It felt like springtime...

2011-10-01T10:55:00.000-05:00

Question 2.0

2011-01-02T13:02:00.006-06:00

For one part of my New Year's resolution, I asked the question: What do I believe?

I have broken down that list into more specific topics that I will be researching this year. I'm not going to put a time line on each, rather I will research until I am satisfied with the information.

My topics (as of right now):
1. The Bible
- accuracy
- God-breathed
- inerrancy
- infallible
- authority

2. God
- existence
- Trinity
- providence
- prayer

3. Creation
- evolution
- soul
- man
- sin

4. Jesus
- existence
- soteriology
- miracles

5. Holy Spirit
- existence
- role
- authority

6. The Church
- church

7. Afterlife
- Heaven
- Hell

8. Spiritual world
- angels
- demons

9. Uniqueness of Christianity
- other major world religions: Judaism, Buddhism, Islam, Hinduism, etc.

This is quite an extensive list to be researched in just a year so I know I won't have all the answers by the time 2012 comes around. Since I've been raised in the church, I do have ideas on each subject, but I long for depth! Further up and further in is what my goal will be this year. Ok, here we go!

New Year's Resolutions 2011

2011-01-01T14:50:00.003-06:00

Happy New Year!

I love this time of year. It just seems like people are so hopeful, optimistic, and ready for something new. I love that attitude. I'm looking forward to 2011 and accomplishing the goals I set for this year. So, without further ado, here are my 2011 New Year's Resolutions:

1. A project: I want to get involved with an organization to raise money to help people in need. I want to raise funds by running some kind of race. I'm being vague with this one because I'm still researching races and organizations. I definitely have some ideas going, but if any of you (I know, all 2 of you... if that many...) can point me in a certain direction or have any thoughts or ideas, I would love any help!

2. A question: If you know me at all, you know that 3/6ths of my family have felt the faith and turned to atheism/agnosticism. So, with that, I am going to ask: What do I believe? I want my faith to be strengthened and I don't want to take any of it for granted. While I know I will never have all the answers this side of Heaven, I want to know as much as I can, so I intend to focus my attentions on as many questions and topics regarding my belief system. I am so excited!

3. A quest: My quest will help in my research of what I believe. I am going to visit both the Creation Museum and the Smithsonian's Human Evolution Exhibit. (Special thanks to the Relevant Magazine, again, for that idea!) It should be very interesting!

What are your New Year's Resolutions?

Too excited...

2010-12-31T00:39:00.002-06:00

Ok, I seriously need to be better at blogging. I am so much better taking the time to decorate my blog than actually writing in my blog. Go figure. But, 'tis the time for New Years resolutions and I am just so stinking excited about mine that I simply had to tell you that I'm stinking excited about mine. I have to wait until New Year's Day to reveal everything, though... Right? I hope I can wait that long...

If you're struggling for some inspiration, check out Relevant Magazine's Rachel Held Evans and her 7 tips to a less boring NY Resolution. My resolutions are thanks to that article.

Ok, ok, let me just give you a hint so I can go to sleep!

My New Year's Resolutions involve:
1. A project.
2. A question.
3. A quest.

Oh man! I'm so excited. Are you planning your New Year's resolution(s)?

do something

2010-08-21T22:29:00.003-05:00

I just want yall to see this. Because sometimes when we see, we remember. And sometimes when we remember, we do: we pray, we give, we go. Please do.

Kisses from Katie's blog

Adoptionbug.com

2010-08-14T10:01:00.006-05:00

Adoptionbug.com is a wonderful site where families can raise money to help fund their adoptions! The site is loaded with awesome t-shirts and precious faces of orphans and families. Here's one t-shirt I ordered:

Love it!! Help bring an orphan home to his/her forever family!

"I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you." John 14:18

Where My Heart Is: Ghana

2010-08-01T20:04:00.005-05:00

I wish I would bring myself to Blog World more often. I have so much to tell you and I just never allow myself to sit down and type it all out. Currently, I'm sitting in an office where my man is working hard for his livin'. He really is so cute while he works, answering all those phone calls. Sweet boy.

Anyway, I suppose I'll get to my point of this post: Ghana Mission 2010.

When you travel to the same place more than once, you tend to compare your previous experiences to your current one (at least I do!). I prepared myself for these comparisons and tried not to do that this time around.... But really, how much more could He teach me in the same surroundings? with some of the same people? doing virtually the same activities?

(Ridiculous. Go ahead. Roll your eyes at me. I know I am.)

I had no idea.

The Lord blew me, along with my ever-present pride, out of the water. And I am so beyond glad that He did.

Going on mission trips, the focus is generally on other people. We (I) forget about the work God does in our own lives. And that's pretty much what God did: worked inside me. For two weeks, I was constantly discipled by Ghanian Christians who GET IT. They absolutely get this thing called discipleship. They absolutely get this thing called Christianity. They absolutely get the call of Jesus to deny themselves, carry their cross, and follow Him. They get it. Period. I told my dearest Ghanian friend, Gideon, that truly, they are the ones who need to come to America and teach us what Jesus meant when He said, "Follow Me."

During the course of those two weeks, we worked along side men and women who get up everyday at 4:00am, meet at church and pray from 4:00-5:30am. Then, they go home and the men lead a one hour family devotional. And then, they get ready and go to work! Everyday, they do this! I'm amazed.

Gideon's church is participating in a 30 day fast. Each night of the fast, they meet at their church for a two hour prayer meeting, and then break fast together when the sun sets. For 30 days, they are doing this! Everyday! For 30 days!

We also worked alongside with a pastor, Pastor Mohammed, who, when he found out how sick some of our team were, stayed up all night long and prayed. I don't think my best friend would even do that for me, nor would I think to do that for her. :(

But this is how these Christians live. It is simply their way of life. They don't have access to all of our fancy Bible study books, our cushioned seats, air-conditioned churches. They simply read God's Word, study it together, and then live it out.

Wow.

I also had the privilege of holding babies whose mommies died while giving them life and whose daddies could not (or would not) care for an infant. Praise God He does not leave them (or us!) as orphans (John 14:18). Precious, precious babies. I'm pretty sure I met my future daughter in that bunch, by the way. One can hope. ;)

One day, while I was holding one of those precious babies, the CAPTIAIN OF THE BLACK STARS, JOHN MENSAH came to donate a palate of goods to the orphanage!!! Be still my heart!!! I sure did get a picture of us! Whew. Dream come true. I seriously need to post my pics.

Anyway, so basically, my heart was left in Ghana. Again. And I'm ready to go back. Today. We'll see what God has in store. All I know is, no matter where we are on this planet, our commandment is to go and make disciples.

Recommended reading: Radical by David Platt

"Therefore, go and make disciples of all nations...." Matthew 28:19

The Stoning of Soraya M.

2010-04-17T16:34:00.002-05:00

We have no idea.

I'll repeat: We simply have no idea.

I watched a film this afternoon that has changed my life and I'm recommending it to the world: The Stoning of Soraya M. It isn't for the faint of heart so gather up some courage before you see it. It is rated R. It is extremely graphic in its violence.

And it really happened.

And it is happening all over the world; simply change Soraya's name to another.

I'm not even sure what I can write about it. Soraya's story took place in a country where my God is shunned and another is worshipped. Where women and children are treated so unjustly. Where a child is handed a stone and told to throw it at his mother... And he does it. Where human life has no worth.

The thing is, this story could happen anywhere. My country is full of people who worship idols. My generation isn't that far removed from the one where women had no legal rights in this land. And how we forget. And how we take for granted all this freedom. I absolutely believe this: God gives to all. He also gives to some to give to all. My freedom (spiritually, physically, etc.) was given to me to bring freedom to those in chains, to bring a voice to the voiceless, to bring hope to the hopeless. The same Power that raised my Savior from the dead is also in me, and is in you if you know Jesus.

We have to do something.

So what do we do? I have an idea about what is happening now, so God, what do I do??

"'Then neither do I condemn you,' declared Jesus." John 8:11

Annoyed & Stewing & Thankful

2010-03-24T09:49:00.004-05:00

I.hate.bedrest. In case you haven't heard from all my facebook statuses, I have pneumonia. I'm partially annoyed because of all that. However, I'm mostly annoyed and stewing because I've had pneumonia this entire time and a certain professional, we'll call him Dr. Certain Professional, neglected to tell me. I'm here to rant about this Dr. CP because I now have plenty of time to be annoyed and stewing and ranting. ;) Maybe I'll be of sound mind later and delete this, but alas, you have been warned: this is a rant!

It all started last week on spring break when I woke up with a sore throat, which turned into a cough, which turned into a low grade fever. Probably allergies? So I cancelled my doctor's appointment I had made last Friday. Dumb move because I woke up on Saturday with 101 fever and lungs full of yuck and had to go to urgent care and pay double to see the Dr. Certain Professional (who isn't my usual awesome doctor, Dr. Beau Meyer!) Dr. CP listened to my chest and diagnosed it as bronchitis and sent me on my way.

Saturday night was wretched. My fever was up to just about 103 and I couldn't catch my breath for anything. Sunday when I *thankfully* woke up, I went back to the doctor - and Dr. CP was still the only one there - and I requested an x-ray just to make sure it wasn't pneumonia. He was highly offended that I'd be scared of a doctor's misdiagnosis and haughtily said that I needed to give my meds some time to work. Sorry, buddy, but I know of a girl my age who just went to be with Jesus last week because of pneumonia. As much as I'd love to see Jesus face to face, there's still plenty of work to be done around here, so I want that x-ray. So Dr. CP takes my x-ray and shows me this streak of white on my lung and tells me that it's a collapsed lung and thinks it "wouldn't hurt you to be on another medicine to prevent pneumonia now." Those were his words. He writes me a prescription for Levaquin - maybe you know what that is, however I didn't. I thought it was a preventive med.

I go home and do all these breathing treatments and exercises Dr. CP told me to do, thinking I'm trying to reinflate my lung and prevent pneumonia. I make a follow-up appointment with my amazing usual doctor, Dr. Meyer, for Tuesday (yesterday).

Yesterday, I saw Dr. Meyer's precious face and told him that I had a collapsed lung and I was just here to see if I reinflated it. He takes a look at my x-ray from Sunday and says, "Girl, you you have pneumonia!" ...... what? I asked him if Dr. CP knew it was pneumonia. He did, and "that's why he prescribed Levaquin. Levaquin is the 'big guns' for pneumonia. You usually see collapsed lungs with pneumonia." .... WHAT?? Dr. CP didn't tell me I had pneumonia or any of this about that medicine. So Dr. Meyer whisks me off to get another x-ray to see if this medication is working. It is, thankfully, so I don't have to be admitted to the hospital, however I can't go back to work the rest of the week and I have to be on bedrest.

Sigh.

I have plenty to be thankful for, though. I'm thankful I'm still breathing which means I can still take part in all the work God has for us to do. I'm thankful that God gifted people with the abilities to make big gun meds like Levaquin so I don't have to go to the hospital. I'm thankful for Dr. Meyer. I'm thankful for amazingly understanding principals and co-workers who wouldn't let me in the building yesterday to fix sub plans for the rest of the week. They did the sub plans for me. Wow. I'm thankful for my mom who went with me to all these doctor's appointments - and who was a witness to Dr. CP's behavior so I know I'm not crazy! I'm thankful for my dad who makes me laugh because he's highly susceptible to pneumonia/respiratory illnesses, so he's avoiding me like the plague (I'm avoiding him too... as I'm on bedrest at my house. I don't want to give this to him - or anyone for that matter!) ;) I'm thankful for my cute boyfriend, who, when he found out I was now on bedrest for 6 more days, got me a video game to play. That made me smile because it was so randomly thoughtful. And of course, I'm thankful that my God is a healer. The Healer, who can and will do anything to set His children free.

"I run in the path of Your commands, for you have set my heart free." Psalm 119:32

Every Girl's Dream...

2010-03-01T17:47:00.004-06:00

It is every girl's dream to have a man fight for her (in some form or fashion, should a situation arise). Well, my dream came true last night and I simply had to share my experience with you.

All growing up, I have had issues with food. I am the pickiest eater the good Lord ever made and I really have tried to change. It's harder than you think but I think I'm a little braver than I was one year ago! Ordering with me at restaurants generally takes awhile because I have to change at least something on my order 99% of the time. I've been warned that this little trait of mine would come to bite me one day. Little did those nay-sayers know that it would make a dream come true!

So there I was at Chili's last night, ordering the Cajun Chicken Pasta... minus the chicken... sub french fries for the chicken (since I'm paying for the chicken anyway, may as well try to get something else for my money!) And my sweet waiter, Joe, looked at me with a quick, slightly strange, barely noticeable look, but very politely said he'd get me my order. Hooray! No questions asked! (They always have questions for me.)

15-20 minutes later, this is what happens:

In case you can't tell, that would be french fries in a pasta dish. Complete with alfredo sauce drizzle. I laughed hysterically, and the manager (who brought us our food) looked at me strangely and said, "Is that right??" Well, technically... I had failed to request the french fries on the side. My bad.

When Joe comes to check on us, he sees that I had pushed my fries to the side and says, "Oh, did they put too many fries on your pasta??" ...... I reply, "Oh well, no it's fine, I just pushed them over to the side." Sweet Joe, "Oh no! You did mean on the side! I fought for you with the cooks because I thought this is what you wanted." PRECIOUS!!!

Joe, that was the best french fries in a pasta dish I've ever had.

Highlights

2010-02-19T19:20:00.002-06:00

Well, not that too many of you read this thing anymore, but I've decided to resurrect my blog. It needs a little bridge between October and now, though. So here we go with a little blurb of the 'in-between':

November
* Thanksgiving was small and quiet. After the scrumptious meal, we quickly high-tailed it (as to avoid any emotional breakdowns due to the empty seat at the table) to see the very scary, not-child-friendly, "A Christmas Carol." My prom date was an animator on that movie. :)

December
* HAWAII!!! For Christmas this year, we took a little vacation to paradise. It was perfect and I think I should move there. We visited 4 islands: Hawaii, Oahu, Maui, and Kauai. Maui and Oahu are my faves. Oahu has so much to do that you could have an entire week's (or more!) vacation just on that island. And Maui has insanely gorgeous beaches that you could have your entire vacation there (as long as you're a beach person!) I should really post pictures and devote at least one entry to just Hawaii. Perhaps I will.

January
* New Year's Resolution: To love.

Now
* Lord-willing, I'm heading back to Ghana this summer so all that preparation is going on now. We're selling super cute t-shirts as a fundraiser! I should devote an entire entry to those shirts. Perhaps I'll do that too.

Well, there you have it. Very brief highlights of the in-between.

Ok, now let's get to the good stuff...

2009-10-19T19:44:00.006-05:00

I've been avoiding my blog for the last couple of weeks now. All I've wanted to blog about was my Grandmommy and I just couldn't bring myself to do it for fear of the tears. I'm learning, though, that even when you think you'll never stop crying, you will. The tears will stop and the joy will return.

It's been 3 1/2 weeks since Grandmommy went to be with Jesus and I have cried everyday since her Homegoing. I hate it, but she was one of the most important people in my life, so cry I will. Tonight I washed my hair and happened to grab one of her towels. As I type I can smell her thanks to her towel around my head. :) I love that smell!

Grandmommy was the most giving, selfless, sacrificially loving person I have ever and will ever meet. I could talk to her about anything. My talks with her are moments I will cherish for the rest of my life. She had 8 grandchildren, but when you were with her, she made you feel as if you were her only one. Gosh, I just love this lady. Our "thing" we always did together was to go grab a slice of pizza and a coke and just talk for hours. When each of the 8 grandkids were 5 years old, she and Granddaddy took us to Disney World. I've seen much of the world thanks to her. She was one of my biggest supporters in my mission trips, even though she thought I might be crazy for going. ;)

Most importantly, Grandmommy loved Jesus more than life. I know she is with Him now and is beyond ecstatic that her faith has become sight. I know I will see her again and until then, I'll be waiting for all this to be turned into dancing.

"You turned my wailing into dancing..." Psalm 30:11

Because I have to believe this...

2009-10-03T21:37:00.000-05:00

For His Glory

2009-09-21T18:10:00.005-05:00

On road trip #2 this weekend, I had the privilege of traveling with some friends, Chris & Cheryl, to see Reverend Wuni, pastor of a church in Ghana. I wanted to share with you the beautiful story he told us about my friend, Rebekah.

About a month after our trip to Ghana last year, my Ghanian friend, Rebekah, came down with a horrible case of malaria. Jesus ended up calling her Home after only a few days in the hospital. Her family and friends took her body to a little village just outside Tamale called Tuuningli. As her grave digger was digging, he began to ask questions about Rebekah's Jesus and by the time Rebekah's funeral was over and her body was buried, this grave digger had become a new follower of Jesus Christ! One year later, God has used this little grave digger to plant the only Christian church in this little village called Tuuningli.

God does things we can't understand that ultimately flourish with His glory. Praise the El Roi, the God who sees us, Who sees deeper and further than we can even begin to imagine.

"She gave this name to the LORD who spoke to her: 'You are the God who sees me,' for she said, 'I have now seen the One who sees me.'" Genesis 16:13 NIV

Psst...

2009-09-21T17:38:00.002-05:00

Disclaimer: Blogworld, I have 2 things to tell you. This is one, however... well, it just might not be as interesting to you as it is to me. Fair warning. ;) I know it's been such a long time since we've been together, but this is just what happens when you take a road trip with your BFF.

Ode to my BFF, Nicholle.
1. aka French Fries
2. Remember when we almost ate there?
3. RIP El Mercado... and Be My Cupcake
4. Valero....... x2
5. Welp, that's embarrassing.
6. Oh and then... Psst... HUH???
7. If you don't have a Nicholle, then I highly recommend you get one. There's just something about them that makes your life.... amazing.

Feed My Sheep

2009-08-06T22:39:00.006-05:00

Do you ever have those days when you are just dumb-founded by grace? I do. A lot. Mostly because I need His grace... a lot. Thursday was a dumb-founded by grace day.

A friend of mine retold Simon Peter's story to me today, and I encountered Jesus. You remember Peter's story: He boldly told Jesus that he would go with Him to prison and even death, but instead Peter denied His Lord three times. Once he realized what he had done, Peter spent the rest of the night weeping bitterly (Luke 22:31-34, 54-62). Even after seeing Jesus resurrected and being commissioned and given the Holy Spirit, Peter went back to fishing - his way of life prior to his relationship with Jesus (John 20-21).

Isn't it like Satan to do that? We totally mess up and he convinces us that we can't be who God created us to be. We have to return to our old way of doing things. We have to go back to our nets and fish.

But... if we listen to Jesus, we'll hear something completely different.

After helping Peter and friends catch some fish, Jesus invited them to breakfast. After breakfast, Jesus asked Peter if he loved Him three times. This is where I'm fascinated: If we could read Greek, we'd find that first, Jesus asks Peter if he "'agape's" Him. (Agape is that perfect, unconditional love God gives.) Peter answers with, "Yes, Lord. You know I 'phileo' You." (Phileo is that imperfect, friendship kind of love we, as humans, can give.)

Whoa. Peter told Jesus that his own love for Him is conditional, imperfect, and ultimately weak. Peter just confessed to the only Son of God that he is incapable of loving Him perfectly. So what happens next? Does Jesus reprimand Peter? Does He tell Peter that phileo love isn't enough? That Peter needs to work on ____, ____, and ____??

No. Jesus responds immediately with, "Feed My sheep."

Wow. Peter recognizes his own weakness, knowing that he can't 'agape' Jesus. Peter knows that he's only capable of 'phileo' love and confesses it. And JESUS ACCEPTS IT. Not only accepts it, but restores Peter and tells him to do what he was created to do: Feed His sheep. (John 21:15-19)

WOW. I'm dumb-founded.

"Satan has asked to sift you like wheat. But I have prayed for you that your faith may not fail. And you, when you have turned back, strengthen your brothers." Luke 22:31-32 (HCSB)

With a Broken Heart...

2009-08-02T22:41:00.003-05:00

It's days like this when I remember this is not my Home. This past week was full of so many heartaches, I don't even know where to begin. (The Lord, in His infinite mercy, provided plenty of reliefs, though, so I don't mean to be a total Debbie Downer.) It's heartaches like these that lead us to cling to the Almighty:

A dissolved marriage.

A chemo patient.

A seizure.

A crime.

My heart is just in pieces for all these people. If you would say a prayer for each of the people involved in the above events, I would be so grateful. God knows who you'd be talking about. May they each find rest in the shadow of their Almighty.

"He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High shall rest in the shadow of the Almighty." Psalm 91:1

Tisha B'Av

2009-07-29T23:41:00.002-05:00

I love history, especially Jewish and Christian history, so I'm giving yall a history lesson, free of charge. ;) Tonight (Thursday) at sunset through tomorrow's sunset is a Jewish fast called Tisha B'Av. According to tradition and their calendar, this is the day when both Temples were destroyed (obviously several hundred years apart). Today our Jewish friends will fast, deeply mourn, and recite Lamentations. They will be mourning the loss of the Temple and, I'm sure, will be praying for the rebuilding of a third Temple.

Let's pray for our Jewish friends today. May the Truth of Jesus resound and be revealed to them today. May their hearts be softened by their One and Only Messiah. May they know the Truth. And may that Truth set them free.

"Because of the Lord's great love we are not consumed, for His compassions never fail." Lamentations 3:22 NIV

If only...

2009-07-27T18:52:00.003-05:00

These people must've received their inspiration after watching a Ghanian wedding. :) This is perfectly normal in a Ghanian wedding - except add 50 more people walking down the aisle with the bride. If only my church would let me do this... ;)

Restoration

2009-07-20T23:33:00.004-05:00

You know those times when your soul sings? When it just soars and sings away? Oh, I love those moments! I prayed for a moment like that just today (although I admit not believing it to happen anytime soon.) ... I've just been craving for my soul to sing.

And then it happened. Completely unexpectedly, too - only the way God works. :)

A deep friendship was restored to its rightful place tonight. Amazing. Only the hand of God could do something like this.

And now, my soul is singing...

I love Him.

Watch.

2009-07-19T22:42:00.000-05:00

3 Books You Must Read This Summer

2009-07-14T20:56:00.003-05:00

#1: Jesus Wants to Save Christians by Rob Bell
In.cred.i.ble. Yall. There are no words except that this book WILL change you. Disclaimer: And by the way, I'm DEFINITELY not a Rob Bell fan whatsoever. This book is just that interesting.

#2: The Furious Longing of God by Brennan Manning
I accidentally read this all the way through when I was browsing at a book store. It's just that good. Jesus loves me and you.

#3: Crazy Love by Francis Chan
I'm actually only in chapter 2, but I have to make a complete list of 3, you know. And plus, this book rocks and I'm only in chapter 2 so I know the best is yet to come. Ah, the crazy love of God.

Hangin with Superman

2009-07-14T14:56:00.007-05:00

Yesterday, I had the privilege of hangin with my friend, Noah, while his mommy took baby sister to the doctor. I love kids but hanging out with Noah always reminds me that I can't wait to be a mom one day - if the Lord wills it of course. If He doesn't, I'll be content being as much of a mommy as I can to all the other children I meet along the way. :) Anyway! I simply had to share Noah's mad cooking skills in pictures... if only I had thought to take more from the beginning!

Noah carefully placing each worm.

Noah stealing, er... taste testing... a couple worms.

Noah's Dirt

The fellas enjoying some dirt and comics.

A Must Read

2009-07-14T14:54:00.001-05:00

Be convicted. Read this.

Sponsor a Child

2009-07-10T11:18:00.005-05:00

***Found this blog in my "drafts" collection, and finished it. One down, 1359087 more to go. Stay tuned...***

Last summer in Ghana, our team visited a World Vision office and got to meet one of our team member's sponsored children. We also visited a Compassion International Compound and watched their kids put on a show for us. These experiences led me to sponsor a child in Ghana through World Vision. Her name is Nmowai Sonja, a precious 6 year old who got to start school this year. She has written me twice. Her first letter was a picture of an orange. She's my kind of girl: totally random. Go figure.

Anyway, I tell you all this for two reasons. Number one: I've been convicted. I have been reading Melissa (Moore) Fitzpatrick's blog on her Compassion trip to India. Her team's sponsor children have kept EVERY SINGLE ONE of the letters their sponsors have written to them. And I have yet to write Nmowai! Sad day!! This will now be my #1 project this weekend.

Reason number two: Sponsor a child through World Vision. (or any other sponsorship program!) I've seen firsthand what World Vision does with the sponsors' money and I know they are who they say they are. $30.00 a month will give your child - and his/her community! - basic necessities that we are blessed with each and every day: school, clean water, clothes, nutrition & agricultural education, and spiritual nourishment, just to name a few.

So, eat out one less time with your beau a month and sponsor a child instead. Eternity will be changed.

Worship in the Park

2009-06-14T22:45:00.003-05:00

The above, blurry, cell phone picture would be a stage where Chris Tomlin is singing. Yes, I definitely just got back from worshiping our Lord with CHRIS TOMLIN. I adore worshiping with him - you have no idea. It all goes back to LPC Youth Camp where he taught me how to worship Jesus - not only in song, but in life. There's something about worshiping with Chris Tomlin that brings me back to those youth camp days - those special youth camp mountain top experiences. I had a taste of that mountain top this evening and you betcha' that taste was not enough. So, with my new Sword in hand, I'm climbing this mountain. I'll be sure to let you know the new treasures I find along the way!

p.s. The last time I saw Chris Tomlin, we (me chris and 9 other high school girls) had lunch and he sure did call me "steph." No lie. We've been BFFs ever since. (ok that part might be a lie... ;-) BFFs in spirit..... ;-)

VBS: International Style

2009-06-08T20:08:00.003-05:00

This is the week of weeks!! I have been waiting for this week for so long, and I must say, I never could have imagined or believed for anything greater. This week, we're holding a VBS for all of our little refugee friends. I must admit, I have been beyond stressed on getting everything - and everyone! - together for it. I really did not think it would all come together... and then tonight happened. And God blew Himself out of that little box in which I had placed Him. Amazing. I took a few pictures and as I get more time... and energy... I'll write more details. Just know that God is bigger than we could ever imagine. You know that. I just tend to need more reminders. Maybe one day I'll get it. ;)

Dear Blog,

2009-05-31T17:15:00.002-05:00

Oh how I miss thee. I can't wait for summer when we can spend all the time in the world together. I have a whole list going of things to tell you. It's gonna be good.
5 more days,
me.

Who Knew?

2009-04-13T20:31:00.003-05:00

I love Easter. It is always such a ... romantic! time with Jesus. On Friday, I went to LPC to watch the Passion of the Christ. This year, they set up an interactive prayer room called "The Way of the Cross" - POWERFUL. It was the perfect mournful/blessed date night with Jesus.
I watch the Passion movie every year (well since they've been showing it) at LPC and each year I hear something new. Two things I heard this year were:
"If you will not hear the truth, people will not speak it to you." - Pontius Pilate's wife. Whew!
"See, I am making all things new." - Jesus, to His mama, on His way to Golgotha. Beautiful.

Ok, I hope all that made sense. I'm trying to multi-task by watching tv and blogging at the same time. My whole point to this blog was the following random trivia I learned today:

Did you know that Santa Claus was at the Council of Nicea (the group God chose to physically put His Word together into the Bible)? In fact, Saint Nicholas was one of the most outspoken people there about the Trinity doctrine. Who knew!? (Random fact info thanks to the Bible Answer Man, Hank Hanegraff in his book, "The Bible Answer Book")

Arise

2009-04-02T20:09:00.003-05:00

Jesus is pretty stinking amazing. As if you didn't know. :)

My little Bhutanese friends are PRECIOUS. This past Tuesday, we talked about Jesus praying in the garden and we made little prayer slips about what we want to tell God. One little girl wrote, "I love you Jesus and you love me." My soul sings. Please pray for us this Tuesday as we are presenting the rest of the story about how He is our Saviour - their Saviour! I can't wait!!

Life has been pretty insane the past few months. I almost feel like I've been in the ocean, without a boat, during a white squall. Pretty intense. I've now been washed ashore and I hear, "Arise." I'm seeing what all God has done in my midst and it's pretty beautiful. Nehemiah's story has been the echo throughout all of this. We've been studying it in Sunday School and then my favorite blog has been writing about it. There are bricks to be laid and walls to be built. We can't just talk about the bricks and the walls, we have to go out there and BUILD. We must live out what He gives us. What exactly that means for me is difficult to discern, but what I'm finally getting is that, just as Nehemiah did, I can only listen to HIS voice. We can't just talk about talking to God and we can't ask each other what God wants and expect to receive a coherent answer. Third parties always get the information muddled in some way - in all circumstances but especially when it comes to His voice. We simply need to go to Him directly - seek Him and He will answer.

Memory Verse #7

2009-04-02T17:38:00.001-05:00

My Lover spoke and said to me, "Arise, my darling, my beautiful one, and come with Me."
Song of Solomon 2:10

Oh man. My soul is singing. More on this verse later!!! :)

Memory Verse #6

2009-03-17T11:50:00.002-05:00

Forget the things that happened in the past. Do not keep on thinking about them. I am about to do something new. It is beginning to happen even now. Don't you see it coming? I am going to make a way for you to go through the desert. I will make streams of water in the dry and empty land. Isaiah 43:18-19 NIRV

I LOVE this verse.

Jesus Loves the Little Children

2009-03-11T20:19:00.003-05:00

On Tuesday night, we told the Chimariya children about how much Jesus loves children. I wish you could have seen their faces. MOST.BEAUTIFUL.SIGHT.EVER. Their little brown eyes got so big and their little mouths fell open and broke out into smiles. Oh it was beautiful! I have to do this the rest of my life.

"Jesus said, 'Let the little children come to Me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.'" Matthew 19:14

Grace in Abundance

2009-03-06T20:18:00.002-06:00

Do you ever have those times in your life where you absolutely know that you have totally screwed up and traveled down the Point of No Return? Well, I have. More than once too. It's a wretched place to be, that Point of No Return, because that place lies to you. Stones are thrown at you, perhaps with good intentions from the thrower, however the stones only seem to instigate the lies. Everything about the Point of No Return makes you believe that God's grace truly can't reach as far as you've traveled - or perhaps that He doesn't want His grace to reach that far. And so you keep traveling, aimlessly and brokenly, down the Point of No Return. Then, without even looking for it, you feel a drop of grace fall on you from The Throne Room - perhaps through His Word, His creation, or - in my current case - a conversation with a dear friend and sister in Christ. And it's there in that moment that you realize you can turn around and even - dare I say it - run to God, the Father who has been watching for you, waiting for you to return all along.

It's there that you realize that first drop was only a taste of the Floodgates of Grace that poured out on you when you repented. Oh Grace. Grace. God's Grace. Grace that is greater than all our sin.

"In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God's grace that He lavished on us with all wisdom and understanding." Ephesians 1:7-8

5th Memory Verse

2009-03-06T20:16:00.003-06:00

I totally forgot to put my memory verse on here but rest assured it's in My Lamp (ie deck of index cards) and almost memorized! ;)

So do not throw away your confidence, it will be richly rewarded, you need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what He has promised. Hebrews 10:35-36 NIV

Your Life in 6 Words

2009-02-28T08:09:00.002-06:00

Beth Moore always has fun blog ideas. Here's how I want my life summed up if only six words can be used:

"Your feet are beautiful," said Jesus.

OR perhaps

Until all nations know their Savior.

Hopefully both will be true one day. How would you sum up your life in six words?

"How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? And how can they preach unless they are sent? As it is written, 'How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!'" Romans 10:14-15

4th Memory Verse

2009-02-16T19:11:00.001-06:00

They'll rebuild the old ruins, raise a new city out of the wreckage. They'll start over on the ruined cities, take the rubble left behind and make it new.
Isaiah 61:4 (The Message)

3rd Memory Verse

2009-02-01T20:23:00.000-06:00

"I have swept away your offenses like a cloud, your sins like the morning mist. Return to me, for I have redeemed you." Isaiah 44:22 NIV

Since all the cool kids are doing it: The Random Post :)

2009-02-01T17:45:00.006-06:00

Rules: Once you've been tagged, you are supposed to write a note with 25 random things, facts, habits, or goals about you. At the end, choose 25 people to be tagged. You have to tag the person who tagged you. If I tagged you, it's because I want to know more about you.

1. I absolutely LOVE random, funny t-shirts. I collect them.
2. I sometimes feel sorry for inanimate objects. ex: I feel sorry for the gum wrapper when I throw it in the trash. Weeeird.
3. I've been playing the piano since I was 8. I wish I still took lessons.
4. I also kinda play the French horn, mellophone, and the guitar.
5. I wanted to be an actress when I grew up, so when I was younger, I "practiced my acting skills" by making up totally random stories about myself. ie: I was born on an airplane from London, so I'm British.... I'm pretty sure no one ever believed me. ;)
6. When I was 12, I knew JTT was The One.
7. I love to laugh.
8. Starbucks is my home away from home.
9. I hate talking on the phone.
10. I sleep walk and sleep talk. And both have gotten me in trouble on more than one occasion. ie: The Snake Attack of '08 and the Roommate Scare of '03.
11. I love the smell of winter.
12. I love reality tv - except for those goofy shows where you have to eat gross things. Yuck.
13. My top 2 fears in life are: eating foreign foods and being attacked by birds. I'm working hard on being brave and trying new foods; however, the bird fear will remain with me forever.
14. I used to be very afraid of dogs. My childhood best friend and I were always chased by dogs around the neighborhood. I am still somewhat nervous around large dogs.
15. I totally stress out my eye doctor because I wear my contacts far too long. I get a lecture every time I go to see her.
16. I am madly in love with and madly proud of my 3 "little" brothers.
17. I'm pretty sure my childhood best friend and I were almost kidnapped when we were about 8 years old. I still get a creepy feeling when I see an old beige pick-up truck because that's what the guys were driving.
18. I am a sympathetic barfer. Gross I know. Therefore, the Golden Rule in Miss Broyles' class is: Don't puke. Ever.
19. I have the best job in the whole world... on most days. :)
20. I played softball for 7 years.
21. I love to dance. Especially to songs I know because then I get to sing and dance.
22. I love learning about and experiencing new cultures and people.
23. I love songs that tell a story.
24. I hate watching sports on tv, but I love watching any and all sports in real life.
25. Jesus is my Everything.

Lifeline

2009-01-28T16:11:00.000-06:00

New Beginnings

2009-01-20T17:02:00.003-06:00

I am so not one for change. In fact, I hate it. I just like for things to be the way they are, the way they've always been. I'm one of those who has an assigned seat in the sanctuary during the service - though I do try to mix it up depending on which service I'm attending... that can count as a change right? Oh if only life were easy and change-free.

It's not that way, though. So I'm not going to wallow in the current changes, but instead look at the... bright side? New Beginnings.

It's a New Year.

We have a new president today. This is a new beginning for America. No matter which way we voted, we pray it's a good beginning.

And finally, I have my own personal beginning. Not to get too personal for blogworld, but a 3 1/2 year (on and off) relationship has come to an end. (The final end too!) To be honest, it's awful and horrible... and the best thing that could happen to the both of us. It's wretchedly sad... and gloriously wonderful. World Mandate is this weekend and it could not have come at a better time. God orchestrated the whole thing. I am SO excited to have a weekend where I am completely drowning in worship and God's Word... It's going to be good.

So here's to new beginnings and the hope that comes from the Rescuer of my Soul and the Binder of the brokenhearted. I love Jesus.

"Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!" 2 Corinthians 5:17
"He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds." Psalm 147:3

2nd Memory Verse

2009-01-16T21:49:00.001-06:00

About Benjamin he said:
"Let the beloved of the LORD rest secure in Him,
for He shields him all day long,
and the one the LORD loves rests between His shoulders."

Deuteronomy 33:12 (NIV)

2009 Resolutions

2009-01-01T11:05:00.003-06:00

I always love setting goals and making resolutions for the New Year. So here we go for 2009:

1. Indulge in Jesus & His Word: Memorize (or deeply meditate on) 2 Scriptures each month. (Thank you, Beth Moore, for this idea!)

2. Journal (at least) once a week: so I will remember what God has done for me and see His work in my life.

Short and sweet... so I can keep up with it. What's your New Year's Resolution?

*Here's my first memory verse:
He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty. Psalm 91:1

2008: The Re-cap

2009-01-01T10:46:00.002-06:00

2008 was a whirlwind of a year. God was beyond good to me and my family. These are 5 Names of God I will take with me through 2009 because of who He was in 2008:

God was my Healer - using World Mandate, Brenda, Mona, Ghana
God was my Provider - using many family and friends to get me to Ghana
God was my Sustainer - allowing me to work with my Bhutanese friends each week
God was my Encouragement - providing a renter for my condo so I can quickly get out of debt and do other things with my finances... like DTS?? maybe?? We shall see in 2009! :)
God was my Almighty - taking care of my dad through the heart troubles

May He continue to do awesome things this year. I'm looking forward to what He will bring and do in 2009! Happy New Year, friends!

"O LORD, you are my God; I will exalt you and praise your name, for in perfect faithfulness you have done marvelous things, things planned long ago." Isaiah 25:1

Good Grief...

2008-12-13T10:32:00.004-06:00

You may not even believe this when I tell you, because I'm having a hard time wrapping my brain around it as well: We had to call 911 again last night - this time for my mom. The paramedics ran some tests on her and it turns out that she had forgotten to take her blood pressure medicine the past 2 days. Couple that with the trauma from this week and no sleep during her stay at the hospital with my dad, led to one stressed-out heart. Thankfully, we did not have to return to the hospital and were all able to stay home last night to get a good night's sleep!
I feel the need for a Psalm:

Psalm 91

He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High
will rest in the shadow of the Almighty.

I will say of the LORD, "He is my refuge and my fortress,
my God, in whom I trust."

Surely he will save you from the fowler's snare
and from the deadly pestilence.

He will cover you with his feathers,
and under his wings you will find refuge;
his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart.

You will not fear the terror of night,
nor the arrow that flies by day,

nor the pestilence that stalks in the darkness,
nor the plague that destroys at midday.

A thousand may fall at your side,
ten thousand at your right hand,
but it will not come near you.

You will only observe with your eyes
and see the punishment of the wicked.

If you make the Most High your dwelling—
even the LORD, who is my refuge-

then no harm will befall you,
no disaster will come near your tent.

For he will command his angels concerning you
to guard you in all your ways;

they will lift you up in their hands,
so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.

You will tread upon the lion and the cobra;
you will trample the great lion and the serpent.

"Because he loves me," says the LORD, "I will rescue him;
I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name.

He will call upon me, and I will answer him;
I will be with him in trouble,
I will deliver him and honor him.

With long life will I satisfy him
and show him my salvation."

"He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty. ... If you make the Most High your dwelling— even the LORD, who is my refuge - then no harm will befall you, no disaster will come near your tent. For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways; they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone." Psalm 91:1, 9-12

He is Mighty to Save

2008-12-12T14:10:00.002-06:00

I have just been through the worst week of my entire life. Thankfully, it's over and I truly believe God has a purpose for it all and will be glorified through it.
Here's the story:
On Monday, my mom was at a meeting for work at the elementary school next to my family's house. The meetings normally last 30 minutes, but this one lasted over an hour. During the meeting, my mom's friend, K. (who, by the way, wasn't even supposed to be at the meeting!) received a phone call from her daughter. Her daughter, M., was in an inebriated state the previous night and had somehow managed to break her thumb. During the phone call, the meeting finished, so my mom grabbed K's things and waited for her in the school's office while she finished up her phone call. By the time the phone call was finished, it was 3:45 in the afternoon. My mom decided that she didn't have enough time to make it back over to the office (her work day is over at 4:00), so she went home to finish up work. She arrived home at 3:46 to find my dad lying on their bed, in desperate need of help. She called 911, began CPR, and finally at 4:00 the paramedics arrived on the scene and whisked him off to the hospital. His heart was beating at 100/250 - a pressure few survive. Had my mom not arrived when she did, my dad would no longer be with us.
In the days following, we discovered he had a heart arrhythmia and 90% blockage in the LAD - a very major artery in your heart. He was so close to having a massive heart attack. After a complicated angiogram, 2 stents, and a brief stay in ICU, we now have my dad home with us.
While I have to believe God is good, all the time, I am so thankful that His plan and purpose for my dad have not yet been fulfilled this side of heaven and we get to keep him here with us. God's orchestration of all the events is mind-boggling. Only He could have done that. K and M are two non-believers and yet He chose to use them to fulfill His purpose in my dad's life. That is so incredible. My prayer is that God will be glorified in their lives as they come to know Jesus as their Savior. My God is mighty to save.

"Yet He saved them for His Name's sake, to make His mighty power known." Psalm 106:8

Information Overload

2008-12-06T14:30:00.006-06:00

Yesterday, I went with my friend, Ashley, to visit a couple of her classes at Dallas Theological Seminary. It was... insane. The first class I visited was Angels, Man, and Sin - though it's actually some crazy name like Angelology, Anthropology, and Harmitology... My brain literally hurt after walking out of that class. It was completely overwhelming - but just what I needed. The next class - an Old Testament survey class - was much lighter and a bit easier on the brain.

I have so much to learn, but do I really want to go back to school?? Papers... projects... studying... I wish there was a button to push and you just instantly know all the information.

I have to go though! So much to learn and so much work left to be done. I'm in!

"He told them, 'The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.'" Luke 10:2

Things that make you go, "Hmm..."

2008-11-26T09:22:00.002-06:00

Over the Thanksgiving break, I'm diving into as much of Isaiah as I can in 5 days. What's crazy is that in my research this morning, I found an interpretation that was just introduced to me last night at growth group.

One friend brought up the idea that many verses in the Bible can and are used out of context but with seemingly good intentions. For example, many people use Jeremiah 29:11 as a source of comfort, when contextually speaking, it was written for Israel, as God's promise of blessing to Israel. I wondered though, due to God's character and fulfillment through Jesus, if that promise of blessing could still apply to us, as God's adopted children? Life and life abundantly right? Hmmm...

So how do we read the Bible? Personally? Historically? Literally? All of the above? Hmmm...

For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. Hebrews 4:12

To Write Love on Her Arms

2008-11-13T17:32:00.004-06:00

Today is the national awareness day for To Write Love on Her Arms. TWLOHA is a non-profit organization that raises awareness on depression, suicide prevention, addiction, among many other issues faced by so many people today. I love this organization because it offers the only Eternal Hope there is while also recognizing that our Eternal Hope has also provided present-day hope through the Church, counselors, modern medicine, and other treatments for mental illnesses. For more info, check out: www.twloha.com

In honor of TWLOHA Day, my growth group had a fabulous time writing love on our arms.

"She gave this name to the LORD who spoke to her: 'You are the God who sees me,' for she said, 'I have now seen the One who sees me.'" Genesis 16:13

A few things I love...

2008-11-03T19:09:00.003-06:00

1. Autumn. Most of my life, I've been a Spring girl - with all the flowers and rain and baby animals, but Autumn '08 is really turning me into an Autumn girl. Have you seen the trees lately?? I actually see leaves in colors besides green and brown. Love it!

2. Hope.

3. Not being sick!!!

4. Jesus. He's just so good to me.

5. I would end there, but 4's just a weird number on which to end a list, so I'll add a 5th love: My cat. I know I mostly just complain about the guy because, good grief, he mostly just drives me crazy! But awww, Charlie is just so darn cute. I wish I could figure out how to post a pic so you could see his cute face. Ah, I heart Charles.

"When the LORD brought back the captives to Zion, we were like men who dreamed." Psalm 126:1

Ghana 08 in Pictures

2008-10-19T17:52:00.002-05:00

I just realized I never posted my slide show of Ghana. So here we go...

You are NOT going to believe this...

2008-10-10T20:09:00.008-05:00

I challenged myself - due to a long story - to read the Bible in 90 days.... I'm on like 190 now... Yeah, not sticking to the plan. I have a (legitimate) reason though! It's just that the details are insane. I'm all for knowing details about some things - like maybe people, relationships, and other girly things. :) But buildings?? Minute structural commands... 1 cubit high here, 2 cubits wide there.... not so interesting.

Confession: I gave God a hard time about that. "Why must I know all this?? Good grief! It's taking me way too long to focus and get through this..." (Don't worry - my pride is now obliterated by the Great I AM.)

A month later or so, I get my answer. And I am fascinated. No, deeper, I mean, deeply enthralled by this God of ours. I'm probably the last one to get this info, but a refresher course is always good for the soul. So y'all, GET THIS:

God gave Moses so many details on how to build the Tabernacle so as to copy what He saw in Heaven!!! Not only that, but the Ark of the Covenant foreshadowed what Jesus' tomb would look like when He was buried! (Exodus 25, Hebrews 8:5, John 20:10-12) How incredible is that!? Oh y'all, isn't that beautiful?? Our God is intentional. He has a purpose for everything - even when we are blinded by the details of the journey towards accomplishing that purpose.

"Whom God did set forth a mercy seat, through faith in His blood..." Romans 3:25 (YLT)

His hands

2008-09-25T18:51:00.006-05:00

I have a thing with hands. I'm pretty sure I always have. I notice people's finger nails - probably with more of a jealous eye than anything. It's true, I confess, I'm totally jealous of pretty nails. Somewhere along the way, I've just destroyed mine. But anyway, let's move on... My thing with hands: My grandmommy has the most beautiful hands, so does my mom. They'll be totally embarrassed when they read this, but ladies, it's true. You do have beautiful hands.

His hands have been on my mind lately. Shane and Shane sing a gorgeous song, check it out: "Before the Throne of God Above." This is my current anthem. They sing, "My name is graven on His hands..." And that is where it started: my fascination with His hands. The line comes from Isaiah 49:16, one of my most favorite sentences in the entire Word of God:

"See, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands..."

As a part of the New Covenant, I can rest assured (thanks to Ephesians 3:6) that while Isaiah gave those words to the Israelites, God gave them to us. My name is written, no, engraved, on His hands.

Back in the day, Hebrews would engrave a symbol of their city on their hands as a sign of devotion to their land (Exodus 13:9). He has written my name on His hands as a sign of His devotion to me. I find it even more awe-inspiring that these very hands, that have my name engraved on them, have also been pierced by nails because of my sin. How much more deserving is He of my devotion!

May His Name be forever engraved on my hands.

"The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of His hands. "
Psalm 19:1

My Enduma (The Re-do)

2008-09-14T19:23:00.006-05:00

** I wrote this post a couple of weeks ago, titled "Don't be the one without proper attire!," but my heart has been unsettled with it, so I'm calling for a re-do. :) **

I'm in love. It's true. I'm madly in love. After reading the Parable of the Wedding Banquet in Matthew 22, I fell in love with Jesus all over again. I truly felt like His beautiful Bride, but not because of anything I've done. It's all Him, I tell you!

I'm pretty sure I hadn't ever really read this parable. I didn't remember it at all. In fact, I was highly shocked the first time I read it! I had my own ideas about how the King would treat one of His guests... and then the King had His own ideas!

Here's Stephanie's brief summary of the Parable of the Wedding Banquet, just in case you were like me and hadn't read it:

The king's son is getting married, so the king invites "all those who had been invited" and was rejected - even after a 2nd invitation! He destroys all those people for mistreating his servants who were sent with the invitations, and then the king sends out an invitation to anyone the servants could find. The servants gather all the people in from the streets and escort them to the wedding banquet. The king came in to see all the people and noticed one man not wearing wedding clothes. After questioning the man, who was speechless, the king had him thrown into the darkness where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

In Stephanie World, when I first read about the king finding the man without wedding clothes, I got really excited. I thought, "Oh wow, the king is going to take him under his wing and give him new clothes, and just really give him the royal treatment!!" And then I continued reading..... And found that instead the man was actually thrown out into utter darkness...?!!! Ok, so not exactly a happy ending. What gives?? My God is not mean, so I had to do some research.

Turns out that what I found swept me off my feet! Since the servants had gathered people straight in from the streets, no one had proper wedding clothes. If proper attire was expected of them, it had to be provided for them, which is where the king comes in: He provided the wedding clothes. He had to! He mentioned to his first invitees that "everything is ready" (vs. 4) for the wedding banquet which leads me to this idea that He was the provider of the proper attire. The Greek word used for "clothes" in these verses is transliterated "enduma" which means an "outer garment." The fact that it's an outer garment is awesome because that means the guests' own stained, tattered and torn street clothes were covered by this beautiful enduma, fit for a wedding, given to them by the king himself. Oh, I love that!

This symbolism Jesus uses here sings to my heart, y'all! As you know, we are all invited to the Wedding Supper of the Lamb. (I am giddy just thinking about that day! I just really can't wait!!) In order to attend this Feast, though, we must be covered by Our Enduma, Jesus Christ. And I love how He covers us so my God will not be able to see these tattered, old clothes I've been wearing all these years! Oh, how great is our God!

"Then I heard what sounded like a great multitude, like the roar of rushing waters and like loud peals of thunder, shouting:
'Hallelujah!
For our Lord God Almighty reigns.
Let us rejoice and be glad
and give him glory!
For the wedding of the Lamb has come,
and his bride has made herself ready.
Fine linen, bright and clean,
was given her to wear.'"
Revelation 19:6-8

One Touch

2008-09-13T16:45:00.001-05:00

This is the 3rd blog I've started today. Since the words in my heart just don't want to come out, I'll let Nicole C. Mullen take the mic and express it all for me.

Wanted: Discernment

2008-09-05T21:13:00.002-05:00

I love when opportunities fall in my lap. I love being asked to do something. Somehow, though, my plate just became full. Too full, I think, and I don't know what to do, so I thought I'd talk it out here.
Here is what is on my plate:

Regular job
2nd job
Refugee Mission work
Growth Group
Stepping Up
Piano lessons
Nursery work

I haven't quite started - or actually gotten - that 2nd job, but I'm hopeful my interview this Wednesday will bode well in that department... hoping and praying... and begging.... Anyway I'm just worried how to balance everything, or if I shouldn't balance everything and give up something - or some things. I've been praying about it and then had a great conversation with a friend. Her advice was excellent: There are good opportunities and there are the best opportunities. Choose the best opportunities. Sounds simple enough... if only.

So which one is the best? I am absolutely certain the 2nd job is the best - especially since it's certain to get me to the end: out of debt and in to seminary, so I'll keep that one. Refugee work: Work with these people who don't know Jesus but want to know Jesus and they're right in our own backyard - that's what I want to do. Growth group & Stepping Up will keep me sane - at least that's what I'm hoping - building my relationships with friends and God, doesn't get much better right? Piano lessons - I can't really quit those, can I? And I don't really want to - just a little more income is always excellent. Nursery work - I'm at church anyway, so I think that one can stay. And plus it's really fun.

So basically, maybe everything can stay. Or maybe I can just see how things go and then decide?

Tea Party With Jesus

2008-09-01T18:47:00.002-05:00

This morning has been SO fun. I braved church last night - successfully! - since I hadn't run a fever all day, and so I could rest this morning in case my body continued to lack the energy I so desperately desire. My body won out this morning and I didn't make it to Sunday School. But my pride is telling my body that Jesus simply had other plans. Take that, body!

Back to my Tea Party: Allow me to set the stage for you, as the title "Tea Party" may be misleading. Replace tea with a bottle of water. Replace the pretty dress with my pajamas. And replace the nice, china tea set with a few Bibles and close to ten of my favorite Bible study materials. And there you have it: My Tea Party with Jesus. Probably sounds more like an all-nighter, college study session, but Tea Party just sounds better. I digress. Moving on...

Thanks to LPC's Catalyst, I've been in and out of the book of Jude the past few days. Jude has been a welcomed NT relief from my "read the Bible in 90 days," which by the way is not on schedule as it has taken me 20 days to get through Exodus. Our God is a God of details, which is reason #23958723 that He is God and I am not. Okay, back to Jude: Today I finally had the energy to really dig in to His Word and see the goodness God gave Jude. Before I reveal said goodness, I want to share the road I traveled this morning that opened my eyes to the goodness. It started in an email from Cheryl asking me to research Hinduism since the children we'll work with in a storying session this week have a Hindu worldview. The article she sent me lines up with the beliefs a dear NYC Hindu friend has shared with me the few times I've been able to pick his brain about Hinduism. What I found fascinating in the article were their 3 paths to salvation through YOGA! Yeah!! YOGA!!! Three different kinds of yoga "give" Hindus salvation, or so they think.

That leads me to the goodness I found in Jude:

"Dear friends, although I was very eager to write to you about the salvation we share, I felt I had to write and urge you to contend for the faith that was once for all entrusted to the saints. For certain men whose condemnation was written about long ago have secretly slipped in among you. They are godless men, who change the grace of our God into a license for immorality and deny Jesus Christ our only Sovereign and Lord." (Jude 4-5)

Jude's writing to a group of believers whose church had become infiltrated by false teachers. He's urging them to fight for the Truth. NASB & KJV translate my favorite part "...to contend earnestly for the faith..." (italics mine). I love that! Contend earnestly. John MacArthur's comments on this verse, "... Jude wrote this urgent imperative for Christians to wage war against error in all forms and to fight strenuously for the truth, like a soldier who has been entrusted with a sacred task of guarding a holy treasure." (The MacArthur Bible Commentary, Bold mine)

Jesus! Toss me my Sword! I'm goin' in! AH! Doesn't that just get you all rowled up inside!? We've been entrusted with - according to Strong's: "delivered something... to keep, use, take care of..." - God's Word. As His saints, it is our duty to guard His Holy Treasure, to make sure others know that JESUS is THE Way, THE Truth, and THE Life. No one can get to the Father except through Jesus (John 14:6). No Yoga, no Buddha, no good works... Only Jesus.

I am so excited by the fact that God has entrusted you and me with His Holy Treasure, His Kingdom Secrets (Matthew 13:11). We may not know all the secrets, but we sure do need to tell the ones we do know!

"How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? And how can they preach unless they are sent? As it is written, 'How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!'" Romans 10:14-15

Come Weary Saints

2008-08-30T15:38:00.003-05:00

Confession: I stole the title from a really cool album by Sovereign Grace Music. I stole it with good intentions though because it completely encompasses all that I'm feeling at the current moment. I'm sure they wouldn't mind.

I am completely exhausted. Thursday night I started feeling sick, so I took my trusty Tylenol PMs in hopes they would do the trick. They didn't. 4:30 am rolled around and - to put it nicely - I found myself with some kind of stomach virus. It was horrible. Needless to say I didn't go to work on Friday. I hate missing work. Having a sub stresses me out more than just going to work myself. Is that strange? Probably.

Anyway, so I was hoping this 3 (now 4) day weekend would be a nice little respite with Jesus. So far though, it's turned out to be more of a respite with my pillow. :( I feel like that is such a waste! I did find encouragement from my Ghanian friend, Gideon, though: "I will talk to our Savior about you. He will give you strength as you rest in Him." Indeed. Our God is good. Now if only I'd be faithful to be still and rest in Him...

"As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for You, O God." Psalm 42:1

Warning: Venting

2008-08-26T17:31:00.004-05:00

I hate this time of year more than ANYTHING. And I mean anything. I hate having to undo what some people have done during the first 4-6 years of their child's life. It is a daunting, exhausting, and highly irritating task that I don't wish upon ANYONE. And I mean anyone. I hate having to start all over. I hate the training leg of this 9-month race. (That thought reminded me of Jesus. Perhaps I'll go there in my next post. For now, I want to vent some more...) Last week, I'm pretty sure I loved my job. Today, I despise it and want a new one in a desperate way. I'm pretty sure I felt this exact same way this time last year - and the year before that, and the year before that, etc. but I don't have any proof, so I'm putting this out there in hopes that come October, I'll re-read this and say to myself, "Did I really write that??" PLEASE let that be the case!!

P.S. And by the way, since when is defiance (aka "oppositionally defiant") a medical issue, as opposed to a sin issue?? Seriously people. Seriously.

Obedience

2008-08-17T20:54:00.004-05:00

I heard this story at a Bible study and cannot get it out of my head, so I must share it here. Hopefully I'll get all the details right:

Beth was at an airport waiting for her flight, studying God's Word, when she noticed all the people in front of her staring at something behind here. She waited for an opportune moment to turn and stare, and she found that the object of everyone's attention was actually a frail, peculiar-looking very old man with hair down to the middle of his back, all hunched over in a wheelchair. Immediately God told her to go over to him, and of course she argued that she was busy, studying His Word, and told Him to put the man on her flight and then she'll witness to him. God wouldn't let up and said, "Oh no, I don't want you to witness to him. I want you to brush his hair." !!!! So finally Beth was obedient and went over to the man and asked him if she could brush his hair. "Well, darlin', if you really want to," he said. He let her get his brush out of his bag (because she didn't have one! ha) and she began to brush his tangled, messy, matted, but clean, hair. Once she got all the tangles out and got it looking beautiful, she knelt before him and asked, "Sir, do you know Jesus?" "I sure do," he said. "Of course you do," Beth thought. The man continued, "I've known Him Ever since I married my bride for she wouldn't marry me until I knew my Savior. I haven't seen my bride in two months because I had to go have open heart surgery and she's been too ill to visit me. I'm headed home to her and I was just thinking to myself, 'How can I see my bride looking like this? I'm such a mess.'" And that's when God sent Beth to brush this man's hair.

Doesn't that just make fall head over heels in love with Jesus? God loves us. And He meets us exactly where we are with exactly what we need.
This story also makes me think of all those "little" moments where we hear that still, small Voice telling us to do something - sometimes something as crazy as ask a little old stranger if you could brush his hair... and how often we do or don't obey that Voice. It makes me think about all the times when people in my life have obeyed His Voice and how different my life would be had they not listened. For instance, if my parents hadn't listened to Him, I wouldn't be a Christian. If my Amanda B. hadn't called me the afternoon after a bad break-up, I wouldn't have been encouraged and heard how much Jesus loves me. If Mona hadn't listened, I'd still be wandering in some desert. If those 20+ people who gave towards the Ghana trip hadn't given, I wouldn't have gone to Ghana. There are countless more stories just like that throughout my life. The impact of one person's act of obedience can impact eternity. May we all be mindful and discerning when it comes to His Voice and may He give us the boldness to act out in obedience.

"'You yourselves have seen what I did to Egypt, and how I carried you on eagles' wings and brought you to myself. Now if you obey me fully and keep my covenant, then out of all nations you will be my treasured possession. Although the whole earth is mine, you will be for me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.'...." Exodus 19:4-6a

A little blurb

2008-08-16T19:40:00.006-05:00

I love God. Absolutely and completely adore Him. I love so much about Him, but right at this moment, I love how He gives me just enough of what I need from Him and His Word. Just enough so that I'll catch it and recognize Who it's from and why He gave it. The Word may be a 'whole novel' or it may be just a blurb, but it's all His and all I need. I love that.
I was writing in my journal a little bit ago, just sorting out some personal thoughts, trying to figure out what I was missing. I come home to FINALLY having internet again and I begin to catch up on all the lovely blogs I've been missing for 2 whole days! ;) I come to precious Beth Moore's, and she signs off with this:

"And believe God for something BIG. He's so capable."

There it is, God said. Believe Him. Believe in His power, ability, and willingness to love us exactly the way we need to be loved - which, in this moment in time, is the something BIG for me.

"The Lord is near." Philippians 4:5b

Ghana 2008

2008-08-09T14:48:00.000-05:00

Written Wednesday, July 2, 2008

It's hard to believe the 2 weeks in Ghana have come and gone. I still can't believe I'm home. I still can't believe God sent me to Africa! What an honor it was and still is to serve my Lord. So many things have happened in the last 2 weeks... so many experiences shared...

My 12 day journey in the Northern Region of Ghana proved to be a life-changing adventure with Jesus. We led a Vacation Bible School, took part in street evangelism, trained teachers to develop Sunday school lessons, registered over 275 people for National Healthcare, and visited the compounds for World Vision and Compassion International (organizations that sponsor poverty stricken children and provide them with healthcare, education, and spiritual nourishment). We saw the power of God heal a dying girl from a snake bite. We prayed over a 14 year old girl who had been bound by chains fastened by her earthly father due to her refusal to renounce her faith in Jesus Christ. The perseverance and liberty God gave her was profoundly humbling. We had the privilege of ushering over 100 souls to His Throne of Grace. Hallelujah!

I have seen with my own eyes the depth of utter hopelessness. Never could I have imagined such a thing. I remember sitting in Cheryl's (our leader) classroom and she said, "The person sitting in that chair right now will not be the same person who returns to the US. Your life is about to change dramatically." I can honestly say that I did not believe her. The Lord called me to short-term missions when I was 17, so I have been able to serve Him overseas a few other times. While all those experiences were certainly new at the time, my Ghana experiences were completely different. When I speak of utter hopelessness, I not only speak of the physical hopelessness - the poverty, the disease, families living amongst trash and sewage. Pile on top of all of that the spiritual hopelessness - idol worship, Allah worship, ancestral worship... and you come to the depth of utter hopelessness I witnessed with my very own eyes. I've never seen anything like it. And to know that this is only one depth of hopelessness - the Bottomless Pit of hopelessness is still yet to come. My spirit's jaw can only drop to the floor and I can only fall to my knees and cry out to the God Who Hears on these people's behalf that their hearts may be softened to the Holy Spirit's calling. Thank God there is still hope for them - for they are still alive and still have a chance to choose Jesus.

God taught me through Ghana that there are truly only 2 choices in life: believe God or don't. There is no middle ground. You cannot believe Him and your life stay the same. Your life will change when you believe that He is Who He says He is.

As I continue to process these experiences, I'm sure I will have to post more later. Until then, to God be the glory for the great things He has done.

"Declare his glory among the nations, his marvelous deeds among all peoples... Say among the nations, 'The LORD reigns.'" Psalm 96:3, 10

Humbled

2008-08-09T10:46:00.002-05:00

One of the hardest but most rewarding weeks is finally OVER! I will forever be grateful to any and all leaders. Leadership is absolutely the most humbling thing I have ever experienced. I helped put together the Vacation Bible School for some refugee kids from Burma, Iraq, and Nepal. They span the religions of Muslim, Buddhist, Hindu, and Christianity. Those precious babies stole my heart the moment I saw them. So many came in on Monday scared and nervous and wouldn't mutter a sound, but by the end of the week, were wild and crazy just like kids should be at Vacation Bible School!

COOLEST.THING.EVER: Four languages going on all at the same time. Four different Names for Jesus - yet all for the One. I just got a taste of what Heaven will be like.

So while that was absolutely so cool, this was one of the hardest things I have ever done. Looking back, I wish I had enjoyed it more. I wish I had taken more in. While I absolutely loved every second of it and was so honored to be a part of it, I was just so focused on making sure everything went smoothly, that everyone else was happy. Leaders have to deal with everything - the complaints, the problems, the issues... It's almost overwhelming. Of course there's plenty of encouragement in there too, but I find it pretty fascinating that just last week, I journaled about knowing who I am and who I am not and choosing not to live for the approval and disapproval, the encouragement and discouragement, of any man. I choose to live solely for His approval. I must choose each day Whom I will serve. I choose Him. I prayed that those words were true and authentic... Boy, was that choice and those words ever put to an intense test! I hope I passed it...
Once again I was stretched and knocked to my knees in humility. I felt completely inadequate - and most days overwhelmed - for the job that was set before me, but once again, my God was faithful to thoroughly equip His child for the task He gave her. We will not know until His side of Heaven just what seeds were planted where, but I anticipate a 100 fold harvest. :)
My God is good and I cannot wait for the day when I hear the Names of Jesus spoken in all the world's languages. Now THAT will be the COOLEST.THING.EVER.

"After this I looked and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and in front of the Lamb. They were wearing white robes and were holding palm branches in their hands. And they cried out in a loud voice:
"Salvation belongs to our God,
who sits on the throne,
and to the Lamb."
Revelation 7:9-10

Blessed

2008-08-05T08:44:00.001-05:00

Wow, I'm still in shock of how well last night went. Though it was chaotic at first, which was expected, everything fell right into place. The Lord was all over it! Thank You, God, for Your eternal faithfulness even while I'm prone to wander.

Last night, I had a chance to have a pretty long conversation with one of the refugee women from Burma, Caroline. She had been a medical assistant in the amputee ward of the military hospital. She has seen, smelled, and heard things that I can't even begin to imagine. Caroline said that sometimes they would just run out of supplies so the amputees couldn't even have their wounds cleaned, they'd just have to suffer with infection. They were all given food full of parasites, but it's either eat that and maybe get sick or go hungry and for sure get sick.

Sometimes it's just so hard for me to remember the rest of the world. People live like Caroline - and worse - all over the world, everyday, 24/7, with no reprieve. It is so easy and comfortable to get caught up with the American & western way of life. We have it so good. We are truly, deeply blessed. I know He did it that way so we will use our blessings to give to those in need. May we be obedient.

"... we should continue to remember the poor..." Galatians 2:10

100 Fold Harvest! Luke 8:1-16

2008-08-03T13:19:00.000-05:00

I love the way God makes Himself known. I just love it. His presence poured over the Living Proof Live Simulcast with Beth Moore this weekend. Here are a few - or thirteen - of my favorite things:

Thanks to all Jesus has done for us, we can be women of means. (Luke 8:1-3)
Receive His Word, act on His Word, and watch Him produce a 100 fold harvest. Surrender your life to the maximum impact of the Word of God.
Treasure the wonder: we've been made privy to the secrets and mysteries of the knowledge of God. (Luke 8:10)
The Word of God makes us competently competent. (2 Timothy 3:16-17)
Protect your heart: hide His Word in your heart and allow it to assimilate, resonate, and take root into the very depths of your faith. Don't allow anyone to snatch His Word away from you - His Word is not up for grabs!
God has a very accomplished purpose for every word He gives me. (Isaiah 55:10-12)
Expect the test: In times of tremendous suffering, agree to sow His seeds, for we will come out with sheaves of joy! (Psalm 126:5-6)
Dig the roots: Know that I know that I know that Jesus loves me. Your roots are as deep as you believe that God loves you. (Ephesians 3:17-19)
Stop the choke: anxiety chokes the word right out of you. Prayer is the cure for anxiety. (Philippians 4:6-7)
You "doing your thing" for God effects a thousand generations. (Exodus 20:5-7)
Retain the Word: possess it as your own.
Press forth to your 100 fold: persevere, no matter how long the road of obedience is, even if you think you've lost the vision, persevere.
There is a time when every answer will be given, when all mystery will be accomplished, but until then, we will tell the knowledge of the secrets of God that we know. (Revelation 10:5-7)

"Still other seed fell on good soil. It came up and yielded a crop, a hundred times more than was sown." Luke 8:8