World's Worst Blogger

That's me. And yet, it's something that I love, enjoy, and find therapeutic when I dedicate the time to do so. I am constantly encouraged as I read past posts that reveal the work of God in my life. I think my problem is that I often feel a blog post needs to be profound, life-changing, and extraordinary. But I'm realizing more and more that the blogs I enjoy reading are those of friends and real people who simply talk about their everyday life. I've also come to the realization that I don't really blog for anyone else...this is just a way for me to express my thoughts and a way that enables me to better see the path that I am journeying along. And a way to reflect on all that life has been up to this point.

This morning on my way to work, God brought to mind many friends and acquaintances that I had the opportunity to meet through missions trips that I took in high school. While I have not seen most of these people in 7+ years, there is something about spending a month with someone in the context of a missions trip that builds and solidifies relationship like nothing else. Perhaps it's the experience of adapting to culture shock together. Or the depth of the prayers prayed in unity. Maybe it's the crazy experiences that you share in common as a result of such trips. Things like smelling absolutely terrible after not being able to shower for days at a time. Like cramming 18+ people in the bed of a pick-up truck climbing a mountain on a wet, mucky red clay road. And getting stuck. And walking the rest of the way barefoot.  There's just something about seeking God together and endeavoring to serve His people that brings unity. And I love it.

There's one friend in particular that I was thinking of this morning. It's been 7+ years since we went to Thailand together. We're Facebook friends and she's one of the two followers on this mostly-dormant blog. We occasionally talk via text or Facebook chat. And yet after all these years of not seeing each other and not even really communicating that often, I still consider her a friend.

I would absolutely, without a doubt get together with her for bi-weekly weekly  breakfast or coffee dates if we were ever even close to being in the same geographic region. And I often wish we were. 

She's passionate about life. Her passion is infectious. I like to think that we have quite a bit in common, but maybe that's just wishful thinking because she's one of the best people I know. 

Stephanie is an encourager. She's a world-changer. An adventurer. A Christ-follower. A soon-to-be nutritionist. An inspiration. A blessing. She is all about using her gifts, talents, and passions to bring the love of God to those around her. Sensitive to His calling on her life, she's not content to simply live an "ordinary" life. This post shows exactly what I mean. And it's posts like this that make me think that we might, in fact, be what Anne Shirley would call "kindred spirits."

Today I am thankful for this wonderful friend who I don't get to see nearly often enough. We've got some wonderful memories of our trip to Thailand but it's about time that we make some that are a bit more recent. Good luck with the rest of your finals, Steph. I am praying for strength and endurance over the next few week. Know that you are a blessing even now, 7+ years since the last time we've seen each other. How thankful I am for you!

Lent Fail...

So...I had high expectations as Lent began that I would write a letter of encouragement each and every day of this season. Unfortunately as school, work, and life got busier, I failed to make the time and effort to ensure that I completed the challenge that I set for myself. And while I'm disappointed, I am also encouraged. A few days after sending one letter, I received a text message that said, "Just got home from a very long day. GOT A WONDERFUL CARD. so wonderful, I cried. I love you. Thank you so much for thinking of me." The realization that it takes 10 simple minutes to write a letter that can have this impact is amazing. And I think I must be crazy to not write letters like this more often. While I failed in this endeavor, I'm not going to give up. While I may not have written the 40 letters that I intended to during this season, I did get a start. And I'm certainly not finished.

This post is inspired, in part, by a blog post of a friend of mine from today. In it, she mentioned a friend who made a list of 183 people that had played an important role in her life in the past year. She wrote each of the 183 names down and put them into a bowl. Every other morning she pulls out a name, spends two days praying for that individual, and writes a letter of encouragement. If that's not inspiring, I'm not sure what is. I want to be a person like that. So here goes...I'm going to try this again. But this time, I'm hoping to make it a lifestyle change. How cool would it be to write a letter of encouragement every other day to someone who has been influential in my life. It's simple, really. Take 10 of the 4 million minutes I spend wasting my life away on my computer and spend them writing an inspirational note of encouragement. I know for certain that I can't do this on my own strength, but I'm praying that God might enable me.

I'm going to get started on my list...check back in the future for more updates (if anyone is actually interested). I didn't read that blog post today on accident...and I'm sure that God has great plans to use the words that He gives me to be an inspiration and encouragement to the people that have been a blessing in my life.

And They're Off...

Today is day 4...and four letters have been written. The most recent letters are headed to Houghton, NY where I spent 4 wonderful years. Though I'm not going to take the time at this moment to provide details on who these letters are heading to, perhaps I will give more info at a later date. In the meantime, I'll continue my attempts to write letters full of beautiful, up-lifting words.

What a Blessing!

As I wrote my first two notes of encouragement, I simply couldn't help but be blessed as I thought of the wonderful memories of precious time spent with these two amazing women. In realizing that one letter is headed south to North Carolina and the other will be shipped across the Atlantic to Tanzania, I've realized how truly amazing it is that God has encouraged and built me up through the lives of two very special women who live far from me. In time spent with each of these godly friends, I have grown. In conversations with them, I have been blessed.

The letter heading south to North Carolina is on its way to my sweet sister-in-law, Erin. She recently returned home from Afghanistan after spending most of the fall and winter serving at Bagram Air Force Base. Though I don't have the opportunity to see her nearly as much as I would like, I have been blessed in knowing her. I love the way that she so obviously makes my brother happy like I've never seen him before. I appreciate the selflessness that she shows in serving our country despite the fact that it takes a toll on her life and separates her from her husband. I am thankful for her creativity, her thoughtfulness, and her passion for life. I am hopeful that in the future I'll be able to spend a lot more time with Erin and learn more about her dreams and passions for life. I am so thankful to finally have a sister after all these years...and what a sweet one I have. :)

Letter number two will be on its way to Tanzania in the very near future. Its final destination is the hands of my wonderful friend, Linda. Three years ago at this very moment, I was in Tanzania for a semester loving every single moment. Linda and her husband, Eli were there with me as part of Houghton's staff. While Eli taught classes about ornithology and biology, Linda taught lessons about life as she lived hers. Although she didn't stand up in front of the classroom and teach in a formal setting, she taught by example. She demonstrated the love and grace of Christ through her words and actions as she sought to be a friend and mentor to the students, a encouraging, wonderful wife to Eli, and a nurturing mother to one-year-old Ezra. During my time in Tanzania, I often spent evenings with Linda as she fed Ezra dinner and prepared him for bed. When I returned to Houghton the following fall, I was blessed once again to spend time with the family as I babysat for Ezra on a regular basis. The more time I spent with Linda, the more she blessed me. Memories of afternoons and evenings spent at the house on the hill are a continual encouragement to me even now. I was blessed to be able to stay up at the house with Linda and Ezra for a time while Eli was away in West Africa and I had the distinct privilege of reading bedtime stories and spending time with Ez on some of the more difficult nights when Eli was in Tanzania last semester while Linda stayed home with Ezra and their newborn daughter. My time spent with Linda has encouraged me and uplifted me in so many ways. I am beyond thankful for her authenticity, encouragement, and devotion to God and her family.

While I began this post not intending to give descriptions of the wonderful women who will be receiving letters, I'm glad that I have. It has allowed me to reflect more fully on the difference that they have made in my life and the encouragement that they have been to me and so many others. I will continue to pray for Erin and Linda in the next several weeks and beyond.

God, I thank you for the way that you have used Erin and Linda as an encouragement in my life. I am so thankful for the godly influence that they have had on me. I pray that you would bless them in amazing ways today and always. I pray that you would guide and protect them. Please place your hand on Erin and provide healing for the vertigo that she has been facing over the last several months. Give her peace and allow her to rest in you. I pray that you would bless Linda, Eli, Ezra, and Indi as they spend this semester serving you and the students in Tanzania. I pray that you would continue to bless others through their testimony. May they be encouraged. Please provide Linda with the support that she needs as she acts once again as a wife, mother, and friend in Tanzania. I know that it is not always an easy road, but I pray that you would keep them healthy and encouraged as they bless those that they interact with on a daily basis. Thank you once again for the tremendous blessing that both Erin and Linda have been to me.

Letter-Writing

Today is day 2 of my attempt to hand-write letters of encouragement to those I love and to those who have made a difference in my life. I began yesterday as planned, but after re-reading the letter that I wrote, I've decided to start again. I still wrote a letter yesterday...and will write another letter to a different person today, but I'm going to change up the first one and then send it. :) I'm still excited to see where this adventure of letter writing will take me and I'm certain that God is planning to teach me quite a lot! Happy Thursday!!

Relentless ACTS: Letters of Encouragement

Prior to my time at Houghton, I knew little of lent and had not spent much time thinking about it. During my freshman year, I spent a week in Buffalo working with refugee students in an after school program. While I was there, I stayed with a Houghton grad who had chosen to give up her mornings for lent. I was a bit confused at first, but quickly realized that she intended to rise early each morning to devote her time to prayer. In order to make this sacrifice, she chose to go to bed early on nights when we were having fun. She chose to acknowledge her alarm the first time it went off and dedicated her quiet mornings to the Lord.

In the past few years I have given up things like Facebook and dessert for lent. But as I was thinking and praying about this season this year, I stumbled upon the World Vision ACTS website as they were promoting the idea of sacrifice this season. As I continued to think and pray it became clear to me what I should do this year for lent. Rather than give up something like Facebook or dessert, I have decided to commit each day to write (and mail) a handwritten letter of encouragement to a different person. Over the next 6 weeks, I will write 40 letters of encouragement. As I write each letter, I will pray for God's blessing and strength over each recipient. I am also hoping to create a collage of photos of each recipient to serve as an additional reminder for continued prayer. My hope is that God would renew my heart and allow this experience to be an encouragement to others.

I'm looking forward to all that I will learn over the next six weeks. I am confident that God will use this experience in ways that I cannot predict. Now my job is simply to step out in faith trusting that He will accomplish His purposes through me as I walk in obedience.

Not the life I dreamed of

In the past two (almost three) months that I have spent time at the Children's School of Rochester, it has truly become a place that I love more and more each day. As I continue to interact with students from all across the globe, I am reminded of the amazing ways that God orchestrates our lives. Who knew that my experiences in Thailand nearly 8 years ago would prepare me for the students that I interact with on an almost daily basis? Or that my time studying the history and culture of the Balkans during EMW would enable me to understand the background of my students from Bosnia? And that my time spent in Tanzania would equip me to build relationships with students who were born into refugee camps in the same country? Eight years ago, I would have told you that I was going to spend the rest of my life as a missionary in Thailand. Six years ago, I probably would have said the same thing. And yet, here I am today, in Rochester, New York. I'm not on the other side of the world serving. I haven't even left the continent since I studied in Tanzania in 2009. But I feel fully alive in the same way that I do when I'm serving overseas. I feel enthusiastic, joyful, and passionate about the work that I am doing. Although I'm still piecing jobs together, it seems that every single day, God provides more and more opportunities for me to fully utilize the gifts, interests, experiences, and passions that he has given me.

So maybe I don't live in Chiang Mai as my seventeen-year-old self insisted that I would. Maybe I'm not a physician's assistant working in medical missions as I once thought I would be. Maybe I am the teacher that I never thought I would be. And maybe, just maybe, I wouldn't trade it for anything in this world. I'm living the life that I never could have dreamed because of an amazing God who truly knows the desires and dreams of my heart more than I ever could.

Each Step of the Journey...

Driving home from running some errands today, I couldn't help but think back on how life has played out over the last several months. To be honest, if I were in control, I think I may have done things differently. But now, being in the place that I'm in, I'm quite certain that God's plan really and truly is best despite the curves and detours along that way that I don't always understand.

I graduated from college back in May and eagerly anticipated searching for a job teaching. I knew that job openings were few and far-between, but I was ambitious. However, I realized that I would need some other work in the summer prior to beginning the perfect teaching job in the fall. I had it all lined-up to work at a business here in town...or so I thought. I called two weeks prior to the day that I planned on starting as I had been asked to do. I was told that they had recently hired two new employees and that they no longer had a position for me. My first reaction was to be frustrated...I hadn't looked for other work because I was told that I had a job that would begin as soon as we returned from our honeymoon. Through a series of events, instead of working for this local business, I wound up nannying for my wonderful neighbors.

I've had the blessing to watch these two little cuties for the last 7 and a half months and I couldn't possibly be more thankful! They brightened my days all throughout the summer and they continue to make my Friday's absolutely wonderful. It's also a ton of fun when their three older siblings are home!

During the summer, I interviewed for a few different teaching jobs. Unfortunately, none of them worked out. While I was a bit discouraged, God continued to give me a peace in the midst of the uncertainty. I began working at a dentist's office in town...simply doing whatever tasks needed to be done. I was easily discouraged because I felt that my work didn't have a very large impact. I wanted to do so much more.

For several months, I watched Luke and CJ and worked at the dentist's office. I was thankful for work, but desperately wanted to do something meaningful. As I waited patiently, God directed me in incredible ways. At the beginning of December, I took a position teaching ESL to 5 international students at Rochester Christian School. I work 3 mornings a week with these awesome students who are living here in America to study and learn. I began pursuing the idea of working on my master's degree this spring, and everything fell into place. And then...after I had followed God's leading in so many previous steps, I was offered the position in the afterschool program at the Children's School.

I am so incredibly thankful for the way that God guides and leads during each step of the journey. He knew the plan before I had even a hint. And while I may have done things differently, I am so glad that I'm not the one in control. Because He knows me better than I know myself...and He's placed me exactly where He wants me. And so this week, I continue teaching ESL at Rochester Christian. I'm starting my second week at the Children's School. Wednesday marks the beginning of grad school. And Fridays are still my wonderful end to the week spent with none other than two of my very most favorite one-year olds. God is faithful and I am blessed!

The World in a School

2012 has already been an exciting and wonderful year...and I am so thankful. Since sometime in December, I have been volunteering at the Children's School of Rochester (also known as school 15). I spend all day on Tuesdays in a 2nd grade classroom helping out wherever possible. It has been such a blessing to build relationships with each of the students in my classroom. They are precious children from a variety of different backgrounds. You see, the Children's School isn't your typical school. 50% of the students at the school are from countries all across the world. There are students from Burma, Nepal, Thailand, Laos, Sudan, Burundi, Tanzania, Somalia, Yemen, and several other countries. They each have unique stories that define who they are and I cannot wait to learn more about those stories.

On my 3rd or 4th day at the Children's School, I was sitting with the second grade teachers as they discussed an after school program that is run on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays at CSR. They were short on staff members and suggested that I apply. I was immediately excited about the opportunity and pleasantly surprised that if fit into my schedule that consisted of 2 other jobs and grad school classes as well. God truly amazes me with the way He orchestrates the details of our lives.

Last Tuesday, I applied for the job. I interviewed on Wednesday, completed training on Thursday, and began working with the students on Monday. I finished my first week of EnCompass this afternoon. I can honestly say that there is no other job that I would rather have right now. I leave CSR every afternoon with a giant smile on my face. Those children touch my life in such amazing ways. The other day I had a conversation with a student who was born in a refugee camp in Tanzania. I shared with him that I had lived there for a few months in college and that I knew a small amount of Swahili. The following day as I was walking down the hall, I felt a tap on my shoulder and turned to be greeted with a warm, "Jambo!" It's crazy to realize that my experiences in Thailand, Tanzania, and Eastern Europe have all prepared me to work with students from all over the place!

I couldn't possibly be more content at any other school. As I drove home from work today, I contemplated how blessed I really am. I truly believe that I could travel throughout the entire world and not find a school that I love as much as CSR. The principal, teachers, staff, and students are amazing. The school set-up is ideal. And I've never felt more at home.

Read an awesome story about CSR here: http://www.democratandchronicle.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2011112200341

Memories of 2011

The year of 2011 has brought more change to my life than any other. It has been a wonderful year full of wonderful changes and many meaningful memories with family and friends. I am blessed beyond belief and have so much to be thankful for.

I am so thankful for a sisterhood of beautiful friends that I shared 4 years with at Houghton. Though we are spread around the world (literally), I will forever cherish our friendships.

What a blessing Anna and Steph have been in my life. During my last year at Houghton, I lived with these wonderful women as we shared the journey of student teaching, wedding planning, and job searching. A blonde, a brunette, and a redhead journeying through life together.

Mom and Dad, thank you so much for your support. I am so very thankful for everything that you have done for me. I love you both!

So thankful for these all of these wonderful ladies. I'm blessed with such beautiful friends and family!! Especially thankful for my sweet sister-in-law, Erin, as she spent this Christmas season in Afghanistan serving our country. Can't wait to see you again!

May 28th simply wouldn't have been the same without you there, Chris. Given the chance to do it over again, I would start our wedding over an hour late every single time if it meant that you were able to be there to share in the celebration!

An adorable little nephew who gets bigger, smarter, and crazier every time we see him!

A goofy, fun-loving husband who is better to me than I could have ever imagined.

May 28th was the most beautiful day ever. I was so excited to begin our life together as a married couple and we were blessed beyond belief with the presence of so many of our close friends and family members.

My beautiful and always-supportive cousin...we even learned to cook our own turkeys together this year and I'll say that it turned out pretty darn delicious!

Wonderfully supportive parents...two sets now!

A new family! :) I'm loving being a Brown!

We love getting together for dinners with Steph and Chris. Your house is next!

What a blessing it was to share in the celebration of Chris and Erin's wedding!

Our first Christmas!! :)

A reunion with two of the best friends I could ever ask for! Anna and Jon were visiting from B.C. and we were so glad that they could come for dinner last week!

All in all, 2011 was an amazingly wonderful year full of all of God's greatest blessings. I cannot wait to see all that He has in store for 2012.