Thanks for tuning in for another exciting update. I finally got some apartment stuff squared away this week and will be moivng down to Gainesville, GA on Tuesday August 3rd. I'm definitely excited to be starting the next chapter.
Things are going pretty well overall. I'm close to securing some health insurance and will then get all the surgery needed done. It sure will be nice not to have the constant pain; woohooo!!!!
My grandma seems to be doing pretty dang well, too. So, that's a huge miracle in itself. It's so humbling to see God continually intervene in my life over and over again. How often do we really just STOP and look at everything and say, "Seriously - You amaze me." Yes, we experience highs and lowww lows....but God is faithful. It's all about balance sometimes and keeping your attitude in check. Complaining gets us no where...why the heck do we do it all the time?
A huge thank you to everyone who's been in my corner with financial and prayer support - THANK YOU!
Because of your desire to get involved - I'm over 60% funded on my monthly support goal! Awesome!
I still have a little ways to go though. I'm currently $500 short of the monthly support needed to sustain the work I'll be doing. If you haven't already, will you pray about getting involved in an investment that has such a tremendous impact on the Kingdom of God?
It's safe to say that life has been quite the "full plate" of happenings lately. On Friday (July 1st), my Grandma Alice had a massive stroke and was rushed to the hospital. She was in a coma (completely unresponsive) and declared brain dead. The doctors moved her to the critical care unit and placed her on life support. The prognosis was obvious - we needed to start planning her funeral because she would not survive the weekend. We hoped, we prayed - but we planned nonetheless. This has been quite an emotional roller coaster. My family went through the typical feelings of wishing we had more time and for some of us, regret. It's amazing how all of life's "important" things get put completely on the back burner when tragedy strikes. We reevaluate, reexamine, rethink...reap.
My family talked to my grandma and hoped that, despite her coma, she could hear us lifting her up in prayer and wrapping her up in love. My mom and I left the hospital late Saturday. My dad stayed with her through the night hoping and praying for a miracle, for more time, for some physical response from her indicating that she could hear him - he left disappointed. After getting a few hours of sleep - he went back to the hospital around 7:00am on Sunday. The nurse practically ran toward him as he got off the elevator. He said that she looked like she'd just won a million dollars. She grabbed his arm and enthusiastically said, "Pastor King - you are not going to believe this: your mom is sitting up and talking...she's asking for you...she keeps trying to get out of bed."
A miracle had come.
The doctors have made it clear to my family that there is no medical reason whatsoever that my grandma is alive and communicating as well as she is. She's still disoriented and frail...but able to talk...able to listen. They've also made it clear that they have no idea what's going on with her health or how to medically treat it. This is a very frustrating situation for us, obviously. The hospital has grown quite indifferent to the situation and is moving toward sending my grandma home (she lives with my parents) in a few days. The problem with this is that the hospital, while indifferent, has stressed over and over again that my grandma's swift "recovery" is more than likely temporary. They anticipate this lucidness to be a "window". They've told my dad numerous times to continue to expect another stroke or other fatal response but have offered no proactive solutions to monitor or prolong this from happening. We're taking everything literally hour by hour right now. Please pray for my family in all of this...the mental and emotional exhaustion are taking their toll.
As I was lying in bed last night thinking, I continued processing all of the past few day's events. It completely felt like all of this had been going on for weeks when, in reality, it had only been four days. I've seen God answer so many prayers throughout my life...so I won't tell you that this has been a wake up call for me. It certainly doesn't go unnoticed either. I am literally in an almost continual state of awe when it comes to God. He has always been in the miracle business. I don't deserve His love...but that never stops Him from pouring it all over my life.
The fourth of July was different this year. As the nation united in celebration over its independence...another notion consumed my mind and heart. I'm tired of being independent. I'm tired of hearing, seeing and being told that we deserve to be independent. Songs proclaim it; movies demonstrate it and our society swiftly consume our youth to believe that we should answer to no one. I'm certainly not anti-patriotic. I am grateful to live in America. But...the past few days have reminded me that I am proud to be dependent on God. I'm committed to keep leaning and learning...I'm too prone to wander when I'm independent.
As the days continue to pass I'm unsure of what will come. I'm still worried about my grandma and my parents. I don't know where I'm going to be living in 3 weeks (no apartment or anything lined up) in Gainesville, GA. I don't know when I'm going to be able to have surgery on my knee and ankle so that I'm not in pain. I am still $500 short of my monthly support goal.
And I'm totally okay with that because God is still in the miracle business.
The other day I was talking to a friend on the phone and she noted that I said something with a fairly strong southern accent. We laughed, I defended my Yankee accent…and then eventually admitted that I do occasionally sound a tad bit southern. How can I not?! I’m surrounded by people with an accent different than mine all day long, every day.
It doesn’t stop there; people in the south just plain old behave differently. The pace of living is m u c h m o r e s l o w. Once people see a yellow light, they simply stop. Is I-75 at stand still traffic? Concerned there’s a massive pile up? Rest assured, 87% of the time it’s just the fact that EVERYONE wants to see who got pulled over by the police. Iced tea doesn’t exist in the south. Before my southern friends protest this, let me just tell you that what YOU call iced tea...I call maple syrup!
My newly acquired southern roots are definitely starting to grow on me though. I enjoy a little Bojangles once in a while and whole heartedly believe that you should be able to just randomly tell someone you’re praying for them (if you mean it). I can certainly appreciate being able to make eye contact and smile at people while browsing around Wal-Mart. And while I don't see the entertainment in watching Nascar on tv...I definitely enjoy driving like I'm part of Nascar. These are all southern norms.
The more I ponder on my continually developing southern accent, I more solidly believe that it’s next to impossible not to be impacted by who we’re around, what we're hearing and what we're seeing.
I’m conflicted as I turn this to spiritual implications. While the grace driven part of me declares that I have to spend time with non-Christians in order to make a difference, the straight and narrow part of me reminds my heart that I am too often prone to wander. I believe there’s a movement plowing its way into this new generation of Christians. We live boldly in scandalous grace and defiantly tell the hymn huggers that God is love. And while God is indeed love…doesn’t love set boundaries?
If true love is patient, kind, doesn’t boast, isn’t jealous/proud/rude, doesn’t demand its own way, isn’t irritable, doesn’t keep a list of being wronged, doesn’t rejoice over injustice but instead rejoices when the truth prevails…if it truly never gives up, keeps the faith, is always filled with hope and can endure every circumstance then maybe we’re not embracing the world with love. Maybe, just maybe we’re embracing the world with indifference.
If love propels us to act and complacency compels us to stay…are we loving those around us or growing complacent with their behavior. I don’t suggest half drowning people in holy water, causing concussions from Bible beatings nor do I advocate rug burns from dragging people into church. I don't believe that we should expel these people from our lives. I do, however, believe that if you lived your love for Christ a little more loudly, a little more actively - maybe people around you would start picking up on your accent. Maybe, they’d see that it wasn’t just in the way you talked, but the way you lived. And maybe, just maybe they’d want to live that way, too…
Philippians 4:6 Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. 7 Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.
8 And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise
I was on a road trip the other day to AIM in Gainesville, GA and randomly I thought about a book that I had read in high school. In Nathaniel Hawthorne's Scarlet Letter, we are introduced to a character who's set apart from society. She has a red letter on her at all times. The purpose of this is to notify those around her that she's not accepted, radical and not what the church approves of.
I pondered on the implications for a moment and it struck me that when Jesus speaks in the Bible, editors were clever to put His words in red. Obviously this is a editorial decision and Jesus didn't walk around with a red letter on His chest. Or did He? I mean, think about it. The moment Jesus walks into a crowd, things start to happen. In essence, Jesus was marked with a red letter the moment He started His ministry. He wasn't accepted or embraced by the church. He was absolutely a radical.
See, Jesus was just as concerned about His actions as He was His words. He lived out His purpose. Hot dang, that IS a radical concept even in our current times. He was born to be the world's savior and was rejected as a heretic. The church believed that a mighty king would appear in the clouds with all wealth and power - THAT would be their Messiah. They were so blinded by the appearance of Jesus, that they dismissed the reality that He had all the power of heaven and earth. The riches of the world are nothing when you're coming from a place with streets of gold. They weren't listening though.
When's the last time you were considered a radical for Jesus? Do you file into church every Sunday and clutch the hymnal while you numbly sing songs about the old rugged cross? Do you hear about a need and assume that someone else will feel more convicted than you to act? Do you dance around the issues of society because you'd rather be politically correct than dismissed with your own red letter of radicalism?
Are you who you WANT to be instead of who you're CALLED to be?
It's so easy to be driven by our feelings, isn't it? We make and cancel plans based on how we feel? We invest money in businesses based on a good feeling. We choose our outfits for the day almost solely on how we feel. I know I'm being extreme here...these things aren't BAD when you compare them to the rest of what the world's up to.
But maybe, just maybe sin starts with complacency.
I'll leave you with this final thought: having a scarlet letter of radicalism isn't always something we're going to feel like doing. It's not about just being "abnormal" from society. It's about being rooted in and committed to Christ, regardless of the cost. It's going to put us in a position where we HAVE to trust and have faith. It will make us uncomfortable and out of place. But, until you start following through on the things you don't FEEL like doing: your feelings will be your undoing!
So, I was having a great conversation today with a couple great friends and the following illustration got downloaded into my brain (thanks, God).
What if we were trees? Okay, stay with me. We won't get too symbolic on this one (even though we could!). Let's just say we were trees. The purpose of a tree is to GROW. Simple enough. Through the growth process it PRODUCES. The process is possible because of how it's FED. In order for any of this to happen a seed has to be planted in some soil...
Let's fast-forward. What would it be like if we planted that tree in a box. Harvested the perfect little seed. Threw it in a nice little box. Cedar lined. Top of the line in fact. We water it. That seed starts to grow into a tree. Woohoo! Let's say that the box we planted it in was so strong that it held that tree in place. Eventually, the tree would die. The roots wouldn't be able to gather the nutrients they need to fully expand to their potential. It would start to be malnourished. It would stop growing. Stop producing. Stop being fed. It would die.
Why would we do that?!
It's something we do frequently when we put our dreams and purpose inside that neat little box. We lose site of the very reason we're here...to grow and produce the character traits that show the world Christ (love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control). We're taught early on to identify ourselves with a career, an income bracket, an all-American family and a sweet little SUV to shuttle us around. If the world were a suitor, it really is quite the proposal, isn't it?
Maybe you're facing discontentment with life because your roots are getting a little pinched in the box you've placed them in. When we stop listening to God, we stop hearing from God. What if He's trying to tell you something? Would you recognize His voice? Would you convince yourself it's not Him? It's easy to get comfy in that box and convince ourselves that we're already seeing the big picture.
What if our identity was rooted in our PURPOSE instead of the great PROPOSAL of the world. It can be luring, can't it?
What's captivating your heart lately?
Take this nifty test and remind yourself of the talents that God placed in you. You're here for a reason...make your mark. Get involved.
I just wanted to send you a note and fill you in on some things that God has been doing in my life lately. A few weeks ago I was playing tennis with a friend on my day off. It started in great fun and ended with an ankle that's fractured in two spots, a torn ACL and a torn meniscus. OUCH! Because of insurance issues, I cannot receive any type of treatment or surgery until August. I will be having reconstructive surgery on both the ACL and the meniscus. This is both extremely painful and cumbersome. Please pray for me on this issue!
God used this knee injury to give me time off with the job I was holding, which allowed me the opportunity to interview with a Christian missionary organization located in Gainesville, Ga. This month, I accepted the position of Marketing Manager with Adventures in Missions (AIM). It is a Christian ministry that raises awareness to injustice (sex trafficking, human slavery, famine, natural disasters, abuse, ETC.). They actually do something about it by continually training and sending thousands of missionaries all across the world. They are literally saving lives in both the US and all across the continent all the while actively spreading the Gospel and discipling believers!
Through this role, I will be part of a team of people that actively recruits people to be part of the trips that AIM offers. AIM uses both short term and long term mission trips to staff mission posts around the world. Without recruiting people to go on these adventures, these various mission projects would literally not be possible.
In essence, my job is to plant a seed and create a desire to get involved. It also gives me the opportunity to travel and experience how God is using AIM to touch the world.
Often times, those who go on short-term mission trips feel a calling to get further involved in reaching the lost for Christ. AIM's mission statement is focused on creating a generation of disciples that are radically committed to Christ. What an awesome way to be used by God to further His kingdom!
God has absolutely given me the desires of my heart by allowing me to partner with AIM. What an opportunity to stand in the gap for those that cannot stand on their own.
I can't do this alone though; I need your help!
The position I accepted is funded primarily through support.
My monthly target is $1,300. I cannot do this unless I raise that monthly.
26 people that are willing to give $50 a month, will help me achieve my goal.
52 people that are willing to give $25 a month, will help me achieve that goal as well.
130 people that are willing to give $10 a month will....you get the picture!
I have been raising support for the past few weeks and have a long way to reach that goal. As of today, I have $200/month in pledges. That leaves me $1,100 short. I would like to reach that goal by July 5th. I also need to have raised $2,600 to turn in. Will you please, please pray about partnering with me TODAY so that, together, WE can make a difference?
Will you stand in the gap for me by either filling out the enclosed form or going to www.adventures.org/give ?
Here, you can click on AIM Staff and type "Stacie King" in the empty box and fill in the support information.
Please pray about how God would use YOU to partner with ME. I know that often times we grow discouraged or complacent with all of the horrific things going on in our world today. It can be overwhelming and leave us feeling helpless or even indifferent. Please know that I CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE.
Once you sign up to be a monthly supporter, (or a one time donator) you'll receive updates from me and a report from the AIM office that shows you directly how your financial gift is being put to use.
hs and lowww lows....but God is faithful. It's all about balance sometimes and keeping your attitude in check. Complaining gets us no where...why the heck do we do it all the time? 
in a coma (completely unresponsive) and declared brain dead. The doctors moved her to the critical care unit and placed her on life support. The prognosis was obvious - we needed to start planning her funeral because she would not survive the weekend. We hoped, we prayed - but we planned nonetheless. This has been quite an emotional roller coaster. My family went through the typical feelings of wishing we had more time and for some of us, regret. It's amazing how all of life's "important" things get put completely on the back burner when tragedy strikes. We reevaluate, reexamine, rethink...reap. 
wants to see who got pulled over by the police. Iced tea doesn’t exist in the south. Before my southern friends protest this, let me just tell you that what YOU call iced tea...I call maple syrup!
Cedar lined. Top of the line in fact. We water it. That seed starts to grow into a tree. Woohoo! Let's say that the box we planted it in was so strong that it held that tree in place. Eventually, the tree would die. The roots wouldn't be able to gather the nutrients they need to fully expand to their potential. It would start to be malnourished. It would stop growing. Stop producing. Stop being fed. It would die.