so blessed.

THANK YOU for your prayers! girls bible study today was awesome, and such a blessing to talk with the girls about abiding in the Lord and the importance and simplicity of prayer because of the blood of Jesus. love it.

ps it's $1 frozen lemonade day at BK everyone goooo!

pray without ceasing!

here's a wee update:
girls' discipleship went great last week, and we're meeting again this afternoon! please pray that the Lord will use me to speak truth into the girls' lives, that they'll be open to receive from Him, and that they'll grow in their knowledge of Jesus, His Word, and their love for Him. ps we're studying about prayer today, and spending some time praying together!

oh love the Lord, all you His saints!
for the Lord preserves the faithful, and fully repays the proud person.
be of good courage, and He shall strengthen your heart, all you who hope in the Lord!
psalm 31:23-24

when you pray..

.."Lord, make me busy for you", He actually does take you seriously! I heard Cheryl Brodersen say that this spring, and again a few weeks ago, and well, she was telling the truth. And there's no better thing in the world than to be abiding in the Lord, being filled up and being poured out for His glory.

Tomorrow afternoon is our first Jr High Girls Discipleship! Please pray for open hearts as we open the Word together, and for sweet, sweet fellowship among us. I'm planning on about 6 girls in attendance. So excited!

Just received an opportunity to lead worship and share at a local girls' ministry next Thursday night. Please pray that the Lord uses me to encourage and edify and challenge these young ladies to seek His face.

Jamming with some friends on Friday.. can't wait.

Leading worship at our church's service in the state park this Sunday; praying that lots of people will come and receive from the Lord. Also, we're having a baptism! Praise the Lord for His faithful work in people's lives! And we're having a picnic! Please Jesus no thunderstorms!

If you need an amazing book to read on prayer, please don't pass go and don't collect $200 - just order If You Will Ask by Oswald Chambers from Amazon immediately!! I was just telling my mom about it today, and lo and behold, she found her mother's copy on the shelf. And get this, it was given to my grandma by her Sunday School teacher in 1938.. when she was only 8 years old! I want to be as awesome as that Sunday School teacher and build truth into kids' lives!! So, the Lord provides, from generation to generation. And the book? It's so good. It is the best book on prayer that I have ever read. It's all about Jesus. I love it. You need to read it too.

Sunday after the picnic I'm racing down south for a camp staff meeting, because teen camp is in two and a half weeks! I've been emailing with the other worship leader to get stuff prepared, so that'll be awesome, and I'm so excited for my evening cabin devotions with the girls. That's seriously my favourite part of the whole week, every time. Please pray that the Lord prepares the hearts of staff and campers and speaker, and that He is glorified in every single person who comes.

And last but not least, a little bit of Germany and California is coming my way in just over a week! An American guy who served down the road from us in Germany, who invited me many times to come down and lead worship at their church and youth group, who is now serving at the Bible College in CA, who is also moving his family back to Germany in the very near future to start a church in what I hear is an incredible city...... is coming to our church to visit! My dad met him at the pastors' conference a few weeks ago, and invited him out to share with us what the Lord's doing in their lives. I'm excited to hang out with him and his wife, and for my church to catch more of the vision of what God's doing in Europe!! Dear Europe..

Oh, how great is Your goodness, which You have laid up for those who fear You,

which You have prepared for those who trust in You, in the presence of the sons of men!

Psalm 31:19

and again.

once there was a lovely friend of mine who wrote a lovely song called, "and again." you know who you are!

here again is another passage of Scripture that has really been ministering to my heart. i am really digging my amplified bible these days! seriously, it's so great. it's like the Bible on steroids, with lots of extra wooooords! i do love words. it gives the fullest interpretation of the greek and hebrew words, so it's a really rich text to read. i read it pretty slowly. but it's such a blessing, because they are verses i know with a touch of added insight and wisdom. you should check it out.

my life has gone from 0 to 60 around here lately! all of the sudden i've got loads of friends with whom to fellowship, pray, worship the Lord, hang out and have fun together. i'm really blessed. in all honesty, i didn't really believe there were people around here with whom i could be friends. but the Lord sees all! it's kind of like when elijah freaks out and says "Lord, i alone am left and these pagans are wanting to kill me too!" and God gently reminds him, "I have seven thousand faithful among Israel." i'm being humbled pretty much daily to see that hello, it's God's work and not mine at all, whatsoever, no matter which way you look at it. He's so faithful to bless us, to encourage us, and to give us opportunities to be His witness, as we simply and gratefully abide in Him! and it's so natural- no striving, no fretting, no endeavouring on our own part. just trust-and-obey-for-there's-no-other-way-ing! you should try it and seeee!

ok, so here are the verses. i came across them in church yesterday, as we were studying chapter 13 of hebrews. a reference was made to 1 peter 5, for an entirely different reason, and i looked at the end of it and found another treasure, which you will see in bold/italics.

hebrews 13:5-6, Amplified Bible

Let your character or moral disposition be free from love of money

[including greed, avarice, lust, and craving for earthly possessions]

and be satisfied with your present circumstances and with what you have;

for He, God Himself, has said,

I will never in any way fail you nor give you up nor leave you without support.

I will not, I will not, I will not in any degree leave you helpless 

nor forsake you nor let you down [relax My hold on you]!

Assuredly not!

So we take comfort and are encouraged

and confidently and boldly say,

The Lord is my Helper; I will not be seized with alarm

I will not fear or dread or be terrified.

What can man do to me?

hebrews 13:20-21, Amplified Bible

Now may the God of peace [Who is the Author and the Giver of peace],

Who brought again from among the dead our Lord Jesus,

that great Shepherd of the sheep,

by the blood that sealed and ratified the everlasting agreement [covenant, testament],

strengthen [complete, perfect] and make you what you ought to be

and equip you with everything good that you may carry out His will;

while He Himself works in you and accomplishes that which is pleasing in His sight,

through Jesus Christ [the Messiah];

to Whom be the glory forever and ever [to the ages of the ages].

Amen [so be it].

1 peter 5:10, Amplified Bible

And after you have suffered a little while,

the God of all grace [Who imparts all blessing and favor],

Who has called you to His own eternal glory in Christ Jesus,

will Himself complete and make you what you ought to be,

establish and ground you securely,

and strengthen, and settle you.

what grace! what glorious grace! JESUS DOES IT ALL, and strengthens and settles us meanwhile, as we abide in Him.
come hang out with me and i'll tell you more about it!

so blessed.

x

and this.

Help me, O LORD my God! Oh, save me according to your mercy,

That they may know that this is Your hand - that You, LORD, have done it!

Let them curse, but You bless; when they arise, let them be ashamed, but let Your servant rejoice.

I will greatly praise the LORD with my mouth; Yes, I will praise Him among the multitude.

For He shall stand at the right hand of the poor, to save him from those who condemn him.

psalm 109:26-28,30-31

this.

And this I pray: 

that your love may abound yet more and more 

and extend to its fullest development 

in knowledge and all keen insight 

[that your love may display itself 

in greater depth of acquaintance 

and more comprehensive discernment],

So that you may surely learn to sense what is vital, 

and approve and prize what is excellent and of real value 

[recognizing the highest and the best, and distinguishing the moral differences], 

and that you may be untainted and pure and unerring and blameless 

[so that with hearts sincere and certain and unsullied, 

you may approach] the day of Christ 

[not stumbling nor causing others to stumble].

May you abound in and be filled with the fruits of righteousness 

(of right standing with God and right doing) 

which come through Jesus Christ (the Anointed One), 

to the honor and praise of God 

that His glory may be both manifested and recognized.

Philippians 1:9-11, Amplified Bible