"He made my mouth like a sharpened sword, in the shadow of His hand He hid me; He made me into a polished arrow and concealed me in His quiver." -- Isaiah 49:2
Monday, March 29, 2010
Friday, March 26, 2010
My Dear Friends
This semester I am in a Indians of North America class and it is one of my favorites. We have lecture, class discussions and then every Friday we watch a movie related to the group that we talked about that week.
For the past three summers, I have been blessed to go out to Arizona and live on the Tohono O'Odham Reservation for a week. We would go out into villages and meet families and do VBS with the kids. It has always been wonderful and God has never ceased to amaze me at what He can do. Out there and everywhere.
Well, needless to say, when I discovered this class I immediately wanted to take it! I was very excited and knew I would enjoy it! So today, as we were watching a movie, I got the idea to share with you some of the little friends I have met in Arizona! They have stolen my heart and may just steal yours! :-)
For the past three summers, I have been blessed to go out to Arizona and live on the Tohono O'Odham Reservation for a week. We would go out into villages and meet families and do VBS with the kids. It has always been wonderful and God has never ceased to amaze me at what He can do. Out there and everywhere.
Well, needless to say, when I discovered this class I immediately wanted to take it! I was very excited and knew I would enjoy it! So today, as we were watching a movie, I got the idea to share with you some of the little friends I have met in Arizona! They have stolen my heart and may just steal yours! :-)
T These were all taken in the summer of 2007 and 2008. Some of them are the same kids, because I got to go to the same village for all 3 years! I got to see the kids grow up and it was amazing! I also went in 2009, however I did not have my camera. I ordered it and it got to my house the day after we left. But, I do have these pictures and many more memories! I don't know yet if I will be able to go back this summer, and I thought I was okay with that. However, after looking at these pictures, it somewhat scares me and breaks my heart.
Saturday, March 20, 2010
Saturday Painting!
I finally finished that canvas that I showed earlier! I was hoping to get it done before I went back to school and thankfully, I did! Here is the before and the finished product! Also, there is one misspell :-/ However, I may be able to fix it later on.
Before
The finished product
Also, today Mom and I spent the afternoon painting! She has been working on some different things lately and has an Arts in the Park event coming up. But, I decided to paint a picture inspired by one of the pics I took at the beach this past week. It was actually my first real, legit picture to paint! I was super excited how it turned out and love it! What do you think about it?
That is my sailboat! My first ever!
Friday, March 19, 2010
Alaskan Update, Spring Break, and Serving
I know that I don't have that many followers (3 to be exact), but who knows, there could be some people out there that stumble upon my blog. But, even if they don't, it is okay with me. I really enjoy having this! :-)
I shared with ya'll that my roommate (and best friend!) went to Alaska on a mission trip over our Spring Break (which is coming to a close). Well, I wanted to give one final update that the team made it back safely and in good spirits. Maybe just a little tired. :-) I talked to my roommate and she is feeling a lot better after her sickness, thankfully it didn't last that long.
There is one more thing to pray for... all things went well arriving back in Birmingham safely, however, the team's luggage is all still in Houston! They got it all worked out and should have their luggage back at their homes by 10 PM tonight!
There are only 2 full days of Spring Break left....and I have been quite the bum let me tell you. I have done almost, well really nothing at all. Especially since being back at home from the beach. I haven't studied AT ALL and I have a test next week. :-/ I haven't really read any of my books that I have recently bought (check out the 'What I'm Reading' over there --> )
I have a canvas that I brought home to hopefully finish, and haven't done anything on it. I want it done before I go back to school though, that way I won't keep looking at it wanting it done! In the background I'm going write the different names of God. I'm going to use a black paint pen. Hopefully it works well. If I finish it I will post another picture.
I have looked at a few options for this summer. I haven't talked much about it, but I want to find something for the whole summer to do this year. I'm not really feeling working, although that is probably what I should do. I want to do something through the North American Mission Board (NAMB) and have been going through their 114 page list of places and things to do for college students. I'm praying my way through it and hope to e-mail some people about summer spots. I love using my summer's for God, even if only part of the summer. For the past 3 years I have gone to Arizona working on the Indian Reservation. I'm sad that I may not get there this summer, but I know that God has something great in store, and I can't wait to see what it is. I love kids and children and lately I have been wanting to do something with inner-city or lower income families and kids. I have found many options, just need some more info before choosing which one to do and go serve at. Speaking of serving, my roommates and I have this thing of writing on ourselves haha What's on me right now?
Happy Friday and God Bless!
:-)
I shared with ya'll that my roommate (and best friend!) went to Alaska on a mission trip over our Spring Break (which is coming to a close). Well, I wanted to give one final update that the team made it back safely and in good spirits. Maybe just a little tired. :-) I talked to my roommate and she is feeling a lot better after her sickness, thankfully it didn't last that long.
There is one more thing to pray for... all things went well arriving back in Birmingham safely, however, the team's luggage is all still in Houston! They got it all worked out and should have their luggage back at their homes by 10 PM tonight!
There are only 2 full days of Spring Break left....and I have been quite the bum let me tell you. I have done almost, well really nothing at all. Especially since being back at home from the beach. I haven't studied AT ALL and I have a test next week. :-/ I haven't really read any of my books that I have recently bought (check out the 'What I'm Reading' over there --> )
I have a canvas that I brought home to hopefully finish, and haven't done anything on it. I want it done before I go back to school though, that way I won't keep looking at it wanting it done! In the background I'm going write the different names of God. I'm going to use a black paint pen. Hopefully it works well. If I finish it I will post another picture.
I have looked at a few options for this summer. I haven't talked much about it, but I want to find something for the whole summer to do this year. I'm not really feeling working, although that is probably what I should do. I want to do something through the North American Mission Board (NAMB) and have been going through their 114 page list of places and things to do for college students. I'm praying my way through it and hope to e-mail some people about summer spots. I love using my summer's for God, even if only part of the summer. For the past 3 years I have gone to Arizona working on the Indian Reservation. I'm sad that I may not get there this summer, but I know that God has something great in store, and I can't wait to see what it is. I love kids and children and lately I have been wanting to do something with inner-city or lower income families and kids. I have found many options, just need some more info before choosing which one to do and go serve at. Speaking of serving, my roommates and I have this thing of writing on ourselves haha What's on me right now?
"Serve wholeheartedly, as if you were serving the Lord, not men..."
Happy Friday and God Bless!
:-)
Thursday, March 18, 2010
The Book of Isaiah
Today I read Isaiah 61-66. Isaiah has always been one of my favorite books. I can't really describe why that is, but whenever I get the urge to just flip open the Word and read something quick, I always go to Isaiah. Isaiah seems to have it all; hardships, triumphs, truths. It is a prophetic book as well, so it is also fun to search through the New Testament and look for where parts of Isaiah are repeated and have come true. For instance in Isaiah 65:17, it says "Behold, I will create new heavens and a new earth. The former things will not be remembered, nor will they come to mind." If you look in Revelation chapter 21, verse 1, John is describing what he saw, what was revealed to him and it says, "Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away...."
So today, I read Isaiah 61-66. I encourage you to read all of the chapters, but here are some verses and passages from those chapters.
"The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is one me,
because the Lord has anointed me
to preach good news to the poor.
He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted,
to proclaim freedom for the captives
and release from darkness for the prisoners..."
-- Isaiah 61:1
"I delight greatly in the Lord;
my soul rejoices in my God.
For He has clothed me with garments
of salvation
and arrayed me in a robe of righteousness,
as a bridegroom adorns his head like a priest,
and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels."
-- Isaiah 61:10
"For Zion's sake I will not keep silent,
for Jerusalem's sake I will not
remain quiet,
till her righteousness shines out like the dawn,
her salvation like a blazing torch.
The nations will see your righteousness,
and all the kings your glory;
you will be called by a new name
that the mouth of the Lord will bestow.
You will be a crown of splendor in the Lord's hand,
a royal diadem in the hand of your God."
-- Isaiah 62:1-3
"Why, O Lord, do you make us wander
from your ways
and harden our hearts so we do not
revere you?
Return for the sake of your servants,
the tribes that are your inheritance.
For a little while your people possessed
your holy place,
but now our enemies have trampled
down your sanctuary.
We are yours from of old;
but you have not ruled over them,
they have not been called by your name."
-- Isaiah 63:17-19
"Oh, that you would rend the
heavens and come down,
that the mountains would tremble
before you!"
-- Isaiah 64:1
"Yet, O Lord, you are our Father.
We are the clay, you are the potter;
we are all the work of your hand.
Do not be angry beyond measure,
O Lord;
do not remember our sins forever.
Oh, look upon us, we pray,
for we are all your people."
-- Isaiah 64:8-9
"Behold, I will create
new heaves and a new earth.
The former things will not be remembered,
nor will they come to mind.
But be glad and rejoice forever
in what I will create,
for I will create Jerusalem to be a delight
and its people a joy.
I will rejoice over Jerusalem
and take delight in my people;
the sound of weeping and of crying
will be heard in it no more.
Never again will there be in it
an infant who lives but a few days,
or an old man who does not live out
his years;
he who dies at a hundred
will be thought a mere youth;
he who fails to reach a hundred
will be considered accursed.
They will build houses and dwell in them;
they will plant vineyards and eat their fruit.
No longer will they build houses and
others live in them,
or plant and others eat.
For as the days of a tree,
so will be the days of my people;
my chosen ones will long enjoy
the works of their hands.
They will not toil in vain
or bear children doomed to misfortune;
for they will be a people blessed by the Lord,
they and their descendants with them.
Before they call I will answer;
while they are still speaking I will hear.
The wolf and the lamb will feed together,
and the lion will eat straw like the ox,
but dust will be the serpent's food.
They will neither harm nor destroy
on all my holy mountain, says the Lord."
-- Isaiah 65:17-25
"This is the one I esteem:
he who is humble and contrite in spirit,
and trembles at my word."
-- Isaiah 66:2
"I will extend peace to her like a river,
and the wealth of nations like a
flooding stream..."
-- Isaiah 66:12
"'As the new heavens and the new earth
that I make will endure before me,'declares
the Lord, 'so will your name and descendants
endure. From one New Moon to another
and from one Sabbath to another, all
mankind will come and bow down before
me,' says the Lord."
-- Isaiah 66:22-23
So today, I read Isaiah 61-66. I encourage you to read all of the chapters, but here are some verses and passages from those chapters.
"The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is one me,
because the Lord has anointed me
to preach good news to the poor.
He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted,
to proclaim freedom for the captives
and release from darkness for the prisoners..."
-- Isaiah 61:1
"I delight greatly in the Lord;
my soul rejoices in my God.
For He has clothed me with garments
of salvation
and arrayed me in a robe of righteousness,
as a bridegroom adorns his head like a priest,
and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels."
-- Isaiah 61:10
"For Zion's sake I will not keep silent,
for Jerusalem's sake I will not
remain quiet,
till her righteousness shines out like the dawn,
her salvation like a blazing torch.
The nations will see your righteousness,
and all the kings your glory;
you will be called by a new name
that the mouth of the Lord will bestow.
You will be a crown of splendor in the Lord's hand,
a royal diadem in the hand of your God."
-- Isaiah 62:1-3
"Why, O Lord, do you make us wander
from your ways
and harden our hearts so we do not
revere you?
Return for the sake of your servants,
the tribes that are your inheritance.
For a little while your people possessed
your holy place,
but now our enemies have trampled
down your sanctuary.
We are yours from of old;
but you have not ruled over them,
they have not been called by your name."
-- Isaiah 63:17-19
"Oh, that you would rend the
heavens and come down,
that the mountains would tremble
before you!"
-- Isaiah 64:1
"Yet, O Lord, you are our Father.
We are the clay, you are the potter;
we are all the work of your hand.
Do not be angry beyond measure,
O Lord;
do not remember our sins forever.
Oh, look upon us, we pray,
for we are all your people."
-- Isaiah 64:8-9
"Behold, I will create
new heaves and a new earth.
The former things will not be remembered,
nor will they come to mind.
But be glad and rejoice forever
in what I will create,
for I will create Jerusalem to be a delight
and its people a joy.
I will rejoice over Jerusalem
and take delight in my people;
the sound of weeping and of crying
will be heard in it no more.
Never again will there be in it
an infant who lives but a few days,
or an old man who does not live out
his years;
he who dies at a hundred
will be thought a mere youth;
he who fails to reach a hundred
will be considered accursed.
They will build houses and dwell in them;
they will plant vineyards and eat their fruit.
No longer will they build houses and
others live in them,
or plant and others eat.
For as the days of a tree,
so will be the days of my people;
my chosen ones will long enjoy
the works of their hands.
They will not toil in vain
or bear children doomed to misfortune;
for they will be a people blessed by the Lord,
they and their descendants with them.
Before they call I will answer;
while they are still speaking I will hear.
The wolf and the lamb will feed together,
and the lion will eat straw like the ox,
but dust will be the serpent's food.
They will neither harm nor destroy
on all my holy mountain, says the Lord."
-- Isaiah 65:17-25
"This is the one I esteem:
he who is humble and contrite in spirit,
and trembles at my word."
-- Isaiah 66:2
"I will extend peace to her like a river,
and the wealth of nations like a
flooding stream..."
-- Isaiah 66:12
"'As the new heavens and the new earth
that I make will endure before me,'declares
the Lord, 'so will your name and descendants
endure. From one New Moon to another
and from one Sabbath to another, all
mankind will come and bow down before
me,' says the Lord."
-- Isaiah 66:22-23
Wednesday, March 17, 2010
Relaxation and God's Beauty
Luckily my Spring Break this year was the same time as one of the conferences that my Dad has to go to. I'm glad I got to go this year, because next year, the conference may not be at the beach. It was a great time of relaxation and refreshment. Here are some pictures from the weekend. Enjoy God's beauty all around you! :-)
Red Chair
Mom taking pictures.
Seagulls (This is also my header)
The Gulf.
Mr. Fred the Seagull.
The waves coming up on the shore.
The beautiful sky.
Sunrise on Tuesday morning.
God's Beauty.
Anyone have any fun and exciting adventure or trips coming up soon? If you do, don't miss the beauty that God has created for us to enjoy! :-)
Sunday, March 14, 2010
Spring Break 2010
It is Spring Break 2010 and right now, I am here.
I'll be here until Tuesday!
Yay!
:-)
Saturday, March 13, 2010
Alaskan Trip Update!
Early Friday morning, around 2:45 A.M. I slept through the phone call from my roommate saying they had made it safely in Anchorage. I was so disappointed that I missed it, but I was tired and out like a light!
Then, later Friday afternoon, I missed another call from my roommate! Why can't I hear my phone!!??! (I now have it by my side even more than ever and turned up loud!) But, this phone call was about other exciting news! My roommate had applied for a summer position at Lake Forest Ranch in Macon, Mississippi as a photographer for them. She was soon to board her last plane to Nome, when she got the phone call saying she had been accepted for the job! Talk about an overwhelming moment. I listened to the voice mail, stopped immediately in my tracks, and started crying tears of praise and joy! I am so excited for her and all that God is putting in her life. This trip and this summer are going to be incredible times of growth and memories for her and that excites me majorly! I wish I could have been there to give her a huge hug, I wish I had answered my phone!!
Then, last night around 8:30 P.M., I got another phone call and this time I heard it. It was from Alaska! My roommate called me again. They had landed safely in Nome and were soon to eat dinner. They are there safe and already loving every minute of it. My friends have already walked out and gone sliding on the Bering Sea. How amazing is that!
Keep praying for them as they start their work now. I'm thinking about them a lot and told her that they have many prayers coming their way. Every time I look to see what time it is here, I count back 3 hours to see what time it is Nome. :-)
Thanks for the prayers!
Then, later Friday afternoon, I missed another call from my roommate! Why can't I hear my phone!!??! (I now have it by my side even more than ever and turned up loud!) But, this phone call was about other exciting news! My roommate had applied for a summer position at Lake Forest Ranch in Macon, Mississippi as a photographer for them. She was soon to board her last plane to Nome, when she got the phone call saying she had been accepted for the job! Talk about an overwhelming moment. I listened to the voice mail, stopped immediately in my tracks, and started crying tears of praise and joy! I am so excited for her and all that God is putting in her life. This trip and this summer are going to be incredible times of growth and memories for her and that excites me majorly! I wish I could have been there to give her a huge hug, I wish I had answered my phone!!
Then, last night around 8:30 P.M., I got another phone call and this time I heard it. It was from Alaska! My roommate called me again. They had landed safely in Nome and were soon to eat dinner. They are there safe and already loving every minute of it. My friends have already walked out and gone sliding on the Bering Sea. How amazing is that!
Keep praying for them as they start their work now. I'm thinking about them a lot and told her that they have many prayers coming their way. Every time I look to see what time it is here, I count back 3 hours to see what time it is Nome. :-)
Thanks for the prayers!
Thursday, March 11, 2010
A Life Changing Adventure
Today, one of my bestest friends and roommate, left for Alaska. She is going to be gone for 9 days to a state that is not in the continental U.S. She is going over Spring Break. The time that college students usually take to go to the beach or Mexico and do who knows what. Instead, my roommate is using her Spring Break to go and minister to people in -7 degree weather! She's going to the extreme opposite of the beach, getting on planes (and she doesn't really like to fly), putting on layers upon layers of clothes, riding snowmobiles, ministering at a battered woman's shelter, helping Iditarod racers and ministering to them, giving out hot chocolate, and eating reindeer hot-dogs! Most importantly, she is ministering to people who need God. She is showing them His love and letting them know the grace that only He gives. She is obeying our God, who wants her to be there. She is furthering His kingdom. She is being a servant of Christ.
I am so excited beyond so many points that she gets to go do this. Serving God on the mission field is one of the best things you can do! It opens your eyes to so much more and makes you aware of what is around you every day. It allows us to be obedient to what Christ has called us to do. It takes us out of our comfort zones and puts us in places we need to be, in places where God can teach us and mold us to be more like Him. To share. To teach. To love.
But don't forget that you don't have to go to Alaska to be used by God. You don't have to get out of the states if you don't want to or the country. But you just need to look at those around you and start loving them. The rest will fall into place. Listen to God when He speaks and obey when He tells you something, obey right then! Don't wait for a "better" time, because that time may never come. God's timing is the best for everyone, even when we may not think that.
Please be praying for the Team that is going to Alaska that includes my roommate. Two of my other good friends are also going. These girls are the greatest and just love people. I thank God for them and them wanting to use their Spring Break to minister to people that live over 2,000 miles away from them. Pray for safe travels for the team as they depart from Birmingham, Alabama to Dallas, Texas. From there they go to Seattle, Washington and then Anchorage, Alaska. They will arrive there late tonight, then tomorrow board their last plane to Nome, Alaska where they will be for a week. They are set to return on the 19th.
Please pray for the health and wellness of the team. That they will be healthy and alert on the way and when they get there. Pray that they will adjust well to the environment that is much different from that here in Alabama.
Please pray for the people that they will be ministering to. The locals on the Reservation and the people who are there for the Iditarod. Pray that they will have open hearts and spirits and become friends with the team. Pray that God will start to soften their hearts for what He wants them to know. Pray that they will see the Light that is Christ and forever be changed.
If you think of it, please pass this major prayer request on to anyone you talk to. All the prayers will be much appreciated from me and especially from the team.
Thank you!!
:-)
I am so excited beyond so many points that she gets to go do this. Serving God on the mission field is one of the best things you can do! It opens your eyes to so much more and makes you aware of what is around you every day. It allows us to be obedient to what Christ has called us to do. It takes us out of our comfort zones and puts us in places we need to be, in places where God can teach us and mold us to be more like Him. To share. To teach. To love.
But don't forget that you don't have to go to Alaska to be used by God. You don't have to get out of the states if you don't want to or the country. But you just need to look at those around you and start loving them. The rest will fall into place. Listen to God when He speaks and obey when He tells you something, obey right then! Don't wait for a "better" time, because that time may never come. God's timing is the best for everyone, even when we may not think that.
Please be praying for the Team that is going to Alaska that includes my roommate. Two of my other good friends are also going. These girls are the greatest and just love people. I thank God for them and them wanting to use their Spring Break to minister to people that live over 2,000 miles away from them. Pray for safe travels for the team as they depart from Birmingham, Alabama to Dallas, Texas. From there they go to Seattle, Washington and then Anchorage, Alaska. They will arrive there late tonight, then tomorrow board their last plane to Nome, Alaska where they will be for a week. They are set to return on the 19th.
Please pray for the health and wellness of the team. That they will be healthy and alert on the way and when they get there. Pray that they will adjust well to the environment that is much different from that here in Alabama.
Please pray for the people that they will be ministering to. The locals on the Reservation and the people who are there for the Iditarod. Pray that they will have open hearts and spirits and become friends with the team. Pray that God will start to soften their hearts for what He wants them to know. Pray that they will see the Light that is Christ and forever be changed.
If you think of it, please pass this major prayer request on to anyone you talk to. All the prayers will be much appreciated from me and especially from the team.
Thank you!!
:-)
"Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, 'Whom shall I send? And who will go for Us?' And I said, 'Here am I. Send me!'"
-- Isaiah 6:8
"Serve wholeheartedly, as if you were serving the Lord, not men...Finally, be strong in the Lord and in His mighty power."
-- Ephesians 6:7,10
"Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God's grace in it's various forms. If anyone speaks, he should do it as one speaking the very words of God. If anyone serves, he should do it with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ. To Him be the Glory and the Power for ever and ever. Amen."
-- 1 Peter 4:10-11
Thursday, March 4, 2010
HAPPY BIRTHDAY SIS!!!
Today is my sister's birthday! So in her honor this is a special birthday post for her! I love you sis!!! :-)
You're smart.
You're gorgeous!
You're goofy!
You are an awesome aunt!
You're talented.
And like they say, there is no better friend than a sister!!
:-)
You are so much more!
Happy Birthday, Sis! I hope you have a wonderful day and that this next year will be filled of many more blessings. You deserve the best! I love you and miss you like crazy! Can't wait until I get to see you again! Enjoy your day! I love you!
Jess
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
