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.

2012 in Review [ Pt. 1 ]

.Redeemed. Year in Review

10. Proud Momma - This post is about two of the amazing middle school girls that I lead.  One lives in an athiest home, but reads her Bible in the closet and desires to go to church.  The other, has been a constant positive role model to the first.  I just wanted the world to know how proud of them I was, and still am!  They are amazing! [ 54 Views and Posted in May 2012 ] 

9. Yesterday - This post is about the day after my baby brother tried to kill himself.  I was a wreck.  Being the oldest sister, I did everything I could to keep it together.  I had no idea what to expect when I was walking into the hopsital and all I knew was he'd tried to kill himself.  After a stream of tweets, I posted this so everyone knew what was going on!  [ 57 Views and Posted in June 2012] 

8. Nehemiah and Me - This post was written after a difficult week, where I couldn't see how I could follow God and have a relationship with my parents.  I was beginning to feel like if I did what God was calling me to do, I was going to loose my parents.  After reading about Nehemiah, I found out that we had a lot in common.  Through skimming the pages of Nehemiah, I realized that without God strengthening me, I can't accomplish anything. [ 67 Views and Posted in November 2012 ]

7. How to Deal with Bad Ending Friendships - This post was written by one of the amazing middle school girls I lead.  She is thirteen and wrote a powerful post about how to deal with friendships that don't end well.  She had to learn what she wrote the hard way.  We all have something to learn from her words. [ 80 Views and Posted in July 2012 ]

6. Proud Momma - This post is another post about another amazing middle school girl in my eGroup.  It's about the same girl who wrote How to Deal with Bad Ending Friendships and We Should Be.  She's going to change this world.  Her hunger for God's word is empowering.  I've had many intellectual conversations with her about what is going on in the Bible and what God is doing in her life.  I'm so proud of her! [ 81Views and Posted in July 2012 ]

5. Giveaway - This post was a giveaway for the book When God writes your love story  that I studied personally, had my world rocked, lead a book study on it with a group of middle school girls and saw their worlds rocked.  The book is too good not to share. [ 83 Views and Posted in April 2012 ]

4. Lifted Hands - This post is about those days when lifting your hands in worship is the hardest thing to do.  We all have those moments when we can't bring ourselves to worship God on that intimate of a level.  But, those are the moments that we need to surrender and lift our hands in worship the most.  [ 95 Views and Posted in August 2012 ]

3. God Still has a Plan - This post was written when I was alone in my car crying about how I was convienced that I had messed up.  God couldn't use me, I had destroyed His plan for my life.  Then, I had one of those moments when God smacked me in the face, telling me that He could still use me.  You can go off My path for you.  I will get you back to the right path.  I have great plans for you.  Just trust.  That's the smack in the face God gave me. [ 107 Views and Posted in April 2012 ]

2. Giving Up is Not an Option - This post was written after I was losing someone very close to me.  They were far from God, had been making the steps to get closer to God, but one day just fell off of the face of the earth.  I realized that giving up was not an option.  I truly cared about this person and I couldn't allow what they were struggling with to effect the influence I had in their life. [ 131 Views  and Posted in May 2012 ] 

1. Yoforia - This post is a little thanks to Yoforia for going above and beyond to provide quality customer service.  It isn't the tipical .Redeemed. post, but it got a rediculous amount of views this year. [ 252 Views and Posted in May 2012 ]

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?



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.

Matthew 28:19 commands us to go.  I believe that there are several different parts to going.  You need to be living a Christian lifestyle with your words and actions, you need to be giving advice that reflects what the Bible says, and you need to be talking about your relationships with Christ.

There is a girl in my eGroup who has exemplified the concept of go.  Her name is Taylor.  She is thirteen and just finished the seventh grade.  She is a cheerleader. She recently broke off an eleven month relationship because it wasn't what God scripted for her life.

Taylor joined our eGroup in mid-March.  Taylor lives about thirty minutes from where we meet, but that never stops her from coming!  She almost always has a friend with her.  She has shown her ability to go through bringing friends to eGroup and by sharing Christ with the lost around her.

A few weeks ago, Taylor shared an amazing story at eGroup.  My heart melted when she told us this story.  I had so many emotions going on, that I almost cried.  I was proud of her, excited to see her living out the Bible and so happy that she was doing God's will.

There is a boy in Taylor's music class who is an atheist.  One day, she wrote a letter to him.  In the letter, Taylor shared Christ, what it meant to be a Christian and invited him to Elevation Church.  It took her a while to gain the courage to give him the letter.  When she finally had enough courage, he refused to take the letter.  She stuffed it into his back pack.  The next day, he did not have the kindest words in response to her.  But, Taylor is holding her head high, believing that she did what God told her to do and praying through what to do next.

I am beyond proud of Taylor and her willingness to advance the Kingdom at all costs.  Having the skill to advance the Kingdom at age thirteen enables her to change this world!

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.

Matthew 5:13-16 says that we are to be the salt and light of the world.  Today, I am writing about one girl who is being the salt and light of the world to a neighbor and one girl who is going against all odds to learn more about God.

Molly is 12, has been coming to eGroup since November and volunteers in the Children's Ministry at the Rock Hill campus. 

Dianah is 13, has been coming to eGroup since December and has been raised athiest.  Yes, you read that right.  She has been raised atheist and attends our eGroup. 

Molly and Dianah are neighbors.  Dianah joined our eGroup per the invitation of Molly.




Molly was asking God to reveal the lost people in her life.  Dianah was the first person that came to her mind.  Let me quote the text that I received from Molly at midnight last week.

... me and dianah were facetiming and i just jumped in and said lets do a devotion together and i asked if that made me a crazy christian but she liked the thought so she said lets read the bible over the summer and dig deap into our faith together lets help eachother out through this so i wanted to let you know me and dianah are diving into faith and taking baby steps in but well get there and we want to thank you for drawing us closer to god when we both needed it the most thank you so much we love you!

I sent an encouraging response.  I let her know how proud I was of her for stepping out in faith by asking Dianah to do a devotion with her.  Then, I got this text...

i was in my prayer journal and it asked me who was far from god in my life and dianah and i were facetiming and i asked her if she would call herself far from him and she said yes and i said ur going to start going to church with me and she said thats not going to help and thats when we both just started talking about journals and the bible and how easy it is to talk to him when we need him and i was very happy she said "but i really want to be closer to him."

I get chills up and down every time I read those texts.  I locked them in my phone, so that I can have them to read whenever!  Because Molly has been inviting Dianah to eGroup and talking to her about God and the Bible, Dianah, a girl who has been raised atheist is seeking Christ.




This is why Elevation exists.  So that people far from God will be raised to life in Christ.   I am by no means saying that the battle is over.  The road ahead for Dianah is not going to be an easy one.  She will have to stand up for what she believes on a regular basis to her family.  Dianah could be the light to her entire family.

I am proud of Molly for doing as Matthew 28:16-20 says.  This verse commands us to go.  Molly is going!  I am proud of Dianah for believing what she has been hearing and wanting to know more despite how she has been raised.

I am a proud momma to my eGroup girls.  They make me so proud.