Thursday, March 29, 2007

Thanks

Thank you all for praying. my aunt passed away yesterday afternoon, but sadly, we don't think she got saved. She had let my dad leave a tract with her, so hopefully she was able to read it and get saved. With God all things are possible. Now please pray for safety for Charles and i, we will be leaving after classes today to go home for the funeral.

Tuesday, March 27, 2007

Sometimes we do stupid things

Have you ever done something that looked really fun, so you did it, and then later you realized it was really stupid, but you would probably do it again it a heartbeat, given the right precautions. Well, i did something along those lines last night. Nothing really astounding or breath taking although afterwards i did feel like i might hurl. Here's what happened, Heather and i had to go park her truck in the pit (the really retarded parking lot that our dorm is forced to park in although we are much closer to the back lot and there are other dorms closer to the pit). I was in a pretty weird mood, not really a good mood, but not necessarily a bad mood either, and Heather and I decided it would be fun to roll down the hill that we have to hike up to get out of the pit because they have not installed the stairs that common sense sees as necessary. So we got to the top of the hill, and then rolled back down. We did it once or twice and got some other girls to do it. I guess the whole campus was just in a weird mood. This idea probably wouldn't have been such an unintelligent decision if it wasn't for the fact that i am allergic to grass. Right now i am sitting here trying not to move my elbows because they broke out from the grass. So pretty much, I'm sitting here feeling like an idiot, and i thought i would share it with you.

***Yesterday, my mom called me and told me that my aunt is getting worse fast. They exected her to die last night or this morning. I haven't gotten a call yet this morning, so i am assuming that means she lived through the night. Please pray she gets saved before she dies. Also, please pray for Charles and i as we will probably be driving home for the funeral.

Monday, March 19, 2007

Utter Amazement at the goodness of God

This weekend is Spring Break. For me, just those words stir up pictures of home, family, friends, and those who are closest to me. One thing hit me differently this time when i returned home. I guess like every other person who leaves home, I didn't really think the big things would ever change. I mean i expected more faces at church, and new buildings would spring up around my community, but never anything big. This time i was hit in the face with change, and i was hit hard. It was a strange impact, not something that hurt too much, just a sudden and forceful jab. I guess the main changes that struck me were those at church. I walked into sunday school this morning to the same great class i have for the past three years of visits home and summer vacation. It was different, people i didn't recognize, people i have known forever are married, and even a new person teaching. I walked over to church after (our sunday school is in another building than our church), and the whole auditorium was packed out. The auditorium even had a few changes, including extra chairs on the platform to contain the massive choir that continues to grow, and a projector thing (which my pastor informed me was a four thousand dollar projector thing) hanging from the ceiling. The choir made their way to the platform, and there weren't enough chairs for us. Service started and our new staff made announcements and led music. There were so many new faces, i didn't know which were first time visitors and which were now regular attenders. I just couldn't stop thinking of the goodness of God that i saw has been working since i have been gone. God is allowing my church to grow, and i am so excited to see where it is going.

Another update on my aunt...she was admitted to the hospital on Friday because some of her levels were low, and while she was there, she started to have trouble breathing. The doctors think her lungs have partially collapsed. This put off the kidney removal pretty much indefinitely. Her only chance now is prayer. Please pray!!! Please pray for her spiritually. She isn't open right now to having anyone come and talk to her. Pray that God will soften her heart.

Wednesday, March 14, 2007

Quick Update

Spring break is around the corner...really, we leave tomorrow, and then after a ten hour car trip (eight and a half if the spedometer's broken lol) i will be home!!! I can't wait to get out of the car, go to my church, and see all my friends from home...except of course for the ones at college...kate and ashley :'( I might even get to see heidi on Friday, if i can convince ppl they want to go with me at 2am...

Well, a quick update on my aunt. My dad called me last night and told me that they think the cancer has moved to her brain. They are planning to remove her kidney in a week or two, and they are hoping that will slow the growth of the cancer, but they told her there isn't really treatment for kidney cancer. Please pray for her salvation!! It is on the top of my prayer list, and i hope you would add it to yours. My dad is taking it hard, but doing well. Pray for him as well.

Tuesday, March 06, 2007

Please pray

Well, I know i just posted 2 days ago, and most likely no one read it, but i have a need to post again. This time it is to ask all my friends to pray. I guess i could tell the 3 of you that read this sometime, but i am hoping that by getting this out in on the web, more people can pray. I found out today that my aunt has cancer. It started in her kidney and spread to her liver, spine, lymph nodes, and lungs. I don't know very much about her chances, but with God all things are possible. More importantly than her health is her spiritual condition. To my knowledge, she isn't saved. I am praying that this will give my family a chance to witness to her. Also please pray for the rest of my dad's family, none of them are saved, and i am praying that we will be able to witness to them. They have had a rough time with cancer in the family. My grandma died of cancer, my aunt (by marriage) also died of cancer, my dad had cancer, and now my aunt.

Thanks for praying!

Saturday, March 03, 2007

More than just content

I am trying to be content, but i don't just want to be content. I want to have a great time and learn a plethora of things (about life and myself and if im lucky "religion in america"). I want to experience everything i can. I don't want to leave this place, look back and only see that i was "content" my last semester. Right now, i am dying to get out of here, and get on with my life. I want to go to the next place i know God has for me, but i feel like i might be getting the cart before the horse (please excuse the horrible cliche). I know God is leading me to Maranatha next year, but i also know that God has me here for one more semester for a reason. I know there is something here i am supposed to learn, but i just want to get on with it. I need to be more than just content, and let God work.


Now with that all off my brain, i have had an awesome weekend. Last night, Lauren, Amber, Am, Heather, and i hit the mall, roaming around for most of the night, and then hitting McKay's (used bookstore where i spend far too much money) when the mall closed. After an extremely uneventful visitation (not one person home and a few vacant houses in a part of town that wasn't the cleanest or safest looking...and i was getting annoyed because no one is ever home) and lunch, Heather, Am, and i headed downtown. We don't go downtown often, although i really don't know why because it is a ton of fun just walking around and taking dumb pics. We started with Book Eddy, another really cool bookstore that sells old, used books. i walked around for a while checked out the new additions to their eclectic decor and then retreated to the truck to read the book i had already brought with me. About the time i started to fall asleep in the front of a truck in downtown knoxville, Am and Heather came out, and we headed for the river. i had never been to the river, but one visit has me hooked. It's beautiful and a ton of fun to roam around. When the camera died, we decided to get a bite to eat, so here we sit... i love downtown.