Car Problems

As I left to go to church today my car started acting up about half way to town. After a time of prayer to help me get to a Wal-Mart so that I could get some antifreeze (my car has been losing coolant and it was overheating) I decided to press on towards town. I had thought to just head back to camp but decided that since I was halfway there that I might as well keep going so that I could at least fix the problem. As I was approaching the exit for Wal-Mart low and behold a police officer was sitting there close by watching for speeders. Seeing I was only going 50-60 miles an hour on the interstate I thought to myself at least he doesn't have a reason to follow or pull me over. The police officer pulled out and actually began following me. I am sure that he was probably wondering what was going on since I was driving so slow. As I came to the stop sign I came to a complete stop and then my car gave out and died police officer and all behind me. I was thoroughly embarrassed but then I decided to thank the Lord that the police officer followed me, turned on my hazardous lights, took off my seat belt and got out of the car and walked up to his car. I explained what happened and apologized. He waved the car behind him around us and called in to have someone come help us push it off the road. He suggested trying it since it had cooled off some and it turned on! He offered to follow me to Wal-Mart which I made it without anymore problems.

My car has just started losing coolant just here lately and I have been hoping and praying that it will hold out for my income tax check which is soon to be here before taking it in to fix it. I have had other cars with similar problems but sometimes there is no waiting. My car had zero coolant in it when I got to Wal-Mart which isn't a good sign. I bought a couple of bottles and by this evening I should know if I have to take it in right away or not. If it needs to get fixed my Dad has so graciously offered to come to camp to help me get it fixed up and running again. My car made it home safe and sound without overheating again so that is a huge blessing and a good sign.

Please pray that the Lord will help my car to function till my income tax check comes in.

I hope yall had an easier morning than I did! I did miss worship service but I got to go to Sunday School so thankfully I got to go to church after all of that. :)

Breaking Free - Week 8: God's Unfailing Love

I have already shared a bit about what the Lord has already taught me in this week's study in a previous post. If you would like to look back at what I guess you could call part 1 just look back at the Valentine's Day post.

As I finished up this week the Lord has really had my mind on how much I love the Lord. I know that some of you may not completely understand all of this but it is amazing the things that I feel and am able to feel because of my relationship with Him.

He is my best friend, the one I can count on no matter what and when He chooses to come back then as with many of you He will be my bridegroom. I struggle with singleness trust me but thankfully I know that one day when the Lord comes back I will be a part of a huge marriage feast with Christ just like all of my brothers and sisters in Christ. With each step I take with Him the more intimate my relationship is with Him, the more I need and want to spend time with Him, and the more I realize His love for me.

In the Greek there are multiple words for love and the one that I would like to share with you is "agapao" and it means "1: to regard with strong affection; 2: as referring to superiors and including the idea of duty, respect, veneration, meaning to love and serve with fidelity; 3: to regard with favour, goodwill, benevolence; 4: to delight in"

In John 21:15-23 this is the love that the Lord was asking for from Peter. In this section of scripture there is actually 2 words for love given the one that the Lord asked if Peter had "agapao" and the one Peter said he had for the Lord "phileo" and the love that Peter had was one that was more closely related to as a love we have in friendship. The Lord doesn't just desire just a friendship with us He desires us and a love that goes much farther than the surface. Something that was interesting about the 2nd part of the definition is that it was a deep love explained also like this "used substantively of those loving the Lord, meaning faithful disciples or followers of the Lord." This is the love that the Lord desires us to have and that He desires us to feed His sheep with.

Beth Moore asked 5 questions for me to answer in regards to agapao love and I would like to share them with you. She asked them to help us see if we loved with agapao love or with phileo love. With each question we were to answer often, sometimes, rarely. She asked us not to discourage us but to encourage us with our walks with the Lord. I saw areas that needed improving in my own walk with Him and areas that I was very close to Him. I wouldn't say that I am 100% there but I am getting there I believe and it isn't because of me but because of what He is doing in me:

1. Does He regularly circulate into my thoughts? (Psalm 63:6)
2. Am I often drawn to spend time with Him?
3. Does my life demonstrate a love for God? (Romans 5:8)
4. Do I often enjoy God? (Psalm 16:11)
5. Do I find relief or satisfaction in the obedient life? (Psalm 51:8; John 14:21)

Some of you may be wondering why the word often is in the 4th question and she explained that she put it in there because sometimes when He is dealing with us, teaching us, working in us, etc... it isn't always enjoyable. It doesn't mean it isn't good it just isn't always an enjoying time to be corrected.

It isn't always easy to walk out this love. There is a young lady currently that I haven't quite understood why but the Lord has given me a love for her to reach out to her, encourage her, help her through a stronghold she is facing, and yet she has been probably one of the most hurtful people in my life. I have often prayed that the Lord would help me to love like Him and I think this is Him working in me trying to teach me how to love even when it isn't the easiest and when love isn't returned.

I just know that when it was the hardest to love me was when I struggled with a couple of strongholds. It was because of the love of a couple of people in my life who were willing to love me even when I tried so hard to push them away yet they stuck around and loved me even though it would have been so much easier to give up on me and walk away. They have taught me what agapao love is and the have taught me another kind of love which is agape (agapao is derived from this love it is a love of "affection, benevolence; charity, dear"). A familiar passage agape love is described in is 1 Corinthians 13. My prayer is that the Lord will help me to love like Him even though it isn't always easy. Not only with this young lady but with everyone I come into contact with.

May the Lord bless each of you as you serve and love Him!

Joys of Camp Life

Today I was touching up the ceilings from us painting Ceta Lodge. I was on the last room and went into the bathroom to paint in there and low and behold my my heart skipped a beat and I thought I was going to have a heart attack. In the toilet was a mouse who had drowned! I know I live on a camp grounds but mice and me do not get a long at all!

After finishing up with the painting I went to find out if I could just flush it or if I had to get it out myself and thankfully Jeff who is over maintenance told me I could flush away! I was so thankful! The joys of camp life! :)

Happy Valentine's Day

I am praying that all of you have had a wonderful day filled with much love and joy! I want to let all of you know how much I truly do love all of you who are a special part of my life.

My studies are at a wonderful spot in connection with Valentine's Day. I have been looking at God's unfailing love and coming to a place where I am so satisfied in Christ that He fills all the empty and hallow places in my life and if someone provides a little love in my life well it will be the overflow of what Christ has already provided. Christ's love is what fills my cup and everyone else just causes the cup to overflow. I will be honest with you I still struggle with this satisfaction but I am desiring to grow in a way that teaches me to live in Him and be satisfied with Him beyond what I could ever imagined. Over the past couple of months the Lord has been teaching me so much and I know that He can fill me exceedingly if I am only willing to allow Him to and make it a point to spend the time needed to be filled with Him and His love.

My prayer for you is that you will be fully satisfied in Christ. I love yall!

Beauty and the Beast

Last night my roommate and dear friend from last summer Kelsey and I went to see the play "Beauty and the Beast" at West Texas College in Canyon where she goes to school and it was wonderful! If you love the Walt Disney version than you will love it! The tickets are sold out or are all reserved but they have a waiting list and if you live anywhere near Canyon I highly recommend it. The actors did so good! It was a long play but so worth the time.

Kelsey and me this summer on her birthday

Breaking Free - Week 7: The Potter and the Clay

In the Beth Moore study I am doing the thing I was encouraged by the most was allowing the Lord be my Potter and that I need to trust Him to be that Potter. It is by Him that I can experience freedom and it is the work that I allow Him to do in me that can bring Him the most glory because it is Him doing the work and not myself.

I tend to struggle I realize with trusting Him. Mostly in specific areas but I still struggle. The area that stands out the most is being single. I desire a family so much that I tend to fix myself in different areas so that I can in order to hurry the Lord when I honestly should be trusting Him that He knows how He can use me best. For now it is in my singleness and if it be His will than maybe later He will choose to bless me with being married.

I also lack in trusting that He can bring me the man He has chosen for me because I live in a hole in the middle of no where. I know that seems weird but it is true. I live in a canyon where there is no mobile reception, and sometimes no internet. I remember coming to town one day wondering what happened to cause our flag to be on the pole half way. We are very isolated down here which in some ways it is wonderful but it makes it really hard to have friends and meet new people. I am a good 20 minutes from Wal-Mart and church and about 45 minutes from everything else. The thing that the Lord worked on me about is to trust Him for where I am and walk with Him during this time. I can trust Him as Ruler in my life but I must stop trying to help Him and let Him make all the choices for me. Pray for me because this really is a horrible struggle that I experience and that Satan uses in more than one way in my life. I struggle more so now that kids I use to babysit are now getting married. I am so happy for them but at the same time I wonder what is wrong with me and why it isn't me.

Some points that Beth Moore made on one of the days concerning freedom was really good for me and I would like to share them with you in hopes that they encourage you too:

"Now the Lord is that Spirit: and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty (freedom). But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord." ~ 2 Corinthians 3:17-18

1. The Lord is the one and only true possessor of true liberty
2. The second step towards freedom is receiving Christ as Savior, thereby receiving His liberating Spirit
3. The third step towards freedom is yielding to the authority of God

The Lord has proved to me over and over again how trustworthy He really is yet I still resist His authority at times. My ultimate desire is to bring Him the glory He deserves and to be used in a way that people experience the love of the Lord. I really desire to be a vessel that is brought to completion and not a vessel broken and shattered a million times over all because I wouldn't trust my Potter to form me the way He wanted to.

My prayer for you is that you would yield yourself to Him and know that He can be trusted to rule over your life. I love yall so much!

Getting Back in the Grove

I am so thankful that today is over and that tomorrow I am off! After a 14 hour day and a shower I am finally able to catch up with you.

I have actually been in the kitchen since supper Thursday night and as today comes to an end we have 250 campers running around camp and having prayerfully a good time and a very encouraging time in God's Word.

For the last couple of days I have been thinking on Matthew 11:25-30. I have been desiring to come to a place where I go willingly to receive the rest needed from my Lord in order to grow closer to Him. He is such a huge God that nothing is to heavy for Him even when life is such a burden and so tiring! I am so thankful I have the opportunity and the choice to spend time with my Father whenever it is needed in order to grow and learn from Him. He comforts me when I need it, refreshes me, loves me, and cares for my heart as I struggle with character flaws. Here is the passage from Matthew and I pray that you are refreshed and encouraged:

At that time Jesus answered and said, I thank thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes.
Even so, Father: for so it seemed good in thy sight.
All things are delivered unto me of my Father: and no man knoweth the Son, but the Father; neither knoweth any man the Father, save the Son, and he to whomsoever the Son will reveal him.
Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.
Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.
For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.

As today is coming to an end and tomorrow is quickly approaching please pray for me that the Lord would refresh me for a new week ahead and that I would take out time to take on His yoke and rest my soul.

I am thankful that the Lord has blessed me with so many Sundays off this "off season" at camp. It is so sad to know that this luxury is going to be coming to an end soon as summer time approaches. We are just now starting to pick up and come March time off will start becoming scarce on Sundays. I really love spending time with my precious Sunday School class. They encourage me so much and I love them for that!

I pray that is post finds all of you abiding in the Word and receiving encouragement from the Lord as He reveals Himself to you. Take care and have a blessed week!

Prayer Request

My friend from work Jeff is having knee surgery this morning. Please be praying for him as he recovers. Thank you so much!

Jeff has been such a servant and blessing from God in my life. Him and his wife have watched the pups, Jeff has helped me with work on the house, a yard, and so much more! He has a really hard time just sitting and not doing anything. This will be hard for him to do during recovery and will be anxious to push it along. Please pray for him to heal quickly and to be patient in the process. Thank you!

Wreckless is 2 years old!

As always the internet wasn't working very well yesterday and so I am a day late but my wild child and handsome little boy Wreckless turned 2 years old! The Lord sure has blessed my life with him and though at times he is a huge handful and it isn't always easy having a Wreckless I still love him so much. He truly is a precious pup. We haven't done anything yet but I am thinking I may take him for a hike at Palo Duro State Park on Wednesday. I haven't decided yet we may end up just hiking here because the last time we went to Palo Duro he was really hard to handle when passing people. At least here we know everyone and the likelihood of seeing people isn't as great.

Over this year Wreckless has settled down a bit more. With each year he is doing much better. I am still holding out for year 4. I have been told by a lot of people that at about 4 years he will be one of the best dogs I could ever have.

Some of his favorite things are going for walks, hiking, barking at our wildlife (deer and bunnies are his favorites), fighting with Daisy-Rose, doing tricks for treats, playing with his friends at PetSmart's DayCamp (good thing we don't live in Lubbock I would be very poor) and he sure does love a rawhide at night before bed. His favorite treat is ice cream.

Here are some pictures of him growing up!

This is Wreckless' first picture, ironically I got him on Mothers Day

I wanted a little dog when I got him but he just kept growing!

This is our 2007 Christmas Picture

Exciting Changes

Today has been a wonderful day that included a change in my life.

On my way to church this morning I talked to my dear friend Nina who has been one of 5 ladies in my life who has mentored me spiritually and encouraged me in my walk with the Lord. It was her birthday and I called to wish her Happy Birthday and we visited as I drove into Canyon (it takes about 30 minutes to get there). We were just catching up on life and she asked me about the church I go to which is First Baptist Church - Canyon. In our talk we visited about why I hadn't moved my letter from Wolfforth (where I went in Lubbock). I shared with her that it was because of Ceta Canyon. I know that sounds weird but camp keeps us so busy. Something I have struggled with since moving here is not being able to go to church regularly and that it is hard to commit to anything (Beth Moore Studies, different ministries, etc...) because of how our schedule changes and our hours are never the same. Nina was very understanding and it was good for me to process and think about why after 1 1/2 years of attending church in Canyon I hadn't made any decisions yet.

This morning our Pastor talked to us about our purpose in life and how the Lord places passions in our life for a reason and a purpose and it is to bring Him glory and provide us a way of ministry. As long as I can remember I have only known 3 things. I have always been lead to go into the mission field and I have always wanted to marry a godly man to serve the Lord with and the last it to be a wife/mother who can stay home and take care of my family. I have never wanted to do anything else. During our message today I was so encouraged because our pastor sharing with us to accept where the Lord has us and what He is calling us to.

After praying and seeking the Lord this evening at church I decided to move my letter of membership to Canyon. I am hoping and praying that opportunities will open up for ministry for me there and that the Lord will use me for His glory as I serve Him.