Elohim

God is moving so much in my life and in the lives around me.

i learned two new names that mean God: Elohim (Almighty God) & El Elyon (God Most High). katelyn & christy taught the 4th & 5th grade sunday school class last week. i sat in and listened. the series for the summer is learning the names of God. how cool is that?!? i have never heard these two names and since i have learned them i have been hearing Elohim (L-o-heem) being said aloud. it was said at the Ramp this past weekend. i love hearing it.

i went to the Ramp this past weekend with katelyn. it was just, amazing. i haven't been in a place where teens are so on fire and seeking after God's heart in a long time. all we did was worship, mainly. we interceded for countries, our cities, & our nation. i can't describe how great it was. i'm so glad that we got to go. both of us needed to go and the Lord let us be there.

i got set free from some bondage that i didn't even know i had until i read this:
"The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eyes are good, your whole body will be full of light. But if your eyes are bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light within you is darkness, how great is that darkness!" -Matthew 6:22-23.
these two verses represent purity to me. we have to be careful on what we watch & what we hear. so i choose not to scary things or stuff that i know is wrong for me. i have gotten made fun of so much for not watching things that everyone else watches. i didn't even know that my heart was still hurting from those moments until i read this and the Lord completely took that pain away. i strive for purity even though i have failed. i won't give up.

that is only one thing the Lord has done in my life this past week. i'm learning so much. i'm trying to be patient with what He wants to do with my life. it wouldn't be that big of a deal if people didn't ask me weekly what i am going to do with my life. my family is pushing for me to get a job with my degree so i will be "secured." but i don't want to be secured or tied down to the world. so the Lord has my life; He can do what He wishes with it. You should read The Barbarian Way by Erwin Raphael McManus. the Ramp made me think about that book the entire time i was there. it was nuts!!

i have more i could say but i will spare you. love you all!

For your Maker is your husband—
the LORD Almighty is his name—
the Holy One of Israel is your Redeemer;
he is called the God of all the earth.
-Isaiah 54:5

why am i not there?

why am i not in China?? i know why and i'm not questioning why the Lord wants me here back at home. parts of me are learning why i'm here and other parts are still yearning to be back in China, especially my heart. i see things here all the time that reminds me of China. i was at walmart and they have green tea gum! i loved this certain green tea gum in China. ahhh!!!

i just read the journal post i wrote a year ago today. we were in hong kong doing evangalism work with YFC. after the usually routine of ministering to the senior citizens and to the people at the mall, we went to a mosque to minister outside of it. it was intense as we were all "yarping" on the way there. but as we got there we saw turtle doves flying in circles above us on the corner. it was a sign from the Lord to us! we pressed on that night and at least one person "joined the family!" we loved it!

i really miss China and i can't wait to go back. when will that be? only God knows. i plan on going to Africa before i go back to China.

my heart aches for the Chinese people.

i'm in awe.

this week has been amazing. seriously.

my week:
monday: The Blaze in tuscaloosa. it's a high school UnAshamed pretty much. it just started this week. we may go back.
tuesday: The Basement. i did the whole frontline thing. it was good & fun! "My Desire" by Jeremy Camp played at the end & that is my prayer. To do the Will of God. i don't know what that entails in my life but i know i want to do it.
wednesday: small group. we grilled out and had fellowship. it was good. i made a new friend :D
thursday: The Generation at Gardendale First Baptist. that place is so anointed. don't ask me what it is about or how great it is. you must come visit one night. unconditional love was the topic. the spirit of conviction was all on us last night. afterwards, we went back to chikfila in hoover in the hoover commons & danced & worshiped in the parking lot. the unity is wonderful within my little group/family.
friday: spending the night at christy's house tonight. we are going to talk about Revelations tonight! excited about having dinner liz tonight too!

my group/family for the summer:
katelyn, christy, marc, & me. sometimes caroline. group pic will come later. trust me.

i've realized how this summer is going to be amazing because it has already been amazing. i'm going where i need to go. the Lord is showing me so much right now & yet i'm still in a waiting period. love my life at the moment.

and my cat is sitting on top of my computer monitor. she's so silly.

how he loves

the story i heard was completely wrong. please watch this and soak in the love of God. soak in what He has done for YOU. let HIS LOVE cover you and fill your bones. just remember HE LOVES YOU.





now here is JesusCulture's version:




these are the best versions of this song.

realization

this week is Camp Meeting for the Church of God denomination in the state of Alabama. i work in the kitchen for this entire event but the last two years i was unable to work since i was across the world in China.

anyways, i realized something that is very important for me right now. i took a short break from setting up for the dinner after the service tonight and walked into the sanctuary to see the altar call. Tommy Bates spoke tonight and was praying for young people as i walked in. he got this young guy with bleach blonde hair- he also called him "blondie"- to come up on the stage to pray for him. Tommy Bates told this guy that he will have to separate himself from the world, break away from certain people in his life to go after to God. he told the guy that he may even have to be doing it by himself for a while but in the end something good would happen.

i quit listening after he said that the guy would have to go after God by himself. that part was for me. this past semester i had been praying to for God to help me rely on Him and him alone. since i have been back home i haven't done much. i haven't started my internship at my church like i thought i would have by now, and i don't even know if i will get to do it. i haven't really talked to anyone from school since i have left. and i am stilling trying to find my niche here as well as figure what God wants me to do with my life. it's been so hard and i am making it hard too by not spending time with the Lord.

this summer i am supposed to go after God by myself! i have never done that before. i have always had a someone there with me to go after Him. not this time. i still have some of my close friends here but it just feels different and i know that i have to seek Him with everything i have. i honestly wish some of my close friends from tuscaloosa were with me but they aren't.

Daddy is definitely teaching me some stuff. i have asked for the opportunity to rely fully on Daddy and to show me to be devoted in body and spirit. i'm not going to miss this opportunity.

thank you Daddy! i will trust in You and You alone. thank you for Your love and mercy and grace.

i'm physically exhausted. goodnight.

favorite music?

this weekend was filled with great music. Paramore & No Doubt in Atlanta and Elvis Perkins and Bon Iver at Workplay. i was amazed with elvis and bon iver sets. they were so good and what was even better, everyone in the bands played at least two instruments. it was just awesome.

however, songs like this are always the ones that remain in my head and i love that. it just reminds so pray for those around me while i'm at shows like paramore, no doubt, or elvis and bon iver. while they were playing last night and jamming out when they weren't singing i just started to sing for the Lord in my head.

enjoy this song. it's one of my favorites by hillsong at the moment.

urban outfitters

i wish i had more money to afford all of these beautiful dresses.






























































































































this is something i can afford: $20

a quick update

Hillsong United came to The Basement and they were amazing. the Holy Spirit was there as we all worshiped together.

i was talking to a friend of mine and we both realized that we really need to find a group of girls who will seriously challenge us to pursue God more. we both talked about how it could be our close friends but that doesn't always work. the heart and desire can be there but actually following through with it is the hardest thing.

my heart has been breaking for the Lord more and more each week. surrendering myself has been wonderful.

i've been reading harry potter book #6. it's really good but i have had some bad dreams from it. so when i finish this book i may or may not read the last one.


desires for the summer:
-friends who desire the Lord more than anything in b'ham
-direction for the summer
-certain people to pour into
-a new, pure heart for the Lord
-more faith
-direction for the fall


randoms:
1. Dr. George Tiller died
2. i have gotten kicked out of 4 places in the last 2-3 days
3. barns & noble closes at 10 now during the week instead of 11 every night
4. chik-fil-a has yummy chocolate milkshakes
5. UP is an awesome movie

Hillsong United:5/29/09

Hillsong United:5/29/09