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!

Watch Online

We are currently starting our last summit before break here in St. Cloud, FL. I wanted to let you know that we will be live streaming it online for the entire summit. Starting tomorrow morning at 9am. Service each night will be at 6:30pm. You probably won't see me but you could see what Life Action is about and what we do! Here is the link. You can also sign up for email reminders to watch each night! God is doing some great things through our team and we look forward to seeing what He has in store for Cornerstong Family Church in St. Cloud, FL!

Update #2

Greetings from the hills of Tennessee! We are finishing up our third summit here in Johnson City this Monday. The Lord is doing some great things here in this church. People are hungry for practical principles on how to live the Christian life. Marriages are being restored and lives are being changed!

Before this summit we were in mountains of Boone, NC. The leaves changed while we were there and it was really pretty driving into the church everyday. Although it was really foggy a couple of days so it got a little scary driving through the mountains! Anyways, it was a great church. We had great attendance and lots of college age kids that came. Cause we were like 10 minutes from Appalachian State University. Actually on one of our offs days someone got the whole team tickets and we were able to go to one of there football games! They got us all ASU hats and we had a blast as a team!

Bradly and I...the Anchorites!

The college class had a get together at a Christmas tree farm. They had a huge slide and then we went on a hayride.

Here are just a couple of testimonies of what God is doing...

“God showed me that I loved my wife more than Him (idolatry). Through Jeremiah’s messages, God showed me how to be my family’s spiritual leader by keeping Him #1 in my life and yielding control to Him.”
“I came here thinking or believing I needed genuine revival. Today I realized I needed genuine salvation. I realized that my pride has been standing in my way. I have given my life to Jesus today genuinely. He is my Lord and Master.”

“God is healing my marriage from the heartbreak of adultery. He has changed my husband in amazing ways. In many regards our marriage is better, stronger that is ever has been. However, when instructed to tell my husband that I will never divorce him, I knew I couldn't’t say it. Through prayer God showed me that was an attitude of pride - a sin. I surrendered again my life and my marriage to God and I will say to my husband, “I will never divorce you”.”

After we finish here we are headed to a retreat place in the mountains for a few days. To relax, refresh and just have fun hanging out with the team. It is beautiful there! Then we have a conference at the Cove in Ashville, NC. Please be in prayer for the conference and especially for me! I will be a very busy and possibly quite stressful time for me. But my rest is in the Lord and His grace is sufficient! But you can still pray! Haha.

I wish I could tell you all the things the Lord is doing in my life and how is showing Himself faithful and powerful on my behalf. Maybe at some other time. In the mean time thank you for your prayers and support!

Travel Year #4 Update #1

It's amazing how fast time flies. Blink and you miss it. I know I sound like an old lady! But I do want to take a moment to catch up and let you know what's going on in my life!

We are about to finish up our first summit here in Grove City, OH. It's been a really great summit. The church has been very responsive and open to our team as well as to the Lord's work in their life. Despite there hardcore love for Ohio State Football! We had testimonies Tuesday and Wednesday, and I heard some of the most honest testimonies I've heard in a long time. A man confessed to not being the spiritual leader of his home. He said his kids hadn't seen him read his Bible and that was going to change. A lady also shared that last Saturday she had written a letter to her husband telling him she wanted a divorce, she decided to rip up the letter because of the Holy Spirit's work! God is so faithful and patient with us. I've also had the privilege to talk and prayer with a couple if teen girls and a lady wrestling with her salvation.

Honestly, it's been pretty rough this summit. Getting back to our normal routine and adjusting to a new team and new team leadership. I have felt totally inadequate and undeserving to even be here but the Lord has shown Himself mighty on my behalf and showed me in such a real way that in my weakness He is made strong!

Next Friday we are headed to Boone, NC for our next summit. I'm excited to get to know the team better and see what God has in store for us. We have a great team this year. That has a heart for the Lord and a heart to serve. I think this is probably one of the most spiritually desirous teams I've traveled with. God has definitely brought us together for a purpose and I pray we are faithful to love and serve for His glory!

I cannot end this post without acknowledging the Lord's faithful in my life this year through His provision. I have already (I repeat, already) met my quota for the support I needed for Life Action! This is the first year that I have been on the road and already had all my support raised by the first summit! Except maybe my first year...but my parents helped me out! Although, I have met my needed amount for Life Action I am still believing God for another $700 or so to pay for my insurance. But I am still so grateful for what He has already done!

"But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. -Matt. 6:33

Just a quick update:

Today I'm headed back to camp. It's been nice being home and it's hard to believe I'm already leaving. But I'm excited to get back into the swing of things. I'll be working family camp for the next couple of weeks then our training camp starts. Please pray for safety as I travel and also for grace for the next couple of months as we have family camp and then prepare for the road and get to know new team members. Thanks for your prayers, time to head out!