That Crazy Pentecostal Girl

Its the week after Christmas and I'm full of stories! This has truly been one the best Christmas ' ever. God is really working in my family's life. Like any family we are not perfect by any means. I've stated before my intermediate family is not really in church any longer, but I can honestly say they still love God. They have a funny way of showing it, but nevertheless I'm still convinced they do. Especially after this Christmas. Saturday my Grandma took us older grandchildren shopping, my two sisters my cousin Megan and I. On this little trip my cousin opened up about how hard life is now. See, she recently moved out and is living a life she knows she shouldn't be and now she is starting to regret some decisions and is wanting to make something of her life, which got us on a great conversation about how bringing God back in her life would help that and I really think it gave her hope! Christmas was Sunday. The Tuesday after we had a family dinner, every...

So a couple weeks ago I was asked if I wanted to go on an all expense paid, home missions trip to Colorado! Sounds intriguing, right? ....So, I said yes! The week before I was dreading it. Going to Colorado sounded like fun, but going with the people that was going...not so much! But I think it was God's will for me to go because I tried making other plans and they fell through. So, here I am in Greeley, Colorado! We came in Wednesday night really late and the family was automatically warm and welcoming, which made me feel more comfortable. Thursday night church was scheduled. I was teaching Sunday school. We did puppets and taught our lesson on "God is Bigger"! Friday we helped set up for their daughters graduation and that night we had another service! Johnnie preached on "We are people of the Name" ....Good stuff! Saturday we helped with the graduation, which wasn't a big deal at all, but they were so grateful. That night they found out I could sing and p...

In a Society Captured By Sin and the Plessure Within I Found Myself Captured By the Same Running After a Life of Wealth and Fame This World had so Much to Offer I Could Go to USF and Become a Doctor Or Mizzou and Be A Lawyer or Writer I Could go to Some Tech School and Fix Computers Or a Beauty School and be a Hair Doer And as Great as this All May Seem Making Good Money and Living the Dream I Soon Realized....This World Really Didn't Have Much to Offer I Could Find Way More at the Altar See this Never Really was My Dream God had Other Plans for Me Since I was Small I was Captured by a Call A Call to do Great Things A Call to Ministry But I Ran and Hid Lord, You Don't Want this Kid I'm nothing special My Family isn't in church I've Got backage and Hurt I'm Broken and Bruised I can't be used But John 14:12 says; "The Things That I do You Shall Do Also, Even Greater" And Who Am I to Doubt the Creator He Said He Would Make a Way And Only by is Mercy a...

Ain't No Mountain High Enough, Ain't No Valley Low Enough to Keep Me from Jesus! I was asked to preach Dec. 4th and teach a class November 16th so I thought I'd share a little bit about what I will be speaking on..... Psalms 23:4 Yay though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death I shall fear no evil for thou art with me... Psalms 27:1,6 The Lord is my light and my salvation: whom shall I fear? The Lord is my strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid.... ...Therefore will I offer in His tabernacle sacrifices of joy; I will sing, yea I will sing praises unto the Lord! It's not always going to be easy, sometimes it'll be a sacrifice, but no matter how high the mountain or how low the valley, worship God with your all! Why ? 1. Because of His promises Phil. 4:13 - you can do all things through Christ Romans 8:39 - nothing can separate us from the love of God Isaiah 54:17 - no weapon formed against you shall prosper Psalms 91:11 - gave His angels cha...

There is a country song by Eli Young Band called 'Crazy Girl' The chorus goes something like this... Crazy girl, don't you know that I love you? I wouldn't dream of going nowhere Silly woman, come here let me hold you Have I told you lately I love you like crazy, girl? Like crazy, girl This song came to mind a couple days ago as I was sitting in my dorm room crying because I guy here at my school basically called me a hooker (because my skirt was "too tight") in front of a ton of people including parents and pastors. I was so embarrassed and I don't know how you react when your embarrassed, but I cry. So there I was upset and angry at the guys at my school! This wasn't the first time these guys have upset me and I wasn't the only girl who felt this way. In fact many of the girls were upset and were talking to me about how ugly they feel because these guys told them so or were joking about them or they over heard them say there were no cute girls a...

Last weekend a group of students went to Wisconsin for a outreach trip. I signed up for a bunch of them, but I think it was God that I went on this on. What was supposed to be a 7-hour trip took more like 8, but finally we got there about midnight Friday night. Saturday morning we got up early and headed to the small missions church there in De Pere. This church changed my life. They have church at a community center they rent out every Sunday and Wednesday night. So, Saturday we sat outside the building and made up little track baggies to hang on the doors. There were eight people from Gateway and about ten or fifteen from the church and we went door knocking (sort of). It was more like just passing out tracks and hanging them on doors, but we did speak to a few people, which all went well. Everyone was nice and receptive. We then held a little praise service in the park and served BBQ. Only one person from the door knocking came out, but that ...

I remember when I first started talking about going to Gateway. A lot of people told me to be careful because a lot of people go there and change for the worst. They make the wrong friends and the ministry they once had, they no longer feel called to it. I was told from many to not be naive in believing that everyone there was there for the right reasons. I understood them, but didn't take it to heart, but man they wern't kidding. It seriously suprises me how many fake people there are, and how many people who call themselves christians, but don't truely act like Christians. That isn't all that suprises me. Its not all I thought it was going to be. I recieved a work study, which I felt so blessed to have only to find out i'm working 20 hours a week, double shifts Monday through Thursday and a shift on Sunday and I don't have time for another job becuase of school. I also am always late for church because I work till 7. I HATE BEING LATE FOR CHURCH!!! There are...

GATEWAY IS UNREAL! I was so nervous and paranoid that it wasn't going to be all I'd hope for, but in fact I believe it's going to be even better! I get there and things aren't really going so well. The school was missing papers of mine, and come to find out I didn't receive the music scholarship I was relying on, so I wasn't sure how I was going to do this. I turned to my mom at one point and said "If they don't except a smaller down payment then 15% of what I owe, I'm going home" I was there from 9am to almost 5pm. I moved all my stuff in, got my class schedule, met a bunch of people ( Some of which I already knew), and finally after waiting for what seemed forever I sat down with the financial advisor. This is when I turned to my mom and said the comment above. She just shrugged, but I was on the verge of tears. Although so was she, but only because she couldn't believe how dirty and small the rooms were and in my room one of the glass wi...

Since I was 12 I've felt called to ministry, where that was to take me to who knew, but now its starting to pan out. I always wanted to go to bible college for as long as I can remember. Although it never seemed realistic it was still in the back of my mind. Now, It's more then a thought, it's reality. I sent my paperwork in, filled out some scholarship applications, and got my Pastor's consent. A couple months went by, I hadn't heard about any scholarships and so I just assumed it was not God's will for me to go yet. It took awhile and alot of prayers, but I soon gained a peace about it. About a month ago now I was at church camp just having a good time not really thinking about bible college and I recieved an email saying "Congratulations, you have been excpeted for a work study program, 20 hrs a week, $3500 year towards tuition." OMG I think I started crying, but that wasn't all. I recieved another email from the music director at Gateway statin...

I went to Camp last week and they took this pic of me praying! Later I was asked by someone if they could use this pic for a blog they were apart of! I was flattered and honored and the blog post is phenomenal so I thought I'd repost it... Dear Ladies in the Lord, This week I attended and returned from church camp. I helped assist my cousin in directing the music and back-up vocals, which to my surprise was a very challenging job! I went to camp thinking that I would be doing only that, and that nothing in my life would really be different when I returned home; but as I was there, something became different. I noticed that I carried myself and thought differently than my normal self would have. I sometimes struggle with self-esteem issues; and I think as an apostolic young lady, we all do at one time or another due to the un-leveled judgment that the world puts on us because we stand out so much! But this week I was content with myself. It wasn’t so much because I was surrounded w...

I know it has been a long while since I last posted a blog. I've had somethings on my heart, but I knew camp and congress and all that good stuff was coming up so I'd thought I hold out for a lil while and see what else God does in my life, but I cant hold my silence any longer!!!! The devil has really been coming against me more so then ever the past couple of months. From having to put around $1000 in my car ( not in my budget) to then going to camp and the first few services feeling dead as a door nob to the spirit. FINALLY I had enough I was going on my 4th service at camp and I was still dead! I WAS DONE I told satan to get thee behind me in the name of Jesus I'm a child of the most high God and no one and I mean no one can get in the middle of my praise!!!!!! Haha i don't know why I'm laughing becuase I was dead serious that night!!! See the devil knows what God is going to be doing through me! So he is trying to prevent me from going to where he is sending me...

We always talk about respecting others and getting respect from others, but why not respecting yourself!?!? Recently my cousin came into town. I love this girl with all my heart, but sometimes we get into it. I don't know that I would call them areguments maybe discussions, but either way we are always at it. Its either that or really heart felt discussions. This time it was both rolled up into one. She hasn't been living the way she should and she is starting to realize it and she also is realizing that alot people, young girls to be more specific, arn't living the way they should be either. The age when girls start getting into to stuff that they should not seems to be getting younger and younger. Lately my cousin has been talking to this 14 year old who has done just as much stuff as she has the only difference my cousin started at 18 not 14. It is sad and it hurts to hear that from such a young girl. We have been talking about ways we can help these girls who feel like ...

I KNOW ...I haven't wrote in a really long time. I just felt like if i was to write something these past few months it wouldn't have been positive so here is the news. A lot of junk is going on in my life some good. most bad. Have a lot of things to pay for that I don't have money for and seems to just be adding up. Its one thing after another! First I wreck my dad's car into mine busting his head light and ripping my mirror off. Then my air conditioning stops blowing cold I get it checked out its ganna cost me around $1000 to get it fixed. Come to find out i owe my school around $115 which I thought I had a scholarship for, but I guess not, which brings me to my next point....I'm probably not getting my scholarship for the next semester which means i have no money for school so I've been praying about just going to gateway in the fall. Money...wish it grew on trees! But, despite all that God has blessed me....Spiritually that is. I went to a young ministers con...

Two guys went fishing. Every time the one guy would catch something bigger then 6 inches he threw it back. He did this numerous times. Finally the other guy couldn’t take it any more he asked him why he kept throwing back those perfectly good fish. The guy replied, my fish fryer is only 6 inches long. IT’S TIME TO GET A BIGGER FISH FRYER. I went to Chicago this past week. It didn't go as planned, but it turned out better then I could have imagined. The church I went to while I was there, Bro Barron's, was just out of this world. So on fire, so phenomanal and just what I needed. I was able to go 3 times and each time I recieved something from God. He was just so evident there. I mean this church I can't even begin to desribe the power of God that is there. I could go on and on for hours. The people just didn't hold back. They worshiped and worshiped and worshiped some more with all that was withen them. The best part is this church consisted of less then 30 people a...

I pray to God daily yada yada blah blah blah lol God doesn't always answer my numerous prayers but he always listens! I went to a youth rally in Gainesville this past weekend called operation rescue. Bro Tom Gaddy preached 2 phenomenal messages, the 1st was "the Second Most Important Decision You'll Ever Make" which he talked about how important choosing the right person to marry is. The first important decision you'll make is to serve God! Saturday morning he preached a message entitled "Leave the Church" talking about taking the message of truth and salvation outside the church and witnessing to your friends, family and community. Honestly, I didn't get much from the sermons, but me being the needy kid that I am, once the altar was open, hurried down and started professing all my cares and concerns to God....and you know he didn't answer right then and there that night or morning, but I know he heard me! I know this because eventually he di...

Five years ago my family moved my two little sisters and I to Florida. I never realized how much my life would change. Not only did I start a new school, get new friends, a new church, but even my family life changed. Little by little my family fell out of church to the point where they didn't even go but maybe once a month. It was hard, not only for my walk with God, but also to watch them slowly, but surly lean to a life without God. I can't say I was perfect I fell out at one point also, but when I got back the only thing I ever prayed for was for them. I prayed God's will, I prayed that their hearts would be opened that they would get a hunger and that things would go back to the way they used to be so many years ago. 5 years I prayed this prayer and this past Sunday... *GOD ANSWERED IT* I'm not sure what got a hold of her, but whatever it was it brought my mom down to the altar and for what seemed a lifetime of praying and fasting going to waste I soon saw that...

Positive Law vs. Natural Law ~ who do you think will win ~ First lets lay out the definition ... Positive Law - law set up by a soveirn ex. King, constitution Natural Law - what is morally acceptable according to personal perception - what you think is right or wrong I was sitting in my business law class tuesday night as my profressor started discussing the "fight" between positive and natural law. He used this example... Stealing- Its against the positive law, but in some cases, according to natural law its necessary or okay to steal such as, "he was starving so he stole food from a grocery store." Regardless in the end, no matter what the excuse he will get in trouble for stealing because positive law will always triump natural law. ALWAYS! This got me thinking! I do this alot with my walk with God. Christians do this alot in their life as well. Positive law represents what God and the Bible says and natural law represents your convinctions and flesh. T...

*HAPPY NEW YEAR* I already went over in my last blog how crazy this past year has been so this post isn't going to be a reminiscent of 2010! No instead this post is going to be highlight of 2011!!!!!! I wont say this past year was a waste, but looking back I did nothing, well not enough for God's Kingdom atleast. So, I've made up in mind 2011 I will do everything I possibly can for God! No matter what that may be! I'm going to try to go on a missions trip, teach some bible studies, reach out to the younger girls at my church, and I don't know exactly, but whatever opportunity comes up I will take it in a heart beat! I'm sick of being the average christian! Just going to church, praising God, reading my bible and praying! All those things are GREAT but God calls each of us to so much more. Mark 16:15 Go ye unto the world, and preach the GOSPEL!!!!! I could look back on my life and think wow I'm such a screw up, I'm not meant to preach the Gosp...