A Poetic Masterpiece

Ephesians 2:10 - For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared ahead of time for us to do.

Over the course of my life, I have seen the word “workmanship” as it relates to the above verse show up in different translations as “masterpiece,” “handiwork,” or “creation,” all very picturesque words that help us see we are an amazing, unique design of our Creator God. I don’t know about you, but my mind goes to a make-shift art gallery as these words bring to mind paintings or drawings, ones that can be defined or abstract, plain or colorful, muted or enthusiastic. 

The other day as I was preparing for a Sunday School lesson, this verse came up again and so I decided to dig a little deeper and see exactly how this verse appeared in the original Greek. My discovery changed the trajectory of how I have ever and will ever view this verse. The Greek word Paul used for workmanship was “poiema,” which is, you guessed it, where we get our word poem! Thayers Greek Lexicon says that this word means “that which has been made; a word: of the works of God as creator.”

When I stopped to think about the word “poiema” and how it equates to what we view this word as today, a few, literary, things jump out at me. (And before you go crazy, I am not an English major or anything of the sort so this is really going to be basic…heck, my senior English teacher told me I’d never be a writer so no telling what she’d say about my literary commentary here...heehee.)

1. A story within a story – Every poem is crafted to tell a story based on something important or meaningful to its writer (whether it makes sense to the reader or not…speaking from personal experience!). Think about the Bible. It God’s literal, literary work filled with multiple stories about His creation (beginning in Genesis) – narratives, lists, letters, and, yes, even poetry – that ultimately tells a larger story about His plan for His creation (ending in Revelation). It’s like that for us, as God’s creation, we are an individual story that is part of His ultimate, larger story! He created us for a good reason and that reason is to bring glory to Him – we are “created in Christ Jesus for good works which God prepared ahead of time for us to do” (Ephesians 2:10).
   
   
2. Not one is alike – There are so many different kinds of poems – sonnets, free verse, haiku, epic, ode, limerick, just to name a very few. (And yes, I Googled these; remember I am no English major!) Because there are so many different kinds and forms of poems, not one poem is alike, they are all unique and different. Same for us – each and every one of us are God’s unique creation! The psalmist praises God for this in Psalm 139:14, “I will praise you because I have been remarkably and wondrously made,” with the word “wonderfully” in Hebrew meaning “distinct, marked out, separated, distinguished,” i.e. unique and different.
   
   
3. There are happy and hard parts – Because poems are written for various reasons, they can be sad, happy, or just plain silly (looking at you, limerick!). Sometimes they can be a combination of emotions. We see that in the stories and poems that make up God’s Word. There are writings of amazing miracles, incredible loss, deep lament, and inexpressible joy and some that include all of that at one time! So it is for us. Our life has happy and hard parts, some of which shape who we are and what we do. But our hope as a Christ follower is knowing that “all things work together for the good of those who love God, who are called according to His purpose” (Romans 8:28).
   
   
4. Every word matters – Words matter in poetry because they can have deeper meanings than what is seen on the surface – think similes and metaphors. This is why many of us can have a hard time analyzing poetry because we have to think critically. In God’s story, every word, story, and moment matters – see Deuteronomy 8:3/Matthew 4:4 where God/Jesus say that man lives on every word (the Bible is God’s Word) that comes from the mouth of God. And just as every word in God’s Word matters to Him, so does every one of His creations, most especially us as His “very good” creation (Genesis 1:31). People matter so much to God, meaning He loves us so much, that He provided a way for all to have eternal life with Him, even though all would be born and live as sinners. John 3:16, “For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.”

God is the master Author and His story/poem that is our life is not yet finished – it will not be finished until we are with Him in eternity. It can be a little (or a lot) unnerving not knowing how the story will flow or where the happy and hard moments that will happen will fall. But our Author has already promised us that no matter what happens, His plans are for our “well-being, not for disaster, to give [us] a future and a hope” (Jeremiah 29:11).

But what we can trust and know is that as a believer in Christ, we are God’s workmanship, handiwork, creation – His poiema – and we are a treasured, valued, and priceless part of His greater story.  

I end with this song that a friend introduced to me a few months ago. It has meant a lot to me and now, in light of what I discovered in Ephesians 2:10, it means a whole lot more.

2021 In Retrospect

"You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives." - Genesis 50:20

2021, you were incredibly hard - in fact, one of the hardest. BUT I will look back on you remembering that despite the challenges, you were the year in which I get and saw how God was good in every.single.moment. 

God was good by deepening my walk with Jesus. The richness of my journey with Jesus has for sure been my favorite part of the year. Studying the Word and discovering new and exciting things has been what has kept my soul nourished when the enemy attempted every which way to zap it out. I am forever grateful to my church Kairos Nashville/Brentwood Baptist Church for how they have carried me through this year through messages, music, but most especially the encouragement of their people. 

God was good by surrounding me with amazing family and friends from all aspects of life who encouraged, challenged, prayed for, laughed, and cried with me. They have reminded me through cards, texts, hugs, and hard conversations that my strength lies solely and wholly in the Lord and nowhere else.

God was good by blessing my heart with serving others. For sure through outreaches and mission projects, but also in some aspects I didn’t expect at work and most especially through next gen ministries! I got to pour my heart into some pretty terrific 4th & 5th grade girls on Wednesday nights and see what more one-on-one discipleship looks like. Not only that, but I was able to be a stronger part of an amazing special needs ministry that I know God is going to anoint come early 2022!

God was good by reminding me of His promises - especially through music. The main song I clung to this year was “Goodness of God” and before I even knew what the year would bring, I found myself singing it - at the beginning of the year as a song of hope for those in attendance at my grandmother’s funeral, in the middle of the year as a song of strength for myself when everything felt like it was falling apart, and at the end of the year with my sisters and brothers in Christ as a song of thankfulness for seeing with my own eyes how no matter what, God is good.

And so 2021, what the enemy meant for discouragement and hopelessness for me this year, God meant for good (Gen. 50:20) and I see that, oh do I see it. And as you become a memory after today, I will carry the reminder of God’s goodness in you with me all the days of my life.

“All my life, He has been faithful, all my life, He has been so so good, with every breath that I am able, I will sing of the goodness of God.”

2020 In Retrospect

On the last day of the year, I always sum up my year in a post. I also encapsulate the year with a word and I usually do that at the end. But it is 2020, after all, so why don’t I just share the word at the beginning?! It’s a word that I think most of the world is in agreement with me on. 2020. Unexpected.

When I stand at the end of this year, it looks not one iota like the beginning of the year did {or even what I thought the year would look like, obviously}. Some of that’s been great, some of it’s stunk, as I’m sure is the case for many. If it hadn’t been for the Lord, though, it would’ve been impossible to conquer. Thankfully, though, “nothing is impossible” for Him and because of Him, I am able to sit here, reflect on the year, and wait with anticipation for the next.

The year began with preparation for a May wedding for my baby sister, Lauren. In March, we threw her first {and last} shower and the very next day, the world shut down. The very next week, when everything moved remote, my other sister, Meredith, who was living in Atlanta, moved in with me so that neither one of us would have to go quarantine alone. We expected it would be a few weeks to maybe a month and a half; little did we know we’d relive our childhood days and be roomies for six months!

In the midst of this, while working remotely, I had the unexpected opportunity to join a different department at work, the SBC Communications Team! Taking along the same work I’ve always done, I also gained a bunch of other responsibilities and get the opportunity to brainstorm, be creative and interact with even more people around the country – from pastors/personnel in local churches to employees at our various entities—and that is what I love, working alongside the body for the furtherance of the kingdom! My favorite part of this role at work is that I get to celebrate the work of the denomination I love {basically I’m a cheerleader } and in the cancel-culture world we find ourselves in, THAT is pretty epic.

When Spring hit, the wedding we’d all looked forward to was canceled due to COVID and instead of rescheduling, Lauren and Bobby got married literally the week they canceled {which was also the week they purchased their home}! Due to Virginia restrictions combined with family size, only the parents were able to attend. And so, the very first wedding of the Young family was attended virtually! Later in October, when virus counts and restrictions were lower, we had a COVID-safe party/gala, complete with the dresses, cake, etc. at the venue the wedding was supposed to be at. It was a beautiful day.

The last half of the year saw my parents {finally} buying a home in the town they’ve lived in for four years and I cannot tell you what a joy it is to have a home to travel to now! It’s perfect for them and it also has a fenced-in backyard which Ollie LOVES! During this last half of the year, I have also had the opportunity to work on various writing/creative projects outside of work – some for Begin Anew of Middle TN, the TN Baptist Mission Board WMU, an article for ERLC, devotional family ideas for my church’s daily devotion series, and others. Being able to serve in this capacity, especially during a year where we couldn’t physically serve, has been such a wonderful unexpected opportunity!

And in Ollie news, this was a big year for him… through help from an amazing trainer, the Pawsitive Professor, he overcame his crippling fears of trucks and going outside and is leaps and bounds a different dog from where he was the first part of the year. Literally, it is a miracle. Additionally, we discovered this year through a dog DNA test that this supposed maltipoo is actually more so a pekipoo with an Italian breed mixed in…no wonder he’s so partial to pepperoni! 

Even though this year has been unexpected on so many levels, the one constant through every minute of it has been the never-ending and all-sufficient presence and love of Jesus. There have been so many moments this year that just have not made any sense and have driven me to confusion and anxiety. But not once, however, did I ever doubt that Jesus was right there with me. I’m thankful for the consistency of His Word and those who have spoken its truth to me, especially throughout this year. From my family to my dearest friends to my counselor to my church to my unexpected Bible study group that formed on Zoom, all have reminded me of the woman I am in Christ and that wholeness and joy are found only through Him.

Thank you for sticking with me through the journey of 2020 {and this long post} and I pray God’s richest {and unexpected} blessings on you as we begin a new year.

“I pray that he may grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with power in your inner being through his Spirit, and that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. I pray that you, being rooted and firmly established in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the length and width, height and depth of God’s love, and to know Christ’s love that surpasses knowledge, so that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.”

- Ephesians 3:16-19 -

Holding onto Hope

My dear friends in Christ, no matter what goes on in this life – job loss, tornadoes, COVID-19, divorce, hurricanes, moving, bankruptcy, cancer diagnoses, death, friend loss, loneliness, elections, births, and the list can go on and on and on – one thing remains constant and true. THERE IS HOPE. THERE IS ALWAYS HOPE.

It is constant (Hebrews 13:8).
It never forsakes us (Deuteronomy 31:6).
It was before all things (Colossians 1:17).
It is with us always (Matthew 28:20).
It cleanses us from sin (1 John 1:9).
It died for us (1 Thessalonians 5:10).
It saves (Matthew 18:11).
It gives peace (John 14:27).
It serves (Matthew 20:28).
It resurrects (John 5:39).
It works for our good (Romans 8:28).
It gives joy (John 15:11).
It loves (Ephesians 5:25).
It is light to the world (John 8:12).
It came and exists to give life (John 10:10).

And it’s if you haven’t caught on by now, it’s actually a person. It’s a person who willingly suffered a hardship far worse than any one of us will ever suffer and through it gifted us with the hope of eternal life with Him forever.

“Without Him I could do nothing
Without Him I'd surely fail
Without Him I would be drifting
Like a ship without a sail

Jesus, oh Jesus
Do you know Him today
Please don't turn Him away
Oh Jesus, my Jesus
Without Him how lost would I be”

Every day for about the last 5 or so years, I have to remind myself of this hope that is within me and of these attributes that I mentioned above. I have to remember that my hope is not in the things or situations or experiences of this world. My hope comes from above (Romans 15:13). It’s a daily battle for me because the devil does all he can to feed lies into my heart and my soul that attempt to drain my hope. It’s exhausting, emotional, and irrational. I don’t want to see that for myself or anyone else I love.

If you know me, you know my missional mindset. You know I desire to live a life of gospel witness to the world around me and see others do the same. Well, the situation we find ourselves in right now is prime opportunity to be a gospel witness to our fellow neighbor. Not only them, but the world is especially watching us as believers. Will there be unkindness, fighting, accusations or will be love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control (Galatians 5:22-23)?

Hebrews 10:23-25 says, “Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for He who promised is faithful. And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.”

Jesus’ return is ever nearer, I think much of 2020 has shown us that. We have to make the time left before His return count for the Kingdom. We have to be preaching, teaching, encouraging, and reaching out serving others in His name and for His glory. So today and looking into the future, take the words of Paul in 2 Corinthians with you, “Do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal.” That’s what counts, that’s all that counts, and that’s all that will count when all is said and done and we are in the presence of our Savior. Even so, come quickly, Lord Jesus.

What else do you know about this hope? Feel free to share! Let's encourage one another with the hope Jesus gives!

The Waiting Game

I think we all have an idea now about what it means to wait, ‘cause goodness gracious we are waitin’ something fierce to get out of our homes and around our friends and family again. Can I get a witness?

This particular weekend gives us a unique perspective on a similar day thousands of years ago where a group of disciples were in a room sequestering themselves away from other individuals. They didn’t fear the Coronavirus, rather they feared how they were going to continue on as a group of followers whose leader was gone. John 20:19a says, "On the evening of that first day of the week…the disciples were together, with the doors locked for fear of the Jewish leaders.” They were in fear because of how the Jewish leaders might retaliate against them for being followers of this man who had claimed to be the Son of God, aka guilt by association. They had to be feeling terrified, confused, and devastated – how would life ever be back to normal with all that had gone on? Sound familiar? Sure sounds like some of the emotions I’ve had and seen others have through this pandemic ordeal.

Having already arose, however, Jesus was about to breathe His calming Spirit into His disciple’s faces with words that permeate even to our hearts today. “Jesus came and stood among them and said, ‘Peace be with you!’” (John 20:19b). Peace –  shalom – spoken from the Risen Christ Himself had to be an incredible, amazing sight and sound to behold! Here they faced a moment where they were isolated from the entire world, terrifyingly unaware at what the future held for them, and their Leader, Teacher, Master, and now Risen Savior was speaking the words that their trembling hearts needed to hear, “PEACE be with you.”

Waiting for the next step isn’t just something that we see from the disciples if we look at this time of history. Even Jesus knew what it was like to wait. A few weeks ago, my pastor Chris Brooks preached about waiting and pointed out to us that Jesus Himself lived a life of waiting. He waited 30 years before His ministry fully began, He waited 40 days in the wilderness, and He waited three days in a tomb before rising again. So why this pandemic, why now? God has a reason. I don’t claim to know what it is and it might not even ever make sense to us, but everything He does has a purpose (Job 42:2). God sent Jesus to earth for a time and a purpose. Jesus didn’t just come and then die on the cross for our sins. He waited for God’s perfect timing. Eventually, the time and the purpose for Him were set into motion (John 12:23) and it’s because He fulfilled His purpose – that in fact was ordained before He as even born – that He is able to offer salvation to us and why we rejoice on Easter (and every day for that matter).

Do you have the feelings the disciples did – are you scared, confused, or sad? Jesus’ words to His disciples thousands of years ago are for His disciples today – us, “Peace be with you.” In your fear, anxiety, sadness, joy, hurt, pain, waiting, or any other emotion that you might be feeling today and during the continued time of quarantine and self-isolating, may the Risen Christ’s peace guard your heart, your soul, and your mind (Philippians 4:7).

Peace be with you this Easter!

2019 in Retrospect

Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.  

- James 1:2-4 -

2019. A year packed full of emotion and change.

ME – The biggest change of this year has been in me. I have never felt so much closer to God than I have this year. Does that mean life has been a piece of cake? No. In fact, it’s been maybe the opposite as far as emotions go. The enemy has a way of knowing what buttons to push when you place a stronger focus on God. But, man, I have grown so deep in Word and worship of God. One reason for this is attending my church’s Tuesday night service called Kairos. I leave each week so renewed and refreshed, but equally challenged and worship-filled. Another reason for this is counseling. This May, I went back to counseling, but this time from a biblical counseling perspective. My counselor is who I prayed and asked God to give me – not by name, but by life experience and background. She has been a literal God-send to my life and speaks and shows me His truth each session. These are by no means fixes to anxiety or heartache or frustration, Jesus is the only one who can truly heal us and it’s up to us to begin and continue that with Him, but these things have been the encouragement I have needed this year to jump-start the change in me.

FAMILY – My baby sister, Lauren, got engaged this year and we have begun all the preparation for a 2020 wedding! Bobby is so kind and loves Lauren and we are excited to welcome him into our family. Plus, we are excited to join together with his family who are the dearest people you will ever meet. 2020 will be a huge year of change for the Young family as Lauren becomes a Keating, but we are excited for her and Bobby as they start their lives together!

CHURCH – Again, if you know me, you know besides home and work, there is a 90% probability I am at the church. Gosh, I love worshiping and serving at Brentwood Baptist. From teaching 5^th grade to teaching kids about missions to Kairos to speaking in the main worship services at Advent, I feel so at home at Brentwood. The individuals I get to serve with make it all the richer!

WORK – A lot has changed here too. God sent us Dr. Ronnie Floyd this April to be the new leader of the organization where I work (SBC Executive Committee…EC). With that God has sent new leaders to our organization/work family. The person who hired me at the EC retired in the fall and I was given the option of joining a new team with new added responsibilities. The feeling of this work being one of my ministry callings has never been stronger than it has this year…and gosh, I thought it was already pretty strong! I’m eager and excited to begin a new year at the EC, ready to serve alongside my work family, use my gifts and talents for the Kingdom, and serve Southern Baptists.

LOOKING BACK - Honestly, this wasn’t the easiest year. No matter how you slice it, change is change and it comes with its victories and challenges. That doesn’t mean I’ll look back on this year and hate it. No, I’ll look back on this year with gratefulness of all that God did in, through, and around me. Typically, when I write these type of posts, I will encapsulate the year with a word. I think the word for this year is SHIFT. 2019 brought a lot of {positive} shifting in my thinking, my emotions, and my spiritual, family, and work life. This shifting will lead to even greater steps, I think, in 2020. It’s my prayer that as this new year dawns, I shift towards a deep renewal in myself and in my Creator and Savior.

Thanks friends for your love, encouragement, and prayers this past year! May 2020 bring you the renewal you need in your life, as well!

2018 in Retrospect

“May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.”

- Romans 15:13 -

I can’t believe this year will be 10 years since I started “writing” this annual year-in-review post. The first two I wrote on my Facebook page, and the rest I have written here on my blog. While I don’t keep up with my blog as much as I used to (I am more apt now to write shorter things on Facebook), I do enjoy coming here from time to time and seeing what God has done in and through my life over the years. The retrospects I’ve written are particularly interesting to read because I can see an over 10 year span of my life and all the highs and lows that went with it – some I had forgotten completely about!  As with every year, I invite you to take a moment and look back on the year that was me and see the good, the hard, and everything in between…

WORK

2018 was the year I never expected as it relates to my job at the Executive Committee. Near the start of the year, our organization was turned upside down and inside out by heartbreaking information. For more on that, you can read here. We were in the middle of prep for the Annual Meeting so it was a bit of a crazy time with work life changing while at the same time planning for thousands of attendees to our Annual Meeting in Dallas. On top of all that, there was even more heart-wrenching times within our Convention throughout the year as it relates to organizations/people outside of my workplace. Most of you know how much I deeply love the Southern Baptist Convention and my job at the Executive Committee and so I don’t like seeing something I love go through hurt, but sometimes hurt has to happen so healing and forgiveness can take place…and it is. I believe our best days are ahead of us, truly I do.

This summer our Annual Meeting took place in Dallas, TX. It was our largest attendance since 2010 with almost, but not quite, 10,000 people in attendance. It’s always a crazy, busy time and this year wasn’t any different! The big event was that the Vice President of the US came and spoke – and all the security that comes with that. It was a cool experience to be on stage where he was, and man that room was p.a.c.k.e.d.! Once again, I coordinated the Page group which always makes my heart happy as it was where I got my “start.” I was asked to pray at the WMU Annual Meeting which was held a couple of days before our actual meeting and it was an honor for me to do that as a product of a missions education family! My dad and sister came and I got to spend a little time with them. I got to catch up with friends, make new ones, and just enjoy being with my Southern Baptist family – which is one of my favorite places to be!

View of the 2018 Annual Meeting from my perch

No lie, it has been a hard time this year at work, we have faced unknowns and questions and enter into a new year with the biggest unknown question of who our next leader will be. A new day is dawning for us, though, and I am excited to see where God takes us in this coming year.

CHURCH

My involvement with the children’s ministry at Brentwood Baptist has continued and grown this year. I started my 4^th year of teaching 5^th grade. This year have a group of kids that I taught on Wednesday nights when they were in 2^nd grade, so I’ve been here long enough now to pretty much watch a group of kids grow through the children’s ministry which is fun, but bittersweet at the same time. In the summer, I visited my previous 5^th grade group at their mission trip in West TN and my heart exploded to watch them be the hands and feet of Jesus while leading a VBS for children in an underprivileged neighborhood. I smile when I think of me teaching 5^th grade because it is something I wouldn’t have expected I would love as much as I do. I can’t really imagine teaching any other grade! Our Wednesday night program is going great, as well. I am loving opening the kids’ eyes to missions and am beginning to see glimmers of that coming through in the way the kids interact with the lessons and in how they ask questions and share their hearts. While we are already doing this, my hope is to continue to have deep connections between what the kids hear about missions as to what their parents are hearing so that families can be on mission together. It’s something that my parents did for my family and is what impacted me so deeply.

My sweet class from earlier in the year

At the beginning of the year, I was convinced that God was calling me to one of the other campuses. As the year continued, however, I began to realize that a change of pace at the main campus of which I currently attend was where He was actually leading. With that prompting from the Lord, I began attending my church’s young adult worship service on Tuesday evenings instead of worship services on Sunday mornings. This Tuesday evening service is called Kairos and it has been a game-changer for me. It was exactly the change of pace I needed. Every week I leave feeling refreshed and worshipful. The pastor of Kairos is one who can teach to both the unbeliever and the believer at the same time and both can leave feeling fed. I desperately needed this and I’m so grateful God gave me the courage to step out of my comfort zone and into a place where this sheep is being deeply fed. (This does mean I am at the church another day out of the week (3 days), but hey, I am a minister’s kid, so it’s really no biggie J)

LONDON

This year I had the opportunity to live out a dream of mine to travel to London, England! I traveled with members from my church as we went there to lead a conference for our overseas workers. My church sponsors these workers and we wanted to give them a time of needed rest and rejuvenation. I helped out with childcare for those with kids, they had someone do photoshoots, another gave haircuts, and so on! It was truly a time of R&R that our workers needed! As I mentioned, I had the chance to hang out with the kids – especially the older ones (9 and up). When my parents were overseas workers, I lived a life very similar to theirs and I can remember when people from the States would come and hang out with me and my friends and so I wanted to be that person for these kids! I was able to help plan games, mini lessons, and fun crafts for the kids to do and we had a b.a.l.l.! I’m so grateful I had this opportunity to give back the same way people gave to me years ago. I look forward to the next time my church leads this conference! (Oh, and you may be wondering, why London? The answer to that is that it was cheaper to fly everyone to London than to the States…go figure!)

Conference Center where we served

I can’t leave this little section, though, without talking about the few, fun things I got to do that week. While there wasn’t a ton of time to sightsee, I did have an afternoon to do so and boy, it didn’t disappoint! Because it was just an afternoon, I had the task of deciding what two or three things I absolutely wanted to do. The top thing I really wanted to do was visit Buckingham Palace! It is only open in the latter summer/early fall and after watching the Royal Wedding, the Netflix show “The Crown,” and 2018 just being so “royal,” I really wanted to see the home of the queen…and so I did! It was beyond extravagant and amazing. It is hard to put into words how beautiful it was. I got to see the royal thrones, walk down red carpeted staircases, see so many different rooms lined with gold, visit the queen’s garden, look out to the inner courtyard and so much more! Incredible. The second thing I wanted to do was visit one of the famous cathedrals. Timing afforded me the opportunity to attend an Evensong service at Westminster Abbey – the church where the queen had her coronation and where Prince William and Princess Kate were married, among other events. I got there a little past the time I wanted, so I didn’t get to set in the seats down the aisle, but there were seats in the wings and when the service was over, I got to see sights I’ve only ever seen on TV. Because it was service time, I got to hear the amazing choir sing and fill the Abbey with their songs. The intricacies of the cathedral were amazing and it was another “I can’t believe I’m here” moment. Afterwards, I went with the group I was with to the area of the London Eye and on the way saw Scotland Yard, the Houses of Parliament, Big Ben, and so many other notable buildings. We even got our pictures at the iconic red phone booths! We wanted to go on the Eye so we could see the city from high up, but unfortunately it was closed. That was okay, though, because getting to see and walk the city was just as fun and memorable. The little town where our conference was held was so quaint and beautiful, as well. We stayed north of London in a town called Hoddesdon. I enjoyed just walking the streets and meeting the people (especially those with dogs)! I mention that because it was so amazing to me to watch the people’s guard come down when I asked about their dogs and told them about mine. They were so willing to talk and smile and laugh – it was really cool! One of the last things I did in town was stop at a local Fish & Chips place and eat the iconic British meal – along with mushy peas! It was a perfect end to a perfect trip.

Buckingham Palace

MINISTRY

Outside of work and church, I have been able to be involved in other ministries, the biggest being the TN WMU. I was asked to be on their LEAD team this year which basically means I serve when needed, especially in the area of children’s missions. I got to write a bunch for them this year. I wrote the children’s lesson for the TN state missions offering, as well as some of the fall children’s missions conference material. As far as the Begin Anew ministry, I wasn’t as involved as I have been in the past due to other responsibilities, but I did get to volunteer a few times, as well as attend both graduations this year and watch ladies who I was able to get to know over the past couple of years graduate with their high school equivalency degree – one lady taking her last test 7 times and finally passing! Yep, I cried.

2018 Children's Missions Conference

FAMILY

While we don’t get to see as much of each other as we wish, my family is doing well and we try to see one another as much as we possibly can. We took a family vacation this year to Savannah, GA and had a lovely time there. Our house in East TN finally sold in the spring, so that was an answer to prayer. This year brought some changes, however. Currently every member of my family is living in a different state. Looking at our family app is really strange as we are spread out over the Southeast.

My mom has been in Kentucky a good portion of the year caring for her family. She originally came to help out with her mother (my grandmother), as she is getting older in age, but has turned into being able to help out in other ways. This year her sister (my aunt) lost her husband to cancer. My mom has been able to be there for her during this time which has been a big blessing. My dad is still working as an administrator in Alabama and Lauren is still at Liberty University working as one of their event planners (getting bigger and bigger projects as time goes on).

Another change is Meredith who got a job with Chick-fil-A Corporate! After four or so years at a public accounting firm in Atlanta, she applied for and got a job with the accounting department at CFA. It has been a needed and wonderful move for her. CFA is based out of Atlanta so there was no need to move from her home. There’s so much I could write about how the work environment is for her at CFA, but I can sum it up by saying, Chick-fil-A truly cares about their employees. We all know they care about their customers, but it 100% bleeds over to their employees as well. We are all so happy for her and God is blessing her there already!

In the Chick-fil-A founder's office

And of course, sweet Ollie is our constant source of smiles, snuggles, and laughs. We love him so!

TO WRAP IT UP

For a while now, I have wrapped up the year with a word. Truth be told, I’ve struggled with a word for this year – there have been highs and there have been lows; how do you sum up all of that with a word? But as I read back over my year as it is written here, the word that comes to mind is “FILLED.” I have been filled this year with love from family, friends, and of course, kiddos. My family is always a Facetime or text away when I am feeling down or full of anxiety. When all the hard stuff was going on at work, so many friends reached out with their prayers and thoughts. There are so many times when kids run up to me outside of class and wrap me in a huge hug or tell me that they want me to come see them baptized or that they put into practice something we learned on a missions night. I have been filled this year with the presence of the Lord through seeing Him in a different way than I have before by attending the Tuesday night Kairos service. I have been filled with deepening friendships and new ones, as well! I have been filled with so many amazing opportunities to serve Him this year through missions and ministry opportunities where I have been able to use the gifts and talents He has given me. My dream to visit London was filled this year AND I got to serve Him there – a two-for-one special!

What I want to do with this word, however, is to carry it with me into this new year. I know that God will continue to fill me with much more than I could even imagine and am excited for a new year of being filled in, of, and through Him! The verse I began the blog with is Romans 15:13 and it says, “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.” Oh, how I pray you will pray this verse over me this coming year. There are days and times where I can be pulled down by hardships or anxiety or sadness and having joy, peace, and trust just doesn’t seem possible. I think it’s like that for all of us, especially as we grow and begin to see what the world and everything in it looks like and how it behaves. My favorite verse is Philippians 4:8 and I have it literally everywhere I could get overwhelmed (except maybe my car…with Nashville traffic, I should probably change that) … anyways, this verse says to think of the things that are lovely, true, noble, excellent, admirable, and so on. With Philippians 4:8, Romans 15:13 becomes possible. I love it when Scripture intertwines itself together! Thank you in advance for praying this verse over me.

I don't know what 2019 is going to look like, but as this new year dawns, I pray I will continue to fill and be filled. So, here’s to a new year of being filled … filled in Him!