The Adventures of Darcey & Watson

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