Tahoe Update

Hey Everyone, Happy Labor Day!! 

Well, it has been a few weeks since moving out to California. Today actually marks three weeks that I have lived in Tahoe City, CA. 

I figured that it was time for an update and to tell you guys some things that you could be in prayer for. 

The past couple of weeks have been a whirlwind trying to get settled into a new place and into a new ministry. The first week we had the kids was a transition time from summer into the school year. So, we did a week of summer activities which included hiking to Eagle Rock and going to the beach at the Lake throughout the week. The way that summer worked

 was essentially like a VBS. We had rec time, bible time, sang songs, and more. Now that school has started, we get kids early in the morning and then put them on the school buses. Then, we don't get kids again until around 12:45 and 2:45. We use that time to clean, make lesson plans, etc. Their after school day allows them to do homework, have a bible story, play outside. 

Meanwhile, there is the preschool! They have a full-day program for 3-5 year olds with circle time, centers, bible story, outside play, etc. So, wondering what more I do? I work in the preschool until 12:45 when I go downstairs and work with the older kids until closing. I help any of the teachers who need help keeping their ratio of teachers to students met. I have really enjoyed it, because it has allowed me to get to know most of the kids that come to the program. We also have Parent's Night Out (PNO) and My Morning Out (MMO) starting soon. I will tell more on those when they get here! :-) 

Now for some prayer requests! 

-- That me and the rest of the girls will continue to experience unity together as co-workers, missionaries, friends, and sisters in Christ. And that we will have the strength and endurance needed during the week.

-- That the children and parents involved in our ministry will continue to build relationships with us and see Christ as we love on their families.

-- FBC 

Tahoe City and it's members. The current pastor, Pastor Dan, or "PD" as we call him, will be retiring this fall. They already have a new pastor who they are very excited for, although they will greatly miss PD who has been here for a very long time! Pastor Scott and his wife Jennifer are coming in September and PD leaves in October. Pray for the church as they go through this hard transition and as they learn to love and trust Pastor Scott.

-- Pray for Tahoe and CA!! This is a big resort area, most of the people here do not live here full-time, but only vacation here. Pray that we will be able to show them the love of Christ while they are here. Pray also for CA. Around 80% of people in CA do not go to church anywhere.

-- Pray for Nell, Debbie, and Leana as they continue to run A+ and the Preschool. They are strong ladies, who have made an impact in this community and these families! 

That's it for now!
I hope tomorrow to do a post full of pictures, so be on the lookout! 

:-) 

"Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours." -- Mark 11:24

First Day Jitters

Tomorrow is the first day of work with kids!

We are meeting all of our kids tomorrow and get to start loving on them and their families. 

Showing them the love of Christ and developing relationships with them.

This place is beginning to change me in so many ways.
I'm excited to see how God continues to use it to minister to me; the place, the people, the community, the other girls. 

One of my favorite things to come out of serving the Lord, is to see and feel how He serves and ministers to me. 

Until later...

:-)

My True Identity

Parts of this post have been taken from the book, "Made to Crave." 

One of the books I have been reading is "Made to Crave: Satisfying Your Deepest Desire with God, Not Food" by Lysa TerKeurst.

I have not gotten very far into it, but so far it is very intriguing and has offered great advice and goals for living a healthy lifestyle. 

This is, after all, about glorifying God with my body and taking care of the temple in the way that He has instructed me. 

So far, Chapter 5 has been my favorite: Made for More.

Lysa says, "We were made for victory. Sometimes we just have to find our way to that truth." 

The life that we have is about so much more than just us, it is all about Him and what the Savior has done and how God wants to have us and use us for His glory.
We have to realize that we are worth it.
That He does want us!

Lysa talks about embracing our true identity in Christ. 

The way we see ourselves is not how Christ sees us. It is so important that we know how our Father sees us. 

I wanted to share these truths with you all. These are taken from chapter 5 in the book. 

Read and reflect over these. Let them resonate over you. 

Open your heart and let Christ show you who you are to Him. 

The forgiven child of God.
"...and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus"

Romans 3:24

The set-free child of God.
"Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death."

Romans 8:1-2 

The accepted child of God.
"To the church of God in Corinth, to those sanctified in Christ Jesus and called to be holy, together with all those everywhere who call on the name of our Lord Jesus Christ -- their Lord and ours..."

1 Corinthians 1:2

The holy child of God.
"It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God -- that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption." 

1 Corinthians 1:30

The made-new child of God.
"Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!"

2 Corinthians 5:17

The loved child of God.
"For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love..."

Ephesians 1:4

The close child of God.
"But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far way have been brought near through the blood of Christ." 

Ephesians 2:13

The confident child of God.
"In him and through faith in him we may approach God with freedom and confidence." 

Ephesians 3:12

The victorious child of God.
"No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us." 

Romans 8:37

A few more thoughts from Lysa: 

"The truth of my identity as a child of God empowers me to believe that living in victory tastes sweeter than any unhealthy delicacy." 

"The real reason for grounding ourselves in the truth that we are made for more is 'so that you may know Him better.' The more we operate in the truth of who we are and the reality that we were made for more, the closer to God we'll become." 

"Being ruled by anything other than God is something God takes quite seriously. And so should I." -- Chapter 6

Lord, Please Saturate Me

In all honesty, my quiet time and reading of the Word hasn't been what it should be. 

Especially lately. 

Camp has been consuming me and all of my energy for the past 6 weeks, but there are really no excuses. 

Even when I feel that I have nothing left. When there is no energy to even lift a finger. When my eyes cannot stay open any longer. 

My time in the Word and with my Lord is the most important thing. 

I refuse to let my quiet time be another thing to mark off a "to-do" list. 

I want it to be more than just reading a Psalm or a Proverb or a random chapter that I flipped up to.

Don't get me wrong, I love the Psalms and the Proverbs, but it has not been feeding me in the right way. 

Mostly because I have not put any effort into it at all. 

I read and that was that. 

I wasn't opening myself up to what God may have wanted me to hear. I wasn't allowing Him to saturate me with His promises and His words. 

No more. 

This morning was my start fresh on reading the Word in the morning and meditating on it. 

I read 2 John, where verse 6 really stuck out to me. 

"And this is love: that we walk in obedience to His commands. As you have heard from the beginning, His command is that You walk in love." 

Before I left to go walk to work this morning, I wrote on my foot, "Walk in love..."

I wanted to have this constant reminder of what the Lord showed me this morning. 

To be honest, the past couple days of camp have been some tough ones. 

We are in the middle of the summer and the kids are doing things they think they can get away with and it is hard.

I don't like to yell, I don't like to punish or sit them in time out, I don't like to take away craft time or swim time. But, these past couple of days, I have had to do it all. 

And today was another one of those days, especially this morning. 

It seemed like everything had just hit the fan. 

And of course, I should have seen it coming. I had started my day off with the Lord, surely I should have seen the devil coming from somewhere. 

When we broke off into our groups before Hero High Five, where we say our verse and do our cheers, I had the Suns. Now, in the morning for about 30 minutes or so, I am usually by myself with the Suns because my co-leader is not there yet. Thankfully, today (and all this week) there was a friend of the director in town and she stayed with the Suns and during craft time. 

Well, this morning, I was trying to get the kids ready to say the verse and they kept saying they weren't going to say it and when we would start they would say different parts or talk to one another or talk about something different or talk in different voices. Basically being 4 and 5 year olds and not listening. 

They did this over and over again. 

Then, during Hero High Five when we were all together, they would not be quiet and listen to the director or to their friends as they did their thing. 

It came time for us to do our verse and I was the only one who said it. They didn't participate and they were spinning in circles or crawling on the floor. 

Then, got mad because we didn't let them do their cheer. 

Basically is was not the Sun group that I was used to. 

They were nothing like the group I mentioned here.

As I was dealing with them, I was just telling myself over and over, "Walk in love...walk in love...walk in love." 

Towards the afternoon, the Suns and all the groups got very better. 

They were wonderful. There were still things that happened and people got into trouble, but for the most part they were good.

I played on the playground with them, ran around with them, was able to catch a few smiles and give a few hugs. 

I was able to walk in love. 

I'm so glad that the Lord led me to that passage in 2 John this morning. 

It was a beautiful reminder of what I need to be doing daily with these kids. 

So, I pray, 

Lord, that You would saturate me. 

Cover me with Your Word.

Your Word is alive and living.

Your Word is truth.

Your Words are real. 

For some ways to develop your quiet time, check this post out.

When I Feel Small

There is a moment in my life when I feel truly small. 

It happens a lot 

and 

isn't a bad thing. 

I actually really like it. 

It is humbling. 

Whenever I pray to my Father God, I get this feeling that I am super small. 

Like I'm in a big, bright, white room with huge ceilings.

And there I am, along a wall or in a corner, surrounded by hugeness. 

With a feeling of being small.

I can feel God's power and how mighty He is.

I feel the sense of being surrounded by Him. 

I know that He is here with me! 

I got that feeling tonight as I was praying with fellow staff members. 

I was asked to open us up in prayer 

and 

I gladly did. 

I tend to not pray out loud unless asked 

or 

if I really feel the Holy Spirit leading me. 

Sometimes I wish that I was the first to volunteer, but being who I am, 

I hesitate and let someone else do it. 

Because the devil tells me that prayer isn't good enough 

or 

that I am going to sound stupid

and

stumble over words

or

that I'm not going to make sense.

Well, you know what?

God hears my prayers. 

He understands them. 

He knows my heart.

He knows how to answer prayers. 

Tonight however, I prayed to my Father as I joined hands with not just staff members, but sisters in Christ. 

I once heard one of my youth pastors or someone say that if we pass up the opportunity to speak out loud when we feel led, when we feel God telling us to speak, that we may not be letting God use us as He could. He might want us to speak or say something that He wants someone else to hear, but if we are silent, they won't hear it. 

It is the same with the Gospel. 

We can live it out all day and say that we believe it, but

if we don't actually speak the Gospel 

then how will people hear it? 

How will they come to know?

I pray that my boldness of the Gospel will just spill out.

That everything I do or say

and 

everywhere I go 

will just be a picture of the Gospel. 

There is nothing else that I should live for as a believer in Christ. 

I pray that I will speak out when I feel the Holy Spirit leading me.

That I will not be hindrance to the Gospel of Christ. 

That I will be vulnerable 

and 

allow God to use me as He wishes. 

I pray, Father, that You will use me as You see fit. 

Surround me with Your mightiness. 

Help me to feel small. 

Everything by Tim Hughes

Lately, this has been my constant prayer. 

Like a Child

This past week, I feel like God has been wanting me to pay attention to the mind of a child. 

They are so creative, funny, unafraid of some things and afraid of others, imaginative, 

passionate, temperamental, demanding and loving. 

They are untouched by the world in so many ways, but some have seen things far beyond their years.

I constantly want to keep them the innocent 4 and 5 year olds that they are, but I know that eventually

 (and that may come sooner than I wish)

they will no longer just see what is on the playground.

They will grow up and learn all the things that are going on in this world.

They will know what I know and maybe even more.

They will see that the world is filled with evil, lurking all around them. 

Trying it's best to get a hold of them.

Trying to tear them away from the innocence that they know now.

They will see the death, the violence, the racism and discrimination, the sex, drugs, alcohol, and money.

They will see everything that I don't want them to see.

I love how at this age they are unconcerned with the color of people's skin.
To them, they are all the same.

I want so badly to shelter them from the evil that is out to steal, kill, and destroy.

I know that, for right now, I am only here for a summer.
I will only be with them for 8 more weeks.

What happens after?
Only the Lord knows.

I pray earnestly that He will protect them in all their many situations.
I am confident that He will.

I pray that all of them will come to know the Lord and have a saving, personal relationship with Him.

I pray that the seeds planted in their young lives this summer will continue to be tended to
and that one day, they will say yes to the Savior and let Him be their King.

I know that work done for the Lord is never in vain
and that His Word is faithful and true.

I know that He saves lives
and
changes hearts.

I know that He loves the little children.
That He loves all of us.
That He wants a relationship with all of us, even though some choose to say no.

My Jesus saves.

I know that these children are no different.
And I am praying for them, that one day,
 they will say yes to Lord
that is calling them to do great things.

I pray that we can be like little children.
That we can look beyond the differences of our skin, language, or culture
and just see the person in front of us.
I pray that we will not pass anyone by because of the way they are or how they look,
but instead that we will see through the lens of Christ.
We will see their heart
and tell them about Jesus.
I pray that we continuously plant and nourish seeds.
I pray that we never lose faith that our God can do great and mighty things.
I pray that we remember that He is still changing lives
and
that He won't relent.

"At that time the disciples came to Jesus and asked, 'Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?' He called a little child and had him stand among them. And He said, 'I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore, whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. And whoever welcomes a little child like this is my name welcomes me. But if anyone causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him to have a large millstone hung around his neck and to be drowned in the depths of the sea." 
-- Matthew 18:1-6

Life Here at Camp Nola Kidz

Hey Everyone!!

Life here at Camp Nola has been crazy busy for the past couple of weeks, so I have not been able to get on here and write a post.

We are into our second week of camp right now and things are going great!
I'm not sure how many kids we have had in the Pre-K camp, but I know that it is around 30.
The other part of the camp that is all the older kids, they have had many more, with close to or over 100 children.

I have around 10 campers in my group!
We are the Yellow or the Sun group!
They are absolutely precious and I love them, however they can most certainly be a handful.

I had this notion in my head at the beginning of camp that most of the kids were in some way associated with the seminary, because we have camp here on campus. Then, I quickly remembered that that is not true. Only a handful of kids have parents that are either students or professors. The rest are here from the community or have attended the preschool throughout the actual school year. So, the kids that are coming to our camp truly do see many different things and have different lives. They are true inner city kids, living just a few blocks from downtown New Orleans. Who knows what these kids experience when they go home. They look like they are well taken care of, but we of course don't know. Most are dropped off by parents and some are dropped off by grandparents.

A big number of the children are also ADD or ADHD. This in fact changes the way that we have to do some things with them. Whether in the way we teach, discipline, or just talk to. It can be hard. It has been hard. Definitely a new challenge for me. It is also easily frustrating, which stinks because you know that it isn't their fault! Especially at the age of 4 and 5 it also has to be hard for them as well. They also have so much energy! I wonder where it all comes from! There is just so much! haha It can be hard to transition them from one activity to another. Some days it is awful, while other days it is very easy and they are so into everything that we do!

I have two main prayer requests for right now. One, that I will be able to teach, discipline, and be a friend to these children in the way that they need it. They are all different so it can be challenging, but so important I believe. Second, that I will have more than enough energy to keep up with the kids. About every day my 30 minute break time is spent taking a nap in my bed. I want to be able to keep up with the children and be fun all day, not just in the middle of the afternoon, but also in the morning when I am tired and at the end of the day when I am getting tired or may be frustrated with something that is happening.

A great thing can take place at this camp this summer. I pray that everyone here or associated with camp will be completely overwhelmed by the Spirit of the Lord and that a great revival will happen. That children, parents and even the people of New Orleans will see the one, true God and accept Him as their Savior.
I pray that we put aside our own ambitions and dreams and start truly living on fire for Christ.
That in everything we do, He will be seen.
I pray that through everything we do, the Gospel will be seen.
I pray this for everyone and myself.

Lord, be my all consuming fire.  

The Past 8 Months

The past 8 months of my life....


That is what this post has contained for the past few weeks, not even a complete sentence, mainly because I really don't know how to start it. It should be fairly easy seeing as it is my life and I was there, I know what happened, how it happened to me, and how I have been since then.

The fact is that the past 8 months of my life have been hard.

If I had to sum the past 8 months of my life up into three words, they would be: hard, scary, and traumatic.

Never good words.

These hard, scary, and traumatic 8 months started last August (so, I guess it has been like 9 months, but that would make it sound like I was pregnant...and I'm not!)...

It was maybe the second or third week in August, I can't exactly remember. Classes had started and I was getting into the swing of things, my new schedule and work load. One of my friends told me that she had a friend who was in charge of coordinating volunteers for En Fuego. En Fuego is a Christian music festival that lasts only for a weekend. I had never been to one, but had heard about it and ususally enjoyed all the bands that went. Well, my friend and I ended up being able to volunteer on the Saturday shift. We arrived at the festival, got to listen to great music and work the table for Kutless, who was the headliner act for the weekend. It was pretty awesome!
We were staying at my friends house since she lived near the venue. Sunday morning instead of heading straight back to school, we were going to go to church.

We never made it.

We left my friend's house with plenty of time to get to the church. It had been raining earlier that morning, but had since stopped leaving the roads a little wet. I didn't really know this area, so I didn't know how far away from the church we were, but we still had plenty of time to get there. We topped this hill and I saw a car sitting off on the right, waiting it's turn. We continued down the hill and I noticed that the car was starting to pull out, but I thought that he had noticed us and would stop.

He didn't.

Right before the cars collided, I remember bracing myself in the passenger seat, closing my eyes, and thinking in my head, "Oh, shit."
I remember the impact.
I remember somewhat of the car spinning around.
But, honestly, I think I blacked out.
I remember opening my eyes and coughing so hard from the air bag powder that was flying everywhere!
Then, I just started saying, "We gotta get out of the car! We gotta get out of here!"
I didn't know if the car was on fire or really what was happening, I just knew that we needed to get out of the car.
I pushed open the passenger side door and stepped outside.
My friend came over to the side I was on to see if I was okay.
She said that once the car stopped spinning, she started calling my name, but I didn't answer.
I asked her if she could get my glasses because they had flown off my head and landed in the floorboard.
I had so much adrenaline pumping through my body that for the few seconds I didn't have my glasses on, I had perfect vision. I could see everything.
Then, I remember putting my unbroken glasses back on and pulling them off again, my vision had returned to normal, or well, how it is now.

My friend and I went to the backside of her car where a woman was coming up to us.
She asked if we were okay and had informed us that she had called 911 and that an ambulance was on it's way.
We assured her that we were fine, except for some minor burns and major seatbelt bruising.
My friend then asked how the man was doing
and
that is when I remembered that we had hit another car.

I will never forget what I saw when I looked over there. 

Shortly after, my friend's mom had arrived.
We had more ladies surrounding us and they began to pray for us.
They stayed with us throughout the entire thing.
I don't remember their names and barely remember their faces, but I am thankful and grateful for them.

The man that we hit was an older man, also on his way to church.
He normally didn't drive himself anywhere, but that morning, he decided he wanted to drive to church.

He never made it to church either.

Unlike, my friend and I, he didn't walk away from the scene.

He was killed on impact. 

We met some of his family that same morning, at the scene of the accident.
They assured us that he was a Christian.
They told us they were sorry we were the ones in the other car.
They made sure we knew, that they didn't blame us for the accident.
They wanted us to know and be assured that there wasn't anything we could do.
That it was an accident, just that, nothing more.



I had never been involved in an accident before. This was my first one. I pray that I will never have to experience that again.
I pray that no one has to experience it.
I know that I'm not the only one that has experienced something like that.

Healing takes awhile.
Sometimes, longer than you wish.
I've had my share of flashbacks and nightmares and they probably aren't completely gone yet.

But, I know that in that moment, the hand of God was on me and my friend.
He protected and shielded us, just as He has promised.

And He welcomed another child Home that day.




Hard, scary, traumatic. 

Hey everyone! 

I just wanted to send out a quick message about things around here in Tuscaloosa. I didn't get to check to see if there were a lot of posts like this. But, the city of Tuscaloosa and many, many other cities in the state of Alabama and beyond have been devastated! We need your prayers more than anything! 

I was in my dorm on the first floor when the tornado went through. It bypassed the University completely! Definitely amazing! It was supposed to come right for us. We lost power and internet and had no connection with anyone except what we could post on Twitter and Facebook. Me and some of my friends spent the night in the dorm. We still don't have power there, and they are saying maybe Monday, but I feel it might be later. The damage to the town and around the counties is incredibly devastating! My friends and I came to a friend's apartment where we are staying now. We didn't know the extent of the damage or know how big the tornado was until this morning. It has all been very surreal and this has been one of the longest days of my life. And I only lost power. There have been many reports going around and it is sad and hearbreaking to see the city now. We all just can't believe that it happened here. 

Please pray for all of those who have lost loved ones and those that are still missing. Tomorrow will be a new day, but it is going to carry a lot with it. 

I'm giving out my info for any reason.  

Twitter: jesselyse88

e-mail: jeussery@crimson.ua.edu

Thank you for all the thoughts and prayers. I am praying for any of you that have also been affected by this storm and may have lost someone or anything. I am at a loss of words. 

Trust & Worry

I am a big fan of writing notes in my Bible, like notes from sermons, speakers, conferences.
I also like to underline, circle, and highlight.

I have some old Bibles I used to use that are very colorful.

The Bible is God's loveletter to us.

It holds words of encouragement and solutions to problems.

It comforts, teaches, rebukes, and guides us.

I don't understand much of it, but it is one of my connections to a Loving God

who wants me to know Him more.

The other night,  I was looking through a Bible that I used to use.

I was looking at the different things I had written in the margins and what I had underlined,

when I came across something that I truly needed to see and be reminded of.

Trust and worry can't exist together.

I don't know where I heard it or when I wrote it down,

but it was something that I needed to be reminded of again.

If I trust the Lord with all my heart, with everything. There is no need, no room, for worry.

He had everything under His control.

I can't trust or believe that He has it all under control and worry at the same time.

Worry, shows a hole in my trust.

They can't exist together.

This doesn't mean I can't care about issues or think about my future.

But, my trust is completely in the Lord.

If I want to believe that myself

and live it out

I need to actually start trusting in the God who holds me in His hands.

All worry should disappear when I recognize the fact that

the Creator of the Universe, the Creator of man,

knows my future, He knows my hours, He knows my thoughts, He knows my dreams, He knows my hopes, He knows when I sit or stand, He knows what I really think about someone, He knows what I'm scared of, He knows my secrets, He knows my sins.

He knows.

He understands.

My trust in God should be greater than any worry I have.

My trust should be so great that I can't even see worry.

They can't exist!

Not my will, but God's.

I have a plan for my future and then God has a plan for my future,

they may be the same, they may be different.

But, I can tell you this.

That God's plan,

is

greater than any plan I could ever dream about

for my life.

My trust is greater than my worry.

Because with trust, worry doesn't exist.

My God will never drop me from His hand.

He will never do me wrong.

I don't know how many other people feel this same thing or go through this trouble.
Of learning to trust, but also worrying.

It is okay to have dreams and hopes and to care about things.

But worry is not from God.

Doubt is not from God.

He doesn't want that for you.
God is not a god of worry, but of comfort, joy, safety, and peace.

It's a hard thing trusting completely and letting go of all worry.
But, I would rather have peace than worry.

Here are some verses on Trust --
"Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the Lord our God." -- Psalm 20:7

"Trust in the Lord and do good; dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture. Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the Lord; trust in Him and He will do this: He will make your righteousness shine like the dawn, the justice of your cause like the noonday sun. Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for Him..." -- Psalm 37:3-7

"Blessed is the man who makes the Lord His trust..." -- Psalm 40:4

"When I am afraid, I will trust in You. In God, whose word I praise, in God I trust; I will not be afraid. What can mortal man do to me?" -- Psalm 56:3-4

"Better is one day in Your courts than a thousand elsewhere; I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God than dwell in the tents of the wicked. For the Lord God is a sun and shield; the Lord bestows favor and honor; no good thing does He withhold from those whose walk is blameless." -- Psalm 84:10-11

"May Your unfailing love come to me, O Lord, Your salvation according to Your promise; then I will answer the one who taunts me, for I trust in Your word." -- Psalm 119:41-42

"Those who trust in the Lord are like Mount Zion, which cannot be shaken but endures forever"
-- Psalm 125:1

"Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him and He will make your paths straight. Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord and shun evil."
-- Proverbs 3:5-7

"The Sovereign Lord will wipe away the tears from all faces; He will remove the disgrace of His people from all the earth. The Lord has spoken. In that day they will say, 'Surely this is our God; we trusted in Him, and He saved us. This is the Lord, we trusted in Him; let us rejoice and be glad in His salvation.'" -- Isaiah 25:8-9

"This is what the Sovereign Lord, the Holy One of Israel, says: 'In repentance and rest is your salvation, in quietness and trust is your strength, but you would have none of it'...Yet the Lord longs to be gracious to you; He rises to show you compassion. For the Lord is a God of justice. Blesses are all who wait for him!"
-- Isaiah 30:15,18

"Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God, trust also in me." -- John 14:1

"Cast all your anxiety on Him because He cares for you." -- 2 Peter 5:7



Another Update on My Friends the Turner's

Hey Everyone! 

So, if you haven't heard or seen anything about my friends the Turner's, you check out those updates and prayer requests on my blog.

The first is found here and the second here! 

Thank you so much for being prayer warriors for my friends. They have had many ups and downs and obstacles that they have had to overcome. 

But, the Father is GOOD! And He has NEVER let them fall out of His hand! 

Many praises are being lifted up to Him! 

:-)

Now, another update. My friends have now welcomed their two newest children and then had to go through the process of getting passports and visas for everyone. 

Here is a note that we all published and circulated around on Facebook. 

"Friends, we are pleading for for a miracle.... The Turner's did not receive their passports today which pushes everything to tomorrow. They have to first go to the U.S. Embassy and ask them to please allow them to have an interview with the remaining three items (court order, court ruling and passports) in hand. They know that the ruling and order have already been written.

So, they will be at the embassy at 7:30 in the morning asking for an interview with exceptions. PLEASE pray with them that this will be granted. Then, they will go into town and pick up their passports around 8:30. Their court appointment is at 10:30. They would LOVE to be back at the Embassy around 2:00 with everything they need.

They are begging all of you to intercede to the Father on their behalf. They NEED and COVET your prayers right now. Please pass this along to anyone who is willing to pray! They need the saints of our Lord Jesus Christ to stand in the gap for them. They are so thankful for your prayers....."

Well, time to praise the Father once more! 

Because the Turner's are coming home with ALL members of their family, including Zeke and Elly!

They will be arriving back in the states on Friday night around 9:30 on an American Airlines flight in Birmingham! 

Praise God for His faithfulness! 

Many people are going to be at the airport to greet them! It will be wonderful! 

I am so thankful for the Turner's and the impact that they have had on me and I am excited about their newest family members! 

But, I am more thankful that we serve and believe in a Living, Holy, and Faithful God who never lets us go!

Again, thank you for all of your wonderful prayers! Keep praying for the safety of the Turner's as they return home! 

If you would like to visit the Turner Family Blog and read more about their journey, you can check it out here. 

:-)

A Huge Praise to the Father that is Good!

Hey Eveyone!

So, the other day I posted a prayer request for some friends of mine the Turner's.

(You can check that post out here.)

Well, we have great news!

The Turner's have welcomed two new member's to their family!

The court process went well and the adoption is final!

Oh, and today is Jett's birthday. He is the Turner's (now) 7 year old that they adopted from Guatemala!

And his birthday wish was for a brother. Well, he got that answered with a brother AND a sister!  

:-)

Such a huge blessing and an answer to many prayers!

However, there are still some more prayer requests and some of them are for the Turner's to get home safely. They are hoping to return home to the States next week. Please pray for safe travel as they return. I believe that JT is still recovering from malaria. So, please keep him in your prayers for a safe recovery. Please pray for the two newest family members, Zeke and Elly, that they will continue to strengthen their relationships with their new family.

There are more requests that they have, you can visit their blog for more information and to read more about their journey!

I have posted a link to their blog at the bottom of this post.

The Father is good. I have only been able to say that since hearing this news.

He holds us in His hands and puts us where we need to be.

He is absolutely, postively, good!

And He deserves all praise!

Please visit the Turner's blog, here.

Have a happy and blessed day!

:-)



Urgent Prayer Request

Hey Friends!!

I have an urgent prayer request for you guys! I have some friends who are in Uganda and they are in the process of adopting their youngest two children. Their names are Sheryl and JT Turner. They along with their three kids are in Uganda. Hoping to come back with their youngest two. JT is sick and they think he may have malaria. He has been to a clinic and has gotten meds. Hopefully they will kick in QUICKLY! Their court date is on Thursday at Noon. Which is 3 AM my time. (Central) This court date is very crucial to their adoption process! Please join me in prayer for them. The Lord is faithful and He will provide for them everything they need!

When I know an update I will let y'all know!

Thank you everyone! The prayers are not in void and they are being heard!!!

In His arms,
Jess

Patience and Prayer

I had mentioned in my last post about applying with the North American Mission Board (or NAMB) for this upcoming summer.

NAMB has a program that can hook you up with mission opportunites for the summer. There is the option for just doing your mission job or doing missions while working a secular job.

They have so many options and pretty much everywhere!
From Alaska to Maine, Canada to Texas and Hawaii.

I had once started an application with NAMB last year, but didn't finish it. I instead found out about another opportunity that led me to my internship in Mobile, AL.

It seems that whenever one summer ends, I immediately begin to think about what to do the next summer. I don't like taking summer classes because I would rather leave it open for some kind of mission opportunity. I want to use that time to serve others and the Lord.
Not only does it help others, but it helps me. I learn so much about myself and Christ. I learn more and more how to love like Him. To take care of others that so often get overlooked.

See, my dream is to just travel the world, or just this nation, and serve people. I want to help meet other's needs. I want to love them. I want to show them the love of Christ. I want them to know Him and to build their own relationship with Him. And in turn, watch them show His love to others.
I want His Kingdom to be increased. I want it to expand.
 I can't wait for the day when people from every nation, tribe, people, and language gather around the throne of God and praise Him.

And I know that it will.

"After this I looked, and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and before the Lamb. They were wearing white robes and were holding palm branches in their hands. And they cried out in a loud voice:
   'Salvation belongs to our God,
who sits on the throne,
and to the Lamb.'"
Revelation 7: 9-10

I started learning and hearing from God more last year that while I am still in school to stay in the country and work domestically. To focus on my Jerusalem, Judea, and Samaria. Then, after school look towards the "ends of the earth."

 "But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”
Acts 1:8

There is a great need for service to people in my town, at school, my state and this nation. Since I am still here in school (for another year), now is the best time to serve them. To go out and reach them and serve them.
Then, hopefully, by God's grace, I can look to the ends of the earth and He will send me somewhere amazing.
I don't think I have talked about it a lot here, but my dream and hope of one day going to Africa has not vanished.
And who knows, within the coming years, the Lord may place another country on my heart.
However, since I am still in school, I have felt the call to serve domestically.

But from past summers and experiences, I didn't know if I wanted to repeat those or let God lead me somewhere else.
Back to the desert of Arizona? Back to Inner City Mobile, AL? Stay in my small town and work and serve my church here? All places that mean a lot ot me.

Working with and serving the TO people in Arizona and the kids and homeless in Mobile, introduced me to a world of poverty that I had never experienced. I knew that it existed, but didn't understand it fully until I lived with them for a week and then for a summer. Even then, living much more richly then they. Sitting around in all my comfort...just wanting to give it away.

Nothing more breaks your heart than when you are playing with a TO child, a precious Indian child in the desert with heat and mountains surrounding you, and they ask you if you can take them back home.
I wanted nothing more than to take them back home.
To have them and me on a plane back to Alabama.
I would have done it too.

And, in another memory, taking a car full of girls back to their home, windows rolled down, Alabama shakers being held out the windows, and them singing loudly along with the radio, when we get to their house, they ask for the shakers.
 All the Alabama shakers that I had collected from so many football games got carried away.
I didn't think twice.

After serving in Mobile this past summer, my heart and passion for inner-city and the "least of these" grew even stronger.
So, where to go now? This summer that seems so distant but very close at the same time.
Where will I go to serve this year? Where will God lead me to build new relationships?
Who will it involve?

I don't know for sure. But, I am confident that He will send me where He wants me.
And I know that wherever He sends me, I will be taught and blessed by the people that I serve.
I can only pray that I will be as much of a blessing to them as well.

So, I have decided again to link up with NAMB. In the hope that somewhere on that long PDF file, there is a place for me. A place that God has for me.
Not knowing can be saddening and frustrating at times, but I trust that it is all taken care of.
I'm learning to have patience and to wait for God.
For He knows the best time for everything.
Learning patience is never easy and is tested every day. And every day I fail. I can see signs of hope, but I still fail.
Praise Him for loving us so much that even in these failures, He still loves us and wants to use us.

Patience is coming.
Faith is growing.
Doubt is fading.

"For the revelation awaits an appointed time; it speaks of the end and will not prove false. Though it linger, wait for it; it will certainly come and will not delay."
Habakkuk 2:3

Prayers for a Friend!

Hello everyone!

I just wanted to mention a quick prayer request! There is a blog that I follow of a girl who seems like a great person who is definitely walking with the Lord.

Well, tomorrow, December 17, she is flying to Zimbabwe where she will be for about a month!

Will you please think about and pray for her tomorrow as she flies alone, for safety and no delays? Also, for the people of Zimbabwe that she will meet.

Please stop by her blog and learn a little more about her trip and other ways that you can pray for her!

Although I have never met her, she is a sister in Christ and I wish her the best on this journey! It is going to be great!

Please go to Rebecca's blog and learn more about her and her trip!

Thanks!!

:-)

We as Christians, are called to love as Christ has loved us. We are also called to forgive as Christ has forgiven us.

But sometimes, it is hard to do that. It always seems like there is someone who tests you even further. Doing something that makes it hard for you to love and forgive them...again.

We know that through Christ, all things are possible.

Even when it comes to loving and forgiving someone who hurts us.

And when it seems like it is the hardest thing to do, when someone makes it hard for you to love them, that is when they need love the most.

I pray that we show the love of Christ to anyone and everyone that we meet.

Even those who make it hard.

Patiently Waiting

"I am sure
God keeps no one waiting
unless He sees
that it is good
for him to wait."
-- C.S. Lewis

Did you catch that? Unless it is good for him to wait. That him, is a general us. God wouldn't keep us waiting unless it is good for us to wait.

Good for us to wait? Ha. God has a sense of humor doesn't He? If anyone knows about my lack of patience, it is God. He knows my every thought, my every move of every day. He created me.

"O Lord, You have searched me and You know me. You know when I sit and when I rise; You perceive my thoughts from afar. You discern my going out and my lying down; You are familiar with all my ways. Before a word is on my tongue You know it completely, O Lord...For You created my inmost being; You knit me together in my mother's womb. I praise You because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Your works are wonderful, I know that full well."
-- Psalm 139:1-4,13-14

However, the Word also says that God will not grant me,or put me through, anything that I could not handle.

"No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; He will not let you be tempted beyond what You can bear. But when you are tempted, He will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it."
-- 1 Corinthians 10:13

Yet, patience seems like such a trivial accomplishment compared to some other things. However, finally achieving patience can bring peace to many other situations. When you rest in the peace of Christ, you rest in His will. He is Peace!

Mainly, what I am wanting to say is that if God has us in a waiting period, we can only imagine what the outcome of that period will be.

A period of waiting to graduate college or even choosing a major. God can reveal to you where He wants you to be. And once He leads you to that decision, that path will allow you to train and equip yourself to serve and glorify Him.

It's the same with a time of singleness. Oh, what the Lord can reveal to you in a time of singleness. You can learn so much about yourself and fall deeper into a relationship with the true Lover of your soul! You can set standards for yourself, not be cheated out of what you truly deserve, and spend more time serving and glorifying the Lord!

And when you do enter into a dating relationship, you can both strengthen each other into a deeper relationship with your Creator. The Creator who should and wants to be the center of your relationship. You can encourage one another and serve and glorify the Lord together. 

And when you get married, you get to represent our Groom marrying His Bride, the Church. 

Then, when you have kids, you can dedicate them to the Lord and introduce them to their Creator and show them His glorious. In the hope and prayer that one day, they will accept Him as their Lord and answer the call to serve and glorify the Lord.

It is such a complex state of mind. Waiting. But out of the waiting can come so much good and revelations. Every day of our life, the Lord is pursuing us. To draw us closer to Him, closer to the eternal life that He says is ours if we trust and believe in Him.

Waiting seems like such a hard thing, one that takes patience. But we have to see waiting as a good thing. A time of service to the Lord. When we focus on it as an honor to serve the Lord God Almighty, we will no longer see it as a burden or as a curse. During our wait we learn so much and God may grant us the desires we long for. But we have to remember that we need to trust Him and commit all we have to Him.

"Trust in the Lord and do good; dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture. Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the Lord; trust Him and He will do this...Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for Him..." -- Psalm 37:3-5,7

Patience and waiting.

They can be good things.

"And we know that for those who love God all things work together for the good, for those who are called according to His purpose." -- Romans 8:28

He Does Hear and Respond

Psalm 142 and 143 give us examples of what the Lord does in response to us when we reach out to Him. This provides me with peace and comfort and I hope it does to You as well.

What we do or need to do:

•We cry aloud and lift up our voices - Psalm 142:1

•We pour out our complaints and tell of our troubles - Psalm 142:2

•We cry and proclaim that The Lord is our refuge - Psalm 142:5

•We remember, meditate, and consider all that He has done - Psalm 143:5

•We spread out our hands as our souls thirst for Him -Psalm 143:6

•We put our trust in Him and lift our souls up to the Lord - Psalm 143:8

•We hide ourselves in Him - Psalm 143:9

What the Lord does in response:

•He listens to our cries and rescues us - Psalm 142:6

•He sets us free - Psalm 142:7

•He hears our prayers and listens to our cries - Psalm 143:1

•He answers us and doesn't hide His face from us - Psalm 143:7

•He shows us the way - Psalm 143:8

•He rescues us - Psalm 143:9

•He teaches and leads us - Psalm 143:10

For every time we turn to the Lord, He reaches out and responds. He will never leave us in any place alone. We are His children and He is pursuing us. He pursues us no matter where we are in life because He wants nothing more and desires nothing more than a relationship, intimate and pure, with us. And you know what, He deserves nothing less.

Who doesn't want to be pursued and loved? We have a desire that can only be satisfied by Christ Himself. He is our Groom and we are His Bride. As filthy and undeserving as we are, He still desires us. His love is so deep and wide that we cannot fathom. We will never fully be able to understand a desire or love like that. We aren't supposed to, instead we are called to trust in it.

His arms are open. All we need to do is fall into them.

"And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge--that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God." -- Ephesians 3:17-19

Fall Break Is Finally Here!

Yessssssss.

I finally made it to Fall Break!

I get to spend four days at home.

(There will be a little homework, but I'm home!)

I can't wait to carve pumpkins,

play with puppies,

take pictures,

enjoy the Trick or Treaters,

and

celebrate my Mom's birthday!

It's going to be a great weekend!

On another note. My sister and brother-in-law were not able to make it this weekend.

My brother-in-law, Matt had to have surgery early this morning. It was an outpatient, but
the recovery is going to be a couple of weeks.
Please keep them in your prayers and for the fast healing of Matt and that the pain he is in will go away.
Also, pray for Jennifer as she takes care of him.

We were all disappointed that they weren't able to join us this weekend, but
we want Matt to be all better
and
we know that there will be other weekends when they will be able to come down.
Those plans are already being made.
:-)

Hope you have a great Friday!
Enjoy your weekends!

:-)