My journey SOUTH.

     It was the first time I had been below the equator...in the southern hemisphere. It was full of new sights, new friends, and new experiences. That remarkable journey took place five months ago, during their winter, in a place called South Africa.
     I didn't just sign up to go on this adventure randomly though, it all started back home, in the small church that I have been going to for all my life. My cousin, Sara, had taken a church group two summers ago and she was offering to go with another group. So, a few months later, after a good amount of praying, me and my twin sister and a bunch of friends boarded a 20-something hour flight to the country of South Africa (with a delightful stop in Heathrow, London airport).
     There are many delightful memories that were made in the two weeks we spent there. I couldn't possibly write about all of them. I met children that made me laugh, care workers who told uplifting tales, and other missionaries who made me feel right at home who had a bottomless supply of love.
     During the trip we had some oppurtunities to walk to some of the childrens' homes, they were called Holy Home Visits. We would have a chance to pray with the family and they would tell us a bit about what they were going through.  Me and a friend, Diana, and the pastor of my church were able to visit a mother who had two young sons. she had a few odd jobs that she did, but nothing that was regularly supplying her with money. The family lives on a rented piece of land, with a shack as their home. The father of the two boys was a logger, and had abandoned his family. In South Africa if there is no supporter then you get a set amount of money to help with school costs and food. The man who owned the property would recieve the money, take the rental money out of it, and then pass the rest to the family (which at that point wasn't that much).
During this conversation the mother told one of the boys to get some drink for us. The older boy, Prince, ran into the shack and came out with three tall glasses and a tall bottle of soda. I remember being so touched by this selfless act. The family has so little, but was willing to give up their soda, to complete strangers. We said our thanks and drank up. Needless to say, it was the best soda I'd ever tasted. We walked the kids to  the care point after that and we all sang on our way. It was great to see the boys were so happy. That memory will always stick with me. Period.
     If there are any other questions, or more stories that you want to hear, you can leave a comment below. You could leave a comment just for fun too. You just had to be there to experience everything that happened to all of us. It was definitely a life-changing experience for me, and I'm sure for the others also.

From David Wilkerson, to you.

I don't think this needs any explaining. 

David Wilkerson says it as it needs to be heard.

Immense Loss, but Hope...

     I haven't written a post in quite some time and originally I thought this post would be on some really awesome athletes from the USA Olympic team, but apparently that won't happen right now. This past week something happened that I feel is way more important than any sports competition.

Sophia + Elise

     I know two of the members from the Smithe family from Google+ and so, when I started using Facebook I naturally "friended" them there. Last week there had been lots of posts from the family because of the wedding of Sophia. On Monday the much-anticipated photos started appearing. The smiles and joy from the bride and groom was contagious. I was happy for the whole event. The wedding party pictures were fun to look at, seeing the flower girls and children so excited. 

Sophia + Enoch

     But, as I was looking at those pictures on Monday night, somewhere else, the Einwechter Family was driving home and was involved in a tragic car accident (the car slipped into a pond on a farm). The only girl Elise (pictured with Sophia to the left) was killed in the accident. The youngest son Enoch (pictured with Sophia below) died in the CCU on Wednesday, who was just a few months old. 

     Even though I don't know the family personally, I felt sadness for them. I can't imagine the pain that they are going through. I believe that losing two children would be an immense loss, and even worse for such little children. My prayers continue to flow for the family and those who personally knew them. There is a website that has been started in case you'd like to help them financially or just to offer prayers or hope: http://eliseandenoch.org/. More information will be released later about the actual car accident, which I'll be posting later on, on Facebook.
   

"And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, 

who have been called according to his purpose." - Romans 8:28

The Einwechter Family

Alone, Yet Not Alone.

Isn't it amazing that we have such an amazing savior.

We may think that when the hard times come God isn't there.

But, that is exactly when he holds us closest. 

God is always beside us no matter what we are going through.

Joni Erickson Tada is an amazing singer as shown by this beautiful song. 

She is a quadriplegic and has quite a story...wonderful in fact. 

A short bio: http://www.joniandfriends.org/jonis-corner/jonis-bio/

Her book is the best reference though:  Joni: An Unforgettable Story

True Friendship with the King

I was reading the book "Get Lost" this morning (it's become a part of my morning devotions) and something that Dannah wrote about spoke to me...like an arrow piercing the target right in the middle! I am going to paraphrase what she wrote, but with different examples..and of course my own words.  

"Bring me a husband."
          "Heal my stomach ache."
                     "Help me find the right job."
                               "Help me pass my finals...they're hard"
I know my conversations sometimes consist of demands such as these. Do yours too? I bet sometimes they do, I think that every christian does it at some point. God is not a genie though; he is the Almighty God and a King. If you met a king or president would you approach him like that? I hope not. You would enter that friendship with respect and honor. Now, God is above all else on Earth and in Heaven; how can we do that to him?? He is not to be used by us like that. Often we give him a list of things to do, like a wish list. It's not that he doesn't want to hear our needs. It's just that we rarely dwell in his presence to hear his desires for us. I knelt down and asked the Lord to show me the desires he has for my life, will you do that as well? Will you put your life into his hands? Let us, like Evan Roberts, kneel before him and say, in full surrender, "BEND ME, BEND ME."

 

Whom have I in heaven but you? 

And there is nothing on earth that I desire besides you.

~Psalm 73:25

Help Me Find It - Sidewalk Prophets

I don't know where to go from here 
It all used to seem so clear 
I'm finding I can't do this on my own 
I don't know where to go from here 
As long as I know that You are near 
I'm done fighting I'm finally letting go 
I will trust in You 
You've never failed before 
I will trust in You 


(Chorus):
If there's a road I should walk 
Help me find it 
If I need to be still Give me peace for the moment 
Whatever Your will 
Whatever Your will 
Can You help me find it 
Can You help me find it 


I'm giving You fear and You give faith 
I giving You doubt
You give me grace 
For every step I've never been alone 
Even when it hurts, You'll have Your way 
Even in the valley I will say 
With every breath 
You've never let me go 
I will wait for You 
You've never failed before 
I will wait for You 


(Chorus again)

I lift my empty hands (come fill me up again) 
Have Your way my King (I give my all to You) 
I lift my eyes again (Was blind but now I see) 
‘Cause You are all I need 


(Chorus again)

This song has been on my heart for a while..and I figured that I would post it. 

Maybe it will bless you, as it has blessed me in the past...and will surely bless me in the future.

It's that time again..

The smell of old and new books mix together as I open the glass door..what a good draft of smell to walk into. The Library. The room where silence rules and squeaking exists (at least in this one it does). The chairs are the most comfy in the school if you know where to go and the computers are the oldest, but definitely the least likely to break down (hence I'm using one). The most comforting thing about libraries are the books though, rows and rows, and stacks of...knowledge..help..and adventure. 

Finals week is fast approaching, it's next week. I have one paper due and three in-class finals. I would appreciate it if you guys would pray for me as I study and test. Tonight is also our college concert, which I'm really excited for. So, ta-ta for now...and thanks for the prayers. 

Waiting..for how long?

Waiting..it can be so hard for us humans. 

Waiting for the wonderful smelling cookies to be done, waiting to get out of school classes, waiting for the bus to come, waiting for the paint to dry, waiting for the clothes to dry. 

But, waiting sometimes gets hard (and boring), so sometimes we stop waiting.....and things get messy. 

The cookies come out of the oven under-baked or the clothes get easily wrinkled or we miss the end of class and don't get the homework assignment or we get paint all over our fingers. 

When I was 15 years old I made a promise to wait for something. But, this wasn't something that took ten minutes or even an hour...it could take years. The thought of having to wait that long, at that time, seemed impossible. 

I'm sitting here today still waiting. It hasn't been an easy wait at all, but I've gotten used to the idea that God will end the wait when he feels I'm ready. 

Curious about what I'm waiting for? My Knight (in shining armor)! 

I write him letters most nights and I pray for him throughout the day and I still wear the ring I got almost 5 years ago to remind me of what I'm waiting for. The moment I tell him those magical words on the altar and then sucumb to his long-awaited love. What a glorious day that will be!

Sometimes I tell God that it's too hard to wait any longer, but he always gives me the strenght to wait even more. 

So, for all of you. while you are waiting, just remember that God can help you continue in patience. 

Hebrews 6:15 : "And so after waiting patiently, Abraham received what was promised."

Please comment below on something hard to wait for!

Let's hop over to "My Journey Thru"...

So, I was reading posts from my friends that I haven't read in a while mainly because of college. I thought this post was amazing, so I'm going to share it with all of you. May it bless you as it blessed me. :-) 

http://my-journey-thru.blogspot.com/2012/12/pure.html

A Sophomore..once again.

This is the second time in my life that I'm a sophomore. I'm excited to learn new things as I jump into nursing head on. I start this year of college with three hard classes - Patho, Pharm, and the first off-campus clinical. I have lots of studying and memorizing to do, but with God's help I'll get through it. On all of my notebooks I've pasted a verse to remind me of God's constant presence during troubled times. I would appreciate if you would pray for me during this semester. Thank you!

Frame it! Friday!

Not really from this week, but I'd like to share this anyway. My family is going on vacation to the finger lakes. I would love if everyone prayed for us as we travel and have a great time in God's creation. 

The original Frame it! Friday post...click here...

A post to think about..from LYWB.

The Real Deal: What True Womanhood Is All About

Have you ever thought about what it means to be a young woman? I'm not talking about a young woman the way the world defines it, but the way God does. After all, He created women, so He should know!
This summer I spent a weekend searching God's Word for the answer, as I'd been asked to give a talk to some teens on "biblical womanhood." Last week I shared part of that message with you—how true womanhood is not being a Mix & Match Girl, Marathon Girl, or Monument Girl.
Today, I'd like to share with you what a true woman is. These are the three bottom-line answers I arrived at. For starters, let's get this clear: true biblical womanhood is about so much more than the length of your shorts or how long you had your quiet time this morning or the way you interact with guys. Don't get me wrong—dressing modestly and reading the Bible and interacting with guys with purity are all important—but it's possible to do all these things and miss the main point entirely.

1. Biblical womanhood starts in the heart. I remember the day, years ago, when this truth hit me. I wrote in my journal:
I wonder if my most precious possession is my heart. I have never really considered that. God is always talking about Israel's hearts as the thing He desires them to obey Him in and to surrender to Him. And in Proverbs 4:23 it says, "Guard your heart, for out of it flow the wellsprings of life." And God says love Me with all your heart in Deuteronomy 6:5. God most definitely wants my heart. I don't think I've ever given Him my heart: my emotions and longings.
How about you? Would God say about you, "She honors me with her lips, but her heart is far from me"? If so, would you give Him your heart today? That most precious part of you?
Something I've learned the hard way is that God won't be satisfied with part of us or most of us. He wants all of us, beginning with our heart. And biblical womanhood doesn't start on the outside, but works from the inside out.

2. True biblical womanhood flows out of a personal, growing relationship with King Jesus.
Second Corinthians 3:18 tells us that the way we change is by looking at Jesus:We all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another.
So the important question is, how do we look at Jesus? Simple. In His Word, the Bible. I love it when Jesus says to the uber-religious guys, "You search the Scriptures because in them you think you have life, but you do not know that they point to me." And in Luke 24:27, Jesus is on the road with two men and it says, "And beginning with Moses [the author of the first five books of the Bible] and all the Prophets, he interpreted to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself."
So the question is, are you spending time every day looking at Jesus in His Word? Listening to His voice? Building a relationship with Him—like you would with anyone else—by spending time with Him, just you two? He is the only one with the power to transform you from the inside out into a fully alive woman.

3. A biblical woman says, "Yes, Lord" in every area of her life.
How can a woman say "no" to her self and "yes" to the Spirit of God? That's hard! There's really only one way: because she knows Him, so she trusts Him.
Mary, the mother of Jesus, is a great example of this. Did you know she was probably just a young teen when she said, "Yes, Lord"? You may know the story. An angel appeared to Mary and told her she would have a son—while she was still a virgin!—and that he would be the Son of God.
Her response: "How will this be, since I am a virgin? . . . Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word." It was a very scary assignment that meant moving away from those she loved, having her reputation tainted, and having "the sword of sorrow" pierce her heart when her beloved Son died on the cross. But it was also the most exciting, greatest honor. Yes, one that would mean "death" to her in so many ways, but one that would ultimately bring life to billions!
What has the Lord assigned to you right now? Are you resisting Him or saying, "Yes, Lord"?
Okay, now it's your turn. How would you describe what it looks like to be the kind of young woman God designed you to be?

The web link to this post: http://www.liesyoungwomenbelieve.com/index.php?id=1845

Youth Retreat #1

Just two days ago me and my siblings came back from a youth retreat. We had an amazing time and we even have pictures to prove that! God really met us this year. We had lessons on Revival and prayer (I'll write more on the lessons sometime soon).

~ This is a link that show pictures that were taken (scroll down till you see the links under "Youth Retreat") : http://www.pilgrimcamp.org/2012/2012_index.html

~ A bit of camp history and such (just click ENTER) : http://www.pilgrimcamp.org/

This song was the unofficial theme song of the retreat. We were always singing it, even when we weren't in meeting. What a blessing it was to all of us. May it bless you too. 

A trip to "Lies Young Women Believe"...

   The recent topic on L.Y.W.B. has been very interesting. And I don't just mean the actual post, but the comments too.  I am going to put three links below, for the latest three posts. You may have a look and feel free to comment! May the Lord bless you..
    ~ http://www.liesyoungwomenbelieve.com/index.php?id=1834 
    ~ http://www.liesyoungwomenbelieve.com/index.php?id=1835
    ~ http://www.liesyoungwomenbelieve.com/index.php?id=1836

Flag Day ~ June 14, 2012

  

The Star Spangled Banner  By: Francis Scott Key (1814)

Oh, say can you see by the dawn's early light What so proudly we hailed at the twilight's last gleaming? Whose broad stripes and bright stars thru the perilous fight, O'er the ramparts we watched were so gallantly streaming? And the rocket's red glare, the bombs bursting in air, Gave proof through the night that our flag was still there. Oh, say does that star-spangled banner yet wave O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave? On the shore, dimly seen through the mists of the deep, Where the foe's haughty host in dread silence reposes, What is that which the breeze, o'er the towering steep, As it fitfully blows, half conceals, half discloses? Now it catches the gleam of the morning's first beam, In full glory reflected now shines in the stream: 'Tis the star-spangled banner! Oh long may it wave O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave! And where is that band who so vauntingly swore That the havoc of war and the battle's confusion, A home and a country should leave us no more! Their blood has washed out their foul footsteps' pollution. No refuge could save the hireling and slave From the terror of flight, or the gloom of the grave: And the star-spangled banner in triumph doth wave O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave! Oh! Thus be it ever, when freemen shall stand Between their loved home and the war's desolation! Blest with victory and peace, may the heav'n rescued land Praise the Power that hath made and preserved us a nation. Then conquer we must, when our cause it is just, And this be our motto: "In God is our trust." And the star-spangled banner in triumph shall wave O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave!

  

     I didn't get to post anything yesterday, but I don't want to forget to post something for flag day (which was yesterday). Usually I only hear the first verse or so when someone sings the national anthem, but I decided to post all four verses. We have the full song in our church hymn book because we do sing the national anthem the Sunday after the 4th of July. We should all keep praying for our nation, for we all need prayer!

France - 10 day vacation

Today at 6:20pm EST the plane will lift off from America and a few hours later will land in France. A group of 41 people (college aged and professors) will be on that plane.
Me and my sister will be part of that group.
I've never been to Europe before, so I'm really excited. I am so thankful that God allowed me and my sister to have a chance to go overseas. This is a pleasure trip that we are taking with the Honors freshman at Molloy
College.
Your prayers would be appreciated: Thank you!
(I will take pictures and maybe post a few on this blog when I get back)

Thank you, Lord

    School has finally finished and I have successfully completed my first year if college. The Lord has certainly helped me and kept me throughout the hard times. I want to thank all of those who were praying for me: THANK YOU! 
    You would think that I would have lots of time to write new posts, but that is not the case yet. Me and my twin sister are going to France next Wednesday, the 23rd of May. We are so excited to be going. The Honors program at our college offers this trip to all of the honors students, and me and my sister chose to go. A lot of our new friends are also going so it will be fun. Although we have made many new friends, most aren't Christians. I would be grateful if you would pray for all of them. 
   Me and my twin sister joined the christian group at our college and became friends with everyone there, but only two from that group of about twenty will be going with us to France (most are not freshman, so they went last year on the trip to France if they are in the Honors Program). 
    Again, thank you for your constant prayers. I will be praying for all of those who view this blog. 
    May God Bless You and Keep You, Julie Waldvogel 

Prayer ~ In troubled times.

This week I officially finished my second semester of college.

Next week I have finals in 4 of my 6 classes, I would be grateful if you would pray for me.

Thank you all for your constant prayers...

Two verses come to my mind, as I looked to the Lord for help: 

Psalm 46:1 = "God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble"

Ephesians 6:10 = "Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power"

If you have any verses or words of encouragement for me, you may leave me a comment below!

A Father and His Child..

She liked verses 9-11 the best,
 but knew the whole psalm by heart!

Last Friday I was helping, in the hospital where I volunteer and I saw a welcoming and beautiful thing taking place. A father and his young son were inside a hospital room, sitting next to a bed with a frail woman, probably the wife and mother. They were reading a book, and when I went over to ask if they needed anything, it amazed me to see that they were reading the best book in the world, the bible! I ended up talking to them a little and they told me that the woman was indeed the woman belonged to them. She had been the christian and now both son and father had excepted the Lord, just about three months ago. It made me so happy and I smiled, and it made the woman smile too. The little boy likes the stories of 1 and 2 Kings with all the battles and he even liked the story of Job. He kept asking his dad questions, and sometimes they required a simple answer, but the dad was so patient, and would answer them without being frustrated. It made me think of the love God has for us, even when we don't completely understand the things he tells us. They were reading from Psalm 42, the woman's favorite. She recited it, as they read along and what a beautiful harmony it made! The scene made me remember the times when I had sat on my dad's lap and looked on as he read the bible to us. I probably won't see them ever again (the woman was let out earlier in the week), but they did make an impression on me and I wanted to share that with all of you.  

"The LORD Almighty is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress."

~ Psalm 46: 7 or 11 (they are the same), NIV

Prayer Is Powerful!

   Prayer is a very powerful weapon and tool. Satan doesn't like when we pray to God to come and help us, because he knows that God will help us. Prayer can change lives or heal the most chronic of diseases.
   I am currently reading a book called "No Longer A Slumdog". It's about the children of Asia who are at the bottom of the social status pyramid. Even though discrimination is prohibited, it is still happening. There are police officers always around, but if they were to protect the dalits (the lowest of the social status) they may get in trouble by the more powerful ranks. The children are going hungry and most will always be in debt to the people they work for. They can't go to school because they are poor, they don't know how to play because they are expected to work, and they are in need of Jesus because they don't go to church or have religious freedom.
    Most of the stories have happy endings because the man who wrote the book has started a school for the dalits. The learn of Jesus as they progress in the program. There are still lots of children in the streets and slums of Asia that need our prayers. Lets keep them in our daily prayers!