“The Lord is good to those who wait for him, to the soul who seeks Him.”
- Lamentations 3:25
An overturned garbage truck shut down the interstate this morning and
made a normal 30-45 minute commute a right-at-2 hour commute to work. Needless to say everyone did a lot of waiting
on the Nashville roads this morning. As
one of the people stuck in the crazy traffic this morning, I …along with the
rest of Nashville…can be witnesses for the fact that waiting is not fun!
It’s like that in life sometimes too, isn’t it? Waiting can be very hard and not fun,
especially when it’s something that you want so terribly to happen. Before I got my job in Nashville, I waited
for a long time until God gave me this gift that is my dream job. I applied to job after job within
organizations of the SBC because I felt like that’s where God wanted me, but
none of them ever panned out. That time of
waiting was hard because I felt like I was missing out or that I wasn’t hearing
God correctly; I doubted myself and my capabilities; I even just thought about
giving up on the whole thing. Through it
all though, I kept hearing a still small voice – not even audible – that told
my heart to wait and keep doing what I was doing because even better things
were in store.
Waiting may be wearisome, but God gives us strength (Isaiah
40:31). Waiting may be confusing, but He
will direct our paths (Proverbs 3:5-6). Waiting may be hard, but God gives us
courage (Psalm 27:14). What He asks of
us in the meantime is to trust Him and to keep on following and serving Him day
after day after day until the He gives us what we have waited so long for (Psalm
37:4, Proverbs 16:3).
After a few years of waiting, God, out of the blue, gave me the gift of
my job with the very SBC organization that helps every single one of the other
organizations I applied to – I call it my dream job because it was something that
wasn’t even on my radar, but as it turns out was the exact, perfect fit for
me! Lamentations 3:25 says, “The Lord is
good to those who wait for him, to the soul who seeks Him”… and oh, how good He
is to me!
So…don’t get frustrated or start blaring the car horn if you are stuck
in a “life traffic jam” right now, just keep waiting on the Lord and before you
know it that road ahead of you will clear out and God will take you to who
knows where!
"...thus says the LORD, your Creator, O Jacob, And He who formed you, O Israel, "Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name; you are Mine! When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze."
- Isaiah 43:1-2
We all have situations in our lives that we don’t understand. Whether it be a sickness or the loss of a loved one or an unexpected job loss or loneliness – someone at some time is faced with one or more of these situations and cannot for the life of them understand how they ended up there.
I was struck by this thought recently as I sang the song “It Is Well with My Soul,” especially the line “whatever my lot, Thou hast taught me to say…” As I sang that particular line, I was keenly aware of how strong those words are and how difficult it can be to mean them. The Bible is full of God’s promises to order our steps and plan out our lives. I don’t understand why difficult times happen. It doesn’t make sense to me why one of my friends who is my age was recently diagnosed with cancer and is currently undergoing chemo. I can’t understand why jobs are terminated with no explanation and families left with nowhere to turn. The feeling of loneliness is one that is very easy to get people down and discouraged because they feel like they don’t matter to anyone.
Life is hard and it doesn’t always make sense … to us. Notice that qualifier. Who does it make sense to? God. He’s got everything all planned out (Jeremiah 29:11) and will work it for good (Romans 8:28) – not necessarily our good, but His. What He asks of us is our patience (Romans 12:12) and our trust (Proverbs 3:5). Those two words are easier said than done, but it’s what He requires. We won’t, however, have to go it alone – He says in Isaiah that when we go through the hard, difficult, and confusing times that He will be with us (43:1-6).
So when you go through hard and confusing times in life, don’t just ask God for His help in your situation, also thank God for His presence and praise Him for His promises. He will give you the strength and wisdom in your situation; it just may take a little time. “Whatever my lot, Thou hast taught me to say, ‘It is well, it is well with my soul.” May it be so.
"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...
“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 stillon
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.
----------------------
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.
“I keep the Lord
before me always. Because He is close by
my side, I will not be hurt.” – Psalm 16:8
Snowpocalypse
2014 (the name for the South’s crazy snow/ice storm) will be one for the record
books. Kids stuck overnight in schools,
interstates turned into parking lots, people welcoming strangers into their
homes for food and warmth, and lots and lots of snow and ice…these are the
takeaways from these crazy few couple of days here in the South. It’s been crazy to read all the posts and see
all the pictures from my friends in Birmingham/Hoover and Atlanta. Many people were separated from their loved
ones for over 24 hours…how crazy! I had a
good amount of snow and ice where I live too, but I live in an area that sees
this kind of weather every so often….Birmingham, not so much.
An interstate in Birmingham....a casualty of the 2014 Snowpocalypse.
I’m sure as many
people slid on ice or were stranded on the interstate for 20+ hours God was
hearing a lot of these kinds of prayers, “God, stay with me and please don’t
let me get hurt!” David (although he
wasn’t in a snowstorm) could relate to these people because he said in his
psalm, “I keep the Lord before me
always. Because he is close by my side,
I will not be hurt” (Psalm 16:8). David
knew that with the Lord’s provision and protection, everything would be
okay. How sweet it is that as believers
in Christ we are able to have this knowledge that our God goes with us, and
stays close beside us.
God is SO
gracious to give us the things we need…protection, peace, love, and the list
goes on and on; but we must remember that we need to give Him things He
deserves too and those include worship, thanksgiving, love, trust, and that
list goes on and on. In fact David asks
God for protection and couples that with the fact that he has placed his trust
in Him, “Protect me, God, because I trust
in you” (Psalm 16:1). When we place
our trust in and give thanksgiving to God, He will give us the protection,
peace, safety, and help we need.
This blog
post wouldn’t have been so personal until just a few hours ago, however, as I
realized just how much this verse and message means to me today. On our way home tonight, we crossed an
intersection after our light turned green.
When we made it halfway through the intersection, we heard a loud bang
behind us. A car had run their red light
and crashed head-on into the car that was directly behind us. We were literally one second away from being
hit and totaling our car. But, “He [was] close by our side, [and we were] not hurt.” Thank you,
God. Immensely.
Situations
like what I experienced tonight or like the snowpocalypse will arise again in life
and we must not let our worries or fears grip us in those moments. We must remember that our God is before us
always and will be close to our side every step of the way. In those moments, He is all you need. Believe Him, thank Him, and trust Him.
David said
it best, “The Lord is all I need. He takes care of me” (Psalm 16:5). No matter what the circumstance…even a
snowpocalypse…He will do just that.
“We have the Lord our God
to help us and to fight our battles for us!”
- 2 Chronicles 32:8
A battle isn’t
something that only soldiers or people in a war come across and face head-on. Battles challenge each one of us every day
and can come from many different sources.
Maybe they are minuscule battles like getting your car to start, prying
off your fighting kids from each other, or trying to get somewhere on
time. Maybe they are huge and quite trying
battles like grieving over the loss of a loved one, getting an upsetting medical
diagnosis, or wondering how you are going to make ends meet. Whatever the battle might be…it’s something you
are fighting or struggling against that is making you just about lose your
mind.
Battles, like
the ones mentioned above, occur all throughout the Bible (okay, not so much the
car not starting….maybe we could replace the word “car” with “camel”). However, a battle I want to focus on for just
a minute did have to do with an actual “soldier to soldier” battle. Back in 1 Samuel, the Israelites were terrified
…with a capital “T.” They were facing an
enormous battle with a huge…and I mean HUGE…army called the Philistines. Extra emphasis is placed on the word HUGE
because the Philistines had a warrior who was 9 feet tall. This warrior’s name was Goliath and he was
pretty adamant that he and his army were going to defeat and slay the Israelites. How in the world could the Israelites win
this battle?
Well, we all
know what happens next. A small,
shepherd boy named David came, told King Saul that he would fight Goliath, and
lo and behold he did, and WON…with one small stone nonetheless! I absolutely love David’s words to Goliath
before he defeated him and the Philistine army. David said, “The battle belongs to the Lord, and He will help us defeat all of you”
(1 Samuel 17:47). Further on in the
Bible there are even more instances of individuals facing harrowing battles but
being reminded that they don’t have to face them alone.
At first you
might think…“It’s impossible for God to take my battle and defeat it. He’s not here; He can’t
physically/emotionally/tangibly fight my battle.” May I remind you of Luke 1:37? “For
nothing is impossible with God.” He
will fight for us…we just have to be trusting and ever faithful in His Love,
His Word, and His promises. This involves
us giving up control of our lives and letting God take control, which as humans
can be hard to do. But how relieving is it
to know that no matter what battles we face, we can give them to the Lord?! He lets us cast our cares upon Him (1 Peter
5:7), promises to never leave or forsake us (Deuteronomy 31:6), and makes a way
where there seems to be no way (Isaiah 43:19).
Sickness…loss…heartache and even that pesky car that won’t start – God’s
in control and He will help us if we call on Him.
So next time
you’re standing in the battlefield feeling like you’re going to be defeated,
just remember you have a Heavenly Father who’s there – ready, willing and able to
take over and fight it for you. 2
Chronicles 20:15 says it well, “This is
what the Lord says: Do not be afraid!
Don’t be discouraged…for the battle is not yours, but God’s.”
“Have I not commanded you? Be strong and
courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.” - Joshua 1:9
So this blog is a little different.Recently a new group called The
Love & the Outcome came out with a song called “He is With Us.”I absolutely love this song!I’m pretty sure it will be one of my song
anthems :)Anyway…I have put the lyrics as part of this
blog and have put some personal reflections about this day one year ago in
between.At the end of the blog will be
a link to the YouTube video of the song.Please listen to it and pray that these words will touch the hearts of
the Lynam and Winstead families today.Be blessed.
Remember
when your hope is lost and faith is shaken
Remember when you wonder if you're gonna make it
There's a hand stretched out through your deepest doubt
We can't pretend to see the ending or what's coming up ahead
To know the story of tomorrow
But we can stay close to the One who knows
One year ago.I remember.Two friends of mine lost their sons on this
day one year ago.Two boys full of
life, love, and spunk.Two boys who were
pretty close buds.Two friends who were
celebrating a birthday and a fun holiday.Lives cut short in the blink of an eye.I’ll never forget the phone call I got from another mutual friend who
told me what all had happened – I didn’t believe it, in fact, I had her repeat it
twice just in case I wasn’t hearing it right.It was a surreal phone call, one I hope I never hear again.That pales in comparison, however, to the
reality of what my friends went through one year ago day.Over the that next week and throughout this past
year, I have watched as my friends and their families grieved the loss of these
boys.One year ago it was hard.One year ago we did wonder if we would make
it.
We can trust our God
He knows what He's doing
Though it might hurt now
We won't be ruined
It might seem there's an ocean in between
But He's holding on to you and me
And He's never gonna leave, no
He is with us, He is with us
Always, always
He is with us, He is with us
Always
I have never seen people live out the chorus of this song than the
families of these boys.To have your
boys taken from you in such a tragic way and to come out from it stronger in
your faith and love – that takes courage and so much trust in God.It has been so inspiring over the past year to
see these families grow in their faith in Jesus.They are true testaments to placing your
trust fully and solely in God and letting Him guide your life.Yes, there have been days that were harder
than others, but the families made it through them.I’ll never forget hearing Joshua 1:9 prayed
over these families before the boys’ funeral began.It says, “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and
courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.”These families have taken this verse to
heart.They have exuded strength and
courageousness this past year, even in the midst of so much loss and God has
been/continues to be with them every single step of the way.
We believe there is purpose, there is meaning in everything
We surrender to His leading
He wants nothing more than to have us close
I miss Nate and Noah.When I’m
teaching missions in AWANA, I half expect them to be sitting in the back of the
room, one of them listening intently and the other one cutting up :)Noah’s mom and I have a desk next to each
other at work and so I would often see him there.In fact the last time I saw him was at work making a paper clip chain
(of which I now keep on the wall next to my desk).I have such sweet memories of the boys and I’m
so thankful for that.One of the verses
of this song says “We believe there is
purpose, there is meaning in everything.”How in the world can there be purpose and meaning in the loss of these
boys?I can’t answer that – only God
can, but I’ve seen kids come to know Jesus through this situation.I’ve seen people recommit their lives to Him
because of this.Many around the world
watched their funeral and heard the Truth.I’ve also seen individuals be inspired to “Live Like That” and they
have.Nate and Noah have inspired so
many…they have truly left a legacy that will never be forgotten!
Our
faith is sealed
Our hope is real
Come what may
We're not afraid
Our faith is sealed
Our hope is real
Come what may
We're not afraid
We're not afraid
I think for many of us, our faith and hope has grown as a result of
what happened.What Satan intended for
hurt and anger, God intended for us to grow in our hope and trust in Him. I wish beyond wish that it didn’t have to be
through this situation, but if there’s one thing I’ve learned through this it’s
that God is God and I am not.I pray for
many of you that your faith is sealed.That’s definitely what Nate & Noah would have wanted for you…to know
that Jesus loves you, died for you, and wants you to have His gift of
everlasting life.Following Jesus is really
as easy as “ABC.”A- Admit to God that
you are a sinner.B- Believe that Jesus
is your Savior and that He died for your sins.C- Confess to others that Jesus is the Lord of your life.Live
Like That!Give Jesus all your
life!Surrender it all to HIM!Even though they were little boys, Nate and
Noah made this extremely important decision to believe in and accept Christ and
because of that, we as believers will get to rejoice with them and Jesus in
heaven when God calls us there.
We
can trust our God
Always, always
We can trust our God
Always, always
I am so proud of you Lynam and Winstead families.Your lives, through this loss, have shown
such strength and trust in God.I pray
these lyrics will be the lyrics of your entire lives and I know they are – “We can trust our God – Always.”I’m so blessed to have known your boys.I’m so thankful to know you guys.Each day you are covered in prayer by so
many.Each day the boys are always
remembered.Each day, because of them,
people are inspired to live their lives to the fullest, trust God, and never
give up.
We
can trust our God
He knows what He's doing
Though it might hurt now
We won't be ruined
It might seem there's an ocean in between
But He's holding on to you and me
And He's never gonna leave, no
He is with us, He is with us
Always, always
He is with us, He is with us
Always, always
He is with us, He is with us
Always, always
He is with us, He is with us
Always
Our God is with us
God was with us one year ago today, He is with us today, and He will be
with us each day from here on out.We
can trust Him, ALWAYS.Listen to this
song below and pray these words for the families today.Remembering, Praying, and Trusting…
“When I am afraid, I
will trust in You.” – Psalm 56:3
Words can’t
describe how much I love Vacation Bible School.
Whether it be at my local church…at the Pregnancy Crisis Center Backyard
Bible Club…or in my heart city of Hong Kong, each VBS I am/have been a part of
brings such joy, excitement, and so much fun to my heart.
Last year
when I found out the theme of this year’s Lifeway VBS, I thought the Biblical truth
that the kids would be learning was brilliant.
“Facing Fear! Trusting God!” I can’t think of a better truth for children
to learn at an early age than the truth of trusting God no matter the
circumstance. I wish I could travel to
Hong Kong this summer and teach the Chinese kids this same truth…they so
greatly need to hear it too!!! Verses
like Isaiah 41:10 “Do not fear for I am with you” or Psalm 56:3 “when I am
afraid, I will trust in you”…what terrific truths that our kids can carry with
them through their childhood years, into their teen years and beyond! Most definitely for our church kids here at
FBC Morristown, learning this truth after the events of last year was
extra-specially important. No matter
what happens in our lives, we can ALWAYS trust that God is and will be with us. I must tell you, hearing the kids sing the
songs and recite the verses from this year’s VBS was especially uplifting. These kids can now carry the truths in the
tunes and remember them for years to come!
FBC Morristown's AWESOME VBS 2013 kids!!!
When I began
planning for VBS, I kind of thought that this year’s theme would be more of a reinforcement
theme for me. Yes, I know that I can
trust God in any circumstance. Yes, I
know that God will never leave or forsake me...I’ve even written a bunch of
blogs about this theme. When we finally
got to VBS week, however, the truths I had been learning about through my
planning would never be more prevalent than they were that particular week. You see, VBS week was the week my grandfather
began going significantly downhill, health-wise. I must admit, it was hard to put on a brave
face every day and teach the kids about truths that I was having to strongly
depend on myself. In fact, one night I
was getting something ready in the VBS worship rally room (sanctuary) and I
just burst into tears over everything. I
knew God was with me, I knew he was taking care of me, but I was sad…so sad…that
my grandfather was suffering.
Then Friday
night at the Family Concert, the 300+ VBS kids sang the Day 5 song for their families
and the words they sang couldn’t have been more poignant. My eyes filled with tears as the kids sang
these words:
I’m not afraid, afraid to let go.
I know you’re holding me.
You are the One I’m leaning on. You are my hope and my strength.
For every breath I breathe, and the ground beneath my feet,
I will trust You. I will trust You.
In every circumstance, no matter where I am, I will trust You.
I will trust in You.
I knew as
they sang that song that everything would be okay. I wasn’t afraid to let go of my grandfather. I knew God was holding not only me, but my
grandfather too. I knew I could lean on God. I knew I could trust Him with this situation. Period.
Literally 24
hours later from the time the kids sung that song, my grandfather passed away
and entered into heaven. Ever since that
night, after hearing that song, I’ve had such a peace about everything. Oh, yes, I miss my grandfather, but I’m at
peace with his passing. I know I will
see him again and I can’t wait for that day!
This past
week, I taught music at the Pregnancy Crisis Center Vacation Bible
School/Backyard Bible Club. On the last
night, I taught the kids the Day 5 song.
I just smiled to myself as we sang through the words - smiling because I
fully, wholeheartedly knew these words.
I lived them.
I pray that all the kids who learned this particular song this year remember it for the rest of
their life. I pray they also remember this
year’s verse and theme. They all have life-changing implications.
Thank you God for your promise and for allowing me to place my trust in You. I wouldn't be a sane person without it! :) Thank you Lifeway
for developing a theme this year that so many of us can relate to. I didn’t think I’d be relating to it like I
did, but God knew I would. You have
changed so many kid’s lives through this theme…that I know. Thank you to my sweet VBS leadership team. Your encouragement and help during our VBS
week brought so much relief and peace to my heart. Finally, thank you to all the precious kids
that sang that night at the Family VBS concert.
Many of you I know, some of you I don’t, but each one of you changed my heart
and I will never forget that. Ever.
“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.
"Weeping may stay
for the night, but rejoicing comes in the morning.” – Psalm 30:5
The day
after Jesus’ death had to have been an intensely difficult day for the followers
of Jesus. The day before, they had just
witnessed their Good Shepherd/Teacher/friend be killed by crucifixion and
placed in Joseph’s tomb. Sorrow, hopelessness,
and a deep depression more than likely began to settle into many of the
followers. Questions filled their minds
and the One who could bring the answers was no longer there. Heartache.
Weeping. Mourning.
Psalm 30:5
says, “Weeping may stay for the night,
but rejoicing comes in the morning.”
Never would those words ring so true than on the day following this
intense day of sadness. But how on earth
could things get better to the point of “rejoicing?” Miraculously enough, however...everything
did.
On the first day of the
week, very early in the morning, the women took the spices they had preparedand
went to the tomb.2 They
found the stone rolled away from the tomb,3 but
when they entered, they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus.4 While
they were wondering about this, suddenly two men in clothes that gleamed like
lightningstood beside them.5 In
their fright the women bowed down with their faces to the ground, but the men
said to them, “Why do you look for the living among the dead?6 He
is not here; he has risen! (Luke 24:1-6)
Rejoicing
had come in the morning! Jesus is risen! The women immediately ran to the other
disciples to share this news. Skeptical,
the disciples ran to the tomb and discovered that Jesus was indeed no longer
there. Over the course of days and
weeks, as Jesus began appearing to His followers, they came to realize that the
news they had heard about His resurrection was indeed true…He had defeated the
grave. He had risen from the dead. He is ALIVE!
This week my
church lost a dear encourager, prayer warrior, and friend. Her sweet family lost their precious wife and mother. So many of us, including myself, can attest
to the fact that our sweet friend Shirl was always one to offer her prayers and
support during our time of need. Her
loss was unexpected and is so incredibly heartbreaking to so many of us. When I found out yesterday that she had
entered the throne-room of heaven, I immediately thought of Psalm 30:5. The logic-part of my mind thinks the same thing
the followers of Jesus thought on the day after the crucifixion – “how on earth
can rejoicing come in the morning?” I’m
sad. I’m heartbroken. I miss my friend.
Then there’s
my faith. My faith in the very One who rose
from the dead. My faith in the One my
dear friend is with today because she knew Jesus as her Savior. Because of Jesus I know that although our sadness
and loss of our dear friend (and loss of so many other friends and loved ones) may
endure for a while, as believers in Him, our joy will come when He comes
again!
In
Revelation 22:7, Jesus says, “Look, I am
coming soon!” Someday in the not so
distant future, Christ will return to take His followers to heaven with
Him. We will rejoice in heaven with our
loved ones and friends at the feet of Jesus.
We will be in a place where there is “no more death or sorrow or crying or pain. All of these things are gone forever”
(Revelation 21:4). Our rejoicing will
continue for eternity!
“However, no one knows the day or hour when
these things will happen” (Matthew 24:36). Are you ready? Is your faith in Christ? Have you accepted Him as your Savior? Do you believe with all your heart that He is
the Son of God? Have you confessed Him
publically as Savior of your life? If
you haven’t, He’s ready with open arms to accept you as His child. I can’t think of anything better this Easter
than to surrender your life to the One who gave His life for you.
“ALIVE!
ALIVE! Look what mercy’s
overcome! Death has lost and Love has
WON! ALIVE! ALIVE!
Hallelujah, risen Lord, the only One I fall before, I am His because He
is ALIVE!”
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
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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.
