Thoughts from RUF Training

Last week I had the privilege of gathering together with RUF interns, campus ministers, and staff at our annual summer training in Atlanta, GA. This week was by far my favorite out of the four times I've been to Atlanta for training meetings. I enjoyed the week as much as I did for several reasons:

Time with interns - I know many of the other interns better now and have developed deep friendships with a number of them. It's awesome to share stories with each other, pray together, and encourage one another. We only see each other a few times a year, but they are some of the best times. I'm so thankful for the other interns!

Prayer Groups - One afternoon of the week is committed entirely to time with our prayer groups (which were established at Orientation last summer). Each time I go to Atlanta for training, I get to meet with the same group of girls. I really look forward to this time of catching up with each other and praying for one another. It's uplifting to hear about how God is at work in their lives and through their ministries. I cherish these young women very much and hope our friendships last well beyond our time as interns.

Worship night - In the middle of training week we all gather together for a time of worship. The music was led by interns and a campus minister gave us a message from the Word. After the message we took communion together. It's so awesome to spend time worshipping and taking communion together not just as co-workers, but as a body of believers. This is one reason why I love my job so much!

Seminars - Our seminars were very relevant and much-needed reminders of what our job is all about and why we need the Gospel just as much as our students. We were told that our number one job as an intern is to stay connected to Christ. This is so important, because everything we do in our ministry should flow out of a heart that is centered on the Lord. We were reminded to care for our souls and "abide in Christ" (John 15:1-11) because our ministry is impossible without God.

I'm so thankful for the time I had in Atlanta and am glad to be back in Tulsa now. It's nice to settle back into life here and prepare for a new year of ministry with RUF. I can't wait to see what's in store!

Support Update: 

I'm pleased to let you all know that my account is currently sitting at 79%. I'm awaiting several gifts to come in that will put my account at 90%! I'm so grateful for all the support I've received and expect to receive. I have about $2,860 left to raise to be fully-funded for year two! Praise God!

"I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing." - John 15:5

Traveling, Training, and back to Tulsa again!

Hello!

I got back to Omaha Thursday evening and have enjoyed spending some time with my family before my brother's big move to Portland! He will be working for a custom t-shirt company out there and doing some freelance graphic design work. I'm very proud of him and excited for his new opportunity! My brother, parents, and the dog all hit the road early this morning and left me behind in Omaha. It's been lonely and quiet in the house, but I was able to visit a few friends this evening and it was good to catch up with them.

Family photo before Nate's move. It might be awhile before we are all together again.

Tomorrow I'll be flying off to Atlanta for a week for RUF training. I'm really looking forward to being with all of the other interns so we can share stories, worship together, and pray for one another.

I'll get back to Omaha next Friday evening, just in time for a friend's wedding the next day. After that I'll drive back to Tulsa and will have less than a month before classes start!! I'm so thankful for all of the opportunities I've had to travel and visit with family and friends this summer. It will be nice, though, to finally be back in Tulsa so I can get more plugged-in to my church and community and prepare for the new school year. I can't wait to meet all of the new freshmen!

Support update: 

With all of the new pledges and gifts I've received or expect to receive soon, I anticipate needing about $5,000 more! I'm getting much closer to 100% and am so thankful for all who have been able to help. As always, thank you for praying, too! Praise God for what He has provided and pray that He would graciously and faithfully provide the rest.

"The Notion of Divine Control"

This year I've been reading through the devotional "My Utmost For His Highest" by Oswald Chambers. I found today's devo particularly relevant and stirring, especially in the midst of raising support, though it is necessary for every Christian to remember every day. I've typed a few of Chambers' thoughts below:

"How much more shall your Father who is in heaven give good things to them that ask Him?" - Matthew 7:11

Jesus is laying down rules of conduct for those who have His Spirit. By the simple argument of these verses He urges us to keep our minds filled with the notion of God's control behind everything, which means that the disciple must maintain an attitude of perfect trust and an eagerness to ask and to seek.

Notion your mind with the idea that God is there....then when you are in difficulties it is as easy as breathing to remember - Why, my Father knows all about it! 

....Jesus is laying down the rules of conduct for those who have His Spirit, and it works on this principle - God is my Father, He loves me, I shall never think of anything He will forget, why should I worry?

....Keep the notion of the mind of God behind all things strong and growing. Nothing happens in any particular unless God's will is behind it, therefore you can rest in perfect confidence in Him. Prayer is not only asking, but an attitude of mind which produces the atmosphere in which asking is perfectly natural. "Ask, and it shall be given you." 


God is in control. God loves me. I can trust Him. I can eagerly ask Him for what I need, though He already knows it. He is there, with me, always. He will provide. Why should I worry?

I find myself having difficulty in raising support (or when I'm in need of anything!) when I fail to come before God and ask Him to meet my needs. I often feel I must be in control and that whether my needs are met rests totally upon my own competence or effort. But this isn't true. Nothing happens unless God wills it to happen. He is in control of my support and when/how I get it. I believe I'm walking and living within His will, and therefore I can have confidence in Him that He will provide. He does, however, desire that I ask Him. There must be a display of faith on my part in His sovereignty, but also a willingness to ask Him, in confidence, that He meet my needs.

I hope this is an encouraging reminder to you, whatever your needs may be, that God is with you, He loves you, He is in control, and He is there for you. Don't be afraid to go to Him and ask Him for whatever you need.

"Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need." - Hebrews 4:16

Thoughts on raising support....again

Hello, friends!

This summer has been so busy; I can't believe it's already half over! I've been doing a lot of traveling, including a trip to Florida for RUF Summer Conference, a visit home, and ten days in Scotland. Later this month I'll be going home again briefly before flying to Atlanta for RUF training.

Since I've been gone a lot, I haven't been actively raising support for my internship. I've sent out some emails and a few letters here and there, but I haven't made many phone calls or met with a ton of people in person. I've started to panic a little bit, wondering if I'm slacking off too much and not faithfully doing my part to make sure I'm funded for my second year. I thought support-raising this summer would be easier than last year because I have experience. In some ways it has been since I'm not working from ground zero: I already have a pretty good base of supporters. But it's still hard.

I realized support-raising is hard mostly because I make it that way.

I focus too much on the numbers and forget that behind every dollar is a person who is willing and excited to give because they want me to have this job. They believe I'm where I'm supposed to be and they're encouraged by the work God has called me to do. 

It's a huge blessing to invite others to join my ministry and help make it happen. It really is a team-effort: I'm willing and able to serve, but my ministry isn't possible without financial support. Other people aren't able to go and meet with college students, but they're willing and able to supply the money I need. It's a beautiful thing to see the Body of Christ work together so college students may know the love of God and Truth of the gospel.

I don't know why I get so anxious about raising support. God is faithful, and He showed that faithfulness to me last summer in amazing ways. I needed 85% of my support to move to Tulsa last year. Two days before I wanted to move, God supplied 86% of my support.

He showed me that not only does He provide exactly what I need when I need it, but He also gives me more than I ask for.

Remembering God's past kindness to me gives me hope and encouragement that He will continue to bless me, and in ways I least expect. Please pray for me as I seek to remember God's faithfulness and rely upon Him to supply my every need. I hope that you, too, will experience God's blessings exactly when you need them.

"The Lord is trustworthy in all he promises and faithful in all he does." - Ps. 145:13

I have about $16,500 left to raise in order to continue my ministry with RUF this fall. If you are interested in supporting me, I thank you and would love to talk with you. Send me a message at beth.trueblood@ruf.org. You can make a donation online at www.ruf.org/donate (select my name from the staff member drop-down menu). You can also mail a check (made out to RUF with my name and fund code 1376 in the memo line) to:

Reformed University Fellowship
1700 North Brown Road, Suite 104 
Lawrenceville, GA 30043

Thank you for your prayers and support!