The final year....

So we have begun the final year at DTS!! This week Andy has officially begun serving at church by helping with Morning Prayer; and this week I will be the Lector at Church. We are so excited to dive into ministry at church, and it has been wonderful! We look forward to what God has in store. Also, we were able to end the summer by spending a week at the beach in Destin with some friends that had moved to TN. It was a great time of relaxing, catching up and fun with friends. It was a great way to get ready for the beginning of the school year.
 

Time Flys.......

Hello All,

Let me reintroduce myself...LOL! Ok. So it has been awhile since I last posted. I have been compelled lately to begin writing again...but about what?? I do not really know. As the title of this blog is the journey...this is just that; a journey. The thoughts that have been going through my head this week are about closure and new beginnings. Andy and I are currently at a place where we are doing both things simultaneously. At the end of last year, we said goodbye to some very dear people, who have graduated and moved on to other things. Andy is also beginning his last year at DTS, and although greatful, this also comes with a flood of emotions. Then there is the new excitement of the next steps that God is guiding us towards. We have loved getting involved at our church, and for the first time in awhile, diving into real ministry. We have come to have a heart for the church...and God is continuing to show us how to serve Him in this. It is really an awesome thing to let him guide (which I do not do enough). So, as we end and begin at the same time, it is good to know that our Heavenly Father has us in his hands. This world tries to take our focus off of that, but that is the simple truth. God has all our steps. Lord, help us to rest in this truth. Keep seeking him on your journey!

Meet the Team...

This is a picture of our team headed for Ethiopia!! It is coming up so quick, and we are all so excited! We would continue to seek your prayers for this summer and all that the Lord wants to do from it!

Ethiopia....the plans come together.

So, the end of the semester has come, and things are finally settling down, just in time to rev back up again! We are thankful for a little rest and time together, and so excited about this upcoming summer. As many of you know, Andy and I will be heading to Ethiopia this summer, and we will be using this blog for updates!! We look forward to sharing the journey with you!

Jumping off the edge.....

So I have a trenmendous pull to be a little fearful...and extremely conservative in my decisions/choices. God is continuing to stretch me in this mode of operation by introducing things into my life to stretch me, and encourage my faith in him. This could be anywhere from the little things in life to the big things...and everywhere in between. He is challenging my thoughts and how I live out my Christian faith.

We have had our first Ethiopia meeting for this summer, and are very excited to see how God will use this summer. This summer, as I have stated before, is a step of faith on many levels. We would continue to appreciate your prayers as God prepares us to serve.

Trust....

As a Christian...one of the things that seems difficult, or at least to me, is trusting Christ. This should be one of the easiest things in the world, right? All the "messages" out there, everywhere you go, is the idea that your can't trust God, you can't trust anything. It is hard not to be effected by this prevelant thought. That is why, God is increasingly showing me how important it is to spend time with him. To read His Word, and to live what I believe. A great thing one of my professors said last semester was this..."you have to trust something". Simple yet profound. I am loving this journey and continue to look forward to the process God is taking Andy and I through. Jesus set us free...it is time for us as Christians to live that way.

Give me Liberty...or give me death!-Patrick Henry

In a moving speech it is stated "...give me liberty, or give me death!". This quotation by Patrick Henry is a stirring and moving reminder of the importance of liberty, of freedom. It is so easy to give away our freedoms in return for comfort, the promise of better, however, it never really is. Christ came to set us free, and anything less is...well...less. Peace is nice, but not at the sake of our liberty. If our forefathers felt peace was more important, we never would have had the country that we do have.
There will always be those who will try and take away our liberty, and that is why it is essential to stay aware of the choices that lead to the relenquishing of our freedom. Whether spiritual or political, liberty is imperative. Let us not be lulled into the pit of apathy, where we shall surely loose our very selves.