Friends are Friends Forever...

So, I just got back last night from a whirlwind trip to Dallas. It was a crazy quick trip, but so much fun!

Erin, Allison, and I left around 6:15am on Thursday morning, and rolled up to her house around 3:15am Friday morning. HOLY MOLY THAT WAS A LONG DRIVE! We stopped for lunch and gas on the Virginia/Tennessee border, dinner outside of Memphis, and a few gas stops here and there, and made it without any problems...well minus the fact that Erin's AC only works in like 10 minute increments, so parts of Tennessee were hot as all get out! We laughed about it though (and tweeted about it) and kept on driving. With the three of us driving, it was that bad. My driving shift was the entire state of Arkansas from around 7:30 until 1 something. I didn't mind, since I'm the night owl of the 3 of us. Just put my ipod on and tried not to get hit by an 18 wheeler or suicidal deer. :)

*Friday we were pretty tired, so we didn't do too much at all. We felt awful! haha.
*Saturday, while Erin was at a job fair, Allison and I went and met some of my girlfriends from DTS. Oh my goodness, that was special. The group of girls I hungout with while I was in seminary are so special to me, and loved me when I needed it the most. I miss them so much.. so to see some of them for lunch while I was in town was so special. I saw 2 of my roommates, met our newest family member, baby Hudson, and 2 other friends. It was so fun to laugh and catch up... and I was happy for Allison to meet them too! That mini reunion was by far one of the best parts of my trip!
*Sunday I got to go to my friend Caleb's church that he planted 2 years ago. Caleb and I (along with our friend Ashley) were the youth interns at my church 6 years ago, and then we all went to seminary together at DTS. I was so stinkin proud of him on Sunday! I mean, I always love seeing my friends do what they love, whether that be music, or preaching, or something else.. but to think back to sitting in the student center with Caleb and hearing his vision and heart for this church he was dreaming up, that the Lord has pressed upon his heart to pastor, and to see it all having actually come to fruition, was incredible. I thought he was a great communicator and visionary back when we were planning dodgeball tournaments and middle school services in 2004... but it just made me so happy to see how much farther he's come since starting Urban Hills. He and his wife Tiffany have worked hard, and I was so blessed on Sunday by the fruits of that labor.
Sunday night we went to the Village Church and I got to hear Matt Chandler speak on suffering. Now, I love the Village and I think Matt Chandler's preaching is great.. so it was no surprise that Sunday evening was incredible. If you don't know about this pastor, he's a pretty popular pastor for young adults right now... we were all saddened and shocked to learn over the winter that he had been diagnosed with brain cancer. Weekly, he uploads video blogs about how he and his family are doing and whats going on with his treatment. He's continued to preach as often as he can at the Village, and has really been an example of how to suffer well. To come on Sunday, where he was talking specifically about suffering was really powerful given his situation. You guys should definitely check out his message. Make sure you have your bible out with you... because my favorite thing about the way he preaches is that his sermons are straight up, breaking down scripture.

*Monday- I had lunch with my camp pastor from last summer, Ryan and his wonderful wife Katie. Ryan and Katie are some of my favorite friends, and lunch was so much fun. Allison came along for that too... and again was so happy to have two of my worlds mesh together (camp and home). Ryan is crazy. That kid brings it when he preaches and I LOVE how passionate he is about the Gospel. He's also hilarious, which is a great combo.

After lunch we met Erin at the Cowboys stadium for a private tour. Holy sweet California! If my parents ever get tired of me, I can move there and no one would know. It's HUGE! The jumbo screens over the stadium are 9 stories tall and 60 yards long. They were playing some video on the screen when we walked in of game clips and uh, the cheerleaders. On a screen that big, the cheerleaders were SCANDALOUS! haha. I probably could have gone my whole life without seeing cleavage 9 stories tall and 60 yards wide! ..... The tour was awesome though. At one point, we were in the locker room when another public tour came in, Erin turned to the guy who was giving us the tour and asked what was behind one of the doors, and he simply swiped his card and led us into the training room, leaving the crowd behind us. Then we got to walk out through the tunnel the players go out from, and run around on the empty field, in the huge empty stadium. It was crazy. I dont like the Cowboys, in fact I yelled "Go Redskins!" as the 3 of us were posing for a picture on the star in the center of the field, but holy moly, you couldnt help but be amazed at the size, the detail, and all the stinkin money that went into that place! It was crazy!

From the last row of the stadium.

Dear Bradie James, I dont know who you are or how well you play football, but I think you and your muscles are lovely. I'll drink a Dr. Pepper with you any day. Call me.
Sincerely, Molly

Allison putting on her makeup in the bathroom of the cheerleaders' locker room.
After we saw the locker room in all it's bright pink glory, we cursed the day we turned down our offers to join the squad.

Allison running a touchdown... until she realized how far a run that would be.

"Go Redskins!"

And that was pretty much our trip. I'm sad we had to leave Erin there. I'm sad that tomorrow is my last day with Allison... but I'm so excited for my friends and all the Lord has planned for them next. I'm sure going to miss them though! I sang Michael W Smith's "Friends are Friends Forever" to Erin as she drove us to the airport. She might act tough, but I think I saw in tear or two in those eyes! Haha!

Roadtrip!

I really should be sleeping, but since I haven't really been doing that much these days, I figured I'd write a blog!

In about 5 1/2 hours, my friends Erin, Allison, and I will be piling into Erin's silver volvo and making our way to the great state of Texas! Erin, who has been our middle school minister the last 2 years is moving back home, to be closer to her family and friends in Dallas. I'm crazy CRAZY sad to see her go, but I'm happy for her, because I know she's really missed home.

It's funny... I applied for Erin's job back 2008, and so when I moved home, and Erin got the job that I wanted, I really didn't want to be her friend. I knew it wasn't her fault, and I knew that that job just wasn't what the Lord had in mind, but it was still a disappointment, and it just made me feel better to be a punk about it. Now, I look back on these last 2 years and I see the friend Erin's been to me, and I'm so incredibly grateful that the Lord brought her here. She's been such an amazing friend and sister in Christ. She's been such a consistent support and encouragement, during some rough days, and I'm so thankful I got to be her friend these last 2 years.

Our friend Allison is also moving away once she and I return to Virginia on Tuesday. She too has been such a constant support and encouragement. I'm going to be so sad to say goodbye to these 2 amazingly wonderful friends. I'm so thankful we're driving to Texas together, and so looking forward to the time we spend hanging out in Dallas. It's going to be a fun, last hoorah!

You should see Erin's car though. That joker is PACKED! :)

While I'm in Dallas, I'm also going to get to see my seminary friends in both Nashville and in Dallas, as well as some camp friends and I stinkin cant wait. There are going to be some sweet reunions these next few days!

Please pray for us as we travel. Pray for me... as I've really been struggling with some things lately that have been causing anxiety and insomnia, as well as a not so pleasant attitude. I want to be happy and have fun in Dallas, and not sad or stressed out....I'll think about that stuff when I get home!

"God is our refuge and strength,
an ever present help in trouble.
Therefore, we will not fear,
though the earth give way,
and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea,
though its waters roar and foam
and the mountains quake with their surging."
Psalm 46

"Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to HIM be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus through all generations forever and ever AMEN." Ephesians 3:20-21

"In the pursuit of joy through suffering, we magnify the all-satisfying worth of the Source of our joy. God himself shines as the brightness at the end of our tunnel of pain. If we do not communicate that He is the goal and the ground of our joy in suffering, then the very meaning of our suffering will be lost. The meaning is this: God is gain God is gain. God is gain! " John Piper

"And the most fundamental thing we can say about God is that he is sovereign. So that is where I begin. I begin at the bottom, the root, the foundation of all we cherish, all the grace, all the love, all the patience, all the faithfulness all the forgiveness, all the security and hope and peace and joy. All these things rest on the deep and glorious sovereignty of God. If God is not sovereign, he is not God, and all our hope is dashed." John Piper

Hope you guys have some fun plans with family and friends for this holiday weekend, but mostly I hope you're taking time to remember and give thanks, that Christ is risen! My church is planning to have a big showing at our Easter services, so much that they've added a 4th service, that starts at 7am...which means those of us on the worship team have sound check at........ 5:45!!! Holy moly. I might die. OR I might not go to bed tomorrow night! It seems easier just to stay up all night rather than wake up so stinkin early. We'll see!

I know it's going to be a good day!

Then in about a week and a half I'm driving with my friend Erin down to Dallas as she makes her move back, closer to family. :( I'm super sad to be losing one of my closest friends, but I'm looking forward to that time we get to spend together.. and then the time I'm getting to spend in Dallas! Hopefully I'll get to eat some real Tex-Mex and see my Dallas friends! Goodness, how I miss those people!

THEN 2 days after that, Mary and I fly out to Kansas City for missionary training for our year in Sudan. We're looking forward to the training and preparing as much as we can before we leave in October. There's so much we have to do though! $12,000 isnt going to raise itself! I just don't know where to begin with the support raising! It's overwhelming me, just a little..and by a little, I mean a lot! Eeek! Definitely something I need prayer for!

Faith, faith and more faith!

Happy Easter friends! Christ is risen!

I'm trying to think of a blog name for the time Mary and I spend in Sudan in the fall. I'd really like to capture that year in writing and pictures. The blog will be a way to stay in touch with all you wonderful people back home, and if Harvesters wants to link us on their website. It'll be different from my personal blog, because i highly doubt strangers/supporters of Harvesters really want to hear my random ramblings..

so who has some ideas?