this weekend was quite the adventure...
we did make it to san antonio..for awhile it seemed a little sketchy for some members of our party, and it was definitely a comfort walking into the church Saturday morning and finding everyone accounted for.
so its offical, peter and leslie are married..they could be considered the first from our crew, but definitely no one in the inner circle has tied the knot..anyone wanna place bets on whose gonna be first ;)????
I think the weekend could be summed up in one word..u-turns. somehow our ages must be getting to us because getting to and from san antonio to austin we made about a million, okay really only 10 u-turns over the entire weekend. and i'll add that san antonio & austin drivers and roads dont make driving any easier...nevertheless catching up with the crew and sharing the stories of our new lives was great. its fun to see how we're all slowly becoming grown-ups, some faster than others, some i dont think will ever grow up. The Pennycook/Ness wedding was definitely Central MT get together.
at one point during lunch is was a sweet moment for me to watch everyone together, seeing us all interacting and laughing again, hearing where they are all at in their lives and remembering where we've all come from and been through together, it was special. with everyone spreading out across the great state of Texas & beyond, i've come to really cherish those relationships that still have the feeling that nothings changed, if that makes sense. with the move to Brenham, friendship and fellowship mean a whole lot more to mean than i think it did in the past; not that i ever took them for granted, but they hold a deeper place in my heart than before.
anyways, i had a blast this weekend
friends please keep me updated
i love you guys
grace & peace,
lish
so its been awhile since my last update and i apologize for all 3 (if that many) that read this on a regula basis. life as always is not slowing down one bit. So much has happened in the past weeks that i could not fully describe, but JAM has ended and as Children's Minister I am tying up loose ends and starting preparations for my job. the next couple of weeks will be doing research and development for the tutoring/afterschool program that Mission Brenham is going to start.
I'm all moved into my apartment, all the boxese arer unpacked, now i'm beginning to decorate, thats the fun part...i've never had so much wall space before-its so exciting. I have a 2 bedroom, downstairs (there was no way we were moving my piano up!). Its a safe little residence, noisy at times, but nice. I've met one neighbor, she's a single mom with 2 or 3 daughters, i'm really not sure, i talked with her briefly the other day.
Its weird not living in the BCS anymore, but i like that home is only 45 minutes away & now that i have a phone that works even better!
new info if you didnt get an email:
2345 Becker Dr.
Brenham, TX 77833
979-830-5782
thats all for now i guess, nothing too terribly exciting happening, just the busy life as we all know it.
thank you for all the prayers and encouragements, they are a blessing & keep them up, i'm really gonna need it!
grace & peace,
lish
i just had the best weekend ever..my two most favorite gals in the world came to Brenham to see me-yes Libby Leatherman and Ashley Rodenberger spent the entire weekend with me and was it wonderful!!!
the Lord blessed us with some really special time together to catch up and talk and laugh, laugh, laugh, it was so encouraging to be with them again. these girls are quality gals and spending time with them these days doesnt happen as often as it used to since i'm in Brenham, Libby's in Irving and Ash's in Ft. Worth. we definitely picked up right where we had left off and the Lord gave us precious time of rest, relaxation and fun, not to mention a great Sunday morning at church. having them come into my new life was good for me...it was encouraging to me watching them really enjoying themeselves and fellowshipping with my "new" Body. we definitely had a dance party saturday night with 2 of my roommates..fun times, not to mention the killer slumber party: the three of us shacking up in the king size bed :) (sidenote, ash likes to take the covers & libby is pretty hilarious in the mornings!)
this weekend was much needed for me as the following weeks are going to be EXTREMELY stressful, moving, finishing up JAM, starting a new job, etc. if your thoughts come across me, please say a prayer. i will really need them.
well i'm gonna hit the sack early...long week ahead..early bed time is a must
grace & peace,
lish
its been awhile since my last post. time has flown by, there are only 2 more weeks left of JAM...its nuts to think i only have 10 more days with my girls. so many seeds have just been planted, but i'm really encouraged because i know i will still be here to water and watch them hopefully take root and grow. my relationship with one family has grown a whole lot and my prayer is that they will find their way back to the church body. they are believers, but have been hurt in the past by the church and dont desire to be a part of it. the mom has a relationship and thinks that is enough, which isnt the worst thing to believe, but at the same time is lacking a whole lot; but her son is involved in the youth so they are taking baby steps.
funny story..as of thursday, i now have a boyfriend-his name is Jarivs and he is 5 years old and the cutest little kid eva' :) he is precious, and if i knew how to post pictures, id put a picture up of him, but i havent mastered that feat yet.
everyday gets a little more wearing and tiring, the frustrations rise and my attitude and mouth takes a little more self-control to handle. its obvious the summer is wearing on me and Satan is attacking hard. your prayers and encouragements are deeply appreciated.
house hunting has been discouraging..not quite the selection in brenham as in college station, but i know the Lord is supreme and my provider
transitioning has been hitting me hard lately..loneliness, fear of "big decision-makings", inadaquecy, having to make new friends, yall know the drill...so with that all said, its been a rough week, but it ended well-the Lady Lightweights (my girls) won the Stomp Competition, so we get to compete in the championship on JAM Celebration day, July 30th [sidenote, every group wins..so every participates :)] i also had a fabulous weekend, friday night was spent with some amazing guys and then Saturday i was able to relax and pack some more, visited with my old roomie and hung out with the familia.
this summer has changed me a lot-the Lord has taught me a lot about compassion and what truly showing grace looks like. its funny how i can tell in my mind how I rely more on the Holy Spirit to direct my steps instead of my own strength and how without a doubt I can tell when i'm trying to do things in my own will and not the Father's.-and a lot of that has come through my times of confession. one of my deepest struggles is pride and independence and this summer the Lord has refined it, so that in EVERYTHING, whether it be a personal circumstance or something related to JAM , i'm to look to HIM, because if i dont i know that it will fail-especially with my tounge. this summer has been a summer of me taming it, learning when to speak and how to choose my words wisely. yes there have been times when i'm sarcastic and its uncalled for, but then there are times when i purposefully keep my mouth shut and can rejoice because the Lord has given me that wisdom and self-control, which brings me into a deeper initimacy with Him.
it makes me smile about this blog..i started it at the end of the school year, not knowing what to title it and thought i "randomly" came up with the idea of "following His lead", but it refreshes me to know that thats what my life is continuing to look like. I would have never gotten to where i am at right now-physcially: in Brenham, spiritually: a deeper intimacy, mentally/emotionally: struggling with fears i didnt think i would face and lastly, ready for the challenge that i know this "new" life is going to bring me in the fall-if i never took that step to surrender everything and say "okay God youre in control everyday, i will follow the path you are taking". and everyday i have to make that choice before i start my day or i know its going to be a struggle, sometimes i do it and other days i dont, but every morning He is there waiting.
this has been a long one..i didnt mean for it to be, but obviously theres been a lot on my mind. i cherish the prayers and ask you encourage me these last couple weeks.
i love you all
grace & peace,
lish
....i have a job; YES- you read right, I, Alisha Marie Lombardi, have accepted a full-time position working at the House of Worship/for Mission Brenham starting..well i'm currently working as a summer missionary, so as soon as camp is over I am redefined as full-time staff. IE-the month of August will consist of moving and working.
My job is really exciting it consists of being Marcus (the pastor) and Chris Gaines (the youth guy)'s assistant as well as heading up the Children's Ministry-meaning starting Kid's Church, a tutoring/reading program and making JAM 2006 happen. Its going to be absolutely insane, but i think i'm ready for a challenge like this!
I never in a million years expected this or imagined myself doing this, but i know that this is where the Lord wants me for now-welcome to Brenham Alisha!
please email me if youd like more details, id love to tell you the full, wonderful story of how it all came about..but its rather long and detailed..stuff i only want to bore really interested people in!
grace & peace,
lish
what a wonderful weekend..most of it was spent driving, but such an encouraging couple of days!
saturday was spent running errands for Chris and then i made a trip into college station, then came back to Brenham to see the youth off to Kids Across America Camp, then a couple other counselors and i went to dinner and watched a movie. Sunday was a busy day, church in the morning and then i drove up to dallas where i met up with libby and then we ate at Wings N More in Colleyville (WHOOP!) with William and Markum-fun times, the people in the restaurant were very suspisious of us..we were VERY excited about Wings! After dinner Markum left and Ms. Leatherman and Mr. Meier and I hung out at his fabulous apt after some gelato! LEt me tell you they are stomp masters! they helped me come up with my stomp routine for the competetion this week..mad props to the both of you! Today was spent hanging out with libby and then i headed back home to chill in college station with the madre y padre...man i love those guy..i think i'm one of the luckiest people alive...my parents are stellar peeps :)
as of right now i've got the house in Brenham all to myself-yea!
Hope yall had a happy holiday. Praise the Lord for freedom.
grace & peace,
lish
whoop for a day off for the 4th and seeing the BFF & wonderful william c. meier!
have a great 4th everyone!
grace & peace,
lish
well, my summer is basically half over, but another journey begins..
yes, there are only 4 more weeks of camp, which is insane to me, because while i feel i've been here a long time (longer than a month), the time has flown by very quickly & i'm really excited about whats in store for me in the fall...9 out of 10 fingers point to me staying in Brenham...the Lord continues to provide and direct me..in the midst of me feeling like im in the dark, but its this blind faith- it is transforming my relationship with him into something much more real and intimate, deepr than what i experienced in college...its like those verses, which i cant remember where they are but i'mi definitely craving hard core the meat, but with that comes newness and scariness, because choices are bigger and have a profounder effect on my life-wow i'm really starting to feel like an adult.
anyways, i get to see my bff..ms. libby d. leatherman this weekend..so pumped..its definitely off the chain, celebrating the 4th with the family..over all, good times are in store.
grace & peace,
lish
email for more details about my fall plans-theyre exciting & unexpected!
forever You are faithful
forever You are strong
forever You are with us
forever
tonight we had prayer and worship corporately as counselors. sweet time.
tonight the Lord just reminded me who I am and who HE is. He's forever guys-like never failing, never going away, longer than a 65 year old marriage, longer than a life of 102 years-always present. No matter how many times i'm unfaithful to him and try to take all the credit and do things my way, it doesnt matter, He's the True Constant, when the world we live in is completely inconsistent. in the midst of the craziness, ever changing ways of life i'm experience, i can rest assured the Lord is with me and will not let go-thats the peace that passes all understanding!!
thats all..just thought i'd share, so many times we say how the Lord is faithful, but do we really stop to think about what that means? its infathomable to understand why when we are so flaky the Lord calls to us time and time again saying "I will never leave you Alisha"
its almost curfew...love you guys
grace & peace,
lish
so this was a great weekend! days and nights off are glorious! friday night me, michelle and david (all JAM counselors) and Marissa, she is a former counselor & lives here in Brenham, went to Casa Ole and then headed out for a spontaneous roadtrip to H-town. we went into downtown and then wandered around a Barnes & Noble sipping our Starbucks...nothing fancy-but tons of fun and relaxing! then Saturday was spend bumming around the house until about lunch then michelle and i headed to College Station to lounge by my pool! later we met up with David and then Vern came along too..McAllister's was delightful and Shakes was sure yummy. All the other counselors at JAM were in Dallas for YEC, so me, Michell and David got some quality bonding time in! today was a great day too-i started helping lead worship this sunday...singing that is, which was quite interesting seeing as my voice is just about gone from the yelling & cheers i do during the week. after church i bummed around the house for a bit and then met Marissa at the pool-it ended up being a party as i saw a lot of JAM kids and then some other counselors came up.
the most kids i had this week was 12 so that was a break...our stomp was amazing, yet we didnt win, which that was kinda dissapointing for the girls cause they worked really hard on it-i mean the competition is rigged...we will win:-) on the flip side, i've been able to have some really good conversations with my girls and getting to know them and their families is so encouraging and challenging. theres this one family that i think the Lord is opening a door with..they have 3 kids and one of them is in my group and i pick them up in the mornings..super sweet kids, totally rough home life, but theyve been coming to church every week so thats really encouraging! also another praise was that i was able to share the gospel with my girls on Friday while we were eatting lunch at our field trip..none of them made any committments or anything, but they were full of questions. so that was really exciting
not so great news of the week but definitely a praise:
friday the youth group went to Dallas for the Youth Evangelisim Conference, meaning there was a total of 3 JAM counselors to end JAM on Friday, thus my skills as a bus drvier were used...so Thursday chris takes me out in the charter bus so i can practice for taking the kids home on Friday afternoon since he wasnt going to be there..it was smooth sailing. i didnt hit any crubs, no problems-i have great confidence for the next day cause all week i had been really nervous..cause it s a HUGE bus! so Friday comes and drop off in the first neighborhood-no problems..head to the second: major problem..there is a car parked on the corner of a street, another truck parked paralle to it on the other curb and a third truck parked probably a cars length behind it...there is no physical way to manuver the bus without hitting one of the cars parked on the street...BUt somehow..meaning no way but DIVINE INTERVENTION i am able to leave the scene with a small scratch on the car, no damage to the bus whatsoever..i'm telling you, it was all Jesus-because i know i'm not that great of a bus driver (just read previous posts)..the owners of the car werent upset and nither was marcus and all the kids were in one piece..quite an eventful afternoon though with that incident and only having one counselor to bounce the bus (when usually there are two)
so i'll admit, going into college station for fun is quite funny to me! but the past two times i've been, its been weird, cause the majority of my friends dont live there anymore and i just end up chilling with the family cause since i really dont keep in constant contact with my friends that do live in college station, i end up not seeing anyone-cause i never know what they are up to..i know its probably a lame excuse cause i could easily call any of them up.
its crazy that the summer is almost halfway over. if any of you guys would like to come visit me, feel free. i'd love for yall to see what my life looks like here-JAM is where its at. The Lord is alive and at work in a mighty way. I love that the simplest things can totally change your peception, this summer i feel as though i'm able to clearly minister through Jesus's eyes. While a lot of the time i'm constantly praying for focus and sensitivity, i am planting the seeds for the harvest and just the knowledge of that sets my spirit on fire. I am constantly being reminded of Isaiah and his willingness and astuteness..knowing he was unclean and confessing that to the Lord, being made pure and going to do the Lord's work-he was gentle and humble, something i'm usually not,yet i know that i'm being refined.
its about time for bed.
please call me or send me mal or an email if youd like to hear more or schedule a time to visit! i love and miss you guys!
grace & peace,
lish
well, i thought with internet at the house i'd post more often, but it doesnt look like i will :) really though, supposedly our summer is gonna start slowing down a bit now that the major stuff is out of the way and we're moving to a more routine schedule. a lot of you are probably wondering what my "crazy" days consist of well..here we go:
6:15-wake up, quiet time, by 6:35 i'm getting ready/showering/breakfast & fixing my lunch. since i'm 22 i dont qualify for the free meal program all the other counselors get!
7:15-sr. counselor devotional at the SHAPe center (aka the church/House of Worship)
7:50-i leave to pick up 3 jr counselors and kids that dont live in the projects...usually theres anywherer from 5 to 10
8:20 arrive at the highschool, pass out my name tags to my 12-17 7&8 yr old girls. do the Good Morning Cheer and then
8:30 is breakfast
9:00 is large assembly where we do worship, a large group game-today it was a boy and a girl racing to see who could eat a jar of baby food the fastest
9:30 we load the charter bus and go to the middle school for activites
9:45 is small group lesson/bible study
on Mondays and wednesdays we have reading for 20 minutes, then crafts and then free time on Tuesdays and Thursdays we have sports, then reading then free time
at 10:58 we are loading the bus to go back to the higschool for lunch
11:20 we are eatting lunch and by 11:45 we are in the courtyard practicing our stomp rountine. competitions are on fridays before we leave for the field trips
at 12:00 i take my kids home and then head back to the highschool "Whats UP" time (debreifing)
the afternoons are filled with different errands including going to sr ladies bible study, cleaning vans, the church, visiting kids, playing in the neighborhoods, study tyime for Bible Study on Fridays, going to youth girls bible study, being chris gaines secretary :)
the Lord has been so faithful in providing me rest in any way He can, so i've had a really encouraging week with my girls and the families i've gotten to hang out with. the counselors and i are getting along well. the longer i'm here in Brenham, the more i think the Lord has a much bigger plan for me than i thought. Back in April I just applied because i really didnt have any direction and it seemed like a new, neat, challenging thing to do-but now i think i've been given glimpses of the "Bigger Picture"...who really knows except our wonderful Father.
exciting news for the week: i get to help lead worship on sundays at the church...i'm just singing-no guitar yet ;)
for all you in college station, i will be in town sometime Saturday for most of the afternoon and evening most likely-i'd love to see yall! gimme a ring
thats it for now.
peace, alisha
hey friends, up at the good old public library in Brenham. its the second week and man, Satan is really wearing on me. my precious little girls have been horrible all week, none of my jr high and highschool helpers have been showing up, then today i woke up not feeling well at all-meaning throwup sick...but i trek on, knowing my strength and the ability to carry on comes from my Father, the Great Physican. on a good note, i've been quasi filling the role as Chris Gaines' s secretary, so thats been fun. he's like one of the most unorganized people i've met-so its pretty insane considering he's the one in charge since the director is on vacation. anyways, my parents are coming to visit me Saturday-im so excited, yeah i saw them this past weekend, but to have vistors is way cool..even cooler would be mail..hint hint (1405 Church St. Brenham, TX 77833)!!!
keep me in your prayers por favor.
i miss you guys like crazy.
i gotta run, internet time is coming to an end.
hopefully i'll write more on saturday...
grace & peace, lish
so i actually surprisingly got some freetime today :) JAM is going great. my girls are really precious. we are the Lady Lightweights, if i didnt mention that already, 7&8 yr old girls. AND we've got our STOMP routine down! yes, me with no rhythm or any amount of "soul" has to come up with stomp routines to perform on Friday mornings-we use them to teach our kids the scripture memory verse for the week..so this week, its a little boring, we're just stomping & clapping in place but i thought i'd start basic..cause thats pretty much all i can do :) last night we had a family bring us dinner, which is HUGE, considering most of the families cant even afford their own dinners. all day yesterday we cleaned out rooms for remodeling..my mom would definitely be proud of me-so it was a great blessing to get the free food for dinner! next week i get to start driving the tour bus..yeah, not school bus, tour bus. somebody randomly donated to mission brenham, the big organization that puts on JAM so i get to help out with that..i'm a little nervous-but its all good. i've been put in charge of teaching the lessons for the next 4 weeks to the jr counselors..which is cool, but a lot more work on my part..aka less free time :)
thats about it for now. i have some emailing i need to do. so peace out kids!
love, lish
wow..it seems like a million years have gone by since the last time i was at the computer, whats sad is its only been a little over a week. training/orientation week at camp was insane. there way of camp life is one heck of a whirlwind of craziness. for example camp started today and 75% of the decorations and posters still aren't up, but its whatever.
for those of you not completely familiar with what i'm doing, heres the scoop. I'm in Brenham, Texas working with 8 other Aggies at an inner city day camp for the next eight weeks. I'm leading the 7&8 year old girls..we are the Lady Lightweights :) this years theme is Soul Trainin'..the battle belongs to the Lord..kinda a boxing/training motif :) anyways, one thing i definitely learned is that i'm more Type A than i thought I was...get put in a situation wherer NO one will make a decision and you brainstorm for 4 hours instead of actually do something..you realize you kinda life order and decisiveness :) but its cool, i've got the assertion thing down-leading is what i know :) hmm, what else..well i'm living in a missionary house with the other 3 girl counselors..and when i say missionary house, i mean a family is gone being missionaries and they left us their house..ie-i'm sleeping in a king size in what we like to call "the honeymoon suite" its all floraled out, with white everywhere..the room is definitely bigger than my apartment :) yes, suffering for the Lord :)
i miss you guys like crazy & i hate not feeling connected to the outside world. my phone works about 40% of the day & interent access isnt the greatest. yet, the counselors are neat kids-i'm the oldest, thats why i got the master bedroom..isnt that hysterical?
Time with the Lord has been so sweet. He has proven himself so close & faithful through prayers and Scripture. Time with Him at night has been incredibly encouraging and we start our leader bible study on Friday, i'm real excited, we'r'e going to be studying spiritual disiciplines!
Please keep my family in your prayers, my great grandmother, whom i shared my birthday with passed away on saturday, i actually had to leave camp today to come to the funeral in Sealy & am at the public library here checking email & such. Kirk Grandma, was 95 years old. I have lots of sweet memories with her. she loved the Lord so much and her family almost as much. As sad as it is, I rejoice because I know she isnt in anymore pain and she's with our Almighty Father celebrating with him.
I hate having to end on that sad note, but I've got to head back to Brenham. Please send letters or gimme a call sometime-i'll try to respond as quickly as i can. know i'm thinking of you guys and i love yall a whole lot!
grace, lish
so is been awhile since i've posted..life got a little crazy & much has happened since my last update. i'm a college grad. so wierd-when graduating from highschool it was almost a thought that the Second Coming would take place before my college gradutation, but alas, we're still here & i'm going on 23. my life for the past week has been driving buses, working at the daycare and watching people slowly trickle out of the greater bryan/college station metroplex. its been hard because while everyone was experiencing the same emotions moving out, uncertainty, fear, leaving friends & roommates, knowing loneliness is coming; i'm staying in College Station, have no roommates & have friends that will be in town in the fall & yup, the folks are still next door. While i know this "emotional turmoil" isnt pleasant or welcomed, theres that longing in me that wants to experience the sweet refinement that our precious Lord will bring enduring through it--but with that mindset i realize there is other refinement and humbling that is going on in my life, that i am going to experience change, have different fears & even in the fall have to let go of many expectations that come with serving on Ministry Team with three other girls who i dont know very well.
tomorra i leave for Brenham. i'm not working at Blue Bell-while that would be a flippin' sweet job, i'll be a camp counselor at a day camp for innercity kids. i really dont have any idea what do expect and cant really give you any details cause i dont know them :) get excited about flexibility!! that will go until the first week of august! sundays are my day off so i'll be making trips back home for the day-so gimme a shout out or find me at Freedom :)
fun sidenote-last weekend i took a surprise trip up to ft. worth to surprise miss laura ashley rodenberger: theres only one word to describe it-fabulous! the ride up therer was great fun, carn-dog (andrea) rode up with me (she was able to go home to see her family & we met back up on sunday). we chatted away..it was sweet times. back to the surprise-the look on ash's face was classic going from freaked out to confused to so excited all in about 4 seconds! Turned out I was some great "saving grace" for awkward moments throughout the weekend has i not shown up. Saturday we slept in & then had waffles for brunch the rounded out the afternoon with a Rangers game, dinner at Billy Miners in downtown ft.worth and then hung out with some cool kids (Chris Ernst & Carrie Teichleman) in Arlington. Sunday was restful-filled with church, washing her car, a spin in the famous Cougar & an afternoon movie before i left to head back home. Such a fun random roadtrip!!
more important business--school is out and poor No. 33 didnt make it guys. she died a slow and painful death kids. it all started with a busted back window and ended with her just plain stopping in the middle of the road, having to be towed back to the barn. (apparently the transmission is dead). hopefully they're gonna retire the poor old girl, otherwise i see a pretty rough 2005-06 school year looming. for the full account of "Alisha's Bus Drama" during the last week of school, gimme a ring, i'd love to fill you in-but otherwise its pretty long. i'm telling you-a reality tv show about school bus drivers would work, i think the ratings would be great...did you hear about the incident in Florida??
thats all ive got for now. i dont know how often i'll be updating, most likely on sundays, cause i probably wont have access during the week. its back to cleaning and packing kids.
i love you guys & miss the ones that are away from me. please send me emails and phone calls & letters..i'll post my address when i get it!
yall are in my prayers & hearts :)
lish
well, its official, as of 10:38 Tuesday morning, I, Alisha Marie Lombardi, am finished with my college education at the fine university of Texas A&M. finishing my last paper isnt a huge monumental feeling like it i thought it was going to be..but its exciting nonetheless.
this past week has been a fun one, spending time with friends-everybody and their grandma's dog had a birthday this past week-so we were dancing/partying it up like it was 1999. its getting a little be weird thinking about leaving-or rather everyone else leaving College Station. i mean it seemed like yesterday i was a freshman and stepping into All Faith's on a Thursday night for the first time to go to Upstream-who knew that most of my closest friends would come out of this group..only our precoius Lord. When thinking about this college experience I've had here at TAMU, I can only praise the Father for His mighty hand for guiding me..giving me freedom & then sometimes having to shove me hard in His direction.
I'm looking forward to the summer and the fun/crazy time i'm going to have at camp..in Brenham..after my adventure last summer, i'm kinda glad i'm staying stateside-its always good to get away from this bubble I live in, but at the same time my family is extremely important to me. Caley and I havent gotten to hang out a lot & that makes me sad. shes gotten a job & with me finishing up everything with school we just dont have the time..hopefully this next couple weeks we'll have quality sister bonding time!
This innercity thing kinda scares me a little bit, but i'm ready for the challenge. I've never done anything like this before and i think this is really gonna teach me a lot about being in the mission field; I got this book that the director gave me to read before camp. Its about this guy and the innercity ministry he started in Brooklyn, NY..it looks really good-i'm excited about starting it..so continue to check the blog..i'll be updating it throughout the summer.
thats all for right now, i'm trying to keep this pretty light & cheerful seeing as in about a week it will be full of posts about loneliness, how sad my life is since i'll have no friends in College Station, this & that-really my life isnt & wont be that bad..but we all have that subconsious need to make our lives seem more dramatic than they really are; why do we do this? i realld dont know...get back to me about that
anyways,
grace & peace, lish
so its been a couple days since i've posted..why you may ask, because somehow the concept of no class creates the need for more activity and i've been absolute ingulfed with running errands, driving field trips, writing papers, cleaning & randomness for my parents....so today was a pretty amazing day...thats all i can say cause its way past my bed time, but i've honestly had 3 wonderful days, so i'm hoping Thursday and Friday will be the same...i'll write more later at an earlier hour and expound on my great days, but i leave you with this: I may think i'm the biggest dork & failure, but my Lord thinks I'm beautiful & precious; I was made in HIS image & likeness & what He sees is what matters..
grace & peace, lish
This weekend was my first Women's Retreat. we (ashley, tracy and i) travelled out to camp tejas and spend friday night, saturday and sunday with some amazing godly women. the theme was "bloom where you're planted" which turned out to be just perfect for where the Lord has brought me this semester & is taking me for the future. This weekend was so refreshing, to just be able to sit back, soak up good fellowship, learn about vulnerablity and be quiet with the Lord was a blessing. Time and time again the Lord showed me how all of the women struggle, their lives arent any easier if they are empty nesters, single, divorced, widowed, mothers of teenagers or preschoolers, which every stage of life-these women had incredible faith and joy in the midst of their trials. Most precious out of all of them was Alice. Alice Nelson is 84 years old and is kickin' like shes 50! She, no lie, had just gotten back from a mission trip to West Africa working with orphans. Funnystory: we (the young'uns) were eatting dinner saturday and miss nelson comes up and says "Ladies, I just had a 2.5 hr nap, any one want to challenge me in a footrace?"-hysterical!
Today was the 1st Annual Central Baptist Talent Show/Icecream Social-it was a HUGE success...it was so neat to see our beautiful church body fellowshipping and supporting each other. Mad props to Tracy and the Service team who did a great job putting it together...Winners were the 10th Grade boys & their lip sync/dance routine to a JUMP 5 song ("spinning around" i think)-i was almost on the floor I was laughing so hard. Almost as funny was Club 7-Matt Brown, Michael Williams, Chris Hiesy & Ryan Wayson, flowin' Christian stlye-all ghettoed out as only 4 white boys can be....
thats it, if you want to hear more about the women's retreat, ask me, id love to tell you about it!
grace & peace, lish
We serve such an amazing Father. He has been so faithful this week to restore my spirit. The past two weeks were consumed with the dreaded thesis & I don't care what they say, sitting at your computer all day, when its absolutely gorgeous outside makes one dreary/depressed...so needless to say, i was in a grumpy mood for about a week and a half. BUT ptl-the Lord has lifted me up once again & proven sovereign-like it should surprise me; just looking back on this week I can see where Ive struggled, prayed and the Lord answered my prayer-whoo hoo!
its really late, way past this girl's bedtime, so i'm out
grace & peace, lish
this Christian life we lead,
its a journey of surrender kids, reckless abandonment for the glory of the Lord.
its daily renewal, trusting & acknowledgements that I am not my own.
its freedom
its sweet & exciting, even daring, full of risk taking
its scary, with countless trials and struggles & the hardest thing ever
its satisfaction of eternal life with the Almighty, Jehovah, King of Kings, Alpha & Omega, Adonai, Prince of Peace, Wonderful Conselor, Lord Most High
its Jesus