20GetRight10 was my motto for this past year. It was this fun thing my friends came up with. 20insertwhateveryouwant10. Who knows why but we thought it was great and everyone had a motto. Here are a few...
-20Honest10
-20BelieveWithin10
-20MakeAChoice10
-20Educa10
-20Perspective10
I had some majors ups and some pretty low low's but overall it was a pretty successful year. I have some things I wish I could have taken back but you can't so I just pray God uses those things to draw me closer to him.
What I realized with my 20GetRight10 is that this is a forever thing. I am always going to strive to get right and become a better Christian, daughter, friend, co-worker and on and on. It seems really exhausting when I put it like that but I also know I won't be alone. This year as I have been striving to do better and falling flat on my face the Lord has been with me every step of the way. He has been there to pick me up and sometimes carry me. I am so thankful for what the Lord has done in my life and I think next year is going to be even better!
Monday, December 27, 2010
Tuesday, October 26, 2010
Thursday, October 14, 2010
James 1: 2-4
“Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.”
Tuesday, October 12, 2010
James 1:27
Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world. James 1:27
Great article about caring for orphans and having a heart for God.
http://www.relevantmagazine.com/loss-of-innocents/blogs/22930-caring-for-orphaned-hearts
Great article about caring for orphans and having a heart for God.
http://www.relevantmagazine.com/loss-of-innocents/blogs/22930-caring-for-orphaned-hearts
Friday, October 8, 2010
Emails
I love emails especially from my 4 year old nephew and my 3 year old niece! Below are the emails I received yesterday!
I want to pineapple. Um, pumpkin. Lights. Pineapple again.
Aubrey
If you knew Aubrey this sounds just like her! She is so funny and random just like her aunt Ashley!
Morgan's makes a little bit more sense!!
We're going to strawberries at school today. In the garden - well done. We love ya, boy. Go to the hut. Go to basketball then to my house so you see the wonderful toys. And you can watch Mickey Mouse Road Rally with me whenever you want to, man. You are gonna have pumpkins at the school. If you're at school you can see Halloween. There's ghosts and bats and a very good pumpkin. We made pumpkins, but I didn't.
Bye-bye. You are cool or you're beautiful I know. So see ya later Mr. Potatohead.
morgan
I just had to share those because they were so cute and made my day!
I want to pineapple. Um, pumpkin. Lights. Pineapple again.
Aubrey
If you knew Aubrey this sounds just like her! She is so funny and random just like her aunt Ashley!
Morgan's makes a little bit more sense!!
We're going to strawberries at school today. In the garden - well done. We love ya, boy. Go to the hut. Go to basketball then to my house so you see the wonderful toys. And you can watch Mickey Mouse Road Rally with me whenever you want to, man. You are gonna have pumpkins at the school. If you're at school you can see Halloween. There's ghosts and bats and a very good pumpkin. We made pumpkins, but I didn't.
Bye-bye. You are cool or you're beautiful I know. So see ya later Mr. Potatohead.
morgan
I just had to share those because they were so cute and made my day!
Monday, October 4, 2010
thank You God for most this amazing day
thank You God for most this amazing
day:for the leaping greenly spirits of trees
and a blue true dream of sky; and for everything
which is natural which is infinite which is yes
(i who have died am alive again today,
and this is the sun's birthday; this is the birth
day of life and of love and wings: and of the gay
great happening illimitably earth)
how should tasting touching hearing seeing
breathing any--lifted from the no
of all nothing--human merely being
doubt unimaginable You?
(now the ears of my ears awake and
now the eyes of my eyes are opened)
-e.e. cummings
day:for the leaping greenly spirits of trees
and a blue true dream of sky; and for everything
which is natural which is infinite which is yes
(i who have died am alive again today,
and this is the sun's birthday; this is the birth
day of life and of love and wings: and of the gay
great happening illimitably earth)
how should tasting touching hearing seeing
breathing any--lifted from the no
of all nothing--human merely being
doubt unimaginable You?
(now the ears of my ears awake and
now the eyes of my eyes are opened)
-e.e. cummings
Monday, September 20, 2010
From an Email
Below is an email I received a couple of days ago. I feel like God has been trying to tell me something lately about his church. Not a certain church or a certain denomination but the Church as a whole. I feel like sometimes we get so into our own beliefs and the way we view things that we forget that we are all here to serve God and to do his work.
I think below is a great example of when people put aside their differences and do the Lords work.
Team Up
by Max Lucado
In 1976 tremors devastated the highland of Guatemala. Thousands of people were killed, and tens of thousands were left homeless. A philanthropist offered to sponsor a relief team from our college. This flyer was posted in our dormitory: “Needed: students willing to use their spring break to build cinder block homes in Quetzaltenango.” I applied, was accepted, and began attending the orientation sessions.
There were twelve of us in all. Mostly ministry students. All of us, it seemed, loved to discuss theology. We were young enough in our faith to believe we knew all the answers. This made for lively discussions. We bantered about a covey of controversies. I can’t remember the list. It likely included the usual suspects of charismatic gifts, end times, worship styles, and church strategy. By the time we reached Guatemala, we’d covered the controversies and revealed our true colors. I’d discerned the faithful from the infidels, the healthy from the heretics. I knew who was in and who was out.
But all of that was soon forgotten. The destruction from the earthquake dwarfed our differences. Entire villages had been leveled. Children were wandering through the rubble. Long lines of wounded people awaited medical attention. Our opinions seemed suddenly petty. The disaster demanded teamwork. The challenge created a team.
The task turned rivals into partners. I remember one fellow in particular. He and I had distinctly different opinions regarding the styles of worship music. I—the open minded, relevant thinker—favored contemporary, upbeat music. He—the stodgy, close-minded caveman—preferred hymns and hymnals. Yet when stacking bricks for houses, guess who worked shoulder to shoulder? As we did, we began to sing together. We sang old songs and new, slow and fast. Only later did the irony of it dawn on me. Our common concern gave us a common song.
What if the missing ingredient for changing the world is teamwork? “When two of you get together on anything at all on earth and make a prayer of it, my Father in heaven goes into action. And when two or three of you are together because of me, you can be sure that I’ll be there” (Matt. 18:19-20 MSG).
This is an astounding promise. When believers agree, Jesus takes notice, shows up, and hears our prayers.
And when believers disagree? Can we return to my Guatemalan memory for a moment?
Suppose our group had clustered according to opinions. Divided according to doctrines. If we had made unanimity a prerequisite for partnership, can you imagine the consequences? We wouldn’t have accomplished anything. When worker divide, it is the suffering who suffer most.
They’ve suffered enough, don’t you think? The Jerusalem church found a way to work together. They found common ground in the death, burial, resurrection of Christ. Because they did, lives were changed.
And as you and I do, the same will happen.
Two are better than one,
because they have a good return for their work:
If one falls down,
his friend can help him up.
But pity the man who falls
and has no one to help him up!
(Ecclesiastes 4:9–10 NIV)
O Lord, whenever I address you as “our Father,” cause me to remember that I have been called to be part of a holy community. You did not call me to remain in isolation but placed me in the body of Christ, along with every other believer in Jesus throughout the world in every age. Please give me the grace to act on the truth that you created us to grow as a team, to work as a team, to worship as a team, and to weep and laugh and live as a team. Grant me the wisdom and the strength to partner with you and with my brothers and sisters in Christ to meet the needs you place before us. For Jesus’ sake and in his name I pray, amen.
I think below is a great example of when people put aside their differences and do the Lords work.
Team Up
by Max Lucado
In 1976 tremors devastated the highland of Guatemala. Thousands of people were killed, and tens of thousands were left homeless. A philanthropist offered to sponsor a relief team from our college. This flyer was posted in our dormitory: “Needed: students willing to use their spring break to build cinder block homes in Quetzaltenango.” I applied, was accepted, and began attending the orientation sessions.
There were twelve of us in all. Mostly ministry students. All of us, it seemed, loved to discuss theology. We were young enough in our faith to believe we knew all the answers. This made for lively discussions. We bantered about a covey of controversies. I can’t remember the list. It likely included the usual suspects of charismatic gifts, end times, worship styles, and church strategy. By the time we reached Guatemala, we’d covered the controversies and revealed our true colors. I’d discerned the faithful from the infidels, the healthy from the heretics. I knew who was in and who was out.
But all of that was soon forgotten. The destruction from the earthquake dwarfed our differences. Entire villages had been leveled. Children were wandering through the rubble. Long lines of wounded people awaited medical attention. Our opinions seemed suddenly petty. The disaster demanded teamwork. The challenge created a team.
The task turned rivals into partners. I remember one fellow in particular. He and I had distinctly different opinions regarding the styles of worship music. I—the open minded, relevant thinker—favored contemporary, upbeat music. He—the stodgy, close-minded caveman—preferred hymns and hymnals. Yet when stacking bricks for houses, guess who worked shoulder to shoulder? As we did, we began to sing together. We sang old songs and new, slow and fast. Only later did the irony of it dawn on me. Our common concern gave us a common song.
What if the missing ingredient for changing the world is teamwork? “When two of you get together on anything at all on earth and make a prayer of it, my Father in heaven goes into action. And when two or three of you are together because of me, you can be sure that I’ll be there” (Matt. 18:19-20 MSG).
This is an astounding promise. When believers agree, Jesus takes notice, shows up, and hears our prayers.
And when believers disagree? Can we return to my Guatemalan memory for a moment?
Suppose our group had clustered according to opinions. Divided according to doctrines. If we had made unanimity a prerequisite for partnership, can you imagine the consequences? We wouldn’t have accomplished anything. When worker divide, it is the suffering who suffer most.
They’ve suffered enough, don’t you think? The Jerusalem church found a way to work together. They found common ground in the death, burial, resurrection of Christ. Because they did, lives were changed.
And as you and I do, the same will happen.
Two are better than one,
because they have a good return for their work:
If one falls down,
his friend can help him up.
But pity the man who falls
and has no one to help him up!
(Ecclesiastes 4:9–10 NIV)
O Lord, whenever I address you as “our Father,” cause me to remember that I have been called to be part of a holy community. You did not call me to remain in isolation but placed me in the body of Christ, along with every other believer in Jesus throughout the world in every age. Please give me the grace to act on the truth that you created us to grow as a team, to work as a team, to worship as a team, and to weep and laugh and live as a team. Grant me the wisdom and the strength to partner with you and with my brothers and sisters in Christ to meet the needs you place before us. For Jesus’ sake and in his name I pray, amen.
Wednesday, September 8, 2010
The Radical Experiment
Here is a link about how God is changing lives through the The Radical Experiment!
http://www.radicalexperiment.org/stories/?page=1
http://www.radicalexperiment.org/stories/?page=1
Monday, August 30, 2010
Things I Like!
I love when people introduce me to new music, books, blogs and people. So I am going to do a list of some of my favorite things right now!
Books I have read
Redeeming Love- Francine Rivers
Lineage of Grace- Francine Rivers
Mark of the Lion Series - Francine Rivers (if you can't tell I REALLY LIKE her books!)
Radical - David Platt
Crazy Love - Francis Chan
One Year Bible- God (I can't find a copy of the one I have or I would have bought one for every person I know)
Get Out of that Pit - Beth Moore
Books I want to read
Five Love Languages - Dr. Gary Chapman
My Journey - Billy Graham
Her Mother's Hope - Francine Rivers
The Help - Katheryn Stockett
Music I LOVE
Lifesong - Casting Crowns (I have not taken this CD out of my cd player for over a month)
The Alter and the Door (Live) - Casting Crowns
Tonight - Toby Mac
Kari Jobe - Kari Jobe
Blog's I Read Everyday
Urban Grace Interiors - Great interior designer with design tips
Fly Through Our Window - A fun blog!
Success is Relative - Mom, Actress and blogger
Katherine Arnold Wolf - The most inspiring Blog I read, she has an amazing story that everyone needs to read.
A Modern Day Margery - Her stories and life experiences always bring to me tears
Jody R Landers - Love, love , love this blog, cute family and I love the quotes she post!
To Do! - My wonderful friend Amy has an amazing blog! Its recommendations for the realist caught dreaming, how great is that!
Devotionals
Upper Room - A great way to get the day started!
I have tried to hyperlink most things so it will be easier to buy, read and enjoy! If you have favorite blogs, books or music I would love to hear them!
Books I have read
Redeeming Love- Francine Rivers
Lineage of Grace- Francine Rivers
Mark of the Lion Series - Francine Rivers (if you can't tell I REALLY LIKE her books!)
Radical - David Platt
Crazy Love - Francis Chan
One Year Bible- God (I can't find a copy of the one I have or I would have bought one for every person I know)
Get Out of that Pit - Beth Moore
Books I want to read
Five Love Languages - Dr. Gary Chapman
My Journey - Billy Graham
Her Mother's Hope - Francine Rivers
The Help - Katheryn Stockett
Music I LOVE
Lifesong - Casting Crowns (I have not taken this CD out of my cd player for over a month)
The Alter and the Door (Live) - Casting Crowns
Tonight - Toby Mac
Kari Jobe - Kari Jobe
Blog's I Read Everyday
Urban Grace Interiors - Great interior designer with design tips
Fly Through Our Window - A fun blog!
Success is Relative - Mom, Actress and blogger
Katherine Arnold Wolf - The most inspiring Blog I read, she has an amazing story that everyone needs to read.
A Modern Day Margery - Her stories and life experiences always bring to me tears
Jody R Landers - Love, love , love this blog, cute family and I love the quotes she post!
To Do! - My wonderful friend Amy has an amazing blog! Its recommendations for the realist caught dreaming, how great is that!
Devotionals
Upper Room - A great way to get the day started!
I have tried to hyperlink most things so it will be easier to buy, read and enjoy! If you have favorite blogs, books or music I would love to hear them!
Friday, August 27, 2010
To Go Or Not To Go - Part 2
As I said in my previous post that anything concerning missions I try to read. A few books have really changed my thinking about our role as Christians in the world and The Great Commission.
The Great Commission
16Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. 17When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted. 18Then Jesus came to them and said, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in[a] the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age."
One of those books is Radical by David Platt. http://www.radicalthebook.com/ What he talks about is BOLD and I like it!
"Do you believe that Jesus is worth abandoning everything for? Do you believe him enough to obey him and to follow him wherever he leads, even when the crowds in our culture -maybe even our churches- turn the other way?"
In this book he pretty much spells out what we are to do. He gives us 5 things to do at the end of the book. That will help us live out the Great Commission.
1.To pray for the entire world.
2.To read through the entire Word.
3.To sacrifice your money for a specific purpose.
4.To give your time in another context.
5.To commit your life to a multiplying community.
I love this book so much and I could tell you all about it and all the important things he says. But I would end up just copying the entire book word for word. So all I can say is to go get this book now and hopefully through this you will have a closer relationship with God!
The Great Commission
16Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. 17When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted. 18Then Jesus came to them and said, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in[a] the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age."
One of those books is Radical by David Platt. http://www.radicalthebook.com/ What he talks about is BOLD and I like it!
"Do you believe that Jesus is worth abandoning everything for? Do you believe him enough to obey him and to follow him wherever he leads, even when the crowds in our culture -maybe even our churches- turn the other way?"
In this book he pretty much spells out what we are to do. He gives us 5 things to do at the end of the book. That will help us live out the Great Commission.
1.To pray for the entire world.
2.To read through the entire Word.
3.To sacrifice your money for a specific purpose.
4.To give your time in another context.
5.To commit your life to a multiplying community.
I love this book so much and I could tell you all about it and all the important things he says. But I would end up just copying the entire book word for word. So all I can say is to go get this book now and hopefully through this you will have a closer relationship with God!
Tuesday, August 24, 2010
To My Friends
Philippians 1:3-11 (NRSV)
I thank my God every time I remember you, constantly praying with joy in every one of my prayers for all of you, because of your sharing in the gospel from the first day until now. I am confident of this, that the one who began a good work among you will bring it to completion by the day of Jesus Christ. It is right for me to think this way about all of you, because you hold me in your heart, for all of you share in God's grace with me, both in my imprisonment and in the defense and confirmation of the gospel. For God is my witness, how I long for all of you with the compassion of Christ Jesus. And this is my prayer, that your love may overflow more and more with knowledge and full insight to help you to determine what is best, so that in the day of Christ you may be pure and blameless, having produced the harvest of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ for the glory and praise of God.
I thank my God every time I remember you, constantly praying with joy in every one of my prayers for all of you, because of your sharing in the gospel from the first day until now. I am confident of this, that the one who began a good work among you will bring it to completion by the day of Jesus Christ. It is right for me to think this way about all of you, because you hold me in your heart, for all of you share in God's grace with me, both in my imprisonment and in the defense and confirmation of the gospel. For God is my witness, how I long for all of you with the compassion of Christ Jesus. And this is my prayer, that your love may overflow more and more with knowledge and full insight to help you to determine what is best, so that in the day of Christ you may be pure and blameless, having produced the harvest of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ for the glory and praise of God.
Monday, August 23, 2010
To Go Or Not To Go - Part 1
I recently got back from my first mission trip in May and now I want to read everything I can about missionaries, mission trips and what people have to say about their experiences. So when I see a book, article or website that has anything to do with missions I stop and read. Lately I have seen a reoccurring theme and that is should we go on mission trips or just send our money to foreign countries?
First I want to give my personal experience. The mission trip I went on CHANGED MY LIFE, so if I had never gone I would still be unaware of the need for Jesus everywhere. I have lived in the same area in the south my entire life and had never experienced a third world country. I heard stories about poverty but until you see a family of 10 sleeping on dirt floors in a one room shack you will NEVER understand.
So say a mission trip cost $2000, and that is about the average cost of a mission trip outside of the United States, and you think of all the beans and rice that could buy. But, is what you are not thinking about is all the amazing people you will meet, the fellowship you will have with other people in your group and the way God will work in your life once you get back home.
We stayed at an orphanage for 8 days and every morning when we woke up and walked out our door we were welcomed with hugs from about 16 little boys. The joy I had in my heart for these children can never be explained but one little boy in particular named Joel.
Joel's story is so tragic and he is only 8. His mother ran away with another man and his father committed suicide and Joel and his younger brother Nelson found him. Their grandmother could not take care of them and she sent them to the Forgotten Children's Ministry. This story broke my heart and so many of the other boys there had even more tragic stories. Although these children had sad stories they were so happy. I am so glad I went on a mission trip because if I hadn't gone then I would have never meet Joel, all the other boys at FCM and the amazing people of Honduras. Through this experience I learned so much about myself, God and all the wonderful things he can do. God commands us to “Go into all the world and preach the Gospel to all creation” (Mark 16:15). Not some of the world all of the world.
First I want to give my personal experience. The mission trip I went on CHANGED MY LIFE, so if I had never gone I would still be unaware of the need for Jesus everywhere. I have lived in the same area in the south my entire life and had never experienced a third world country. I heard stories about poverty but until you see a family of 10 sleeping on dirt floors in a one room shack you will NEVER understand.
So say a mission trip cost $2000, and that is about the average cost of a mission trip outside of the United States, and you think of all the beans and rice that could buy. But, is what you are not thinking about is all the amazing people you will meet, the fellowship you will have with other people in your group and the way God will work in your life once you get back home.
We stayed at an orphanage for 8 days and every morning when we woke up and walked out our door we were welcomed with hugs from about 16 little boys. The joy I had in my heart for these children can never be explained but one little boy in particular named Joel.
Joel's story is so tragic and he is only 8. His mother ran away with another man and his father committed suicide and Joel and his younger brother Nelson found him. Their grandmother could not take care of them and she sent them to the Forgotten Children's Ministry. This story broke my heart and so many of the other boys there had even more tragic stories. Although these children had sad stories they were so happy. I am so glad I went on a mission trip because if I hadn't gone then I would have never meet Joel, all the other boys at FCM and the amazing people of Honduras. Through this experience I learned so much about myself, God and all the wonderful things he can do. God commands us to “Go into all the world and preach the Gospel to all creation” (Mark 16:15). Not some of the world all of the world.
Matthew 25:35-40
35For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, 36 I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.'
37"Then the righteous will answer him, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? 38 When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? 39 When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?'
40"The King will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.'
40"The King will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.'
Friday, August 20, 2010
Be Still
I love to be busy but my life right now is beyond just busy and the thing is its all my fault! I have filled my schedule with all these fun things but now I have no time to just BE STILL! I will not give a minute by minute play of my life but between work, traveling, friends, family, and volunteering it has become very hard to just be.
In the past I have become so busy doing God's work that I have forgotten about God. This is so easy to do, it shouldn't be but it is.
Psalm 46:10 "Be still, and know that I am God..."
My goal for the next couple of weeks is make more time for God even though that might mean giving up some of the things I love. Because God should be the most important thing!
In the past I have become so busy doing God's work that I have forgotten about God. This is so easy to do, it shouldn't be but it is.
Psalm 46:10 "Be still, and know that I am God..."
My goal for the next couple of weeks is make more time for God even though that might mean giving up some of the things I love. Because God should be the most important thing!
Friday, August 6, 2010
It's Time to Sing/Blog
Most of the things I have done in my life were usually things I said I would never do. I can now add blogger to the list. I always said I would never have a blog because I didn't really have anything to say. But, now I do or at least I think I do. I found this quote on a blog a couple of months ago and it kind of sparked my desire to tell my story.
When God puts a new song in your heart, you just have to sing. And it’s time to sing!
I LOVED this quote because that is exactly how I feel. I want to tell people how God has redeemed my life and all the things he continues to do. I also want to use this blog as a way to be able to look back and remind myself the things God has done in my life.
I am really excited about this blog and I hope whoever reads this will realize that no matter who you are God can change your life for the better! Because he has definitely changed mine!
-Ashley
When God puts a new song in your heart, you just have to sing. And it’s time to sing!
I LOVED this quote because that is exactly how I feel. I want to tell people how God has redeemed my life and all the things he continues to do. I also want to use this blog as a way to be able to look back and remind myself the things God has done in my life.
I am really excited about this blog and I hope whoever reads this will realize that no matter who you are God can change your life for the better! Because he has definitely changed mine!
-Ashley
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