Fighting for TRUTH

The more I walk around on campus, the more I feel the weight of this verse:

"In repentance and rest is your salvation, in quietness and trust is your strength, but you would have none of it." -- Isaiah 30:15

Tonight was a hard night for me. My friend, told me her sad story of entrusting a specific body of believers, expecting to feel acceptance and grace. Her experience told her that she was unacceptable and would never fit in. She decided to keep looking for a place to belong and met her needs in a group of people who twist the word of God into a "truth" that seems simpler to believe.

After researching their doctrine, she has decided to part ways with this group. The unfortunate affect is the damage that resulted from having her trust broken once again. I hurt for her.

Pray for my friend as she is learning what it truly means to trust God and to trust in His word. Pray for Cal State Long Beach and that the good news of Jesus Christ would reign. Pray that my friends would be protected from the attraction and false advertisement this group is offering.

"See to it that no one takes you captive by philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits of the world and not according to Christ." ~ Colossians 2:8

Watching God at Work

One thing I love about road trips are the sweet conversations that result from being cramped in a car for multiple hours. On our drive back to Long Beach from Sacramento, I talked with Kathryn, a second year at CSULB. She shared at our large group meeting that sometimes its hard for her to pray, sing, read the Bible or focus during the message. Many times when she attempts to do these things, physically she begins to feel ill. So during our car ride, Kathryn talked about despite these things happening to her she is still wanting to read through the Bible. Right now she is reading through Matthew and had agreed to read with me. Together we are discovering truths in God's Word and some of the answers to her questions.

Will you keep praying for the time that Kathryn and I spend together?

Other news:

• Tiffanie and I are trying to start an Investigative Bible Discussion (ibd). After a couple of delays, we've spent the last few weeks calling people from our spiritual interest surveys and feeling out if there is still an interest to do a bible discussion. So far we have heard people express some interest, yet no one has come. Would you pray that tonight, Tiffanie and I would meet with a couple of girls interested in discussing the Bible?

• This week is the National Collegiate Staff Conference with two days of a Staff in Training conference. This will be a time of teaching and encouragement. I am looking forward to connecting with fellow laborers and friends. I'm also hoping that this week is a time of rest and rejuvenation.

• Emily and I are leading our student ministry team ladies in a bible study called "Breaking Free" by Beth Moore. This has been a precious time of discovering truths for our lives and learning how God truly desires to set us free from the bondage of pain, sin and brokenness in our lives.
  

Lots of things are going on. I'm encouraged as I trust God with all of these ladies I've been meeting up with and getting to know deeper. Thank you so much for praying through these things with me.

Serving in Sacramento

One of the things (out of the many) that I love about the Navigator Sunland Region is our heart to serve and the willingness to go on a road trip to do so. This weekend, 54 students from Long Beach joined staff and friends from 8 Southern California schools on a trip to Sacramento. We partnered with a group called Shoulder to Shoulder who has been laboring to reach fatherless inner city youth for the past few years.

Why drive 7+ hours to reach people in a city we DON'T call home? Simply because someone else calls it home and we can bless them.

We were able to accomplish 34 different beautification projects around 4 schools in ONE day. Parents, teachers, principals and school board members were completely amazed by this service weekend. The transformations were incredible. It was mind blowing to see such a tangible impact and an immediate result of hard work.

What goes unseen is the impact that we've had on the hearts of those we served. There was one teacher who stopped by our garden project and fought back tears. The overgrown garden had once served a purpose to teach students and gave them a place to plant good things in order to watch them grow. As she stood and watched the unbearable garden become rich and ready for planting, she mentioned that she had never seen this area of campus look so beautiful. She recalled stories of another teacher who had loved to plant flowers and teach her students about them. The garden had fallen into incredible disrepair and without help, was never going to be useful. Now these young students had a place to plant again. They could actually have a hands on experience in causing life to happen and watch it grow.

I like to think of the encouragement planted in the teachers around the schools this weekend. They will hopefully feel revived and inspired to encourage their students; to give them hopes for a life different from what they've been exposed to. Many of these kids turn to gangs in a last resort effort to receive the love, acceptance and protection they can't get from home. Drugs and violence run rampant throughout these neighborhoods where we were serving. What was most impactful for me was learning that these kids just need is someone to believe in them. So if cleaning their school, planting new trees, painting railings and doing other projects helps them feel loved and encouraged, then this trip was completely worth it.

He can do abundantly more

"Now to Him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, to Him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen" -Ephesians 3:20

I've been feeling a bit overwhelmed with the chaos that comes with starting a new year of campus ministry. As I sat here this morning, this verse came to mind. I think that it's okay to feel overwhelmed, but once I start to only focus on how much this affects me, I begin to loose sight of the God that's described in the verse written above.

Would you pray through that verse with me as my staff team and I continue to press on through the next week and a half of events and relationship building?

Oh and here's a little update of what's been happening so far:

Saturday: Moved in students and attended the Long Beach State Women's Volleyball match with some new first year friends
Sunday: attended the welcome back bbq and met TONS of new people
Monday: Survey Survey Survey!! We spent the day surveying most of the students who live in the dorms to get a feel for the spiritual interest on campus...followed by invading Yogurtland with 51 students!!
Tuesday: First Nav Nite! We packed out the place... this year is going to be exciting : )

Today is a big day!

It all starts today. We will be conducting spiritual surveys on campus outside of the dining halls between 11:30-1:00 and 4:00-7:30. During this time span, we will most likely meet almost every student who lives on campus at Cal State Long Beach. Each person must pass by us to enter into the dining hall.

I'm excited to make contact with a chunk of the student body on campus. Pray for us as today is a very influential day.

A run down of the next few days:

Monday: Surveys today and Yogurtland tonight
Tuesday: First Nav nite of the school year
Wednesday: following up on our surveys and hopefully playing games in the dorms
Thursday: same as Wednesday
Friday: Beach Bonfire

Monday (Labor Day): Biking to the Beach
Tuesday: time hanging out in the dorms
Wednesday: Week of Welcome (another large opportunity to meet students, hopefully more who don't live on campus)
Thursday: Tour of Second Street
Friday: Smorgesport (a third opportunity to meet vast amounts of students and play games for free in the student union)

This week is crucial in setting up contacts and making some new friendships. Please be praying for us as we head into such an intense time of relating and making contacts.

Back to School

"And let the peace of Christ rule in our hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs with thankfulness in your hearts to God." --Colossians 3:15-16

This verse has been a prayer for our Student Ministry Team. Tomorrow, we will have our Student Ministry Team retreat. I'm excited to reconnect and get time with my friends from CSULB.

Would you please be in prayer for:

• Safe travel for all of the students returning to Long Beach
• Our time together -- may it be encouraging, uplifting and honoring to God
• Team unity (always a good thing to pray for)
  
• The staff team -- that we would feel rested, encouraged and ready to start a new year
• The students who are moving into the dorms
• Student move-in -- that we would make new contacts and honor the parents we serving by helping their student move into the dorms.

I'm excited for this year and I'm looking forward to what God is going to do.

Thanks for reading. Thanks for praying.

After all, you're my wonderwall...

This summer, I've really been trying to focus on what I've learned during my time on staff. Here are few revelations:

• I'm blessed to be working for the Navigators. I don't know if I can expound upon every blessing that I have, but I'll try to list out a couple. I've been able to have an impact on the lives of others. This includes the many of you who support me or have even taken the time just to listen and hear about what I do. The ripple effect is much larger than I can imagine. I'm just thankful that I to be play a part in this.
  
• No other job would allow for me to travel across the country for days at a time. If I worked in any other profession, I'm sure I would have had to save up vacation time or put in for more hours in order to go home for 8 days and touch base with my friends, family and supporters.
  
• My life has been drastically impacted. I write about this almost in every newsletter and blog post... but its true. While I was home, I heard numerous times of how I've been changed and how evident this was in every part of my being. None of this would have been possible without you praying for me and walking alongside me.
  

As I stated before, there are many blessings in my life from working with the Navs. If you want to hear more of my thoughts, let me know.

I've been thinking of this because my first week back in California was a bit tough for me. It was as if I was present on the west coast, yet EVERYTHING else about me was in Cincinnati. My heart, my thoughts... I longed desperately to be back where things were comfortable. I shared this with Kate, who always knows how to speak truth so plainly into my life. After I finished stating that I could do this job at UC, she looked at me and simply said, "Its a good thing God doesn't call you to what's comfortable." It was a smack in the face that was desperately needed. Not that God would not have worked so powerfully in and through me had I stayed in my hometown... I've just seen so much more of Him through moving and trusting Him with everything.

Now that I've been back for a couple of weeks, I'm beginning to be reminded that I'm here for a reason and that blessings are sure to come. Jesus did not ask the disciples to leave their comfort zones and all that they had known just to make and keep them uncomfortable. Look at the impact they've had because they were obedient to leaving what was comfortable and following Christ.

Anyway, these are just a few thoughts I wanted to jot down. I'm here and its because I followed Christ. I'm looking forward to what the Lord has planned for this coming school year. I will continue to cling to Deuteronomy 1:29, 30 "Then I said to you, 'Do not be in dread or afraid of them. The LORD your God who goes before you will Himself fight for you..." I'm looking forward to watching how the LORD with fight for me and to see how He exemplifies His strength in this coming year.

Please keep praying for me and my student friends of CSULB:

• Our Student Ministry Team will join our staff team August 26 & 27 in order to fellowship, prepare for the new school year and to catch up with one another.

• Currently, we still have a few students serving around the country and overseas through summer training programs and missions trips. Please pray for the rest of their time, that the Lord would continue to keep them safe and continue to teach them new aspects of His character.
  

• Funding has been a CHALLENGE this year. I've been in a rough/slow spot for a while. I've had a few set backs lately and I'm struggling to remain encouraged. Would you pray that God would be moving and would continue to provide the funding I need in order to share His good news to CSU Long Beach?

Thanks for reading. Thanks for praying.