Action

I sometimes forget that no action is action. I feel as though God calls us to be people of action...my favorite verse says this very simple thing: "Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue, but with ACTION and in truth."

What does it mean to love with action? To love in truth? (Comment this and tell me what you think it means)

Lately I've had to deal with the cold hard fact that you can make a completely right decision and someone is still going to be upset about it. Now, don't get me wrong, I've dealt with that one many many times in my life, but these last few days...these decisions (right as they may be) will effect people's lives, forever. Its hard because the consequences you may be able to see but the other person or persons' can't.

Which leads back to the question of action. Jesus, before he was taken up in the sky made the comment to his disciples: 'you shall do even greater things than these.' (these meaning miracles and the like)

I sit here and I wonder, how could Jesus say I shall do even greater things than miracles? I look at my beautiful, talented, and creative children. I look at some of their lives that are increasingly getting worse and I wonder...how do I take action? Act justly, Love mercy, and Walk humbly. How do I act justly? How do I love mercy? How do I walk humbly when I see this child changing because of the enviornment around her?

Action. Taking action. Loving with action and truth. Can I just sit here? How am I, a 24 year old girl, supposed to take action in this big great city and world?

I am just one....yet I am one.

I call on my Jesus for action. I call on him and admit that I am weak, I am small and I know nothing. But in that nothingness comes something that Jesus is waiting for...submission.

I submit to the God of the universe. To the creator of the world and to the abba of all of us. I submit and I ask that he would move me to action, that he would guard me with a plan, and that his strength would be my strength and his will be my will. I submit to acting justly, to loving mercy, and to walking humbly...regardless of how this person or that person may react. I ask that God would teach me how to love with ACTIONS and in TRUTH.


ACT justly. Love mercy. Walk humbly.



God bless you all and may God move all of us to act on the behalf of those who can't.

Craziness

Craziness is the title of my newest blog post. The reason I chose this title is because for the past 4 weeks, I have been to a different state every week. Aka, i've been ridiculously busy.

The first week, I went on a much needed "mini-vacation" to the Warren Dunes in Michigan with a couple of my friends. We were there from Fri-Sun and just had a blast hanging out on the beach and sleeping in tents.

The next week I went to Camp Timberlee in Wisconsin. (see previous post for more information).

Last week, I was blessed to get to go to Arkansas to see my family. It was so great to see all of my family. My nieces have both grown so much, so I spent as much time as I could with them. I also got to see my "group" from high school during a baby shower for an old friend. Sometimes you forget how much you need to stay in touch with people you grew up with. Those old friends helped me through my formititve high school years and I love all of them. I also got to go hiking and fourwheeling, two things I never get to do in the city. I was only home for a week, but I really wish it could have been longer. (Although i felt like i gained 10 pounds from all the wonderful food my mom cooked me)!

Finally, this week I went back to Wisconsin for another camp. This camp was Camp Dawan, a camp for High School students. We had 20 kids and had an absolute blast. I really enjoy being with high schoolers because you can have deep conversations with them. For example, one night I had an almost 2 hour conversation with one student and an hour conversation with another student.

I think the best thing about Camp Dawan was seeing 16, 17 year old young women and men who LOVE the Lord and really were seeking to learn and grow in him. I was sitting there one night listening to the speaker and just started looking around the room. It was so wonderful to see the students really engaged and listening to her.

It's so encouraging to see teenagers living in this place who are really living for the Lord. It reminds me that what i'm doing here is not in vain. I sat up with one student till 2 in the morning listening to her story. I have grown close to her and her sisters over the past year, but I still was broken to hear some of the stories of her past. She talked of how hard it is to grow up without a father or a mother. She talked of how hard it is to hear from people how she was nothing and she would never be anything and how alone she feels at times. And we sat there and we talked about how she wasn't alone. How God not only lives inside of her but also how He has given her people in her life that love her and that love the Lord. We talked about how her identity is in Christ, not in what others say she is. That she is a somebody because she is of the Lord.

And as i sat there, talking and listening to her...I couldn't help but think of two things. Why? Why does God allow some kids to grow up in amazing homes with 2 loving parents and allow other kids, like her, to grow up with almost no one. I look at this beautiful, mature, loving young lady and it breaks my heart and makes me wonder why. The second thing I think is, after all she's been through...the days she spent as a 8 year old girl standing out in the rain cuz she was locked out of her house, listening to people tell her she's just gonna end up a druggie like her parents...ect, the thing I think is, after all of that, she isn't bitter...she is SAVED and God has given her the strength to overcome it all. I think, where would I be if I had lived a life like hers? Would I be living for the Lord like her? She, along with so many of my kids are young people whom I admire and am blessed to know and to get the opportunity to pour into and love everyday.

As I sit here tonight and think back over the week at Camp Dawan. I think back over the conversations I had, over the talks our wonderful speaker talked about and there is one thing that keeps coming back to me. Our speaker said these words and it really just resonated with me...she said, "understanding can wait; obedience can't."

I don't understand why things happen the way they do. Sometimes I don't understand why God asks me to do certain things...but I must obey. I must choose to be obedient to my father, no matter if I understand it or not. Because, obedience cannot wait, but understanding can. This young lady may not understand why God has placed her in a situation where she feels like running away everyday, but she must choose to be obedient to God and stay and continue to be a light to all those around her. I may not understand why God has called me to do certain things, but my obedience to God cannot wait.

Anyways, yeah. Craziness definitely explains my last month. I am moving again...this Saturday. So for the 5th time in 4 weeks, I will be packing once again. Please pray for me that God continues to double my rest and to strengthen me as I am feeling very drained and tired. School starts soon for my students so please pray for them to start off the school year with a bang and pray for their teachers to enjoy teaching these students and realize how amazing and talented they really are. Pray for our high school students as they enter back into the hallways of their high schools that they would share the light of Christ and that they would find Godly friends who would encourage them throughout the year.

Oh, and please pray for a young lady in our program. Her father passed away last night from a long battle against cancer. This young lady holds a very special place in my heart and she loved her daddy very much. She is entering high school this year (9th grade) so I know she has already been stressed and nervous, now I know she must be a wreck. She is a very tough young lady who holds things in so please pray that she would find someone, anyone who she could confide in and that she would go to Jesus with her pain and find the strength to go on from Him.

God bless you all....

CAMP

This week I went to a camp with my kids in Wisconsin. THANKFULLY I was in a cabin with our oldest girls (the youngest was 13), so it was a pretty stress free week. Although it was practically stress free, it was still beyond tiring!

We did everything from horseback riding (my favorite) to wall climbing and lots of volleyball (which i HATED cuz i SUCK at it!)...it was great getting to know my girls better and seeing a different side of them. As much fun as I had with them...I was so very very excited to get home and sleep in my own bed away from the hard mattress, kids screaming and mosquitos biting!

Here are a few of my favorite pictures from Camp Timber-Lee 08:

Sunday I go HOME for a week!!!! YAY!

God bless you all!

TIME FLIES!

Time really has flown by. I feel like yesterday was our first day of summer studies and here it is, the day before the last day of the program.

We went on our last field trip today. We went to Deep River Water Park. It was a ton of fun and every single kid loved it! I really enjoyed it because, well, they kids were in great moods. :)


Next week we go to camp for a week. I can not wait because I miss KAA so much. We are going to a camp called Camp Timber-lee in Wisconsin. I've heard its fun but not anything like KAA, so we'll see.

The week after that, I go to Arkansas to see my family for the first time in 6 months! WAHOO!!!! I can't wait!

Anyways, this summer has really worn me down. I keep getting cold sores because my immune system is a little weak right now, but it's been well worth it. This summer has been awesome! It's been a definite learning experience and I'm falling more more in love with this ministry.

Pray for me and the kids as we gear up to go to camp! Have a great weekend...God bless you all!

Art

The kids have spent their last 4 weeks in art coming up with some murals to hang on the wall...groups of three or four got together and came up with a thing or idea they wanted to put across and then drew and painted murals...here are pics i took of them:

Not sure what this one is called...but it's basically what they see breakthrough is doing for the community...helping others...we help along the process of healing...

This one is called "The Sky's the limit" and my favorite part of this one is that the hands are all different colors...meaning the people are all different, yet everyone has can reach their dreams!

I wish I could have captured this one better...it's "Chicago's Skyline" yet they are also going up the stairs to heaven...I mainly liked it because they put so much detail into the city...it really looks like buildings with all the lights on!

I really liked this one too...it's called "Our Ideal Neighborhood" and it's basically a neighborhood that the kids would want...this group did the best job at painting too...they really took their time!

This one...well...the group had a tough time with. They had to repaint over it a couple of times...it's basically just a brick wall with a kid playing basketball...one of our co-workers said it symbolizes that the grass is always greener on the other side...i'm not sure what in the heck it symbolizes! lol

Last one...and personally, I think it's the most creative one. It's called "feelings" and basically, what this group's idea was to make a man with his mouth open...it's a storm and the rain drops are different colors...all symbolizing a different emotion, ex yellow meant happy, red mad...ect. And this man really has the righ to choose whatever emotion he wants...but yeah, I really liked the creativity of their idea!

That's it...just wanted to share with you their art!

God bless you all!