Sheep

Sometimes life hands you crazy situations, and then sometimes you find yourself on a hunt for sheep. Last Monday while out to lunch with the staff from Brookside we were discussing a news article about a woman who has a couple sheep mow her grass. As a result we were all rather curious and drove to the neighborhood where they were. The news article didn't give an address, so a few questions to the mailman and neighbors later we found ourselves in front of the women's prison taking pictures of two sheep! I couldn't believe what was happening, here I was standing just a few minutes from downtown Indianapolis taking pictures of sheep in someone's front yard. This women who owns the sheep is amazing, she uses them for her grass as well as the vacant lots in the neighborhood. It is amazing the different ways community development works itself out. I am thankful that God allowed this women to be creative with the resources that were given to her and that the Brookside staff are spontaneous :)

2 Jacob's Sheep

You can find the rest of the story here: http://www.indystar.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2012210200332&nclick_check=1

Cheesy grins.

This is Janiya.
First grader.
Full of energy.
So loving.
Loves pepperoni pizza.
Her smile kills me :)


She is growing up in the Brookside neighborhood and is going to be the next generation. Please pray for this girl!

This is the sanctuary of Brookside. 

It is starting to become home to me. 

A place of fellowship. 

A gathering of family. 

A place of worship of the one true God. 

Serve

This past Sunday I was able to serve my church family at Brookside by working in the nursery and helping with the backpack giveaway!

Working with these people is one of the greatest feelings, standing in the nursery holding baby Sara while talking to her mother about her struggles with life and only being nineteen years old.  It is me helping ten year old Genesis blow his nose because he was born mentally challenged and is unable to do it himself. It was me loving on a three old girl while her mother is listening to the sermon. As I walk out of this, one of a kind nursery, I can smell poverty on my clothes from being with all of these young children who just need some loving.

The backpack giveaway was an awesome event, we were able to supply the kids from Brookside church and surrounding neighbor with backpacks filled school supplies according to their grade level need. There was a bounce house, shirt making and face painting. It was great to see the church people having fun with each other! I am looking forward to getting to know the church family better :)

Brookside

I have recently started my internship at Brookside Community Church. This is one of the best opportunities that I have ever been given.

It all started this past May when a fellow student of mine brought his pastor and secretary to Papa Roux(the Cajun restaurant where I am employed). It just so happened that I was clocking out as they came in to eat. So I sat down with them as they ate and they started asking me questions. I began to talk about my dilemma of where I was going to church. I told them I was at this great church that was solid biblically and I was really growing but it was not urban ministry focused and I really needed to be somewhere where I was able to practice and experience what I was learning in the classroom. They invited me to attend Brookside and then I visited the following week and went out to lunch with Pastor Stone and his wife.

 In the following weeks we began to discuss an opportunity for me to be the first intern at Brookside. It was an exciting time for me as I had been offered something that was greater than I had ever imagined. I then continued to attend Brookside on Sunday mornings, meanwhile the details for this internship were being nailed down. I am in the second week of ministry at Brookside and I absolutely love it! I know that God worked out all the crazy details and only HE could make this possible!

Greeting Cards

I loathe cards.

Today I went to the card section of Target to choose a card for my Dad. I looked at almost everyone and I didn't have the desire to buy anyone of them. They are terrible. I mean when did we get lazy enough to not write down our own feelings about someone that we love and care about? I kept searching I wanted to buy a card, why? Well because that is what we do on holidays here. We buy cards. We keep Hallmark in business. Cards are just an excuse to not really say what we feel... They are dishonest and the pictures are even awful. So with all of these things going through my mind, I walked straight away from the card section.

With that being said, I will be writing my Dad a letter this year, telling him how I really feel.

I would encourage you to be creative this year and to be honest with the ones that you love.

Summer.
This summer will be a very different kind of summer.
I will be working at Papa Roux like usual and I will also be doing an internship at Brookside Community Church. I am looking forward to starting sometime in June. I am excited to see what God has in store for the summer and the things He will be teaching me through this amazing opportunity.
I will have more details coming soon!
I am hoping to regularly blog about my experiences this summer so keep your eyes open. :)

Some of my cousin's and I favorites

1. shrinky dinks
2. ketchup packets from chickfila
3. Brittney from Glee
4. staying in bed all day just because you can.
5. The Hob Lob
6. Crafts
7. Red Balloons
8. Roadtrips
9. grilled cheese
10.shamrock shakes
11. those not a cloud in the sky sunny days
12. crunchy leaves
13. cuddling with sleeping babies
14.banana milkshakes
15. scarfs
16. skinny jeans
17. clothes right out of the dryer
18.dandelions when you can make a wish
19. chocolate milk
20. thunderstorms
21. looking through old photos
22. pennycan
23. socks
24. bubbles
25. movies that you love but make you want to jump off a bridge
26. peacock feathers
27. playing sardines
28. cashing in spare change and having a lot more than you thought
29. cupcakes with lots of frosting
30. surprising people

april showers brings may flowers.

reverse french mani.