Thankfulness in Pictures

As Americans, we have so much to be thankful for.  We sometimes feel like we have it hard, but compared to people in other countries, we have it made.  I have had a great 2010 and have so much to be thankful for...so on the eve of Thanksgiving, here are some things (people) I am thankful for (and in no particular order).

my sweet mom who is always there for me and will do anything in her power to make my life better

My cousins - Lori and Jennifer (Nin), who are not only family, but great friends!

Jason and Jamie Durant - Jason has been my guy friend I go to for advice and who calls me out when I need it and I gained another great friend when he married Jamie!  So excited that they will be parents in 2011.

My best girlfriends of the past 10-13 years!  Mandy, April, Stephanie, and Brownie.
We laugh together, we cry together and we do life together.  They are not only my friends, but my sisters.

Ms. Gail and Tami - I am so thankful that I get to work with these two.
So much wisdom comes from them and I am a better person because of them in my life.

Aunt Judy and Uncle Murl - they have watched me grow up and have always been there for me

The Handley siblings!  Love my aunt and uncles and their families. 

My siblings!  Gosh I cannot imagine life without them.
So lucky to have my sisters and my brother (in law).
We laugh, fight and cry together!
Love love love them!

My dad and Kay - always there, always providing, and always loving!
So thankful for another year with them!

Michael Mayfield
Excited about how the Lord has brought us together the past year and thankful that he is in my life

My best friends - Karen and Cindy
Love love these girls and the fun we have.
Great listeners, great advice givers and great accountability partners!

My precious girls - Caitlyn, Kelsey, Haley and Hannah.
I have watched them grow up into beautiful, Godly young women.
So thankful for our monthly Bible study.

My trip to South Africa
Life Changing!

My SA team - Joey, Scott L, Mike and Scott D
Loved experiencing SA with them !

My favorite SA moment - seeing this young man's life changed when he accepted Christ in his life.
A moment I will never forget.

My sweet Ella - oh how I love this one.  She is so full of life and bring smiles to my face.

My little bud Brandon, gosh I cannot believe how big is he.
So proud of him and the little guy he is growing up to be,  Can't imagine life without him.

Kim and Kasey (pictured with Tami)
Two more women I have the privilege to work with.
Love how we get to do life together on a daily basis.

These only touch the surface...there are so many moments, people and things I am thankful for.  I could go on and on...but will leave it at this.  This Thanksgiving, take time to reflect on what the Lord has done in your life - the good times and the hard times - as we are commanded to be thankful for ALL things!  Happy Thanksgiving!

30 days and counting...

I realized last night that I am a month away from leaving for Africa. CRAZY!!  I have so much to do before I go (get shots, go buy adapters for my lap top, hair dryer, shop for clothes, buy books for the long flight, etc).  But the most important thing I have to do is get myself spiritually prepared for my journey.  I have a ton going on in the next month and I do not want to be so super busy with stuff that I forget the main reason why I am going - to see the lost come to know HIM.

I am going to post the names of the people I will be working with.  Join me in praying for them will you?

Together let our goal be to reflect the challenge Paul sent the followers of Christ in Ephesus that "under His direction, the whole body is fitted together perfectly.  As each part does it's own special work, it helps the other parts grow, so that the whole body is healthy and growing and full of love.  You can see our specific prayers for Him to perfectly fit us together below in red...

• Wernich Swart - Chair - That the Lord will use your leadership to guide this team the way He wants us to go.  
• Lunga Dlungwana - AE Setup - As you travel back and forth from Pietermaritzburg guide the AE preparation...and upcoming college ministry
• Roy Moonsamy - AE Setup - As you work with the AE Set up
• Cathi Crooks - Admin/Clerical - As you glue the administrative work together for the entire team
• Fiki Ntshangase Barberton - Fraternal - as you motivate the Fraternal to work on this Kingdom project together as one
• Hans Roos - Evangelism - As you prepare for the evangelism to take place....this is the Good News!!!
• Jackson Mokoena - Prayer - As you prepare the spiritual foundation of this outreach
• Koos Kriel - Training - As you help this outreach have spiritual depth
• Ronas Marule - Schools - As you help us reach the next generation
• Simon Hlebelo - Publicity/Visitation - As you help us get the word out about the Mission and have people want to attend the event with their friends
• Sonia Oosthuger - Schools - As you also help reach the next generation
• Thinus Taute-  Finance - As you help raise the necessary funds for the Mission during times that seem economically challenging....Where the Lord provides "vision" He provides "provision".
• Xolani Luthuli - AE Setup - As you also help the AE Team accomplish all that needs to be done.

• Scott Dawson - Evangelist and Lead speaker along side Stephen Lungu
• Scott Lenning - Evangelism Director & Co-Director of Mission Africa with Songe Chibambo
• Joey Hill - Evangelist and Youth Speaker
• Mike Greer - Production Coordinator
• Gina Handley - Administrator

Proverbs 16:3 "Commit your work to the Lord then your plans will succeed.    

I'm going to Africa!!

I've never really publicized my blog till now - so if you came over from Facebook or Twitter, Hi, welcome to my blog!  I really just post random things on here and am sporadic, so become a follower and you will see when I update.  The reason I publicized my blog today is because...  

I am going to Africa!!!  South Africa to be exact!

I have the opportunity to go to Nelspruit, South Africa in August.  I am very excited that God has opened this door for me to go.  My boss, Scott Lenning, is the Co-Director of the outreach, Mission Africa, for over 2 years now and our ministry will be taking part.  We will be gone for 2 weeks in August.  I will be helping organize the 25 meetings that will be going on while we are there.  

Here is a little background...

Mission Africa will be conducted in fellowship with Cape Town 2010: the Third Lausanne Congress on World Evangelization.  The Mission Committee, giving leadership to Mission Africa, will strive to serve the church in Africa in its work of evangelism, by helping to partner international evangelists and African evangelists, theologians and others, and to facilitate the conducting of ministry opportunities in centers that extend an invitation.

They will be conducting different evangelistic meetings in these provinces of Africa.  These meetings began last week and will continue through October.  Different international evangelists will be speaking.  From SDEA, Scott Dawson, Joey Hill and Scott Lenning will be speaking and Mike Greer and myself will be going to be the organizational team.  We will be in Nelspruit, South Africa.

 

You can see lots more info on the website

If all goes well a.k.a I have internet service, I will be posting updates and photos while I am there.  Be praying now for the leadership of Mission Africa, the evangelists and most of all the people who will hear the Word of our Lord!

53 days!!

Discipleship...

Tonight I begin a new adventure. An adventure that I hope will change my life. I am beginning a discipleship group. I am not leading the group (for the first time in a long time), I am a member of the group. I am really excited about this year commitment to the group. I am excited about sitting under the leader, Linda. Since I have been attending GFBC she has made a huge impression on me. She is a Godly woman and I am excited about learning under her.

I think this will stretch me and challenge me in a huge way.  I find it so easy to be complacent and comfortable in my walk with Christ.  I mean after all, I work for a ministry, I have it all together, blah, blah, blah...such a horrible and embarrassing excuse that we tell ourselves - we all tell ourselves these things in some form or another!  Well, I am tired of letting Satan say that to me.  So, I am going to do something to change that...

We will meet once a month and have lots of "homework" and other disciplines in our life.  Here is a preview of what we are going to do (I will find out what the rest of the year looks like tonight)...  
I.  Testimony
Be prepared to share your testimony.  You will have 5 minutes to share. Write it out and condense it.  Then write it out again... remember.. 5 minutes.  You are not sharing your story... you are sharing your testimony. EVERYONE will share... we will do this almost every time.   II. Read
Read Genesis 1-3
JOURNAL your thoughts and revelations.  You will bring your journal each time with you to refer back to.  ( I will never look at your journal.)
Ask yourself key questions while you read.  Where is the Lord? What is He doing? What is He saying about Himself, His character? What is He saying about you?  Don't skim over the verses.  Really read and listen.
READ... a good book. Less TV, more reading.  It keeps your mind sharp. Romance novels do not count... LOL III. Memorize
Isaiah 45:9-10, Eph 2:10, Gal 2:20 IV.Time
Assess your time and how you use it. Write it down... How much time do you spend in front of the TV, hanging out, working, computer, etc.  (Don't worry... I am not going to be telling you that you should walk around w/the Bible in your hand and never go to the movies... I just want you to have an idea of what you spend your time on and who you spend your time with..) You won't have to tell me, but this will be helpful to know when we get into learning spiritual disciplines. 


We will be going through different books of the Bible throughout the year and memorize different scripture each month.  


Looks like lots of intense stuff huh? At first glance, these seem like simple disciplines, but do we as Believers really put these into practice? So, this is what I will be doing the next year...want to join me?  Lets go deeper together and get disciplined!

Random Thoughts....

• So, I a trying to be better at blogging. I have just let this thing be on auto pilot and I need to get better or just shut her down...
• I have had a lot of changes in my life in the past 9 months.  I like the changes a lot.  I left my church that I had attended for 9 years.  I loved that church and the people a lot - I mean if I hadn't - I wouldn't have invested 9 years of my life there.  But, I knew the Lord was calling me to move on.  So, I joined Gardendale FBC - I love it a lot.  It was just what I needed.  I have made so many new friends who I love so much and I most importantly, I have grown in my relationship with Christ.  The Lord has really put some Godly people in my life - I love love love it!
• I am starting a new discipleship group next month.  Its going to be pretty intense, which is just what I need.  Its a year commitment, meet once a month with lots of homework.  I am very excited to be stretched.
• I am also in my second semester of Women's Bible Study.  Last semester we did the Old Testament and this semester we are doing the New Testament.  I love my leader and my table!
• I am ready for summer - I love the fall and Christmas - but since that is over - I am over all of this cold weather.  If it isn't going to snow here - I am ready for my flip flops and a lower power bill.
• We have been interviewing potential summer interns for the past couple of weeks.  We interviewed one guy today via Skype and he had on a suit and tie - how cute is that!
• My niece will be 3 this month...that's so crazy!  She is so cute, yet so mischievous.  I think instead of terrible 2's, its the terrible 3's.
• I've been watching the Bachelor all season.  I am pulling for Tenley now that Ali is gone.  I hope Ali comes back - because I do not think Tenley is ready for remarriage.  Why do I love that show?  Its such a train wreck!
• I need to blog about the newest music I have been listening to.  I might do that later this week or next.
• I also need to do a Movie Review Monday for Dear John  what do you think my review will be?

Happy Wednesday! :)

Cardboard Testimonies...

I saw this today for the first time...wow!