people that i love

[group photo from m-fuge 2009.]

their faith has changed me.

their love reminds me that i belong.

one step closer to graduation

i talked with a delightful lady at the au bookstore this morning as i placed my reservation for a cap and gown. after i hung up the phone i felt like the entire conversation was just something i imagined. graduating from auburn still just seems so surreal. i don't think i'm old enough for this. so, as i take one step closer to graduating, i'm simultaneously taking a deep breath and trying to embrace this summer. i want to remember this time so vividly. the next adventure is not so far away...

welcome to the family...

last week we got to take some of our students to a camp in nashville called m-fuge. this camp is extraordinary for a number of reasons, but the main one being that students, and adults as well, experience God's character while serving the city of nashville. we had students all over the city. whether they were folding clothes at a thrift store or eating lunch with the homeless, they learned why we are called to serve. 

before we left, our prayer for them was that God would move more powerfully in them during this week than he had before. and He answered us in more ways than we could have ever imagined. students met Jesus, and we witnessed the power of God evidenced in lives over and over again. i am so honored and humbled to be able to be a part of what God is doing here in the student ministry of willowbrook. kenny ladner is the youth minister, and his passion for the gospel to be made known in their lives is absolutely incredible. i'm excited to see what the rest of the summer holds for us as we settle back into our daily lives in huntsville. i have a feeling that this city will never be the same. for any of the students that may happen to read this: a life lived for the gospel is worth every moment. continue to pursue Christ with all abandon. never grow weary of doing good. love one another well. i am so blessed to know you. welcome to the family. 

MacArthur on grace

"Grace doesn't push sinners against their wills toward Christ; it draws them willingly to Him- by first opening their hearts. It enables them to see their sin for what it is and empowers them to despise what they formerly loved. It also equips them to see Christ for who He truly is. Someone whose heart has been opened like that will inevitably find Christ Himself irresistible. That is precisely the meaning of the expression "irresistible grace". That is how God draws sinners to Himself. "

Twelve Extraordinary Women

This afternoon I finished reading Twelve Extraordinary Women by John MacArthur. I would definitely recommend it to any lady [sorry guys]. If the thought of picking up a book in the middle of summer makes you laugh, here are some things I came to appreciate after reading this book:

Eve's perseverance in faith. Sarah's steadfast hope. Rahab's conversion showed the riches of grace over sin. Ruth's great example of loving devotion. Hannah honored God first in her household and was dedicated to her son. Mary's humble submission to the Lord. Anna's faithful witness. The Samaritan woman's eager response to the gospel. Martha and Mary showed the relationship between worship and service. Mary Magdalene's example of how Christ's deliverance prompts great love. Lydia's heart that was opened to Christ.

MacArthur does a great job of explaining the scripture that surrounds each one of these women and the significance of their stories. Be sure of this: These women are not extraordinary because of who they married or what their job was. They are extraordinary because of their divine encounter with a great Love.

intern days

I have the best internship in the world. I am learning more and more that I still have a lot to learn. But in the midst of all my learning, I am having so much fun. Yesterday, I went to see the movie 'Up!' with a group of recent grads. It was really good, if you haven't seen it and you're in the market for a wholesome family film- this movie is great. As you can see, we opted to see the movie in 3-D. Let's be honest, how can you turn down a chance to wear some really stellar glasses and watch a movie at the same time?

Well, along with wearing stellar glasses and going to see movies, I get to spend some great quality time with some of the girls in the youth group. This afternoon, a few of us gathered around a booth in the cafe and talked about grace. There was no set agenda, it was just time to sit and think through what grace means for each one of us. My time with them encouraged me so much and since I started to prepare for our time together I haven't been able to think about much else. While we were dead in our sin, God saw purpose in giving us life and freedom and forgiveness. Grace has inundated my mind. Whether you have 30 seconds or 30 minutes, I would encourage you to take time and think about what grace is. For once you truly encounter the depths in which it is intertwined in our forgiveness, you can never be the same.

delight.

Delight yourself in the Lord,

and he will give you the desires of your heart.

psalm 37:4

fyi

soy sauce is a great compliment to an asian meal or as a door stopper.

[you will obviously need the bucket size for this use, the packets would simply break under the pressure]