We've moved...

No, not because of the fires. We've actually just changed blog addresses. Visit us at bryceandlisa.wordpress.com from here on out.

See you there,

Bryce and Lisa

San Diego Fires

Hello all,

Here's a photo taken just minutes from our apartment yesterday morning during the recent wildfires that have swept through San Diego county. We evacuated our apartment early Monday and headed to a friend's house about 30 minutes to the north where we spent last night.

We returned this morning to our apartment and found a light dusting of ash all the way up our staircase to our front door. The sky is still a bit hazy and it smells like campfire, but things appear to be improving in our area.

Just to give you an idea how close this hit to home, the route Lisa drives to work each day is lined with houses that have completely burned to the ground. School has been canceled for both of us until Monday and many we know and love are still evacuated from their homes.

Thank you to those who have been praying for us and the situation in San Diego county for the past couple days. If you would like more info on the fires, go to: www.nbcsandiego.com .

how 'bout them apples...

let me first say that i stopped dieting in france. the french really know how to live: eat what you want, when you want, and get plenty of exercise. this seems to suit our lifestyle(for the most part) so the word "diet" never enters the waller household.

for instance, tonight at 10:30pm while bryce studies and i prepare for my parent conferences tomorrow at school(blast!), we are enjoying granny smith apples baked in butter and brown sugar. yum. who says you can't have sugar right before you go to bed? besides, it's fall(or at least about to be) and we might head north to julian this weekend to pick apples...

i am ready for cold weather to come so that we can cuddle up on the couch with blankets, books and hot apple cider. i think this will come sooner than later. for those that don't know yet, we are moving to montana in june! yup, that's right...montana! now, before you start thinking back to diane keaton making homemade applesauce in vermont in the movie baby boom, let me explain...

bryce was recommended by one of his professors awhile back for a one-year internship at rocky mountain community church in billings, montana. this is an awesome opportunity because he will have the opportunity to preach (consecutively for the first time), teach and gain more experience and training in pastoral counseling. though we are not incredibly jazzed about the frigid weather we'll be welcoming, we are thrilled for the opportunity to gain more ministry experience before heading...????

praise God for apples, cold weather, spouses and friends to share it with, and His perfect plan.

And Now It's October...

How time flies. In the midst of our busy schedules this year I don't know how we are keeping our heads above water, but by the grace of God, we do. And yes, the GRACE of GOD becomes more evident to me every day-so much sometimes that I want to cry.

I did cry tonight while listening to one of B's professors teach on paganism vs. Christianity and how our culture is being revolutionized by neo-paganism. It sounds like something out of a science-fiction novel, I know, but the effects that seep throughout our society are very real, and I could not help but weep for those who do not know the Lord. How I want them to know how wide and long and high and deep His love is....

This love has been revealed to me all the more through the actions of my husband this semester. The Lord is my sustenance, and Bryce is my everything else. What a team we are being molded into! Despite our crazy, busy schedules the Lord has drawn us closer to not only Him, but each other-praise God!

The other night we attended a dessert at one of B's professor's homes for his prayer group. All of us(after eating countless desserts!) shared how the Lord was working in our lives. After 2 hours of sharing, Dr. Johnson(B's prof) suggested we sing "Great is Thy Faithfulness." I sang it through tears, for in the midst of life's trials(busyness for us!), is our wonderful God not so faithful all of the time? Even when we think we're in the thick of hardship, God's faithfulness abounds. Dr. Johnson also highlighted the verse, "Summer and winter, springtime and harvest", alluding to the fact that whether the sun is shining or rain is falling, God is in the midst of it, molding us into His image. I pray He is meeting you where you are, summer or winter, experiencing His faithfulness.

I have seen His faithfulness in so many ways already this semester. The fact that my 7th and 8th graders are learning pronoun agreement by the end of the day is a faithful act on His part! Last week we spent time at Oakbridge YL camp for a 7th grade retreat. What an amazing treat!
I was able to spend time with all of my students outside of the classroom, engaging in deep conversation, having a blast, and sharing Christ with them. Here are a few pics from crud wars(see me on the left!) and my dearest 7th grade friend, Katy. She and I have grown very close over the past 2 years, and were able to talk through some tough stuff on the retreat...

And with all that said, this is what our mornings have started to look like:
As my mom(when are you coming to visit???) always says, "If the devil can't make you bad, he'll make you busy!" We've found that despite our lack of sleep, the only thing that will bring us through each day is spending time with the God who created each day. What a rich time this has been for us. It is so tempting for me to want to start lesson plans or play catch up in the morning, but the busier we get the more we realize that without our awesome God, we are nothing. This sounds so cheezy but it makes me think of that James Taylor song, "How Sweet it is to be Loved by You". It is, indeed, so sweet to be loved by our awesome King.

A year ago today

Well, it's been one year since Lisa walked down the aisle to meet me on the grounds of the McNay Museum only to walk back up the aisle as Mrs. Bryce Waller. It's been a rich year of joy, learning, and growing. After a year, here are a few things we've learned about marriage and each
other:

• Always communicate
• Take days off (more for Bryce than Lisa!)
• Continue to date each other, surprise each other, and keep things exciting
• Marriage means being a team
• The gospel is the only thing that produces real change

We were able to celebrate these few things as well as many more this past week in Florida. What a wonderful anniversary vacation (thank you, Pam and Larry for the condo!!). From biking in Seaside, to reading on the beach, to playing in the ocean...our time in Destin, FL was so relaxing, and much needed after a crazy summer.

Here is only one of the many amazing scenes we saw on our bike ride through Seaside and Grayton Beach. We enjoyed lunch at a great place called The Red Bar, and celebrated our anniversary at
a great restaurant called Bud and Alley's. What a night to remember!

Now that we're back in Escondido, we're preparing for the school year to start(now this is Lis writing...new teacher orientation starts tomorrow! fyi: sfcs offered me the position of co-ASB director and 7th/8th grade language arts teacher...i humbly accepted! thank you for your prayers!!). As I write this, Bryce is preparing a wonderful dinner for us to celebrate one more time the gift God gave us in each other, and I must go join him.

Goodbye to our wonderful vacation and summer...

Stories about Wine...

So Saturday we took an official day off. It was much needed (more for Bryce than me) because last week our church hosted Vacation Bible School and Bryce and I both helped throughout the week( see entry below). After the big cook-out Friday night, we were exhausted! This was all on top of B preaching in Pasadena the Sunday before as well as preaching at the Spanish service this past Sunday.

We went to breakfast at a great French bakery downtown and chatted about life and marriage over coffee and fritatas. Afterwards we headed to Fashion Valley in San Diego to do some shopping, though didn't purchase much, and after deciding that the internet connection on the new Apple phone was way too slow, we made our way back North and stopped off at Orfila Vineyards.

Wine Story #1: Earlier Bryce had printed coupons for free wine tastings, so we enjoyed several tastings of delicious vinos while witnessing a wedding in the front part of the vineyard. It was lovely. We started chatting with the woman serving us and when I asked her how long she had worked there she boldly stated: 3 months. She went on to describe her relationship with the company and how she barely knew anything about wine, but was slowly learning. So, it should have come as no surprise to us when we asked her what her favorite white wine was, and she confidently replied, "I like the Riesling because it tastes like you're not even drinking wine!" Bryce and I laughed about this comment the whole way home. Apparently this woman was confusing her chardonnay with cough syrup, but who are we to judge? After all, they do say that wine is an acquired taste...

Wine Story #2: Now this is not so much a story as it is a write-up, but I had to share info for this new wine bar with others because if not it would be sinful. Our friend John from church plays with a jazz trio and invited us down to The Cask Room to hear them play last night. I don't know what was better, the music, the atmosphere, the baked brie with chipotle jam or the wine- all very rich! It was a great evening and we left wondering why this hidden treasure of a wine bar has yet to be discovered. I was wondering this still today, and after doing a bit of research realized that it has indeed been discovered-at least by San Diego Magazine: www.thecaskroom.com. Thank goodness, because it was one of the best wine bars I've been to. Large wine barrels, candles and dim lighting give the bar an intimate, cozy feel. Leather couches with pillows join a few pub tables to provide comfortable seating as well, and allow friends to mingle while coffee tables in between love seats hold their wine glasses. The owner, Mike, will allow you to taste any wine you wish, and at the end of the evening let us linger after giving us the remains of opened bottles. We both tried the red Zinfandel, which we joked about while walking to the car, because we both grew up thinking that zins were a sort-of half-par wine-not sure where this notion came from-perhaps that is just white zins? Needless to say, we enjoyed the red zin, and contrary to our friend behind the counter at Orfila Vineyards, we were glad that it tasted like wine.

Petar the Pearl Diver and Life After VBS...

Well, Vacation Bible School has ended and the Wallers are back to a semi-normal summer routine. It feels nice, though there is so much to be said about our time with the kiddos last week.

Bryce taught 5th grade and I taught the precious 4th graders. It was so fun seeing B in a goofy role the whole week. "Mr. Waller" ran around with green sunglasses, face paint and a sailor's hat the whole time. The kids LOVED him! The theme for the whole week was nautical since we studied Jonah, which gave B a chance to wear his huge blue flippers that he will never let me get rid of! Both of us woke up every morning with lyrics to the songs we sang throughout the week in our head: Yo tengo un amigo que me ama.....y su nombre es Jesus! Oh yes, we even sang some songs in Spanish, which the kiddos loved.

Mr. Waller was also one of the storytellers that the kids listened to throughout the week. Meet Petar the Peard Diver! The kids loved hearing about the story of Jonah as "Petar" gave the lesson in his classic Scottish accent. I don't think they picked up on the fact that there were no Welsh men described in the Bible!

We wrapped up the week on Friday with a huge spray-down by the Escondido fire department. After playing all day in the heat the kids got a kick out of the huge fire hose squirting (or pummeling!) them down in the grass outside the church. I don't know what was more fun, seeing the kids go wild or watching Pastor Ted get soaked while chasing all the little ones around in his swimsuit! We also enjoyed fresh watermelon from a nearby fruit stand-the workers saw all the kids running around in the hose, loaded up their truck with watermelons galore and drove right over-we had no idea they were coming!

Friday evening we had a huge church cook-out so all the families could come eat, hang out, watch a great slide show, puppet show, and of course, the kids could jump on jumpy castles! It provided a great outreach opportunity-so much so that a family whose girls were in our classes(one in mine and the other in B's) attended the Spanish worship service on Sunday afternoon. They were able to hear Bryce preach (all in Spanish-I only understood part of it but was very proud!) and said they were very encouraged by the sermon-praise GOD! It's so fun to watch him preach in Espanol-his eyes light up and it's like he's speaking in his native language. Now if only we could get to Spain...

Bryce is busy working on his application for an internship at a church in Billings, Montana after graduation. It is a year-long internship where B would have an excellent opportunity to preach consecutively, learn more about counseling and develop more pastoral skills. The church has a huge heart (and budget) for missions so we are praying it will also give us leads as we continue to pursue the path to Espana! Please pray for Bryce as he completes the application process.

I have signed a full-time contract with the school I taught at last semester-Santa Fe Christian School: www.sfcs.net - however, it is an interim permanent sub contract, and my desire is to teach, not substitute for 9 months. Please pray that if this is the Lord's will I will have a peace about my job, and if not, that He would provide another, and quickly! I find myself searching on craigslist.com way too often for other jobs and I want to be useful with my time.

Before we get serious again about work and school, however, we are counting down the days until we leave for Destin Beach, FL....we will be there August 6-11 to celebrate our one-year anniversary! Can you believe it has already been one year?! Crazy how time flies! We can't wait to hang out on the beach, read, cook, and just enjoy a relaxing vacation together. I think B might even take his guitar which will be so nice.

Speaking of reading, I've decided I will try to post entries at times specifically related to books I am reading at the moment(this might turn into another blog in itself). So far I have delved into some delicious reading this summer-Jane Eyre(sobbed my way through the last chapters), Gift of the Red Bird: The Story of a Divine Encounter by Paula D'Arcy(an excellent, quick read that reminds you to be still before the Lord), and currently East of Eden by Steinbeck. His writing is clear and beautiful. I'm fumbling through "chick-lit" as my friend Tami calls it on the side: Marian Keyes(www.mariankeyes.com)- her essays and stories- "Cracks in My Foundation" would make a great metro book. It is currently residing in our bathroom...

I Left My Heart in San Francisco

"I left my heart in San Francisco, high on a hill it calls to me. To be where little cable cars climb halfway to the stars. The morning fog may chill the air, I don't care. My love waits there in San Francisco, above the blue and windy sea, When I come home to you, San Francisco, your golden sun will shine for me. "

What an incredible time the Wallers and Madrids had on our 1st family vacation! From running our 1st Half Marathon
(see: www.runcarneros.com) from Napa to Sonoma Valley, to wine tasting, to enjoying the city of San Francisco, we had a blast together. It was such a blessing to be with family. Desmond Tutu once said,"You don't choose your family. They are God's gift to you, as you are to them. "
Thank you, Lord, for our family.

We all loved walking around the bay area together and enjoying the great city, the water, great restaurants, and more importantly, each others' company. A real highlight for Bryce and me was running the Half Marathon at the beginning of our vacation. After mile 11 we thought our legs might stop working, but somehow we finished the race! Though we did not finish as fast as we thought we would, we were both very proud to cross the finish line #1093 and #1094 out of 2,500 runners. Now that we are back in Escondido, we are recovering from the race and our wonderful trip.