SybiSue

Leaving on a jet plane...

2009-08-01T07:42:00.000-07:00

This time I'm returning home...yeah!
When I was leaving the airport, the guy in front of me at security saw the tears in my eyes and said, "Goodbyes are hard, but welcomes home's are so sweet."
I have a feeling that he is going to be correct; I can't wait for my welcome home!

Flight leaves in 3.5 hours and counting!

But instead...

2009-07-28T12:36:00.000-07:00

Today, we were supposed to explore Oklahoma City with Cindy
BUT INSTEAD
We attend a memorial service to celebrate her life

We want to cry
BUT INSTEAD
We rejoice!

We wish to understand
BUT INSTEAD
We walk by faith!

As many of you know, Cindy Meredith--assistant director at DaySpring Villa, summer missionary supervisor, volunteer coordinator, dear friend, energetic evangelist, and mother to two--passed on Wednesday morning. It was a great loss to not only DaySpring Villa, but to each guest, staff member, and volunteer.

I apologize that I did not write sooner but it just seems that words are insufficient to explain the rollercoaster of emotions that come with death. There is the sting of the loss and the heartache for the family, there is the laughter over memories, and the guilt over laughing. It seems that each emotion feels strange and you wonder, as one of the ladies asked me last night, "is this normal?" What is a normal response to death, I am afraid that there is not one.

We are still uncertain what caused Cindy's passing, but as the pastor put it yesterday, there is one thing that we are certain of...Cindy never truely died!
We are certain of this because this is the promise that Jesus Himself gave us:

"I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?"
John 11:25-26

The memorial service for Cindy was yesterday and it seems that some of the weight has been lifted from the hearts of the staff as we continue the weekly routine with a little more pep in our step, free, after a time of grievance, to remember Cindy with a smile on our face, even if there is a bruise still on our hearts.

During this time, as He has all summer long, God has graced us with laughter. We went to see Oklahoma on Wednesday evening, following the insistance of the motherly Ms. Wilma. I laughed until my cheeks were sore and then laughed some more!

Thank you for your continued prayers and support. I look forward to a bitter sweet good-bye on Saturday and a super-sweet hello when I see my family and friends again!

It's ladies night and the feelings right...

2009-07-18T08:34:00.000-07:00

Okay, so we didn't dance to the music or anything like that, but we did enjoy a night out, just us girls!

The other summer missionaries and I along with LaCasey and Micki, who are both missionaries here at DaySpring Villa, had a girls' night on Thursday, complete with dinner at one of my FAVORITE restaurants, PF Changs, and a viewing of the Broadway Musical WICKED!

It was my first off-Broadway production and I so enjoyed it!

Throughout the night I found that all of our minds constantly drifted back to the shelter, the ladies there, and all of the situations "still pending." I realized that ministry really never leaves you, even if you leave it. I am beginning to empathize with Paul as he both mourned and rejoiced with the churches, whether he was near or far.

Late nights!

2009-07-15T08:57:00.000-07:00

On Tuesday I worked my longest shift yet and saw the work of Christ all around me, although at times I was too tired to recognize it!

I worked alone from 4-11p. Usually when I work the night shift someone else is working 1-9p, so I'm only by myself from 9-11p, which is a fairly calm time, but on Tuesday everyone else got off at 4p.

I had two intakes coming in, which requires a good bit of time and paperwork and such as well as being away from the phones for approximately 30 minutes. I also was scheduled to cook dinner by 5:30p, go to staff meeting, do med call and answer the door. God provided amazing volunteers to cook a yummy dinner, the director stayed and answered the phone until after I finished the intakes and refused to leave until I had sat to rest and have a bite to eat. One of the house staff members had emails to check and personal work to do on the computer, so she stayed until almost 10 pm, providing some companionship and someone to answer the door in my absence.

During the shift I was so frustrated and overwhelmed. I did not finish my work until after midnight, but as I laid in the bed that night, God kept me awake to give me time to process the day, but also to show me all the things that He had done for me during the shift, things that I had been too absorbed to see!

As I lay half-asleep that night, I heard a lot thump. I turned and saw my roommate, staring at her bed. She looked like she was sleep walking. "Are you okay?" I asked groggily. "I just want to go to SLEEP," she replied. I stood up to see what was going on and realized that her mattress had feel through the frame in the bed so that half of it was on the floor. I lifted it back through so that she could lay back down, but I couldn't help but laugh, and I couldn't seem to stop laughing, even after we laid back down to go to sleep. The pressures of the day began to fade as the laughter rose from my belly to my mouth. I had to contain it since Danielle was sleeping, but it did bring a smile to my face and a slight snort to my nose. Thank you God for laughter!

This morning I was reading about David in 2 Samuel 16-17 and how God provided him with assistance in the midst of his struggle with Absalom. David must have at times been tempted to say, "Where are you God?" but if he would have looked up from his troubles, he would have seen all that God had provided, just as I saw!

Just me and my cereal bowl....

2009-07-06T07:57:00.000-07:00

I love mornings like this, when I can sit with a yummy bowl of HoneyNut Cheerios and consider all the happenings of the past week that I have yet to share. However, the yumminess of my cereal is making it increasingly difficult to type with both hands.

It has been a pretty great week. The half-way mark of the summer has officially come and gone. I was quite excited to know that I was half-way to my plane ride home, half-way to moving into the new apartment, half-way to seeing my handsome boyfriend, and half-way to be HOME with my amazing fam. As the half-way point has now passed, I still feel excited about all those things, but also sad to know that the days of sharing a room with my new friend are quickly passing, the days of staff lounge laughter and ministry to broken but oh so funny and enjoyable women.

Yesterday I taught Sunday School to the women and it was quite a joy! I had been pondering what to teach if I had Bible study one weeknight. I had a lesson plan, sort of, for something about the attributes of God and then had been studying one of David Platt's messages from the LifeBlood series. Last week, the Sunday School teacher asked me to teach and the lesson from the quarterly was on God the Father. It was so amazing how that fit with the attributes of God lesson that I had already prepared. The lesson was 3 parts (of course, I'm baptist, right?).
1) How can we know God?
2) What is God like?
3) What does God desire from us?
I have been struck lately by the variety of false beliefs about God that permeate our world, our church, and even my own thinking.
For instance, many people seem to believe that God changed between the OT and the NT. One lady commented that God was mean in the OT. He is the SAME God. If God changed, then He must have gotten better or worse. If He got better, then at one point He was not complete and therefore not God. If He got worse then He could be better and would not be God. SO God did not change! (Make sense?) This is just one of the false beliefs that I myself have pondered. Noticed any others?

The lesson included many scripture passages in which we discovered and discussed characteristics of God. One of these verses was Romans 6:25-26
Now to Him who is able to establish you according to my gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery which has been kept secret for long ages past, but now is manifested, and by the Scriptures of the prophets, according to the commandment of the eternal God, has been made known to all the nations, leading to obedience of faith.

Christ is the one who is able to establish us. He can ground us in His word and we will not be moved! On our own we are bound to backslide, but with Him we can stay firmly grounded...just one of the characteristics of God that we learned yesterday.

God reveals Himself to us THROUGHOUT the Word...check it out!

Saturday, the 4th, was quite an exciting day around here. We had spent the week cleaning coolers, packing, slicing tomatoes and tearing lettuce...busy, busy, busy. We woke up Saturday morning to RAIN! ahhh! We had planned to load up all the stuff at 9:30a and get it to the park b/f the streets closed at 11a. We continued with that plan, despite the rain and spent the morning praying that the rain would cease. At 2p (one hour b/f we planned to take the ladies to the picnic) the rain let up and the clouds parted to reveal beautiful blue skies! Nine ladies and approximately 13 children went to the picnic at the park. They had sprinklers and inflatables for the kids. Volleyball and frisbees for the young at heart and food for everyone! After dinner we packed up and moved our things to the street to watch the fireworks...beautiful! Another storm was coming in so we called it a night as soon as the fireworks were done and headed back to the shelter. After unpacking I was EXHAUSTED and happy to take a Sunday afternoon nap!

Here are just a few pics of the 4th festivities.

LaCasey (NAMB Missionary) and I waiting patiently for the fireworks

Surprise!

2009-06-27T16:17:00.000-07:00

This week, as I was going on-shift and praying with the morning shift, Emily prayed that God would fill my afternoon with little surprises. I found the request a little peculiar, but was excited to see just how He would answer this prayer. I wanted to share just a few ways that God has answered that prayer this week--with little surprises!

--MAIL! I do love mail and this week Mom sent me a sweet note.
--Unexpected compliments: One of the guests told me this morning that I was beautiful and she could see Jesus in me (It was fairly early in the morning, no shower, etc. so you KNOW that was Jesus and not me!)
--The words of a child: I was doing childcare the other night, something that is not always my favorite. I was sitting on the floor when a little girl came up to give me a hug. Being silly as I am, I began rocking her like a baby and singing "Rock-a-bye baby." I thought that she would just laugh, but she sat up and said "Sing it again." I repeated the song at least four times, becoming a little wary and not knowing all the words. At last she hugged me tighter and said "I love you!" Now, those are words that you don't hear too often around here and they filled my heart. A surprise I love you is the best kind of surprise!
--The boldness to pray: This week Christ has given me the opportunity to do the paperwork for two intakes. This is the paperwork that must be done as soon as the women arrive at the shelter. It is much less involved than the expanded intake which must be done within 24 hours. ANYWAYS! As we are alone in the intake room, asking all these questions and reviewing all these rules, God has led me to pray with and for two women. Through this He has taught me the impact of a simple prayer and reminded me that He will give me the Words.
--Humor: In the midst of difficult situations, it is often hard to laugh, but God has gifted the staff at DaySpring with the ability to find humor in many situations and to laugh heartily in the midst of trial.

There were many other surprises as well, including a raccoon in the dumpster, but I will not bore you with all the stories.

Have a wonderful Sunday and continue to pray for the summer missionaries, the staff, and especailly the guests! Thanks a trillion.

Growing-up is hard to do...

2009-06-20T09:42:00.000-07:00

This week I have had to be a grown-up or at least pretend to be one, and at times that task is quite difficult. Yesterday I worked the 3-11 pm shift by myself for the first time. I had been working it all week long (except for Tuesday) but yesterday was the first time that no one else was on the schedule at that time. I must say that I was a bit frightened.

The beginning of the shift was fairly easy. Danielle was with me until 9. We cooked dinner (which went over fairly well), cleaned up after dinner, did some charting, Danielle did an intake interview, answered the phone, etc. Overall nothing too strenuous. Most of the ladies left DaySpring to go to Celebrate Recovery, so it was a pretty slow night at the shelter. They returned after children's bed time, so it turned out to be a fight to get everyone in the bed at a decent time. It is so funny to have 55-year old women come and ask you if they can go to bed later since it is Friday night. They reminded me of myself at home, finding every excuse and reason to stay up just 30 minutes later. In the end, the ladies got to stay up until 11 pm, but even then they were pushing the limit.

That is the most difficult part of this job, I do believe, learning to say no in a loving way, learning not to budge even when women who are older and sometimes much more confident (and cunning) than you are telling you that right is left and left is right.

By the time I got off last night, I was quite exhausted, mentally and feeling a little worn down spiritually as well. This morning as I was rereading 2 Corinthians 4, I stopped at the first verse: "Therefore, since we have this ministry as we received mercy, we do not lose heart." The portion that stopped me was the "we do not lose heart." I can't allow one semi-difficult night on the job to get me down. Luke 18:1 tells us to "pray and not lose heart." The Bible tells us that the Christian life will be difficult, but in due time we will reap if we do not grow weary (Gal 6:9).

These were great words of encouragement to me! Through His word and prayer, God is prepping me for another 3-11 shift this afternoon (although I will not be alone this time!).

I am so grateful for the privilege of being challenged beyond myself, so that I MUST turn to Christ..."for when I am weak, then I am strong" (2 Cor 12:10).

In all my growing up this week, I did have a chance to act like a kid again on Wednesday, and it was SO much fun! A family from a local church offered to take us to BigSplash (local water park) for Waves of Worship. It was a really cool deal. The park was open from 7-10 pm for only $5 dollars admission. Christian music was playing the entire time and there were more modestly clad people that I have seen at the water park in a while! The Millers have 6 children, five of which came along for the water park trip. The first slide we decided to brave is one that I will respectfully call--"The Wedgie Maker." Because that is just what it did (hehe). Luckily, we all prepared by wearing shorts! There were other fun slides as well, a rock-climbing wall on which 6-year old climbed higher than me, a wave pool, and diving platform. BigSplash turned out to be a Big Splash indeed!

Pre-water slidePost-water slide

Thank you all so very much for your prayers this week. Continue to pray for the women at DaySpring Villa and for the other summer missionaries and I. We saw two women leave this week to live with friends, pray that they made and will continue to make wise choices. We also have three new women, one of which has four children with her and three other children who are older and not here. I believe that she has been overwhelmed by the kindness shown to her and the safety provided here at DaySpring. Pray that the kindness will point her only to Christ and His glory.

Please pray for opportunities to speak of the glory of God and to share what God is doing in my life with the women here.

Muchas gracias!

Thoughts from Tozer

2009-06-15T09:22:00.000-07:00

"Science observes how the power of God operates, discovers a regular pattern somewhere and fixes it as a "law." The uniformity of God's activities in His creation enables the scientist to predict the course of natural phenomena. The trustworthiness of God's behavior in His world is the foundation of all scientific truth. Upon it the scientist rests his faith and from there he goes on to achieve great and useful things in such fields as those of navigation, chemistry, agriculture, and the medical arts."
--A.W. Tozer in The Knowledge of the Holy

I was reading this book this morning and found this to be a very interesting perspective on science. Science is actually evidence of God and His trustworthiness, yet it has become a stumbling to many on their way to knowledge of and a relationship with the Creator, Christ Jesus.

I pray that as I continue to study science and perhaps someday teach it to others that I will not be as concerned with "the footprints of God along the paths of creation, but with the One who treads those paths."

Snail Mail

2009-06-13T14:14:00.001-07:00

PO Box 1588
Sand Springs, OK 74063

Beginning to feel at home...

2009-06-13T13:29:00.000-07:00

If I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but do not have love, I have become a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy, and know all mysteries and all knowledge and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. And if I give all my possessions to feed the poor, and if I surrender my body to be burned, but do not have love, it profits me nothing.
1 Cor 13:1-3

This is what I must remind myself as I go on each shift, serve each meal, hand out each med basket, check each chore, and even as I write this blog. If I do these things without love, what profit is there?

This week I have work an 8-hour shift each day--Monday-Saturday. I worked the 3-11 shift twice, the middle 1-9 shift twice, and the morning 7-3 shift twice. The most difficult shift is DEFINITELY the early morning one. I almost did not make it there on time this morning. I am pretty sure that God woke me up because my alarm went off at 6:15a and somehow I fell back asleep and then heard a knock or something at 7:03 and decided I should HURRY. I changed and made it to the office by 7:05 and no one was the wiser :-) impressive huh?

My first week on the schedule has been tiring, especially for someone who has NEVER worked a REAL 8-hour job; however the Lord has given me the energy to get through each one...and I survived the entire week!

My favorite part of the daily routine is either dinner or med call. I like dinner because I enjoy eating (of course) BUT I also enjoy helping to prepare the meals and I like the interaction that we get with each of the ladies as they come through the line. Each meal is a creative challenge as one must take what is in the fridge and/or freezer and create a meal for 40 or meal in the time given. Yesterday that meant lots of left-overs, today tuna salad and other fruit salads along with sweet potatoes (a very interesting combo!). The cooks must also be mindful of food allergies and ensuring that the guests get the proper nutrients...it's a bit of a challenge!

I have dinner duty for real next week, so I am thinking of making taco soup, cornbread, and salads. Any other suggestions?

I also enjoy med call. This is the time when the ladies come to get their meds. They come to the med desk one at a time so this is a good chance for us to talk to them one-on-one. I also like to go sit with them while they are waiting on their turn at the med desk. They sit outside the room and are often cutting up with each other--it's lots of fun!

My least favorite part of the daily routine are the dead spots. I am sure that I will soon be grateful for these times, but not this week. I was shadowing this week, so I just had to watch most of the time. That meant if the house staff I was following was charting or answering the phone, I was just sitting there...twiddling my thumbs. I was supposed to be taking notes and such, but? Next week, I will be able to chart and answer the phone and the door and so perhaps there will be less dead time.

I am getting to know the guests more and I feel that they are beginning to open up to all of us summer girls. Many of them come to us with questions about the Bible and God has given me the opportunity to share with one guests about something that I was learning in my own Bible study that could perhaps provide some encouragement to her. Mostly, I believe that God is teaching me to truly love these women and that through that love I can earn their respect the opportunity to share with them more.

Love is a choice, a decision, and even a discipline at times. There is only one source of LOVE. Pray that God will pour His love onto these ladies, and that I may be a vessel.

Thank you so much for your prayers thus far. There have been times of sorrow, as guests have departed or disappointed but also times of sweet smiles as guests have shown great gratitude, worked hard on goals, or demonstrated a peeked interest in the Word of God. Please continue to pray for myself and all the staff this week as many of the staff are traveling leaving the team a few players short and struggling to cover all the bases!

Shelter Life

2009-06-06T13:07:00.000-07:00

Let all that you do be done in love. 1 Cor 16:14

What it is like living at DaySpring Villa you may ask? Well, after one full week here, I can tell you just a bit! However, no matter how long I stay here, I will never be able to feel what these women feel as they walk the halls of DaySpring, eat the yummy food (well, the food that is sometimes yummy), do their chores, or sleep in safety.

DaySpring Villa is a 3,000 sq ft facility with three wings. The East Wing contains various rooms such as the donations room, conference room, Curves room (which I have been frequenting often), and a few offices. The Guest Wing is of course where the guests stay. There are single rooms, dorm-like rooms with 4 guests, and family rooms that house 2 families each. The bathroom is communal and there is also a Rec Room, a Parlor, and a small kitchenette on this hall. The Staff Wing is where the live-in staff stay, including myself and the other summer missionaries. Currently 8 staff live on this hall.

My roommate Danielle and I share a room with two twin beds, two dressers, a closet and a very powerful ceiling fan that we don't know how to turn off (it's always FREEZING in here!). I am not sure that we brought enough socks :-) We share a bathroom with the other summer missionary, Emily.

Our room

All of the meals are eaten in the dining room. Breakfast is a fend-for-yourself kind of meal with a wide variety of cereals, breads, and sometimes fruit and boiled eggs. Lunch and dinner are prepared AND served by either staff or volunteers. We will go to get our food handlers permit on Tuesday so that we too can begin preparing meals, although we are already learning our way around the kitchen.

The food is SO much better than I could have anticipated. Let me tell you of just a few of the meals that we had this week.
Thursday: Battered chicken with gravy, mashed potatoes, green beans, corn, homemade biscuits, cake, and salad
Friday: Baked potatoes, spinach salad, sandwiches, fruit

Have to keep Molly away from the sweets!

Panera brings us a delivery each week, so for breakfast we can have Panera bagels or Cinnamon Raisin bread. This morning at breakfast I asked one of the guests how she was doing..."GREAT!" She answered, "I have been craving one of these cheesy bagels from Panera and I come to a shelter and they have them...crazy!" I just smiled. How good is God that we are able to provide something so good for these women who so deserve it?

This past week we worked on training: watching various domestic violence videos, going over the staff manual, reading charts, etc. This week we will begin shadowing staff and then actually begin working as House Staff the following week (or perhaps two weeks of shadowing?). This week I am on the schedule to shadow 3-11 pm on Monday and Tuesday, 1-9 pm on Wednesday and Thursday, and 7am-3pm on Friday and Saturday.

After this week, I will be able to explain much more about what it is like to work as house staff. Currently I know that it means either preparing meals or making sure that they are prepared, answering the phone that is constantly ringing, performing intakes for new guests, doing med calls, answering the door, taking donations, signing in and out cell phones and valuables...the list goes on and on :-)

I will include some pictures that perhaps will help you to better understand what goes on around here.

This is the "shop" where the women come to do a little Saturday shopping. If they have worked on their goals and completed their chores, they are allowed to shop for 20 minutes on Saturday evenings and select up to three complete outfits.

Please continue to pray for myself and the staff. The Villa is currently under-staffed and many of the staff, especially those who live here are finding themselves over-worked and a little burnt out....Summer GIRLS to the rescue!

I have been so encouraged by the Word this week and would like to share with you just a few of the verses that have been lifting me up.

Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your toil is not in vain in the Lord.
1 Cor 15:58 (from a former summer girl)

And He said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness." Most gladly therefore I will rather boast about my weaknesses that the power of Christ may dwell in me.
2 Cor 12:9

Monday!

2009-06-01T18:34:00.000-07:00

This is the most consistent that I've posted in quite a while, but it has been a busy day, so I thought that I would share.

We started out with orientation from Suzanne, a lady from the Oklahoma Baptist Convention. Like any good baptist, she took us to lunch, which happened to be at a very Oklahoma place, the RibCrib (funny name huh?). She was exciting to be around and really, really encouraging. She had good tidbits of advice. We did personality tests and I learned that I am a powerful choleric (i.e. lion). No big surprise there, huh? That means that I like to be in charge, make decisions, etc. It also means though that I struggle to be compassionate and often see things as very cut and dry. When revealing the results of my survey I apologized for lioness status--Suzanne corrected me. While some parts of the lion nature may be weaknesses of mine, the lion is who I am and who God made me to be. I must depend on God for compassion and other weaknesses, when He is strong them I am weak! and also embrace that "Your lovingkindness, O Lord, is everlasting!" (Ps 138:8)

The "Summer Girls"

This afternoon we learned more about ourselves as we answered a questionnaire. It was both heartbreaking and exciting to hear what the other girls had been through and God's triumph in their lives.

I was sleepy this afternoon so took an afternoon nap...there may not be time for those in the coming days.

Please pray that God will give me His heart for these woman, to show compassion with discernment. Pray also for the women, that they will find their voice and recognize that God created them for great things, regardless of what someone else has told them.

I brought a friend named Molly along with me on this trip, so you will see pictures of her on my blog...enjoy!

Molly feeling at home in "cowboy country"

I'm HERE...

2009-05-31T14:54:00.000-07:00

I arrived in Tulsa about 4:30 yesterday afternoon. It has been a pretty slow 24 hours thus far. There are, of course, lots of new things to see and learn which is fairly overwheling. However, people thoroughly believe in restful weekends around here, so they are allowing us to enjoy some time in our room, reading and RESTING!!

We started the Beth Moore study A Heart Like His which the three summer missionaries will do together. I have made it to chapter 6 of 10 that i have to have read by Tuesday. I haven't done any of the questions though....not a fan of questions.

This morning we went to church at Eastwood Baptist. We studied Philip during Sunday School, but I thoroughly enjoyed the worship service. Bro Gordon spoke on the indwelling Spirit. Why do I not depend on the Spirit of God within me? That Spirit which brings "fullness of joy and....pleasures forever" (Psalms 16:11).

Well, I'm off to read a little more. My roommate is reading and inspiring me to do the same.

Happy Sunday!

School's OUT for SUMMER

2009-05-13T20:18:00.000-07:00

Yeah! The semester is finally over. Today marked my first whole week of freedom and it has been utterly AMAZING. My days have been filled with reading, naps, more reading, and various adventures.

One of my most recent and favorite adventures of the week came when we went to the park on Monday--Adam, Rachel and I. We hiked around for about 2 hours and somehow I managed to stay on my feet despite the rock slides and slippery, pine-straw covered trails. After the hike we headed to the sea-saws, swings, etc. All of the playground equipment was fairly dilapidated and quite frightened but Adam had a desire to play on the sea-saw, so we did. After a few ups-and-downs, he went down too quickly and therefore I went UP and didn't stop going UP even though the sea-saw did....ahhh! I went flying forward and smacked into the board before falling off. Luckily there was only slight pain and an abundance of laughter!

There was a first for me this week--I cut the grass with a riding lawn mower. Adam has a GrassHopper (aka a really cool yard cutter that actually makes you WANT to cut the grass...imagine that). He graciously allowed me to drive it. It is his pet and I know that this was quite difficult for him to let me loose on it, but perhaps it was worth it for him as he got to see me do donuts on it....yipee! Who knew cutting grass could be so fun? Of course I didn't get to finish the yard b/c he had to take over and polish off the edges while I tried to cover the divots that I made from turning too sharply, too quickly :-)

Those are just some of the adventures for the week, surely there are many more to come!

Continue to pray for me as I enjoy my break but also prepare for OK. I found out this week that two other girls will be joining me there, so remember them in your prayers along with all of the DaySpring Villa staff and guests.

Much love!

NOTE: This blog was written last week but just now is the computer speedy enough to post...enjoy :-)

WOW!

2009-05-01T07:17:00.000-07:00

It has officially been a whole semester since I have posted....sorry :-( I am still alive!

I am sitting in class, waiting on the teacher to return. I am not sure if she went for a coffee break or what? This is our last class meeting though, and for that reason I will patiently wait a little longer.

The end of the semester is so very near. I have a test on Monday and one on Wednesday and then I am DONE! yeah! I am so excited that summer is coming soon. Adam and I have officially labeled May as Me And You month (get it M-A-Y). Well, it is officially here. I am going to spend a week or so in Opelika and then we are going to go to the ATL for a weekend at Aunt Beverly's.

After that, only a week or so at home at then off to Tulsa, Oklahoma. This is where I will be spending the months of June and July. God has led me to a place called DaySpring Villa, a home for battered and homeless women and children. I am not quite sure what my exact task will be, but I will be working as housing staff. I hope to be able to blog a lot this summer and keep everyone updated on what is going on in the great OK.

In the mean time, please pray that God will prepare me for the journey ahead!

I am considering packing up sometime this weekend. The room in Rast is beginning to get a little stiffling, and I can no longer study in there because I find myself just looking around thinking "Oh my goodness, I have to pack that, and that...how did I get so much stuff in this small space...is this going to fit in my car...what am I going to eat for the next 6 days...where are the boys when we need them???" I suppose that I am going to head to the library where the distractions fewer in number.

Happy May day!

Where did the time go?

2009-01-03T08:03:00.001-08:00

I cannot believe that it is 2009! The past year seems like a big blur of school, school, and more school. In the midst of all that school, there were some pretty amazing moments. I would like to copy Jess and list just 20 magnificent things that God has blessed me with this year. I am sure that I could name 365 for every day of the year or maybe even 2,008 things--God is that GOOD!

1. Amazing roommates--I have relocated three times in the past year (or was it four?), and no matter whether I find myself of the 1st, 3rd, or 6th floor of Rast, I am surrounded by the most amazing roommates who constantly encourage me and spur me towards Christ.

2. Brookhills--A church to call home where I am challenged by the Word of God

3. Family--I spent the past few weeks at home and was reminded just what an amazing family I have.

4. Corey--Over the past year I have seen him grow so much (as have I). We can now play video games together or even go out in public without fighting.

5. Peru--The short trip to a land that seems so far away awoke my heart to the treasure of children.

6. Small group--These girls challenge me weekly and the responsibility of Bible study keeps me in the Word.

7. Adam--Perhaps he should be further up the list? :-) Last night I stayed here with Rachel while he went to work and this morning, when I awoke to the sound of his truck in the drive-way, I couldn't help but ask myself--"How did I get so lucky?"

8. Baking--I have discovered a great love--decorating cupcakes. Thursday I used my new decorating kit for the first time to jazz up a key lime cake that I created for Adam. I believe that it worked quite well!

9. Cheese dip--sad? It is my favorite and of all the cheese dip that I have had this year, I will have to say that Wing's has the best (thanks Jessica for always ordering it).

10. Animals--We got a new kitty at home (she still doesn't have a name). She is so precious, even when she knocks over the water bowl.

11. Old friends--Karly, Hannah, Valerie, and Jill--I am so blessed to still be able to hang out with each of them.

12. Running--I have discovered an exercise that I never thought I would enjoy. It feels great (afterwards)!

13. podcasts--David Platt's sermons have challenged and encouraged me along many a road trip and there have been many

14. babysitting--sometimes this is the highlight of my week; i love the funny things that children say

15. Allison--our weekly lunch dates provide the pick-me up that I often need on Tuesday afternoons.

16. Pictures--isn't it cool that we can capture so many memories and relive them again and again?

17. Grandparents--this year has brought the loss of one very, very funny and incredibly special man. Over Christmas, we laughed, as we always do, at many of Pawpaw's crazy antics, except this time he wasn't there to laugh with us.

I must share this one story with you:
Someone, not sure if it was Aunt Linda or Nana, had received a new set of Corelle dishes. If you know Corelle, you know that they "won't break." Well, he decided to test this theory by using one as a Frisbee. After discovering that they would break, he didn't stop there, but continued to throw them, all the while upset that the company had lied.

18. Sand--the trip to the beach this year, although short, was a perfect weekend getaway.

19. Grace--This year I have dropped the ball so many times. Despite my inadequacies, His grace is enough!

20. Direction--If you would have asked me last year, "What are you going to do with that degree?" I would have shrugged my shoulders and asked if you had any ideas.

This year, I can say, with great excitement and a tinge of fear--"I am going to teach." This time next year, I may say something very different, but I know that God is in control, and, wherever He leads, I pray that I can follow, whether that means making Him famous in a high school in Alabama or an orphanage in the Philippines.

21. All of those who take the time to read this blog! Thanks!

Happy New Year!

I LOVE FALL!

2008-11-08T17:29:00.000-08:00

Today was such an amazingly beautiful day that made me grateful that I live in Birmingham, surrounded by warm (comparatively) fall weather and the bright colors of autumn.

It was by far one of the best Saturdays of the semester. Know what I did--NOTHING! I made a point to not plan anything for the day so that I was free to do whatever I felt at the moment--whether that was to laze in my PJ's, sleep in, read a book, watch the game, whatever, and I did just that.

My favorite part of the day was spent on Vulcan Trail. I went up there to run, expecting to get a little exercise and enjoy the cooler weather, but God treated me to so much more. The trees were clad in their reds and golds and leaves were falling from the trees with every gush of wind. There were many people walking around with their fancy cameras. It made me stop and say thank you--I get to exercise not on a treadmill or stuck in a gym but at a place that people come to take pictures--isn't that cool?

I finished up a round of tests this week, and I think they all went well, but now there are none until the last round of tests which all fall on the SAME day!! So, with little studying to do, I got to start a new book entitled MY HANDS CAME AWAY RED. It is a book about a summer missionary who went to an island in Indonesia and got a little more adventure than she bargained for. I am not sure that I want to finish reading it because frankly it scares me a little and it makes me ask the question that I am not quite ready to answer--Am I willing to give it ALL??

One other thing that I wanted to share--
I adopted a child this week!--well, kind of. I did adopt a child, but not in the classical way. I adopted eight-year-old Olivia through Compassion International. I have always, always wanted to adopt a child and thought that this was a good place to start. She is SO cute, and much cheaper than a real child--only $32 a month. "What a bargain" as Dad would say.

It is such a simple way to help "the least of these." I am excited to be able to communicate with her, pray for her, and provide for some of her needs through my measly $32. Interested? You too can adopt a child, or maybe your Sunday School class could and then it would only cost you like $10 a month or maybe even less than that! Check it out at http://www.compassion.com/default.htm.

Well, I'm off to read some more of my book and enjoy what remains of my lazy Saturday!

Terrific Thursdays!

2008-10-30T22:25:00.000-07:00

Thursdays are simply amazing...
For me Thursdays mean the end of what is normally a long week and the beginning of the weekend. I have class on Fridays unfortunately and meetings and such, but I officially allow my brain to shut off on Thursday afternoons.

This week has been quite long but WONDERFUL. I returned from the honors conference on Sunday a little later than expected due to flight changes that were quite annoying (we ended up sitting in the airport for 3 hours because our flight was rescheduled from 11:45 to 1:40). Upon my return, I celebrated my birthday with dinner with my amazing roommates. They baked a gorgeous sunflower cake, had sunflowers on the table, and gave me the most thoughtful gifts. Monday morning I awoke to streamers hanging from the ceiling, polka dots on the wall, Happy Birthday notes on the mirror, and, perhaps my favorite, the numbers 2-0 created from polka dots on the side mirror. I have spent much time on the floor of my room this week studying and surfing the web and one of my favorite things has been laying back and staring up at the streamers and polka dots on the ceiling--they are just so much fun!

Sunflower cake created by Jessica (and her mom)

Dinner at PF Changs

Yesterday, Wednesday, was a day that I had been anticipating for the past thirty days. Adam had the day off, so he graciously drove up here so that we could spend some time together. We ate at this really cool restaurant called Open Door Cafe--just a little family owned place with really good hummus, super sweet sweet tea, and very good pasta. All there food is home-cooked and seems fairly healthy and fresh (except maybe the sweet tea). You should definitely check it out (www.opendoorcafebirmingham.com). After dinner we grabbed coffee and just sat in the park and talked for a while. It was wonderful just to be together.
He brought me flowers (as you can see at the top of the blog) and the Jim Elliot biography--Through Gates of Splendor. I meant to ask when I was supposed to read this considering my schedule, but refrained.

I am really excited to get into it soon though--perhaps I can finish it by Thanksgiving. I know that it will be encouraging to read about someones RADICAL devotion to Christ. Jim Elliot was willing to give up his home, his dreams, even his family and eventually his life for his Lord, knowing that all these things pale in comparison to the Splendor of Christ. I think that the sacrifice of my own ambitions and plans for my life is MUCH scarier than even the fear of death. I pray that God will use this book to continue to ignite a passion in my heart for missions, one that He has been kindling for many years, a passion that will greatly outweigh the fear that often creeps into my heart.

As I think about missions I have begun to pray about what God would have me do this summer. I want to know all of the details before I say yes, but is that really obedience, does that really require faith? There are many questions that I have, like will I be able to halt my research project for the summer? These questions make me a bit anxious, so I would ask for your prayers as I seek the answers and His will.

Well, it is a little late, and although I can sleep later than usual on Friday mornings, I need to get up and at em to study--3 tests in the next week. I am heading home this weekend to relax, shop, and celebrate!! I can't wait!

Celebration

2008-10-21T21:56:00.000-07:00

I know that it has been WAY to long since I have posted, but to attempt to catch you up on my life would take all night, and it is already almost midnight and an hour past my bed time.

This week is officially my favorite week of the year. You know what week it is?? Yes, it is my birthday week! I will be turning the big 2-0 on Saturday and leaving my teenage years behind (tear). This year has been simply amazing. I cannot complain (well I could but it would not do any good). I have been given so many great opportunities. I finally feel like I have a bit of direction as to my career goals and future plans and, in addition to all of that, I have gotten to spend the past year with an incredible guy--Adam Waters!

Not only is it my birthday week, but this is the also the week that Adam and I started dating (that was such a good week!). So, as of tomorrow, we will have been dating for one year--yeah! God has truly blessed me with Adam as he is such an encouragement and lifts my spirits on a daily basis. I am thankful for the year that we have gotten to spend getting to know one another and enjoy each others company.

As icing on the celebratory cake, I am going to San Antonio tomorrow and returning on Sunday. I will be attending a conference, so not all fun and games, but it will be good to get away from the hustle and bustle of classes for a few days. I am not sure what I was thinking when I signed up for this trip because it means that I will not get to celebrate my birthday with my family or my roommates :-( However, we shall celebrate upon my return and drag the birthday festivities out even longer--and that I do like.

I will try to be better at keeping you updated on the life and adventures of Sybil Sexton, but I promise that you are not missing too much!

Finally Friday

2008-06-13T07:14:00.000-07:00

Classes have been going for two whole weeks now, and I must say that I am still not used to the busy pace. I have class four days and week and hope to relax on Fridays, but today is just not going to be one of those days! I am going to go study for a while and work in lab after that.
Despite the LONG hours of class and extended time on campus, there have been highlights to everyday this week. I have been pleasantly surprised by the lack of time that I spend just sitting around. God has provided friends and dinner dates galore to insure that I am not too sad over "the loss of a loved one" as Mary Katherine so put it. That, of course, is a bit of an exaggeration. He (Adam) is not lost, just a few hours away and I will be seeing him very soon (Thursday afternoon actually, the countdown has begun)!
So, as I said many exciting things this week. Monday Ashley was in town from California so she and I ate at an amazing restaurant downtown called Fire and Ice. You must check it out. It is a very modern place with cool colors and good customer service. The meals are of the stir-fried variety and you fix them yourself by selecting meats and veggies as well as pastas and potatoes from a smorgasbord of choices. I myself chose chicken, shrimp and scallops along with broccoli, oranges, onion and a spicy teriyaki sauce. After making these selections you cart your bowl to the grill where the "grinning grillers" fry up your tasty meal. Our griller was grinning indeed, he even sang us a song (in an attempt to learn the lyrics) but I could not recognize the song. Perhaps he should just stick to his day job.
After dinner, Brittni and I took our first trip to WalMart as roomies. Eighty dollars and a lot of food later, we were settling in at the apartment.
Tuesday brought many more blessings. It was the first night of summer Bible study. Jenny and I are co-leading a Bible study for college girls and to my delight it is in our apartment!! So Tuesday Brittni and I picked up the apt and I made HOMEMADE peach cobbler. I wish now that I would have taken a picture of it; I was so proud! However, perhaps it is best that you didn't see what it looked like--the pan was a little too big so the crust only covered a very small section of the cobbler. Despite this, it was VERY yummy. We served it with ice cream and I must say it was a hit.
It was getting close to 7, the cobbler was done, the apt was clean, and there were only like 2 girls here. I was starting to get a little concerned, but not overly surprised: it seems that this is the way things often go. Oh me of little faith! In less that five minutes five people arrived!! Giving us a total of nine. We were not only blessed with numbers, but with incredible conversation. I learned so much from discussing the message from this previous Sunday on singleness.
I should have probably posted solely about that message earlier in the week.
One of my favorite quotes from the message was this:
Love desires that which honors God in another's life.
That is a big definition of love to live up to, but one that we can each use as a litmus test of our love for others.
As the girls left Jenny and I were in the kitchen cleaning up. We both grinned from ear to ear and almost did a little dance. "You know Jenny," I said, "I think that this is how Bible study is supposed to be."
I can't wait until next week. Jenny is making homemade cookies and spinach dip and I will be leading. Remember me and the girls in your prayers.
So that was Tuesday, Wednesday Jenny and I worked out after class and then I hung out at the BCM for a while.
Yesterday, oh yesterday was such a long day! Brooke and I went to step class around 5:30 p.m. I must say that for a person with no coordination step class is quite a challenge. I kept up for the first few steps, the ones that consisted of putting your foot up on the step and taking it off, but I was pretty much lost after that, especially at the end when she began to add mumbos (or something) and pivots and twists just for fun. I found myself marching in place and hoping that not too many people noticed that I was facing the wrong way! Despite my inadequacies, it was a blast and a really good workout--definitely feeling the pain today.
Well, I am off to open lab to look at slides of fungus and plants, then MK and I are having coffee this afternoon. Tonight holds many exciting things as well of which I must update you at a later time :-D

Two long plane rides later...

2008-06-01T11:35:00.000-07:00

After two days of flying and one incredible week, we are back. We arrived back in Birmingham at about 10 am yesterday (Saturday) morning. I was so sleepy and ready for a shower. The red-eye flight seems like an amazing idea because you can just sleep the whole flight, right? WRONG! It is so hard to sleep sitting straight up. We had an ornery reading light above our seat that flashed on and off for no reason at all. I think that the flight attendants just cut off the power to our seat or unscrewed the light bulbs or something to make it stop. By the time we got home I had not showered in over 36 hours and I am sure that everyone around me was aware of it.
We left "the compound" at about 10 am Friday morning with all of our things and spent the day in Lima before flying out on Friday evening at midnight. Lima was so much more American than the place that we stayed during the week. There were Starbucks and we at a Tony Roma's for lunch. You would think that it would be nice to see things that look familiar, but it was actually sad to me that people thought highly of American things and brought them to their country. To me it said that the "get all you can and can all you get" mentality of America was invading the rest of the world. This belief was further verified by the fact that all of the casinos in Lima were named after America cities (New York, Miami, Las Vegas). The BINGO trend was even catching in Lima, and "The Bingo Boat" looked to be a pretty popular destination.
Despite the American influence, Peru was a beautiful country, especially the Peruvian people. Before leaving for Peru, I had prayed that God will open my eyes and allow me to see the Peruvians the way that He sees them. When I saw the kids at the orphanage for the first time, I fell in love. They are absolutely gorgeous! I think that when you see the pictures you will also feel the same way. The spirit of those kids was just as beautiful as their faces. They were so giving, even with the little that they had.
When we arrived at the orphanage, the kids were eager to give us gifts. One of the girls took me to their "craft room" which was actually just a barn-like structure in which the craft supplies were kept along with chicken feed and old sewing machines. This room also housed the things that they had made. Diana (the face of Peru to me) gave me a bracelet and a colorful pony tail and placed brightly colored feathers in my hair. She then stepped back, looked up at me and said "Tu eres linda" (you are pretty). In this moment I thought--I am supposed to be ministering to her and here she is ministering to me.
That thought went through my mind most of the week--did I come to minister to them or to be ministered to? The natives with whom we worked were incredibly mature in their faith, and I was constantly challenged and encouraged by them. Our translators were incredible people of faith as well; they were both college students in Lima, Peru. They had incredible senses of humor and were constantly making me smile.
I learned a great deal about missions on this trip and am beginning to see that one of God's purpose for sending me on missions is to encourage and challenge me to live life as a stronger Christian at home. Sharing on the mission field is much more comfortable for me than sharing at home. Perhaps it is this way for everyone? There are fewer distractions on the mission field, and it is much easier to focus on the task at hand.
However, the Christians in both Peru and Thailand were excited and passionate about sharing the gospel with their OWN people. The boldness and commitment to God's Word at the places that they worked and lived showed me that God is calling me to live out the gospel at UAB and wherever else life takes me.
Well, this post is lengthy already and I feel that I have not even begun to describe the children, the country, or the work that God did through us. Perhaps I will post again later. For now though, I will leave you with some pictures and an earnest plea for you to pray for Peru, for the orphans and for the ministry of Alejandro and his team.
THANKS!

The cutest little boy--Carlitto

Diana and I being silly in our work goggles.

Dos dias until PERU!!

2008-05-22T21:06:00.000-07:00

In only two days, I will be leaving for Peru. The trip will be short compared to the one that I took last summer, very short!! Only one week, and two of those days will be spent in the airport or on the plane. That means that we have only 6 days on the ground in Peru...6 days to share the gospel, 6 days to be the hands and feet of Christ, only 6 days to disciple the believers in Peru. I have been overcome by how little time we have and how much we have to do!
We, we, we...it really is not about us at all nor are WE going to accomplish anything outside of HIM. Him, Him, Him...it should be all about Him, but somehow the focus is often shifted in the wrong direction, the direction of me and we. Pray that our focus this week will be HIM. I believe that our main purpose is going to Peru is not to change the country (or even a portion of it) but to be changed ourselves. We can be an encouragement to the believers there and even share the gospel with a few. However, I believe that God's main purpose in taking us to Peru is to change us so that we can return with our eyes open to the vast world around us, a world in which over a billion people have never heard of the name of Jesus Christ; a world desperate for the good news that we have kept hidden "under a bushel" for too long when we should "let it shine, let it shine, let it shine!"
There are many prayer requests that I have for this week, but my main request of you is that you please PRAY. Pray for these requests or any others that God may lay on your heart, remembering always that the prayers of a righteous man avail much!!
Pray for the children in the orphanage that we will visit, pray for the administration at the school and the orphanage, pray for the team of local Peruvians that we will be working alongside, pray for safe travel and good working weather, pray for good attitudes and a team spirit, pray, pray, pray and thank you for your prayers!!
The week leading up to this trip has been simply amazing. I have gotten a lot of time to relax. Adam and I played chess outside on a life-size chess set on Monday. The weather was gorgeous and I even won a game (I think that he was slacking on the first game :-) It was my first time to play chess, and I can not wait to go back. Kate and I spent some time by the pool on Wednesday. Today and tomorrow I will be spent hanging out with Mom and Dad and Corey. God has certainly answered my prayer for a time to relax and catch up with friends and family. It has definitely been a wonderful last week of summer--well my summer at least. As soon as I return from Peru, the summer semester will begin, complete with classes and a research project. I am disappointed that the fun will end so soon, but also excited to be productive once again!
I can not wait until I write again. I hope to share with you many stories of God's glory revealed.
Much love and gratitude,
Sybil

It is very quiet

2008-05-08T19:29:00.001-07:00

The sound of the dishwasher and the washing machine are so very peaceful to me. They remind me of those summer days during high school when my to-do list contained three items--wash clothes, read a book, swim--and all of those were optional. The past few days have been much like that. Granted, the to-do list now contains a few more items. Today, for instance, it looked much like this
--Kill the bugs that are invading the kitchen
--Write thank-you notes
--Read a book
--Cook dinner
--Wash clothes
Notice what it did not contain. There were no meetings to attend (except lunch with mom and nana), no classes for which to study, and no homework to complete!! So, now that my short to-do list is complete, I am not really sure what to do with myself. I am now sitting, listening to the hum of the dishwasher and considering dessert at SONIC!
In the quiet of the day, I have had much time to think. My thoughts traveled many different paths, but they kept leading me back to Peru.
In looking at my calendar this morning I saw that today was the day that I was supposed to leave for Nambia, a country in Africa. I just knew that was where I was supposed to go this summer. I made plans to attend, told everyone that I was going-- but God had other plans. I went to sign-up for the trip, only to find that it had been cancelled due to lack of interest. There was my neon sign that this was not the trip for me. So, a little discouraged, I began to check out my other options--or option I should say. There was only one open trip that did not conflict with classes, so after 24 short hours of deliberation and a bit of wise counsel, I signed up for the trip to Lima, Peru. Hindsight (which is always 20-20 they say, but I think that it is even better than that, magnified to perhaps 40-20) shows me that it was I, not God, who wanted me to go to Africa. It was such a glamorous trip--one that made me feel good about myself, like I was somehow going to save all the orphans with one smile. God, in His graciousness, painlessly aligned my will with His.
As I wrote a few thank you notes today, I had a chance to reflect on the way that God has provided for this trip. So many people have given VERY generously to support God's work. Because of their efforts, I will be able to see God's work first hand in Peru. Through their gifts, I was able to see God as the Great Provider.
As I sat down to read today, I began to think even more about the trip and how spiritually unprepared I am to go into a foreign country. However, I received great assurance from His word that He will provide the power that I need.
"You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you, and you will be my witnesses...to the end of the earth"--Acts 1:8
Pray that God will continue to use the quiet moments and even the not-so quiet ones to prepare me for His missions. Pray that my eyes will be like His, able to see the whole globe as the work of His hands and as the orchestra intended to sound His praises. Pray that He will prepare my feet to walk, my lips to speak, and my hands to touch in a way that reflects His glory.
Well, I am about to head off to bed--or to SONIC I haven't quite decided.
Ta-ta for now.

It's been a long time...

2008-05-06T10:27:00.000-07:00

Since I posted on my blog--last summer actually. I had forgotten what a privilege it is to be able to not only write my thoughts but have someone read them!
I was reminded of these things while reading Jessica and Amanda's blogs through which they are chronicling their trip to Spain. They left today :-(
I can't believe they will be gone for a whole month. In the big scheme of things, that is not too long, but to a girl who is wishing for Qdoba dinners with her roommates, it is quite a while.
So much has occurred since last summer, I couldn't and wouldn't even try to catch everyone up on all the details, but I will try to provide a little catch-up. First, I am officially finished with my sophomore year. It has FLOWN by so fast, even faster than my freshman year. Move-in seems like the day before yesterday. I am now officially a junior and anticipating the summer semester in which I will begin my honors research project. God has orchestrated things in that crazy way He does, and during this past semester I have discovered that I actually enjoy research. I will begin to see just how much I like it (or not) at the beginning of June when I begin working alongside Dr. Tim Nagy in the Department of Nutrition Sciences.
Other than academics, many other things, more important things, have occurred this year as well. God has led me to a church home--the Church at Brookhills. I am beginning to feel connected to the people there and can't wait to serve alongside these amazing Christ-followers in Peru at the end of the month and throughout my college career. The church as a whole has an amazing desire to see the name of Christ spread to all nations; that passion is fueled by in depth study of the Word and weekly, even daily, accountability and fellowship.
These two semesters have brought me new friendships and strengthened those that had already been established. It was sad to see the semester come to a close. As I drove past RAST last night, I just wanted to pull into the parking lot, walk back up to room 330A and open the door to hear the sound of laughter and smell brownies in the oven. However, I know that if I did I would only see empty white walls, smell dust and must, and hear the sounds of construction out the window. Funny that the room really meant nothing, it was simply the four walls in which we created so many memories.
I moved into a new apartment last week and the girls who live here are amazing as well. I know that I will quickly develop the same love for them that I had for my previous roommates and in no time we will begin to laugh and share in much the same way. I must admit though, I do not like driving everywhere I go, but I will get used to it soon enough (unless gas goes up again).
I will try not to wait so long in between posts next time. Thank In the mean time, please pray for the upcoming trip to Lima, Peru--May 24-31.
P.S. I have added some pictures below from this past year--enjoy!

Jessie and Woody (Adam and I) at the BCM Halloween party.

All the roomies at my birthday party!

Spring Break missions in Baltimore, MD

Early Mornings and Late Nights

2007-07-28T08:12:00.000-07:00

It is almost 11 Saturday morning, and we just finished cleaning up the house from the slumber party last night. I am still exhausted, but I could not stay asleep any longer; Mr. Sunshine was shining in my eyes and the smell of homemade cinnamon rolls was floating into the living room. The slumber party marked the last night of VBS. I only have one more week here in Pooler. This week I have spent so much time with the kids, and the fact that I only have one more week left with them has broken my heart on more than one occasion.

This week has been so busy. We have gotten up early (early being before 9) more than once this week and have gotten in bed after 12 more than twice.

Monday night was the first night of VBS. Georgianna taught the lesson from the front of the church bus using a combination of her boisterous voice and the bus's speaker system. She fell around a little as we went around curves and lost of few people to sleep (as it was almost 11), but over all it was a great lesson on Mary and Joseph. We had to do the lesson on the bus because we were on our way to the Ichetucknee River, home of the coldest water that I have ever felt! The river flows from springs that originate in Lake City, Florida, and it flows into the Gulf of Mexico. So, we went to Lake City on Monday night and got a hotel room.

At eight o'clock Tuesday morning (early) we went to Cracker Barrel and then headed to the river. I tried to gently acclimate myself to the frigid water, but Adam had other plans. He pushed me in and then proceeded to Baptize me, three times (or maybe it was four)--"In the name of the Father (dunk), the Son (dunk), and the Holy Spirit (dunk), Amen (dunk). After the slightly sac-religious ceremony, we got our tubes and headed down the river. It takes about four hours or more to float down the river. There are some trees that you can climb up and jump off of into the water, but I would not suggest it. I ended up bear hugging a tree for what felt like fifteen minutes because when I tried to go up the tree my foot slipped and I was not about to go down--for one it would be embarrassing to not make it (2) there were people behind me and (3) there was a snake close by on the ground. Three good reasons to keep climbing. After much pushing from behind, I made it to the top and jumped off as fast as my legs would take me; I did not want to be on that tree any longer.

Tuesday night's lesson was short and sweet because everyone who did not go home to sleep was half-asleep. The lesson was about John the Baptist; the point--Jesus is already here around us, performing miracles and showing Himself to be real, our job, like John's is to point Him out to those who cannot see.

Thursday night I had the privilege of teaching the VBS lesson on the early church. As God molds my definition of church and fellowhsip, I have begun to see the need to discuss God's word and spend time praying together. So, I shortened the portion of the lesson where I talk and people listen. When that boredom was over, we split into groups and prayed for one another, we prayed for our youth group, and we shared our concerns about Rothwell and the community of Pooler. It was so amazing to see people's hearts. One of my main prayer concerns this past few weeks has been honesty in our youth group and our church. I have been asking God to help people open up there hearts and be honest with themselves first, then with God, and lastly with someone trustworthy in the church. When we are not honest our problems only fester; true healing comes when we admit that there is a sore there and begin to medicate it with the Word and Godly counsel.

After this brief time of prayer and discussion, we headed to the beach. All the way to the beach, a group of us sat in the front of the bus and talked about ourselves and our church. This was the first time that we have had these sorts of conversations on "fun outings". Kaitlyn had shared earlier that this was her desire, that we begin to carry church into our activities. She was with us during the conversation Thursday, and I think that God is going to use her as a force of change at Rothwell, someone who will redirect the focus of conversations to the One who matters most.

After games at the beach, we joined again for a time of prayer. Many of the kids shared their appreciation for this summer's youth group--the opportunities for service, the fellowship, the worship. We had a few minutes of alone time before we left, and I just stared up at the moon and thought about how God had used me this summer to be a reflection of His glory, just as the moon reflects the sun. What an awesome privilege! So much of me does not want to leave. I asked God, "So this is why you brought me here, to build relationships and then leave?". But I am reminded over and over that God's work is eternal. My leaving does not cancel out the ministry that I have done this summer, it only gives someone else a chance to water these beautiful and fruitful flowers so that they can produce seeds for the Kingdom.

I know this is a long post, but so much has happened this week, and I could not wait to share. Perhaps the most entertaining portion of the week was last night's slumber party. The theme was second-hand. All the girls were asked to wear something from the thrift store or their mom's closet. Leslie and I bought our dresses together and they were fabulous. Mine had cool shoulder pads and lots of beading. It was so tight that after 15 minutes of wear I had to put on some shorts under it; I had split it up the back so far! There are some pics below.

Thank you so much for your prayers this week. It has truly been a week of answered prayers and GROWTH. Continue to pray for this upcoming week. Pray that God will give me the strength to say goodbye. I cannot wait to see y'all. I love you!

Busy bee!

2007-07-22T14:04:00.000-07:00

I have not posted in a really long time, but thank you for continuing to pray for me and for the ministry here at Rothwell Baptist Church. It has been a crazy two weeks, filled with lots of fun activities and ministry experiences. Mom and Dad just left yesterday. I guess I should start with last Monday, even though that seems like an eternity ago.

From July 9-12, the youth hosted Vacation Bible School at the Baptist Center downtown (Savannah). The Baptist center is located adjacent to Hitch Village, a large housing project. Most of the 35 kids that attended VBS came from these projects. I volunteered to teach Bible study because this is what I did at the previous VBS. However, the approach that we used at Rothwell did not work as well at the Baptist Center. They did not enjoy the games that we played nor were they entertained by the same things. I found that these kids really liked to talk more than play. They craved the attention that they got from gentle conversation. This was a hard adjustment for me because my teaching style usually consists of me talking and people listening, or me hoping that people are listening (not a teaching style that I would suggest to anyone). Some, however, knew how to make this adjustment well. Like Ms. Payne. She came on the last day to help us, and somehow, she got the kids (even the high schoolers) to color shoes for 25 minutes. After 25 minutes, most of them did not want to leave. How cool! God definitely used her, and all those who worked at the Baptist Center, to show those children the patience and the love of Christ.

Mom and Dad arrived here on Saturday, to my glee! We hung out at the beach house most of the week. On Sunday we went to Paula Dean’s. Corey and Blake came to the boys’ Bible study on Sunday night while I went to HisGirl. Jody said that they “fit in like a glove.”

Monday we hung out the beach and went kayaking with our guide, Mr. Jon. While kayaking, I overheard a conversation between Mr. Jon and Dad about church and whether or not Mr. Jon was a Christian. Mr. Jon shared with Dad that he was; it was so great for me to hear Dad talk to our kayak guide about Jesus. I have been labeled a missionary, but, if you really want to see one, just look at my dad. He reaches so many people each day at his shop and does not stop sharing, even when he is on vacation!

On Wednesday night we had a special “dinner and dialogue” service. I am not sure where Jody got the idea, but it is one of the best services we have had so far (in my opinion). The idea is to engage the youth in conversation about the Word of God over dinner. The older ladies of the church purchased us pizza and dessert; we ate that and talked about finding God’s will for our lives. I had 5 kids at my table and all of them were about my age. They answered the questions honestly, and we were able to converse openly about our lives, where God is working, and the things that we need to change. While we were talking, I really felt like God was approving of this form of worship. It reminded me of the early church and really caused me to rethink my definition of fellowship. This dinner and dialogue exercise is something that I would suggest for any small group (or any large group, just break up into tables of no more than 6). All you need is an agenda, a set of questions or verses to discuss (ours came for Facing Your Giants by Max Lucado) and a table leader to keep everyone on track.

On Thursday, the youth traveled to the beach house where we played baseball and swam until dinner time. Mom made her famous punch, which we had with hotdogs, chips, and dip. After dinner, Brent and Brad led a worship service. I really wanted to have it on the beach, where the majesty of God is so obvious, but the Lord had other plans. He showed us His majesty and the power of fear as lightin’ flashed across the sky and we flashed back to the room, just missing a thunder shower. In Brad’s lesson, he challenged all of us to get out of the boat. We can compare ourselves to the “pew sitters” and say that we are out of the boat, but let’s compare ourselves to Jesus and see that we are no where near the water.

This week is youth VBS! Each day holds an adventure that will be, I’m sure, more than we could plan. Tomorrow we are traveling to the Ichetucknee River (Lake City, Florida). On Tuesday we will tube the length of the river before heading home. Wednesday is a lesson and bowling at the local army base (cheaper there). Thursday is late night games and a video scavenger hunt. Friday holds the finale—Second-hand Sleepover (girl’s only). The girl’s are required to wear something second-hand, either from their mom’s closet or the thrift store. My thrift store outfit is going to blow everyone away, just get ready for some funny pictures.

In two weeks I will be home to share with you all that I have done. I will try to post once or twice more before then. Continue to pray that God will use this week at VBS for His glory, and that it will be much more than just a barrel of fun!

2007-07-07T09:52:00.000-07:00

If the Son sets you free, you shall be free indeed.
John 8:36

Do you ever think about being free? It is not something that I ponder very often—freedom to write this blog and use the word God (something that is not allowed in China), freedom from the shame of sin, freedom from the bondage of rules and regulations, FREEDOM! I do not really think about it very much, but this week caused me to ponder many of the freedoms and blessings that I have because of my citizenship in America and in the kingdom that is not of this world.

On Tuesday, the youth delivered water to migrant workers and to people on the beach. The migrant workers smiled as they grabbed the water out of the cooler and enthusiastically drank each bottle dry. The people at the beach gave a completely different response; we had to convince them to take the water. When they did they only took a few sips of it before setting it aside to warm in the scorching sun. Why are Americans so ungrateful? I hate to stereotype all Americans, but “if the shoe fits”? Our way of life has made us so calloused that we never take the time to appreciate the little things in life, things that people like migrant workers see as life’s greatest treasures.

On Wednesday, the Fourth of July, Jody’s parents invited me to spend the holiday with them. Before dinner and after the blessing, Jody’s mom suggested that we say the pledge. Who has ever heard of saying the pledge at a family gathering, right? Well, I had not either, but it was such a pleasant reminder that the pledge is not just for elementary school, but it is a way to show our thanks for the great things this country provides for us. It is also a reminder that our forefathers intended this to be “one nation under God”. God with a capital G, not the god Buddha or the god of rain or the god of apple pie, but the One and Only, the Alpha and Omega who wrote the first chapter of American history and may be left out of the last.

Wednesday night was for fireworks, of course. We had the awesome privilege of watching the Savannah firework show from the nearby wildlife refuge. We were the only people in the whole, 3-mile refuge, which houses deer, alligators, wild boar, turkey, and lots of birds. Because we were a little scared of the alligators, we climbed on top of the church van (don’t tell anyone ) and sat. As the fireworks went off, I looked around me a saw something even more spectacular—a golden sunset behind a forest of trees. As the night progressed I looked up to see the greatest firework show ever, I sky full of stars. How many people drive downtown through traffic and sit in a big crowd to watch fire in the sky? Yet, we never take the time to marvel at the sunset or lie beneath the stars—and just say “WOW!” and “Thank you!”

Climbing on the top of the van.

Waiting on fireworks.

The Bible study that I am doing is teaching me a lot about freedom from sin and shame. I never realized how much shame runs my life and the life of so many others. It tells us that we should pay for our sins by feeling sorry about them for a certain length of time. It tells us that we are bound to make the same mistake again; that it is part of who we are. It tells us that we can never really change. But what does God say? He says that He has forgiven us for our sins, that we are not bound to sin, and that we were created to be holy, therefore sin does not hold us in. I have said so many times that “so-and-so will never change—old habits die hard”. It is true that so-and-so will never change themselves, but God can change people, and He can change me too. That is why He has given us His word—to reveal to us what areas of our lives need to change and give us the power to do so. This has been one of the greatest lessons of the week:
God’s word is intended to change us, not to educate us.
I often use God’s word as a source of knowledge, thinking that the more I know about it, the closer I will be to God. This week I read Hebrew 4:12:
For the word of God is living and effective and sharper than any two-edged sword, penetrating as far as to divide soul, spirit, joints, and marrow; it is a judge of the thoughts and ideas of the heart.
I asked myself, “When is the last time that God’s word convicted me of the folly of my ideas or convicted me for sinful thoughts?” I had read my Bible that morning, and it had certainly not happened then. Had God’s word lost it’s power? Well, of course not! The sword of God’s word had not been cutting into my soul because I had been using it to playfully fence with knowledge when I should have been preparing for battle.

As you can see, this week overflowed with ministry opportunities and God-granted insight, and it is not over yet! Tomorrow we are going to Honey Island to paint faces. Sunday brings an opportunity to worship and learn. Pray for me as I lead Sunday School this Sunday as well as a portion of the HisGirl Bible study Sunday night (this week’s topic is purity). Next week the youth will be hosting VBS at the Baptist Center, an inner-city ministry in the heart of Savannah’s low-income housing. We have not had many people volunteer to help, so please pray that God will send workers and effectively use the staffers for His glory.

Thank you so much for your prayers and kindness. The Godly counsel that I have received has helped alleviate my homesickness week after week. Thank you!

ARK

2007-06-30T14:31:00.000-07:00

The week has been filled with fellowship and service. Some of the activities seem so menial, but I am learning that God can and will teach me BIG things, even in the little stuff if I will only open my eyes.

Tuesday, the youth viewed Evan Almighty at the local theater. It was my second time to see the film because Jody and I previewed it on Monday (you can NEVER be too careful). It is a great family feature, filled with solid Biblical truth, humor, and inspiration. I may sound like a walking advertisement, but there are so many points in the movie on which you can expound. Two of my favorite things about the movie are

1.The way that God is featured as a man, a man with a sense of humor. When Evan addresses God, he is not afraid to question Him. He talks to Him like a friend. Evan does the same thing when he prays, saying things like “Alright God, I’m hanging up now.” I know that we must treat God with the respect that He so greatly deserves. He is GOD, but who said that being respectful means using terms that we do not really understand? Sometimes I find myself praying with words that I would never use in conversation: ye, dear, and beloved. My prayers are so much deeper and more honest when I realize that God understands modern English and lingo; I do not have to speak to Him in English that mimics King James!

2.ARK—Acts of Random Kindness. The movie plays off of this acronym. Evan wants to change the world; God tells him that changing the world only takes Acts of Random Kindness. I have always wanted to do something great for God: go to another country for a season or serve in a local church. However, these “BIG” tasks do not have any more impact than Acts of Random Kindness. Opportunities to serve in BIG ways rarely come our way, but random opportunities to serve are always available: that family who is moving out of their house, can you help them carry a few things? That guy whose car is broken down on the side of the road, does he need to use your cell phone? The elderly lady who is sick, does she need a ride to the doctor? Or what about the man who is just sitting on his porch, can you make time to stop and chat? These simple acts mean more to people than any sermon or Sunday School lesson because they are done out of love and not obligation. They are provided by the Holy Spirit and not man's schedule.

This week I had the amazing opportunity to perform Acts of Random Kindness for a few elderly people from Rothwell (it was random to them, but not so random to us). Yesterday (Friday) eight of the youth baked cookies and delivered them to four senior citizens in the church. All four of these were suffering from some sort of medical problem that limited their mobility. When we pulled up in the drive way, they greeted us with an open door and a smile. No matter the condition of their hair or their house, they were not allowing this opportunity for a visit to get away from them. We stayed in each house for a few minutes (some longer) chatted with them, and tried to soothe their loneliness for a little while. One man must be really lonely; he invited us back to watch Westerns!!! One lady lives in a house that is over 100 years old and has no air conditioning! We had prayer with each of them before we left, and it was obvious that they hated to see us go. I am not sure that the youth will ever realize how much it means to those adults to see a new, smiling face at their door (or any face at all).

God also provided other opportunities for service this week.

Since returning from camp, all of the youth have been looking for ways to serve here in Pooler. The World Changers (a Christian camp where the campers provide free labor to the community as an outreach tool) were in Savannah this week, and Rothwell fed them lunch throughout the week. Kaylie Stevens (a 15-year-old youth with an amazing , spunky spirit) suggested that we deliver their meal one day and stay and work with them after lunch. When we arrived on Thursday, we got our assignment: clean-up. Not a glamorous task, right? RIGHT! Most of the World Changers team was either on the roof replacing shingles or on the ladder painting windows. We were on the ground, moving old shingles from where they landed to the dumpster. I promise this—it felt like the roof of the white house had been torn off and dumped into this backyard. We dug and dug, placing the shingles in a wheel barrow and then rolling them around to the dumpster on the other side of the house. When we finally caught a glimpse of the ground beneath us, we started singing “I saw the GROUND” (instead of “I saw the LIGHT).

After three hours of manual labor we headed back to Pooler, leaving the World Changers to finish the task the next day. We complained about how hot we were and made a show of how dirty our feet and hands were. I wanted a shower SO bad, but at the same time I was proud of that dirt. Didn’t Jesus wash His disciples’ feet, and if He washed them, they must have been dirty, correct? If we are truly the hands and feet of Jesus, I think we should get dirty a little more often. This is only the third time I have done manual labor all summer, and of that I am a little ashamed. Doing manual labor for someone is the ultimate act of mercy; for this act you receive nothing in return expect for a sweaty shirt and dirty feet and hands, but the recipient of your labor receives a vivid picture of Christ and His mercy, which is poured without measure on those who are thirsty.

Picking up shingles.

Taking a pic by the really big dumpster before the hard work began.

When David (of the Bible) was running from Saul, he was tired, hungry, desperate, and quickly losing focus. He ran into the temple, where he received a sword for the battle ahead and bread for nourishment (1 Samuel 21). This bread was meant for sacrifice and this sword was a showcase item for the Israelites, but these things were given to David in an act of mercy. Jesus himself acknowledged this good deed in Matthew 12. About this He said, “I desire mercy and not sacrifice.” I often give my time, money and talents to the church in an act of sacrifice, but rarely do I offer them to those in need as an act of mercy. Where does Rothwell and West Jefferson Baptist rank in this area? How many desperate Davids are being nourished with spiritual food and equipped with weapons of truth?

FUGE Camp

2007-06-24T20:26:00.000-07:00

These are some of the girls that I have the privilege of working with this summer. Aren't they beautiful, even at camp?
This is me with the youth pastor, Jody. We found ourselves busier and more tired this week than we have been in a long time (even after VBS).
How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news! Romans 10:15
Three girls from church and I were all on the Fifth Avenue team. This means that we, along with about 15 people from different churches, had Bible study and ministered together all week. We went to a nursing home, a children's home, a farm, a GA camp, and a park. The last night of camp, we competed against other teams in MEGA, a huge relay. For this event, everyone dresses in their team colors and paints there faces in a effort to win "THE SPIRIT CUP"! You wouldn't want to mess with us!
This little girl asked to paint my face while we were at the Berea House, a home that ministers to children in a low-income community. While at the home, we were able to share Bible stories with these kids as well as the unconditional love of Christ.
This is our group with the camp pastor, Jon Gillis. Jon has written two books:
The Dawn of Resolution and Substitute Christianity. He is an amazing, in-your-face speaker.

So, as you can see from the pictures, this week was filled with so many different activities. Each one of them was a chance to glorify God in some way; even sitting still in the midst of camp madness became a form of worship. I truly learned the meaning of 1 Corinthians 10:31, "Therefore, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do everything for God's glory."

For the sake of space and time, I want to highlight three things that I am praising God for this week:

1. A deep concern over the definition of Christian.
In Jon's book, Substitute Christianity, he discusses this issue. How do you know that you are a Christian? Is it because you asked Jesus into your heart or prayed a prayer? Neither one of those terms or practices are found in scripture. God calls us to confess, repent, and believe. BUT He also calls us to die to self and to live for Him. This is not a single transaction that happens at an altar one day, it is a lifestyle. What is the purpose of Christianity? Did Christ die to save us from HELL? Well, yes and no. He died to save us from sin and sin is what causes us to go to hell. We get so caught up in hell that we forget that sin is the problem and that sin happens now, not later. It ruins our life now, and it can ruin our life later as well. Now, I still have not figured out the whole thing. I am seeking God and His word (they are one in the same, right?) for the answers. For now, I know that I am a Christian because I have trusted Him to save me from my sins, and I have not only called Him Lord but I am attempting to make Him Lord of my life (key word=attempting). Jon says, to remember, if you are not living with Jesus now, you will not live with Him for forever, and if you are living with Him now, you will continue to live with Him for forever, and forever.

2. People worshiping in so many different ways.
This week I saw people jump to worship. I saw them dance. I saw them sing, and it made me worship that much more. On Thursday night, our group had a confession session after Jon preached a message on facades. Many in our group, including myself, admitted to holding up a false appearance. Students cried and as the tears ran, the inner parts of their hearts were opened up for all of us to see. One student even asked Jesus to save him, expressing the desire to be baptized and read scripture with some of the group (you don't meet middle schoolers everyday who want to read scripture). In those moments we grew so much closer together. For many, the greatest blessings of the week, came on Thursday. However, for me the blessings came the next night during worship. I turned to my right to see many of the kids raising their hands to the their MAKER, the one who allows and invites them to be HONEST and drop all the false appearances. Some were crying, others were belting out the song, some were even jumping up and down. I could see their hearts and for many I knew their reason for worship. THAT was the greatest blessing of the week for me.

3. God using me when I didn't expect it. He used me outside my comfort zone (SURPRISE).
This week I was not sure which ministry track to choose--social, children's, games and rec, creative, or construction. Well, I canceled off creative really quickly for obvious reasons but all of the others were still an option. I liked a little bit of each one. I felt pulled toward social, but I did not want to sign up for it because one of the possible ministry sights was a nursing home. My grandmother lives at the nursing home and I don't even enjoy seeing her there (isn't that sad?); I even call it the funeral home on accident sometimes. However, in the end that is where I ended up, and you know what my favorite ministry of the week was? You guessed it, the nursing home. I got to play Bingo with Ms. Virginia White. She shared with me so much about her life. She "crosses and uncrosses her legs" for fun, and plays too many jokes to have any friends. She used to be hair dresser and has skied behind a cow! She was so funny! I and so many others have missed out on blessings because we have ignored the older generation.

As you can see, I had an amazing week at camp. God worked through the youth, and the fire is evident on their faces. Pray that the fire will continue. It will only do so if the leaders and the youth commit themselves to prayer and the reading of God's word. Pray for me, that I will get back into my quiet time after the week at camp, which completely jumbled my schedule, including my sleep. Also, pray that we will continue to minister here in Rothwell as we did in Greenville. The students have expressed the desire to visit nursing homes and children's homes, so Jody and I along with the kids will work this week to plan those activities. Pray for opportunities and for creativity in planning and executing these ministries.

Oh, how I love Jesus (and Fridays!)

2007-06-15T17:22:00.001-07:00

It is the end of the week, and (am I allowed to say this?) yeah! We have had Bible school all week. It has been such a blast to work with the kids. The nights have been filled with laughter, joy, prayer, worship, and all the good things that you could ask for, which makes me wonder, why am I so tired and emotionally drained? I am not sure, but I am sure that it was worth it.

Brother Devin allowed me to partner with him and Carol this week as we taught Bible stories to kids in the kindergarten through fifth grade classes. I know that THIS is exactly where God wanted me to be. The kids cycled through in fifteen minute intervals, so I got to see almost all of them everyday. While they were in Bible study, we played a couple of really fun games that tied into the Bible study for the day (and we told the Bible story, of course). A couple of nights, Brother Devin let me help tell the story. People have always told me that the best way to learn something is to teach it, and that proved to be so true for me this week.

When telling a story to children, you have to really be familiar with it because you have to tell it in your own words (they do not understand thee, thou, accord, sanctification, transcends, etc.) without getting the facts wrong or embellishing. Last night, we were retelling the story of the early church. The narration began with Jesus' ascension into heaven (ascension, another word that they do not understand). So, I began to think of ways to explain it. When Jesus went up into heaven, it was like their friend just floating off, like someone suddenly inflated Him with helium. How strange would that be? No wonder they stood staring into the sky for so long. I asked the kids, "How long do you think they stood staring at the sky, wondering where He went?" So many of the kids said, "one hour". How long do you think that it was? I don't guess we could know, but it must have been a long time because Acts says that God sent an angel to tell them to stop staring at the clouds; "Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking to heaven?" (Acts 1: 11a). Isn't that cool? They were so dumbfounded that they just stood there, looking up until GOD sent an angel to keep them from breaking their necks :-)

This is just one of the cool things that I saw when I read the Bible stories from a different perspective!

Besides Bible school, there were also alot of other projects to work on this week because we are leaving for camp on Monday, which means that we had to (and still have to) get paper work together, prepare for lessons, and get the van ready. We also have a middle school party tomorrow night! MADNESS!

In the midst of a crazy and draining day and week, there has been so much encouragement. I ran into a guy from UAB at STARBUCKS; he used to hang out in our dorm room and moved to the area for the summer with his parents! It was so great to see a familiar face. How cool? Today alone I got five cards in the mail (really sweet ones too). And, to top it all off, I got to see many kids pray to receive Christ during VBS! We do not know the exact #, but GOD does and He is rejoicing! The kids were encouraged to come forward during the invitation Sunday morning and afterwards be baptized, so maybe they will. Go God!

Thank you so much for your prayers. PRAY for the youth as we travel to camp and stay there throughout the week next week. PRAY for ministry opportunities on the way to camp and when we arrive. PRAY for spiritual growth and unity in the group. PRAY that God will continually renew my emotional and physical strength. Hopefully, I will be able to take advantage of this weekend of rest!

30 Even youths grow tired and weary,
and young men stumble and fall;

31 but those who hope in the LORD
will renew their strength.
They will soar on wings like eagles;
they will run and not grow weary,
they will walk and not be faint.
Isaiah 40:30-31

P.S. The pic is from last weekend when Leslie (middle), Kaylie (left), and I (right) went shopping and to SONIC for ice cream (no night is complete without ice cream)!!

His Girl

2007-06-10T19:44:00.001-07:00

Tonight was the first session of HisGirl, a Bible study that is produced by Lifeway. We have been planning it for a couple of weeks, but Miriam was out of town last week. She is leading the study, and I am so excited to be helping her. The book has lots of great ideas about how to get conversation started, but Miriam has SO many ideas as well. This weekend, we prepared for the study by discussing who was doing what and going to buy supplies. We decided to prepare for about 15 people(and thought we were over estimating). We went to Walmart to get rings for the scripture memory cards, and they only had ten, but again we thought that would be plenty.

We planned the Bible study for 7 pm, right after evening worship. Georgiana volunteered to have it at her house, so we were going to take the van over there after service. When we went to get on the van, guess what? We wouldn't all fit!! Girls sat on the ground behind the last row of seats and squeezed together. They rode in other cars as well. When we got there, we realized that we didn't have enough of anything! How great is that? We ran out of rings, journals, and even pens! It was so exciting. There were 17 girls there, many who do not usually come to church on Wednesday nights, much less Sunday nights.

Those who prepared for and promoted this study, did such an incredible job! Pray for those who came, that they will continue to come and learn what God has to say about the way we live. It is so amazing to see that God's word has implications today, even though the time in which they lived was so different.

I will have to share with you a little about what we learned tonight. The topic was stress. We used 2 sets of scripture verses: Hebrews 4: 14-16 and Matthew 14. The verses in Hebrews tell us that Jesus went through everything that we go through. That is mind boggling, but also so encouraging.

Jesus was tempted sexually, yet He didn't give in. He was tempted to gossip, yet He didn't open His mouth to tear others down. He was "tempted in every way, just as we are--yet was without sin"(Hebrews 4:15b). Therefore, I can bring Him all of my concerns, and He will, not only hear, but understand! This is the main lesson in dealing with stress: God is capable of taking all of our concerns. When we are stressed out, what are we supposed to do? The answer is so clear: "Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need" (Hebrews 4:16).

Be in prayer for the youth. God is blessing this time. Pray that He will use this time to build community and ignite a desire for Him, the Lover of our Souls (and the rest of our being as well). Also pray this week for the entire church. VBS starts tomorrow and the youth is going to camp next week. There are tons of events plans, but our prayer is that they become more than events. When we recognize God's presence with us, that is exactly what will happen!

But for me, the presence of the Lord is my good! Psalms 73:28a

Foundations

2007-06-07T19:32:00.000-07:00

The elderly people of the church are those who are the most faithful; they attend every service, give money during every offering, and pray for every need. Yet of all those in the church, they get the least attention. When was the last time that the Senior adults had a fun day (that someone else planned for them) or a special service with "their kind of music"? We have become accustomed to ignoring their voice as that of "the past generation"; of course, there is a time for change and change is healthy. We must not hold on to things just because they are tradition. However, we should revisit our foundations, the things that built the church and that will continue to keep us strong.Today I had the opportunity to do just that.

This week, Jody and I spent some time selecting prayer partners for the youth that will be attending camp. The list consisted mainly of senior adults--the prayer WARRIORS. Jody decided that, if we didn't see them at church on Wednesday night, we would hand deliver them. He warned me that this could take a while. I was expecting to drop off the prayer partner requests and drive to the next house, but these visits turned into so much more! They became times of prayer and encouragement and reminders that great wisdom is lost when we stop listening to the voice of those who are our elders (only by a couple of years :-) ).

The second visit we made was too a lady named Miss Ouida. I was scared to say her name while we were there because I am still not certain of the pronunciation. As soon as we walked into her house, I knew that this lady was going to make a great prayer partner for me (I got a GOOD one!!!). A stack of books the height of a small child sat on her ottomon, which included her Bible, concordance, Open Windows, and other spiritual resources. Each one was worn with love, the product of daily appointments with God. When she opened her mouth to speak, encouragement overflowed. Miss Ouida told us of her deep burden for Rothwell Baptist, which is currently experiencing a sharp drop in attendance. Her passion flowed with every word as she spoke of her desire to "fix it," and the hurt she felt knowing that she couldn't. She then spoke lovingly of her pastor and his work. Every word she spoke was one that uplifted someone else.

Jody and I left, stunned at what God had taught us in those few minutes that we spent with her. Why do we not do this more often? This is the 3rd visit that I have made to the home of a senior citizen since i have been in Rothwell, and each one has been a deep blessing. I can't wait to finish handing out the prayer partner request; hopefully during this time i will be able to gain more knowledge from these saints of God.

I praise God for those in B'ham, like Miss Ouida. They still send their wisdom to me, even here in Pooler. Thank you so much!

Is not wisdom found among the aged?
Does not long life bring understanding?
Job 12:12

Rain On Our Parade

2007-06-06T08:43:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, the youth group went to the Braves game, so much fun! It takes about 3.5 hours to get there, so we left the church around 9. After driving for what seemed like forever, we stopped for lunch at a gas station. We kept looking for a rest stop, but since we never saw one, we just ate our sack lunches in the van. We had a big plan for a picnic and devotion, but it turned into a face-stuffing and very quick lesson.

In the van, I had the chance to lead the devotion. I wanted it to tie into the baseball game, so I talked about pride, and how it gets in the way of us and God. one of my favorite things that God showed me in that lesson was this: A baseball team cannot win if all the players focus on their on desires instead of the goals of the team. However, God will be victorious not matter what. Pride just keeps us from sharing in his victory. So often, I begin to believe that God can't do it without me. The pressure of that is more than anyone can bear. When I fail, I think that I let God down somehow; however, I only let Him down when I work for myself and not for Him; and even if i abandon Him, His plan will still prevail!

The clouds had loomed overhead all day, and we went through a few showers on the way to the game, but when we arrived at the stadium, the weather was perfect! The clouds overhead provided just enough shade. However, around the 6th inning the clouds turned dark and at the end of the seventh, they opened up and poured sheets of rain onto the unexpecting fans. They all ran for cover, and most ran home. We hung around, taking pictures and watching the field crew cover the field. Only 20 minutes later, we returned to our wet seats to watch the last 2 innings with wet rears under sunny skys! Nothing was going to rain on our parade!

It was such a blessed day. On the way up there, i finished reading The Way I Was Made by Chris Tomlin (titled inspired by his song). As most of you know, I have no clue where my future is going, where God is leading me. Chris hit so many homeruns in my heart with the things that he said in that book pertaining to his struggle with his future. For instance
--"Looking back, I can see that God was hard at work on my real future. But at the time, I wasn't convinced. So I played it safe. I let God do His thing and I went to work getting into physical therapy school. Not that I had a passion for it, but physical therapy seemed like a logical way for me to make money (just being honest)."

Right now, I feel like that is where I am at, just holding on to my backup plan until God reveals to me a real passion, something that doesn't just make money. Look at Chris Tomlin, he was fixing to start physical therapy school and now he is a world-renowned worship leader, constantly inviting people to glorify God. Who knows what God has for me, a girl who is holding onto a chemistry degree, waiting on direction from God. The book encouraged me to be confident in my waiting, but not to ignore the signs that God gives me.

One year ago, I would have never guessed that I would be here, in Savannah, Georgia, but that is where he led me! Praise Him that He did! and because of this leading, I can trust Him to continue to lead me exactly where He wants me to go.

Being confident of this, that He who began a good work in you will carry it on to the completion until the day of Christ Jesus.--Philippians 1:6

I know the plans I have for you says the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.--Jeremiah 29:11

Opportunites Passed

2007-06-03T13:27:00.000-07:00

Friday at Nagano's (a Japanese restraunt) I shared the table with a girl my age and her mom. We struck up a converstion that lasted throughout the evening meal. When the girl got up to leave, I realized that I had not shared my heart for God with her. Of course, there were plenty of opportunities. She asked me why I had come to Georgia. I talked to her about church. Instead of saying, "I came because I have a friend named Jesus, who provides me with unconditional love," I said, "I came to work with the youth at Rothwell...Have you seen that new Pirates of the Caribbean movie?"

This incident is similar to so many others that I have had both in Alabama and Savannah, GA. I allow the opportunities to pass because my heart is not focused (or maybe my heart and my brain are not connecting!) So, I ask you to pray for the strength to get past the small talk! This same prayer request applies to the girls in the youth: that God will help me to get past the surface with them and discover their hearts so that I can better minister to them.

Thank you so much for your prayers! Because of them I have settled comfortably in Rothwell and have had many chances to share. Just pray that I will take advantage of these opportunities.

This weekend has been alot of fun. As I said, we went to Nagano's on Friday night. Brittany, Emily and Kaitlyn are not here this weekend, so I have been hanging out with Harry and Dennise alot. Yesterday we went to a wedding at the church. I caught the bouquet!! I don't really believe that it means anything, but it was exciting none-the-less. After the wedding I got the chance to hang-out with Leslie, a girl in the youth group who is only a year younger than me. We went to see a movie and ate at Mellow Mushroom...fun, fun!

This week holds lots of excitement, including a trip to the Braves game. These activities are entended to keep the kids involved, but they are also alot of fun for us! Our prayer is that they will be more than just activities, though. That they will be events that allow us to build relationships and love the kids so that they can see and experience Christ's love.

Getting Acquainted

2007-05-30T19:03:00.000-07:00

what better way to get acquainted than a water fight?

i met all of the kids last week at the service and got the chance to see many of them again on Sunday, but tonight was the first night that i felt at home in the service. it may have been becuase of the water fight that we had before the service began.

last week jody told me about a game called "Poor Man's Laser Tag" (Brad if you are reading this is a great idea for the youth). The game is fairly simple. Participants tape construction paper to the front of their shirt. Each team has a different color construction paper. Each participant is given a water gun (small one). After about 15 minutes or so, the game is called. The papers are removed and whoever has the dryest papers wins.

Tonight, though, the adults were given bigger waterguns, and I was given the supersoaker :-) I wasn't on anyones team, so i went around and shot all the kids. it was so much fun! one boy hid in the corner the whole time, so when he finally came out, he showed off his dry paper. he thought the game was over, but not for me. I soaked him and his paper. in response, he took the garbage can that had all the water that had leaked out of the guns and dumped it on me. this resulted in much laughter and me chasing him around the fellowship hall trying to get payback (until Jody asked everyone to sit down)

When i did sit down, it felt...strange...like that was were i belonged, like they had accepted me. I know that I did not come to pooler to please people or to be excepted by the people here, but that doesn't mean that it isn't really nice! and as it is my goal to minister to the youth, being accepted by them will make that job alot easier and more enjoyable!

tomorrow we are going to the beach, another chance to play with water, and, of course, laugh with a group of kids who love to do just that. i can't wait.

Thank you so much for your prayers. Continue to pray for the relationships that are being created. That the conversations will flow from boys (which seems to be the main topic of conversaition) to the only One who can satisfy the desires of our hearts.

new technology!

2007-05-29T19:22:00.000-07:00

For those of you who have been reading my blog, thank you! Now it is much easier; you can subscribe to my blog using the form at the right. Just type in your email and complete the prompts that follow. After this is complete, a copy of my posts will be sent to your email as they are entered (i believe) or at the least, you will be notified when I post. This will allow you to know when I have posted so you won't have to check it everyday because I definately do not post everyday!

Thank you for your faithful prayers! Love you!

History Comes Alive

2007-05-27T14:24:00.000-07:00

On Saturday, the Campbell family and I went to Fort Pulaski on the way home from a beautiful day at the beach. The fort was one of the major holding grounds for the Confederates during the civil war. We took a guided tour around the fort; the tour was led by an energetic tour guide. As he spoke, the Confederate soldiers appeared in the bunks and shuffled around the field. They manned the cannons and yelled for more ammunition. They cried out in pain and laughed at in the golden sunshine. I could see it all as it played out before me. I was in awe of the power and history contained in that space, history that is all around us. There is history in the ground beneath our houses and everywhere we walk, some places and people call us to recognize it while others push us in the future, causing us to forget.

Last night, I lay reading my Bible, drifting in and out of sleep, using all the strength in my body to lift my eye lids which suddenly weighed 200 lbs. Why wasn't this exciting, why was God's word not a page turner, why did I wish to be done so I could pick up Velvet Elvis or go to sleep? I thought back to the events of the day and realized that like the Civil War, the events in the Bible really happened. The facts of the Civil War can put you to sleep in a text book, but the mouth of an impassioned tour guide brings them to life. The facts of the Bible were putting me to sleep because I wasn't approaching them with passion. I had forgotten that these words were spoken by a Man who really lived and written by men who saw Him and experienced Him. This morning, when I read my Bible, I tried to imagine Paul, there in front of me, writting to the church at Corinth. He shares his heart with them. When I imagined it in this way, the words seem to come alive, just as the Fort did yesterday. From now on when I read these words, I will attempt to discover the passion behind the pen, to examine the context of the story.

As I was reading velvet Elvis I found more on the subject of bringing the Bible to life. Rob Bell reminded me that the stories in that Bible are not only important because they happened but because they happen. The story of the woman at the well happens every single day as God reaches out to the "untouchables" and changes there lives, shows them that they have worth. How wonderful!

So, I am trying to read my Bible with more passion and more understanding, although I fell asleep even today as I read. HOW HUMAN WE ARE! Pray for me in this area as I try to improve my quiet times, so that they are not so quiet anymore. Why do we call them "quiet times" anyways, shouldn't God be speaking to us?

Good Morning!

2007-05-25T06:40:00.001-07:00

I at my host family's home, waiting on 10 o'clock, when I am going to the office to work on the calendar for the summer. Most of the dates for camp and VBS are already set, but we (Jody and I) are going to attempt to set days for day trips and solidify some of the other plans that are kind of up in the air.

The past few days have been busy, but none of it has felt like "work." This is the kind of job that I want to be paid for someday, one where you don't even realize that you were just "working." Yesterday Jody had to go to traffic court in Savannah, so I got my first view of the city. It was absolutely gorgeous. The houses are all old, but well-kept. There are gardens everywhere, even though there isn't alot of grass. People have plants growing on their porches, up there house, and all around! AMAZING. We also saw some beautiful cathedrals, but weren't able to go in because they were having service (on a Thursday afternoon?)

Last night we went to a concert by Steve Fee. I was a little skeptical about how good it would be because I have never heard of him before, but it was really, really good. Steve allowed everyone to worship instead of attempting to entertain. I was struck last night by the verse "Offer your bodies as a living sacrifice." So often, worship is hard. Lifting your hands is not always comfortable and our feet get tired from standing. Our mind tends to wonder, and bringing it back to God over and over again can be mentally straining. Sometimes I just get so tired during worship, but I left the concert last night more energized than when I came. My worship seemed to change when I realized that it wasn't always going to be fun, but, if my heart was worshipping, it was always going to be pleasing to God!

I started reading Velvet Elvis today. What a great book. Rob Bell challenges us to question our faith. How can that strenghten our faith? Rob says that questioning causes us to admit that we don't have all the answers. We must seek out God, discover the mystery that He is. I recently read that women were created to reveal the mystery of God. Men are surface creatures, after digging a while you find all there is :-) but women are deep, no matter how long you know a woman, you will never know all that she is, but when you love a woman you are encouraged to continue searching. This is the same way with God, our love for Him calls us to dig deeper and deeper, to continue to question, even though we know that we will never completely figure it out. You should really check out the book, but beware it may cause you to question!

Thank you for your prayers. Please continue to pray for the youth at Rothwell and in the community. Pray for one of the youth guys who is currently un-churched and does not have a walking relationship with God. He was able to experience the worship service last night. Pray that a seed was planted that we at Rothwell can water. God gives the growth!

What draws you to Christ?

2007-05-23T19:16:00.001-07:00

They've told me, "It's Cooler in Pooler" and so far, it's true. The people here are full of smiles and incredibly giving. I just arrived at the home of my host family a few hours ago. We had service at the church tonight, where I got to meet all of the youth (or all of the ones who were there). They were all really nice and energetic, reminding me alot of the youth at home. Most of the youth are high school age, from 9th to 11th grade. There are many more girls that guys. Tonight there were probably about 20 kids there.

The past few days I have been at orientation in Toccoa, GA, where the Georgia Baptist Association is located. We had lots of different training sessions, but one of them was evangelism training and the session was led by Janet, a woman from the GA WMU. It was completely different than what I expected. She explained the importance of love in the evangelism process. She didn't talk as much about what we say, focusing on what we do. I have been struggling lately with the thoughts of advertising Jesus as though he is only a "Get out of hell free card" and we are the community chess. It seems that this is what we do when we walk up to people and begin sharing an evange-cube or something else without actually getting to know the person first. Janet encouraged us to share our heart with the people.

What draws you to Christ? This is the question that Janet posed to each of us. and a question that each of you reading should pose to yourself. My answer is love, a love that wraps itself around me. A love from a friend who sees everything that I am and yet loves me the same. In his presence i can be me, sybisue. I don't have to worry about who i am because he knows and he made me!!!!

This is what I should share with those around me. These other tools can still be used to share the plan of salvation, of course. But what draws people to Christ is a person whose heart is real. My heart will not show in a memorized "plan of salvation" but my heart will be clear when I speak of what drew me to my fabulous Saviour! This new view of "evangelism" was energizing. i can't wait to share with others what drew me and continues to draw me to Christ.

Thank each of you for your prayers! Please pray for the youth at Rothwell, especially the middle schoolers and the new kids who are moving up from the 6th grade.

A Savannah Summer

2007-05-01T00:03:00.000-07:00

In a few weeks (two and a half), I will head for Savannah, where I will spend the summer as an intern at Rothwell Baptist Church. I can't wait! At the church, I will assist the youth director will various aspects of the ministry, but I will concentrate my efforts on discipling the girls who are there through girls' bible study, fellowship and service.

I am not sure of all the details at this time. I have spoken with Jody (the youth minister) a few times, but I am not quite sure what questions to ask. I think that it is going to be a "wait and see" adventure! I do know that Rothwell is 20 minutes from Savannah. The youth group is very involved at the Baptist center downtown, so we will be doing VBS there and hanging out with the kids there a couple times a week. Rothwell is also 20 minutes from the beach, yeah! I am not sure what ministry opportunities are available on the coast, but, hopefully, we will be able to find some.

I am so grateful that God is allowing me to serve Him right here in the United States under such "safe" conditions. I admire those who are stepping so far out of the their comfort zones, both physically and emotionally. I am not going that far physically, but I know that God is going to challenge me in other ways. This summer, I hope to develop an intimate relationship with the Savior, learning to discern His voice more than ever before. I also hope to get a clearer glimpse of His plan for my life. I think, however, that He is going to teach me more about faith and less about "seeing the future."

Pray that God will use me to reach others and use those that I encounter to help me grow and strengthen my faith so that I can better serve Him in the way that He desires.