For God's Glory...

So my three years with TEAMeffort, and my whole life with my father has created in me a passion for working with my hands, particularly building things. With TEAMeffort I've had a chance to build many things including, decks, roofs, insulation & drywall, and wheel chair ramps, including this 96 ft long wheel chair ramp that I designed and built with help of 2 youth groups and my staff.


This past summer was no doubt my hardest summer with Te, but what kept me going was the youth groups that came in and my passion to work with my hands to help others for God's glory.

Growing up I was always outside or in the garage with my dad. He and my uncle were both rebuilding old cars during my childhood. Uncle Keith had a 1970 Camaro, and my dad had a 1966 Ford Pickup. They were always working ont their vehicles. My first job at a young age was to hand dad the proper tools. "Christina get me a 1/4" socket and a pair of needle nose pliers." I had his tool box mermorized and knew where things went so that I could put them back when we were finished. As I got older he taught me how to do more and more things. Finally when I was 15, it was my turn to rebuild an old car. We got my 1966 Fairlane Sedan from a friend's junk yard, also known as "The Field of Dreams." I had spent many hours with my dad trying to find parts in that junk yard, and dreaming of the potential all those old cars had. Once we got my car I could not wait to start working and spent my time pouring over parts catalogs, and dreaming of what my car would one day look like. This car is still not completed, as its progress was put on hold while I went to college. This car is something very precious to me. It is a picture of my relationship with my dad. I look at it and remember all of the long days spent together working on it. All the joking and good conversations we had while laying underneath the chasis, or bending over the engine bay.




My dad was the one to instill in me a desire to work with my hands. You see, he is a pastor, and a very good one at that. He spends his days with people, showing God's love, and preaching God's Word. However, he loves to work with his hands. I remember him saying that sometimes he thinks he should have just been a mechanic. However, I know God has called him to be a preacher. Through my dad's love of old cars, God has reached many people. Most people in our town know him as "that preacher with the old cars." He has gained a lot of people's respect this way. They know he is a genuine guy, and they feel comfortable talking to him about his cars and then about more important things. He is someone I have seen truly use his gifts and passions for God's glory. He is my dad and my hero!

Now I'm trying to figure out, How do I be like my dad? How do I use my gifts and passions for God's glory? I want to go to Haiti and help rebuild the country after the earthquake. But how do I get there? How do I get the training and the experienced needed? How do I overcome the stereotypes that working with your hands is "man's" work? How do I, as a woman, use the gift of working with my hands and build things? How do I help rebuild people's lives with the Gospel as I rebuilt my Fairlane?

Graduation...what's next...

Well plans have changed for the summer.
I will not be going to Asia... I would have been leaving tomorrow. However, the trip got postponed until October.

I graduated from Montreat on the 14th. It was a crazy, hectic, hot, bittersweet, and memorable day. It was so good to have my family there. I was too caught up in the moment to cry, but seeing my parents was just what I needed this past weekend. I think sometimes I forget just how incredible they are, and also how much I am just like them :)My grandmother (Maw Maw Judy) also came up for the day. I also forget how much I am like her. She is someone who can always make me laugh with her random and blunt comments. The day consisted of lots of pictures and lots of hugs. During all of this I did not even think to say goodbye to friends and professors, which was probably good because it kept me from crying.

That night I went out with some friends. I was reminded of how incredible my friends are, how much I love them, and how protective I am over them.
One friend, Brittany has left me for a year. First she will be in South East Asia for the summer, working with sex trafficking victims. I can't express how proud I am of her. She really is someone who can conquer the world. She is strong and brave, but she is also learning how to be weak and let people help her. After the summer she will be in Kansas City, here she will get to work with at-risk youth. Britt is one of those people who says she hates challenges, but they always find her and she always faces them head on. Saturday night I said, "See you later!" to Brittany (Because we both stink at good byes). I am already missing this sister of mine. She is one of the few people who can easily make me cry. Although you may not know this strong and talented young woman, please join me in praying for her.

That night was so good to just be surrounded by people that I love and people that love me. Over the past couple weeks I have realized how important it is to be there for your friends. I have learned how we are called to love selflessly, thinking of others first.
I have also learned that sometimes I just want to handle things like a boy would and go punch someone in the face when they treat your friend wrong. But girls tend to handle things differently. Instead, they hold grudges, give you the silent treatment, bottle things up for months, finally blow up, and then things are awkward/bad. I guess neither tactics are the right way to handle problems.

Anyway that was a rabbit trail. Back to what I was saying. I lvoe my friends. And I am learning how to love them selflessly. Throughout this semester and eve year I have learned who my true friends are. It sounds cliche, but it's true. Those are the ones who have pushed me to be better, who have called me out and held me accountable, who spoke the truth out of love, who were there to hold me as I cry and listen as I slowly try to explain the things in my head.

So what's next...
This Sunday my friend Sara and I will be moving to Marion, NC. The Lord provided us a furnished place (which is exactly what we needed). He is oh so good! It still blows me away!!

I am in the process of finding a job and hopefully will be makig enough to start paying off loans. I want them gone as quick as possible.

I just want to be out of the country. I want to be doing what I love. I want to be serving and on the mission field. I know I know... the mission field can be right here. I will continue to serve the youth at my church, and will serve whoever the Lord puts me in contact with. I have to keep the right attitude and not always be looking off towards the future.

I am called to love people, all people, even the ones I want to punch in the face, and that is what I'll do! But only with His strength and grace!