THANK YOU

Dear Friends and Family,

I just wanted to write one final letter saying THANK YOU for all of your support over these last eight months. I have seen the Lord provide in so many ways this year, and many of you were the answer to many prayers, as $12,000 fully came in by March 1st.

This year has been full of so much discipleship, studying, learning, teaching, understanding, and building a foundation that I can rest my faith and hope on the rest of my life. I have learned the blessings that come along with faith and trust in Jesus Christ, and I am excited to continue to serve and teach all that I have learned this year.

As part of The Forge, we studied for two weeks in Israel, as a culmination of all that we had studied and learned throughout the entire year. Leslie Strader wrote it in a perfect way for the Tyler Morning Telegraph when she said, “Along the way, something shifted inside each of us. The bone-tiredness we all felt was offset by the beauty of what we saw. We were filled with a rare joy. Rare because we had seen and felt and smelled and touched things we knew were holy. Not holy as in something to be worshipped, but holy in how uncommon they were set against the notions we came with. We were replacing imagination with the real thing. To see where Jesus was born and lived his days on the earth, to dip your toes in the water he walked on and climb the mountainside where he went alone and prayed. To make yourself look at the place he suffered so that you might have life. And to step into the tomb those brave women found empty on that bright, beautiful morning. It's like looking into his eyes and seeing a love you didn't know existed.”

Throughout The Forge, that love has become so real and genuine, as I have served in ways that I never thought I could, stretched myself in ways that made me grow, and learned what life truly can look like when you commit to loving the Lord your God with all your all your heart, with all your soul, with all your might, and loving your neighbor as yourself.

Thank you for coming alongside me in this journey and making it possible through so much encouragement, prayer, and support. I am excited to begin teaching in the fall and apply so much of what I have learned to my career as a teacher and to my life as I continue to follow where the Lord leads.

So much love and thank you again,

Tabitha 

Christmastime at Pine Cove

Camp in the summer is always fun and in full swing...but camp in the winter...who knew that Pine Cove is going all year, and this year I've gotten to be involved and see so many different aspects of the different seasons. 

I had the privilege of working a conference just a few weeks before Christmas, and it was such a fun few days spent with families and their kiddos. We made gingerbread houses, used more paint, glue, and glitter than I thought was possible in arts and crafts, dressed up for Christmas skits, and as always had some great worship and speaker sessions.

This was our small little team of champions during the Gingerbread House Competition...the stakes were high, and as much as I wish I could say our house is the one on the right...I'm proud to claim that candy yard and fallen down house in the middle. :) A fun night! 

Got to be in a Pine Cove skit...which if you know a lot about Pine Cove you know skits are the epitome of camp fun...I was Ellie the Elf with my friend Eddie the Elf and we were working hard to get things ready in Santa's Workshop...but the two "Lumberjerks" came along and wanted to chop down all the trees and destroy the workshop...throughout the weekend we finally brought them back to the true meaning of Christmas and had them turn their chopping skills into making their very own Gingerbread House...a fun few days with these friends!

Arts and crafts...making Christmas ornaments and painting pine cones...if you don't make a mess, did you even really do arts and crafts?! Haha...I did, however, realize that glitter is extremely hard to clean up...but as an elementary teacher, I say more glitter, more fun, right?! :) ....most of the time...

In the midst of loving on campers, making gingerbread houses, being in skits, and painting ornaments, there are always meals to serve and dishes to clean. This is our incredibly fun and hard-working Work Crew that we got to hang out with all weekend. They made the meals run so smoothly and were so eager to serve and help! Love these girls and the friendships made!

These are my fun friends who make working on the weekends a joy and a lot of fun. We serve at the Shores, the high school camp, and the Bluffs, a family camp, helping out with retreats and conferences. These guys keep me laughing, always take pictures when I fall asleep, and know how to play a great game of Mafia at a Christmas party...haha! Love serving for the sake of the Gospel with these guys. 

Two Weeks to Raise $1,000

One of the biggest things I’m learning right now is how to truly trust and depend on Him as I am raising $12,000 and that sometimes prayer is bigger than I could ever have imagined and usually more fruitful than I could have ever dreamed. I am so thankful for every donation that has already been so graciously given, tears always come to my eyes as I look at my spreadsheet and think that you would be willing to support me in furthering God’s ministry in this way.

I wanted to update you as partners and supporters that for the first time, I just missed my financial deadline for this month, and am currently on an extension and have just two weeks to raise just under $1,000. I know the Lord can provide and I am learning how to trust Him, but also humble myself and ask for help, which is sometimes the absolute hardest. I know it’s nearing the holiday season and things are absolutely crazy, but someone once told me that if I never ask no one will ever know where I stand in support, so I wanted to let you know and bring you in on the journey to pray that the Lord will provide the remaining $940 for this month and $6,340 for the duration of the Forge.

Right now, I am praying for 12 people who would be willing to support me with $100 a month for 5 months. However, He is teaching me that if I am obedient in little He will be faithful in much and that He often uses the smallest blessings to add up to exactly what we need. I think this time of being dependent on Him has taught me more than I’m even realizing now. So, I am thankful for this time of fundraising even in the hard days and also very thankful for you and your support in this journey.

After prayerfully considering support in this crazy season, if you do feel led to give, you can donate either with one time gift or a monthly donation. All gifts are tax-deductible and you can donate directly online at pinecoveforge.com by just putting my name in the Forge Student section. But most of all, just having a partner in prayer that He would provide over the next few months and continue to teach me and use this for his glory would be incredible.

Thank you doesn’t even come close to expressing my gratitude for your encouragement, support, and prayers. I can’t wait to share all that the Lord is teaching me in this journey and would love to hear from you and keep you updated.

With so much love and thankfulness, and a heart learning to trust,

Tabitha 

Just a few things I'm learning...

The past twelve weeks I have seen the Lord be so faithful in me being in the Forge – here are just a few snapshots of some of the takeaways I am learning right now.

•  I am learning how to truly study God’s Word and not just scan it like an ‘iTunes service agreement.’ We are reading five chapters in different sections of the Bible every day, as we are memorizing the entire book of 1 Peter, along with studying it in depth and choosing a passage to teach next semester. This has been so fruitful as I am seeing the benefits to truly having Scripture on you heart and in your bones. We are also studying the Bible through the eyes of Israel and learning the culture, background, language and context of so many stories as we are preparing for our two-week trek through Israel in March.

• I am also learning what true Christian community looks like, and what a blessing that I get to live in the midst of 28 believers for eight months. This community has already experienced incredible joys and very low valleys, and I am learning what it looks like to encourage each other, spur each other on, and point each other to the Word as bringers of salvation.

•  I am learning the ins and outs of being a leader and skills that I will be able to apply in any aspect of life. The joys, hardships, challengers, strengths and weaknesses that come along with being a servant-leader.

• We are learning about ministry in a way that I truly think will impact the rest of my life, no matter what I do or where I go. I am discovering who God has specifically designed me to be and how I can use those gifts and strengths for his kingdom throughout my life. Whether I am a teacher, mentor, wife or mom, these truths that I am learning will help me more fully live out my design and walk in the good works he has planned.

Even just a few months in, I am seeing how faithful the Lord has been in me taking eight months to slow down, learn more about who He is and in that process learn more about who He has created me to be. He has softened my heart so much toward being his follower and finding so much joy in learning what he is teaching me and walking in faith through every step of the way. 

Community

“Behold, how good and pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity!” 

- Psalm 133:1

Life with 14 girls...so much fun, laughter, tears, honesty, truth, and hot tea. I am learning what it looks like to live with in Christian community and to spur each other on, coming to one another as bringers of salvation.

An Anvil

An anvil...

It has never been an image that I have thought much about until being in the Forge. For almost three months now, I have been learning what it looks like to have a Blacksmith mold and refine you until you are the piece that He intended you to be. Through the joys and trials, I am seeing how faithful the Lord has been in me taking eight months to slow down, learn more about who He is and in that process learn more about who He has created me to be and how I can walk in that to glorify and serve him the rest of my life.

Life Together

Life Together

by Dietrich Bonhoeffer

“Behold, how good and pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity!” 

- Psalm 133:1

Life Together is a book describing and explaining authentic and true Christian community. Bonhoeffer describes the fellowship that takes place under the Word and the benefits, hardships, and joy that comes from experiencing true community. “Behold, how good and pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity!” - Psalm 133:1 This is foundational statement that Bonhoeffer explains through outlining the community, a day together, a day alone, ministry, and the act of confession and communion.

Reading this book was so enlightening, as I was made aware of the authentic and true Christian community that can comes from being under the Word, being of one mind, and of giving thanks for the community that you are so graciously able to be a part of. I agree with Bonhoeffer as he gave new perspectives and shed light on several different parts of fellowship in our daily life.

Three huge takeaways are community is a gift, we must not think of others or ourselves greater, and we must be intentional with the ministries we live out.

• “Let him who until now has had the privilege of living a common Christian life with other Christians praise God’s grace from the bottom of his hear. Let him thank God on his knees and declare: It is grace, nothing but grace, that we are allowed to live in community with Christian brethren.” (p. 20) Community is a gift, and we should thank God for the times when we have been able to dwell together in unity.

• “There arose a reasoning among them, which of them should be the greatest.” – Luke 9:46 “It is vitally necessary that every Christian community from the very outset face this dangerous enemy squarely, and eradicate it.” (p. 90) “Strong and weak, wise and foolish, gifted or ungifted, pious or impious, the diverse individuals in the community, are no longer incentives for talking and judging and condemning, and thus excuses for self-justification. They are rather cause for rejoicing in one another and serving one another.” (p. 93)

• “The Ministry of holding one’s tongue, the ministry of meekness, the ministry of listening, of helpfulness, of bearing, of proclaiming, and of authority.” (ch. 4) It is a progression that one must do in order to achieve the full benefit of the ministries.