The Season of Thankfulness

As I come to the end of my first semester as a senior, I am once again brought to thankfulness for all of the things that have taken place in my life over the past few months.

-I am a senior...which means that all of those, "So, what are you going to do after you graduate" questions are being asked (and contemplated!)

-I am an R.A.- This has been one of the most challenging, yet rewarding responsibilities that I have. God has been teaching me about being a Godly example and friend. It is a blessing to be able to be a part of other people's lives!

-I have a job- After leaving for the summer last semester, I was not sure if I would be able to go back to my job when I came back (this due to a lot of changes within the company). "...but God is faithful..." and in July, my boss called and asked if I was going to be coming back to work. So, once again, I am serving food at Pine Hills!

-I am working with kids- I am attending Calvary Baptist Church and have been able to be a part of several different children's ministries. First, I am continuing to help with the Jr. high youth group that meets on Wednesday nights. Then, I am also co-teaching Sunday School for 3rd-5th graders.

None the less...I am rather busy!

But in this I am thankful...

I am thankful for the Lord Jesus Christ,

and for the opportunity to get to know Him more and more each day!

I am thankful for my family.

They have been an encouragement to me in many ways!

And I don't want to take them for granted.

I am thankful for Godly friends!

I have come to cherish the time spent with fellow believers,

and the wonderful challenge that they are to me!

I am thankful...

Do you ever wonder what God is doing in your life?

I do.

Why do there have to be so many things that are unknown in life?

Why can't we know the future?

I don't know!

But then I am reminded of God's faithfulness that is new every morning!

Of His grace that is amazing!

And of His love that is unending!

He has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness!

He has granted to us His precious and very great promises!

Then somehow, in the vast scope of the eternal plans of God, my problems don't seem as big.

Worthwhile...

God is good!!! Need I say more!? This last week, I got the privilege of seeing a young girl accept Jesus Christ as her Savior. This is the girl that I have been spending a lot of time with this summer, and have been praying about her spiritual condition.

A couple of weeks ago, I shared the gospel with her and her brother at youth group, but had not had any kind of response. At first I was unsure of what to do, or how to continue to approach them with the gospel. Yet, during the next few days, the Lord was working in my heart, preparing me to talk more with them. This time to think and process the message of salvation was good for me, because it made me understand more about my own salvation in Christ. Practical experience is one of the best teachers. A couple of days later, the pastor of the church here, told me that this girl had told her mom that she wanted to be saved.

So last week, I went over to her house for supper, and having previously talked with her mom, with the goal of talking to her daughter about how to be saved. Never in my life before had I felt so insignificant (which is a good thing!). I was only a vessel to be used, not the substance! God is the only one who brings about the saving of a soul as He works in the hearts of people. But He chose to used me! He gave me the words to say, and not say. He gave me the boldness.

After this girl's mom and step-dad talked to her, they left the room and I was able to talk to her as well. It was so neat to see how God had opened her eyes to her need of salvation. She knew that she was a sinner totally separated from God, and that the blood of Jesus Christ was the only thing to give her eternal life. She placed her faith in Christ that night, and became a child of God.

As I walked back to my house later that night (her family lives just down the street from me:), the Lord showed me why He brought me to Billings this summer. It wasn't to have lots of Bible clubs, and meet a ton of new kids, but rather to be a living witness of Himself to everyone that I had come in contact with. It was to spread the gospel, showing others the grace and love of God. I was then overwhelmed with thankfulness to the Lord for using me to reach this one girl! God is so good and that is definitely worthwhile!

A week in review...

Some very "wise" people say that as you get older, time seems to go faster. Even for my few short years on this earth (20 yrs. as of July 13th), I have been able to experience this phenomenon. Last week, we started our 3rd week of Backyard Bible Clubs! The week went really well and there were about 8 kids that we were able to meet. Of course, there were also many funny moments, (during one of the lessons, I was teaching that God is omniscient and a 5-yr old boy decided to try and count how many hairs he had on his head, unfortunately, he could only count to 20!)

In addition to doing the Bible clubs, Marsha and I were also going to the Women's Rescue Mission twice a week to help with some painting jobs. In the two weeks that we painted, we were able to finish 3 rooms! It was a lot of fun to be able to get "dirty" and do some work! :) (the head of maintenance was impressed with our neatness, still somehow I always ended up with quite a bit of paint on me!)

On Thursday night, I went to a weekly outdoor concert. It was held on the spacious lawn of a assisted living home complex. The artists were local men who were singing old Simon and Garfunkle songs! It was lots of fun to enjoy the beautiful summer evening!

For my birthday, my wonderful family came to visit me! Since I am going to be in Billings all summer, they wanted to come and see me (cuz they wuv me!). Also, Marsha was going to be leaving and then I would be alone for several days, so they remedied my "loneliness" by coming up! We had a great time together! It was lots of fun playing tennis (actually, we didn't always "play", but rather chased balls). We drove up to the Beartooth Mountains and hiked around for a couple of hours. Then after the 2 1/2 hr. hike, we stopped at the Candy Emporium (for my little brothers and sisters! :)

All in all, things have been going really well in Billings. God is working in the hearts of the people here, and I have the privilege of being used by God to accomplish His purpose! God is so good, and He continues to show me His faithfulness and love each day!

A morning in the Word...

It always amazes me how a person can have been saved for many years and be reading the Bible, but never grasp all of the amazing truths found within it! Or maybe that is why it is called "living and active..."!? The other morning I was reading my devotions when several thoughts came to my mind.

I was reading in Exodus where God is speaking to Moses and telling him what He is about to do in redeeming His people from bondage in Egypt. In chapter 6 verse 2, the Lord says, "I Am the Lord, I appeared to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, as God Almighty, but by My name the Lord I did not make Myself known to them." The same God that came to Abraham and covenanted with him, and the one who appeared to Isaac and Jacob, is the same God Almighty that was going to bring the children of Israel out of slavery. Not only was God now known as the Almighty God, but also as Lord, the Lord, and the One who would save them. In the revelation of the different name of God, we are also able to see the change in relationship between God and man.

When we are young or first saved, often our knowledge of God is very limited and we see Him as Almighty God. With that name, we know Him to be powerful, wise, gracious, merciful, sovereign, holy, etc. The more we learn about the character of God, we see Him as our Lord. Not only is He the Almighty God, but He is our Head and Master. Then, and oh the joy of coming to know our God as Father!

Jesus Christ came to earth. He is the Son of God and people mocked and hung Him on a cross because He claimed to be God. He showed the people who the Father was because He came and bore witness about the Father. As children of God, we have received the adoption as sons, to be children of God, with the privilege of calling God "our Father"! Galatians 4:4-7 say, "But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons. And because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of His Son into our hearts, crying, 'Abba, Father!' So you are no longer a slave, but a son, and if a son, then an heir through God."

May we continue to grow in the knowledge of our Father! And as we come to know Him more, may we grow in our love for Him, and our desire to live as His children ought!

little creations

My new "office" of sorts is my kitchen table. It is a very nice table and has a great view, through the double doors, of the Rim-rocks. At this table, some wonderful "little creations" have been made. And the only rules that reign supreme are neatness, creativity, and fun!

The first was a double-sided sign announcing the Backyard Bible clubs. This was a project which did not require much thought, but only patience and precision in tracing and filling in the letters! But I do need to mention the Magnum Sharpie Markers and the slight headache that followed the completion of the project! Next, is a puzzle made from poster-board, which is going to become a memory verse game for one of the lessons of the Bible Club. I had never made a puzzle before, but the compass and protractor came in very handy! Another creation, which is definitely more yummy than the other two, are some home-made chocolate-chip peanut butter cookies. I cannot take the full credit for the recipe--part was taken from the back of the chocolate chip bag!

~Bekah's Chocolate Chip Peanut Butter Cookies

1 1/2 c.whole wheat flour (or white flour if you prefer.)

1/2 c. sugar

1/2 c. brown sugar

1/2 c. butter, softened

1 egg

1/2 c. peanut butter

1 t. vanilla

1/4 t. salt

1/2 t. baking soda

1 c. chocolate chips

Combine butter, sugars, and peanut butter. Add egg and vanilla, mix well. Stir in flour, salt, and baking soda. Add chocolate chips. Bake at 375 degrees for 10-12 minutes. Yield about 2 dozen.

A summer adventure...

This is going to be the first of many blog posts about my *new* summer home! Most, if not all, of my adventures will take place in the beautiful city of Billings Montana. I am working with Big Sky Bible Church to start some children's programs, with the goal of spreading the Gospel and bringing new people into the church. Marsha--who is working with me--and I are organizing the various parts of a 5-day club and a Vacation Bible School. Lord-willing, we are going to hold our first club starting this Saturday for the children in our neighborhood! It is a very exciting and daunting task, but God is in control!

This is now my fifth day as a "Montanan" and I am enjoying every minute of it. My place of residence is a split level home on Winchell Lane. I love having a little space of "my own" (it really isn't my own, but it adds a happy ring if I say it...:).

One of my first tasks as a house-dweller was to mow the lawn. Just a word of advice: make sure that you know how to shut off the mower before you start mowing! If this gives a clue, my moment of panic began as I was mowing and the thought popped into my head..."I wonder how I will turn this thing off...?" In order to justify myself, the mower was broken and so you had to pull the spark plugs in order to turn it off. (I wasn't the only one to make the mistake!)

Looking back...

For the last two years, I have the opportunity to travel with the Cornerstone Bible Institute choir and hand-bell choir. This year, we traveled from Hot Springs, South Dakota across Nebraska, Kansas, Missouri, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania, West Virgina, Kentucky, Virginia, Delaware, Maryland, and New Jersey. The two and a half week journey, from May 19 to June 6, was long at times, but always very rewarding!

It was encouraging to see how God was able to use the choir as we sought to minister to fellow believers. God's grace became a very real thing to all of us, especially when we were exhausted, because we could see how God was working in our lives. Ministry is not done in our strength, but only in the strength of the Lord!

This is the beginning!

Oh joy and happiness! As you can see from the title, this is going to be a "blog of remembrance"! I chose the name "My Ebenezer" after I was reading in my Bible. There I found in a passage in 1 Samuel where it talked about some people who set up a stone as a way to remember how the Lord had been gracious to them. The word literally means a stone of God's help, a standing memorial to the work of God in their lives. This is going to be my stone.