Love in LoCo

What a difference a year makes!  As I reflect back on 2016 I can’t help but be in awe of God’s goodness.  One year ago, I was feeling a little stuck and restless in a job that brought me equal parts joy and frustration on any given day.  One of my best friends in the area had just moved and the other would be leaving in just a few months and I couldn’t help but feel a bit hopeless about the coming year.  Much like the Israelites in the Old Testament, I tend to forget how faithful God has been to me when I’m facing a less than optimal situation in my life.  Thankfully, though, our God is the same yesterday, today, and forever and 2016 brought so many unanticipated blessings from my Father in Heaven.  Having my two dear friends move away brought me closer to my family, my sisters especially, than ever before.  It is such a blessing to have them living nearby to talk to and hang out with often.  I also got to have a front row seat to watching my ...

I’ve officially been on staff with Loudoun FCA for 13 days.  Besides the administrative parts of the job like phone calls, emails and familiarizing myself with our database, so far, I’ve met with several volunteers and been able to attend three high school huddles.  One of these huddles just happened to be at my Alma mater, Broad Run High School in Ashburn.  I loved seeing some of my former teachers passing through the hallways and telling them about my new job while getting to know the student leaders for Broad Run’s FCA.  I think a fear we have with huddles sometimes, and youth groups for that matter, is that they can become “clique-y” and not always welcoming to new students coming to check things out for the first time.  I was so pleasantly surprised, though, that the leadership had decided to make last Wednesday an outreach event.  They stood in the lobby of the school with two big urns of hot chocolate to welcome fellow students coming in off of th...

Do you ever read stories in the Bible like God providing manna for the Israelites in the wilderness or Jesus healing the blind man at Bethesda, and think, “I wish we could still see miracles like that today?”  For those of us who have grown up in church and heard these stories since we were children, I think we are especially susceptible to wonder about this at times.  Like many who have grown up in church, by the grace of God, I believed in Jesus as my Savior at a young age.  At the ripe old age of eleven, I didn’t notice a particularly miraculous life change at the time.  It is only as I’ve matured that I’ve realized my salvation, and everyone’s for that matter, is a miracle in and of itself.  The Bible says we were “dead in our sins…but because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions.” (Ephesians 2:1, 4-5).  Even if God were still literally raining down manna from heaven, ...

A few weekends ago, I had the privilege of attending the Cultivate Conference at Reston Bible Church.  The main speaker of the event was Kelly Minter, daughter of RBC’s pastor Mike Minter, who is a gifted teacher, author, and speaker in her own right.  The theme verse of the conference was John 15:16 which says, “You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit –fruit that will last – and so that whatever you ask in my name the Father will give you.”  Even though I’ve heard and read about John 15 countless times, Kelly brought new life to this passage.  Perhaps the reason it resonated so much more this time is that I’m embarking on this new journey with FCA and I know that now, more than in my previous career, any fruit I bear is going to be directly from the Lord.  Kelly made an important distinction between achieving goals and bearing fruit.  Achieving goals is based on our own dreams, striving, and effort....

FCA recently announced its 2017 camp theme will be ONE , based off of Philippians 1:27 (Just one thing: Live your life in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ.  Then, whether I come and see you or am absent, I will hear about you that you are standing firm in one spirit, with one mind, working side by side for the faith that comes from the gospel.).  In light of Election Day tomorrow, I don’t think this announcement could have come at a better time.  It’s no secret that our nation is divided right now.  Just turn on the news and all you see is moral, political, and racial tension.  It would be easy to worry about what will happen over the next four years if we forget Who is on the Throne.  Psalm 20:7 says, “Some trust in chariots and some trust in horses, but we trust in the name of the Lord our God.”  Let that be true of us.  Let us live in such a way that the rest of the nation, the rest of the world even, has to take notice and ask why we...

Last week I had the opportunity to travel up to Pennsylvania for the FCA’s Mid-Atlantic Region Capacity Conference at Spooky Nook Sports , the largest indoor sports complex in the U.S.  The theme this year was “Fill Your Bucket” and focused on renewing our passion and purpose for the ministry. Although there was certainly a bit of a “drinking out of a fire hose” element to the week, I left feeling so encouraged and I loved getting to meet some of my fellow teammates from New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Delaware, and Virginia.  We talked about everything from how to manage our time/energy in a job that is far from 9 – 5, to developing a culture of prayer, to leading the way as a ministry in terms of diversity and racial reconciliation.  In addition to being filled with lots of helpful information, we also had plenty of time for fellowship and competition with corn hole, can jam, volleyball, and dodgeball.  My team, Huddle 16, held our own in the sports competiti...

I am a rule follower.  I always have been.  Growing up, when I was disobedient or misbehaved in some way, all my mom had to say was, “I’m disappointed in you,” and it reduced me to a puddle.  (To be fair I was and still am extremely stubborn and have always liked to do things my way. Mom, for the record, I am by no means scarred by hearing this and I'm sure I deserved it at times!) I took pride in trying to give my parents as little grief as possible growing up.  (I still gave them plenty, let’s be real).  As a math teacher, I had far more students who disliked math than enjoyed it like I do.  “WHY do you like math so much?” they’d often ask incredulously, as if there couldn’t possibly be a reasonable answer to that question.  After getting asked this question so many times over the years, I developed a go to response: “Because there’s always a right answer.  I find great comfort in that.  There’s too much uncertainty in this world.”...

A few weeks ago I started doing a Bible study on the book of Hebrews with several other women at church.  Our memory verse last week was Hebrews 4:12, “For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart.”  This is a verse that I’ve known for some time, but jumps up again every time I read a familiar passage and understand something I’d never noticed before.  This morning, for example, I was spending some time in John 1:35-51.  Now, I’ve never kept track, but I would be willing to bet that John is probably one of the books of the Bible I’ve read most.  Until this morning, though, I’d never really paid much attention to Andrew in this passage.  He was kind of awesome.  As soon as John the Baptist said, “There goes the Messiah,” Andrew was all in.  The Bible says, “Andrew, Simon ...

I recently read the book The Hiding Place by Corrie Ten Boom.  It is the story of Corrie’s family, Christians living in the Netherlands during World War II, who risked their lives by hiding Jews from the Nazis during the Holocaust.  Eventually, Corrie and much of her family were caught and taken to Nazi work camps themselves.  One story that stood out to me was that of Corrie and her sister, Betsy, still striving to serve and thank God in the midst of their suffering.  They had been moved to a new camp and sent to live in a filthy, overcrowded barrack with many other women.  As Corrie started to complain about the awful surroundings, Betsy quoted 1 Thesselonians 5:16 – 18 which says, “Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”  Corrie scoffed that they didn’t have much to be thankful for, but Betsy started naming things they could thank God for, starting with the fact that the sis...

Lamentations 3:24 says, “ I say to myself, ‘The   Lord   is my portion;   therefore I will wait for him’”.  I’m sure I’m not the only one who has trouble with this one, am I right?  I know in my head that God is way smarter than I am and His plan for my life is way better than anything I could come up with.  BUT, do I believe it in my stubborn heart?  The answer to that depends on the day, maybe even the minute you ask me.  Ironically, I’ve been told by people throughout my life that I’m a fairly patient person, particularly when it comes to kids.  You don’t get through eight years of teaching high school math without patience.  Unfortunately, I have trouble having that same patience with God.  I know that He is Jehovah-Jireh, the God who provides.  And yet, as my support raising has hit a bit of a slowdown these past couple of weeks, I find myself getting anxious about His provision and questioning why I’m not fully funded ...

This past Saturday, I spent the first part of the day proctoring the SAT test for 17 local teenagers.  You could practically feel the anxiety in the room as the kids sat for this 5+ hour exam, which many believe makes or breaks their college acceptances and rejections.  The stress these kids face on a daily basis can be overwhelming.  I was near the top of my class in high school and by the time I graduated, I had taken five AP classes over two years.  Now, many of the kids who graduate at the top of their class take at least seven or eight APs by graduation.  They’re also expected to have several extracurricular activities, community service, and notable leadership roles on their resumes.  What makes matters worse is that when kids leave their schools each day, they go out into a world that is constantly bombarding them with confusing and straight up unbiblical messages, all in the name of trends and being a free-spirit.  Step into any home décor ...

Victoria and I, cold but having fun! What a week it’s been…and it’s only Wednesday!  It started out on Monday with our annual Loudoun FCA Golf Tournament at Raspberry Falls Golf Course.  We had over sixty golfers come out to participate in the tournament on what felt like one of the first real fall days we’ve had.  Despite the chill, I think the guys still had fun golfing and I know my fellow women’s ministry rep, Noelle, and one of our faithful volunteers, Victoria, and I had a blast riding around in the golf cart taking pictures!  Thank you so much to everyone who came out and made donations to make this event possible! Figuring out the course map! 2016 Tournament Champs! NOVA/DC Director Derrick Ellison delivering our Jersey Mike's donated lunches   This morning, I attended See You at the Pole, a national day of prayer for schools, at Potomac Falls High School, my old stomping grounds.  The turnout was amazing and it has been so encoura...

On June 15, 2016, I walked out of Potomac Falls High School as a teacher for the last time.  That building had been my home away from home for the last eight years.  In reality, between September and June, I probably spent more waking hours there than in my own home.  I learned how to be a teacher there.  I learned how to teach everything from solving equations in Algebra 1, Part 1, to limits in Precalculus.  I learned how to care for students and how to listen to them about matters from boyfriend/girlfriend drama, to choosing a college, to truly horrendous situations going on at home.  I learned how to navigate the alphabet soup that is the public education system (IEPs, 504s, BIPs, and everything in between).  Thankfully, I had some amazing co-workers to guide me, support me, encourage me, and listen to me vent when I was having a bad day.  In those eight years, I had three different head principals, eight different assistant principals, and a ...

Sorry, couldn’t resist the Bon Jovi reference :) .  But in all seriousness, I’m officially halfway to my support raising goal to be able to join the Loudoun FCA staff full time!  I’m so incredibly grateful to those who have supported me, both prayerfully and financially, in this process.  By the numbers, Progress made over the past 5 months: Phone Calls & Emails: 242 Appointments: 68 Special Gifts: $9874 of approximately $20,000*. Monthly Commitments: $2520 of approximately $5000*. I am continually being humbled and reminded of God’s goodness and faithfulness as my family, friends, church, and members of the Panther community have embraced this ministry journey with me.  Please continue to pray for partners to join me in reaching Loudoun students and coaches and, if you haven’t had a chance to do so already, please consider becoming a partner by visiting www.loudounFCA.org/donate and clicking on my page.  Also, if you think of someone who has a...

Kids today are growing up in the generation of viral videos and getting their 15 minutes or, in the case of the popular social media app Vine, 6 seconds of fame. I see it all the time with students, that they constantly feel they have to do crazy and ridiculous things to stand out.  Even among my own generation I see all the time how people, including myself, find themselves discontented with their own lives when they see the fabulous things their friends are posting about (because no one ever posts about a quiet evening in watching Gilmore Girls on Netflix).  I’ve come to realize, though, that following Jesus often means serving Him in the ordinary, whether that’s encouraging a coworker who’s going through a rough time or changing your baby’s 10 th dirty diaper of that day.  We're not all going to be extraordinary by the world’s standards. Let's be real...many people these days who stand out in the social media/pop culture realm are not exactly known for how they’re...

Over the past eight years, I found that I developed little catch phrases in the classroom.  I would say these things so often that by the end of the year, it would inevitably become somewhat of a joke with the students.  For example, whenever I would have a student complaining about some concept or another being too difficult I would quip back, “You can do it, so-and-so.  I have faith in you!” in my wry, sarcastic tone.  The students would often think it was funny, but to be fair, I did genuinely believe they were capable of doing well…you know, once they put their phones down! Another such catch phrase I often used when a student was sleeping or looking particularly zoned out was, “Look alive there, so-and-so, look alive!”.  Recently, I’ve come to wonder how often the Lord was saying this to me the past few years.  I get so distracted by my daily to-do list sometimes.  When I was still teaching, I always tried to make sure to spend time with the ...

Today was the first day of school for Loudoun County Public Schools and for the first time in 8 years, I am not at Potomac Falls High School, setting rules and expectations for the year with a new group of students.  It’s a very strange feeling.  I knew it would hit me sooner or later, this big change in my life.  But to be honest, most of the summer just felt like a normal summer.  As I watched the school buses out on the roads this morning, reality set in a little more deeply.  I will really miss being in the classroom this year, getting to know a new group of 150 or so students, coaching them through the inner workings of the Unit Circle, many minor dramas, and perhaps a few major ones, along the way.  So, if I’m getting so sentimental about not being there, why did I leave?  In a word, OBEDIENCE.  Although I made the decision to follow Christ with my life when I was eleven, I still lived much of my life following the steps to my own plan....

I’ve had the opportunity to talk to so many already about my transition from teaching to full time ministry with FCA, but wanted to take a moment to detail the “Who, What, When, Where, and Why” of my new women’s ministry role. WHO will I be serving? Primarily Loudoun County Public Schools coaches, teams, and students. WHAT will I be doing? Although my role with the middle school huddles in my area is still not fully decided, my involvement with the high schools will include partnering with, and ministering to, coaches of girls’ sports teams, connecting them with character coaches, and starting coaches’ and team huddles.  As far as the on-campus huddles (school clubs that usually meet weekly for games, fellowship, and devotional studies), I will be working to train student leaders and equip them with resources to run their school huddles, because for these huddles to be legally allowed on public school campuses they have to be student led. WHEN will I start? Hopefully ...

Welcome to my new FCA blog!  I can't wait to share how the Lord is working in the lives of coaches and athletes in Loudoun County.  Here are a few highlights of the past few months as I've been working to raise support and transition into this new women's ministry role on the Loudoun FCA staff: Women's Ministry teammates, Rebekah and Noelle at the NSC in April In April I traveled to FCA’s National Support Center in Kansas City, MO to attend Fundraising Bootcamp.  I flew out with two other amazing women who are also prospective women’s ministry staff for Northern VA FCA.  We were given about 20 hours of prep work before coming to bootcamp, all related with understanding the Biblical model of support raising in ministry and being able to share our personal stories of how the Lord brought us to this desire to work for FCA.  The prep work was so helpful and the information I learned at bootcamp has been invaluable as I started raising support.  La...