So as 2007 comes to a close, I am totally a LAME-O and have been thinking of the great memories and the awesome times that I shared with my family and friends.....
The BIG things!
1. A night of worship in the room above the Narthex at Fort Hill United Methodist Church! -WOW! Really no words can describe what happened there that night. A time to be with God and just to reflect on His Love for us! Awesome!!!!
2. I was baptized!!! After a lot of searching and praying and talking with those that I love, I decided to be baptized. I was baptized as a child in the Catholic Church but this time it was a decision that I made to show my love for God and my obedience to the life that He is asking me to lead. It was AWESOME! On the way out there with my closest and dearest FAMILY (Caleb, Richelle and Alicia) we saw rainbows.... one after another. Just beautiful and awesome rainbows. We sat on the shore of Smith Mountain Lake and sang and prayed and just reflected on what it was all about.... The backdrop was breath-taking. A very special memory for me!
3. My little brother was married!! Oh my goodness did I just say that! I can't believe it! He found the girl of his dreams and I couldn't ask for a better sister! Irene Lepski married Bryan Huber on July 7, 2007! The wedding was awesome! We had so much fun. Irene was beautiful and my brother reminded me just what true love was all about! I love picturing them together and remembering how he cried when he saw her. Nothing but the best for the two of them!
4. My dad turned 50 this year! Can you believe it?!?! 50!! Daddy, you are getting old.... We celebrated with a backyard cookout. He was surrounded by the people who love him the most! Dad, you are an amazing example of what it means to love your family. Thank you for loving me! I hope that you have 50 more wonderful years!!!
5. My mom turned 50 this year! Guess what? Today is her Birthday!!!!! Mom, I love you! We celebrated with a VEGAS party....party like a rockstar! It was tons of fun and just an amazing and awesome memory with all of our family. Mom, you have worked so hard in your life and have gone from almost nothing to having more then you could imagine! You have taught me that I can accomplish anything that I put my mind to!
6. My cousins Katie and Jen got pregnant! Now, most people probably wouldn't put this on their list of memories from 2007 but I absolutely love this girls and consider them like my sisters! They have both wanted this for so long and will be wonderful mothers! I can't wait to be Aunt Kelly! Contrats girls!!!! (I guess I can congratulate the dads too.... YAY for Jimmy and JR!)
7. I said goodbye to a church and a church family that I love. After being at Fort Hill for a little over 2 years, I felt that God was asking me to take a step of faith.... After many tears and lots and lots of hugs I left Fort Hill and began to look for a new church to call my home. I have fallen in love with Jesus and I have grown into a deeper and more mature relationship because of my time at Fort Hill. While I will not be calling that home anymore, those people will always be my family! I love you all..... Thank you will never be enough. :)
8. Have you ever had a friend that you considered your family... sisters maybe!?!? Well, thats what Alicia, I mean Vern, is to me! I said good-bye to my sister and one of the most awesome friends in my life! No she didn't die, but she did decide to move across country to WY! I have so many memories with her and I love her so much and already miss her dearly (We just said good-bye 2 days ago!) I am so glad that God has placed you in my life and just want to say thank you for loving me! You are an amazing friend!! I will be praying for you in WY and will have your room ready when you come home. (just kidding)
Silly/Fun Memories from 2007..... (There are MANY. These are just some of my favorites!)
FLAMING Cupcake on my birthday..... thanks Nick!
Coming home to my house completely streamered ......... thanks Rosita!
Road trip to see Vern after her car accident .... that is a trip that Caleb and I will NEVER forget!
The Musical at Fort Hill.... Vern, I love you! Late nights and early mornings of set up, painting, just one for the memory books.
Plastic Deer and Scary Faces.... This one is for you Vern!
Late night trips to the Tea Room with my girlz! Love you Brittany, Sarah and Alicia.
Of course spades. Alicia and I TOTALLY beat Caleb and Nick! - MORE THEN ONCE!
Worship on my front porch with friends; old and new!
VBS with CD and KT! -- What an AWESOME week!! VBS at Fort Hill is always so much fun! Thanks for the memories girls!!
Beach trip with Vern.... one AWESOME thunderstorm on the final night! - It was perfect! :)
4th of July with the Lepski's, my family and Rosita! -- A private viewing from the circle room over the water.... the fireworks were awesome!
Dancing....Dancing....and MORE Dancing at the wedding and at the Red Baron. That night was SO much fun!!! I'm not sure that I have smiled that much in a LONG time!
Beating Mom, Dad, Barbara and Luke at our card night! -- That will teach you to let me come and play cards!!
Driving to Tampa! -- Now I am not sure that this one is funny or silly but it is a memory to remember!
Road trip to N. VA to see Our Hearts Hero -- oh my goodness....that was crazy!
One Word - IHOP
The Rascal Flatts Leaf song -- that one is funny!
Things I learned/relearned in 2007!
LAUGH! LAUGH! LAUGH! - As much as possible!
Its OK to Cry
I can only be me and that will be good enough
Nothing short of falling in love with Jesus is going to change their life
Sometimes, God has a different plan!
I will be OK .... -- goes for so many things!
There is absolutely nothing that I would want/need more in life then Jesus
I want to be a mom
I love youth ministry
I am BAPTIST (YIKES!)
Sing as often and as loud as possible
My family loves me and only wants the best
Letting go is sometimes best.....
Don't lose sight of those who truly love you and know you. They are a rare treasure!
People come and go, relationships change but God is ALWAYS there!
I am a follower :) -- Thats a good thing!
I want to write a book
Sometimes when we don't get what we want/pray for, we end up realizing that what we got instead was SO much better!
My 2 requests for 2008 -
I pray that I would be less and less me and more and more like Jesus! That my relationship with Him would continue to grow and deepen and that I would know more and understand more and learn to be the person that He has created me to be. That I would just fall in love with him again and again and again! I pray that He would use me to impact the world with His Love. That I would have courage and boldness to speak the truth. That I would open my eyes to the people and the opportunities that He has placed before me and use each day as another day to share His love with others.
I pray that those people in my life who do not know Jesus or whose relationship with Jesus is new that they would fall in love with him! I pray that lives would be saved and changed and that new life would begin for EVERY single one of them! I pray that they would make that decision in their life and that God would use me in their journey!
Now you may be thinking.... you only prayed for two things. What about all the other things that are important/needed in life? Well friends, everything else is just details. This is what matters! This is what life is ALL about! Have this relationship, be completely in Love with Jesus and everything else is the icing on an already perfect cake! Its simple.....its beautifl.....its EVERYTHING!
Monday, December 31, 2007
Monday, December 17, 2007
Christmas in the Air
I absolutely love the holidays....
The entire city gets all dressed up!
Wreaths on the doors of downtown businesses
Flags wishing the community a Happy Holiday sit on each light pole
Entire city streets shut down for the annual Christmas parade
Strands of lights draped on the porches and bushes of the small town main street homes
Ovens warm from the recent batches of sugar cookies
A light dusting of snow covers the ground
I love the holidays.....
Families come together and visit!
Backyard football teams are playing for the title of "Holiday 2007 Champs"
A night in with PJ's and a good Christmas movie with the family
Annual road trip to look at the Christmas lights in the city after Christmas Eve Service
I love the holidays....
Road trips to visit family
Christmas cards in the mailbox
Decorating the Christmas Tree with all the childhood ornaments
Christmas shopping on Christmas Eve for the last minute perfect gift
Family Game on Christmas Day
I love the holidays....
It celebrates the birth of a baby.
Our savior was born in a manger
The city was crowded....people were everywhere.
There was no room for Mary and Joseph to stay.
God had a plan for the birth of His son.
One that included barn animals, a tiny manger, straw and a star.
I picture that scene and I try to imagine the smells and sounds that surrounded them.
I try to imagine what it must have felt like and the feelings they must have had.....
Christmas is a celebration with lights and presents and tradition and love.
Christmas is a day to remember and reflect on the birth of Jesus.
The birth of a tiny baby that would save me.... from my sin and forgive me for all the times that I fell short. A celebration of forgiveness and grace that are mine because of my faith and love for that tiny baby.
Thank you God for the birth of your Son. Thank you for His life and the example that He set. Thank you for his death on the cross. I want to know what it sounded like and picture the scene of that manager on Christmas. As I enjoy the Christmas traditions of my family and the holiday parties that surround me, I don't want to lose sight of the reason. I don't want to forget the love. Thank you for loving me. Help me grow to be more like Jesus. - Amen
The entire city gets all dressed up!
Wreaths on the doors of downtown businesses
Flags wishing the community a Happy Holiday sit on each light pole
Entire city streets shut down for the annual Christmas parade
Strands of lights draped on the porches and bushes of the small town main street homes
Ovens warm from the recent batches of sugar cookies
A light dusting of snow covers the ground
I love the holidays.....
Families come together and visit!
Backyard football teams are playing for the title of "Holiday 2007 Champs"
A night in with PJ's and a good Christmas movie with the family
Annual road trip to look at the Christmas lights in the city after Christmas Eve Service
I love the holidays....
Road trips to visit family
Christmas cards in the mailbox
Decorating the Christmas Tree with all the childhood ornaments
Christmas shopping on Christmas Eve for the last minute perfect gift
Family Game on Christmas Day
I love the holidays....
It celebrates the birth of a baby.
Our savior was born in a manger
The city was crowded....people were everywhere.
There was no room for Mary and Joseph to stay.
God had a plan for the birth of His son.
One that included barn animals, a tiny manger, straw and a star.
I picture that scene and I try to imagine the smells and sounds that surrounded them.
I try to imagine what it must have felt like and the feelings they must have had.....
Christmas is a celebration with lights and presents and tradition and love.
Christmas is a day to remember and reflect on the birth of Jesus.
The birth of a tiny baby that would save me.... from my sin and forgive me for all the times that I fell short. A celebration of forgiveness and grace that are mine because of my faith and love for that tiny baby.
Thank you God for the birth of your Son. Thank you for His life and the example that He set. Thank you for his death on the cross. I want to know what it sounded like and picture the scene of that manager on Christmas. As I enjoy the Christmas traditions of my family and the holiday parties that surround me, I don't want to lose sight of the reason. I don't want to forget the love. Thank you for loving me. Help me grow to be more like Jesus. - Amen
Tuesday, December 11, 2007
So Its been a while....
Hey there everyone.
I haven't written in a while.
Life has been pretty crazy and lots has happened and lots has taken place since my last post.
I won't bore you with the details but will say that I'm glad to be back writing again!
Ok, so I just got back from a High School Retreat. I had an amazing time and made some fantastic new connections with teens all across Virginia. It was a ton of fun! But while I was there, the speaker let us watch this quick video clip where an announcer went around the busy cities across America and asked random people "What do you think of when you think of Jesus?" and "What do you think of when you think of Christians?" The answers were very telling and challenged me to think of relationships in a new and different light....
Almost always, the answers about Jesus were positive or neutral. Even those people who were not believers, still were neutral in their feelings of Jesus. The answers about Christians, however, were very critical and very negative, especially from non-believers. Words like fanatic, extremeist, judgmental, fake were used..... So that of course made me think.
Jesus Christ came to earth and walked our life for 33 years. At the end of that 33 years, He was cruicified and killed, FOR us. He willingly and lovingly endured the pain and agony of death on a cross because He knew that was the will of His Father. He understood that ALL of us were sinful people and that without enduring His own death for each one us, we would be unable to have a relationship with His Father. Now because of His sacrifice we can live in a relationship with Him and are blessed with the promise of eternal life!
What is the purpose of witnessing? What is the purpose of fellowshiping with non-believers or with people whose faith in Jesus is new or weak? What is the motivation for "living a life worthy of the calling?" The answer is two-fold. 1) As believers, we know the joy and peace that comes from having a relationship with the Lord. 2) We want others, to come into a relationship with God and fall in love with Jesus like we have. Period. End of story.
The reason so many people don't like Christians, is because so many of us are motivated and focused on the WRONG thing. The problem with a non-believer is not their sin.... ALL of us have sin. Its not that they curse, or not that they drink, or not that they have abusing drugs or in bad relationships. Fixing those problems is not the answer! Having those people LOVE JESUS is the ANSWER! Nothing short of a personal relationship with Jesus is going to change their life.
Sin does not have the same meaning to a non-believer as it does to us. They are not motivated or challenged to live their life any differently if all we do as Christians is point out their sin. Instead, lets help them see the importance of loving Jesus. Lets lead them into a relationship with the Lord. When that happens, the ENTIRE LIFE CHANGES! The consequences of sin begin to take shape, AND BECAUSE THEY LOVE JESUS, THE SINFUL LIFE BEGINS TO LOSE ITS GRIP ON THEM! They want to be close to Jesus, and they know that with all of the sin in their life, that is not possible. The consequences begin to have meaning for them.....
I have been really challenged recently with my relationships with non-believers. I have to stop and ask myself, what is the motivation behind taking a stand on an issue and remember that if all I am doing is pointing out their sin, chances are, they are not walking away challenged or different. Instead, I need to remember my goal. My goal is for them to fall in love with Jesus and come to Him intimately. That should be the motivation behind my actions and words.
I haven't written in a while.
Life has been pretty crazy and lots has happened and lots has taken place since my last post.
I won't bore you with the details but will say that I'm glad to be back writing again!
Ok, so I just got back from a High School Retreat. I had an amazing time and made some fantastic new connections with teens all across Virginia. It was a ton of fun! But while I was there, the speaker let us watch this quick video clip where an announcer went around the busy cities across America and asked random people "What do you think of when you think of Jesus?" and "What do you think of when you think of Christians?" The answers were very telling and challenged me to think of relationships in a new and different light....
Almost always, the answers about Jesus were positive or neutral. Even those people who were not believers, still were neutral in their feelings of Jesus. The answers about Christians, however, were very critical and very negative, especially from non-believers. Words like fanatic, extremeist, judgmental, fake were used..... So that of course made me think.
Jesus Christ came to earth and walked our life for 33 years. At the end of that 33 years, He was cruicified and killed, FOR us. He willingly and lovingly endured the pain and agony of death on a cross because He knew that was the will of His Father. He understood that ALL of us were sinful people and that without enduring His own death for each one us, we would be unable to have a relationship with His Father. Now because of His sacrifice we can live in a relationship with Him and are blessed with the promise of eternal life!
What is the purpose of witnessing? What is the purpose of fellowshiping with non-believers or with people whose faith in Jesus is new or weak? What is the motivation for "living a life worthy of the calling?" The answer is two-fold. 1) As believers, we know the joy and peace that comes from having a relationship with the Lord. 2) We want others, to come into a relationship with God and fall in love with Jesus like we have. Period. End of story.
The reason so many people don't like Christians, is because so many of us are motivated and focused on the WRONG thing. The problem with a non-believer is not their sin.... ALL of us have sin. Its not that they curse, or not that they drink, or not that they have abusing drugs or in bad relationships. Fixing those problems is not the answer! Having those people LOVE JESUS is the ANSWER! Nothing short of a personal relationship with Jesus is going to change their life.
Sin does not have the same meaning to a non-believer as it does to us. They are not motivated or challenged to live their life any differently if all we do as Christians is point out their sin. Instead, lets help them see the importance of loving Jesus. Lets lead them into a relationship with the Lord. When that happens, the ENTIRE LIFE CHANGES! The consequences of sin begin to take shape, AND BECAUSE THEY LOVE JESUS, THE SINFUL LIFE BEGINS TO LOSE ITS GRIP ON THEM! They want to be close to Jesus, and they know that with all of the sin in their life, that is not possible. The consequences begin to have meaning for them.....
I have been really challenged recently with my relationships with non-believers. I have to stop and ask myself, what is the motivation behind taking a stand on an issue and remember that if all I am doing is pointing out their sin, chances are, they are not walking away challenged or different. Instead, I need to remember my goal. My goal is for them to fall in love with Jesus and come to Him intimately. That should be the motivation behind my actions and words.
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