The Never-ending Road to Cali

Lindsay and I decided several weeks ago to fly out to California to spend a week with Meghan Baird. Little did we know that our endeavors would be somewhat thwarted, and our patience tested.
On December 27th, Lindsay and I headed to the MCO airport at 4:30 pm. We got there around 5:15 pm. But as soon as we walked in the doors, a Delta employee asked us if we were on the CANCELLED flight to LA. Our spirits fell, but we had NO idea what was in store for us. We got in line to see if there were any open seats on the other LA-bound flights. An hour and a half later, we got up to the front only to find out that they had already re-booked us for a flight out on Monday morning, and there was nothing going out that evening that wasn't already overbooked.
The airline was gracious enough to give us hotel and meal vouchers, so we decided to start our vacation off with a bang. =) We took the vouchers and headed to Macaroni Grill (luggage in tow) in the airport and feasted....compliments of Delta Airlines. After dinner, around 8 pm, we went out front to Ground Transportation to get picked up by the shuttle that would take us to our hotel. Long story short, we waited over an hour for the shuttle that came and went 2 times before we realized it was our shuttle! Oh, and there was a sketchy old guy who kept staring at us while we were waiting outside and then he stole my wheelchair...pictures to follow. ;)
So we FINALLY get to our hotel, the lovely Orlando International Hotel, around 10:30 pm. The concierge sends us to our room on the second floor by pointing in the direction. We drag our tired bodies (along with our VERY heavy suitcases) down the hall, only to find that there was no elevator. So we lug our suitcases up one flight of stairs...ONLY to find out that we were on the WRONG side of the hotel. Our room was up another staircase! =) So we lugged everything downstairs, trudged past the apologetic concierge, and dragged everything up the other flight of stairs. We get to our room on a rather deserted floor, and fall in exhausted relief onto our two beds. It was a decent sized room, complete with: a tv that had about 3 working channels, a bathroom with stained washcloths and toilet paper, and an AC unit that sounded like it was going to kill us every time it came on!
We got through the fairly sleepless night (after watching a movie on Lindsay's laptop...she put it up on the ironing board in between the 2 beds so we could both watch from our beds.
Sunday morning, we packed up again and waited about a 1/2 hour for the shuttle to take us back to the airport so we could see if there were any openings. When we got on the shuttle, the driver started asking us questions about our travels. When she realized Delta had put us up in this hotel, she started talking about how that hotel was haunted!...no WONDER we had such an awful night! ;)
But I guess our gracious God decided to bless us after our day of 'suffering', because when we got back through the Delta line, even though there was still no availability until Monday, they were able to find us a room in the Hyatt (inside the airport)....WOW! WHAT a switch from the night before. The room was so comfortable we stayed in it until dinner! We only left to raid Sbarro downstairs with our meal vouchers, and brought our plunder back up to our room. =)
Through all of this....over the past two days, God has reminded me that there is ALWAYS grace for EVERY situation, every trial we may go through. And Lindsay and I were challenged this whole time to be joyful and encouraging to the employees as much as possible (of course we had our non-joyful moments as well). Anyway, we're scheduled to fly out tomorrow the 29th at 7:15 am and we'll arrive around noon in LA. Please continue to pray for our traveling safety and for our attitudes, since we lost a day and a half in California. =\

Tagging

Okay, so I got caught up in the tagging thing too...and the picture thing...duh. I did what my sis did. This is 5 folders over, and the 5th picture over. =)

This was taken under a tree in Wales last year. What you're looking at is a section of a series of gardens in front of one of the castles we visited. I forget the name of this one though, but way back in the back, there's a very secluded garden called "lover's circle" that is guarded by an old rod-iron gate. This kind of architecture is what makes me drool as a photographer. Oh, to go to places like this and just shoot rolls of film...yes, Jenn. ROLLS, not megapixels! ;)

K, nuff of that. I'm going to tag some pretty sweet blogs/people: my wonderful boss Aubrey , my dear friend Janelle, another wonderful Janelle, and my sis Jenn of course. Wow, those are some very diverse blogs. ENJOY!!

Please welcome...Brynn Elizabeth!

My dear friend Noelle just had her baby this morning, and I had the GLORIOUS privelege of being there just after Brynn came into the world! Noelle and George chose to try for a home-birth, knowing that God could very well have a different plan than theirs. But God was SO kind to allow everything to go smoothly for them! Noelle was dilated 4cm as of 6:20 AM, and then 2 hours later she pushed for about 1/2 an hr (I think?) and gave birth to Brynn, all 7lbs 2oz of her, at 8:32 AM!

This was my first time being able to be a part of such a joyous occasion as this (outside of my own family) so I was as happy as if I were part of the family! =) Noelle, my wonderful friend of 10+ years, is now a mommy. This is surreal for me, as a friend...imagine how surreal it is for the parents! =)
The gift of a human life is more precious than one can express! I know there will be many sleepless nights, poopy diapers, and bad attitudes to deal with in the future. But...wow! One of the first things I heard Noelle say when I got to their house was, "Wow, I can't believe SHE was INSIDE of me!" Even though childbirth was cursed because of Adam and Eve in the Garden, how KIND of God to bless us with such elation when the baby finally enters this world!

To the right is George with little Brynn. I know it's blurry but it was the first picture I got of him w/ his new daughter!

And THIS is momma and baby. =)

Yes2Marriage

Wow...I have not been involved in something as interesting as what happened yesterday in a long time! Yesterday after church, my best friend put on a wedding dress and one of the guys in our church wore a suit. The two of them represented marriage between one man and one woman as a caravan of cars decorated with Yes2Marriage signs, Vote Yes On 2 bumper stickers, slogans painted on the windows, balloons, and streamers. We decorated most of the cars to look like someone had just gotten married (hanging plastic cups from the trunks so they bounced along the road behind the car), and Ariel and David (the representing couple) rode in the back of a convertible with the top down, waving at people and holding up signs.

Even though it only lasted a little over an hour, I was unprepared for the adrenaline rush of being in a line of 12 cars driving down 17-92, Colonial, and 436. =) Janelle Phillips rode in my car as I drove. I think we were either the 9th or 10th car in line, with the convertible at the very front of the caravan. Fortunately there was no violence...Though, as Christians we're called to NOT shrink back from standing up for what God says is right in His scripture. We encountered a few unhappy/rude people, but we also encountered a lot of supporters!

Personal story: I was nervous about honking the horn (to get people's attention) even though everyone else in our caravan was honking, because I've been taught to never honk my horn. ;) But finally I caved, and then I had so much fun honking that I would bounce up and down every time I honked the horn! Janelle laughed at me. Oh, and Janelle and I came up with a little song/chant to sing to the people out the windows while we were driving (and to keep ourselves entertained). "Vote Yes on 2! It helps protect our ch-children! Vote Yes on 2! It helps protect our ch-children!" Yah, very simple but it was fun! PLEASE remember to vote tomorrow, on Election Day, and regardless of which candidate you vote for, PLEASE vote YES on Amendment 2! If you are unsure of WHY I'm asking you to vote yes on 2, you can click HERE for FAQ's or just general information about the Amendment. There's more at stake here than most people realize, so please take the time to be informed before you go to the polls.

Below are a few pictures from yesterday's event!

Great is Your Faithfulness!

Wow, today marks eleven years since Josh's accident at Chimney Rock! For those of you who don't know, here's the story:

My entire family went up to North Carolina for my mom's birthday. But on October 7th, 1997, we planned to just spend the day at Chimney Rock (a national park) and then return home a day or two after that. Little did we know that our all-knowing God was going to test our faith and trust in Him...in a way we never would've dreamed. Josh was 12 at the time. I don't believe our entire family (plus my mom's parents) had ever been to Chimney Rock, so we were all excited. We climbed all around to the different viewpoints and finally reached the biggest look-out area, which we had to use a wooden staircase to get to. Most of us stayed on the flat part, taking pictures, admiring the beauty of the surrounding forests and mountains. Josh however, got restless and went down the wooden spiral staircase ahead of us to 'explore'. While waiting for us to come down, he decided he would try to climb up the outside of the spiral staircase, since the boards seemed to be close enough together. He got about 20 feet up when the board he'd grabbed onto broke and he fell onto hard rock, on his back. Note: had he chosen to climb a little over to the left of the staircase, he would've fallen over a cliff...and this would be a very different post.

Meanwhile, he didn't scream, and there were other people milling about, so the rest of our family was unaware of what had happened. As we made our way to the staircase, my mom looked over the edge and saw Josh lying on his back. She jokingly exclaimed, "look guys, Josh is dead. Steph, take a picture!" I didn't. My dad got down there and saw that Josh's head was bleeding and told my mom that he wasn't okay. The next thing I remember, Jenn and Granddaddy were gone looking for help, I was sitting at the bottom of the stairs w/ my grandmother (praying softly), my mom (crying), and my 2 little brothers (who started screaming once my mom started crying). My dad kept asking Josh questions but he mostly responded w/ "what?"..."I don't know"..."my head hurts". When the on-call paramedics FINALLY got there, that's when the real stress set in! (What SHOULD have happened, is they should've airlifted him where we were at because 1. this was a head trauma, and 2. we were so far down the path that the EMT's had to carry Josh on FOOT all the way back to the parking lot where the ambulance was. But God is sovereign, and He's the One who ultimately sustained Josh's life.)

So before the paramedics put him in the stretcher to carry him, they had to put a neck brace on him...easy enough, right? Um, yah. They had to read the INSTRUCTIONS as to HOW you put a neck brace on someone! Yah, just a little pent-up frustration...;) So once they put the neck brace on, they carried him down the trail/mountain to the ambulance...with the entire Lightfoot/Smith family trailing behind.

He got to the hospital and they ran tests. They found a blood clot on his brain. The doctors told us they would need to remove the blood clot but it was a very dangerous procedure, because they would literally have to scrape the blood clot off, and if they scraped even the tiniest bit too hard, he would end up with some memory loss or even some form of handicap. This was a roller-coaster week for the Lightfoot family.

To make a long story short (and because I can't remember the details), Josh was in the hospital past our vacation, so dad ended up driving the rest of us kids home while mom stayed with Josh in the hospital...then they stayed with Grandpa (my dad's dad) after the surgery, then he went back into the hospital due to complications, and then he was able to recover.

*due to graphic content, proceed with caution*Josh has a scar that goes from the top front of his skull down to his ear where the doctors made the incision. They basically made a flap to pull back part of his scalp, and then part of his skull so they could get to the blood clot. By God's grace, they were able to scrape out the blood clot without causing any damage (though it can be a good excuse sometimes)! They actually GAVE the blood clot to Josh in a jar of formaldehyde that he kept for a few years till it disintigrated. =)All along, we had so many people praying for Josh and our family. We had only been going to Metro for about 2 years when Josh's accident happened, but were immediately surrounded by the love of our church family, walked out in numerous tangible ways! People continue to tell Josh (since the accident) that God must have a plan for his life, to have brought him through an incident like that, virtually unscathed. How neat to see God's plan for Josh's life slowly unfolding, even now! Below are some pictures of Josh/our family, with in the last couple years. =)

Freedom From These Chains!

God has been SO gracious to my family, but particularly my 23 year old brother Josh. =) I know my sis has already posted on all this, but I wanted to share with you all as well.

This year's theme for our statewide conference 'Celebration' was sovereignly titled "Freedom". The logo that was used for the conference is a beautiful picture of a wooden cross with severed ropes hanging off it, symbolizing the freedom Christ gained for us on the cross! I went into the weekend, knowing God was going to set me free from some personal sins, I just wasn't fully aware of WHAT He was going to do that weekend. God was so gracious to soften my heart (in the week leading up to the conference) in specific areas of sin that I was so blind to, and He continued pursuing my soul throughout the weekend, all the while drawing me closer to Him. =)

Unbeknownst to me, my brother Josh was at home realizing the much bigger battle...the battle for his soul! Josh was 16 (seven years ago) when he verbally realized he was not a Christian, and chose to follow the desires of his flesh, rather than pursue God's call on his life. Since then, my family and countless friends have interceded for my lost brother. I remember at first, praying for God to protect Josh from the 'evils' of this world, keeping him safe from bodily harm. But as Josh continued to be seduced by the lurings of this world, my prayers turned from self-righteous sighs of protection from physical harm, to desparate cries to guard his soul above all else. Over the years, I've received countless prophetic words, encouraging thoughts, and scripture to continue interceding for my prodigal brother. Only my Saviour knows the number of tears I've cried to Him, begging Him to at last woo Josh's soul over. On Saturday August 30th, my brother's soul was finally captivated by the King. Josh spent a lot of time on his knees that day in our living room, weeping. Not because he was crying out to a God who had turned a deaf ear! Not because Josh was asking God for things He would not give him. But because the scales on Josh's eyes had fallen, and he was seeing Christ for who He really is! He was experiencing the unfathomable forgiveness from his Heavenly Father!

I have been overwhelmed at all the people that are pursuing genuine relationships with Josh since Celebration. Side note: My parents drove back on Sunday during the conference to pick Josh up and bring him back in time for the ministry session that night, where tons of people (not knowing the status of his soul yet) came up to him, chatted, exchanged numbers with him, etc. I am so grateful for the local church's commitment to reach out to the lost AND the newly converted! What a blessing!

Please continue to pray for Josh, only now, pray for the Holy Spirit's voice to be loud and clear to Josh so that he will not give in to temptation. =) Josh has already shown much fruit in the way he's responded to different situations in his life. And I can already see God using him in the lives of his unsaved friends. Praise the Lord for His saving work on the cross! Hallelujah! Our God IS mighty to save! =)

Below is a picture of Josh at Celebration the first night, reading a letter Todd had given him.

WorshipGod '08

Wow...that's the first thing that comes to mind when I think of this year's worship conference. It's already been over a week since we left for the conference, but my head is still reeling from all that I heard/learned. =)

If I haven't already told you yet, Donald Whitney's seminar on "Praying with the Psalmist" was the highlight seminar of the conference for me! I had never heard him speak; or seen him, for that matter (he looks like Sean Connery), and he was so engaging and helpful. Honestly throughout his message, I was thinking 'yeah this is great. I should put this into practice when I get hom'...knowing that I most likely would not try this little exercise when I got home, due to my sinful, lazy heart. But at the end of his message, Don asked us to find a Psalm (he gave us about 20 seconds) and we were going to put all this into practice because "I'm sure some of you were thinking, 'This is great, I should really start doing this...' but we're going to practice it right now!" I was SO excited! This was so very helpful!

I really enjoyed hanging out with my homegroup on Wednesday (all day) at the Harbor and outside Fort McHenry. ;) That time of talking, laughing, taking pictures, encouraging one another, sharing words/scriptures, praying for one another...Ahhh, I love it! Such a precious time with my spiritual family! Here are a few pictures from the weekend. I will post some 'stories' later. ;)

Note To Self....

When wandering around Downtown Disney with your friends, guard your personal belongings as if you're on the streets of New York...otherwise you will end up like me.

Yes, I was at Downtown Disney this past Friday night with some people from Metro and some people from the Fort Lauderdale church (we had SO much fun!). We were walking out to the parking lot at the end of the night (little did I know it was just the beginning!) when I realized I didn't have my phone on me. The group stopped and we were trying to figure out where I could have left it. Meanwhile, I look over at my sister and was convinced she had it or had given it to someone else as a joke because she was kind of smirking! Turns out she was just smiling....for some reason. ;)

Angie, one of the girls from Fort L called my phone and when she said "hello?" we all stopped to look at her...I totally did NOT expect someone to pick up my phone...don't know why. Anyway, some man had picked up my phone and would curse at my poor friends whenever they tried to call him to find out where he was, and to convince him this wasn't his phone (apparently he sounded, uhh, intoxicated. He finally turned the phone off so we would stop calling him, which caused my persistent, patient friends to resort to texting him, informing him that "this isn't your phoone. My friend lost it in downtown disney. Please call so we can get it back to her." =) We ended up splitting into 2 groups, to backtrack our steps, but to no avail. I filled out a report at Guest Relations but even the guy behind the counter could not offer me any sort of hope when I explained what happened.

So, I was able to get a new phone (after much difficulty with the Verizon fellas) very similar to this one. Thus, the moral of the story is: Never let a drunk guy steal your phone. =P

The Valley of Vision

In Prayer

O Lord, in prayer I launch far out into the eternal world, and on that broad ocean my soul triumphs over all evils on the shores of mortality. Time, with its gay amusements and cruel disappointments never appears so inconsiderate as then.
In prayer I see myself as nothing; I find my heart going after Thee with intensity, and long with vehement thirst to live to Thee. Blessed be the strong gales of the Spirit that speed me on my way to the New Jerusalem.
In prayer all things here below vanish, and nothing seems important but holiness of heart and the salvation of others.
In prayer all my worldly cares, fears, anxieties disappear, and are of as little significance as a puff of wind.
In prayer my soul inwardly exults with lively thoughts at what Thou art doing for Thy church, and I long that Thou shouldest get Thyself a great name from sinners returning to Zion.
In prayer I am lifted above the frowns and flatteries of life, and taste heavenly joys; entering into the eternal world I can give myself to Thee with all my heart, to be Thine for ever.
In prayer I can place all my concerns in Thy hands, to be entirely at Thy disposal, having no will or interest of my own.
In prayer I can intercede for my friends, ministers, sinners, the church, Thy kingdom to come, with greatest freedom, ardent hopes, as a son to his father, as a lover to the beloved.
Help me to be all prayer and never to cease praying.

~Valley of Vision

~

The yearnings in my soul are constantly being stifled by the horrendous cravings of my heart. How I wish this prayer were the reflection of my soul consistently. My soul longs for the Home in which I will forever be in the King's presence...in which I will constantly see His glorious face and forever experience the tangibility of His love!

Oh blessed Saviour, grant me the ability to continually live in light of eternity, instead of allowing the distractions of this present world to lure me from the Path.

God's Faithfulness

Wow, God truly has been faithful to me. Even though I'm not travelling to Wales this fall as I had hoped, God has given me such a peace about it...so much so that I am able to truly rejoice with one of my closest friends Janelle Leach, who just found out this weekend that God IS providing a way for her to go! What a BLESSING to be able to send my dear friend to a dear people across the ocean, and what a blessing to be able to truly rejoice with her, knowing that God is sovereignly hindering me from being 'sent out' this year...for purposes known only to Him, the God of the universe, Who sees all things, and through Whom all things come together. =)

Okay, I just had to post that. =)

Wales Update

Hello my friends!

I just wanted you to know that I've made the decision to not go to Wales this year. After much prayer, counsel, and tears I believed that God had not given me a peace about going this year. The main drawback was the financial aspect of this opportunity. Alot of things financially were NOT falling into place like I had hoped they would, and alot of things here at home WERE falling into place, as far as relationships and job details.
Thank you all SO much for your prayers and encouragements and questions! I definitely need them all the time. =) And just so you know, this doesn't mean that I'm totally crossing Wales off "the list" of places to go on mission trips. I'm actually going to be saving now, in hopes that I would be able to go next year, if they do the GAP team program next September. It has been such a good experience to go through this thinking/discerning process and to find out where my heart really was on certain issues. The Holy Spirit revealed a lot of sin in my heart and has been so wonderful in helping me deal with it.

So for now, I will remain in the U.S. of A. =) But I am continuing to pray about where God would send me and how He desires to use me in my local church and in the community!

Wales Update

Greetings, friends!

For those of you who have been praying for me regarding getting accepted into the GAP team that will be living in Newport, Wales for 11 months. This is just a friendly reminder to continue praying for me, if you think about it. =) I had my interview on Friday the 6th, and it went really well. Dan is a very nice guy, and very easy to talk to; we ended up talking for almost an hour. I won't find out for sure if I've been accepted, until the week of the 23rd.
Below are a few areas I thought would be helpful in knowing how to be praying for this situation. Again, if you have any questions, please feel free to post them or email me directly. Thanks!

Pray for:
*ultimately, for God to be glorified no matter which direction He chooses to take me
*for God to give me wisdom in knowing what HE wants me to do, and not just what I WANT to do
*wisdom in my personal finances, if God allows me to go, to know how and where to "trim" my spending habits :-)
*financial blessing, because there's truly no way I can afford this trip, apart from God's divine intervention
*peace in my heart until the "final decision" has been made, as I have been dealing with emotional ups-and-downs the past several days, trying to figure out what God wants me to do

Yes, I guess those would be the main things right now. I can't tell you how much I appreciate your prayers, questions, and encouragements! It is such a blessing to know that there are people interceding for me before the Father. Thanks again!

Much Prayer Needed

Hey everyone! I decided to just put a prayer request up here so you guys could be aware.
I have been speaking with a contact from Christchurch in Newport, Wales about being a part of the GAP team (Grow And Proclaim; part of Sovereign Grace) that will travel to Wales in September and live there for a year. The purpose is to be equipped with evangelistic training, grow in spiritual gifts, and then they will go on a 3 week (I think) mission trip, which will most likely be to Uganda. :)
This is just a very brief "blurb" about the trip, but feel free to ask me questions (though I probably won't have answers at this point). I would greatly appreciate your prayers, and anything you believe the Lord is prompting you to tell me, please feel free to email or call me.
I see this opportunity as very exciting and I believe God has given me faith to pursue it until (if) He shuts the door. But as of right now, I'm moving ahead. I will most likely find out next week if the trip is "a go" for me, so I will keep you posted.

Thanks in advance for your prayers!

Do you lean to the Left or the Right?

Okay, in light of a conversation I had with a few ladies yesterday, I thought I'd post this quiz:
http://www.blogthings.com/areyourightorleftbrainedquiz/ so you could see which side of the brain is more dominant. =)

I thought my results were pretty funny, but really accurate!

You Are 50% Left Brained, 50% Right Brained

And then here are some interesting facts...in case you didn't know:
*The left side of your brain controls verbal ability, attention to detail, and reasoning.
*Left brained people are good at communication and persuading others.
*If you're left brained, you are likely good at math and logic.
*Your left brain prefers dogs, reading, and quiet.
*The right side of your brain is all about creativity and flexibility.
*Daring and intuitive, right brained people see the world in their unique way.
*If you're right brained, you likely have a talent for creative writing and art.
*Your right brain prefers day dreaming, philosophy, and sports.

I want to see what your percentage is, so post your results!

Delayed Kick-off to Spring

Okay I just wanted to share with all of y'all that my favorite flower is the Daffodil. I think the first time I realized how much I loved them was when I went with my sister, Crystal, and Tracy to Baltimore, MD about 6 years go on a road trip. =) We visited Mt. Vernon one day and I was overwhelmed with the beauty of the yellow daffodils...my only regret is that I didn't pick a "favorite flower" that comes in more choices of color. Nevertheless, the following is a poem that I found to attach to my obsession of the daffodil...I must also confess...I love the name. It's funny.

DAFFODILS: by William Wordsworth

I wandered lonely as a cloud

That floats on high o'er vales and hills,

When all at once I saw a crowd,

A host, of golden daffodils;

Beside the lake, beneath the trees,

Fluttering and dancing in the breeze.

Continuous as the stars that shine

And twinkle on the Milky Way,

They stretched in never-ending line

Along the margin of a bay:

Ten thousand saw I at a glance,

Tossing their heads in sprightly dance.

The waves beside them danced, but they

Out-did the sparkling leaves in glee;

A poet could not be but gay,

In such a jocund company!

I gazed—and gazed—but little thought

What wealth the show to me had brought:

For oft, when on my couch I lie

In vacant or in pensive mood,

They flash upon that inward eye

Which is the bliss of solitude;

And then my heart with pleasure fills,

And dances with the daffodils.

Suffering for His Glory?

So a friend asked me to expound on what "suffering" looks like in my life, to give others a picture. I am embarrassed to expound on my few "light and momentary" trials because I am aware there are countless brothers and sisters in Christ around the world who are physically being tortured and killed for the sake of the blessed Gospel! But I will do my best.

Suffering (initially) in my life would be any situation God brings my way that doesn't comply with my plan for the day, week, etc. Oftentimes I will see His faithfulness to teach me something in the midst of the trial, and then I have the choice to continue with a willing heart that glorifies God. But most of the time, the sinful nature in me rises up quickly to complain about the discomfort of my current situation...whether it be relationships inside or outside the home, physical ailments, or financial strain. Looking back on the past year, I can choose to look at all of the things God took away from me...friends, health, finances. OR I can choose to look at how God has already been glorified in most of those situations by:

*providing finances in a round-about way

*freeing me up to develop relationships with new people, and strengthening current relationships

*giving me exactly the care I need for my current health situations

*and mainly, being more aware of His unending grace and constant care over my life

Well I was hoping this would prove to be transparent, but it seems more arrogant than anything else...showing what I view as "suffering". In light of this topic, I think it's important to mention those who are suffering "more prominently" for the Gospel (in my opinion). Please remember to pray on a continual basis for:

*our brothers and sisters fighting on the spiritual frontlines here in the U.S. by consistently and purposefully going out to share the Gospel with those who haven't heard or have previously rejected it

*the youth in our nation who are fighting the enemy of peer pressure and media to stay true to their First Love, and are proclaiming the Gospel to the next generation

*our brothers and sisters who are travelling or have moved overseas in order to further His kingdom by reaching the lost in the "unreached" places

*our brothers and sisters in third-world countries, where there are no missionaries helping them, so they fight for the Gospel alone

Sorry if I went on too long, this is just something that's really on my heart and I have to remember as well to pray for these. There is a war being fought; and though we know the outcome, we are required as Christians to still do our part on this journey towards our final Destination!

Scientific Atheist?

Hello friends!

My cousin contacted me about a friend of hers who's been challenging her beliefs by asking her several questions. So my cousin contacted me to see if I could help her out at all.

The friend (we'll call him John) calls himself a scientific atheist and, while he isn't completely sold on the idea, evolution seems to be the best theory that he's found so far.

John mentioned he believes that if religion was completely erased from our world history and future, that we would not have the problems we do today.

He stated that he would have preferred Christianity to be a bit more complex than just a "do good and you go to heaven, do bad and you burn in hell" kind of thing.

So I emailed my cousin back and gave her very few resources. I checked the Desiring God website too and sent her an article. But I remembered a message that was given (at least I think it was a message) about how old the Bible is, and comparing it to other historical, published documents (to prove the validity of the Bible) but I can't remember who said it and I can't seem to find that info on the internet. I would love the opportunity to be in contact with "John" myself so that I can discuss issues with him! But we'll see how God directs this. =) Can someone help me?

Suffering

Ahh, the time-change. Not a fan of the whole spring-forward part. =) Anyway, this quote pretty much knocked my socks off!

“Whatever makes us more and more able to enjoy making much of God is a mercy. For there is no greater joy than joy in the greatness of God. And if we must suffer to see this and savor it most deeply, then suffering is a mercy. And Christ’s call to take up our cross and join Him on the Calvary road is love.”

John Piper (Don’t Waste Your Life)

It is so amazing to me, how much I have distorted true reality into this warped illusion that I live. Real life, as the Christian should live it, consists of trials and sufferings...just like everyone else in the world...only difference: Christians have the marvelous hope in the Saviour because the "story" did not stop at the tomb. It didn't even stop at the resurrection. The Story made it's glorious transition when Christ ascended from this fallen world to His Home, where He is seated at the right hand of God, interceding for us all! What GLORIOUS hope we have!

Oh, that I would see suffering as a mercy, and not as a curse, as I so often do. Then would I find joy in the midst of my trials, and find comfort in seeing God's sovereign hand over my life. I LOVE that last line: "Christ's call to take up our cross and join Him on the Calvary road is LOVE"...when I try to picture that, I don't picture Christ lovingly handing me a cross, me eagerly taking hold of it and skipping down the path of life. I picture a huge, rugged, splinter-full cross being placed on my back and me reluctantly taking it...out of religious duty, and trudging down the path. Why do I not remember that the sufferings I endure cheerfully in this life will be rewarded to me in the next? Why do I not remember that the trials I endure now are nothing compared to those who are physically suffering for the Gospel? If I am easily shaken at the uncertainty of my future, do I think it will be a breeze to be persecuted for my faith?

O Father, let me see suffering as a mercy from You, that I may lift my eyes off myself and see You more clearly! Help me to joyfully accept my burdens as signs of love and care from You.

Amen.

Singles Dinner

Okay, so I get to brag on my brothers in Christ a little. =)

LAST Thursday, the guys in my Singles Caregroup decided to make dinner for all us ladies in the care group...and yes, I said "made". We're not talking spaghetti here, folks. I walked in with Ariel...not really knowing WHAT to expect. David greeted us from the porch (where he was grilling chicken) and said we could pick up one of the long-stemmed roses that was waiting for us by the stairs (first surprise!).

Then Jeremy and Eric greeted us from the kitchen where they were putting the finishing touches on a freshly-made salad, green beans, hot bread, and an alfredo pasta dish that I had never had before (lasagna noodles rolled up and set in alfredo sauce, it was really good!). Then Daryll brought out a 7-layer dessert that we all enjoyed! It consisted of pudding, bananas, vanilla wafers, chocolate chips, cherries, cherry sauce, and whipped cream. Yum!

It was a wonderfully relaxed evening. We just sat and talked while we ate, and then when we were done we played "have you ever"...I think that's what it's called...where everyone sits in a circle and one person stands in the middle and says something like "If you've ever...gone swing dancing on a friday night (then you have to get up and find another chair to sit in without ending up in the middle)". It was a lot of fun, though people did get ruthless...especially some of the girls. ;) But thankfully nobody got hurt...too bad.

Anyway, thanks to all the guys who made that evening possible. It was really special and we all appreciated it.

The Christian Faith

Yes, another Charles Spurgeon quote...what can I say? =)
This quote is taken from the book Beautiful Fight by Gary Thomas...just started reading it...already recommend it! He's basically talking about Nominalism (in name only!). ;)

“The grand point is not to wear the garb, nor use the brogue of religion, but to possess the life of God within, and feel and think as Jesus would have done because of that inner life. Small is the value of external religion unless it is the outcome of a life within.”
~Charles Spurgeon

I love how God sovereignly intertwines messages on Sundays with quotes from our devotions during the week! I am so challenged to NOT let Christianity become simply a "robe" that I put on when it's convenient, but to let my faith be as if (taken from It's A Wonderful Life) I swallowed the moon, and the light from the moon would shine through my eyes, my mouth, the pores in my skin, so that when people look at ME they're only seeing the Light! By believing in Christ and surrendering my life to Him, I am no longer my own. My life does not belong to me, meaning I must rely on Someone else.

Christ Is My All In All!

Yay! I'm so excited I get to start this back up! =) Today's quote is from Charles Spurgeon, but I found it at the end of Alistair Begg's Pathway To Freedom book (which I finished today!). Oh, and if you've never read that book, it is definitely a "must read". This particular quote was inserted in the Epilogue and was basically explaining everything he had just written "in a nutshell".

“It is ever the Holy Spirit’s work to turn our eyes away from self to Jesus; but Satan’s work is just the opposite of this, for he is constantly trying to make us regard ourselves instead of Christ. He insinuates, ‘Your sins are too great for pardon; you have no faith; you do not repent enough; you will never be able to continue to the end; you have not the joy of his children; you have such a wavering hold of Jesus.’ All these are thoughts about self, and we shall never find comfort or assurance by looking within. But the Holy Spirit turns our eyes entirely away from self: he tells us that we are nothing, but that ‘Christ is all in all.’ Remember, therefore, it is not your hold of Christ that saves you-it is Christ; it is not your joy in Christ that saves you-it is Christ; it is not even faith in Christ, though that be the instrument-it is Christ’s blood and merits; therefore, look not so much to your hand with which you art grasping Christ, as to Christ; look not to your hope, but to Jesus, the source of your hope; look not to your faith, but to Jesus, the author and finisher of your faith. We shall never find happiness by looking at our prayers, our doings, or our feelings; it is what Jesus is, not what we are, that gives rest to the soul. If we would at once overcome Satan and have peace with God, it must be by ‘looking unto Jesus.’ Keep your eye simply on him; let his death, his sufferings, his merits, his glories, his intercession, be fresh upon your mind; when you wake in the morning look to him; when you lie down at night look to him. Do not let your hopes or fears come between you and Jesus; follow hard after him, and he will never fail you.”~C.H. Spurgeon

Wales Cont'd

Saturday morning was the day EVERYONE had been waiting for! But we woke up to a foggy, wet day with dark gray clouds looming above. Julie and I drove to Cafarthfa Park around 9 AM and waited around for about an hour before Garreth had to finally tell us that the Fun Day In The Park had to be cancelled. He prayed for everyone, and then freed us to spend our last full day in Wales doing whatever we wanted. We were all so disappointed that the day had to be cancelled, but kept encouraging each other with the fact that God had this planned all along and that we needed to choose to glorify God with our attitudes and actions, instead of selfishly getting upset over circumstances we couldn’t control.
So a group of us decided we would at least go into town (Merthyr) for lunch somewhere and then decide what to do from there. Vikki and Anna ended up taking us to Chaplain’s Pub, where all 15 of us (I think) got this little downstairs room to ourselves. =)
Then Vikki and Anna said we should try to go to Caerphilly Castle…that was the BEST day ever! One of the men in the church graciously drove us to the castle and we spent the whole afternoon there, just walking around and taking TONS of pictures! It was the most beautiful ruined castle I’ve ever seen.

Sunday, our last day in Merthyr, we went to the service. James, Stephen, and Joey got to play with the Merthyr band for worship, and then Garreth spoke. It was very hard for some of us, knowing we might never see these precious people again until we’re worshipping around the Throne together. At the end of the service, they provided a huge lunch for us, and several of us (both on the team and in the church there) went up to the mic and shared how we had been affected by the trip, the team, or the church some way. We took a few last pictures, took a Team Picture, said our tearful goodbyes, and were on our way to London. Garreth and Tony drove us to a hotel where we’d stay for the night. When we got to the hotel, we practically threw our stuff in the rooms and ran downstairs to eat our last meal with the pastors in Wales. Kyle, Julie, Nathan, and I (Stephen, Joey, James, Maria, and Gloria stayed for a while) ended up staying down there until 1 AM just talking. The last night of a mission trip is always very bittersweet.

Monday morning, Julie and I woke up late and had approximately 5 minutes to eat the yummy breakfast before we had to be out by the curb with our luggage, waiting for the bus to pick us up and take us to the airport. We all made it safely on, without leaving anything (or anyone) behind. Once we got to the airport It was pretty much “smooth sailing” from there to Orlando.

I truly enjoyed my trip to Wales, because even though it didn’t look at ALL like what I was expecting, I learned SO much during that week! I believe God used that time, especially, to grow me in the area of evangelism. Every day that we went out “leafleting” I grew bolder in starting up conversations with strangers, and more confident that I COULD share the hope in Christ that I’ve been given. I developed friendships with people halfway across the world that I never want to let go of, and I learned invaluable lessons of humility and servanthood from the church in Merthyr Tidfyl.

THE END

Wales cont'd

The next morning (Thursday) we did some more leafleting in the morning, went back to the Lloyd’s to have a quick lunch, and then we got to go to Cardiff, Vikki’s city!! We took a train (that Stephen and Daniel missed!) into the city and then they set us loose to wander about the city! Julie and I walked around with Vikki for a while because she wanted to show us “Cahdiff”. We went shopping in their malls, bought presents for the fam, and some gifts for ourselves, and then we took a 1 hour tour on a double-decker bus with Joey and Lauren. I had never been on a double-decker bus before, so of course we had to sit on the top! We were really enjoying seeing the sights from “up high” until it started to rain. The lower level of the bus was packed, so we couldn’t go down there, and we still had about 20 minutes left of the tour and only ONE umbrella between the 5 of us! So I tried to brave it out by giving one of the girls my jacket…not sure what THAT did…but then I was given the umbrella. I was so grateful that I had this amazing invention to shield me from the bullets of H2O that were being shot at me from above, until that amazing invention was not so amazing anymore. The wind was blowing so hard it whipped the umbrella upwards, therefore rendering the umbrella useless, and leaving me unprotected from the evil raindrops that were “pecking my eyes out”! So then we ran through the wet streets of “Cahdiff” to meet up with the rest of the team. We then drove over to a fancy Italian restaurant (I forgot the name!) for dinner…YUM! By this time, though, some of us had lost restraint; this fancy restaurant was not prepared for such an unusual bunch. Daniel was SO enthralled with his dessert when it came, that he smothered his lips and half his face in the chocolate wonder and paraded from table to table, letting all of us take pictures.
After a while, someone mentioned that there was a cemetery across the street so we got permission to walk over there until everyone was ready to leave. It was really neat looking at all the different inscriptions on the gravestones, though the reverence was interrupted by the screams of unsuspecting girls and the childish antics of some of the guys. :)

Friday morning the plan was to do our last day of leafleting all day. But by the time we came back for lunch, it had been pouring miserably all morning that they decided to only send the school teams out, and Julie and I got to go over to Fran and Linda’s (where Kyle and Nathan stayed) to listen to the band rehearse for the next day’s “big event”. It was SO much fun as Julie, Anna and I curled up in a blanket on the couch (we were still freezing and soaked through), and listened as Amy, Matt, Fran, Ryan, Kyle, Joey, and James all played/sang. Then Julie and I were dropped off at home and decided to take it easy for the evening. So we got in our pj’s, fixed some tea, and watched a movie on Julie’s laptop. It was nice after such a long day. :)

Wales cont'd

It was a dismal and dreary morning as Julie and I headed to the team meeting. The worst-case scenario had overcome us, as we were sure we would be sent back to our own country and be forever known as the “silly Americans”. But needless to say, our fearless leader dealt with the matter in a very humble, and non-dramatic way, and all was forgiven. :)
So we went on (except for Amber, whose ankle had gotten worse) to do more leafleting for the day…we sort of got lost on this trip. But we met some neat people and had great conversations! One of the people I got to talk to was an older gentleman. He talked to me about everything from the Beatles, to symphonies, to musicals! It was very enjoyable. I did try to start talking about the Gospel or whether he was in a local church, but he seemed to just want to talk to me. He was a very sweet man.
That afternoon, Julie and I got back to the house just in time to change and leave again with Lynda. She drove Julie, Beth, Meg, and me over to Dan and Mira’s (where Amber and Lauren were staying) for dinner: Chicken Curry, Baked Potatoes with all the “fixins”!! Yum!
Once we were done with dinner, Lynda drove us over to Cafarthfa Castle to see the school children perform Joseph And The Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat! It was fantastic! The little boy who played Joseph was phenomenal! Julie and I really enjoyed it. By the time Jules and I got back to our little tower in the castle, we slunk into our beds, exhausted physically and emotionally!


Wednesday morning we continued to leaflet a few more neighborhoods, but the Merthyr church told us they wanted to take us to Sain Fagin’s for the afternoon! This is an area where they built replicas of historic buildings and villages from…I think the 1600’s. So we all just sort of split up into smaller groups and walked around the entire property, going inside old general stores, libraries, and an INCREDIBLE castle, complete with a gorgeous courtyard, vine-covered walkways, and a secret garden…alright, maybe it wasn’t a secret…but it was to me until I found it!
Then the park closed for an hour or so and re-opened for a special theatrical performance! All of us Americans were SO excited because we had no idea what lay in store for us! So we went just outside the park, where they had a grassy hill or two. We spread out blankets and sweatshirts, sat on the grass, and ate our lunches that our gracious families had packed for us! It was SO nice. Some of us just laid down and rested in the heat of the Welsh sun, some went for a walk, and some of the guys decided to play this strange hacky-sack game…guys where running, some were rolling, some were screaming…some screamed like girls.Then we went to see….THE MIKADO (the play)!!!!! It was at this little outdoor theater inside the park, and it was, very different from ANY play I’ve ever seen! It had political humor and jabs, tap-dancing, bicycles, an evil villain who looked a lot like Cruella DeVille, and there were names like Coco, Tiddy-Poo, and YumYum. It was entertaining! :)