up for a trip to visit my friends in Glasgow for a year and a half...just haven't been able to pull enough together. God has been so incredibly provisional. All my bills are being paid each month. My rent is paid each month. Caleb and I have food each month. But putting anything aside for Scotland just doesn't work. And, that's okay! I had been praying though, since September, that God could somehow make a trip work this year. The only tickets I had found were at least $120 roundtrip - a no go for Kels financially. Then one of the cheapy airlines 2 weeks ago had a 2 day sale with these roundtrip tickets in February and March. "For fun" I decided to check out some dates and ended up buying one. I had been able to put aside the amount for the ticket over these past months so I definitely had peace that God had prepared this ticket for me to go. Hard, as usual, that Caleb can't come. Ugghh. I just miss my son so much when I'm away from him - and I know he has such a hard time without Mom. Thankfully though, he'll stay with my good friend and her son (Caleb and him are like brothers) while I'm gone. I'll be returning the favor for her when she takes a week break at the end of April and her son will stay with us!

The Latest from Casa Alba...

And that would be...TUG OF WAR.
This is how we started off our program 2 Saturdays ago. It was HILARIOUS. The girls won once (the first time actually) and the boys won the next two times. I am so thankful for our very creative donation warehouse boss, Martin, who came up with this extremely creative "rope" for us. (Old hospital blankets tied together!!)
Enjoy the pictures below from the fun! (Click on Shutterfly Link Below)



6 pictures
View Album at Shutterfly

Let's see...what else. This weekend the foundation I serve with hosted a youth conference. This is the second year in a row and it was amazing. The speaker from last year returned and the Club was PACKED. Only the very last two rows way in the back were empty. (Which turned out to be the perfect spot for Caleb to spread out his memory cards, as well as color, while Mom soaked in the teaching!) This particular speaker is very blunt and very transparent...I have so, so appreciated the impact his teaching has made on how I view God. If I can find a website with some info on him I'll post it.

CRISTINA LEFT TODAY! WOOHOO! All of you who have prayed for this day - well, it finally came. She was able to permanently move to the home of an immediate family member. How many years has it been since she arrived...2, more than that? I can't even remember now.
Some of the kids were crying during her goodbye party today. I think in part it was that their friend was leaving but also they were crying out of hurt that they weren't the ones leaving...well, at least I'm going to guess that was part of it. Please continue to pray that these kids would be able to leave SOON to families that desire to love and raise them with HIS love and wisdom. Amin!

By the way, this is "fun." I made the cake for the party today. My friend had it in her lap as we were driving to Casa Alba. As I turned the car around, the top layer slid off into her lap.
Yup, that was grrrreat. Then, I carried the cake into Casa Alba and the top layer slid onto my shoulder. Even more grrrreat. The staff at Casa Alba were, thankfully!, able to patch it up enough that I didn't feel like I had ruined the party : )