This past weekend we went to Auburn for their homecoming weekend. It was good to see friends and hang out. We went to Nat's KD banquet one night and this is a picture of all of us
From the left: Mama Joan, Emily, Natalie, Me, Caleb (Nat's boyfriend) and Papa Paul in the back!Although Auburn was fun, my favorite part of the weekend was going to Birmingham for Secret Church. Like I said before it was 6 hours (6 to midnight) which is a LONG time to sit in church. I was a skeptic going into it, but I was quickly convinced it would be worth it. We got in there and some of our ranch friends were there so we sat with them.. We had a little bit of worship and then we dug right in. The material we were covering was Angels, Demons, and Spiritual Warfare. It was so thought provoking but I loved that Dr. Platt gave so much background from the word. When you walk in the door they give you an outline, 81 pages to be exact, of notes. Scripture to back up everything he said. At the beginning of his talk he said a little about taking things out of context and how its so important to read not just a verse or two but to get a true understanding of what is going on in the passage because otherwise you can get the bible to essentially say anything you want it to.
Here's how the material was broken up:
1. Angels (Who are they? How are they organized? What do they do? How do they relate to us?)
2. Demons (Who are they? How are they organized? What do they do? How do they relate to us?)
3. Spiritual Warfare (Old Testament and Spiritual Warfare, Christ and Spiritual Warfare, The Church and Spiritual Warfare)
4. Controversial Questions (What about deliverance ministry, Can a Christian be demon possessed, Should we talk with demons (conversing, naming, binding demons)? and can we acquire or inherit demons from other people or places).
Between segments we had breaks so it was nice to get up and get some refreshments and stretch our legs. Before the breaks we would do something different each time. Once we had members of the church that had come from a persecuted church and they shared their story. It was amazing to hear their journey and I was astounded to hear that these things still happen around the world today. It made me realize how isolated America is and how we truly are spoiled. Another time we prayed for different areas around the world where there are lots of people being persecuted for their faith. I prayed for China because each notebook came with 1 of 10 different areas and facts about that place and that was the location in my notebook.
Dr. Platt is such a gifted teacher, entertainer, and pastor who really knows the word and understands the heart of God and his people. He has traveled to many of these places himself so its very close to his heart and he's very passionate about ministry to these places. So it wasn't until about 11:40 that I really started to feel tired, he went about 30 minutes over (which isn't bad considering all the material we covered) so by the time we were done it was close to 1 am. It was well worth it though.
Today was my last day at work... I didn't do a whole lot with patients because I really just didn't feel like working. Haha so I didn't. I just hung out. The whole crew at the hospital was so sweet. They made me come into the break room and had balloons and cake and cards and sweet little gifts. Some of the girls I work with but had their off days even came up to say goodbye. It was really nice of them.
So for those of you Grey's Anatomy fans out there, this was on this past week and I got tears when I heard her say this. It sums up why I love working with these kids. I know this is corny quoting Grey's Anatomy, but I don't care. Because it was well said.
"These are tiny humans. These are children. They believe in magic. They play pretend. There is fairy dust in their I.V. bags. They hope and they cross their fingers and they make wishes. And that makes them more resilient than adults. They recover faster, survive worse. They believe. In peds, we have miracles and magic. In peds, anything is possible."
Some news on the apartment: After a few hiccups, we have got it all worked out. The lease should be ready to sign on Monday which means I will get to move in when I drive into town.. Yayyy! So if anyone wants to come to dallas and help move in, feel free!
This weekend we are going to Athens for the UGA/Auburn game. Emily is really excited as this is her alma mater and she has been dying to return to Sanford Stadium.
"Although the Lord gives you the bread of adversity, and the water of affliction, your teachers will be hidden no more; with your own eyes you will see them. Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, 'This is the way; walk in it.'"
Isaiah 30:20-21
