"For I know the plans I have for you, plans to prosper and not harm you, plans to give you a future and hope." - Jeremiah 29:11
Tomorrow is a momentous day.
Tomorrow life changes. As I stand
at the tail end of a beautiful 9 year chapter of my life, I reflect on sweet
friends I have made, amazing experiences I’ve been a part of, and memories upon
memories to last a lifetime. Corrie Ten Boom said, “Every experience God
gives us is the perfect preparation for the future that only He can see.” I most definitely believe that. God has blessed me immensely these past 9
years and tomorrow He blesses me with a new beginning as He picks up His pen and
begins to write this new chapter in the story of my life.
New beginnings can be very exciting as they mean new and
exciting experiences and opportunities.
New beginnings can also be a little scary, though, as you face a future
where you are unsure of how things will happen.
No matter what your feelings about new beginnings may be, there is one
constant – God the Father. He stands
with you to face your new beginning and there’s only one thing He asks for in
return…trust.
Let me stop here and say, when Proverbs said to “trust in the Lord with all your heart,”
it meant ALL. Every single bit. If you don’t give God every minuscule of
trust you have, you are going to be miserable about your new beginning (believe
me, I speak from personal experience). However
when you give control of your whole life and future to God and trust Him with
all of it – He will take your fears and cover them (and in Waffle House terms…smother
them) with an overwhelming peace. Isaiah
26:3 says, “You will keep in perfect
peace him whose mind is steadfast, because he trusts in you.” Peace in the midst of uncertainty is a
strange feeling but it’s then that you know you’re right where God wants you to
be and that your new beginning is in the best possible hands. Jeremiah 29:11 says, “For I know the plans I have for you, plans to prosper and not harm you,
plans to give you a future and hope.”
What a sweet promise we can take with us into a new beginning as we are
promised by our Father that His plans are for our good.
I’m in awe (and will probably forever be in awe) at how God
has orchestrated this new opportunity for me in Nashville. To take the dream of my heart – to work for
the Southern Baptist Convention – and turn it into reality without me even
pursuing it is literally unbelievable. In
an excerpt from this blog circa June 16, 2011, I said: “I love the Southern
Baptist Convention...I love being a Southern Baptist, I love what the SBC
stands for, & I love being able to work for the people who are the face of
Southern Baptists. If I could be a life-long page or a life-long
convention worker, I would do it in a heart-beat. Who knows, maybe I
can?!?” Providential, huh?
God
says in Isaiah 43:19, “Behold,
I am doing a new thing;now it springs forth…” I’ve heard and read that verse over and over,
but tomorrow I live it. It’s crazy, it’s
scary, and it’s a huge big step…but I’m at peace and ready to trust God with
this new beginning and step out in faith to see where He takes me.
Francesca Battestelli’s “Write Your Story” says what my heart
sings right at this moment, “I’m an empty page, I’m an open book, write Your
story on my heart, go on and make your mark.
Author of my hope, Maker of the stars let me be Your work of art, won’t You
write Your story on my heart.”
His pen is ready and now it's time to start this new chapter...
“The steps of a good man are ordered by
the Lord…” (Psalm 37:23)
So my guilty
pleasure on Monday nights is the TV show Dancing
with the Stars. I’ve been really
excited that the past couple of seasons have featured devout Christian
personalities. Candace Cameron Bure (Full
House) was on last season and this season, Sadie Robertson (Duck Dynasty) is
featured. To me, dancing (and not just
the dancing on TV) seems so intriguing and beautiful. Every dance seems to tell a story and it’s
fun to imagine what that story might be.
Funny side story: I have had ballroom dancing lessons…and yes, I can
totally hear you laughing right now.
While these lessons may not have been “formal” lessons, dancing lessons
were part of my eighth and ninth grade physical education curriculum. Must not have done much though because I
don’t remember a lick…plus most of those memories are in the “do not retrieve”
section of my memory banks. I’m
definitely not coordinated enough to dance, but I’ll admit…it is fun to watch.
One thing
I’ve noticed while watching people dance is that the next steps are very
important. The next step of any type of
dance depends on the step that came before it.
If the footing is in the wrong place, the next step will be difficult
or possibly even impossible to complete.
Dancers also have to depend greatly on their dancing partner on certain
moves and maybe even lifts that are required as part of the routine and in every dance, one of the dance partners has to take the lead. Through
practice, perseverance, and teamwork, however, dancers can create a beautiful
masterpiece as they follow through each next step of their routine.
So…how does
this apply to us non-dancers? How can we
be sure that our “next steps” won’t result in missteps or even failure? Psalm 37:23 says it simply and clearly, “The steps of a good man are ordered by the
Lord.” God knows the next steps of
our lives. He is ready and waiting to help
us get to where we need to be. The key
for us is to give our steps…all of them…over to Him. That can be hard to do. As humans we want to be in charge and have it
our way, but that’s where we lose our footing and land flat on our face…like
a misstep in dancing.
Life isn’t
about what we want; it’s about God's direction and what He wants. Proverbs 16:9 says, “A man’s heart plans his way, but the Lord directs his steps.” We may want to achieve that "next step” ourselves,
but God is the One who will direct us to the next step we need to take. He has to take the lead in this crazy dance
of life. It might be a little scary to
for us to give Him control of it all, but because His ways are perfect (Psalm
18:30), He won’t let us fall flat on our face…He’ll be there every step of the
way. It could be that the next step He
takes us to might not make sense at the time it happens. We need to keep in our hearts that ultimately this
confusing next step is only a small part of an even greater next step that God
has created for us. Through trusting in
Him, staying in His Word, and talking to Him daily, He will direct us in every single step He wants us to take.
I love the picture below because it's such a perfect illustration to how we should be in this dance of life with our Heavenly Father. Just hold on to Him, put your feet on His so you don't fall off, and let Him direct you to the next step. God is our master
designer and He already knows how this dance of life ends. The dance may be complex and challenging, but
ultimately it will be beautiful because we let Him take the lead.
“Your
children shall be taught by the Lord.” – Isaiah 54:13
Last night my church’s brand-new, state-of-the-art, almost completed Children’s
Building was dedicated to the Lord.Sweet
kids sang “How Great is Our God”, our senior pastor and children’s pastor thanked
those who were a part of this endeavor, and we prayed over this building that
it would be a tool to bring thousands of children to a saving knowledge of
Christ in the coming years.
In preparing print and screen media for the dedication service, I enjoyed
seeing the rich legacy of the children’s ministry at First Baptist Church
Morristown.Our church historian found a
photo from 1926 of what appears to be the very first children’s Sunday School
class of our church.He also found a lot
of photos from other eras in time…all related to the children’s ministry (see
the photo at the end of this post for a collage of pictures I put together for the program).From Sunday School to Vacation Bible School
to GA’s/RA’s to AWANA to so many other children’s activities and events…our
church has had a century-long, deep-rooted desire to educate children in the
knowledge of Jesus Christ.Now that
desire has developed into a beautiful building that today’s children and future
children will come to enjoy from now until eternity.
My church’s former pastor, and the Tennessee Baptist Convention’s
current executive director, Dr. Randy Davis, spoke a few words and prayed the
dedication prayer over the building.Something
he said last night was especially poignant to me.He said about our Children’s Building:
It
may be the most important strategic decision you’ve made as far as buildings go
for the last 50 years.The reason being
is this: for the young adults that were born between 1980 to 2000, only 15%
have come to known Jesus as Lord and Savior in the United States...the smallest
since our founding.And the projection
is this: if our trends are an indication, only 1 out of every 10 of the children
born and living right now under the age of 13 in the US will come to know Jesus
Christ as Lord and Savior.
Am I shocked at those numbers?A
resounding, YES!Am I surprised at those
numbers?Sadly, no.How can more children come to a saving
knowledge of Jesus when they live in a world that values trash over dignity?How can children know the sweet name of Jesus
when all they’ve ever heard is His name associated with a curse word?How can kids know that Christ changes your
life when they see their celebrity role-models who say they are “Christians”
behave immorally?I’m not making any of
these scenarios up.These are things
that today’s generation live with EVERY. SINGLE. DAY.And not to be a “Debbie-downer,” but it’s
only going to get worse…read 2 Timothy 3:1-5.
These examples combined with Bro. Randy’s statistics PROVE that it is imperative
to spiritually educate our children in the knowledge of Christ!How can they fight this world that so
desperately tries to get them to join in on the filth?With the strength and power of Jesus!How can they show their friends that Jesus is
love and not a curse word?By knowing
who He is! How can they prove to others
that being a Christian involves a life change?By growing in their walk with Him!!!Proverbs tells us well, “Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will
not depart from it” (Proverbs 22:6).
Praise God that He has bestowed upon First Baptist Morristown the gift
of this Children’s Building.You know,
it’s more than a building…it’s a weapon against Satan and all that is evil and a
training ground for future soldiers of the Cross.It won’t be just the building’s job to
educate those children, however, it will be the job of committed and dedicated
workers who train these children…from babies to sixth graders…in the Truth of
Jesus.May we as workers NEVER take that
lightly.
Isaiah speaks so eloquently, when he says, “your children shall be taught by the Lord” (Isaiah 54:13).Over time, in my church and really any and all other
churches children’s ministries, there has always been one constant – the
Father.It is He, through His Spirit,
who taught and continues to teach children about Himself.As “grown-ups” we are His willing vessels as
He uses us to speak His truth to countless numbers of children.The Lord teaches His children because He
desires to have a relationship with them.It is He who wants them to learn to trust Him in all circumstances.It is the Lord who wants them to spend
eternity in heaven with Him.
Let me stop for a minute and say…I’m not just speaking to FBC
Morristown folks...these words are meant for every single church-going
person.You don’t have to have a fancy
children’s building…you can have a children’s ministry room and these
words still apply.Globally…children are
aching to find something to fill their emptiness.Some turn to music, some to celebrities,
others to video games and sadly the list goes on and on and on.Let’s help them turn to Jesus.
Hopefully within the next month or so, we will be able to move into the
children’s building and begin using this tool to reach the children in our
area.I can’t wait to see how God uses
this building to glorify Him.We have a
big job and the task seems quite daunting, especially when you see what our
kids are faced with on a daily basis.But
“greater is He that is in us, than he
that is in the world” (1 John 4:4).If
you’ve never been involved in anything children’s ministry related, I pray that
you will consider doing so…whether it be through VBS, Sunday School, Wednesday
night program, choir, or anything else that your church does to tell kids about
Jesus.Why?Because our future depends on us.
FBC Morristown's rich history of children's ministry....from 1926 to present day.
“For
I know the plans I have for you…” – Jeremiah 29:11
Pomp and Circumstance….times two!!!
Yesterday marked the second time I had heard this song within the past
week. Granted yesterday’s version was
much, much shorter than the almost 2 hour one I listened to last week…but I
digress. J If you didn’t already know, I have had the
distinct blessing to witness two very special graduations in the past week! One of my sisters graduated from Liberty
University while the other graduated from East High School in Morristown, TN. It’s definitely made for a long and tiring
week, but it’s also made for a very proud and exciting one too!
As my sisters…and all of you other 2013 graduates…step out into this new
world of career, college, etc., my one piece of advice is to always remember
that God knows the plans He has for you and you have to trust Him - always. Trust Him that He is providing and will
provide for your needs. Sometimes that
can be oh so hard, but those are the “testing” times…those are the times you need
to trust Him the most. When I graduated
high school, Jeremiah 29:11 was definitely a strong verse that I clinged (and
still cling) to in my life. Since
gradation, however, Proverbs 3:5-6 has been a verse that has carried me through
every high and low. “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and do
not lean on your own understanding. In
all your ways acknowledge Him and He will direct your paths.” Psalm 37:4-5 speaks to this too, “Take delight in the Lord, and He will give
you your heart’s desires. Commit
everything you do to the Lord. Trust Him,
and He will help you.” God will help
you…He promises to…there’s only one thing you must do. Trust.
Trusting God isn’t something that will just go away, either. You will need to place your trust in God and
His Son, Jesus, every single day from here to heaven.
Even though I graduated with my Masters a year ago, I’m still trusting God
for His plans for me…and I have no clue what they are. The fear of the unknown should evoke feelings
of fear or worry…but you know what I have?
Peace. I know the plans God has
for me are to give me a future and hope…and I also know that when I trust Him
with all my heart He will direct me to those plans…in His time. I’m trusting Him…daily…and it’s hard, but it’s
oh so worth it.
Now that you’ve graduated, don’t run from God. Run to Him.
You need Him now more than you ever have before. Get involved in a church that teaches you and helps you grow in
your walk with Him. So many college
students don’t go to church and it is 1,000x harder for them to grow in their
walk with Christ as adults. Challenge
yourself to step out of your comfort zone and make a difference in the name of
Christ. Reach others for the
gospel. Be a light in a dark world…even as
it gets darker by the day.
My sisters have exciting futures awaiting them, as am sure the rest of
the class of 2013 does as well. One will
be interning with an accounting firm while the other pursues her dreams at college. I can’t wait to see how God uses them for His
kingdom. They are extra-special and I am
so proud to be their sister.
In the noise
and confusion of day-to-day living, do we really stop and listen to what God is
trying to tell us? This noise and
confusion doesn’t necessarily have to be audible commotion; it can be continuous
thinking or even uncontrollable worrying. I
know for me personally, my mind is constantly wrapped up in thoughts of the day
or thoughts about my future. What words
from the Lord have I missed out on because my mind was wrapped up in the noise
and confusion of the hour?
This thought
recalls to my mind the story of how God spoke to Samuel. 1 Samuel 3:4 says that one night before he
had gone to sleep, the “Lord called
Samuel.” Thinking it was his
teacher, Eli, Samuel ran to him and said, “You called. I’m here.”
Eli must’ve said, “Um, sorry Sammy, but it wasn’t me. Go back to bed.” So Samuel went back to bed, but he heard his
name again! So again he goes to Eli,
thinking it was him. Eli says, “Sam, I
didn’t call you. You sure your hearing
is okay? Go back to bed.” Samuel goes back to bed and again hears his
name. He goes to Eli once more, and by
this time, Eli realizes that Samuel isn’t crazy and that God is the one who is
calling Samuel’s name. Eli says to
Samuel, “Go and lie down, and if He [God]
calls you, say, ‘Speak, Lord, for your
servant is listening” (1 Samuel 3:9).
Samuel followed Eli’s instructions and when he heard God call his name
for the fourth time he said, “Speak, for
your servant is listening” (1 Samuel 3:10).
God then proceeded to tell Samuel some important news. We find out later that as Samuel grew, God “revealed Himself to Samuel through His word”
(1 Samuel 3:21).
Most times,
I feel like Samuel, in that I can’t hear beyond the noise of the day. So many thoughts consume me that I don’t take
time to truly stop and listen to what God wants to tell me. I’m so thankful God is a patient and
forgiving God who waits for me to shut off all the commotion so that
I can focus on Him. In His presence is
knowledge, wisdom, understanding, life, peace, joy, love, strength, and the list goes on
and on. I love Psalm 16:11 that says if
I go into His presence, He “will show me
the way of life, granting me the joy of His presence and the pleasures of
living with [Him] forever.” In this season of my life, I am learning
patience and “waiting upon the Lord.”
How can I “wait upon Him” if I don’t stop and listen? Hmm…makes ‘ya think, doesn’t it!?!
Turning off
the noise depends on me. When that
happens, like Samuel, I can truly say “Speak,
Lord, for your servant is listening.”
2012. When I sit here and look at this combination of numbers, my mind rolls through with countless memories and thoughts of the things I experienced and encountered throughout the year. Each year, I like to take a little time to reflect on the year as I see what God did and how He brought me through. These blog posts are probably some of the longest of the year…and I’m warning you about that now…but I’ll try not to make this one as long as last year. (Note the word try) :)
School
“Stick a fork in me, I’m done!” This May, I graduated with my Master of Arts in Discipleship Ministries from Liberty University Baptist Theological Seminary. What a fantastic program that I was privileged to be a part of! The last semester of my program, I had some awesome classes with the children’s ministry professor, Dr. Michael Mitchell. He was an excellent teacher! He had such great advice and was one of the most helpful professors I have ever had. I absolutely loved his book, Leading, Teaching, and Making Disciples…definitely a must-read for people who work with and teach kids – both spiritually and academically. One of the funny things about the last semester was that I had some of the longest and most challenging projects that were like 20-25 pages each and I actually enjoyed doing them!
I decided to walk at graduation. I knew from the get-go that there was going to be an insane amount of people and I wasn’t wrong. Good thing I used to live in Hong Kong, ‘cause I would’ve been overwhelmed at the amount of graduates that there were. We had quite an interesting commencement speaker for our graduation…Republican presidential nominee, Mitt Romney. It was a bit controversial that he was speaking at a Baptist school’s graduation ceremony, but I thought he did a great job…spoke to duty to faith and career, but didn’t push his beliefs at all. Not many people can say they heard a potential presidential candidate speak at their graduation, so that was neat to be able to say that (would’ve been neater to say the future president spoke at my graduation…but alas…). I actually didn’t officially graduate from the program until later that afternoon when I had to attend another ceremony for the seminary. It was a long day, but it was an awesome and unforgettable experience….AND I get to experience it from the other side in 2013 as I go back to Liberty to watch my sister graduate! :)
The graduate! Not crazy about the long sleeves, but apparently, that's especially for Masters grads...
Our special commencement speaker - Mitt Romney.
The Liberty University & Seminary Class of 2012 plus the onlookers...I didn't take the picture, but I'm in it!
I learned so much from seminary and I am SO thankful for the experience! The knowledge and insight I gained about the Bible, ministry, and teaching children has been so helpful and useful and I am excited to see where all of my education will take me next!
Job
Work this year has been a whirlwind! There has been so much go on in the form of design/screen stuff for the church as well as catering with Megan’s Corner. I’m so blessed to have these jobs and use my gifts and talents for both. Highlights of the year: running screens for the Annie Moses Band (one of my favorite music groups) and catering for an event featuring Elizabeth Smart. God’s really blessing both places that I work and I am excited to see what He is going to do at First Baptist and Megan’s Corner in the coming year!
Church
This was my first full year as children’s missions leader at church. I had lots of really cool experiences in this capacity this summer! I got to be associational VBS leader as well as teach missions to children in AWANA, CiA (Children in Action), VBS, and help organize a fall children’s missions conference sponsored by the TN Baptist Convention. It was so awesome to be able to interact with so many kids and open their eyes to the world of missions. If you know me, you know that teaching kids missions is my love and passion AND seeing them have a love and passion for missions brings my heart so much happiness that it is literally smiling right now! :)
Teaching missions during VBS
Volunteering in the media department by overseeing the projection screens has also continued full force this year. From special performances to regular Sunday services...there is never a dull moment! Seven years ago, I would have never dreamed of myself in this capacity because I never had a background in media, but I am so thankful for two special ladies who saw potential in me and invited me into the ministry - since then, life has never been the same! The only thing I wish is that I could wear tennis shoes every Sunday morning because it feels like most weeks I am a marathon runner trying to get last minute things done before we go live on air! Ha ha!
Unforgettable Summer
So much happened this summer and it’s really crazy to sit here and process it all, but I’ll try.
In May, my sister Meredith left for Thailand to be a summer missionary. She got to use her gifts and talents in accounting to make a difference on the mission field! So awesome! Meredith got to experience many new and exciting things throughout the summer. She even was gracious enough to Skype my VBS and CiA kids – they definitely thought that was cool! God really used her and she has so many neat stories about her time there. The experience in Thailand was definitely God-affirming that this is what He wants her to do for a career.
In June, I was asked for the fifth year to page for the Southern Baptist Convention in New Orleans, LA. This year, my entire family went (minus Meredith who was in Thailand) and so my other sister, Lauren paged as well. I know I say this every year, but this was my favorite year to page! I had such an incredible experience working for the convention this year. I was copier page and I also had the honor of working on the platform this year which was very cool. Over the past few years, I have gotten to know some of the executive staff and so it has been neat in these last couple of years to see people who I recognize and vice-versa. I have so much respect for the men and women who run the annual Southern Baptist Conventions as these events are intricately organized, staffed, and assembled – it is definitely a team effort. Hands-down, my favorite part of this paging experience was meeting and being a part of the nomination/election of the new SBC president, Dr. Fred Luter. He is the first African-American president to preside over the Southern Baptist Convention which made his nomination and subsequent election the most historic in SBC history AND I got to experience it all from the very stage where it was happening! Talk about cool! The day after his election, I got the opportunity to meet him and get my picture taken with him. It was definitely an unforgettable experience!
View of the 2012 Southern Baptist Convention from my perch on the platform
Myself and Dr. Fred Luter, president of the Southern Baptist Convention
On the Fourth of July, the lives of two of my friends were turned completely upside down when they lost their boys in a lake accident. It was a tragedy that rocked not only their lives, but the lives of our church and community. I shared my feelings about this time on my blog (see A Prayer from My Heart and Flooded with Peace and A Calm After the Storm), but suffice it to say, it was a very difficult time. This is a valley that these families are still walking through and I absolutely hate that for them. I don't understand why this happened and we'll never understand why this happened this side of heaven - but I do know that God has been with us through every single moment and I can't imagine how this experience would have gone without that knowledge. Through this, however, the boys have made a lasting impact on our community as many have come to Christ or have recommitted their lives to Christ through inspirational stories involving the boys. I had the honor of knowing both of them and feel so blessed that I was able to interact with the two of them. Not that I didn't before...but since July 4th when a kid runs up to me with huge, open arms...I hug a little tighter, listen a little closer, and love a lot deeper.
Nate & Noah - Two awesome young men of God who have made eternal impacts on the Kingdom! Miss them, but rejoicing that I will see them again one day!
In the middle of July, I boarded and airplane and for the fourth time traveled to my heart city of Hong Kong to teach VBS to my heart church, Clearwater Bay International Baptist Church. This year, I had the blessing of leading the music as well as the 4 yr-Kindergarten class. It was such a joy to interact with the children through music this year; to watch how they responded to the songs and really took them to their heart warmed my heart deeply. This year was the largest group of children and the smallest leadership team that CBIBC has ever had for VBS! It was interesting to see how God worked everything out for His glory during this week as there was a low teacher to student ratio as well as unexpected things happen during the week! I blogged all about my trip and you can find all those posts underneath August 2012. During my time there, Meredith joined me and we got to spend some time together in "the" Hong Kong...it was definitely memorable! I'm SO thankful I got the opportunity to go back to Hong Kong this year. This place, through some extraordinary people who I am privileged to call dear friends, has made such an impact on my life and I feel so blessed that I have the opportunity to give back!!!
My adorably-cute 4 yr old/Kindergarten class!
Leading music
Favorite place in the entire world - hands-down
SO thankful to be able to serve in my heart city of Hong Kong
----------------------------------------------------------------
Good news...I held to my word and this year's retrospective was MUCH shorter than last year! Aren't you proud of me? Ok, maybe not, but I'm proud of myself. :)
Through all of the experiences of 2012, God has shown me that He wants me to spend my life's career serving Him. School is officially over and now it's time for life to begin. I'll admit, I've been getting a little antsy as of late, waiting for God to show His plans for me....but you want to know what He's been teaching me? Patience. Wait upon Me. I will not forsake you. I have it all under control. TRUST ME!
God knows the desires of my heart and I am following and trusting Him, day by day, knowing that in His perfect time He will provide. Jeremiah 29:11 promises me that. Psalm 37:4 promises me that. And my favorite verse, Proverbs 3:5-6, promises that truth as well. I appreciate and covet your prayers as I enter 2013 with a willing and ready heart - ready to go where God wants me to go and do what He wants me to do.
I encapsulated 2010 & 2011 with words, but this year, I’m encapsulating 2012 with a song. This song is 2012 personified to me and I know this truth will hold true in 2013 as well.
Not for a moment will God forsake me. He loves me...He's with me...He's got 2013 all under control.
Today a precious little girl stopped me in the sanctuary and said, “Miss
Allison, I have something for you.” I
smiled and she reached out her hand to give me a little offering envelope with
writing on the back that said, “Love I You” written in her sweet kindergarten
handwriting. I know I say this often,
but I am SO blessed to have the opportunity to work with children. I pray that I never take my time with them
for granted. I pray that I always make
sure they know that that I care about them.
I pray that they always know that Jesus loves them and is with them
every step of their lives.
I can’t begin to understand the senseless act that took place in
Newtown, Connecticut yesterday. Knowing
that children saw horrific scenes, heard terrible sounds, and endured such tragedy
tears my heart to pieces.
As I poured over the names of the victims of the shooting, seeing the
ages of 6 and 7 made me so sad. Little
ones with big dreams…ready to begin their educational careers. Emerging readers, intrigued minds, children
who were probably really excited to go to school just so they could learn
something new. Precious lives taken too
quickly...now safe in the arms of Jesus.
Psalm 46:1 says, “God is our
refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.” I don’t understand why this happened, but I
know that God is here in our midst. He is
the refuge and strength for the families who have lost loved ones. He is the refuge and strength for the children
who witnessed this gruesome scene. He is
the refuge and strength for community of Newtown. And He is also the refuge and strength for
America and the world as we struggle to come to grips with such evil.
All I have left to say is that I can’t wait for Jesus to come back. We won’t ever have to worry about evil,
sadness, or pain again. Revelation 21:4:
“He will wipe every tear from their
eyes. There will be no more death or
mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.”
You know how
when you were a kid in school, you always looked forward to your most favorite
day of the week, Friday? Friday meant
the weekend, Friday meant fun, AND most importantly, Friday meant no school for
two days! WhoHOO! I know I was one of those kids!
But
sometimes, Friday isn't fun. Sometimes
Friday means the close of something special.
Sometimes Fridays are completely disheartening. You know, Jesus and His followers had one of
those Fridays. Luke 23 traces the
horrific events that Jesus experienced on a particular Friday. Nailed to a cross, Jesus bled and then died
to cover the sins of all mankind. We
know it was a Friday because Luke 23:54 tells us that the crucifixion &
burial, "was done late on Friday
afternoon, the day of preparation, as the Sabbath (which was Saturday) was about to begin." Jesus' followers were probably inconsolable that
Friday. Luke 23:48 said that the crowd
who came to watch the crucifixion, "went
home in deep sorrow." Here was
their leader, their teacher, their Master and he was gone.
This is
totally metaphoric...but I equate the second half of this summer to a
disheartening Friday. When we think of
summer, we think of fun, relaxation, and happy times, but if you know what's
gone on this summer in Morristown, you know that it was the complete opposite. The sadness and hurt that so many of us have
felt this summer has been probably some of the toughest and most emotional
feelings we've ever had to deal with in our lives. For some, no words can ever describe the
summer of 2012.
BUT can I
let you in on a secret??? This summer
may have been Friday, but guess what??
Sunday is coming!
Just look in
the Scriptures! Jesus had died on
Friday, people were sad, the disciples were holed up in a room just wondering
what they were going to do next, but on Sunday something spectacular
happened. Luke 24:1-6:
"But very early on Sunday morning the women
went to the tomb, taking the spices they had prepared. They found that the stone had been rolled
away from the entrance. So they went in,
but they didn't find the body of the Lord Jesus. As they stood there puzzled, two men suddenly
appeared to them, clothed in dazzling robes...the men asked, "Why are you
looking among the dead for someone who is alive? He isn't here! He is risen from the dead!"
Christ had returned from the dead! He is ALIVE!
Again,
totally metaphoric, but...Sunday is coming - Jesus is coming again! Revelation 22:7, Jesus says to John the
Revelator, "Look, I am coming soon!" Hallelujah!
As believers in Jesus Christ, we can hold to this incredible promise
that Christ is indeed coming soon and as followers of Him, we will be carried
up to live forever in heaven with Him! Revelation
21:4:
"God's home [will be] among his people! He will live with them, and they will be his
people. God himself will be with
them. He will wipe every tear from their
eyes, and there will be no more death or sorrow or crying or pain. All these things are gone forever."
Praise the Lord!! When Jesus returns, Friday will NEVER exist
again! Worship will be our action,
adoration our feeling, and praise will continually pour from our lips. I.
CAN'T. WAIT!
But until
then, my dear blog readers and Morristown friends, we must live for Christ! Right now, we must heed Christ's command to
tell others about Him (Acts 1:8), serve others (John 12:26), and follow after
Him (Matthew 16:24). It's not going to
be easy. We will face more hardships and
disheartening Fridays along the way, but there's a reward at the end - life forever with JESUS! Paul said it best, "I press on toward the goal to win prize for which God has called me
heavenward in Christ Jesus" (Philippians 3:14).
Because He lives...I can face tomorrow.
Because He lives...All fear is gone.
Because I know HE holds the future
And life is worth the living,
just
because
HE
LIVES
I leave you
with this song, that sorta-kinda inspired my above thoughts. It's called "Sunday" and it's by the Christian group Tree63. "It's
Friday, but Sunday is coming!"
Amen.
2010 is not the year I thought it would be…and this statement is not necessarily a bad one..but things have happened this year that have shaped my life in extraordinary ways.There have been intense blessings this year and a few intense hurts this year.I have laughed hard and cried hard this year.It’s really been a roller-coaster of a year, but if it wasn’t for my Heavenly Abba and my Savior who walks with me daily, I NEVER, I repeat NEVER would have made it through.
If I had to encapsulate 2010 in one word, it would be trust.Trust in God, for sure, but also trust in myself and trust in others.I will admit, this year I have seen how misplaced trust can hurt and how full-fledged trust can save your life.It’s really been an unforgettable year.
School
School was a whirlwind this year.In the spring semester, I had my Education methods classes...and I thought at the time those were the hardest classes I had up to that point…ha ha…looking back, I’m going to make that the fall semester JIn all honesty, my spring semester helped me immensely.It shaped the way I student taught in the fall and, looking back, I am grateful for all we did in methods because it truly prepared me for student teaching.I had a precious 3rd grade class and learned a lot from my cooperating teacher.In the fall, I started student teaching.Student teaching was the hardest thing I’ve ever done educationally & there were a couple of meltdowns here and there, but I’m writing this blog so I obviously survived!Ha ha!There were moments where I was convinced that I wasn’t going to make it, but God reminded me “Trust Me.Don’t lean on your understanding.Acknowledge Me!I will direct your paths (and pull you through)” (Prov. 3:5-6…paraphrased)...and He did!I remember last year asking you to pray for my placements- the students and teachers and I have to just thank you so much because God answered your prayers.I found out at the end of spring semester that one placement would be with a 2nd grade class and the other would be with a 5th grade class.I was placed with the most kind-hearted, loving, passionate teachers who helped me immensely.God purposed these ladies to be my cooperating teachers because we all had things in common (for instance, I had worked with one of my teachers before and the other teacher & I shared a common love of technology) JThe 2 classes were just incredibly precious and I love and miss each child I taught.My student teaching experience, however, helped me come to the realization that I need to professionally teach kids or help teach kids on a spiritual level.My heart was burdened for students who didn’t grow up in a Christian home and just simply hated their life.I felt God wanted me to work for Him in more of a ministry setting.A lot of people say that God’s called them to ministry, and I know that God does call people at some point in their life.I, however, feel like I was born called to the ministry.I have been in church from the moment I was home from the hospital back in May of 1987…it is where I feel the happiest and at home.I can’t imagine not being in ministry.Anyways….I decided mid-way through the fall semester to look into Children’s ministry graduate programs.I looked a bunch of different Children’s Ministry programs and decided that Liberty University’s was the one for me.I talked about this in my last blog post, so I’m not going to go into those details again.(If you’re interested, though, click here to read that post).So as of Jan. 2011, I will be a graduate student at Liberty University (although, I will not move to Virginia until the fall of next year).Like I said, school has been a whirlwind…I’ve definitely learned A LOT!I graduated in December and it felt great to walk across that stage and get my diploma!
College graduate with her happy parents :)
May 2010
For a month that was supposed to be the best of the whole year…my birthday month, end of school month, beginning of vacation month…it sure turned out to be the hardest, most difficult month of my entire life.In early May, it was discovered that the financial secretary of the church (who had worked there for 50+ years) embezzled 1 million+ dollars.This was a time of great hardship for our church and my family.There were things that happened that I can’t talk about because of legality issues that were just difficult to hear, understand, and go through.May 11th is my birthday and the secretary was arrested the day before.That week…a week that was supposed to be the happiest of my year because I was turning 23…was such a valley for us all.I cried so much that week and just did not know what was going to happen to us, but I am soooooooooooooo thankful for sweet friends who were there for me, encouraging to me, praying for my family, and just let me cry on their shoulders…your kindness will NEVER be forgotten.Honestly, when I first heard the news, I didn’t know how our church was going to make it, but what Satan meant for evil, God meant for God and I am sooooooooo happy to report that our church has been the best it’s ever been and God, through our pastor, has carried us through our valley and is giving us mountainous opportunities to glorify His name.Looking back, though, the saddest part of the whole experience is that someone who we placed such trust in with the church’s finances let us down.This was a woman that I said hello to each day I was in the office, a woman who asked me how school was going, and just a sweet, kind lady who seemingly loved her job and was dedicated to it.I don’t understand how such a sweet woman could do such a deceptive thing.It makes me sad to look at her booking picture because I don’t want to remember her like that because for the 5 years I knew her…that wasn’t her, but unfortunately, the evidence doesn’t lie and we have to face the fact that she committed a crime and will have to suffer the consequences of that.Pray for this situation still because it might have to go to trial in 2011, so pray for all those involved in that.I guess my outlook on May 2010 now is don’t place your trust in material things or other people, place your trust in God…whole-heartedly and will full abandon.
Summer Opportunities
May 2010 changed the landscape of our summer.Things we had planned to do were put on hold or all together cancelled.It was hard, but it was necessary.The summer of 2010, however, included some of the best parts of the whole year for me, though.
Southern Baptist Convention – Orlando, FL For the 2nd year in a row, I had the opportunity to serve my Convention as a page.While my entire family was supposed to go to convention this year, my parents were unable to, so Meredith and I flew by ourselves to Orlando and met up with the team of pages there.We both got to serve on the page team.Now, I’m not trying to sound boastful or anything, but without pages at the convention, business would be extremely slow and long.Pages are the cross-country runners of the Southern Baptist Convention meetings because they deliver the motions and point-of-orders and all the paperwork in record time to the…well, let’s just call them “big-wigs”.The “big wigs” look it over and make sure all the bases are covered and then all that goes to copy for all the lawyers and such to review and discuss.Depending on the year, pages are used over and above the call of duty…it depends on the business and the location.This year it depended on both.Business-wise, we were voting for a new Convention president and we were also voting on a controversial Great Commission Resurgence (GCR) motion.I’m not going to go into detail with all that, but you can look it up on Google if you’re interested.All I know is that this topic was making the Orlando convention one of the biggest conventions in a while and over 15,000 people were expected.Location-wise, the convention hall was one big-normous flat room.If you remember last year, my job was “copier”…I actually ended up having this job again because I was requested by the Recording Secretary of the Southern Baptist Convention to do so.That was a complete honor and I was so humbled that he remembered me.I also ended up being a stage page, so I got to sit on stage with the “big-wigs” and run errands for them and meet the speakers and such.I’ll tell you when the vote was taken on the controversial GCR topic, I will NEVER forget standing at front of the platform and seeing the sea of ballots that went up in the sky…both ways.If you Google an image of GCR, you’ll probably see a picture similar to that.It was the exact image I saw from where I stood.I felt part of Convention history.On the last day, Dr. John Yaets (Recording Secretary for the SBC) told me that he was incredibly impressed with my work ethic and asked if he could throw my name out to his convention contacts if I was one day interested in a job.Wow.I was kind of floored and amazed and humbled.Dr. Yaets & his sweet wife/assistant begged me to come to Convention next year in Phoenix and I am praying that God can open the doors for me to go.
The 2010 Southern Bapitst Convention Pages
Mission Trip to Hong Kong, China In July, I went for the 3rd time to a place that is so close to my heart…a place that is home to me and where I just love being…Hong Kong.I will admit to you…I was really troubled about this trip before I left.I was worried about everything…traveling by myself, money, getting lost, and just about everything else.God showed me that I needed to place my trust in Him and He would carry me through.It was a hard realization, but when I let go and let God…I saw some pretty incredibly things happen that made this visit the better than the last (nothing beats my first “visit”, though, because that’s when I lived there J).I traveled with Brentwood Baptist Church in Nashville, TN to do VBS- Saddle Ridge Ranch with my International home church, Clearwater Bay International Baptist Church.It was a complete dream-come-true to work with my close HK friends and make new ones at that.I worked with an incredible team and we were able to see kids come to Christ.I had the opportunity to be one of the main leaders of the 3rd & 4th grade class and led the plan of salvation to my kids.Out of our class, we had 1 boy accept Christ and 2 others who had questions.It was so humbling for me to plant the seeds of salvation into these students and help mature one that was ready to accept the greatest gift he’s ever received.I also got to use my media gifts to do screens for VBS too…and ended up being a worship rally back-up (I mean literally, I was the back-up in case the real leader couldn’t do it) dancer…ha ha JI look at the photos from my trip and am just so homesick for that time.I miss each child and just pray that God is working in their lives and showing them His love.I am so thankful for sweet friends who helped me when I traveled to HK by myself the first week and in order to look at some possible future job opportunities and were there at the airport to meet me and help me get settled.I am also thankful for sweet memories with close HK friends…like eating my first bite of jellyfish and getting a free birthday cake…when it wasn’t even my birthday J HA HA!
Me & my 3rd & 4th Grade Class...Love them! :)
Church
Last year, I think I said church-work increased 1,000-fold…well I guess this year it was like 2,500-fold!Goodness, gracious….I’ve had a BIG year church-work wise, but every moment’s been a blessing and I can’t imagine doing anything else.Each Sunday is a blessing and I have run screens/multi-media for some pretty amazing people this year – Bro. Dean Haun, Rabbi Greg Hershberg, Dr. Richard Holden, and so many more people that I just can’t think of right now.I view my position as one in which I help others worship God; when everything flows together and people are able to sing to the Lord with their heart by reading the words off the screen or learn new things as they have read from the screen…that is all part of how people worship God through the screens.This is why this job is so important to me and why I value and am humbled in the position that God has placed me in.I’ve had the opportunity to help facilitate worship for so many people which is an honor and privilege.This year I created multi-media experiences for the Spring musical and Living Christmas Tree.They both were great performances and I was so humbled that God had given me the inspiration for these performances.But my most favorite experience this year happened just recently.I had the opportunity to help coordinate on the church’s end a DVD taping at the church for a Southern Gospel recording group called Greater Vision.It was a task that was bigger than I expected, but God gave me the help I needed for it.I ended up getting to be on the crew because the producer wanted to utilize the screens for the recording; I got to be on a headset and hear what all was going on.I am extremely honored to be a part of this project & CAN’T WAIT for the DVD to come out…from the shots I saw from the screen…it’s gonna be beautiful JI am so thankful God has given me a love for media…it’s certainly something I didn’t know I was in to until I moved to Morristown, but now I can’t imagine my life without it.I’ve also been able to use my love for teaching by getting to teach the Awana kids about missions once a month.I’ve been able to teach them about lots of different things in unconventional teaching ways.It’s been fun & I love watching them learn!
Working at my media post!
Work
Work has been here and there this year because of my Student Teaching schedule, but I’ve enjoyed every minute of when I have been working.I work for a fantabulous company called Megan’s Corner Catering and More.My boss is one of my close friends and I just love working there!I’ve worked for Megan’s Corner for about 4 years now as a server, and last year became “Team Leader”…which I’m still not sure what I’m supposed to be doing with that title, but that’s a different story…but this year I became Webmaster!That’s right…I designed the Megan’s Corner website.I think it turned out great, especially considering I am not a web designer, but with the advice of others, I was able to get this turned out.We’ve heard nice complements about it…that it is easy to follow and very helpful- comments that truly mean a lot to me.God is truly blessing this business and I am so honored to be a part of it.I am looking forward to the 10 year anniversary of the business in 2011.
Me with my boss & her husband & dad (co-owners of Megan's Corner)
Prayer
Pray for me next year.New opportunities and experiences are going to come up for me.Pray I will make the best decision.I will also be transitioning to new places, pray for smooth transitions.Also, pray God will open doors for me in the summer, with the Southern Baptist Convention and also I would love to go on another mission trip if it’s God’s plan for me to do so.All I want to do with my life is be a servant to the King and live with that servant’s heart…pray that God will give me opportunities this year to continue serving Him.I value your prayers and your friendship.Thank you in advance for them.
--------------- I know this has been an extremely long blog post, and if you’re still reading, BLESS YOUR HEART! JBut really, this was good for me to sit back and write about this year and remember all of these memories and how God has seen me through it all.I am so grateful to Him for holding me in His arms and never letting me go.I sang a song this past July, the Sunday before I left for Hong Kong that..to me…encapsulated God’s message to me this year.... “Trust me, Allison.I will never leave ‘your hands’”.I share this song with you now…let it be an encouragement to you for 2011…If in 2011 your world is shaking or your heart is breaking, He will never leave your hands.
2011…You will be a year of new transitions and experiences and frankly (judging from this year) I have no idea what else you will bring, but what I do know is that God will be with me every step of the way! J
