Such Fun and Excitment!

So on Sunday I went to a CCF (a community church nearby) with my core girls and it was so refreshing. The church is just like a big family and I wasn't in the children's department working with kids during service, either. It was such an amazing service, filled with prayer, worship, and a great sermon. It was so, so, so.... I can't explain it. But, it was amazing.
Afterwards (still on Sunday) we had "core day". It was even more awesome than the church service. It gave us a chance to connect with my new core. I miss my old core, but I love my new one! It's filled with beautiful women of God. They have love and understanding and I can truly be my whole self around them. I'm so comfortable here, surrounded by other people on fire for God. It such an amazing experience.
During "core day" our Core Adviser, Rachel, took us to a gorgeous rose garden. I loved it! We ran around and talked with each other and took some great pictures (I'll put them up as soon as I figure out how to)!! After that we came back and had a picnic at the Prayer Tree. Then after that we prayed for one another in small groups and then had a party/ worship get-together. We painted each others nails and talked about silly things and then ended with some of the best worship I've ever had!
Sleep came easily that night and we went to corporate at the regular time. But, Monday we found out our ministry placements!! I was SO excited!! I did have my heart set on the kitchen crew, but God told me not to expect that. He had better plans in store for me, and that I should do whatever I get with joy in my heart. And that's what happened to me! I am in HA Operations, in the curriculum department. Its lots of fun! I have a desk, but I haven't sat at it so much so far (I've only been there two days). I love my supervisor, Janell Camp, she is so cool and beautiful and in love with the Lord. And Katie Johnson, Janells Graduated Intern, assistant, is so amazing! And, that Monday night our core filled out a little card with some very cute, girly information about ourselves on it for our C.A., Rachel. It was fun.
That night I actually went to bed slightly early (we had corporate an hour earlier than normal, at 5 instead of 6). I felt great today, the entire day (except for one during Chapel, I almost fell asleep). I worked some more in my M.P. and had lots of stuff to do. They keep me very busy, and I like it! I can't wait to get deeper into this fabulous ministry! I have lots of free time and and I plan on going to Wally World later today to get some stuff I need for ESOAL.
I have to get up at 4:30 again tomorrow for cooperate at 5. And then its off into another God filled, exciting, fabulous day. I don't know what the future holds and I want to run head on into it! God will protect me and I will have my core (and brother core) to help me on this spiritual journey. ESOAL is coming fast and we are working hard to meet this challenge head on AND I WILL FINISH WITH JOY IN MY HEART!!!!

p.s. I have already noticed that I'm losing weight (or at least "inches") because my clothes are getting to be slightly loose. And, not only that I have muscles where some fat used to be! Oh my! I'm so excited about this upcoming year!

Such an Amazing Place

Oh my goodness! Sorry I haven’t updated in a while, I was very busy. So far there are almost no words that can describe what’s been going on in my life. The only one I can think of is, Godly. It’s all Him, the one who loves me the most. Oh, he IS such an awesome, amazing, fabulous, loving, dedicated, gracious, merciful, and forgiving God. So many things have happened; I don’t know how to say everything.
We were told about ESOAL again and I’m a little apprehensive, but excited. I had to ask my mom for a few things that could get trashed (because of the things that we do during it). It feels like we’ve been here for a few months already so ESOAL seems so close (and yet so far), but in reality it’s only been a few days.
I’ve made lots of new friends and am so happy to know them. Some of my new friends are in the School of Worship with me (that’s a special part of the HA for musicians). I can’t wait to start learning how to play the electric bass! This is going to be fun and challenging at the same time.
Today I will be moving cores (that’s the family of rooms that meet together) and rooms, and that makes me very sad. I love the ladies in my current core and will miss sharing the bathroom with them! Last night was the “Commitment Banquet” which signaled the end of our first week and Gauntlet. I've heard things won’t be slowing down much after the move so I still won’t have much time to get on every day.
The other night! Oh my goodness! The other night we had a massive baptism service! I was soooooooooo amazing. I got baptised again (or really: for the first time) and we all worshiped and cheered and danced to be free from Satan's temptations! Oh! What a night, I'll remember forever August 20, 2009. Just like I'll never forget January 29, 2003 (that's when I got saved by Jesus).

So today We got our new cores and room assignments. I didn't move!!!! I'm so happy. But, other girls from my core did and I will miss seeing them in the bathroom everyday. I'm excited about the new girls so I'll have more Godly friends and more sisters in Christ! I can't wait to get to know them more closely and intimately than my Gauntlet core.

It's been very hectic and frustrating moving people around the campus but once it settles down we can all sleep a little sounder... not really. We wont slow down at all. But this year is going to be so amazing!! I can't wait to find out what Gods has planed for me this year.

The Up and Coming

Oh my goodness. This place is everything I thought it was going to be and then some extra!! I can't wait for ESOAL (emotional stretching opportunity of a lifetime). I've seen a few videos on it and heard some stories but I will make it to the end and finish!! Many people don't finish this hard and exhausting challenge, but everyone learns something from there experience.
I have to say that I am sore and bruised and tired and so filled with joy. God has something amazing planed for me this year and I can't wait to find out what it is! Today, I am so proud of myself, I jogged a whole mile (at least i think it was a mile). But I didn't do it alone, I had my core (the "family" i have while I'm here), even though they may be temporary, with me the whole way and God lent me his strength. Or else I wouldn't have been able to do that.
I love my core and my CA and just all the God fearing friends I've made so far these few short (but so long) days. Orange block has just only started and gauntlet is almost over and ESOAL is creeping up fast and the Lord almighty is speaking to me every day. This year is going to be so amazing!

This is so Amazing!

WOW!!! Honor Academy is so amazing. God is speaking to me and changing me from the inside out. Yesterday we went on this "nature trek" and ended up at an obstacle course. We were told that we could do it just for fun, so I did... oh my, it was hard and I have so many bruises and I'm very sore from all the exercising we have to do, but I WILL PRESS ONWARD!!!! Like 1 Corinthians 9:27 says, I will beat my body to make it my slave so that I might not be disqualified from the race.
God is so amazing, I've never experienced so many worship times as amazing as this in a row! I can tell that I am growing. Even though its painful and trying and mentally straining, I know God will make me stronger in the end and I need to keep a pace that will glorify His name until I get there.
The speakers here have so much conviction and wisdom in the word. I've already learned so much from them and I've only been here for 2 and 1/2 days! wow...wow... I'm almost speechless of how amazing it is here. Everyone is so kind to one another and the atmosphere is just the best!
I can't wait to see what He has in store for me!

I Finally Made It!

So i finally made it here. At Honor Academy everything is going to be different!
I'm so excited! This is going to be a great experience! I can't wait, oh no! actually when I got here I hit the ground running and haven't stopped long enough to do this. So now I can. I won't be able to text for the next month except on weekends which I believe is good. We are here to grow in our walk with God and to be able to give the Gospel out into a dying world. It's going to be tough and challenging and I'm not sure how I'll survive but God will get me though it all with His strength, I can do anything through him!

Anxiousness

So today I have said good-bye to one more friend and I can't seem to sleep. It feels like I'm on the edge ready to plunge into the deep end and I don't know if I can swim or not. I'm so anxious about leaving and I'm afraid I might not make it out there...in that very big world. The suspense has gotten to me now. The day is coming but its not here yet and there isn't enough time in the world for me to be ready but the day can't come fast enough. The mixed feelings and stress I put on myself seems to be slowly wearing down my nerves. That's where the sleeplessness comes in... The nights get later and later and the mornings get earlier and earlier and a good nights sleep seems unattainable at the present time. This is the time when I believe I should let God take control, but it is very difficult and hard to do. I have the mind that I should do everything myself and I need to learn otherwise. I hope that is one of the things that changes while I am at Honor Academy, but I will never know until I go.
My family is supportive of me (though have some doubts about my mom) and it makes leaving just that much simpler (and it's a small amount indeed). I did a very large amount of shopping today and bought almost everything I might need, a few things remain but the are trivial and I can also just "steal" them from home. I can't wait until I leave but I also don't want to go. It's such a scary feeling, leaving home.

What Happens Next?

So far this week I've been running around like a chicken with my head cut off. I can't seem to get everything I need done, done! I leave in two days and i still haven't even gotten everything I need to go; my uniform, some exercise gear, and spirals and what-not. This week snuck up on me so fast. I can't believe that summer was over this soon. When I was smaller it seemed to drag on forever, now there isn't even enough time to breathe in between seconds! I guess since I had a job this summer and did a lot of church activities the summer flew by without even a glance in my direction. Hopefully I can slow down just a bit so that I can say good-bye to my friends, I'm sad to be leaving everyone behind like this. But, I think its for the best. I need to be on my own without my parents behind me everywhere I go and doing things for me (like my laundry, I'm going to have to do it myself). I'm awfully anxious to be leaving and I almost don't want go, but it will be a new beginning for me, and everyone needs new beginnings every once in a while.
I don't know how this Honor Academy is going to work entirely yet, but God has been telling me to go, so I will. He's told me to 'go to the feast that's been prepared for me' and get some thing out of it. He's been preparing my heart and teaching me what I've been doing wrong so that I can go without hindrance and focus fully on him while I'm there. I'm not sure what will happen within the next year, but I'm positive that it will change me and my outlook on the world. I don't know what will happen next, but my savior and Lord most definitely does. So, I'm going to leave it up to Him.

Ahh... the First Impression

So, this is my first ever blog post... yes indeed. Lest start with the basics. My name is Ashley Mehl. I am 18 years old and headed to college! I'm leaving home for the first time and can't wait to get out there! I'm going to Honor Academy, which is a christian based "pre-college" facility. Its one full year and I have decided to use this blog to post my goings-on at H.A. can't wait to get started!