Housing

It is official!!!!  I have a place to live in Berea.  The family that I am living with has 2 kids and they open their home up to lots of different people, from homeless families, victims of abuse, recovering drug addicts and more.  I am really excited about the opportunity to live with, serve alongside, and get to know this family and the people they have living with them.  On top of the people, they currently have 3 dogs, some of their own and one belonging to one of their residence AND they are letting me bring Baylie with me!!  I am so excited that I can take my sweet girl with me and don’t have to send her off to my parents for the year.

24 days until I can move!!

PTL Part 2

Praise the Lord for he is good in abundance!  I talked to the GM at Panera in Richmond today and he said that it was not a problem for me to transfer there and agreed to give me the 2-3 shifts a week that I requested.  I am so thankful for a God who provides for me!

Personal Growth (in Writing)

I found this on my computer as I was cleaning it out and backing up things.

I wrote this 4 years ago when I was preparing to finish my high school portfolio.  It is about my story of growth with English and writing.  Hope you enjoy, I know it was interesting for me to read again

 

Personal Growth

Why do people always ask you about your growth over a period of time or after you complete something? It seems like such a monotonous question, but here I am again, answering the question of my growth. This time I am going to report on my growth as a writer over the years of my life. This is something I could go on and on about, because I have gone from the person who dreaded going to school because of spelling and writing, to a person who loves to write everyday. I am going to tell you how I have made the change from pure hatred to adoring love of English and all of its facets.

When I was little I struggled with English. I hated going to school, because I knew that we were going to have to work on spelling and writing. I was not good at them, so I did not want to go. The worst night of the week was Thursday night. This was the night my mom made me sit down and study for my Friday spelling test. I was not a happy camper as I was forced to sit down and practice all of the spelling words for that week. Thursday night would turn into Friday morning when I had to go to school and face the dreaded test. I remember coming home on multiple occasions crying because I had done horribly on my spelling test. This was the story of my life until about third grade.

Around third grade I started to like spelling and writing in school. I went from the student who dreaded spelling, writing, and anything to do with English to the student who loved it with a passion. It seems crazy that I made such a drastic change, but I know that it came from the support and encouragement of my parents and teachers. I also made the change because I started to realize that spelling and writing were important beyond just the Friday tests and simple sentences I started out writing. I began to see that the simple things were the basis of my first love, books.

As I started to make the connection between spelling and books, my attitude changed. English and everything that fell under it were the highlight of my days at school. I still was not a huge fan of writing, but it was growing on me each day. I had to take baby steps to get to the love of writing I posses today. I went on through middle school reading all the time. The love for reading I possessed would take me farther than anything. This love showed me the world outside. It allowed me to view the opportunities of the world around me.

I made another connection from the books I was reading, to a wonderful way of expressing myself. I started to express my thoughts and feelings through writing. This brought me to the person I am today. Now I write in my journal everyday. I spend this time writing to get out my frustrations, to remember my day, or to talk to God. It used to be hard for me to sit down and write a paper for class, but as a result of my growth, I no longer mind writing for my classes. I use the writing required in my classes as a way to tell people how I feel about the issues I am asked to write about.

Writing, it has gone from something I hated to something I make a point of doing everyday. I am so glad that I came to the realization that the facets of English are important and not horrible. I hope that you can see my growth, as a writer, has not come without a struggle. The struggles I have faced have made a wonderful impact on my life, and hopefully the lives of the people who read my writing.

 

It is crazy to me to see how much my love for writing has grown even since I wrote this piece.  As I went through college, I would choose writing papers over anything else.  Now I love to write and don’t even have to have a reason to pick up a pen and paper or my computer and start writing.  Crazy because I really was the kid who dreaded english and spelling tests in elementary school because I was horrible at spelling.  I am just glad that I have learned to enjoy writing.

PTL

Praise the Lord for he is good! I have been provided with a place to live for next year!  I am super excited about the opportunity in front of me and will share more about my living situation as soon as all the details are hammered out.  Thank you for your prayers.  Please continue to pray for me as I transition into this next phase.

What Does This Next Step Mean?

The next leap of faith I am taking in my life is moving to Berea, KY to be the BCM Intern at Berea College.  What that means exactly is something that none of us have quite figured out.  Here is what I do know:

I will be mentoring the BCM President.

I will be in charge of the Monday Night Gathering/Bible Study.

I will be investing in the lives of students at BC and spreading the gospel of Christ to them.

I will be the only paid BCM person on BC’s campus since there is no campus minister there.

I will be meeting with EKU’s Campus Minister and he will be my main contact.

I will be working with the Community Mentor’s who will be working with the students.

There will not be a BCM building for the first time in awhile and this will be a transition not only for me, but for the students.

This is where God wants me and has placed me.  Even though the details are not as clear cut as they are at some other places, the Lord has a plan and will use us to do His will.

 

In case you couldn’t tell by the many mentions of Berea in my blog recently, I am really excited about this transition.  It will be something totally new for me.  It has already made my faith and reliance in the Lord stronger.

Please pray for housing for me.  There is one possibility, but I need wisdom and discernment on if it is where the Lord wants me.

If you have any questions feel free to ask.

Getting My Toes Wet Makes Me Wanna Jump In

So today I drove to Berea for the very first time.  I met Kimberly and Jon at Papaleno’s for lunch and a short meeting.  After lunch Kimberly and I toured campus and I was introduced to several students and faculty at the college.  This made me so excited to get going with this ministry and time in Berea.

 

I got to Berea about an hour before we had set our lunch meeting.  So on my way into town, I stopped at the Kentucky Artisan Center.  Here they showcased different art work, books, food, and other items made by people in Kentucky.  It was so neat to be able to just walk around and see all the awesome artistry.

When I left the Artisan Center I headed into town.  I parked near the restaurant and walked around the block looking in the shops and soaking in what will soon be home.  It has been a beautiful day with temperatures only reaching the mid 80’s and the sun shining bright.  Add that with a quaint and beautiful town and I am in love.  I wish I had a place to stay tonight and just start hanging out and ministering to these students and this community.

I never knew that I could be so excited about moving to a small town, but I am.  I realize that things aren’t going to be like college was in BG or life in Lville now is, but that isn’t a bad thing.  Berea also isn’t the same as Btown and I think that is why I am excited.  I didn’t want to live in another small town after spending time with my parents after I graduated college, but now I think that I could totally adjust.  Part of why I think I am so excited about this move and am totally at peace with it is because I know that this is God’s will for my life right now.  Now I just have to keep trusting in the Lord to provide housing for me and I will be totally set to move.

Moving week is just 4 1/2 weeks away!! 😀

in the near future

There are some exciting and fun things happening in my life during the next couple of months, some of them are firsts, some just fun, and some are big changes.  All them will get posts when they come around, but for now, here is a list of what’s to come…

1st trip to Houston, TX (this is big!)

moving

new job

WKU vs. UK game in Nashville

A Nebraska Wedding (hopefully I can go!)

Some of these might not seem big to you, but I am excited about them all.  Everything is between now and October 1st!

Taking the Leap

Do I go for? Do I not? Is it a smart idea? Is it the right thing for me to do? Is it what God has planned for me? What if it is the right thing and I do not do it? What if is is not the right thing and I do do it?  Is this a selfish choice?

These are all questions that I have asked myself many times, but they have popped up a lot recently as I have considered taking a job in a new place where I do not really know anyone and I could not even tell you how to get to the McDonald’s let alone Kroger or Wal-Mart.  I have asked these questions as I decide to move to my 4th city in a less than a year and as I am around a month away from moving yet still do not have a place to live.  These questions and more are all ones that have been brought up in my mind as my church has been going through a series called “What If?”

So this week when Jason preached on What if you took that leap? I was really impacted.  I had already felt sure that going to BC was the thing I was supposed to do, but even that hadn’t stopped the questions and I can’t say that there aren’t still moments when I ask if this is the right thing, but I have been put at peace with where I am headed.

Here are some of the highlights from the sermon that really spoke to me.

We were examining this question using text from 1 Samuel 14.  Where Jonathan and his armor bearer move sneak away from their army and go to the Philistine outpost. (To get all the details you should totally read the story).

In this story Jonathan had conditions that looked really bad and appeared stacked against him, but he considers the situation and the facts and trusts in the Lord’s provision.  He didn’t just blindly make this decision, but he didn’t let all the What if this and that questions get in his way of taking the leap.

The more impressive part about the story deals with the armor bearer, who from what I know about history and Jason filled in is young, unexperienced, and weaponless.  Yet when Jonathan asks him to go with him to the outpost he follows with out hesitation.  He doesn’t have a weapon, let alone know how to use it, and is headed straight into the opposing army.

Through Jonathan and the armor bearer we can see that the leap is not contingent on our conditions nor our expertise and is not done blindly.  Taking a leap means having courage.  Instead of asking all of the questions, that do not get us anywhere and are really quite stupid, we should just stop and say I’ll do whatever.

There is one more person in this story to consider and that is Saul, Jonathan’s father.  He is the king and is leading the army into battle.  At the time that Jonathan and his armor bearer sneak off he is camped out under the pomegranate tree.  Waiting, he is full of fear and panic.  He is also engaging in a form of idol worship because the tree means more than just a place for shade and rest, it is an idol in their land.

The same thing happens to us when we are not using what God has given us to honor him.  When our time is more consumed with what our Facebook friends did on Friday night, what the trending topic on Twitter is right now, or who the newest “it” couple is then we are engaging in a form of idol worship.

After the sermon I was no longer thinking constantly about if the choices I was making about BC were the right thing or wrong thing and so on, but instead this is what I have been asking myself:

1. What am I holding higher than God (What is my pomegranate tree?)?

2. Am I Saul? OR Am I Jonathan and the Armor Bearer?

4ths of the Past

The Fourth of July has never been a big celebration holiday for me and my family.  When I was younger my aunt had a neighbor that would get a permit to set off some of the big fireworks and we would watch them some years, but it was not a big deal.  As I got older it seemed like I was never around on the fourth.  Not on purpose, but some how the camps I went to and trips I took always happened then.  Here are some of my July Fourth memories.

As a very little kid – like 6 and under I would go down to the Bay in CB, OR and watch the fireworks with my dad from the train tracks.  Oh how I miss living near the water!

After Sophomore Year of High School I was selected to be a part of the Lions Club All-State Band.  We spent several days in Murray practicing before hitting the road in a couple buses.  We were on our way to New England. Boston to be exact.  We were marching in the Lions Club International Parade.  This parade happens every year in different places.  This parade is one of the largest in the world.  It was so awesome to march in front of crowds from all over the world playing “My Old Kentucky Home” and hearing people from China, Europe, the States, and all over sing along with our playing.  The Fourth of July was the day we left Boston and we had stopped in Dayton, OH and watched fireworks on the television from our hotel lobby.

After Junior Year of High School I was at the Governor’s Scholar Program at Morehead State University.  It rained on the fourth that year and we didn’t really get to watch the fireworks.  We ended up in the gym watching a movie and eating ice cream (i think).  It was a fun and different way to spend the day!

After Sophomore Year of College I was about intern with LHBC’s student ministry and was asked to go to Baltimore, MD to chaperone a high school mission trip.  This was probably the most entertaining and crazy Independence Day that I have ever had.  We drove to Baltimore on the 3rd and had a “free day” on the 4th, before starting to work with the Village Church on the 5th.  So we planned our free day to be spent in our nation’s capital.  We left in the morning and rode the Subway to D.C. where we went to the capitol building, the air and space museum, walked around, and had a ton of fun fighting the HUGE crowds (enter sarcasm).  It was crazy!!  We were staying for the fireworks and then getting back on the subway back to Baltimore.  And here is where things get kinda crazy. We watched the fireworks from the street near the White House and then headed to the nearest subway entrance.  We got underground and a nice man gave us directions, but either he didn’t really know what he was talking about or thought we were heading somewhere else, because he told us to get on a train headed the opposite direction of Baltimore.  Once we realized we were on the wrong train we planned to get off at the next stop.  From here the chaos ensued.  Our group of about 20 split up into 4 smaller groups, and not on purpose and to make it all better, one group didn’t have an adult with it, because one of our groups included me, the other female chaperone, and one student. Oh yeah, and I had everyone’s subway passes (so that none of the students would lose them), and I was the last one to get back to the station in Baltimore, which meant no one else in the groups that got back close to an hour before me couldn’t get out of the subway station.  Crazy crazy day and I have vowed never to take students to D.C. on July 4th.  Especially when it was my first time there!

Summer after Junior Year of College I spent the fourth with my family in Indy celebrating the wedding of my aunt.  She had gotten married on an island somewhere and then came back and we had the reception on July 4th.  This was the one weekend that I spent with my family because the 4 weeks prior I had been with my Acts 1:8 team and when I got back I was headed out to Haiti for a few weeks.  There were no fireworks for this kid that year.

And now for my plans this year…

This Year I am spending the morning/early afternoon relaxing at home with my two dogs.  I have been blogging like a crazy person, watching the marathons of OTH and Cake Boss, and just enjoying the time off from work.  Later I am going to celebrate with EBrew and her family plus a couple of our friends.  I am beyond excited because I haven’t seen EBrew since June 1st of last year when I left for 1:8 and right before she left to live in Honduras.  There was no question in my mind when she asked me to spend this time with her family!

 

Well that is what July Fourth has looked like in my life.  Do you have any fun stories from July Fourth Celebrations?

reminising

So I have had a lot of time recently to think about where I was a year ago.  Last summer was a pivotal time in my life.  I learned a lot about who I am and what the Lord has for me.  I learned how to work with people of all types, how to serve in many different situations, and how to work with myself.  I made friends that I know I will have for the rest of my life and I travelled to place near and far from home and truly saw the need for the gospel EVERYWHERE, not just overseas.

This time last year on July 4th, I was driving to Indy with my parents for my aunt Rochelle’s wedding reception.  It was family weekend during 1:8 and was just 4 days before I left for Haiti.  It was a good time to spend with my family before heading off.  It is kinda hard to believe that it was a year ago.  Some days it feels like just yesterday that I was with my 1:8 team and other days it feels like forever ago.

I can’t even really put into words what last summer meant to me other than I am pretty sure I wouldn’t be on the path I am now.  I thank God for the opportunities He gave me last summer and this past year to grow, serve, share, and learn.

I wish I had a more eloquent way of putting into words what I am thinking and feeling, but I don’t so I am just going to leave it at this.

NEVER TURN DOWN A CHANCE TO GROW.  IF IT IS A LEAP THAT YOU AREN’T JUST GOING INTO BLINDLY, THEN TAKE IT, IF YOU ARE LIKE ME THEN YOU WON’T REGRET IT.