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The LORD said to Moses, "Make a snake and put it up on a pole; anyone who is bitten can look at it and live." So Moses made a bronze snake and put it up on a pole. Then when anyone was bitten by a snake and looked at the bronze snake, he lived. - Numbers 21:8-9

A strange story. A strange remedy. Stranger still, the Hebrew word for "pole" (nes) can also be translated as "banner." So the bronze snake was a banner that Moses lifted up over the pople, calling them together to be healed of their faithlessness. Calling them together so that God and they could have the victory over their sin.

Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the desert, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life. - John 3:14-15

Later, John's gospel applies this powerful image to Jesus-to the act of his crucifixion. Remember the cross. Remember that it is by his wounds that we are healed and the bite of sin is rendered harmless. Receive his forgiveness. For his banner of you is love.

His banner over me is love. - Song of Songs 2:4

from Praying the Names of God by Ann Spangler.

Gypsy Soul

I should have known that a plan to stay in Auburn for the Summer wasn't really going to happen. The lyrics of a well known country song by the Zac Brown Band, "I've got a gypsy soul to blame and I was born for leaving" seems to define me. Freshman year- summer in Nicaragua and Hong Kong, Sophomore year-Branson, Missouri, and Junior year- Montana. My Senior summer will be in Missoula, MT as well. I dropped all my summer classes after the realization that I could no longer stand being so bored for a whole summer. Criminal Minds, the pool, cleaning and random creative tasks can only keep someone like me entertained for so long. Instead, I am headed back to Missoula and will work for Cuddle Bugs Daycare until August. I leave June 6th and will be back in Auburn to finish school in the Fall. I will be living with a co-worker and cannot wait to get back to the beautiful mountains, cooler weather, and long days! I will blog some and hopefully get back into the swing of this. Until then...

KatyBug

I know I don't use this blog much anymore and I don't even know if there are people who ever read it. Some of you may get the blog in an email, I don't know. Anyways, I wanted to use my blog today for an awareness letter. In the pictures above, this is my friend Katy Bug. Katy and I met when she was living at Hosanna Home. She finished her program in March 2010. She and I have kept in touch and continued our friendship. This picture here is from December 2010. In just 9 months, Katy has relapsed very bad. Katy's story is very unfortunate, but here's the gist. She was raised in Alex City with parents who both used recreational drugs. When she was 9 years old, she began on this track as well. She dropped out of school at 13 and was a full blown crack addict by age 15. She completed the year long program at Hosanna Home and did pretty well for a few weeks. Since she still can't retain the knowledge to get her GED, she couldn't find jobs and obviously was back in her old living conditions. While Katy has responsibility in this as well, most of it just seems like a vicious cycle of death. I kept thinking to myself, 'What else do you expect from a child like this, really?' The Lord finally brought Katy to rock bottom.

Join with me in rejoicing that today Katy started a whole new journey for her life. I took her to the Teen Challenge Columbus Women's Home. Teen Challenge is a 12-18 month faith based recovery program. After working in this ministry, I loved the discipline and structure and encouraged Katy to try again to get her life back on track. After 2 months of what felt like a roller coaster, the Lord finally opened this door and made a way for Katy to get some help. As you can see, she is dear to my heart. She has a heart of gold and desires Jesus and wants to know more. Neither of her parents have jobs and she has no home church. I am asking you to help me financially support her as her church. We as the body of Christ are called to be the church and to help those in need. Yes, Katy has been through things and made unwise decisions in her life but so have each of us. And just as 'His mercies never to an end and are new every morning' for us, it is also true for Katy (Lamentations 3:22). If you can sponsor Katy with a monthly gift, that would be awesome. If not, maybe you can send a one-time gift. If you cannot support her financially, please just keep her in your prayers. She is only 21 and is en route to help serve a community instead of destroying it. If you can support here's the address. * * Make sure on the memo line that you put Katy Allen's Sponsorship.

Teen Challenge Columbus Women (make out the check to here as well)

14 Motts Dr.

Seale, AL 36875

If you want to support Katy monthly, contact me and I'll mail you a letter that explains how to pledge and do that.

Thanks for reading and supporting Katy.