...Into The Patient Waiting...

News Year's Day at the lovely Fargo Airport

2012-01-16T16:22:00.001-06:00

Omaha Zoo+Tim+Mel

2012-01-16T16:14:00.001-06:00

Morning Routine

2012-01-07T11:39:00.001-06:00

God's Character

2012-01-02T22:46:00.001-06:00

Faith.
This has been "word" of the day, the "word" of the month, and the "word" of the year for me.

Faith.
"Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen." Hebrews 11:1

Faith.

This is the very foundation of who we are as believers. Our foundation, our faith is sure because our foundation is solid. "The Lord us my ROCK and my fortress, and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge. He is my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold." Psalm 18:2

And what better way to recognize the solidity of our faith then to acknowledge and trust the very character of the God of our faith. Confidence in God's character enables us to throw ourselves with complete abandon into His care - Linda Dillow. God doesn't ask for blind faith, He asks for abandoned faith...faith in Him and His Word.

Faith raises us above our circumstances. Faith enables us to be content even when life doesn't make sense. Faith is the bulwark that keeps us strong when we're assailed by agonizing thought about what might happen or by what has happened. - Linda Dillow

These next few days, months, and even year...I hope I'll be able to write a few words and sentences about the character of our Great God and the fact that our faith is real. It's solid. It can not be shaken.

Faith.

I Corinthians 13

2011-08-23T23:27:00.001-05:00

The words in 1 Corinthians 13 have brought me to a low position this evening...a position of needing to be "purged" "washed" "made to hear joy and gladness" "cleaned" and "restored." Those words are taken from Psalm 51 - a psalm written by David after he saw his sin in light of Who God Is. Psalm 51 and 1 Corinthians 13 have much in common, mainly because they humble a person. These chapters in the Word of God point out that 1) we need Him 2) we can do nothing on our own 3) our "burnt sacrifices" and our "tongues of angels" are merely "clanging cymbals" when we fail to LOVE the LORD our GOD with all our heart, all our mind, and all our soul. David realized this - the sacrifices needed are not ones that man sees but ones that God sees, "a broken and a contrite heart." Paul also realized this - flowery words, understanding of mysterious truths, prophetic powers, and tongues of men (and angels!) that men often think are needed are opposite of what He truly desires in a believers life "love...suffers long, love is kind, is not rude, is not puffed up, does not seek its own..."
- - -
Take the time to read this chapter in the Word of God. It's written below :-)
NKJV is on the left. AMP highlights are on the right.
- - -

¹ Though I speak with the tongues of men

and of angels, but have not love, I have [love: intentional, spiritual devotion inspired by

become sounding brass or a clanging cymbal. God's love in and through us]

² And though I have the gift of prophecy, and

understand all mysteries and all knowledge,

and though I have all faith, so that I could

remove mountains, but have not love, I am [I am nothing: I am a useless nobody]

nothing. ³ And though I bestow all my goods

to feed the poor, and though I give my body

to be burned, but have not love, it profits me

nothing. ⁴ Love suffers long and is kind; love [love suffers long and is patient and kind]

does not envy; love does not parade itself, [envy: boil over with jealousy] [parade: vainglorious]

is not puffed up; ⁵ does not behave rudely, [rude: does not act unbecomingly, unmannerly]

does not seek its own, is not provoked, [does not insist on its own rights, its own ways]

[provoked: is not touchy, fretful, or resentful]

thinks no evil; ⁶ does not rejoice in iniquity, [doesn't rejoice at injustice or unrighteousness,

but rejoices in the truth; ⁷ bears all things, but rejoices when right and truth prevail]

believes all things, hopes all things, endures [hope: they are fadeless under all circumstances

endures: endures all things without weakening]

all things. ⁸ Love never fails. But whether there [love never ends, never becomes obsolete]

are prophecies, they will fail; whether there

are tongues, they will cease; whether there

is knowledge, it will vanish away. ⁹ For we [knowledge: it will lose its value and be superseded by truth]

know in part and we prophesy in part.

¹⁰ But when that which is perfect has come,

then that which is in part will be done away. [done away: become antiquated, void, and superseded]

¹¹ When I was a child, I spoke as a child,

I understood as a child, I thought as a child;

but when I became a man, I put away childish

things. ¹² For now we see in a mirror, dimly,

but then face to face. Now I know in part, but [but: but when perfection comes we shall see in

reality and face to face!]

then I shall know just as I also am known. [shall understand fully and clearly, even in the same

manner as I have been fully and clearly known and

understood by God!]

¹³ And now abide faith, hope, love, these three;

but the greatest of these is love.

- - -

Amen

SATurdays - does that means I'm supposed to sit all day?!?

2011-08-20T22:37:00.001-05:00

This Saturday - I did not sit.
Actually, quite the opposite occurred.
---
Tried Zumba for the first time with a co-teacher - if you haven't tried it, grab a friend and hit your local gym. It was such a blast! It's salsa dancing put into a workout routine...I didn't know you could laugh so much in a group workout but it was so much fun! Probably looked like an absolute dork because most of the ladies knew what to do - I resorted to clapping my hands/tapping my feet if I didn't know what to do. This happened a lot.

After Zumba, I needed to make some brownies for our break on Sunday morning at church....

normal brownie cake mix + secret ingredients:

coffee & vanilla extract & an extra egg

voila!!!

mini cupcakes with whipped cream cheese frosting

delicious brownies that will be topped off

with small fresh strawberries in the morning

- - -

The past few days, my thoughts have been drifting towards the word "faith." I've been asking the basic questions Who? What? Where? When? Why? How? - not with the concept of faith for salvation but faith for Who God Is and how I am to live in light of Who He Is. Perhaps I'm programmed differently than everyone else, but I struggle with believing what I can't see in front of myself. If this "struggle" is real, how then can one become a Woman of Faith? I'm challenged by that question. But the answer to the question is much simpler than we want it to be - we can become a Woman of Faith when we take God at His Word. So simple. Yet, so hard to live out. A Woman of Faith does not cling to the emotional or even that which one can see/touch/feel/hear....but she clings to who God is, what He says about Himself, what the Word of God says, and she fervently clings to the truth that He never changes. "Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, [yes] and forever." Hebrews 13:8

Faith is perceiving as real fact what is not revealed to the senses. Faith is the very substance of things we can not see.

a few thoughts...to be continued...

- - -

summer.sewing.projects

2011-08-19T20:04:00.002-05:00

So this is my summer.sewing.project.

All of these materials were found ON SALE on July 4th. After fireworks were displayed that evening, I locked myself up in my room and began sewing away. Do you ever wonder if you missed your calling? Well - as I was sewing, it made me wish I could spend every minute of every day simply sewing. It was relaxing and so fulfilling to see the ideas one has in mind turn into something tangible.

My to-do sewing list

1. 4 pillowcases

2. 2 accent pillows

3. a lamp shade

4. 2 Euro sham covers.

5. quilt top

As I look back at the list, I can successfully say that more than 1/2 of the list is completely finished!!!!

Here are the finished products :-)

two of the four pillowcases :-) blues and pinkish-browns :-)

this lamp has been in the family for a long time - just updated the shade!

"new" bed!!!

the quilt i've been working on for many months - all that's left: quilting the top & the border

a queen size quilt. these are my favorite colors - reds, browns, and whites

So perhaps I haven't missed my calling....maybe it's simply beginning :-)

I GO BEFORE

2011-07-18T07:51:00.000-05:00

This poem (at the end of the post) was given to me by Melissa C. last summer at THRBC - it pointed me to my LORD and reminded me of the Scripture that clearly states:

"For My thoughts are not your thoughts,

nor are your ways My ways," says the LORD.

"For as the heavens are higher than the earth,

so are My ways higher than your ways,

and My thoughts than your thoughts."

Isaiah 55:7-8

"...for as the heavens are higher than the earth..."

Child of My love, fear not the unknown morrow.

Dread not the new demand life makes of Thee,

Thine ignorance doth hold no cause for sorrow,

For what thou knowest not is known to Me.

Thou canst not see today the hidden meaning

of My command, but Thou the light shall gain.

Walk on in faith, upon My promise leaning,

And as thou goest, all shall be made plain.

One step thou seest: Then go forward boldly;

One step is far enough for faith to see.

Take that, and the next duty shall be told thee,

for step by step thy God is leading thee.

Stand not in fear, Thine adversaries counting;

Dare every peril, save to disobey.

Thou shalt march on each obstacle surmounting,

For I, the Strong, shall open up the way.

Therefore go gladly to the task assigned thee,

having My promise; needing nothing more

than just to know where'er the future find thee,

In all thy journeying - I GO BEFORE.

Moving Forward with Him

2011-07-07T22:04:00.006-05:00

Cuppies and Jo with one of my best friends - thanks for coming to OKC :-)

"conversation...friendship...Jesus Christ"

My friend came to visit. And the Lord blessed our conversation with many laughs, encouragement, joy, and a reality of peace that we (as the Bride of Christ) move forward with Him and follow Him. The following thoughts are in regards to a few things we chatted about and of a conviction in my heart to change my perspective in areas of my life.
- - -

Do you ever wonder why God places certain "things" in our lives - and why certain "things" seem to take weeks/months/years to ever be answered? And as one waits for answers, you find yourself contemplating every scenario (past/present/future), every question, every motive...literally dissecting the "thing" until it's no longer what it was originally? The last question gives me this image of a hamster continually running on that little wheel that continually goes...but never really gets anywhere...

Hm.

Perhaps there are no perfect answers to these questions. But, perhaps there are no perfect answers because we are on the wrong wheel to answer the questions. The wrong wheel of allowing the unanswered parts of life to dictate our being rather than that which is easily answerable. God Himself.

*I'm not sure if I'm making any sense here - I have this "thought" stuck in my head...like pink bubble gum that gets stuck to your shoes and you begin walking with the constant sound of squishing bubble gum. So you have to stop and remove it to keep walking. That's what I'm doing - typing to get this gum unstuck!*

Over the past few days, I have been convicted by the Word of God and the Holy Spirit to acknowledge that I have set up several earthly goals. gods. idols. Goals that focus on my personal selfish desires and goals that have made me "run" after them on a wheel that goes no where. A flesh wheel!

My Great God has humbled me the past few days under His loving hand to change my mindset of what kind of perspective I have on my present circumstances. In many ways, I have made the unanswered questions to be my focus. The Lord toppled the wheel over that I was running on and caused me to fall on my feet...staring at this verse:

"My whole being follows hard after You and clings closely to You; Your right hand upholds me."

Psalm 63:8

Does every part of my being (my soul, my mind, my thoughts, my heart, my passions) follow HARD AFTER my God? The Word of God is powerful and it has brought me face-to-face with the reality that my heart is His and His alone. Only He can truly be clung to and only He truly upholds me by His hand. After knowing this, how can I go back on that "flesh-wheel" and surround myself with the skewed perspective of the world? "Set your minds and keep them set on what is above (the higher and heavenly things), not on things that are on the earth. For [as this world is concerned] you have died, and your [new, real] life is hidden with Christ in God." Colossians 3:2-3

Friends - may we desire a heavenly perspective on how He sees things. May He topple over our "flesh-wheel" and cause us to realize that we are to follow hard AFTER Him! By looking to Him (and also those we see in Scripture who looked not for an earthly life but one with Him), "let us strip off and throw aside every encumbrance (unnecessary weight) and that sin which so readily clings to and entangles us, and let us run with patient endurance and steady and active persistence the appointed course of the race that is set before us. Looking unto Jesus..." Hebrews 12:1-2a

- - -

Move forward with God, my friend...let Him be the One that you run after. Throw off the persistent wheel of trying to run after answering all of the unanswerable twists and turns of life. God Himself is our answer. Run after Him. Run after Him with an unadulterated heart...may we come to say "my whole being follows hard after You..."

- - -

I'm still here :-)

2011-07-01T17:55:00.001-05:00

My friend Liz inspired me to write - she'll be blogging while she's serving the LORD in Colombia...so I need to keep her up-to-date about my life :-)

1st - Quote of the Day "Students will explore the mysterious world of antonyms." OK - this made me laugh SO SO hard!!! It might not make you laugh - but if anyone likes English...you have to understand that antonyms are not mysterious. They are either black or white, positive or negative, agreeable or disagreeable. That's all.

2nd - my studies in Hebrews have ended...though I've come to see it as one of the richest books in the Word of God. The Lord taught me so much about Jesus being the revealer of God and the representative of man.

3rd - Going through the NT is my next personal goal. The book of Matthew has been read...it was finished yesterday, but I am still stuck on the ending of the book. The Great Commission. We always hear such emotional charges from preachers to be zealous about these verses - and rightly so! But what really struck me were the last words of Jesus "...and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age" (28:20b). Did you catch that? After receiving such a strong and powerful charge to "GO. MAKE DISCIPLES. BAPTIZE. TEACH. OBSERVE," we hear these refreshing words that we are not in this alone! We hear that He is with us...even to the end of the age! My friend, I don't know where the Lord has you right now but I know He has me in a position where I need to cling to these words of Truth. He desires us to "boldly say, 'The Lord is my helper; I will not fear. What can man do to me?'" Hebrews 13:6

As you, my friend, go out and make disciples...don't be disheartened in the work of the Lord. He is with you. He will never leave you. We are eternally secure in our salvation and on top of that, we are eternally secure in knowing that He walks before, beside, and behind us as we live in obedience to Him.

These thoughts have been swarming in my head all day yesterday and today...these words of our Lord have surrounded me with joy, comfort, and peace - He cares. He sees. He watches. And He is always with us - even to the end of the ages.

My Time in N. Ireland

2011-02-17T11:30:00.002-06:00

The month I spent in Belfast, N. Ireland came and went so quickly! So much was jam-packed into one month - I'm still trying to process everything!

Quick Overview of the CELTA course:

I PASSED!!!! That's the best part of the whole trip :-) I spent 4 weeks at the International House in Belfast, N. Ireland working on a certification through Cambridge to be able to teach English as a second (foreign) language. TEFL, TESL, ESL, ELL, TOEFL...whatever you would like to call it.

The month was extremely intense. It was like taking a 4000 level semester class in one month. We spent mornings going to classes to learn different methods of teaching, the International Phonetic Alphabet, grammar techniques, CCQ's (concept checking questions), preparing lesson plans...etc. The afternoons were spent either teaching a class or observing classes. The evenings were spent preparing lessons plans, studying for exams, or writing essays (and all three would often happen every night!). Yes - sleep wasn't too much of an option with this course but it's all over with and now that I am back home...I will S.L.E.E.P!

The Lord has provided a job for me at the English Language Center in Edmond, OK where I will be able to teach international students (mainly college level). I've been working there since December but I will be working a bit more there...especially since my time in the CELTA program showed me how much I love teaching and working with people from all over the world. I'm excited to see how the Lord will use this :-)

Of course - I will still be working at Vintage Timeless Coffee!

Coffee + People + Conversation = Ingredients that you just can't go wrong with :-)

Pictures:

After reading all of that, I'm sure you're ready for some pictures - right? I am!

My lovely camera decided to die the day I arrived in N. Ireland. Sooo...I wasn't able to take any pictures the first 3 weeks of my stay but one of the couples (Stevie and Judith!) from Apsley Gospel Hall let me borrow their camera for a weekend - so I took LOTS of pictures and then the weekend before I left a man (Ithaii) from the same place let me borrow his camera up until my last evening in Ireland. A big "thank you" for letting me borrow the cameras!

Here are pictures of St. George's Market in Belfast - it's a market opened on the weekends where most of the farmers in N. Ireland came to sell fruit/vegetables. All of the fishermen come as well and sell fish. Painting, pottery, hand-woven items are also sold here. Rosie (my flatmate) bought a bunch of mussels - and that is a whole other story I'll have to tell you about; "my first experience with mussels."

St. George's Market, built in 1890

Cheese! Glorious Cheese!

Fresh Fish :-) Makes me want to visit Pikes Place in Seattle, WA!

Lil ole' me :-) Cappuccino in tow with a lot of fresh fruit

that will be put into pies and breads in a few hours!

delicious+fresh+bread=my ultimate weakness

Quick Thoughts on Him with more to come...

Putting aside the CELTA aspect of the trip and the sight-seeing part...the encouragement the Lord gave me throughout my time in Ireland completely floors me! There were lesson after lesson, verse after verse, prayer after prayer ... and truly, Who else can really satisfy my soul? Who else in this entire would can truly say the right thing that my heart needs? Who else knows every part of my heart and desires to keep knowing it and in return asks me to know His heart? Who else "gave Himself a ransom for all?" Only my Savior Jesus Christ has been able to do such things. Those are question I've always known. But to actually SEE them in motion is another thing. This blog isn't big enough for me to share all that I have come to find in the Lord Jesus Christ - but I can sum up most of my thoughts in His name El-Roi. The God-Who-Sees. Yes - and my God DOES see everything. He brought me to my knees several times (if not daily!) throughout the trip to remind me that I have no clue what the future holds in regards to many areas of my life...but He DOES know and that is such a comfort.

I'd like to spend some more blog-posts just sharing about why El-Roi has come to mean so much to me...and not just that name of His, but many many others! Including Jehovah-Shalom, Jehovah-Raah, and Jehovah-Nissi (The Lord is Peace, the Lord my Shepherd, and The Lord My Banner).

"And those who know Thy name will put their trust in Thee; for Thou, O LORD, hast not forsaken those who seek Thee." Psalm 9:10

An Easy Thing in the Eyes of the LORD...

2010-12-07T16:23:00.000-06:00

"You will see neither wind nor rain, yet this valley will be filled with water, and you, your cattle and your other animals will drink. This is an easy thing in the eyes of the LORD; He will also hand Moab over to you." II Kings 3:17-18

To human reason, what God was promising seemed simply impossible, but nothing is too difficult for Him. Without any sound or sign and from sources invisible and seemingly impossible, the water flowed the entire night, and "the next morning...there it was...! And the land was filled with water...The sun was shining on the water...and it looked red-like blood" (v.20,22).

Our unbelief is always desiring some outward signs, and the faith of many people is largely based on sensationalism. They are not convinced of the genuineness of God's promises without some visible manifestation. But the greatest triumph of a person's faith is to "be still, and know that He is God" (Psalm 46:10).

The greatest victory of faith is to stand at the shore of the impassable Red Sea and to hear the Master say, "Stand firm and you will see the deliverance the LORD will bring you today" (Exodus 14:13). As we step out in faith, without any sign or sound, taking our first steps into the water, we will see the water divide. Continuing to march ahead, we will see a pathway open through the very midst of the sea.

Whenever I have seen God's wondrous work in the case of some miraculous healing or some extraordinary deliverance by His providence, the thing that has always impressed me most was the absolute quietness in which it was done. I have also been impressed by the absence of anything sensational and dramatic, and the utter sense of my own uselessness as I stood in the presence of the Almighty God, realizing how easy all of this was for Him to do without even the faintest of effort on His part, or the slightest help from me.

It is the role of faith not the question but to simply obey. In the above story from Scriptures, the people were asked to "make this valley full of ditches" (II Kings 3:16). The people obeyed, and then water came pouring in from some supernatural source to fill them. What a lesson of faith!

Dig the ditches and let God fill them in His timing. He will do this in the most unexpected places and in the most unexpected ways. May the LORD grant us the kind of faith that acts "by faith, not by sight" (II Corinthians 5:7), and may we expect Him to work although we see no wind or rain.

-Streams in the Desert, December 7th

Your Hands

2010-11-01T19:42:00.001-06:00

I have unanswered prayers

I have trouble I wish wasn’t there

And I have asked a thousand ways

That You would take my pain away

You would take my pain away

I am trying to understand

How to walk this weary land

Make straight the paths that crooked lie

Oh Lord, before these feet of mine

When my world is shaking, heaven stands

When my heart is breaking

I never leave Your hands

When You walked upon the earth

You healed the broken, lost and hurt

I know You hate to see me cry

One day You will set all things right

Yeah, one day You will set all things right

When my world is shaking, heaven stands

When my heart is breaking

I never leave Your hands

Your hands that shaped the world

Are holding me

They hold me still

-JJ Heller

Thank You, Abba...that no matter what doubts we have on our hearts and no matter what troubles arise on our paths - You still stand. Your Word is unshakeable. We are secure in Your arms of love. You are a Bridegroom who holds tightly to His Bride.

JJ Heller "Your Hands" YouTube Link

Dinner Time

2010-10-28T22:04:00.000-05:00

Some diced up chocolate cake pieces.

A lil' bit o' cinnamon whipping cream, a lil' bit o' raspberries, and more chocolate!!!

Cinnamon Whipping Cream EVERYWHERE...

...it was a delicious and simple dessert.

BAKED CHEESE TORTELLINI (Johnny Carino's inpspired me)

I made homemade alfredo sauce, then added some meat/tomato sauce to make a smoother red sauce. Boiled some tortellini's (not talented enough to make them myself) - added it to the sauce mixture. Grated some fresh parmesan and provolone...baked it for 20 minutes. It looked SO yummy - the cheese had baked so good!

My Dad said it was an amazing meal. I blushed.

Stephen even liked it too!

This is all a part of the story...

2010-09-08T23:14:00.001-05:00

A few verses that the LORD has shown me the past few days:

"Furthermore, we have had human fathers who corrected us, and we paid them respect. Shall we not much more readily be in subjection to the Father of spirits and live? For they indeed for a few days chastened us as seemed best to them, but He for our profit, that we may be partakers of His holiness. Now no chastening seems to be joyful for the present, but painful; nevertheless, afterward it yields the peaceable fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it." Hebrews 12:9-11

We have all been disciplined by our parents at some point and we learn from it...though it certainly isn't perfect. But God's discipline IS perfect. He desires for us to grow so that we can be "partakers of His holiness." Truth be told: Holiness is what matters to God and the way I respond to the "givens" in my daily life experiences determines my growth in holiness. Our Great God knows that spiritual stamina and continual trust in Him cannot develop without conflict...the Lord is a loving Teacher that wants us to grasp hold of what He has given us; submissively, humbly, and even courageously realizing that This is all a part of the story, the story of the love of God for me and my love for Him (some snippets from Elizabeth Elliot).

The purpose of God’s chastening is not punitive but creative. He chastens “that we may share His holiness.” The phrase “that we may share” has direction in it, and the direction points toward a purified and beautified life. The fire which is kindled is not a bonfire, blazing heedlessly and unguardedly, and consuming precious things; it is a refiner’s fire, and the Refiner sits by it, and He is firmly and patiently and gently bringing holiness out of carelessness and stability out of weakness. God is always creating even when He is using the darker means of grace. He is producing the fruits and flowers of the Spirit. His love is always in quest of lovely things

-Jowett

"In this you greatly rejoice though now for a little while, if need be you have been grieved by various trials, that the genuineness of your faith, being much more precious that gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire, may be found to praise, honor, and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ, whom having not seen you love. Though now you do not see Him, yet believing, you rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory." I Peter 1:6-8

"Do not sorrow, for the joy of the LORD is your strength." Nehemiah 8:10

"The trying things which you fancy come between God and you, will prove means of unity with Him, if you bear them humbly. Those things that overwhelm us and upset our pride, do more good than all that which excites and inspirits us."

- - -

And so there are areas of my life I can not understand, but instead of resorting to the "why's"...I am learning to accept that this is all a part of the story...His story for my life.

Keep Your Focus

2010-08-25T22:41:00.000-05:00

After a summer at Turkey Hill Ranch Bible Camp that challenged me to keep my eyes focused on the Lord Jesus Christ, always with a heart to serve Him, and to remain faithful to the work He set before me...I have been convicted these past few days, away from camp, to keep my focus. My goal at camp was to honor Him, to spread the gospel, and to build up the body of Christ. The reality is, that goal should be the pulse of my heart and the rhythm of my life. It should be the desire of every person that calls Jesus Christ their Savior.

"Therefore we make it our aim, whether present or absent, to be well pleasing to Him."

II Corinthians 5:9

Let's look at where God has placed us right now. Look around. Who needs the gospel? Who needs to be built up in the faith? Be zealous for His work! I loved the zeal of every staffer I saw at camp - the passion to stand for what is right and be stretched for Him. I was truly stretched in my own walk with the Lord (that'll be another post!). But what a work God has for us in our family, our home meeting, our work, our world. Will you be known as the believers in Acts 17?!? They were known for this - they "turned the world upside down" with the gospel (Acts 17:6), they proclaimed allegiance to only one King, Jesus (v.7). Press toward the goal to know Christ more and Him crucified, let's be well pleasing to Him in every aspect of our lives...keep your focus.

"I don't have a vision except for Jesus Christ. I don't want to be anything. I don't want to be a bigshot. I don't want to be important. I don't want to conquer the world. I just want to be pleasing to God today and that is enough. That is enough. and strive as I might, I haven't obtained that goal so why should I look for another?" - Paul Washer

Encouragement to Pass on

2010-05-10T21:57:00.002-05:00

The Lord certainly encouraged my "o ye of little faith" heart this morning with the verses in Psalm 27:13-14 "What would have become of me had I not believed that I would see the LORD's goodness in the land of the living! Wait and hope for and expect the LORD; be brave and of good courage and let your heart be stout and enduring. Yes, wait for and hope for and expect the LORD" (Amplified Version). This version was very refreshing because it brought out different words to my mind that reminded me that I NEED NOT DESPAIR! Of course, I don't have a lot to despair about because God has been so very faithful to me in the past few months and especially the past few days. But there are times when my heart (and perhaps yours as well) becomes very burdened with cares of this world, or the unfortunate "busyness" we have created into our lives, or upcoming tasks that seem too daunting to handle with ones own strength. The message I am clinging too is I NEED NOT DESPAIR!

Be strong my friend and take heart. If you are weary, tired, maybe even in need of spiritual revival...take heart. God is for you - He will go before you...that is an unshakeable promise we can rest our hearts on in this world.

What shall we say then to all of this?

If God is for us, who can be against us?

Who can be our enemy if God is on our side?

...

For I am persuaded beyond doubt that neither death nor life,

nor angles nor principalities, nor things impending and threatening nor things to come,

nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all of creation

will be able to seperate us from the love of God

which is in Christ Jesus our LORD.

Romans 8:31, 38-39

Talking to God

2010-03-20T22:23:00.002-06:00

"Talking to men for GOD is a great thing,

but talking to GOD for men is greater still."

-E.M. Bounds

- - -

This quote struck me in new ways this evening as I looked throughout my e-mail inbox. Within the past few days I have received numerous e-mails concerning the salvation of people...people I don't even know and yet, I know they need the Lord Jesus as their Savior. It makes me think of how many people we come into contact with and how we often share the gospel with them and yet fail to pray daily for their salvation...to continue the conversation we had with them about God to the conversation with God about the choice they now have set before them. What a priviledge we have to pray for those we know personally and those we meet in the check-out line at Target. Of course, I'm not saying we should forego sharing with them the message of Christ and instead pray someone else should go about spreading the Good News! Far from that! Rather, we should be active to talk to men about God and remember to continually pray that the seed sown would not be cast to the wayside, or engulfed with thorns, or bud for a moment only to die soon after...but that the seed would find good soil and grow.

- - -

Ahhh - we truly should "pray without ceasing," it is quite a priviledge we have to communicate and talk to the God of the Universe and our Creator...which could never have been done if Christ had not shed His own on the cross and broken down the middle wall between God and man.

Quote

2010-03-17T07:22:00.002-06:00

"Sin tastes sweet

but turns bitter in our stomanchs.

Holiness often tastes bitter

but turns sweet in our stomachs."

-Gary Thomas

"Put off your old self, which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires, and ... be renewed in the spirit of your minds, and ... put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness."

Ephesians 4:22-24

O The Deep Deep Love

2010-03-02T21:52:00.003-06:00

After listening to the words of "O The Deep Deep Love" this evening, I was reminded of how often I worry and question about what is going on in my life. But - when I think about the cross and the deep deep love of Jesus towards me...everything melts away as I rest in His love which is such a strong current that goes "underneath me, all around me...leading onward, leading homeward..."

Here is a link to this encouraging song: Click Here

"Many are the sorrows of the wicked,

but steadfast love surrounds

the one who trusts in the Lord."

Psalm 32:10

FF>>

2010-02-25T20:46:00.006-06:00

Let's FF>> (fast forward) a few days (about a week) in the whole German Trip :-) I always enjoy talking about it.

On January 4th, Tim and I dropped off his family at the airport in Munchin (munich). I thoroughly enjoyed every single minute with the Haugrud family as we journeyed across Germany/Italy/Austria/Slovenija together - so this was a hard departure. We enjoyed a nice ride to the airport listening to some amazing Bing Crosby music - I had no idea that "Silent Night" could be sung in so many different ways! When we arrived at the airport, we got some kaffee and some donuts and then went to the line to tell them all goodbye. I miss them all so much still! Thank the Lord they made it home safely on the plane :-) Here is a picture of Tim and his family before they all left to go back home.

Once we left the airport, Tim and I headed into Munchin (munich) to walk around and find a place to eat an authentic Bavarian meal. We enjoyed spending loads of time in the car trying to find a parking place/parking garage. Some of these parking garages were very strange - one of them looked as if you would park your car on an uphill slope with a metal bottom...then when you press a lever the bottom would come up and basically hide your car from view. Yes - very strange. Thankfully, Tim found a more normal parking slot and we took that one. After exploring the town, taking pictures in front of lions (Tim did this), and visiting some old cathedrals we stopped at a great restaurant where we had *drum roll please* bratwurst and saurkraut. It was absolutely AMAZING!!! If there was such a thing as smell-a-blog I would try my best to make sure you could experience it with us!

Here are a few pics from Munchin

The other city Tim took me to visit was Nurnberg, about 90 minutes away from his home. It was a good day - Tim did a good job planning :-) We walked around the old part of the town, enjoyed some more yummy bratwurst and saurkraut, walked around an old fortress, visited about 6 old cathedrals (all beautiful and ornate), and just enjoyed being in a beautiful city on a very cold winter day. The pictures from the day are few but nice, so here they are - hope you all enjoy them! The last week with Tim was so nice - certainly will always treasure it and am, of course, looking forward to when we can spend more time together in-person in the future :-)

Ahhh - this picture is our last day together. We were finishing up some loose ends at his place before he dropped me back off at Brian and Aimee's place so we decided it'd be a nice time to stop and take a picture....or two...

Yes - that is me and the Norwegian flag...about as close to Norwegian as I'll ever get ;-)

O-N-E

2010-02-24T14:06:00.003-06:00

The Word of God is so sharp - it pierces to the core of an issue, to the heart of a matter, and to the evident sinful condition of man.

This week, thank the Lord, He has pierced my heart in new ways of what it means to be of:

one body,

one Spirit,

one Lord,

one faith,

one baptism:

serving one God and Father of all.

---

I have been reminded so often this week that we are all different in the body of Christ, but we desperately need these differences. They sharpen who we are, they make us aware of issues we might never be aware of, they cause us to humble ourselves, and realize there is no man guiding us but rather our great Shepherd - Jesus Christ.

Read this Scripture with me (make sure to read it all...it's powerful):

"Therefore I, the prisoner of the Lord, plead with you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, showing tolerance for one another in love, being diligent to preserve the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit, just as also you were called in one hope of your calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all who is over all and through all in all...as children, we are to speak the truth in love, we are to grow up in all aspects into Him who is the head, even Christ, from whom the whole body, being fitted and held together by what every joint supplies, according to the proper working of each individual part, causes the growth of the body for the building up of itself in love." Ephesians 4:1-6, 15-16 (NASB)

My words are few because Scripture speaks louder than any man could ever attempt to speak. But we are ONE! Christ - through His blood - has redeemed us to Himself and "we, who are many, are one body in Christ, and individually members of one another." As I look forward to what the Lord will teach me with these passages in Scripture, I can't help but think about this summer at Turkey Hill Ranch Bible Camp....praying the Lord will remind me that as I serve Him all summer that I would be reminded of these truths. Even though we are all different as a staff - we are all still one as a staff because Christ is the tie that binds us all together!

To finish all of these thoughts regarding being "one" ... please listen to this song:

Click Here - Michael Card and John Michael Talbot "One Faith"

Resting...Resting...

2010-01-25T22:04:00.005-06:00

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dX9-ruvMtrE

CLICK ON LINK
---

Words can't describe how much this song had been so comforting to listen to over the past few weeks and days - probably because it reminds me of how I need to rest in the...

joy of what Thou art.

To rest in my Father's unconditional love.

"Yes, I rest in Thee, Beloved, Know Thy certainty of promise, And have made it mine," speaks so strongly to me of the beauty of Him being the surety I need and the promises He had given all throughout Scripture that I can claim. One promise stuck out to me yesterday in a message Dan V. gave on Sunday morning, " Behold, I am with you and will keep you wherever you go, and will bring you back to this land; for I will not leave you until I have done what I have spoken to you." (Genesis 28:15) I AM my Beloved's and He is Mine - I can stand on the promise (and rest in the promise) that He will be with me wherever I go...He will not leave me stranded anywhere and will be the Great Shepherd that will go before me. It's just enjoyable and comforting to see the promises in God's Word and realize that these words, which were spoken thousands of years ago, were spoken by the same God that sent His Son (as He promised!) to this earth and would be "the good Shepherd (who) gives His life for the sheep" (John 10:11).

Yes - as sheep...let's rest in His promises. Psalm 23 - enjoy reading it, slowly :-)

---

Jesus I am resting, resting In the Joy of what Thou art; I am finding out the greatness Of Thy loving heart. Thou hast bid me gaze upon Thee, And Thy beauty fills my soul, For by Thy transforming power Thou hast made me whole.

O how great Thy loving kindness. Vaster, broader than the sea! O how marvellous Thy goodness, Lavished all on me! Yes, I rest in Thee, Beloved, Know Thy certainty of promise,

And have made it mine.

Jesus, I am resting, resting In the joy of what Thou art; I am finding out the greatness

Of Thy loving heart.

Simply trusting Thee, Lord Jesus, I behold Thee as Thou art, And Thy love, so pure, so changeless, Satisfies my heart; Satisfies its deepest longings, Meets supplies its every need, Compasseth me round with blessings; Thine is love indeed!

Ever lift Thy face upon me, As I work and wait for Thee; Resting 'neath Thy smile, Lord Jesus, Earth's dark shadows flee. Brightness of my Father's glory, Sunshine of my Father's face, Keep me ever trusting, resting; Fill me with Thy grace.

The "Osterreichian" Thing To Do...

2010-01-22T23:01:00.004-06:00

Ahhh...hands DOWN, some of the best memories of the whole trip with the Haugrud family across Europe were times around the dinner table. Whether it was at Tim's place eating AAFES Anthony's Pizza (hey, they'll travel with you anywhere!) or enjoying food at the many get-togethers Brian Aimee had at their place or trying out a new restaurant in every city we visited (yes, now we know that Italian's eat everything in courses!). Wiener schnittzel, bratwurst, kaiserschmarrn, zwetschgenroster, real italian ravioli's, nous nougatt croissants...the list goes on!

While we were in Vienna (at the oldest zoo in the world which would make it one of the oldest zoo's in Europe...), the Haugrud clan got goulash. Now this isn't the typical American goulash we all know and love. It has meat in it along with a thick sauce and dumplings (egg/flour/salt mixture) - I didn't have the honor of trying this dish, but after watching everyone consume it and constantly talk about it, I decided to take on a family dinner and make goulash. Traditional Hungarian Goulash. YUM-o.

It didn't turn out perfect but it is a work in progress. All that really mattered to me was having my Dad like it and he loved it.

Thursday night I made Hungarian Goulash (this one called for green peppers and potatoe's which were probably not in the original ones I saw in Vienna)...but the dumplings were fabulous.

Kaiserschmarrn and Zwetschgenroster (plum sauce). We had this amazing dessert in Salsburg and was told by the waiter that this particular dish is usually eaten as an "entree" among the locals. Perhaps this is where we decided pancakes for supper is a good idea?

A close up of this scrumptious dessert. I wish you all reading this could have enjoyed this meal with me! Next time you visit...this will be on the menu : )

- - -

Lunch with Mom and Sarah at Inspirations - 01-22-10. A really good time and I am so very thankful for the wisdom my Mom has and the guidance she gives daily toward each of us kids...love her so much!

Some Oatmeal bread I made on Monday. I just realized that all of these pictures show what a nerd I am in regards to cooking...but you all have to agree that there is nothing like a home-cooked meal.

- - -

Often times as I bake/cook, the Lord usually tends to remind me of verses regarding satisfaction and thankfulness. I need to be reminded of this often : ) We know in Scripture that Jesus called Himself "the bread of life...the living bread" John 6:48,51a and in response to He made it clear that "man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God" Matthew 4:4, Deuteronomy 8:3. There is such a beautiful promise in these verses, that real life come from feeding on Him. Eternal life is found in Jesus Christ alone....and we are to live our lives completely founded upon Him and grounded in the Word.

Jeremiah 15:16 says, "Your words were found, and I ate them, and Your word was to me the joy and rejoicing of my heart; for I am called by Your name, O LORD God of hosts." It looks to me that Jeremiah "found" His words, which means he had to have been seeking them to begin with...as I type this, I have to ask myself "Am I constantly seeking His Word? Feeding upon Him? Rejoicing in the fulfillment found in them?" The Word will be our hearts delight when we make it a point to seek His Words and eat/internalize/meditate on them.

All this brings me back to the reminder that Christ gave Himself for you and me. He gave up His own body and shed His own - "by that will (i.e. to do His Father's will of taking away the first to establish the second) we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all. And every priest stands ministering daily and offering repeatedly the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins. But this Man, after He had offered one sacrifice for sin forever, sat down at the right hand of God" Hebrews 10:10-12. What a portrayal of power and love in those verses! This makes me think of the Lord's Supper and the reminders we have of His on the cross in the emblems...one can never grow tired of coming to the table where we see a loaf of bread and a cup of wine. All to remind us that He, the Son of God, decided to "taste for everyone" Heb. 2:9)...what a bitter taste that must have been! Might our hearts rise up with gratitude for the grace displayed on Calvary - "mercy there was great and grace was free; pardon there was multiplied to me, there my burdened soul found liberty at Calvary" William R. Newell 1895.

--- It's beautiful to think of all these things and realize that certain has been replaced by certain life! "For the wages of sin is but the free gift of God is eternal life in Jesus Christ our Lord" Romans 6:23.

Venice!!!

2010-01-18T12:56:00.009-06:00

After all of the activity in Fussen - we all packed up in the car to Italy!!! Can you believe that? I always have thought about going to Italy and seeing the watery, winding roads of Venice...and I actually had the opportunity to see it with Tim and his family! Cool : )

In order to get to Italy, we had to meander through the Alps...here's two pics!

VENICE

This city is absolutely beautiful! It's a strange city because it's basically built in the water...but it was an important move back in the 12th century because it allowed it to be a powerful water port and trade center of the world. Our main destination that day was to see the Piazza San Marco which was built in the 12th century, along with St. Mark's Basilica (built in 1094) ... it was really neat entering the Piazza and seeing these huge structures surrounding the open space. *The one thing that seperates Venice apart from everything else is its water-based roads...but that is also the one thing that seems to be ruining the city. There was water everywhere! And when we took a tour inside the Basilica, we had to walk on the cement ramps because water was up to a foot deep in places throughout the church and streets in Venice* Around the Piazza was also the Doge's palace where we went into and viewed some spectacular architecture that has been around for centuries! Here are a few pictures of Venice!!!

Early Morning View of Venice

A Watery Highway

St. Mark's Basilica

A Pretty View of St. Mark's Basilica - though my feet did get soaked trying to get this picture!

The beginning of a phenomenal Italian meal in Venice!

Tim and I overlooking the Grand Canal on the Rialto Bridge

Already published picture - but I like it...it was a fun experience!

Slovenia

On our way out of Venice, Tim planned to have us drive a bit through Slovenia (Slovenija) to say that we had actually "been there." So yeah...I've stepped foot inside Slovenia! Here's proof!

That was a lot! And yet - there is still sooo much more to say! I'll post another blog update about Venice and Salsburg soon!!!

Trip: Fussen

2010-01-06T04:39:00.005-06:00

Christmas

After returning from our journeys up north, we got back to Tim's place and enjoyed Christmas together. It was so nice - though I really missed Christmas with my family and seeing my Grandparents. Christmas Eve we opened presents, we all got fun gifts but the best gift of all was the amazing present Philip gave Tim...a miniature albino buffalo figurine with green eyes. Lemme tell you - this caused Tim to laugh like nothing I have ever seen, he started crying! And all the rest of us were cracking up and red in the face because the gift was so little and silly and yet it brought A LOT of enjoyment to us for the next few days. Next best gift was from Sarah and Delpha to Philip - a furry moose stuffed animal who we named Moosen. He journeyed with us all over Europe - he's quite the world traveler now ; )

Christmas Day was spent at Brian and Aimee Klaeger's home in Eschenbach (i.e. Isengard). We had breakfast with them and other single soldiers who weren't able to go home for Christmas. They gave all of the soldiers gifts for coming and even gave me a gift! After breakfast, we played games and I watched people play games. Tim and I enjoyed watching Miracle on 34th Street together with his parents. After these festivities, I donned an apron and got to work helping Aimee get ready for the 60+ people she was expecting in her home for Christmas dinner. It was an AMAZING dinner! Brian and Aimee are missionaries to the soldiers on post in Grafenwoehr - it was wonderful seeing them together and their hearts desire to reach out to military familes and watch them work together in imitating Christ throughout their home. It was a good Christmas, spending it with family and friends in Christ.

Fussen

We all packed up to leave Zettlitz on Saturday afternoon to head on our 7 day journey throughout Europe.
First Stop: Fussen
Sights to See: Schloss Hohenschwangau Castle and Neuschwanstein Castle
We got there late enough to eat some delicious German food at a quain little restaurant, drink some hot fruit punch at the hotel, and head off to bed. Sunday morning we trekked to the castles where we secured tickets and were able to see some amazing structures that were built many years ago. Hohenschwangau Castle was the home of Maximillian II, where he rebuilt the home in 1832 though the castle was orignially built in the 12th century as a fortress. The castle is mainly famous because it was the birthplace of Ludwig II who was the Bavarian King in the mid to late 19th century.
As for Neuschwanstein Castle, this is a famous castle because it is the one that Walt Disney received his inspiration for the 3D castle design you see at the beginning of all Disney movies. It was built by Ludwig II in 1869 and was never fully completed. The castle was so grand! Richard Wagner (a famous composer at the time) was best friends with Ludwig II and it's neat to think about how Wagner composed some of his music while visiting Neuschwanstein - if you ever listen to his music, you will realize it grand and powerful...just like the castle and the scenary around it depict.
Enough about history - sorry if it bores any of you! I just find it interesting and since I've received such HUGE history lessons of the past few weeks - I don't want to forget them! : ) Thanks for bearing with me!
Also - at one point, the tour guide told us that the paintingsin every room of Hohenschwangau would not depict blood because that was not something that was apart of the era. Well....I totally saw a painting with blood in it. An arrow had pierced the side of an angel in the corner of one of the mural wall paintings - hahaha, I pointed it out and then everyone on the tour group was like "WOW! There's blood!" I don't know - it was funny at the time ; )
Another thing - Moosen had gotten left at the hotel room. It was really sad! So we decided to go back and find it. Philip went in to reclaim his dear animal and came out with his lil moose and said the hotel people had found the animal and called it "something for knder." That became one of our biggest sayings throughout out journeys...is that something for kinder?!?

---

Picture of Neuschwanstein Castle within Hohenschwangau's Castle walls

Inside of Hohenschwangau Castle

Neuschwanstein Castle - so regal!

Enjoying the sight of the Alps in the distance...

More to come...

Trip: Wittenberg and Berlin

2010-01-05T07:40:00.004-06:00

Once I made it past the horrible delays in Amsterdam of 4 hours, I was able to find another flight that got me to Munchin (Munich), Germany around 1300 on Tuesday, December 22nd. We (Tim and I) had to wait for his parents and brother to arrive on their flight (which had been delayed like mine but they had to wait longer in the terrible T2 line as well as find little flights that would eventually get them to Munchin instead of one direct flight) until around 2000. But we made it all safely to Germany : )

WITTENBERG

The next day, we embarked on a little adventure to Wittenburg and Berlin. Wittenburg is the famous place where Martin Luther hung the 95 theses and basically gave 95 points where the Catholic church was failing at obeying the Word of God. Tim was explaining to me a few moments ago that the main reason why the 95 theses was tacted upon the door was because the church, at the time, was heavily steeped in something called "sales of indulgences" where the church would sell pardons or prayers (etc.) at a price which would supposedly guarantee the people either a free ticket to heaven, a shorter time in purgatory...etc. This idea of selling "spiritual" things at a price really upset Martin Luther and provoked him to find other areas in the current established church that was not biblically correct. This event happened on October 31st, 1517 and brought forth what we all know as the Protestant Reformation. It reminded me alot about my studies this past semester in one of my main papers regarding the The Pardoner's Tale in Chaucer's The Cantebury Tales. It also reminded me of the reality that God's Word should be our sole guide - not to follow the trends of culture or the idea that seems right in our own eyes, but we are to look through His eyes and look into the Word of God in order to discover the truth of how to love, honor, and serve Him.

The Schlosskirche in Wittenberg where Luther hung the 95 Theses

Mike (Tim's Dad) and I enjoying walking around the Schlosskirche. FYI: I did my best to dress as European as possible, even Tim said the other day that I fitted in really good, hahaha. Mission Accomplished ; )

Memorial of the 95 Theses that Martin Luther hung on October 31st, 1517

BERLIN

It's fun to go back and visit a place that I have already had the opportunity to visit (i.e. Berlin!). After Wittenberg, we headed off to Bohnsdorf to stay at a lovely little hotel called Plovdiv (cool Bulgarian owners!). We stayed in this town because Delpha (Tim's Mom) has some relatives who came from this town and after looking in the phone book at the hotel, she was able to find people who still lived in the town with her family's last name. Really cool! Plovdiv, the hotel, was really neat. We all hung out for a while for dinner and in the hotel room, but the real fun began when the boys (Tim and Philip) decided to infer that the owner of the hotel was actually Count Dracula...and the legend still lives on to this day. Another side note, at one point I told Mike and Delpha that we were going to go see the Reichstag the next day in Berlin and I said, "Aren't you all excited? It's so cool to think that the Reichstag is still intact." And Mike looks at me and says, "But I thought you said it was in Berlin." Ummmm - get it?!? Yeah - it took me awhile, but we all were laughing about it for a long time. Good English Grammar Humor.

We visited the Reichstag, I enjoyed revisiting the lovely S-Bahn and U-Bahn, we got to see the Brandenburg Gate, Charlie's Check Point, and Museum Island. We went into the Pergamom Museum which is, in my opinion, the best one since I've seen the rest of them. In this Museum you area able to see the actual Pergamom for what is left of it, as well as the Ishtar Gate, and a bizilion different ancient things that will never cease to fascinate me. Everyone really like it - even though we only had about an hour and a half to see the Museum before it closed.

The pictures are not uploading for me so I will have to do this another time! Once again, thank you all for your wonderful prayers, encouragement, and support the past few weeks, months, and even years which have led up to this relationship with Tim.

"The thing that awakens the deepest well of gratitude in a human being is that God has forgiven sins." Oswald Chambers

Learning About Him

2010-01-04T15:16:00.004-06:00

Where do I begin to describe all that the LORD has been teaching my little heart about Himself? He is such a patient Shepherd and the past two weeks in Europe have given me an even deeper glimpse of how much I need Him and His guidance in every area of my life : )

That is a little tid-bit as to what I am Learning About Him - but perhaps you all would like to see a few pics of the adventures the LORD has put me on in order to bring me to a deeper realization of my need for Him and His help.

Yes, I went all the way to Europe! For 2 weeks (and I still have one week left in Europe) I have been traveling all over. From little Zettlitz to the huge Berlin and then driving through the Alps to seeing beautiful Venezia (Venice), Italy. All of this was something the LORD has been bringing about for some time and I have had the priviledge of spending these journeys with a dear friend of mine, Tim Haugrud. Yep...a boy : )

It would take too long to tell the whole story, but all I can say is that the LORD is framing a tapestry for my life and his life...and as we both trust our Savior in His timing and direction in our lives, it has seemed very clear over the past few days and last week that someday the LORD would have us both serve Him together. Christ being the center cornerstone and foundation of our relationship. There is much more to say but I wanted you all to know about this news and how He has been answering prayers for the past 1 1/2 years regarding this relationship. It's late here so I will try and write more later. I love each of you dearly - my sweet friends and sisters in Christ (especially!!!) who have been lifting this trip before our LORD's throne of grace. Thank you : )

Would you like to see the fella? Here is a picture of us in Venice.

Stay tuned - I will try and write some more tomorrow and tell you all about the beautiful places I have been able to see the past 2 weeks!

It's HERE!!!

2009-12-21T09:42:00.003-06:00

Alright everyone - it's HERE!!!

I'm heading off and will keep everyone posted on all my adventures as well as keep you updated about everything the LORD reveals to me : )

Here is a pic...

And the ADVENTURE BEGINS!!!

CRY of my HEART

2009-12-02T21:23:00.004-06:00

This evening in prayer meeting as we lifted up different people to the Lord, I started thinking about the CRY of my HEART and what I often cry out to the Lord for. Sometimes, unfortunately, my cries are about petty concerns or matters that I have previously brought to the Lord but think I have some right to go back and "fret" again over the matter. I won't make this a confessional, hahaha...so you can keep reading : ) But there are other things the Lord wants me to cry over...lost souls.the salvation of relatives.my home meeting.my brothers and sisters in Christ.the discernment of elders.my desire to shepherd young women.gospel outreaches.missionaries in the States and others in different countries. Overall in this mix - how can the Lord use this broken vessel that I am for His glory in order to further the gospel and proclaim the evidence that the fullness of grace and truth was embodied in Jesus Christ who walked on this earth, redeemed mankind through His blood because He was the spotless Lamb, and proved His power through ultimately conquering the chains of death that only He could break!

---

As I close this journey of college and I wait (oh, boy do I need to learn how to w-a-i-t!) on the Lord for clear direction and guidance as to some decisions I need to make...some will probably happen in a few months, some in a few weeks (!), some in a few days...where is my heart in the whole matter? Am I resting in the Lord, knowing that He keeps His eye on the sparrow, how much more than does He care for His dear children? Am I in the Word of God for direction? Am I remembering the fact that He is leading which means I am not alone in this journey - the Holy Spirit is right by my side? Am I aware that this meager obscured piece of clay can only be used when it is put in complete surrender to the Master's hand?

Ah - as the old hymn sings forth, "draw me nearer, nearer, nearer blessed Lord!"

May the CRY of my HEART be to be near my blessed Lord and close to His heart!

---

But an old song that we used to sing at our youth group came into my mind. Good words. Good music. I can just imagine the psalmist David singing it : )

---

It Is The Cry Of My Heart To Follow You

It Is The Cry Of My HeartTo Be Close To You

It Is The Cry Of My Heart To Follow

All Of The Days Of My Life

Teach Me Your Holy Ways O Lord

So I Can Walk In Your Truth

Teach Me Your Holy Ways O Lord

And Make Me Wholly Devoted To You

Open My Eyes So I Can See

The Wonderful Things That You Do

Open My Heart Up More And More

And Make It Wholly Devoted To You

---

"OPEN MY HEART UP MORE AND MORE AND MAKE IT WHOLLY DEVOTED TO YOU"

COME

2009-11-18T23:41:00.003-06:00

This morning I was driving around Edmond, running errands and getting ready for different classes...and I started thinking, "WoW - I am just so tired, LORD! I've been going, going, going...will I get a chance to rest a bit sometime soon?!?" As I sat in my car thinking about my tired heart and physical body, the next song track on my Indelible Grace V came on. Sometimes I forget to listen to words and simply hum the tune as I drive in the car, but today...I heard the word..."come." That one word was so comforting.

Comforting because God knew just what I needed at that direct minute in my life.

Comforting because all I need to do is simply come. Just as I am, just as I was, just as I will be He loves me; He does.

Comforting because He is my Shepherd and He leads His sheep beside still waters and simply asks me to come to Him.

Comforting beacuse He so gently reprimanded me with the awareness that I tend to go to everyone else but Him for my strength, sustainability, and nourishment. I must go to Him - no, I must RUN to Him at all times because He is my Father and Lover of my soul.

---

Here is the beautiful hymn that Indelible Grace re-did, might it encourage your hearts as well as you go along in this life:

---

"Come," said Jesus sacred voice

"Come and make My paths your choice

I will guide you to your home,

Weary pilgrim, hither come."

"Hither come, for here is found

Balm that flows for every wound

Peace that ever shall endure

Rest eternal, sacred, sure

Rest eternal, sacred, sure."

-Anna L. Barbauld

---

"Come to me all who are weary and heavy-laden and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light." Matthew 11:28-30

Purity

2009-10-19T23:20:00.003-05:00

"Purity is not innocence— it is much more than that. Purity is the result of continued spiritual harmony with God. We have to grow in purity. Our life with God may be right and our inner purity unblemished, yet occasionally our outer life may become spotted and stained. God intentionally does not protect us from this possibility, because this is the way we recognize the necessity of maintaining our spiritual vision through personal purity. If the outer level of our spiritual life with God is impaired to the slightest degree, we must put everything else aside until we make it right. Remember that spiritual vision depends on our character— it is "the pure in heart " who "see God."

God makes us pure by an act of His sovereign grace, but we still have something that we must carefully watch. It is through our bodily life coming in contact with other people and other points of view that we tend to become tarnished. Not only must our "inner sanctuary" be kept right with God, but also the "outer courts" must be brought into perfect harmony with the purity God gives us through His grace. Our spiritual vision and understanding is immediately blurred when our "outer court" is stained. If we want to maintain personal intimacy with the Lord Jesus Christ, it will mean refusing to do or even think certain things. And some things that are acceptable for others will become unacceptable for us."

-My Utmost for His Highest

Might the LORD remind each of us daily how He has called us to purity in all areas of our lives. It is so hard sometimes...trust me - I know! But we don't have to partake in every pleasure of this world, for it is passing away. Rather, we have the opportunity and the privilege to live a life that is "set apart" ... a life that is pleasing to LORD. I pray we all who claim the name of Jesus Christ as our LORD will desire to be a vessel for honor, not a vessel for dishonor.

"Therefore if anyone cleanses himself from the latter, he will be a vessel for honor, sanctified (set apart) and useful for the Master, prepared for every good work. Flee also youthful s; but pursue righteousness, faith, love, peace with those who call on the LORD out of a pure heart." II Timothy 2:21-22

I Am Willing

2009-10-06T11:33:00.002-05:00

Once upon a time there was an old grape branch; it had been growing
in the vineyard for a long time. One day a new branch was planted
in the next row. The younger branch grew, developed more branches,
and bore fruit.
Taking courage one hot summer day, the young branch looked up
at the old branch and said in its squeaky voice, “It must be great to have
people travel from miles around just to taste the sweetness of your fruit.”
The old branch nodded.
Feeling encouraged, the young branch continued, “I have been
talking with the other branches in the garden, and they say yours is the
sweetest fruit.”
The old branch smiled.
“When I grow up, I want to be just like you! How can I have sweet
fruit like yours? I’ll do anything you say.”
As the old branch looked down on the young branch, he remembered
the day when, as a young branch himself, he had asked an old
branch the same question. In his baritone voice, he gave the young
branch the same answer he had received years earlier: “Be willing.”
The young branch mused in frustration, Be willing? I tell him I’ll do
whatever it takes to have sweet fruit, and all he can say is “Be willing”? Then
he turned to another branch and began carrying on what he felt was
meaningful conversation.
Each day there was constant chatter in the vineyard as the
branches shared the latest gossip and wasted the hours away by comparing
the sweetness of their fruit. The young branch knew there was
no other place he’d rather live.

One cool autumn morning, the young branch was awakened by
the sound of the old brown, weathered gate opening. As he looked at
the end of the row, in stepped the gardener. Normally when the gardener
came to visit, the vines would clap their leaves together and
shout with delight. But something unusual was taking place that day.
A hush swept over the garden. The young branch glanced over at the
old branch, who didn’t seem to be disturbed; so the young branch
directed his attention back to the end of the row.
The gardener stopped by the first branch in the row; the young
branch was sure he had come to compliment his friend on her fine
growth. But watching intently, he saw the gardener bend on one knee,
reach into his back pocket, pull out what looked like sharp scissors,
and move toward his friend.
Instinctively the branch at the end of the row pulled her leaves
back, and the young branch heard her plead, “No, no, why are you
doing this to me? Haven’t I been sweet? Didn’t I bring honor to the
garden? Please, please, don’t do this to me!”
Before the young branch could blink, his friend lay on the ground
except for the nub. The young branch turned to the old branch and
asked in a low, fearful voice, “What’s happening? Why did the gardener
do that?”
The old branch did not respond.
The young branch strained to understand and then blurted out,
“Oh, I get it! We thought the gardener liked that branch, but he really
didn’t like her.”
The old branch responded, “No, that’s not true. In fact, what you
just saw the gardener do proves he loves that branch.”
“Oh. I knew that. Let me try again. We thought that branch’s fruit
was sweet, but it really wasn’t sweet.”
“That branch’s fruit was sweet.”
“O.K., O.K. I know the real reason. That branch did something
wrong, so the gardener is punishing her; he’s just not telling us why.”
The old branch answered, “That branch is not being punished.
Listen carefully—your friend is being pruned. Not because she was
trying to do things wrong, but because she was trying to do things
right. Not because her fruit was not sweet, but because the gardener
wants it to be even sweeter.”
“But that doesn’t seem fair!” protested the young branch. “Just
look at her. She’s been cut down to the nub. Now all the people who
come to taste the sweetness of her fruit will laugh and judge the
branch.”
“Only those outside the garden who don’t understand will laugh
and judge the branch.”
“Only those outside the garden who don’t understand? That
branch didn’t understand! Did you hear her say, ‘Why are you doing
this to me?’”

The old branch was quiet for a long time and then responded
slowly, “Unfortunately, what you’re saying is true. It’s one thing when
people outside the garden don’t understand; but when those inside
the garden—especially the ones being pruned—don’t understand, it
causes a lot of confusion, disappointment, and pain. Those branches
down at the end of the row will have to listen to your friend murmur
and complain until she blooms again.”
The young branch proclaimed, “Well, you don’t have to worry
about being pruned. You have the sweetest fruit in the garden!”
“I want to be pruned.”
“You what? It must hurt, and you’re going to look funny.”
The old branch chuckled and replied, “I must admit it’s quite
uncomfortable. You see, my young friend, I know I look good to you,
but I have a fungus growing on my underside that no one can see. If
it remains, it will diminish the quality and quantity of my fruit. No,
when the gardener comes to prune me, I won’t pull my leaves back.
I’ll lift myself high in the air to make his job easier.”
Trembling, the young branch responded, “I don’t understand.”
With compassion the old branch replied, “Did you see that branch
the gardener just tore off and threw over the fence? It didn’t belong
in this garden at all and will be burned in a fire.”
“Wow!” exclaimed the young branch.
“When the gardener comes to prune you, remember that the gardener
only prunes the branches that belong to him, which makes it an
honor. He doesn’t prune you because you’re trying to do things
wrong, but because you’re trying to do things right. It’s not because
you’re not sweet, but because he wants you to be sweeter. And always
remember, my young friend, the very fact that you’re being pruned
means you will bloom again.”

Just then the gardener stopped by the old branch, and the young
branch saw the old branch raise his leaves high in the air. He heard a
snip, and the old branch lay on the ground except for the nub. Then
the gardener turned to the young branch. His leaves were shaking, and
tears rolled down his side, but with every ounce of strength he raised
his leaves high in the air. He looked up into the gardener’s face and
said, “Kind and gentle gardener, I’m willing.”

-Excerpt from "Biblical Womanhood in the Home" by Nancy Leigh Demoss

Jesus said...“I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful” (John 15:1).

Book Review - Sir Dalton and the Shadow Heart

2009-09-28T20:00:00.006-05:00

Here is another book review for all of my blog friends! On a side note, I highly recommend this book for any of you that have little boys and girls that love adventure stories - the firm foundation of the Word this book is written on allows for your child's imagination to soar and allows them to realize how important it is to have a firm faith in God.

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Sir Dalton and The Shadow Heart

What an amazing picture of the Kingdom that Chuck Black creates in Sir Dalton and the Shadow Heart. Imagery based around the reality of good and evil is the center of this book with the interweaving of faith, hope, conviction and the desire to spread the news of the King and His Prince to all the corners of the earth! The journey Sir Dalton takes is a reminder of how a Christian could begin to doubt their faith in God when they are not seeking Him, but when they go back to the heart of the gospel which is Jesus Christ, every fear can be banished in the Kingdom of Arrethtrae and every truth can be grounded in the Code. From the evil “Caw” of the black ravens that can make the reader shudder, to the beautiful wisdom of Master Sejus, to the daring battle Sir Dalton faces in the Prison of Distazo – Chuck Black superbly forms a story of faith that any child, student and adult will be inspired to live out in their own lives.

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Author Bio

Chuck Black traveled with the Air Force as a communications engineer and F-16 fighter pilot and began a career as a product design engineer. Chuck and his wife, Andrea, homeschool their six children and have a family music ministry that travels throughout the region. He is the author of nine novels, has been published in The Old Schoolhouse e-zine, and has received praise from parents across the country for his unique approach to telling biblical truths. Chuck and his family live in Williston, North Dakota.

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The Knights of Arrethtrae Website - Click Here

Earnest Plea!!!

2009-09-23T23:23:00.003-05:00

More love to Thee, O Christ,

More love to Thee!

Hear Thou the prayer I make

On bended knee.

This is my earnest plea:

More love, O Christ, to Thee;

More love to Thee,

More love to Thee!

(Indelible Grace IV C-D - great version of this song)

"Seek Me and live"..."Seek the LORD and live"..."Seek good and not evil, that you may live."

Amos 5:4,6,14

O LORD, that my soul might follow close behind and hard after You - to give You more love!

Psalm 63:8

This is my Earnest Plea.

Give Me A New Idea

2009-09-19T22:53:00.004-05:00

Circumstances will not change...no matter how hard I wish them away or pray for them to go away. 21 hours of school and everything else in my life just won't go away that easily : )

And yet, in the midst of this - I honestly don't want my "circumstances" to just ~poof~ and go away! I need to learn from them and trust the Lord in the middle of them. Which is why I am asking the Lord to "give me a new idea."

I was reading in Streams in the Desert the other day and was thoroughly refreshed by the poem that was shared. It reminded me that "if I see God in everything, He will calm and color everything I see!" My trouble won't easily go away, but He will "surround me with songs of deliverance" (ps. 32:7). Hmmm...one thought was shared that really stuck out to me that I want to "to see Him and to be sure that His widsom and power never fail and His love never changes, to know that even His most distressing dealings with me are for my deepest spiritual gain." As I go through this difficult semester - I just pray that the Lord would use my time, energy and means available to me right now for His purposes. That I wouldn't be selfish in this process nor that I would complain about the work load. Rather, I want to see and seek and know and find all that God has for me in this trying semester - TO SEE GOD IN EVERYTHING!

"Give me a new idea," I said,

While thinking on a sleepless bed;

"A new idea that'll bring to earth

a balm for souls of priceless worth;

That'll give men thoughts of things above,

And teach them how to serve and love,

That'll banish every selfish thought,

And rid men of the sins they've fought."

The new thought came, just how, I'll tell:

'Twas when on bended knee I fell,

And sought from HIM who knows full well

The way our sorrow to expel.

SEE GOD IN ALL THINGS, great and small,

And give HIM praise whatever befall,

In life or , in pain or woe,

See God, and overcome your foe.

I saw HIM in the morning light,

HE made the day shine clear and bright;

I saw HIM in the noontide hour,

And gained from HIM refreshing shower.

At evening, when worn and sad,

HE gave me help, and made me glad.

At midnight, when on tossing bed

My weary soul to sleep HE led.

I saw HIM when great losses came,

And found HE loved me jsut the same.

When heavy loads I had to bear,

I found HE lightened every care.

By sickness, sorrow, sore, distress,

HE calmed my mind and gave me rest.

HE'S filled my heart with joyous praise

Since I gave HIM the upward gaze.

'Twas new to me, yet old to some,

This thought that to me has become

A revelation of the way

We all should live throughout the day;

For as each day unfolds its light,

We'll walk by faith and not by sight.

Life will, indeed, a blessing bring,

If we SEE GOD IN EVERYTHING.

Whadayathink?

2009-09-15T22:55:00.002-05:00

For some time now I have been contemplating a new blog design that matched my style - and allowed me to put pictures up on a fairly neutral screen...so here it is!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

What do you think?

Any feed back would be great!

Is the picture too dark? Do you like the placement of the words on my picture? What about the new background layout? Does it serve the purpose of catching the eye while yet giving the user a clear idea of what my blog is all about?

OH! And did you like the verse? This very verse has spoken volumes to me over the past week and my hearts desire is to know The Patient Waiting of looking for His coming, directing my heart into His love and serving Him faithfully until He, my Bridegroom, returns. There is so much I have learned from this simple verse - and I will have to take another blogspot (sometime soon!) to share with you my gleanings from the Word on what it means to patiently wait for Him. A lesson I don't think the Lord will ever stop trying to teach me!

A Word To My Blog Friends:

Thank you for sharing what the Lord has been teaching you in your lives on your blogs, it ministers to my heart in many ways and reminds me of how desperately we need Him in the midst of the trials, joys and sorrows we encounter on a day-to-day basis. You all mean so much to me and I am blessed to call you friend : )

"North! or Be Eaten" Book Review

2009-09-13T23:44:00.006-05:00

If you're ready for an adventure and aren't able to take time off work to travel to a distant place, then "North! or Be Eaten" by Andrew Peterson is a book that will give you adventure in far-away places without the extra expense : )

The second book in Andrew Peterson's "The Wingfeather Saga" continues from where one left off in the land of Skree and follows the journey of the Jewels of Anniera which are Janner, Tink and Leeli Igiby. The Jewels of Anniera are faced with many decisions on the journey as the enter the Glipwood forest and face a Gargan Rockroach, or fierce Stranders that bite and lick their teeth at their enemies. And one can't forget the Toothy Cows and their yellow eyes that ooze! Fangs are crawling all over the book because Gnag the Nameless will not stop his destruction of Skree until the Jewels of Anniera are captured, but Podo, Nia nad Oskar work hard to protect the children and safely lead them to the Ice Prairies where Fangs aren't able to move quite-so-fast. But what other animals hide around in the Ice Prairies? And can everyone be trusted that the company meets along their way? Themes of honesty, family, loyalty and faith are interweaved all throughout this book which makes it a must-read book for families of all ages. Peterson's story-telling skills are once again baffling and so intricate that the reader feels lost in the story and a part of the journey that the Igibys are on throughout the books - a recommended read for children, college students (that's me!), adults of all ages and even those above the age of 100 years old!

Post below if you ever get a chance to read this book - tell me your thoughts. And if you haven't even started Book One in "The Wingfeather Saga," it's titled "On the Edge of the Dark Sea of Darkneess" by Andrew Peterson. I hope this Book Review was helpful!

- - -

Here is a summary of the book that the publishing company sent me:

Summary

Janner, Tink, and Leeli Igiby thought they were normal children with normal lives and a normal past. But now they know they’re really the Lost Jewels of Anniera, heirs to a legendary kingdom across the sea, and suddenly everyone wants to kill them.
Their escape brings readers to the very brink of Fingap Falls, over the Stony Mountains, and across the Ice Prairies, while villains galore try to stop the Igibys permanently. Fearsome toothy cows and horned hounds return, along with new dangers: a mad man running a fork factory, a den of rockroaches, and majestic talking sea dragons.
Andrew Peterson’s lovable characters create what FantasyBookCritic.com says made Book One “one of the best fantasy novels in a very long time,” and Book Two contains even more thrills, exploring “themes universal in nature, ranging from the classic good versus evil, to the importance of family, and burdens of responsibility.”

Author Bio

Andrew Peterson is the author of On the Edge of the Dark Sea of Darkness, Book One in the Wingfeather Saga, and The Ballad of Matthew’s Begats. He’s also the critically-acclaimed singer-songwriter and recording artist of ten albums, including Resurrection Letters II. He and his wife, Jamie, live with their two sons and one daughter in a little house they call The Warren near Nashville , Tennessee . Visit his websites: http://www.andrew-peterson.com/ and http://www.rabbitroom.com/

What We Proclaim is Not Ourselves

2009-08-28T23:10:00.007-05:00

"Not to us, O LORD, not to us, but to Your name give all the glory!" Psalm 115:1

As I arrived back in the States last week...I had one song that I wanted to share with everyone because it was a song I instantly "clicked" on whenever I put my i-pod on during the many travels throughout Ireland. It reminded me of what I am...simply an empty vessel that seeks to be poured out for the Master's use, II Timothy 2:19-21. And then I was reminded in the song that it is not to me at all that any glory, power or praise should be given, rather it should be wholly given to God. That is what the three of us sought as we journeyed across Ireland...to be clay in the Potter's hands, to be shaped/stretched/molded in various ways and to proclaim His holy name; for there is no other name like it! This song can be found on http://www.gloryrevealed.com/.

Might this same claim as being "jars of clay" in the outreaches in Ireland be found in the three of us as we seek to be lights to our own communities here in the States...to go boldly "forth to Him, outside the camp, bearing His reproach" with the gospel; being reminded that time is short, the harvest is so very ripe and the laborers are few.

We have this treasure in jars of clay

to show that the power comes from GOD.

We are afflicted in every way, but we're not crushed.

We are perplexed, but not driven to despair...

persecuted but not forsaken. No, no.

We are struck down, but not destroyed...

struck down, but not destroyed.

What we proclaim is not ourselves,

what we proclaim is not ourselves.

O, we proclaim! The holy name of Jesus!

We have this treasure in jars of clay

to show that the power comes from GOD.

Not to us, O Lord. Not to us, O Lord.

But to Your name be the glory.

p.s. Will try and write more updates about the outreaches in Ireland! The posts might not be very long due to time constraints on my end because of school...but pictures will definitly be coming!

"O Lord, our Lord, how excellent is Your name in all the earth, who have set Your glory above the heavens!" Psalm 8:1

The three of us smiling during one of our many bus rides!

Some Quiet Time : )

2009-07-23T18:43:00.013-05:00

One my new favorite places to go in OKC is 'cuppiesnjoe' - a cute 1940's home in the Paseo District that has been renovated into a coffee house. I like it because they have cupcakes : ) I also like it because you get quality iced tea for only $1.50, which includes free "pour-yourself" refills : ) They let me take pictures there : ) And, I like it because I can tuck myself into a corner on a comfy sofa and spend some quiet time with my Savior : ) Something I can't seem to get enough of..."O GOD, You are my GOD; early will I see You; my soul thirsts for You; my flesh longs for You in a dry and thirsty land where there is no water." Psalm 63:1

~"Lemony Snicket" Cupcake

~I'm inviting you to come sit down and talk with me : )

The book of Daniel is where I found myself in the Word this morning..."But Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with the portion of the king's delicacies, nor with the wine which he drank..." Daniel 1:8. I read this - and thought to myself, How often do I purpose in my heart to not defile myself...to not watch a movie with inappropriate scenes in it, to not partake in gossip, to not spend my money on unwise purchase or to simply not be conformed to this world?

It was humbling to think about. And even more revealling to see how much my heart wants to take part in the "delicacies and wines" of this world. Even to see how easy it is to set up idols in my heart for trivial things that don't count for eternity. Remind me again, dear LORD, that I need to set my affection on things above, not on things of this world...for I have died to this world! My life is now hidden with Christ in God...what more could I ask for? No money on earth could buy that, no delicacy on this earth could provide such delight as being in direct communion with God!

"Hear, O My people, and I will admonish you! O Israel, if you will listen to Me! There shall be no foreign god among you; nor shall you worship any foreign god. I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt; open your mouth wide and I will fill it...Oh that My people would listen to Me, that Israel would walk in My ways!...He (the LORD) would have fed them also with the finest of wheat; and with honey from the rock I would have satisfied you." Psalm 81:8-10,13,16

Remember...finest of wheat and honey...spiritual and physical nourishment is fully found in Jesus Christ our LORD and Savior. *humming* Praise to the Lord, who o'er all things so wondrously reigneth, shelters thee under His wings, yea, so gently sustaineth! Hast thou not seen how thy desires e'er have been...granted in what He ordaineth.

SUMMER!!!

2009-07-07T19:47:00.008-05:00

Where do I begin!?!?!?!
Summer is already half-way through and I'm still trying to get ahold of everything our Great God has taught me already. I think I've been stretched, pulled and turned-upside-down many times this past summer; all in order to make my realize, once again, what a Faithful God we have and how He will provide for the needs of His children.
I'm going to put up a few pictures of each of the different camps I was able to work at so far this summer (I still have another camp to work at, and that is Camp Enosh in Topeka, KS) and a little "blurb" as to what went on at each of the camps.

GIRLS RANCH HAND

The LORD gave me a wonderful opportunity to work with 7 young girls at THRBC and be the speaker for Ranch Hand 1. It was so good! Because the group was smaller than normal, we were all able to bond really well and open up with each other about struggles, problems, and insecurities we all face in our lives. We worked with the horses for about 6-10 hours every day, doing everything from saddling horses, cleaning out their shoes, roping and herding cattle to racing around barrels, running on the horses all over camp, eating over a campfire and riding TONS every day. It was a blast!!! My horses name was Flapjack : ) The messages I felt the Lord wanted me to share were filled with the gospel for the first 4 messages (for the girls who were not saved) and the last 7 were growth messages that were based around "idolatry" and the things in our lives that keep us from fully loving God and becoming more like Christ. It was very convicting for me to give because the topics were so personal to my own walk with the Lord...but the girls all shared in every message and we had some great times of discussion on what it means to tear down idols in our lives, seeking His face, and living pure in a "pureless" world.

All of us girls being goofy : )

Visiting the horses in the evening

Lydia and I - love this girl

Riding in the truck late at night, "Thanks Jimmy, erh...Mader"

Flapjack and I : )

SOONER BIBLE CAMP

Let's give a shout out for "SOONER BIBLE CAMP!!!" This camp has always meant so much to me, I grew up at this camp from age 8 to age 18 and have always enjoyed staffing/counseling for Sr. and Jr. Week. This year the Lord allowed me to be a counselor at Jr. Week for the youngest cabin, which is the 7-9 yr. old girls. I am so thankful for each and every girl in my cabin...they made my week so enjoyable and taught me much about patience, understanding, and love. Several kids came to know Christ as their personal Savior this week and once incident in particular was so exciting: last year in Anne's cabin, a girl became saved and made it a point to pray that her cousins would become saved so she should have another sister in Christ since her whole family is Catholic. Well, this year in Mrs. Moffitt's cabin, her cousin got saved!!! And now they are planning on encouraging each other in the faith and praying together for the salvation of the other members in their families...isn't that awesome?!? It was so neat to see this all unfold. Rachelle was at camp (the girl from our kids club) - on Thursday night she received Christ as her personal Savior and seemed to changed on Friday...wanting to share Christ with her fellow cabinmates and excited to go back to Guthrie and her family with the gospel. Pray that I would be willing to sacrifice my "personal" time to invest in her life...I love her so much and want her to grow up to be a woman after God's own heart. The girls in my cabin who were saved (Shelby, Bekah, and Abigail) were very vocal about their testimonies in the cabin and around camp. Before Bekah and Abigail went to give their testimonies, I had a little "prayer time" with each of them - I will never forget the prayers of my little sisters in Christ as they asked the Lord for help on how to effectively share their testimonies, that God would be glorified in their words and as little Abigail said, "Make my tongue a tool for You, God..I don't want to talk about myself."

Cheyenne and Rachelle playing at the pool

Shelby, Beth, Bekah, Abigail, Kaitlin and Cheyenne smiling after our cabin's late night "talent show" - they were pretty silly

Mrs. Moffitt and I...words can't express how much this woman means to me

Above Picture: Joel, Chris and Garrett at the banquet. Second Picture: Water Games!

TURKEY HILL RANCH BIBLE CAMP

The past three weeks have been very interesting to say the least - God's plans are better than my own plans, and I found that out. Kids 3 I worked in the kitchen. The previous weekend I had spent with my friend Kelly Jensen to make sure some of our Ireland plans were getting fully together and I didn't get to THRBC until late Monday night. I had time to relax from alot of my car traveling and catch up on some much needed sleep. Kids 4 came around and I didn't counsel since I would be counseling both Teen 1 and Teen 2 (so I thought), so I was Head Lifeguard. It was really fun and of course, I got some nice sun : ) Staffing also reminded me that there are 2 ministries at camp: one for the campers and one for the staffers. It was so neat talking with younger girls and listening/guiding/talking with them and pointing them toward Jesus as the only Person who will ever satisfy the deepest longings of their hearts. On Tuesday night of that week I came down with a 100 degree fever and a really bad headache...but the next morning my temperature was back to normal, though I started getting a sore throat and my head was still pounding. On Thursday night, I felt horrible and went to the nurse and found out I had a 102 degree fever. Yikes! I was sent to my room, to sleep. Well, I slept. Almost all day Friday I slept. I was nauseated most of the day, had a sore throat, a really bad cough, congested and ran a fever most of Friday. My fever broke that evening, but because there had been an outbreak at camp of many many campers and staffers getting this same "flu" I had to be quarantined in my cabin until Sunday. I got out Sunday, but after talking with the camp doctor (Steve Price), I had to be quarantined for another 2 days, since I had Influenza A and the H1N1 flu is a strain within that. *sigh* So that meant I couldn't counsel Teen 1. *sigh* I have a pretty weak immune system, (it all backtracks to the malaria I got in Africa), so I'm still pretty weak even right now...but getting more and more strength everyday. My parents and I both agreed (after much MUCH prayer) that I should come back home during Teen 2 and restup for the many other travels God has for me this summer. I'm learning to understand that sometimes I can't do everything - and that it is o.k. to take a break, rest up and renew my energy for other tasks that are ahead of me in the future. And those tasks are one more camp and a 3 week trip to Ireland to help out with VBS outreaches in Gorey, Ireland and Belfast, Northern Ireland. It'll be such a great time - the Lord gave me an opportunity to go to Ireland after Africa 2 years ago...haven't been back since, but the believers in Belfast were so encouraging and needed encouragement. My friends Kelly and Anne-Marie are going with me...I"ll keep you posted about specific things to pray about and our schedule during out trip.

Thanks for being willing to read all of this : ) Continue to pray for all of the different camps that are going on right now - that the Holy Spirit would have free course; counselors and speakers would invest their time into the campers; the staff would grow together in unity.

Staff Girl Trail Ride during Kids 3

4th of July Weekend - this was as "festive" as we got...sno cones!!! No fireworks this 4th of July.

Staff girls!!!! Love them all so much!

My very best friend Katy (she's Head Counselor this summer, prayer for her!)

"I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me." Galatians 2:20

Bible Club Video

2009-05-19T20:59:00.005-05:00

Here is the video I put together for our 2008-2009 Bible Club year! I showed all the kids the video on Sunday afternoon after the meetings and they were laughing, giggling and shouting out names of everyone they saw : ) It's also published on youtube.com so feel free to watch the video there as well, just type in "bible club 2008 2009" and it has a picture of three kids on it!

Last Night of Kids Club

2009-05-13T22:17:00.006-05:00

It's so hard to believe that another year has come and gone with our Bible Club at the chapel. The last night of the year is always so bittersweet to me - I love these kids so much. We've been through so much together and have learned many things along the road about ourselves and, most importantly, about God and His Son Jesus Christ. Many of these kids come from very rough backgrounds. Some live in shacks, others have parents that are in jail, some come to Bible Club simply because there is food available for them that they couldn't get at home, and others come becomes they want and they need to be loved. Did I mention I love each and every kids that comes to Bible Club? : )

...I must say, Guthrie is a huge mission field and our little chapel is right in the middle of it all. The Lord has blessed our Bible Club in hundreds of ways this year - the biggest being that so many kids were attentive this year and always seemed to ask searching questions about God, life, the Bible, Jesus...etc. Many of them come out on Sundays now, which is so much fun! If you ever come to our second meetings on Sunday there are quite a few kids that call first row and always (for some reason!) holler "Miss Melissa, I saved you a spot!" Oh, I love them : ) But Jesus loves them even more...and it is the love of Jesus that compels me and draws me to these kids every Tuesday night.

- - -

Jesus loves the little children, all the children of the world

Red and yellow, black and white - they are precious in His sight,

Jesus love the little children of the world!

- - -

Here are some pictures of our awards night! I'm working on making a video from the whole year - from our summer VBS to our Awards Night, will try and get that up soon!

Yep - we went rollerskating...Old School Style : )

Courtney (the "ham") and Rachelle

Rachelle and I - we've been through so much together, pray for her salvation

Little Avery Dawn enjoying the night

I got Dagon to smile!!! He was insane on those skates!

Shelby and I - we were skating "partners" for the night!

I Will Delight

2009-05-07T22:02:00.004-05:00

There are many things that come to my mind that I can delight in - warm homemade bread, seeing a rainbow, phone calls, colorful flowers, watching little plants bud in the springtime, talking with my Mom or reading a good book. These are all little things that bring a smile to my face : ) What things come to your mind that you can delight in?

My next question is this: What does the Word of God say that we should delight in? Where should our delight truly be, in regards to eternal matters? That is what has been on my mind this evening. I can think of hundreds of "earthly things" that might give me delight for a minute or two - but will they truly satisfy? Will they satisfy me all my days? Of course not!

Only my Lord and Savior can truly delight, satisfy and nourish this hungry soul of mine. He is our Living Water where we don't have to come up dry, thirsty, or parched again, "...whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst. But the water that I shall give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life." John 4:14

With regards to this thought of "delighting," I looked at Psalm 1 which hits the nail on the head about what we should take delight in. "But his delight is in the law of the LORD, and in his law he meditates day and night. He shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that brings forth its fruit in its season, whose leaf also shall not wither; and whatever he does shall prosper." v.2-3 The righteous man delights in meditating all day and all night in the law of the Lord - is that where our delight is? Oh - I pray that my delight is there...that my time (especially idle time) would be spent pouring into the Word of God. Because if I don't do this - I will not be a firmly planted tree. My roots will not grow deep, there will hardly be any fruit and I will not be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks me a reason for the hope that is within me (I Peter 3:15b). How sad! I pray that I am not like that and I pray so much for all believers...that their delight is first and foremost in the Lord Jesus Christ and that they would daily seek the Word of God for the nourishment and strength we need to enter the battlefield. Truly, the sword of the Spirit is one of the most vital instruments of a believer - how can we ever think of entering the battle without our main means of defense? "PUT ON the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil...(many articles of armor here)...and take the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God." Ephesians 6:11,17b

I pray that tomorrow and the next day and the day after next and so forth that you and I will take hold of the sword of the Spirit, that we will delight in drawing closer to our Lord through His Word. Certainly it is not enough to read the Bible out of duty...we must delight in it! Someone once said "Ever open the Book in happy, fellowship with its Author." I sincerely pray that you will find delight with the Bible's Author, God our Creator and Sustainer and remember that "all Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work." II Timothy 3:16-17

"I Will Delight" by Fernando Ortega - click here

And I will delight myself in Your commandments, which I love.

Psalm 119:47

Make me walk in the path of Your commandments, for I delight in it.

Psalm 119:35

For I delight in the law of God according to the inward man.

Romans 7:22

Delight yourself also in the Lord, and He shall give you the desires of your heart.

Psalm 35:4

I delight to do Your will, O my God, and Your law is within my heart.

Psalm 40:8

Let Your tender mercies come to me, that I may live; for Your law is my delight.

Psalm 119:77

Oh, how I love Your law! It is my meditation all the day...how sweet are Your words to my taste, sweeter than honey to my mouth! Through Your precepts I get understanding; therefore I hate every false way.

Psalm 119:97, 103-104

Smile : )

2009-05-03T23:28:00.005-05:00

This video made me smile so BIG as I watched it and I hope this video makes you smile BIG too - and maybe chuckle a little bit as well.

The video makes me think of an elderly couple I remember meeting back in Ireland, their last name was Carpenter. He was 94 and she was 86. They had been doing the Lord's work in Belfast ever since they were married - about 70 years! But they were as spry and chipper and lively as ever before, according to the both of them. They were one of the first elderly couples I met in Belfast for the summer Anne-Marie and I helped out with the outreach their. One evening I had the treat of sitting down with the both of them and talk to them...I love older couples! They have such wisdom and they have so much care about seeing the next generation raised up in "truth and grace." Knowing their marriage had sustained that long and knowing they never gave up in the ministry in Belfast, despite all odds against them (especially during the riots), makes it even more determined in my mind that God alone was keeping, protecting and guiding them. He does that for us too. He is the Great Shepherd throughout our life (Ps.23:1, Isaiah 40:11) and the Light that guides our footsteps (John 1:1-9, John 8:12, Ps.119:105) - He has promised that "He is the One who goes with you. He will not leave you, nor forsake you" (Deut. 31:6-7). Now that is something to smile about : )

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O LORD, You are the portion of

my inheritance and my cup;

You maintain my lot...

I will bless the LORD who has

given me counsel; my heart also

instructs me in the night season.

I have set the LORD always before me;

because HE is at my right hand

I shall not be moved.

Therefore my heart is glad,

and my glory rejoices;

my flesh also will rest in hope.

Body of Christ

2009-04-29T22:16:00.005-05:00

Funny how the LORD uses people, music, struggles, quiet times, questions and the Word of God to drive home a certain point. I am so thankful that He doesn't give up on me, even if it takes me days, months (or even years!) to fully understand something. I have been reading through 1 and 2 Corinthians the past few weeks and have come to notice even more just how beautiful the body of Christ is. The body of Christ is a community, as my dear friend Katy mentioned in her blog today. A community filled with different people from different backgrounds with different strengths and weaknesses. How amazingly unique! And despite these "differences" - we are united in Christ Jesus our Lord through His finished work on the cross.

It brings tears to my eyes to think how much love the Lord Jesus Christ has for us - His Bride. And all that He gave for us in order to bring us close to Himself. "Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her, that He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word, that He might present her to Himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without blemish." Ephesians 5:25b-27.

---

Think about these words:

He gave Himself for her. Eph. 5:25. Purchased (the church) with His own blood. Acts 20:28. Made Himself of no reputation. Taking the form of a bondservant...He humbled Himself and become obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross. Philippians 2:7-8. Cried out with a loud voice, saying 'Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?' - 'My God, my God, why have You forsaken Me?'. Mark 15:34. Who Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness - by whose stripes you were healed. I Peter 2:24. But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement for our peace was upon Him, and by His stripes we are healed. Isaiah 53:5.

---

There are hundreds of more verses in the Bible that describe this selfless, humble, giving and amazing love of Jesus Christ - and I am so thankful for these passages in the Word because they show US, the body of Christ, how to love one another and care for one another. God's Word isn't wrong when it says that each member was placed in the body for a reason "but now God has set the members every one of them in the body, as it has pleased Him." 1 Corin. 12:18 As the body of Christ we are called to "care for one another," "if one member suffers, all members suffer, or if one member be honoured, all the members rejoice with it," "bear one anothers burdens and so fulfill the law of Christ." (I Corin.12:25-26, Gal.6:2).

Because of this community in the body of Christ and this need to bear one anothers burdens...we must look to the Lord Jesus Christ as our ultimate example of how to love and care for each other. And He gave an example, actually, a very clear illustration in an intimate scene with His disciples before the feast of the Passover. John 13:3-17 - please read it, it is so very good. Jesus actively takes the servants place, the position of a bondservant and humbly washes His disciples feet. "He rose from supper and laid aside His garments, took a towel and girded Himself. After that, He poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples feet and to wipe them with the towel with which He was girded." Catch what our Lord says to His disciples, "For I have given you an example, that you should do as I have done to you." We should be JUST like our Master! And are we? I am so challenged here in saying this because this is what I need to hear so often - the call is for you and I and every member of the body of Christ to humble ourselves and take up the basin and the towel. Laying aside the pride that gets in the way of fellowship and service to those around us and gird ourselves with the humbleness that our Lord girded Himself with.

When I think about this, I think about the body of belivers in Guthrie, where I fellowship : ) It brings a smile to my face because I have seen believers take the basin and the towel...they do work that is never recognized or they encourage believers with phone calls/notes or they teach a message on prayer and the need to pray as a body (men and women together!) or they "pray without ceasing" when someone asks for prayers or they knock on every single door in Guthrie to make sure they have heard the Good News of Jesus Christ or they pick up dozens of kids in a tiny minivan for Bible Club or they cook a meal for the nourishment of the belivers. How unique, how versatile, how wonderful the body of Christ is! The most amazing thing about it is that this body is made up of sinners. Sinners saved by grace. "For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast. For we are His workmanship created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them...

...Now therefore, you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief cornerstone, in whom the whole building, being fitted together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord, in whom you also are being built together for a dwelling place of God in the Spirit." Ephesians 2:8-9,19-22.

Let us seek to be more like Christ - "setting our affection on things above," "looking unto Jesus the Author and Finisher of our faith" (Col.3.2, Heb.12:2a) and pray that the body of Christ would be strengthened in these dark days.

The Apostle Paul in his letter to the saints in Ephesus says this: "I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you to walk worthy of the calling with which you were called, with all lowliness and gentleness, bearing with one another in love, endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called in one hope of your calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all." Amen!

---

So these thoughts have been stuck in my head for days now and I am just finally putting them onto paper (erh, screen?). If none of that made sense or perhaps my wording didn't *click* for you - then watch this video. It's a song by Michael Card that has always struck a chord in my heart because he captures the essence of what was going on in the scene with Jesus and His disciples before the Passover feast and how this scene it to be played out in our lives and within the body of Christ.

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More love to Thee, O Christ, more love to Thee!

Hear Thou the prayer I make on bended knee.

This is my earnest plea: More love, O Christ, to Thee;

More love to Thee, more love to Thee!

Funny

2009-04-16T16:42:00.002-05:00

There is no way I could resist the tempation to put this little "story" on here that happened to me today - I have never laughed so hard nor been so stunned by a 2-year-olds perception.

Here it goes:

I was at Target in between class period just browsing around...being really bored because I didn't need to buy anything and I wasn't looking for anything. But I found a cute and modest dress on the 75% rack for only 4 dollars! It was black and had red flowers printed abstractly on it. I picked it up and was rummaging around to see if there were any more great dress deals (because I LOVE a bargain!). Suddenly, this little boy with blond hair and blue eyes comes up to me...he looks up at me, scrunches his little face and says with utmost curiosity, "Why are you buying a spiderman suit?" My mouth dropped open. What? I had picked up a spiderman suit? Then I looked at the items hanging on my right arm. Oh yes - that 4 dollar dress was the culprit. So I looked at the boy and said, "It does look like a spiderman suit, doesn't it?" He smiled and nodded his head "yes."His mom came up and apologized, but I just started laughing. Maybe I just haven't laughed in a long time, but this incident just seemed SO funny to me! Needless to say, that little boy made my day in so many ways and he helped me decide not to get that black dress with red flowers printed abstractly on it.

Sometimes 4 dollars just isn't even worth it.

Fall 2009 Schedule!!!

2009-04-08T17:05:00.003-05:00

Can you believe it? On December 18th, 2009 I'll be a college graduate with a B. A. in English!!! This afternoon, I had the wonderful privilege of enrolling in classes for the last time ; ) It certainly has been a challenging, growing and productive 4 years for me at UCO. Just being at college, especially a secular one, has challenged me in my faith in numerous ways...and I thank my Father in heaven for using college as a place to teach and train me of how to be a follower of Jesus Christ my Lord. Many times I didn't share Christ when I should have and the Lord has taught me through those lessons that I need to seize every opportunity to talk about Jesus! He is the HOPE that this world is looking for, not political leaders or world organizations...it's Jesus, God's own Son who came to save sinners from the death that they deserved by dying in their place. God gave me so many opportunites to share about Him in my homework responses, topics I picked to write papers on, 20 minutes speech presentations, classmate interaction, Tuesday Bible Studies or even talking with professors in their office. And I say all of this because HE deserves every bit of the glory! Wonderful, isn't it? To God be the glory great things HE has done! Of course, my battlefield at college is not done with...there are still 5 more months of fighting for the faith and I ask for your prayers that I would finish strong and continue steadfastly - "looking unto Jesus, the Author and Finisher of our faith." Hebrews 12:2a

Here is my school schedule for fall 2009 and some other courses I am taking in May to complete my B.A. faster. It'll be an interesting semester with some hard classes, but thankfully not as hard as this current semester has been. I would never recommend anyone to take 21 hours in one semester - I can't count how many all-nighters I have pulled to get projects finished!

May class:

Instructional Technology for Teachers on May 11th - 13th, 18th, 9a.m. to 4p.m.

Correspondence course:

Shakespeare - this one is set at my own pace, which is quite nice

Fall 2009:

English Cornerstone - online course

Chaucer - Tuesday/Thursday 3:30-4:45

Technical Writing - online

English Capstone - Monday/Wedesday 2:00 - 3:15

Pilates - Tuesday/Thursday 10:00-10:50 - I just needed ONE measly credit, so this is the course I get to take...hope it isn't too difficult ; )

Will be sure to keep everyone posted about this semester and I would appreciate all of your prayers regarding what the Lord would have me to do once I graduate. There are few ideas I'm praying about for next spring but will let you all know the details once the Lord gives me clearer direction. It's encouraging that the Lord gives us only what we can handle ... and He doesn't ask us to try and understand or know every detail about the future, but rather take every day as it comes and trust the Lord for what we do not know.

My Lord is teaching me the truth of Psalm 37 when it says:

"Commit thy way unto the LORD; trust also in Him; and He shall bring it to pass...

Rest in the LORD and wait patiently for Him...

the LORD knoweth the days of the upright; and their inheritance shall be forever. They shall not be ashamed in the evil time: and in the days of famine they shall be satisfied...

the steps of a good man are ordered by the LORD: and he delighteth in His way. Though he fall he shall not be utterly cast down, for the LORD upholdeth him with His hand...

the law of his God is in his heart; none of his steps shall slide...

Wait on the LORD, and keep His way, and He shall exalt thee to inherit the land...

but the salvation of the righteous is of the LORD, He is their strength in the time of trouble. And the LORD shall help them and deliver them: He shall deliver them from the wicked, and save them, because they trust in Him."

Surrender

2009-04-05T22:43:00.003-05:00

O God whose will conquers all,
There is no comfort in anything
apart from enjoying Thee
and being engaged in Thy service;
Thou art All in all, and all enjoyments are what to me
Thou makest them, and no more.
I am well pleased with Thy will, whatever it is,
or should be in all respects,
And if Thou bidst me decide for myself in any affair
I would choose to refer all to Thee,
for Thou art infinitely wise and cannot do amiss,
as I am in danger of doing.
I rejoice to think that all things are at Thy disposal,
and it delights me to leave them there...
I can of myself do nothing to glorify Thy blessed name,
but I can through grace cheerfully surrender soul
and body to Thee.

---

The past week has found my heart needing to cling more and more

to the plan my Lord has for my life, not what I think or want or desire.

Our Lord is inifitely wise and He doesn't lead His children on the wrong path...

no, He leads His children to green pastures and waters of quietness.

And He simply asks me to follow Him.

He asks me to follow Him because I am His,

my ear has been pierced - I am not my own...

I am fully His and His alone.

Thus, I need to follow and I need to rest,

knowing that my Great God is in-control

of every aspect of my life.

His daily sufficient grace will see me through,

for when I am doubting His plan or

the period of waiting He has me in right now

I must look up to my Maker and, with a joyful heart,

rejoice to think that all things are at His disposal and

with a delightful heart, I must leave them there

---

"But now O Lord Thou art our Father;

we are the clay, and Thou our potter,

and we all are the work of Thy hand."

Isaiah 64:8

Make Pure

2009-02-26T22:28:00.004-06:00

Searcher of spirits,

Try Thou my reins and heart;

Cleanse Thou my inward part-

Turn, overturn and turn.

Wood, hay and stubble see

Spread out before Thee;

Burn, burn.

Worker in gardens,

Dig round my hidden root,

Let branch, leaf, bud and fruit

Respond in quickened life.

Seek out the canker there-

Cut out and do not spare

Thy knife.

Savior of sinners,

Out of depths I cry,

"Perfect me, patient One;"

In Thy revealing light,

I stand confessed-outright,

Undone.

O to be holy!

Thou wilt not say me nay

Who movest me to pray:

"Enable to endure."

Spiritual cleansing Fire,

Fulfill my heart's desire:

Make pure.

-Amy Carmichael

"I am the true vine and My Father is the vinedresser. Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit." John 15:1-2

The purest place,

that is where I long to be;

and if that means pruning,

then it means pruning...

O, but Lord, will it hurt?

Yes. It will probably hurt.

Maybe even be painful and might require waiting.

But "by this My Father is glorfied, that you bear much fruit; so that you will be My disciples." John 15:8

It's Official : )

2009-01-20T17:44:00.005-06:00

Should I let you all know what I am talking about?!?
---

Or perhaps just make you all guess?

---

Well, I would prefer to do the former, because who knows

what is going through everyone's minds right now! : )

Here is a hint:

I am going to

GERMANY!!!

This trip is through my college, University of Central Oklahoma, and is counting to my last official elective for my major! Of course, this isn't like any normal class...we will be doing alot of tours through many historic sites, visiting memorials, exploring a new city and my favorite part is the fact that I get to meet new people : )

New people means new opportunities...
...and another way to share the Good News of Jesus Christ!

---

The trip will be from March 12th - 19th...and I hope to keep everyone posted with pictures and news and the adventures that will be encountered on this trip.

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Oh! But wait! There is more! One of my dear and best friends, Anne-Marie Gaynier, is going with me!!! Praise the Lord for a fun, outgoing, uplifting and encouraging travel partner. We have traveled together before (to beautiful Africa) and I am so looking forward to spending time with her, once again, in another country.

We are both praying about connecting with some believers in the Berlin area...you can be praying that those connections go well. Also pray that we will both be a testimony to all of our traveling buddies, many of them are my school mates, and there might be opportunities to share with them about who Jesus Christ is. Another prayer request would be that I can find some good, light weight, German tracts. There is a chance I might take only English tracts, but it might be nice to take a few tracts that are written in the native language I am visiting.

---

We would appreciate your prayers so much; for safety, for health, for our testimony and the that the Lord would start working on the hearts of those who are going and they would be open to talk about spiritual matters(He is already working on some, as I have had some neat conversations with some already!).

Will keep everyone posted and I hope to give you all a schedule and format of our trip so you can know where we are going and what we will be doing on a day-to-day basis.

---

Um...

...I am so

excited : )

You are Wonderful

2009-01-18T21:54:00.004-06:00

I have been talking to You since I was a little girl

So many sweet memories of giving You my world

You are wonderful - a Friend to the weary
You have been so faithful - Your goodness follows me
You are beautiful - Your love is neverending

---

I was just wondering today how over all these years
You've carried so many cares, calmed so many fear
You are wonderful - a Friend to the weary
You have been so faithful - Your goodness follows me
You are beautiful - Your love is neverending...

-Sara Groves

It is good to give thanks to the LORD, and to sing praises

to Your name, O Most High;

to declare Your lovingkindness in the morning

and Your faithfulness every night.

On an instrument of ten strings, on the lute,

and on the harp, with harmonious sound.

For You, LORD, have made me glad through Your work;

I will triumph in the works of Your hands.

O LORD, how great are Your works!

Your thoughts are very deep...

-Psalm 92:1-5

Lost in His Love

2009-01-11T21:39:00.000-06:00

Last week, we had a chili cook-off at the chapel for our New Year's Celebration.

It was a blast and so encouraging.

We had lots of food...lots of singing...praying...and reading/discussion from the Scripture.

But one event, in particular, keeps being replayed in my mind:

"#41 - please, Blessed Assurance."

You might be wondering why that is such an important event...it's simply the words of a man from the meeting requesting a hymn to be sung. Well, it was the first times that the words of that hymn really stood out to me (especially in verse 3).

Verse 3

"Perfect submission, all is at rest;

I in my Savior am happy and blest,

watching and waiting, looking above,

filled with his goodness, lost in his love.

This is my story, this is my song,

praising my Savior, all the day long;

this is my story, this is my song,

praising my Savior, all the day long."

The very thing that jumped out to me were the words "LOST IN HIS LOVE."

Lost in His love. It's a good thing.

Do you see it?

Right after the words "lost in His love" were sung by the voices of the saints surrounding me that evening, the words "this is my story, this is my song" come next.

And the LORD caught my attention and He hasn't given me a chance to stop thinking about it. I don't every want to stop thinking about it. My heart was convicted by the very fact that being lost in His love is how I should be living...it should be my story, my song.

"Blessed Assurance, Jesus is mine,

Oh what a foretaste (just a taste!) of glory divine!

Heir of salvation, purchase of God,

born of his Spirit, washed in his blood."

Is this what people see when they look at me? When they look at all believers? Do they see the assurance on our faces that "Jesus is mine?" Does this world see our love hidden in Christ Jesus?

"If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God. Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth. For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God" Colossian 3:1-3

Questions just flood my mind in light of the verse above- if we are raised with Christ then it should be our hearts desire to seek the same things Christ sought, right? We should seek the things which are above. But we shouldn't just seek those things ... we should SET our affection for those things above. Why? Because...we are dead! And if we are raised with Christ, we should seek the things above where Christ is and that is because our life is hidden in God because of Jesus Christ! Our life is not hidden in this world, we are called to be "strangers and piligrims on the earth."

My point in all of this is I want you all to be refreshed...and spurred on to pursue a deep relationship with Jesus Christ. To the point that we long to be lost in His vast love...to the point that we would turn our eyes only to Jesus in every situation and realize that the things of this world will grow strangely dim, in the light of His glory and grace.

My heart is convicted by my lack of love for my Savior - but He will never stop loving me! Or you! And you know what ... no one on this earth will ever be able to satisfy like Jesus Christ. His love goes beyond anything we can ever know on this earth - and He has offered it freely to us to know. Let's take His hand, dear reader, and ask Him to draw us closer to Himself...and be lost in His rich, endless and amazing love.

My prayer for my brothers and sisters in Christ:

For this reason I bow my knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, from whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named, that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthend with might through His Spirit in the inner man, that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height - to know the love of CHrist which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. Not to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen. Ephesians 3:14-21

I miss you...

2008-11-14T21:36:00.003-06:00

This is for you Anne in Peru...

...I think of you often,

pray for you often,

and miss the sweet fellowship

we often share together.

The Lord is teaching you so much

in Peru!

Continue to let Him be your Guide,

your Instructor, and your Light.

Might people see in you, as I see in you,

our Savior's love and compassion

for this whole world;

a world that is lost in sin,

a world that is searching for love,

and a world that will only be truly satisfied

when they draw from the Living Water,

Jesus Christ our Lord.

In This Photo: Anne's Feet (left), Melissa's Feet (right).

Taken at the World War Memorial in Washingto D.C.

FAULTLESS

2008-11-09T17:58:00.002-06:00

Found this beautiful poem stuck on the back of the new Missions Magazine and just spent some time thinking about it this morning. Thought I would share it with each of you readers, might it encouraged your hearts and strengthen you in the inner man

---

Gravely the priest in his arms takes the lamb,

Ready to give a most thorough exam.

Under its wool, in its mouth, and its ears,

Probing to check it's as pure as appears.

Finally he states the results of his quest:

"This lamb no fault has I firmly attest."

For only such could God's judgment restrain;

Anything less would be offered in vain.

Year after year the blood freely did flow,

Yet still the debt for our sin we did owe.

Only a perfect man's blood could erase,

Our stain of sin so it's gone without trace.

But there existed no man that'd suffice,

And even so, who would pay such a price?

Then one day God sent His Son as a Man,

Setting in motion His salvation plan.

Keenly they watched Him from babe to adult,

Hoping He'd sin so that they could exult.

But in the end a fake trial they held,

False accusations they angrily yelled.

Not once but three times did Pilate profess:

"This Man no fault has I firmly attest."

Since only such could God's judgment negate,

Pilate unwittingly settled His fate.

Willing He went to the place of the skull,

Wanting our debt to forever annul.

God became flesh but yet still the I AM,

The final sacrifice: Jesus the Lamb.

-Elizabeth Barrier

Update on My Bro : )

2008-10-27T21:10:00.005-06:00

God has placed my family on quite a journey with my brother Stephen...so much has happened in the past 2 1/2 years with him.

Incase some of you are out of the loop with my brother, he was diagnosed in May of 2006 with a brain tumor. He had surgery 2 weeks after being diagnosed but they couldn't remove the tumor because it was directly inside his optic nerves. Meaning, if the doctor had removed the tumor then he would have woken up with no vision. But, we praise the Lord that he gave the doctor wisdom not to take the tumor out. After the surgery, he went into 28 treatments of radiation to stop the tumor from growing. We didn't really get major results back about the radiation treatment until early 2007. The radiation had done it's job! It had stopped the tumor from growing for a time. Due to all of the surgery and radiation and already deterioration of Stephen's eyesight, he isn't able to drive because he has a very limited peripheral vision.

Despite all of these different items which might sound hard, uncomfortable and discouraging...God has proven Himself to be faithful in the midst of these hardships, the Comforter when discomforts arose and the Uplifter of our hearts when times seemed dark.

Two weeks ago Stephen had multiple appointments with his Brain Surgeon, Radiation doctor, Neurologist...and many other doctors to discuss his improvements. There have been many, which is so neat to see! His MRI results back in 2006 show the tumor to being bigger than the size of a quarter, but it is now smaller than a dime. Wow. Pretty neat, huh? The really awesome part about all of this is that when the tumor was a quarter size...it was really dense. Like a big mass on the MRI results. But at his recent appointment, not only was the tumor drastically smaller but it was visibly less denser than before. The doctors were saying the tumor is breaking up!* Stephen just sat down beside me to tell me that the doctor's said it has shrunk a total of more than 50%* And Stephen's Radiation doctor mentioned he has never seen such drastic changes in a brain tumor like Stephens. Of course, we know that God has His hand in all of this...nothing goes without Him knowing. Certainly, He knows when the sparrow falls - how much more than does He know and care about the goings-on of His children?

So I just wanted to send a little shout-out to tell everyone thank-you for your prayers. We, as a family, have felt them and are encouraged by all the love and support. Stephen was so excited 2 weeks ago when he came home from his many appointments...he talked on and on about it!

As I am finishing typing this up - Stephen is still sitting next to me : ) And he has some prayer requests that he would like to mention.

1. Eyesight - yes, the tumor is shrinking...but unfortunately, my eyesight is getting worse. My left eye has Macular Degeneration. I am seeing alot of changes in my eyesight often and it's hard to deal with at times.

2. Heart attitude - that I would be o.k. with the stage my eyesight is at right now. That I would learn to accept it and deal with it.

3. Alot of my problems in life stem from my eyesight and so you can pray that I would learn to be satisfied first with my eyesight, because this is where God has me right now. I just need to learn that this is where God has put me and I need to serve Him in whatever capactity He has put me in...even with the little eyesight I have. Because there are still things to be done, and I need to be diligent in doing them.

Please keep praying for my brother Stephen, he is such a great brother; but he has hardships that he is going through that I can't understand alot of the times. Pray for understanding on my part and a willingness to help him in whatever way he needs...that I would take the basin and towel and serve him with a diligent and joyful heart.

Here is a picture of the both of us...this was taken a few minutes before he was whisked away to surgery. The little dots on his head are what Stephen likes to call his "gps" system. Stephen was kindof like bionic man for awhile ; )

I Must Remember Thee

2008-10-24T22:38:00.002-05:00

I have typed, re-typed and re-re-typed this first paragraph. Finally, I just decided to *delete* it all and just lay my thoughts flat out on the table. No beating around the bush.
---
Think about your answers to each question:
These questions were written for me...but you can use them too ; )
---
How often do we come away from the Remembrance Meeting refreshed?
If you are refreshed and encouraged, for what reason?
What reason, I then ask, causes us to meet the way we do?
What is the central focus of that Remembrance Meeting?
And if we meet to remember Him that day, as a collective body of believers, how much more so should we, as individuals, be remembering Him on a daily basis?
Are we remembering Him on a daily basis?
And what is the central focus of our daily remembrance of Him?

---

Last Sunday, we looked at this "thought-process" of questions in the Remembrance Meeting. That might sound a little funny. And of course, the men didn't bring about the questions this way. But almost every man spoke in the Remembrance Meeting last Sunday and each one was saying these very thoughts, but in different ways.

"Why are we here?"

"What brings us all here together, sinners/transgressors as we are?"

"The Blood of the Lamb."

"The cross is what brings us here together."

"He was numbered with the transgressors, and He bore the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors." Isaiah 53:12b

"We love and remember Him because He first loved and remembered us."

"This should be our story. This should be our song. Not just this Sunday morning, but every morning...this should be our full-time story and song."

---

These thoughts have been in my mind all evening, I can't seem to get the Remembrance Meeting and all that the men shared out of my head! But I don't want it out of my head! Because Christ's death on the cross and Christ's payment for my sins is something I am still amazed about. It is amazing grace. This evening, I was able to spend some nice time just searching Scripture and looking at different hymns - refreshing my thoughts back to the cross. Back to Jesus Christ. Back to a remembrance of Him that should be daily in our lives.

Oh the peace forever flowing

from GOD's tho'ts of His own Son.

Oh the peace of simply knowing

on the cross that all was done.

When to the cross,

I turn my eyes,

and rest on Calvary,

O Lamb of GOD,

my Sacrifice,

I must remember Thee

-James Montgomery

But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels,

for the suffering of death crowned with glory and honor,

that He, by the grace of God, might taste death for everyone.

Hebrews 2:9

Thou hast borne all for me

And I said, 'This is my anguish; but I will remember the years of the right hand of the Most High.' I will remember the works of the LORD, surely I will remember Your wonders of old. I will also meditate on all Your work, and talk of Your deeds. Your way, O GOD, is in the sanctuary; who is so great a GOD as our GOD? You are the GOD who does wonders; You have declared Your strength among the peoples. You have with Your arm redeemed Your people. the sons of Jacob and Joseph."

Psalm 77:10-15

---

And with all this being said... I still can't understand His awesome ways! I still can't comprehend the power of the cross and what it must have meant for Him to suffer so, for me! For you!

Let's never forget that "He poured out His soul unto death..." Isaiah 53:12 and "surely He has borne our griefs, carried our sorrows...and the Lord laid on Him the iniquity of us all." Isaiah 53:4,6

---

When we come to the Remembrance Meeting...we come to a "forget-Me-not" feast. And daily we must remember Him and have that "forget-Me-not" mentality. Be brought back to our condition as sinners, but also be reminded of the wonderful truth that we are justified and sanctified by Christ's blood shed for us on the cross. So when we do come Sunday morning -> our hearts are prepared, open and ready to remember Him, knowing that we come into the presence of a Holy and Awesome GOD.

Beloved, the precious blood of Christ should be kept by us in vivid remembrance...there is something to me most touching about that cup...and that bread...O blessed Master, by what striking methods do You teach us? Then let us be impressed with the reality of the lesson, and never treat Thy passion as a thing of sentiment, nor make it a myth, nor view it as a dream of the imagination. Thou shalt be in death most real to us, even as is that cup wherof we drink. The dear memorials if our Lord's blood-shedding are intended for a personal remembrance...Beloved, we must come into personal contact with the death of Christ. This is essential. We must each one say, "He loved me, and gave Himself for me." In His blood you must be personally washed; by His blood you must be personally reconciled to God; through His blood you must personally have access to God; and by His blood you must personally overcome the enemy of your souls. As the Israelite's own door must be smeared with blood of the Passover lamb, so must you individually partake of the true Sacrifice, and know each one for himself the power of His redemption."

-Charles Spurgeon, excerpt from "His Dying Request" by David Dunlap

שָׁמַר‎

2008-10-16T23:13:00.004-05:00

The past few weeks and especially these last few days, I have had to continually run to the Word and to my Father with the thought that I have no clue where to go. No clue where to run. No clue about my future. But, despite all this doubting...I know that I can trust Him. My thoughts have been brought to Psalms 121 recently, so let's look at this Psalms together and let the words sink into our hearts.

-

I will lift up my eyes to the hills - from whence comes my help?

My help comes from the LORD, Who made heaven and earth.

He will not allow your foot to be moved; He who keeps you will not slumber.

Behold, He who keeps Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep.

The LORD is your keeper; the LORD is your shade at your right hand.

The sun shall not strike you by day, nor the moon by night.

The LORD shall preserve your from all evil; He shall preserve your soul.

The LORD shall preserve your going out and your coming in from this time forth, and even forevermore.

There is such assurance in these verses! Our help doesn't come from man, our wisdom is not of this world, our energy to live daily is not from man nor is our daily provision from man. So often though, including myself, we run to man to solve these problems. And we forget that the very Person Who keeps Israel, Who loves His children, Who watches the ravens...cares for us! "I am the good Shepherd. The good Shepherd gives His life for the sheep." John 10:11 Oh - but why do we forget this fundamental truth? Jesus Christ, God's Son - He cares for you! He cares for me! And not just Jesus Christ, God the Father cares for us as well...so much so that He gave us His Son to prove that He loves us.

One could go on and on about this beautiful aspect of who God is - His Redeeming Love.

But back in Psalms 121 - my thoughts keps drifting to the words "keep" and "preserve." We all have probably heard many people talk on this chapter, focusing on those words. But what is the meaning behind them? What compels David to write such words about God?

The Hebrew word for this "to keep" and "to preserve" is שָׁמַר‎ which is pronounced shamar (shaw-mar'). Vines desribes it as meaning also "tending." It is the same words used for Adam tending the garden in Genesis 2:15, also it is used to refer to Harhas who is the "keeper of the wardrobe." Satan is also used with this word when God allowed him to keep Job, but not destroy him. The same word is also used not only "to tend" but also "to watch over." I loved how it was summed up in these words, "Not only does sharmar signify watching, but it signifies doing it as a watchman in the sense of fulfilling a responsibility." When we look at the actual meaning of the words - in my eyes, I seem to have a better appreciation for what David or the authors in the Bible are trying to say.

Listen:

He who keeps you will not slumber...

He who keeps Israel...

The LORD is your keeper...

The LORD shall preserve...

He shall preserve your soul...

The LORD shall preserve your going out and coming forth...

God's job as a watchman and "tender" of His flock was to watch Israel. Think of all the times God's hand was upon that nation - Abraham, Joseph, Egypt, Moses, the Red Sea, the many battles, Joshua, Hezekiah...etc. All of these people and places and many other people and places were used by God to point them back to Him being their Keeper. But there were many times when His people forsook Him whether it was for idols (Chronicles and Kings), for man's healing (II Chronicles 16:13), for pleasure (Solomon, David)...no matter how far they strayed, God never left them. He never left Israel. Because He Keeps Israel.

If He keeps Israel...how much more will He keep us?

And if He is continally looking out, watching over and tending us, His sheep...are we doing the same likewise?

Are we looking for Him?

Are we watching Him?

Are we tending to His business?

After all of these thoughts, I just want to sum up some things. I am far from understanding, knowing and fully trusting my Savior. But God wants us to KNOW Him. To know Him in a way that when confusion, discouragement, physical illness, death, financial struggle or anything that comes our way in this world; we can honestly and firmly say "the LORD is my keeper," "the LORD will preserve."

Often times I don't know where to turn

or go in this sin-sinking world,

but I keep my eyes fixed on Him

because He keeps me there in His midst.

I know not what awaits me; GOD kindly veils mine eyes,

And o'er each step of my onward way He makes new scenes to rise;

and every joy He sends me comes a sweet and glad suprise.

One step I see before me: 'Tis all I need to see,

the light of heaven more brightly shines, when earth's illusions flee;

and sweetly thro' the silence comes His loving "Follow Me."

Oh, blissful lack of wisdom! 'Tis blessed not to know;

He holds me with His own right hand, and will not let me go;

and lulls my troubled soul to rest in Him who loves me so.

So on I go - not knowing, I would not if I might;

I'd rather walk in darkness with GOD than go alone in the night;

I'd rather walk by faith with Him than go alone by sight.

Where He may lead I'll follow,

My trust in Him repose;

And every hour in perfect peace

I'll sing "He knows! He knows!"

-Mary G. Brainard

I don't know about tomorrow, It may bring me poverty;

But the One Who feeds the sparrow, Is the One Who stands by me.

And the path that be my portion, May be through the flame or flood,

But His presence goes before me, And I'm covered with His blood.

-Ira Stanphill

The eyes of all look expectantly to You. And You give them their food in due season.

You open Your hand and satisfy the desire of every living thing.

The LORD is righteous in all His ways, gracious in all His works.

The LORD is near to all who call upon Him, to all who call upon Him in truth.

He will fulfill the desire of those who fear Him; He also will hear their cry and save them.

The LORD preserves all who love Him, but all the wicked He will destroy.

My mouth shall speak the praise of the LORD,

and all flesh shall bless His holy name forever and ever.

Psalm 145:15-21

New Blog

2008-09-28T22:17:00.003-05:00

My dear friend Anne has already discovered another "life" I have...hahaha. I figured I should inform all of you about it as well, now since you all are on the edge of your seats in-front of the computer screen wondering what I am going to say next.
It's not THAT big of news - but I currently have another blog entitled: http://www.scrawlinandscribblin.blogspot.com/
I am enrolled in an English Literature since 1800 class this semester and it is online. Therefore, part of my job was to create a blog and write on it every week something I have learned in my reading throughout the week. It's quite fun and I am loving finding all these "spiritual" meanings in people's writings. It is especially interesting having the Bible alongside while reading and comparing/contrasting how the world thinks vs. how our wonderful God thinks.
So - incase any of you are bored and want a brief literature analysis, check out my blog! : )

It's about Time : )

2008-09-07T23:10:00.005-05:00

Boy, do I hope no one is upset for my lack of writing here on my blog!!!
I feel bad that I haven't written, but my summer was so busy and I am even busier now that I am back at home since it is my last year of school. Can you believe it? I have Senior Fever like you wouldn't know! ; )

Hmmm - where do I begin?
Just over the past several weeks, the Lord has shown Himself to be sweeter and dearer to me as He has brought circumstances, verses and people into my life that have pointed and spurred me onto KNOWING Him more deeply. Having three campers come to Christ during Kids 6 of Turkey Hill was life-changing and life-challenging. God reminded me of His faithfulness that week...He has basically set that week in my life as a memorial to look back on. It was absolutely nothing I did! Which is what is so amazing - it was all about God, His Son Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit working in the girls' lives.

"...If anyone ministers, let him do it as with the ability which God supplies, that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom belong the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen." I Peter 4:11

To GOD be the glory - great things HE has done!

I would love to share everything that our wonderful Father has been teaching me - but I don't have time to write everything. Just so much to tell...you should call me up or meet me for coffee, one-on-one conversations always work much better ; )

Instead I will leave you with some thoughts God has pressed on me lately:
-Are you making yourself ready for His coming? "Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour in which the Son of Man is coming." Matt. 25:13
-Is your lamp lit? Are you ready to meet the Bridegroom? "Then the kingdom of heaven shall be likened to ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. Five were foolish and five were wise." Matt. 25:1-2
-Are you letting Him purify you, inside and out? "For God did not call us to uncleanness, but in holiness." I Thess. 4:7
-Is being refined by Him your hearts desire? Malachi 3:3, "For if we live, we live to the Lord; and if we die, we die to the Lord. Therefore, whether we live or die, we are the Lord's." Rom. 14:8

We beseech Thee, O LORD, to renew

THY people inwardly and outwardly,

that as THOU wouldst not have

them to be hindered by bodily

pleasure, THOU mayest make them

vigorous with spiritual purpose;

and refresh them in such sort

by things transitory, that THOU

mayest grant them rather to

cleave to things eternal, through

JESUS CHRIST our LORD

-Leonin, A.D. 440

The Fab Five

2008-07-06T01:11:00.008-05:00

FAMILY

Mission Minded

2008-06-21T21:27:00.003-05:00

This past week was a week that I had been praying about for weeks in advance - if that makes any sense! Let me give you a short run-down. Last week was spent in Greenwood Hills, PA with two of my dear friends Anne and Sarah. We went to a Missionary Orientation Program where we spent 6 days in intense Bible sessions about living the life of a missionary. There were plenty of opportunities to fellowship with all the people who were able to come to the Orientation - we were able to go canoeing, take long walks, sing hymns, roast marshmellows and eat around the table...all discussing who Jesus Christ is and how He has and is continually changing our lives. It was wonderful to meet so many new people! Not knowing each other, but knowing we were one in Christ and knowing that our desires were also focused on the same thing. Iron sharpens Iron - and boy was I sharpened this past week! Ken Fleming, Paul Bramsen, Phil Parson and Patrick Long were the speakers throughout the week. There were so many helpful, instructive and convicting messages...but one that made me slow down in light of all I heard this past week was Thursday nights "devotional" given by Bill Yuille. It just summed up everything that had been spoken on - and he charged us in a way that stirred my heart. It is causing me to mull over everything I have learned this past week - knowing that HE is in control of my life. My life is in His hands.
Aside from all of this babbling...let me give you a glimpse as to what Mr. Yuille spoke on.

John 14:15 - "If you love Me, keep my commandments."
John 14:23 - "If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and my Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home with him."
John 21:17 - "He said to him the third time, 'Simon, son of Jonah, do you love Me?' Peter was grieved because He said to him the third time, 'Do you love me?' And he said to Him, 'Lord, You know all things; You know that I love You.' Jesus said to him, 'Feed My sheep.'"

Jesus asked the simple question - do you love Me?

And my question is - do I? Do I really love Him?

We don't ever want to be like the Ephesus church in Revelations. Yes, yes - Ephesus was patient, they labored, they were discerning of evil things, they persevered and hadn't become weary. BUT, they left their "first love" (2:4). This is what the Lord Jesus had against this church...they were zealous on the outside, but no love for Him. And we have to ask ourselves as believers, "have I fallen into a state of apathy with my devotion to the Lord Jesus? "

As believers, we can get so involved. We can fill this ministry, go on this mission trip, cook cookies for the widows...etc. We can do all these things, but have no love.

Remember Jacob and Rachel? (Genesis 29) Can you remember the years Jacob served for Rachel? He was head over heels in love for her, "So Jacob served seven years for Rachel, and they seemed only a few days to him because of the love he had for her" (20). Just looking at this picture in the Old Testament - we can't help but compare it to our lives. The Lord Jesus paid the ultimate sacrifice to win our love. And it was completely worth it, praise the Lord! But, how about myself? Am I so in love with my Savior that I can react the same as Jacob did as he served Rachel? Pour out all of my love to Him? Is my devotion to the Lord consumed with my love for Him?

The other main point is this: If we love Him, then we will want to obey Him. Plain and simple, right? Not quite.

I Samuel 15:11 - "I greatly regret that I have set Saul as king, for he has turned back from followhing Me, and has not performed My commandments." Saul was fundamentally disobedient.

I Samuel 15:19 - "Why then did you not obey the voice of the Lord? Why did you swoop down on the spoil, and do evil in the sight of the Lord?"

We see that Saul is a disobedient man, and the Lord does not look kindly upon that. And we also see that David was a disobedient man as well. He took a man's wife and ended up murdering that man, trying to cover up for it. That is horrible too! So, they were both disobedient. And yet, the Lord blessed one and cursed the other. The Lord blessed David. Why is that? Because David's life fundamentally revolved around the Lord - no one else. He was a man after God's own heart. Whereas Saul was fundamentally disobedient and his life was to please himself.

These two men in the Bible show exact reasons as to why it is important to obey. If we decide to obey our fleshly desires - then we will reap what the flesh ends up reaping. But if we obey the Holy Spirit and the Word of God - we will reap what these will end up reaping, which are many blessings.

John 10:17 - "My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me."

This verses is amazing! We, His sheep, hear His voice. We should hear no other voice - except His. And we should desire to hear no other voice - except His! Our ears are marked to hear His voice. To hear is the same as to obey. Just like Samuel as he spoke out "Here I am." Samuel was telling the Lord, "I hear Your voice! And here I am, I am listening. Tell me and I will obey."

Do we have those same type of ears that Samuel had? Yes we do, the human body hasn't changed. But has our love for Him changed? Has our first love left us, to the point that we are failing to even obey Him? If we truly, honestly and genuinely love Him, we will not questions our obedience to Him and His desire for us to obey Him. It should be our joy to serve Him wherever He places us. Whether it be in the States or over seas. Wherever we are - we are to love Him. And if we love Him - then we are to obey Him.

Might we seek to glorify His name above all names this week! Reminding ourselves that if we love Him; we will feed His sheep, pray earnestly, not be ashamed of the gosepl, be diligent, obey His commandments...etc.

"Whatever you do in word or deed,

do all in the name of the Lord Jesus,

giving thanks to God the Father through Him."

Colossians 3:17

People Need The Lord

2008-04-17T21:48:00.003-05:00

Last weekend was quite the adventure...my stomach was constantly filled with many butterflies flying around in my stomach. Hahaha - but as Mr. Kelderman says "If you train them to fly all in the right directions...then it won't be so bad!" : )-
Perhaps you are wondering as to why I was overtaken by nervousness last weekend. Well...Anne-Marie G., Emma, Marie, Kimberly H. and myself were all asked to come speak at a Ladies Missionary Day at the Northside Bible Chapel.
The idea of me speaking made me quite nervous : /
It was hosted by a group of young girls called the M&M Club; which stood for Mission & Ministry...isn't that wonderful? These girls get together (their fearless leaders are Emily Peters and Jenny Keane) every month with a desire to grow closer to the Lord, help out their chapels and encourage other believers across the world. They put together a Saturday that was set aside for Missions...we all came to speak and share what the Lord had done in our lives as we worked in a foreign country or as we went somewhere here in the States to serve Him. Plainly saying - It Was Encouraging.

It was wonderful setting a table up with all my African items...setting out my Lunda Bible, Lunda/Luvale hymn books, african chitangi's, scrapbook pages...etc.
Memories came back to me in full-force over the weekend and I was really struck by how much I missed everything over there. How much I missed the people and their hunger for Truth. It was a joy telling everyone there what the Lord had taught me, what He opened my eyes too and what He is doing in my life now in preparation to the future (which the future is ALL in His powerful hands!)
Anne-Marie and I worked on putting a video together for the weekend, so after we gave our presentation we put up the video we made! Here is the YouTube link to the video...please let me know what you think! It was my first time to put together something like this BUT I couldn't have done it without Melissa C. amazing computer skills, Anne-Marie's patient help and Mr. Renes' great song choice : )

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yun-3DdZbYA

May this video touch your hearts...realizing that People ARE Lost! It's a fact. It's a reality. Brother's and sister's...we have the life changing answer! "...always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear." I Pt. 2:15

"And there is no other GOD beside ME,

a just GOD and a SAVIOR;

There is none besides ME.

Look to ME, and be saved,

All you ends of the earth!

For I am GOD, and there is no other"

Isaiah 45:21b-22

Evening Musing

2008-03-31T22:12:00.000-06:00

Tell me about the Master!
I am weary and worn tonight.
The day lies behind me in shadows,
And only the evening is light.
Light with a radiant glory
That lingers about the west,
My poor heart is aweary, aweary,
And longs like a child for rest.

Tell me about the Master!
Of the wrong He freely forgave,
Of His love and tender compassion,
Of His love that is mighty to save.
For my heart is aweary, aweary,
Of the woes and temptations of life,
Of the error that stalks in the noonday,
Of falsehoods and malice and strife.

Yet, I know that whatever of sorrow,
Or pain or temptation befall,
The Infinite Master hath suffered,
And knoweth and pitieth all.
So tell me the old, old story
That falls on each wound like a balm,
And my heart that was burdened and broken
Shall grow patient, and strong, and calm.
-Author Unkown

Made me think of this hymn:
Turn your eyes upon JESUS;
Look full in HIS wonderful face,
And the things of earth will grow strangely dim
In the light of HIS glory and grace.

Certainly, HE is my only resting place...
and only HE can guide this heart of mine.

"The LORD is my shepherd,
I shall not want.
HE makes me lie down in green pastures,
HE leads me beside the still waters." Ps. 23:1-2

Savior, like a Shepherd lead us, much we need Thy tender care;
In Thy pleasant pastures feed us, for our use Thy folds prepare:
Blessed Jesus, blessed Jesus, Thou hast bought us, Thine we are!
Blessed Jesus, blessed Jesus...Thou hast bought us, Thine we are.

Hesed

2008-03-17T22:02:00.000-06:00

This past weekend was spent in Tulsa at Camp Christian. It had been 5 years since I had last been there and it did feel a bit strange being one of the "older" folks at the camp! ; )
It's hard to put into writing what the Lord taught me over the weekend, it's hard to even think of how to write it! Would you like to hear my story anyways? I'd just like to share some thoughts that He placed on my heart today and what caused these thoughts.

I remember a little sigh that escaped my lips as my feet hit concrete yesterday after having been driving 2 1/2 hours back home from Tulsa. Time in the car was precious. It was spent listening to my brother A.P., talking with Cristina and sharing with each other what the Lord has taught us, drinking rootbeer, and while dear Cristina was sleeping I had plenty of time in the quiet car to be silent, listen, and talk with God. Lord, I don't understand! You're too awesome, too wonderful...words can't even describe how beautiful You are! Abba, Father - You laid Your heart down for me, You laid Your strength down for me. What is keeping me from fully grasping that Truth? What is keeping me from grasping that Truth? Sure, many years ago I put my faith and trust in Jesus Christ knowing that He paid for my sins there on the cross - but why do I grow lazy and disconnected with Him? Why can't I just lay my all on that altar? Well, for one, my sinful self would allow it to slither down that altar; meaning I would have to place it back on there again. What was Mr. Heller's point again? How can we be that "living sacrifice?" In order for a believer to live a life "filled with the Spirit" ... we need to be daily reminded that we are committed to Him because He FIRST was committed to us. It is not about me, it's all about Him! His steadfast love, His unfailing love...His lovingkindness.

The thought of His lovingkindness (His unfailing love) couldn't get out of my mind today...because so many times, unfortunately, I feel unloved. And I'm opening myself up abit here, hahaha. My mind is thinking only of the physical side of love, that if "only" this happened or "if only" this person noticed me. Geez, doesn't that sound pathetic? Yep. But let me tell you something. I asked for His help...realizing that this insecurity of mine could only, and I mean ONLY, be healed by my Father in Heaven.

"What is desired in a man is lovingkindness, and a poor man is better than a liar."

Proverbs 19:22

The word "desire" here also means "to crave." As humans, we crave love...and we will do anything to fill that void in our hearts for love, like money or cars or a good name. We try to fill this huge hole that God made with human made items...and yet, only God can really fill it. Did you know that almost every reference in Scripture to lovingkindness is about God and His people? Not a human to another human...but between God and man!

Now - my mind began rolling : )

"Cause me to hear Your lovingkindness in the morning, for in You I do trust;

Cause me to know the way in which I should walk, for I lift up my soul to You."

Psalm 143:8-9

After reading that Psalm, it began driving me crazy what that word "lovingkindness" really meant. So I pulled out my Strongs...#2617. Hesed. *wish i knew how to write in original hebrew here! Next, I got out my Vines and looked at the meaning for this word. Do you know what it said?

"'loving-kindness; steadfast love; grace; mercy; faithfulness; goodness; devotion.' This word is used 240 times in the O.T., and is especially frequent in the Psalter. The term is one of the most important in the vocabulary of O.T. theology and ethics...In general, one may identify three basic meanings of the word, which always interact: 'strength,' 'steadfastness,' 'and love.' Any understanding of the word that fails to suggest all three inevitably loses some of its richness."

My mind was blown away. This past weekend I had just come from had been focused around the fact that without His strength, His steadfastness, His love...we would be nothing! But because of His commitment (Heb.10:5-10), beacuse we are literally dyed in His baptism (Rom.6:4), because sin is CONDEMNED in our old flesh (like a condemned building no longer useable) (Rom. 8), because He was nailed to that cursed tree (Gal.3:13, Deut.21:23), and because He laid His heart (love) and His thigh (strength) (Ex.29:27); because of all these beautiful pictures of love we can give Him our all. We can sing with a loud voice,

Take my life, and let it be, consecrated, Lord, to thee; take my moments and my days, let them flow in ceaseless praise.

Take my hands, and let them move, at the impulse of thy love; take my feet, and let them be, swift and beautiful for thee.

Take my voice, and let me sing, always, only, for my King; take my lips, and let them be, filled with messages from thee.

Take my silver and my gold, not a mite would I withhold; take my intellect, and use, every power as thou shalt choose.

Take my will and make it thine; it shall be no longer mine. Take my heart, it is thine own; it shall be thy royal throne.

Take my love; my Lord, I pour; at thy feet its treasure store; take my self, and I will be; ever, only, all for thee.

His LOVE certainly will never let us go.

The rainbow is a reminder of His commitment to us.

Let us then rise. Wake UP.

Remove ourselves from this world...this is a far country, not our home.

And shine forth His light.

BE filled with the Spirit!

Ephesians 5:1-18

And, in closing, my heart is full. My cup is running over with the beauty of who He is. The fact that it was all found in The Sword of the Spirit is a reminder that He wants us to seek Him out, live for Him, and use the Word of God as a tool to strengthen our hearts.

Oh. About the love thing that made me realize my need to search the Scriptures : )

Let's leave it at this:

"No love of the natural heart is safe

unless the human heart has been satisfied by God first."

-Oswald Chambers

Holy Is The Lord

2008-02-05T22:44:00.000-06:00

Psalm 111

Praise the Lord!
I will praise the Lord with my whole heart,
in the assembly of the upright and in the congregation.
The works of the Lord are great,
studied by all who have pleasure in them.
His work is honorable and glorious,
and His righteousness endures forever.
He has made His wonderful works to be rememered;
the Lord is gracious and full of compassion.
He has given food to those who fear Him;
He will ever be mindful ot His covenant.
He has declared to His people the power ot His works,
in giving them the heritage of the nations.
The works of His hands are verity and justice;
All His precepts are sure. (isn't that beautiful!)
They stand fast forever and ever,
and are done in truth and uprightness.
He has sent redemption to His people;
He has commanded His covenant forever:
Holy and awesome if His name.
The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdome;
A good understanding have all those who do His commandments.
His praise endures forever.

Where, Lord?

2008-02-05T22:03:00.000-06:00

It will not do to say that you have no special call to go to China.

With these facts before you and with the command

of the Lord Jesus to go and preach the gospel to every creature,

you need rather to ascertain whether you have a special call to stay at home

-Hudson Taylor

This quote by Taylor have been going over and over in my head this evening. Makes me think alot about what He wants me to do versus what I want to do.

One of my favorite artists, Andrew Peterson, wrote these words down...he wrote them in relation to Abraham and Sarah following the Lord into an unknown land.

But the same can be applied to us today, how do we respond to the unknown situations ahead of us?

Do we glorify Him in the circumstance? Where are we putting our strength? Are we willing to obey?

- - -

Holy is the Lord,

Holy is the Lord.

And the Lord I will obey,

Lord, help me I don't know...the way.

- - -

~Psalm 111~

Getting a Lil' Bit Closer to that Diploma

2008-01-10T00:51:00.000-06:00

Spring 2008 Semester Schedule

Tuesday/Thursday

8:00 - 9:15 am "Foundations of American Education/Field Experience" PTE3023

9:30 - 10:45 am "Ethnic American Literature" ENG4823

11:00 - 12:15 pm "Adolescent Psychology" PTE3153

1:00 - 1:50 pm "Part IV Biblical Greek" PSYH3140

2:00 - 2:50 pm "Basic Photography" JOUR1213 (tentative)

Should be a fun and busy semester! I decided to keep everything on Tues/Thurs and leave Mon/Wed/Fri open for piano lessons, bible studies, lunch with people, studying, and traveling.

Pray that I would use my time wisely for His service and for His glory alone.

Be A Turtle

2008-01-09T23:25:00.000-06:00

For Christmas, my sister Heather got me the book title "Angola Beloved" by T. Ernest Wilson. Of course, I'm loving every minute of time spent in the book! It's so neat to see how Wilson was affected by different missionaries and despite people saying he couldn't do it or he couldn't afford it...he still went. Wilson wanted to rely fully upon the Lord and saw no reason in telling others his needs, rather he told the Lord and the Lord provided from that point. What a neat story of faith, reminds me quite abit about George Mueller.

A portion that really struck me was when he first arrived in Chilonda, Angola. He was talking with an elder of the meeting there named Sanji. He was one of the very first converts of Central Africa and when he returned to his village after his conversion at a young age, he wanted to immediately tell ALL the people in his tribe! But in the African culture, the younger men do not have a voice. This was true in the tribes in Zambia also...still to this day!

Well, I will let T. Ernest Wilson tell you how this man Sanji shared the gospel with his village.

"Finally, one night he saw his opportunity and told the this story:

'One time in our country there was a severe drought. It hadn't rained for many moons, rivers and lakes had dried up, and many were dying of thirst. The animals of the forest gathered to consider what they would do. The first to speak was the lion. He as king demanded obedience from the rest.

"I know where there is water," he said. "If you follow me, I will lead you to the perpetual spring where I drank when I was a cub."

When he had finished his speakingm the tortoise crawled into the cirlce and lifting his head, said, "I know where there is water!" The lion was so angered at his insolence that he cuffed him with his great paw, but he rolled with the punch and so was not hurt. That day they all followed the lion, but after a long weary journey, when they got to the so-called pereptual spring, lo, it was dry.

Next day they gathered again, and this time it was the elephant's turn to speak. "Listen to me," he bellowed, "when I was young, and there was a drought, the leader of the herd, a wise old elephant, always took us to a waterhole where the water never dried up. If you follow me, I will take you to that waterhole."

When he finished speaking, the tortoise waddled in again and piped up, "I know where there is water!" The elephant was so mad that he stepped on him with his great foot, but the sand was deep and he sank into it andwasn't squashed. That day they followed the elephant, but when they came to the waterhole it was bone dry, with gaping cracks on the surface. Weary and tired they had to trace their steps.

Next day it was the leopard's turn; and the nthe buffalo's. Even the hyena had his say. Each day the tortoise came with his little speech, "I know where there is water."

Finally, disillusioned and discouraged and when they had come to the end of their resources, brother rabbit spoke up.

"Dear friends," he declared, "we have listened very respectfully to our leaders and have loyally followed their advice, but we have been disappointed and are weary and tired and very thirsty. I would suggest that for once we should give brother tortoise a chance and see whether he knows what he is talking about or not."

It was all very humiliating, but they were all so thirsty, that they decided to follow tortoise for once, anyway. With tortoise out front, behind came lion and elephant and leopard and buffalo. After a long journey he led them to a lovely bubbling spring that came out of the rock. They all drank and were refreshed and satisfied, and from that time tortoise had the gratitude and thanks of all.'

Sanji ended his story with the obvious application. He said, 'We have been following you elders for a long time along the dark paths of witchcraft and fear and death and we are thirsty still. But,' he ended dramatically, 'I know where there is living water!'"

After reading this story, I was reminded of how like the little turtle I am. And also how I'm not like the little turtle. Often times, I proclaim that I know where living water is but instead of persisting at it, like my turtle friend, I stop and fail to keep going. Or, I am ridiculed and thrown around for standing up for something this world doesn't believe in and instead of shaking it off like the turtle, I crawl away worried about my "battle" wounds. Certainly, my wounds are nothing compared to the lashing, shame, spitting, piercing, and agony my Savior took for me...and not just me. He shed His precious blood for you, for all mankind.

"Who Himself bore our sins

in His own body

on the tree,

that we having died to sins,

might live for righteousness -

by whose stripes you were healed."

I Peter 2:24

This world is seeking, just like that woman at the well in John, for something that will satisfy. We need to be bold, as Christians, and remind the world just as our Lord did in John 4:13-14 "whoever drinks of this water (in reference to the well) will thirst again. BUT, whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst. But the water that I shall give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life."

With JOY we should tell this.

With LOVE we should proclaim this good news.

With HOPE we should tell others of the HOPE they can have.

"And who is he who will harm you if you become followers of what is good?

But even if you should suffer for righteousness' sake,

you are blessed.

'And do not be afraid of their threats, nor be troubled.'

But set apart the Lord God in your hearts,

and always be read to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the HOPE that is in you,

with meekness and fear." 1 Peter 3:13-15

So be a TURTLE

2007-10-25T00:03:00.000-05:00

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wJKeQyEz7Hk

Here's the link to the previous post...sorry I didn't get it in there! And I'm sorry about how super long it is...sometime you just have to "vent" and tell people what is burdening your little heart.

Although.

He is the ultimate "burden-taker." ; )

2007-10-24T22:56:00.000-05:00

Have you ever been emotionally moved by something? Maybe the birth of a new baby, or perhaps it was that scene in Little Women when Beth is saying her sweet goodbye to her dear sister Joe March, it might have even been the Word of God that moved you when God revealed something important to your hungry soul, it could have been the warm hug from a friend when you were having "one-of-those-kind-of-days," or maybe you've seen the childlike prayer of a lost sheep coming into His fold. There are so many things we can be moved by...
...but what was our Lord and Savior moved by?
Mark 1:41 says, "Then Jesus, moved with compassion, stretched out His hand and touched him, and said to him, 'I am willing; be cleansed.'"
Matthew 9:36 tells us, "But when He saw the multitudes, He was moved with compassion for them, because they were weary and scattered, like sheep having no shepherd."
There are many references that speak of Jesus being moved with compassion. I can't help but think, this is what moved and compelled our Lord to die on that cross for our sins. He loved us and He had compassion on us, even though we are selfish and disobedient children.
This compassion drove Him to the cross...He chased our sins to Calvary. He gave up the beauty and splendor of those golden paved-brick roads in Heaven to instead come to this earth and walk the dirty-spat upon-smelly path to the cross "as a lamb to the slaughter." (Isa. 52:7)
But He wasn't led forcefully...He willing gave Himself. "...He said, 'Behold, I have come to do Your will, O God.' He takes away the first that He may establish the second. By that will we have been sanctified (set apart) through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all." Heb.9-10

O.K. I don't mean to overwhelm you with all these things! My mind is SO boggled by this compassion, I can hardly even get one of my fingers to grasp hold of this concept of love Abba has for us!
But my main thought from this was that: if we know Jesus Christ as our personal Savior, we should want to know Him more. Know Him more meaning: doing what He did, talking about what He talked about, and desiring to have that kind of compassion He had for the lost. Am I moved with compassion for this hurting world? Am I submitting myself fully and whole-heartedly to His will?
As Jesus said to His Father in Heaven, may we too learn to pray like this: "Father, if it is Your will, take this cup away from Me; nevertheless not My will, but Yours, be done." Luke 22:42

ARGH...this post is too long.
Here's a link you might enjoy...it moved me and brought to life that passage, "not My will, but Yours, be done."