Life as I know it...Truly Blessed

Well, where does time go? I feel like just yesterday I was walking into the doors of Pelham High School as a little freshman girl not sure of anything. Now I am a month away from completing my first semester of my Sophomore year of College. It is crazy to me that I am here and believe me, there are stories on top of stories of how I got here. I think my favorite story to tell (which I am going to tell you, whether you like it or not :) has to do with missions...)
--Those of you who know me know that I am a very, well how do you say it, I always think I am right. I never back down, even when your clearly prove my point wrong, I still will argue. I am bull-headed, I guess you could say. At the start of this year I was very disappointed in my college. I was mad I was paying so much money to go to school ,when there are children around the world literally dying everyday and here I am dropping thousands on school for one stinking semester. I felt as though I was ready to jump into the mission field. Then one day Dr. Wilson (my advisor and one of the greatest brothers in Christ) asked a question in class. The Question was this, "Are you REALLY ready?" I immediately in my head was like," umm yea I am ready, This is what I was made for, what I am called to do." Dr. Wilson then began to discuss more than just the themes of mission work, he explained areas of his life over seas that I had never really thought about. After thinking about it for a while, I soon began to realize I am so NOT ready. Although I will never be as ready as I truly need to be, My time here is for a purpose. My teachers have already shown me so much of the Bible, things I would not have seen otherwise. I truly am blessed, in ways I may not even see right now. I thank God for this opportunity now, although I would much rather be going alongside God in "saving the world" but right now God is saving me so that I might one day go and be used by him to save others. He is molding me into the person he needs for me to be, there is no greater blessing.
--On another note, I recently have received a new friend named Polly. Polly is from Africa and is a very sweet man. I did an Interview on him for Intercultural Studies. It is so refreshing to meet such genuine people. I may be biased to internationals somewhat, but I mean they are the kindest, gentlest, people in the world. Polly is in my spanish class, and I am filled with joy every time I see Polly. He is such a light for Jesus, always smiling and happy. You can see Jesus on him and Jesus looks so good on him!
--Lastly, but certainly not least, there is a new boy in my life. Diego Andre Forga Telleria. Diego Is from peru and although the relationship is hard we both really like each other and I hope that one day we will be together, Forever. I pray for him everyday, that his relationship with the Lord will grow...It is more important to me for that relationship to flourish before one with him and I will work out. I would love to live with him on earth, but would rather have him for an eternity. (hopefully, I will get both!)
*help me pray for Diego, Polly, and my family. Thank you for your support~

Living on the EDGE!

"Living on the edge!" These words ring so true in my mind. I mean, that is exactly what Christians are supposed to do, right? We are not called to live the American dream...to sit back and pray that revival will start or better yet to pray that God will come back when scripture says that God will not come back till all nations have heard. How can we pray that?? We say things like," Father, come back!" When in reality it is like saying, it is okay that there are people groups who still haven't heard your name. It is okay that they be condemned to hell even though I have had the opportunity to meet and come into a relationship with you! It is okay that I did not obey you when you said, "Go!" Because the Bible is very clear in that regard...JESUS said GO AND MAKE DISCIPLES OF ALL NATIONS TEACHING THEM ALL I HAVE COMMANDED YOU..." Then the end will come, this promise is made clear in Matthew 24:14 and Mark 13:10. I want to live on the edge, so close on the edge in fact that if i were to lose my life for the cause of Christ not one person who knew me would be the least bit surprised. THIS LIFE IS NOT MY OWN! Like Nate Saint said, "As we weigh the future and seek the will of God, does it seem right that we should hazard our lives for just a FEW savages? As we ask ourselves this question, we realize that it is not the call of the needy thousands, rather it is the simple intimation of the prophetic word that there shall be some from EVERY tribe in his presence on the last day.."

..It's been a while..

As I slowly become accustomed to College life once again, i am finding out that I am not content. My intercultural studies class is inspiring me to widen my worldview and see a world that is literally begging for Jesus. I have been challenged more in the past couple of weeks to read, memorize, and meditate on scriptures than I have been my whole life. I have been knocked off of my high horse and shown that I am a desperate, hopeless sinner in need of a loving, merciful God. I can not keep going at the pace I am going. I NEED HELP.
Being in school, learning under people like Dr. Wilson and Dr. Younce is so helpful...but i find that I am not completely here. My heart, mind, and body long for the day that I will be a foreigner in other lands. I want so badly to reach out and help people that being here is not making me happy don't get me wrong God deffiently has proved himself faithful in my being here. I know that this is the place i need to be at this time, but knowing that there is a world full of lost people dying daily that still have not heard about Jesus and the salvation he is freely giving breaks my heart.
I am so privileged to be here, writing on my blog proclaiming Jesus when so little people around the world have that right. I read a quote the other day in "Spiritual Disciplines for the Christian life" by Donald Whitney that I have not been able to get out of my head. He said that people in the southern United States have book cases full of Bibles, when people who have never heard the word are running around all over the world, but yet our lives and sins match up? How can this be, because the privileged and rich do not see the importance of the Bible and the power it brings. It is a mighty sword that can win any battle if practiced with enough.
Another quote from "How to be a World-Class Christian" that stuck out to me is this, " Our God is not some sort of 'Village God,' existing for our concerns alone and isolated to our worlds. He is the Lord of the universe, the God whom all will give an account, the savior who reaches out through his church to ALL who need to know his love, regardless of ethnic background, economic standing, or geographical locations...A world class perspective remembers to Focus on a global God who CALLS us onto his team!" With that being said, What kind of legacy will I leave when I am gone from this world? Will people say of me, "When she died, it was as if she never lived. She had no impact, left no legacy, and affected no lives," or will they say," She was a Christian who lived according to God's will and demonstrated her life in credible faith... She abandoned herself to God and his purposes. She gave herself to the God's world so that people who saw her life as a living illustration of the gospel. She is recognized as having been with Jesus because his imprint marked her lifestyles and actions." I hope it is the latter. I do not want to waste the short time I am here living for myself and my sinful desires, I want to accomplish, with the other believers, all that God has intended for this world, by working together with God and each other. This means we have to obey the truths revealed in his Word, but it also means a radical willingness to turn away from aspects of our culture that may be acceptable in popular opinion but that are different to the purposes of God.
I WANT THE WORLD TO SEE GOD... IF THAT MEANS DYING FOR GOD AND HIS PEOPLE THAN SO BE IT! I AM READY FOR HEAVEN, BUT OTHERS AREN'T.

Live.Laugh.Love

well, tomorrow Sterling leaves me and then Kyndall will not be hom till late monday night so I will by sister less. I dont like this! I miss shannon more than words can say! and as for mama and daddy, i can not begin to describe the ache i feel from being away from them! I have work tomorrow at 7:30am then we have a st.louis meeting, then I will relax until VBS starts this monday! carzy busy week be cause after that we leave for ST. LOUIS on sunday and will be gone for an entire week! I am so excited to be shaing this experience with just North campus and the jh for that matter. These kids have impacted my life and I Love them so muuch, come august it will be so hard to say goodbye..but God will be faithful and get me through it like he got me through leaving last summer! speaking of last summer Peru has been on my heart a lot lately and I do not think October will come quick enough! I can not wait to be reunited with my other family and community! To be reunited with Diego, Nathali, and many others whom I love dearly! Peru will always have a special place in my heart and so will Prosper, tx!

July 4th Festivities

This year on Independence Day, I was invited to join the Millers at Sky Ranch in Van, Texas. We drove up after church and spent the day with the Paulk family. It was refreshing to be with two awesome families of God and even more of a blessing to spend time with my new sisters (although I miss Shannon so so much). I am so thankful for the soilders who have and are fighting for usm but I am even more grateful for a nation where we are FREE to worship God almighy! The true thanks, however; goes to Jesus Christ for laying down his life for us so that we might experience freedom from hell!
I owe this new blogging to mama miller! She encouraged me to get a blog and write about life, just like my daddy...so this is a new thing for me. Expressing things through writing and thoughts should help me sort through these crazy feelings I have.
please continue to pray!

Summer as an Intern

Summer for me has become...well not easy. In a lot of ways my past two summers have been big journeys. It is never easy leaving behind friends and family to go off somewhere. Through it all though God has been faithful. Last summer was a summer I will never forget, seventy-three days in a peruvian village will teach you a lot about life! This summer, however; will not be forgotten either. I am serving God in Texas! I have been blessed with a job at Prestonwood Baptist Church, blessed with an amazing family that I have grown to love and now feel apart of their lives, im also blessed with one of the coolest youth groups in Texas maybe even the states :) God is teaching me a lot but more importantly He is showing me his faithfulness. I have to rely on him for everything this summer. I just had the opportunity to go on junior high camp with my favorite 7th and 8th graders and God worked through an incredible team of volunteers, band, and speaker. We will be traveling to St. Louis, MO in two weeks for a World Changer experience. Life is a Climb...But the view is great!
(please keep praying)