The Big End of Summer Update!

I can't believe that summer is just about over. The kids go back to school on Monday. My baby boy starts Middle School...sniffle, sniffle! Marissa got re-zoned to a brand new public elementary school where she has to wear a uniform. She's not happy about losing her freedom of fashion!

After much prayer I've decided to stop talking so much and actually do something about my desire to stop human trafficking. On Sept. 20th I have my first Master's level counseling class. I'm going to Liberty University Online. I decided that it's finally time to start taking steps toward my ultimate goal of becoming a licensed counselor in an aftercare facility for rescued girls. My dream is to work for an organization that rescues girls from the sex trade industry. I want to be part of the healing and restoration process in their lives. It's going to take a while, but you've got to start somewhere, right?

Verve is going really well. We're advertising like crazy this Fall; please pray. I often feel like I live on a mission field (like in a foreign country). People are so skeptical and so uncommitted to attending church on a regular basis. It's amazing how many people come to Verve and love it but don't have any intention of attending regularly. I talked to one guy who said, "I love Verve. I'm not really a go-to-church-kind-of-guy, but if I did go I'd go to Verve." It kind of reminds me of the Christmas/Easter Catholics I grew up with.

A hard-core atheist named Warren told us that he came to our first service with every intention of destroying it. His plan was to create a scene during the service. He said that he wanted to stop us from starting a new church and that he hated us. After the service he realized that he forgot to create a scene because he was so entertained. He got baptized last week. It was one of the coolest baptisms I've ever witnessed! We've baptized 23 people since we started 23 weeks ago (has it really been that long?)! The life change that is taking place is such a good reminder of why we're here. It makes all the sacrifice, depression and sorrow of moving to Las Vegas worth it!

I still have no update on my health. All the tests have come back normal. I have a few more doctors to see before they release me. Unless they can find something, they are diagnosing me with panic attacks. This doesn't make me happy! The good news is that I haven't fainted since Father's Day weekend! Thanks for praying for me.

Vince is hosting a church planting event in October called Vault. Click here for more information. We'd love to have you and your husband hang out with us in Vegas!

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Who Do You Want to Be?

I almost peed my pants in hysterics! We were at the strip club on Saturday night and this little Christian lady named Linda starts hugging a super tall stripper in stiletto heels. Here's the funny part...the stripper didn't have a shirt on...of any kind. They kept hugging over and over. I had to look away because I was laughing so hard at the sight of it! At that moment I thought, "I want to be like Linda when I get older." Not because I want to be in a similar physical situation as her, but because I want to have a heart like hers.

The strip club ministry I'm a part of is made up mostly of older women. They give their hearts and souls to these strippers; they love them unconditionally. They are the sweetest bunch of women I've ever been around. If you look at them you would never guess that they spend time at a strip club; you'd be shocked to know that they hug topless strippers.

What kind of person do you want to be in ten, twenty or thirty years? I'm sure those women never dreamed that they'd be involved in a ministry to strippers. There is something about their hearts, though, that makes them give unabashedly to a ministry that most would frown upon.

I don't know about you, but I want to be someone who loves the unlovable, who serves without limits, and who goes beyond my comfort zone to show the love of Jesus.

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Ruth

I'm doing Kelly Minter's new Bible Study on Ruth. So far it's amazing! It wouldn't be a study that I would normally pick up, but thanks to my friend Nikki, I did. I can relate so much to Ruth and Naomi; it's really helping me. This whole move to Vegas has been bittersweet. On one hand it's been amazing and I am really grateful to God for allowing us to do this. On the other hand I feel like a missionary, far from home.

One of the lessons in the study talks about 'weeping forward'. Naomi and her daughter-in-laws are on the road back to Bethlehem. Along the way Naomi tries to talk both the girls into leaving her and returning to their homes. It's a huge bawl-fest; everyone is in tears. Orpah decides to go home and Ruth insists on staying with Naomi. Both girls wept, but they wept in different directions. Orpah wept going backwards (back to Moab) and Ruth wept going forward (to Bethlehem). Kelly says, "Although there will be weeping in this life, the direction in which we weep is what truly matters."

She goes on to compare Paul's weepy farewell to his friends in Ephesus (Acts 20:22, 36-38) to the parable of the rich young man (Mark 10:17-22). "The apostle Paul wept but didn't allow his grief to stop his forward motion while the rich young man walked away from Christ with great sadness. It's difficult to point a finger at Orpah or the rich young ruler because we too may have turned back in the face of loss or adversity. But how great the honor and reward of Ruth and Paul who, in their tears, kept walking forward."

When I left Virginia Beach I left weeping...forward. But there are days when, if I'm honest, I weep backward. I long for the 'old days' and forget what the days ahead will bring. I forget the amazing work that God is doing and will continue to do here.

So how about you? If you're honest, which way are you weeping? One of the things that helps me is journaling and putting it all out there for God; every thought, frustration, disappointment and tear. Kelly ends the lesson by saying, "God sees your tears. Cry them, wipe them, feel them, but don't let them stop you. It's possible to cry and walk."

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A Busy Summer!

The kids finally finished school a few weeks ago. Thankfully we are done with year-round school schedules for good! The city has transitioned all year-round schools to traditional schedules.

We spent last week outside Sacramento at a camp for Mien (a people group that lives mainly in Southeast Asia, but also in the US and Canada) teenagers. We "adopted" the Mien when we were part of Forefront and have continued our commitment to them at Verve. Vince was the main speaker; it was a blast. The best part was that Dawson got baptized! After much thought, prayer and lots of good questions he decided to get baptized with 29 Mien kids on Friday.

I still haven't received any test results. I have an appointment in the middle of August; I'm still having issues and can't drive...ugh!

If you've been reading my blog, you know that I have a passion for human trafficking. I felt sure that God was leading me to get my Master's Degree in Counseling or Social Work. Some things happened that made me think that maybe He wasn't leading me in this direction, so I kind of gave up on it. Well, God has made it pretty clear that this is what I'm supposed to do after all.

I'm in the very beginning stages of checking out schools (I'm hoping to get my degree online), requirements, tuition, etc. Do you know of any scholarships for moms going back to college, and/or pastor's wives, and/or anything?! Also, I'm looking at Regent or Liberty right now. Any thoughts on either of those, or an online program that I'm not thinking of? Thanks!

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Priorities

I'm sitting here with my head glued to electrodes, wrapped in gauze, with a million wires hanging off my body into a fanny pack. I am looking so hot right now!

This is my last medical test, a 24-hour EEG. I'm sure the results will be normal and then I'll be stuck not driving forever! Ugh! I'm still fainting/dizzy, etc. and hopelessness has set in.

All this mess started Easter weekend. I can see God working and moving through it all, so I know it's not in vain. It's just frustrating. I've made some serious changes in my life as a result of all this.

I needed to re-prioritize my life. I knew what I should have been doing, but I didn't do it. My relationship with God was no longer my main priority. Quality time with my kids was becoming less frequent, I was working too many jobs and too often, my dates with Vince weren't consistent, etc.

Everything changed when I ended up in the hospital. God got a hold of me and I've made the changes I needed to. I'm not perfect, but I'm much better. Thanks for praying for me.

I want to make sure it doesn't happen again. I'm not naive enough to think that I won't make the same mistakes again. I am by nature a hard working, people-pleaser which can be a recipe for overcommitment and burn out.

Everyday we have a bunch of decisions to make. Some are bigger than others. The small decisions can have just as big of an affect on our lives as the big ones. If I say "Yes" to having coffee with someone, then I'm saying "No" to playing outside with my kids. If I say "Yes" to working overtime then I'm saying "No" to something else. The hard thing in ministry is that so much of what we say "Yes" to is good. Of course having coffee with someone is a good thing. The issue, I think, is balance. It's keeping yourself in check and constantly taking inventory of your life. It's figuring out what your priorities are and making decisions based on those priorities.

The hard thing is actually doing it. It's one thing to know all this, but to actually live it out is a different story. Do you have any practical suggestions? If so, please leave a comment for all of us. This is something that all of struggle with with; we need each other.

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Summer Update!

So far all my tests have come back normal, which is good, but annoying. It just means more episodes, no driving and total aggravation for a lot longer! I have one more test to go and I have no idea what's next. I'll keep you posted!

Other than my health, things are really good. The kids are still in school because they go to a year-round school. Summer break doesn't come until the middle of July. We've got a mission trip and a trip to see family scheduled. Next week the kids and I are headed to the mountains to go hiking with my sister and her family. I finally get to meet my new niece!

Our friends are driving their RV across the country and arrive tomorrow! I can't believe we've lived in Las Vegas for just about 18 months.

It's been so cool to see people's lives changed by Jesus at Verve. I had coffee with a girl and she said, "I can't believe that I got baptized. Three months ago I never would have imagined that I would be getting baptized, let alone going to church." She came to Verve on a whim and never meant to stick around! At one point she asked, "Does this mean that I'm a Born Again Christian?" She was quite surprised that she was "one of those." We laughed hysterically!

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Update!

13 people got baptized on Sunday at Verve. It was so awesome and encouraging to see people give their lives to God! It made me feel like everything we've been through has been worth it! I was singing in church a couple weeks ago and was filled with this sense of peace and "heard" God say, "None of these people would be worshipping me right now if you hadn't moved here!" Some eternal perspective never hurt!

I'm still doing the same health-wise. I wore my heart monitor for 30 days and am waiting on the results. My MRI was normal. I have an EEG scheduled at the end of the month. Hopefully they will find something wrong with me! The unknown is driving me crazy.

We're headed to California this weekend. Vince is speaking at Real Life Church on Sunday. Dawson's 5th grade trip to Disneyland (fully paid for by the school...crazy) is on Saturday. We're picking him up early and the boys are going to a Dodger's game on Saturday night. On Monday we're headed to Six Flags Magic Mountain (care of the super generous Real Life Church). I know that I'm getting old because I have to take Dramamine before going on any rides. How pathetic is that?!?!

My family came into town last week to celebrate my brother's 30th birthday. What a baby! We went to the Valley of Fire with my parents. It was so beautiful. One of the advantages of living in Las Vegas is all the amazing places there are to visit. (Look at me, I'm actually telling you positive things about Las Vegas. I've come a long way, haven't I? Ha!)

Thank you so much for all of your support and prayers for me during this really challenging time. I appreciate you so much!

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