It's abundantly clear that I haven't been on xanga in a while since it took me nearly half an hour just to add a new post.  I'm fairly sure that no one even reads this page anymore, and that is ok, maybe I'll just write this one for myself.  This past year of my life has undergone some big changes.  Mainly, Travis and I got married.  We are loving married life and now attempting to move forward in our future without missing today.  We are trusting the Lord to lead us and trying to become better followers of Christ.

  Our plan thus far is to move to South Africa in September 09' to do the YWAM school of biblical studies.  This course will take 9 months to completion.  There is an optional 3 month field assignment after the school.  If we do this, we plan to be gone for an entire year.  We have taken into account all of the practical setbacks but our hearts are still not deterred.  While we haven't had it written in the stars for us, we believe that the Lord will make it clear in due time.  So there you have it, that is our newest piece of news, or potential news.  Please, please, please... if you read this, take a moment and pray for us.  We would dearly appreciate it.  God Bless!

  Feel free to write me and update what's new in your lives.

Hey!  How come you people never write me anymore?  Are you to good for xanga?  Are you too good for your home?!?!?!?! What gives???  love you!

-steph

The Great Awakening

I have to admit that these past few years have gone by pretty fast.  Saturday, the 1st, marked my 2 yr. anniversary since going to Scotland.  While this date brought me to remenicing in my car, it also filled me with a deep sadness that I could not shake.  Not because of any wrong that had occured, everything is just as it should be.  It's just that I long to be back out there, back on the mission field.  Even just back in Scotland.  The Lord has taught me many things in the past few years.  I went from returning home, to a new job, to an anointed chance meeting with a certain someone, to a move halfway across the country, to a new home, to a new romance, to new everything.  But all along the way, God has been with me.  Even when times looked lonely.  Now I'm in another new job, my new romance is now over a year in the making, and I've still got big decisions to make.  I'm hoping to dedicate this years earning at my new job to send me out on the mission field again, possibly September 08.  But I think the most important thing I've learned since Scotland is that the only way I'm ever going to be completely satisfied in life is by being in god's will, whatever that looks like.  Even if that means that i'm going to be behind a desk in an office my ENTIRE life.  Are you picking up on my sarcasm because I'm laying it on pretty thick here.  hahaha.  but no, seriously, this is a very VERY hard thing for me to admit here because I, my friends, am a dreamer.  My whole life I've always been a dreamer.  I have wanted to be a world traveler, warrior for Christ, Rock and roll singer who goes wherever the wind takes her for as long as I can remember.  Life right now is looking pretty settled though.  I just started my job a few weeks ago, it's about 50 hours a week and I'm not sure the girls there like me.  Please pray for me on this if you can.  Feeling settled is about the most depressing thing I can think of right now.  I'm completely stir crazy and ready to break free again.  But this time around, I think the thing I need most is to let go of my visions of what freedom is.  God has taught me that sometimes freedom and His will are found in some of the most unusual places.  Not always on the far ends of the earth, or most remote destinations, but sometimes in your neighborhood, or even in the office.  You see, I have this idea in my head that if I'm truely living my life to the fullest, than that means that I'm out being adventurous and daring and being excited everyday.  But my problem is that I have overlooked the adventure here at home, the excitement of knowing Jesus in the duldrums of life.  I think that to truely experience freedom in life, one has to learn how to surrender their ideas and visions of freedom, and pick up Jesus on the way.  If I submit to Him, He will change my hearts desires and the adventure will come from knowing Him, no matter where I am in life.  This is the true adventure I seek.  Jesus is the adventure, He satisfies my soul. 

I use to cling to this one verse, "Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of you heart".  It's a good verse, but the problem was that I thought I knew what those desires were.  I head a picture in my mind of my specific heart's desire.  The truth is you never know the depths and desires of your own heart until you delight in the Lord because in that secret place He transforms desires in accordance to fulfill His will.  My ultimate desire now is to know my Lord.  Help me Jesus, I want to delight in you.

The Trip Home

Travis went home with me to Texas a few weeks ago and this is what occurred...

We went bowling with my mom and brother

We checked out ridiculous slave plantations like this one, this is actually somebody's home, isn't that nuts?

We went out for a romantic dinner here

Then we had family dinner night and lunar golf!

family shot, nice picture Trav!

My little brother and Trav got along famously

But he's still my best friend too :)

So is this lady...

hot sisters (Well she looks hot, I kinda look like a monkey though, hahaha)

Here's my best friend E.B.  She's engaged!!!!  Lucky you Kevo.

And my favorite person in the entire world, my nephew.  I love you Declan, HAPPY BIRTHDAY :)

I'm going to try to do a better job of keeping you updated.  I miss you Scotland family and friends.  Can't wait to be reunited again.  Please pray for me, I am trying to decide whether or not a School of Worship is where God is leading me in the future or not.  Trav and I are having a blast.  Our one year anniversary is coming up in a few weeks and I have been soooo blessed to get to know this man.  He is amazing and I am head over heels in love with him.  Thank you God for Travis and for all the wonderful people I've met along the way.  God bless you guys!  Drop me a line sometime :)