Prayer Request

I am praying for a new part-time job. Things at the mall are proving difficult, and it is becoming more apparent that fighting for work hours is taking more energy than necessary. Please pray with me. Finances are tough and its really hard not to become discouraged.

Thanks!

You Make Beautiful Things...

Tears of joy streamed down my face as I left her apartment complex tonight. In the car she said to me, "I believe that Jesus changes lives. I want to work on trusting Him with my life." These are the precious words of my dear friend who is studying english here in the states for the next few months. Before leaving her home in Korea, she had no idea who Jesus was nor of His importance. Six months later, she's wondering what He would do for her life.

Please join me in praying for my dear friend Sheila*. Pray that she would decide to commit her life to trusting Jesus. Pray for the two of us, as we search the scriptures together, practicing english and learning about the Savior of the world, that God would continue to reveal Himself to her. Praise God with me for the ways that He draws His creation back to Himself.

And I will lead the blind in a way that they do not know, in paths that they have not known I will guide them. I will turn the darkness before them into light, the rough places into level ground. These are the things I do, and I do not forsake them. -- Isaiah 42:16

SMT Retreat :)

30+ students. 6 staff members. Wednesday & Thursday... All coming together for the Student Ministry Team retreat!!

Please be praying for us as we gather together in Mission Viejo for a time of re-connecting, vision casting for the school year, encouragement and prayer!

60 days until travel

... to Cincinnati :)

I'll be coming home to Cincinnati August 10th - 17th. I'll be meeting for funding and I'd love to catch up with you if possible. God has been doing awesome things lately, which I should probably blog more about...

Anyway, please continue to pray for my summer & my time here in Long Beach. Pray that I would continue to grow more intimate and close with the LORD. Pray for my heart to be protected as I travel home for funding in two months. Pray for my time in Cincy as well...that it would be a time that is focused on vision casting, funding, encouraging and restorative.

summer study update

This is a blog to thank you for praying! Study last night went really well. My friends from the language school asked if they could come back and actually want to start hanging out with some of my Nav friends. Please keep praying for S & J. Pray that they would really connect well with our students. Pray that Christ would be revealing Himself to them and that they would come to know Him as Lord and Savior. Pray for Andrew and I as we continue to lead this study. Pray also for my friends at Long Beach... that they would continue to love and speak as "men [and women] of sincerity, as commissioned by God, in the sight of God we speak in Christ." (2 Cor 2:17b).

Summer Study

Tonight, we are having our second meeting for the summer Bible study :) We will be reading through 2 Corinthians this summer and I'm really looking forward to studying this book with my friends from Long Beach.

Please be praying:

• For our time in the Word tonight. Pray that we would be encouraged from reading God's Word together
• For good fellowship with one another
• I'm bringing a couple students from the school where I taught ESL for a few weeks. They are not followers of Christ, but are very interested in learning english, making more American friends and are open to hearing about Jesus. Please pray that they would be able to hear and receive something from the Lord tonight :)

Ask and you shall receive

God really answers prayers!

Today, I received a text from a friend who teaches ESL to Japanese and Korean students. Her school needed a person to teach a class for the month of May and she immediately thought to recommend ME!

Ah! I've never really taught before... outside of leading Bible studies and speaking at our Student Ministry Team training seminars. So I'll be coming up with lesson plans and taking these students through conversational english and teaching about the LA area.

This is awesome!

If you have ideas for me or would like to give ANY input at all, please please please leave comments.

As always, please keep me in prayer. Pray for my lesson planning, ability to be a friend with these students and for my time with them. Pray that God would be using me to impact these lives and His kingdom!

Still in process...

A friend of mine sent me a message and asked me about what God had been doing in my life lately. I felt really cliche´when I told her that God was teaching me how to trust in Him more. I feel like that is a lesson He NEVER stops teaching... sometimes, we (or at least I) feel like there is a point in the lesson where the conclusion has been reached and there is no longer a need for teaching...

I went into Aerie to pick up my schedule today and was greeted with one shift this week... I already knew of this, but was secretly hoping that I had an extra shift somewhere on the schedule. When I inquired why this was still happening, I was informed that new hires all have to wait out a 90-day probationary period where they receive one or two shifts a week in order to prove themselves worthy of working more hours. Hmm...

Here's where trusting God comes back into play. I realize that when I was hired at Aerie, I immediately stopped looking for jobs. I took my resume offline, discontinued all of the job update emails I had been receiving and was completely convinced that this was it. I no longer needed anything and that God had completely met my need. God was done working.

I'm learning that God isn't through with this process yet. He's teaching me a lot about what it means to trust Him, to seek His kingdom first and how to be in the present season where He has led me.

Please continue to pray for me. Pray that I would trust that where I am is exactly where God Himself has placed me and that I would continue to have an open/soft heart to receive what He has to teach me.

Aerie :)

I should update...

I got a part-time job!! The LORD blessed me with employment at Aerie in the Cerritos Mall. Aerie is a store with the American Eagle Outfitters Inc. and specializes in bras & undies :) Sounds fun. I had my first day yesterday and not only met all of the goals set for me, but exceeded them. As my shift went on, I became more comfortable about approaching customers and helping out as much as possible. I'm looking forward to continuing to work there. This provides an opportunity to further ministry and make new friends that I wouldn't ordinarily have the chance to make. I'm so blessed to be working in this store and amongst the girls I'm with.

It's funny to me that as I am thankful for this part-time job, I still find myself feeling a bit anxious. This job is definitely needed, but receiving hours is not something that has been happening for me. I learned yesterday that sales associates receive hours based on how well they perform while working and how available their schedule is. So with my good day on Sunday, I'm hoping that next week I'll be granted with more shifts. So far... I've only received one 5-hour shift (which was yesterday) and I'm beginning to feel anxious about bills. I guess this shows me as soon as I received my one answer to the many fervent prayers that I (and many of you) have prayed, I assumed that from here on out, everything was going to be easy. Once again I'm reminded of how desperately I must cling to the LORD for my provision in all things. Just because He has provided for me (and this was a huge blessing) does not mean I do not need Him anymore. I must daily look to Him and also trust in Him.

Thank you for continuing to pray with & for me in this battle of finances... and in this battle of trusting God.

Please keep praying:

• For God to be glorified through the work at Aerie and in me
• For the women with whom I work: That they would know Jesus and find life...Proverbs 14:27 "The fear of the Lord is a fountain of life, that one may turn away from the snares of death."
• That I would continue to trust and see God provide for all my needs
• For more shifts at Aerie... not just for my finances but also to build relationships with the ladies around me.
• That I would continue to see God provide in abundant and unexpected ways.

remaining faithful...

even when it's hard and feels impossible...

I just wanted to post to thank you for keeping me in your prayers. I didn't get called today about the job... or at least as of 5pm I haven't been called for the job... so I'm back at applying for part-time jobs again.

Wow... large... large.. large.. steps of faith right now.

Please keep praying for God to provide and for me to remain encouraged.

Thanks :)

I need to go shopping...

So that I can get a suit for my group interview a week from Monday!!!

Thanks for praying :) Please continue to pray with me that this job would be a good part-time job for me!

truth

This weekend is going to be amazing :) I'm looking forward to gathering with the Sunland region to talk about the Good News of Christ.

Please be praying for us... 64 students and staff head down from Long Beach State this afternoon to join the rest of our region in Pine Valley, CA. We have close to 300 in total... California, Arizona, Hawaii and I think even Utah? Pray for safe traveling and great conversations in the car & planes :)

Last year, we saw two women from Arizona State make decisions to give their lives to Christ. Would you be praying that others would come to know Jesus this weekend? Pray for God to do great things in the lives of my friends from Long Beach. Oh! I'm also excited for the gospel choir that is happening Saturday night. Seriously, I'm really happy to see us exploring many different ways people praise and worship the Lord. Also, I hear its supposed to be cold and rainy (per usual of Pine Valley this time of year), so will you be praying for all of our health as we experience a really great weekend?

Thanks for reading. Thanks for praying. :)

a little update...

So I went to the temp agency today and now I am waiting to hear back about any jobs available. Pending two tests on Word and Excel, I should be hearing about jobs as soon as they come in. I'm still attempting to remain encouraged, although waiting is incredibly challenging.

Meanwhile, I just applied for an after school program coordinator position... it's for a non-profit and meets the qualifications I've been looking for in a job. This was actually really exciting to apply for. So, I'm continuing to pray and learning a healthy lesson in waiting.

On another note... The Truth Conference is this weekend and I'm really looking forward to it! Some great new friends of mine from Long Beach will be there and I'm sooooo soooo soooo glad they decided to come with us :)

I'll keep you posted as I know more. Thanks for praying. I seriously appreciate all of the support.

Census update

So I took the census test on Friday... here's what I know so far:

• A score of 10 out of 28 is "passing" and allows the applicant consideration to be hired by the Census bureau.
• I scored 23 out of 28
• In the state of Ohio, a score of 7 is "passing" and a score of 22 clears the applicant to be hired for any position within the census.. I have no idea if a higher score is needed in the state of California
• I may only be considered for the enumerator position... those whom actually go door to door collecting info for the census
• Pending a background check... I won't know if I will be called for another 2 weeks at least...
• Also, this job is completely temporary... ranging anywhere from 2 to 12 weeks.

I'm still viciously on the job hunt. Tomorrow I go in for a meeting with a temp agency. Maybe this will return something fruitful... please continue to pray!

Tomorrow @ 1pm I will be taking the employment test for the census bureau....

Prayers appreciated!

Life.

I was brought to tears and experienced a sweet time of worship on Friday afternoon. It all was spurred from watching one of baby tv shows.. the ones where they follow the expectant parents from 3 weeks prior to right after the birth of the child. Yeah, I know that sounds weird... but God seriously works in ways I don't understand.

I watched two episodes... both showed mothers who were experiencing "High Risk" pregnancies. One mother was giving birth to triplets. I watched as a team of doctors had to act quickly to bring each little life into the world and rush them into the NICU for treatment. The second mother had gone through two miscarriages before her current pregnancy and was being watched weekly by her doctors. There was so much anticipation and great fear in both of these women.

I started to think about how high of a risk my mom's pregnancy was with me. She was living with a disease called Lupus which is auto-immune and wrecks havoc on the body... also making pregnancy extremely complicated. I don't know many details, but I do know that my mother was in and out of the hospital quite frequently treating her disease and making sure that the both of us were doing well. In the end, I was born around 6 weeks early, weighing in at 2lbs 11oz. I was 16 inches long and spent my first few weeks on this earth in an incubator. Eventually, my mother lost her battle with Lupus when I was just over 2 years old... she was 32.

This is when God brought to mind how He has had His hand on me since conception. This disease could have prevented my life. But God saw fit to let me live. He spared my life...twice. He sent His Son as my sacrifice and He brought me into this world. I wept at this thought and rejoiced for being alive. So many days of my life have been wasted and taken for granted. I've even cursed God for the days when things haven't gone according to my will. Life is precious, and mine almost didn't exist.

I've resolved to be thankful for each day.

...Living Pure

Sunday Nights at 8:30... me and ten amazing women from Long Beach State will be learning what it looks like to choose purity in mind, speech and relationships so that we may honor God throughout all aspects of life.

Tonight was the first night, and it was so great! I love these women and I'm STOKED for what God is going to be doing this semester. For the next few weeks we are looking at purity & speech. So please be praying for us!

Thanks!!

There I was, 21 years old, fresh out of college and starting my first career. I sat through funding school completely unable to control emotion. My faith was being tested as I was desperately attempting to cling to the word of God and the truths He promises. Tears fled from my eyes as I pondered what it would look like to conquer the daunting task of raising a year's budget in 4 short weeks.

I went home that summer and experienced a very B*I*G God do some very incredible things... full-funding in 3 weeks, safe travel to a new home ACROSS the country and the start of an amazing work in my heart.

Now that I'm applying for a part-time job to supplement some funding, those same anxious feelings that displayed themselves so freely upon my face 21 year old face, have returned.

I'm asking for your prayers. Not just for the provision of a job but more specifically, for my walk with the Lord. Pray that this is a season that draws me inexplicably closer to God. Pray for His word to be food to my soul and the very thing that sustains me. Pray that I would claim His truth instead of the lies that I'm so prone to believing. Please, ask me on how I'm faithfully walking with God during this season.

"Do not be anxious about anything, but in EVERYTHING by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God which surpasses all understanding will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." Phil 4:6-7

Thank you for being in this with me.

Attempting Joshua 1:9 today...

While sitting at my desk this morning, I started thinking about the title of my blog and the verse that I have along with it... I find it ironic that I feel the way I feel at this moment. I decided to take a break and update you with some new things going on with me and ministry here at CSULB.

Spring semester started today and I'm excited to reconnect with my friends on campus. I'm looking forward to hearing how the Lord was at work in the lives of everyone while they went home or visited other places around the world during their break from Long Beach. While I am excited to catch up, I'm a bit saddened by the realization that part of my time will be diminishing very quickly. My funding has not been going very well and last week I was asked to start looking for a part-time job. I will be working part-time with the Navigators at CSULB and part-time somewhere else. Looking at this situation, I can only praise God that I'm able to still be on campus and meeting up with people who are very dear to my heart. I'm thankful that I have been given the option to work, make new friendships in Long Beach, and to take the time to continue building up my team of financial partners.

I was a senior in college the last time I filled out a job application. I downloaded one for Starbucks the other day and immediately had to walk away from my computer. Emotion overwhelmed me at the thought of partitioning my time to a place that isn't Long Beach's campus and isn't collegiate ministry. In all of this... I remember Joshua 1:9. I'm reminded that I have nothing to fear. Actually, throughout the book of Joshua, there are numerous examples of the LORD going before Israel and fighting on their behalf. He cleared the land for them and brought them into the Promised Land they had heard of for so long. I cannot see my situation as anything different. I must remember that God is going before me, fighting for me to find a job and will provide if or when things look absolutely hopeless. If I rest in His grace, then I truly have nothing to fear. I also must remember that this is a season and that seasons are temporary. God does not simply move in a direction that is hard/challenging only to leave us there floundering on our own strength. We go through those time to be tested, refined and made into someone stronger. We seek the LORD in these times so that we can know whom it is we truly serve. God works in these times to see what is in our hearts and to see if we will remain obedient to Him... at least, this is what I believe for my life. So if this is the season that I'm going into, so be it. The LORD is in control and I must remember that.

Will you partner with me in this? Will you please be praying for me as I look for a second job while ministering on campus? If you would like to invest in me and the ministry at CSULB, would you talk to me? I'd love to partner with you in reaching people on campus for Jesus while impacting our future generations.

"Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, do not be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go." - Joshua 1:9