Growing up

I think it needs to be said that the Lord is up to something in my life. The last 6 months or so
have been crazy. Growing leaps and bounds in my faith and growing as a person.
The phrase that was a theme for me this summer was "it's time to man-up
and be a woman". I'm still growing in that one. I think some of it has to
do with growing up and the fact that I turned 24 this summer. But the majority
has to do with the fact that back in the spring I surrendered to Jesus as
Master and Lord of my life. I know what you’re thinking, wait, wait, say what?
I know, how could I have grown up in a Christian home, gone to church my whole
life and traveled in a ministry for 5 1/2 years and not have been saved? Well,
folks it's called going through the motions. I mean I wasn't trying to fake it
or anything. I knew how to live the Christian life. I knew the answers, how to
act and what to do, but I had no power. I was still fighting for control. I had
never fully surrendered to Jesus as Master and Lord of my life. There is just
such a difference in my heart. There's a joy, peace, hope, love, victory, and
understanding of the word that was never there before. There are still
struggles but I'm no longer wrestling with how to fix things. I'm just trusting
Christ and believing that He is sovereign and in control. It's so freeing! I am
so thankful that Christ is faithful and pursues me even when I didn't realize I
was lost. I am His and my life is for His glory. And I'm just in the process of
the learning what that looks like for me.

I head back on the road for next half of the year in a couple of days. Breaks been great. Busy but
good. Spent a lot of time with my parents and some friends. I feel so much more
stable now. I hadn't really thought about it but it's true. Circumstance aren't
easy right now but I rest in a sure foundation, Jesus Christ. Wow, that's cool!
Anyways...that was just off the top of my head! So yeah break...good. I've also
done a couple of pinterest projects, so fun. I love doing stuff with my hands
or I just like staying busy... I've also done some cooking and baking and
running with my dad. So fun! I'm so thankful for my parents, friends, and the
time to get a different perspective on life this break. Also, a little ready to
get back to my "normal" schedule of road life though. My life may be
crazy but I do love it! It's a new year and I'm excited to see what God has in
store. It's gonna be good...

FL, Old Lady & God at Work

We just finished up a summit here in Port Charlotte, FL. The weather here has been beautiful. My body has already registered that it is summer and I think it's gonna have a hard time adjusting to the fact that it's not...oh, well spring shall come and my tan will disappear. That's life!

This summit has been really great, 15 mins from the beach, host home with a pool, and 5 mins from the mall! I have also had a great host mom. She is 79yrs old and just spot on! When she told me how old she was I couldn't believe it! She has great memory, good style, and an amazing cook! I have really enjoyed her. She and I have had some really great talks about life, her kids, her marriage & divorce, her son that died 2yrs ago from alcohol and about the gospel and living out the Christian life. It has amazed me that I can relate with a 79yr old woman and she can relate and humbly ask me questions. We talked the other night about how we were both at a place in our life waiting on the Lord and open to whatever He has for us. Amazing! She has gone to a Lutheran church most of her life up until about 2 yrs ago when she got tired of the rituals and wanted something more. God was faithful to draw her to Himself and reveal Himself to her. She found a gospel centered church and now has an active and intimate relationship with the Lord and has a hunger and desire to see Him use her for His glory. She has been a challenged and encouragement to me.

The Lord has been doing a reviving work in my life this summit. I guess I'm always needing to be revived...guess it's good I'm in a Revival ministry! Thankful that the Lord is patient and always pursuing me. He is opening my eyes to areas of sin and self. I so often walk in the flesh. My thinking for the last month or so has been that I cannot walk in the spirit. That task seems daunting to me! I can't possibly walk in the spirit for the rest of my life! How foolish and ignorant I am. I have learned that really as long as I'm not sinning and living with the fruit of the 'spirit' than I am pretty much walking in the spirit! HELLO! That's crazy! With that mindset it totally seems possible. But if I do choose to walk in the spirit (which happens more than not) I can acknowledge that and ask for God's grace and then..LIVE. It's been such a helpful truth for me this summit. I can call out for His grace and in that I can have the fruit of the spirit. So simply yet often so difficult.

The next couple months are going to get busy. We head out this week for our next summit in High Point, NC aka furniture capital of the world! I will be staying with one of my favorite camp families I met this summer! After that we have a week off at a retreat place in the mountains (ok, so maybe things won't be that busy;)) But then we have a conference in Asheville, NC at the Cove which is always a crazy time for me. And then we head to Athens, GA...which is just an hour from home! We also have a lot to get ready for our summit in Canada. Please pray for God to meet with us and give us strength.

"Beloved, I urge you as sojourners and exiles to abstain from the passions of your flesh, which wage war against your soul. Keep your conduct among the Gentiles honorable, so that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day of visitation." -1 Peter 2:11-12

Life & Love

I think it definitely needs to be said that every off day I seem to have the intention of updating this blog but I don't quite ever get around to it. Or maybe I shouldn't have said that...just shows how lazy I am! Oh, well, at least I'm doing it now, right?!

Well, I guess I blinked. One more summit and the first half of this travel year is over. Things have been going really good. We have seen God do some great things in the churches we've been in this year. God is at work and He is using us in some powerful ways, I believe.

The Lord has blessed me this year with some great host homes. It's so neat to see how the Lord puts us exactly in the home we're suppose to be in, maybe not so much for us to bless them but for them to bless us. I know my life has forever been impacted by some of the families I've stayed with this year. Among the homes that are a blessing there are also those with there...unique twist! Like...staying in a halfway house..:) Needless to say the Lord has a sense of humor, although we may not always get it...ha..ha.

I am so thankful that the Lord is constantly pursuing us. The last 8 months or so have been some dry times spiritually. I have continued to seek the Lord but the desire & passion just hasn't been there like it had been. I've felt like every time I hear a message it's something life changing and I have to get it. I have to fix it. I have to change this problem of bitterness, anger, or not loving people and it's not working. I can't fix myself. Then this summit Steven Canfield came. He was filling in as our family revivalist this summit. He spoke to our team and brought everything back to the Gospel. Finally, the answer I've been looking for. We can accomplish nothing without the foundation, the power of the Gospel. It changes everything. The way we live for Christ is in the shadow of the Gospel. We have to constantly remind ourselves of the Gospel. What Christ has done for us. Then with that mindeset it gives us the desire & power to live for Him. To forgive, be patient, and love others because He first loved us. I definitely haven't gotten this down but I'm so thankful for the reminder. The Christian life is a process.

I'm looking forward to this Thanksgiving and getting to see my family. It's been almost a year since all of my siblings & I have been together. Grateful for the opportunity this year to get to be with my family for the holidays. Please continue to pray for me. The Lord is faithful but the enemy is at work too. Pray that I continue to seek the Lord and have wisdom, love for others & for safety as I will be doing lots of traveling over the holidays. Thank you for your prayers & support! Happy Thanksgiving!

Camp aka Summer Home

Things have been going pretty well here at camp. I worked four weeks of family camp in July and we are now in Staff Training. Family camp went really well. As part of working family camp each of us team members are paired up with a family each week and are their 'family assistant'. The Lord blessed me with some great families this summer that I truly enjoyed serving and getting to know. One of the things I love about serving in LA is being able to get in peoples lives. Not just on a shallow level but really going deep and talking about issues of the heart, getting to really know people & then just encouraging them in where their at. It was a blessing to build some good relationships.

After Family Camp all of the team members had to take a college class. LA brought in a professor from North Greenville University in Greenville, SC to teach us a semester course in one week! We took New Testament Survey. Those of you who know me well know college is not my thing! Although very challenging & a ton of information crammed in one week, now that the week is over I can say it was good & I did learn some things! Just in case you were wondering though, the Lord has confirmed once again that college is not what He has for me, at least at this point!

Each summer all of the staff at LA takes a week off to be refreshed. They bring in some speakers, worship leader & just take some time to seek the Lord and hear from Him for revival in our own lives, we call it Revival Week. This year they brought in Michael Catt, from Sherwood Church in Albany, Ga(The church that made the movies, Facing the Giants & Fireproof)Dave Butts, Chairmen of the National Day of Prayer, Kyle Martin, who is the radio host of a revival program in Texas & Josh Davis from Anchor! I believe if was one of the best Revival Weeks we've had since I've been here. The Lord truly met with us. Coming into the week I was dry & seeking direction for this next year and needing refreshment from the Lord. The Lord was faithful to meet with me. He opened my eyes to areas I haven't been faithful in and showed me some things in my heart that I didn't even know were there. One specific area was bitterness. I've heard plenty of messages on the subject and I feel like I worked through things but this week he showed me that I had been bitter at Him for my singleness. For as long as I can remember the desire for a mate has been on my heart. I've tried to work through it & really felt like I was content but the reality was the issue was always just beneath the surface. I'm so thankful the Lord opened my eyes and showed me the root of my sin. The root goes so deep that I don't know how I'll get to the bottom but by His grace I will get victory and I will not stay in the dungeon of bitterness I had put myself in.

"He does not deal with us according to our sins, nor repay us according to our iniquities. For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his steadfast love toward those who fear him;" -Ps. 103:10-11

Please prayer that the work the Lord has started in me I will continue to seek Him for. Thank you for your prayers & support. God is at work.

Cupcakes, Paint & 23

I guess I get it from my mom. It was never a problem growing up but it definitely is now. If I have caffeine anytime like after lunch then I won't be getting to sleep til early in the morning. I like to think it's beneficial cause it keeps me drinking really only water but give me one sip or in this cause a chocolate cupcake with mocha butter cream icing and I'm done for. The instant coffee in the icing was even decaf! Oh, well I've been meaning to update my blog any ways. As well as the gift of caffeine sensitivity I also am an amazing procrastinator, I think I get that from my dad;) Hence the reason I'm updated my blog the day before I head back to Michigan! Ha.

This break has been pretty memorable. Why is it as soon as you get comfortable and connected you have to leave...maybe it's just me? And the fact that I'm always moving around? You think? I don't know. Anyways...memorable break, right!

I guess for starters I've had a good time bonding with my younger sister. She's been somewhat handicap the last two months, due to a softball accident she did some serious damage to her knee and has been on crutches. So, for the most part of break I've been taking care of her. She has progressed so much since I've been home and it's been so tender watching her learn to walk again! ...aww. The boys have been gone all summer so I guess that helps the bonding too!

I have done so many fun activities over break. My parents decided to paint the house. So out came the paint clothes and I got busy. My grandparents came down and so dad, papa, momma, and me did some remodeling to the front of the house. Well, mostly dad and papa, but I cocked and painted! Went to a Braves game with my parents & grandparents. There was a slight rain delay but we got to see the crew cover the field and try to keep the field dry. That was pretty entertaining. The game was good too, they won.

Got to spend some good times with old friends. So thankful for people that care about me and take time to listen. Spent some quality time with my Dad. We went on a white water rafting trip in North GA. Guide wasn't that great but we had fun and I only fell out once! We also jumped off some cliffs! Ok, well they were just rocks and it was only like 8ft up but still!! It was high! Had lunch on the rocks with hippies and no plates...

Lets see...celebrated my 23rd birthday! What? Yeah, I know sounds weird.. Some of my relatives came up and we went to Mimi's Cafe...got free chocolate mousse pie. Went to Fl and went to the wedding of some old family friend's daughter. We didn't know anybody at the wedding(besides the family) but mom and my sister and I had fun getting dressed up! We got ready in one bathroom in a mall and then changed in the car...haha! We headed down to my grandparents and hung out with some of our relatives for a few days. Abby and I laid out...and got burned! But Papa had a miracle cream and we could hardly feel we were burnt so bad! Went to the midnight showing of a movie...slept for 3hrs then hopped in the car for a 7hr drive home, Then we got home and got all dressed up and headed to downtown A.T.L. for dinner on the town and Phantom of the Opera at the Fox! It was amazing! We've had the P.O.T.O movie on the last two days! I have a new found appreciation for the arts!

Today..or umm, yesterday was my mom's birthday. Abby and I watched a cupcake bake off show on Food Network while down in FL so we decided to make mom some cupcakes for her b-day. As I said before, chocolate fudge with mocha butter cream icing. We decorated them all fancy and they tasted amazing! Cupcake desire-fulfilled. So, yeah...I think your pretty much up to date!

I head back up to Michigan Sunday. I will be working family camp til the end of July, after which training camp starts and then we hit the road some time around the beginning of September. Crazy days ahead! Trying to get mentally prepared for whats next. Break has been so great but I know I have to get back and get busy! Well, I think I'm tired now. Got a lot to get done before I head out. Thank you for your prayers and support! Enjoy your summer! And...goodnight!

Just finished our last summit of the year, here in Bloomington, IL. We head out to Iowa in a few days for a four day conference. After which we go to camp for the weekend, then I'm headed home around the 1st of June! Its been a great year and I can't believe the travel year is nearly over. But I'm also looking forward to summer and getting a little break. So much has been going down the last serval months and my picture posting skills have definitly been lacking! I'm hoping to catch up soon! Please pray for grace to finish strong & safety in travels. He is faithful!

Since my last update I've been in numerous states and already finished two summits and going on the second week of our third one since break! I'm not to good at keeping you up to date I know, I'm sorry! You know how fast life seems to fly by and before we know it it's almost March. But I do just want to give a brief update on life and what God is doing in me.

Our first summit after break was in Lynchburg, VA. It was a good summit and had a great group come back every night. I got sick for a few days from what seemed to be food poisoning or just some strange bug that hit me hard for a couple of days. Then just as I was starting to feel better I got sick again, I was then given a prescription that I didn't react to well to and it's messed me up for several days. I felt like a 70 year old lady trapped in a 22 year old's body. I hardly talked for 3 days, was wiped out and then could hardly walk(I mostly shuffled). I later realized it was from the medication and after going off of that I was much better! But after all of that it made me realize what a blessing it is that I can walk and talk!

After Lynchburg, we headed to Olive Branch, MS. What a great summit! The testimonies were some of the most honest & broken ones I have heard in a long time. And the people were so responsive. I had a really great host family & roommate! Which made it even better! They took us to downtown Memphis, we drove by Graceland and went to the Peabody Hotel where they have the ducks in the lobby. Fun times and great friendships developed!

I am currently still in MS, at a church that is about 2 miles from that last summit. I can't say that's ever happened since I've traveled. So, it's been a new experience being in one town for more than 3 weeks! Haha, but it is nice to know where everything is.

The Lord has been doing a work of revealing Himself to me in a new way recently. I am ready this book called "God of all Comfort" By Hannah Witall Smith. I would highly recommend it. It's about knowing who we are as Christians. She wrote the book because she said so many Christians aren't comfortable in there faith. The book just walks through who God is and some of His different names. It really has been such a comfort and encouragement to me. So often I think of God as someone far off and someone who just demands my goodness. But He is not like that at all. He is a Loving Father, a Good Shepard, which means He is looking out for me. He loves me and wants what's best for me. He is in control and I can rest in who He is. He is my rock and He is the Great I am! It's just been revolutionary for me and so encouraging to me! Rest in who He is!

Next week we are headed to Texas for a conference then headed to Chicago for a four day conference at Moody Bible Church in downtown Chicago! It's going to be pretty crazy but I'm really like Chicago and I'm really looking forward to it. Please be in prayer for me and the team. The next several weeks are going to be crazy. Pray for unity among the team and that God will use us for His glory and we will be faithful to serve how ever He chooses. God is at work and I am so thankful for the privilege to serve here and used in such a small way to further the Kingdom!