Project Lovemore

I am headed to Brandon, MS in the morning. Woot Woot! What an amazing opportunity that God has given me. He continues to amaze me with new blessings each day. As I write this, I am just thinking about how much God has done for me. He has put me into an amazing family that is full of humor and surrounded by love. I have some of the best friends in the world that teach me Godly principles by just living their life. I have been given many skills. The opportunities that God continues to pour on me are endless. It makes me wonder-- Why am I so blessed? Why did God choose for me to have this family, friends, skills, opportunities? Am I using what God has given me to bring glory to his name? All I can say is that I hope I am. I mean I know I am with some of the things he has given me, but not everything. I take a lot of things for granted. Sometimes, I just don't understand how I can take things for granted. God has done everything for me. He has given me the best gift of all, Jesus Christ. Without his grace, I would be nothing. We did nothing to receive this kindness. He did everything. He lived a life that was perfect, a life that we can look up too and follow, a life of peace, a life of fellowship, a life of love. He loved us so much that he died so we could be saved. Why can't we love him so much to live for him daily?

God gave me a vision my freshman year, a vision of LOVE. If we truly love like God calls us to, others would see Him in our words and actions. If we truly love like God calls us to, we can change the world one person at a time. If we truly love like God calls us to, more will come to know God as their savior. God began showing me this vision of love when I went to a Shane and Shane concert with some friends. World Vision was there with all the kids that you could support for a monthly fee. For the first time, I was interested in this. When I got back, I searched the site for all the other kids you could support. It was 35 dollars a month to support. I didn't have enough money to do it by myself, so I put it off for awhile. Then God reminded me when JR, my college pastor, began a series on the greatest commandment: Love the Lord you God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength. Love your neighbor as yourself. . LOVE! It was about a 8-10 week series, so I finally started to understand how big of an impact LOVE can make. So I asked some friends if they would like to help sponsor a child with me. Megan said she would like to so we got on the website. We looked through pages of African children. Then we came across a boy. When we saw his name, we knew we were meant to discover him. His name was Lovemore. We have sponsored him for about a year and a half now. Through writing him letters and providing funds for food, health, and education, he has changed my life. His name became a daily reminder for me to LOVEMORE in everything I do. I came to the point where I thought if I can love and help out one boy, why can't I love and help out many people. I told Jennifer Tucker about this and we decided to get on the compassion website to see how else we could help. We saw that you could send animals or wells to a community. That seemed cool, but then we saw it... a health care center. How cool would that be. We could raise $25,000 to get a health care center that would help many people not just physically, but emotionally and spiritually. This idea got around our friends and there was a lot of people who wanted to help. So this is how Project Lovemore came to be-- 10+ college kids who wanted to make a difference in the world. It's much more than just a health care center though; it's a way of life! How can we love more in everything we do? How can we show God's love more? I have decided the only way to do this, is to make it the heart of all you do. Show God's love to each person you come in contact with. Whether it's the lady that checks you out at the grocery store or the guy who fixes your car or your coworkers or your friends or the guy that looks like a creeper or the homeless man or the person that tests your patience. ANYONE and EVERYONE. Yes it is hard to do, but think about the impact we can make. Think about how God's name would be shown. Right now we have raised around $11,000 for the health care center. Praise God. He is doing amazing things. Project Lovemore is all because of God, all about God, and all for God. So as I end I challenge you with one question...

HOW CAN I LOVE MORE TODAY?

More information on Project Lovemore can be found at:

http://www.projectlovemore.webs.com/

www.myspace.com/projectlovemore

Living in the present

My time in Bryant is winding down. I got to go to Monticello earlier this week and hang out with my grandparents. We fished and played scrabble and dominoes! I met up with Chelsea Weaver at the coffee bean and we got to chat about our summers. It was a very relaxing and needed trip. Also this week I got to go to the lake with my family and megan corbett. Who knew that a few hours tubing, skiing, and boating could leave you tired, sore, and burnt to a crisp! I couldn't even finish a game of horseshoes, I was so tired!

In the past few weeks, God has been teaching me about being patient and that He is in total control. I have been so excited and ready to go to Brandon, Mississippi. But I feel like I have neglected some of my time in Bryant looking forward to Mississippi. A few days ago I read James 4:13-17. It was just a reminder that we aren't guaranteed tomorrow. I can't focus all my attention on tomorrow and forget about my life today. It's good when you have friends who live out principles that you are learning. This weekend, Megan Corbett was a pure example of this. She always is, really. She is so good at making the people she is talking to feel like they are the most important people right then. You can tell that she truly cares. I want to be like this, but I feel like in the past few weeks I have had my mind in Mississippi, but my body is still in Bryant. This last week in Bryant, I am going to live in the present and not the future. I am still super excited about Brandon, but that time will be here soon.

Some pretty legit people, Torri and Lindsey Ellison, had a garage sale in their hometown for project lovemore. They raised 1100 dollars! :) That is amazing. That puts the total raised to around $11,500. We really are chipping away at getting this health care center. I am super excited for what God has in store. Just the other day I was at Mardels wearing a Project Lovemore shirt and the guy checkin us out was like "you support project lovemore; thats awesome." It's cool how the message of Project Lovemore is spreading all over Arkansas. God is so good!

I have decided to start blogging on Mondays and Fridays, so be looking forward to a new blog on Friday. :)

It's the start of something new..

As the summer has begun, I have realized that this summer won't look like the past few summers I have had. I think I will start with the bad and move into the good.


I can say that I now know why a dog is called man's best friend. I lost my dog, Rudy, about a week ago. He was such a "good dog". When I came home on the weekends, he would be so excited. Sometimes he would let all his excitement get on the carpet. :) He would always cuddle up with me in the mornings until I decided to get out of bed. He loved to play ball and lick people in the face. He was all bark and no bite when an unfamiliar man would come around. He died doing what he loved- playing ball. It hurts that he is gone, but in reflecting on his life, I have decided that people should be a little more like dogs. Dogs could teach us a few lessons in loving others. Dogs are never to busy to come hang out. Dogs are very loyal. Dogs can brighten your day with just a lick in the face. Rudy was the best dog I have ever had! It gets lonely not having him around, but I know it's all in God's plan.

Rudy at the lake!

This summer, I get the chance to be a youth intern at First Baptist in Brandon, Mississippi. I am super excited about this oppurtunity that God has given me. It is going to be a lot of fun and very rewarding. I am ready to begin discipling and hanging out with the girls there. Tyler is also going to be starting his job there as well. I am super excited for him, and glad that I will get to be there this summer with him. I know that he will do an amazing job with the kids in the youth group. I pray that his summer as we begin our ministry together in Brandon that God will be the center of it and that we will allow him to use us in amazing ways.

The Junior Girls in Brandon!

Also, this summer I get to go to Uganda. I am stoked about this mission trip. I have never been out of the country. I am nervous, but very excited to work with the people of where we will be. I have raised 2500 of the 3000 dollars I need for the trip. My brother called me the other day, and he said something that made me laugh to myself, but is very true. He told me the only way that he would send me money is if I actually told people about the gospel of Christ. It's so easy for us to do nice things, but it is so much more influential to share Christ with others. That is my prayer: that I won't just do nice things, but also tell others about my savior and what he means to me.

Uganda

During the school-year, I wanted to do three things this summer. 1. be an intern/work at a camp 2. go on a foreign mission trip 3. take some classes... Well I get to do two of these things. God truly has opened up some amazing doors for me. I pray that I will allow myself to be used in whatever ways he asks me to. If I ever come across your mind, you can pray this for me too. :) I am so ready to begin this journey!

A year later..

Wow! Just remembered I signed up on blogger almost a year ago. You can tell my heart was really in it. Ha. I was on facebook and saw Blake Irvin's post so I decided to see if I could get on mine. I did, so while I was in I figured, I could do a little blogging.

As I look backed to my last blog, I saw how I was blogging about my finishing my freshman year, and all the memories I had. It's crazy to think, but now I have just finished my sophomore year. Although this year was not as great as Freshman, it was still an awesome year. I learned what all the upper-classmen were talking about when they said cherish your freshman year. After your first year, you get BUSY. Less time to hang out with friends, but more time to hang out with a Science book. Less time to chill and relax, but more time to be constantly on the go. This year, I learned 3 main things. First, cherish your friends and the times you get with them.
Second, don't live in the past. And last, love more and more in everything you do.
1. Cherish your friends and the times you get with them. As this semester came to a close, I began to realize the fact that some of my ReMIX family would not be here next year. It is time for them to move past this chapter in their life. Once I realized this I began to cling to them more than I had during the rest of the semester. So heres to Mick, Steve, Grant, Torri, Amanda, and Shauna. I am really glad I got to spend the last 2 years with yall.
2. Don't live in the past. I caught myself wishing for things to be like my freshman year alot this year. I missed the thrill and the time I use to have. But I soon learned that all the time I spent wishing, I wasn't acting on my wish. The FAMILY really helped me realize this one. They had the thrill and the time that I didn't. If you live in the past, you are missing out on the present. We only have 4 years in college. Live it up!
3. Love more and more in everything you do. This is probably the greatest thing I have learned. God is so great. He loves us unconditionally. We fail him so many times, and what does he do? He forgives and loves. This is how I want to live. This has become a daily prayer of mine. "lord help me to love as you love me. Help me to forgive as you forgive me." And he has answered. No, I definitely am not perfect, but he has given me patience in situations. He has given me his eyes in other situation. And he has given me friends that want the same thing.

This year has been a ride. I wish I could blog a little longer, but my computer is about to die. :( I will definitely make blogging a weekly thing during the summer! For all who have read, thanks.

Love more in eveything,
Kristen