Christmas Time is Here

Hey Guys!! I am so sorry that I haven't updated my blog in a while. So much has been happening. We finally moved to the new chapel and had our Glow in the Dark club as our new location kick off. It was AMAZING!! We had twice as many middle schoolers as usual and it was great to see them dancing and hanging out and actually being attentive during our small group time. We also had a great group of high school and adult leaders who have decided to commit to walking alongside our students for the rest of this year. This change to the new building has really made a difference in the whole direction and feel of ministry. Our leadership team just seems to be blossoming. It is so exciting to really focus on worshiping together and thanking Him for the way that He has been providing.

The week after thanksgiving we were able to include the kids in that worship and praise during our "Thanksgiving Leftovers Club" We turkey bowled... dug our feet into mashed potatoes and guessed thanksgiving baby food flavors, but best of all we all sat together before the Lord and really thanked Him for the things that He has given us in our lives. Our list of things we are thankful for was HUGE!! It included Jesus, our family, angry birds, chocolate, Puerto Ricans, Justin Bieber, Xboxes, freedom, the ability to read, our homes, our iphones, and the ability to worship our God freely. It was so much fun seeing all of the kids raising their hands and genuinely contributing to our discussion. I LOVED IT and I know God did too!!!

We are taking a little break for the Christmas Season which makes me sad, but at the same time grateful. I love when I have time to just sit at the Lord's feet and rest in Him. I pray that you and your families are able to do the same. MERRY CHRISTMAS!!

MMMMM... DONUTS!!!

This week at Club we had DONUT OLYMPICS!!! It was a blast and the students LOVED IT!! It was a little sad being as it was our last club at 19th St. Chapel, but I am really getting excited because we are finally getting into the swing of things and our Middle School ministry is starting to have a life of its own which is GREAT!! I can't wait to see what the Lord does the rest of this semester!! We move to the new building next Friday.

Here is a slide show from our Donut Olympics!!

Upcoming Excitement/Prayer Requests:

-Camp Eagle Service Project:

We are taking both our High School and Middle School students on a retreat/Service Project at Camp Eagle in Rock Springs TX. I am really excited because we are going to be serving and we are going to be teaching them about how to love our Lord and our Brothers and Sisters in Christ well. We are going to be talking about how important it is to be satisfied and content in the Lord in order to love other people in the way that we are called to love them. I can't wait!! We leave tomorrow morning and will be getting back on Sunday. Please keep us in your prayers. Pray that this would be a time of bonding and of intimacy with the Lord for both our leaders and our students.

-Middle School Glow in the Dark Club:

Friday night we have our first Middle School Club at the New Chapel. We will be having Glow in the Dark Club and talking about how not only is God working all around us, but He is inviting us to join Him in the work that He is doing and how important and satisfying joining Him is!!

-Christmas Video Production:

We are currently working on our annual Bob's Diner Christmas Video. It is going to be a modern day Nativity Story. Please pray that it goes well and that we get it done... ha ha we have less filming and editing time available before Christmas than there is both filming and editing to do.

Photo Scavenger Hunt

This last Friday we had an amazing Photo Scavenger Hunt and S'mores Night with our Middle School Friends... it was such a great time of bonding and fellowship.

Here is a video that we put together for club this week!! ENJOY!! (There are only the pictures from two of our teams... the other teams pics got "mysteriously" deleted ha ha)

What I live for!!!!

I am sitting here in my kitchen counting down the hours until High School club tonight... I forgot to tell you guys about what happened last week. Well we were in our girls small group discussing the message from the night which was about how the Lord calls us into a Love relationship with Himself. One of the girls started to talk about how she sometimes feels like the Lord is far away and started to express just a few of the many fears that she is currently battling in her mind. As she was pouring out her heart to her friends Martie and I as the leaders sat there and listened while the high school girls that surrounded us bound up her heart and encouraged her using the word of the Lord. It was one of the most powerful things that I have ever seen. These young women between 15yrs old and 18yrs old were learning what it looks like to be used to heal people's hearts by the Lord. It is those moments where I just get to watch the Lord working and get to see a glimpse of fruit and growth and HIM that I live for. This is my purpose... to Experience and share the Glory of God!! I can't wait for tonight!!

Tidbits of Truth from a Military Brats Journey

It is funny how the Lord ministers to us and refines us constantly while we are ministering to other people. Over the last couple of weeks He has been showing me that it is my heart and my obedience and surrender to His will in my life that ultimately draws people to Himself. It is not all about programs and the words that I say, but the way in which I choose to live.

I will have to admit as cliche as it sounds I have always been a little rebellious military brat... I would like to blame it on my "strict" military upbringing... ha ha but my family really wasn't that strict. Dad never made us make our beds with hospital corners or call him sir. Honestly, I think my rebellion is just my good ole' fashion selfishness and some of my type A personality. So needless to say obedience to anyone, even the Lord, tends to take a lot of self control and a conscious effort on my part. I have always been pretty independent... that basically comes with the territory when you are raised in the Army... and whenever someone tells me to do something I shudder a little inside. I will admit this tendency in me has toned down a TON since I have been walking with the Lord, but it still rears its ugly head now and again.

So a couple of weeks ago the Lord just impressed upon my heart the verse "Create in me a Pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast Spirit within me." Psalm 51:10... as I have been meditating on this verse I have been thinking about Matthew 5:8 which is one of my favorite verses... "Blessed are the pure of heart for they shall see God." I kept asking the Lord if those two verses are connected... I debated with the Lord... really Lord so you want me to allow You to purify ALL parts of my heart...surrender EVERYTHING to you... but what if I miss out on something good... are you sure that you aren't keeping me from something good? Of course you and I both know that these are lies, but I confess I entertained these thoughts in my mind for a while.

Jump ahead a couple of days and it was crazy I started to do a word study on the Holy Spirit and Psalm 51:10 came up... and wouldn't you believe that after all of that time meditating on verse 10 I never looked to see what came after... this is what it says:

"Do not cast me from your presence or take your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me."

Right then it hit me. Surrendering and Obedience is not about giving stuff up... it is not about doing what is right cause God says that it is right... It is about longing for His presence and Seeking Him more than anything else...LOVING HIM more than anything else... Being sustained in the joy of the salvation that He provides... the two verses ARE connected and you know what... I WANT TO SEE GOD!!! I want to be in His presence continually and I don't want ANYTHING to get in the way of or distract me from that!! I don't think I am ever going to look at obedience the same ever again!!

Fall Fun!!

Hey Guys!! Oh my gosh this last week has been amazing!!

Here are some of the highlights from the week:

Middle School club Pumpkin Club

We had a pumpkin carving contest and Pumpkin Seed spitting contest and Abby gave a talk on the Parable of the Sower. She did an amazing job and the kids loved her visual of throwing sunflower seeds all over them!! Ha Ha I LOVE Middle Schoolers!!!

My Friend Maria and a pumpkin cross

Everyone Carving away... there was some fierce competition

Matt one of our High School leaders and his team

Derek one of our leaders and his team... their pumpkin was CRAZY!!!

Abby one of our student staff and her team... their pumpkin actually had

Perry the Platypus from Phineas and Ferb... AMAZING!!

Victoria one of our High School leaders announcing the winner of the carving contest!!

The Middle Schoolers all lined up for the Pumpkin Seed Spitting Contest...

Who was the winner?? ASHLYN!!!

Abby giving her awesome talk... asking them to go sit by themselves

for a few minutes and pray and think about what kind of soil they are!! :)

Derek's Birthday Bowling Bash

After Bible Study on Thursday night we had a birthday celebration for one of our leader's Derek. He turned 22!!

High School Costume Birthday/ Samaritan's Purse Party

On Friday night some of our highschoolers celebrated their birthdays out at the Carters house. Everyone dressed up like Disney characters we watched The Lion King and Wall-E, BBQ'd, played volleyball and gathered toys and gifts to send to kids through Samaritan's Purse Operation Christmas Child Program. It was a ton of fun!!

Some of our Highschoolers wrapping our shoebox gifts for Operation Christmas Child

Some of our Highschool guys singing Hakuna Matata while watching the Lion King... I really wish that someone would have taken a video... it was amazing... the entire room was singing and dancing :) It made my heart so happy!!

Scott, Victoria, and Matt blowing our their Birthday Candles!!

Me wrapping one of the shoeboxes for OCC

All of the Highschoolers watching Lion King... That movie never gets old!!

Glow in the Dark Capture the Flag

On Saturday some of our students volunteered with the Post wide Hallelujah Fall Fest by making cotton candy, popcorn, and helping with food preparation. Afterwards we played an amazing game of glow in the dark capture the flag!! It was soooo much fun!!

Bethany one of our Leaders and Alex one of our highschool guys

being silly before the game started

The players getting ready to be divided into teams. Red vs. Blue!!!

Some of our Middle School girls getting ready to size up the competition!!

Marissa one of our high school girls... okay so you probably think that she dressed up all awesome just for the capture the flag game... nope this girl looks awesome EVERYDAY!!!

Chem lights... a military youth leaders best friend!!!

"I will stand on my guard post and station myself on the rampart; And I will keep watch to see what He will speak to me..." Habakkuk 2:1

I sit here a little overwhelmed... wait that is an understatement... VERY overwhelmed as I think about everything that God is doing right now in my life and in this ministry. I feel like everything that God has been telling me to prepare for and pray for is happening.

Middle School Ministry Change

As many of you know, this last summer we started to have middle school club separate from high school club. We have been having club on Tuesday nights before our Art's Night. Well once school started we began to find that a lot of our students couldn't attend on Tuesdays because of sports etc.

Seeking God's Plan

So Abby who is on student staff and works with me in middle school ministry and I started to pray about whether the Lord wanted for us to move our programming to Friday nights.... if and when to approach the subject with Steve who is our community director and how to just proceed in general.

God Answers

Well Craziest thing!!... not really crazy, but God... This weekend as Abby and I were sitting with Steve he asked us what we thought about considering moving middle school ministry to Friday Nights!! All that we had done was pray about it! I love how the Holy Spirit speaks to us and for us!! I love how unifying He is!! I love how He knows best and prepares our hearts and the hearts of others to receive His vision for His Kingdom!! I love how He cares about these kids more than we ever will!! I love how He gives us the desires of our hearts... and lines up those desires with His own!! I love how He loves me!!

The New Chapel

In order to have middle school on Friday nights we are going to change locations from our current Chapel to the brand new chapel that was built... Look at how beautiful it is!!!

Please be in prayer for us during this time of transition...

Please pray for:

-More middle school leaders... specifically men who will step up and love these boys well

-Smooth transition between buildings

-Parental support and excitement about this change

-More students hearing the Gospel and that we would be BOLD in proclaiming the Gospel. Romans 1:16

-That our leadership team would continue to grow more intimate in our individual relationships with the Lord.

-That we would have discernment when it comes to what God's vision is for this ministry and for Friday Nights and what is our own vision.

May God's will be done in Fort Hood as it is in Heaven!!!

Bowling Night!!

A few weeks ago we had an amazing time with our middle school and high school friends at a Friday Night Bowling Hangout!! Honestly it was a little chaotic trying to figure out payment and how many games everyone played, but it was so worth it! We met a few new friends and were able to reconnect with students who we hadn't seen in a while because they are involved in sports and extracurricular activities. It is nights like these that keep me going. I am so blessed to be called here with these specific students!! I LOVE IT!!

Trying to figure out the scoreboard... how many people does it take?

One of our leaders Abby and Kaylee

Our middle school girls hanging out

Laughter brings joy to the soul :)

Derek one of our leaders and some highschool guys

After this hang out Abby and I decided that we need to do this more often... yeah the kids love it but SO DO WE!! ha ha

What do we have planned this weekend? Glow in the Dark Capture the Flag and Volunteering at the post wide Hallelujah Fest.

Next weekend? S'mores Party and Photo Scavenger hunt!!

So Excited! Stay tuned for pictures!!

Choir Concerts and Football Games

Update: I am sorry that I haven't blogged in a while. There has been a lot going on in my life and the lives of my family members. For those of you who know my family you know that my mom had brain surgery last month and it went amazing. Please continue praying for her recovery. She is experiencing partial paralysis in her face, but the pain from her jam has not come back which is exciting. They were also able to remove 98% of the tumor. I also started my masters this semester. I haven't been in school since 2005 when I finished my bachelors and boy is it a time investment. It is so exciting though to be learning more about studying the word of God. I am working on a Masters in Biblical Counseling and taking a Hermeneutics class. It has been completely opened my eyes in my own personal study of the Bible and in preparing messages for our kids. I am extremely excited about everything I am learning.

So this week we didn't have Club... our leadership team has been going strong throughout the entire summer and so we decided to take a small break this week to breathe before the rest of the semester. It was such a great time of rest and fellowship. Because I was free on Tuesday and Wednesday night I was able to go watch one of our 8th grade friends win in football on Tuesday and one of our 7th grade girls perform in a dance recital with the Smith Middle school choir on Wednesday. Honestly on Wednesday I was exhausted and not really sure if I was going to go to the show, but God told me I should... so I did. I took one of my other middle school friends Julia and headed out there. What a blessing it turned out to be. Not only did Kaylee perform amazingly, but I ran into two of the girls that went to Camp Buckner with us... Abby and Jenesis. They have both been so busy throughout this semester with extracurricular activities that I hadn't seen them at all. Just seeing how excited they were to be performing for their families and to watch them singing "Just the Way You Are" by Bruno Mars and "Firework" by Katie Perry which were both songs that we loved singing together at Camp brought tears to my eyes. There is no doubt in my mind that that was a God ordained night. He reminded me that He is still working in those girls lives whether or not I am able to be there. I love how the Lord sends us those glimpses of His presence. I am so glad that I listened to Him and went. I wouldn't have wanted to miss out on the message He wanted to give me!!

Julia and Me at the PX before the Concert

Smith Middle School Song Line Up

Awesome Smith Choir

Abby Right before her lead dance solo to the song "Thriller" by MJ

Glad To be Back!! - Part One

The last couple of months have been crazy, but wonderful. I am sorry that I have not updated in a while but here are a few tidbits from the last few months.

February

Would you Like a Little Snow with that Fellowship?

MCYM Staff Conference - Fraser, CO

Every year our MCYM staff gets together for training and fellowship. This year our conference was in Fraser, CO at Young Life's Crooked Creek Ranch. It was amazing. The days were freezing and the nights were even colder, -15 degrees to be exact, but it was so nice to be out in nature spending time with the Father. At the half way point of the year it is always nice to have a little bit of time away to recenter and focus on what is important.

Highlights from the Week:

-Seeing my wonderful friends from all over the US

-Having time to sit and pray with other girls who are single and going through the same stuff that I am while being on staff.

-Getting great ideas from other staffer for fundraising initiatives and community awareness as well as games and hang out ideas for the students.

-Going Snow Tubing with a group of adults and being able to act like kids with one another.

-Having my quiet time in the middle of the Rockies.

Remind me to never have Septuplets because I don't think I could handle 8 middle school girls in my house 24/7

Middle School Girls' Sleepover - My Tiny Apartment

Tons of Stuffed Animals, Taco Bell, Emperor's New Groove, and Just Dance on the Wii. That is all that we needed to have an epic Middle School Girls' Hangout! Here are some pics from the evening. This is why I love my job. There is nothing more fun that giggling and playing games with these wonderful young ladies!!

Two of my friends with the coolest dolls EVER! They are Called Daddy Dolls which you put a picture of your Dad in when he is deployed. I wish they had those when I was little.

Time Away From the Front Lines

Finally the new year is beginning. Right after the holidays on the 4th of January I went straight to Young Life Winter Training at Sharp Top Cove in Jasper GA. It was basically a week spent studying Systematic Theology with 250 other Young Life employees. It was so much fun and I learned so much about how to take God's word and tangibly live out His commands and His will daily. To be completely honest when I was flying from Killeen to Atlanta I dreaded being in a camp with all of those people with no time to be alone. But, by the second day in camp I was sooo excited to be surrounded by so many people who love the Lord and love kids. There was never a time of solitude even when we were having "Quiet Time" with the Lord, which actually meant sitting in a room with 5-10 other people while spending time with Jesus, ha ha, but I loved every second of it. Which is a crazy statement coming from me... an introvert. I met so many wonderful people and am so grateful that God provided that break up in the mountains where I could just be in community with people my age and with God. It truly was a mountaintop experience.... an R&R of sorts... some time away from the front lines of ministry. A time to recenter and remember why we are doing ministry in the first place and what this is all about. It is all about relationships with one another and the Lord!!

Here are some pics from the week:

(Another blessing a snow storm came through the area which actually stranded us in the mountains an extra day which was a blessing in disguise. More time to forge relationships and be alone with God. The snow was gorgeous!!)

Christmas Party

Sorry that I haven't written in a while. The Holidays got hectic but they were great! It was fun to celebrate with all of our kids. In December we had an amazing Christmas party. We had an ugly sweater contest, Christmas chain making race, snowball fight, and Christmas carol singing with chem lights. It was a ton of fun! We also had a family style Christmas dinner with some of our leaders and volunteers. Here are some pics from over the Holidays!