LIFE ABUNDANT

If They Could See Us Now

2010-01-22T17:08:00.002-05:00

As I sat in church last Sunday, I stood behind quite a few students who come to Navs. I stood and worshiped as I looked at them and smiled. I am so thankful for them. And then the tears welled up in my eyes. I began thinking of the stories that each one has...some that I know and some that I don't. The thought of the change in the lives of these students was overwhelming.
And then I started thinking about the people who have poured into the lives of those students. They would probably look at them and smile too! But the thought got bigger. I usually think about generations to come..the people who will come to know Jesus from the people I now know. This time, I thought of the generations PAST. What if the people who went before us, the people who gave their lives away, who shared Jesus with people, could see those students praising God? The people who obeyed God in years past had no idea the lives that would be forever changed because they were faithful.
Makes me so thankful that people shared Jesus. Makes me so grateful and honored to have the opportunity to do the same thing now. Makes me want to persevere even when I feel like nothing is happening. Makes me praise God for what He has done.

"Therefore, my dear brothers, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain."
1 Corinthians 15:58

In the eyes of the Beholder

2009-09-20T21:37:00.001-04:00

A few years ago I went to the Andy Warhol museum in Pittsburgh. I figured since I’d lived in Pittsburgh my entire life and had never been there, it should happen. I walked around and didn’t get his art work – at all. This summer I went to the National Art Museum in Washington, DC. Again, I saw lots of art that I just didn’t understand. And when we got to the modern section I laughed because some of the pieces seemed absurd to me. Who gets to call strokes of paint an expensive masterpiece? On the other hand, when we got to other sections of the museum and saw works by other artists, I did enjoy it. And a few weeks ago I was in a student’s house and saw some of her paintings (that she popped out in one afternoon) and was amazed.

In church right now, our pastor is doing a series on Ephesians 2:1-10. Verse 10 has always struck me. One version says we are God’s masterpiece. Somedays I don’t feel like a masterpiece. Tonight it hit me again. It doesn’t matter what I think. Just like it’s not up to me to decide the value or worth of a piece of art, it’s not up to me to decide my value. The value comes from the artist, the creator. My take on a piece of art, my opinion does not change the fact that it IS a masterpiece (lucky for Andy Warhol!). My opinion of myself some days does NOT change the fact that my Creator looks at me and is delighted. I’m so glad my thoughts on this matter don’t matter! I can’t change His mind – even if I try hard to do so.

And this brings me to the second part of the verse that somehow I haven’t spent a lot of time thinking about. He has created me as His masterpiece so that I can do good works that he has prepared for me to do. Not good works that will determine my worth (b/c my worth isn’t dependent on my works), but good works that will point people to Him. When I live as if I have no worth, it affects the way I do things. I live in fear and shrink back. I try to earn my worth by the things I do – so my “good works” are about bringing me recognition. However, if I would live as the way God sees me, if I would believe that I am his masterpiece, my actions would be transformed. I would walk in boldness. I would not care about the pat on the back or about what others thought of me. I would do things not so that I would feel better about myself, but because God asks me to. I would not have a bad attitude about doing the “little” things that nobody will ever see. Somedays I feel like He doesn’t have good things for me to do – those are for everybody else. If I believed my truth worth and value, I would see that He does have things just for me to do. I wouldn’t have to compare my good works with others’ because my worth isn’t based on theirs!

I need to chew on this for a while because it will affect the way I do ministry (and the ways I feel I need to impress people by what I do), the way I do life. It will affect the way I love people, the way I see them. It will rock my world of pride.

Tonight I am taken aback by my Beholder. It's time to stop arguing with Him about His creation.

Victorious

2009-03-05T19:38:00.005-05:00

Last week I had the privilege of speaking at our Nav Night. It's something I've wanted to do for a long time, but could never quite muster the courage to do it....a group of 200 is a bit different than a group of 30! I figured enough is enough...I needed to step out! God was so faithful by not only filling me an amazing peace, but by also opening the ears of the students to hear His truth.
I started out by showing this video by Francis Chan. I began by sharing reasons why I believe we cling to that balance beam (gotta watch the video to figure out what I'm talking about!). I believe it's fear of failure, fear of past mistakes, fear of people (fearing them more than we fear God) and finally I believe we don't rely on the power of the Holy Spirit.

I heard a sermon while I was in Pittsburgh over Christmas. It got me thinking about how so many Christians live as if they need to do their faith on their own, they don't truly rely on the gift of the Holy Spirit. And by "they", I guess I mean me! I try harder and harder and then fail and wonder why. And I began to realize something. Ephesians 1:13 says that we each have the Holy Spirit in us once we believe. And John 16:13 talks about how the Holy Spirit leads us into all truth. And Romans 8:11 says the same Spirit that rose Christ from the dead lives in us. So, if we believe, we have the power of the Holy Spirit in us. And not just any power, it's the power that rose Christ from the dead. Read that last sentence again...it's powerful. It's not about more determination, it's about relying on the power of Christ that has already overcome everything. I love Chris Tomlin's song "I Will Rise". It says "Jesus has overcome and the grave is overwhelmed, the victory is won, he is risen from the dead". How amazing. We have victory because Christ was victorious. We are more than conquerors because Christ conquered death.

So, do we live as though we need more determination or do we live in the truth knowing that the power of Christ is in us that will enable us to be victorious in our every day life?

It's a daily thing for me. A daily reminder that I need Christ that day. A daily reminder that I need him in order to have victory in my day. I'm nothing without him, it's not about me. Takes me back to my theme verse, Habakkuk 3:19 - HIS strength enables me to go on the heights.

I ended the evening with the song "Stronger" by Hillsong. It's one of my new faves. We don't need to break our sin patterns or conquer our fears on our own. Believe that the One who is STRONGER has given us everything we need, through his incomparable power, for life and godliness.

Dance on..and on...and on...and on

2009-02-22T23:37:00.007-05:00

This weekend was a big weekend at Penn State. A weekend students wait for all year - the annual dance marathon...better known as THON. It's the largest student-run philanthropy in the world! THON is a year-long effort that raises funds and awareness for the fight against pediatric cancer and the culmination is this weekend. This year they raised a record-breaking $7.49 million!! 700 student "dancers" stand on their feet for 46 hours straight...no sitting, no sleeping (needless to say, people go a little delerious). It's a remarkable thing to see..I don't think words can even do it justice. I remember being a student and wanting to dance (I even tried to climb under the fence to get onto the floor...only to be immediately caught and sent back under!!). Ten years later I wonder how I could have even entertained the thought..I need my sleep!
This year Navs had 4 of our own dancers (two of them are pictured here in green...the girls are in the middle of one of the dances!). They were champs! We even made the front page of the student newspaper. We also had the priviledge of having a THON family this year. The family has a 12-year-old son, Mac, who was diangosed with a brain tumor last January. Our students got to know the family pretty well over the past few months and they were here the entire weekend. It's been an incredible opportunity for the students to love on the family and show them Christ during this difficult time. There are hundreds of families who are like Mac's family who are impacted by THON (they receive money from the funds raised that help to cover medical bills that insurance doesn't cover). It is heart wrenching to look out on the dance floor and see children with little hats on, to cover the fact that they have lost their hair. And yet at the same time, it's heart warming because they are having a blast running around the floor playing with the students. I'm so proud of our students and the ways they have loved Mac and his parents. And by doing that they have shown them Jesus. They kept Christ at the center of everything they did this weekend. Did I mention how proud I am of them?!

30 + 1

2009-02-20T16:56:00.004-05:00

I spent a lot of time dreading the big 3-0. I can remember a day, 6 months BEFORE my birthday, when I woke up from a nap in a complete panic. "I'm going to be 30, my 20's will be gone, I'm getting old!" I vividly remember my father's 30th surprise birthday party. It was an "Over the Hill" party. And I truly did think he was old. So, I was amazed that it was my turn.
I got to a point where I decided that I was going to celebrate this day, not dread it. So I entered into my thirties with a bang...I took a trip to Hawaii! I went with two wonderful friends. It was the most amazing trip of my life...the beauty amazed me and I often verbally reminded us that we weren't dreaming, but in fact were in Hawaii. Before I left, my friends told me I needed to do something every day that scared me. I took ther challenge and met it! We surfed, we snorkeled, we went parasailing, went for a helicopter tour, rented mopeds, ate shrimp from a truck on the side of the road (who knew sketchy could be so good?), tried on a $107,000 ring at Tiffany's, got up and did some hoola dancing in front of a large crowd (which is way harder than it looks, those women have mad skills!), had a picnic on the beach...you name it, we did it! What a way to start this decade of life.
Somewhere along the line during this year, something changed. I LOVED being 30. I had worried for so long and instead was blown away this year. Maybe it's the ring of it...I love saying "I'm 30". Maybe it's the shock of it (I still look like I'm 22). Maybe it's realizing I'm more mature. But I also think it was seeing the blessings that God brought this year...he made the year more than I could have asked or imagined.
I found myself getting anxious about officially being in my thirties. And then remembered what God has done in the past year. I love that word - Remember. I don't think I often take enough time to do jus that. I forget to remember! God called the Israelites to remember a lot. It helped them see God's faithfulness, it helped them remember who He was and what He was capable of doing, it helped them press on. Even as I write this, I'm speaking to myself yet again! I can be excited about what is to come. I know God's character and I know what He is capable of. So, I look forward to this next year, 30+1 (I can't quite bring myself to say 31 yet), with anticipation for what God will do in and through me.

Came and Went

2009-02-12T23:28:00.006-05:00

Before I lived in Colorado, I thought it was normal to have gloomy days for a few months straight. Then I learned what it was like to have sunshine nearly 300 days out of the year. And life will never be the same! I love being near family and friends, but why can't we just move Colorado here?!
My roommate and I needed a little pick-me-up and bought some crocuses a few weeks ago. They started to bloom and we have been enjoying our own little spring in right in our kitchen. For a few days this week State College had "spring" not just in our kitchen, but outside. Sunshine. Warm weather (for a few brave (or stupid) souls, it was even shorts weather). Birds chirping. Melted snow. I knew it was too good to be true, and yet there was part of me that hoped maybe it was here to stay. Last night brought some rather gusty winds...and with it the freezing weather. It was all a tease. It wasn't as cold as the picture makes it look (I took it from my front window a few weeks ago), but the wind sure did make it feel pretty darn close...it chills me to the bone. And so I'll bundle back up and put my bright pink hat back on and cuddle under my big, brown, fuzzy blanket for another two months or so. And in the mean time enjoy the beauty of the snow we'll surely get before now and the real deal. And maybe just pretend I'm back in Colorado with all the sun. Actually, if I'm going to pretend, I should aim for something even better...Hawaii, where I'd get sun AND warmth :)

So far...

2009-02-11T14:43:00.007-05:00

Here's a glimpse into the past few weeks:

Dinner at the Corner Room with "B Stud"

Standing on frozen water at our winter retreat (yes, those would be cracks beneath their feet)

200 Students gathered for a regional conference. Times of worship were my favorite part.

The beautiful sunset over the Maryland Bay..I ventured out onto that ice to get this shot..maybe not the smartest move, but worth it!

Let 'em flow

2009-02-11T14:24:00.003-05:00

It seems that in the Navigator world, everybody speaks in Meyers Briggs lingo (a personality test). We use it to explain ourselves or other people. "She needs her "I" time" (translation: she's an introvert and needs to refuel). "He's such a "J" (translation: he's always on time, loves to make lists and is organized). I'll add one more to the list - one about me. I'm such an "f"...feeler that is! I'm just going to admit, I'm not afraid of tears. Actually, I'm a sucker...when I see somebody else cry, it's likely that I'll join them. I think they're beautiful because they can reveal a lot about a person. Tears can mean many different things: what means the most to a person, what makes them tick, what hurts them, what they're passionate about. Over the past few weeks, I've sat with women who have cried over the death of a best friend. I've sat with a woman who, at the thought of abortion, cried over the millions of innocent lives have been lost. I've seen people broken over loved ones and friends who don't know Jesus. I've sat with women who have gotten "misty" (I've heard it said that they can't be considered tears if they never venture down the cheeks) over what Christ has done for them. I've heard the pain behind the tears of people struggling with illness. And yes, I've even shed a few of my own over unmet longings and expectations (and perhaps some while watching the "Biggest Loser"...and yes, I just admitted that).
Yesterday was one of those days when I left my house and already felt tired and unmotivated. It was one of those days where I wondered if I was making a difference. My focus was on myself rather than on the One who gives me strength. In the midst of my "me moment", God gave me a gift. As I met with women, I clearly saw God working in their hearts in a way that I could have never made happen. And then I got to see some more "mists". As I sat with one of the girls in the student union, we talked about my birthday. She asked what it felt like to be one year older and then kindly reminded me that I didn't seem "old"! And then tears welled in her eyes as she told me that she was so thankful that I've chosen to be here with the students. I was humbled and honored that she would choose to share her words and tears with me. Humbled that God would give me a glimpse at the work He is doing through me. Humbled that in the midst of me focusing on myself, that God still moves. Honored that I get to share in so many different kinds of tears with people I love.

WORD.

2009-02-10T18:14:00.003-05:00

I love it when worlds collide. When God teaches you the same lesson through different means. When you feel like saying "Ok God, I get it...I think I get what you're throwin down". Our current sermon series at church is about the Word. Last week our speaker at Nav Night talked about the importance of the Bible in our daily lives. Ten different students shared verses that have impacted them recently, things that touched them during their personal times with God. This talk was meant to encourage the students and in the mean time jolted me. God speaks so differently to people...and yet so similarly. One by one, as each student shared their heart, I was so encouraged. Encouraged by the way these students seek God. Encouraged that God spoke to each student in a unique way. Encouraged that God would use their words to speak to me. Encouraged to see how God moves. Encouraged by the fact that His Word is living and active and changes lives. Encouraged by the fact that they don't keep the Word to themselves...Mike shared..then Ken shared something that Mike had shared with him...and then Kyle shared how Ken had shared something with him. The domino affect...gotta love it.
One of the vereses that struck me was Isaiah 26:3 "You will keep in pefect peace him whose mind is steadfast, because he trusts in you". As usual, God's timing was right on. He knew what I'd been carrying around with me...stuff I should have trusted him with weeks ago. I've been meditating on that verse for a few days...and probably will for a few more. I've been amazingly refreshed...and it all came from students who were willing to use their words to share God's Word.
Here are a few more that were shared that night: Psalm 16:11, 2 Corinthians 4:16-18, 1 John 4:19, Isaiah 1:18, Romans 8:32. Go check 'em out...and let the domino affect continue.

New Title

2009-01-30T12:44:00.009-05:00

I'm an AUNT! :) Owen Theordore McHugh made his debut on January 25 at 4:50am. I'm amazed at how much you can be in love with somebody you just met! He's the most adorable thing I've ever seen. They had to pry him out of my hands a few times. I'm ok with being considered a baby hog! He seemed so small and then I realized he had been inside my sister and I began to think he was kinda big! Owen is so blessed to have Brynne and Brian as parents. They will do an amazing job. I loved watching them look at him...if I feel like I'm in love with him, I can't image what they're going through! I'm not exaggerating when I say this...there was an afternoon this week when I could hardly get work done because I couldn't stop thinking about him and anytime anybody would come into my apartment I'd show them the picture I was staring at!
I decided to brag on him and show him off!

Reason

2009-01-30T12:43:00.001-05:00

Last Friday I had my office in Panera! I loved it because while I was there meeting with girls, I saw other students there reading their Bibles with each other. It just made me smile. I have such a great job!

As I sat with my girls, we one of the things we talked about was praise. It’s been a theme in my life. There’s a song called "Desert Song" by Hillsong that’s been stuck in my head. My roommate is surely sick of it because it’s on repeat so often on the iPod dock (like right now!). There’s a line in it that I just can’t get past. I’ve given a lot of thought to it.

“All of my life in every season, you are still God, I have a reason to sing, I have a reason to worship.”

Why do I have a reason to worship? At first I started thinking of the things God has given to me. And then I realized that so often we worship God because of what we have. I’m not saying that’s a bad thing – I’ve been hit recently with how blessed I truly am (I’ll blog about that later!). But at the same time, it can become a problem. God is to be worshipped not just for what He has done, but for WHO HE IS. He’s faithful, He’s Creator, He’s merciful, He’s sovereign, He’s Emmanuel, He’s Savior…I mean, the list could go on and on. Those are just a few that God has been showing me recently.

Since it’s been on my mind, I decided to ask the girls why they have a reason to worship. They had beautiful responses. Her eyes began to swell up with tears as one of the girls simply said “He saved me and has forgiven me”. My other student immediately said “He’s given me life”. I loved their responses because they didn’t give trite, “christianese” answers. They were clearly heartfelt. What an amazing gift we have – we DO have a reason to worship..in EVERY season of life God is still God.

What about you…why do you have a reason to worship? What characteristics of God have you seen recently?

Naming Your Year

2009-01-15T12:37:00.004-05:00

Each year is a chance for some new beginnings. It’s a chance to ask God what HE wants for your year. Last year I took some time to ask God what He would want to do in my life and asked Him to give me a word for the year. As I prayed and read scripture, I was led to the story of Lazarus and was struck by the phrase “Come Forth”. That was the name God gave me for the year. As I look back on the year I see that God did so many things to bring me forth out of fears, insecurities and had me try some new things. And when I hit tough patches, I was able to go back to that word and be reminded of who God was and what He could do…I wasn’t at it alone.

So this year I again asked God what He wanted this year to be for me. I was brought to Habakkuk 3:17-19

“Though the fig tree does not bud and there are no grapes on the vines, though the olive crop fails and the fields produce no food, though there are no sheep in the pen and no cattle in the stalls, yet I will REJOICE in the Lord, I will be joyful in God my Savior. The Sovereign Lord is my STRENGTH; he makes my feet like the feet of a deer, he ENABLES me to go on the heights.”

There are so many times when I can look at things in my life and let myself be discouraged. I have the wrong perspective and choose to focus on circumstance rather than on God. God gave me the word REJOICE for this year. When life isn’t the way I want it, when things aren’t going the way I planned, I have a choice to make. And this year I am believing God to give me the strength to choose rejoicing. To train me to look for things to rejoice in. Sometimes I miss those moments because I’m not looking. I want to believe that God is good in the midst of ALL things. So I’m praying that He will do a work in my heart this year that will enable me to choose joy. I love that word ENABLE…by his strength I will be able to do greater things. In Megan's strength (as good as I think it is sometimes!) I will never be able to do this. God has to show up. He will strengthen me and enable me to do things I’ve never done before. God’s already brought opportunities where I have had a chance to test this out! I know this ride won't be easy, but it’s been amazing to see what He has already begun to do in my heart.

If you’re interested in “naming your year”, I would encourage you to try it out. My friend, Leah, introduced this to me and she learned it from a church in Pittsburgh. Here is a link to the pastor’s blog…his words can explain it much more eloquently that mine!

http://jeffleake.typepad.com/the_launchpad/2009/01/steps-to-name-your-year.html

If you do decide to do it, please let me know…I’d love to hear about it and believe God with you for big things this year!

Reminders

2009-01-15T12:07:00.002-05:00

Over the past few weeks, God has gone out of his way to remind me of His love for me. I’m humbled, because it’s so undeserved. And I’ve realized it’s even a gift that he shows me tangible ways that He loves me.

One of those ways happened was while I was at church a few weeks ago. For a few days prior to the service God had put the hymn “Solid Rock” on my heart. I mean, I couldn’t get that first line out of my head (it’s a zinger!). Before I left for church I had a little chat with God and simply said that it would be awesome if we sang that song at church. I kinda laughed at myself. God must have been chuckling too because we sang that song at church (and I later found out that it’s not a song they normally sing). Tears streamed down my face as I was reminded that God loves me – more than any human love can give. He’s willing to do whatever it takes to show us that – something as immense as dying on the cross and something as small as playing a song for me. I’ve come back to that moment over and over again during the past two weeks. When I’m tempted to believe things that aren’t true about myself or about God, I think of that moment (it still makes me a little giddy and I’m not gonna lie, even brings a tear or two sometimes). I remind myself of God’s unfailing love for me. God gives us reminders because unfortunately we so often forget. I get so frustrated with those Israelites because they would get manna EVERY day and yet still freak out and wonder if they would have food again the next day. How could they forget day by day? And then I see myself in those Israelites…don’t ya just love when that happens?! It brings me back to a place of thankfulness and of complete dependence on God. In my own strength I can’t even remind myself of His love…the Holy Spirit does it all. My new motto for this semester is “Day by Day”. I’ll take this one step at a time and daily open my ears to recognize those reminders.

Exodus 15:13 "In your unfailing love you will lead the people you have redeemed. In your strength you will guide them to your holy dwelling.”

Unexpected Favorites

2008-10-02T19:09:00.005-04:00

Don't you love it when you have an expectation that gets blown out of the water? Something bigger and better than you thought it could be? It's safe to say that's happened to me twice over the past few weeks.

I'm helping to lead a bible study for seniors this year (a few of them are pictured here...they chose an "awkward pose" for this picture!). Before the semester began, I have to be honest...I wasn't overly excited about this study. The study is called Five Aspects of Woman - a Biblical Theology on Femininity. It's an intense curriculum, I felt inadequate in leading it and didn't know how I'd have time for it. It's a month into the study and I can honestly say that this might be my most favorite thing about the semester! This group of women come prepared and are excited to discuss. I have seen them grasp truth in major ways. One of the girls excitedly shared how she felt so empowered to make a difference in the areas of her life that God has given her authority over. It's fun to watch them realize that they have many giftings as women and have the ability to move in strength in those giftings. I love using my home each week to host them. I also love it because it brings together girls who don't normally spend time together. It's a joy to watch them interact and enjoy each other.

For part of my training curriculum with The Navs, I am in a study about the Gospel. We are reading a book by Jerry Bridges The Gospel for Real Life. I'll be honest here, I wasn't excited to read this book. I mean, I love Jerry Bridges, but again, I didn't know how to fit it in...plus I always start books and never finish them! Let me just say that this book is one of the most impacting books I've ever read. I thought I knew what the Gospel was. Well, I did...but I had such a small view of it. As believers, we sometimes think that we need to Gospel to be saved and then we put it on a shelf for when we want to help somebody else come to know Jesus. We're missing out and not living the way God has intended when we do that. If we let the true enormity of the Gospel impact our lives EVERY day, we would be utterly amazed at our ability to love and be loved...to live in true freedom. This book started out by taking a look at our sinfulness and God's holiness...and it makes you realize again just how much we didn't deserve what Christ did on the cross. It then takes every part of the Gospel and breaks it down...God's justice, God's mercy, God's wrath, Redemption, etc. Here's an excerpt that has my mind reeling:

"Have you ever thought about the wonderful truth that Christ lived His perfect life in your place and on your behalf? Has it yet gripped you that when God looks at you today He sees you clothed in the perfect, sinless obedience of His Son? And that when He says, "This is my Son, whom I love; with Him I am well please," He includes you in that warm embrace? The extent to which we truly understand this is the extent to which we will begin to enjoy those unsearchable riches that are found in Christ."

Do you let shame have a grip in your life, or are you able to embrace the truth about how God sees you? I'm not saying I've arrived or have fully let God's love penetrate every area of my heart...but by God's grace, I'm learning! It's hard, especially when I thought I knew it all! I'm Italian, what can I say?!!!

Delights

2008-10-02T18:52:00.006-04:00

That’s a great word to describe some of the fun things that have happened over the past two weeks.

First…let me say it loud and proud…IT’S GREAT TO BE A NITTANY LION!! There’s nothing like being in State College on game day! As if that’s not enough, it’s even more fun to tailgate and GO TO the game! I don’t quite know how this happened, but I’ve maybe only ever visited one tailgate…ever. So, it’s easy to see why I was pretty much giddy when I got to have a tailgate with friends two weeks ago. And then to my utter shock, friends blessed me by paying for part of a ticket to watch the game..IN the stadium! 15 rows up on the 40 yard line behind JoePa! My voice was already raspy from being sick…and the voice wasn’t doin too hot on the way out! Don't be fooled...I don't know much about football and was more excited about the cheering and the crowd than I was about the actual game!! I know, big shocker.

Second…Food!! for a few health reasons, I’ve decided to eliminate some foods from my diet. One thing I really miss is sugar…I know, call me crazy. One of my students has an intolerance to Gluten and is on a strict diet. She found out I was doing this and went grocery shopping and brought me two bags of goodies that I can eat. She must have spent a fortune. She bought me ice cream that is made out of coconut milk and doesn't have sugar. It's SO good! Before you make any rash conclusions about this, take my grandmother's advice...don't decide you don't like something until you've tried it! Almond Butter is expensive, so I was holding out on buying it…to my utter delight, guess what was in the bag?!! She had no idea I had been craving it! She didn’t have to do what she did, and she even did it with a joyful heart. I can’t even begin to describe how loved I felt. It seems so simple…food…and yet it was huge.

Third…flowers J One of the women that I was with this summer (our lovely chef!) surprised me the other night and brought me lots of recipes…AND a beautiful sunflower! May seem like a small gesture, but it was just so nice to know that she thought of me…and blessed me!

Fourth…corn!! Ok, so really this one should be Frisbee golf! Huh? How does Frisbee golf and corn go together. Well, I was introduced to disc golf earlier this fall and thought had a blast with it. I’m not the most, let’s say talented, at it…but it’s fun! So my roommate and I took two girls to play one Friday afternoon. It was a beautiful fall day and we were next to a corn field…and that corn begged to have pictures of us in it!

So there you have it…some recent delights. When I hear the word delight, I think of a child. It’s so easy for them to delight in everything. Sometimes things start going so quickly around us that we forget to take delight in life…or we look for big things and miss the small things. I love it when I can be like a child.

In the Beginning…

2008-09-05T13:28:00.007-04:00

Our semester is now officially two weeks under way. Only two weeks in and already I have lots to fill you in on. I have to be honest, after a crazy spring semester and intense summer, I wasn’t totally ready to get things rolling this fall. I guess I could liken it to a teacher going back to school after a summer break. I’m wondering if teachers get really excited when they see their students walk through the door for the first day of school, because that’s how I felt when I saw our students come back for our leadership retreat!

We have a stellar group of over 50 leaders this year. These are the students who will be leading bible studies on campus. Before classes began we got away from campus for a night and had a retreat. We started with some crazy games…hunt the seniors. I decided to be a senior for this one and go hide in the woods while I waited for the juniors to come find me. I got all into it if I do say so myself…crouched down in the fetal position under a dead tree…even put sticks down the back of my shirt to “blend in”. They actually passed over me a few times…but to my dismay I was eventually caught! (Cait and Adie are seniors this year...they hid under the tree with me!)

As fun as I’m sure that sounds, I had an even better time at our next event. A time of prayer…there were four stations to go to. The time was meant to pray by yourself…just get some good time with God. First stop…confession. Second stop…communion. Third stop…time to be silent and listen. Fourth stop…a time of corporate worship. The third stop was my favorite. We asked the students to ask God what He would want them to do this year…who to reach out to, who to pray for, etc. Take some time to dream with God. Words can’t quite do the scene justice. I had the chance to sit behind a bunch of students…and while I dreamed I must say I was a bit distracted. Distracted by the fact that I was looking out over a group of our men and women praying – preparing themselves for what they were about to embark on. Thousands of other students were preparing for the semester by dreaming of the parties they would go to…but these students in front of me were thinking about how they could impact the campus for Christ. I’m not their parent, and yet I felt like a parent…I was so proud of them!

We like to start things at Penn State with a bang…so the night before classes began we had a BBQ at my house. How is that a bang, you ask? Well, I’d say because we had between 180 and 200 students in our yard and in the street! Classes hadn’t even begun and we had at least 30 freshmen come! Those poor freshies…they had no idea they would be walking into a group that large…I mean I was overwhelmed and I knew a large number of the people there!Later that week we overheard some of our neighbors as they walked by our house: “Dude, this house had a sick party on Sunday night”! For those who don’t know…sick is a good thing :)

Long Overdue....

2008-08-14T21:23:00.003-04:00

Well…it’s been a while to say the least! Things got a bit crazy at the end of GMS. If I had written a post while I was still in Vermont, I don't think it would even be understandable. I had a hard time even speaking in proper sentences, let alone writing! My brain was fried! I've had some time to re-coop and get ready for the start of things here at Penn State.
It’s rather hard to sum up a summer in a short post. I left the summer so encouraged by what God did in the lives of the students. The speaker who spoke at our last Nav night was one of my favorites of the summer. He hit on Psalm 127:1 – “Unless the LORD builds the house, its builders labor in vain. Unless the LORD watches over the city, the watchmen stand guard in vain.” Without God, we are nothing. What happens isn’t a result of us, it’s a result of Him. Bob (the speaker) used to be a missionary in South Africa and shared story after story about what he saw God do during his time there. His stories amazing and inspired me. I loved hearing how God used somebody to touch the lives of others. God didn’t have to use Bob and his family, but they were willing and they obeyed…and as a result so amazing fruit from their ministry. He challenged each of us to look beyond ourselves and see the people around us. How can we love God and do good to those around us. How am I living my life? Do I seize every opportunity to share Christ with others? And I don’t just mean by my words, I mean by my actions…do I love them or do I judge them? Am I prideful towards them or selfless and humble? Bob made it seem so easy, but then he shared some of his failures…and we realized it wasn’t always roses for him. The thing is that Bob never gave up. He never lost hope…he kept to what God had asked him to do. And as a result there are spiritual generations of people in Africa who will never be the same because they know Jesus in a deep way.

The talk was a perfect way to end GMS because it challenged the students to think beyond themselves when they get back to campus. How will they take what they learned during the 9 weeks in Vermont and use it to share Jesus with others? I’m excited to see what they do. I’m most excited about Emily and Natalie (pictured here with my co-leader, Emily)…two girls who were in my freshmen bible study last year. They grew tremendously this summer. We sat at dinner one night and talked about how things can look different this year in our Bible study. They’re excited to take what they learned and share it with the girls who weren’t with us this summer.

Proclamations

2008-07-24T14:58:00.005-04:00

Normally on a rainy night, people stay inside. Normal people want to stay dry. Not the case with my group here in Burlington...although come to think of it, normal college students wouldn't give their summer to know Jesus more. Wednesday night was a special night. In the midst of a downpour, we went to one of the beaches here....lined the beach with umbrellas as we celebrated with friends who were proclaiming their faith in Jesus by being baptized. The original plan was that 3 of our students would get baptized. After the 3rd person got baptized, another girl ran into the water. And so it continued until 8 people got baptized. What a sight! We've had the students give their testimonies each night after dinner...so we've had the chance to see what God has done in their lives. How amazing to then see them make this step...knowing how God has so visibly changed them. They are leaving Vermont in a much different way than when they arrived. I love these students who aren't normal...but how I wish they were the norm.

Finale

2008-07-24T14:42:00.004-04:00

So Monday was my last hip hop class. Our instructor, Lois, told us that we could invite friends to come and watch us do a final performance. Lois had no idea what she had just done. I'm sure in her mind she thought we might invite a few friends. Little did she know that Caitlin and I would invite, oh, 50 people. Our little dance studio had never seen so many people in it at once. We had about 15 students come and cheer us on...along with a video camera. They were so excited to come and cheer us on...even bringing flowers! Not gonna lie, I had some butterflies. You're supposed to ham it up for an audience and in hip hop your supposed to make kinda serious faces. I found it rather hard to do that while my audience was only about 5 feet from where I was performing. Rather, I found myself laughing and smiling...and maybe screaming a few times! I'm glad I took the class...it took me beyond my comfort zone a little and I ended up having a lot of fun along the way. Enjoy the pics...the nice one of the girls...and then the guys came along as put on our best hip hop faces.

My new favorite state??

2008-07-13T23:38:00.004-04:00

This past weekend was team weekend…the team leaders each planned a weekend get-away for their team. This meant a free weekend for the staff team! It got to be the middle of last week and Caitlin and I realized we had nothing planned. I sent a quick email to our Divisional Leader (he oversees Nav ministries in at least 15 states..maybe more) and within 24 hours he set us up with a free place to stay! (People we had never met before let us use their house while they were away!) What an incredible gift! So, off to Maine we went!!! It certainly lived up to some of it’s slogans, like “vacationland” or “Maine…the way life should be.” They’re not kiddin! I’m not being at all dramatic when I say that it was the best weekend I’ve had in a really long time. I don’t think either one of us realized how much we needed a break. We went to multiple beaches, saw two lighthouses, shopped at outlets, got lobster, and saw breath taking views of the cliffs that line the ocean. We laughed and slept A LOT! I was reminded over and over again of God’s love for me. I thought a lot about Psalm 139:17-18: “How precious are your thoughts about me, O God. They cannot be numbered! I can’t even count them, they outnumber the grains of sand!” This one’s a bit hard to grasp…especially after laying on the sand and realizing how much sand there was just in the few inches around me (not to mention all over my body). The other one that hit me was Song of Solomon 8:7: “Many waters cannot quench love…” I looked out over the ocean…water beyond what I could see…and was blown away by the fact that all of that water can’t put out God’s love for me. Do I really live like I believe that He loves me that much?

PRIDE

2008-07-13T23:14:00.002-04:00

Last week I experienced two forms of pride. Yes, two. During our workshop this past week we had the students take some time to examine their pride. We took a list of examples from the book Brokenness: The Heart God Revives by Nancy Leigh Demoss. Here are a few “ouchies” for me:

*Proud people desire to be known as a success.
*Broken people are motivated to be faithful and to make others successful.

*Proud people have a drive to be recognized and appreciated for their efforts.
*Broken people have a sense of their own unworthiness; they are thrilled that God would use them at all.

*Proud people have a hard time saying “I was wrong; will you please forgive me?”
*Broken people are quick to admit their failure and to seek forgiveness when necessary.

These are only a few to describe me…I’ll keep the rest for my journal! What was really cool though was that after we took some time alone, everyone got back with their team and shared some things that described them…a way to let down the wall of pride in their life. Not easy, but necessary if you want to live in true community.

While I was realizing the sinful pride that lies within me, I was also feeling very proud of the students. We had our weekly sharing time and at the end I was trying to tell them to break up into small groups to pray, but I couldn’t quite get all the words out of my mouth without having the tears start. (another thing you need to know about me…I cry easily…especially when it comes to people I care about) I just couldn’t help the feeling of being completely overwhelmed with pride by how far these students have come this summer. People shared about moving forward in relationships with their parents-learning to love them and be open with them, people were sharing about how God was using them to touch their co-workers and one shared about overcoming fear and starting a conversation about God with a homeless man. What an amazing gift I’ve been given…I have the chance to be a part of these students’ lives.

Woaahhh…We’re Half Way There…

2008-07-03T16:32:00.000-04:00

Yesterday officially marked the half way mark of our summer in Burlington. And I’m realizing more and more the need to depend on Jesus. Without Jesus, no good thing will come from me. The need to be living a life that is centered around prayer. Not to say that I do that…I’m saying that I’m realizing how much more I need to live my life that way.

It’s been a great summer so far, but after some conversations with women this morning, I’m realizing that quite a few of us are thinking “Oh no, the summer is half way over and I haven’t accomplished things that I wanted to accomplish”. Rather than beat ourselves up, I encouraged each of us to remember that there are still so many things that God can accomplish in and through us. I want us to think through how we can finish strong. How can we encourage the people we mentor, how can we speak truth to them, how can we call them out to live a more holy life? And in the midst of pouring our lives out to others, how do we take time out of the busyness for our own hearts to meet Jesus?

I love Psalm 126:3 – “the Lord has done great things for us, and we are filled with joy”. My prayer is that at the end of this summer we will be able to look back and be filled with tremendous joy over what Jesus has done.

Hip Hop Hooray.....

2008-07-02T22:13:00.004-04:00

There’s something you should know about me…I LOVE to dance. I mean, really love to dance. If there is a dance floor, I’m on it. If there’s a beat, my leg is tappin. When there’s a dance, I’m out there the entire time…only breaking for water. Why am I sharing this? Well, it explains the fact that I’m taking a hip hop class this summer! My friend, Caitlin, and I are taking a class once a week. I’ve never done hip hop before and I’ve never taken a real dance class (well, ok, I did when I was in like kindergarten…a ballet class and I got to wear a cute little pink tutu) , so to be honest it freaked me out at first. It’s tons of fun and a great workout. We performed our dance on Saturday night at our Thrift Store formal (as a matter of fact, we practiced it so many times for the performance that by the time we got to class on Monday we had it down pretty good...so good in fact that the instructor had us re-teach it to the class!) This was the first dance performance I’ve done in, well like 12 years…which takes me back to my cheerleading days. Yep, I’m admitting that for all to see. So anyway…here are a few pics to prove the performance.

Never a dull moment...

2008-06-29T17:39:00.006-04:00

The weekend adventures continue. I neglected to write about last weekend. We had an adventurous time tubing down the White River in NH. What some thought would be a nice, serene drift ended up to be a wild time hitting rapids in deflating tubes that were meant for children! We got rained on pretty good and I ended up on a tube that was meant for two people…and somehow we managed to get 4 on it. I even managed to get myself stuck…I tried to get on it and instead fell inside of the tube…with my back down inside and in the water and my legs sticking out in a v formation. If we only had videos of the day…I’m quite sure we could win money with our footage. The day ended with a damper, however. We got back to the cars to find that somebody had broken into one of cars and stole at least $2,000 worth of the student’s belongings. I was so impressed with their attitudes about it. There were tears, but one of my friends was crying that her Bible and journal got stolen…her iPod, wallet, phone, backpack and clothes were stolen and yet she was crying about her Bible and journal. It was a great example for the rest of us.

This weekend was a little more relaxed…thank goodness! I was at the point of complete exhaustion. We had a Thrift Store formal last night. Each person went to a local Thrift Store and picked a ridiculous outfit to wear. A couple of the men’s teams made dinner for some of the women’s teams (they each have brother/sister teams). It was so fun to watch the guys go all out and enjoy blessing the woman! We danced for a good three hours! I went into the dance not really wanting to be around people. And left the dance completely energized! (being an extrovert is interesting like that!) I have one thing to say about this group: we can DANCE!! There were a few times where I just stood back and watched the students. I couldn’t help but smile as I watched them truly enjoy themselves and each other. It's amazing to see how much they have bonded with each other.

Love So Amazing...

2008-06-27T00:31:00.004-04:00

I should be in bed…but come on, first thing’s first…I had to share about my evening. I would have to say that it’s been my favorite night so far with the students. I got to be a substitute leader for one of the teams! Actually, I didn’t even lead…one of the team leaders is away and had one of the girls on her team take over for her. I had the privilege of just being there! This week we did a study on “Relationships and Community in the Body of Christ”. We looked at 1 Corinthians 13, 1 John 4 and 1 Corinthians 12. They all paint a beautiful picture of the perfect ways that Christ loves us and then how His love compels us to love those around us. Part of the discussion was about how this team of 5 women can better love each other. These women didn’t know each other at the beginning of the summer and yet are willing to be authentic and vulnerable with each other…4 weeks after meeting (three are from PSU, but didn’t know each other well). One of them volunteered to pray out loud for the group because it’s something that scares her, so she wanted to push herself. One of them shared about how she has never been herself in other Bible Studies, but wants to push past that here because she can trust people. I couldn’t help but smile as she finished her sentence: “It’s so freeing.”
I LOVE IT! God’s perfect love has the power to break every stronghold that keeps us from understanding His love for us individually and then extending that love to others. I love that I had the amazing opportunity it see first hand how the Gospel is changing the hearts of these women…they have no idea how much they inspire, challenge and encourage me!

Mercy

2008-06-23T23:27:00.002-04:00

Have you ever driven somewhere and then wondered how you actually got there? Might sound crazy, but sometimes when I’m driving to a familiar place I kinda go into auto-driver mode. I don’t pay attention to the drive, I zone out…and then just end up at the final destination. I feel like that’s what happened to me last week. The week flew by so quickly and at the end of the week I realized I was just going through the motions…at times forgetting why I’m doing what I’m doing. It hit me for two reasons. I’m at this unique place this summer-having the opportunity to really live with students. And yet I wasn’t letting myself enjoy the moment-sitting and enjoying a simple conversation, taking in the sound of multiple small groups around me pray together, look around the room and watch people laugh together, shut my eyes and listen to a group of 50 people praise the Lord. And the other reason it bothered me was because I was trying to “do” things to make myself feel better about who I am. In a sense, trying to earn God’s love…and yet never really sitting down to just spend time with Him.
Our Bible study last week focused on Ephesians 2:1-10. I’ve read the passage so many times and as I dug a little deeper, something hit me in a new way. I didn’t do a thing to deserve salvation, it wasn’t based on my abilities. Now that I’ve received this wonderful gift, why in the world do I think that I have to earn God’s love by what I do? I don’t have to jump through hoops for him. He gives me his great love (the word in this passage refers to agape love) and He is rich in mercy (the greek word is “plousios” meaning abounding, wealthy, abundantly supplied. One commentary talked about it being exhaustless). What an amazing truth I can rest in. I don’t have to strive or do things perfectly or try to be the best at my job. I can relax in his exhaustless mercy!

Movin and Shakin

2008-06-16T00:06:00.004-04:00

Each Sunday night we have a "prayer and share"....a time where the students can reflect on the past week and share with everyone what they have seen God do. I love Sunday evenings because I love to see how God is moving in the lives of the students here...and using them in the lives of others. Here are a few highlights (I'll just use the student's first initial):

P: "On Friday night during our prayer walk around town, my group prayed that we would have the opportunity to talk to a homeless person. We got back to the dorm and right before we walked into the door, a homeless person approached us and asked us for food. We were able to go inside and get some food for them and then talk to them for a while. It was amazing to see God answer a prayer so quickly."

B: "One night I decided to go down to Church St (the main street in Burlington) and have a quiet time. I sat on a huge rock to read my Bible. A woman who had been drinking a lot approached me. She asked me what I was reading. I'm not used to sharing my faith, but I got the chance to talk to her a little bit about the Bible. It was cool to step out in faith and get to know her."

P: "Two years ago I had a major surgery and almost died. I've had a lot of health issues since then. Today, on the two year anniversary of my surgery, I climbed Mt. Mansfield! It is so amazing to see how God has worked in my life and helped give me the strength to climb a mountain rather than lie in a hospital bed."

P: "During our prayer walk in Burlington, we approached a man who was by himself. He was looking out over the lake and seemed to be in a contemplative mood. At first I didn't want to talk to him, but I knew God wanted me to. After talking to him for a while, he told us he was a Christian. He comes from a hard background and has a hard life. That evening before we met him, he had a disagreement with somebody from his Bible Study. He was going to go back out to the bars, but decided to first stop and think about things. While he was sitting there, we came to talk to him. He told us that he believes that God brought us to him to help him. We're looking forward to going and visiting with him and getting to know him more."

A Thousand Words

2008-06-14T22:25:00.011-04:00

Rather than try and explain my week, I'll just let the pictures do the talking:

MONDAY:

We have a flare for drama and food. This is one of our food purchases for the day (we also hit the local grocery store)...it will feed 56 people for 3 days.

TUESDAY:

We had a huge thunderstorm on Tuesday night and the sunset afterwards was AMAZING. We had a workshop going on, but I ran upstairs to take this picture from my room. The entire sky was orange.

WEDNESDAY:

DAY OFF!! I had one of the most relaxing days since I've been here. A friend here in Burlington took my co-worker, Caitlin, and I on a hike and then to see an amazing mansion/farm. For those of you who know me well, you will be able picture this: I was pretty much giddy as we drove around the property. I had my car window down and pretty much just giggled and let out little yelps the entire time! The scenes seemed as if they were straight out of Pride and Prejudice.

FRIDAY:

I spent the morning with Lorielle, one of the team leaders I meet with weekly. I took her to Shelborne Bay Park and we found a beautiful spot on a rock that overlooked the Bay.

I spent the afternoon at the beach. Emily was in my freshmen Bible Study this past year. We got to take a long walk as she shared what God has been teaching her. It's just so fun to see what God has done in her life in just a few short months.

SATURDAY:

I got back from dinner to this scene...a group of students enjoying rain. I'll put it in their words: "We're pretending like we are little kids again"!!

Weekends make me tired...

2008-06-14T22:14:00.003-04:00

I’ve been meaning to post for over a week…now I wish I would have done that because now I forget a lot!

Let me begin where I would have started…last weekend. We try to have events planned for the entire program on Saturdays. Last Saturday we decided to start with a big bang…hike the tallest point in Vermont…Mt. Mansfield. No problem, I like to hike. Well, at least I thought I liked to hike. People say that when you turn 30, your body just can’t do the same things it used to. Maybe that’s what can explain why the mountain dominated me! I made it to the top and was elated (as you can see in the picture with the team leader women). I figured the worst was over. Wrong. Somehow the hike down was not what I expected..isn’t it supposed to be easier? I can’t say I had the best attitude…and vowed I’d never, ever hike it again (just for the record, I’d totally do it again now that I forget what the pain felt like. I’d do a few things differently….simple things, like eat a real breakfast before I decide to hike a mountain.). There were two good things about the hike down: realizing how amazing it was that I actually got up that thing and hiking with the students…they helped me so much! So humbling and so good! I love that a group our size all did something that was so difficult for so many of us…and we couldn’t have done it alone. We needed each other. If we didn’t have each other, many of us would have given up long before we reached our goal.

Today we spent the day doing service projects. We did a ton of work outside for a local church (gardening, painting, fixing up a playground, cleaning the church, etc) and at a nursing home. As I worked alongside my friends, I thought about how amazing it was that this group of people were giving up their day to do work for others. They did it with a joyful heart. It again made me realize what an amazing group of people I am blessed to work with this summer. I left the day exhausted and need a nap…just like I did last week!

Beautiful

2008-06-05T23:15:00.010-04:00

How do I put this week into words? So much has happened already. The wide range of emotions—from laughter to tears. A room filled with 50 students…students who could have internships, who could be making a lot of money this summer…and instead chose to spend a summer being intentional about their relationship with Jesus. I walked down the street with one of the women I’m meeting with and 50 yards in front of me there were two men from our program…going to do the same thing we were doing…taking time to talk about who Jesus is in their lives. I sat with a girl today…a girl I thought I knew well…and as I asked her lots of questions about who she is, I realized there is so much I don’t know about her. How fun to have the opportunity to get to know people…to enjoy the way God has created us each so differently!

It’s hard living in the dorms, but yet it’s amazing to have the opportunity to live with the students…the women can pop in when they need to talk. I just sat on my bed with a girl as through tears she told me “I just want to know Jesus”. What beautiful tears. What beautiful words.

I feel like I’m wrestling through a lot personally. Trying to sort through some things. We had an amazing speaker come this week and share about spending time with Jesus. He was brutally honest…which allowed me to be honest with myself. About where I am and where I want to be in my relationship with God. I don’t want to just see him do things in the hearts of those around me…I need to be transformed. As soon as I sort through some notes and thoughts, I’d love to share some of it with you. As I sat on a swing, overlooking Lake Champlain at sunset tonight (I took the picture above from my swing!), I read a Psalm that I love…Psalm 34. I love verse 4 & 5 and I usually stop there. But I read further tonight.

“The poor man called, and the LORD heard him; he saved him out of all his troubles. The angel of the LORD encamps around those who fear him, and he delivers them. Taste and see that the LORD is good; blessed is the man who takes refuge in him.”

I love it….an angel encamps around me…is stationed around me, fighting for me, protecting me…I’m not alone and can take refuge in Him. Praise God that I don’t have to fight for myself…He is a far greater warrior than I am.

Pushing the envelope

2008-05-29T23:54:00.005-04:00

What a week! Burlington is BEAUTIFUL! Mountains and a lake…what more can you ask for?! Only one major mishap so far…my co-worker and I got locked out of our dorm the first night we were here…had to go to my director’s house and wake him up at 12:45 to help us get back in! Woops!

The team leaders got here yesterday and today was the first day of training with them. I love this group of students! It’s encouraging to see their excitement for the summer. One of the highlights was hearing each person share their testimony…it’s amazing to see how God has brought so many different people together. Justin (our director) gave some great vision on what he would love to see happen this summer. One of our goals this summer is to “push the envelope”…we’ll have each student in the program give their testimony in front of the group. We’ll go out and initiate spiritual conversations with people in Burlington. The thought of doing either or both of these things will make some students extremely intimidated. But they’ll push past their fear and see God work in and through them. It's a good thing I have it all together and won't have my "envelope pushed" at all :)

We showed a clip from “The Mask of Zorro” to illustrate some principles about discipleship. Zorro takes time to train Alejandro. He tells him that he’ll teach him everything he knows. He saw something in Alejandro and helped call out his giftings. He believed in him. He was patient with him. He affirmed him. He showed him by example. All of these things are basics when discipling someone. Discipleship is friendship with a vision…you see where the person can go and who they can become and you walk alongside them as they get there.

The team leaders will take some time tomorrow to prepare for the students who will be on their team. I can’t wait to watch them step out in faith, lead well and see what God does through them.

The rest of the students get here on Saturday and then the fun really begins!

Burlington or Bust!

2008-05-25T23:56:00.008-04:00

Tomorrow morning I’ll be hittin the road for Vermont! I think I’ve completely overpacked…my car is stuffed! I’ll be up there working with The Navigators for 9 weeks…helping to staff a summer training program – Green Mountain Summer. Forty-six college students from around the country will be a part of GMS (29 of which are from our ministry at Penn State!). The purpose of this summer program is to give the students an opportunity to live in community (we’ll be living in a dorm for the summer…yep, I said WE!), give them an opportunity to grow exponentially in their relationship with Jesus and to give them an opportunity to work in the community of Burlington and minister to their co-workers. I’ll be giving more specifics of the program in later posts…so stay tuned!

I’m so excited to be experiencing something new. While I’m excited, I don’t know what to expect. What will the town be like? What will GMS be like? What will my role look like (I'm the women's director...I'll be overseeing 24 women)? While I don’t fully know what to expect in terms of all of the details, I do expect one thing…for God to move. A group of 50 people are taking their summer to get to know Jesus in a deeper way. That’s a recipe for something huge to happen. People will learn to love one another and serve one another. It won’t be easy all the time, but in the end we will see something bigger than we could have asked or imagined. I can't wait to see what God has in store!

I’d be fooling myself if I thought that the transformation would only happen in the lives of the students. I know I will be challenged, stretched and will have to depend on Jesus in many ways. I can’t live out of my flesh or out of my fears…I need to move in strength, confidence and truth.

Our theme verse for the summer is Psalm 86:11 – “Teach me your way, O Lord, and I will walk in your truth; give me an UNDIVIDED heart, that I may fear your name."

Pray for undivided hearts this summer!

Now I've Done it!

2008-05-24T15:49:00.003-04:00

I can't believe I'm writing my first post on MY blog! Leah, aren't you proud of me?!! I've been putting this off for over a year...it's long overdue! What kept me from starting a blog? I couldn't think of a name! I'm still not too sold on my title, but it comes from a theme I seem to be coming across in my life. It's a lesson parents try to teach their children...it's not all about me! At this stage in life I think I should have grasped this one by now! At any rate, I'm learning it all over again. I feel as though God is asking me to step beyond MY limits. Go beyond what I think I can do and enter into what only HE can do. The results of what I do, what I accomplish, will only be because of HIM, not because of me. Life isn't about looking to see how I can meet my needs...it's about looking outside of me, BEYOND ME, to see how I can serve those around me. All of this is indeed beyond me...I need the strength of the One greater than me.

Well, I need to stop typing and head to bed..it's much past my bedtime! But I can sleep well knowing that I've finally begun what I've wanted to do for so long!