Dothan, Alabama > > > > > Fayetteville, Georgia

"What is life without challenges?
Rather, what are challenges without life?
How can a mountain be scaled without movement, or blood flow without a beating heart?
The tragic truth, though, is however present the beautiful challenges of life are, which they always are, they are dormant boulders, obstacles in the path we want to take, lest we make our hearts face the right direction and embrace the only right motive. To glorify God is really the only goal that will ever be met..."

January 18- January 21.  Dothan, Alabama.  
2nd THIRST conference of '15.

Tyler wisely advised us three other Happy Heart City teachers to not expect the same group of kids as we'd had in Picayune. Thank heavens he did. You see, I knew we'd been spoiled first summit out with a great bunch of kids, and that the next churches would certainly not be all like that. Yet I am grateful for the extra heads up, because the little ones in Dothan, were a handful. :)  But oh, did I learn much from them! Both from their characters, and in how to work with them.  It was a large group... a large, mostly rambunctious, group. Come Sunday evening I was crying out for patience, and wisdom in how to love them as Jesus does. My roommate for the week, Amanda, after hearing a bit of how the morning went, sat thoughtfully for a moment, then remarked, "I doubt the little children that came to Jesus were well-behaved. But he loved 'em anyways!"  It was SUCH a good thought, and I replied, "Perhaps that's why His disciples shooed them away from Him. I guess we just assume from the pictures they were like little angels. Probably not."
That evening we performed a skit about sin, called "Sin the Camel", telling how we all have sin in our hearts and yet God's made a way through Jesus for us to be forgiven and free of it. Tyler's application was received with wide eyes and listening ears, much to our joy. There remained bouts of chaos throughout the night, but progress had been made. Monday was Surrender night and Tuesday was Grace night. On Grace night, God spoke to me - pretty clearly!-  of how I have not been going to Him in prayer about everything. It's the age-old issue of me, I know-  continuously just trying to do stuff on my own strength and failing. (Stubborn 1/32 Irish roots.)  :)  But He just reminded me that I am indeed free to call out for help any time, in the very midst of ANY situation - and that He WANTS me to do so! It seems so elementary. Thank you, Father, for your never-ending patience. You are so good.
Come Wednesday night club time, it was really sinking in that yes, I was teaching the Salvation lesson to this group, and yes, I really hadn't practiced it at all that day or the 6 days prior since the last time I taught it. But instead of a guilt over my own unpreparedness, I felt a strange urge to let God take me over in the area of my teaching. Like, I'd been praying that I would share the Gospel how HE wanted me to. I knew it was all in my brain, like I haven't forgotten any of my lesson since September. And Wednesday night,  I spoke the Salvation message like never before. God gave me such a passion and a gentleness and a love for these kids and a concern for their soul all mashed up together and pouring out in a way that maybe wasn't discernable by anyone else in the room. But I knew, right in the moment and every moment recollecting it, that God saw and was at work.
One of the little guys we had the hardest time (pressing) to listen and obey became one of my best buddies by the last night. During craft time he was re-enacting parts of the Grace story about a boy who got adopted by a ship captain; and, as I listened to him and laughed, I heard Jennifer behind me talking with another of the more stubborn (look who's talking) boys and asking him what the cross was for, why Jesus had to die, etc. And he actually responded. And as he talked, bored as he seemed at first with the interrogation, his tone softened as he seemed to realize the importance of what was being said. It was a tiny glimpse. But a joyous one at that.
I again held back tears as the kiddos were picked up by their parents, only this time I was leading a game and didn't really get to say goodbye at all. It had been a beautiful set of hours, short as they were, with them.

What God taught me through this THIRST conference week.....

First, I woke up early (like, 6:15) every morning to go with a group of team guys to the gym at the church to work out. It was a new discipline for me, working out first thing in the morning. I was afraid I would be exhausted and/or get sick, but praise God, I actually felt healthier than I had in a while. So that was a great experience, and I'm sticking to cultivating that habit as much as I can.
I went through a ton -emotionally, mentally and spiritually- this past week. Typical. :)
God is continuously convicting me of my fear of man. I've always believed I don't really care what others think of me. And actually...I don't! ha. But I will bend, withdraw, laugh and serve based on what I know others need, to help them. And sometimes it is with an attitude of wanting to not make waves - either by saying,  or not saying, something. I've not been asking God for greater wisdom in this area - only relying on my own intuition to guide me in how I react or act out. So God's been drawing me to pray for wisdom more, and to step out and speak and encourage and engage with others with love and courage, forgetting myself and really focusing on them. Still praying for wisdom in how to share God's word in truth and love in everyday little encounters with people here in the churches.
And the one word God keeps putting on my mind over and over and over again these past 3 or 4 days is this:
relationship.
God allowed me to be utterly broken Saturday night. I felt so distant from Him, I have for a while and it was eating me up. He reminded me that He is close. He is near. He is here for me and loves me. Yes, I am to obey and disobedience creates a barrier in our relationship. But His love changes not. Oh, God, search me and know me! Create in me a clean heart, and renew a steadfast spirit within me! I need just be persistent in asking Him to reveal any areas in my life where I am displeasing Him!
All my life needs to be about is just knowing Him. To know Him is to love Him. And, as Jesus said

" Whoever has my commandments and keeps them, he it is who loves me. And he who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him and manifest myself to him.” ....23 Jesus answered him, “If anyone loves me, he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him. 24 Whoever does not love me does not keep my words. And the word that you hear is not mine but the Father's who sent me..."

"More than my next breath
More than life or death
All I'm reaching for, I live my life to know You more
I leave it all behind, You're all that satisfies
To know You is to want to know You more
To know You is to want to know You more

To know You is to ache for more than ordinary
To know You is to look beyond the temporary
To know You is believing that You'll be enough
'Cause there's no life without You."  ~Casting Crowns

So here we are in Fayetteville, Georgia. Yesterday we had about 20 kids in HHC (Happy Heart City), most of which were from the Hispanic church that also meets in this building (which was SUPER exciting to combine our services together for the Sunday message & worship!)  I wish more of the children from their church had returned last night; but still, hallelujah, for one little girl begged her mom to bring her back and let her stay the entire club meeting. We were so excited and so blessed to hear that and to have her be a part of our group. Please be praying for her, that she would be receptive to God's word in her life and have the courage to speak and act on it. :)
Also, I crave y'alls prayers for myself and for the team's health. We've had several team members down with illness, and I am starting to not feel very well myself which is causing me anxiety which I know should have no place in my mind.
Thank you all for your unending love, prayers and support. If there is anything you would like to ask about road life, you have any prayer requests that I can be praying with you about, or you just want to chat, please feel free to let me know!
Toodles. :)

p.s. please be praying for wisdom, too, for me and my teammates as we are all deciding whether or not to travel another year with LifeAction! Our decisions must be verbalized by February 13.