SUMMER '11

When I last got on my blog it was spring,
now God has spent an entire summer making me
more like His son. God did many things in my life this
summer, and now it is time to write about them and
tell how he blessed me through them.


He blessed me with Hannah's wedding, with Maggie Day's
presence in our home. He gave me a VBS i will never forget.
He gave me warts (that i pray he will take away), a chance at
summer basketball, brought Courtney Joy back to intern,
and opened the doors for a One Hope Center.

God was so good and yet He did more...
He blessed me with a AWESOME P61,
and brought the neigborhood kids to church.
God gave me the oppurtunity to watch God
break my dad's heart over the crisis in Sudan
and Somalia, to watch him melt my youth pastor's
heart for his kids he sooo desperately wants to bring
home. God gave me the courage to join the worship team.
And he brought Quinton into my life. A four year old, autistic
boy who was tall for his age and obessed with trains, that
I loved on and loved on only for God to show me how much He
loved me.

This is my summer the summer that God gave me.
Summer '11. it is summed up in the life of Josiah in
2 Chronicles 34-37 that i sum up like this. (three chapters that changed a summer
and a life.) When we seek God, He answers. When we know
God He helps us do great things, He gives us great gifts and great
joy, and He gives us the HOPE and the POWER to tell the world
that this is what love is...GOD IS LOVE AND LOVE HAS COME
FOR US ALL.

Poetry

Yellow Stars

Oh to be like them

To play in Warsaw’s streets

Playing hopscotch and sharing special sweet treats.

To chase the girls and race

All the boys sounds fun,

But I wear the yellow star

so I turn and run.

Oh to be like them

To buy some shoes for my boy

And fresh vegetables to eat,

Cream and milk for my tea.

To host a party and celebrate

And see joy in my husband’s face

But I wear the yellow star

so I turn and run.

Oh to be like them

To know how to protect my boy

Put money in the jar

And buy a nice new dress For my wife and miss.

To not go on the trains

And leave my family behind

But I wear the yellow star

so I turn and face the gun.

HOPE IN THE CITY

I can feel hope because hope is here.
Hope is surronding us through the battle for this city. And the hope is that God has
already won. I know you can feel this battle within your own heart and therefore
you feel it here, in this city.the hope is here. You can feel it. I feel it.I feel it rise up in my
chest when I read the one hope blog and when I tutor eager kids.

Tulsa is a city full of sin and sadness, grief and anger.
many have fallen into immorality and the highway through
the center of town, is the main road trafficking prostitutes in
the midwest.

But God is here. I do not doubt it.

Fifty percent of the young
girls who were expected to be trafficked into the dallas area for the super bowl

were unable because of the storm.Yes, God is here and hope as well.


So do not doubt hope's presence, but be reminded of it.

Isaiah 62:12

" 12 And they will call them, "The holy people, The redeemed of the LORD "; And you will be called, "Sought out, a city not forsaken."

well, needless to say, we have been snowed in.
however, so is much of oklahoma. we haven't had
any dull moments. these pictures show what we did
these last few days.

"DREAMS

friendship homes, one hope centers,
sports and disability ministries,
God hears these dreams,
God holds us through hard ministries.
Father? hear us on our knees,
reach the broken through the big dreams
in these prayers."

happy (late) new year!

so sorry that i haven't posted lately! busy, busy, busy. friends in town,
books to read, new games to play, and basketball. so... happy new year!
please remember that this year should be lived more radically and with
greater passion than the last. who knows, Jesus might come back in 2011.
i challenge you to be ready.