Wednesday, December 29, 2010

His Little Feet

Wow.  It has been a very long time since I have written - sorry about that.  I used to get disappointed when I would look at other people's blog and they hadn't updated in a month or so......now I know what they go through. :P  Needless to say, I have been very busy in the last two weeks with Graduation, Christmas shopping, packing, moving, Christmas, skiing.......you get the point.  There hasn't really been time for blogging.  But, finally I have a day with nothing planned in it, so I decided to blog. (YAY!)
I am going to be writing about something that was a big part of my time at Ellerslie -
the His Little Feet choir. From the time the orphans arrived on campus, lives were changed.  These little people had such a huge impact on all of us and being there when they arrived was priceless.  And then, going to two of their concerts, were some of the biggest highlights of our time in Colorado.  God has something huge in store for these precious, little, Haitian kiddos.



Mikey and Christa Hahn



 











Watching these little Haitian kids sing was incredible, plus so much fun! 
God moved in each of my family member's hearts.  It was Anna who suggested we give up Christmas to use that money to sponsor a child - WOW!  So at the second concert we picked out a little four-year-old boy from Haiti - Hedess. :) 



(sorry that it's sideways it does turn in after awhile.)

God is good.

Sunday, December 12, 2010

::Quote::


 
"If a commission by an earthly king is considered a honor, how can a commission by a Heavenly King be considered a sacrifice?"                                                         
I thought this quote by David 
Livingstone was really challenging, and a big eye-opener for me!  Oh, that we all might consider the call from our King an honor and our highest privilege!

*bailey* 

Wednesday, December 8, 2010

An Amazing Week at Ellerslie! (Part 2)

Hello!
Well, I'm here to tell you about another amazing week at Ellerslie.  Another warning: there is no way that I can fully capture the grandeur of it all on words.  So, you'll have to use your imaginations. :) (I don't have very many pics right now, but hopefully I'll add some to this post later.)

It all started the morning after the first amazing day, during my quiet time.  God had laid it on my heart the day before to get baptized again.  The reason for getting baptized a second time was this: it would be a sign for me and God that I was crucified with Christ, risen with Him, and that the Holy Spirit now dwelt in me.  I looked up the word "baptized" in my concordance, to see what the Word of God had to say about it, and I found Acts 22:16
"And he said, 'The God of our fathers appointed you to know His will, to see the Righteous One, and to hear a voice from His mouth; for you will be a witness to everyone of what you have seen and heard.  Now why do you wait? Rise and be baptized and wash away your sins, calling on His name.' "
Cool right? (you have to say yes.) :P  thought it was cool so I shared it with my parents, and my idea of getting baptized.  I asked my dad if he would baptize me, along with Eric Ludy, since he (my dad) had been so instrumental in the last few days.  He said yes. :)  Then we went over to Ellerslie for the day.  We started the schedule a little bit early because Mr. Ludy wanted to get started right away.   Eric had everyone who had raised their hand the previous day, go into the back to see where everyone was at.   A few minutes later they came back and Eric said that this time three girls were going to go into the back room together, because they all were dealing with similar issues.  We began to pray.  This time it was hard because Satan was attacking me with lies and doubts about the previous day, even to the point where I had no desire to be baptized.  But, our God is faithful and He does not leave us all on our own! This is the verse He gave me:  Romans 4:20-21
"No distrust made him (Abraham) waver concerning the promise of God, but he grew strong as he gave glory to God, fully convinced that God was able to do what He had promised." 
Three hours later we heard that awesome sound - the sound of victory! The three girls came out and shared their testimony, and gave glory to God.  At this point it was lunch time, and everyone was leaving the chapel, so I told my dad that I needed him to help me.  I told him that I knew that God had worked in my life, but I wasn't convinced that the Holy Spirit had come into me, because I hadn't felt anything.  (oh how I love my papa!)  (this all might not make sense, but, it did to me) He explained that I was a woman of faith and there was some reason that I did not "feel" the Holy Spirit come into me.  He told me the story of Gideon.  About the 300 men who had broken jars and put candles inside and then their "war-cry" made all the enemy flee.   My papa said that I was like the broken jar, and Christ was the candle, and that my stand of faith - to trust in Christ - was the war-cry that made all the enemy flee.  God told Gideon before the war that He had already won the victory.  The victory is always God's! 
My dad said that another evidence that the Holy Spirit was in me, was that they noticed that I had been depressed lately,  but the night I shared with my family, I had been full of joy.  God has given my dad great wisdom, because everything he said was exactly what I needed to hear! Then he prayed for me and what he said brought amazing clarity and peace, and a stronger belief in my Savior!
We had another prayer time for two girls, and again our God was victorious! Then it was time for the baptisms!  There were six of us that wanted to get baptized, so we all ran home and quick changed, (and we grabbed my family).  Ten minutes later, the whole student body/staff was gathered on the shore of the Ellerslie Lake.  Eric talked about the reason for baptism - that it's not the water that saves you, but we get baptized as a symbol of our death/resurrection with Christ. 
Johnny Wesche was the first one to be baptized! It was funny, Eric and Ben were getting ready to dunk him and Eric asked, "What is your declaration?"  And Johnny shouted "Hypothermia!"  But then he declared his death in Christ, and the new work that God had done in him.  And in the name of the Father, Son and the Holy Spirit, he was baptized.  I went next and it was FREEZING!! (remember this is the end of October)  Eric looked at me and asked me what my deceleration was. 
My response?  "This is a sign to me and to God that yesterday I died, and now Christ lives in me!"  Then I went under and came out shivering, yet really happy! This sign

L to R: Rhea, Melinda, me, Kaitlin, Liv, Ben, Eric and Johnny. =)

Even after all this amazing stuff took place, the day was not over, there were still more victories to be won!  Everyone gathered in the Chapel, and we got right back into business.  The next girl to go back was struggling with doctrinal issues, so this was going to be slightly different. 
The cool thing about each prayer time was that we always knew that God was going to have the victory.  We just knew.  We didn't know how long it would take, but we were confident that our God was going to win!  And from this specific prayer time came a great victory for me!
I had looked up "truth" in my concordance, and was praying truth verses over this girl.  

I happened to be reading in John 12 and read verse 24: 
"Truly, Truly I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls to the ground and dies it remains alone, but if it dies it bears much fruit." 

I did a double-take, because for the first time in my life I understood what that verse meant.  I had read it many times, and my mom had tried to explain it to me, but I could never grasp what it meant.  But this time I read it, and without even thinking about it, I knew what if meant because it had happened in my own life just the day before.  It means that unless one truly dies to self, and Christ lives in them, it is only then that they can bear fruit for the Kingdom!  I was so excited!  It was just another confirmation that Christ is in me! 
A few minutes later, we heard the sound of victory!  I was going to share what God had showed me , but I missed my chance!  There was one last person to be prayed through.  Ben came up and said that he felt that this battle was going to need a lot of fervency.   So, we prayed.  I prayed aloud and read Scripture, then for the rest of the time I waited and listened to others read scripture and pray.  After another hour of waiting for the expected, never-tiring sound, we heard it!! And shouts and claps went up from our side of the room! The final victory had been won!  This woman came out a totally different person!  God is so amazing! I then jumped at the chance to share what God had revealed to me, and sharing that made it all the more exciting for me. =)   A couple more people gave testimonies of what God had done in their life during that "battle," and then Eric closed the day with prayer. 
It was an incredible day filled with new challenges, expected victories, and growth in the Lord, plus a deeper love for my Savior! 

In Him,
Bailey
God is good.


Sunday, November 28, 2010

Steps 3 and 4

Hello!! :)
I am still trying to catch up on my blog....needless to say, I am way behind!  But, since I only had a few more minutes on the computer I decided to do a quick post.   So, I am going to answer some more questions from the 30 Day Challenge. 

Step 3) My favorite TV program
Well, you see, I don't have TV, which means I don't watch TV, so therefore, I don't really have a favorite show.  But, I can share some of the movies I like the best.  :) 
(not in any specific order.)
  • How to Train Your Dragon
  • Cars
  • Pride and Prejudice
I actually like a lot of movies, but I don't really have a favorite....I just have a lot of favorites. :)

Step 4) My Favorite Book
Again, I do not have a favorite book.  I LOVE to read, (it's actually a weakness of mine :P )  so therefore I have read many books, and most of the books I read I really like.  So, I have a hard time deciding which is my absolute favorite.  But, I'll give you some of my top choices.

  • Not My Will
    (my mom went to the library and bought this book cause she thought it looked good, and I started to read it and could hardly put it down!  A MUST read!!) 
  •  The Viking Quest Series
    (notice how I put "series" and not a specific book.) ;)
  • This Present Darkness and Piercing the Darkness
    (LOVED!!)

Well, I hope you got an even clearer picture of me, not that movies really describe me anyways...but, you get the point. 
I hope you have an absolutely-fantabulous rest of November!! 
*Bailey* 
God is good.

Friday, November 26, 2010

An Amazing Week at Ellerslie! (Part 1)

I am here to tell you about an amazing week at Ellerslie, that occurred almost a month ago, but I am finally getting it done now. :P  (hopefully I'll add pics to this post later.) 
But just to let you know, there is no way that I can grasp the fullness of what all happened. 
God was present and lives were transformed.

It started two weeks ago, Wednesday morning.  I went over to the school with my dad, kind of expecting a normal day, where Eric would preach four messages, and then we would go home.  Well, that did not happen.  We had our normal time of corporate stillness, devotions and worship, and then Mr. Ludy walked up to the front.  Just to give you some background, on Monday and Tuesday students had been having really-real experiences with the Lord, where they were being set free from sin, and God had been giving them the Holy Spirit and some even got baptized, including my dad! Even though some had been baptized before, they wanted to do it again, as a declaration to God and themselves that they had died with Christ, and now Christ lives in them! It was so cool!
All this to say, that there were those who hadn't been able to "break through," as Eric would say. They hadn't seen the victory in their own lives. They couldn't find freedom, or the peace of the Lord; or were still lost in "self."  So, Eric walks up to the front and begins to talk about as the body of Christ, how we needed to encourage and be there for  those who were still weak and who hadn't seen the victory.  He asked for people to raise their hands if they were still struggling and wanted prayer.  Sixteen people raised their hand. Then he said, "We are going to wrestle in prayer for our brothers and sisters, until they see the victory! We will skip meals and sleep if need be to help them along!"   Then he went into the back room to pray about who would be the first one to be prayed for, and he was only gone for five minutes, and then he came back and said, "Johnny Wesche!"  He asked for three girls and three guys, plus any other staff to go back with him and Johnny, then he exhorted us to wrestle in prayer for Johnny, but also to know that Christ had already won the victory.  Then he left us. 
I sat in my chair overwhelmed and literally sacred at the task ahead. I've never prayed for hours in my life before!  I can hardly pray for twenty minutes!  Oh why, oh why did I have to come today?  I could leave now, and just go back and do school.  OH GOD, HELP ME!!! 
Now, this may sound funny to you, but I was literally crying and scared about praying all day.  Before Eric had gotten up to speak, one student has shared a passage in Isaiah, and then Mr. Ludy deemed it "The verse of the day."  So, while I was panicking I prayed, "God, I'm really scared about all this. And I know I cannot do this on my own. But I know You can! So, I beg that you would help me get through this prayer time!!"  (it was something to that effect.)  I opened my Bible, having heard before that you can pray Scripture, (since it is, in fact, God's own words).  So, being weak in prayer, I opened my Bible to Isaiah 35, the passage that Amanda had read, and this is what God spoke to me:

"They shall see the glory of the LORD and them majesty of our God.
Strengthen the weak hands and make firm the feeble knees.  Say to those who have an anxious heart, 'Be strong; fear not! Behold your God will come with vengeance, with the recompense of God He will come and save you." 

Oh! God is SO faithful! He gives us just what we need, just when we need it; and I needed this word from Him! So, in full confidence in my God, and His promise to me, I began to pray for Johnny. I used my own words, but I also used the inspired Word of God. And as I read passages over Johnny, I realized that most of them also applied to me, with what I needed as well! It was so cool! It was such a different atmosphere: people are praying, reading, pacing back forth...etc. Sometime when I couldn't pray, I would just listen to those walking past me, and agree with their prayers. And Ben went up to the mic a couple times, and we corporately prayed.  Forty-five minutes passed, and all of a sudden we heard shouts coming from the back room and a chorus of clapping! We knew that the victory had been won!! We all turned in our chairs and waited for them to come out.  A beaming Eric came strolling out, followed by a sobbing/ beaming Annie (Johnny's sister) and the rest of the prayer warriors.  They made a pathway for Johnny, and we sat and waited for him to come out.  The anticipation was like waiting for the bride to come down the aisle! (And in actuality, it was just that, Johnny, the Bride of Christ came walking out of that room spotless, and joyful in his Bridegroom!)  Finally he popped his head out, and then when he realized that everyone was looking at him, he went back in the room. Eric brought him back out, and then they walked up to the front and a very broken, very different, and a very new Johnny began to weep. Slowly he began to share his story: how he hadn't wanted to come to Ellerslie, he wasn't trying to have a relationship with God, and he had come to the end of his ropes, and actually when Eric was in the back room praying, Johnny was leaving the chapel...leaving Ellerslie.  But, God grabbed a hold of his heart, freed him from all his addictions, and filled him with the Holy Spirit!! It was truly incredible!  A soul won for Christ in a matter of minutes!  Annie went up front to share her testimony of how she has prayed for Johnny for years that he would come to know the Lord.  Oh, it was very encouraging!! Praise the Lord! (To hear Annie's story of what happened, you can click this link.)  Oh! and then, other people who had been in the chapel wrestling in prayer for Johnny's soul, got up and shared how already God was using Johnny's testimony to draw them closer to Christ! It was truly amazing! 

After that we had a thirty minute lunch break.  My dad and I had been sitting in different places all morning, so he came over and we talked about our personal experiences.  I told him about the verse that God shared with me, and how He carried me through the time of prayer.  Then he asked how I was doing, because unbeknown to you, I raised my hand earlier that morning.  I really struggled because, for one, I wasn't a student, and I was kinda scared at the thought of the unknown.  But I had a problem, and I needed help.  So, I raised my hand.  So, my dad asked how I was doing in regards to that.  And I told him my reason for raising my hand: there was a wall between me and God.  I wanted to know Christ with all my heart, that's really all I wanted, but for some reason, I couldn't get through to Him.  And God revealed to me that my pride, spiritual pride, was in the way; and that I was trying to do this all on my own strength.  I wanted prayer, support from others, that my pride would be eradicated out of my life, and that I would receive the Holy Spirit.  My dad began asking me questions like, "Do you believe the Bible?....Do you believe that God cannot lie?....Do I believe that Jesus' blood is able to cleanse me from my sin?....." Questions like those.  Then he shared the story of Gideon, that there were certain strongholds in his life that had to come down so that Christ could receive the victory - there couldn't be any breaches in his life!  He told me that my pride was a breach in my wall.  It was allowing enemy access, and was a hindrance to my relationship with God.  Then he said, "Bailey, are you willing to remove that breach - your pride?"  I sat there trying to decide.  I wanted to know God, Oh how I did!! But, I also was relying on past experiences that when I had confessed my sin, had just continued in it.  I was scared, I didn't know how to remove that breach.  But, I said I was, cause I really was.  My dad prayed for a few minutes, then he waited as I gathered my thoughts. I opened my lips and my heart just came out.  Before when I had prayed for freedom from pride I hadn't felt anything, I would feel hopeless.  But this time, I confessed my sin; really sick of it, and this time it all came out, I felt free of it! Then I asked for the Holy Spirit to come and dwell in me.  And then my dad closed.  Then I had to go to the restroom to wipe my eyes. :P But when I came back, my dad handed me a note card with a reference on it: Esther 2:9.
"And the maiden pleased him, and she obtained kindness of him; and he speedily gave her things for purification with such things as belonged to her, and seven maidens, which were meet to be given her, out of the King's house: and he preferred her and her maidens unto the best place of the house of the women."
Papa encouraged me to testify, as it would bless others and build my faith.  So, I sat in my chair worrying that I wouldn't get an opportunity to share. But then Eric noticed my raised hand, and very nervously I walked to the front.  And I shared all that God had done in me that morning: I was crucified with Christ; I died to self; I was risen with Christ, and now His Holy Spirit lived in me! It was hard, but it confirmed to me the work Christ had accomplished!
I walked back to my seat, while Melinda walked up to the microphone.  She told us that on Monday she had had an awesome experience with the Lord, and was filled with amazing joy.  But, all of Tuesday Satan had been heavily attacking her, like she had never experienced before.  He had taken her joy, and even filled her with thoughts of suicide, which she had never had before.  Mr. Ludy said that Melinda was to be the next one to go into the back room.  So, him, Melinda and a small group of students went into the back room, while the rest of us geared up for our second battle, and with the strength and the joy of my Lord I began to pray.  This time it was totally different! I felt God praying through me! Then as I was reading Scripture, God gave me four passages just for Melinda!  This was so amazing, because I think this was the first time ever, that God had given me specific verses to share with someone! I was really excited for this battle to end so I could read them to her! It was not more than fifteen minutes and then and extremely, radiant, joy-filled Melinda came walking in the room, and proclaimed the goodness, faithfulness and joy of the Lord!  And the freedom the Truth brings! It was so encouraging.  I could hardly stand it, I was nervous that there wouldn't be an opportunity for me to share, but there was. =)  So, I walked up to the front, grabbed the mic, and began to read the holy, living Word of God.  These are the passages I read:

John 16:22 "So also you have sorrow now, but you shall see Me again and your hearts will rejoice, and no one can take that joy from you." 

John 13:11 "These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may be in you and that your joy may be full."  
2 Corinthians 1:3-7  "....Who comforts us in our affliction so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God...."
Psalm 43:2-4 "Why do I go about mourning because of the oppression of the enemy? Send out Your light and Your truth, let them lead me; let them bring me to your holy hill and to your dwelling: Then I will go to the altar of God, to God my exceeding joy, and I will praise You with the lyre, o God, my God!"
It was really cool, because I knew that God had given those verses to me, specifically for Melinda!  After that Eric asked the staff if they had any feeling  about who the next person was, and right away three girls all popped up and said "Rhea!"  So, Eric, Sandi and two other girls went into the back room with Rhea. The fight was on! :) This battle was a little longer and I continued to pray and read aloud Scripture, but after awhile I just sat and listened.  Honestly at this point, I was getting weary, but then they decided to split up into groups and pray together.  We sat down, and hadn't been praying for more than five minutes when we heard the joyous claps of victory! Oh, how I love that sound! We got back into our seats and waited for Rhea to come out. She walked into the chapel, and new person - confident in her Savior!  She shared that hearing that Truth had helped her, and when she found out that she is seated at the right hand of God, (Eph 2:6) that clinched it! God's Word is living and active, and the truth does set you free!  God is so awesome!!! 
At that point I was getting ready to be done for the day, and for a minute it looked like Eric was going to wrap it up, but then Sandi wanted to pray for anyone who was dealing with fear.  One girl, Melissa, raised her hand, and explained that she was really scared to surrender to God, for fear that He would send her to Africa, away from her family.  I felt torn because I kinda wanted to stay and fight, but I felt that I was done.  I had this feeling in my heart that it was OK for me to go home.  Papa leaned over and asked me if I was going to stay, and then assured me, "Don't let the Devil get you down because you're leaving; you've been a warrior all day!"  So I took that as a sign and decided to go home.  My parents came home two hours later and told me that the victory had been won, again!  Then we all gathered in my parents bedroom and my dad and I told the family about our unexplainable day. 

It was an awesome day, not in the way that was so much fun, but in a way that was amazing because  God was totally at work, and He was stretching me, yet He was with me the whole time!

And it was so cool, because I knew that God had given me those verses to give to her! 
Then Eric asked the staff if they had an ideas as to who was the next person to be prayed for, and three girls popped up and said "Rhea!"  Well, Rhea was scared to go back, I think for fear that something wouldn't happen. So, Eric and Sandi went back with her to have a
But, that was just day one - there's still more to come! :D :D

In Him,
Bailey
God is good!

Sunday, November 21, 2010

Step 2

Hello everyone!  Wow....so, I was supposed to keep up with my blog like three times a week.....and well...yeah, that's not happening. A lot has been going on in the life of Bailey O'Brien, and surprisingly enough, I really haven't had any time for the computer.  Well, let me rephrase that: I haven't really thought about, much less, made time for the computer.  (Yes, there is a God!)  :)
A long time ago, I said I was going to do this 30 day challenge. I am on step 2.  So, here goes nothing....

2) The Reason Behind My Blog Name

Hmmm.....well, it's nothing super exciting.  But I was trying to come up with a blog name, and I knew I wanted something "spiritual," and I kind of decided my name because God has given me a calling to live set-apart from the world. (and it's not just me who has that calling, every Christian has that calling, but not everyone embraces that calling.)  And by His grace, I desire to fulfill that calling.  And 95 is for 1995, the year I was born.....nothing really significant, and I actually don't really like the 95, so yeah.  And that's about it. 

So, that's the reason behind my name
Set-Apart Girl. =)

And hopefully I'll be writing more soon!

In Him,
Bailey =)



"But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ!" 
1 Corinthians 15:57

Tuesday, November 16, 2010

His Little Feet

After weeks about hearing about the orphans coming from Haiti, they finally arrived!!! :D :D  Yesterday the whole Ellerslie body stood (shivered) in the parking lot with signs, balloons, and huge smiles as we awaited Mike and Christa Hahn and the 15 children from Haiti!  We finally saw the vans drive in, and a cheer rose up as the adorable children walked through the crowd into their new home! It was awe inspiring, and eye-opening! unfortunately, I can't post any pics right now, but hopefully soon!  But here is the link to the His Little Feet video.  The kids performing in the video are the ones that are here right now! Oh they are so precious!!  Seeing all of them, makes you want to leave everything you know, and go live in Haiti to help rescue all the vulnerable children off of the streets!! Christ, move in our hearts!!

Bailey =) 

Wednesday, November 3, 2010

Step 1

Well, here I go on day 1 of my 30 day challenge. Step 1: My favorite song. Well, it would be very difficult for me to choose my favorite song because there are SO many good ones out there, so instead of trying to limit it to one, I will share the one that has been a blessing to me today. :)

Near the Cross

Jesus, keep me near the cross - 
There a precious fountain
Free to all, a healing stream
Flows from Calvary's mountain.

In the cross, in the cross
Be my glory ever
Til my ransomed soul shall find
Rest beyond the river.

Near the cross, a trembling soul
Love and Mercy found me;
There the Bright and Morning Star
Sheds its beams around me.

In the cross, in the cross
Be my glory ever
Til my ransomed soul shall find
Rest beyond the river.

Near the cross! O Lamb of God,
Bring it's scenes before me;
Help me walk from day to day
With its shadows o'er me!

In the cross, in the cross
Be my glory ever
Til my ransomed soul shall find
Rest beyond the river.

Near the cross I'll watch and wait,
Hoping, trusting ever,
Til I reach the golden strand
Just beyond the river.

In the cross, in the cross
Be my glory ever
Til my ransomed soul shall find
Rest beyond the river.

This song challenged me to never forget the work of Christ on the cross; the precious price our Savior payed.  And also, that salvation isn't just a one time deal, we need God's salvation every moment of every day!  And that we need  the work of the cross - we can't do anything on our own!

So, stay near to the cross and your Savior today!

Bailey =)
God is good.



Tuesday, November 2, 2010

30 Steps of...Something

My friend, Reeve, is doing a 30 day challenge on her blog and it sounded like fun, so I am going to do it as well. (I like copying her, cause she has such grand ideas!) =)   Anyways, I probably won't be blogging everyday, cause, yeah.... but hopefully, I'll at least do it three times a week.  But, I do want to do this, cause it sounds fun! =)

Here’s what I will be answering:  (In the original English spellings courtesy of Reeve's blog)
1) Your favourite song.
2) The meaning behind your blog name.
3) Your favourite television programme.
4) Favourite book.
5) Favourite quote and why.
6) List 20 of your favourite things.
7) Favourite films.
8) Talk about a great place you have travelled to.
9) Share a photo of your friends.
10) Share something your afraid of.
11) A recent photo you took.
12) What do you believe?
13) Your life goals.
14) A picture you love.
15) Your dream house.
16) Share something your OCD about.
17) What are you really looking forward to?
18) Your wedding/future wedding/wedding you have attended.
19) What do you miss?
20) Nicknames you have.
21) Favourite food.
22) A website you enjoy looking at or care deeply about.
23) A video you have made or enjoy watching.
24) The town you live in.
25) Put your i-pod/i-tunes on shuffle what are the first ten songs?
26) Plans for the weekend ahead.
27) Your Pets.
28) What’s in your handbag?
29) Favourite show or concert you have been to.
30) What do you love about life right now?


Oh, and I would love if ya'll did it with me! I think it's a cool way to get to know people better!

In Him,

Bailey

God is good.


Saturday, October 30, 2010

The Epic Ellerslie Games!

Last Sunday, my family and I went over to the Ellerslie campus, for the
Epic Ellerslie Games!  It was a fun day!  Ben, the "Student Life" director, split us up into six teams, and we each had bandannas to show which team we were on. 
Orange - the Efficacious Orange-atanges
Yellow - the Jawbones (me!)
Green - the Kosher Pickles (Shane happened to be wearing his Larry the cucumber t-shirt :P)
White - Sod-Pottage (an Ellerslie inside joke)
Blue - the Blue Ospreys (Doesn't that just make you cringe in fear?! Yeah, me too. :P) 
and
Red - the Avengers

Let me tell ya, these people at Ellerslie come up with some creative, fun games...just saying. ;) 
The first game - The Shoe Toss! It was a relay.  You had to run to the end of the field, take off one shoe, and hope on one foot back to your team, and then once everybody made it back, your whole team had to run down to the pile of shoes, put on your shoe, and run back.  Let's just say I was ready to throw-up after that.  (Sorry, TMI.)




Everybody getting pumped for the big games!
the enemy, A.K.A. Shane.
"Just keep hopping, just keep hopping!"


The next game, which happens to be my favorite, was Fish in a Barrel!  They made a little circle of cones, and all 50+ people had to cram into this little circle, and then Ben had one of the hugs balls, and what he would do, is just roll the ball in there and whoever got touched by it was out.  Now, it sounds simple, and not very fun, but it was hilarious!  People were jumping over people, stepping on people, jumping over the ball.....it was chaos!
Sorry, this pic isn't that good, but hopefully you can get the idea.


The next game was another relay - the one where you have to spin your head around on the bat, and then run to the goal and back....yeah, not my favorite, but at least they only had us spin three times.  Oh, and they had us use really short bats. :P



It's kinda funny watching people run fast. *giggles*  (that's why you'll rarely see a pic of me on this post.) =)



Then next Epic Ellerslie game, was Dodge-ball with those squishy little water balls.  We lost. :'(  and I got out like right away, which was sad, but, that's life, I guess.  Oh!  Then, with the winning teams, they had a three-way game of Dodge-ball!  It looked really fun!


the Kosher Pickles against Sod-Pottage. 





Charlie and Hudson: New best friends!



Oh yeah!! Then there was:  The Mattress Game!! This sounded so hard, but it actually was hilarious, and fun.   You had to pick one team member, (preferably the smallest) to put on top of the mattress, while the rest of the team was on their backs, and they had to use their hands and knees to get the mattress to the end of the field.  Wow, we had four tiny girls, (not including me) and one guy, who happened to be tiny himself.  Things were not looking promising, but we did come in third! =)











Liv and I were so ready! 






Go Jawbones!!


Second to last, was the Log Toss.  This was for guys only, and we actually didn't have a log, it was a 2x4.  And it actually broke a couple times. :P  Shane got the furthest, and actually hit the camera man in the head!










Ahhh.....and last, but not least:  The Shaving Cream Race!! :P   One guy from each team had to sit at the end of the field, and then the rest of the team had to be spread across the field.  One person had a can of shaving cream, they would spray some into the next persons hands, and then you had to pass it all the way down to the last person, and that person would pile it on top of the guys head.  And whoever had the tallest pile won.  It was fun, and creamy. :P  Oh yeah, we won. =)
the guys waiting at the end of the field.




I have no idea how she got that to stay. 


looks like it's falling :S  btw, I love that little kid!! =)

had to get the Bailey Pose in there!


Winners!




Oh yes, and then it started.....the shaving cream fight.  =)  'Twas fun to behold!
 
Charlie was asking people to put shaving cream on him; he just had to get in the fun!


Yeah, that's Ben.  He was everyone's target.


the Kosher Pickles



Sod-Pottage


that's everybody =)

The Efficacious Orange-atanges won, and that was the end to the Epic Ellerslie Games!  It was pretty epic. =) 

Tuesday, October 26, 2010

Are You Washed?

Have you ever stopped to listen to the words of old hymns?  Recently I have been doing just that -  listening to the words, and the meanings of some of the common hymns that we sing. And I have heard and learned such amazing truths from them!  
Take some time to reflect upon the meaning of the words and all the depth behind them! 

   

Are You Washed?

Have you been to Jesus for the cleansing power?
Are you washed in the blood of the Lamb?
Are you fully trusting in His grace this hour?
Are you washed in the blood of the lamb?

Are you washed in the blood,
in the soul-cleansing blood of the lamb?
Are you garments spotless, are they white as snow?
Are you washed in the blood of the Lamb?

Are you walking daily by the Savior's side?
Are you washed in the blood of the Lamb?
Do you rest each moment in the Crucified?
Are you washed in the blood of the Lamb?

Are you washed in the blood,
in the soul-cleansing blood of the lamb?
Are you garments spotless, are they white as snow?
Are you washed in the blood of the Lamb?

When the Bridegroom cometh will your robes be white?
Are you washed in the blood of the Lamb?
Will your soul be ready for the mansions bright/
Are you washed in the blood of the Lamb? 

Are you washed in the blood,
in the soul-cleansing blood of the lamb?
Are you garments spotless, are they white as snow?
Are you washed in the blood of the Lamb?

Lay aside the garments that are stained with sin,
and be washed in the blood of the Lamb!
There's a fountain flowing for the soul unclean,
O be washed in the blood of the Lamb! 

Are you washed in the blood,
in the soul-cleansing blood of the lamb?
Are you garments spotless, are they white as snow?
Are you washed in the blood of the Lamb?

          .~.~.~.~.~.~.~.

This song really challenged me to "rest each moment in the Crucified!"  

Every moment in Jesus Christ!! 


Are you washed?
 

Friday, October 22, 2010

Rock of Ages

Rock of Ages, cleft for me, 
let me hide myself in thee; 
let the water and the blood
from thy wounded side which flowed, 
be of sin the double cure; 
save from wrath and make me pure. 
        
Not the labors of my hands 
can fulfill thy law's commands; 
could my zeal no respite know, 
could my tears forever flow, 
all for sin could not atone; 
thou must save, and thou alone. 
     
Nothing in my hand I bring, 
simply to the cross I cling; 
naked, come to thee for dress; 
helpless, look to thee for grace; 
foul, I to the fountain fly; 
wash me, Savior, or I die! 

While I draw this fleeting breath, 
when mine eyes shall close in death, 
when I soar to worlds unknown, 
see thee on thy judgment throne, 
Rock of Ages, cleft for me, 
let me hide myself in thee. 

Wednesday, October 20, 2010

Charlieism of the Week


"Plane and plain sound alike. 
Plane, like the thing that flies in the sky.
And plain, like fries without ketchup."


:)

A Day in the Rockies

Psalm 121:1-2 "I will lift up mine eyes unto the mountains,
from whence cometh my help. 
My help cometh from the LORD, which made heaven and earth."

It all started last Wednesday.  My mom was seeking the Lord about the schooling for the day, and He brought her to this verse.  She took it as, "Forget the books for the day, and take the kids up to the mountains for the day."  She shared this with us, and of course, we all were enthusiastic about it, for who would rather spend a day doing math, then hiking in the Rockies?!  Within an hour we were on our way up to Rocky Mountain National Park.  It was the perfect day for our outing - sunny and fifty, with hardly a cloud in the sky.  This time we were prepared for the cold weather; we brought layers, winter hats, and mittens! 
We started on the path that we had barely gotten onto our previous trip.  We got a lot farther this time!  We stopped along the way, viewing the mountains, taking pictures, looking at a chipmunk, taking pictures, etc....
We got to this one spot, I don't know the name, but there was a lake with a mountain in the background.  It was beautiful!  We continued our journey upward and all of a sudden Shane and Anna were climbing this HUGE rock, (I don't know what you would call it, cause it's not just a rock, but it's not big enough to be called a hill, but it was big enough to fall off of and die).  Shane got to the top and then yelled down, "Bailey! You HAVE to come up and get a picture of this!"  So, with camera in pocket, I started climbing up the rock.  Then Charlie started following me, unaware of the danger. :S  Even though Mom walked behind him, it was a little unnerving, cause again, he didn't know the danger of falling.  Alas, we made it to the top (alive) and were stunned at the beauty!  I saw for miles, the mountains, the valleys, the lake - it was breathtaking!! 



And people actually think this happened by chance!!!
We were trying to set up the camera for a self-timer pic, but alas, rocks being, well, "rocky" it wasn't working. :P  All of a sudden we heard voices and then saw a bald head, climbing on the mountain.  So, he took our picture for us! =)
 
 
Anyhoo....we stayed on the huge rock, for a few more minutes, then made the "dangerous" decent down (alive) and started hiking again. About twenty feet up the path we took a fifteen minute break, and in that time Shane went ahead, and then all of a sudden he was a tiny speck on top of a mountain!  It was so cool!

see him doing the muscle pose? :P



After that glorious view, we started hiking again.  Around every corner was a new view of the majesty, and around each turn there was the anticipation of  "What are we going to see next?"  We got off the trail, and climbed down the rocks to find a mountain creek!



Then we got back on the path and climbed for ten more minutes, and then we saw it - Andrew's Glacier!
Funny story:  Charlie was look at a book about the Rocky Mountains, and he flipped to a page, and there was a picture of a glacier.  And I saw it and thought, I'm pretty sure I have seen that before!  And I think I know right where that is!   So, we were driving through Rocky Mountain National Park, and sure enough, we come to a field with a view of the mountains, and right there is Andrew's Glacier - the picture that was in the book!  (I just thought that was kinda funny)  Anyways, back to the story......where was I?  Oh, Andrew's Glacier.  A little bit past the glacier was our destination:  Dream Lake.  We got there, and it was breathtaking!  I don't know if I liked the view of the mountains on the HUGE rock, or the view of Dream Lake better, it's a hard decision!  Oh......it is SO GORGEOUS!!! 

OK, so that actually isn't the place we visited, it was WAY more pretty! A camera just can't capture all the splendor! (I'm just kidding, that is the place we went.)


there's me. =)

I took a couple's picture for them, and then decided that is where I want to take my engagement pictures! Definitely!  After a few minutes of basking in the beauty, we made our way back to the bottom of the mountain. :(    On our way down we got a different view of the lake, and while the others wanted a picture on the rock, Charlie wanted a pic of him laying on the log.  :P




Oh yeah! I almost forgot to tell you about the chipmunk!  All of a sudden there was this little chipmunk, and Shane put out his hand, and the chipmunk grabbed him!!  He was so startled he let go.  And I got my camera ready, but I was out of memory, so I couldn't delete fast enough to get the second time when the chipmunk grabbed him!  It was so funny!! 
Alas, that was the end to our amazingly-fantabulous-fun day!!  I guess the moral of the story is this:
When God tells you to do something, you should do it, cause it's way better than any of our plans!