The End to a new Beginning

Well, it has taken me awhile to actually come online, but we are done. About three weeks ago on a Sunday night, we graduated. Then, the very next day five of the twelve people I lived with for a year, left. It was a bittersweet goodbye, but I know that those people are ones I can call up and talk to anytime I need to. They are friends that I know I can always rely on and I know that they have learned just as much as I have this year. I will still miss them tremendously.
So, what's next? I am going to be a counselor at a small summer camp in PA with one of the girls from GCBI. I am so excited and I will leave in a week and a half to head up there. I signed up for classes today too at the local community college. I was excited to hear that if I took two full semesters and a few classes in the next summer, I would get my AA in a year. This next week is my last week at work too. I feel like things that I love so much are ending, but I know that that means there are new things in store for me. I know that God has a bigger plan for me and everyday He is revealing more of Himself to me and His will for my life. That is my goal, to live a moment by moment surrendered life for my King. As things end and new things begin in my life, He is in control and I am ready for what He has. I know that some of it is hard, but He is the One I am following and wanting to please. His plan is the only one I am willing to follow. Living life with my hands open.

Winding down...

This year has gone by so fast. It is really amazing to me that so much time has past, but it feels like yesterday we were at orientation and I was nervous about meeting so many new people. Now they feel like family and I am sitting here in the common room with a few other people and this feels so much like home.

Tomorrow we all with load up once again in our van with our teacher Pastor Randy and go to a couple of churches in Florida. We are going to be helping them in any way that we can, whether it be hard labor or just encouraging there. This will be our last big trip together as a team. I am excited to go and I know that given the people that the trip will be with, it will me a good trip.
As this year comes to a close, it's really sad, but I am realizing that God has big plans for me and even though they might involve still staying in Sebring, I know that God will help me take what I've learned this year and use it for His glory. Next year, I plan on going to the community college here and also being involved with the youth here. Hopefully too, since I've been through the program, I will be able to tell the other people who are here next year how the year is and also, what to expect and hopefully form a relationship with them too. Basically all I know is that God has a plan for me and that whatever happens next year and in my distant future, that He is in control and I can always fall back on His character and love.

Trip!

Today we had class after a week of not having any at all. It was so good to get back into the Word, I realized that having a week off was a good indication of what I will be like after GCBI. I disappointed myself by not doing a very good job of still be responsible and getting into the Word. But today, we jumped back in and it was fantastic. We went over some of the gospels and some of Jesus' life. What a great God we have! He emptied himself it says in Philippians 2 for us. That means that He had the right and the authority to do anything He wanted, but He gave up all of that in order to come to the earth and die for us! That is so crazy to me. Why would a God who sees all of my faults and my failures want to have a loving personal relationship with me? It is so great that Pastor Randy will say one thing in class and that gets me thinking about my salvation and the thankfulness I should have about it.
On top of that, today we talked a little bit about the trip. For those of you who don't know, and there are only like 5 people who read this blog anyway...I am going to Israel in less than a week! I am getting so excited! We talked today about all the places we will be going and all the things that Pastor Randy will expound on in the gospels! I really wasn't that excited about the trip, don't get me wrong. I've been praying about it and I know that it will be a good trip, but I was focused more about all the events that are going on before we leave. Well, today has gotten me so excited and I am ready to go!
So, please pray about the trip and everything prior to that! Thanks and good night!

Christmas Break is over...

Well, we had a month off to see our family and celebrate the holidays. We just got back into classes this week! I am so glad that we are back into the swing of things. I am so excited to learn more about the Bible and to think that I have another semester to do it, yay! My break was really good. We went to Pennsylvania to visit my family. It was really nice to leave here for awhile and to get to see my family that I only get to see like twice a year. I also love Christmas in general. I know that I am a little late to write about all this stuff. Well, we went over some minor prophets today and Tuesday. We studied Obadiah, Jonah, and Haggai. We also studied Jude. I am so glad to be back and to study the Bible more. I know that I am becoming repetitive so I am going to end this blog post. All of that to say that I am even more thankful to be here. Thanks for your prayers and everything!

My Family

This weekend we had to get out of the institute because they were tenting and getting rid of the pests. How nice. All of the students had to find a house from someone at the church to crash at. I am from here so, it wasn't hard to find a place to stay for a couple of days. I have been home for a week now. In a way it feels like I never left, but then I remember, oh, my sister took my bed and all the space in the bathroom. Never mind.
All that to say that I really love and appreciate my family. They are always helping me or giving me money (which I seem to be out of all the time). I am so glad that I have them and that I can look at my dad and say, yeah, he really does love me. My dad, I love him so much and know that he is who I will be comparing any future husband to. He is so committed to my family and the Lord. He is a great role model. My mom is great and is always willing to listen to me rant and rave about whatever I am upset about. She is so wonderful! I love my sibs too. Life would be incomplete without any one of them. I love them all so much.
This whole blog to say that I appreciate my family and am so glad that I got to hang out with them and see them daily.

Love you guys!

The Trip

We are back home and have been for a few days. The past 3 weeks have been so busy and have gone by so quickly. Before the trip we were all worried about the van rides and how we would survive with 13 other people in the small enclosed van. I was praying about it for weeks in advance, but it wasn't even that bad. We all made it out to be worse than it was. I slept most of the time and although I got a little sick a couple of times, it was all good. The trip helped me get to know my team members more and know them on a more personal level.
The places we went were also very cool. I fell in love with the River Valley Ranch in Maryland. I would really like to (maybe, still praying about it) do my summer internship there. We also went to Atlanta for a few days, we went to the International House of Prayer and Northpoint Community Church. They were so different, but I am glad that we were able to experience both of them. We then went to River Valley Ranch and worked for a couple of days. We got to go horseback riding and also go down a huge zip line. I was so scared, but I went after the guy had to push me off. There was no way I was going to jump... We went to host homes the night after we left the Ranch. I stayed with a young married couple. They were so nice and hospitable and we were able to join their in home Bible study. It was cool to see how other churches, in different settings fellowship and learn together. Then we went to Phillidalphia, Jonathan's town. It was nice, we got to see Philly late at night and we got to help with the teen program on Friday night. It was a different setting, but it was good to be there even for a short amount of time. We went to Virginia after that and stayed with Sarah Beth's grandparents. I loved it. They were so nice and their house was very inviting. We went to a Korean Baptist church on Sunday and got to have a Korean meal afterwards. That was a new thing for me and I enjoyed so much the women of the church doting on us and wanting us to love their food. They were all so nice and that stop was probably my favorite. That night we went to a house church and got to be invovled with their Sunday night discussion. It was very homey and inviting. We then went to Jacksonville Beach and stayed right on the beach. It was gorgeous and I loved staying somewhere where we could chill and do whatever. It was such a good way to end the trip.
I learned a lot on the trip, but the one thing that stuck out to me the most was, the beauty of nature and the love of my God who created all of it. I am a Florida girl and I had never seen the fall leaves and the change that ocurred with the seasons. I loved it. All along the road the leaves were brillant colors. When we got to the ranch, the leaves were gorgeous and the area is serene and beautiful. At the beach, I woke up early the day we were leaving and watched the sun rise. It was spectacular and at night I was able to walk along the sand and see the thousands of stars that God had not only put up there, but named too. I couldn't help but think about the majesty of God and the way that He has everything under control. It helped me to see that no matter what was happening that day or what I had issues with, my Creator knew about it all and at the same time was keeping the world in motion. Our God is so big and powerful, and yet loves me for who I am.
I am glad to be back, but it was a good trip and I am thankful to all the people who fed and housed us.

Fall Ministry Trip

Tomorrow we will all load up into our 15 passenger van and drive to our first of many stops. Please pray for our group that we will learn and grow through this experience. Please pray that we will not have any problems getting to and from our destinations. Thanks for all of you who have already been praying.

I should probably get back to packing...
Love you all~