Top Ten Thanks.

I can't believe Thanksgiving Day is tomorrow! Where has this semester gone?! Being off these past few days gives me just a little taste for what's to come in a few weeks...only 2 more weeks of school and then Finals Week. I'm really looking forward to Christmas and to the end of the semester...classes are going fine but I'm definitely ready to be finished with them!

I just wanted to take a couple minutes and share some of the things I'm feeling especially grateful for this Thanksgiving. I've decided to limit my list because there are so many things I'd like to talk about but only so much time haha.

Here they are...my "Top Ten Thanks":

1) First and foremost, I'm thankful for Jesus Christ. I'm thankful for His body and blood that were shed on the cross to save me from my sins. I'm thankful for His unfailing love for me, even though I'm so unworthy of it. I'm thankful for His patience with me and for His faithfulness. I'm thankful for His promises and I'm thankful for the gift of salvation. I'm thankful for the hope I have because of Him and the overwhelming joy He brings me. I'm thankful for each new day He blesses me with and I'm thankful for everything He's done for me.

2) I'm thankful for my mom and dad. I'm thankful for their constant help, support, encouragement, and love. I'm thankful for their patience with me and for all the little things they do for me. I'm thankful for their example and for the way they continually point me closer to our Heavenly Father. I'm thankful that our home is not broken and that I can always count on my parents to be there for me.

3) I'm thankful for Emi. I'm thankful that she's at UK with me and that I get to see her often. I'm thankful that she loves the Lord and that I get to watch her continually strive to learn more about Him and chase hard after Him. I'm thankful for the way Emi loves and encourages the people around her.

4) I'm thankful for my best friends, Olivia and Lauren. I'm thankful that even though I don't get to see them very often, they are always just a call or text away. I'm thankful that God has given me these girls to do life with and that He's given us such a deep friendship rooted in Him. I'm thankful for all the laughs  I get to share with these girls and for all the hilarious memories we've made together.

5) I'm thankful for a certain young man, you know who you are ;) I'm thankful for the work God's doing in both our lives and am thankful He's scripted you into my story. I'm thankful that we get to serve together and that you challenge me and make me want to be a better person. I'm thankful that the Lord has brought us together and am excited for where He's going to lead us in the future.

6) I'm thankful for my precious housemates. I'm thankful that our home is always overflowing with joy and laughter. I'm thankful that I get to live in a community of sweet Christian girls who are constantly striving to live more like Jesus. And I'm thankful for everyone's unique personality and the way the Lord has brought us together to love, support, and challenge one another.

7) I'm thankful for CSF. I'm thankful for the amazing community that God has surrounded me with and for the opportunity to grow alongside of so many wonderful friends. I'm thankful for the work God is doing on campus through CSF and am thankful for all the people that have come to know Him as a result of something they went to at CSF. I'm thankful for all the staff at CSF who forego money and advancement in their careers and instead, take time to invest in students and pour into us during our college years. I'm thankful CSF is on UK's campus and that I get to call it "home."

8) I'm incredibly thankful for all things Woodhill related. I'm thankful for the wonderful friends we've made through serving there each week and am especially thankful for Momma & Jeep, Bobbi, Arlene, Marticke, Tabari, Gerri & her girls, Liz, Vanessa, & Baby Toree, and precious Selena and her family. I'm so thankful for all the doors the Lord has opened this past semester and for the work He's done in the hearts of these sweet families. I'm thankful that I've had the opportunity to see Him work in such a magnificent way and am thankful for the great plans He has in store for this community and the people who live here.

9) I'm thankful for Southland and First Church. I'm thankful for two wonderful church homes, one in Lexington and the other in Northern Kentucky. I'm thankful for the chance to worship at one of these churches every Sunday and am thankful for the teaching I receive from them. I'm thankful for Jon Weece and the way the Lord speaks so clearly through him. I'm thankful for the dear friends we have at First Church and am thankful for their constant love and support, even though I don't get to see them very often.

10) Silly as it sounds, I'm thankful for heat. I'm thankful for my warm house and am thankful that I'm currently writing this without being layered up and buried under my electric blanket (this would not be the case if I were still in Lexington haha).

"Give thanks to the LORD, call on his name; make known among the nations what he has done." -1 Chronicles 16:8

One Thing Remains.

A year ago at this very time, I began going to Serve the City. Since then, Monday nights have never been the same. When I started last November, I had no earthly idea that this community was going to become such a tremendous part of my life. I had no idea how much I could care for the people who live there and certainly never expected to feel so connected to this community. Now, a year later, I can't imagine my life without Woodhill and the families we've grown close to. God has without a doubt been working in miraculous ways and I'm continually blown away by all He's doing there.

Monday nights are one of my favorite nights of the week and I honestly look forward to them all week. Over these past several months, Jeremy and I have had the opportunity to really invest in and get to know five separate families. Each of these families is so special to us and it's been amazing to watch as God has allowed us to draw up alongside of them and share in their struggles, as well as, their joys. We're so invested in the lives of our friends at Woodhill and I'm honored the Lord has placed them in our path...simply amazing.

God has opened up so many doors and continues to open ears, eyes, and hearts. He's certainly opened my eyes and heart to the needs of His children, as well as, opened the hearts of our friends. He's allowed us to become a part of their lives and given us countless opportunities to show and share His love with them in real and tangible ways. From building a crib to hospital visits and milkshake runs, our Heavenly Father is certainly at work and I pray it's been His Name that's made famous, not ours.

Here's a little bit of what's going on in each of our family's lives. If you don't mind, I would be so grateful for your prayers on behalf of these families...

-Bobbi: Bobbi is still in the hospital, after being admitted on September 24th. She had open heart surgery at the end of September and has yet to leave the hospital...aside from being transfered from UK Hospital to Good Sam nearly three weeks ago. Bobbi continues to be joyful and has been such a blessing to get to know. We love visiting her and hope to break up her day a little bit...I can only imagine how crazy I would go if I were in her boat. My prayer for Bobbi is that the Lord would strengthen her legs and help her to walk. I pray that she will be able to leave the hospital soon, that God would restore her health and bring her to a full recovery, and that she would come to know and love our Heavenly Father more and more...that she would seek Him more than ever during this time and that she would find comfort in knowing that He is the ultimate Healer and will do the fighting for her because He loves her more than she can ever dream or imagine.

-Momma & Jeep: Momma and Jeep are concerned about Bobbi. They haven't been able to visit her in a while and they both have had a rough time with recent illnesses. Momma continues to have dialysis three days a week and that completely wears her out. Jeep cares for Momma the best he can but I'm fearful he's struggling with things he won't tell us about. I pray the Lord would break the chains of addiction that are holding this family down. I pray for restored relationships amongst them. I pray for healing, not only physically but emotionally and relationally, as well.

-Arlene, Marticke, and Tabari: God's been doing work in this family's life and it's been amazing to watch as He continues to open doors to their hearts. We've had the opportunity to take Tabari with us to church the past several Sunday's and now, Marticke's coming too. They bring me so much joy and Tabari absolutely cracks me up. He's a hilarious little guy and I love watching him walk around Southland like he owns the place...so precious. For this family, I pray that God would give Arlene endurance and strength as she works constantly to provide for her family. I also pray that Marticke and Tabari would feel loved and so special...that they would know how much God loves them and that He created them both and they are perfect because He made them in His image.

-Liz, Vanessa, & Baby Toree: This past Sunday was amazing because we had the chance to take Liz, Vanessa, and Toree to church with us. I was thrilled they came with us and they were so happy to be there. Jon's message about "Rebellious Joy" really seemed to resonate with them and God was certainly speaking through Jon to touch their hearts...amazing. I just love Liz and Vanessa...they are so open to being loved and they bless us far more than they know. Tonight, Liz called me "mija" (baby girl) and Jeremy "mijo" (baby boy), names I think are sweet and endearing. Oh...and we brought them a microwave tonight and you would have thought we'd given them a million dollars (now that my friends is some #rebelliousjoy haha). I pray that the Lord would continue to reveal himself to Liz and Vanessa and that he would bless and protect their home. I also pray he would provide jobs for them and that they would seek to know Him more and draw near to Him in their weakness, knowing that He is above all things.

Selena & Her Family: Selena's family is doing pretty well and Selena is precious as ever. I seriously adore that little girl and would adopt her in a New York minute haha. Yesterday, we got to take Selena to church with us and I think she and her mom are going to come again this Sunday! For this family, I pray that God would continue to draw near to them and to those they love who are struggling. I also pray  they would hunger for more and that they would know how much God loves them and just how crazy He is over them.

Gerri & Her Girls: Gerri and her girls need to know how beautiful they are and how much God loves and values them. I pray Gerri would want to be the best mom she could possibly be and that her girls would feel loved, cherished, and protected by their mom. I pray Gerri's home would be filled with peace beyond understanding and that love would overflow. I pray they would hunger for Christ and that they would not fall to the trappings of this broken world. I pray for forgiveness and reconciliation. I pray against addictions and chains that are holding them down. And, I pray for joy. I pray their home would be filled with rejoicing and that laughter would fill up their hallways and bedrooms. Lastly, I pray we're able to help meet some basic needs for this family and that God would provide them with some beds so they have a safe and clean place to sleep at night.

As you can tell, God is doing big things in this community but there is still so much brokenness and need. After serving there tonight, I don't really think I know how to express how I'm feeling other than to say that God's presence was definitely felt there tonight unlike any night ever before and the Holy Spirit was doing work...super crazy awesome. Honestly, I'm overwhelmed. I'm overwhelmed at the needs of my friends. I'm overwhelmed by their struggles and burdens. I'm overwhelmed by the fallenness of our messed up world. I'm overwhelmed at how badly they need Jesus in their lives. I'm overwhelmed by the struggles all these friends have to go through and am overwhelmed that some of them don't know that God delights in carrying their burdens for them. Even still, I'm also overwhelmed by all the good things the Lord has done and continues to do in this community. I pray He would continue to work here and that He would draw near our friends. More than anything, I pray that our friends at Woodhill would come to know, love, and serve God. I pray they would cast all their anxiety on Jesus and allow Him to fight for them.

My heart is heavy for this community and my eyes are wet as I think about what I saw tonight. Right now, I'm finding great comfort in 1 John 3:20's promise that states, "For God is greater than our hearts, and he knows everything." I love that God knows exactly what each of these families needs and He knows everything about them. He knows what they're struggling with and He knows what makes them smile. I love that God is bigger than our problems and that He is made stronger in our weakness. I love that God loves us more than we'll ever know and that He's given us the honor of being His ambassadors, allowing us to carry His name with us wherever we go.

I pray for blessings over this community and I cry out shouts of thanks and praise for the work God is doing in Woodhill, especially for all that happened there tonight. I pray we would surrender to the Most High God and that we would recognize our utter dependence on Him. I pray that Jesus' Name would be made famous and that everyone in Lexington would know that God loves them so much He was wiling to have His Son die so that we can have life and life to the full!

*Here's my favorite song of all time..."One Thing Remains" by Jesus Culture. Tonight, I'm clinging to the wonderful promise that God's love never fails, it never gives up, it never runs out on us...

[[Higher than the mountains that I face
Stronger than the power of the grave
constant in the trial and the change

One thing remains

Your love never fails
It never gives up
It never runs out on me

Because on and on and on and on it goes
It overwhelms and satisfies my soul
And I'll never, ever, have to be afraid

One thing remains

In death
In life 
I'm confident and covered by the Power of Your great love

My debt is paid 
There's nothing that can separate
My heart from Your great love]]

Joy, Joy, Joy!

Joy. It's one of my very favorite words and is mentioned all throughout the Bible. It's far more than what Merriam-Webster defines as "the emotion evoked by well-being, success, or good fortune or by the prospect of possessing what one desires." In fact, I don't really agree with this definition at all. You see, happiness is because of circumstances whereas joy is in spite of circumstances. Success, good fortune, and possessions have absolutely nothing to do with our joy...they are all circumstantial and have no true merit! No matter what happens to us, we should all be filled with a defiant and relentless joy because of the cross. We have been bought at a price and thanks to Jesus, we can live every single day with an inexpressible joy that can only be explained as a gift from our Heavenly Father.

This past week, we began a new series at Southland called "Rebellious Joy." We're working through the book of Philippians (one of my favorite books of the Bible) and learning all about the crazy joy we have because of our Father's love for us. On Sunday, Jon challenged me by saying "We don't give people what they need, we give people what they're worth." Think about that for a second. I know for me, I so often just want to help people as soon as I hear of a need. If it's a crib for an infant, I want to rush out and buy it. If it's clothes or diapers or anything of the sort, I just want to run out and "fix" the problem. All of this is fine and dandy. In fact, we have been called to help "the least of these" and I just know God smiles when we help others in these simple ways. But what Jon said really stuck with me because it just reminded me that all of these "circumstantial" needs are far inferior to what it's ultimately all about...leading these people to know HIM! Jon expressed that the joy you feel baptizing a friend is like no other and it just helped me refocus and remember what all of these acts of service are all about. It's more than just being His hands and feet, meeting needs, and sharing a smile and a hug. It's ultimately ALL about leading others to know, worship, love and serve our Maker. I want everyone I know to be able to experience the same kind of joy that I do on a daily basis...a joy that can only be explained in response to God's love!

God has been moving in my life in so many tangible ways lately and He is absolutely flooding my life with blessings. One really cool way I've seen God lately has been through my friends at Woodhill. On Monday night (Halloween), we had a "Trunk or Treat" for the kids and passed out all kinds of yummy candy. Tons of families from the community came out and everyone had a really nice time...the kids were dressed so cute and absolutely loved all the candy. While we were passing out candy, our friends Liz and Vanessa walked up. As always, I was super excited to see them and greeted them with a huge smile. As I hugged Liz, she whispered in my ear that her mom had passed away the night before. It was clear she and Vanessa were in shock and still trying to wrap their brains around all that had happened and all the logistics involved with the funeral and such. As we spoke with them, we found out they needed some money for gas and God totally worked that one out...my, how His timing is perfect. Furthermore, it was super cool to see that despite their mourning and sadness they were both still joyful (not letting circumstances steal their joy), and they were comforted in the fact that her mom is in Heaven now! Lucky duck :) 

After that, we kept talking to them and asked if they wanted to come to church with us on Sunday. Their response? A resounding YES! No hesitation, no questions, no nothing. Liz and Vanessa both said (in unison I might add ha) how much they wanted to come and how excited they were. Seriously, God is good and I'm so excited to watch as He continues to work in Liz and Vanessa's lives. It's been amazing to watch as He has opened up their hearts little by little over these past several weeks and incredible to see how He's prepared a way for us to get to this point where they want to come to church with us. Absolutely amazing and such an answer to prayers. Ahhhhh.

As Jon said in his sermon, "when you are on the receiving end of the love of God, your joy abounds more and more." So let's love and live joyfully knowing that God is our true source of JOY and that love abounds through a joyful heart. Also, I'd like to invite you to join me in an attempt to memorize Philippians 2:1-11 (that's where I'm going to start for now ha). Think you can do it? I believe in you :) Let's let God's Word permeate our minds so that our attitudes are the same as that of Christ Jesus. Let's let our minds be renewed and thoughts focused on things above, not on the things of this Earth.

Let's live a life of JOY. Let's live so joyfully that other's look at us and wonder what's wrong with us. Let's make people want to know why we're so joyful, despite whatever may be going on in our lives. And let's live lives filled with gratitude, contentment, and love such that our joy is NOT dependent upon our circumstances. Success, good fortune, and possessions have absolutely nothing to do with our joy. Instead, let's "consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you that the testing of your faith develops perseverance" (James 1:2-3).

*You can check out Jon's sermon on "Joyful Leadership" here...http://www.southlandchristian.org/series/rebellious-joy/

And...here are some fun pictures from Halloween and Family Weekend :)