2017 in Retrospect

“…being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ.”

- Philippians 1:6

It’s hard to fathom that a new year is upon us. It seems like I just wrote my annual retrospect for the previous year and now it’s time for this year’s! In all honesty, the retrospects are more for me than anyone else. They help me reflect on the blessings of the Lord and what He has done in my life. Many times reflecting on these memories make me smile or remember special moments from what I share. It is always a good reminder to me of Philippians 1:6 that “…He who began a good work in you will be faithful to complete it...” There’s definitely some more completing going on, but day by day His blessings are evident. So…you ready for a look back at 2017? I know I am!

Work

Per the SBC Chief Parliamentarian’s nomination, I was awarded the (unofficial, but official-to-me-and-that’s-all-that-matters) SBC Nerd of the Year! That shoe sure fits me! In all seriousness, though (and forgive me for saying the same thing every year), I love my job and where I work. I love the Southern Baptist Convention. I love working with our SBC entities. I love meeting new people who are a part of our denomination. I love helping to preserve history (which is the main part of my job). And I love seeing, hearing, and experiencing all that we are doing to advance the Kingdom. If that makes me a nerd, then so-be-it. I gladly accept it and you can make me a t-shirt and give me some nerdy glasses!

As with every year, the major event for work was the SBC Annual Meeting. This year we held our meeting in Phoenix, Arizona! Yes, it was hot…but not as hot as the week after we left when it got into the hundred-degree weather. The annual meeting was pretty eventful news-wise. If you’re interested, you can check out more information about that on our Baptist Press website. The reasoning behind our making news, however, caused some strong emotion within the arena. One of my jobs at our annual meeting is to coordinate the microphone monitors and pages. If they have any issues with people who come to the microphone to speak, they come consult with me. Due to the emotion in the room, let’s just say I was consulted quite a number of times this year. It’s not my first rodeo dealing with passionate people, but it is always a little out of my comfort zone. Everything worked out, though, and I think next time I will bring the essential oil “Stress Away” with me and have it on an ongoing spray cycle so that it can calm people down…ha ha!

The annual meeting also brought me my first midnight print-run. I’d hear stories from back in the day about our daily publication being sent off at midnight, but I’ve been blessed over the past two years to not have to experience that tiredness. Not this year! While waiting for some content that was being discussed in a late meeting, I had to hold the printing until midnight. It worked out, but let’s just say the next morning I was Tired (with emphasis on that capital “T”). It’s part of the experience, though, and my philosophy is “take-it-as-it-comes and enjoy every minute” and of course I did!

Throughout this year there were also some other projects and special events that I got to be a part of at work. We celebrated our 100^th Anniversary as an Executive Committee and somehow, my photo made the Baptist Press news release about our anniversary party…but I didn’t know until I read the article. It’s just all around a wonderful place and family to work in and with and I cherish every moment!

Our Executive Committee, and my job, wouldn’t exist without your giving to the Cooperative Program! Thank you to all those who support SBC causes, including ours! We strive to do our best for you as we all cooperate together to spread the good news of Christ through all we do.

Church

Brentwood Baptist may be a big church, but when you find your niche, you really have a good community of people that surrounds and supports you. For me, that community is the children’s ministry (and no, not just the kids). I love the people I work with at the church and enjoy serving with them throughout the week. I am still the 5^th grade Sunday School director/teacher and love being a part of these kids’ lives at such a pivotal age. It is so neat to watch the transformation that happens in their lives from the start of our class to the end of our class. Although rather large, our class affords these kids the opportunity to get to know one another (they’ve all never been in the same class before) before they begin the student ministry where everything else will be new and unknown.

Our children’s ministry revamped our Wednesday night program this year and it has turned out to be a very popular and intriguing program in which we’ve had many kids come to be a part. Named “Impact,” this program appeals to kids’ gifts and talents and offers 8-10 varying classes (art, sign language, construction, sports/games, cooking, etc.) for children to choose and learn how they can serve God and make an impact for Him through that task. My role in this new program is as the missions class leader (does that really surprise you?). It has been THE BEST to get back into that role of teaching kids missions and I have loved opening the world to my group of kids. I have also gotten to coordinate missions nights for the whole Impact group once a month and that has been really great as well. The classes are semester-long, so beginning in January, I will have a new group of kids to teach and I can’t wait!

Taught kids about how missionaries use henna hand art to tell Bible stories

Ministry

This fall I worked with the TN WMU and their annual children’s missions conferences. We went to three locations across the state and I got to watch children learn and grow in their missions knowledge. I had the opportunity to write the mission fair activities which was fun for me, especially when I saw my ideas become reality at the mission fair! I also had the chance to be the host in the opening/closing session a couple of times which, although out of my comfort zone, was fun and different.

I discussed last year that I had started working with Begin Anew of Middle Tennessee (formerly Christian Women’s Job Corp) and this job continued in full force. As the childcare coordinator for the downtown Nashville site, I led the childcare workers in caring for children whose mothers were being tutored in order to pass tests to obtain their high school equivalency degree. I really am inspired by these women who seek better lives for their children by working so hard to pass these tests. This year I was able to witness two moms who I have watched walk this journey graduate and the smiles on their faces were nothing short of huge! We recently found out that one lady who has been with the program for ten years passed her last test after taking it 16 times and will get her high school equivalency degree! I screamed when I heard the news! Glory to God!

With all that said, it hasn’t always been easy. Spiritual warfare and outside influences have ravaged these ladies, as well as their children. My heart broke quite a number of times to hear of deaths of loved ones, hospital stays, as well as just day-to-day stories. It has been a blessing for me to be light in these dark times for, especially the kids. I pray that the things I taught and the attitudes I held were ones that brought light and planted seeds in their hearts.

I decided later in the year that, with my full-time job increasing in demand, all I am involved in outside of this ministry, as well as other factors, that it was better for me to take a step back from this ministry for the time being. I will go back in a few months as a volunteer, but my time as the childcare coordinator has come to an end. It will be strange not being there weekly, however, I know that for me, this is the right decision at this point and that God will provide a new way for me to use my gifts outside of work and church. I can’t wait to see what that might be!

Family

A lot happened with my family this year. As far as my parents, my dad worked his first full year at FBC in Enterprise, AL. In June, my mom finally joined him, quitting her job at the adult daycare in East TN, of which she loved so much. It was the right thing, though, because they needed to be together! Our family home in East TN is still on the market and we hope it will sell soon, if you don’t mind we’d appreciate a prayer or two about it.

Meredith continues to live in Atlanta as an auditor. She has gotten really involved in a Johnson Ferry church plant called Christ Covenant and absolutely loves it. She’s on the nominations team as well as the greeter team! This summer, she took about a month long trip to Asia to visit some friends. She also visited her Compassion International sponsor child in the Philippines. The pictures from that trip would just melt your heart!

Lauren had a very eventful year. At the beginning of the year, she was a part of a college fashion show where she designed clothes for children with special needs. She won the “Best Children’s Wear” award for her designs. I have to tell you; I was nothing short of beaming with pride watching her dream become reality at this fashion show. The models of her designs were awesome too, it was so so amazing! In May, Lauren graduated from college! We all traveled to Liberty University to watch her graduate and who should show up to her graduation, but the President of the United States! Ok, President Trump wasn’t just there for Lauren…but still, hearing and being in the same vicinity as a sitting president was pretty cool.

Following graduation, Lauren moved in with me for the summer in Nashville. She served as the intern of my church’s special needs ministry. She got to plan a couple of events, as well as work with special needs children, which of course you know she loved! It was such a blessing to have a family member close by this summer and I am so grateful that we were able to share the summer together (when we were both in town, of course)! Following the summer, Lauren got a job as an event coordinator for Liberty University and moved back to Lynchburg to begin her new job there. She hit the ground running and has been super busy planning and organizing various events for the school (especially weddings).

The biggest family change this year was that we got a dog! Ollie (Oliver) has been such a blessed addition to our lives and we all love him so so much! We got him in May and Lauren and I raised him over the summer. Puppy raising is H.A.R.D., but the kisses and snuggles make up for it!  Ollie loves to be around people (not so much dogs) and so Lauren and I found that it would be better off for him to live in a place where he could get a lot of attention. Since I live alone, and Lauren has roommates, it was decided Ollie would live with Lauren in Virginia and I would have visiting privileges J We own him equally, but this is honestly, the best arrangement for him right now because he would be so lonely in Nashville with me gone all day until late afternoon. As I write this, however, I am spending some quality time with this sweet one and he is snuggled against my leg taking a nap with his little tongue sticking out – it’s soooooooo cute!

I wish my whole entire family could be together more often, but we make sure to make the most of each moment that we are together – most recently at Christmas (which I hosted at my place). It was such a special time of being together, remembering old memories, making plans for the future, and of course, loving on sweet Ollie! I look forward to the next time we are all together and hope that it will be very, very soon!

Thirty

This year I turned the big 3-0! Gosh, that doesn't even seem real, but it is. I had a wonderful birthday and my sweet friends took me out to get a makeover. Ollie was also a sweet part of my birthday gift, and later in the year, I traded in my car for a really cute, used, blue Honda HRV (since my old car had been around in my life for 10 or so years). I'm so grateful for all God has done for and in me these past thirty years and look forward to what He provides for me, especially in this new decade!

Prayers

As always, I greatly appreciate your prayers as I continue to serve the Lord in all I do. Pray for inspiration and determination in my work at the SBC, as well as for our 2018 summer annual meeting that the Lord will give us all strength during those long days, but that He will ultimately be glorified and exalted in all that happens. Pray for me as I continue to teach kids at church and that they will have mission-minded hearts and minds to reach their friends and neighbors for Jesus. Pray for me as I take a step back from the ministry I have been a part of for a couple of years; please pray for a renewed spirit and that God will show me the next path he has for me in serving Him outside of work and church. He is such a good God and I cannot wait to see the doors He opens for me in the coming year; pray those doors will be evident to me.

Thank you for your prayers for my family; they mean so much and I hope that you will pray with me that our East TN house will sell soon so that we can close that chapter of our lives.

Word of the Year

I attempt to choose a word each year that sums up the ending year; it’s always interesting to look back at the words I’ve chosen and see how beautifully they summed up that year’s events. I’ve thought a lot about this year’s word and what I have chosen is the word “FOCUS.” This year I placed a lot of focus on my job, on the various classes I have taught at church, on the Begin Anew ministry I worked at, on raising and watching a puppy, on living life on my own in a big city, and much more. I have also focused a lot on my relationship with Jesus. I have more to focus on in my journey with Christ and I plan to carry this focus with me into the new year.

I will say this about focus. It’s important to be focused on what you do because it helps you to constantly examine what is going on around you. When you focus, you evaluate things and strive to make them better. I have to have focus quite a bit in my job at the SBC because I am responsible for publications in which things need to be accurate and complete. There are times that my focus falters and mistakes happen, but it’s through those mistakes I learn. In life, it’s the same way. Being focused in life means that you pay attention to the things going on so that your life (especially in Christ) is of one accord and complete in Him. There are times that your focus may falter, but it will be through those seemingly tumultuous times that you learn and grow in your knowledge and your faith in Christ.

Remember the verse at the beginning of this blog? “He who began a good work in you will be faithful to complete it!” He’s going to complete the good work in our lives…we just have to stay focused on Him and keep on keeping on! 

In 2018, I plan to keep on keeping on in the Lord and I know that the desires and dreams that I have, He will be faithful to complete; I just have to wait upon Him and stay focused!

Here’s to you 2017…2018, I’m focusing in on you!

2016 in Retrospect

“Let your roots grow down {deeper} into Him, and let your lives be built on Him. Then your faith will grow strong in the truth you were taught, and you will overflow with thankfulness.” - Colossians 2:7

It's been about 365 days since I last made a blog post similar to this, which must mean that a new year is upon us! At the end of each year, it always does my heart good to take time to stop and reflect about the year that is ending and look forward to the one that is coming. 2016 was a year of so many different experiences, opportunities, and challenges. Looking back, though, I wouldn't trade them – even if at the time I may have wanted to – because they have grown me deeper in my relationship and walk with the Father. So, as I take a few minutes to look back, I hope you will rejoice with me at what God has done and pray for me at what He will do as 2017 dawns in just a few short days.

Work

Now that I am coming up on 2 years in, everyone asks me how I like my job. The answer? I wholeheartedly, absolutely, positively, without question, LOVE it! You wouldn't even need to ask me. You could ask any of my coworkers at the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) Executive Committee and they would know how to respond....because they think I'm a little crazy (maybe even obsessed) about it...ha ha! I accept that. Truly I love going to work every day because of the blessings and opportunities that abound there. To be a part of Kingdom-building work, see things first-hand, and to be a part of planning some parts of the denomination that I was born and raised into is literally my dream come true and so humbling.

The biggest part of my job centers around the Annual Meeting of the SBC. If you're not familiar with it, this is an event where pastors, church leaders, and more come together to conduct the business of the denomination as well as worship as a body the Savior who unites us. Each year the meeting is in a different US city and so this year we traveled to St. Louis, Missouri. I am responsible for the publications that are a part of this meeting and so I spend half of the year compiling, coordinating, and putting together the items that make up these publications. These items come from all of our various organizations (mission boards, seminaries, etc.) – located all over the US – that make up this denomination and so it's a lot of organizing and keeping track of things. There is one publication that I work on while at the Annual Meeting and it's one that has to happen fast and accurately – think of it like a newspaper where things are dependent on what occurs earlier in the day. It may sound overwhelming, and it is, but it's still fun. At the annual meeting, I am also the Page Coordinator and I make sure all the pages are where they need to be when they need to be there. (Pages are volunteers who assist at microphones during business sessions.) I still have many of the same duties I had when I was a page and I actually prefer it that way because #1) I love it and #2) it is such a reminder of God's faithfulness in bringing me to the SBC Executive Committee.

An Executive Committee Meeting at our SBC headquarters in Nashville

This year I have also had the opportunity to also work on various other projects for my department as well as the Executive Committee President – Dr. Frank Page. I’ve enjoyed creating and researching, it adds a little more flavor to the job! Although I said the exact same thing last year, my coworkers make my job all the richer and it’s such a joy to share these experiences with people who think the same way I think and love the things that I love. I’m literally living my dream by being here and I can’t thank God enough for it!

Ministry

There have been new opportunities for ministry over this past year. The biggest opportunity has been with Christian Women's Job Corps of Middle TN – now called Begin Anew. In last year’s retrospect, I mentioned that I was volunteering with the CWJC childcare program towards the end of 2015. At the beginning of this year, however, I was approached with making this volunteer position an actual employment (part-time, two nights a week) position. This was something I did not see coming and I was so humbled that I would be considered for the opportunity. Since January, I have been the coordinator for the childcare program at the Downtown Nashville CWJC (Begin Anew) site. I am responsible for the children, childcare workers, and also for the programming. While these children's mothers are being tutored to pass their GED tests, I am making sure their children are getting homework help, playing a game, making a craft, and hearing about the Savior who loves them. It's the perfect use of my undergrad degree in elementary education and my passion to reach children who need to know that Jesus loves them. My favorite moments of this ministry are the sweet smiles and hugs I get each night and also the engaging conversations I have with these children about God and Jesus. I won't lie, though, and say this has been an easy position – there have been intense challenges and spiritual warfare wrapped in this position as well. I constantly and consistently have to remind myself that these children did not grow up the way I did or even the way many church kids do now. This means cursing and physical fights happen sometimes, tantrums get thrown just about each night, the race card gets tossed around more often than not, and older children, especially, laugh in my face because I believe in a God I can't see. Some nights I've been able to hold it together and other nights that has been easier said than done. It's in those difficult moments, however, that I hear the words of Jesus remind me that I am His light (Matthew 5:16) and I am here to shine it bright, even in the midst of complete darkness. Although it is hard sometimes, I'm thankful for this opportunity and for each and every child that I get to interact with and love on.

My Begin Anew kids

Additionally, I have been a part of a few children's events with the TN Baptist Convention in which I've traveled around the state of TN teaching about missions – which does my children’s missions leader heart good. One of these events was JAM (Journey Across Missions) which is basically a missions conference for kids and the other was a weekend, Christmas day-camp at one of the state Baptist retreat centers. These were so much fun and I enjoyed teaching the kids about missions.

JAM Missions Conference

Church

In February of this year, I officially became a member of Brentwood Baptist Church. What a joy it is to be a part of this congregation and watch the church continue to flourish and grow through multiple campuses and missions work. I have been heavily involved over the past year with the Children's Ministry at the main campus. As I mentioned last year, I am the director of the 5th Grade 9:30 Life Group. Because it is the biggest Life Group hour and because 5th grade is where all the three separate graded classes combine, this class averages about 40-50 kids per week. It does seem like a lot, but with my incredible team, we have a good system of managing and teaching this big group. I'm always intrigued by the questions that come up in my Sunday School class – makes my seminary degree come into play quite a bit!

I also continued working in the kids program on Wednesday nights – helping out in the 2nd grade class; and yes, I most definitely notice the age difference on Sundays versus Wednesdays! There have also been opportunities to be involved in other Children's Ministry events, the most recent being a Journey Through Bethlehem event where we dressed up in Biblical costume and walked parents and children through the story of the birth of Jesus. It was a lot of fun and I love how my church values the spiritual growth of children and provides innovative ways for them to learn about Jesus.

It may sound like I do a lot with kids ... and I do ... but I also make time, spiritually, for my own walk with God in a community of those my own age. I attend a wonderful Bible Study each Sunday evening and we have a great time learning from the Lord, as well as from one another. I recently hosted a Pumpkin Painting Party for my Bible Study group and we had a great time hanging out and having fun. I'm thankful for these friends who pray and encourage me each week.

Family

My family has gone through transition and change this year. At the beginning of the year, my grandfather (my mom's dad) passed away from complications from Alzheimer’s. He went down pretty fast at the end of 2015 and so we had a feeling it was going to happen at some point this year. God was so good and allowed me to see him about two weeks before he passed and I'm so glad I got that special moment with him. His funeral was fit exactly for him and, as a veteran, he got a military burial with the folding of the flag and 21 gun salute. I had never been to a service like that before and so it was quite different, but certainly memorable and emotional. I miss my Papaw, but am thankful he has been restored to full health and memory…and because of Jesus, I will see him again one day!

The second transition happened with my parents. In the late half of the year, my dad got a job in Enterprise, Alabama. He is now the Church Administrator for the First Baptist Church there. After 11 years in Morristown, TN, God called him and my mom to this new location where they fit in perfectly. God couldn't have provided a better place for my dad to be. The church is growing so fast and so much that my dad's organizational skills are coming into play quite a bit. I had the opportunity to go when he was presented in view of a call and I was so impressed by the welcoming and warm body of believers. I know God is going to do some amazing things in my parents’ lives through FBC Enterprise and I look forward to seeing what those will be!

My sisters are doing well and staying busy. Meredith became a senior auditor at her accounting firm this year, and Lauren is in the final preparation stages for graduation from Liberty University next year.

As a family, our time together is few and far between. We had the opportunity to gather together for a few extended periods this past year – my grandparents’ house in KY, summer vacation in Atlanta, and the recent holiday gatherings – but we definitely don't see each other all together like we used to due to distance. Next year it may be even fewer due to the distance my parents will be. I am 6 hours from Enterprise so weekend trips may not be doable like they had been when I was traveling to Morristown. If there's one thing I've learned from my parents, however, it is that following the will and way of God is far better and fulfilling than following our own will and way, so I trust and know that God will fill my heart with His blessings in those moments that I am missing my family. I will say, however, thank you God for the person who invented FaceTime ... not quite sure how I'd go extended periods of time without seeing my family!

Home

One of the biggest events that happened to me this year was that I bought my first home! Last year I did the apartment thing, but decided that this year I was ready to make the leap! Thankfully my time living with my parents in Morristown had given me the opportunity to save for this purchase – it would've been honestly impossible without them...so thanks mom and dad! 

It was exciting...and stressful at times...to look at homes and imagine what I would do with the space. I had an amazing realtor, though, who treated me like one of his daughters and made sure I was in a safe location and getting a good deal. After about 2 months of looking, he came across a condo in a neighborhood that I had really wanted to be in, but that was really hard to get into. I went at lunch one day, walked in the first two rooms nearest the front door and immediately told my realtor that I wanted to make an offer. At first he said that we would begin the paperwork when we both got back to our respective offices, but a few minutes later asked if I'd be willing to make an offer right then. I'm so glad I said yes, because as I was signing the official papers, in walked another buyer who was ready to purchase it! I'd already signed my name, though, so it was mine!

I absolutely love my home and can't believe I live there. It suits me perfectly and I've had a blast making it my own by adding furniture and decoration. My sweet coworkers even threw me a surprise housewarming party earlier in the year and provided me items that fit so beautifully in my home!  One of my parents Christmas presents to me was helping me hang pictures on my wall. These pictures are scripture and quotes that are meaningful to me and honestly have made my home feel complete and officially mine.

I love living in Nashville (minus the crazy traffic days) and, with the addition of my beautiful home this year, I feel like I officially can call Nashville, TN my home.

Challenges

Emotions have been raw this year and stem from experiences of 2015 which included major life change, homesickness, hurt, and loss.  Sometimes my feelings would manifest in tears and sometimes they would manifest in anxiety attacks. I had the opportunity this year, though, to talk to a Christian counselor at my church who helped me walk through my feelings and come to a place of peace. I don't share this with you lightly. I haven't shared this with many people because of the thought that maybe people will think I can’t handle life’s challenges or that I’m weak. But you know what, I feel so led to share this with you, my dear blog readers, because it was one of the best decisions I made for myself. Seeing and talking through your feelings with a counselor or someone you trust (who is not necessarily your family) is nothing to be ashamed or embarrassed about. They can help you recognize your triggers, listen to you, and also give pointers on how to combat those crazy emotions that come at the most inopportune times. One of my favorite pointers was one that I came up with through the help of my counselor – it’s called the Philippians 4:8 technique. How it works is that when things come up that cause me to feel down or anxiety-filled, I simply recite Philippians 4:8 and do exactly what it says, “Whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable – if anything is excellent or praiseworthy – think about such things.” When I start to think of all the things in my life and around me that meet these qualities, my mind and heart calm down and I begin to feel so much better. It’s really a great technique and I recommend it! My favorite parts of the counseling sessions were the last 2-3 minutes where my counselor prayed over me. To have someone pray over you and to actually hear them do it is such a moving and humbling experience. I’m in such a stronger place because of these sessions and I’m grateful I didn’t listen to the enemy telling me that I was weak for doing it.

Prayer

I have so appreciated your prayers for me and my family over this past year – please continue them! For my family, pray especially for my parents’ house to sell so that they can be together in Alabama. Right now my mom is still in Morristown, TN until this happens. Pray also for their ministry in Enterprise and that God will be honored through it.

As for me, pray for God’s continued guidance at my job with the SBC. My busy season is the first half of the year where I am preparing, at the same time, three publications for the Annual Meeting in June. Pray that everything will come together expediently and efficiently and that God will bless our time at the Annual Meeting in Phoenix, Arizona this summer. I ask for your prayers also with my job with the CWJC Begin Anew childcare program. Pray that God will give me wisdom and patience as I interact with these children. Pray that God will give me the words to say when they ask questions about Him and that they will come to a saving knowledge of Jesus. Lastly, pray for me in the coming year that my heart will continue to have peace and also that God's blessings will continue to abound in my life.

 
Word of the Year

If you’ve followed my retrospect blogs over the past years, you know that I like to close each retrospect by summing up the year in one word. This year my word of the year is … “DEEPER”. Over the course of 2016, I have grown so much deeper in my walk with the Lord, in my job, in my ministry, and in understanding myself more than ever before. Colossians 2:7 says, “Let your roots grow down {deeper} into Him, and let your lives be built on Him. Then your faith will grow strong in the truth you were taught, and you will overflow with thankfulness.” As I read this, I can’t help but smile because I see my 2016 year wrapped up in every word of this verse. Instead of uprooting when the challenges arose, I dug deeper into my faith and the truth that I have been taught these past 29 years of my life…and you know what? Not only am I overflowing with thankfulness, but I am also a stronger and more mature Christian because of it! 

It’s ironic that my word of the year is “deeper” because I have spent most of my time writing this blog on a Florida beach in front of the deep, seemingly never-ending ocean. Every time I hear the waves crash on the shore, I think about the song “Oceans” and the stanza that says, “Your grace abounds in deepest waters. Your sovereign hand will be my guide. Where feet may fail and fear surround me, you’ve never failed and you won’t start now. And I will call upon your name, and keep my eyes upon the waves, when oceans rise, my soul will rest in your embrace for I am Yours and You are mine.” It’s such a peaceful feeling to know that even though oceans will rise in my life, I have the hand of the Father to walk with me and guide me through them and onto the shore. This view is also an amazing reminder of God’s faithfulness in leading and guiding me through this year because the same magnificence He has shown in my life is the same magnificence radiating from the crashing of the waves to the sunshine reflecting across the water.

Blogging on the beach

As the new year begins, I pray that I will continue to walk in the will and way of the Lord and grow even deeper in Him than I have this year. I know there will be blessings. I know there will be challenges. But as 2017 dawns, I carry with me Psalm 37:4 in which the psalmist says, “Delight yourself in the Lord, and He will give you the desires of your heart.” Delighting in Him is what I plan on doing. He is good. He is faithful. He is true. 2016 has taught me that. 2017, now it’s your turn.

Love Knows No Color

“I give you a new command: Love one another.
Just as I have loved you, you must also love one another” 

John 13:34

My heart hurt when I woke up this morning and saw the news about the tragedy in Dallas and how it was precipitated by other tragedies that had happened in other cities across the United States earlier in the week.  Jesus calls us to love one another – and that’s not just a specific race to another race – it’s everybody loving their fellow human enough to respect their feelings, and most especially, their life. 

Upon hearing this morning’s news, my mind immediately jumped to a conversation I had with one of the inner city children I worked with last Monday.  For those who are unaware, in January I became the childcare coordinator for a Christian ministry in downtown Nashville (in addition to my full-time job) where I am responsible for not only the kids, but the childcare volunteers and program schedule on the two nights we meet each week.  We keep the kids while their moms are learning and studying to pass their GED test so that they can get a good job and provide for their families.

Anyway…back to my conversation with this five year old little girl…

During Bible story time, she had a very pouty look on her face and so I pulled her out to the hall to find out what the problem was and how it could be fixed.  She wasn’t in trouble; I simply wanted to find out what had happened.  (I ended up finding out that one of the other workers had asked her to sit away from another child, so as not to disrupt story time; and she didn’t like that someone was telling her what to do.)  However, instead of explaining to me why she was pouty, she goes into a 20 minute speech, in which she was basically yelling, about black people and white people and how white people don’t like black people and vice versa.  Calmly, I explained to her that this was not the case – especially here at our ministry, but still she continued.  I explained the Bible and how Jesus calls us to love each other, but she brought up stories that involved beatings and violence. I assured her that no one in our group felt this way against anyone and that she could trust that we had hers (and the other children’s) best interests at heart, but she exclaimed that she didn’t believe me.  Ya’ll, she’s five years old.  Five.

It appalls me that a five year old knows and can articulate division and strife among race in her community.  It breaks my heart that she thinks yelling and hate are the responses to counteracting the division and strife she sees.  But honestly, if that’s all she sees, then that’s all she’s going to know.  Unfortunately, this is the case and not just with her, but with all of the children that I interact with at this ministry.  I pray daily that we childcare workers show these impressionable children how to counteract hate with love.  I pray that they are learning from us how to be civil and handle conflict calmly and not through violence and harsh words.

Sadly, though, it’s not just violent news stories where children see negativity.  It’s in their homes.  It’s in their schools.  It’s in their communities.  It’s in politics.  It’s even in the church.  How can I teach love, trust, patience, kindness, compassion, and so on when pretty much every other place these kids live, watch, play, or breathe are filled with hate or violence or dirty words or distrust or lying or countless other negative acts and feelings?

When asked by the Pharisees what was the greatest commandment that all people should follow, Jesus responded, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself” (Matthew 22:37-39).  Everything that Jesus said in Scripture is for sure important and noteworthy, but anything that Jesus COMMANDED in Scripture must be followed…has to be followed...and followed to the letter.  He spelled it out plain and simple - love your neighbor.  We know this command is important because Jesus mentions it, yet again, following His Last Supper, “I give you a new command: Love one another. Just as I have loved you, you must also love one another” (John 13:34).  What better example of showing love to others than Jesus – the ultimate example of love.  

Loving your neighbor isn’t always going to be easy – they may have caused some serious distrust in your life. 

 Loving your neighbor isn’t going to be comfortable – you may have to step waaay outside your comfort zone. 

Loving your neighbor may cause you to have to give up something that’s been a part of you – a piece of your past that you need to let go. 

BUT it’s important.  

It’s necessary.  

It’s Christ’s command.  

Jesus never promised that this life would be easy.  When we became His followers, we said we were willing to deny everything – our legacy, our family, our lifestyle, and the list could go on and on – to take up our cross and follow Him – Matthew 16:24. 

It’s not about religion, it’s not about lifestyles, it’s not about race, it’s not about flags, and it’s not even about whether or not somebody’s got a tattoo … every.single.human.being.alive. is the “one another” Jesus was talking about.  If He meant for us to leave a particular group out, He would’ve said it…but He didn’t.  One another means everybody.  Loving them like Jesus doesn’t mean you agree with their thoughts and feelings; it means you are being the light of Christ in their lives…and that, my friends, is what our ultimate goal as Christians is in this life – to be His light and help turn the lost to the cross.

I want to end this heart-felt post with a positive conclusion to the conversation I referenced earlier between me and the rather vocal five year old.  About half an hour after her bizarre protest, the precious little girl apologized to me.  She told me she had made a bad choice to say those words and that black people and white people could be friends and get along with one another.  She said, “Even though I have different skin and you have different skin, God made both of us and we are all the same on the inside.”  You’re right, sweet girl, you are so right.  Love - most especially God's love - knows no color.  We are all the same on the inside and we can show friendship and civility to each other.  Now if we can get the rest of the world to realize that.

Love knows no color.  Neither should we.

2015 in Retrospect

“The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness.”  - Lamentations 3:22-23

At the end of each year I devote a blog post to looking back at the past year and “snapshotting” it.  2015 was for sure a year I will never, ever forget.  I think it will be a year ingrained in my memory for multiple reasons until Jesus comes back.  2015 offered for me exciting and new changes, and in tandem hard challenges as well.  It’s been an exciting year to watch my dreams become reality and to take on new and exciting opportunities, but it has also been a challenging year as homesickness and heartache among other emotions, have crept up at the most unexpected times.  Through every millisecond, though, God has been my constant and enduring support and has most definitely shown me this year, in ways I’ve never experienced before, that He is always with me.

NEW JOB

When I get off the elevator to my 7^th floor, downtown Nashville office, there is a big emblem on the floor that says “Executive Committee of the Southern Baptist Convention.”  I want to shake my head every day as I exit the elevator and walk to my office for the pure fact that I cannot believe I work here.  Many of you know the story of my journey to my “dream” job.  If not or if you need/want a refresher, I shared about it in last year’s retrospect (click here to read) and also in some earlier 2015 blog posts (New Beginnings and Six Month Nashville Update).  

Floor Logo at SBC Executive Committee Office

I have learned SO INCREDIBLY much about the Southern Baptist Convention this year.  I thought I knew a lot, but boy was I wrong!  It’s been really neat, for me, to see the processes and “behind the scenes” things that happen that make both the Southern Baptist Convention and the summer Annual Meetings succeed in our SBC world.  Before I’d only really been a recipient of the things the Executive Committee had arranged or put together.  Now, I’m a part of helping to put those things together and if you know me, you know that’s exactly where I love to be – right smack dab in the middle of working with others to accomplish great things for the Kingdom!  And my workplace does that each and every day and I am so blessed to be a part of it!

The highlight of the year for me, of course, would have to be the summer Annual Meeting that was held, this year, in Columbus, Ohio.  If you are unfamiliar with the Annual Meeting it is basically a big gathering of Southern Baptist churches/leaders/organizations where over 5,000+ people (sometimes more) are in attendance and make decisions for our denomination while at the same time hearing preaching and singing worship songs.  While this was not my first Annual Meeting to attend, it was my first one to be an actual employee.  The week was very fast-paced, but that’s what I love about it!  My main duty was to put together and send to print our daily bulletin publication that contained up-to-the-minute information that could only be printed once sessions were completed.  This was fun, but challenging too.  I don’t think anyone could have prepared me for how it would work; I was only going to know how it worked after experiencing it.  Everything worked well, however, and I have some mental notes of how to make next year more fluid for myself.  

My view of the 2015 SBC Annual Meeting from the stage

I also was able to coordinate the pages this year at the 2015 Annual Meeting.  My first true introduction to Annual Meetings was actually as a volunteer page (aka gopher, runner).  I was responsible for taking the motions people had written or discussed and making copies of those and delivering them to the appropriate individuals.  I had commented in previous blogs that I wished I could be a page for life…and as it turned out, that wish came true!  This year, I not only got to do my “old paging job,” but I also helped to coordinate the pages that worked the microphones by having their supplies ready and also giving them information of what to expect, times they were needed, etc.  It was like a full-circle experience for me and also for my (now) co-workers.  These individuals had remembered me working as a volunteer page and one even had a nickname for me – “Motion Girl” – which is now a nickname that some people call me around here. :)

My accomplishments this year include all of the publications that I am responsible for putting together.  A lot of my job requires compiling information/advertisements from our various SBC entities around the country (these include seminaries, mission boards, and the like).  It involves organization and checklists…lots and lots of checklists!  The other part of my job involves putting together publications that contain this information I have compiled.  Most of the publications are for the Annual Meeting.  However, because I am responsible for about 3-4 different publications for this one event, I have to manage my time out from January to May as I work on these publications at the same time.  Talk about time management!  The other publication I work on during the same time and also after the Annual Meeting is the SBC Annual which is a book that contains all the information about what happened during the previous year.  I’m so thankful for a very detailed and organized predecessor who left me copious notes and timelines so that I could stay on track with all of these publications – she made an intense task be a lot less stressful for me…and for that I am very grateful!  I have also had the opportunity to take on other projects this year and have enjoyed working with others to get those projects accomplished.

A few of the SBC publications I created and designed this year

This past year of working at the SBC headquarters has been like a dream for me.  I’ve had the honor of hearing amazing speakers, meeting people I’ve only ever read about, and also working with some pretty incredible people.  My coworkers are what have made my experience here so much richer than I could have ever imagined.  They’ve been there for me and supported me through all of my emotions.  They’ve prayed for and with me and have been there when I’ve needed them.  God is blessing me here at my job and I am excited to see what 2016 brings for us at the Southern Baptist Convention!

NEW CHURCH

When I moved to Nashville, I visited many churches, seeking God’s will for the one He would have me join.  About the third month in, I settled on Brentwood Baptist Church.  This church is special to me for a number of reasons.  First of all, my family’s pastor of the church we were a part of when we lived in Hong Kong is now the missions pastor there so I have known he and his wife since I was a child.  Secondly, I had traveled with Brentwood Baptist on three of their past six mission journeys to Hong Kong.  Brentwood is what most would consider a mega-church, but the only way you get yourself out of that mindset and into knowing and fellowshipping with people is to get involved!  And if you know me, you know that’s right in my wheelhouse!

My main involvement at Brentwood Baptist this year has been in Children’s Ministry.  In looking at how I could be involved in the Children’s Ministry and in talking to the Children’s Minister at Brentwood, I decided to become the 5^th grade Life Group (Sunday School) director.  No one had wanted to take on the responsibility of this particular class because it is the only children’s class that combines all of that particular age group together…which of course makes for a really big class!  My average each week is around 50 kids.  The large group makes for an interesting Sunday each week, but we have a great time and they are really good listeners and add a lot to each lesson.  I couldn’t do it, though, without some amazing co-teachers and they really help make my directorship easy!!  

Over the summer, I had the opportunity to be a part of a mission trip designed specifically for 5^th graders.  This was actually with my 2014-2015 group (who I began teaching in April 2015).  The 5^th graders were responsible for planning and leading an actual Vacation Bible School at a local BBC church plant.  It was such a blessing to watch these kids who I was teaching on Sunday mornings “take over” this Vacation Bible School and share Jesus with kids in the neighborhood of this church.  They really stepped up to the plate and surprised all of us (adults).  I was and am so incredibly proud of them and know their missions hearts will only get bigger from here on!

The 5th Grade Mission Trip participants and leaders

Towards the end of the year, I started helping out with Brentwood's Wednesday night children’s program.  I’m helping in the 2^nd grade class.  It’s really fun to have some diversity in age groups each week and I am excited to get to know all of these precious kiddos as 2016 progresses.

As for my own spiritual development, I joined my own age-range Life Group that meets on Sunday nights.  While I do enjoy and am growing through teaching my own Life Group, I also need to grow spiritually myself and my Sunday evening Bible Study allows me to focus on that.  I enjoy gathering with girls my own age each week and going deeper into the study of the Bible.  This past year I also took part in a 7-week Bible Study focused on young, single women being mentored by older, married ladies.  Not only were we spiritually fed, but we were physically fed and loved on as well.  This study was such a blessing and these ladies really ministered to my heart and made me feel so loved.

My mentorship group called Blossoms; I'm at the back right

I will officially become a member of Brentwood in February of 2016 (the church has a pretty thorough membership process…which is actually a good thing) and I am really excited to be a part of this fellowship!

NEW OPPORTUNITIES

I’ve had a number of new opportunities to be involved in this year outside of work and church.  The first is with the Tennessee Baptist Convention WMU.  Each year the TBC WMU puts together a children’s missions conference and the while I’ve worked location-wise with them for this conference before, I’d never taught at the conference or anything like that.  This year, my TBC contact, after knowing I’d moved to the area, asked if I would teach at these conferences (3 conferences in 3 different parts of the state) and also if I’d help develop some activities for the missions fairs.  Of course I was THRILLED to do so!  It was fun coming up with activities for the fair and I had the time of my life travelling across Tennessee over the course of 3 weekends in October teaching kids about missions.  It affirmed for me my heart's passion – children & missions!

Teaching missions to kids at the Middle TN JAM Children's Missions Conference

The other opportunity I have had the blessing of being a part of, recently, is the children’s program for the downtown Nashville Christian Women’s Job Corp (CWJC).  Women come to CWJC to work on getting their GEDs and so they go through tutoring and the like.  Many women bring their children, but the children’s program is one of the areas that gets overlooked volunteer-wise.  Right now I volunteer two times a week and help out with crowd-control, homework, and Bible teaching.  These kids are so precious and I love getting to know them.  Some of these kids have not even heard the stories of Jesus before so it’s never far from my mind that these times with them may be the only Jesus they see each week.

I've even had opportunities to travel.  I traveled to new places across TN for the children's missions conference, I visited my mom's family in Louisville quite a few times this year, and I even got to travel with my good friend Bethany to The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary to attend their Fall Festival which was Adventures in Odyssey themed!  Adventures in Odyssey, a Christian radio drama produced by Focus on the Family, is my favorite radio program and has been since I was a child.  The Seminary literally brought this fictional town to life and they even flew in 3 of the actors who play main characters on the program to have a live Odyssey program!  It was a once-in-a-lifetime experience and it was literally a dream to actually watch these actors voice these characters I have listened to since I was eight years old.

I finally made it to the town of Odyssey!
Below is myself with (L-R), Andre Stojka who plays John Avery Whittiker, Katie Leigh who plays Connie Kendall, Phil Lollar who is a co-creator and has played various characters, and Will Ryan who plays Eugene Meltsner.

NEW CITY

Living in Nashville is definitely different than living in Morristown!  The traffic took a bit of getting used to, and some days the traffic patience wears a little thin, but for the most part I like living in the city!  There is so much that goes on in Nashville – from Opryland to Downtown to historic Franklin – there’s always something to do.  This year I’ve gotten to do fun things in many of those parts of Nashville – I saw an American Idol sing/be filmed downtown before the finale show, I met Christian singers Sandy Patti, Jaci Velasquez, and songwriter Keith Getty at various concerts I attended, and of course I’ve shopped ‘til I dropped at the Opry Mills Outlet Mall!  (And no, I haven’t seen anyone “famous” yet out and about in town).

Me and the Downtown Nashville Skyline

I moved into my first apartment in March which was exciting and different for me.  You sure do learn many life lessons when living on your own!!  :)  If you know me, you know I’m not the greatest cook, and this has proved true still to this day…I’ve had some kitchen mishaps (nothing catastrophic, but still)!  It has also been different for me to keep up with things like bills and the like.  Not saying it has been hard, but it’s just been a new adjustment for me.  Thankful though to have my parents and close friends to offer advice and help when those adjustments don’t make a lot of sense.

NEW CHALLENGES

Apart from living on my own, I have had some challenges this year – homesickness and heartache, among others.  I have and continue to miss my family so incredibly much.  We were a complete family unit for a good 25-26 years of my life and within the past year we’ve all moved to separate areas of the South.  Thankfully we had the blessing of getting to spend some time together this year – Chattanooga in March, Orlando in early August, and most recently Christmas at home – but those times aren’t ever enough.  I know that Nashville is where God has called me and I know the areas where my sisters and parents live is where God has placed them for such a time as this, but it doesn’t lessen the fact that I miss them every single day.  I’m so thankful for texting and Facetime, however, which afford me the opportunity to speak to everyone at the push of a button – thank goodness for technology!!!  

From our 2015 Young Family Summer Vacation

There have been other challenges and heartache as well, and those times have been quite emotional for me.  While this isn’t the time or place to go into any of it, I will say that the heartache I have felt has been unlike anything I’ve ever gone through before and I’ve had a hard time going through it without my family being physically here with me in Nashville; I'm thankful, though, for close friends here in Nashville who have helped walk me through these tough times.  Ultimately, however, through all these challenges, I’ve felt the loving arms of the Father reach down and wrap me in his everlasting arms letting me know that He’s got my back and He is all I need (Deut. 33:27a).  And for that I’m thankful.

NEW REQUESTS

I appreciate your prayers for me in the upcoming year as I continue to adjust to living here in Nashville.  Pray for me as I begin a new year of publications and opportunities at work; pray that Christ would be glorified in it all.  Pray for me as I lead my 5^th graders and as I continue to be involved in church and other ministry opportunities.  Pray for me to make wise decisions as I live life on my own and that God would keep me safe.  Finally pray for me as I continue to struggle with homesickness and other emotions; pray I will continually be reminded that God is always there for me.

NEW CHAPTER

Beginning this new chapter in my life has been a whirlwind!  There have been good times and not-so-good times.  There have been gigantic smiles, moments where I go “Is this really my life?!”, heartache, and there have been tears.  I think all of that happens when you first fly out of the nest and figure out life on your own.  I wish I could sit here and say this year has been a cinch, but it hasn’t.  Leaving home and all that you've known, moving to a new place, and beginning a new life isn’t for the faint of heart.  I will say it helps to have a support system; and for the most part, through family and close coworkers and friends, I have had that.  This new chapter would’ve been a whole lot bumpier without them!  

I don’t regret this new chapter, however, because I am living my dream and also because I have grown in my walk with Christ by leaps and bounds.  He is the author of my story and has never made that more evident to me than this past year.  The opportunities and experiences He has given me have left me awestruck (Psalm 37:4); the challenges and heartache I’ve felt have let me know He is omnipresent and that I need to give all of my cares to Him (Psalm 55:22, 1 Peter 5:7).  As this new chapter continues to be written, I’m anxious and excited to see what new things God has in store for me as 2016 begins.

THE WORD OF THE YEAR

Since I started these “year in retrospect” posts, I have encapsulated each year with a word.  Previously they have been words like peace, trust, blessed, and so on.  This year my word is “NEW.”  If you look at each heading above, you’ll see that this word is used for each category of this year’s retrospect post.  I think the word “new” most definitely speaks to this past year as pretty much everything in my life was new.  

Isaiah 43:19 talks about how God is doing new things in our life and to look towards those new things.  I have most definitely lived out this verse this year!  However, I think a better verse that encapsulates the word “new” as it relates to me this year is Lamentations 3:22-23.  I keep this verse on my desk in a place where I can see it daily and it says, “The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness.”  I’m so thankful that God’s mercies are new every morning because that means if we are homesick, struggling, or just having a no-good-bad day, that the very next morning He will have a new promise or blessing or kind act waiting for us.  It may be huge, it may be small, but His love will never end and He will be with us in all the experiences and situations in life – whether they be new or old, recurring or once-in-a-lifetime, long or short, easy or hard.

I pray that as I say goodbye to 2015, a year of new and unforgettable memories, I will always remember how God carried me through each moment and reminded me daily of His love and provision for me.  I pray that I will never doubt His plans and that I will continually trust Him at all times.  This year, God’s mercies didn’t come to an end – just as He promised, each day afforded a new one – and I look forward to 2016 as His mercies begin anew.