Alabama Youth Retreat

This past weekend I went to Alabama Youth Retreat!  I had such a blast; Eliana and Yadi Pimentel, Callie and Courtney Lewis went with me.  I really enjoyed having the girls ride up with me; I think they enjoyed the retreat as much as I did.  It wasn't exactly a "shouting" retreat per say but God was there.  Brother Horne wasn't able to make it so I ended up playing the piano during the altar services and just really enjoyed being able to watch those in the altar seek the Lord.  Brother Michael Jernigan was the guest speaker and I really enjoyed them being there to minister!  I felt like as he ministered that it was a "heart to heart" with the each one that was there.  Saturday evening he stepped back and allowed the Holy Ghost to move as several obeyed the Lord and went to the altar.  I saw SEVERAL just crying while in the altar seeking the Lord.  You don't see this a lot but all of the musicians helping me left the stage to go and pray!  It's such a blessing to see musicians using their talent for the Lord but also to be able to yield themselves and go and pray and seek the Lord.

Sister Bishop taught a class on "Praying Through the Gates" and she did wonderful!  It didn't even feel like she should've been done when she quit.  Eliana said that it felt like it went by so fast and that she thoroughly enjoyed her class!  She has so many stories and words of encouragement to help you and teach you.  There's so much strength and wisdom bottled up in that woman; I love spending time with her!  She reminds me of my Granny Anders because she was so strong in the Lord and there was just so much wisdom that she had to share with others!

The retreat, as always, was filled with laughter!  When you're around the Horne's and the Keel's you better believe you're going to have several laughs.  Saturday evening Sis Horne was in charge of fun time and the first activity was so funny!  I laughed and laughed at the guys as they rolled around.

Here's the video for the first night of fun time.  Of course I don't have any pictures of anything serious going on.  HA HA!

The next day during free time we went and played a game out on the field.  At first I wasn't going to go down there because Liz asked me to come and check on the baby while she napped but I went ahead and headed to the field.  They were playing a game that I think my brother had watched on a video.  It was so fun and funny!!!  I don't think I've laughed as hard as I did.  We even created a video of each one and showed it Saturday night at the retreat and again we all laughed and laughed.  Here are some of the videos.

I'll try and post the rest of the videos later because there are so many.  I'm so glad I was able to go to the retreat!  I always enjoy it!  Every year that I've gone it's been really good...all except the scorpions which I've never seen in my life until I visited Alabama.

***Corn Maze***

The corn maze was awesome!  We had such a good time there with all the young people.  There were 14 of us that went.  Josh and Karen Farthing ended up going and Bro Josh's map skills really helped us to get out of the corn maze quickly.  The lady told us that it's 10 1/2 acres when we walked in and I'm thinking how in the world am I going to get out of here!  Hahaha  There were a lot of other activities there as well for everyone to do so waited til it got dark before we went into the maze.  They had a huge jumpy thingy that everyone got on and jumped....except for me.  I am too clumsy to get on stuff like that when there are other peoples kids on there.  I took a picture of them all jumping together.  I had them line up together and told them I was going to count to 3 and on 3 they were to all jump.  Well apparently most of them can't count to 3. They had me laughing so hard.  Here's a couple of pics that I got.

The young lady sitting on the edge was laughing at them too!  She thought they were a crazy group.  

They also had two slides there side by side and so I told the boys they should all go down it and I would get their pictures.  I got videos too and on one of them it sounds like a girl screaming.  I'm not sure if it's Brandon or Julian but I got a good laugh out of it. 

We had a really good time and at the end of the night before we left we were able to go on a hay ride as well.  It was just our group that was on it so it was special!  I really love fall time and going to the corn maze is one of my favorite things to do!

I'm Back!

I don't know how many will actually read this since it's been since 2012 since I last posted!  I am definitely don't have a good enough mind to actually tell you what's happened since 2012.

Let me just start by telling you what's gone on the past few weeks.  I went to TN ladies retreat this past weekend.  I really enjoyed the ladies retreat.  I'm not big on going to ladies retreats just because of past experiences but I will say this has been the best one yet.  Aunt Cissy (Sis Perkins) was the guest speaker and she did a wonderful job.  I felt like the word was rich and deep!  The theme of the retreat was "Rapture Ready, Perfection Required" the last service on Sunday was probably my favorite!  I just cried through the message!  She gave each lady a sash that said "Bride to Be" and she brought down to a reality that Christ is coming back for a bride who hath made herself ready!  We are going to reach perfection...it won't be perfection in my eyes either but God's eyes!  I thoroughly enjoyed Sis Horne's class  as well!  She talked about how Achan chose to disobey God and take of the accursed things!  Things that weren't necessarily sin destroyed Achan along with his family!  It was a fantastic class!  I also enjoyed our tap group so much; Sis Sheila Cameron was our tap leader and did an awesome job.  On Sunday during our last session one of the ladies in our group whom had testified that she just joined The Church the Sunday before testified again about how she felt completely at home in The Church of God.  She said that she had been in The Church of God of Prophecy as well as Zion Assemblies but she said coming to the ladies retreat she saw young the young girls truly, sincerely worshiping the Lord.  She said she had so seen so many young people coached into speaking in tongues and shouting.  She just cried and cried as she testified to us and just blessed my soul.  God has been so good to His Church!  I'm thankful for the safety I feel in The Church of God.

Here is a picture of the sceneary on the ride home from ladies retreat.  It's so pretty, especially with the fall colors!

Here is a picture of all of us girls!  From Left to right...Kara, Me, Aunt Cissy, and Mom. It was so nice that Kara was able to go!  We roomed together and had a blast!

Dad has appointed me as youth leader here at the church and Sis Ashley Werkheiser is my assistant!  We've already met and God are excited about the work ahead of us.  A lot of our young people here are getting older and getting to the place where they are getting jobs as well thinking about their future and what the Lord would have them do.  I pray that we can just be a blessing to them.  We are going this Friday to the corn maze.  This is something that when I was the youth leader in the past that I tried to do every year because the kids love it.  It's just such a FALL thing to do!  Sis Ashley really is helping to carry the load since my membership is in Moulton, AL and I'm the state ABM leader there in Alabama.  I love the people there and my heart really is there; I'm praying if it's the Lord's will that he allow me to go back there!  I love the work of the ABM department now that I'm studying it and understanding it more!

I'll try to get pictures from the corn maze and post it on here.  I think I've said just about enough now!  That's one thing about blogging I hate doing all the talking.  Hahaha!

Sorry :)

So sorry that I have not posted in a while!!!!!!!!  There's been so much going on this about the first time I've actually sat down to my computer and had time to blog.  It's so hard to remember what I've done since the last time I blogged so I'll just try to write about what I can remember. 

First thing I can remember :)  last Tuesday we had Youth Bible study.  We've been trying to have them on Monday nights since it's the summer time and the weekend holds so much for most of us.  But for some reason (which I can't remember) I moved it to Tuesday evening.  We are covering the 29 Teachings and I've broken up the lessons; right now we are studying the gifts of the Spirit and we covered Faith.  It was a good Bible study with a lot of discussion from the young people.  I love it when they do a lot of talking because it means their mind is working and paying attention.  :)  We had 19 there and I was THRILLED to have that many!!!!  The Lewis girls were there visiting with us and I so enjoyed having Morgan, Kristen, Bethany, and Genesis there!  It was neat because we had sort of a hands on experience of Faith; Jimmy Cox came in feeling very ill so we had prayer for him and the end of Bible Study he testified that he felt 100% better.  You could tell a total change in him because when he came in his whole face was red and he just looked like he was going to throw up but when he left he looked completely normal!  Thank the Lord for that hands on experience of faith; God is so good!!!!!!  I asked them to share examples of a time when Faith was required but also to share if they were scared by just going on faith.  Most of the examples given were the same as mine...MOVING!  It is a scary thing for most people but as was said by mostly everyone there it gets us out of our comfort zone to where we completely rely soley upon the Lord!  I'm thankful that I can trust Him and know that all His promises are sure and that if I have faith in Him...He's always faithful to me! :)

Wednesday night we had BTI service and Bro Crumley was in charge.  He always has interesting services :)  He talked about marriage to our young people.  He had different couples from the church testify about marriage and the struggles that marraige has but also the blessings.  He asked each one of the couples what it takes to make a marriage work because this world doesn't believe that it can happen.  The number one answer which I firmly believe is God.  I remember one thing that Bro Rob taught during TN Youth Camp two years ago...marriage is like a triangle with God at the top.  The closer we get to God the closer we get to each other.  What a beautiful thought! 

Our state convention started Friday evening and we had a glorious convention!  All the preaching and boosts just flowed together!  Sometimes we get so caught up in the shouting but we SO need the word ministered to our hearts to help us draw closer to God.  I thank the Lord for Saturday evening especially Bro Strong from NC preached a beautiful message on faith and trusting in the Lord.  I was thankful when he gave the altar call and I was able to go and pray.  I had to ask the Lord to forgive me for not having faith in Him as i should.  I'm a control freak as much as I try to deny that I am; I am!!!!!!  I have to give Him complete control and I know that He will handle things so much better than I can!  I remember what someone told me (ahum...Sis Smith) a couple of months ago that this is not MY church that this is HIS church and He can and will handle everything as He sees fit.  I had to ask the Lord to forgive me for trying to think I know what i'm doing and asking Him to take control.  No matter what I have in my mind that I feel that should be done; it usually just ends up in a mess!  I want to let Him have complete control in my life for He knows me better than I even know myself!  Just so thankful for a wonderful convention!

Last night we had a little celebration for Yadi's birthday.  We went to firehouse and then we walked over to Orange Leaf to get some icecream.  We had a blast!!!!!!!!

After work I ran to Bi-Lo to get Yadi some balloons for her birthday.  It was kind of a last minute decision to have a party for her so Sis Amanda asked me if i could get some balloons for her.  I LOVED the job the lady did and she was so nice!!!!  I also got her some flowers while i was there.

You can barely see the flowers that I got her on the table.  It was neat because when we got there we were the only ones there at first so we had a really good time.  She had a good turn out with it being a last minute decision!  All the girls are and Julian too are getting so big!  In fact all the young people are getting so big!  I love watching them grow up! 

Tonight was ladies Bible study and I am going to make a public apology :(  I AM SO SORRY SIS SMITH FOR NOT BEING AT LADIES BIBLE STUDY!!!  I have youth service tomorrow night and last week I asked Jimmy to get a skit together for his part of the devotion for tonight.  He did just that so tonight we worked on getting it ready.  I'm not going to share any of it yet because I want it to be a surprise to everyone tomorrow night when they come to church.  I had intentions of going even if i showed up late but when we got done at 7:30 I knew there was no point because I wouldn't have made it in time for any of it so I just took Jimmy and Daniel to sonic when we left and got them something to drink since we worked outside and it was so hot.  They really are hard workers; I'm thankful that Jimmy always takes what I ask Him to do seriously!  Actually, all of the young people at the church are that way and I'm just so thankful!!!!!!! 

So....let me take just a second to "croak for my own pond" as my daddy says.  I had to give a 5 minute boost at the convention so I went through my VLB reports from last state convention til this convention and these are the numbers:

6 Saved

3 Sanctified

2 Filled with the Holy Ghost

3 Baptized in water

2 joined The Church

9 new youth gained

33 Bible studies

1 Youth Revival

I just thank the Lord for all that He is doing in the young people.  They are such a beautiful group and I love the honor to be able to work with them! 

Alright well that is all for tnoight.  I'll try to take pictures of what we did tonight for the service tomorrow night.  I pray that the Lord will move in a special way on our young people!  

First time...

Yesterday was my first time going to the public library here in Cleveland.  I went with Ashley Werkheiser and she showed me the ropes.  I got my first library card there too :)  it was SO EXCITING!!!!!  It really is such a beautiful library and has so many different sections that I could get lost in!

We first went to the Fiction section and looked up some of our favorite authors.  I went straight to Karen Kingsbury; she's my all time favorite fiction author!  I decided not to get any of those.  I went to the catalog to look up a book by David Wilkerson and we had to go upstairs to the Non-Fiction section and I found the book I was looking for "The Cross and the Switch Blade".  I'll get back to the book in a minute.  Well then I decided to look some other authors that I've heard are really good and it took me to the "religious" section.  I looked up and I was AMAZED at what I saw. 

Maybe some people would not get excited about that but I sure did!  The third book take a look at the author..It's by Raymond Pruitt which is Brother Robert J. Pruitt's brother.  To think...our history in the public library!  The truth found in a PUBLIC library!  I was just so excited I had to sneak a picture!!!!!!!!!  Even if the old ladies were watching us I still had to steal a picture of this. 

Ok so back to "The Cross and the Switch Blade"...I've not been able to put the book down today.  I'm just about finished with it.  I started reading it this morning and I just can't put it down.  It's such an encouragement to me.  I love the work of the Youth; I love praying in the altars with them and seeing God change them!  I love being able to listen to them if they are struggling with something and just need someone to talk to.  I just love being there for them.  I want the same faith and boldness that David Wilkerson had.  Don't get me wrong I'm not planning on going out into the streets of New York as a young lady and talk to gang memebers; God has given me some commen sense.  :)  But I do want more faith in my own personal life in working with souls around us.  Sis Mary's class during Family Camp keeps coming back to my mind...we underestimate the power of God.  We ask but yet we don't believe that He's capable of fulfilling His word!  One thing that David Wilkerson points out is and I've thought about it so often that anytime we see a miracle or healing take place in the word of God there was first action that took place as a step of faith of what Christ was about to do.  God help me to trust you that you will open every door so that I can work and remain in your will.  I want all doubt gone and faith to rise up completely taking it's place! 

We have a huge world around us to reach and I want to do everything I can.  I've always felt like Moses that said "Who am I" but really it's not "I" it's the Holy Ghost power working through this vessel that God is working on.  Once again I don't want to under estimate God's power...He saved my soul and He wants to do the same in others lives.  God help me.  I'm thankful that I have finally got to read this book.  For so long i've heard that it's a wonderful book I've just never found it in any book stores I've been but I'm so thankful that I found it at the Library.  David Wilkerson was a faithful preacher of the truth; if you go on you tube and listen to some of his messages it reminds me of the old time preachers that weren't afraid of their congregations leaving but they had the fear of God.  I especially love to listen to "A Call to Anguish" that he preached.  It will convict you; or at least it did me!

Ok there's my blog post :)  I just wanted every to feel my excitement of my field trip to the library! 

So far...so good :)

So far I am continuing on this journey of blogging; maybe not quite as faithfully as I should be but hey atleast I'm trying. 

Let's see...I don't have the greatest memory at all so this is hard for me to try and remember what has happened since I last blogged :(

July 4th Mom and Dad decided they wanted to be boring so I headed out for Murphy to visit with Stephanie and Erik and little Ali!  It's only an hour drives and it's so beautiful to drive through Ocoee so I enjoyed it.  I packed my bag to stay the night because Dad didn't want me driving through Ocoee at night time since I don't get a signal through there.  I got there and little Miss Ali was playing in the floor just waiting for me :)  so I just had to join her.  We played for a little while and then it was time to get ready for service.  They had their youth service that night so I was excited to be able to go and join in!  There were only 14 there but it was still a good spirit there.  Stephanie is the youth leader there and she did a wonderful job!  She talked about the freedom in Christ...we are no longer in bondage if we serve Him.  "Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage."  Galatians 5:1  It was so funny because  Brother Horne talked about this same verse in his class in Alabama Family Camp.  I'm thankful to be standing in the liberty of Christ!  I don't want to be as the children of Israel that kept looking back that left their hearts in Egypt but I want to keep my eyes on the prize!  After service most of us went to a frozen yogurt place there in murphy and had ice cream it was SO good!  Then we headed to see the fireworks.  It was Ali's first time watching fire works and it was so sweet to be able to watch her; she was so captured by the pretty colors and lights.  We got home and were able to sit up and talk til about midnight and then we all headed to bed.  I got up about 6:30 to leave in time to be at work.  Once again I enjoyed the time alone in the car to talk to the Lord and just enjoy His glorious creation!  It is SO pretty through there it never gets old!

Thursday after work I spent time washing clothes and getting ready to leave for Tennessee's Family camp.  Me, Sis Amanda, and Drew left right about 5:30 to head to camp.  It didn't take as long as my GPS said it would (shameful for this technology to lie to me!) and we had a good time in the car.  Drew asked if he could ride back home with us "cool people".  He's so sweet!  We got there right in time for fun time.  At the beginning of camp they had split everyone up into groups and you were on a time with your family and other families as well.  The team leader was told to put on gloves...that's never a reassuring feeling.  Then the team members were told they had to chew as much gum as they could chew then take it to the team leader to make a sculpture.  It was GROSS!!!!!!!!!!!  The older ones were gagging it was so funny.  After fun time we headed outside to have service.  There was such a sweet spirit there from the special song to the message.  The theme for the camp was "The Endurance Race" and Bro Oscar Pimentel was the evangelist.  He preached about having on the right shoes representing the word of God.  I want to have the word of God strapped tightly to me and ready to run this race to the end!  That night Casey (one of m VLB's) got Sanctified!!!!!!!!  He is such a sweet young man; he has such an humble spirit about him. 

The next day Sis Mary taught a class for the older ones and Bro Clay taught the second class.  There was such wonderful anointing upon them both to bring forth what God wanted us to hear!  God is preparing us all for a time that we are about to enter.  We must remember that He is with us in this race and not look back but to keep moving forward.  I want to cross that finish line!  I don't want to get near the end and quit but I've got to make!

I left that afternoon to head back home because I wanted to be in service.  I knew that so many would be out and I was afraid that there would be no piano player at church nor a worship leader so I headed back home to help out.  We had a wonderful Sunday School lesson...I was so excited when I seen this quarters material as I went to Alabama's Camp because their theme was Stand!  Like I said earlier God is preparing His people.  We'll either fight the good fight of faith or we'll be a wimp and run.  I want to stand and fight! 

Sunday night everyone that had went to camp was back and we just had a glorious time!  Brother Casey who had gotten sanctified at camp began to seek for the Holy Ghost during the worship and PRAISE THE LORD He was Baptized with the Holy Ghost and fire!  I was so thankful that I could be there and watch.  After things settled back down dad had all of those that went to camp stand up and testify and they were all so excited at what God had done.  I think this was the largest camp they had had in a long time!  Once everyone had testified Dad has special singers come up and sing; Bro Crumley, Sis Carolyn, and Sis Sandra all sang "One More River to Cross" and the Lord began to just sweep once again through the building.  Sis Lashawn came down the aisle just shouting and praising God.  Once again I'm going to say how thankful I am for God moving in our services.  It's nice to have that fresh breath of the Holy Ghost just sweep through the building.  It's also wonderful to have the word spoken to our hearts too!  We need the word of God to show us where changes need to be made!  Dad was about to dismiss the service and Sis Carolyn Casey's grandmother stood up and asked if Casey could join The Church.  She said that he was so excited that he wanted to join!  She said that he has been taught The Prominent 29 Teachings of The Church so Dad asked him to come forward.  He went over the teachings with Casey and the Advice to Members.  Casey just sat there and cried as he went over them.  It was beautiful to see such an excitement!  I praise the Lord for him that he is now Saved, Sanctified, filled with the Holy Ghost, and a member of The Church of God!  God is working there is no doubt in my mind!  I just praise Him for all He is doing in my heart, in the local church, and In The Church of God all over the world!  I HAD pictures of Casey joining The Church but for some reason my computer is deleting them on it's on.  It deleted all of them I took in fact!!!!!!!!!  Oh well, at least you get to see Him seeking for the Holy Ghost. 

Whew...

Ok so I set up this private blog so that I could post the video of Bro Horne impersonating Janet since I can't e-mail it.  But it keeps telling me that it won't load :(  Sorry Becki I tried! :)

But atleast there's one good thing from this I now have a blog.  Maybe I'll actually faithfully blog. 

So...since I've gotten home I have missed everyone SO MUCH!  Mom and Dad left to go to visit Liz and Josh an the family Monday morning so I've been home alone and it hasn't helped the loneliness feeling.  :)  I am thankful for the alone time though because I get a lot of things done.

Alabama camp was wonderful!  Everytime I've ever gone I've always enjoyed myself.  I wish I had pictures to post but I don't :( I was really bad this time at the picture taking.  But I do have some wonderful videos that I can't show because they are too large to place on here.  I have to confess though that I have watched them every night since I've been home and have laughed and laughed at them. 

I thank the Lord for helping with the messages each night.  I only preached 3 times and I have to say that it was God.  I'm so thankful that God sees fit to help a poor english speaking girl to be able to minister and be used for Him.  I felt like Jeremiah..."Lord God! behold, I cannot speak; for I am a child."  I've struggled for many years questioning whether I was truly called to preach or not but I thank God that it's never been more settled in my heart.  I pray that I can work for God to the fullest!

The Lord has been dealing with my heart on going back to part time so that I can do more traveling.  I haven't told my parents this yet nor have I talked to my work about it.  I feel that I need to pray and fast more over it because God will have to work everything out.  I just feel confined because I can't go and do because of my job.  I do worry about my finances if I go back to part time but I know that if this is what God wants that He will provide for all my needs. 

Getting ready to head to Tennessee camp this weekend.  Sis Amanda is riding with me; we'll leave after work Friday to head there.  Expecting another wonderful camp!  This is Tennessee's first time having Family Camp and I'm excited to have everyone there.  I know that God has great things in store for us!