The Christmas Sweater

Okay so tonight I have to serve at our church dinner cause Tom's a deacon intern person so we gotta get our serve on at the church dinner. My normal attire is jeans and tshirt once and I while i'll put on some makeup and comb my hair to get really fancy. But tonight and one night only I am in search of the tackiest christmas sweater I can find. I have never owned one of these myself but boy oh boy wouldn't it be picture worthy if I could find one.

What I've Been Up to the Past Four Months...

Here's some pics of our last youth service for the year. These were taken by Dalton Bryant, a senior in our youth group who has a great gift.... Here's a little glimpse into what I love to be involved with Elevation Youth!

We had an awesome service it was honestly so much fun and to be able to play with the kids and see people really worship was incredible what a great way to worship the Lord truly a priviledge and honor. Just for the record to I work with one of the most awesome youth pastors ever, Mr Steve Mueller and can't wait to see where God is going to lead the group in '09. :)

Choosing Joy

I woke up this morning after a really nice long rest. I've discovered the nice allergies I now have after moving south. So I'm not feeling so good. Our house has been a big stress ball lately because of finals and stuff so needless to say not a whole lot of fun has been had!! Driving to work I was like ugh I don't feel good and I have a long day ahead, and I started praying, and listening to the praise music I had playing in the car. Woah was I slapped in the face!!! Something came to me and it was like God whispering, Choose Joy! Life is full of choices, I can wake up and choose to have a crappy attitude, be angry I haven't had any quality time with my husband, that I'm sick etc, or I can thank God that I woke up and have a job to go to, and that I have a good husband, and that I have a Big God that loves me deeply!! So okay given the fact I had been up 30 minutes before I chose Joy, didn't start out correctly but ended up and am having a good day and much better than I would have had I chose bitterness. I came upon these verses Romans 12:11-13.
Never be lacking zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. Be joyful in hope patient in affliction faithful in prayer. Share with God's people who are in need. Practice Hospitality....
I looked up definitions and rewrite it like this...

Never be lacking in eagerness, but keep your spiritual intensity serving the Lord. Be joyful in hope patient in pain, faithful in prayer. Share with God's people who are in need. Practice hospitality...

So if you choose bitterness, you won't be eager, you won't have spiritual intensity servant the Lord, if you choose Joy you can have patience in pain, practice hospitality, be eager and diligent in your service to the Lord...


So...........Wake up, every morning...Choosing JOY!!!!

Thanks Thanks Thanks Thanks

woooooooooooooooo it's thanksgiving tommorow! And truly it must be known that you better write a big long thanks filled Blog or your a Jerk...so here it is here it is.
thanks for a God that is huge huge big ginormous better than I can imagine
thanks for a husband who's so hot he can't help it and who makes me laugh!
thanks for a mom and dad who raised me right and love me deeply
thanks for friends who challenge me, make me laugh till I cry, and who are awesome
thanks for the youth band kids who work really hard you know who you are!
I'm missing a ton of stuff, but don't want to go on and on now...you spread the love if you haven't all ready!

A different take on "you reap what you sow"

15 He who digs a hole and scoops it out falls into the pit he has made.
16 The trouble he causes recoils on himself; his violence comes down on his own head.
I read this today in the Psalms chapter 7. Wow, it kinds of hit me like a brick wall. This concept applies not only to christians but non christians. Things you do whether right or wrong always seem to come up and sneak up on you. If you are constantly trying to serve the Lord and others usually the people your serving sooner or later help you and serve you. If your stirring up a bunch of garbage, gossipping, doing other things to make the "pit" deeper, it'll come back to you even if your not a christian! Check yourself...what are you doing are you building others up and serving or digging the pit??

Wouss

Okay so i've been in the south for a year and half now. I am a total wouss when it comes to the cold! It didn't take long either right now theres inches and inches of snow in NW indiana right now. Here it is the sun shining and at least 40 degrees and I'm freezing! Crazy!

SC Youth Convention 2008

I'm going to be honest, my first "AG" Youth Convention was last year. My husband has been going to them for years in Indiana and talked them up. I was not impressed last year...I kept wondering what is all the hype about?? This year though I understood the hype. It was awesome. Yeah the music was loud, the bass was so loud that it made my heart beat faster, but wow was the worship, and the message powerful. I saw kids in our youth group worship and seek God like I haven't ever seen before. Kids got saved, and found God! I can honestly say I hadn't really had freedom worshipping God in a long time, but for that brief time we were there I was overtaken, I wasn't thinking about anything but how awesome He is! That's what I want in our church, not the loud make you almost have a heart attack worship but worship that allows you to get lost in His Presence!!

Fight For What's right and wait on the Lord

A few quick words....
Fight for what's right.
Don't let others influence you into going down the wrong road.
God is Faithful and just when you get it in your head that nothings happening nothing's going on that's when God shows up and show's up big!!!
Work hard and do your Best for the Lord He'll bless you!

A Call to Love

First, my forewarning be careful what you pray for! Going along happily in this thing we call life and thinking your an okay person, a decent christian, serving the Lord, then I get this brilliant idea to pray yesterday God, please refine me, please reveal my junk. When you pray that and really mean it be ready for a smack in the face a big one. My day started off with a little two mile jog where I came across a sermon on my ipod that talked about loving your neighbor as yourself. I thought what a great idea, and proudly thinking to myself wow i do that great! But what God revealed to me yesterday is that I don't do this, at least not like God wants me to. I help out with our church youth group a lot I mean I'm at the church more than three times a week doing stuff with our praise team or seemingly something. We run about 30-50 kids depending on the week. Guilty as charged I have my favorite kids I really do I probably have five or six I really invest in. Trouble is there's thirty others that need love too! And you know I don't do a good job of it. Well convicted I am and changed I need to be because each one of the kids in our youth group is uniquely awesome. Each has their own dreams, views, passions, quirks. Each one a child of God. So forgive me for having favorites!

Churches in Indiana

Wow okay for the first time in a while I visited the web sites of the two former churches I went to when I lived in NW Indiana. The first church I attended was Suncrest Christian Church. I didn't know that it had two campuses now, and the youth ministry is huge!! When I went there and helped with youth they didn't even have a pastor it was volunteers keeping it going, now they have a very talented couple leading the pack with over twenty student leaders! Sweet. The other church was Living Hope Church. Its expanding they have a new building project going on. If you knew the before and after of this church is quite remarkable what God does! When I met my now husband I started transitioning to this church and they had just lost their pastor of over sixteen years, the people were devistated. So they got Pastor Lehmann to "fill in" for almost a year and went on a pastor search to make a long story short they ended up hiring Pastor Lehmann, I believe he was sixty nine years at the time. Wow has he allowed God to use him to lead this great church. I'm not going to lie seeing all this awesome stuff happen makes me miss these two places very much. But in light of all of this I'm encouraged because churches don't change overnight and it takes months or even years of hard work to see fruit from labor!

Thoughts after Election Day

Truthfully No my "candidate" didn't win. I'm not jumping up and down because Obama won. But what I won't do is say things like NoBama, our world is coming to an end and junk like that all over my myspace status. I read a blog from a pastor in Nashville that stated a great point. It is no surprise to God who won last night. He knew who was going to win way before Barak spent billions on campaigning. Our trust is not in Barak its in God. Barak or John would not have been the answer to our problems, our saving grace, anything like that. The harsh reality of our world is that we need Jesus. He is our hope, our saving grace, our provider, our protector, and the lover of our soul. Watch how you react to the election because now more than ever non-christians will be watching how christians react to the election.

Challenged!!!

I am writing this morning a very challenged individual. You may ask from work? Well yeah work challenges me just about everday but that's not why I am this morning. Last night I went with my friend Meghan to her old church in Summerville. I went to get a road trip in and I wanted to see their worship team because Meg had said how good it was. Good doesn't even describe it. This worship "team" and it truly was a team was amazing. Everything on stage was mixed wonderfully there was no one trying to make a show of it, and believe me with the talent they had they could of. Each musician and singer knew their part and played it beautifully. The other and probably the most important aspect was the fact it was annointed. They did a song I'd heard a thousand times before How Great is our God in such a way that got you lost in the presence of God. Awesome! The other great thing about the experience was after the service we were able to meet a lot of the team and they were all so gracious and awesome. Pretty much Sara and I's new hero Chad also let us play his Taylor which made our days! So I am challenged in serveral ways, one I want to practice more and try to improve my novice skills at guitar. But also in the fact that the annointing of God is the most important part of worship, if He hasn't annointed it, it's worthless! Also I was taken back by the humbleness, I hope I can try to get that across to our youth band, humbleness and annointing two key parts of amazing worship!

Don't Ever Get Comfortable

I am an avid follower of stufffchristianslike.blogspot.com there was a post today that just threw me for a loop. Talking about comfort zones, I read another one that talked about putting God in a box. Okay seriously this is what I do. God wil move in my life could be anything, in a relationship, my marraige,my job, ministries I'm helping with, our church anything. Does something breakthrough I somehow think I have something to do with it and bam! I am in a comfort zone! I put God in a box and a small one, and when He shows up big time I am somehow suprised or even scarier relieved when he does! My prayer today was simple God cleanse me of my pride, my selfishness,put me in your hands and mold me. Dude I think we need to pray this everday, if we want change in anything we have to look to ourselves first!

Romans 15:13

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.
Peace is mentioned 247 times in the Bible. We had a missionary from church last night talk about "worry", she said that if the Prince of Peace dwells within our body, how can worry and unrest have any place. Then I fell upon this awesome verse Romans 15:13, its amazing and tells some important ingredients. As you trust in Him, God will fill you all the joy and peace....Key as you trust in Him. Also, he want us to Overflow with the hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.
Two keys my silly self has missed! There's no peace without trusting God, no hope without the Holy Spirit. I can work myself into one big worry ball about anything, be encapsulated by FEAR!!! It's so easy to worry worry worry especially now, it's crazy out there. But, Thank God for the truth!! Also one other thing to note, the missionary stated that if where there if fear and worry there is no worship. Key word, I've been trying to coordinate the youth worship team. All along I was trying so hard, and worrying about the stupidest stuff, gosh I'm retarded, I've doubted and not trusted this whole time!! What a waste of time, if we ever want to give Glory to God through the team, its got to be in his hands completely!

A True Strong Christian

I was thinking deeply like I normally do..oh wait not so much but I often times hear, so and so is a strong christian. I've caught myself wondering and asking the question about myself. What is the definition. Previous to yesterday this was my definition: Reads bible everyday, is inspired by what's read, active prayer life, spirit filled, goes to church often, serves in ministries, has evidence of the fruits of the spirit in his/her life etc, etc. And while these are all great attributes its not the key to being strong. Because in scripture it talks about God strength being made perfect in our weaknesses!! Key word our weakness. It's not until we have full surrender to God is when we become strong, then only then will we have true peace and sustainable strength.

Octubre

October October October
What to say what to say, what is the current state of my consciousness right now:
Challenged, Tired, and Wondering What God has next. Ask my husband what’s been taking up way too much of my time the last month and a half. Youth Band, except I’m not a youth I’m old but something keeps me pursuing something better. We want; we are hungry for new songs of Praise. I’ve sang I could sing of your love forever too many times even though it is a great song. So how do you do it? Ha! Key word How do you do it, well actually You don’t do it. Something I’ve learned is that without a full dependence on God doing a ministry like this can be dangerous. One the music can become an idol; it can be all about performance, bad idea. The huge danger is that if you are a musician and you at all care about what you are doing you want something you do to sound good, you want it to be pleasing to the ear. Trouble is most times if you put in the practice and release your efforts to God it will be so much better! Something I must do from now on is to surrender it to God every time I pick up my guitar. Next song we are doing is not brand new but will be new to our kids. It’s called Here in Your Presence and it’s by the Desperation Band. The words go like this:
Found in Your hands, fullness of joy
Every fear suddenly wiped away here in Your presence
All of my gains now fade away
Every crown no longer on display, here inYour presence
Heaven in trembling in awe of Your wonders
the kings and their kingdom arestanding amazed
Chorus:
Here in Your presence, we are undone
Here in Your presence, Heaven and Earth become one
Here in Your presence, all things are new
Here in Your presence, everything bows before You
Bridge:
Wonderful, beautiful, glorious, matchless in every way
Wonderful, beautiful, glorious, matchless in every way
Wonderful, beautiful, glorious, matchless in every way
Wonderful, beautiful, glorious, matchlessin every way

2 Types of Training.

Lately, About the only time I get a chance to think is during the glorious noon hour that I usually either take a walk or now....I am running during. If your not an avid jogger or walker or exercise person, my oh my are you missing out. Two things that are amazing about it.
1. You get sometime to be by yourself and pray!
2. 9 times out of 10 you feel one hundred times better after you do it.
Right now I am training for my first 5k I have done a 10k before and was so messed up afterward that I couldn't do anything for a week. Another thing I've been doing for the last few month's is being a regular visitor to biblegateway.com. I can't tell you what a nice easy way it is to read the bible, I've been through a good majority of the new testament via this site I higly recommend. So 2 Tips from this little blog!
1. Train your brain, read the bible everyday and if your around a computer like I am all the time go to www.biblegateway.com
2. Train your body! Exercise, do it it's addicting and once you start you won't want to stop!

Holy Cow!!!

Dang! I am sitting at my desk auto-cadding along and the station I listen to everyday is a christian station out of Chicago, they keep playing the national anthem. After the second time I started wondering what was up, and I look up at my calender and sure enough it's 9-11-08, my first thought was duh!! Then I actually got chills, to think something that to this day I can remember what I was doing when I heard the news, (I was in a very boring economics class at Purdue Universtiy, sitting by my friend Eric). I was messed up, everyone was, now really seeming like a short seven years later, I forgot! I think I'm probably not the only one who forgot until then went to yahoo, or saw the news. But it makes me wonder how other people's lives are marked by such a busyness, such a event-packed moment by moment pace that we forget things, things that we shouldn't.

Why don't we say what we mean?

I've been tossing tons of ideas in my head recently about how people interact with each other. There's a verse about how we should speak the truth in love...Ephesians 4:15Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into him who is the Head, that is, Christ. What does that mean anyway. I've also read several blogs about "To Judge or not to Judge" onhttp://aaronstern.typepad.com/aaron_sterns_blog/. For a while now before my husband and I moved to a small town, I had a very busy life, and full but I was so busy I didn't have much time to get to know anyone but my husband really. I had some close friends don't get me wrong, but never really got involved in the youth group too much I would show up most Sunday nights and help out. But ever since moving down here, I've had a chance to really get plugged into our church, and specifically our youth group. What I've noticed is a lot of people never really say what they mean. People that do say what they mean believe me I appreciate. Or if they have a real opinion of something, a lot of times that person is a "jerk", or folks get really offended by the truth. For example it was one of my good friends birthday's and I didn't even text her last night till like eleven. She could say oh that's okay whatever, but she should say to me you are a big jerk!! It's true. There is a huge difference between speaking the truth and being downright ignorant, but still to achieve unity and true friendship you must be honest and sometimes that means having conflict. Don't be afraid to tell someone if they've hurt you, and if your on the receiving end be humble and realize that hey you screwed up, and omg apologize! Crazy concepts I know.

Rest.....

Today I read a verse that one of my friends has on her facebook page its Exodus 14:14 The LORD will fight for you; you need only to be still." Read that verse. Fight is defined as to contend with in battle;war against. Still is defined as remaining in place or at rest; motionless; stationary. Even though this is not a complicated verse, let me reword it The Lord will contend in battle for you, you only need to remain in place, be motionless, do nothing! How many times do we do this...actually rest. At the very core of my being if there is trouble in my life, or in someone I care about's lives I want to FIGHT!, but it states clearly in this verse in Exodus sometimes too often we take things in our own hands and forget to wait on the Lord. The Tomlin Song "Everlastin God" says it best that "Strength will rise as we wait upon the Lord". So, I guess the next time we are quick to fix our problems Be STILL!!

The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few......

Ever read this verse? It's in the new testament and I believe Jesus is talking to his disciples when he tells them that the harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. This in fact is so true. Where do you find the workers, and if you come to the point where your like yeah I want to do that, what in the world do you do? Please learn from some recent mistakes I've made:
1. If you want to start "reaching the lost" don't target one person, or make him/her your project. This is easy to do because you can focus your energy on one thing, and here's the problem it becomes your own not God's. I received this advice from some folks in our church they flat told me "You don't get to choose who God uses you to reach". Be an example and kind to every person you come in contact with. There may be someone you don't even think about that are just at the brink of wanting Jesus!
2. If someone asks you about your testimony don't say oh yeah I go to church or I'm a christian. I will guarantee they have heard that a billion times. And instantly they may right you off. Think about it, a church is just a building right, it helps to nurture a relationship with God and can provide great fellowship, but the church is a tool it's a living breathing God that shapes us and changes us and He's why we do what we do. If you answer that way people won't know how to react and may start asking questions.
3. Don't get worn out with this concept or discouraged, think of how long it took you to come around, sometimes it is instantaneous, but many times it's a slow process!

Made Me Think.....

So today during my break (of course) I was reading a blog from Aaron Stern entitled "Do you have great friends", and recently in coversations with different people about this very thing. Aaron explained a time in him and his wives life recently where they lost their baby at the 8th month and during that whole time, they had people really support them and grieve with them. He also explained that we were created for deep friendship and community. So here is the question Do you have great friends? Looking back through my soon to be seeming to be very short soon to be twenty eight years of life, the answer is yes, without a doubt yes.
Interestingly enough they come in different ages, nationalities, and I guess denominations.
I'm gonna brag for a minute about some of them (this by all means not an conclusive lists there are too many to count it would take forever). Cause I can, it's my blog.
First Group: (High School cause if I go any further back yeah my brain will hurt)
Lady Amabelle Allanique Masangcay (that is her full government name): She without a doubt was one of my dearest friends in high school, we were sort of attatched at the hip, hahaha and did we have fun! Along with many other crazy people (Laura, Breanne, Bridget, Kelly, Janelle, I'm missing somebody). We also went to college together and until I moved to the dirty south, we lived only an hour or so from each other. She is someone I can honestly say I can go years without seeing and it's like a day hasn't passed we have so much fun, and sure we've grown apart but she was always an amazing friend so if you read this Lady, thanks!
Sara Joy Martin: We started out our friendship making fun of our softball teams in like dang seventh grade! ha still makes me laugh. This girl right here was someone who made a huge impact on my life! She has a great heart and is serious about her God she didn't compromise her beliefs when she went to college and got out on her own, and when she's your friend she's the kind that Aaron talks about the kinds God intended us to have.
College: (there were many amazing people I met in college but I'll mention two that fit this description the best)
Anne Reed: Annay! Ha, this girl was without a doubt someone who showed me what it really means to follow hard after God. WOW! I met her my first senior year at Purdue when we were RA's I remember being a little shy and junk and she was fun and I later found out she was a christian and dang, was I lucky to meet her! I can't tell you the amount of times I spent spilling my guts about junk in my life and she would listen, really listen even though she may have thought blah blah blah....(I know I would've) But she prayed with me I mean really prayed with me, and put me in my place a lot!! But I'm telling you I needed that at that particular time in my life. So Anne thanks, for kicking my spiritual butt!! Hahaha, and Happy Anniversary Saturday!!
Lisa Bramer: She without a doubt is one of the most honest friends I have. Can I tell you that you need these types of friends in your life the one's who will say what you need to hear not what you want to hear. And along with Anne she would listen and still does listen to my junk and cares tons about me!
Presently: (meaning now that I'm in the dirty south)
Sara June Johnson (full government name): This is what I'm talking about when I say all ages, she's gonna be 18 in a few weeks. She's a girl in our youth group, that is the definition of what a friends should be. This kid unfortunately or fortunately can just about read my mind now...It's crazy, but dude she cares man really cares about her friends. Dang so lucky to have had the blessing of this kid in my life! So Sara June Thanks from the bottom of my heart =).
Meghan Bryant Truluk (I spelled that wrong): I'm not sure I've ever become friends with someone so fast! She is not a half way friend, you got her in your life you have someone who really cares! We have lots of fun together and all I can say is I hope we continue to grow in our friendship! Ninja's for Jesus Rule!!!
Tabby: She's a youngin too but she's awesome and has one of the purest hearts I've ever seen! Keep doing what your doing Tab you'll be blessed :).

Two that will always be in my life:
My Mom: She's for real my hero, she is the one who always knows what's up with me and can call me out on the phone if I'm acting stupid. She's my example of a women of God I want to be and a wife/mother. She is the definition of a friend totally selfless and thoughtful, and the best friend anyone could ask for.
My Husband: He is for real my best friend in this world. Even though I get crabby sometimes, he always sees the true me, and loves me. He supports me, makes me feel beautiful, and is an expample to me. I love him with all of my heart, and I can always count on him.

I'm forgetting tons of people but these are a few that mean so much to me and I truly would not be the same person I am without them!
Look around you and look back because I am sure anyone could come up with their life-changing friend List, and just sit there and be amazed at How God Has Blessed You!!!

Reaching Your Lost "Peers"

So the subject or theme of the last I would say four weeks maybe even longer in our church has been "reaching your lost peers". Our church's motto is "Love Reaching". If you look in this neat book called the Bible, you'll find countless examples of how to be Love Reaching. But are we really that? Do we really make a difference in our co-workers, friends, families, and general human contact we have? I've heard several sermons, on-line from our old church, and from our new church home that is preaching, even screaming to me that we aren't going to bring people into our church with a great program, worship, or free tootsie rolls at the door. We have to be different, meaning the people we come in contact with need to see a difference in our lives. Living in the south now I've noticed many people I've come into contact with have either been to church a bunch when they were younger, and quit going or still go now, but when they leave the pew on Sunday it's over, the act is gone. The fake I'm a church goer disappears. We go back to the barely can get by day to day, I'm going to be happy if I'm with my friends, or have instant gratification type of life. Let's be honest we all do it, I've got something to look forward to I'm doing this...or us women buy crap to make us happy, and it only last a few moments. When there's not some sort of instant gratification we sit there and wonder what's the next thing that's gonna get me through today. So how are we going to make a difference in people's lives if we live the same type of life except we don't cuss, drink, smoke, and go to church every Sunday. We 1.love the people that are hard to love! Cause guess what you need Jesus to do that, you can't do it in your flesh, in your flesh you can even love other Christians, but that one person that complains all the time they aren't easy to love.
2.Listen to people really listen, two people in my shop have recently told me that I am the only person that they talk to that really listens. Dang!!
3. Be content in God's presence, we forget sometimes that truly he is all that we need something I learned quickly after I got married is that guess what even having an amazing husband can't make you completely happy cause he is only a man He's not Jesus! Nothing I mean nothing will replace God in your life, try other junk I did and guess what the only thing that made me happy was Jesus!
4. Ask for God to use you and be willing, cause He will I guarantee it, He needs workers.