Thursday, September 17, 2009

just an update. =)

ah, well it's late, but the beautiful thing about that is that i get to sleep in.. i am working the retreat this weekend and that means i dont have to go in until 1. beautiful.. so tomorrow i will sleep for a while and then wake up and take a run! i have really gotten into running.. cant wait until my first race in october.. its just a 5k, no big thing, just the first one i have gotten to run because i always had softball before.. so i am really excited the be the support host this weekend with chris.. he is mad hilarious and i have sooo much fun with him. =) i will blog about the adventures i am sure we are going to have after the weekend.. the past couple days have been pretty chill.. we have started working/setting up our corn maze.. its a 6 acre field of corn made into a maze. i can not wait until it's done! i have heard so many fun things about it and you know the kid in me loves that kinda stuff =) i weeded forever the other day. no fun, but it's gotta get done lol. i got to work paintball today and i got lit up by this kid one round! haha i was kinda mad, but couldn't help laughing my head off. i also got to work with the horses the other day and help run the trail rides.. i brought up the rear. =) on a side note, i am on playing fantasy football in the league here at RVR with Hannah and we are doing so well!! won our first match up with over 100 points!! ohh yeahhh! i really enjoy it.. last night the interns and brad went to an orioles game.. we got free tickets.. what a blessing! we had a good time.. i love our crew. i love the people at rvr. the place. the joy. the love. the land. the laughs. but most of all i love the Godliness here.

on a spiritual note.. im growing.. so much.. i am still struggling with an issue and praying that He continues to work on my heart.. it's places like this where i realize how much more i need to grow. i am so humbled by just working here and being around people that truly love the Lord. i love the Lord, but i want to be a picture of His love for His people. the women here have truly impacted me without even knowing it. i need to be more humble and peaceful and loving. i want and desire to have a gentle spirit that radiates for the Lord.. this is my prayer that i would become like that. that i would be a humble person with a loving gentle heart Lord. work in me, in my heart, and in my life. make less of me and more of you in my life.. i must decrease and you must increase. help me to love, be love, and live love. Amen.

beth.

Saturday, September 12, 2009

You are the vine!

God, my God, you are so faithful.

He never lets us down does He? naw, never. So I really don't have a purpose or point for this blog other than i just wanna ramble.. =) this week has been an up and down one, but a great one =) without the downs we would never grow in our walks or in our faith. work is wonderful and i really wouldn't have it any other way. we basically worked our first retreats this week and weekend.. it was actually really fun.. i love doing work for people and seeing how grateful they are. so rewarding. we clean a lot and you know what? i really don't mind it! it is actually pretty fun getting to talk to the gang and be dorks and sing and just do whatever you feel like doing as long as you are cleaning and getting the job done =) =) we as interns actually do pretty much every job they have here in some way, shape, or form. haha.. for these past few retreats i have worked the zip line, in the kitchen, cleaned a lot, been a server, worked with the horses, and was supposed to work with paintball, but it was raining and they didn't need me. that is just a list of what i did. my fellow interns did a lot of other things as well that we will each be switching in and out of on the different weekends..love my job.

so, my last blog was pretty much about a struggle of mine.. i hate having struggles, but i love it at the same time because i know when i am struggling i am growing. see i know that running to the Lord for guidance won't fail us and i learn that every time i run to Him, so why don't i run to Him right away??? well cause i am a human who is too small to do it alone.. i need Him far more than i know and i am coming to realize that the more and more i grow. i need Him for everything... i can not do any of the things i have done, am doing, and will do without Him. one of my favorite verses is John 15:5.. I am the vine and you are the branches. He who abides in me and I in him will bare much fruit. For apart from me you can do NOTHING. Wow, hits ya hard sometimes.. even when writing i learn. I so badly need to live out the fruits of the Spirit and i have been running to the Lord for that in my life and with this verse i learn i can accomplish living out the fruits if i abide in Him and He in i. apart from Him i can do nothing.. nothing. it is all Him in me. i write these things really to remind myself that it isn't me who produces the fruit.. it isn't me who does great things, but Jesus Christ who lives in me and works through me. see i have realized how far from perfect i am.. how nasty my heart is.. i am so thankful i have Him living and working in me because i could never produce any fruit being the nasty person i am without Him.

thank you God for your truths, for your word, for your faithfulness in my life, for living in me, for using me, for molding me. i am nothing without You. continue to work in my life getting rid of those nasty parts of me that do not bring You glory. i love you, Amen.

your daughter,
beth.

Thursday, September 10, 2009

keeping on keeping on.

ugh. i didn't wanna blog tonight, but ended up doing it anyway.. i had such a great day, but i feel the spiritaul battle going on in my heart. it's been a hard past 2 days in that area.. i am feeling far more distracted than normal and not talking to the Lord as much as i would like. i need to get some better time management huh?? i can see something that will be a struggle for me all year long if i don't go to the Lord to help me with it. He is so much bigger than me, right? Right! so, i know this too shall pass and that i need to constantly go to Him in prayer.. today was a really long day and our first working a retreat... tomorrow will be the same.. i am loving it like always, but my heart being under attack is starting to bear down on me. sometimes i don't know how to deal with situations like these to be honest. He is my help and my guide. i will follow Him.

Lord, help me in the areas that i fail in. help me to seek you first. i fail so often and i need to turn to you more than i do. mold and shape me Lord through every circumstance. please give me self-control over my mouth and my emotions. it's all for You. Amen.

along the journey..
beth.

Wednesday, September 9, 2009

Tie Dye Shirts for sale!!!

So, I am still selling tie dye t-shirts, pillow cases, and tank tops to raise support for my internship here at the ranch. Please help support me in this ministry. The Lord has brought me here for a reason and I know He will provide. If you would like to buy an item please contact me at 804-514-1320 or by e-mail at ebbennett@liberty.edu There will be a small shipping fee, but it will only be a few dollars. Everything is $15 and it all goes to supporting me! If the Lord leads you to giving more be my guest! I look forward to hearing from you soon!!

In Him,
beth.

Tuesday, September 8, 2009

mandatory fun day/ day off/ a little bit of work/ thoughts? haha

















Sunday, Matt took us to Pretty Boy Reservoir.. it was an awesome 5 mile hike with hills, rocks, and crazy small paths.. we ended at the Pretty Boy Dam, which was pretty amazing it self. I was pretty proud of myself being able to make it with my legs just getting back into action.. my calves were pretty darn sore the next day! =) it's a good thing though. On our hike Sarah, LaDessa, and Ryan got attacked by bees cause someone made them angry! haha Ryan got stung 3 times.. sad day.. haha anyways.. our fearless leader was Doc Holiday.. the beautiful dog above. There was an awesome tree that Matt found on our hike back so we decided to have a little photo shoot. It wasn't that easy for me to get up there, but I did! haha We stopped by the dam and Matt talked to us about what we want to make this year for ourselves. Man the thoughts were going wild in my head.. there are so many things I want to do here.. I want to grow in my faith.. not just grow, but reallllyyy become an image of Christ. There are so many things that I have to work on. The Lord is helping me in those areas that need some cleaning up in my life. =) My goal is to truly live with a heart that has all the fruit's of the Spirit. I want to live a life of humility that, if I am truly honest with my self, I fall pretty short of.

Yesterday was our first day off! Let me tell you, I love not being in school! haha random thought I know, but now my days off aren't spent catching up on school work that is impossible to get done during the week playing softball and going to class at the same time! Anyway, I woke up and got a great run in.. I have been running regularly now and am so grateful that the surgery has fixed my legs!! Truly a blessing from the Lord. He always takes care of me and I am so undeserving. Then my crew and I went to Chic-fil-a and got our free sandwiches because it was represent your team day so we had to wear sports jerseys or clothing. There were 4 of us wearing clothes that I had from the redskins, nationals, liberty softball, and sandy cove! haha I loved it so much.. then we headed to walmart and got some goodies. The boys went and bought rock band and so we obviously came back and played that for a while.. =)

Thanks for reading.. love yall!

God, use this internship to change my life, my heart, and my soul. Use it to grow me in my faith and mold me into a woman after your own heart. Give me one pure and holy passion, to know and follow hard after you.

Sunday, September 6, 2009

Week 1 in a nut shell!

So, I have decided to start blogging about my internship (GPS) at River Valley Ranch. It is an internship that helps you grow in your faith while training you for full-time camp ministry. It's called GPS. I have loved every minute of it so far. I know there will be challenges, as there are many challenges in life, but I am excited to see how the Lord works in me and my life through them. I do feel like I am in a bubble here, but I love that. Sometimes I get homesick which is new for me. I guess since I don't have much time to talk I have really begun to miss my friends and family back in powhatan and in the burg. So far this place has really captured my heart. I want to share my experiences with others and this is a way I can do that.

Ahhh, where to begin with week 1??
Well, can I just say that the other 5 interns are sooooo much fun! There is Bill, Ryan, Taco, Sarah, and LaDessa. We are all from many different stages of life and come from many different backgrounds, but couldn't fit together more perfectly. I already see that we are becoming a family and really, that's what I was so hoping for! The Lord is good, what can I say?? =) We have done so much stuff already and it has only been a week. Well, there was a massive flood here at the ranch and so a lot of our first day was cleaning up. We have been training on all the different activties and playing on them too..shhh, don't tell. =) Our boss is Matt. What an awesome man of God who is soooo chill! He is married to Michelle, who is such an awesome woman, and they are expecting their first baby in October! It's a little girl! We have also done a lot of outdoors stuff like hiking, horseback riding, climbing, and a SOLO. So I know you are wondering what a SOLO is. Basically it is 24 hours in the woods alone, just you and God with no other distractions. It was an amazing experience that challenged me and allowed me to focus on spending time with the Lord and spending time in His word. I was able to talk to God with no other distractions on my mind. It was something I needed so bad. We also were shown around town the other day. It was so much fun. We have already hit Rita's up twice. We are running outta time cause they close in October!! I can't believe how well the group gets along. It is a blessing for sure. I know there will be tough days, but I know we will work through things. =) The full-time staff here are such wonderful people. I have felt so welcome and loved from day 1! So we have already compiled a huge list of quotes and inside jokes and stories.. love it. I think I am going to start a list of it right now. =)
Boomstang!! (our group saying!)

"That's a big one!" -Matt (talking about gunshots, but at the wrong time when i was going on the big swing)
"Who made the bee's angry?... RUNNN!!!!- Sarah & LaDessa
"Good morning!!- Me (when everyone came to get me from my SOLO spot)
Matt; What are you all going to do tonight?Interns: Get into trouble... We are going to break rule #1.Michaele: What is rule #1?Interns: Leave the bison alone.Michelle: ohhh, They don't really come to the fence anyway. Well, they will if you have corn.Interns: ohhhh... so we need corn....
"Bunny!"-Me

Believe me, there are more to come and that have already happened. I just can't remember. Oh, and the food here is fantasic!! YUUMMM.

-beth.