Forever For His Glory

“ It seems like blessings keep falling in my lap…. ” So. Many. Blessings. God really enjoys giving the desires of your heart when you seek Him. The things you’d like to have, but you don’t think you’ll get. And a lot of the things aren’t needs , they just make life a little sweeter. I was feeling kinda down. Just kinda tired with some things going through my head. Jesus, I would like some encouragement! Nothing happened. I went through a couple weeks just feeling funky. Nothing was wrong, just something felt “off”. What is going on?! This isn’t normal… My friends were praying... then it slowly went away. I still don’t know what caused it; it was weird. Life continued. Our newest 4 legged member, Shimmer. She's 3/4 Welsh Mountain Pony & 1/4 Halflinger And then over the last week or so it’s been as if God decided to answer all the quiet desires in my heart at once! I was praying for a desk for my side of the room. BOOM! One of the families...

2006 My dog was put down on Thursday. For those of you that didn’t know Fanci, she was my white schnauzer that I’ve had for 10 years. She was my shadow - she’d do homework with me, sleep in my bed, everything. I could hold her upside down and she’d be completely content because she trusted me and knew I would never hurt her. If I left for somewhere overnight, as soon as I returned home she would be ecstatic! She hated when I left. And then I started doing missions and I could never explain to her that I’d be gone for months at a time. So every time someone would get home, Fanci was there, waiting for me, but I didn’t come back. So she waited, and waited. My mom says she was depressed waiting for me. Fanci had never been depressed, but she was. I broke her heart. And when she should have been in comfort, sitting snuggled in my lap for her later years, she was confused because I wasn’t home. But all of that is ended now. When I was briefly home last month in-between mi...

I remember when I first got my purity ring. It wasn’t something someone told me to do - I wanted to do it.  I remember looking online for the perfect one, and then receiving it for my birthday. Ah, I wore it proudly! As did the other girls in our homeschool circles. The silver band sat glistening on my right hand, because the left hand meant you were married, and you couldn’t have people [aka guys] thinking that! Though I knew a couple girls who wore theirs on their left hands (aka the radical ones).   The ring symbolized a vow to the Lord to keep oneself for one’s spouse. It was something that you’d keep, and then give to your spouse. It was a symbol of purity; a gift. Years went on.... I still wore my ring (though I had since exchanged it with a delicate silver band that my brother made). When I went out of the country to India and St. Vincent I moved move my ring to my left hand so that guys would think I was taken. And during the 4 months I was in St. Vincen...

“ Wow, you're going to the Caribbean on a mission trip!? Lucky! Really suffering for the Lord. Haha!” Missions work really isn't always exciting without the pain. Granted, some outreach locations make outreach “nicer” (I'm glad I haven't been called somewhere cold!), but there really is a pain that comes with missions regardless of where your location is. But it's hard to imagine until you've experienced it yourself. I've missed so many birthdays (and births), weddings, holidays, family togetherness, and just sitting on the couch talking to a friend. Counting from October 2014 - June 2016 (which is the soonest I'd get home), I would have spent 8 months out of state for various mission training's, 6 months out of the country on outreach, and only 6 months home interspersed between the times of being gone. And if I do go home in June, it would only be for a month or so before leaving again for 9+ months. Missions work really is I think ...

If you had asked me when I was 10 what I wanted to be when I was older, I probably would have told you married and/or a veterinarian/horse trainer/professional singer. But instead, I’m here on a beautiful Caribbean island for 4 months, loving on kids and teaching them about Jesus, and getting ready to go into full-time missions. What?! That was definitely not in my 10 year old’s master plan. 2007 - Halter-breaking Freedom Yet here I am, and I can’t imagine being anywhere else! But I find it very funny because my 10 year old self would have thrown such a fit if you had told her this was where she would have been in 11 years. No joke. This is so far from what I wanted back then. It makes me think about my friends in various positions. Engaged. Getting a degree. Serving in the local church. Single. Serving in a nation across the ocean. Married with kids. Teaching adults. Teaching children. Living with their parents. Living on their own. 2008 - Some of ou...

There is something powerful about 100 young people unashamedly worshiping before the throne of God. Dancing, jumping, hands lifted high. Others kneeling or laying prostrate in awe of their Savior. Our generation is looking for something to be passionate about, and God is the only One who can fulfill that desire. Everything else is a cheap imitation. We were created to worship and serve Him, and until we do, there will be a void in our life. It is time for us to stop our passivity. God can't move in the nations unless we are willing to be His hands and feet. Don't worry about the who, what, when, where, and why. If God is calling you do something, do it! Many of the leaders here have told stories about God telling them to do crazy things (selling everything they own, etc), and God has always responded in amazing ways! If God is calling you to do something, trust Him! I've seen ankles healed, backs healed, pain and swelling disappear, my broken toe 75% healed (praise th...

“ Who am I ?” The question that has plagued scholars and common folk alike. How/why do I respond to certain situations the way I do? What are my dreams/passions? How do I respond when I get angry? What makes my heart stop beating in awe of? What type of people do I like to be around? How do I deal with criticism? Have you actually tried to get a pen and paper out and answer those questions? I haven’t. No reason to, because everyone else is telling me what I’m like, or what they think I’m like. According to the Myers Briggs personality test I’m an ENFP (I’m extroverted, and I rely on intuition, feeling, and perception). I’m an “enthusiastic, creative and sociable free spirit who can always find a reason to smile”. According to iPersonic, I’m a Spontaneous Idealist who is “creative, lively, open-minded, humorous and disposes of a contagious zest for life.” According to liberals I’m some-type of right-wing fanatic. “ She wants to own guns and is against abortion...