Story of my life...
Right now, I feel like the only thing I can do is take things one day at a time. Sometimes I have really good days, and other times my days are rather up and down. It's on days like those that I have to remind myself that God is faithful. He will provide all my needs and He will complete the work He has started in me. It's just a matter of taking it one day at a time; waking up each morning, listening for His voice, yielding to His call, and choosing to follow Him wherever it may be.
Yeah...it's one of those easier said than done kinda deals. But...God never said it would be simple, but He did promise that He would never leave us nor forsake us...and that's one heck of a promise to cling to!
Prayer Request:
That I will be disciplined enough to make sure I'm getting my quiet time with the Lord each day and that God will give me the grace to complete the task He has for me, even on the days when things just seem terrible.
Thank y'all!
Monday, August 30, 2010
Sunday, August 29, 2010
Gladiator Games
Yesterday we participated and volunteered in the Knoxville Leadership Foundation's Gladiator Games. They were a bunch of events that about 28 teams of 2-4 people participated in. The events included kayaking, swimming, basketball, sprint, shot put, 1-mile run, obstacle course, football throw and kick. It was quite an eventful morning. I am super sore now though!! haha
Welp...now I'm about to do some crunches with Missy. So, I'm going to be even more sore tomorrow! lol Oh well...I need it! :-) Most of the time I feel like all I do is eat and sit, since we're on the bus travelling so much. I need all the exercise I can get! haha
Welp...now I'm about to do some crunches with Missy. So, I'm going to be even more sore tomorrow! lol Oh well...I need it! :-) Most of the time I feel like all I do is eat and sit, since we're on the bus travelling so much. I need all the exercise I can get! haha
Wednesday, August 25, 2010
Sinners
A few of us from the team went to a praise and worship event tonight called The Walk. I am so glad I went. It was like a mini church service. A band led worship at the beginning, about 3 songs, then a man came up and spoke for a little while. It was only about an hour long, but it was a powerful hour!
He talked about Luke 15, where Jesus tells the Parable of the Lost Sheep, the Lost Coin, and the Prodigal Son. He talked about how Jesus was attracted to screwed up, messed up people, and they were attracted him. The Pharisees in this chapter are upset with Jesus because he sits and eats with 'sinners.' Jesus then goes into the parables and basically says, "If you lose something, do you not leave behind what's safe and secure and search with all your might to find it?" Answer being? Yes.
Sometimes, most of the time, it is necessary to focus so much on what is lost that we almost forget what is safe and secure. Now, that's not to say that we stop feeding the saved and forget about the commitments made, but we cannot forget about the lost. We, as christians, must focus on the lost, and finding them for Christ. Amen?
The parable of the prodigal son is a famous one, and for good reason too. That son essentially disowned his father, squandered all his possessions, became lower than servants, and went running back to daddy. And instead of getting what he deserved, the son was welcomed home with wide open arms, clothes, and a huge celebration because "this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found." What?! Jesus is telling us here that it doesn't matter what we've done, what our past consists of. The moment we turn back toward our Heavenly Father, the second we look back at him, he is waiting there with OPEN arms and wants to forgive us for the things we've done. This passage is beautiful because of the reminder of the Love of the Father. A reminder of how Deep and Long and Wide is the Love of God. Amen!!
Alright y'all...that was just a snippet of what I heard tonight and I thought I'd share it with you.
Goodnight! :-)
He talked about Luke 15, where Jesus tells the Parable of the Lost Sheep, the Lost Coin, and the Prodigal Son. He talked about how Jesus was attracted to screwed up, messed up people, and they were attracted him. The Pharisees in this chapter are upset with Jesus because he sits and eats with 'sinners.' Jesus then goes into the parables and basically says, "If you lose something, do you not leave behind what's safe and secure and search with all your might to find it?" Answer being? Yes.
Sometimes, most of the time, it is necessary to focus so much on what is lost that we almost forget what is safe and secure. Now, that's not to say that we stop feeding the saved and forget about the commitments made, but we cannot forget about the lost. We, as christians, must focus on the lost, and finding them for Christ. Amen?
The parable of the prodigal son is a famous one, and for good reason too. That son essentially disowned his father, squandered all his possessions, became lower than servants, and went running back to daddy. And instead of getting what he deserved, the son was welcomed home with wide open arms, clothes, and a huge celebration because "this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found." What?! Jesus is telling us here that it doesn't matter what we've done, what our past consists of. The moment we turn back toward our Heavenly Father, the second we look back at him, he is waiting there with OPEN arms and wants to forgive us for the things we've done. This passage is beautiful because of the reminder of the Love of the Father. A reminder of how Deep and Long and Wide is the Love of God. Amen!!
Alright y'all...that was just a snippet of what I heard tonight and I thought I'd share it with you.
Goodnight! :-)
Tuesday, August 24, 2010
God is Good!
God is so good! We had a show just the other night in Murfreesboro, TN. Over 900 people attended this event. Over 180 people made commitments for Christ! Over 300 people put on rings and made commitments to purity. Those are some awesome numbers! And that is all God's work right there, all of it done by Him and for Him. I just feel so privileged to be here...
Today we travelled to Knoxville, TN where we're going to stay until Sunday to help out with the Knoxville Leadership Foundation. Gonna be a pretty chill week, we don't have another show until next Wednesday, 9/1. Looking forward to relaxing and doing some bonding with the team :-)
So, in my devotional I read something titled "Unafraid to Fail." The verse used was Joshua 1:9 "Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified, do not be discouraged for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go."
I love this verse. It seems so simple, yet it is so incredibly powerful! We are told not to be afraid because the Lord has got our back! This goes back to the verse, too, about 'if God is for us, who shall be against us?' What an amazing thing to think about and try to wrap our minds around...the omnipotent, omniscient God is with me, with you, wherever we go. Now, if that doesn't put your mind at ease, I'm not sure what will ;-)
We cannot be afraid to go about our daily lives and screw up every once in a while. It's going to happen...it's inevitable. Setbacks will happen, troubles will come, the waters will rise, but the Lord my God is with me wherever I go, so why should I be afraid? Why should you be afraid? Oh wait...we SHOULD NOT be afraid!! Amen!
Just a little somethin' that was on my heart :-)
Love y'all!
~Anna
Today we travelled to Knoxville, TN where we're going to stay until Sunday to help out with the Knoxville Leadership Foundation. Gonna be a pretty chill week, we don't have another show until next Wednesday, 9/1. Looking forward to relaxing and doing some bonding with the team :-)
So, in my devotional I read something titled "Unafraid to Fail." The verse used was Joshua 1:9 "Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified, do not be discouraged for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go."
I love this verse. It seems so simple, yet it is so incredibly powerful! We are told not to be afraid because the Lord has got our back! This goes back to the verse, too, about 'if God is for us, who shall be against us?' What an amazing thing to think about and try to wrap our minds around...the omnipotent, omniscient God is with me, with you, wherever we go. Now, if that doesn't put your mind at ease, I'm not sure what will ;-)
We cannot be afraid to go about our daily lives and screw up every once in a while. It's going to happen...it's inevitable. Setbacks will happen, troubles will come, the waters will rise, but the Lord my God is with me wherever I go, so why should I be afraid? Why should you be afraid? Oh wait...we SHOULD NOT be afraid!! Amen!
Just a little somethin' that was on my heart :-)
Love y'all!
~Anna
Sunday, August 22, 2010
Tennessee!
Last night we had a show in Hohenwald, TN...otherwise known as Hole In The Wall, TN lol. It was an awesome place though! The people there are just so friendly and welcoming, I loved every minute of my stay there! My host home was wonderful...I was introduce to some real southern hospitality and it was well received ;-) It was such a fabulous little town, not too much goin' on, but it was one of those places where everyone knows everyone else and they all pull together to make one big family. I am really enjoying my time in Tennessee!
Today, we're heading into Nashville, TN to chill downtown for the afternoon and evening. Oh my lands...I am so pumped! So stinkin' excited! I have always wanted to go there and I'm finally almost there! haha Maybe I'll see some country stars ;-) That would be awesome! But we'll see.
God is so good. This last week He has really shown me His love and grace each and every day and I am so thankful. His mercies are new each day. Like manna, I just gather up what I need for the day; not too much and not too little. God provides! Praise the Lord for good christian people, wonderful experiences and strength for every day.
Today, we're heading into Nashville, TN to chill downtown for the afternoon and evening. Oh my lands...I am so pumped! So stinkin' excited! I have always wanted to go there and I'm finally almost there! haha Maybe I'll see some country stars ;-) That would be awesome! But we'll see.
God is so good. This last week He has really shown me His love and grace each and every day and I am so thankful. His mercies are new each day. Like manna, I just gather up what I need for the day; not too much and not too little. God provides! Praise the Lord for good christian people, wonderful experiences and strength for every day.
Friday, August 20, 2010
On the Road
Shortly after 7 this morning we had the bus loaded up, the bus and truck gased up, and we were on the road. Thus beginning a 2 month stretch of travelling, doing shows, and not being in PA. I'm gonna miss her while I'm gone! ;-)
This last week has been kind of difficult for various reasons. Please be praying for confidence, courage, and strength for me as I go through these next couple months. Pray for patience, that I will trust God in this time and not try to rush things.
We have a show tomorrow in Hohenwald, TN. Then we have another show on Monday in Murfreesboro, TN. Pray for the hearts of those who will attend the show, that some may be totally changed for Jesus and that true committments will be made to Christ and made to wait. And pray for us as we unload and load equipment, put on the show, and shine Jesus' light to those around us. We are doing God's work, so y'all better believe the devil is on the prowl, looking for anyone who's feeling vulnerable. He doesn't want us to make an impact for the kingdom, but we serve a God who so much bigger than any trick the devil will try to pull. Amen?! Praise the Lord!
If God is for us, who can be against us?!
Until I write again... :-)
~Anna
This last week has been kind of difficult for various reasons. Please be praying for confidence, courage, and strength for me as I go through these next couple months. Pray for patience, that I will trust God in this time and not try to rush things.
We have a show tomorrow in Hohenwald, TN. Then we have another show on Monday in Murfreesboro, TN. Pray for the hearts of those who will attend the show, that some may be totally changed for Jesus and that true committments will be made to Christ and made to wait. And pray for us as we unload and load equipment, put on the show, and shine Jesus' light to those around us. We are doing God's work, so y'all better believe the devil is on the prowl, looking for anyone who's feeling vulnerable. He doesn't want us to make an impact for the kingdom, but we serve a God who so much bigger than any trick the devil will try to pull. Amen?! Praise the Lord!
If God is for us, who can be against us?!
Until I write again... :-)
~Anna
Sunday, August 15, 2010
Millersburg, PA
Last night we had our first show at David's Community Bible Church in Millersburg, PA. It was a great show! There were nearly 200 people in attendance, with about 47 people making commitments to Christ and about 94 people made commitments to purity and bought rings. Talk about awesome!! God is soooo good!
This has been a fun weekend! I feel so honored to be a part of something like this :-) Thank you so all of you who support me and have sent me out!
We're headed back to Pittsburgh now, then we leave next Thursday for Tennessee. When we leave we'll be gone for 2 straight months...crazy! New for me, but it should be fun! :-)
Prayer Requests
- Safety in travels
- Prepared hearts and minds for the tour team and for those we're going to reach
- Continued bonding with the team
Love you all!! Thank you so much for joining me in my journey through this blog. I hope you're enjoying it. Comments are welcome! ;-) Let me know if there's something you'd like to know that I haven't shared :-)
~Anna
~Anna
This has been a fun weekend! I feel so honored to be a part of something like this :-) Thank you so all of you who support me and have sent me out!
We're headed back to Pittsburgh now, then we leave next Thursday for Tennessee. When we leave we'll be gone for 2 straight months...crazy! New for me, but it should be fun! :-)
Prayer Requests
- Safety in travels
- Prepared hearts and minds for the tour team and for those we're going to reach
- Continued bonding with the team
Love you all!! Thank you so much for joining me in my journey through this blog. I hope you're enjoying it. Comments are welcome! ;-) Let me know if there's something you'd like to know that I haven't shared :-)
~Anna
~Anna
Thursday, August 12, 2010
3&4
Wow...training days are over for the week. And I get to sleep in tomorrow!!! I am so pumped for that! :-D
Yesterday was a rough day. Today was a good day. Yesterday I was just really doubting myself, my abilities, my decision to be here. But today...all that was different. I was much more myself today, and things just went so much better. I could definitely feel the prayers and God's peace just reigning down on me and filling me up. Praise the Lord!
I was reminded a couple of days ago by a fellow team member of God's awesomeness. He was sharing his testimony with the team, and he talked about his struggles and areas of weakness. He said that God has taught him in the last few years that God's strength is made perfect in our weakness. AWESOME! How cool is that?! Even in our weaknesses and in our struggles God's power and strength is perfect, and can do incredible things in us in spite of our screw ups. So, I just thought I'd share that, since it was such a good reminder for me I thought I'd pass it on :-)
~Anna
Yesterday was a rough day. Today was a good day. Yesterday I was just really doubting myself, my abilities, my decision to be here. But today...all that was different. I was much more myself today, and things just went so much better. I could definitely feel the prayers and God's peace just reigning down on me and filling me up. Praise the Lord!
I was reminded a couple of days ago by a fellow team member of God's awesomeness. He was sharing his testimony with the team, and he talked about his struggles and areas of weakness. He said that God has taught him in the last few years that God's strength is made perfect in our weakness. AWESOME! How cool is that?! Even in our weaknesses and in our struggles God's power and strength is perfect, and can do incredible things in us in spite of our screw ups. So, I just thought I'd share that, since it was such a good reminder for me I thought I'd pass it on :-)
~Anna
Tuesday, August 10, 2010
Day One & Two
Crazy! Hard to believe that I'm here and day 2 is already over...what?! The days have been pretty long though, so I'm pretty tired...but I'm holding out on the energy drink epidemic that's going on with the team...everyone drinks energy drinks! Red Bull, Rockstar, Starbucks...I'm trying to hold out for as long as I can without giving in haha :-)
So far we've just been learning how everything goes together, like the set and stuff and the flow of things. So, I don't really have much to tell, b/c we're just training haha.
But...there are some things that I would like to ask y'all to be praying about...
- Safety during training (lots of large, heavy equipment)
- Bonding with the other team members
- Courage, Confidence, Strength, Hope
Thank you so much!
Love
~Anna
So far we've just been learning how everything goes together, like the set and stuff and the flow of things. So, I don't really have much to tell, b/c we're just training haha.
But...there are some things that I would like to ask y'all to be praying about...
- Safety during training (lots of large, heavy equipment)
- Bonding with the other team members
- Courage, Confidence, Strength, Hope
Thank you so much!
Love
~Anna
Saturday, August 7, 2010
Tomorrow
Wow...hard to believe that the week is almost over and I leave in the morning to head down to Pittsburgh. It's been a fun last week though! I finally finished up my packing tonight, I just have to load up a few other things tomorrow morning, and I'll be ready to go.
My feelings right now? Excited. Anxious. Nervous. Curious. Excited. (oh wait...I said that already lol) Surprisingly I am pretty calm considering I head down to Pittsburgh tomorrow, but I know that has nothing to do with me. I serve a God of peace and He sure has given me a healthy dose of it this week! Praise the Lord!
I know He is doing a mighty work in me, and will see it on to completion. I feel so blessed to have been chosen to be a part of this awesome ministry and such a once in a lifetime adventure! Thank you to all of you who have chosen to support me and become a part of this journey as well. I pray that God will bless each one of you, and that you will know the incredible love of our heavenly father.
Ya know...that just made me think of something. I was talking with a good friend recently, and we got onto the subject of God's love; how amazing it is. And I realized something during that conversation that will stick with me forever. We talk about God's love as being amazing, indescribable, incredible, and unconditional. The one that hit me the most is the word 'unconditional'. There isn't even one thing that could make God love us any less. Praise be to the One who loves us UNCONDITIONALLY, with no exceptions. He just does. Wow...kinda makes me speechless :-) and I don't mind that one bit. Praise Jesus!!! :-D
Alright...I'm done. Oh by the way...did I mention I'm excited? ;-)
My feelings right now? Excited. Anxious. Nervous. Curious. Excited. (oh wait...I said that already lol) Surprisingly I am pretty calm considering I head down to Pittsburgh tomorrow, but I know that has nothing to do with me. I serve a God of peace and He sure has given me a healthy dose of it this week! Praise the Lord!
I know He is doing a mighty work in me, and will see it on to completion. I feel so blessed to have been chosen to be a part of this awesome ministry and such a once in a lifetime adventure! Thank you to all of you who have chosen to support me and become a part of this journey as well. I pray that God will bless each one of you, and that you will know the incredible love of our heavenly father.
Ya know...that just made me think of something. I was talking with a good friend recently, and we got onto the subject of God's love; how amazing it is. And I realized something during that conversation that will stick with me forever. We talk about God's love as being amazing, indescribable, incredible, and unconditional. The one that hit me the most is the word 'unconditional'. There isn't even one thing that could make God love us any less. Praise be to the One who loves us UNCONDITIONALLY, with no exceptions. He just does. Wow...kinda makes me speechless :-) and I don't mind that one bit. Praise Jesus!!! :-D
Alright...I'm done. Oh by the way...did I mention I'm excited? ;-)
Wednesday, August 4, 2010
4 days...
Update on Sarah's wedding...
BEAUTIFUL!!! It was awesome! Sarah was gorgeous, the ceremony was wonderful, the reception was a blast and there was love spilling out of everywhere the whole time! :-D We had such a great time! It was super hard to say goodbye, though, when they left. I won't see them for at least 2 months...probably longer, which really stinks. But I know they're having an awesome time together and I guess I'll be ok without my sister for a little bit...haha.
Alright, so...I'm down to 4 days left and I still have most if not all of my packing to do, haha. Packing kinda stresses me out, but I'm going to try to have fun with it. I have to pack for like 3 1/2 months in one suitcase! How in the world am I going to do this?! LOL haha, I'll be fine, no worries...lol.
I can't believe I'm down to my last week in Cochranton, PA...crazy! I've done quite a bit so far, though. Boating, tubing, shopping, Cochranton fair, met with some great friends, heard an awesome testimony from a wonderful friend, and now just hangin' out at home with my dog Callie. Now...it's time to pack. Wish me luck!! Honestly...please pray for that! :-)
ALM
BEAUTIFUL!!! It was awesome! Sarah was gorgeous, the ceremony was wonderful, the reception was a blast and there was love spilling out of everywhere the whole time! :-D We had such a great time! It was super hard to say goodbye, though, when they left. I won't see them for at least 2 months...probably longer, which really stinks. But I know they're having an awesome time together and I guess I'll be ok without my sister for a little bit...haha.
Alright, so...I'm down to 4 days left and I still have most if not all of my packing to do, haha. Packing kinda stresses me out, but I'm going to try to have fun with it. I have to pack for like 3 1/2 months in one suitcase! How in the world am I going to do this?! LOL haha, I'll be fine, no worries...lol.
I can't believe I'm down to my last week in Cochranton, PA...crazy! I've done quite a bit so far, though. Boating, tubing, shopping, Cochranton fair, met with some great friends, heard an awesome testimony from a wonderful friend, and now just hangin' out at home with my dog Callie. Now...it's time to pack. Wish me luck!! Honestly...please pray for that! :-)
ALM
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