Robbing God

Yesterday in staff meeting Allen read something that has stuck with me since then. I was a testament from a violin maker who claims that God needs him. He says, God has commissioned him to help Him buy giving him the ability to make violins. He also says that if he is not doing his best to make the violins then he is “robbing God.”

Have you ever thought about that? God has commissioned you. The gift he has given you is not just for you to enjoy. The gift is God asking you to help Him with His mission. What would it look like if we truly believed this statement: If we are not doing what it is God has given us to do, and doing it the best we can, we are robbing God. Wow! I do not want to rob God. I want to use the gifts that God has given me. I want to challenge the kids that I meet. I want them to reflect on their beliefs and I want them to make a faith of their own and if I am not striving to do that on a daily basis then I am no doing any favors to anyone, AND I am robbing God.

If I believe this, then how can I stand in the way of others who are using their gifts to glorify God? Who am I to tell you that you cannot do something that God has gifted you to do? Who am I to rob God for you?

Maybe I’m preaching, maybe not. Maybe you completely disagree with me. I don’t even know that my brain has completely thought through all of this but I do know that I do not want to rob God and I do not want anyone else to rob God because of me. Just thinking….

Summer is done before it's done

Well, school starts Monday for Belton ISD and I presume this start date is not too far off from those in your area. It's crazy that summer is already over and kids are now feeling the rush of finishing their summer reading in time and all that jazz. What I really don't get though it the fact that summer ends about two weeks before it actually ends. What I mean is, The band kids, football kids, swimmers and so on and so on actually start practices 2 weeks before school starts. What is with that? As if school isn't enough stress on it's own, let's go ahead and make the extra stuff longer! Whatever man! I'm out!

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Although school is starting and people already feel like they are back we were able to have a great time with our high schoolers last Sunday evening. There is a girl in our group who is in the hospital from a car accident, in ICU, and we went up there and spent time talking with her mom and sister and then we sang and prayed with them. Now if you know me, you know my heart is easily touched by the words and melodies of songs and last Sunday was no different. As we were singing I was watching Sabrina (the mom), and I looked around the waiting room. The man watching TV got up, turned the TV all the way down and bowed his head. Maybe he was praying maybe he was just listening but either way he was hearing God. The two ladies in the corner were holding hands praying with each other and the family in the hall stopped in the doorway and joined in the singing. God was working and moving in people. I was great to be reminded of God supreme glory and everlasting faithfulness.

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I have had a good week. We have been really busy this week but I have been encouraged by people this week. Lots of good conversations, lots of tough conversations but lots of God in all the conversations.

I want to mention one thing really quickly. Most of you know I am doing a Youth Residency in Belton Texas. I am living with a family from the church here and I don't think I have mentioned a whole lot about them. Let me take a sec to tell you about them. The Dad works up at the offices and does a great job of keeping things in order. He is the glue that holds things together around here. The mom stays at home and does a wonderful job of looking out for her family, for me and for all of her friends. I rarely meet people who are so proactive in their relationships with other people and it has been neat to watch her intentionally develop those this summer. The daughter is a a Jr.. in High School and she is lovin' life. She's one of the Drum Majors and has worked a lot of Band this summer. She has a great heart for people and to minister to people where she sees a need. God is going to use her in great ways these next two years I know. And The son. I don't even know where to begin. Most of you will understand the phrase "The little brother I always wanted." Well that's him. He keeps me on my toes that's for sure! I have enjoyed my time beating him up and such and I'm sure he has equally enjoyed pushing my buttons. No matter, he's a great kid! This family has been such a blessing to my life this summer and even though I will move out in a couple of weeks, I will still call it home, and it will always be in a way.

Be Blessed!!!

Phrases

My brother has said some the the best things I can think of. He has a gift for talking before he thinks and that gift is put to great use in his attempts at story telling. It is not uncommon for Jeff to say things like:

"How do the deer know to cross there?" After seeing a deer crossing sign.

A gift.

This gift has had it's 15 minutes of fame in the past but I would venture to say that it was magnified to it fullest and thrown in the spotlight this last week.

Jeff and I were eating lunch together Monday while he was in Belton. He started talking about his teeth and told me he had a filling that fell out. As he wondered if fillings were lifetime guaranteed and if he could go back to the dentist and get another one without paying, I laughed a little bit understanding the desire for things to be done the right way the first time.

As he continued I heard something come out of my brother that I thought I would never hear. This is what he said.

"I would just like to go back to that dentist office and tell that guy, 'hey Mr., you gave me a bad filling years ago."

Now if you didn't laugh about that, go back and read it outloud. It's hilarious. If you still don't laugh at it then go look at the pictures on Ryan's blog of his new apartment because I got nothing left!

Have a great day and Be Blessed!!!

Pictures

Ok so I found three camers in my car and decided to get them developed having no clue what was on them. Here are just a few I'd like to share. Enjoy!!!

This is me and my roommate Deanna at our club's Christmas social. Yay! Roommate! She's gonna kill me!!













This is from a pledging activity this last fall. I was not a pledge I was an officer. Hardly seems fair that I'm blind folded don't you agree?

This is a picture of Reid, me, Kaitlin and Wade at our clb grub this last september. The theme was "Prefect Pairs: Can't have one without the other!" Kaitlin and Wade were Fred and Daphne and Reid and I were Jack and Jeanene Reese. Out outfits came complete with name tags, mask taken from a photo of the real Jack and Jeanene, a BIG Bible and a piece of luggage. You had to be there! It was fun.

Be Blessed!!!

Summer

Well, a lot has gone on in my life in a very short amount of time. The last week of June and the first week of July was Camp Koinonia. This is a camp I grew up going to but returned this year for my first two weeks as a Staff member. Yes I was adorned in the White STAFF polo! Only 19 more years as a staff member before I graduate to the Blue polo. Hum...

Anyway. Camp was a great experience. The theme was "Follow Me: Walking in the Footsteps of Jesus." Our lessons came out of the Sermon on the Mt. and out of the gospel of John. Daily themes were "No Excuses," "No Fear," "No Doubt," "No Reserve," and "No Retreat." I think my favorite phrase of camp came from the No Doubt day when we boldly proclaimed that "Jesus is EXACTLY who he says he is, and he will do EXACTLY what he says he will do!" I love that. Camp ended well and we finally go everything put back into sheds and such (today).

After Camp was over, most of you know I took a spontaneous trip to Houston to grieve and comfort some of the people that are so precious and dear to my heart. Thank you all for your prayers for myself and for my kids in Houston. As we learn more about the murder more emotions rise so please continue to pray.

Upon returning from Houston, I took off with our Middle School kids to Ft. Worth to work at the Fortress Church of Christ for a couple of days. We had a lot of fun and there was service for the Lord that took place there. Our kids were great and worked hard. Yesterday we rewarded those kids with a trip to Hurricane harbor for the majority of of the day and then we headed back to Belton.

So as you can see my last month has been jam packed with God stuff and has encompassed most emotions the body is capable of experiencing. I have caught up on sleep- at least I hope I have, and my body is beginning to heal emotionally, spiritually and physically.

Thanks you all for keeping up with me this summer via my blog and please continue to check for updates.

Be Blessed!

~Mandy

Ashton Glover

I just wanted to request your prayers for the First Colony Youth Group, church, family and friends of Ashton Glover. Ashton was one of my first youth group kids my first two internships of college. She went missing friday night and her body was found Monday morning and confirmed Monday afternoon.

I am currently in Houston right now doing whatever I can to help. There are tenative plans for a funeral but we are still waiting on the confirmation of when it will be.

These kids are so dear and precious to me and to see them hurting and dealing with this pain hurts my heart so please be in prayer for the kids, the ones that are on my mind are Steve, Bryan, Kat, Sara and Kenna.

If you want to read more about what is going on you can go to www.click2houston.com and it will either be on the front page or you can search Ashton Glover.

Somehow and someway may you all be a blessing.

a few pics

Check the slide show on the right for some pictures of New Orleans. You can go to myspace to see the pictures bigger. The link is on the right.

Nawlins Reflections...

Well, we are back from our trip and I can honestly say that this last week was the hardest manual labor that I have ever done. In fact, you would be hard pressed to find on of the guys on this trip that would not agree with me. Tearing down a house is no simple task and when you add on top of that, heat, humidity, and no bathrooms it's even harder.

I cannot even begin to describe the impact June, Suzy, Harold and Brenda had on my life. Working side by side people who lost everything. Here are some things I wrote down in my journal last week while we were in New Orleans (pronounced Nawlins by the natives).

"I wish I could describe to you what it's like here. It's aweful. Nobody has anything. The houses are destroyed. Water flodded so many people's homes. People were picked on only to be dropped off on a bridge and left for 3 days.

Every time we drive around I think, 'God where were you when these people were drowning? When they were looking for shelter? Where were you when these people showed up one and two months later and saw their home completely saturated?'

These questions haunt me because as a Texan away from all of it I can say 'Well, God was there when the boat showed up before the house went under. God was there in the warnings and evacuations. God was there through the FEMA, Red Cross, Hilltop, Project Blessing and countless other organizations that now call New Orleans ground zero.

Being here, taking a sledge hammer to walls, fishing for burried memories and gazing into the faces of June, Harold and Brenda I feel God. He's not just a presence but God is hope. God has raised up his army and has sent them to New Orleans, LA.

Once a thriving city now littered with piles of trash as high as the house it came from. Among the trash pictures of grandkids and parents. Scarves, statues and a million more memories from thousands of people. Where is God? In us. In the hope that we bring to the June's of New Orleans who only want to find a statue of Mary and Jesus. God is in the hope we bring to the Harold's who were able to save their 91 year old mothers from being swept away by water.

God is in the people who continually call us angels. The people who have been praying for someone to come demolish their house. The people who at the end of the day have littled compared to before the storm and still praise God.

It really is a different world. It's not the thriving New Oeleans I came to years ago, but you know what? It's home. For some it was home for 2 months and for some it was home for 60 years. It's home. Tearing down to build up."

The last house we did was the house of a couple who had 9 children, all grown and one still living at home. 10 Rooms, 5 Bathrooms and a shed full of old pipes because the man was a retired plumber. The daughter who was still living there was a musician so it only seemed fit that our last house would be the place of the most powerful devo I experienced all week.

"This is Holy ground. We're standing on Holy ground and I know that there are angels all around. Let us praise Jesus now. We are standing in his presence on Holy ground."

God, may I never forget what I saw, smelled, heard and experienced this week. Forever change my heart to be more likes yours and bless your people in New Orleans. May they shine their light in the dark city. Amen

Tearing down to build up....New Orleans: Day One

That was the hardest work I have ever done. The heat, humidity, smell and everything else you can imagine along with the emotional instability of the home owner was almost too much to handle. We "Mucked a house" today. Basically that means that we went through all the stuff in the house and saved what we could and trashed everything else. We also had to tear out the sheet rock and basically just clear out the house of everything.

The deal now in New Orleans is that if these people don't have their houses gutted in the next three months, the city puts a lean on their property and they lose it. Some are trying frantically to get things done while others have given up hope of saving anything.

I fear I would be one of those people who would give up. With what we did today I don't know that I could stand in the back ground while a bunch of kids took sledge hammers to my house. Now grant it, these people signed up for this, but my first thought would have been to bulldoze it and start over.

June and her husband Craig were grateful for the work we did today but as June and I talked throughout the day I found myself fighting off tears she had cried many many times. Today, I experienced a ministry I have never encountered.

"Tearing down to build up." Easy to say, hard to swallow. Ripping down a life time of memories to begin to build new ones while harboring a fear that your new ones may last only a very short time.

Remember how blessed you are an Bless others.

Since last I blogged...

which wasn't too long ago. memorial day proved to be as fun and unpredictable as you would expect. We had cloud cover, a pretty mean rain and then 90+ degree heat. On the lake all day, attempting the wake board for the first time- unsuccessful- and taking my turn on the tube of death.

Tube story: as some of you may be aware of, I am the most graceful person on the face of the planet. My attempt at jumping on the tube the first time resulted in the bruise you see here and further proof that no one looks as good as I do missing the tube and whacking my leg on the propeller (it was off don't freak out). I am very proud of the array of color that now adorns my leg. kinda pretty I think. :o) I had a blast. I got to hang out with my precious nephew, I lost my phone, I got a new one and I had the day off. I haven’t really worked long enough to need a day off but I took it with no complaints.

On a different note, I saw something today that I fear very few will ever see in their lives. A limo pulled into sonic in front of me. I thought at first it was an accident but as I followed it around the drive I realized this thing was here to stay. As it pulled into the parking spot to order I though it too good to pass by so I took a picture! Enjoy!

I hope everyone is feeling as good about life as I am. I’m busy but I can’t help but to thank God for the opportunities he has given me this summer. I am working with a youth minister who has an amazing leadership of encouragement about him. My fellow intern/resident is a great man of God and amazes me at every turn with his spiritual leadership. The ministry assistant is a wonderful lady who loves to laugh as much as me! It’s gonna be an awesome summer and we are hitting it at full speed!

Be Blessed!!!

Go Mavs!