Hurting People & God's Love

In the past week I have come to realize how much hurt there is in this world. Someone told me, “Stephanie, you realize that every week.” And I guess that true…but I need to learn it every single day. May I can make a difference and help the hurting and the broken find Hope & Love.
Last night’s message was awesome. God was TOTALLY there & I was excited. I remember David saying, we need to make sure He has top priority in our lives. I remember I came to that exact point 2 weeks ago…I had come to the point where God was taking second priority in my life and therefore NOTHING was lining up, as soon as I surrendered 1st place to Him…everything fell into place. One of my passions is to share God’s love with teenagers. I recently told a friend, “When I talk to people when they leave, I don’t want them to see me I want them to see God’s love shine through me.”

Each Wednesday night we do small groups and I LOVE them I can’t wait to get there each week. Its exciting to me to see what happens in those small groups but its never the conversations in small group that mean the most its always the conversations I have AFTER small groups. Like last night when I didn’t let small group out til 8:20pm (I apologize) but the students who come in know I’m long winded and they still come  but what I love most is when I have two students stay and talk to me til 8:40pm (by their choice) about their concern for a friend. && Then later when I get home and get an txt from a girl in my small group (I had told them to txt me or find me on FB or myspace if they needed to talk to me) she txt me saying that the words I said tonight had made sense to her and wanted to thank me. Yet, I DO NOT deserve to be thanked…those were not my words,,,those were the words of my heavenly Father…Not me. So I began thanking Him for the opportunities to love others. I had SO many great conversations over the past few weeks…not because they were necessarily under good circumstances but because I was able to share God’s Love with them. So after I’m on like cloud nine because of what God is doing in our student ministries the following is the Air 1 verse of the day, “Habakkuk 1:5 ~For I am going to do something in your days that you would not believe, even if you were told.”

For these are words straight from God’s book. He doesn’t give up! & He is not finished with us yet. What HOPE that we have a God that loves us that much!

Prayers Answered

Tomorrow is the end of my 1st week along my journey and i've loved every moment of it! God has taught me a lot about patience this week & has continued to remind me that He does things in His will. Its a daily choice for me to wake up and allow HIM to be my guide that day. I have had some amazing prayer warriors throughout this entire struggle and many friends who have been praying as well. I am forever grateful for the Brothers and Sisters God has blessed me with as I journey with Him.
This week as been a struggle, but in a good way. Wednesday night we had a big kick off at the church where over 200 youth showed up for hotdogs, hamburger, boiled peanuts, bands, mud, mud, and more mud! It was a great time had by everyone. I was genuinely happy on this night for i knew God has been doing amazing things and He continues to do amazing things. Thursday David, my youth minister, Matt Harper and I met for lunch. Matt and I will be starting a new Sunday School class for new believers starting tomorrow. We met and talked about how God has been working in lives this summer and how He continues to work. A revival is breaking out amongst the young people of our nation and there is nothing we can do to stop it. How exciting?!
So this week has been a challenge as I have changed some of the ways I encourage people. My prayers have increased, my time with God has increased as my direct encouragement has decreased. Wow, has that been hard, yet so rewarding! God continues to show me that He is in control as I had a prayer answered today as I recieved a txt from an old friend. She asked How I was and then said 'I just wanted to thank you for your prayers' that was the most profound thing anyone could have said. I was overjoyed not only that we were talking but that God was showing me that HIS timing is perfect, NOT mine. So Prayers have been answered this week as I have continued to realize that my passions are changing. I was talking with a dear mentor in my life today and i was saying how God had been changing my heart to work with unchurched youth instead of the churched youth in recent weeks. She said yes, but it was the church youth that God used you to help mentor first before He led you to the unchurched youth...God is doing some pretty incredible things as He opens up paths for me to help others reach their friends! What an exciting Journey that He has led me upon & I couldn't be happier that this journey is with Him.

Lord, Thank you for who you are. Thank you for being my Savior, Lord, Father, Reedemer, Friend, Healer and so much more. Thank you for dying upon the cross for my sins and for accepting me. Thank you for choosing to use me as a vessel in your kingdom. Lord, Thank you for never leaving my side & thank you for sending Brothers and Sisters in Christ to intercede for me and lift me in prayer. Thank you for allowing me the opportunity to pray for Brothers and Sisters in Christ daily across the world as their share your message of Hope! Thank you for leading me on this journey and giving me strength and perseverence. Thank you for who you are. Thank you for loving me. I love you. ~ Amen.

My 40 day Journey

So i'm taking on a new challenge, a 40 day challenge to be exact. Its called 'A Call to Die'...over the next 40 days i will be digging into God's word and letting Him challenge me like never before.

After recent events of being far too pushy to others and bugging them...i'm going on a fast of txting people. No more 'How are yous?' or "Hows life been going?" etc. for the next 40 days. Yes, I still Care about people and want to know whats going on in their lives but for once...i don't want to be the one that initiates those conversations. I want others to genuinely want to be my friend back. So i'm fasting from those questions. I will still txt. So Thats my 40 day fast. I'm excited and know that God will bring me joy like never before as i stand in awe of Him once again and fall in Love with my Savior again and again.

THe first day of my journey this story is told, "Years ago, a young, uneducated man in Chicago named Dwight Moody heard a preacher challenge his audience, "The world has yet to see what God will do through one man (woman) whose heart is completely his." Moody responded instantly, "Lord, I want to be that man!" Over the course of the next few decades, God used Moody to lead throusands of people to Christ, to begin a Bible college, and to launch a missions movement that eventually sent over 30,000 young men and women to parts of the globe that had never heard of Jesus or had even seen a foreigner. Moody was committed to his heart being sole and complete property of Jesus Christ. God poured out his Spirit to him."

So for the next 40 days I'm asking God to mold me and make me, so at the end of these 40 days i pray my heart and soul is complete property of Jesus Christ, My Lord, and Savior.

I, Stephanie Deal, want to be a different person. I want to be there for others like never before, i want to be bold in my faith, sharing the gospel and when others see me i want them to see the hands and feet of Christ! I want them to know MY SAVIOR b/c i'm so in love with Him!

So for the next 40 days please commit to praying for me & Keeping me accountable on what the Lord wants to do in my life and in my heart. May the next 40 days be life changing and indescribable as i take on 'the call to daily die to myself and live for Him!'

My Summer So far...

Here are 2 notes that i've posted of How BIG our God is :

3 ½ weeks ago I headed to Camp Pinnacle as a Support Staff. Camp Pinnacle is a Girls in Action camp focused on Missions. 3 ½ weeks ago I could have never fathomed what God would teach me in these past few weeks. I’m home for one week and although it’s good to be home, I DO miss camp and my camp Sisters. It is indescribable to be at Camp and see girls lives changed. To see girls stand in front of their peers and say “I knew Christ in my head but not my Heart, last night I got saved!” They have such joy. One of the most incredible things that I have watched is the joy and delight the staff have at watching one more girl accept Christs love and grace and mercy. Many times only 2 or 3 staff actually have talked with a girl about salvation or God’s Love. Yet to watch the faces of the staff members when a girl stands on stage and says “I got saved last night!” “I now understand what an important part my JAM (Jesus and Me) Time is because my cabin leaders modeled it.” The list could go on and on. The joy and worship on each staff memebers face is a facial expression I will NEVER forget, because it is a beautiful and priceless memory to know that girls are being saved and that we can simply be apart of that story through prayer and surrendering to His will, Not our own.This past week God laid on my heart to set aside specific time to pray for those leading in worship during our candlelight service on Thursday nights. During this time I began praying for the girls in their Encounter time, In the chapel is a big wood cross. Thursday night as I began praying I sat in front of the big wood cross and began reading God’s word and praying. After I finished praying I got up to go sit in the back pew to read and sit in Awe of my creator. I stood up and collected my bible when the bookmark that’s attached in my bible was hanging out. I just randomly opened my bible and stuck it in but something caught my eye and I began to read. I read Galations 6:9-10 “Let us not become weary in doing goodfor at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. Therefore, as we have the opportunity let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers.” I was in awe of this passage of scriptue because it made me truly realize that as important as it is to pray for those who aren’t saved it is equally as important to encourage, support and pray for my fellow Brothers and Sisters in Christ. The past 3 ½ weeks have been incredible and I can’t wait to see where the next 3 weeks takes us. My only prayer is that I continue to remove myself and allow God to be seen. He is our almighty Creator, Lord, Master, Father, Healer, Sheppard, The Name and so much more. May we continue to allow God to use us this summer.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
So As you are all aware I was at GSU for college orientation this past weekend thing. Monday Night we had to go to the RAC (Recreational Activity Center) where we talked with the BCM and other activities we can paricipate in on campus. As we were on the bus talking with others on the way back to the dorms i mentioned that I was home for one week to do this college orientation but that im working at a camp this summer. One girl asked what camp? Which i replied Camp Pinnacle. I thought she was going to jump me...she got so excited exclaiming that she had recieved Christ when she went to Camp Pinnacle when she was in the 4th grade. I once again took a moment to Thank God that He has placed me at Camp Pinnacle this summer...with each of my 30 or however many sisters. I thanked Him for all of those that He has placed at Camp Pinnacle the summers before me and for paving the way to what is happening at Camp currently.I Hope someone reading this needs encouragement and that God speaks to them and they realize God has them at Camp Pinnacle to serve and teach other girls so that they see Christ and God will lead them to Him!Your Sister in Christ,

Waterfall Pics

So since we are off on the weekends a group of us decided to hike to the waterfall & it was def. worth it! Here are the pictures.

The Group: (front) Denise, Erica, Stephanie, Allie, Tiffany (back) Tiffany, Angela

Devotion time at the waterfall

Isn't it beautiful?!

On Departure: (L-R) Stephanie, LeAnna, Erica, Angela, Denise, Allie, Tiffany

Camp Pinnacle Update

The flag pole and globe...beginning tomorrow this will be packed with campers each morning!

The Beautiful Chapel

My Cabin mates & Support Staff (Laura Beth, Tiffany, Stephanie, Kaylee)

Our First day of work. Aren't we beautiful!?

Ok So heres a Real camp update. Tomorrow begins the camping season at Camp Pinnacle. We have a full week (which means 120 campers) the cabin leaders are very excited about this upcoming week. Please continue to be in prayer for these girls as they come and be in prayer for the staff as they minister week in and week out at Camp Pinnacle. It truly becomes like a mini family so fast when you are living and working together.

My job title is Support Staff, i work in the kitchen, dining hall, lodge, clean bathrooms, assist in candlelight service, and every other odds and ends job you may think of. Whats so amazing is that each staff member realizes that we are apart of a team and one, without the other couldn't make this camp possible. So we are all rested up and ready for a fun filled week with lots of campers and AMAZING moments with God.

Prayer Requests:

~as of now their are 700 campers registered our prayer is that 900 campers come in 2009..please begin praying with us.

~For the Safety & Health of all staff and campers

~Pray for those campers who will be homesick, pray that they always know God is the true comforter

~Pray that every girl leaves with the knowledge of who she is in Christ.

~Pray every camper leaves knowing Christ for the first time or that her relationship with Christ is strengthened...Same goes for the Staff

~Above all pray that God recieves all Honor, Praise & Glory through these 7 weeks at camp

Thanks for checking in and for the prayers. Keep them coming.

Serving Him <><,

Stephanie

Camp Pinnacle

Hey Everyone,
Dad and i made it safely to Camp Pinnacle about 3:30pm on Thursday. I'm having a blast (but i still miss everyone back home) God is already doing some amazing things in the lives of the staffers yet their is MUCH more to come. Please don't stop praying for us and for the girls that will be coming to camp shortly. It is beautiful up here and its already feeling like a mini family. I am working in the kitchen as Support Staff ( i'll post pictures of hairnets and gloves later). We are having a blast and learning lots about each other and about what God wants for us this summer.

Thank you all for the continued prayers i'll do a REAL update on Sunday when i have more free time. I'm off to bed...early morning.

Stephanie
*pictures to come soon*

Also, Write me...ask mom for the address if you do not have it.
&&& LEAVE COMMENTS ON HERE!!!

My Girls...

I’m leaving in a matter of days…off to Camp Pinnacle a camp I attended as a child and honestly can’t wait to be back up there! Camp Pinnacle is a place I will call home for 7 weeks of my summer vacation and I couldn’t be more excited. But as I get ready to leave there is one reason why I’m skeptical to go… You see I just finished reading this book called girlfriendship. It’s a book about friends and how much our friends really mean to us and the difference they make in our lives.

As I began thinking back to the past 2 years when I can truly say that my life with Christ has only gotten better and better, I have had the amazing opportunity to be a mentor to a dozen girls: Brandy Oglesby, Allison Dyches, Holly Nance, Kristine Aliff, Kim Shepard, Lauren Saxon, Tory Baxter, Sarah Fort, Amanda Duff, Emily Hendrix, Brittany Mensing and Destiny Mills.

Each of these girls has taught me so much about life, love, and happiness, I have learned that no matter what others may think about you that you always do what God commands of you…if I had not listened to Him I wouldn’t have had the opportunity to meet any of these girls.
Through mentoring these girls I’ve learned about many Family Problems, eating disorders, suicide, low-self esteem, unsaved souls, self mutilation, boyfriends, spiritual questions, alcohol, drugs, pregnancy, friendships, divorce, broken, bruised, confused, and burdened girls these are just some of the names that have been put into the lives of these girls but many of these girls have turned into the saved, my prayer warriors, sisters and above all friends.

Through the past 2 years one of my life verses has become 1 Timothy 4:12—Do not let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example to the believers in love, life, speech, faith and purity. Over the past 2 years I have been able to do just that as I have been able to share my journey with Christ the good, bad and ugly with these girls. Many of them have become more like my sisters than friends…and all of them have a special place in my heart. Each one of them has taught me something that I didn’t know or strengthened me in someway, form or fashion.

So to each of you girls know that your problems, concerns, triumphs and failures each problem that is important to you is important to me. God has blessed me with being able to be your friend in the troublesome and joyful times. Thank you for allowing me to be apart of your lives…I thank God for you!

Your Friend, Sister & mentor,
Stephanie

My Summer Job :)

These are some pictures of where I will be serving this summer! This is Camp Pinnacle, State Girls in Action (GA) camp. I attended Camp Pinnacle the summers following my 5th & 6th grade year. I LOVED it and look foward to seeing what God continues to do at a Camp like no other!

If you are reading this please take time and pray for the staff, the directors, and especially the campers who will be attending camp this summer. pray for open hearts to what our Savior will be doing! Check back here periodically this summer for updates & pictures!

One door closes the other opens..

This is what i said i was blogging about. Since i used your story in here i didn't want to post it anywhere until you had told me i could do so...let me know what you think.I'm graduating High School in 1 1/2 weeks. Last week as I was walking with a friend she suggested that we talk to 5 people about our hearts and about God in the next 5 days. I think it was just said and then we were both like ok yea, we are going to do this! Thus began this journey...First off, I don't think i've ever seen so many hurting people in the world they are EVERYWHERE!!! I don't think I ever really understood this until lately... My friend & I walked on Friday & Friday night when I was out with my parents I was talking to a friend from church, who had recently told me that she was not yet a believer, this was a wake up call to me. (We average any where from 100-130 teenagers on an average Wednesday night) I really felt God had allowed me to begin this conversation and friendship with her to show her the truth of His Word & that He really does love her, MUCH more than she will ever know! It has been an amazing journey of being able to talk with her and answer her questions and God just keeps showing me that He IS working in a hurting world. I KNOW what a BIG God I serve & He WILL prevail. She is getting so close to accepting Him and turning her life to follow Him. Its not an easy journey but its TOTALLY worth it. Please keep praying...God IS answering prayer.My second opportunity came not even 12 hours later as I was talking with another friend from church. I had asked about life as usual when I was told that she had been caught in an underage drinking 'party'. This made my heart sink as I know God has been at work in her life...or to me it seems He has. I didn't know what to think anymore yet I kept talking asking questions and just letting her know that yes she had made a mistake but that God wanted her to turn and flee from that mistake and ask for His forgiveness. Once again there was another hurting person God had placed in my path...One that the world says has it all yet she confused and mental and emotional tired of the names that the world has labeled her with. We talked about how we can't make these labels or reputations completely go away but that through HIS mercy & HIS grace we can change a reputation into a Testimony of His amazing Love & changing power!I could continue to list the opportunities they go on and on of the friends who are hurting because of family problems, Divorce, pregnancy, neglect, lonliness, confusion, fear, the unknown, the future, friends, depression, anxiety, eating disorders, self mutalation, low self-esteem, no one to care, no one to say I LOVE YOU, no one to say i'm here and i'm not going to leave you...The WORLD is full of hurting people yet, I know the one that heals the broken and the sick, give hope to the hopeless, is a father to the fatherless and give us a HOPE to get through any circumstance that comes our way. He tells us that He is the only one that really matters...He is THE forever friend..the one that never leaves the one that never disappoints and the one that always LOVES...for eternity.The past few weeks have been a spiritual low for me i'm not going to lie...but only in the sense that its VERY difficult to go through a world of hurting people..you pass them in your work place, in our schools, in public, in our churches, they are everywhere...their are hurting people searching for answers...searching for the ONE that will step in and save them from the chaios that they themselves can not handle nor control. YET how many of us truly know the ONE that brings this peace, Love, grace, mercy & forgiveness...how many of us pray regularly for our brothers and sisters in Christ being persecuted? Those in oppression? Those struggling? How many of us take the time to see the hurting all around us?I have decided to let God use my life, my gifts, and abilities that He has blessed me with to share the HOPE that MY SAVIOR gives in that FREE gift called Salvation.So I look foward to the journey that God has allowed me to have as a Child of Him. I LOVE Him soooooooo much & pray that the same will happen in others lives as they seek HIm & listen to His call.I really do believe we are fixing to see a revival break out among the unbelievers...our time is NOW...we are here for such a time as this!

Becoming the Crown Jewel Conference 2009

BCJ '09 was amazing as always. Becoming the Crown Jewel is a local girls conference that was begun with the desire to show girls that they belong to the King and that they are His Princess'. This was my third year attending the conference and it was such an amazing time as always! We study three topics during the weekend: Royalty, Purity & Loyalty. This year our main focus was on GRACE. Christ extends us Grace each day, we also talked about our salvation and the speakers focused on reminding us that being 99.9% sure that we were saved really wasn't enough. We needed to be 100% sure that we were truly saved. Throughout the entire amazing weekend the best part was finding out on Sunday morning that 6 girls...yes 6 girls were welcomed into the kingdom of Christ! Yes, we have 6 New Sisters in Christ!


Brandy, Emily & me

The Mojo Princess' (Stephanie, Stacy, Victoria & Sarah)

Brandy, Emily & Me (My little sisters)

New Orleans Mission Trip

Mission Trip to New Orleans...was AMAZING. A 13 hour ride there and home didn't phase us. We were there to serve God and help the people of the First Baptist Church of Chalmette, LA. We were able to continue the progress of so many that have come before us and it was AMAZING to see how many churches and groups had come for the common purpose of helping this church finish the structure so they could have a place to meet. Wednesday night we had the privledge of worshipping in their sanctuary for the first time since Hurrican Katrina hit. It was such an honor to be able to sit in that dusty,unfinished sanctuary and see the God being praised all around us! It was an experience i won't soon forget! While approx. 40 of our students were in New Orleans our other students were at church on Wednesday night. During the service back home our students prayed for us that were on this mission...1 hour later we had a student accept Christ on our mission trip! We came home with a New Brother in Christ!!!

We do serve an amazing God! He is deserving of all of our Honor, Praise & Glory!

Behind all of these people is the First Baptist Church of New Orleans. Two years before Hurricane Katrina hit this church located from downtown to the present location of this building. One day the architect came to the pastor and told the pastor that he had been praying and felt led ask the pastor to raise $20,000 more dollars to raise the foundation of the building, for if they raised the foundation and the damns ever broke then they church wouldn't flood. The church raised $20,000 more dollars and raised the foundation of the building. Two years later Hurricane Katrina hit and the First Baptist Church of New Orleans was the only structure that did not flood! They were able to house disaster relief, red cross, and other disaster crews. Had the church hadn't prayed & that church hadn't had the arcitect they would have had to go 20 miles out to find a structure that hadn't been flooded.

Katlynn, Me, Brandy & Lauren

My Group in New Orleans

The Family of Christ! :)

Some of my room (Macy, Brandy, Sarah, Me & Des)

Me & Brandy hanging tiles.

Easter 2009

Update: Heres the pictures i promised & what a bittersweet moment it was! The 6 of us && oh how i pray this picture continues to grow & grow:)

Gabby assisting in the baptism of her step-dad

Gabby assisting in the baptism of her mom

One year ago this is what was happening...

Easter Sunday 2008...my best friend & I had just gone intot he baptism pool with these 2 new sisters in Christ.
Me assisting in the baptism of Gabby Lory.

Lauren assisting in the baptism of Kiersten Close.

Tomorrow same time as one year ago, Gabby will be stepping back into that same baptism pool to assist in the baptism of her mom and step-dad.

What an awesome God we serve?!

"The Living Word" Drama....FYI I serve an AMAZING GOD!

Tonight was the first night of a drama produced by my best friend, it was performed by the youth drama team, childrens choir and adult choir. I just want to first and foremost say. I serve THE God of the universe b/c of WHO He is to me! He didn't have to but he chose to die upon a cross for me! So anyways. for months we have all been preparing for a night that we were praying would change out lives and the lives of others around us...So Sunday we stayed after church and worked from 12:30 til like 5:30 then we went out to eat! We had a blast while all along working for the kingdom of God! Mondays forcast said it was supposed to rain, theni t rained on Tuesday night then Wednesday morning...all the time we kep praying for the rains to stop so that we could put on our drama with little problems. So it was 80% chance of rain on Tuesday morning but Wednesday morning the chance dropped to 30% ... i did a dance in my kitchen b/c i was so happy! Anyways...So lets call that prayer answer number 1. We set up 197 chairs for people to sit in (we normally average around 120) and prayed that we would fill all of the chairs. We did &&& brought out all of the chairs that would fit...266 chairs!!! with approx. 275+ people there! Lets says that answered prayer number 2. We held an invitation time during the first song no one stood up i was just in shock about how you could see something like that and not be moved...we were praying for lives to be radically changed...so my best friend radioed and said stephanie i'm coming down...with me waling down one isle and her down the other we met at the front & met Jesus there. She poured out her heart...it wasn't jsut a drama to us. It was the real life that Christ went through for each of us. He did it for you and for me. It was AMAZING to sit at his feet tonight & know that He WAS there! Lets say that was answered prayer number 3!I'm sure their are so many answered prayers that i didn't even accnowledge & i pray that their were lives that i have yet to find out about...i pray that is the case! If ANYONE knows anyone of a decision that was made tonight. Please let us know! We want to rejoice with you. One last thing. Satan was there tonight...But GOD WILL REIGN FOREVER! A choir memeber relayed to me afteward that during the Hallelujah Chorus song the tape kep restarting itself (for those of you in music you know that doesn't just happen) he finally had to unplug the machine to get it to play. CHRIST WILL ALWAYS HAVE VICTORY OVER DEATH! NOTHING CAN STOP HIM! Thank you God. Thank you for being there tonight with us. Thank you for the sacrifce that you made. we would be nothing without you, we couldn't have done this drama without your provision and help. We give you ALL of the Honor, Praise and Glory from tonight. We praise your name! Thank you Lord.Amen

My Life Lately...

"Stephanie, hey are you saved?" "Yea." "Well you seem like it." Yep thats the converstaion that happened between me and a girl in my class today.
God. Thats the one word that describes my life. Hes what keeps me going and keeps me motivated to continue to do the work that Hes called me to do. Hes been teaching me a lot about His people and how the best way to reach them is to love them first and foremost. When we love and accept people they are more inclined to listen to what we have to say about our relationship with Christ. Brandon Heath's song Give me your eyes has become my prayer when it comes to being in the world without being of the world.
Looked down from a broken sky
Traced out by the city lights
My world from a mile high
Best seat in the house tonight
Touched down on the cold black top
Hold on for the sudden stop
Breath in the familiar shock
Of confusion and chaos
All those people going somewhere,
Why have I never cared?
Chorus:Give me your eyes for just one second
Give me your eyes so I can see
Everything that I keep missing
Give me your love for humanity
Give me your arms for the broken hearted
Ones that are far beyond my reach.
Give me your heart for the ones forgotten
Give me your eyes so I can seeYeahYeah
Step out on a busy streetS
ee a girl and our eyes meet
Does her best to smile at meTo hide what's underneath
There's a man just to her right
Black suit and a bright red tie
Too ashamed to tell his wife
He's out of workHe's buying time
All those people going somewhere
Why have I never cared?
ChorusI've Been there a million times
A couple of million eyesJ
ust moving past me by
I swear I never thought that I was wrong
Well I want a second glance
So give me a second chance
To see the way you see the people all along

This song has become my prayer that I would learn how to see people through the eyes of Christ. And honestly its working...when we choose to look through the eyes of Christ we see who they are not the mistakes that they've made.

A few weeks ago we had a special family with us refered to as The Hitch Family. What an inspirational family but whats most inspirational is that they don't want to be looked upon as the 'perfect' family they just want to be the gateway for some people to hear the message of Christ. I had the opportunity to visit and talk with this family while they were down and have had the privledge to pray for Mrs. Kathy and Sterling as they have been in Haiti this past week (and will be coming home late tomorrow night). I Never underestimate the power of prayer nor do I hold prayer lightly. I believe that Prayer CAN and DOES change things! When we take time to talk to God he does listen to us!

Prayer is the one place that you can say anything you want to our God. He is my Best Friend the one who knows all about me and for that i am thankful. At church lately I have had the opportunity to get to know and talk to people whom I normally would have no interactions with. A few weeks ago I was asked the question why I would choose to begin a friendship with someone. And honestly all i could say was that it was all God not on my own will could i ever choose to love and accept people the way that I can when he's prompting me and telling me too. Isaiah 6: 8 says, " Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, Whom shall I send, and who will go for us? Then said I, Here am I; send me." My passion in life is to go as He leads and calls and I'm so excited that He is there accepting me each day as I fail, picking me up, dusting me off and using me.

I'm so excited about the ways that God is using me and the ways that I am able to serve Him and to encourage others along the way. I LOVE to encourage others and pray for others I feel it is so important! Encouragement is what I feel like God has put me here for at this time and i'm excited about what He is calling me to do in the future. God is my life & my first love.

Any thoughts??? Share what God is doing in your life too! I'd love to hear about it!

'Singles Awareness Day' or 'Celebration of the gift of singleness'?

Tomorrow is Valentines Day or as many refer to it as 'Singles Awareness Day'
In 1 Timothy 4:12 it says, "Do not let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example to the believers in life, love, speech, faith and purity.
So my question is why does my generation think that it is so wrong to be single. Why must they always have a boyfriend or girlfriend. I believe that their is one man for me...hes out there i have no doubt. Gods promised me that. But i've committed that during these years that i'm single...i'm going to live my fullest for Him. When we are single we dont have a family or responsibilties that we will one day have when God puts pairs us with that special woman or man. My husband and i won't be able to pick up and do missions when we have a family without considering what is best for our family. During our single years we should set that example that is stated in Timothy...Timothy was a young man but he was an example to so many. We should desire to set the example to others...why do we sit on Valentines Day and feel sorry for ourselves. God has given us the gift, Yes, singleness is a gift from God...but like every gift we have a choice....we can choose to sulk through every Valentines Day feeling sorry for ourselves or we can Celebrate the gift that God has given us in singleness to use these years reaching others for his kingdom. We are at a special time in our lives that we are only blessed with for a little while. How will you choose to spend your single years? so this Valentines Day will you sulk about being single or will you embrace the gift from your Heavenly Father....

Lord,
Thank you for these single years. I pray for my future husband may he embrace his single years as a gift from you and use them for your glory. May you continue to bless these single years for me so that i can love others...so that one day when you bring my husband to me their are no regrets that my single years were used for your glory.
Amen

ANY THOUGHTS?

How would your church be described?

exciting, welcoming, awesome, growing, amazing, accepting, fun way to teach God, loving (like if someones in a crisis we all ull together to help them), family, awesome, driven...driven to stretch the bounds of traditions in order to reach more lost, amazing, striving...we are striving to be the body of Christ, awesome, craziness, caotic, growing, mission-minded, family, awesome!, community, caring, busy, my everthing, rockin, drama, drama central these are some words that youth and adults alike used to describe First Baptist Church of Springfield. 1 Corinthians 6:19--tells us that each indivisual believer is the temple of God. We are the church. So the questions should really be are we exciting, welcoming, awesome, amazing, accepting, drivne, family, craziness, growing, busy, caring, mission-minded, drama, community. Are we the things that we describe the church. WE ARE THE CHURCH. Hebrews 10:24-25 says, "Let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds. Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in hte habit of doing, but let us encourage one another" We are the body of Christ and should be striving to be what these people say the church is. When we walk the halls of our schools, work places, or even walmart people should be able to tell that we are different...can people tell we are growing in our realtionship, that we are caring, striving to make a difference, mission-minded, awesome, family, community? Can people tell these things. Someone asked me 'Stephanie so whats your word to describe our church? upon responding she said yea...but only some are. My challenge is that we ALL are!
Christ calls us to love others. How many of us have reached out to someone here at church whom we've never seen in church before? or told someone that it was good to see them? How many of us are so bold to proclaim the LOVE & HOPE of CHrist to our unsaved friends? I wonder if you ask your unsaved friends at school or work or even at walmart what would their answers be? would their answers be growing, awesome, welcoming, accepting, community, family, driven, striving, amazing, loving? or would their answers be unforgiving, condeming, hypocritical, 2-faced, judgmental, negative, or hurtful?
My prayer is that we realize whereever we may go whatever we may do that we will be the light of Christ...when people are asked about the church may they be able to say that we are what Christ is callingus to be...loving, accepting, forgiving, and actively sharing His Love & Hope with others around us.

We aren't perfect people but we do serve a Perfect God who wants to use us.

Breaking the Chains of today & releasing HOPE for tomorrow.

Second time in 2 weeks that i'm writing about what God is doing! So Wednesday night we had an open mic and music night. I have to be honest and say that i wanted the 'testimony' part to go a lot better but thats why i'm not in control & He is! He always knows what we need when we need it. So the 'testimony' part was finished and our bands got up to play for our closing & invitation part, we sang for like 30-40 minutes and before we knew it, it was 8:30 (church is supposed to let out at 8:00) God was moving in powerful ways. I'm so excited to be apart of a church where He is seen and recognized! It makes me excited to see people go to the alter with their friends, to see people join together not as the jocks or the band kids or whatever sterotype they make have been put under but to see them go to the alter and Brothers and Sisters in Christ, as ONE body of Christ. Unity. It was amazing to sit there (well stand there) and watch those 'stereotypes' be broken & friendships mended...that can only be a thing of God! Its an absotlutely amazing to see those chains being broken! I have gain so many more friends by breaking out for that sterotyping system and reaching out like Christ calls us to....I now have a LARGE variety of friends & each of them holds a different place in my heart. I have friends at the middle school (although i see these as my mentoring group), & i have friends at all areas of the high school & friends in college. God has blessed me tremendously by being able to befriend people around me. Its NOT easy but with his help & guidance i'm trying to be his hands and feet. Many times its challenging to get involved in other peoples lives like someone told me this past week...'Ministry is getting involved in the mess of people lives' but i just thank the Lord that we are able to share the HOPE with them. & i'm excited that i have a best friend, family & family in Christ who tries to do just that...share HOPE with people.

Prayer for the nations.

So bare with me as i begin to write this...i'm still trying to gather my thoughts from what God has done in the past hour.

God has been doing incredible things not only in the youth group but in the childrens ministries, adults ministries, family ministries and senior adult ministries hes being seen in the Pregnancy Care Center, God's Mission House and ALL of Gods ministries. Hes definitly in them! So this past sunday night when student leaders met we felt led that we needed to have an invitation instead of going to small groups directly after. WOW guys. i would never have guessed what would come out of it! One of the leaders told me that she had been praying for a revival tonight. WOW! God DOES DOES DOES answer prayer...as i stood a circle of my brothers and sisters in Christ and prayed with those weeping around me, i couldn't help but cry. But my tears were tears of joy to a God sitting in heaven who is living! Hes not a god but hes my GOD, my Savior, He is LIVING and alive.
Some of you may be wandering why a revival...this all sparked from our message serise "One Month to Live" we talked the past 5 weeks about the if we had one month to live...how would our motives change? how would we respond to family? friend? classmates? would we be different or would we stay the same? The past two weeks we talked about our legacy. Would our legacy be left that we had begun a journey with Christ and was living our fullest for Him or would our legacy be that we got drunk or partied on the weekends? Our legacy is what we choose it. God chooses to give us freedom of choice but we must choose to choose Him to be our Savior...to live for HIM...to fulfill our legacy that he has chosen for us!
Tonight is a turning point for me at least. I've begun my legacy of Christ but i've got to be more consistant in my daily quiet time with Him...I want people to look at me when i die and KNOW that i walked with Christ. I want them to see it at school, home, in that club & at church. Wherever i go whatever i do may it all be for the glory of God, My Savior, My King!

To my church friends: Thank you. Thank you for allowing God to use us! Thank you for crying with me as we thank the Lord for answered prayers. He IS in control. He is alive and He is WORKING!
To my God: thank you for listening, Thank you for hearing our hearts cry & thank you for my salvation for sending your Son for me! I love you.

Ok guys thats all i have. Please share your stories of what God did in your life tonight!

My Life in Pictures

Easter Sunday 2009. Assisted in Baptizing a girl whom we led tot he Lord.

Becoming the Crown Jewel 2008

Middle School Girls Banquet 2008

Me, Mrs. Molly & Ella (Down Syndrome Walk)

Leukemia & Lymphoma Society Light the Night Walk. (Effingham County for a CURE)

My VBS Group (5&6 grade girls) 2008

Missions (Alaska, July 2008)

These are my little sisters at heart.

Small Group

Heres the Story of how The Middle School Girls Small Group came to be:

During the Summer of 2007 I participated on a mission trip to Helen, GA with my youth group. We partnered with Georgia Mountain Resort ministries for one week. While in Helen we held day camps for kids in the mornings, service learning projects in the afternoons and dramas in the evenings. My best friend and I by the worlds standards shouldn’t be best friends but God has much different plans. We are best friends. We arrived in Helen very late on a Sunday and we had to be up and ready bright and early the next day to begin our week long day camps. We were split up by teams. Before we left the ‘main’ house we were told by the youth minister intern to make sure that we took care of our differences with each other before we began ministry tomorrow because if we did not we wouldn’t be an effective witness for Christ until the differences were settled between us. Upon jumping in the van to head to our house one of the girls immediately said we all needed to talk. We arrived at our house around 11:30 and settled into our rooms. My best friend and I roomed in the basement of our house with two girls who had just completed 7th grade at the time. We had no clue what God would do that week. Every night we went to bed late and woke up early. We talked and talked about everything life was handing us, we talked about the struggles and the triumphs. Little did we know what God was doing in our hearts. We felt a calling that week, my best friend and I, to do something. Upon arriving back in Springfield, GA we immediately talked with our senior pastor. We told him of what God was calling us to do and be apart of. We were supported and a few short weeks later on August 27, 2007 we began one of the dearest things to my heart, The Middle School Girls Small Group. This group was begun out of a heartfelt desire to teach girls younger than us to stand strong in a world where it is so difficult to stand. We wanted these girls to be taught the truth from Gods word. We were fully supported and on our first night we had 13 girls in attendance! We were blown away at how God was using us. We were only juniors in high school…How could he use us??? Over the next few months we learned more and more about how mighty and wondrous our God really is. On September 11, 2007 we met at Veterans Park in Springfield, GA we talked about family that night. We took rocks and wrote our sins against our family on them and then tossed them into the lake. One girl got saved that night. One more sister in Christ. One more won for His kingdom and saved forever from the pits of Hell. Over the course of the next few months many girls came because someone had simply told them about small groups. One night the girl that got saved on September 11, 2007 asked a girl in her Literature class if she was coming to small group. She didn’t know what small group was and after a little explanation she showed up that night at small group! She also gave her life to Christ and turned her life around and began coming to church. Exactly one week later her best friend came to small group (without the girl) and towards the end of our lesson looked to us and said I want what my best friend received last night! We called every pastor at our church that night! We were too excited that these girls were getting it and that we were being used in such ways we had never dreamed of! In 2008 as our first year of small group drew to a close we decided to have a special ceremony for them. We had recently been through the True Love Waits study and had 12 girls make professions to remain pure , in all ways –1 Timothy 4:12 Do not let anyone look down on your because you are young, but set an example to the believers in life, love, speech, faith and purity --- til marriage. So we decided to give them all TLW rings. On banquet night we stood back in awe of what God did the past year. We had 5 girls come to know Christ as their personal Lord and Savior, got to see 5 girls baptized and on Easter Sunday 2008 assisted our youth pastor in the baptism of two girls we led to Christ! God was so good…he did many incredible things the past year...As the summer of 2008 quickly came to a close we had a decision to make. Do we continue this ministry? Or do we give it up? We decided that God was calling us to continue this ministry. So year 2 of The Middle School Girls Small Group began in September of 2008. We are very excited to see these girls growing, asking questions and inviting their friends! We are in the process of praying for two girls to step up and overtake the small group when we head to college in the fall. God willing this ministry will continue for many years to come and will be led and guided by high school girls who have a calling to reach those a few years younger than them! But the ministry never ends as Christ has prepared us to love others we are impacting and preparing others to also love. A couple weeks ago Lauren and I had the opportunity to host a ‘Welcome back 9th grade sleepover’ we just wanted to let our 9th graders know we still love them and wanted to know how they were doing. So we had 6 girls show up and had a blast. Complete with a ‘slew of mystery guest’ (of course they were other youth who wanted to be in on our fun!). We had so much fun with them and miss them since they are now at the high school with us. So to Brandy, Kyndle, Holly, Nicole, Felicia and Kiersten. We care about you and are so glad that God has allowed us to help each of you grow and become our sisters in Christ who are actively reaching out to your friends in the name of Christ! Our prayer is that you always remember where you’ve been and how Amazing the Grace is that God has blessed us with. We love you guys!