My Identity!

Do you ever feel like your heart is about to jump out of your chest?

That you are so anxious, your body goes numb?

That is how I feel right now, but by the end of this, I am hoping I will have a different feeling.

This is my story.

My sophomore year. Third semester of college. Here we go.

I took three science classes and a biblical perspectives class. 16 hours.

It was the hardest semester yet.

Don't get me wrong, I LOVE LEARNING!

But, three sciences was rough.

There were many many times where I just felt I could not do it.

That I wasn't smart enough.

That I couldn't possibly understand cellular respiration or sodium-potassium pumps or even how the body needs calcium for the muscles to contract.

I remember going home for Fall break and being SO excited to be home! Away from school and those science classes, but I was in for an awakening.

My parents had to sit me down and put my head back on straight.

One of my problems: I LOVE PEOPLE. I love helping them. I love talking with them. I love giving my time to them.

Don't get me wrong, these are all great things, but I also needed to focus on school.

This was a hard lesson to take from them. At the time I was sad, because I thought I was failing them.

I just wanted to make my parents proud of me.

One night, I went over to my grand-big Carlson's room to give her something. She asked, "Hey how are things going? How's school?"

Cue the tears.

I told her how I wasn't doing well. I was failing my parents. How school was so difficult.

She wrapped me in her arms and told me how it wasn't about making them proud. She told me that the Lord created truth and knowledge, so instead of getting so annoyed with school, look at it as honoring the Lord and getting excited to learn about what He created for us to learn! How awesome is that?! All I could do was try my very best and that's all I can do. She told me I was smart. I am a daughter of the King. I am LOVED! 

I will always remember that night with sweet Carlson. 

After this night, I started doing things for the Lord and not for my parents.

I started to enjoy learning about the human body and how it works. And speaking up more in my Biblical perspectives class.

I regained some of my joy!

I frequently had my ups and downs, but who doesn't?

Again and Again I was reminded how loved I was. How I am a GEM! How I am His daughter.

Every time I got down, the Lord would place someone in my life that reminded me that I could do it.

I do not know where I would be without my AOII sisters. Truly.

There were many times where my sisters would just come and give me a hug, give me a Bible verse they read and wrote it on a notecard for me, and just sat and prayed with me! I had sisters place there hands on me and pray over me.

HOW PRECIOUS!!!

Now, I know being in a sorority takes up some of my time, but without them, I would not be where I am today.

I thank the Lord that He placed such sweet girls in my life. They are ALL precious!

He granted me with a hard semester, but I had wonderful women around me on my journey. The Lord blessed me with such fun times with these sisters of mine!

Now, here is where the numbness comes in...

I just finished finals.

And I am not sure yet on my grades.

I'm freaking out!

I keep saying to myself, "Lindsay, you can't fail. You can't. What will I do?! I want to make my parents proud!"

Every time I think this way, I am reminded what Jane told me, "You make the Lord proud, Lindsay. Your best is always enough!" 

I will not let these grades define me!!! My identity is found in Christ. Not these grades.

*breathe in. breathe out*

There is no reason to worry. No reason to get anxious.

BECAUSE, the Lord has got me right inside the palm of His great BIG hand!

Whenever I get the feeling of my stomach in knots, I have to remember I did my very best and that the Lord is proud of me either way!

I hope this gives you a little peace if you are in a position like me right now.

Now I wanted to add at the end of this a short list of some answered prayers over this semester!

PRAISE GOD!!!

New and deeper Friendships:

Lauren Oakley, my amazing study partner, sister, and friend! I love you oakley!!!!

Anna Kathryn, my little, my prayer warrior, a friend that will cry with me and laugh with me! She is one big blessing. I love this girl to pieces!!!

Stevie Carnell: My auntie in AOII. She can make me laugh until I cry. She truly cares for me as I do for her. I am blessed to be her neiceyy!

Carlson Coogler: She gave me pep talks and hugged on me. She truly cares about me and loves me just the way I am. She too is a precious sister!!!
Christina Rickman: My sweet BIG!! I love her so much! She always knows what to say and how to encourage me. She always knows how to cheer me up (sending me NEMO quotes and giving me lots of hugs!) I don't know what I would do without her!

Mary Katherine Parker: I love this girl! She is a precious friend! She always points me to Christ!

Hannah Crane: Such a sweet spirit! She is such an encourager! I am glad to have met her this semester!

Kristen Francisco: This girl is always making me laugh. She is always thinking of others and loving on people. So happy we are so much closer this year!

Alex Da Ponte: She is such a great friend. She always is encouraging me and lifting me up!

A person to start mentoring me while in college: 

Jane Eggenberger. A precious woman of God. A prayer warrior. An amazing role model. I am blessed by her SO much! When I was approached by her during the semester, I was in need of someone who would understand what I was going through and Jane showed up. I am thankful that the Lord placed her in my life.

I would be able to pour into girls younger than me: 

I have the privilege to mentor five of the sweetest girls! They are my new AOII sisters. I cannot wait to watch them grow into wonderful and lovely women of God throughout there college years. They are adorable!!

These were just a few of the wonderful things God did this semester!!

Now, think about what the Lord did in your life this year and go write it all down! It is a great way to thank the Lord for His mighty work!

My Thursday Afternoons!

I started mentoring five sweet girls every Thursday afternoon last week.
Soooo..we have met twice so far and man...GOD SHOWED UP!!
What a blessing they are to me!!
I bring my HUGE picnic blanket and sit on the quad and we just talk about life. eat cookies too! haha!
COMMUNITY AT ITS FINEST
We talk about how they are REALLY doing, there families and friends, and of course how they are doing with God.
AHHH, it is beyond refreshing.
Just what I need towards the end of the week.
I love investing in lives and just plain loving on these girls.
I truly believe God is going to do great and mighty things this year through these girls.
Please be praying that we will truly bond as Sisters in Christ!
Being open and transparent.
Taking Risks.
Seeking Prayer.
I can't wait to see what He does through this sweet time!
Be praying :)

The Past 3 Weeks

Do you ever just feel like you are drowning?

You have multiple To-Do-Lists. Tests. And a Crazy Life.

I feel like I have been running around campus like a crazy woman.

And do you ever feel like your heart is just so heavy?

This has been me for the past 3 weeks. Maybe longer.

I kept having thoughts of, "Lindsay, you're not good enough. You are failing at school. You are failing at life. No one cares about you. No one loves you." 

Do you know who these were coming from?

Satan.

I was letting him tell me who I was.

NOT OKAY.

The Lord said, "Lindsay, My sweet daughter, I love you. I understand. I am with you. No need to fear or worry. I got you right in the palm of my hand."

For weeks on end I could not figure out why I felt this way, but it was because I was letting the devil get into my head.

I had a break down almost everyday because I couldn't take it anymore. I was sick of feeling this way.

I finally sat down on the quad one evening after a hard day and started talking/yelling at God. 

I said, "MAKE IT STOP! Lord get these thoughts out of my head. I am LOVED. I am SMART. I am CARED FOR. I am a GEM. Satan get out of here. You are not wanted. Leave me now!"

I was bold with the Lord. 

I looked back on these past few weeks and yeah a TON of bad things happened, but that doesn't define who I am in Christ. He loves me just the way I am. He loves me even if school is hard for me. He loves me even when I lose focus on Him. 

He loves me ALWAYS.

I had to remind myself that My timing isn't His timing. 

I wanted SO badly for my mommy to get better from being sick and hurting immediately, but that wasn't His plan. It was going to take a few weeks.

I wanted to ACE my quiz in physiology last week. I studied for what it seemed like forever. Did I ace it? nope.

I feel like I am trying incredibly hard, but the Lord isn't helping. 

BUT you know what, He still loves me. 

I may not understand what the Lord is doing in my life right now, BUT good golly I am going to trust in His Mighty Plan!

One of those precious moments...

This past month has been a whirlwind of crazy.

I started back at Samford for my sophomore year, recruitment practices, studying for tests, and so on.

Safe to say...I was pretty busy.

I felt like a crazy woman running around campus trying to get everything done.

Things kept happening in my life that were unexpected and crazy and finally I just broke down.

It was the night of Bid Day.

We had our party and I headed back to my dorm for a nice long sleep.

BUT, I sat down on my bed and my heart felt heavy.

I needed someone to talk to, someone to cry with, someone to listen to me.

I called my BIG.

She was studying of course, but dropped everything to come and talk with me.

We met infront of the library at 10:30pm, and on those steps I started to tell her everything that was going on in my life.

I was struggling with school. I missed my mom and dad. I was still unsure about my future and what God wants for my life. 

And then I said one last phrase, "My joy is gone. I don't feel like a light anymore."

After that...I lost it.

Just laying on my BIG crying with tears streaming down my face.

I didn't feel like myself for some reason.

My BIG held me and stroked my hair and rubbed my back.

Then when I put myself somewhat together, she took my shoulders and looked me right in the eye and said, "LITTLE, YOU ARE A JOY TO BE AROUND AND A LIGHT IN THIS WORLD. YOU ARE PRECIOUS. YOU ARE A DAUGHTER OF THE KING AND A CHILD OF GOD."

And I cried some more...of course.

Sometimes you need someone to just shake you, look you in the eye, and tell you how wonderful you truly are in the sight of God and others around you.

I had forgotten who I was.

I asked her, Well how do I get back to being my old self?

She said, "Do what the old Lindsay would do. Go sit on the quad, read your Bible, journal, blog, read a good book, pray to your Father for a while, and rest."

What great advice that was! 

After this, we went on to talk about life and other things.

I went on to tell her how blessed I was to call her my Sister in Christ and AOII. 

I told her my pref story, which had her in it. 

She was the sole reason I decided to go AOII.

We cried together thanking God for His wonderful plan for us to be friends.

I have always had a hard time calling someone my Best Friend since high school because I have been hurt many a time by someone who called me there Best Friend, but tonight was different.

I looked my BIG in the eyes and said, "I just want to tell you that you are one of my Best Friends."

And again...we cried together.

After this, she looked up at me and said, "Can I pray over you, Little?" YES!

And let me tell you. This girl is a Prayer Warrior. 

She prayed passionately and fervently. Such Joy and Zeal in her words. 

To have someone pray over you is something so special.

My BIG is one precious woman. I am blessed by her heart for the Lord and care for others.

What a beautiful picture of community and love! 

I am ever so thankful for Christina Lynn Rickman. 

What a blessing her friendship is to me.

She reminded me who I was in Christ. Told me that I mattered. Told me that she loved me. And just held me in her arms. 

Sisters Forever and always.

I love you Christina.

Dare to be Different

I'm going to be honest with you.

Camp life is much different than normal day to day life.

But should it?

I am going to answer this later.

So, I came home from camp on a Sunday afternoon. I greeted my wonderful parents and hugged and laughed and smiled with them. I sat them down and told them everything God did this summer. What a wonderful night it was!

Then Monday rolled around, and I was up at 6am getting ready for the day ahead of me.

I'm sorry! WHAT?! 6 AM???

Yep!

I was headed to chemistry class.

Lucky me, right?

NOPE!

For Nursing School, I needed to take this class, so not even 24hours home, and I was back to crackin those books trying desperately to understand this nonsense they call chemistry. (I'm going to ask the Lord when I'm in Heaven how He came up with all this crazy talk my teacher tried to teach me! HAHA)

Well, a good 4 weeks later I was done.

BUT, where was I?

Did I grow in my faith that month? not much.

I was so focused on this class that I put aside learning anything else but Chemistry.

Did I live my life differently like I wanted to.. not really.

This utterly scares me. to death.

What am I gonna be like at school when I'm taking 4 classes and a lab?!?!

A light bulb went off tonight in my head.

Here we go!

Sure camp life was incredible. I learned an extreme amount in a short period. BUT ya know what. The Lord is still working in and through me here in Texas and soon to be Alabama back at school. 

Your mindset must be continually searching after the Lord. Seeking Him fully with everything you have.

So, if I go a day without thinking about the Lord and loving Him. What use was that day? 

The Lord is constantly yelling at me, "Lindsay, Come Back My Child. I Miss You. Run Back To Me." 

And when you do, like I am tonight, His arms are open SO wide with a smile on His BIG Face.

Let Him hold you in His arms. Let Him cradle you when you are worried and scared or even when you just need Him.

Take camp life back with you. Or in another person's case, take your summer to school with you. Teach others what you've learned, BUT remember every person needs to still be filled up with Him.

This is a mistake I make a whole lot in my life.

I love to teach people what I learn about God, as you all know from my past blogs. But, I give and give and give until there's nothing left to give away. Don't do this. Give and receive from the Lord. Fill yourself up with His Word and Prayer. 

My life at camp was crazy. I was LOUD, while doing insane cheers, I was CRAZY with my cabin, I was EMPATHETIC towards my girls and there hard situations, I was DIFFERENT. 

BUT that life, should be the same here at home or at school or at church and everywhere.

Why just be a servant at camp?

Why just pore into girls' lives at camp?

Why be crazy only at camp?

WHY NOT BE ON FIRE FOR GOD ALL THE TIME?!?

So, let's do it!

Together.

Go back to school or back home or wherever you are in life, and start jumping for Jesus. 

Seek Him in everything. 

Let's go!

God Bless!!!

Never Stop Jumping

First, I want to start and say that I am sorry I haven't been blogging lately. I got back from my session at Pine Cove a few weeks ago and have been taking some time to reflect and think about everything I have gone through and learned in the last 6 weeks away at camp. Let me tell you it was a whole lot. 

Now I could tell you stories all day and write a 20 page blog post of everything God did this Summer, but I pretty much just want to tell you the BIG things. So here we go.

Did you know that our God is fun-loving?

Yeah, He likes to smile. 

He likes to laugh. 

He likes to dance. 

He likes to jump for joy.

And so on.

For all my life, I have always said "God is so powerful and mighty and perfect." 

And YES He is, but He is so much more than just that. 

Our Heavenly Father is fun and a joy to talk to and hangout with.

I learned this from my new friend and role model, Reagan. 

Her favorite thing to do when she is at home is to go to the park and hangout with God on the swing-set and monkey bars.

HOLD UP!

You mean I can go swing with God?

YESSSS!!! 

How cool is that?!

Our God wants us to take time and have fun with Him. So, why not go and talk to Him while your swinging or jumping around the Jungle Gym?

I learned that God listens to us, intently.

There were times when I felt I could not walk another step, catch another frisbee, or jump another time, BUT the Lord always listened to my prayers of help. He would take my feet and put His feet in my place. There were times I felt the Lord jumping in club (worship) with me. The Lord cheered me on. 

There was this one time at Club where I was just physically exhausted from the week and I prayed that the Lord would send me my Senior Counselor, TomTom, to come and jump with me and my girls and stay energized. I KIDD YOU NOT, 5 seconds later, guess who showed up? TomTom. 

The Lord listens to us.

BUT, here's the catch. 

The Lord will always listen, but sometimes He might have different plans in mind for you.

Picture this: 

It was week four in the middle of the week, and I was thinking about what I was going to get to be next week. I knew in my heart that I wanted to stay at the Ranch instead of base camps, because I feel the Lord has called me to 6th and 7th graders (I know I'm crazy, but I don't care. 6th and 7th graders have my heart). 

So, I asked TomTom if it was selfish of me to want to stay at the Ranch another week with a cabin. She replied, "No, it's not selfish at all. God gave this passion for a reason. So go to Him and pray about it deeply."

So I did.

Let me tell you, I prayed passionately all week. over and over and over again.

It got to be time for cabin assignments. My name wasn't called for Clementine. Not for Cheyenne. Not for Work Crew. And then they started reading off Base Camps. 

My name was the first girl called.

WHAT?!?

But I prayed passionately!

The Lord said, "LeapFrog, I have bigger things in store for you at Base Camp. You are not needed at the Ranch this week. The Ranch will be fine without you. Now pack your bag and go serve."

So, I packed my bag and headed to Houston.

I found out I had a cabin of 6 sweet 1st grade girls. My Mooloolaba nuggets as I call them. (Mooloolaba is a cabin name btw)

They melted my heart.

One camper, Little Emma, would tug on my shirt almost everyday and say, "LeapFrog! LeapFrog! I have a secret to tell you." She would motion for me to come closer. And she would whisper ever so quietly in my ear, "I love you very very much, Leapfrog!"

MY HEART IMMEDIATELY MELTED.

My little girls were precious, but a handful.

I thought to myself, What can a tiny 1st grader understand?

So, the Lord told me to tell them about His love for each of them.

I went around the circle to each girl telling them that the Lord is CRAZY about them and SINGS and DANCES over them. 

The girl's faces lit up. They had no idea that their Father loved them that much.

Such an easy lesson, but rich with truth. 

Even a 1st grader can understand a few things.

So, remember the Lord listens intently, but His plan for your life is far greater than you could ever imagine.

Next, I learned what it looks like to have a pure heart.

It says in Matthew 5: 8, "Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God."

At first, I was like...what does that mean?

Does it mean to try and be more kind to people?

Does it mean to love people more?

Does it mean to try and be a better person?

NO.

It means to make your life look more like Christ's.

How do I do that?

Prayer. And reading about who Jesus was on Earth.

So, I dove in.

I love reading about who my Father is. 

And let me tell you, I learned a lot.

I encourage you to read the Gospels because the Lord is so present and we can learn a whole lot from how He lived His life while on Earth. 

 He spent time with people, but also alone. He knew He needed time in fellowship, but also just Him and His Father.

Sometimes the least amount of words is the most needed in a situation. The Lord only speaks when necessary. His words are simple sometimes. We do not always have to speak to people so eloquently. He also showed us through His actions how to love deeply. Take a look at how He lived His life because it is worth your time.

So, remember to be praying for a pure heart.

I learned what it means to be a servant.

This is something I did not know I struggled with.

A servant is someone who takes the initiative. 

I remember walking to class with another counselor and as we were walking she was picking up trash along the road. 

I would have never thought to do this.

It just wasn't my mindset.

BUT it should be.

To serve with a happy heart.

Doing things without being asked to.

Did I put that trash on the ground? NO. BUT should I pick it up anyways? YES, because the Lord calls us to be servants.

I learned that prayer is powerful.

I had a camper who was honestly going through much more than an average 6th grader should be going through at her age or at any age for that matter. 

I read her camper profile and started tearing up.

I thought to myself, What words am I going to say to her? Nothing I say can take away the pain and struggle in her life. 

So, I went to my good friend, Jackie or Cookie, for some good ol prayer time.

I told her my situation and she said, "Leapfrog, let's go pray together about it."

So, we sat down for a good 20-30 minutes and prayed passionately over my camper. 

It was a time I would never forget, just praying over my little camper, her family, and her heart.

The Lord blessed me with time to talk with her, and He allowed her to be transparent with me. 

I will never forget this moment I had with her. Sweet time of healing and love.

Lastly, I learned that you need to let the Lord use you and speak through you.

I learned quickly that the words from my mouth were not my own. BUT God's words.

There were times I left Bible study not knowing exactly what I said, because the Lord was just using me as His vessel. Those times were sweet. 

It's a cool experience to go through because your Heavenly Father who is crazy powerful and mighty used you, a little sinful person, to shake the kingdom and bring glory to His name.

HOW COOL?!

I hope you have experienced this or will in the near future.

I had a talk with one of my campers Week Four and she was a little a.d.d. So she could never look me in the eye when she talked to me because she got distracted so easily. BUT we were sitting on a picnic table and all of a sudden she looked me right in the eye and said, "Leapfrog, I need to tell you something. Kids at my school make fun of me. They tell me my laugh is funny. They all laugh at me and poke fun." Tears started streaming down her face. 

WHAT?!

Now to me someone making fun of my laugh is not a big deal to me. Who cares?! It's a laugh. 

BUT to a 6th grader it is a big deal. Image is a big deal.

I looked her right in the eyes and I said, "Did you know that the ONLY reason you laugh is because God laughs. If He didn't laugh, then we wouldn't laugh. right? We are made in His image. In His likeness. So, we smile because He smiles. We sing because He sings. We are joyful because He is joyful. Your laugh is perfect because He created it."

HOLD UP! EXCUSE ME!

But, I had never even thought about that before when I was telling her this. 

The Holy Spirit intervened and spoke through me. little me.

How awesome is our God?!

It was exactly what she needed to hear too. A light bulb just turned on in her head.

It was bliss.

So, let the Lord use you for His glory. When you allow this to happen, amazing things will occur. 

So, safe to say, GET READY!

Those were a few things that I learned while working at the Pine Cove Ranch.

Now that I'm home it is another ball game.

I don't have 8 girls to keep track or having a day to day schedule or a specific time to get in the word or anything.

It is weird.

BUT something to remember is that the Lord can still use me, even at home or at college. Not just at camp. 

One thing I will remember is Mary Floppins told me is to remember the same God at camp is the same God at home. He is always with you. Don't leave Him at camp.

So True.

I am beyond excited to go back to school and tell others what I learned at camp, but also to live my life differently. 

Take what I learned and apply it. 

And to also.... 

KEEP LEARNING.

KEEP LEANING INTO THE LORD. 

KEEP ASKING THE LORD FOR JOY AND ENERGY. 

KEEP PRAYING TO HIM. 

KEEP READING HIS WORD.

Our journey doesn't end at camp. 

So, I am going to never stop jumping for Jesus!

P.S. I want to thank all of the precious counselors who taught me SO much this summer. God bless you all. OH!Opanga, Labradorable, Pinny, Pia, Chinny, Peaches, TomTom, Apples, Sweet Apple, OmniPrincess, Lucy, Cookie, NopeySopey, Floppins, Meeko, Penguins, Howie, Professor M, BB, and many more! LOVE YOU ALL! The Lord used you in incredible ways. God Bless!

My First Cabin, Clementine Five!

This is a little late, but here we go.

I had my first cabin Week Two at Pine Cove Ranch!

I was blessed to have some great 6th grade girls in Clementine Five.

They were incredibly precious!

So, of course I was nervous about my first cabin, but the Lord calmed my heart. 

I was put in a cluster with such great friends to lean on all week. So precious.

So, I'm jumping in the gauntlet (a huge welcoming for the campers) and my name finally gets called to go back to my cabin and meet my girls for the first time.

I run back to clementine where I meet my Senior Counselor, Apples, who gives me encouragement before I go ahead and meet my cabin. So Sweet!

I walk in and meet their parents and the girls. Just answering questions and having small talk. 

After the parents left, we had our first cabin meeting going over rules and the schedule and such.

Once we were done we headed to flag and dinner. 

At this point, it hit me "Ohh hey, I'm a counselor." CRAZY!!!

I can't tell you enough how much I LOVED my girls. 

Although by Monday my patience was running thin.

I remember on monday during F.O.B. (flat on back, aka time to rest in the cabin for an hour), Apples came by to check on me. She said, "Leap Frog, how are you doing?" My answer, "I'm good....(then tears start flowing). Don't get me wrong I loved my girls, but my patience with them was getting low. Apples looked at me and said, "It's okay to cry. I know it can be overwhelming, but you are capable."

That moment I learned I could not do this on my own. I have to rely on the Lord for everything. 

When my girls were asking me constant questions like, "Hey Leap Frog, when's dinner? What time is it? What's my next activity? Can I wear sandals? What's the theme night tonight? What are we doing next?" But, finally I just told my girls to stop asking about the future and to live in the present and enjoy it because you won't get it again. After that little talk, no more questions. Bliss!

Then it came time for Bible Study, and I was nervous. BUT, I prayed before for the Lord to speak through me, and He totally did!!

I got SO excited each day for Bible Study and my girls LOVED it! They asked great questions and understood what I was saying. It was bliss!

Then from activity to activity class and from meal to meal and so on, I was praying over my girls for them to understand how much the Lord LOVED them and cared for them. I have never prayed so much and long for a group of people before.

Then came my hang-times (one on ones with each camper). I was talking with this one girl and at the end of our conversation I felt lead to speak wisdom into her and pray over her. Then after I said Amen, I looked up at her and she was crying. I said, "what's wrong, are you okay?" And she preceded to tell me, "Leap Frog, no one's ever told me how much God loves me or cares for me, or told me I'm a leader or that I'm precious." My heart bursted I'm pretty sure. The Lord spoke through me in such a beautiful way. This moment will always be with me.

So as my week progressed, my girls kept asking more questions and more questions about Jesus. 

At one point they asked me if we could take our one hour of F.O.B. to just read the gospel. UHMM... YES OF COURSE WE CAN!!!

They yearned for growth and maturity. 

Now, these girls were not always perfect, but they sure did warm my little heart. 

Throughout this week a few things I learned:

-Ask the Lord for more patience.

-Rely FULLY on the Lord for everything.

-Love on my girls even when I feel I don't have anything left to give.

-Ask the Lord for Joy each morning.

-I can't do anything on my own.

-Let the Lord use me.

I could go on, but this is the big things.

I am BEYOND thankful for getting this job at Pine Cove Ranch. 

I love investing in girls and loving on them and growing in my faith. 

I will always remember my first cabin and what a blessing they were to me!! 

The Lord sure is taking me to higher places.

Beautiful Bliss :)

Take me Higher

I am now done with Orientation for Pine Cove Christian Camps!
For all that don't know I am going to be a counselor for first half at the Ranch.
My camp name is "Leap Frog."(mail me if you feel lead!)
Okay, so the first few days last week, it was a little overwhelming, but I am now feeling so much better about it all. It took some getting out of my shell, but I'm good now.
So, the Lord is of course teaching me so much. Shocker right?! NOPE!
I know that I will have days where I just feel exhausted and achy and sick, but the Lord pulls us through and carries me.
I think that those days to come the Lord will be carrying me every step throughout my day constantly saying, "Lindsay, my daughter, let me carry you, let me take over, and come and find rest in me."
One counselor asked me this week, "What are you most excited about?"
Well, my answer is a little odd. BUT, here we go.
I am excited to struggle.
SAY WHAT?!?
YES, I am excited to struggle.
I learn so much from the Lord while struggling.
To lean on the Lord for everything instead of myself.
Whenever I go through a hard time, the Lord is always trying to teach me something.
I yearn to GROW!!
Before I left for camp, I had coffee with one of my friends from my new church, Mosaic Birmingham. After talking a while, she looked at me and said, "Lindsay, I sense that the Lord is going to take you to higher places this summer." Like straight up just randomly said this to me. CRAZY RIGHT?!?
I am BEYOND excited for the Lord is take me higher and higher.
To stretch me to my core.
To use me for His will.
To teach me hard lessons.
To MAKE me rely on Him.
To understand His everlasting love.
Tomorrow marks my first day of "actual" camp.
I will be on Work Crew (a team of about 18ish people helping cook and clean all week) the first week. It will be a great week to serve the Lord and also, finish everything I need to for my first round of campers next week! I am so blessed!
Send me lots of prayers when you think about it and write me some mail :)
And I encourage you all this summer, to let God also take you higher. Submit to Him. Love Him intimately. And take time to dig deeper in His word.
Love to all!!

To My Mother

Happy Mother's Day everyone!

I am currently still at school about to take finals this week.

This is the first Mother's Day that I have not been home with my mom on this day.

My family went to church together today and went out to eat for my mom. Wish I could have been there!

Today, I went to church for my last time in Birmingham until August. So sad! 

They did this really cool thing though. All of the mom's in church stood up, and we placed our hands on them and prayed over them. I placed my hands on this woman who was expecting her first child. It was just so symbolic. That even though I wasn't with my mom, I was still praying for her this morning and "placing my hands on her."

Now, everyone says that there mom is the best mom in the world, BUT mine is pretty awesome if I do say so myself.

My mom is the kind of woman I look up to and try and follow after. It became apparent to me that my mom was more than a simple mom to me, but a role model. 

 I came home from school one day and I walked in the family room. My mom was sitting on the couch reading her Bible and working on her Bible study. At that moment, I knew that when I got older, I wanted to be just like her. She is one special lady.

My mom is so loving. There are moments when I break down and feel I am failing, but I call my mom and she encourages me in immense ways. She always looks for the positives in everything. Her words of love and encouragement mean so much to me. I am thoroughly blessed by her. 

My mom is also the most hilarious women you will meet. She is the kind of mom who will walk into her child's room when they are doing homework and start dancing and singing at the top of her lungs to "I Gotta Feeling" or "Pumped for Kicks." She is insane, and I love her. She also, has a pretty good "Sid the Sloth" voice. She can make me laugh even when I've had a horrible day. 

Being in Birmingham, so far away from her is so very hard. But, I know the Lord wants me here. It makes the moments I have with my mom even more special, because they are limited. She truly does not know the depth of my love for her and how much I miss her. 

I'll see you very soon mom! Love you!

Kelly Jean Thompson. You are a Proverbs 31 Woman. 

The Lord is proud of You!

Some of you might be done with finals, but us Samford students are not.

I have one more week left until I am home in my Beautiful Texas.

Oh, how I love thee.

Well, the students here including myself are stressed, worried, and tired.

BUT...(of course there's a BUT)

The Lord is here. ALL the time.

I feel like a lot of the times we forget that the Lord has EVERYTHING under control.

There is NO need to stress.

There is NO need to worry.

I called my mom a few days ago and I told her that I was stressed, and I felt too much pressure on these finals coming up, because it is a make it or break it moment for me. If I do poorly on these finals, I won't get into Nursing School. And, I will be devestated. I have worked so hard this year. I don't want it to be a waste. My parents pay countless dollars for me to go here, and if I'm not succeeding, then I am failing my parents. I just want to be so smart like my brother sometimes. I envy his ability to memorize facts so fast and recall them at any moment. If I had one ounce of his brain, I feel I would be a genius. I just want to succeed. 

After my long rant to my mom about the pressure on me and the worry I have about school, she said something to the words of, "Lindsay, you will get into Nursing School, if it the Lord's plan for your life. You will do great on your finals, because you have the strength of the Lord on you side. His love is enough."

Mom's are so smart. And wonderful.

I took a step back from my situation.

Why was I worrying?

The Lord is proud of me. I am trying my best and that's what He asks for.

If the Lord plans for me to be a nurse, that is what I will be.

If it is His will, then let it be done.

This does NOT mean I don't study or work hard. This is still important. 

I just don't have to worry anymore. No more stress. No more freaking out. NO MORE!

I have been listening to this new indie/folk band called "O, Loveland" and I am in LOVE!

Here are some lyrics to there song, "Give" that have been stuck in my head for days now :)

"Love so patient. Love so wanting. Love so present. Love enduring. Love made the blind man see. And Love sets the captives free. Love is worth the fight."

LOVE is so much more than just affection towards another. It is everything. I love the part that says Love made the blind man see. In the Bible, Jesus healed a man's sight, NOT because he felt bad for him, BUT because He LOVED him dearly. 

So, remember while studying for finals that...

YOU ARE DEARLY LOVED BY THE FATHER.

YOU ARE HIS LITTLE CHILDREN.

THE LORD IS YOUR STRENGTH.

THE LORD IS LOOKING AFTER YOU.

When you are tired, look to the Father. He will give you rest.

When you have a headache from studying, take a break and pray and read His word.

When you feel you can't go on, pray for help. The Lord is always there for you.

Goodluck with finals everyone! Don't get stressed, rely on your Heavenly Father.

Looking back and Looking Forward

It is all coming to a close. 

Freshmen year is almost over. 

Looking back I...

Struggled.

Fell a few times.

Had a few panic attacks.

Cried.

Restled with the Lord.

BUT I also...

Succeeded.

Triumphed.

Laughed until I cried.

Smiled.

Learned.

And tried to Shine for the Lord in all I do.

Safe to say, I had my ups and downs.

There were times when I called my mom crying hysterically, because I felt that I just couldn't make the grades that I needed. 

There were times when Christina and I would have deep conversations in the car and we would talk for hours.

There were times when I felt alone.

There were times when I danced like no one was watching. Can you say awkward running man?!

There were times when I would be in the library until it closed and stayed up until 3am studying for my Anatomy and Biology tests.

There were times when my friends and I would go on Sonic runs and jammed in the car.

I have many good and bad memories, but you know what got me through? My Heavenly Father.

It sounds cliche, but IT IS THE TRUTH. 

In my sad moments, the Lord was there.

In my happy moments, the Lord was there.

In my freak-out moments, the Lord was there.

I am completely thankful for His CONSTANT PRESENCE IN MY LIFE.

Now I wanted to make a list of Goals for Sophomore year:

1) In the craziness of school, to stay consistent with the Lord. NOT just reading my bible, but constantly talking with Him, telling Him everything, praying to Him, loving Him, and always looking to Him.

2) Do not spread myself too thin. This was a mistake I made this year with friends. I need to make deeper friendships.

3) Less me, more others. Instead of focusing on myself so much, focus my attention on other's needs.

4) Get more involved in my church Mosaic. I want to give back to the church.

5) To be more joyful. Joy comes from the Lord, all you have to do is ask. The Lord brings JOY!

6) To not freak-out so easily about school. And when I begin to stress, to remind myself that I am right inside the palm of God's hands.

7) To call my family more often. I call my mom the most which is wonderful, but I need to work on calling my daddy and brother and grandparents and uncles and aunties  and cousins more often too.

8) To be a LIGHT in the dark world.

9) Get into a habit of getting up earlier to read my Bible before class to feel refreshed and renewed before I start my day.

10) To love and be loved. Love the Father. Love my family. Love my sisters. Love my friends. 

JUST LOVE. 

*Make your own list and see if you can actually follow through in the Fall. Also, keep me accountable okay? Okay!

If you are just starting College in the Fall, do not be overwhelmed, because the Lord is watching over you all the time. He wraps himself around you. Do not be scared, but excited! A new chapter for your life. The Lord is ready for you!

Lastly, I just want to say a thank you to all my friends here at Samford and back home for loving on me, praying for me, and caring for me. And to my parents and grandparents for sending those cards in the mail all the time. You make my days much brighter and encourage me to keep going! I love each of y'all dearly. Now, please keep sending those cards while I'm at Pine Cove this summer :) 

LOVE TO ALL! 

Cinderella

In my last post, I spoke about the Women's Event I went to. I wanted to share one analogy I heard there.

So, we all know the story of Cinderella.

Cinderella was poor, a servant, a maid, and a nobody.

She went to a ball and lost her shoe.

BUT, the Prince took that shoe and went on a search to find Cinderella.

The Prince searched the ENTIRE kingdom for her.

When the Prince finally found Cinderella, He got down on His knee to put the shoe back on.

The Prince asked her to reign in His Kingdom with Him the rest of her life.

Now pretend you are Cinderella and the Lord is our Prince.

You might feel insignificant at times, or unloved, or not good enough, or just plain bad. BUT the Lord loves you. He searches to find you. He searches the entire Kingdom for you. And when He finds you, He kneels before you. (what a beautiful picture!) The Lord asks you to be with Him the rest of your life. FOR ETERNITY.

Remember: YOU ARE BEAUTIFUL. YOU ARE LOVED. YOU ARE WANTED. THE LORD IS SEARCHING FOR YOU. OPEN YOUR EYES. SEE HIS LOVE. FEEL HIS LOVE. HE IS KNEELING BEFORE YOU. YOU ARE HIS.

HOLD UP!!

Today I went to a Women's Event called "She Worships: Overflow" at my new church Mosaic in Birmingham! It was my first ever Women's conference type of deal.

First, we came in and mingled. Which, since I came alone, I had to put my big girl pants on and meet new people. It's always hard being the one who no one knows. BUT, I met so many precious women who absolutely LOVE Jesus.

After the mingling, we worshiped and sang songs for a little bit. Then we broke up into different groups. I chose to be in the prayer group.

We talked about what prayer is and how there is no particular way to do it. It could be really short or really long. Out-loud or silent. Sung to the Lord or said in sentences. It does NOT matter. You are just talking to your daddy.

Well, after talking about prayer, we just started praying. Some people out-loud and some people to themselves.

After I had prayed for a while. I looked up and me and this woman met eyes. She saw me and came over to where I was sitting.

She asked, "what's your name?" And I said, "My name's Lindsay." She asked me, "Lindsay, could I pray over you?" And of course I said, "YES PLEASE!!"

She put her arm on my shoulder and I bowed my head.

There was silence.

She didn't start praying.

I looked at her and then I was like, "OOHH, she is praying over me silently...that's cool!"

NOPE.

I was totally wrong.

She looked up at me 45 seconds later and said, "Lindsay, I think the Lord has given you much wisdom. You understand and have grasped who God truly is. You understand and you love to teach others about Christ."

HOLD UP!

Let's think about this. This lady does NOT know me. We have never met. SO, how in the world does she know this about me?!?!

This lady puts her head back down.

45 seconds later, she looks at me again saying, "Lindsay, BUT you struggle. You are worried about your future. You are on the right path, but you can't see what's coming next in your life and that makes you scared. You need to ask the Lord to shed some light on your path. Ask Him to show you what to do."

HOLD UP AGAIN!

How does she know that?!?!

Everything this lady said to me, was correct.

I am scared about my future. I don't know if I am to be a nurse or not. I am scared. I have been worried for a long time. How did she know?

THE HOLY SPIRIT. THE LORD. OUR HEAVENLY FATHER SPOKE TO HER.

That is the only thing I could come up with. The Lord told her what I needed to hear. The Lord interceded for her.

So, pretty much the Lord is telling me, "Lindsay, STOP FREAKING OUT. I have it all figured out. Rest in me my daughter. No need to worry."

I WAS FLOORED.

I sat back in my seat after hearing her speak to me and just felt in AWE.

How amazing is our God?

He is so good!!

Just thought I'd share my amazing radical moment.

Remember: The Lord is powerful. He understands.

HE LOVES YOU WITH AN OVERWHELMING LOVE.

Mission-Oriented

For some reason I LOVE going to church by myself.

Odd right?

Most girls that I know go to church with a group because they feel awkward going alone.

BUT, I'm different.

Don't get me wrong, I love inviting people to go with me and sometimes people will ask to come with me and I LOVE it too!!

I just love those moments sitting in church by myself because I feel I can keep my eyes completely focused on Christ. I feel so much closer to my Daddy.

Well, this last Sunday I went to church alone and Man, did the Lord show up!!

He came and captivated me.

First off, worship was perfection.

We sang some songs I had never heard of and fell in LOVE with them.

The entire church was lifting their hands, kneeling, letting go of themselves and dancing for the Lord in their own way. I love my church that God has given me. It is a place I can go to get prayer, learn about my Heavenly Father, and let myself go and fall into my Father's love.

After worship, there was a special speaker who preached.

He was from an organization called "MountainChild."

There motto or purpose is, "Carrying Hope to the Himalayas."

He and his family help kids in villages by sharing with them Jesus, help them through problems, heal their physical and mental wounds, and show them God's love.

So, here's what I learned:

Did you know that there are people in our world that don't know Christ? They have never heard the word God. They have no idea that a God loves them and created them. How Sad?!

We are to go into the world and "herald" the word of God.

When he said, "herald," I had to sit back. Why did he use this word? Don't we ALWAYS hear the word "tell" or "show?" Why did he use "herald?" Well, I looked it up and it means "an official messenger bringing news."

WE ARE OFFICIAL MESSENGERS FROM GOD.

How amazing is our job?!?!

Let me digress.

He told a story of when he was first in the Himalayas. He was on a trip, and he ran into some men. These men were on there way to sell a bunch of kids into the sex-slave-trade. When he heard this news, his heart immediately broke. He knew at that moment that he had to do something about it.

He gave this great analogy of our world as a whole.

Pretend that each country or state or city in the world is a key on a keyboard. Granted this would be a really long keyboard, but stay with me.

The angels have this keyboard in heaven and are taking notes.

Whenever a country or state or city is told about the Lord, the key would be able to make sound. If an angel was to hit a key and it made no sound, it means that that country/state/city had not heard the word of the Lord.

This keyboard still has many keys not yet played.

So, let's make music and spread the word so that the piano can be fully played! Let's make new music tones!

What a cool analogy! I had never heard it put that way.

Moving on.

He pointed out that ANY DENOMINATION CAN DO SOMETHING.

That is powerful to me because it shows us that WE can join together on this journey. WE ALL believe in the same God. We are all loved by the same God.

Lastly, it say in Romans "How shall they hear without a preacher?"

We are called to GO and herald the word of the Lord.

This sermon was a whole lot to take in.

I personally grew up in a mission-oriented church. I am a mission-minded person.

I love the idea of someday going to wherever the Lord calls me and evangelizing, healing the sick, and above all loving them with God's love.

If you are called, GO!

Pray. Seek. Love.

You don't have to Worry

So, it's been quite a while since my last post. I'm sorry! My life has been a tad crazy.

To catch you up, I've had Spring Break now. I spent most of it in Texas with my family which was so great to see them. You never know how much you miss someone until you have to say goodbye. When I was at the airport leaving to come back for the rest of the semester, I started tearing up and began to start crying in my seat. I am so lucky to have such a loving precious family. Well, I got back to Samford and am going strong in school. Atleast trying to.

I've hit a few bumps on the road, but nothing will stop me.

These past two weeks have been hard. Lots of worrying, freaking out, mind-boggled, and just plain going crazy. I want to get into nursing school so bad and I must keep my GPA above a 3.0

I almost started crying because school was getting overwhelming.

BUT, I went to the Lord. I was sitting in Shiloh (a worship service at SU) and began thinking.

The Lord is proud of you.

Let's take that in for a minute.

The Lord is already proud of you.

Yes, we mess up and sin. BUT, when you are trying your best, seeking after Him wholeheartedly, loving His people, and showing people who Jesus is, Then the Lord is already proud of you. I DON'T have to worry. When you seek after Him, everything else will follow. I have to keep my eyes on Him.

That is what I'm learning to do. When you set your eyes on him, there is no room for worry or freaking out. It's ALL HIM.

"You don't have to worry, He's got you right inside the palm of your hand."

Was Broken, and now LIFTED UP!

How an awful week turned for the better.

I began last Sunday crying on the phone with my mom. I had a huge paper due on Wednesday that I had no clue how to write. Now usually I wouldn't call my mom for help, since I am capable of writing a paper. BUT this time it was different. It was over a topic I had never read about, and it was not supposed to be my opinion. There were many other little things that made it even more hard, but let's not go into detail.

Let's just say I was so tired and stressed past my limit.

I felt helpless.

I felt like I was drowning all week with homework and studying. I felt I couldn't do it. I was struggling everyday this week.

I felt like I was trying so hard in school, but I was still failing. I failed my first Anatomy test, failed some CP quizzes, and now I knew I was about to fail this CA paper.

Just to tell you, I DON'T FAIL THINGS. I try so hard to keep my grades up.

So, all of these failing grades were getting to me.

People kept telling me, "Lindsay, you can do it. You got this. Don't stress. Don't worry, you'll do great."

I said to them, "I think you are over-estimating my abilities."

NO. MY THINKING WAS ALL WRONG.

YOU CAN'T THINK THIS WAY.

Well, Thursday something changed in me.

I listened to this song called "Find you on my knees" by Kari Jobe.

Take a listen.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LGumE9nkP3o&feature=player_embedded

I started crying after listening to this.

It reminded me that whenever you are at your end, or there's nothing left except brokeness, THE LORD LIFTS YOU UP.

When you are weak, or sorrow takes over your life, or you are torn down, THE LORD LIFTS YOU UP.

He truly NEVER leaves you. He is always there.

So, whenever you feel this way of feeling lost, broken, or just plain down in the dumps. Remember the Lord will lift you up, place you back on your feet, and wrap His precious arms around you.

Do not let the pain get to you like it did to me.

I picture Him saying, "Precious Daughter, do NOT worry or stress. I have you in my hands, so there is no need to freak out. Rest in My Presence. Be still. Turn your eyes to ME. Feel my Love."

What a perfect picture of Daddy-daughter Love.

And guess what?

I got through this week, BUT only with HIS help. I don't know where I would be without Him. And I passed my paper. Not with flying colors, but ya know. I'll take a passing grade. It's all thanks to HIM.

Our ABBA Father is always there. Remember that.

Love you all. If you're struggling. Go to the word. Go to the Father in prayer. He is always listening.

The Perfect Passage

I want to start this off with a little scripture.

Here we go:

Ephesians 4:4-7 (The Message) (Warning, put your thinking cap on. This is an amazing passage, so read it slowly and carefully).

"You were all called to travel on the same road and in the same direction, so stay together, both outwardly and inwardly. You have one Master, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who rules over all, works through all, and is present in all. Everything you are and think and do is permeated with Oneness. But that doesn't mean you should all look and speak and act the same. Out of the generosity of Christ, each of us is given his own gift."

Now, I know that was a lot to take in, SO let's read it again.

Following my last post about the denominations, this verse truly says it all.

I was sitting in O'Henry's Coffee Shop this afternoon reading and journaling and I happen to come across this verse. It truly spoke to me.

And let me tell you why!

Although we are ALL different denominations, we still believe in the same God, serve the same God, and ALL LOVE THE SAME GOD. We might have different ways of worship or different outlooks of life, but it truly doesn't matter. (unless it's a faith issue that is).

We love the same God, but we are all different.

We are also, supposed to stick together. When one falls, pick them up. Help them. Be a sister or brother to them and show them love. I love that we are a family. We are called to help one another and stick together through the good and the bad.

Also, Christ gave us different gifts to share with the world. How cool right?!

For some people it's the gift of teaching, some it's the gift of evangelism.

If you haven't figured out what yours is, go to God. Ask Him to make it evident to you so that you can do work for the Kingdom of God.

So, again How Freaking Amazing is it that we are all different denominations, but we still love and serve the same God?!

Can I get a WOOP WOOP?!?

HAHA!

Anyway, let me know what you think. I'd love to chat with you about it more!

Love to all :)

Insight into My Brain

Alright, please read this with an open mind. I am going to fully explain myself so, if you don't agree with what I'm saying, please by all means don't just stop reading. Read till the end.

Today I did some thinking. And we all know when I think and run into a problem, I must stop doing whatever I'm doing and research, ask others there thoughts on the subject, and so on.

Okay, so here it is.

In my Cultural Perspectives class we are learning about Martin Luther, Calvinism, The Council of Trent, and Roger Williams. They all have different beliefs of faith and works and other little things.

So, I'm sitting in class just listening and taking notes about all these different beliefs like Protestantism and Catholism. Then I started thinking about how Christians have so many different denominations. We have the methodists, Catholics, Baptists, Episcopalians, Non-Denominational, Protestant, Presbyterian, and so on.

BUT

Christ came to Earth and directly and plainly said what we as Christians are supposed to believe. He got His disciples to write it all down for Him so we would know what to believe is true.

SO, why is it that we have all these different denominations of Christianity?

I feel like the question I and many others ask in college is.."Ohh you're a Christian? What denomination are you?" WHY DO WE DO THIS?

Did God mean for all of us to read the Bible and interpret it all different ways? I don't believe so.

It's making me go crazy!

I asked my Professor and he said, "Lindsay that's a very good point. Why don't you bring it up in class next time."

Excuse me, but that was not an answer...Haha!

Alright people, that was just a little look into my brain right now. If you have any thoughts on the subject or want to talk to me about it let me know!! I'd love to know your thoughts!

Thanks! And Love to all :)

The Moment I've been waiting for

To be quite honest, I haven't felt the Lord's presence in my life so much this month. I am not sure what it is, BUT I STILL TRUST IN HIS UNFAILING LOVE.

BUT, tonight something amazing happened.

You ask me, "What happened Lindsay?"

Well, I'll tell ya...

So, I was watching the show Friends tonight at my friend's dorm (ironic right?), and we were having such a great time, BUT all of a sudden my mood changed. I just felt to stressed with my life! I knew I needed some time to pray to my Heavenly Father. So, I got in my car and headed back to my dorm.

I was tempted at first to jam out to some music, but NO. I knew it was time for me to talk with my Daddy.

I told him that I am going to stick to studying Nursing unless He tells me otherwise. This was a BIG DEAL. I am worried out the waaazzzooo about choosing a career for my life. It's just one of those things where you don't want to pick something and then you hate it and have to start ALL over again.

Anyway, I told Him exactly how I felt, and that I'm SO nervous about my GPA, grades, and keeping up with my studies.

I ended my short prayer time when I arrived back at my room.

Then I decided to check Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest like every other girl in the world when they get back to their room. HAHA!

BUT, after that I said to myself, "what are you doing?! Stop that nonsense!"

While I was talking to myself in my head, I realized that I still hadn't looked at my Africa pictures my mom gave me on a jump drive before I left for Janterm (wintermester class). I started looking through all of them on my computer and came across this one.

I literally started crying. I couldn't stop crying for a while. There were probably 400 pictures on this jump drive and randomly I chose to look at this one. The Lord really works in some mysterious and cool ways. This is a picture of me in Africa putting antiseptic on this precious little boy's cuts. We were in the slums that day and I bandaged many little kid's cuts and scrapes.

The Lord knew I needed to be reminded of this moment.

How cool is that right?!

It made me realize that whatever I do in life, it must be to...

Serve the Lord

Serve His people

and to Love His people.

To Go to the Ends of the Earth.

Spread His Love to all I meet.

This picture reminded me of My Call.

So, maybe I'm supposed to be a nurse, maybe a missionary, maybe a teacher, or something random, but I know whatever I do, It'll be for the Lord. To Him be the Glory.

I want to thank whoever took this picture of me. Thank You for the precious reminder.

Also, Thank you Lord for showing this to me tonight. YOU ARE SO GOOD. AND SO PRECIOUS TO ME. I LOVE YOU DADDY!!