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| Cars 2 Lunchbox for my gift!!!! |
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| Water Party for my going away! |
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| Rachel, Abby, and myself raided Walmart really late one night...and took some crazy pics! |
Wednesday, August 3, 2011
Last week in Houston
Here are a few more pictures from my last week here...also I am going to post a few videos from camp...be sure to scroll to the bottom and pause the music so you can hear!:)
Ok, here is a video of Cabins jack and Jill at PT with Bob (this is a camp tradition..) Pay close attention to the video at the end. What you will see is each of the boys proposing to the girls...and the girls answering with their number (roll call)...Me and the Jack counselor bring up the rear...listen to what he says!!
Camp Bandina 2011!
I can't believe this summer has come to a close so quickly!!! It seems like just yesterday Ellen and I came blazing in to get ready for WCS graduation! We just returned home this past weekend from Camp Bandina in Bandera, TX. Oh my goodness, this week was absolutely AMAZING! Let it be said that on the way to Bandera, we blew two tires!!..I know you are wondering, 'what in the world is the deal with their tires?' Luckily, this was not tires on the bus, it was on our trailer....making it alot easier to change! What should have been our 4 1/2 hr. trip quickly became a NINE HOUR trip!!! But all matters is we got there safely!
I have attended this camp for the past three years...but this year most definitely tops them all! Our theme this year was Intentional Decisions. All week we were encouraged our kids to look at their lives and evaluate the decisions they make and how they affect their eternity. We shared so many laughs all week long! But most importantly we shared so many victories with 16 NEW BROTHERS and SISTERS IN CHRIST!! How awesome is that?!!!
We returned home Saturday afternoon...VERY EXHAUSTED! Sunday night after church we had a family night...this acted as my going away party!..It is still so crazy to me that this summer is almost over! What an amazing summer it has been! It has been pretty difficult coming to terms with the reality that this season of my life, with these amazing kids, is coming to a close. They have changed me in ways that I never thought possible. I will forever be grateful to Westbury Church of Christ for allowing me this opportunity to play such a big role in the lives of their teens. They have been so hospitable to me, and have met every need I have had! I am so thankful that God saw fit to place me here, and bless me with such amazing friendships.
Please continue to pray for me as I journey into my Senior year of college....my life is about to hit a big wave of changes all at the same time! I know there are many exciting things on my horizon!
"For i know the plans I have for you, says the Lord, Plans to prosper you, not harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." Jeremiah 29:11
I will leave you with several pictures from Camp and the past week. I will try and post some video footage I have from camp...just for a few laughs!
Love you all!
Hollyann
I have attended this camp for the past three years...but this year most definitely tops them all! Our theme this year was Intentional Decisions. All week we were encouraged our kids to look at their lives and evaluate the decisions they make and how they affect their eternity. We shared so many laughs all week long! But most importantly we shared so many victories with 16 NEW BROTHERS and SISTERS IN CHRIST!! How awesome is that?!!!
We returned home Saturday afternoon...VERY EXHAUSTED! Sunday night after church we had a family night...this acted as my going away party!..It is still so crazy to me that this summer is almost over! What an amazing summer it has been! It has been pretty difficult coming to terms with the reality that this season of my life, with these amazing kids, is coming to a close. They have changed me in ways that I never thought possible. I will forever be grateful to Westbury Church of Christ for allowing me this opportunity to play such a big role in the lives of their teens. They have been so hospitable to me, and have met every need I have had! I am so thankful that God saw fit to place me here, and bless me with such amazing friendships.
Please continue to pray for me as I journey into my Senior year of college....my life is about to hit a big wave of changes all at the same time! I know there are many exciting things on my horizon!
"For i know the plans I have for you, says the Lord, Plans to prosper you, not harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." Jeremiah 29:11
I will leave you with several pictures from Camp and the past week. I will try and post some video footage I have from camp...just for a few laughs!
Love you all!
Hollyann
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| Cabin Clean Up!! |
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| One of my most influential mentors...Bob Owens. |
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| Cabin Jill....BEST CABIN EVER!!! |
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| Some of my girls ready for my Girl's class. |
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| Cabin Jill cheering on Cabin Jack in the football game! |
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| Jack and Jill Family....BEST FAMILY EVER!! |
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| Staff whooped Camper booty in volleyball! |
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| This kid was ME for Hollywood night!! ...I was Taylor Swift! |
Thursday, July 21, 2011
Here Comes The Sun.....
Disclaimer: this is gong to be a long post...so hang on!!
I can't believe it has already been a week since we summitted Mt. Shavano!Last week was such an incredible week for all of our kids. We started our two day travel on Friday, July 8th. We traveled all night, and stopped in Amarillo to swap drivers Saturday morning. As we were exiting New Mexico we blew a tire!! If you have kept up with this blog at all...you know that this seems to be a recurring theme with any trip we go on!...so we were stranded in a podunk town for about two hours!...We finally got the tire fixed and back on the road....until we needed to stop to get fuel...which presented another issue! Apparently when the tire blew, it blew the fuel line off as well!! So we were stranded once again in Pueblo, CO for another several hours!...BUT we did eventually make it to Twin Lakes, CO!! We spent Saturday afternoon getting our gear and packing our backpacks. When we woke up Sunday morning we had worship on the point overlooking Twin Lakes (AMAZING view!)..then we loaded up and headed off to our rappel site...bear in mind that rain/tstorms is in the forecast for everyday we are there! Rappel day went awesome! We did have a little bit of rain while we were all trying to get down the mountain...and I will be honest to tell you that I was a little uncertain of walking down the side of a cliff that is slippery from rain!!...But our kids did amazing! It was so precious to watch them encourage each other as they took that leap of faith right on over the edge of the cliff! We finished rappeling and got back to the barn to load up our gear and start our trek to low camp. We had to drive to the trail head of Shavano, so our low camp wasn't too far from the bus the first night. We finished up dinner and devo just in time for the storm of the century to blow in!! Oh my goodness..I was terrified! Of course, I'm sure the storm seemed magnified by the time the thunder vibrated off the surrounding mountains, but it was still very scary!
Monday morning we got up and packed all of our gear up to start the hike to high camp. This day is the day I always dread the most! For several reasons: 1. It is a hard hike, 2. You aren't acclimated yet, 3. It is a very physically strenuous day! Our kids stayed positive and did an excellent job on this hike! And just about the time we all started to get tired, and whiny...we stopped for what the guides called a 'quick break'....then as we got up to put our packs on, they announced bathroom areas and said the beloved.." WELCOME TO HIGH CAMP!!" We got set up and settled in to our new camp sites...this is where we stayed the remainder of the trip. We were awaken Tuesday morning to the glorious scent of pancakes and spam!! Oh my goodness, if you are like me, this sounds disgusting...but let me just tell you that is the best meal ever!! Then we were released for our solo time..this is a perfect 3 hours of alone time with you and the Lord...this alone time never ceases to be the most amazing time for our entire group! The Lord always shows his faithfulness in this time that we have..our devo on solo night was full of incredible stories, alot of laughter, and even tears. We spent the remainder of solo day playing mindless games and telling silly stories before we went to bed early anticipating the summit hike. We all went to bed with a knot in our stomachs...we knew if we woke up in the morning and it was raining that we wouldn't be able to summit...this would have been a very harsh reality to have to swallow after hiking so far. It was kind of funny, because I could hear the girls in the tent next to me chanting prayers to God, begging him to hold the rain!...and as always, he was so faithful! Not only did he hold the rain off, but he gave us the most beautiful day!! We got up at 2 am to start our summit hike. Thankfully, it wasn't too terribly cold and the wind was not howling bad at all! Our summit hike was absolutely amazing..we would stop periodically to look at the stars..and then to watch the sun rise...sheer beauty. Let me tell you, this was my fourth mountain to summit...but I have never felt more accomplished than to summit Mt. Shavano, 14,229 ft! One of the things that TEAM Ascend does that I LOVE...is they have each hiker find a rock along the way. This rock represents a sin, burden, problem, or whatever the student needs it to represent...and then when we reach summit, they have some time to pray over their rock and then toss it over the edge of the mountain, never to be seen again. So in our final devotional, they give everyone the opportunity to share what their rock represented. At the end of this night, there was not a dry eye in the room! I sat in my seat humbled to sit and listen to these students that I have come to love so much...get it. I listened as they finally started to grasp the concept of redemption and community. They were loving on each other as they struggled, they reassured each others insecurities. It was just beautiful to experience. I am so thankful that the Lord saw favor on me and allowed me to experience this with this group of students!
Sorry this was so long! I will leave you with some pictures!
I can't believe it has already been a week since we summitted Mt. Shavano!Last week was such an incredible week for all of our kids. We started our two day travel on Friday, July 8th. We traveled all night, and stopped in Amarillo to swap drivers Saturday morning. As we were exiting New Mexico we blew a tire!! If you have kept up with this blog at all...you know that this seems to be a recurring theme with any trip we go on!...so we were stranded in a podunk town for about two hours!...We finally got the tire fixed and back on the road....until we needed to stop to get fuel...which presented another issue! Apparently when the tire blew, it blew the fuel line off as well!! So we were stranded once again in Pueblo, CO for another several hours!...BUT we did eventually make it to Twin Lakes, CO!! We spent Saturday afternoon getting our gear and packing our backpacks. When we woke up Sunday morning we had worship on the point overlooking Twin Lakes (AMAZING view!)..then we loaded up and headed off to our rappel site...bear in mind that rain/tstorms is in the forecast for everyday we are there! Rappel day went awesome! We did have a little bit of rain while we were all trying to get down the mountain...and I will be honest to tell you that I was a little uncertain of walking down the side of a cliff that is slippery from rain!!...But our kids did amazing! It was so precious to watch them encourage each other as they took that leap of faith right on over the edge of the cliff! We finished rappeling and got back to the barn to load up our gear and start our trek to low camp. We had to drive to the trail head of Shavano, so our low camp wasn't too far from the bus the first night. We finished up dinner and devo just in time for the storm of the century to blow in!! Oh my goodness..I was terrified! Of course, I'm sure the storm seemed magnified by the time the thunder vibrated off the surrounding mountains, but it was still very scary!
Monday morning we got up and packed all of our gear up to start the hike to high camp. This day is the day I always dread the most! For several reasons: 1. It is a hard hike, 2. You aren't acclimated yet, 3. It is a very physically strenuous day! Our kids stayed positive and did an excellent job on this hike! And just about the time we all started to get tired, and whiny...we stopped for what the guides called a 'quick break'....then as we got up to put our packs on, they announced bathroom areas and said the beloved.." WELCOME TO HIGH CAMP!!" We got set up and settled in to our new camp sites...this is where we stayed the remainder of the trip. We were awaken Tuesday morning to the glorious scent of pancakes and spam!! Oh my goodness, if you are like me, this sounds disgusting...but let me just tell you that is the best meal ever!! Then we were released for our solo time..this is a perfect 3 hours of alone time with you and the Lord...this alone time never ceases to be the most amazing time for our entire group! The Lord always shows his faithfulness in this time that we have..our devo on solo night was full of incredible stories, alot of laughter, and even tears. We spent the remainder of solo day playing mindless games and telling silly stories before we went to bed early anticipating the summit hike. We all went to bed with a knot in our stomachs...we knew if we woke up in the morning and it was raining that we wouldn't be able to summit...this would have been a very harsh reality to have to swallow after hiking so far. It was kind of funny, because I could hear the girls in the tent next to me chanting prayers to God, begging him to hold the rain!...and as always, he was so faithful! Not only did he hold the rain off, but he gave us the most beautiful day!! We got up at 2 am to start our summit hike. Thankfully, it wasn't too terribly cold and the wind was not howling bad at all! Our summit hike was absolutely amazing..we would stop periodically to look at the stars..and then to watch the sun rise...sheer beauty. Let me tell you, this was my fourth mountain to summit...but I have never felt more accomplished than to summit Mt. Shavano, 14,229 ft! One of the things that TEAM Ascend does that I LOVE...is they have each hiker find a rock along the way. This rock represents a sin, burden, problem, or whatever the student needs it to represent...and then when we reach summit, they have some time to pray over their rock and then toss it over the edge of the mountain, never to be seen again. So in our final devotional, they give everyone the opportunity to share what their rock represented. At the end of this night, there was not a dry eye in the room! I sat in my seat humbled to sit and listen to these students that I have come to love so much...get it. I listened as they finally started to grasp the concept of redemption and community. They were loving on each other as they struggled, they reassured each others insecurities. It was just beautiful to experience. I am so thankful that the Lord saw favor on me and allowed me to experience this with this group of students!
Sorry this was so long! I will leave you with some pictures!
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| solo time |
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| here comes the sun! |
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| my girls at summit |
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| getting ready to hike off! |
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| Summit of Mt. Shavano -14,229ft! |
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| Rappel site! |
Friday, July 8, 2011
Prayer Request...
Well, the time has finally come for us to head off to Colorado and climb Mt. Shavano! We are loading the bus this afternoon, and we will drive all night to arrive in Twin Lakes, CO tomorrow late afternoon. I am asking for you to be in prayer during this week. I have several things on my heart that I am asking you to bathe in prayer!
1. Safe travel (it's a long drive!...also for no more blow outs!)
2. Weather ( as of right now, the forecast is showing storms pretty much everyday that we are on the mountain!
If it is raining on Wed., our summit day, then we will not be able to summit...and it is also very miserable to be cold AND wet! So please pray for good weather!)
3. Our hearts (We are taking 6 boys and 7 girls. I am asking you to be in prayer that God reveals himself to each of us in a way that we have never experienced before! It is my prayer for each of our hearts to be broken very early on this journey, so that he has plenty of time to show us his majesty!)
I am so excited about what is to come this week! I know that God is sovereign and he will bless our week, rain or not. I know that he has a purpose and plan for each of us going on this journey. Who knows, he may need us wet and cold to be able to break us down completely! I can't wait to see all that the Lord teaches us while we are on this mountain. We will start climbing Sunday, summit Wednesday, and come off the mountain on Thursday, so please keep us in your prayers as you go through your week!
Just a quick update on life here in Houston! I was given the privilege of going to OK for the weekend with Steve and his family! Oh how much fun it was! We visited the Oklahoma City Memorial (where Timothy Mcveigh bombed the federal building), a Cowboy Museum, I had PORK BBQ!! and homestyle fried food!! It was a great weekend full of lots of fun and laughter!
We came home Monday just in time to make it to Hermann Park for the fireworks with the Houston Symphony...A-MA-ZING! The rest of the week we have been training and stuff to get ready for trek, we cleaned out the bus and got it all clean....and I FINALLY got to have a girls night!!! The schedule this summer has been pretty crazy, so I haven't been able to have a night with just my girls because our schedules weren't working out! We had so much fun watching The Little Mermaid!! I love that these girls never get too old to watch Disney Classics!!
Anyways, I love you all and I thank you for your prayers! The next time you hear from me will be after I have summitted Mt. Shavano!!
1. Safe travel (it's a long drive!...also for no more blow outs!)
2. Weather ( as of right now, the forecast is showing storms pretty much everyday that we are on the mountain!
If it is raining on Wed., our summit day, then we will not be able to summit...and it is also very miserable to be cold AND wet! So please pray for good weather!)
3. Our hearts (We are taking 6 boys and 7 girls. I am asking you to be in prayer that God reveals himself to each of us in a way that we have never experienced before! It is my prayer for each of our hearts to be broken very early on this journey, so that he has plenty of time to show us his majesty!)
I am so excited about what is to come this week! I know that God is sovereign and he will bless our week, rain or not. I know that he has a purpose and plan for each of us going on this journey. Who knows, he may need us wet and cold to be able to break us down completely! I can't wait to see all that the Lord teaches us while we are on this mountain. We will start climbing Sunday, summit Wednesday, and come off the mountain on Thursday, so please keep us in your prayers as you go through your week!
Just a quick update on life here in Houston! I was given the privilege of going to OK for the weekend with Steve and his family! Oh how much fun it was! We visited the Oklahoma City Memorial (where Timothy Mcveigh bombed the federal building), a Cowboy Museum, I had PORK BBQ!! and homestyle fried food!! It was a great weekend full of lots of fun and laughter!
We came home Monday just in time to make it to Hermann Park for the fireworks with the Houston Symphony...A-MA-ZING! The rest of the week we have been training and stuff to get ready for trek, we cleaned out the bus and got it all clean....and I FINALLY got to have a girls night!!! The schedule this summer has been pretty crazy, so I haven't been able to have a night with just my girls because our schedules weren't working out! We had so much fun watching The Little Mermaid!! I love that these girls never get too old to watch Disney Classics!!
Anyways, I love you all and I thank you for your prayers! The next time you hear from me will be after I have summitted Mt. Shavano!!
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| Cowboy Museum Dressup!! |
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| Jake and I ready to take pictures of the fireworks! |
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| My girls at movie night! |
Tuesday, June 28, 2011
It is HOT!
Wow, what an incredible week this has been! Westbury just had their VBS this past Saturday. We all worked so hard, and it went so great! We all had so much fun with the kids!!
A couple of posts back, I asked you to pray for my Daddy's health. So here is a quick update on him! Last Friday he went in the hospital for a heart cath and everything went very well! The put in two stints for two blockages: one was 70% blocked and the other 75%. He is now at home and recovering very well! Thank you all for your prayers! I know he felt each and everyone of them! we serve a Faithful God that hears his childrens' prayers and gives us the desires of our hearts!
This week we have gone into full training mode for Trek! We leave in less than 2 weeks. This time next week we will be getting rest for summit the next morning! I am very excited about Trek this year! Thankfully I do not have as much anxiety as I did last year! So we are running/walking everyday in order to get our bodies in somewhat good shape to be able to beast up Mt Shavano (14,229ft)!!
This week has been a bit slower, we are all trying to take a BIG breather...because the month of July is going to be CRAZY!!! I am leaving Friday to go to Oklahoma with Steve and his family! I am super excited to finally meet my other meant-to-be- sister Kristin!:) I know this will be a fun and refreshing trip for all of us before this month takes hold of us!
Thank you all for your constant prayer and encouragement! I love hearing from you all! I will leave you with some pictures!
A couple of posts back, I asked you to pray for my Daddy's health. So here is a quick update on him! Last Friday he went in the hospital for a heart cath and everything went very well! The put in two stints for two blockages: one was 70% blocked and the other 75%. He is now at home and recovering very well! Thank you all for your prayers! I know he felt each and everyone of them! we serve a Faithful God that hears his childrens' prayers and gives us the desires of our hearts!
This week we have gone into full training mode for Trek! We leave in less than 2 weeks. This time next week we will be getting rest for summit the next morning! I am very excited about Trek this year! Thankfully I do not have as much anxiety as I did last year! So we are running/walking everyday in order to get our bodies in somewhat good shape to be able to beast up Mt Shavano (14,229ft)!!
This week has been a bit slower, we are all trying to take a BIG breather...because the month of July is going to be CRAZY!!! I am leaving Friday to go to Oklahoma with Steve and his family! I am super excited to finally meet my other meant-to-be- sister Kristin!:) I know this will be a fun and refreshing trip for all of us before this month takes hold of us!
Thank you all for your constant prayer and encouragement! I love hearing from you all! I will leave you with some pictures!
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| Teens at Discovery Green Park |
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| I climbed a tree and got stuck! |
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| VBS! |
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| The best Bible Story crew EVER! |
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| Spongebob!! |
Saturday, June 18, 2011
Praise You in This Storm
The title of this blog was the theme for Model City Missions 2011 in Anniston, AL! What an amazing week this was! Our kids were able to serve God by serving the people in the Anniston community and those affected by the tornadoes in the Webster's Chapel community. I'm pretty sure we have more stories about the travel for this trip than for the entire week! We left last Sunday morning to make our journey to Bama. We were making such good timing until we rolled into Alabama and blew a tire! But as always, our God was so faithful to protect us! 1.Noone was hurt when the tire blew! 2. It blew right by a tire store! We were able to take the bus to this tire shop and take a supper break while they fixed the tire! Over the course of this amazing week our kids were able to work with younger children at a kid's camp, visit elderly people in a nursing home, participate in a prayer walk, and help with Tornado Relief in Webster's Chapel.
For the most part we helped two different families in Webster's Chapel. The first house we worked at was owned by an elderly couple. Both the man and woman were killed in the tornado. Their house was picked up off of the foundation and thrown across the street in the woods (we were only able to find half of the house). The children of this couple have been too traumatized with losing their parents that they have not been able to go back to clean up the site nor look for any salvageable valuables. So we did it for them. We found so many things such as shoes, old pictures, and homemade quilts!It made it so surreal to find so many things that I know would mean so much to me to maintain my parents' memory. The other family that we helped lost everything. We helped a lady named Paige. Her parents, aunts and uncles, cousins, and brothers ALL lost everything they had in this storm! So we went and helped clear off the lot so they can start rebuilding her home here in the coming weeks. This site became a BIG blessing for our kids, because Paige actually stopped by to meet us! The teens were able to see her raw helplessness. It was a amazing to watch the teens surround Paige and love on her and pray over her. Once she left it was as if a whole new group of kids had shown up to help work. You could tell that by meeting Paige, it gave meaning and a purpose to what they were doing.
I have to tell you it was HOT this week! So it made any and everything we did that much harder to stay motivated when we were so exhausted by the heat! It was such a blessing to see God work in so many ways.
The time came for us to head back home yesterday. I will have you know that if we didn't get an hour down the road and blow yet ANOTHER tire..then I am not sitting here! Unfortunately this stop turned into about a 2 1/2 hr stop because we left so early that noone was open to help us! So after hitting every traffic jam for Alabama to Texas, we finally made it home at about 10:00 PM last night!
This week was full of worship, service, laughter and tears. But more importantly God was glorified by the selflessness of these kids! It was such an honor working alongside them! I will leave you with several pictures of the week! Love you all!
For the most part we helped two different families in Webster's Chapel. The first house we worked at was owned by an elderly couple. Both the man and woman were killed in the tornado. Their house was picked up off of the foundation and thrown across the street in the woods (we were only able to find half of the house). The children of this couple have been too traumatized with losing their parents that they have not been able to go back to clean up the site nor look for any salvageable valuables. So we did it for them. We found so many things such as shoes, old pictures, and homemade quilts!It made it so surreal to find so many things that I know would mean so much to me to maintain my parents' memory. The other family that we helped lost everything. We helped a lady named Paige. Her parents, aunts and uncles, cousins, and brothers ALL lost everything they had in this storm! So we went and helped clear off the lot so they can start rebuilding her home here in the coming weeks. This site became a BIG blessing for our kids, because Paige actually stopped by to meet us! The teens were able to see her raw helplessness. It was a amazing to watch the teens surround Paige and love on her and pray over her. Once she left it was as if a whole new group of kids had shown up to help work. You could tell that by meeting Paige, it gave meaning and a purpose to what they were doing.
I have to tell you it was HOT this week! So it made any and everything we did that much harder to stay motivated when we were so exhausted by the heat! It was such a blessing to see God work in so many ways.
The time came for us to head back home yesterday. I will have you know that if we didn't get an hour down the road and blow yet ANOTHER tire..then I am not sitting here! Unfortunately this stop turned into about a 2 1/2 hr stop because we left so early that noone was open to help us! So after hitting every traffic jam for Alabama to Texas, we finally made it home at about 10:00 PM last night!
This week was full of worship, service, laughter and tears. But more importantly God was glorified by the selflessness of these kids! It was such an honor working alongside them! I will leave you with several pictures of the week! Love you all!
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| Memorial for the older couple that died. |
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| Site where their home used to stand. |
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| The boys moving this big ole log! |
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| Prayer Walk |
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| Cleaning up Paige's property. |
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| Westbury crew at Oxford Lake. |
Friday, June 10, 2011
Following His Directions....Getting Blessed!
This week, the Lord has led me to Psalms 119..what a journey this scripture has taken me on! I'll leave you with the part that spoke to me the most...I encourage you to read the passage in its entirety. The passage considered to mark the very center of scripture holds some of the most encouraging lines!
"You're blessed when you stay on course, walking steadily on the road revealed by God.
You're blessed when you follow his directions,
doing your best to find him.
That's right—you don't go off on your own;
you walk straight along the road he set.
You, God, prescribed the right way to live;
now you expect us to live it.
Oh, that my steps might be steady,
keeping to the course you set;
Then I'd never have any regrets
in comparing my life with your counsel.
I thank you for speaking straight from your heart;
I learn the pattern of your righteous ways.
I'm going to do what you tell me to do; " Psalms 119: 1-8
Now, here is a quick synopsis of my past two weeks in Houston! I have been to countless numbers of graduations and graduation parties!! Oh my goodness, I have no desire to attend another graduation ceremony until my own next spring! Speaking of my graduation...I took the PRAXIS this past week. (This test is a standardized test I have to take in order to be certified as a teacher)...I PASSED!!! I am so excited to have this past me!
I have enjoyed water balloon fights, slip-n-slides, movie nights, VBS workdays, SYS area wide,an Astros game, and some nice R&R by the pool! I have spent most of my time in the office with Steve working on stuff for Camp Bandina in July. I have also spent a good bit of time working on building a mural to advertise for our VBS.
This Sunday we are heading off to Alabama!!! That's right, I'm headed back home for Model City Missions 2011! I am so excited about this week! I know the Lord has a lot in store for all of those involved in this amazing week of service! It is so comforting to me to know that the Lord has ordained for every student that will come from all over to participate in this work camp to be changed. He knows everyone of them by name, and He has a purpose and a plan for everyone of them. I love that He saw favor on me to allow me to be apart of watching them fulfill His purpose in their own lives.
Please be in prayer for our safe travel! Pray that God rocks our world in Anniston, AL.
***Also, a quick prayer request! Most of you know the problems my Daddy has with his heart, well we have some more blockages...so he will be undergoing a Heart Cath on June 24th. Please pray for Dr. Salame and his team as they operate on him. It is difficult being so far away when this is going on, but I know the Lord has a purpose for everything!
I will leave you all with some pictures from the past two weeks!
Love you all!
"You're blessed when you stay on course, walking steadily on the road revealed by God.
You're blessed when you follow his directions,
doing your best to find him.
That's right—you don't go off on your own;
you walk straight along the road he set.
You, God, prescribed the right way to live;
now you expect us to live it.
Oh, that my steps might be steady,
keeping to the course you set;
Then I'd never have any regrets
in comparing my life with your counsel.
I thank you for speaking straight from your heart;
I learn the pattern of your righteous ways.
I'm going to do what you tell me to do; " Psalms 119: 1-8
Now, here is a quick synopsis of my past two weeks in Houston! I have been to countless numbers of graduations and graduation parties!! Oh my goodness, I have no desire to attend another graduation ceremony until my own next spring! Speaking of my graduation...I took the PRAXIS this past week. (This test is a standardized test I have to take in order to be certified as a teacher)...I PASSED!!! I am so excited to have this past me!
I have enjoyed water balloon fights, slip-n-slides, movie nights, VBS workdays, SYS area wide,an Astros game, and some nice R&R by the pool! I have spent most of my time in the office with Steve working on stuff for Camp Bandina in July. I have also spent a good bit of time working on building a mural to advertise for our VBS.
This Sunday we are heading off to Alabama!!! That's right, I'm headed back home for Model City Missions 2011! I am so excited about this week! I know the Lord has a lot in store for all of those involved in this amazing week of service! It is so comforting to me to know that the Lord has ordained for every student that will come from all over to participate in this work camp to be changed. He knows everyone of them by name, and He has a purpose and a plan for everyone of them. I love that He saw favor on me to allow me to be apart of watching them fulfill His purpose in their own lives.
Please be in prayer for our safe travel! Pray that God rocks our world in Anniston, AL.
***Also, a quick prayer request! Most of you know the problems my Daddy has with his heart, well we have some more blockages...so he will be undergoing a Heart Cath on June 24th. Please pray for Dr. Salame and his team as they operate on him. It is difficult being so far away when this is going on, but I know the Lord has a purpose for everything!
I will leave you all with some pictures from the past two weeks!
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| Joshelyn's Graduation |
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| Some of the teens at SYS area wide! |
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| VBS Mural |
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| VBS workday! |
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| Slip-n Slide! |
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| Water party!! |
Thursday, June 2, 2011
Jogging with the Lord...
"I keep my eyes always on the LORD.
With him at my right hand, I will not be shaken.
Therefore my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices;
my body also will rest secure,
because you will not abandon me to the realm of the dead,
nor will you let your faithful one see decay.
You make known to me the path of life;
you will fill me with joy in your presence,
with eternal pleasures at your right hand." Psalms 16: 7-9
I have made it my goal to start jogging and getting back into shape while I am in Houston this summer! I have only been at this new task for all of three days, and I am already feeling Satan pulling at my edges! He is doing this through lack of motivation and planting excuses in my head!! My original plan was to get up every morning around 6:30 and go for a jog to start my day off....well for those of you that know me, you know this plan never came to fruition! I can't seem to force myself out of bed when I have another hour to sleep before I have to get up for work! So, I decided to compromise with myself... .around 7:30 PM the humidity isn't so bad, so it is bearable to get out and go running. The only con to this is sometimes my schedule does not place me at home around 7:30ish. Anyways, this time I have alone with the Lord has really proven to be a solid, peaceful time! As I was studying the other day before my jog, I came across Psalm 16 (the passage above). "With him at my right hand, I will not be shaken", my new motto. As most of you know, Holly is SEVERELY out of shape!! So there has come many times when I have been jogging that Satan starts feeding me these lies: "Oh you've run long enough", "It's starting to get dark", "Your heart is literally about to beat out of your chest, STOP!", or "uh..yea...you're legs are seriously about to splat into a puddle of jello!". I have found, however, reciting this scripture and demanding Satan leave this sacred time I have with the Lord has been truly reviving! I find myself talking to the Lord....OUTLOUD! I know these TX people are thinking, "Where do these crazy people come from?!" I caught myself the other day saying, "Lord...you see that STOP sign up there?..ok, I'm not stopping for a rest till WE get there....so you better be picking up your pace, because I'm slowing down!"...hahaha..don't you know how much the Lord is entertained by our stupid complaints!! He quickly reassured me,
"With me at your right hand, you will not be shaken!"
I am so thankful to serve a faithful God, and God that takes time out of running this crazy world to go on a jog with me!....ah..I think I am in love:)
P.S. things are great here in Houston! I will try and update on what is going on here sometime next week...not much is happening right now while the kids are taking finals and finishing up school!
Love you all!
With him at my right hand, I will not be shaken.
Therefore my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices;
my body also will rest secure,
because you will not abandon me to the realm of the dead,
nor will you let your faithful one see decay.
You make known to me the path of life;
you will fill me with joy in your presence,
with eternal pleasures at your right hand." Psalms 16: 7-9
I have made it my goal to start jogging and getting back into shape while I am in Houston this summer! I have only been at this new task for all of three days, and I am already feeling Satan pulling at my edges! He is doing this through lack of motivation and planting excuses in my head!! My original plan was to get up every morning around 6:30 and go for a jog to start my day off....well for those of you that know me, you know this plan never came to fruition! I can't seem to force myself out of bed when I have another hour to sleep before I have to get up for work! So, I decided to compromise with myself... .around 7:30 PM the humidity isn't so bad, so it is bearable to get out and go running. The only con to this is sometimes my schedule does not place me at home around 7:30ish. Anyways, this time I have alone with the Lord has really proven to be a solid, peaceful time! As I was studying the other day before my jog, I came across Psalm 16 (the passage above). "With him at my right hand, I will not be shaken", my new motto. As most of you know, Holly is SEVERELY out of shape!! So there has come many times when I have been jogging that Satan starts feeding me these lies: "Oh you've run long enough", "It's starting to get dark", "Your heart is literally about to beat out of your chest, STOP!", or "uh..yea...you're legs are seriously about to splat into a puddle of jello!". I have found, however, reciting this scripture and demanding Satan leave this sacred time I have with the Lord has been truly reviving! I find myself talking to the Lord....OUTLOUD! I know these TX people are thinking, "Where do these crazy people come from?!" I caught myself the other day saying, "Lord...you see that STOP sign up there?..ok, I'm not stopping for a rest till WE get there....so you better be picking up your pace, because I'm slowing down!"...hahaha..don't you know how much the Lord is entertained by our stupid complaints!! He quickly reassured me,
"With me at your right hand, you will not be shaken!"
I am so thankful to serve a faithful God, and God that takes time out of running this crazy world to go on a jog with me!....ah..I think I am in love:)
P.S. things are great here in Houston! I will try and update on what is going on here sometime next week...not much is happening right now while the kids are taking finals and finishing up school!
Love you all!
Sunday, May 29, 2011
I'm HERE!!!!
My sweet friend Ellen took off work to help me drive the long drive! Thankfully, our trip was for the most part uneventful! The only glitch we had was my GPS dying!! But, thanks to my wonderful sense of direction (for those of you that actually KNOW me, you are rolling the floor laughing at this point!) we made it safely to Houston! We pulled in around 5:15, jogged in the house, quickly said hello to Margie, and got started unloading. I would like to say that we had the car unloaded within five minutes, and I was completely unpacked and settled in within 20 minutes!! Impressive right?! We quickly threw on a dress, and somewhat pulled ourselves together and headed out to Westbury Christian Schools graduation! Graduation started at 7:00, so we needed to be there by 6:30 and I live 20 minutes away from the church (I'll let you do the math!). This was a very fun night! I was able to surprise several of the kids that night!
Then on Saturday, Ellen and I spent the morning together. We ran to David's Bridal to try on some bridesmaids dresses, and then went and had lunch before I took her to the airport. I then attended on my students graduation parties! It was a crawfish broil! It was a very interesting experience!!
I am wrapping up my first Sunday here! I attended another graduation party tonight where we played water balloon volleyball! As you can tell, I have been very busy!! But I am loving every minute of it!!
Tomorrow we are all going to play paintball!! This should be another interesting experience!
Ok, sorry this was so long!! Just wanted to kind of update everyone on what I have been up to my first couple of days here!! I love you all and I will leave you with a few pictures!
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| Me and Ellen at WCS graduation |
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| Cody teaching me how to eat crawfish! |
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| Me and some of my girls after water balloon volleyball! |
Wednesday, May 25, 2011
TWO Days!!!!
Oh. My. Goodness. I only have two more days to wrap everything here in Alabama! Thankfully both of my professors are giving me my final a day early. I finished one last night, and I will complete my last final today! SO thankful for this!! I will now have Thursday to spend here at home tying up some loose ends!
On the agenda for tomorrow:
This will probably be my last post until I am IN HOUSTON!! So, for all of my Houston people, I'll SEE YOU SOON!
I love you all and thank you for all of your support for my journey!
Unitl next time,
Hollyann
On the agenda for tomorrow:
- take my car to be rotated and balanced
- get the oil changed
- pack, then pack my car!
- got to Jake's graduation
- SLEEP
This will probably be my last post until I am IN HOUSTON!! So, for all of my Houston people, I'll SEE YOU SOON!
I love you all and thank you for all of your support for my journey!
Unitl next time,
Hollyann
Wednesday, May 18, 2011
The Countdown Begins!!
We are officially one week and two days away from my departure!! I am so excited to get this summer jump started! I know the Lord has got some great plans for this summer! I am just ready started fulfilling those plans! Please be in prayer as I finish up this last week of school and get ready to head out on this incredible journey!
Sing joyfully to the LORD, you righteous; it is fitting for the upright to praise him. Praise the LORD with the harp; make music to him on the ten-stringed lyre. Sing to him a new song; play skillfully, and shout for joy. For the word of the LORD is right and true; he is faithful in all he does.The LORD loves righteousness and justice; the earth is full of his unfailing love. By the word of the LORD the heavens were made, their starry host by the breath of his mouth. He gathers the waters of the sea into jars; he puts the deep into storehouses. Let all the earth fear the LORD; let all the people of the world revere him.For he spoke, and it came to be; he commanded, and it stood firm.The LORD foils the plans of the nations; he thwarts the purposes of the peoples. But the plans of the LORD stand firm forever, the purposes of his heart through all generations. Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD, the people he chose for his inheritance. From heaven the LORD looks down and sees all mankind; from his dwelling place he watches all who live on earth— he who forms the hearts of all, who considers everything they do. No king is saved by the size of his army; no warrior escapes by his great strength. A horse is a vain hope for deliverance; despite all its great strength it cannot save. But the eyes of the LORD are on those who fear him, on those whose hope is in his unfailing love, to deliver them from death and keep them alive in famine. We wait in hope for the LORD; he is our help and our shield. In him our hearts rejoice, for we trust in his holy name. May your unfailing love be with us, LORD, even as we put our hope in you.
Psalm 33
Have a Blessed week!!
Sing joyfully to the LORD, you righteous; it is fitting for the upright to praise him. Praise the LORD with the harp; make music to him on the ten-stringed lyre. Sing to him a new song; play skillfully, and shout for joy. For the word of the LORD is right and true; he is faithful in all he does.The LORD loves righteousness and justice; the earth is full of his unfailing love. By the word of the LORD the heavens were made, their starry host by the breath of his mouth. He gathers the waters of the sea into jars; he puts the deep into storehouses. Let all the earth fear the LORD; let all the people of the world revere him.For he spoke, and it came to be; he commanded, and it stood firm.The LORD foils the plans of the nations; he thwarts the purposes of the peoples. But the plans of the LORD stand firm forever, the purposes of his heart through all generations. Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD, the people he chose for his inheritance. From heaven the LORD looks down and sees all mankind; from his dwelling place he watches all who live on earth— he who forms the hearts of all, who considers everything they do. No king is saved by the size of his army; no warrior escapes by his great strength. A horse is a vain hope for deliverance; despite all its great strength it cannot save. But the eyes of the LORD are on those who fear him, on those whose hope is in his unfailing love, to deliver them from death and keep them alive in famine. We wait in hope for the LORD; he is our help and our shield. In him our hearts rejoice, for we trust in his holy name. May your unfailing love be with us, LORD, even as we put our hope in you.
Psalm 33
Have a Blessed week!!
Wednesday, May 4, 2011
April Update
Oh my goodness! This has been a CRAZY month! I thankfully finished up my Spring semester in school. So I have had two weeks off to enjoy my freedom before my May semester! I don't know how else to describe this past week other than utterly insane. The devastating tornadoes came right through my small home down, leaving nothing but debris and fallen trees. It has been absolutely breathtaking to see all of the damage this small town has undergone. Last Wednesday, April, 27th was the day it all hit!There were two bands of storms that came through. Wednesday morning at about 6:30 AM there was a tornado that came through Ohatchee. This storm hit my family. Thankfully we have minimal damage to the house. A tree fell on one of our cars, and a trailer that my dad owns. We also have about 40+ trees down, or i guess I should say, completely uprooted. So needless to say, we spent all day Wednesday trying to clean up our yard and clear our driveway so we could at least get in and out! All the while knowing there were MAJOR storms coming through that night. So without power AND water, we all settled in to our home safely and waited out the storm. Not knowing this storm would completely wipe out half of our town. All we could do is sit back and watch as the storm came through and then sit back and wait to hear about all of the damage. Alabama took a big hit; this storm claimed over 250 lives. Thursday we went out to some of the main sites that were hit to try and help those that we could. It was so overwhelming trying to help people salvage what was left of their already struggling lives! It was so powerful to hear some of the survival stories; and at the same time just as sobering to hear the horrific stories of those who had lost their lives. We have a lot of work ahead of us to clean up and pick up all of the pieces of our town! Please join me in my prayer for those who have lost so much.
Today I celebrated my 21st birthday! My family took me out to dinner last night to celebrate. It was a night full of fun and laughter. (which pretty much happens anytime you get my family together!) I came home from my night class and my sweet mother had fixed me my favorite homemade apple cobbler...yum!! Concluding this amazing day, my wonderful kids from TX made me a video for my birthday!! I will post it soon so you can see it!
Quick internship update: I finish my May classes May 26th, so I leave May 27th to head that way! As of this writing we are 22 days away!! I am so excited about seeing my family there and I know the Lord has so many wonderful plans in store for us!!
Until next time,
Hollyann
Today I celebrated my 21st birthday! My family took me out to dinner last night to celebrate. It was a night full of fun and laughter. (which pretty much happens anytime you get my family together!) I came home from my night class and my sweet mother had fixed me my favorite homemade apple cobbler...yum!! Concluding this amazing day, my wonderful kids from TX made me a video for my birthday!! I will post it soon so you can see it!
Quick internship update: I finish my May classes May 26th, so I leave May 27th to head that way! As of this writing we are 22 days away!! I am so excited about seeing my family there and I know the Lord has so many wonderful plans in store for us!!
Until next time,
Hollyann
Saturday, April 9, 2011
Summer 2011
Wow...I can't believe we are already within two months of another awesome summer! It's about that time to get this thing back and running for SUMMER 2011!!! I can't even begin to express to any of you how excited I am about this upcoming summer! The Lord is already working in some pretty amazing ways, and I can't wait to see all that he has in store for us! I am super excited about taking this journey with you all again!!!
More to come soon, so stay posted!
Hollyann
More to come soon, so stay posted!
Hollyann
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