Category Archives: God-Moment

Indescribable Ireland

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No matter how many pictures I snap, or how descriptive my words are, I cannot come even close to capturing the beauty, the culture, the essence of Ireland. For example, if I write about a walk down the path to Enniskerry from the Ritz, I would tell you about the green, mossy covered fields and how the golden leaves contrast against the smoky grey sky. A picture would reveal the old wooden fences weaving along the road, and the horses grazing in the mist. However, pictures and words cannot allow you to hear the animated chirping of red-breasted robins as they flit from tree to tree, or enable you to see the glow of morning light through the fog as it covers the land. You cannot feel the cool air against your skin, or the rain drops sliding down your cheeks and soaking your hair. Nothing I can say or show you is adequate. Breathing the brisk mountain air, strolling through the cool mist, soaking in the beauty of it all…this is the only way to experience Ireland.

Horses graze in the rolling fields outside the Ritz

Unrealized Dreams

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“[In my soul] there are motives I cannot discover, dreams I cannot realize. My God, search me.” Psalm 139

There is a stirring in my spirit. Deep within my heart, I am discovering a voice that cannot be silenced. It is passionate. It is persistent. It longs to live, breathe, and proclaim Truth. It is expressed with emotion, but it is so much more than just emotion. It brings me to tears…yet it fills me with joy. There is Someone at work in my life. He has a plan. And this knowledge alone brings me to my knees in awe and fear.

He has given me a dream. A dream that fills me with wonder. A dream that I hardly know anything about. The Lord opened my eyes to the epidemic of the sex trafficking industry during my senior year of high school. Over the years, this awareness had developed into a passion for ending this horrible practice. In the last six months, God has finally given me a call to action. Through various sources of inspiration, He has provided me with the resources to create a line of jewelry! The focus of my jewelry is maps; I create pieces that are personalized according to the country the buyer chooses. However, my necklaces, bracelets, bookmarks, and magnets can also be personalized with initials, words, symbols, pictures, anything that can fit in a 18x25mm oval frame. I also offer various colors of rope, chain, and ribbon, as well as multiple pendants to choose from.

All necklaces, bracelets, and bookmarks are $10, and magnets are $5, with all profits (approx. 80% of the total cost) being primarily donated to organizations that fight sex trafficking and assist young women who have been rescued. I am also desiring to work with mission teams to raise funds for their trips, and buyers can request to specifically sponsor an individual/team through Traveling The Pages. Pictures of the product line will be posted soon. Please contact me at TravelingThePages@gmail.com for more information!

A Specific Charge

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You might be wondering why I feel compelled to travel to the other side of the world. Does my passion for traveling alone drive me to just go? Nine times out of ten, when I tell people about my upcoming trip to Australia, I hear this response:

“Oh, that’s great! Is it a mission trip?”

Now this is an innocent question and so I usually answer no to avoid any confusion. But whenever this question is posed to me, there is always a check in my heart. What is a mission trip? The average churchgoer’s definition is a trip during which a team or individual travels away from home to focus solely on spreading the Word of God and ministering to people in need. Oftentimes, we add a medical or construction aspect to the trip, and there you have it.

Missions.

Sounds about right, don’t you think? So why does it make me feel a little uncomfortable when individuals categorize this trip Down Under as a pleasure-based trip, or “just for fun”? Right before I left for a trip to Italy, I was discussing with my father how I felt about the adventure ahead of me. My heart felt burdened because I was spending thousands of dollars to travel somewhere for me, when I could have been spending the money on a mission trip. My father spoke words of wisdom into my life that I will never forget. He said, “Susannah, every trip you go on is a mission trip. Everywhere you go, every day, you have the same responsibility to spread the Word of God and share His love with the people around you.”

His words echo in my heart each time someone asks that one little question. Looking to the dictionary, we see the definition of mission is this: “the business with which an individual or group has been charged.” I have been given a charge by God to share His light with the world around me. Whether I am at work every day or spending a week in Guatemala, there is a reason He has me there. So what is my mission in Australia?

1) Jesus. My charge is to share God’s love with every individual I meet, even if I never give my testimony or have the opportunity to tell someone about Jesus. Actions speak louder than words often anyways.

2) Write. Through my blog, I hope to share my experience Down Under with friends, families, strangers…anyone! And although actions might speak louder, words are still very powerful!

3) Travel. I have been called to read more pages of the incredible book God has written. I don’t plan on stopping until I have been every place God wants me to go.

Just a thought…what is the business that God has charged you with?                               What is your mission?

The History Behind the Page

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When we read a novel or a biography, how often do we skip the introduction? I do it all the time. My experience has found introductions containing nothing but dry history and unnecessary facts. I want to jump right in and feast on the good stuff, not waste time on author’s notes to the reader. But while we believe our time is being maximized, we really are denying ourselves of potentially vital information. Vital how? If we are to appreciate what the author has to say, we need to stop and listen. Sometimes the key to understanding the material lies in the intro, the commentary, the author’s note…

This is my introduction:

It all started on a beautiful Sunday morning service at Evangel Assembly of God. The date was May 29, 2011. There I stood, enjoying the time of worship, singing along to the band. I had no idea that God was smiling as He dropped another puzzle piece of His plan for my life into place. During our usual “meet and greet,” I found myself being introduced to three young men with fantastic accents: Michael Scott and his friends, Mark and Manuel Ilchuk. They were Australians, visiting Orlando before seeing more of the States. This “chance” encounter turned into lunch, a young adult service that evening, dinner out at Johnny’s Fillin’ Station, and continued into Memorial Day at our traditional pool party. By the time we parted ways, a friendship had been established. We kept in contact through Facebook, joking that it was my turn to see their beautiful country, now that they had visited mine. I never believed it would happen.

Canoeing on Memorial Day with Morgan Abbott and our new friend, Michael Scott

Until now. Exactly a year later, I am writing to you about my plans to fly to Australia in 23 days. What many would see as a random coincident, I see as carefully planned. Through the huge blessing of my parents providing a large portion of funds for my upcoming graduation, the encouragement of my Aussie friends, the willingness of my older brother John to accompany me, and the perfect God-timing of a Groupon Getaway Deal, I am preparing to “read the next page” that God has written for me. And I am telling you so that when you read of our experience, you can fully appreciate with me what an awesome God we serve!