Heartbeat for a Generation

NEW BLOG SITE

2007-06-14T16:38:00.000-05:00

I WILL NO LONGER BE BLOGGING ON THIS SITE. IF YOU EVER WANT TO READ ANYTHING I HAVE TO SAY THEN VISIT WWW.GMOHNAY.WORDPRESS.COM

Africa...

2007-05-10T13:26:00.000-05:00

So everyone has been giving me a pretty hard time for not blogging while I was in Africa or blogging since I've gotten back. I, too, have felt bad about it. It's not that I haven't wanted too. Trying to put words to something thats indescrible is intimidating. I feel like words will limit what it really was. I've been left speechless by my experience in Africa. I've thought about it for a long time and I'm finally just accepting that no words will justify what Africa is. Words just don't do it justice. They cant't begin to describe what its like and what it means to me. I will say that it was the most amazing experience I've ever had. I'll never forget it. So since words won't even come close, I'll leave you with some pictures. These are only a few of the 1,000 I took. I'll post the rest of the pictures later.

Remember those Blue Guys from the Intel Commercials?

2007-04-18T01:33:00.000-05:00

Let me start by saying that all of you should be jealous of me because I am dating DJ Howard. Yes, that’s right – DJ Howard. You know who I’m talking about…He’s kind of a big deal. People know him. Haha just kidding but seriously. You’ve probably seen him looking fly on a sunny day riding his lawnmower. Or you’ve seen his big red truck with the sign that says Southern Green Lawns on the back – yeah that’s right, he owns his own business. I’m one lucky girl. I mean, even Michael Griffis wants to be his best friend. And Griffis barely likes anybody. Just kidding! Haha all joking aside, he really is a great guy. The best thing about DJ is that he loves God with all of his heart.

For our one year anniversary, he planned out a whole day and it was so much fun! He brought me to eat lunch at Tsunami’s which is probably the coolest atmosphere in Baton Rouge.

Then we went to my house and hung out with my mom and little sister for a while which meant a lot to me since I barely ever get to see them. Then DJ and I drove to New Orleans where he gave me money to go shopping at my favorite stores! (Told you I was a lucky girl) Then we drove down St. Charles street where the biggest houses in the universe are located.

We were planning on going to eat at Camelia Grill but to our dismay, it was closed for renovation ☹. So instead, DJ took me to eat at La Madeline’s, which is one of my favorite places. Not sure why, it just is. And then as if it couldn’t get any better, he had another surprise waiting after dinner. He drove over to the New Orleans Arena where we parked and walked inside and sat down four rows from the front a really cool stage. I didn’t know what show we were about to see but I knew it was going to be good. The opening act ended and said, “Now enjoy – The Blue Man Group!!!!”
I looked at DJ and said, “Who’s that?”
He laughed and said, “Remember those blue guys from the Intel commercials?”
I got excited as I remembered those weird blue guys. I had no idea they were still around. But little did I know, they were still around and were doing pretty well traveling all over the country to perform.

The show was one of the best shows I have ever seen. It was hilarious and entertaining. The graphics and video presentations were my favorite. (Go figure) Not to mention the light show. These blue men were amazing percussionists who made music out of PVC pipes, banging on open grand pianos, and anything else weird you could think of. They had more than a full band behind them including 3 drummers! It was the coolest thing I’ve ever been to and a great way to end the day. I couldn’t tell DJ thank you enough times to show how thankful I really was.
So, if you happen to see DJ give him some props for being the coolest cat around town and tell him how awesome and tall he is. Tell him he’s the greatest thing since sliced bread.

Vision: Cheeseburger

2007-04-13T10:45:00.000-05:00

The other day, my little sister and I were leaving the Target shopping center on Seigen. We were stopped at the red light waiting to turn onto Seigen and we saw a homeless guy and his dog standing on the median. When I see that it just breaks my heart.
But, I admit that several times I've just ignored the homeless people and tried not to make eye contact because it's awkward and you don't know if you give them money if they'll actually use the money for something good yada yada yada. Until I had an epiphany and decided to start keeping granola bars and pennies in my car to give to any homeless people I see. Well we saw this guy and he was holding up his cardboard sign which read - Vision: Cheeseburger. He had a huge smile on his face. It made me smile. So I rolled down my window and I said, "Excuse me sir, I have some change you can have."
He walked over with the biggest smile on his face and introduced himself. His name was Johnny and his dog's name was Cheeseburger. He said, "I named him Cheeseburger because I really like cheeseburgers." We talked for a little bit and I was so excited to be having this great conversation with this homeless guy. He had so much joy. And he was normal. It wasn't wierd or awkward, it wasn't even uncomfortable. He was a normal person, just like me, just like you. He had a great sense of humor. He made me laugh for a while and then he got really serious and said.
"Before I take the money, I need to ask you one question...."
He paused for a moment and looked at me and said "Do you know Jesus?"
I smiled and it made me really happy and I said yes I do know Jesus.

He replied, "Good because that's all that matters. Even though I don't have anything I still have him and that means I have everything."

I was amazed at this man. I couldn't believe this homeless guy who has nothing, not even a place to lay his head, was saying this to me. He was so cheerful and so sincere. I just can't describe it.
I asked him, "Do you ask everybody that question?"

As if this question had really confused him he looked at me and said, "Well yes of course I do....Don't you?"

I was left speechless. It was the simplest concept to him. He knew Jesus. And he believed in what he had and that it was worth giving, worth sharing. He couldn't help it. He knew thats what he was supposed to do and what he wanted to do. It was so simple. If you know Jesus then you tell other people about him.

I knew the answer to his question was no. I don't ask everybody I know if they know Jesus. I'm a full-time intern at the greatest church. I have a family who loves me, friends who love me, and I always have food to eat and a bed to sleep in. And I can barely even gather the courage to ask someone if they know Jesus. I actually have to pump myself up to do it.

Here was this homeless guy who had nothing. No material possessions. No great prospects for the future. But in his eyes, he had everything. He had Jesus. He had hope. He had the most sincere, genuine, pure, bold, childlike faith that I have ever encountered.

God really moved on my heart because of what happened and because of the question he asked me. Why don't I tell more people about Jesus? What holds me back? Why am I so afraid?
Barton Pickens made a really good point this morning. He said, "It all comes down to this - Do you really believe what you have is worth giving?"

That question has been on my mind all day. Do I believe what I have is worth giving? Yes of course I do. I do believe it's worth giving. The reason I have it is to share it with others. God really challenged me to step it up. My prayer is that every believer would have such a great passion for Jesus that they just can't help but tell others about him. That it just becomes normal to them like second nature. Because that is truly how its meant to be.

So, if you see a homeless guy named Johnny and his dog Cheeseburger around IHOP on Seigen stop for a minute and talk to him. Let him know he is not forgotten. Maybe even buy him a cheeseburger.

Hosanna in the Highest

2007-04-04T16:35:00.000-05:00

Hillsong's latest album - All of the Above - is amazing! The first song I heard from it was a song titled "Hosanna". The lyrics are incredible. They have become my prayer and my hope. Check them out:

I see the King of glory
Coming down the clouds with fire
The whole earth shakes, the whole earth shakes
I see his love and mercy
Washing over all our sin
The people sing, the people sing

Hosanna, Hosanna
Hosanna in the Highest

I see a generation
Rising up to take their place
With selfless faith
I see a new revival
Staring as we pray and seek
We're on our knees, we're on our knees

Heal my heart and make it clean
Open up my eyes to the things unseen
Show me how to love like you have loved me
Break my heart for what is yours
Everything I am for your kingdom's cause
As I walk from earth into eternity

The girl who wrote the song, Brooke Fraser, continues onto a different track and she starts to quote different pieces from Hebrews 12:1 which says, "Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us." Then she starts to sing the words below and every time I hear it, I get chills.

For those who are to come
For those who are to come
Every generation
Every nation
Every tribe
Every tongue
They will sing
They will cry
With one voice they will sing:
HOSANNA!

I can't wait for that day when every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord. Until then, I have to continually keep my eyes focused on Him, the author and perfector of my faith and pray that he will give me the heart and the strength to do it all for those who are to come.

Don't lose your flavor!

2007-04-04T15:37:00.000-05:00

So I was reading this great book called the Bible this morning. I was reading in Luke 14 where Jesus is talking about the cost of being a disciple. It spoke so much to me and just what I've been dealing with lately. Here is Luke 14:25-35:

A large crowd was following Jesus. He turned around and said to them, “If you want to be my disciple, you must hate everyone else by comparison—your father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters—yes, even your own life. Otherwise, you cannot be my disciple. And if you do not carry your own cross and follow me, you cannot be my disciple.
“But don’t begin until you count the cost. For who would begin construction of a building without first calculating the cost to see if there is enough money to finish it? Otherwise, you might complete only the foundation before running out of money, and then everyone would laugh at you. They would say, ‘There’s the person who started that building and couldn’t afford to finish it!’
“Or what king would go to war against another king without first sitting down with his counselors to discuss whether his army of 10,000 could defeat the 20,000 soldiers marching against him? And if he can’t, he will send a delegation to discuss terms of peace while the enemy is still far away. So you cannot become my disciple without giving up everything you own.
“Salt is good for seasoning. But if it loses its flavor, how do you make it salty again? Flavorless salt is good neither for the soil nor for the manure pile. It is thrown away."

The purpose of Full-time Elevate is to train you for full-time ministry and that is what I want to do. I have such a burden for the youth of this generation and to see them serve the Father. But looking back, I don't think I knew what I was getting into. I knew I was willing to do whatever it takes to serve the church and the Kingdom but I don't think I really knew what it actually takes.
I didn't realize how heavy the burden can feel sometimes.
Jesus tells us to not begin unitl you count the cost. God asked me to count the cost. Am I truly willing to give up everything, to lose it all, for the sake of being a part of his Kingdom. Am I really willing to give up everything that is mine, all of my rights, to become a servant for His Kingdom? God really questioned my heart this morning. I have to be willing to give up everything that is mine, go wherever he wants me to go, so that I can be used for His kingdom. My heart's number one desire is to serve Him and be used by Him but am I willing, are you willing to count the cost? To give it all up?
Jesus tells us that as Christians we are the salt of this earth, that we were created to be used by Him and for Him. But we aren't any good if we lose are usefullness. Jesus says in one of the last verses that flavorless salt is useless, that it gets thrown away. I prayed that I would never become useless in the Kingdom.
So how do you lose your usefulness?
I believe you lose your usefulness when you lose your willingness.
I know how to lose my usefulness, but how can I prevent from losing my usefulness?
I think I need to keep my heart constantly in check. Keep checking my motives. Keep checking my willingness. Keep asking myself the hard questions? Am I still willing to lose it all? Is he still worthy when things in my life aren't going right? Am I still willing to count the cost? Am I still willing to do whatever it takes to not lose my flavor?

ROUND 2

2007-03-28T16:50:00.001-05:00

You think you know but you have no idea...

2007-03-28T15:53:00.000-05:00

This is the diary of Elevate...

These are the people I spend every day with. And they're the greatest people on the planet!

Boom Goes the Dynamite

2007-03-28T15:52:00.000-05:00

this is humorous. and painful. worst sports announcer ever.

he gets the rebound, passes it out, annddd boom goes the dynamite.

Sisters and Nephews

2007-03-28T14:53:00.000-05:00

My sister, Laura, flew in from Washington DC where she lives to spend the weekend with us. It was great to see her. She's 10 weeks pregnant so we're all really excited about it. Her husband Bill wasn't able to come in because of some business but having Laura in town was great. It's funny how you can forget how much you really miss someone until you actually see them and spend time with them.
Sunday came so quickly and it was off to St. Francisville. I love Sundays because I love St. Francisville and I love to see the girls and spend time at the Howards with the crew. Church was awesome and then Sunday night we had our first ever, Refuge at the MAG!!! It was a huge win for St. Francisville and most importantly, the Kingdom! We had about 36 kids which was quite a crowd for what we're used to. And about 7 or 8 kids went down to make a decision for Christ. I can't even begin to explain how excited I am. I think it's the beginning of something really great. I know that revival is coming in that community and it's our responsibility to usher it in. I can't wait to see what God will do!!!

Then on Monday, me and Laura went over to my other sister's house to visit our two nephews. They are the cutest things ever! Henry Nathan is a few months old and Cameron Luke is a little over 2 years old. Cameron is at the age where he pretty much just repeats everything you say. So one time my mom was helping him put together a puzzle and was amazed at how good he was at it so she said, "Cameron is so smart!" and then Cameron mimicked her by saying "Cameron is soooo smart!" He said it for the rest of the day. How cute. Henry's mo-hawk is my favorite.

God has blessed me with a great family.

Garage Sale

2007-03-27T16:19:00.000-05:00

Yea I'm in a leotard.

Used Underwear For Sale! All Proceeds Go to Africa!

2007-03-24T17:00:00.000-05:00

A Garage Sale, some used underwear, michael jackson, and a whole lot of fun....

Where to begin...as elevate gets closer and closer to the end, the weekends seem to get longer and longer. We just keep getting pushed more and more. But we all survive.

This weekend, Elevate hosted a Garage Sale at the church to raise money so we can go to Africa. (Props to Natalie and everybody who donated stuff for making it happen) Well, we were hoping that people would donate some stuff but we had no idea how much stuff would actually get donated. We got a little bit more than we hoped for haha. We had no idea what we were getting ourselves into. We got the church around 3:30 to start organizing stuff and as one person after the other dropped stuff off, the monster that was our garage sale just kept growing and growing. It looked like Katrina all over again!

We were way in over our heads and we knew we were in for a long night. But God is good and sent us some awesome volunteers to help us sort through the massive piles of clothes and random knick knacks. We had some cool girls from Mrs. Connie's Pathfinders group Sparkle come and help us out and they definitely added some life to the party. Thanks Mrs. Connie and the girls! And then of course I have to just go ahead and say that Mrs. Sheila is the biggest servant in the entire world. She served her heart out, showed up even when we hadn't asked her, and stayed with us all night and then all day Saturday. She's awesome! She's up there along with Mother Teresa and Mary.

I just want to thank all of the people who helped us out. We really honestly couldn't have done it without you and you know that's true. (You saw all the stuff) We had some people donate some awesome stuff. Even an Acordian!!!

One thing I don't understand is why people would donate their underwear...

I just don't know what else to say about that...

Check this picture out...

Yes that is Katie with a gun. Scariest thing ever? Probably so. Not to mention she has lady bug wings on her back.

More pictures and maybe even videos to come. Keep checking. You really don't wana miss the video of Kaycee dancing.

How Great is Our God

2007-03-22T14:51:00.000-05:00

Wednesday night, me and DJ got to go to the How Great Is Our God Concert to see Chris Tomlin and Matt Redmon lead worship and Louis Giglio deliver a short but great message about how great our God is. It was pretty amazing. We also had awesome seats and the best part about it was that it was all a blessing. We had the tickets given to us by a friend in St. Francisville. Louis Giglio (I think thats how his name is spelled) talked about all the galaxies and the stars and how big they are and, in reality, how small we are. It was eye-opening. The best part was when he started to talk about this really small molecule called Laminin. This molecule was recently discovered and its purpose is basically "the glue" of our body. It holds our skin together, holds our muscles and bones together. Without it, we'd fall apart. There are millions and millions of tiny little Laminins holding us together. The coolest part about it? Its genetic structure is shaped like a cross.

How awesome is that? God is so cool. We have a millions and millions of tiny crosses holding us together! How true is that? Without the cross, we'd all fall apart. I would love to expound on that even more (is expound a word?) but I have to go review my notes because we have to preach today. Wish me luck! Here are two pictures from the concert...

So I Have This Friend Named Sarah...

2007-03-22T10:46:00.000-05:00

So I have this friend named Sarah and one time she went to the dentist...

A House is Not a Home Without Corn

2007-03-20T14:09:00.000-05:00

So today I went and ate lunch at Serop's with DJ, Griffis, Brad Dupey Pants, and Jason Really Tall Ryder. Me, DJ, and Griffis ate at one table and Brad, Jason, and JP ate at another since they have the tables bolted down to the ground in case some one wanted to steal it so I guess they could be considered part of our meal. I ate some mac and cheese and we had a good conversation with Griffis about how his house is not a home without peanut butter or corn. For all of you Griffis is my Homeboy People out there - if you ever want Griffis to consider liking you, give him some corn. As we were eating we noticed that there is an awesome painting of a tiger/bear on the wall. Do you think it looks more like a tiger or a bear? Let me know.

Overall, it was enjoyable. The highlight of the lunch outing was seeing Jonathan Menck working at the Starbucks that just opened. He made me a Passion Iced Tea Lemonade sweetened with Classic Syrup and it was probably the best one I've ever had. Lunch time was pretty good today. At least it wasn't leftovers.

Amplified Weekend

2007-03-19T06:22:00.000-05:00

So this weekend was amplified and it was incredible. As much as this weekend was for the students it was definately for me as well. To see so many students fired up about God and to witness them serving their hearts out for the community was a huge wake up call for me. Before Amplified, I was kind've in a slump, not a big one, but just pretty tired from our busy schedule. But Thursday night, I decided I was going to be expectant to see God move. And He definately showed up. I got to stay in a house with Sarah Haviland and Jill Griffis and NINETEEN other girls! Wow, can you say "Thats alot of girls." Yeah I know. We had some girls from Franny and then the rest were freshmen from Dutchtown and Parkview. A few of the girls were even friends with my little sister which was really cool. Two girls in our house committed their lives to Christ for the first time and a bunch of them even got water baptized! Praise God! I got to spend alot of time with these girls this weekend and seeing their hearts and watching them get closer to God was an awesome thing for me. Their passion rubbed off on me. It brought me back to the first time I really truly committed my life to Christ. Feeling that way really renewed me. The feeling was indescribable.

And then as if the weekend couldn't get any better, Sarah Haviland, Jill Griffis, and I led our St. Francisville Girl's Bible Study on Sunday night. We had Katie Fontenot come play guitar and lead some worship. We all interceeded for each of the girls there and for the St Francisville Campus and then we prayed individually for every girl who wanted prayer. Then, one of the sweet girls from St. Franny raised her hand and on the verge of tears begin to explain how she felt really distant from God and it was because she was the one backing away from God and church and her friends. She said that it's so easy to just decide not to go to church in the morning because she'd rather sleep in or how easy it is not to come to Bible Study cause she has "homework" or whatever it may be. But she knew that God wanted more of her heart and more of her life. She said, "I want to come back." Those words stuck with me the rest of the night and still do right now. We prayed for her and encouraged her and thanked God for her heart and honesty. As I saw a bunch of young girls surround her and love on her and pray for her as God moved on heart wiht her head in her hands - I saw God that night. I saw him move. I saw that while we can have these huge events and have a ton of people touched by God, its still all about that one - the one person thats not there yet, the one person that couldn't be there yet, the one person that can only be reached through a more personal way. Yea I saw a ton of people touched by God from a distance but being right there, face to face, heart to heart, with someone who God is touching and hearing the overflow of their heart to get right with God was something I wouldn't trade for the world. I saw God move. And as He moved in someone else's life he moved in mine. He reminded me that this is what its all about. It's all about that one. And its all about THE ONE. It's all about Him. Without Him, none of this is possible.

Monday Monday

2007-03-19T06:17:00.001-05:00

Soooo, monday time. Yeaaahhhhhhhhh.

The Million Dollar Question

2007-03-14T14:49:00.000-05:00

"Sooooo....what are you doing after Elevate?"

That is the million dollar question. Which makes me wonder if anybody else knows the answer to that question people ask us all the time and they wont tell us the answer because they just wana keep the million dollars all to themselves. How rude. Please share. We would all like to know. I wish I knew the answer to that question for several reasons. Number One: I would know what I was doing after Elevate and I could know what to prepare myself for. Number Two: I wouldn't have to think about it all the time. Number Three: I wouldn't be left speechless and dumbfounded everytime someone asks me that question. and Reason Number Four: I'D HAVE A MILLION DOLLARS! those are pretty good reasons. I think from now on everytime someone asks me what I'm doing after Elevate I'm going to turn it back around on them and say, "Well what are YOU doing after Elevate?" This will confuse them and put a confused look on their faces and not know what to say and maybe make an awkward noise as a result of an effort to say something when they didn't know what to say. Then maybe, they would know how we Elevaters feel. But it's all good. I just have to keep reminding myself that God has it under control and that His plan is WAY better than mine. Thank goodness. And when I truly think about it, He has always been so good to me. Given me more than I deserve. So I really don't have anything to worry about. Because He is good and his plans for me are good. I can't wait to see what He has in store.

Back to Elevate

2007-01-03T16:55:00.000-06:00

So, I really enjoyed the holidays. I spent ALOT of time with my family and with the Howards. I had a great Christmas. Santa was really generous this year. And I played alot of golf with my dad. I used to hate golf. I've heard some people say that the devil invented the game of golf but after playing a few times for real, I decided that I really like it. Especially when I shoot a 49 on 9 holes of golf. It was pretty fun. I can also now watch DVD's in my car thanks to DJ. And over the holidays, me and DJ became obsessed with watching The Office. In my opinion, it's the best show since Seinfeld. It's hilarious. So now, the holidays are over and elevate has started back up again. I woke up at 6:45 this morning for this first time since the holidays. Hopefully, it won't take me a while to get back into the swing of things. Surprisingly, I'm not that tired. But it's only the first day back. They've made a few changes to Elevate which I think everyone is quite pleased with. We only have to work 3 times a week now and we only have to run a 5K instead of a 10K! Praise God! Thank you Brandon for praying so hard for that to become a reality. Tonight is the Sugar Bowl. Go Tigers! I plan on watching the first half with my family and my grandfather. Happy Birthday Paw-Paw! (He turned 90 today. Yeah, that's a long time to live.) And then hopefully me and DJ can come join the rest of the Elevaters at the Annex to watch the rest of the game. Yes today has been a good day. A great day actually. I have alot to be thankful for.

True or False: An Apple a Day Keeps the Doctor Away

2006-12-19T15:12:00.000-06:00

So it's official. I think I have the weakest immune system ever. First, it was a trip to the hospital because of some serious pain around my appendix. Seven hours in the emergency room to tell me that its just a gas bubble. How awesome is that? Now I have a sinus infection and a fever that punished me to bed rest all day yesterday. I think my body is trying to tell me something. Good thing it's the holidays. Plenty of time to catch up on some rest and spend some time with the Family. I love the holidays!
So while I was laying in bed all day yesterday, I thought to myself: "Gabi...Do you think an apple a day really does keep the doctor away?" And I thought to myself again and said: "Well if it does then I would eat three apples a day just in case."

So, I was just wondering what you thought...Do you think an apple a day keeps the doctor away?

Or do you think its just an old saying? And if it just an old sayings, which just adds to my recent suspicion that all old sayings are almost completely false, then why do we use them anyway?

First Blog

2006-12-08T09:38:00.000-06:00

So....here I am....with a blog....and I have no idea why I have one....don't really know what to say except, hey whats up....
No but seriously, I figured since I'm in this program called Elevate and I have SO much free time that I should make a blog. HA not exactly. I have a total of about three minutes of free time, which usually has to be taken up by my potty time. But I'm going to try and do this because everyone at HPC has one and I want to be exactly like everyone at HPC. Just a joke people! You all know I'm perfectly happy being the thug I am.

So to sum up my first blog...I love God and I love my life and everything about it! And I love Elevate and all my Elevate peeps! And I just love everyone!