Lord, Help Me Know Your Will for My Life.

Hey girlies! Sorry that this is a day late... It's been a hectic week down in Dallas!

There were several good points about God's will in this chapter...

1. Following God's will does not mean you won't ever have trouble.
Trouble is a part of life. God does not promise that He will always keep us from harm. Danger and sin are all in this world. When we were in San Diego, Mr. Denny told us to "Be safe, but live dangerously." So in a sense, it can be foolish to live in such a way to not protect yourself. But God calls us to live without holding anything back for His kingdom, and this will most always involve trouble, risk, and danger.

2. Following God's will is not easy.
It's not always fun, pleasant or pain free, but God enables us to do it. He gives us STRENGTH to do His will.

3. Following God's will can make you very uncomfortable.
Feeling stretched is a way of life when walking in the will of God. God will ask us to do things that our flesh doesn't want to do. He will ask us to go beyond that!

4. Following God's will doesn't happen automatically.
It's a choice we have to make each morning when we get up. And it's a process to live in accordance with his will. Learning to go against the norm, to be set apart and stand out from the crowd is something that we will have to continue to learn throughout our lives.

This was a pretty good chapter! I hope y'all enjoyed it...

I hope I get to see all you guys very soon as the summer winds down!

Love y'all!
Abi

Of Black Paint and Dirt Roads

I had an AMAZING WEEKEND!!!! ahhhhh!!!  {I sent the following to Ms. Jeanne and she said I should copy it to a blog post... so here it is :) }

i will try to make this brief... i went on a service project trip with my youth group to Glenhaven Youth Ranch (Glenhaven is home to about 15 teens right now that have trouble at home n stuff, but they are NOT special needs kids) and the main purpose of our trip was to do work around the ranch, but i think that being at the ranch was a blessing for both me and for the people living at the ranch. We arrived Friday night and worked on painting fences on Saturday. We are so thankful that no one had any heat-related problems while we were working because we were outside for a long time and it was extremely hot!! We started painting around 8:30 AM, breaked for lunch at noon, and then painted corrals until 2:30. My new friend Alex who lives at the ranch suggested that everyone from Mosaic and from the ranch go swimming at "the Watershed" after we finished painting, so that's what we did!! We spent the afternoon swimming at the lake, and it was absolutely gorgeous <3 we were way out in the middle of nowhere and there was no one else at the lake, and there was this huge platform that we jumped off. It was great to spend time with the kids from Glenhaven and from my church :)

I loved being at the ranch; Glenhaven itself is wayyyy far out in the middle of nowhere, so there's no cell phone signal, no internet, no tv's, no nothin. They have 13 horses, a bunch of dogs, and all the people there (staff and residents) were really nice and welcoming. My youth pastor told me that apparently the groups that go out and volunteer there are always adults, so the teens living at the ranch were really excited that we were there because they don't often get to meet new people since they are living with the same people all the time. I enjoyed getting to know them :) I also loved being surrounded by God's creation with almost NO distractions, not even friend distractions or anything.

We had great times of worship and I was just reminded that God is really all we need. There are so many distractions in life, and all these things that we THINK are important, but in the end none of it matters. So i was just thinking about how we should fix our eyes not on what is seen, but what is unseen :)

I also loved working!!!!! I love doing work with my hands and physically working hard, painting fences was right up my alley. Me and my friend Faith and three boys from the ranch were out working pretty much the entire time while everyone else kept taking breaks..... so we are officially known as hard workers. LOL but it was a good feeling :)

OGN- SAN DIEGO!

Hey girls!  
I know you've heard Abi and Katie's experiences on OGN and since I have some time I'll share some of my experiences.  First, thank you ALL for praying for us even at the end of last years small group and throughout the summer.  
It was crazy to see how real God is.  I guess everyday, I dont sit down and think about what God did that day but I did at OGN and it was amazing to reflect on Him.  For me, it was such a great time to get away from my family, Little Rock and my constant phone.  I had nothing to worry about, just focusing on the Lord was our top priority.  It is interesting to reflect now, seeing how much our conversations were Christ-centered and soley focused on God especially for the whole week.  I need to remember to not let this go.  
I do not have a favorite day, all the days were amazing and unique in their own ways.  On the first and second days of the beaches, I was partnered with Andrew Jensen.  It was so cool to get to know him and see His STRONG heart for the Lord!  The first day, nothing too big happened.  Rejections were everywhere of course but we got a few good conversations in.  I was just blown away by how many people think believing in God is crazy and unheard of.  So many of them weren't interested because they "just weren't religious".  It was super eye-opening to see how lost people are; in desperate need of a Savior.  I guess the problem many said that has kept them away is they haven't fully experienced him in their circumstances.  So they think, "Why waste my time believing in this?"  I understand; its hard to just "believe" if you haven't "experienced".  
One conversation I had with Andrew was wonderful and unexpected.  We were walking to end of La Jolla beach because Andrew wanted to see if someone he talked to last year was there, so we walked all the way down, keeping an eye out for the family he talked to.  We didn't see them but instead had good conversations on the way; just learning what others believe.  Our last conversation was with a lady named Tonie.  I saw her in the corner of my eye, trying to avoid her because she looked a little "risky".  She had tattoos all over her arms, red and black hair and was on her phone..Why would she want to talk to us about SPIRITUAL things?!  Andrew asked if we should go talk to her and I guess we were supposed to, so we did.  It lasted quite a while.  We heard a little background on her life, she was raised Mormon (I had to do a project on Mormonism earlier in the year and who would've thought I would ever need to know their background?!..God was faithful there for-sure!).  She grew up knowing all the right things and when she was a little older, made some bad choices.  Thankfully her family forgave her but she seemed to show she still felt guilt.  She is a single mom and wants the best for her daughter; she sends her to church with her parents on Sundays while she cleans the house.  She desires her daughter to be raised up well.  Anyways, she just felt judged ALL THE TIME.  She said one time at work, someone asked her if she regrets getting those tattoos.  I think she was just tired of being judged and felt thats all people do.  It was cool to see how open she was, listening to our stories.  Andrew was able to share what he believed and I shared how I've seen the Lord work in my life.  One of the things she said that I can totally relate with is reading the Bible.  She said she has tried before but when she reads one page, she forgets what she just read and thinks its too overwhelming.  So Andrew had a pocket-sized Gospel of John to give her.  She was super interested and said she will forsure take time to read it.  We prayed over her at the end which was humbling.  It was so sad to see how she has been hurt in the past, yet encouraging to know she was trying little by little to seek something more.  I think it was great for her to be opened to some questions we asked since she mentioned she hadn't thought of spiritual questions in a while.  I was reminded to NEVER JUDGE because from a glance, I have NO IDEA what has happened and is happening to that person.
Also, I got to witness Miss Abi speak fluently to someone in French.  It was so amazing to see how God used her, what she has experienced, to share with others.  The girl did not speak English and of course we needed to know what she spoke, it just happened to be French ;)  They hit it off right then, it was so powerful to just hear them, not knowing a word they said, just knowing that God heard them!  
Another day was with Barrett which was good.  At the beginning, we had a great start, talking to some old women who were believers who gave us a mustard seed with the verse in John about mustard seeds, growing and maturing.  It was so encouraging to know there are people out there who were supporting us!
What a wonderful experience!  I can not wait to do more missions.  Thank you again for your prayers that week :)
<3

Lord, Help Me have Faith for the Impossible

Chapter 18:

Girls, it has been much too long since we have gotten together as a group. I am so thankful for this blog and for your participation in it. I have so enjoyed reading your summaries for each chapter and also getting to hear about your various experiences this summer. Thanks for the entries and sharing your heart.

Today’s chapter pretty much asks the question “how much do you trust the Lord?” Even if you have the tiniest of faith, the Lord can use that. Even if you are like the woman who barely touched the robe of Jesus, just so she could get a part of him, it is enough to start with and then grow. But, the key is that we have to act on that faith. We have to be willing to follow what the Lord asks of us and to trust that He will work on our behalf. And THEN He will actually increase our faith.

He actually allows us to go thru some trials just for the sake of growing us in our faith. Pg. 182 says…”it is in those times, when we are forced to pray in greater faith,  that our faith grows stronger.

Two ways to increase your faith: Read your Bible and Pray. This really is beginning to sound like a broken record. Don’t we hear that all the time? Well, we do. But guess what? That is really what the Lord is asking of us.

Think about this question. It was asked of us on page 183.

What would you like to have happen in your life, or in the life of someone you know, that would require a prayer of great faith?

Think about that now. Really think about it. And once you have an answer, say a prayer right away, asking the Lord to answer that prayer and then keep that in mind and try to keep praying about that this week.

Here is another question. What do you need to be set free from? Think about that for a second. We all have something we need to be relieved of, some burden we carry, some sin we keep falling back into. The enemy wants to keep you in that sin. The Lord wants to relieve us of that burden so give it to Him! Have the faith that it takes to ask the Lord for what you want and the faith to believe it will happen. But, here is the clincher. In His Time. I hate that part but it is really so. He sometimes says yes, he sometimes says no, and he sometimes says “wait a little while” The waiting is the hardest.

I loved it when the author said : “Whenever the enemy tries to tell you that you will never get free of something, drown him out with praise.” Thank Him! I love that.

In summary:

1.     Nothing is impossible with God

2.     When you find yourself in a situation that seems impossible, go to God and Pray about it

3.     Tell Him the problem

4.     Thank Him

5.     Ask Him for a faith that will stay strong even in the midst of challenges

6.     Ask the Lord to increase your faith and not allow you to be in doubt about what he can do.

At the end of the chapter are 3 questions. The first question is asking what we need to have faith for in our life right now and what obstacle would you like to see moved? In my case, it revolves around a financial issue. It is an issue I have been praying about for around 4 years. The obstacle has not moved. God has not changed anything or answered my prayer. In spite of that, I have not stopped praying. I continue to pray, with faith, knowing that the Lord can do anything, in His time. I do trust Him and my faith is increasing! And I do believe that He has us in this situation for a reason and we are already seeing the benefits associated with a burden. Now, that is faith. Faith that God is in it, for our good, for His glory, yet not answering our prayer. It is hard, it is challenging, but He does know best.

Matthew 17:20 If you have faith as a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you”

Musings from Mission in Musanze

The Lord called my husband and me to get involved in Rwanda in the summer of 2010 when we hosted our two students, Theophile and Narcisse, for 5 weeks. Since that time, our hearts have been drawn to the people and country of Rwanda. We are not sure why the Lord laid it on our both of our hearts but He did and for that I am grateful. Due to a series of connections we have with FBC and Rwanda, we both embraced the idea of actually going to that landlocked country in the central/western  part of Africa. Who knew it would take over 32 hours of travel time one way? God did. He ordained all of our steps and he planned that this trip would be a wonderful bonding time for my husband and me and a connecting point for “our boys” and us.

The trip was designed in order for our team to meet the needs of the pastor, sent by FBC, and the campus that he and his wife are setting up in Musanze, a city 2 hours outside the capital city of Kigali. So, our mission was to do whatever was needed to get the campus up and running so that select Rwandan students could go through the 5-7 year program which would ultimately give them an opportunity to start a business in their country and help Rwanda become a more progressive culture.

During the 18 days in-country, we lived on campus and did small jobs throughout the day making the campus ready. Each day we were able to get out into the community for a visit to the local market, visit to a deaf school, visit to a disabled children’s school, visit to a lake, visit to the capital city, visit to a coffee factory and a trek through a typical village. And oh yeah, we saw some gorillas in the jungle, too.

We saw so much poverty and such a completely different way of life than what we experience in America. It was eye opening to see this. We were touched by the joyfilled people of Rwanda who tugged on our heartstrings. 

There were many lessons learned and each team member had a different take-away.  What I heard the Lord speaking to me had nothing to do with Rwanda or Africa. It had nothing to do with their life style. It really had nothing to do with what we did or saw in the villages. It had everything to do with what went on right on the campus. Believe it or not, my “job” was to make about 40 curtains for windows and doors and about 10 tablecloths. Strange thing to do in Africa. Strange to go all the way over there to sew; and not to sew for Rwandans but to sew for the campus, managed by the Americans. Altho a nice side effect was that I was able to teach sewing to one teen on our trip plus a 22 year old Rwandan student. Very satisfying.

What the Lord taught me can be found in these scriptures:

Romans 12:3

³ For by the grace given me^(H) I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the faith God has distributed to each of you. ⁴ For just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function,^{(I) 5} so in Christ we, though many, form one body,^(J) and each member belongs to all the others. ⁶ We have different gifts,^(K) according to the grace given to each of us. If your gift is prophesying,^(L) then prophesy in accordance with your^[a] faith;^{(M) 7} if it is serving, then serve; if it is teaching, then teach;^{(N) 8} if it is to encourage, then give encouragement;^(O) if it is giving, then give generously;^(P) if it is to lead,^[b] do it diligently; if it is to show mercy, do it cheerfully.

1 Peter 4:10

English Standard Version (ESV)

^10 (A)As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, ^(B)as good stewards of God's varied grace:

1 Corinthians 12

English Standard Version (ESV)

Spiritual Gifts

12 Now ^(A)concerning^[a] spiritual gifts,^[b] brothers,^[c] I do not want you to be uninformed. ² You know that ^(B)when you were pagans ^(C)you were led astray to ^(D)mute idols, however you were led. ³ Therefore I want you to understand that ^(E)no one speaking in the Spirit of God ever says “Jesus is ^(F)accursed!” and ^(G)no one can say “Jesus is Lord” except in the Holy Spirit.

⁴ Now ^(H)there are varieties of gifts, but ^(I)the same Spirit; ⁵ and ^(J)there are varieties of service, but ^(K)the same Lord; ⁶ and there are varieties of activities, but it is ^(L)the same God who empowers them all in everyone. ^7 (M)To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good. ⁸ For to one is given through the Spirit the utterance of ^(N)wisdom, and to another the utterance of ^(O)knowledge according to the same Spirit, ⁹ to another ^(P)faith by the same Spirit, to another ^(Q)gifts of healing by the one Spirit, ¹⁰ to another ^(R)the working of miracles, to another ^(S)prophecy, to another ^(T)the ability to distinguish between spirits, to another ^(U)various kinds of tongues, to another ^(V)the interpretation of tongues. ¹¹ All these are empowered by one and the same Spirit, ^(W)who apportions to each one individually ^(X)as he wills.

One Body with Many Members

¹² For just as ^(Y)the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, ^(Z)so it is with Christ. ¹³ For ^(AA)in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—^(AB)Jews or Greeks, slaves^[d] or free—and ^(AC)all were made to drink of one Spirit.

¹⁴ For the body does not consist of one member but of many. ¹⁵ If the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,” that would not make it any less a part of the body. ¹⁶ And if the ear should say, “Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body,” that would not make it any less a part of the body. ¹⁷ If the whole body were an eye, where would be the sense of hearing? If the whole body were an ear, where would be the sense of smell? ¹⁸ But as it is, ^(AD)God arranged the members in the body, each one of them, ^(AE)as he chose. ¹⁹ If all were a single member, where would the body be? ²⁰ As it is, there are many parts,^[e] yet one body.

²¹ The eye cannot say to the hand, “I have no need of you,” nor again the head to the feet, “I have no need of you.” ²² On the contrary, the parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, ²³ and on those parts of the body that we think less honorable we bestow the greater honor, and our unpresentable parts are treated with greater modesty, ²⁴ which our more presentable parts do not require. But God has so composed the body, giving greater honor to the part that lacked it, ²⁵ that there may be no division in the body, but that the members may have the same care for one another. ²⁶ If one member suffers, all suffer together; if one member is honored, ^(AF)all rejoice together.

²⁷ Now ^(AG)you are the body of Christ and individually ^(AH)members of it. ²⁸ And ^(AI)God has appointed in the church first ^(AJ)apostles, second ^(AK)prophets, third teachers, then ^(AL)miracles, then ^(AM)gifts of healing, ^(AN)helping, ^(AO)administrating, and ^(AP)various kinds of tongues. ²⁹ Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Do all work miracles? ³⁰ Do all possess gifts of healing? Do all speak with tongues? Do all interpret? ³¹ But ^(AQ)earnestly desire the higher gifts.

And I will show you a still more excellent way.

All 25 of us were there for one thing: to support the Musanze Opportunity Center. We abandoned all our objectives, expectations and desires of working side by side with Rwandans in order to serve AS the Body of Christ with Americans! We all came willing to help in whatever we were asked. We did not know one another very well and yet our team worked together in unity, just as the Lord would want us to.

Honestly, working together day in and day out with “strangers,” doing the Lord’s work, and using what gifts and talents we had, was a picture to me of the Body of Christ; shining our light and giving glory to God. It was pretty amazing.  We are all designed with different abilities and God made us that way to serve his kingdom. He does not want us all to be the same. If we were, the work would never get done. It was through each of us putting ourselves out there to do His work that His purpose for our trip was accomplished. What a picture of The Church. WE are The Church.

I loved spending this time with my husband. I loved doing a mission with him. I loved being of one mind and one purpose doing the Lord's work.

On the campus, there was no gossip, no need to dress up, no need to wear makeup, no judgment, no animosity, no grumbling and complaining, no stress, no concern for safety issues, no theft of our belongings, or anything that could easily impede our call to serve. It was almost as if we were in a little slice of heaven. So, even tho we got to experience Africa, our purpose for being there was to learn how to live in harmony. And that was a picture of how life ought to be. Yes, Africa itself was amazing. Being in Africa was more amazing. Seeing God among us was most amazing.

Chapter 17

Hey Girls!
          So this chapter was just what I needed to be reminded of..How about y'all?  Speaking words that bring life can be super difficult especially when I rely on myself because I always fail.
          The first story was interesting.  Calling that boy "Fat Mike" was hurtful.  Mike may have not expressed his hurt since after all he is a boy, he could have been embarrassed but we know deep inside when we feel for him, we know that label was scaring and he was probably more sensitive than we "think".  I thought it was wonderful that years later, the Lord put Mike on her heart, to pray and confess that horrible sin that not only hurt her but Mike even worse.  Despite the damage done, I'm so thankful God convicted her of her cruel speech.  She is now more aware of the hurt it caused and is probably more compassionate.  "One of areas that can cause the greatest trouble in our lives is located on our face between the chin and the nose...We cant take our words back once we speak them."  I met with Miss Jeanne a week ago and the tongue idea just keeps coming to me.  I know that I struggle with this, not only my speech but even more, my thoughts!  "The best way to make sure that what comes out of our mouth is good is to put thoughts in our heart that are good."  This statement is so true.  I notice myself when I am in the Word and when I am not, my thoughts change.  When I am not in the Word, I have a tendency to be more edgy, rude or unloving.  I recognize when I am in prayer and communicating with the Lord, He brings uplifting, healthy thoughts to my mind.  Therefore, loving, healthy speech follows.  What we think can easily turn into words.            The Bible says we are to "do all things without complaining and disputing" (Phil. 2:14).  I don't understand why complaining is such an easy trap to fall into but its frustrating!  I complain when life doesn't go my way or on my timing, when the weather isn't the way I want it, when my family isn't doing what I want, when my siblings get things that I don't...on and on it goes.  I must remind myself everyday to trust that the Lord is Perfect and is allowing everything to happen in my life because He is in control, never because He messed up.  We always must remember that of course, as I said earlier, it is extremely hard to talk "perfectly" on our own, but it is possible to become more and more like Christ with our speech with His help.  We must ask and desire to speak love and kindness.
          "All of the good things to think about daily" were wonderful reminders.  Two stuck out to me.  Number 4, "Think about whatever things are pure."  When we think about things with no evil, we will not speak evil or tainted words.  Also number 6, "Think about whatever things are of good report."  We should strive to have a positive attitude daily despite our circumstances.  When doing so, negative or discouraging words will not be near.
          "It's important to discern that, and the only way to know when to speak and what to say is to pray for wisdom about that in advance."  James 3:17, "But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving,considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere."  If we ask the Lord for wisdom with our speech, He will help us and give us the words to encourage at the right time.  It is difficult for me at times to just listen and hear what others have to say, instead of just giving advice or my input.  I must remember to ask God to show me what to say.  I must ask God for wisdom to know WHEN to say it.
          "...We shouldn't spend more time talking about our prayer requests than we do praying about them."  I just wanted to say I think we have done a better job of this especially towards the end!  It is always a great reminder for us!  Us girls can EASILY talk to each other about our problems more than praying to God about them.  But lets keep up the good work during our prayer requests time!  :)
          A few last things to remember to be conscious about this week..."With our words we will either build lives or we will tear them down."  We have a choice, maybe we can all wake up first thing in the mornings and ask God to help us show His love to everyone around us through our speech.  One of my favorite verses that I have above my bed in my room is, Psalm 51:10, "Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me."  Sometimes I don't even notice this verse but it needs to be my prayer every morning for-sure!  "It has the power to save, deliver, heal, provide, protect, and so much more.  Using it profanely huts off these very things from our lives."   ^{James 3:5-6, 9-10 "}Likewise, the tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great boasts. Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark.  The tongue also is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body. It corrupts the whole body, sets the whole course of one’s life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell.  With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse human beings, who have been made in God’s likeness.  Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers and sisters, this should not be."

          Have a wonderful week girls!  I love and miss ya'll so much!  I cant wait for our photo shoot and sleepover so we can ALL catch up!  I'll try to write about OGN soon ;)May you feel God's presence today and EVERYDAY!

Chapter 17!

Hey girls!
Sorry I have not written my post yet for the next chapter...I am visiting family and am hoping to write up in the next day or two.  Forsure by Thursday maybe tomorrow morning.  I am soo sorry!  Please know that I HAVE NOT forgotten and love yall very much :)  I will get to posting soon!
Hope you ALL are having a BLESSED, JOYFUL week!
In  Him,
~Carley

Mission trip to Nashville and Chapter 16

Hey girls!

So i have not actually been on here at all since we made it and i feel quite bad about that, but ive been having a verryyy busy summer! Probably one of the most busiest ive ever had. Nashville was quite amazing! Nothing like New Orleans! It turns out that the VBS we thought we would do was in a government-run recreation center. We were not aware of this until we arrived, so we were not able to share the gospel unless the kids asked. But, we all came up with creative ways to share it. We performed a puppet show using Bible stories and told them they were true. We, actually, only had Elmo, a rabbit, and a sock as puppets, so Elmo was Jesus and even died on the cross and arose. It was pretty funny, but we made it work and hoped God would use it. ;) I, also, had the opportunity to share the salvation story with two little girls, because we were making bracelets. I put the salvation colors on mine and they asked why. I was not able to lead them to Christ, but I thank God that I had the opportunity to share about Christ with them. Other than the VBS every morning, we spent two hours in worship every night, which was an incredible experience and I learned so much. I put together a video of the trip, which is on “YouTube”, if you’d like to see it. It’s called “FSM United 2012” :) 

So for the chapter of the week!

"Lord, Help Me Be Safe"

This chapter was quite short and to the point. Everyone has concerns about safety. She talks about a story where she skidded on black ice on a narrow 2 lane highway! She was praying so hard throughout the whole thing for God to help her be safe. & she was in Gods hands and it was awesome that nothing happened to her or anyone else! Its always an important thing to remember to pray for yours, and other peoples safety. Here was one sentence i liked: "In those precarious moments, when your future is hanging in the balance, you want the confidence of knowing you have been communicating with your heavenly Father all along and he has his eye on you." I have personally experienced answers to prayer about my safety. I'm sure all of us have! I don't necessarily have a specific story but God has kept me safe though all things, cause i mean hey, im still alive right? ;) God looks out for us more than we realize and It is important to remember to thank God for keeping you safe throughout things in life. :) 

An Attempted Summary (OGN 2012- Katie's Input)

Not sure how to write this after reading Abi's post! I'm thrilled!

So Canada weather is a lot like San Diego. It's only been a week and I'm missing it more by the second! I was truly blessed and there's no possible way to put into words the incredible week God gave all twenty of us. :)

May I just say I love traveling with my youth group? They make life interesting. Very interesting. I think Carley might have some input on Billy the Flight Attendant. And who knew they let passengers use the intercom in the back to start a sing-along?

But the odds and ends at the airport and the late night food runs, every moment that brought laughter and a feeling of a family, all that pales in comparison to hearing what God did the entire week.

Personally, my favorite day was my fasting day. I'm sure Carley and Abi have stories to tell (please do, there's no way to do this on my own! :)) about fasting- which might have something to do with almost falling asleep at one point- but honestly, it thrilled me. If I could get paid to fast and pray for a living, I would. It's my dream job. It was more like a worship service than I expected. For those who went to Chris Tuttle's prayer meeting that went til two, it was very similar. My day in particular was the second day of witnessing, so I had been out on the beaches one day. I was struggling with doubt and I think a little fear and confusion. Jesus totally stepped in and calmed everything inside me, and walking away from the room when it was all over, there was this unexplainable joy and a feeling of anticipation for the next day, no matter who I got paired up with or what beach we were going to. And I got to see God at work when we attended the worship service that night and saw God respond to the prayers that were prayed over every object in the room. It was breathtaking.

The other really major story I have to tell was the last day. It was Sunday morning, we had finished our last apologetics class and church meeting of encouragement and we were prepping to go out to the beaches. I was partnered with Andrew Jensen that day and I totally hadn't planned on that. Looking back, that's where I noticed God begin working on the beaches that day, even though we were still on campus. Andrew was one of the three students in our group who had ever been before, so he had experience and different classes than the ones we first-years had been taking. And since he was a guy, we could approach anybody on the beach. He had also fasted the day before, so he had the same joyous energy I had the second and third day. We were literally bouncing in our seats waiting to leave. We had only three prayer requests that day. He wanted the chance to talk to someone who was firm in their beliefs, no matter what they believed in. We both wanted a hard conversation. And I desperately wanted to talk to an athiest after meeting nobody but different denominations of Christians all week.

We hopped into a random van and ended up with no one we knew, save for Whitney, the FSM girls' leader, and John, the man from Fellowship who organized everything. The van was taking us to La Jolla, a beach I had yet to visit. After prayers of people to talk to, I was kind of shocked to find a tiny beach beside a park. It was maybe a tenth the size of all the other beaches I had been to. Maybe less. Andrew stopped us right then and we prayed for God to send the right people to us.
Then came the rejections. This man doesn't speak English, she doesn't want to, watching kids in the ocean, not now or come back later, excuse after excuse not to talk for a half hour straight. A half mile or so down the sidewalk, we discovered more little beaches, which led to our first conversation. God answered another prayer- this man we talked with for maybe ten minutes, was a firm believer in his faith. He had even moved from his home country in Egypt for it. Andrew was thrilled. :) I frankly was thrilled to see God answering and banishing all doubt from my mind that He was on the move.
An hour or so passes. We begin walking back with an hour or so left when Andrew spontaneously begins chatting with a man sitting on a little wall bordering the sidewalk. His name was Kevin, and he didn't know what to think of all this faith stuff. Only by God's grace did he continue to talk with us, asking questions and responding openly. In the end, we all had to leave, but we were able to hand him a copy of the New Testament and an extra copy of John. The second meaningful conversation- a hard one that was totally unplanned and only by God's prompting.
Thirty minutes. Cori and Parker, the fasters of the day, are sharing encouragement and asking how it's going. Parker texts me: "I'm still praying you meet an athiest." We're still analyzing our conversation with Kevin, somewhat overwhelmed, when Andrew suggest talking to a man off by himself. Why not?
Our third meaningful conversation and last one of the week- a man named Tom. He's an Irish athiest.
I'm not sure I understood how speechless I could get. With ten minutes left before the van arrived to pick us up, we stood there silently praying on our own, thanking God for the awesome week. I broke down in tears. I literally had no words (and still really don't) to thank Him. God works wonders, guys. Just ask. :)

So... Those were two of my favorite stories of the week. There are so many more, and nineteen others with totally different experiences. This post is long enough, so I'm going to get some shuteye (or try to) and tell as much as I can in person! Love you all so much!
Soli Deo Gloria! Katie

A snippet of Abi's journey

(Caution: Don't start reading unless you have a big chunk of time! Haha!)

Hey ladies!

I want to say, first of all, that I'm so sorry that I have not been as involved on here as I'd like to be... I haven't commented on all the chapter entries, and I'm behind in reading my book! Things have been hectic around here lately! From France, to San Diego, to Texas... I've been everywhere! I feel stressed and overwhelmed a lot - I thought that wasn't supposed to happen in the summer?! So here's to make up for my absence the past few weeks!

I began writing this entry as a summary of everything that has happened over the past few weeks... But France ended up taking over it all! (;  So maybe OGN can come later... I know that Katie and Carley will have some input on that too. So enjoy... here's a novel I spontaneously decided to write!

France was incredible! I've shared with some of you, but most of you I haven't even talked to since I've been back! It was life-changing. Not anything like I was expecting. You all heard my stress and uneasiness about the situation, not knowing if it was God's calling, not knowing if everything would get done, etc. But there is not a shadow of a doubt in my mind, that the trip was planned intentionally by God LONG before the thought ever came to my dad, or to myself. God knew what He was doing.

Being in France, I came alive. I felt a sense of belonging, strangely enough, in an area that I had never been before, with people I didn't really know that well at first. After the first few hours with the Sullivans, I felt right at home and a part of their family. They welcomed me in just as their own. I felt a connection with the kids that I don't think I could have, had I not walked in their shoes, just five or six years prior. I connected with the parents and learned so much from them, because for the first time, I was able to have a new perspective of life as a missionary, the perspective that my parents had while we were living in Tunisia, that I never really knew about. 

There were many nights spent sitting on the couches of their living room, after the kids had gone to bed, crying sometimes of sadness, sometimes of joy. We spent time in prayer together, in a way that I had never experienced before. I saw immediate answers to prayers, in ways I never would have expected. As God spoke through me, with words of encouragement and sharing of my experiences from Africa, God taught me things about myself that I had never known before.  

Being in France, I felt a real connection with God, and I truly felt His presence day in and day out. I unpackaged the nicely wrapped God that the American culture displays, to find a God that dares to be dangerous, and calls me live life on the edge, solely depending on Him. In one moment (that I can tell you about more vividly in person), God was with me in a very tangible way and He protected me from danger when no one else could have. (It's a pretty cool story - I'd love to share it with y'all soon!) 

Words will never do justice to explain my feelings, I know that for sure. One thing I do know, that experience changed my life in a way that will effect my future. I have new desires, hopes and dreams of the way that I want to live out my life. God had already placed it on my heart to go out into all the world and share the love of God to the least of these, but being in the little town of Besançon, my calling was confirmed. In the past year, I've wrestled with feeling dissatisfied and uneasy being in my little bubble of Little Rock Christian and Fellowship Bible Church, and the culture that I live every day in West Little Rock. And now I understand why. Because God created me, and He created each of y'all to live so much more than this. I've learned I'm "wired that way" (as I've been learning with Ms. Jeanne!) to live a dangerous life. To live a life with one goal, one hope, one purpose. And that's to proclaim His name and to bring glory to HIS NAME ONLY. Not mine, not my family's, not my friends', but the true God, the one creator, the only Savior.

Now I'm home, and I'm wishing I was still there. Although I do love my Sonic runs and trips to Target! (;  But my challenge now is to find a way out of that bubble, while still here. And it's tough. I'm faced with so many things that aren't even an issue overseas... Materialism, business, boys... Haha! And so it's a battle that we as believers have to fight everyday. But with hard work, but mainly God's strength, we get a little bit better at it each day! And I'm thankful to have friends like y'all fighting alongside me (; 

Chapter Fifteen: Lord, help me be strong when bad things happen...

Hey ladies! So since Coplea couldn't write last week, Rachel suggested that I just go ahead and post for my week. So here's Chapter Fifteen! :)

I don’t really remember too much of that day other being ushered into my parent’s bedroom, along with my siblings. My dad held my mom’s hand and said, “We feel that God is leading us to join staff with FamilyLife. Their headquarters are in Little Rock, Arkansas. We’ll be moving.” We three kids sat silently for a moment before I did the only logical thing that a dramatic seven year old could do. I cried. Long and hard. My life was over. In the space of maybe ten minutes I had gone from being all smiles to all sobs. “How could Mom and Dad do this to me?” I thought angrily, “And more importantly, how could God do this to me? I’ve been a good kid……ok, maybe I did play with Mariah’s Barbie doll without asking, but that’s not the point. My whole life is here in Virginia. I can’t just leave!” But almost two years later, we did leave. And to be honest, I hated Little Rock with a fierce passion. Even when I tried to make friends, I was met with rejection and let me tell you, I spent a lot of nights crying myself to sleep. Over the next year or so, I began making a couple friends. I was even invited to a few birthday parties. But whenever I felt my cold heart begin to thaw, I would quickly shut it up with bitterness toward my parents and God. I thought that if I pouted enough, Mom and Dad would move our family back to the “promise land”. I was maybe eleven when I realized that I did not control my family; God did. And no matter how much I whined, sobbed, or pouted, I was stuck here and I might as well enjoy myself.  Now looking back, I’m ashamed of my lack of faith. At the time it felt as if my world was collapsing but God was always there, helping me to be strong in the hard and frustrating times. I think that when we’re going through a trial, it’s like looking through a straw. Nothing is clear or makes sense and we think life is horrible or God’s forgotten us, just because of our perspective.

Four Reasons for Bad Times:

1.       Sometimes bad things happen to us so that the power and glory of God can be revealed in and through us. I loved how Stormie Omartian used the story of the blind man in John 9 as an example of God using something that would normally be considered a tragedy to bring glory to Himself. I don’t know how many of you are familiar with the Chapman family’s story, but on May 21^st, 2008 Steven Curtis Chapman’s youngest daughter Maria Sue, age five, was playing in the family’s driveway when her older brother, Will Franklin, drove into driveway and accidentally hit his little sister. She was rushed to a local hospital, but her injuries were fatal. No one knows why God allows such tragic accidents to happen. But we do know that God used this incident to bring new believers into His eternal family. God can bring glory to Himself through any situation.

2.       Sometimes God allows to go through difficult times in order to make us into better people. I have personal experience with this one. The move to Arkansas was uncomfortable, but it forced me to go out of my way to make friends even when I might fall flat on my face. Believe it or not, I hate talking to people I’ve never met before. It’s awkward and weird and I would rather just have someone else talk for me. But because I can’t hire people to speak on my behalf, (I’ve already checked Craig’s List and Amazon) I have to shove the shyness deep inside me and suck it up and be friendly.  I know that God has slowly started burning this bashfulness and fear out of me, one awkward conversation at a time.

3.       Sometimes our misery is caused by God disciplining us. At times, bad things are kind of like getting a spanking from one of your parents. It’s painful and you don’t understand why you can’t have an easier punishment, but in the end it makes you better because you learn from your mistakes.  On page 157 it says, “It never feels good to be disciplined, but we always learn something from it. It saves our lives.” If we’re guilty of a sin (and be honest, when aren’t we sinning?) God will find out about it. You can’t hide from the Creator of the Heavens and Earth simply by crawling under your covers. God is constantly working and shaping us into His likeness. And sometimes that requires Him scrubbing out the stains that are holding us back from fully giving ourselves to Him. 

4.       Sometimes the sorrow, sadness, grief, or pain of difficult times is entirely the work of the enemy. Satan will use anything to trap and drown us when we go through hard times. Absolutely anything. I think of someone going to a junkyard, picking up scraps that can be used for a specific purpose. Satan goes shopping in our “junkyard” looking for old bits and pieces of bitterness, anger, sorrow, pride, jealousy, depression, impatience, etc that can be used against us again and again even when we try to forget they were ever there. But let’s face it, if we try to beat the enemy by our own willpower or strength, we’ll fail miserably. God has the power to take away our horrible situation, but He can also give us the strength to hold onto Him as He walks with you through the valley of the shadow of death. God won’t give anything to you that you can’t (with His help) handle.

“We All Need Somebody to Lean On…”

When we’re going through a hard situation, sometimes we just need a hug, a nice cup of hot chocolate, and encouragement from a friend. And you, lovely ladies, are the kind of people that I know I can go to about anything. Every time we meet together I see you all living out Proverbs 17:17 which says, “A friend is always loyal, and a brother is born to help in time of need.” A true friend can go through something horrible, turn around, and use their experience to help someone else. Page 159, “Suffering increases your compassion for the sufferings of others.” Use this suffering to bring glory to God! Don’t let your circumstances determine your emotions. Ladies, our joy comes from Christ, so we can have peace and happiness even when the sky is falling. Pray through the pain and God will bring something beautiful out of it. You may even be able to encourage someone else using your experiences.  With God, the possibilities are endless. 

Much love,

Bethany

Romans 12:12