the [dust] & its [memories]

     As my dry, dirty fingers plunged into the icy water, my mind began to open the files of memories from days gone by.  All of the precious moments from my life in northern Minnesota began to flood my memory.  Why, it doesn’t seem like it was that long ago that I played with these toys or unwrapped this precious gift, but the dusty rag in my hand was pure evidence of the years these objects had spent in storage. 

     I fought back tears as I went from wiping one dusty cabinet to the next.  Life was so different back then.  Life is so different now.  Thoughts of regret and anticipation flooded my mind as I once again plunged the dirty rag into the icy water.  What would my future hold?  Would there be yet another move and more sorting and packing?  Would my friends be left behind and new ones made elsewhere?  Or would my ‘home’ remain in Southeast Asia for years to come?  Would I continue to wish for someone to understand my past?  Or would I be ok with friends who have known me for a few chapters of my life?

     Then my mind went to my family, the ones who have been there the past seventeen [almost eighteen] years, and I thanked God for blessing me with amazing parents and the six men in my life that I’m proud to call MY brothers.  I really couldn’t have asked for something better!

     But all of that didn’t take away the pain of the friend I had always dreamed of—a sister who would be my bestie and know my life story.  Even though it hurt, and still hurts, I know that my story was written by God, not a scriptwriter for Hollywood or a composer of some earthly song, but a Father Who created the universe.  He knows my story from the end to the beginning.  He understands my jumbled words when I feel like they don’t make sense.  He knows every thought before I even think it and He understands my needs without me even having to explain them.

     Then, once again, the tired little girl looks up at the beautiful sky and whispers a prayer of gratitude to her Abba Father for everything, even when it doesn’t make sense!   

And time is coming to an end...

One more week...
One more time doing all these different things...

But why does life bring situations like these? 
Don't get me wrong, I am excited about this coming year..but there are so many goodbyes and so much work..and not to mention all of the processing this mind has been doing...
It just doesn't make a lot of sense!

But then these words come to my mind...

"Let me hold you through
And let me carry you
I know it feels your at the end
But here your story's just beginning
I know your tomorrow
I know where you are
Though you can't see past the moment
I see beauty in the broken"

There's so much for me to do for Him this year...I have no idea what all that is, but I do know that He sees the bigger picture and all I can do is surrender my life into His hands and know that He has everything under control.

If you think of us, please pray!!!
This biggest thing for me is...
"I don't know what it will be like to come back...crazy as it may sound and you are probably wondering why I am worrying about that now when we haven't even left, but...so much can happen to an individual in a year's time...the people I am leaving behind can and most likely will change..and I can and most likely will change..."

Pray that we can make adjustments well..
That we can continue to trust Him in this adventure...
That we will process this part of life well...

Thank you oh so much!
RaVonne Rhodes

Bound in Satan's Chains

     It was one of those many mornings where she was running late for school.  As she left her house, she whispered a prayer for safety on the roads, especially since she had two younger siblings with her.  As she came to an intersection and took the corner, she noticed that the traffic was slowing way down and her heart sank.  It had to be an accident. 
     "God, please help it not to be bad.  God, please help it not to be someone I know."
     A few more yards down the road was an older man laying on the road and his motorcycle was up the street a few feet.  Not being able to keep her eyes off the road very long, the teenage girl made a quick glance at the scene, a little unsure of what she might find and fearing that she might see a lot of blood which would make her faint.  She turned her eyes back to the road and focused on the traffic around her.  But the picture wouldn't go away.  The man hadn't moved at all, but it didn't look too bad.
     "God, please free the man from the bondage he is in.  He is bound in Satan's chains, God.  He was wearing strings around his wrists [this is done to protect people from the spirits], God.  Please send someone to share You and Your love with him.  Save him, Father!" 
     Unable to do anything, she continued on...but the rest of that day was completely different.  Not just because a life was at risk, but the thought that so many people are bound in Satan's chains. 
     Innocently, many people wear strings and bracelets around their wrists because it's cool.  In other cultures, this is a sign that is supposed to keep you safe from the spirits, not to make you look cool, but people are making it a part of their fashion.
     "Father God, show me the balance in knowing where I need to be different from the world.  I don't want to be bound in Satan's chains.  I don't want to be wrapped up in something that is giving Satan leverage in my life." 

When His plans over.ride my plans...

Usually every individual longs to finish his school work and be free.
But often they go into college and hit the books for several more years...
Well, my story is kinda like this and kinda not...
So grab a cup of coffee and hang on for the ride...
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Several years ago: The Rhodes family planned a year of "facing a new set of problems."
Destination: Reading, PA
Plan A: Mr. Rhodes [the first] [wait, not really, but you get it, right?] would find a job, RaVonne would find a job and begin life in the big world, the boys would go to school, and Mrs. Rhodes [no need to insert the first here..esp since that wouldn't be correct either] would be at home with the little bro.

When night, still several years ago, my parents were discussing some school things for that year and I was listening in...[don't worry, it wasn't a private meeting]..the main topic was what the boys would get to experience..basketball with a REAL team, a bigger school, attending convention, ect...
My first response was that's great for them, but what about me? [take note of the selfish attitude here]..It just didn't seem fair that they could experience all of this and I was going to work! What type of life is that? [insert sarcasm] ... I have dreamed of playing on a volleyball team [even though it isn't my top fav. sport], being in a big school, singing in a choir, and all that jazz..well, I remember telling God that night, right before I went to bed, that I would love to do that..."If it would be at ALL possible, would there be some way that You could work that out?" Then I drifted off to sleep and forgot all about that, until....

The beginning of this year the whole thing of going to school was discussed..[it had been discussed earlier, but I was SURE that it wouldn't happen]...It was possible that I could wait to graduate till the following year and do some schooling at Fairview...well, who in the world waits to graduate when they could be done.."nobody does that, dad!  Why would I go to school for a FIFTH year of highschool? People usually don't graduate late unless they aren't very smart or stuff like that..I don't want to do that!"
But it didn't end there...My dad talked with me about it several times and I started really thinking...was it THAT weird? 
If you ask my family, they would probably say I was slightly, no, really, overwhelmed with the whole thing...the decision was up to me..not my parents...
I prayed and prayed and prayed..talked to different people about it...my dad emailed the school principal about it to see if it would really work..[mean while i was hoping he would just say no so that i would know for sure what i was supposed to do]...his response was this [or something to this degree..not the exact words :) ] "You only get to experience highschool once in a life time..." :) :) :)
You can imagine how I felt!

Then, one afternoon, I was getting ready to go somewhere, and this story came back to me...[the one a few paragraphs up] .... It was one of those conversations with God...

"RaVonne, remember when you told Me that you wanted to experience a big school and all of that?  You said that you wanted to do it if there would by any possible way!
RaVonne, your heart for teenagers isn't something to ignore...what if you wouldn't be able to reach teens through your job, if you would get one?  Here is an open door, from Me, your Father.  You are going to be with teenagers five days a week.  Couldn't that be a ministry?"

My eyes filled with tears of joy... this was all too wonderful...

"But God, I don't want to graduate late..what about that?"

"RaVonne, just not long ago, AT ALL, you wrote on your blog about surrender...what do you think I was preparing you for then?  Would you really consider your wants and status instead of My will?  As much as you love teenagers, would you really give them up and not show them who I am and graduate on time?"

By this time I was completely overwhelmed...I couldn't really believe that God was doing this through someone like me...How stupid could I be to consider my will inplace of His?

So, I planned to finish my highschool work in four years...I would then take the fifth year to do some other electives that I would love to do and also to improve some of my gifts...
There have been many moments of freaking out...but I think back to that one afternoon when He told me what He wanted....There is no greater joy, then to be at the center of His will!

I would appreciate your prayers as I go through this next year...It won't all be fun and games..but I can't wait to see what all He has in store for me...and for the school in Reading, PA!

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Thank you so much for joining me in my story...so many of you have been such an encouragement to me in all of this! The whole story is completely of God...I can't take credit for ANY of it!

My prayer is that all of you will be encouraged to follow His calling on your life...Give Him everything..you won't have anything to lose!

So long, for now...and tune back in to hear more about this coming year..

The Importance of Teenage Decisions

There's something that pulls at my heart every time I interact with teenagers.
It's the feeling you get when you can sense that something bad is going to happen.
The feeling of regret after you've passed up an incredible opportunity.
It's that knot in your stomach feeling. [Ever have that?]

I honestly believe that it's the longing for my generation to whole-heartedly seek after God that gives me this feeling.
If you could put it this way, I would say it's 'my people group' to reach for Him.

That is the inspiration for this blog post along with the need to prepare for my speech tomorrow!
If you are a teenager, I hope you will continue to read this and hopefully, by God's grace, be encouraged to use all of your energy for Him, and Him alone!



     Everyone has, is, or will go through a time in life in which they are called a teenager.  These are foundational years that prepare you for your future.  These years begin the mold of who you are and who you will become.  As a teenager, you are going to be faced with decisions that may not seem very important, but to tell you the truth, they are.  Every decision, whether great or small, can effect who you will become.  These years won't and CANNOT be replaced, so you need to make sure that you are carefully making decisions and following the path that God has for you!

     There is an expectation for teenagers in this world, and it is completely different than God's idea of who we should be.  There is a norm for teenagers, but it doesn't need to be the expectation.  The world expects us to be lazy, disrespectful, undisciplined, do-what-we-want, monsters.  It sounds crazy, I know, but when you look at what people think we will accomplish during these years, it isn't much.  They expect us to party, hate school, do what we want when we want, and have fun all the time.  Really what that is, is wasting time.  God didn't give us these years to waste.  We are to use these years to prepare us for the future.  Don't give in to the expectation.  Give it up!

     One of the big choices that effects people is the choice of friends.  We all have friends and we love to be with them.  But, in case you didn't know, these people that we spend a lot of time with, can impact our lives more than we realize.  Sometimes it's for the better, and sometimes it's for the worse.  You don't want to have friends that are going to lead you on a path to a destination you don't want to reach.  Your close friends should be chosen wisely.  Make sure the people you are with the most are influencing you in all the right areas of life and that they are wanting what is best for you!
     You also need to be a friend!  You can't take, take, take in a relationship and not expect to give.  That also means that you need to be a friend who is leading others in the right direction.  You want to be encouraging your friends in their faith and helping them through the tuff things in life.  Make sure you are benefiting, not hurting their lives!

     Another important decision that we as teenagers need to make is how we are going to spend our time.  We have quite a bit of free time to do whatever we want.  It is important that we spend it wisely.  Time can fly by and before we know it, we have wasted an hour or two.  The important thing isn't how much free time you have vs. your buddies amount of spare time, it's how you spend it.  You can surf the Internet, play computer games, watch movies, read books, and hang out with your friends and those things aren't wrong, but how much do they really benefit us?  Are they helping us build our relationship with God?  A lot of those things are usually just for fun, and that isn't wrong either, but having fun shouldn't be the basis of our decision on how we are going to spend the next hour or two.  These moments of free time here and there could be spent in the Word, praying, journaling, or building friendships that need to be pursued.  Nobody can judge how you spend your time, that's between you and God, but I want to encourage you to make sure it is really helping you, and that you aren't just having fun.

     There are many more decisions that we as teenagers face, but I won't share all of them now.  I want to encourage you to make sure that each and every decision, whether great or small, is made carefully.  There is a four word question that has taken new meaning for me recently. 
    "What would Jesus Do?"
      Now your probably like, "Really, RaVonne?  That's an old quote!"
     Ya, really!  If it seems like such an old and easy quote, than use it to make your decisions.  I have found out that if I base my decisions on that question, the answers are very clear. 

So I want to encourage you to try it!  Use those four words to make your decisions!  It won't be easy to always do the right thing, but the reward is so much greater!
 

A Sunday afternoon inspiration...

This is one of those inspired blog posts where you don't really know where to start and stop...lots of things running through your mind...
I watched a clip on worship this afternoon and was challenged...here are some of the things that stood out to me through that clip...
[hang on, because it's a conglomeration of thoughts]

John 10:27
My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me:

In order to know a voice, you have to hear it more than once... you need to stay in tune with them...
In this verse, it says that His sheep know His voice...do you know His voice?  You have to stay in tune to Him to know what His voice sounds like...There are so many other things that can distract us, but we need to take the time to hear from Him and to worship Him.

God has called you to something right now.  Whether it seems like a BIG job, or a normal, every day type of job, it IS important! Don't focus on what you are going to do five or ten years from now, be faithful in what He has for you at this very moment!  He will continue to lead you in the future just like He has in the past...He didn't bring you to this moment and let you set!  There is a purpose for you now...keep following His voice!
"Comparison will keep you from doing what God wants you to do!"

There are so many people that are ok with worshiping God on Sunday mornings and leaving it at that...but to know His voice, we need to spend time with Him every day... We need to be John 10:27 children. [A child who know His Father's voice.]  Not someone who's ok with second-hand information or already-been-chewed information, but someone who continually seeks God throughout the week!

Sometimes we are going to have to go against our culture or tradition or worship.  Like the woman who pushed through the crowds of people to touch His robe after being sick for so long, we need to push through the crowds of people...People are going to look at us and make fun of us, but that's ok.  Don't be stuck in tradition.  Don't just do what everyone else does for worship.  [but DON'T do it for a scene either!]  It's supposed to be worship [to honor or reverence as a divine being or supernatural power]!

Here is the clip that inspired this! :)
It's worth your time!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fn775PDljhg

The Greatest Christmas Gift

here's my convention story for all of you who wanted to read it!

The Greatest Christmas Gift

It was the beginning of December in Nashwauk, Minnesota and the snow was falling in giant, fluffy flakes.  School had just ended a few hours before and sixteen-year-old Annie Holt was sitting at the kitchen table trying to finish her stack of homework.  Finally, after a boring hour and a half of geometry, she gladly slammed the book shut and stared out the window at the beauty of the cold, white world.  How she longed to skip ahead past the next two weeks of program practice and exams and jump into Christmas where all the joy and festivities existed, but for now she was stuck in reality. All she could do was dream of the beautiful, black leather jacket that she saw at the mall.  She couldn’t wait to rip open the shiny red paper on Christmas Eve and put on the jacket that she had dreamed of for three long months.

            Christmas vacation came a whole lot faster than Annie thought it would, but she didn’t mind at all.  In fact, she was so excited that she could hardly sleep.  With the next day being Christmas Eve, Annie had lots of festivities to anticipate.  Sleep was definitely a must!

            “Come on, sleepy-head.  We can’t sleep the holidays away!”  Annie shook her nineteen-year-old brother who loved to sleep in.  She couldn’t understand how someone could sleep in when the world outside was being covered in a blanket of soft, white snow and the long awaited day of opening presents was finally here.

            Supper time came and the delicious feast was spread before them.  After prayer, they all eagerly dug into each dish and the delightful meal was finished in no time.  The cleanup was done rather quickly and then the special moment of the gift giving arrived.

            As the Holt family gathered around the fireplace, Brad began to read the Christmas story from Luke 2, a wonderful family tradition that had been going since the children were young.  Even though Annie loved the Christmas story, she found it hard to keep her attention in the right place.  The story seemed to last forever, but finally the moment arrived.  As she tore through the paper, pictures of her school friends exclaiming over her beautiful jacket flashed through her mind, but when she pulled back the last piece of paper, her smile faded and her heart sank.  There, in the lovely red paper, was a backpack, not the jacket.  Her mind raced for words to express some gratitude to her parents for the useful gift they had given, but she couldn’t find any.  All she could do was whisper a thank you, even though she didn’t really mean it.

            After all the paper was thrown in the trash and Brad and Annie had gone to their rooms, Mr. and Mrs. Holt held a small conference to decide what to do with their disappointed daughter.  Here they had tried to get something that would be useful instead of some more stuff, but instead of it making her happy, it caused her to go into a deep hole, one that she hid in when she didn’t know how to respond to a situation.   Finally, Mr. Holt came up with an idea!

            The following morning was Christmas day and the entire family decided to sleep in, all that is, but Mr. Holt.  He had made up his mind that he would run to town that holiday morning to pick up the jacket for a Christmas day gift for his daughter.  After checking in on both of his children, he jumped in his pickup and headed for town.

            At eight thirty, an hour after Mr. Holt had left, the phone rang.  Surprised that they were receiving a call that early on a holiday morning, Mrs. Holt picked it up with great anticipation, only to find out that her husband had been in an accident.  He had been hit by a salt truck in an intersection and died immediately. 

            The family got ready as fast as they could and rushed to the hospital where their father and husband had been taken.  Full of sadness, they stared at the body that lay limp on the stretcher.  With their arms wrapped around each other, they cried for hours.  Their Christmas, that they had anticipated for so long, brought change that none of them wanted to admit, especially Annie.

            All she could do was picture her father sitting on their soft carpet, the night before, with a twinkle in his eyes as he handed the beautifully wrapped gift to her.  How could she have been upset with him?  Why did she complain about not getting the leather jacket instead of being content with the backpack that she was given?  Instead of worrying about herself and the presents, she should have enjoyed being with her family.  Now that chance was gone and she would never have it again.

            Later, as she sat on her bed and stared out the window, she tried to comprehend the love that her father had for her.  He loved her so much that he got up that morning to go buy her the jacket that she had been dreaming of for months.  In some ways it was as if her father had given his life for her.  Then it hit her-the real meaning of Christmas!  God loved the world so much that He sent His very own, precious Son to earth, a crummy place where sin exists.  Jesus was willing to come and die for her sin so that she could have everlasting life.

            Ever since the accident that cold, winter day, Annie looks at Christmas in a different way.  It’s not about receiving gifts and eating special food, but about the most sacrificial gift of all, Jesus coming to earth.  Just like Annie’s father gave his life for a gift for her, Jesus gave His life as a gift for the world.