So...October 26th is the day!!!!!!!!
I'll be calling this bustling place "home" very soon :)
Sooooo excited!!!!!!
Wednesday, September 29, 2010
Friday, September 24, 2010
My Little JellyBean
My little JellyBean with her mommy and daddy...how I'm going to miss holding her so! She's so precious...Congrats again Britt and Kenny!!!! Love yall so much!!!! <3
something worth fighting for...
The topic of "passion" has been coming up a lot lately...and I haven't been able to get the word out of my head for months now.
Passion: any powerful or compelling emotion or feeling, as love or hate; strong amorous feeling or desire, love, ardor; a strong or extravagant fondness, enthusiasm, or desire for anything.
My definition....passion: something that grips the pit of your stomach every time you hear it mentioned; something that you would go to the ends of the world to fight for; something that makes you lose sleep, miss meals, and maybe even lose friends; something that you not only live for and fight for but something you would die for...hard core PASSION
I've found my passion....have you???
In the World, but Not OF the World...
This phrase relays such an interesting concept to me. And in my many years of growing up in church, I have heard this phrase more times than I can count. However, it hasn’t been until recently than I have begun to look deeper into what it actually means. In my personal experience as well as in the time that I have spent working with and teaching youth, I have discovered that repeating this phrase is quite simple, however, its the “living it out” part that gets most of us at some point or another. So what does it actually mean to be IN the world but not OF the world? Two little bitty prepositions that change the entire meaning of the phrase.
“IN” is used to indicate inclusion within space, a place, limits or a period of time.
“OF” is used to indicate distance or direction from, separation, deprivation; to indicate derivation, origin, or source; to indicate cause, motive, or reason; to indicate apposition or identity; to indicate possession, connection, or association.
Wow! What we can learn just from looking at the definitions of 2 simple prepositions!
“IN” shows a form of inclusion, which is evident when we look at living IN the world. We are enclosed within the space of the world or earth. There is no way we can escape it even if God wanted us to. However, He specifically placed us here to not just survive the world but to radically change the world.
“If you were of the world, the world would love its own. Yet because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you.” (John 15:19)
“I have given them Your word; and the world has hated them because they are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. I do not pray that You should take them out of the world, but that You should keep them from the evil one. They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world.” (John 17:14)
In these two scriptures, God specifically tells us that we are to be known as “NOT OF the world.” He makes it clear that we have been called to stand apart from the world. He wants us to distance and separate ourselves from the rest of the world. When you are of the world, it shows that your source and motive arises from the world. But when you think about it…and you are no longer OF the world but OF Christ…your origin, source, connection, and reason is found in Christ and in Christ only. So my challenge and prayer for you and for myself…to become OF Christ, so that everything that I do is motivated by Him and originates in Him so that everyone knows that I belong to Him.
Wednesday, September 1, 2010
In the beginning....He had a plan :)
I sent this letter out when I first let everyone know that I would be leaving for the Philippines. I thought it would be best to add it here too so that everyone would be up-to-date and so that I can keep everything documented here just in case others join me on my adventure later :)
To my dearest friends and family,
If you have, at some point in recent history, uttered the words "So Daphne, what areyou going to do next?" Most likely you received a response that included the following: a look of panic and/or disgust; a casual form of "I have NO idea;"and then a great, outlandish, and elaborate plan such as, going to graduate school, moving to Haiti, joining the Peace Corps, moving to another state far away (Colorado, Utah, Texas were all mentioned to someone at some point), or finding a job in NC and staying right where I am. To those of you who had to listen to every single one of these plans as I floundered around in a sea of possibilities, thank you for your patience and understanding and I apologize for the undue amount of stress I put on you! While many of you may have thought that I was ridiculous, I can honestly admit that I had no clue where God's plan would take me and (SURPRISE!!!!) I still don't. BUT I have discovered the first step in His plan and I hope to describe what that is to you as well as convey my deepest passions, just in case you haven't been able to see them thus far. So this is me being as real with you as I can be through mere words.
The International Justice Mission states that:
"Trafficking in humans generates profits in excess of 12 billion dollars a year for those who, by force and deception, sell human lives into slavery and sexual bondage. Nearly 2 million children are exploited in the commercial sex industry. The AIDS pandemic continues to rage, and the oppression of trafficking victims in the global sex trade contributes to the disease's spread...In the Philippines, where some estimates suggest that as many as 100,000 children are victims of commercial sexual exploitation, trafficking remains a serious problem..."
So just in case you haven't heard by now or you haven't been able to put 2 and 2 together, I'm going to the Philippines at the end of October! And not only do I get to be closer to my sister (which will still be a12 hour bus ride) but I get to work with a population and for a cause that has gripped my heart for as long as I can remember. I will be working with Naomi Hamilton in Metro Manila. She has established two facilities to provide refuge for victims of the Asian sex industry. "Safe Refuge" offers a new life and hope to many women and children who would otherwise have none. I will be holding and loving on babies and counseling with the women of Safe Refuge along with many other jobs that I may be needed for. I am so excited about this opportunity to work with Naomi and to learn from her and others who are currently working with her.
I want to thank you so much for bearing with me as I have searched for direction and guidance. Your advice and wisdom has been priceless and much appreciated and your prayers have held me together. While I realize that this may seem like a small step to some, I am confident that the path that lies ahead will be nothing short of incredible. So please, stay tuned for what is to come because I couldn't have made it this far without you and I can't continue on without you either. Your support and prayers are irreplaceable and I thank you in advance for your continued support and prayers!!!!!
Following Him forward,
Daphne
To my dearest friends and family,
If you have, at some point in recent history, uttered the words "So Daphne, what areyou going to do next?" Most likely you received a response that included the following: a look of panic and/or disgust; a casual form of "I have NO idea;"and then a great, outlandish, and elaborate plan such as, going to graduate school, moving to Haiti, joining the Peace Corps, moving to another state far away (Colorado, Utah, Texas were all mentioned to someone at some point), or finding a job in NC and staying right where I am. To those of you who had to listen to every single one of these plans as I floundered around in a sea of possibilities, thank you for your patience and understanding and I apologize for the undue amount of stress I put on you! While many of you may have thought that I was ridiculous, I can honestly admit that I had no clue where God's plan would take me and (SURPRISE!!!!) I still don't. BUT I have discovered the first step in His plan and I hope to describe what that is to you as well as convey my deepest passions, just in case you haven't been able to see them thus far. So this is me being as real with you as I can be through mere words.
The International Justice Mission states that:
"Trafficking in humans generates profits in excess of 12 billion dollars a year for those who, by force and deception, sell human lives into slavery and sexual bondage. Nearly 2 million children are exploited in the commercial sex industry. The AIDS pandemic continues to rage, and the oppression of trafficking victims in the global sex trade contributes to the disease's spread...In the Philippines, where some estimates suggest that as many as 100,000 children are victims of commercial sexual exploitation, trafficking remains a serious problem..."
So just in case you haven't heard by now or you haven't been able to put 2 and 2 together, I'm going to the Philippines at the end of October! And not only do I get to be closer to my sister (which will still be a12 hour bus ride) but I get to work with a population and for a cause that has gripped my heart for as long as I can remember. I will be working with Naomi Hamilton in Metro Manila. She has established two facilities to provide refuge for victims of the Asian sex industry. "Safe Refuge" offers a new life and hope to many women and children who would otherwise have none. I will be holding and loving on babies and counseling with the women of Safe Refuge along with many other jobs that I may be needed for. I am so excited about this opportunity to work with Naomi and to learn from her and others who are currently working with her.
I want to thank you so much for bearing with me as I have searched for direction and guidance. Your advice and wisdom has been priceless and much appreciated and your prayers have held me together. While I realize that this may seem like a small step to some, I am confident that the path that lies ahead will be nothing short of incredible. So please, stay tuned for what is to come because I couldn't have made it this far without you and I can't continue on without you either. Your support and prayers are irreplaceable and I thank you in advance for your continued support and prayers!!!!!
Following Him forward,
Daphne
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