Cha-cha-cha-changes

Sorry for such the long time between post, my summer has been really busy. I have enjoyed spending time with the kids in my ministry and also getting to hang out with the parents and build some great relationships. It’s kind of hard to believe that it is time for school to start again, seems like we just ended. I am ready to start though because I only have a year and a half left of school. It’s hard to believe because to be honest getting my Masters was never really a plan of mine. But as I have learned what we plan is not what the Lord may have planned. But I digress…the reason I am posting is because something I did today made me think about the changes I have gone through over the years. I am getting started with making a T-Shirt quilt, with the help of my Hammond mom, Mrs. Rhonda Smith. So I am beginning to cut all my shirts and as I am going through the different shirts I am thinking back to when I was in high school. If you look below, there are two pictures. One of me at my senior year prom and the other as a dinner with friends this summer:

That’s me on the far right.

Again me on the far right.

As I was going through my shirts today and thinking about all the different ways that I have changed in the past 8 years, it really amazed me.  For the many of you who did not know me in high school and back in the day, I am not sure you would think it was the same me. I look at how I have changed physically and thank God that he has given me to strength to lose the 27 lbs I have lost recently. But I am also so thankful for the strength He has given me through the years. I think that if it were up to me I might not have ever left Benton and then I would have missed out on all that God had in store for my life. I also know that He has placed people in my life to help me through tough times in my life and showed me that it is ok to go and try new things and step out on faith. I think it is amazing how God will use situations and people in your life to mold you and shape you into someone that you might not have expected for his glory. To all those people who have helped me through the year and encouraged me thank you. But most of all thank the Lord for being willing to take someone who is a jumbled messed and using me in ways that I ever imagined. 

Lessons learned...

I remember hearing something one time, that the definition of stupid is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results. I think it is something like that. Anyway, it is neat how sometimes God can take anything to teach you a lesson. I pulled my Children's Church book out to make copies so that I could start reading over my lesson and preparing. The lesson was on Ruth and Boaz one that many of us who have been in church our whole lives know pretty well. So as I was reading over the lesson I could not help but laugh because the lesson that is being taught along with the story is "God is in control". Now when I say I laugh it is because this is a lesson that I am learning daily. 

I have posted before that I come from a family of  worriers and that I am trying my best to hand it all over to God. But its amazing at how easy I can get deterred and try to work things out on my own. The what is even more amazing is how God will use a lesson that I am going to be teaching kids. I think sometimes as adults we try to make things happen and as a result we get less then what God had in plan for us. 

I love it when myself or other adults learn from a children's lesson, sometimes is takes learning and becoming like a child to understand what God has in store for us. How this all relates back to the definition of stupid you may ask? Well you would think that one would learn after 26 years to trust completely in what God has in plan and I am trying because what I can do of my own will is nothing compared to what I do and be apart of if I trust God in the plans that he has for my life. 

Childlike faith

Well I have decided that I am not that great at updating my blog. When I get a idea of something to write about, I am no where near a computer and when I am by my computer, I got nothing.

We got back from camp today, I have to say that it is one of my favorite events that I get to be apart of and help to plan. I think every kid should have the chance to go to camp. This is a chance for kids to get away from all the distractions that life at home brings and really learn more about Christ and grow in a relationship with him. They get to hang out with some really cool folks and just have a good time. Oh and they also get exhausted. Which means that I should probably be asleep since I got less sleep then them. But it is also my favorite time because I get to hang out and actually build relationships with the kids.

With all that being said, I now get into my actual post. We were in worship last night and I was singing and looking out at our kids and as I was watching them I saw one of our boys. He had his eyes closed and was just singing...with what looked like was all his heart. At that moment I could not help but praise God. To see a child just worship our Savior makes my heart sing. It also made me think, how often to I truly just worship God with reckless abandonment. Not caring what others think but just praising our risen Savior. I think as adults we sometimes let out circumstances get in our way, we let them bog us down with "why me?s" and questioning God.  My prayer for my kids is that they would learn to worship, love, trust and accept Christ  and worship our Risen Savior with a reckless abandonment that this world has never seen before. That when they have trials and hard times they turn to God for his guidance and not trying to take things into their own hands cause lets face it....it never really turns out even a fourth as well as it could when God is in control.

And he said: "I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Matthew 18:3


May you keep the faith of a little child and always remember that we serve a powerful and almighty God that nothing is too big for!!!! 

What it Feels Like

I'm back!!! So it has been a very long time since I last posted. I have thought about posting every now and then but could never really think of anything to write. A lot has happened since last time, my wonderful grandfather passed away shortly after my last post. Still does not seem real at times and every time I remember the pain seems to come back just as strong. 

As I was walking tonight and listen to my iPod a song came on that I heard right after my grandfather passed away. It is "What it Feel like" by FFH, if you have never heard it...you should go look it up its a great song. There is a point in the song where it says "And this may not be the road I would choose for me but it still feels right somehow ". As I was walking I could not help but laugh to  myself a bit. Here I am in New Orleans and getting my Masters. I never pictured myself getting my Masters or moving any where close to here and I had other plans already in place, how I wanted my life to go. It is amazing how God works.  Even thought this is not the road or path envisioned my life taking it does feel right. The line goes on to say: "And I have never felt you as close to me as I do right now". While I know that I can always get closer to God every day, I find that the more I trust him and follow his plan the more closer I feel to him. 

I am reminded of Jeremiah 29:11, "For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope." Every day I have to remind myself that he does not have plans to hurt me but plans for love. Often time the plans that he has will be greater then anything we could ever plan ourselves.  I want to leave you with a video I found of the song . I hope you enjoy the song as much as I do. Just remember, in sad times or hard times or times of no understanding the Lord is always there and in those time is when you can grow even closer to our the Lord.