Goodbye Summer

August is always the strangest time of year for us.  Its a transition.  Summer is leaving and all the newness of the upcoming year is quickly approaching.  So we feel almost caught in between of wanting to hold onto all of the awesome things we experienced together and through God over the past several months and also eagerly anticipating what God has in store for us.  Its not any less full, or crazy...our whole year must be planned this month, all the loose ends tied, things are being prepped and readied and Silas is starting his last year of preschool.  So we are still in full force with anticipation in our hearts.  

This summer has been cool.  We saw students come from death to life.  Students make radical decisions of faith.  Real change take place- and it was the best.  Silas grew, both taller and smarter.  He knows more dinosaur facts than I ever will and got to spend meaningfully time with his grandparents, us and our church.  He has recently decided that his favorite bible story is David and Goliath and its pretty great to hear him talk about it.  And we are praising God for every moment.

Its really crazy to sit back and reflect on everything that took place in just a few short months.  Its like we go into hyper-speed.  Our last big week of the summer we spent in the Dominican Republic serving with Score International.  There were so many great moments I can't even begin to describe but I do know that God was working and we did life together.  My heart filled with so much joy watching our students just love unconditionally and share Christ without fear.  There is really nothing better for a youth worker than that.  That week, I know, will forever be treasured in all of our hearts.

After a big, full summer like this I like to take time to really think about what God has been teaching me through it all.  I think I'm learning to rest in God - and not a physical rest but a spiritual rest.  With so much happening all at once and knowing how much lies ahead it can be overwhelming - at least for me.  But resting in the Lord alleviates all anxiety.  Remembering what he has done in the past and knowing He will provide in the future really changes your perspective on life. I have to continue to remember that He will equip me for every work..I just need to follow in obedience.  I'm walking out of this summer feeling rested and ready for the next thing, which is odd for me.  Usually I feel tired and overwhelmed.  

 So then, there remains a Sabbath rest for the people of God, for whoever has entered God's rest has also rested from his works as God did from his.

Let us therefore strive to enter that rest, so that no one may fall by the same sort of disobedience. Hewbrews 4:9-11

God's word is always providing.  Those verses come just before one of my favorite in all scripture (Hebrews 4:12) and its interesting that I have not really seemed to focus on them until now.  But I do know that God desires true rest for us - a confident peace from the striving of life.  It comes to us through Jesus, the perfecter of our faith and through His word which is alive and active.  Whatever lies ahead, God will equip us and each moment is already ordained.  So I can rest as I press on because I know the author and He has shown his love to me.

Operation Christmas Child

Operation Christmas Child is a ministry part of Samaritans purse that provides gifts for children in need all over the world.  You simply grab a shoebox (or similar sized box) and fill it with little gifts, hygiene supplies, candy and goodies for a boy or a girl. Its such a great ministry and one that we as a church and youth group participate in every year.  I thought it would be fun to share a little behind the scenes job that our students do every year to help this awesome ministry.

After all of the boxes our dropped off at our church we load them all up and take them over the main drop off location in our area (which is the YMCA).  We then get the privilege of packing up all of the boxes that have been dropped off to be sent away to the children.

This year we packed up 2, 800 boxes together and I think our students did it in about 30 minutes.  They were on a roll and worked so hard.  I love seeing them get excited about serving others - its such a blessing to me.

There is something really cool about packing up all of the christmas boxes knowing that a child somewhere in the big wide world will soon be opening it up and receiving a little gift from a stranger who just wanted to show a little love.  I have a friend who was a missionary in Africa who got to experience this on the other side - when the boxes were delivered.  She said it was one of the coolest experiences in her life as the kids lined up and the smiles and excitement spilled over as they each received a gift.

When we are surrounded with so much consumerism and stuff here in America its crazy how something as simple as a toothbrush, soap, a few dollar store toys, socks, candy and some crayons can be a special and exciting gift for a child.

One of great parts of this ministry is that they don't just drop off boxes and leave.  They share the story of Jesus and the Gospel.  If you have time you should read some of the stories on their website.  Stories of children who live in some of the most desolate of places who desperately want new pencils and socks so they can do better in school since education is so important to them since it provides a way out.

The time for shipping boxes this year has come to a close but there are so many ways to bless other families this christmas season.  Its not just about someone receiving a new brush but someone receiving the love of Jesus.  Pray about who you can bless this year!

Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. 2 Corinthians 9:7

And he answered them, “Whoever has two tunics is to share with him who has none, and whoever has food is to do likewise.” Luke 3:11

State of the Blog Address

In starting this blog, almost a year ago, my intentions were to use it as a means to keep people posted on some of the diy house things we were working on, share some crafty stuff and any other home type things that might come up.  It's given me a much needed creative outlet and something I can take ownership of - now that I'm a stay at home mom.  The thing is - this home remodel stuff is such a small part of our lives.  We enjoy it, but it's totally not who we are as a family.  Honestly, we don't live for diy, we aren't searching for the best and biggest deal on shoe storage every week and we don't have time to be on top of all of the latest housing trends.  Our lives are much fuller than all of that.   We aren't in a constant state of diy, we actually struggle to find time to fit it all in sometimes but we are in a constant state of ministry, and we like it that way.

First and foremost, we love Jesus.  He is the Lord of our life, our home, our hearts and future.  Second, we are married - meaning our marriage is the most important covenant outside of our relationship with Christ.  We work hard on our marriage, take time out for each other and serve alongside of each other the way God has commanded.  Third, we are parents.  We have an amazing little 15 month old who keeps us b-u-s-y and laughing and fills our hearts with so much joy.  We feel so blessed to be his mom and dad.  And fourth, we are student leaders.  Justin is a youth pastor, I'm a youth pastor's wife - but don't let that fool you I'm as much committed as he is.  We love youth ministry, love our amazing church and the students who make up our youth group and desire to see this generation fall totally in love with Jesus.

So, with all of that being said - there might be a shift in the way this blog is headed.  I still want to totally share all of the diy home stuff we do but I also want to share some other things that God has laid upon my heart.

Recently God has been putting a burden on my heart to specifically focus on girls ministry (within our own student ministry) and to really begin to call attention to some of the more girl related issues that are facing this generation today.  Our teenage girls are under a lot of pressure and are struggling with all sorts of crazy things - and these crazy things need to be addressed.  I'm hoping that sharing some of the ideas and things we are working on in our youth group will help other youth leaders out there - especially women, to help come up with new ideas and inspiration who work with teenage girls.  I know I have looked all over the place for good resources on girls ministry, and to be honest, there just aren't a whole lot out there.  I will definitely be sharing some of my favorite resources soon - so stay tuned for that.  Tomorrow I will be sharing some of the details from our first big girls event that we held last weekend.  It was an amazing and special time and I'm so excited to see where God is taking this whole thing.  

Thanks so much for hanging in there with me and coming along this whole blog adventure as I figure out where it's all heading!  You guys have all been awesome!