I arrived in Atlanta, Georgia this evening. In 2 days I reunite with my Squad and in 5 days we leave to Colombia. But I can’t leave without dedicating a blog to the people who got me this far. When I say that I couldn’t have done this without them, I mean it.
When I graduated in December, I had a decision to make: finally return home to San Diego or stay in Orange County away from my family for one more year. By this point I already committed to the World Race, so I knew that staying meant not spending my final months back home. As much as that thought hurt, I knew where the Lord was calling me to. It was to this church. To this family. And it was the best decision I ever made.
“You are Loved”
That was the motto of this church plant and I have seen it stay true from before it first opened it’s doors, to when I finally walked out of them this Sunday. Saying yes to this church, to this motto, and to these people has made for the greatest year (before the race I’m anticipating).
To my COS/SSM students:
Thank you for re-stirring my passion for worship through music. I stepped away from worship leading before college for 4 years. I lead all through my high school years, but I let pride and insecurity take over. I left knowing that I couldn’t worship God purely and lead others into worship without creating a pure heart with God. So I was hesitant when I was asked to lead the student worship team. But, again, saying yes to you guys was the best decision.
You taught me how to be humble. How to not care about sounding amazing. To play out of joy rather than perfection. To play for God alone. To let others take the lead, and to be okay when I have to take the lead. Watching you grow in your confidence and talents for the purpose of glorifying God brings so much joy to my heart. We created a little family and you were so gracious with my unorganized self. I can’t wait to see how far your love for God, your fellow students and for music has come in a year! You rock.
To my “small” group:
Thank you for taking in this little college graduate who had no idea how to handle this next journey she was about to embark on. You guys chose to push me. To stay excited for and with me. To ask questions constantly. You helped me fundraise. You made sure I was prepared. And you made me feel like it was actually possible to do this crazy thing. Not once did I ever feel unsupported. You were and still are my biggest support system. You’ve loved me beyond measures.
Thank you for pouring into me and exemplifying how people of all age groups and races can fellowship together in the most beautiful and fun ways. I’ll miss those late Friday nights. Please send pictures whenever the party stays up past midnight 😉
To my sisterhood:
Oh, J.A.J.A
I’m still amazed at how God thoughtfully and purposefully put us together. To be empowering each other as woman of faith. Thank you for being my accountability partners. For never giving up on me and for taking action when I failed to. You showed me what determination means and that you never leave a sista’ hanging. Thank you for always speaking the truth in love. Thank you for reaching out. For noticing. For being my mentors. For being vulnerable and opening my eyes to the realities of life and relationships. I look up to you, but never feel like I’m inferior to you despite my age. This sisterhood is so special to me, and I know it’ll last a lifetime.
The Lord places us in different seasons in our lives, with different people. You can either embrace it or fight it. Either way, there is a purpose. This season just so happened to be an easy one to embrace because of the joy and love that overflowed from this church. God knew I would need a community that was as supportive and loving like this so that I could be filled & pursue what I am called to do in this next season.
Remember when I said that community is important? This is why. Especially the unique community of believers. There is something powerful that happens when the church acts in the way that God intended it to. To encourage, to worship, to serve, to fellowship and to act in love. In true, Godly love. This church was it. So thank you, Saddleback Yorba Linda for being my home away from home and for helping me fall in love with the local church again. It is my desire for everyone to find a community like this. The right team for their dream.
Love,
Jezebelle
I just want to thank all my supporters so far! There were many whom have helped me get this far that weren’t included, but know that you are so greatly appreciated. I am still in the process of fundraising to be fully funded for my race, so if you would like to be a part of my journey by being a monthly donor, that would be a HUGE need to be fulfilled. I still can’t finish this race without your support. I encourage you to contact me so I can help you set that up. Thank you!
