E-X-C-I-T-E-D

Dorm Devos--before coming to college, I could not wait for dorm life, especially the devos. What would be cooler than getting to hear others share their heart for God? Now, don't get ahead of me & assume that I detest dorm, core, room, & floor devos; quite the opposite. I love devotions, but I felt something was missing, but what? My roommates & I began discussing the subject. Our conclusion: excitement was lacking.

Devos had simply become a 15 minute intrusion on study time where we were forced to sit in the cold basement, listen to someone share a short devo, pray with the same group of people, & then return to homework & phone calls to Mom or boyfriend. I was disappointed. I had been learning so much from chapel & personal devotions, I could hardly wait to see what the Lord was going to teach me in dorm devotions! As Hayley (my dorm sup) & Melissa (my RA) would share their heart some would stare blankly into space, some talked with the girl next to them, & some, a disappointing few, listened intently & soaked in some precious truth from God's Word. I am NOT getting down on my fellow dormmates. I, too, have been guilty of not paying attention, but something needed to change, something needed to be done to bring excitement back to devos.

Elle, a transfer student from PCC, joined our room this semester full of excitement (& opinions) about everything. After devos one night, she came back to the room disappointed. Before we knew it, Hayley was in our room & we all were excitedly talking about how we could make devos more--exciting. We realized that the change had to be within us before we could ask others to be as excited. As a room, we challenged ourselves to some goals so we would not fall back into the form of normalicy--fall back into complacency.

A plan was made that night, & tonight, Weeks 109 was able to carry out the most radical form of excitement for devos you have probably ever heard.

Elle prepared a challenge for the dorm. A challenge to be different. A challenge to stand out. A challenge to be excited about dorm devotions. Before Elle talked to the dorm, we, uh, encouraged the dorm to get excited about devos--specifically core group devos. What did we do? I'm glad you asked.

First, we painted our faces. Now, you are probably wondering what facepaint has to do with devos. Nothing. We just wanted to paint our faces. We painted our faces green & black (Weeks' dorm colors) & each of us wore a dorm shirt. Part of devos is getting together as a family, so we weren't just getting everybody excited about devos, but about being part of the Weeks family.

Second, we made signs. Bright green posterboard spelled out C.O.R.E. I also came up with an acronymn for C.O.R.E.

• COME ready to learn about & rejoice in the Lord
• ON TIME--devos start at 10, not 10:01 or 10:10
• REJOICE in what God is doing in your & the other girls' lives
• ENJOY fellowship with those in the dorm (especially the ones you may not know)

I don't know if anyone else will remember the acronymn, but it sure has been a help to me to remind me why I should be excited about devotions.

We put the signs to use in our third activity: we ran in (ironically, late) cheering! With the signs lifted above our heads, we encouraged the girls to "give me a C!" as Elle sprayed silly string on our confused & skeptical dormmates. Yes, I'm sure we looked like fools with our faces painted & signs above our heads, but nothing beat how excited we were about devos.

Finally, Elle challenged the girls to get excited. Even though we had talked for hours about the topic, I couldn't help be get excited as Elle shared her heart with the others in our dorm. Why isn't everyone excited about what God is doing & will do in our lives?

You may think we went to the extreme, but I'm glad the Lord gave me the opportunity to get others excited about Him. Even if our litte pep rally didn't effect anyone else, I know that Weeks 109 will never be the same. Praise the Lord!

I Give It Back

Last week, Evangelist Morris Gleiser held revival services at the college. God is soo good--I grew soo much last week. I am newly excited about where the Lord is leading me & loving every minute of my refinement. I'll have to blog some more later . . .

Sunday was a great follow-up to everything that touched my heart during the revival services. Sunday was my first service back at Windsor & the Lord used a song that we are singing in choir to grab hold of my heart. As we practiced I Give It Back by Ron Hamilton, I was challeged to stand firm in my convictions of the previous week & give EVERYTHING back to the Lord, who gave so much for me.

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All of my talent: It is amazing how often I rely on myself for my abilities. I can do NOTHING outside the power of God. He is the One that has given me every one of my abilities: playing the flute & piccolo, calligraphy, work ethic, dramatic talent . . . everything is an absolute blessing & gift from Him.

All of my time: Wow! What a phrase! This semester it seems as though I have NO time at all (yet, I have found time to blog in the middle of the week . . . ). Between 18 credit hours, two jobs, & being in a play, my "free" time is mostly given to homework & other academic projects. Yet, the Lord asks for ALL of my time. I Corinthians 10: 31 says, "Whethertherefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do (work, classes, & homework), do ALL to the glory of God." Every moment of everyday in everything that I do, I am to be giving my time to the Lord. I don't work for Mr. Rick or Mrs. Sturgill, I work for the Lord. I don't study so I can achieve academic greatness, I study so I can better give my time to the Lord.

All of my treasure: What is important to you? What do you hold dearly? Those things which we hold dear are our "treasure". Those things do not have to be monetarily expensive, they are expensive because of their importance. The Lord asks me to give Him all those things which I hold dear. Sometimes, that is soo hard! Think about it--I am asked to give everything, even my dreams, to the Lord. Doesn't He deserve them?

Shall never be mine: This clause applies to the three previous statements: my talent, time, & treasure should always be resting in the hands of God, not in mine.

All that I am, All I shall be: No matter what I do or how people perceive me; No matter who I become, how much money I have, or how many amazing things I will do;

Lord, You gave it to me: this line really need no explination--He gave me everything. Who I am & who I will be is dependant on Him, I can only ruin His perfect plan for me.

I give it back to You: With all that He has given & done for me, how can I refuse to give Him anything less than everything?

My lips will sing Your praise: Have you ever read the Psalms? You should. The Psalms are overflowing with praise to God. One psalm even notes that the snow & rain praise God (for me, this is not hard to imagine, for I praise God for the snow & rain, but I have a sibling who absolutely detests snow). If nature, inanimate & without souls, can praise the Lord, how much louder ought I to sing praises to the Lord?!

All things come from You: As my cousin says in her Puggles presentation, "God made EVERYTHING!" Though she was only 3 at the time, she hit the nail on the head--God created everything. "And He is before all things, & by Him, all things consist (cohere, are held together)" Colossians 1:17.

You are the only source for the good I do: "I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, & I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing" (John 15:5). In my innate, sinful nature I am incapable of doing good. Everywhere I turn, people are taught that man is innately good, but that is a lie: "as by one man sin entered the world, & death by sin" (Romans 5:12). Only one person can free me from the bonds of sin & He is the God-man Jesus Christ.

I will be Your servant though you have set me free. Master & Creator, You'll be Lord to me: I Corinthians 6:20 & 7:23 both begin with the phrase "ye are bought with a price." That price was the most precious thing the world has ever known, nothing will ever compare to its value: it's the blood of Christ. The following phrases in bothe of these verses give reason as to why I should be thankful for the price Christ paid. 6:23 says, "therefore glorify God in your body, & in your spirit, which are God's." Because Christ paid my overwhelming debt of sin, I owe Him my life. The second phrase in 7:23 says, "be ye not the servants of man." Notice that I am not commanded to serve Christ, but it is a suggestion. With all that He gave me, what could I possibly give Him that would show my greatest thanks?

Take my lips & let them be filled with messages for Thee: Growing up in a Christian school it seemed that I was constantly challenged to constantly be speaking of the Lord. At first, this seemed hard, but the more I get to know my Lord, the more I find myself talking of things of the Lord. No matter where I go, no matter who I am talking to, Christ's name should be part of the conversation because He is my life.

Take my silver & my gold--not a mite would I withhold: This phrase is a reiteration of "all of my treasure," but rather than just stating what should be, this phrase shows that I am willingly giving back to God what He has so graciously given me.

I give it back to you.

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It's amazing how the Lord sometimes uses something that is so familiar to remind me of His amazing grace & love. I have sung or heard this song many times, yet most often I am guilty of simply hearing the song & not listening to its message. Sunday, the song captured my attention & I was no longer just singing I Give It Back.

a person's a person, no matter how small

For the first time EVER I am using my blog as a soapbox . . . so to speak. I don't intend to do this often, but this subject is very close to my heart.

Abortion has always been a topic that moves me emotionally. How can a person take the life of a young child? How can a person be so ignorant as to think that a fetus is not a human life? Isaiah 44:24 says, "Thus saith the LORD, thy redeemer, and He that formed thee from the womb, I am the LORD that maketh all things." For me, that settles is. God created me, in intricate detail, not when I was born, but while I was in my mother's womb. How awesome is that?!

Though abortion has be legal for quite some time (Roe vs. Wade, 410 US 113--1973), it never really effected me until I began working with political offices in 2000. All of the sudden, I realized that I could have an impact on the government--all of the sudden, my voice & opinion mattered! My sophomore year I helped with both the presidential election & promoted the sanctity of marriage & a ban on the use of an embrio for human cloning & medical research. The election & the two amendments set my brain in motion, I could no longer be naive about current issues. One thought kept running thru my head: a person is a person . . .

My junior year I was selected, as part of my drama class, to participate in a choric speaking--the selection? Horton Hears a Who by Dr. Suess. At this point you may be wondering what a children's book has to do with abortion, but the Lord used this funny story to grab my attention. Horton's most famous line is "a person's a person, no matter how small." During the choric speaking, I was a Who from Whoville--one of my lines required two other girls & me to repeat the line, "we are here! We are here! We are here!" How that line rings in my head now. Every day thousands of little, precious lives are screaming, "I am here!" only to be silenced before they are given the chance to breathe.

Forgive me, friends, for being so political, but it is our duty as Christians to protect the most wonderful thing outside of salvation--LIFE.

The writers of the FOCA (Freedom of Choice Act) are hoping to see their dreams come true. I hate to say this, but I hope I can be one to squash their dreams. The FOCA is a morally discusting & terrifying bill requiring religious hospitals, doctors, & nurses to act outside of their freedom of religion & allow & perform abortions. If these religious perfessionals & institutions refuse to perfom abortions, they risk losing their license, profession, & facilities. The Act also wants to reverse the Partial Birth Abortion Act of 2003 & nullify the law requiring doctors & hospitals to notify a minor's parents of the operation. There are many other things about this Act that I could rant & rave on. Educate yourself--be informed. Our freedoms are at risk, let your voice be heard, scream "a person's a person, NO MATTER how small!" If this interests you, more information can be found at www.FOCAfacts.com.

If this topic scares you as it does me, don't lose heart, you, too, have a voice for the tiny 'Who's of this world. If you really want your voice to be heard, contact your representative in DC & let them know that you discourage the passing of this act. More importantly, pray. Pray that the Lord would grant wisdom to those He has placed in office & be amazed at His amazing power. Then, when you go to school, to work, or just out to have fun, tell everyone, "a person's a person, no matter how small!"

born identity

Today is my 12th birthday. That may sound funny to some, as I celebrated my 20th birthday exactly a week ago. On December 17, 1996, precisely one week after my 8th birthday, I received a new born identity. I realized that I could not save myself & no matter how hard I tried, I would never be able to live up to God's perfect standard. I've grown alot since then. Sometimes, learning a new lesson was easy, other times, growth only came thru purging & pain. Through it all, I know that I can no longer live for myself because Christ has given me a new born identity.

As I reflected back on the day I was born again, I was reminded of a song I heard for the first time this summer: Identity by Phil Stacey. Phil Stacey gave his personal testimony as an introduction to the song. In his testimony he shared 2 Corinthians 5:17 "Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature; old things are past away; behold, all things are become new." As I celebrated my 12th birthday of a new born identity, I couldn't help but think of how the Lord has changed me, is changing me, & will change me.

The lyrics to Identity are a challenge to me. A challenge to daily seek to be more like Christ, to live up to my new born identity.

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Identity

by Phil Stacey

You are love, so I am love

You are joy, & so I am joy

You are peace, so I am peace

Lord, everything you are

Now becomes me

And the line between where you begin

And where I end is gone

I'm in You--I know who I am

You're my true, born identity

And I'm not the one I use to be

'Cause now there is no seperating You

From who I am

You are strong, so I am strong

You are power & so I am powerful

You are mercy, so I am mercy

Lord, everything you are

Now becomes me

And the line where You begin

And where I end is gone

Now I'm in You--I know who I am

You're my true, born identity

And I'm not the one I used to be

'Cause now there is no seperating You

From who I am

Anything less is not us

Anything else is not who we are

party for two

One night, not too long ago, when a few of us girls "just wanted to have fun", Katie & I discovered that our birthdays are one week apart. Almost immediately we began planning a party--a Party for Two!

Katie & I got together to plan the most amazing party in the history of parties. After choosing the venue & activity (ice skating at the Pettit Center), setting the date & time (Friday, December 5, 2008 from 6 pm to midnight), & confirming who we would like to celebrate our birthdays with us, we sent out both paper & e-mail invitations just before leaving for Thanksgiving break. I waited anxiously by my computer to see who would be able to join Katie & I for our Party for Two. Of the 30 invites sent out, 16 people agreed to celebrate with us. This past week of classes seemed to pass in slow motion. I could not wait for classes to end yesterday & get to my Party for Two!

Katie & I were joined by 16 great friends at the Pettit Ice Center in Milwaukee. I had so much fun ice skating (one of my favorite winter activities) & talking with friends. Mandy Jo & I were able were talk quite a bit as we spent most of the evening together. The most fun of the evening, at least for me, was watching others & helping Katie skate. We were a pack full of giggles & snorts as Misty, Kat, & I helped Katie around the rink. Being at the Pettit Center reminded me of countless skating activitiesback home & of other activities that I had done with my friends that joined me at my Party for Two. I felt so blessed that so many took the time to have fun & celebrate with me.

We were kicked out of the Pettit Center after two and a half short hours of fun on the ice (no worries, we weren't bad, the rink was closing for the night). Kat recommended that we continue our fellowship with food & ice cream at Kopp's. I enjoyed talking with everyone as they enjoyed homestyle ice cream & burgers. The food & fun at Kopp's was the perfect end to Katie & I's party for two.

I am truly thankful for all of my friends, whether they were able to Katie & I's Party for Two or not. They all may not believe me, but the greates gift I have receive could not be bought with money or created with man's hands, but is the comfort of being surrounded by friends. Thank you all for joining me at my Party for Two!

so much to be thankful for

Have you ever taken the time to stop & count your blessings? I am never ceased to be amazed at how good my God is to me--especially when I don't deserve His love. I guess that is what I love about Thanksgiving: God opens my eyes & I see that I have so much to be thankful for.

Thanksgiving dinner has always been a big deal in my family. My mom's siblings & their families gather around one (well, actually 3) long table at my grandparents' house to enjoy a Thanksgiving feast. No one person is responsible for the dinner, the entrees are divided amongst families. Some of the entrees have become traditions: Auntie M & her family bring the turkey & meringue pies, Dad makes his famous stuffing (complete with hickory smoked bacon, yum!), Mom makes the world's most delicious rolls, our family bring ham (yes, we eat ham at Thanksgiving . . . & Christmas . . . & Easter . . .), pumkin bread, & pies, & I made mouthwatering garlic mashed potatoes. Other traditional foods, like cranberry sauce, sweet potatoes, green bean casserole, & gravy are filled in by whomever. As I looked at the 17 faces of family & friends that surrounded the tables covered with amazing food, I realized, again, that I have so much to be thankful for.

Kat was unable to go home over Thanksgiving break, so I invited her to spend the break with me in KC. I was so thankful she was able to come, not only because we were able to have a ton of fun, but also because without her, Jarid & I would have had no way to get home.

On Saturday, Kat joined my family at TCCS's annual Purple/Gold basketball games. I enjoyed catching up with old friends & was given the opportunity to cheer. Seeing all my high school friends & teachers reminded me again that I have so much to be thankful for. God blessed me with not only a great Christian education, but also with great friends & mentors who have encouraged me to live for Christ.

After the games, Jarid, Lindsay, Kat, & I joined the College & Career Sunday School class for some fun at the Asher's farm. I was able to shoot a gun for the first time in my life--it was so much fun! I missed the clay pigeons with Pastor Bishop's shot gun, but hit the target on my first try with Dad's .410. I could definately get used to skeet shooting. As the sun sunk behind the trees, we all loaded up for a hayride around the Asher's property. The sky was so beautiful! My heart yearned once again for the opportunity to live in the country someday...After the hayride, we all snuggled up around a campfire to enjoy hotdogs and s'mores. When everyone had their fill, Chris asked us to share testimonies; we all have so much to be thankful for. It was an encouragement to see & hear how the Lord is providing for myself & my friends--only because of Him do we have a reason to be thankful.

Sunday was a fun surprise--for me & for Pastor Herbster. The church celebrated Pastor & Debbie's 25th anniversary. Though I usually hate missing classes, I am so thankful that the Lord allowed me to go home early & hear testimony of how He has used Pastor to lead & direct my church. The deacons & members kept the celebration of both services a secret, planning & preparing to honor Pastor & Debbie for their service to us. The Herbster's received quite a shock in the morning service as the head deacon presented the couple with their gift: a cruise following the steps of one of the greatest missionaries--the Apostle Paul. The morning service was only the beginning, for the evening service was a full blown Baptist potluck--an event that has not happened at my church for quite some time. Matt's impressions of Pastor & the testimonies that were given overwhelmed me. The Lord truly blessed me by allowing me to grow up in such an awesome ministry. Once again, the Lord showed me that I have so much to be thankful for.

Thanksgiving break provided me with a much needed opportunity: a job. Jarid, Lindsay, Kat, & I (with a little help from Craig) were hired by Mr. Bob to clean & paint one of his rental properties. The project allowed us to spend time together.Laughter & country music echoed through the empty house. Anyone passing by would have found 4 young adults having a little too much fun working (I'm blaming it on all the chemicals & fumes). Though we were not able to complete as much as we would have liked, I was very proud of our finished project. I almost wanted to stay home & rent the property myself! Hard work always pays of--in this case in both experience & finances. The job gave me some much needed help towards my college bill. As I worked, the lesson of the week began to sink in: it was Thanksgiving break & I have so much to be thankful for.

Finally, the focus event of the week: Thanksgiving! Along with eating too much of my family's traditional scrumptious food, I was able to spend time with my cousins. Craig led games of Settler's of Catan all afternoon--they became addiciting, I did not give up until I won a game! What a blessing it was to look around & realize that I was surrounded by people who love me & want the best for me. Friends may come & go, but family, family lasts forever.

Thanksgiving break was a much needed vacation from college. Though I worked, I was able to have fun with family & friends & learn more about the Lord. Though it seems obvious, the Lord showed me in my 10 days at home that I have so much to be thankful for.

girls just wanna have fun

College isn't all about academics & work. No, every once in a while (for me, more often than most) a day is set aside just for fun. A day where homework is put aside & completely devoted to relaxing & enjoying life--you know, girls just wanna have fun.

I was able to devote two days to such nothingness. Two days devoted to enjoying the company of two different groups. Kristin & I took pictures at a park on a sunny day in October. It was so nice to leave my dorm room & all the stresses of homework behind & just waste time (don't worry, I completed all my homework by its due date). We walked a park near the school, enjoying the warm sunshine of mid-October. My favorite part, as always, was the chance to talk one-on-one with Kristin. When it started to get dark, Kristin & I headed out to the nearby shopping mall, not to shop, but to take more pictures. We had a blast goofing off & showing the world that girls just wanna have fun.

After a couple of hours of chit-chat & pictures, Kat joined Kristin & I to some late night fun in the park. Kat & Kristin showed off their soccer skills while I . . . uh . . . attempted to direct the ball at a person. The hour that we spent out at the park was both hilarious & fun. What had started as a time of refining soccer skills, turned into a midnight (not literally, of course, we have a curfew) photoshoot. Proof once again that girls just wanna have fun!

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A month later, I was stressed from school & ready for another day of fun. I had a problem, though: Kristin's weekend was full of projects & Kat was in Florida for a soccer tournament. I felt alone. The Lord saw through my selfishness, though, & helped me build new friendships with Katie, Mandy Jo, & Deb. Each of us devoted our morning & early afternoon to school work so we could just have fun later in the evening. The four of us drove out to the shopping mall & then headed over to WalMart (we are college students, after all) & finished up the evening with a late night snack at Applebee's. The best part of the evening was, once again, the opportunity to talk & get to know each other. So far, some of the best nights of my school year have been the nights when girls just wanna have fun.