Thankful.

Today we are having the thank you dinner out at my parent's lake. I want everyone to come that can but I also want the purpose of this dinner to be known. I grew a lot this summer and it wouldn't have happened without the financial and prayerful support of everyone.

This summer we went to Wycliff as a project. For those of you who (like me) don't know Wycliff is a bible translating organization. We went there and they were explaining what it takes to get the bible translated for just one people group. One of my friends volunteered to be the example of a missionary and the first thing they asked for was people to support her. Many people raised their hands and were asked to stand to show who they were. The speaker went on to explain different responsibilities my friend would have as a missionary and the supporters thinking they were done began to sit. The speaker turned to them and said something to the effect of she's not done needing support. I thought about that, isn't that the first thing to go when we need it most? People who pledge their support but think they are done and sit down half way through. I'm not saying it happens for not legit reasons, our lives get crazy, we get side tracked.

This summer I saw faithfulness in my supporters because I saw change in my life. I saw growth in my walk. I saw God being faithful in His promise to grow His children. I saw Him strengthen my beliefs and learning to base my beliefs from scripture and not back my beliefs up with scripture. I see now the desire in me and the absolute need to spread the gospel because there are people everywhere that need to hear the name of Jesus and what He has done. These changes occurred because people were faithful and all I can say is Thank YOU!!

Directions to my parent's lake are attached! Diner will be at 5 but come anytime!

Directions to the Cook Lake from Whirlpool - Evansville

FASTEST Step Roads Miles Landmarks and towns along the way Landmark at the Turn Turn Direction 1 North on HWY 41 to Hwy 57 2 Dairy Queen Airport Sign RIGHT 2 North on Hwy 57 to I-164 8 Airport, Remax, Frontier Tavern I-164 overpass LEFT 3 I-164 turns in to Hwy 57 again 7 Subway and Sunoco gas station at right. I-64 Underpass-NO TURN MERGE (NO TURN) 4 North on Hwy 57 to STATE road 64 17 Lots of farm land, coal mines, etc. Buckskin, Mackey, Somerville. Jerry's Restaruant at left of intersection. Flashing red lights at turn junction. RIGHT 5 STATE road 64 to Hwy 257 14 You will pass through Oakland City. Later you will come to flashing red lights at the Aurthur junction. Stay on State Road 64. Lots of pine trees and high banks at intersection. RIGHT 6 Hwy 257 to Lake 4 After approximately the 3 miles, you will come to an intersection. Stay on the paved and painted road. Follow it around the curve to the left. Only about mile to go! Lake, White House and Tan Octagon building on the left. Turn left on long gravel drive. LEFT Total Approximate Miles 52 Directions to the Cook Lake from Whirlpool - Evansville

EASIEST Step Roads Miles Landmarks and towns along the way Landmark at the Turn Turn Direction 1 North on HWY 41 to Hwy 57 2 Dairy Queen Airport Sign RIGHT 2 North on Hwy 57 to I-164 8 Airport, Remax, Frontier Tavern I-164 overpass LEFT 3 North on I-164 to I-64 5 Sunoco Station RIGHT 4 East on I-64 to Holland Exit SR 161 20 Lynnville Exit, Farm land Two houses LEFT 5 North on 161 to OLD SR 64 Stendal sign 7 Holland, Windmill White, St. Henry water tower on Right LEFT 6 OLD SR 64 turns into SR 257. West (SR 257) toward Stendal 7 Farms, Zoar Church. This road will bring you into the town of Stendal. You will see a blue water tower on the Right that says STENDAL. (TURN HERE FOR CHURCH) about a block from the General Store. (St. Peters Lutheran Church)
Stendal General Store RIGHT 7 257 to Gravel lane 0.5 Telephone tower on left Our Building and "1" mile marker 257 RIGHT

Rubbish..

For all of you Potter fans out there.. It is crazy here. No lie. The other day we reached capacity at 9 am.. yep we had to turn people away from the park AN HOUR after it opened. Can you say insane? Cause I can.. ten times fast. A fruit that I have seen almost none existent in my life on those days is patience. I build up hatred for people that get irritated at the expensiveness of bottled drinks, for people who think they can sneak away with a handful of dirty ice from my drink cooler (I'm sorry if you want E. coli go right ahead..) and the language barriers and even more the people who repeat the same thing over and over just increasing volume thinking that maybe if they scream I will understand.. I won't.

But is it any surprise that when you pray for God to cultivate patience in y0ur life he is going to put you in situations that will try your patience. My biggest prayer is that I might be more like Jesus. In the Praying Life book he talks about praying to be more like Jesus. Just think about it, what parent, if they have a decent kid, wouldn't look at a kid that's a trouble maker and say "that kid should just try to be more like my kid" problem solved. God delights in that prayer, he wants everyone to see His son as the ultimate role model.

Being here is everything but glamorous but it is making me keenly aware of my heart. I have been pursued my entire life by a Savior who is crazy about me. There is a song that I have begun to listen to by Brooke Fraser called Hymn it goes; "If two distant lines are scattered and I sail to farthest seas. Would you find and fervent gather, till I only dwell in Thee. If I flee from greenest pastures, would you leave to follow me? Forfeit glory to come after till I only dwell in Thee. If my heart has one ambition, if my soul one goal to seek. This my solitary vision till I only dwell in Thee, that I only dwell in the." My Savior gave up everything just that I might be saved. That I could have the opportunity to know him. I count everything as rubbish apart from Him, including life itself. Sure puts my inability to be patient into perspective.

My prayer is that I can look at these approaching weeks with as much joy and excitement as I did I did in the beginning. That I really finish hard and just truly run to the cross at the first sign of impatience.

Like a Child at Home.

The verses that we have been studying this week have been focused on sonship. How because of Christ I am now counted in His family. There is a song that I sang in the USI chamber choir that ended with these words; "No more a stranger or a guest, but like a child at home." I am not a stranger to Christ's love, and I haven't ever been really. I have however lived with a guest mentality. I don't approach God with a child's heart. I for a long time have had to get things in order before going to Him in prayer. What's more is that I have had that "deserving" spirit. Like I deserved special treatment for having my life in order. I am a child of his. I play in His house. I am reckless, I seldom have my toys picked up. I am needy in every possible way. In my mess and craziness God wants me to come to Him. He doesn't say let the orderly come to me, or let the adult with the schedule come to me, but let the little children. I don't have my life figured out.. I don't know what I'm doing the rest of the afternoon. What I am learning He delights in is a heart that comes to Him in the Middle of the mess. In the middle of my hectic, complaining, and needlessly weary heart He finds delight. I think my biggest prayer request is o actually cry out to my Savior like that. Something that comes to mind when I think about it is this part in the first Narnia movie where the Mrs. Beaver is approaching Aslan and she starts smoothing her fur. her husband quickly says something like you look lovely. That is what I do. I smooth out the roughness of my life instead of letting God tell me I am lovely exactly the way I am. That I would see and truly believe the love of Christ not only covers me spiritually but physically. In the words of David Crowder, "You make everything glorious, what does that make me?"

A Lot of Learning.

I think I am seeing myself as less and less mature of a Christian every single day. No Joke. I am seeing how incredibly sinful I am daily, and it doesn't make me feel guilty but just loved more. That not only would Jesus die for my past sins but my future ones too, ones that I have no idea of because I am that offensive. I am so gracious and just being shown more and more grace every moment.
Our room was read a bedtime story that was like a little thought bubble that could be God's but something that was said in it was, "What if I tell them who they are? What if they knew that I would never ever use the word punish in relation to them... That the basis of our friendship is not based on how little they sin but how much they let Me love them? What if I tell them I'm crazy about them?" I think looking at God knowing that He is crazy about me changes the entire way I approach Him. Not as the Wizard of Oz who stands behind a curtain or someone that I have never met and I don't really know how to relate to but as someone who has sacrificed his son just so that I could have the chance to know him. A God who has not only stepped from behind the curtain but has torn the curtain in half, just so I could really know who He really is.He loved me that much. -I am of course learning lots of other little things but it all pales in comparison.

Thirsty in the Florida Heat.

Saying it is hot in Florida is almost funny to me now. I have a new appreciation for water. I need it soooooo much!! I am constantly filling water bottles, sometimes two at a time just to make sure I am drinking enough. And fancy the irony that our theme verse for this week is Psalm 42:2 (I chose to also include verse 1 as well, it's just so good!) "As a deer pants for streams of water so my soul pants for you oh God. My soul thirsts for God, the living God. When can I go and meet with God?"

There is a funny thing about being constantly thirsty. You are constantly aware of your need for water. I live in a society where going thirsty is something I almost have to try to do. Yet I know there are places in this world where people are dying for lack of water. When it comes to the Bible I have placed my heart in a desert and said to it, "I don't have time to water you very often so just get used to being thirsty for a bit. Sorry." I go thirsty, I pant, my soul pleads to meet with God and I put it on call waiting and before long I am intentionally dying of thirst.

But the Psalm goes on with a magnificent promise. It says; "...deep calls to deep in the roar of your waterfalls. All your waves a breakers have swept over me." God has promised that though I might be starving, if I would only look up I am surrounded with a waterfall. God has placed me in a society where the Bible is whole and allowed and I can read his letter to me daily if I only learn to turn to him. I think of this promise and I only have a desire to dive in. And let my soul remind me of how my constant thirst can only be quenched with his sweet love.

Week 1

For all those patiently (not including my parents) waiting for my first post here it is!! (love you Mom and Dad) Let me just start off by saying that I am so blessed by being here.. EVERYTHING we are studying are things that I have had personal struggles with in my walk with God. We are reading a book called the praying life that I literally have to remind myself that I shouldn't read just in one sitting. There are nights when I go to bed thinking I cannot absorb any more tomorrow. Then it's tomorrow and I just run hard all over again. I am seeing myself being stretched daily, living in a hotel room with six girls will do that. I am absolutely loving it though. I got my first FLORIDA burn yesterday and am paying for it.. greatly. I am constantly reminded of God''s grace. There is grace in my ADD writing, there is grace in my little bit tired eyes, there is grace in our disaster zone of a room (though finding it is hard), there is even grace in the growing pains.

God's hand is sooooooo visible in me being here. I am blessed with having close friends already. Friends that I can see sharpening me throughout my life and I am without words for that.

there will be more later.. I promise. But right now it is dinner with friends

all the love I can muster up
Ashley Lynne.

Decisions, Decisions.

So many things have been happening lately. One of the more exciting things though has been my decision to go to the Orlando Project this summer. I have wanted to go away for the past couple of years but each summer have had to cut those plans short and stay in town. Here is an amazing opportunity to grown in my faith and to work in Universal Studios... Who could resist? I am so excited. I feel like I have been in such a stand still in so many areas in my life and this is something that will be the start of something wonderful. I have heard an abundance of great things about OP. I am so excited to see what God has in store. It must be amazing.