Faith, Hope, and Love

School got out at the end of May and the first chance I got I started my vacation off in style with a trip to CALIFORNIA! I had been to California once before. I was four and all I remember is going to Disneyland. And all I remember about Disneyland was a yellow submarine ride and being upset that Mary Poppins looked nothing like Julie Andrews (I mean, what four-year-old likes impostors?). So when I won a free ticket last year and had to use in by this June, I figured I'd squeeze in a trip to see some friends and explore the West Coast. First Stop: Carlsbad/San Deigo, CA When planning my trip to Cali, I decided on the location because of my good childhood friend, Valerie. Val is an absolute doll. She moved to Nigeria in '95/'96 and I remember down the long driveway to her house, knocking on the screen door and introducing myself within days of her family's arrival. We became fast friends and even when we both moved back to the States and lived in different state...

So I've been doing a great job keeping up with the IF:Gathering's devotional through Acts. It's been great being able to read through other women's comments and see what God is revealing through them in the Scriptures. Today's passage really got be thinking as I prepare for India . No one is too far gone to be redeemed by Christ. And not that these girls have done anything that makes them unworthy of redemption, but I think about their moms, the people who work and build the Red Light District, the families that shun and push them out... even they are capable of being redeemed. I think about a brothel owner who turns to Christ, shuts down her brothel and makes it a house a prayer to welcome and serve the women in The District. I think about pastors with tattoos and piercings, women who have been in prison... Their story doesn't discount them. In fact, perhaps their history and their past makes them an even stronger witness of the gospel. Anyway... just so...

As I mentioned in my last post , I'm going to India this summer! This is the first overseas mission trip I've taken (I did go to Mexico sometime in college, so I suppose you can say its my second) and I'm excited, but also know that it's going to be work! I've been praying non-stop, as has the whole team that's going, and I know people at church have been praying. If you're a praying person (or even if you're not), I'd love to have your support through prayer too. As I said before, prayers is what I covet the most. Below are some of the main prayer points (and verses to help guide your prayers). PREPARATION: Please pray that God would prepare the eight of us who are going for the journey ahead. "The Lord replied, 'My presence will go with you, and I will give you rest." Then Moses said to him, "If your Presence doesn't go with us, do not send us up from here." -- Exodus 33:14-15 UNITY: For the team and the nati...

This summer, I have the opportunity to go to India and serve with As Our Own , an organization that rescues young girls from the sex trafficking industry and raises each of them as their own daughters. The provide for all their needs and they remain a part of their family even after they go to college, get married and have daughters (or sons) of their own. As part of our preparation for the trip, each of us going had to share "our story." What pivotal milestones had led us to where we are now? How had God prepared us for this time and this place? I was very hesitant to do this, and struggled for a week and a half, trying to decide what to share. I've been a Christian more or less my whole life. And yes, I do know that you aren't born  a Christian. At some point each person has to answer God's call on their own. I just don't remember exactly  when I did that. My dad is a clergyman and started a church the year I was born. I was always involved in things ...

Over the course of fifty-five days, the IF:Gathering lead women through the book of John with their IF:Equip initiative. We read a passage from the Bible and then ask/answer these three questions: If this is true, then what does it say about God? About you? About the world? They end each reading with a video of some awesome ladies sharing their own thoughts about that particular passage. I did a horrible job keeping up with the readings. In general, I do a horrible job about having a consistent, meaningful time meditating on His word. Something I'm working on--I get e-mail devotions, I'm part of a Bible study group, I carry my Bible in my purse at all times--but I still suck at consistency. With that being said, IF:Equip has wrapped up the book of John and is now moving on to the book of Acts (which my church just finished walking through over the last two years. Might be interested to read through it again and listen to insight from a different perspectives). So, I d...

One thing I love to do is sing. I used to sing at church a lot  growing up, and even helped lead our churches' children's and youth choirs at some point in life too. I was part of a choir in high school and in college. I sang all the time. And then I started teaching and my voice became a big like sandpaper. I have that "sexy, smoky" voice all the time--which would be cool IF it didn't hinder my singing voice or occasionally make me sound like a young boy going through puberty.  I've never been bold  about my singing, but it was something I took pride in and it's been sad to feel like I've lost that. Recently I decided to join the Singers at my church as a way to give my voice some exercise and help it gain back some of its former glory. That has yet to happen... but oddly enough, my voice tends to sustain itself during the times I help lead in worship. That's been pretty awesome.  But all that is besides the point. Or at least not w...

Today I went to my first book conference and... I'm hooked. I want to go to more! I definitely plan to return to this one each year (as scheduling allows) and maybe even bring some kids back, too! It truly was a reader's heaven. When I first heard of the conference and read through the line-up, I only recognized three names: Laurie Halse Anderson, Shannon Hale and Ann Brashares. And then there was 25 other authors I had never heard of. Or thought I had never heard of. Many of them are pretty big names in YA lit right now, and I had seen their books on shelves or read one of their books before. It was fun to sit through panels and feel like you were just hanging out with these awesome authors--many of whom are equally awesome people. Because it's the Teen Book Conference, there were a lot of teens present. And it was great to listen to the questions they would ask. While the most famous question of the day was, "How do you deal with writer's block?" (th...