The Month To Surpass All Months

It's here! It's here! We are officially in February and I am too hype, because that means my wedding is in just over three weeks! Ahhhh! Excitement, man. Excitement. So many awesome things are happening this month, I just have to share...

February 4

Bridal Shower! My maid of honor, who's been my best friend since like...forever!, has been totally enjoying herself by not sharing ANY details with me about the shower. Grrr! Oh well, I know I'll enjoy it :-)

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February 5

 The Favorite and I's 3 year dating anniversary! (Oh, you thought I was gonna say the Super Bowl?! I didn't even know it was on the fifth til my brother told me a couple days ago. Shows how much football I watch!)

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February 14

 Valentine's Day! Not even one my favorite "holidays," but I'm always down for chocolate :-)

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February 18

 Spiritual Birthday! On this day of 2001, Jesus drew me to Himself, opening my spiritually blind eyes to see my need of Him and His grace and mercy! No longer am I among the walking dead, but the alive in Christ!

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February 25

WEDDING DAY! "And the two shall become one..." It's so surreal; I'm marrying the love of my life! My first boyfriend is also my last, and I have the honor of being his wife! (And he has the honor of being my husband! hehe) Definitely pray for us, that we'll truly have a wedding & marriage that honors the Lord!

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February 26

 Cruise!! DEFINITELY looking forward to the honeymoon, ya'll. Nobody better try to contact us! ;-)

Do you see how much LOVE is in each of these days!? From the beginning of the month with people showering love and gifts on me and the Favorite, to the beautiful union we'll have before family and friends, love, GOD's love is so real and present. And with that in mind, I already know that there are probably more things that are going to arise during this month, some great, some not so great, but in the midst of it all, whether good or bad, I choose to rejoice, and I choose to count my blessings because they are MANY and my great God has been doing, is doing, and will continue to do a great work! 

Being confident of this, that He who began a good work in you 

will carry it on to completion until the day of Jesus Christ.

~Philippians 1:6

BlogLight!: Amped Soul

I must say, I totally slacked on doing BlogLights in 2010, so this is me trying again!

I have an awesome brother in Christ named Jamil that I met on Howard's campus my freshman year through Impact. Now can I be honest with you guys? At first I thought he (and all the other Impact people for that matter) was.... strange. Yeah. And you know why? It's because I had never before seen Christ's love and consideration for people exhibited in such a normal, everyday way among people my own age! But now as I sit here, I definitely think it's an awesome thing to be thought strange simply because of Christ in us!

Let me not go off on a tangent here; the real purpose of me sharing this is to let you know about the blog Jamil has going! It's called Amped Soul (if you didn't figure it out from the title). The Lord has gifted Jamil with the ability to share things that God has laid on his heart as well as to share his life experiences in a way that really connects with the reader! I must say, I've enjoyed pretty much everything I've read of his, from poetry to prose. It's an awesome thing when someone has a natural talent, combines it with the supernatural power of God, and reaches people and touches hearts in a way that can only be attributed to our Maker!

One thing I've enjoyed about Jamil's poetry is that he always (or at least, as much as I can remember) gives Biblical reference to the things that he's saying. It can be so easy for us to attach our human wisdom to the things that we write, or give justification for the things that we do through our finite reasoning. (This makes me think of 1 Corinthians 1:18-2:5, when Paul reminds us about how even the foolishness of God is wiser than man's wisdom, and because of this our words and actions should rest solely on the Spirit's power!) This guy definitely gives the Lord His due (which is alot...er, all?) in his writing.

The other thing I appreciate is that when ever I go to Amped Soul, it's a dose of reality. It's not a picture of perfection, with him going through life with things right on track with his five year plan and him serving God and never falling and blah blah blah blah blah. (By the way, if you ever do meet someone who's got it all together like that, do introduce me!! I'd love to hear how they do it. Lol!) There's a very real element of reality and humanity in Jamil's writing, which allows whoever's reading to not feel like their talking to (er, reading from) a zombie ...a perfect zombie, that is. It's really encouraging, edifying, and humorous at times, too!

With all that being said, what are you waiting for? Go ahead and support our brother in Christ at Amped Soul! His latest post is called Whose Plans???, and here's one of his poetry pieces called Foolishly Stupid. If you scroll through his blog, you'll even see a couple posts where Jamil performs his poem for you!

I hope this is a blessing to you guys! Are there any blogs in particular that stand out to you as always being an encouragement, or a place to get a good laugh? I love to check out new sites. :-)

Merry Christmas!!

It's been so long since I've posted! Life has been really busy, especially since I work at the mall. (By the way, YES, I DID survive both Black Friday and the late holiday hours at the mall!)

I could not pass up this opportunity to express my JOY at having a personal relationship with the Creator of the universe, a love affair with the very One who is to be celebrated on this special day! God is so gracious in giving us lowly human beings who, not only on this day, but on every day of our existence, deserve hell itself, yet He offers of heaven in the form of His Son, sacrificially offered to give us life to the fullest in HIM! I am truly humbled that God in His sovereignty saw fit to have all that Old Testament prophecy come to fruition, not only in the sending of His Son, but also in Jesus' life, death on the cross, burial, and resurrection! If everything stopped at Jesus' birth, we would have no salvation! But praise be to God it did not end there!! Salvation is FREE and it is HERE and it is available to ALL who are willing to accept Christ's GIFT! :) Okay, I won't continue on this forever (though I must say, this is a worthy rant). But a huge MERRY CHRISTMAS to everyone, and I hope to get a few more blog posts in before the year ends!

Photo courtesy of Google Images

ALSO, a huge HAPPY BIRTHDAY to my little sister who turns 18 today, yay!! :)

How will you all be celebrating Christmas, and most importantly, celebrating Jesus this year?

Ten Years and Counting!

Time flies so quickly, and it can be so hard to realize it until it's passed. This past weekend I had the privilege of celebrating my church's 10th anniversary, woohoo! God has done some awesome things through the ministry at Trinity Baptist Church. For one, this is the church where I accepted Christ as my Lord and personal Savior! (PRAISE HIIIM!!) Pastor Eddie (who also happens to be my best friend's dad-pretty cool, eh?) preached a sermon about heaven and hell, and I realized that even though I had a complete head knowledge of salvation, I had never truly accepted Jesus Christ into my heart, making me unsure of my eternal destination. So on February 18th, 2001, I entered into the family of God, and it was the best decision I ever made. Ever. :) So yeah, it's been awesome growing up in one place, from junior high, to the teen class, to the A-Z Discipleship class, until I left for college! And even then whenever I'd come home I knew I could find a home at Trinity. There's definitely an awesome body of believers there.

Unfortunately I wasn't able to capture all of the photos I wanted of the church's anniversary service, but at least I took some! The day before the Sunday service there was a really nice dinner for all the members and some guests, so this is where the pictures are from.

The tables were so nicely decorated!

I was pretty much in love with the drink fountains. :) 

These were the centerpieces for the tables. The glass containers were filled with mustard seeds, representative of the faith we've had in God to make it this far as a church to further God's kingdom! Very creative and symbolic.

I pretty much loves the rose balloons.

A few of the teens.

The parents! :) 

Blurry, but the praise team is singing.

My pastor is on the left, Pastor Reynolds is in the center. (He's the pastor of Trinity's sending church!) Pastor Davis is on the end. He preached on anniversary Sunday.

Me and Pastor Eddie!

Whether I'm at Trinity or somewhere else in the future, I know that the more Trinity grows together in the Lord, the more it will be able to do for God's kingdom! She may not be a huge church, but she's impacting the community with the gospel of Christ in a great way, and because of that God is glorified. Looking forward to seeing all that happens in the next ten years! ;-)

A Life Poured Out

Tonight I was greatly blessed and moved by a blog I read about a ministry outreach to orphans in Uganda. Moved is actually an understatement. Heartbroken and nearly bawling my eyes out is slightly more accurate. As I read through different posts and saw various pictures, I really felt like I was getting a really good depiction of biblical womanhood:  a young woman who's life was being completely poured out as she let go of her own life in order to show the love of Jesus Christ. (Kinda makes me think of Vibia Perpetua...)

I was about to close the tab where the blog was located when I suddenly stopped. Would this be it for me? Would I be one of the people who sees the needs of those who Jesus had the greatest heart for, is temporarily moved by them, and then goes to sleep in my comfortable bed, forgetting the things I have seen? I hardly believe that I happened upon this blog by chance, especially now that I feel so burdened! So I've decided to not walk away pretending I haven't seen the things I've seen, read the things I've read. It's kinda crazy/funny (okay, not funny, but yeah) that I just got back from South Africa and was more moved by the needs on a screen than the ones that were right in front of me. Granted, I was in a totally different position then. Outside of working with the children in Nkanini  (which was both heartbreaking and an incredibly beautiful and exciting blessing) I was on college campuses day in and day out, ministering to students who looked just like me, living in a place, though on a different continent, that was totally Westernized. I wasn't that much out of my comfort zone.

Children from the township Nkanini, in the city of Khayalitsha in Cape Town, South Africa. Listening to a Bible lesson we shared with them. Note: They were fascinated by the cameras. :)

I believe that living a life in full surrender to Christ is to let go of the comforts and conveniences that this world offers, counting all as loss for the sake of the gospel of Jesus. That doesn't necessarily mean that God will send all of us to third world countries where sharing the gospel will be a daily risk to our lives. But who's to say that isn't what God has for us? So often we (yes, myself including) limit the plans God has for us simply because it isn't within our realm of comprehension. But why should it be? God is wayyy more than we can wrap our minds around, so of course His plans are too awesome for us to understand completely! Yet He uses us, sinful vessels, filling us up and pouring us out if only we'll allow Him to use us to the extent that He desires:  completely.

I don't know about you, but I don't want a life that I plan out myself. I don't want a life that keeps me comfortable. I don't want a life where I'm never stretched. I don't want "the good life" that is so consumed with my little world that I miss out on the best that God has planned for me, in order to further His kingdom! I know God has me where I am right now for a reason, so all I'm trying to do right now is PRAY for those that I don't have the ability to physically reach out to at this stage of my life, and to grow and take in all the lessons God is trying to teach me, so that when He calls me to move forward into whatever He wants me to be, I'll be as ready as He wants me to be.  I greatly encourage you guys to evaluate your life right now. Are you where you want to be, or where God wants you to be? His best is better than our will ever be, and I hope that you'll seek the Father for the incredible, fulfilling life He desires to give His children.

Playing Catch-Up

It's been a while, I know. I disappeared for over a month, during which time I was in Cape Town, South Africa on a missions trip. God went to WORK on that trip, and moved in my heart and the lives of others in a way for which He clearly gets all the glory! 

Met a student at Stellenbosch University that was truly in love with the Lord and desired to see people on her campus come into a personal relationship with Jesus! God always leaves a remnant...

Holiday Club in Nkanini, Khayalitcha, one of several townships in Cape Town. This group is only the little kids; there was an entirely different (larger) group of older kids! Some of them accepted Christ! Aren't they beautiful!?

UWC was like the HBCU of Cape Town! (Shout-out to HU, the best HBCU in the US!) I loved this campus and all the people there! Sharing my faith on this campus was an experience I pray I'll never forget!

It was cool for us to be back in our Motherland! All of our different complexions, all the different places we're from, yet we all had the common bond as brothers and sisters in Jesus Christ, a bond that holds together people of all races and nationalities who accept Him as their Lord!

One of our final debriefs in Cape Town was about "re-entry stress," which in short involves what our reintroduction to American society would be like, especially for those of us (nearly all of us!) who'd never been out the country before. It has definitely been an adjustment for me, and I miss the team and the people I met in Cape Town a TON, but I'm so thankful God allowed me to have the experience of fulfilling His Great Commission on the other side of the world. Our God is an INTERNATIONAL God! How great He is. :) 

The team at Dulles Airport in Virginia before flying to London-Heathrow. This was back before we really knew each other... but doing God's work (and living in close quarters!) has a way of drawing people so much closer together!

When I got back from the trip, I was still really busy! My family moved while I was gone, so I began unpacking things from the trip. I got to catch up with my family and my Favorite, which has been awesome. :)

Back stateside with my awesome family!

He's my Favorite.<3

I could end this post here, but other cool things have happened too! I got to meet up with high school friends for the first time in a year or two! It was cool being able to catch up with the people I graduated with. We're definitely a multi-cultural group, and I just love that. 

Me and a few of the girls I used to hang out with in high school.

Some awesome news is that Alisha at Soul in Bloom and Jamil at Amped Soul are now engaged! Here's their blog shout-out: CONGRATS again! I'm so glad everything with the proposal went well and that it was an enjoyable day for them and all involved. 

The happy, newly engaged couple! I know God is honored by their current relationship and the union to come!

Yay! As an added plus to the engagement, my friend Sevrena (first from the left) surprised us with a visit! Definitely a highlight of the weekend for me!

So much is happening in life these days, but I want to still blog as much as possible! I hope to give more details about the trip to Cape Town in the coming days/weeks, but we shall see! I wonder what everyone else in the blog world has been up to during the past weeks/month? Staying busy and having fun, I hope! :) Until I write again...

When The Words Won't Come...

I'm sitting there and the thoughts are in my head but they just. won't. come. out.
I want verbalize them but every time I open up my mouth
out
comes a random statement about
the latest book I've read
or upcoming summer plans.
(Where is the fire?) I watch eyes light up about family, friends,
temporal stuff that has no bearing on the life to come.
I think,
I think,
I think,
but I speak not a word.
Finally His name slips out my lips. Once. Twice.
(Wince.)
Why? His name has that much power!
I know it as I say it,
and they know it as they hear it,
and yet I don't. say. more.
Mind drifts away from the conversation to scriptures read just that morning:
For I am not ashamed... living sacrifice... count as loss... 
deny oneself...
power of God unto salvation...
(So is to not speak of salvation me having the power to sentence others to death?)
Here I sit.
I embrace the truth of the gospel wholeheartedly and selfishly hoard it.
I fatten my spirit and harden my heart and I just. don't. share.
(or care? Because if I don't share I must not care...enough.)
And when someone later asks me how the day went I pause.
Because it certainly didn't go as planned.
My plan was to share. To give. To lose
this excess weight gained in the gluttony of spiritual things,
to exercise this faith
I claim to have.
My plan.
Didn't happen.
Why?
ME.
Me. Me. Me. Me. Me. It was my plan, into which I inserted
the One who has the power to save.
Even the best intentions of sharing the gospel can go awry
when not done under the Spirit's leading.
I wonder how to clean up this mishap then remember:
I don't. I pray. I let go. I hope.
How am I to grow without failing? I learn most often by my mistakes.
Me: weak. Him: strong.
(Surely no chances again soon though.)
But yes. Next day, new person.
(Really God!?)
I open my mouth to speak, then shut it.
Your words,
not mine.
This time.
His Spirit flows,
my mouth opens,
His words speak.
Under the direction of my Master
I am a willing slave 
to the truth that frees.
Having no idea how the situation will turn out
I still choose to surrender myself to His working through me.
For even in the midst of my failures and weaknesses,
in His sovereignty He (still) provides an opportunity
for me to honor Him.

In Active Pursuit

Have you ever had that weird feeling that someone is watching you? or, even worse, following you? It's somewhat creepy to constantly be looking over your shoulder, wondering if there's someone behind you with a target on your back, searching you out to do you harm. I don't know about you guys, but whenever I have a feeling like that, my fight or flight adrenaline quickly kicks in, so that should trouble arise (which, thank the Lord, it hasn't) I'm ready to be on the run!

Something that God has really been showing me (even when I'm not realizing it at the time!) is that there really is someone who's always following me. Always watching me. Always in pursuit of me, with one target in mind:  my heart. That someone is Jesus. From the beginning of time He has been in active pursuit of my soul, desperately seeking out for me, reaching out to me, trying to take hold of me, but for some reason, He has not succeeded. And that is certainly no fault of His. 

Just like when I get that creepy feeling that someone is watching or following me, deep down in my heart of hearts, in the depths of my soul I know that Jesus pursuing me. But even though I know it's for my best, for my good, that fight or flight feeling still seems to initiate, and I end up running away from the very One Who has the best of intentions for me. Why, oh why is this the case?

Over the past week or so, I have consistently been getting into conversations with people (close friends, mostly) about a topic near to my heart (perhaps too near...). It finally, FINALLY hit me today that the repeated occurrences of people talking to me about that very thing were not merely coincidences; these were people God was using to bring attention away from what I was holding so close and put all the focus on HIM! Sounds so obvious, right? Well initially it wasn't to me, but I finally figured it out, thanks to the Holy Spirit's continual and consistent and repeated prodding.

So all this time I've been acting like Gomer, in flight mode, running and running and running away from Hosea, a man who loved and pursued her in spite of her adultery and unfaithfulness. I am that unfaithful bride, who's chosen to run after things of this world, things that don't satisfy, don't sustain, don't do anything for me except draw me away from my eternal and perfect Lover, the one who has faithfully pursued me in the midst of my unfaithfulness. All this time I was deceiving myself, assuming that I was indeed the good soil, being fruitful and productive and mature in the Lord, when in reality His seed of the Word was being choked out by all of the thorny, temporal things of this life I've allowed to take priority.

Well, it's about that time to fall back in love with my Savior, to be His faithful bride, because to learn to be faithful and to love a fraction of the amount that He does would be to be faithful and to love in an incredible way, a way that I've been unable to do apart from Him. I feel like David in Psalm 51:

Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me. Cast me not away from thy presence; and take not thy holy spirit from me. Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation; and uphold me with thy free spirit. (emphasis mine)

I praise the Lord for His patience, His long-suffering, His love, and for His active pursuit of my heart; it is because of Jesus that I now am able to repent and return. 

Sweet Stuff

Sweets #1

IBC Root beer (the ones in the glass bottles are best!)....

...coupled with a pack of Thin Mints (the Girl Scout ones are the only genuine thin mints!)....

...equals an amazing combination of flavors guaranteed to make you happy! :) 

Sweets #2
(Ya'll know I just had to put my food section on here first, hehe.) So last time I posted, I let you guys know that I was accepted to go on the Cape Town, South Africa missions project with the Impact Movement. Woo-hoo!! One of my biggest encouragements has been the outpouring of love and support from my Trinity family (the church at which I accepted Christ!). There is just something so sweet about knowing that there are  fellow believers, both young and old, who genuinely care about me and desire to see Christ use me to the fullest extent possible! Something that added additional sweetness to this fact was that the praise team at church sang this awesome song called "I Give Myself Away/Here I Am to Worship." (Haven't youtubed it yet, otherwise I'd share!) Anyways, the song just tied in so well with my desire to surrender all of myself to the Lord, because really, true worship of Jesus is inextricably tied to the surrender of ourselves to Him! It's like surrender is a prerequisite to worship! I thought that was pretty sweet. 


Sweets #3
I actually wasn't planning on putting three sweets on here, but the post just doesn't seem complete without a number 3!!! So...here goes...

THANK GOD IT'S (almost) FRIDAY!!

(now that's pretty sweet.)