Hello all! Hope your late Thursday or early Friday is treating you well. I just got back from an amazing night and new friends all around. I went with Erin to her school, Eastern Michigan University. While we were there, we had many adventures: we went to a Bible study, visited a yummy bakery, and finished the night with her roommates.
We started the evening by attending a Bible study at His House Christian Fellowship. I'm lucky enough to call this fellowship my church home, but only at Central Michigan University, and not EMU. As soon as I walked in, I was greeted by some familiar faces and welcoming smiles. Last week, Erin brought a few of her friends over to the house, and so I had met some of them before which was nice. One of them is Marc. He is about to go to the Dominican Republic to serve God's people over there for 4 weeks, so be praying for him! I've had the pleasure of meeting him 2 or 3 times prior. I'm really encouraged by him. Through conversations I've had with him, I can tell he is really trusting in the Lord to lead him where he needs to be. Scott was there too. I like Scott. When I first met him a few weeks ago, I learned he writes his prayers down as a form of poetry. It's really cool. And really deep. I've spent the most amount of time with Scott and Marc, and I am really encouraged by them both. I forget to tell people how much they mean to me, so I did that tonight.I think I caught them off guard, but I'm glad I did it nonetheless.
Tonight we talked about the story in Genesis, where Joseph is to take after Portiphat's property while he is away. Portiphat's wife tries really hard to sleep with Joseph, but still he resists. Once her husband (and Joseph's slave master, by the way) return's, his wife blames Joseph for sleeping with her, when they really did nothing at all. Portiphat outs Joseph in jail, and the Lord found favor in Joseph and all was well. It was really good to see that the Lord will remain faithful when you do. Not that I ever had any doubt that He wouldn't, but it is definitely reassuring! But it also opened my eyes as to how we may be Portiphat's wife in some situations. I was really challenged with how in my past or even now, I may try to get away with something just because of who I am associated with or because I have any sense of entitlement. Think of any time someone is trying to get out of a ticket by playing the pastor card, for instance. Or even taking advantage of our family and friends (whether it be borrowing money for lunch, asking them to help when you know it just adds stress in their life, etc) I'm realizing it is really not in accordance with the Spirit BY ANY MEANS, and has challenged me to find specific areas in my life that need revamping.
Today has just been a great day of cleaning. Not only have I cleaned out things in my spiritual life, but we scrubbed the house from top to bottom today. It smells so good, and looks as though we just moved in, too!
Continue to pray for us as we end out our internships. The last few weeks can tend to be a bit crazy, and the unity in our house definitely needs strengthening. Your prayers and support truly mean the world to me, and I'm glad that you are able to join us for our summer journey! This is by no means the end of this blog, but it felt appropriate to add it. So thank you!
Friday, July 24, 2009
Tuesday, July 21, 2009
Jessy here. I have a real quick post before I go off to the Outpost today.
One of our roommates, Erin, is really sick today and is staying home to get some rest. Please pray for her as she continues to get healthy. Pray that God's healing hand will come down upon her and rejuvenate her.
And lastly, whatever she has, it is going around the house. I gave it to her, and she is giving it to Cari as we speak, so please pray for health in this house!
Thanks, much love!
One of our roommates, Erin, is really sick today and is staying home to get some rest. Please pray for her as she continues to get healthy. Pray that God's healing hand will come down upon her and rejuvenate her.
And lastly, whatever she has, it is going around the house. I gave it to her, and she is giving it to Cari as we speak, so please pray for health in this house!
Thanks, much love!
Monday, July 20, 2009
A good sermon from the other week...
Greetings again and Happy Monday!
I've been meaning to blog about this sermon for a while now, but I've never really gotten around to it. It was from West Outer Drive United Methodist Church. Pastor Albert Rush really seemed to get me fired up at service. Well, really it was the Holy Spirit (sorry pastor!), but it was THROUGH Pastor Rush....
Sermon Title: Where Are You?
Scripture: Psalm 48
"1 Great is the LORD, and most worthy of praise,
in the city of our God, his holy mountain.
2 It is beautiful in its loftiness,
the joy of the whole earth.
Like the utmost heights of Zaphon [a] is Mount Zion,
the [b] city of the Great King.
3 God is in her citadels;
he has shown himself to be her fortress.
4 When the kings joined forces,
when they advanced together,
5 they saw her and were astounded;
they fled in terror.
6 Trembling seized them there,
pain like that of a woman in labor.
7 You destroyed them like ships of Tarshish
shattered by an east wind.
8 As we have heard,
so have we seen
in the city of the LORD Almighty,
in the city of our God:
God makes her secure forever.
Selah
9 Within your temple, O God,
we meditate on your unfailing love.
10 Like your name, O God,
your praise reaches to the ends of the earth;
your right hand is filled with righteousness.
11 Mount Zion rejoices,
the villages of Judah are glad
because of your judgments.
12 Walk about Zion, go around her,
count her towers,
13 consider well her ramparts,
view her citadels,
that you may tell of them to the next generation.
14 For this God is our God for ever and ever;
he will be our guide even to the end."
So the main idea that I cought was that the Lord is always with you. You will always be in Zion, one of the Lord's holiest places, but we just need to remember that. We shouldn't change from that particular perspective!
For instance: when we are in the church, its the House of God. Would you agree? Amen! But when you leave the church and you go out to your car in the parking lot, you are no longer in the House of God. Amen? NO!!!! Even when you go out to your car, you are STILL in the House of God. He still created the outside. The trees, the people who built the roads, the sky, the sun, everything! It's just all about the perspective you have.
Pastor Rush also talked about how no matter what, God will see us through our hard times and good times. Emmanuel! (Emmanuel means God with us, if you weren't aware) Like when the devil comes creeping into our lives, he just wants to take control. And sometimes we let him! Many of you might be able to attest that when we sink into temptation, whether it be drugs, alcohol, gambling, sex, pornography, etc., we may not be ourselves. I know I'm not! I feel like I am a separate person who isn't in control. You know why? It's because we AREN'T in control!!!!! We let Satan get in control of our lives, and that is part, not all, of the reason why we sin. I know we have free will as well, but part of it is because the devil is in control of us at that moment. So what owns your should right now? God? Or is it food? Music? Nintendo DSi? Weight loss programs? Work? A significant other? Really take the time right now and think about it.
The pastor made a great analogy at church the other week. He said that if we are a porsche, then sin is a lamborghini. If we race sin, its eventually going to catch up with us and knock us on our face. But here is the cool part: If sin is a lamborghini, then God is a space shuttle! He wins! Hands down, no competition. So the next thing to think about when you are in a race, rather than saying "I" in that race, say "Lord" or "We". I promise the answer to the request will be very rewarding!
Okay, here's my last thought that has really challenged me EVERYDAY since I have heard this sermon: Is your city of Detroit a poor, desolated place, or do you see beauty? Do you see your struggles as failures, or as opportunities? It's all about perspective!
I would really love to hear what you think about the sermon. Feel free to post your comment here for others to read, or if you have some private thoughts to share, please e-mail at jessy.stark@gmail.com I would love to hear what the Lord is putting on your heart.
In other sermon news.....
I feel very blessed that everytime I hear a new sermon, I feel so filled up by the Spirit afterwards. I am very grateful for that, because I can remember a time last year when I just felt empty. Thank you Jesus!
I've been meaning to blog about this sermon for a while now, but I've never really gotten around to it. It was from West Outer Drive United Methodist Church. Pastor Albert Rush really seemed to get me fired up at service. Well, really it was the Holy Spirit (sorry pastor!), but it was THROUGH Pastor Rush....
Sermon Title: Where Are You?
Scripture: Psalm 48
"1 Great is the LORD, and most worthy of praise,
in the city of our God, his holy mountain.
2 It is beautiful in its loftiness,
the joy of the whole earth.
Like the utmost heights of Zaphon [a] is Mount Zion,
the [b] city of the Great King.
3 God is in her citadels;
he has shown himself to be her fortress.
4 When the kings joined forces,
when they advanced together,
5 they saw her and were astounded;
they fled in terror.
6 Trembling seized them there,
pain like that of a woman in labor.
7 You destroyed them like ships of Tarshish
shattered by an east wind.
8 As we have heard,
so have we seen
in the city of the LORD Almighty,
in the city of our God:
God makes her secure forever.
Selah
9 Within your temple, O God,
we meditate on your unfailing love.
10 Like your name, O God,
your praise reaches to the ends of the earth;
your right hand is filled with righteousness.
11 Mount Zion rejoices,
the villages of Judah are glad
because of your judgments.
12 Walk about Zion, go around her,
count her towers,
13 consider well her ramparts,
view her citadels,
that you may tell of them to the next generation.
14 For this God is our God for ever and ever;
he will be our guide even to the end."
So the main idea that I cought was that the Lord is always with you. You will always be in Zion, one of the Lord's holiest places, but we just need to remember that. We shouldn't change from that particular perspective!
For instance: when we are in the church, its the House of God. Would you agree? Amen! But when you leave the church and you go out to your car in the parking lot, you are no longer in the House of God. Amen? NO!!!! Even when you go out to your car, you are STILL in the House of God. He still created the outside. The trees, the people who built the roads, the sky, the sun, everything! It's just all about the perspective you have.
Pastor Rush also talked about how no matter what, God will see us through our hard times and good times. Emmanuel! (Emmanuel means God with us, if you weren't aware) Like when the devil comes creeping into our lives, he just wants to take control. And sometimes we let him! Many of you might be able to attest that when we sink into temptation, whether it be drugs, alcohol, gambling, sex, pornography, etc., we may not be ourselves. I know I'm not! I feel like I am a separate person who isn't in control. You know why? It's because we AREN'T in control!!!!! We let Satan get in control of our lives, and that is part, not all, of the reason why we sin. I know we have free will as well, but part of it is because the devil is in control of us at that moment. So what owns your should right now? God? Or is it food? Music? Nintendo DSi? Weight loss programs? Work? A significant other? Really take the time right now and think about it.
The pastor made a great analogy at church the other week. He said that if we are a porsche, then sin is a lamborghini. If we race sin, its eventually going to catch up with us and knock us on our face. But here is the cool part: If sin is a lamborghini, then God is a space shuttle! He wins! Hands down, no competition. So the next thing to think about when you are in a race, rather than saying "I" in that race, say "Lord" or "We". I promise the answer to the request will be very rewarding!
Okay, here's my last thought that has really challenged me EVERYDAY since I have heard this sermon: Is your city of Detroit a poor, desolated place, or do you see beauty? Do you see your struggles as failures, or as opportunities? It's all about perspective!
I would really love to hear what you think about the sermon. Feel free to post your comment here for others to read, or if you have some private thoughts to share, please e-mail at jessy.stark@gmail.com I would love to hear what the Lord is putting on your heart.
In other sermon news.....
I feel very blessed that everytime I hear a new sermon, I feel so filled up by the Spirit afterwards. I am very grateful for that, because I can remember a time last year when I just felt empty. Thank you Jesus!
Friday, July 17, 2009
Rough Day... In need of prayers
Hello everybody!
Let me start off by apologizing for not updating until just now. Things at the Outpost have been really crazy lately, and I come home just about ready for bed!
Speaking of the Outpost, I definitely need a lot of prayers of patience sent my way. Today was definitely one of the toughest days that I have had…and it’s only 11:35am as I am writing this! But this all didn’t go down only today. It probably started at the beginning of the week.
Here’s what happened:
So starting either last week or the week before, the Outpost had a new boy come. His name was Caleb, is 9 years old and is a very sweet boy. He also has Downs Syndrome. Before I go any further, let me take this time to recognize all people who work with Special Needs children (or adults) Thank you for your love, patience, kind-heartedness, and straight up awesomeness. I cannot thank you enough. On the days that Caleb acts out, he is very difficult to deal with, and Tuesday was one of those days. He wanted to go outside and play, but he was not allowed to at that time, so he was kicking and scratching, screaming and spitting! Boy, did he give me a work out! He also tends to take off, so I got him to settle down, but not after a few battle wounds. I ended up drawing blood in a few different places, had a fat lip for a day, and a few bruises here and there. Needless to say, Caleb is strong willed! So since Tuesday I became very tired...
Every Thursday is game day because I like for the kids to have fun. (I mean, it is summer afterall!) Today my 9-11 yr old class was playing Fraction Hangman. This game is played just like any other game of hangman, except they have to guess the numbers instead of the letters. To spice things up, I added a bonus round where they actually solved the problem afterwards. Kids soon started complaining that this wasn’t fun, and they wanted to play regular hangman instead. Naturally, I became frustrated. I told them that fraction hangman was the only option, and if there was enough time at the end, we could play hangman. That didn't quite fly with the kids, so they boycotted the game by drawing on paper, talking to their friends, etc. The frustration kept building, and my tiredness from the week all collapsed into one giant ball. I was quickly becoming upset, so I needed someone to take over for a minute while I composed myself. I called in a fellow intern to watch the class. The kids knew I was upset from that moment.
If you could send prayers of patience my way, I would really appreciate it!
Thank you for your constant prayers and thoughts. I love you all from the bottom of my heart.
Let me start off by apologizing for not updating until just now. Things at the Outpost have been really crazy lately, and I come home just about ready for bed!
Speaking of the Outpost, I definitely need a lot of prayers of patience sent my way. Today was definitely one of the toughest days that I have had…and it’s only 11:35am as I am writing this! But this all didn’t go down only today. It probably started at the beginning of the week.
Here’s what happened:
So starting either last week or the week before, the Outpost had a new boy come. His name was Caleb, is 9 years old and is a very sweet boy. He also has Downs Syndrome. Before I go any further, let me take this time to recognize all people who work with Special Needs children (or adults) Thank you for your love, patience, kind-heartedness, and straight up awesomeness. I cannot thank you enough. On the days that Caleb acts out, he is very difficult to deal with, and Tuesday was one of those days. He wanted to go outside and play, but he was not allowed to at that time, so he was kicking and scratching, screaming and spitting! Boy, did he give me a work out! He also tends to take off, so I got him to settle down, but not after a few battle wounds. I ended up drawing blood in a few different places, had a fat lip for a day, and a few bruises here and there. Needless to say, Caleb is strong willed! So since Tuesday I became very tired...
Every Thursday is game day because I like for the kids to have fun. (I mean, it is summer afterall!) Today my 9-11 yr old class was playing Fraction Hangman. This game is played just like any other game of hangman, except they have to guess the numbers instead of the letters. To spice things up, I added a bonus round where they actually solved the problem afterwards. Kids soon started complaining that this wasn’t fun, and they wanted to play regular hangman instead. Naturally, I became frustrated. I told them that fraction hangman was the only option, and if there was enough time at the end, we could play hangman. That didn't quite fly with the kids, so they boycotted the game by drawing on paper, talking to their friends, etc. The frustration kept building, and my tiredness from the week all collapsed into one giant ball. I was quickly becoming upset, so I needed someone to take over for a minute while I composed myself. I called in a fellow intern to watch the class. The kids knew I was upset from that moment.
If you could send prayers of patience my way, I would really appreciate it!
Thank you for your constant prayers and thoughts. I love you all from the bottom of my heart.
Thursday, June 25, 2009
Cute kids.
Okay, Jessy again with a real quick update. So I just finished my first full week with kids at St. Tim's. These kids are a riot. Here's why:
Louie (age 6): He came to camp on Tuesday, and he is the real quiet type... at first. When we asked his name, he responded with Louie, or Lou was okay too. Today (3 days into him coming to camp), we were playing Bingo in math class. When I wrote down his name indicating he won, he told Cari that he didn't see his name. Louie's name was on the paper. It was then that we found out his name was in fact Tajuan.
Next example.
Layla (age 6): She came in today wearing the cutest outfit. Cari and I asked her if her daddy picked out her clothes today. She nodded "no". So we asked who did, and she replied with, "My daddy." Too cute.
And finally, Dayja (age 9): She was in the hall getting a drink of water yesterday when she saw the sign on a door that said "missions" on it. Naturally, a church will have some sort of missions going on. When she saw the door, she looked over at me and said, "Missions?!?! I didn't know you were a secret agent!"
Louie (age 6): He came to camp on Tuesday, and he is the real quiet type... at first. When we asked his name, he responded with Louie, or Lou was okay too. Today (3 days into him coming to camp), we were playing Bingo in math class. When I wrote down his name indicating he won, he told Cari that he didn't see his name. Louie's name was on the paper. It was then that we found out his name was in fact Tajuan.
Next example.
Layla (age 6): She came in today wearing the cutest outfit. Cari and I asked her if her daddy picked out her clothes today. She nodded "no". So we asked who did, and she replied with, "My daddy." Too cute.
And finally, Dayja (age 9): She was in the hall getting a drink of water yesterday when she saw the sign on a door that said "missions" on it. Naturally, a church will have some sort of missions going on. When she saw the door, she looked over at me and said, "Missions?!?! I didn't know you were a secret agent!"
Wednesday, June 24, 2009
First week on kids at St. Tim's
Hello again faithful blogging friends! This is Jessy, one of the interns updating you this week. Things are in full swing at the YLI house.
To explain my specific site a bit more, I am working at a program called the Outpost. Like I said before, I am teaching math to three separate groups. This week has been a little eye opening for me. I'm having a bit of a hard time especially with my 9-11 year old group because of the huge differences in what they now. A lot of my younger kids are still having a difficult time, whereas the older group is so advanced with fractions, it's almost ridiculous. So for the math teachers out there... any suggestions?
As far as playtime goes, I've learned real quick that my experience is really more one of a beauty stylist's customer. In my three days with the kids, I have had about 23 different hairstlyes a day. It's actually really cute. Today I was playing a sit down game, and I was attacked by 4 or 5 little girls. You can see the picture below!
They braid my hair so tight, and sometimes I think they forget that I'm attached to it! My roommate Cari, who also works at St. Tim's, tells me that I will probably be bald by the end of the summer. I hope she's lying.
Well, thats all I have to update for you right now. For all you tweeters, follow us @yli4detroit or by searching #yli for quotes directly from us. I promise that is updated FAR more often than this! (Sorry about no updates, by the way. I'll get on the other interns about it!)
Things to be praying for us about:
*Continued prayer for our placements
*Unity in the house: spiritual and others
*The City of Detroit, that people would see its beauty and God would make His presence known
*Family and friends back at home, that they would forgive us in times when we forget to call them back because we are exhausted or busy and just forgot. (sorry everyone, I promise I am still alive!)
To explain my specific site a bit more, I am working at a program called the Outpost. Like I said before, I am teaching math to three separate groups. This week has been a little eye opening for me. I'm having a bit of a hard time especially with my 9-11 year old group because of the huge differences in what they now. A lot of my younger kids are still having a difficult time, whereas the older group is so advanced with fractions, it's almost ridiculous. So for the math teachers out there... any suggestions?
As far as playtime goes, I've learned real quick that my experience is really more one of a beauty stylist's customer. In my three days with the kids, I have had about 23 different hairstlyes a day. It's actually really cute. Today I was playing a sit down game, and I was attacked by 4 or 5 little girls. You can see the picture below!
They braid my hair so tight, and sometimes I think they forget that I'm attached to it! My roommate Cari, who also works at St. Tim's, tells me that I will probably be bald by the end of the summer. I hope she's lying.
Well, thats all I have to update for you right now. For all you tweeters, follow us @yli4detroit or by searching #yli for quotes directly from us. I promise that is updated FAR more often than this! (Sorry about no updates, by the way. I'll get on the other interns about it!)
Things to be praying for us about:
*Continued prayer for our placements
*Unity in the house: spiritual and others
*The City of Detroit, that people would see its beauty and God would make His presence known
*Family and friends back at home, that they would forgive us in times when we forget to call them back because we are exhausted or busy and just forgot. (sorry everyone, I promise I am still alive!)
Thursday, June 18, 2009
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