dream come true #73

Today was SO awesome. Yes, judging by the timestamp you can tell that it must have been awesome for me to still be awake (or I am in college ministry and drank coffee at 11 tonight). Basically one of my wildest dreams for a girl that I have become friends with came true tonight.

I have formed a friendship with this girl in Ford and have shared my testimony with her before and then proceeded to hang out with her every couple of weeks. I have asked her to come to Bible discussion, given her More than a Carpenter and asked her to read the Bible with me individually and been shot down- over and over again. Well, this week I went out with her for coffee as usual and I was RESOLVED that if I couldn't get her involved in anything I would personally share the gospel with her. I prayed and tried and didn't quite get there. In a moment of exasperation I invited her to Navs saying that as my friend I wanted her to see what I did as a job. Amazingly enough she agreed and she came. Now this may not sound very miraculous to you, but they are things that DO NOT happen in my life - people saying yes and people actually coming to functions with me that aren't Christians.

Well not only did she come but she thought about Jesus HARD and decided that she isn't a Christian after all. Hmmm that's news! ;) (READ lots of sarcasm into that). Then, after Navs she went to the coffee shop with me and I asked her if she had ever wrestled with the idea of having a personal relationship with God (the speaker at Navs set us up great for this question) and she said I guess not and then I asked her if she knew how to have a personal relationship with God? To this she also said no. Enter: Bridge illustration.

We spent the next 45 minutes going over the one-verse bridge and the wheels were definitely turning. She didn't bow and accept Christ but she said that she wanted to in the future. Interesting response. Please pray for her and thank God for his faithfulness to work in the lives of the girls I know and love here!

Woo hoo!

busyness and my soul

Hey friends. This week has been pretty good. I have been TOO busy though. I definitely adopted the idea that since I missed so much time here while saying goodbye to Clayton that I needed to meet with as many students as possible to make up for it. That was TERRIBLE logic. I have not been sleeping enough and have just plain been behind. I have even gotten to the point where I have a hard time doing quiet times without hurrying to the next thing. Next week will have to be slower.

I will leave you with a thought from Kathy Hatfield that stuck with me majorly: We need to not always be busy because it is in the stillness and quietness that God speaks. We need that to hear God's voice! True story. I will take your advise soon Kathy!

Happy Valentine's Day!

Hey all! Happy Valentine's Day! how was your day?

Mine was actually very good. I am often pretty lonely in Manhattan but today was no such day. God definitely blessed me in that area. I really learned about the verse that talks about it being more blessed to give than receive (Acts 20). It really is.

I am back in Manhattan now. Yay!

Lots on my mind

As the title of this post implies... I have a lot on my mind.

My 20 year old brother got married today. Yep married and in two days he leaves the country for a year or more. I have so many emotions that I don't know how to begin to actually emote about the whole process.

There are so many other external and internal factors going on right now too. I would love to tell you about them but I just don't have the energy. Maybe because its Midnight or maybe because one can only have a certain amount of stress before they want to shut down. Most likely- it is the second. I also wonder if it would help. Would it benefit me to expatiate all the things that are running around inside my heart and mind? Would it benefit you to read about it? Would it honor God? I don't know the answer to any of those questions. Suffice to say: I have a lot on my mind.

I do leave you with a thought on God: I need Him SO much and I think that life's most dear theology is formed in tough times. So in this I find refuge from the present troubles! :)

My new favorite song is by Mark schultz and is always on the radio when I wake up (yay!):

I call, You hear me.
I’ve lost it all.
And it’s more than I can bear.
I feel so empty.
You’re strong.
I’m weary.
I’m holdin’ on
But I feel like givin’ in
But still You’re with me

Chorus:And even though I’m walkin’ through
The valley of the shadow
I will hold tight to the hand of Him
Whose love will comfort me
And when all hope is gone
And I’ve been wounded in the battle
He is all the strength that I will ever need
He will carry me

I know I’m broken
But You alone
Can mend this heart of mine
You’re always with me
Chorus:

And even though I feel so lonely
Like I’ve never been before
You never said it would be easy
But You said you’d see me through The storm

Pretty song. I'm out!

the big O

Well friends... Guess who is in Omaha? Guess where it is snowing profusely (It is really pretty)? Guess who is less than responsible and has only 30 daytime cell phone minutes left for the next 10 days (oops)? Guess who was woken up yesterday by an invitation to go to a friend from high school's fathers funeral? Guess how sad that was combined with thinking about my brother leaving (after some prayer and time with good friends she recovered alright)?

Well that is the update on my life. All in all I am in good spirits but some cirumstances are challenging! God certainly has and is giving me all I need for this these circumstances.

sick car and my brother

So, my car is sick. yep, that's right. The "low coolant" light was coming on when I went up steep hills but I had done a good job ignoring it for a while. finally, Meredith and I were going to take a trip to a nearby town to get our passports and I decided it was time to double check the coolant level. Well, it was a little low SO I thought no problem I'll put more in. As I poured coolant in, it poured out onto my host family's driveway. ICK! There was a huge puddle of orange antifreeze under my car and that was a little disturbing. I decided to do what any red-blooded american girl would do, I called my parents. They said I should take it in.

I did take it in. There were 2 coolant leaks. One in the water pump and the other in the intake gasket. Also the serpentine belt is cracked. That is an expensive bill. Yeah. No good. But my parents are going to pay for it. They are SO generous.

In other news, I am going to Omaha this weekend and much of next week and the following weekend to see Clay before he leaves. The reality is starting to hit me that he will be gone for a year.

Well that is quick update. :)