Loving Others

God has been working these things in my heart and I hope that it will encourage all of you.

I was thinking about how challenging it is to love people who are so hurtful to me. Then I realized "WOW! That's exactly who Jesus told us to love!"

Matthew 5:43-48 says "You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? And if you greet only your own people, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that? Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect."

It's all about loving those who don't love us; who don't treat us right! That's following Christ. Also, I've been processing the idea that we don't have to "like" everyone. I believe that is one of the lamest excuses we can give ourselves as Christians. God doesn't say "you can like some people and not others." No! He says LOVE!

Then I thought to myself what is this love? 1 Corinthians 13:4-7 says "Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres."

That's what it's all about. I'm not perfect as my Heavenly Father is, but I want to live life the way He's called me to through His power - to love those who don't love me back.

A Greater Plan

 From the time I was a little girl I hoped for two things: to have a family and to be in ministry. The Lord has taken me on quite the journey since those dreams first began. After graduating high-school I knew I wanted to help people and do so as an avenue for ministry. Through a process the Lord led me to social work.This semester will have spent 200 hours at my practicum agency where I work with women in crisis pregnancy situations. This past week as I drove home from practicum, I was broken for my hurting clients and the challenges they face. God's love for people is SO great! I know it is only because of the love He has poured into my life that He gives me the passion to do social work. That day the Lord confirmed in my heart that He knew years ago that He would call a little girl who grew up in an ideal home to one day share His love and hope with His broken and hurting people.

Beyond the Lord's call to social work, He has given me a tremendous passion for discipleship and church ministry. You know how when you're little, you don't have a great sense of days of the week? Well from a very young age, my favorite day was Sunday because we'd get to go to church. I knew it was Sunday when I would awake to mom practicing piano for Sunday morning worship. Well my love for church has not ceased :) This summer Alex's dad (before Alex and I started dating) asked me what my plans were after college graduation. I had a hard time answering him because I knew I had a passion for social work but also for church ministry. At that point, I wasn't sure how the Lord would combine both of those callings in my life. An answer came just a few months later :)

Yesterday, Alex played acoustic piano at one of our college chapel services. I absolutely love hearing him play! He is so talented and has such a passion for worshiping the Lord. Hearing him play took me back to memories in highschool when we'd go to the kids church room after youth group and listen to him play on the acoustic piano there or when he would play and I would sing with him at his piano at home. God placed a strong calling on Alex's life from a young age to become a pastor and minister through music. It has been a complete privilege and joy to encourage and help him throughout his ministry in highschool and college. I am amazed how the Lord has led both of us on journeys that led us to each other. God has fulfilled my desire to be in church ministry by allowing me to minister along side Alex!!

This week I was reminded of a funny conversation I had with Alex when we were teenagers. I remember how strange it was to hear such a young guy telling me about how serious and passionate he was about taking care of, protecting, and providing for his wife and family one day. Now, I'm extremely thankful for that passion of his.

So God has fulfilled both of my childhood dreams to be in ministry and to have a family. I couldn't have written a better story for myself. God's plans for us are always greater than our own plans!

Alex playing guitar in chapel worship

Alex and I spent a beautiful fall day together at the park

College Days

Hello friends and family!

Well we have been at college for over two months and I am just now finally writing an update. Life has been busy but so very blessed. I'm so thankful for the memories we are making and for all God is teaching us here.

School:
With all the fun things to do here and thinking of how close graduation is, it can be a bit difficult to stay focused. However, I am enjoying my classes and loving my practicum and all I am learning "hands-on" on the social work field. Alex, of course, wins all of his teachers over as he gives such intelligent input in his classes. In addition to classes and homework, we love to keep ourselves busy with our other passions. I am assistant discipleship administrator for our dorm so I get to help coordinate the devos and chapels within our dorm. I am also loving leading the ballet ministry team here on campus. Our first dance is to Sinking Deep by Hillsong. Our first performance is on Nov. 9th, a great birthday gift for me! Alex, works hard every day preparing for the track season. He is involved on several of the chapel worship teams on campus. It is SO cool to see him using his talents and passions for the Lord!

The fun of campus life!
I am loving living in my new dorm. My roommate is awesome. We enjoy late night chats, drinking tea, working out, and finding humor in the little things together. It is a great home-away-from-home. I've enjoyed campus activities and adventures with friends including: a failed attempt at caving, climbing a billboard, and capture the flag flour war style.

The Alex and Ivy story:
We're loving life together! Things are busy here but we spend as much time together as possible. I've been a lot less homesick this year since he is here. I'm so thankful for his encouragement and support in what I am pursuing. I am beyond blessed to have such an awesome boyfriend! We already booked our flights for home and are looking forward to Christmas break back with our families. In the mean time, we are learning more about each other and enjoying our college adventure.

What I'm learning these days:

• Time flies! 
• We live in a very broken world. I'm so thankful for our Savior and the hope He gives! 
• Life is far more enjoyable when we don't stress about being perfect but instead do our best with joy and enthusiasm. 
• Finding humor and making memories in the little things in life is a true blessing

Be blessed!

Senior class of Social Workers

My sweet roommate!

We got our graduation papers...that much closer!

He makes my heart smile :) 

Summer Blessings

Hello Friends!
Since I leave in exactly a week from tomorrow for college, I figured it was time to start blogging again. If there was one word to describe this summer it would be "blessed". I have always loved summer time, but this summer in particular God brought about blessings I never would have even imagined. It might be a bit difficult to summarize my entire summer in one blog post so I will attempt to do a quick re-cap :) This summer has been filled with lots of weddings (6 to be exact) including my best friend Latisha's wedding. Additionally, we were able to spend a lot of precious family time together before my brother Bryce and his wife Ashley headed off to Boston for Bryce to attend law school at Harvard. Some of my favorite highlights of this summer were leading worship at both our district kid's camp and at our district girls' camp. And of course, to my heart's great joy, we made many memories with friends and our church family.

Now for what God did in me this summer. Going to college last year was an incredible experience. However, by the end of last semester, it was time for me to come home. Last semester was one of the most challenging seasons of my life thus far. This summer the Lord gave me a beautiful opportunity to process through all He did this past year and just get refreshed to go back to college this fall. I can truly say there is no place like home - the place where I am completely understood and loved.

Alright. Now for the most exciting news of the summer! You know the saying "every love story is beautiful, but ours is my favorite"? Well I totally believe that now :) Here's our love story: 9 years ago Alex and his wonderful family began attending our church. My first impression of Alex was that he spoke like a grown up even though he was only 13. I had never met such a young guy who was so respectful, confident, and just enthusiastic about life. We had a lot in common between our involvement at church and homeschool activities and similar personalities. By highschool, not only did he become one of my best friends, but his entire family became like family to me. Three years ago he told me of his feelings for me and I told him I cared about him as a friend but nothing more. Two years ago he brought it up again and I again told him no. God (separately) led us both to attend the same college. Because we transferred to the college, last year was our first year together at college. It was not until then that I realized he would not always be part of my life. We wouldn't always get to do ministry together. I wouldn't always get to be part of his family. He wouldn't always be there to make me laugh in the good and bad times. I came home for Christmas break and talked with my parents during dinner time one day and told them what an amazing, godly man Alex had become. They agreed and also said what a good husband he would be to me. Well that shocked me because my parents are super protective (in a very good way)!  All I could do was wait and pray that the Lord would give Alex and I the opportunity to talk. On June 5th God amazingly opened the conversation for us. That night Alex told me, "Ivy if I date you, I will marry you." Needless to say, our parents were thrilled! And so were we :) Alex is truly everything I have prayed for in a husband and more! I could go on and on about how perfectly God has written our love story. I am so thankful for His great blessings!

Latisha and Brent's wedding

My fabulous family!

Leading worship at Kid's camp (Alex is leading the team on guitar  next to me)

The love of my life, Alex :)

Back to Busy

Spring break in Chicago was very refreshing. And now the weeks are flying by. Before I know it, I will be back home (only 5 weeks away)! Here are a few highlights of the past weeks:

After an intense application and interview process, I have accepted my practicum placement for next school year! I will be spending 450 hours at Lutheran Family and Children's Services. Here I will be working with women facing unplanned pregnancies, parent education, foster parent training, and adoption services. This is a complete answer to prayer and a confirmation to what the Lord has been placing in my heart for years. I am beyond thrilled about this opportunity!

Most of my days are spent in classes, studying, at work, and with social work projects. However, there have also been some very fun campus activities. Fashion Fever is an all girls, campus-wide event. This was possibly the girliest event I have ever attended!  Spring fling, a campus-wide variety show / costume party, was next. The theme this year was Inked  (characters from books). A group of us girls went as Dr. Seuss characters and I thoroughly enjoyed the role of Cindy Lou Who :) Lastly, this week we took floor pics! I am so blessed to live with such a fantastic group of ladies. God is so good!

Spring Break Buddies (and future roommates)!

Fashion Fever!

The Woman in the Yellow Hat and Cindy Lou Who :)

B3S Ladies!! I love our floor!

Rest

The snow is softly falling outside my window as I write. Fernando Ortega's beautiful hymns are playing in the background. I am currently spending spring break in Chicago with a friend from school at her family's home. It has been a much-needed restful week! This past semester has truly flown by. Turns out 18 credits as a junior in the social work department is quite a load. I feel blessed to have the many opportunities God has given me, but was very ready for a break from the business. Some of the peaceful activities that have given me rest this week:

• extra time with the Lord
• no rushing to the next event
• talking with friends here and family on the phone
• crafting
• reading
• drinking tea

I pray you also will have a restful day!

Valued

This week I have had the beautiful opportunity to spend time with individuals who have very different life-stories than mine. On Thursday I volunteer at the Homeless Count. During my time there, I interviewed about 15 homeless individuals concerning their life circumstances. The information gathered in the surveys is compiled to help address the specific needs of the homeless population in this city. After they finished the survey, they were given blankets, food, and various resources. This was my first personal encounter with the homeless population. It was incredibly impacting to talk with these precious people.There are so many judgments and stereotypes that people place on the homeless, however, everyone's circumstance is different. I have no credibility to judge; Christ asks me to love.  Today, I observed a self-help group for those dealing with mental illness and substance abuse. I was so impacted by their welcoming attitudes and their openness with one another. These experiences have reminded me of the wonderful value every human being has in Christ. We all have differing stories and struggles, but before Christ we are all equal and precious. As a follower of Christ, I desire to share His love and value others as He does. Colossians 3:12-14 says, "Since God chose you to be the holy people He loves, you must clothe yourselves with tenderhearted mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. Make allowance for each other's faults, and forgive anyone who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others. Above all, clothe yourselves with love, which binds us all together in perfect harmony." There are enough people in the world judging and devaluing others, labeling others by their circumstances. Let us instead be representatives of Christ who value who the is person and not their life circumstances.

Travel, Texas, and Trust

Last weekend our ministry ballet team traveled to Texas. It was my first time in Texas and I thoroughly enjoyed the warm weather, downtown Houston, and the diversity! We drove 13 hours both ways so we had a lot of bonding time with the team. On Saturday we had the opportunity to minister at the Houston Food Bank. On Sunday we ministered through our worship dance to the song Oceans by Hillsong. Ballet is my favorite way to worship the Lord and I love ministering to others through the arts. Part of the song says "Spirit lead me where my trust is without borders...take me deeper than my feet could ever wander". So often I trust in myself and my plan, instead of allowing God to take the lead. I believe the journey will be far better with Him carving out the path. Psalm 91: 1-2 says "Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the Lord, He is my refuge and my fortress, my God in whom I trust." May you have a blessed day resting in the shelter of the Most High!  

Volunteering at the Food Bank

Downtown Houston

The Team

Lovely ladies!

Impeccable Timing

After much encouragement, I have been persuaded by several dear friends to start a blog. Now where to begin? Let's start with some background about me and what the Lord is currently doing in my life. 

At the age of 22 I am still the baby girl of two wonderful parents. I am blessed to have two men in my life who are not just brothers but friends and mentors. They have also brought two lovely sisters-in-law into my life. Five months ago I moved 1,500 miles away from my home in the beautiful Northwest to a Christian University where I am studying to be a Social Worker. I miss hugs and late night talks with my family, spending time with my church family, and mountains. However, God brought me here for a beautiful purpose and continues to amaze me with daily blessings. 

Now for what the Lord is doing in my life these days. Lately, I've been reflecting on God's impeccable timing in guiding our lives and answering prayer. The day I after I arrived back on campus, I was having a tough time with missing home. God graciously blessed me with sweet friends to share dinner with. The next day I found an encouraging note in my mail box from an anonymous friend. As I consider these small reminders of His impeccable timing, I realize how easily I forget to trust Him with the major elements of my life. However, God tells us in His Word, "Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go" (Joshua 1:9). Let us not forget that His timing and purposes are always good and perfect.