tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-63876315703538167682024-03-07T01:57:27.230-05:00RedeemedRunning after God and falling on my face. In front of people.Angelahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16863689063737934494noreply@blogger.comBlogger126125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6387631570353816768.post-86614174190613904532011-07-12T11:14:00.000-04:002011-07-12T11:15:31.914-04:00I've moved!Hey friends I have moved to a new blog.. The address is www.angelarva.wordpress.comAngelahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16863689063737934494noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6387631570353816768.post-64747686428952855412011-06-12T22:03:00.003-04:002011-06-12T22:36:15.126-04:00Missions I have been in Richmond for almost 6 years now. The way God has transformed my life, my purpose, and my desires has been nothing short of a miracle. My deepest joy is spending my time witnessing to people, by speaking to them of how great a Savior Jesus is, or by inviting them into my home and showing the love of God through authentic Christian community. <br /><br /> I want to spend my time with people who have no hope, and I want to offer it to them. So often, I see people the way COULD be, if they would turn their hearts toward Jesus. If they would only turn from their sin (living life apart from God and in rebellion to His leadership) and enter a love relationship with their Heavenly Father, I just know He will give them a new heart, a new purpose, a new identity! He did it for me! <br /><br /> When I was in Haiti last year, I learned what it looked like to be a missionary..each day you get up and dedicate your time to the Lord, seeking Him first in prayer and in the Word, and then the day is spent laboring, meeting the physical needs of those around you but more importantly, sharing WHY you are doing it: because you desire that they would love Christ. Each day was for God, from sunup to sundown. I vowed not to lose this when I got back to the States.<br /><br /> It's been a year since Haiti. I have not forgotten how to live like a missionary, because that's what I am. It is who every Christian is, should they choose to obey the Great Commission.I have seen God moving here, through purposeful ministry. Though there are days where I would like to just pack it up and go work in a refugee camp in Africa, God has made it clear that I am to be in Richmond until He tells me otherwise. There is so much opportunity here; people from every tribe, tongue and nation right outside my door. Buddhists, Muslims, atheists, and nominal Christians. People I want to love on. People who could be transformed by the grace of God through faith in His son. I want them to see that it's not just saying "Yes I believe God loves me and He sent Jesus to die, and now I'm saved and I don't have to worry about eternity." That's just a mental assent. I want to see hearts that fall in love and lives that transform into conduits of Jesus' message and his love. I want to see new creations: miracles! I want to see people who know they are loved love others.I want to make disciples who make disciples. <br /><br /> There is nothing better than pouring our lives out for the sake of the Gospel. When it comes down to it, when you look back at your life will you be happy that you made money or had great stuff, or do you want to say "I rode that thing til' the wheels fell off! I did everything I could to show Christ..everyday was about Him and people coming out of death into life!" <br /><br /> Each day, commit yourself to Him and ask Him to do whatever He wants with your day. Be a missionary. It's who you are anyway.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /> <br /><br /> Angelahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16863689063737934494noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6387631570353816768.post-62236111633748872612011-05-07T23:51:00.004-04:002011-05-08T01:07:02.575-04:00On love and fear In light of recent news about the death of Osama Bin Laden, I have been thinking. Alot. There have, throughout the centuries of recorded human history, ever since the Fall, been acts of violence and hate, perpetrated on the basis of one man/group thinking themselves in the right, or one man/group taking what they want (be it money, power, or anything that falls under a subheader) at the cost of another. <br /><br /> Satan himself wages war on our God, because he wants what is not his (God's GODNESS and subsequent worship). Cain killed Abel because he was jealous of him. Throughout the Bible there are stories of evil and murder and in our secular history books: regimes taken by force and genocide in the name of political or religious advancement. I think of the Hutus and the Tutsis in Rwanda and Burundi, and of the massacre of the Christians in Sudan in the 80's, leaving thousands of orphaned children and a tribe of emigrating "Lost Boys". I am ashamed as a follower of Jesus of the Crusades, a bloody war that was fought for the "sake of Christianity". Today, people live in fear all over the world. There are civil wars and little or no religious freedoms or human dignities in the majority of many civilizations. While we sit in our air conditioned homes, we shake our heads at the condition of the people around the world, and thank God that it's not us.<br /> <br /> When 9/11 hit, we were saddened and outraged. We lost friends and loved ones, our bubble of security and the American dream were threatened and we felt more keenly the evil that existed in our world. We went to war and vowed to take out the man who was one of the masterminds behind the attacks.Ten years later, here we are. I am not sad that Bin Laden is dead. What makes me sad is seeing the invisible wall between many Americans and Middle Eastern people in the US. I remember seeing an older Arab woman being treated like a criminal in the airport at JFK, the shame and anger at having her things strewn about in front of hundreds of people, and her indignant scream as she was mishandled by the guards. It was humiliating, and very scary. It is horrifying to think that some people may have terrible intentions, murderous plans that they will carry out in the hope that they may be honored by their God. It is heartbreaking that many kind and decent people will be treated like terrorists just because they are wearing traditional clothing or speak Arabic. Such is our world. <br /><br /> I am a follower of Jesus Christ. I believe that he is God, the second person of the Trinity, and that he came to earth as a man to live a sinless life and to willingly take the punishment I deserved for my sins by his death on the cross. I believe that he was buried to show that he was indeed dead, and raised again to prove that indeed, he was God! During his life, he forgave sins, and after his resurrection, he does the same to all that will call on him in repentance(sorrow for a life lived in denial of and rebellion against his Lordship) and faith (that by his grace, we can be forgiven and live eternally in heaven with God)! When we respond to Jesus in this way, the Holy Spirit makes his home inside of us and changes us into new creations, people who are not ruled any longer by the sin nature but whom have the capacity to live holy lives that are pleasing to God. We still mess up, of course, but with the Holy Spirit we will not be able to be the same as we were before we met Christ.God has given us his word, the Bible, to teach us more about himself, to renew our hope, and to give us instructions on how to live and treat one another. By his Spirit, we can live counter culturally, that is, live to obey and honor God, love him, and love others!<br /><br /> In light of this, how do we carry out this lifestyle in a world that is so messed up? I don't pretend to have all the answers, or to know much about anything. What I do know is that God has commanded (not suggested) that I love everyone, even my enemies. Loving them would mean..<br /><br /> Not burning the books they consider holy. I speak of a fundamentalist group in Florida who did this with the Quran. How can this bring anyone closer to God? This only shows that the love of Christ is not pouring out of you, HATE is.How about inviting people of different religions into your home and showing them love and sharing what Christ means to you and what he has done in your life? I have Muslim friends who are so dear to me. All it took was getting to know one personally (whom I call my little brother). I was able to see past the grouping of "them vs. us" and get to care for a person whom God died for and who is hilarious, smart, and so kind and loving. Through this I have developed a huge heart for Muslim people and I pray that they would know the overwhelming grace, the immeasurable love of Christ and the assurance of salvation. They are able to be around us often, and I hope that they see Jesus in us and through us. <br /><br /> Am I saying not to be angry at evil? Of course not! But God has said not to fight evil with evil, but with love!! (Romans 12:17-20). There is enough wrong in the world. We have to stick to the Bible's teachings and trust that God is working all things together for those who love him and are called according to his purposes (Romans 8:28), and we are also called to fulfill the Great Comission, which means sharing the Good News of Jesus with people who may not have access to it in their own cultures! There is certainly room for wisdom, prayer, and caution in the life of the Christian, but fear and hate are not of God. <br /><br /> How can we ACT for Christ in a world that is so entrenched in evil? The answer is to speak the Gospel and to speak truth to the people around us..IN LOVE! To live a life satisfied and abiding in Christ. To be a people who are rejoicing always and patient in hope, praying without ceasing, because this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for us!(1 Thessalonians 5:16-18)<br /><br /> This applies to how we interact with people of EVERY background..even if they are so different than us that we can't see how we could ever connect. People respond to love. The word of God does not return void, and if it is him working through us then things will happen. My heart was transformed by Christ, and I know that I am a different person because of it. I was up to my neck in sin, miserable but didn't know how to live any other way, and God came in and showed his great power. He truly raised this life up from the dead. I saw the love of Christ in others and I WANTED it. <br /><br /> How do we show love to people who are living so contrary to God, who seem to have no desire for him or his Lordship? We love them and we speak truth in love. What if, instead of calling names, or belittling, or picketing..what if we opened our homes and our lives..what if we considered others as more important than our comfort or rights, but so loved them and wanted them to know Jesus that we showed grace, mercy, and friendship- even when they don't love us back or show us grace- even when they hurt us? What if we loved the one in front of us, even when it is hard, and they open their heart to Christ because there is no earthly reason for us to love them? What if they don't see human reaction, but what if they see God in us?<br /><br /> Let them see Jesus.Angelahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16863689063737934494noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6387631570353816768.post-3423942561542795552011-04-21T11:42:00.002-04:002011-04-21T11:47:51.774-04:00Prayer as a Way of Walking in Love<iframe title="YouTube video player" width="640" height="390" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/yzokhJ_3G-4" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe><br /><br />If you have an hour, you should definitely watch this! Francis Chan (author of the amazing book "Crazy Love"), takes us through his personal experiences with seeing how powerful prayer is and how much God delights in the everyday lives of His children!! Listen to it as you do the dishes, or finish up those taxes (whoops)! Be encouraged!Angelahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16863689063737934494noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6387631570353816768.post-78588535200975536412011-04-05T21:59:00.004-04:002011-04-05T22:41:52.682-04:00Who, us?1 Peter 2:9<br />"But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light."<br /><br />Ministry is funny(not haha but laugh til you cry, and then there are the days when you weep with either utter joy or out of complete heartbreak). It is being a servant; it is leading people to look upon Jesus as their ultimate satisfaction. It has been absolutely amazing to see the women in our Bible study grow and learn as we look at the Gospel and what it means in so many different aspects of our lives. Always, we strive to delight in God and to glorify Him..whether that be through how we work, how we relate to our neighbors, or how we examine our motives. I LOVE seeing the girls "get it", to see that light come on and to see them desire to follow more closely after Christ. A life changed by the Gospel is a literal miracle..and it is the most beautiful thing to witness.<br /><br />There is also heartache and stress as you see the girls turn away from Jesus, or go back and forth..to share the Gospel and think it is taking root only to see no fruit at all. You see the battle over their hearts and minds..sin vs. holiness, the world vs. Christ, and all you can do is keep speaking truth and pray..pray that this new girl who has been coming and is not yet a Christian will not have an abortion even though the father has abandoned her and her mother is not supportive of her having a baby..trust that God has placed her in our lives for such a time as this..pray that she will see Christ's love for her and turn to him and be made whole. Pray that this girl who has been coming for a while will finally let go of her old lifestyle completely and let Christ do amazing things in her life and through it..I am overwhelmed by the responsibility of being entrusted with the care of these girls and must constantly remember that they are ultimately in the Lord's hands, not mine.<br /><br />Through all the ups and downs of leadership, God is faithful and He will accomplish His good purposes. He is the one that provides the opportunities for ministry in the first place! May we be reminded of that each day as we serve Him!! There is rest in Christ, even in our work, because it is not about US or OUR ability, but about His finished work on the cross! We are to "declare His praises" and tell of how He has called us out of darkness and into His light! We are called to speak the Gospel, and to be obedient, and then the rest is in His hands! It is definitely not easy when you like to be in "control", especially when you don't see the results of your efforts or prayers right away or even EVER, but there is such freedom and relief in knowing that He is the one who holds everything together..the salvation of our lost loved ones, the outcome of our labor, all of it. Sigh of relief.<br /><br />This is why HE gets the glory. He DESERVES it. Every bit of it. He is so good, and so faithful. I am amazed at how He loves us so much, even when we don't love Him back. We can trust Him to work everything together in His perfect plans, in His impeccable timing. He's pretty much the best boss ever. =)Angelahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16863689063737934494noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6387631570353816768.post-60984182582814828582011-03-17T00:40:00.004-04:002011-03-17T01:37:17.509-04:00Are you feelin' it?May God glorify Himself through this post because it's one of the times where I have a lot to say but don't know how to say it or where to start. <br /><br /> First of all, my faith is so small. It bugs me to no end, because I really don't necessarily FEEL like God is there ALL the time. I can't imagine heaven, and sometimes I don't feel like my prayers are heard. I share the Gospel with people and I think about how crazy it sounds.. <br /><br />YET...<br /><br /> I KNOW IT IS TRUE!! I have often thought about how the Israelites built a monument to God to remember how He had delivered them (Joshua 4), and how I could do the same thing..set up a physical reminder of each time I have personally seen answered prayer, or the hand of God unmistakably at work in my life. I have heard God speak to me, I have seen Him do things that could ONLY be Him, and I know that I am a new creation. I am not the same girl AT ALL. I desire the things of God, and that is IMPOSSIBLE to do without the Holy Spirit living inside of me.(2 Corinthians 5:17)Crazy, right? So, I have to go through the process of breaking down WHY I can be so sure about God, and how I know that Jesus is that God, because of the historicity of his life, death, and resurrection, and the lives that were changed by meeting Him back then and the ones that are changed every day all over the world. =) <br /><br /> So I am trying to live by FAITH, small as it is, because I realize that my FEELINGS are not going to steer me in the right direction!! The Bible says that the heart is DECEITFUL(Jeremiah 17:9) and desperately sick. It's true. My heart wants it all to be about ME sometimes, ok, a LOT of the time, and it's just not! Once I put my focus back on Christ, I realize that if I am doing what Matthew 6:33 tells me to do, to SEEK first God's kingdom (i.e. not MY OWN), then everything I need will be mine. <br /><br /> During times of struggle, and what I am fairly certain is spiritual warfare, I get so off kilter because I am focusing on why I am not feeling like I think I should. I don't WANT to read my Bible, I don't WANT to take time out of my day to pour into other women..when in TRUTH these are the very things that give me peace and joy like nothing else can. My feelings contradict what I know with all my heart is truth: the words of the Bible.<br /><br />Lately I have not been so on fire for the Lord, although He is still doing amazing things all around me. I have to fight not to just stay in bed,or putt around the house until it's time for work (I work evenings much of the time) because sleep feels so amazing and I can take "a break" for a day, which becomes two days, and then a week. I'm wasting time, self-indulgently. I know that's not ok. I just wish I cared more right now. What makes it worse is that I have women around me who look to me as a spiritual leader. I know I am in Christ, I know that I TRULY desire to lead them in paths of righteousness. I just feel like someone zapped my strength..kinda like a dim lightbulb. I do, thankfully, have a great community around me, and I have asked for prayer about this. I am just being plain rebellious to a degree. I don't FEEL like loving on people unless I FEEL like it. I am so stubborn sometimes, but I just need to stay in prayer and in the Word.<br /><br /> God Says:<br />We do not want you to become lazy, but to imitate those who through faith and patience inherit what has been promised. (Hebrews 6:12) Help me, Lord.<br /><br /> I know that God will pull me out of this slump, because He always does. He is faithful even when I'm the kid who is supposed to be running the mile who goes and sits down in the grass and pulls out a Twinkie. I know that God will come and sit with me, and love on me until I see that I DO have strength enough to finish. He will be with me each step, each time I feel like I can't go even one more minute. Stopping is not an option. There is nothing for me apart from Christ.<br /><br /> Do you go through patches like this? What has God done to bring you through?Angelahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16863689063737934494noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6387631570353816768.post-57042863797035731172011-01-10T00:09:00.008-05:002011-01-10T23:49:26.579-05:00A boy named SuOkay, he hasn't been a boy for maybe 50 years or so. I don't know exactly how old he is, but I first met Su in June of last year. My church takes dinner now and then to a place similar to the R*nald McDonald House here in our city. This is a charity organization that supplies a free place to live for people with critical illnesses that require long-term, in-patient treatment.<br /><br />That night, we served the food, and then spread out to sit and get to talk with the patients and their families. Most are out-of-towners, in a hospital in a strange town, with no friends to speak of as they go through this hard time. I sat at the table with Su and his wife, Eejie, along with two other people from my church and a younger Korean lady. Su and Eejie are originally from Shanghai,China, but have lived in New York for quite some time. Su has terminal liver cancer. We learned that the couple was Buddhist, though I suspected it was more cultural than faith-based. During our time together, we shared our hope for eternal life through Jesus' death on the cross. Eejie had many questions as we shared the gospel and we answered them to the best of our ability. The Korean lady at our table was critically ill herself, but a believer! She was able to speak of her peace and joy, even through great pain and hardship. Eejie was very inquisitive, but there was a barrier of unbelief there. We could only pray that a seed would take root in her heart. We were able to pray with Eejie for both her and her husband, whom had been told he had maybe two weeks to live. <br /><br />Fast forward to early November. We are back at the hospital, me leading a small group of women this time. There are only 8 of us, and I can only pray that God will show up in a big way because I'm not even sure that we will have enough food to go around. I prayed a LOT that day, just that God would show up and bless our time there. We serve the food (just enough!) and I send the girls out to sit among the patients and their families. I have seen during the times that we have gone, that as much as they appreciate the different churches and organizations bringing food to them (and they truly are SO thankful), that what really blesses them is having someone take the time to sit down and talk to them: to laugh, and just have a time of fellowship. They need to be loved on and to have someone care about what they are going through! <br /><br />The last table without one of our girls was an older Asian couple. I asked if I could sit down, and they said "Sure". It took me about thirty seconds to realize that it was Eejie and Su!! He was still alive and kicking! They remembered me and we ate together, making small talk. Su eventually excused himself and went up to his room. Eejie stayed, and again I got the opportunity to share Jesus with her. Another girl from my church, Tina, joined us and we just continued to talk about how good God is and how Jesus is the only way to the Father; the only One who rose from the dead, showing power over death and therefore proving that He could deliver US from death as well! Eejie asked many questions, and we got to share how God had changed us and how we saw Him moving in us and those around us. It was a good time and a good talk. We prayed with her, for her husband, and I was so, so grateful for one, the fact that Su was still alive, and two, that we got another chance to tell them about salvation through Christ! I asked Eejie if I could have her phone number, and maybe we could go get coffee sometime. I told her I would call her soon. I thought it would be nice to get her out of that place for a little fresh air.<br /><br />My friend Hannah has such an amazing heart for lost people, and she jumped on the chance to come pick up Eejie with me. We went to a little local coffee place, and then walked around some of the gorgeous neighborhood of Church Hill. We talked about many things, but although we did mention the Lord in regard to our lives, I didn't want to "push" Jesus on her as hard as I had been the two previous times. Hannah had other ideas, and we had an hour long conversation on the corner. Eejie had many more questions, but she didn't tire of talking about "the Jesus". She sincerely wanted to know if we had truly been changed by God. She recognized that sometimes she had negative emotions and reactions that she had absolutely no control over, and she didn't like that. We said that, yes, Jesus could really change her, and though even as Christians we still get upset, we lean on Christ and continually repent of our bad thoughts, habits, and behaviors. We grow more like Him and the sin nature is lessened. She was interested, and she even thumbed through Hannah's Bible. She was amazed that we read it so much. <br /><br />Hannah and I both just loved this spunky little Chinese lady, and prayed for her and her husband often. The next time we went back to see her, Hannah brought her gifts: a Mandarin Bible and a book called "We would see Jesus", also in Eejie's heart language! We stayed at the hospital this time and went through the book of John, and also Phillipians with her, trying to continue to answer questions as they came up through the words in the Scripture. It was awesome! We told her to read it to Su every day, and she said she would. <br /><br />The next week when we went back to visit, taking our Malaysian brother Julian. Eejie was quoting the Bible to us, saying "It says if there are two or three gathered, He will be here! Is He here right now?" What a joy it was to see her so engaged and captivated by the words in the Bible! We settled in to study John 9, and she really listened, taking it all in and again, asking truly relevant and insightful questions. She understood! Julian was able to translate deeper meanings in Mandarin, and I think that was very helpful. Hannah asked her what was keeping her from believing that Jesus was the true God, and she said "Not yet, I need to learn more", because the Bible is big and she has only read bits and pieces. I told her that in the five years I've been a Christian, I still don't know it all! What is important is believing that Christ's death was sufficient payment for our sins, and then turning from our own ways as we love God and seek to serve Him with our lives. The rest you have a lifetime to learn! She was still noncommittal, which was disappointing, because for some reason I had a feeling that TODAY was when she would be saved. Julian prayed as our time drew to a close, and when he was done, we sat up straight, and then Eejie said "I say couple words." She bowed her head and said " God, thank you for these friends. Please save my soul and forgive for ..(Chinese word, Julian translates "sins"). Please help Su. Amen." Hannah and I looked up at each other with tears in our eyes, and as soon as we got into the bathroom we exclaimed "Did she just say the sinners' prayer?? On her own? Unprompted?" She had. As crazy as it was, as little as she knew, she asked Jesus to save her and He says when you believe in Him and ask Him to save you , He will! I know that we gained a new sister that day! <br /><br />We went to a Christmas party later that week at the hospital thrown by another church. We got to eat with both Eejie and Su, and at one point Su told us that we were "God's messengers". I knew that Eejie had been faithfully reading the Bible to Su each day, but he was still a Buddhist, and even told me that night that his mother had been a very sincere Buddhist, and was very nice and kind to people, and "is it not the same as Christian"? I told him gently that though there are definitely good moral aspects to different religions, because Jesus proved He was God, and says there is no other way, than Buddhism could not be true. He nodded and looked thoughtful. Before we left, we made plans to go to the Chinese church on the coming Sunday morning. Both Eejie and Su agreed to come.<br /><br />Hannah and I didn't understand anything(other than the English phrases "Jack-in-the-box" and what sounded like "strategic meetings") because the whole service was Mandarin. It was a Christmas message, and Su listened intently while Eejie fidgeted. The pastor at Chinese church was very kind and got their contact information, offering to pick them up for Bible Study on Friday nights. As we drove to lunch afterwards, we were talking about their departure from Richmond at the end of the year, and how much we would miss them. They planned to go back to New York, and then to Shanghai for a couple weeks before returning to Virginia. Su told us from the back seat that he would never forget "Angel and Haynah" because now he is not afraid to die and he has God in his heart. WHAT? Hannah and I looked at each other, again with tears in our eyes. Had God been so gracious as to allow us to see both of them saved? <br /><br />We dropped them off, and I promised to come back to the hospital that night for yet another Christmas party (those people eat like kings, I tell you!). I was tired, but I wanted to make SURE that Su understood the gospel. After sharing with him one last time, and hearing his responses (knowing that Jesus has to be first in our lives! That Holy Spirit has been so busy!)I believe that he does. Hallelujah is the only phrase that fits! <br /><br />God had answered my prayers to see conversions like they did in the early church, where the message of Christ changes lives and hearts! I have dealt so long with witnessing to cultural Christians, who don't understand what following Christ looks like, and may come to church once in a while but see no need to let Him actually be Lord in their lives. The power of the Word of God pulling this beautiful couple from death into everlasting life has rocked my world, and I have a feeling I am going to be a bit of an evangelism junkie from now on. It is beautiful to live like Christ, but what saves people is knowing that without Him they will be in Hell, and through His death He has made a way for us to be right before God. Jesus saves! Praise God He let me see that when He moves, big things happen! <br /><br />Be encouraged as you share with your friends and family! He is able to soften even the hardest heart! Keep praying and keep loving and keep speaking truth! He is able!Angelahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16863689063737934494noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6387631570353816768.post-38485856586884262632011-01-08T15:28:00.006-05:002011-01-08T15:52:51.263-05:00New2010 was not exactly a fun year for me. It was a "buckle down" sort of year. In 2010 I:<br /><br /> 1. Got my heart broken by the man I thought I was going to marry (it's complicated, but he was a friend that I fell head over heels for).<br /><br /> 2. Drew close to the Lord and leaned on Him through the pain. I also have learned to SPEAK the Gospel..like the actual death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. It is not enough for me to live like a Christian. People may notice something different about me, but the Gospel of Jesus Christ is what saves, not me being "good".<br /><br /> 3. Went on my first mission trip evah, to Diquini, Haiti, where I met the people you see on the news. They turned from sad cases in far off places to smiling faces who rejoiced in God's graces..Don't know why the rhyme hit me but I went with it. It was good to be able to love on people there. They are normal people who live normal lives..their normalcy is WAY different than ours though.<br /><br />4. Had a man fall for me and just wasn't that into him, which sucked because he is amazing and almost everything I could tell you that I want in a man, minus the living in another country and pledging undying love after one whole week... But.. my heart said no.<br /><br />5. Decided to go back to school for Christian Counseling. Sat in my house for three months doing schoolwork. Got all A's. Debating continuing because I am not a fan of Psychology, and really what I love to do I should be doing for God anyway. A pastor friend of mine put into words "You are trying to turn your Christianity into a vocation." Those words rang true to me.<br /><br />6. Decided to stop using my credit card and therefore do not spend money on eating out or movies or unnecessary stuff anymore. Being responsible is not that fun.<br /><br />7. Began attending an International Prayer Group, to pray for our unsaved friends from other religions/backgrounds. As I get more involved with things of this nature, I have felt the blatant hatred that the enemy has for me. Not pleasant, but my soul rests in the fact that God is bigger.<br /><br />8. Led a women's Bible study with my dear friend Julia and saw one of my girls fall into sin, which ultimately led to her leaving our church against my counsel. That was hard. We have, overall, had a great few months though and I have gotten a chance to get close to some amazing women! <br /><br />9. Made a new friend named Hannah and was able to partner with her in ministering to an elderly Buddhist couple. <br /><br />10. Read a ton of books. Favorite so far is "Crazy Love" by Francis Chan. <br /><br /><br /><br /> In 2011, my prayer is not necessarily for any one thing to happen. I desire to know God much more intimately for who He is..to love and delight in Him..not my work for Him or what He is doing or what He is giving..but to love and worship Him. And then I need to lose 20 pounds.<br /><br /> AngelaAngelahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16863689063737934494noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6387631570353816768.post-58380476161090053432010-09-22T14:08:00.003-04:002010-09-22T15:41:57.913-04:00AAhhh-Men!!This is a video of us attending a Haitian church service! We were told that Haitians didn't approve of dancing..haha!<br /><br /><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/4lA6YsH7wrc?hl=en&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/4lA6YsH7wrc?hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>Angelahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16863689063737934494noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6387631570353816768.post-37413574569657601262010-08-26T00:15:00.012-04:002010-09-04T20:33:27.357-04:00Light on a Hill: Day 1<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj95Ddxc9Hj2-KQiLGqbbHFfpyXjtqYdE4oQfi_Vc203POdYZrtD8jYZtj43BT1YkH_3XgAoFfomdNX0NUKCrY1w3vHqnEEkkGoCEzOPX2srm9FgYNSCYpykKgAptsO6olbVEldp7VMLpM-/s1600/048.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj95Ddxc9Hj2-KQiLGqbbHFfpyXjtqYdE4oQfi_Vc203POdYZrtD8jYZtj43BT1YkH_3XgAoFfomdNX0NUKCrY1w3vHqnEEkkGoCEzOPX2srm9FgYNSCYpykKgAptsO6olbVEldp7VMLpM-/s400/048.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5513214616833148658" /></a><br /><br />The home with the big green yard is Light on a Hill<br /><br /> Morning comes early in Haiti. The sun wakes up around 5:30, and so do most Haitians. Since electricity is a luxury, not a standard convenience, people utilize the daylight hours as much as possible.<br /><br /> Our first morning in Haiti was on a Sunday. The medical team went off to a church nearby, but because of transportation conflicts, we were to stay at the compound, hold our own worship service, and then leave for Light on a Hill, which is where we were to spend the remainder of our time in service. Worship was great. Justin, the younger guy from the medical team, had talked with his dad and was going to spend the week he was in Haiti staying with us. He would see his team during the day as they would commute to Light on a Hill to perform medical services to the community there Monday through Wednesday, but would spend the night there with us while they went back. After our little service, we loaded our bags back up on the Land Rover and headed up, up, up into the mountains of Carrefour to a little place called Diquini, where the church plant called Light on a Hill is situated.<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTnq2RrpyH7JBNYIKOTCopNZBpNj1VX0ywvi49IYxlCo8WiXHL9gfdIAIqr3-lGJ0LAjtnCKb6Q94d8_yPlJkT69YsiTfH5GlThj-lgLxB1_H6d_1UymY2vUwvRo4zvVTOgDv2538q9JZi/s1600/007.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTnq2RrpyH7JBNYIKOTCopNZBpNj1VX0ywvi49IYxlCo8WiXHL9gfdIAIqr3-lGJ0LAjtnCKb6Q94d8_yPlJkT69YsiTfH5GlThj-lgLxB1_H6d_1UymY2vUwvRo4zvVTOgDv2538q9JZi/s400/007.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5513215176124601778" /></a><br /> Justin, whom we affectionately called "Number Nine" because he was our ninth team member, and Reggie reading the Bible on the roof.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /> We passed roadside markets on the way, most just people with their wares spread out on the ground. There were huge piles of clothes, mostly donations that were not being used. I bristled a little at this..but think of the good the money could do them. Some of the things they can't use for themselves could help them to feed their family. That old shirt you never wear can do much more good there than sitting in the back of your closet. We climbed steadily up the mountainside, passing homes of all variety..stone, sheet metal, tent. Many of the homes had UNICEF tarps stretched overtop to compensate for roofs lost during the quake. People were walking up and down the hill, many carrying things on their heads, such as big water jugs or baskets of produce. I really rival their balance and neck muscles!<br /><br /> Light on a Hill was, not really a surprise, because I had no idea what to expect, but like nothing I could have imagined. It is a big house built of concrete, two stories tall but very wide, and with a flat roof that has lots of room and a great view. The back yard is on the edge of a big hill, and you can see all the houses/tents below straight to the ocean (or bay) with mountains to the right. There is a big front yard with trees and grass and a gate stretching all the way around. Right outside that gate is a tent city, which is a community made of mostly temporary tent shelters. These people are waiting for new homes to be built because they lost their homes in the earthquake. There is no electricity, no running water. It is utterly different than anything I've ever seen before.<br /><br /> Also outside the gates is the church. It is a simple, open structure made of bamboo poles and covered by blue tarp. This is where services are held Sunday morning and night, and several nights throughout the week. They use the generator from the house at Light on a Hill to provide electricity for light and the sound machines.<br /><br /> There were tents set up around the main house at LOAH. These were for the young men who were a part of the church plant, those being discipled by Pastor Junior, who is in charge there. They also housed the translators, Anel and Reggie, who would spend each day with us as we served in Haiti.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKwF1GvxHLqOAWBSSuFSNt6-CgKEF6oS5cKWBsicaEuavEnQ_jLHDjpoYfa7c0fAgHfwRdeSf2gRKSJMXV5q-HkRuGASbos3wf9KXWNMH-bB-WMi5Bh8ftRdvfG5Gmv3ggy6fh6Kf7dwIQ/s1600/054.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKwF1GvxHLqOAWBSSuFSNt6-CgKEF6oS5cKWBsicaEuavEnQ_jLHDjpoYfa7c0fAgHfwRdeSf2gRKSJMXV5q-HkRuGASbos3wf9KXWNMH-bB-WMi5Bh8ftRdvfG5Gmv3ggy6fh6Kf7dwIQ/s400/054.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5513212510950442466" /></a><br />Anel and Reggie <br /><br /> The pastor at Light on a Hill's name is Junior. He is all of 27 years old. His dad is still a practicing voodoo priest. When Junior became a Christian, he was kicked out of his house, and his parents told him they wouldn't pay for his schooling. Junior told them that God would provide. He moved out, and was adopted by a missionary family who paid for ALL of his schooling. He trusted in the Lord, and the Lord provided. <br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQpJVschCPl6YHsd0RIxIZKtB6ipIN5Gg1QIcWlZel_pO5oJPZ5WKHtYIwvHIWKrCsFLE5AEEnQixHXHGE5rTv1IODKfBv05WJ4Y6Hlr1oEKS5_8xnRZaW55yb2L-HSMN6mmuDE6YzsE2X/s1600/093.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQpJVschCPl6YHsd0RIxIZKtB6ipIN5Gg1QIcWlZel_pO5oJPZ5WKHtYIwvHIWKrCsFLE5AEEnQixHXHGE5rTv1IODKfBv05WJ4Y6Hlr1oEKS5_8xnRZaW55yb2L-HSMN6mmuDE6YzsE2X/s400/093.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5513217684352782978" /></a><br />Me and Pastor Junior<br /><br /> The girls and I set up pur cots and mosquito netting in our downstairs room, and took in the beauty that was Haiti. The next day was going to be hard work, but with God's hand in it we knew it would be beautiful.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgL4F37Nz_7ExqwFea83SNGldJU0fr9M69ZRcBwNVKZr3VCo5tGdSkWV5p5HsywcFv5GErkE6F_A9TTCU5EVdOzMQz0NveW6nc27u8BHnr_92x1xRkkVqjaF1NbZJu8VItkTLVR_XPgRZnj/s1600/116.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgL4F37Nz_7ExqwFea83SNGldJU0fr9M69ZRcBwNVKZr3VCo5tGdSkWV5p5HsywcFv5GErkE6F_A9TTCU5EVdOzMQz0NveW6nc27u8BHnr_92x1xRkkVqjaF1NbZJu8VItkTLVR_XPgRZnj/s400/116.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5513219438333253522" /></a>Angelahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16863689063737934494noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6387631570353816768.post-1901935031410921042010-08-20T16:32:00.011-04:002010-08-22T23:38:25.664-04:00On Haiti and GodThe Cast: <br />On July 24 I boarded a plane bound for Port Au Prince, Haiti with seven other people from my church: Erin: a 26 year old woman whose life is devoted in service to the Lord and who needs to get a record deal; Josh:31, a goofy Chris Farley type who loves God and a good laugh; Julian: a twenty year old Malaysian kid who takes both his walk with the Lord and the English language literally; Luke: Eighteen and bright, but got lost in the airport within the first 20 minutes; Karen: a forty-eight year old mother of two girls, one of whom is expecting her first child.This is Karen's first mission trip, also; Mike and Amanda: a married couple in their mid-twenties. Mike is an elder at our church and loves baseball and playing the drums. Amanda is sweet and pretty, and teaches physical education at a private school. She will also kick your butt on the volleyball court any day. Then there's me: 30, still working in a restaurant and finally going for a degree in Christian counseling starting this semester. Hilarity and tears were sure to ensue.<br /><br />The plot:<br /><br />On January 12, 2010 a devastating earthquake hit the already impoverished nation of Haiti, which is the western third of the island called Hispaniola in the West Indies. Haiti has an interesting and violent past: they are the only nation besides the US to gain independence from outside rule and they also dedicated their country to Satan two hundred and six years ago. They are the poorest nation in the western hemisphere, and this beautiful island is now broken even worse than it was before and seems literally to be God-forsaken. <br /><br />Some of Haiti's history as taken from:<br /><br />http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/1202857.stm<br /><br /><strong>1492 - Christopher Columbus lands and names the island Hispaniola, or Little Spain. <br /><br />1496 - Spanish establish first European settlement in western hemisphere at Santo Domingo, now capital of Dominican Republic. <br /><br />1697 - Spain cedes western part of Hispaniola to France, and this becomes Haiti, or Land of Mountains. <br /><br />1801 - A former black slave who became a guerrilla leader, Toussaint Louverture, conquers Haiti, abolishing slavery and proclaiming himself governor-general of an autonomous government over all Hispaniola. <br /><br />1802 - French force led by Napoleon's brother-in-law, Charles Leclerc, fails to conquer Haitian interior. <br /><br />Independence<br /><br />1804 - Haiti becomes independent; former slave Jean-Jacques Dessalines declares himself emperor.</strong><br /><br />The next two hundred years of rule are very tumultuos: leaders are deposed or killed, new dictators rise up or the people elect leaders..but it doesn't seem that they stay in power very long.<br /><br />This year:<br /><strong>2010 January - Up to 300,000 people are killed when a magnitude 7.0 earthquake hits the capital Port-au-Prince and its wider region - the worst in Haiti in 200 years. <br /><br />US takes control of the main airport to ensure orderly arrival of aid flights. <br /><br />2010 March - International donors pledge $5.3 billion for post-quake reconstruction at a donor conference at UN headquarters. <br /><br />2010 July - Popular anger grows over slow pace of reconstruction six months after quake, aid workers report. </strong><br /><br />The website I referenced above also claims that approximately 90% of Haitians practice voodoo. Every single president in Haiti has practiced voodoo. The spiritual darkness is very in-your-face and overwhelming. People worship evil. It is a scary place. <br /><br />The first thing I noticed as we were flying over the Dominican Republic after our layover in San Juan, PR was the tiny rash bumps coming out on my right arm. I hadn't even set foot on Haitian soil yet and I had somehow caught an infectious disease already. I also took in the deep green of the DR, and then the barrenness of Haiti as we flew over parts that had been deforested. <br /><br />Normally, when I've flown in the past, I love to take in all the buildings and beauty of the place I am descending into. Not so this time. There were no skyscrapers, no city waiting for us. We got closer to the ground and saw tiny lean to houses and desolate farm land."What have we gotten ourselves into" was the question at the front of my mind, but I was here for two weeks, like it or not. I hoped I'd like it.<br /><br />The departures "warehouse" is the only way I can describe the place where we went through customs and picked up our bags. One huge room with people swarming all around. It was an airplane hangar, now that I think of it. A huge, undecorated airplane hangar. We left out of a huge garage door and ten men tried to pry our suitcases out of our hands saying "Let me help you". They practically wrench your bags away from you and then demand to be tipped for their "service". Luckily, we had been warned about this and answered "No, mesi" a hundred times. Only Erin's bag was won into the hands of the "skycap" and he got a couple dollars.<br /><br />We were met by three missionaries who had come in Baptist Land Rovers to pick us up. One of the missionaries, Kim, was my roommate for four months in Richmond and helped set up all the details of our trip. We threw our bags on top of one of the vehicles and waited as the two missionary men, Parker and David, went to fetch the other team they were picking up; a medical team from Illinois.We waited with Kim, catching up on her first three weeks in Haiti, and saying "no" to people begging through the fence around the airport parking lot. About forty minutes later, the medical team, minus one bag of equipment, was loaded in the other Land Rover and we set off for the main compound in Port-Au-Prince. This is where we would spend our first night.<br /><br />The compound was a large gated piece of land down a side street in the city. There is a small house with an office, kitchen, and two bathrooms, and tents dotting the property, which is where the teams that come in to serve short term stay. We set up our cots and sat awhile, then ate a delicious dinner of rice and beef, mangoes, bananas, and a delectable soda the likes of which i have never had called "Fruit Champagne". It is orange in color and fruity and vanilla-y in taste. Loved it. After dinner we reapplied our various forms of bug repellent (I used Deet 45), we gathered around the picnic table and sang worship songs. It gets dark very early in Haiti (around 6 or 6:30) and the sun rises at about 5:30 am, so we used flashlights to see our song books and Josh played his guitar. A young guy by the name of Justin who was with the medical team joined us. His team was comprised of his Dad, who is a dentist, and other people all over the age of 40. He is 19, which is way closer to our team's demographic than his.<br /><br />We were all beat from long night and day of travel, so we willingly went to bed early that night ( I'm guessing around nine). I settled into a tent with Erin, Kim, and another missionary named Abby. I could not find my earplugs anywhere, which slightly concerned me, but I figured I was so wiped out that I could probably sleep through anything. This turned out to be an incorrect hypothesis.<br /><br />That first night I was awakened by the sound of voodoo drums. It was dark, and all that was between me and the great outdoors was the thin tent fabric. I knew the voodoo people weren't in the compound, but I have no idea how close they were. It was a chilling sound. My heart began to beat very loudly and I knew I needed to just pray and pray and pray. <br /><br />God brought Psalm 23 to mind. The psalm about God protecting His sheep even through the "Valley of the Shadow of Death", and that we are to "fear no evil". As I prayed, God comforted me with the fact that although I was in a place where there was some decidedly scary and evil things taking place, I was safe in His care. He protects those He loves. I was able to fall back asleep, and slept peacefully through the night. <br /><br />More to follow..Angelahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16863689063737934494noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6387631570353816768.post-33256314362014378812010-08-19T01:38:00.007-04:002010-08-19T02:17:39.614-04:00That time I went to Haiti<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6iFUQb-_FPJnF8zsAe3leQsavZJjNXNVZ1vPU4hiXIEqeomz0mpqdppXEkhFEIdSXYsMJQFpyxPVCELqTdYt5SYH9biAJeknQ1xv5S-3oE2FDbRI2TZJizeC6OqvYiI8cuDaY34fl8jAV/s1600/096.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6iFUQb-_FPJnF8zsAe3leQsavZJjNXNVZ1vPU4hiXIEqeomz0mpqdppXEkhFEIdSXYsMJQFpyxPVCELqTdYt5SYH9biAJeknQ1xv5S-3oE2FDbRI2TZJizeC6OqvYiI8cuDaY34fl8jAV/s400/096.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5506993263772411346" /></a>
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<br />Angelahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16863689063737934494noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6387631570353816768.post-72848323495410895502010-06-22T18:07:00.004-04:002010-06-22T18:50:59.790-04:00Matters of the Heart"We are more able to stop the sun in its course or make rivers run uphill as by our own skill and power to rule and order our hearts" -Puritan John Flavell<br /><br />I have trusted God with my life. I know that Jesus came two thousand years ago to die for my sins, and I know that only through that death and resurrection will I be able to stand righteous before God. So, I have believed. My life has changed direction, and I now desire to be like Christ. I have relinquished power over my dating life, my heathen lifestyle, and my day in and day out activities. Christ is my focus. God's kingdom is far more beautiful than anything I can obtain by my own power. I am a Christian. I am saved, and I am secure.<br /><br />I have made it through big time temptation, and I have been declared victorious.So, why, WHY, do I lose my temper when I don't feel like I am being respected? Why do I get so easily annoyed and impatient with people, and why am I anxious when I don't have a good night at work? I don't feel very Christ-like when these things happen. In fact, I feel so ugly on the inside that I wonder how in the world can I be regenerated? But, I know I am..I have seen my desires change and I have seen my life re-orient to be lived for God. So, where is the disconnect? Am I faithful in big things but not in the small? <br /><br />God has been working to reveal some answers to me in this area of my life. It has been really frustrating..not matter how many times I say "ok, I'm not going to complain today because that's not being a good witness" or "I am going to love people no matter what today", it never seems to work. I can hold it together for a little while, but then I just end up not being able to keep it up and I feel horrible about myself. Like a failure.<br /><br />So enter book: "You Can Change"(God's transforming power for our sinful behavior and negative emotions)" by Tim Chester, who co-authored another favorite of mine, "Total Church". I would like to share a couple of key quotes I have come across so far.<br /><br />"Our Christian lives began when we received the Spirit by believing in Christ crucified, not when we finally managed to observe the law. It's foolish to think that we can now take over finish the job through human effort. It's not just that trying to live by laws and disciplines is useless- it's a backwards step-which ends up undermining grace and hope."<br /><br />"When the crowd asks Jesus what God expects of them he replies "This is the only work God wants from you. Believe in the one he has sent."<br /><br />I think I finally understand this! It is not just believing He was God then, or in the future, but trusting in His power to metamorphasize ME- not by my strength but by the continual realization that I am completely dependent on His strength and grace- EVERY DAY- Believing in this SENT one- I know He is Lord- but I have been so disappointed in my heart- it yearns to be like Christ but fails miserably- I need faith in everyday things- HIS power- mini-miracles of victory and surrender only by the working of the Holy Spirit. This is freedom. This is "the only work" God wants because it is the only way- we will not change from our own efforts- it is IMPOSSIBLE. I have been trusting in God only for outcomes, not for the day-in, day-out grind of Christian life. I have not asked, not continually, for strength and wisdom in the million small decisions and reactions I face everyday-the decisions and reactions that shape bigger days and the way that others see Christ through me. I have realized my ineptitude on a grand scale but neglected to address the gross selfishness and dissatisfaction in them minutia of life. I thought I could handle them on my own..but I CAN'T. Not like Christ. I can only do them my way. <br /><br />So, it is time to address my heart. It is time to see where I am not loving God, where I am not believing his Word..because if "ALL THINGS" work together for the good of those who are loved and are called according to his purpose (Jer 29:11), then I need to trust God. I believe that He rose from the dead, but I don't expect that He can help me be kind to those who are not kind to me. I believe that He has the BEST plan for my life, but that complaining is okay because I don't deserve to have a bad day (surely, THAT can't be in His plan). My sin here has been abiding with small rebellions and also with unforgiveness..for myself and for others. My heart is at its core legalistic and as long as I haven't been "sinning" I am doing ok, even though my attitude may stink. But if I do mess up, boy do I feel it. I haven't understood grace, or the fact that I am at best a wretched sinner and can't be like Christ on my own, not only as I have acknowledged on the big scale, but in the tiniest upsets or interactions..I need GRACE. I need it for myself and for others. I need to understand that I'm not a sinner because I sin, but I sin because I'm a sinner. It is a fatal disease, and until I leave this earthly vessel I will be struggling against it. The evidence of Christ in me is that I AM fighting.<br /><br />I will let you know how it goes..praying big-time for Christ's intercession in every detail, and seeing myself fail in the meantime.. hold on for a bumpy ride as I say goodbye to legalism and learn to trust God with ALL of it.. <br /><br />In the meantime, I thoroughly recommend the aforementioned book. =)Angelahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16863689063737934494noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6387631570353816768.post-14368873776127156442010-05-22T12:43:00.007-04:002010-05-22T13:54:58.314-04:00Here I AmHey blog friends! I just saw that is has been almost three months since I last wrote. It is beautiful here in Virginia..warm and breezy but not yet HOT hot. <br /><br />I have been living downtown for about three months now and it has been good. I like waking up in this historic city and seeing all the VERY different people walk past my front porch. I live on the bottom half of a converted duplex. The house was built in the early 1900's and has some great original features, such as beautiful(after lots of cleaning and glossing) hardwood floors and high ceilings and huge sliding room separators/doors. The roof of the house has cute daisies tiled into it. I love being able to walk to the parks here, which are just at the end of my street. The architecture (when maintained) in this neighborhood is beautiful and makes me imagine all the different eras of people who have lived and loved in this city, walked these same streets as I do now.<br /><br />There are definitely some shady characters close by. The next of our street is government subsidized housing. My roommate and I overheard from our front porch two men talking about an incident where one guy had been stupidly flashing his gun around. We haven't personally had any troubles with the neighborhood so far, and we can actually see the police precinct from our front windows,so it hasn't been too bad.<br /><br />The reason I moved downtown was to be a part of the community my church is in. It takes me less than 3 minutes to get to the school where our Sunday services are held, and I am much closer to many of the congregation. While I have not been as great at hospitality as I had hoped, we have had some good times here and I love waking up "already here" as I was driving downtown so frequently when I lived in the West End of Richmond.<br /><br />My walk with God hasn't been the best lately, because I just haven't *wanted* to spend time with the Lord, or think about what He wanted in my life. I was in what I feel is a mild depression, just generally grumbly and sad for no real reason other than the fact that I feel "less than" sometimes, because I recently turned thirty and do not have the career I want or the husband I desire or money or..you get the picture. I was not being satisfied in the Lord, who tells me that I have every good thing if I have Him. I am CHOSEN and loved..and yet I struggle with doubts and insecurity..it makes me really frustrated. I have been able to be open with the women in my community and have asked for prayer and I feel as though I am coming out of it. It's important not to isolate even when you feel like it, because you need people to speak truth into your life. The goal is a restored relationship and right view of who God is and who you are because of Him. <br /><br />It was really brought into perspective for me last Sunday when a friend we have been reaching out to for about a year came to our church for the first time. He is of a different faith, and it would not be easy for him to come to Christ, but we have been praying it all the same. As I sat next to him and heard the words of LIFE being spoken clearly, the joy that welled up in my heart affirmed that THIS was true satisfaction. Seeing others reconciled to God through Christ's sacrifice and and substitutionary atonement. For him to come to Christ would be the ultimate joy..there was no need to feel upset about circumstances or shortcomings in my life because Christ is at work to bring life to the dead. And He lets me be a part of it. This is what life is about. The gospel.<br /><br />If y'all could be praying for me, I would appreciate it. At the end of July, I am going with seven others from Aletheia Richmond (my church) to Port Au Prince, Haiti! We will be building concrete housing and running a Bible day camp for kids. Pray for God to prepare our hearts and the hearts of those with whom we will come into contact with. Pray for support needs to be met, and for this trip to change lives. I already know it will change mine. I hope all of you are doing well and resting in the fact that Jesus Christ is Lord over all. Love y'all. I will leave you with some recent pictures..<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDa4nd3Do7Uz_G7SQriEN9uuAVOyrmAwhqqkVkJkBDgTNyhF_ObD5KVV6TtC-OV7smyTOaqJrfjF_NETx_fuQ1xDIrkFQHvZM6NYCzRRhHzSonlXbyLrO48Zcwrmet7dX8iYUztZW-w-p2/s1600/ang+zebra+hat.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDa4nd3Do7Uz_G7SQriEN9uuAVOyrmAwhqqkVkJkBDgTNyhF_ObD5KVV6TtC-OV7smyTOaqJrfjF_NETx_fuQ1xDIrkFQHvZM6NYCzRRhHzSonlXbyLrO48Zcwrmet7dX8iYUztZW-w-p2/s400/ang+zebra+hat.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5474151126455755874" /></a><br /> New Zebra Hat!! Been on a safari kick lately!<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEga68Oyr5Nm3KyIxySnGc8IFak62SJ6kACevBFdm4zBLmYX8Vw4ramMETwsJJYWCZ4ykL65SsFta5_zrkz3R-BGnmriUkeIwvUudk-0kY-h5jWZ6Uz8hRxD4kGzy-vFPNST5tL6MwhXLoAD/s1600/girls+at+jefferson+park+back.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEga68Oyr5Nm3KyIxySnGc8IFak62SJ6kACevBFdm4zBLmYX8Vw4ramMETwsJJYWCZ4ykL65SsFta5_zrkz3R-BGnmriUkeIwvUudk-0kY-h5jWZ6Uz8hRxD4kGzy-vFPNST5tL6MwhXLoAD/s400/girls+at+jefferson+park+back.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5474151123356725682" /></a><br /> This park is in the heart of downtown Richmond, atop a hill that overlooks the city<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2EPV0z-3aRdpfdUtWbxuNYOf7FrHOwDdOAn_sJ3rXPugJuiB_KMPrWiYF9zPlswXh3TUAAlvhX78d8y08Me8c7C8UhgAeu2d0xmDDFSimtRWtI-N50i60uIFsOXQ8hUWI8EbrX5HZRXEQ/s1600/group+photo+ang+bday.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2EPV0z-3aRdpfdUtWbxuNYOf7FrHOwDdOAn_sJ3rXPugJuiB_KMPrWiYF9zPlswXh3TUAAlvhX78d8y08Me8c7C8UhgAeu2d0xmDDFSimtRWtI-N50i60uIFsOXQ8hUWI8EbrX5HZRXEQ/+photo+ang+bday.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5474151118237813490"/></a><br /> <br /> My friends totally made me think they'd forgotten my birthday but they threw me a big Second Twenty-Ninth Birthday Surprise Party at my own house! Tricksters!!<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWyEzxZDAqeK5yx9PARhfbEyswkF3uH7kxcIPbyOPWqCL6dT5uXE78sKjfa1rNhLVPl7Vbx2G_a8vpVyaNS4CuaeAUyz8eymB48Mp6QXmysrA8iqPe9OFCSAsnPJzRAirBPGWOj45qmosK/s1600/020.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWyEzxZDAqeK5yx9PARhfbEyswkF3uH7kxcIPbyOPWqCL6dT5uXE78sKjfa1rNhLVPl7Vbx2G_a8vpVyaNS4CuaeAUyz8eymB48Mp6QXmysrA8iqPe9OFCSAsnPJzRAirBPGWOj45qmosK/s400/020.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5474151116395602850" /></a><br /><br /> We asked our friend to share his culture so he brought traditional food from his country and we wore the outfits he had brought us back from his last visit home! So much fun!Angelahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16863689063737934494noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6387631570353816768.post-8924585103749703422010-03-03T14:46:00.002-05:002010-03-05T00:42:06.289-05:00His Eye is On the SparrowWhy should I feel discouraged, why should the shadows come,<br />Why should my heart be lonely, and long for heav’n and home,<br />When Jesus is my portion? My constant Friend is He:<br />His eye is on the sparrow, and I know He watches me;<br />His eye is on the sparrow, and I know He watches me. <br />Refrain:<br />I sing because I’m happy, I sing because I’m free,<br />For His eye is on the sparrow, and I know He watches me.<br />“Let not your heart be troubled,” His tender word I hear,<br />And resting on His goodness, I lose my doubts and fears;<br />Though by the path He leadeth, but one step I may see;<br />His eye is on the sparrow, and I know He watches me;<br />His eye is on the sparrow, and I know He watches me.<br />Whenever I am tempted, whenever clouds arise,<br />When songs give place to sighing, when hope within me dies,<br />I draw the closer to Him, from care He sets me free;<br />His eye is on the sparrow, and I know He watches me;<br />His eye is on the sparrow, and I know He watches me.<br /><br /> Civilla D. MartinAngelahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16863689063737934494noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6387631570353816768.post-35714922807058986832010-02-12T10:48:00.007-05:002010-02-13T23:35:36.003-05:00Scary Prayers, part three<strong>*For the full story, please read parts one and two*</strong><br /><br /><br /><br />We were finally talking about it! Oh, my Goodness!! And it wasn't even February yet. God was so good..he knew I would have been on pins and needles the whole time, waiting for this man to get up the nerve to come to me. I waited for his answer; scared, but excited. And it came..<br /><br /> "Well, as long as it is clear to you at least that I am not pursuing you."<br /><br /> Um..WHAT?<br /><br /> Ok, talk about your heart sinking into your shoes. I think mine hit the floor, crashed through the wood, and torpedoed into the couch in the basement. I felt numb, and kind of like I wasn't awake. This couldn't be happening. I forced myself to respond. <br /><br /> This was all via text message. He tried to call me, but my friends had people over so there was no place I could talk, and quite honestly, I didn't want to talk to him. I told him that it had been confusing. He asked what he could do or not do to clarify it. I decided it was now or never, so I told him that I did have feelings for him, that I thought he was an awesome godly man. I said that I wouldn't have chosen to like him ( never really been into younger men, plus he has lots of schooling ahead of him), that I did care for him. I also said that I would be ok because I wanted what God had for me.<br /><br /> He texted back and said that he didn't want to hurt me or mistreat my feelings. That he valued our friendship and wanted us to remain friends, which was why he was NOT pursuing me, because he is a "hard person to get along with". He said that he thinks we make great friends, but that we would not be compatible any other way.<br /> <br />I said "ok". <br /><br /> And I sat in silence on the couch with my best friend and another girl who was visiting. They asked what was going on, but I couldn't talk about it. I told my friend that I needed wine. Then I said, no, I don't want it. But then I changed my mind again. I thought maybe having a glass of wine would help me speak out loud the unspeakable devastation that I was feeling, the feeling of my world being turned upside down. So I had a glass of wine. And then I had three more. I got drunk. But I didn't cry. I honestly didn't mean to drink that much..I was trying to stop up the hole that was growing in my chest, trying to make sense of everything without losing my mind. <br /><br /> This was unthinkable! I couldn't even wrap my mind around it. I went to bed that night, and when I woke up, it was still true. He didn't want me. <br /><br /> I knew I would be okay..as in the fact that life goes on..yada yada yada. But it just didn't make sense. How could everyone we knew see us as a couple? Why was he the only one not on board? How could I have been so wrong about EVERYTHING?<br /><br /> I felt rejected. I felt..shipwrecked..like I had been sailing with a clear destination in mind, but this big storm came, sank my ship, and left me in a place I had never even wanted to visit. And there was no way back.<br /><br /> One thing sustained me.. God had answered my prayer! The very same day I prayed, God answered. So, it was the opposite of what I wanted. The fact remained. God was involved. He heard my prayer, His hand was on the situation. <br /><br /> I had asked God to take it away from me if it was hindering my relationship with HIM, the almighty Creator. And I know that it was. I thought about that man far more than I should have, and it affected everything. I wasn't in the Word as much, my prayer life SUCKED, and I wasn't worshiping God. I was worshiping the idol of a relationship. I couldn't help it. I really couldn't. It was not in me to love God fully when my thoughts were wrapped up in this man, although I tried and I prayed and I cried about it. I asked for strength, but I was never fully surrendered. I held on to the relationship with both hands, and God had to tear it away from me.<br /><br /> I am SO glad he did. Not because I think less of the guy. He is awesome and I love him dearly. But because I CAN'T do anything about it. God has clearly shown that He is in control. This is where I get to see God working. In my brokenness, I rejoice in His sovereignty. This is amazing! There is so much joy in realizing how inadequate I am in running my life..how undependable and treacherous my heart is..and how His faithfulness covers it all. He disciplines those He loves! How grateful am I to be counted among these!!!! I will most likely give an update in my next post, but what I want to leave you with is this..<br /><br /> I am where I want to be. I am drawing closer to God. I know Him better through this. He is good. I can trust Him. It is one thing to say with your mouth that you trust God. It is easy to say when things look great. But when they suck, when they are all going wrong, it is pure joy to be able to praise God! <br /><br /> I am being refined.<br /><br /> I am being made more into the likeness of Christ.<br /><br /> This is my heart's greatest desire.<br /> <br /> It hurts.<br /><br /> <br /><br /> <br /> 33-36Have you ever come on anything quite like this extravagant generosity of God, this deep, deep wisdom? It's way over our heads. We'll never figure it out. <br /><br /> Is there anyone around who can explain God? <br /> Anyone smart enough to tell him what to do? <br /> Anyone who has done him such a huge favor <br /> that God has to ask his advice? <br /><br /> Everything comes from him; <br /> Everything happens through him; <br /> Everything ends up in him. <br /> Always glory! Always praise! <br /> Yes. Yes. Yes.Angelahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16863689063737934494noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6387631570353816768.post-4919464495347735452010-02-12T10:23:00.004-05:002010-02-12T13:20:53.454-05:00Scary Prayers, part two<strong> *Please read the previous post below for part one of this story*</strong><br /><br /> So.. January 31. I was praying about HIM again. This time it wasn't, God, please be first in my affections, but let me love him too. I knew that once February rolled around, I wouldn't be able to think about anything else, so I asked God to give him boldness to speak to me about "us", this secret word I had been treasuring in my heart for the past six or seven months. I had been good. During the time he had dedicated to the Lord, I did the best I could not to spend time alone with him. I had girls praying for both of us to have integrity and to put our relationships with God before any earthly relationship. But I will admit, that when his Facebook profile picture was of the two of us on a mountain with him reading to me out of the Bible, it thrilled me. When I found out that one of the elders at the church (his MENTOR, to whom he TALKED) had high hopes of us getting together, I knew I was golden. But I didn't let on to him. I'm sure he knew on some level, but we were just friends. Y'all, we have the SAME COUCH. I couldn't believe that it was all finally about to come together.<br /><br /> So, ok, I was praying. I prayed for him to talk to me about it, and I also prayed for God to take this relationship from me if it was detrimental to OUR relationship. Because, you know, God first. I didn't want a man at the expense of my relationship with God. <br /><br /> That night, he texted me. We texted back and forth for about an hour, and then, I said something that he took the wrong way. He said it sounded like something you would say to someone you were dating. I definitely didn't mean it in that context. He then said that maybe he was overreacting, it's just that someone from our church had asked him earlier in the week if he was pursuing me. <br /><br /> My heart stopped. Ok, maybe not, but I got really nervous. It was go time. So I wrote back, "People have asked me about you as well."<br /><br /> TO FIND OUT WHAT HE SAID NEXT, STAY TUNED..NEW POST COMING SOON!<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Romans 11:33-36 (The Message)<br /><br /> 33-36Have you ever come on anything quite like this extravagant generosity of God, this deep, deep wisdom? It's way over our heads. We'll never figure it out. <br /><br /> Is there anyone around who can explain God? <br /> Anyone smart enough to tell him what to do? <br /> Anyone who has done him such a huge favor <br /> that God has to ask his advice? <br /><br /> Everything comes from him; <br /> Everything happens through him; <br /> Everything ends up in him. <br /> Always glory! Always praise! <br /> Yes. Yes. Yes.Angelahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16863689063737934494noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6387631570353816768.post-14401390143784716362010-02-08T22:18:00.002-05:002010-02-08T22:46:25.499-05:00Scary Prayers, part oneHave you ever prayed a scary prayer? One that put your heart's desires and your sense of security at risk? On the last day of January I prayed such a prayer.<br /><br />So I have been keeping it on the DL, but I have fallen hard for a man at church. Only my closest friends know (and they know EVERYTHING) that for the past 7 months or so this man has been on my mind and gradually earned a place as one of my dear friends.<br /><br />Here's the catch (and with me there usually IS one)..he had taken a vow of NO DATING for an entire year. We started hanging out in May, I believe, and since early June my feelings for him have been growing. He is a Godly man, devoted to a life's pursuit of the Lord Jesus Christ. He has a missional heart, and I respect so much about him. He is also pre-med at a local university. He may or may not be four years younger than I am. <br /><br />I knew he was unavailable until February of 2010, so this gave me the opportunity (forced me) to just be his friend. We have hung out so many times in the past 6 months, and the more I got to know him, the more I decided that he was "The One". There are certain aspects of his character I have been praying for God to mature, but all in all I could see us being a great team for God..we both want the same essential things in life, and though we argue like little kids at times, I knew with hard work and God at the center, that a relationship between us could work.<br /><br />The only thing that kept nagging me was the fact that I thought about him SO much. I would be trying to pray, and I would start daydreaming about something he said to me (or the motorcycle ride we took in the country). I prayed and prayed for God to be first in my affections and my thought life, but it wasn't happening. Since I saw God moving in our relationship,(through answered prayer and different affirmations), I didn't crack down on it like I should have. <br /><br />I confided in close, Godly women for help and advice. My friends told me to continue to pray about it, to be his friend, but not to get my hopes up. He showed interest, but I definitely read into things as well. I am a typical woman who likes to analyze EVERYTHING. We hung out almost every weekend (in groups).Eventually people started to ask me where he was when he wasn't at a function, and several people have asked if we were interested in each other (ok, more than several..like everyone who knows us). This really confirmed things for me. As his time grew closer that he would be able to date again, I was nervous, but I was also confident. He has said things to me that you don't say to "just a friend". He asked me to go to the movies (he had already seen the movie, and he forgot to invite anyone else). The way he looked at me sometimes..There were definite times when I felt him pulling away, but as a man who was supposed to be focusing solely on God, I knew he was just keeping himself in check. Even my friends were less guarded with their encouragement. I was getting excited, reading books on relationships and praying for God to bring us together.<br /><br />So, back to the scary prayer part. As I said before, one thing had nagged me throughout this whole process. While I feel more ready for a healthy (finally) relationship( and I really do..I feel I have really realistic views of what love is now more so than I ever have before), I still spent the majority of my time thinking about him. So on January 31, I prayed a scary prayer. I asked God to give him boldness to speak to me about our relationship, and I also told God that if this relationship was hindering my relationship with HIM (God) that I needed him to take it away from me.<br /><br />God answered. I will tell you how next time.. dunh dunh dunhAngelahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16863689063737934494noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6387631570353816768.post-79543489979649528732010-01-18T14:59:00.003-05:002010-01-18T16:00:11.615-05:00StillI am still living with friends. My new place will be ready soon, and I wonder what God has for me next. This has been an amazing couple months. I believe that God has grown me immensely through this time.<br /><br />I LOVE my privacy. I love personal space. So it was not the easiest thing for me to pack all of my belongings and put them in storage, and squeeze the 'necessary" into one bedroom. I admit to being a bit depressed as the two week waiting period for the new place kept getting pushed back. Now, over two months later, I can say that I am thankful for this time.<br /><br />I got a great opportunity to be a part of the Massie family. Chris and Julie took me in once before, when I first moved to Richmond, and they are so gracious and giving. I have gotten to know my "nephew" Spencer and I can say that I am pretty much in love. He is the funniest kid ever. I have had the chance to save some money, which has been a huge blessing. And I have gotten to see what it means to be a part of a family, not just worrying about my own agenda. It has been trying at times, but I love it. I will be sad to leave.<br /><br />I am most likely going to be sharing my bedroom in the new place because I have a sister from church who needs a place to stay while she is waiting to move to the Dominican Republic to work with Haitian refugees in July. This will be a challenge also. I am excited about it. I want to be more like Jesus, and this is His way. To give of yourself. <br /><br />It's been a couple months of me dealing with the loss of things. Loss of privacy, sleep (My room is next to the room of an adorable loud little baby), most of my CDs (my whole case is gone from my car), my entire set of keys fell in the snow before Christmas somewhere downtown..some little things, some not so little..led to a big pity party. I was not focused on others, just on me and my "don't haves". Couple that with the fact that I am doing all of this to move downtown to be closer to church and I have never lived in a truly urban place in my life. <br /><br />WHAT AM I DOING? It's crossed my mind. All I can say is that through this time God has showed me that it's okay. It's okay to lose things that I feel I need. Life goes on. I am still here, and when I put my focus back on the Lord, on reaching out and loving others..I was absolutely fine!! I am not grumbling anymore. I am happy. I am content. This year is going to be an exciting one.. <br /><br />Philippians 4:12<br />I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want.<br /><br />Oh..if you have time check out the page I created for <a href="http://www.facebook.com/home.php#/group.php?gid=255997414683">my friend Bekkah</a>..she is an amazing woman of God who needs some help getting to Uganda so that she can work with the orphans.Angelahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16863689063737934494noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6387631570353816768.post-20047608163182912862009-11-21T22:47:00.004-05:002009-11-21T23:02:37.298-05:00You put the chimi in chimichangas.I am in a transition process at the moment.. I have given up my beloved apartment in which I have lived for the past four years. I am now staying with one of my best friends and her family while I wait for my new place to be move-in ready,<br /><br /> I have decided that I want to move downtown..or rather that I don't feel a peace about staying in my comfort zone anymore. I am called to a church whose heart is the city of Richmond, and so I think it will be awesome to be more accessible to the community and my church family, many of whom are college students and live fairly close to my new place. <br /><br /> It will definitely be a big change. I will be living in a pretty sketchy part of town. I have been a suburbanite my whole life, and I truly prefer country peace to city clamor, but I know where God has called me for this season of my life, and that He will equip me to do every good work which he has prepared beforehand for me to walk in..so I am excited! I was scared for about a week, because honestly the house I am moving into hasn't been lived in for 4 years, and when my new downstairs duplex sharer (landlady) was showing me the place it was nighttime and she was looking into all the rooms for vagrants before we would go in. Wasn't exactly the best sell I've ever seen. She plans to do big renovations and make the place awesome, so I will just be excited for this new adventure and trust that God will see me through.<br /><br /> One thing God has been teaching me is the joy of living for His glory and setting myself aside as much as I can. You truly do need Christ at the center to have a balanced life. When it is all about Him (and it IS, so let me rephrase and say when we REALIZE it's all about Him) it takes so much pressure off of us..pressure to conform to the world's standards, to strive after what they call success, what they call beauty, what they call fulfilled. Because if they are so fulfilled, why are they so unhappy? Because we are only truly fulfilled in knowing and being known by God. When we are the center of our universe, we collapse under the weight. <br /><br /> I don't even know where I'm going with this. I have been a little scattered lately: I guess moving does that to you; but my constant is God. I am glad that he never changes. Wherever I go, whatever my circumstances..he is the same.<br /><br /> Ok I am very sleepy and I have an early class at church in the morning so goodnight blogworld.Angelahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16863689063737934494noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6387631570353816768.post-55627803907749821982009-10-11T19:54:00.002-04:002009-10-11T20:02:19.534-04:00Please prayHey friends I need your help. My dad was taking down a broken tree in the yard on Thursday and the trunk separated and fell on him, breaking his arm badly and possibly cracking his ribs. He had surgery Friday, and was supposed to be released Saturday. Unfortunately, now they think he has developed pneumonia. <br /><br />My mom is a nurse and she says that happens sometimes when you are on all of the meds post surgery and your lungs aren't getting a ton of air cause you're laying down all of the time. Anyway, I just ask that you would pray for him to be healed quickly and that God would comfort him at this time..even drawing my dad into a more real relationship with Him. This is not my biological dad, but (thank God) he raised me. He is a good man and he always thinks of others. I am not sure about his relationship with God, but I get the feeling that being around three Christian women (my mom, my sister, and at long last me!) that he has given it some thought! <br /><br />His name is Mike and I love him very much so please pray for my dad to get better soon! I have never seen him out of commission like this before so it's pretty scary! I also ask you to pray that he would not develop a dependency on pain medication..for some reason this has been on my heart. Love you all and I thank you for lifting my dad up in your prayers.Angelahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16863689063737934494noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6387631570353816768.post-83675194436071517692009-08-22T16:03:00.003-04:002009-08-22T16:29:35.135-04:00Home againThere were great things about Greece. I got to meet a large group of extended family, I danced to Greek bazouki music at a christening party, I swam in pristine blue water, and I saw a 2500 year old temple. Aegina was gorgeous, although more dry than I expected. Greece has a definite Middle Eastern vibe to it, rather than European. It was not what I expected. I am grateful that I got to spend time with my family, but I was homesick a LOT. I am glad to be back on American soil. This truly is a great country. <br /><br />Top ten reasons I am glad to be home:<br /><br />1. My beach reading in Greece was "The Case for Faith". My stepmom's was "The God Delusion".<br /><br />2. The primary religion in Greece is Greek Orthodox. This involves saint worship and has little to no impact on the way the people live their lives. It is idol worship and the people don't actually have a relationship with the Lord. My cousins were the godparents in a christening I attended there. They are not even slightly Christian. Religion there is just part of being Greek.<br /><br />3. You can't flush toilet paper. The plumbing system can't handle it. You have to throw used toilet paper in the garbage.<br /><br />4. The roads in Aegina are curvy and ascend and descend mountains. My dad was driving our rental car, which was a 1989-1990 Fiat Scudo mini-bus with a stick shift. There are not guard rails on the roads. We narrowly escaped death numerous times.<br /><br />5. They have nothing but Greek food there.<br /><br />6. I missed my church family terribly. I was surrounded by non-believers for two weeks straight, and it really made me sad. It was a great time to witness to them and pray for them, but the family I have that lives in Greece don't even speak English, so it was hard to have a conversation. Hopefully I planted some seed of truth among the lies that dictate the way my family lives their lives.<br /><br />7. NOBODY spoke English. <br /><br />8. EVERYBODY smokes. By the end of the vacation, cigarettes were starting to look good to me again, even though I haven't smoked in years. You get over the smell eventually, I guess, if you're around it long enough.<br /><br />10. Oh, mercy, the time difference. 7 hours ahead over there. I have got some major jet lag.<br /><br /><br />As I reflect on my vacation, I know I was there for a reason. There were many things that went wrong while I was there..I really didn't have a great time. People were on edge, nothing went according to plan, my brother got an ear infection, our quad (four-wheeler) ran out of gas, our mini-bus had a dozen things go wrong, the maid left a cigarette in the toilet..etc. etc. There were moments of hilarity because if you didn't laugh, you'd cry. I had so many people praying for my family to know Christ that I know there was definite spiritual opposition going on. It was a reminder to me that these people I hardly ever see are greatly in need of the living God. Also, it calls me to pray for Aegina, an island full of people who need the Gospel. <br /><br />As I transition back into my life here, with my church, and with my Bible study, I will not forget to pray for them. I am glad to be home, but I am reminded that this world is temporary, and that there are still so many things left to do! Being around no Christians made it painfully obvious that without Christ, there is NO hope. I really want to keep this with me as I go about my day to day.<br /><br />Love y'all.Angelahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16863689063737934494noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6387631570353816768.post-57375052195475675972009-08-22T14:36:00.004-04:002009-08-22T14:48:07.473-04:00<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQfXmJihcQMq3D5LtJWVzkWD_i4KWu7Agd5R8csYVK-c0s80TtkcOYGBN3RO1efOwuUIzeSdhpvpFkJjNJ-73JrppXqT6KKwTfsc79fjllp_nEpBUYKQkmsYuGuxr7P69BfZ1VhqJ23Wsk/s1600-h/182.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQfXmJihcQMq3D5LtJWVzkWD_i4KWu7Agd5R8csYVK-c0s80TtkcOYGBN3RO1efOwuUIzeSdhpvpFkJjNJ-73JrppXqT6KKwTfsc79fjllp_nEpBUYKQkmsYuGuxr7P69BfZ1VhqJ23Wsk/s400/182.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5372861349625624386" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjklmuaQveQ7tAD9pJKyptlEyQND7PJiwGqzi4isL04UUw_ibEbP2nm5168oRaZ3xlDDPo4YmzR8OwcQNnfjCS8rTm9xGSt-FAH1lKcBC2aTc87D4Q6VojzhjT_pZIy9msDiSVnQJbkdYRW/s1600-h/169.JPG"><img style="display:block; 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margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRb5aDpXKkJ6NG3q2HjIruUKWOmD_kK0rqAHdsN_-Digot1Fsvqi1G3rM-uQlPo-LFXFSmjQvSdyWHg1eEYpXqTQYqkLGTyNK6jhznAv6jI9qMa-mqrtcbixxPY75mbSfIY4ee9Tgw4jaM/s400/135.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5372860148656100834" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcrBjp5qnAR6htHqPGRnX3Kfa7An_EmcECeaG6NalA2bn26antttuDxrFGOfPswQ7zQZx6WnAH_Tjq2jufGzDQu63hTmvd9KarvnINrERh2XqCz93lyWmxgY3avJV5gaMqbdSVVYCO0P1U/s1600-h/176.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcrBjp5qnAR6htHqPGRnX3Kfa7An_EmcECeaG6NalA2bn26antttuDxrFGOfPswQ7zQZx6WnAH_Tjq2jufGzDQu63hTmvd9KarvnINrERh2XqCz93lyWmxgY3avJV5gaMqbdSVVYCO0P1U/s400/176.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5372860140846610594" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2D2s1XH1qzco0wPDgIIt3L7kQqAFUDfHHWP8jSocHka7xH2EW9yJBRWWNfXWEo7NVulz9VQnjQGkYlPL5VR1ViJI51bx2UPb3OYUivAyA4NUAIMWSM9nowbnlZuf1bJimqHlSY4Jqk8UO/s1600-h/095.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2D2s1XH1qzco0wPDgIIt3L7kQqAFUDfHHWP8jSocHka7xH2EW9yJBRWWNfXWEo7NVulz9VQnjQGkYlPL5VR1ViJI51bx2UPb3OYUivAyA4NUAIMWSM9nowbnlZuf1bJimqHlSY4Jqk8UO/s400/095.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5372860131198347522" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXIVZDweBGGA3yM82VaR-vf3aqzyZToTiXzlj5ihpjWKs88JwODUUxEWIa2wChDTT8B0AgKKOggyEWdjuhV4MiadNR_tvv2zkiEeh3p-JH64YHPogeOQtx5_Irm0SiYjvYLFgXItQdkdfP/s1600-h/057.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXIVZDweBGGA3yM82VaR-vf3aqzyZToTiXzlj5ihpjWKs88JwODUUxEWIa2wChDTT8B0AgKKOggyEWdjuhV4MiadNR_tvv2zkiEeh3p-JH64YHPogeOQtx5_Irm0SiYjvYLFgXItQdkdfP/s400/057.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5372860127111993778" /></a><br /><br /><br /> The past two weeks were spent driving from VA to NY, taking a plane to Athens, and then a boat to the island of Aegina, which is where my father grew up. Greece is beautiful, but I am glad to be back!!Angelahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16863689063737934494noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6387631570353816768.post-17843354345145095012009-08-04T21:32:00.010-04:002009-08-04T22:53:52.505-04:00Like an Indian summer, but no Indians..well..maybe one..This summer has been one of the best I can remember. I have been involved in a Biblical community in a way that I have longed for..a group of friends that is there for each other..doing life TOGETHER. I am humbled and inspired by these people because every minute of every day is devoted to honoring God..whether we are bowling, having a cookout, playing a game of softball, whatever.. God is the focus. Bringing people in to a family of believers to encourage them daily is what my church emphasizes. It has been a huge blessing to me. I am growing (and not without growing pains..change is not my favorite thing) and being challenged to walk the walk ALL the time.. I know I haven't been writing on a regular basis but please know that I miss you all! I just wanted to share some fun pics from the past couple months..<br /><br /><br /> This is when we scored big with 1 dollar game night at a place cleverly named "The Bowling Alley". <br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0pAplbYX5W2x9vn-cLFJ8QeWk_S4STesjsB8318togkUsl-BVTm7JCiy_Q86dsIXNBWpQ5hMeZJs6G4-UdY9lrbGuky629_TWqQYPs1nxz1cDW2BZ3Ahd284htxV2rtvbraaP5U9W0IIT/s1600-h/group+shot+bowling+july+09.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0pAplbYX5W2x9vn-cLFJ8QeWk_S4STesjsB8318togkUsl-BVTm7JCiy_Q86dsIXNBWpQ5hMeZJs6G4-UdY9lrbGuky629_TWqQYPs1nxz1cDW2BZ3Ahd284htxV2rtvbraaP5U9W0IIT/s400/group+shot+bowling+july+09.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5366287057309455426" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWmv1GFktf4t1pLr7PiZwQ8lZKFcX1CVjeXhg4TX6IS3z4JqDAWxpz7EQ6_Zg34PtuGUjJHuonb8XHaTGeejRSbboZm_dX_c0dkp787FAax5nlRjgMw8Mn5HYWGJNQ4JWqfxovXueXGZat/s1600-h/me+alicia+chris+laughing.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWmv1GFktf4t1pLr7PiZwQ8lZKFcX1CVjeXhg4TX6IS3z4JqDAWxpz7EQ6_Zg34PtuGUjJHuonb8XHaTGeejRSbboZm_dX_c0dkp787FAax5nlRjgMw8Mn5HYWGJNQ4JWqfxovXueXGZat/s400/me+alicia+chris+laughing.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5366287052416579874" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhM4FoE7rWB3AtIEdN76I2lL7FdMv6VTz1qpIOV3hLsUiBHL0pc1guVkMWOAmtxT40vktjtBpGfq7PnfadVXQoIPZp63NkmE7VWHwCJKOf9_1AQmsa1f3O0Cx5hgHNMSLuqllMqB57C24zE/s1600-h/bowling+two+spares.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhM4FoE7rWB3AtIEdN76I2lL7FdMv6VTz1qpIOV3hLsUiBHL0pc1guVkMWOAmtxT40vktjtBpGfq7PnfadVXQoIPZp63NkmE7VWHwCJKOf9_1AQmsa1f3O0Cx5hgHNMSLuqllMqB57C24zE/s400/bowling+two+spares.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5366287049047798082" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6Tyoj7hSyJfb-WvWNu7bWZwpqYvkRudy0TfL_yrCsfOlMfSP7uHejM4qEL1sFxpFnjtVUdzSTgEyd8fXwYzMQtML6l3Luz1ufXnD9CiyfxBqgZrPyO4xQTwha5atVZNxdvCmdNy_TYYQi/s1600-h/angela+bowling.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6Tyoj7hSyJfb-WvWNu7bWZwpqYvkRudy0TfL_yrCsfOlMfSP7uHejM4qEL1sFxpFnjtVUdzSTgEyd8fXwYzMQtML6l3Luz1ufXnD9CiyfxBqgZrPyO4xQTwha5atVZNxdvCmdNy_TYYQi/s400/angela+bowling.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5366287041652680402" /></a><br /> <br /><br />On July 19, I got baptized in the James River in downtown Richmond at a park called Belle Isle. The weather couldn't have been more perfect, and it was beautiful to gather with my church family, my friends and my parents to show my dedication to Jesus. Also, they had a surprise for me. Instead of the pastor baptizing me, they secretly asked my friend Trent to do it. It was an awesome, awesome day.<br /><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEij739defWuhEPW35682iWVh0jvOUtzNo844ZNFIPCe_fbCSlNHwsC0UwuX3o9ET_Uhyphenhyphenk3GRSxd9bJ0JgYF3Z1cKtV1Gu5eGcavwV8r9lWzp3-YpkfxsQx_9NN99LesyuxJ1UM2z4KLhKFu/s1600-h/mary+ann+alicia+baptism.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEij739defWuhEPW35682iWVh0jvOUtzNo844ZNFIPCe_fbCSlNHwsC0UwuX3o9ET_Uhyphenhyphenk3GRSxd9bJ0JgYF3Z1cKtV1Gu5eGcavwV8r9lWzp3-YpkfxsQx_9NN99LesyuxJ1UM2z4KLhKFu/s400/mary+ann+alicia+baptism.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5366303265742099170" /></a><br /><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4DJn4edmJLpwY6Qem8B6Q-pX7njl_31SJUZ8Xpcxhgu0INFRQjaw8HGbEJxVd93UFdi3xLkWE1FN_f957OVWLBPGN0J27v_B3iFCodO55iYY46iiG-cdJnc5vuF9295TL6nnUAoF8Du52/s1600-h/200.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4DJn4edmJLpwY6Qem8B6Q-pX7njl_31SJUZ8Xpcxhgu0INFRQjaw8HGbEJxVd93UFdi3xLkWE1FN_f957OVWLBPGN0J27v_B3iFCodO55iYY46iiG-cdJnc5vuF9295TL6nnUAoF8Du52/s400/200.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5366290188009500114" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj96rVvpbhSV_dH_5bxT83oCPSg4Z8HrOZlK9jY07NwdlqsAqQSs4EhNuBdIR5vVeBa9NHlHI5F974lk1qo_ctFtbV1H9DfFryfpjhWrhFK_kkqicko_3MCWcuHtrGACnPz3h7ZDJopQJeP/s1600-h/205.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj96rVvpbhSV_dH_5bxT83oCPSg4Z8HrOZlK9jY07NwdlqsAqQSs4EhNuBdIR5vVeBa9NHlHI5F974lk1qo_ctFtbV1H9DfFryfpjhWrhFK_kkqicko_3MCWcuHtrGACnPz3h7ZDJopQJeP/s400/205.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5366290185351467730" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4DU5n4zsREiI-gepNNEr74-PNb1EPQB96868YJGrsFX3R36wjXvZO0JrVzEm1f3GonN-VFmrzXRv6X11r5jjnNuRpA3YSsVbr5THdxBQokmc0sFCNkocyPhg47YTBAD2mQGKki2ZmpGqv/s1600-h/184.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4DU5n4zsREiI-gepNNEr74-PNb1EPQB96868YJGrsFX3R36wjXvZO0JrVzEm1f3GonN-VFmrzXRv6X11r5jjnNuRpA3YSsVbr5THdxBQokmc0sFCNkocyPhg47YTBAD2mQGKki2ZmpGqv/s400/184.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5366290176755956706" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhH7dBJJYqvxunlbH0hO1TRetJBAOnh4eV4fadCOd-VXRKHbU7Vdu4RZ9fT-op6oA3fg68O_NKyEgj3XCBkHPEzWM0orpOMsE6UMpiiyTdqFe91ZPX97vXdfYqsV0PfcZmBQgwzoi3OiIJk/s1600-h/baptism.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhH7dBJJYqvxunlbH0hO1TRetJBAOnh4eV4fadCOd-VXRKHbU7Vdu4RZ9fT-op6oA3fg68O_NKyEgj3XCBkHPEzWM0orpOMsE6UMpiiyTdqFe91ZPX97vXdfYqsV0PfcZmBQgwzoi3OiIJk/s400/baptism.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5366290170005004082" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3YIWG7WIsw4lLHaHuhcxnCCixMBC9D7s_iRS9fKmShOlcKxtiQK5gnAUeodoy53zt9PNvrxQJRkSZFecVFFpXoFvXgJ6_P1o_bLQdWREYnCVl0rNw_RIIwxWc9_OVx1X7AZsyk7HJtoFq/s1600-h/me+happy+baptism.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3YIWG7WIsw4lLHaHuhcxnCCixMBC9D7s_iRS9fKmShOlcKxtiQK5gnAUeodoy53zt9PNvrxQJRkSZFecVFFpXoFvXgJ6_P1o_bLQdWREYnCVl0rNw_RIIwxWc9_OVx1X7AZsyk7HJtoFq/s400/me+happy+baptism.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5366290167162979698" /></a><br /><br /><br /> We took a trip to DC the day before the baptism..not a huge thing for me since I grew up there but it was fun to go with my friends! One of my friends is obsessed with the metro. We played games while we were waiting for the trains and entertained the other passengers.<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhs9WpXK8LwIZBxFTlyuv-zIzTjD4Gjkb7OCCyMoUmM-Ff1On_gFaUR9Lx-YvefMkszVuHBntEX68QJzlLt_ITvI9RUXmvBXgLZrS5_anMRLEpVjndD9a569fkQ90WIorKMN9l6gk7UT1b6/s1600-h/heads.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 344px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhs9WpXK8LwIZBxFTlyuv-zIzTjD4Gjkb7OCCyMoUmM-Ff1On_gFaUR9Lx-YvefMkszVuHBntEX68QJzlLt_ITvI9RUXmvBXgLZrS5_anMRLEpVjndD9a569fkQ90WIorKMN9l6gk7UT1b6/s400/heads.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5366293057959811746" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQvHJIOgToCREuicKvYcfUnfrh0RRE0iyXna-njlAT57yQY8DHaK8U4PHjV3PnZRgsgOduswRsrdLwcUVXz5w5OPF-t_8OrqEAXfVASm43o2PGyXuOPOeROL1S0ipFToc9WlKjGj2KD7an/s1600-h/metro+me+julian+tiziana.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQvHJIOgToCREuicKvYcfUnfrh0RRE0iyXna-njlAT57yQY8DHaK8U4PHjV3PnZRgsgOduswRsrdLwcUVXz5w5OPF-t_8OrqEAXfVASm43o2PGyXuOPOeROL1S0ipFToc9WlKjGj2KD7an/s400/metro+me+julian+tiziana.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5366293052354368066" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5qvbde2Wc1_kAvTVJTDZkmqx7SB2I6Tj7p7hhbFKTHz5ANiVoaPItggB0Ls3GEvlwnAICIR82a2DF7XuP5zFMZYt8OZhvu3HCTPzHGiqfGmxrsL1RhzXLydLN7kenfReaeTDsH9jSmaQa/s1600-h/gang+signs+at+the+metro.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5qvbde2Wc1_kAvTVJTDZkmqx7SB2I6Tj7p7hhbFKTHz5ANiVoaPItggB0Ls3GEvlwnAICIR82a2DF7XuP5zFMZYt8OZhvu3HCTPzHGiqfGmxrsL1RhzXLydLN7kenfReaeTDsH9jSmaQa/s400/gang+signs+at+the+metro.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5366293050485931922" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGbXQkjXRkJIG6atv4wp83E6WXJ__O7CAwSf8NRjxq8UO4gBc2U14qTmDgS9nkwrghqUIGt3ReEFJmfgxnAqO5bLrnayHIG70nvI43GYkwbAHvZyGJowvr_qs__qZm47eJrOpj1AwjFmeg/s1600-h/gangsta+pic.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGbXQkjXRkJIG6atv4wp83E6WXJ__O7CAwSf8NRjxq8UO4gBc2U14qTmDgS9nkwrghqUIGt3ReEFJmfgxnAqO5bLrnayHIG70nvI43GYkwbAHvZyGJowvr_qs__qZm47eJrOpj1AwjFmeg/s400/gangsta+pic.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5366293048149705890" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMwshIB5kLitocwR2x4SxH8IO8daHXrwp0C7q3t8dNRkgumuEHutc0Sx6x0tduwEmImZbakHcGTCvywIc1Hq0fQfESZJvUhGG7UMD8ImOlkXI_nUloHTzbifftavhWHC0BOls6GVcKBvzf/s1600-h/me+riza+tiziana+shing.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMwshIB5kLitocwR2x4SxH8IO8daHXrwp0C7q3t8dNRkgumuEHutc0Sx6x0tduwEmImZbakHcGTCvywIc1Hq0fQfESZJvUhGG7UMD8ImOlkXI_nUloHTzbifftavhWHC0BOls6GVcKBvzf/s400/me+riza+tiziana+shing.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5366293045122847890" /></a><br /><br /> And we went for a hike in the mountains..<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEYOqtwL8oCmIJR0vz7g_jpX5nTADFFglUR6n_HK-etsvRFyoNI8LRH5Zu_GwgzXXPtenaOWbCQDKDK0zS_46m0SrB5XyfZlhKSfJBVcaF_vjFUNUEnLwoMe58Ns2tkXyhpCDzalzp2ajL/s1600-h/all+humpback.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 299px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEYOqtwL8oCmIJR0vz7g_jpX5nTADFFglUR6n_HK-etsvRFyoNI8LRH5Zu_GwgzXXPtenaOWbCQDKDK0zS_46m0SrB5XyfZlhKSfJBVcaF_vjFUNUEnLwoMe58Ns2tkXyhpCDzalzp2ajL/s400/all+humpback.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5366294523948004770" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilTxNqRpUA8smndpeqEnyTmiNU49GXFswwOvjc87GX0L1tkbuTv5x5zr20LEgUyXM9M8PY0eV8cGcnTH4cAHlgwkOzqjPIDS1p5HtDY8mW2Qr4h7PeF8XBgMEH2dvZ6J6IEIToI153AQe7/s1600-h/kung+fu+humpback.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 299px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilTxNqRpUA8smndpeqEnyTmiNU49GXFswwOvjc87GX0L1tkbuTv5x5zr20LEgUyXM9M8PY0eV8cGcnTH4cAHlgwkOzqjPIDS1p5HtDY8mW2Qr4h7PeF8XBgMEH2dvZ6J6IEIToI153AQe7/s400/kung+fu+humpback.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5366294523324113042" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6IkKz8sDN74hTggVVSf6MNnVTbUcuIiBC0JluNO1Xy3EXiKxprL0MhRNCpghAuLjkbPXlwCwxdlIdEQFss0-q-zzOYO1Shj-nJiQP2KMGI9SqRx3ZH4Ndapm1D2tfcwGcOMqxEehGdtrv/s1600-h/me+reading+humpback.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 299px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6IkKz8sDN74hTggVVSf6MNnVTbUcuIiBC0JluNO1Xy3EXiKxprL0MhRNCpghAuLjkbPXlwCwxdlIdEQFss0-q-zzOYO1Shj-nJiQP2KMGI9SqRx3ZH4Ndapm1D2tfcwGcOMqxEehGdtrv/s400/me+reading+humpback.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5366294516908179986" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhymCwUwi2MjdpsbgqJiTl9-DXCtBv29zDkjufsvKZdILdVVrBw7zibwfw3tzu1Ze6HpcdJksuVmRj8MLguPDxMSL2VGdsHFX5XPkb6HmUwlTfxnQCnNS5qdegaHmSVigWUPNTaPxCQTSoD/s1600-h/me+trent+humpback.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 299px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhymCwUwi2MjdpsbgqJiTl9-DXCtBv29zDkjufsvKZdILdVVrBw7zibwfw3tzu1Ze6HpcdJksuVmRj8MLguPDxMSL2VGdsHFX5XPkb6HmUwlTfxnQCnNS5qdegaHmSVigWUPNTaPxCQTSoD/s400/me+trent+humpback.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5366294512890723698" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieWoAXLuVyXY6AWT8y0yJdDU0IznhOsQpXgCrE5-vQJgvC7-qENtedfYE829PNEIHt6nIIDE_8mZcTqn0G8vSu3TYuviqUnBEf6HZ6B9yIhltpWeTSRxW8iRlWz7q6JJd_ETweLtFKof-d/s1600-h/laughing+humpback.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieWoAXLuVyXY6AWT8y0yJdDU0IznhOsQpXgCrE5-vQJgvC7-qENtedfYE829PNEIHt6nIIDE_8mZcTqn0G8vSu3TYuviqUnBEf6HZ6B9yIhltpWeTSRxW8iRlWz7q6JJd_ETweLtFKof-d/s400/laughing+humpback.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5366294510845438818" /></a><br /> <br /> There have been some sad changes, too. My coleader Tuesday nights moved last weekend and I actually was presented with the opportunity to colead a small group for my church. So, with sadness, I will end my work-based Bible study, but with joy I will continue teaching women about the Lord. The best part is that it will still be on the same night, and hopefully I will have some of the same women attend the new Bible study. Then they will be able to meet the girls from church and form great, godly friendships and have accountability. The next pics are from our last night together. We went to Maggianos and when we came out there was a beautiful rainbow in the sky.<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtZp_jcC8g3v2Y9_A7GxR6HKe8ltnmUoDG__-81MyuGJpdIdxUkW2HWsxdDqVSkiGQZP4tdvh92w3vuHQf3ueWPot-FaTimn-wQExGm1YQAoi7F3FgcXn1Vsw8FlBDr80OeFPHChhyphenhyphenZhjC/s1600-h/044.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtZp_jcC8g3v2Y9_A7GxR6HKe8ltnmUoDG__-81MyuGJpdIdxUkW2HWsxdDqVSkiGQZP4tdvh92w3vuHQf3ueWPot-FaTimn-wQExGm1YQAoi7F3FgcXn1Vsw8FlBDr80OeFPHChhyphenhyphenZhjC/s400/044.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5366302732691248114" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbCvvdN_eCyC68DsxTEW1XqXwVaTffI188TV-XdUM734ELJaiI2vBZCtahEzcHLj3146tfXiqCS8ZCGTRqagbkqRivUdQcLdEjw0kKWhyohIFA4ewPqgjmCSsvmtkD5envMrzMqOu5rJiX/s1600-h/050.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbCvvdN_eCyC68DsxTEW1XqXwVaTffI188TV-XdUM734ELJaiI2vBZCtahEzcHLj3146tfXiqCS8ZCGTRqagbkqRivUdQcLdEjw0kKWhyohIFA4ewPqgjmCSsvmtkD5envMrzMqOu5rJiX/s400/050.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5366302727894713522" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjafSwHxWY9wGT_jffJqtHfPWKOLBY184N3yshRF6d5FyeBx4vHLYHJOci-SjcDltiGZtjKnEJfF5DEr2F6ir_Bc1XqZ_ipB0ARQewuyxeiPhA_wByFOn7duGH2-x2Mke643xMgQottE1fA/s1600-h/043.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjafSwHxWY9wGT_jffJqtHfPWKOLBY184N3yshRF6d5FyeBx4vHLYHJOci-SjcDltiGZtjKnEJfF5DEr2F6ir_Bc1XqZ_ipB0ARQewuyxeiPhA_wByFOn7duGH2-x2Mke643xMgQottE1fA/s400/043.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5366302719924875138" /></a><br /><br /> I am getting ready to go on vacation. When I get back, summer will be mostly over. I am almost sad that I will miss the rest of the fun times, but I know this vacation will be awesome.Please pray for me to be able to be a witness to my unsaved family members and to be able to really use my free time to be in the Word. I will tell you where I went when I get back! And..there will be more pictures, I'm sure! Thanks for letting me share my summer with you! How is yours going?Angelahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16863689063737934494noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6387631570353816768.post-39788460567502991282009-07-11T19:26:00.002-04:002009-07-11T19:43:25.297-04:00The hope of glory..Colossians 1:27<br />To them God has chosen to make known among the Gentiles the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.<br /><br /><br />I look for outward signs of God to manifest themselves, so that my faith may be strengthened. The physical protection from harm and the barriers from disappointment and sadness. Sometimes they are there, and sometimes I am left wondering why the heck God isn't doing more. Yes, I do. I get mad. Even though I know that God doesn't owe me anything, I still feel like "people" who love you should look out for you. So it's hard for me to feel like praising when I am in a situation that seems like it's never going to change, or if it does, it will be for the worse. <br /><br />Believing God is not my strongest virtue. I tend to pray and then I am surprised when prayers are answered in obvious ways, but not surprised at all when I don't see the answer I was looking for. <br /><br />So I have been a little down lately, just involving life, work, and relationships..but then I realize that I do have hope..and it IS evident. Christ is IN me. My reactions to the things that get me down are so different than what they were even a year ago. Honestly, I can say that I am leaning on the Lord, even though I am hurt (and upset with God). I know that he is the only One that I can trust. Not alcohol, not men, not complaining. This is a joy to me..a quiet joy that doesn't come with a smile, because I am still sad..but it is boostering my faith and giving me the strength to serve God and praise Him because this is "Christ in me, the hope of glory" that is proof that one day I will be face to face with Jesus. <br /><br />The joy of the Lord is my strength.Angelahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16863689063737934494noreply@blogger.com3