300 Posts

I was looking at the stats on my blog and realized I had posted 299 posts on .Redeemed.  I couldn't pass up the opportunity to share how far .Redeemed. has come in the 300th post.  300... I really can't believe it!

.Redeemed. started in July of 2010, when I set an audacious goal for myself to read the Bible in eight months and lead an eGroup about it.  I wanted to record everything that I was learning from my time in the Word.  So, I started .Redeemed.  I don't think .Redeemed. was even called .Redeemed. at the time.
... My first blog post EVER - Prof. Horner's Eight Month Bible Reading Plan
... I attended the NewSpring Leadership Conference and blogged about each speaker.  So glad that I did, because I ended up losing my notebook after blogging everything.  Happy that it is recorded on .Redeemed.
... My God Turns My Darkness Into Light was the most viewed post of 2010, with 20 views!

In 2011, I told myself I was going to blog more.  I shared some great moments with the world like...
... That time when 134 people were truly spontaneously baptized in an afternoon. 
... That time when God told me to write over forty individual cards for an Easter package being sent to my trainers boyfriend in the air force over seas.  Pretty amazing because the amount of cards I wrote was the exact number of people in his flight. 

I also shared some moments that made 2011 one of the most difficult years of my life like...
... That time when my grandpa passed away.
... That time when everything in my life sucked and I refused to give up.
... That time when I spent Christmas alone in my apartment crying all day.

In 2012, I told myself I was going to make .Redeemed. famous.  I revamped everything.  I got an email address for .Redeemed., removed my last name from twitter and started sharing my blog with the world. 
... I started Reflection Friday where I blog about what happened with my eStudents at eGroup.
... I started Sermon Sunday where I blogged my notes from church.
... I started doing blog link ups like It's Okay and Thankful Tuesday.
... I wrote about getting your self esteem back.
... This post on God still having a plan got over 150 views.

Here we are.. in 2013... 300 posts, nearly 10,000 page views [9,699 at the time of writing this], readers visiting from the United States, Russia, the United Kingdom and all over the world, and over 100 visits from google searches! 

Thank you.  Thank you from the bottom of my heart. Thank you for making .Redeemed. what it is.  Thank you for sharing .Redeemed. with friends.  Thank you for giving my passion for writing and sharing the good news of Jesus a place on the blogsphere.  Thank you.  I wouldn't continue to write on .Redeemed. if it wasn't for you, the reader...

Week in Review

Week in Review... a new series of posts about how I'm working toward achieving my 23 goals while 23, what I'm reading in my Bible and anything else monumental I'd like to share with you.

This week I...

 

... Got back to the gym.  I took 12 days off because school was killing me.  It was brutal, but it was worth it.  (Working on goal 10)

... Skipped school work to celebrate my roommate's last day of work and the greater things ahead in her life. (Working on goal 5)

... Am dealing with the weight of following God's call.  Realizing what it means and the cost that it will have on relationships in my life.  Realizing that losing everything is worth following God's call.  (Working on goal 15)

... Am dealing with a difficult situation in the life of someone close to me.  When a parent came to me for help, I was at a lose for words.  Following God's lead on how to deal with it.  (Working on goal 18)

... Took a mess of pictures from the eGroup I guest spoke at, as well as a trip to the Charlotte Nature Meusum with some awesome kiddos.  (Working on goal 12)

This week in my QT with God...

... I finished Start Your Day Right. It's a fourteen day devotional by Joyce Meyer. So, it took me a few more than fourteen days.  At least I finished, right? 

... I started Here I am, Lord.  It's a thirty-one day devotional about being in the moment and thanking God for what you have. 

... Realized how great the need for me to trust God.  If I delight in Him, my footsteps will be firm and I will never fall.  Really helped in relation to the calling God has placed on my life.  I've been scared, but I have no reason to fear if I delight in Him. - Psalm 27

... Realized that even though I don't have any biological children, God has placed an amazing group of eStudents that I have to thank Him for.  The influence that I have the opportunity to impress on them is a huge responsibility.  - Psalm 127

Reflection Friday

If you are new to .Redeemed., I lead a middle school girls eGroup. Thursday evenings with the girls is one of my favorite parts of the week. They are an amazing group of girls and they teach me as much as I teach them.

Icebreaker: Catch Words.  It's a free iPhone App that's similar to Catch Phrase.  First team to seven points wins.  We had a blast trying to beat the timer!

Discussion Highlights:  This week, we discussed honoring, being obedient and bringing joy to our parents.  We had a delightful discussion about what it looks like to honor your parents and practical ways we can begin being obedient and bringing joy to our parents. 

The girls are going to try respectfully responding to chore requests, instead of rudely declining.  When asked to do the dishes, they are going to work on thanking them for the opportunity.  They are going to remember that Hebrews 12:9-11 says that we are disciplined out of love. 

Closing: We closed by praying together, and talked about our next outreach project.


During the Week: This week, we will be reading YouVersion's "What's Next: Student Edition" Bible study.  The girls will begin brainstorming how we will pull off a bake sale for A Place for Hope.

Next Week: We will discuss what we read in our study during eGroup.  We will make snack packs for A Child's Place.  A Child's Place is one of Elevation Church's outreach partners which exists to erase the impact of child homelessness.  We will be putting a healthy snack together to go home with some kids. 

Personal Reflection: I'd say that tonight went pretty well.  Catch Words was a great way to get our evening started.  I enjoyed the heart racing laughter that the timer on the game caused.  We had a blast!  It was great to discuss honor, obedience and joy with the girls.  At thirteen/fourteen, honoring your parents can seem like the hardest thing there is to do in the world.  I can't wait to see them change the way they treat and look at their parents. 

Reflection Friday

If you are new to .Redeemed., I lead a middle school girls eGroup. Thursday evenings with the girls is one of my favorite parts of the week. They are an amazing group of girls and they teach me as much as I teach them.

Icebreaker: What is keeping you from doing great things?

Discussion Highlights:  This week, we discussed who God has made us to be.  God has made us to do great things.  Teenagers typically get looked down on because they are young, but 1 Timothy 4:12 says that not to let anyone look down on you because you are young.

We talked about the things that are holding us back from doing great things.  We talked about who the world tells us we are, who God says we are, how those two differ and which we should believe. 


Closing: We closed by praying together, believing that we can do great things, in spite of their young age.

During the Week: This week, we will be reading YouVersion's "Parent's" Bible study.  This Bible study is about honor and obedience toward our parents and bringing them joy.

Next Week: We will discuss what we read in our study during eGroup.

Personal Reflection: Mmmm... This week's discussion was great!  I strongly agree that these girls can and will do great things.  Their young age should never hold them back from doing great things.  I think it is so important that we pour into today's younger generation and let them know that they can do great things.  I can't wait to see what the Lord has in store for each of their lives.  Shoot, they are already doing great things... Just take a look at some of these Proud Momma posts.

Reflection Friday

If you are new to .Redeemed., I lead a middle school girls eGroup. Thursday evenings with the girls is one of my favorite parts of the week. They are an amazing group of girls and they teach me as much as I teach them.

Icebreaker: What are your new years resolutions?

Discussion Highlights:  This week, being the first time we met for 2013, I wanted to set the stage for a better year than we ended on last year.  Last year, we ended on a rough note.  The girls are coming to eGroup to hang out and not to study God's word.

After discussing goals for 2013, we discussed some biblical scriptures representing standards that we should be held accountable for as Christians.  We are called to a higher standard, not to be stumbling blocks, and to live lives that glorify God. 

Closing:  We closed by praying together, and talked about our next outreach project.

During the Week: For the next three weeks, we will be doing one week Bible studies on various topics.  My goal is to get the girls to begin reading their Bible on a regular basis.  This week, we will be reading YouVersions "Student Leadership" Bible study.


Next Week:  We will discuss what we read in our study on student leadership during eGroup.

 

Personal Reflection: The evening didn't go as I'd planned.  As we're talking about not being stumbling blocks to one another, two girls are having [ not so quite ] side conversations about something unrelated.  This was a little frustrating.  I'm strategizing on how we can fix this.  Longer eGroup meetings?  Different days?  New location?!  They're too comfortable.


[ Side Note ] - If you'd like a copy of the standards I'm holding the girls accountable for this year, I'd be more than happy to send them to you.  You can email me at redeemebdblog[at]yahoo[dot]com!

Good Bye 22!

22 has come and gone.  I couldn't pass up the opportunity to share one last post for twenty-two.  It was an amazing year.  I learned some great things.  Here is the top ten moments of my life as a twenty-two year old.

 

10. I ran my first 5k this year.  Last year, I trained for my first 5k.  The week of the race, I fell down my stairs and fractured my ankle.  Finally being able to get out there and run my first 5k was a lot of fun!  The excitement surrounding races is exhilarating.  I was lucky enough to get to run the race with my whole family!

9. Code Orange Revival was twelve nights of my life that I will never forget.  My church boldly invites the Holy Spirit into our presence every weekend.  As a way to set the stage for 2012, we had a twelve night Revival where world renowned pastors, worship leaders and speakers came to speak God's word to the church.  I attended four of the twelve nights and watch the rest of the nights from home.  This picture is from eGroups night of Code Orange Revival.  I am so thankful for the opportunity to lead the way with my eStudents!

 

8.  One of my favorite parts of being twenty - two was being at Liberty University Online.  No, I don't actually attend classes.  Yes, I do everything from the convenience of my computer.  But, this year, because of Liberty University, I was able to find my love for theology.  I have a strong desire to know as much as possible about theology.  I'm excited to say that next year, I'll be getting my Master's in Practical Theology and specializing in Children's Ministry.  My two great loves!

 

7.  This year, I was able to celebrate my eGroups one year anniversary.  We've been meeting since September of 2011.  We've grown from three consistently coming to a steady 10 each week.  We've seen some come and go, but through the past year, God has blessed me with an amazing group of young ladies.  I learn as much, if not more from them than they learn from me.  They keep me young, by teaching me what WRUD means and what a selfie is.  I keep them grounded by reminding them that they don't need a boyfriend right now and God's word is more important than Gossip Girl.  I wouldn't trade my time with them for anything.  And, I'm looking forward to many many many many more years with them!

 

6.  I made the transition back into serving after a brief break this year. God led me to the Uptown campus. I'm so thankful that He did. I've made many friendships through being at this campus. I've seen God use me and stretch me in so many different areas of my life. I was able to realize, once again, that He is always faithful and He always provide and His plan will always come to fruition. And, sometimes things that aren't so great have to happen so that better things can happen. 

 

5. Student Takeover was legen - wait for it - dary!  We white water rafted, navigated a ropes course, heard God's word spoken over us, served our city and served our church together.  The time that I had with my eGroup Student Takeover weekend was a time that we will never forget.  I am grateful to have the privilege to go to a church that doesn't have a student ministry but is a student ministry.

 

4. Work. Yes, I love my job! I'm a nanny and it's not as easy as it looks. I do a lot more than just sit at home with a kid and watch TV.... which is what people seem to think I do. It's truly an honor to work for the family that I nanny. The kids are amazing and the parents are great. The treat me so well. This year, I took a moment to reflect on how unique our situation is and how I can see God's hand all over it. I am so thankful for their love and support in my life.

 

3. Celebrating New Year's in the middle of the ocean was absolutely fabulous!  I fell in love with cruises this year.  The relaxation that comes with not ever having to be anywhere.  The convience of not having to drive anywhere.  The excitement of being able to do everything that you can do on land on a boat.  Geeze!  This picture of me sums up the entire trip.  It was absolutely amazing!

2. Realizing God's plan for my life with these girls has been amazing.  Growing closer to and learning about God with an amazing group of young women was a pivotal part of being twenty-two.  We saw the good and the bad together.  We always have each others back and that's a bond that can't be broken.  I'm so thankful that I got to spend a year with these ladies.  Looking forward to many more!

1.  My favorite moment of being twenty-two was getting my first tattoo.  I wanted "Redeemed" tattooed on my wrist for three years.  Making it official this summer in Charleston was a moment I will never forget.  Better than that, was the moment that it healed, when it was no longer raised and for the first time the tattoo felt real.  It felt like it was a part of me.  I have been redeemed.  Nothing can take that away.

 

 

Overall, 22 brought me much joy and happiness.  I saw God's hand over and moving in my life on a regular basis.  I was able to take a step back and see how each moment of my life I am taking one step closer to fulfilling his greater calling for my life.  I don't want to ever get too far from Him to not realize what He is calling me to do.

Things I Can't Say

Today I am linking up with Things I Can't Say! But, if it were things she couldn't say, it would be blank. So, it's more like things she can't say out loud!

If you've been reading .Redeemed. for any amount of time, you know that I lead a middle school girls eGroup.  If you are new to .Redeemed. and that is new information to you, you should read those two posts.  Then, you'll be up to speed on my life as an eGroup leader to middle school girls.


Today, I am pouring my heart out with things that I can't say.  I consider myself highly blessed to be a part of the eStudents at Elevation Church.  The saying around Elevation is that we don't have a student ministry, we are a student ministry.  There are about 20 girls, with regular attendance at a little less than 15 each week in my eGroup.  They are fabulous girls, who desire to grow closer to God and learn as much as they can from our time together.  The weight that is on my shoulders is huge and I don't take it lightly!  I desire to grow as close to God, so I can lead them close to Him, I desire to be a strong Christian role model in their life who they respect and look up to, and I desire to be someone who they come to when they don't feel like they can go to their parents. 

But... every story has a but, right?  Lately, some of these middle school girls have really gotten into their middle school teenage selves.  And, it's not pretty.  They aren't the most polite young ladies, they say what is ever on their mind no matter how unkind it may be, and they have little respect for anyone in a position of authority.

I'll admit that I was a teenager once, and my mom will tell you those were not my finest years.  I would argue about every little thing to the ground, slam doors and back talk at every opportunity...

The problem is, I feel like I expect a lot more out of the girls. Their blatant disrespect for their parents, teachers and myself breaks my heart.  I know that they are greater than that, but I can't figure out how to pull that greater potential out of them.  I'll ask them to put their phones away, so they hide their phone behind a pillow, I'll ask them to not talk while someone else is talking, so they whisper behind their hands, I'll ask them to not be rude, so they say it's just the truth.

I've left eGroup frustrated beyond reason the last few weeks.  I feel like I'm failing as an eGroup leader.  I can't figure out how to get my old, beautiful, sweet and kind eGroup girls back.

Things I Can't Say... Out loud... For an hour and a half once a week, could you put being a teenager aside and show me a little respect?  For an hour and a half once a week, could you be sweet to your eGroup leader who lives in Uptown Charlotte, but comes to Rock Hill for you?  For an hour and a half once a week, could you respect and honor everyone who has come to eGroup? 

PS.  I do love them and the opportunity to be a part of their lives.  They are just testing me right now! 

 

Reader... Feel free to pitch in any advice on middle school girls for me!  Feel free to drop an encouraging comment.  Feel free to tell me that even though I feel like I'm not making a difference, I am making an eternal investment in your life.  Anything really!  I'd love to hear from you!

Still Munching

I Don't Just Go, I am the Church

1 Corinthians 12:12, 14-20, 27

 

 

To close out I Know He is, But What am I?, each Elevation Church location heard a message from someone different. Elevation-Blakeney heard from Lysa Terkurst, Elevation-Matthews heard from John Bishop, Elevation-Uptown heard from Joel Delph and Larry Hubatka, Elevation-Rock Hill heard from Frank Bealer and Tim Fara, Elevation-Providence heard from Wade Joye, and Elevation-University heard from Larry Brey. It was an amazing weekend at Elevation!!

I went to Elevation-Uptown for their 9:15 worship experience on Sunday morning to hear Joel Delph and Larry Hubatka preach. I, aslo, went to Elevation-Matthews for their 6:00 worship experience on Sunday night to hear John Bishop.

 

I couldn't miss out on hearing any of them preaching this weekend.  John Bishop moved to Canada on Monday to start the first Elevation Church in a different country!  His obedience to God is admirable.  He was my campus pastor for over two years, and baptized me!  I had to hear him preach for the last time at Matthews. 

 

---

 

Just because you go to church, doesn't mean you are the church.  Just because you go to the Bank of America Stadium, doesn't make you a Panther player.

 

When you just go to church you're an outsider looking in.  When you are The Church, you're an insider reaching out.

 

When you just go to church, it's another thing to do.  When you are The Church, it affects everything you are.

 

If you are a Christian, you can't not be a part of The Church.

 

When you just go to church, change is an inconvenience.  When you are The Church, change is an invitation.

 

 

Love what you just read? Want to hear more? The entire message can be found for free at 12:00, 4:00 and 8:00 (AM & PM) here, or you can download the podcast for free!

What I am munching on...

There is so much more to church than just Sunday attendance.  Church is being involved, playing your part, and inviting people.  John Bishop said, "If you are a foot, you are a foot.  You can't become a hand."  Meaning, God gave you a part to play in The Church.  If you are a foot, be the foot in your church.  Church involves community.  Get together with people outside of Sunday's.  At Elevation Church, we call them eGroups.

Church involves inviting people.  When you are a part of something, you want the people around you to be a part, too!  When you are a Christian, you should want the people around you to be Christians, too.  Bring them to church with you.  Be a bringer!!

Reader, be a part of the post! 

What part of the Body of Christ are you playing?  What part do you need to step up and play?

Munching Monday

I Know He is, But What am I?

Student Takeover Edition

 

Sixteen & Pregnant

 

Luke 1:26-38     Hebrews 11:6

 

Elevation Church does not have a Student Minsitry.  We are a student ministry.  Once a year, we like to get our eStudents front and center.  In the past, they've gone to the Forward Conference and Crossroads.  This year, they took over Charlotte and Elevation Church.  They went to the U.S. National White Water Center on Friday, served their city and partied on Saturday and took over the worship experiences Sunday.  It was an increadible weekend.

This is a bit from Pastor Steven's sermon this weekend...

1. It may not go as I'm expecting. But I am obsessed with who I am becoming.

2. It may feel lonely to stand for Christ. But I am never alone as I walk with Him.

4. It may be costly to do God's will. But I am confident in His reward.

You'll have to listen to the entire sermon to see how It may... But I am relates to the passage where the virgin Mary finds out she is pregnant, and why the sermon is titled Sixteen and Pregnant.  The entire message can be found for free at 12:00, 4:00 and 8:00 (AM & PM) here, or you can download the podcast for free!

PS. You aren't reading that wrong.  There is no point three.  Pastor Steven rarely gets through all of his points.  He shared number four instead of number three.

 

What I am munching on...

Have you ever felt drained?  Have you ever felt like your body was running on empty and there was no where else for you to go?  I was feeling that way this weekend.  The enemy knows I have potential to do great things in my eStudents lives.  The enemy was doing everything in its power to make sure that I didn't do those great things during Student Takeover.  My body was tired from lack of sleep, but my heart was also tired from people running me down.

I sat in the 9:30 worship experience.  Pastor Steven's fourth point, It may be costly to do God's will, but I am confident in His reward rocked my world.  I needed those words.  Preparing for Student Takeover weekend as well as the weekend itself was not only financially costly, but physically and mentally costly.  That point, made me realize that it may be costly, but the reward is worth it.

I am being obedient to what God has called me to do, so that is totally worth it! God has uniquely positioned ME to impact their lives.  I am making an eternal investment in my eStudent's lives.  I have the opportunity to minister to them each week, pour into them and speak straight to their hearts!  God has given me permission to change their lives.  All costs aside, being a part of the eStudents at Elevation Church is always worth it!



Reader... What about those points stands out to you?  What is your "It may... But I am..."?

Respect Pt. 1

Respect: (noun), an act of giving particular attention

Respect: (noun), a high or special regard

Respect: (noun), esteem for a sense of worth or excellence of a person

I feel like I've been talking about this issue for a while now.  Or at least, I've been thinking about it a lot.  Respect is very important to me.  I find myself wanting to lecture parents at the park on their phone, kids on their electronic device at the table and friends texting when they are with friends. 

What has today come to?  When we are with people we like, why don't we respect them enough to put our electronic devices away and actually spend time with them?  Texting, sending emails, and playing games while around people you are supposed to be spending time with shows a huge lack of respect for them.  I know I would never buy my children (that I don't have) a meal if they sat on their phone, iPod, or DS at a restaurant. 

My ultimate irritation when it comes to respect and our electronic devices is during church related activities.  I can't stand it when I see people on their phone at church.  Yes, maybe you are taking notes but it is distracting and overall rude.  It drives me crazy when the middle school girls in my eGroup pull out their phones.  I've caught several playing Temple Run and texting during eGroup.  I feel like my head explodes when I see this.

I was raised to treat others with a higher level of respect.  When I'm at the table with family or friends, I'm not checking facebook or my email.  When I am at eGroup, the one I lead and the one I am in, I am not on my phone.  For those few hours that I am with people, my phone is put away.  I have enough respect for them, to devote my time to them and not be distracted with my phone.

Dear Reader... 

Am I alone here?  Does this bother you, too? 

Come back on Thursday for another post unpacking some biblical references to this topic.

Reflection Friday

If you are new to .Redeemed., I lead a middle school girls eGroup. Thursday evenings with the girls is one of my favorite parts of the week. They are an amazing group of girls and they teach me as much as I teach them.


In June, my eStudents took a week off to go on a Father-Daughter Date.  I didn't want to show any bias towards our wonderful mothers.  So, my eStudents took yesterday off to go on a Mother-Daughter Date.

I have tweeted about it a lot about parent-child relationships this week.  Children these days are going through far more than we went through as children.  They need their parents in their lives to bring them back to reality.  I think a strong parent-bond is always important, but I don't know a more important time than through middle school and high school.  Middle schoolers are tempted to have sex, do drugs and change who they are to be popular.  High schoolers are selling themselves out to be in, going too far, and making choices that they will regret later in life.

Students need to know that their parents are around to help them through these hard times.  Students need to be able to come to their parents when they are thinking about making or have already made a bad choice.


Disclaimer - I am not a parent.  I do not know what it is like to be a parent.  I do not know what you are going through, that may determine the way you parent now.  I am someones child and I did go to my parents when I was thinking about making or had already made a poor decision.  I can't imagine what I would be doing now if I hadn't had my parents to go to.  Please do not judge this post and tell me that I don't know what I am talking about.  I think this is an important topic that God has made me passionate about.  I wouldn't be writing about it if God hadn't given me the words.

Reflection Friday

If you are new to .Redeemed., I lead a middle school girls eGroup. Thursday evenings with the girls is one of my favorite parts of the week. They are an amazing group of girls and they teach me as much as I teach them.

Icebreaker - What is one random fact about yourself?


Discussion Highlights - This week, we talked about qualities we think Christian women should have.  We discussed how we can strive to have those qualities and holding one another accountable for them.  They have greatness inside of each of them, and I want them to believe they are capable to do amazing things!

A few of the qualities we see as important are: love, patience, kindness, acceptance, trustworthiness and respectful.

Closing - I wrapped the evening up by talking about the turn of events from a few weeks ago.  We spent the weekend together as an eGroup from Thursday to Saturday.  The behavior shown that weekend was nothing like I had ever seen before.  I reminded them of their potential to be great, and be Christ through their actions.

This Week - Tomorrow, we have an event for Rock Hill County Schools.  We will be putting school supplies in backpacks for children who wouldn't have adequate school supplies otherwise.  Thursday, we will not have eGroup so that the girls can go on Mother-Daughter Dates.  Sunday, we will be having a Back to School Pot Luck. 

Personal Reflection - My discussion points for the evening were derailed, but that is okay!  I think the evening went well!

Personal Highlight - Four new eStudents!  This month, we've had five new eStudents join our eGroup.  The momentum is something only God could make happen and it's so incredible!

Social Media Fast Reflection

Last week, my middle school eGroup took some time to look at what the Bible says about social media and gossip.  It took some digging, but I felt some great Bible verses to relate to the topic of social media.  From what we read in Matthew 12:36, Proverbs 17:28 and 1 Corinthians 10:23-24, the Bible doesn't take the subject of how we present ourselves on social media lightly.

I challenged each of the girls to take a week to fast from social media.  We pledged together to take seven days to fast from all social media platforms in order to seek God's wisdom on how we could use social media to advance the Kingdom of God.  When craving time on any social media site, we pledged to turn to the Bible or to the Lord in prayer and seek His guidance on how we could present the Gospel through social media. 

Their first reaction to the challenge was what you would expect from a group of 10 to 14 year olds - panic.  They didn't know what they were going to do without their time on the social media sites.  Through conversations during the week, they seemed to be handling it better than they thought. 

My Reflection from the Week: If you follow me on twitter, you know that I am a bit addicted.  And, by a bit, I mean, I have a serious problem.  I do not post on facebook often.  I keep facebook around to keep track of my middle school girls and stay in touch with people who aren't on twitter.  I love Pinterest.  Obviously, I am in love with my blog.  I do not have a cool techie smart phone, so I am not on Instagram.

I had a terribly hard time being away from twitter.  Every situation that I was in, I wanted to tweet about it, mention people and hash tag it something catchy.  I hated not being in the loop on what was going on in the social media world.

Taking the time away was great for me!  I was able to realize that I can use the social media platforms that God has given me to present the Gospel in a new and fresh way.  When I am reading the Bible, I can tweet a link to what I am reading and share a personal reflection.  On facebook, I can steer myself away from petty drama by continuing to scroll instead of pitching into a debate.  I am excited to continue to present the gospel through my blog.


Have you ever taken a fast from social media and come back with a new perspective?  Do you need to take a fast from social media but are afraid of being away?

We Should Be...

Today's post comes to you from a girl in my eGroup. Her name is Katelyn. She is thirteen years old, volunteers in eKidz and attends Elevation - Rock Hill. Katelyn makes time for God each day. She passionate about telling others about Christ's love. After many conversations with Katelyn through "Followers of God: Hunger Games", I fell in love with everything that came out of her mouth. She is wise beyond her years, and I couldn't miss out on sharing her words with you! 

We Should Be... 

One of the things that bothers me the most in life is how people take advantage of so many things that God has given them.  God sent His one and only Son down to die for us so we could be with Him.  Most people take advantage of that and don’t even think about it or thank God for it.

Most people don’t think about it, but we should be thankful to have money, shelter, food, and a country where we are religiously free and safe.  In others countries they don’t have anything and they have to follow one religion or they are killed.

God made us to shine a light in this world and to show people about him, but most people get caught up in all of their worldly desires that they don’t reflect the light of God.  God should be our biggest desire.  It doesn’t matter if you are rich or poor as long as you believe in God.

If Jesus were to come back today He wouldn’t take only the people with the most money to heaven. Yes, I know money is important but it shouldn’t be the center of our life, God should.  We should praise God and thank him everyday for the things that people think are little to us, but they could change another persons life.  We should be living our lives with God in the center of our life.  We should be tithing at our church and we should be praying and thanking God for everything that we have each day.  We should be in His Word and be thankful to have His Word.  We need to be giving more than we are receiving.

You could donate to help feed kids in Africa or to a hospital for the families that don’t have enough money to cure their child.  If you live without taking advantage of what God has given you that He could take away any second then he will glorify you.

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If you aren't inspired by this thirteen-year-olds awareness to what the Bible says, then I don't know what can inspire you.  Everything she has written is biblically sound information.  These are all things that we should be doing, but get lost in the motions of life.  Obedience to God's Word should always come first in our life.

How to Deal with Bad Ending Friendships

Today's post comes to you from a girl in my eGroup.  Her name is Katelyn.  She is thirteen years old, volunteers in eKidz and attends Elevation - Rock Hill.  Katelyn makes time for God each day.  She passionate about telling others about Christ's love.  After many conversations with Katelyn through "Followers of God: Hunger Games", I fell in love with everything that came out of her mouth.  She is wise beyond her years, and I couldn't miss out on sharing her words with you! 

How to Deal with Bad Ending Friendships

Most childhood friendships come and go but sometimes they end very badly.  I used to be really close to this girl, but then she changed a lot and so did I.  I’m not blaming it all on her because we both changed.  I started hanging out with other friends and so did she.  Let’s just say the end of the relationship was bad because it ended over something really stupid and then it led to her doing more bad things to me and my other friends.  After that I had a hard time deciding what kind of friend she could be. I didn’t know if I could ever get really close to her again.

Then during the week Mark Driscoll preached in the How to Hug a Vampire series at Elevation Church, he talked about forgiveness.  There was a wake- up call.  I don’t have to be mad at her forever.  I can forgive her even though our future would never look like our past did.  It made me more confident to confront her sense I knew how to approach the situation.

We are going to be in the same class for the next few years and we can't avoid each other forever so I felt like I needed to forgive her. A couple weeks later I forgave her and it felt like a big weight was lifted off my shoulders. It feels so great now to not have a grudge between us. Even though our future friendship will not look like our past friendship, it feels great to forgive her.

Then at eGroup we talked about how we should respect other people and how God loves the sinner but hates the sin. That helped me a lot and made me think about her a lot. Even though our friendship will never be the same I still need to respect her. I need to do as God does. I will love the sinner, but hate the sins that she did against me and to me.

Luke 6:31 says “Just as you want others to do for you, do the same for them”. I don’t want her to never forgive me or never respect me so that’s why I still need to be nice to her and respect her.

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I am so proud of Katelyn.  She is thirteen and realizes the need to forgive someone, even if they will never be friends again.  Katelyn was able to do something that most adults do not do.  

Proud Momma

I have to brag on my eGroup girls for a moment. I am so proud of each and every one of them. They are asking God to script their love story, inviting friends to church, volunteering in their sweet spot, and seeking time with God on a daily basis despite basketball, cheerleading and homework.

Once a month, I like to brag on one girl who is going above and beyond in eGroup. I pick out someone who comes to eGroup prepared, seeks out opportunities to spread God's word, and is making time for God even though they have a busy schedule. This monthly series is titled Proud Momma.

Katelyn has gone above and beyond week after in every avenue of her life. She plays volleyball, swims, and volunteers in eKidz. Katelyn joined our eGroup in February. We were already several chapters into when God writes your love story but that didn't stop her. She made time to catch up to where we were. She always comes to eGroup prepared.

Recently, the eGroup went through "Followers of God: Hunger Games". Hunger as in hungry for God's word. A little play on words for the Hunger Games fanatics in my eGroup. It was a 21 day Bible reading plan that I got from Newspring Church. Katelyn, as well as two other girls, didn't miss a day! They read each chapter, answered all of the questions and reached out to me every day to let me know their thoughts on the reading.

The discussions Katelyn and I had each day are why I had to write about her in this edition of Proud Momma. Her thoughts were always deep. Often, she thought of things that I didn't think of. Talking to her about the Bible was so inspiring.

Katelyn is thirteen and gets it. She understands the importance of making time for God and responding to His Word. I know many adults who may understand these things, but don't follow it up with action. Katelyn follows her understanding and beliefs up with action.

I can't put into words how proud I am of Katelyn. She is going to do great things for God's Kingdom and I am blessed to have a front row seat to her life. Katelyn, keep up the amazing work and never lose the passion you have for doing God's work. You are an amazing young lady!

Vacation

This week, I am enjoying the beautiful, wonderful, amazing Charleston, South Carolina.  I have a week off of work and I am taking advantage of that time.  One of my best friends lives in Charleston, so I knew I was going to spend some time with her on my time off.  Turns out, my other best friend will be in Charleston at her parent's beach house for the week!  How perfect!!? 

I am beyond excited to have a week to relax.  I got into Charleston last night and am enjoying all things hot and beachy as you read this.  I am writing this July 5th. 

While I am away, you will have the Proud Momma post of the month, and two posts from that amazing gal.  Please show her lots of love by leaving comments on her posts that go up Wednesday and Friday.

Charleston is my favorite place to vacation.  I am not a fan of Myrtle Beach in any way.  I love the history and culture of Charleston.  I am a beach gal all the way.  The planner in me takes a vacation when I take a vacation.  I am satisfied chilling on the beach the entire vacation.  I hope that's what I do this week. 

Where is your favorite place to vacation?  Do you prefer the beach or the mountains?  Do you prefer an itinerary or just go with the flow?



Reflection Friday

Sometimes, you just need to take off from the structured small group settings and have an evening of just hanging out.  My eGroup did that yesterday.  My students and I went to Tony's Ice Cream.  Tony's is in Gastonia, North Carolina.  One of the girls in the eGroup suggested that we go there one night.  So, we did!

The evening was filled with laughter, catching up and just good clean fun.

Last week, we had a swimming night.  I missed eGroup because of everything that day.  I hated not seeing my girls, but knew that taking the night off was the right thing. It was great to see them this week!

   

Communication VS. Investment

As a leader at Elevation - Uptown, I get the honor and privilege to sit in the leader meeting and hear a word from the campus pastor each week.  This is always a time for growth and development for the leaders of the campus.  I walk out of the leader meeting every week encouraged and challenged. 

Joel Delph is the new campus pastor at the Uptown Campus.  Larry Hubatka recently stepped out of the role as Campus Pastor to put the majority of his focus into his role as Creative Pastor. 

This week, Joel taught the leaders about the difference between communication and investment.  His message hit me between the eyes.  It was perfect for me.

Joel through this question out to the leaders - What is the difference between communication and investment?  Relationship and action were two of the answers thrown out.

Communication is like a machine gun and investment is like a sniper.

Communication is like a machine gun because you are sending a mass email or text with no real target.  Investment is like a sniper because you are being intentional about your target.

Joel went to Phil Klein and asked Phil what it meant to pour into people.  This is a term we use a lot, but are we sure we actually know what it means?

Phil said that "pouring into" someone is showing appreciation, giving encouragement and giving selective time.

Why the slap in the face for me?  I am really good at communicating with my eGroup, but this made me feel like I am not so great at investing in my eGroup.  This made me realize that I need to take some one on one time with the girls and pour into them.  Our eGroup has grown a lot in the last few months.  I need to be taking the time to pour into them more.  The mass texts and emails are great for communicating with them, but that can't be all that I do outside of Thursday evenings. 

Are you communicating or investing in your team or small group?! 

Sun Stand Still Prayer

I have been reading through John with my middle school eGroup.  We are reading one chapter a day.  It has been great to devote time to one chapter of John a day.  I am learning so much from it.  I am taking pages of notes on what is standing out to me.

John 6 has the popular story of Jesus walking on water.  This story is always interesting to me. 

A strong wind was blowing and the waters grew rough.  When they had rowed about three or four miles, they saw Jesus approaching the boat, walking on the water; and they were frightened.

John 6:18-19

Reading this sparked a thought... how often do we see Jesus and are still frightened?  I spent some time the morning I read John 6 to think about this question.  As I was driving to work, I got a figurative slap in the face.  I had been doing it for over a year!

In September of 2009, I walked into Elevation Church's first permanent campus in Matthews.  Upon walking in the doors, I had an overwhelming sense that God was going to do something great in my life there.  I felt Him make a huge promise to me, that made no sense at the time.

Months went by where I processed the promise.  A year later, Pastor Steven Furtick released a book called Sun Stand Still.  The book is about having audacious faith and believing God for the impossible.  I read this book and my life was changed.  I made a Sun Stand Still prayer based on the promise I felt God give me a year earlier.

Although I made the prayer, I was frightened to actually trust God with the prayer and refused to pray it.  What if He doesn't do it? and What if He doesn't come through? were thoughts that went through my head regularly.  A few months later, I began to get frustrated that my unprayed prayer wasn't coming true.  Isn't He an all-knowing God?  Doesn't He know about this?  Why doesn't He just answer my prayer?

I may be alone here.  I hope you can respect my honesty with you.  I was frustrated that God wasn't answering a prayer that I was afraid to trust Him with. 

But he said to them, "It is I; don't be afraid."

John 6:20

About a month ago, I was reevaluating the prayer and where I was with it.  God wasn't answering the prayer, because I was too frightened to actually trust Him to do it.  I needed to have the audacious faith to believe that He could do what seemed impossible to me.  For the first time, I prayed the prayer with belief that He could and would do it. 

Then they were willing to take him into the boat, and immediately the boat reached the shore where they were heading.

John 6:21

No lie, the next day, I got some unexpected amazing news related to the prayer.  All I needed to do was trust that He could do it.  He knew it was a desire of my heart, but He needed me to trust Him.  The moment that I showed my trust, He honored it by showing me the first step in the prayer coming to life.

I am sharing this with you today in hopes that you will begin to trust God with something that seems impossible and a little scary.  He can do it!  He made the sun stand still for Joshua.  He can do it in your life, you just have to be willing to ask and walk in faith.