Short and Sweet

Faces I love to see...

Hannah Sumner's children Nathan and Addison hanging at Brendle Rentals

My Beautiful Cousins Brooks and Gray

My Hosanna Home ladies

Hosanna Home graduates and children. SO PROUD OF THEM!!

Felisha and Gracie (remember from Christmas at the Brendles)

Hosanna Home Baby Graduates- Gracie and Emma Grace

My Heart.

My Journey at home was absolutely ridiculous. It went by WAY too fast and I saw as many people as I could during the few days I was there. Here is a quick wrap up...

Monday- flew in late. Christi Wilson picked me up. Hung out with John Pritchard and Zach Benson and saw their new house in Atlanta.

Tuesday- early breakfast with mentors Christi, Hannah Frost, & Mary Reading Overstreet. Mom & Nana picked me up from Atlanta. Doc Apt. in Montgomery. Visited Rebecca Barrett Healey and the kiddos in Wetumpka. Dinner @ Nana's with family.

Wednesday- Dentist early in the AM. Lunch with Hannah Sumner & kids and also Nicole & Mom. Headed to Birmingham to have dinner with Maegan Miller. Visited with Kara Leigh Pritchard who gave some great advice and encouragement. Then stayed with Kristen McKee (sister's bff from Race). Sadly I didn't see Blair but Kristen is close enough.

Thursday- drove from Birmingham to Prattville to get hair cut/straightened. Home to pack. Meeting with the parentals. House meeting in Auburn with roommates at 6. Stayed the night at Hosanna Home with my favorites.

Friday- breakfast and visiting at Hosanna Home in LaFayette. AFternoon break with my baby cousins in Montgomery. Drove back to Auburn to have dinner with two Hosanna home grads and their babies. Night hanging with mom and packing.

Saturday- Mom drove me back to Atl to head out.

Moving to Montana.

These are pictures from last weekend at Rock Creek. Sonja and I went up and spent the day Saturday with Lindsey and her family.

A cool shot of the train coming thru.

Me and Sonja

Me and Linz

Me and Sonja with the Wise Family

Me and the River

So, I wanted to let those of you who don't already know that I am moving to Montana until December. Teen Challenge has asked me to stay on as staff and work the weekend shifts as well as living here with the girls. I am in the process of interviewing for another part time job somewhere maybe in childcare. This means I will be taking the semester off from Auburn but will resume in the Spring. I'm learning so much here so I don't think taking a semester off quite justifies my learning. There are things I learn here that I could never learn in a class room. However, I want to finish school and love the Social Work program at Auburn so I will definitely be heading back to finish up. This decision came with many prayers and many opened and closed doors. I never actually heard the voice of the Lord instruct me here, but I did pray for opened doors that would point me in the right direction. My parents allowed this to be my decision which really was a blessing to have their approval. Of course, I think they really don't like the whole idea since they value school but they trust my judgment and walk with the Lord. At this point, I honestly don't know if I am making a huge mistake or not but I do know that the Lord promises His children that in all things, He works situations out for the good of those who love Him (Romans 8:28). Not only do I love Him, but I love the work He is doing in and through the women here in Teen Challenge. I also love the work He is doing in me. There are many places in my life that still need healing and discipline and I find that through the staff and the mentors here. He is stretching me beyond what I knew I could do and the leadership I could hold. Being responsible for 20 + women is no joke. Many days I am frustrated, disappointed, angry, and filled with my flesh but He is really teaching me how to love and serve others each day. I love Montana. It's absolutely beautiful and I always like to be a part of an adventure and this probably is one of the biggest adventures of my life yet. I will be home the 16-21 to get some stuff and see my friends and family. Please let me know if you are available and want to hang out. I am trusting that the Lord has His hand in this whole move even if it seems off the wall. I am just letting Him drive while I enjoy Him in the passenger's seat. I would greatly appreciate your prayers as I walk thru this. Thanks for following my blog.

Things Ahead at Teen Challenge:

August 28-30 Spiritual Emphasis Camp for all students, staff, and alumni- Medical Lake in Washington

September 12- Sarah Palin will be here in Missoula to host a one night event fundraising for us to remodel our house. We will get to meet her and hear about her desire for God, Country, and Family

October 25- Brandy's Birthday :)

Perfume and Tears

When reading the all too familiar story of Jesus Anointed by a Sinful Woman passage of Luke 7:36-50, God put a completely new meaning on my heart. The word is speaking of a woman who "had lived a sinful life." (guilty, that means me too). This woman stood at the feet of Jesus with her Alabaster Jar. The Alabaster Jar represents something a woman would put her most valuable perfume in. The symbolism is that the jar represents the one thing women valued the most both in cost and in meaning. Perfume was a very highly respected item by women and it wasn't cheap, but very costly. Not only did the woman bring Jesus her Alabaster Jar of perfume but she also wept at his feet. Tears- the powerful sign of pain, suffering, shame, disappointment, fear, or regret. Drops that detailed so much of her "sinful life." She washes Jesus' feet with both the perfume and the tears. She brings both the most valuable thing in her life and the hardest things in her life and sets them both at the feet of Jesus. The jar that could have possibly been the only thing in her life worth any value and the tears that came from anything less than what she should have valued. She brings them both. The Lord wants us to bring both as well. He wants us to bring the bad and the good, the valuable, and the crap. He wants what we do well and what we can't. He wants our successes and our failures. He wants it ALL. What better place to bring it ALL than at the foot of our Savior?