So....much has conspired since my last post but I will do my best to be brief but thorough. 

The second week of August found me completely immensed in RA training week here at Cedarville.  I ended work at Legacy but have continued to watress at Bob Evan's for the time being.  After being equipped to mold minds through my amazing leadership capabilities (Ha!)  I began classes again and have a pretty heavy this year.  I am also working a couple days a week at the Info Center here on campus.  It is not a demanding job and gives me some time to get some studying done while I am there.  I love being an RA!!  God has blessed my hall so much and the girls are really starting to bond and care for one another and I love that!  Please continue to pray for every aspect of my being a leader.

So on to the good stuff...

Last night Brad asked me to be his wife!!  Holy cow...that sounds so weird!  In fact, it was pretty much exactly 24 hours ago that he was down on one knee...aww...I have been engaged for one full day!  He has done a wonderful job of telling the story on his xanga so please visit http://www.xanga.com/AboveMyOwnPerception/ to hear about how romantic my fiance is ; )  It was all unexpected and after he asked me I said something like " Are you serious??? "  And then I said "yes" like 5 times and hugged and smooched for a minute...tehehe...the ring is absolutely goregous and I cannot believe that it is sitting on my ring finger even as I type.  20 years of being prepared for this time and now that it is here, I don't quite know what to do with myself!  I am getting married!!!  WOW!  I will make pictures available upon request ; )

Thank you to every single person that was used by God to make me ready for the second biggest decision of my life.  Because of God's grace, I am confident that the life that Brad and I will begin together will be both God- honoring and completely humbling.  He is already blessing the ministry that He has given to us so much and I am utterly speechless to think of His great goodness and mercy to me!  How great is our God!!

I am an awe.  That is the most simple comment to make about one of the most profound, faith-building, exhausting weeks of my life.  Even as I sit at the computer and peck at the key board to type out this update, tears are threatening the creases of my eyes and that little lump is forming in my throat that lets me know that there could potentionally be emotional moments to follow.  Where do I begin when boasting of my God?!  How in the world can I do justice to the Holy Spirit's powerful moving by attempting to describe miracles?  After all, are not miracles evidence of believing God for things unseen?  Well, we are commanded as the redeemed of the Lord to "say so!"  So here I go with my limited understanding to paint the picture of the mighty presence of God. 

Brad and I and five other leaders had the honor of taking 36 students to Charlotte, NC to serve Jackson Park Ministries for six strong days.  JPM's heart is to show the love of Christ to inner city children who come from broken and shattered homes riddled by addictions of all kinds.  Our mission was to pour out our love to these children in a summer camp format with VBS in the mornings and various afternoon sessions.  Weeks and maybe even months before the trip, God was pressing on our hearts to expect great things to happen!  There was a general air of anticipation and excitement with both Wade, and the youth and leaders here at PPC.  The week before we left, the session in our Sr. High girls Bible study was miracles and believing that God can do what He says He can do.  Gradually He was preparing our hearts to be susceptable to His powerful working.  Our overwhelming request of God was that He would make us people of prayer.

Now that the scene is set for you, let me tell you about my God!!  Sunday night we arrived and got unpacked and somewhat settled and had our evening meeting.  After the meeting we all split up one-on-one to pray for each other and Brad encouraged us to pray with someone with whom we were not well aquainted.  So God led me to a very special student who shares my name, Grace!  I started praying for her and the feelings that she had in regards to the week and suddenly she just started weeping (Grace, I desperately hope you do not mind me sharing this but it is just such a powerful testimony!)  I must admit, in my humanity I was thinking "what's wrong? Did I say something bad?"  Immediately I felt the Spirit of God compelling me to talk with Grace.  We met in the office for the next hour and amidst lots of snot, tears, talking, and praying, I can now call Grace my sister in Christ!!  As we were talking and I was sharing bits of my testimony and the words that God placed on my heart, I could see in her eyes and all over her face how God was working in her heart to tear down the walls that had fortified her heart. I thought to myself, "VBS has not even started yet and God is already making all things new!  This week is going to be amazing!" 

In the days that followed God unleashed a spirit of prayer that I have never seen in a youth ministry before.  Most times there are isolated minutes or hours of interceeding before the throne of God and then normality is resumed but this week the minutes turned into hours and the hours into days.  I believe that that entire week was soaked in prayer!  Monday night and Tuesday night groups sporadic groups of students could be found crying out to God until the early hours of the morning.  We had a designated prayer room where students signed up to pray for the times throughout the day that kids were there.  Many times, one or two students would start praying and wouldn't end for over an hour and other students came and joined them wanting to taste of the goodness of the Lord!  Several times throughout the week at all times of the day and evening I wouldn't see someone for a while and when I did I would ask them what they had been up to and they would say "Oh, I was in the prayer room."  or "I was praying with (fill in any name)." Every day was marked by a constant hunger to beseech the throne of God for His presence to descend on us.  He heard our cries and in turn sent a habitation of the Holy Spirit the moved freely in the kids and our team. 

Gosh, I just feel like this is so inadequate because there is SOO much that God did that just won't fit now.  If you would like more details or have questions, PLEASE ask because I am chomping at the bit to spill about all that God's doing in our students and in our lives also!  All glory and honor to my King!

So I was inspired by a phrase that Brad wrote in his last entry...come what may. How many times am I really, honestly, transparently able to say that come what may, my life will still bring glory to my King?  All that I possess, talents, gifts, abilities that bless others, smiles, encouragement is because of none other then my Jesus.

Come what may...

God is who He says He is.

God can do what He says He can do.

I am who God says I am.

I can do all things through Christ.

God's Word is alive and active in my life.

His will will be accomplished for His glory whether I decide to participate or not.

At the name of Jesus every knee will bow...

Make some declarations of your own to speak in the shadow of uncertainty and fear.  Scripture is the best place to start because it is absolute truth.  Let me know what you come up with, I am deeply interested. 

Hey hey hey...Wednesday finds me sitting in Brad's office while I smell like restaurant food and smoke waiting for him to finish praise team practice.  I seriously am not a fan of working in the smoking section...booo...BUT, it is work and money so that is a blessing.  It is sooo frustrating when people only leave like 10% tips and change and bogus stuff like that.  I worked a swing shift today from 1-6:30 and I only had like 7 tables and made $20.  I worked two hours the other night and made the same amount.  I am on the schedule now and will be working almost 20 hours there!  Here's to 60+ hour work weeks!!  Basically, sleeping is the only thing I do in my "spare time". 

Brad is equally, if not more, busy right now getting ready for VBS, Charlotte, and every other Youth thing that is happening this summer.  I think we get to see each other for like an hour a week on average.  Ok, maybe a lil' more then that but not much!

We started the Sr. High girl's Bible study this past Tuesday and it was fantastic!!  There were ten girls there and Teressa and I and Beth Moore...well, by video anyway ; )  She is such a phenomenal teacher and I am learning so much already.  For those BS girls out there, I love my blue bracelet!  So I think we should come up with a name for our study instead of just "Bible Study"...any ideas?