The Adventures of Darcey & Watson

I love listening to music. Many people are probably like me where they listen to music wherever they go, and even if music may not be playing, they still hear a tune in their head. It’s almost like going through life with your own soundtrack. The music is customized to each situation, each conversation, even the dreams you have at night. This comes to a point where even if the music playing is intense as you go through some tough trials in life, there is still some comfort in knowing that the song will end at some point and there is hope that the next tune will be a happier one.

This reminds me of my walk with the Lord. I feel that He has given me the music that orchestrates my life. Where I can see Him in everything. The nature around me, the busyness of the people in Carrollton, the anticipation of what will happen next in the story of my life. He is there, always faithful to guide me where I need to go. Regardless of what may happen, I know He will be there to help me through. He is my comfort, my help in time of need, my joy in every situation. He is the orchestrator of the tunes that make up my soundtrack in life.

Source: The Comfort of Tunes

“Why can’t you see that freedom is sometimes just simply another perspective away
Who could you be if your lens was changed for a moment,
Would you still be the same” – Kutless, Perspectives

Source: From My Perspective

Last night was a rather interesting night indeed. It started off with having to do laundry, so I went to Tim’s place to start a load, and then we streamed into prayer meeting with Patrick, Tim and I since we all weren’t feeling the best. Patrick also brought over some food that we cooked, and we enjoyed each other’s company while praying and watching prayer. After prayer was over, we started to discuss old songs that we used to listen to. Everything from 60’s music, to Alan Jackson, to Green Day, and 80’s Metal. As we were discussing the memories attached to these songs, one came to my mind but I couldn’t remember the tune, the words, the title, or even the band that went with the memory. All I could remember was the voice of the guy singing. So we proceeded to go on a wild goose chase to attempt finding the “winey” voice that I remembered from an oldies CD my dad had in his car that my brother and I would always ask to listen to.

About 2.5 hours later, we still hadn’t found the song, but I was pretty sure Guns N Roses was the band. Still trying to wrack my brain for the song itself, or something that would prompt my memory, I grabbed my laundry, said goodnight to Tim and his roomies, and headed home. This is around 23:30. Before I left the apartment complex, I had a wild idea to text my brother to see if he would remember the song that was eluding my brain. Sure enough, he texted back with the song name, and some of the lyrics to the song. BINGO! He remembered! Thus proving that I wasn’t losing my brain, and that the song did in fact exist. The song was Paradise City by Guns N Roses. Brandon saved me from pulling an all-nighter trying to find the song because my brain wasn’t letting me rest till it was discovered.

I arrive home, and then I find that my toilet is clogged… so I asked my roommate Brenda to see if she might have a plunger, but sadly she didn’t. Though she did find a solution that was worth a shot online. Put a few drops of dish soap and hot water in the toilet, and Huzzah! it’s fixed! I decided to take a shower to let the soap have time to work it’s magic, and when I tried to flush it after the shower it started to overflow onto the bathroom floor… GROSS! By now it’s about 00:10 in the morning and I needed to get my toilet fixed because of my frequent trips to the bathroom at night (probably part of the reason I don’t sleep so well). So, in my mountain dew PJ’s and a green shirt, I go out to my car and drive to Walmart.

On my way to Walmart, this bright light appears in the sky drawing my eyes upward. A meteor! How cool is that?! Maybe this trip to Walmart is worth it after all. I pull into the parking lot after waiting at a long traffic light (with no one coming the other way) and park by the entrance near the “Home and Pharmacy” side. Walking up to the doors, I find that they are blocked off, so I walk to the Grocery side and enter. Walmart parking lots are kinda creepy at night when you’re alone… Just saying… I go into Walmart on my quest to find a plunger. I feel a little embarrassed to be getting just a plunger, so I got a curtain rod (which I needed to get anyways), and another towel (since I also needed one of those) to conveniently cover up the fact that I have a clogged toilet and needed a plunger.

I couldn’t find a plunger anywhere… I tried in the bathroom area, nothing… I tried the cleaner isles, nothing… so the last place I checked (after texting Tim for help) was the Do-it-yourself section. THERE IS WAS!!  So I grabbed the cheapest plunger I could find and made my way to the cash register (the only one that was open). As I put my stuff on the belt, this nice elderly lady asks if I am redoing my bathroom. I replied that I was just picking up a few things that my roommate and I were lacking, since we just moved and our other roommates had these things, not us. She looked at me and started telling me about her roommate experiences in college. Apparently she had a spoiled girl for a roommate. The girl was an only child and her dad would send her money every week, and since it was her first time on her own, it wasn’t a good combination. I was glad to explain that since my roommate and I are from the same ministry, and are Christians, that we have it pretty good and get along quite well. The lady looked at me like I was crazy, so I proceeded to insist that I wasn’t lying and that God really had blessed us here at GFA. Just then another customer came to the register and stole her attention from me, so I bid her “good evening” and went on my way.

With plunger, curtain rod, and towel in hand I proceeded to my car and then home. By the time I unclogged my toilet, brushed my teeth, and got in bed, it was about 2:00 in the morning and I was welcoming any sleep that would come my way.

Thus ends my rather interesting evening. Have any of you had evenings like this? What are your stories?

Source: Late Night Walmart Run

The only photo I have with me in it since I was behind the camera most of the time

I’m sad to admit it, but I wasn’t really into going to the Declare Conference at first. Why? I really don’t know. It could be that I’ve been struggling so much with my health lately that the idea of spending a Saturday not “resting” was unappealing to me, or maybe that spending time with a lot of women and having to socialize over meals was overwhelming for me (if I had to guesstimate, I’d say I’m a 65% introvert, 35% extrovert). See back in Pennsylvania (where I’m originally from) I always felt like I could relate to guys better than girls because I was never “good” with conversations and guys don’t usually talk that much. However, when I got in the van with Sara, Thomas, and Clara to go set up the Gospel for Asia booth on Friday, I prayed for the Lord to give me strength, endurance and the words to say to the women I would be meeting. Praise God that He answers prayers because as soon as I stepped into that hotel, I felt the Lord with me and for the first time I was actually excited about what the Lord would do through this conference!

We set up the table and started mingling with some people sharing about our fantastic program available for bloggers called the 40 days of blogging (which we are still finishing up). You probably remember our table because of the true stories that were told about the plight of women in Asia, the free Dove chocolate we had at the table, maybe me playing the drum on the table, or maybe from that strange noise that came from the really neat Nepali Singing bowl! Either way I pray that the Lord used the Declare Conference as well as Gospel for Asia to encourage you to make a difference for eternity and inspire your readers.

I don’t know how many times I was inspired and encouraged to keep seeking the Lord’s guidance and direction for not only my blog, but also in my life. One of the ways the Lord spoke to me was through Mary Demuth. Hearing about her past and how the Lord is using that to speak into so many lives encouraged me to seek the Lord and ask Him how He would use my past as well. Yes I have a passion to help women who have been sexually abused, maybe have been rescued from torture in the Sex Trade, or are insecure because of things that have happened in their past. The Lord has already used my past sexual abuse for good, just like He promised to do in Romans 8:28

“And we know that ALL THINGS work together for the good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.” (NKJV, Emphasis mine)

That verse has been my life verse since the time that I told my mom about the abuse and she believed me. Some of the good things that have come from it? My healing and restoration, my Aunt Stephanie and Uncle Dan coming to know the Lord, my dad is now in prison and getting help (I pray that He will run to the Lord and the Lord will restore him as well), my little brother is so mature for his age, the Lord led me to Gospel for Asia’s School of Discipleship program then later to join staff, I’ve been able to love others and encourage them to run to the Lord even when it’s SO hard to do because you can’t see why this could happen with a loving God, and many more that I probably don’t even know about.

I came to the Declare Conference expecting to share about Gospel for Asia and maybe make a few connections, but the Lord wanted to use it for much more than that. He renewed my passion to pray that He will use me in some way to love others the way He has loved me. I don’t know the depth of what that will look like… But I sure am ready for the adventure.

Source: The Declare Conference and a Renewed Passion

I’ve been wanting to post this for a while, but for some reason, whether it be fear of what others will think about me or not, I have only touched vaguely on this in past blog posts. So I will just say it.

I was sexually abused in my past, but that is not WHO I am. I am NOT defined by my past. The Lord has healed me and I am His daughter. I don’t want people to view me as a traumatized girl who’s childhood has been ripped away from her, but rather see a young woman who radiates the Jesus who she is so in love with.

That’s all. I am still who I say I am in the post: Who Am I?.

PS. Im not saying the will never be more healing to go through, but right now I am as far along the process as the Lord wants me to be. There may be times of more healong later down the road, but as for now, and even then, I am not defined by that and never will be. I am redeemed and Satan can’t take this and use for bad what God promises to use for good.

Source: I Am Not Defined by the Past

So, you know that post I wrote about the elderly man on the corner of Hebron and Marsh? Well, God gave me an opportunity to actually help out in a practical way. Though it was small, it was still neat that God thought of that. Here’s how it all happened.

Katie and I were headed to lunch somewhere on Hebron, when we had to stop at the light at Hebron and Marsh. Then I notice the same man with the same sign wearing the same clothes and I knew I had to do something. So I grabbed my wallet, fished out the only cash I had in there (though I was tempted to write a check), rolled down my window and handed him all that I had (Five Dollars), and before I could say anything, he said very sincerely “God bless you miss, and Thank you”. Though I couldn’t give much, the Lord still allowed me to do something. I’m just thankful that He cared that much, and I pray that the man will see God’s love through that small act of obedience on my part.

God does provide.

Source: God Provides Even the Small Things

As I was driving the other day, I passed a man on Hebron who was holding a sign that mentioned his wife is on oxygen and they are having a hard time financially, so any help would be appreciated. I’m sure some of you have seen him there before if you’ve driven down Hebron past where all the restaurants are before the Dallas North Tollway. There are actually a lot of people who hold signs for help in the area, and I usually say a quick prayer for them and keep on driving; but this time I was stopped at that light and I looked at his face.
I wasn’t prepared for what I saw. In his eyes there was such a sad, deep pain that I wouldn’t wish on my worst enemy. As he ever so slowly walked by with his cane, I also noticed a cross necklace around his neck. He was dressed in a casual white t-shirt and khaki pants, his hair was white and his beard was messy, his face covered in dirt. This whole scene made my heart ache. I felt the Lord saying, pray for him. So I did.
I wish I could have stopped and helped him in some practical way, but then the Lord brought to mind the elderly in the retirement home that we have the opportunity to touch on such a personal level. I don’t think I will ever really grasp what it means to them for us to visit these people every other week. Who knows what the Lord is doing in their lives through us being Jesus to them.
Praise the Lord I am able to do something practical for these people by loving them and listening to their stories. Building relationships with them. I still pray for that elderly man on the corner of Hebron and Marsh, who knows if his story is true, or if he is even a believer… but God knows him. He loves him. Knows how many hairs are on his head, the deepest desires of his heart, and wants to call him his son.

Source: A Heart for the Elderly

As most of you know, I am in a relationship with one of the most amazing guys in the world. We’ve been courting since August of 2012, so it’s been almost a year. We started this courting process with the intent of figuring out if the Lord wanted us to get married in the end. After a whole bunch of confirmation from the Lord, we discovered that yes, the Lord has His hand all over this relationship and yes He is leading us towards the path of marriage. Now, the tricky part is I have a past. I know we all have pasts, but mine was quite traumatic and the Lord has had to heal me of A LOT of lies and deception that I had come to believe and cling to. That being said, the leadership that Tim and I are going to have said that it would be good for us to wait and make sure we are as prepared as possible and have a solid foundation upon which to build a marriage and life on top of.

Waiting is HARD! For a long time I was confused and fighting bitterness in my heart because I thought it quite unfair that we should wait when we know the Lord is calling us to get married. What did books have to do with the Lord working in our lives? Though time has given us a lot of time to talk about subjects we may never have covered had we been engaged and married sooner rather than later. The Lord has grown us so much in areas that are rather important in a marriage. Areas such as submission to authority, leadership, willingness to listen and accept correction, etc.

I don’t really think Tim and I have ever really hit the “Star-struck lovey-dovey feelings” towards each other stage. Yeah it comes up every once in a while, but I believe for the most part we have had pretty level heads for a couple. Which probably helped with the fact that we were best friends for about two and a half YEARS before getting the go ahead to start a relationship. So we were able to dive into tougher subjects when we started courting instead of starting at square one with questions like “So, what’s your favorite color? (insert batting of the eyes here)” We started with questions like “So, what are some of the things you have struggled with and are struggling with in your life, and how is the Lord helping you with that?”

Yesterday and today there was a speaker, Pastor Chuck, who came and spoke to the young single staff at Gospel for Asia about relationships and singleness and the Lord. I think it was rather long overdue for the singles here on staff to hear the things he talked about, and I rather liked hearing that Tim and I are on the right track and aren’t WAAAAYY off the mark in our relationship. But the main thing that these seminars held for me, was they gave me an “aha! moment”. I’ve heard it before, but for some reason, this pastor talking about it finally made it click. The outcome?

I’M OKAY WITH WAITING.

If waiting means that Tim and I will be on the solid foundation of Jesus Christ before even starting our marriage, then when we are married, the Lord can use our relationship with each other as a reflection to others of His love and provision. Through the healing He is doing and will continue to do in our lives, the Lord can use us to reach out to others who may be in similar situations we were in earlier in our lives.

To be used by God in such an intimate way to minister to His body… I can’t wait. I can’t wait to be used like that by my Lord, but before I can be used like that, I have to wait on the Lord and wait on the leadership that He has placed over me. And I am FINALLY content with that.

Source: Am I Content to Wait?

I have learned that after I study someone for a while, I begin to expect the same things from them. But when they do something unexpected, it can sometimes throw me through a loop and I have to rethink whether or not I can trust them still. Lately, some things have been happening that I was not expecting. I can’t go into a lot of detail, but these things were pretty big in my life.
This makes me think. What is trust exactly? Dictionary.com says that “trust” is “reliance on the integrity, strength, ability, surety, etc., of a person or thing; confidence. Confident expectation of something; hope. A person on whom or thing on which one relies.” But how does this play out in my life?
Well, I think there are different “levels” of trust that I give to certain people in my life. There’s my trust in the Lord, where even when things don’t exactly go my way, or something happens that I wasn’t expecting, I will look to His promises and know He is growing me ever closer to Himself through ALL things that happen in my life. This kind of trust is indefinite, will not fail, because I can trust the Lord knows what’s best for my life. He knows the beginning and end anyways! Who am I to question that?
Another level would be the trust I have in those whom I submit myself to. Those in authority in my life. That would be Tim, leadership here at GFA, and my Mommy. These are people who the Lord has placed in my life as an “umbrella” of sorts to protect me from stupid decisions I might make on my own. Though, this is the kind of trust that I tend to struggle with most. Because these people are human, I know they can make mistakes, and so it’s hard to listen and believe them at the drop of a hat like I would with the Lord. This is probably the one level of trust that when broken or when unexpected things happen, bitterness can creep into the easiest.
The remaining levels of trust would be the trust I have in my friends, and the trust others have in me. Please pray for me as I combat bitterness head on and that it won’t take part in my relationships with others. God knows what He’s doing, even when I’m confused.

Source: Different Levels of Trust

Tonight was the last night that my three roommates and I went out for a time of fellowship together as roommates. However, I think this (and the first time) was my favorite of all. We travelled to Addison to a coffee shop that Katie had visited a while back with another lady who used to be on staff with GFA. We were all kind of dragging ourselves out the door because it has been a rather long week and our tiredness was catching up to us. Once we arrived, we all got ourselves some yummy snacks, coffee beverages and a small dinner, sat in the back of the cafe, and proceeded to talk, play games, and have a grand old time.
Soon, two men started to perform some live music, which was kinda loud, but rather enjoyable at the same time. Though we had to talk kinda loud so we could hear each other. We didn’t mind. Katie beat me at Ultimate Tic-Tac-Toe, we played a few rounds of Kings in the Corner, sang along with some of the songs the guys were playing, shared some goofy times of nonsense laughter, and then discussed what verses the Lord had been pointing out to us lately. Soon enough, we decided to put away the game of cards and read through a book of the Bible. Ephesians was chosen, and so we proceeded to read through it chapter by chapter (passing it to the next person at the start of a new chapter).
As we read through the Word of God, we stopped to comment on certain parts as they came up in our hearts. A lot of “AMEN!”s were said before we even finished the first chapter. It was so refreshing to open up this book after hearing two messages by Gayle Erwin who came to share some words of encouragement with the Gospel for Asia staff yesterday and this morning.
When the musicians took a break, one of the guys came back to our table (we had been applauding their music the whole time and so they decided to come say “hi”) and asked what we were doing. We told him that we were reading through Ephesians and he was glad to find out we were Christians as well.
As our time drew to a close (it was getting kinda late, and we were remembering how tired we were before discussing the Lord and His goodness) we closed the Word and drove home discussing how refreshing it is to meditate on His promises and remind ourselves of His truth.
Now it’s time for me to go to bed, but I wanted to reflect a little longer on this great time of fellowship that we had as roommates, but further than that, sisters in Christ. One Body. A Unity that can only be accomplished through the Spirit of the Lord that dwells in our hearts. I’d say this was a good way to “end” this chapter of my living situations, and I very much am looking forward to my next.
Thanks for listening!

Source: Fellowship at a Coffee Shop