2018 in Retrospect

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

- Romans 15:13 -

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

WORK

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

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

View of the 2018 Annual Meeting from my perch

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

CHURCH

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

My sweet class from earlier in the year

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

LONDON

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

Conference Center where we served

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

Buckingham Palace

MINISTRY

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

2018 Children's Missions Conference

FAMILY

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

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

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

In the Chick-fil-A founder's office

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

TO WRAP IT UP

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

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

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

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.

2014 in Retrospect

 “Blessed is she who has believed that the Lord would fulfill His promises to her.”
– Luke 1:45

It’s the last day of 2014.  365 days ago I looked upon this new year with a prayer for peace (see last year’s retrospect blog post).  Peace of heart, peace of mind, and just peace in life.  365 days ago there were uncertainties I was facing and I needed God's peace to guide me through them; I knew God would act and that He would provide, but I didn’t have any idea of when.  I knew God’s promises, I petitioned to Him to hear the desires of my heart, and I waited patiently.  One day this year while I was on Pinterest, I found and pinned a scripture from Luke 1:45.  It said, “Blessed is she who has believed the Lord would fulfill His promises to her.”  While Elizabeth is speaking of Mary and her belief in the Lord to care for her as the mother of His Son, I saw myself in this short little verse and decided then and there to never forget it.  A friend even printed the verse and put it in a frame and gave to me for my birthday.  It was like God wrote the verse for me!  “Believe (and trust) in me Allison, I will fulfill all of My promises in time and you will be blessed.”  Boy was He right.  Join me in taking a step back into 2014 to see just what God has done…and don’t miss the end because that’s where God unexpectedly acted in a way I never saw coming.

Family Challenges and Changes

CHALLENGES - If you recall, this time last year, my family was faced with uncertainties about my dad’s health.  We found out at the end of 2013 that my dad had an early-stage tumor in his small intestine and would require surgery to remove it.  There was a question as to whether or not he would have to undergo chemo after the surgery and if there were other tumors in his body, but those things wouldn’t be determined until they removed the tumor.  In February of this year, he had the surgery and came through it with FLYING colors!  The surgeon was able to remove the entire tumor, there was no indication of any other tumors or cancer in his body, and the oncologist cleared him from having to do chemo based on the tumor’s pathology report.  Praise God!  We were overwhelmed by the love and prayers shown to us during that time.  Our church family went over and beyond in taking care of us, taking care of things at church, and so on.  I blogged about it in, "God is So Good!"  It was truly a time where we knew God was in control and would take care of all things.  And He did.  I knew God would heal my dad and HE fulfilled that promise to me!

CHANGES – This year two little birdies left the Young nest.  First was my younger sister Meredith.  She graduated in June with her Masters of Accountancy and in September moved to Atlanta to begin her first full-time job.  She works for Ernst & Young Accounting Firm.  She joined Johnsons Ferry Baptist Church and is becoming involved there.  It’s been a big change, but she’s adjusting great and learning a lot in the process.  Change also came for my baby sister, Lauren.  After spending the summer as a Girls Club teacher (which she was excellent at, by the way), in the fall, she moved to Lynchburg, Virginia to begin school at Liberty University.  Lauren LOVES it at Liberty.  She has made a trillion friends and has adjusted to life away from home better than anyone else I know.  Was there ever a doubt? :) Now that they have made these big changes, I look forward to seeing what God accomplishes in both of my sisters’ lives and how He uses their gifts and talents for His Kingdom.

Visiting Meredith in ATL and Lauren at LU

Summer 2014

SOUTHERN BAPTIST CONVENTION - I attended and paged, yet again, for the Southern Baptist Convention annual meeting this past summer.  For more information on what exactly a page is, read this 2012 blog post “Serving Him Through the SBC.”  I’ve really lost count on how many annual meetings I have paged for, but it’s either seven or eight.  This year’s meeting was in Baltimore.  I’d never been there before, and it was definitely different, but I really enjoyed my time there.  The paging was a little different this year in that the other pages were seminary students who were doing it as part of a class.  Once again, I was blessed to work with our SBC Recording Secretary and his wife in helping to make copies of and distribute motions to the SBC leadership.  Every year I pretty much pinch myself because I can’t believe I’m doing what I’m doing where I’m doing it.  Although it’s volunteer, I don’t take the job, and the faith these individuals have in me, lightly.  The experience of paging is so humbling and rewarding…the only thing I would change is the ability to wear roller skates or ride one of those Segways because my feet scream at me by the end of the week.  :)  Every summer I look forward to working one week a year for the SBC…little did I know what was coming next (keep reading).

Momentos from the SBC Annual Meeting

HONG KONG FRIEND – Following the SBC annual meeting, a family friend from Hong Kong came and stayed with us for about three weeks this summer.  It was her first time in America and she was visiting different people she knew in different parts of the country.  We enjoyed catching up with her and also teaching her new things (especially American history…Davy Crockett, Dolly Parton, politics, etc.)  Seeing Tennessee and our area through her eyes was so fun because we did things we’d never done and things that we hadn’t done in a long time.  It was a time full of great memories, laughs and culture sharing.  My favorite story is taking her to KFC and listening to her place an order for mashed potatoes…however she called them “potatoes mashed.”  The cashier looked at her oddly and so did I, until I realized what she was trying to say.  We all had a big laugh about it!  When it was time for her to leave to her next destination, she hugged us goodbye with tears in her eyes; it was heart-warming to see truly how much she enjoyed her time here.  

My family with our sweet friend

*And in mentioning Hong Kong, please continue to pray for this city as there is continued unrest between HK citizens and mainland China.  I love my heart city and pray God's blessings to continue reaching the HK people.*

Work

My job at First Baptist Morristown has gone great this year – although part-time, I took on more responsibility with things and was able to accomplish a lot.  A few big projects this year included designing the informational pages for our church business directory, designing and coordinating a shirt/lapel pin campaign to help raise money for persecuted Christians in Iraq, as well as coordinate all screen things for our special event presentations (Night of Praise, Living Christmas Tree, etc).  All of that also combined with my normal duties of bulletin, newsletter, screen announcements, sermon slides, and the list could go on and on until 2016!  Working where I go to church is so rewarding because I get to see the fruits of my labor and watch what I do come to fruition on Sundays or event days.  It's truly a blessing to work where I worship.

While I was still on staff at Megan’s Corner Catering this year, I didn’t work as many events as I have in previous years.  This was mainly due to the fact that so many events happened at times I was working my other job at First Baptist.  The events I was able to work, and sometimes be in charge of, however were VERY fun and beautiful all at the same time!  One of my favorite 2014 memories at Megan’s Corner is the reception I was in charge of for Broadway actress Megan Hilty.  I arrived at the location, ready to set up the food, and all of the sudden heard water running.  It had been raining all day and when I walked into the room where the reception was to be held, saw that the ceiling was leaking heavily!  At one point when I stood underneath the area that was leaking, part of the ceiling collapsed on to the floor.  We grabbed as many trash cans as we could find and stuck them under the running water.  The event went well, but the “preshow excitement” made for a memorable night!  I was also able to update the Megan’s Corner website this year, adding new pictures and menus to make the business stand out even better!  Visit www.megans-corner.com!

Me and Megan Hilty

Ministry

I’ve said it before, I’ll say it again – the ministry of my heart is children’s missions.  In 2014, I saw the Lord accomplish great things through this ministry.  I really enjoyed planning for and teaching missions lessons throughout the year, two of my favorites included teaching about missions and the Winter Olympics in Sochi as well as teaching missions for our Vacation Bible School (which also involved missions challenges that kids participated in at home...it was great to hear their stories).  This year also I watched some kids who have grown up through this “ministry” teach their peers about missions places or people they had learned about.  That was really rewarding because I could see the influence of missions on their lives.  In the middle of the year, I took my summer missions class on their first “mission trip.”  We went to Food on Foot and packed bags for the hungry.  The kids LOVED this and felt very important on their mission trip!  In the fall, I once again helped coordinate the East TN Children’s Missions Conference at the church and we saw 300+ kids come and learn about how missions is possible!  My heart jumps for joy when I hear kids tell me stories about how they are making a difference and sharing Jesus with others.  I’m inspired by those kids who put others before themselves.  My favorite phrase to hear is “Is it Missions Night?” because I know the kids are ready and wanting to hear about missions experiences around the world.  I know God has great things planned for each child that I have had the opportunity to teach about missions and I know that they will change the world for Jesus…HE will fulfill His promises in their lives!

Summer Missions Class Mission Trip to Food on Foot

Media Ministry is also an important ministry in my life at First Baptist.  I enjoy volunteering on Sundays and at special events because I am able to use my gifts and talents in computer/design to help others worship and praise the Lord.  I even got to direct my first solo broadcast this year...it was fun and nerve-wracking all at the same time!  It was neat to be a part of, through the media ministry, the Gospel Music Hymn Sing this past summer.  This was an event that was recorded and our church and that featured current Southern Gospel singers.  The taping is now available for purchase and you can enjoy what I got to experience in person!  And believe me…you DON’T want to miss it!

My view from the director's chair!

Singing is another ministry I enjoy and it has been a blessing this year to continue to use that talent for the Lord and to minister to others.  One particular song, “In the End,” is quite memorable around First Baptist because it was the first song sung here in a while to feature a banjo AND a tambourine.  If you want to see it, click here.  Gosh, that was a fun song to sing!  I also got to be a part backup choir for the Keith & Krysten Getty Christmas Concert in Knoxville this year, along with other members from our choir as well as the University of TN and Carson-Newman University choirs.  This event happened recently and it was definitely a night I will never forget!  It wasn't a Christmas concert, it was a Christmas worship service!

The Unexpected

Ever since I graduated with my undergraduate degree, I have looked, prayed, and waited for a full-time ministry job.  This has been 4 years in the waiting.  There were a couple of times that I have become upset that “THE” job hadn’t come yet, but for the most part I’ve had a sweet peace that God would take care of it and give me the desires of my heart.  Many people feel called to ministry work, but I feel like I was born into ministry work.  It’s never been a burning-bush calling for me because ministry work is all I’ve ever known.  I knew 4 years ago that I wanted to work for the Southern Baptist Convention or one of its entities (Lifeway, WMU, IMB, NAMB).  I also knew that if I was going to get a job with the SBC, it would be an entity because the Convention itself rarely ever has job openings (God must’ve chuckled about this thought).

Near the tail-end of 2014 (meaning three weeks ago) I received a phone call out of the blue from an administrative assistant with the Southern Baptist Convention headquarters.  She said that one of the SBC Vice Presidents had my resume (which I had given to someone else when I paged over the summer) and was interested in talking to me about a position with their office.  Two hours later I had a phone interview and one week after that I was at their headquarters in Nashville for a face-to-face interview.  A week later they offered me the job and I accepted.  Here I had spent 4 years applying to dozens upon dozens of jobs, getting rejection letters or even getting nothing back, and within two weeks near the end of 2014, a job I didn’t even know existed and I didn’t even apply for pops right into my lap.  It’s literally unbelievable and completely unexpected.  There’s no other explanation for this except for God.  Only He can take the dreams of your heart and turn them into reality…and by George, I am a living example.

My new job will be Publications Specialist for the Southern Baptist Convention and I will be coordinating and compiling information to be published for our entire Convention body (which includes all 50 states, Canada, and Puerto Rico).  Many of these publications will be distributed at the annual meetings each year.  The hope is that I will also be a part of helping with screen media for meetings at the headquarters as well as possibly some design work for the SBC website.  They even want me to continue in my duties at the annual meetings that I was a part of as a page…but now will be a part of as a full-time employee.  Again, dream becoming reality. 

My new office building.  My office will be on the top floor!

It’s been a crazy, emotional journey so far and I have been on a roller coaster for most of December.  I plan to spend another blog post or posts discussing all of that, but I wanted to explain a little bit more of the story that many haven’t had the opportunity to hear yet.

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Each year I try to encapsulate the year in one word.  When all of this new job craziness came up, I really didn’t have a clue what my word for this year would be.  Yesterday, however, the word came to me.  Blessed.  In 2014 I have been oh, so blessed - blessed with good health for my dad, blessed with fun memories and experiences over the summer, blessed by sweet kids who love missions, blessed in the church events I have been a part of, blessed by my two jobs with great co-workers, and now blessed by a new full-time job that I never saw coming.  When I stop and think about it, though, I have been blessed more than just this year…I have been blessed all throughout my life, and especially these last 9 ½ years in Morristown.  I’ve been blessed to be a part of and grow in my faith in a church that has truly been like my family.  I’ve been blessed to continue my education here.  I've been blessed to watch little babies grow up to be little kid missionaries.  I’ve even been blessed by the time I have spent with my family here – not just my parents and sister, but also the couple of years my grandfather lived here.  Morristown will always hold a special place in my heart and will always be a blessing to me.

2015 is going to, for sure, be a year of insane changes for me.  A new chapter is beginning and while that is exciting, it also scares the heebie-jeebies out of me.  I’m not a fan of the unknown (and really who is), but I know who holds the unknown and I know who will walk with me through it.  I covet your prayers for me as I move, get acclimated, and start my new life in Nashville.  Specifically I ask that you pray for me to find a permanent place to live, that I find a church to get involved in (‘cause if you know me, you know I can’t sit still at church), and that I adjust well to my new job.  There will also be new things that I will learn this year that I’m not familiar with now – pray that God will give me understanding and wisdom. 

Remember the verse I pinned earlier this year? Luke 1:45 - “Blessed is she who has believed the Lord would fulfill His promises to her.”  I knew that God would hear the desires of my heart and, while it did take a bit of time, He did.  And now I am blessed….blessed beyond measure.  Just like He promised. 

Luke 1:45