1 Timothy 2:1-3

       
¹ I urge, then, first of all, that petitions, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for all people— ² for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. ³ This is good, and pleases God our Savior…” -1 Timothy 2:1-3
 
These past few weeks have been days of uncertainty for our country; there has been a lot of friction between political parties which has overflowed into the personal lives of every individual. That's why I wanted to share this passage with you. No matter what your political stance is, God desires prayers and petitions on behalf of those in authority and for all people.

Petition that the leaders of our country will stand on principle and fight for what they believe. Pray that God will give them wisdom to make right decisions. Ask God to intercede on behalf of the welfare of America, and be thankful that we are indeed a nation under God.

Doing so will fill our lives with peace, godliness, and holiness. It will please God our Savior.

From the inspiredwomanblogs.blogspot.com

    

The Lord is my STRENGTH



It’s a family tradition that we attend the Missouri State Fair every year, so last Sunday afternoon Dad loaded up the Chevy truck and took us to Sedalia. Upon arriving, we realized there wasn’t much going on except for the pig races every half hour and that didn’t hold as much appeal as it used to when we were little kids.

               We wandered around a bit until we came to the livestock barns. We saw cows and bulls of all sorts, sheep getting clipped, goats, pigs fighting each other, roosters screaming their waddles off, and even the champion goose! But my favorites were the giant mules. They were big lovable beasts and enjoyed it when I scratched them behind the ears.

 

 

In the swine barn there was a show for 4 year old kids to enter their pigs.

I got a kick out the cutest little boys wearing plaid shirts and wrangler jeans;)

 

The highlight of our day was a jousting event performed by Knights of Valor. It was pretty impressive to see guys in armor just ridin’ around on their PercheronsJ  Not to mention that the jousting was about as real as it could get. Lances were splintered to shreds, horses were frothing at the mouth, and the knight’s hands got all bloody. It was perfectly wonderfulJ

 

 

By the time we ate corndogs and visited the horticulture building it was DARK out and we hadn’t even been to the carnival! It was purely spectacular to see all of the lights flashing, and go people-watching during one of the most exciting people-watching opportunities everJ Dad let us ride on the Ferris Wheel—another family tradition.

 

 

From up top we had a bird’s eye view of the people beneath us. It was great fun even when Dad embarrassed us greatly by screaming ‘mommy’…….

 

It was an exhilarating experience to live the night life for a short while.

 

Yup. Can’t wait till next year!

Thank you Dad for taking usJ

 

hullo again.

     Hello folks! I'm back believe it or not--so sorry for not keeping you updated on the series of events. Starting the second week of June I was gone for three weeks straight. One week of CYF (Christian Youth Fellowship) camp, one week of junior counseling for an elementary camp, and one week of an intense mission trip in South Dakota.  

     CYF camp was a time of fellowship and renewal. We had so much fun delving into the Bible, playing games, making new friends, worshiping every night, and generally goofing off:) I absolutely LOVED every minute of it. What a great experience....... whew. I'm  still riding a high from that week if you hadn't guessed already.


     Week #2 was junior counseling at elementary camp. This camp had such a different atmosphere than CYF. It was more laid back, and I had a bigger responsibility as a leader and a role model. For me personally, it felt good to come out of CYF and immediately have a chance to share my love for Christ. And I couldn't have asked for a more willing and receptive audience. Those kids were angels, I loved hanging out with them:)

 

     Last, but not least came the EPIC mission trip to the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in South Dakota. A total of 19 teens and 6 adult leaders (well supplied with jolly ranchers) headed off on June 22. We didn't really know what to expect or what was going to be required of us, but our spirits were high and we felt ready to face anything.

 

    2 days later we landed in a small town (not too far from Wounded Knee) where a Youthworks base was established. (This organization is great! Their program staff were exceptionally helpful and very supportive. We wouldn't have survived without their wisdom and guidance;))

     The first couple of days were pretty rough for us. We were complete foreigners merely trying to help out in this small community. The culture, the lifestyle, the people--everything was new to us. All we saw on the first day was the outside of things--the brokenness, the poverty--and circumstances we hadn't expected.

     Then we met some of the people living there, worked more determinedly than ever, and strengthened the community within our group. That's when we looked deeper than just the outside--that's when we discovered the beauty of our surroundings and the Indians we were working with. Finding that beauty made the rough edges so much easier to deal with and gave us Hope.

JC and COMO First Christian Church Group. We called our selves FCCC
(First Christian Church Crew.)

 

   One morning we hiked up to the Camel Back Butte behind the school for devotionals. From up on our little mountain we could see for miles around, hear the birds, smell the yucca blossoms, and admire God's creation from a perspective we had never felt.

 



     South Dakota is a wonderful place! One our way back we drove through the Black Hills. The scenery there was breath-taking. We had to stop several times to take a gazillion pictures:)

Mount Rushmore!!!!!!!

 

 

Hullo Buffalo. We went to a farm where they let us feed the Buffalo treats.

 

 

 

We had great times during the 16 hour car ride. Whoopee!

 

 

     I am the most thankful little girl for these wonderful times I have had. I praise God for everything that happened in those short three weeks and ask Him to continue guiding me in the Way that is Good.

 

And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. --Romans 8:28

    


(photo credits go to my big bro. Austin Dey and Dani Jennings. Check out Dani's awesome photography website here!) 

    

     Okay, so everyone should be well aware by now how progressively sporadic my blog posts are becoming! Part of the problem is that I've been having a major case of Writer's Block. ---I feel all of these beautiful emotions bottled up inside of me with no desirable way of expressing them on paper. So, instead of writing, I have been playing the piano.

     For those of you out there who are musical, you will understand me when I say that playing music not only releases my emotions, but transports me into another world. I mentally leave the hubbub of daily life and revel in the poetry of music.

Albert Schweitzer describes this experience much better than I do:

Joy, sorrow, tears, lamentation, laughter — to all these music gives voice, but in such a way that we are transported from the world of unrest to a world of peace, and see reality in a new way, as if we were sitting by a mountain lake and contemplating hills and woods and clouds in the tranquil and fathomless water.

     Last night I competed in the National Piano Playing Auditions (Guild). I must admit, it was a challenge: I had to memorize 6 pieces and sight read a sonata.  The judge gave me a high score based on my "ability to play musically". I don't entirely attribute that accomplishment to myself . Yes, I worked hard to learn those pieces, but an added dimension -- the depth of the music --  was there because I was surrendering to emotion.

     So, in conclusion to this tangent, writing and music aren't the only ways to express yourself; everybody has his/her own niche. Nevertheless, it is important to express your emotions in one form or another. Am I starting to sound like a hippie? Then it is time for me to sign off;)
Expect more posts soon!!!
Ever yours,  
Laurel