Lessons From My Friends: Hiding God's Word

These pics are from when she visited us in Uganda.

 So it's been over a month since I've added a new lesson. This one is perfect timing, as I was thinking about her, I went to her blog and noticed scripture all over it. That's is her life, breathing in God's Word. The friend is Kristy Mikel. The lesson is hiding God's Word in your heart.

It often amazes me, and it really shouldn't, but every time I need encouragement, Kristy is there. Her words speak compassion and encouragement. But what seems to speak to me more is the scripture she pulls out to help apply to my life. Often times I have never heard of the scripture and ALL of the time, it is very fitting to whatever I am going through. It's unbelievable really.

The past 3 to 5 years God has challenged me through Kristy to devour His word and let it soak into my soul, my heart, my life. This past year, I've really taken up the challenge and It has again changed my life. Not to read it, but to truly let it penetrate your soul. This is what Kristy does, she let's it penetrate her soul. So, when she is on a crazy journey across the globe what does she lean on most? Her Father's Word. Pretty amazing.

Thanks Kristy for encouraging me through God's word, but also challenging me to devour it. (by the way, she never verbally challenged me to read more, it was her life that challenged me. That's pretty amazing if you ask me.)

Love you Twist!

Lessons From My Friends: Ministry & Adoption

This friend is truly a joy to my heart.  I think what makes her so special is our hearts seem to beat in rhythm. This friend is Carrie Badertscher.

I just love her so much.  Every time we get together I walk away more encouraged.  I love her heart.  She loves Jesus without reservations and loves his children with that same passion.

Very soon after we adopted Katylynn, Carrie and her husband Dave began fostering children.  Their first child was Stella (pictured at left).  They fought a VERY long battle with the courts to adopt her.  But the courts showed favor on them and Stella is forever their child!  But lets face it, we all know God's ultimate plan was to place Stella with Dave and Carrie!

Carrie loves her little gal so much.  It was countless times spent with Carrie observing her interact with Stella that I knew I could handle God's calling on my life to adopt from Uganda.  Our hearts beat the same when it comes to James 1:27 (Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.)  We take very seriously the call to look after orphans.  But the thing is Stella, Katylynn & Moses are no longer "orphans". They are our families and no longer defined by that term.

The other area where our hearts beat in rhythm is in ministry.  Carrie has been the Prairie Camp director for many years now.  But her role goes way beyond that!  Her heart is to see the next generation rise up and claim Jesus as their own and then go out and tell the world.  She serves on multiple teams to help see that happen.  I just love spending time with her and talking about ministry and watching her heart flesh out!

Carrie and Dave are about to step out on a new adventure that almost ties their two world together.  I am very excited about the role they will play in the Keller Park neighborhood.  You can read all about their adventure here.

Thanks Carrie for the joy I find in you.  The joy of ministry and the joy of adoption and so much more!

oh and one more thing...I think she is one of the most beautiful women I know!

Lessons From My Friends: Laughter

This one is extra special for me because she first was my mentee. Kelsey Bullock cracks me up. It all started on a mission trip to Ecuador when we were "roomies". She was like 16 or17 and I was not much older than that (about 22 or 23). There were many times when we were so tired that we just laughed and laughed.  And to you Kels I say "Dios le Bendiga Butthole!"

Kelsey is on the far left crossing her arms.

 Kelsey has this way at laughing at life.  When something is difficult, she laughs through it.  When things are embarrassing, she laughs at the moment.  When something is funny, she laughs extra hard.

Kelsey is a joy to be around and if you have been with her for 5 minutes, you are loved and probably laughing.

She is now doing ministry alongside her husband Brad in Fort Wayne and doing a kick butt job!  I'm so proud of her!

Kels is about to have her 3rd child.  She is a great mom and I'm sure keeps her family laughing at the chaos 3 kids under 4 can bring.

Thanks Kelsey for keeping me laughing and teaching me to laugh through life.  It's a whole lot more fun!

Lessons From My Friends: Work Hard

I love this pic of Kalyn & Cindi.  Describes them well.

Yes, the last name is the same, this is Cindi's daughter Kalyn Lantz.  The whole family is pretty remarkable!  But today it's about Kalyn.  My relationship with Kalyn began about 6 to 8 years ago.  She was in 8th grade and I remember looking at her and saying, "She's going to do great things!"  It was from that moment on our relationship began.

Kalyn was one of those students you dream you get to work with.  They are few and far between. You know the student...They see all of their GOD potential and realize there is so much more to life than themselves.  They use their platforms to invest in others.  I remember countless conversations with her about how she can reach out to her friends/teammates.  It's unbelievable really.  What teen does that?  Not many.  But when they do, it's a lot of fun!!  If you read my previous post about her mother Cindi you can see that Kalyn is a product of both of her parents teaching the important of investing in others.

But that is not what this post is about.  This one is Kalyn's ability to work amazingly hard.  Whether it is relationships, school, sports, or her relationship with God Kalyn gives it her all.  She understands what it means to live out Colossians 3:23-24 (Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving).  I remember early on seeing that verse embedded in her life.  It was in her signature, on her notebooks, and lived out in her life.  When the world around her gave only half of there efforts and told her to do likewise, she leaned on this verse and triumphed above it!

As a result, God blessed her....
In high school...

• God was able to give her this incredible opportunity to share the love of Christ not only to her teammates, coaches and opponents, but also to the public.  She had countless interviews on tv where she boldly talked about God.
• I honestly believe that if you were to ask any of her classmates now, they would say Kalyn spoke love, kindness and truth into their lives.  I bet they'd say their life was changed by her.
• At church, she invested in the girls younger than her in small group, in Upward basketball, on various mission trips, countless conversations with people and tons more.  She reached out to her classmates and brought them to church.  Because of her hard work, her investment...their lives were changed

Now, entering into her senior year of college...

• She has had the opportunity to travel around the world investing in and helping to rescue those who were saved from human trafficking.  She is still doing work stateside with this organization.
• She spent a semester in Uganda studying and learning from/investing in the people.
• She has done countless things at Taylor University.

The thing about Kalyn is she doesn't overload her schedule.  She chooses what is the most important and throws herself into it.  Because she works for God and not man she knows that what she is doing is making a difference.  That is where she finds her reward.

Honestly when I think about putting my all into something, I think of this verse and I think of Kalyn.  What a great example of a Truth lived out!

I'm a bit rusty with design work, but it was fun!

Lessons From My Friends: Investing in Others

This friend is a friend to many.  Why? Because she is a person who believes in people.  Whether it is a student viewed as the "underdog",  the star athlete, the woman she has never met being trafficked thousands of miles away, the mother of 3 toddlers or 2 teenagers, the woman going through the empty nest, or the 3 year old daughter of a youth pastor and his wife, Cindi Lantz speaks/shows love without boundaries.

It doesn't matter what age you are, what nationality or your gender.  Cindi believes in all people and comes alongside God to help show them their full potential.

Cindi is a multiplier.  She takes the gifts God has given her and uses them to the best of her ability to help advance His kingdom.

Cindi is an ordinary woman with an extraordinary God.  What makes Cindi stand out is she surrenders herself and her abilities to her Savior and He uses her to help change the lives of people.

Cindi has changed many lives.  She has changed my life and I see her doing it in my 3 yr old daughter.  She inspires me to continue investing, even when I am exhausted, because it is worth it!  In the end it's all about getting people to Jesus and helping them see their "FULL" (John 10:10) life that God intends for them.  With the hope they will do the same for others.

Cindi, I applaud you.  Thank you for investing in me, my daughter and the many of other women, children, teens, family members, friends of your children, children around the world, children in the intercity....and so on. 

May God richly bless you as you have richly blessed so many.

Lessons From My Friends: Keep Smiling

Kathy and her daughter Alyssa. I stole it from facebook. oops.

If you know this woman on the right, you understand why I chose her. Kathy Brown is her name and is probably one of the happiest women I know.

Knowing Kathy, she is reading this now and is laughing saying, "oh no I'm not."  And that is what I mean.  She takes life smiling and laughing.

Kathy is probably one of the most influential people in my life when it comes to joy.  Not happiness, but inner contentment that only comes from knowing Jesus as her savior and relying on His strength.

Many times I have come to Kathy, crying about life and not understanding why things go they way they do.  With tears of compassion in her eyes, she smiles.  And in that smile I know everything will be ok.  Why? because Kathy has lived hardship.  Kathy has had many of life's obstacles she has needed to hurdle.  Some of these difficult times would be faith stoppers or even joy killers.  But not for Kathy.  She has chosen to laugh.  To smile.  To fight with Joy that only her God can give her.  Yes life is hard at times, but Kathy chooses the High road.  For that, I have learned in the midst of extreme pain and confusion to laugh and smile.

As I know Kathy would agree, it is much easier to face life laughing/smiling than being mad.  Thank you Kathy for your example and constant reminder to keep smiling.  May I continue to smile at life as you have.

Ps 13:5-6: But I trust in your unfailing love; my heart rejoices in your salvation. I will sing to the LORD, for he has been good to me.

Lessons From My Friends: A Gentle Quiet Spirit

1 Peter 3:3-5 "Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as elaborate hairstyles and the wearing of gold jewelry or fine clothes. Rather, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God’s sight. For this is the way the holy women of the past who put their hope in God used to adorn themselves."

Early in college this verse challenged me greatly.  I deeply desired to live a life full of character.  I remember reading this verse and saying, outward beauty will fade, but what is a gentle and quiet spirit?  And then I met her.  Probably the sweetest and most caring girl I will ever meet. She later became my roommate, Jen Bontrager. 

Jen is so beautiful.  Yes outwardly, but more importantly inwardly. What I learned from Jen was her ability to wait to speak.  When everyone fought for "air time", she waited.  Her words were well thought out and very meaningful.  

She was gentle not only in word, but in deed.  She would often observe someone in action and then respond with the greatest of care, meeting a need that was only noticed when one took time to find it.  I learned to see beyond the "outward adornment" and to see what was really on the inside.  It's amazing what you can learn if you stop, listen and look.

I learned a great deal from Jen and still draw off of those lessons.  In a world so focused on beauty and less on character, my desire is to be one with a gentle and quiet spirit.  I still have a lot to learn, but so thankful God gives me living examples of His truth.

 Thanks Jen for teaching me one of the greatest life lessons.  You have changed my life, thank you.

(I wish I had a picture to post of her. Unfortunately, all of our pictures are not digital and I don't have scanner.)

Lessons From My Friends: Giving

I can't think of a better person to start this series than the one and only Katie Weiss. Let me give you a little background on our relationship. We were roommates for 2 years in college, so we've been friends for like 13+ years. We have seen each other at our best and worst.

It is fun being friends with a friend so long because you can see so much of their life. Katie has deep character and a joyful fun spirit. I always feel encouraged after spending even 5 minutes with her.

The lesson I have learned from her is on giving. Katie is an amazing giver. Whether it is of her time, her possessions or her money, she gives without hesitation. She shares well.

Katie isn't the richest person, however she does believe what she has is a gift from God. It's God's really. So if He challenges her to give, of course she will give. If someone she loves needs something, she gives freely.

I have learned a lot from her. Early in my adult life, I held on tightly to my possessions and money as if they were mine. But after watching her give so generously, how can I not follow suit.

She is passing this trait to her 2 kiddos. I see the same giving spirit in them as I see in her.

She has inspired me. She has changed my life. I am forever grateful to her.

Katie really lives like the early church, pretty cool I think!


The following happened just after the early church received the Holy Spirit.

Acts 4:32-35 "All the believers were one in heart and mind. No one claimed that any of their possessions was their own, but they shared everything they had. With great power the apostles continued to testify to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus. And God’s grace was so powerfully at work in them all that there were no needy persons among them. For from time to time those who owned land or houses sold them, brought the money from the sales and put it at the apostles’ feet, and it was distributed to anyone who had need."

WAY TO GO KATE!

I'M SO PROUD TO CALL YOU MY FRIEND!



(the pic above: one of the many weird things we do together. Kristy Mikel is sandwiched between us)

Lessons from My Friends

I have GREAT friends. I have learned a ton from many of them. I'm toying around with a new series, "Lessons from My Friends".

Understand I cannot write on every friend. If your names doesn't appear, know that I have learned from you, I value you, I just can't write on everyone.

Tune in....