Backtracking: The Last Two Days of Next

I decided to go back in time a little bit and briefly cover the final two days of the Next conference. I have already covered the first two days so you can scroll down to see them both if you would like.

May 28, 2012

This day began with a great sermon by Kevin DeYoung (titled The Church + Holiness) on our conscience. He talked about how our conscience "is the mark of being an adult" and "separates us from animals." However, out conscience can, and does, go wrong; we can have an evil conscience, a seared conscience, or even a defiled or weak conscience. What we want to have is a good/clean conscience. He also stated that, "God means for your conscience to be your friend." It can show us the wrong in our lives that we need to deal with, and it can show us when we are forgiven and clean. Another of his statements was that, "God forgives you, in Christ, as an act of justice. It has been paid for."

After this we broke for another free lunch! It was raining so we had to eat inside, but Suzanne, Lindsay, and I chose a seat on the floor near some glass doors so we could at least see outside.

The second sermon of the day was by Matt Chandler on "The Church + Culture." He spoke about how we need to be salt and light in the culture around us. He stated, "God has uniquely placed you where you are" and asked if we saw our college, neighborhood, etc in this way.

These were the only two sermons of the day. There were some breakout type sessions for pastors and worship leaders (which I did not attend). In addition, that evening (as well as the evening before) C.J. Mahaney sat down with one of the speakers and talked with them about their lives. This night it was Matt Chandler and the night before it was with Kevin DeYoung.

May 29, 2012

The last day of the conference. C.J. Mahaney spoke that morning on "The Church + Disappointment" and how we should react when we are disappointed with one's church.  We ought to remember God's sovereignty, avoid complaining, and remember that it is not about us, but about God, and Christ, and loving other people. We also need to remember to hold fast to the gospel because it can ultimately satisfy, but no church can.

After this message ended, we said some goodbyes, and then Lindsay, Suzanne, and I waited until our shuttle arrived to transport us to the Orlando airport. The three of us were on the same flight, but we had quite a bit of time to wait in the airport. 


We split up in Atlanta with Suzanne heading home on a different flight from Lindsay and I (who were together). Flights home are never quite as exciting, and I think we were all tired from the great weekend. I know I slept part of the time! It was a wonderful weekend, but it was also good to return home.

 

These and all the other messages from Next 2012 (as well as previous Next/New Attitude conferences) are available for free at www.thisisnext.org

The Unexpected

I had lots of plans for last weekend; Opsail, Busch Gardens, etc. But as Proverbs 16:9 states, "The heart of man plans his way, but the LORD establishes his steps." Instead I spent a big chunk of my weekend in the emergency room. I had a seizure at home, in bed, early Friday morning on the 8th, and my parents took me to the ER where I had a second seizure. While in the ER the doctors ran several different tests, and ended up keeping me overnight. Throughout this time I was in and out of sleep and consciousness (thankfully not conscious during the seizures!) so my memory of my time their is spotty and limited. There are even times when I was awake that I do not remember and would not have known about if someone had not told me. For example, I had no idea that they had already done the EEG until a nurse or doctor mentioned it.

I was discharged from the hospital on Saturday and recommended to take a week off, and boy did I need it. I was very tired and out of it (probably getting used to the side effects of  medication they put me on did not help). On top of that my tongue was so sore (I chewed it up pretty badly during the seizures) that I could hardly eat anything for several days which did not help with the exhaustion. Thankfully later in the week I started to improve, and now, though my tongue is still a bit sore, I am able to talk and eat almost normally. I still feel a little tired and "off", but figure that could also be due to still getting used to the medication. I was able to go to church today and will start back at work tomorrow. However, for safety reasons, I will not be allowed to drive for at least six months which does make things somewhat more complicated.

Next I want to take a second to thank all of you who have prayed and given encouraging notes, comments, visits, etc. It is neat to see how many people have been praying for me through this time. Please keep the prayers coming as we move forward with figuring this out. The "not knowing" is part of what makes me nervous; this could never happen again, this could happen often, this could happen once every ten years; we just don't know at this point. I see a neurologist next month so maybe that will shed some light on possibilities, but we shall see.

A verse God encouraged me with the other day is Psalm 139: 15-16. It says, "My frame was not hidden from you, when I was being made in secret, intricately woven in the depths of the earth. Your eyes saw my unformed substance; in your book were written, every one of them, the days that were formed for me, when as yet there were none of them" It encouraged my by showing me that God MADE my body the way it is, and God KNEW that these seizures would happen when they did. He knew this even before I was here on this earth. Furthermore, He knows what is in store for me in the future; every last part of it. I do not have any control, I may not have any idea what is going to happen, but God is in complete control and has complete knowledge.

Next 2012: Day 2

May 27, 2012
(To start reading from day one scroll down)

 This was the first full day of the Next conference. I, and many others, needed coffee after staying up so late. Conveniently there is a coffee shop located in between the hotel rooms side of the convention center and the side where the conference was held in the Gatlin Ballroom. With a frappacino in hand for breakfast I headed to the first sessions of the new day. The day began with two sessions before lunch (with a short break in between).


Jared Mellinger gave a great sermon titled "The Church + Membership" about why it is important that we join ourselves to a local church. He spoke about the benefits (blessings) of being a part of a local church. The benefits/blessings include committed fellowship, greater growth, experiencing spiritual gifts, spiritual protection, godly leadership, and a powerful witness to the world. He stated that, "Church membership means active participation. We should each be involved with a sense of ownership."

Ian McConnell's sermon, titled "The Church + Sunday", was closely related. He spoke on the importance of attending your local church regularly, stating that, "We can experience a taste of Heaven hear on earth every time we gather with our local church." We have great privileges and great responsibilities that come with attending our local church.

After these sessions were over we were given free lunch! Lindsay, Suzanne, and I picked up our delicious sub sandwiches and headed outdoors to enjoy a picnic lunch in the gorgeous weather and sunshine.

During our long afternoon we break we relaxed, took a walk to the grocery store to find some cheaper food and coffee, and spent some time in and near the pool. It was nice to have this break time. 

The final session of the day was Kevin DeYoung preaching a sermon titled "The Church + Friendship." The was probably one of my favorite messages from the conference; it was on being a faithful friend rather than a foul or fake friend. It was personally convicting, encouraging, and applicable.

We finished out the evening with some late-night dancing thanks to some people who had brought along speakers and music. Also had a wonderful chat with Suzanne late into the night (or morning rather) about Kevin DeYoung's message and its application in our lives.

For these messages or any of the others (or even those from previous Next/New Attitude conferences) visit www.thisisnext.org

Next 2012: Day 1

May 26, 2012

4:30 AM and my alarms (yes I set several) went off. Lindsay and I rolled out of our beds sleepily, but excitedly in order to get ready, eat breakfast, pray, and be ready to leave for the airport by 5:30. Lindsay had spent the night the night before so that both of our families did not have to have a member get up at the same crazy hour. Around 7:00 AM our plane took off, and after a layover in Atlanta (during which we met up with Suzanne who had the same connecting flight as us, we finally landed in Orlando, Florida! We met Mrs. Reinicke, one of our other roommates, and spent some time in the airport getting lunch at Chick-fil-a and exploring some of the shops.

 There were several neat shops in the Orlando airport including a Harley Davidson which had a motorcycle in the front on which you could take pictures. We had some fun with this, and a nice man offered to take a picture of all three of us (Mrs. Reinicke was reading and watching the luggage).

Then we found the shuttle, purchased our shuttle tickets, and headed for our hotel. Rosen Shingle Creek. It was nice that we arrived so early since we had plenty of time to get checked in to both the hotel and the conference, relax, explore, and eat dinner. Finally the first session began! It started with worship led by Bob and Devon Kauflin and the Na Band (they all led worship the whole weekend, and did an awesome job). Jeff Purswell gave the first message of the conference. It was titled "The Church + The Purpose of God", and his main point was that, "God's Eternal purpose is to dwell among a people He has made His own." One of the main things that stuck out to me in this sermon was when he talked about how, "He longs to fellowship with you. Do you think of God that way?" The rest of the night included checking out the nice hot tub and pool, and a late-night snack at the 24 hr shop inside the hotel/convention center. By the time we went to by the time I went to bed I had been awake (except for perhaps a little dozing on the plane) for over twenty hours!

Note: All the messages from Next 2012 (as well as previous years) are available for free at www.thisisnext.org/resources

This and That

I have finally finished my practicum hours! I would have been done a little bit earlier if not for SOL testing at the school taking up quite a bit of time on the schedule. It feels good to have that behind me and done! It was a pretty stressful semester, but it is basically done now;  I just have to copy and submit the papers and such for the practicum and write a short journal sort of thing, but none of that takes very long and I will probably be turning everything in tomorrow or Friday.

This Saturday, bright and early, I will be leaving VA and heading to Orlando for the Next conference (used to be called New Attitude until a couple years ago). This is the last year they will be doing this conference! I am really excited for the conference though sad it will not be held again. Every year I have gone (this will be my 5th year!) has been simply amazing, and I hope that this year is the same. If you think of it, please be praying for this conference, that the Lord would touch each and every heart there.

Rancho 3M Video I Made

I figured out how to create a video slide show complete with music! Here is one I created with some pictures from my trips to Rancho 3M in 2007 and 2011. They include pictures of us, the kids, and even some projects we did. As an update on fund-raising for this year's trip; I have received $300 out of the needed $750! I am very grateful. We have met the first deadline; the next one is the beginning of June and by then I will need $250 more, and the final deadline is late June I believe ($200 each due). Alexandra needs a bit less than that. Even if you cannot support us financially please be praying; prayer is free, and God has no limits! We could also use prayer for safety,that nothing would prevent our going, for the situation in Mexico, and for the Ranch itself, and that we would be able to be a huge blessing to them! Enjoy the video!

Teaching Day

Last Friday was my day to plan and teach at the ODU Child Study Center for a classroom of 4, 5, and 6 year old children. I had to plan and prepare for each of the centers as well as plan and teach the lesson and read the stories during their circle times. The unit for the week (which the head teacher had already chosen) was Olivia, a series of children's books about a pig. I chose to read the books "Olivia Saves the Circus" and "Olivia and the School Carnival" so my theme for the day was Circus!

 

 For my math center I found an idea online; jumping off of that idea I created math snow cones (or ice cream cones) by cutting out triangular shapes as well as circles out of construction paper. On the "cones" I wrote various math problems, and on the ice (or ice cream), aka the circular shapes, I wrote solutions. The students' job was to match the math problem to the correct answer. They had little pigs as well as mini animal shaped erasures available to use as counters if the needed/wanted them.

 For the fine motor center, the students created finger puppets by cutting out circus characters and coloring them. The teacher working with that table taped the strips of paper on the back to create the loop to put their fingers in.

For the language center I had created a word search using some various circus and carnival related words which the students had to find and circle.

For the art center (not pictured) the student used markers to draw/color a clown. I had strips of paper which said "Clowns are part of the circus" for them to glue onto their drawing.

For the first (and longest) circle time I talked to them about the circus showing them some pictures and various toys as visuals. We sang a "Let's Go to the Circus" song towards the very beginning. I also read "Olivia Saves the Circus." The students got to walk a "tightrope" (tape on the carpet), count horses, participate in talking about the circus, etc. All this and more was part of the first circle time.

At the last circle time at the end of the day I asked about what each of our 5 senses might find at the circus (What might you see/smell/taste/feel/hear at the circus?). I showed them the book we were going to read ("Olivia and the School Carnival") and briefly stated some differences and similarities between a circus and a carnival before reading the book. We then attempted to play a circus themed Simon Says (without including the "Simon says..." part) and changed to a charades sort of game, but this did not work out quite well as the kids were somewhat distracted and many were being picked up by this time.

All in all, I think that the day went pretty well. The students are so sweet, and it is neat to see how much they enjoy learning and contributing their own thoughts, ideas, memories, etc. I have two more teaching days that I have to do at the Child Study Center. I will try to remember to take and post some pictures of those centers as well.

He is risen!

"Let no one caught in sin remain

Inside the lie of inward shame

We fix our eyes upon the cross

And run to him who showed great love

And bled for us

Freely you bled, for us

Christ is risen from the dead

Trampling over death by death

Come awake, come awake!

Come and rise up from the grave!

Christ is risen from the dead

We are one with him again

Come awake, come awake!

Come and rise up from the grave!

Beneath the weight of all our sin

You bow to none but heavens will

No scheme of hell, no scoffer's crown

No burden great can hold you down

In strength you reign

Forever let your church proclaim

Christ is risen from the dead

Trampling over death by death

Come awake, come awake!

Come and rise up from the grave

Christ is risen from the dead

We are one with him again

Come awake, come awake!

Come and rise up from the grave

Oh death! Where is your sting?

Oh hell! Where is your victory?

Oh Church! Come stand in the light!

The glory of God has defeated the night!

Oh death! Where is your sting?

Oh hell! Where is your victory?

Oh Church! Come stand in the light!

Our God is not dead, he's alive! he's alive!

Christ is risen from the dead

Trampling over death by death

Come awake, come awake!

Come and rise up from the grave

Christ is risen from the dead

We are one with him again

Come awake, come awake!

Come and rise up from the grave"

So much to do. So little time

Spring is here! I have been enjoying the nicer weather and the gorgeous flowers. Not enjoying the congestion, scratchy throat, and itchy eyes, but thankfully those are only minor.

This semester has been crazy busy. These last few weeks seem especially so; I have lots of homework assignments, four weeks to go in the Child Study Center, a little less than 25 hours to finish in my public school practicum (including 3 hours of teaching), taxes to file, and all the miscellaneous errands that come up. It's been pretty stressful to say the least especially since I am struggling a lot with procrastination. Coffee has been pretty frequently appearing in my life.

If you think of it, prayers would be much appreciated for me to handle the stress (or better yet for it to go down) and finish out these weeks (and beyond) well. I could also use prayer that I would make better use of my time and stop procrastinating all the time.

Really looking forward to summer. Planning on not taking any classes, but just taking a break and completing at least some of the state testing I have to have for my teaching license. I am also attending the Next conference and planning on going on a missions trip to Rancho 3M in Mexico (see my earlier post if you are interested in more information or in learning how you can support me in prayer or financially for the missions trip).

Rancho 3M

Hello everyone, this summer, for about a week, my sister Alexandra and I are planning on going to the Rancho 3M orphanage in Guadalupe, Mexico with the group from our church. While there we will be doing various projects around the "ranch" that are needed for its upkeep and improvement. Past projects have included painting, bathroom renovation, fencing, and much more. We also like to spend time with the children giving them some much needed attention and showing them the love of Jesus. This is a Christian run orphanage and school, and our church has a good relationship with them, and has gone on many of these trips. The ranch relies a lot on short term missions trips (such as ours) for getting these projects done as well as ministering to these kids (as much as the staff adores them, there are many kids and only so many staff members so the time we are able to spend with the kids is very valuable).

 Please, please, please be praying for Alexandra, me, and the rest of the people on the team. Please be praying that whoever the Lord wants on the trip will be there, and that He will keep us all safe from harm. Please also be praying for Rancho 3M and the children and staff who are there. I will probably be creating a "group" that you can join if you would like to keep you updated on the trip details as well as posting some specific prayer requests

In addition, while the trip is not as expensive as some missions trips can be, it will be somewhat costly. The costs, including airfare, will be a total of $750 per person due in various increments at various dates. The first payment of $200 each is due on April 15, $300 each on June 3, and the rest on June 24. There also could be some miscellaneous costs such as luggage fees. If you would like to help us financially it would be greatly appreciated. You may hand it to me in person or send me a message and I will give you my address. If you would like your donation to be tax deductible either make a check out to Sovereign Grace Church with "Mission Fund" on the memo line or include the adult donor's name with cash if you choose to use that form.

Whether you donate financially or not, please continue to support us and the rest of the team in prayers both before and during our trip. If you like to learn more about Rancho 3M their website is http://www.rancho3m.com/ and they also have a facebook page which they update pretty regularly.
Thanks for reading and for your prayers!

Psalm 25

"To You O LORD, I lift up my soul.

O my God, in You I trust;

let me not be put to shame;

let not my enemies exult for me.

Indeed, none who wait for You shall be put to shame;

they shall be ashamed who are wantonly treacherous

Make me to know Your ways, O LORD;

teach me Your paths.

Lead me in your truth and teach me,

for You are the God of my salvation;

for You I wait all the day long.

Remember Your mercy, O LORD, and Your steadfast love,

for they have been from of old.

Remember not the sins of my youth or my transgressions;

according to Your steadfast love remember me,

for the sake of Your goodness, O LORD!

Good and upright is the LORD;

therefore He instructs sinners in the way.

He leads the humble in what is right,

and teaches the humble His way.

All the paths of the LORD are steadfast love and faithfulness,

for those who keep His covenant and His testimonies.

For Your name's sake, O LORD,

pardon my guilt, for it is great.

Who is the man who fears the LORD?

Him will He instruct in the way that he should choose.

His soul shall abide in well-being,

and His offspring shall inherit the land.
The friendship of the LORD is for those who fear Him, 

and He makes known to them His covenant.

My eyes are ever toward the LORD,

for He will pluck my feet out of the net

Turn to me and be gracious to me,

for I am lonely and afflicted.

The troubles of my heart are enlarged;

bring me out of my distresses.

Consider my affliction and my trouble,

and forgive all my sins

Consider how many are my foes, 

and with what violent hatred they hate me.

Oh guard my soul, and deliver me!

Let me not be put to shame, for I take refuge in You

May integrity and uprightness preserve me,

for I wait for You.

Redeem Israel, O God,

out of all his troubles"

Great Moments

One of my classes this semester includes a practicum. I have to complete 75 hours in a public school and 75 hours in the Child Study Center at ODU. My ODU teacher requires that we give out at least one "Great Moment" certificate (simple half-sheets of paper with "Great Moment" on it underneath which it says "_____ had a great moment today" and space to write about what it was the student did that was great. Last week or so I gave one to this one girl in the 4th grade classroom I am in. A few minutes later she handed me a folded piece of paper that, on the outside, said "To: Miss Morrison From: her (I'm not going to share her name for privacy reasons). On the inside was this....

Friend of God

I was singing "You are Holy" the other day. I love the chorus, and one particular thing stuck out to me this time. Here is what it says (this is the woman's part):

"You are Lord of Lords

You are King of Kings

You are mighty God

Lord of everything

You're Emmanuel

You're the Great I Am

You're the Prince of Peace

Who is the Lamb

You're the living God

You're my saving grace

You will reign forever

You are ancient of days

You are Alpha, Omega, beginning and end

You're my Savior, Messiah, Redeemer, and friend"

Isn't it amazing how with all the things that are true about God (Lord of Lords, King of Kings, mighty God, Lord of everything, Great I Am, beginning and end, etc) that one of the descriptions of Him is FRIEND! He is so vastly greater then us, and yet He is willing to call us friends!

In John 15:15 Jesus says, "No longer do I call you servants, for the servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all that I have heard from my Father I have made known to you"

Bald Eagle Sighting

The other day I was leaving Cafe Moka after having had coffee with my friend Laura. As I was waiting to pull out onto the main road, I saw a big bird flying around, and I noticed that it had a white tail. I couldn't see his head, but I wondered if it was a bald eagle. Then he (or she) landed on a telephone pole, and I saw that it WAS a Bald Eagle! It was a really neat experience. I took some pictures from the car; they did not come out very well, but here are some if you would like to see.

Leap!

Happy Leap Day! Today I spent the day in a 4th grade classroom for my first day of my practicum. I enjoyed the time, and it seems like the teacher is good which is always nice. Immediately afterwords I had to go to ODU for class which made for a long, tiring day. On top of all this, I have a icky cold/cough, but overall I am doing pretty well. I am excited that spring break is next week! I will still have practicum and work, but at least I will not have classes; it will be nice to have that time to relax a bit more, and maybe even work ahead on some homework (not sure if that will happen or not haha). 

Waiting and Perfect Timing

Dave Harvey's book, called "Rescuing Ambition", is a really great book that I would highly recommend. I read it a while ago, and even wrote down some quotes that really stuck out to me. A lot of them have to do with waiting. That is, waiting for the things that we are hoping and praying for in our lives. These quotes were  really encouraging to me as I often struggle with being impatient about certain things that I want to happen in my life, or even worrying that they will never come to pass. I thought I would share the quotes (even more than I wrote down in my journal) here; maybe they can encourage some of you as well.

"How we live when ambitions are delayed significantly shapes who we become. God uses the wait to teach us to walk in a manner worthy of our calling. Wait isn't a popular word. We like it about as much as a toddler does But waiting is a tool God often uses. Scripture is full of waiting -- we're taught to wait for God to act (Ps. 25:3; 27:14; 37:7; 130:5; Isa. 49:23; Hos. 12:6), to wait for our adoption as sons (Rom. 8:23), to wait for the return of the Lord and his righteousness (1 Cor. 1:7; Gal. 5:5; Titus 2:13). We're to wait in faith, knowing that Isaiah's words are true: "From of old no one has heard or perceived by the ear, no eye has seen a God besides you, who acts for those who wait for him" (Isa. 64:4)...Yet waiting is a strange thing. God's purposes are not a bus stop where we just sit, waiting for the right option to come by. No, we keep walking while we wait, and we wait while we walk...Reach your hand into a river and grab a handful of rocks. You can tell the ones that have been recently deposited and those that have been there for a long time, waiting. The new arrivals are rough with edges and sharp points. The other rocks are smooth; time and water have worn away their rough exterior, revealing a polished, beautiful stone. For us waiting has the same effect.God purifies our ambitions by delaying their fulfillment. An ambition with a waiting sign is an ambition being smoothed in a riverbed of God's activity. The rough edges--the selfishness in our ambitions--become smooth. The ambition is purified. The dull exterior starts to shine" (p. 71-72).

"Perhaps in reading this you’re becoming aware of impatience toward God and his timing in your life. But is God’s timing not perfect? Are his ways not perfect? Is his will not perfect? Is his character not perfect? And hasn’t all this perfection been displayed for us in the cross? Who are we to question God in impatience when he has so perfectly displayed his love for us in the shedding of his Son’s blood on the cross?" (p. 73)

To Next...but how?

I am hoping to attend Next this year (after all it is the very last one!); however, I am running into problems when it comes to transportation....neither me nor any of the girls I have talked about traveling with has a vehicle that can withstand such a long trip (to Orlando), and flying is expensive. If any of you have any ideas on options (or even a mini-van or something that we could possibly borrow), or have space in your group please let me know! :) I am looking to be part of a group of responsible drivers who will obey speed limit laws! :)

Grad School and Decisions

Grad school is going pretty well. However, it can be pretty stressful (especially when you struggle with procrastination like I do haha). Thankfully all of my teachers are pretty good, and nothing is too difficult it's simply a matter of getting it all done. My practicum hasn't started yet; in fact, I haven't even been placed yet for the public school portion. Half of my hours will be done at the Child Study Center at ODU, and that starts several weeks from now.  I am stressed about adding all that extra work to what I already have, but God will give me the strength I need, when I need it!

Originally the plan was to finish up my classes this summer, and do student teaching  in the fall. Then I would be finished with my Master's degree in December! However, I have been reconsidering this. I am concerned that it might be a bit too much to take 4 classes (one of which is only 1 credit but still) in the summer, take 3 certification tests by the end of summer, and start student teaching. In addition I have a comprehensive exam I am required to take during student teaching. Because of all this, I am considering taking only the 1 credit class and the tests this summer, finish the other classes in the fall, and student teach in the spring. If I do it this way, I will graduate in May 2013. I still have not decided for sure and for certain yet, so prayers (and advice if you have any) for wisdom would be appreciated!

This year is the very last year that SGM will be having the Next conference. I am planning to go, but sad that it will be the last one. I was extremely blessed to win a contest for which the prize was free registration! I am looking forward to this conference; I have been to four so far (this will be my fifth), and have been so blessed and encouraged at each one. This year the theme/main topic is the Church. Here is a quote from their website:

"The image of a foot split from the body is alarming, and it should be. But do you have the same response to seeing a believer split from the body of Christ? Scripture wants us to see danger and wasted potential in that image. Every Christian needs and has a vital part to play in the local church. Because without the church, we’re essentially, well, you get it. So what’s your part? Join us for three days in Orlando as we focus on God’s plan for the body of Christ, and what it means to play your part."

Valentine's Day

On Valentine's Day, my dad surprised each of my sisters and I by blessing us with our own bouquets of flowers. I had some fun taking artsy looking photos of mine (though I am by no means a photographer). I decided to share some of them here just for fun. Enjoy