Oh my, where to start! I'm going to try and give you a quick overview of what has occurred in the last year and a half. I finished my junior year in the cohort, and I am now finished with the first semester of my senior year in the cohort. God has been incredibly good to me despite my faults and my struggles, and I am more and more thankful that I have Him to rely on. There are things I can't discuss yet going on in my life, but rest assured that God has me and I am continuing to learn to put my faith in Him.
This past summer, I went on a mission trip through Send Me Now and BCM. The trip was called Camp Chula and Beyond!! The reason being was that we went down to south Georgia (a team of nine college students and a BCM director) for a few weeks working with two kids camps, one with First Baptist Chula and Northridge Baptist Church of Tifton. The first week we led most of the activities, and I did Kitchen Chaos. Basically I got to make delicious (and might I add unhealthy) snacks and connect it with the Bible! It was awesome! At the end of the week, a little boy ended up giving his heart to the Lord! Praise God! We then worked with C3 Camps through Chick-Fil-A that comes to churches and runs camps that are a lot more affordable than sending kids to camp. I got to work with a bunch of 1st-2nd graders in the Ocean Tribe, and our small group was the Tiger Sharks! Our cheer was, "Fish are friends, not food! Fish are friends, not food!" We became "Mega Swat" because we basically became staff, and when they have a lot of kids, they usually have a small group of four people come in and help them, but they had nine people with us! It was a lot of hard work, but it was worth it! They had about nine kids come to Christ that week which is truly awesome! This really blesses my heart because they are looking for true decisions, not decisions just made to do what their friends are doing. The next week and a half was spent traveling to and working in Madison, Wisconsin with Chad Ellis and Dennis Rodgers to do church planting in one of the most liberal cities in the United States! It was truly a blessing to learn more about church planting, especially in a challenging city like Madison. We worked with a kids day camp, did spiritual surveys, went to Bible studies, and attended local churches there. Over all, it was a trip that challenged my faith (among other things going on in my life) and grew me in ways that changed me for the better. It is challenging to share my faith at times, but it's oh so worth it when it comes to doing God's will and helping others come to Christ.
God has also brought an unexpected blessing into my life in the form of a young man named JD. :) That's right, I just told you I have a boyfriend! (Gasps ensue!!!) I've discussed guys several times over the past years on this blog, and I am now pleased to introduce you to the guy that I have been blessed to know over the past several months. We've actually known of each other for a couple years now, but it wasn't till the end of last semester that we started "talking." (Talking as in considering dating and doing several things together.) Many of you know my philosophy on dating, and it has a lot to do with dating for a purpose, meaning I'm not going to date anyone I wouldn't consider marrying. This is not to say that I WILL marry him, just that we are serious about our relationship and seeking God's will for our lives that may include each other. And yes, I am still holding to no kissing until my wedding day. And now I can say, yes, it does make things easier! Is it hard! Yes! However, in the pursuit of purity, and the wish to save the best for when we can truly give it to each other, it does a lot to help us in the long run. One challenge we have is the fact that we were not raised in the same way, and he became a Christian later in life. However, one reason I was attracted to him to begin with was the rate at which he is growing in his faith! If you all will pray for us, I would love that! God works in mysterious ways, and we want to glorify Him in all we do and wherever He has us in the future.
School has been, shall we say, hectic. Senior year is killer, and I'm so glad that I didn't continue my CA job as much as I loved it and my residents. I love having previous residents come and say hello! They brighten my day! I have also continued with Mrs. Weaver in second grade for student teaching this year! She is the teacher I finished my last placement with junior year. She is a wonderful teacher, and we have an interesting batch of children this year. Needless to say they test both of us, and they have rough home lives. If you want evidence of how important a two parent, God-centered, and education respected home is, just come see my class that doesn't have these things. (Some don't have any of the three...) However, I love them, and I'm so glad God brought these precious kids into my life despite the challenge they bring. I'm learning a lot about the teaching profession, and even though it's hard work, I know it will be worth it in the end. (I have to keep telling myself that to keep from going a little loony with all the work that is added onto student teaching...) One senior from last year gave me some good advice. "Write down the reason you want to teach and mount that somewhere where you can see it on a daily basis." For a little while I forgot my purpose for teaching, and then I remembered. I want to love these kids and give them an education that glorifies God and gives them a good future. :)
Well, that's my life in a nutshell! If you ever want to grab coffee or just chat, let me know! And I always appreciate any prayers coming my way! Life is tough, but with God, all things are possible!
Peace to you all!
Keri Lynn
P.S. This is a pic of me and the boy on our three monthaversary! We just celebrated our four monthaversary on his birthday this past Tuesday! Hopefully there will be many months to come! :)
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