Smash!

Last Thursday we celebrated the end of this semester's PURE group.  PURE is an opportunity for men (there's a group for women as well!) to find encouragement and help to forsake sexual sin that has dominated them for years.  God's done a wondrous work in their lives, as they've forsaken internet pornography, masturbation, and sexual activity outside of God's good design.  Our world teaches that unbounded sexuality is the key to happiness.  These young men found freedom and joy in their hearts as they've embraced God's design.

As a part of our closing ceremony, we had men share "two-word testimonies."  Who they were before PURE and what they are now.  Here's what I heard from these men...

Deceitfulness.... Truthfulness 
Secretive..... Open 
Zombie... Light
Denial..... Acceptance 
Hell..... Hope

With these words come stories of struggle, hopelessness, and shame....followed up with light, truth, and healing.  They wrote their old identities on pieces of wood and burned them, symbolizing their death to sin through Christ's death on the cross.

These men are putting into practice Paul's words from Romans 6:12-14...

We ended our time by allowing them to take some genuine, somber anger out on the devices that have enslaved them for so long.  It was truly a solemn exercise...a joy to see them exercise their power as men, no longer as slaves but as masters.  We then held each other up (literally!) and prayed for one another.

Please pray that God would continue to deliver university students from bondage to sexual sin.  Pray that these six men would continue in purity, and would help others to find freedom as well.

Thanks for praying with us!

-Noah

I'm so behind on writing down the things ellie says... But she told me I couldn't take a picture of her braids because they didn't know how to say cheese :-) ha

I've decided I need someone else to answer that question for me as I don't know! I'm doing so well, but I'm still not used to life as it is now. So I can get frusterated that I'm not doing "better".

I met with a student today, it's finals weeks so it's our last meeting of the year! We did a little activity where we wrote out all the things that stand out from the year- what The Lord has taught us, verses that have impacted us, words, phrases, ideas, whatever... It's really helpful to summarize and look back on the year. Especially this year!

here are some things on my sheet :

GRATEFULl

live by faith not by sight 2 Corinthians 5:7

PATIENCE

Ask God to show you space for more rest in your life

Adk God to show you what you need to know about yourself

The goal is not to get back to who I was but to be who God wants me to be.

Psalm 86:11 Teach me your way Lord that I may rely on your faithfulness

Psalm 23:3 He guides me in paths of righteousness

Isaiah 40:29 He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak

TRUST GOD

Wisdom is not figuring out why

Be kind to your emotions

2 Corinthians 12:9 My grace is sufficient for you for my power is made perfect in WEAKNESS

That verse was the biggdest thing on the page, as I have learned a lot abou that, in fact, I was asked to share my story at a Women's thing at my church this summer, and that is the theme of my talk. So I look forward to sharing more on here someday...

I am incredibly GRATEUL as God has done a huge work in me, in our family, in our home, on this campus. A year ago we still lived in Illinois...What a year it has been.... my brothers graduation, my brothers wedding, a move, our first time training staff, new campus, bought our first house, at a new church, Noah's brother's wedding, Both Noah and my grandma died, I was diagnosed with MS, and the millions of small daily things that make life wonderful and crazy!

:-) I'm more grateful to be a mom than I've ever been. Thank you Lord for your presence each and every moment! Because of THAT I am doing well :)