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Hey, friends! Here is a follow up on my trip to Indonesia with some more photos. Thank you so much for your prayers and encouragement…I/we could never do this without you! And if you don’t already, please follow me on Instagram (@janaalayra).  I’m finding it easier to do those quick photo pohests immediately at or after events. I try to keep up with Facebook...

My friend Rehana invited me spur of the moment the other day to go see the movie Hidden Figures with her, along with her sister Siti, mom Vera and niece Naya. I was thrilled to do anything with these ladies, but I had also been wanting to see this movie  everyone had been raving about.  Well, now I know why!  What an incredible movie!  The casting, the dress, the acting,...

I'm addicted to a radio program where a fantastic Bible teacher answers questions from callers about anything related to the Bible.  One day a caller asked, "What makes Jesus different than any of the central figures of other religions?"  And although he went on to elaborate, his initial answer, simple but profound, was "Because Jesus is a LIVING Savior.  Those other...

September 2016 It's all His. Does this happen to you?  Something you've heard many times before hits you anew like a thunderbolt and rocks your world? It happened to me the other day when I was in the car, in traffic (arg…), making the most of it by listening to my favorite Bible teacher on my phone.  He mentioned in passing the meaning of Psalm 2:7&8….that...

11-26-15 SO many gifts! I woke up this morning with a very thankful heart.  Thankful to have a bed.  My family went into the city of Santa Ana last night and helped serve food to the homeless there with our church.  Many of these dear folks sleep on the hard ground, in weather that by California standards is way too cold to be in a tent or a box.  Arthritis runs...

Perspective Happy New Year, everyone!  May it be an incredible year of joy and growth for you and yours! On January 1, 2015 morning I rang in the New Year by going with my dear friend Suzy and her family to the Rose Parade.  Suzy and Gus’s youngest daughter has a rare disability, and through the city of Pasadena they receive special seating right on the street,...

Better than Sucrets.... Do you remember the first Christmas when you did your own shopping for gifts?  I think I was in the fifth grade, and it was a pretty monumental occasion when my parents let my sisters and I go off by ourselves for a few hours in the mall to shop.   What a thrilling rite of passage—I felt so grown-up and responsible. But all too soon I...

Wow, what a trip to Indonesia and Tokyo!  Here is a brief blog about our time in Indo and a few photos.  Next blog...the time we spent in Tokyo (too much to put in one entry!) INDONESIA: From the moment we entered the arrival area of the Jakarta airport, Jan (pronounced "Yon"--Dutch Indonesian name) Sutandjati, children's pastor and organizer of Indofest made sure we would...

[Blog] Cooking....I don't do much of this, unfortunately.  I keep saying one day I'll grow up and learn to be an awesome cook. I love food, so I love when other people have this talent.  But me--I "assemble" food. Ya know, buy good stuff at Trader Joe's and Costco, bake it or throw it on the grill and assemble a colorful dinner.  Oh, and I can make a good salad.  But...

*"Peace" CD.  For years moms have asked if we would make a "Lullabye" CD.  Well, this is going to be kind of that, but for all ages.  This world is anything but peaceful on the average day.  We all need the peace of Christ, true rest for our souls in Him.  This CD will contain a couple of new songs I'm writing but also re-recordings of some older peaceful praise...

Oh, my goodness....I just realized it has been a YEAR since I've made a blog entry! I just posted 3 others, and I have half a dozen more to do soon, so please come back.  I guess I can only handle so much technology, and with my cellular device, e-mail and Facebook, that pretty much maxes out my quota. Our lives are already busy! Like this past year....it whizzed by! It was a great year,...

BLOG One of the areas where I love to serve is at a jail facility nearby.  Most people in Orange County don't even know about this smaller jail.  Its lower security, so the inmates' crimes are not as severe as at a prison facility, and their sentences are shorter, usually several weeks to several months.  Many inmates landed there because of drugs, DUIs, prostitution, theft, fraud, things like that.