Time flies...

Is it really the end of December? I remember thinking at the being of November, “O good, a couple of slow months to catch up and get ahead.” And while things might have been a little slower in the office, my life didn’t necessarily slow down. But, like my family reminds me, I like being busy.

    November was full of traveling with my first real vacation and Thanksgiving holiday. I visited Jaye in North Carolina and got to see what life as a seminary student is like. I also realized that 5-7 days a year of resting and relaxing is a must. I honestly didn’t realize how rejuvenating it would be. A trip to NC might be a November have-to for the next few years!

    December has been full of parties, gatherings, programs, and a trip home for Christmas. I love the Christmas season, and when I say I love it, I mean I LOVE it! The decorations, the music, the presents, the food... everything! This Christmas had its special moments for me: Putting up my first tree, full of ornaments since my childhood. Participating in the Christmas program at Sherwood. Catching up with old friends in Athens. The extra time spent talking with Samuel, and playing with Josiah. Standing as a family while my dad prayed and passed out the Lord’s Supper on Christmas Eve. Such a sweet time of year to do fun things and remember why we celebrate in the first place: Our Savior CAME!

    As the days of 2011 dwindle down, I’ve been tying up lose ends and working on projects in the office. One of which was to hang this,

Now you might remember we did that whole, revamped VBS back in the summer. One of the afternoon track times was an art track for older kids. They learned about different kinds of art from our very own College and Career pastor, Brian Kelley. Towards the end of the week, they were given a canvas to paint with black lines on it. Little did they know what would be the outcome. Seeing the finished product made me PUMPED for this upcoming summer!!

As I hung the canvases and made them fit together, I was able to stop and read the verses the kids added. Its so cool to see what verses stick out in the mind of a child. Whether its one they recently learned or have memorized and held onto for a long time. I found one that I’m pretty sure an adult got a hold of. It 2 Thessalonians 5:24 written on it,

“The One who calls you is faithful; and He will surely bring it to pass.”

If there was one verse that summed up 2011 for me, it would be this one. 2011 has been a year that the Lord has reminded me of how faithful He is. He has brought so much to pass, its hard to believe I ever doubt His purpose or timing. Also realizing even when it seems like He's not bringing anything to "pass" He is STILL faithful.  His word is quick to settle an anxious heart, by reminding that our God has all things under control. 

It brings me to tears to think of how good and sweet My Savior has been to me this year. Looking forward to watching Him continue to bring things to pass and to be a small part of His mind blowing plan!

Happy New Year!

I am thankful for...

- a loving, merciful, grace giving Savior who adopted me into His eternal family and carries me through this life.

- a mom who is always there to hear my thrills, fears, and tears, and who lifts me up to the Lord daily.

- a dad who calls me his own, gives me godly council and protects me from miles away.

- brothers and sisters that make me laugh, keep me on my knees, and who are always a text, call, or facebook message away :).

- a church family that is unlike any I have ever been a part of. One that has embraced me, and made me feel at home in such a short amount of time. (and feeds me like its going out of style!)

- the fact that 130+ kiddos call me "Miss Kristin", and run to hug me no matter the location.

- a job and ministry that makes me wonder how I could ever do anything else for a vocation.

- the ability to watch families raise children who love Christ and  adopt little ones into their homes to call children.

- the girls that God has intrusted me to pour into, and share my life and love for the Lord with.

- the women that want to "live life" and pray for me.

- Marty, Jaye, and Stephanie, who have taught me the importance of a thank you note :) .

- the opportunity to partner with Compassion International and sponsor Fabin, a little boy in Columbia.

- the staff of Sherwood Baptist Church. Overwhelmed by their love and passion for Christ and His Kingdom. 

- my small 3 room apartment, that I am making home.

- friends in: Georgia, Alabama, Tennessee, Kentucky, North Carolina... and the fact that I can see many of them to and from trips to my parents.

I know I'm a couple of days late, but I couldn't let my Thanksgiving holiday end without sharing a few of my "thankfuls". This week has taught me that no matter the circumstance, we are to be thankful. Because the reality is, we are sinners in need of a Savior, and Jesus came to pay the ransom.  That, in and of itself, is reason to be thankful, and to sing our God's praises all the day long. No matter the trial, we are to declare the goodness of our God.

Praise the Lord!

Oh give thanks to the Lord, for he is good,

for his steadfast love endures forever!

Psalm 106:1

 

Like Anna

Last week I pulled out an old study Bible to do a little studying and I came across a postcard with this picture on it...

So, why do I have a postcard of an old lady in my Bible? Good question. This is actually a picture of a painting by Rembrandt. The orginial hangs in the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam, which I saw in person, May of 2009. I went to the museum while on a misison trip that took me backpacking through Europe. We had a spare afternoon so my fellow team member and I headed out for a trip around town. Thus, the Rijksmuseum...

 

So we're walking around taking in all of the fine art (my appreciation probably lacking) when we came across the above piece. I remember it captured my attention quickly, mainly because of her hand. It is difficult to tell in this picture, but the detail is incredible: the wrinkles, the veins, the way it lays on the page. How he made her hand look so real, I will never get over.

With each piece of art was a short bio. While the title of this piece is Rembrandt's mother, the bio said that it was a depiction of the prophetess Anna from the Bible. The only account of her is found in Luke after she saw Jesus as a baby.

And there was a prophetess, Anna, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was advanced in years, having lived with her husband seven years from when she was a virgin, and then as a window until she was eighty-four. She did not depart from the temple, worshiping with fasting and prayer night and day. And coming up at that very hour she began to give thanks to God and to speak of Him to all who were waiting for the redemption of Jerusalem. (Luke 2:36-38)

It seems, Anna practically lived at the temple. She probably heard the scriptures over and over, the ones that told of a coming Messiah. She most likely never touched or read them, but I imagine her face held the same eagerness found in this painting when she would listen. I think her heart ached and found purpose only in sitting in the Lord's presence. Can you imagine her joy to see her Savior's face as a babe?

I bought this postcard as a reminder: I want to be the woman in the painting. I want to be found pouring over scripture, now and when my hands are wrinkled and fragile. But then, that begs the questions: am I in the Word daily? Do I eagerly await to spend time with Him? Do I search the scriptures and commit truth to memory?

Chances are, if I'm not, I won't be like that woman. I won't be like Anna.

"Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me." Psalm 51:10

Courageous the Movie

I am blessed to be a part of a church that, as I've said before, will do what's never been done if it means more people will hear the gospel. So, Sherwood Pictures was born as a ministry of Sherwood Baptist Church, and Flywheel, Facing the Giants, and Fireproof have made more of an impact than I think anyone ever dreamed. The latest film, Courageous, is about police officers who discover what it truly means to be a godly dad.  2 weeks ago, I had the opportunity to attend the Courageous movie premiere in Atlanta at the Fox Theater. It seemed only fitting for me to take the man in life: my Dad! So we strolled the red carpet, and had a great time!

  To give you more of an idea of the heart behind the movie, here are some of the actors and staff sharing about Courageous...



Courageous is about fatherhood, but this movie isn't just for dads. This young, single gal, was given examples of the kind of man I should look for, and reminded me that living a life worthy of the Lord is not always easy. We all must resolve to be courageous. 


Check out www.courageousthemovie.com for more info about the movie, resources for churches, theater showings, and more. Courageous comes out September 30th, make sure you're there!

Mi Tiempo en Honduras

Hola mi Amigos! (warning, you are about to recieve a spanish lesson)

I'm finally back and rested (I think) from my week in Honduras. This was my second trip to this beautiful country, and hopefully there are many more to come. I was first introduced to the country in May of 2010 on a mission trip with mi abuelos (my grandparents) and their church. I fell in love then with the people and left a little bit of my heart there. I was blessed to return a little over a week ago with another medical team to minister again to the mountain people.

Now, just to clarify: I am in no way medically trained. But you would be amazed at what you can do with a little instruction and in the middle of another country. Automated blood pressure cuffs, thermometers, and pulse oxcemeters (i don't even know all it does) are wonderful for those of us who can push a button and copy down a number. My last trip I used these to do triage, but last week, I worked with the dentist. Of the MANY patients that were treated in the clinics, roughly 125 of those had teeth extracted (fancy term for pulled). I was placed in charge of cleaning and sterilizing the doctor's instruments inbetween patients. I will say, I'm glad I don't mind a little blood and I now know the spanish word for a person to spit: esupa.

As a patient, the proceed for each clinic was:

Wait...

Triage (temp, BP, and pulse check)...

See healthcare provider (accompanied by a translator)...

Head to the pharamacy for meds...

...and here I am doing my part for the week: cleaning and sterlizing instruments used by Dr. Ted to pull teeth.

We were able to provide medical services to 1,150 people in 4 1/2. We worked with Iglesia Amistad Cristiana Church and helped reach communities that the church will follow up with. 

Another highlight of the week, was our visit to the police academy. It shocked me to find out that in Honduras, it is not standard issue for police officers to recieve a bullet-proof vest. We had the opportunity to take vests with us and distrubute them to several men and women. Dr. Daughtery, the American physcian leading our group, was able to present the vests and the gospel to the officers.

One of the Recreation Pastors at Sherwood was able to give me some soccer balls to take and pass out. Several kids waited around the clinic all day for a ball. This one was especially excited!

Now, allow me to introduce you to the "Fearsome Four". These lovely ladies and myself met in May 2010 on what would be all of our first trip to Honduras. We were blessed with the opportunity to all serve again together! It was great to catch up on all the Lord has done in our lives and to encourage each other. We're spread out all over the southeast, but are hoping for a reason to reunite soon ;) .

Thank you so much for praying for myself and our team as we served the mountain people of Honduras. This country and her beautiful people are becoming very near and dear to my heart. Returning there was like seeing old friends and family. I can't wait until the Lord opens a door to visit again.

Only fear the LORD and serve Him faithfully with all your heart. For consider what great things He has done for you. 1 Sam 12:24

Well hey there...

To say that a lot has happened since my last post, would be the understatement of the year. My mind works in lists and bullet points, so here's the skinny on the rest of my summer....

-Freedom Frestival: church event for the 4th of July as an outreach to the community. Had a great turnout, good friends from Mobile in town, AND got to pray with a little girl to receive Christ!

-5th Grade Mission Trip: took 12 5th graders to St. Simons Island for a 2 day mission trip. We prayer walked, and hosted a movie night. It was awesome to see the kids, some for the first time,  start to "get" serving, learning how to live mission-minded, and about how things are not about ourselves. 

-Camp Topadarok: Next up we had kids camp for completed 3rd-5th graders. The best part: Samuel, John, and James came down to be a part! Samuel was a staffer, while John and James were campers. So cool to see them hang out and have fun with kids I spend so much time with each week. We had  a great staff and chaperones who extended grace to this girl, the new camp director. Overall we had 2 children accept Christ and MANY experience conviction and reevaluated things in their life. 

Unfortunately, this is the only picture I got of the four of us. But still a good looking bunch :)

-Said good-bye to two AMAZING interns. Becky and James where more help this summer than I can express. Not only had great help, but came away with incredible friendships. 

Intern Becky on her Birthday! LOVE her!!

So there you have it. Lots of firsts for me, and crazy busy but I wouldn't have it any other way. The Lord continues to reveal His strength and power to me as He uses me in Albany. 

However, I'm pretty sure, had I not slowed down, Mom was coming after me (love you Momma!).

Headed out tomorrow for a seven day mission trip to Honduras. Pray as our team serves and works in medical clinics to reach the mountain people.

KidzBlast VBS

Growing up in church, Vacation Bible School is something I've always known about or been a part of. When I first came to Sherwood to interview, David mentioned that he had a idea for different way of doing VBS. The idea was this: to hold VBS at our upper campus/sports park, 8 am- 5 pm, with activities in the afternoons which would include anything from choir to art to fishing to field games. David's heart was to reach children who didn't just filter through all of the local church's VBS, but to reach out to those families who needed the all day child care and financial break, and those who would never be able to afford a real camp experience.

When David told me that idea, and how the pastor was behind, I thought, "Wow, sounds like a great idea! Good luck with that!". That was back when I still was figuring out if I was really picking up myself and moving to Albany, Georgia. But shortly after my move, began the planning for one of the biggest (and brand new) events for the children's ministry this summer.

"VBS KidzBlast" kicked off June 6th, and we were as ready as we could be, not really sure how it was all going to play out. But o how the Lord is faithful. We had over 400 children at Legacy Park each day, all participating in small groups, recreation, corporate worship, and a variety of activities in the afternoon. Here were some of the highlights for me...
 -Being prayed over by a group of preschoolers. Almost cried.
-On Wednesday, the gospel was presented, and 31 children came to Christ!! What a sweet moment it was! I got the chance to talk to two little girls and pray with them as they made decisions to follow Jesus with their lives.
-Got the opportunity to get to know some moms and dads of the regular Sherwood kids better.
-Seeing so many different people from the wonderful Sherwood Church family serve!! We had a GREAT crew of volunteers! From check-in and check-out teams, morning adminstration, preschool, rec, lunch crew, small group leaders, afternoon and track leaders. Couldn't have done without them!
-Hearing children singing/screaming "WE WON'T BE QUIET!" at worship, talking about Jesus!
-Driving a golf cart, and having a radio (Yes, it was a highlight. Just being honest folks).

Here are some of my favorite pictures from the week...

Morning stretch

Pastor David talking through the morning.

Small group time

Worship!

Worship was led by several high school students. They did a great job!

Fishing track time at the pond

Intern James leading the "Special Ops" track time. With sunglasses on, they were "invisible", and went around doing special projects for people!

 

 

 

 

 Two great preschoolers and staff kids. Asher Flynt and Kerianne Joiner!

 

To the left, Mr. Jay doing "special ops" with preschoolers. Precious children who prayed over me here! To the right, counseling kids who came forward to make decisions for Christ!

Its been a week since we packed up all the boxes and put away our orange t-shirts (all volunteers wore one...every day). I'm still processing and sitting in awe of all God did that week. One thing is for sure, I'm so thankful to be a part of a team that is not afraid to break away from the normal to better reach the community for Christ.

My Best Friend's Wedding

I've been told I have a lot of "best friends". The problem is, I have several friends that are near and dear to me, but to explain our relationship to you would take too long. So when talking about these sweet people in my life, "best friend" seems to be the best fit for the sake of time (we all know I'm a little long winded). However, there is one person that has always been deemed the title "best friend", and her name is Codi.

Codi and I met as freshmen at the University of Mobile and made a fast friendship during our second semester. However, we had to part ways in the middle of our sophomore year at UM when Codi transferred to University of Alabama (blah). It was the best change for doing what she wanted to do (social work), and would be cheaper (always a plus). I gave her my best, knowing that the Lord was calling my friend away, but sad to see her go. We had developed a friendship that went deep, based on how God had brought up through similar things in life. But when she moved, I'm not sure either one of us really expected to keep in touch as much as we did. Somehow though, we have always found time and made it a point to be there when it counts: graduations, hard break-ups, first dates, and birthdays. All the while throwing in a few "need to get away" weekends.

Codi's undergrad graduation! We both finished a semester early :)

I can vividly remember where I was and what I was doing when Codi called me a few years ago to tell me some news.  I had been out of the country for a month on a mission trip, and was checking my voicemail when I heard one from Codi:
"Hey, I can't remember what day you get back but CALL ME when you get in."
I called her back and after a little catching up about my trip, the conversation went a little like this:
Codi- "Sooo, I'm going on a date tonight."
Me-  "You ARE?" 
"You're not gonna believe who it is with"
"Can I guess?"
"Yea..."
"Collins?"
"How did you know that?!"

 Now, I can be a little naive at times (ok, maybe a lot of the time), but that one was not hard to figure out. I had met Collins probably a year earlier, and watched him become Codi's best friend. Codi had been seeing someone else for a while, but I knew that if he ever dropped out of the picture, that there was a good chance Collins might step up. He never overstepped the boundaries of friendship and was totally cool with the person Codi was and is. He encouraged her to be more of herself, and most importantly, Collins loved the Lord. What more could a girl ask for for her best friend?!

So this past weekend, I had the lovely honor of being in Codi and Collins' wedding. From the white daises to the bridal party walking down the aisle to "Lean on Me" to orange bridesmaid dresses, the wedding was  perfectly "Codi". (*Side note: I love going to a wedding and seeing the bride's personality all over the place.) Here are a few pictures from the weekend...

 . 

Codi and I at the rehearsal dinner. Where I told my side of the "first date" story, and cried when she gave my gift and card.

Minutes before the ceremony! Wearin' her favorite color...

Shots of the happy couple. To the left, Codi Sprewell and Collins Espy. To the right, Mr. and Mrs. Collins Espy!

So there you have it. My best friend's wedding. Congratulations Codi and Collins! I couldn't be more happy for two people. I am so excited to see all the Lord is going to do in and through you as you begin your lives together. Know you always have a special place in my heart, and a place to visit in Georgia!

 

Goin' on a Bear Hunt with Josiah

Most of you know, but for those who don't, my baby brother Josiah has Down syndrome. The last three and a half years have changed my family, but all for the better, since his arrival. Every time I visit my family he seems to making strides in his development, in some way. In February, I went home for a quick visit and proceeded to read a book that has been read to him a million times. But to my complete joy and amazement, when I read it to him on this visit, he was WAY more into the story.
Watch and see...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o9db-x1ih_4&feature=youtu.be

Since then I have seen Josiah again when my family visited Albany. On that visit, my sweet brother looked me in the eye, waved, and clearly said, "bye". I literally almost cried!

Josiah is a great reminder that our God is faithful, and He has a purpose for every life. I truly believe we will all stand in amazement as we watch the Lord use Josiah and his life. And, honestly, I look forward to it.

Last few weeks

Lots of different things have happened since I last wrote. So I'll hit the highlights and try not to be long winded....

-Easter was a busy, but had a wonderful day celebrating a risen Savior and reaching out to some visitors with a preschool Easter egg hunt during Sunday School. The rest of the day, I spent time with a couple of families from church.


-A couple of days later, I took a little trip down to Valdosta, Georgia. The church has a connection with college pastor there and I was able to give a plug to his college students about helping us with our VBS and camp this summer. I was also able to meet our girl intern for the summer, Becky. She moves to Albany next Saturday until the end of July, and I'm excited to have her around!


-The same night I went to Valdosta, tornados hit my hometown. I was in touch with my parents throughout the day, and my brother called right after he and my dad watched a LARGE tornado touch down. I've praised the Lord several times since, because my family is safe and their home untouched. It took almost a week, but they finally received power, and my siblings are headed back to school. From what I heard, and the few pictures I've seen, it will take some time before things are back to normal. Many have lost homes and are continuing to pick up the pieces.


- A guest house (owned by one of the pastors) opened up, and I was able to move this past week! There's a little bit more space and a kitchen :). I'm pumped to say the least, and so very grateful for the Aldermans' letting me stay with them as long as I did. Still getting settled, and trying to wrap my mind around making a grocery list for the first time in months. Let's hope I remember!


-Thursday, I took my first vacation day, and took off to Mobile for a few days. It was my first trip back, and it was so good to see so many people and let them know about my new life. I shopped, ate, hung out with people, and ate. O, and I ate. (I love Albany, but it is lacking in the restaurant choices). Got some good quality time in with some college friends, talking about jobs, families, school, and possible marriages/children (not for me, for them :) ). 

The rest of May is jam packed:

• Parent/Child dedication tomorrow, with PM service out at the sports park. 
• VBS meetings and prep.
• Interns move-in.
• Trip to Demopolis, AL to be in my dear friend, Codi's wedding.
• Trip home to see my brother, Samuel, graduate from high school.
• PM service at Sports Park, Kid's Rock style, May 29th. 

Whew...good thing I like being busy!

The Enemy loses

I mentioned in my last post that we started a new programing on Sunday nights for Kid's Rock. Because we won't be having Sunday night service on Easter Sunday, we scheduled to bump our Palm Sunday and Easter themed scripts up a week. So this past Sunday night was Easter in Kid's Rock. 

For several weeks, I had been working with our hosts and my friend Marie, our storyteller, for that night. The script called for Marie to share the gospel while creating a visual demonstration using a white cloth, iodine, and a film developer/water, clear solution. She was to spray iodine (representing sin) on the cloth, place it in the solution (representing Christ), and the cloth was to come out clean, just like Christ cleanses us from our sin. Marie was then to spray the cloth with iodine a second time, which would not hold on the cloth, representing that forgiveness of sin is not something that Christ takes away from us.

So that was the way it was suppose to play out. Around 4 pm on Sunday, Marie and I take the film developer and bucket into the bathroom to create the solution. Plus, a trial run was needed before Kid's Rock started at 6:20. Open up the packet, pour into the bucket full of water... and the water turns BROWN. Brown, like the color of mud, brown. I looked at Marie, who says, "I reference clear water. As in, Jesus is represented as the CLEAR water." Immediately panic invaded and a countdown started in my head of how much time we had to figure something out. After some phone calls and brain storming, David took off to WalMart to buy OxyClean. I texted several close friends asking for prayer, and we gathered the students and adults who were to help us that night to pray. The entire biblical/gospel illustration was on the line and I could hear the Enemy laughing at me. 

David returned, and, praise the LORD, OxyClean worked. Marie worked with it, and did a beautiful job of explaining how Christ takes away our sin to the children. David, got up after her, and proceeded to share scripture from Romans and the full gospel. As he gave an invitation, 17 children responded!! Satan has no foothold when God is working. Aren't you thankful that as children of the King, we can approach the Throne, and that the Enemy has already lost the battle?!

Wait, it gets better! I received an email Monday morning from a staff member. Her daughter went home and talked about Jesus dieing on the cross with her parents. She prayed, accepting Christ as her personal Lord and Savior that night! To top it all off, her dad was discussing baptism with her and said, "Now you know, that means you have to put your head all the way under." (Evidently, she is terrified of going under water). Her response: "I know Dad, but God will be with me." 

"But when Jesus saw it, he was indignant and said to them, 'Let the children come to me; do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of God. Truly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God lie a child shall not enter it.'" Mark 10:14-15

  
Oh, to have faith like a child.

Praying for you this Easter weekend. That you are reminded of the power of prayer, childlike faith, and that our SAVIOR is RISEN!!

Light construction & LOTS of Painting

I know, I know... its almost been a month since I blogged. But I have a very good reason (and pictures!) for my absence. 

For the last month, we been getting ready to kick off a whole new kind of program for Kid's Rock on Sunday nights. It is based off of KidStuf created by North Point Community Church in Atlanta, and done by several other churches. I was actually able to be a part of First Baptist North Mobile's version, KidGrid, while I lived in Mobile. So new programing means, a new set! We completely changed our Kid's Rock Theater to face another direction as the "front", and created our set to look like a clubhouse! Here are some pictures...

Before/Beginning to tear down...

Moving the staging around a little bit...

Now, A LOT happened between this picture and the next. 

(I'm still working on the whole documenting thing with pictures.)

Final product:

 

 

Cool, huh? Let's just say, a lot of painting happened over the course of 3 weeks. The Little Rascals ain't got nothin' on our clubhouse.

So, the new and improved Kid's Rock debuted this past Sunday night and it was great! We have middle and high school students and adults helping us with new music, skits, and we even have a couple of funny hosts. The kids seem pretty pumped about it, or at least warming up to it.

In other news, my family is coming to visit this weekend , and I am so excited! Mom and Dad are coming with my 5 youngest siblings tomorrow, and staying until Monday. So be expectant of a blog about the first ever family visit to Albany. Its bound to be interesting or comical or both!

Proof that I'm Alive & Making Friends

(I know. Bizarre post title.)

I've been around about 6 weeks now, but last weekend gave me the chance to learn and get to know a whole new set of faces at Sherwood: the student ministry! I was able serve at the annual Disciple Now hanging out with and leading a small group of students.

One of the things I love about Sherwood, is the desire to be intentional about building bridges. For example, a couple that teaches college guys and girls Sunday school, each lead a group of high school seniors at D-Now. I worked with 6th grade girls over the weekend, and the hope, is that I will continue to work with that grade in the years to come. So, starting next year, I will be able to see and lead girls that just left the children's ministry! Pretty pumped about that. But they have a standard to uphold: the 6th graders this year won the middle school recreation time! (Lets just say, I reverted back to my high school cheerleading days for that one)

What made the weekend even better, was that my dear friend Jaye came to visit me and help with the D-Now. I'm pretty sure I was beside myself Friday I was so excited! I am so thankful for our time together, and getting to show her around my new "home". We hit a couple of the hot spots of "Al-binny"...

 Quickly becoming one of my favorite places to eat: Cookie Shoppe. The expression is because it was only my second time, and I got there without getting lost. I was excited...

 

This was at a little place called "Livi & Company". Its a flea market of sorts; has antique and other cutesy stuff. Jaye and I found a set of plates that we found appropriate...

We also hung out with some new faces...

Allow me to introduce a few new friends: Saren, Kenny, and Scott (in order LtoR). Saren and Scott are siblings, from Albany and Kenny is the youth intern at Sherwood. This was attempt #5 in a series of pictures. Needless to say, we had a good time hanging out.

A blessing, and fun fact of the weekend, was that we got free Starbucks, twice!! Thanks to a friend who gave us a gift card especially for Jaye's visit.

Jaye and I tried to document with more pictures, but most of the time, were too busy talking to remember. Sorry. Its what happens when you try and cover a MILLION topics in a just a few days.

So there have it: Helped out for the first time with students. Had my first out of town visitor. 

Georgia resident 6 weeks and counting!

When I grow up...

When I interviewed at Sherwood, David talked to me about possibly discipling/mentoring some 5th grade girls. I immediately said yes, thinking about how long it had been since I had poured into some younger girls (they are all currently college freshman). So after getting into a groove of "normal" at the church, I found a study I wanted to do and sent a letter to every 5th grade girl's parents, letting them now about the bible study. We met for the first time last Wednesday, and it went great! I passed out books, and just took the time to get to know the girls and let them get to know me. The latter being the most humorous part of the time.

I told the girls they could ask me questions in order to get to know me. I was prepared for most, but others had be a little thrown. Some of the conversations were as follows:

- "Do you have a boyfriend?"

Nope (they seemed disappointed.)

Side note: You gotta love 11 year old girls. Not even in middle school yet, and the boy craziness is setting in, bless their hearts.

-"How old are you?"

23.

"NO way! I thought you were 19!" (I know, I'll appreciate that one day).

-"How many brothers and sisters do you have?"

8

"Do you have a brother that's 11?!"

Next question... (boy crazy)

Lastly, my favorite...

-"What do you want to be when you grow up?"

(with a huge smile) Actually... exactly what I'm doing right now. Helping a pastor with his ministry and working with kids.

That's when it hit me: I haven't thought about what's next. Because to me, this is it. Now, I'm fully aware that the Lord's plan for me could have a million other jobs in store, anywhere in the world. But I don't see any end to this, and that's different for me. Something that definitely is taking some getting used to, but I'm excited to see all that God has in store for this next stage in my life.

My Valentine(s)

I know I'm a few days late, but hey, you're still reading, so I'll keep typing...

Monday was Valentine's Day, and to be completely honest, I kind of forgot. I'm not anti-Valentine's Day or anything, I just really didn't think about it. But I like to hear all the different things people do, from the romantic to the practical (my boss got his wife a mop/vacuum device. She loved it!).  So, most of the day, I just went about my business until the afternoon mail came to the church. Where I found all of these:

Now, if you know me well, you know I love getting things in the mail. It seems like a small thing, but it brings great joy to my life. A envelope with my name hand written on it, with something sentimental inside, really makes my day! Even if its just a few words. So in the mail, I found three different envelopes from my family: Valentines from my siblings and a tear-jerker card from my momma. Also included this little gem that now sits in front of my computer:

I also had received a large envelope from my roommate in Mobile, Jaye, which included this...

Another thing I love: a coozie. I'm not much of a fan of getting wet while I drink a cold coke or water. So I have started keeping a coozie just about anywhere: the car, my purse, my desk, computer bag...anywhere. Jaye has a similar one, which I admired several months ago, and this is my version! I love it, and went to get a coke immediately.

By the end of the work day, I was having a pretty good Valentine's. Then I went home to find a little goodie basket from the Alderman boys!

Sorry no picture of the actual gift! But here are Collyer and Will. Not sure where Conner was.

Which included was a ballon, Reeses hearts, and a tall coffee mug. Made my day. Again made me thankful again for the loving family I'm getting to spend so much time with. 

Another wonderful and timely reminder I received during my V-Day:

"See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are." 1 John 3:1

And there you have it: this single gal's Valentines, and I have to say...might have been my favorite one ever.

Yes or... Yes?

Back in early January, as I contemplated starting a blog, I began to notice what people titled their own blogs. Some were basic, others catchy, and a lot were meaningful. I wanted this blog's title to be all three, but I'm not the most creative person in the world. So I started waiting for something to catch my ear.


Around the same time I went to a women's event at my Mobile/home church, First Baptist North Mobile where Kathy Litton spoke. (SIDE NOTE: I love Mrs Kathy. She's been a great encouragement to be over the last few months.) She spoke about how the gospel changes lives, and specifically, women's lives. Overall, the Lord pointed several things out to me, but one of the last things she said struck a cord: A gospel changed life is changed step by step, yes by yes.


Think about it. What happens when you tell God no? I think it's safe to say, that we miss out or are soon miserable, at least that is the way it has played out in my life. I can vividly remember resisting something the Lord wanted me to do last spring. When I finally surrendered, a dear pastor pointed out that following Christ in that step, meant He would show me what was next. That the line "A light to my path" out of Psalm 23, really meant enough light to take the next step. How can the Lord show me what He wants for the big steps of my life, if I won't even obey Him in the small steps?

Looking back over the path that I've walked with Jesus, I see a series of "yes"s. Yes to go there, or do that, or give up this, or wait here. God has done great things in my life when I simply answered with a yes. I learned that keeping my "yes" on the table, was a daily and vital part of my Christian walk. Stepping out in faith means answering yes to my Savior, whether I know the layout of the path or not.


So there you have it. This is my story of how God takes me step by step, yes by yes. So in the words of Pastor Ed Litton (another favorite of mine)...

 Is your yes on the table?

My host family

 Let me tell you about a family that is quickly becoming near and dear to my heart: the Aldermans.

My townhouse lease in Mobile is up in July, and until then, Sherwood agreed to help me find a place to live so that I can keep from paying rent twice. The Aldermans opened up their home for me to come and live with them, which has been lots of fun, to say least.

The Aldermans consist of Troy, Carly, and their boys: Will, Connor, and Collyer. Troy is a chiropractor (I'll take one adjustment, please!) and Carly is a stay at home mom, but also helps Troy with his practice. All three of the boys are in the Children’s Ministry at Sherwood, but all in different “facets” I guess you could say. Will is in 5th grade, an all star athlete getting ready to blaze off into the student ministry. Collyer is in our preschool department, and has become my reading buddy at the house. We’ve read LOTS of books (its a good thing I’m a big fan of children’s books). Then, there’s Connor who is eight years old and in our Buddy Ministry.

SIDE NOTE: **The Buddy Ministry is a ministry in our church designed for children with special needs and their families. We have a rotation of volunteers that spend either the worship service or sunday school hour, with a child that has special needs one-on-one. Connor has autism, along with another little boy, and the third little boy has Down Syndrome.

I have loved getting to know this family over the last two weeks. We all have our quirks, but for the most part they don’t seem to mind having me around. I’ve also become very content to spend a night on the weekend just hanging out with them.

The following pictures were taken with my webcam on my computer. Some have some funny effects to them that the boys found entertaining...

Collyer, Me and Connor

Collyer and I...He told me he loved me tonight at dinner...Twice

Double Trouble, all the way around

Collyer, Me and Will

So there you have it, my new little "family".
Love it! (Dr. Troy)