A Refreshing Weekend

This past weekend one of my best friend and roommates in college came to visit. If only Megan had been here it would have been complete :) Annie is one of my most favorite people in life. She is always one who puts me in my place, encourages me, and reminds me to take time for myself. That is exactly what we did this weekend. This summer has just been such a crazy time between camp, bible studies for students, and going to Bolivia that I have forgotten to just rest. My body has reminded me of that the past few weeks since I have been sick twice with 2 different viruses. So as you can tell this weekend was much needed for me! I love that fact that Lord is intentional with us. He knew exactly what I needed this weekend and met my need by sending Annie. It was such a sweet time of encouragement for me this weekend. We spent the weekend shopping and watching the Olympics and Step Up 2. She also made me her whole made brownies, which are AMAZING!

I ended the weekend last night at our White House Campus for Riversedge( student ministry). It is amazing to see that after only the second week of starting this satellite campus we had almost 80 students. God is good. I can't wait to see what else he has in store.

This is Our God

Hillsong just came out with a new CD. It is called This is Our God! You need to go out and get it if you haven't already. Hillsong is my absolute favorite! Below is a story of one of the songwriters/singers and his story behind one of the songs on the cd called Healer. I hope that his story reminds of who Christ is! The only one who can truly heal us!

The Story:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aZ_ny8hMgRY

The Song:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x4xsWldmqAo

May The Nations Be Glad

So my best friend Katie has been begging me to start a blog. I have always said no I don't have time. So when I went to Bolivia last week and got back the Lord taught me so much and I just didn't have time to sit down and tell each person individually what the Lord did in my heart. Saying that, it occurred to me that "if I start a blog then I can just tell everyone at once". So here we go. I can't promise that I will be faithful in posting all the time but I will try to be consistent.

This past week I got the opportunity to go with our High School Students here at Long Hollow (www.longhollow.com) to Bolivia. I serve on staff at Long Hollow as Girl's Minister for Middle and High school girls here in Nashville, TN. We partnered with Food For The Hungry and went into the mountains of Bolivia to work with the indigenous people.

As we lived among these people in the village. The Lord started to strip me of my earthly desires and remind what it means to be a Christ follower. I was reminded of how many things in life I don't need. While we were there it was winter so it was freezing. At night we slept in many layers of clothes because there was no heat. Half of the week we had no running water and we went 5 days without a shower. If you know me, I never would of thought that I could do that. But I did. In Psalms 73 it talks about how wealth in earthly things is not what brings us joy but it is Christ in us that produces joy in our lives. That has never rang more true in my heart than it did while I was in Bolivia.

Our high school connect groups over the past school year have sponsored Bolivian children through Food for the Hungry. While we were in the mountains we went to the village where I students sponsor children and they got to meet the children they sponsor. I went with one of our students Haley to meet her sponsor child. We had an opportunity to go to her home. Her home consisted of mud slab walls and a straw roof. As her father was speaking to us he said, "2 years ago we were the forgotten people but now because of people like you and Christ we are no longer forgotten." WOW! How powerful is that! In that moment the Lord reminded of the hope he brings to our lives. That no matter our living situation, the circumstances we find ourselves in, or journeys we take there is hope in the Lord!