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| I just wanted to give you an update and remind you of the faithfulness of our God. Someone I don't really know was able to provide me with standby tickets to make it home and I was well enough to make the funeral. It was just a real healing time for my family to be together. It was amazing to see my family come together in a way like I've never known. We laughed (a lot) and cried just a little more. My Mema is doing as well as to be expected, but she is notorious for staying busy. I can't thank you enough for all your prayers and support in this time. God is so faithful to His children, and by the grace of God and the blood of Jesus, I am one of them. (Sigh) | | |
| It's been ages since I've been on xanga, but I'm in a moment of desperation right now. I am in dire need of all the prayers I can get right now. I've been battling the flu since Tuesday night and haven't even stepped foot out of bed since then. I haven't been this sick since I was a kid. If that wasn't bad enough, I recieved a devastating call last night from my sister. My grandfather (my mom's dad) had a massive heart attack last night and within half an hour, passed away. It has come as a complete shock to my family and I need your prayers to get through this. It's amazing how much one heart can endure. Losing my first grandparent in Sept. was hard enough; little did I know I'd have to say goodbye again less than six months later. Please pray for my grandmother. She (as you can imagine) is devastated. Only two months ago, she had to bury her mother and now her husband. Praise Jesus, my mother was at the house when it all happened to help my grandmother get him to the hospital. She was able to be there for my grandmother and that was God's grace. I've never seen my mother like this. She couldn't even call me and tell me it happened . . . she said it was too hard. I'm sure being sick makes my emotions that much greater, but I just don't know how I'm going to be able to face this trial. I need the strength of my Father, yet again. Jesus help me. I would also ask for prayer for provision to get home. I was able to get standby tickets, but I don't even know how I'm going to pay for that. God is faithful to provide for every need I have: physical healing, financial provision, and strength of heart. Thank you for your prayers. They are coveted at this time. I love you all. | | |
| What a wonderful time of year!!! I just love it. It seems to me that this year has provided for me a greater realization to what this season is all about . . . . God is just truly amazing! Last night was our youth's Christmas party and it was a blast! I'll try to post pictures later. I'm serious, I laughted my head off at them! They are soooo funny. Ok, yes, since our last post, our youth has been increasing in number and in spiritual growth (praise Jesus)! We had 27 in our pastor's living room last night (and that is with 5 regulars missing)! Wow. It is really "wow" if you have ever seen the size of our pastor's living room!!! God has truly been doing some amazing things in their lives. I love it when I get to see JESUS coming out of their mouths, and actions! It is truly beautiful! Well, last night we had a HUGE birthday party for Jesus (fun!) We sang, ate cake, and played games! Its "our thing" to celebrate everyone's birthday - so it was only fitting Jesus gets the biggest celebration! We thought we would share our "cheer" and so I sent them all out caroling in the neighborhood . . . . . in style!! Two groups made pyramids at each door and became a "living Christmas tree" while the other two groups sang from behind a giant box wrapped in Christmas paper with holes cut out for their heads- they were living Christmas presents!!!!  It was hilarious!!!!!! They had a competition (of course)! The team that returned with the most "Christmas items" that they collected at each door won! One team came back with 102 items!!!!  ! Of course, we had a white elephant exchange . . . but it was a little different too! We had all the kids pair up. One of them was the "hunter" and the other was the "hound". We had hidden all the presents in the house while they were caroling. Well, we released the hounds first, and they had to find the presents and bark at the ones they find for the hunter to come grab them! That was hilarous too!!!!! OH, they make me laugh! We survived the night with no incidents (pretty much), but I did get questioned by a police officer this morning about the party last night! Fun! (No arrests were made!) | | |
| Sometimes circumstances make you stop and re-evaluate what you do and why you do it. If after some faitly rough circumstances you STILL can't imagine yourself doing anything else, I guess you are where you need to be. . . . That was last night for me! Youth was rough! I spent an hour and a half before the service just praying and spending time with Jesus specifically for the service last night and it was amazing! I was pumped up, prepared, and raring to go!! .Then, the masses come in. We had 22 people last night in our pastor's living room. It gets kind of tight in there, but they are such awesome teens. Most of these teens have never stepped foot in as church before our youth group and most of them come from severely broken homes. So . . . . to say the least, they have some rough edges! Well, last night, their rough edges were shining through! 1) We had one girl who was a guest that just came to challenge everything I had to say - fun! 2) We had two girls that really didn't want to be at youth, they just wanted to catch up on life and chat all night long! 3) We had two of the guys almost go to blows right in the middle of our object lesson! - I had to get in their faces (both of them are taller than me!) and get them to back down. 4) I ended up jumping on a chair and yelling at all of them! - Nice! 5) Someone in the group is getting inappropriate messages from another kid! - Jesus help us. 6) some adult just walks in the house to get their teen while I was in the middle of the altar call!!! To top it all off, when it was all over, one kid actually came up to me and said that "youth was AWESOME tonight Pastor Jodi!" Sadly, I wanted to slap the kid ans ask him, "ARE YOU SERIOUS?" It is so weird because I was exhausted last night, but these kids are just truly amazing to me. I can't explain to anyone what I really see in every one of them individually! I just love them. Thank you Jesus for gracing me to get through the hard times and still giving me your eyes to see them with love. I guess next week, it will be at least two hours of prayer before the service! Just think if I hadn't prayed at all!!!!  | | |
| Ahhhh, that profile change feels a little better . . . 
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