To Some Very Important People

Growing up, my parents always emphasized the importance of being obedient to God's direction and His will for our lives. This was something they mentioned to us every time we made a move. "We feel like God is leading us in this direction, and we have to obey Him," is what they would say. Growing up with this mentality on the mission field, I knew that God called missionaries to leave the field or to different countries and they had to obey. Every time I said goodbye to a family I knew it was because people moved away on the mission field.

When I moved to the States for college and found a church that I absolutely love, I didn't really think that people moved away. It wasn't a conscious thought that I had that, "oh, people don't move in the States," it was more of an unconscious concept that existed in my mind. Towards the end of my Freshman year, I found out that in fact people do move in the States. One of my good friends moved home. The next semester, one of my other friends transferred schools. In my mind, I think I still thought, "oh, well they're in college, a lot of change goes on in that phase of life." I hadn't really put the concept of moving around in the States and ministry together.

Last year, at around this time, that unconscious concept was shattered when a youth minister and his wife who I had grown comfortable serving under resigned their position at what has been my home church for three and a half years now. I wasn't super close to them, but I enjoyed participating in ministry with them. What hit me so hard about their change was that they were obeying God and following what was His will in their life.

I was like, "Ok, God, I get it. People in ministry in the States have to obey you, too. I'm going to have to learn to accept changes here, too. I'll have to learn to say goodbye to those I love ministering with."

This was around the same time when the Lord was pressing me to actively pursue the next phase in my life, which will be to go to the mission field. I have known that I have the support of my church family here in the States and the staff there. I have been actively in communication with them updating them on my process, asking for their prayers, and getting them to fill out references for me.

I have been preparing myself for the upcoming changes in my life...my college graduation, integrating into the real world outside of textbooks and part time jobs, and eventually (and hopefully) my transition overseas as a Journeyman. One of the staff couples that I have depended on for prayers and references are Curt and Amanda Jones. They were called as the college ministers at my church just one or two weeks before the Lord made it clear to me that I should join the church and make it my church home. They have been a constant at my church. Amanda led a Bible Study my Freshman year that I was a part of, and has led several since then. I have loved every minute I have spent getting to know, playing silent football with, ministering with, and studying God's Word with Curt and Amanda. Though it has seldom been spoken in words, their presence has given me the security of knowing that if I missed a significant number of weeks at church that someone would be wondering about me.

Let me just say that Curt Jones is one of the most gifted speakers I have ever heard in my life. He is incredible. I've always known that he would eventually probably stop being a college minister and start being a full time speaker, but selfishly I thought and hoped it would not be until after I was gone. But the Lord has opened doors for Curt and Amanda sooner than I expected and called them away from the college ministry at my church just two months shy of my college graduation. This again has been one of those "people-in-ministry-in-the-States-have-to-be-obedient-to-God-too" lessons for me. Needless to say, since I found out on Wednesday, this week has been an emotional roller coaster. I have complete confidence that the Jones family is doing what they need to do in order to be obedient to God's guidance, I just wish it could be done in Irving and not Houston.

Curt, Amanda, and Jackson:

"I thank my God every time I remember you. In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus." Philippians 1:3-6

I can't wait to see where the Lord takes you and what He does with you. Know that I will be praying for you every single step of the way, and I will always love to hear from you. Amanda told me the other day that y'all feel like God gave you a little sister when He brought us all to First Irving. I could not have asked for a better additional brother and sister figure to me. As I said before, y'all have given me a sense of security, and demonstrated to me with and without words that you care about my life. I have loved every minute of ministry I have shared with y'all, whether it's in the basement of the gym at church or on a dusty street in Honduras, and I can't wait for more of it in the future, near and distant. Y'all have touched my life more than you know.

I love y'all more than I know how to express.

Dear Miss Angela J Stamps:...

I got the letter today inviting me to Conference in April!! At least now I know they want to interview me!

Can I just tell you how impatient I have been just waiting for this silly invitation? I've known it wouldn't come soon enough, but I didn't expect it to come before the 27th. I'm so excited.

Please pray that I will continue to seek God's guidance on this next journey in my life and that He will make clear where He wants me.

Thanks!

Four Posts In One...

1. Going with the theme of this week, as it was Valentine's Day on Thursday, I must say what was on my mind the whole time. It might sound cheezy and silly, but it makes my heart really tender toward Jesus. All week, the Lord has been reminding me that Jesus is the ultimate Valentine, the most passionate Romantic, the Sweetest Lover. Just the fact that God the Son Himself, came to Earth in full human flesh, preached His Gospel, performed miracles, and then suffered and died on the Cross all because he loves us. Then the ultimate act of love, I believe, is the fact that Jesus did not only die on the Cross for us, but He then rose from the dead...showing us that His power and His love is greater than death. Wow. This fact causes me to want to do nothing but be romanced by the Ultimate Romantic, Himself. Christ, who waits now for His bride...preparing a place for her. He beckons us to Him daily, and as Christians sometimes we don't respond, but we should. I so desire to.

2. I'm still waiting on the IMB...Jesus give me patience.

3. My Valentine's Day consisted of the following: sleeping until about 9:30, waiting for all of my roomies to leave so that I could get up and hide their surprises all around our apartment, wait for them to find their surprises, eating lunch, hanging around my apartment, going to Wal Mart, then going to Whataburger with two of my roomies and two of the guy friends we have. Originally, we had planned on going to the drive-in theater in Ennis, but decided not to when everyone's schedule was being crazy. So we decided to go eat dinner and then we were going to go watch a movie. While we were eating dinner, my roommates and I decided we wanted to have a girls' night and watch movies without the boys. Let me tell you, we got very creative. Long story short, there are sheets hanging from the ceiling fan in our living room making a tent, the couch bed is out, we now have a fondue pot, we have 3 red box movies in our apartment, and we all probably gained about 500 lbs. It was probably one of the most enjoyable roomie nights we have ever had just because we were so creative and thoroughly enjoyed it. I would not have wanted to spend my Valentine's night any other way. It was amazing.

4. I had an epiphany this week. My roommates and I have hit it off really well with an apartment of guys that lives off campus but they all go to DBU, as well. 3 of them are also MKs, and so we all get along really well. We have gotten really close, and have sort of unspoken understandings that there will be mingling of the apartments several nights a week. Dinner and a movie, at least. Well, through a series of circumstances, I have come to realize that many hours have been wasted in these evenings. Something was said that offended me and should not have been said, and it made me really down on myself. It would have hurt anyone. Well the realization I've had is that last semester and this semester countless hours have been spent with these guys, yes they're nice, they're Christians, but it has done absolutely nothing positive for me. I have decided that I won't be spending as much time with them, simply because I'm not getting what I think I should out of these friendships with these guys. Like I said, something constantly brings me down, makes me feel bad, and want to perform. I think that as a 22 year old young lady, though I'm not seeking a relationship at this point in my life (though I'm open to one if the Lord brings it my way!), any friendship I have with a male should make me want to seek him out for guidance, advice, and encouragement, as I would do to honor any man in my life, though not in a romantic sense. I also think that I should be the kind of female friend that inspires a guy to want to treat a female friend like a lady, respect and encourage her, again not in a romantic sense. Does this make any sense? So since I'm not getting this from this relationships between my apartment and their apartment, I really need to reconsider and reprioritize my time. Not become a hermit, just guard myself and my heart from becoming hardened to any friendship with males because of one bad experience.

Praying for Union

In case you haven't heard, which I'm sure you have, Union University in Jackson, TN was hit by a tornado last night that severely devastated and damaged the whole campus. Here's a link to some video that I've found on CNN.com about it...

I hope that you will join me in lifting these students up in prayer over the next few weeks.

This situation hits really close to home because of the 2 straight line winds that have damaged some buildings here at DBU since I have been here. I feel like I have taken for granted exactly how lucky we are here at DBU to not have been hit more fiercely by these winds or by an actual tornado.

It also hits close because of peers I have there that I have grown up with or known off and on throughout the years. Being an MK and going to a Baptist University, you find really how small the world is when it comes to these situations.

My heart really goes out to those guys and I hope and pray that they can be compensated for the belongings they lost in last night's storm, but more importantly that they will realize how blessed they are that no one was killed or injured too severely, and that they got through this with grace and courage.

Patience...

So I'm getting antsy waiting for the IMB to decide if they even want to interview me or not. I could seriously go berzerk. But I know I must wait. But I don't want to wait. But I have to. Oh well.

So I've been exploring (I accidentally just typed explorgin...haha) on Google Earth the places I might wind up and it's amazing. I can't wait. Somewhere in Europe for sure...Italy perhaps (my top two choices on the requests are located in Italy). Only God knows where He will send me....but I know that He gives me desires with the intention of fulfilling them.

I'm ready to graduate and get on with my life, but the truth is, I will sure miss my roommates...all 4 of them, and my friends dearly when I go. God is good though, and faithful, and the best ever.

Sick...

...So this weekend I got sick. It wasn't the worst kind of sick that I've ever been. No congestion, just achy and not wanting to do anything. I'm so glad my parents are in the area because I got to call them and they came to my apartment and picked me up so I could go to their house for them to take care of me. I love for my parents to take care of me when I'm sick. Even though sometimes I hate asking for things, because I feel like I'm asking for too much, there's just something about my mommy being there to bring me tea and crackers.

Ok, I know what you're thinking, "Grow up, Ang, you're 22!". I know I'm 22, but for the last 4 years of my life, my mom has been in another part of the world, and has not been around to take care of me, thank you.

So now I feel better, I'm back at my apartment, but I have to open in the morning. I don't know why some people just can't make their own coffee at 5:00 in the morning and let everyone else get some sleep. Oh well...it's off to bed with me.