INTO THE PATIENT WAITING...

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 - sl...

"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 t...

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 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 Helle r 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...

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!

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 ...

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 focu s . 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 po...

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 N...