Zambia Bound!

Hey all! Just a little update for those who I haven't informed yet:

I'm returning to Kitwe, Zambia this summer!

We officially have dates set in stone for July 23-August 6th. Overall, a large part of our work over there will consist of coming along side those in Kitwe, Zambia would have directly or indirectly been effected by the AIDS epidemic and sharing the love and hope that only Jesus can give.

Please think about giving and praying for this trip. I have already committed to paying for 1/3 of this trip myself. Please hear me when I say that I'm not tell you that to bring attention to myself, (all the glory should go to God for giving me a job and resources). However, I wanted to put my money where my heart is. The people of Kitwe are very much a part of my heart and that this isn't a glorified field trip that I'm taking to a different country and expecting you to pay for it. Our days will be long, we'll be sure to see some uncomfortable things, but know that the message of Jesus will be shared!

If you'd like to give financially you can:
1). Make a check payable to Apex Community Church and in the memo line write "Zambia 2011" and give it to me in person or send it to 839 Bowen Street, Dayton, 45410
2). Go to http://pouringout.me/ Proceed to click on the "my city" tab near the top right -> scroll down until you see my bio, then click on that.
Here comes the twist:
3). I'll exchange my manual labor for financial support. I'm willing to do just about anything: babysit, weed, mow a law, paint a room, walk your dog. You name it, I'll do it.

Right now, these are some of the things I'm praying for (the list will be continually growing).
1). Team Unity. Many of us on the team have just recently met. Please pray that the Lord would work in a might way to fuse our hearts together quickly.
2). That we will be able to refresh/encourage those servants in Zambia who are tirelessly working to proclaim the message of Jesus.
3). That we would completely and wholly submit to God's will on this trip.
4). That there will be people who will come to the end of themselves and submit their lives to Almighty God!

Please feel free to ask more questions. I'll talk your ear off about Zambia if you want me to!
Only by HIS grace,
Rebekah

My alarm woke me up at 6:15 this morning. As I clumsily reached for my cell phone to shut it off, I notice I had two text messages from last night. Both of them informed me that Osama Bin Laden was dead.

I was still trying to wake up amidst, also processing this news. I started to think of all the families who have lost loved ones. What were they feeling in the wake of this news? Did it make them happy? Did it bring them closure? Did it drudge up the pain and grief of losing a loved one, making it fresh again?

I flipped on one of the news stations to listen to the recap, as I readied for work. They were showing different celebrations that were taking place; Washington D.C., The Naval Academy, Time Square. Even during a MLB game last night, the crowd started to chant, “USA, USA, USA”. I got goosebumps. Anyone who knows me well enough, knows that I have a cord that runs deep within my being that is 100% patriotic. I tear up anytime I hear the our national anthem. I am so grateful of the countless men and women who have sacrifice time, comfort, and their lives, so that I can be free. I thank God for them.

With that being said, its not crazy that my next thought was, “I’m glad that Bin Laden is dead.” However, immediately I was convicted that instead of celebrating his death, I should be mourning the loss of his soul. The probability of Bin Laden denouncing his extreme Islamic views, repenting, and bowing his life to the subjection of Christ is minuscule. Please hear me...Bin Laden was a horrible, horrible man. He killed thousands of people, changing the lives of thousands of families. His extreme views blanketed lives of women and children with suffocating oppression. However, Christians should not lose focus of the cross in the wake of this news. None of us deserve the grace and mercy that has been bestowed upon us, no, not ONE of us. If Christ is truly the King on the throne of our lives, then we should be mourning the fact that Bin Laden’s soul is eternally separated from the glory of God. How truly sobering it is to really think about.

Dear God,
I pray that daily, I feel the weight of the souls who are on the verge of living eternally separated from your glory. May I have the resolve to push off the mindless things of this world, the distractions, the things that have no eternal value. May I pick up your cross daily and share your love with everyone I come into contact with. Amen.

May we all soak in this passage of scripture:
"As I live, declares the Lord GOD, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but that the wicked turn from his way and live" Ezekiel 33:11

Finally to close this entry, I'd like to re-post quotes that echo where my heart is:

“Glad the world has one less tyrant but am hoping to stay human and loving enough to not celebrate death and what breaks the heart of Jesus.” J.Ware

“Feeling torn. So thankful justice has been served regarding Bin Laden. Sobered that Bin Laden will be in hell for eternity. Some may rejoice in his eternal damnation, which means you probably haven't considered how horrible hell is. Christ followers, let's please be mindful of how we're responding to the big news.” R.Wing

“Let`s be glad that justice has been served to this nation, but let us also remember that Bin Laden also had a soul. He is spending an eternity away from the goodness of God right now if he did not accept God as his Savior. He may deserve it, but don’t we deserve hell too for all the sins we have committed? Praise is due to a God who saves.” E.Ferdlemen

Lent, Radios, & Silence

The first time I ever came into contact with "Lent" was a few years back when I was at a restaurant on a Wednesday night. There was a group of adults eating dinner nearby and they all had a large smudge of something on their forehead. Weird. What kinda cult did these people belong to? Luckily, at my table was a friend who had been raised Catholic. He proceeded to explained that they weren't in a cult and also gave a little history about Fat Tuesday, Ash Wednesday, and Lent. (Click here to learn about Lent).

Fast-forward to last night, when I was driving with one of my neighbors, who was at one point in her life, a devout Catholic. She started telling me about a tradition of making a "king cake" on Fat Tuesday and that you're suppose to hide a plastic baby Jesus in. She had me at "cake" but lost me at "putting a plastic doll inside so that the chemical toxins can seep into the deliciousness." Anyway, she continued to tell me how, even though she isn't a Mary follower anymore, but a Christ follower, she still likes to practice some of the rituals of lent.

My basic understanding of Lent is that you fast from something for 40 days.

That got me thinking. In this Western life that I live, how many times do I deny myself things/comforts? How many times do I decide to get rid of something that is a luxury or helps my days go by smoothly? Digging a little deeper, how many times on a daily basis, do I let the things of this world distract me or hinder me from growing my relationship with Christ? So I started to think about something that I need to give up. I didn't come up with anything right away. This morning, as I got into my car, I reached towards my radio to turn it on and immediately thought "I should fast from using my radio/cd player music in my car during lent."

I have a 15 minute commute to work each day. For those who struggle with math, that's a 30 minutes round trip. 30 minutes that I'm going to try and spend in sweet communication with my Savior. Unfortunately, I'd be lying, if I said that there isn't a day that goes by were I don't have unadulterated, uninterrupted time with my God. I'm embarrassed to say that I sometimes get caught up in the daily tasks at hand and really don't spend quality time praying.

Please know, I'm not saying all of this so that you'll think I'm a holy person or that I'm better then those who listen to the radio on the way to/from work. That isn't my heart. I'm looking to deepen my prayer relationship with God and this is the conduit I'm using.

For any one who knows me well, knows that I LOVE LOVE LOVE music. I'm "that girl, stopped at a red light, singing at the top of her lungs". So this isn't going to be an easy sacrifice for me. But now, I'm going to be "that girl, stopped at a red light, who looks like she's talking to herself".

If you think of it, pray with me. That God will use these "conversations in the car" to teach me, to mold me, to break me, to strengthen me. And if you have anything you need prayer for. Just let me know. Also, take a moment and ask yourself if there are things you could be/should be removing from your life to help you focus on God.

Breaking My Silence

First, I want to publicly apologize to I think my one and only reader (Jessica, pictured above). Please extend grace to me, for what ended up being a year hiatus from blogging. Of course, there is always a blog going on in my head, but I constantly struggle with the validity of sharing my thoughts. But needless to say, Jessica has been quite persistent in getting me to update this thing. So basically, if you bug me long enough about something, I'll probably give in at some point....just to quiet you. (If God ever graces me with kids, lets hope they never catch on to that one.)

Lets recap 2010--
Death is never easy. But premature death is all the more worse. Having a great friend lose his mom, when she was still relatively young, was probably one of the hardest things I've encountered in my life. I felt helpless, unable to fully comprehend, unable to comfort pain, unable to heal the deep hurt. I wrestled with trying to make sense of the madness. The short of the long of it is, that I believe that my God is sovereign in all decisions He makes. Perhaps one day, in heaven, God will take me aside and we'll chat over a nice cup of chai (obviously, God's choice beverage) and He'll connect all the proverbial dots of reasons why He let some things happen and chose to be silent in other matters. But for now, Paul's words in 1 Corinithians 15:55-57 ESV is a good reminder to cling to:
55 "O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?" 56 The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. 57 But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ."

In 2010, My dad was also diagnosed with Parkinson's disease. For the last two years, he had developed an increasingly predominant shake in his arm. It was suspected for awhile that he might have this disease. His doctor went back in forth as to whether or not he should get testing....(frustrating to say the least). But after meeting with a neurologist, He was diagnosed. At first it was a hard pill to swallow. And, to be honest, if I really start to think about what the journey ahead of us looks like, it gets overwhelming. All I know is that my dad, is still my dad and I love him. (Read an earlier blog that reminds me of perspective).


In 2010, God also granted healthy and safe deliveries of babies. My dear friends, Matt and Jody had their second boy, Ridge. We are going to be great friends, I can already tell.


Another one of my good friends, Julie, invited me and a couple of other girls, to be present when she gave birth to her 4th child. My first live birth. (Don't worry, I didn't take any pictures to post). To say the least, it was incredibly amazing. I am baffled as to how, anyone who has experienced giving birth or even watching it, can be an atheist. On another note, when I mention that I watched a live birth most women said "oh, that must of been amazing", while yet every guy who found out said, "that is gross, why would you want to watch that". Just yet another example of the differences in genders.

I have a renewed sense of trying to be a better blogger (say that 3 times fast) in 2011. Only time will tell how it will pan out.

crazy crazy God.

so, its been awhile. summer, in all its hot, hot glory, has always had the tendency to pass so quick. here i sit, the beginning of august, thinking how it seems like only a week ago, I was packing for my memorial day weekend trip.

however, i wear this summer like an old pair of jeans...loving the comfort of the familiarity. but in the same breath, hating the holes. the rips. those very things, which make the comfort, uncomfortable. yes, i've been able to do those things that make summer, summer.... the amusement park, canoeing, outdoor concerts, fireworks, late nights around a bonfire. but this summer, has also been chocked full of hard and ugly news, and bittersweet goodbyes.

one of my most talented friends found out he has a brain tumor. another dear precious friend, watches as his mother gracefully, yet painfully, battles liver cancer. another friend has to go through a divorce. and my best friend and her husband, just moved half way around the world.

who decided that the summer of 2009 would be one to suck? can't i please send it back and get, i dunno, maybe the summer 1999? (where the biggest obstacle i had was making cold calls to those strangers that i would call my "freshman year roommates"?) that was a good summer of relaxation. i'd even take the summer of 2002. i got my sisters jeep wrangler as my summer transportation. i mean, who could hate a summer when you're driving a jeep?! really.

yet, today, i've constantly been reminded that i serve a SOVEREIGN SAVIOR, i have to take stupid summer '09 and praise HIM regardless. scratch that. i GET to praise HIM regardless. praise GOD because it seems that HE has designed a brain tumor to RE-AWAKEN A LIFE PURPOSE. HE has used liver cancer to SAVE A LIFE ETERNALLY. HE has used a divorce to HUMBLE. HE has used a bold move to germany to give example of what it looks like to follow in OBEDIENCE.

these are testaments to the crazy God i serve. He doesn't always make sense to me, but if he was always rational and logical, then our lives would be predictable, subpar, and boring. let's face it, that doesn't sound like a god i'd follow.

breaks my heart...

read this.

you know.....

so i was having a conversation with a dear friend that i've known for about 15 years. after awhile, she noted how random my train of thought can be. i'm wondering why she's just picking up on this...

if you haven't watched slumdog millionaire, you should. i loved it so much i purchased the soundtrack, and it is now the soundtrack to my life. i would also like to adopt all those little kids. we'll play all day and never grown old.

as far as growing old for me i'm fearful it is too late. i worked late yesterday and got to softball right before it started. i didn't have time to stretch. poop. my first up to bat, i hit it out to right field and sprinted to first base. somewhere in between me dropping my bat and stopping on first base, my left quad decided to revolt. i hurt.

(p.s. don't tell my team, but until this spring, i've only play organized softball one summer, when i was 10. i would have played the following summer, but the next age level included fast pitch. you know those crazy windmill pitches. i valued my limbs too much.)

the finale of lost is tonight. part of me is apprehensive because of the high probability of a super huge cliff hanger. the rest of me is nausea. (but the good kind. like in high school, when i had a big game and was super excited yet also, equally super nervous.)

i used to be madly in love with the american dream. you know everyone deserves there piece of the pie, right? not anymore. i find myself digressing farther away from that whole concept. everyday, i find myself fighting to not get sucked into the whole rat race. some days, i fail horribly. and those days when i feel like i've succeeded...i can only chalk it up to the wisdom and strength God continues to give me.

spent this past saturday with my parents working outside in their yard. now i have poison ivy smack dab in the middle of my forehead. that only happens to me.

recently found out that a large ice cappuccino from tim hortons (my choice of beverage during the summer) has 20 grams of fat. needless to say, it USE to be my beverage of choice. thanks a lot canada.

emoticons. they scare me.

SO looking forward to memorial day weekend spent in chicago with old friends. equally looking forward to spending the following weekend in nyc. i always laugh the hardest when i'm with those who are the dearest.

also looking forward to apex jr./sr. high summer camp. this year i made sure to reserve a week of vacation for it. practical jokes? yes please.

sometimes i daydream about living like the boxcar kids and/or the swiss family robinsons lived. i'm jealous.