YFC-

The 5 essentials of YFC...


Wide-Spread Prayer- We in deliberately engage lots of Christians to intercede on behalf of the ministry site.

Loving Relationships- We consistently pursue lots kids and engage them in lifelong relationships with Jesus

Faithful Bible Teaching- We accurately handle biblical truth, regularly coaching kids to apply it in their lives.

Collaborative Community Strategy- We intentionally work together with local churches, agencies, and other partners to provide sustainable youth and family ministry.

Adults Who Empower- We strategically develope leaders to reach young people from every people group.

All of these "essentials" will become the foundation of the ministry that I will start at Royal Palm Beach High School. My next steps as I begin are to gain prayer support, get myself into the school in order to build loving relationships with kids, and research and meet with as many people in the community to make them aware of Campus Life and the vision of YFC.
This is a small portion of what I learned at Summer Institute 2008! I had a GREAT time at Institute leatning more about the organization of YFC. I'm excited to get started and put what I learned to use!!

Raising Time

This past week though I was very busy working and getting ready for my "Purity Overnight" event, I scheduled in one meeting with a couple who were interested in my ministry with Youth for Christ! It was incredibly exciting not just because they decided to give, but because it gave me an opportunity to really focus and share about my passion and vision with YFC. Everyone would agree that when you find like-minded people that have the same passion or share your passion, its refreshing. It's going to be challenging to find those people but they are going to be so good to have in my life. Keeping these kinds of people involved and updated in my ministry at YFC will keep me accountable and revived. To continuously be sharing God's mighty works with those around me and close to me will keep me on my toes so to speak. I plan on making a few more meetings; (if anyone is interested and wants to know more about what God is doing in my life...give me a call, or I'll call you:) And I would also encourage you just for your own spiritual sake to find someone and share with them what God is doing in your life and the directions He is leading you in this week/month/or year. You may find another like-minded person who will not only keep you accountable but help ignite that fire that God wants to see continue to grow in you. Making the time for this I am guessing will become essential for my ministry, and though it may be hard and schedules may conflict a bit I'm thinking these meetings will be very worth while and prove to have eternal effects for the encouragement and direction it will/can bring.

Surfing Is Fun!

Since I first moved to Florida, I've tried to explore new things and attempt the things that I've never had the opportunity to do before. Well let's see I grew up in rural Kansas, and graduated to the deserts of Nevada? One of the biggest on my list to do, not to mention scariest was surfing. You see being from Kansas (no extra large bodies of water), and having lived in the desert (no bodies of water at all), makes the vast ocean and all its extra large animals with teeth kinda intimidating. Nevertheless I resolved to not miss out on the opportunity if it was given to me, though I nearly didn't.
After church last Sunday, a friend of mine was taking some of the kids from his youth group surfing. The kids, not him insisted that I come, one girl pleaded that she not have to be the only girl out there with the guys, so I went. I had no real intention of getting out in the water little own on a surf board. The students went out on the boards for about an hour or more, and when they set foot on the beach they yelled for me to get out there and try it. I hesitated though secretly I really wanted to. Their push was enough, I looked at my friend who had already attached to board to my ankle, and I was off into the vast ocean with all its inhabitants.
My friend Chris was patient and helpful. He explained enough to me that I wasn't nearly as uncomfortable as I thought I would be on a surf board. With Chris' help I was eventually able to catch 3 waves....of which I actually stood up on one! I really enjoyed it and though it presented some challenges I would really like to go again soon!! But I'm pretty sure the waves are about gone for the season??? Alas, there is always next year.... right??
I wonder what will be next to cross off my list, as my interests and adventurous side continues to grow. Its taken me some time but I think I'm finally enjoying south Florida and all there is to explore here! I'm glad that I finally took the time to do something that I'd been wanting to do, and I'm glad that those students wouldn't take no for an answer!

UMMM Burritos!

Since my first tasting of the beautiful Chipotle burrito I've been hooked. To the point where when I moved to Florida one of the first things I did was google where the closest Chipotle restaurant was? To my dismay it was in another town south of where I live in Boynton:( I was soo sad until I learned that it was really only 20 minutes away. And believe it or not in no time I had boyfriend that lived their to help support my habit. Though the relationship was short lived it did not taint my devotion to Chipotle, however it did put a damper my frequency of the restaurant....Not long after that though a new one popped up north of me. A little bit closer to me but I go north even less than I drive south. So my burrito intake has slowed down to a depressing no more than once a month:(
Alas....literally around the corner from my house...not even a 5 minute drive, Chipotle Wellington is about to open this week!!! In fact during my last visit to the Chipotle north of here I made friends with one of the managers and struck up a conversation of my love for the restaurant. I took the opportunity to get the "dish" on the Wellington Chipotle, I was dying to know details that no one else would know. When I shared an interest in getting the word out about the opening he gave me the business card of the marketing manager for the south Florida Chipotle restaurants. I made the call, and boy did it pay... Not only did I find out that on Wednesday they are giving out FREE burritos all day, but I was also given the opportunity to help her pass out flyers in the mall! Out of the deal I got coffee, and I'll be receiving a "Chipotle backpack!!!", in addition Wednesday I will go and get my FREE burrito. The greatest gift for me in all this though is Chipotle as my neighbor....I can once again enjoy them as often as I can afford them! :)

Linden Paige-

Linden Paige, is my best friends daughter. She is yet to be born, but I look forward to her arrival with great anticipation! Many times just the mere thought of Linden coming into my life has stopped me, and when I really think about her I get very emotional.
You see I've known my best friend since the 6th grade...though I'm not that old most friendships don't span that long and have the kind of history that we do. Don't get me wrong we have a few other girls that we've known equal amounts time and are still close to, but this chick and have leaned on each other through a lot. And in edition to that the last year and a half her husband Ryan and I have worked together. Having a friendship that close with her husband has strengthened our friendship, and given me an even greater reason to rejoice with them in the coming of Linden.
I want to take a second to make some predictions of who Linden Paige will be. . .
First and foremost this girl will be Loved!!! Between her parents, and being the first grandchild on both sides of the family she wins hands down on the loved and yet-to-be-born child of the year category.
Second she is gonna be smart....probably smarter then me by the time she's 6, no lie. Ryan and Kim and very intelligent and pretty driven that way.
Third thing I'm predicting is that Linden will look like her mom, but have her dad's coloring and height. Total guess but I did say these are just predictions.
Fourth prediction is that she will love children's board games!! And most of the time will beat me at them, refer to 2nd prediction.
Fifth prediction is that she will potty train and walk sooner than most babies????
Sixth and final prediction for today is that she will like Asian food, no real reason for this one just a hunch?
While Linden's due date is still at least a month and a half away, I'll have to be honest and say that I really just can't wait for her to be here. I can't wait to see my best friend become the mom that she has always wanted to be, (well once she decided she didn't want to become President of the United States so at least that long).

Busy Changing

So its been a very busy week. Who hasn't had crazy week? I'm sitting at home by myself and I feel like this is the first time since the new year, though I know that is not true. In the last week to week and a half life has begun to show the effects being ever-changing. I'm all about it (change) until it zeros in on the things that I'm not ready to change....we've all had those experiences where we knew it (change) was comin and then when it finally arrives you resist it and pretend to be blind-sided. Ok maybe not everyone but I know that I am a flawed person and just because I do what I think is "right" doesn't mean that those around me won't be effected in a negative way. You never know?
Anyway the challenges of change are real. Lots of things change constantly; the price of gold, the open field down the street thats gonna become a Kohl's, I mean even Starbucks serves a different blend of coffee every week, and especially pop culture changes.
While in the 3rd grade a hip hop song was VERY popular, you may remember it "Ice Ice baby." (Do not even pretend that you don't know it). So I was a huge fan...I even recall making up a dance routine to the song with a friend at recess, yes I did happen to have all the words memorized. But after just a few short months (that at the time felt like years) Vanilla Ice was virtually off the scene. With the exception of the 2nd Ninja Turtles movie where he made a cameo. He was my favorite, I even watched a motorcycle movie that he starred in, that I am sure got less than great reviews...if any at all? So last week I'm working and in walks Rob VanWinkle (aka. Vanilla Ice). Of course the oh so young employees working with me didn't really have a clue when I got excited. I got his autograph, and we had a very pleasant 15 minute conversation. He was a very nice guy.
My point being that even the people we idolize and look up to change, as well as the perceptions that we have of them. So I'm thinking that the same goes with any person in our lives. As I ponder the people and things changing around me, I'm forced now to look at myself and how I'm changing. Its very hard to look at others while your changing yourself because you begin to think that your in the wrong, though sometimes true I'm finding it better instead to look at Jesus. He is the example that I am to follow and look to for true affirmation in my life. So as I change in the sanctifying ways that He desires its challenging and rewarding but the hardest part is that most people around me never really understand what God is doing in my life. Nor do I understand what He's doing in the lives of them. All I know is right now God is the one changing me and the extent of it is yet to be seen. Hard but good, big and small changes happen all around me and even in me!

Support

OK, so the real reason I started this blog was in keep my friends informed of my life and mission. Many don't know but I'm getting ready to raise support to become a full-time missionary with Youth for Christ (YFC). This is an incredible opportunity for me and very personal as 12 years ago came to know Christ through a Campus Life club ran by YFC! This endeavor is very personal to me as well as humbling. God has called me to step out on faith and do this. However raising support isn't going to be easy.
Obviously the "biggest" support that I can receive is financial, and although that is important as I have begun this process I'm learning that spiritual encouragement, and prayer are actually the hardest to come by.
Over a month ago when I first began to pray for God to open doors in my life most everyone agreed that it might be time for me to change up life a bit. Not to mention it would be great to know and be right where God would want me to be. After a series of meetings and different interviews God clearly has directed me to YFC. I'm sooo very excited. And as I write (type) this my letters are sitting in my room ready to go out. I'm quite nervous about this step as it makes everything real. There is no stopping once those letters go out. Either my support comes in or it doesn't?
I know God will provide and make a way for me to do this. My prayer is that by sometime in June I will have all the money I need. I want to be on staff with YFC before July. So please pray with me that that will happen! Its soo cool to see God answer prayers specifically!
Spiritual encouragement and supporters have been hard to find? I can only pray that more people will see my call and my heart for this ministry. Since I made the decision to follow God in this step I feel that I have lost "friend" support. In the last week I've felt very attacked. I know that satan attacks when we move closer to God and His will for our lives, but I really just want people to rejoice with me in what God is doing in my life.
God has blessed me with many friends who are doing just that, but I am struggling right now to focus on that with a few negative situations going on. Support is a very important yet illusive word. For support in life most people look to their family and closest friends, but even that isn't always enough. I'm truly in the process of learning that in ALL aspects of life God is my support, whether is be financial, emotional, or especially spiritual. My dependency must increase in the Lord, and decrease in those situations and people around me.


"My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever." Psalm 73:26