More Pictures...

Ok, our internet is working better at the church now, so I was able to upload some more pictures, yeah! So, here are more highlights of life in Lakeshore, MS. Enjoy!



peanut butter milkshakes by Doug....yummm!!!


putting tar paper on a roof...AWESOME!!!


the cake the gang made me for my b-day, so sweet! Thanks guys!


a fun expedition to Wendy's...item on the menu: mixed frosty! Yes
it's true ladies and gentlemen, they can do mixed frosties and they
are oh, so good!!

Psalm 73

Pastor Don preached through Psalm 73 last night at church and it was eye-opening. I would encourage you to read this Psalm because it is very good, very God-centered. Several things struck me last night as Don was preaching. The summary of my thoughts had to do with wondering how living here long-term will affect (in a positive way, I think) my life when I do go back home to Louisville. As Pastor Don was speaking of the storm and talking about the unbelievable reality that everyone in this community lost everything, this fact seemed to hit me in a different way last night. I began to think of the difference in the way I live here compared to Louisville. I know that the conditions here are 100 times better now than they were even 1 year ago, not to mention right after the hurricane, and I do not mean to demean that truth in any way. For me, though, this way of life is much more 'rustic' in some ways than my life in Louisville and I began to imagine how it will be when I return there. How will my views of what's important and 'needed' in life have changed? Will I be able to hold on to my material possessions and ideas of what the right way to live is with a looser grip than I did when I first arrived here? I pray, by the Lord's grace, that I will.

This idea links perfectly into Psalm 73 because in this Psalm Asaph spends the first half of it saying how envious he was of the prosperity of the wicked. While this idea isn't specifically related to what I was saying, the conclusion that Asaph comes to in the last half of the Psalm is. After going on through all the seeming benefits that the wicked have in this life, the tone of the passage changes dramatically. This change all hinges on v.17. Asaph says that it wasn't until he 'went into the sanctuary of God' that he was able to discern their end. Pastor Don explained that 'sanctuary of God' in this passage means being in the presence of God, so Asaph could have been thinking of physically going to the temple, but it was more that merely being in that place. It could also be applied as being in the presence of God as under the teaching of His Word. The bottom line is that the Word of God is what we need to conform our minds to think rightly about issues in life. After this verse, Asaph begins to speak truth about the wicked, that they are despised by the Lord, not favored. The last several verses of the Psalm are spent recounting the truths of God concerning the righteous, specifically Asaph himself. He says that God is his only hope, the only thing he has to hold on to in heaven or on earth. Don was quick to point out that having and caring about houses and our things is not bad, but that when compared to the supreme value of Christ in our lives, those things become, as Paul said, rubbish. May this truth typify my life (and yours as well) and color our view of what it means to live 'a good life.' I pray it would be so for us, brothers and sisters, and that God would be glorified for it.

Lakeshore Mississippi Part 2

I have been attempting to update my blog for well over a week now, but have yet to succeed until now. I decided to forgo putting more pictures up, as that seems to be the problem, so words will have to suffice for this update.

These past few weeks of my life here in Lakeshore have been busy to say the least. We have still had many volunteer teams coming in and out, working on several different houses and projects. I have done everything from getting teams out where they need to go to writing up a press release for the VBS we had here last week to using a miter saw to cut trim and then installing it in an elderly man's home we are trying to finish. I even got to pick out the counter top that will go in this man's kitchen, that was fun!

I have also had the privilege of working with several people who came for a longer period of time this summer, like me. Aside from Andrew and Doug, two guys from my church back in Louisville, I met and became friends with Joel Cupp, Jayme Deeb, and Liz Hawkins, and have continued to get to know Jamie Dunbar, the intern here. It was really fun to have these people around this summer, we played lots of card games, talked late many nights, and went out on the weekends together. Andrew left several weeks ago and is now off to basic training for the military and Joel, Jayme, and Liz all left last week, so the atmosphere around here has definitely changed. It has been somewhat lonely with everyone leaving, and I think we have all felt it, but, at the same time, it has brought some sense of normalcy back to life. Instead of having a party every night, we now have time read, go to bed early, etc. This past weekend, I think Doug, Jamie, and I watched a movie every day, partly from loneliness, but mostly because we were all so exhausted and worn out.

I mentioned that this past week has brought some normalcy back to me. It is normalcy because this will be my life for another 3 months. Pastor Don asked me a few weeks ago to consider staying here in Lakeshore through the fall. My initial reaction was one of dislike as I was already in the mindset of going home in a few weeks. I had, however, promised Don I would think about it, and so I did. I spoke with many of my close friends and mentors and tried to think it out logically as well. At the end of the day, the more I thought and prayed about it, the clearer it became that this is a good opportunity for me and will benefit the people of Lakeshore as well. I will be able to stay here for a minimal amount of money, work part time at the church helping in whatever ways I can, and work about 15-20 hours a week on my online medical transcription training. I know this will be a challenging and stretching time for me, as well as a good time. So, I am seeking, by God's grace, to stay focused on things above, not on earthly things, and to focus on how I can glorify God while I'm here and depend on the Lord's new mercies every morning. I feel the imminent temptation to be focused on what I'm missing in Louisville this fall with all my friends and church family there, but I really pray the Lord would allow me to consider others needs above my own wants and count it a joy to be here this fall. I don't know the exact date I will be coming home yet, but somewhere around the 1st of November. Please pray for me, brothers and sisters, that I would be used here to God's glory, and I pray the same for you all too.

I think that's all I have for now. May you know His mercies this day and depend on them wholly.

Some Highlights of Lakeshore

I wanted to post some pictures of things I have done here in Lakeshore. These are some of the highlights....




from the first week I was here...movin' dirt (well, mud actually)...it's
harder than it sounds



Jamie with Cheez-it's..........and..........me on the forklift
(I learned to drive this the 2nd week I was here)



This is all of us hanging out one Wednesday night after church. From
the left: Pastor Don, me, Joel Cupp, Andrew Beard, Doug Thorpe, and
the back of Jamie's head.


This was a fun adventure: Joel, Jamie and I are soaking wet because
we had just gotten poured on while trying to cover up some wood. Doug
and Andrew had gone to cover wood as well, don't ask me how they
aren't soaked as well...

Well, closing another day here in Lakeshore. Hopefully, I will update in more detail soon, but I'm hanging out with my friends right now, so I'm checking out for now. Grace and peace to you all.

My new blog

Well, since I'm already on the Facebook bandwagon, I thought I could go ahead and start a blog too! I'm in the middle of my summer in Lakeshore, MS and thought it would be good to begin keeping a more detailed record of what's going on here! Also, it's my 22nd birthday today and so it seemed like a good day to start a blog.

Anyway, through the model of a great friend, Jamie Dunbar (www.jamiedunbar.blogspot.com), who has been here in Lakeshore for over a year, I have been seeking to be more diligent at reading consistently through one book at a time. This attempt has been so helpful in many ways. I not only remember the book a lot better because I am reading it more cohesively, but I am able to read more books because, let me tell you, when I am reading 4 books at once, I don't finish any of them! So, right now I am nearing the end of The Attributes of God by Arthur Pink. It is a very good book which systematically goes through several attributes of God such as His solitariness, sovereignty, holiness, power, love, mercy, and wrath. It has been so beneficial for my soul to be immersed with a biblical picture of God's character. I pray that the truth I am gaining from this book will infiltrate my mind and that God will use it to cause me to trust Him as He is my all-wise, sovereign, and loving Father who cares for me perfectly!

It has been a good day here in Lakeshore. My friends have been very kind to me today, making my birthday very special. First, I was able to sleep in until about 8:15, which was very nice. Then, when I got to the office, there was a card and a pack of Twizzlers waiting for me! Pastor Don, the pastor of Lakeshore Baptist Church, took us out to lunch. Then, at dinner, they sang me Happy Birthday and we had cupcakes with cute green frogs on them!

As I was talking to my mom earlier today we were reflecting on the past few years of my life. When I think back over the past few years of my life I am amazed at the grace of God that has been shown in my life. God has done such a work in my heart and life and grown me so much these past two years, it is almost hard for me to believe where I was a few years ago! Praise the Lord for His bounty! It is amazing to think that on this day last year I was in Bandar Lampung, Indonesia celebrating my 21st birthday with my good friend Katye Green and the missionaries there that we were serving alongside. I am so thankful to the Lord that He has allowed me to spend my last two birthdays serving Him in these ways!