Valley of Darkness

Before I get into my main reason for writing, let me first share that Sarah and I ate at the restaurant in Bass Pro today. We split an appetizer sampler which included shrimp, crab cakes, and...(drum roll please)...alligator. The alligator was interesting. It didn't taste bad but it was very tough meat. I get annoyed with things I have to chew a long time so I will have to say that it was not my favorite. Great experience though, plus we got to explore the store. :)

Before that adventure, though, Sarah and I attended Pagan Day in downtown Louisville. We got there rather late because of our inability to find the place (the workings of the devil I presume). It was a small festival containing booths for different cultic beliefs. Early in the day they had workshops and dances and stuff like that. The further we walked into the festival, the more I could feel the darkness. I have never actually felt the difference between spiritual light and darkness like that before. I grabbed a few brochures to learn what these people believed. God gave me the opportunity to engage with one young man who was part of Babalon Rising. From what he told me this is what he believed: he believes in the book of the law (no, not the Old Testament); that when we die, we decompse and are absorbed into the earth and then grow into a tree or the like; he doesn't believe in God, heaven, or hell; he believes in discovering "the will" which is our purpose in life (which I was informed is a life-long process). Oh how my heart aches for him! He is not firmly rooted in this belief. Please join me in praying for Ken daily that he may see the light of Christ. Someone else in his booth asked me about my beliefs. I told them I was a Christian, that it is only through God that I know my purpose for living, and gave a brief presentation of the gospel. They each person's beliefs are true for that person (i.e. if you believe in heaven then there is a heaven). He is so deceived and the longer he pursues this belief system the further into darkness he will travel. Please pray that Christ will shine His light in Ken's heart so that he may know the truth and be set free (John 8:32).

Also, please pray for a couple named Darron and Sharon who we also met at Pagan Day. Sarah was able to talk with them briefly but they were in a hurry to leave since the festival was almost over. They seemed very rooted in their beliefs. Darron spent the majority of the conversation trying to convince us that pagans and Christians were not that much different, just what he called a few "minor" differences.

Fall is Just Around the Corner

This evening I saw a beautiful golden full moon. The kind that hovers low in the sky and sings of autumn. Last weekend I drove home to surprise my beautiful sister on her birthday. I noticed that some of the trees were starting to turn and that the fields were a blanket of yellow dandelions-so pretty! God is so beautiful!

A thunderstorm welcomed my day in this morning. It was pouring and lightening severely when I left for school this morning. The lightening was very close. I am pretty sure it struck something in the parking lot as I was headed to my car. All I could think was "I've gotta get rid of this umbrella." :) When I got to school and got out of my car, I realized I was standing in about a foot of water. Joy. My boots and socks remained soak for the rest of the day. My feet are still chilled but it feels good to be completely dry.

Sarah and I rode the bus system (TARC) yesterday to Friendship International. It was a neat experience. We decided that we are going to start riding it regularly when we go to Friendship so we can do "bus evangelism." While we were riding, it was interesting to watch the people sitting one person to a seat, facing straight ahead, avoiding eye contact with the most solemn expression on their faces. They would have a much more pleasant ride if they were to be friendly to one another. Sarah and I have decided we need to try to liven things up on there.

Saturday is Pagan Day in downtown Louisville. A few of us are getting together to pray walk and share Jesus if given the opportunity. Please pray. I will probably write more on this later.

Well I must get back to reading.

Oh, exciting news: I got two recruits at work! Praise God. I know it is only because of Him that these people agreed to help St. Jude.

The Weekend is Finally Here!

I am so glad that it is the weekend. This week has been pretty hectic. I started work at St. Jude on Monday. This was the first of five weeks of training. I am a little overwhelmed with all the info that has been thrown at me and intimidated at the thought of a quota and people monitoring my every move. Once we (there is a group of us in training) are moved to the "floor" to recruit, I will have a quota to meet. This quota will determine at the end of five weeks if I have a job or not, and then it will determine whether or not I keep my job. The challenge kind of excites me. Then again, I really don't care for talking on the phone and that is what I will be doing for 4+ hours a day. I trust that God will use this job as a growing experience. This as well as about everything else in my life right now will stretch me way beyond my comfort zone. This I know is a good thing. As far as the quota, I trust that if God wants me there I will meet the requirements and if not I won't, and He will provide me with another job.

I took my first tests this week. They were both on Thursday. I think they went well. God was definitely gracious to me. I am so glad they are over though. My brain feels so free. Between studying and my job, I thought my head was going to explode. It feels a lot emptier now though. :)

I went to Friendship International again last Wednesday. I led a Bible study composed of two South Koreans and One Columbian. I really enjoyed it. Plus, the English class that I help my roommate teach increased from 1 to 4 people. Hurray!

I put air in my tires this evening (I have a slow leak in a couple of them). I only state this so that I can express how much I love the feeling of freshly aired tires when I drive. The car handles so much better and hugs the curves more snugly. It is amazing what just a few pounds of air can do. (I know I'm strange.)

That's all for now. I need to go to bed.

The Semester's in Full Swing

I have two tests this week; both on Thursday...ug. I also just finished two papers. I can tell that I am getting deeper in the semester. :)

I start my job tomorrow. I'm a little nervous about that.

Last Friday I hung out with a couple of girls from the seminary. We ate at a Mediterranean restuarant (the manager told us it was Persian food). I had what was called Falfasa or something like that. It was interesting, but not in a bad way. I would eat it again. :)

This evening I went with my roommate to her church picnic. Good times and good food. We went on a walk afterwards at a nearby park to enjoy this incredibly beautiful weather. We also took the scenic route back to our apartment that followed the Ohio River. Very pretty route. I recommend it. Ridiculously huge houses and very pretty scenery.

The sermon I heard today was about learning wisdom corresponding to the two chapters I read in Packer's Knowing God on wisdom. I love when God ties things together like that.

Finished Discpled Warriors today by Dr. Lawless--loved it. I just realized that I was writing very fragmented sentences right now...not sure why...too much reading I would assume. :) Back to my studies...

Memory Verse for the week(s): 1 Corinthians 15:58

The Heavens Declare the Glory of God...

This weather is absolutely gorgeous! Last night my roommate Sarah and I sat in the grass behind our apartment and read. While we were out there we were able to meet a neighbor which was exciting. Hopefully God will allow us to building a relationship with her and her family. We also made friends with a stray cat. :)

Last Wednesay I went to Friendship International to help Sarah teach English. As has been the case lately, I was out of my comfort zone but I know it will be a good opportunity to meet people from other cultures and invest in their lives. I was surprised (and excited) at just how many nations were represented. I was told that Louisville itself is home to 96 people groups.

I have been reading a book about Jim Elliott for class. This book was written by his wife Elisabeth and is a compilation of journal entries and letters. It is so awesome to get inside his mind and see his heart. Even though my fervor for the Lord and boldness nowhere matches his, I can relate to his yearning to know the Lord more and be about His business. I pray God leads me to exhibit that kind of passion.

Oh, the Cards game was fun. They played horrible and lost 7-2 but I still had a good time with Sarah and Melissa. The city of Cincinnati is beautiful. One of the prettiest cities I have seen...right up there with St. Louis. ;) There were only 14,000 or so in attendance which surprised me. Coming from a "baseball town" I am used to seeing the stadium sold out almost every game. Of course, we have the Cardinals so I guess that explains why. Hehe.

Settling In

God is more gracious to me than I could ever deserve. Adjusting from being away from home has went very well. I think it is God's way of reassuring me that this is where I am supposed to be. This may sound silly but sometimes I feel guilty for not being homesick. I am very thankful than I am not though. I love the area I am living in (Jeffersonville, IN). Even though it is 7 times bigger than my hometown (Fredericktown, MO), it reminds me of it. Plus--I am about to say something I never thought I would say before--I love school. I am learning so much. My favorite thing so far, however, has been hanging out with those who have served in different areas of the world and are now staying on campus.

I have so much to be thankful for. I accepted a job at St. Jude's Children Research Hospital in New Albany, IN as a Volunteer Service Representative. I don't know how much I am going to enjoy soliciting businesses to do fundraisers, but I trust God will grow me through it and somehow use me to glorify Him. I have narrowed my church search down to two churches. I am pretty sure I know the one I am going to join but I am going to continue to pray for guidance and confirmation. I want to be where God wants me to be. I want to make sure I choose a church from unselfish and pure motives. The two churches I am looking are both growing churches and have plenty opportunities to serve. I want to be a blessing to wherever I go and be able to serve the community where I reside. I am very excited to be done with "church hunting."

Speaking of churches, I am reading a book called Discipled Warriors: Growing Healthy Churches that are Equipped for Spiritual Warfare for my Church Growth and Evangelism class. I really like this book and I am discovering that I have a heart for church growth. When I hear or read about stagnant, dead, or shallow churches, my heart just breaks. As I read about what a healthy church looks like and how it mirrors my home chuch, tears just streamed down my face. I am so thankful and humbled that God allowed me and my sister to be a part of Meadow Heights. I pray that He continues to use them for His glory and that He will raise up more healthy churches all over the world.

I have been making a real effort lately to meet new people. I have been going to different events on campus and seeking opportunities to share my faith. Those of you who know me well, know that this is so not like me. I am trying to come out of my shell a little and God has burdened my heart to spread His word (which is rather exciting). Last Friday night I met up with a seven guys and two girls from Southern/Boyce who I barely knew to go downtown to do street evangelism. We split up into groups of three and walked the streets looking for people we could talk to. I kept quiet most of the night observing and prayed for my group members who were sharing the Gospel. I have never experienced anything like this before. I pray God gives me boldness to be more vocal the next time I go.

Yesterday I went downtown with Sarah and Carol to India Day. We ate Indian food (I had Chicken something Mansala, yum), listen to Indian music, looked at their booths filled with jewelry, info, and the like, and got Hennas. My Henna is on my left hand and I love it.


There are a few traffic-related things that I have noticed that are different between the STL and Louisville. Namely Louisville has a Red arrow on the stoplights for the turn signal while St. Louis just as the Red circle. Also, the crosswalk signal in Louisville counts down to let you know when it is going to change to the don't cross signal which I thought was cool. It's the little things in life. :)

Don't be jealous but this Tuesday I am going to a Cardinals game at the Great American Ballpark in Cincinnati. I am so excited! I haven't been to a ballgame all year! Sarah, Melissa, and I are going to make our own shirts. It's sad I don't own any Cardinals apparel after living in St. Louis for 5 years, I know. What can I say, I am cheap. ;)

Oh, for those of you who don't know: my sister has a boyfriend. :)

One final thought: The danger for forest fires is high.