My hand in His

A Few Thank You's

2009-01-20T11:13:00.001-08:00

To Tim Lin for researching and purchasing ram for my computer

To John Armstrong for installing aforementioned ram

To Ryan Mullarkey for making my phone more time efficient

Because of the efforts of these fine men hours of my day will be available for greater pursuits.

A few more things I love

2009-01-04T13:42:00.001-08:00

* cards, margaritas and theology with the Shelleys
* shopping with Erin while discussing the beauty of being co-heirs of the Kingdom, the bride of Christ and daughters of the Living God
* marveling with Breanne over the rare occasion that eat n'park coffee doesn't taste like dirt

* oh and savoring "dosay" remembrances with LAK. nothing beats secret languages created at 2 a.m. in 8th grade.

I do love visiting my hometown, but I am ready to be back in Tucson. It's home now.

Highlights of Christmas Break thus far

2008-12-30T15:07:00.000-08:00

Since leaving Arizona I have loved:

* making new friends while traveling

* late night dates at the place for smiles, a.k.a. eat n'park with brad and breanne
* an early morning visit to starbucks with jasmine
* 4 hours at panera with sherry
* hours of settlers playing with the fam
* talking to annie
* anne of green gables
* seeing my niece and nephews
* a lot of football
* seeing joey get all riled up while watching football
* seeing joey get all riled up while playing settlers (oh and did i mention he lost 4 games in a row?)
* anticipating the PENN STATE game
* mornings with my mom

and I still have 6 days left at home :)

In case you were confused...

2008-10-01T20:41:00.000-07:00

I love the Strudel!

And apparently, so does Meaghan

I love Carol, the newest member of the Strudel and if I may say so, an excellent addition!

Tonight we had strudel dinner, note all of the food at the beginning of the meal...

Diana made us this delicious Korean feast

The end of the meal which fortunately coincided with the end of the food

And in other news, I got my hair chopped off today. Then I was hit on by a 35 year old. hmmm.

Relationships are Hard

2008-09-30T19:33:00.000-07:00

I have known this. I have learned it time and time again. Sometimes if I am honest, I am not convinced that they are worth the effort they require. But even as I have been wrestling through this, I am increasingly convinced of God's great love for His people and of His sovereign hand. I am so thankful for His Word, which gently rebukes, corrects, admonishes and teaches. Oh yes, and it daily reminds me of the depths of His love and grace and of my great need for these precious friendships.

On a lighter note, here are some of my favorite pictures from the last few weeks.

a classic strudel bonding ritual

I love having teammates that encourage my ice cream addiction...at 9:30 a.m.

a great camping trip with wonderful friends

"Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Honor one anonther above yourselves. Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer...Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn. Live in harmony with one another"

Romans 15

"Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity. Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful."

Colossians 3

Wedding Palooza

2008-09-03T17:07:00.001-07:00

I have been to a lot of weddings in my life. I have been to a lot of weddings this year and I have a lot more weddings to go to in the next few months. Most of these weddings have been really enjoyable, but I have to say that the two from this past weekend are always going to stand out in my memory as some of the sweetest pictures of what God intended when He created marriage.

Jasmine's wedding this weekend was a beautiful reminder of God's relentless pursuit of us in the midst of other lesser lovers. I loved how Jasmine and Aaron seamlessly incorporated the Gospel into their ceremony, reception and their relationship. Individually and as a couple they love people so well. I have no doubt that their marriage will be a testimony of God's faithfulness to us as His Bride.

the girls from 401. (beth, jasmine, leah and i).
jasmine's wedding was such a sweet opportunity to catch up with dear old friends.

It was such a joy to see my dear friend Krista at the Butlers' wedding!

And then the Butler wedding. I absolutely loved living with Lori as her relationship with Dustin progressed. Her excitement and eagerness for her wedding day often brought to my mind the excitement and eagerness that we, as the Bride of Christ, should have for the Wedding Feast of the Lamb. I love that Lori did not give up hope as she waited for Dustin, but rather, waited patiently, obediently, eagerly and rejoiced in the midst of it. That is how I want to wait for the coming of Christ. I would hate for that sweet day to come and me to have become inpatient in the waiting and have given myself to lesser lovers. How incredibly sweet it is that just as Dustin pursued Lori prior to their wedding day, Christ passionately pursues us!

I delight greatly in the Lord; my soul rejoices in my God. For He has clothed me with garments of salvation and arrayed me in a robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom adorns his head like a priest, and as bride adorns herself with her jewels.

~ Isaiah 61:10 ~

As a young man marries a maiden, so will your sons marry you; as a bridegroom rejoices over his bride, so will your God rejoice over you.”

~ Isaiah 62:5 ~

Another Beautiful Day in Tucson

2008-08-25T07:17:00.001-07:00

I woke up this morning with the news that my car had been broken into for a second time. And after calling the police, my insurance company, and the glass repairman, I was struck by what a different response to this I would have if I did not believe in God.

If I didn't believe in God, I would probably hate Tucson. I would be overwhelmed by and perhaps even paralyzed by fear. I would allow anger to fester and take control of my attitude and emotions. Anxiety would be the theme of my life.

But by the grace of God I do believe in a good, protector God. I believe He is always sovereignly in control. He is infinite in wisdom and perfect in love. And in the words of Jerry Bridges I know, "God in His love always wills what is best for us. In His wisdom He always knows what is best, and in His sovereignty He has the power to bring it about." As I think about it, this morning has been a sweet reminder of His transforming grace. Of course all of the repairs and phone calls are a momentary frustration and annoyance and I truly do hate cleaning broken glass, but that is all it is. By His grace my heart has been transformed and now instead of being controlled by fear, anger and anxiety, I trust Him at His Word. I cannot imagine life without these freeing beliefs.

The glass repairman just called and he'll be here around 10 and my day will thankfully go on. I am in charge of buying the food for our sweet Welcome Back BBQ tonight and am currently at a complete loss of how much food to buy. hmmmm. Maybe I'll go make some brownies now.

"I will praise the Lord, who counsels me; even at night my heart instructs me. I have set the Lord always before me. Because He is at my right hand, I will not be shaken. Therefore my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices; my body also will rest secure, because You will not abandon me to the grave, nor will you let Your Holy One see decay. You have made known to me the path of life; You will fill me with joy in Your presence with eternal pleasures at your right hand."
~ Psalm 16:7-11 ~

So a bit of time has past...

2008-08-08T21:51:00.000-07:00

...and many have commented that I haven't updated my blog in ages.

At this point I don't even know where to begin. Perhaps I should clear up any misconceptions of my brother being in the CIA...or wait, is he? He is coming to visit this weekend and I am excited to get some quality family time in before I head back to Tucson. After all, he is my favorite Euchre partner.

I can't believe that I am already at the start of my 2nd year in EDGE. I have started praying Hebrews 13:21 for this year. That God would equip me for doing His will and may He work in me what is pleasing to Him, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen.
I have really latched on to the idea of Him working in me what is pleasing to Him. I so often think that I know what needs to be worked on in my life and am finding it quite difficult to have open hands to what He desires. Ahhh, but I have always known Him to be a good and gentle Father and I have set my heart on glorifying Him alone.

Who knows, perhaps this year He'll teach me to be more faithful in blog posting??

What has God been saying to you???

2008-01-22T19:51:00.000-08:00

I spent the past weekend in Gilbert, Arizona with about 65 students from our ministry. It was a great time to enjoy one another's company in a beautiful home, grow closer to the heart of Jesus and even spend some time jumping into huge mounds of cotton seed!

And here is my scavenger hunt team wearing Burger King hats in a McDonalds. Even though we lost, we had such a great time!

We had the privilege of having Mike Jordahl, the Navigators Collegiate president, with us for the weekend. Each morning he shared with us from the Word and pointed our eyes toward Jesus. His key question of the weekend was "What is God saying to you today?" It was so good to have opportunities to slow down long enough to really ponder the question...and then discuss what we were hearing with those around us. How beautifully refreshing.

I am so glad to serve a God that invites us into His holy dwelling and speaks individually to each of our hearts. And I was so grateful to have that reminder as I found out on Wednesday that my house had been broken into.

Our house was only empty for 45 minutes, but apparently that is just enough time for someone to kick the door in and steal 3 laptop computers and Lori's purse. While we are sad to have lost those possessions, what we find to be the most disconcerting issue is that they must have been watching our home to know when we were all gone. Please be praying for our safety and for the peace of God to guard our hearts and our minds.

God has given us such a great gift in the 5 men from our ministry that live just down the street. They were immediately at our side and stayed with us through out the day. Within a half hour a trip to Home Depot had been made and our door repair had begun. Below is a picture of the many hands that worked on restoring our door and sense of safety.

In the midst of this we were able to hear Steven's upcoming talk on Joy. How timely it was to hear of how our true Joy is found in the knowledge of our salvation and the immeasurable goodness that God offers us. Isn't it true that He is Good???

This morning I was reading in Hebrews and came across these verses...yet another gift.

"Remember those earlier days after you had received the light, when you stood your ground in a great contest in the face of suffering. Sometimes you were publicly exposed to insult and persecutions; at other times you stood side by side with those who were so treated. You sympathized with those in prison and
joyfully accepted the confiscation of your property, because you knew that you yourselves had better and lasting possessions.
So do not throw away your confidence; it will be richly rewarded. You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what He has promised."
~ Hebrews 10: 32-36 ~

Today, we will choose joy. We will choose thanksgiving. We will choose to say, "Thy will be done."

It's Been Awhile...

2008-01-12T19:56:00.000-08:00

I am amazed that it is already January 12th and I am back in Tucson. My time at home was wonderful, but I have to admit, I was glad to return to my life here. Tucson has become a place that holds such dear friends and things that I love. It's been delightful to be back.

Things I am looking forward to this semester:

1. Studying Romans with the girls in my Bible study
2. Mastering tennis on Krista's new wii (this one may take longer than just 1 semester)
3. Hanging out with some pretty sweet freshman girls
4. Introducing people to the One through whom we may draw near to God
5. Roadtrips
6. Quality time with my fellow staff members

Pretty much, I am thrilled with what this semester has to offer. I think God is going to move in some powerful ways.

Some pictures from the Navs Christmas Ho Ho Hoedown (planned by our stellar freshman class!)

Desiring Abundant Life

2007-11-18T16:15:00.000-08:00

"The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly." ~ Jesus (John 10:10)

In the last few days I have become increasingly aware of the attacks of the enemy. Conversations with students have consistently revealed how enemy is seeking to destroy them, to make them ineffective, depressed and to distract them from the Truth of the Gospel. It breaks my heart.

The good news is that they verse doesn't end with destruction, but rather the life that Jesus has to offer. In the midst of their struggling I have loved reminding the students of the beautiful mystery of the Gospel. I love bringing the truth that once we are "in Christ" God sees us as holy and blameless, He cannot love us any more or any less than He does at this moment. This is a wonder too beautiful for words!

No power of hell, no scheme of man
Can ever pluck me from His hand
'Till He returns or calls me home
Here in the power of Christ I'll stand

~ In Christ Alone

Mexico Road Rally

2007-11-14T11:35:00.000-08:00

Diana and I with just some of the food for our trip

This past weekend we took 151 people to Rocky Point, Mexico to build 3 houses and participate in a children's outreach. I was in charge of the food. I have never before shopped or cooked for 150 people...using a single camp stove. I am tempted to say it was quite a challenge, but really I had an amazing team of women that rose to the various dilemmas that faces us and made the food preparation a joy. Below are some pictures from the weekend.

some girls from my Bible study at their house site

preparing lunches for our hungry house builders

It was an amazing trip, full of precious faith-building moments. Everyday there seemed to be story after story of how God came through in incredible ways. We saw Him in providing tow trucks for 12 passenger vans stuck in the sand, giving us water at exactly the right moment, the much needed layer of stucco finished on all 3 houses just as the sun went down, no major injuries, cars protect, easy crossing of the border each way and the list goes on and on. I am so grateful to know and serve this God. I just love Him.

After a week in St. Louis for the Navigators National Conference and then camping in Mexico, I am exhausted, but God is good and I am thrilled to be His daughter.

Refreshment in the Midst of Chaos

2007-10-27T13:40:00.001-07:00

It has been quite an interesting week. Our weekend was spent hosting a dessert and breakfast for our students' parents. I loved having the opportunity to get to know these parents and tell them how we are rooting for them in their kids lives.

Unfortunately Sunday also brought the realization that my car had been broken into the night before, leaving me without a c.d. player and most of my c.d's. On Thursday morning my house was woken up to two police officers informing us that my roommate Diana's car had also been broken into. No major damage was done to either of our cars, but it is still just scary that within 5 days 2 cars sitting directly in front of our house were robbed. We are trying to determine how we can improve the security for our house and be more conscientious of our surrounding environment.

In the midst of calling insurance companies and replacing windows we have also been getting ready to head out to St. Louis for the Navigators National Conference. As I have been preparing to go I have been reminded that it really is autumn in other parts of the country. Below is a picture of some fall leaves that were sent to my house from some dear friends in State college.

krista arranged them so beautifully on our kitchen table

This weekend I had the wonderful opportunity to go swing dancing with some of the students that have become dear friends of mine. The dancing was almost as fun as listening to the live 12 piece band! Below is a picture of some of the seniors having a bit of fun :)

You've Lost That Lovin' Feeling

2007-10-13T00:12:00.000-07:00

some of the freshman girls with their roses

Tonight our nav ministry had a men's/women's night instead of our normal large group meeting. We split the women into 5 groups and then sent each group out to 5 different restaurants around town while the men headed to Steven and Dustin's house for a barbeque and time of learning about how to honor the women in our ministry. It was a great time for women of various classes to connect with each other! After dinner the women headed back to the Strudel (my house!) for dessert and a dance party.

The guys surprised us by sneaking into our backyard, cutting our power and then inviting us to join them in the back yard. They then serenaded us with "You've Lost That Lovin' Feeling" and gave each of us a rose. Then they sang a special rendition of "My Girl" in which they re-wrote the lyrics to fit the Nav Girls. I have included some of their lyrics below:

Your God's sunshine on a cloudy day
Reflect Gods glory in the sweetest way
I guess you'd say
What can make me feel this way?
Nav girls (nav girls)
Talkin' bout my Nav girls (nav girls)

We don't need no half dressed women, thanks for dressing modestly
You're the greatest bunch of women, honestly
I guess you'd say
What can make you feel this way?
Nav girls (nave girls, nave girls)
Talkin' 'bout my nav girls (nav girls)

As you can tell, we've got a great group of men! They brought tears to a few of the girls eyes. Some of these women have never been treated sweetly by men and have no idea that they deserve to be treated as someone of great value. I am so grateful that the leaders of this ministry are committed to training men and women to live as God has created them.

Is it really October??

2007-10-10T22:54:00.000-07:00

what is a road trip without a dance party in the car??
katrina and ashley are two sophomores that went with us on a camping trip to Sedona

I cannot believe that I have now been here for over 2 months! Let me briefly catch you up a bit on some things that have happened in the last two months on the campus and in our ministry. For the most part we had a great move-in week and first week of classes.

However, following that, the campus and our ministry had a really rough two weeks. It began with a suicide in one of the freshman dorms. Less than a week later, on our way to a camping trip in Sedona, a car-full of students in our ministry was in an accident and two students had to be lifeflighted to a hospital in Phoenix. Both students had been unconscious, but were conscious and communicating by the time they arrived at the hospital. They are both now doing fine and back in classes. The accident could have been so much worse and we were once again reminded of the goodness and sovereignty of God as the details of the accident were unfolded.
The Wednesday after we arrived back on campus, there was a stabbing in one of the dorms where many of our freshman girls live. By the end of that day, my roommates and I realized that the girl who had initiated the stabbing was someone that we had met as a result of our following up the surveys. She is now in the local prison, but God has orchestrated amazing ways for us to continue to have a presence in her life.

Those 10 days quickly made our staff team realize just how desperately the campus and our students needed and continues to need prayer! I am glad to say that we have not seen any more cases such as these in the last few weeks, but we are still very aware of the attacks on this campus. God is clearly moving here and Satan is desperate to thwart the good things that have been started in the hearts of these students.

In happier news, our ministry has gotten off to a great start. The freshman class is already starting to bond and to catch the vision of intentionally growing closer to God, each other and those around them. I have loved getting to know the 10 girls in my Bible study and see how God is weaving their hearts together. Each week I come home amazed at what He is doing in each of their lives. The last few weeks I have greatly enjoyed getting one-on-one time with each of them and hearing the stories of their lives as well as learning what it means to share my life with them.

Our Bible study has begun a study entitled "The Big 10," which has us looking at 11 key chapters of the Bible. This week we looked at Isaiah 53 and it was so fun to reflect on the previous weeks studies and see how the gospel is woven through each chapter. We got into a great discussion this week on why Jesus came if He knew what kind of life would be ahead of Him here on earth. I absolutely love watching these women, some with very new faith and some who have grown up knowing Jesus, really begin to grasp how wide and how deep and how long and how high is the love of God for them. And to watch them as they realize it is not a "whole-world" kind of love, but a love that is individual and tailored specifically to them. Isn't He a great God?

Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth.
Worship the Lord with gladness;
come before Him with joyful songs.
Know that the Lord is God.
It is He who made us, and we are His,
we are His people, the sheep of His pasture
Psalm 100: 1-3

Welcome to Life in Arizona

2007-09-30T14:55:00.000-07:00

My two roommates have certainly rubbed off on me, which has led to the creation of this blog. There is so much I would love to update each of you on personally, but have found a lack of time and energy to complete all my desired phone calls and updates.

For this initial post I have compiled a list of things you should know about my new life in Arizona.

1. I love, love, love my roommates and our sweet home (affectionally called The Strudel)

(Krista, Lori, Me and Diana)

2. I love my staff team. They have been so welcoming and have truly become like family to me. (the whole staff, kids and all, at our staff retreat before the students arrived)

3. The students here are Amazing! The student leaders from the sophomore, junior and senior class did a great job of welcoming my teammate Diana and I into the community here. They are all so eager to learn and grow. While they desire for the ministry to maintain its "family feel," they are excited to love on each new person that comes to our events.

(some of the students on our camping trip to Sedona)

4. I am leading a freshman girls Bible study on Monday nights. We are using this semester to go through 11 key chapters in the Bible. Doing this study our first semester together, allows us to know where everyone is coming from and hopefully get us all on the same page. So far we have studied Genesis 3, Psalm 23 and Psalm 139. I am thrilled to say that we are all getting more comfortable with each other and so each Bible study has led to more opening of hearts to each other. And of course, we love having fun together! Below is a picture of my Bible study on an ice cream date with one of the freshman guy studies.

Overall, it has been a wonderful transition to life in Arizona. There have definitely been adjustments and times of extreme fatigue, but with each day I am more and more excited about the things that God has planned for this year. His hand is clearly heavy upon the staff and the students in the ministry. I will post an update soon on the things that God is revealing to our staff team and how this is impacting not only how we run the ministry, but also, our daily lives.