Happy 1st Anniversary to Us!

I am a pretty sentimental person...ok very...so dates are a big deal to me, even seemingly more insignificant ones. But I had the blessing of celebrating a very important date last Wednesday night at The Link. It was my Small Group 1 Year Anniversary! I have now had the privelege of formally being the now Senior Girls small group leader for a year! It has flown by! While I have been a part of their lives for going on 5 years now, this last year has meant more to me than they know. We have done so much together...grown, laughed, cried, spent lots of time together, prayed, & laughed some more! They have each had a significant impact on my life & they have encouraged me. They allow me to be me...they have seen me in joy & in trial...they walk right through it all with me! They are each so gifted & beautiful...and they LOVE the Lord! They have taught me so much about Him...perhaps the Lord had me be their leader more for my benefit than theirs...pretty sure! God shows me so much through them & refines me because He has allowed me to be their leader. The cool thing is that for the most part, they are stickin' around here when they graduate! (Thank You Lord!) Not sure what I would do if they all left! Yes, I am their leader, but they are my sisters & friends too. This last year has been quite the year for me personally, but they have been their cheering me on & I am eternally grateful & changed because of them. I only hope to walk in such a way to lead them closer to Christ & that my footsteps would not be mine, but the Lord's, to draw them closer to Him. The Lord is the thrill of my life, no questions asked. But these girls come closely after that...they are a passion & joy to me. An example that Christ is alive & thriving in hearts & minds. A reminder of God's amazing goodness. Thanks for such an awesome year girls! On to the next!

YOU Must Be Up to Somethin' Good

I have the privelege of teaching our high school girls Sunday School class each week (and middle school the last couple weeks too) & I know each week as I plan the lesson & teach that God had planned for me to learn from it too. In fact, I perhaps learn more than my girls do! The last couple weeks we have been in Daniel...talked about staying true to your convictions, even in the midst of persecution & questioning...even in a land that is not your home (they were in captivity), Daniel & the Lion's Den, then Shadrach, Meshach, & Abednego in the Fiery Furnace...then this morning we talked about Daniel's prayer in chapter 9. We talked about prayer & a creative way to pray (A.C.T.S. prayer) & why each aspect is important, that we need to pray "we" prayers, not "me" prayers...it was an awesome lesson on prayer. While I was teaching however, I thought back to the previous weeks. And in this chapter, Daniel & his friends are about to have something big, good happen...to go back home! I couldn't help but think...while God showed up huge...these boys went through much persecution, discouragement, impending death, frustration...you name it. Then Daniel prayed...because God was about to do something big.
So I told my girls my personal testimony of the fact that when I go through these times of discouragement & frustration...and I am in tune with God & in His will...it is because God must be up to something good. It's just a spiritual process the Lord takes me through now & then. Now is one of those times. Not that there are these catastrophic things going on in my life, but it's a spiritual battle & satan knows right where to target me...and he plays dirty. Whether it's in my own thought process, lies & negative thoughts about myself, busy-ness, questioning important relationships in my life, gossip, people close to me going through a hard time...I know God is more powerful than any of those circumstances & He HAS overcome them. But history shows that these things also mean that MY GOD is up to somethin' good! I don't know if this will be a personal, spiritual victory or if it will be more corporate...I have some ideas of areas God is going to prove to, of course, be huge & amazing...but not certian yet. I am more than willing to persevere & wait to see. In the meantime, I will take on Daniel's example & PRAY. And then pray harder. I will seek His face. And I will look to & anticipate the answers!

"For we do not present our pleas before You because of our righteousness, but because of Your great mercy. O Lord, hear; O Lord, forgive. O Lord, pay attention & act. Delay not, for Your own sake, O my God." Daniel 9:18-19