A Shout Out To The Jesus People

(Part II of Spring Break)

Thursday:

I came to the sad realization that sometime during Spring Break I was going to have to do some of that homework. So I quickly wrote one of the eight papers that is due in the next few weeks and used the rest of the night to play some Fall Out Boy Trail. 

Friday:

The day arrived when Acquire the Fire had finally come. Unfortunately, the group of around 8 or so that was going with me all had to drop out for powers beyond them. For some reason, I still felt as if I should go and so I headed to Nashville by mys

elf, hoping that God would provide me with a friend and that it wouldn't be awkward or anything (because I never have those awkward experiences).

But when God want to do something, sometimes He likes to go above and beyond to show how powerful and mighty He really is. God didn't provide me with just one newfound friend but with many.

The Women's restroom always just seems to be a magnet to meeting people. The first angel that God sent down to me was a girl named Denise. After ten seconds of finding about me and that I was not with a group, she immediately invited me to hang o

ut with her college group that was also volunteering. The group from Tullahoma Church of Christ were some of the most inviting people, asking me where I was from, what I liked to do, my entire life story and asking me if I wanted some of their pizza. 

In case you were wondering (I was wondering), Tullahoma is located here:

So if you're ever in that area and in need of anything, just head on over to Tullahoma Church of Christ and ask for basically anyone. They're legit.

Through selling merchandise, I discovered my twin. Her name is Stephanie as well. We both love serving God and have the same taste in music and passion for youth. She was with her long time friend Nicole, who is one of the cutest people ever. Sometimes you get to meet people who come in your life for a short while, but they make such an imprint on your life that you just can't forget them. This is how it was like with my Stephanie and Nicole. We only knew each other for about 24 hours but they were so encouraging and loving, even inviting me to spend the night at their house if it was too late to drive back to my house. 

There were others too, like the youth group from Alabama that stood in line with me at Subway, or Jessica and Duane (pronounced Duh-wayne! yes, exclamation point pronounced each time), the Acquire the Fire interns. The thing God showed me the most this year at Acquire the Fire was not anything that a speaker said (mainly because I was dozing off) but what He showed me. You see, I realized that when Paul speaks of the church, it isn't just the church that I go to that the Bible is speaking about but everyone who seeks a relationship with Jesus is part of the church, they are all part of our family so why not reach out in love to our fellow brothers and sisters even if for a short while they are strangers? 

 I like to think of them as distant cousins-- Acquire the Fire was just a big family reunion!

Spring Break:Part 1

My intense week of just chilaxing has been so hardxcore that I figured I should probably update the world on my life so that this post won't be a novel long at the end of the week, so here's a little summary:

-Friday: After finishing some class observations, Christy and I headed on out from Lee to the great city of Thompson's Station. However, our hopes of coming home for dinner were soon slaughtered as we encountered this not 30 minutes into our trip:

  And we spent 2 hours sitting through that little jam. We should've been home by the time we finally got out of that mess. Luckily, we had the Jonas Brothers to keep us company. And then, we had to take a little stop at the Dairy Queen. We finally got home though, a 2 1/2 hour trip turning into an almost 5 hours voyage. 

However, after coming home, saying hello to the mother and eating a delicious dinner, at around midnight, I had to head on over to the wonderful house of Donna Holt as I was traveling to Nashville to work the Youth Evangelism Conference with her, her family and about nine other members of my Jesus Family in the morn.

Saturday (technically):

One would naturally expect that after being in class all day and being in a car for the past five hours, sleep would be the most important thing on my mind. However, seconds after getting out of the car, I heard, "POOKIE!! We're going to Krogers to get pizza! Come with us!" from the mouths of some very hyper and hungry Carrasco and Galardi children. 

All I have to say about the newly built Kroger Marketplace is that it's beautiful. and amazing beyond all belief for a grocery store. and that you can make your own peanut butter there. and they have maps for the place because it's so huge. and they have a jewelry store inside. and that Disney World better watch out because Kroger Marketplace is going to take over as the greatest amusement park ever. 

After leaving there with 10 pizzas, that's when I realized that I might as well kiss sleeping goodbye. Instead the rest of the night was spent trying to figure out how to cook all those pizzas, drinking mello yello and playing card games that had no point other than to yell at each other loudly. 

I finally got my sleep, about 30 minutes worth.

Would I trade hanging out with my Jesus Family, as five of us shared a tiny sink while trying to brush our teeth while half-conscious for a full night's sleep? HECK NO!

And so we all headed off to YEC, groggily and drinking yet more Mello Yello to serve as ushers and merchandise sellers. I was semi-conscious the entire time but of the parts that I can remember it was a blast
 The merch table headed by the Buttermilk team: Buttermilk, Hanukkah, Mu-Gu, Smurf and Pookie. The best thing about these conference things is meeting and working with new people who also love Jesus and youth as much as I do-plus we all gave each other sweet nicknames.  753 gave their lives to Christ on Saturday--now that's awesome!

Sunday:

After getting my spiritual stomach fed at church and my physical stomach filled with deliciouso chicken nachos at the amazing Pancho's, somehow I had to catch up on sleep from this weekend--Enter in the hammock and nice warm sun.
 And because everybody needs a napping buddy, my dog decided to join me:Monday:

This is a photo of the greatest couch in the world. Over the years, it has been broken into with the most care so that naps can be comfy and perfect. 

This is the nap couch: 
      The cat is an added bonus on cold days when feet need warming

Tuesday: In the morning I went to the barber's and left with 6 fewer inches of hair and looking like Dora the Explorer
So to help myself get over the shock, I headed on over to one of my favorite stores, Hobby Lobby. I could easily spend $1000 at this store and still not have my artistic cravings satisfied with all the cool things in thereI mean, where else could I make my own dinosaur?

Afterwards, I went on a little outing with the mother, checking out all the cool new stores that Spring HIll has to offer.

First stop: Rack Room Shoes so that I could stare at some of the most beautiful things in the world. One day I'm going to win the lottery or Oprah will leave her inheritance to me and these are going to be the first things I buy:
   One of each color please

However, then we had to stop by the new Ross store where they sell my favorite type of clothing
     That's right, the mumus are awesome

Wednesday: Gloomy, chilly and just one of those lazy days, somedays one simply wants to hang out with themselves and create. This is my art book-Ten Modern Short Story Novels, published in the 1950s it's soon going to be given a new life after sitting in the Goodwill store for awhile. 

Spring Break

Spring Break could be one of the greatest things bestowed upon a hard-working student like myself. Nothing better than relaxing at home for a week with the (hopefully) warm sun and weather. However, this spring break is not going to be a worthless waste. Heck no, I plan on being pretty dang productive:

• Friday: after a thrilling 3 hours of observing middle schoolers in their natural habitat of a classroom, mi amiga and I are going on a marvelous roadtrip back home. This is where my mother is going to cook me the greatest meal ever. It will be epic.
• Saturday: because I apparently don't believe in sleep, I'm waking up at the buttcrack of dawn (6 am) to hang out at the YEC conference- a little of selling merch, listening to Stellar Kart and hanging out with amazing people is a great start to a spring break.
• Sunday: Church, then Pancho's, then the best nap on a couch that was made only for naps. I've been looking forward to this day since the beginning of time.
• Monday: probably a pajama day, then going with my mother to Zumba class with all the other middle-aged ladies at my church.
• Tuesday: a little haircut action then probably playing some Fall Out Boy Trail, my new addiction.
• Wednesday: art day. Just chilling out with myself and a whole bunch of art supplies. Then hanging out with some of the most incredible youth in the world at my youth group
• Thursday: meeting up with some amazing old friends. Pancho's will probably be calling my name.
• Friday + Saturday: OMG OMG OMG! It's Acquire the Fire time! Something I've been looking forward to since October. Basically YEC x12 on the amazing radar. Selling some merch again plus about seeing 10,000 teenagers and worn-out looking adults. Hello Leeland, I can't wait to see you!
• Sunday: Church, food, packing up, coming back to the land of the Leevites

Yup, this spring break is going to be the bomb.com that's for sure. 

I 

am

so

pumped!

Please Aslan??

"Please Aslan, before we go, will you tell us when we can come back to Narnia again? Please. And oh, do, do, do, make it soon."

"Dearest," said Aslan very gently, "you and your brother will never come back to Narnia."

"Oh Aslan!" said Edmund and Lucy both together in despairing voices.

"You are too old, children," said Aslan, "and you must begin to come close to your own world now." 

"It isn't Narnia, you know," sobbed Lucy. "It's you. We shan't meet you there. And how can we live, never meeting you?"

"But you shall meet me, dear one," said Aslan.

"Are-- are you there too, Sir?" said Edmund.

"I am," said Aslan. "But there I have another name. You must learn to know me by that name. This was the very reason why you were brought to Narnia, that by knowing me here for a little, you may know me better there."

Post Valentine's Thoughts

"Dear friends, let us continually love one another, because love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born from God and knows God."

-1 John 4:7

Even though, I have never had a date on Valentine's Day, I still love February 14. No, God knows that I'm not ready to date and He'll send someone my way when I'm ready. But there are many other loves that are never get the recognition of a special day and yet, are just as important if not more. The Greeks had four different words for Love, in english there is only one. No wonder everyone is always fed up with love--it's so constantly overused. I love pizza, I love my mom--I'm putting my love for my mother on the same scale as pizza.

The first type of love the Greeks called Eros. Eros is what Valentine's Day has become based on, the attraction one has to the opposite sex, the sexual attraction type of love. I believe that while Eros is important when one has found a mate, it's not essentially important one is seriously considering a spouse. 

The next love was Storge, the family love. It is the love that I have for my mother and my sister. It's the type of love that even though I can be completely frustrated with them, at the end of the day, I would do anything for these people. I believe that this love can also be incorporated into other people groups in our lives. For instance, I believe that my home church of TSC is also my family and I would do many things for them and I care about them deeply. I hope that eventually, I will be able to love my Tharp and Starlite family in the same way. 

The next, Philia, is the brotherly love, or friend love. It is the love that we have for others, the one that leads us to hold doors for someone or help them carry groceries. This could be one of the most beautiful loves, however, it is also the love that happens to fall by the wayside. So much joy can be brought out of this love, it truly makes my day when someone shows Philia to me, and hope that we can try our hardest to show more Philia to the world. Lord knows we need more of it.

The next, Agape is the most important love. It is the unconditional love, the love that is shown despite the mistakes and wrongs. It is the love that God shows to us everyday and the one that is most miraculous. It is also the most difficult love to have as selfishness and pride must die so Agape can bloom. I will never cease to be amazed at the grace that God shows me, I cannot even fathom how He can love me, I neglect Him constantly yet God shows me Agape and welcomes me back with open arms. This type of love is what all the other types of love are based from, without it we cannot know what love is. "We love because God first loved us." -1 John 4:19

I was so blessed, because this Valentine's Day I was able to celebrate three loves, Storge (family love), Philia (friend love), and Agape (God's love). Friday night, I sporadically picked up a dear friend from her college and was able to spend Valentine's Day with her. We along with other friends of mine, were able to simply spend a beautiful night in each other's presence. It was truly and wonderful night of exploring and friendship. I think it was sometime that morning though that I realized that I was truly loved, when everyone else was asleep and I was able to just sit in the presence of my Father, reading a love letter from Him, that I realized that this would undoubtedly be a Day of Love. 

Now, to strive to live everyday showing and celebrating Storge, Philia, Agape and maybe one day, Eros. 

I'm sorry to say so but, sadly it's true that bang-ups and hang-ups can happen to you"

Sometimes, life bogs me down. It feels like growing up could be one of the lamest things ever. I hate money, hate having responsibilities and definitely hate the whole being an adult thing. 

Charlie Brown mopes, "This is my depressed stance. When you're depressed, it makes a lot of difference how you stand. The worst thing you can do is straighten up and hold your head high because then you'll start to feel better. If you're going to get any joy out of being depressed, you've got to stand like this."

I wish I could pull the covers over my head and sleep through the rainy days. But sooner or later, life rips the cozy blankets off me and sticks the blaring alarm in my ear, and begrudgingly I get up. 

Because life keeps going. Life is lame like that. 

And sometimes I feel like I'm having this conversation:

"God says to me with kind of a smile,

"Hey how would you like to be God awhile

And steer the world?"

"Okay," says I, I'll give it a try.

Where do I sit?

How much do I get?

What time is lunch?

When can I quit?"

"Gimme back that wheel," says God,

"I don't think you're quite ready yet."

--Shel Silverstein

and then I laugh because I realize that I tried to grab hold of the reigns. I stuck God in the backseat instead of in the pilot's chair. I forgot that I needed to be in my carseat instead of trying to drive. There's a big difference. 

"For this reason I say to you, do not be worried about your life, as to what you will eat or what you will drink; nor for your body, as to what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? "Look at the birds of the air, that they do not sow, nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not worth much more than they? "And who of you by being worried can add a single hour to his life? And why are you worried about clothing? Observe how the lilies of the field grow; they do not toil nor do they spin, yet I say to you that not even Solomon in all his glory clothed himself like one of these. But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the furnace, will He not much more clothe you? Ye of little faith! Do not worry then, saying, 'What will we eat?' or 'What will we drink? or 'What will we wear for clothing?' For the Gentiles eagerly seek all these things; for your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. 

So do not worry about tomorrow; for tomorrow will care for itself. 

Each day has enough trouble of its own."

Matthew 6:25-34

Alright God, it's gametime. Time for me to give it up, time for you to be in charge. 

You've blessed me this far. I won't give up on you now.

"I have heard there are troubles of more than one kind. Some come from ahead and some come from behind. But I've bought a big bat. I'm all ready you see. Now my troubles are going to have trouble with me!"  -Dr. Seuss

Ha, eat that world that tries to shut me down

Flushed

This weekend, I went with a group of some of the most loving and beautiful women ever. The fifteen girls on Starlite Ministries' Cabinet packed up our bags and headed out for a weekend of hanging out with each other and our Father.
Each of us come from different backgrounds and lifestyles, each of us, apart from Starlite, live in our own social circles. I would know very few of them if God didn't place us together.
And yet He placed us together because we have one thing in common.
We're all in the process of healing.

This weekend, even though we were blessed by an anonymous donor to go to a hotel/indoor waterpark in Gatlinburg and played in a wavepool and were flushed down a giant toilet bowl, the most amazing moments were when we were simply in each other's presence.

The most amazing relationships one can have is having people who still love you even when they know every hurtful moment of your life.

This weekend started off driving in a car for a few hours, each girl weary after living a hectic week in college.

Then, at a church in Knoxville where we spent the night, we were introduced to The Affirmation Circle.

14 girls, each in their pjs, wearing no makeup as no boys were around and showing God that we loved what He naturally created, with hearts open as they circled around a fellow sister in Christ, spilling out pure compliments to the one in the middle. Each girl had a turn, as she was told by the others that God loved her, saw her as completely beautiful and wanted to see that she was safe from any hindrance that the enemy might try to throw our way. And then, perhaps the most difficult part of the night came when it was time for her to tell the group what she thought God loved the most about her physically, spiritually and emotionally.

It was in that moment that a victory rang clear. No longer was there any shame, hurt or hate of oneself left in that room. It was in that moment when we knew that God was right next to us, smiling, because He had led an army of love to triumph.

And there, in that circle, we helped each other to heal.

The next morning, we set out to uplift a group of widows living in the Church of God's widow complex for pastor's wives who had lost their husbands. It was way to early in the morning to be awake, but there we were at Hardee's, making Valentines for these women and one for the nice cashier. No one was sure what to expect but as we got there, we were welcomed with nothing but open arms as we had expected to impart some joy to some widows but left being bestowed with blessings (and candy) by 38 of my new grandmothers who all prayed and prophesied over the great things that we could do when we trusted Him.

For a while, I've been praying to find a church family that can encourage me on my walk with God. He sent one to me, they may not gather in one building but all around me. They live in Tharp Hall, they gather at the Starlite meetings, they pray at the Iris Vest Widow's Center and there are more members of my family that I cannot wait to meet and pass on the encouragement.

Even though we left for a weekend waterpark adventure, that was the part that we will probably remember the least later on, because those words of encouragement will remain in our hearts forever.

"Two people are better off than one, for they can help each other succeed. If one person falls, the other can reach out and help. But someone who falls alone is in real trouble. Likewise, two people lying close together can keep each other warm. But how can one be warm alone? A person standing alone can be attacked and defeated, but two can stand back-to-back and conquer. Three are even better, for a triple-braided cord is not easily broken."
--Ecclesiastes 4:9-12

A video from our adventures (thanks to ministrysofabulous.com)