Okay, so I think that all of you probably know this already but I was accepted into YWAM's PhotogenX DTS for next April. I feel very excited and blessed that God has shown me what is next in my life. Right now I would ask you to join with me and others in prayer concerning whether to raise support for this trip. I don't know if it's God's will that I pay for all of it, the first three months of training and raise support for the outreach part, or raise support for all of it? This is the question of the hour.

Oh, thanks for all those who prayed for my quad because it is fine now. Sometimes I can still feel it just a little but it's so much better and I can run again without medication :) I'm looking forward to the race which is in a little more than 2 weeks!

This summer has been very different for me with being the one in my family who has stayed home while my family has traveled and with working. I still really really enjoy my job and know it was God who gave it to me. I have met lots of new wonderful people this year and made so many new friends!

The newest thing in my life right now is that I and some others have started an international student outreach at COE college here in CR. This is something that God has laid on all our hearts and it's been neat to see how He's brought us together. We are going to try and have an international food night for the students every month. If you are interested in meeting some foreign students and reaching out to them with the love of Christ let me know. The next meeting at the end of this month is most likely going to be at our house if you would like to come. Maybe you'll really hit it off with one or two of the students and you can have them over sometime. You never know what God has in-store!

Thanks for taking the time to read this and for your prayer!! God bless!

My Freedom

I think that I am one of the most dense people. I'm learning once again that I can't do it without God. I haven't been making Him a priority in my life recently and taking time with Him and I can see the results of it in my daily life and myself.

This song is so wonderful and I think that it sort of fits how I'm feeling at this point in time. God is the only true freedom in my life; everything else just takes and steals in the end!

I have a plan for you...

Okay, so over the past few weeks the Lord has really done a lot! Those of you who I have talked to or who have FB know that God has graciously answered 2 huge prayers that have been long in coming :) Anyway, the big news for you who don't yet know is that I'm applying for Youth With A Missions Discipleship School for next spring. I'm pretty much sure I will be accepted. (I'm not trying to sound arrogant I just feel like God has told me that this is what I'm suppose to do and to not doubt; and given me many signs of encouragement.) It's YWAM photography DTS and so they teach you how to use photography for missions! I really excited!!!

So next April I will be on my way to Hawaii for three months and then to another unknown country for 2 to 3 months :) I'm not complaining about the HI part. LOL I've wanted to go to HI for years and I think it's going to be great and warm! Oh I plan on being able to check one thing off my "To Do Before I Die" list; surfing!

Thanks to all of you who have prayed over the years for God to guide me to what He wants for my life. I'm excited because this is just one more time He has been faithful and let me have light for one more step. I'm also excited because who knows what the future holds. One thing I really like about YWAM is that after you go through the DTS I get the impression that it's pretty easy to get plugged into their ministry. Also, I would have the option to do their 2 year photography program where you travel around the world. Who knows what's in store. I will just obey as He leads one step at a time :)

Life has been different for me the last 2 months because of now having a job. I really like meeting new people and getting to know the members and my coworkers; oh and the pay checks :) It isn't always wonderful and my time is definitely more limited but I like it for the most part and I know this job is from God!

I have a small prayer request for anyone who thinks of it. I need to start training for my half marathon again but my leg is still hurting. (I stretched my muscle in my quad a while back.) Of course I really haven't been taking care of it except for not exercising. Anyway, I'm going to try and start running again this coming week and I would just like pray that God heals me. Thanks!

Congrats!

I just wanted to say a big CONGRATULATIONS to my brother and all his wonderful friends for graduating as the class of 2009!!!! You all did a great job and are wonderful young men. Seek God first the rest of your lives! I'm so proud of you all!!!

Here's a pic of of all the our brothers with their older sisters :)

(L to R) Henry and Evelyn Lang, Mark and Ally Maloney, Shelby and Caitlyn Hofmaster, Andrew and I, Josiah Ertz and Elyssa McDowell

This post is sort of two thoughts in one. 

After talking to a friend recently and telling them that I'm thinking about going to a DTS next spring he ask me why I'm not just going to the missions field now. We ended up discussing the "reasons" why we aren't "going" right now and other things concerning missions. Anyway, this and other things provoked the following thought that I shared on FB but I decided to share here as well:

God, show us when to go and where to go. Our desire is to serve You in other nations among people who have never heard the name of Your Son; yet we are so weak and easily distracted from what really matters in this life. We are so easily satisfied with the lame things our lives have to offer. Make our hearts burn within us with the passion You have for the lost so we are not able to rest until we have followed You!

Hey

Sorry to those of you who have facebook as well because I'm going to probably be posting a lot of the same things or ideas on both.

 I made a deal with a certain party that I would start posting again if they stopped nagging me about something. :) So true to my word, I'm posting again. By the way, thank you to all who left comments on my blog. That was a pleasant surprise and it was very gratifying! 

This post really isn't about much at all. I just thought that I would share a pic that I recently took with a new lens. It's a macro lens so it captures fine up close detail. The worlds of canon and cheerio collided yesterday. Eat more cheerios!! (Especially if you have high cholesterol supposedly :)