My Sustainer

Every once in a while I find myself in a state of complete emptiness and a loss of zest for life, and yet every single time I find God meeting me where I am and filling me with peace and comfort only found in Him.

This morning I was bombarded with an overwhelming feeling of brokeness, and I felt like I would never be happy again. I didn't understand what had come over me. It was sudden and unexplainable, so I began to pray.

My prayer life has been lacking for weeks now because I always seem to be interrupted, forgetful, or think that I don't need to pray for anything. It's when I reach a point of total discouragement that I realize how much I need my God and all that He is to keep my life on track. Which is why I reach rock bottom in the first place: God desperately wants me to talk to Him!

After some much needed heart to heart with God, I decided to get out of my tiny apartment and dip my toes in the ocean with a friend to try and pull myself out of the rut I was in. As soon as I felt the water hit my feet and saw the waves crash against the shore I began to feel a calm rush over me.

My intentions were to collect shells for a while as I walked the shore, but my short walk turned into a 2.5 mile trek to the pier. Along the way, I was amazed by my surroundings: the clear blue of the ocean, soft texture of the sand, unique shapes and colors of the shells, the sounds of seagulls calling out to passersby, crashing waves, and the cool breeze flowing from the ocean. I felt the Spirit capturing my attention within me being that the two most extreme ways I experience God are through worship and nature. I prayed a prayer of amazement, thanks, and had a conversation with God about how cool I thought He was for thinking of all these little details that make the beach environment unique. This led to my prayer, or rather hope, that I would find one good unique shell that wasn't chipped or in fragments because in North Myrtle Beach finding a good shell is nearly impossible.

I continued walking to the pier when I noticed a pale gray swirl in the sand. I picked it up and smiled to myself because God had given me my shell. I was overjoyed that God would do something so simple yet so special for me because He loves me more than I can fathom and loves to show me that He cares. It reminds me of  Zephaniah 3:17, "The Lord your God is with you, He is mighty to save. He will take great delight in you, He will quiet you with His love, He will rejoice over you with singing.”


The rest of the trip, I continued to talk with God, and He never failed to show me He was there. I found another perfect shell as well as a sand dollar, the pier was beautiful, and the sun setting behind the numerous resorts changed the color of the ocean.

The Spirit continued to fill me as I ended the night by serving food to the homeless at Ocean Drive Presbyterian Church. I couldn't help but feel love for the people that passed through the line because the joy that was present on their faces as the volunteers and I handed them their food was incredible. They have so little, but though they may not have it as well as you and I, they carry on. As it says in 1 Peter 4:10 "As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God's varied grace." We were made to serve and it is when we serve others before ourselves we find the most happiness.

I am so thankful for God's gentle reminder today that I need Him regardless of how strong I think I am. When I submit to His power and let Him control my life and acknowledge my weakness, He has room to show how much He loves me. As children of God, we are called to remain in constant communication with God. It is then we are able to receive His grace and mercy.

"Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God." - Philippians 4:6

With love,

Trish

P.S. Continue to be praying about my job search. I've still had no luck, but God's got a plan for me still. :)

A Different Culture

(I apologize ahead of time for the long post! I have been without internet, and it has been a very busy week! Thanks for reading :) )

Today is day six of a 10 week journey God has placed before me this summer in North Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, and I have to say...I am definitely not in Iowa anymore!

I expected the 1400 mile drive to be long and cause me and my carmates to become crabby individuals, but by the grace of God He filled us with joy and enthusiasm to last us the trip.

The trip began with three of us as we drove through the plains of Minnesota into the slightly rolling hills of Wisconsin to pick up our final passenger. We then continued on into Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Tennessee, North Carolina, and finally South Carolina, our destination. It was amazing to see the changing landscapes: plains to hills to the Great Smoky Mountains. I wish I had proof of how beautiful it was, (the Smoky mountains really are smoky!) but I was unfortunately was the one driving as we passed through the mountains.

God began showing Himself as soon as I left Worthington, Minnesota for South Carolina. I was blessed to have perky and unique people accompany me on the long drive to ensure that no one went insane. Jam sessions in the car, finding out that Burger King serves disgusting coffee, Indianapolis Arby's employees do not know how to spell "Karissa" but spell it, "Charissa", and 24 hours in the car made us more insane than we thought; as soon as we reached North Myrtle, the four of us realized how loud we could actually scream (men included). 

Roomies!

Day One: Though I was excited to reach North Myrtle, it finally sunk in: this summer is different than any other, it's completely dedicated to my Savior. I felt fear and apprehensiveness as I registered with the 100 people I'd be spending my whole summer with. Fortunately, I had raised above and beyond what I needed for support (thank you!), but I felt the overwhelming pressure of making the most of this summer because a sense of urgency had engulfed me that thousands of people vacationing here still have not experienced a relationship with Jesus. The fear began to melt away as I stepped out onto the soft, sandy beach and into the crystal blue water of the ocean. Being the first time I had ever seen the ocean, I was amazed at the beauty in front of me.

I was still processing the beauty I had experienced while exploring the beach as the entire project had the opportunity to introduce themselves the first night we arrived. We shared a picnic together, played a few games, and worshiped on the beach to a guitar with full stomachs and Jesus in our hearts.  

North Myrtle Beach at sunset

Day Two: The next morning, project met for our first meeting and learned that we will be studying the book of Mark in depth this summer in our Bible studies. We were given the schedule for the summer, material we would be training from, and were taught how to share our faith with vacationers on the beach.

We began sharing right away in groups of two, a terrifying reality for those of us that were not mentally prepared! Thankfully, God filled us with His Spirit after time in prayer,and we got a taste of what was to come this summer. I was joined with another girl from project as we gave spiritual surveys to tourists sunning themselves on the beach. One conversation we had in particular was with two recently graduated high school senior girls who thought that as long as you believe in a higher power, you'll go to a place much better than here. I was sadly not surprised to hear this response because I knew from my experiences of sharing on campus that young adults are being exposed less and less to Jesus.

Sharing was followed by a women's night of confession where the women of project shared our struggles, fears, and secrets so that we may become closer and comfort each other in the name of Jesus.

Day Three: Friday morning, project was educated in "How to be filled and walk with the Spirit", a subject that many Christians have not had a chance to learn in depth and grasp how important it is to know what it means (Ephesians 5:18). Though all Christians are indwelled with the Spirit all of our lives, not all of us are filled with the Spirit because it occurs when we yield to Christ rather than simply believe. We must continually drink from the Spirit in order to be filled and ensure we are being controlled by Him. We can do this by faith though prayer that God will fill us with His Spirit: a dependent person is a praying person.

After an uplifting message on the Spirit, staff sent us on our way to hunt for a job that we would be dedicating five days a week. Many students were employed immediately by McDonald's and Chick-fil-A, but I was not as lucky. I began to feel the pressure after an afternoon of searching and learning that many employers were not hiring or that they had received numerous applications. Feeling disheartened, I decided to start fresh on Monday and pray that God might fill me with understanding and patience.

That night, the women were given the chance to share their testimonies with each other in our small group Bible studies. Three other girls, my Bible study leader, and myself spent the night sharing our past hurts, struggles, and unique situations more in depth than we had during women's time the night before. You could feel God working through our stories in order that we may bond together as women in His name to uplift one another.

Day Four: Another morning of meetings, and Saturday we were enlightened on how we can find our value in Christ alone. A truth I found most uplifting is found in Ephesians 1:3-8. God has personally adopted as His children and predestined us to be a part of His family. When you think about it in earthly terms, adoption is an amazing gift because in order to be adopted, you must be chosen, and you then become legally a part of the family. God has chosen each one of us to be a part of His heavenly family. Praise the Lord!

With this in mind, I began another afternoon of job hunting and filling our application after application. Though I am currently without a job, I know God has a plan in this and that He will provide. An abundance of prayer in this area would be greatly appreciated!

The night wrapped up the exhausting day and consisted of an abundance of food, fun, and fellowship in a nearby park.

Day Five: Sunday morning started early at 8 AM with a Sunday school message about evangelism. Following Sunday school, project attended Ocean Drive Presbyterian Church that was only a few blocks from our apartments. I was ecstatic to be greeted with excited smiles of the congregation and their enthusiasm during worship and the message. A particular elderly woman was never shy to give a loud, "Amen!" when she agreed with the pastor's words about how we are to react during times of injustice. We were also privileged to witness a baptism of twin babies that were dressed up in their white baptismal gowns and remained cheerful as the pastor drew water crosses upon their foreheads. I am definitely excited for next Sunday!

My discipler (mentor) and I attempted to share on the beach in the afternoon, but being as it was Memorial Day weekend we came up short and found ourselves surrounded by families and did not see college age students. Taking in the opportunity, my discipler used the time to better understand who I was and what I am struggling with so that she could better help me grow during the summer.

After a heart-to-heart on the beach, project met in our impact groups (co-ed Bible study) and bonded over Papa John's pizza while placing ourselves on different teams we would be a part of this summer after staff leaves at the end of June. That's right! We as students become the leaders of project beginning in July after the staff leave permanently for their homes in the Midwest. We will be calling the shots and organizing outreaches, fellowship nights, and messages at weekly meetings.

Excited to begin training in our new roles, project gathered together for another meeting that consisted of the theme "Thirsting to know Him". We were initially given five saltine crackers and were asked to leave all liquids at the back of the room with staff. We were told to eat the crackers immediately as fast as we could, and sat through a message about being thirsty for Jesus. Rather than quenching our thirst with earthly desires that can be compared to salt water (looks like water but doesn't satisfy), we are to acknowledge that only Jesus can satisfy with fresh, living water, John 4:14.Thankfully, staff was kind enough to provide us all with bottled water and help us better understand what it means to thirst after our Savior alone.

The Spirit was alive in us as we ended an exciting week by worshiping on the beach and singing praises to our Lord and Savior who fills us, gives us value, and quenches our thirst.


Thank you all for your continuing prayers and support as I kick off my summer in North Myrtle, and thanks for reading until the end! I will try to keep posts shorter and update more often as my days will consist of work rather than meetings. Please be praying for me (you can look at my prayer requests page!) and keep looking for blog updates! I am still unsure of when is the best day to do so so I will let you know. :)

God bless your summers and may you be filled with the Spirit.

With love in Christ,

Trish

"Whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life.” 

John 4:14

A Little Background

In a few short days I will be cramped in a car with three other people who love Jesus headed to North Myrtle Beach, South Carolina to spread the Good News and grow in my faith. Sand, surf, and sun all summer long surrounded by people whose eyes are set on Christ and want nothing more than to follow His will.

I am nothing short of excited, but a farm girl from Iowa can't help but be nervous for the adventures that lie ahead with God and His glorious plan.

I never thought I would ever do something as crazy as traveling 1,453 miles from a quiet Midwest town of about 3,000 to one of the largest tourist destinations in the United States to share Jesus with people whose purpose in life is to get tan and have fun all summer long. It's amazing how God doesn't care about your life plans no matter how awesome they may sound to you.

My journey toward North Myrtle started last year when I got plugged into Cru at South Dakota State University my freshman year. I met a lovely woman who was my Bible study leader and asked to be my discipler (mentor). Towards the end of the year she kept insisting that I go on a Summer Project that was promoted like crazy at weekly Cru meetings.

It wasn't until this past school year that God started pulling at my heart and was pushing me to go to North Myrtle on a Summer Project. I finally agreed to His call and began to gather names and send out letters to raise support. I couldn't believe that I raised all of my support in one month; over $3,000!

So here I am, waiting patiently to follow God's call and evangelize to people who need Jesus desperately in their lives.

But what is Summer Project? What will I be doing? A few questions I have been asked over the spring semester as I was sending out letters and raising support.

What is Summer Project?
The Summer Project website (gosummerproject.com) defines a Summer Project as: "Over the course of the summer, you’ll be trained in communicating your faith with non-believers and believers alike. Along the way you’ll gain practical skills to help you apply Jesus’ teachings to your own life and pass them on to others. The hope is that you will become an effective Christ-centered leader both on your campus and in whatever field God calls you to after college." Specifically, I am attending a 10 week stateside project where my job is my ministry focus. Through having a job, I will be serving my co-workers and the community as well. A great way to show the community what being a Christ follower is about: service! As well as serving the community, I will be exploring Scripture through weekly project gatherings and small group Bible Studies and have a discipler just like I did at State who will help lead me through my personal relationship with Jesus.

I can't possibly define everything about Summer Project , so for the next 10 weeks I hope you will be following me on this blog to gain a better sense of what this amazing opportunity entails!

For those who have supported me in any way during these past few months, thank you! Your support is appreciated so much, and I am so thankful God has put you in my life as I dive head first into this adventure. I ask that you continue to pray for me, and you can see what specific things I will need prayers for on my "Prayer Requests" page.

Thank you all for supporting me, and may Christ bless your summers!

Love,
Trish

 P.S. The Summer Project website at gosummerproject.com is a great resource for anymore questions you may have!

 “Commit to the Lord whatever you do, and your plans will succeed.” –Proverbs 16:3