A Lifetime of Dreams

I have always been a dreamer. One who devours anything I can read and then fantasizes about the grassy hillsides, fighting a, animal friends, and magical places found in beautiful tales woven by authors such as Tolkien, Lewis, McKinley, and Rowling.

I have always been a dreamer. The first nighttime dream I remember is from third grade (16 years ago). I dream of love, of friends, of flying. My dreams can be so vivid that I wake up struggling to discern what is reality.

I have always been a dreamer. But I never have allowed myself to dream about the future. I'm not sure why. Perhaps it's a subconscious effort to avoid being disappointed with what actually occurs. Growing up, I never did know exactly what I wanted to "be when I grew up." Oh, I had fleeting thoughts. A vet (quickly shut down by job shadowing), an investigative journalist (thank you Lois and Clark), a missionary (waiting for this). Not until I worked at a women's shelter and social work popped onto my radar did I ever have a concrete dream for the future.

And, six years later, I am not a social worker. (Not yet, anyway.) In all of my dreaming, I did not dream that while at school, studying what I love, I would get so sick I would need to leave amid a slew of personal and family crises. I never dreamed that I would be diagnosed with chronic fatigue, depression, and anxiety--a triple threat. I never dreamed that I would have to move home for a year, physically unable to write, study, read, concentrate. I never dreamed that recovery and healing could take so long or be so hard.

Recovery has had its bright moments. Thanks to the work of a chiropractor and a Nutrition Response Therapist, my neck is now pointed the right way and I am off of foods that make my brain go nuts. I am able to read voraciously again (still working on my ability to process nonfiction), work on foreign language, exercise, and--this is my first attempt in a long time--write.

The past year has held many dreams. I moved to central Florida to work for our favorite Mouse. Oh the dreams that job held for me! Unfortunately, I got so sick so often that I was unable to continue in that role. Then I was a character performer for another company, which was fantastic! I never dreamed that I could actually hang out with such wonderful characters. I never allowed myself to dream that I could wholeheartedly enjoy a job so incredibly much. This enjoyment surprised me and thrilled me to no end. And now I am headed back to the Mouse, to a land of baby tigers and hippos and elephants, to see what another dream has to offer.

During this year, as dreams have come and gone and come again, I discovered another set of dreams. In July I began volunteering regularly at Give Kids the World Village, where Make A Wish (and other such organizations) house families whose life-threatening ill children wish to come see Mickey and Harry Potter and Shamu. Through working at the Village, I have met extraordinary children and loving families who have given everything to help fight these sicknesses. I, with them, have begun to dream of a world where childhood illnesses can be cured. Where they, like other children, can always run and play and dance without fear of tubes or wheelchairs or sickness. We dream of the promise of tomorrows that stretch until these beloveds reach old age. And so these families live to the fullest of every moment, however bright or bleak, and they still dream of the tomorrows.

Tomorrow I begin my new role with the Mouse. Many dreams are poking their way to the surface again after beating a hasty retreat last June. I am not quite as starry-eyed as when I first arrived in central Florida, but I am learning to renew my dreaming. Dreams do not have substance and cannot be stored in a jar or drawer; but, much like faith (though faith's power is even more potent), dreams can motivate us to remember that this moment will eventually become tomorrow. And tomorrow brings new dreams.

My friends, never give up your dreaming.

Two Worlds and a Fence

We are on a playground, swinging, jumping, sliding, climbing.

A child and I, 

imagining ourselves in jungles and in space and on a pirate ship.

The captain commands me most insistently to walk the plank, 

and I plunge into the deep waters below,

only to be rescued by a mermaid.

We pretend together, the child and I, 

that we are on a trek to find a lost princess.

Together we slay a fiery dragon, 

and the fearless knight beside me chooses to adopt its baby

and ride it with the princess through the night sky filled with fireworks.

In the midst of our world where birds have fins and fishes have wings,

I stop. I hear a sound,

A shout, a squeal of glee,

a voice so like that of the child right next to me,

pure and sweet, full of laughter and joy and innocent pleasure.

From where had this laugh come?

From a child, of course, so like the one I held in my arms,

yet so different, for this voice came through the trees from a home we could not see,

from another child experiencing the same fun,

the same imaginings,

the same games that we were playing.

But this was one adventure we could not investigate,

 a dragon we could not conquer,

a maiden we could not save,

for a fence stood in our way.

A fence, cold and gleaming,

inhibiting our clearing a path through the trees.

A stark, cold reminder of things this child does not yet know,

cannot yet comprehend,

yet must live with every day.

A reminder that this child is separated from the world for a time,

to fervently be fiercely protected,

to nourishingly be physically and spiritually fed,

to lovingly be recognized as a child of God.

The fence is not the only thing 

that separates the invisible, laughing child 

from the one standing next to me.

The child beside me laughs, pulling me back to our playground fun.

This child is one who, 

perhaps, 

could have been no different than the ones I hear through the trees.

Maybe one day, this child, too, will be free. 

Free to pretend, 

to imagine, 

to create

in a world no longer guarded by fences.

In a world where children can laugh and play without fear

and where they can swim to the moon 

and fly through the waves.   

Sovereign Healing.

"It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick." Matthew 9. Mark 2. Luke 5.

"Healthy."

Throughout history, people have sought how to be ultimately healthy. How to beat the system of getting hurt and dying that began with Adam and Eve's eviction from the Garden of Eden. Countless methods of cures and medicines and practices have been performed on, injected into, willing taken by the human body to make it physically better.

The human body is this perfectly balanced, ingenuously created organism that can do so much. We as humans can run, jump, pick stuff up in our hands (and feet if you want to get creative), speak, think, process sights, smells, tastes, sounds, touch......it's amazing. Utterly amazing. Genesis 1:27 says that "God created man in His own image." The creation story found in Genesis (and really, the entire Bible) tells us that we are the crown of God's creation. We are made in His image.

This "very good" creation (Gen. 1:31), however, developed a serious flaw when we--yes, we; each of us has made this choice of our own freewill--decided to walk away from our perfect Creator. Part of the consequences exist physically. Part of the consequences exist spiritually. Sickness and hurt just scratch the surface of it. Separation from the eternal God is something much, much more serious.

However, even though we deserve all of the wrath of God described in the Minor Prophets, God planned even before the creation of the world to save His creation through the sacrifice of His Son. Such love, no one can even begin to fathom it (Ephesians 3:14-21). The acceptance of this ultimate sacrifice returns us to fulfillment in our God. This sacrifice makes absolutely no sense from a logical perspective. Why sacrifice the one man in all of history who has actually earned his place by God's side? God's unrelenting love makes no sense to humanity. A God who calls His people back again and again and again and again and again all through history? The only absolutely perfect person in the history of the whole planet  willingly gave Himself for this flawed people (yes, that means you and me). And this sacrifice lasts FOREVER. Meaning it will never, ever, go away. Period.

Back to the plans of God. I can't say that I understand them. Ephesians three says that no one can grasp it, even in their wildest imaginations. So.

My senior year of high school, I went through surgeries to give me teeth. Why did God choose to make me without about 18 of my teeth? I'm still figuring that out day by day. He has provided healing, a way (though imperfect) to bypass this physical "thorn" that affected 15 years of my life. Every day, I am reminded of His grace. I could be bitter about what could be seen as a shortcoming in my design, but I know that He is the perfect Creator, and He takes delight in me. Every day, He reminds me that He does have a plan, even though my tiny human mind cannot begin to understand it.

Fast forward to today, 3 years later.

My practically-little brother, newest member of my second family, hurt his knee tonight as he began his senior year season of football. T's plan? To play college ball. God's plan?....

My actual little sister--a polevaulter--three days before a track meet to qualify for state, ran into her pole, cut open her chin, got stitches, and suffered a concussion. I watched helplessly as she encountered a mental block that, of course, results from running into a stationary pole. Her plan? To defend her state title. God's plan?....

My best friend. A struggle of mine for the past semester. Christian Studies major. Active in BSU. Committed to making disciples of all nations. On fire for Christ. This semester I will attend MC without my best friend because she has battled sickness and doctors' visits since January. With her, I have to keep reminding myself over and over and over again that God is in control. God is in control. God is in control. I have cried out so many times, like Moses in Numbers 12:13, "O God, please heal her!" KRose's plan? To get a degree from MC and go out onto the mission field. God's plan?....

In all three of these instances, the people did not plan on injury or sickness. I have had to accept over and over again that I cannot do anything. I cannot heal on my own power. I cannot magically snap my fingers and it all be better. I do not understand why God is doing what He's doing. I do know, however, that He is sovereign. I know Who is in control.

"Sovereignty." Supreme power or authority.

God's grace and love works exactly like this. Just as I have to give up control on the healing of my body or the physical healing of the people I care about most, I have to give up control of the healing of my soul. No matter how much you or I work, we cannot work our way to God. Nothing we do can ever add up to enough to save ourselves. Part of the beauty of God's loving grace is realizing this crucial fact. "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven" (Mat. 5). A podcast done by Pinelake Church describes this condition as admitting to God that we do not have what it takes to pay for our transgressions, sins, wrongdoings. Confessing that I cannot, with all my good works (community service, offerings, church attendance, Christian studies degree, participation in "good" things, avoidance of "bad" things) possibly meet His expectations. He commands us to "be perfect, just as your heavenly Father (God) is perfect" (Mat. 5:48). I can never be perfect. I will always do wrong things. I will always think wrong thoughts, act wrongly to others, you name it. I will always fall short of His expectations if I depend on my own strength. Thankfully, blessedly, I don't have to worry about meeting His standard on my own. Someone else has it covered for me.

With the sacrifice of Jesus Christ came something incredible. He has made it possible for me to come to know God without having to cleanse myself, without having to be that perfect person that we all portray ourselves to be. God sees straight through the mask that I wear. He knows my heart, my desires, my most secret being. He knows that I am a sinner. He knows that I deserve all of His wrath.

Christ took on the righteous wrath of God, though. Jesus Christ--the utterly perfect Son of God--died in my place and received every ounce of punishment that I deserved. Because of Him, I am covered in grace. "What can wash away my sin? Nothing but the blood of Jesus. What can make me whole again? Nothing but the blood of Jesus." "By His wounds, we are healed" (Isa. 53, 1 Peter 2). I am reborn in Him; He has given me His Spirit; and I am a daughter of God, the ultimate Healer.

The amazing thing is, no one saw God's exact plan of how Christ could save the world before He actually did it through Jesus. Even those He revealed glimpses to--Abraham, David, Isaiah, Hosea, Mary--did not know exactly how Hist story would play out until it happened. And it is more beautiful than any story a human being could have written.

During Jesus' time here on Earth, He constantly healed those around him. Simon Peter's mother-in-law, the man with leprosy, the centurion's servant, the demon-possessed, the blind, the lame, the mute, those that society would not go near for fear of being unclean. He raised the dead. His healing is summed up in his statement to who is referred to as the "bleeding woman" in Mark 5: "...your faith has healed you." Yes, Jesus healed all of these people physically. But that is not his ultimate goal. They had encounters with Him that changed their lives. They went out and proclaimed Him as the Son of God. And this man that is also God (John 1) lives within me. He lives within those who struggle today. Why do "innocent" people suffer, you may ask? Well, the first argument is that there are none who are truly innocent. There is a remedy for that, a forgiveness that comes from the Creator Himself. The second argument is that without suffering, we would not need God. We would be able to make it through this world on our own, without knowing or caring about the comfort that can only come from God. I choose to grasp onto this, not as a crutch, but as a life-sustaining abundance of love from the One Who directs my path.

Perfect physical healing may never come. But in Christ, I am guaranteed the healing that matters. My broken soul is now whole because Someone else lives there.

I serve a sovereign Healer. The thing is, I'm not sovereign. Sometimes (well, most of the time), I can't see or fathom what He's doing in my life, in the lives of my dearest friends. But I have to trust that He's at work, creating something beyond my best imagination. He is the ultimate Healer. The ultimate Comforter.

Kari Jobe's song "Healer" seems appropriate here. I'm praying that each of you come to know the healing that has encompassed me. All you have to do, like the bleeding woman in Mark 5, is reach out to touch Him.

You hold my very moment

You calm my raging seas

You walk with me through fire

And heal all my disease.

I trust in You

I trust in You.

I believe that You're my Healer.

I believe You are all I need.

I believe.

I believe You're my portion

I believe You're more than enough for me.

Jesus, You're all I need.

Hide and Seek.....When God Wants to Be Found.

You know when stuff happens in your life and you can't really explain it? London was one of those wonderful things in my life that I was so blessed to experience. Two months later, I still can't grasp that I really got to spend 3 months in Europe. So much has happened since I came home.....a lot of stuff that I can't wrap my mind around. But you know, when you don't know all the answers is when God draws us to Himself....and when we're most likely to realize our need to seek our Father, even when we don't want to. I found my Mississippi Baptist Speaker's Tournament speech from 2009 on my computer today, and I just wanted to share it.

One…two…three…” I begin to count. Excited squeals erupt across the playground as children scramble to find hiding places. As I near the end of the count, it grows quiet, each player desperate to remain hidden. “Ready or not, here I come!” I call. Where to look first? The search begins. 

Have you ever found yourself searching intently for something, like a child playing a game of hide-and-seek? Scientist Thomas Edison experimented for two whole years before finally inventing the incandescent light bulb. Even in fairytales, princesses seek to find their “Prince Charming”s; and pirates search for buried treasure using the dotted lines on treasure maps crossing restless seas and faraway lands up to the “X-marks-the-spot” locating their elusive quarry. However, in order to even start down the road to whatever it is you’re trying to find, initiative, energy, and determination are needed to take that first step on the journey. 

A good example of initiative is seen in Luke fifteen where Jesus tells the parable of the lost sheep. A shepherd out in the fields noticed that one of his lambs was missing. Rather than waiting for the lamb to come wandering back of its own accord, the shepherd took it upon himself to search for this little lost sheep; and, after hunting for it relentlessly, he finally found it and brought it back to the rest of his flock. 

Matthew chapter two describes this attitude of relentless searching when recounting the story of the wise men. My pastor stated that these “men from the East” traveled thousands of miles to see and worship a baby King “just because a star was shining above Him.” They found Him with Mary and Joseph and presented Him with gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. Not only did they give Him earthly gifts, but they also gave Him their hearts, praising Him for the wonderful miracle He was—God in flesh. The wise men not only had the initiative to search for Him, but they also had the right heart to find Him—a heart tuned in to the King. 

When the wise men were traveling through Jerusalem, they asked King Herod where to find the baby King. Herod, having heard of the promised Messiah that was to come to deliver the Hebrews, told the wise men that when they had found the Child, they should return to Jerusalem to let Herod know where Jesus was so that he, too, could worship Him. Herod’s true goal, however, was to kill Baby Jesus in order to retain his own power over the Hebrews. But because an angel warned the wise men in a dream of Herod’s true intention, the wise men did not travel back through Jerusalem; and although he murdered all of the baby boys in Judea, Herod never found the baby King. Herod had all the initiative needed to begin his search for Jesus, but he did not have the right mindset to ever find the Savior—a mindset of true surrender and devotion to the King. As God says in Jeremiah 29:13, “You will seek Me and find Me when you seek Me with all your heart.” 

For what are you searching? Are you searching for recognition and power? Or maybe for a lost sheep in a friend or family member? Or have you been searching for the King of Kings with the wrong heart or in all the wrong places?
I know I did. I looked for Jesus in church rituals, in the youth group, in signing, in school, in music, in friendships. Time after time, I was disappointed and hurt when trying to put my heart in the world. It wasn’t until I searched for Jesus with a heart fully willing to worship Him with everything I had that I could see Him. This past summer, I finally searched for Him with all of my heart, and He completely surprised me! I found Jesus on July 9, 2008. He now holds my whole heart, and I seek to serve my King every day. I’ve discovered that He fulfills His promise in Matthew 6:33: that if you “Seek first His kingdom and His righteousness…all these things will be given to you as well.” We must search for Him first, not just with our minds, but also with our hearts; and then we will find everything we really need. F.B. Meyer presents his perspective on searching for God in prayer, saying, “We too seldom consider the pleasure that the prayer of His people gives to God…We hardly realize that He is looking for our coming because He loves us.” When you search for God, you find that He is already searching for you; and with this realization, you have found Him in perfect love. As a popular worship song says, “The more I seek You, the more I find You. And the more I find You, the more I love You.” 

Searching for Jesus is a lifelong journey, a choice that Christians must make daily. We may make mistakes along the way, but we should not give up with defeat. As Thomas Edison said, “I didn’t fail. I found two thousand ways how not to make a light bulb.” Like Edison, we should not stop our work with small failures, but learn the lessons that these defeats teach us. 

So…where to look first? Well, how about the Cross? That is where true salvation is found.
Tag, you’re it! 


Sometimes I wonder why I struggle with issues in life. But you know, if it makes me turn around and face my Father instead of running away from Him, it's totally worth it in the long run. He's always with me, step by step, and He is the most faithful companion in my life. Recently I've re-learned what it means to be forgiven, to know I've messed up and come back asking for forgiveness. I know what it feels like to think I can never be forgiven. But He does forgive us, time and time again. We are His children; He will not leave us stranded. As long as we're calling out His Name (and even when we don't), He will answer. We will find Him. He promises this, and He is true to His promises.

Froggy's Adventures in the UK

So, as you can tell, I have not blogged for the past month or so. So much has happened! Here is rundown on the life of my adventures in London, February, 2012.


I am fondly known as "the frog," due to a hat that I bought at Portobello Road that I wear on every walk and on every day trip. :) It's very warm.

The Stage of the Globe Theatre

St. Paul's Cathedral across the River Thames

Dublin Castle--the only remaining turret of the Medieval castle

Irish mailbox

Snow in Alexandra Palace

The Eye from the boat to Greenwich

Look! My feet are in two hemispheres!

Froggy in the Pulpit

In front of Dover Castle

Micheal wishes he could be as good of a froggy as I am.

Initial reaction to the English Channel

Canterbury Cathedral

Regent's Park

David and I in at the beach in Bournemouth

Me, David, and Becca in the New Forest (that's old)

Wild Horses in the New Forest

Becca, Michelle, and I with Daniel, who played Cosmo in Singing in the Rain

On February 1st, all 23 of us moved to homestay. Every year, the program allows us students to stay with families around the London area. Courteney and I have been living in Alexandra Palace, a suburb just a hop, skip, and a 30-minute tube and train ride away from central London. Our family is Mr. Paul, Mrs. Sue, 13 year-old Honor, and Pippin, a (relatively) friendly orange cat. It's been nice to have home-cooked meals, to get the milk and orange juice in the morning after they've been delivered to the door, and to have a room to relax in that's big enough to hold our stuff and let us sleep in bed at the same time. Downside: no Celtic breakfast. Upside: it's good to be in a home. We move out officially tomorrow morning when we head out on Spring Tour. We've been really blessed to have this time with our family.


The first weekend of homestay, we had a free Saturday, so Courteney and I went to Dublin, Ireland! :) This was so much fun! We were the ultimate tourists and took a hop-on-hop-off tour of the city, which means that we got on a bus, had a guide (in an Irish accent) speaking to us about all the things we were seeing, but we got to get off at sites we wanted to explore more thoroughly. I got to see Trinity College, Dublin Castle, various parks, and I saw (but did not enter) the zoo. My favorite part of the day was walking through St. Stephen's Green, a huge park in the middle of the city with ponds and staircases to hidden statues and fun things to climb. Dublin is smaller than London but with just as many tourists. There is a lot more room to breathe than there is in London. It was exciting (and slightly overwhelming) to roam a new city. I was constantly amazed by the fact that I was in IRELAND. But when I stepped off the Tube back on Oxford Street in London the next day, I heaved an immense sigh of relief, pleased beyond words to be HOME again. Home. It's hard to believe how in love I am with this city and how comfortable I am here. :)


Our other free day this month was last Wednesday, when Becca and I took a train to Bournemouth to visit David, one of my teammates from this summer. It was so good to ride in a CAR again!!! It's strange to think that I had not ridden in a car since I left the States. It almost seemed like the summer again...seeing the sea, watching boys play soccer (football) on the beach, seeing the wild horses in the New Forest....such a great day. We toured a cemetery with the most beautiful headstones I have ever seen, hung out at David's "granny flat," and had a good time all around. It's always fun to catch up with friends, especially one that I spent three and a half months with. We realized that we had not been in Ocean City for six months, which was weird.


This month we have had day trips to Greenwich, Downhouse, Canterbury and Dover, Cambridge, and Tintern Abbey. When we took the boat to Greenwich, I was amazed because it had snowed the night before. It was super cold and windy, but it was so pretty with snow all over the giant hill. We stood on the Prime Meridian, toured the old observatory, and some (I watched) ran/slid down the snow-covered hill. Downhouse was beautiful. Though I do not agree with Darwin's thought process, he was a brilliant man, and a good head of his family. It was cool to learn about him and his family and walk the grounds of the house. I especially enjoyed walking on the Sand Walk--a path through the grounds that Darwin would walk every day. Dover Castle was SO MUCH FUN!! The wind was so strong that I thought it would blow me over. We explored the castle, climbed to the top and saw the city and the English Channel, toured the Secret Wartime Tunnels, and saw the old chapel and lighthouse. We put our feet in the English Channel (super cold) on the shores of the White Cliffs of Dover. We proceeded to Canterbury, where I met 3 guys trying to form a band, and wandered through Canterbury Cathedral, spot of the martyrdom of Thomas a'Beckett. Dr. Parks took us through Cambridge. Punting on the river, wandering through the middle of some of the colleges, shopping in the market, climbing a hill overlooking the city, and clambering into a HUGE climbing tree marked our visit.


Yesterday we went to Tintern Abbey (if you've read Wordsworth, you have heard of this place). Tintern Abbey is the site of a ruined monastery located in Wye Valley in Wales. The building is absolutely vast. So beautiful. There's no roof, and it was a beautiful day, so the light and shadows were incredible. The group played freeze tag, hide and seek, and sharks and minnows inside of the large room. Most of the group went on a huge hike to the top of the hills, to the Devil's Pulpit. It was a hard going, getting up there, but the view was totally worth it. So gorgeous!! I was amazed that I could see the whole valley, the Abbey, the town, the river....all from this one spot. For the first time this trip, I was so hot that I was down to only my long-sleeved shirt, with the sleeves rolled up. (We were all hot....and it was about 60 degrees Fahrenheit. You know you've lived in the cold too long when Mississippians say that 60 is hot.)


On the way back down, I was alone, and just reflected on the beauty of God's nature and His creativity. Yesterday was Leap Day, which is a significant day in my family because it's my older sister's birthday. She has now spent 24 years in the arms of Christ, worshipping in the glory of His presence. It was very hard for me to be so far away from my family that day, but in every step I took, I heard, "I am with you ALWAYS," and I knew that no matter how far I am from my family (whom I will see when they come in a week!), my Savior is ALWAYS with me, walking beside me, carrying me, loving me.


Basic run-down of the past month:


Plays I've seen:
-Phantom of the Opera (so good, but couldn't see the chandelier)
-The House of Bernarda Alba (absolutely incredible cast, all women, very dark play)
-She Stoops to Conquer (so funny)
-Traveling Light (about film, I liked the story a lot, but the ending was weird)
-The Changeling (HATED it)
-Long Day's Journey into Night (yet another dark play about a morphine addict and her family)
-Rosenkavalier (an opera. We couldn't see the surtitles. I fell asleep during the entire third act. First time I've fallen asleep in something. Super hot in the theatre. Good story, though.)
-Noises Off (SO FUNNY!! Probably my favorite play that I've seen with the program, next to Guys and Dolls)
-War Horse (play and movie, on my own. The puppetry was INCREDIBLE. I enjoyed this play a lot.)
-Singing in the Rain (my favorite musical I've seen. It was so much fun!! I was on the second row and got wet in the rain scene! The cast was entertaining, and it was a great experience.)


Walks we've been on:
-Central Criminal Courts
-Globe Theatre (my favorite tour!)
-Westminster Abbey
-Jack the Ripper
-Shakespeare and Dickens (Southwark)
-Plague and Fire
-Wesley House


Other things of interest:
-Valentine's Day Concert at the Barbican
-seeing a court trial
-Sir John Soane's Museum (packrat to the extreme!)
-Foundling Museum
-All Souls seminar on storytelling
-attended a taping of That Sunday Night Show (I would not recommend watching this)
-watching the sunset in Richmond
-Hillsong with Matt Redman
-trip to the Royal Institution
-exploring Regent's Park
-journaling in Hyde's Park/Kensington Gardens


Books I've read:
-Little Women
-The Wind in the Willows
-She Stoops to Conquer
-War Horse
-Mrs. Dalloway
-Peter Pan
-Tess of the d'Ubervilles (current)
-Jesus Calling (daily)
-The Cross of Christ (current)


So, in conclusion, London is great (getting warmer every day), we haven't killed each other yet (this might change on Spring Tour), and God is always proving His sovereignty. I have no idea what's happening this summer, but I know that He has a plan. I get to see my family in a week, and before then I get to tour Scotland and Wales. ^_^ Ephesians is blessing my life, and I am constantly reminded in the prophets that God promises to care for His people even when we turn away. These have been the adventures of the London Froggy. :)

If You Want Me To

"The pathway is broken
And The signs are unclear
And I don't know the reason why You brought me here
But just because You love me the way that You do
I'm gonna walk through the valley
If You want me to

Cause I'm not who I was
When I took my first step
And I'm clinging to the promise You're not through with me yet
so if all of these trials bring me closer to you
Then I will walk through the fire
If You want me to

It may not be the way I would have chosen
When you lead me through a world that's not my home
But You never said it would be easy
You only said I'd never go alone

So when the whole world turns against me
And I'm all by myself
And I can't hear You answer my cries for help
I'll remember the suffering that Your love put You through
And I will go through the valley
If You want me to."


Recently, my plans for the summer have changed drastically. Originally I was going to be serving internationally this summer through the BSU. However, due to unforeseen circumstances, I will no longer be going to Mexico. I am absolutely stunned and right now, I cannot see what God has planned. This is especially hard for me to deal with while I'm overseas in London, without my family and friends around. I know that God will place me exactly where I am supposed to be, and I trust that He will be glorified whatever the circumstances. I'm really excited about seeing where He places me this summer, whether it's in summer missions or working at home or in a church somewhere.


Please pray for all of us here in London. We're reaching a point where we're really tired and we're ready for a break from our hectic schedule. I'm still loving London so much, but I'm ready to go to bed before midnight. Pray for our chance to share Christ with our families that we're staying with right now. We have one more week here at homestay, and it's hard to be witnesses to our families sometimes. Pray that we will take advantage of every opportunity to turn the conversation to the One we believe in. Please pray for the BSU and the summer missionaries as everyone's preparing to serve and for the summer missions banquet. Pray in expectation that God will provide all of the funds necessary to send everyone willing to go. Thank God for the overall good health conditions of my classmates and me right now. It's such a blessing not to be sick.


Finally, "I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, will have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge--that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God." Ephesians 3:17-19


London Adventures blog coming soon to catch you up on the past month! :)

Papers and Packages

Hey everyone from the lobby of the Celtic Hotel! It's hard to believe that we've been here in London for almost two weeks! It feels like we've been here forever yet such a short time as well. The past week has absolutely flown by!

The front of the Celtic Hotel

Last Sunday, the whole group went to St. Paul's Cathedral for the 11:30 service. It was beautiful beyond description. As we walked up from the tube stop, the bells were chiming, calling everyone to come and worship. Outside, I was awed by the size of the building, but that was nothing compared to the inside. We worshipped under the dome, and everything was just gorgeous. Around the inside of the dome (haha whenever I saw the dome, I keep thinking "Headed to the Dome," for all you Passion-goers) are images of the apostles and prophets and stages of Christ's life. The dome stretches high above, letting in light from outside and filled with light from inside. The service was very formal but I could definitely feel the presence of God. The boys' choir sang that day. Because St. Paul's is stone inside, the acoustics are incredible. Every time the boys or the organ cut off, the sound would remain for about ten seconds or so. So beautiful! Every time that happened, my breath would catch as I just reveled in the beauty of the service. The reverend spoke about Peter bringing Nathaniel to meet Christ. She explained how Peter did not try to explain everything about Christ or give Nathaniel a list of good works to do; he simply told Nathaniel to come and see Jesus. The sermon was much, much different than I expected (in a good way). The reverend challenged the congregation to simply invite people to come see Jesus, because that is all that He requests. We don't have to provide all of the answers (and who has all the answers?) or perform a certain way to earn His pleasure; He accepts us just as we are and He delights in us. We took communion, and I tasted wine for the first time. Altogether, it was a beautiful experience and God touched my heart. Not because it was in a famous building, but because God was there and I was praising Him, even here in London, across the ocean from my usual church family. I have a Christian family here in London, too. :) Praise God for His Church! Worshipping at St. Paul's has been my favorite experience in London so far.

St. Paul's Cathedral

St. Paul's from the roof of the National Gallery

That afternoon, some of us returned to St. Paul's for an organ concert. It was phenomenal, but I fell asleep :/ Also that afternoon, I watched kids play with their dads in the park. If you've never seen that, come to Russell Square and just sit and watch. It was adorable :) We had a walk through Bloomsbury (even though I just had to go find everything Dr. Parks pointed out again for myself) and I went to All Souls Church with Dr. Parks for the evening service. It was hard to believe that All Souls and St. Paul's are both Anglican because All Souls is so....American, I guess. But their hymns are more real somehow, and they sing all the verses of every hymn. The preaching is so scripturally based and very to-the-point. I think that I'll try to attend this church regularly.

the fountain in the middle of Russell Square

Watching the Changing of the Guard

We have now completed a week of class. I am taking History of Science, Art History, British Literature, Introduction to Theatre, and London History and Culture. We already have so many assignments, and I'm trying not to go crazy over it. I know that I'll get all of it done, but having 4 papers (though 2 are really short) assigned in 4 days is crazy! Slightly overwhelming. Class can involve anything from sitting in the classroom in St. George's for 3 hours to exploring the British Museum's Parthenon and ancient Egyptian exhibits to taking a walk around the Inns of Court taking notes frantically while our hands freeze. We've been on a backstage tour of the National Theatre; seen "Comedy of Errors," "Twelfth Night," Wicked, "The Importance of Being Earnest," and Guys and Dolls;  toured the Cabinet War Rooms; witnessed the Changing of the Guard; experienced the longest walking tour EVER (about 3 and a half hours) through Cheapside; been to Portobello Market; listened to Mozart's Requiem by Candlelight at the church of St. Martin in the Fields; and been rained on incessantly (to make up for the beautiful first week we had, I guess). The group's doing great, and it's hilarious to see all of us battling over the internet connection when we get back to the hotel at night.

the group headed to Wicked

pretty chapel in Lincoln's Inn

On my own or in a small group, I've done several interesting things including (but not limited to):
-finished Mrs. Dalloway (much more impressive than it sounds)

with my binoculars at Wicked

-gone onto the roof of the National Theatre and taken pictures of St. Paul's at night
-used my binoculars for the first time in a theatre
-developed and recovered from a shin splint
-had Tex Mex (and they gave us ICE in our drinks!!)
-pinched my finger in the handle on the toilet
-attempted and failed to apply for a library card
-discovered Platform Nine and Three-Quarters and desperately tried to get to Hogwarts

Off to Hogwarts! :)

-been saved by the same James who tried to kill us all on our Tube Rallye
-discovered the Mighty Box
-almost had my purse picked by an 8 year-old boy at Portobello Market
-found the most amazing bookstore EVER across from the ULU
-watched Micheal re-inact Singing in the Rain by running up to a lampost and jumping up on it with his arm and leg thrown out, singing :)
-eaten at a pub
-listened to a David Platt podcast about fear vs. faith
-seen a second sun in Trafalgar Square, complete with free orange juice from Tropicana
-ridden the longest escalator in London
-shopped at Primark for super cheap clothes
-played piano for the first time since I left for London

In case you didn't know, this is the sun suspended on a crane.

-been lost and re-found my way in London

the longest escalator in London: @ Angel tube station

-ridden on the top of a double-decker bus
-had the biggest pancake covered in fruit and ice cream in my life :D

My DELICIOUS pancake :) Complete with fruit and ice cream.

Today I got back from class to discover that I had a letter AND a package!!!! Yay for my roommate and my family!! :) If you want to make me happy, please send me stuff. Like peanut butter. Not even kidding. But my family and my roommate are amazing :) Tonight I did laundry for the first time in the sink and promptly knocked over my full laundry detergent bottle, and it all spilled onto the carpet. So now we have blue towels instead of white, and our room smells like soap. I also explored the Disney store today. I could live there, I think. :)

my clothesline complete with (hopefully) clean clothes

As always, Jesus is faithful. He's teaching me so much in my reading and throughout my days. I'm being reminded again and again that no matter what, He is with me; He is faithful to His promises. I'm continually amazed by the love of my Father and His devotion to Israel and to His people. Thank you for all your prayers. Please continue praying for my friend who does not know Christ, and for healing for another friend. Please also ask for all of us to have energy as we live our days in London and that we make the most of every opportunity that He gives us. Please also pray concerning First Baptist Church Clinton's Disciple Now this coming weekend--for youth, the speaker, the band, the leaders, the media team, Kenny and Julie and Taylor, and the church family as a whole. I hope that students are open to receive whatever God has to tell them through this experience and that they come away determined to rely on His strength and change the world. Pray also for summer missions interviews that will take place this weekend--for the team of students and ministers who will prayerfully consider all of the applications and place students where they believe God is sending them, for Mrs. Beverly while she oversees all of this, and for the students who are interviewing. It's hard to believe that a year ago, I was beginning preparation for the hardest yet best summer of my life. I can't wait until this summer!! Until next time,


"Pray also for me, that whenever I open my mouth, words may be given me so that I will fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador [currently in London]. Pray that I may declare it fearlessly, as I should." Ephesians 6:19-20

Londoners Walk on Red.

Hello from London, England! I still find it hard to believe that I'm actually here and that we are not headed home in a few days--try a few months! We have only been here 3 days, but I already love it and miss everyone at the same time. London is busy, busy. Everybody headed somewhere all of the time. Here is a phenomenon--the oldest buildings and streets I have ever seen mixed with everything the twenty-first century has to offer. (For example, I walked the stones of the Great Bath in Bath today, where Roman emperors walked, and then on the coach ride home, I saw a McDonald's and Texaco off of the American equivalent of an interstate: motorway.)

Headed to London, I had no idea what to expect, and that scared me. I'm the kind of person that likes to know what I'm doing at least in the immediate future, and the concept of coming to a country where I knew no one but my classmates and my summer missions teammate blew my mind. Many, many people told me that yes, I should come and yes, this is God's will for me; and I fought a huge battle about why I was coming and such. But now that I'm here, I know that this is exactly what God wants me to do, exactly where God has placed me, because as soon as I set foot here, all doubts and fears I had vanished. I know that He will use this trip to challenge me and help me grow, and I hope beyond all reason to glorify Him in all that I do.

Our group of 23 flew from Jackson, MS, to Atlanta, to London Gatwick. (There are 2 London airports--Heathrow and Gatwick). The layover in Atlanta seemed to take forever (but we played Dutch Blitz) and the flight to London seemed even longer than forever (probably because I woke up about 3 hours before the flight was over, a.k.a. 4 am greenwich time, and couldn't go back to sleep). But we made it to the airport and through customs without too much trouble. I had an interesting time trying to work the trolley (luggage cart), but after asking for help on how to get the wheels to turn, I was ok. Until I crashed it. But that's a different story. We went by coach (bus) to the bed and breakfast that we're living in until February and then after Spring Tour, called the Celtic Hotel (pronounced Seltic). I'm on the very, very top floor. That means lots of skinny, steep stairs. It's not that high up, but it is hard to get there when we're all sore from a day of walking. But it will build character and muscle and whatnot, right?

The group at the Atlanta Airport

First View of the National Gallery

The first day, we did not rest at all. I cheated and took a 45-minute nap at 2 pm, though. We got our mobiles (cell phones) and Dr. Parks dislocated his shoulder and had to go to the hospital for x-rays and a morphine injection so they could pop his shoulder back in socket. He is fine though, praise the Lord. He keeps joking about falling and such, and I'm really glad he's ok. It really scared me. Our first walking tour with Dr. Rumblelow took us all over the city, to Trafalgar Square and such. We got our Oyster Cards for the tube and buses (passes for travel systems through and under London). The best thing of all was that night, when Dr. Parks took us on our first adventure through the Tube (subway). We emerged at the Westminster stop and came out and saw something breathtaking. There was Big Ben. Right there. Big and everything! Big Ben, the Houses of Parliament, the London Eye (a huge ferris wheel) and Westminster Abbey are all together right on the Thames, all lit up. Breathtaking moment, right there.

Big Ben right above the Westminster Tube Stop

The Eye at night

the view at the top of the stairs to the Tube

Bench behind St. Paul's Church at Covent Garden

Day 2, we had the famous Tube Rallye, a scavenger hunt that takes us all over London. I was on a team of four, with James, a Katie (we have 4), and Becca Stovall. We must have walked 6 or 7 miles yesterday. We took a bus, the Tube, and walked. And walked. And walked. James, our fearless team leader who would just cross the street on red and almost get us run over, even ran up to the bus as it was pulling away and knocked on the door so that we could get on. The driver gave us a death glare, but taking that bus was the best decision we made all day. To top it off, we ended up winning the Rallye! That was exciting! The prize was £5 each. Which is a big deal. So proud of Team King James Tried to Kill Us, a.k.a. Team Walk On Red, a.k.a. Team Deathwish! It was so much fun! And the important thing is that I now know how to navigate the Tube and match up the bus map with a physical map.

A tired yet victorious (unknown at this time) Team Walk on Red

Today we took a day trip to Stonehenge, Avebury, and Bath. I'm pretty sure all of us were conked out on the way there, so we missed all of the beautiful fog that characterizes the London countryside. We got to Stonehenge where we saw....a big pile of rocks. But it's pretty cool to think of how old they are, and how MASSIVE they are and how COLD it is. However.....it was SUNNY! The weather has been absolutely gorgeous since we got here, and the sun was so bright today that some of my pictures didn't turn out! :) It's a rare day indeed when Stonehenge is not covered in fog. Oh. And we saw sheep. And our driver, Paul, made them stampede. Priceless!!

A rare, sunny day at Stonehenge.

Yes, we are Stonehenge.

Avebury was yet another string of strange rocks that somehow got there for no particular reason that anyone can tell. It was cool to walk around b/c it's a lot like Moundville in Alabama, only much, much colder. So good to see GRASS. And small children. And a beagle! I got lost though, and James had to come find me. Then we went to Bath and wandered around, seeing the Royal Crescent, the Assembly Rooms (where my camera died), the Fashion Museum, Bath Abbey (which is my first time to go into an old church), and the Baths. (This is Jane Austin’s Bath!) We got to learn about the baths and when they were built and how there were animal sacrifices and such, and we even got to taste the water from the hot springs. Tasted like sulfur. Then we came back to London, and now I’m sitting in the lobby combating the spastic wireless internet so that I can blog. Oh, and we're watching the Saints v. 49-ers game.

Can you see the white horse?

Firsts that I have experienced the past few days:

-first overseas flight

-first time through customs

-first coach ride

-first Tube ride

-first meal in London (turkey and cheese Panini)

-first injury of the group (no, it was NOT me!)

-first Rumblelow walking tour

-first Celtic Hotel breakfast (scrambled eggs, toast, and grapefruit, which is DIVINE!)

-first British shower

-first did-the-tourist-really-do-THAT? Moment

-first time watching sheep stampede due to a honking coach

All in all, it’s been a great first few days. Things will slow down a bit as classes start Monday, but I’m so excited about everything that we’ll get to experience living in London and seeing everything we’ve studied about since 3^rd grade or so. Just a week ago (has it really only been a week?) I was in church in Mississippi and was thinking about how a week later, I would be worshipping in St. Paul’s Cathedral, which is older than our COUNTRY. Yeah. Tomorrow I’ll be worshipping at St. Paul’s. Wow! I can't keep "Feed the Birds" from Mary Poppins out of my head. ^_^

Prayer Request time. I left a friend behind in the States whom I met only a week ago, but she has already become precious to me. Pray that she will come to know Christ as her Savior. And another friend who loves Jesus with every fiber of her being is really having a tough time right now with sickness and not being able to go back to school this semester. Pray for healing for her and for her to focus fully God’s sovereignty over all and His unimaginable plans instead of the hopelessness that comes from circumstances. Pray that my classmates and I will stay firm in our faith and pursue our relationship with God with all of our being, even in a country so dark that they think they know God when they do not. Pray for revelation among Great Britain, and for an awakening to want to know Christ.

Until next time, good-bye!

"For your Maker is your husband--the LORD Almighty is His Name--the Holy One of Israel is your Redeemer; He is called the God of all the earth. The LORD will call you back..." Isa. 54:5-6    Praise to a God Who relentlessly pursues us!