Monday 15 December 2008

Polar Express celebrating Kylie's 4th bday!

Click to play Happy Birthday Kylie!
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Saturday 25 October 2008

Real Love Conference




By 9th grade 1/3 of hs students have engaged in sexual activity and by 12th 2/3.
60% overall and 67% among younger adolescent, regret their 1st EXPERIENCE & wish they had waited longer.

Hard hitting facts yet TRUTH. And TRUTH it was that was heard and spoken today at the Parents Only breakout.

I encouraged and exhorted Parents today at Christ Lutheran Church "Real Love" Conference. They heard the WHY & HOW for sexual purity especially in this day and age when 'everywhere' we are bombarded with sexual explicit material. Everyday bombarded also with 'peer pressure' and 'conforming to a standard' that is not God's.

FACT: Parents are the ones who have the most influence on their children's decisions about sex.

Several parents shared how this has influenced them in how to communicate 'straight forward' and 'real'.

I love it when I prayed at the end a parent stood up and started praying for me!
Ah, that was awesome!

I'm telling ya... we connected. It was sweet! Brandon & I are booked for next year!

How to talk. Answers to tough questions. Skills your son or daughter needs. Healthy relationships. Pregnancy. Choices. Risky behaviors. God's best.




DO CHECK OUT


www.desiringgod.com


Sexual Purity & Anthem under search!!

Friday 19 September 2008

Choose Life


The LORD was truly glorified!!!

He made it come ALIVE like never before while I trained 12 lovely ladies on how to talk to the negative test client about abstinence until marriage! What was so cool was making it relevant to them to pass on to this generation. This is key in reaching the hearts and minds of the Millennial. Many of the ladies shared their story of ‘going too far’ and needing Christ’s forgiveness. One said at age 17, even a believer, she felt ‘marked’ and even 4 years later would never be able to marry a believer again. Satan’s bondage is strong. He tries to keep us there but I truly believe God has something greater in store for His very own. You see once we grasp onto what Christ did on the cross and His total forgiveness; freedom will reign. Ah, to uncover what we so easily hide.

“If we confess our sins He is faithful & just to forgive us & to cleanse us from all unrighteousness’ I John 1:9


One of the best illustrations taught was the idea that SEX IS A GIFT by holding up a beautifully wrapped gift explaining it represents their purity. You! This, then, evolved in the idea of the client actually knowing ‘who she is in Christ’. His promises. Hope. Restoration to the brokenhearted.

“He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners” Isaiah 61:1b

I pointed out how beautiful the gift is and what a wonderful wedding present it would be for their future husband. The emphasis was on re-wrapping the gift and holding hard to the reality of ‘it’s never too late to do what’s right’!

I ended the last 5 minutes with ‘My world got rocked 4 years ago’ by vividly portraying my daughters story, “Mom, I’m pregnant”. From prayer to humility and then the amazing fetal models which are real like even to touch revealing the truth of a baby in the womb at 7, 8 and even 9 weeks old. I walked the ladies through this troubled time in our lives from the announcement of a pregnancy to the appointment made at Planned Parenthood to end this life through abortion. It became so clear, God’s hand on each of us as He captured Kimmi and Kyle’s heart to choose life. I then held up an 11x14 black and white framed photo of Kylie Shea sitting in a rocking chair. Then with a big smile on my face declared, “Here’s their decision”. You could see the smiles of each lady and even hear a few gasps as they, too, gave God all the glory! The decision to abort was forever forgotten.

I call heaven and earth as witnesses today against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing; therefore choose life, that both you and your descendants may live;
"that you may love the LORD your God, that you may obey His voice, and that you may cling to Him, for He is your life and the length of your days; and that you may dwell in the land which the LORD swore to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, to give them." Deuteronomy 30:19-20

Thursday 22 May 2008

life struggles from a college student...

I don't' really know Him, I just know about Him.
Ok this is only because you haven’t spent time with Him to know Him. There is definitely an easy solution to this. Spend time with Him. That means you will make conscious decisions to do just that. By making it a PRIORITY in your life, to be consumed early in the moring, so it doesn’t get done at all is SO important. Like a best friend, you want to spend time. This I will be praying for you!


my quiet times are nonexistent. I 've let everything else get in the way and haven't made the time...really lame, I know.


Make a decision that you will put aside time early each morning to read His Word. Check out the following….
TOP 10 MUST read books of the bible…
• James (5 chapters)
• 1 John (5 chapters)
• Colossians (4 chapters)
• Galatians (6 chapters)
• Ephesians (6 chapters)
• Philippians (4 chapters)
• I Thessalonians (5 chapters)
• 2 Thessalonians (3 chapters)
• Jonah (4 chapters)
• Titus (3 chapters)

Read the book each day for 1 week. Just read it. It’s so awesome cuz somedays you’ll notice a verse that’ll stand out and ‘become real’ for you like you had never read it before even though you were. If you have a study bible some days read 1 or 2 chapters then read the study notes. Super cool insight!


How do I forgive me? Because I really feel like I'm this awful person and can't really seem to forgive me

You need to learn to KNOW & TRUST Christ more, to understand and appropriate God’s grace and resources you have in Christ…who you are and what you have IN CHRIST. To lose self for Christ’s sake and the Gospel. To DISCOVER, DEVELOP & DEPLOY your spiritual gifts, the mind of Christ, and spiritual growth.

Forgiving yourself is sometimes a process but know that when you ask for forgiveness…I John 1:9 then believe it whole heartedly. There’s only 2 ways to go…God’s way. “what does God want?” or satan’s way “What do I want?”. God’s way may require present suffering (probably the scares me to death you mentioned below) BUT He promises to never leave you or forsake you.

http://www.blueletterbible.org/study/misc/putoffon.html

print and highlight verses as you come across your PUT OFF feelings and replace them with PUT ON truths.

I hope you’re feeling loved, which you are!

Wednesday 23 April 2008

i represent God to the fullest....

Click and enjoy! Here's Brandon at Slobado High School

the stage was set for God to be glorified



I'm still in awe. Awe and wonder at what Jesus did. Only He could
have done what took place. You know we were set up to follow an
awards ceremony. The House of Culture is a very old building from the
Soviet Union and Communism era. Old wooden floors, no heater because
they turn off all heat in government buildings when winter is over,
very old seating and the stage curtains must have been hundreds of
years old.

But the message of Jesus Christ from Brandon's rap illuminated not only
the House of Culture but the hearts of every single student,
teacher, official, Assistant Mayor, principal and all who attended!

For the 1st time ever in this community the stage, literally, was set
for God to be glorified as He used Brandon's talent in rap to portray
a message of Hope.

"could you walk in His shoes?
could you drink from His cup?
He opened up His arms like He loved you this much
could you do what He did and die so we can live?
if you could then your name is JESUS"

The Gospel message was translated word by word at the end of his
concert and everyone; everyone listened.

Micah said he had NEVER seen this many students gather together in
Kaharlyk. He had the students repeat a prayer. So amazing to hear
this translated. We plugged in Ultimate Freedom which is Micah's youth
group on Saturday night.

Can you believe it!!

One more thing....After the concert a beautiful young girl about 8
years old with braided pigtails wearing blue knit stockings and a long
coat stood out because of her smile. She ended up being Alonya's
daughter. Alonya is the lady who is the Regional Counselor for schools and had
a strategic part in putting the visit in November and this visit
together.(especially Brandon's rap concert) She is not a believer but it's all
about relationship and building trust.

I asked her, "Are you a single mom" because I heard from Olya, the pastors wife, to pray for her. Well it turns out she has been a single mom for 4 years. I was
able to share with her how I was a single mom for 10 years and only by
making Jesus real in my life and allowing Him full control did I ever
make it raising two beautiful children. She said she would talk with
me tomorrow, Sunday, so I hope this will take place.

UKRAINE TIDBIT: Only 10% of homes in Kaharlyk have bathrooms.
Everyone else uses an outhouse.

Friday 18 April 2008

"the rep"

Brandon, also known as 'the rep' which stands for Representative of Christ had his first appearance in the Culture Center following an awards ceremony. We walked into the building tonight not knowing what to expect.

God knew. He knew all along and planned this from the beginning. The house was full of over 200 students and from even 20 minutes away students somehow came from the village we just shared at in Slobada. These students were standing in the entryway! The screen came down. I've never seen a screen this BIG....and Brandon's video was the kick off. My Life, My Struggle.

He got the students involved by his next rap when he would point to the crowd and they would say, "the rep"! His lyrics preach the gospel and that's what happened this afternoon. The Gospel was preached to every student, teacher, representative...

I was in awe of what God did in this little town of Karahlyk. The vision Micah has had and Wayne the Pastor of Calvary Chapel is community transformation. And that it was!

Thursday 17 April 2008

Talking to the Parents...




Brandon & I spoke to parents about the sanctity of life to break the bondage that "it's just a blob of cells" and bring truth it's a miracle of life in the womb. We were able to pass around amazing fetal models in a black velvet box with 4 models representing 7weeks, 8weeks, 9weeks, and 10weeks. IT"S A BABY! A real life...by 10 weeks there is a heart beat, brain waves and finger prints. I love sharing this truth and setting captives free.

By sharing personal testimonies, skits, stories, statistics both in America and Ukraine their eyes become open and hearts tender to receive truth. Olya, Pastors Wife, said out of everything we're doing here in Kaharlyk 'this' is the most important. This will have the biggest impact for the church. We were able to plug the parents, teachers, and officails into Calvary Chapel Kaharlyk and bridge the judgement gap.

Wednesday 16 April 2008

Teaching in Slobada...

We wrapped up today after 3 days of teaching to 8th to 11th grade students at Slobada, a little village about 20 min. away from Kaharlyk. We opened with question and answer time in the beginning then went straight into hard truth teaching about pornagraphy (which is as easy to get here like buying bread...a staple every family has). The issue on abortion is so real and rampant here. Families are brought up believing that if you're pregnant you just go to the local hopsital and abort. The Dr.s here also tell the young girls to 'have' sex to increase their testostrone. The Pastor's wife said there's a general belief that the body NEEDS sex so no matter what the they engage. Absurd lies!

Ukraine is 6th in the world for abortions and the leading European country. Never, ever, have parents, students or teachers heard a pro-life message. This country has been over 70 years atheist. Our Parent Teaching, which is tomorrow at 12-2 will be a challenge & it'll be only God who can lift the veil over the eyes to hear and know the truth of the miracle of life in the womb.

When I was last here I met with the Mayor's Assistant and he has organized this Parent Teaching at the Culture Center. Check out how! This is a mandatory meeting for the White House! Funny name they call their white building which is the Regional Building where teachers, counselors, and educational staff work.

Brandon and I will teach most of what we taught students...abstienece until marriage, sanctity of life and the knowledge of how and why to wait. Oh, please pray for the parents to be able to come alongside their son or daughter IF they ever become pregnant vs. the easy way of driving them to the local hospital and having their grandchild become a statistic.

At the end we passed out flyers to the students about Brandon's concert which will be in Kaharlyk on Friday in the Culture Center. This concert is following the Awards Ceremony at the local high schools. Brandon had the students repeat a part of the chorus "The Rep" which is his name (meaning a REPresentative of Christ). We owe this whole trip to the Lord and how He worked through His Word and prayer moving on the heart of Micah & Christy Claycamp, missionaries in Ukraine.


Monday 14 April 2008

Back in Ukraine...

Our adventures so far...

here we are getting ready to leave for Ukraine...

times square


welcome to Ukraine...


Josie, Jaden and Jeremy greet Karie in the van...


is this sour cream???


kids in school listening to abstinence message...

our team...

Thursday 6 March 2008

Talk to Me Please...for parents!

I just came back from speaking at McClintock HS for the NPLB grant that Kay Cosner puts on. The parent attendance, once again, very low. There were a total of 9. That’s 6 students, 4 students all girls brought by their ‘nana’ (isn’t that amazing), a counselor from Tempe HS and an actual parent who came because the parents from the last event raved about the message and said, “you gotta go!”. Now, that’s cool.

It rocked. It truly did. I absolutely love speaking like nothing else too! I drove out of the school lot reminiscing about the ‘days’ when I spoke at that campus after Planned Parenthood showed the students the banana condom trick. Wow 18 years later. Now I hear things tonight like, “7 minutes in heaven” game done by jr high students along with “sex in the jr high girls bathroom” recently at Gililland Jr High. These kids are experiencing so much and really too much. One of the older girls, 17, came up to me and said, “I’m so glad you mentioned secondary virginity tonight. That stuck right here” ( pounding her chest with her fist and a big smile on her face) and then whispered “cuz I was raped a few years ago so I’m taking that to heart”. I took a picture of the girls with their Nana.

When I talked about ‘risk takers’ the 6th grade girl rolled a 6 on her die, which stands for relationships are affected. I talked about how the relationships closest to her would be affected if they found out you ‘went too far’ with a guy. She almost started crying cuz her Nana was there and she loves her sooo much. You see, earlier, we talked about gifts and just how much we love getting gifts! I asked everyone to share some of their favorite gifts they remember…the 6th grade girl shot her arm up so fast and shouted, “My nana is MY gift” and pointed to her. Wow. I could just end the evening after that one.

Tuesday 1 January 2008

Happy New Year

Well, we rang in the new year at our house, sort of. We watched the ball drop in New York at 10pm. That gave everyone a chance to get home early or still go to another party somewhere.


Not only was it new years eve, but it was my good friend Eryn Watson's birthday! Her Golden Birthday, 31 on the 31st.











We grilled brats & burgers and had Guitar Hero competitions. Everyone said they had a good time. I hope so, because I sure did!