renewal

Sad story, I was writing this entry, and it just up and dissapeared; yes, completely gone, haha. I have no earthly idea where on the desktop it might be, but maybe someone will get to post a little somethin' somethin' on my blog as well. I think you'll notice the difference:)haha. Or atleast I hope.

This past week was really great. Felt for a bit like time was slipping away from me, and I was losing sight of why I was here in the first place, but after continual prayer, God's renewing my heart and spirit for sure. Purpose training last night was really sweet, we talked about being intentional with our time and how we spend it, and about what a difference it makes when we really plan our time like when we'll do quiet times, one on ones, journal, memorize scripture, prayer, make encouragements, do physical exercise, etc, etc. Crazy what a difference it made in the past week.

Ephesians 5:15-16 (New International Version)

¹⁵Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, ¹⁶making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil.

And there it is, folks.

It's that time again, pieces of joy:)

1) our sadie hawkins group date; we had bought tie dye and water guns and splash balls for a tie dye fight, and put everything in the bathroom at the park. Who knew the doors automatically lock at 7:30, haha, daaanget. And so, we played keep away, and ate. A lot. The lord was just showing us how we didn't need earthly things to enjoy our time together, haha :)

2) running on the beach at night with lauren, john david, and victor

3) taking the lasagna out of the oven, and dropping it. Hm, I always knew there was a reason I didn't cook anything besides cereal.

4) praying with vacationing people on the beach, and being really encouraged:)

5) new friends at work; my Muslim friend is coming to a training next week:)

6) the skits performed by the boys, ahaha...I can only hope someone got them on video

7) talking to Jenna on the phone; HAPPY BIRTHDAAAAAY!!!! :))

8) passing out on the beach Sunday

9) GOING TO TARGET TODAY FOR THE FIRST TIME THIS SUMMER!!!! AND GOING TO CHICK FIL A FOR THE FIRST TIME THIS SUMMER, hahah..

10) running out of time to blog, once again, whoops.

his love:)

de⋅vot⋅ed

Happy Fourth. We are freeee. I might be taking that out of context, but atleast the color scheme is right on.

quick update with pieces of joy. I don't want to forget:)

1) my 3 quiet, sweet, and most chill roomies ever dressing as emo for our social
2) black fingernail polish that actually turned out grey, whoops.
3) going to 7 eleven for slurpies in our emo gear, and receiving some awesome looks. Quite frankly, I'd say we blended rather nicely with the Daytona community, haha.
4) making frienship bracelets and working on them for hours..but not even being halfway done with my bracelet. Oie veh.
5) receving a shipment of, no lie, 300 baby turtles. In a Fed Ex box. Kinda gross.
6) new friendships
7) having to actually think of something to do with my free time for the first time, ever.
8) mike millikan + straight legged jeans= hahaha
9) purple hair paint spray
10) reminiscing on previous fourth of Julys:)
11) planning encouragement for the upcoming week: Jonah 2:8
12) letters from friends:)
13) writing/sending out cheesy post cards
14) just now realizing I still have a purple streak in my hair from last night. I went to publix this morning..
15) foreshadowing joy: watching fireworks with friends:)
16) molls' witty comments this entire week.. my room is coming out of its' shell. I love it:)
17) Jess Sethman

that's all for now:) Going to read on the beach.
:) his love.


ps. word of the week :

de⋅vot⋅ed /dɪˈvoʊtɪd/ Show Spelled Pronunciation [di-voh-tid]–adjective zealous or ardent in attachment, loyalty, or affection

Synonyms:faithful, constant, loyal, devout.

Race Week, yes.

It's July 2nd. Where has the time gone? Honestly.

Been slacking quite a bit on the blogging, my apologies:) It's been two weeks since parents weekend when I last updated this little guy. A lot has happened within the fourteen days. Last week was a week of homesickness-- not so much for Fayetteville home, more of a missing friends from school, missing their love and their sweet hearts. Missing those relationships, I guess would be the right way to word it. It's very difficult to find too much alone time here, much less time to chat it up via tele, but that's no excuse. I'm sorry I haven't been in touch much :(
Anyhow, the homesickness started to overwhelm me last..Wednesday and Thursday, I think it was, so I just kept asking God to just comfort my heart when it longed for those people, and something really sweet happened: I saw a man in a WVU tshirt. Now, if you know anything about me, you know West Virginia has my heart ( or atleast a pretty big piece of it :) so, I began speaking with this man, and he said he was from Morgantown and had family in Wheeling, just like me. I chatted his family's ear off due to my current state of homesickness, and as his wife and kids were leaving, she...
1) gave me a $2 tip for printing her tshirts but even sweeter 2) he ran to the back of the store where I was working after having checked out and handed me this booklet that said " Let not your heart be troubled"; I opened it up, and inside were tons of encouraging scriptures. Want to know something funny? I hadn't even had the chance to tell this man I was with Campus Outreach and was a christian. Yes, maybe his wife told him since I vented to her, but either way, how good is the Lord? It just really opened my eyes to how he knows each of our hearts so well, and how he knows exactly what to cure our woes with. Needless to say, that day was my best day yet here in Daytona. I wonder if that man knows his kindness completely changed my attitude for the rest of the week. Hm.
Ah, and to top off the story, David Gridley visited me at my workplace later that day. A tangible taste of home:) "PTL" (Praise the Lord, haha, nice, but seriously.)

The weekend was a great one. We had a Super Hero social and went bowling. My bowling team dressed as Team Planet from Captain Planet. I was heart:) Sunday was the Sabbath. For the first time I rested one Sunday. Rested physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually in Him. It was really sweet, and I've been so energized this whole week; I give credit to the Sabbath:)

This week has flown by already. Thursday, really?
Tomorrow is our High school Reunion social--my room are the emos. Yes. Going to the thrift store today to find some emo gear. Do emos wear fanny packs? Because I need a reason to buy one..

Race week in Daytona. Yeeeeeeees!!! Haha, actually I'm not a huge race fan, but I do wish I could go. We'll be evangelisin' Saturday, and I have a feeling there will be some serious crowds. I thought the beach evangelism would be super intimidating, but when you just trust that only God can ultimately call someone to a life with him, it's really great, and inspiring, and encouraging..makes your heart really break for the people who don't know him yet. Or don't want to.

This will be my first 4th of July not with my family plus Jenna Gridley. That makes me a little sad..also makes me feel like I'm growing up. Weird.

We're reading a really fantastic book called Living Sacrifice during our stay here in sweet Daytay. God's really revealing how much I allow emotions and feelings to lead me rather than his desires. Convicting, yes. But much needed to hear. It's difficult when the world tells us to "follow our heart", but the heart can be manipulated so easily. It's not often we're informed of that little side note.
"My dependence on my feelings obstructed my hearing God's voice of love." -Dr. Helen Roseveare
hello, self.

My favorite talk yet was this past Monday. A guy from Mercer, I should know his naaame...spoke on our role in the Church both now and after graduating. It's so refreshing to hear a talk directly applied to when we won't have our little niche of friends to attend church with. We'll be on our own, but it's sweet:)

This weeks verse is focused on being compelled to unity (Colossians 3:12-14) "Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. Bear with eachother and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the lord forgave you and over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity."
...Jesus loved his enemies, and we're called to love ours, and forgive them, just as he did. hello conviction, once again.

So much I have to say.. but so little time. Either way, God's moving like no other. Suprised?
Me either:)

his love.


ps. shout out to taylor goodman,haha,I love you and miss your laugh every minute.

But as for me..

Reading Psalm 73 this morning. I heard a podcast on my way down to Daytona, and it talked about how people who are "feelers" really relate to the Psalms. That being said, I am a feeler:)
I love what this verse says, though.
Psalm 73:25
"Whom have I in heaven but you?
And earth has nothing I desire
besides you.

My flesh and heart may fail,
but God is the strength of my heart
and my portion forever. "

Ah, and then verse 28
"But as for me, it is good to be near God.
I have made the Sovereign Lord my refuge;
I will tell of all your deeds."

God has honestly placed me in a position where I am forced to allow him to be my strength, and portion; my all. It's funny to think how often I think I can accomplish deeds on my own, and through my own flesh. But in reality, it's all him. Good to remember. Great to meditate on.

Leaving for Orlando to visit grandparents:) as much as i love their love, it's still nothing compared to His. Crazy to think, huh? Hard to grasp.

his love:)..and that's saying a lot.

Mis Padres

Sitting in the Best Western with Mom, Bay, and Kirk. I never realized how the spaciousness in our little Makai hotel room was lacking until now..but we'll just say it gives the room a little personality, no? It will be really odd not sleeping in between Molls and Elle, and losing my phone in between the small crack where our two beds are pushed together during the night. Did I mention the television is on? Feels like ages since I've watched tv. I honestly haven't missed it. It's a nice habit to eat your Cheerios in the morning with the Bible to read instead of Good Morning America. I'd say the day is started off better:)
The past week I was unable to have quiet times every morning, so got in the word in the afternoon. It's quite a little challenge to think of Him throughout the day without having that initial meeting. I'm really enjoying figuring out what works for me and God. Reminds you that it really is a relationship.

That time again, pieces of joy, here I come:)

1)Family coming to visit in Daytona, and my trying to pick Bayley up when I saw her, but failing. I should hit up the gym..
2)giving a girl a sweet Lizard henna tat, and my manager saying, " You did great! We're not gonna be sending you back to Georgia." Comforting.
3)Running at 7 am and jumping over a giant sand castle. Success!
4)Cracker Barrel:)
5)Mom's reaction to seeing my humble abode for the summer..
6)Girl talk by the pool after work
7)text messages from Jenna Gridley
8)writing post cards:)
9)seeing Elle's sunburn, ahaha.
10)wearing a two-piece, bearing my one piece tan line (..foreshadowing joy)
11)encouraging texts:)
12)sharing what God's teaching here with my fam
13)Bayley sending Dad a text message dissing his hotel choice, ahaha..
14)awkwardly introducing my family to SBP friends
15)seeing my Nana and Pawpa Sunday :) Yet another foreshadowing piece o' joy, haha.

well, I suppose that's all. We're off in search of ice cream. Wish us luck.
his love:)

week 3 :D

Going on week three here at the Makai. The surface relationships are beginning to fade, and real ones are breaking through; something I am super thankful for:) I started out working part-time, but was asked to go full time, so today was my first day working from 9-3, not too shabby. Last night we traveled to sweet Orlando for a Vision conference where 3 different regions working with campus outreach united to share and encourage each other to become laborers of and for Christ. The power of prayer is becoming more and more evident with each day, each training, and each struggle. You'd think I would have learned this by now, but I'm learning a good bit about myself I never knew existed. Good and bad. Either way, God's working.

Memory Verse for this week: 2 Corinthians 7:1 "Since we have these promises, dear friends, let us purify ourselves from everything that contaminates body and spirit, perfecting holiness out of reverence for God."

Quick pieces of joy entry:)

1) car rides where the trunk is accidently left open
2) 7 eleven slurpies every minute of my life
3) visits from friends:)
4) walking out to the beach to watch the shuttle not blast off at 7 am
5) making friendship bracelets and playing 'things'
6) swing dancing
7) our rubber ducky floor matt
8) my poor honda's little engine shaking everytime we try and drive anywhere
9) praying with friends
10) unlimited orange juice, thank you Makai Lodge
11) genuine people:)
12) sweet, sweet spirits
13) laundry matts
14) big hearts

off to the relationship seminar!
his love

love me some Jesus and henna tatoos..

Made it safely to Day-tay, Florida :) Finally settling in that this hotel is actually my home now.
The past week has been super overwhelming with the job searches, meeting people, training, etc, but ya'll, this project has completely surpassed all expectations. Never have I been in an environment filled with so much love for Jesus and so much love for each other. It's so encouraging, all the time.
We're learning more than I ever imagined we would, and each talk/ lesson has so much depth. I'm going to have to invest in atleast 2 more journals to be sure I get every thing jotted down:) The verse our entire mission is based off is..

2 Corinthians 5:14-15: "For Christ's love compels us because we are convinced that one died for all and therefore all died. And he died, that those who live should no longer live for themselves, but for him who died for them and was raised again."

God's revealing a lot about myself. The job search in itself lasted about 4 days for me. Major test of patience, heart, and motives. Prayer is a must every minute here. I love it:)

I wish i could write more, but I'm off to my sweet job at the Ocean Club souvenier shop on A1A where I tat beach goers up with henna, print tees, fold em', and chat it up with the locals. Yes:)

ps. if you want to write me, just google to address for the Makai Lodge in Daytona, FL then put " CAMPUS OUTREACH: Kelley Bowers"
I love writing letters, so please do:)

his love. and lots of it.