please pray!

So tomorrow all of the Focus on the Family Institute Students are joining with "Justice For All" to engage students from Colorado Christian University about the issue of abortion.  We will be first and foremost showing the students the love of Christ in our actions and words.  We will be talking about the pro-life stance and why we believe in it.   Pray that we would rely on the Holy Spirit for wisdom, discernment, and for Christ to fill us with His love for these people.  Also, please pray that the Lord would open up doors for us to share the gospel.

We will be at Colorado State University for 2 days (tomorrow and tuesday).  I can't wait to update you about what the Lord is going to do!  Thank you for your prayers!

Gianna Jessen

I saw this woman tell her amazing testimony at Modesto High School a few years ago.  She was aborted by her mother of a saline injection.  A long needle injects a strong salt solution through the mother's abdomen into the baby's sac. The baby swallows this fluid and is poisoned by it. It also acts as a corrosive, burning off the outer layer of skin. It normally takes somewhat over an hour for the baby to die from this. Within 24 hours, labor will usually set in and the mother will give birth to a dead or dying baby.  They are usually left unattended to die.  While the abortionist was off duty this precious baby was born and because she was still alive, the nurse transferred her over to an incubator and saved her life.   She has cerebral palsy and was told that she would never walk again.  She was adopted and became a Christian.  She now runs marathons and sings beautifully.  This video is pretty powerful!

p.s. if you go youtube Gianna there are a lot of great videos about her story, especially how she met her biological mother.  Here are 2 videos of a little bit of her story that she talks about at a conference in Australia:

Part 1:

Part 2:

community

Today we had our Gender and Leadership Studies Professor talk about our strengths and how they contribute to working as a community as the Body of Christ.  He also talked about how knowing our strengths can help us overcome our weaknesses.  It was such a great lecture today.  I enjoyed it SO much!  He showed us this clip.  It is really great!  Tell me what you think of it.:)

The Battle at Kruger:

meet my new roommates

So I'm all moved in!! I can't believe that I'm living in Colorado.  Crazy!  This is the view from our balcony.  It wasn't the prettiest day but pretty awesome nonetheless!  The only sad thing is that I left my USB cord for my camera so these are stolen pictures.  I have a lot of fun pictures of our apartment but you'll just have to wait for those until my momma sends me the cord (and Mere Christianity cause I have to read it for class and my bank statement...oh the joys of moving and forgetting things).  

So, anyways...without further ado I introduce to you my new roommates:)

From Left to Right: Danielle, Brenda, and Callie.

So Danielle is from Minnesota and I share a room with her.  She makes the long 'O' sound and I have adopted it as my own.  I don't know how many times a day we laugh when she asks me a question and I reply, "Sure, you betcha!"  I told her to describe herself in one sentence and she said that she is a positively charged blast of fresh air. AND...I TOTALLY agree:)  Oh, and those glasses that she is wearing are totally fake.

Brenda (the one in the mask) is from Michigan.  She is one of 7 children and lives on a dairy farm.  She knows how to make homemade bread and brought a bread machine so we are definitely looking forward to homemade bread when we get home from family dinner tonight!  (Fam dinner is when all of the 84 Focus students get together with the Staff and have dinner.)  She also say's 'pitch' instead of 'throw away'.  She describes herself as a fun loving, Christ follower.  Since that doesn't describe too much detail, I will add my own opinion (she approved it of course).  Brenda is a responsible, front row sitter, detailed, always on time, surprises us at numerous talents we never would have guessed she would have (hence the hockey picture-yes Brenda plays hockey and this was at her first scrimmage here trying out for a women's competitive hockey league in Colorado Springs!).  Basically the Lord new what He was doing when He placed her with us.:)  If anyone really knows me, knows that I am not very good at remembering details such as time and dates.  So, when Brenda walked in the door with the handbook and the numerous pages that we were emailed memorized, we knew this was an orchestration from the Mighty One.  (I didn't even print off those emails or handbook:))  Callie (who is the 3rd roommate) just said that she is going to be so much smarter 

living with Brenda! lol

So, on to Callie.  Callie is from Cleveland, Tennessee so I definitely grilled her all about Tennessee and we talk about the south all the time:)  Callie loves sweet tea, Dr. Pepper, Tennessee football, Chicago Cubs baseball and Jesus. :)  She's not a fan of honey or pantyhose and she is interning at Focus's Counseling Department (which she is really stoked about).  So with her southern accent influence and Hanky's northern accent, they joke that my accent is going to sound confused.  

So far it has been going really great.  I have been so blessed with great roommates.  Everyone here is really great.  We went through orientation these first couple of days and then this past weekend went on a retreat where we did lots of team building exercises an

d really started getting to know those in our groups.  We also went hiking which was AWESOME!  

Focus has split the 84 of us into 2 groups: Alpha and Omega.  I'm in Omega.  I am interning with Focus's Axis group.  This group is a traveling group that presents a Christian Worldview and what that looks like through media demonstrations to high school and college campuses.  Our team is comprised of about 12 students and we will travel to Maryland, North Carolina, and Texas.  We will go to those campuses and present, through interaction of movie clips and music, the concept of a worldviews and the importance of understanding worldviews that are present in our culture, as well as convince students of the truth, relevance, and necessity of a Biblical worldview.  So, I'm totally stoked.  I'll get to do presentations as well as act in a role.  I'm just excited to be able to teach students and get them excited about living for Christ.

Other than that I have sat through 2 classes already.  Christian Worldview studies by Dr. Leland and Marriage and Family Studies by Dr. and Linda Pampeyan.  They are awesome so far.  We have been reading about 100-150 pages each night for homework.  We

 are reading books such as "Making All Things New" by Henri J.M. Nouwen, "How To Win The Culture War" by Peter Kreeft, "The Abolition of Man" by C.S. Lewis, "The Universe Next Door" by James W. Sire, "Sacred Marriage" by Gary Thomas, and "The Search For Significance" by Robert Mcgee.  This is just for the first couple days....there are LOTS more to come!  So stay tuned.  I will definitely let you know if I read a really good one!:)

We also have taken one personality test.  We had to read through it before class today and one of the things it described me as was that I relate well to people but I give priority to the task.  When I read that description I was at Brenda's hockey game! lol I read it to Callie and Hanky and they died laughing!  We were at Brenda's hockey game...I was loving being there and hanging out but I was giving priority to the task because I had my homework there! lol  

It was pretty accurate on my personality.  There were some inaccuracies, but most of it was really funny to think about.  For example, my attitude during competition is "I will win, you will lose."  If you have ever competed with me you have probably heard that exact sentence out of my mouth!! lol  

Anyways, I am really having such a blast.  I do miss home and CBU and the routine and people I got to see on a regular basis, but the Lord is teaching me so much already.  It is easier to be content when you know beyond a shadow of a doubt that you are where the Lord wants you to be.  He is continuing to humble me in all areas, which is not easy, but is so awesome to think that He would love me so much to refine me and take away all of the sinful areas and make me more like Him.  I was reading Ps. 136 today.  It is such an amazing psalm, exclaiming the Lord's everlasting lovingkindness.  The Lord just keeps reminding me that He is such a faithful God and that He is worthy of ALL my affection and focus.  

p.s. 

I promise to post more pictures of the apartment soon.  So keep a look out:)

we have a picture of an elk on our plane

So we are in the Sacramento airport right now.  I'm excited that I don't have to travel alone this time.  We have a mess of bags around us.  I got everything in 2 suitcases, 2 very large (and pushing the limit) carry ons, 2 purses and overflow in dad's suitcase.  But I got everything in!! :)

This last weekend was super fun.  Saturday my friends Bryce and Trevor came down to hang out with my fam.  We had "special olympics" in the pool that included relay races, marco polo games, and cannon ball contests.  We also watched What About Bob which is one of my favs!  I got to see everyone at church one last time which is always so encouraging!

Ok, I've got to go to the bathroom before we get on the plane.  Those airplane toilets scare me.  Why do they have to be so loud??

oh and for those of you who are avid readers, I'm reading "When I don't desire God" by John Piper which is really good.  I'm almost done.  My mom is reading "Never Surrender" by Gen. William G. Boykin.  She just started it.  He was a commander of US Army Special Forces and she is really excited about it.:)  

p.s.

Crazy...we just saw people that we know really well that are on our same plane!  Sometimes it seems that we know everyone.  

ok BYE! 

for those Princess Bride fans

For Labor Day we went to Diablo Grande so Dad and John Boy could go golfing: 

While the girls went bike riding:)

This was after our bike ride:

The day was hilarious (of course, with my family...how could it not be??)!  Anyways, enjoy the very talented actresses as they demonstrate one of the classic scenes (that my family regularly quotes) in the Princess Bride.

1 month today

Today is September 4th and that means that it has been 1 month since I left the south (although sometimes I say certain words with a bit of a drawl...or so they tell me)!  I can't believe it!  How I miss the 7 of the other first guinea pig interns for Precept Ministries!

Wow...We were the first!! How awesome is that?!  Lord, why did you choose me??  It is really a miracle I was even there this summer!  These 7 grew up basically with each other every year, seeing each other once at Boot Camp every summer.  I was blessed to be able to join them and be a part of this family that's goal was to teach the Word of God.  It was nothing that we did to deserve this opportunity, but by God's amazing grace!  It's so amazing to think how the Lord orchestrated the past couple years, meeting the right people and providing for me to serve with Precept and then allowing me to serve there for a few months this summer!  How great is our God that we serve!

I just want to list a few of the things, I can think of on the top of my head, that He taught me:

-humility

-reliance upon Him

-sensitivity to the Holy Spirit's leading (especially during teaching times in class!)

-not showing partiality

-faith and works

-being a doer of the Word and not just a hearer that deludes himself

-sensitivity to others' feelings

-loving people in my thoughts toward them

-different ways to have small groups and the importance of them

-we studied Acts, John, James

-how to better study the Bible for myself

-the importance of the Word

-the importance of prayer

-that pure and undefiled religion in the sight of our God is to visit orphans and widows in their time of distress

-the tongue and how destructive it is!

-what spiritual warfare looks like

-teaching and how to effectively teach and how to hold a discussion just using the text in front of me

-working hard

-how the body of Christ should look like

-Discipleship and mentoring

-Hungering for God's Word

-how ministry looks (and how various it can be)/how ministry shouldn't look

-learning about how a ministry runs

-how vital Prayer is

-trusting God with today, and then when tomorrow comes, trusting Him with that day

-getting strength from only Him

-being real and honest

-Godly marriages and families come in all different shapes and sizes because He has different purposes for each one.

The Lord blessed me so much.  I got to work with amazing people that constantly kept pointing me to the Lord and encouraged me to glorify and serve the Lord.  I was able to work with some pretty great kids too.  It was so amazing to be a part of their lives for a couple weeks.  I love keeping in contact with them on facebook.  

The Lord definitely got me out of my comfort zone (He always does...and I'm SO thankful He does:)).  He let me help lead worship on the praise team.  That was definitely a humbling experience in itself!  

The Lord truly blessed me beyond imagine this summer.  I can't believe how much he grew me.  This summer was definitely a catalyst in my life and I will always look back to it as a defining point in my life.  

So...THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU all of you who prayed for me and gave support for the work that God did in my life this summer!  I can't thank you enough for making possible everything that I experienced this summer!  THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU!!

Now I go on to my next "big adventure" (as a lot of people are calling it).  I don't want this time in my life to be the only time that I have big adventures!  I want the Lord stretching me all the time!!  Oh how I pray that I would never be content in where I am but that I would always press on to be stretched and molded by Him!

Focus on the Family in Colorado Springs, CO.  Wow, how did I get the privilege of getting to go there?  Precept and Focus all in one year???  God you are so good!  I am excited.  I'm ready to meet new people and grow with them.  I'm ready to hike in some of the most beautiful mountains God has created!  I'm ready to continue the path that the Lord has me on.  I'm ready to learn everything He wants to teach me this Fall.  I'm ready for a "real winter"! :)  

I leave Monday with my parents.  They had their 25th anniversary (Praise the Lord for awesome parents who love the Lord so much)so they are coming with me and then spending a few days in Colorado themselves.  So I'm kinda hogging their luggage space to fit all of my clothes! :)  Pray I can get everything in 3 suitcases:)  lol

I can't wait to update again what God is teaching me (hopefully how to pack for a whole semester in a limited amount of space)!