an invitation

Hello again friends!

If you haven't read my latest blog - "a huge announcement" - go back and read that first!

I would like to invite you to be a part of something big.  God is moving in Les Anglais; you can read all about it in Shannon's blog.  I am moving there to be a part of it - to fight for families and build relationships that change lives, both mine and theirs.  I am overwhelmingly excited about this life.  I've been counting the days - 140!  I know that God has called me there, and so I will find a way to be there, no matter what it takes.  And that's why I'm not begging for your help, but I would like to invite you to be a part of this grand adventure!  

"¹² Just as a body, though one, has many parts, but all its many parts form one body, so it is with Christ. ¹³ For we were all baptized by^[c] one Spirit so as to form one body—whether Jews or Gentiles, slave or free—and we were all given the one Spirit to drink. ¹⁴ Even so the body is not made up of one part but of many.

¹⁵ Now if the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,” it would not for that reason stop being part of the body. ¹⁶ And if the ear should say, “Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body,” it would not for that reason stop being part of the body. ¹⁷ If the whole body were an eye, where would the sense of hearing be? If the whole body were an ear, where would the sense of smell be? ¹⁸ But in fact God has placed the parts in the body, every one of them, just as he wanted them to be. ¹⁹ If they were all one part, where would the body be? ²⁰ As it is, there are many parts, but one body.

²¹ The eye cannot say to the hand, “I don’t need you!” And the head cannot say to the feet, “I don’t need you!” ²² On the contrary, those parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, ²³ and the parts that we think are less honorable we treat with special honor. And the parts that are unpresentable are treated with special modesty, ²⁴ while our presentable parts need no special treatment. But God has put the body together, giving greater honor to the parts that lacked it, ²⁵ so that there should be no division in the body, but that its parts should have equal concern for each other. ²⁶ If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it.

²⁷ Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it."

1 Corinthians 12

We all have a part to play in God's story, and it looks different for everyone.  It changes all the time.  Right now, my part is to study hard, serve other students, encourage others, and love kids at the homeless shelter. In 20 weeks, my part in God's story is going to look different, and I can't wait to see it!  What matters is that we are all a part of this grand adventure, and we are all called to participate.  Partnering in this particular ministry may be a part of your story, and maybe it is not.  However, my prayer is that your time, energy, gifts, and finances are all used to glorify God.

God is inviting you to show His love to a broken world, and I am inviting you to be a part of that in Les Anglais. 

So message me for details (and that's not a commitment, but a chance to learn more about it)!

Or comment on this, or call me!  

But I'd love for you to be a part of this story.

~Shelbs

a huge announcement

Hello, wonderful people!

I have the most fantastic, beautiful, exciting news! I have been thinking and praying about this for quite a long time now, but I didn't want to let the cat out of the bag until I was certain that it would work out.

Drumroll, please.

I am moving to Haiti!

Yep, you read it right!  I know that it sounds like crazy (maybe even foolish) news, but I know this is where God is calling me.  I am also 100% sure that right now there is absolutely nothing my heart would rather do than this.  I am going to be living with a fantastic family that I got to know very well last summer.  You can see their blog here.  They are all about fighting for families and living incarnationally in their little village of Les Anglais, Haiti.  I am so blessed to have this opportunity to partner with them

a tribute to my father

6 years ago yesterday, he was gone.  It was so sudden.  It was so difficult for so long.  6 years is a long time by itself, but I feel like I have lived an entire lifetime without him.

It has not been an entire lifetime though, and today I am very thankful for all that my father was for me.

My daddy was always goofy, and everything he did was play.  He was good at his day job, but he always wanted to design video games.  Super cool, right?  If he was around today, I know he would be proud.  He would be so happy that I always follow my dreams and that my purpose is to love others.  He would be sad that my passions take my away from the states, but he would visit if he could.  He would be so supportive of anything that makes me happy.

"If you're happy, I'm happy.  If you're sad, I'm sad."  He always said it, and I know he meant it.  My dad loved deeply.  I was always a princess; I was always daddy's little girl.  My favorite time of day was when my dad came home.  I ran to him.  We would ride his motorcycle to the beach and then walk along together, talking about everything you can think of.  I walked along the rail, but I was never afraid.  What bad could ever happen with him by my side?

Never again will my dad be there: not to joke around, not to give advice, and not to walk me down the aisle one day.  But there was a time that he was there, to swing me around, to dance, to play, and to hold my hand.  I will always cherish those memories, and I'll never forget.  My dad lives as a constant reminder to love the life you're in and be content in the relationships you have.  There will always be a relationship that someone else has that you don't, but you will always have something else that someone else doesn't.  Why get caught up in that?  You have who you have, so thank God for them.

While I am so grateful for my friends and family, I am the most grateful for my God, who incidentally possesses quite a many similar characteristics to my late father.  My Father is always there for me, loves me deeply, and walks along with me.  There is much more to be said, but sometimes less is more.

But my Father is King, and I really am a princess now.