Sunday, March 29, 2009

praisin' Him right!

When I get to come home for the weekend, I love to go with my parents to our home church. I love the people, teaching, fellowship, and comfort there, but my favorite thing isn't a thing at all...it's a person.

There is a precious little old lady that sits on the front row of the choir, right smack-dab in the middle. I cannot for the life of me ever remember her name, and she probably doesn't remember mine, but there is love there just the same. From the first note of the first song, to the very last note, she's on her feet, hands stretched up high. She sings her heart out, praising her God who gave her life, getting ever so ready for the day she'll see Him face to face. I cannot wait to see her praise Him in Heaven! She'll have to show us all how to do it up right!

Saturday, March 21, 2009

uh-oh! I'm addicted!

So I used to have a really cool program on my computer that I used to edit pictures, make collages, etc. But alas, my computer crashed and I have been without :(

BUT!!!! I found picnik! This is a great, FREE, online picture editing program that lets you do all sorts of fun stuff with your photos!

I love it!...and I'm afraid that after only a couple of days...I might already be addicted :)

Thursday, March 19, 2009

Spring Break, Waiting, and Serving...

I was so ready for Spring Break. Everyone has asked how school is, and honestly it really is great. Classes are good. I love everything I'm doing. The social aspect though....I would like to kick and run away from. I love all of my friends (so if you're reading this please don't be offended), but I think we can all agree that social interaction always gets old, no matter who it is. So 9 days to myself?....I was excited!

God had different plans though, and instead of leaving me at home to mope and depress myself, he blessed me beyond belief with the chance to minister to two groups of girls this week.

First, I got to help out with a Disciple Now in Bronte,TX (yeah look that place up....middle of nowhere!). I had nine sixth grade girls and we got NO sleep! We did, however, get to talk openly about things they were struggling with, hurt they were feeling, and fears they had. My heart absolutely broke for each and everyone of them. It was such a joy to share with them that even when everything in our lives seems against us, we can have hope in Christ. We're never alone. When we call His name, He is faithful to answer. He always answers.

Then I got to go home. And by home...I mean like FRIONA HOME! I was so excited. I had not seen my bestest most amazing friend in the entire world since JULY! It was about time for a visit. It always surprises me how no matter how long it's been since we've seen each other, or how long it's been since we've talked....nothing ever feels any different. I love her! I absolutely adore her. She's my person!

We got to help with a Pure Freedom retreat at the church we went to in Friona. (we both went to this retreat when we were in Jr. High!) With a group of Jr. High girls, we got to talk about the importance of purity and saving your "whole tomato" (your whole heart!) for your future husband. We even all made our "shopping list"! Everything from a heart for the Lord, mission-mindedness, and nice to his mom....all the way to dances, is adventureous, and wears cowboy boots! It was precious! This commitment to purity is something that every one there teaching is extremely passionate about. We had such a blast sharing our hearts with the girls.

One of the leaders shared "her story" and I know it's one I will not forget. She read from Genesis 24:12-21, as Abraham's servant has gone to the land of the Canaanites to find a wife for Isaac:

"Lord, God of my master Abraham," he prayed, "grant me success today, and show kindness to my master Abraham. I am standing here at the spring where the daughters of the men of the town are coming out to draw water. Let the girl to whom I say, "Please lower your water jug so that I may drink," and who responds, "Drink, and I'll water your camels also"--let her be the one You have appointed for Your servant Isaac. By this I will know that You have shown kindess to my master."
"Before he had finished speaking, there was Rebekah--daughter of Bethuel son of Milcah, the wife of Abraham's brother Nahor--coming with a jug on her shoulder. Now the girl was very beautiful, a young woman who had not known a man intimately. She went down to the spring, filled her jug, and came up. Then the servant ran to meet her and said, "Please let me have a little water from your jug." She replied, "Drink, my Lord." She quickly lowered her jug to her hand and gave him a drink. When she had finished giving him a drink, she siad. "I'll also draw water for your camels until they have had enough to drink." She quickly emptied her jug into the trough and hurried the well again to draw water. She drew water for all his camels while the man silently watched her to see whether or not the LORD had made his journey a success."

Molly went on to explain how much this passage meant to her, and as she spoke, it took on new meaning for me. She said that just like Abraham's servant was observing the Canaanite women to find one who would serve him, one that would be a suitable wife for Isaac, someday she too will be observed. When that day comes, she wants her future husband to see her hard at work for the Lord, serving Him and serving others. I love this....and from here forward, I'm stealing her story :) I watched Bride Wars the other day and in it someone says that "women are dead until they're wedding day." We live in a society that agrees with this, but I know that's not true. I don't want the time from now until I get married to be wasted. I want to give my life away. I want to use this time to serve God and serve others....and someday when he comes, if he comes....that's where he'll find me: serving and worshipping the One who first stole my heart.

Molly paired this passage with the song by John Waller, "While I'm Waiting". Before then, I had always thought of Fireproof when I heard this song, but in a different light, the words spoke so clearly to me on something totally different. Forget the movie, read the words, and listen for the Lord. You might be surprised what He'll say.

While I'm Waiting (by John Waller)

I'm waiting
I'm waiting on You, Lord
And I am hopeful
I'm waiting on You, Lord
Though it is painful
But patiently, I will wait

I will move ahead, bold and confident
Taking every step in obedience
While I'm waiting
I will serve You
While I'm waiting
I will worship
While I'm waiting
I will not faint
I'll be running the race
Even while I wait

I'm waiting
I'm waiting on You, Lord
And I am peaceful
I'm waiting on You, Lord
Though it's not easy
But faithfully, I will wait
Yes, I will wait

I will move ahead, bold and confident
Taking every step in obedience
While I'm waiting
I will serve You
While I'm waiting
I will worship
While I'm waiting
I will not faint
I'll be running the race
Even while I wait

I will serve You while I'm waiting
I will worship while I'm waiting
I will serve You while I'm waiting
I will worship while I'm waiting
I will serve you while I'm waiting
I will worship while I'm waiting on You, Lord

Sunday, March 8, 2009

Snuggly pink blankets and the stillness of the morning...

There has been so much going on in my life lately...frustration, exhaustion, worry, anger- none of it good, and definitely not of the Lord. I've been tired...and tired of everything. I needed to be home. I knew that nothing else would help...I had to get home. So, on Friday afternoon I took off from school and drove home! This weekend has been like one continuous "spa getaway" from God. He has rejuvenated and refreshed me in so many ways...

Friday night was the GA sleepover which was a blast! I had a ton of fun with the girls and loved getting to share with them how being in GAs when I was little led me to be involved in missions now! I loved having that time with the girls.

Saturday was pretty rough. We suffered a loss in one of my sibling-in-love's families, so it was not an easy day. I spent most of the day with my parents, running around doing necessary errands...but it was time with them, which I desperately needed. (Talks on the phone only do so much...sometimes I just need to be able to see and touch them) Then we ended up at my sister's house for dinner, where I got to snuggle with the baby and giggle with my lovely big sister about pedicure and haircut dates, and about how we almost have matching jackets...love her! By the end of the night I had all three of the bigger boys cuddled up with me on the couch, covered up with the coveted pink blanket, watching High School Musical 3. I was in heaven. Riding in the car on the way home, I smelled something peculiar. It was an interesting combination of baby scent and sweaty little boy. I put my head down and sniffed my hoodie....mmhmm....it was me :) I'm not sure if it stunk or actually smelled as good as I thought it did, but I had a hard time releasing it to the laundry pile.

This morning I woke up to get ready for church and seriously could not have taken any longer. For some reason, I moved at the absolute slowest pace possible. By the time I was finally ready, I knew I'd be fifteen minutes late to Sunday School...at least. I hate walking in late...so I just decided to wait and just go for church. Of course, that left me with an hour of nothing to do....until I realized....it was quiet. Not just quiet. It was silent. In a suite full of college girls, in a building full of college girls....it is never silent. At 4 am, it's not even silent.

I recalled the words of Melissa Fitzpatrick, "There is no other book like it. When you sit on your couch with your Bible in your lap, you are a witness to a miracle. This miracle is called Divine Revelation." (you can read that blog post here) So that's just what I did. I grabbed my Bible, cherished the silence, and savored every syllable of His divine Word. God speaks in a variety of ways. Sometimes He uses other people. Sometimes His voice is in a song or a situation....and sometimes, like this morning, He speaks in the stillness. In the secret, sacred, intimate quiet of complete silence.

I've needed rest, and He gave me rest. I've needed to feel the love of people that I love, and He let me snuggle with them and a pink blanket all weekend. But most importantly, He quieted my heart and showed me how to rest in His love... and there's nothing on earth like it....not even a treasured pink blanket...

"Because of the LORD's great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. I say to myself, "The LORD is my portion; therefore I will wait for him." The LORD is good to those whose hope is in him, to the one who seeks him; it is good to wait quietly for the salvation of the LORD." Leviticus 3:22-26

"The fruit of righteousness will be peace; the effect of righteousness will be quietness and confidence forever." Isaiah 32:17

Monday, March 2, 2009

A Daddy-Daughter Mission Date!

Ok, so how many of you have ever heard of GA's?!

I spent the entirety of my childhood going to GA's, Girls in Action. From age four till about fourteen I was constantly involved in one way or another. The best way for me to describe it to you is that it's a lot like Girl Scouts, but while they sell cookies, we raise money for the Annie Armstrong Easter Offering, or the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering. We learned all about missionaries in America and all over the world. We prayed for them and sent care packages, wrote letters and prayed some more! I absolutely loved it!

Plus, I loved my GA leader! LOVED her. LOVE her! She is, without a doubt, like my "other mother". She has prayed for me since she knew I existed, and I absolutely adore her! She was my sister's GA leader, then my brother's (yes, he didn't have anywhere to go but GIRLS in Action!), and then ten years later....she taught me! And she's still leading GA's today!

So I am oh so very excited because this weekend Mrs. Candy, my lovely "other mother" GA leader, is having a GA sleepover and I get to go!!!!!! My Daddy and I get to go together! He's telling the girls all about his mission involvement (Sierra Leone, Zimbabwe, Swaziland, Kenya, Romania, Belarus, etc.) on Friday night, and then I get to spend the night and talk about my Mexico and Moldova missions on Saturday morning! I'm so excited! My Daddy and I get to go talk about missions together and I get to be a GA again! I absolutely cannot wait!