The Quilt...

Have you ever had something happen to you and your only reponse is: "My Gd is so sweet...?"
Well, I just had one of those days and I want to share it...

We had a women's tea on Saturday at my chrch. It was a great time - tea, food, fellowship, a powerful testimony. I always love times of fellowship there! Anyway, the chrch was decorated with quilts and at the end of our time different women stood up and told the story behind the quilt that they brought. You know, the stories of how great great grandma so and so gave it to my grandma who gave it to my mom who gave it to me type of stories? I mean - these are stories that dated back to the 1930's! I looked at my friend Becky and said, "you know - I've always wanted a quilt - I think it would be a fun thing to have and pass down, but I really don't know many people who quilt and our generation barely knows what it is - let alone quilts themselves!"

Anyway, after the tea, I went home and watched a movie. After the movie was over, the doorbell rang and it was the mail man - he had a box for me. The box was from a dear friend and mentor, Lucy. I am close friends with her daughters, so I know the whole family pretty well :) Before I was a believer, in high school, Lucy and I met once a week at Atlanta bread company and she shared the gospel with me, EVERY week. She has been and still is a major impact on my life and my walk with Gd. We have been able to stay in touch over the years and it is an unbelievable joy to have her in my life!! In the box was a sweet, sweet note from her and the family. Then, wrapped in tissue was....Guess??? YES...a beautiful quilt!!!! I could not believe it! It is absolutely gorgeous - perfect colors (totally me). I was overcome with awe. Not only that she had put so much time and effort into it but that the Lrd would have it delivered on the very same day as the tea! How sweet is our Lrd!!!

Here are some pictures of the quilt!

His Will...

This is just a short blurb on what I have been learning...

I have learned a great lesson that relates to support and getting to where I so badly want to be, that I want to share. I have been a little down and out because my support raising isn't going quite as quickly as I had hoped it would. As usual, G has a plan and teaching in everything. I realized on Sunday that I am not living in G's will for me, now. I am 110% convinced that G's will for me is to be in Kazakhstan, BUT the reality is that His will for me right now, at this present time, is to be in Pensacola raising support. What I have realized was that while I am content of what His will is for me in the near future – I haven't been content with what His will is for me right now. If it were good for me to be in Kazakhstan at this moment I would be there – "For Jehovah Gd is a sun and a shield: Jehovah will give grace and glory; No good thing will he withhold from them that walk uprightly." –Psalm 84:11. My attitude has changed and my spirit feels at peace for the first time in a while because I know that G is good and that He knows what is good/best for me! I am still praying for a specific time frame, but ultimately it is up to Him!

I've learned as well that this is really the first thing in my life that I feel like I am not competant at. I've always been able to do everything I have set my mind to. I think we all say, "I trust Gd, He is in control" but the truth is, while we are trusting Him - we have a part in most things. Well, this is the first thing I have ever done that I really truly have to trust G with all of my heart because He is the only one that can do this! It is so freeing to trust Him and to know that control is not in my hands! His timing, His will, His control - it is all perfect and good!

"Glory in His holy name; let the hearts of those who seek the LRD rejoice!
Seek the LRD and his strength; seek his presence continually!"
Psalm 105: 3-4

People

My parents and I at my graduation!

My sister, Alexandra and I :)

The team

Matt, Jonna & Baby Caleb :)

Teri, Don and Kids :)

Caleb (Matt and Jonna's cutie pie)- what a ham!

Tara and I at some training! A great pair :)

Matt, Jonna, Caleb, Jennifer and Andy!

Tammy!

O My Beloved

O My beloved, abide under the shelter of the lattice for I have betrothed you to Myself, and though you are sometimes indifferent toward Me, My love for you is at all times as a flame of fire. My ardor never cools. My longing for your love and affection is deep and constant.

Tarry not for an opportunity to have more time to be alone with Me. Take it, though you leave the tasks at hand. Nothing will suffer. Things are of less importance than you think. Our time together is like a garden full of flowers, whereas the time you give to things is as a field full of stubble.

I love you, and if you can always, as it were, feel My pulse beat, you will receive insight that will give you sustaining strength. I bore your sins and I wish to carry your burdens. You may take the gift of a light and merry heart, for My love dispels all fear and is a cure for every ill. Lay your head upon My breast and lose yourself in Me. You will experience resurrection life and peace; the joy of the Lrd will become your strength; and wells of salvation will be opened within you.

O My child, look to Me directly, and rest your heart in Me. Do so with as little distraction as would be easy to do if you were the only human being in the world and therefore would have no one else to look upon and no one else with whom to converse.

Praise Me. This I ask of you in times when it seems indescribably difficult to do so. I ask it of you in love that is stern at this point because I know unequivocally that praise is your only hope for survival.

Let His peace flow in you like a river, carrying away all the poison of painful memories, and bringing to you a fresh, clear stream of pure life and restoring thoughts.

- Come Away My Beloved-

Pictures of Splice

Here are some pics from SPLICE - a great picture of Gd bringing His people together to send them out into the world to spread His Word!

Ellie, Autumn, Dan, Ryan and Matthew...

Turtle Rock and mountains!! I love turtles so this made me happy!
Friends, sisters, teammates!! Tara and I!This is Matthew, Ellie, Autumn, and Ryan on one of our many beautiful walks!


This is Joanna, Myself, Melanie and Tara playing on the playground at MTI :) We needed to act like kids and relax after all of the training!!
Yes, this is me on a horse!!!!! His name was Socks2!
This is Mel, myself, Megan and Tara in our training room!
This is my growth group - we met a couple times of week for Word study and fellowship - one amazing group of women!! - Joanna, Me, Rachel, Rene, Ellie and Janet!

SpLiCe!

How can I even begin to describe the 3 weeks of training? Amazing, intense, challenging, great preparation, revealing, healing, peaceful, etc. I spent the last 3 weeks at SPLICE which is training to go overseas. Splice stands for spiritual, personal, lifestyle, interpersonal, cultural, endurance & enjoyment. I went into it with very few expectations, but I did NOT expect it to be as great as it was. I am still processing quite a bit of things and probably will be for the rest of my life!

Highlights of SPLICE:
- Fellowship: It was a sweet time of fellowship with the Lrd and with others. I met people from all over this country (some from other countries) going out to do the Lrd's work all over the world! It was such a sweet picture of Gd bringing His people together to send them out. For the first time in a while, I felt like I "fit" somewhere. I could ask questions and others understood why I was asking; I got to hear how the Lrd led others to the mission field. I made some life long friends that I may never see again, but I know that we will communicate through prayer - what a blessing. I made life long friends that I hope to see when we return but again, I know that until then we will be lifting each other up. I really needed this time of getaway and fellowship. Though most of the days were spent in sessions, we had everyday after 4:00 and weekends off so we did get to have a bit of fun. I rode a horse!! Ha! My friend Melanie and I decided that we wanted to do something one Saturday so we looked online for some ideas. We found a stable that would take you on horseback through the garden of gods (BEAUTIFUL!). We made MANY trips to starbucks, we walked on beautiful trails and up mountains!

-Training sessions/worship: I'm not quite sure where to start except to say that this was some of the best training I've ever received! The reality that I am really leaving finally hit this past week as we went through a session on grief and loss and a session on how to say good goodbye's. I finally consciously recognized that fact that I am leaving and that there are things and people I have to say goodbye to. We had 2 sessions a day for 3 weeks. The sessions were on everything from conflict styles and resolution, stress, how to deal with it and how we will take on even more stress as we leave for the field, culture shock, safety, and my personal favorite, soul care. It was a day long, but the main principle was that if we want to live like Jsus, we must take care of our soul. We went through verse after verse on how Jsus took time to spend by himself and with His Father - how he went to a solitary and lonely place to pray. It isn't just okay to take that sabbath rest, it is necessary! Let's see, what else? Oh! There was one day where we read a story of some American's who were taken hostage and then we were taken hostage ourselves. There were about 14 of us in a very small box for an hour; different scenarios were given to us and we had to handle them as a team. It was great. We also had such great peaceful worship that was so great for my soul!!! All in all - Gd was so very present!- and I feel a million times more prepared to go - culturally, personally, and spiritually. Gd really met me at SPLICE - He did a lot in my heart - a lot of which I am still processing. He is a faithful Father and He really showed that to me!