And so it continues

Well, obviously I haven’t gotten any better at this blogging thing, in fact I think it’s safe to say that I’ve gotten much worse at it.  Something I’ve known about myself for awhile now but am continually reminded of and trying to get better at is the way I always have great intentions of doing something, but I’m terrible with follow through.  This is something that I can only get better at one thing at a time, so here I am updating my blog for the first time in about 3 months.  So much has happened since my last blog that I can’t even begin to go back and recount it all, but would still love to give you an update on what is happening in my life and the things that God is teaching me. 

I’m on my fourth month of my internship with the Kanakuk Institute.  It is crazy to think that in 1 week I will be heading home for a couple weeks off for Christmas break.  I cannot believe that the first semester is really coming to an end.  It’s been so cool to get to know some of the students and continue relationships with others.  It’s also been really cool to see how this class challenges me through their actions.  My internship is going well, I love that I get to serve the Institute and that I get to work alongside such awesome people.  I love that I get to continue going to family dinner at the Hampsch’s every Thursday night.  Something new that I’ve been doing is that I’m in a volleyball league at the RecPlex on Thursday nights.  It’s been really fun getting to be out there playing a game that I love (even if I’m not the best at it).  Next week is the tournament and then the volleyball season will come to a close.  I have also loved getting to continue serving at FBC Forsyth.  I absolutely adore my AWANA girls and am challenged by the way they are memorizing the Word.  I’m also challenged by the kids at Kid’s World on Sunday mornings while this month they are learning how to share the Gospel and then taking it to their schools.  Some of these kids have no fear and then there are others who are terrified, but they are still willing to do what God has called each and every one of us to do, share Him with those who don’t know Him.  Another fun(ny) thing that I’m getting to do at church is that me and the other two children’s interns are helping the kids with their Christmas concert at church and by helping I mean that we are in charge of them.  They’re just singing a couple songs with the adult choir so it isn’t too hard, just an adventure for sure.  It’s always an adventure when God takes you out of your comfort zone.

One thing I’ve realized lately is that I’m so far from being content.  Now let me try to explain without going into too much detail.  I’m learning/reaffirming things in my life this year and just different desires that God has given me, but yet I’m no closer to having those desires met so I’m struggling to figure out what that means for being faithful where I’m at and also for the unknown that is my future come April.  My life is so far from where I thought it would be and honestly sometimes I struggle with that.  But let me tell you, God is good and boy does He convict when necessary!  Today I was reading in my little devotional, Grace for the Moment, that my dear friend Xuan gave me over the summer and boy was I convicted.  This is what I read for December 9^th (yes, I realize today is the 10^th but I was a day behind, which I now realize was a good thing because I think I needed yesterday to realize just how much I was not content):  Philippians 4:11 “I have learned to be satisfied with the things I have and with everything that happens.”  “Test this question:  What if God’s only gift to you were His grace to save you.  Would you be content?  You beg Him to save the life of your child.  You plead with Him to keep your business afloat.  You implore Him to remove the cancer from your body.  What if His answer is, ‘My grace is enough.’  Would you be content?  You see, from heaven’s perspective, grace is enough.  If God did nothing more that save us from eternal life, dare we grumble at an aching body?  Having been given heavenly riches, dare we bemoan earthly poverty?...   If you have eyes to read these words, hands to hold this book, the means to own this volume, He has already given you grace upon grace.”  All I can say is, “Wow!”  What a punch in the gut, but exactly what I needed, because honestly, I can’t say that I’m content with just my eternal salvation, but let me tell you that I’m going to be working on that, because let’s be honest, I don’t even deserve that!  But even after that God wasn’t done with me.  I opened my Bible to Psalm 73 and believe me when I say I was convicted from the beginning but especially when I got to verses 25-28.  This is what it reads, “Whom have I in heave but You?  And besides You, I desire nothing on earth.  My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.  For, behold, those who are far from You will perish; You have destroyed all those who are unfaithful to You.  But as for me, the nearness of God is my good; I have made the Lord God my refuge, that I may tell of all Your works.”  Wow!  “Whom have I in heaven but You?  And besides You, I desire nothing on earth.”  Man I wish I could truly say that!  I know that it is true, but it’s one of those things that is so hard to put into action.  I pray that I will remember that God is more than enough for me and that I am nothing and having nothing apart from Him.  Thank you God, that Your word is sharper than any two-edged sword (Hebrews 4:12).

So there you have it, a little life update and what God is teaching me.  I love that there is always more to learn and that I can always grow.  Please be praying that I will learn to be content in God alone and remember that He is all that I need.  Pray for the Christmas concert at FBC Forsyth tonight and tomorrow and for the Kid’s World kiddos as they tell their friends about God.  Please also be praying for the Institute students; that they would finish this semester out strong and that God will use them in mighty ways, especially as they go their separate ways over Christmas break.  Pray for safe travels as people travel all over for Christmas and that during this Christmas season that God will be glorified and recognized as the “reason for the season” because let’s be honest, He is. 

The Journey Continues

I have kind of taken a hiatus from my blogging but here I am once again.  After spending another amazing, yet stretching, summer at K7 I am back in Branson interning for the Kanakuk Institute.  I’m working 20 hours a week for the Institute and am currently looking for a part time job outside of that.  I am so excited for this journey that God is taking me on though.  I am getting to work alongside some great friends that did the Institute with me as well the Institute staff who I love dearly, all while getting to serve a ministry that is so dear to me.  My internship is doing some recruitment stuff, I get to plan trips, maybe go on some trips, and then follow up with the people we meet and hopefully start living life with them and giving them a glimpse of what the Institute is all about and what God is doing in and through this place.  While I’m excited for my job and seeing how God is going to stretch me through this experience, I really love getting to live life with another Institute class.  I was blessed to have already known quite a few of the students this year and am already loving the relationships that are forming with the students that I didn’t know coming into it.  I have loved seeing what God is already doing and am excited to see what else He is going to do in and through this class.  Today was their first day of internships and it was so fun getting to be a part of the interns’ at FBC Forsyth first day.  Forsyth has a stud group of interns which of course excites me because that is another place that has become so dear to me over the past year.  I am once again helping with 3^rd and 4^th grade girls at AWANA on Wednesday nights and am excited to continue pouring into my girls from last year as well as some new ones.  I have also been presented with a couple other opportunities to serve on Sunday mornings which I am in the process of praying through.  My original plan was to help with Kids World again and that is one option but I also have the option of teaching 3^rd and 4^th grade Sunday school every other week or even the option of doing a bit of both.  I’m just trying to seek God’s wisdom in it all before I just jump in there. 

I love that while even though I am no longer a student at the Institute that my learning isn’t stopping.  I’ve been really challenged by 1 Thessalonians 4:1 lately.  It says, “Finally then, brethren, we request and exhort you in the Lord Jesus, that as you received from us instruction as to how you ought to walk and please God (just as you actually do walk), that you excel still more.”  No matter what good I’m doing, there is always room for improvement.  It goes back to a point in the sermon at church today on Isaiah 6:1-8, when Isaiah called out that he was a man of unclean lips, it was because he was in the presence of God.  We never fully realize our sin until we stand in the presence of our Holy God.  But more importantly than that, we have hope!  Just as the angel took the live coal from the altar and pressed it to Isaiah’s lips and said that he was forgiven, Christ paid the price when He died on the cross for our sins and then rose on the third day to conquer death.  We have hope!  And if we believe that, we are forgiven because of what Christ did for us.  Another really neat point in the sermon today comes from verse 1, it starts out “In the year that King Uzziah died…” and then goes to talk about how Isaiah saw God and that shows that while the throne on earth might have been empty, the throne in heaven is never empty.  It was really neat because right now Forsyth is searching for a new senior pastor and the “throne on earth is empty” but not so in heaven, God is still on His throne, He is still in control.  Such a comforting thing to remember. 

Well, I’m sure I could go on and on about what God is doing and what I’m learning, but I just wanted to give you a glimpse into life for me right now.  As I’ve said, I’m really excited about the journey that God has me on and love sharing it with you.  Now for a few prayer requests:  Please be praying that I find a part time job, pray that FBC Forsyth will find a new pastor, pray that I will grow in my role as recruiter which will be sure to stretch me, and pray for the Institute class of 2012, that they will be open to the things that God wants to do in them and through them, that this won’t just be a year of increasing their knowledge but a step toward living a life that is completely sold out for Christ.  Also a few praises:  That God continues to provide even if it may not be in ways I expect, for the community that God has blessed me with here in Branson, the work that is being done here for the cause of Christ, and for the 4 precious kiddos who got baptized at FBC Forsyth today.  Thank you in advance for your prayers and please let me know if there is anything I can be praying about for you!

I'm all about bulleted lists these days...

.... so instead of a real update, you get a quick little list of updates in my life.

1. I will officially be in Branson next year!  Huge praise especially considering the amount of stress I will be under the next week.  I got an internship with the Institute, no idea what I'll be doing yet, that part comes after this next week but before graduation.
2. I'm no longer going to be doing the UC/babysitter combo at kamp this summer.  I'm on K-7's leadership team filling the role of scheduler/store manager.  Excited but nervous!
3. Which leads me to the fact that I have Leadership weekend next weekend.
4. The process of writing my belief statements is complete as of about 30 minutes ago!
5. Belief Statement panel is Wednesday at 2:40 pm.  Please be praying that I won't be anxious!
6. Grammy and Granddaddy are going to be in town this week along with Cara and Aly for a little.
7. Once I make it through Leadership weekend, I get to play for a week with my dear Institute friends!
8. Graduation is exactly 2 weeks away!  Ah!  I'm not ready for this!

Ummm... I think that's the majors.  These next two weeks are going to be crazy so I don't know if I'll have time for a real update.  Also, sorry I haven't put Israel pictures up either, that will probably come after graduation as well.  Thanks so much for being involved in my life! 

Israel Pictures

Jezreel Valley/Valley of Megiddo - so cool to think about the fact that this is where it all ends!

Sea of Galilee

Sea of Galilee from the Mount of Beatitudes

Alison and I at En Gedi

Floating in the Dead Sea

Overlooking Jerusalem

Praying at the Western Wall

Prayers shoved in the Western Wall

Golgotha

All that really matters...

The Kolters and I in front of the Garden Tomb wearing our RISE shirts (check it out at http://www.risecollective.us/)

Back from Israel!

Another really long overdue update.  So much has happened since my last update so I will try to be concise but also hit the major points.  As far as class goes since my last update we had Keith teach Philippians one week and then the next week we had Pete Deison come and speak on the Holy Spirit.  The next week was Spring Break which we will get to that later.  This week we have had Charles Stolfus here walking us through the book of Hebrews which has been great.

Besides class stuff I honestly can’t remember much of what happened the couple of weeks before Spring Break.  I remember the week before break was madness because I was trying to get a ton of stuff done before I left for Israel.  Oh yes, my family and the Burns family came to visit the weekend before I left for Israel and I had an amazing time with them.  So great to spend time with friends and family and to just be refreshed by these amazing people that God has placed in my life.  These past few weeks have been really cool because God is just reminding me of all the ways that He has blessed me.  

Ok, Israel, here we go.  Let me just start out by saying that it was the trip of a lifetime!  When people ask me about Israel, I really don’t even know where to begin because there is just so much.  God used that trip to teach me a lot of things that I thought I already understood and it was so cool to get to see things first hand and to get a better picture of the land and the culture and just everything!  The first couple of days we spent in the northern part of Israel around the Sea of Galilee.  We went to Caesarea by the sea, Mt. Carmel and overlooked the Jezreel Valley (aka the Valley of Megiddo), rode a boat on the Sea of Galilee, went to Capernaum, the Mount of Beatitudes, the Jordan River, and the Golan Heights.  The third day we went to Beth-shean (aka Scythopolis which was one of the cities of the Decapolis), Qumran (where they found the Dead Sea Scrolls), En Gedi (a little oasis in the Judean desert), and rode camels (but actually dromedaries – look it up) at the Bedouin camp that we stayed at that night.  The next day we went to Masada, spent the afternoon at the Dead Sea, and then drove to Jerusalem.  The next 2 days were jammed packed with seeing sights all around Jerusalem.  We went to the Mount of Olives, the Garden of Gethsemane, Hezekiah’s tunnel, Mt. Zion, the Upper Room, the Western Wall (aka the Wailing Wall), and then to the Hebrew University in Jerusalem for a lecture.  The next day (and last day) we started out visiting the Temple Mount which is where the Dome of the Rock is located and is controlled by the Muslims, so we got our Bibles confiscated there and had to hide any crosses that we might have along with a couple of other things people in our group got in trouble for (ex. having their elbows showing, touching while taking a picture), the Pools of Bethesda, walked part of the Via Dolorosa, went to the Garden Tomb and to Caiaphas’ house and then had a farewell dinner and headed to the airport.  Pretty much there is way too much for me to type out in this update but it was amazing.  I loved it all, but one thing that stuck out to me a lot was in the Garden of Gethsemane we got to see two olive trees next to each other, two completely separate entities, and then looking at an older olive tree which had obviously had multiple olive trees grafted in, and just seeing that I finally had a clear picture of what it means to be grafted in.  I also so first hand the hardening of the Jews hearts.  The fact that our tour guide, Roni, knew so much (in fact way more than I do) and yet still didn’t believe.  He would preach the gospel without even realizing it.  It just made me realize that knowledge is not enough and there is nothing we can do or say but that it has to be the convicting of the Holy Spirit.  And while it is so sad to see these hardened hearts, I know that it is only because these hearts are hardened that we as Gentiles have the chance to be grafted in and that until the final number of Gentiles are grafted in, the Jews hearts will be hardened.  But it also made me remember the great importance of praying for the lost.  I also loved looking over Jerusalem from the Mount of Olives and seeing the things that the Muslims have done to “prevent” the coming of the Messiah/Jesus’ second coming.  First of all, the fact that they are doing things to try and prevent that shows that they know there is something greater!  Also, I think it’s funny/ironic/sad/whatever else you could say to describe it that they think that putting a Muslim cemetery in front of the Eastern gate and filling in the Eastern gates will keep Jesus from coming through them.  I mean come on!  My God is so much greater than that!  Anyway, I could go on for hours (just ask my family, we spent hours looking at my pictures).  If you want to know more, please ask, I would love to tell you about it!

Ok, I think those are the biggest things that have happened since my last update.  Time for prayer requests/praises:  Prayer for everyone at the Institute who are trying to figure out what comes next – specifically for me I’m still waiting to hear back about the internship with the Institute for next year and just recently a possibility for a part-time job for me for next year seems to have arisen and it’s something that I would absolutely love so pray that it would be God’s will for me!  Prayer that we finish the rest of our year out strong, hard to believe that there is only about a month yet.  We’re still working on belief statements and have panel the second to last week of the Institute.  Pray for Kanakuk and all of the kampers and staff that will be there this summer.  I’m so excited to be going back for the entire summer (minus a week for church camp that they have so graciously given me off).  The first half of the summer I’m going to be a UC (Unit Coordinator) and the second half I will be babysitting the Hampsch kiddos again.  These are the two jobs that I did last summer and I absolutely loved it so I’m excited to have the opportunity to do them again.  Some major praises – God continues to provide in His timing, I have received more financial support and it is so great to have that finish line in sight.  His provision never fails and His timing is perfect which is what I’m clinging to as far as waiting to find out stuff about next year.  God has really shown me His provision this year and that is something that I am extremely grateful for.  Praise that some friends are going to be in town this weekend.  Praise that I am continually blessed by my internship, the people I’m working alongside as well as the kiddos that I’m working with.  Praise that while this year has definitely had its rough spots, the growth has been worth every second of it.  (Side note – I was convicted at the Garden of Gethsemane while reading Jesus’ prayers before His arrest and crucifixion and just the way that He prayed for God’s will to be done and how rarely that is my prayer.  So that has become my prayer, that no matter what it takes, God will continually mold me into His image and that I will glorify Him through it all.)  The sanctification process is hard, but I know the end result is worth it. 

Thank you again for all the love, prayers, and support you have given me this year.  I couldn’t tell you thank you enough.  God has blessed me richly through your love and support.  I love you all so much!

I’ve added some pictures from my trip so hopefully you can see them and the captions.  I’ll hopefully have the rest of the pictures up on facebook in a couple of days.

Theater where Paul gave his defense before Felix, Festus, and Agrippa

Ok, so apparently this is the only picture it will let me add, hopefully more will come soon...

Long Overdue

Ok, so this is an update that I wrote awhile ago but then life got crazy and I never got around to posting it, so instead of writing a new one, I’m just going to add on to the end of this one.

The past week and a half or so as overall been pretty good.  Last Monday we talked more about vision and what our visions for our lives are.  Always a good thing to think about and cool to see how God may use us in ways we had never thought about.  The rest of the week Ron Handley was here teaching us on “Character that Counts”.  Such a cool 3 days talking about what character is, what it looks like, and how we have it.  We also talked a lot about accountability because it is such a vital part of having good character.  I have some more really good quotes to share with all of you about character and accountability. 

“In the last analysis, what we are communicates far more eloquently than anything we say or do.”

Ted Engstrom, “No matter how much we try to hid our action, our integrity (or lack of it) always shows through.”

Glenn Wagner, “Accountability is giving permission to someone on earth to ask me the same questions God might ask me in heaven.”

Dr. Laura Schlessinger, “Living for yourself and believing you’re accountable only to yourself enables you to make and break the rules at whim.”

David Augsburger, “Life without confrontation is directionless, aimless, passive.  When unchallenged, human being tend to drift, to wander or to stagnate.  Confrontation is a gift.  Confrontation is a necessary stimulation to jog one out of mediocrity or to prod one back from extremes.”

This Monday we had Mike Haley from Focus on the Family come and speak to us about homosexuality.  We talked a lot about how the church as a whole has failed on this issue and how we should respond to it.  I loved the title of his talk “Love Won Out”.  I feel like I learned a lot about what it looks like to love people.  I also loved how we talked about the fact that we are all sinners in need of God’s grace and it went right along with what we’ve been learning about in James about how if we break any part of the law, we are guilty of it all, there is not a hierarchy of sin.  For the rest of the week Tommy Nelson is here walking us through the book of Matthew.  Breaking down the book and walking through it verse by verse has been awesome and Tommy has some great insight. 

Monday was really hard for me because it took everything in me to not just hop in my car and head home.  I wanted so badly to be at home for Earl Hampsch’s funeral, but everyone I love and respect was telling me to stay here because of the weather because if I would have gone home I probably would have been stuck there all week, so while all I wanted was to be at home, I felt I needed to honor the wishes of those that I love and respect.  God has blessed me so much with the community that I have here.  Numerous people here saw me hurting and surrounded me with love and support and I feel so blessed to have such awesome people in my life.  So even though I was hurting, God showed me some immense blessing that He has poured out on me. 

I’ve also realized that I will be in Israel in less than a month, so crazy to think about.  I absolutely cannot wait to get there and experience such a place.  I am so thankful for my parents that have given me this opportunity to go to the number 1 place that I have always wanted to go. 

Prayer requests:  For heart preparation for those of us going to Israel over spring break, for my roommate who is sick, continually for my financial situation, for the Superbowl party at FBC Forsyth that people will come to know our Lord and Savior, for the Hampsch family and the loss of Earl, and for my friend Erin who just had surgery on her ankle.  Thank you all for your love and support and please let me know how I can be praying for you! 

Now for the add on:

After Mike Haley came, we had Tommy Nelson come and teach us the book of Matthew for the rest of the week.  It was so great to take the book of Matthew almost verse for verse and break it down; to learn about Jesus life, ministry, teachings, death, resurrection, and even His second coming.  One thing that I loved was that after a number of Jesus teachings it says that the people were amazed, I just thought that was so cool. 

This past week Mitch Maher came and taught us the book of Acts.  Again, we went through the book almost verse by verse and got to see how the book all fit together.  It was also really cool to see how fast the early church grew and how bold people were about sharing their faith.  A lot of times people think that the church isn’t growing like that anymore, but really I think it’s more that it just isn’t growing like that in America anymore.  Americans as a whole (myself included) can get so caught up in the things of this world and the “American Dream” that we lose sight of what is really important.  We think we can make it on our own, but really we are helpless without Christ.  (Ok, getting off my soapbox now.) 

Today we walked through the first 2 chapters of Philippians.  We talked about being like Jesus, being true to the Word, and being proven (my friend Sarah came up with that).  Loved it.  We talked a lot about humility and how important it is and how humility is the key to unity.  We’re finishing up Philippians tomorrow. 

My internship has continued to be awesome, but crazy.  It’s been strange because even though AWANA has been cancelled the last two Wednesdays because of all the snow we’ve had, but we’ve still been crazy busy with all of the other things going on.  We had a big Superbowl party which was so hectic yet so fun!  I loved getting to spend time with those kiddos and to get to hang out and build relationships with some of the kids from church that I don’t normally get to be around, but also spend time with kids who are not from the church and seem to have some rough home lives.  I loved just getting to love on these kids even if just for an evening.  I was also reminded of how lucky I am to have the family that I have, that I have parents who were and still are involved in my life and who show me the love of Christ.  It’s also cool to see how Kids World (our Sunday morning services) is changing and growing in order to help teach these precious kiddos more about Christ.  I love that they aren’t just comfortable with where they’re at, but are always seeking to be better.  I also just love how welcoming Forsyth is, I feel so at home there.  They are so grateful for everything and I appreciate that about them. 

Ok anyway, on to prayer requests:  prayer for safe travels for my family and the Burns’ as they come to Branson for the weekend and that we have some great fellowship together, prayer for God’s wisdom for my future, prayer for safe travel as a group of us from the Institute go to Israel in just over a week (so crazy to think about!), continued prayers for my financial situation but also a praise because God has provided the majority of the finances that I needed and that I will continue to trust Him to provide the remaining money that I owe, praise for my parents and the great encouragement and support they have been for me throughout my entire life, but especially this year.  They are such a blessing in my life.  It’s been so cool to see the way that God provides through the support of others, especially those little unexpected things from family and friends.  God is good and His timing is perfect and those are truths that I continue to cling to daily.  I pray that things are well with you and please let me know how I can be praying for you.  I love all of you and am so thankful for the prayers and support that you guys have given me this year and are continuing to give me.  I pray that God will bless you because of the blessing you have been to me.  I cannot say thank you enough!  You all are the best!

Trusting God day by day

The past couple of weeks have been awesome and God is teaching me so much.  Two weeks ago, Marvin Daniels taught us situational ethics.  We had a lot of discussion time in groups and also the last day we were given 6 different situations and say whether we agreed or disagreed and then defend our beliefs.  It was a really neat experience.  The thing that Marvin said that stuck out to me the most is that we cannot know what we are to do until we know who we are in Christ.  There are a lot of other really good quotes that Marvin told us that I would love to share with you guys:

“Ethics is knowing the difference between what you have the right to do and what is right to do.” – Potter Stewart
“The principles you live by create the world you live in; if you change the principles you live by, you will change your world.” – Blaine Lee
“The leaders of the future will be those who dare to claim their irrelevance in the contemporary world as a divine vocation that allows them to enter into a deep solidarity with the anguish underlying all the glitter of success, and to bring the light of Jesus there.” – Henry Nouwen

Then last week Randy Weeaks came and taught us about parables.  He also spoke to us the last day about the different generations and what we’re called to do.  Not only did he have some amazing insights, but his passion for the Lord and for teaching and for those around him was inspiring.  I loved having him here because not only did he teach us, but he was truly interested in getting to know us and investing into us.  He blessed us Wednesday night with a pizza party complete with teaching us how to two-step.   I realized while studying the parables that I have not been reading my Bible as thoroughly as I should, there were so many things that I just glance over and that causes me to miss so many great truths, so I’m being convicted to spend more time in the Word, not just reading it but really figuring out what it has to say.

My internship has been going great.  I fall more in love with those kids each and every time I’m with them.  It is so cool to see the potential in some of these kids and to see the roles they have even at such a young age.  It has also been really cool to see how strong some of these kids are in their faith despite the struggles they are going through in this world.  As we study the book of James in Precepts, I am reminded of the trials these kids have, struggles I never would have dreamed of going through at such a young age, and yet they put their trust in God and they do consider it pure joy as they go through these things.  How cool to see how much I can learn through a bunch of K-4^th graders.  One boy in particular is in 1^st or 2^nd grade and man does he know his Word.  He tells us each week what he is learning in the book of James (yes, this little boy is studying the book of James all on his own) and he isn’t afraid to tell the other kids what he is learning.  He is memorizing God’s Word and hiding it in his heart.  He is able to distinguish false teachers at other churches that he has been to.  I’m convicted that if he as a 1^st or 2^nd grader can be so committed, how much more can I be doing these things? 

I had a little bit of a meltdown Thursday night/Friday morning with just anxiousness about what God has in store for me next year.  I have an idea of what I would love to do, but I don’t know if that is even a possibility.  I really don’t know what God has in store for me and the unknown kind of freaks me out, but I have to remember that God is in control.  I’ve devoted myself to praying for wisdom for the future every morning and every night and I ask that you would be willing to pray for that with me.  Also, continued prayers for my financial situation as the rest of my tuition is due as well as my last Israel payment and I don’t know how I’m going to pay all of it other than that I know that God will provide in His timing and how He sees fit.  Continued prayers for my friends Jessica and Kent as Kent is now at his FOB in Afghanistan.  Also a praise that I got to share a girls night with a bunch of great Institute girls at my cabin in Arkansas.  Another praise that my family and some family friends are coming to visit me in about a month.  Also, in just over a month I will be in Israel, I can’t believe it!  Pray for safe travels and that my heart will be open to all the things that God wants to show me while I’m there and that it will change me for the better in ways that I could never expect. 

Thank you for your continued support and please let me know how I can be praying for you.  Love you all!

A New Year, A New Semester

Happy New Year!  It has been way too long since I last updated, so let me start off by catching you up on the last couple of weeks of the first semester.  The first weekend in December was FBC’s Winter Retreat which I got the opportunity to serve at.  I had the pleasure of being a leader for a group of sophomore girls, some I had known for a long time, others I just met, but by the end of the weekend I had grown to love each and every one of them so much.  It was so cool to see the way that God was working in the lives of so many people there, but especially in the girls I got to be with.  There is so much pain and suffering in this world, but how cool is it to see God’s victory in it all.  God is so good and nothing will change that because God is unchangeable!  I could go on for a long time about the things that happened that weekend, but since I have so much other stuff to update on, I won’t.  When I got back to the Institute we spent the week studying the Prophets.  The next week we went in depth with the book of Daniel with Debbie Jo White.  So cool!  It was neat to see the history in Daniel but to also see the plan for the future when Jesus will come again.  One thing that Debbie Jo said that really stuck out to me was that if God had so much detail and was so exact when dealing with prophecy and the end times, then He has that detailed of a plan for our own lives.  That last Thursday we studied the book of Ephesians and it was a great day.  It really spurred a talk on community and what Biblical community looks like.  Friday we had Precepts in the morning which was just a great time of prayer and fellowship and building community.  After Precepts we had Timothy group and then we all went out to Silver Dollar City for the rest of the day, what a blessing.  I had such a great time enjoying the Christmas spirit and good times with friends.  Saturday night we had our Christmas party at the Carters’ house.  The Carters were a huge blessing in letting us invade their house for the night.  It was another great night of fellowship and when we left it was snowing which was exciting!  Sunday was another great day.  I headed to church for the morning and had an amazing time with the kiddos and spending time learning about my Lord and Savior.  Sunday evening I went and saw Narnia with a few people and then we met a huge group of KI people at Danna’s BBQ for dinner, after that we all came back and just hung out. 

Monday, December 13^th, started my Christmas break.  Monday I headed up to Kirksville to see some college friends.  It was great getting to catch up with some good friends, but it was weird being back up in Kirksville without our whole little group up there.  It was also fun to have snow since we hadn’t gotten more than a little dusting in Branson.  Wednesday afternoon I headed back home so that I could make it home before the bad weather came.  Thursday and Friday, I was up at church a lot helping Josh get the new stuff in the youth room set up, we also got to test out all the new stuff, like the Wii and the pool table, so that was fun.  Saturday night was the Choir Cantata at church, what a great night of good music and a great message of God’s greatest gift, His Son who came, lived, died, and rose so that we may have forgiveness and eternal life.  It was so great to see my FBC church family whom I hadn’t seen in a long time and to see some other great friends and supporters.  After the Cantata we headed over to Grammy and Granddaddy’s to celebrate Grammy’s birthday.  Every year on her birthday, the family goes over and decorates their Christmas tree, eats ice cream cake, and then Grammy opens her presents.  Sunday evening I got to spend a great time with family celebrating Sarah’s birthday.  After Sarah’s birthday party, Aly and I headed up to church for the youth group Christmas party which was a great time.  I loved getting to see all of the youth group kids, especially the girls who were in my group at Winter Retreat.  I have grown to love those girls so much and so it was great to get to hang out with them again.  Monday I went ice skating with the youth group out at Forest Park.  We had so much fun together – reliving some of the great moments of our ice skating trip last year as well as making great new memories!  After ice skating we all went out for pizza which is always an interesting time. 

After some great time at home, it was time for some more traveling.  Tuesday, Aly and I went and picked Grandma up and then headed down to Little Rock for a couple of days.  Such a great time with family!  We got there Tuesday evening and got settled and then everyone came over for a great dinner, Uncle Jeff makes the best brisket I have ever had in my life!  It was also just a great time of hanging out and catching up with family.  I got to meet some of my cousins’ significant others for the first time which was fun.  Wednesday I had breakfast with Aly, Grandma, and Aunt Bev where we had some great conversation.  That time was so precious to me and might be my favorite part of my time in Arkansas, even though it was all good.  Around lunch time, once we had all gotten ready, the four of us and Leah met up with Aunt Ginny and Aunt Sheryl and had a fun little girls shopping trip.  That night we went to church where we had chili for dinner and then had an Advent service.  After church we headed back to the Sanders’ house and played some games.  You have to love the competitive nature of the Wagner family – it makes for some interesting game nights.  Thursday morning we had a great breakfast cooked by Aunt Bev and then we just hung out until the Wagners came over so that Aly and I could say goodbye before we had to leave.  Aunt Bev also spoiled us and baked us cookies Thursday morning so we would have some snacks for the ride home.  So Aly and I drove back home Thursday afternoon which was an adventure because Gypsy (our GPS – yes, Mom named our GPS) took us places we had never been before, but we finally made it back.

The rest of my break was spent at home which was great.  Christmas Eve was spent cleaning and cooking and playing games and dinner with family and then probably the best Christmas Eve service I have ever been to.  I have never heard the Gospel preached so boldly and plainly at a Christmas Eve service.  Christmas was another great day – great time with family as well as celebrating all that God has done for us.  This Christmas was even more special because we got to celebrate Ryan and Aly’s engagement with them.  I could not be happier for my sister, Ryan is a great man of God and I have never seen Aly as happy as she is now.  This break was a lot of time spent with family and it was a huge blessing to me, but as much as I loved getting to spend time with my family, I’m so excited to be back in Branson with my KI family.

This semester our big project is our belief statements.  Each week we have a different section of our belief statements that we will work on and then at the end of the semester we will go before a panel and defend what we believe.  It’s a little overwhelming, but I know it will be a great time of searching and discovering what I believe for myself rather than just what I’ve been taught.  I’m excited to see what God will teach me through the classes this semester as well as our Bible study on James and through my internship.  This week we are studying the Trinity and Dr. Kreider from Dallas Theological Seminary is the one teaching us.  It has been a good two days so far of looking at what the Bible says the Trinity is and what the Trinity is not.  I’m looking forward to the rest of the week and what Dr. Kreider has in store for us.  I am also looking forward to Wednesday night and AWANA and getting to see my kiddos and continue building those relationships. 

Prayer requests for this update:   Pray for Aly and Ryan as they have a lot of planning for their future to do.  Pray for my friends Jessica and Kent – Kent is in the Army and is deploying to Afghanistan on Friday, pray for his safety, but also be in prayer for Jessica because her and Kent are recently married and I know it will be hard for her to have him half way around the world.  Pray for all of us here at the Institute as we seek out God’s will for our lives as the end of the year will be here in no time.  Please continue to pray for my financial situation.  While sometimes I worry about the future or how I will pay for the Institute and things like that, it has been so cool to see the way that the Lord provides and how His timing is perfect. 

Thank you so much for all of your prayers and support!  You have no idea how much you mean to me!  Please let me know how I can be praying for you.