aunt susan

Last week I traveled to Williamsburg VA to visit with my sweet, incredible, humble, sacrificial, smart, funny, lovable, patient, genuine, bold, passionate, selfless, inclusive, and kind Aunt susan. She is my Dad's sister and is a sweet friend to me.

My aunt is one of my biggest fans, she has prayed for my salvation since the moment I took my first breath, she has held me in her arms when I was an infant and has held me before the Father ever since.  My Aunt Susan is a warrior for God, she is prayerful, considerate and passionate and wants all to know the true freedom of our savior.  She is a gift to my life and to my soul, she loves what I do and loves hearing about HS girls and the mission of YL.  She is always for me, she prays for me, asks me about what I'm learning about Jesus, and loves to talk to me about the glory of a God that has called us to himself.  It breaks my heart that this amazing woman lives in Alabama, I wish she lived right next door because time with her is life giving and special.

I haven't seen my aunt for about seven years which I didn't even realize because she is someone so close to me, she knows SO much about my life.  When I saw her nothing changed she loves coffee, she loves talking and she LOVES praying.  We spent about 2 hours just sitting on the couch catching up and another 2 at lunch laughing and sharing deep sorrows and joys of ministry and then we spend time praying for one another.  I have never sat and prayed like this with someone in my family before, we praised God, we asked him for blessings, and begged for freedom for those in captivity in our lives, we prayed for people we loved, we worked with, we prayed for joy, for strength but mostly just for Him.  When I left my sweet aunt I felt whole... I went into our time wounded needing love and care and confidence in my life and I left KNOWING that our God was real...

My Aunt Susan prayed everyday that I would come to know Jesus some how... her prayers came true on a warm June night at a Young Life camp in NY in 2004 and as she and about a million angels in heaven rejoiced she went straight back to her knees again to pray for many more in our family, in our lives to come to know the freedom of His name.

I want to be like her... I want to live a life like her... I am so thankful that one of the women I admire most in life is a woman who can't drive, doesn't text, hates waking up before 10, loves cats, has been all over the world, has lived all over the US, writes manuals for army tents, reads Corrie Ten Boom,  prays with joy, is bold with her friends, has brought many to the feet of Jesus, and can walk into a shop in a town she hasn't lived in for 20 years and see a woman who she prayed with weekly and act as if no time has passed at all... that is a woman of God... that is His kingdom.

Aunt Susan you're a gift to me, thank you for bringing me to the foot of the cross, thank you for sitting with me, and hearing my sorrows, and always loving me and supporting me even when I act like a totally crazy person and tell you I am going to move to a town in Virginia to love lost broken high school girls because the Lord told me to.  Thanks for loving me whether it be financially, prayerfully, or through a sweet email or phone conversation you are a precious gift to my life... thank you for loving me... I pray the Lord makes me like you one day!

top 20

Once again time got away from me but here I am BACK IN ACTION! Since there are just too many stories to tell here is a list of 20 things that have gone on in my life since I've last posted:

1. Went on assignment at Young Life's Saranac Village in Saranac Lake NY (july 26-august 24)
2. Was a housekeeping boss on assignment thus learning how to thoroughly clean vomit out of carpet  (yes this is indeed part of my job on Young Life staff... and I'm not kidding.)
3. Learned that baptism is beautiful and necessary.
4. Broke up with a boyfriend.
5. Fell deeper in love with the Bible
6. Broke a rib (still recovering... currently on muscle relaxers)
7. Coordinated a beautiful wedding for two sweet friends.
8. Got a pair of vans... I swore I would never fall into the ways of Chesapeake, yet here I am.
9. Became a dance coach for the Hickory HS Hilites
10. Realized that I am WAY overcommitted for this fall.
11. Turned 24
12. Cried... a lot.
13. Laughed more.
14. Realized the only hobby that I truly enjoy is being with people... all of the time.
15. VERY reluctantly skinny dipped for the first time (the action not the frozen yogurt shop)
16.  Made new friends
17.  Said "see you soon." to one of my best friends sweet sweet Stephanie.
18. Learned that my compassion is a gift and a curse
19. Saw some old friends
20. and last but certainly not least...Fell even deeper in love with the ministry of loving lost HS students to the foot of the cross.

I am learning a lot about myself.  This year is going to be tough I can already feel it... the Lord has some huge plans of which I may not seem ready for but I know that He has me and will give me boldness when needed and confidence when necessary for now I will just sit in trust and REMAIN.

Exodus 14:14
"The Lord will fight for you, you need only be still."

Something I am not too terribly good at... but he is calling me to be still when it seems that all I do is run around.

 A few of my housekeepers in the assigned team house: The Guidehouse

my housekeeping girls (all in HS,) from left: MK, myself, Daisy, Meghan and Rachel

 Being silly always...

The Housekeepers and Laundry girls we called ourselves #HKLF standing for Housekeeper laundry friends. From Left: Kyle, Daniel, Jenna, Natalie, Zach, Me, Joe, MK, Daisy, Meghan & Rachel.

Every bus that comes to camp gets a HUGE welcome by the work crew (this is just a few of us in between buses)... all the kids will run off the bus and run through our gauntlet of high fives and screams... almost as if they were being welcomed into the kingdom of heaven... I can't wait for that!