Following HIS Lead

its been a couple days since my last post. and i cant remember what i said, but again, im gonna talk about my kiddos. being in head start has been wonderful. my class is really great. we did assessments this last week, which was stressful for me cause i was the "teacher" all week (sidenote: i'm so glad that im not a teacher..i know without a shadow of a doubt that the Lord is not calling me to teach at the "secondary" level: elementary to highschool). it amazes me the gifts and skills the Lord creates in us. All our kids come from homes where Spanish is their first language, and a handful of them do speak some english in the home, but for the most..its all espanol; so then we test them and half of them test fluent in both english and spanish. you have to understand this is abnormal, to be fluent in both languages at 4, not having "formal" education...yes we do have an academic side to head start, but theres more to it than preparing them for kindergarten.

anyways, their minds are beautiful and daily im blessed to be in the presence of the molding of hearts; through these precious, little humans, created in the image of our God, I hear the Lord saying "this is the faith i'm calling you to have, there is no fear in love Alisha, listen to me because i am in control and I know whats best" so many times im convicted and burdened by the things i teach and tell my kids in class, because those same things have a spiritual application to my life-like the Lord is telling me..listen to yourself...hear me-this "advice and wisdom" youre imparting to them is what i want you to trust and listen to from me.

i wish i could really put to life how much of a joy the South Knoll Bilingual Head Start class has been in my life. i wish you could come see me at work-cause thats the fun of it...its not "work": i get to do what i do best everyday-so that helps me battle all the insecurity and doubt & confusion i've been going through lately; my job affirms the Lord's hand in my life. granted my kids do get on my nerves, they arent these "precious little angels" all the time, but thats where the reality of our flawed world comes in-that we are dirty at the core of it-even at 4.

switching gears, last night was our final night of logos and the Lord truly blessed our time together with wonderful food, fellowship and laughter. for a couple weeks i was MIA here and there, but it was allowed cause Ben was always gone too and he was the leader. anyways, our group was a really random conglomeration of people & i love thats how the Lord works because I would have never had conversations with some of them because they would have never crossed my path. it made me sad that the semester was ending cause i still want to meet every week with them. luckily, lisa will still be here through the summer & beyond since she's taking over lacy's job, so i'm hoping to get some quality time with her.

anyway, today i took a much needed day off from work, and traveled up to btown to see Marissa and get some wisdom from Marcus; and its the first time ive been back since i left. its really affirming to see that my "decision" to step down was the "right" one. Debbie is doing an amazing job with the children's ministry and just the progress and attitude of everything was affirming to see in Marcus's and Chris's lives; so much so that i know i can be a bigger part of their lives than i have been. i kept my distance for awhile-just felt like that is what was needed, but after being here today, i know i can be a present instead of a past..that sounds so cliche & lame, but oh well- i know i am loved and have family here and am in the place to finally receive it again...too much i think im driven by fear-but priase the Lord we are empowered by the Holy Spirit..hope and power are to promises im holding to these days.

grace & peace,
lish

here are my kiddos...such blessing, reminding me daily of eternal perpesctive and childlike faith


yes, that is valerie in her girl scout uniform with a gameboy and talkboy & thats me being an awesome passenger.

This past weekend I had the pleasure of accompanying, one of my favorite people in the entire universe, Valerie Blakey, home to Brandon, Mississippi, a suburb of Jackson, the captial.

We left CS around 430 Thursday afternoon and made it into our beds in MS around 200am and slept gloriously until 845 when Lady Grace, the dog woke me up and then i subsequently after an awkward conversation with Val's mom, woke Valerie up. Friday was spent recovering from the drive and relaxing, since it was vacation. Friday night we hung out with on of Val's really good friends and ate a Greek place..it was very yummy, and then she showed me around downtown Jackson..a very cool place. Saturday we slept in, grabbed lunch with some more of Val's friends who were in town for Easter too. After lunch, it was more hang out time at Val's homes away from home, and then to the Mississippi Brave's game...yes, the MS Braves..they are a farm team. The game was a lot of fun. Saturday we stayed up late watching one of our favorite movies Elizabethtown and then talked and determined Sunday morning when we were at the 8ooam service that it was too late. After church, we went out for breakfast with Val's mom, toured some more of Jackson & then headed back to the house. There we napped and packed, the headed out of town about 145 and made it back to College Station at 1230.

a couple revelations about the trip:
1. a crappy cd player will not play even the most perfect of cds
2. people in mississippi are more literate than we give them credit for
3. I will never like cats.
4. stapling your ear to lose weight is one of the dumbest ideas ive ever heard.
5. the residents in Baton Rouge, LA dont eat out
6. its all about who you know


on a different note, my orientation packet for going overseas with Greater Europe Mission came in and Im officially waiting for my graduate acceptance/rejection letter to East Carolina University. Still in the bilingual Head Start at south knoll elementary and loving it.

grace & peace,
lish

well..since nothing in my life is very exciting..the closet most exciting news is that my sister has a date on Friday :o)

maybe i'll be able to update more this week.

grace & peace,
lish

last monday i decided no matter what was going on, i was taking a trip up to arlington to see my BFF..the only thing stopping me, was extreme plans like going out of town, funeral, wedding, etc..

Libby time was wonderful-free concert, fun bsm kids, sleeping til noon, a haircut, a bbq & ranger game, icecream and church @ 121. time with Libby is always special, full of laughter and great fun. i got to see first hand why she loves uta so much. its a family there..man, at no time did i feel like the random friend from out of town...it was good times! It was such an encouragement to hear about her work there and the hearts that are changing, and internationals coming to Christ. It really was a blessing to see the Body at work.

anyways..libby thanks for a great weekend!

grace & peace,
lish

so apparently i'm a better wrestler than i thought i was... ;o)

Lombardi 2
Blakey nada


This week passed by really quickly, much faster than i thought it would. The beginning was pretty crummy, yet our gracious Father blessed me with an incredible friend who ministered to my heart all week. Friendships are interesting things; doing them right is pretty difficult too.

The Lord's sovereginity has encouraged me a lot this week. Seeing processes and purposes for things in my past unfold opens the door for refinement and wisdom, and also makes me eager for His divine future to become a present in my life..but knowing that i have to deal with a lot of stuff/sin before I can get there is a great challenge for me, and I'm ready.

I'm so very excited about this weekend :o)
grace & peace,
lish

Wrestling TKOs

Lombardi 1
Blakey 0

booyah.

man, i have had an intense couple of days-mentally/spiritually speaking.
The Spirits role in my life to convict and bless has been incredible-to see activeness and the needing to committ specific things to prayer that require immediate action and trust. Time and time again im blown away by this blessed hope and assurance we are guaranteed through Christ Jesus-i'm mean, i dont deserve this and screw up yet, He's always there, it might not always be smiles but to see Him tangibly at work in my life in the midst of a lot of vagueness and unclarity is a ginormous encouragement to me.

Purposefullness is the prayer of me heart these days. To be in pursuit of the glory and the will of the Lord with genuine motivation is the yearning in my soul.

goodnight friends

grace & peace,
lish

[author's note: this post is dedicated to Valerie M. Blakey aka the coolest junior I know, former roommate & currently shares my brain at times...]

Once upon a time, (actually March 7th, 2006) I was introduced to Valerie Blakey (pictured left). At the time, all i knew about this girl was that she was in the Corps of Cadets and did video stuff for Freedom at one time. Little did I know, that in less than a week, I would find out that we were possibly friends/twins in a former life.

Our story begins during Spring Break, on a mission trip to Grove City, PA. Early in the trip it is very obvious that Valerie is super cool and i immediately want to be her friend..so we become roommates for the duration of our stay in the Metroplex of SR, GC and Harrisville, and by roommates, I mean inseparable for the remainder of the trip, experimenting in the realms of telepathy(-not really).
Background: Valerie Marie (yup, we share a middle name) B. was born on June 12th, in some year after 1982.. Shes from Mississppi and enjoys playing outside, especially rock climbing. As I mentioned before, Valerie is in the Corps, so she is mostly familiar with things boy due to the fact the Corps is mostly guys. Which is fine, because like all of you know, I'm not a girly-girl [thus we get along fabulously....but it is quite funny that compared to Valerie...i'm pretty girly].

So we continue...
during our stay in PA, it was my job to prepare all the meals and its on Sunday that Valerie takes her first steps at learning girlness...She watched me make banana bread..and even helped a bit: melting the butter! But while she was becoming woman...i was learning boy-i wrestled for the first time in my life-and got my butt kicked. You should also take note that at this time, I had just recently learned how to knit and had my knitting needles going lickidy-split. [And secretly Val was watching every moved and stitch I made ;)] Another important step into womanhood, was the opening the canned food for me on Thursday when I made Taco Soup-she even helped give out the recipe to a lady when I was busy!

It was a the end of the week that Valerie finally bloomed...she made banana bread and even learned how to knit..contributing quite a bit to my scarf-that i will probably have done by next winter. Her training in womanhood has not come to an end, this is only the beginning! Hopefully by the end of the summer we will have mastered the arts of cooking/baking, frolicking, slumber parties and basketweaving....:o)

Valerie, I love you tons and cant believe we hadnt met and been friends before now. You are a delight and i love "taking care of ya"! I'm looking forward to camping and rock climbing and more wrestling..bring it on sista!

You can check out Valerie for yourself at http://vblakey.blogspot.com.

The dynamic duo
grace & peace, lish

Wednesday morning
Start Time: 7:15am
Temperature: really, really, ridiculously cold
Task: a morning run
Finish Time: 7:40am

Yes, we are Team X-treme. While the rest of our team, was snuggled up warmly in bed, under quilts, me, Betsy and Valerie were stretching for our run. [sidenote: my fellow runners (Valerie & Betsy were more extreme than me running in shorts, but I was the most warm!]


Its 930pm and i've just gotten home from eatting with the Grove City team at the coco loco, and wanted to share just a bit with yall from the trip. I admit, i didnt take very many pictures so once everyones' pics have been added to the site, I'll pull some more & tell some other great stories.

Spring Break turned out to be very restful and relaxing; I love how the Lord works, especially through the little things.

good night and sleep tight.
grace & peace,
lish

so, i love random trips.
like for instance, i decide the week of to go on the Grove City, PA trip, and little did i know i would be meeting the coolest, most incredible gal ever, the one and only Valerie M. Blakey (and yes we share a middle name), aka- my partner in crime, Capt. Crabby. I would post a picture of this dynamic duo, but alas i forgot my usb cable to the camera. so to my faithful readers, pictures will be posted in the next week (hopefully).

grace & peace,
lish
[aka sgt. sensitive]

is it borderline stalker-ish that my storage unit "landlord" sent me a Chilis giftcard?

i'm a little weirded out...but glad for a free meal ;)

things are still trucking along..i'm sure my readers arent too disappointed with the lack of posts..dont worry andrew, i'll get a good one out shortly.

grace & peace,
lish

yea for answered prayers...i'm the South Knoll Head Start Bilingual teaching assistant until March 10th!
for real..its the perfect job for me..the Lord is so good!

grace & peace,
lish

my posting hasnt been as much as i wouldve liked the past couple weeks...but i have some free time so its a good opp..
anyways, i've started subbing for College Station ISD and the Lord has really blessed it! i've landed a quasi-regular job in the head start bilingual class at south knoll elementary; which equals 19 little 4-5yr old hispanic kids running around and telling me i dont speak very good spanish..which is true because i'm a whole lot rusty. but its completely up my ally: kids and spanish all in one job!
half marathon training is going okay...ive gotten shin splints so its a couple days off for me, which the timing is kinda good with my allergies..with the cold weather and tree pollen at its hype, my head feels like its gonna explode, so i really dont feel like running. hopefully this weekend i'll get the big 10 mile in.
PTL-the Lord has provided a leaser for my apt in brenham starting march 1st...whoohoo! such a confirmation that i did make the "right" decision. i dont have to pay any extra rent!

i'm comtemplating plans for spring break...any suggestions? for real..i have a full week of nothing to do and i dont wanna be in CS for all of it....some sort of a road trip is an option

being back in cs is definitely different...i'm like the new kid in a place thats been my home for the past 10 yrs...i've joined a logos group that i'm really enjoying. getting into a routine and forming my "social network" has been harded than i thought it would be..plus the whole single-not in college-but dont wanna join the singles group.

thats about it on the homefront.
grace & peace,
lish

so what i was going to write in this post didnt happen, maybe the Spirit's conviction about my attitude; refining is such a good part of my life...cause without it, i'd be out of control...anyways; heres what i got..PTL that we are saved by grace through faith, and its not of ourselves, but a gift of God..

currently I am:
glad its friday in 45 minutes
really excited i'm going to DFW this weekend
letting the Lord really teach me and show me why i'm back at home
exhausted from my swim tonight
sad that the co-ed softball team didnt form
thankful that in the midst of lameness, i have purpose
learning how to walk with the Lord in ALL my steps, not just the big ones, but the ones that seem insignificant

grace & peace,
lish

well...

i'm officially residing at my house in CS

thinking about ecclesiastes 3

by grace,
lish

so to help Muffin, thats what we call my grandma...[Caley's pick] me, Caley & my mom met in Sealy to accompany her to BINGO in Wallis, TX (its 15 miles west of sealy on hwy 36). let me tell you quite the experience...i'll give you a full run down.
1. Mom calls Monday and tells me i'm to meet them in Sealy at 5:00pm
2. I arrive in Sealy at 5:04pm greeted by a "i thought your mom said 5 o'clock, where is she?"
3. 5:09 Mom and Caley arrive greeted by "i thought the plan was to meet at 5pm?"
4. We leave to go to Wal-mart & Subway; we have to be on the road headed to Wallis no later than 5:30pm
5. Due to poor management at Subway, there is no wheat bread so the Lombardi girls decide to go without, while we have to make a stop at the KFC/Taco Bell to get grandma mashed potatoes
6. 5:36pm we leave Sealy late & hungry..but we're big girls we can wait an hour or so, right?
7. so this whole time you're thinking Bingo starts at 6:00, get there a little early, find a seat, etc..oh no..we find out that Bingo doesnt start until 7:30..thats right 7:30!
8. Caley and I making faces in back seat about how hungry we are
9. 6:06 we find out Bingo lasts 2 hrs!
10. More disgruntled faces
11.Arrive at Wallis community center at 6:10, find seats, begin to pick out Bingo boards

From there the night continues with a lot of "you had to be there humor" that i could write about but just wouldnt be the same...i will mention the fun waiting game that Caley and I made "Find the old person that you think Mom & Dad will look like" . It was quite hilarious, and i was deemed the winner by Mom with my "classic sophisticated" choice of old lady.

Most exciting time of the night:
WHEN I BINGO-ED! yup, i won $50 bucks (47.50 when taxes were taken out), it was quite an amazing moment, full of anticipation & acheivement :)

Quote of the night:
Caley: "Check out that lady..she has a diaper on.."
Me: "How do you know?"
Caley: "All her junk in her trunk."

anyways,
bingo was fun, Muffin had fun, & i won some mulah
overall a good evening

ps-i'm done with my job in 2 days-whoop!
grace & peace,
lish

well..the prayers have been answered: I'm moving out of Brenham. The Lord provided an opportunity to leave, i prayed over it and am embarking on a huge journey of uncertainity that immediately includes finding a new job and moving back home to CS..all the way in the house, cause the garage apt is full.

Still pursuing the mission field, that process is still going; the Lord continues to open doors and bring great resources to me.

its really unbelievable to me how "well" i'm handling all this. i mean, i think i'm pretty freaked out on the insides, but i'm totally at peace and assured that this is what i'm suppose to be doing no matter how lame it is moving home to substitue or the lack of direction i have with my future.

so with all the insaneness of this, its only reasonable that i tell you my future plans look like they are going to include grad school. yup thats right, me who cared nothing about career and "higher education" wants to go back to school. you can be praying that, again, the Lord directs my steps and decisions as most of the programs that i'm looking into are out of state [which is totally ironic to me that Texas schools dont have strong Hispanic studies grad programs, you would think that Tx would have an abundant, but theres only a few that really dont suit me].

caley injured her leg in her tournament this weekend,
i chopped my hair off
thats about it

grace & peace,
lish

what to do with myself? sometimes, or most of the time, I feel like a fish living in a birdhouse. I hate making decisions, and not just a "i'm indecisive" but I flee from the slightest sight of confrontation. and yet, I constantly am seeking change-not in a running after it way, but the way in once making the decision, wondering if its the right decision i've made-which to change things means to ultimately make concise decisions.

This past Friday I was presented with a huge choice and I can say with cetainity that the decision I make will have huge consequences for the next year of my life; and i dont say that as a cliche, to be vauge and make it sound grand, but its completely freaked me out. The changes that will occur with whatever I choose will glofiry the Lord..but I've come to realize that the Lord is using this time in my life to really stretch my ears to His voice. Can I hear him over my fears, can I hear over my parents, can I hear Him in the midst of my financial responsibilities? Can I stop and listen? Can I hear the small, still voice saying "Be still and know that I am God, I am exalted over all the earth; I will never leave you or forsake you". I cried out to Him this weekend so much that my cheeks were rubbed raw from my sleeves-surrendering fears, confusion, pride, asking to clearly hear His voice, pouring out my motivation and desires and still I had no inkling of which choice was the best; and what scares me the most is that I might not know until I've made the decision-its the leap of faith you always have been told about...its not a fork in the road, a right or wrong choice (sometimes it is) but its Abraham on the mountain, with a knife, trusting the Lord's provision and plan, binding his only son to an altar, bringing the knife down and the Lord providing a ram, calling out "Abraham, Abraham!".

With either choice I make, the beautiful and wonderful love and provision of our Lord is shown, my faith and trust are put to extremes. What I do know, is that I dont want my choices to be made because its the responsible thing or be made out of duty or determiination, I dont want them to define who I am. I know who I am: i am a child of God, not alone, a light in the darkness. I am fearfully and wonderfully made. There is a perfect plan for my life and when I do make a "wrong" decision, the Lord will be there with me, picking me up, disciplining me and drawing me closer to Himself-cause you know, He's the Perfect Father. Decisions arent easy and we all fear mistakes, nobody wants to fail, or quit but we will fail, we will choose poorly, make mistakes but thats the beauty and power of grace.

So what am I going to do? I think I know, but ask me in a week.
Please keep me in your prayers.

grace & peace,
lish

I'm back in Brenham after a wonderful 4 day vacation with the family in the thriving metropolis of Bryan/College Station. Much of the vacation was spent relaxing and doing all the Lombardi family traditions that take place over the Christmas weekend. Going to the movies, last minute gifts, Christmas Eve service, wrapping presents, cooking and baking, sleeping in; two new additions this year were going to the nursing home to visit mom and dad's friends and laundry.
Christmas morning we all piled in Mom and Dad's bed [something that has never stopped since we were little, but i have to admit..it was kinda good Tony wasn't there cause I dont think we all wouldve fit!], then we made our way to the living room to read the Christmas story [we read Luke], next comes presents. After presents, we had lunch and then headed to Grandma's in Sealy. Grandma's was fun..we ended up staying a lot longer than expected and we had a lot of laughs with my Grandpa and aunts...one of the nicer Christmass' in a long time.

Monday I ran some errands with mom in the morning and then we met up with dad to pick out furniture. PTL we've decided on a couch and ottoman & the fabrics & pillows! Hopefully in the next week or so they will order it so they will have it by the big 2-5 anniversary. After furniture shopping, I chilled on the couch watching tv & reading, while mom and dad went TV shopping...i had no desire to participate!

Being at home for so long was such a blessing and it always makes me sad I have to come back here, I almost dread it. I'm always looking for a reason to go back to CS, ways to rearrange my schedule for more time at home.

I'm looking forward to this weekend..another fun weekend filled with fellowship & friends in Austin!

grace & peace,
lish

well..the Bethlehem Stroll has come and gone & my children's choir managed some pretty cute performances despite having half of them catch the nasty stomach bug going around..so 1/3 of my choir was missing or late tonight..but who says more is better? less is definitely more manageable! they were precious in the little shepherd costumes & singing Away in a Manger; it was great fun playing with them too..but i think i'm a little too easy on them sometimes, but I do remember how tough it is being a kid, and sometimes, you just can't keep your hands to yourself.

PTL-Im going home for Christmas! thats right, my first (and probably only) Sunday off! 4 complete days spent in College Station not even having to think about Mission Brenham..I can't wait..it is a much needed break and will hopefully provide some time to get my motivation going for the spring...my last leg-the home stretch! The Lord is faithful to answer my prayer..[thanks for all the prayers family!]

The time with my brother was good. We had some quality time together as siblings last friday night..we went and saw Narnia..I think it was maybe the first time the 3 of us saw a movie together...i enjoyed it tons. last night the fam came to Btown for the Stroll and to celebrate a mini Christmas with Tony...it was Lombardi Family History...breaking the deep rooted tradition of not opening any presents (except ones mailed) until Christmas morning. We had good laughs, yummy treats, & took many pictures. He will be missed; hopefully i'll be able to see him before he leaves again in May.

my favorite roomie Tracy came to see me tonight & was a huge blessing: helping out with the kids during the stroll. you see, tracy has an amazing gift..she works wonderfully with kids..they love her (and i do too!). it was great seeing her and hanging out with her for the time she was here in brenham...and i'm super glad she's in CS so i can hopefully see her more this spring!

thats all for now.

merry Christmas
grace & peace,
lish

so, its pretty lonely here in B-town most of the time..but I've got the best pet in the world: Alexander the Red Beta. He's good company, well behaved & doesn't make messes :)


the real world continues on here, getting ready for Christmas & really wanting the month long break that comes with being in school, but i've fallen into a routine thats nice, keeps me occupied.

making more progress about going overseas...I know the Lord's hand is on the situation and He's been faithful to provide me confirmation, but its still utterly scary and exciting all at the same time. Lots of unanswered questions and concerns that I need to surrender to him, but who knows maybe in 6 months i will actually be in Spain?? we'll see :o)

If I've learned anything from being in Brenham, its that the Lord doesn't forget or forsake-His plans are specific, His timing is perfect; a hard situation is supposed to bring forth stronger faith, more dependence. In a world thats so full of violence, hate, and bitterness my life has to stand out, especially when I want to throw in the towel.

I get to see Tony this weekend...the last time I saw him was in March. He's changed a lot from what i hear from the family..not for the better unfortunately, but I pray and hope for his spiritual light blub to go off. Its a pretty jam packed weekend with William, Ashley & Micah coming in for PJ Party 2005 at Eric's (WHOOP!), family portraits, doing fun familal things & then back to Brenham for church, Bethlehem Stroll practice and performances Monday & Tuesday AND the family is coming Monday to celebrate Christmas with Tony since he'll still be in town until Tuesday.

the Christmas party was fun...pictures around the tree, opening presents & dinner and desserts. in the "sitting down" group pic from left to right its april, jane, me & marissa. April and Jane go to blinn & Marissa is the BSM director at Blinn.

so i just had the most amazing night...marissa, my one close friend in Brenham, who lives 2 apts down from me, invited me to share in their Roommate Christmas. I was very honored and it turned out to be wonderful...they even got me presents! We took many pictures, had a lot of laughs, ate some delicious spaghetti & scrumptous holiday treats. I like having fun neighbors..pictures will be posted shortly..(ie-tomorra after lunch when i get the usb stick)

just thought i'd share-its been a long time since i've had a genuine fun time in Brenham :)

happy holidays,
lish

the reality of death is so apparent around the holidays, not to be depressing or glum, but its true. The past couple of days I've been thinking a lot about my grandmas. My Grandma Thorne(Dad's mom) who lived in Florida passed away on Valentine's Day and my great-grandma "Kirk Grandma" passed away in June. Grieving is an interesting thing. I really havent figured it out; I know that i miss them..especially the small things that are so apparent during Christmas: Grandma Thorne's package of Christmas goodies. About 2 weeks before Christmas we'd get a UPS package in the mailed-we didnt even have to open it to know it was from Grandma because of the aromas coming from the box-snickerdoodles for Dad, chocolate covered peanuts for Mom and rice crispy treats for us kids-and this year, there will be no box from Florida. [My dad's getting his cookies though...i'm putting them in the mail tomorra :)]
the other day I was talking with Mom about Grandma Thorne, her birthday would've been the 2nd of December, and she said i think the most important thing about death..and its probably been said before & pretty obvious when it comes to grieving, but she said "dont ever act like it didnt happen". So as sort of a reminder and memory of Grandma Thorne, I set up her old Christmas tree with her ornaments & a navity scene she had..its good for me because i think i'm a whole lot like her & it makes being alone in Btown during the holiday season special.

grace & peace,
lish

well, the past couple of weeks have gone by in a whirlwind; they were jam packed with adventures including a couple random drives into my favorite town of College Station, a holiday party in Houston with Mr. Micah J. Meads, where I was able to get all fancied up for the night, and a Saturday road trip to Waco to see the comical duo of Libby Leatherman and William Meier. Fun times were had all around. Laughter is good for the soul :)

Work has been pretty slow the past couple of days, i've kinda saved my work this week to do now so the end of my week wouldnt be incredibly boring cause Marcus was out of the office Monday & Tuesday. Still leading worship..yeah i know.."a couple more weeks" has turned into all semester...surprise surprise.
The children's choir is coming along quite nicely. We've decided to sing the first 2 verses of Away in a Manger and the the first verse of Silent Night, acapella; I'm really nervous but im sure in the end it will be a hit..nothing like the production Central's children's choir did Sunday :)!

Tony is in Texas...he'll be in College Station the 16th-20th, so we'll be celebrating Christmas then with him. I get to hang out with my wonderful mom and fantastic sister tonight-we're going to Katy Mills Mall to do some Christmas shopping. And then I'll be back in College Station Friday until Saturday afternoon to get some laundry done and pick up a bunch of Christmas decorations & receipes from mi casa.
I'm glad the cold weather is finally here..i got to wear my black pea coat last night as i ran an errand to Walmart last night! bundling up in a scarf, coat, mittens & a hat is a favorite of mine during the winter; not to mention the fun Christmas socks I wear throughout the month of December! i heard on the radio the possiblity of snow tonight..i'm not getting my hopes up.

Be looking for a new addtion/change to the blog page..at the request of Marcela, who I found regularly checks out my blog!

grace & peace,
lish

a real update coming soon....stay tuned!

Thanksgiving was amazing.
I love my family...& their strange quirks :)

We purchased our Christmas tree...from the cute "Christmas tree boy" at the Christmas tree lot by Pei Wei's. We found 2 Christmas puzzle which is exciting yet sad for me at the same time because I wont be home to put them together (but knowing my fam..they will leave some for me..or just get too frustrated putting it together so i'll get to finish!)

I worked the consesssion stand at the A&M/Texas game...oh the memories, its crazy to think i've done it for almost 8 yrs! of course now, the games that i work are few and far between, but i get at least one in every season!

Saw Harry Potter with Caley Thursday night! you just have to read the book, it was great to see it come to life, but there was so much that was left out. Definitely by far the darkest Harry Potter movie yet & a much needed PG-13 rating. Its funny to me that i've become a Harry Potter fanatic...what can i say? its good stuff & J.K. Rowling is an incredibly talented author.

Brenham is Brenham; i'm directing the children's choir for our 3rd annual Christmas Stroll. do i know what i'm doing? Nope. the whole production should be pretty interesting. I enjoy teaching sunday school...preparing the lessons & activities is great & my kids are fun to teach.

thats about it. there will be morer updates to come
grace & peace,
lish

My heart is restless in me
My wings are all worn out
I'm walking in the wilderness
And I cannot get out
I need You, oh, I need You
Blessed Savior come
I need You, oh, I need You
Fill the every longing of my soul
Oh, how I need You, Lord
I need Your perfect word
With tearful eyes to see
The sin that I afford
I need to weep and pray
For all the thousand ways
That I have failed You just today
My bed is soaked with sadness
My sadness has no end
A downward spiral of despair
That I keep falling in
I need You, oh, I need You
To You my soul shall fly
I need You, oh, I need You
Yaweh, how I love you more than life
Your silence is like death to me
So won't You hear my desperate plea
Today my soul is soaring
Way over mountains high
Though I can see the valleys
They're all just passing by
It's not that I am stronger
Look at my feeble wings
But I've been lifted higher
Yaweh's lifted me in His own strength
Oh, how I love You, Lord
I love Your perfect Word
With tearful eyes to see
The God who always will endure
Now I will celebrate
For all the thousand ways
That You have shown me grace
And made my heart in grace to stay
You've made my heart in grace to stay
Lord, make my heart in grace to stay
I need You, oh, I need You

-The Swift

i've been wanting to post for a couple of days now, but have had no idea what i should write about. life has been pretty uneventful the last couple of weeks-minus the whole truck fiasco.

yeah, Tyron's transmission went out 2 weeks ago. he got towed to College Station & has been at Olympic Auotmotive since. I've made 4 attempts to go and get him and all have been failures...so i will not pick him up until Thanksgiving because I'm going to Indianapolis this week & not getting back til Sunday night, and then I'll be home on Wednesday..so-Indianapolis this week for an "urban leaders conference" is what Marcus is calling it. its should be really interesting and informative. not looking forward to being the only female in our group of 4, plus 5 straight days with Marcus & Chris is gonna be weird.

I'll definitely write on that next week.
I'm sure glad the cold weather finally showed up-i love my winter clothes, hats, scarfs, gloves!
Plus there are supposed to be snow flurries in Indianapolis this week while we're there, wouldnt that be fun?

well-gotta get back to packing & cleaning

much love to all
lish

okay this is not to brag about anything or to boost my abilities, but tonight i made history. i just got back from the gym where i RAN for 30 minutes straight.

now, i know for some of you, that is nothing, but me, its huge. its tangible evidence and proof that with correct motivation and self-discipline from the Lord, ya know, faith as small as a mustard seed, we can move mountains, or run for 30 minutes. there were definitely moments of temptation to just press the speed button slower, but i refused, determined to reach my goal.

so now, i'm gonna get a light snack and hit the sack.
its gonna be an insane day tomorra-if you can, say a little pray for me

grace & peace, lish

i had a great weekend-wish i lived in the metroplex.

community and fellowship are very vital to the soul.

Friendship is unnecessary, like philosophy, like art...It has no survival value; rather it is one of those things that give value to survival. ~ C.S. Lewis

dont forget to vote.

so marcus casually mentioned today they are still waiting on the grant to come in for my salary starting in the Spring...

yeah.

uh-huh...thats right.

grace & peace,
lish

[note: i dont fear that the money wont come in, nor am i frustrated at the situation; its almost like an assessment of my "trusting" scale-kinda my idea of my relationship with Christ hits the reality of my relationship with Christ-if that makes any sense at all]

so i unfortunately landed myself as a Longhorn fan this season....my precious pee-wee hockey team was the Longhorns...

sadly, the season is over; we were 6-2-1, were league champions, and came in 2nd overall in the tournament. our star forward was named MVP in the league!

and i was the offical assistant coach..i even got to sign the certificates!
but no worries, another season starts in January..so yall will get to hear all about it!

let me tell ya..it was intense tonight..we ended up having 2 shoot outs! it was like it was the Stanley Cup or something.

gig'em longhorns :)

grace & peace,
lish

[preface: i've been post-happy lately..meaning i've been posting a lot, for no apparent reason.]

okay so, its the first weekend in a while that i actually dont have any plans of any sorts..

i dont think i'll be able to stay in brenham ALL weekend, so a trip into CS will probably happen Saturday.

its Friday..Fridays are my favorite
on the agenda:
put up clothes
wal-mart
chores
Goblet of Fire
maybe a movie tonight
& i'll probably end up having to drive Chris to Houston-because i'm that great of an assistant ;)

have a great friday friends->its the end of the week!

blessings to all,
lish

so i've started reading goblet of fire again.

i definitely want my own wand to put up clothes with. harry potter & laundry are a good mix. magic would make chores a whole lot easier :)

i'm just sayin'

i'm dedicating this post to Jeff Hildebrand: the most amazing guy i know.

enjoy the fabulous fall weather.
The Lord is our hope and salvation.

grace & peace,
lish

wow.
they are amazing.
an awesome balance of entertainment and worship. it was so apparent that they wanted us to have a great time at the concert, and at the same time really get to meet with the Lord.

I was able to see my favorite JAM staffer...Michelle! and since i kinda went with the BSM kids from blinn I got to know them better..still havent really connected with anyone.

overall, it was a good night, minus the getting in really really late. i'm not really a concert type person, but i'd go see Crowder & band any night of the week. they blew me away!

if we all had theme songs..i think this would be mine right now.

I crumble at Your kiss and grace
I'm a weakling in the dust
Teach me how to cling to You
With all my life and all my love

Father come to me, hold me up
'cause I can barely stand
My strength is gone and my breath is short,
I can't reach out my hands
But my heart is set on a pilgrimage to heaven's own bright King
So in faltering or victory I will always sing

And on the road to beautiful
My seasons always change
But my life is spent on loving
know You in Your power and pain

Father come to me, hold me up
'cause I can barely
strength is gone and my breath is short,
I can't reach out my hands
But my heart is set on a pilgrimage to heaven's own bright King
So in faltering or victory I will always sing

You're my portion in this life
You're my strength now in my fight
And to You I pledge my heart
In the pain and in the dark
I'll love You


in this new season for me, a more eternal perspective is needed for my day to day responsibilities..i think thats the hardest thing to walk in-finding eternal perspective in a day by day, moment by moment faith.
i'm also thankful that self-control is a Fruit of the Spirit, not Fruit of Alisha.

feeling philosophical:
Say for instance you have one of those math problems where train A is going 60mph and train B is going 45 mph they are headed towards each other and you have to figure out where they have to meet, it doesnt matter how fast they are going with Jesus, they will meet when HE wants them to-sure with math & physics or whatever you can prove that at such and such time they will intersesct, but its all the cities they pass and people aboard the train that matter; our God is a relational god, personal, alive, active, constant and in control of all circumstances.

i dunno if this makes any sense, but lately i feel so caught up into where i'm suppose to go next, i'm forgetting to look out the window.

grace & peace,
lish

exert from my daddy's bday celebration tonight...

so the past couple of weeks have been significantly better, i can even venture to say that B-town is kinda growing on me...dont take that as "i'm lovin' it here" but its one of those things that could be worse.
work has been work, i had my first sunday school lesson, that minus the cd player not working, went really well..it was harder than i thought it would be because the group of kids is very diverse, and i thought they would border more on the older than the younger and that wasnt the case. worship was jacked up, thats all i can say to describe it; but thankfully the Lord answered my prayers and today in staff meeting i was able to share my heart and marcus and chris were very understanding..so i'll keep doing it for a couple more weeks and then my worship duties will end.
for those of you that are wondering, my coaching debut was a success! a tie (8-8) and a win (7-3)-not too shabby, eh? the second game was pretty intense for 5-8 year old peewee roller hockey, but we managed it.

i might have touched on this before, but a lot of the "brenham getting better" has to do with me consiously decided not to attend personal pity parties. its hard because me and my selfish nature want to say "look at me, see all i do? feel sorry for me..", nor do i see the fruits of my labor...but it doesnt work like that. i'm to be the salt and light in every situation no matter what my feelings say...and thats what so great about Jesus, He doesnt work off of feelings-He's constant & always in control, unconditional and sovereign.

this is definitely going to be a good week. micah is coming on Thursday! and then.....drum roll please....my LIBBY will be in CS this weekend..i dont know if i'll be able to keep my excitement contained until then, i might just burst! ya know those cheesy best friend necklace you get in like 2nd grade..well this amazing girl has the other half of mine..yup thats right, Libby and I will be reunited for the weekend & i cannot wait. i have missed this girl so much..phone calls & emails definitely do not make up for face time! and i also get to go to a women's conference with my mom, my other best friend, i'm looking forward to it, it will be a good refreshing weekend of renewal & fun!

some more thoughts passing through my brain:
i really want to be overseas at this moment
how to get my spanish fluency back up to par
what the rest of my work week will look like with the boss gone
new neighbors in the complex who are kinda friends
how to be friends with someone who you really dont immeadiately click with, especially when they really want to be your friend
whether or not i should eat a bowl of bluebell
who my first bf will be
looking forward to caley moving here


anyways, i miss my "crew"
you guys have a great week
grace & peace,
lish

i want to dedicate this post to mi familia...i luv'em!
My Daddy..the Vince Lombardi :) who records my favorite tv shows every week on VHS for me because my budget is so tight i cant afford cable :)
My Momma-i dont have enough space to explain how great she is..if you know her, you know!
My Little Sis...the coolest chica in the world..& i'm so lucky and blessed to have her AND shes gonna get to be my roomie!
My Brother-who i'm very proud of whos far far away in Washington & i miss him bunches, but thankfully he's coming at Christmas
Boots..poodle extraordinaire..the sweetest, most spoiled dog ever

I think this will be the first weekend in about 2 months that i'm not going to College Station to see them...yup..i've got other plans! Saturday is Helena Reunion so Friday night i'm gonna grab some BBQ at Dimebox's casa, then head over to do some pre-reunion preparations [insert mischevious grin here], then Saturday i'll be seeing my fam for a little bit, meeting up with random folks, then the Reunion will start & fun times will be had!

i gotta head to worship practice, then the washer & dryer at 305 Academy has my name on it for the night...most likely a movie will be put in & more alisha/courtney bonding will take place.

so when i started writing this is was about 6 0'clock..now it is going on 2am and i just finished working out at the gym. the night was insane..we had practice, then i had to help with youth girls, i got done with that, then headed over to courtney's to start laundry, went back to the SHAPe for more practice and finally at 11 we back to Courtney's to finish...folded my last piece of clothing at 12:30-came home changed and hit the gym..i'm now super exhausted & really not wanting to put the clean sheets on my bed because i dont wanna have to take a shower in order not to get them dirty...i think its a couch night..
tomorra is a crazy day..i already know it.

who wouldve ever guessed that i'd be up this late because i was acutally busy?!?

anywho, much love,
lish

Sister Homecoming was fabulous...a new fish, tennis, junk food & movies...not to mention some amazing company. Caley is THE coolest sister ever & a great bestfriend.

aren't we cute? hopefully the new pics will attract more readers.

thats all for now..i'm gonna go make some breakfast-for-dinner (thanks for the great idea william)
hope yall have a wonderful week.

grace & peace, lish

so i can not believe that i forgot to update about this..
i guess this shows how ingrossed in work i can become once my weekend is over...

last Friday....went home to see the familia-i had a rough week and was craving some familial lovin'..so mom cooked spaghetti & had banana pudding icecream with bananas on hand (my favorites)..it was glorious...so i come in Friday afternoon and couldnt find anyone to have lunch with me-which just put me down on my luck..because i come into CS tryign to feel loved & just get rejected by like million people..okay, only 4, but still...Friday afternoon was great. I hung out with Meghan & Trisha, caught up on their lives..i cant believe my "kids" are jrs! next i went to my favorite roomie's new casa...quite loverly, me & Tracy gabbed for an hour or so..good times-its times like those i really miss living with girls :) anyways..went back to the house for dinner & then heres the "exciting" part

...after dinner Caley goes to work and Mom, Dad and i are left with the evening to ourselves & thus begins the Dianna/Vince battle over the tv and plans for the evening...mom wants to walk, dad wants to clean & watch tv..mom wants to do anything BUT watch tv..and so forth they go on and on, while i'm in the pink chair cracking up-a typical married couple & me on the sidelines-cause while its funny to me, its their normal behaviour :) so Dad gets tired of Mom and goes to the bedroom and Mom and i are left alone in the living room...30 minutes later Dad comes out and then Mom leaves...so then its me and Dad and he thus proposes "hey, you wanna go to the nursing home & meet our friends?"
you see, Mom and Dad have started this "ministry": every Wednesday they go to a nursing home by our house and spend time with elderly people who dont get visitors. well..more recently theyve started playing dominoes & have worked up quite a social network at the home...so, with nothing else to do i say "sure, why not? what else are we going to do?"
we go to the nursing home where i meet 1. Mrs. Barbers, who has alziheimers..kinda in short term memory loss form..while its sad that shes in that condtion..she keeps great spirits & even manages a joke here and there about herself..plus you just have to laugh when she comments "its a wonder i can find my butt every day to wipe.." or "how do i know you? who are you again? when did you get here?--over and over again. Mom and Dad have been going every week for like the past 2 months & she never remembers them. #2 Mrs. Nobels, she was cranky, from what Mom said, something has been bothering her so she hasnt been herself..but she was pleasant enough and good at the game and then there was #3 Johnny..he was quite an amazing dominoe player...he could've fit right in with the men here in the projects that play all the time..and i think a time or two he was wanting to slam them down to get his points (which is apparently what youre suppose to do)..but he refused unfortunately. Dominoes was great fun, i seemed to get really good hands & felt bad for schooling them when none of the peeps i was playing with were in their right mind, but everyone got a chance to go first & somehow we always tied;)
After game night, mom and i picked up a movie while Dad cleaned (Fever Pitch..it was good, clean, pretty funny)-when everyone was accounted for again at the house we popped it in & settled in for the night. not really what i envisioned my Friday night to look like, but it was fun nonetheless.

its interesting how something so trivial (the visit to the nursing home) could mean so much...i mean Mom was telling me how the nurses tell them that Thursdays & Fridays are great days for the people they visit at the home because they just go on and on about their visitors..and all i did was play dominoes for and hour and a half-which is something i enjoy doing.

i love my weekends at home...they tend to be more random and spontaneous, which is good since i dont live there anymore...Saturday I had the house to myself, had lunch with Anna (i always try to get in a Cheddar's meal when i'm in town), then Saturday night Caley and i hung out..we went to DQ so i could get the 4-1-1 on her trip to Seattle & life...nothing better than your sister & a rootbeer float....we went by sweet's but it was crowded & we just felt awkward..weird how 4 months will "grow you up"

so that was my weekend..its weekends like those that make being a Lombardi so great...i love my parents, my sister & brother..and even Boots too :) they are wonderful people..not cause their my family and i gotta love them..but deep down they want the love of Christ to pour from their lives at all times. Home will always be "where my mom lives" :)

grace & peace,
lish

Henry died today. its bittersweet in a way.

I was cleaning his bowl this afternoon and after returning him to his home i noticed his labored breathing and how he was laying on his side, all dead like. and for some of you that know Henry, this isnt too abnormal..(his famous trick being "playing dead"). but knowing my fish's behavior..i knew this wasnt normal. so, thus began the attempt to save Henry.
first i changed his water again, then i made sure his gills were functioning right..they looked a little abnormal. then i went to the one pet store in town and bought aquarium salt and put him in a salt bath for a little while. but all my attempts failed. Henry was just plain old.

In my search for healing remedies this afternoon i ran across the life expectancy of a male betta fish, and the average fish only lives 2 yrs. Henry was about 5-i think he set some sort of record. He was old and tired, he was losing his color and i think he might've developed a fungus that catalyzed his death. So my faithful fish companion is no more, but i feel like I did a pretty good job taking care of him, seeing as he lived more than twice his expectancy...which those of you that know me, know me & Henry's history...he definitely made it into the garbage disposal a total of 4 times, survived a summer without me (I was so worried Caley would kill him while i was in Costa Rica), [Meghan claims I raised him from the dead my junior year..but i refer back to Henry's tricks ), made it through 3 moves (2 were across town, the other to another city...) and not to mention the countless times i probably forgot to feed him. he was a survivor-one tough cookie.

While some think it strange...Henry and I had something special-i mean he went through college with me..cause 75% of college i lived alone; he was with me through thick and thin..and yes i talked with him-not to get answers, but to kinda vent...you know...anyways, im gonna miss my little swimming pal. i flushed him..he was dead so i didnt think it too inhumane..supposedly the pressure from the flush blows the fishy into smithereens...

so tomorra, i'm headed off to the pet store to get another fish.
i love fish...you should get one; theyre great to have-they are like youre most low-maintience pet ever
& i've already picked out a name Alexander..and no, i will not call him alex.

thats all..Lombardi Homecoming commences in t minus 20 hours!
grace & peace,
lish

my great day included:
1. membership at Sam's Club
2. lunch at Mi Cocina with the one and only Evan Stewart
3. the purchase of The Big Book of Bible Games
4. a relaxing night at home with a good book
5. working out at the gym

i gotta keep truckin' on. productivity is a good way to keep perspective. I have a meeting with the FBC Children's minister tomorra that i'm real excited about..i think he is going to be a good source of wisdom and opportunity; plus from our phone conversations he sounds like youre typical children's minister :)

grace & peace,
lish

oh & get excited about Lombardi Homecoming Saturday night...my wonderful sister is coming to spend the night with me..whoo hoo!

so i joined a gym. i went for the first time tonight..for the following reasons.
1. to avoid awkwardness...my thinking, its a small gym, not very many people in Brenham should be there...
2. to avoid males..again, my thinking, its 9:30, the gym shouldnt be crowded & if by chance there are people there, they will leave me alone..we're there to work out, not carry on conversations
3. working out late makes me sleep incredibly well....
conclusions: going to the gym at 9:30 does not prevent
1. awkward situations from happening
2. creepy Christian boys trying to subtly figure out how they can get your number without actually having to get it
but it does
allow for a good nights rest
apparently my gym is a hang out for a couple of the BSM kids because one of the guys works there. one good thing that happened was that i was invited to a Bible study on Friday & a prayer meeting on Sunday, not to mention how incredibly sore i'm going to be tomorra morning-but thats a good thing right?

lifes been very convicting lately. Taking my head out of the self-pity i've been absored in, things look clearer, not better or improved, but liveable i guess. its all about "feeding His sheep". I love Him and aim to keep His commands, its as simple as that for me right now, and does it ever really have to get more complicated than that? the more i examine my walk with the Lord, I realize I have such a simple faith, and its that simple faith that i feel is put into question by my fellow brothers and sisters here, and it frustrates me...so pray for that-my pride takes that and runs to Satan with it and its bad news all around when that happens.

going to bed.
sending lots of love out across cyberspace.
grace & peace,
lish

please pray for me. its going to be a long, hard week & Satan is really attacking.

I miss all of you guys.
grace & peace,
lish

I will trust
I will obey
I will follow where you lead come what may
I will die to myself and my cross I will take
I will trust you, I will trust you
I will trust and obey.

Singing this song in church yesterday brought a whole lot of conviction. Chris and i led again, it went a lot better than the first time & it was just us..me on the keyboard & vocals and him singing...very simple..anyways, it was quite an inner struggle of will during worship singing this song, because honestly, i dont know if i really am living those words, but the turmoil came because as a co-leader, i needed to sing them-to lead our congregation in meeting with the Lord..then that creates this inner circle of doubt, fear, conviction, shame of if i cant sing those words geniunely, then what am doing leading in the first place? I long to be able to have the strength and confidence to, but every step i take i feel i get weaker and weaker in my faith. no matter how much i know, theres something in my heart that chooses not to accept it in various trials and circumstance...so back to my knees i go-knowing and believing that the Lord will reveal what He needs to in His perfect timing, asking for the wisdom and strength His love provides.

grace & peace,
lish

for the 2 readers of this blog...worship on sunday went surprisingly smooth. watching our congregation meet was the Lord was a privilege for me. yes i was extremely nervous, but hearing them respond to the Lord comforted those fears. the chris and alisha band will most likely be the interim worship peeps (tour dates have not been set) until a partime non staff member replacement is found..(if we're still looking). The Lord continues to stretch me pretty thin; the amazing thing is that i think an ordinary alisha would be a little overwhelmed, but i surprised myself in staff meeting today when Marcus asked me how everything was and how i was handling the responsibilties..see sundays will now consist of a pre-service sound check, then i have to set up the nursery, make last minute adjustments for meal prep and service, teach the preschool lesson during the prayer service, the drive the tour bus to pick up church goers in 3 neighborhoods, get them to church in 30 minutes and then co-lead the congregation in worship....not to mention all the after-service duties...so back to how i am dealing with everything...how did i respond? with a "good, i'm just depending on the Lord; all this stuff is required of me, so i have to depend on His strength to get it done...theres not a choice about it". which after saying it, surprised me because Sunday at 230..i was plum exhausted...which stirs mixed emotions for me because with all the jobs and responsibilities, church tends to lean more on the work side than worship and meet with the Lord time. and this now makes me wonder about my new role in the Body. If sunday is a work day for me, then how am i to be fed?, since it will have to be done outside of the normal church service..yes the Lord continues to speak to me through the message and i do meet with the Lord while i play, but it wasnt (at least yesterday) the intimate level i've experienced in the past...and is that where my heart was yesterday or is that how its going to be? Ministry is an interesting thing. The harder i work, the more i learn they need to make a "Ministtry for Dummies" book. i dont think ive ever been in a place where almost everything i do is an experiment, a step of faith in a possible right directions and at any moment, my plans are subject to destruction and complete failure-being sure of nothing but having absolute confirmation that this is where i'm suppose to be.
pray for the afterschool program. pray for kid's church. pray for facilities. pray for Mission Brenham. pray for me-the lonely girl in Brenham who needs a friend.

as a conclusion, my blog probably isnt going to have much variety. most all my thoughts and experiences these days center around Mission Brenham. my fears and joys deal with the every day battle of living here in B-town. with time i know a development of friends and socialness will make this site a little more interesting, but for now..bear with me.

grace & peace,
lish

so, i think i've been handling the stress of having actually two jobs: executive assistant and children's minister quite well these past weeks, but apparently the Lord doesnt think so..this week i will also be leading our congregation in worship..along with Chris. when did we find out, oh this afternoon. fun times at Mission Brenham-never a dull moment...please be praying for me as i'm very nervous!

praise the Lord my job is never routine! i love going into work. i just want to take this time to share how faithful the Lord is..i mean really, how incredibly blessed are we?? take me, the past couple weeks have been pretty rough for me. dealing with loneliness, doubt, confusion on a different level that i've never experienced before, and yet no matter how many times i've complained, the Lord still encourages me. look at the people of new orleans..we have about 600 here in Brenham that have nothing, are having to relocate here, find jobs, places to live, and yet time and time again, all i hear is stories where these people are so thankful for the Lord's provision, that the community has welcomed them, that despite the fact they have nothing, they are excited to be able to move here.

my job is a blessing. while i look at what i do and realize i havent made any great initial accomplishments, the Lord has used me effectively and His name has been maximized through me-the abilities and talents HE created and put in me. i've been "networking" like crazy, researching and brainstorming..i'm creating a tutoring/afterschool program to start in the spring; and its getting really fun! for the first time in a long time, i really, truly, feel completely passionate about something specific, not just "i love kids, or i like ministering to kids, or i can see problems and try to solve them" but in the deepest parts of my tummy, i long that this program be the ultimate program for these kids in the projects..my greatest desire is that when they come through Mission Brenham's afterschool program they KNOW the Father loves them and that people in the community care about them as well as having better education. and with such a great expectation for this program, i'm only want the best..i want to target the EXACT needs for elementary kids in this community.
Today i went to the Boys and Girls Club and i saw a lot of incredible things going on-good things: caring staff, organized schedule but it lacked one important element: true purpose. The Boys and Girls Club of Washington County is doing a pretty darn good job of helping these kids, but oh the excitment it brought me to know that not only is our program going to be good, but most importantly the kids in our program are going to get to know about JESUS, our precious Creator and King! Its ulitmate purpose is to share Christ's truth and love through providing them help with schooling, education, self-esteem and confidence, to foster relationships to further the Kingdom.
Tomorra i'm meeting with the former director of the HOSTs program. and thats another cool things about this "networking". Nobody has had an ounce of uninterest. Every person i talk with and set up appts with have been excited and have devoted their full time and effort to make sure that i've gotten the information i needed; and still want to be of service in any way possibe; like the director of the Boys & Girls Club, we're virtually creating a similar program and most likely will take some of their students away eventually, but as i was leaving she encouraged me to call her if i had any more questions or needed any help with anything...

I can only thank the Lord for His provision of this job. Never in a million years could i have imagined being so excited about working full-time. While there are moments when i really long to be overseas, i realize that this is my new hand of cards..that overseas will come maybe with time, but who knows--i mean right now my plate is pretty full..or extremely full, and i think this work is gonna keep me busy for awhile, so i guess Brenham is gonna have to grow on me :) i'm sure theres a cute boy around somewhere that i'll be able to marry ;-) he just hasnt turned up yet!

in conclusion, while my tune hasnt been that happy the past couple of weeks, the Lord has really shown me that my struggles are to mature me, that being joyful in the pain and hardship is to set myself apart from the world. so with that, i say bodly: Living in Brenham, working at Mission Brenham delights me in the fullest..aka makes my heart smile!

grace & peace,
lish

so your 23rd bday isnt as lame as everyone makes it out to be...
yeah, yeah, yeah i'm getting old, but compared to someone like Abraham or Sarah, i think i can still be classified into the young category. Mom and Caley drove in for breakfast...Mom cooked cinnamon rolls..they were pretty yummy! It was great having them here to start the day...i love them a whole lot...they're my bestest friends in the whole world-i consider myself a pretty lucky girl to have such a beautiful and amazing mom & sister! breakfast was followed by work, where, when i arrived i had a nice bag of donuts & a scarf waiting on my desk from christopher.. it was classic...the morning was busy busy, chris and i have been getting ready for the missions fair at Living Hope on Saturday..its days like today when the great tasks of having 2 jobs in one body wears on me...balencing children's ministry with administrative things is tough! for lunch the guys took me to a nice italian place downtown where the serenaded me beat-box style, it was pretty funny. the afternoon flew by and then there was the dreaded youth girls transportation. its a long story but lets just say i started driving at 5pm and didnt get done until 7:25 and was quite tired and frustrated, but thankfully Marissa took me out to dinner at Chili's and we ended up scoring a virtually free meal (the waitress rang up our food on another table, so all Marissa ended up paying was the tip & drinks)...the rest of the night has been finishing up work stuff..all correspondence has to be done at my apt, because thats the only place i have internet & can email! but theres a rumor going around that all of downtown has wireless internet...the truth of that will be determined shortly...will post back with conclusions...

so overall, my 23rd bday has been good, nothing too elaborate, the family is taking me to dinner this weekend when i'm in town. the only thing really missing was a cake. i've never been a huge cake fan, but not having one, ive realized i kinda like them :)

tons of cutting & emailing to continue..the work will never end!
i love you lots! thanks for the calls, cards and emails!

grace & peace,
lish

i felt a post was necessary this evening, nothing to really update about, but for the sake of having a post, i will continue to write.

if you were to question my shirt this evening, it would probably respond with something along the lines of "yogurt should be eaten with a spoon and not a fork." i dont think she was too happy with the purple stain on her nice, cream stretchy cotton.

anyways, that all for now, maybe i'll post some more later..i've gotta clean the casa..momma & cale' are coming tomorra for the big 2 3! fun times...
grace & peace,
lish

work...
my job....
being professional..
having an occupation...

its all so foreign to me...probably cause i never do things, nor do things happen the "normal" way for me..
this whole Alisha working full-time business is quite the adventure, one because i never do the same thing any day at my job. yes i arrive at 8:30 every morning, but thats about it.
the past couple of weeks..or rather the whole month of August was spent cleaning up and organizing other peoples' messes..which got really old fast. so by the end of last week i was completely discouraged, to the point of doubting whether or not i was really suppose to be here..yeah its a lot extreme, but there are some other things that play into that questioning...

back to the job...the job is two-fold, administrative and children. which marcus, my boss, the pastor put it, eventually i'll work myself into a corner doing one and not the other..but for now its both. i dont know where the Lord is going to lead me..some days i really like the administrative side of it, but then other days, like today, planning children's afterschool programs is what i see myself doing.....who knows?

thats all for now.
i like my job.
its tough, quite frustrating at times, but
in the end, i'm glad i have it

grace & peace,
lish

this weekend was quite the adventure...
we did make it to san antonio..for awhile it seemed a little sketchy for some members of our party, and it was definitely a comfort walking into the church Saturday morning and finding everyone accounted for.
so its offical, peter and leslie are married..they could be considered the first from our crew, but definitely no one in the inner circle has tied the knot..anyone wanna place bets on whose gonna be first ;)????

I think the weekend could be summed up in one word..u-turns. somehow our ages must be getting to us because getting to and from san antonio to austin we made about a million, okay really only 10 u-turns over the entire weekend. and i'll add that san antonio & austin drivers and roads dont make driving any easier...nevertheless catching up with the crew and sharing the stories of our new lives was great. its fun to see how we're all slowly becoming grown-ups, some faster than others, some i dont think will ever grow up. The Pennycook/Ness wedding was definitely Central MT get together.

at one point during lunch is was a sweet moment for me to watch everyone together, seeing us all interacting and laughing again, hearing where they are all at in their lives and remembering where we've all come from and been through together, it was special. with everyone spreading out across the great state of Texas & beyond, i've come to really cherish those relationships that still have the feeling that nothings changed, if that makes sense. with the move to Brenham, friendship and fellowship mean a whole lot more to mean than i think it did in the past; not that i ever took them for granted, but they hold a deeper place in my heart than before.

anyways, i had a blast this weekend
friends please keep me updated
i love you guys

grace & peace,
lish

so its been awhile since my last update and i apologize for all 3 (if that many) that read this on a regula basis. life as always is not slowing down one bit. So much has happened in the past weeks that i could not fully describe, but JAM has ended and as Children's Minister I am tying up loose ends and starting preparations for my job. the next couple of weeks will be doing research and development for the tutoring/afterschool program that Mission Brenham is going to start.

I'm all moved into my apartment, all the boxese arer unpacked, now i'm beginning to decorate, thats the fun part...i've never had so much wall space before-its so exciting. I have a 2 bedroom, downstairs (there was no way we were moving my piano up!). Its a safe little residence, noisy at times, but nice. I've met one neighbor, she's a single mom with 2 or 3 daughters, i'm really not sure, i talked with her briefly the other day.

Its weird not living in the BCS anymore, but i like that home is only 45 minutes away & now that i have a phone that works even better!

new info if you didnt get an email:
2345 Becker Dr.
Brenham, TX 77833

979-830-5782

thats all for now i guess, nothing too terribly exciting happening, just the busy life as we all know it.
thank you for all the prayers and encouragements, they are a blessing & keep them up, i'm really gonna need it!

grace & peace,
lish

i just had the best weekend ever..my two most favorite gals in the world came to Brenham to see me-yes Libby Leatherman and Ashley Rodenberger spent the entire weekend with me and was it wonderful!!!
the Lord blessed us with some really special time together to catch up and talk and laugh, laugh, laugh, it was so encouraging to be with them again. these girls are quality gals and spending time with them these days doesnt happen as often as it used to since i'm in Brenham, Libby's in Irving and Ash's in Ft. Worth. we definitely picked up right where we had left off and the Lord gave us precious time of rest, relaxation and fun, not to mention a great Sunday morning at church. having them come into my new life was good for me...it was encouraging to me watching them really enjoying themeselves and fellowshipping with my "new" Body. we definitely had a dance party saturday night with 2 of my roommates..fun times, not to mention the killer slumber party: the three of us shacking up in the king size bed :) (sidenote, ash likes to take the covers & libby is pretty hilarious in the mornings!)
this weekend was much needed for me as the following weeks are going to be EXTREMELY stressful, moving, finishing up JAM, starting a new job, etc. if your thoughts come across me, please say a prayer. i will really need them.

well i'm gonna hit the sack early...long week ahead..early bed time is a must
grace & peace,
lish

its been awhile since my last post. time has flown by, there are only 2 more weeks left of JAM...its nuts to think i only have 10 more days with my girls. so many seeds have just been planted, but i'm really encouraged because i know i will still be here to water and watch them hopefully take root and grow. my relationship with one family has grown a whole lot and my prayer is that they will find their way back to the church body. they are believers, but have been hurt in the past by the church and dont desire to be a part of it. the mom has a relationship and thinks that is enough, which isnt the worst thing to believe, but at the same time is lacking a whole lot; but her son is involved in the youth so they are taking baby steps.
funny story..as of thursday, i now have a boyfriend-his name is Jarivs and he is 5 years old and the cutest little kid eva' :) he is precious, and if i knew how to post pictures, id put a picture up of him, but i havent mastered that feat yet.
everyday gets a little more wearing and tiring, the frustrations rise and my attitude and mouth takes a little more self-control to handle. its obvious the summer is wearing on me and Satan is attacking hard. your prayers and encouragements are deeply appreciated.
house hunting has been discouraging..not quite the selection in brenham as in college station, but i know the Lord is supreme and my provider
transitioning has been hitting me hard lately..loneliness, fear of "big decision-makings", inadaquecy, having to make new friends, yall know the drill...so with that all said, its been a rough week, but it ended well-the Lady Lightweights (my girls) won the Stomp Competition, so we get to compete in the championship on JAM Celebration day, July 30th [sidenote, every group wins..so every participates :)] i also had a fabulous weekend, friday night was spent with some amazing guys and then Saturday i was able to relax and pack some more, visited with my old roomie and hung out with the familia.
this summer has changed me a lot-the Lord has taught me a lot about compassion and what truly showing grace looks like. its funny how i can tell in my mind how I rely more on the Holy Spirit to direct my steps instead of my own strength and how without a doubt I can tell when i'm trying to do things in my own will and not the Father's.-and a lot of that has come through my times of confession. one of my deepest struggles is pride and independence and this summer the Lord has refined it, so that in EVERYTHING, whether it be a personal circumstance or something related to JAM , i'm to look to HIM, because if i dont i know that it will fail-especially with my tounge. this summer has been a summer of me taming it, learning when to speak and how to choose my words wisely. yes there have been times when i'm sarcastic and its uncalled for, but then there are times when i purposefully keep my mouth shut and can rejoice because the Lord has given me that wisdom and self-control, which brings me into a deeper initimacy with Him.
it makes me smile about this blog..i started it at the end of the school year, not knowing what to title it and thought i "randomly" came up with the idea of "following His lead", but it refreshes me to know that thats what my life is continuing to look like. I would have never gotten to where i am at right now-physcially: in Brenham, spiritually: a deeper intimacy, mentally/emotionally: struggling with fears i didnt think i would face and lastly, ready for the challenge that i know this "new" life is going to bring me in the fall-if i never took that step to surrender everything and say "okay God youre in control everyday, i will follow the path you are taking". and everyday i have to make that choice before i start my day or i know its going to be a struggle, sometimes i do it and other days i dont, but every morning He is there waiting.

this has been a long one..i didnt mean for it to be, but obviously theres been a lot on my mind. i cherish the prayers and ask you encourage me these last couple weeks.
i love you all

grace & peace,
lish

....i have a job; YES- you read right, I, Alisha Marie Lombardi, have accepted a full-time position working at the House of Worship/for Mission Brenham starting..well i'm currently working as a summer missionary, so as soon as camp is over I am redefined as full-time staff. IE-the month of August will consist of moving and working.

My job is really exciting it consists of being Marcus (the pastor) and Chris Gaines (the youth guy)'s assistant as well as heading up the Children's Ministry-meaning starting Kid's Church, a tutoring/reading program and making JAM 2006 happen. Its going to be absolutely insane, but i think i'm ready for a challenge like this!

I never in a million years expected this or imagined myself doing this, but i know that this is where the Lord wants me for now-welcome to Brenham Alisha!

please email me if youd like more details, id love to tell you the full, wonderful story of how it all came about..but its rather long and detailed..stuff i only want to bore really interested people in!

grace & peace,
lish

what a wonderful weekend..most of it was spent driving, but such an encouraging couple of days!
saturday was spent running errands for Chris and then i made a trip into college station, then came back to Brenham to see the youth off to Kids Across America Camp, then a couple other counselors and i went to dinner and watched a movie. Sunday was a busy day, church in the morning and then i drove up to dallas where i met up with libby and then we ate at Wings N More in Colleyville (WHOOP!) with William and Markum-fun times, the people in the restaurant were very suspisious of us..we were VERY excited about Wings! After dinner Markum left and Ms. Leatherman and Mr. Meier and I hung out at his fabulous apt after some gelato! LEt me tell you they are stomp masters! they helped me come up with my stomp routine for the competetion this week..mad props to the both of you! Today was spent hanging out with libby and then i headed back home to chill in college station with the madre y padre...man i love those guy..i think i'm one of the luckiest people alive...my parents are stellar peeps :)

as of right now i've got the house in Brenham all to myself-yea!
Hope yall had a happy holiday. Praise the Lord for freedom.

grace & peace,
lish

whoop for a day off for the 4th and seeing the BFF & wonderful william c. meier!
have a great 4th everyone!

grace & peace,
lish

well, my summer is basically half over, but another journey begins..
yes, there are only 4 more weeks of camp, which is insane to me, because while i feel i've been here a long time (longer than a month), the time has flown by very quickly & i'm really excited about whats in store for me in the fall...9 out of 10 fingers point to me staying in Brenham...the Lord continues to provide and direct me..in the midst of me feeling like im in the dark, but its this blind faith- it is transforming my relationship with him into something much more real and intimate, deepr than what i experienced in college...its like those verses, which i cant remember where they are but i'mi definitely craving hard core the meat, but with that comes newness and scariness, because choices are bigger and have a profounder effect on my life-wow i'm really starting to feel like an adult.

anyways, i get to see my bff..ms. libby d. leatherman this weekend..so pumped..its definitely off the chain, celebrating the 4th with the family..over all, good times are in store.

grace & peace,
lish

email for more details about my fall plans-theyre exciting & unexpected!