Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Honor one another above yourselves. Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. Share with God's people who are in need. Practice hospitality.
Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn. Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position. Do not be conceited.
Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everybody. If it is possible, as far a it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. Do not take revenge, my friends, but leave room for God's wrath, for it is written: "It is mine to avenge; I will repay," says the Lord. On the contrary: "If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head." Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.
~Romans 12:9-21
I love this passage of scripture and just wanted to share it with you before I went any further!
The past two weeks of camp have been incredible! Last week we were in Gatlinburg with 4,500 students - it was unbelievable the amount of students there! It brings chills to me just thinking about the sight of 4500 students worshipping the Lord. Wow. Those are images that I will never forget. We had a wonderful week with Louie Giglio and Fee - such great guys with a huge heart for the Lord and bringing others to know Him. I was so encouraged by them. We also had two concerts throughout the week with Leeland and David Crowder Band - both were great and seemed to really draw in the students who were there to a genuine time of worship. This was my first time working with any of these guys...I look forward to being with them again in just a few short weeks!
Gatlinburg is quite an interesting place in case you didn't know. There are more Old Time Photo Shops (which maybe we did one as a team...), fudge, candy apples, taffy, souveniers and tank tops that any one person can handle. The week that we were there was Student Life week as well as AARP week...interesting combo of people, that's for sure...! There was something just so special about that week though - the people who were there for Student Life @ Gatlinburg were wonderful - so excited to be there and so encouraging to me and our staff. It is amazing how far a "Thank You" will go! Oh how much I am learning this summer...
We loaded out of the Convention Center beginning at 11:00pm..yes..pm..the last night of the event and finished up around 8:00 am..yes..am..the next morning. An all-nighter of coiling cables, undoing trusses, gathering chain motors, packing up an office full of computers papers, printers, office supplies, and packing 4 penske trucks...big penske trucks...full of all of this stuff! It was a looong night, but I was so proud of our team as their attitudes stayed wonderful for all 8 or so hours of loading out and packing trucks. We ended up staying in Gatlinburg that next night in order to allow everyone to rest - it was a much needed break for the team and served as a great time to catch up on sleep!
We are finishing up our week of camp at Lee University tomorrow. It has been a wonderful week here as well. Ed Newton has been our speaker for the week, with Pocket Full of Rocks as the worship leaders. It has been great :)
Each week I sit in on meetings and listen as youth pastors share prayer requests for their students. I am amazed at the things that go on in this world. And I do not mean amazed in a good way... There are teenagers all over this world dealing with more struggles and difficult situations than I can't even begin to imagine having to deal with. Students come to camp every week dealing with broken homes, other troubles at home, abuse, addiction, deaths in the family...the list could go on and on. It is heartbreaking to hear. But...more than that...is the AMAZING ways that God works in the lives of these students...especially while at Student Life Camp. Nothing brings me more joy and there is no greater miracle than when youth ministers or Family Group Leaders come tell me that one of these students, that we have been praying for, comes to know Christ throughout their time at camp. Praise God!
Headed to the Georgia Baptist Conference Center in Toccoa, GA tomorrow...need to go pack the office truck now! :)
Tuesday, June 30, 2009
Monday, June 15, 2009
Let Your Kingdom Come...
We are wrapping up our 4th camp at Covenant College - Jeremy Kingsley and the Stephen Miller Band were wonderful! We leave tomorrow afternoon to head to Gatlinburg for one of our largest events...ah! I am excited about it, but have to admit that it's a little nerve racking at the same time :) 4,500 students is a lot...but it is exciting that they are all coming together to spend a week worshiping our Lord and Savior. Our speaker for Gatlinburg will be Louie Giglio, and the Worship Leader will be Fee. We will also have two concerts by David Crowder Band and Leeland. I am looking forward to a wonderful week!
Last week with Aaron Ivey we sang a song called 'Let Your Kingdom Come' that has continued to stay in my head...the words are so incredible...
Give us a love for peace
Move us to brokenness
Our generosity,
Release from poverty
Your Kingdom here and now
To the least of these
Distribute what we have
That all may taste and see
Let Your Kingdom come
Let Your will be done
All the Earth will say
and echo angels' praise
That You are God
So, let the sick run free
The orphan find her home
The captured man will know
Release from slavery
Your Kingdom here and now
To the least of these
Distribute what we have
That all may taste and see
We pray and ask for hope
We pray and ask for peace
We pray and ask for justice
We pray and ask for You
Let Your Kingdom come
Let Your will be done
All the Earth will say
and echo angels' praise
that You are God
Last week with Aaron Ivey we sang a song called 'Let Your Kingdom Come' that has continued to stay in my head...the words are so incredible...
Give us a love for peace
Move us to brokenness
Our generosity,
Release from poverty
Your Kingdom here and now
To the least of these
Distribute what we have
That all may taste and see
Let Your Kingdom come
Let Your will be done
All the Earth will say
and echo angels' praise
That You are God
So, let the sick run free
The orphan find her home
The captured man will know
Release from slavery
Your Kingdom here and now
To the least of these
Distribute what we have
That all may taste and see
We pray and ask for hope
We pray and ask for peace
We pray and ask for justice
We pray and ask for You
Let Your Kingdom come
Let Your will be done
All the Earth will say
and echo angels' praise
that You are God
Thursday, June 11, 2009
BT09...
For the past three weeks, two times a day, I have found myself sitting in corporate worship with teenagers from all around the country. Interacting with students day in and day out is such a blessing! Sitting in the back of an auditorium and watching students encounter Christ is more than powerful. In just these past three weeks, God as taught me so much about myself and who I am in Christ. I have been challenged in my job, challenged in my walk with Christ, and challenged by my amazing team and their hearts for the Lord. I praise God for blessing me and Graham with an incredible team of college students and college graduates. These people are beyond wonderful! Their love for Christ and desire to serve in His name never ceases to inspire me. The Blue Team...also known as BT09...is a blessing to me!
I truly love my job. I love the fact that I am able to play a part in making camp happen for students across the country. I pray that my work makes the work of every Youth Minister attending Student Life this summer easier so that they can spend more of their week at camp pouring into their students. My favorite part of my job, though, is getting to love on and encourage 11 of the most incredible girls I have ever met. Take a look at them:
Aren't they gorgeous??! These girls are some of the most passionate ladies I have ever met when it comes to talking about Jesus Christ. They have truly challenged me, more than ever, to dive into the Word and strengthen my relationship with my Heavenly Father. I praise God for each of them and for giving me the opportunity to love on them.
Covenant College has been such a fun place to 'live' for the past several weeks. It is on top of Lookout Mountain - the view is INCREDIBLE!!! The weather here is crazy - there are times where we are literally in the midst of a cloud. This is what it looked like the other day...
That's about all that is going on right now! We have a camp that ends tomorrow morning, and another that starts tomorrow afternoon so things are about to pick up once again around here! After this coming camp, though, we're off to Gatlinburg for our Student Life @ Gatlinburg event! I am really looking forward to it. I will write more later...for now it's time to shower and get ready for Youth Minister's meeting and worship tonight. Have a wonderful night :)
Oh...and an exciting update on this summer...throughout our 3 weeks at Covenant, we have had a total of 95 children sponsored through Compassion International! Praise God!
I truly love my job. I love the fact that I am able to play a part in making camp happen for students across the country. I pray that my work makes the work of every Youth Minister attending Student Life this summer easier so that they can spend more of their week at camp pouring into their students. My favorite part of my job, though, is getting to love on and encourage 11 of the most incredible girls I have ever met. Take a look at them:
Aren't they gorgeous??! These girls are some of the most passionate ladies I have ever met when it comes to talking about Jesus Christ. They have truly challenged me, more than ever, to dive into the Word and strengthen my relationship with my Heavenly Father. I praise God for each of them and for giving me the opportunity to love on them.
Covenant College has been such a fun place to 'live' for the past several weeks. It is on top of Lookout Mountain - the view is INCREDIBLE!!! The weather here is crazy - there are times where we are literally in the midst of a cloud. This is what it looked like the other day...
Oh...and an exciting update on this summer...throughout our 3 weeks at Covenant, we have had a total of 95 children sponsored through Compassion International! Praise God!
Tuesday, June 2, 2009
The Simple Things in Life...
A swimming pool. Pretty common thing, right? Almost everyone in the United States, by the time that they are 5 years old, has spent time in a swimming pool. Probably several times a year, in fact. Many people have them in their backyard, in their neighborhood, at their Country Club, at the condo they stay in while visiting the beach. There are indoor swimming pools, outdoor swimming pools, infinity pools, lap pools, Olympic-size pools – none of which really impress people here because we are so used to seeing them day in and day out. (…well…except for infinity pools, those are pretty amazing to look at!) Would you agree with all of this?!
Well let me tell you someone who would not agree with this. Hezron Ongode Aidi. Hezron is a native of Kenya who grew up as a sponsored child in Compassion International. His story of God's faithfulness, grace, and compassion in his life is truly amazing. When I went to Kenya back in February, I had the pleasure of meeting Hezron, an LDP student with a heart of gold. LDP stands for "Leadership Development Program" - this program is part of Compassion International and allows students to interview in order to be accepted into the program. Once in the program they are able to attend a university as well as participate in classes through Compassion on how to be a leader. Hezron, who grew up in the most poverty-stricken conditions, is now a college graduate with a Computer Science degree. Amazing! This summer, Graham and I have the privilege of traveling from event to event with Hezron so that he can share his story of how God used Compassion International to break the cycle of poverty in his life.
One of the first days that Hezron was in the United States, Graham and I were able to steal him away for the day and show him around Birmingham. We started the day by going to my dad's office so that Hezron could see not only what an American business office looks like, but especially all of the technilogical components in Dad's law firm. Hezron walked around constantly saying, "Oh my...oh my...oh my..." He is so amazed at how BIG everything is and how COLD everywhere is! Later that afternoon we asked Hezron if he wanted to go see a movie or go bowling, or what all he wanted to do. He hesitated for a while, but then finally said, "I think I would like to take a swim." Now let me just remind you that Birmingham went through a week in May where it was just cold - not swimming weather, that's for sure. He continued saying, "I have always wanted to get into a swimming pool. They look so pretty and I have only seen them in the movies." Graham and I looked at each other and there was no more question of what we were going to do that afternoon - Hezron was about to take his first dip into a swimming pool! Our neighborhood has a pool so we let Hezron borrow one of Graham's swimsuits and took off to the pool. I felt like such a mom - I was thrilled to witness Hezron experience this! He absolutely LOVED the pool!!! He splashed around and practiced his "swimming" the entire time. Graham and I asked him if he had ever swam before and he said, "Yes, but only in Lake Victoria, not a pool." Lake Victoria...not an answer you hear to that question very often around here! When he got out of the pool he started walking towards one of the chairs next to the pool...I asked him if he was done swimming and he said, "Yes, but now I need to bask. That is what you do when you get out of a pool, right? You bask?" So he proceeded to "lay out" for a while after swimming :) On our way back to the Student Life office that afternoon, Hezron looked at Graham and said, "What is the date today?" Graham told him and he said, "I am going to write that down in my journal because this is the best day of my life!"
Wow. A swimming pool - this memory will always stick out to Hezron as being one of the "best days of his life." Graham and I could not move past this. That night Graham and I went to a Coldplay concert with some friends of ours and yes, we had a blast, but at the same time we could not stop thinking about the fact that for us to be entertained we have to pay over $100, have lights, music, and incredible talent in front of us. And even still we find ourselves complaining that our seats are not close enough. Seriously?
I'm so thankful to Hezron for reminding me that it is the simple things in life that we should be thankful for...
Here are some pictures (and a video) from Hezron's experience in the pool, as well as our pictures from the Coldplay concert...
One of my favorite people... We were freeeezing...!!
Well let me tell you someone who would not agree with this. Hezron Ongode Aidi. Hezron is a native of Kenya who grew up as a sponsored child in Compassion International. His story of God's faithfulness, grace, and compassion in his life is truly amazing. When I went to Kenya back in February, I had the pleasure of meeting Hezron, an LDP student with a heart of gold. LDP stands for "Leadership Development Program" - this program is part of Compassion International and allows students to interview in order to be accepted into the program. Once in the program they are able to attend a university as well as participate in classes through Compassion on how to be a leader. Hezron, who grew up in the most poverty-stricken conditions, is now a college graduate with a Computer Science degree. Amazing! This summer, Graham and I have the privilege of traveling from event to event with Hezron so that he can share his story of how God used Compassion International to break the cycle of poverty in his life.
One of the first days that Hezron was in the United States, Graham and I were able to steal him away for the day and show him around Birmingham. We started the day by going to my dad's office so that Hezron could see not only what an American business office looks like, but especially all of the technilogical components in Dad's law firm. Hezron walked around constantly saying, "Oh my...oh my...oh my..." He is so amazed at how BIG everything is and how COLD everywhere is! Later that afternoon we asked Hezron if he wanted to go see a movie or go bowling, or what all he wanted to do. He hesitated for a while, but then finally said, "I think I would like to take a swim." Now let me just remind you that Birmingham went through a week in May where it was just cold - not swimming weather, that's for sure. He continued saying, "I have always wanted to get into a swimming pool. They look so pretty and I have only seen them in the movies." Graham and I looked at each other and there was no more question of what we were going to do that afternoon - Hezron was about to take his first dip into a swimming pool! Our neighborhood has a pool so we let Hezron borrow one of Graham's swimsuits and took off to the pool. I felt like such a mom - I was thrilled to witness Hezron experience this! He absolutely LOVED the pool!!! He splashed around and practiced his "swimming" the entire time. Graham and I asked him if he had ever swam before and he said, "Yes, but only in Lake Victoria, not a pool." Lake Victoria...not an answer you hear to that question very often around here! When he got out of the pool he started walking towards one of the chairs next to the pool...I asked him if he was done swimming and he said, "Yes, but now I need to bask. That is what you do when you get out of a pool, right? You bask?" So he proceeded to "lay out" for a while after swimming :) On our way back to the Student Life office that afternoon, Hezron looked at Graham and said, "What is the date today?" Graham told him and he said, "I am going to write that down in my journal because this is the best day of my life!"
Wow. A swimming pool - this memory will always stick out to Hezron as being one of the "best days of his life." Graham and I could not move past this. That night Graham and I went to a Coldplay concert with some friends of ours and yes, we had a blast, but at the same time we could not stop thinking about the fact that for us to be entertained we have to pay over $100, have lights, music, and incredible talent in front of us. And even still we find ourselves complaining that our seats are not close enough. Seriously?
I'm so thankful to Hezron for reminding me that it is the simple things in life that we should be thankful for...
Here are some pictures (and a video) from Hezron's experience in the pool, as well as our pictures from the Coldplay concert...
This is what we call, "basking" :)
At the Coldplay concert...
One of my favorite people... We were freeeezing...!!
Monday, May 11, 2009
Relax and Celebrate...
Work is in full swing as we are headed out on the road in TWO WEEKS. Wow...I cannot believe the summer is already here! Over the next couple of weeks Graham and I will be working to finish up all of the details necessary to prepare for our camps this summer. Although it is a fun time of the year as we are beginning to meet some people on our team, it is also a time of year that causes...well...Stress. So...in major need of some relaxation, Graham and I joined my family at my parent's lake house at Lake Martin this weekend. This is most definitely one of my very favorite places on earth. There's nothing like spending the day playing outside...on the boat, wave runner, grilling out, laying in the hammock, fishing...it's the best!
Here are some pictures of my heaven on earth :)...
It was a wonderful weekend and a very special time as my family was able to be together for a very important day....Mother's Day! This Mother's Day was particularly special because not only did I get to celebrate the blessing of my incredible mother, but this was also my first Mother's Day to celebrate my husband's mother and stepmother . These three women are so wonderful - they have been and continue to be an example to both Graham and myself. I am so thankful for the example they are to me in so many ways. What a blessing they are! Here are these beautiful women...
We are so blessed.
Here are some pictures of my heaven on earth :)...
It was a wonderful weekend and a very special time as my family was able to be together for a very important day....Mother's Day! This Mother's Day was particularly special because not only did I get to celebrate the blessing of my incredible mother, but this was also my first Mother's Day to celebrate my husband's mother and stepmother . These three women are so wonderful - they have been and continue to be an example to both Graham and myself. I am so thankful for the example they are to me in so many ways. What a blessing they are! Here are these beautiful women...
We are so blessed.
Wednesday, April 29, 2009
Algunos de mis memorias favoritas...
These are the sites that I miss more than words can express...
Anyone who knows me knows that I adore Los Mochis, Mexico. I believe it will always be my home away from home. Through all of my time spent there, I learned so much about myself in so many ways. God blessed me with some incredible and lasting friendships with natives of Los Mochis, as well as some pretty wonderful people all around the United States. I will forever be thankful for my time spent in Mexico. God used my time there and the people I met there to shape my self, my walk with Christ, and my faith in many, many ways. I long to return SOON! I can honestly say that many of my most favorite memories come from my time in Los Mochis and time with people I met there. For example...
One of the best moments of my entire wedding weekend was going to dinner the night before my rehearsal. I rode with my dad to meet my two favortie Los Mochis men, Marco and Abner Vallejo (two of the most amazing men that I know) for dinner at a Mexican restaraunt here in Birmingham. These two men have played such an important role in my life and have demonstrated the love of Christ to me in so many ways. I could not get married without them there and considered it such a blessing when they said that they would come read scripture at my wedding. We walked into the restaurant and right before I turned a corner, my dad said, "So there may be more people here than you were expecting..." I look up and see two large tables filled with my Mexican family! Marco's family, Abner's family, and my precious friend, Danitza, were all sitting IN BIRMINGHAM and had surprised me for my wedding! I have tears in my eyes as I write this and just think about it! It was the best wedding gift I could have asked for! Of course I started crying then...and later during dinner...and again before we left! I could not believe it! After getting over the initial shock of seeing everyone, I began drilling them on how they got to Birimingham, where they were staying, how they got to the restaraunt, etc. I soon learned that the AMAZING people in my parent's small group at Brook Hills had pulled their resources together to bring the Vallejos up to Birmingham, and house them for the weekend. I was speechless. They knew how special these people are to me and they knew just how much it would mean to have them at my wedding. Praise God for these people and their hearts! It was incredible :)
Anyone who knows me knows that I adore Los Mochis, Mexico. I believe it will always be my home away from home. Through all of my time spent there, I learned so much about myself in so many ways. God blessed me with some incredible and lasting friendships with natives of Los Mochis, as well as some pretty wonderful people all around the United States. I will forever be thankful for my time spent in Mexico. God used my time there and the people I met there to shape my self, my walk with Christ, and my faith in many, many ways. I long to return SOON! I can honestly say that many of my most favorite memories come from my time in Los Mochis and time with people I met there. For example...
One of the best moments of my entire wedding weekend was going to dinner the night before my rehearsal. I rode with my dad to meet my two favortie Los Mochis men, Marco and Abner Vallejo (two of the most amazing men that I know) for dinner at a Mexican restaraunt here in Birmingham. These two men have played such an important role in my life and have demonstrated the love of Christ to me in so many ways. I could not get married without them there and considered it such a blessing when they said that they would come read scripture at my wedding. We walked into the restaurant and right before I turned a corner, my dad said, "So there may be more people here than you were expecting..." I look up and see two large tables filled with my Mexican family! Marco's family, Abner's family, and my precious friend, Danitza, were all sitting IN BIRMINGHAM and had surprised me for my wedding! I have tears in my eyes as I write this and just think about it! It was the best wedding gift I could have asked for! Of course I started crying then...and later during dinner...and again before we left! I could not believe it! After getting over the initial shock of seeing everyone, I began drilling them on how they got to Birimingham, where they were staying, how they got to the restaraunt, etc. I soon learned that the AMAZING people in my parent's small group at Brook Hills had pulled their resources together to bring the Vallejos up to Birmingham, and house them for the weekend. I was speechless. They knew how special these people are to me and they knew just how much it would mean to have them at my wedding. Praise God for these people and their hearts! It was incredible :)
Friday, April 17, 2009
Changed...
This past fall I had the privilege of teaching a Personal Development class for ladies who are in the process of receiving their GED. M-Power Ministries, here in Birmingham, began a Christian Womens Job Corps program a couple of years ago...and after lots of hard work, training, and preparation, M-Power held its first CWJC graduation this week! Six ladies, ages 23 and up, worked diligently over the past year learning how to read, comprehend, set goals, schedule, manage their time wisely, accept change, be a better parent, respect themselves, and most importantly, these ladies spent the past year learning who Christ is and who they are in Him. What a joy and privilege it was to get to know these ladies, hear their stories, and watch them grow over the course of this year. My eyes were opened in so may ways through conversations with them and helped remind me of just how blessed my life has been. I cannot even begin to tell you how proud I was of these ladies as they walked down the aisle, dressed in cap and gown, knowing that they were experiencing what each of them called their first accomplishment. Throughout the graduation ceremony, each of the ladies had the chance to give a speech about what M-Power and the CWJC means to them. As I sat there and listened to them to talk about how far they have come over the past year - spiritually, personally, emotionally, academically - I was overwhelmed at the amazing grace and faithfulness of our Lord. What He has brought them through is truly unbelievable.
Marilyn, Jovanda, Sharon, Wanda, Danielle, and Tamika are changed women and are now not only my friends, but also my sisters in Christ. Praise God for His faithfulness!
The weekend before the graduation, these 6 ladies, their mentors, and their teachers all went on a retreat to Camp Dawson. What an experience that was!!!! I was able to lead them in a painting activity - it was a blast! I love painting and trying to be somewhat creative, so it was fun getting to share that with these ladies.
Now I cannot talk about M-Power without mentioning my amazing mother. She has worked so hard over the past couple of years and dedicated the majority of her time to pulling the CWJC together. She has impacted the lives of not only these ladies...but the 8 others who were in the program this year as well. I am beyond proud of her and so thankful for the example she has been to me!
Being a part of the CWJC is such an incredibly rewarding opportunity. If you are interested in volunteering with them, or with the Christian Mens Job Corps, let me know and I'll be happy to get you some more information :)
Quick update...Melanie is doing well with her pregnancy. Thank you so much for all of you who continue to ask about her and be updated on her progress. Please continue to pray for her health as she has had a rough few weeks... Her first trimester will be over soon...I know she is ready!
Marilyn, Jovanda, Sharon, Wanda, Danielle, and Tamika are changed women and are now not only my friends, but also my sisters in Christ. Praise God for His faithfulness!
The weekend before the graduation, these 6 ladies, their mentors, and their teachers all went on a retreat to Camp Dawson. What an experience that was!!!! I was able to lead them in a painting activity - it was a blast! I love painting and trying to be somewhat creative, so it was fun getting to share that with these ladies.
Now I cannot talk about M-Power without mentioning my amazing mother. She has worked so hard over the past couple of years and dedicated the majority of her time to pulling the CWJC together. She has impacted the lives of not only these ladies...but the 8 others who were in the program this year as well. I am beyond proud of her and so thankful for the example she has been to me!
Being a part of the CWJC is such an incredibly rewarding opportunity. If you are interested in volunteering with them, or with the Christian Mens Job Corps, let me know and I'll be happy to get you some more information :)
Quick update...Melanie is doing well with her pregnancy. Thank you so much for all of you who continue to ask about her and be updated on her progress. Please continue to pray for her health as she has had a rough few weeks... Her first trimester will be over soon...I know she is ready!
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