Wow. Tomorrow is the start of a November, a brand new month... woohoo!
Lots of exciting things have been going on, which makes Lifegate Church a hoppin' place!
Lifegate just released their official CD, "Brand New Day"! And the crowd goes wild!!! It is incredible, and I am personally excited to have extraordinary worship to listen to in my car! (Bonus feature: My mom is on the back cover of the CD... What can I say? The camera's love her ;] )
More exciting news: starting November 3rd, IBEX is putting on IBEX Family Dinners on Wednesday nights at 5:30! So please, come visit us at The Goat Trough! Meals are jsut $3, and you can come fellowship, find out what is going on in IBEX, and eat a great meal! All proceeds go towards our Global journies to Kyrgyzstan and Thailand!
As far as IBEX goes, we are still busy, busy, busy! The 1/2 marathon is creeping up on us like none other! Just a little over 3 weeks now I do believe. We are counting on God to give us the strength to press on, because we are very tired! We ran 9 miles this past Thursday! To be honest with you, I never would have seen myself doing this in life! It's crazy!
I am really enjoying my classes this cycle! Learning all about discipleship in Pastor Tracy's class. This past week, we dug really deep into a passage, and looked at the context of things, including some Jewish customs that really explain the scriptures more. I was so intrigued! I really want to do Biblical studies now, because just that little tidbit was eye opening, and really understanding the background of who wrote the Bible, and when it was written really opens your eyes to what the scripture means!
In Dr. Deb's class, we took our strengthfinders test and are now learning about our strengths. We also are working on a genograph, which is sort of like an in-depth family tree! It is cool seeing where you came from, and looking at your strengths, and really just allowing God to show you how he sees you, and how he is forming you!
I feel like, for me personally, IBEX is really peeling back the layers and showing me who I really am! I am learning so many things about myself (some good, some not-so-good!) that I had never seen before! I am definately being shaped and formed right now, and to be honest, some of it hurts! But God is good and I trust Him!
Y'all should be proud of me- I am taking a sabbath! It was hard for me to arrange it, but I got most all of my "work" related things out of the way on Friday and Saturday, so I could rest today! And I'm not gonna lie, it is reeeeaaallly nice to sit and do what I want to do!
I think that is all I have to update you on for now! I'm looking at another busy week ahead, but I feel energized and ready to face whatever may pop up!
Prayer requests
~Financial provision
~Energy and motivation to finish my training and run the marathon to the best of my ability!
~Healing of injuries- shin splints, pulled tendons, and the aches and pains that come with running
~Sleep- and dreams and visions from God!
~Purpose- I don't want to lose purpose in what I am in IBEX for- I want to continue seeking God and what he has for me
~Open ears to hear God's voice, and then quick obedience!
Once again, I thank you profusely for your support and encouragement as I walk through this crazy adventure. I am so blessed to have friends and family like y'all around me!
In closing, I have a verse that has been speaking to me, and I would like to leave you to ponder on:
Romans 5:5 And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us.
Chew on that, and I hope your week is filled with great things!
~Rebekah
Sunday, October 31, 2010
The Night of October 21st...
The Night of October 21st
A short story
She was just wrapping things up in the office. It had been a long week. After finishing all of her grueling tasks under the close watch of her nazi-boss, she finally was locking the place up. Fried goat just doesn't sound good, she thought. But it will do, I'm so hungry! It had been a hectic day, getting ready to lead an overnight trip to Monte Clair for a group of young, adventurous students. As she walked out to her car, fumbling with her keys, and checking her phone, she heard something behind her. Footsteps. She walked faster, just ten paces from her car now. More footsteps. Finally there. She dropped her keys. Unlocking and opening the door, she reached to put the keys in the ignition, but she was yanked back, and a sack was put over her head. Don't struggle, it will only make it worse, she told herself, although she could hardly believe what was happening. Stay calm. Think. Use your other senses. She tried to regain composure, as she was pushed along and forced into what she assumed was the back seat of a small car. She decided to buckle up, although it wouldn't save her from her kidnappers, it would protect her from the car chase that was bound to happen once people found out she was missing.
She heard the car start, and all of a sudden the car began to shake as the bass was blasted out of the speakers. The windows were rolled down, and the car was moving. As they picked up speed down what she assumed was a highway, she began to relax. This is my favorite song! We gonna light it up, like it's dynomi...And then she snapped out of it. She realized their tactic, and blocked the song out of her head. No way were her kidnappers going to entrance her that easily- with that song! She tried to pay attention to where they were headed, but she had lost all sense of direction- and her sunglasses. They had stolen her prized sunglasses.
The car was slowing down now. And finally, it parked. She heard the doors open, and someone said "They are all here", in a slightly mischeivous way. She was then yanked out of the car by the straps of her backpack, which they then ripped from her shoulders. After getting her legs under her, she was pulled across a cement lot. She put a hand out in front of her for fear of hitting the imaginary pole she kept seeing (Or not seeing, due to the blindfold) , or running into the ominous wall that seemed to be in front of her every step. I do wish I could at least see where they are taking me! Are they going to hurt me? What is going on? What did I do to deserve this? She heard a rusty old door creak open and many things filled her senses: obnoxiously loud voices laughing and yelling, a waft of something from a kitchen hit her nose, and reminded her how hungry she was. Before she could take the rest in, she was again pulled forward, back and forth, around and across a carpeted area. Again her unnerved senses kept telling her there were maybe stairs in front of her, or a wall in front of her masked face, and she took timid steps forward. All of a sudden, her captors let go of her hands. She took a few more timid steps, and then..... she was pushed! She could see herself falling through one of those imaginary holes! Falling, falling, falli- wait... She was still standing. She heard laughter. And then a multitude of voices:
"Take off the blindfold, Rebekah."
She cautiously reached up and untied the thing that masked her eyes, the one sense she relied most on. She was almost scared to find out what awaited her behind the cloth that so graciously saved her from seeing what could be the tools used to end her life.
She slowly pulled the fabric up over her head, and then blinked as her eyes adjusted to the dim bar lights hanging above her head.
"SURPRISE!" Everyone shouted! She quickly scanned the room and took in the scene. The TVs, the waitors, the tables stacked high with wings and cupcakes. Then her eyes landed on the source of the voices.
And she smiled. Fried goat? I think not.
This is a shout out to all my wonderful IBEX friends who threw me the best surprise birthday party EVER!!!
They surprised me with a dinner at Buffalo Widl Wings, one of my all-time favorite restaraunts! The story sort of follows how the night went! :)
Love you all, and thank you so much for the awesome surprise! You really got me!
*I hope you get the inside jokes I tried to include ;)
~RCM
A short story
She was just wrapping things up in the office. It had been a long week. After finishing all of her grueling tasks under the close watch of her nazi-boss, she finally was locking the place up. Fried goat just doesn't sound good, she thought. But it will do, I'm so hungry! It had been a hectic day, getting ready to lead an overnight trip to Monte Clair for a group of young, adventurous students. As she walked out to her car, fumbling with her keys, and checking her phone, she heard something behind her. Footsteps. She walked faster, just ten paces from her car now. More footsteps. Finally there. She dropped her keys. Unlocking and opening the door, she reached to put the keys in the ignition, but she was yanked back, and a sack was put over her head. Don't struggle, it will only make it worse, she told herself, although she could hardly believe what was happening. Stay calm. Think. Use your other senses. She tried to regain composure, as she was pushed along and forced into what she assumed was the back seat of a small car. She decided to buckle up, although it wouldn't save her from her kidnappers, it would protect her from the car chase that was bound to happen once people found out she was missing.
She heard the car start, and all of a sudden the car began to shake as the bass was blasted out of the speakers. The windows were rolled down, and the car was moving. As they picked up speed down what she assumed was a highway, she began to relax. This is my favorite song! We gonna light it up, like it's dynomi...And then she snapped out of it. She realized their tactic, and blocked the song out of her head. No way were her kidnappers going to entrance her that easily- with that song! She tried to pay attention to where they were headed, but she had lost all sense of direction- and her sunglasses. They had stolen her prized sunglasses.
The car was slowing down now. And finally, it parked. She heard the doors open, and someone said "They are all here", in a slightly mischeivous way. She was then yanked out of the car by the straps of her backpack, which they then ripped from her shoulders. After getting her legs under her, she was pulled across a cement lot. She put a hand out in front of her for fear of hitting the imaginary pole she kept seeing (Or not seeing, due to the blindfold) , or running into the ominous wall that seemed to be in front of her every step. I do wish I could at least see where they are taking me! Are they going to hurt me? What is going on? What did I do to deserve this? She heard a rusty old door creak open and many things filled her senses: obnoxiously loud voices laughing and yelling, a waft of something from a kitchen hit her nose, and reminded her how hungry she was. Before she could take the rest in, she was again pulled forward, back and forth, around and across a carpeted area. Again her unnerved senses kept telling her there were maybe stairs in front of her, or a wall in front of her masked face, and she took timid steps forward. All of a sudden, her captors let go of her hands. She took a few more timid steps, and then..... she was pushed! She could see herself falling through one of those imaginary holes! Falling, falling, falli- wait... She was still standing. She heard laughter. And then a multitude of voices:
"Take off the blindfold, Rebekah."
She cautiously reached up and untied the thing that masked her eyes, the one sense she relied most on. She was almost scared to find out what awaited her behind the cloth that so graciously saved her from seeing what could be the tools used to end her life.
She slowly pulled the fabric up over her head, and then blinked as her eyes adjusted to the dim bar lights hanging above her head.
"SURPRISE!" Everyone shouted! She quickly scanned the room and took in the scene. The TVs, the waitors, the tables stacked high with wings and cupcakes. Then her eyes landed on the source of the voices.
And she smiled. Fried goat? I think not.
This is a shout out to all my wonderful IBEX friends who threw me the best surprise birthday party EVER!!!
They surprised me with a dinner at Buffalo Widl Wings, one of my all-time favorite restaraunts! The story sort of follows how the night went! :)
Love you all, and thank you so much for the awesome surprise! You really got me!
*I hope you get the inside jokes I tried to include ;)
~RCM
Sunday, October 17, 2010
SD retreat
 |
| Chillin at the cabin in SD! (It's a little pixel-y) |
 |
| The view of the Missouri River from our cabin in SD! |
 |
| (again, a little pixel-y) We ate the BEST food- thanks to chef Kelley! |
 |
| We went on a rattlesnake hunt- yes, I was there- and we killed two! |
 |
| We then proceeded to kill and grill the rattlesnake- and yes, I did eat snake! |
 |
| Dear watching at the river! |
Trip to the ocean in Oregon
 |
| Multnomah Falls, OR- a great pit stop after a long road trip! |
 |
| Sharing watermelon with our YWAM friends! |
 |
| Enjoying some Humble Pie Pizza on the beach! |
 |
We had such a great time, despite the chilly weather! |
Mary, did you know???
Oh Mary, did you know you would be used as an example of what it means to slow down, take a deep breath, and just wait before the Lord?
Or did you know that you would be used to teach Rebekah Miller what it means to rest?
You know how when God wants to teach you something, He teaches it to you in many ways, and in the end when you finally get it, you realize he was trying to show you this "revelation" for over a month? Yeah. Thats me, here.
This past month, God has trying to teach me how to rest! Well, it may be safe to say that God has been trying to teach me this for alot of my life! It seems when I look back in my life, I am always going, never stopping, never still, whether it be work or play!
My "revelation" started when I took the Gallup Discover Your Strengths test, required for one of my IBEX classes. I came up as: Activator, Woo, Restorative, Achiever, Communication. For those of you that don't know the Gallup strengths, this basically means I am a do-er, a striver, and go-get-em personality. These can be strenghts, when they are used correctly, and in the right capacity. But in my life lately I have been letting them surface as weaknesses, by never resting. This brings me to the edge of burnout (an edge I have visited a couple times before!)
As I was pondering this, I remembered that earlier that week, in my IBEX small group (which we call "mini-herd time", because we are goats...get it? :] ) , this was one of the things that had been burdening my heart. I shared that I was always tired, anxious, and uptight. I shared how I always feel the need to go, go, go, and am not very good at sitting still for very long. I was encouraged by my mini-herd leader to take a sabbath, a day of rest. She, and my other teammates, told me that it is ok to rest before the Lord, and it's great to do things, and great to strive and reach a goal, but sometimes God is calling us to take a break, rest, wait on Him.!
Then, as if that wasn't enough confirmation of what God is teaching me, I started reading a book for one of my classes, called Boundaries, by Dr. Henry Cloud and Dr. John Townsend. The book is all about setting limits for yourself, and learning when to say yes, and how to say no to things that may be good things, but not good for you at the time. The first chapter alone was all about a person who over-commited herself, and then doesn't justify her feelings of burn-out because she is suppose to be "christian, and self-sacrificial, and giving, and hard-working, etc." The next chapter (which I haven't read yet!) is going to teach when and how to set Biblically correct boundaries for yourself.
And if that wasn't enough, today at church, IBEX recieved prayer from the church elders for injuries inflicted by our marathon training. One word given during the prayer hit me really hard. We were told that healing is a process, and we should listen to God, and let him walk us through it slowly. Walk us through it. Slow down. Take a break. They went on to say that we should walk with God in this, and let Him speak to us, because we have to realize that we can't do it all on our own, in our own strenght!
To top off my learning experience, God decided to use the pulpit. Today in church, the pastor preached on God being our friend. Alot of times, as Christians, we think its all do do do, go go go, serve serve serve, etc. And we don't look to God as a friend, but as our master, or Rabbi, (which He is, but He is also calling us to be friends of his!) The pastor compared Mary and Martha in John 15, where Martha is busy serving in the kitchen, and Mary is at Jesus' feet, soaking in His words. Jesus is calling us to sit at his feet! Jesus is calling me to sit at his feet! He has things to tell me! I just need to slow down, sit down, and listen!
After typing this all out, I was thinking: Now how does this apply to me, because I'm an IBEX student. Busy is what we do. Serving is what we do. I simply don't have alot of time to sit and rest. Plus, its not really "me" to just chillax and coast through the days. How do I apply this, Lord? But it all comes down to this- I need to take a sabbath! I should know this... it is one of the commandments! But I need to intentionally take some time out of my week to relax, to do something fun, to have alone time if I need it, to have fellowship time if I need that, to have some time to sit and rest in God's presence!
All in all, I am so glad that God revealed this to me before I reached that burn-out stage. I'm not sure how it's going to look, but I am going tobegin intentionally sit at Jesus' feet, and take a sabbath!
~Rebekah
Or did you know that you would be used to teach Rebekah Miller what it means to rest?
You know how when God wants to teach you something, He teaches it to you in many ways, and in the end when you finally get it, you realize he was trying to show you this "revelation" for over a month? Yeah. Thats me, here.
This past month, God has trying to teach me how to rest! Well, it may be safe to say that God has been trying to teach me this for alot of my life! It seems when I look back in my life, I am always going, never stopping, never still, whether it be work or play!
My "revelation" started when I took the Gallup Discover Your Strengths test, required for one of my IBEX classes. I came up as: Activator, Woo, Restorative, Achiever, Communication. For those of you that don't know the Gallup strengths, this basically means I am a do-er, a striver, and go-get-em personality. These can be strenghts, when they are used correctly, and in the right capacity. But in my life lately I have been letting them surface as weaknesses, by never resting. This brings me to the edge of burnout (an edge I have visited a couple times before!)
As I was pondering this, I remembered that earlier that week, in my IBEX small group (which we call "mini-herd time", because we are goats...get it? :] ) , this was one of the things that had been burdening my heart. I shared that I was always tired, anxious, and uptight. I shared how I always feel the need to go, go, go, and am not very good at sitting still for very long. I was encouraged by my mini-herd leader to take a sabbath, a day of rest. She, and my other teammates, told me that it is ok to rest before the Lord, and it's great to do things, and great to strive and reach a goal, but sometimes God is calling us to take a break, rest, wait on Him.!
Then, as if that wasn't enough confirmation of what God is teaching me, I started reading a book for one of my classes, called Boundaries, by Dr. Henry Cloud and Dr. John Townsend. The book is all about setting limits for yourself, and learning when to say yes, and how to say no to things that may be good things, but not good for you at the time. The first chapter alone was all about a person who over-commited herself, and then doesn't justify her feelings of burn-out because she is suppose to be "christian, and self-sacrificial, and giving, and hard-working, etc." The next chapter (which I haven't read yet!) is going to teach when and how to set Biblically correct boundaries for yourself.
And if that wasn't enough, today at church, IBEX recieved prayer from the church elders for injuries inflicted by our marathon training. One word given during the prayer hit me really hard. We were told that healing is a process, and we should listen to God, and let him walk us through it slowly. Walk us through it. Slow down. Take a break. They went on to say that we should walk with God in this, and let Him speak to us, because we have to realize that we can't do it all on our own, in our own strenght!
To top off my learning experience, God decided to use the pulpit. Today in church, the pastor preached on God being our friend. Alot of times, as Christians, we think its all do do do, go go go, serve serve serve, etc. And we don't look to God as a friend, but as our master, or Rabbi, (which He is, but He is also calling us to be friends of his!) The pastor compared Mary and Martha in John 15, where Martha is busy serving in the kitchen, and Mary is at Jesus' feet, soaking in His words. Jesus is calling us to sit at his feet! Jesus is calling me to sit at his feet! He has things to tell me! I just need to slow down, sit down, and listen!
After typing this all out, I was thinking: Now how does this apply to me, because I'm an IBEX student. Busy is what we do. Serving is what we do. I simply don't have alot of time to sit and rest. Plus, its not really "me" to just chillax and coast through the days. How do I apply this, Lord? But it all comes down to this- I need to take a sabbath! I should know this... it is one of the commandments! But I need to intentionally take some time out of my week to relax, to do something fun, to have alone time if I need it, to have fellowship time if I need that, to have some time to sit and rest in God's presence!
All in all, I am so glad that God revealed this to me before I reached that burn-out stage. I'm not sure how it's going to look, but I am going tobegin intentionally sit at Jesus' feet, and take a sabbath!
~Rebekah
Thursday, October 7, 2010
2 Months In!!!
Wow. So much has happened since my last blog post... at the rate I'm going, I'll get one post in per month! I'll have to work on that! Ok. So I left off in September 4th. Since then I have continued my routine of never stopping, always going. But staying busy keeps me out of trouble...right?!?
In the past month, I worked in the the media track on Sunday mornings, helping with sound and such. Now I switch on to a new track- Lifehouse Children's ministry! My first Sunday was great... initiation of the new leaders is always fun. Lifehouse is awesome- I am working with the K-2nd grade kiddos... I think i will really enjoy this track!
Our 1st cycle (like a school quarter) has ended, and ended with a big bang! We just got back from a retreat in South Dakota. A very kind couple from our church, and their neighbor, opened up their homes to us, so we got to stay at a beautiful cabin on the river! The view was absolutely breathtaking! The retreat was our "evaluation" week. That basically means we were able to get together as a team and see how we are doing so far in our IBEX journey. At the begin of the year, we made a "Community Rule of Life". This encompasses some of our priorities as an IBEX team, and the guidlines we want to live by. (I'll post it on this blog for y'all to see!) We were able to check ourselves and see if we were working and living by the standards that we had set for ourselves. We also had a night of seeking the Holy Spirit, and soaking in God's presence. It was a really great end to a crazy awesome 1st cycle! Not to mention all of the fun we had hunting rattle snakes and jack rabbits, riding ATVs, running down neverending gravel roads, and eating some of the best food in the world!
One really big update I have for you... I know where we are going for our 2 month global journey! Drumroll, please...
Thailand, and Kyrgyzstan!
Two places... two teams...
Yes. We are splitting up. Because we have such a large group, it isn't practical for us to all go to the same place. It was prayerfully considered, and thought out by the upper leaders.
I was pretty... not happy... when I found out we were splitting up. It hurts to think of our team splitting. But it totally makes sense. I think it is gonna be hard though, so please keep this in your prayers. I will find out for sure which team I am on by the end of November hopefully, so I will keep you updated! In the mean time, we will begin raising money for the trip! It will cost about $50,000 for all of us to go; but God will provide!
More big news!!! If you did not hear, Trinity Church (15555 West Dodge Road) has officially changed their name! We are entering a new season, and the Lord has given us a new name. Over a period of time, God has been revealing to our Pastors and Elders what he is leading us into, and it is good things!
We are now LIFEGATE Church!!! http://www.trinityomaha.com/ (This is going to be hard to get use to saying!!!) So exciting!
The Gobbler Grind (1/2 marathon) is coming up so soon! I believe it is just a little bit over 6 weeks away. Wow. I hope I am ready. People on the team are still struggling with some injuries, including myself. We are training hard... in fact, I am running 6 miles at Zorinski tomorrow! We are praying that God will give us the grace to press on towards the goal of finishing the race!
To sum everything up, this month has gone by so fast. Days sort of blend together, and I am so busy I hardly have time to process things. But God is doing some cool things in our group, and I feel that it is just going to get better!
*Prayer Requests*
~For the team
Unity
Financial Provision
Peace about splitting up for our global journey
Energy for the upcoming marathon, discipline to continue training, and healing of injuries
~For me personally
Sleep- and dreams and visions while I'm sleeping!
Peace about the global journey (I am still dealing with the emotions)
Grace to process all of the stuff I am learning and doing and experiancing
Healing for my shin splints, and strenght and discipline to continue training for the marathon
Financial provision
More of God- I want to continue pressing deeper and deeper into God, and what he has for me. Pray that the Holy Spirit would manifest himself in my life! I (and we) want to see God move!
Focus- that I would be free of distractions in IBEX
Thank you so much for reading my blog, and for partaking in this journey with me! You support means so much to me! Love you all!
~Rebekah
In the past month, I worked in the the media track on Sunday mornings, helping with sound and such. Now I switch on to a new track- Lifehouse Children's ministry! My first Sunday was great... initiation of the new leaders is always fun. Lifehouse is awesome- I am working with the K-2nd grade kiddos... I think i will really enjoy this track!
Our 1st cycle (like a school quarter) has ended, and ended with a big bang! We just got back from a retreat in South Dakota. A very kind couple from our church, and their neighbor, opened up their homes to us, so we got to stay at a beautiful cabin on the river! The view was absolutely breathtaking! The retreat was our "evaluation" week. That basically means we were able to get together as a team and see how we are doing so far in our IBEX journey. At the begin of the year, we made a "Community Rule of Life". This encompasses some of our priorities as an IBEX team, and the guidlines we want to live by. (I'll post it on this blog for y'all to see!) We were able to check ourselves and see if we were working and living by the standards that we had set for ourselves. We also had a night of seeking the Holy Spirit, and soaking in God's presence. It was a really great end to a crazy awesome 1st cycle! Not to mention all of the fun we had hunting rattle snakes and jack rabbits, riding ATVs, running down neverending gravel roads, and eating some of the best food in the world!
One really big update I have for you... I know where we are going for our 2 month global journey! Drumroll, please...
Thailand, and Kyrgyzstan!
Two places... two teams...
Yes. We are splitting up. Because we have such a large group, it isn't practical for us to all go to the same place. It was prayerfully considered, and thought out by the upper leaders.
I was pretty... not happy... when I found out we were splitting up. It hurts to think of our team splitting. But it totally makes sense. I think it is gonna be hard though, so please keep this in your prayers. I will find out for sure which team I am on by the end of November hopefully, so I will keep you updated! In the mean time, we will begin raising money for the trip! It will cost about $50,000 for all of us to go; but God will provide!
More big news!!! If you did not hear, Trinity Church (15555 West Dodge Road) has officially changed their name! We are entering a new season, and the Lord has given us a new name. Over a period of time, God has been revealing to our Pastors and Elders what he is leading us into, and it is good things!
We are now LIFEGATE Church!!! http://www.trinityomaha.com/ (This is going to be hard to get use to saying!!!) So exciting!
The Gobbler Grind (1/2 marathon) is coming up so soon! I believe it is just a little bit over 6 weeks away. Wow. I hope I am ready. People on the team are still struggling with some injuries, including myself. We are training hard... in fact, I am running 6 miles at Zorinski tomorrow! We are praying that God will give us the grace to press on towards the goal of finishing the race!
To sum everything up, this month has gone by so fast. Days sort of blend together, and I am so busy I hardly have time to process things. But God is doing some cool things in our group, and I feel that it is just going to get better!
*Prayer Requests*
~For the team
Unity
Financial Provision
Peace about splitting up for our global journey
Energy for the upcoming marathon, discipline to continue training, and healing of injuries
~For me personally
Sleep- and dreams and visions while I'm sleeping!
Peace about the global journey (I am still dealing with the emotions)
Grace to process all of the stuff I am learning and doing and experiancing
Healing for my shin splints, and strenght and discipline to continue training for the marathon
Financial provision
More of God- I want to continue pressing deeper and deeper into God, and what he has for me. Pray that the Holy Spirit would manifest himself in my life! I (and we) want to see God move!
Focus- that I would be free of distractions in IBEX
Thank you so much for reading my blog, and for partaking in this journey with me! You support means so much to me! Love you all!
~Rebekah
Thursday, September 2, 2010
My first blog post! Update on the past month
Woohooo! I am officially in the blogging world now! I decided that this would be the easiest way for me to update y'all on my IBEX journey!
So my first official day in IBEX was August 3rd... it's September 2nd... I have a lot to catch you up on!
1st week was basically orientation week! We went over the rules and how the program will be run. I learned that I will be serving in Uprising, the jr high youth group (I had been serving there previous to IBEX). I am extremely excited about working in that ministry! During that week, I was able to attend the Willow Creek Global Leadership Summit. Wow, I learned so much! I felt like an information sponge... and after the first day of the two day conference, I needed to squeeze my brain out so that I could soak up some more the next day!
The 2nd week of August we took a trip to Salem, Oregon! There is a YWAM (Youth with a mission) program called Niko (which means in greek "to overcome") that we got to participate in! It was an intense wilderness hiking trip with the goals of creating team unity and building leadership skills, as well as pushing and stretching you physically, mentally, and spiritually. I made it out alive! When people ask how Niko was, my reply has been "Hard. It wasn't all fun, but it was all good." God revealed to me many things about myself, my team, and His character! There is something about getting out in the woods that makes it so much easier to hear God's voice. Needless to say, I am so glad I did a Niko. It was hard, and it wasn't all fun, but it was all good.
Week 3 of August we started our ministry tracks. I am loving Uprising, and am finally getting into the swing of our schedule... Work out real early, get ready at the gym, and then classes and other activities in the morning, and ministry track in the afternoon. Every day is packed full, which makes for a long week. I can see our team is progressing in unity, and I really enjoy all of the people in IBEX!
This past week was crazy. Jam packed with evening activities at church, as well as our daily morning workouts at the gym, and full afternoons, the schedule didn't leave much time for sleep! I LOVE the classes though, and as much as I hate to admit it, I actually do like having to get up early and work out. It's good for me, right?
In closing thoughts for tonight, IBEX is definately a journey. Yeah, it is a program, a school, a way to serve; but it is a journey. Consecrating 10 months of my life to seeking God, and His heart for my life, is not a one time thing. So step by step I will climb the mountains before me, and I am excited that you are part of this adventure with me!
So my first official day in IBEX was August 3rd... it's September 2nd... I have a lot to catch you up on!
1st week was basically orientation week! We went over the rules and how the program will be run. I learned that I will be serving in Uprising, the jr high youth group (I had been serving there previous to IBEX). I am extremely excited about working in that ministry! During that week, I was able to attend the Willow Creek Global Leadership Summit. Wow, I learned so much! I felt like an information sponge... and after the first day of the two day conference, I needed to squeeze my brain out so that I could soak up some more the next day!
The 2nd week of August we took a trip to Salem, Oregon! There is a YWAM (Youth with a mission) program called Niko (which means in greek "to overcome") that we got to participate in! It was an intense wilderness hiking trip with the goals of creating team unity and building leadership skills, as well as pushing and stretching you physically, mentally, and spiritually. I made it out alive! When people ask how Niko was, my reply has been "Hard. It wasn't all fun, but it was all good." God revealed to me many things about myself, my team, and His character! There is something about getting out in the woods that makes it so much easier to hear God's voice. Needless to say, I am so glad I did a Niko. It was hard, and it wasn't all fun, but it was all good.
Week 3 of August we started our ministry tracks. I am loving Uprising, and am finally getting into the swing of our schedule... Work out real early, get ready at the gym, and then classes and other activities in the morning, and ministry track in the afternoon. Every day is packed full, which makes for a long week. I can see our team is progressing in unity, and I really enjoy all of the people in IBEX!
This past week was crazy. Jam packed with evening activities at church, as well as our daily morning workouts at the gym, and full afternoons, the schedule didn't leave much time for sleep! I LOVE the classes though, and as much as I hate to admit it, I actually do like having to get up early and work out. It's good for me, right?
In closing thoughts for tonight, IBEX is definately a journey. Yeah, it is a program, a school, a way to serve; but it is a journey. Consecrating 10 months of my life to seeking God, and His heart for my life, is not a one time thing. So step by step I will climb the mountains before me, and I am excited that you are part of this adventure with me!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)