I took this picture in August while spending a few day in Paris. I was exhausted from the twelve days I had just spent in Oxford and London, but I was in Paris. The city of lights, the city of love, one of the most beautiful cities in the world. Out of all the things I remember while being there was how well the people treated us. I am not a person who can speak French very well, and while being over there we were told that people don't like Americans that come with an "expectation" that they will speak English. I tried to speak as much French as I knew (which wasn't a lot) but I failed miserably. I would try and the workers at a restaurant or market would see me struggle and then speak to me in English. Not one person I encountered while being there was rude to my friends and I. I still can't believe the things that have happened, I'd give anything to be back over there. When 9/11 hit they held an American flag to show they supported us. For the first time since 1889 the city of lights went dark. Now in this time crisis we need to stand by them. Paris is in a state of emergency. News has just come in that Isis has struck in Paris Friday night in several different places. There is two suicide bombers that have struck in Paris and many people are scared. One of the main attacks was in the Bataclan Concert Hall during a performance by Eagles of Death Metal concert. It was one of the four venues that were targeted in attacks. The venues were a soccer stadium, restaurant, concert hall, and a movie theater. The devastation is continuing to grow. At least 100 people were held hostage inside the venue. We have received word that they are now being released from the two attackers that were keeping them inside. The number of deaths is at 40 people as we know at the moment. And it just keeps getting worse. The president has called for a state of mergency and no one is going in or out of Paris. Many are escaping but it is now being brought out that about 100 people may be dead. One man has been arrested and he has stated that he was Syrian and hired by Isis with two others to perform this attack. Isis keeps growing and this problem keeps getting worse. President Obama has come out and said that there should not be speculations on who is attacking. This statement alone is sickening. He will not call this what it really is. He is dancing around the truth and is trying to avoid it. The attacks keep coming and the devastation is sickening. The lives that have been lost are continuing to grow. Continue to pray with us for this country and the people that they have been lost and those that are suffering from the loss.
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God has a funny way of bringing things together in your life. he knows exactly what hes doing when it comes to a plan for your life. being able to meet with Dustan and Darlene Stanley was probably the best decision I've made in a while. from the moment i heard that they were in town from one of their missions trips, i knew i needed to talk to them. i had first heard of them on JCTV with their TV show on their missions trips and how they have traveled the world together sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ. On Friday night I was prompted by my mother to contact them and see if we could meet during the time that they were staying here in California. A few hours after contacting them they replied to meet with me the following Wednesday for coffee at a place in Tustin. Surprised they even responded I agreed to meet, and my excitement shot through the roof. come Wednesday morning I was under the impression we were meeting at 11am, checked my phone at 9am, we talked about meeting at 10am. As my stress levels started to jump i promptly got dressed and made my way over there. before I left there had been some conflict with my other as I was leaving, and everything seemed to be going wrong. In the middle of my stressing i stopped the worldly music calmed myself down and started praying. I was asking for the Lord to be able to use me during this time and prepare myself for what he had in store in the time to come.
As I pulled into the parking lot the rush of reality started to hit. This couple that I had followed for so many years was about to meet with me in person. I walked to the back of the coffee shop (where they informed me they were already sitting) and as i saw them, I had to stop for a second and really let it sink in that they were really there. My heart raced as I opened the door, as I walked out they both arose to greet me with a warm welcome and a hug. We sat down and started talking about the church I have been attending since I was a child. Come to find out Darlene is actually related to one of our old youth leaders and the humor of living in such a small world began our conversation. from there we started talking about my schooling and my life as a college student. From there our conversation began to take the path of knowing what God's calling is for my life. I start by sharing how I feel i'm on the right path of what God wants me to do with my life, but there have only been hints given and nothing specific yet. Dustan then begins to share how since he was a little boy he would look in the mirror and speak as if he was speaking to a live audience. He starts sharing how Darlene as a little girl would pack her bags waiting for Jesus to take her to Africa in the middle of the night. As young people they were given hints as to what God was leading them to as adults. We then start the transition into discussing relationships and how easy it can be as young person to desire to fall in love and become one with the person God has for you. I begin to share of my heartbreaks in the past and how by stepping out to do my own thing I only ended up being hurt and left broken. As a woman who has dedicated her life to the ministry and following the plan God has for me I really don't have time to be focusing on other things. By following the ways of this world I was caught up in my own selfish ambitions and ended up being broken and hurting someone else in the process. I have also committed myself to saving my first kiss for my wedding day and for almost 19 years I have been able to keep that commitment. It has been a challenge and I haven't made it easy for myself but with God's help and the help of my parents I have been able to keep away from crossing boundaries I will regret in the future. Dustan starts sharing how he had been in a long-term relationship before meeting Darlene, and shares how difficult it was for him to cut the connection after being emotionally attached for so long. He tells how as of now he can't even remember details of the past relationship thanks to God healing his heart and making him whole again. it took a while for him to come to the place of being right with God again but after he stopped fighting to do things his way. Once he was able to give himself up and let the Lord move five months later he met Darlene. Darlene on the other-hand had been in the same position too, she had been hurt in the past and was ready to let God move and have his way. She knew as a young woman she was called to missions and wanted someone who would walk alongside her in her calling. Being instructed by her mother, she was given the words of wisdom, "Don't look for someone who says they have a heart for missions, find someone who's already apart of missions." Not knowing that Dustan had already been on several missions trips and knew that was his calling. During the time Dustan had devoted himself to stop searching and let the Lord move, Darlene had done the same. Five months after those commitments were made they met up as he found her blog and started reading about her trip to Thailand. They got in contact and started talking from there. During the next three months they began to talk more frequently, both were cautious though. Keeping their hearts guarded and "testing the waters" so to say, to see whether this was the right direction they needed to go. After sometime Dutsan agreed to meet with Darlene as he had made a trip from Mississippi to California to see her. Meeting up with a, friend he started making his way to see her at her church in Anaheim. His buddy was into riding motorcycles (this is where the story gets interesting.) As they were making their way to Anaheim they get into an accident on the 5 freeway and Dustan's foot appears to be broken. With no contacts in California, they are forced to call Darlene to come and help them out. As she makes her way over to Inglewood with her mother, the two are patiently waiting. it was a crazy first meet but it was definitely an exciting one. A couple days later Dustan, with his black and blue bruised ankle was talking with Darlene and she feels led to pray for him. After she gets done praying he's able to walk on his foot, and its better than it was before. Over the next couple days they began talking and meeting more, after meeting her family, they knew he was the one. There had been a peace and confirmation that ha set into the heart's of her parents. Being a little skeptical about him (only to protect herself and her heart) she was relying on her parents to be able to hear from the Lord on this one. She wanted it to be the right decision if she carried on with this, there was no room for mistakes. After she flew out to meet his family they agreed as well. A little while after that Dustan flew out to see Darlene and (with permission from her parents) he proposed and they were married in the fall of 2006. Two years later they began filming their show about their travels. Being a person who believes in True-Love and fairy tale endings I was blown away. I have been reading a book by a pastor who is also a close friend called "Single For Now" and one of the sections explains about finding yourself as a whole before being joined to someone else. Many believe that when two people get married they become a pair but as Tammy Sevcov likes to put it "With God, his math is always Multiplication," so instead of having "1+1=2" God sees it as "1x1=1." Being a single person is supposed to be the sweetest and most enjoyable time of a person's life (through him) before being paired up. If a person though during their single life is focused on being married and worrying about not "ending up alone" they can lose sight of who God is trying to create them to be. As a young adult, I am beginning to find out who I am. How can i be expected to then go take care of someone so-to-speak if I don't even know who I am or what I am called to do? I need to become "whole" myself before I go into anything else or else I can become distracted and make a wrong decision. How can one be expected to enter a destination in a GPS if they haven't been told what that destination is? You need to know where you're going before you can start making your way there. We kept talking and began to move into knowing "who you are" and staying focused on the path that is set before you before and enjoying every moment of it. Discovering who you are is the most exciting thing of you're life. Enjoy it while it's here, because it's only for a short while before the transition into the real world fully takes place. Before out time ended they were prompted to pray over me and give me a word of encouragement. Dustan started to share that he felt led to give the analogy of staying focused and "As you focus on God and his path, you won't be swayed by any distractions." He ended by telling me "Not to settle!" Darlene was also prompted to pray that I be surrounded by those like-minded and keep on the path that is set before me. Our time together was short, but it has left an impact on me that the way I've been raised, the way that i'm living is the on the right track. I have made mistakes in my past that I am not proud of, but everything has taught me a lesson and has made me the person I am now. I am not sorry for the life I have lived, I am exactly where I need to be. God has an amazing plan for my life and I am excited to see what it is going to be. this journey is one I will never get back. Life is good, god is good, he knows what he's doing. Among the chaos of life and the ups and downs keeping the noise down and letting God speak is crucial. As long as I put myself in the position to hear him speak I will be okay. I wait in anticipation to be able to meet with the amazing couple again. Today was entirely different than what I expected, but God knew it was EXACTLY what I needed. God is good! |
AuthorReggie is a college gradute with a degree in English. She loves traveling and hopes to one day stay on the battle field for missions. Life is a book and everyday is an adventure, follow her on this journey and see the world through her eyes. Archives
November 2017
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