delight

I apologize in advance that this isn't a Christmas-y post. I promise it came from a sermon that talked about Mary. 

There are days that I am incredibly thankful for the hard things in life. It is usually when I slow down and take the time to listen and remember.

Paul said in 2 Corinthians:

"That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong" [12:10]

I am truly thankful tonight specifically for my battles with cancer. I don't talk about it a lot, in fact, I don't think about it a lot anymore, but it has shaped me. I think the lessons I learned and the way Christ shaped me from it affects my every day life, even when I'm not aware of it.  

I just listened to this sermon from Southland's weekend services a few weekends back (I missed that week). I loved every bit of it. At the end a woman gives her testimony about the hard things recently in her life and how God is still the same as He was before. That he is still good and he is still worthy of our praise. 

I don't think I knew just how good and just how worthy of praise He was until my life went out of my control. Until it got hard. I mean it when I say that next to meeting Jesus in a real way, those experiences [having cancer] were the ones I've been most thankful for so far. It was a gift. I love the word Paul used in 2 Corinthians. Delight. You could probably tell. I made it giant and bold.

If you are going through the sad and hard and the unfair right now, don't rush through it. Cling to Him. He is there waiting and you can not come out the other side unchanged if you do.

awaited

In the past 2 days, I have seen Crossroad's Awaited play twice. Once with Scott and friends, the second time with family. If you are in the Cincinnati area, you should definitely head out there tonight or tomorrow if you get a chance. I love that they are really just proclaiming the good news. Every day for over a week. That is a lot of people that get to hear it and respond. 

This video is the first song they played. It was before the play started for the kids. It's my favorite. They give out the music from the play on cd's for free, and I listened to this one a whole lot on the drive home yesterday. 

The video is from last year's play, but it was the same. My friend Andrea is on the left tearing paper. She's an incredible singer.  You can hear her sing in the background a little. Here is her website with her husband Tye, you should give them a listen :)

This probably won't be my only post today, just wanted to share this song. I really like the words.

Today is my last day off work for the next three days, and I get to go to Southland's Christmas service tonight with some of my favorite people :) A great way to start off the weekend.

surprises, celebrations, crafts, and friends :)

this weekend was wonderful. 

you can read some of the recap's here and here [jen & rachel's blogs]

i got called off work on friday all day [huge blessing, i had SO many crafts to finish], so i crafted all day then headed to jen jen's to help get everything ready to surprise our friend shannon, who was getting engaged on her way to kentucky for girl christmas. andy proposed to her at windy gap [where they met] and they arrived to a house full of shannon's besties and her family! she was so surprised!

andy did really well. such a pretty ring for a beautiful girl! i'm so excited to see what Christ does in their lives as they get married! she will be the most beautiful bride ever :) 

saturday morning was girl christmas! we decided 2 years ago that all gifts had be homemade, so it's now crafting christmas! all the crafts were wonderful. i have such talented friends. 

scott came down to lexington to meet the friends, it was really fun. i think he may have been a little overwhelmed at the amount of people. he only has 2 other people his age in indiana. we probably hung out with about 16 people. :) i like my friends.

so saturday was literally full of hanging out and fellowship all day! from 10 am until midnight :) julie and seth were also in town to surprise shan shan, so i got to see lots of people i don't get to see often!

sunday was spent resting from all the staying up late. we were all acting like we were still in college and staying up past 1.

so...awesome weekend. shannon is getting married!! i can not wait for that wedding :)  

Young Life

This morning the Lord has given me such a thankful heart for the ministry of Young Life. I am so blessed to be a part of His moving in the lives of high school students. I am so thankful that He uses me in spite of myself, that He moves me out of the way so that His purposes, His truth, and His love for these students can be carried into that school. 

I had the opportunity to speak at our club last night, which is not my favorite thing to do. I have lead YL for 6 years, and this was my 4th time speaking in front of club. I always feel the same. I love that I get to tell them truth, because I'm passionate about what I'm talking about, but I hate talking in front of people. But He is awesome, and moved me out of the way, and I can say that whatever came out of my mouth last night was all Him. 

I got to talk about how we fill our lives with so many things [relationships, money, school, success, image, family, sports, etc.] hoping that they'll fill us, but how we always come up wanting more. I got to tell them that it is because we are made for more. We are searching so hard to fill the holes in our lives, and nothing seems to work, but the Jesus came to give life.

This morning I met with our small group of girls before they headed to school for the day. I love that these girls get up early to talk about the Lord. I love that they are consistent. I am just so encouraged at what He is doing, because I can tell you one thing. They are not getting up early for me. They're not getting up early to eat with Megan & I. They are getting up early because Jesus has the words of life. Where else are they going to go? [John 6:68]. 

My prayer is that He could continually open my eyes to all He is doing, and all He wants to do in the lives of these students. I want to be bold and encouraging and loving and full of truth. I want to proclaim the gospel clearly, as I should [Colossians 4:3-4]. Mostly I want Him to keep using me, keep pushing me out of the way to get His love across. 

I hope that, Lord willing, I get to be a part of what He is doing in the lives of high schoolers until I'm way too old to be hanging out at basketball games. And maybe a little lot beyond that (because I probably already am).