All I Can Say Is "GOD IS SO GOOD"

WOW! I can't believe it's been over a month since I updated. I'm so sorry for slacking. The semester has just gotten so busy and I'm constantly fighting to keep up! Can i just say that my life has been changed. Absolutely changed! I knew that this is where God wanted me but now I see why. I am learning so so much, more than I could have imagined.

Women's ministry is doing well. We have had several events for our leaders and for our small groups. We are currently planning a larger event for all of the women at Wesley for Thanksgiving. We are also only a few weeks away from our weekend women's conference that we have each year here at Wesley. It is called RESTORED and I believe that it is going to be a very powerful weekend for our students. I will be teaching one of the break out sessions at the conference which I'm super excited about. In previous years the weekend was all about sexual restoration and inner healing. This year our theme is "Body, Soul, Spirit" and we will be focussing on an entire lifestyle of health for the sake of freedom and power in life. I think it's going to be amazing! It's the first weekend of December so be praying for the planning in the next couple of weeks.

I am really enjoying my discipleships. I love all six of my girls! Just by living life with them I am learning so much and I am able to really minister to them! God is blessing me with encouragement for them, words of wisdom for them, visions and dreams for them, etc. The design of that type of relationship is such a special one. It is such a safe place for them! I've seen them all grow tremendously over the past few month and I cannot wait to see how the Lord is going to continue to use me in their lives.

Wesley as a whole is THRIVING! Last week we had a guest speaker come in for two days along with a group of students from Bethel-Atlanta. Steve Thompson spoke on Wednesday night at our large service and then again the next day for our staff. He ROCKED MY WORLD! The Lord has just revealed so much wisdom and understanding to this man that he imparted to us. In those two days i think I took 9-10 pages of notes!!! He caused me to dig up beliefs about the Lord that I've always had and really question them. I started to see that I didn't see God the way that I should. I saw that my beliefs were inconsistent when it came to what I operated out of. He really helped clarify a lot in me about my future and what the Lord has for my life and then... the COOLEST part.... is that what I learned was exactly what my mom needed to hear and what she was learning was exactly what I needed to hear and in that conversation the Lord freed me in ways that I never thought possible. I am tearing up just writing this. It was absolutely the most defining moment of my life! I just don't know how to express how wonderful it was on paper so ask me about it sometime and I'll be happy to share... but prepare for tears! I think the Lord used Steve in very similar ways in all of the staff here. Everyone had so much to say about how their lives and minds had been changed! PRAISE THE LORD! There were hundreds of students asking for prayer and someone to talk to after Steve's message. I think he really rocked this campus!

God also continues to provide for me is spectacular ways! People are just blessing me left and right! I could tell you story and story about having needs and them being met at the most unlikely timing. I'll just share one.... A week ago I passed a homeless man on the street. I was shocked when I realized i was crying because I'm not normally effected that way for the homeless. I gave him the small amount of cash I had on me and pulled away BUT I could not stop crying. It lasted a while and it was uncontrollable. God really broke my heart for him. So I went to my apartment and filled grocery bags with all of my groceries. I took it back to him and prayed for him and told him about the Lord's love and provision. He was so kind and thankful. Afterwards I went to Chick-Fil-A where I work to pick up a uniform and my manager could see that I had been crying. He asked what was going on and as I was telling him I started crying again. At that moment my boss Matt Kirby walked in. He invited me into his office to talk about it. I told him the story and we ended up having this very long conversation about what the Christian life is supposed to look like and how our hearts should always be breaking that way. He was reading a book called "radical" and he read some of it to me. He said that I was living an obedient and radical life by what I did for that man. He said that my ministry and wesley has impressed him. He was so encouraged that I made the decision to spend this year ministering to students. He said that he was so impressed that at the age of 22 I was beginning to understand things that took him over 40 years to understand and that he was humbled by my giving to this man. He then said that he would like to give back to me and support me monthly!!!! That conversation would have never happened had I not been obedient when the Lord called me to love that man. Isn't that such an amazing story!!! I can't believe it happened to me. I'm so humbled and encouraged when I see the lord using other people to bless me and when he uses me to bless them in return. I think my boss was really blessed by me that day and I was most definitely blessed by him!!! God is SOOOO GOOD!!!

Thank you all for your support and continued prayers. I'd love for you to pray for our conference and for my 6 girls that I disciple. Pray that the Lord would continue to use me in their lives. Also pray for me as I begin the process of joining the Peace Corps. I am really looking forward to my future and God is really using my being at Wesley to show me His paths. Also continue praying for my nephew Hunter and my father's healing. I believe the Lord's heart is for complete restoration of their bodies! I love you all and thank you for your support!!!

The Lord is a provider!!!

The Lord is a provider!!! My faith is growing as He continues to prove his love for me by providing! Just when I start to get anxious about my finances, He sends another supporter or surprises me with some gift. There is a couple who is interning with me this year, Jerry and Megan Chanel. They are two very amazing people. Originally they were not going to raise support because Megan is a nurse and was working weekend shifts to keep their insurance and income. The time she was spending away on the weekends was really affecting their marriage and their rest so they felt like she should quit. In that same week their only car broke down. Needless to say they were really struggling financially and very unsure of their future. In the midst of all of that, I had a conversation with Jerry about support raising and financial struggles. Unknown to me Jerry felt that the lord was calling him to give me a donation. A few days later Jerry came to me and said I should check my intern account and when I did there was $100 from Jerry and Megan. Even in their biggest time of need, they give selflessly of what they have. I was humbled and overwhelmed by the blessing. I was also highly inspired to be a giver. The Lord really blesses a giving heart. What we have is not ours. It's His! and if we give, He will provide. I'm learning to believe that even when I don't have much, I should find ways to give. I am so thankful that my supporters have all chosen to answer the calling of the lord in supporting me and have decided to be givers. He will honor that! I could share multiple stories with you guys of how the Lord is providing for me. I had quit working at Chick-Fil-A last March. When I moved back to Athens this August I realized that the support I had raised wasn't going to be enough so I went to ask for my job back and the Lord showed me favor. Matt kirby hired me back and let me start the next day! He started me at the salary I had worked my way up to over the past two years and gave me my leadership position back. The Lord continues to show me favor through Chick-Fil-A by giving me the hours I need and working around my interning schedule. So this is just my BIG THANK YOU!!!!! to all of you who are chosing to support me finiancially. The Lord is using your gift is HUGE HUGE ways to bless me and to bless others!

Well classes are well underway which means things have actually started happening at Wesley! Small groups started last week! Mine is on Thursday nights and my student leader's name is Laura. We had 7 girls this past week and are expecting 2-3 more next week. It really is the perfect size. The girls seemed excited to be there and to meet new people. The first two weeks we are just building community and getting to know each other. Next week we will begin reading and studying a book by Beth Moore called "Breaking Free". Pray that God gives us a grace to create a comfortable environment for the girls and that the book speaks to each of them exactly where they are at in life.

Discipling is going GREAT. I have 6 girls who I meet with weekly and they are such amazing girls. All 6 are just totally different from the next. It is so cool to see how God has each of us at different places with different experiences and understandings. I am really enjoying getting to know each of them and catering to their specific needs in our time. God is really blessing those 6 hours so pray that His blessings continue.

Wednesday night services continue to be blessed and just go really well and smoothly. We are really retaining students and seeing a joyful heart in them. There has been a grace in worship to really abandon all else and put God first for a time. Every Thursday morning we meet as a staff and go over the previous night. Each week there are just tons of stories of how the Lord did amazing things in students lives and through our staff.

Women's ministry is just now getting our events for the semester planned out and on the calendar. We are planning karaoke nights, WHOA-men's night (a night of all manly things such as video games, poker, pizza, sports etc.), potlucks, a chili cook off, retreats, a conference called "restored", and many other things!!! Pray for our planning meetings to be productive and for the lord to bless us with creativity.

Thank you all for your continued prayer support and encouragement! I'm really loving being here and the Lord is just doing great things!!! I will be continually praying for you all as well!

Abby

HOLY SPIRIT COME!!!!

Last night at the second service of the year, Bob talked about the Holy Spirit and how dependent we are for EVERYTHING. Jesus says apart from Him we can do NOTHING. If you wanna get specific, we actually rely on His grace for EVERY breath, EVERY move, EVERY use of our gifts, etc. but I think what God is really trying to say is that we cannot live the abundant life that He has called us to without the Spirit being active in our lives. As Christians His spirit lives within us. I like thinking about things in pictures so when I think about the Holy Spirit living in me I picture my body. Everything that you see when you look at me is FLESH as well as the blood that runs through my veins and the nerves that move my arms. BUT at the very core of me... in the deepest place is where MY spirit is. THAT is who I am. But connecting to that spirit is difficult as we live in the world. When Christ lives in us THAT is where He dwells, in our deepest spirit part. Because we are human and fleshly it is difficult to connect with that part of who we are but when we can throw off the things that hinder us and focus on Christ, we can LIVE IN THE SPIRIT. It's a totally different realm. Another world. When we are living in the Spirit we are seeing the world through Christ's eyes and thinking through Christ's mind. That is what He desires for us EVERY DAY, EVERY MOMENT. THAT is the ABUNDANT life!!!! Romans 8:3-11 says

"³For God has done what the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do. By sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, he condemned sin in the flesh, ⁴in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. ⁵For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit. ⁶For to set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace. ⁷For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God’s law; indeed, it cannot. ⁸Those who are in the flesh cannot please God. ⁹You, however, are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if in fact the Spirit of God dwells in you. Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him. ¹⁰But if Christ is in you, although the body is dead because of sin, the Spirit is life because of righteousness. ¹¹If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit who dwells in you."

I know it's hard. This world brings so many distractions. But that is what He calls us too because He knows that is where we find joy! This week I have been experiencing living in the spirit more than ever! I'm seeing life in a completely new way and it is amazing. I am praying that God does this work in all of you. That you can live in the Spirit daily and experience His abundant life! Have a blessed weekend!

The Beginning!

I can't believe two weeks of training is over and we are already a week into school. I'm already three weeks behind on keeping you guys updated. I have SO MUCH to tell you about. Training started August 2nd and it was truly an amazing and much needed time. We spent time learning about the vision for The Wesley Foundation this year and our roles in that. We are really focussing on how to live an ABUNDANT life this year. Many Christians settle for a normal life when God calls us to an abundant life in Christ. Here at Wesley we are striving to understand exactly what that means and to constantly live in the spirit so as to experience abundance. I can honestly say that I am experiencing abundance more today than I was yesterday... and the same is true every day. I'm overflowing with a love and a joy and an understanding that I've been missing out on for so long. Although this community may be somewhat of an unrealistic bubble, I believe God is being very intentional by having me here. The Spirit is HERE and is MOVING!!!! PRAISE GOD! This ministry would be absolutely pointless and unfruitful without the Spirit.

Students started back this past week and last Wednesday we had our first service. It was phenomenal. 1,200 students! Now, I'm not one to boast in numbers or to even like numbers. In fact, largeness of ministries sometimes upsets me and I tend to be very skeptical of them. BUT I am 100% convinced that the ONLY reason Wesley has grown so large is because God is HERE and people see it and people sense it and people want to be a part of it. If you ever came to visit a service here you would be convinced of the same thing. You can see it in the students as they worship and socialize and listen and pray. They are HUNGRY and they are seeking and they are passionate! It is so encouraging. In fact, you are ALL invited to visit ANYTIME. come meet some interns. meet Bob our director. meet some students. experience some awesome worship. and hear some TRUTH. Wednesdays are awesome but it would be pointless if we werent getting the students plugged into our community which is why this week is so exciting! Small groups and discipleships are starting TODAY. In fact my first disciple is coming in an hour from now. I cannot wait to start meeting with girls one-on-one and really pouring into them.

I've started sending you all letters and so you all know that I am praying for you. Please feel free to email me with any specific prayer requests at abbyd10@bellsouth.net and if you would like to support me in prayer I would like you to be specifically praying that:

~ I would be sensitive to the Lord's voice

~ that burn out would not be an option

~ that the Lord would continually bless me with understanding and a grace for others

~ pray for the women's ministry and that we would be well organized and prepared so that we can best serve our students

~ Pray that I would be BOLD and CONFIDENT in the Lord and that He would do some continual healing in me

Thank you all for your support and encouragement. It means more to me than you'll ever know.

Abby D