2008

JANUA​RY
1.Who kisse​d you on new years​?​​ that would be no one...
2.Did you have a New Year'​​s Resol​ution​ this year?​​ I don't remember... ha
3.Does it snow where​ you live?​​ right now - definitely NOT, in 2 days - TWO DAYSSS - YES!
4.Do you like hot choco​late?​​ mmmm yes!!!
5.Have you ever been to Times​ Squar​e to watch​ the ball drop?​​ No, but I REALLY want to

FEBRU​ARY
1.Who was your Valen​tine?​​ 9 lovely Kindergartners
2.When you were littl​e did you buy Valen​tine'​​s for the whole​ class​? of course, still do!
3.Do you care if the groun​dhog sees its shadow or not? nah
4.What did you recei​ve for valen​tine'​​s day? lots of little handmade cards & a few store bought ones
5.What did you give for valen​tine'​​s day? I gave my class cards, candy & some stickers :)

MARCH​
1.Are you Irish​?​​ probably have some in me...
2.Do you like corne​d beef and cabba​ge?​​ I think so
3.What did you do for St Patri​ck'​​s Day? umm... was excited for it to almost be mybirthday?
4.Are you happy​ when winte​r is prett​y much over?​​ winter? what's winter

APRIL​
1.Do you like the rain?​​ I love the way the rain smells here :)
2.Did you play an April​ fool'​​s joke on anyon​e this year?​​ I probably tried to trick my kiddies somehow
3.Do you get tons of candy​ for Easte​r? Negative

MAY
1.What is your favor​ite flowe​r?​​ ohhh I like lots of different kinds... depends on what they are for
2.Finis​h the phras​e "​​April​ showe​rs…"​​ make the ground really muddy & gives me red feet
3.Do you celeb​rate May 16th:​​ Natio​nal Pierc​ing Day? nooo
4.Is May anyth​ing speci​al to you? Not for any reason in particular

JUNE
1.What year did/​​will you gradu​ate from high schoo​l? ​​2004
2.Did you do anyth​ing fun durin​g this Month​?​​ OH YES - I went to AMERICA :)
3.Have a favor​ite baseb​all team?​​ well I guess I'll just say the Reds

JULY
1.What did you do on the 4th of July?​​ I think went to my grandmas for lunch, then fireworks
2.Did you go to the firew​orks?​​ of course!
3.Did you blast​ the A/C all day? definitely not - I was probably wearing a sweater all day...

AUGUS​T
1.What was your favor​ite summe​r memor​y of '08? oh man! there were a LOT of good ones this summer - I loved being home so much!
2.Did you have a sunbu​rn? in the weak American sun?? nahh
3.Did you go to the pool a lot? nope

SEPTE​MBER
1.Are you atten​ding school​?​​ teaching
2.What happe​ned this month​?​​ tried out for the pantomime

OCTOB​ER
1.What was your last Hallo​ween costu​me?​​ Greek goddess
2. What is your favorite candy? Reese's and Snickers
3.What was your favor​ite thing​(​​s)​​ about​ this month​?​​ mm... Pantomime practice, cause thats ALL I did

NOVEM​BER
1. Where were you for Thanksgiving? At the Callis' house w/ all my roomies & fellow 20-something teachers
2.What are you thank​ful for? My Jesus, my rockin awesome family & wonderful friends :) and sooo much more!
3.Do you love stuff​ing?​​ love, I wouldn't go that far... like
4.Anyth​ing speci​al in this month​? Thanksgiving, Jumble Sale

DECEM​BER
1.Do you celeb​rate Chris​tmas?​​ because it is Jesus' birthday!!
2.Have you ever been kisse​d under​ the mistl​etoe?​​ don't think so...
3.What do you want for Christmas? to be homeee
4.Get anything good this year? I'll find out in 2 weeks :)
5.What do you love most about December? I'M GOING TO AMERICA TOMORROWWWW!!!

Mocha Club(s)

Watch the video. The Africa you see here is mine... the one I see. Poor and needy people everywhere, yet people who have joy overflowing - not circumstantial, possession-based joy you see in other places, but joy that knows no limit, no bounds and has no physical value.

Join Mocha Club.

Drink Starbucks Holiday Drinks (Peppermint Mocha Twist, Gingersnap Latte, and Espresso Truffle) .05 cents from every holiday drink from now until January 2, 2009 goes to support (red), a group fighting against AIDS in Africa

gobbledy gook

~ opening night of the Pantomime is tomorrow... I'm exhausted, my health is teetering on a very fine point, my body aches, my patience is waining - BUT - I wouldn't take it back for the world, and I am SO glad that I let the high schoolers convince me to try out - as my roommate Mariah just told me a bit ago, when I think about my 3rd semester in Ghana, this is what I will remember... because it's all I did :)

~ I am going to be finishing up the first semester of school and going to get on a plane in 10 days. This makes me very happy. I will also be losing a fantastic aid, who is heading back to the US for university, in 10 days... this makes me sad...

~ I need to stop shopping online (only 3 orders + 1 thing for my class... not too bad, but I still need to stop)

~ I WON SOMETHING!!! :) - I won the prize of an awesome framed print of an awesome photo for that last blog I wrote from Kate, a friend of a friend whose blog I found and have been loving (I can't wait to get it in the mail when I get home!!)!

~ Going home in 10 days means I'm taking the GRE in 14 days... eek... not so excited about this - but I am excited to get it over with, and hopefully complete the process of applying to both of the Grad schools I'm looking at right now (UC and WSU).

~ I should have been in bed a longggg time ago... I think I'm to that point where my body is on autopilot and sleep isn't something it's been doing much lately, so that's not the mode it is in... ugh.

~ My class did a rockin' awesome job on the Christmas art projects we did in class today - 3-D Christmas trees and snowman mosaics - I need to take pictures of the festiveness of my classroom... it far surpasses last years. Mom, you will be proud of my spontaneous creativity for these projects this last week or so :)

~ I found out the dates for my Katie's choir/showchior Christmas concerts, and I'll be homeeee :) - being in the pantomime has made me miss showchoir something fierce, and I can't wait to go sing Hallelujah Chorus and The 12 Days After Christmas up on stage with my baby sister for her last time doing it as a student!

~ and pretty much... basically... I'LL BE IN OHIO IN 11 DAYS (ya, the whole day-and-a-half to get there thing is pretty dumb... but hey, in the air is closer than here!!) :) :) :) :) :) :)

I need Africa more than Africa needs me

the title of this blog is so true... I am here, and I am doing my best to help anyone that I can... but on the same token, that's just what I would be doing in the US as well.

I am so torn on the subject of aid... my roommates and I talk about this every now and then, and Mariah actually just posted this article from BBC to her Facebook:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/7740652.stm It's a very good article - check it out if you can!!

Anyway, back to why I need Africa more than it needs me... and why the heck I'm writing this in the first place - there is an org called Mocha Club - I'm not yet a member myself, but I have lots of close friends who are, and do intend to become a member, most likely this summer when I return home and am back to having a normal salary - it's a great org that asks for $7 a month, instead of one Mocha, to go toward aid in Africa. Again, I am torn about this, but I really feel that this org is doing a great job at seeing to the money actually getting to the people who need it. There are several different projects which you can choose to have your money go toward. I found the site of a woman named Kate a few days ago, and she challenged her readers to post about this topic, to join Mocha Club, and is even offering a contest to win a print from her and her husband's trip to South Africa/Zimbabwe (the pictures are BEAUTIFUL!!). I have visited the Mocha Club site several times in the last few weeks after hearing about it so much from my friends who are a part of it, and after reading her post and accepting her challenge... well, here we are!

Ok... finally! The project that I identify most with on the Mocha Club site is the one called Orphan Care. I am drawn to this cause for so many reasons... from wanting to adopt children myself someday, to getting to know personally a house full of orphaned children here in Ghana. If only I could take them all up in my arms and keep them forever... unfortunately I can't - and even if I could adopt even one now, it wouldn't be fair to my future husband or the child. I can, however, get their stories out and encourage others to actively take some role in helping to care for orphans around the world - not just in Africa, but even in the US (orphan care is even in the Bible! - James 1:27). Here is an excerpt of the comment I left on Kate's blog yesterday to help explain why I relate to Orphan Care:

"Since I’ve been here in Ghana (I’m working as a teacher at an international Christian school) my heartbeat has been a local orphanage. The stories of the children who I’ve gotten to know and love with all my heart are incredible… sad, hopeful, encouraging, and heart wrenching all at the same time. When I visited Mocha Club last week, the first project that jumped out at me was Orphan Care. I have always felt a longing in me to have a family, and there has always been a still small voice that has said over and over again that part of that family was going to be adopted - children from around the world, a rainbow of skin, children who God has a special plan to become a part of my family - precious gifts wrapped in a different package, adoption. Until that time comes, I want to do whatever I can to stay involved with the orphanage I volunteer at here in Ghana, and others such as the ones through Mocha Club."

Please check out the Mocha Club website and seriously consider joining - only $7 a month, only 1 Mocha that you have to give up! Here is the link to their site:

https://www.mochaclub.org/mochaclub/welcome

and for real finally... why I REALLY need Africa more than Africa needs me...

Almost 2 years ago, God started me on my journey to Africa. A journey that has not always been easy, one that has shown me sides of people I didn't know could be so dark yet has shown me pure joy in Jesus at the same time. God has taught me lessons that I never could have learned in Ohio, that He had specially planned for me to learn during my time here. I have been stretched and pushed outside of my comfort zone, and been ok with it, so many more times here in Ghana that I ever would in the US. I needed Africa to teach me so many things... that I am independent, but only through the support of my Savior. That people are not always what they seem... both negatively and positively. That the passion that I talked about for orphans is a real one and that it really does come from God. That I love teaching, but am meant to be teaching Special Education. That my parents really do know what they are talking about, and that I am so grateful to them & have so much respect for them because of everything they have done for me. That I really can do ALL THINGS through Christ, because He strengthens me. And that my God is a GREAT BIG God, that He holds me in His hands, and that He will NEVER leave me. Not only these things but so much more... that is why I needed Africa so much more than it has or will ever need me.

Saturday

Some days you can do nothing but throw your arms up in the air and laugh. Either that or fall in a heap of frustration born tears. Yesterday was one of those days for me... except there are two distinct halves to it... let's have story time, shall we?

I woke up late (I guess I hit snooze on my phone without really waking up) and didn't have time to shower... I went into my roommates bathroom to wash my face (because the water is off in my bathroom only because of a broken pipe in the wall which produced flood #4 - but that's another story...) and as I walked back to my room I heard a honk... oh dang! My ride was early. I threw on clothes as quickly as I could, grabbed half a bagel (ya, I got some bagels Friday - that was exciting!), and ran down to the car, hair a hot mess.

Pantomime practice was fine... nothing exciting but not as terrible as last Monday's (that is yet another story...). We did a FULL run through of the entire thing... a total of 4.5 hours sitting out in the heat w/ not much of a breeze. I was ready to go to say the least. And very hungry. The other teacher who is also in the play asked if I would like to go to lunch with her and her daughter after practice, and of course I said sure! So, off we went to drop of her son & a few other kids. Just as we got through sitting in 1 1/2 hours of traffic... the car stopped. Just... stopped. On a hill. With all of the traffic behind us. Ug. Sooo... we pushed! I'm sure it was quite a hilarious sight, 6 Obroni's pushing a huge SUV up a hill - the men in the passing trotros called out "obroni, push hard!" or "Oh, Obroni, why, why??". Thanks guys... Eventually about 5 Ghanaian men ran over and took over the pushing and got the truck off the road into a side street. Of course we didn't have any money, so the kids walked on to Youth Group where we were to drop them off, and the other teacher and I + her daughter walked to an ATM... shew - I sure am sweaty!! She was able to get some cash thank goodness, because I was plum out of it (we had to give what little I did have to her driver to be able to buy some water for the overheated car and just in case he had to get a taxi) so we took a taxi to a restaurant nearby and had lunch. Lunch was really good and her husband made the 45 minute drive to come and pick them up. They were kind enough to take me home so I didn't have to walk/taxi, but when we drove up...

The gate was locked... now the gate to the front door is always locked, and I have the key for that... but the gate to the driveway had a padlock on it - a padlock to which only the guard and one of my roommates have a key. And I remembered - the movie theater opened up and they were all going to go see the new James Bond - I couldn't go because I probably wouldn't be back in time. They took the guard with them as a treat for him... but I guess didn't think about the fact that they locked me out... crap... well... uhhhh... OK, can you drive me to... uhhh... where do I go?! I tried calling another teacher but she texted and said her and her husband were at the movie - I texted back immediately and asked if i could go sit at their house till they got back... no response... ummm... uhhh.... OK, closest missionary families house - how about there! I made a call to the daughter of the family, and she said it was no problem to come sit there.

I rang the bell and Rebecca, the intern, came to the gate. She was surprised to see me, and as I started to explain the horrible afternoon I was in the midst of she just smiled, gave me a hug, and asked if I would like a massage... umm ya! Rebecca went to school to be a massage therapist, and is so amazing for giving us all free massages as part of her ministry while she is here... not to mention she is just fun to hang out with :) - I was able to have a massage, cookies and ice cream, watch a movie, and then ended up sticking around even after my roommates got home and had homemade cheeseburgers (which were SO good) and french fries, and even got a ride home.

Isn't it funny how God can take what has been maybe one of the hardest day's I have had here and turn it into a fun and relaxing evening?! While giving me the massage, Rebecca said "I think God just likes to laugh sometimes, so he throws us off by blessing us out of nowhere" - so true!! Thank you Jesus for blessing me with friends who welcome me into their home, a roof over my head to come home to (even when I get locked out sometimes), food to eat, and especially for Rebecca!!

Stones

This beautiful little lady and her rockin awesome family have blessed me in so many ways... in devotions this morning Mariah talked about 'collecting stones' like the Israelites did to remind them of the things God had done for them. They collected stones and made them into an altar to God, a memorial as Mariah put it. I just wanted to share a few of my stones - the ways God has worked in my life through this particular family :)

When I first started going over the the orphanage I hang out at every week I heard about a little one who had travelled to the US, to Southern Ohio, to have surgery & I got to see a picture of her... the little girl in that picture looked scared and distant and my heart broke for her. There was talk of me flying over with her at Christmas time, but nothing came of that. As I continued to visit the orphanage I began to develop relationships with several of the kids, 2 in particular because they were so excited that they were going to live in Ohio like me. I realized eventually that they were being adopted by the same family as the one who was caring for the girl I mentioned above.

Fast forward to the day before I was leaving for the summer... I had heard that Mrs. K was going to be at the orphanage that week to pick up those 2 kids I had gotten pretty close to & I was so excited to meet her. We got lucky (or God had a plan... ya I think that's what happened!) and were both at the orphanage at the same time that day. Phone numbers, emails and addresses were exchanged so that while home for the summer I could see about coming to visit and meet the rest of the family. Of course when I got home I had such good intentions about contacting Mrs. K soon in the summer... but I got busy and as the summer flew by I just didn't ever email or call. Eventually I smacked myself in the forehead and said "you have to email her Ashley!!!" and I did... God's timing is so awesome because just as I emailed they were trying to arrange for the girl from the picture to come back to Ghana for her final adoption process which has to take place with her here in person. It was arranged that I would come and visit the 2 children who had just been adopted, and meet the little girl from the picture as well as the rest of the family. I absolutely loved thier home and the loving atmosphere that was gushing from the walls... the 3 children that are adopted from here in Ghana are only 3 of 10 children... 3 biological and 7 adopted - amazing!! The girl I met that day in Ohio was not the same girl from the picture I had seen in Ghana - she was certianly not afraid or distant, but curious, energetic, healthy, and loved. Fast forward again... it was decided that she for sure would be flying back to Ghana with me & because of this (HERES A STONE!) I was able to check an extra bag of stuff for my classroom. You have no idea how much difference an extra 50 lbs. is when moving across the ocean!! The process of the flights and layovers was a long, somewhat tedious, and exhausting one... but she was a trooper!

Since we've been back in Ghana I have been able to help Mrs. K and her keep in contact through emails and squeeze hugs that get passed back and fourth. Mrs. K decided she was going to come to Ghana for about 10 days after all to get the adoption process moving along. We started planning and I was able to help find her a place to stay while she was here, and set up a mini-vacation for the 3 of us to go on for a weekend (STONE). Mrs. K offered to bring me items for my classroom, and my parents were actually able to buy me some things and drive them over to the K's house to bring to me (MORE STONES!!). While she was here, I got to play tour guide and learn so much about thier incredible family and even got to use the 4 extra hands in my classroom one day for an art project. Mrs. K had to return to the states and with tears and hugs we said goodbye. Since then, the process of the final adoption paperwork has been long and complicated, slow and confusing, but God is so good and it is finally all over. That girl in the picture at the top of this blog (and bless you if you've made it this far!!) is ready to go. She is ready to go HOME. Back to a family that loves her dearly and has blessed my socks off... Pray for them as they prepare to get her back - pray that the flights go smoothly and that Mrs. K doesn't get knocked out when she gets the biggest hug shes ever gotten in her life on Sunday at the airport :)

My heart (which broke for her the first time I saw her in a picture) is now overflowing with joy for her.

A few of my stones look like this beautiful girl and her family... what do your stones look like?

Happy Halloween! Errrr... Storybook Theme Day!!

At AIS we have our own version of Halloween called "Storybook Theme Day". The students (and teachers of course) dress up as a character from a book (and in our class if they had the book they brought it in so we could read it). It just so happened that we had reading month in October this year, so it was the last day of this and the 2nd grade and lower classes had a party (bouncy castle and juice bar!!), and I had asked my student's parents to send in treats for our class party... and then remembered it was also bake sale Friday (the last Friday of every month) - can you say SUGAR??!?! Oh well... it was so much fun, all 9 of my kids dressed up and had so much fun all day :) - enjoy the pic's :)

My girls :)

My boys :)

Me and Meg :)

My whole class on stage for the "parade" - Nana Adjoa (the fairy w/ the wings) won a "most creative" prize!

The high school & their teachers :)

Waterfall

The chorus to this song pretty much sum's up my weekend... how odd :) - I know the song wasn't written as though speaking about God, but that's the way I like to think of it... Jesus YOU are like a waterfall washing over me, YOU are a mountain top, YOU lift me up and I just want to be where YOU are!!!

Where You Are by Rascal Flatts

You're a waterfall

Washin' over me

I'm a thirsty man

Let me drink you in

I am on my way

You're a mountain top

When I reach for you

Your love lifts me up

All that I want is to be

Where you are

Getting ready to jump with Tina

Jump off!

Swimming to the island

We made it!!

Tina, Liz, Me, Emily swimming in the waterfall

Waterfall washing over us!!

View from the top...

When I reach for you...

At the top of the mountain there were hundreds of butterflies

Beautiful butterfly... beautiful weekend :)

honest, innocent, and quite hilarious

"Dear Jesus, We praise you, and we bless you, and we worship you and all that stuff. In your name I pray, Amen" ~ boyA

“girl S, you are six!! You know EVERYTHING!!” girlL
“Ya, but she doesn’t know that there are pretty flowers in heaven!” boyD

“Miss Hopkinnsss!! girlS asked me if God can go through your fingernail, and I said yes.” boyL
“No, I still don’t think he can” girlS
“STOP IT girlS!! I told you he cannnn!” boyL (in a strained voice)

“In heaven there is a roller coaster with Jesus. Its true, cause it’s in a game my cousin has. It’s called Rainbow Road.” girlL

“Hey I know the best kind of gorillas. The ones that can play soccer, and I know it cause I’ve seen one! You know that, it can play soccer!!!” boyL

“Something smells.” says boyN
“That’s your breath." answers girlL

Crash Bang

So I was walking across my classroom yesterday and totally wiped out and smashed my knees, one on the floor and the other against the door, creating lovely bruises on both, as well as raw skin where I skidded across the floor. I've now realized that I must have hit my ribs on the way down and landed on my hip cause they are both aching something fierce today, along with my back... which hurts a lot randomly anyway. Luckily, no Kindergarteners were hurt in the process... actually, no one even saw it cause they were outside for lunch with my wonderful aid, Tina...

just incase you need a good laugh - just imagine it with me! I am side stepping (or something like that...) my way toward the door when **SHWOOMMMM!** down I go, and suddenly I am sliding into the slightly ajar door (and apparently shelves as well), and CRASH BANG... I'm glad that no one was watching, and that I wasn't wearing a skirt anyway. I was able to laugh, which quickly turned into something much more like whimpering/wicing when I had to stand up. My sideways turning right pinkie toe (I tore the ligament or whatever is in there a few weeks ago) goes quite nicely with these I'd say... especially since that occured by way of sliding across my bathroom floor into the sink after crashing onto my back because of a miniflood in my bathroom... slip'n'slide anyone?!?

pinkie toe VS. bathroom sink = sink 1, me 0

knees, hips, ribs, and back VS. classroom floor, shelves, and door = door/shelves/floor 1, me... still 0

I Am

I AM … excited, tired, hopefull, waiting, disappointed, pleased, frustrated, and so ready for a break from school this Monday!

I WANT… to do well in the Pantomime & get a copy of it on DVD for my family to see

I HAVE ... a heartstring that is being tugged harder and harder by Special Education

I KEEP... hurting my pinkie toes (one can currently turn sideways at the knuckle... eww)

I WISH I COULD … take photography classes, auditing basic ones while getting my masters is the potential plan

I FEAR … losing someone I love while I'm so far away

I HEAR … the air conditioner and kids playing on the playground

I DON’T THINK … I can wait to come home and visit in 64 days!!!!!!!!

I REGRET … not talking and praying with that woman when I had the chance at the homeless shelter this summer

I LOVE … spontaneity, even if it's rare

I AM NOT … sure how I'm going to buy a car, move out, pay for school, eat, and live in general when I come back stateside next year...

I DANCE … every chance I get! I miss Salsa...

I SING … all the time - there is a song for everything, and if not, I'll make one up :)

I NEVER … go to bed early enough

I RARELY … get embarrassed

I CRY WHEN I WATCH … the most random things

I AM NOT ALWAYS … going to be single... I think...

I HATE THAT … I'm missing important things in my siblings lives

I’M CONFUSED ABOUT … nothing - weird!

I NEED … to finish reading the first book for my online class and start the second one

I SHOULD … study for the GRE more since I bought the book...

How!

I am Running Water.

You may know me better by the name Tiger Lily (in the Disney version of Pan).

I am oh so excited... there will be singing, bollywood as well as Native American dancing, and jokes a'plenty to come :)




















Now I should probably go watch Pocahontas...

Hosanna by Hillsong United

I see the king of glory
Coming on the clouds with fire
The whole earth shakes
The whole earth shakes

Yeah

I see his love and mercy
Washing over all our sin
The people sing
The people sing

Hosanna
Hosanna
Hosanna in the highest

Hosanna
Hosanna
Hosanna in the highest

I see a generation
Rising up to take their place
With selfless faith
With selfless faith

I see a near revival
Stirring as we pray and seek
We're on our knees
We're on our knees

Hosanna
Hosanna
Hosanna in the highest

Heal my heart and make it clean
Open up my eyes to the things unseen
Show me how to love like you have loved me

Break my heart from what breaks yours
Everything I am for your kingdoms cause
As I go from nothing to
Eternity

Hosanna
Hosanna
Hosanna in the highest

Hosanna
Hosanna
Hosanna in the highest

Hosanna in the highest

maybe I don't want to grow up...

Saturday I went to auditions for a part in the British International Players production of...

Peter Pan!!!!

I'm really excited about it... for the 1st time in my life, I didn't chicken out because I was too nervous to sing at the try-out, I belted my little heart out, and I didn't keel over and die of embarrassment!!!! In fact, I did just fine... maybe even well :) - I really think it will be a fun thing to be a part of... I had fun just doing makeup for the 3 performances of Robin Hood last year, and it felt really good to be in the drama scene again after being out of it since high school. I'm even more excited to atually be up on stage, and maybe even saying a few lines!

I should find out by Wednesday if I made it, and if I did, if I am in the chorus or have a part :) I'll let you know ;)

Jehovah Jireh

I have heard many people talk about how God reveals different parts of his character to us in different ways, at different times of our lives. Over the past year and a half, the charachteristic that God has been showing me is that He is my provider. My Jehovah Jireh, which means "God will see to it" or "God will provide". God reveals this name for himself to Abraham in Genesis 22. I've been reading up on this and hearing a lot about it lately, and I just thought I'd share some things that I found particularly interesting from a few very wise men. :)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Warren Wiersbe writes the following in his book Be Obedient:

"Two statements reveal the emphasis of this passage:
“God will provide Himself a lamb for a burnt offering” (Genesis 22:8); and “Jehovah-jireh” (Genesis 22:14), which means, “The Lord will see to it,” that is, “The Lord will provide.”

As he climbed Mount Moriah with his son, Abraham was confident that God would meet every need.

On what could Abraham depend? He certainly could not depend on his feelings, for there must have been terrible pain within as he contemplated slaying his son on the altar. He loved his only son, but he also loved his God and wanted to obey Him.

Nor could Abraham depend on other people. Sarah was at home, and the two servants who accompanied him were back at the camp. We thank God for friends and family members who can help us carry our burdens, but there are some trials in life that we must face alone. It is only then that we can see what our Father really can do for us!

Abraham could depend on the promise and provision of the Lord. He had already experienced the resurrection power of God in his own body (see notes Romans 4:19; 20; 21), so he knew that God could raise Isaac from the dead if that was His plan. Apparently no resurrections had taken place before that time, so Abraham was exercising great faith in God.

God did provide the sacrifice that was needed, and a ram took Isaac’s place on the altar (Genesis 22:13). Abraham discovered a new name for God—“Jehovah-jireh”—which can be translated “The Lord will see to it” or “The Lord will be seen.” The statement “In the mount of the Lord it shall be seen” helps us understand some truths about the provision of the Lord.

Where does the Lord provide our needs? In the place of His assignment. Abraham was at the right place, so God could meet his needs. We have no right to expect the provision of God if we are not in the will of God.

When does God meet our needs? Just when we have the need and not a minute before. When you bring your requests to the throne of grace, God answers with mercy and grace “in time of need” (see note Hebrews 4:16). Sometimes it looks like God waits until the last minute to send help, but that is only from our human point of view. God is never late.

How does God provide for us? In ways that are usually quite natural. God did not send an angel with a sacrifice; He simply allowed a ram to get caught in a bush at a time when Abraham needed it and in a place where Abraham could get his hands on it. All Abraham needed was one animal, so God did not send a whole flock of sheep.

To whom does God give His provision? To those who trust Him and obey His instructions. When we are doing the will of God, we have the right to expect the provision of God. A deacon in the first church I pastored used to remind us, “When God’s work is done in God’s way, it will not lack God’s support.” God is not obligated to bless my ideas or projects, but He is obligated to support His work if it is done in His way.

Why does God provide our every need? For the great glory of His name! “Hallowed be Thy name” is the first petition in the Lord’s Prayer (Matt 6:9-13), and it governs all the other requests. God was glorified on Mount Moriah because Abraham and Isaac did the will of the Lord and glorified Jesus Christ. We must pause to consider this important truth."
(Wiersbe, W. W: Be Obedient Wheaton, Ill.: Victor Books)

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C H Spurgeon states the following in the sermon he gave titled "Jehovah Jireh" on October 12, 1884 at the Metropolitan Tabernacle, Newington (England):

"I believe that the truth contained in the expression “Jehovah-jireh” was ruling Abraham’s thought long before he uttered it and appointed it to be the memorial name of the place where the Lord had provided a substitute for Isaac. It was this thought, I think, which enabled him to act as promptly as he did under the trying circumstances. His reason whispered within him,

If you slay your son, how can God keep his promise to you that your seed shall be as many as the stars of heaven?

He answered that suggestion by saying to himself,
Jehovah will see to it!

As he went upon that painful journey, with his dearly beloved son at his side, the suggestion may have come to him,
How will you meet Sarah when you return home, having imbrued your hands in the blood of her son? How will you meet your neighbors when they hear that Abraham, who professed to be such a holy man, has killed his son?

That answer still sustained his heart — 
Jehovah will see to it! Jehovah will see to it! He will not fail in his word. Perhaps he will raise my son from the dead; but in some way or other he will justify my obedience to him, and vindicate his own command. Jehovah will see to it.

This was a quietus to every mistrustful thought.

I pray that we may drink into this truth, and be refreshed by it.

If we follow the Lord’s bidding, He will see to it that we shall not be ashamed or confounded.

If we come into great need by following His command, He will see to it that the loss shall he recompensed.

If our difficulties multiply and increase so that our way seems completely blocked up, Jehovah will see to it that the road shall be cleared.

The Lord will see us through in the way of holiness if we are only willing to be thorough in it, and dare to follow wheresoever He leads the way.

We need not wonder that Abraham should utter this truth, and attach it to the spot, which was to be forever famous: for his whole heart was saturated with it, and had been sustained by it. Wisely he makes an altar and a mountain to be memorials of the truth which had so greatly helped him. His trials had taught him more of God, — had, in fact, given him a new name for his God; and this he would not have forgotten, but he would keep it before the minds of the generations following by naming the place Jehovah-Jireh."

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How has God been your Jehovah Jireh, your provider?
How has God been revealing himself to you lately?
What characteristic of God have you been learing about?
Thoughts??

Golden Nuggets

one time at a certain missionary families house we were having dinner, and the Man of the house said "when we have parties, everyone has to share a golden nugget. Something that has happened to them recently, good or bad, something that sticks out and is worth sharing". I like that... here are some golden nuggets...

- The water was just off for 2 days... it came back on... God is good (cause He must know how bad we were starting to smell!!)
- We got a german shepherd puppy, her name is Roxy, she barks when people are at the gate... she doesn't like me (actually, she only likes our guards and the one roommate to whom she techincally belongs...).
- I am coming home for Christmas... this alone is worth my weight in gold!! After paying for this ticket, I am now officially flat BROKE, but hey... God will provide (He ALWAYS does!!)
- I am really enjoying my class so far this year - they are a great group of kids (not to mention the fact that I actually have some textbooks to use... that sure makes lesson planning go a lot more smoothly!) :)
- Everyone and their Mom (literally in some cases...) has decided to run/bike/swim a triathalon lately, ok, so I'm not that hopeful, but when I get back to the states I really want to start jogging/running and for now I'm starting with the goal of at least walking a 5k, and eventually running one... I'll get there (and Mandie said she'd run it with me!) :)
- A good friend just told me that they are taking a test for a job in a few weeks, and might be across the country when I get back to Ohio if they pass the test and get the job... yet another realization that the world goes on without me when I leave, and that my friends and I aren't kids anymore... we have to get grown-up jobs and sometimes even move away... who am I kidding... I think I took the cake for moving away... now if only everyone else would stay put for just a few more months and let me get home and convince them not to leave ;)
- Just incase I haven't informed you, I have an AMAZING family... parents and siblings who love and support me, not to mention my extended family... I hate that I am missing things right now that are SO important (weddings, graduations, shows, concerts... and the list goes on), but know that I love you all so much, and that my heart is there with you! Take lots of pictures to help me catch up :)

That was really good for my soul... you should try it sometime :)

10 Random Things...

So I was tagged by Melinda to share 10 Random things about myself... here goes it!

1. I am afraid of clowns
2. Hat's look ridiculous on me... always...
3. Sometimes I spend a long time typing out a text message, revising and retyping it, and then deleting it...
4. I was in a pageant once... Junior Miss America
5. I kindof want to be a flight attendant when I grow up...
6. I can make a mean ice cream cake...
7. Speaking of ice cream... ice cream is my favorite food... I could probably live on it alone... seriously!
8. I went straight from living with my parents to living in Africa... extremes much?
9. I really want to adopt someday... now to find a husband that is up for it :)
10. I don't like being wet... including swimming, and really, showering... but I love the ocean!

Hope that was random enough :) I'm supposed to tag 3 more people... and as far as I know, only about 4 people read my blog, one of which has already done this and tagged me... sooooo I tag... Olivia, Nikki, and Dad - :) happy randomness!! A random picture to amuse you... (that's Olivia... talking? and me cutting Emily's ice cream cake... you know, that mean one I mentioned above? and Mitchell watching excitedly)

Randomocity & Happy Mothers Day

I come and check my blog every day. Check for what? Good question… someone else to have magically written the words that won’t come to me, I guess. There is so much to tell… so many stories to relay, so many blessings to share. Yet I fail to have the motivation or the creativity to put these things into words here for you to read. I have really had some amazing opportunities and adventures since being back in Ghana after the Christmas break… the Cup of African Nations 2008 was held here in Ghana in January and that was INCREDIBLE to witness! I am so glad that I was able to attend most of the games that were held here in Accra. Ghana didn’t win overall, but they did great, and got 3rd place. I had a flood in my bathroom (my water heater exploded… fun!), went on a weekend adventure w/ roommates and friends to a place called Ada where you have to take a canoe to get (no cars can go there). It is on the strip of land that runs between the Volta River and the ocean just before they meet and join. I will definitely be headed back to this inexpensive getaway next year! I have rekindled my love for Salsa dancing, taking lessons and going to a hotel where they play Salsa music every week on Wednesdays with my roommate Mariah. My class has shrunk, one student not coming back to Ghana after Christmas break and another just leaving to the states a few weeks ago has taken my total from 9 to 7. Together with my 4 roommates one weekend, I fostered a 2 month old baby girl named Gifty from the orphanage that Amanda, Meg and I go to every Wednesday. She was an angel and whatever family she ends up with should feel very, very blessed to have such a special baby with an incredible story! I have watched twin 15 month old boys who look like they are more like 6 months go from stoic, seemingly lifeless infants to happy, laughing, playing ones. I went to a festival in a town not far away called Winneba with Amanda and some Scottish friends we made, but unfortunately missed all of the festival and rather spent the day at a hotel waiting 5 hours for lunch, and ended up hanging out on the beach and making some more new friends. Just yesterday I helped set up and staff a triathlon, which my roommate Jules competed in and did GREAT! She finished first of all of the women and before several of the teams.

I have also missed a lot. I missed my sister Nikki performing in her creative ministries group at college, my sister Katie performing as Jan in the musical Grease at her high school, and my brother Jon rocking at boy scouts & growing up (he is SO tall & his voice has changed… crazy!). I am missing friends getting engaged and married, finding new loves and loosing old ones. I have lost touch with friends, re-connected on the internet with others, and learned a lot about friendship, love, and me. The simplest things in life matter so much and being here, so far away, has magnified my appreciation of them. A phone call, a postcard, an email with sincere words of encouragement can have an incredible effect on someone’s day. It can take you from tired and weary to smiling and excited in a moment’s time.

All that to say… I don’t even know… And this is the problem :) I don’t write because I don’t know how to say what I’m thinking/feeling. Not so much that I don’t know how to say it, but that I don’t know how to say it without scaring someone or making someone feel bad or getting in trouble or something. So please forgive my lack of posting… I really need to be much better about it, and hopefully with a little encouragement (ahem! comments help with that) I can make blogging a more regular thing (AT LEAST once a month, if not every other week…).

And ohhhh ya! HAPPY MOTHERS DAY – I love my mommy so much, she is the best and I certainly don’t know what I’d do without her… give your mom a hug today, don’t take advantage of the fact that you can do that, I sure miss it!!!

Bbbb.. Bllllooo... Blllooooggg... BLOG... what's that?!

Well dear readers (the few faithful readers that remain after my loooonng absence), I must ask for forgiveness once again... I seem to have disappeared! I have tried several times to sit down and formulate thoughts or give the effort to put up just a few pictures, but I just haven't had it in me. I have had a desire to write, but just couldn't seem to muster up the words. And still, I really want to write about so many things... about my recent trip to Spain, about the orphan that my roommates and I took care of, my feelings about school and Ghana and coming home, and just life in general. Once again, I feel myself being resistant to this and I just can't quite do it... SO I decided that some pictures of the last 3 months would be better than NOTHING... so without further ado... I present... 2008 so far in a nutshell! Enjoy!!

Walking to the stadium for the opening ceremony and first game of the Cup of African Nations (CAN 2008)... I wasn't prepared to go this day, hence my very Ghanaian, non matching style :)

Waiting for the opening ceremony to start... we were a litttlllleee early... try 2 hours! SOOO hot!

Opening game! Ghana vs. Guinea, which of course, we won :)

Video is of the crowd singing in unison... it was SO loud, but an awesome experience!!

Standing in front of our hut in Ada, the place we stayed is on the beach between where the river and ocean meet up... so beautiful!! AND how perfect is it that Amanda and I got the door painted as the Spanish flag :)

On the canoe on our way out of Ada... there is no road to Maranatha (the place we stayed at), so you have to walk on the beach or take a canoe to get there!

Happy Birthday to me! Amanda took me out for sushi, and I ended up being a very cheap date ;) - they gave me my dinner free, plus this AWESOME sushi roll, almost all of the things in it were firsts for me to try!! It was GOOOOODDD!!

They even carved Happy B-Day into a cucumber and put a candle in it :)

Playing pool at a surprise party for some surprise friends, Ahmad and Sophy, an Egyptian couple living here in Accra! (oh ya, and by the way... meet Meg! She is the one in the center, she is our new roommate as of January... we love Meg!!)

And this precious thing is Gifty. Gifty is a 2 month old orphan from Beacon House, the orphanage that Amanda, Meg, and I go to every week to play with the kids. Gifty's mom could not take care of her due to mental illness, so on a trip up to the North one of the local missionaries brought her down. Because there are several other babies at the orphanage right now, it was very tiring for the house "mom" to get any sleep. My roommates and I volunteered to be foster mom's for the weekend and LOVED every second of it... Gifty is the sweetest baby you will ever meet... so easy to take care of and love!! This was definitely not an experience I will ever forget, nor would I trade it for the world!!!!!

After this comes Spain... but there is no way I could choose 3 or 4 pictures for this post, so I think that Spain will have to wait for another day when I feel like typing more, and for now, I will just link the albums where you can see all of the Spain pic's posted on Facebook:
Album 1:
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2041697&l=3e9d5&id=141300005
Album 2:
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2041700&l=b9914&id=141300005
Album 3:
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2041702&l=2ef2a&id=141300005

From the mouths of babes...

What my kindergarteners think of me on my birthday in the form of an acrostic (thank you Miss Melinda for being creative and making my birthday wonderful!!!):

M y friend (Maxine)
I very very love her (Gloria)
S he's my best teacher (Jardyn)
S he loves me (Jardyn)

H appy (Jardyn)
O bey Miss Hopkins, I will (Gloria)
P rincess (Maxine)
K ind (Jaden)
I s love us (Noe)
N ice (Silas)
S weet (Maxine)

Let It Be

This song has been stuck in my head a lot the last few evenings... it's a great song (listen to it if you haven't heard it!). It's by SuperChick. It helped to get me through some pretty tough times in high school, and continues to be a great reminder for me today to "let go, and let God" (as they say). I know it always applies to my life, and maybe right now it applies to your life too. I hope that you are blessed today and this new year, for coming here and checking in on me, for your support, and maybe it's you who needed these words today, not me...

SuperChick - Let it Be

Some people bring you gifts, some bring you bricks to weigh you down

So they can swim a little higher while you drown

Some people mean so well, their way was the best way that they've found

But any other way you choose is a brick that weighs you down

So tell me

What do I do with this backpack full of bricks

Of sticks and stones and words that stuck to me like ticks

Let it go, let it be

brick by brick we can be free

Of all the words we say til we were our own enemies

Let it go, let it be brick by brick we can believe

in the person God intended us to be

Let it be.

Some people give themselves a brick, I know most people do

When we compare, we fall short somewhere, its always true

If all we see is where we fall, weve bricked the prison wall

Instead of trying to learn to fly weve taught ourselves to crawl

So tell me what do I do with this backpack full of bricks

Of sticks and stones and words that stuck to me like ticks

Let it go, let it be

brick by brick we can be free

Of all the words we say til we were our own enemies

Let it go, let it be brick by brick we can believe

in the person God intended us to be

Let it be.

We could believe in ourselves more

We could try for unique instead of trying to conform

We could defy what they tell us

And dont buy the lies they sell us

And we're brave we can believe in what we are

Let it go, let it be

brick by brick we can be free

Of all the words we say til we were our own enemies

Let it go, let it be brick by brick we can believe

in the person God intended us to be

Let it be.

New Years Baby!!

I could take this opportunity to write a sappy blog about how wonderful 2007 was, or how much my life has changed and how much I learned... buuutttt I think I'd rather show you pictures of New Years :) - maybe later I'll sit down and try to be slightly intellectual? ha... or not!

Rockin the 80's wear!!

Neon pink lips and bright blue eye shadow... 80's anyone??

the whole group (those of us that were brave enough to dress up at least!)

Love my Nel!!

Go Bucks!!!!!! (Beat LSU cake... love it!!)

Snow!!!

I got my hair cut!!!

What do you think?? (not a great picture... but hey!)