Another Flat

IF you remember ‘Please not another car issue I don’t think I can take anymore.’ From a prior month well guess what here comes another. Thankfully I left Sunday night to head to Dayton. About a half hour from the house my tire goes flat…different tire. JP came to my rescue!! He fixed my tire and sent me on my way. Not too stressful!

Catch a Moment

Wow it seem like forever since i have had a moment to sit and think or reflect. And it really has been a long time. God is amazing truley amazing Josh and i have been married for a full year crazy right. Our lives have been turned and flipped in so many ways this past year. I know they say that the first year of marriage is the hardest, well i never expected so much. In february i got a new job working for the State of Ohio!! Great new except the job was/is 2.5 hours from our home in OX I knew that i would not be able to drive that each day but i felt God had opened this door and I needed to take the job. My parents live near the job site so i would drive to Col Sunday night and say with them and head home on the weekends. after 5 weeks of the 'weekend wife' we got a break 'spring break that is...it is really hard going from seeing your husband 3 out of 7 days to seeing him everyday but that was it i could only see him, we could talk but it was not real life. So many other obligations and duties were priority. After spring break our schedule shifted a bit i would be driving home on wednesdays too. I figure 4 out of 7 is pretty good right. Well that is until leadership meetings and everything else needed to be on wednesdays. Life was hard and it still is. God has blessed me with a carpool that leaves from dayton. so for now i drive in on Mon out on Wed in on Thur and out on Fri and thats my schedule. We are planning on moving soon. In some ways i am thrilled and so ready in others i know the struggle that it is going to cause. I want to see my husband and in that selfishness i am causing him more work and less time with those who he serves and loves, the students.

Moving Forward

This past Sunday the church affirmed our new Elders: Rich Cotton and Rick Stone and our new Foundation Team, consisting of: Matt Beach, Ricky Cotton, Mallory Evans, Alyse Eversole, Lee Jones, Adam Leach, Katie McCain, Marla Nafziger, and Kristen Nelson. Each has shown a heart for the church and for serving. They have committed to serve the church throughout the remainder of their time her in Oxford. We are excited to see how God will continue to reveal himself as we enter this new stage of ministry. Please be in prayer for each of the Elders and Foundation Team. Pray that over the summer they will continue to grow and stay focused.

o Looking ahead the summer is approaching rapidly and the staff is working on VBS and Backyard Bible School, Planning for Camps and retreats. Please pray for the plans as they are being made that God will be glorified in each aspect of this summer and the coming fall.

Spring Break

God is so Great!! Spring break was truly amazing. I have not gotten the opportunity to go on any of the Bridge mission trips…I tried to go on fall break but it did not work out for me. So this was great my first Bridge mission trip. Though hard to find my place since my role within the church has changed from being on staff to just a support person. But God has shown me so much over this short time. I have really been able to see why we are still in oxford. I was able to connect with some of the students which was great since I feel like I rarely get a chance to see anyone.

o About the trip: The Bridge was forever changed. We took 39 student and 4 adults on a Mission trip to Jackson, Mississippi. For many of us we were just happy to hear that the weather would be in the 70's. But God had much more in store for us. We stayed at Mission First, a mission started by First Baptist Jackson. They had various jobs for us, including putting up a ceilings, digging trenches, cleaning and jumping on dirt. On this trip we worked, worked and worked some more. Though many were tired God continued to show Himself to us each night as we came together to worship and share 'our stories'(testimonies). We went from a group of disconnected people that knew each other on the surface to a family that is real with each other. Please pray for Mission First as God continues to use that ministry. Pray for the each of us that went on the trip that we can bring back the passion and share it with the Bridge.

o We only have a few months left until summer break, the children's ministry and youth are still growing. The leadership team for next school year as been assembled and has begun planning. Be in prayer for that team that they will stay connected and focused as the break approaches. Thank you for your Love and Support!

o Please Pray for the students as we return home and go back to the normalness of college and work please that we will not lose the passion that God has filled them with.

Finding Joy in the Hard Times

·              I miss my husband. It is so true that absence makes the heart grow fonder! But God has been ever present in my time of need. I can lean on Him when I am lonely and not sure what to do next.