New Beginnings

I was asked this weekend by Dan Rabe, our speaker for the weekend at New Beginnings Loft, "What is it that encourages you, and really makes you excited to work with the youth?" WHOA.. wasn't ready for that! I sat there for a little while, memories of late nights, inside jokes, bad macaroni and cheese, and injuries flooded my mind. I only have ever thought about this type of question a few times, and those were times where sleep was no where in sight and I felt as though I was definitely in over my head. Still sitting there with Dan, all I could think of were the little things. The times after we're done teaching when 1 student will come up and say "hey, I really appreciated what you said", or when we walk into a room and are suddenly group hugged by at least 7 girls all telling you how much they love you, or when life suddenly becomes more then they can handle and they call you wanting you to just talk and pray with them.

I started working with our youth group because I wanted to make sure that the teens didn't end up where I did. I thought that I would be able to save the 'younger generation' and that my involvment in their lives would immediately save them from a life of wrong decisions. What I didn't realize was that they would be giving me back so much more than I ever thought. I now know that even though they space out when we're teaching our lessons, they make fun of the games we think are awesome, and they make us worry and freak out sometimes, our impact on their lives is huge. Even if they don't, or we don't realize it now they are learning from us, they're watching our interaction together as leaders, they're listening to us pray and communicate with our loving Father each day through all of our actions. I hope and pray that someday they will be able to look back on all of their years in the youth group and be able to say that we have been a pivotal part in shaping who they are.

All of this to say, I love the Word of Life youth group more than words can express!

L.O.V.E.

I have so much I want to say. So many feelings I want to share. My emotions are all over the place. I want to create change, create good, I want my actions and my life to reflect that of the God that I serve everyday. Jackie DeShannon said it perfectly when she wrote "What the world needs now, is love, sweet love". This world needs more love, more compassion, trust, hope, it needs more faith in humanity. I sometimes feel like as a community we've given up on all of these things, and quite honestly...it makes me sad! So from here on out, I'm going to do my best to live a life without any regrets, I'm going to find hope where it's lost, I'm going to love and love a lot, but most importantly, I'm going to hold tight to my faith and the assurance that I'm doing what I have been called to do.

Everything rides on hope now
Everything rides on faith somehow
When the world has broken me down
Your love sets me free

Gone mobile!

Just downloaded the Blogger app on my phone... Let's see how this works. Maybe now I'll be able to write more!

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Seasons...

Seasons in our lives are meant to help us grow and mature, they're to help us figure out our purpose and to give us a new outlook on life this I truly believe wholeheartedly. What happens though, when one season begins to wear out it's welcome, when we're ready to just welcome the warm sun and gentle breezes of the cool summer air, but the snow drifts just will not melt away?

Time, patience, love, and commitment, 4 qualities I believe help us through our seasons. With enough time and patience, we will move onto our next season, we will realize how much we have learned and grown, we will look back on that season of our life and hopefully be able to smile on those moments. We then, need to love our selves, love our friends, family, situations, love where we are while we're there, too often I think that we get too caught up with what's next, not enjoying where we are. Lastly, commit yourself to something, to excercising, to loving everyone, to giving everything all that you have. When you commit yourself to something greater than yourself you will have the greatest sense of accomplishment and peace. Maybe then, just hopefully, you will be able to fully appreciate the season that you are currently in.

so there was this tea....

Shelly Rabe is over making us Ataya Tea, it's apparently a traditional tea from Senegal. It's brewed in 3 stages, each stage becoming slightly weaker than the last. Its minty and sweet, other than the fact that she blew up my kitchen, it went well! Sarah Grosh is here too, she's leaving for Haiti next friday for 6 months.

I need to find a cheap bunkbed for my closet, we're trying to turn it into a "bed room". Hopefully Ikea will help me out!

Fresh Start

Well, here we are, already the first day in September and fall is finally on its way! Sara and Michael's wedding was absolutely beautiful. The weather was gorgeous and everything went smoothly.

I've been learning a lot lately, a lot about who I am, who Christ is, who my real friends are and even more importantly, figuring out exactly what it is that God has in store for me. I was having really rough last night and the twin sent me this verse and it was exactly what I needed.

John 16:33 - "I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world."

My Mom called me last night to just catch up and pray with me. It's funny to think that just a few years ago I would have never even wanted to hear her prayers, or to even talk to her about my personal life. Now I find myself picking up my phone to call her when I need some good advice or definitely some good prayers. My Mom is a prayer warrior, and it amazes me at how diligent she is when it comes to her prayer and quite time, she definitely inspires me!

Cannon in D

This Saturday will mark the 5th wedding that I will be attending this summer. However, this is the Breneman-Miller wedding. The wedding I've been waiting for since Valentines Day! I'm so excited to see some old friends and catch up, to spend the weekend celebrating 2 lives joining as one, and to watch as dreams come true.

This morning I spent about 2-3 hours in our sunroom just reading, praying, and journaling a little bit. It feels good to be in the presence of God, with no distractions, just me, my pen and my Bible. I really needed this morning to get my head back on straight. Lately I've just been in a dry spot. You know that time, when your faith just seems to have too many holes and you just can't seem to keep your head up, that has been the past month for me. After a lot of wine, ice cream, crying, and a few good talks with some very important people in my life, I think I'm finally beginning to see the light again.

I promise

I promise to blog. I will blog until I am blue in the face. I will use this to relax and unwind. I will make Sarah Frey blog with me, everynight. She with her movies, and I about my life. If I could notarize this post I would.