The month of May

I am overwhelmed by the goodness, the shear immenseness of God's love! A good friend recently suggested I should continuously look back. Not in a regretful way, no, as a way of introspection and thanksgiving. I have been told multiple times that I am a summarizer. After years of trying my hand at story writing and poetry as a young girl I have come to grips with the painful fact... I am a fact and to the point person who is just too analytical for short stories and not patient enough to write poetry.
Here is my summary of what has happened the last month. Take it or leave it... It's how I am :)

1. God provided a car and also a brother who is willing to teach me how to drive a stick w/o yelling hysterically when I stall!

2. God has given me many opportunities to speak about my int'l student friends w/ many listening and generous ears. They pray and give on behalf of the world in our back yard.

3. I have been able to develop friendships with people at my church that I treasure and that are amazingly sweet and giving people. One kind gentleman keeps making sure I have ample gas in my car by providing gas cards.

4. I have been given a love of musical worship, lifting my voice in song. Because of that God has given me the chance to be involved in the worship team at church. I love it and will miss it when I move to Lafayette.

5. I have been given many opportunities to speak w/ int'l students about the hope of Jesus.

6. I have been given a part time job at Old Navy where I can be an example of Jesus to those I work with. (I also get a great discount).

I love you all and am so grateful for your prayers and encouragement. Love-Bethany

April Showers

My nephew Gabe the baseball player, turned 8!
My nephew Lincoln, enjoying a dandelion puff.
























So many blessings that stretch and move us. So many things I don't understand. So many lives that are touched by Your hand. So many. Why don't we choose faith first? Why don't we love You first? Why does life spin by so fast? I choose to let You heal me from the past. I claim today.

Summary of Events this past month:
1. Support raising kicks off to a good start and keeps my head spinning (in a good way)
2. My neice and nephew's birthdays.
3. My car (Fancy), dies of a Transmission Attack.
4. My wonderful God provides me with another car (curtisy of my friends in Muncie)
5. I find a house in Lafayette with two believing women.
6. I look for a part time job and try to trust my God. :)



19 of us went to the Easter week end Passion play in April. We had a great time talking afterwards. Many of the students had a lot of questions about the story. Many commented about their beliefs. I find it amazing how truth brings forth questions and curiosity. Please pray!

May Truth be my Theme!

I have an idea. It's just a thought really. What if... there wasn't any truth? What if the pastor of that baptist church I met the other day is right? What would happen?

If the truth be told, we would all be liars; every single one of us. We all believe in truth whether we deny it or not. We all believe fiercely in something. Its just how humans were made (in the image of... God). It's the way we live our day to day lives that proclaim "I worship my job... church... self...family... house.. car.. money etc". There have been many prominent Christian leaders recently that have just renounced Jesus as the "Only Way". If that be so, then Jesus is a liar, (John 14: 6) and so am I. If that be "true" (oh wait, there isn't any truth) then we need not follow the Great Commission because missions is now unnecessary and a waste of time. Why did Jesus die, if indeed there is no basis, no fact, no foundation of the "truth" that we needed Him to?

Someone is wrong, some religion out there is not going to cut it. With all the contradicting beliefs ... we can't all be right! Wake up and see!

At this time of year more and more people are questioning what is true. We need to seize the day in love and in hope. "I am The Way, The Truth, and The Life. No man comes to the Father, except through Me!!!!!!" John 14: 6
"I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile". Romans 1:16

"Awake you sleepers! Rise from the dead,
And Christ will shine on you!" Ephesians 5: 14

Colorado Springs Promised Pictures

When I go up to the mountains You are there.

When I go down to the depths still.. You are there.

When I rise up to meet the dawn You are there,

still I flee across the seas still You are there!

Where can I go farther from Your spirit? Each place I stand your presence I can see.

Garden of the Gods

Only take me by the hand and guide me safely in Your steps

Fellow Newbies and Me at the Garden.

There is no where that I go, You don't do with me.


I lift my eyes up, up to the mountains. Where does my help come from. My help comes from You, maker of heaven, Creator of the earth.

Oh how I need you Lord! You are my only hope. You are my only friend! Oh how I wait for You, to come and rescue me, come and give me life!

Pikes Peak from my hotel window!

On High Places

They say pictures are worth a thousand words... I promise I will have some wonderful pictures for everyone to enjoy after I get home from New Staff Orientation (NSO) in Colorado Springs. I didn't bring my connecting cord from my camera to my computer.

I have been so encouraged the past two days. I arrived in beautiful, sunny, Colorado Springs, CO on Sunday afternoon for ISI's NSO. I get a wonderfully comfortable suite all to myself with big windows facing God's splendor... Mountains! I love it.

The past two days have been filled with meetings and presentations and folders and more information then I can process right now. I have thoroughly enjoyed all of it. I work with amazing people! The administrative staff and training staff her at ISI have been phenomenal! They are men and women of integrity and strength that lean on Jesus for accomplishing The Task. They desire to see the world reached for Jesus and that is why they poor themselves into campus staff such as myself, to see that we are properly equipped to sow and reap the harvest.

They have encouraged all of us 7 newbies to share our vision and passion with others and not be afraid to ask for consistent monthly financial support. It is ministry to include others in the amazing opportunity to reach others for Christ. So.. That is what I'm doing. I have just asked one of my friends, who is also one of my biggest cheerleaders to support me and be my networker and Champion and she was thrilled to agree! Praise God for His provision and encouragement!

Morning Has Broken

Morning has broken.. like the First Morning! Isn't that picture amazing? It reminds me of new beginnings in such an awesome way!

I look at a scene like this and want to laugh and cry at the same time. God is so good to give us new beginnings in our own lives just as beautiful.

Last Thursday (Feb 18th) I received a letter from ISI "officially" inviting me to join their Campus Staff. I am very excited to begin the process by going to New Staff Orientation, March 8-14th. I have a lot to do, think about, and pray about. God has brought me a long way. From having no desire to stay in this country at all, to believing God's purposes for me and having joy in the prospect of helping Int'l students and their families. He is chipping away my independence and my pride, and giving me joy! What a mighty God we serve!
Please continue to pray for me as I begin the search for partners in ministry to serve along side me prayerfully, financially and voluntarily!
Please feel free to comment and send me your prayer requests and praises!

John 15

I AM the True Vine, and My Father is the Vinedresser.

²Any branch in Me that does not bear fruit [that stops bearing] He cuts away (trims off, takes away); and He cleanses and repeatedly prunes every branch that continues to bear fruit, to make it bear more and richer and more excellent fruit.

³You are cleansed and pruned already, because of the word which I have given you [the teachings I have discussed with you].

⁴Dwell in Me, and I will dwell in you. [Live in Me, and I will live in you.] Just as no branch can bear fruit of itself without abiding in (being vitally united to) the vine, neither can you bear fruit unless you abide in Me.

⁵I am the Vine; you are the branches. Whoever lives in Me and I in him bears much (abundant) fruit. However, apart from Me [cut off from vital union with Me] you can do nothing.

⁶If a person does not dwell in Me, he is thrown out like a [broken-off] branch, and withers; such branches are gathered up and thrown into the fire, and they are burned.

⁷If you live in Me [abide vitally united to Me] and My words remain in you and continue to live in your hearts, ask whatever you will, and it shall be done for you.

⁸When you bear (produce) much fruit, My Father is honored and glorified, and you show and prove yourselves to be true followers of Mine.

⁹I have loved you, [just] as the Father has loved Me; abide in My love [^a]">[a]continue in His love with Me].

¹⁰If you keep My commandments [if you continue to obey My instructions], you will abide in My love and live on in it, just as I have obeyed My Father's commandments and live on in His love.

¹¹I have told you these things, that My joy and delight may be in you, and that your joy and gladness may be of full measure and complete and overflowing.

¹²This is My commandment: that you love one another [just] as I have loved you.

¹³No one has greater love [no one has shown stronger affection] than to lay down (give up) his own life for his friends.

¹⁴You are My friends if you keep on doing the things which I command you to do.

¹⁵I do not call you servants (slaves) any longer, for the servant does not know what his master is doing (working out). But I have called you My friends, because I have made known to you everything that I have heard from My Father. [I have revealed to you everything that I have learned from Him.]

¹⁶You have not chosen Me, but I have chosen you and I have appointed you [I have planted you], that you might go and bear fruit and keep on bearing, and that your fruit may be lasting [that it may remain, abide], so that whatever you ask the Father in My Name [as ^b]">[b]presenting all that I AM], He may give it to you.

¹⁷This is what I command you: that you love one another.

¹⁸If the world hates you, know that it hated Me before it hated you.

¹⁹If you belonged to the world, the world would treat you with affection and would love you as its own. But because you are not of the world [no longer one with it], but I have chosen (selected) you out of the world, the world hates (detests) you.

²⁰Remember that I told you, A servant is not greater than his master [is not superior to him]. If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you; if they kept My word and obeyed My teachings, they will also keep and obey yours.

²¹But they will do all this to you [inflict all this suffering on you] because of [your bearing] My name and on My account, for they do not know or understand the One Who sent Me.

²²If I had not come and spoken to them, they would not be guilty of sin [would be blameless]; but now they have no excuse for their sin.

²³Whoever hates Me also hates My Father.

²⁴If I had not done (accomplished) among them the works which no one else ever did, they would not be guilty of sin. But [the fact is] now they have both seen [these works] and have hated both Me and My Father.

²⁵But [this is so] that the word written in their Law might be fulfilled, They hated Me without a cause.^A)">(A)

²⁶But when the Comforter (Counselor, Helper, Advocate, Intercessor, Strengthener, Standby) comes, Whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of Truth Who comes (proceeds) from the Father, He [Himself] will testify regarding Me.

²⁷But you also will testify and be My witnesses, because you have been with Me from the beginning.

What would you have "highlighted"? What message is the most important in this passage? Leave a comment and I will compile the answers in a later post for all the learn from.

The Lord Jesus has given us a precious gift in the Holy Spirit. Listen to Him. Let the truth ring in our hearts as we ignite more of the Holy Spirit's truth in our lives. We are God's. Let that be made obvious. Let us truly love one another. Live and breathe and function in the Vine!