Jet Setter or Stable Sally?

Someone asked me today when i was traveling again, and as i responded that i wasn't sure. She then asked "is it punishment?" Ha ha! Now although i know its not punishment, there are times when i have stop and wonder. There are days i don't miss it. I don't miss the long flights, multiple airports, no hot water, interesting hotels, no internet, not having control over what i eat or what my schedule will be for the day. Those are all things i don't miss.

But there are definitely things i do miss. Cross cultural communication…as frustrating as it can be sometimes…usually ends up pretty entertaining. New food…yes some of it is weird, but some of it is awesome…you have to try everything at least once. The OneHope team across the world…some of the most amazing people you will ever meet. The faces…faces of children who have for the first time received HOPE..knowing that there is a God who cares.

Over the past few years i've learned that travel isn't always as luxurious as i once thought. Being involved in ministry isn't always sunshine and puppies…sometimes its hard. It makes me nervous to say that there are times that i miss the "hard times"…but there are times i do. Those are the times that God speaks so clearly, there isn't a doubt in the world what He is trying to say to you.

So do i miss traveling? This is a much more complex question that any one person could have ever imagined it would be. In short, the things i do miss, definitely out weigh the things i don't. Traveling - of course i miss it, who wouldn't?!

Until next time…look for a place to go...

20% or 80%...

I was on my way to work the other day, feeling totally overwhelmed and anxious. As song came on saying "The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, His anointing is empowering…" Right then peace washed over me and i knew that no matter what the day held, it was going to be ok.

When i felt the Lord leading me to do missions work, He was always very clear that no matter if it was job skills or fundraising He would always provide my every need. What a blessing it is to serve a God that is faithful and never changing!

The song i heard, the promise i was reminded of earlier this week in the car was a springboard into a conversation with a friend that very same day. Somehow we went from work stuff to the topic of tithing. We have all heard about the importance of tithing a tenth. Often i think we forget, its not just 10% that belongs to God, but everything in Heaven and Earth. Sure we tithe our earnings, maybe our devotional time with the Lord, but do we ever stop and think about the gifts the Lord gave us…are we tithing our gifts? We were all given these special things from the Lord, are we using them? Take a minute and think how different the church would be, if we tithed our God given gifts?! There would be less burn out among lay church workers, volunteers would be overflowing and there wouldn't be the saying "well you know 20% of the people do 80% of the work."

It doesn't matter what we have done in the past, what our norm is…begin to ask yourself what are the gifts and skills the Lord has placed in me. Am I sharing that with my church family? Am I giving it back to the Lord? Am I part of the 20% or the 80%? The Spirit of the Lord is upon us, His anointing it empowering, and He will ALWAYS equip us to do what He has called us to do. God has recently given me an opportunity to share a gift He put in me long ago…although i'm not always 100% confident in that gift, i can say His anointing is empowering!

So until next time…what is God empowering you to do...

Been Planted?

I've been looking for inspiration for weeks...literally i have had this same page open for at least two weeks. Finally today Pastor Monroe said something at church that really got me thinking.

"A seed has to be willing to die to live in order to reproduce...
It is the hand of Christ that plants that seed...
Where has God planted you so you can reproduce..."

I grew up on a farm so this whole seed thing kind of makes sense to me. When you really stop and think about it just the fact that you put a little seed in the ground and then it does its thing and there is multiplication, is totally crazy...what an awesome God we serve! When i think back to the farm days, i remember when spring came around the farm got busier than normal. There was seed that was brought in and the guys would take it bag by bag out to the field and plant it, pray for right amount of rain and sunshine so that there would be good yield come fall.

Now let's stop and put this into context for us. Just like the seed on my Dad's farm, i too didn't know what field i would end up in. For a long time i wasn't happy with my location. I felt out of place and didn't see God's reason for placing me in South Florida. People still question why i am here, especially since my family is all up north. But when God moves you and plants you, you just know you have to follow the Farmer - He knows best!

Over the past 9 months Florida has become home. God has began to show me why He has me down here. When you step back and look at it, it doesn't make sense...i would have never put me in the lives of some of the people God is showing His love to. But that's the great part about the whole growing process. We are just along for the ride, God gives in the increase. Having me in place with people i never thought i could reach, gives the Lord an opportunity to show that is He is Alive, He is Love and He desires to have a relationship with us.

We are always eager to reap the harvest, but have we allowed God to plant us first?

We're all a little like Garfield...

A few weeks ago, after a long and stressful couple of days i had reached the limit. It was impossible to pretend that everything was "cool" and i felt completely defeated. As i was talking to a friend i said "wouldn't it be great if we could just live in good happy times?!" We both agreed it would be pretty awesome, but the more i thought about it, the more i realized "i bet we wouldn't learn anything if we only lived in the happy times."

Four years ago when i started my missionary journey i remember thinking a lot about Mountain Top and Valley experiences we have in life. We traveled all over South Africa and seeing the landscape brought these experiences into focus. Type "valley" and "mountain top" into your google search engine and you will see pictures similar to what i found in South Africa. Valleys tend to be very green, have vegetation and the terrain is livable. Mountain tops tend to be rocky and bare but the one benefit of the mountain top, you can see the whole world from there...little is left out of your sight.
I think the valley gets a bad rap. Yes, we all love the happy times, times of victory, success and conquer. Its too easy to forget that the mountain top can only be achieved when we have fought, worked hard, lived, breathed and walked through the valley. The mountain top can't be the mountain top without the valley!

We are all a little like Garfield the Cat. We all know Garfield hates Mondays, i believe there was even an episode when there were no more Mondays, and although Garfield enjoyed it for a while, eventually Tuesdays became the new Monday. We may love the "Happy - Mountain Top" times, but if we never experienced the valley, mountain tops wouldn't exist. In the valley we live, grow, learn and are stretched to our limits...as a result of the valley we can enjoy those mountain top experiences.

Until next time...let's try to be a little more thankful for the valley, or in Garfield's case "Mondays"...


Photos were taken in Bad Plaas, Mpumalanga, South Africa on Prayer Mountain. I'm convinced it is called prayer mountain because you're praying that if you make it up there you can also make it back down. This is also when i decided climbing mountains really isn't my thing!

Never the same...

Ten years ago today, April 26, 2001, i made a decision that changed my life forever...

At the time i had no idea how this decision would affect my life, i just knew it was Truth.
At the time i felt i could never dig myself out of this hole i was living in, i just knew i needed Saving.

On this day ten years ago...

From the outside my life looked good, effortless and fulfilling, but i was in search of Purpose.
From the outside i appeared to be a steady,but inside i was full of fear, i was in search of Peace.

On this day ten years ago...

I knelt before God, broken and in need of Restoration.
I knelt before God, desperate and in need of a Relationship.

On this day ten years ago...my life was changed forever...

Today, I live in Truth, knowing Jesus died for me.
Today, I have been Saved by the Grace of a loving Savior.
Today, I have Purpose to know God and make Him known all over the world.
Today, I have Peace because i know i serve a God who will never leave me.
Today, I have been Restored and my heart has been made whole.
Today, I have a Relationship with God Almighty, He's my best friend and one who will never leave.

On this day, my life is different than what i had planned...

I'm not a music teacher, but i have the privilege to teach leaders all around the world how to share the Gospel with kids.
I don't own a house or have a family, but i have houses and families all around the world.
I told God i could never be a Missionary, but its amazing how He can change our hearts and do the impossible.
My paycheck hasn't always added up to my total expenses, but God has always provided my every need.

On this day, i can see that i am not the same person i was ten years ago.
I am grateful for all God has done.
I am grateful for all God will still do.
I am grateful that although i will fall, God is there to pick me up.
On this day and each and every day, God help me live for you.

On this day, ten, twenty, fifty years from now may i never be the same...

Defining Moments...

In life there are moments that we never forget...memories that have such an impact, that whether good or bad, we will never in our lives forget those moments.

As i have had an opportunity to reminisce about all the different trips i have had been able to take, the memories that have been made, the people i have been able to meet and work with and the circumstances i have been in - it is inevitable that there have been defining moments these past 4 years. Many of my friends would say that graduating college, their wedding day, first day of their real job and their first child are some of their defining moments. At that moment they knew life would never be the same.

My defining moments however look a little different...i have done my best to capture them...

1) My first trip overseas...my thought process in this picture "You have to be kidding me Lord, i can't do this!"


2) Overcoming Fear - after throwing a tantrum like a 2 year old, refusing to share my story with high school kids, the Lord gave me one more shot. The school that day was cancelled and we went back later that week...where i had a chance to overcome that fear that paralyzed me. Shout out to the Big Guy upstairs who gave me the strength to follow through!


3) Chaos - during an outreach event in Durban, SA...giving bread and clothes away goes bad...mob like situation sends Andrea to the car, angry and never wants to work this type of event again! Results: God showed me what poverty really is...and He has started to soften my heart for the homeless here in America and all over the world.

4) Hangin' out in a taxi at night in Madagascar - anxiety takes over and i begin to shut down...not a huge fan of situations that i cannot control. This night God showed me the power of His peace reigning in my life. Fear held me back from making decisions...but when the PEACE of God flows through my life - His strength rules over my weakness.


5) I started to see the bigger picture - I will never fully understand or even be ok with the fact that i lost my mom when i was 18...but at times when i stand before a large group of kids who are orphaned and share my story, and see HOPE enter their lives..it sure starts to make sense. I came across this video OneHope produced the other day and it was just a really good reminder of why sharing our life STORY matters.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SqFsoMtULGU


Until next time...dig up those defining moments and be thankful for them...

December/January Services

Hello Everyone!

Well here is a schedule for the services i will be taking part in for December and January...hope to see you guys come out to one of them!!

Write it on your calendars...i would really love to see you there!

When: December 26th
Where: Triumphant Christian Center, 1129 Southtowne Court Greenville, OH 45331
Time: 6:00 pm


Also for those who are looking for another service to attend that i will be speaking in come and join us at One Hope Community Church!


When: January 2nd


Where: Little Britain Farm Carriage House
5309 Idlewild Rd
Burlington, KY 41005

Time: 10:00 am