Carson's 14th Birthday
5 years ago
Monday, September 15, 2008
Moving on....
Time for a new blog! Here will continue to lie the memories and thoughts from this summer. As for life that is moving along nicely here at Clemson, I will begin updating on another blog: http://fieldsandflowers.blogspot.com. See you there! ♥
Sunday, July 27, 2008
Impossibilities?
A summer like this summer has been has so many incredible benefits. It is a growing experience where you learn how to live for Christ in every aspect of life. You are convicted of sins within your life, areas the Lord wants to work on. Then the accountability in the close-knit group of brothers and sisters allows opportunities to be called out and continue to change for the better. The presence of the Lord is felt throughout each day and in every relationship that is built. The summer is like a spiritual greenhouse, and yet an experience that lasts long enough that the challenges of every day life come into play through work and interactions with those around you. Though there are so many benefits, every summer has a let-down. The let-down to this one is the end.
With one more week to go we are all seeing it clearly. We are coming to the point where we begin to reflect, to look back on the goals we set at at the beginning and analyze our progress. We continue praying fervently for God to continue his work in our life as the school year begins. Saying goodbye to some friends and excited to continue to see others back at school. We especially hope that those great lessons that we have learned and changes we have made will stick. It's easy to become discouraged when we realize that although we are moving back to a wonderful Biblical church and going back to a strong Christian presence at our University, the spiritual greenhouse we have come to know here will no longer be quite the same. We realize that the difficulties we experienced in our lives last year will not go away. That we will be expected to handle experiences in life differently this coming year. That the Lord will hold us accountable for what He has shown us this summer.
When anticipating and thinking ahead on the coming weeks and months it is easy to fear, to worry, to forget God's promises. This morning at church Gray Gainor wisely pointed to the Ten Commandments. They were given to the people, yes, as guidelines. But even more so, they showed us that it is impossible to follow God's Laws. Ten simple yet important rules which point us away from all of the things we do on a regular basis that grieve the Lord's heart. To always follow every rule laid out is impossible for any of us, even the strongest Christian. God shows us through these commandments that the only way to even come close to pleasing him is not on our own strength, but through his grace and mercy.
As the summer comes to a close, whether we are coming out of a spiritual greenhouse or a summer of struggle, a summer of hard times or a summer of fun, we are entering a new year with new possibilities and new opportunities to live our life for the Lord. We can go into this year afraid of failing God or even with hope in ourselves to be the person we want to be. Or we can go into it realizing that without Christ we are nothing and the only way this year will be a success in our lives spiritually, personally, relationally and academically, is if we put our full hope and trust in the Lord. Worry is just that, not trusting in the Lord, not having faith that He is going to be there for us and do what he promises. Self-reliance and self-confidence are just as bad, putting ourselves on the throne of our hearts and pushing aside the creator of the universe. Let's put our faith and trust in the one who created all things and knows all things, the one who sees the big picture.
"Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight." Prov. 3:5-6
"Being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus." Philippians 1:6
With one more week to go we are all seeing it clearly. We are coming to the point where we begin to reflect, to look back on the goals we set at at the beginning and analyze our progress. We continue praying fervently for God to continue his work in our life as the school year begins. Saying goodbye to some friends and excited to continue to see others back at school. We especially hope that those great lessons that we have learned and changes we have made will stick. It's easy to become discouraged when we realize that although we are moving back to a wonderful Biblical church and going back to a strong Christian presence at our University, the spiritual greenhouse we have come to know here will no longer be quite the same. We realize that the difficulties we experienced in our lives last year will not go away. That we will be expected to handle experiences in life differently this coming year. That the Lord will hold us accountable for what He has shown us this summer.
When anticipating and thinking ahead on the coming weeks and months it is easy to fear, to worry, to forget God's promises. This morning at church Gray Gainor wisely pointed to the Ten Commandments. They were given to the people, yes, as guidelines. But even more so, they showed us that it is impossible to follow God's Laws. Ten simple yet important rules which point us away from all of the things we do on a regular basis that grieve the Lord's heart. To always follow every rule laid out is impossible for any of us, even the strongest Christian. God shows us through these commandments that the only way to even come close to pleasing him is not on our own strength, but through his grace and mercy.
As the summer comes to a close, whether we are coming out of a spiritual greenhouse or a summer of struggle, a summer of hard times or a summer of fun, we are entering a new year with new possibilities and new opportunities to live our life for the Lord. We can go into this year afraid of failing God or even with hope in ourselves to be the person we want to be. Or we can go into it realizing that without Christ we are nothing and the only way this year will be a success in our lives spiritually, personally, relationally and academically, is if we put our full hope and trust in the Lord. Worry is just that, not trusting in the Lord, not having faith that He is going to be there for us and do what he promises. Self-reliance and self-confidence are just as bad, putting ourselves on the throne of our hearts and pushing aside the creator of the universe. Let's put our faith and trust in the one who created all things and knows all things, the one who sees the big picture.
"Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight." Prov. 3:5-6
"Being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus." Philippians 1:6
Sunday, July 13, 2008
With the Horizon in Sight
One of the most common comments heard by our group lately has definitely been "Wow, we only have three weeks left!" It really is incredible to think that three more work weeks and a few more days after that SummerLink will come to a close for 2008. Our first prayer is that the growth, relationships and the impact that we've made will last for eternity. Our second prayer is that we will not be so focused on the small amount of time we have left that we forget to make the most of it. Several mentioned tonight in sharing time at prayer and praise how much we need to continue to be intentional at work to share, in our outreaches, continuing to build relationships everywhere we go. Our chapter this week has been on stewardship: making the most of the time God has given us, whether it be short or long. That is our hope for these last few weeks.
To update on the past weeks, there is nothing that could sum up how amazing God has been. It continues to amaze me how surprised we are by God's magnificence despite the fact that he shows us faithfully over and over how wonderful he is. And yet he continues to impress me with his awesomeness. Not to say that every day has been all fun and games. Each of us have definitely been through struggles and doubts, that's what Satan does. But in my life especially, God has taken and every doubt, every discouragement and turned it around for his glory. He's used them for growth, sanctification and even encouragement to others.
To be more specific about what he's been doing I'll touch on this morning's preview service. It was the third preview service of Crosspoint Bluffton. Despite running behind and several other difficulties the service went smoothly and Carl Martin brought a wonderful message on humility to the congregation. The Lord packed the movie theater with so many people that we thought we were going to be sitting on the floor. Praise Him! We had a wonderful group of children, coworkers came, people from neighborhoods we canvassed, etc.
I could go on and on about how good God has been and what he's been teaching me personally. Please continue to pray, especially in these last three weeks as we have a temptation to just continue in our routines and not reach out to others like we should. We have a midsummer newsletter published that I will try to email all of you, my supporters. =)
Thank you for your prayers! God bless!
To update on the past weeks, there is nothing that could sum up how amazing God has been. It continues to amaze me how surprised we are by God's magnificence despite the fact that he shows us faithfully over and over how wonderful he is. And yet he continues to impress me with his awesomeness. Not to say that every day has been all fun and games. Each of us have definitely been through struggles and doubts, that's what Satan does. But in my life especially, God has taken and every doubt, every discouragement and turned it around for his glory. He's used them for growth, sanctification and even encouragement to others.
To be more specific about what he's been doing I'll touch on this morning's preview service. It was the third preview service of Crosspoint Bluffton. Despite running behind and several other difficulties the service went smoothly and Carl Martin brought a wonderful message on humility to the congregation. The Lord packed the movie theater with so many people that we thought we were going to be sitting on the floor. Praise Him! We had a wonderful group of children, coworkers came, people from neighborhoods we canvassed, etc.
I could go on and on about how good God has been and what he's been teaching me personally. Please continue to pray, especially in these last three weeks as we have a temptation to just continue in our routines and not reach out to others like we should. We have a midsummer newsletter published that I will try to email all of you, my supporters. =)
Thank you for your prayers! God bless!
Monday, June 30, 2008
1 Thessalonians 5:23-24
Well the past few weeks have been awesome! We have had weekdays to work, evenings to grow together, Saturdays of outreach and Sundays of praise and worship. God has provided me with a great job at a local tourist shop two minutes from the beach. I'm able to make a decent amount of money with good hours and hopefully will be able to share the gospel with the few people I work with there.
Instead of giving every detail about the events and happenings of each day and week, I just want to somehow try and give you a personal summary of the amazing spiritual depths that are being reached and the lives being touched and the bonding between fellow believers. When I look over the work we have been doing here I see three levels that are being touched.
The first is the personal spiritual development of each of us. For myself, being discipled by staff and sharing with Christians more mature than me has blessed me enormously. I'm continually thankful for the conversations rich in Godly wisdom that I am able to hear and participate in. God has been teaching me how to really hear from his word and study it deeper. To pray without ceasing, to have a mind continually on him and prayer. So many ways he has grown me already and so many sins and other places in my life he is working on. He is giving me a whole new perspective on the things in life that is being solidified into habit so that when going back to home and to Clemson, I will be able to continue to grow and hopefully not become stagnant or backslide. I hope to be able to be a light to all of my old and new friends there, Christian and not.
The second thing is our outreach to others. This past Saturday our outreach consisted of three parts. Some of us went around neighborhoods to survey people for the church to get to know the community and share the gospel. Some had a block party for a Habitat for Humanity neighborhood with snow cones, games and face painting. The rest teamed up with a church we have connected with here to paint in an elementary school. We had an ice cream party for people here in the resort one week and have had several other outreaches. Its so cool how we have been able to make connections and touch lives. Although we haven't had a specific encounter where someone accepted Christ, I know God has used us to make a lot of people really think and reconsider who God is to them. We are praying those we have encountered will try out the church we are planting and come to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ.
The last awesome thing I thank God for doing in our lives is the friendships he is building. Hearing each other's testimonies, sharing in the hard work and long days, being able to experience God together and having fun and goofing off the rest of the time has really brought us closer together. My bible study and leader have been amazing girls to share with, complain to, and grow with as Christians. I'm sure that many of us will still be great friends after returning to Clemson and other schools and will continue to grow together and hold each other accountable.
Praise God for what he's done and what he will continue to do in us, through us and in those around us. Please pray that he will keep the unity that our group has, prepare us to take the leadership when it is time for the staff to leave us to run this program on our own, and that he will continue to provide the opportunities to reach out to and bring others to himself here in this place where so many need him.
Lastly, I want to thank all of you again who supported me, the last $400 has been covered and so the total support needed has officially been raised. Thank you all and God bless you for your generosity. Have an awesome week everyone!
Instead of giving every detail about the events and happenings of each day and week, I just want to somehow try and give you a personal summary of the amazing spiritual depths that are being reached and the lives being touched and the bonding between fellow believers. When I look over the work we have been doing here I see three levels that are being touched.
The first is the personal spiritual development of each of us. For myself, being discipled by staff and sharing with Christians more mature than me has blessed me enormously. I'm continually thankful for the conversations rich in Godly wisdom that I am able to hear and participate in. God has been teaching me how to really hear from his word and study it deeper. To pray without ceasing, to have a mind continually on him and prayer. So many ways he has grown me already and so many sins and other places in my life he is working on. He is giving me a whole new perspective on the things in life that is being solidified into habit so that when going back to home and to Clemson, I will be able to continue to grow and hopefully not become stagnant or backslide. I hope to be able to be a light to all of my old and new friends there, Christian and not.
The second thing is our outreach to others. This past Saturday our outreach consisted of three parts. Some of us went around neighborhoods to survey people for the church to get to know the community and share the gospel. Some had a block party for a Habitat for Humanity neighborhood with snow cones, games and face painting. The rest teamed up with a church we have connected with here to paint in an elementary school. We had an ice cream party for people here in the resort one week and have had several other outreaches. Its so cool how we have been able to make connections and touch lives. Although we haven't had a specific encounter where someone accepted Christ, I know God has used us to make a lot of people really think and reconsider who God is to them. We are praying those we have encountered will try out the church we are planting and come to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ.
The last awesome thing I thank God for doing in our lives is the friendships he is building. Hearing each other's testimonies, sharing in the hard work and long days, being able to experience God together and having fun and goofing off the rest of the time has really brought us closer together. My bible study and leader have been amazing girls to share with, complain to, and grow with as Christians. I'm sure that many of us will still be great friends after returning to Clemson and other schools and will continue to grow together and hold each other accountable.
Praise God for what he's done and what he will continue to do in us, through us and in those around us. Please pray that he will keep the unity that our group has, prepare us to take the leadership when it is time for the staff to leave us to run this program on our own, and that he will continue to provide the opportunities to reach out to and bring others to himself here in this place where so many need him.
Lastly, I want to thank all of you again who supported me, the last $400 has been covered and so the total support needed has officially been raised. Thank you all and God bless you for your generosity. Have an awesome week everyone!
Friday, June 27, 2008
Feliz Cumpleanos
Hello everyone!
My birthday began on Wednesday when the group sang and gave cake to the three of us who had birthdays this week. We proceeded to take a picture and I tipped the cake a tad too far, landing it upside down on the floor. Needless to say that cake didn't get eaten. I also just want to say a few quick words about today. It was an amazing birthday thanks to so many awesome people. I worked 8:30 to 3 and it was a nice time there. Afterwards I hung out with my bible study leader and some other girls at the pool for an hour or two. My parents arrived later on and we went to dinner at Wild Wings and visited the place where I work. After going back to the apartment, we had cake and I got a gift: an ipod, which I have desired for a while, ever since mine was lost last year. =)
Then things got exciting. My roomates showed up and Meredyth asked me if I trusted her. They put a pillowcase over my head and lead me down to a grassy area where about 15 interns were gathered and I was presented with a pinata to crack. It was a complete surprise and made me feel so special.
Showing pictures and relaxing with the family followed and the day is closed by watching a movie with friends. Thank you everyone for your birthday wishes via facebook, phone, and fun surprises! It was an amazing 19th birthday!
My birthday began on Wednesday when the group sang and gave cake to the three of us who had birthdays this week. We proceeded to take a picture and I tipped the cake a tad too far, landing it upside down on the floor. Needless to say that cake didn't get eaten. I also just want to say a few quick words about today. It was an amazing birthday thanks to so many awesome people. I worked 8:30 to 3 and it was a nice time there. Afterwards I hung out with my bible study leader and some other girls at the pool for an hour or two. My parents arrived later on and we went to dinner at Wild Wings and visited the place where I work. After going back to the apartment, we had cake and I got a gift: an ipod, which I have desired for a while, ever since mine was lost last year. =)
Then things got exciting. My roomates showed up and Meredyth asked me if I trusted her. They put a pillowcase over my head and lead me down to a grassy area where about 15 interns were gathered and I was presented with a pinata to crack. It was a complete surprise and made me feel so special.
Showing pictures and relaxing with the family followed and the day is closed by watching a movie with friends. Thank you everyone for your birthday wishes via facebook, phone, and fun surprises! It was an amazing 19th birthday!
Wednesday, June 18, 2008
O my goodness
Wow so much has happened and God has done soo much. I will sit down and write a blog about it all and let you in on all the juicy details (haha) when I have some more time. Right now I am going to watch a movie and eat cookies with milk with my roomates. =) Have a great evening!
Sunday, June 8, 2008
A Week to Remember
Wow! I can't believe its been over a week since we arrived. We were all talking about it yesterday, it seems so fast and yet so slow. It feels like we've been here for months and yet we can't believe its been a week already. It's a strange feeling but I would attribute it to the amazing leaps and bounds we've all taken spiritually already and the amazing friendships we have already created in such a short time.
As soon as I receive a call back I will officially be working at a little clothing shop with three locations called Island Girl. I am super excited about it and even though I was offered a position at the Holiday Inn, I can tell that this is where I am supposed to work this summer. I will also be working with one of my SummerLink friends, Stephanie. =)
This week was full and fun, with some relaxing. It was a long week of job hunting and applying. I will give you the highlights quickly. Monday night was our first celebration time together, a short service of worship and getting into the Word. Tuesday night we had our first Bible study, an awesome sharing time to get to know one another as roomates and a Bible study. Wednesday I had a discipleship time with my leader Becca, who is amazing. She is a challenge for me and accountability partner who is a great example and loves the Lord with all her heart. After reflection night Wednesday night on the beach I was able to talk with a Mennonite woman and her daughter who are here on vacation. It was neat for me because she is from the same area in Pennsylvania that I am from.
Thursday night was for men's/women's times which were wonderful times for both groups. Friday we had free time which we used going to a restaurant on the water and then mini golfing. Saturday was a tiring day but we had a Sports day in the park for kids and parents to come and play games, face paint and get free food and snow cones. About 25 kids and their parents were able to make it and we had a chance to spread the Crosspoint name in the community as well as a few chances to witness to people and spread Christ's love. This morning was the second preview service of Crosspoint Bluffton which was held in a movie theater. A great crowd showed up and everything went smoothly. The pastor, Carl shared a simple but heartfelt message and God gave us even more witnessing opportunities.
Praise God for all he is doing and his amazing love and joy that is given to us to share with those who need him. I have never felt so alive and refreshed in the Lord, despite Satan's attempts to discourage. We are in such a needy place, a bubble of vacationers and locals and foreign students and families here to work. Everywhere we look there are lost souls, and as Carl said today, the Lord was here long before us, working and preparing hearts ahead of time. Now He is here with us and as we follow His will, He will draw many to himself in the way that only He can. It's such an exciting purpose to be a part of and the most satisfying and fulfilling life to lead!
Last night after the sport's day we spent about 20 minutes prayer walking around the outside of the theater where we would meet this morning. It was such a cool experience looking around the plaza and seeing our people walking, sitting, leaning against a railing, and knowing that together all of us were wrapping that place in one of the most powerful things on earth: prayer. It might seem weird, but it was like in a movie when the government agents are involved in a mission. They are posted all around the area and as you scan, you know who your partners are, those supporting you, those involved in the mission. The rest of those in the area are the civilians, those you are there to protect. As we walked around, I felt like we were God's agents with a mission to protect and touch those around us with prayer, even though they had no idea who we were or what we were doing there. Looking around I could see our group spread out and blend in with everyone else. But even as we blended, we could see eachother and know we were a team, there for an important purpose.
Well, I have written much more than I planned and there is still so much more left I could write. So many great conversations and wonderful acts of God's love have taken place. I have posted a picture slideshow of some of the week's happenings. Hope you all had a great weekend and have a fabulous week!
As soon as I receive a call back I will officially be working at a little clothing shop with three locations called Island Girl. I am super excited about it and even though I was offered a position at the Holiday Inn, I can tell that this is where I am supposed to work this summer. I will also be working with one of my SummerLink friends, Stephanie. =)
This week was full and fun, with some relaxing. It was a long week of job hunting and applying. I will give you the highlights quickly. Monday night was our first celebration time together, a short service of worship and getting into the Word. Tuesday night we had our first Bible study, an awesome sharing time to get to know one another as roomates and a Bible study. Wednesday I had a discipleship time with my leader Becca, who is amazing. She is a challenge for me and accountability partner who is a great example and loves the Lord with all her heart. After reflection night Wednesday night on the beach I was able to talk with a Mennonite woman and her daughter who are here on vacation. It was neat for me because she is from the same area in Pennsylvania that I am from.
Thursday night was for men's/women's times which were wonderful times for both groups. Friday we had free time which we used going to a restaurant on the water and then mini golfing. Saturday was a tiring day but we had a Sports day in the park for kids and parents to come and play games, face paint and get free food and snow cones. About 25 kids and their parents were able to make it and we had a chance to spread the Crosspoint name in the community as well as a few chances to witness to people and spread Christ's love. This morning was the second preview service of Crosspoint Bluffton which was held in a movie theater. A great crowd showed up and everything went smoothly. The pastor, Carl shared a simple but heartfelt message and God gave us even more witnessing opportunities.
Praise God for all he is doing and his amazing love and joy that is given to us to share with those who need him. I have never felt so alive and refreshed in the Lord, despite Satan's attempts to discourage. We are in such a needy place, a bubble of vacationers and locals and foreign students and families here to work. Everywhere we look there are lost souls, and as Carl said today, the Lord was here long before us, working and preparing hearts ahead of time. Now He is here with us and as we follow His will, He will draw many to himself in the way that only He can. It's such an exciting purpose to be a part of and the most satisfying and fulfilling life to lead!
Last night after the sport's day we spent about 20 minutes prayer walking around the outside of the theater where we would meet this morning. It was such a cool experience looking around the plaza and seeing our people walking, sitting, leaning against a railing, and knowing that together all of us were wrapping that place in one of the most powerful things on earth: prayer. It might seem weird, but it was like in a movie when the government agents are involved in a mission. They are posted all around the area and as you scan, you know who your partners are, those supporting you, those involved in the mission. The rest of those in the area are the civilians, those you are there to protect. As we walked around, I felt like we were God's agents with a mission to protect and touch those around us with prayer, even though they had no idea who we were or what we were doing there. Looking around I could see our group spread out and blend in with everyone else. But even as we blended, we could see eachother and know we were a team, there for an important purpose.
Well, I have written much more than I planned and there is still so much more left I could write. So many great conversations and wonderful acts of God's love have taken place. I have posted a picture slideshow of some of the week's happenings. Hope you all had a great weekend and have a fabulous week!
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