Game Day - NCSU vs. UNC

Time to Bring the A Game

I'm am very excited about this weekend. My team has made it to city tournament which starts tonight.  It will be a long weekend but it will be worth it if we win the trip to Vegas!! 

My Social Butterfly

This week, I received a letter with an update from the Orphanage.  Joel is doing very well and is becoming a social butterfly, taking the lead in singing in children's church. :~)  I can't wait to see him!

A Life Worth Telling About

I can do all things through Him who strengthens me. Philippians 4:13

As I read over a blog of someone who has been to Uganda, the fear set in. Will I be able to make a difference in these peoples lives? Will I be able to give my testimony?  I have never had to get up in front of people and give my testimony. "Can I really do this?" keeps running through my mind. The answer is simple - NO I can't but He can.  My story is nothing extraordinary. It's not some dramatic story where I was saved from some horrible life.  My earthly life may not have been some tragic life that I needed saving from but my eternal life is.  Without salvation, I would have a life separated from God and that would be a tragedy. Now, I have a life that will be spent with God and that is a life worth telling others about. 

Calming the Fears

Isaiah 41:10 ~ Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.

Philippians 4:6-7 ~ Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God,which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

The Answer

I truly believe, the closer we get to God the easier it becomes to hear from Him. Now, I have never heard an audible voice but if this story is not a direct message from God, I don't know what is. 

Since I have decided to go to Uganda, I have been struggling with how to pay for it.  There are so many things I could use that money for, like a new(er) car (because mine is on its last leg). I hear everyone talk about taking that leap of faith and letting God being in control but was I ready? I really don’t like not having control over my life.  I know I need to save money but what sacrifices am I willing to take? After going through my budget, I determined that there were 2 areas that I needed to control my spending - eating out and pool (which includes eating dinner out the nights I play).  Currently I play on 3 pool teams. One is only once a month and we are middle way through the session so I can't quit that one so that leaves my Monday & Tuesday night teams.  I really enjoy both but if I had to choose, I would stay on the Tuesday night team.  I really didn't want to quit my Monday night team since that was the first team I joined and it is only $10 a week and that is only if I play. 

 I took an idea I got from my friend Matt. I would pray but not just ask for guidance, ask for a specific sign to give me my answer. I will have to admit that I did forget the part where I ask for it to occur on a specific day at first but then I kind of quickly added it so when it didn’t occur that 1st Sunday, I wasn’t too surprised. I prayed that if I should quit that one team for this session in order to save money, I wanted to have a have a specific song played at the service at Journey.  I didn’t ask for a common song that is played frequently but rather one that I loved and had not heard in many months. Well that song wasn’t played last week so I thought that maybe the answer was no.  And since I forgot to ask for that specific week since it was almost an after thought, I had almost settled on staying on the team. Then I started thinking about it some more, if we won the tournament to go Vegas, I would have to stay on the team to be eligible to go.  I wouldn’t know if that would happen until this past Saturday.  I told one of my friends that I was thinking about sitting out this session to save money for my trip but that would al depend on if we went to Vegas.  Saturday rolls around and we lose our shot at going to Vegas.  Now I am back to the same dilemma of what to do.  I kept going back and forth of what to do.  Maybe I would stay on the team but ask not to play but the minimum 6 matches even though that would not be fair to the other teammates.  

Sunday morning comes and I still can’t decide.  I sat in the service and I kept thinking that surely the song that I wanted to hear would not fit in with this week’s sermon but what did I know.  As the band began to play I tried my best not to cry but by the time the song, the song I asked God to hear, was finished there were tears. Even though the answer did not come that first Sunday, I do believe that song was still my answer from God. And that song, my answer from God, is King on His Way. 

I have my answer, now what do I do? It’s not going to be easy to tell them that I can’t play and I am sure they will try to change my mind.  They are like my family and I hate to say no to them but I would rather say no to them than to God.

As if this was all was not enough to convince me that I needed to make the decision to quit, right before I started writing, I logged on to Twitter and saw this tweet:

Prayer is useless if there is no action-once you know what to do.

Signed Sealed and Delivered.....Almost

The package is DONE!  I am excited and ready for it's to be on it's way to Joel. 

Ready for the Warm Weather to Return

What Is Our Purpose?

We had a great small group last night.  Following the church guided lesson may be a little different but I like having lessons that go along with the sermons.  Our discussions helped us gain in site into each other and ourselves.  This week, we talked about what our purpose in life.  I think we all know our general purpose  is to follow and glorify God but we each will do that in a different and specific way.  Some may struggle with finding their specific purpose but I feel that I have narrowed mind down.  I want to serve others! Now, I may not know the exact details of my course but I want to start with missions.  I love to travel and I love to help others so I think mission are a great way to combine both. This year, I am trying to go to Uganda . This is my first step in fulfilling my purpose.  Staying focused and disciplined in my finances will be my struggle but I will reach this goal.

There are two songs by Matthew West (My Own Little World and Motions) that I love and I think help me keep focused on my purpose.  They remind me that 1) It's not about me  2) I need to live to serve others and 3) Don't do it out of obligation.

Very Excited About This!!

JOURNEY GIRLS BREAKOUT CONFERENCE

FEBRUARY 5th

8:30 -  2:00

Through him then let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that acknowledge his name. Do not neglect to do good and to share what you have, for such sacrifices are pleasing to God. ~Hebrews 13:15-16 

I have finished shopping for my care package to send to Joel.  I have to say that I absolute love buying for others especially for children. I wish I could see his face when he opens it.  Now, I just need to finish the letter.

For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve ~ Mark 10:45

Joel

Where do you start when writing a letter to a child you have never met?  There are so many thought running through my head of what I want to say.  I am excited about getting to send my first package to the little boy I am sponsoring in Uganda. His name is Joel and he is 4 years old and had the cutest smile.  There are so many things that I want to send him. I want to send him things he needs, like clothes and shoes but I also want to send him things he will enjoy like toys.  I guess I don't have to send him everything at once.  :)