Saturday, January 30, 2010

God as been good!

Hello Friends!

I'm practicing my "quiet typing skills" right now as there are two little ones taking naps not far from where I sit. :) This weekend I'm babysitting for John Hansel (4) and Gabi (2) from my church. It's been so much fun and definitely an adventure! I arrived on Friday night and will be heading back to my quiet, peaceful, tranquil...sorry...apartment on Sunday. Today we enjoyed breakfast together around 5:30am, a trip to Chuck E. Cheese, and my favorite...NAPS!! They really are wonderful kids and it's been a great confirmation to me of why I never want to be a single parent and that I'm not ready for kids yet. God has been good!

Life has been going full speed ahead (don't I write that on every update?). My Mom gets on me for not updating this thing (you do, Mom) and yet it honestly feels like the calendar skips days of the week at times. And yet still, there is no other place I would rather be ... not necessarily geographically...but I know if I were to go anywhere else I would get stuck inside the belly of a whale and spit out right back here in Las Vegas! God has been good!

As January has come and gone, my organization has moved from a Corporate Office to a non-profit organization! The switch was much need and TONS of work! Every day holds something completely different and the learning experiences have been endless! I have traveled to S. Cal a few times to deliver school assembly programs and looking to partner with an organization called Teen Truth Live. This will give me the opportunity to design and deliver one day experiential high school leadership programs for hundreds of students at a time! I'm extremely excited to begin working on this project and creating a program that can change the culture of high schools! God has been good!

One of THE most amazing experiences I've ever had while speaking took place just a few weeks ago. I had the opportunity to speak/work with 25 inner city high school students. Yet they were definitely not your "normal" high school crowd. All of these students are enrolled in a correctional facility due to gang involvement or leadership. As I walked in I knew they were all thinking "what is this little white girl gonna say?" And to be honest, I was asking the same question! Yet God took over as my mouthpiece and they day was nothing short of miraculous! These rough and tough students began to truly rebuild their character focusing on what they want in their life instead of what they have always been told they aren't. Students that wanted nothing to do with me when I walked through the doors, stood in a line and asked if they may have the honor of shaking my hand only 4 hours later when I left. Students who told me they were "failures", "worthless", and "stupid" - stood and proudly declared they are "courageous" "compassionate" and "leaders". When we all sat down for lunch it hit me what an amazing day this had been. A student looked at me and said "Miss! Can I drink out of a glass like you?" Looking down at my cup I realized that my soda was in a cup made of glass and the students were drinking from paper cups. "Of course you can" was the only answer that made sense. He picked up a glass and dumped his drink from the paper cup. More and more of the students began to see what he was doing. Before long all of the students were asking "MISS! MISS! Can we do that too?" I quickly realized this was really a special moment for all of these young men! I stood to my feet and said "EVERYONE! Pour your soda into the glasses!" and everyone did. I looked over a crowd of rough-edged hooligans that were nothing more than excited little boys. One looked at me and said, "I'm livin' life like a rich man today." I stood to my feet and said, "Today we will live like Kings and Queens! And if we are going to be Kings and Queens, then we deserve a toast! Everyone raise your glasses!" Every arm was raised high in the air with smiles stretching ear to ear. "To good people, who are committed to making good decisions" and to that - we all cheers'ed and drank. A simply moment that we experience daily - re framed to be one of the most elegant and noble meals I have ever eaten. God has been good!

I could go on and on as to how I have been blessed to sit in the palm of God's hand with my legs dangling over the edge... feeling as though I've had a bird's eye view of the most miraculous sights! And the truly amazing part is that I know these things aren't only happening in Las Vegas... they are happening in the lives of those who have committed themselves to go where He says go! "No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind can conceive what God has planned for those who love Him!" We serve a big God, a miraculous God, and a very very good God!

Thanks for going along with me on this journey... and I truly believe the best is yet to come!
Love,
Vanessa