Are you kidding me?

WOW, the Lord has done SO much for me lately. I do not even know where to start. If you've been reading you know about the divine encounter I had with the Moore family on Sunday night. Then, on Tuesday night I had my Life Group girls over for our first girl's night! It went off without a hitch. It was fantastic and I made new sisters. We talked about my feeling to go on a mission trip this summer. And they shared their testimonies about how God had always pulled everything off miraculously for them. Which, got me thinking about the possibility of this summer. On Wednesday morning, I woke up and decided to take another look at the AG mission's webpage. I had seen the internship before, but on wednesday morning I had fresh eyes and chose to dig a bit deeper on what it entailed. From Convoy of Hope, I learned about the internship that was going to central America this summer for 6 weeks. Could I do something like this? The thought crossed my mind more than once. I began to add up the dates and look at the calendar. What about money? I couldn't work. . . But, in the end, I decided to send in for more information. Then I hit the shower.

No lie, 20-30 minutes after I sent in that informational email, Matt Wilkie gives me a call. He is a part of coordinating the internships for Convoy of Hope. He told me more about the program and I got to share a bit about myself and what God was calling me into. He seemed really excited about all the God was doing. (Who wouldn't be?) And gave me encouragement and told me the next steps I needed to begin taking. Such things as, working on my passport, sending out the support letters, and whatnot. I know a goal of mine would be to build a prayer team for the people I would be ministering to. So that the favor of God is upon them and me before I even talk to them!

I began to think deeply about it all day long. I was getting emails left and right from so many different people, and I just was overwhelmed with how it seemed to be working in my favor so quickly. Within 4 hours of even considering the trip, I gained a sponsor for it! If that's not God I don't know what is! So I kept trying to stay calm and not get too excited about it. I still hadn't talked to my Mom or Dad, and I desperately wanted their opinion. I couldn't get ahold of them until Wednesday night at 9:00!

Because it was Wednesday, I had church at 7:00 pm. I almost didn't go, because all I wanted to do was work on details. My time is so limited, but then I realized that GOD is the ENTIRE reason I was getting this chance! So, of course, I went rejoicing the entire time. During church, God orchestrated every minute. From the music in the beginning, to the small group prayer, to the sermon, and then the AFTER service chat I had with some wonderful people! They , (Are you ready for this?? ) are medical missionaries. They have done the medical trips there entire life. And the meeting was just so divine. I was in tears. (It doesn't take anything for me to become emotional these days.) One of the ladies gave me her name and number on a piece of paper. She said to give her a call and we would chat sometime. She said, "Besides, I've been known to help people out who want to go." (Are you serious???) And then, the younger woman shared some amazing testimonies about her journey in medical missions. I mean, people... GOD IS SO GOOD.

I am extremely blessed.

Then, I met with Laci Moore (who I met sunday night) on Thursday. She has friends that are medical missionaries in Haiti. They just moved there in February of this year. I added them on Facebook, and messaged them. She messaged back this morning and told me that they would help me out in any way they could, and would be praying for my journey I am about to embark on with my life in Haiti.

Please Please Please keep me in your prayers. I need it. Believe me, I am praying and seeking too!!!! I am amazed at what the Lord continues to do. I love Him so much...

Chaos may surround me. . .

I will stumble
I will fall down
But I will not be moved
I will make mistakes
I will face heartache
But I will not be moved
On Christ the solid rock I stand
All other ground is sinking sand
I will not be moved
-Natalie Grant

What a powerful passage of song. Mmm, :) The favor of the Lord tastes so sweet. It is becoming more real to me every day how every second of every minute I constantly need my Jesus. There is absolutely nothing in this earth that can take me from Him. There is not one single object that can separate His love for me. This song confirms the fact that I will mess up. But, thanks be to our LORD and Savior, I will NOT be moved. How I owe Him more than just my life! What else can I give Him while I'm on this earth? Nothing, but He knows He has me. I long to give Him more. I long to praise Him until my lips can no longer move. I want to worship with my hands until they are no longer lift-able on my own. And I want to bow on my face until I can no longer remember what standing feels like. I want humility. I want leadership. I want to exercise in the power of the Holy Spirit that I have been given.
I want to be used to change lives that will change lives that will change lives, and so on. I want to leave not only a mark, but a legacy in this 2/3 of a second life of mine. I am learning to be patient. It is the hardest thing I have had to learn in my entire lifetime, but it is something God is calling me to develop. He desires that I learn how to be content in no matter what situation I may be in.
I could go on and on and on. But for now remember, I will NOT be moved. Please continue to pray for me, because the more I surrender to Christ in the area of missions, the more the enemy attacks. The enemy cannot touch me for I am protected by Jesus. But, he can lay on the oppression.
Have I told you guys (whoever reads this) how much I LOVE YOU? Have I told you how much I am praying for you?? I do love you, and I do pray for you daily. Walk in faith. Don't live comfortably.

A 'Son'-filled day

Whoa, Whoa, Whoa, Whoa!!!

God is AMAZING. First off, church this morning was amazing. I even came back home to write a bit of a blog earlier today just to catch up with all that has happened in my life. After church this afternoon, I did my blog and then I spent several hours studying for my Old Testament Exam that is on Tuesday evening. I spent the whole day in my room on my bed with my computer and my radio playing. I didn't watch any TV, and I had spent all afternoon studying in my OT book and my Bible, so I felt like I had spent all day with God. And, in all actuality, I did spend all that time with God. Which felt great. I had such a good time relaxing and stuff, that I really contemplated going to evening church. But, I realized that if I didn't go to church tonight, I would probably regret it tomorrow. So, I went.

No one else was going, and it is such a big church that I feel awkward going when I'm all alone. But, I did anyway. A couple came in and sat beside me during the song service, and we greeted one another and then sat down and soaked in the sermon. During the service, I noticed that she pulled a 'Connection card' out of the back of the seat. That is the card that people fill out when they are newcomers. So, I decided then that I would talk to them after church and find out if they were first timers. After Pastor Curt let the service out, I turned and asked them if they were regular attenders to JRA. They told me that today was their first sunday. I asked if they enjoyed it and they said they had. Then they said that they had just moved up here from Texas. And I have family in TX and they only lived about 1 hour from where they live. It was neat to find that COMMON GROUND that I so frequently talk about and how it is so important.

After that I asked them what brought them to Missouri from TX. They then said that they were missionaries and that this was where they were going to be 'stationed.' I know that my face took on a whole new expression because I just lit up inside and I was like, "Oh man, I am SO privileged to meet you guys." They then asked me what I was doing. And I was like, I am planning on going into missions myself, medical missions. And it just opened this HUGE door of conversation. They lit up and we just had this amazing conversation. They asked me if I was looking into MA, MAPS, or CM, and I was like, well it's really a work in the making. But, God is leading me to Haiti to work as a medical missionary.. like career missionary work. And their faces got even bigger. They have a couple friend that are in Canada doing a bit more training and they are going to be MEDICAL MISSIONARIES IN THE COUNTRY OF HAITI. And they want to help me get connected with them. No lie, tears just filled my eyes and I was just almost speechless. I'm sure I came acros a bit dumbfounded and I was just in awe. Like, God has put such divine appointments in my life and they happen so often.

They showed such care and interest in my life. A person they met and talked to for a solid 5 minutes. How good is our God?! I get to more than likely meet a couple that are going Haiti in ONE year and in ONE year I will have my RN degree... ah! Amazing! Praise the Lord!

Come and See, and you will know!

"Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you; when you walk through fire you shall not be burned, and the flame shall not consume you. For I am the Lord your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior. . ." Isaiah 43:1-3

What a passage of scripture. The whole chapter is rather amazing, but I especially look unto the first few verses. God brought this to my attention a few weeks ago when I was dealing with some fear and anxiety regarding a few issues. My dad is still technically jobless. Never did I think my family would go through this again, but we are here. And, again, a peace that surpasses all understanding still accompanies us. How good is our God? I will never know even half of His magnificent glory. Selah

I wanted to share a few things that the Lord has done for me lately. I have a journal that I keep of simple blessings and thanks to the Lord. I write down what God has done for me in it. Answered prayer requests, divine appointments with others, and sometimes just to thank Him for the air that I breathe and the sun that I see. I went through a period of time that I did not write anything in it for about a month, and then I realized that I was missing something. Then, God reminded me of the book. At one time, I was looking back through it just reading what it has been that God has done. And, quite frankly, I was deeply moved. God is bigger than everything I can even think to compare Him too. His blessings are deep and vast and HE is unchanging. Oh, how I love Him so much. So, here are the things that the Lord has blessed me with in the past few weeks. Get ready to be amazed. I'll type it just as I wrote it. Maybe it will feel more 'real.' Because, some of these things are just unbelievable.

-------------------
2.19.09
Lord, How on earth have I not thanked You in my journal lately? So much has happened.
-You gave me an awesome friend in Stephanie Fossand who goes to war on the enemy anytime I need her to.
-You introduced me to Olivia DeVizia.
-You have given me an opportunity to share my story with Casey Gibbons.
-You touched Lindsey's heart and you continue to after much prayer.
-You introduced me to Brad & Karen at JRA.
-You gave me another place to live if anything ever happens with where I am.
-You allowed me to bless You and another friend by giving monetarily.
-You have helped me develop a good friendship with Casey T.
-You got my Dad through school and will provide him with a job.
-You helped me lose 7 pounds! :)
-You've helped me develop a friendship relationship with my Mom after years of disharmony.
-YOU aced my first nursing test for this semester.
-You help me breathe and live victoriously.
I know- that you did many more things for me, my friends, and my family. I just LOVE you so much!!
-Oh yeah! You've helped me combat an addiction and I will never forget Your help to do so.
---------------------------------

Isn't God just great?! I've learned through a book, "Lady In Waiting", that:
"Faith does not eliminate questions. But faith knows where to take them."
"In fact, the greater the irritation, the more valuable the pearl."
"God is using the sands of singleness to make you perfect and complete."
"You may see an ugly shell, but God sees the beauty He is creating in you."
"As you set your attention on developing godly character, Christ will change you into the beautiful princess He created you to be."
"Envy often results from comparing yourself to others or from an ungrateful heart."

These quotes have changed the way I view myself. Sure, I have some areas to work on physically to become a more overall healthy together, but the Lord has shown me that the way HE views me is and always will be the SAME. That is, His princess. And, for the past week that I've been living in that truth, I look at men differently. I am no longer searching for 'him.' I'm just waiting. I'm doing all that God is asking of me right now. And I'm being patient on my 'prince' and praying that he is patiently waiting for me, too.

This blog has hit so many different areas of what has been going on in my heart recently. I haven't even touched on Haiti or all that God has brought to my attention from THAT area of bliss! That deserves a complete day to itself.

I love you guys!

The Day

This past week ahs been a busy one all the way from babysitting to testing at school. Guess what I did? On my first nursing interventions test (second semester is the hardest!) I made a 100 percent!! Can you believe that? Man, I was stoked! I just asked the Lord to guide my pencil and that He did!
Man, I have so much to catch up on, but I am fixing to head off to my life group meeting. I'm excited!

Talk to ya'll later!

God is SOOO good.

I'm not sure how many times or ways I can say this, but it is so true. Man, I can't understand what it would be like to not have the tad bit of wisdome of the Lord that I have. I LOVE the Lord. We've been talking at church about having the favor of God on your life. Out of Exodus 33. I've realized that I want the FAVOR of the Lord on my life. I am asking God daily. You get the favor of the Lord by spending time with the Lord, and ask for His favor, it strengthens the heart and you can have the favor of the Lord on your life. There is so much that comes from the favor of God. The Lord loves us so much. There is so much more to this story. But, I want to be radiantly humble just like Moses. Sigh, I will talk more on this later.
Love you all!

The Value of Doing Good

We have all kinds of troubles and variations of trials that come into our lives on a day to day basis. Stress, busy-ness, diets, and whatever else you may be struggling with hurts a lot, sometimes. But finances... whew do they ever place a crazy burden on your daily life... I think and wholly believe in Acts 4:32, "Now the full number of those who believed were of one heart and soul, and no one said that any of the things that belonged to him was his own, but they had everything in common." James River Assembly has recently started a foundation for people in the church to help each other out in this time of economic uncertainty. So what if you might not have all the money that you WANT to have?? So what? Our job as fellow believers is to HELP one another in their time of need. If you have food and a shelter over you're head, you have what you need. Every single person can give something to someone else. And if money is the way you can bless, use it. All the treasures we store up on earth will NOT follow us to Heaven. In fact, if we horde them here, they will be destroyed by the moths and rust! Why not help if you can? It bothers me. Selfishness bothers me. It is a component of pride and pride does indeed come before a fall. I believe that every person in the United States is called to sponsor a child in another country. I believe that we are all called to support missionaries in other countries. If you aren't called to go, I can guarantee you that you are called to give. It is your duty. It is your duty to help your brothers and sisters in Christ when they NEED help. Jesus told the parable about the man who owed money to the King. Millions of dollars, in fact. And the King wanted his money and he wanted it at that moment. The man couldn't pay, so the King said for him to sell everything he owned and he would accept that amount for his payment. The man again said, just give me time! So, the king said, Okay, I will forgive it all. You are free to go. So the man went freely. Later, he called for a servant of his who owed him just a few dollars. The servant did not have the money he owed the man, and the man was angry. In fact, the man had the servant thrown into prison. After the king had heard what the man had done, he was angry and called him back and told him that he had to pay back all the millions of dollars he owed him, while he was PUT IN JAIL. It is IMPORTANT to help the ones and show grace and mercy to the people that may not be as fortunate as you at this time. Greediness is SIN, and it will be punished. One of my dreams is to eventually be able to save back money and just give it to the ones that need a boost up on their rent, or maybe they fell behind on a car payment. I just want to help them. It is my duty and it is something that I look forward to. I love y'all!

My Dear Precious Lord...

He blesses me. He loves me. He keeps me always. He will never let me go. No matter what I do. No matter how many times I mess up. He will always be right beside me. He makes my oceans part and sets me upon higher ground. I never have to fear because He will always comfort me. His peace overwhelms my soul and his prosperity is forever engraved in my heart. The grace He sheds over me keeps me from harm and the mercy He drapes around my shoulders covers me from dryness and emptiness. I want to forever proclaim His goodness and never forget how much He cares for me. He loves me so much that when I mess up He lets me know about it. He does everything in His power to alert me to my wrongdoing. Then, He forgives me. And He tells me to get back up and try again. My whole life I want to give to Him. I have given it to Him. He has spoken to me and told me that He has big plans for my life. He will be with me and will provide my necessities as I need them. He has called me to live a life of crazy living. He wants me to experience the fullness of Him in every way. He wants me to pray for the sick and call upon those that will lead others. He wants me to use medicine to reach the poor and hurt. He wants me to care for the little children. He will give me a husband. He will be there for us. He will guide our family. I will not need or want for anything. My provision will come from Him and Him alone. I will not worry or fear. For, He died so I don't need to. The weight of my sin and problems are cast upon His shoulders and I will gladly, thankfully, and humbly accept HIS yoke. For it is much lighter than mine. He is all I need. He will keep me pure and holy. I will always follow His ways. Though I fall, I will get back up and keep on. I will make a difference in the history of nations for HIM. I want to. I have always wanted to. My heart is broken because I know that this won't be easy. I know that I was born for a purpose. And my life will not be an easy one on earth, but it is so short compared to eternity that I should not worry or want it to be over quickly. I will soak in the beauty of God's presence here and right now. I offer my devotion. I offer my life. I will serve and be glad serving.

Nothing's gonna stop me eating the foods I love, not even gas. ..

Has anyone seen that Beano commercial? That is a line in it. 1) I love to talk about toots. It is a commonality between all people. It's hilarious and I love to have fun with it. 2) As much as I might like to go there this morning, I'm not. I wanted to talk about how it has a spiritual denominator.

We all like to do what we want to do. But the Lord demands holiness and uprightness. If we walk uprightly He will protect us. But we have this attitude of "Nothing's gonna stop me. . ." It seems like we have all the time in the world on this earth, but ask any elderly person and they'll tell you just how fast life passes us by. I've already flown through 20 years of life.

I'm reading this book right now called, "Lady In Waiting." I'm only into the second chapter, but already it has convicted me of so much I am dealing with. The fact that being single is the greatest time in your life to get the things done that you want to do. God can use this time in my life for huge things, but i spend hours wastefully thinking about my single lifestyle!
Anyway, I don't have a huge time to talk bcause I need to get to studying.

Love y'all!

The Lord Endures

It is so easy to get that overwhelmed feeling when you're in school. Those of you that are in college, or have been there, know exactly where I'm coming from. I've put two separate binders together to help myself organize. Sometimes, I don't feel like I'm doing enough. I still feel very unorganized. The Lord has been consistently reminding me of the fact that when I let my mind wander, I am not staying focused on Him. He has told me that I need to set my focus on Him and then He will direct the path my thoughts travel. However, I first have to make that decision. I am so ready to live full-on, hardcore for Him. Yet, something keeps pulling me away. Well, I know that Satan is always pulling us away from Christ. I know that eventually I will be able to understand why I am having these feelings. Well, that's all for today. More sometime soon. :)

Tid Bits of Life

It’s amazing that a simple item can show a commonality between two people. I went to the early service at church this morning, and stopped by the coffee shop in the atrium to grab a hot macchiato. While ordering, the cashier politely interrupted me by saying, “I love your necklace. It’s Premier, right?” She was referring to the individually owned Premier Design, Inc. It is a company that is similar to Mary Kay and other individually owned small businesses to give people a chance to build a small career and grab a few extra dollars. I responded with an even bigger grin, “Yes! In fact, it is! So you are familiar with Premier?” Throughout the rest of the 45 second conversation, I felt real with her. I did not ask her name. But somehow it didn’t matter. I know that we will remember one another the next time I come to grab some coffee. I wonder how many other small items can serve as the ice breaker. Next time you go out, keep an open mind. Look for the minor things you may have in common with another person. It might just bless your day. More importantly, you could be used to bless someone else. :)