ACF Christmas Party & Ugly Sweater Party!

It is hard to believe that this semester is already coming to an end! Last night we hosted our annual ACF Christmas Party and Ugly Christmas sweater party. It was EPIC. See the pics below!

It was a crazy night, but also quite touching. I have asked permission to share with you a poem that Monica (one of the 6 new believers this semester!) wrote and shared with the group last night.

This Christmas

By: Monica Mazzarella

This Christmas I need to tell a story
I need to shout it out to the world
Not only of a baby, but of a saved girl

This Christmas I finally see
All that god has given me; the beauty is of tranquility


This Christmas of hope, of joy and of love
That reigns through the earth and the heaven’s above-
A baby was born on this god given day,
The savior that would show his people the way.


This Christmas I know that Jesus is my savior
This Christmas I know that he works in my favor

This Christmas I rejoice for a baby that came
To take all of the world’s sin for his blame.
The silent night has been revealed with brand new eyes
The tears of feeling lost no longer stream from my eyes.
My god has been my rock, he eases all my pain
I feel like a child, I have so much to gain.


This Christmas is special, it’s one of a kind.
I finally know what true love is for the first time.
I can now spread the truth, of the Who? What? Where? and When?

Because on September 18th , I was born again.

This sweet angel is Monica. See that light in her eyes? It's Jesus. :)

Anita Keagy @ ACF!

During the Spring of 2009 I took a few students to a ladies luncheon sponsored by a local church. The speaker that morning was a lady named Anita Keagy. Her story touch all of our hearts so much that I KNEW I had to try and book her to come and speak at an ACF large group. A few weeks later I contacted her ministry to try and set things up...and they were already booking for Dec 2010!

I am just in awe of the Lord's timing. He knew that on Dec 2, 2010 He was going to use Anita's story to touch the hearts of almost 60 students!

Through her story of teenage pregnancy, giving a child up for adoption and years of longing to connect with her daughter beautifully parallels how much the Lord longs to be be our loving Father, and connect with us through his letters to us...in the Bible.

One of the things I love about Anita's ministry is that she doesn't tell her (amazing) story and then leave...she gives people the tools and a plan to start learning how to seek the Lord first each day. She gave students a 21 day Challenege to seek God in His Word and learn more about who He is. She gave each student a Seeking God First Journal with the 21 day challenge explained on the front cover, a little Gospel of John, and a highlighter to get them started!

There is nothing that gets more more excited than seeing God's word come alive to someone! Please join me in praying for our students to make time to spend with the Lord in his word for the next 21 days, and that it would be an amazing time of hearing the voice of God through his letters to us!

Thankful

A few years ago one of the hot topics in Christian culture was Glory. There were books, albums, devotionals, and speakers all over concentrating on the concept of God's Glory.

I have to admit, it all went right over my head. Recently however, I have been connecting a few dots.

The thing that gets me most excited...even giddy...is seeing the Lord alive and active in the lives of those around me. THAT my friends, IS God's Glory! To quote Beth Moore, "God's Glory is the way He makes himself recognizable."

Today, on Thanksgiving I am thankful for God's Glory! He has been showing up big time around here!

The most recent example was on Sunday night (well, technically Monday morning. Gotta love the hours of campus ministry!).

Around midnight Greg got a text from a couple students asking if we were still awake and available to talk. When these two sweet girls walked into our apartment that night, it was evident that one of them had been crying.

As is so often the case...when we get to the point when we know that we cannot handle life on our own, we can see our need for the Savior the clearest.

"Cindy" described how lost she felt. She realized that the friends that she partied with were not really friends, that the guys she used to date really did not love or care about her. She recognized her need for the Lord, but at the same time she was scared that she was just beyond saving.

Doesn't your heart just break when you hear something like that?

That night Greg, Candace and I were able to tell "Cindy" about Grace. Unmerited favor. That we come to the Lord with nothing but brokenness, and in return the Lord does not give us what we deserve, but he gives us Jesus. To quote Candace accepting Grace "is the easiest and hardest thing to do".

Eph 2:8-9 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast.

Candace (a month-old believer)led her friend to the Lord that night.

GLORY!

Could you not do the "happy dance" in your chair right now?

No...strike that...I am going to change the name of that dance to the "Glory dance"!

The Lord is showing up...making himself know...and changing lives.

Psalm 100
A psalm. For giving grateful praise.

Shout for joy to the LORD, all the earth.
Worship the LORD with gladness;
come before him with joyful songs.
Know that the LORD is God.
It is he who made us, and we are his[a];
we are his people, the sheep of his pasture.

Enter his gates with thanksgiving
and his courts with praise;
give thanks to him and praise his name.
For the LORD is good and his love endures forever;
his faithfulness continues through all generations.

I just have to share!

It is a gorgeous fall morning here in Philly and I am just giddy with excitement. Last night I (Ashley) began a bible study with 2 of the girls who are brand new believers this semester. I wish you all could have been there to see their excitement and hunger for Truth! They left with plans to start their "homework" that very night, they didn't want to wait!

Join me in praying the the Lord would just capture their hearts as they spend time in the Word!

Spoiled for the Ordinary

I was talking to a student the other day, and she was telling me about her experience with a group called YWAM. One of the phrases they use is “Spoiled for the ordinary”. That phrase resonated with me.

I am reminded of what life was like for us in 1999. Newly married…no kids…both working full time. We used to joke to one another that we were living for the weekends. Now I know that God does not waste time and He was working during that time, but we KNEW there was something more for us.

Once kids came along and other things filled our time, but we still had that unsettled feeling. Even when we lived in SC and Greg was directing a short term missions program we had trouble making Columbia home.

I can tell you today that where we are now feels like home. It is a place where our gifts are being used, the Lord is working in us and in others, we live with a community of believers that love one another, and the Lord has blessed us with provisions above and beyond what we could have asked or imagined.

Think we are a bit spoiled? 

Spoiled for the Ordinary!

If you are stuck in the ordinary ask the Lord to open your eyes to what He is doing around you and ask Him how he wants you to use your gifts in those areas.

A Special Day

Sunday was a special day for our family.

Caedmon, our oldest, asked Jesus into his heart when he was 5. I will never forget that night we prayed with him. He had been asking about Jesus for a long time. He has the sweetest, wildest, softest heart imaginable...(kind of like his Daddy). It was the honor of a lifetime to accompany him to the foot of the cross as he placed his faith in the Lord. As Greg and I left the room that night, we overheard Caed praying out loud. He said to the Lord "I have waited so long to get to talk to you, this is great." Super sweet, right?

Since then I have see the Lord working in that big heart of his. He is definitely still a 9 year old boy who bickers with his sister, but He is so sensitive to the things of the Spirit.

We have been talking with Caed about Baptism for a while now. We wanted to make sure that he knew what it was and why people do it. We actually even tried to get him to put it off until more family could be here to help celebrate, but he was very eager!

So Yesterday afternoon Caedmon was baptized! Greg accompanied Caedmon into the "dunk tank" (as Caed called it) and was right next to Caed the whole time.


One of my all time favorite verses is 1 cor 2:9. It is actually on the wall in the Caed and Abby's room. It says:

“No eye has seen, no ear has heard,
and no mind has imagined
what God has prepared
for those who love him.”

I get excited just thinking about all that the Lord has prepared for Caedmon! He is one awesome kid.

Better pics and some video footage are to come, but here are a few we took.

November 2010 Newsletter!

11

Wow, What A Week!

Last week was one of those weeks when we realize that we can work ON the ministry until we are just plum worn out (leading small groups, discipling students, and baking for get togethers) but the LORD is the only one who changes people!

I am just overjoyed to tell you that we have 2 new sisters in Christ! Here are their stories:

Greg and I met Candace (she's fine with using her real name) last semester. She was friends with a few girls from ACF but hadn't shown much interest at the time in diving into a Christian fellowship. Greg and I began to pray for her this semester when we first saw her and she told us that she had been looking forward to getting more involved with the ministry. In a chat with Greg on Tuesday Candace shared that she needed to quit her small group because she felt like she needed to be right with God before coming back. They talked about grace and that He accepts us where we are. This concept was at first difficult because there wasn't something she needed to do to deserve salvation. Nothing was keeping her from receiving Christ so they prayed together!

"Linda" is a good friend of Candace and also the roommate of one of our small group leaders. She came to our fellowship for the first time last night but had no idea about Candace's recent decision to follow Christ. Greg had previously asked Candace if she was ready and willing to share her decision aloud at our large group meeting on Thursday night. She shared from her heart, through tears, about her decision to follow Christ. At the end of the fellowship gathering, a student and a co-leader initiated conversation with "Linda" about what she thought of everything. Ten minutes later we had a new sister in Christ!

God is at work here and we're thankful for all the ways you partner with us for the sake of the Gospel!

Can I get an AMEN?

Pumpkin Carving Time!

Fall is my FAVORITE part of the year. The leaves are beautiful, mums of every color show up on porches, and....PUMPKINS! I start baking pumpkin bread and then make tarts, cookies, cakes, anything and everything with pumpkin!

Greg's obsession with pumpkins began a few years ago. If you are friends with him on facebook you can go look at his photo album of pumpkins he had carved...It is really amazing!

We had a fun evening carving this year's pumpkins...Caed even carved his own scary skull! Greg is STILL working on his as I type this post! Pics of that one to come... until then, enjoy these:)

God-Consciousness

I just began studying the life of David in my own study time as well as with a couple students.

I am only a couple days into this study and wow is it a good one!

One of the things I was reading about today was how focused David was on the task of returning the Ark of the Covenant back to Jerusalem. It was #1 on his To-Do list! David wanted God's presence to guide all social, economic, and spiritual decisions.

You and I do not need a physical chest in our living rooms for God to be present in our lives. Christ dwells in each Christians heart.

Just like David wanted the ark to sit in the center of daily life, so we must center our daily living and decisions with an awareness of God's presence.

"Practicing" the presence of God does not come easily or naturally. You have to be creative. It could mean writing verses down on note cards and posting them above the sink. (Or in the laundry room, where it seems I spend most of my time!) It could be turning on praise and worship music while you clean house. It is turning your worry-wort moments into prayers.

(I am writing this to myself as much as any of you!)

Let me close quoting a prayer from Priscilla Shirer.

"Lord, today let me see You when Your are moving and hear You when You are speaking. Heighten my spiritual sensitivities to notice Your activity around me, to me, and through me to others. May Your presence become so evident this day that I am steered clear of mistakes that I would most assuredly make if left to my own natural tendencies. Give me, dear Lord, a consciousness, an awareness of You everywhere and anywhere I may go."

Family Weekend & Fall Fest!

It is family weekend here at AU and one of our favorite days of the year : FALL FEST! There are inflatables, balloon animals, food, and crafts for the kids. We had a great time this afternoon! Here are a few pics. (Look for a certain little girl who is missing a front tooth!)

Cole is 2!

Sooo...I am a bit late with this post, but better late than never right?? Unfortunately we had a minor camera malfunction so there are no birthday photos to accompany this post, but here is a pic I took today...Look at that smile!



Happy Birthday to my sweet boy!

Doing More Than We Can

A couple weeks ago someone asked us how ministry is going so far this semester. I really liked Greg's response. He explained "we were really prepared for ministry to a group of 40 students that were a part of ACF at the end of spring semester, but when 65 showed up this fall, we were scrambling!"

I had a great time with the Lord today, He put our crazy lives into perspective for me. (I love it when he does that!)

The essence of the lesson was this:

Life in the Spirit is doing MORE than you can. If you can possibly do things on your own, you will try.

Yep, I am pretty sure the Lord want us in a place where we know we cannot do anything without Him. Mission Accomplished!

Another thing that I am learning is that years of growth and harvest are not leisure years. When Joseph (Gen 41) was in charge of all of Egypt during the years of abundance he worked pretty darn hard coordinating the storage of food throughout the empire in order to prepare for the famine. Joseph was not just sitting back and enjoying the view...

So how is ministry going?

We are working hard trying to keep up with this season of growth and abundance. We are keeping our eyes on the One who is really in charge and looking for ways He wants to use us.

Thank you so much for praying for us friends.

3rd Annual ACF Fall Retreat

We just got back from an AMAZING weekend in the Poconos!

Friday afternoon 35 students packed up and left for what they thought was going to be a fun weekend with friends. While it was fun, it was also so much more!

Friday night our speaker, Gibson Largent started the weekend with this video:



Then he asked this question..."Our lives could be 99% over, we do not know when we are going to die. The question you have to ask yourself is: Will your life have mattered?"

And so began a weekend of asking big questions.

The Lord was in and around conversations that happened all weekend. Whether it was listening to Gibson, hiking up a mountain, sitting on the porch enjoying the view, or sitting around the fire at night, the Lord was so close.

Gibson's final talk was Saturday night. At the end he gave students the opportunity to make Christ first in their lives if they had never done so.
3 students prayed to accept Christ that night!

Ahhhhh!

I wish you all could have been there. We welcomed our 3 new sisters with joyful tears and lots of hugs!

Here are a few pic from the weekend thanks to our very own Rose Huber! And yes, those are stilts that a few students tried out! Also check out the gorgeous views, we had the perfect weather all weekend!

Abigail's 6th Birthday!

Abigail's Birthday on Thursday was a lot of fun!

We had a family party at Chuck E Cheese, and then she had 50 college students sing her "Happy Birthday" at the Afterparty!

Here are a few pics.

Busy Week

I am writing this post in the calm before the craziness begins. In about an hour 50 hungry college students will come through our door and devour everything in sight! That's right, it is almost time for the AFTERPARTY!

Before all that happens I wanted to catch you all up on our crazy week of BIG events.

Monday, Labor day, we decided spur of the moment to go to one of our favorite fall spots, Linvilla Orchards. We had a lot of fun seeing the animals, going on a hayride and picking apples and peaches! Here are a few pics.

Tuesday was Caed's first day of 4th grade. Where does the time go? Here he is all ready to go (and really not wanting his picture taken).


Wednesday was Abigail's first day of Kindergarten! She did a great job, I think I was the only one who teared up when I had to leave! Here are a couple pics of my sweet little "Babby" (as Cole calls her!).






Thursday (today) is Abigail's 6th birthday! One of her birthday requests was to have all of the students at the Afterparty be there when she blows out the candles on her cake! Pics to come!

Whew, I am ready for a restful Friday!

Thanks for checking in on us! Greg just texted me from ACF large group up on campus and said there were 62 students there tonight! Praise the Lord!

Time for me to go get things ready for the stampede!

Oh My Goodness!

I guess a better title for this post would be Oh God's Goodness!

I am sitting here at my computer screen trying to collect my thoughts. I wish you all could have been at the first ACF large group meeting of the year last night. THERE WERE 65 STUDENTS THERE!

This is by far the largest group we have had for any event since we began working here at AU. Praise the Lord! And the best part: They all heard the gospel loud and clear!

Greg Baker, a co-worker from Intervarsity did a great job speaking! To end his talk he shared this video with the group.



WOW! What a story! Right?

Bottom Line: The Lord changes lives! And He is up to somethin' good here at AU!

Here is a pic taken last night with Greg's Phone so the quality is not that great, but isn't it 65 college students praising the Lord an awesome sight!?!

T minus 2 days...

The first ACF large group is only 2 days away! We have been busy catching up with returning students, putting up flyers, and making gift bags to give out at the activities fair!



Please keep us in your prayers, we are so excited to be a part of what the Lord is doing at AU!

Sneak Peek!

Here is a sneak peek of the ACF flyer that is going to be posted all around campus!



Tomorrow 710 freshmen and transfer students arrive, and on Monday-Tuesday returning students move in!

Let the craziness begin!

Jacob and Wrestling

Yesterday I had a great study time on Gen 32 where Jacob wrestles with God. I'm not gonna lie, I have always had trouble with this passage. I could never follow the story very well. Jacob packed up his family and sent them across the river because he was afraid of what Esau was going to do when he finally caught up with him after he stole their father's blessing. Got it so far... he was alone... then he is wrestling with a man....
I have never been able to picture it. My mind always goes to the WWF wrestling guys pulling fake punches in a ring!
Where did the man (who we later find out is the Lord)come from? What made Jacob fight him? Was there a point in the fight when Jacob figured out that something was fishy about this guy?? And why did they have to wrestle? Could a nice chat have working things out just as well?

The questions go on and on...

But then something stuck out to me. When Jacob began wrestling with God he was just Jacob, whose name appropriately means cheater and deceiver. He was a man who schemed and manipulated to get what he wanted. (Any toes getting stepped on yet?)

When he was done with the struggle he was changed, he was given a blessing and a new name.

What does that mean to us?

"When we struggle through a crisis with God all the way to the blessing, we are gloriously redefined." Beth Moore

I find myself acting like Jacob more often than I like to admit. I want to remember that God has given me a new name and so many blessings and promises of his guidance and provision for my life.

Next time you find yourself in a snit about something think about whether you want to be Jacob or the new you that the Lord created when he rescued you.

Were BAAACK!

2 and 1/2 weeks away from home is about all I can take! We are all happy to be back in our own beds and ready to jump into the new school year!

We had a wonderful time on vacation though. We saw LOTS of family and made some great memories at the beach. Here are a couple we had taken on the beach...





Right now we are in high gear getting ready for AU students to get back in a couple weeks. We appreciate your prayers as we get things up and running again!

More to come soon...I just had an awesome time with the Lord and I can't wait to tell you all about it!

On Our Way!

We are currently on our first leg of our trip down south! We are in North Carolina visiting Greg's parents and seeing cousins. Here is a sweet pic of the kids in a tree in Gramma's front yard!

Pebble in a Pond

One of the first events we attended after officially starting ministry with the CCO was a monthly Coffee House for 20-somethings put on as a ministry by New Life Community Church. At that first coffee house we met a guy named Steve, he was just beginning his first year of graduate study to become an optometrist. It was not long before Steve jumped right in! He was at every bible study, movie night, dinner out, and football game that our group organized. He also plugged into the church worship team as well as our worship team and ministry with ACF.

Everyone who gets to know Steve knows that he is in LOVE with a girl named Christy (That has to be capitalized because there is no other way to tell you how much he LOVES Christy!)Christy goes to college out of state, but we have had the pleasure of seeing her every time she comes to visit.

We all saw "the ring" as soon as he got it...and knew the proposal was coming. They are just adorable.

The wedding is in 2011.

We all love Steve...and even though we do not know her as well...we love Christy.

Yesterday morning several of us received a heart wrenching text and call to prayer from Steve telling us that Christy has cancer. He did not know a whole lot at that point but he was understandably scared.

Pebble (or BOULDER) thrown in the pond.

Late last night several students gathered in our apartment to pray for our precious sister in Christ. We had an update from Steve further explaining the situation and as a group we all prayed for our dear friends.

I never tire of seeing the hand of God move in blessing over his people. We have seen several seasons of "harvest" and blessing in our ministry here at AU. Last night we saw the hand of God begin to move through a storm.

The ripples caused by the pebble...

As we prayed several students talked about how their own faith has been challenged through this "storm". One was even talking about how she has been questioning her faith the past few days, but when she got the text from Steve nothing seemed more sure and necessary than getting on our knees before the Lord and asking for grace and healing. During the prayer she was reminded that even though she may wander, the shepherd will not let her wander far.

No one can know the mind of God and how he orchestrates and ordains the events of our lives. But we do know that God is sovereign. Nothing that happens is out of His control, and He WILL use this "storm" for His glory. Healing and restoration will come in many forms...in Christy, her family, Steve's family, our ACF family, and who knows who else. Praise the Lord and His wonderful and MYSTERIOUS ways!

This pebble (boulder) that was thrown into our little pond yesterday will have ripples far beyond our understanding. Praying for the Lord's purposes to be accomplished to His glory!

Please keep Christy in your prayers. Her prognosis is great. This type of cancer sounds like it is relatively "easy" to beat. Right now she is recovering from surgery and is pretty uncomfortable.

Thank you friends.

Precious Moment

It is really nice to have a few students living and working around campus this summer. We have a good group of 8-10 come to our Thursday night bible study. One even "Skypes" in from New York!

I have to share with you a precious moment from last night. We had a great discussion on Esther 4. One of the students prayed to end our time together. He thanked the Lord for everyone there and then thanked the Lord for all of the talents He has given us to serve. When he got to Greg and I he prayed the sweetest prayer for us, but then he really got me crying.

He prayed for our kids.

He prayed for protection, for growth in the Lord, for all those around them to love and cherish them...It was beautiful.

It may seem like a pretty simple thing, but it meant the world to me.

I love being a part of this community of believers.

Ocean City

This summer one member of our ACF leadership team is living and working in Ocean City NJ with the CCO's Ocean City Beach Project.

What is OCBP?

The Ocean City Beach Project (OCBP) is a summer-long community living opportunity for Christian college students to develop further as campus leaders. The Project provides the opportunity for you to grow personally in your faith and to develop a deeper vision for your life. At OCBP, you work and worship in one community while being challenged to become a kingdom leader. You live with other college students in a large beach house while you make an impact on the New Jersey shore. At the end of your time at OCBP, you will not only have sand in your shoes and the taste of salt water in your mouth, you will have developed character and skills to become an effective leader.

Yesterday we made the 80 mile trip from Philly to Ocean City to visit Russ on his day off from work. We had a great time meeting several of the students in OCBP and spending the day with Russ.

We ate at the famous Mack and Manco's Pizzeria on the boardwalk and then enjoyed ourselves at Wonderland Amusement Park!

Caed and Abby rode their first roller coaster! Caed LOVED it, Abby was not so sure but would rather try something than be left out!

Here are a few pics!

Birthdays!

June is the birthday month for most of our family! We have had a great time celebrating. Sunday June 13th was my (Ashley) big day. We went to church, and then I took a WONDERFUL birthday nap, and then Greg and I went out to dinner at Texas Roadhouse!

Friday evening we hosted 7 loud and crazy 8-9 year olds for a sleepover celebrating Caed's 9th birthday. It was his first slumber party and they had a blast. We finally got them all to sleep around 5:30 am!

Yesterday, the 20th we celebrated Greg and Caed's birthdays AND Father's day as a family. Here are a pics of the boys on their big day!





They are so much alike inside and out, it is only fitting that they share a birthday!

Caed's Wax Museum

Caed has been working on a big "wax museum" project for school since the beginning of May. He chose a man named Duke Kahanamoku, who is called the father of modern surfing. Caed wrote a 2 page research paper, made a poster, and wrote a speech about Duke. Greg and Caed also made a model surf board out of some scrap particle board. It looks just like the one Duke made himself!

Friday afternoon was the actual wax museum day where the kids dressed up as their hero and parents were able to go around the museum and push little "buttons" on each character to hear their speech.

It was so much fun, and the kids did a great job. I snapped a few pics.

Summer 2010 Newsletter

Our long-awaited newsletter! Thanks friends for being so patient.


Summer 10 Newsletter

Missing Grace

Its a new dawn, its a new day, its a new life for me
And I'm feelin good

I have been singing this Michael Buble song in my head all morning. Today is the first day in a while where we have ALL been feeling well! Praise the Lord!

I also had some quiet time today to dive back into the Word of God. How refreshing it is after so many days of "just getting by". I feel so wonderfully filled up...so much so that I wanted to share.

In my study I have been looking at the lives of Jacob and Esau. I got stuck on these verses.

Malachi 1:2–3 (NIV)

2 “I have loved you,” says the Lord.

“But you ask, ‘How have you loved us?’

“Was not Esau Jacob’s brother?” the Lord says. “Yet I have loved Jacob, but Esau I have hated, and I have turned his mountains into a wasteland and left his inheritance to the desert jackals.”

WHAT? My head just does not want to grasp the fact that the Lord hated Esau. My heart cries out for mercy.

Then I read Heb 12:15-16

See to it that no one misses the grace of God and that no bitter root grows up to cause trouble and defile many. See that no one is sexually immoral, or is godless like Esau, who for a single meal sold his inheritance rights as the oldest son

Esau missed it. His heart was hardened by his immorality and godlessness and he missed God's grace!

(Insert stomach punch here)

That just took the wind out of me! As one who has known the saving and sustaining grace of God, I don't want anyone to miss it!

Jonah 2:8 says "those who cling to worthless idols forfeit the grace that could be theirs."

My challenge to you today (and to myself) is to pray for the Lord to reveal what "worthless things" you have been clinging to.

I know I did not have to think too long before a few came to mind.

Friends, don't miss God's lavish grace because you are holding on to worthless things!

Another One Bites The Dust

It has been way to long. I am writing blog posts in my head all the time. Somehow they never make it here.

Maybe our bodies know that we don't have time to get sick during the school year, so they wait until summer to unleash all the dormant viruses we have been carrying around... It has been one sickness after another around here, and it is only the beginning of June! Greg had his surgery, then Cole had a bad cold. Caed is just getting over a nasty ear infection that kept him home from school a couple days. Greg took me(Ashley) to the ER a couple nights ago. I thought my eardrum was about to burst, but it turned out to be an infection in my perotid gland. Lovely. So I am on an antibiotic and pain meds, and Greg is trying to be Mr Mom until I can get back on my feet.

Please pray for HEALTH and patience.

Busy Busy Weekend!

AU Graduation was Friday morning. We said our final farewells to some very special seniors.

Friday evening our own sweet little Abigail graduated from preschool! (Sorry, we forgot the camera!) Abby is not a big fan of being on stage so she stood there and did all the hand motions to the songs they sang behind her back! They also did their own version of Eric Carle's The Very Hungry Caterpillar. Abigail was very convincing in her role as a piece of cheese! ;)

Saturday morning was Caed's last flag football game of the season. Caed loved it. He shows a lot of promise for a future fullback! The Eagles mascot Swoop joined us for part of the game! I got some great pics. Enjoy!

Tomorrow morning I am taking Abby to register for Kindergarten in the fall...sniffle, sniffle. ;)

Thanks for checking in on us!

I Know That I Know!

Let me start by saying that Christian schools are not for everyone. That being said, I cannot tell you how much of an impact that my teachers in middle/high school had on my spiritual life. One of the many teachers that stand out in my memory is Mr. MacMillan, my bible teacher at Providence Christian Academy. I can remember one class like it was yesterday. Mr. MacMillan was talking to us about the importance of knowing without a doubt that there was a moment in time that you realized your own sinfulness, and confessed your need for a Savior. If you do not KNOW for sure, there is a wide open door for doubt and then comes the slippery slope of questioning anything and everything that you thought you knew for sure. Mr. MacMillan suggested thinking about that moment you accepted Christ as your Savior and then nailing a figurative stake in the ground. That is a solid reminder that nothing can pluck you from the Hand of God from now on.



I have passed on those same powerful words to many students over the past few years in ministry. Don't lose the battle in your head before it has even begun, you CAN know for sure.

Thanks Mr Mac.

Update

Thanks for your prayers. Greg is on the road to recovery. It seems like he is taking two steps forward only to take one back, but I guess that is still progress right?

Around campus exams are wrapping up and students are going home for summer. We are grateful this break from our hectic schedule, but will miss them terribly.

Thanks for checking up on us...

By the way, if anyone is interested I found a great resource for family bible study through the ministry of Mark Driscoll at Mars Hill Church. You can download the study guide for 1 & 2 Peter here.

Please Pray

Greg had surgery yesterday to remove a thyroglossal duct cyst in his neck. The Dr said everything went well, and that he should be back to normal in a week.

He is in a lot of pain right now and was up most of the night.

Please pray for a speedy recovery. Also for strength and sleep for me.

I will leave you with a pic I took of Cole and Abby on Wednesday evening. We took a picnic dinner up to campus and let the kids run around a bit.



Go on, you want to say it...AWWWWWW! Aren't they too cute?

Great Expectations

Have you ever been looking forward to an event and dreading it at the same time?

Our servant leadership team for ACF this year has 3 seniors. These ladies have poured their heart and souls into this ministry. They have been there from the beginning (of our time here at AU at least). They have seen the Lord move in awesome ways and grow our little group of 8 to a record setting 47 last week at large group!

All year in leadership meetings we have refused to talk about what was coming...the LAST ACF large group of the year. Historically, we have dedicated this last meeting to the seniors. It is intended to be a time for the seniors to talk about their college experience and how the Lord has worked in their lives over the past 4 years.

Honestly, I was expecting a cry-fest. In the best possible sense of the (non) word. (All ladies know what I mean by that!)I thought it was going to be a time when they all talked about how much this group has meant to them.

I just knew as about a dozen seniors lined up on couches in front of the group, that it was going to be an impactful time of sharing.

AND it was...But not in the way I was expecting.

IT WAS SO MUCH MORE.

One by one the seniors encouraged the underclassmen to seek the Lord, stay in the Word, and be accountable to their peers. It reminded me of Hebrews 12. The Seniors were basically saying:

Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.

I would quote the whole chapter, but I think you get the picture. ;)

It did not end there...

Greg had been planning on giving a clear presentation of the gospel to end our time together. Sensing the presence of the Spirit in that room, he took it a step further and invited anyone who did not have a personal relationship with the Lord to pray with him, repent of their sins and ask Jesus to come into their lives.

Friends, we have 2 new sisters in Christ as a result!

PRAISE AND GLORY TO THE LORD!

Talk about more than we could ask or imagine... My "great expectations" were blown out of the water!

Greg and I were talking later that night how unfair it is that all of you (friends, family, and supporters) weren't able to be in the room that night. Nothing is more humbling and exciting than seeing the Spirit of the Lord change people's lives in front of your very eyes.

I will end this post with a pic from the AfterParty that night. Our two new sisters are in this pic!



Ephesians 3:20-25

Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.

Believing God

Do you take God at His word, believing what He has told us, or do you just believe in His existence and the salvation He offers?

What does it mean to believe God? Abraham and Moses believed God. This planted in them a seed of faith that grew into towering oaks of steadfast trust and belief. Hebrews 11 is full of other examples of bold belief.

Come Experience a Fresh Explosion of Faith.

The quote above is from a review of Believing God, by Beth Moore. Doesn't it make you want to just open up your bible to Hebrews 11 and walk down that hall of faith?

That is exactly what my small group did this semester! Last night was our last time meeting together for the year. I cannot tell you how much of a blessing it was to hear how the Lord has used His word to capture these girls hearts over the past 10 weeks we have spent together.

I have to tell you, I was not so sure how it was going to go. A bible study like this is a commitment. There are 5 days of "homework" to complete each week, and it is 10 weeks long! These girls are already busy I was afraid it would not fit into their crazy schedules, or that the homework would become a chore.

I was so wrong! (PRAISE THE LORD!)

For many of them, this was the first "formal" bible study they have ever done. During the first few weeks of the study one girl realized that even though she grew up in a christian home, she didn't know what it meant to have a personal relationship with Christ...SHE DOES NOW!

Week after week they came to bible study so excited about something they had read during the week, or how the Lord was working in their lives. They were HUNGRY for HIS word!

AHHHH....(that is a scream) THAT is what it is all about folks!

God's Word is ALIVE and ACTIVE in our lives!

PRAISE THE LORD!
(or "GLORY" as Beth would say!)

"You are my witnesses," declares the Lord, "and my servant whom I have chosen, so that you may know and believe me and understand that I am he." - Isaiah 43:10


If any of you are interested, the whole study is online and you can do it anytime. At home, in your PJ's...whenever. Here is the link.

Thank You

Thank you dear friends for praying. Greg is feeling so much better. Praise the Lord.
I snapped this pic a few days ago at the Spring Fling on campus.



Only one more week left of classes...Praying to finish strong!

Sick!

Sorry I have not posted anything in a while...Greg has been really sick and I have spent the week taking care of him and the kids. We would appreciate your prayers for a speedy recovery.

On an encouraging note, I am so grateful to live in community with so many loving people. We have had students come over to take the kids out to play, and even take over some of the baking that I normally do each week for various events.

I am also so thankful for how the Lord has sustained me this week. Each time I have opened my bible the Lord has given me more than my fair share of grace and strength... in fact I was reminded just last night that I am "clothed in strength and dignity" (Proverbs 31:25)



Jer. 32:17
"Ah, Sovereign LORD, you have made the heavens and the earth by your great power and outstretched arm. Nothing is too hard for you.

I think I know why the "Ah" is there....it is a sigh of relief!

Are You Hungry?

Thursday afternoon ACF set up a proxe station about world hunger on campus. Students in ACF signed up to "man" the table during peak meal times.

The idea behind a “proxe station” is to create a spectacle on campus (they are big, colorful, and put in a public space) that draws people in and interactively engages them in a topic that relates directly or indirectly to spiritual things.

Here is what ours looked like:




Here is how an average conversation started:

"Are you hungry?"

· Do you have a minute to take our quiz on world hunger?

· “We have a bowl here that has 1 cup of dry long grain rice. In an impoverished country or in an emergency food situation, how many people do you think this feeds?

o This 1 cup of dry rice would feed 6 people and would be their only meal that day. USAID.gov Humanitarian Assistance

· “We also have a water bottle. Clearly, this water is really dirty. Do you know how many people lack access to clean drinking water and are forced to drink water like this?

o 1.1 Billion World Water Council http://www.worldwatercouncil.org/index.php?id=25

Well, as you can see on this board there are lots of pictures depicting hunger. Tragically more than 13,000 children under the age of five die due to hunger each day! More than 852 million people in the world are malnourished.

This lead into questions like:

In these situations of injustice surrounding the global hunger crisis, what do you think your responsibility is?

Do you think there is a solution to the injustice in the world?

How do you think God responds to these injustices?

The "script" goes on from there to explain how God is a God of love and he hurts deeply when He sees injustice in the world. And then, depending on the interest level of the student, salvation is explained.

We had a great response from students on campus. Please pray that the seeds planted yesterday will fall on fertile soil and bear fruit!