There and Back Again...an IBEXer's Tale part 3

It's Christmas day. I just spent an hour showing my parents pictures and videos from my semester in Israel. I've only been back for two weeks and yet already {HOW I MISS IT}.

What do I miss, you ask? Where to begin...

1. Everything around me dating thousands of years back

2. Having both the text of Scripture in front of me and the land of Israel around me to study and explore...each complementing one another

3. The sunsets that take your breath away at Yad Hashmonah

4. Reading my Bible in the Biblical Gardens

5. The teachers/staff: The Schlegels, the Foremans, Natalie, Wendy, and Ariel

6. Shawarma

7. Hummus ;)

8. Chocolate croissants

9. Aroma's coffee

10. The simplicity of life

11. Talks with Rachel late at night

12. Hanging out with my three crazy friends: Laurel, Kayla, and Hannah (and the insane adventures that always happened whenever I was with them!)

13. Talks with John Heim, Ben Rausch, and Luke Wagner...that always made me laugh hysterically or think deeply

14. Richard and Cam being...Richard and Cam ;)

15. Talks in the hammock with Lydia

16. Pranking wars with Jon Bridges and Jake Yates

17. Natalie's coffee/small group talks

18. Our shopkeeper friends in the Old City

19. The learning that stretched me so much...but that molded me more than I think I have even yet realized (Benj's classes and Land and Bible in particular)

20. The cats everywhere (Stevie!)

21. Having cisterns, tunnels, and caves all around you...as beckoning playgrounds for you to enjoy

22. Singing Hodu L'adonai Ki Tov as we pulled back into the Moshav, after a field trip

23. Making coffee for the whole world with my french press

24. Great times studying in the library (taking vows of silence!)

25. Saturday Night Live/faculty dinners

26. Celebrating holidays together

27. Eating the amazing things the staff cooked (like Natalie's apple crisp, Stephanie's cakes and coffee drinks, all the amazing holiday food, etc.)

28. Playing with Sarah and Yair

29. Talks with Stephanie- getting her pearls of wisdom, while chatting in her kitchen

30. "Papa" Bill's jokes/teasing (some of his HILARIOUS comments on field trips are forever enshrined in my memory!)

31. "Uncle" Benj's slip-ups in class

32. The camaraderie, teasing, and love within our group...doing everything together (classes, field trips, celebrating holidays, living together, week long trips, church, small group, etc.) and being all that each other had for three months...hearing their voices, and seeing their faces EVERY DAY...even being able to creepily recognize their steps, handwriting, shadows, etc. Haha!

33. Late nights doing random things...going to the fortress or over the top decorating our dorm for Christmas

34. Movie nights in the Miklat

35. Every Saturday spent in the Old City

36. The transportation fiascoes that turned into hysterical adventures and that now make for the best memories and stories (*cough, cough* Hannah, Kayla, Dewey, and Cam!)

37. Ridiculous and stimulating conversations over lunch and dinner (normally when Luke Wagner was present...poor John Heim is all I have to say! "John Heim's soul is like an Alaskan mountain.")

38. Mafia, "Mr. Commissioner," Ninja, and Blowdart (yes, can't believe I mentioned the last one!)

39. Being on the bus together ALL THE TIME...sleeping, studying, talking, laughing, playing games, whatever- just being together

40. Having multiple girls pop their heads into my room to borrow scarves or clothes each day

41. Studying and drawing maps ALL THE TIME

42. My lovely Italian group: {Nate and Ben, Rachael, Amanda, Kristyn, and Laurel}...if the other IBEXers were my extended family, my Italy team was my immediate family... nothing like being stuck together for a whole week, having transportation issues, sleeping in the same room, sharing clothes, sharing small bathrooms, crying and laughing together, exploring Rome, Florence, and Siena, making awkward memories (hahaha Laurel!), going on nightly adventures, climbing on rooftops, etc.

43. Making videos for Bill (like our awesome Indiana Jones one!)

44. Magnum Bars

45. Being reminded of eternal things, spiritual warfare, and the world's need for Christ EVERY DAY (Muslim daily prayers, all of the religious buildings and structures, passing Orthodox Jews in the city, etc.)

46. Elvis Inn

47. "Grandpa" Ariel- his kindness, his beard, his Devora stories, the way he reads a book an inch away from his face, etc.

49. Having homework assignments such as: "Read the whole book of Deuteronomy in one sitting."

50. Tevas, sports bras, bandanas, headlamps, Nike totes, Nalgenes

51. Making lunches in the Miklat in the wee hours of the morning

52. Having secret sisters and brothers (writing notes and recieving notes, giving gifts and receiving gifts...and other things not quite so "giftly," such as toilet paper!)

53. When seeing lots of soldiers, tallits, tefillin, and kippahs is normal

54. Recognizing Hebrew everywhere/mezuzahs on door frames

55. Eating nutella, hummus, and pita bread by the pound

56. Shabban's shop

57. When a normal school day included riding a camel, cliff diving, jumping off of chalk cliffs, climbing Masada, snorkeling in Eilat, staying in a convent in Nazareth, etc.

58. When seeing the Dome of the Rock, the Wailing Wall, and passing the Citadel and Church of the Holy Sepulcher...was just another normal day in Jerusalem

[An Amazing semester].

[Immeasurable thankfulness].

[Bittersweet feelings]...but more sweet than bitter.

IBEX FALL 2011.

NEVER FORGET.

"If I forget you, O Jerusalem, let my right hand forget its skill!
Let my tongue stick to the roof of my mouth, if I do not remember you, if I do not set Jerusalem above my highest joy!"
-Psalm 137

There and Back Again...an IBEXer's Tale part 2

Comparing the Christmas story accounts in Matthew and Luke, this is what stood out afresh to me this year [after being in Israel for three months and taking Land and Bible, Jewish Thought and Culture, Ancient Israel, and 2nd Temple Period]. So thankful that as one fellow IBEXer put it, "I now read my Bible in color, instead of in black and white."

"The record of the genealogy of Jesus the Messiah...In the days of Herod...there was a priest named Zacharias...according to the custom of the priestly office...you will bear a son, and you will give him the name John...he who will go as a forerunner before Him in the spirit and power of Elijah...the Lord God of Israel has raised up a horn of salvation for us...Gabriel was sent from God to a city in Galilee called Nazareth...of the descendants of David His servant...Mary had been betrothed to Joseph...Mary arose and went in a hurry to the hill country...And it happened that on the eighth day they came to circumcise the child...and to offer a sacrifice according to what was said in the Law of the Lord...to remember His holy covenant, the oath which He swore to Abraham our father...John lived in the deserts until the day of his public appearance to Israel...a decree went out from Caesar Augustus...to the city of David which is called Bethlehem...the shepherds began saying to one another...Gathering together all the chief priests and scribes of the people...there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon...he came in the Spirit into the temple...Anna continued to speak of Him to all those who were looking for the redemption of Jerusalem...Take the Child and His mother and flee to Egypt...Archelaus was reigning over Judea..."

Israel: A real place.
The Incarnation: A real event.
Christianity: A real God.

God is not dead nor does He sleep,
Mollie

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!!!!!!!!!



Picture 1: An Ancient Synagogue {I think}
Picture 2: Herodium
Picture 3: Bethany
Picture 4: Mount of Olives at sunset with Laurel

There and Back Again...an IBEXer's Tale part 1

Sitting on my bed, listening to "Be Thou my Vision" by Jars of Clay, trying to process this past semester...only to realize that I can't even fully process it all.

What I learned: God's Word is living and active, Christianity is about real people and real places- at real times in history!, there is so much going on in the world beyond my bubble existence, when you have the common bond of Christ, you can work through any personality difference, I don't need to flaunt my personality- there is a time and place for everything, there are a lot of things I want to grow in before I get married, working hard is better than just getting results, Judaism is not what I thought it was, I need to keep learning about other religions and keep reading my Bible so that I can share the Gospel more effectively, "it comes and it goes, where it's headed no one
knows"...etc.

"Israel is a testing ground." -Bill Schlegel.

So much learning. So many experiences. I came home a different person. I feel culture shocked in my own country.

It was easy to see my increasing love for the Lord and growth in Israel, but now that I am back...the real test begins. It is easier to be "on fire" for the Lord when you are visiting biblical sites each day and constantly reminded of spiritual warfare (walking by the Dome of the Rock or seeing men crouched on mats reciting their daily prayers)...but I have returned back to the normal and the mundane. Where I am deciding where to live next semester and what jobs to apply for.

I have returned back to my comfort zone...where it is easy to "let my hair down" and get sloppy. To not be as purposeful with my walk with the Lord.

It's here that the real test begins.

"We make time for what we truly value. We build habits and routines around the things that really matter to us. This is an important principle to understand as we seek to build our lives around the gospel. Do you want a cross centered life? A cross centered life is made up of cross centered days." -C.J. Mahaney

I am encouraged by what Stephanie Schlegel shared with us. Seeing sites is a great experience and all, but it's God's Word that is authoritative. My walk with the Lord is not based upon seeing sites. It's based upon applying His truths, contained in Scripture.

So while Bethlehem and Jerusalem and Azekah and Soccoh and Nazareth and Galilee are thousands of miles away...God's Word is right within arm's reach. And it is knowing His Word that is the key to being on fire for Him.

"Yes, Lord, walking in the way of your laws, we wait for you; your name and renown are the desire of our hearts." -Isaiah 26:8

[[Why Thankfulness Should Characterize Me Today]]

"We are creatures and our Creator was not bound or obligated to give us anything - not life or health and anything. He gives, he takes, and he does us no injustice. And besides being creatures with no claim on our Creator, we are sinners. We have fallen short of his glory. We have ignored him and disobeyed him and failed to love him and trust him. The wrath of his justice is kindled against us. All we deserve from him is judgment. Therefore every breath we take, every time our heart beats, every day that the sun rises, every moment we see with our eyes or hear with our ears or speak with our mouths or walk with our legs is free and undeserved gift to sinners who deserve only judgment. And who bought these gifts for us? Jesus Christ. And how did he purchase them? By his blood.
Every
gift
is
a
blood-bought
gift."
-John Piper, "Boasting Only in the Cross"

Light of the World: Junior's Summer Camp 2011

(Our theme song for camp...At camp we sang Seeds songs...which are verses set to melodies and that come with accompanying hand motions. The kids really get into them, and they are a great way of teaching/memorizing Scripture. Here is the Seeds "founder"/head musician, Jason Houser, leading families in worship at my church a year ago...and thus a little taste of worship times at camp! So precious to hear little voices lifted in praise.)

Despite the lack of sleep...the heat...and a busy 4 day schedule, I absolutely loved being apart of this year's Juniors (4th-6th grade) summer camp.

I joined Junior's staff last year and was a winter camp counselor, but I enjoyed the experience even more this year as I was better adjusted to being on staff, and as I had 3/4ths of the girls I had at winter camp, back in my cabin.

TUESDAY...
Suzanne Deshong and I kicked off heading to camp by buying WAY too many goodies for our munchkins at Dollar Tree and Walmart: glowsticks, glownecklaces, a paper lantern, glow in the dark stars, gum drops, orange soda, mints, lip balm, a pedicure set, a notebook/pen, water bottles, nail polish...you get the idea. ;)

THURSDAY...
The first day the girls were overflowing with energy. After getting to camp and finding our cabin, we immediately started to decorate, turning our cabin into a little galaxy (trying to capitalize on the "Light of the World" theme), hoping to win "Best Decorated Cabin." We didn't. :( But that's OK. Because we had a fun time bonding while decorating! That night, after dinner (pasta and side dishes), we heard a briefing on camp rules in the outdoor auditorium, sang Seeds songs with the band, and played games. One of our games paired staff members and children and involved plastic rings and cones. The other game involved a staffer getting covered in whipcream, and the kids throwing Cheetos on the staffer, to see how many of the Cheetos would stick to the whipcream. I got nominated for the second game...surprise, surprise ;)

FRIDAY...
The next morning, we had a staff meeting at the early hour of 6:45. After getting a little food and caffeine in our systems and going over the day's schedule, it was time to wake our cabins and prepare them for breakfast/cabin inspections.
After breakfast, we got to enjoy Tom Patton's first message. Tom's messages were FANTASTIC: focusing on the difference between light and darkness, aka the life of a believer vs. the life of an unbeliever. I thought it was perfect subject material for 4th-6th graders, especially considering the majority of the kids in Juniors have spent their entire lives at Grace and come from solid, Christian homes. Tom was dynamic, engaging, passionate, and best of all, gave us God's Word directly. We examined a lot of verses from 1 John, looked at the life of Paul, discussed Nicodemus, what it means to have evidences of spiritual fruit, etc. There were so many convicting points that resonated with the girls and myself, but the best analogy that Tom gave, that really burned a compelling image in my mind all weekend was that of...
a pirate.
He said, "Just like pirates used to wear eye patches- so one eye was accustomed to darkness and one eye was accustomed to light, and so they could adjust from being on top deck to going beneath the hull easily--that is how many of us live our lives. As hypocrites: going back and forth between the darkness and the light. BUT you are either a child of Satan or a child of God. An "in-between" lifestyle really just reveals that you are a child of darkness." --Paraphrase--
After the message, we had small groups. For almost every small group, I compiled a series of questions to get the girls engaged, and to get them to break down the messages on a practical level. Each question made them look up verses, and sounded something like: "Do you see a genuine brokenness over your sin, like the publican had?" "Is Christianity simply doing a bunch of 'good activities,'?" etc. My goal was to get them to interact and to really examine their lives: not just robotically spit out answers like they are sometimes accustomed to doing. After small groups it was time for lunch. And after a few group games---water balloon catch and a indoor building with random items game---it was free time. One of my favorite times of the day! During freetime, the kids could go do whatever they wanted to do, and the counselors could have some downtime. A real blessing! My first "freetime" was spent with Suzanne Deshong, chatting over a Starbucks frappucino. Then she convinced me to do "Isaiah's Perch," a 40 foot tall pole that you can climb up, and that a counselor can complete in order to get points for his/her team. SCARIEST THING EVER! Totally glad I did it, but a wobbly pole, wobbly legs, and wobbly handles/foot holds coupled with having to mount the very small platform on the top of the pole= one VERY nerve-wracking experience. After downtime chatting with my fellow counselors and watching other brave souls' climb up "Isaiah's Perch," I hopped into the pool with my girls and oversaw many diving/jumping competitions. :) Next, it was time to get ready for dinner. After a meal of fried chicken, corn, and mashed potatoes, we headed to Session #2 with Pastor Patton. And after the session concluded, it was time for another small group, where the girls and I finished answering the questions I had given them that morning. After small groups concluded, we made sure the cabin was sparkling clean--as the next day there would be judging for "Cleanest Cabin."

SATURDAY...
After another lovely 6:45 meeting ;) I got the girls going and we finished tidying up the last little corners of our cabin. Which ended up not being a wasted effort, as our cabin took CLEANEST CABIN for the girls. =) Then it was time for another hot breakfast and Session #3 with Pastor Patton. After morning small groups, we headed to a pizza lunch and then got to enjoy a very fun thing: (drumroll) games in the pool! The Juniors' interns did a great job organizing these games. I enjoyed cheering and watching orange, red, green, and blue all pitted against each other in an innertube relay race, an intense game of water polo, and a jumping-across-rafts-while-simultaneously-being-pommeled-by-guys-with-water-guns game. It was fun getting to know Raquel Pagar, also an orange team leader- whose fellow competitive streak immediately caused us to bond (we cheered very enthusiastically and loudly and came up with many cheers/ways to get the orange team points all weekend long). After the pool games ended, it was free time again! After watching a few counselors climb up "Isaiah's Perch," I helped Raquel hunt for "Monkey Moe" (a stuffed animal that some of the "junior staffers" hide, and that once found, earns your team points!) The orange team did succeed in finding the elusive "Monkey Moe" twice on Saturday! After all of this, I headed to my cabin for a little bit of downtime, which ended up becoming a counseling session with one of my dear girls about a bit of drama that had been going on :) Then it was back to dinner for nachos, and back to the auditorium for worship and a q&a with Pastor Patton! After a final evening small group with the girls and helping them get all packed up, I told them goodnight and caught the last half hour of 6th grade night out. They were playing a complicated version of "tag" in a foggy room with about a hundred glowsticks. After 6th grade night out concluded around 6ish, it was time to IMMEDIATELY hit the sack, as the next day's meeting was moved up 15 minutes earlier than the other mornings,in order to accommodate packing up.

SUNDAY...
After the meeting, I got the girls all packed up, and then we had to quickly jet to the mess hall for KP (kitchen patrol). After an eggs and bacon dish, we headed to our final session with Pastor Patton. He concluded spiritedly, begging the kids to not delay in coming to Christ. After one last small group- this time outdoors in the sunny auditorium- we had ham and cheese sandwiches for lunch and found out that the orange team was, in fact, the JUNIORS 2011 SUMMER CAMP WINNERS. Then it was time to wait for the buses, which of course took off late, as one bus showed up very last-minute.
And so we arrived back to good old GCC...I made sure the girls had everything and were safely deposited back into the arms of their parents...and Juniors Summer Camp 2011 concluded. See you, most likely, next year, Angeles Crest Christian Camp!

Things I am thankful for:
-Great talks with the girls: about how they know if they are saved, how Christ is both God and the Son of God, about the End Times, about Pharisees, about how the prophets communicated directly with God, etc.
-Great bonding time with my fellow staff members: I felt like I got to know some really great people and shattered some wrong first impressions I had originally formulated. I feel that much more apart of Grace Community Church's Juniors ministry now.
-I had a sweet girl with diabetes, who was very on top of taking her insulin, and no accidents happened.
-My girls were all very sweet and fun and I didn't have any big discipline issues.
-The Word of God was preached and the Lord used this vessel of mercy to aid in that process. It is a privilege to be used in equipping the next generation of leaders in the church.

"What, after all, is Apollos? And what is Paul? Only servants, through whom you came to believe—as the Lord has assigned to each his task. I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God has been making it grow. So neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow. The one who plants and the one who waters have one purpose, and they will each be rewarded according to their own labor. For we are co-workers in God’s service; you are God’s field, God’s building."
-1 Corinthians 3:5-9

Resolved 2011

As always, Resolved was a great kick-start to my summer: AMAZING convicting messages that exposed my lack of devotion to the Lord and awakened more of a desire in my heart for the things of the Lord, incredible, Christ-exalting worship, sweet fellowship with dear friends and family, delicious meals in Palm Springs, and several fun trips to Starbucks/the pool/the shops in Palm Springs, etc. Some of the highlights from this year, was our belated Father's Day lunch with dad at a Mexican restaurant in town, my annual Brooke and Mama Lucy sleepover (our third year in a row!), and having my cousin Augusta ("Gussie") fly in for the conference from Napa Valley.

I call Resolved a "tiny piece of heaven." It is always a bit sad returning to the "real world" after such a refreshing, 4 days away spent with like-minded believers.

I am excited for tomorrow, since Crossroad's first Superstudy of the summer will feature a parting sermon by Rick Holland :) It's like a little taste of Resolved all over again!

But in the meantime, here were some of my favorite points from the sermons I got to hear at Resolved (my family and I unfortunately missed Al Mohler's and CJ Mahaney's last messages on Monday night, as we headed home Monday afternoon).

If you would like to listen to the Resolved 2011 messages firsthand, go here: http://www.resolved.org/media/

SESSION 1: RICK HOLLAND: HEBREWS 12:

"Can you identify the sin that so easily trips you up and entangles you? Satan feeds the opportunity for this sin, at every angle."

"Unless you are running the race, you won't know what's tripping you up."

"Postponed obedience= simple disobedience."

"You cannot look to Jesus and the world simultaneously for very long."

"He is where your faith must rest, not behavior modification or more activities."

"What is between you and Jesus?"

"Christ Jesus is the life of all the graces and comforts of a Christian in this world...without Him, these graces would die, or to speak more properly, they would have no existence." -John Fawcett

SESSION 2: JOHN MACARTHUR: PSALM 19:

"Endeavor to live each and every day- so that whatever God wills to do with our lives, will have its fullest expression."

"True joy is tied to obedience."

"Resolve from the Word of God: this is the way of joy, and this is the way I will walk- by the grace of God."

"When you can see clarity in horror [trials], the Word of God has captured your heart."

"Worship is theological, or produced by truth. You can only worship to the level that you comprehend the glory of God."

"The Word of God is our greatest pleasure, our greatest protector, our greatest provider, our greatest reward, and our greatest purifier."

"The Word keeps you back from sin that dominates you."

SESSION 3: AL MOHLER: ROMANS 12:

"If we believe God's will is perfect, than we will believe it is superior to any other will for our lives- we won't want anything else."

It is God's will for...

-You to be born
-For you to die
-You to grow
-You to be the gender that you are
-You to believe in Christ
-You to follow Christ as His disciple
-You to trust and obey the Scriptures
-You to respect and obey all authorities
-You to be married, Genesis 2
-You to be faithful to marriage and children
-You to be deeply involved in the local church
-You to lead
-You to evangelize
-You to do everything to the glory of God

"Are we known more for who we are, or who we follow?"

"Marriage calls out in you the very best of Christian virtues, it conforms you to Christlikeness and holiness."

"There are lives that will be less holy, if you do not use the giftedness and leadership roles the Lord has given you."

"Following God's will, is not trying to figure it all out, but faithfully obeying all that He has revealed."

SESSION FOUR: JOHN MACARTHUR: ISAIAH 6:

"What kind of a person is God looking for in a time of crisis? Someone who has a clear vision of His divine sovreignty and a vision of his own sinfulness."

"God's not looking for perfect people. He's looking for penitent people."

"This is all that God ever asks for, 'Let me be holy enough to be useful.'"

SESSION FIVE: ALL SPEAKERS: Q&A:

"God has never used any man who has a low view of God." -Steve Lawson

"The Gospel dismantles self-reliance and self-understanding." -Rick Holland

"We don't need mental correction, we need redemption." -Al Mohler

"Are you desiring something holy and good? Then GET IT. This generation of Christians is indecisive." -Al Mohler

SESSION 6: CJ MAHANEY: JUDE 22:

"Our remaining sin isn't passive, it's active."

"I richly deserve wrath for eternity, but I have become an object of His mercy. Mercy that was on full display at the cross. 'In my place, condemned He stood.'"

"Mercy properly understood, should have a humbling effect on us."

"Do you have a theology of suffering, to prepare you for suffering? 'When you cannot trace His hand, you must learn to trust His heart, Spurgeon."

"Feel the Father's FIXED grip. He's not letting go."

SESSION 7: STEVE LAWSON: EPHESIANS 1

"To have Christ is to have everything. 'In Him the fullness of His riches dwells.'"

"God chose us- not because of us- but in spite of us."

"Every molecule in this universe was prescripted by this eternal will of God."

"He has overriden our fallen will, and chosen a people to be His posession forever."

"He did not die for an anonymous, nameless group of people. He died for those He predestined before the foundation of the world: you and me."

"The higher our view of God, the higher our worship should be."

"The predestined can never fall away from or out of saving and enabling grace sealed shut eternally in Christ."

SESSION 7: RICK HOLLAND: LAMENTATIONS 3:

"Define your success by faithfulness- not results. Those belong to God."

"Either you believe God is COMPLETELY sovreign or you believe in a God with problems and limitations."

"God will never pursue His glory and purposes at the extent of the good of His people."

"Satan is not the captain of hell- he is the chief captive of hell. He too is subject to the will of God."

"Man's dislike of God's sovreignty, arises from his suspicion of God's heart."

"God's sovreignty is either your greatest comfort or your worst nightmare."

"The problem of evil is the cry of the soul for heaven...'there's a better place to be than here.'"

"Thy Maker will be my Husband and the Father to our children." -Mary Love, in a letter to her husband, before he died

"All things here below are but dung and dross- in comparison to things in heaven." -Mary Love

SESSION 8: STEVE LAWSON: EPHESIANS 5:

"God does not accomodate to our culture: we must raise to His standard of holiness."

"There are only two families in this world: Satan and God."

"The direction of our walk, is the trajectory of our walk!"

"Believers are confessors and repenters, because we are children of light."

"If your religion hasn't changed your life, you need to change your religion."

"If you please God, it does not matter whom you displease. And if you displease God, it does not matter whom you please."

The Reminder I Need Right Now

"All of my life, in every season....You are still God, I have a reason to sing, I have a reason to worship."

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Not another Dating Sermon: What Single Women in the Church Really Need to Hear

"Single women often see themselves as sitting on the shelf while life passes them by, or as sitting on the bench while others play the game. They do not realize that they are wasting the most important time of their lives, they are robbing themselves of great joy and reward, they are robbing their husbands of a more virtuous woman, and they are robbing God of a servant through whom He desires to do great things." -Paul Washer

1 CORINTHIANS 7:34-35!!

True Success

Loved this quote I discovered under "A Challenge to Women" at DesiringGod.org:

"Chapters are divided by various things—age, strength, singleness, marriage, employment choices, children at home, children in college, grandchildren, retirement, etc. No chapter has all the joys. Finite life is a series of tradeoffs. Finding God's will, and living for the glory of Christ to the full in every chapter is what makes it a success, not whether it reads like somebody else's chapter or whether it has in it what chapter five will have." --John Piper

Almost a Year Ago...I Left My Heart in South Africa

For my birthday this year, I asked for a silver necklace that has a charm with a depiction of the African continent and a heart on South Africa. I just got it today and it is appropriate that the charm falls right above my heart.

I left my heart in South Africa.

As my journal entry from the night before I left South Africa reveals:

"It's our last night in South Africa, and I cannot help but look back on all of the memories with a twinge of sadness. It has been an INCREDIBLE two and a half weeks...

I will miss participating in some of the awesome service opportunities we got to do- like Hillcrest Hospital, El olam (Hope Valley Farm School), and Orphan Aid.

I will miss the glorious, relatively untouched beauty of South Africa- from the Durban beachfront, to Drakensberg, and the Makaranga gardens.

I will miss driving on the left side of the road, laughing at South Africans' funny pronunciations of things (like zebra), drinking Rooibos tea, and eating my weight in South African cookies (excuse me, biscuits).

I will miss doing my devotions with sloping South African hills and bright South African sunshine as my backdrop. I will miss hearing the sound of African voices, raised in worship, reverberating across the landscape.

But most of all, I will miss the believers of Hillcrest Baptist Church...these brothers and sisters have become so dear to me and it's been such a blessing to see the Lord working in His church and His people, thousands of miles away from my own home and church! "Elect from every nation, yet one o'er all the earth; her charter of salvation, one Lord, one faith, one birth; one holy name she blesses, partakes one holy food, and to one hope she presses, with every grace endued."

I remember during the fall of 2009 and the spring of 2010 I had "somewhat" of a desire to go on a missions trip. The Lord knows the mixed motives behind this desire. Ironically, I was going through one of the lowest points in my spiritual life and was not living a completely sold-out walk for Christ. But I applied for an STM (my three preferences being Brazil, Malawi, and South Africa) and when my parents' good friends the Zekvelds chose to lead the team to South Africa, it was decided. South Africa it was.

The Lord really shook up my world as a result of my trip to South Africa. My two and a half weeks there awoke in me such a burning clarity and passion as to what I am supposed to be doing with my life, whether in the states or abroad: living for Him (a rather basic conclusion, but it is one thing to know that and another thing to live it)!

"...Through God's mercy we have this ministry," 2 Corinthians 4:1. It makes me smile to think that when I was wayward, apathetic, dull, and lukewarm in my faith, when my team was so low on funds it didn't seem like we would be able to go after all, the Lord put me on that team and the Lord provided for us to be in South Africa. The trip was all of Him. The ministry was all through Him. And our subsequent growth was all by Him.

I hope someday the Lord directs my path back to South Africa. I would absolutely LOVE to go back to Durban and see all my friends at Hillcrest Baptist and minister alongside of them once again.

We will see what the future holds and what the Lord ordains. I am praying for the GCC 2011 South Africa STM as they prepare to embark in about 3 weeks. They have no idea what a rich, wonderful, stretching, unforgettable, and blessed time they are in store for. I am not gonna lie, I am a tad bit jealous ;)

If you ever get a chance to go on a missions trip to South Africa. Don't pass it up. The country is absolutely stunning and the African people are so endearing- but most amazing is the dedication of believers and their love for the Lord in South Africa. Such a testimony. Such a challenge to my own walk with the Lord...to this day.

There are so many spiritual needs in that country, and I pray the Lord supplies those needs with the vessels He chooses. And if one of those vessels might someday be me, soli deo gloria. "Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, 'Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?' And I said, 'Here am I. Send me!' " Isaiah 6:8

If and until that time, my team is planning a reunion with lots of Rooibos and Milo and reminiscing on the menu. I can't wait to relive what I will always consider to be one of the best and most growing experiences of my life.

As a plaque in my room says: "May the African sun always shine on you. May the rhythm of its drums beat deeply in your heart. May the vision of its glory fill you with joy, and may the memory of South Africa be with you always."

Here is the 2010 World Cup Song that always takes me back to that wonderful country and my unforgettable time there last summer...

It's the Little Things that Matter :)

“Enjoy the little things, for one day you may look back and realize they were the big things" -Robert Brault

So while I would have LOVED to have nannyed or worked at Gap more this week- alas, this was not to be.

So instead I found myself filling up my time with a bunch of random activities: coffee dates with friends, working out with my sisters, blogging, watching crime drama shows, reading about Princess Diana, enjoying some phone and Skype sessions, and my personal favorite- lying out in the backyard to catch some rays, sipping my Starbucks green tea lemonade, and listening to Owl City. :)

Even though it would have been nice to have made more money this week and to have been more productive with my time- I know the Lord created relaxation for a reason. The simple, fun things I have gotten to enjoy, that I don't normally get to do when I am running 70mph in every direction, has reminded me that it's the little things that matter.

So be a productive and God-honoring steward with your time this summer, but don't forget to stop and smell the roses. :)

And with that said I will share with you a favorite quote and a song that reminds me to cherish the "little things,"

["What do we have today? Whatever it may be- a good friend, a hug, a freshly baked bagel, sunshine, a place to call home-can bring us joy because it is God's gift for our enjoyment. Taking joy in the little things is contentment”]
–Contentment: A Godly Woman’s Adornment, Lydia Brownback

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Thoughts on Transition

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THE SHOW GOES ON. I put this song on repeat on May 13 when I was surrounded by bags and piles- packing up to move home after the conclusion of the school year. This moment was bittersweet, as it had been such a fun, eventful, unforgettable year...and as I won't be back in the dorms until Spring 2012, as I will be in IBEX in the fall.

But compared to the end of spring 2010, I was so happy and thankful and excited to be going home. I get now what I didn't get then- THE SHOW GOES ON.

While I absolutely love ministering to a wing and living alongside of my girlfriends and am very much in my element when I am in the social scene- my family is so wonderful, rest is needed, there are so many things I am excited about this summer- AND MOST IMPORTANTLY, while life ebbs and it flows, my constant is JESUS CHRIST.

It can be a bit of a culture shock going from a lifestyle of being on your own, staying up late, and living alongside of your peers to being back under the roof of your parents and getting used to doing chores again, checking in with them, and respecting their direct authority. Life isn't just a carefree party anymore. Your friends don't live a few feet from you, or above you, or down the street from you-ready to hang out at your every beck and call. Reality sets in.

I have seen a lot of peers (and have gone through it myself) be literally depressed upon arriving home. Now I know a lot of my friends have completely different family and church and friend situations, and I know that I have been so BEYOND blessed in these departments. My "school church" is my home church and it is AMAZING- I absolutely love my church of twelve years, Grace Community Church. I have some of the most incredible church and hometown friends a girl could ask for and am always excited to have more time to hang out and catch up with them. I also get more time with my discipler, Mel, in the summer- as she is the wife of an RD. And if you read my third, fourth, and fifth posts on this blog- you know that my family members are my best friends. So all in all, it's a win-win situation.

But these things aren't the source of my contentment. Even when life circumstances are great, I can be discontent, if I am not placing my hope, joy, and focus on Christ.

When my heart is right, however, I don't live to be on SLS. I don't live for school functions. I don't live for wing events. I don't live to get A's in my classes. I don't even live for my friends. Or for fun. Or for ministry events. I live so that "in all things He might have the preeminence," Colossians 1:18.

The Lord has grown and changed me a lot this year, as it relates to being content in "every season." What is the secret to contentment? Resting in Christ, no matter where you are, no matter who you are with, whether your week is busy or boring. I am not waiting for school to start back up or to leave for Israel. I am striving to live for my Savior and am waiting for His return. THE SHOW GOES ON.

"Truly my soul finds rest in God;
my salvation comes from him.
Truly he is my rock and my salvation;
he is my fortress, I will never be shaken."
Psalm 62:1-2

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