Being Encouraged

Well...let me catch you up on what has been happening in my life beginning with this past summer....

Going into this summer I really didn't know what to expect and I have to say God really opened my eyes and revealed Himself to me in many ways. I was able to work with some of the most amazing people ever and have made lifelong friends. I was also able to work with some of the local youth, which is great because I am from Southport/Caswell so I was being an impact in my home town. Through my testimony and Shannon's testimony God spoke and His grace came upon the children in the room and one of the girls accepted Christ for the first time, she is a freshman in high school this year. It was amazing seeing God working with these kids all summer. Seeing God work through me and through all those who worked at Caswell this summer was just simply amazing. I can't thank Him enough for allowing our paths to cross this summer and to continue to cross. I am thankful that He allowed me to get to know those people and to grow closer to Him and to mature spiritually. Nothing can compare to a summer at Caswell being surrounded by some amazing Christians and even better by God. I've learned a lot from this summer and I hope that I can stay on fire for Christ.

Since this summer I have returned to Chapel Hill and have tried to remain on fire and to spread the word of God to everyone and to just share about how awesome He is. I have continued to be involved with BSU but I am now involved with helping to conduct youth at Summit. And if you don't know, Summit is huge and we have an average of 75-100 youth on Wed. and Sunday, which is amazing! This weekend we are going on fall retreat to Camp Willow Run on Lake Gaston and I will have the opportunity to grow closer to these kids and to the other leaders and I hope that God will use me and my story to touch their lives (more on this after the weekend). It is simply amazing to see God at work in the lives of these youth and I am privileged to be a part of it and again I just hope God will use me. I have decided that I am going to become a member of the Summit Church and for those of you who do not know, I have never been baptized by submersion; therefore, even though I made a profession years ago I will soon be baptized along with members of the youth group in the coming weeks! How awesome is it that the very Word we are preaching to the kids, I will be able to personally portray to them and show them that this baptism will be my way of saying to them that Christ has been involved in my life for several years and I want them to hear all about it. I am really excited that God has brought me to this place and I am excited to see what He will do with me while I am here.

The reason I titled this "Being Encouraged" is because when I hear or read about how God is acting and what He is doing in other's lives it encourages me to grow closer to Him. From what God has done and is continuing to do in my life I hope it brings encouragement to you and I hope that you will continue to grow spiritually and mature in your faith. There are so many things that God does in our lives that should encourage us and ensure us that He is there and that He will always be there. Ironically enough our theme for BSU this year is "Be Encouraged" which says it all. "May our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father, who loved us and by his grace gave us eternal encouragement and good hope, encourage your hearts and strengthen you in every good deed and word." ~2 Thessalonians 2:16-17~. Therefore, I hope that you are encouraged by what God has done through me and I pray that you will come closer to Him and show encouragement and love to everyone.

Be Encouraged!