my highway to zion

1 Corinthians 4.9-13 ..for it seems to me that God has put us apostles on display at the end of the procession like men condemned to die in the arena. We have been made a spectacle to the whole universe, to angels as well as to men. We are fools for Christ, but you are so wise in Christ! We are weak but you are strong! You are honored, we are dishonored! To this very hour we go hungry and thirsty, we are in rags, we are brutally treated, we are homeless. We work hard with our own hands. When we are cursed, we bless. When we are persecuted we endure it. When we are slandered we answer kindly. Up to this moment we have become the scum of the earth, the refuse of the world… I think I must have fallen asleep during this lesson in Sunday school class. Somehow, I missed this part. Because over the past few years, I have faced some difficult days and for whatever reason, the framework I was using to understand those confusing times wasn’t the one above. I thought hard times were a sign that I

the other day i had revelation. for so many years of my life, i've wondered why i can read something (and in this case i'm thinking of the Bible), feel deeply impacted by it, only to then forget what i've read a few minutes later. i always thought that was some failing of mine growing up, and it often discouraged me from reading the word of God...because I thought it wasn't really helping me after all if i could forget it so easily. some of the writers of the scriptures compare the word of god to food. the analogy is drawn that knowing and studying the word of god is like eating a choice meal. even jesus talks about he himself being the word, the bread of life, the living water...all these symbols that intertwine to convey the message the getting to know jesus through the study of the bible is a sustaining, life-giving behavior. so i thought about how i eat throughout the day. i don't then spend every other waking second thinking about what i ate, how the components

Hi Everyone, Your time is running out to hear about the awesomeness of God, Cape Town, and how those two forces have combined to shake-rattle-n-roll my life for nearly 6 years. You've got two more chances to hear and see and feel up close and personal the story God is telling in the beautiful motherland, South Africa. This coming Friday evening from 7:30-9:00 in at 8011 Dozier Place in Brentwood, home of Mike and Debbie Hunter, we'll be having a sweet time of fellowship and sharing. If it suits your schedule, come join us. If Saturday mornings are more your thing, we're here to oblige. From 10:30 - noon at 1519 Lipscomb Drive in Brentwood (my house), we'll be eating bagels, taking shots of coffee and starting the weekend right with pictures, stories, laughter (and definitely tears!) so come sit with us!!! For both of these events, I'll need you to RSVP ASAP so we can plan best. Any questions can be posted here, or emailed to me at ashleyinafrica@gmail.com It's

my cousin's 2nd birthday was last week. we had a party at granny's farm in franklin. i roamed around taking pictures, waiting for the blackberry's to ripen. here's a few memories from my time with my family :) granny with her two girls: aunt karen who just overcame breast cancer, and my sweet mom. these are 3 of the strongest women i know. granny's shoes. an old horse i used to play on as a kid.