Starbucks community...

Today was my first day of training at Starbucks Coffee Company. Soon and very soon I will have become a coffee expert, or at least will be spending a lot of time around fellow partners who know a ton of information about the lovely coffee, so many of us intake. I am excited about the new job. I will be able to meet a lot of people who visit our store on a regular basis. I am looking forward to the new friendships with the other employees and with the Christmas season coming up an ample amount of time will be spent behind the counter serving frantic shoppers, who desperately need their caffeine fix for the moment.

Pray for the Persecuted NOVEMBER 9th]

The International Day of Prayer (IDOP) for the persecuted church is this Sunday 9th November*. Please join us and hundreds of thousand of others to intercede on behalf of those who live in nations which are restricted and hostile towards the gospel.

The time that we spend in prayer has an eternal impact on the lives of people throughout the world. Through prayer, circumstances change, closed doors are opened, resistant people are made receptive and leaders are installed or removed.

Please pray:

The Lord will give courage to His people who are enduring persecution for His Name

The Lord will place His restraining hand on those who seek to harm His people

Churches facing government opposition will stand firm in their ministry

Christians will have opportunities to reach out with the Gospel without fear of intimidation or harassment

Servants of the Lord will be able to deliver Bibles and Christian literature to places where they are most needed

Christians who have been left without pastors and teachers may be kept strong in their faith

Christians who have been imprisoned for their faith will be released safely

The Lord will restrain the callousness and brutality of prison guards in their treatment of Christians in prison

Pray against the increasing problem of young Christian girls being kidnapped, raped and forced to marry

Those who have lost loved ones by martyrdom will be comforted and strengthened by God during their grief

Christian pastors will be kept from danger and strengthened in their faith as they care for the people of God

New converts may be protected and provided for should their family turn against them.

The current laws in many restricted nations forbidding evangelism, missionary activity and religious instruction, will be repealed


"In the death camps I knew that there were people praying for me. It gave me the spiritual strength I needed to live as a Christian and to trust God. It is the same for everyone in the camps and prisons today." Underground Church pastor, Cambodia

My Utmost for His Highest November 3

A BOND-SLAVE OF JESUS
"I am crucified with Christ; nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me." Galatians 2:20 These words mean the breaking of my independence with my own hand and surrendering to the supremacy of the Lord Jesus. No one can do this for me, I must do it myself. God may bring me up to the point three hundred and sixty-five times a year, but He cannot put me through it. It means breaking the husk of my individual independence of God, and the emancipating of my personality into oneness with Himself, not for my own ideas, but for absolute loyalty to Jesus. There is no possibility of dispute when once I am there. Very few of us know anything about loyalty to Christ - "For My sake." It is that which makes the iron saint. Has that break come? All the rest is pious fraud. The one point to decide is - Will I give up, will I surrender to Jesus Christ, and make no conditions whatever as to how the break comes? I must be broken from my self-realization, and immediately that point is reached, the reality of the supernatural identification takes place at once, and the witness of the Spirit of God is unmistakable - "I have been crucified with Christ." The passion of Christianity is that I deliberately sign away my own rights and become a bond-slave of Jesus Christ. Until I do that, I do not begin to be a saint. One student a year who hears God's call would be sufficient for God to have called this College into existence. This College as an organization is not worth anything, it is not academic; it is for nothing else but for God to help Himself to lives. Is He going to help Himself to us, or are we taken up with our conception of what we are going to be? Wow, I think lately I have been taken up with my conception of what I am going to be. Sometimes I am so quick to forget God is in total control of my life. He has directed me every step of the way. I tend to play the what if game. What if I would have gone here, done this, stayed here....so on and so on. This journey I am on with Jesus is unique and it's about walking daily with HIM! I am constantly reminded to turn my eyes back to Jesus. It is like he gently reaches for my face and directs my eyes and gaze back to him. I am thankful that it is Christ who lives in me. Like the verse Galatians 2:20 "nevertheless I live; yet not I, But Christ liveth in me." Thank you Jesus that the pressure is not on me.

Come on in and sit right down....If you want to just get up and shout.....yeah...yeah...yeah...come on down! (yaya for the Kid's moment song)

I just want to say how thankful I am to be apart of the body of Christ. Today at Highland it was a simple message from Shannon along with several people sharing their heart about service, gel groups, and fostering children. My heart is so full to know that at Highland Christian Church I am journeying alongside a team of Christ followers whose hearts are on the same page. I am so thankful one of our key goals is to pass on the baton of faith and leadership from one generation to the next. I am thankful to be a part of a non compartmentalized church. It is powerful and life giving to be in a group with children to senior adults sharing their hearts with one another. I am thankful for the creative arts used to worship Jesus each week, whether it be video, drama, the dancers, or a special song. I am thankful for the freedom to worship Jesus!

Jesus thank you thank you thank you for allowing me to be apart of your precious beloved, Highland Christian Church. Thank you for the diverse group of people you bring through the doors of the Orange Peel each Sunday morning. Thank you for the smaller more intimate groups that meet in homes throughout the week to encourage and support one another. Thank you that in your name, Jesus, we can gather to worship you. You are our King! Thank you for your love, loyalty, and friendship.

Rocky Top you'll always be home sweet home to me.....good ole' Rocky Top.....whaaaaooo Rocky Top Tennessee!

This weekend was fun! Although the big orange let us down...it's still great to be a Tennessee Vol!!! The football game was fun. It was my first time going to a game at Neyland Stadium. My mom and dad and grandma and I all sat in the same section. If you notice in the picture of my mom and I my dad's bunny ears are up!! Ha..ha...
So yes this weekend was full of excitement! I met up with everyone in Gatlinburg and we ate dinner at the one and only Apple Barn. I don't really like that place. I think in my mind it is better than it actually is. I feel like I always am looking forward to eating there but then leave thinking "hmm....that wasn't that good." I mean don' t get me wrong...the apple butter stuff and little bread things are good. But for the rest of the food it's ehhh okay. Friday night around 12:30PM my dad, mom, kelsey and I went to the best arcade EVER!! The jukebox one! If you've ever been to Gatlinburg you know which one I'm talking about! It wouldn't be a trip to Gatlinburg if we didn't do the late night arcade run!!
Saturday morning we went and ate breakfast at the Old Mill...a great place that we found a while back on a camping adventure to Gatlinburg...so now we go there every visit. Then after breakfast we hit the outlet malls before loading up and heading to K-town! Let me just tell you the venture to knoxville was just that an adventure, as is EVERYTHING with my family! We ALL, as in 10 of us, packed into the Tahoe and headed to the game. It's more of a bonding experience if we are all together in one car!! Overall it was a good family weekend of fun in Gatlinburg and Knoxville!

Am I foolish enough accoding to the world??

THE METHOD OF MISSIONS This is today's entry from My Utmost for His Highest by Oswald Chambers "Go ye therefore, and teach (disciple) all nations." Matthew 28:19 Jesus Christ did not say - Go and save souls (the salvation of souls is the supernatural work of God), but - "Go and teach," i.e., disciple, "all nations," and you cannot make disciples unless you are a disciple yourself. When the disciples came back from their first mission they were filled with joy because the devils were subject to them, and Jesus said - Don't rejoice in successful service; the great secret of joy is that you are rightly related to Me. The great essential of the missionary is that he remains true to the call of God, and realizes that his one purpose is to disciple men and women to Jesus. There is a passion for souls that does not spring from God, but from the desire to make converts to our point of view. The challenge to the missionary does not come on the line that people are difficult to get saved, that backsliders are difficult to reclaim, that there is a wadge of callous indifference; but along the line of his own personal relationship to Jesus Christ. "Believe ye that I am able to do this?" Our Lord puts that question steadily, it faces us in every individual case we meet. The one great challenge is - Do I know my Risen Lord? Do I know the power of His indwelling Spirit? Am I wise enough in God's sight, and foolish enough according to the world, to bank on what Jesus Christ has said, or am I abandoning the great supernatural position, which is the only call for a missionary, viz., boundless confidence in Christ Jesus? If I take up any other method I depart altogether from the methods laid down by Our Lord - "All power is given unto Me . . , therefore go ye."

Colossians 1:28-29 (New International Version)

28We proclaim him, admonishing and teaching everyone with all wisdom, so that we may present everyone perfect in Christ. 29To this end I labor, struggling with all his energy, which so powerfully works in me.

Colossians 1:28-29 (The Message)

26-29This mystery has been kept in the dark for a long time, but now it's out in the open. God wanted everyone, not just Jews, to know this rich and glorious secret inside and out, regardless of their background, regardless of their religious standing. The mystery in a nutshell is just this: Christ is in you, so therefore you can look forward to sharing in God's glory. It's that simple. That is the substance of our Message. We preach Christ, warning people not to add to the Message. We teach in a spirit of profound common sense so that we can bring each person to maturity. To be mature is to be basic. Christ! No more, no less. That's what I'm working so hard at day after day, year after year, doing my best with the energy God so generously gives me.

Colossians 4:5-6 (New International Version)

5Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity. 6Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone.

Colossians 4:5-6 (The Message)

5-6Use your heads as you live and work among outsiders. Don't miss a trick. Make the most of every opportunity. Be gracious in your speech. The goal is to bring out the best in others in a conversation, not put them down, not cut them out.

TGIF!! (remember on abc TGIF...i don't really remember the show line up...but i think family matters was in there somewhere)

Today I am meeting up with my family, which consists of my mom and dad, aunt and uncle, cousins kelsey and chloe, and grandparents....for a fun time in Gatlinburg. And then Saturday we are going to knoxville to go to the UT/Bama game.....
Then back to Asheville for church...which i anticipate each week! I love sunday mornings!

Today I also got a job at Starbucks! I am a barista now! I'm excited!

I feel like listing 10 things that I love or guess things that make my heart excited and happy!
1. sweet gifts from Jesus/when He is like here you go...this is just for you! He takes my breath away sometimes!

2. Dancing and singing and jumping and spinning around with little kids for Jesus! It is so freeing. B/c my lack of rhythm doesn't matter in the eyes of Jesus nor little kids!

3. Laughing until tears come out of my eyes and my stomach hurts....laughing uncontrollably but at appropriate times....b/c most of the time the uncontrollable laughter comes at inappropriate times!

4. Notes/letters of encouragement from friends.

5. God giving me words of encouragement for notes for friends.

6. Spending time with my cousin Kelsey! which i am going to get to do this weekend!

7. Giving and receiving hugs where i can just feel Jesus in my heart!

8. For instance last night i was like...okay i am for real going to India!! so thinking about India and getting really pumped about it! I love being in other countries! It's so fun!

9. Also last night I was thinking about my journey with Jesus so far.....wow it's been a ride!!! JESUS is so so so good! He is faithful! I love him! He has my heart and I am safe in him. Safe to be myself!

10. Seeing students and people get it......get Jesus....and being like okay I'm following Him. It's not gonna be easy and i don't know what the heck to do but I am HIS! It is so good to be here in Asheville and meeting and building relationships/community with people who are like okay Jesus it's you and me! I LOVE IT!!!! JESUS, I LOVE HIM!!!

11. one last thing.....i love all of my little girls or shall i say girls b/c they aren't so little some of them.....but my girls who Jesus has put in my life that I get to be friends with and love and just be a big sister too! They make my heart really happy and excited!!