To Look Back Upon

It's about time for some form of post! SO many things have happened... God has shown Himself vibrantly in the past months.

Yesterday, I became a licensed driver. The day before that, both Kevin and I had our braces taken off. It was an all day affair which included driving to Uniontown, eating chocolate covered pretzeling, watching Aristocats, coloring with colored pencils, and having lunch in a small Italian restuarant.

Community Day, our last scheduled day of fundraising for Zambia, was all day on Saturday. Though it was an exhausting ten hours, we raised $250 and did have fun in the process. A man from Ndola happened upon our table. He was stunned and honored to see a project taking place in his own town. He didn't want to leave and was eager to get involved. We exchanged information and hopefully can put him in contact with Covenant Mercies.

Last week, I officially graduated high school. The commencement, like the education of each graduate represented, was one of a kind. What a moment it was to hear my name, walk across the stage, and have my mom and dad hand me a diploma.... high school--it's the past.

Our family attended youth camp on June 21-24. I can't even begin to touch describing the pure fun of camp, what I learned, and how the Lord met me. It was monumental! Also included in the proceedings was the traditional group ice cream stop on the way home for some fabulous soft serve and ice cold water... yum!

On June 20th, my extended families came together to celebrate my graduation. LOTS of preparation went into the party the week of--cleaning, cooking, decorating, sorting photos, setting up tents, buying bubbles for the little kids. The food was delicious; all credit to my mom, grammas, and aunts. Knowing that each person at the party came to wish me the best was priceless. Years of sweet memories were represented by each person there. Having a party was a privilege, and the moments with my family were precious.

June 1st was my evaluation, the official last day of my home school education. Ten years of choosing curriculum, field trips, Little House on the Prairie unit studies, co-ops, art classes, Bible club meetings, lunch in the livingroom, and not eating lunch at all because of the workload. A smile always creaps onto my face when I think about my mom's story of how she hestitantly began homeschooling. To God be the glory!

That, my friends, is just a taste. My purpose in cataloging all this is simply to have a record to look back to. Dad and I will be boarding a plane to Zambia in five days. Adventure awaits! More importantly, we have faith that God has glorious stores of grace to pour out in diverse ways. There'll be more stories to tell and more events to catalog when we get home.

Zambia

Whether I go or not, God has work for me to do. 

Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others.

For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure. 

Philippians  2

Revolutionary Media + Education

What one thing would I do to change the world if I could?

What will I do about it?

-Christina Dickson for Revolutionary Media 

"Change the World, Today?" @ the Rebelution

I don't have answers to those questions. But I want them... real, and deep. As raw and strong as the emotions and struggles of kids like those pictured in that video- I want my answer, my conviction and my calling to be like that. 

I'm still left with the question: what will I do about it?

Another realization: College isn't just about college. So many people in our culture further their education because its the thing to do, for the sake of not being left behind. Only a percentage have a vision, whether it is a specific field or just a mentality, for an ends by which education should be a means. As Christians, how much more should we pray, should I pray, to obtain an education that God can use.

What kind of impact would it have if we each educated ourselves with the vision of providing with that education change, good, and hope for others?

It's a challenge to move beyond the fulfillment of goals and titles and say to the Lord, "Here I am, use me."

When we think of God as both Creator and Ruler of everything, "we are dealing with a non-human level of dealing with life."

-Craig Cabanis, "Knowing God with the Psalmist"

How about you?

Amy Carmichael on Prayer

The following is taken from Amy Carmichael: A Life Abandoned to God.

1. Don't get into bondage about place, or position of the body... sometimes, at least, [Our Lord] went into the open air to a hillside; to a garden... I have known some who could kneel hours by a chair, some walking up and down. Some go into their rooms and shut the door... Let the leaning of your mind lead you, a God-directed mind leans to what helps the spirit most. 
2. Don't be discouraged if at first you seem to get nowhwere... no command in the Bible [is] so difficult as to obey and so penetrating in power... [as] "Be still and know that I am God." Many have found this so... 
3. Dont feel it is necessary to pray all the time; listen... and read the Words of Life. Let them enter into you.
4. Dont forget there is one other person interested in you-- extremely interested... there is no truer word than the old couplet: Satan trembles when he sees The weakest saint upon his knees. 
5. Dont give up in despair if no thoughts and no words come, but only distractions and inward confusions. Often it helps to use the words of others...Psalm, hymn, song-- use what helps most.
6. Dont worry if you fall asleep. "He giveth unto His beloved in sleep."
7. And if the day ends in what seems failure, don't fret. Tell Him you're sorry. Even so, don't be discouraged. All discouragement is of the devil.

• We don't need to explain to our Father things that are known to Him.
• We don't need to press Him, as if we had to deal with an unwilling God.
• We don't need to suggest to Him what to do, for he Himself knows what to do.

"She noted 'the gates of access into the Father's presence are open continually. There is no need to push-- perhaps 'trying to pray' is sometimes a sort of pushing."

"There are many in our family who come to prayer meetings because it is the custom to do so, but who are not urged by a great desire. It is the lack of prayer-hunger that often makes a big united meeting difficult."

Do I have a "hunger" to pray? 

To come together with others to pray?

There were two separate instances in the book that stood out on pages near the above instructions of time set apart for prayer: "For two hours they prayed and sang--two minutes it seemed to Amy-- before a messenger came to tell them the result of the operation. ...The council requested three solid hours of prayer [for Amy's health to improve] by the Fellowship."

"Have we any prayer like 'use me, O Lord' in the Bible?... [No] I could not find any such prayer...[I] find every other verb occurring in prayer-- teach me, lead me, bless me, and so on-- but not this verb which we would naturally expect... The Captain will use the soldier if he be prepared for use; words of beseeching on the soldier's part are not required..."

Invisible

The videos here gave me goosebumps.

Oddly enough I found the site through the Mac homepage. The guys who made the original video use Mac computers and were featured :P