Grace amazes me. The extension of God's mercy and love towards me from a mighty and holy God. I come before Him, so unworthy of what He offers me so freely.

I don't know about you, but I know I fall short on a daily basis. Some days more than others! At times, it's hard to not beat myself up and focus on the negative. But God speaks to me through His Word that as I continue to seek Him, repent, and keep following after Him, He redeems me. Praise God for His compassion!

And how grateful I am that He doesn't leave me alone, that He is faithful to walk with me through my life, every step of the way. Some of His Words to cheer me include:

Lamentations 3:22-23 - Because of the LORD's great love we are not consumed, for His compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.

2 Thessalonians 3:3 - The LORD is faithful, and He will strengthen and protect you from the evil one.

Philippians 1:6 - He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.

Psalm 36:5 - Your love, O LORD, reaches to the heavens, Your faithfulness to the skies.

There's a chorus that includes the lines, "LORD, I'm amazed by You....how You love me!" And that is so true! Today, He amazes me. Does He amaze you?

You've got to love the freshness of a new year. It lends itself to opportunities for change, for resolving to improve what you didn't the past 365 (or 366) days that you lived.

For the past few years, at a friend's encouragment, instead of making resolutions, I've made POA's or Plans Of Action. The last two years, I've been somewhat successful in some areas of my life in keeping with those POA's, but not so much in others. I journal at least once a week and like to go back and read over what I wrote the past year, searching for what God has done in my life and in my heart.

I've decided to not make as many POA's this year, if I make any. It's not that I don't want to hold myself accountable for improving my life. Instead, what God has been speaking to my heart the past few weeks has been more about simplifying things and finding the balance in my life. I've had Him confirm this to me more than once, so I know He's speaking!

Instead of making resolutions (which I tend to never keep anyways!), or a list of POA's (I had at least 6 last year, which, in a way, are resolutions with steps to achieve them), I come into this new year expecting God to do big things in my life. Yes, I am choosing to place all my expectations on Him and look forward to see what He has in store for me.

I know that He is a keeper of promises, so I can trust His Word. He wants to fulfill those in my life. When He says He will supply all of my needs, I can stand on that and trust Him. When He says He is the Healer, the Comforter, my Provider, my All in All - I can rely on Him. When He says that He makes all things new, He means it.

I was reminded of a verse early this morning from 2 Corinthians 5:17 - "Therefore, if anyone [this includes me and you!] is in Christ [I love that we are in Him and He is in us], he is a new [LOVE this !] creation; the old has gone [Praise God!], the new has come!"

I get to be new everyday on the inside! Not for one day, but every  day! As I seek Him, and allow His Holy Spirit to work in me, I am being changed into looking more like Him all the time! How great is that?!

I need to share one thing He did for me yesterday, which amazes me. I was a little frustrated yesterday as I was working because I felt like what I wanted to accomplish for my day just was not happening. One thing I have learned in 2007 is that it really is OK for God to change the plans I have for my day. Sometimes, what my plan is and what His is for my day aren't the same. The frustration comes from my attempting to do what I want and that not working out too well. He reminds me, though, that He has it all under control and I don't need to be as focused as I can be, but instead, be open to whatever else may come up and see Him in that as well.

Yesterday, I had my mind set that I was going to accomplish things on my "to do" list. Well, it didn't come together the way I wanted it to. But I was determined that I wouldn't allow myself to be overwhelmed by it. And that if I didn't get done what I had set out for myself, it was going to be OK.

I don't know about you, but I often have to have those conversations with myself where I remind myself that there is Someone bigger than me who has it all. That went on several times yesterday. And God is so good that He blessed me towards the end of my day.

I had a dear sweet brother in the Lord who emailed me to let me know that the Lord had spoken to him about giving a gift of support for me online. His generosity brought me to tears as I realized that God was watching over me yesterday and wanted to encourage me. More than the gift itself, what blessed me were the words of encouragement he wrote: "...for no reason whatsoever, God spoke to me and said "Sue Wilson has been a faithful servant to the  Kingdom for years. Get up and go give to her." So I did. Thank you for doing all that you have through the years. You are faithful and obedient - you are a role model for me!"

Whoa! I sat at my desk and cried. (Hey, I'm a feeler and I can cry when I'm happy, sad, mad, glad...you name it!) God reminded me again that He has big things in store for this year and I can expect Him to take care of me, that He sees my every need in every area. As I am faithful to Him, open and available to hear His voice and walk in obedience, that He will reward that.

So yeah, while I may not make a long list of POA's this year (if any!), I know that God has great things in store and I expect Him to bring into my life those changes I need to further honor and glorify Him. May He be lifted up and exalted in this new year!

I'm a random blogger....every so often I will come online and write something. I think that I think about doing it more often than I actually do it. I admire those who are diligent in sitting down and writing out their thoughts....I'll be honest, sometimes it's even hard for me to just journal!

The reason for today's blog? To share some thoughts on a Scripture the Lord brought to mind this weekend. The verses are from Isaiah 40:29-31:

"He gives strength to the weary and increases the pwoer of the weak. Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not faint."

Praise God that He does all those things!

Trusting in Him fully is to hope in Him. We need to look to Him in all of our circumstances and see Him as our source of strength (I don't know about you, but there are days I need an extra dose of strength!) as well as our source of help and grace in times of need.

I love what we are promised if we hope in Him:

• His strength that revives us in the middle of our exhaustion and weaknesses - that is with us even as we endure sufferings and trials
• The ability to rise above those difficulties
• The ability to run spiritually without getting tired (thank You, LORD!) and to walk steadily forward without fainting or giving up at God's delays
• If we patiently trust Him, He will provide what we need
• He is able to sustain us constantly (He never fails and never gives up!)

Today, I choose to put my hope in Him and allow Him to be all I need. I know that there will still be times when I will attempt to do things myself, but how gracious He is and how patient - that He doesn't desert me despite myself. He is ever constant, ever faithful, and ever loving of His daughter! I am blessed!

I'm getting ready for a road trip.......and I leave tomorrow! I don't know what excites me more.....the anticipation of seeing family and friends as I travel or the hopping in the car and driving somewhere other than up the road a few miles.It's been at least nine months since my last road trip and I am so looking forward to packing up the car and heading out!                                                    

I've gotten my maps mostly in order and my bags are packed - well, mostly! The dog watchers are lined up and so I can go without worrying about my canine companion while I'm out burning up the asphalt for the next two weeks. Not all of the plans are set in stone as of this writing, but I am hoping to come back occasionally while I go to update my blog.

Road maps....... now where would we be without road maps? I cleaned out my car this past weekend and realized I've had some of mine for about 8 years now. I hope they are all still fairly accurate, although that could be something I collect anew this trip!

How grateful I am that God's Word, which is our roadmap of how to live life as God wants, doesn't change! We can always find the right directions for every step of the way. And even if we meander off the trail, we have instructions how to get back on track. Not to mention, if we're lost, it helps us find our way! How good is that!

Pray for me as I travel - for travel mercies with the car and God's appointments as I go. Also pray that I will be used by Him to encourage and touch the lives of others!

 " On the road again......I can't wait to get on the road again....." More from the happy trails later!

I received this email this afternoon from one of the moms of a former India Real Lifer (Fall 2005). Sam is an awesome young man! So I would like to share the note from his mom, Patsy.

Hi,
This is Sam's mom writing you at his request. Sam was in a terrible car accident on his way to college on the morning of 2/13. He was hit broadside on the drivers side and pushed over to the passenger side and had to be cut out of the car and brought to the nearest trauma center(45 min. away).

All njuries are on his left side only. He was in ICU for 3 days and came home last night. He suffered a broken left clavicle(collar bone-extremely painful), partially collapsed left lung, broken hip/pelvic bone, badly broken left leg below the knee in 2 places. They did surgery the day after the accident to insert a rod in the leg to accelerate recovery.

He has been on morphine up to now which made him quite loopy but has been downgraded to
percoset which makes him more lucid. He has alot of pain and will be in a wheelchair for 8-12 wks. since he can not bear any weight on his left side. His spirits are mostly good but the pain is hard to bear sometimes.

After seeing the car, my husband says it is a miracle he is alive. We all are! He had to drop out of college and stop both jobs but they will all be there later. His many, many friends have been praying diligently for him and will continue to pray for a complete and fast recovery. The doctors say his excellent health & physical condition will definetly accelerate his recovery and expect him to have a 100% recovery but the next 4 weeks will be the most painful for him. Physical therapists will be coming to the house for therapy as well as other nurses.

You can email him at my address:
millermadhouse@comcast.net

snailmail at

418 South Main St.

Perkasie, PA 18944

215-257-1836

Thanks.
Patsy Miller

Please pray for Sam and if you feel led, email or call him! Let's bombard him with our prayers and best wishes for a speedy recovery!

New Orleans …

The New Orleans trip was AWESOME!!!!!!! I was able to go with five other AIM women (either staff or spouses of AIM staff) and do ministry from January 16th to 20th. The area we went to minister in has seen the largest number of murders since Katrina. Our AIM staff there had checked out the area and felt it was safe for us to work there during the day.

It was a great chance to get to know and bond with these women, most of whom I didn't know well prior the trip. I definitely see them as wonderful blessings now and am glad I had the chance to go. After nine or so hours in a van, you do get to know one another! And I have to say, they all have a wonderful sense of humor!

Our first day of ministry was spent helping out at Central City Missions, distributing food. Some people worked in the front, registering the people coming for food. Others helped them pack food in the warehouse. My job? I was handing out books to those who would take them! Youth WithA Mission workers were also there that day helping out and had brought books to give out. My approach was to ask if they'd like some reading material and many took me up on the offer. It was also great to get to sit down and talk with some of them.

Two things from that ministry stand out for me. The first is that I had prayed that morning, asking the Lord to allow me to shoulder the burdens of the people we'd be ministering to. Later that morning, a gentleman came up to me and said, "I want you to pray for me." And it was about his shoulder! So I did! It was an opportunity God had sent!

The second thing was the opportunity I had to blow a shofar. (A shofar is a horn that is used as a musical instrument for Jewish religious purposes. It is intimately connected with both Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur. The shofar originated in Israel for Jewish callings.) The gentleman who headed up the food distribution ministry owned one, but didn't know how to blow it. At the church I attend here (Fellowship of Living Praise), there are several individuals who blow shofars at the beginning of the morning worship service. I had always wanted to try so he let me….and I was able to make sounds somewhat similar to those I've heard before! I was reminded of the Scripture that talks about blowing the trumpets in Zion, on God's holy mountain. Cool!!!!

Our afternoon brought a drive around New Orleans. One area that we visited was the 9th Ward section, which is the area where a great deal of destruction occurred. Between the flooding from Hurricane Katrina and then when the levee broke (this area is right along the levee), many homes were swept away while others ended up on top of one another. In some cases, all that can be seen are steps leading up to the front of a non-existent home.

This picture below has writing on the outside that says, "Home...This was home." The holes you see in the roof are where they had to bust through to escape the waters.

Pictures like the one below show that there is still much that needs to be cleaned up. Many lives were lost in the area. Seeing the "X"s on the buildings was sobering, as you knew those numbers represented, in some cases, lives lost, perhaps pets. Very few people have moved back into the 9th Ward a year and a half after the storm. I've never been to a war-torn country myself, but from pictures I've seen, this is what it reminded me of. There is still so much left to be done in New Orleans!

The next morning, our team came alongside Vieux Carre Baptist Church in the heart of the French Quarter where they do a ministry that serves lunch to the homeless on Saturdays. This was an awesome opportunity to talk to people! I helped more with sorting clothing than serving food and then spent time talking with the people who came for a meal. This lead to talking to several different people. One man that I talked with was originally from North Carolina and was telling me about his life and how he came to be in New Orleans.

Saturday afternoon, we went to the Central City area of New Orleans, into an area that has had a murder a day since New Year's. We teamed up with Sharon Henry who has been planting roses at the sites as a memorial to the victims. Upon our arrival there, we went a wonderful black woman, Ruth Johnson, who had agreed to have the rose bush planted in her front yard that day. Miss Ruth is an awesome woman of God, ready to give Him praise at a moment's notice!

We also picked up trash in the area. To be honest, this was hard for me. Not because of the physical work itself, but because there was so much to do that you were left wondering whether you'd made an impact. We did have a chance to talk to one woman in particular, who thanked us for picking up the trash in an empty corner lot next to her home. She didn't know who it belonged to, but was appreciative that we would do this. So even if I didn't see much of an outward physical impact in picking up the debris, I know we were able to impact another person just because we cared enough to do it. [If you'd like to check out the pictures from our time in New Orleans, you can go to AIM's website and find them at: http://www.adventures.org/a/reports/r3ph.asp?id=2056

One cool ministry opportunity that He has opened up for me as I was transitioning from Next Step to Accounting is to do an online Bible study with the Summer 2007 Amazon Jungle Real Life Mission Team. I've so enjoyed interacting with them and they've been a blessing to me as they include me! This is taking place on Facebook online and it's been a really neat door that He has opened up for me to be able to continue to connect, interact and encourage these young adults as they seek to do missions! How great is that?! It was an unexpected opportunity and I'm loving it!

That about wraps it up for this letter. I know it was kind of long, but I hope you enjoyed it! It has taken me a little longer to get it written this time. I will leave you with some prayer requests:

• That I will be able to adapt and learn quickly my new responsibilities
• That He will continue to open up doors of ministry opportunities for me, both inside and outside AIM
• That the Lord will continue to raise up prayer and financial support as I move into this new position. The responsibilities that He has opened up for me impact the whole of AIM and I still need people to continue to partner with me!
• That He would be honored and glorified through me

Blessings to all of you!

Love and prayers,

Sue

For the past 7 1/2 years, I've been working at AIM in the capacity of an administrator with the Next Step Department (now known as IDM or International Discipleship Ministries), working primarily with the Real Life Mission Teams. I have LOVED it - getting to know each person who has gone out on a team has been like the hugest blessing to me, in so many ways. I'm so blessed to have been able to be a part of so many people's lives; I think the bigger blessings is that they've been a part of mine! [Below is a picture of just a fraction of the IDM department. Left to right are Denise (Kenya base), Hanna M (Real Life Admin), ME, Marcia and Scott Borg (Marcia is one of my closest friends here and Scott is the IDM team leader and my former boss!), Dave and Vicki G (head up the Next Step admin team), Crystal R (in back-Admin) and Ashlie H (she and her hubby Derrick are my trusty dog sitters when I go out of town—she's part of the admin team, too!)

In 2006, early in the year, the Lord began to speak to me about change. I don't know about you, but I tend to not exactly embrace change. Yep, pretty much I like things to settle down, be in order. However, I have learned over the years that flexibility is also key. But God also knows me inside and out and knew that to bring about change in my life, it would take time to bring me to the point of willingness to step into that change.

As the year progressed, things started to change in my life, both personally and within my ministry with AIM. Finally, in late November, the LORD made it clear to me that it was time to take a step of faith and move on from where I'd been since coming to AIM in June 1999. He confirmed it in early December and in early January opened a door for me to move from working with the Real Life program to working with AIM's accounting department.

This new "move" was effective February 1st. I'm looking forward to the opportunity to serve in this new capacity as well as whatever else the LORD has in store for me. My responsibilities include processing the support that comes in for both staff and participants and I feel blessed to be able to serve in this capacity. To be able to serve in this way, using the talents and gifts God has given me is awesome!

It has been an intense journey for me to come to this point. It hasn't been without it's bumps and questions along the way. I've wrestled with the LORD, asked Him (more than once), "What are YOU doing?" I've struggled, cried, gotten frustrated, sought His face, listened, waited, and then, in His timing - He answered! And asked me to take a step of faith and trust Him....

One of the things I know He's been speaking to my heart recently is that He has more for me in 2007. I don't know exactly what all that is going to look like - ask me on December 31, 2007 and I'll let you know what He's done! I do know He is in control and He is leading me in this and I'm grateful to Him for leading me to this decision to do a "new" thing.

One big blessing for me is that I am still support raised and my salary didn't change with this move. That's totally a God thing, I believe. Even though my ministry is behind the scenes, it will allow me to impact so many more people who desire to reach out to the world for Christ! And as a result, you are of my doing that, you are also impacting the world. I truly desire to have people partner with me in ministry! And I am so grateful for each one of you!

The picture on the previous page is from a surprise "Thank You" party that my former team threw together. Rather than have cake and ice cream, they chose instead to spell "Thanks" with individually wrapped chocolate candy! They also gave me a small carved wooden elephant to remind me that they won't forget me! And I'm not to forget them! (I won't!)

FROM MY CORNER......

Hello, family and friends! I trust that your holidays were happy and joyous ones, spent with those you love!

A lot has happened since I last wrote you. I've been home to PA for Christmas, been to New Orleans for a weekend project and…...I've switched positions within AIM! Yep, all within the space of two months! How crazy is that? But let me share all of this with you.

Oh, you might want to go grab a cup of something warm to drink so that you

Where to start…

In mid-December, the Fall Real Life Mission Teams returned home from India and Swaziland and had great things to share at their debrief in Atlanta. It was a joy to see them again and to hear of how God worked in and through their lives.

Two days after their return, I headed home to Pennsylvania for Christmas, to spend time with family and friends with those long familiar to me. Familiar faces, familiar landscape, familiar food - just all things familiar.

One thing that I did while there was work with my three sisters (Melissa, Sheila and Charlotte) on a family recipe book. We poured over Mom's old cookbooks (again, something familiar) to pull old recipes that we grew up on. The book was being made for all of the siblings (mine) and the nieces and nephews. The picture on the front was from my sister Charlotte's wedding last September of my sisters and I (we also have a brother, George).

Spending a day with my sisters has become an annual tradition for us since my move to Georgia, one that I enjoy as my sisters are three of the greatest women I know. Do we always see eye to eye on everything? No, we're sisters! (Besides, as the oldest of the four, I'm always right, don't you know?) :) But would we defend the others? You bet! (And this includes our brother, George, too!)

Seeing their children, my nieces and nephews (and great-niece), there has been definite change in the year since I saw them last. Different hairstyles, growing taller, graduation, and in the case of Emily (the great niece), walking and talking. Change.....

There was also change in the landscape of the area I'd moved from. Some new places went up, while old ones were renovated and turned into something new, or were torn down altogether. Change......

Old familiar friends.....those who mean a great deal to me as they have known me the longest, yet even in their lives, there has been change, whether in the physical or otherwise. For some, battling health issues has brought great change in what they're able to do. For others, the change comes in getting older and children leaving the nest. Change.....

Two definitions Webster gives for the word "familiar" are "well acquainted" and "well known". Two definitions for "change" are "to make different; alter" and "to become different; vary." How often we long for the familiar in life. Holding tightly to what we've known brings us comfort and security and yet......we long for change as it brings us to a place where we also long for more. To remainstatus quo isn't always the most satisfactory way to live life and God has placed Himself (through His Holy Spirit)within us and woos us to follow after Him. That means change, and sometimes in amazing and unforeseen ways.