Day 80: Praying for Jamaica

Last week at our packing party, we had a little team celebration, complete with cookie cake (homemade, obviously) and watermelon. Early on in our adventures as a team, we decided our mission in going to Jamaica was to see Jesus in Jamaicans. That motive has driven our team of 20 to put our all into our physical, mental, and spiritual training. It's hard to beli

eve that its already the end of June; our time growing together as a team has gone so quickly and been so sweet. These students and adults have been a major blessing in my life, especially through my own physical hurdles. I know they are so ready for what God has in store for us. The Lord is so faithful in equipping us and giving us exactly what we need when we need it.

Tomorrow's our big day. I think I'm all packed

now...finally! As the time gap before our departure continues to wane, my heart is heavy with the weight of the work we are about to do. I wanted to share with you a few specific requests for our team. We covet your prayers and fully recognize that God's work is possible only with God's power!

Things to pray for:

1) Opportunities. Pray for doors to be opened and for boldness in us, that we may be good stewards of the opportunities the Lord sends o

ur way. Pray that God would be preparing the hearts of those we'll come in contact with, that they would be eager to share and open to truth.

2) Health. Pray for physical health and safety. We will be traveling quite a bit and much of the labor that we do will be physically intensive. Please pray for protection for our bodies.

3) Attitude. Pray for our attitudes to be the same as that of Christ: submissive and obedient. Especially with working closely on little sleep and with people we are so comfortable with, please pray for our hearts and minds to be so focused on and enveloped in Christ that everything we do and say reflects His love.

Thank you SO much for your prayers! You are a blessing! If you're interested in what we'll be doing in Jamaica, check out Won By One to Jamaica's website to keep up with our team!

I can't adequately explain my excitement in getting to spend time serving others in Jamaica this next week. There have definitely been significant hurdles throughout the preparation process, which leads me to believe that God's got something big to do in and through us. Seriously, I'm on the edge of my seat. I can't wait to fill you all in when we return!

I'll be praying for you this week, that you would have opportunities to share and encounter truth. You are loved and appreciated!

Day 79

This picture makes me think of dancing.

I want to dance.

A few years ago I wrote a poem about dancing. I'll have to see if I can find it and revise it. Writing is such a release for me, particularly writing in free verse. Sadly, I haven't done it in quite sometime. It's one of those outlets that starts to dwindle if it's not taken care of. I think I'll try to be more diligent in my writing--and dancing--efforts this summer. Both are good for the soul. I'm convinced.

Get your groove on! :)

Day 78: a quest

I wish I were here..

Peace has been desperately lacking in my life lately (for lots of reasons), and I'm so not okay with it. Things have been so busy that I literally have next to no downtime. This can be devastating for someone of the introverted persuasion such as myself. I need downtime to recharge and restore, but I also need downtime to seek. There hasn't been enough time lately for a relentless pursuit of Jesus. More like, I haven't made the time lately. I'm so not good at setting boundaries to guard my time and then I tend to get frustrated and resentful relatively easily when others around me set boundaries for themselves. (Note to self: work on this!)

Anyway, I understand that the only way to find peace is through the Prince of Peace. So my quest then, becomes not for rest and relaxation, but for the Giver of r & r. Bottom line: I need me some uninterrupted uncensored Jesus time. NOW.

Day 77: Slowly, but Surely

My new kicks! Keen is quickly becoming my new favorite brand.

After enjoying my favorite salad in the world with one of my favorite people in the world, I headed out for a walk tonight. Last night, I strolled from my house to my parents' house and back. I'm sure that amounted to all of a quarter mile. But it was a start. My foot hurt the entire way. If I wasn't so determined, I would have called my dad from the end of my street and begged him to pick me up. But I did not give in.

Tonight I walked a full mile, actually a little over a mile. It hurt, again. Still. But I'm learning to deal with it better, I think. Feeling the wind in my hair and enjoying a summer evening outside and in solitude was so refreshing to my soul.

Tomorrow makes a week since I've been cast-free. I really thought my pain would be gone and that I'd be walking normally. Guess I thought wrong. I've spent the last couple of days fighting frustration due to my pain and struggling to communicate with God in the midst of my agitation. Thankfully, He's so gracious and relentless in His pursuit of me. He gently reminded me that He's healed me and gotten me this far, He will continue to carry me...even to Jamaica, through Jamaica, and even after Jamaica. Talk about faithful! Not only is He able, but He is even using me in the process. This isn't just a pointless, trivial occurrence; it's refining and edifying. And, it's for His glory and my good, ultimately. So, I'm working on my attitude and working on letting go and trusting. (Much easier said than done, right?)

I may not be able to walk right just yet, but I'm walking proudly with my swagger (cough, cough, limp), and letting the Lord guide my steps along the way.

Day 75 & 76: Father's Day

Father's Day: Lake day. Oh how I love the lake in the summer. I can't think of anywhere I'd rather spend a Saturday or Sunday afternoon. Mmm.

Dad and I took a quick trip down to Table Rock on Sunday afternoon. It was brief, but so sunny and warm. I think the lake missed me. Immediately, I felt at home in the water. It's official: the lake is definitely one of my happy places.

Even though we didn't spend but 90 minutes on the water, Dad and I had a great time chatting and singing during the drive. Father-daughter bonding has to be one of the most special things. I'm really grateful for my dad. He's a pretty cool dude, I'd say. :)

This weekend we had a lot of time together, which at some points in my life would have annoyed me to no end. This time, however, was different. I feel like Dad and I have finally started to find the sweet spot in our relationship, that spot where Daddy/daughter has effectively transitioned into an adult relationship. That's totally the hand of God, folks, let me tell you!

Saturday night we have a super meaningful conversation, which ultimately ended up being perhaps the most freeing conversation of my life. I'm still getting goosebumps processing it all. Dad shared with me some letters that his parents had written to him as he had just left home on his first big adventure as an adult. After stumbling around to find adequate words, Dad handed me a letter from his dad and explained that what Grandpa had written to him is what he was trying to say to me.

"Hitch your wagon to a star."

People just don't talk like that anymore. I love that imagery though, and the inspiration.

I loved hearing my grandparents' voices as I read the letters; they were always so supportive and encouraging. And seeing their handwriting--so many memories! It was definitely a special experience to share these sentiments with my dad., and probably was no coincidence that it landed smack dab in the middle of Father's Day weekend. What a blessing.

Day 74

Tonight, we grill. :)

Day 73

Confession: I took zero pictures yesterday. I thought of blogging last night, as I was falling asleep. Part of me was tempted to get out of bed and grab my laptop. The other part of me one, obviously.

Friday was full of errands, independent errands, I might add. First there was the dermatologist, then Panera (sustenance!). From there it was Bass Pro, Ozark Adventure, Target, Physical Therapy, Red Rack, and finally home for laundry, bills, and necessary house cleaning. Needless to say, I spent the evening on the couch, completely vegged out. Somewhere in the midst of everything I managed to squeeze in a work-out. I would have forgotten entirely, were it not for my screaming hamstrings and calves. Oy. Squats and lunges have never felt so glorious and grueling.

Today's been a less than relaxing day. Jamaica preparation has occupied much of my time and energy (planning, shopping, packing, preparing for our final meeting), along with lots of work stuff to get done and loose ends to tie up before we actually depart for Jamaica. As much as I hate it, I know this next week is going to be a doozie, and there probably isn't really a thing I can do about it. So, it looks as if I'd better rest up tonight and store up all the energy I can for this week and the busyness that will inevitably ensue.

Hope y'all are enjoying a restful weekend! :)

For now, I'm off.

Day 72: The end of One Mile

It's been an amazing week. I'm blessed to work with some incredible students. They were fantastic all week. So glad we got to do all that we did.

Here's a quick run-down of our ministry this week:

-painting window wells

-making ugly quilts for homeless people

-baking cookies for businesses near RBC

-spending time with folks at a retirement home

-cleaning and reorganizing closets

-prayer walking a near-by school and apartment complex

-throwing a block party for residents of an apartment complex

-doing yard work for a lady in the church

-making cards for church staff

-serving in VBS each night this week

I think that about covers it. It was a week full of life and laughter. Seriously, I really enjoyed these students! I'm ALMOST ready to do it again...after a few days of sleep, please.

What have you done to serve someone this week? Share, if you feel so compelled! :)

Day 71: Freedom!..and some other thoughts

One of these things is not like the other... :)

Finally, my lower right leg gets to experience the light of day! And you better believe, I am hitting the rays this weekend, one way or another. Whew, it's bad. The above picture is definitely less than flattering. But who's into flattering, anyway? I'm all about the reality and remembering things accurately. And this is for sure accurate.

I've been processing a lot of emotions today and I'm not quite sure that my thoughts/feelings are completely coherent yet, but I feel compelled to take a stab at it anyway. So, here's some more hardcore reality, unfiltered and unashamed.

Thoughts/Ramblings tumbling around in my head/heart:

1. I feel strange without my cast. Not just physically strange, but kind of like a mini identity crisis.

2. Walking has never felt so good. It hurts and feels tingly and strange, but it's never felt so good. Honestly.

3. I can't wait to take a shower tomorrow. No, I didn't get to shower today after I got my cast cut off. I did, however, shave my leg before I went back to work. Priorities!

4. Working out sounds like the most thrilling and terrifying idea ever. Simultaneously. Thankfully, I don't have to cross that bridge just yet. I'm not technically supposed to be completely rid of the crutches until Saturday. So, I'll worry about sweatin' it out at that point.

5. 2 out of the 3 pairs of new shoes that I bought in the last 3 weeks are not going to work for me. Monetary frustration? Completely. Excuse to go shopping? Undoubtedly.

6. Tomorrow I'm going to drive. I'm entirely elated and thoroughly nervous about getting behind the wheel. Who would've thought that 8 weeks off of driving would turn me into a little bit of a worry wart? (Ha, that's a joke for sure; I'm pretty sure I've worried since the day I was conceived.) Worrying about driving has never been my thing; ever since my dad gave in and settled for an automatic, I've felt completely confident in my driving abilities. Currently, confidence is not my forte.

7. I feel like an emotional wreck. I'm happy and sad to have my cast off. The happy side is pretty easy to understand, surely. (Back to normal showers, no more heavy leg, I can drive, I can wear jeggins again, etc.) But the sad side, that's probably a little more difficult to level with. Let me try to hash through this... I feel like I'd just finally adjusted to asking for help and ALLOWING others to help me. And now I'm going to be on my own again. No cast=no need for help. Poof. Magic wand waved. Except not. Because it's not that easy. All in all, this is another step of trust as I transition to another "normal", it just looks a little different than other steps in the past. So, it's time to pull up my big girl pants and adjust again. (So maybe "sad" isn't exactly the most accurate term, but perhaps "overwhelming" or "confusing" would suffice?) Thankfully, I don't have to transition alone. I get that. I'm just not sure at all what this transition looks like. Thankfully-again-I'm not in control. Whew.

If you are still reading this, bless you! Thanks for putting up with my antics. :) And now, I think I'll hit the sack, hopefully to gain some physical and emotional strength through recharging.

Get some rest, friends. And, be blessed!

Day 70

One Mile/VBS Day #3 was a long day. Fun, funny, and filled with all things students...but long. Therefore, I'll be brief. In our rec time with the 6th graders tonight, we played with cups, popcorn, and our feet. See photo for results. How much fun the 6th graders are, in a completely precious and admittedly awkward kind of way. Gotta love puberty! Ha! They were such good sports with this game.

Ok, it's definitely off to bed for tonight. This girl is T-I-R-E-D. Tomorrow: cast off!!!! Really, I couldn't be more nervous/excited/confused about the situation. The only thing I can do is pray and show up on time! Results to come tomorrow night, I'm sure. If you think about it, I'd so appreciate your prayers for healing and wisdom, but ultimately, for trust in the Lord. That's really what this is all about: seeking and glorifying Him, no matter what.

Thanks, bloggy friends. :)

Day 68 & 69

Our Houston mission team made it back safe and sound last night, just in time to kick off our One Mile mission trip and our VBS. Last night we had some good laughs with the 6th graders during their rec time. The object: to thaw the frozen army guy by shooting the block of ice with a Super Soaker. The product: a perfect time-killer (unintentionally) for a hot summer day. :)

Our One Mile Crew--such a hard-working bunch...and definitely not short on the laughs either!

Day 67: bestie bridal business

Oh what a 48 hours it's been! I can't believe it's Saturday night already. Friday started bright and early (for my day off, at least) with a roadtrip to the good ol' KCMO for my bestie Rachel's wedding dress fitting and her bridal shower today. We had a ball goofing around during all things bridal--invitation stuffing, sealing, stamping; flower punching; mother of the bride shopping; undergarment purchasing. I so wish we lived closer. She is a soulmate of mine for sure and I always appreciate the laughter and peace our time together brings. Rachel and I have been through some significant relationship (not ours of course!) turmoil together, and I definitely think we are stronger people because of each other. Seriously, I'm not sure how I would have made it through some of my lows without her spice of life. Needless to say, I love her dearly. She's pretty much straight up fabulous, plain and simple. I'm honored to be part of her and Blaise's big day, but even more honored to be her friend.

The lovely bride and her lovely sister

Sister moment, no doubt :)

Beautiful!

Couldn't miss the opportunity to pose with the cast ;)

(Yes, I planned to color coordinate. I couldn't clash at this fashion diva's shower!)

The bride and her maids

Someone said, "Take a foot photo!" Classy...

So much excitement!

Day 66: My Best Friend's Wedding

Bridal shop dresses at Rachel's dress fitting..no bride sneak peaks allowed. ;)

Day 65

I've been in a major cooking mood tonight.

Trail mix cookies: oatmeal, applesauce, chocolate chips, and craisins.

Dinner...Yum.

Day 64: A little bit of crazy

A little or a lot of crazy? Hmm... ;)

So Wednesdays are always lots of fun. And "lots of fun" can encompass a variety of true emotions. Energetic. Exciting. Stressful. Yesterday was super productive for me. I worked secluded and silent for the first 6 hours of the day. And then things started to get a little crazy. It's always so strange to me how a perfectly smooth, calm day can change-literally-in an instant. There wasn't really one particular thing that made for a crazy couple of hours, it was more like a coupling of several unplanned occurrences and a little self-induced pressure as I "held down the fort" while the guys are gone in Houston. The crazy calmed down eventually, actually about as quickly as it stirred up.

Despite the couple challenges that popped up, the evening went smoothly and we enjoyed some really solid worship as a group. God is so good. Sometimes recovering from the stress of a quick storm is more difficult for me than actually enduring the storm itself. (Sometimes I can be tad dramatic. Surprised? Ha.) Last night though, only by the grace of God, I recovered quickly and got to thoroughly enjoy my time with the students. An old friend and talented musician, Sean Lea, led worship for us and then we talked about Scripture memory and spent time actually memorizing the Word together.

Psalm 119:11 "I have stored up your Word in my heart that I might not sin against You."

After service we loaded a shuttle and enjoyed a beautiful summer evening at the park. I so appreciated a leisurely swing and a lovely chat or two as we spectators watched a game of ultimate frisbee. Beware: a spectator I will not be for much longer. It took all I had to hold myself back from participating in [a modified form of] the game. I'm so ready for this cast to be off!

All things considered, the little bits of crazy are totally worth the tension and stress they often bring. I'm grateful that God continues to work in and through those times; Lord knows I need that continual refining!

Day 63

Let the summer mission trips begin!

Our Houston mission team left this morning. Quite a lively bunch for 7:30am! :)

Day 62: Girls Bible Study

Perhaps my favorite part of summer is Girls Bible Study. Don't get me wrong--I completely adore the warmth, the sunshine, weekends at the lake, CAMP with the students, summer missions, and sun-kissed skin; but more than all of that, I love spending time teaching girls and listening to what they're learning as they grow in their relationship with the Lord. Call it cheesy, but it's the honest to goodness truth.

At our first Bible study of the summer, we introduced the book "Lies Young Women Believe" by Nancy DeMoss and Dannah Gresh. We talked through the concept that lies are all around us, yet seldom do we recognize them. Many times we buy and sell them without even so much as a second thought. We live in oblivious bondage. And that's not what God wants for us. He created us to be free, to be in complete harmony with Him. And each lie that we buy chips away at us, often without notice until we are missing such large pieces that we can't continue.

Ugh. It's heavy and messy, but I am so in the business of seeking Truth and shedding light on all the nasty little (and not so little) lies that fill the cracks and crevices of our hearts and lives. Needless to say, I'm passionate about sharing truth with our girls and I so love the opportunity that summer presents to share in a concentrated and consistent setting.

This week was a smaller group than we've had in the past, and it turned out to be just what it needed to be. Several senior girls showed up and ended up staying late even to finish a craft activity I'd worked into the lesson. They were so fun to listen to as they shared their hearts, laughed, and put their creativity to use creating homemade journals. Here are just a couple snapshots from the evening.

A work in progress

The finished product: a beautifully crafted journal to house lies we encounter.

I'm already bursting for our next Girls Bible Study, which is just two weeks away. I'm excited to see what God does in the meantime and who He brings next time!

Day 61: I heart Sundays.

I love Sundays. They are long and they are tough sometimes, but they are still my favorite days. I love worship on Sunday mornings and I love hanging out with students at small groups, D-Team, and, currently, mission trip trainings.

This morning's worship was so good. I needed it hardcore.

The FC during 10:31 worship

Tonight in Jamaica team training we did some conversational evangelism training. Daniel opted to illustrate my teaching for all the visual learners.

Bible thumping=bad.

Speaking of Jamaica, I need to say that I'm so proud of my team. Honestly, they are incredible. I'm super humbled to work with them and so blessed by their care and concern for others. rbcstudents seriously has some of the finest teenagers I've ever known. I can't wait to see how God uses them through our time in Jamaica. I know He's working through them in ways even bigger than that though. It's so neat to see His power and glory displayed through His people. I am blessed.

Day 60: have your cake...

...but I wouldn't necessarily recommend eating it too.

The ever endearing and always hospitable Boone family invited me to dinner last night, followed by a baking party with the one and only Miss Katie. The food was awesome and the company was a riot. Seriously, I don't remember the last time I laughed that hard. After dinner, Katie, Lynn, and I set out to bake the ultimate cake: dark chocolate, six-layered, malted ooey gooey goodness. Little did we know. :) The cake turned out to be a little less than we'd anticipated; the icing, however, was out of this world. We learned some tips of the trade and definitely had a ball in the process.

Here a few pics for your enjoyment:

The boys contributed the marshmallow man topper.

Don't worry; the bottom two layers are only slightly larger than the top four. :o)

While the cake may not have tasted as delectable as we'd anticipated, our appetite for baking has only just begun. Next on the list: a lemon-blueberry cake. Any taste-tester takers?

Day 59: finally Friday

My friend Lindsay experienced Springfield Brew Co (and their awesome rootbeer) for the first time tonight.

Day 58: Another pancake experiment

I had these to-die-for pancakes last weekend (raspberry granola) and decided to create my own "trail mix" variation today! My trail mix pancakes started with a banana and oatmeal base, some flour, an egg, a smidge of vanilla. Then I got a little creative and added some craisins and granola, just to spice things up. I topped it off with a light spread of peanut butter and a quick drizzle of honey. They were mmm good....both for lunch on Friday and for breakfast on Saturday. Gotta love those leftovers!

Day 57: Ciao, bella!

Summer 2011 is officially here! I welcome it with an excited apprehension. As much as I love summer, I don't ever feel like I'm fully ready for it. Ready or not...

My sister left for Italy today. For a month. A whole month. I know it's not really that long in the scheme of things, but right now, that seems like a really long time. A normal day seems like twice its normal length lately. And a month--at that rate--just doesn't sound like a super short time frame. Anyway, I'm super excited for her and only a smidge jealous. ;) I have to be honest though and say that I'm feeling just a tad bit emotional about saying goodbye. We had lunch today with Dad at Big Whiskey's (a fam frequent, for sure), which was nothing short of delightful. Ha. That's funny if you know our fam. It was fun and entertaining, but delightful is much too delicate a word to use when describing our clan. Anyway, it was a good send-off.

For the month of June she'll be in Florence studying...well, Italy, I suppose. (Seriously, who would honestly get true studying accomplished in such a place?!) I can't wait to see the pictures and hear the stories. Oh what I would give to be a mouse in her pocket...

Ciao, for now, sissy!

This month will honestly probably end up going by so quickly. I almost want to savor it as much as possible. Tonight was our summer kick-off for the student ministry. Next week, the Houston mission team leaves. The following week is VBS and our 1 Mile Mission trip. Then, 24 days (and counting!) from now, our Jamaica team departs. June will seriously be but a vapor! And that doesn't even touch any of my own social activities on the calendar. I so enjoy summer, but I always hate how quickly it passes and how much I feel like I miss in the busyness of it all. If only I could pause and select the significant moments to bottle up so I could keep them and enjoy them whenever I wanted and when I was ready for them...Oy. Such mixed emotions. I guess for now I'll sleep and pray for strength and perseverance to run this [hot summer] race well.

'Til tomorrow...

Day 56: only our finest

These are some of the lovely ladies we will call Apprentices for the summer...so much fun! :)