Ashes

So I know I haven't blogged since last summer. I was planning on blogging on my mission trip last July, but there was not time or access to do so. I hope to keep this current as a chronicle of what's going on in my life, if for nothing else, to have a record of things that I would normally forget.

I was thinking about the title of my blog page "Ash for the Kingdom" the other day. When I created the blog the title represented what I was feeling at the time. I am supporting and working toward the Kingdom of Christ. Ash for the Kingdom. But as I thought about it the other day it took on a different meaning for me altogether. All of these posts, everything I do, it's simply ashes for the Kingdom. God doesn't need me. He doesn't need any of us. Everything we do is but ashes. One day everything we have will be ashes. No matter what we do, we can never add to God's Kingdom. We can simply humble ourselves and realize how big and mighty and powerful our God is and then submit to His will. We must realize that all we have is ash. I don't know how much you know about ash though. It's not useless. My dad actually sells ash to concrete and building companies. You know why? It increases the value of the concrete and building material. It creates a cool bond within the rest of the concrete that makes it super strong. If you don't believe me go read about it at http://www.flyash.com/. However, if not used properly, ash can be a pollutant. This is just like our lives! If we bring our "ashes" to God, he can then use us for His purpose, for the Kingdom, and we can be as strong as He is! I don't know about you, but I'm going to bring my "Ash" to God and let Him determine how it's used. :)

For those of you who don't know, I will be heading out on May 31 on my way to Malindi, Kenya. I'm SUPER excited about getting to spend all summer interning with the missionaries there on the coast of Kenya. I had an unforgettable experience there on our mission trip last summer and I can't wait to spend 2 months serving alongside the Bourlands and the Taylors.

To learn more about the work that is going on in East Kenya, go to http://eastkenyamissions.com/.

Until I get there though, there is much to do! The last month of school is a CRAZY time. You really can't imagine this unless you are a teacher or are in a family with teachers. We have already had a fun-filled May, and it's only the 5th! On May 1st we visited the middle school to get the kids pumped up about 6th grade, on May 2nd it was my sister's birthday, on May 3rd we hosted the 3rd graders to come see where they'll be going to school next year, on May 4th we had our last FCA meeting and our Field Day, and today, May 5th, we had our last Robotics competition! Mixed in there was our final deadline for ordering tickets to Destination ImagiNation Global Finals! We have 3 teams from our school competing in the international competition May 22-27 in Knoxville, TN. I am so excited that so many of our students get to participate, but boy is it a lot of work to get everything ready! We've been fundraising for the last 2 months to get all of our students the chance to go on this trip! Please pray for me as I try to cram in the end of the year and preparations for Africa!

In Christ,
Ashley