slowing down, well sort of

Okay, so made it through a long business trip, Summons to Sacrifice (which was amazing BTW) and now getting ready for VBS. Teaching more, learning more, and gaining more confidence. I got to put a book together with my best friend. A curriculum we both got together and created (and also tested on the Summons kids). It was awesome! Who gets to write a book with their best friend, really?

Vacation to Orlando in July is drawing nearer and nearer, almost time to begin my countdown. For now I am just going to rest. I can't begin to understand God and all his marvelous ways. So instead, I will just trust Him and go through whatever He deems necessary to make me who He would have me to be.

There ya go! My rambles for now!

Life Lessons

I am learning new lessons everyday as time goes on. I am learning that words hurt, but sometimes it makes you make decisions that in the long run, change your life entirely. I am learning that the number of friends I have doesn't matter, but the quality of the ones I have matters exponentially. I am learning that it is "ok" to be nervous, but not okay to give up because of it. God doesn't call the qualified, they wouldn't depend on Him anyway.

I've taken a lot of trips lately. I am loving life! I think for the first time in a long time I can say, "I love myself" It took me years to get to this point, but I think I can finally say that. My best friend told me "you have to love yourself before you can truly love others" I didn't get that until now. I had to get to a point where I didn't hate what I was or the things that had happened. I had to get to a point where it didn't define me, but made me stronger. (aren't best friends great? Not the BFF's you had in highschool, but the lifelong Best friends that bring your missing pieces back?)

So I am traveling, teaching, walking through any door He opens and letting the wind hit my face. Knowing, I am Not qualified, but He is going to be there if I fall.....I can do all things......

Getting behind

So I was checking out a friend's blog and realized, I haven't updated my blog in a few months. Sometimes I am really faithful to it and other times, I am just not. Since my last blog, I have been traveling some. I have moved, and absolutely love my new place. My walls are covered in swirlies and I love it! I have a new and finally permanent family. It's getting down to crunch time. Lisa (the mom) just began having braxton hicks so it is only a matter of time before the new little one is here. Then life will get pretty hectic. A newborn and a 3 year old...got a video camra? You can come watch me pull my hair out if you want. =) No really I am excited! Sort of.

Christmas is like 6 ish weeks away. My shopping has been done for several weeks. Got an early start this year. Wanted to not have to worry in the end.

Life is very strange lately. sunday school has stayed the same. Shekinah kids is changing, it is mostly just Lyn and I now. Kids prayer has just been Lyn and I for awhile, since before summer actually. Trying to help come up with lessons for Prayer Summit in January.

I can't really think of anymore to update on now. Life is just a nice routine for now. That won't stay that way I am sure. Something always seems to happen to shake it up a little as much as I try to fight it.

This is why we do it....

I love my kids. I have helped out in Shekinah Kids and Kids Prayer at my church for almost 4 years. I became a teacher 2 years ago when I came home from Africa knowing I would be taking Kids Prayer back someday. I love it!

Yes, its is trying sometimes, and has really caused me to step out of my comfort zone on plenty of occasions. Believe me though, there is nothing like those moments when you see kids pray, really pray, that just confirm in your heart that, "this is why we do what we do".

I had a parent come up to me and tell me her little girl Kohana had been looking for me Sunday night because I take the kids to pray before service and she loves it. I was on vacation. It made my heart smile to hear that.

Every hug, every "goodbye sister Amberle" just makes my heart explode. I look forward to seeing their smiling faces every Monday and Wednesday. I can't wait to see the day when they are all filled with the Holy Ghost...we are getting there!!!!

Here are some pictures from our Prayer obstacle course Monday night. The kids had to start by drawing a praise action out of a bucket (jumping, running ect..) then the next station they had to do the motions to whichever kids worship song was playing when they got there. Then, they had to got to the next station and hula hoop while saying 5 things they were thankful for, (we ran through 2 times so the second time they had to say 5 names of peole they would pray for this week). The last station had the draw a letter out of a bucket and write 3 words that began with that letter that were adoration to God.

They absolutely loved it! I could not stop laughing! I seriously love Children's Ministry.

Change

So I am deciding that not all change is bad. I've always been the type of person that really flips out when things change. I like my routine, and I like stability. I always knew I would have to get over that to be a missionary.

My life has been a little up in the air lately. Somethings are changing with ministries I am involved with at church and for me, I am aggravated and feel like I am being pushed away from something I have a real burden for. It's God, I know. He's molding me and making me something better than I am, but sometimes I just don't understand the direction I must go to get to that.

On a good note, if not somewhat scary: I am moving. I am moving into my best friends house. Been painting my room, packing up, slowly putting things in my new room. It's a season of change for me. Sometimes you just have to make that jump and know that no matter what, you will be caught. You may be very near crashing when you are, but you will always be caught.


He always has you, just where He needs you to be. Things are not nearly as bad as we perceive them to be.

The week of change

This past week I went to Alexandria to the Louisianna district Kids Kamp. I expected to go down as a counselor, and instead was thrown into leadership and speaking opportunities I never imagined possible. The night we got there I was put in charge of Crafts, and asked to lead in the prayer meeting the following night. "give your testimony and I want you to get a revelation of God's love for the SALT team" Say what?? so after MUCH prayer, and to be honest..a near panic attack, I finally asked what Bro. Alan wanted me to say, what was it he thought they needed to hear. He read my mail....I've never met this man until now, but he said, "your life has not been easy. You've had some hard knocks, be honest, share your hurts, show how God brought you from there to where you are, and how God can use that"

For those of you that REALLY know me....my mind was a million different places. (and can probably imagine the look on my face) How much do I tell? What is necessary, and why oh why does God think I am strong enough, or far enough in my healing to do something like this?

So I stressed and prayed and finally when it came time for me to talk with the group, I let it all out. I won't do that here, but God has a way of helping you heal as you use your testimony to heal others. We had a prayer line and after I went throuh it two people prophesied over my life. then a girl in my group came up sobbing, we share a similar hurt in life and she asked me to pray. It all made sense. Yes it was hard, and yes I had to bare my soul, but it helped her. She wasn't alone to suffer.....Thank you God!! (He knew I would need to see what would come out of this sooner rather than later)

The rest of the week was a blur....worship services were amazing!! I've never sweat so much!! The kids were great!! I got so attached to my small group. Savannah one of my little ones told me she wanted to be like me when she grew up. I helped lead in the prayer services and taught a lesson on Thursday morning.....it is amazing how God just took the fear away. All that stage fright I had...was gone in an instant. Monday night I had to give my testimony again, but it was much tamer, since I was speaking to kids, but as I stepped off the platform a swarm of kids hugged me.

I had prophesy after prophesy spoken over my life...there are too many to count, but I wrote them all down. Some were a little scary, some very exciting....some down right confusing.

God is so good to me, I just really don't know where to go from here.....apparently I am just supposed to keep learning..and working in this new found ministry.

More to come.......stay tuned.

Craziness, Randomness, and Fun

I had the pleasure this weekend of going to Chicago with my best friend. Let's just say, it was eventful to say the very least. 

SOOOOO, we leave St. Louis at about 4ish....get about 10 minutes away before realizing we have forgotten allergy medicine and Lyn's phone charger.  Turn around, by 4:30 we are back on the road. We stop at quicktrip for hotdogs, caffeine, and gas and then we are off.  We had the windows down, radio blaring, laughing hysterically. We passed a ton of signs that looked like cities in states nowhere near where we needed to be. (El Paso, altlanta, Towanda)

So at about 9 or so we get to Joliet, our home about 45 minutes from the city. We check into our motel and get to our room to find that it had been a smoking room, we are in the ghetto, and the room is just horrible. I'm not a baby, but this room was really bad. Trying to make the best of it, I decided to turn the air on thinking maybe it would help...and the air conditioner sparks, burning the carpet, and shocks the daylights out of me, knocking me on my backside. 

At this point Lyn is grabbing a phone book only to find someone has torn the hotel pages out of the yellow pages. We use the internet on her phone to find the nearest Hampton Inn an exit away and make our way there instead.  It ended up good in the end, our room there was amazing!! There was even a rubber duckie (which we named duckie) on the bathtub.

So after talking awhile, grabbing food, and soaking our feet in the hot tub, we settled in for the night.

Day one in Chicago was a blast!! We got up early, drove in, and parked at the end of the redline el station. We took the el into Theatre district and walked. We came across a parade, which was just beginning, went to the Art Museum, and took pictures with a bull. All the while Lyn is reminding me we need to be back in the Theatre district at 1:30 to try and get tickets to a matinee, there are several shows playing. Whilst standing there she informs me she needs to grab something she wrote down out of the bookbag on my back. Out she pulls tickets to the 2pm showing of Mary Poppins, my all time favorite movie, that has come to broadway. 

So I was in my happy place. Our night was finished by an eventful ride back to the El station to get my car. Wrigley and Soldier Fields had just let out and we had all the crazies on our rail. We went and got a great pizza, went back to the hotel, and talked for awhile. 

Day two included the Pier..which cost us 24 dollars to park, a huge ferris wheel, pirates, funnel cakes, Ducks eating said funnel cake, a chicago style hot dog, the stained glass Museum, and lots of pictures, before driving home.

It was a weekend of so much laughing my stomach is still sore, no stress, no phone, no internet, LOTS of walking, and first time experiences. I had the time of my life. I am so very blessed to have a best friend to be able to do things like this with.