Moving-Out & Built-Up

                My family is in the process of moving!  My parents just sold my childhood home of ~20 years a few months back and are planning to rebuild on some farmland in our neighborhood.  It has been exciting to see them dream and plan!  Our house sold in roughly 48 hours of being on the market!!  Wowza.  Needless to say, we just settled in to a townhome which is “home” until the house is built in the fall.  It’s been a fun and rejuvenating process to go through my old bedroom and throw out just the weirdest junk that I’ve collected over my childhood!

                It was bittersweet saying “Good-Bye” to 206 Delano.  After moving out the furniture, my Dad & I drove over to the house for one last look before turning in the keys.  It was so eery seeing our rooms empty; they were the same rooms but felt disproportionate.   So may memories struck me with every room as I walked through them one last time—so emotional!!  Our family did so much life—the ups & downs, defeats & victories--in those walls!

This morning is Day 6 of Soul Detox & the 30-Day Challenge!  Today’s Scripture was in Hebrews 3:6—“but Christ is faithful over God’s house as a son.  & we are His house if indeed we hold fast our confidence & our boasting in our hope.”

Remembering that God is the builder of all things, including our lives, is such a powerful thing.  Christ is committed to our lives as if he were a son watching over a house built by His Father.  Earlier in the passage, Christ’s greatness trumps Moses’ greatness, because Moses’ role was a servant to the house.  If we are to hold fast our confidence & boast in our hope (in Christ), Jesus is faithful to our lives.  He is more than a servant, here to serve our needs.  A servant dusts & cleans, cooks, & keeps a house maintained and well-kept.  As a servant, Moses’ role to the house of God was to testify to the things that were to be spoken later. 

But Christ is a son of the house.  He has inheritance, investment, & plans.  He first takes ownership over every piece of furniture and every room of the house, declaring all “Mine”.  He invests in His house, spends quality time in His house, & truly enjoys His house.  Finally, he has big plans for His house.  Plans to renovate old & broken parts of the house; plans to do some serious gutting of useless plumbing & pipes; plans to expand His house, to add on more rooms filled with practical things & things to delight in.

Jesus is so faithful!

Revving Up for Summer!

Summer is here!  I can't wait to get ready for two new studies that my Small Group & I are embarking on together.  We start June 1st, and I'll be trying to keep this blog current throughout the projects.  Please join us!
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1. Soul-Detox (5-weeks)
This plan has wrecked all my friends who have gone through it (in the best way).  Here is an excerpt about it:

"We are not a body with a soul.  We are a soul with a body.  While the world rightly teaches us to detox our bodies, sometimes we need to detox our soul.  This 35-day plan will help you identify what's chipping away at your soul, & what's getting in the way of you becoming the person who God created you to be.  You will learn from God's Word how you can neutralize these damaging influences & embrace clean living for your soul."

You can find this plan on youversion.com, provided by LifeChurch.tv.
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2. 30-Day Challenge:
This Challenge is owned by one of my awesome High School gals, Rach!  It embodies several components:

1. Physical
-Either Hike or a Brisk Block Walk, Jog, Swim, Cycle, or Trampolining!
-Avoid all caffeinated drinks for 5 days out of every week for 30 days
-Drink 6-8-oz cups of water every day
-Eat 1 veggie & 1 fruit a day

2. Emotional
-Blog 2+ times a week about the experience!
-Do an extra chore 3x a week
-Call someone you haven't talked to in a while in the next 30 days
-Get up at sunrise, pray & do devos 2x in the next 30 days
-Send a friend or family member a letter via snail mail
-Treat yourself to something you love to do but rarely have time for
-Prepare a meal for your housemates 4x in the next 30 days
-Write 4 letters to a pastor or missionary

3. Mental
-Choose 3 to read or listen to:
Case for Christ by Lee Strobel, Crazy Love by Francis Chan, Spiritual Leadership by Oswald Sanders, This Present Darkness by Frank Peretti, Ishban Conspiracy by Randy Alcorn, Pilgrim's Progress by John Bunyan, Transforming Grace by Jerry Bridges, Ragamuffin Gospel, Knowing God by J.I Packer, Guys are Waffles Girls are Spaghetti, Uncompromising: A Heart Claimed by a Radical Love.
-Choose two of the following: Go a week without TV, Go a week without computer, Listen to only Christian music for a week, Go a week without social media, Have a family/housemates-game night old fashioned style (Board Games galore!)

4. Spiritual
Memorize the following:
-Isaiah 26:4, Deut. 6:5, Micah 6:8, Psalm 46:1-3, Galatians 6:14, James 1:19-20, 1John 5:14, & 1Corinthians 13:4-7
-Read a Proverb a day & 2 on Day 30
-Prayer journal every day
-Start 30 Ways in 30 Days Bible reading on youversion
-Live out your faith by volunteering to help someone in need
-Share your faith

5. Financial
-Treat someone to icecream or another treat
-Tithe 10% talent or income
-Give something away that is in good shape but you no longer have need for
-Memorize Matthew 6:19-21
-Tithe your talents 3x in the next 30 days
-Host a car wash to raise money for a desired cause
-Join an event already available to raise money for a cause.

Disclaimers (:
-Reciting Scripture can be to others or aloud by yourself
-Must be done in 30 Consecutive Days
-Chocolate does not count as caffeine!

Indelible Grace

Indelible (in-del-i-ble) adj:

• making marks that cannot be erased, removed, or the like;
• that cannot be eliminated, forgotten, changed, or the like.

Grace (grace) n:

• a gift freely given; undeserved.

Indelible Grace (in-del-i-ble//grace) adj & n:

• Grace that be neither erased nor removed, not eliminated, forgotten, nor changed.

Gracious Uncertainty: Graduation!

I read this passage from Oz's Utmost for His Highest on the morning of April 29th, the day of Graduation from Pitt!  It is wildly relevant!

Pictured above is myself, Samantha, & Meg on the Union Lawn in front of the Cathedral of Learning--couldn't have asked for a more beautiful day!

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The Graciousness of Uncertainty
 "It doth not yet appear what we shall be." -1John 3:2

Naturally, we are inclined to be so mathematical and calculating that we look upon uncertainty as a bad thing. We imagine that we have to reach some end, but that is not the nature of spiritual life. The nature of spiritual life is that we are certain in our uncertainty, consequently we do not make our nests anywhere. Common sense says--"Well, supposing I were in that condition..." We cannot suppose ourselves in any condition we have never been in.

Certainty is the mark of the common-sense life: gracious uncertainty is the mark of the spiritual life. To be certain of God means that we are uncertain in all our ways, we do not know what a day may bring forth. This is generally said with a sigh of sadness; it should rather be an expression of breathless expectation. We are uncertain of the next step, but we are certain of God. Immediately, we abandon to God, and do the dute that lies nearest, He packs our life with surprises all the time. When we become advocates of a creed, something dies; we do not believe God, we only believe our belief about Him. Jesus said, "Except ye...become as little children." Spiritual life is the life of a child. We are not uncertain of God, but uncertain of what He is going to do next. If we are only certain in our beliefs, we get dignified and severe and have the ban of finality about our views; but when we are rightly related to God, life is full of spontaneous, joyful uncertainty and expectancy.

"Believe also in Me," said Jesus, not--"Believe certain things about Me." Leave the whole thing to Him, it is gloriously uncertain how He will come in, but He will come. Remain loyal to Him.
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PTL!

Falk School!

Check out this wonderful school that I had the opportunity to visit and interview this morning! (:
http://www.falkschool.pitt.edu/

Trusting the Lord!

10 Truths in Trusting the Lord!

1. He knows my name.
"Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are mine." -Isaiah 43:1

2. He sees my every move.
"Where shall I go from your Spirit?  Or where shall I flee from your presence?" -Psalm 139:7

3. He is with me."Have I not commanded you?  Be strong & courageous.  Do not be frightened, & do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go." -Joshua 1:9

4. He will fight for me."The Lord will fight for me; you need only to be silent." -Exodus 14:14

5. He made me in His own image.
"So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created them; male & female." -Genesis 1:27

6. He is my safe place.
"He only is my rock & my salvation; my fortress I shall not be shaken; on God rests my salvation & my glory; my mighty rock, my refuge is God.  Trust in Him at all times, oh you people; pour out your heart before Him; God is a refuge for us." -Psalm 62:6-8

7. He has a plan for me.
"'For I know the plans I have for you,' declares the Lord, 'plans to prosper you, plans to give you a future & hope'". -Jeremiah 29:11

8. He is GOOD!
"You are good & do good; teach me Your statutes." -Psalm 119:68

9. He is FREEDOM!
"Now the Lord is the Spirit, & where the Spirit of the Lord is there is freedom." -2 Corinthians 3:17

10. He is ALWAYS with me.
"'& surely I will be with you always, to the very end of the age.'" -Matthew 28:20

22 Reasons to Celebrate!

This is a list of 22 Reasons to give God glory in what He has done in the past year of my life-- the best one yet!  Thank you to all of you who were a part of my life in the past year!  In no particular order...
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1.  Learned to love community & worship with brothers & sisters in Christ on Living Room Worship nights.

2.  Heard a calling to ministry through Hillsong’s “Awake My Soul”, with the sunrise on the Atacama Desert, Chile.—Danika Foster & Ruthy Lopez

3.  Head-coached the Romans, sailed around the Que, jumped off the Screamer, among other awesome things at Summer’s Best Two Weeks, Heaven on Earth.—Meggy Carey, Rachel Montavon, Sarah Asher, Bradon Carey, Rachey Prong, Keely Reichel, Ash Han, Metz, Dev, Grace, TB, Mama T, & Jeunnette

4.  Launched a church in the East End of Pittsburgh.—Freedom Blackwell, Bryan McCabe, Luke Zappa, Christina Shaffer, Corrie Passavant, Dana Hunter, Sherman Leeper, Luke Cypher, Sandy Weiss, & Doug Melder

5.  Taught orphans at a Chilean Girls’ Home about Jesus!—Ariana Cook

6.  Woke up with the Sun with my roomies to pray together, play guitar, & train for the Pittsburgh Half Marathon.—Bethie, Holls, Kate, & Meg!

7.  Lost my wallet in Argentina & had to trust the Lord for provision until my family arrived in Chile.—Amy & Becca Miller, Chris Swift, Danika Foster, Mom, Dad, Megs, & Samantha!

8.  Celebrated with my parents in selling my childhood home of 206 Delano after less than 24 hours of being on the market!—Mom, Dad, Meggy, & Samantha!

9.  Led a white-water rafting trip with Legend high-school Seniors down the Youghigheny River.—Ashton Songer, Rachey Prong, & Sarah Asher

10.              Was able to pick up where we always leave off!—Alicia Timmins, Sarah Nitchkey, Rachel Tobias, Emilie Liadis, Alina Meden, Kimmy Palmer, Jenna Fallert, & Morgan Byrne

11.              Hung out with my LAMP mentee, Emary.

12.              Graduated from the University of Pittsburgh to pursue the MAT Elementary Ed program at Pitt.

13.              Battled homesickness and celebrated with angels in heaven about little ones receiving Christ into their hearts in the youngest Cabin 1.—Sarah Bowman, Metz, J-Utz!

14.              Became a member of Fresh Fruit more widely known as SWAG for Blitz/Extreme East End—Snoop Strawb, Wakka-Flaka Watermelon, Apple in the APL, & LeGrape!—Chelsea Henderson, Alec Hawley, Jordan Ferrero & the awesome Student Ministry Leaders of the East End!

15.              Saw some awesome live music!  Needtobreathe, Good Old War, Steve Moakler, Anthony Mossburg, Ben Rector, JUBILEE with Cornerstone, North Way (in general…), William Fitzsimmons, Living Room Worship

16.              Led a Bible Study for the first time!—Trishelle Duke, Virginia Lee, Hannah Baker, Abby Fair, Chelsea Davis, Lauren Dodds!

17.              Launched an inner-city Student Ministry for kids of the East End with a bunch of my friends & church family!

18.              Found beloved Pittsburgh community with new & forever brothers & sisters in Christ!—Luke Zappa, Kate Blumberg, Anne Neuhaus, Stefan Brooks, Ellie Wiesel, Jeff DeWalt, Jake Shure, Jaden Studeny, Britt Behr, Hannah Bashor, Kayla Hess, Malissa Seman, Brittany & Tiffany Dawson, Brittany Brock, Dylan Smith, Steph Mangold, Justin Cooper, Swaney, Scotty Moore, Rheena Ware, Jon Luchansky, Meg Magee, Andy Armstrong, Dylan & Justine, Dan Andrews, Luke Cypher, Sarah Musial, Price Kinney, Cookie & Cory Miller, Chelsea Henderson, Jordan Ferrero, Kristen McMullan, Brendan Cavanaugh, Kent Poole, Jon Jorgenson, Amanda Adametz, Meggy Carey, Bethanie Donovan, Kate Jacobs, Holly Asher

19.              Coffee dates with some beautiful mentors in Christ!—Sandy Weiss, Dana Hunter, Kassi Hemerka, Corrie Passavant, Katie Smith, Ellen Johnston!

20.              Had the opportunity to invest in some awesome youth!—Maddy, Rach & Jake, Sophia, Ariyonia, the Blackwells, Scotty, Laurelville with Wexford, Summer’s Best!

21.              Saw the best & worst, tears of joy & tears of pain, strength & godliness in my housemates of 354 Atwood—Beth, Hollys, Megs, & Cool-Girl Kate.

22.              Fell in love with the city!—Pitsburgh, Somerset, & Valparaíso!